Wanting to check people’s interest- so here we go!
Thoughts on a Desertduo au where Grian (and Jimmy, but he comes later) are able to shift from giant almost hippogriff like birds to a more humanoid form.
Grian gets injured and is found, in his more beastly form, by very concerned but rather excited (yay new species!) Zoologists. One of those Zoologists being Scar Goodtimes,
The story, or at least where I started and built on, starts about six months after Grian’s “rescue.”
-TLDR-
Grian was caught injured in his beastly form. Got stuck in a zoo, and Scar is his “Trainer/Caretaker.”
Please comment and tell me if you’d be interested!
(Here is a small spoiler portion of the art I’ve made -w-)
Aight it’s time for big (mainly grian) art dump now! Even though it should’ve been posted a while ago TwT
Anywho-
Art Dump Below!
First ever drawing of Grian! Yeah I know, looks a lil weird (made it during a D&D session). Honestly how I style Grian comes a lot from DDVAU, well at least the hair part.
I’m pretty sure this is my first time drawing Scar! And my first real attempt at making designs of them (with many inspirations *cough* ddvau)
I think this is honestly one of my favorite versions of him that I’ve drawn? Dunno I just always love drawing beady eyes ✨ (plus Ohio Oc Cameo)
You all saw the preview of it, but here’s the full page of the concept-ish art for SBAU/SBAU Grian!
Tiny chibi Grian with some of my Oc cameos (Wolf left, Bastion right)
Not the happiest about how his face came out. But 3rdLife Grian! (Kept messing with his eyes, they bug me)
GRIMPULSE. Ahem.
First time drawing Impulse, and technically Skizz too! (Even if it’s chibi). I seriously need to work on leg anatomy, AND SHOES. Shoes suck.
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I do have oooooone more, but I think that one’s gonna get its own post.
For now though, that’s all!
I know it’s taken me forever and I apologize, I don’t exactly have an excuse other than heavy procrastination and being lazy about putting pictures in.
It’s been a little bit since I last posted about SBAU, but I’ve had a lil thing cooked up for a while!
For instance, this post is going to be more of an explanation of the au. Or I guess maybe a timeline? Something of the sorts.
It also additionally comes with a ref of what sbau Grian looks like! (Well, for the time being. I’ll explain that more later.)
Lore time Below!
Alright! First things first, this is what Grian looks like for the main portion of his time in the zoo, I refer to this as his “unhealthy” version.
His wings didn’t always look like this, faded with only a little bit of color shining through. There is a reason behind this, but I’ll explain it later.
When Grian was first found his wings weren’t as faded, but the more time he spent in the zoo they more that little color he still had would fade to what the art shows above. (Mind you, during all this and until his later reveal to Scar, no one has seen his more humanoid form.)
No one really questions the change, assuming it’s just something his species does as they have almost zero information except what they learn from Grian.
I will say, one of the causes for Grian’s wings to fade is because of his sudden diet change. Used to going and getting his own food and being able to have plenty of meals and snacks a day, the shift to only one to maybe two meals a day affected him harshly.
Still, Grian pushed on and forced himself to keep going. With the food that he got, mainly consisting of a hindquarters leg from a zebra or another hooved animal, he would ration his meals. Once the camera battle was taken care of he would bring the food to his den/cave and cut it up into slabs. Often sneaking out, smaller form hidden by the brush, to acquire the big banana leaves to wrap the meat in so he could have some sense of normalcy for his meals.
Additionally to the meals, Grian would start shaving the hides off the meat and dry it out. Working to make an almost carpet area in the middle of his den/cave that would be soft to rest on. Essentially, he just made it more homey.
After time had passed and Grian had gotten more accustomed to living in the zoo, although completely unwillingly, the next step was to see what he could do with these…people. His “trainer” as Scar would refer to himself as, everday since he had been deemed well enough, had been going into his enclosure to do..something. Grian’s first thought was that the man was trying to tame him, which in a sense he was, but that idea caused Grian to chase him away at first.
Getting more used to Scar coming in, now predictable as Grian released he came at the same time everyday, the blonde would resign himself to simply ignore his “trainer.” For a while he would just sit at the edge of his faux forest and watch as the brunette would almost pitifully try to coax him it. It never worked.
Now more used to the others presence, Grian would begrudgingly come out, although only doing it when Scar wasn’t looking at him, he would climb up the rock placed near the front of the exhibit and rest. Simply watching.
It was almost amusing, the first time he came out, watching Scar stare at him with wide eyes and mouth hung open. Only for a couple moments later he would quickly start babbling something to the crowd. Grian knew he could understand it if he paid attention, but he didn’t care enough, opting to just lounge and nap until the voice would go away.
This would go on for several weeks, Grian lounging away and Scar talking about..whatever. One day though, Grian got curious, and actually started listening to what the man was saying. Honestly he didn’t know why he didn’t listen before. Scar talked to the crowd of people, more often than not describing a part of Grian and how it worked or how it might’ve helped him in the wild. It was intriguing to say the least.
At one point Scar had pointed to his secondary wings, and just to see what would happen, Grian would fan the wing in question out. Behind the glass he heard a muffled cacaphony of sounds, the people looking..happy? Grian then faced Scar and saw a similar emotion, surprise but so much joy. With a new kind of vigor, Scar would continue on, pointing to different parts of Grian. Not every time Grian would move the appendage, amused at the quiet disappointment from Scar. Yet he would always be so excited when Grian did.
He’d never admit it, but Grian found it a little endearing.
After the “show” ended, Grian would prepare himself to go back to his cave, one daily chore completed. Only to have his attention brought back by Scar who, now about to climb up the ladder to leave the enclosure, shouted out a loud “THANK YOU!” To Grian with the biggest grin.
It left him to sit there confused, watching as the man climbed out and left somewhere out of his range of vision.
This would start the period where Grian would become a more interested participant in the shows. Only moving his limbs some days, others climbing down to lay ever so slightly closer to Scar. On the rare occasion, having been almost deadly silent expect for his more deadly sounds, Grian would show off the other sounds- albeit they were words in his language- to the viewers and Scar.
At some point during this time, at around 5 months of being there, an incident happened that lead to Scar being one of the first people in quite some time to witness Grian’s humanoid form. (I will further explain this first experience in another post, additionally how Scar and the Sunbird Team go about dealing with this “new form”.)
Almost a month later, Grian wondered if this was all there was anymore.
Having been in the zoo for nearly six months now, three of them being a more willing participant in Scar’s shows. Grian would wonder if he would ever get out, or even see one of his kind ever again.
Thankfully, a couple of weeks later, and he’d get his answer.
BUT!
That will be for another time, and another post where I get to show you the second part-or rather version-of the artwork displayed above. Along with some art I made of another soon to be main cast member for the story, shhh~.
I truely do hope you enjoyed this little lore dump! I’ve honestly fallen a bit in love with the story, and the next section will be where the action really starts >:)
But for now, that’s all I have. If you have any questions or queries, please ask away! I am always willing to answer them.
I know I literally just posted it, but thank you all for the reblogs and kind words!
Ok ok, onto the brain thoughts. They’ve taken over and I made a drawing (technically two, but oh well.) But omg? I think this is one of the best things I’ve drawn in a while?
Essentially, had an idea in my head for sbau Grian and it actually- happened? The idea in my head hardly ever gets exactly on paper, but for some reason. This time. It d i d.
Ima stop rambling now and show the art
I’m so happy with how Grian came out, my hands were shaking so bad taking those pictures.
But here he is! The bird boy in question! (Which I will hopefully make digital so you get the colors.)
His bird/beastly form is..a WIP to say the least. Needs some workshopping..
That’s about it though! I plan on figuring out sbau Scar’s design next!
I’m going to start off by saying, I am not that great at drawing backgrounds or things of the like. I’ve made some decent stuff before but it’s been awhile.
Why do I mention this? Well, because I tried to draw the Sunbird Paddock.
Aaaaand possibly made it more difficult for myself by making it from an inside view. (Where the guests and people visiting the zoo would see.)
Before I show the attempt, I made a little doodle of a sign directing to the paddock!
I may digitalize it, honestly (did you spot the lil additions by the rocks? 🪻🌺)
Anywho, here’s my try at the paddock. I’ll probably try again with another angle, honestly.
A lil more descriptions:
The trees actually get suuuuper tall, some nearly reaching the top of the exhibit. (Which is domed with fencing kind of like an aviary.)
The blank area in the front (which is a lot bigger then the drawing shows) is where Scar does his shows with The Sunbird! Aka Grian. Grian, frankly, only obliges because he’s bored out of his mind and this silly not-human keeps him entertained.
The little pool lookin thing, which is a poor attempt at a pond, is a lot further back from the main viewing area. Reeds and some bush surrounding it for a little bit of “privacy.”
Now although you can’t see it, Grian’s den is placed further back in the enclosure between the trees and brush. It’s basically a big cave where he is able to rest in his mode humanoid form. Or at least now he is, in his first month workers kept trying to put cameras up in the den. All were destroyed, and only after an incident where three workers (loudly talking and acting like there wasn’t a beast in there that was willing to kill them, mind you) almost got injured by trying to put cameras in midday after feeding. (Grian prefers to eat in his den.)
This was actually one of the points where Scar was able to advocate for Grian about being a lot more intelligent then he was previously taken for.
Welp, that’s all for now description (and a lil lore) wise.
I’ll draw his den at some point, and maybe a sky view of the paddock so you can truly see just how big it is.
I think that’s about it, and if you have any questions about the au please ask away! (In my next post I’ll be explaining more of the storyline, but would still appreciate questions!)
Before I start working on sbau Scar I have a rather important question for his design ⏫
Whenever I think of him in my head I’m always switching between him having shorter spiky but rather soft hair, or a bit messy hair put up in a low ponytail.
