#oc: ephrael

[frost-fells-ramblings]

Sandcastle Masterclass

I had three papers due last week… need I say more? Nevertheless, here’s part two of my last post; I'm sorry it took so long to get here 😭.

Special congrats to Ephrael, you finally touched grass (unlike me)!

Previous --   Next

TW: Mentions of a previous death

BOLD = Gothic

BOLD ITALISCISED = Baalfloran

Summary: Ephrael finds his bonded at the park. She teaches him the art of building sandcastles.

•• ━━━━━ ••●•• ━━━━━ •••• ━━━━━ ••●•• ━━━━━ ••

Ephrael stifles a cough as he strolls through the park. The late spring breeze rustles the leaves of trees, shaking off the last petals of Terran spring. The sun's warm rays lift a light layer of humidity off of the grass, signaling summer’s inevitable approach. By all accounts, it is a beautiful day. He casts his gaze lazily around, passively observing everyone who’s out and about today. Ephrael nods to a few marines that he recognizes and dodges the occasional dog or child that runs across his path. The longer he wanders, the more he feels himself relax; even with the itching pain in his chest. 

“Ephail!”

His ears prick up at the sound of Jade’s voice, his body whipping around immediately as his hearts swell with hope that his bonded may be with her once again. Ephrael comes around to see Jade running hand-in-hand with Kaia towards him, waving as enthusiastically as she can the whole way. His soul frantically tears at his mind and hearts in a disorienting frenzy, begging with him to fix his fraying bond; but despite his inner turmoil, he manages to hold himself steady. 

Both girls stop just short of him with big smiles, panting heavily from their short sprint. Ephrael drops down to one knee, greeting them with a small smile, “Hello again, little ones. Are you out here having fun again?”

Kaia nods enthusiastically, and Jade echoes chatters alongside her, “We’re building sandcastles!”

“Oh? Now that does sound like a good time.”

Kaia fiddles with her shirt slightly, then gives him a hopeful, doe-eyed look, “Do you want to come see them?”

Ephrael feels his hearts seize at her adorable expression, and a small smile creeps onto his face, “I would love to.”

As he stands to follow them, he locks eyes with a woman sprinting to meet them. He clocks the similarities between her and Jade almost immediately, from the similar facial structure down to her braided, dirty blonde hair. She comes to a halt in front of them, huffing air as she gives the trio an exasperated sweep of her gaze, “I am so sorry if they’re disturbing you, sir. They’ve been excited about Astartes all week, but I didn’t expect them to go running up to one so suddenly.”

“Momma! This is Ephail,” Jade exclaims, bouncing up and down as she points up at him.

“Ephrael,” he gently corrects, disguising it as an introduction to Jade’s mother with a slight bow of his head.

“Ephrael?” Jade’s mother stares at him bewildered for a second, then lets out a laugh. “You’re ‘Ephail’? I thought the girls had just been exaggerating about some random dad they met!” She holds out a hand to him, “I’m Mable; Jade’s mother.”

He gingerly takes her hand and gives it a small shake, “It is nice to meet you.”

“Can we show you our sandcastles now?” Jade tugs on his hand insistently.

“Oh,” Mable shakes her head, “Let’s not take up his time, sweetheart. I’m sure he’s busy.”

“It is alright,” Ephrael quickly interjects, “I have already agreed to. I came out here to take a break from my work, so they are not interrupting me in any way.”

“Yay!” Jade throws her arms up in triumph and charges back to the sandbox. He feels a gentle tug on his fingers, and glances down to see Kaia smiling up at him. She starts tugging him along with a giggle, leaving Mable to trail behind them.

The girls happily make their way back to the sandbox with Ephrael in tow, each taking a seat on the sand within. Jade pats a spot in between them, “You can sit here!”

“I am a bit too big to sit there,” he shakes his head, “but I can sit just outside of the box.”

Ephrael takes his place between them on the outskirts of the sandbox, watching intently as they show him their creations. He couldn’t exactly call them sandcastles, more like mounds of sand by the way they have collapsed coming out of their molds. Small twigs and leaves are dotted throughout the misshapen structures, marking flags at the tips of “towers”.

Eventually, he interrupts the girl’s showcase, “Have you tried getting the sand wet? It will make the sand stick together, and your castles might come out of the molds better.”

Jade and Kaia share a look for a moment, before the former jumps from her seat with a spray of sand, “I'll fill the bucket!”

As Jade scurries off to the water fountain with the pail, Kaia tugs once again on Ephrael, “Do you want to make a sand castle too?”

He hums, thinking for a moment. If Raphine happened to see this, he and Sevram would coo at him incessantly for weeks. “I think I will simply watch.”

“Oh…” Kaia looks down and away with a frown.

Ephrael feels his hearts recoil at her reaction as sudden guilt burns through him, welding him in place. Relentless scouts be damned, he would not be a source of sadness or disappointment for his bonded. “I… said no because I do not know how to build a sandcastle, I have never made one before… Would you like to show me how so I can make one on my own next time?” This was not entirely a lie, though that was mostly because the deserts of Baal weren't exactly sandcastle making friendly.

Whatever the case, Kaia perks up immediately at his offer. She smiles wide at him, “ I can show you how!”

With the most energy he's seen from the girl yet, she begins intricately detailing the two steps it takes to make a sand castle. Apparently, there are rules to this process, molds to pick, and most importantly, “pretty” decorations to place on top. Far more than just, “put sand in a mold, then take it out.”

Kaia has him hold his molds as she fills them with sand and water, then helps choose where to place them. Before he can unmold them, however, she stops him. Handing him a small shovel, she says, “You have to tap the tops; for good luck!”

“Good luck?” Ephrael quirks his brow at her.

“Good luck that they’ll come out right,” she smiles.

Ephrael takes the comically small plastic shovel with his gauntleted hand, and gives one of the molds a light tap. Kaia protests once again, “No, you have to tap them more.”

Her small hands take his, not even big enough to wrap around two of his fingers, and starts guiding him through tapping each mold. He suddenly becomes aware of Mable snickering close by, catching her recording the whole exchange. Hopefully, that doesn't make it onto the internet. The base cannot know.

The three of them finish their castles, followed by much celebration from the girls. The construction of the castle could make an Imperial Fist proud, and their subsequent destruction by the hands of their tiny makers could bring a seasoned Iron Warrior Siegemaster to tears.

“Jade, Kaia, would you two like some snacks? I have them ready for you,” Mable says as she points back to the bench. Both girls immediately halt their celebrations, trotting happily over to the prepared juice boxes and oranges laid out for them.

Ephrael instinctually moves to follow them, but Mable motions for him to stop, “Ephrael, can I ask you something important really quick?”

He nods at her, bidding her to continue. “I was just wondering,” she looks back at the girls, “Kaia and Jade… You’ve been quite kind to them from what they’ve already told me; even going so far as letting them pull you away to play today. And Kaia, I haven't seen her smile the way she has today, or the way she did when she told me about you last week, in almost a year. I apologize if this is rude to ask at the moment, but is she your bonded?”

He eyes her cautiously for a moment, caught off guard by the mix of emotions behind her eyes and inquiry, but eventually nods in response. “I am Kaia’s bonded. I found out last week while I was helping her.”

Mable nods slowly, then goes over to the bench to retrieve a pen and paper from her purse. She quickly begins to scribble down notes. “These are the days the girls come to the park. Either my husband, Kaia’s mother, or I will be with them; so you won't have to worry about constantly reintroducing yourself to babysitters-”

“Wait.”

Mable stops and looks up at him expectantly. He continues, “Why? I would not be surprised if you were Kaia’s mother; but you are her friend’s mother. Why are you so invested in this?”

She glances back at the girls, checking to be sure they’re not close enough to hear her, “I have been friends with Malia, her mother, for a long time. She lost her husband, Kaia's father, last year. His death has devastated both of them, and unfortunately, it has made Kaia extremely withdrawn. My family and I have been doing our best to be there for them, but you have made more progress with Kaia in a week than we have in months.”

Mable’s brow knits with determination and absolute certainty, “I would do anything for that girl, as I'm sure you would. So, if you lift her spirits just by being around, I will make it as easy as possible for you to find one another.”

Ephrael nods slowly, “I understand.”

“I can even tell her mom for you, if you'd like. She'll probably want to make a proper introduction.”

“I appreciate it, but there is no need for you to do that for me.”

“It's okay, it's really no trouble at all,” Mable smiles at him, handing him the slip of paper with dates.

Ephrael stares down at the paper for a moment, conflict once again bubbling up inside him. Incaro’s words sit at the back of his mind as he memorizes the schedule. “Let her know I will be here again when it is her turn to bring the girls to the park.”

“Will do!”

Ephrael shifts his gaze from Mable to the girls. Maybe his brother is right; maybe he can allow himself this one happiness.

[violet-dragongirl]

Yep This is Ephrael Stern In A Fucking Parodied Nutshell:

Eldar

I demand your attention.

I am weapon of

Shredded Destruction

I require sustenance befitting of a

TRUE WARRIOR of the Emperor.

Your meagre xenos food you presented me with

could not sate starvation in a rodent

no less a human at

PEAK PERFORMANCE!!!!

You Two clearly tread the Paths of the Swole

A rare divergence amongst your kind.

Where are you hiding the protein?

.

.

.

.

CEASE YOUR SILENCE, XENOS

I. Am.

Ephreael Stern

Your kind wanted me here,

and I demand proper nourishment

or I will punch something

REALLY hard in the

FACE

Most likely that

humongous mime-creature

It's Face makes me Angry.

Are you worshippers of it?

You Harlequins have poor taste in jokes.

Directing your faith towards a

lanky grot in a bag.

I am leaving now

I expect food to be ready before

my next fit of hunger cramps

OR I WILL START A BOOK BURNING

[nerdgamery]

OC-Tober 16 of 31 [-OC-tober stands for "Own/Original Character October" and is one of the many art challenges out there for the month of October. -]

Ephrael – She is a demon-hunter.  Raised by an order of paladins that rescued her from a dark ritual.  Ephrael was not born a tiefling.  She was to be sacrificed, to become a vessel for an archdaemon.  This ritual was interrupted, but not before irrevocably changing her.                  She was trained by this order of paladins, but as she grew older, she began to wonder if she was merely being turned into an expendable weapon against the forces of evil.  This feeling only increased after her adoptive father passed away, causing her to leave the order to find her own path.

Art (c) Bespoke Character Creations -- https://www.facebook.com/hitokirichibi

& Sirophanie -- https://www.facebook.com/Sirophanie

[shimmer-like-agirl]

I should be writing, but I’m dollmaking instead.

[ask-ephraelrhiannon]

one of these days i will 1. develop a consistent art style and 2. draw runa not crying

anyway: diversity win! these female characters are all deranged in specific and different ways!

[ask-rune-priest-ulfric]

Drawing of Ulfric Seiðrfang that my gf (@ask-ephraelrhiannon ) drew a few months ago. I love it so much. It's nice to have a good visual of the boi.

[psycherprince]

Ephrael Playlist

ephrael beta edition has been phased out, and ephrael official needs a new playlist. note that song order is 1. important and 2. tells a very deliberate story  that i spent hours on

listen here

songs w/ important lines under the cut

Intro: Tuning In//Bastille: Icarus is flying too close to the sun, Icarus’s life has only just begun

Vox Populi//Thirty Seconds to Mars: Do you want to surrender? Or fight for victory? Here we are at the start

She’s My Winona//Fall Out Boy: Hell or glory, I don’t want anything in between

Hang ‘Em High//My Chemical Romance: Would I die for you? Well, here’s your answer in spades. Shotgun sinners, wild-eyed jokers, got you in my sights

Savages//MARINA: I’m not the only one who finds it hard to understand, I’m not afraid of god, I am afraid of man

Say Amen (Saturday Night)//Panic! at the Disco: I gave everything that I had to give, and it’s all I ever asked for, I’ve been standing up beside everything I’ve ever said 

Uptight//Imagine Dragons: Why don’t you see what they’re saying, it’s crazy, I’ve seen it, those things they believe in, they get hazy, I think I mean it

Fame < Infamy//Fall Out Boy: The kid was alright but it went to his head, I am god’s gift, but why would he bless me with such wit, without a conscience equipped?

Flesh and Bone//The Killers: What are you afraid of? And what are you made of? 

Timshel//Mumford & Sons: Death is at your doorstep, and it will steal your innocence, but it will not steal your substance

Nightshade//The Lumineers: A distant army was marching through the night and the day, I swore an oath, with my life I would pay

State of Shock//Green Day: We want to go to heaven, but no one wants to die, defy your judgment and your demons, and save your last goodbye

When I Was Older//Billie Eilish: Heavy rain turns any funeral pyre to mud, in the flood... When I was older, I was a sailor on an open sea

Your Bones//Of Monsters and Men: Million stars up in the sky formed a tiger’s eye, that looked down on my face, out of time and out of place, but hold on, hold on to what we are, hold on to your heart 

Latin Simone (Que Pasa Contigo?) (English)//Gorillaz: Get up, if you wanna survive, pick the sun back up

Jumping the Shark//Fun.: Why’s the power off, and I’m fucked up, and... I know I made dad proud, but never say your son’s a preacher when the boy can’t fill his sleep 

Ilomilo//Billie Eilish: The friends I’ve had to bury, they keep me up at night- I couldn’t love someone, cause I might break

The River//Imagine Dragons: When the doubts begin to rise, and the world is at your feet, you gotta get up

Forget//MARINA: Sometimes I think I’m not that strong, but there’s a force that carries me on, sick of my small heart made of steel, sick of wounds that never heal

After the Storm//Mumford & Sons: Now I cling to what I knew, I saw exactly what was true, but no more, that’s why I hold with all I have

Those Nights//Bastille: Aren’t we all just looking for a little bit of hope these days? 

Be//Hozier: Be there and just as you stand, be like the rose that you hold in your hand, that will grow bold in a barren and desolate land

Thief//Imagine Dragons: So take me back when I believed, back when I was unafraid just like a thief, all the heights that I could reach

It’s Hard to Say “I Do” When I Don’t//Fall Out Boy: You’re appealing to emotions that I simply do not have

Natural//Imagine Dragons: Rather be the hunter than the prey, and you’re standing on the edge face-up, cause you’re a natural

House of Wolves (Version 2)//My Chemical Romance: All the angels gather round you, and I brought this up to say, I wanna see you burn in hell

Mercenary//Panic! at the Disco: Then how do you manage, I dodge the blast and apologize for collateral damage

See the Light//Green Day: Well, I crossed the desert, reaching higher ground, then I pound the pavement to take the liars down

Battle Born//The Killers: Come on, show your faith, come on, give us one more spark, sing a song of fire, lest we fall into the dark

Outro: Tuning Out//Bastille: Fall on your knees, oh, hear the angel voices, o night divine, o night that leads to morn... and I’ll hold in these hands all that remains

Ceridwen vs Ephrael: Axe to Grind//Bastille: So many stifled thoughts and long forgotten dreams, scream hallelujah, I can almost taste reprieve

Ulfric/Ephrael: Ocean Eyes//Billie Eilish: Burning cities and napalm skies, fifteen flares inside those ocean eyes

Diomedes & Ephrael: SCARECROW//My Chemical Romance: Leave a dream where the fallout lies, watch it grow as the tear-stain dries, to keep you safe tonight

Ishabella & Ephrael: Party at the End of the World//My Chemical Romance: The back of your collision, your heart, set free, but I’m not backing your decision

Cassandra/Ephrael: Whispers in the Dark//Mumford & Sons: Fingers tap into what you were once, and I’m worried that I blew my only chance, but my heart was colder when you’d gone

Julianus & Ephrael: We Sink//Of Monsters and Men: Color in my sheltered mind, fill the gap between you and I, we are the sleepers, we bite our tongue, we set the fire and we let it burn

[outfit-pack]

Requested by anon !

Outfit Pack for their Warhammer OC, Ephrael in a modern sitting.

For this one, I went into a more casual look while respecting your original character's color scheme ! The stockings aren't obligatory, that depends, some people thinks it's too much and some will say it's cute or charming.

Hope this is to your taste !

Feel free to request an outfit pack !

[crepusculesque]

Mirabelle or Rosalind! :)

Full Name: Rosalind Cayne

Gender and Sexuality: Trans woman, Bisexual

Pronouns: She/her/hers

Ethnicity/Species: Human, white

Birthplace and Birthdate: New York City babyyy! October 22, 2028.

Guilty Pleasures: Changing her hair color every other week, spending way too much on nice alcohol

Phobias: Large birds. Anything bigger than a pigeon is too much. Geese are practically the devil.

What They Would Be Famous For: Absolutely ruining a high society party through strategic use of blasting hyperpop

What They Would Get Arrested For: Industrial sabotage, vandalism, and/or the above incident

OC You Ship Them With: Cien! If they ever met they'd make the best goth-punk hacker duo :)

OC Most Likely To Murder Them: Ephrael, but it wouldn't be personal. Just business.

Favorite Movie/Book Genre: Old sci-fi and monster movies, like 70s and before

Least Favorite Movie/Book Cliche: Technobabble. She's the type who'll read an engineering manual front to back and love it

Talents and/or Powers: Hacking, computer engineering, photography, shotgun surgery

Why Someone Might Love Them: Clever, devoted when it counts, and passionate about her interests and loved ones.

Why Someone Might Hate Them: She's flighty, often greedy, and sometimes overly cutesy but in a focused, vindictive way. Was rude to a retail worker on purpose once

How They Change: Finds something to fight for and believe in aside from general mayhem/anti-establishment sentiment

Why You Love Them: She was one of my first forays into my own gender expression, so she holds a place in my heart there!

[fuukonomiko]

Do you have a 40k oc list for someone a little out of the loop? 😊

Hello anon! Well I have some of them but I don’t have all. Some folks also have multiple muses. I’m going to put the ones on here who I know and who were in my RP tag list. Please feel free to add, folks! Also please free to correct Fuuko-mun too! (This took me forever, sorry about that)

@aeonsancient (multiple OCs, Amenhotekh is main)

@aforgottenraven (Khakir, Raven Guard OC)

@an-imperial-dog (Lore’Lei)

@anotherbotchedjump (Sgt. Evan and his crew)

@arch-magister-khnemu (TS Khnemu)

@archon-khromys (Canon, actually)

@ask-archon-skourna (Archon OC)

@ask-astorath (canon)

@ask-40k-morathi (Drukhari)

@askakhenatenimhotep (Akhen, TS OC)

@ask-artemis-prima (Primarch OC)

@ask-a-tempestus-scion (Tempestor Prime Sharaf and Co)

@askbranwen (Shadow Captain Branwen of the Raven Guard)

@ask-cannoness-gwyne  (Cannoness Gwyne of the Order of the Bloody Rose)

@ask-colonel-straken (Canon)

@ask-commandar-farsight (Canon)

@ask-ephraelrhiannon (Psyker and Inquisitor Ephrael Rhiannon)

@ask-jack-hammer (Jack Hammer, he’s anabhuman)

@askjenetiakrole  (Canon)

@asklordcaptaincastronova (Rogue Trader Castranova)

@ask-lord-commander-dante  (Canon)

@askmalal  (Canon)

@askmalcador  (Canon)

@ask-night-haunter  (Canon)

@ask-rune-priest-ulfric (Space Wolf and Rune Priest Ulfric)

@ask-the-crimson-king  (Canon)

@askthepurgedprimarch (OC Primarch Ahaseurus )

@ask-the-sensual-primarch  (Canon)

@ask-trajann-valoris  (Canon)

@ask-tribune-ra  (Canon)

@askvicothefallenbloodangel (Chaos Blood Angel and Fuuko’s champion, Vico di Viari) 

@ask-vox-hailer-boy (Boy from TTS)

@betteroffdred

@bloodiedtanithghost (Keelan MkByrne, A Tanith Ghost)

@bouddicathesavage (Primarch OC Bouddica)

@brother-captain-aodhan (OC Captain Aodhan)

@cadian-remnant (OC Sgt. Veronika Reeve)

@calibansfallenangels  (Canon) and OC Sivier

@catachan-jungle-fighter (John Geist and the Mad Wolves of Catachan)

@commorritestreettrash (Drukhari OC Taphamela)

@corsair-princess-nenime (Aeldari OC Nenime)

@empress-of-xerxes (Seras Kyne OC)

@exhausted-drone

@fandomlessmultimuse (Sombra et al)

@feraseos (Drukhari Wych Feraseos)

@ii-and-the-sun (Primarch Gavmieltus Gariq)

@inquisitortyrosaldwin (Inquisitor Tyros Aldwin OC)

@just-another-guardsman (OC Guardsman Tobias Lorik and company)

@kainzalin

@kalle-and-lita (NL Kalle and Lita of Nostramo)

@lord-kallig (Kallig and his merry crew of heretics)

@lost-little-lamb (Egun Ko the astropath and crew)

@magsnagadaunkyllyble (Magsnaga the gentleman ork)

@marcusmettalus (multiple muses)

@mortars-and-martyrs (aka Mun with a million OC, LOL)

@navigator-bethany (Astropath Bethany)

@ophidian-mystic

@overlord-velathain (Necron Overlord Velathain OC)

@particularcustodian (Arden, Custodian OC)

@primarch-legio-xi (Asomodus the Stag Lord, Primarch OC)

@primaris-angel (Bellophoron of the Dark Angels OC)

@primaris-templar (Gareth Arden OC)

@psykerscum (Scum aka Quincy OC)

@rains-of-hell (many OCs)

@randomnightlord (Claw Commander Absinthe OC)

@raptor-prince-zydan (NL Zydan, Prince of Raptors OC)

@second-company-captain-therak (Captain Therak, OC)

@sightless-steersman (Astropath Draco, formerly of the Night Lords)

@slaanesh-is-my-boy

@smolcatachan (Vin Stav, Catachan OC)

@space-meow-wolf (Space Wolf Lee OC)

@stresseddemon

@tavernofthescattered (Kana Morta, Necromunda OC)

@the-commissar-and-the-beast (Commissar Novikov OC)

@the-jay-of-paradise (Jackie, abhuman)

@thelostflyboy (Imperial Guard OC)

@the-obsidian-mystic (Suleiman, TS OC)

@the-officers-club (Aaron Carter of the Imperial Guard, OC)

@the-ossium-court (multiiple OCs)

@thesilentinquisitor (Inquisitor Evren and co)

@the-wandering-lady (Psyker Anastasia M’rez OC)

@those–of–the–unlight–of–the–unlight (multiple OCs)

@tired-space-politician  (Canon)

@traveling-freebootah (Ork Captain Zagbad)

@tzeentchs-secretary (Secretary of Tzeentch, Kyete)

@valossian-sythrac  (Canon)

@warpfire-art

@warp-fuckery-trio (multiple OCs)

@waywardinquisition (Inquistor Eirasa OC)

@wearetheblacklegion (Icarus and Drogon of Fuuko’s legion of Eternal Keepers, former Blood Raven and Black Dragon)

@your-commissar (Commissar Atticus OC)

@zakthefiend (multiple muses including a TS Josirus, aeldari farseer Ysedra, SoB Teresa, Canonness Elizabeth)

[ask-the-ursa-mother]

OC fact swap! Ephrael fact: managed to defend herself (briefly) from an attacking daemon as a child, leading to her adoption by a lord inquisitor who witnessed it (ask-ephraelrhiannon)

Selora has a history of working (briefly) with Inquisitors 

More then one bloodthirster has had its face punched in

[frost-fells-ramblings]

Little One

I’ve been writing another Warhammer fic separate to this for a while now, but that one is much longer, and I often find myself hit with writer’s block when I work on it. I figured switching to Husbandry whenever that happened could help me, and unsurprisingly, I finished this fic before my other one. XD

Anyways, I’ve been cooking up these characters for a while now, so please enjoy my bundles of joy and their emotionally conflicted guard dad.

Next

TW: Just an itsy bitsy bit of blood and parental inattentiveness

BOLD = Gothic

BOLD ITALISCISED = Baalfloran

Summary: After spending nearly 50 years on Ancient Terra, Ephrael finally meets his bonded.

•• ━━━━━ ••●•• ━━━━━ •••• ━━━━━ ••●•• ━━━━━ ••

“Is something wrong, captain?”

The sweet smell of iron drifts along with the breeze, a scent which Ephrael is intimately familiar with. It’s a small amount, almost unnoticeable; even to him. Still, it immediately makes him scan the park he is currently standing in with his brothers. The rest of his small band of Blood Angels stare at him with slight concern; their captain isn’t normally so unresponsive.

“Ephrael?”

Temporarily snapped out of his trance, Captain Ephrael turns back to his battle-brother. Raphine’s head is tilted curiously at him at first, but then the wind shifts ever so slightly, and his eyes suddenly fill with understanding, “Oh. Trouble?”

“No,” Ephrael grunts, staring across the open green of the park. His eyes catch a small figure holding their knee close on the playground structure ahead; right where the iron scent is coming from. Children bump and scrape themselves at this park all the time, and normally it is no cause for concern. Yet, part of him feels compelled to check on the little girl in the distance; even as her friend jumps down from the structure to check on her. He catches the faintest sound of a small sniffle coming from the hurt one, and his hearts suddenly leap with worry.

“I’ll be right back.”

He barely registers Raphine’s confused sound of confirmation as his feet swiftly carry him across the lawn, led on by a tugging force in his chest. The sensation quickly blooms into a gnawing anxiety; a need to see the small, fragile being in front of him soothed. Within moments, he goes from crossing grass, to woodchips, to looming over the two small girls before him. The pair stare up at him wide-eyed, unsure of the strange Astartes who has approached them.

His body continues to compel him, his hearts and mind scream to sooth and mend the one hugging her leg. Ephrael drops down onto one knee, his face tightly knit with concern as he stares at the wound marring her deep-tanned skin.

“Are you alright, little one?”

The hurt one stares at him and shrinks into herself slightly, hiding within her long black locks. Instead, her friend answers him, pointing at the playground structure, “She slipped and fell off the stairs!”

Ephrael regards her passingly, but can tell she is as equally as worried for her friend as he is. He nods at her, “What are your names?”

“My name is Jade,” the friend answers quickly, “and she’s Kaia.”

He hums in acknowledgement, then looks back to Kaia, “Where are your parents, Kaia?”

Kaia’s dark brown eyes slowly shift across the playground to a bench at its edge. Sitting there, Ephrael sees an older woman with a laptop on her lap. She’s quickly typing away while she squishes a phone up to her ear with her shoulder, chattering intently with someone on the other end. His eyes narrow disapprovingly, annoyance bubbling up within him.

“What about you parents, Jade?”

Jade is between rocking back and forth on her heels, and nervously pulling at the ends on her dirty blonde hair. “My parents aren’t here. They’re at home.” She leans down and starts rubbing Kaia’s back, whispering to her words of comfort.

Above them, Ephrael fights the fierce scowl threatening to settle on his face. Part of him contemplates marching over to the mother on the bench, and gently imploring her to pay attention to the children she should be watching; but his other half is still gripped by an intense concern for Kaia.

“Jade.”

Jade’s green eyes snap up to his blue ones, “Yes?”

He points to the water fountain nearby, spying a dog bowl faucet on its lower half. “Take Kaia to the water fountain and help her wash off her knee. I will go get her a band aid.”

“Okay!” Jade helps Kaia up and leads her to the fountain, while Ephrael makes his way back to his brothers.

“Welcome back, captain.” Raphine smiles at him, “What was that about?”

Ephrael glances at the scout for a moment, but his gaze quickly shifts to the apothecary next to him, “Incaro, I know you keep band aids in your pack for baselines. May I have one?”

While Incaro digs away at the pouch on his side, the fourth member of his little band, Sevram, perks up at his question, “Who’s it for?”

“A little girl fell and scraped her knee,” Ephrael grunts in reply, taking the band aid from Incaro.

As Incaro hands it off, he smiles slightly at him, “I’ve never seen you so eager to help a baseline before, captain.”

Ephrael squints at him as he turns away, letting out a deep grumble of warning at all of them. He quickly makes his way back over to the girls, finding Jade drying Kaia’s knee off with her shirt. He notes, with a grimace, that he’ll have to teach them how to properly treat their wounds when if he sees them again.

“Kaia, I have a band aid for you.” The girls look up at him, spying the band aid held between his fingers. Ephrael attempts to unwrap the paper wrapper, but the ceramite gauntlets of his armor makes the task difficult. He can’t separate the peel folds at all, with either end flicking back into place before he can grab hold of it. As a he fumbles and struggles with the wrapper, he can hear the girl’s growing amusement at his continuous failures. He scowls at the offending paper, the girl’s giggles being the only thing cutting through his annoyance. Glancing down at Kaia, his hearts calm at the sight of her fear and pain melting away with each laugh.

Kaia’s hands meekly reach up to him, “I can open it. Mama showed me how.”

He gingerly hands it off to her. What catches him by surprise is the way she holds it up to show him as she explains, “This is how you open it.” Kaia peels back the paper with ease, revealing the band aid inside.

Ephrael chuckles slightly, “Is that so? Thank you for showing me.”

“Kaia’s very smart,” Jade says with a smile. “She can count to fifty!”

“Oh really?” He nods along, “That is very smart.”

Kaia places the band aid across her knee, and now that her wound is treated and her tears have disappeared, it feels like his hearts can finally be at peace. “We should tell your mother what happened.”

She nods in response, and the three of them make their way over to the bench. Ephrael is almost certain that Kaia’s mother wouldn’t have looked up if not for his shadow, as she doesn’t even seem to take note of the clank of his ceramite boots against the concrete path.

She glances up at him, then notices the girls corralled below. Before she can speak, Ephrael addresses her, “Your daughter fell off the playground. I made sure she is okay and treated her scrape.”

“Kaia!” The woman looks at her daughter with concern, “How did you manage to do that? You should be more careful when climbing that thing.”

“Sorry mama.”

Ephrael frowns at her apology. Kaia doesn’t need to apologize; she was just playing like all children her age do.

“Thank you, sir,” the mother says, grabbing his attention. “I will take it from here.”

“Of course,” he grunts. Reluctantly, he makes his way back over to his brothers. Their idle chatter dies down as he approaches, each of their faces forming into either a knowing look or amused smiles.

“So…” Raphine begins.

“Raphine. Do not,” Ephrael finishes.

“Do you think one of them is…?” Sevram raises his brow slightly, watching his captain’s face closely.

Raphine’s grin grows wide and toothy, “Oh, come on brothers; it’s so obvious! I’ve never seen him interact more with a baseline in the past ten years I’ve been here.”

“He may have even, dare I say, smiled,” Sevram nods along in agreement.

Ephrael rolls his eyes and looks to Incaro expectantly, “Well? Will you be joining them in this, brother?”

Incaro stares neutrally at him for a moment, then a small smile begins to creep onto his face, “Congratulations, old friend.”

Ephrael shakes his head, “You are all blowing this out of proportion. She was young and hurt. I helped. That is all.”

As he says this, the sound of two pairs of feet pattering across the grass catches all of their attentions. Jade leads the charge across the lawn, with Kaia trailing hesitantly behind her. Raphine’s face lights up at the sight, while Sevram’s hands come up to fold in front of his mouth in order to hide his amusement; all the while, Incaro watches his friend closely as the girls approach. Ephrael had to give Jade some credit; for someone so young to readily approach four space marines with no fear in her eyes was an impressive feat. Even little Kaia, who’s once again sunken into herself at the sight of the new strangers, is brave for doing so he notes with a strange sense of pride.

Jade looks to Kaia expectantly as she approaches, who in turn looks up at him and says softly, “Thank you.”

“Of course, little one. Please be careful next time you decide to go climbing the playground.”

“I will,” she shifts nervously in place.

“What’s your name?” Jade asks with a curious smile.

“Ephrael.”

Both girls share a contemplative look for a moment, before Jade speaks again, “Eprail?”

“Ephrael,” he corrects.

“Ephe-el?”

“Ephrael.”

“Epile?”

“Ephrael.”

“Efff…”

Ephrael sighs, “Repeat after me. Ef.”

Jade nods excitedly, “Ef.”

“Rye.”

“Rye.”

“El.”

“El.”

“Ephrael,” he concludes.

“Ephail!” she exclaims. Raphine lets out a long snort, and Ephrael can see how Sevram’s shoulders tremble with barely contained laughter out of the corner of his eye.

“Close enough,” he concedes with another sigh.

Jade giggles and waves at him as she begins to charge back to Kaia’s mother, “Bye Ephail!”

Ephrael shakes his head, then looks back down to Kaia. She is in the middle of fiddling with her fingers nervously. “Thank you for the band aid, Eph… um… Ef-rye-el.”

“You are very welcome, Kaia,” he says to her, his lips turning up into the slightest smile.

She smiles back up at him, before waving and scurrying away, back towards her friend and her mother. As soon as she leaves, a voice within him urges him to follow; a budding bond yearning to take root and grow. Maybe he’ll let it, if fate sees fit to reunite them.

Raphine’s wild giggles break him from his thoughts once again. “Contain yourself, scout,” Ephrael grumbles.

“I’m sorry but, by the Emperor, you smiled! You’re actually capable of smiling!”

Ephrael lets out a growl of annoyance at the younger marine, an act that only serves to egg him on. Incaro plants a heavy hand on Raphine’s shoulder, “Alright, alright, that’s enough. Let the captain enjoy his new bond without your youthful enthusiasm.”

“What now, Ephrael?” Sevram asks him.

“Nothing,” he rumbles in response. “If it is meant to be, I will see her again.” His hearts seize at his own statement, chastising such a detached response. Of course it is meant to be! Such a gift is not given so lightly. He shifts uncomfortably in his armor, resisting the urge to palm at his chest.

[psycherprince]

This is the cutest shit I've ever seen ♡♡

👑 - what’s the possession they brag about the most?

👑-apologies in advance im new to this. Ulfric seiðrfang is my Rune Priest OC. The possesion that he brags the most about when it comes to objects would be his runic poweraxe that he worked to forge with close friend: The Iron Priest Fafnir. But the most meaningful possesion he brags about is his blooming romance with Lady Inquisitor Ephrsel Rihannon (oc of @psycherprince ) who he cares deeply for and loves telling his fellow battlebrothers about at every opportunity.

[frost-fells-ramblings]

No Good Done by Hesitation

The infernal quarter system of my college is currently kicking my dog and stealing my lunch money. Thankfully, I have my troublesome trio to keep my sanity in line. I decided to split this in two because it is so long (and there’s a place where I can give it a clean break). Expect part two soon.

Anyways, here’s Wonderwall:

Previous --   Next

TW: Illness, itsy bitsy bit o’ blood

BOLD = Gothic

BOLD ITALISCISED = Baalfloran

Summary: Ephrael’s reluctance to interact with his new bond is having unintended consequences. Incaro sees to it that he minds his health.

•• ━━━━━ ••●•• ━━━━━ •••• ━━━━━ ••●•• ━━━━━ ••

Deep, bellowing coughs echo through the halls of the base, wet and phlegmy; leaving their plagued owner gasping for breath as soon as they finish racking through his body. To any normal human, coughs like this could signify a number of things: like a nasty case of the flu, or worse, pneumonia. To Astartes, however, such an affliction was almost as alien to them as any xenos would be; and on ancient Terra, it could entail a far more foreboding illness.

Ephrael wipes spittle and blood from his lips; the latter of which is the newest addition to his current condition. His chest feels heavy and compacted, like the black carapace beneath his skin is bruised and broken. His lungs wheeze, his hearts heave, and the ever looming, ominous presence of guilt lays heavily upon him. That last symptom had been with him since he left the park that day. It is because of this little fact that he knows that this is no Nurgle-born malady, or some strange new Astartes centric disease that has stricken him.

It isn’t that he doesn’t want his bond; he just isn’t actively chasing or nurturing it. However, such a thought process was lost on the powers that be. It feels as though his very being is chastising and screaming at him, begging and pleading to seek out his bonded. Another wave of coughs bubbles up in his chest, and he leans back from the report he is working on to let them loose. The door to Ephrael’s office slides open just as he finishes his fit. Incaro leans against its frame, arms crossed, dark brown eyes staring down at his friend in disapproval. Ephrael spares him a short glance, then returns to his work.

“It’s getting worse,” Incaro says, staring him down from his place at the doorway.

“It sounds worse than it is,” Ephrael rasps in return.

Incaro pushes off the doorway, quietly observing his captain. Ephrael attempts to ignore him and return to his work, hunching back over his papers; yet the feeling of his brother’s gaze scrutinizingly raking over him makes his skin crawl. Incaro circles him and his office several times before speaking again, “Wet cough, clammy skin. You’ve been palming at your chest frequently, so I’ll assume that it’s sore or that your hearts hurt.” He frowns as he lists out all of Ephrael’s symptoms, coming to a stop at the trash can by his desk and nudging it with his foot, “And now there’s this; blood in your mucus.”

The captain sits up in his seat with a scowl, running his hands down his face with a sigh, “Incaro. I am fine.”

“Apothecary Incaro. Your apothecary, brother,” he hisses in frustration, then backs off with a sigh. “I have let this issue go on for far too long. I should have been firm with you that day, captain, for the sake of your own health. Go seek out your bonded.”

“As I had said before; if it is meant to be, it will happen.”

Incaro shakes his head, “Yes, and I understood that that day. However, you have not stepped foot off base since then.”

“I’ve been busy,” Ephrael scowls, motioning to the paperwork in front of him.

“You’ve had plenty of opportunities, and offers from our brothers, to take a break and step out. We both know that ancient Terra can only keep us so busy for so long.”

“The issues in front of me require my attention specifically, a captain’s attention to be precise.” Ephrael stares up at him defiantly, “We may not have to worry about much, but still there is work to do; and I will see it done.” The last part of his words get caught in his throat, choking him with bile at the simple suggestion of what he was going to say; even as it claws its way from his mouth, “M-my bonded can wait a few more days.”

The coughing fit that erupts from him is immediate and disorienting in its ferocity, made worse by his in-vain attempt to suppress them while his door is open. Incaro watches his fit pass, his frown deepening at the force which it wracks through his friend’s body. He waits for it to pass before finally speaking again, “Ephrael… We both know what this resistance of yours is truly about.”

Ephrael clenches his jaw, grinding his teeth together, “I said I will another time, Incaro. That is the end of this conversation.”

As he leans back down to escape into his work, a heavy hand grasps his shoulder and pulls him back. He snaps his gaze back up to Incaro’s and is met with a scowl equal to his own. The myriads of scars that deeply mar his old friend’s face seem to outline every ounce of frustration and disappointment he is feeling, “I will let you suffer in silence no longer brother.” His gaze softens slightly, and he shifts to their native Baalfloran, “As your friend I tell you this, and as your brother I implore you; please let yourself be happy. I have never blamed you; so stop blaming yourself.”

Ephrael’s brows scrunch and he looks away, with his jaw as tense as the grip on his pen. Incaro continues, “A walk through the park; that’s all I ask. And if I can’t convince you as your brother, then as your apothecary I am telling you to. I am not above dragging you out of this chair.”

That earns a quiet chuckle from Ephrael then, “I would like to see you try.”

His brother smiles fondly down at him, “I am very determined, and I believe I could do it.” Incaro releases his shoulder and steps back, “I hope you understand why I am so insistent. Raphine was right in his observation; interacting with those girls was the first time in a long time that I have seen you smile. Even your chuckle just now; I would have accused you of being an Alpha Legionnaire only a month ago. If just that one meeting was enough to pull you out of the depths your stupor, then I am determined to keep you on this path.”

“I am… trying Incaro.” Ephrael allows his shoulders to fall, releasing the tension within himself. He leans back in his seat, but keeps his gaze set ahead. “I want to do what you ask. Please, just understand how hard this is for me.”

“You do not need to bear this burden alone, brother. That is why I am here. That is why Sevram and Raphine have stuck around, despite your personality being pricklier than that of an Iron Warrior within 40 yards of an Imperial Fist.”

He lets out a huff, “I am better than that.”

“That is true,” Incaro nods. “I think you’d clench your teeth just slightly less than they would.”

Ephrael rolls his eyes and eases himself from his seat. “I will endeavor to be more amiable, then.”

“Yes. Less Iron Warrior, and more Tired Scout Babysitter.”

“I am already that,” Ephrael gives him a deadpanned look.

“Then lean into it,” Incaro gives him a small, teasing smile.

Ephrael shakes his head, but he cannot hide the smirk that briefly graces his lips. “Thank you, Incaro. Some days I feel that you would have served our legion better as a Chaplain.”

“Hopefully, never because I am lacking in my medical skills.” Incaro gives him a pat on the shoulder, “You flatter me, nonetheless. I have simply known you for long enough to know what’s going on in that head of yours; nothing more.”

“My compliment still stands then.”

“Of course,” he nods, switching back to Gothic. Incaro begins to nudge him towards the door of his office, “Now, enough chatter; off you go. My threat still stands. And even if you cannot find your bonded, I think the fresh air will be good for your health.”

“Yes, yes,” Ephrael sighs, “I am going; I am capable of walking myself there.”

[frost-fells-ramblings]

Thanksgiving is today, and I am reminded of a project I had in kindergarten where I made "I'm thankful for you cards" for loved ones.

Anyways, I thought of this in context to Ephrael and Kaia, and now I just-

I must write this.

[frost-fells-ramblings]

Finals are done, all my papers are graded, and my final grades are in. Now that all that's over with, I can write about the Ephrael and the terror duo again!