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[exasperation]

Display Name: Ripley Arkwright
Profile Photo: here
Notes:

[ the video starts up with ripley at his desk. he clears his throat, trying to seem composed and business-like. he's probably half-way succeeding. ]

Soo. That blackout. That was rough. Right? Right? . . . Right.

Anyway, uh! Stuff happened and — stuff got lost. Or stolen. Stuff and stuff. Oh my god, what am I doing.

[ he clears his throat. ]

My point is. I'm sort of freelancing my . . . powers? They work in teleportation. So I can teleport objects to anywhere in the world, but also if you lost something, I can locate it for you. Anywhere. And that applies to people too.

And, uh, I can also check where to find the best food. Like Yelp, but in my head. Don't ask.

Soo. Anyone . . . interested? Probably?

Comments

[frenchkissed]

Yeah? All right, cool. Take your time.

We’re at the ranch so, like, no rush. We can save our drawer full of questions for whenever.

( video > action )

[exasperation]

[ he's really doing this. really really. ripley swallows. ]

Yeah, sure. I'll be there. Soon. Super soon. I'm going.

[ it's a shame his powers don't work on him. anyway. commit. if he does do the thing balthier suggested and ripley isn't sure if he wants to, then eddie should know right? not all of it but some of it. at least. it's fair.

because — because if ford ever came here.

he can't think about it. just gonna make it to the ranch. knock on the door. sweat a little. or a lot. ]

[frenchkissed]

( look, man. eddie isn't a stranger to being a wanted person. back home, he's pretty sure he's still a fugitive on the run for crimes against humanity. so, like, no judgement... but this is ripley their talking about, and he's pretty sure ripley is too kind to hurt a fly, so it comes as a shock that he happens to be a mafia wife. )

Hey.

( ripley got here so fast!! eddie said he didn't have to rush!! )

Uh... Let's go for a walk.

( the ranch is full of cat toys and guitar parts, and it's a nice day out. plus there are goats outside, and they deserve attention. )

You like goats?

[exasperation]

[ ripley considers this. ]

Dunno. I never thought about it before.

[ he drifts closer to them, curious. ]

[frenchkissed]

They're cool. Soft. Quiet. Cuddly, yeah, cuddly... Not for eating, though. You can't eat them, Ripley. Don't try it. Please.

( he leans against the fence as two goats skip over to them. )

I don't know if these are the ones that faint, but I wouldn't scare them. Just in case.

[exasperation]

Why would I — Okay, sure, no eating the goats. Golden rule.

[ ford had liked animals. ripley did too, which is why he owned four cats. he reaches out to pat on the head. ]

[frenchkissed]

Golden rule. It was a whole thing. On the network. Bad phrasing...

( the goat seems happy enough, but he also looks a little expectant. surely you two didn't come all this way not to give him a treat. )

So... People are after you...

[exasperation]

Right. Right. It's a long story. Better start from the beginning.

[ ripley swallows tightly. ]

So like. Powers are kind of common in my world. They just sort of happen to people. I got mine when I was young and so did my friend. His name — His name was Ford.

And you know, as kids, we wanted to be heroes. Just like on TV and comics. That was our promise.

[ ripley trails off for a moment. ]

But the program to make people into "heroes", the one funded by the government wasn't like that at all. It wasn't about doing good. It was about endorsement and training and . . . becoming a weapon at their beck and call. It got harder. I kept failing because I didn't want to hurt anyone but Ford . . . He became so good at it.

[ his fingers tremble. ]

It was like watching someone become a monster in slow-motion. I kept watching and then I just couldn't. I left. I moved my parents back to South Korea, gave up all my stuff and started fresh and broke somewhere else.

[frenchkissed]

Hey, man. You're good... You don't have to tell me anything you don't want to.

( it comes as a prefix before ripley launches into his story because he looks incredibly uncomfortable even before he starts to share. eddie doesn't feel like he needs to know any of this. he's curious, sure, but not curious enough to re-traumatize someone just for the sake of it. )

...So you watched someone you care about transform before your eyes and were powerless to stop it.

( ironically powerless, since powers are what got ripley in his situation in the first place. more than someone he cared about, too, since it sounds like ford was more of a best friend than anything. the goats, sensing the shift in mood, come over to give ripley all of the attention, treats or no treats, and venom snakes out to pat his shoulder, which might be more frightening than comforting, depending. )

Where is he now? Your old friend?

[exasperation]

He was in Los Angeles the last I checked. I don't know if he's looking or not. I don't want to know.

[ he had done so well. hiding himself. then the stupid phasar incident happened and he got recruited by the sphinx . . . and now he was here. far away from ford and all his mistakes. it should feel like a breath of fresh air. ]

[frenchkissed]

Yeah, no, I wouldn’t go looking for that, either.

…

SHALL WE EAT HIM?
ON YOUR BEHALF?

[exasperation]

[ ripley smiles weakly. ]

I appreciate the offer, but I'm good.

[ he's not sure how he'd feel if ford died. terror? relief? both? he just knows it would change him irrevocably. he clears his throat. ]

Anyway. Just kind of wanted you to know. What you're getting into. It's why I'm so bad at. Things. Most things. Maybe 75% of things.

And uh . . . You're cool. We're cool.

[frenchkissed]

( one day, venom will stop suggesting murder as a solution to all problems, but today isn't that day. )

Yeah, but it sounds like none of that was your fault, anyway. It's not like you knew you were signing up for some... secret evil government training program to kill people...

So, like, you're cool. We're cool... And you're not even bad at things. You make really good potato salad.

[exasperation]

Be honest. It wasn't really that good, was it?

[frenchkissed]

You mean am I overhyping the power of your potato salad to make you feel less bad?

I mean, I don't remember there being any leftovers. So... you tell me.

[exasperation]

I guess there is that. Maybe I could become a potato salad master.

Wait, no nevermind, that's not a thing.

[frenchkissed]

It might not be profitable, but we can at least get you an apron that says 'World's Best Potato Salad Chef' on the front.

...While we're here and, like, talking about things, I should probably tell you some things too. Right? Equivalent exchange?

[exasperation]

[ ripley shakes his head. ]

No. You're not really hiding so I'm fine with. This. It doesn't need to be like. Back and forth.

[frenchkissed]

Yeah, good point. Uh, Ripley, are you sure you want to talk to someone who's, like, super public? Like... for a living?

[exasperation]

I mean. He's not here. I doubt he'd ever come. It'd mean giving up everything and — It's fine. And it's not like you're going to tell anyone.

[frenchkissed]

Yeah, no, totally not... It's more like you spent years being super lowkey. And don't think Venom and I have a low-key bone between us.

Just don't want to blow your cover, dude.

[exasperation]

I mean. It's not much of a cover. Beyond uh. Not being an extrovert.

And I just. Kind of want to try having friends again.

[frenchkissed]

Oh? That's easy. We'll totally be your friend, man.

Sorta thought we already were friends, but... officially, starting now, consider us friends.

[exasperation]

Great! Good. Super good. Great.

[frenchkissed]

...Is it?