Name: Cricket Lindell
Age: 19
Birthday: Unknown; Celebrates April 6th
Gender: Biologically Male; He/Him/His*
Sexuality: Panromantic Demisexual
Species: Human/Plant Hybrid
Category: Student
Class: Remedial
Grade: Remedial
Appearance Description:
Cricket had fair gold-toned skin, unscarred and dappled with tiny green-gold freckles. He’s about 5’10” with a lean, lanky, but poorly defined build. Cricket’s face is rather androgenous, with his most notable feature being his light but vibrant green eyes. All of Cricket’s “hair” is actually living green grass, though it looks average at first. Each strand is a bit thicker and stronger than human hair. It grows out spikely and trails to his hips. Overall, he’s more “cute” than “hot,” and around average by Manta Carlos’ standards.
Cricket’s clothing style varies, but he usually swings with comfort, practicality, or both. He’s fond of happy colors and soft textures, and occasionally incorporates quirky-cute accessories. Cricket’s voice is masculine, but not overpoweringly so, and he seems to eternally smell like plants.
Personality Description:
Cricket is kind, loving, and generally uncorrupted. He’s emotionally fragile and quite expressive, and thrives on (or wilts from) the praise and criticism of others. In new or company, Cricket does suffer from significant social anxiety. However, he is, truthfully, quite friendly and affectionate, perhaps even love-desperate, and secretly desires to cling to most people (if only they weren’t so scary!).
At his core, Cricket loves to explore new places, provided he has the confidence. He’s curious and intrigued by mundane things, especially normie inventions like electricity. He also never swears. Cricket adores nature, especially forests, and is an avid (and talented) gardener. As for quirks, he loves gift-giving — even if the gifts are a bit peculiar. Cricket doesn’t care for, or even understand, wealth or status, and instead prefers spending his time on experiences. He also isn’t concerned with his looks, yet, as he never learned to be.
Cricket is also quite naive. Though skittish at first, he is quick to trust a good first impression, and hard-pressed to see past one; he’s the type to immediately rationalize the bad behavior of his loved ones. This is worsened by the fact that Cricket’s ability to think for himself has been significantly, perhaps permanently damaged. He hates to make decisions beyond the miniscule, and is desperate for affirmation when he must Instead, he prefers to be guided, and is liable to become dependent upon others if he is allowed to. He is also, often, too permissive and submissive, even to strangers. All things considered: Although Cricket might be forgiving, he is also incredibly susceptible to abuse and manipulation.
Active Abilities:
Passive Abilities:
Weaknesses:
Common Magical Items:
None
Biological Direct Family: Olivia Ward, Deceased. Father Unknown. No siblings.
Biological Extended Family: Maternal grandparents deceased. No aunts, uncles, or cousins.
Adoptive Mother: Evanora Lindell
Other Relatives: None
Biography:
Resources:
Cricket only has the basics, and a few possessions he salvaged from his cabin. He lives in a traditional College-wing dormitory, and subsists off of the Academy's allowances. There is space for a roommate in his dorm, but he currently lives alone.
Also, Cricket inherited many magical artifacts from his mother. He kept a few artifacts, such as his mother's wand, as a decoration. However, he can't use these, as he has no magic. He instead plans to sell them throughout time, as per Evanora's instructions.
Additional Information:
*Cricket identifies himself as male when asked, but generally doesn’t care much for labels. Instead, he just thinks of himself as "Cricket."
Cricket attends grief counselling therapy once a week. He is also in a social etiquette class to learn the common, unspoken rules of society, as he was never properly socialized.
Some characters, if interested, may recognize the Lindell surname. Evanora Lindell (Cricket's mother) was a powerful MC-based witch in the 1940s-50s, known for being passionately against anti-witch groups. She had some political sway, before her group attacked an anti-witch establishment and murdered several humans. The group was caught, but she went into hiding, evading police and the Veil forever.
Age: 19
Birthday: Unknown; Celebrates April 6th
Gender: Biologically Male; He/Him/His*
Sexuality: Panromantic Demisexual
Species: Human/Plant Hybrid
Category: Student
Class: Remedial
Grade: Remedial
Appearance Description:
Cricket had fair gold-toned skin, unscarred and dappled with tiny green-gold freckles. He’s about 5’10” with a lean, lanky, but poorly defined build. Cricket’s face is rather androgenous, with his most notable feature being his light but vibrant green eyes. All of Cricket’s “hair” is actually living green grass, though it looks average at first. Each strand is a bit thicker and stronger than human hair. It grows out spikely and trails to his hips. Overall, he’s more “cute” than “hot,” and around average by Manta Carlos’ standards.
Cricket’s clothing style varies, but he usually swings with comfort, practicality, or both. He’s fond of happy colors and soft textures, and occasionally incorporates quirky-cute accessories. Cricket’s voice is masculine, but not overpoweringly so, and he seems to eternally smell like plants.
Personality Description:
Cricket is kind, loving, and generally uncorrupted. He’s emotionally fragile and quite expressive, and thrives on (or wilts from) the praise and criticism of others. In new or company, Cricket does suffer from significant social anxiety. However, he is, truthfully, quite friendly and affectionate, perhaps even love-desperate, and secretly desires to cling to most people (if only they weren’t so scary!).
At his core, Cricket loves to explore new places, provided he has the confidence. He’s curious and intrigued by mundane things, especially normie inventions like electricity. He also never swears. Cricket adores nature, especially forests, and is an avid (and talented) gardener. As for quirks, he loves gift-giving — even if the gifts are a bit peculiar. Cricket doesn’t care for, or even understand, wealth or status, and instead prefers spending his time on experiences. He also isn’t concerned with his looks, yet, as he never learned to be.
Cricket is also quite naive. Though skittish at first, he is quick to trust a good first impression, and hard-pressed to see past one; he’s the type to immediately rationalize the bad behavior of his loved ones. This is worsened by the fact that Cricket’s ability to think for himself has been significantly, perhaps permanently damaged. He hates to make decisions beyond the miniscule, and is desperate for affirmation when he must Instead, he prefers to be guided, and is liable to become dependent upon others if he is allowed to. He is also, often, too permissive and submissive, even to strangers. All things considered: Although Cricket might be forgiving, he is also incredibly susceptible to abuse and manipulation.
Active Abilities:
Cricket can grow plants out of his own body at will, provided he is familiar with them. Larger plants/quantities of plants sap more energy (no pun intended). This incorporates both pieces of plants, as well as ones that are complete and plantable. He can continue growing a planted plant by making physical contact with it, and can rejuvenate dying plants that he created. Their qualities are consistent with their natural counterparts. Cricket can reabsorb plants still connected to his body to regain some spent energy. There are no nerve endings in his plants, but he can sense when they detach from him.
Individual flowers can be near-effortlessly created in seconds. Meanwhile, a large garden full of bushes, flower plants, grasses, shrubs, and some trees would take a full day of careful, patient growth, and reach Cricket's limit.
Individual flowers can be near-effortlessly created in seconds. Meanwhile, a large garden full of bushes, flower plants, grasses, shrubs, and some trees would take a full day of careful, patient growth, and reach Cricket's limit.
Cricket can grow extra body parts, which exist temporarily (a few days at most). This includes limbs, hands, eyes, fingers and toes, internal organs, etc. These body parts can't exist without being attached to Cricket's body. He can grow up to double of a body part at a time; i.e. two hearts, four arms, four eyes, etc. No extra heads, brains, or entire chests/torsos etc. All parts are fully functional and he can have up to 10 active extra parts at a time. (Note: If Cricket grows an extra arm, the attached hand and up to 5 fingers are considered part of 1 whole extra part.)
Cricket can communicate on an instinctual level with plants. He can sense entire forest areas by submerging his hands and feet in the ground, or (though weaker) by making physical contact with plants and focusing. By doing this, Cricket can "see" entire forest areas via plant systems. He can sense and feel damage occurring to plants, and can locate specific creatures mouse-sized and larger if they are on the ground/touching a grounded plant. A base area limit is a radius of about 200m in average forests, with this reducing with lower plant density.
This device links the middle of the living room in their isolated forest cabin with a spot about three feet outside the threshold of the Starlight Academy administration building. The device - a small bracelet - grows warm and vibrates softly when the correct space is located.
Up to two other people can be teleported alongside Cricket, but they must each be holding one of his hands, and Cricket must be willing. Cricket is the only being that the device will work for. The forest cabin, as well as its inhabitants and their possessions, are magically cloaked from all magic and mundane tracking devices. It is impossible to find the cabin on foot, unless one has already visited it before. It is also impossible for anyone, except Cricket, to reveal its location verbally, textually, etc.
Up to two other people can be teleported alongside Cricket, but they must each be holding one of his hands, and Cricket must be willing. Cricket is the only being that the device will work for. The forest cabin, as well as its inhabitants and their possessions, are magically cloaked from all magic and mundane tracking devices. It is impossible to find the cabin on foot, unless one has already visited it before. It is also impossible for anyone, except Cricket, to reveal its location verbally, textually, etc.
Cricket has a small wardrobe of winter clothing that both preserves his sparse body heat, and generates more. He is still more sensitive to cold than others.
He also had five bright orbs that emit "sunlight," all about the size of a baseball. They are not quite as potent as the sun, and are not a substitute for outdoor exposure. They are made of a dense, unknown jelly-like substance, and don’t seem to require any charging or take any physical damage (though they are susceptible to magical damage). To use the orbs, they must simply be squeezed and pressed against a surface to stick there. Their brightness can be adjusted, with the max setting large enough to comfortably light a dorm room.
He also had five bright orbs that emit "sunlight," all about the size of a baseball. They are not quite as potent as the sun, and are not a substitute for outdoor exposure. They are made of a dense, unknown jelly-like substance, and don’t seem to require any charging or take any physical damage (though they are susceptible to magical damage). To use the orbs, they must simply be squeezed and pressed against a surface to stick there. Their brightness can be adjusted, with the max setting large enough to comfortably light a dorm room.
Passive Abilities:
Cricket passively regenerates from wounds and injuries. This extends to regrowing entire limbs and organs. Minor wounds heal within minutes, broken bones within an hour, and non-fatal major wounds (like missing limbs) heal within a few hours. It takes days for newly regenerated parts to gain full strength. Diseases are not cured by this power. Cricket is immune to plant-based poisons. Animal/magic/etc-based poisons can be cured, but are cured slowly, and deal normal-human damage until they are fully dissolved. Cricket cannot survive decapitation, the destruction of more than half his body, or equivalent damage, as death is near-instantaneous. However, he is able to survive some otherwise fatal wounds — such as the removal of his entire heart — due to his ability to temporarily create new body parts.
This aura only affects non-sapient creatures, both magical and mundane. Cricket does not register as a threat to these creatures. They are either drawn to him, or otherwise consider him safe. This is, however, a weak effect; animals have free will Once one of these creatures is close enough to sense/notice Cricket's presence, they feel the aura's effects, which grow stronger as distance closes.
Living Hair
Cricket has living vegetative hair, which contains nerve endings. He can’t move it around, but he can feel weak sensations, both painful and pleasurable.
Longevity and Aging
Cricket’s lifespan is unknown, but will most likely last hundreds - if not thousands - of years; he may even be “immortal without unnatural death.” Past adulthood, his aging is also a mystery. He will likely age past his current state, but likely not past his 40s at the oldest, and it may take decades to centuries for him to reach this.
Cricket has living vegetative hair, which contains nerve endings. He can’t move it around, but he can feel weak sensations, both painful and pleasurable.
Longevity and Aging
Cricket’s lifespan is unknown, but will most likely last hundreds - if not thousands - of years; he may even be “immortal without unnatural death.” Past adulthood, his aging is also a mystery. He will likely age past his current state, but likely not past his 40s at the oldest, and it may take decades to centuries for him to reach this.
Weaknesses:
Being both human and plant, Cricket has extra dietary requirements and reactions. They are as follows:
Diet: 5-7 hours of direct sunlight, is ideal, paired with a balanced, low-calorie human diet. At current state, Cricket can survive up to 2 months without human food. Will, however, become weak, extra disease-prone, mentally ill, and unable to control his abilities. Will starve within a week of no sunlight, max.
Water: Constant sipping through the day, especially with high sunlight/heat/activity. Must sleep in a humid atmosphere, lest he wake up visibly withered and "hungover" (achy, malaise, dehydrated, etc). When awake, can fall critically ill within a few hours to a day, max, without drinking.
Human Drugs/Alcohol: Low tolerance. Buzzed after 1 drink, drunk after 2, can't stand after 4... can't be changed. Damage done by alcohol/drugs is similar to injected fertilizer. Average tolerance for caffeine/ingested fertilizer.
Diet: 5-7 hours of direct sunlight, is ideal, paired with a balanced, low-calorie human diet. At current state, Cricket can survive up to 2 months without human food. Will, however, become weak, extra disease-prone, mentally ill, and unable to control his abilities. Will starve within a week of no sunlight, max.
Water: Constant sipping through the day, especially with high sunlight/heat/activity. Must sleep in a humid atmosphere, lest he wake up visibly withered and "hungover" (achy, malaise, dehydrated, etc). When awake, can fall critically ill within a few hours to a day, max, without drinking.
Human Drugs/Alcohol: Low tolerance. Buzzed after 1 drink, drunk after 2, can't stand after 4... can't be changed. Damage done by alcohol/drugs is similar to injected fertilizer. Average tolerance for caffeine/ingested fertilizer.
Cricket can't tolerate extreme temperatures. He takes double damage from both fire and ice, as well as fire/ice based attacks. When the temperature around him is below 55 degrees or above 80 degrees, he starts to suffer from hypothermia or heat exhaustion within an hour. Above 90 degrees or at freezing or lower, the effects set in a great deal faster, though they can be temporarily held back with magical items.
Disease:
Cricket can't run a fever, and is thus highly susceptible to disease (plant and human alike).
Insects:
Mildly allergic to all insect-inflicted wounds. Exception is with pollinators. Cricket neither takes for reflects damage; i.e. if a honeybee stings Cricket, both Cricket and the bee are perfectly fine.
Weed Killer:
Exposure (inhalation, ingestion, physical contact, etc) can cause anything from mild chemical burns, to blindness, seizures, and even death.
Cricket can't run a fever, and is thus highly susceptible to disease (plant and human alike).
Insects:
Mildly allergic to all insect-inflicted wounds. Exception is with pollinators. Cricket neither takes for reflects damage; i.e. if a honeybee stings Cricket, both Cricket and the bee are perfectly fine.
Weed Killer:
Exposure (inhalation, ingestion, physical contact, etc) can cause anything from mild chemical burns, to blindness, seizures, and even death.
Flowers, plants, thorns, etc. naturally grow out of Cricket’s skin based (through flower language or physical properties) on his emotions. Picking these flowers does not hurt Cricket. Occasionally, random plants grow without emotional context. Additionally, when feeling strong emotions, Cricket tends to cough up (or even vomit) petals, flowers, and even stems/leaves on occasion. This is derived from strong emotions supercharging the power and causing flowers to bloom inside him.
Common Magical Items:
None
Biological Direct Family: Olivia Ward, Deceased. Father Unknown. No siblings.
Biological Extended Family: Maternal grandparents deceased. No aunts, uncles, or cousins.
Adoptive Mother: Evanora Lindell
Other Relatives: None
Biography:
Cricket was born as a normal human, somewhere deep in the woods of Pennsylvania. His mother — Olivia Ward — was a homeless woman, who had crafted a small camp here. However, due to labor complications, Olivia died soon after Cricket's birth. Cricket was due to follow close behind, until Evanora Lindell — an aging but powerful witch, living as a hermit (due to being wanted by the Veil as a criminal...) — discovered him.
Despite her hatred of humans, Evanora couldn't let a child die. So, she took the dying baby and magicked him home with her, and did everything she could to save him. At some point, she messed something up, and it's the only reason he survived — she combined him with plant matter, and he regenerated. At this point, she decided to keep the child and raise him as her own, as he would no longer be accepted in the human world, and she couldn't return to the supernatural. After securing the life of the child, Evanora returned to the woman. She took the necklace from around the woman's neck, to give to the boy, as well as her name (from a wallet) and a picture from her backpack. (The woman was younger, and stood next to, presumably, her parents, who Evanora later found to be deceased after research.) She then teleported the woman close enough to be found by town authorities.
Evanora named her new son Cricket, and lived with him in her cabin. They subsisted through gardening, hunting, foraging, and storage, as well as a bit of magic here and there. She taught him, cared for him, and allowed him to explore the forest. However, outside of his wanderings, Cricket never left his cabin, and Evanora only left a handful of times to stealth-purchase occasional necessities. Only a very few people ever witnessed Evanora on these travels, and she was consistently disguised. Evanora trusted no one, not even her former allies.
To protect Cricket, as well as her own freedom and her custody over the boy, Evanora decided to intimidate Cricket into rejecting society alongside her. Cricket believed her warnings, but also challenged them. One day, after an argument with his mother, a 14-year-old Cricket (looking a little older, due to his aging system) decided to venture far from the cabin. He went farther than he was supposed to, and than he'd ever gone before. He ended up venturing a bit too close to a human establishment, about 12 miles from their house.
Here, he met two children, a girl and a boy aged 10 and 12 respectively. Cricket was stupefied when he came across them; he'd never met anyone except Evanora before. So he watched them from afar, returning every couple days when he could. This went on for about two weeks, before the two finally called Cricket out — apparently, he wasn't too great at hiding. They invited him to play, and thus started Cricket's first real friendship.
It went on for a few weeks, with Cricket continuing to pop in the area every couple days when he could make the trip over. The kids didn't speak of Cricket, and Cricket didn't speak of them; they had an agreement of secrecy, because Cricket was strange and the children knew he wouldn't be accepted. However, eventually, their older brother, 17, caught wind of the fact that his siblings weren't spending as much time with their usual group — so where were they going off to in the woods? He followed them one day, and came face to face with "a monster."
The older brother didn't have time to register the fact that Cricket wasn't human, of course. He saw a tall male with a deepening voice, playing tag with his 10 year old sister, and lost it. The children couldn't stop him as he beat Cricket to a pulp, and promptly ushered his siblings away forever.
As for reports? Against the wishes of the children, the brother filed them, but he got a few pieces wrong. Blinded by rage, he didn't retain memory of Cricket's non-human pieces. Instead, he reported a mundane man with dyed green hair ,who wore too much perfume and too many floral accessories, and who liked to play tag with little kids. The police searched the woods for some time, but never got anywhere close to Cricket's cabin due to enchantments in the woods.
But it didn't matter, because Cricket never tried to return.
He was devastated, and finally believed his mother's warnings in full. Crying and hurt (nevermind his regen), he vowed to never leave their woods again, but... Seeing Cricket’s distress, Evanora's resolve to isolate him broke, and she decided to finally stop lying. She revealed her motives and told Cricket of her crimes, as well as the lies she twisted to hurt him. Evanora also told Cricket about Starlight Academy and gave him the option of moving there, instead of living with her. Cricket was angry and hurt, but he forgave his mother, seeing her genuine remorse and conflict. He decided to stay with her, at least until he was 18 and not in need of a guardian.
Unfortunately, Evanora’s health declined rapidly over the course of the next 5 years, prompting Cricket to decide to stay in the cabin and care for her upon his 18th birthday. She ended up passing away a few months after Cricket turned 19, and, after taking a few weeks to grieve, Cricket came to Manta Carlos thereafter.
Actually, he literally teleported directly outside the doors of the Academy's administration building, but that's beside the point.
Despite her hatred of humans, Evanora couldn't let a child die. So, she took the dying baby and magicked him home with her, and did everything she could to save him. At some point, she messed something up, and it's the only reason he survived — she combined him with plant matter, and he regenerated. At this point, she decided to keep the child and raise him as her own, as he would no longer be accepted in the human world, and she couldn't return to the supernatural. After securing the life of the child, Evanora returned to the woman. She took the necklace from around the woman's neck, to give to the boy, as well as her name (from a wallet) and a picture from her backpack. (The woman was younger, and stood next to, presumably, her parents, who Evanora later found to be deceased after research.) She then teleported the woman close enough to be found by town authorities.
Evanora named her new son Cricket, and lived with him in her cabin. They subsisted through gardening, hunting, foraging, and storage, as well as a bit of magic here and there. She taught him, cared for him, and allowed him to explore the forest. However, outside of his wanderings, Cricket never left his cabin, and Evanora only left a handful of times to stealth-purchase occasional necessities. Only a very few people ever witnessed Evanora on these travels, and she was consistently disguised. Evanora trusted no one, not even her former allies.
To protect Cricket, as well as her own freedom and her custody over the boy, Evanora decided to intimidate Cricket into rejecting society alongside her. Cricket believed her warnings, but also challenged them. One day, after an argument with his mother, a 14-year-old Cricket (looking a little older, due to his aging system) decided to venture far from the cabin. He went farther than he was supposed to, and than he'd ever gone before. He ended up venturing a bit too close to a human establishment, about 12 miles from their house.
Here, he met two children, a girl and a boy aged 10 and 12 respectively. Cricket was stupefied when he came across them; he'd never met anyone except Evanora before. So he watched them from afar, returning every couple days when he could. This went on for about two weeks, before the two finally called Cricket out — apparently, he wasn't too great at hiding. They invited him to play, and thus started Cricket's first real friendship.
It went on for a few weeks, with Cricket continuing to pop in the area every couple days when he could make the trip over. The kids didn't speak of Cricket, and Cricket didn't speak of them; they had an agreement of secrecy, because Cricket was strange and the children knew he wouldn't be accepted. However, eventually, their older brother, 17, caught wind of the fact that his siblings weren't spending as much time with their usual group — so where were they going off to in the woods? He followed them one day, and came face to face with "a monster."
The older brother didn't have time to register the fact that Cricket wasn't human, of course. He saw a tall male with a deepening voice, playing tag with his 10 year old sister, and lost it. The children couldn't stop him as he beat Cricket to a pulp, and promptly ushered his siblings away forever.
As for reports? Against the wishes of the children, the brother filed them, but he got a few pieces wrong. Blinded by rage, he didn't retain memory of Cricket's non-human pieces. Instead, he reported a mundane man with dyed green hair ,who wore too much perfume and too many floral accessories, and who liked to play tag with little kids. The police searched the woods for some time, but never got anywhere close to Cricket's cabin due to enchantments in the woods.
But it didn't matter, because Cricket never tried to return.
He was devastated, and finally believed his mother's warnings in full. Crying and hurt (nevermind his regen), he vowed to never leave their woods again, but... Seeing Cricket’s distress, Evanora's resolve to isolate him broke, and she decided to finally stop lying. She revealed her motives and told Cricket of her crimes, as well as the lies she twisted to hurt him. Evanora also told Cricket about Starlight Academy and gave him the option of moving there, instead of living with her. Cricket was angry and hurt, but he forgave his mother, seeing her genuine remorse and conflict. He decided to stay with her, at least until he was 18 and not in need of a guardian.
Unfortunately, Evanora’s health declined rapidly over the course of the next 5 years, prompting Cricket to decide to stay in the cabin and care for her upon his 18th birthday. She ended up passing away a few months after Cricket turned 19, and, after taking a few weeks to grieve, Cricket came to Manta Carlos thereafter.
Actually, he literally teleported directly outside the doors of the Academy's administration building, but that's beside the point.
Resources:
Cricket only has the basics, and a few possessions he salvaged from his cabin. He lives in a traditional College-wing dormitory, and subsists off of the Academy's allowances. There is space for a roommate in his dorm, but he currently lives alone.
Also, Cricket inherited many magical artifacts from his mother. He kept a few artifacts, such as his mother's wand, as a decoration. However, he can't use these, as he has no magic. He instead plans to sell them throughout time, as per Evanora's instructions.
Additional Information:
*Cricket identifies himself as male when asked, but generally doesn’t care much for labels. Instead, he just thinks of himself as "Cricket."
Cricket attends grief counselling therapy once a week. He is also in a social etiquette class to learn the common, unspoken rules of society, as he was never properly socialized.
Some characters, if interested, may recognize the Lindell surname. Evanora Lindell (Cricket's mother) was a powerful MC-based witch in the 1940s-50s, known for being passionately against anti-witch groups. She had some political sway, before her group attacked an anti-witch establishment and murdered several humans. The group was caught, but she went into hiding, evading police and the Veil forever.
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