Not all Sneektheeves stick to the comfort of their tribal homes, some venture out, and often simply decide to adopt themselves into groups they like. More than once a Grayline expedition has returned with a new big fluffy friend, whether intentionally or by accident.~

Tiko is one of those cases. During the course of an otherwise ordinary mission, Strike Team 13-31 saved Tiko from a Broadcast Cult trap, and from that very second onwards he was inseparable from them. No matter how hard they tried at first to gently coax him to go home or head somewhere safer than the side of a combat unit, he simply kept appearing, often with little gifts. Soon enough, no one had the heart to say no to those big puppy dog eyes and they accepted the fate that they now had a Sneektheef on their team.~

When they got back, however, they did put their foot down a little. Tiko is a little too pure to risk taking out on dangerous missions most of the time, so they told him he has to stay at the base when they are out. However, being an eight foot tall, helpful furball with a talent for finding things and quickly learning routines, he quickly found himself being useful as "support for the support team". Though the more technical stuff is beyond him, and his grasp of English or any other common language is iffy at best, he can learn instructions quickly and follow them through with effortlessly ability.~

Turns out, he was exactly what a Grayline Strike Support Team needed. Soon enough he was helping all over, from moving around heavy objects and munitions for Wez, or replacing spent Abeyo-Communika servers for the dedicated IT team, or simply keeping their quarters clean and tidy for their return. IT would be hard to find a more loyal and helpful heavy lifter, and before anyone realized it he had basically become the entire teams mascot and cheerleader of sorts, the cute furballs for everyone to rally around, a reminder of why they do what they do.~

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Couldn't resist making a Theef of my own, these fluffy guys came out far better than I'd expected and now I'm a lil addicted to them. So, now i have my own official one!~

Also, I solemnly swear I will continue to tirelessly and boldly find ways to add thigh windows to my sci-fi clothing styles.~

As always, feedback is welcome and appreciated!

Lore of the Day: What Tiko is balancing on his shoulder there is a Monstrum 100 Pound Inter-abeyic Incendiary Contact Rod, or 100-IICR. Kintetic Rod Artillery, which use munitions such as this, as Grayline's secret weapon in the ever escalating war against their eldritch-fueled rivals. A cannon facing directly skyward fires these munitions into an Abeyic Gate, which is opened via the guidance of ground teams and a Linerunner to its destination within Abeyance. The rod, travelling view little actual distance, loses almost no kinetic force by the time it hits its target across the planar divide. The result is devastating and effective. Due to the inexpensive cost of both the specialized artillery and its ammo, paired with the safety of the firing positions which are nestled comfortably beside Ambershore HQ, it is the singular most effective tool Grayline has at their disposal, and a good chunk of the reason why they can hold their own in this fight.

Thanks to the analog nature of Abeyance, limiting the level of technology one can reasonably bring to bear, many have been reminded of the "good old days" of traditional warfare, and such certain habits... for example painting the noses of aircraft or writing messages on artillery shells... have seen an impressive revitalization as a source of morale for soldiers of every faction. "Good Day, Good Bye!" is a particular favorite of human gunnery teams, a distant reference to Cold War era conflicts like Vietnam, which Abeyance often resembles.