There are several things a kenku is born immensely proud of. This is then reinforced throughout childhood, encouraged by parents and friends, colleagues and peers later and ones local shogun family. Even if born or sent out of a flock, into the karegeta, the classless sect, pride for certain things is conjointly instilled.
These things are, in order: beak, tail feathers, claws and your personal or unique birth mark. (In Stare's case, a series of deep blue feathers running down the side of her collarbone. Her tunic usually kept these covered, however.) For Stare, though, she was, in general, much easier about keeping these areas clean and perfect. This was mostly due to having been kept captive for six months underground, and since then getting in far too much deliberate and accidental combat. All of her body had been violated, several times. Pride had gone to be replaced by intense anger and dissatisfaction, that had a character of abrasiveness that was often hard to make friends with.
And so it came that pride of her physical self, which might have once made a happy kenku resist, was not there when the masked-face four-eyes came and asked for a hug. Instead there was ferocity, nestled deep within the anxious bones that were Stare, but nothing whatsoever to do with the egotism of self.
The two sides of her beak parted. And she gaped, black eyes full of wild uncertainty.
"You want a ... hug?" she asked incredulous. Then she paused. "I don't know if you are even ... Toxic."
And a quick look into the aura happened. A mellow, and perfectly serene green aura was glowing around this being of disguise, all masked and glowing eyes, as well as a mud brown-green glow of their chakras - a form of vegetation and earth magic, slightly glowing apparently. At the core also was a hot white heart, pulsating with such tender honesty and kindness that Stare was beginning to go blind.
She blinked, and realised that this genuine person had no alternative agenda, other than a hug.
These people need to trust you. Allow it, came the quiet suggestion from Vitruvion.
What?
Oh let the briarheart hug you. Apparently his mood was truly despairing. That is what she is by the way, I have not seen one but I have read about them. They tend to be powerful so let her do it. A pause, then a grunt and a grin. It's an order.
What? Just because he was feeling grumpy and wanted to take it out on her own anxiety. Just because -
Stare, just do it.
And the kenku groaned, but uneasily turned her head away and huffed. Then she nodded, a little, very, very soft (thanks to a bath before leaving) and squidgy ball of feathers. She even took off her gauntlet as she prepared for the onslaught of squealing delight and squeezes.
"Fine. You can."
And get over your aversion. Allow more hugs today.
Great, just what she needed. Allowing hugs for the rest of the entire day.
