[OPEN] Getting to grips

[truefaceofthelaw]

Who| Rico Dredd, and anyone!
What| Rico's getting adjusted. Discovering sugar and telling people to move out of his way.
Where| Mess Hall, Observation Deck
When| Before Bodies for Rent
Warnings/Notes| Rico's an asshole. Warning for violence, fighting, blood, threats of bodily harm, and treating sugar like an addictive substance (i.e. drug talk). Will match formats.


[A: Mess Hall]

[It had taken a long time for Rico to get adjusted to his new surroundings. After the expected violent outburst after waking up, he was upset. Not because he was just faced with the knowledge that his entire universe was in danger, that Mega-City One was in danger. No. It was more that he was yanked out of his world by the scruff of his neck, and had a lot of schemes he'd spent time and effort setting up. A lot of fingers in a lot of different pies whose outcomes he was just waiting to realize.]

[But Hell, the only saving grace is that at least he might just get a kick out of all this. So he took the oath, if only for them to get off his back about it. Time would tell whether he felt like following it or not. But for now? The Mess Hall would be where he could get a feel for the social dynamics that run through this place. And he'll be damned if Rico Dredd never comes out on top. And he's hardly going to let a little thing like being dropped into a completely unfamiliar environment alone and without backup hold him back.]

[He strides into the mess hall with a natural arrogance, a swagger to his step that could be mistaken for confidence. Of course, with how packed it is, and how he isn't making any attempt to move out of anybody's way - fully expecting them to move for him - somebody might accidentally jostle him and his rather bulky and pointy eagle-shaped shoulder pad. If that happens?]

Hey!

[He barks out sharply in a gravel rough voice, in a tone that demands immediate attention. He cocks his head to the side, overhead lighting reflecting a glint off his black visor where his eyes should be. He crooks a finger, beckoning them to come closer as his mouth twitches up in the beginnings of a smile.]

You gonna apologize for that?


[B: Mess Hall]

[Rico is sitting at a table with his back to the wall, with a baton kept loosely in his lap, staring at an unopened packet of sugar in the palm of his hand. He knew that The Legion had different practices, different laws but this was really something else. He tears the packet open with delicately pinched fingers, spilling the white crystals onto the table, and sniffs. He takes off a glove, dips his finger in the pile, brings it up to his face for careful scrutiny, then licks it.]

Oh, what the drokk? [He murmurs under his breath as he pulls back, confusion and tentative excitement mixing in his voice.] They can't be serious.

[He starts picking up more packets, one by one, and ripping them all open. Soon, there's a veritable pile of sugar on the table. But if someone were to come a little later and perhaps want a sugar for their coffee or tea this morning...? Well too bad. It's all been confiscated. If you reach out for one, expect to be impeded by a black baton.]

Sorry. [He doesn't sound very sorry at all. Actually, he almost sounds a little gleeful. He's well aware he has very little authority here, but that's not going to stop him from pretending that he does. Also, he might have slipped a packet or two into his own pockets.] Restricted substances. Mind your own business and move along.


[C: Observation Deck]

[The Observation Deck. Rico leans forward against a railing, looking down at the view. It's mostly empty for now, and he enjoys the rare peace. No shouting citizens, no endless, pointless chatter, or explosions. He's been a Mega-City boy all his life, never been to space, and despite his best efforts not to be impressed, it still captures his attention like nothing else.]

[Rico feels the prickle of a stare bouncing off the back of his helmet, and working on an instinct that every Street Judge has - or at least, the ones that aren't dumb as dirt and still alive - he fingers the baton by his side and says out loud without turning around;]

You looking at me, creep?


[D: Wildcard option!]

Comments

[truefaceofthelaw]

"I certainly don't doubt it, ma'am. I thought you did look young for ten years." Kissing ass early couldn't hurt. If she were an early graduate in his time, he would've known that name. "Makes sense you're from 2139. If you were fast-tracked through the Academy around my time, I would have made sure to know." That cocky edge coming out again, the attitude that was just a little bit sharper, a little bit more competitive than Dredd's.

Rico hands her gun back and produces his own lawgiver with a flourish, with a little more drama than Beeny but still just as careful in doing so.

"Cute? They're not cute." Rico says, almost offended. If she wants to banter, then they can banter. Rico's not going to dictate how this goes. "They're compact and efficient. And just as good for intimidation." Case in point: He idly starts spinning it around his finger. It's not the only trick he knows. With a cocked hip, it certainly looks enough like lazy menace and the promise of violence to the average cit.

It comes to a solid stop with a thwack in his palm, and he offers it to Beeny to take her own look. He doubts you can do that with the Mark II.

[bachido]

"This is Paperboy," Kubo starts to say over the comms, ready to cancel Arbitraitor's cancellation. His voice shakes slightly. Two hundred people dying over his routine performances is certainly hyperbole, but the claim hits him in the place that has never forgotten all the people who've already died because of his mistakes.

And is it hyperbole, really? What would he do if there were a fire, a sudden attack in this safe place? Where are the exits? Does everyone know where to flee, would his audience be in the way - ? How bad could that be?

Rico's succeeded at this, at least - doubt has wound itself into Kubo's thoughts.

But then the Judge walks straight through Garrus' magic barrier and Kubo drops his omnicom, leaping to support the other Legionnaire. His fingers fly to the strings and paper jets out of his pack. Five or so float between Rico and Garrus, spinning around Rico's line of sight in an obscuring ring. Another handful of sheets fold into paper birds, fluttering around Rico's ears with a cacophony of folded wings, confusing the sound of Kubo's playing as he runs to Rico's left, keeping the judge triangulated.

He might not have been able to stand up to America's Applied Violence training, but he does pay attention in Tactics classes, and his fingers are as quick and precise even as his distress, the possibility that Garrus might now be hurt because of him, leaks into his expression.

[calibrates_big_guns]

Garrus is about to inform whoever is on the line that Arbitraitor is actually the problem, but the words catch in his throat as Rico steps forward, passing through the barrier like it wasn't even there.

That's a problem, and for the first time in this entire encounter, Garrus looks a little bit concerned about the outcome.

That concern vanishes quickly though as Garrus's foot slides back and he crouches into a combat stance, bringing his hands up to his chin. Part of him wants to bark out a warning, but if Rico had any intention of standing down, he would have stayed inside of the barrier. That blood-stained grin was a bloodstained promise that he'd keep on coming as long as he was physically able to, and if he wanted to avoid any injury, Garrus needed to put Rico down quickly.

So the moment Kubo's birds block Rico's line of sight, Garrus darts in with a hard right hook towards Rico's ribs.

[truefaceofthelaw]

Kubo's interference is... irritating, and it only makes it worse for him in Rico's eyes. His vision and hearing is somewhat limited by the fact, but he's not flying totally blind. At least the paper isn't trying to slip under his helmet and slash up his face. Not that he would care about a little paper cut, but blood running in his eyes would be a problem.

He might not be able to see some of Garrus, but he can sure as drokk still make out plenty of his lanky body. He knows that a strike was incoming and braces himself to take it, unconcerned with pain as long as he could pay it back with a vengeance, and smiling considering no matter how much it'll hurt - and it will - it still beats getting smashed in by a daystick.

Rico's hand darts down and just barely intercepts the hook. He normally would've dodged, but he doesn't want to risk being on the back foot while his vision is obstructed. And while the impact stings, the pain is distant from his mind, already compartmentalized. With his other arm, he swings his daystick forcefully at Garrus's midsection. Organs are organs, no matter how alien they are.

[calibrates_big_guns]

Garrus had been hoping the punch would land clean, but apparently even distracted and dazed, Rico isn't all bluster. Instead of connecting, Rico manages to deflect his fist so it only grazes.

Garrus is stepping forward to follow up when, out of the corner of his eye, he sees the daystick swinging in on the outside. There's no time to move out of the way, so instead, he tucks his arm in across his side - trying to spread the impact over as large an area as possible to limit the damage.

It's almost an afterthought, but he also throws up a barrier to cover his side. Hopefully it'll actually do it's job this time, otherwise this is going to hurt.

That's why he has to make the next shot count. So he doesn't stop his forward momentum. He carries through, and with his free hand he ducks low to check Rico's chin again - this time with an uppercut.

[truefaceofthelaw]

Rico is the best, for all his bluster. Immaculate scores all around, from an institution of violence. His tutors talk of an overconfidence problem, and he seems like he wouldn't be able to hold his head up under the weight of his own ego, but that ego is based on genuine results. His irritating cockiness rests on the ability to carry out his threats, and knowing it.

Rico snarls as the daystick bounces off the barrier. He hadn't expected the alien to be capable of such fine control over his constructs, and he wants to see blood now. But as unexpected as it is, he lets the momentum carry him just out of the rather long reach of Garrus's uppercut. And then all of a sudden, it seems like they're in the perfect position for some ironic revenge.

Thank you. Rico thinks, with an eager anticipation. For meeting me on my own level.

He brings his knee shooting up towards Garrus's jaw, with all the ill-feeling he has inside him.

[mirror_soldier]

[Like his genetic original before him, Thad wasn't very good at picking up on tonal shifts or understanding the meanings behind them, even when they were obviously meant to be insulting. If anything he was actually worse at catching these social cues then Bart was. But he hardly needed the excuse of understanding he was being condescended to in order to frown harder at this odd man.]

If that was the case, then the kitchen staff would have taken it away themselves, not haphazardly dumped it on a table. And of course I'm being contradictory. You're spreading false information and unnecessarily assaulting people with a baton.

[truefaceofthelaw]

Oh, I'd say it's very necessary. Sugar is a dangerously addictive substance. It might taste good and give you a boost now, but it'll rot your teeth and pancreas. I'd say it speaks more of the irresponsibility of the kitchen staff for providing this junk.

[Rico grins. Look at this juve trying to be diaspproving at him. He's got nothing on Joe's stinker of a frown, but it's still cute seeing him try.]

Might be why your development is so stunted. I'm doing you a favor.

[calibrates_big_guns]

Fine control, Garrus has. The current chink in his armor is reaction time. He's still getting used to his new powers, and while his threat detection kicks in all on it's own, the energy constructs take conscious thought. They're not second nature to him yet, so he has to think. If he has a beat to react - if he sees the attack coming soon enough - that's not a problem.

But Rico is damn fast, fast enough that Garrus doesn't have the beat he needs to put a wall in between them. Instead, he throws his left arm down in a wide arc, trying to push the knee out of the way and absorb whatever impact he can't deflect.

Even then, Rico's knee hits hard enough to send a shock all the way up Garrus's arm - a flare of pain that makes the turian grit his teeth.

But Rico isn't the only one who's done this before. Rico hits hard - harder than Garrus was expecting, for sure - but not as hard as an angry Krogan. It's going to take more than some admittedly very painful deep bruising to take Garrus out of this.

So he keeps moving forward, and as he advances, he throws a hard kick at Rico's outside ankle - one with enough follow-through to take the Judge off his feet if he isn't careful.

[mirror_soldier]

Perhaps it is, but in this universe, it's their right to make the decision to wreck their own bodies as they please; at least as far as adding sugar to their drink goes.

[He wasn't even going to touch that crack at his size, or bother with defending himself against the accusation that it was due to him being some kind of sugar fiend. Whether or not he liked the substance himself was neither here nor there, and if the Judge wanted to poke fun at his appearance, that was perfectly fine by him. Being underestimated had only ever given him an advantage.]

And how exactly does ripping open the packets and dumping them out onto the table help in your mission to dispense of it in the first place?

[truefaceofthelaw]

Rico notices the alien clench his teeth, and smirks. He'd managed to stave off the worst of Rico's hit, but he'd still made him hurt.

"Did that hurt, creep?" he calls out mockingly, careful to regulate his voice so he sounds like he's barely exerted himself at all. The coppery taste of blood coats the inside of his mouth, and he spits it out on the ground. "You're a glutton for punishment, aren't you? Not too late to stand down -"

A paper bird flitting about the edges of his vision at the wrong time lets the kick at his ankle brings his foot out under him, but Rico recovers in time to land in a smooth crouch. From there he springs forward, jumping clear off the floor and barreling straight into Garrus's waist, bringing all his hefty weight to bear.

[truefaceofthelaw]

[Rico ignores the question, as he does with all things that might inconvenience him.]

A Judge protects people from themselves, as well as from each other.

[He peers down at the juve, arms folded.]

Would you stand back and let some idiot with a fork stick it in a power outlet? I didn't think so.

[mirror_soldier]

That would depend entirely on the situation, actually. Who was doing it, if the fork had a handle that would help prevent shock, if their footwear would help with grounding, and whether or not I knew that the approximate voltage they would receive would be non-leathal.

[And that was his long winded way of saying 'you thought wrong'. If he didn't like the person and he knew the shock wouldn't kill them, he would definitely let someone electrocute themselves for his amusement. In fact, the first idiot that came to his mind, nearly had. ]

You didn't answer my question.

[calibrates_big_guns]

The moment it takes Rico to recover and go for the takedown also gives Garrus the moment he needs to prepare for it. As Rico surges forward, Garrus leans into the dive and adopts a wider stance, throwing his legs back to keep his balance from the initial impact. Even then, he stumbles and nearly looses his footing. Fortunately though, he was able to catch himself on a nearby table and stay upright.

That little bit of luck actually lands Garrus a pretty good position. Rico's in close, meaning he can't swing his arm hard enough to really put some force behind the daystick. Eager to keep it that way, Garrus wraps an arm around the back of Rico's neck, hopefully keeping him in place. He raises up his free arm and brings it down hard, aiming the point of his elbow at Rico's shoulder and neck.

[pump_action]

She jumps slightly as she jerks her hand out of the way, just barely avoiding a greater injury as the sharp crack resounds in the mess hall. She looks at Rico with unmasked incredulity and surprise, although it's not long before she's pursing her lips and looking back down at her coffee with a sudden realization;

She's not dealing with a sane individual.]


Mmm. Perhaps you're right. I'll just shuffle back to my office and wonder about my life choices that lead me to this - [Looking at him, his stupid smug face and pile of sugar-] disturbing interaction.

[She stands, and then and then as an afterthought, nudges her coffee over towards him,]

I won't be needing this anymore. I'm sure there are plenty of other establishments where I can get my non-restricted sugar.

[truefaceofthelaw]

The blow drops Rico to one knee but he doesn't go completely limp. He grunts out loud, the only concession he'll make to having the breath driven out of him. This is bad. Bad position, bad situation. Normally he's better at judging weight, but he must've been mistaken. Drokking aliens and their drokked up physiologies.

He might be too close to swing his daystick, but it's a versatile tool. He lets go of the daystick and grabs it again nearer to the center, and stabs it straight into what he can reach of Garrus's abdomen as hard as he can, repeatedly. Fine. He'll make this into an endurance contest. No matter what he'll be put through, Rico's determined to pay it back with change.

[truefaceofthelaw]

[Rico laughs, openly. Unexpectedly it's not mocking at all, but rather genuinely somewhat amused.]

I like you, kid. You've got a bit of an attitude, but that's fixable. At least you're interesting.

[He grins. It's probably nothing good coming from him, but there it is.]

Unfortunately, it's my job to prevent that. [he drawls.] So....

[truefaceofthelaw]

[No, he's certainly not. By simply deciding to leave and making him somebody else's problem, that probably makes Claire one of the smarter people here. He grins and draws his daystick back, secure in the knowledge that he won this little encounter, no matter how petty it is.]

You go ahead and do that miss. Have a good day.

[Rico looks down at the mug she nudges over to him. He pinches the rim of the cup and drags it a little closer, drumming his fingers on the handle.]

Caffiene's a restricted substance too. [He says absent-mindedly, but he doesn't get up or try to stop her. Does this count as a bribe? He's too preoccupied by the distraction to pay her much more mind.]

[justice_from_above]

Is it? [There's the slightest frown at his statement; she'd thought the intent of the law was to ensure people were safe, and happy.]

[She peers at the badge.] Here, or in your own world?

[mirror_soldier]

[That laugh is so unexpected the kid is actually a bit startled by it. For a moment his frowning disapproval is broken by bewildered shock, his brow eventually furrowing as if he's trying to piece together a mildly frustrating puzzle.

He's not sure if he's comfortable with the idea of this guy liking him, especially when he couldn't quite understand why he would. Approval certainly wasn't what he was aiming for, and just because someone was interesting didn't mean they were likable. He couldn't help a pickling of paranoid suspicion at what he considered odd behavior.

As Rico ends on that 'So...', there's a moment where it just continues to hang in the air before Thad realizes he doesn't intend to finish the thought. That he's meant to draw his own conclusion, and maybe it was just his creeping paranoia but he couldn't help feeling it was meant as an unspoken threat.

But giving the rare benefit of the doubt, he takes a chance at attempting to finish the thought for him.]

So, you're going to keep hitting them with a stick everytime they do something you think is stupid and harmful to themselves?

[truefaceofthelaw]

[Rico likes the reaction he gets from the juve. How much of his behavior is an act or not is unknown even to him sometimes, but it's moments like these where he enjoys, for a lack of a better term, freaking people out. Even better if it's genuine on his part.]

Exactly. I'm glad you get it. Some people can be dumb as drokking rocks, but they'll learn eventually. You can tell a person not to stick their fingers in a socket a thousand times, and they'd still do it. And then they'd kick up a fuss that you didn't stop them. Grud, I've certainly met some stupid enough to.

[Rico shrugs. There's not much he can say that doesn't come out like an unspoken threat one way or another.]

Sometimes it's the only way idiots like them can learn. So really, it's the compassionate thing to do.

[thedreamisdead]

America just arches an eyebrow. Flattery? How... un-Dreddlike. "I imagine you would have, one way or the other." So she wasn't the most popular Judge around. A little too liberal, they'd say. They'd adjust. So would Dredd.

Every time she starts to get a little suspicious, she has to remind herself that she got to know him after fifty years on the streets. No one would be the same after that length of time. Everyone started somewhere.

She snorts at the display and holds her arm out, aiming at the huge target that is the Earth. Not by pollution and war, but hardly untouched. "It' cute. Curvy lines. Silver finish." She pauses, tilting the barrel up a tetch and giving it a quizzical look. "...Rather more phallic than I remember." Long barrel, bulbous tip, what were they thinking? Then again, with the 'Drokk the citizens' attitude some Judges tended to hold, it was probably on purpose.

America slides her hand over the ammo selector, almost humming as she did so. It was like holding an antique. She hasn't touched one of these since she was a little girl, but she still remembers drilling on the cadet version for hours before it was announced that they'd be upgrading.

[truefaceofthelaw]

Is that... was that innuendo? Or just a straight comment? Rare from a Judge. Rico had that same thought himself to be honest, although he'd thought he was the only one who'd ever found any kind of humor in it. He finds himself watching Beeny slide a lingering hand over the ammo selector despite himself, then snaps back to attention. Member of the Council of Five, Rico. Bad idea. But he almost cracks a smirk in spite of his determination to dislike her.

"It's an extension of the law, ma'am."

With the neutral way he delivers that line, whether he's agreeing or disagreeing with her is hard to tell. With giving Beeny some time to inspect his lawgiver, he finds himself wondering if he should ask her anything about the future. But it's never been his style to ask so directly. Felt too much like showing his hand, whether it was necessary or not.

"...The Department still keeping on top of things in 2169?"

Opting for the roundabout approach seems like a good idea. Hoping to draw her into conversation, she seems willing to be approachable enough that she might say something useful. Nothing wrong with making a little small talk after all.

[pump_action]

Hmm. I'm sure it is. [Oh, no, it's not a bribe at all. Without sugar, that coffee is trash for her. She's basically making him take out her garbage.]

[She smiles in that sweet, saccharine way.] I didn't get your name, Mr ... ?

[truefaceofthelaw]

Not mister. Judge Dredd.

[She's free to use this knowledge however she likes. Rico doesn't care. He leans back further in his seat, still with his boots up, already dismissing her from his presence. But before she goes, his grin stretches, returning the favor.]

And I didn't get yours, miss...?