Thistle, like most cryptids, came into existence as a formless void, defining a 'self' bit by bit by mimicking the life she saw around her. Her first home was a deeply isolated forest, but over time curiosity drew her away into further and further areas; in a forest to the north, she found a massive old cryptid living with a younger one like herself (albeit much more excitable). Thistle was...cautious at first, but the novelty of meeting other creatures like herself and the chance to ask questions to a being that had seen so much won out in the end.

The three became something like a family, or the closest cryptids get at least, and life was peaceful for a while until an incident that left the forest heavily damaged - Thistle left afterwards and moved a bit aimlessly here and there, from forest to forest, protecting and caring for the life there for a bit before moving on for one reason or another. Some of these places, while still isolated, were frequented a bit more by humans - she liked to watch the campers and hikers, the hunters and builders...not as much. Still, they weren't all bad, and they did interesting things, and their forms were convenient for a lot of things. Hands are a useful thing to have.

Most recently, she's been living somewhat near SC HQ in Romania, where a recent visit from some operatives to help with an issue in the forest sparked an interest and provided an opportunity - in exchange for making herself useful, get to see things she would never get to see where she was. Leaving the forest completely for something so different is - a scary thought, admittedly, but if it's too bad she can always leave again, right...? Right. First she has to figure out how to use a phone, though, give her a minute.

Thistle is the type of person whose presence in a room goes easily unnoticed; she rarely speaks just for the sake of speaking, and when she does, it's almost never forceful. She is unobtrusive and softhearted - while far from a pushover, she is gentle and thoughtful by nature and doesn't like to do unnecessary harm in any form, although what she deems necessary harm is a different story. She is earnest and sincere almost to a fault, and has an endless curiosity and desire to know that is by far the easiest way to draw out bursts of enthusiasm.

Curiosity is, however, a double-edged sword, and she has a tendency to pursue it past what might strictly be a good idea. There's a bit of push and pull between that and her strong (arguably overdeveloped) sense of caution - she is rather jumpy and wary of new people and places, while at the same time being drawn to them. She also tends to be easily distracted, by her surroundings or just her own thoughts, and often doesn't explain or elaborate on things unless specifically asked. She isn't mysterious on purpose, just...a bit too used to living in her own head.

• She genuinely likes every season, but has a soft spot for spring and summer, mostly because of the abundance of plants.
• Has a tendency to speak without contractions (ex. 'will not' instead of 'won't).
• She is surprisingly unaffected by things like violence and death - she considers them a normal part of the natural order, at least to an extent. However, she still doesn't like to fight unless she considers it necessary.
• Cryptid ages are nebulous, and she hasn't kept track of how many years she's been alive, but in comparison to others of her species she's around the equivalent of a young adult, think 20-21 ish.