Jack Ridley

Jack Ridley is a 16-year-old half-Giant, student of Meriwether College Prep, and one of Toby Parker's longtime acquaintances. While handsome and strong on the outside, he is a gentle and sensitive soul who always puts friends first. He's wielder of a ripple-edged sword and while he doesn't possess magic, he can hold his own in battle with his monumental strength and skill in swordsmanship.

## Early life

Jack Ridley is the child of a Giant and a woman, a love that was forbidden and shouldn't've been. He knows very little of his early life, other than a few small details - his birth wasn't a usual one, and his being conceived wasn't usual either. He was the product of a Warlock who used their magic to make the two very different individuals able to have a child together. When he was two years old, however, his mother was to be slain by his father's clan for the taboo relationship and ritual that made his being possible.

Jack was transported by the Warlock to England, where he was raised in a foster home in east London - to his knowledge, both of his parents were slain. The head caretakers of the foster home were Australian, hence his accent that he developed growing up.

## Homelessness

When he turned thirteen, Jack Ridley was removed from the foster system as he proved problematic to the others due to his temper and growing strength, which quickly became a problem. While the administrators didn't enjoy the decision, it was best that they did it for everyone's own safety and comfort. However, it did result in Jack's homelessness - despite his peers, who felt bad for the young boy, he didn't really mind it.

Even at a young age, he was growing tall quickly and nobody tried bothering him much. On one occasion as he was settling into the life, a man tried to mug him, armed with a knife, but he readily regretted it as he walked away that night with a broken jaw and left leg. Jack met Toby while he was homeless, and they hung out occasionally when Toby was coming back from or walking to school. He never really worked out very much during this time, but had well-developed biceps and shoulders already, and defined abdominals by the time he hit fifteen.

## Meriwether College Prep

Jack Ridley was "adopted as a sort of community service project" by Meriwether Prep two months before the beginning events of *Neptune's Hollow.* While Elizabeth Parker was greatly against the way the school phrased the project, there was enough of a donation to the homeless foundation of London to get him off the streets and into Meriwether College Prep. Due to his strength and appearance, Jack grew in popularity quickly and was invited to the rugby team with haste.

Despite his being grouped with the popular students, he typically hung out with the "nerds" of the school, of the likes of Toby Parker, John Mandali, and Corey Bailer. Even after the occurrence in *Neptune's Hollow*, Jack continues to attend Meriwether Prep throughout the rest of the series.

## Personality

Jack Ridley is a gentle and sensitive soul in the body of a much tougher person - he's quick to emotions and not the brightest young man, but has loyalty beyond understanding and a sympathy for even the worst of people. He sometimes doesn't understand humor, taking some things as serious comments despite their humorous intentions, and overall sometimes has a hard time reading the emotions of others. He's very selfless and shy.

## Physical appearance

Jack is 6'4", with broad shoulders, a wide chest, and clearly defined muscles across his entire body. His back is scarred by marks that resembled whiplashes, in two overlapping X's, but he doesn't know where from. Jack typically wears black jeans, a denim jacket, size 16 sneakers, and doesn't wear his hair in any particular style - it's just butterscotch blonde and very curly.