Cricket'Ballad is a cat described frequently as an annoyance, hinted by his nickname from his fellow clan mates. Nicknamed "crick" (short for cricket, but in reference to a 'crick in the neck'), Cricket'Ballad is tactless and rowdy, yet always up for fun, adventure, and any form of rough play. As a kit, he would get riled up with their siblings, easily launching the nursery into a game of rough housing. All games, of course, but it easily gave them the name of a pesky little kit. Born to their parents, Mudcrab'Grapple and Rose'Tide, they were an eager soul ready for adventures, thriving off of stories of grandeur told by their father. Born alongside them was Meadow'Kit, Bear'Kit and Warbler'Kit. The three were raised by the very doting pair. Not only were they born into a life with caring parents, but were gently guided into the clan's religion; the worship of Kynareth, which they all embraced eagerly. Their apprenticeship came eventually, and the four showed their personalities quickly, with Meadow'Paw being noted to be more independent, frequently watching her siblings while only cracking the occasional joke. The siblings found him hilarious, yet some others would say Meadow'Paw's humour was.. questionable. Warbler'Paw was focused on knowledge, being the rationale of the bunch. But, sometimes his strong feelings overcame his logic; a kit filled to the brim with empathy for others. Bear'Paw was a femme who easily became devoted, focusing on one main goal at once. A ball of pure focus and fluff. But, when Bear'Paw lost track of these goals or failed to meet them, it would easily fall into immense amounts of self-pity, wallowing in her failure. As for Cricket'Paw, they were tactless and loud, frequently chatting up whoever would listen. They lacked some awareness, often guided by their own enthusiasm.

Of course, their enthusiasm earned them a bad name; "Crick" for short. But, Cricket'Paw never really cared, finding refuge in his own excitement, as well as forcing his siblings to listen to their mindless rambles. As all apprentices do, Cricket'Paw became Cricket'Ballad, and eventually became the deputy of Shadow'Star. Overjoyed at the motion, and the role given to them, Cricket'Ballad assured Shadow'Star that he would server her eternally. Nothing could break the bond they would grow, despite Cricket'Ballad's reputation for being an annoyance.

Demeanour

Cricket'Ballad has a very friendly vibe, although their excess of enthusiasm and kit-like rowdiness (which they never outgrew) tends to make approaching them a bit more... uncomfortable, for some. Welcoming (to some "overly"), honest, and very vocal about their opinions, Cricket'Ballad is the definition of tactless. Of course, this is likely why he was chosen as deputy; Shadow'Star had somebody to say her "brutally honest" opinions for her.

Full of energy from practically the day he was born, Cricket'Ballad is always ready to dive into new projects at the shortest notice. Extroverted, Cricket'Ballad is a chatter bug, often talking to one cat or another, even to the point of ignoring deliberate social cues. This isn't exactly due to Cricket'Ballad not knowing social cues, but rather not noticing them *in the moment* or eagerly pressing the current topic just to talk some more. Despite his constant flow of energy, Cricket'Ballad lacks any aggressive initiative, being quite "soft" when it comes to being harsh. He struggles to crack down, but this caused him to pair quite well with his leader, who cared little about how harsh she was.

Death / "The Start of the Dragon Crisis"

Cricket'Ballad's death was a tragic one, and one not planned by Shadow'Star.

During the grand fire, the dragon attack, in Skyclan territory, Cricket'Ballad stuck strictly by his leader's side, ensuring her safe passage through the flaming and collapsing camp. They only stepped aside for brief moments to ensure the route ahead was clear, but was quick to dart back to Shadow'Star's side as soon as they were sure of themself.

Yet, when they passed by the ablaze nursery, Cricket'Ballad dismissed himself from her side. He reassured Shadow'Star that he would be right back; he had to make sure all the kits and their guardians escaped. As he left her side, he gave her one more determined look, before diving head first into the blazing den.

He checked around, digging through the messy nests for any sign of a kit left behind, or even a mother who let their kit go ahead. As he searched, there was nothing, much to his relief. But, as they tried to crawl back out, their long, "Kynareth-Given" legs knocked away from of the branches. His careless movements shifted the branches out of place, the support holding the den up falling apart and trapping them in. The heat only grew, with smoke collecting.

The crisp winds of Skyrim, the air blessed by Kynareth, was now tainted. The gift from the very deity he worshipped would be his undoing, and he would die alone in the nursery. His body would be retrieved by the Kynareth's Paws after the fire died out.

• Cricket'Ballad is voice claimed by Sun Wukong - LEGO: Monkie Kid.
• Cricket'Ballad is noted to have a relatively high-pitched voice. Whether it's annoyingly so is up to whoever they are speaking to.
• Cricket'Ballad smells woody.