Cricket x Ghoul

Character Name: Minnow
Gender: Male
Size/Height/Build XL/41"/Heavy (for the meme) (or 45"/Heavy, cause I have a dire pass and that would be extra hilarious)
Design:

Appearance:

Youth: Born small and compact, a very stocky child. Minnow earned his name from the jump, being borderline runty for the first few weeks of his life. However, a voracious appetite quells any concerns that he might be sickly or weak. By the time he's weaned, Minnow will show signs of who he will grow to be. Namely, in the form of some absolutely outrageous paws. He adopts a bit of a pigeon-toed gait as a pup, doing his best to mitigate the things. His stocky build sticks around, and he puts on bulk like it's his job. It takes quite a while before the rest of him catches up, and suddenly he's towering over everyone his age. Growing in short, rapid bursts instead of slow and steady like most pups. Just when his peers start catching up to him, suddenly he's another five inches taller. All the while, he's got the kind of build that earns him nicknames like "bruiser" and "big guy" no matter where he goes. It's enough to make him a bit shy and awkward, by the time he's old enough to clue in to the whole ordeal.

Build & Coat: Minnow was adult sized long before he was adult age. An inheritance of Klein genes influencing his build to be something princely and imposing, he was meant to be a bulwark of a man. Standing 41" at the shoulder, the man is no pushover. To call him massive would be an understatement- everything about him is heavyset and imposing. Burgeoning with corded steel muscle laced over a solid skeleton, Minnow could haul a mountain on his shoulders without breaking a sweat. There's no shortage of power to be found across his physique, and all of it is completely wasted on a man who would rather spend his time lounging by a stream all day. Minnow has the kind of heavy, primeval skull that can be used as a battering ram when it suits him. To his credit, though, those wide set cheekbones have the kind of chiseled definition that others would kill for.

Minnow takes after his mother, clad in the pale, diluted green of frostbitten mosses. His colouration darkens at his extremities akin to a traditional seal-point pelage, becoming a saturated, brilliant emerald over his limbs, tail, and head. Forming a small saddle over his back are a collection of dark green rosettes, which also cover his plush and fluffy tail. Some might call them his toad-spots, based on their hue. To a far less noticeable extent, those rosettes also appear in the space between his ears, but it's decidedly rare that anyone gets to see all the way up there to verify that. Standing out stark against his marshy coat, his chest is stained coal dark from sternum to throat, branching off along his neck to follow the outer edge of his jawline and cheeks. These little trails of soot stain both of his ears black, while leaving the fluffy inner ear fur bright green. Minnow also rocks a perfect dark liner (if a little heavy on the top lid)- with its long outer wing connected to the dark markings on his cheeks, lending a deeply unfortunate illusion of a constant Kubrick stare with those bright eyes of his.

Eyes & Voice: A goth kid from the moment of his birth, the verdant wolf has eyes of a jarring crimson hue. Contrasted by the kohl liner that surrounds his eyes, he's got the kind of piercing stare that can make anyone sweat. Minnow has truly outrageous eyelashes, the kind that so many struggle to achieve for their entire lives. Completely wasted on him, of course. Mostly invisible against the dark background of his eye markings, and so far up there that one can hardly notice them. From a young age, there's a permanent crease in his brow that could come from ether constant confusion or constant scowling (but probably a mix of both).

When he speaks, it's with the kind of rumbling bass in his voice that puts an immediate halt to a conversation. It shouldn't be surprising that his voice is so deep, but nonetheless it's jarring at first. Yet, Minnow speaks with such a whisper soft volume most of the time in the hopes that no one realizes he's so big and scary. His laugh is pure joy, a booming event that echoes through any space and invites others to join.

Stance & Gait: Remember how he grew up quick, and grew up into a very big boy? Minnow is incredibly self conscious of that. As soon as the growth spurts hit, he developed a forward pitch to his impossibly broad shoulders to try and make himself seem smaller and somehow occupy less physical space. He's a sloucher, and a huncher. Terrible posture, like he's trying to fold inwards on himself. His name is Minnow, for fucksake- he's not supposed to be so big! However, when night falls and the stars are out, he unfurls light some moonlight bloom. Craning his neck up and back to examine the heavens, limbs akimbo as he settles into himself.

Minnow is also a skulker. He creeps around as a means of locomotion, as opposed to simply walking. As a result, he always looks a little bit suspicious. Why are you creeping around, big guy? What are you up to? He's never up to anything, he's just not a very big fan of being perceived. So despite his enormous size, Minnow is near silent on his feet. The guy who simply appears from the aether at some point, where there was previously nothing and no one. Usually to the surprise and terror of those around him.

Scent: That smell that always seems to cling to outside cats when they've just come indoors, that distinct and sharp smell of "mmm, outside" that you just want to huff like an idiot. Minnow always smells like that, usually with some additional hint of loam, woodsmoke, or sea salt. A true nomad and a wanderer, he always smells like the best parts of an outdoor adventure.

Quirks & Mutations: He's inherited a warm grey skin tone from.. somewhere. Nose, pawpads, and all of the skin beneath his soft coat is the grey hue of wet clay. Not a trace of albinism, despite those brilliant crimson eyes. Even his tongue is grey, though there are a few odd splotches of pink thrown in for good measure. When Minnow yawns, it's a very strange sight indeed, which just means that it's in keeping with the rest of him.


Personality:
Acerbic - Partly a result of being a wee bit oblivious, he doesn't put all that much effort into minding his manners. Nor is Minnow particularly good at watching his words. In fact, he's a bit of a bastard, in that regard. He says what he thinks, and doesn't pull any punches. There's no malice in it, he doesn't have any interest in putting in the effort to be malicious. No, it's nothing more than being painfully blunt. However, he's a sharp one, and so he tends to pick on things that aren't immediately obvious- and more likely to hit a bit too close to home. Count on Minnow to speak up only to point out something incredibly astute, and simultaneously do so in a way that feels like a personal attack.

Flighty - Impossible to contain. Minnow wants to be on the move most of the time, and doesn't like being forced to stick around when the wanderlust strikes. He's a classic example of a flight risk under most circumstances. He'll just take off, go somewhere for no good reason, and see no issue with that decision. Minnow just prefers being out and about, often for long stretches that involve a lot of exploration and adventure. Furthermore, despite the sheer size of him, he's not much of a brawler. Instead, Minnow avoids conflict more often than not. Instead of trying to break up an argument or fight, he'd rather just leave. Which he will. And he won't return for days afterwards, in all likelihood.

Morbid - It can't be helped. He's a weird guy, often taking his sweet time breaking down carcasses after a successful hunt. He likes knowing the inner workings of other creatures. Minnow is also fascinated by decay and decomposition, often returning to a specific carcass dozens of times over the course of a few seasons to see how each one is reclaimed by the earth. A creepy, unsettling hobby, but he doesn't spend much time talking about it. He considers it a passive interest, something he only indulges in if he stumbles upon something over the course of his travels.

Space Cadet - Not too carefully tethered to reality, this one. Minnow tends to drift off in his own thoughts, or get caught up in his own little world. If he were one of those little toys with a pull-string and a set of phrases, at least half would be variations of "huh?". It's not entirely his fault, Minnow is just easily distracted and similarly easily entertained. The kind of guy who would wander off in the middle of a sentence to follow a particularly colourful butterfly on its course through a meadow. With this in mind, it should surprise no one that he doesn't usually pay attention to instructions. Or conversations. Most things that involve being told something. Consider him a kinetic learner- if you show him what to do, and let him learn by practicing, then he's perfectly fine. Just don't count on a lecture having any effect on him.

Shy - A byproduct of being a bit of a visual anomaly for most folks, he's a very reserved creature. Minnow doesn't enjoy crowds at all, or being the centre of attention. In a perfect world, Minnow would never be perceived by more than one or two other creatures at a time. It's part of the reason he enjoys stargazing. He doesn't stand out quite so intensely in the dark, and the sky is often far more enthralling than the patterns of his coat or the sheer, marvellous size of the lad. His posture is almost permanently set in a slouch, or a hunch- anything to try and fold himself inwards in the hope that he'll collapse in on himself and cease to be.

Momma's Boy - Ironically, a trait he inherited from his father. While Minnow loves his entire family immensely, he adores his mother the absolute most. He follows her around as often as his natural wanderlust will allow, and never balks at any of her requests. If she asked, he'd tear down the whole world and set it ablaze. Which means that his mother is the only one to whom he will come home if called to do so, a very special privilege indeed!

Alignment: Chaotic Neutral
Skills: Hunting & Navigation
Plans? gonna lean heavily into navigation, and he's gonna have a fascination with stars and constellations. Catch him wandering off pretty regularly as he gets older to track the seasonal changes of the stars, and probably come back with lots of cool stories for his family whenever he remembers that he has to come back and check in lol