#imagine if grian was an owl

[pndrax]

tiny art dump because i haven't posted in a bajillion million years

WAGOO

[wszczebrzyszynie]

cuddling... ! and grians

[yhs-x-reader]

🎀 OG YHS Class and Petnames! 🎀

Listed assignments, short imagines

Grian, Yuro, Ellen, Sookie, Hidden, Yuki

“Darling, dear, dearest, my love, my heart, soulmate”

JTS, Prime, Gracie, Pie, PD, Chan

“Angel, doll, dove, princess/prince”

Invader, Soul, Taurtis, Salex, Dom, Patty

“Babe, baby, sweetie, honey, sweetheart”

Sam, Starforce, Silly, Seb

No petnames </3

J, Pepe

All of the petnames <3

[enkays-den]

Hermits as birds from where they live/were born!

note: my knowledge is centered around North American birds, so sorry if the european ones aren't super accurate

Bdubs: Northern Saw-Whet Owl. He's just a little guy with big eyes. Small and evil, love him

Cub: Common Starling. Skulk like-iridescence, incredibly friendly. Plus, with Cub running the horn store this season, he NEEDED to be the bird that can imitate pretty much any noise it hears

Doc: Bonelli's Eagle. Large raptor found in Germany. It's straight "brow" and hunched posture remind me of Doc

Etho: Common Loon. THE! CANADIAN! BIRD! Despite being "common", their pattern is simply EXQUISITE Plus, it has a red eye! Also listen to the noises these things make, it's literally stock nature sounds all in one bird. Also, I'd put Etho on my one dollar coin.

False: Barn Owl. Very elegant owl, I just feel it suits her, that's all. Very stately posture.

Gem (Season 10 specifically): Great Blue Heron. It's a fisher, it's blue, it's menacing, what more could you ask for?

Scar (Hotguy): Double-crested Cormorant: A waterfowl bc scar did competitive swimming, it's got a slightly funky shape which I feel suits scar's personality. It also has the Hotguy colors!

Grian: Eurasian Bullfinch. Parrot Grian will not reign supreme. Look at that little guy. He's mischievous, he's red, I do not trust him.

Hypno: Stellar's Jay. My provincial bird! I just think both have very chill and cool personalities

Jevin: Lazuli Bunting. Just a little blue guy!

Impulse: American Goldfinch. Black and yellow, need I say more?

Iskall: Booted Eagle. Something about a stout raptor just feels right. Look at that posture. Reminds me of when Iskall tries to copy the brits' accents.

Joe: Turkey Vulture. Although seen as odd or menacing, all vultures are integral to the local ecosystem and are in actuality, very elegant and gentle birds.

Keralis: Boreal Owl. Yes, I did make the two guys with big eyes owls, What of it? LOOK at him. Put a little hardhat on him, put a little hawiian shirt on him. Precious sweet face.

Mumbo: Avocet. It's basically a vibe check and a mustache joke.

Peal: Black Swan. Big 5AM Pearl vibes. Giant, beautiful, protective. Love that for her.

Ren: Giant Kingfisher. Obligatory King Ren joke, it's a South African bird, and it's kinda goofy looking. I think the speckled feathers look like a ruffled fur collar on a king's cape.

Skizz: Golden Eagle. Large, majestic, hella strong, and he's wearing pants :3

Joel: Tree Swallow. Very small, beautiful, agile bird. The swallow's wings remind me of Asian art styles.

Stress: Magpie. GOR-JUS and LOUD. Imagine her next to Iskall (they're very similar in size, bless them)

Tango: Swainson's Hawk. I fought every bone in my body to not make an Arizona Cardinals joke when I already made a Phoenix Coyotes one maybe half an hour before. The Swainson's hawk is on the smaller size, but still a deadly spitfire, which I think suits Tango

TFC: Brown Pelican. A solitary bird, definitely a rare sighting. TFC was always joking about how much he would eat, I thought a pelican was apt

Beef: Barred Owl. MY FAVORITE OWL. I literally call them 'round beefy boys' and they're just so sweet and I love them

Wels: American Kestrel. I LOVE these little guys. Simply the smallest, cutest and beautiful falcon there is. They're about the size of a pigeon. It's just got such a regal posture despite being a little cutie.

XB: Rock Pigeon. Despite being common and seen as a "dumb pest", they are pretty intelligent, there's a reason they were used to carry messages around. They're also a close relation to doves! The green collar also is like the jacket collar on his skin.

Xisuma: Semipalmated Plover. X and Mumbo were both chosen because of how those birds run on the beach. They're RIDICULOUS. This subspecies is exclusively because it look like he's wearing a little helmet.

Zedaph: Firecrest. Just the GOOFIEST little guy I found on the wiki of British birds. Look at that thing /aff. Also, Zed do be blowing up a lot

Cleo: Partridge. Beautiful bird, looks like they want to kill you in your sleep, just like Cleo.

[greeenchrysanthemums]

Appearances for the GG rivals au character.

I am no artist, so these will simply be written descriptions with a few images thrown in here and there. These are all subject to change at any time, as well, since this is still in its early planning stages.

For Gem, I imagine she looks a lot like in this gorgeous fanart, except her dress has slits up the side to allow for easier movement and her hair is a low bun with a braid wrapping around the front of her head, like this.

Scott and Impulse wear armour similar to how applestruda draws it in her au, with their cloths in shades of teal and yellow. Scott, I like to imagine, has long, back length hair, that he wears down and covering one eye. Impulse has shortly cropped hair and two little nubby horns that are tipped in black, as well as sharp clawed hands. Scott's teeth are sharp; no one quite knows why.

Grian's eyes are entirely black like a barn owl's and his hands end in sharp talons rather than nails. He doesn't have wings, not anymore at least. He wears a high collared red tunic and brown trousers, but both are rarely seen past the heavy, ankle length, black cloak he hides himself under, which is held closed by a silver brooch in the shape of an eye. The cloak has a hood but he never wears it. He always seems to be sliming, whether that smile is devious or genuine is up for debate. The brooch looks something like this, minus the blue center and the circlular details

Scar wears a similar black cloak, held closed by the same brooch, though he wears his with the hood up, and it has red flower detailing on the hem (so, similiar to his secret life look but its a full cloak). His eyes are still green, though, and he has a single grey streak in his brown hair. His tunic and trousers under the cloak are both black and he wears his shirt just a little bit too open at the top. He also always wears a smile, but pretty much everyone can agree it is deceptively kind.

Mumbo and Etho wear matching outfits, claiming it is professional since they share a job, but it is something they choose to do not something that is required of them (they are just silly, really). I imagine they are simple outfits consisting of white tunics with black trousers and thick, leather aprons on top (mumbo's is red and etho's is green). They both wear goggles and thick gloves, as well as chunky boots, all for safety since they work with explosives. Etho wears a black bandana on his lower his face. His goggles replace his headband in this look, being what keeps his hair out of his face. His scared eye is missing entirely; he does not have a false eye, it is just an empty socket. Mumbo wears his goggles around his neck when they are not on his face.

Bdubs dresses similarly, minus the apron and goggles, since he works out in the garder. His shirt is white, and he has brown trousers. Over that he wears a thick cloak that is almost always covered in some manner of flora and/or mud. He completes the look with a wide brimmed hat to protect him from the sun.

Cleo is also dresses similarly to Etho and Mumbo but her apron is a plain brown that is stained with soot. Her tunic sleeves are always rolled up to show off her strong arms and she doesn't wear her safety gloves nearly as much as she should, and she forgoes eye protection entirely. One of her eyes is missing (surprisingly not related to the lack of protective wear), replaced with a glass eye of a slightly different shade of green than her organic eye. Her hair is pulled into a much messier bun than Gem's, with frizzy stray hairs going every direction.

Ren and Martyn look like how they are typically drawn in third life fanart. Ren's eyes are red, as well as blood shot, and he almost always appears angry.

Pearl wears a white tunic with flared sleeves tucked into a pair of high waisted black trousers. Over this she has a deep, red cloak that stops at her waist. She has a crescent moon shaped birth mark on the left side of her face. She carries a sword around her waist. Her hair is always down and messy under her hood.

Bigb just looks like a baker, I am not sure how to describe it. But he always seems to have flour stains on his clothes no matter how hard he tries to wipe it off. Big strong arms for him as well.

Skizz wears the same armour as Scott and impulse, and his underclothes are black. The sleeves of his tunic are ripped off and he does not wear his gauntlets. He refuses to elaborate on why. He is a dove avian.

Tango wears a short sleeved red tunic and black trousers with big chunky boots. His hands are clawed, and his ears are pointed; both are tipped in a red to black gradient. His eyes are entirely red. He has a long tail that ends in a tuff of fire that doesn't seem to have any real heat.

Jimmy wears a blue tunic with a brown vest over it. Brown trousers and chunky boots. His sleeves are always rolled up and he is always covered in some manner of dirt, both because of the work he does on the farm, and from being very clumsy. He has bull horns, one of which is chipped. He also has a tail.

I still don't have set roles for joel and lizzie just yet so they do not have designs in mind either, unfortunately.

[feralcorpses]

This is how I imagine Grian in my au sometimes.

I’m pretty sure this is also the owl species I based him on lol (not gonna say for sure it is but I’m like 90% sure)

Link to the pinterest post here. (not sure who the op is sorry.)

(I promise you that I’ll post some more au art soon I’m just being slow and chill atm)

[hybbart]

hihelo, raau related things

i really like how you draw and write stuff with hybrid stuff in mind, especially avians, and was wondering if you could infodump a bit? stuff like instincts and little things like sounds they make stuff

sorry if this is too vague, i dont really have any specific questions, im just curious about it all :D

oh actually i do have one, where do you usually learn all this stuff from?

Thank you! I'll try to answer a few things

As far as major ones I don't think it's much all that differently than the general fanon you find in fics, the only real difference is that since I'm drawing, I have to figure out what it actually would look like/go with a more visual option. (For example a lot of people make blazeborn, or at least tango, purr, and that's not something you can depict in a silent, still image easily.) The only other difference is that raau is set on a single, modern world and so ones like blazeborn aren't from the nether or void and these species have a linear history that impacts the world's development.

Avians:

Avians make all sorts of birb noises when theyre emotional of course, and they need preening. Maybe pre apocalypse they were picky about what to do with their feathers, but in the apocalypse they could be a potential resource so at least Jimym and Grian save them.

The main difference is I prefer to interpret things like feather-gifts and nests as familial things. A lot of these behaviours are based on bird behaviours but I like to imagine they don't just... act like birds. These are their culture and traditions not JUST instincts.

So, like, it's instinctive and better for their body if they sleep in a nest rather than a bed, but that nest replaces beds and- while their partner usually is the other person sleeping in that bed, it's more of a big like... sleepover space for everyone in their flock, not a romantic thing. It doesn't really say anything about their relationship other than they're comfortable sleeping around them, in their nest which is their safe place. Nests I also designed based on enclosed nests like weavers, or a bird house, or cavity nests like owls. I think it just made it more distinctly a nest rather than a round dipping bed, especially once all the blankets and pillows are placed. So they'll put up veils and curtains and basically make a fort but permanent. It's the focal point of their homes, basically.

The ranchers' has to be comfortable and accessible to Tango as well but I imagine most avian families straight up make a whole room for just the nest and no stairs. I feel like avians are really bad about making accessible architecture. In raau I imagine their world a lot liek ours but I also image it without a housing crisis or lots of generic homes due to the needs of the various species usually meaning a LOT of people build their own homes.

Feather earrings I also imagine as a nuclear family thing between avians only, for the inner flock so to speak. It's sort of like a house flag, 'these are my siblings/parents/children' type thing. If that involves a non avian a non-feather item might be included, like a blazerod or scale. It's mostly a signal to other avians, though (and pretty). Like if Jimmy removed Grian's feather from his earring that would be A Statement. there isn't really any ritual involved with giving them, either, it's just expected. Outer flock aka friends, extended family, and unmarried partners aren't really involved.

Avians also have a migratory instinct in raau. Though they have specific birds they might resemble I think of them as their own whole species 99% of the time (Jimmy's ability to see sounds being the 1% unique due to their bird thing). In the case of the modern avians this usually takes the form of frequent travelling or nomadic lifestyles and taking up temporary/seasonal work.

A lot of cowboys were avians, and probably a lot of those world travel blogs were run by avians. Probably a lot of jobs discriminate against avians assuming they'll want a bunch of vacation time or up and quit like how women with families are treated. Jimmy doesn't travel much as he's more of a ground-bird and the farms he worked on were plenty spacious, but even he gets antsy if he's stuck at the ranch too long and usually is the one to go out scavenging with Grian or visiting the hospital.

And finally obviously their wings are very important to them. It's their everything, even if they're like Jimmy and don't fly too much. It's their main survival strategy so being grounded makes them very anxious and stressed. Even Jimmy who hasn't been able to fly-fly for several years in raau still instinctively tries to launch himself in the air when startled or attacking. Clipping or damaging them is the worst thing imaginable to them so they treat them with the utmost care.

It's how they display being healthy and well-groomed to others, like a nice clean haircut, and they puff up and flatten largely in the same displays and posturing as your average bird as far as communicating emotions goes.

Blazeborn:

I don't have nearly as much for blazeborn since there's only one of them, but I think their instincts are very cat-like as far as behaviour. They are completely in control of their ability to burn or produce fire, like rapidash. They get VERY firey and turn into a fire hedgehog when enraged, but if they know who it is then even then they won't burn someone they don't want to burn. It's more like a threat display, but of course whoever it's directed at will usually be burnt.

They tend to use their tail to communicate, and they use it like cats use purring; when they're comfortable or are trying to comfort themselves they wrap it around things. Otherwise it communicates much the same way as a cat's tail.

In raau their flame colour is an indication of their internal temperature regulation. Blue/white is extra hot and red is cooled down, yellow is in-between, average temp. Since it's also hair it can't be put out, but it does crackle and steam when wet. They do NOT do well in cold weather, obviously, nor weather that heavily fluctuates.

A lot of traditional blazeborn homes are in deserts or underground, and modern blazeborn-friendly homes ALWAYS have the main part of the house as a basement suit type deal with plenty of climate control, where it's much easier to regulate temperatures to warm and dry.

They have an attraction to metals, though tango's a little freak who likes iron more than gold. Them and pig-hybrids are probably the reason for the gold standard. Probably a lot of traditions involve metalworking and the like. It's instinctive to be attracted to metals, but the working of them into things is cultural.

Also in raau specifically blazerods are a whole effort and ordeal to produce. it's basically blazeborn cartilage.

Others:

raau doesn't have magic, so races defined by their magical capabilities are no around, like vex or witches.

Medusas like Cleo basically have multiple brains like an octopus and so require a lot of calories and nutrition. They're also immune to snake venom and can develop immunity to other toxins, thus they're actually very reliable for the development of anti-venoms and vaccines.

Scott's an elf but it doesn't mean much other than he's tall and has slightly pointy ears. They have a lot of cultural stuff, but Scott's not a very traditional guy.

Fauns have a lot of prey-instincts, so they tend to have very strong fight or flight instincts at the smallest thing. They're also a bit odd to most people. They're social but in a shield sort of way rather than a cooperative sort of way, so their moral compass can seem off. If I let myself I would make so much faun lore so I intentionally stopped myself there. The only other thing is their horns/antlers shed annually and so they treat them almost like how others treat family picture books or height charts.

Tiny Tom is both a voidwalker and a cow faun hybrid. As far as voidwalkers go they hate being looked in the eye and are similar to avians with a migratory instinct.

Merfolk like Lizzie need to live in humid climates if they are going to live out of the water, and have very strong schooling instincts. They'll often have very large families and friend groups. Home pools were unsurprisingly something that first appeared in land-living merfolk homes. It's an absolute necessity, as well as a large bathroom or full on bathhouse. (they separate the bathroom and the toilet as separate rooms)

And that's about all the things I've thought about. It seems like a lot when actually typed out and explained, but a lot of it's mostly common fanon maybe adjusted here and there for the setting of raau.

[uvienova]

Life Series as Birds

I had the oddest sudden fixation to do some “light” bird research and determine that if each member of the Life Series was depicted as an avian, what bird would they depict. (may become a thread of changes)

So Grian is almost unanimously depicted as a Parrot, more specifically a Scarlet Macaw due to Season 7 “Pesky Bird”. As well as the birds sassy additude.

Same as Grian, possibly even more, Jimmy is commonly depicted as a Canary due to the Canary in a Coal Mine.

For Mumbo, I felt like the Northern Cardinal would be a nice fit due to its vibrant red and black coloring. Cardinals are also symbols of loyalty and devotion, rather fitting for someone who tends to be loyal to his allies. Cardinals are also often associated with passed loved ones visiting relatives in the form of Cardinals, which would fit seeing as Mumbo is usually one of the first out of the series.

Tango was actually the last one I chose, due to this, and an attempt to give each member a different bird, it was difficult. After some further research, I decided on the Whistling Kite for the reason that it's nicknamed one of Australia's "Firebirds" for their use of fire to catch prey.

Believe it or not, Impulse was actually the member who inspired it. Out of curiosity, I looked up Arizona's national bird and the Cactus Wren popped up and I could envision Impulse as a Cactus Wren with the browns and golden yellow with a nice touch of white.

As evident above, my first idea was looking up national birds. Despite being a small bird, The shade of grey that Canada’s national bird, the Grey Jay, has is similar to Etho’s minecraft skin hair color. Grey Jay's are also seen as a good omen, similarly to how people seem to gravitate towards Etho almost like hes a good omen or a good luck charm.

No matter all the birds I looked into, my brain kept saying Skizz for a Blue Jay. Blue Jays are associated with joy, happiness, along with some mischief, however, I would like to confess that I have yet to watch Skizz's pov of any of the seasons so i'm not as familiar with his personality as i am the others so if this choice seems uncharacteristic I apologize, but just imagine fanon Skizz with dashing sky blue wings.

Originally I was going to put Lizzie as a hummingbird because they are pollinators, small, and adorable. However, hummingbirds are green and im a sucker from “Small” Smallishbeans Joel. Not to mention how hummingbirds can sometimes be hostile with one another alot like how Joel tends to targets everyone regardless of who it is.

For Lizzie I decided a parakeet was a good choice for Lizzie because they're small, cute, and colorful. Parakeets are also very social and affectionate birds with lots of personality alot like how Lizzie is.

Parakeet was originally what I chose for Scott, but then I learned about Kenya’s national bird, the gorgeous Lilac-Breasted Roller which is perfect for Scott as it reminds me of his Empires Chromia outfit and all the beautiful things he creates. I mean LOOK AT IT!

For BigB, I decided to bestow him with my states bird, the Eastern Bluebird. Bluebirds represent joy, happiness, and luck. The Blue and orangish brown coat reminds me of Big B’s color palette of a blue sweater with a brown cookie on it. 

Cleo has high Great Horned Owl vibes and you can’t convince me otherwise. Symbols of protection and not tolerating deception. GH Owls are also super intimidating in their size and appearance, fitting for the cutthroat Cleo.

During all of this, I almost gave up on the opportunity for Martyn as a Woodpecker. No need for further explanation, but I'll give you the symbolism: Optimism, new opportunities, and creativity which matches Martyn. (Edit: IVE JUST BEEN INFORMED THAT THE WOODPECKER IS ALSO ASSOCIATED WITH MARS SO YAH)

Ironically enough, I decided Gem would make a good Barn Owl, their white coat and owls being a figure of wisdom reminded me of Gem's Empires Season 1 as well as her enjoyment of birch. Barn Owls are also good hunters to it fits her like a glove

I wouldn't give up the opportunity to choose a hawk for Mr. GoodTimesWithScar.The Hawk I chose is the Cooper's Hawk. But really I chose a random Washington state hawk that I thought suited Scar.

For our favorite crazy Aussie, only Australia's national bird will do. I believe the Emu suits Pearl well because one, its national bird, and two, Emus are one of the dorkiest kinds of birds and have a lot of personality (and thievery skills). 

For Ren, I almost went with the Peacock, but couldn't invision Ren as a Peacock, so instead of going the Royalty Route, I went the pun route. Ren…….as a Wren. A Musician Wren, Fitting for the Theater Nerd of the Life Series, no take backs.

For Bdubs, I went with the Orchard Oriole, A small bird that builds with, you guessed it, MOSS!

I might add on or talk about members as other birds and yah

[scopop08]

AO3 link

This is my first attempt at writing anything in a really long time, it's mainly character stuff and it feels kinda like word vomit but I'm trying to start again so! Desert duo be upon you!!

--

A sharp, shuddering breath cut through the silence that had settled over Monopoly Mountain. 

“Can I talk to you?”

It was so quiet Scar almost thought he had imagined it. If he had breathed while Grian had said it he wouldn’t have heard at all. Pitch black as the room was, Scar turned his head toward the other. He almost spoke, but the words died on his lips. Suddenly afraid that if he said anything it would ruin whatever the moment was, that Grian would never talk again. ‘Can I talk to you’  is so uncharacteristic the phrase was almost sacred.

“Scar,” Grian started, wavering voice only slightly louder. Scar could feel the hand Grian had been resting on his bare chest was raised slightly, fingertips still touching skin, but held as if he set it down he might shatter the other. “I’m scared.”

Scar stopped breathing. He let himself falter for a second, trying to find his footing and not break the fragile trust he had just been handed. They were holding each other, sleeping in the same bed, and even so Scar could tell that what had just tumbled out of Grian’s mouth was the most intimate thing that would ever happen atop the desolate mountain. 

He was petrified. 

‘Why’ and ‘What’s wrong’ seemed far too impersonal, too stupid to answer with. Scar prided himself on his silver tongue, but at that moment it seemed to fall lame before he could even part his lips. 

He settled on slowly moving his arm so he could cup Grian’s face, thumbing along the down feathers that traced his cheek bones. The younger man was breathing so shallowly he shook.

“You can tell me, G.” Scar finally supplied, softly whispered just before the silence became unbearable. He was sure the pounding of their hearts only noise that either of them could hear, echoing around the room to try and fill some of the silence the usual katydids and desert owls occupied. Trying to make what they called a home feel less like a tomb.

Another shuddering breath, and another confession.

“I don’t- I think-” He paused for a second, lifting his quivering hand from Scar’s chest entirely and closing it in a fist he dropped by his side. “I don’t think I have control anymore. Over the game.”

Scar didn’t know what to make of that. He tried to lay as still as possible and let Grian continue, hoping he would be given something he could grasp on to. He kept running his calloused thumb over the side of Grian’s face, moving to card through his hair. 

They were looking directly at each other, faces only inches away. He could feel every uneasy breath hit his scarred cheeks. He wished more than anything he had enough light to see Grian’s eyes, to take in every detail of his face.

“It’s not a game anymore. You’ve seen them. You feel it.” The words were so careful and pained it made Scar’s heart break. A wave of new guilt washed over him as he realized Grian knew how many times he had almost killed him while his back was turned, stopping the knife just before it could fall into his neck. How during every minor argument his brain clouded over and he could see himself ripping the younger apart, how many times he had thought about the size of his hands and compared it to Grian’s neck. It wasn’t just a game anymore. Nothing about what was happening, how it was escalating, was fun. He felt almost relieved to have someone else confirm that something about this was wrong.

“I wasn’t sure at first. I thought I had made a mistake, I just screwed up some code. I’m not very- very good at all of that. you know?” A small, forced chuckle punctuated the question. “But then it kept happening. 

“Somehow they got in. I shouldn't- I shouldn't've-” He gasped as his voice broke, beginning to sob. “Scar, I thought I was safe.”

Scar didn’t have any clue who ‘they’ were, or what he could do to solve it. He hated making empty promises when it wasn’t trying to sell someone the very air they were breathing, but he gently pulled Grian to his chest and settled his head into the crook of his neck as began whispering assurances anyway. 

It must’ve only been thirty seconds since Grian began to speak, a minute at most, but to Scar it had felt like an eternity. He hadn’t felt so helpless to turn a situation into his favour in so long, even more blindsided by the fact that Grian, mischievous, strong, and ever optimistic seemed to be breaking beneath his hands, voice so pained and cautious he refused to believe it belonged to him. Even if he could practically feel every punctuated syllable on his own lips.

“It’s okay, Grian.” Scar lied through his teeth. So often was he used to not understanding, but never to this degree. “We’re going to win. We’re gonna win and get out of here for good.”

Dead silence took control again, interrupted only by increasingly infrequent gasping breaths. 

Scar knew this was the last moment where Grian would let him see him like this, that in the morning he would pretend to sleep so Grian could sneak out of bed and leave before there was any chance of Scar wanting to talk again. Of meeting Scar’s eyes and finding pity in his adoring stare.

Scar had one last chance to drop a facade, to meet vulnerability with his own. What Grian said hadn’t meant a thing to Scar, but the weight that they carried was demonstrable. The silence begged something in return. Scar hated being in debt.

“I don’t blame you. For any of it. I think this might be the best thing that has happened to me.”

Scar squeezed his eyes shut, preparing himself for the next sentence that came from his parted lips. He didn’t know how to be so honest.

“You. I mean.”

Grian tensed for a moment as Scar’s words sunk in. Suddenly he wrapped his arms around Scar, finally allowing himself to be embraced. His breath evened out as he pressed closer, bare chests flush. When Grian shuffled for the last time, for a fraction of a second Scar had thought he was going to leave. Then he felt dry lips brush his collar, and a head settle directly next to his.

Scar didn’t care what happened. He didn’t care that Grian left in the morning just like he thought. He didn’t care that he would never have another chance like that night. He couldn’t bring himself to care when all he could focus on was how he was going to win. Just for Grian. He would never understand what the other was trying to tell him, but when he could hang on to the memory of every soft kiss they exchanged before finally falling asleep, he didn’t think he needed anything else.

[theportalhopper]

So I had discovered monster hunter (the game) and loved the monsters. Specifically lore videos. So I had a thought, 'what if there were hybrids of human and monsters?' Yes, I know about the wyverians but I mean them looking similar to the monster they're descended from rather than having a few inhumane traits that hints at it. Then I thought of Zinogre!Ren and I then the idea was made. The monster hunter au! It's an au where all the hermits are monster hybrids. For Scar I thought of Shara (short for Shara Ishvalda) because Scar's a terra former and Shara also does this. Ren being a Zinogre is a bit obvious as he is often drawn as a wolf/dog. And for Grian I don't exactly have 1 solid monster for him as I have 3. A Chameleos because they're little gremlins, a Malfestio as it's a jester like owl and Grian is a pesky bird, and a Valstrax as they fly at bare minimum mach 1. Malfestio is the only one I have a design for but you can imagine him as any of these 3 also the pictures will be at the bottom. You can use it however you want as long as you credit me.

[crystallinecardinal]

So!! I’ve been recently drawing designs for Desert Duo in Third Life, which got me really thinking about Grian’s wings, as well as my various design headcanons for the Life series.

I have a lot of ideas about them both, mainly because of how much I write stories and adore really any kind of lore. They’ve actually come up in a recent post, in this section:

“If the Watchers were gods, they should have been divine. Instead, they play tricks. In a past long gone, they make Grian’s wings striped browns, like that of the burrowing owl. They tease him with the knowledge of the birds and the desert, they tie the string of fate between him and Scar. They tease him again, wings black as the night, an omen of death. He always manages to kill those he cares for. Over and over again, he apologizes.”

So!! What does that all mean for character designs?

In short: I imagine that characters in the Life series change appearances over both seasons and respawns. However, they’re for two different reasons.

Appearance changes between seasons:

Basically, my headcanon is that after becoming mortal again (joining the Life series), Grian’s physical form could be changed minorly by the Watchers. This applies to other players as well, and is the reason their appearances change over seasons. Usually, appearance changes by the Watchers are only ever minor, and meant to foreshadow the future of the player.

The Watchers love a good show. What better way to screw with the players (especially Grian) than to hold their futures right in front of them?

Appearance changes upon respawn:

The way the worlds are built over the series contribute to the appearance of the players. This is through the amount of lives left.

The smallest degree of it is an eye color change and the amount of hearts on a life tracker going down (ex: Grian and Etho), but to stronger degrees, losing a life can mean things such as:

Desaturation of color from the skin to the point the player can look either sick or like their skin is greyscale (ex: 3L!Scar and 3L!Ren)— Oftentimes, desaturation also makes the color of the eyes of the player more vibrant

Furthering of physical alterations (LiL!Scott)— These can include various different end results. In LiL!Scott’s case, the lower his time left is, the more fish-like he appears.

Various other effects

It was actually pretty fun to come up with some lore for the skin changes and MC mechanics,, if/when I make more designs maybe I’ll add on more!!

Grian’s wings:

Finally!! The point of this post!! Okay, so here’s the ideas I have for how Grian’s wings change every season, and what they mean:

Third Life: Burrowing owl — I love the idea of foreshadowing and making things “fated”. So hear me out here— Grian’s first home, the one he later abandons, is inside of a mountain. It could be considered a burrow of sorts! But the reason that Grian’s wings are based on burrowing owls isn’t just for that, it’s for where he ends up staying. Burrowing owls are birds that live in the desert, the exact place where Grian ends up living for the remainder of Third Life. By having his wings based on burrowing owls, it’s almost as if it was already predicted he’d belong to the sands eventually, he just didn’t know until he was there.

Last Life: Red-tailed Hawk — I knew I wanted his wings to be of a bird of prey’s for Last Life, but I actually had a hard time deciding at first. Red-tailed hawks are ambush predators, striking from up high on unsuspecting prey. In Last Life, Grian was part of plenty of ambushes and attacks with Joel— so I think this one fits a more chaotic red life Grian.

Double Life: Red-backed Fairywren — Ah yes. Secret soulmates. Red-backed fairywrens are known for their infidelity to their pair bond. They present red petals to the bird they intend to cheat with, and never do this to the one they are already bonded with. I wonder!! Wonder why that fits for DL!Grian!!

Limited Life: Raven/crow — Throughout the Life series, Grian has gotten those he cared about killed. Both ravens and crows are symbolic of death, which is why these wings would become his in Limited Life. It also fits the Bad Boy aesthetic! I couldn’t decide on which would be better, but I throw “crow” in here alongside the raven wings because of one line from The Garden (oh wow, the Crane Wives, in my Life series post? It’s more likely than you think)— “The crows in the garden are laughing at my expense / Drowning out all the lies that I might have told instead”

That’s pretty much all I have as of right now when talking about Grian’s design and my various headcanons :)

[badgod01]

Ducklings: Headcanons & Authors Notes

As a celebration for 100 Kudos on Ducklings, here are some of my headcanons for the various characters featured as well as some ANs! This one's going to be a bit on the shorter side, as I don't really have much to say on any of these topics.

Ducklings

Grian was initially written with female genitalia (in the scene of him riding Mumbo), but I wrote Tango's scene with the dick so I had to rewrite a small part of the fic.

There wasn't much edited out when the parts were rewritten; except instead of Mumbo touching a clit to make Grian come, it was a dick.

The fic was initially only going to include Mumbo and Grian, but I decided to add Scar. Then I decided to add Tango.

I wanted to write more with Ren (hence the dialogue) and Doc, or maybe a threesome with the both of them (you know, war things), but I was unable to find words or a plot I was satisfied adding in. I just began losing the writing energy right there and then for that fic.

This is the first fic to have the Dom TangoTek tag and the second fic to have the Top TangoTek tag, both facts that I find incredibly funny.

Grian

I imagine Grian to have wings. I saw someone headcanon him as having barn owl wings, so that's typically the interpretation I go for.

However, Ducklings!Grian was not imagined to have wings or any sort of nonhuman features. I would have mentioned it if he does.

I don't really view Grian as a whore, it's just more-or-less him being dragged along that path. He's 100% consenting in all of these scenarios, including Tango's (though I understand if that seems a bit dubious from his wording).

Actually quite versatile in both power dynamic and position, though I only stuck with bottom G for this one. He doms the life out of Mumbo, though.

Mumbo

Absolute sopping wet cat of a man.

I did not write him with any sort of species in mind but I love vampire Mumbo.

Sub top all the way.

Mumbo and Grian are in a relationship. It's not that they're partners, though; the closest definition I have for their relationship is queer-platonic. (I don't think Grian would appreciate a typical relationship dynamic, hence his and Mumbo's arrangement.) The other Hermits are just sex partners for the both of them. PolyHermits and all that jazz.

I did not add a large dick tag for Mumbo but he does have that.

As noticed, I write him to be slightly sadistic—it's not unfounded. I think he 100% is sadistic, and some of my favorite fics explore this aspect of him. I just stuck with light sadism/masochism (scratching).

Taller than Grian and is about Scar's height (or shorter... or taller than him), but is a twig in comparison to Scar's muscles.

Scar

Other than Grian, I quite like Scar solely off of personality alone.

I imagine him to be versatile in both power dynamic and position, similar to Grian, though he definitely leans more to a bratty side; sorta in the vein of castys' insatiable.

Taller than Grian, muscular, and absolutely dwarfs him in size.

He has a redstone-powered cane with a button on it which toggles a piston underneath for the spiked bottom. I very much include disability as part of his character and may write a wheelchair in for him someday.

Tango

I solely included him just because I was watching supercuts of the original Decked Out and the creation of Decked Out 2. It looks fun!

I'm not too familiar with Tango's season 9 stuff, so I'm not quite sure what his species is. Whatever it is, it's what's in the fic. (Blaze...ish? Isn't blue flame the hottest? It's whatever.)

The species being he has cold features rather than the warm ones I imagine Blazes to have. His extremities are cold (like his fingers, his feet, and his dick). He's endothermic, basically, and has similar features to Skeppy in Good For You.

[mayvora]

THIS IS SO COOL

I like literally everything - the barn owl design is so awesome and silly and the grian boi looks so FREAKING TIRED OF WATCHERS and cute in your art style <33 AND THE DIRTY BRAIN JOKE LOLL

Telepathy sounds like a such cool way to interact for a species that are very focused on watching and maybe not so many on speaking. I can imagine the jokes about having one braincell for all watchers hahah

Explaining a bit of the watchers from my AU!

hctm au time!!! hihi so here are some explanatory sheets as promised!! and a bit of design for the clothes!!

alsooo, i'll be cranking out a few of these! this is my first one, and im kinda nervous bc now i have to stick with this part of my au and. that is scary hkdkfdjshkkds the thing is, behind the scenes i have been changing a lot of lore and just overall worldbuilding, so its still very much a mess, BUT!! i am getting there! and committing to this part is also a step cus i could very easily keep changing stuff and not continue to more important parts lol

and idk if anyone cares but i did change the artstyle to a more simple? chibi? style cus,, yeah it is a lot easier and faster for me this way

[greeenchrysanthemums]

UPDATED appearances for the GG rivals au characters: now with Lizzie and Joel!!

Once again, i am no artist so they are just written descriptions with pictures here and there. Most of them are largely the same as the previous post, but I have added little tidbits to certain descriptions, some of which are lore related!

Gem looks similar to this gorgeous fanart, except her dress has slits up the side to allow for easier movement. This look is sometimes replaced entirely by a trouser and tunic combo of the same colour if she knows the mission she is being sent on will need a great deal of movement in close quarters or something to that affect. No matter the outfit, her sword never leaves her waist. Her hair is in a low bun with a braid wrapping around the front of her head, like this. I do not imagine her with horns in this au.

Scott and Impulse wear armour similar to how applestruda draws it in her au, with their cloths in shades of teal and yellow respectively. Scott has long, back length hair, that he wears down and covering one eye. He was born with heterochromatic eyes, one blue and one hazel. His teeth are sharp, and he has fin-like ears due to his Coral Crest heritage. Impulse has shortly cropped hair, stubble on his face, and two little nubby horns that are tipped in black extending out of his forehead. He also has sharp, clawed hands.

Grian's eyes are entirely black like a barn owl's, and he has feathers on the high parts of his cheek bones and ears. His hands end in sharp talons rather than nails. He also has bird-like legs and taloned feet. His wings are not visible, if there at all. He wears a red shawl/cloak that has a high collar and ends around his waist, held closed by a brooch in the shape of an eye, similar to this but golden instead of silver. It has a hood, but he only wears it if he is trying not to be seen. His undershirt is black, and it is a long sleeve. His trousers are brown.

Scar wears a similar black cloak as Grian, held closed by the same brooch, though he wears his with the hood up. The cloak has red flower detailing on the hem. His eyes are green, and his hair is brown. He has a single grey streak in the front of his bangs. His tunic and trousers under the cloak are both black and he wears his shirt just a little bit too open at the top. He also always wears a smile, but pretty much everyone can agree it is deceptively kind and fake. He looks the most human out of the whole cast, so much so that it is entirely uncanny. EDIT: I can't believe I forgot to mention! Scar has a cane as well. It's wooden with a gold handle.

Mumbo and Etho wear matching outfits, claiming it is professional since they share a job and shop, but it is something they choose to do, not something that is required of them (they are just very, very silly). They are simple outfits consisting of white tunics with black trousers and thick, leather aprons on top (mumbo's is red and etho's is a dark green). They both wear goggles and thick gloves, as well as chunky boots, all for safety since they work with explosives very often. Etho wears a black bandana to cover his lower his face, both to hide his scars and his identity. His goggles replace his headband in this look, doubling as what keeps his hair out of his face. His scared eye is missing entirely; he does not have a false eye, it is just an empty socket. Mumbo wears his goggles around his neck when they are not on his face.

Bdubs also wears thick gloves to protect his hands in the garden. His shirt is white, and he has brown trousers that are a tad bit high watered, something he claims is intentional as he does not want mud all over his trousers. The previous argument becomes moot, because over this outfit he wears a thick cloak that is almost always covered in some manner of flora and/or mud. He completes the look with a wide brimmed hat to protect him from the sun.

Cleo is also dressed similarly to Etho and Mumbo but her apron is a plain brown that is stained with soot. Her tunic sleeves are always rolled up to show off her strong arms and she doesn't wear her safety gloves nearly as much as she should. She forgoes eye protection entirely. One of her eyes is missing, replaced with a glass eye of a slightly different shade of green than her organic eye. Her hair is pulled into a much messier bun than Gem's, with frizzy stray hairs going every direction. She is NOT a zombie in this au, she is completely human.

Ren is dressed in all the typical regalia of a king, complete with a diamond encrusted, golden crown and a thick red cape with a fluffy collar. His thick beard is long and braided. His eyes are red, as well as blood shot, and he almost always appears angry. He, of course, has wolf ears and a tail. He simply would not be Rendog without them.

Martyn is dressed in the same armour as the other knights. His under clothing is green, as is the bandana he wears around his forehead. He usually appears worried, but he smiles often in the presence of the king. He always has a hand on the sheath of his sword, ready to draw it at any time.

Pearl wears a white tunic with flared sleeves tucked into a pair of high waisted black trousers. Over this she has a deep, red cloak that stops at her waist and is held closed by a circular broch that, when unclasped, takes the shape of crescent and wanning gibbous moons. She has a crescent moon shaped birth mark on the left side of her face. Her hair is always down and messy under her hood. When she is on the job, she carries a scythe strapped to her back, along with a crossbow. There is a sheath on her leg which contains a dagger.

Bigb wears a blue tunic with brown trousers, along with a thin white apron when he is working. He always seems to have flour stains on his clothes whether he is on or off the clock, no matter how hard he tries to wipe it off. Big strong arms for him as well.

Skizz wears the same armour as the rest of the knights, and his underclothes are black. The shoulder of his armour has a cross emblem on it that delegates him as a medic, and he has medical supplies carried across his chest. The sleeves of his tunic are ripped off and he does not wear his gauntlets, showing off a plethora of scars along his arms. He is a dove avian, but one of his wings is heavily damaged and half missing as a result of an old injury he sustained on the field. He has white feathers on his upper cheekbones and ears, but he lacks the talons that Grian has.

Tango wears a short sleeved red tunic and black trousers with big chunky boots that are never free of mud. His hands are clawed, and his ears are pointed; both are tipped in a red to black gradient. His eyes are entirely red. He has a long tail that ends in a tuff of fire that doesn't seem to actually have any real heat.

Jimmy wears a blue tunic with a brown vest over it. Brown trousers and chunky boots. His sleeves are always rolled up and he is always covered in some manner of dirt, both because of the work he does on the farm, and from being very clumsy. He has bull horns, one of which is chipped. He also has a tail and bull-like ears. He has a gold ring in one of his ears.

Lizzie wears a flowy purplish-pink dress that is thin, both to allow for free movement and to allow airflow in the Coral Crest heat. Her teeth are sharp, and her ears are fin-like. Her nails are very sharp. She wears her pink hair down with a string of pearls like this. She wears many silver and gold bracelets on both wrists, along with a few anklets on both ankles. She does not wear shoes unless she is out of the castle.

Joel Wears a thin, short sleeved white tunic and brown trousers under a set of armour. While Wintertide armour is more thick and sturdy, as well as a darker greyish colour, Coral Crest armour is more thin and agile, and is a lighter grey, almost white, colour. He wears no gauntlets. His hair is short and messy with the back pulled into a tiny ponytail. He has a short, scruffy beard. He also has fin-like ears, sharp teeth, and sharp nails. He puts on a tough guy act by scowling all the time.

[silly-media-enjoyer]

boatem crew owl house au !!!!!!!

grian would be an oracle witch,,, cuz watchers. but i imagine he practices some other types of magic on the side. his palisman would be a parrot (duh)

mumbo would be an abomination witch !! hed make all sorts of funky tech to enhance the abominations :) his palisman would be a bat maybe? cuz of the many vampire aus?

scar would be a illusion witch. cuz hes very showman-like or whatever. his palisman would ofc be jellie :D

pearl would be a potions witch. because soup lol. id imagine shed like making silly potions that do random things like turning your skin blue or something. her palisman would be tilly !!!!!!!!

impulse would be a construction witch because he build things !!!! and i feel that fits with him being a dwarf in s9. his palisman would be a mole :D because it digs a lot lol. 

[ok-ish-hermitcraft-headcanons]

I am gradually collecting which birds I associate the hermits with, so here are the first few:

Grian, I have different ones for for different seasons, so imagine their a shapeshifter: s6 hes a seagull, s7 parrot, definitely, s8 Alpine Chough, for some reason, and s9 he's a Killdeer

TFC: definitely some sort of owl, I cant decide between great horned and burrowing owl so both

Mumbo: Magpie or cardinal

Tango: Scarlet Tanager

Evil X: Red-winged blackbird

Xisuma: Oriole, the dark yellow one specifically

Ren: American Robin, honestly dont know why I think that though

Iskall: Albatross, or cormorant? For some reason I think some seabird would do

Scar: Canada goose

Doc: Green Heron, just a funky dude

Birds!!! :}