ezekiel jones

I never know what I'm doing. That's my superpower, mate. affiliated with FSL

[invalescam-blog]

casterofturnabout:

It’s not that complicated, Ezekiel. Phoenix just doesn’t feel like getting worked up about this issue. As he said, wouldn’t everyone have to deliver these Fragments to their handlers anyway? Although it sucks that this might still give his victims a harder time with achieving the top prize for this whole deal.

That still makes Phoenix feel bad, but again, the Fragments weren’t legally from those people, so he can’t force the law’s authority on the thief. (What a bother…) He laments, even if deep down a selfish part of his is kinda glad over diminishing the other competitors’ chances.

Phoenix’s eyebrows lower in aggravement. “I don’t usually make a habit of ‘letting criminals walk’. I only accept cases from people whom I believe to be innocent.” Sure, we could enter here on a whole discussion regarding professional ethic and the right for a fair trial no matter whether you’re guilty or innocent, but ler’s not enter on it here.

“Yeah! And y’did that. You took on my ‘case’ when it came to the guy with the cruddy salt-and-pepper shakers,” he teases, knowing full well that that’s got nothing to do with his current predicament. Still, how naive does this lawyer-boy have to be to think that a little help in a pinch is enough for him to turn over a new moral leaf? “Please tell me you’re not gonna pull the kicked puppy look for the next forty-eight hours.”

[invalescam-blog]

casterofturnabout:

Yeah, not really gonna convince Phoenix to let you go scott free just like that, Ezekiel. As tempting as the offer is, he has to admit. But nope, he’d rather get the prize by more lawful ways. It’s either being a pack or a lonely wolf. And as far as Phoenix knows, pack wolves survive more.

Phoenix took the time to breathe deeply. He too had taken a liking to the other, so it’s not in his interest to hurt the thief. But it’s also not on him to let people go because they’re his friends. He’ll defend you to the end of the world from charges if there’s a chance that you’re innocent, but if you’re proven guilty, well, there’s not much he can do. And if he is the victim, then you’re asking for jail. pal.

“Look, let’s just say that I’ve dealt with thieves before, okay? Had to defend one in court and all in the past. It was pretty messy for them and they almost ended up with a murder charge in the middle of it. I’m just trying to warn before you end up finding something bigger than a ‘minor’ setback.”

At last, Phoenix decides to free Ezekiel, but he’s still blocking the other’s escape. “Said all this, I guess that I can’t really bring you to the police over this, since these Fragments aren’t really my property to begin with, but the Terminal’s. How about this, we go deliver the ones we’ve both collected together and I’ll let you go free for now. But don’t think I’ll be lenient of this behavior a second time, you hear me?”

“All right, all right. We’ll do things your way.” Ezekiel holds his hands up, gives Caster a look, then lowers his arms in defeat.

“I can see that I’m gettin’ off pretty easy.” Which means no more opposition from him. Heck, he thought Mister Goodie Two-Shoes Lawyer would make him return all his fragments to their rightful owners. ‘Least Caster was smart enough to realize what a pickle that’d put him in. In Ezekiel’s experience, people are more likely to punch you in the face than to say ‘thank you!’ when you return their stolen goods. (Which is why he doesn’t do it.)

While they’re walking towards the city center, Ezekiel as chipper as a chipmunk and Caster all exasperated and junk, he thinks it perfectly fine to make small talk as if he’s not destined for the doghouse: “How do you do it? Letting criminals walk.”

[invalescam-blog]

casterofturnabout:

Wait a second, this voice… “…Ezekiel? Is that really you?” Indeed, the voice, hair color and even clothing style matched the ones from that young man he saved the other day from informal charges of theft, which in truth turned out to be an attempt to dodge the police’s eyes from a drug selling scheme.

And now he’s actually stealing from Phoenix himself. That revelation only gave Phoenix a sense of disappointment and betrayal, which fueled his anger towards the other. Ezekiel might feel the pressure on his wrists and head increasing.

“W-What the heck?! E-Ezekiel… How could you?” There’s clear pain in Phoenix’s tone of voice. “I-I thought that you’d change! Didn’t that mess the other day teach you the troubles that stealing can bring? Huh?! Answer me!”

“Easy, Caster, yours isn’t the only one I grabbed. Lemme go and I’ll share the loot.”

Because obviously trying to bribe a defense attorney is going to get him out of this situation. Ezekiel presses his forehead against the wall and focuses on the feeling of a cold surface against his skin. If he really wanted to, he could throw a kick against the man’s shin and bolt. But he likes this guy; Caster seems an all-right sort.

“I can’t believe you’d think a minor setback like that’s enough to reform li’l ol’ me. C’mon, I’m Ezekiel Jones! If I’m not stealing, I ain’t living.”

And good luck to Caster if he actually tries to land Ezekiel in jail. He’ll just make his grand escape and go right back to snatching things.

[invalescam-blog]

casterofturnabout:

“Ahahaha, you’re welcome, sir!” Phoenix shakes the other’s hand back. “Remember, whenever you need someone to represent you in legal manners, from ownership disputes to murder charges, the Caster Anything Agency will be there to help you out!”

He takes his hand out. “The Caster in question is me, of course. Defense attorney, at your disposal.” He flashes his badge towards the other to prove his profession. “Be sure to spread the news! How about your name, young non-thief?” (Or I guess thief, judging by your declaration earlier…)

Well, with any luck, Ezekiel won’t wind up in front of a judge. Ever. He’d probably spend the rest of his life in the middle of proceedings if they ever got him to the bench, just saying.

Still, it’s nice to know he’s got a defense attorney in his pocket. It kinda behooves him to be more careful. Having ties to the lawful types means fending off moral lectures.

“Who, me? I’m Ezekiel Jones. If you haven’t heard of me, it means I’m just that good.”

[invalescam-blog]

casterofturnabout:

Whew, that was a close one. After getting in a middle of a scruffle among about 10 NPCs, Phoenix screamed and ran and shouted a lot. But he came victorious! A sweet looking Saint Fragment, another one to his collection. With this one, he has… well, he’s not really keeping track of them, but it’s one more! Surely the powers that be can see how many he has obtained and how deserving of those fat bucks he is.

Now, he only has to get to the city’s center to finish the delivery. Perhaps he can walk in a usual pace, however. Might attract less attraction to himself if he seems just like another NPC, right? Nobody’s gonna try attacking him like thi-

“Huh? What was that?” He couldn’t exactly pinpoint it, but Phoenix surely felt something on his hip area. When he goes to check… his Fragment is gone! A thief! Ohhhhh, he’s gonna catch the bastard!

With a Servant’s speed, it’s not hard for him to catch with the guy running a couple meters away. He wastes no time in holding him to a wall, his face turned back to Phoenix. “You gimme that back, I had a hard time to obtain it!”

Great. When’s the last time he actually got caught? Ezekiel rolls his eyes and chews his lip; he’s not going to give the poor guy the satisfaction of hearing how much his wrists hurt.

“Wait a second. I know that voice.” With his face smushed against the wall, he exclaims, “Hey, hey! You’re that guy who helped me out before! How’s it goin’?”

Clearly, he has no sense of remorse.

[invalescam-blog]

hanasou:

Once again… She didn’t know what that was. But at this point in time, she’ll probably figure it out on her own. By asking Google, or if she failed at that, Bing. Ayano smiled a bit more, but then she glanced down at the time on her triplicata. Shocked by how fast time went for these few moments! 

“Were you going somewhere, perhaps? I can walk you if you’re going that way-” Ayano pointed west of where they stood. “-since I should get home and start cooking.”

“Actually, I was thinkin’ of going that way. See what’s out there.” He gives her a cheerful pat on the shoulder. “We’ll stay in touch, though. Us cool kids gotta stick together, yeah?”

Ezekiel pulls away and starts towards the arcade entrance. Absent-mindedly, he eyes his Triplicata and shuffles on his way. After a second or two, he looks up and smiles as he sends Ayano off with another wave.

[invalescam-blog]

casterofturnabout:

“Ghhh! You son of a b****!!” The ‘shop owner’ protests on the floor, all while Phoenix looks astonished. So his hunch was right. Talk about an effective bluff!

(I wonder what he was thinking by making this guy carry the shakers, then accuse him of stealing.) Maybe the police was inspecting his shop and he needed a time frame where they wouldn’t be at the shop, then get them back. Would anyone outside of a mystery novel pull that, though?

“Aaah, handcuffs?” Phoenix shakes his hands in front of his torso. “I-I’m sorry, but I don’t think I have them. And they wouldn’t really be born out of my reasoning, so I can’t just puff them in existence. I can call the police, though, if that helps!”

Once the cops arrive to take care of business, Ezekiel makes his way towards tall, blue, and pointy-hair. With a grin plastered wide across his big ol’ face, he grabs a hold of the man’s hand and gives it a good shake. “You, sir, saved my bacon. I owe ya one now.”

[invalescam-blog]

stardust-hatter:

It isn’t her job, per se, but Sophie’s worked in enough shops to know the fury a worker feels at seeing a customer go through the merchandise and staunchly refuse to put anything back where it belongs. Books, hats, flowers, no matter the store, they’re all the same! Customers seem to think they’re allowed to do just about anything!

She follows the path, turning around what books she can and picking up others that have been put in the wrong place entirely, and soon enough her persistence comes to its reward: a young man sitting in a veritable hole of depravity and misplaced books.

“Listen here!  You inconsiderate, lazy, do-no-gooder!” Do you think the people who work here have nothing better to do than clean up the mess you’ve left behind?” The dozen or so books she’s gathered up in her arms with the intent of replacing are instead slammed down on a table nearby, creating a sound loud enough to shake the dead from their sleep. One hand set resolutely on her hip, Sophie points to the pile with a frown. “Get up. You’re helping me put these away.”

If that’s how she intends to rattle him, she’ll have to do better. Anything short of an alarm and ten highly-trained guards isn’t going to make him budge. In fact, the only muscles he’s bothering to move are all the ones it takes to flip a page. Ezekiel kicks his legs back and forth, back and forth, and pretends he didn’t hear her.

[invalescam-blog]

It’s one thing to go around looking for pretty shiny things; it’s another to just lift them off some poor sap. Sure, everyone’s a little brusque ‘cause of the fragments - with the angry eyes and snarly faces - but no one’s faster for it. And it’s not hard to just, you know, pat someone’s pocket down and slip away to the next guy. No one’s managed to pin Ezekiel to a wall yet, so he’d argue he’s doing pretty good for himself.

Of course, that probably only holds true so long as he’s pickpocketing NPCs. Getting his sticky fingers all over another Master - or worse, another Servant - is bound to lead to a messy altercation.

[invalescam-blog]

hanasou:

In every photo she looked awkward, with slightly flushed cheeks and a timid smile, within close proximity of a boy, no less. However, that slight anxiousness disappeared once she laughed. Ezekiel was silly. After sending him the snap, she took a candid photo of him for herself. Saved and uploaded to her story! The caption? ‘A new friend!’ She smiled.

“This is fun, Mister Hero!” Ayano was greatly enjoying herself.

There she went again, calling him a hero. Did she have any idea what she was doing to his ego? The other Librarians would’ve had a fit and told her never, ever to do that again.

“The beauty of social media. Maybe they’ll bring Vine back one day.”

[invalescam-blog]

What good is a book that doesn’t have any pictures? Ezekiel’s browsing a store, asking himself that very question as he squints at rows and rows of endless text. As it turns out, the comics are tucked away in a discreet alcove where all the nerds can congregate on the floor, surrounded by towers of rotating displays. He makes himself at home on the ground and flips on through.

Left in his wake are books sticking out of their shelves, books laying on the table askew, and in some cases, books simply stuffed in the wrong section after a half-hearted glance-through. Anyone who’s paying attention will notice a pattern - and a trail - to the book-arranging culprit.

@stardust-hatter

[floatinginaseaofstars]

Ezekiel Jones + favorite outfits

requested by ezekiels

[invalescam-blog]

Guess I better throw down another rp ad since the majority of them are full. Capping at 3!

[invalescam-blog]

hanasou:

Staaare. Staaaaare. 

Ayano watched as the small video replayed itself over and over until he updated his story. Really, that was magical! And she lives in a world filled with mana!  After a couple of seconds, Ayano figured out how to make an account.

“Say cheese!” Instead of pressing the button a single time, she held it down. She made a video. “Ah… I don’t know how to work it after all…”

Ezekiel peered over her shoulder to get a good look at her device, watching himself pull an exaggerated smile over and over again. Like you’d expect from a not-so-candid shot, it was far from flattering. He poked her screen to retake the picture and wrapped his hand around hers; Ezekiel echoed “say cheese!” and made a duck face at the camera as he tapped his thumb against Ayano’s. “Leggo, you’re gonna make another video!”

Suffice to say, the shot did not turn out well. “Oh my god, we look right awful in this one. We gotta save it, who should we send it to? Here, here, send it to me and I’ll try to take a screenshot. Dunno how I’m gonna do that without a home button - ooo! - Google: ‘How to take screenshots on my Triplicata’... I think it’s here, yeah?”

[invalescam-blog]

“Dunno what everyone’s fighting for but vultures have the right idea: Just wait for the chaos to settle down, the decay to set in, and nab yourself some free scraps. Low risk, guaranteed reward.”

[invalescam-blog]

casterofturnabout:

No Psyche Locks appeared, so Ezekiel should be telling the truth - although the ‘self proclaimed thief’ thing did make Phoenix raise an eyebrow. Was this guy like Mask☆DeMasque…?

Of course, it’s not like Phoenix could use their absence as proof of Ezekiel’s innocence. Considering how obstinate the NPC is being about this whole deal, he’ll likely need some more solid proof regarding this whole deal.

…In fact, that obstinance by itself is pretty suspicious, he has to admit. Why get so worked up about some salt and pepper? Shouldn’t those be pretty easy things to obtain? Unless… It’s not really salt and pepper…?

“Someone who knows how to create impressions of innocence, but I’m not gonna fall for that. Someone who’s almost ruined my business like that deserves to be punished!”

Ruining his business? No way… Could he mean? “Hey, wait, what are you doing with my shak-”

“Bleeegh!!” Phoenix spat some after tasting the powder from the salt shaker. This bitter taste… “This is no salt! It’s a drug!”

>Shakers with drugs added to the Court Record.

“Oh, snap, can somebody give me a plot twist?” he exclaimed, lifting his hands to his mouth in faux surprise. Ezekiel kept it up, up until the sleazy NPC decided to bolt it. At that, he wrinkled his brow and straightened himself out. Now he was the one looking all indignant and put out. “Dammit. Why do they always run?”

He shared one last look of ‘here we go’ with the lawyer guy before sprinting after the shop owner. Or should he say, drug dealer? Either way, it didn’t take long for Ezekiel to catch up and tackle him to the ground. “Nice try, y’jerk. Pick a different scrub next time, yeah?” He hauled the guy to his feet, then turned to Phoenix. “Got cuffs?”

[invalescam-blog]

hanasou:

Ah! How magically advanced this was! Though, when he spoke of Snapchat, she tilted her head to the side, obviously looking a bit confused. 

Ayano stared down at her triplicata, it probably has something to do with this… She glanced at him, and then down at the device again. Might as well be honest. “I don’t know what that is!” And cue the bright, angelic smile.

Oh, Ayano... how sheltered you were. Ezekiel would not let that stand. After snickering to himself for a good five seconds, he twisted his Triplicata around and showed her the screen. Playing on loop, over and over again, was Ayano exclaiming ‘I don’t know what that is!’ while the caption read ‘baby’s first snap :eyes emoji: :ok emoji: :hallelujah emoji:’ 

“That, my friend, is Snapchat.” Slap on a filter, find a funky location stamp, and boom! Story updated. “I’ll let you know if anyone replies.”