#the avian answers

[captain-krow-drozdov]

Anon Positivity! *boops your snoot*

I've Been Booped!

[okartichoke]

just want to let everyone know i probably won’t be answering avian asks about specific characters (as in: “what bird is ____?”) for a couple weeks, just to take a short lil break...

feel free to keep sending in requests ofc! i will get to them, but expect it might take a little while !!! <3

[mxmorbidmidnight]

[angeart]

……Mumbo and Grian Boatem Circus AU Please please please I needddd…..

yesss! time to talk about boatem circus mumbo and grian!

(1,8k words long ramble ahead)

mumbo’s grown used to the circus by the time grian comes along, but he’s still never set foot on stage during performances. he might’ve teleported a couple of times by himself, a nervous wreck each time, recognising how off it feels to him—something that should be natural and normal, like breathing, now feeling vile and threatening. and yet the urge is still there whenever his anxiety rises, and below it, a quiet, much gentler instinct that tells him that teleporting ought to belong to him.

when grian comes to the circus, he’s a traumatised, scared little heap of feathers. 

mumbo doesn’t know where he came from, or what his past was like, or what he’s afraid of. all he knows is that as a boatem circus member, he’s meant to do his best to help, and grian deserves to be protected until he re-learns the feeling of safety, just like mumbo had before.

once grian isn’t so afraid of any new person approaching him, mumbo comes to nervously ask him if… he’d like some new clothes maybe? he’s been making stage clothes for the others, and fixing up their daily clothes. he got  better at estimating the right sizes, and he has experience making avian stuff too, thanks to jimmy!

so even though he’s not entirely confident he could do this right, without coming all up in grian’s space and taking proper measurements, he offers anyway, willing to try to wing it. to give him something new, something solely his, removed from whatever he's been through. 

unlike all the others who asked for fancy things, grian… just wants something soft and baggy. something to cushion him and protect his skin and hide him a little bit.

it’s a challenge, but mumbo tries hard and… he ends up making him a soft woolen sweater, only slightly oversized.

it’s red, like grian’s wings. he isn’t sure if that’s okay, but grian didn’t ask for any specific colour, and— mumbo noticed that when grian first came in, underneath the borrowed jacket from scar that swallowed up his small, hunched frame, he had tight fitting black clothes. he thought maybe something brighter would be better, then.

grian wears the sweater constantly.

and once grian starts getting out more and interacting with the crew, mumbo notices that he seems to gravitate towards him. that he seeks out his (and scar’s) presence above all else, a bit like a lost puppy, still scared, but choosing the two of them to attach himself to.

mumbo doesn’t know why he was chosen. he doesn’t feel entirely competent. but he does like the little avian, and wants to see who he could be, once he learns that this place can truly be safe for him.

he does ask, at some point, nervously curious. why grian seeks him out in particular?

grian tells him it’s because he seems harmless. (because mumbo’s endearingly nervous behaviour feels much safer than the cheer and overbearing friendliness of others. and because he’s pretty sure mumbo couldn’t hurt a fly.) and then, quieter, he says that mumbo doesn’t seem like someone who’d put people in cages.

because that’s a quality that’s decisive for grian, at a time when he’s quiet and timid and still shaken.

mumbo looks back at him with concern and softness and also kind of horrified, and he agrees quietly that no, he wouldn’t. (he was caged, once. and he was trapped before that, for a long time. he’d never wish that on someone else.) 

he doesn’t know what other triggers grian has, or what upsets him. they don’t talk about what they’ve been through. he sees his panic rise up several times, scar always swooping in to take grian away when he blindly flinches from everyone else, but mumbo doesn’t understand what causes it. all he knows to do is to protect grian from feeling trapped.

they hang out together a lot, mumbo also liking the feeling of freedom instead of staying cooped up in his room. they roam the camp, but also explore further area, whether around their home base or on their travels when the circus is on the move. 

once, they find a nice serene lake. which is a big pool of water, and that makes mumbo nervous. he makes sure grian knows water hurts him (grian knows this already, because of rainy days), and grian makes sure when he playfully splashes the water, it’s far, far from the reach of mumbo. 

it still makes him squeal, and it still makes grian laugh, but mumbo is finding that he is being kept safe here. that someone is looking out for him. that grian is being playful, not malicious. and that maybe, just maybe, he’s helping mumbo face his fear in a controlled, small way.

(the first time grian splashes water, on the other end of the lake, mumbo jolts and teleports. on nothing but startled instinct. and he promptly becomes nauseous.) (but it gets better over time, and he does want to challenge himself here. he does want grian to challenge him, to help him overcome a part of him he’s been running away from.) (and oh, grian looks so calm gliding over water, much more than anywhere else.) 

there’s a time when grian goes to look for mumbo in a storm. it came unexpectedly, and mumbo was out on a walk or gathering herbs or something—grian isn’t sure—and now it’s raining horribly. 

and rain hurts mumbo.

grian doesn’t let the wretched weather deter him. he goes through muddy terrain, clothes drenched, trying to follow a path that mumbo likes to take, until he finds him huddling in a cave. trapped by the storm, unable to leave or go back to camp. purple particles wild around him but with nowhere safe for him to teleport to.

grian sits down, forcing down the urge to shake his feathers, because he doesn’t want the stray drops to land on mumbo. he sits at a distance, not reaching out, his skin and clothes wet. but he is there.

he is there, and it counts.

he waits the storm out with mumbo, then guides him back home across mud and puddles and wet-slicked bark of trees. 

(and if mumbo mentions lighting a fire back in the cave to help grian dry off? and if grian goes dead silent at that, and then mumbo instantly rambles on about how they don’t even have the things needed to start the fire, and surely all the wood outside is wet anyway, and oh gosh, how silly of him… he never caught on to that plunge into silence and then tentative relief that grian felt in that moment.)

time passes, and mumbo recognises that grian feels purposeless. that he still feels a little lost. that he looks at the circus shows with a sort of confused longing, scared to take that step to bring himself closer to them and to everyone else.

he has no idea that grian was in a circus before. he has no idea how horrible it was.

but grian sees what scar has made here, and everyone is always so eager to perform and so happy afterwards, and… and maybe he could—

he wants to be a part of it, but he’s terrified.

(he also feels like it’s maybe something he should do—is supposed to do—no matter how many times scar tells him otherwise, reassuring him that it’s all up to him. there’s a nagging feeling in the back of grian’s mind that he’s expected, sooner or later, to do his part and participate in the shows.) 

mumbo wants to help him. he wants to help him give this thing a try, even though he himself has been avoiding it this whole time, and… and maybe they could do it together?

it’s mumbo who coaxes grian on stage. [art here]

he does so by starting to participate in the shows himself. just a little bit, the tiniest bit. he goes out there, and he does tricks that involve him teleporting. he starts small. (he’s healing through this.) and, eventually, he tells grian it’s okay. he tells him he’ll be there with him. he’s doing all this just so he can be there with grian, to put him at ease.

every time mumbo’s bit is over, he keeps watching from the back, eyes on grian. (protective mumbo!! <3) because grian isn’t okay and. he really needs it. he needs mumbo there, watching, ready to step in the moment grian might need him. because sometimes it all still feels too overwhelming. because sometimes the anxiety and fears and memories hit like a freight train out of nowhere and he needs a fast way out.

there are times when mumbo sweeps in and takes grian and teleports with him back to the safety of the backstage. they make it seem intentional. others work and improvise around it. it’s a little bit clumsy, but it works.

and it means everything.

on stage, they can’t show their full emotions, so mumbo is really looking out for the smallest hints. and the moment they are backstage and grian slumps into him, sobbing? he knows he did the right thing.

of course there are times when mumbo isn’t sure. and times when he does this when grian doesn’t need him to. but more often than not he’s right, and it makes all the difference.

the others never mind. they’re glad he’s there for grian, doing this! they always balance between giving grian space afterwards and checking up on him. but mumbo’s always that first line. that link to immediate safety.

gradually, mumbo becomes less nauseous and disoriented when teleporting, and grian becomes more assured on stage, doing flight acrobatics without hoops and without fire and with a support of a wonderful crew, playing off of each other in a way that even starts to be fun. it’s wonderful to see! he’s growing to be pesky and clingy, and… and he still has panic attacks that seemingly come from nowhere. and he’s still antsy around some people for some reason. and he's still nervous before each show. and he’s still not okay.

but he’s getting there.

him and mumbo both are getting there.

… and then the fire happens <3

please think about how readily mumbo teleports to help and save the people he grew to desperately care about. because it’s one thing for mumbo to teleport in the safety of the circus tent, when he knows all the variables and isn’t in any danger. but now he’s doing it when there’s active danger, panic set deep into his veins in a way that feels horribly close to his worst memories.

he’s teleporting to places that are painful and scary, and the lines are becoming blurred and he’s losing track a little bit. and yet he keeps going.

he has to keep going.

he teleports until exhaustion. which, isn’t that familiar? (and sure, his exhaustion point has been pushed somewhere else; he would’ve been able to keep going a lot longer in the past, before everything, but his stamina seems to be permanently damaged, always running on half-depleted.) 

and maybe it isn’t so obvious, when he’s in the overdrive to keep going, but it’s all going to catch up with him eventually. he’s not going to have a fun aftermath.

[astraymetronome]

how would it have goon if, when Tommy and dream were stuck in prison together dream shrunk and Tommy's instincts took a front seat ?

Well first things first, this really reminds me of something I read on here involving Tommy and Dream. I don't remember who made it or when I read it but I do remember it being an au with predators and such, Dream lets himself be eaten as a sign of trust to apologize to Tommy, and in the end, he is let go but not forgiven. It was also not g/t.

If I can find it, I'll link it later on but if someone else finds it feel free to @ me!

One last side note before we get into this, for simplicity's sake, Tommy has a storage for this short story.

Edit from Future Nomie: It's not.

Warnings: Vore, Unwilling Prey, Instinct Driven Pred, Fear, Cursing, Talking of a person as an It, Long as Fuck.

Tommy had grown used to the aching loneliness of his current life, but things were getting better. Yeah, he might have fucked things up with his family and Wilbur was dead... but he was learning to get out of the shitty programming in his brain.

Puffy made him understand how much had been done to his head, she helped him acknowledge the mental blocks and changes he'd built to protect himself and he was working on growing into a proper adult now that he was 17. He knew what Puffy had said, she had explained to him that he didn't need Dream's apology to heal.

It was described in a way he didn't want to admit he understood, even now, with the man who hurt him right in front of his face, he refused to listen to that tidbit of advice. "When a snake bites you, you run away and heal. You don't chase the snake and ask why it bit you."

He understands that Dream won't give him an answer, but that wasn't the reason he was here. He was here to talk and say goodbye, not ask him why. He was ready to put this part of his life in the past, he could only hope Dream would do the same. Tommy recognized that their relationship was unhealthy, he recognized that he wasn't good for him and he wanted to make sure they'd never have to be around each other again.

He was listening as the man began to say some random shit, speaking about something stupid. He was bringing up exile, trying to get in his head like he always did.

Tommy was on his final nerve, the man wouldn't shut his trap! He wanted Dream to just shut the fuck up! He wanted him to leave him alone for once in his life! He gave a glare as he felt his wings bristle behind his back, hands gripping the soft blue cardigan made of Friend's last shear. He could feel himself trembling as he stressed his still-healing leg and chewed the inside of his cheek.

Normally he'd yell. He'd scream and cry and beg until Dream finally forgave him or he hit him. Either way, both options felt bad. The avian could feel his brain scratching, wanting to slip into the mindset of a scared fledgling. The mindset he'd been in shortly after exile started when he was wung. But that was a story for another day as he stomped over towards the man.

Tommy knew how to handle himself, everyone knew this before the wars, during them, and even after. He could handle weapons, hand-to-hand, and even guns. So the look of surprise on Dream's face as Tommy shoved him against the obsidian wall and glared in his face. His arm was forced against his neck, pushing against him with a great amount of strength as he shifted his weight, they were in a position where if he moved his grip and threw him back he'd easily be thrown over his shoulder.

The man's mask had been confiscated when he'd first been locked up, but Tommy wouldn't have been surprised if he'd been given it back for... good behavior or some shit. Either way, he didn't really care about that right now. He wasn't used to having his eyes on him, he always knew they were watching but it was different without the mask. It was... empowering.

It was a reminder that Dream was human. Dream wasn't some god he couldn't even consider standing up to but now he knew he could.

"Shut, the fuck up." Tommy growled out, his wings flaring out behind him as the collage of black and red feathers. He knew some of them were crooked and he was well overdue for a preen but that didn't mean they weren't intimidating. He wanted him to just finally shut up and leave him alone. He was tempted to call out for Sam, to beg for another figure here to keep Dream in check, but right now he knew it wasn't an option. He's been trapped in here with the bastard for a few days now and he was at his limit.

"For once in your prime forsaken life, shut the fuck up and leave me alone." He snarled, pushing Dream's head up and forcing him to look up at the roof of their cell. He heard a choked noise slip past the ram's lips and Tommy dropped him.

The avian stepped back, lifting his hands and bringing them up to his face. He looked down at him, watching as the man slid down the wall. He was clearly being a little overdramatic but the wide grin that spread across his face told Tommy everything he needed to know. Dream had a sickening smile that seemed to just grow as he burst into cackling laughter.

He was laughing and seemed unable to stop as he spoke. "You're just like me, Tommy." He said ecstatically, "You've killed people, you've killed me. There is no difference between the two of us." The way these words left him sounded so matter-of-fact, like nothing Tommy could say or do would change his opinion.

All the avian could do was clench his teeth and dig his fingernails into his palms. He stepped back towards the opposite wall and let his weight slide into the farthest corner. He felt nervous and unsure as he covered his ears, wings wrapping over his limps and covering his body. He was shaking, partly rocking himself to feel a sense of security and safety as he closed his eyes.

ᶻ 𝗓 𐰁ᶻ 𝗓 𐰁💿𐰁 𝗓 ᶻ𐰁 𝗓 ᶻ

By the time he'd finally opened his eyes, Tommy hadn't even realized he'd been asleep. The last two days he's been in here he hadn't managed to get a wink of sleep and he'd finally reached a point he couldn't help it anymore. Of course, it had to happen after such a huge argument. He let his wings unfurl, blinking at the glow of lava as he let his eyes drift over his surroundings.

The avian should have been happy that he was alone, honest, but... why would they take Dream out.. and not him.

It made no sense.

Panic swelled in his chest as he got to his feet, his tennis shoes squeaking as he scrambled from the floor. He ignored the crook in his neck and the soreness of his back to instead look around. He could feel his chest heave with each breath, panic swelling heavy and constricting his lungs like a snake.

Of course, it all went back to that fucking snake. He could feel anger bubbling where it wasn't before and such but he didn't really care...

He could feel himself spiraling, a panic attack like before. When Puffy had first explained what they were he'd felt.. angry. Angry that he couldn't control himself, he had to be in control or... or something would go wrong.

His breathing was hitching and he felt like he wouldn't be able to fix it before too much longer. He wanted to scream out and beg for someone to just take the pain and throw it into the deepest pit. A deep pit where his feelings of resentment, anger, fear, and sadness could live rent-free and not bother him. He needed to just feel nothing. His eyes drifted over everything examining the corners of the room and trying to find any signs of what could be going on. He needed to calm himself down.

He did what Puffy said, counting things and colors he could see. The lava popped around 6 times in a minute, the cauldron of water was a gross green, and he could...

He could see...

Were those small feet?!

His panic was quickly overturned by his confusion. He could see small socked feet, peaking out from behind the chest. He took a second, catching his breath and whipping his eyes, before crouching down. He reached over, pulling the wooden trunk towards his form. It scraped across the ground, sounding like chalk on a board. If he hated the sound, then the owner of those green eyes, probably despised it.

His eyes widened at the sight of blonde hair and an orange jumpsuit, he probably would be more careful if it wasn't for the fact he knew exactly who he was staring at.

Dream was small. Smaller than Skeppy who was barely over 2 feet. If he had to make an educated guess, he was probably around 6 or so inches tall. The teen found himself staring at him, unable to properly comprehend the fact he was so tiny.

A frightened face told him everything he needed to know before he saw orange skitter past his face and in the direction of... well nothing? There wasn't anywhere for him to hide, so Tommy didn't understand what he was doing. It wasn't like it really mattered since as he watched him run, something triggered in his brain. A fuzzy sensation overtook him, his pupils blowing wide as the desire to catch the small creature overwhelmed him.

Tommy bounded forward, his wings flaring behind him as he flapped them. The avian hadn't expected this but he felt a coo escape his throat as he trapped the small form down with his hands. The avian knew he was being too rough but right now he couldn't bring himself to care. He was happy with hunting after something so small, something he could easily catch.

He scooped him up, happy as he sat on his knees and lifted his treat up near his face. He let his eyes drift over the small form, taking in the details of his little meal.

When did he start thinking of him as a meal? He didn't hesitate to look over him, seeing frightened green eyes turn to rage as their owner began to yell something. He couldn't quite make it out as he lifted them to his face and eagerly slipped the small form into his mouth.

His wings flapped, shedding a few stray feathers as he pushed the squirming form deeper into his maw, able to feel as it slipped on his saliva and flailed in what he assumed was fear. He didn't feel bothered by it, cooing still as he closed his lips around his catch's waist. He wanted to feel this sensation in his stomach, knowing he did a good job and caught something!

Phil was gonna be so-

Why was he thinking of Phil right now- wait why was he doing any of-

A chirped, feeling something hit the back of his throat. This would normally trigger someone's gag reflex but Tommy can only throw things up once they're in his stomach. He grinned to himself, swallowing as he felt the form slip into his esophagus. He gave a happy warble as he swallowed again, feeling as his catch squirmed down his throat. Tommy didn't hesitate to sigh as the shape slid past his collarbone and into his chest, leaning back and supporting himself with a hand. He felt a weight slip into his abdomen, hunger bleeding away as he fluttered his wings.

He couldn't help the relief that washed over him, a feeling of safety and contentment he'd never considered before as he glanced around a tad. He wanted to make a nest but there wasn't really anything he could use in this cell. He gave a tired chip, curling back where he'd been just minutes prior, and placed his hands on his stomach as his wings wrapped over him. Tommy was cooing and chirping to himself, lost in a haze of his natural desire.

He could feel something moving inside of him, the small ram he'd managed to catch and he was eager to feel this until he let them out.. Tommy curled closer to the corner, gently pushing against where his little friend sat, eager to let them tire out. It's not like they actually in any harm, at least some part of him knew he was fine. Either way... the bird had some sleep to catch up on.

Oml. I wrote this all in one sitting and finished at 3 am. Didn't expect it to go this long so I'm gonna schedule the post. I've watched three movies since I started and I might write a part two of Dream's point of view if anyone wants that. Also, this is completely non-fatal. I do dabble in that side of the spectrum but I don't think I'll post any of it on my Tumblr. Anyways! I hope this is what you wanted~

[linkito]

Wait there's aus to hhau? 👀 more than one???

-🎀

It just keeps happening ok—

I think pretty much all of them are us exploring the idea of the same setting, but Grian and Scar don’t know each other beforehand. Grian coming straight from Evo or something and Scar from early Hermitcraft. Or one au au where they both grew up on this awful server.

There’s one we call the 3L hhau au because it involves Scar rescuing Grian in a very similar way to the normal au, and then Grian swearing his life to Scar in 3rd Life fashion. He feels like he has to give back somehow. And also maybe they both want an excuse to have company.

There’s one that leans more into instincts and such, the one where they possibly grew up on this server, and Grian tries to lowkey seduce Scar into giving him a mating mark— hoping that a claim from a vex means that vex will keep him safe.

And then one were playing with right now (for fun!) where Scar is already staying at the vex commune when he finds an injured Grian in the midst of a fight against some hunters.

It’s a lot of complications about Grian feeling like he owes Scar something for all of his kindness and Scar fumbling through developing a crush on this frankly gorgeous avian and feeling like he can’t express it in fear of Grian simply going along with it out of obligation.

It’s really just a lot of me and ange going “what if?” and then absolutely running with it LOL

[thedemonastrophel]

Art recs- grins perching on scar- dessert style??? 🥺

Yess! Sure ofc! I love drawing him as a bird omfg

[ant1quarian]

To everyone in the Dustverse besides Decay (I know he will come to kill me but the Dustverse must see the pictures!)

I have baby pictures of Decay!! HERE QUICKLY TAKE THEM! *Proceeds to give a pile of Decay baby pictures to the AUs, Whispers to Og,* now's your chance to run from your swap! Go!

Unfortunately, it seems as if both OG and Clutter have gotten distracted by the prospect of Baby Decay Photo.

. . . And Decay has found you.

[quackity1999]

Absolutely! I'm here to talk. If you need anything for your nesting season, I can try to help you with that too.

So what's been up?

is it. normal to be uhhh. scared?

I MEAN LIKE, ha, with— with going off and nesting after fucking forever, and it's not like i'm freaking out or anxious or— or like, i dunno, having panic attacks or whatever. i just. i am, uh. scared.

there's so much else i could be doing right now. and i don't know why i can't.

it's like, hypothetically, say you were the president.

i know that's a crazy fucking jump from being scared but stick with me, okay. and uhh. say you've got a whole truckload of things to do everyday. it all depends on you. your employees aren't trustworthy, so you— you gotta micromanage all that shit, right? checking in on the stuff you probably don't need to check on.

and you're fine, you're ontop of everything, shit's getting done, it's great!

but then you haven't nested in four months.

and you're all itchy, and then you start slacking off, and those orders for redstone and chrysotile get cancelled, important meetings get skipped and people are starting to look at you different.

and you hate that, and you sorta know you should do better, but you're way more focused on the fact you wanna— um, go to your nest. so you hide out in your office. and you get worse. fuck, man, a lot worse.

. .

do you stay with your nation and find a way to manage?

or do you go off and be fucking self indulgent while everyone else works twice as hard and then they realise maybe it's not worth it, and then once you come back, they're all but ready to go against you and the place you've created— and then they leave.

um. fuck, shit, sorry, i went completely overboard there. that— i zoned. um. are you still there? sorry.

[manglechan1204]

I’m choosing to believe that Phil used to sleep in that king size bed in the shitty shack before being kidnnaped.

Now he sleeps in his abuelo chair in a bird like position, with his clipped wings warped around himself. Waiting to be waken up by the squeaks of a ducky floaty or the sounds of shaking maracas.

[captain-krow-drozdov]

YEETETH upon your ask box!! May the weather be kind~

=} As Of Today The Weather Has Indeed Been Kind

[okartichoke]

What would avian food culture be like :O? Would they genurally have more seedy/nutty/oaty dishes? Would stores have more oaty breakfast bars instead of chocolate (coz its poisonous) or would they be fine :O? When kudo threw seeds at pheonix and everyone in court did the jury fly down and start pecking the floor? AHJDJWD sorry thats silly-

OOO.. OKAY...

tbh the most fun i had thinking about how to answer this question was while thinking historically about how these people hunted and gathered !!! with the added speed and mobility that wings provide, hunts would go a lot different. i wonder if people wouldn't been more nomadic for longer,,,, but after the invention of agriculture and domesticated animals ig none of that really matters anymore aejfoiaejwof... but for the present day, i think there's two ways you could go,, both interpretations are cool to me >:333

the first interpretation is kind of boring tbh,, but it's the one i'm a bit more drawn to (bc im boring ig LOL). this au is "people with wings that just happen to look like bird wings" more than "hybrid bird people",, so the boring answer is: their diet doesn't really change.

the second interpretation is the FULL ON BIRD one!! saying YESSSS they like nuts and seeds, people who are birds of prey like rodents (or fish or the like), species affects taste preferences, etc etc

my PERSONAL interpretation is somewhere in the middle. I think their diet is slightly more akin to a birds than what we eat, maybe nutty seasonings are a lot more common, and i think species affects taste preference, but not to a too crazy degree.

HOWEVER!!! I HAD NOT CONSIDERED TOXIC THINGS FOR BIRDS....... very interesting indeed.... apparently caffeine is toxic to them ????? (poor godot),, my idea for this is that the foods that are toxic for bird affect the winged-people in the same way that eating dairy would for someone who's lactose intolerant :333,, so like, def not GOOD for them,, but not horrible

FINALLY I THINK THE IDEA OF EVERYONE PECKING THE FLOOR IS SO FUNNY,,,, if im being 1000% serious,, i don't think they would do that,, but if im being even just a little bit silly.... THEY WOULD DO THAT LMAO AND YES YES I HAVE IMAGINED THAT,,, In that one scene where godot catches all the seeds in his mouth,, he'd swallow them and then ask for more

oh btw i think people wouldn't eat chicken or turkey etc anymore,, it wouldn't be like,, cannabilsm at all,, but i think this culture would have a REALLY high respect for birds, including game birds. in the past they mightve hunted some birds, but as time went on i think it left the diet for the most part

[if-loki-was-a-fox]

I just randomly found ur blog and am now OBSESSED with the whole avian!mumbo concept

…….tell me everything there needs to be known abt it please I want to draw little bird boy (even tho my main way of doodlin mumbo is vampire but I WANT BIRD)

(apologies for the ramble I live laugh love moustache man)

(here's the previous avian!mumbo post for anyone curious)

It has taken me far too long to get the chance to respond to this ask and I have been so impatient because adjsaklfhaskghjd someone actually saw and enjoyed my unedited babbling about avian!mumbo :')

anyways I think I already said most of what I have coherent ideas on, and the rest is just nebulous vibes and happiness and fluff and hurt/comfort potential, but! I can share doodles and also reiterate/expand upon stuff I have already said

(putting it below a cut so I can make it soso long)

WING FLAPPIES!! I feel like this would definitely be something he'd appreciate about having wings, because I feel like it would be a more satisfying expression of emotion than like. stomping or bouncing or whatever. He would also totally struggle to control his avian body language, you can read his wings/ears/tail like a book, he's so unused to paying attention to and stifling his bird gestures. (Grian finds this beyond hilarious especially, because he can read Mumbo even better than everyone else being another avian)

His wings are red and black, though I haven't entirely decided if I'm gonna switch which goes where to make it match Grian's wings better. Since Grian is a Scarlet Macaw, Mumbo really ought to be too, but that would look just. so goofy. with his color scheme

AND SPEAKING OF LOOKING GOOFY- his wings look so silly for the first couple weeks. Until the feathers grow in properly, they're just kind of gradually more fluffy. raw chicken. wings. stuck to his back. because that's what baby parrots look like apparently! And then also pin feathers, before finally being pretty feathery bird wings

He also just accidentally passively collects the other members of Boatem's clothes. Grian does this too, but intentionally. Mumbo just does it without realizing and then gets confused about it because he doesn't understand the whole nesting thing, so someone else has to explain it to him

Oh and Mumbo tries to just go about his life without any changes or accommodations for his wings at first, because he doesn't want to ruin his clothes or generally have to change his routines. Grian and the others do not put up with this and persuade him to take proper care of the wings instead (<- this is a constant uphill battle for months)

On a more overarching note, Mumbo initially Does Not Like the wings, because they're just tiny and kind of ugly things that get in the way of his elytra and make him have to get all his shirts edited and they don't really do anything but cause him problems. Then once the wings start getting feathers and stuff and they have to start making preparations for learning to fly, it kind of becomes a bit of a bonding thing that brings Boatem together, with Mumbo starting to get used to them and accept them, and everyone else being able to help out with their care some (preening, stretches and exercises...).

Ultimately (probably sometime around HC 9), Mumbo ends up quite loving his wings in the long run. Once they're fully grown they're actually pretty impressive (since he's so tall they end up being a fair bit larger than Grian's, much to his annoyance) and Mumbo ends up putting a fair bit of effort into their upkeep and keeping them all nice looking (at least, when he's not too busy with other projects). He does still find a bunch of the other avian traits a little embarrassing (nesting, chirping, dietary restrictions, wings giving away his thoughts...) but he gets used to them.

[angeart]

My brain keeps going back to the hhau rambles and Grian asking Scar about taking his wings off and just...how incredibly short-sighted that "fix" would be. Because like, even if he lost one/both his wings and lived through it....he'd still have his instincts. He'd still chirp...he'd still wanna be high up in nests but he'd have to climb now. He'd never be able to wrap himself in wings again... depending on when that earring of Scar's might be the last of his feathers... and oh gosh post rescue? The hermits seeing him without wings and all the questions and looks of pity. Some well meaning hermit maybe brings him an elytra which he's never needed before and oh that could cause a spiral

-🎀

oh gosh. oh okay. i see you're bringing angst to my doorstep.

grian definitely wasn't thinking clearly in that moment. he simply reached a point where he can't see any other solution. so much of his anguish is tied to his wings. he's in pain and scared and he desperately wants it to stop.

he's learned to despise his wings. they cause him so much turmoil and everything that was ever good about them—everything he loved—has been meticulously erased. they're not pretty. they are dirty and grimy and itchy. heavy, unwieldy, muscles locked up, clumsy and aching from disuse. they no longer feel like a proper part of him. he's not using them, he's just constantly fighting to tuck them away. to make the world believe they're not there.

well then... wouldn't it be easier? if that was the reality?

to him, it sounds like a long-term solution to an otherwise never-ending problem.

his wings are a beacon, and wouldn't him and scar be so much safer without them? if he didn't have them, there'd be no reason for people to madly hunt him. maybe then they could stop running and catch their breath. maybe then scar wouldn't be in constant danger just from being near him. maybe then the fear lodged into grian's spine and the endless string of triggered panic attacks would finally go away.

yes, he'd still have his instincts. but he's already grounded. he's already not using his wings for any sort of comfort at this point, and flight is not an option. he's craving nests and high places, but that doesn't mean he can get them, wings or no wings, and— he was fine without that on hermitcraft! surely if the pain and fear stop, his instincts will calm down? surely, he can get at least a semblance of control back?

and you need to realise. there was no thought spared to the hermits. at this point, scar and grian have given up and no longer expect or even hope to ever be rescued. in their minds, there's no one coming to save them. there's no home to go back to. it's just this.

it will always be this.

and this is painful, and grian is clawing at ideas of making it better somehow—anyhow—no matter how drastic or gruesome that option might seem.

that all being said... man. that big what if. what if he really lost them? what if, one way or another, he managed to get rid of his wings? what if that happened and he survived?

your point about how scar's earring would be the last of grian's feathers is so heartrending. that'd be so tragic and sad.

and then post-rescue, the hermits would have even more proof of the damage. even more questions, too. even more helplessness as how to help, when the damage done is long since unfixable </3

grian, having to wrangle with having a safe environment to fly again, but having no wings to fly with... especially if that was his own choice. if it was preventable. ouch.

[voidindite]

Hmmmm Etho and avian or Watcher for the hermit fanon swap thingi?

thank you! 💚💜 avian only for now, but may come back to this request and get the Watcher one, too, at some point!

[hermit fanon swap requests]

*offers a rock ptarmigan etho*