ANOTHER friend!!! This is Lullaby she's a dik-dik with the power to put creatures to sleep with her singing voice, but she doesn't really control when it happens
A commission I got from @scribbleshanks :] One of my all-time favourite pieces I've ever gotten, they did my girl Lullaby such justice!! They look PHENOMENAL
Thank you so much for drawing my little guy again :D
ID start: A blackk and white sketch page of a Hollow Knight vessel OC, Lullaby. They're fluffy, with a short glowing firefly tail, soft features, a mane, and a rounded face with curved horns with two prongs. From left to right, top to bottom, the sketches are: a headshot of them looking to the right. Side view sketch with two speech bubbles coming from them. Lullaby taking a hand of somebody off-screen, they look troubled. A fullbody sketch of a training scene, they're brandishing their nail towards the camera, their cloak in their right hand waving with the motion of their body as they tore it off. Them kneeling down, exhausted and propped up on their nail, with their head hung low and sweating after the training, clouds of steam coming off them. Them as a baby on top of The Hollow Knight's head, reaching for their finger as it lifts its hand up to Lullaby. End ID.
Author's note: More of Husbandry with Jophiel. Thanks to @sleepyfan-blog for letting me borrow Cedric. Thanks to @c-u-c-koo-4-40k for letting me borrow Khopesh and Lullaby. Thanks to @felinisnoctis for letting me borrow Asariel, Gerhardt, Felix, Batsy, Mic, Malachai, Job and Tercelle.
Author's note 2: Slight edit- Khopesh is BS-ing Lullaby A bit more. Sorry for not adding it before. Stupid Tumblr messaging system.
Summary: Jophiel helps cook and process a bunch of pigs and helps make a bone broth soup with bovine, pig and other large bones.
Jophiel is humming to himself as he has finished adding in all of the bones to the water as he is heating up the water to help boil the bones into broth. He hands in various aromatic vegetables and will wait on adding in more than salt and pepper for seasonings for after the soup is mostly ready.
It takes a lot of time and patience to make really good bone broth, which felt like it takes forever to make as the bones are softened and the collagen and calcium are leached out the bones and into the liquid, once they are soften enough the bones are cracked and the marrow is is scrapped out and roasted in the oven for extra flavor.
He's going to grind the bones into a fine meal powder and sprinkle them back into the soup base, adding back in the roasted bone marrow as well. He adds in more seasoning and flavors as the slow cooked beef is easily shredded and added back into the soup.
For vegetables and spices, he uses to round out and enhance the dish are; celery, onion, carrots, some cream, butter and eggs to give it added richness, garlic, ginger, scallions, some lemon and lime juice, olive oil was used in roasting off the veggies, oregano, tomato, basil, corn, beans, and both bell peppers and some spice peppers were used to sweeten and bring heat to the dish, some lemongrass and potatoes to help enhance the flavor and bulk out the soup-stew thing he was making.
Claude is making bread for the soup-stew and is in the process of kneading the dough. He's being careful because over kneading, it can happen with how strong Astartes can be Primaris Marines doubly so. Kerubiel is making a compound butter to go with the bread. Thressl is pretty excited because his first batch of homemade alcohol is ready to be drunk by others, and the flavor profile turned out great, and it would compliment the soup-stew that Jophiel is making.
"It's really nice of Nanael, Olly, and Cedric to have bought those pigs and a couple of large bovine to help us make a feast of food to thank our older brothers and cousins for all that they do to help us." Jophiel says as he sings a song under his breath.
Ramiel nods as he continues to help tend to the barbecue pit that was dug, with permission outside to smoke and cook a vast majority of the pigs and cow meat. He had come in briefly to grab something and spoke up, "It is wonderful that we are able to do something big to help show our appreciation. And it's in time for the festival of Sanguinala too.”
"Mhm!" Jophiel says with a grin, "I am curious to know what Nanael, Cedric, and Olly are cooking up together in the other kitchen, I say a bunch of sweet ingredients. I wonder if Cedric will make more jam? It is so good... and caused quite the stir.”
Some of the bones that Nanael gave him to cook with were oddly shaped. And Nanael had one of those Intense looks on his face. Jophiel wisely didn't ask any questions as he thanked Nanael for the ingredients to make the soup. Jophiel knows Nanael likes to go hunting with Cedric sometimes.
Once everything was ready they called in the rest of their fellow Primaris who aren't in the med bay to eat a bit of the food, including Nanael, Cedric, and Olly who brought out some excellent jam and sweets. Olly was experimenting with using ginger bug to make a slightly fermented and fizzy drink.
It's quite good in Jophiel's opinion. Once they finished their small celebratory feast together they packed up the food into various clam-shell food boxes to carry off and give to anyone who requested some of the delicious food. Jophiel has a couple of boxes of food for Khopesh and Lullaby and he calls out to the pair of them.
“Lullaby! Khopesh!” He says as the two of them turn to look at him as he gives them both a big smile that covers his teeth, “Happy Sanginala! I made extra food- it’s safe for baselines and Astartes to eat. If you want some.”
He peers down at both of them with cheerful mahogany eyes as he offers the food to both of them. Lullaby smiles back at him, “thank you for the food… What’s Sanguinala?”
Jophiel hands over the food to both of them and says, “Sanguinala is a celebration that Astartes celebrate- it’s a time to remember the fallen and cherish those who are still alive. A time for feasting and boasting of stories.”
He skips over the part about the grieving of the death of The Holy Primarch Sanguinius and the burning of the effigy of The Arch Traitor Horus. A deep spark of rage flickers and he closes his eyes and breathes out and opens them again as he focuses on Older brother-cousin Khopesh and Lullaby.
“Do you know where Karlsor is?” Jophiel asks, “I’ve got plenty of food to give out and I want to give some to him- to thank for his help in training Claude and helping out with stuff.”
“He’s at base.” Khopesh says.
“Thanks Khopesh!” Jophiel says with a cheerful grin as he heads out.
Later- once Lullaby and Khopesh are back in Lullaby’s home, Khopesh explains certain things to Lullaby- to warn them about certain… dubious parts of the food. Jophiel doesn’t know for certain that there are some Astarte’s in the food, but he suspects- due to how… certain bones are and how some of the meat looks. But Jophiel doesn’t say anything- after all, waste not, want not on such things. Also, he’d seen the healing injuries on Olly’s face and knows that something happened recently.
~~
"If you want to partake in Sanguinala food, there's a chance dead astarte bones are used in the soup base."
"Huh!?" Lullaby says incredulously her eyes going wide.
"It's a matter of culture for the Astarte making it. The idea of those that pass or who are lost can still go on to sustain the living. And with so many chapters involved I'm just saying there's a Chance of that being the case." Khopesh explains hurriedly. "If you do not wish to partake, I will consume it instead."
Lullaby bites their lip, looking down at the soup nervously. "So it...it's considered, honoring the dead right? Like...I'm eating this and...it's like, even though they're gone they'll still be a part of the life of the living?"
Khopesh nods, "Yes, and I can say that from experience..."
He licks his scarred lips nervously. "Many a Nightlord who fell was honored this way. Our fallen brothers sustained those like me. So we could go on fighting when supplies could not be replenished otherwise!"
Khopesh swears, reaching out to touch his mates face. Lullaby leans into his hand, and the next part he can say with full honesty. "Without them...I may never have met you. So I am even more grateful for them..."
"...Okay," They nod. "I'll...I'll eat a little and if it gets to be too much...I'll stop." They say.
"And I can finish whatever you do not. But if you are uncomfortable you don't need to-" Khopesh begins.
"But it's culture to you! And...as long as no one is being needlessly killed to fulfill that tradition, then I want to partake in your culture too." Lullaby assures him. "Besides...the idea of veneration for the lives taken to sustain ours is something I try to abide by when I consume other meats, so...I should be willing to do this too." They ladle some soup onto their spoon and pop it into their mouth cautiously.
"Well?" Khopesh leans in, curious. He was only slightly lying to Lullaby about all of this, cannibalism is a practice of both the Night Lords and The Blood Angels at times.
"It...just tastes like beef stew." Lullaby hums incredulously, and takes another bite. "I don't know what I expected."
Khopesh snorts. "What did you expect? You'd drop on all fours and become a slavering cannibal?"
"Hey if the Donner Party could go through having to eat dead people to survive And go on to keep living with a much more awful trauma, then I can honor a possibility passed Astarte by eating his boiled bone juice." Lullaby taps back, eating another spoonful. "Besides it might just be beef or...Pork in here so maybe there's nothing like that to worry about." They shrug.
Khopesh grins as he dips into his own bowl. Partially in relief but also...
Oh he feels a little bad but also so, so, So Excited. It's not like the wholesome warmth he feels with his mate. This is trembling and twisted and Wicked. He hasn't felt like this since his last execution! His Lullaby taking his culture in stride is one thing but beneath that is a dark Dark satisfaction.
The Bastard who had caused all of them such a headache, who made his sweet one Cry is now Feeding them. (Provided he's correct about Who's bones are in this soup and it's not that Jophiel just Happened to make some after the incident.)
Why settle for yanking out teeth when you can Remove an issue completely and turn those teeth and bones into a nourishing broth for others? Khopesh purrs as Lullaby eats, and wraps an arm around them as they eat the warm soup on the chilled day. They lean into his side.
"Waste not want not." They say as they finish then clasp their hands briefly. "To whatever or whoever went into this, Thank You."
Khopesh smiles, and does the same. "Indeed, Thank You."
~~
Jophiel heads to Rot Bone base and gives out food to any brave- or hungry enough Chaos Cousins to want such things. He makes sure to give food to Karlsor, Shattering, Ghosk- and some of the other cousins who have been rather helpful to them this year. He even gives some to that Slaaneshi asshole Zaarius.
He then heads out to where The Chaos Trio- where Batsy, Felix and Mic are, he still has… some… complicated feelings about the three of them. But he likes being able to fly and hang out with Batsy- the color of his armor, he knows gives Nanael… complicated feelings about, but … Chaos Sons of Sanguinius, while rare, happen.
“Happy Sanguinala Batsy, Mic, and Felix,” Jophiel calls out as the trio of Chaos Primaris Space Marines.
Batsy comes over first saying, “ooo! Food.”
Jophiel smiles and hands over the box of food to Batsy and nods towards his cousin. He turns to Felix who nods towards him and takes the box of food from Jophiel and says with a small smile, “Thank you cousin!”
Mic makes a grumpy face, but he grabs a box of food from Jophiel despite grumbling about the tradition. Jophiel happens to notice a few hours later that all three of the trio are eating the food that he and his fellow brother-cousins made which makes him happy.
Jophiel goes around handing out the food to everyone who asks for it and he heads to the medical bays at Stone Flame base- after checking in with Cedric and the Apothecaries on duty, he hands out the homemade food to those who are allowed such food items.
“I checked with the Apothecaries and they said you could eat this,” He goes over to Tercelle’s medical room and calls out, “Happy Sanguinala, Tercelle!”
Tercelle turns to look at him and tilts his head asking, “Sanguinala?”
Jophiel then remembers that Tercelle is from before the fall of the Lord Sanguinius as he somberly explains, “Lord… Lord Sangiuiniuis was murdered by the Arch Traitor Horus- during the Heresy… and… and Sanguinala is.. It’s a holiday that was made to honor his sacrifice… and the sacrifices of all those who have fallen defending the Imperium from Chaos. And to celebrate those who yet survive.”
Tercelle listens, nodding a little bit as he says, “A fitting holiday. I only saw him once but he was striking. Fangs pulled back as the blood of the battle soaked his armor and wings. Blocking strikes with his spear before the enemy could even start them.”
Jophiel’s eyes sparkle in awe and excitement as he hears Tercelle speaking of Lord Sanguinius. He loves hearing Tercelle’s stories about the battles he’s been in- especially about the times he’s fought with the Primarchs. Or had seen those Demi-god sons of the God Emperor fight.
Tercelle is not surprised that Lord Sanguinius fell during The Heresy it’s something that fills him with sorrow, but Sanguinius is not the first Lord Primarch he’s heard fallen to the blades of traitors, when he’s from is after the Death of Ferrus Manus at the hands of his traitor Primarch Fulgrim.
Jophiel knows that Claude is going to give more Food to Anrir and the rest of the Night Lord Claw who’s adopted him. He just managed to find Khopesh and Lullaby first to give them some well wishes and food. He’s headed to where older brother Asariel and older cousin Gerhardt are staying while they recover together.
“Happy Sanguinala Brother Asariel, Cousin Gerhardt,” Jophiel says, warning them of his presence, as he knows being around Psyker’s causes them stress. “I made a Gift of Food for both of you.”
Asariel turns to Jophiel and says, “Thank you, Jophiel.”
Jophiel beams at his understandably cautious older brother and hands a specifically made food gift to him. He’d tried his best to make the flavors of the food the Baal-ite version of Sanguinala food, but Ancient Terra didn’t quite have the same spices, but he’s hopeful that it’s close enough.
He hands over the gift of food to Gerhardt who seems a bit skeptical as in his experience, no one ever just gives him things. Not without a cost. Jophiel notices the slight suspicion that the Ultramarine gives the food to him and Jophiel explains, “Olly, me, and the others made way too much food for us to finish on our own- so we are gifting food to everyone as a Sanguinala present. I hope you enjoy the food.”
Jophiel is going to head to Chaplain Malachai and Brother? Cousin? Job’s farm, he makes sure that the cooler with their food gift is properly secured as he makes sure to send a message ahead of his arrival that he’s coming over. He looks around and grumbles at the Stupid Evil Goat that likes to try to eat his wings.
The large first born Lamenter Chaplain comes out and Jophiel grins as he says, “Happy Sanguinala Chaplain Malachai. I brought you and Honorable Older Brother Job The Gift of Food.”
“I insist that you stay for dinner, Jophiel.” Malachai says warmly as he gestures for the younger Son of Sanguinius to come into his home. “And happy Sanguinala.”
“Thank you older brother!” Jophiel chirps, “I’d be honored to stay and have dinner with you and Job.”
He nods towards Job who nods back. “Is there anything I can do to help?”
“I am making soup.” Job says, “Help with cutting the soup.”
Jophiel nods and helps Job make the soup and hums a little as he cuts and dices, slices and adds in the vegetables and meat as Job dictates him to wash his hands and the cutting board and utensils he used. The scraps that weren’t going to be put in the soup gets put into the scrap pile to turn into fertilizer.
Jophiel hands over the boxes of food that he and the other Primaris Marines made for Sanguinala Supper. Jophiel helps them set up their dinner- with the additions of the food that Jophiel brought that he and his brother-cousins made as well. He talks and listens to Malacahai and Job.
Malacahai hands him a notebook bound in embossed lambskin and a warm look in his eyes as he hands over the gift, “A gift for you, Young Jophiel.”
“Thank you for the gift Brother Chaplain,” Jophiel says with a bright happy grin as he gently takes the notebook and gently pets the soft lambskin cover and hugs it to his chest.
“You are welcome.” Malacahai says as he glances out the window. “It’s late. Why don’t you stay over?”
“Thank you,” Jophiel says as he sees how dark it’s gotten. He’d figured that he’d stay over with Brother Chaplain Malachai for a while and had planned accordingly with the food gifts he was handing out to others.
He rather suspects that Cedric is going to give food gifts to Arnault, Roland and their Bonded humans. Or Ramiel will, or one of the others who are Black Templar Primaris Marines who have met the two first born brothers.
