Ezekiel Andres Rios Jr.
βHuman spirit is the ability to face the uncertainty of the future with curiosity and optimism. It is the belief that problems can be solved, differences resolved. It is a type of confidence. And it is fragile. It can be blackened by fear and superstition.β-
Bernard Beckett
|Name|Ezekiel Andres Rios Jr.
|Nickname|"Zeke" It's just short for his name and he likes it.
Some people just shorten it to Z and he's fine with it but it's not something he himself suggests to anyone.
|Birth Date|July 23, 1997
|Age|17
|Gender|Male
|Sexuality|Heterosexual
|Sexually Active|Not since the breakup
|Relationship Status|Single
|Role|Team Leader
|Team Color|Grey
|In Depth Appearance|While Zeke's skin may be somewhat light now, it darkens quickly and he typically leaves camp every year with a heavy tan. His black hair's always at a length he considers manageable, never getting too long. His dark brown eyes are the only consistent source of warmth on his otherwise unexpressive face. He is not particularly tall or short, standing at 5'10". His body is fit and strong, a result of his time spent playing soccer.
|Clothing Style|While a lot of care goes into what he wears most of the time, Zeke dresses casually for camp. He wears shorts, avoiding how uncomfortable pants can get in the heat. He wears a plain t-shirt or tank top or a shirt with the sleeves rolled up. He has a few pairs of nice flashy sneakers, but he'll typically wear an older pair considering how often they end up muddy here.
|Scars, Tattoos, Piercings|A minor burn scar on his left forearm and a two inch scar down his left shin from a childhood injury. Zeke has no tattoos or piercings. He doesn't like the thought of getting a piercing, but he's considered getting a tattoo if he can ever decide what he wants.
G E T T I N G T O K N O W M E
|Likes & Dislikes|βSoccer
βRobotics
βBatman
βSwimming
βPlanning things out
βColorful sneakers
βReading
βPeople Watching
βBeing the center of attention
βPeople getting him "out of his shell"
βBullying
βMessy room
βEvents with poor organization
βPeople who take the team rivalry too seriously
βLast minute plan changes
|Hobbies|Messing with electronics/robotics
Soccer
Reading
People Watching
|Habits|Putting effort into his appearance
Makes lists when thinking/planning
Walks a coin across his knuckles when sitting idly
|Fears|β Flying
β Losing his Dad
β Being without friends again
D E L V I N G D E E P E R
|Personality|β¦ Curious β¦ Reserved β¦ Organized β¦ Persistent β¦
Zeke wants to know how the world works. He's always been the kid who'd rather spend his time taking things apart and putting them back together again. To him the only thing better than answering a question or solving a problem is discovering a new question or problem to work on. In conversation and other social situations he often plays more the role of an observer. He speaks mostly to ask or answer questions, just enough to get through the day. To many it seems that he's shy or timid, but he claims he just doesn't have much he feels the need to say... and admit to being just a little shy. Those who interact with him though, have seen that when he does speak, there's nothing feeble in his voice or manner. He's not invisible, and people feel his presence which can make some uncomfortable. Despite his quiet nature, he doesn't stand for being pushed around either. Even though he spends a lot of time around people, particularly at camp, he'll can be awkward in conversation due to his own lack of actual practice. He has bad timing in when he chooses when to break his silence and can often make blunt statements before realizing his lack of tact. He has trouble moving conversations past asking questions or just talking about his own personal projects. He fails to see ahead of time how what he says might affect those he is talking to and can often offend without thinking.
Zeke always has goals in mind. He likes to think organizing his life in terms of a few long and short term goals makes it easier. He is the kind of person to make lists for himself and schedule his days. As long as he can still see the value of a goal, he can stick to a plan. He's a bit of a perfectionist and often loses a lot of time over work that's not completely up to his standards. Zeke is self-critical often mentally scolding himself for a conversational blunder or a small mistake. When he says particularly awkward it's not uncommon for him to say no more for the next few hours. By his own standards, he fails a lot, but he is never down for too long.
|Place of Origin|Albuquerque, NM
|History|Zeke grew up in Albuquerque, raised by a single father. His mother died in a car accident when he was very young, and so his young father had to find a way to raise him and work at the same time. He had a job good enough to provide for the two, and leave them not wanting. However, the long hours meant he struggled to make sure Zeke was taken care of. His aunt helped at first, babysitting him for the first few years of his life. She was a great woman, and Zeke enjoyed time spent with her but he still looked forward each day to when his dad would pick him up. He was put in school at the first opportunity, where even at a young age his teacher's found him quiet but quick to learn. As he got older, he got to take care of himself after school and gained a measure of independence more than any other kids his age. Zeke caused very little fuss or trouble for either his dad or his aunt, keeping to his books and movies. However, he really didn't make any friends. He kept to himself, and the other kids didn't bother him. They didn't bully him either, really. There was the occasional incident now and then, but it was never a serious problem.
While Ezekiel encouraged all his son's interests, he was a little worried about him. He didn't really interact with anybody outside of family or at school. When his aunt watched him over the summer's Zeke just stayed inside. Eventually Zeke's father decided a change of scenery might help the boy and sent the boy off to camp when he was 11. There was some arguing and pushing back and forth but Zeke finally agreed to go when Ezekiel promised not to send him back if he didn't like it. Zeke was initially miserable. He had somehow ended up on Team Pink, where everyone was so completely unlike him. A few of the older pink campers tried getting the kid to "come out of his shell," but the attention only made him feel more out of place and reluctant. Most of them eventually picked up on the fact and left him to his own devices. With the pressure off, Zeke ventured out and watched a lot of the activities and groups of campers. It was then that he joined in on a pickup game of soccer one afternoon. It wasn't a sudden change to enjoying camp, but the rest of the summer was a comfortable mix of reading, soccer, and getting to know his first few friends.
At the end of the first summer, Zeke had mixed feelings about his experience. While he hadn't hated it as much as he expected to, he had no intention of going back. Then during the school year, he found that it was just a little easier to talk to people. He missed playing soccer and so started joining in with the other kids after school, but still didn't spend much time with the other kids outside of that. By the time the next summer came around, he had warmed up to the idea of returning to Camp Liberty. So Zeke became a regular at camp. The next two years each had their own challenges as he ended up on Team Purple and then Team Green. They each gave him a different point of view from which to explore the camp. Each summer has helped him in some way and come with new friends across the teams. Zeke learned a lot about himself and learned to live with other people over the course of his time at camp, always taking new lessons and ideas back home at the end of the summer. The year before this he returned and found his place among Team Grey. The feeling of being at home was so complete that he applied for the position of Grey Leader. He feels grateful for what the camp and all its people have done for him, and wants to give back in some way.
|Extra|His dad remarried a few years back. His younger step-sister and step-brother are also at Camp Liberty in Teams Red and Purple.
I like relaxing outside on warm summer nights.
|Theme Song|In the Company of WolvesβThe boy has gone,
let's grieve and let him go.
He left at dawn,
but it's a new day don't you know?β