Name: Jericho Cross Prior to adoption, surname was Zolnerowich. He's mixed on which name he prefers.
Nickname: Jerry Which he's not fond of. It's an entirely different name that's not his, thanks. This one usually gets the other person punched.
Age: 15 16
Birthday: June 20
Sign: Gemini
Gemstone: Pearl
Blood Type: Type O
Fav. Food: Potato corn bacon and cheese soup. No he has no idea if there's a proper name for it beyond "best soup out there."
Hated Food: Lettuce, and subsequently minimalist salads. He'll take spinach, or lettuce that's covered in some sort of dressing if he has to.
School: Medowview, about to start sophomore year.
Hobbies:
____Handyman
xxxxxJericho doesn't know the meaning of "see with your eyes not your hands" when it comes to... well. Everything inanimate. Especially if it's around the house. Always a "do it yourself"-er, he's taken his curiosity of how the world around him works and applied it to relatively modest applications. Namely, trying to do and fix as much around him with his own two hands as he possibly can. Plumber has to come over? He'll perch by and ask the plumber a million questions--"Need a hand?" being the biggest if he thinks they'll let him--trying to comprehend how he might be able to tackle the project himself next time. Electrician? Carpenter? Auto mechanic? AC technician? You name the trade, and he'll likely be wandering around after them eyes sharp and mind wide open to gather as much information as possible. Never mind then looking up information online. TV's on near him? It'll be flicked to a channel full of DIY programs. Before anyone can call a repair person when something's died in the house, Jericho will always demand one shot at trying to figure the problem out himself. If all fails, he'll relent and let them call a licensed professional. His mother's drawn the line at anything dealing with the electricity though, much to his annoyance.
____Prove it with Science
xxxxxIf he's not watching DIY programs, he's watching the Science channel. Started with shows like How It's Made, but quickly was drawn into other programs talking about how the earth worked. Then different programs on space. Cosmos has his undivided attention whenever it's on. In school, Jericho listens most acutely to his science teachers. Fascinated by the particles that compose the mundane of the day-to-day, to the mind boggling prospects of the universe itself, he devours books and articles about any "newest discovery" he can find. Chemistry especially is something he's interested in, forever amazed at how simple chemicals can do so much--in the body, in the environment, in space. But anything about the world around him, large or small, will pretty easily captivate his attention for many, many hours if given the chance. He's not against random visits to the zoo or aquarium just to learn more about habitats, ecosystems, and how different creatures can drastically affect different regions.
____Sculpting
xxxxxWhat started as an attempt to simply get Jericho to "work on" something that wasn't a potentially expensive part of the house, and still occupy himself back when he'd first entered foster care, was giving him mounds of cheap clay and let him go to town. Which he did. With surprising gusto. Far from a prodigy or even really talented at this point, he heavily enjoys the feeling of wet clay sliding under his fingers. Forming a shapeless blob into--what he hopes is--a figure or being either from a heavily used pile of reference images or something of his own mind, is a rather relaxing experience for him. He'll quote abstract for most of his work, or just plainly hide it the hell away from peering eyes. He's discovered along with sculpting, he rather enjoys pottery making. That he has the most success with, if only because the basic concept is relatively easy. When he meant to make a bowl and makes a strange.... cup, instead, well. He can say that was his intention the whole time and no one can say otherwise. Don't get him started on the frustration of painting them though. That's still a massive work in progress skill.
____Church Pew Confessional
xxxxxNot religious himself, or so he says, Jericho still finds himself spending a lot of... extra time in the church his family attends. He hadn't really attended church till he was adopted, previously only attending on the rare occasion his father felt the need, and if questioned directly says he trusts science over "an old book." But he keeps coming back. He can't deny there's something out there. What, exactly? No idea. He refuses to try and put an "identity" to it. Yet he'll still come and listen to different services, flip through different stories in the book. Even he can admit there's something calming about being under a church roof, and when times get especially rough he'll slip through the doors and huddle away on one of the pews. He'll stay there for a while when able, and has made a large habit of chatting with the priest--when his family isn't there, anyways. Around them, he continues to show nothing but the respectful but disinterested youth, attending only because it's part of their family habits to go each Sunday morning. Still not a believer so far as he's concerned, he does find comfort in the idea that for how real evil is, maybe there's a real good out there. At the very least, he's got a pretty good safe spot to sit and chill till the stress and nightmares give him a break.
Virtues:
____All for the Here and Now
xxxxxFor Jericho, little matters more than life in the moment. He knows how quickly a moment can pass and does his best not to let it go to waste. He'll laugh, he'll smile--not a heck of a lot on both counts, but enough for his own comfort--he'll happily ignore the fact it there is a next moment for as long as he can, just enjoying the current moment for what it's worth. He’ll put all his energy into the moment, into every action he takes no matter how large or small, because once that moment passes it’s gone. Jericho finds enjoyment in the little things in life and has learned not to ever take them for granted--from everyday objects to scientific wonders, from an inside joke with a friend to a kind gesture from his adoptive parents. Some could easily call Jericho intense, if only because he doesn’t really seem to slow down, or maybe that he knows how quickly life can pass one by. When the moment is all that matters, why care about the next event? Just appreciate everything you have while you have it, don't expect more. Call him humble from this, or even idealistic, but it's the tiny tinge of rose he'll allow himself in his vision of the world. Living in the moment is still further reflected most by how he responds to others’ actions. If the mood is light and lively, Jericho will be lighter and livelier, willing to talk more and laugh and smile. If the mood is tense or hostile, Jericho reacts in kind, mimicking the atmosphere regardless of if he had previous positive experiences with the person. The same can be said for vice versa: having an enemy in Jericho doesn't mean he still can't enjoy a good joke with you in a new moment, or even talk about trivial matters. In a sense, he can give people a second, third, or potentially more chances to redeem themselves in his eyes--depending on the original offense they made to him, that is. Some things cannot be forgiven--first and foremost, any moment in which Jericho has felt betrayed by the person, something he'll never cease to expect time and time again from them--but until that offense is back at the forefront of his mind, why not enjoy the good moment while it lasts? As long as Jericho can focus on living in the moment, maybe he will actually have a chance for a normal life.
____Bare Bones Leaves No Room for White Lies
xxxxxFacts, facts, facts. Never expect anything less from Jericho. To him, a false tale is akin to a cardinal sin. He says it how it is, either by facts he's aware of, or the simple fact of his answer is sometimes the only answer he'll accept. While he will--sort of--own up to not fully knowing the answer to something, he'll always have an opinion or view based on whatever experiences or facts he does know that could even remotely relate to the subject at hand. Him? Lie? Never. Be it about his intelligence or in a debate about why he's right and you're wrong, you can at least trust Jericho won't flat-out lie. Although he's very fond of omission. This is a vibrantly different story in his book--something he certainly wouldn't hold over someone else's head, either. He won't tell you a false fact, but if he knows facts that would put an argument in your favor... well. He'll just keep it in his back pocket. If you don't bring it up, why should he? He doesn't spin tales, or try to make something out to be more impressive than it actually is. You'll never get anything but bare facts and statements from him. The truth tends to be more impressive in his view, anyways. You can also trust he'll never sugar coat. It's a secondary sin to him, altering the truth in a horrible way. If someone can't deal with the reality of the situation, then they'd best leave. What he gives is what he expects in turn. Someone trying to sugar coat anything to Jericho would get nothing less than disdain from the youth. In his mind, being honest is being kind. Even if the truth might hurt someone he's speaking to, he genuinely believes to lie to them--only for them to potentially learn about his lie--would only hurt them further, and only give them reasons to distrust him. If someone he had any form of affection for was facing a hard truth, he'd tell it to them flat out, but at the same time making it clear he wasn't moving away from them while they dealt with it. He'd expect them to, and at least could be counted on to offer his two-cents on how they could go about it, but to him dealing with that harsh reality is how to best move on from it. Something he knows he always wants from others, is something he will always give to those around him.
____A Code to Live by . . .
xxxxxThe kid's got a sense of honor, and does have a sort of moral fiber he generally sticks to. It's there in his refusal to lie, and his intent to accomplish whatever goal is set before him. It extends a great deal further though. Well. Sort of. That sense of honor and that moral fiber are a tad vague in many, many senses, and at times can look downright archaic. General overarching rule of thumb? Jericho will, without question or hesitation, follow the laws and orders given to him to a T.... until it means letting someone else (that gives a crap about) suffer, in which case he will ignore all laws and orders in favor of his own objectives to assist that person. But once you've set rule and laws that fit into the necessary criteria? You can pretty much rest assured Jericho'll follow them to the letter. The largest part of that is getting him to give his word. Once given, his word is something he tries everything he can not to break, even if doing so goes against his personal code. Sometimes mistakes happen--deadlines are missed by seconds or minutes, or perhaps some miscommunication lead to some error here or there in a project. In which case, Jericho will then do whatever he can to try and make amends. Limits? Whatever he can physically, mentally, financially do of course. Legal? That's where some of the grey comes in. While he doesn't act with the intent on breaking any laws, and does in fact view remaining on the right side of the law as a thing to strive for... he's also of the mind that, unfortunately, the laws do not always offer the best protection for all people in all circumstances. Give him an assignment to act in the defense of one, at the cost of another person? He'll gladly ignore the laws that protect the latter.
Flaws:
____Faith and Trust, as Real as Pixie Dust
xxxxxThe key thing of Jericho is that, unfortunately, he possesses very little trust in the people around him. He can enjoy time with some, sure, even call some friends, but he keeps waiting for the bad stuff to happen. For them to walk away for good, for them to somehow disappoint or, somehow, hurt him. His tendency to live more in the moment does mean he can enjoy people while he's got them, but half the problem is that he's not promised they'll still be around him in the next moment. His faith is in himself, and his own determination to enjoy the moment as it is. And, if it came down to it, his own abilities to keep him in the next moment when it comes. He can, in a large sense, become clingy to people if they stick around long enough and he forms an attachment to them. Part of this is the near paranoia that something will happen if he's not around them. Someone whom Jericho considers a friend can expect random text at nearly all hours--all light-hearted in subject usually, or random photos of things he's seen walking around. His attachment to others isn't something he often enjoys though, if only because he's still waiting for even those people to somehow "turn traitor" on him somehow. He prefers to keep the word at at least something of arm's length, but keeps failing at that. Which only leaves him smiling in one moment, but waiting for the bad news to be dropped in the next.
____Cold as Steel and Just as Harsh
xxxxxHim? A distant jerk? Eh. Easy enough for him to come across as such. It's difficult for Jericho to relate to a lot of the world, not understanding this sentiment that sugar coating or "white lies" are supposed to be helpful to people. Be kinder to people. It's a concept lost on him, and with it, many aspects of gentile, softer natures. A kind word to Jericho is the blatant truth, especially if neither party want it out in the air. Knowing that someone else understand the truth of a situation, and accepts it for what it is, is as strong a shoulder to lean on as he could ask for. Unfortunately, he connects that too much with the concept of distant, stony facades and bleak honesty. Never mind he rarely expects to find such honesty in other people. Intentionally keeping himself from everything else--still waiting for that other shoe to drop, for the bad news to come--over the years has made it difficult for him to really alter his view to see how bleak he can be from someone else's point of view. He knows he doesn't want lies or fake bullshit. He can't comprehend how a lie or softening a verbal blow might actually help someone. Why would anyone just want to hear lies? To him, accepting the cold truth and finding a way to either rise above it or move past it, is the only logical next steps. Not trying to hide from it or "lessen a blow."
____. . . and a Code all His Own
xxxxxYeah. Uh. About that code? That moral code? It's a tad personal. And a bit archaic at times. "Might makes right" sort of archaic. Along with "ownership is nine tenths of the law." Meaning once he's got something, it's his, and once he's in a role to dictate how something goes, he dictates. Anyone who stands against either of these facts had best be ready to show either they're the ones with all the might, or they've got that last tenth of the law that can overthrow his other nine. While he's at least capable of admitting others have more might than he does right now, you can be sure he'll be keeping score for down the line. Gender or sex doesn't play a role in his personal code, only the simple terms of who has the most right to act as authority and set the rest of the one tenths of the law. Something that certainly allows him the ability to follow the orders of others, maybe even allow him to see their logic on some subjects... But the boy has little qualm ignoring some laws or orders in favor of what he perceives as a "greater good." He might have a tad issue with control, true. But it's really only because he wants things done right, and he's pretty sure very few people can do that that aren't him.
PHYSICAL DESCRIPTION
Eyes: Pale, icy blue. One of the few things he inherited from his father.
Hair: Dark brown, nearly black, it falls just past his chin. Thick and usually quite unruly, he typically keeps it pulled back in a small ponytail.
Face: BB6D4A Square jaw and square shoulders, Jericho's already showing all the signs of a very bulky bodytype by frame alone. Which has unfortunately left him in a bit of an awkward phase at the moment as he tries to adjust to his ever growing body.
Clothes: A constant accessory is the thick silver cuff he wears on his right wrist. Faintly engraved, it was clearly designed for a woman, though bent and altered a tad to fit his wrist. Previously belonged to his mother. [Rest of his fashion I'm figuring out shhhh]
History Blurbs
- Jericho was in the foster care system since around age 10, after his father killed his mother. The man was caught, tried, and deemed innocent by reason of metal defect due to poorly treated PTSD, and is now located in a psychiatric hospital as he undergoes proper treatment. Jericho himself has been in therapy since the incident, and prefers to not speak about the whole thing. When given the choice to keep his old surname or that of his new adopted family, the Crosses, he opted for the final public separation from the surname plastered across the news a few years back. Every now and then he debates going back to his original last name in the future. At this point, he does not visit his father in the hospital--and hasn't even looked into if it's possible for him or not. He has no intention of making contact with the man at all.
Jericho first met Melinda Cross through her brother, Brian Harper, who was the responding officer to the house--and the one who subsequently first discovered Jericho on the scene. Officer Harper took a sympathetic interest in the kid, and after Jericho entered the foster care system, checked in on him now and then. Though Jericho himself isn't sure if it was "luck" or not that lead to Melinda and Daniel Cross to meet with him through the private agency they'd used, he did take a gradual liking to the couple beyond the scope of "Officer Harper's family." The adoption process was completed in mid-2013.
In connection to the case around his mother's death, he has an extreme hatred towards the term "innocent by reason of mental defect." In the argument, he stands that guilty is guilty.
Negaverse Alias: Lieutenant 
