>>6157062Oh, this is a good opportunity to bring up some things. "I got a promotion! Not to L3 or anything, but to a specialist role. It's actually pretty funny... have you seen a man around by the name of Percival Blythe?" They shake their heads. "Well, he's an L4 Operator in my new office, which deals with studying Aberrations and what is, or isn't, normal. He's very freakish. He keeps a bunch of drugs on his person and he says they help with chasing down aberrations and seeing spirits. I don't have too much faith in that myself, but he's one of my superiors now."
"You're like Kiikoinen then," Beth says stifling a laugh. "Keep work and play separate."
... Actually, on that topic. "Blythe says he can see people's spirit animals, even when he's not on the mushrooms. And he called Kiikoinen a cold snake, that's always molting its skin."
Mikey looks over and lowers his shades. "What, to his <span class="mu-i">face</span>? That's his <span class="mu-i">spirit animal?</span>"
"Blythe actually said that, and to his face," you clarify.
"And does this Blythe know the guy?"
You shake your head. Kiikoinen was never interested in anything that isn't the surface level of Stormwatch, and is definitely not a spiritual person.
Thinking for a moment, the big dog pushed his shades back up. "Well, I mean... Kiikoinen could certainly take warming up to someone, for real. He's friendly, sure, but even when we first met, I got the impression he didn't keep anyone around. Not sure why I had that hunch, but it was right. We haven't seen him in weeks." He crosses his arms and looks into the distance. "Can't blame him, we're not going to be here forever. Easy come, easy go."
Come to think of it, he's never brought up family. Not many of your agents do, but you've brought up your papa and friends from your village, inviting him to talk about it. If it weren't for the experience he has in the Stormwatch, you'd think he hadn't lived at all.
Mikey nods and looks back at you. "But you'll still be here. I don't know about the hocus pocus of freakos in the weird corners of the Stormwatch - we got some of our own - but I think it's a good guess to what he's like. He's got issues and he can pretend to be as pragmatic as he likes, it <span class="mu-i">will</span> affect his performance if it ain't already. You should get him some help, because he's not going to find it in the strangers he keeps looking for."
He brings this up, and you remember one of the first times you saw Kiikoinen fight an aberration. Chopping up a cornered hiisi, expressionless. And you remember that he often takes lots of risks in fights. Whatever it is, it's making him reckless.
Or have a deathwish.
