Tekun Valos

To say that Mia had been in a funk for the last few months was an understatement. She had thought she’d take Ike’s departure easily, without worrying too much about what was happening to him - and that much was true. She knew he could take care of himself, but at the same time…

She wasn’t sure why it had gotten to her so much. She hadn’t guessed how much she would miss their morning spars, or occasional exchanges at dinner, or anything like that. She’d stuck with the Greil Mercenaries for a few more weeks after everyone had said their goodbyes to Ike, but she ultimately couldn’t bear it anymore. She’d told Titania and Mist that she just wanted to travel for a while, but she’d seen the pity and understanding in their eyes. Everyone knew why she was leaving. As much as she genuinely adored the rest of the Greil Mercenaries (well, except maybe Shinon) as her friends, Ike had been the one who had brought her into the group. Ike had made her feel welcome. Ike had been the one who let her join once the Mad King’s War was over, and he’d been the one who gave her a sense of purpose in her wanderlust. But he was gone, now, and she was starting to realize she’d never see him again. 

Which is what brought her to here, on the outskirts of Crimea by the Daein border, groaning to herself and wishing not for the last time that she’d been a better rider. Hitching rides on Ilyana’s caravan had gotten her this far, but for the last few days she’d been travelling on foot, and she’d forgotten how much walking everywhere sucked without someone else to keep her company. Alondite was heavy on her back, the damn thing limiting how much food and drink she could actually carry with her - perhaps if she didn’t bring her other blades with her, she’d be able to use more. But her dagger had been given to her by Ike, her Resolute Blade by Elincia, and she couldn’t bring herself to part with them. Alondite should have been returned to Begnion by now as well, but they didn’t seem that keen to have it back, and to top it all off it had been… Ike had given it to her because they needed someone to use it in the Tower. It meant he had recognized her as the best swordsman he knew there, or at least the one he trusted the most. She’d be damned if she gave up that recognition any time soon. 

“It’s going to rain.” She grumbled to nobody in particular, looking up in the sky and groaning as the clouds started to gather. She wasn’t sure what she was going to do once she reached Daein itself, other than wander around and maybe attempt to patch things up with the Dawn Brigade’s members. Maybe she could hunt down Ilyana’s caravan again, hitch a ride with them for a while instead. Getting off had been a mistake. Looking away she froze when she realized she wasn’t alone anymore, coming to a halt and resting her hand on the Resolute Blade’s hilt. Alondite took too long to draw. 

"What a load of crap." 

This was the second time he’d passed that tree. He remembered the odd way the branches had decided to grow out and a hint of damage done to its bark. He was almost back where he started. Shaking his head and allowing his lips to upturn with a bit of a smirk he began making his way back off toward the main road. There was nothing waiting for him at his destination, there was no reason to be pressed for time. He could laugh at himself a little bit and then sigh. The weather looked like it might take a turn for the worst. No matter, he had a cloak and his supplies. A tent could keep out the rain if he needed to stop for the night. Before he emerged from the treeline, he heard shouting.

"Easy." 

Tekun would answer, revealing himself from the treeline. There was no need to reach for his weapon...yet.

Ya’ll know what that means? 

It means 3 things.

1. The return of the SINFUL SUCCULENCE MORGANA AU

2. The return of Morgana’s HARROWING SURPRISE BOXES.

In one big bowl combine:

1 ¾ cups of flour

1 teaspoon of cornstarch

1-2 teaspoons of baking powder (if you like them fluffy or extra fluff!)

½ teaspoon of salt

+ dry mix-ins such as cocoa powder or cinnamon (but not too much!)

In another smaller bowl combine:

1 egg (or 2 egg whites)

2/3 cup of soft butter (or margarine! or oil! but butter is best)

1 teaspoon of vanilla

½ cup of brown sugar (or more if you like it sweeter!)

Mix dry and wet ingredients separately until you’re ready to combine them. Make a little pit in the dry bowl and pour in the wet ingredients, then mix them gently together. It may take a bit of kneading with your hands or a good cake spoon to work it all together. If it seems crumbly, try adding some milk, oil, or extra butter (make sure you didn’t add too much cocoa powder or other extra dry ingredients to prevent this!).

Once you have a good dough formed up that isn’t dry and crumbly nor too runny, cover it in a bowl and leave it in the fridge for at least a half hour to two hours, but you can leave it for up to 3 days or so if you’re making it ahead of time (just let it sit out for a while if it’s too hard/cold).

When it’s ready, divide the dough up into four equal sections. Then roll each section into a log (it doesn’t have to be perfect!). Cut the log into about 5-6 pieces (if the end piece comes out too small, add it to the remaining dough!). Do this again with all sections. Roll each cut piece into a ball and arrange them on a cookie sheet. You can either press them down before cooking with the bottom of a glass dipped in flour or sugar, or you can cook them for a bit and press them down later to give them crinkly tops!

Put them in the oven at about 350 degrees (ovens will vary) for around 8-12 minutes (times will also vary). When they’re done, remove them from the oven and let them cool on the pan for a few minutes before moving them to cool on a rack or plates. Once they’re fully cool and set, enjoy!

Notes:

If you want to add in chunky mix-ins like nuts or cocoa nibs, do that after the dough has been combined properly.

Without adding anything extra these will just make plain, buttery sugar cookies. Try adding chopped roasted walnuts, or almonds, or ground ginger and cloves! Or even dried fruit like raisins! (Fruit is a great way to compensate for adding less sugar to the cookies.)

Don’t worry if they come out looking too soft. They’ll harden up a little as they cool down, but still remain soft and chewy.

When rolling into balls, you can roll the dough around in sugar for an extra bit of texture and sweetness if you like!

“I have no intention to butcher.” Tekun assured her as he followed, a sigh broke from his lips.

He was sympathetic but he could not help but be frustrated. Where ever one went, if there was war there were casualties. And though Tekun was loathe to speak of ‘good intentions’ for the Winter’s Claw, he would always admit that not all of those within their ranks were combatants. Those who had thrown their lot into either tribe risked maiming from the other party if they were in close proximety.

“I grow nostalgic. I travel north. I conduct trade. And sometimes I remove the threat of beast growing too bold for my liking.” He listed what was par for the course. “I sometimes I trade with the Winter Claw.” And then the question came.

“Do those people need help? Would you like me to help them?”

His thoughts upon who should lead this country aside, they were still people.

Gael stops and sighs, turning around slowly. “Yer kindae daft. I was one o’ t’ose wounded.” Once she’s facing Tekun again, she calmly lifts her dress enough to show off an ugly scar, with a little bit of regret in her voice. 

"I never doubted your injury." Tekun gestured upwards towards his face. Bringing attention to the scars littering it. "I am covered in reminders as well." 

Every scar has its story after all. “If you would have me. I would like to accompany you.” There is no want to fight her on her views. He understands war and it’s cruelties better than she does but it does not change how one will react to them. His was different, not so much vindictive as it had been nearly self destructive.

“I haven’t visited my parents in a while either. I should pay them a visit sometime. I’m more than due.” He doesn’t even know where they are buried any more. Just roughly where they fell. Centuries have passed since on that old forgotten patch of tundra where they skirmished.

With caution but no heed for stealth Tekun checks each door upon his right. There’s a tenseness, waiting for an ambush that never comes. The first door leads to a vacant room that could have once been someone’s office at some point. The next leads to a stairwell that winds upwards, there appears to be no access to a basement from here if there was even one. Not ready to ascend to the second floor, Tekun closes the door behind him and proceeds to the end of the corridor.

The door ahead opens with no resistance, Tekun is dismayed to see it twist and turns into more corridors, this one branching to the left and to the right. Another door lays upon his immediate right.

“There has to be a larger area we’re missing.” Tekun chooses to hang upon the left most wall, as he reaches the far left door an audible screech shatters the silence. It comes from what has to be a speaker system of sort within the building.

An orchestra comes to life from the speaker, upbeat and energetic it’s a harsh contrast to the tense atmosphere the two are immersed in.

“Mind games.” Tekun grits his teeth. Someone apparently knew they were here.

Gisha followed close behind, peeking into each room he did, never questioning his perception, but simply providing a second set of eyes. She stepped quietly as they moved deeper into the twisting corridors, ever wary of their foes. As their search only turned up additional mazes, Gisha too began to grow skeptical of the building’s layout.

“Indeed… it seems we aren’t gaining any progress here. Perhaps we should make an entrance-”

The decrepit speaker system screeched to life and Gisha hastily gripped her ears as it did so. The painful noise gave way to music. A chilling contrast to their environment indeed. The Zaunite released her ears and stood at full height, looking both ways down the corridor but seeing no other change in their environment. “I agree. It seem’s we’re being toyed with.” She whipped around to face the ceiling. “They’ll likely regret that…”

Tekun might have seen her fingers clench slightly before bright red flames flashed about a partially weakened portion of the ceiling. In the blink of an eye the ceiling ripped asunder and exploded in flames, severed along the edges by white hot plasma. The ceiling segment gave way in cloud of flaming rubble. Despite the noise and chaos, Gisha subdued the flames almost immediately after, reducing the mess to an ember filled pile that reached the second floor.

"Upstairs." Tekun would turn upon heel, gritting his teeth and breathing deep before the sound of industry could be heard beneath the music that filled the abandoned building.

"Change of plans. Follow me and don't throw caution to the wind. Someone just laid bait."

Tekun would take point, following the corridor down one bend to investigate the new sound and less pleasant sounds. At this point, his blade had been drawn from its sheath. Whatever equipment had been activated was not deafening but loud enough. Tekun would force open a pair of metal double doors with ease, only to reveal a room a large room, clearly the work space for this facility. He doubted such a thing had been activated remotely. 

Had it not been by the virtue of the fires within some of the floor equipment, someone had been bothered to set this up for use, the room might have been black. This was what was making the noise and thankfully these moving pieces were no where near as noisy as they could have been. Barrels and crates filled the spaces where workers otherwise would have been but beyond it the ground floor seemed spacious. The second floor catwalk did catch his attention though and as he looked up a voice rang out.

"Hello, hello, hello there. How so terribly destructive. No class, no taste in the finer things. Just as I suspected from dear ol' one armed and you. Aren't you a bit of a brute? Now are you going watch or let yourself in as you already have done?"

“Charming as ever.” Tekun had a few run ins with the bardess, it was only when she eventually uncovered his connections to the North that their relationship had grown much more…heated.

“I was under the impression this road was neutral ground. Perhaps I should be asking you the same question, was there something you wanted from me Gael? You made it a point to impede me.” He lacked anger, but took the matter more lightly than he should. Passion and fire were in her, if she wanted to make his travels difficult Gael would find a way.

“T’is part o’ th’ road may be, but I’ll kick yer arse tae Bilgewa’er if ye even t’ink about ‘angin’ a left a’ th’ fork. T’ey ain’t done nothin’ tae ye. Or yer feckin’ ‘queen.’ So leave ‘em th’ hell alone.” Gael threatens, starting down the road.

"I have no intention to butcher." Tekun assured her as he followed, a sigh broke from his lips.

He was sympathetic but he could not help but be frustrated. Where ever one went, if there was war there were casualties. And though Tekun was loathe to speak of 'good intentions' for the Winter's Claw, he would always admit that not all of those within their ranks were combatants. Those who had thrown their lot into either tribe risked maiming from the other party if they were in close proximety.

"I grow nostalgic. I travel north. I conduct trade. And sometimes I remove the threat of beast growing too bold for my liking." He listed what was par for the course. "I sometimes I trade with the Winter Claw." And then the question came.

"Do those people need help? Would you like me to help them?"

/* @tekunvalos made a song request */

"Charming as ever." Tekun had a few run ins with the bardess, it was only when she eventually uncovered his connections to the North that their relationship had grown much more...heated.

  Another day has just started, another day with her new master, luckly, he was not someone demanding he was rather ‘conformist’ and easy to manipulate, “an idiot” she mumble to herself, she couldn’t believe that someone like him has summoned her.

That day she had to accompany him to his shop, the man was owner of a antique market. She was almost sure that someone sold a copy of certain old book to him and that was how he found about her. The lady walked next to him trying to think about something a way to finish it soon, his soul wasn’t worthy of her time.

-Wait here- He ordered stopping just in front of the entrance, the lady nodded and turned her attention to the mass of people passing by.

The street were crawded, her eyes danced from face to face until she stopped at a man, apparently a warrior, his skin wore several scars that made clear he had been in innumerable battle. She had the bad habit of looking at people minutes passed sudenly a voice interrupted her thoughts, he had noticed her.

Curious eyes peered behind the woman, her master hid behind the curtains intrigued by what was happening outside.-What a cowardly man- she thought, turning toward him, waving  from the other side of the glass, making it obvious that she had noticed his precense.

Her gaze falls away from him. She accompanied another here, his eyes catch someone peering through from outside what he assumed a shop. His lips upturn with a hint of amusement.

“I trust you.” He answered as he stepped forward, taking point. He presses his hand upon the upper part of the door. “There’s two of us, just remember to account for that.”

He pushes the door forward revealing a ten foot wide coordinator devoid of interior lighting. It winds down a ways before twisting off to the left. Plaster lays across a grey stone tiled floor, graffiti is sprayed here and there upon the right wall. Ceiling tiles are missing here and there revealing the frame work above. A set of half rusted iron double doors lays close and on the left and even further down upon the right is a wooden door that lays almost off its hinges. From here it’s too dark to see inside.

Tekun proceeds in with caution in his stride, his eyes fall from ceiling to floor. He passes the immediate doors to see what lays further down the hall. The room on his right appears to be nothing more than an empty supply closet while the rest of the corridor only reveals more doors.

Gisha shared his caution as they moved. She made an effort to control her breathing, not lapsing her heart rate even for a moment. If this proved to be an ambush, she would need every ounce of concentration in order to counter in a timely manner. The fire in her core burned steady and strong, ready for action.

“I will shield you with my flames… you needn’t worry.” She stepped quietly, though making no effort towards stealthy maneuvering. Throughout her career as a mercenary, she played far more to the heavy handed, show of force strategy. Her enemies knew who she was and she didn’t hide from them. They simply knew how dangerous she was. As was the case in this situation, or so she assumed.

The two of them cleared the main entryway and moved well into the structure, following the twisting corridor and remaining ever vigilant. Gisha’s plan was simple. Evade and engulf anyone who made a move upon them and threaten those who simply challenged them. Killing might not be necessary tonight, but preemptive flames would frighten almost anyone. Yet if there was to be an ambush, it likely would have happened already. It seemed strange that the duo could find no sign of observation or hostile intent upon entering the structure.

With caution but no heed for stealth Tekun checks each door upon his right. There's a tenseness, waiting for an ambush that never comes. The first door leads to a vacant room that could have once been someone's office at some point. The next leads to a stairwell that winds upwards, there appears to be no access to a basement from here if there was even one. Not ready to ascend to the second floor, Tekun closes the door behind him and proceeds to the end of the corridor.

The door ahead opens with no resistance, Tekun is dismayed to see it twist and turns into more corridors, this one branching to the left and to the right. Another door lays upon his immediate right.

"There has to be a larger area we're missing." Tekun chooses to hang upon the left most wall, as he reaches the far left door an audible screech shatters the silence. It comes from what has to be a speaker system of sort within the building.

An orchestra comes to life from the speaker, upbeat and energetic it’s a harsh contrast to the tense atmosphere the two are immersed in.