#high-speed avians

[alphynix]

While birds are one of the few animal groups to have achieved powered flight, they're also very prone to losing their aerial abilities. Many times over their evolutionary history, multiple different bird lineages have convergently become secondarily flightless – and Patagopteryx deferrariisi was one of the earliest known examples of this.

Living during the Late Cretaceous, about 86-84 million years ago, in what is now the northern part of Argentine Patagonia in South America, Patagopteryx was roughly the size of a modern chicken at around 50cm long.

When it was first discovered it was classified as a ratite, but soon after it was recognized as actually being a much earlier type of bird, an early ornithuromorph only distantly related to any modern groups.

It had small wings, little-to-no keel, and no wishbone, indicating it lacked the large powerful musculature required for flight. Its legs were quite long, with large feet with all four toes facing forward – proportions that suggest it was built more for walking than for high-speed running.

Growth rings in its bones also show that it had a much slower growth rate than modern birds, taking several years to reach adult size.

———

NixIllustration.com | Tumblr | Patreon

References:

Agnolin, Federico L., and Agustín G. Martinelli. "Fossil birds from the Late Cretaceous Los Alamitos Formation, Río Negro Province, Argentina." Journal of South American Earth Sciences 27.1 (2009): 42-49. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jsames.2008.09.003

Chiappe, Luis M. "The first 85 million years of avian evolution." Nature 378.6555 (1995): 349-355. https://doi.org/10.1038/378349a0

Chiappe, L. M. "Osteology of the flightless Patagopteryx deferrariisi from the Late Cretaceous of Patagonia (Argentina)." Mesozoic birds: above the heads of dinosaurs (2002): 281-316. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/281640883_Osteology_of_the_Flightless_Patagopteryx_deferrariisi_from_the_Late_Cretaceous_of_Patagonia_Argentina

Wikipedia contributors. “Patagopteryx.” Wikipedia, 22 Apr. 2024, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Patagopteryx

[devildomwriter]

Demon Types

Here’s my extensive guide to demon types and their psychology and physiology

What type is your OC

Avian

Avian demons are categorized based on feather or other bird like attributes.

A common avian demon will have one or more pairs of feathered wings, in rarer cases they will have a feathered tail, feathered ears, a bird’s beak, or bird’s feet.

Avian demons tend to be on the prideful and showy side and normally share one or more personality characteristics with the bird they most resemble, the most common being a raven or crow.

They tend to have a lighter body weight and their wings are more fragile since the bones inside are hollow allowing a lighter body for flight.

Another contributor to a light body weight is they have stomachs smaller than most demons which leads to them becoming full easily and not being weighed down by food

More common magic abilities in avian types include voice mimicking, flexible necks, heightened navigation skills, and a good amount of speed thanks to light bodies and feathered wings

Avians have a difficult time maintaining their wings or feathers on their own and will usually require help.

Every so often they keep their wings out to allow old feathers to fall and if they have no patience for this will do it themselves or ask for assistance

Similarly to angels, avian demons mix a special brew that must be applied to their wings to keep them clean, healthy, and shiny as they don’t produce it naturally like wild birds would.

Avians tend to have a habit of surrounding themselves with jewelry or nicknacks and collecting things they find like shiny pebbles. They usually can’t ignore fallen change on the street or purchasing any jewelry they deem appealing to the eye.

For this reason many avians are either wild thieves or high class citizens for the sole purpose of obtaining what they desire as demons lack sufficient control of their impulses.

Typically avians have jobs in offices, fashion, design, high profile positions, and the STEM field.

Given that many avians were once angels or are renowned in the same way Lucifer is, they are stereotyped as a high class type of demon though the majority live in the wilds acting more like vultures than peacocks

Known Avians: Lucifer

Commonality: 1/10

Reptilian

Reptilians demons are categorized based on scales and other reptilian features.

A common reptilian demon will present a long scaled tail, forked tongue, and slit pupils but not always all three. They will always have hard armor-like scales, and very rarely have wings.

Reptilian demons tend to be more hostile to others until they trust you and come out of their shells, which could take a long time.

Reptilians are easy to distinguish medically, because of their cold-blood combined with scales. For the rare winters and freezes in the Devildom, this is a real issue and they need to prepare their homes to maximum heat, as they don’t do well in the cold and could fall into a coma-like hibernation until they’ve become warm again.

The myth of demons being creatures of the night has a lot to do with reptilian demons. The reptilian demons are usually sent as spies warriors to the human realm due to their thick armor-like scales. However in the human world where the sun shines they become more lethargic and relaxed as they absorb the sun’s energy in the day and are more active and awake at night, using the energy they stored.

Reptilian magic tends to be geared more towards offensive spells since they are common soldiers and the original demon species, aside from the draconian devil. They can use defensive magic but their thick scales are usually protection enough from major wounds.

Every so often reptiles will shed their scales and regrow more durable ones, even if the specific demon does not need them for battle. Demons who are used to combat and battle will shed theirs more often, the bodies natural response to any inflictions.

Reptilians usually gravitate towards more militant jobs or ones that don’t appear in public eye like working from home, or in a quiet office room.

Reptilians don’t tend to have a social class stereotype because of their commonality but many are proud to be reptilian types and see themselves as the originals.

Known Reptilians: Barbatos

Commonality: 10/10

Aquatic

Aquatic demons are categorized based on their adaptability to water and the usual appearance of gills and webbed finger or toes.

A common aquatic demon will have a long tail, usually with fins or slick scales that help them adapt to the water and move more gracefully through it. Very rarely do they have wings but sometimes with will have large fins that appear to be wings.

Like reptilians they are cold blooded and in times of rare cold on the surface, they prefer to retreat to the warmer oceans and lakes or a heated indoor pool.

Similarly to fish the aquatic demons have a air-bladder that allows them to control their buoyancy and maintain the depth they are in the water without expending too much of their energy swimming upwards and downwards.

Not all aquatic demons will have gills but most have lungs adaptable to air and to water. If they don’t have gills they will need to exercise often to maintain their naturally powerful lungs allowing them to hold their breath for extended amounts of time. Most aquatic types can hold their breath for hours on end, untrained lungs should still be able to hold their breath for close to an hour before it becomes painful.

A downside to living on the land includes increased chances of dry skin and dry eyes. They usually compensate by taking more baths and showers, living somewhere more humid, and using eye drops.

All aquatic babies are born with gills and do better a water-crib—a bath-like crib full of water specifically for aquatic type demons—these cribs allow them to breathe more easily after birth and slowly adapt to the air.

More common magic and non-magic abilities in aquatic demons are water adaptability, water manipulation, communication with sea animals, great speed and grace in water, smell great distances underwater, excellent marksmanship, clearer vision, and some even have the ability to change their sex.

Their jobs typically involve water in some way for example working at an aquarium, being a life guard, being part of the navy or cost guard, teaching swimming are aqua aerobics, etc.

Aquatic demons tend to be more easy going, happy-go-lucky, bubbly people but there are exceptions and some can be very stealthy, shy, and introverted. They enjoy surrounding themselves with reminders of the ocean, lost treasures, and things like beautiful petals and shells

Known Aquatics: Leviathan

Commonality: 5/10

Mammalian

Mammalian are warm-blooded demons that bare clear animalistic traits in their demon forms. These can include bovine markings, felines eyes, more natural body hair, cloven feet, barbed tongues and many more common distinguishing features. Mammalian are very rarely winged, and usually have tails related to their animal. Most mammalians have cow, bull, sheep, goat, or lion features. The animal they are related to usually has a lot to do with personality, for examples the lions tend to be more proud and aggressive, the bovine are easily angered and slothful, the goats like to but heads with others and will eat just about anything, the felines tend to be loners and the canines tend to have large friend groups, etc.

Mammalians are usually heavier and physically stronger than they appear but their magic is usually weaker than the average demon as compensation.

Common magical abilities will also vary depending on the animal they relate to but usually include night-vision, increased senses, increased strength, heightened awareness of their surroundings, energy absorption, high adaptability and stealth, and silver tongues.

Mammalian demons have a tendency to shed and must brush their hair and tails often. They grow body hair more quickly and need to shave more often too, while some don’t mind this others are annoyed enough to seek out medication it magical alternatives to laser hair removal. Some however take great pride in their body hair and female/non-binary mammalian demons tend to be more attracted to those with beards or more hair.

They have a harder time resisting temptation than most, this reason isn’t fully known, and they are typically outgoing and well known people, even the quiet ones have a large presence or air of mystery surrounding them.

Mammalians find fluffy pillows, clothes, and blankets to be very comforting. They prefer meaty foods and milk-based drinks although some stick to a more herbivore diet (based on their animal) however this is exceedingly rare as veganism/vegetarianism is almost unheard of for demons.

Mammalians tend to have more athletic, therapeutic, salesmanship or nature-based jobs including professional athletes, physical trainers, job recruiters, hosts, therapists, gardeners, farmers, etc.

Known Mammalians: Belphegor

Commonality: 4/10

Insectoid

Insectoid demons are distinguishable by their insect or arachnid features. Most will have more than one pair of eyes, bug-related wings, a scorpion tail, or piercers in their demon form.

Insectoid females tend to be larger than regular females and are more brazen and domineering. The males tend to be more quiet, aloof, and isolated.

Insectoids have larger appetites than most, can carry things much heavier than themselves, work best in groups, and tend to copy each other (almost like a hive-mind)

They are much sturdier than most demons but have a very fast metabolism as a means to help them fly more easily, so they can often be seen eating and you’d be hard pressed to find a youthful overweight insectoid.

Insectoids can also shed their exoskeletons and scales, which appears rather frightening but doesn’t cause them any harm and helps them in many ways. They become more durable, lose any trace of scars, and become more appealing too.

Insectoid demons usually have poison that can cause pain, immobility, or attraction. They use it as they see fit, but there are rules governing the usage and legality of some things their poison allows them to do.

Insectoids may have other amazing natural abilities like detecting a change in air current, incredibly high jumps, superior strength, hypermobility, superior durability and agility, silk-production, poison production, mobile heads, may have extra stomachs.

Magical abilities that insectoids may possess are mind-control, hormonal manipulation, invisibility, chemical manipulation, telepathy, magic tunneling (creation of tunnels using magic), and other earth-related abilities.

Insectoid males tend to gravitate towards laborious work, athletic careers, and somewhere they can be part of a large team, while females tend to seek jobs of power and strive to make their way up the ranks in the political and working world.

Insectoids tend to be clingier than most, like to observe others closely, are easily manipulated by trends, are very trusting, and a little aloof. For females almost the opposite can be said. These personalities also depend on the insect they represent but generally gender plays the largest roll and changes the way they think, however therapy can work for those who do like being naturally aloof or domineering. It should be noted that this is not always the case.

Insectoids are usually generalized as hard working and/or manipulative people and do very well in Devildom society.

Known Insectoids: Beelzebub

Commonality: 7/10

Draconian

Draconian demons will either have scaled dragon-like wings, or a dragon-tail. Those without these features may be categorized based on natural fire magic combined with cold-blood.

Draconian types have a very high tolerance to heat and fire, more so than the average demon. They have very strong wings and are highly capable fliers.

Unlike reptiles who absorb energy from sunlight to preserve, Draconians are completely photosynthetic and not only absorb energy for immoderate use and preservation, but heal faster, have their fire abilities fueled, and become more powerful in all aspects.

Like reptilian demons they usually just preserve this power for later, but are the most dependable fighters anywhere the sun shines as they don’t become relaxed and lethargic in the sunlight but much more aware.

Every year or after substantial damage is done to the body, Draconians will shed their scales and regrow nicer and sturdier scales to replace them.

Draconians tend to be very prideful since they are the same type as the royal bloodline—the original Draconians.

Like the beasts they’re named after, Draconian expect respect and adoration. They enjoy surrounding themselves with Golden and shiny things, gems, jewelry, expensive things and anything that enhances their charm and sense of authority.

Draconian’s are naturally more proficient in fire magic and typically do poorest with water magic though they’re able to become skilled in it too. Other magic they excel in are dark magic, curses, hexes, and voodoo, detection magic, summoning magic, mental manipulation, and seduction.

While their fire magic is exceedingly powerful, it will dull in colder temperatures.

Their natural abilities include heightened senses, accelerated healing, limb regrowth, powerful jumps, and fire resistance.

Unlike other cold blooded demons, the fire magic inside them keeps them warm enough to endure blizzards and freezes although they still feel the affects.

Draconian demons have a few quirky habits like slowly blinking, tilting their heads, flicking their tongues, hissing and lots of fidgeting.

Draconian types are generalized as upper class demons and haughty. They usually aim for high ranking jobs and political positions although due to their commonality, they can be found in every career although they prefer to avoid work they feel is demeaning or too demanding of them.

Known Draconians: Diavolo, Asmodeus, Mammon

Commonality: 9/10

Elemental

Elemental demons are very rare and possesses elemental features like rocky skin, twig horns, thorny tails, vine hair, etc.

Elemental demons are methodical and very in tune with their surroundings, allowing them to naturally adapt to social situations and blend in to a crowd.

Elemental demons’ personalities are reflected in their demon forms. A demon with a hostile personality may possesses rock like features or thorny tails, those with more wooden or nature related features are usually free spirited and down to earth, someone with fiery features are usually bold and outgoing, someone with ice features may be more introverted, etc.

Elementals are very rare and no two are exactly alike so not much can be determined about their physiology though it’s been shown they are proficient in the element reflected in their features.

Demons with earthen features will be proficient in earth magic, gravitational magic, strength enhancement, durability, defensive magic etc.

Demons with nature features will be more proficient in nature magic, growth and healing magic, energy magic, etc.

Demons with fire features will be proficient in fire magic, light magic, energy magic, offensive magic, etc.

Demons with water/ice features will be proficient in ice and water magic, blood magic, voodoo, positions, and empath magic.

Demons with shadow features will will be more proficient in dark magic, shadow magic, stealth magic, invisibility, etc.

Depending on their body they may shed leaves, replace and regrow bark and rocks, their fire may dim in cold months, their water may freeze in the cold, etc.

Elemental demons tend to gravitate towards more social and service related jobs. Although often seen as a powerful position, political positions are also a frequent option since they are meant to serve the public. Medical jobs are also a common choice.

Known Elementals: Satan

Commonality: .5/10

Deviant

A deviant demon has a form that does not fit into any specific category. Deviant types are extremely rare and named after such. These demons may have more or less than two horns, unusually physical abnormalities, and an undetermined representative animal. They are usually very powerful magic users and often appear as hybrids of known types.

Due to their rarity not much can be said about them other than they usually cause a stir when spotted and become famous more quickly due to their unique appearances and abilities.

Known Deviants: none

Commonality: (.02/10)

Lucifer

Lucifer is of the avian body type. He has four large black wings that are powerful enough to create gusts of wind and make him a very capable flier though he does not often use them to fly great distances.

Mammon

Mammon is of the draconian body type. Like other draconian demons he is resistant to fire and privy to fire magic. He is very energetic and due to lack of sunlight and crashes after using his energy instead of constantly being able to absorb more.

Leviathan

Leviathan may seem reptilian but he is of the aquatic type. Possessing defining gills and slick scales and a long tail that help him swim swiftly in the water he is the ultimate aquatic demon with extremely powerful water magic and command over sea life. His horns resemble coral that enable more stealth in the oceans.

Satan

Satan is of the elemental type. His tail relates to minerals and thorns as it is spiked and rock-hard. He is more capable of wielding fire rather than his body element of earth. This makes him somewhat of a deviant type.

Asmodeus

Asmodeus may have a scorpion as his representative but he bares stronger resemblance and characteristics of a draconian demon though this can be debated. Asmodeus has plentiful energy and four scaly wings which place him into this category. As someone who absorbs sunlight he does not easily tan or relax in it.

Beelzebub

Beelzebub is a fine example of an insectoid demon. His wings resemble of fly's wings but despite appearances they are not delicate and make him an incredibly fast flier, possibly the fastest of them. His wing scales sometimes shed and are replaced by stronger ones.

Belphegor

Belphegor is of the mammalian body type. He has a prickly cow tail which is very strong and fast, making it a powerful weapon to him. As a mammalian his magic is a little weaker but he is the strongest of the mammalian demons.

Barbatos

Barbatos is of the reptilian species. His bony horns represent the lost species of serpents like the one who tempted Eve. Despite being shaped like wings they by no means allow flight capabilities. His tail is forked and scaly and allows him to hang by it or easily tear things down with it. The scales are much smoother than the average reptilian which is useful for swimming. Barbatos was once considered a deviant type which is fitting for his magic and distinct characteristics but he was later evaluated as reptilian.

Diavolo

Diavolo is of the draconian body type just as all the proceeding kings were. The draconian type is held in high regard due to being a signature trait of the royal family. Diavolo has four large wings connected at the back and sharp talons which he covers with golden sheaths to prevent accidental harm and damage to his surroundings. He is very energetic and Fire is his strongest elemental magic type. Due to his status he can freely visit the human world and make use of his absorption abilities

[hermitcraftheadcanons]

multiple animatics and fan arts of grian have led me to see him as an avian born abnormally small to account for his stunted wings. But, he still has builder body, so he’s just a 4’8” bird guy who’s also super buff.

This gives him so many advantages in the life series, because while he can’t use his wings he absolutely CAN be launched at high speeds at enemies during battles by his also-buff allies. (see: scar in 3L, mumbo or imp in LL, zombiecleo in SL, etc)

The Grian Launch is a common tactic on Hermitcraft as well! Everyone on the cherry mountain is capable of throwing him.

-Mod Mleem

[c-oswinwrites-x]

Hermitcraft/life series zombie apocalypse au based on this post by @saphushia (reblogs irrelevant I just wasn't bothered to find the original post)

This is Doc's journal. He's keeping track of everything he knows about everyone. What they're good at, what they're not good at, can he help them with that? As to why his name is marked ??, it's been so long he doesn't remember. Some of them have their real names marked down because he already knew them before the apocalypse, some of them are because he heard them screamed when their loved ones thought they were dead. He won't talk about those. Not talking about his patients helps him cope with the ones that have died.

Ladders

Named Ladders because of his knowledge of every single ladder in the city.

Real name: Etho

Species: Arctic fox

Skills: Knows the city inside and out. Agility. High stamina. Night vision.

Hindrances: Blind in right eye. Issues with breathing.

Notes: Ladders is constantly wearing a gas mask, even though we've confirmed the virus is not airborne. He tends to run ladder to ladder, rather than any sane method of transport.

Stitches

Named Stitches for their skill in first aid, particularly stitches.

Real name: Cleo

Species: Human?

Skills: Physical strength. Good at first aid. Smooth talker.

Hindrances: Low stamina.

Notes: Stitches seems more tired lately. We think they might've been bitten...

Gemini

Named Gemini for her ability to get from one place to another as if she was already in both places.

Real name: Taylor

Species: Fox?

Skills: Close-range combat. High stamina. Night vision. Speed.

Hindrances: Long-range combat.

Notes: Gemini and Pearl are very close. Possibly siblings?

Impulse

Named Impulse for his extremely impulsive behaviour.

Real name: ??

Species: ??

Skills: Long-range combat. High stamina. Night vision.

Hindrances: Empathy. Impulsive. Insomnia.

Notes: Impulse appears human, but I've seen him when he thinks he's alone, and I... Don't know what he is, and I don't think I want to.

Skizz

Real name: ??

Species: ??

Skills: Smooth talker. Combat. Night vision.

Hindrances: Empathy. Low stamina.

Notes: See Impulse.

Beans

Real name: Joel

Species: Tanuki

Skills: Smooth talker. Combat. Night vision. High stamina.

Hindrances: Attachment to Shadow. Ego.

Notes: N/A

Pearl

Real name: ??

Species: Moth

Skills: Flight. Night vision.

Hindrances: Insomnia.

Notes: Pearl and Gemini are very close. Possibly siblings? Pearl has expressed disinterest in romance.

Grian

Real name: ??

Species: Avian?

Skills: Smooth talker. Combat. Night vision. Flight.

Hindrances: Struggle with sudden change. Attachment to Scar. Insomnia. Can be a control freak.

Notes: Grian appears to be a parrot hybrid, but he has also hinted at other hybrid features. And he definitely should not have such good night vision.

Bdubs

Real name: ??

Species: tbc

Skills: Knives. Speed. Camouflage. Finding/setting up bases.

Hindrances: Empathy. Long-range combat. Low stamina. Constant injuries.

Notes: Bdubs is some kind of moss creature. We just don't know what it's called. He is also a walking accident, with a concerning amount of scars and scrapes all over him. Not to mention the black eye that never seems to go away.

Scar

Named Scar for the slew of scars practically covering his body. He chose it himself.

Real name: Ryan

Species: Vex

Skills: Smooth talker. Combat. Night vision.

Hindrances: Empathy. Low stamina. Impulsive. Unpredictable. Mobility issues. Overworks himself.

Notes: Scar claims he's fine, but we've all seen him stumble over nothing and continue to run with a heavy limp. He leans against the walls a lot, and holds on when he thinks we're not looking.

Tango

Real name: ??

Species: Blazeborn

Skills: Smooth talker. Explosives. Computers.

Hindrances: Empathy. Insomnia. Water.

Notes: Tango can't get wet. Due to his species, even a single drop of water touching his skin puts him at risk of hypothermia.

Doc

Real name: ??

Species: Creeper, goat

Skills: Medical. Physical strength. Low empathy. Speaks German. (According to everyone else, that's a skill. I don't see why it's useful. Zombies don't speak German.)

Hindrances: Low empathy. Insomnia. Survivor's guilt. Aggressive. Impulsive.

Notes: I'm the person everyone comes to for medical stuff. Sure, Gem and Stitches can do it in an emergency, but they can't do big things. Doc misses Ren more than he likes to admit. He won't say it himself, but he pretends he's still alive sometimes. He talks to him.

Shadow

Named Shadow for her ability to hide. It's almost like she becomes a shadow.

Real name: Lizzie

Species: Human?

Skills: Smooth talker. Combat. Aggressive. Confidence. Camouflage.

Hindrances: Empathy. Aggressive. Impulsive. Insomnia.

Notes: N/A

Solidarity

Real name: Jimmy

Species: Avian

Skills: Physical strength. High stamina. Flight.

Hindrances: Combat. Unpredictable.

Notes: N/A

Major

Real name: Scott

Species: Human?

Skills: Smooth talker. Combat. Physical strength. High stamina.

Hindrances: Empathy. Insomnia.

Notes: N/A

Author's notes: I'm not saying empathy is inherently bad, just that those people have trouble killing things because of it. And Doc having low empathy both as a positive and a negative is for that same reason. He has no trouble killing, but he has trouble reassuring his patients.

Pearl is aromantic. She just doesn't have a word for it. That's what the 'Pearl has expressed disinterest in romance' comment is referencing.

Anything on Doc's profile in blue is because he refused to write it himself and someone else put it in. Likely Cl- Stitches.

Anyone without a reason for their name is just that. They don't really have one, or at least, not one anyone remembers.

[stories-and-chaos]

Shrike: How to Train Your Exorcist

[Hazbin Hotel reader insert as Alastor’s “darling life and death partner” Ace x ace relationship, both parties are moderately sex favorable.]

[One shot, word count 1425, Cw: mild cursing]

—————

There was barely a month before Extermination Day. The Hazbin Hotel was packed for the first time with residents; cannibals and your avian demons, preparing to defend against the exorcists. The cannibals were used to ripping their prey to shreds. They needed practice hitting weak spots and wielding angelic weapons instead of their teeth and claws.

Your flock had flight and agility but the majority relied on hit and run tactics. They needed to learn not to dash off but continue their attack. Fortunately a couple of your followers had a more hawk-like design and the hunting ability to match. And you of course had the look of a butcher bird; you had plenty of experience taking down opponents.

“Alright you lot! We’ve got techniques you need to learn if you’re going to last longer than thirty seconds on extermination day. Angels are used to being unopposed in the air; they fly down, attack, then fly off to their next victim. So we take advantage of that.” You paced in front of the gathered demons.

You were short, but most of your people weren’t much bigger. “Exorcists aren’t going to be looking above themselves for targets. Even a small fighter diving at high speed can knock their target out of the sky. If we can grab and spin them, we might even break bones when they hit the ground.”

Some of the more delicate members of the group looked at each other dubiously. “Not to mention, they don’t fight together. They hunt down targets individually. Which means we can team up against them.” Now they looked more curious. “We don’t even have to make direct contact; two or more of us diving right next to them at top speed is going to hit them with our wakes. Knock them off balance and they’ll be easy targets for Pentious’ ranged weapons.

“We’re all going to have angelic steel weapons. Slash at them as you dive by, you might hit limbs or a wing. If you’re lucky, you’ll hit the neck. Ultimately, our goal is to disrupt them in the sky and get them to where the cannibals can finish them off. Now, let’s start with diving runs.”

You ended up holding multiple target dummies aloft with little whirlwinds. The demons weren’t very accurate at first, but they picked up the concept quickly. Before the week was out, more than half were knocking the dummies off their perches and almost all were trying weapons during their dives.

Alastor was doing his own preparations, but he did help setting up the targets. His tentacles held them in place when you needed a break. He also amused himself by making surprise attacks to keep the fliers on their toes.

You hauled Husk over at least once a day to join the flight group. He still didn’t like having wings, but you pointed out he needed every advantage he could get. And you knew how rusty the former Overlord was. So you shoved him right into the lot for practice.

The one you couldn’t get a hold of was Vaggie. She was spending all her time instructing the cannibals, then working with Charlie after. You’d seen her new wings and according to her royal girlfriend, the former exorcist had been in Hell for years. If Husk was rusty, Vaggie likely was too.

Ten days before the early Extermination, you walked up to Vaggie after the group’s lunch break. “Let’s leave the troops to Charlie for the afternoon, ma petite. You’re overdue for some time with me.” You linked your arm in hers and essentially dragged her with you. Charlie tried to come with you, but you waved her off. “Not to worry princess, I’ll give her back in one piece!”

“What the hell are you doing?” Vaggie didn’t really sound angry, just annoyed at your pushiness.

“I am giving you something you badly need.” You brought her to a patch of grass near your flock’s training area. You had told everyone to clear out of the sky in this area; this wasn’t a group session. “You’ve got those pretty new wings, cher. Let’s prove they’re not decorative, hm?”

With that you launched into the sky, hovering about twenty feet above the ground. “I know how to fly, Y/N.” Her voice turned harsher than usual as she joined you. “And Carmilla already showed me how to fight angels.”

You smiled, got a bit more altitude, and raced past her in a dive that sent her spinning in the air. “Carmilla, for all her skill and charm, is sadly limited by gravity,” you said, pulling out of your dive. You grabbed Vaggie’s arm as you passed her again, this time pulling her up with you. You brought her face close to your own. “We are not.” Before she could respond, you grabbed her shirt, spun her in the air and threw her toward the ground.

She managed to get control and brake before she hit the ground. “Allons’y cher. You know how to beat angels?” You summoned a stiletto in each hand. “Let’s make sure you can beat them where they feel strongest; the sky.” Vaggie pulled out her spear before launching herself at you.

She was right; she did know how to fly and fly well. It seemed flying was like riding a bike, you never really forgot. But she was also out of practice and had never sparred with someone like you. Someone willing to fight dirty, with tooth, talon, wings, and every bit of strength in your small frame.

That first day, she could barely touch you. But by the end of the day you could tell she was getting more fluid before the tiredness set in. She had a grin on her face as she begrudgingly said, “Okay, you’ve got a point. I need practice.”

“So you’ll be here tomorrow afternoon?” She rolled her eye and agreed before finding Charlie. You stretched your wings out and Alastor manifested behind you. “Looking like you were enjoying yourself today my dear.”

“I did, cher. Husk refuses to spar with me and none of our followers can quite keep up. Despite the situation, it’s fun to find someone who can.” You smiled up at him and placed your hand in his outstretched one. His shadows enveloped you, delivering you to the hotel suite.

Alastor led you to the table and pulled out your chair. “We’ve hardly been able to spend time together recently. Will you let me have your attention for the night my dear?”

“Gladly, darling.” After dinner (gumbo that reminded you of quiet nights both in the living world and Hell), the two of you relaxed on the couch together. You each had a book to read; the only sounds were the turning of pages and the chirps and drones from the bayou. Just being in each other’s presence helped calm your nerves about the upcoming battle.

The following week was packed with training and preparing the hotel’s grounds for the attack. Vaggie showed up every day after lunch to practice with you. As a former exorcist, she was experienced with various weapons already. She picked up on your style without too much difficulty.

Two days before the deadline, she grappled you in midair. Her remaining eye glowed as she continued her movement, spinning you with her own body as the axis. Like you had to her the first day, she flung you to the ground, her rotation giving the throw more force.

Too close to brake, you resorted to cushioning your fall with wind. Once your head stopped spinning, you looked up at her and started clapping. “Well done, cher!” You rustled your feathers, getting everything back into place before taking to the air again. “Now, let’s make sure you can do it again.”

It turned out she could. Neither of you could manage too many in a row without getting a wicked headache. But Vaggie had a grasp of everything you could show her in those ten days. Much of what you had practiced together was new for her, meaning it was one more way to catch the angels off guard.

Inevitably, Extermination Day arrived. You waited with the rest of the defenders. Vaggie had her wings hidden for now; none of her former comrades knew she could fly again and she wanted it to be a trump card.

Golden light rained down, Vaggie rallied those around her with Charlie, you and yours took to the sky to teach the rest of the exorcists a lesson.

——————

@whitewolfsoldat @edgyboi10000 @ch3sire-blu3 @clearly-awkward @badatpunz @bengewatch @chewbrry

[amethystfairy1]

why did avians evolve with ear wings

what purpose do they serve

They help them make small directional changes while flying at high speeds!

[hopepetal]

So some people over at bappy's blog were asking how Jimmy lost his wings. Soooo I wrote a thing! Very very short but hey, it works!

@applestruda

--

They had still been with their flock when it had happened.

Grian was worried, as he usually was. Jimmy had never been the best of fliers, and he was clearly already struggling with keeping up when the winds had begun to pick up. For how high they were flying, Grian wasn’t all that surprised, but knowing Jimmy…

“Can we–” His voice was taken by the wind, whipping his hair against his face. “Can we stop?!” he yelled to the leader of the flock– a man who was so far gone in Grian’s memories that he had no name or face. “It’s getting harder to fly, and I don’t want Jimmy to–”

“We keep flying,” the flock leader snapped back at him, “if he cannot keep up, so be it.”

And that had been that. Grian, in a bit of a huff, had dropped speed so that he would be flying closer to his younger brother, who probably would be sweating from the exertion had it not been so cold this high up.

Looking back on that day, Grian thought bitterly, it would’ve been much better to have left the flock right then and there. But he had been young, and scared, and the tales of what happened to flockless avians made him stay in the air.

He had taken his eyes off of Jimmy. Just for a moment. Just to exchange a quick word with one of the mothers who carried her chick in a tightly wrapped swaddle… thing (look, he wasn’t an expert on chicks, so sue him!). Just for a moment. 

And that moment changed their lives forever.

Jimmy had screamed his name as his wings gave out, Grian remembered. He’d fallen at an angle, turning in a way that had made it impossible to straighten out his wings and take flight once more. Grian had dove after him, but he wasn’t fast enough. Wasn’t strong enough.

He wasn’t able to save his baby brother from crashing into the trees.

–

They couldn’t save the wings, the flock had decided. There was simply too much damage. So Grian had to wait, anxiety ruffling his feathers, for his brother to wake again. 

They buried the damaged parts of his wings and mourned the loss of flight. Jimmy, with what was left of his wings bandaged, sobbed into Grian’s shoulder. Grian didn’t know what to say, so he just wrapped a wing around his brother.

The flock left them, anyway. Grian refused to leave Jimmy, and Jimmy couldn’t fly. 

“You don’t have to, mate,” he had whispered, wiping away tears, “you can be with the flock! They’ll keep you safe!”

Grian had shook his head and glared at the flock leader. “Nah. You’re my family, Tim. I couldn’t leave you.”

The flock had left, and Grian and Jimmy were alone in an unfamiliar land, with no way of travel other than walking. Luckily for them, there was a small village nearby, willing to take them in and give them shelter.

“And that’s our story,” he finished, looking back up at the moth girl– Pearl, her name was. “And we’ve never seen our flock again.”

Pearl shrugged. “Honestly, good riddance. It must’ve been nice to have each other, though.” She tried to hide it, but a soft sorrow filled her words. Where Grian and Jimmy had had each other, she was truly alone.

“Well hey!” Jimmy piped up, “you’re a pretty nice lady. You have us now, too!”

Both Grian and Pearl looked over at the avian, confused. “I’m sorry, what?” Grian asked, raising his eyebrows.

“I mean, our flocks kinda left us. So why don’t we make our own flock? Just the three of us!” Jimmy explained, small wings fluttering slightly. “If you want,” he added quickly.

Pearl laughed, exchanging a look with Grian. “Well, I wouldn’t be opposed to that!” 

Grian smiled. “Flock, then. That sounds nice.”

[corvusspecialartist]

Beautiful Caged Bird:

You were an esteemed fighter pilot. You have served the Imperium well, ever since you were inducted in the Imperial Guard years ago. Coming from semi noble birth, this would have been one of the few ways, you could gain glory for your house. Ever since you were young, and on your home planet. You have always enjoyed the flight patterns of hunting birds, and even kept some as cherished pets. You always thought that they were the most perfect predators, just beautiful. Unfortunately, as you grew older, and life taught you a few things… you were wrong. The perfect avian predator that you knew of, was the Lord Primarch Sanguinius.

You were on campaign when you had met… you and your regiment were fighting a wild Eldar Host To be honest, you never truly liked them bastards, but you were the closest thing that was optimal air support that could be done. You were flying high in the air, approaching certain doom. You flew in formation, but soon you both would break. From previous experience, you knew, despite the thought being mere disgust in your mind… that the Eldar had better flying tech.. but no matter. You were only meant as cannon fodder no more, no less.

Then, as the Eldar came, before your eyes, your comrades were shot down in planes, almost as if a group of falcons were feasting on herd of ducks. But, no matter what, you held firm. Gripping the well-worn controls, you bobbed and weaved, avoiding most of the fire from the enemy craft. You knew the cockpit of your plane as if it was new limb. You swooped down noticing a large robot thing… instinctively you patted the plane purring to it. "Lets do this old girl" maybe, this was a way for you to soothe the machine spirit. You went and started to fly down.. applying as many G's as you could handle bumping up the speed into a dive bomb. The robot thing, turned and almost seemed to face you, but you turned your controls over trying to spin it over. It was no matter, you were a certified ace in the field. You had the trophies as proof.

However, things did not go to your plan. The robot thing moved with lighting speed and soon you noticed that you were loosing altitude quickly. You had to eject. After whispering a quick goodbye to the plane, you ejected from the plane. Honestly it pained you…watching as the plane flew and crashed. It gave you some form of pleasure that it landed in the center of the Eldar. Still… you adjusted trying to get your parachute out. Feeling, the blood go towards your head.. you noted that your parachute wasn't working and you felt the heated air as you started to fall and fall… You turned and closed your eyes, hopefully, at least you took some of the bastards with you.

Honestly, you were expecting brief pain, and oblivion until you felt wind and you started to move in a different direction. Nervously you opened your eyes… it was him.. the Great Angel,Lord Sanguinius. He was almost as perfect and even more so in the pictures… but honestly.. him.. just saving you like that… why you? You tried your best to not to look down. However, he was holding you in the crook of his arm, while holding his spear in the other hand. As you looked up at him, he was moving back to try and place you back in your regiment, at least you thought.

Now, you were in a golden gilded cage, screaming your head off and throwing the priceless art and trinkets at Sanguinius. It bounced off of him with almost a contemptuous ease, he seemed to stand there, just absorbing the hit.. almost as if he was he waiting for this latest tantrum to end. You continued to move quickly, just barely out of the reach of the serfs. Truly, you didn't want to be here, you wanted to be out on the field. The stagnant air within the room, the watchful eyes of both man and machine readying the alarm if you stepped out of the chambers. To add insult to injury, you swore that would could hear beautiful rare bird calls, as they flew down and called the sky their own.. like you used to. You walked up the Sanguinius and tried to push your way past him, but he moved to block you, and soon he quickly scooped you up. In that move you struggled and beat down on his back. He started to hum and soothe, moving you back and forth. His voice, it was so sonorous and beautiful…it knocked you out within a minute.

In your dreams, you were flying your plane… and you were just soaring. Until you saw the Sanguinius appear floating in front of the window. Instinctively you turned and tried to avoid him, but he pulled out the spear and sword and chopped the plane apart. Now you were falling and falling, as Sanguinius flew down and caught you. You pushed away and tried to fall back into the ground. You were at peace in the dream, until you woke up, smothered in Sanguinius' wings. It was comfortable but despite them being placed gently, it felt crushing… you felt your heart racing, as you moved in varying directions trying to push them off." Sanguinius, almost as if he were sensing your distress lifted his wing. You let out a sigh of relief, and let out a small welp as he grabbed you and started to preen over you.

He gave a softening grin. "What's wrong darling?… I heard you scream and freak out.. and are you alright?" You opened your mouth, trying to keep your heart rate consistent. But it would be hard to lie to him, since his abilities.. but he promised to not to read your mind. "It was just a nightmare…. my beloved." You gave a wide mouth smile, trying to sell the lie. Maybe you were trying to convince yourself. Sanguinius got up and pointed to a red dress. It was tailor made with hundreds of jewels and it fit your figure well. "We will be going to an event tonight… many dignitaries are coming. Our ship will be landing on the planet soon…" You nodded dumbly, as he got up and left.

As soon as he shut the door… you swore, but then you stopped… maybe… just maybe with Sanguinius being distracted you could escape. And it is not like he would miss you… You got dressed and started to prepare. Soon you would escape.

At the party, the host went and announced the arrival of Lord Sanguinius.. and with a small snide jab. "And his current consort." You gave a polished smile as you stood near barely hip height with him, and to be honest... he looked almost mythical.. his wings were decorated with finely golden strands with rubies inter spaced which made small noises as he walked. He wore a more Baalite fashion style, which many of the party goers tried to imitate. He wore beautiful embroidered robes with silken golden thread. His hair was curled into perfection, and you could even smell rare perfumes and spices that irradiated from him. It seemed to change depending on the light from black to blonde, he was smiling a warmly as you both went to the place of honor. You on the other hand compared to him, dressed very modestly and seemed to a speck of dirt. But, it didn't matter at the moment. It was a crucial moment... Sanguinius would naturally be distracted throughout the whole party.

It would come to pass, when you were rudely shoved aside, as a group of Navigators came by to Sanguinius trying to curry favor. You noticed his face turn into a light frown. But no matter, you gave a gentle grin to the primarch to try and soothe his temper. While, he had the good grace to not indulge his Thirst, he had to tendency of drinking more blood wine when under stress. In the meantime, you slowly moved away to the peripheral from the crowd, but not so far...You had to be careful, for moving in such a way could attract a knife in your back. But your outfit had come with the most finely protection, worthy of a favored consort.

"It is my turn to speak to the Great Angel! You had your chance!" A haughty nasal voice came out of the crowd. Some poor petty nobleman had tried to shout his way over to gain a rare audience of Sanguinius. But, given how contemptuous.. the party would probably begin with a brawl. Shaking you head, you started to run... you were out of practice sure, but you could find a place. You were dressed too nicely to be apart of any Underhive origin , but maybe you can commission a fighter jet to escape.

Hours upon hours had pasted... based on the way that the noises had become more quiet. You were at least leagues away from the party. You have been trying to stay out of the range by taking dark pathways and trying to avoid servants. You sat down to take a brief break... you were tired and feeling very thirsty... you dared to not drink any of the planet's water. But, you need a place to hide, and so you decided to crawl into a large vent, it was dusty.. long abandoned and based on the older stained.. it was used for servitors. Maybe you could take a brief rest.

You were shocked out of your rest as a loud alarm came out of nowhere. It was

' voice... and it filled you with dread.. yet it sounded so sweet and kind, he tried to call your name and try to bribe you out of your hiding spot. Internally, you just couldn't, you were so close... freedom.

Cursing, you thought about not changing your clothing... but just your luck.. a female servant was walking by your hiding spot. Immediately you grabbed her and put her in a headlock. After a good struggle, she was unconscious. Immediately you stripped off the party goer's clothing and replaced it with the servants clothing. It was mostly clean.. but no matter... as long as you kept quiet. You could at least escape.

A large thumping noises, and soon a large horde of noblemen was running down the same hallway all screaming their heads off. One of them went down the same hallway and took a deep breath. He was murmuring about how the Great Angel went mad. Based on the rambling mess, one of the noble ladies had said within earshot that in no certain terms that you had been assassinated, and that "an ugly peasant bitch isn't worthy of the Great Angel's love" Soon he fell silent as the masses ran by... but your heart started to drop... you heard the beating of wings. It was coming your way.

"Where is the nearest ship-port?" you whispered. The partygoers face twisted as if why would a mere serf ask that, before his face started to grin and opened his mouth. Before you could subdue him. "She's over here! " You immediately started to run full sprint. Your throat rubbing in raw... the beating your heart started to increase faster and faster as you heard the frantic wing beats.. only to collapse. No matter, you could at least crawl. Sanguinius appeared in front of you, white feathers falling as he stood, his hair askew and his wings still flapping despite him standing completely still... You started to weep. No... no... why? He picked you up and purred. "My little Bird where did you go?" "You weren't trying to escape? Were you?" You remained quiet. His mouth opened and now you noticed the heavy smell of blood. "WERE YOU?" he let out a shout, which causer your ears to ring. At your wince in pain, his face started to soften as he cradled over to you. "I'm sorry... I thought that you were dead... and I just cannot live without you." He pet your hair giving you a gentle kiss on the forehead.

That was a year ago.

Currently you were laying in bed, you needed the rest after all... you were preparing. Soon the door opened and your beloved entered the room. He was carrying a tray full of the finest of food, drink and wine. Sitting down he started to stroke your belly. "Have you come up with a name?" You shook your head as you slowly started to eat the food. As if you really didnt have anything to say, you had to keep the rest. You chewed the food and ate it in the fancy way, and even took the supplements! After all, they tended to even you out! You gave Sanguinius a kiss on the cheek and soon he left.

A/N: This (terrible) one shot is a result from the winner of the poll for the poem inspired for "Caged Bird" by Maya Angelou. Read it here: https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poems/48989/caged-bird

I will try and write out Corvus' one and soon and write out Part 3 of the Party Planning bit. This is my first time attempting to write Yandere Sangy.

[moonlit-dreamers]

*sighs loudly* so i Was going to draw them but turns out my own design is too difficult for me to draw. but i'll be making this post anyway bc this au has been cooking for so long i might as well!

Featherless Flight AU

aka dca avian au where these fucks r BIRDS

(disclaimer this is a sun x moon au. it also deals with heavy themes such as child abuse, death, violence, and. ya know. wutever tws come with the apocalypse (also these will not be talked about in detail in this post))

nothing robotic in them. just feathers, blood, and bones. a lot of that stuff may be lost or break throughout their story! but lemme at least tell u wut they look like (without having my own drawings OTL (i only have a ref for their faces (which im not confident of)))

a quick note for both of their designs, they r both Fully Covered in feathers, including their arms and faces (yes they have arms And wings). the only places that dont have feathers is their lower legs and hands. they have anthropomorphic legs. and their face shape is also similar to a barn owl, as shown here (ignore the lack of mouths, idk wut to give them)

suns design! he has the coloring and general design of a sun conure. hes full of bright reds and yellows, tho the green is replaced with a bit of blue. he has multiple crests around his head that fluff up similar to a cockatiel but theyre in a way that make it look like rays. in the drawing above is wut they look like without their crests raised; that is their default. suns feet r grasping feet which r 2 toes in the front and 2 in the back. sun has high speed wings so aes a lot faster. (if u dont know wut any of this means i recommend u look it up, im a bird nerd) sun is also specifically an omnivore (them having different diets is actually plot relevant)

moons design next. moon is the color of a hyacinth macaw tho his anatomy is closer to an owl. he has one large crest on his head like a cockatoo. its also colorblind! since its anatomy is based mainly off of owls, for moons ability to see at night means he can see less colors. and bc hes more sensitive at night his eyes r always half closed in light, making it look sleepy despite being fully awake. moon has raptor feet with 3 toes in the front and 1 in the back. xis claws r also much larger than suns. moon has passive soaring wings which is better for longer flights. and moon is a carnivore :)

theres also an eclipse but their design is an enigma to me even in my own mind

but back to sun and moon! if anyone is curious moon uses he/it/xe pronouns while sun uses he/it/ae pronouns. they r both aroace and love each other deeply (qpr babyyyyy). sun is genderfluid while moon doesnt give a shit (agender).

sun is more bubbly and energetic. very much high energy bouncing off the walls. hes the kind of optimist where u cant tell if their "bright side"s r trying to help or be condescending. its a master at back handed compliments. heavily a perfectionist and will reach the point of screaming fits if wut he doesnt isnt perfect. ae has a lot of self image issues. ae hides a lot of aers lack of self confidence and doubt behind a wall of "im the best", tho that wall can crash very easily. a bit of a flirt, but mainly bc he just enjoys seeing how ppl react. he takes compliments from everyone but moons compliments r always the best

moon is lower energy and calmer. at least, he acts like it. hes more reserved and if it wasnt for sun he wouldnt have any friends or talk to ppl at all. he fears abandonment and sun is the only person who has stayed with him this whole time and is the only person he truly trusts. is very aggressive towards anyone it doesnt know. despite being shorter than sun (hes 6ft while sun is 7ft) it definitely does a good job at intimidating ppl. over time when xe becomes comfortable with someone xe will eventually calm down and show a bit of a softer side to them. when xes actually calm and likes someone xe can be a bit... chaotic :)

im honestly not sure where ill start their story since ive already thought about their childhood but i also wanna write about their adulthood as well. the story of their childhood mainly deals with the abuse they went through, then with adulthood theyre shoved into an apocalypse bc... y not :) (btw the apocalypse is mainly just bc ive been enjoying apocalypse aus a Lot lately and wanna write one. the child abuse is for their development and to show y they act the way they do. while it will be fun to write their development, i am by no means saying abuse is okay and this topic will be treated carefully and seriously.)

oh theyre also nd as Fuck

but yeah. these r my babies! i hope to at some point start writing the fic so i can show it to u all, but im already in the process of writing another fic, which will be coming out soon!

[dragonfiremagic]

Turns out I really like Kaiju I have too many brewing interests pls help lmao I decided to design a giant literally edgy angsty robot birb because yes :>

Sekkō's info under the cut! v v v

Name: Sekkō Size: 400 feet (From tip of the tail to the head), total wingspan - 600 feet, 100+ feet from feet to head Appearance: Black metallic robotic avian kaiju with a pair of gigantic wings and a very long tail 3 times the size of its own body. The wings' metallic surface reflects a rainbow shine and slight turquoise coloring at the tips. Wing tips, body, neck and head are decorated with glowing blue orb like lights. Sekkō has 3 sets of eyes, 3 pairs of tail flukes, a crested head, strong well-developed forelimbs and legs with sharp large claws

Gender: Genderless (They/It)

Abilities: Compressed high density electrical orbs that are shot from the beak and its chest core, technology/signal override, massive EMP blasts and electrical shock surges, extraordinarily razor sharp body and wings made of sturdy titanium-like alloys of alien technology and metallic element origin, can reach flight speeds beyond mach 10, can create powerful gusts of forceful hurricane-like winds by flapping and adhesive acidic liquid that is excreted by the tongue syringe. It is intelligent, calculative and strategic Description: Solitary and hostile towards anyone/anything unfamiliar invading its nest and conquered territory. Doesn't seem to care for or notice human presence, unless actively provoked. Sekkō is often on the fly to gather material for its massive growing skyscraper sized tower-nest. It is known to actively seek after massive human-made combat robots known as garets that it may notice and tear to shreds to further construct its nest, so garet rivers are advised to be extremely cautious of this specific kaiju. No one has been able to reliably capture footage of Sekkō's nest-tower as any incoming signals are disrupted and Earth-based technology becomes badly damaged if it gets too close to the nest. No one seems to know where this robotic kaiju came from or whatever its purpose may be on Earth...If it has any programmed purpose at all and instead maybe gone rogue/erroneous. it is speculated to be of possible alien or interdimensional origins.

[dragimalsdaydreams]

Dragon Booster Notes: Cladistic Taxonomy

I had to lay out a rough estimate of evolutionary relationships or I'd go insane <3

"narrator" voice starts under the cut:

Dracalia

[image ID: a simple cladistic diagram of the speculative Dracalia clade. the first division from Dracalia leads to, "remains sprawling and ectothermic" traits, resulting in Hydrags (depicted as low-bodied and lizard-like). the other path leads to, "endothermic and erect limb structure" traits, resulting in the rest of the tree. this path then splits into "bipedalism" vs. "remains quadrupedal" traits. bipedalism results in two different lineages: Raptors (depicted much like a prehistoric raptor) and crow-drags (depicted much like a crow). quadrupedalism results in Bulls (depicted as bulky and bull-like), and another path which then splits into Canids (depicted as lean and gangly) and Felids (depicted with a lithe and curving stature). end ID]

Dracalia is the most populous and successful clade in the modern day, due in part to the disastrous Dragon-Human War several centuries previous. few clades survived the subsequent environmental fallout and extinction event of that terrible war, but Dracalia and humans are among the few that clawed our way to survival. humans due to our adaptability and ingenuity, and drakes* due to their high aptitude for Draconium manipulation and (typically) extreme temperature regulation.

(*note that "drake" is the proper name for any member of the clade Dracalia, whereas "dragon" is the layman term for the few clades of race-worthy drakes.)

Draconium manipulation is a core trait of Dracalia, though it has naturally waned in certain sub-clades. other traits include audial fins, heat pits, and complex respiratory systems with associated Mufflers. drake respiratory systems are highly efficient, allowing for constant gas exchange and internal heat regulation, resulting in high adaptability to a wide range of environmental temperatures and high-energy activities.

most researchers believe that the most recent common ancestor of Dracalia likely resembled a modern Hydrag, with a sprawling leg posture, low body, and ectothermic physiology. the rest of Dracalia split off from Hydrags rather early on, developing erect leg posture and an endothermic physiology. this endothermic trait further developed into even more extreme control of internal body heat-- namely, increased sensitivity of heat pits and specialization of the respiratory system.

this sub-clade further split into two sub-clades-- bipedal drakes and quadrupedal drakes. the bipeds took advantage of their already complex, efficient respiratory systems, allowing bipeds to develop powered flight using webbed wings. Raptors are themselves descended from a flighted ancestor, but lost their ability to fly over time, instead specializing in ground stability and speed. their arms still have some vestigial webbing, and their bodies are still short and compact, though they cannot do much more than glide with the help of flight gear. crow-drags, on the other hand, are a fully-flighted clade, having taken over the skies from the extinct avians of the past, flourishing in the absence of other flighted competition.

the rest of the quadrupeds split into two core paths of specialization: bulk and agility. Bulls have made a living being some of the biggest, toughest creatures around, hard to injure and even harder to kill. few creatures seek to challenge such an opponent. Felids and Canids, on the other hand, aim for speed and agility, outrunning pursuers and prey alike. Felids have taken their agility slightly further than Canids, specializing in flexibility over stability.

((as for other creatures we see in the show:

Muhorta: we never see the full body, so I have no fucking clue. they could be some land-based cephalopod with a false dragon face for all I know... wait that sounds really cool actually..

newts: I think they're just regular newts. like, real-ass animal newts, but they evolved some semi-bipedalism in the show. or maybe geckos instead, so the poor lil' guys don't desiccate. I just think it would be funny.))

[chaosticbraindo]

Kaijune - day 20: fly 🦅🔥

the second iteration of Chaos Rodan, with the first pair being more Phoenix like. sadly- I have only sketch that out

Chaos Rodan

A kaiju in avian form, Rodan was one of the earliest to emerge from the dimensional tears created by Anguirus and Gojira. unlike most others, however, Rodan emerged as a pair and began causing chaos at an alarming rate with its extremely high flight speed that stands at the top of all kaijus.

speed was not the only factor, however, as the Rodans has demonstrated the ability to vibrate its feather-like scales on its wings to destabilize materials. However, unlike Gojira’s fog, Rodan’s destabilization effect doesn’t heat up or melt objects but shatter and explodes them no matter the object’s flexibility.

these two attributes alone has put the two Rodans near the top in term of threat level. Luckily, the two Kaijus was not as resilient as the others and has not shown any regenerative abilities which has allowed the combined force of the world’s military to take both down rather early on.

Unbeknownst to the population at the time, the two Rodans were a mating pair. Upon their death, one of the Rodan flew into the mouth of a volcano, burrowing itself down to its fiery doom but giving its offspring a chance to survive. This offspring, later named fire Rodan, emerged during the arrival of Ghidorah on Earth where it got into conflict with Gojira and Mothra before joining forces against Ghidorah.

Despite being a much bigger threat than its parents, having much higher resistance to conventional weaponry as well as a rather destructive heat Breath, this Rodan is rather docile and prefer to hibernate within its volcanic nest.

[akaiitori]

Uriel Hunter - Reference sheet 2024

With the sunset painted on his wings, Hunter is a paragon of what a Cyclone is meant to be: dedicated, athletic, and loyal to his country. He sets this example to the masses, dazzling civilians and coworkers alike with acrobatic maneuvers, high-speed, and wit. He takes his duty seriously, recovering those that have strayed from their purpose.

Hunter :) A gorgeous man right until he opens his big mouth, which puts in evidence how much of a self-absorbed ass he is. Still, he takes his job seriously and once the hunt is on, he's relentless.

Obligatory trivia

While his main job is being part of a Stray Containment Unit, he's also a social media influencer (shudders). Gets lots of sponsors in preening oils and flight suits, though his favourite PR item has been a luxury-brand aviator watch.

Very squeamish. He's not opposed to violence when necessary, but would rather avoid bloodshed. This has made him excellent at retrieving targets without any scratch.

Infamously promiscuous, though he only limits his affections to other avians. Leans towards strong broody types, but he's...open-minded.

His phone is his life. Not only as a work tool (influencer!) but he loves playing games in it, often FPS or fighting games.

Horribly fastidious with his appearance. He will dedicate hours to his hair, skin-care, preening, and checking on his posture/facial expressions.

[anna-the-undertaker]

Rebirth: Science Overview

Rebirth: Part 1 Art Ref Just some info about Black Vultures, what Humans would require in order to fly with wings, and MCs new anatomy. This is pretty long but I had fun with it and I hope you guys enjoy it too:

Black Vultures:

Overview - Black Vultures (Coragyps Atratus) are amongst the most abundant vultures of the new world, and out of all the members in the Cathartidae family, have the most varied diet. They are highly social birds that demonstrate fierce family loyalty. They will share food with their relatives and feed their young for months after fledging. Their lifespan is 10 years on average, and the longest-banded individual has lived up to 25-26 years.

Appearance - Their wings are broad but relatively short. The base of the primary feathers are white, producing a white patch on the underside of the wings edge, which is visible in flight. Their plumage is mainly a glossy black.

Habits and Lifestyle - They soar high when searching for food, holding their wings horizontally when gliding. They flap in short bursts which are followed by short periods of gliding. They are generally silent but can hiss and grunt or make barking noises when agitated or while feeding, they also do this when fighting over food. Black Vultures are gregarious and roost in large groups (these groups are referred to as a Kettle/Committee/Wake). They generally forage in groups late in the day; they locate food by sight or following other Vultures to carcasses as their sense of smell is not as strong as their slightly larger Turkey Vulture brethren. They are aggressive when feeding, and may even chase away Turkey Vultures. When startled, they regurgitate just-eaten food so that they can take flight. They conserve energy at night by lowering their body temperature. When morning comes they warm up by spreading their wings in the sun. As such they can often found with their wings spread. This stance has several functions: Warming the body, drying the wings, and baking off bacteria.

Diet and Nutrition - Black Vultures are carnivores and mainly scavengers, eating the carcasses of large animals, and sometimes small dead mammals. They also kill baby herons in nesting colonies and eat domestic ducks, newborn calves, small birds and mammals, eggs, opossums, skunks, ripe or rotten vegetables or fruit, and young turtles.

Mating Habits - Black Vultures are monogamous and pairs mate for life. They engage in aerial courtship displays with circling flight, chasing, and then spiraling down. A pair may also display together on a perch: they spread their wings and jump into the air while making yapping noises. They don't build nests but use a natural cavity such as a cave, rock crevice, tree, or hollow log. 2 eggs are laid and are incubated by both parents for 38 to 45 days, each taking turns everyday. Both parents feed the chicks by regurgitating liquified food until they are 2 weeks old, they then give them solid food. They forage as a family group until the next breeding season.

Stats - Top speed: 55KMH/34MPH, Weight: 1.6-2.7KG/3.5-5.9LBS, Length: 56-74cm/22-29.1 inches, Wingspan: 1.3-1.7M/4.3-5.6FT

Humans and the ability to fly:

We have all imagined it. Wished we could do it. But unfortunately, without countless amounts of genetic alteration, it's impossible for a human being to be able to fly unaided, wings or otherwise.

As humans we have conquered the skies with the use of airplanes, but our avian neighbors still have us beat.

A bird's skeleton has a tougher job than a mammal's. It needs to be light enough for flight, but also strong enough to take the strain of flying. To tackle these problems, birds' skeletons have some unique adaptations.

Bird skeletons are surprisingly light for their size due to having hollow bones. They also have lightweight beaks instead of heavy teeth and jawbones. Some other bones are very small, or have disappeared altogether, for example in the tail.

A bird’s main limb bones are hollow, with special struts inside to strengthen them. This makes them stronger than a mammal’s without being heavier. Other bones are more rigid than in a mammal’s skeleton. Sideways bones sticking out from the ribs lock them tightly together, and the two collarbones are joined into a single brace – which we call the ‘wishbone’. A rigid skeleton can cope better with the stress of flying.

If you look at the carcass of a roast chicken, you can easily see the huge breastbone, which sticks out like the keel of a boat. This bone is unique to birds. It holds the huge muscles that they need for flying. Most flightless birds such as ostriches and emus have lost this breastbone as they no longer need it.

You see, the reason we humans would be unable to fly is simply our weight and lack of strength.

By taking into account a human's average height and weight, we would need a wingspan between 6 to 7 meters (19.7 to 23 feet). When facturing in the average strength of a human, wings of that size would be too heavy to function.

In order to fly, our muscles would need to generate enough power to lift our bodies off the ground for an extended about of time which is impossible without scaling them up, which is a dead end when it comes to human flight. This is because of the strength-to-weight ratio of our muscles. Put simply, as our muscles grow, their weight increases faster than their strength.

Humans are woefully malproportioned for flight. Their centre of gravity is about where their naval is and their shoulders, through which flight loads must be transmitted if their arms are replaced by wings, are about 40 or 50 cm too high. They could however fly upright but then they would be extremely slow because of air resistance. This could be remedied by having much shorter and/or much lighter skinnier legs. In that case they would be hopelessly slow and clumsy on the ground.

A better solution would be to have an altogether new (extra) set of limbs (wings) like your archetypal angel, but unlike angel wings they would have to be supported just above the hips. This would entail a fundamental change of body plan, including mutation of the hox genes and others I assume. It may not be a feasible mutation.

You’d have to lighten up everything and increase lung capacity enormously to begin to approach the power to weight ratio of flying creatures like birds and bats.

So in short we would need:

new bone structure/proportions

more strength

larger lung capacity

MCs New Anatomy:

We all know MC isn't a normal human (or rather no longer human) and due to the supernatural happenings in Obey Me this isn't going to be all the way anatomically correct, but I still tried to keep it as realistic as possible and when it comes to MCs new body I had to do a bit brainstorming and theorizing to come up with how it would function. So in correlation with what's cannon and headcannon (the brothers having a third form which are their true forms) for Obey Me, MC has 3 forms: Human, Partial, and full transformation. The human form is exactly as it sounds: what they looked like as a human. The partial transformation is similar to the brothers in terms of their demon forms: wings/tail and horns. The full transformation is everything as seen in the reference drawing I did: Horns, wings, arms/hands, legs/feet, eyes/teeth. Feel free to imagine any extra details that speak to you in regards to their "true" form as I want to encourage you to insert your OC and have fun with it. I'd love to hear about the ideas you all come up with so please leave them in the comments. (The full transformation was heavily inspired by HunniLibra's work on AO3 called True Forms. I highly recommend reading it. It's really good.) And now, without further adieu, we are getting into the detailed stuff.

Wings -

The wings of course are the main focus of their new form and the most noticeable. They have 3 sets, 6 wings in total:

Top (4m/13ft): The smallest set and they act similar to a vertical stabilizer on aircrafts; prevents MC from being moved side to side as they glide and helps with wind resistance. In terms of protection, they are quite tough and make a good shield for their head.

Middle (7m/23ft): The largest and strongest, these are MCs main set. They are the driving force behind their ability to fly. They generate lift and keep them elevated as this set works alongside the others, flapping in short bursts, followed by a short period of gliding, and then repeating. These are also MCs greatest protection, acting as a shield for their body should they need it.

Bottom (5m/16ft): This set is slightly shorter than the main wings, but serve a very important purpose. Exactly like tail flight feathers, they are there for stability and control. They are used as a rudder, helping to steer and balance Mc and allow them to twist and turn in flight and act as a brake for landing. They also help support MCs body weight and steady their center of gravity, supporting the main set by preventing MC from bobbing up and down. For protection, they cover the base of MCs spine, a very sensitive part of the back that the main set can't reach when being used as a shield.

(For reference, I headcannon that Lucifer's wings are about 10m/33ft)

Strength: Even with hollow bones, these wings would still, realistically, be well over 200lbs/90kgs so in order to lift that weight and MCs body weight they would have to be extremely strong. Strong enough, in fact, to send several, large, grown men flying when launching into flight. They are also tough as tungsten. With the bones supported by internal struts and becoming reinforced due to its evolution, it is virtually impossible for a normal human, lesser demon, or lesser angel to harm them. A wing thrust from these acts as a countermeasure to create distance between MC and an opponent by knocking them back.

Speed: Speed varies depending on what exactly MC is doing while in flight. Normal gliding speed would be about 65mph/105km/h, but can reach a top gliding speed of 70mph/ll2km/h. The only way reach their max speed is during a nose dive, with their wings closed and held tight to their body, reaching speeds up to 122mph/195km/h or more.

Length: When closed their wings drag across the ground due to their size so extra care is required in maintaining them and keeping the feathers from being damaged. It's recommended to only walk around this way when at home.

Horns -

The horns are another noticeable feature on MCs new form, but not nearly as eye catching as their wings. Horns on most animals serve a purpose: head protection and as a weapon. I imagine it is the same with demons as well. Shape, size, and durability determine just how effective they are:

As far as protection goes, they don't provide much excluding the crown of MCs skull. They are, however, great for headbutting or ramming into someone.

Durability: While at first glance they appear to be made of crystal, they are really made of extremely smooth bone. The same reinforced bone as their skull. It is possible to damage/break them but only under extreme force. Possibly the same amount of force of a transfer truck hitting them at full speed.

Size: A little above average when compared to demons. They hover about 2 inches above MCs scalp and have decent amount of girth, thickest at the base with the thinnest part being the tips. The tips are really sharp.

Arms and Hands -

The arms and hands are essential tools for any humanoid creature. Now for MC, their arms and hands look just a like a humans unless they do a full transformation. And when they do, they develop almost charcoal black skin from their hands where it is the darkest to their elbow where it is the lightest. This skin is rougher and stronger than their normal skin. It is similar to the skin of Black Vultures. Their fingers appear to be a bit longer and they have extremely sharp nails that change length at will.

Legs and Feet -

The same as the arms and hands, legs and feet are essential tools. They too look human until MC transforms, developing the same dark skin. The difference is that the feet change shape, transforming in to those of a large raptor with talons that can pierce through bone and rip away flesh with ease.

Eyes and Teeth -

Like the arms and legs, their eyes and mouth are usually humanoid unless they transform. When they do, the eyes change from their original color to a pale blue with large pupils and the sclera turns black. They have keen eyesight in this form and can see an enemy or prey from about 4 miles away. Like Black Vultures, MCs new form is carnivorous so their body has developed sharp teeth to help tear through flesh. (For those who don't eat meat for any reason, don't worry, Black vultures also eat fruits and vegetables, rotten or ripe, as mentioned in the first section.)

Internal Changes -

Diet: As mentioned above, MCs new form is carnivorous, however, their body has developed to be able to consume human, demonic, and angelic food without consequence.

Bones: The larger bones in MCs body have become hollow with internal struts like their wings, but not all. Smaller bones like those in the hands and feet haven't changed much. Their rib cage has lengthened to support a larger lung capacity.

Organs: Speaking of lungs, they, along with MCs heart have become larger to help with the strain of flying. Their stomach, much like Beels, can digest just about anything food related. Maybe even Solomons cooking if they are brave enough to try, but I wouldn't recommend it. It's better to be cautious than fuck around and find out with that one.

Habitual Changes -

Much like Black Vultures, MC is now more aggressive when it comes to food. Only sharing with those closest to them. Anyone else will be hissed at and it may turn physical.

They can often be found in their room with their wings spread under the sun lamp to warm them.

MC will mate with a single partner for life (For those who aren't into monogamy feel free to ignore this. This is solely in correlation with Black Vulture mating habits. This is not truly important for this.)

Mating habits also include the courtship rituals for Black Vultures.

MC now has a breeding season (once again if you don't care for this, just ignore it. This is not essential info.)

Other Changes -

MCs body is now better equipped to withstand and use stronger magics. Angelic Healing (from their angelic heritage), demonic transmutation, hypnosis, charms, curses, etc. They can even listen to Lucifer's cursed records now. Their magic is also much stronger than before along with their pacts.

In terms of magical and physical strength, MC is now on par with most demons and angels and would annihilate any humans that attacked them, excluding Solomon. Going up against the brothers, Simeon, or Solomon would prove to be a challenge, while going against Diavolo or Barbatos would be impossible.

Their magic plays a role in their body functioning since MC is now a supernatural being.

As such unlike Black Vultures who only live a short time, MC shares their lifespan with the brothers because of their pacts. So long as they live, MC will as well.

[birbmonster]

SkyWing headcanons!

-Feathers on body. Wings are naked though

-Spikes are more like a dense, feathery frill-like thing

-Wings are optimised for maintaining a sustained high speed.

-Colours can be any warm shade, brown, or grey! Purple SkyWings do exist (like Osprey in the graphic novels) but it’s a rare mutation.

-Talons and snouts are more avian-like than other tribes.

[devoted1989]

It is estimated that there are 391 million laying hens in the US.

Large commercial “in-line” farms containing 50,000 to 6 million laying hens produce over 85% of table eggs in the United States.

The average number of chicken houses in a large, integrated egg production complex is 10 and a complex may consist of 15 or more houses. Each house contains 50,000 to 350,000 laying hens.

In-line egg operations are characterized by an automated egg collection system that carries eggs directly from chicken houses to the egg processing plant (building). These farms produce, process, pack, and ship eggs at one location.

Automated, high speed machines may process up to 400 cases of eggs per hour.

In 2022, 43 million layers were “depopulated” for HPAI. (Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza)

Sources: The Poultry Site, United Egg and the HSUS.

Image found on Pinterest.