Ripley Pond

Ripley Pond
Ripley Pond
Pronouns	He/Him
Age	27
Alignment	Unaligned
Occupation	Private Investigator/Lawyer
Status	Dead
Mark information
Mark	Unknown
OOC information
Player	Ten824

Ripley Pond was a licensed private investigator and criminal lawyer within the city of New Chiti. Known for his blunt approach and laid-back demeanor, it was his stern understanding of the law that helped him crack so many cases. Passing the bar, as well as obtaining his investigative license, Ripley helped wherever he could in order to bring justice to the land.

Career

Valiente & Knightley

Once a hardworking desk-jockey for Valiente & Knightley, he was a reliable asset to ensure any case heralded by his employers will have ample evidence to back it up. One could argue that an on-call PI dedicated to a single law firm, whom has the ability to enter crime scenes and deliberate with police, is absurd and a possible obstruction of justice. However, the law allows any PI to work for hire, as long as they follow certain measures. Pond works well within his legal limits, and reports all evidence between both parties.

When he wasn't saving any particular case, he took direct orders from his bosses, Valentine Valiente and Jules Knightley. Although, most of these responsibilities fell under the category of an office chore, such as coffee retrieval or toilet cleaning.

After a botched truck raid, orchestrated by Sisyphus and Jules Knightley, Jules was cast out of the firm and Ripley's duties were temporarily on ice. After a week, the PI rendezvoused with Valentine and had a long discussion of what to do next. They worked together to try and build back up after everything that happened, but Val was murdered a few weeks later, papers claiming Jules to have been the perpetrator.

Personal Life

Not much is known about his personal life. It's understood that he was a lifetime Chitizen, you can tell by the way he talks, and that he lived in a small apartment downtown. But when it came to leisure and off the clock activities, he'd usually pass up the opportunity for more work. Some sources point to him having a history in karaoke, but he clearly moved past that point in his life. He took lots of overtime, sometimes pulling all-nighters on cases that might not even get resolved. He was a determined PI, and gave his absolute best to the firm.

One thing he did show a passion for, in and out of work, was his fashion sense. He took great care in his presentation and how he looked, owning several different suits, jackets, and even makeup kits. He claimed the day he learned to take care of himself was the best day of his life.

On June 15th, 2081, Ripley was found dead in a local lake after a boating accident took his life.

Abilities & Gear

Ripley Pond mostly worked with just the clothes on his back. His phone helped him do everything he physically can't as a PI. Photography, recording, notekeeping, etc. While a sharp tongue is good for investigative work, Ripley focused his strengths into knowing his environment. Being unmarked in New Chiti invites danger to anyone venturing down the wrong rabbit hole, so the ability to clear his mind and stay focused helped him tremendously. That, and a bag of lollipops.

During the raid on Villains Inc., it was shown that Ripley Pond had secret weapons hidden on his person.

Trivia

Ripley's favorite animal was the raccoon. In fact, he'd oftentimes leaves his garbage open for the little critters. According to him, if these creatures happened to survive past the flood, then they must be worth something to the world.

Notable Relationships
Ripley Pond	An immensely popular socialite with the entire class of 2072 wrapped around his finger. A shame what happened, how he came to be in the end. He was just... Something else.
Jules Knightley	She never knew. She had never once suspected that he was the one tripping her leads against Godot. He pulled the strings so carefully, ensured every new path was a trap, and successfully conned the world into believing Jules's conviction was nothing but a con. He lied to her face, and she believed him wholeheartedly. At the end of the day, his relationship with Jules was a success. It's everything a shapeshifter could possibly want; a con job that works so well it cleans up after itself. But... Ripley really liked Jules. Ripley liked the normalcy and calm this job provided. There's an ache in his heart for the sins committed, but his brain blocks the meaning behind it well. Things simply croak, sport. You'll be better after a cigarette.
Valentine Valiente	His other former boss. He did a lot for Ripley, even if his exterior was quite rough sometimes. The detective learned so much about law, about morality and mutual understanding, all under the wing of the great Valiente. But the most important thing he learned was something Ripley felt he never had before. Camaraderie. Even if Ripley wasn't the most honest person to Val during his life, he recognized him as an employer that actually cared for and respected him as a person. It was refreshing, made the past 2 years feel like a vacation in comparison to the rest of his life. But Godot doesn't hand out vacations. He'll just have to bare his teeth and move on.
Ditto	There is not a single person on base he trusts more than Ditto. After everything that happened, the misunderstandings created by his negligence... His desire to be with her... He's so stupid. He's so immensely stupid.
Hypothesis	Ditto seems to trust Hypothesis, and she's got that whole mind reading thing. While Ripley's suspicious of why this kid get's full wandering limits of the project, if Ditto's fine with it, he'll be fine with it too. Still... He's so young... What if he get's hurt?
Acedia Reed	His shapeshifter buddy. In all honesty, telling Acedia is probably the greatest thing he's ever experienced in his entire life. It felt like finding someone who actually speaks your native tongue, sharing stories and appreciative thoughts on a culture belonging only to you. They played games, dressed up, gossiped about who's the hottest Starlet on base... God... GOD! This is amazing! Just... Amazing! Who cares if she's a lowlife criminal, she's his FRIEND! His friend! His friend... Yeah. He's confident about it this time.
Mx. Cupid	Lily Ponds may need some tweaking, but... Man. Cupid gave this shapeshifter a pause without having to read his mind. The laughs, the concern, the visits, the... The hug. He can still feel her squeeze him so tight, like the maneuver gave him some kind of impossible energy to help him kill The Peregrine. It was... God, it was nice. He hates hugs, but that one just grounded him right where he needed to be. Not as an assassin, not as a lawyer, not even as some rich magnate on the coast, but as a Starlet on base. As such, Mx. Cupid now has his favor for the rest of time. Impossible to break this bond, he'll constantly stick to her like glue and probably annoy her.
Skylar Beaumont	That was... That was truly something! Ripley, at the end of the day, really cares for Skylar. There's a spark in their eyes that he just has to appreciate, one he feels obligated to nurture and cultivate into something even greater! He feels safe around them, encouraged to be himself, and their one honest talk allowed the shapeshifter to appreciate himself for who he actually happens to be. It made his entire life worth it... But... Lame??? He's... SHAPESHIFTING IS NOT LAME!!!! It's not!!! Wha--... Where does someone get an opinion like that!? That's like seeing a treasure chest in your living room and considering it 'cliche'! LAME!?!
The Changeling	This thing is... Misguided. Like him, her mark is controlled by someone above her. Her opinions on death are quite similar to his own, with one major convergence point that separates the two. In covering up a memory, poor Constance seems to believe her mark can simply replace people. How juvenile... Even Ripley knows that a spare tire can only go so far...
Henrik Rosen	A bit of a wet blanket, but that's okay. His choice in partner is one that will not last, Ripley knows this, but he'll choose to let Henrik swim through fantasy-land for a little while longer. Mostly because he agrees with Rosen on several things. The kids should NOT be here and Sisyphus shouldn't be here either. The professor's got a good heart, but what actually matters is his follow through in resolving these issues. And after he took over Ditto's teaching position, one the telepath seemingly really liked? That follow through better be stellar.
Jegg Hardly	A lawyer, one he could practice his lawyerly spiel to. Jegg was always a bit hard headed with his beliefs, but that's part of the reason Ripley likes him so much. He's funny, has a lot of heart, and actively holds a position where law is respected and not used. It makes him wish he could've joined this field under a different pretense, living a more truthful life helping those in need with legal issues... Ah. Sorry about the whole fake death thing. You're a lawyer, Jegg, I'm sure you deal with this all the time.
Benny O'Hare	Ripley's childhood best friend. She's going to kill him, he already knows this. God damnit, Ripley Pond, your vengeful best friend was a Dray royal who can mind control people? Are you kidding me!?!?
Teagan Hoover	Highschool passerby and classmate, haven't seen each other since graduation. Ripley's happy to see his class culture live on into the modern day. Let's go Class of 2072! Since everything came out, the shapeshifter sees Teagan as an uneasy support in his life. While, yes, there was an agreement made to work together... What if it was all a scam? Revenge for possibly harming a hair on Ripley Pond's head? No, Teagan wouldn't do that. Teagan's his... His... He was friends with Ripley, not... God... If he could just keep being Ripley Pond, none of this would've happened!!!
Clockwork Owl	After it all went down, Ripley can't help but feel a small sense of loss with The Owl gone. She died saving innocents... But that feeling is overshadowed by a sense of disappointment. Just when he had her figured out, too. Oh well, he'll just have to work faster next time.
Jabberwocky	A cultist, someone to watch carefully. Hivemind influences like these spread like wildfire with enough charisma, and Jabberwocky is just charming enough for people to fall for it. He has to keep the kids away from her... But... He can't blame her entirely, either. He'd happily share tea with her, indulge in her cultures, but he's never ACTUALLY joining this cult. No way.
Stardust	The overseer for records. Ripley respects Stardust, he really does, but he just can't trust her ever again. In defense of Acedia Reed, he overstepped on some issues he felt were personally important, and roused a case she found personally insulting, but the fact that a Starlet wasn't even consulted before such info was revealed is utterly disturbing to him. And now... Oh, he's going to be exposed in front of everyone. She's going to tear him down just like Acedia, reveal how much he's lied to everyone and just expect him to stand back up afterward. It's already starting, just... Why can't he be Ripley anymore? Why???
Sisyphus	Sisyphus is a complicated case. He understands the work he must do, he empathizes with the goals he sets out to complete, and he watches as New Chiti is sometimes cleaned up by his benevolence. However, Ripley holds a grudge against Sisyphus for two reasons. For his utterly redundant sense of honor... And for the kids. The kids he enslaves, lets die for mere dubs, then acts as though their sacrifice can be sufficiently honored. He wears nice clothes, cooks with fresh ingredients, rides around on horses, and acts like he's some sort of all reasonable martyr. He's just like all the rest of them. Every rich CEO or politician who tastes even a little bit of power. His very existence makes him sick.
Krah	7 years old? Everyone's saying they aren't really a kid, but lifespans be damned! That's still a kid! You don't send a pet cat into battle just because they're 'technically an adult'! If a bird has somehow gained the ability to speak, and wants to treat everyone with a smile, they deserve a life way longer than 7 years. Now that Krah's revealed to have a discolored ability that lets them shapeshift, Ripley feels a slight kinship with the bird. Seeing someone first ride the bike you've mastered, wanting to teach them tips and tricks.
Agent 69	Bureaucracy personified, confirmed. Parties happen behind the scenes all the time, and CEOs act like they're soooo professional when they're really immature brats in a position of power. But... Cancer, or, Dylan is... Strange. A clone soldier for a business built upon secrets and blackmail, genetically crafted to obsess over the color beige but also love the taste of gin. He's easy to influence, almost too easy, and the head atop his shoulders is practically coming off. He'll stick around him, get some more information on everything that happened, but he knows something's up. People don't just walk away from killing him. He knows this for a fact.
Arthur Quinn	A hotshot thief who doesn't know what kind of trouble they're making. Ripley just wants him to be happy and comfortable. Enjoy his love of movies and maybe pursue more creative talents. Maybe that maneuver he pulled during the tournament could serve as a reality check... Even if Ripley feels REALLY bad about it...
Remilia Warwick	He's rather unnerved by Remilia. All her talk about being a child soldier, about being trained to kill and miraculously breaking free, it... I-It's not even something he can properly place! It's like some sort of uncomfortable feeling, itching the back of his neck like a rash that grows independent of thought. He can't even rationalize why he's so upset by it because, like... He's lived it! He knows what it's like to be a weapon! Maybe he doesn't like his story mirrored in such a blatantly self-sufficient way, or maybe he's jealous that someone got out and he didn't, it's... Bah! Whatever, man!
Yúzé Astor	While Ripley feels comfortable saying he can be around her, the idea of spending anytime close is uncomfortable. He already saw how she tried to trick him into taking her hand (Which he internally took as a death threat) as well as the information she withheld about Randwellian military projects. Ugh... Rich Randwellians... Loyal to one, no matter what...
Vincent Noble	He should die. He will die. He'll make sure of it. Either that, or hell awaits him once he's off base. There is no universe where Ripley doesn't ensure Noble's eternal silence. He worked hard to be where he is, fought so much to ensure his life is truly his. He'll make the good doctor a stain under his shoe, one he'll scrape into the rug next time he enters Oscar's office.
The Peregrine	Good riddance. If he could hang her head from the mantle, he would. Tanya Mickeyknee was the single greatest difficulty that hurdled his life for years. She was a persistent reminder of the miserable life he lived, that sometimes, there were just some mountains you couldn't climb over. Certain people who couldn't die, certain jobs that can't be done, certain lives that needed to be given up. Every time he was forced to face her was like staring oblivion in the face and baring his teeth. An impossible hurdle he could never jump... And yet, here he was. Standing on the other side of the cliff. She was dead. She was finally dead. In an industry like his, one must separate themselves from the craft, lest they be consumed by needless emotion. But he can't do that here. She's dead... This is the greatest news of his life.
Naoko Shimizu	A killer by passion, not responsibility. Rotten in the eyes of someone who actually takes this sort of thing seriously, the shapeshifter acknowledges Naoko's prolific legacy with disdain. He has no sympathy for serial killers, surprisingly.
General Hiss	Since Ditto broke the news, his opinion on Hiss drastically fell. He understands he is an egoist nightmare, and he knows the petty reasons to find hate in that lifestyle, but tearing someone down to the point of tears is utterly foolish. Especially someone below you. You aren't even their general, Hiss. Grow up.
Jules Knightley, The Peregrine, Benny O'Hare, Jegg Hardly, Clockwork Owl	His squad-mates from Law and Order. What a mess. What seemed like such a well rounded and professional group, suddenly flipped into a disheveled wreck on the side of the road. Benny was overwhelmed and clearly stressed, Jegg wasn't equipped to handle any of the action, The Peregrine now cements herself as an active threat in his life, and Jules... She was just rotten here. The way she and Tanya ganged up on Benny...
REMIX, Georgy Joy, Agent 69, Lady Blanche, T-9204	His squad-mates from Whatever it Fakes. Ripley doesn't hold his team with the most trust, really reserving most of his respect for REMIX. Blanche abandoned them, T-9 is way too dangerous, Georgy almost killed everyone, and Agent Cancer was clearly up to something. He doesn't look back at this mission fondly.
Acedia Reed, Tyler Bonnie, Sightline, Luisa Rivera	His roommates at Lambent 3 Lane. He knows Sightline and Acedia, but hasn't properly met the teens. He loves the roommates he's talked to, and he eagerly awaits a peaceful life within this house. Even still, no trust in any house he's ever lived in. Expect late nights and sleepless days.
Jules Knightley, Sisyphus, Benjamin Dover-Cao, Sam Aurelius	His old roommates at Aurora 3 Ave. Jules killing Val was the last straw. He ditched the Monday after, only looking back to grab his toiletries.