Wooden Cricket

Wooden Cricket is the friendship between Pinocchio and Jiminy Cricket from the Pinocchio fandom.

Pinocchio (1940)
Jiminy is both a character in the story and the narrator of the movie. He begins the story by recounting the time where he was homeless, with Geppetto's workshop being the only house in sight that was warmly illuminated, he snuck in and made himself comfortable just as Geppetto was finishing his latest work, a wooden puppet of a boy. He watches the man making his newest creation dance, overhearing him wishing that he could be a real boy. He finds the idea lovely, but also brushes it aside. After many, many tries to get a good night's sleep, Jiminy witnesses the wishing star coming into the workshop as a ball of blue light, out springs the Blue Fairy granting Geppetto's wish. Jiminy watches Pinocchio come to life and converse with the Blue Fairy, but acts offended when Pinocchio asks how to distinguish right from wrong, having no idea what a conscience is. Coming into their view just to lecture the boy, the Blue Fairy is amused by him and asks him if he'd like to be Pinocchio's conscience. Jiminy is flattered and accepts almost immediately, but they both have to promise the Blue Fairy to do good, as Pinocchio has to prove himself worthy to truly become a real boy. He then teaches the boy to whistle as a way of getting his attention.

On Jiminy's first day as Pinocchio's conscience, he oversleeps and nearly misses Pinocchio's first day of school. However, on his way, Pinocchio falls into the clutches of conmen Honest John and Gideon, who try to convince him to become an actor for their benefit. Jiminy catches the boy as he's lead away from the school, trying to talk sense into him while dodging Honest John and Gideon's attacks. However, Pinocchio ignores his advice and decides to become an actor. Jiminy is not pleased, thinking of telling this to Geppetto, but then decides to try and convince Pinocchio himself to come back, not wanting to "snitch" on him. But when he sees how successful Pinocchio's act is, he thinks that Pinocchio may have been right after all, thinking of leaving. Going into puppetmaster Stromboli's carriage to wish him good luck and apologize, he soon discovers that Stromboli has no intention of letting Pinocchio go, with the boy asking Jiminy for help. Unfortunately, Jiminy Cricket is not strong enough to pick the lock of Pinocchio's cage, meaning he would've been stuck in that thing if it wasn't for the Blue Fairy arriving a second time for a timely rescue. However, Pinocchio panics over not knowing how to explain the situation to her, with Jiminy advising to just tell her the truth. To his disappointment, Pinocchio lies to her, with the Blue Fairy playing along until she reveals that she could tell that he lied by his nose growing. She agrees to give them a second chance and free Pinocchio, but both have to promise her to do good once again.

Before they could enjoy their newfound freedom, Pinocchio stumbles into Honest John and Gideon again, this time, they are intending to send Pinocchio to Pleasure Island, where he could live out his worst impulses. Jiminy couldn't talk Pinocchio out of it, but he snuck onto the Coachman's wagon, secretly coming along to Pleasure Island. When Jiminy finds Pinocchio again, he is smoking and drinking while playing Pool Billard with a troublemaker named Lampwick, who quickly mocks Jiminy, calling him a "bug". When Jiminy is out to teach the boy some manners, Pinocchio protects Lampwick, calling him his "best friend", which shocks Jiminy, who thought of himself as Pinocchio's best friend. Heartbroken and offended, Jiminy sees no reason to stick with Pinocchio any longer, but then he stumbles across the Coachman fencing some donkeys. He quickly discovers that the donkeys are the misbehaving boys sent to Pleasure Island, terrified of Pinocchio suffering the same transformation, he rushes right back to him. He manages to get Pinocchio with only his ears having transformed and a donkey's tail having grown on his behind, unable to save the fully-transformed Lampwick. They manage to escape Pleasure Island on a narrow, rocky path.

Finally home again, the two of them are disappointed to discover that Geppetto has gone missing, having been swallowed by a whale named Monstro in a futile attempt at searching for Pinocchio. Jiminy warns Pinocchio of the killer whale, but Pinocchio won't let the monster have his father, he takes Jiminy underwater with him to find Geppetto. Jiminy, being a cricket, is in constant danger at being eaten by the fish, so he has to hide in a glass bottle while being separated from Pinocchio, who was swallowed by Monstro. Pinocchio manages to save Geppetto by himself, but gets killed in the battle against Monstro, with Jiminy discovering his now lifeless body on shore. Back at Geppetto's workshop, Pinocchio's body is laid out on Geppetto's bed, with Jiminy mourning him alongside Pinocchio's family. However, they celebrate after the Blue Fairy turns him into a real boy as a recognition of his sacrifice. When Jiminy leaves the party to speak to the Blue Fairy personally, she rewards him with a golden badge, declaring him Pinocchio's official conscience for good.

Lies of P
Instead of a talking cricket, Pinocchio's conscience is an Monad's Lamp that goes by Gemini. The humanoid Pinocchio finds him on the train he wakes up on and carries Gemini's lamp on his belt, as he serves as his guide through Krat, along with helping P with his side questions. Whenever Gemini speaks to Pinocchio, he makes a "chirping" sound that is much like the one that actual crickets make. Gemini and his kind are based on the original Talking Cricket from the Adventures of Pinocchio, that is considered a folklore in Krat's history. Gemini mentions someone who loved the story of the wooden puppet to P (Pinocchio's nickname in the dark retelling game), but has trouble remembering who that was. It is hinted that the person Gemini mentions might have been Carlo, the person P was modelled after and holds the ergo life essence of, when one of Carlo's memories on the Isle of Alchemists has Gemini's name be mentioned by the Stalker that Carlo asked to train him.

Fanon
Wooden Cricket is the most written ship for the 1940 movie on AO3. However, even the Once Upon A Time tag mostly ships it platonically.

Fandom

 * FAN FICTION