(( A bit of a dumb idea that I got into my head. Hope you enjoy. 
))
The door creaked shut behind the Judge as he ducked his armored frame through the doorway. Behind him was the results of his most recent judgment - a bit of a tainted victory in the air as the remaining hired muscle started awkwardly searching for any valuables the merchant family had. After all, they had taken a loan to help them through a rough patch in their business and thus it was only proper that the collectors get their due payment. The loan shark hadn't, however, expected Jredthys to be so knowledgeable on loan rates and interest - nor that he would cite that he was in violation of a law as well. So, while his muscle may be roughing up the family, what he would be getting from them would pale to the gil he'd have to spend to get the Judge's findings swept under the rug and out of the eager fingers of his competitors.
As one would expect an Ul'dahn who was risking losing a sizable amount of gil, the loan shark had chosen the obvious solution of silencing the Judge before such information could be disseminated. And, as an appropriate countermeasure, the armored behemoth had moved to defend himself from the two hired muscle that moved to engage him. The end result of all this was said pair sprawled out on the street in front of him in a bed of shattered glass, eyes rolled up into their heads as if trying to get a good look at the yellow card neatly affixed to their foreheads. For obstruction of justice, of course, though Jredthys had made a point of giving the store owners the gil necessary to repair the damages before making his exit. The other two grunts had wisely decided to not bar the Judge on either points, finding taking the gil from the merchants a much more palatable task than following in their mates' footsteps.
"FORBIDDEN: OBSTRUCTION," the Judge intoned as he paused between the two crumpled forms - Hellsguard both - before continuing onward into the streets of Ul'dah. "RECOMMENDED: HEALING."
A slight up-tilt of his helmet was the only hint of the massive armored figure turning his hidden gaze skyward. The burning sun was well into its descent towards the horizon now, the sweltering heat slowly beginning to drain away in preparation for the chill night that would follow. Already color was seeping across the vast expanse of azure overhead, heralding the blanket of glittering dark velvet that would soon cover the sky. The Judge returned his attentions to the earthly realm and lengthened his strides, since it would not be proper to pass along his findings at a time when the interested parties would be far more in favor of closing up shop and heading home for supper.
However, it seemed Nymeia was spinning a different thread entirely for the enigmatic ebony-clad lawman. He was passing the Gate of Nald when the sounds of dissent reached his ears from just beyond it, followed by a small object rolling to a stop against the the side of his greaves. It seemed to be a ball of some sort, wrought from Garlean rubber from the looks of it, and about the size of a closed fist. Already mildly curious of what cause of the shouting, the wayward sphere sealed the deal for him. After all, it would be improper not to return a lost object such as this.
"He's out, totally out!" one of the voices stated angrily as the Judge drew nearer. It belonged to a fiery-haired Highlander girl, likely just over ten cycles old, and full of the vim and vigor of her people. Her tattered clothes marked her as likely one of the Ala Mhigan refugees, forced to live on the outskirts of the Jewel in squalid living conditions. Though the focus of her ire was by no means well-to-do himself.
"You hit him in the head! That doesn't count! Head is off-limits!" the Midlander boy countered resolutely, his arms firmly crossed over his chest. He was taller than her, older as well - likely between thirteen and fourteen cycles. His garb was just as ill-tended, but was a hodgepodge of Uldahn cloth that marked him as a likely resident of Pearl Lane.
"He's a Lalafell!" the girl snapped. "They're, like, half head! That ain't fair!"
The other children, almost a full dozen with the arguing pair included, caught sight of the armored bulk approaching and quickly scattered to what hiding places they could find in the sparse shrubbery and worn tents that dotted the Ul'dahn outskirts. The pair of Hyur, still deeply involved in their dispute, didn't notice Jredthys until he was already atop them. With his armored form towering over them in the afternoon light, their argument sputtered out and they sought to shrink into themselves.
"WHAT IS THE ISSUE?" the Judge queried, his power voice causing a wince out of the both of them - not unlike that one Hyur woman who always seemed to react so negatively whenever he spoke at the Grindstone. And a couple of the other Overseers... and some of the competitors. A lot of them seemed to dislike his voice. However, a powerful voice that grabbed and held one's attention was only proper for a Judge, was it not? Regardless of motive or intent, the two remained timid and tight-lipped at his presence.
"SPEAK," he intoned, his armor creaking as he dropped to a knee to get a better look at the both of them. One arm draped over his knee, while the other held out the wayward ball. Neither seemed in a hurry to take it from him. "I AM A JUDGE. I RESOLVE DISPUTES, FAIRLY AND PROPERLY."
Curiosity was starting to outweigh their fear now that it seemed Judge wasn't there to harm them or insult them like one of the less reputable Blades, and tiny heads begin popping out of their hiding places. The argumentative pair looked at each other in confusion, then back at the armored man. It was the girl that ultimately reached out a tentative hand and snatched back the rubber ball.
"Was nothin', we was just playin' a game," she stated, sending a sideways glance to the Midlander boy. She continued speaking even as her gaze remained fixed on the other child, her temper flaring back up as she recounted the situation. "'n I got Bighead Popoto over there out, but Mr. Know-It-All here says he ain't because I hit him in the head."
"Because hitting the head isn't allowed! Whether they're a Lalafell or a Roegadyn!"
"OUT?"
The two paused again in their quickly rekindling argument, remembering there was a very large third person involved in the debate now.
"It's a game I made up," the so-called "Mr. Know-It-All" explained, rubbing at the back of his neck. "Call it 'Bounce.' You throw the ball at the wall and make a run for the 'goal.'" He motioned to a fire-pit that an elderly Highlander man was trying to re-stoke for the oncoming evening. "Everyone else tries to get the ball and hit 'em with it."
"If ya hit him, you get a point," the girl interjected gruffly. "If he makes it, he gets a point. Most points wins. I hit the runner, so I get the point."
"And I'm saying you don't get no point because you hit him in the head!"
"La-la-fell!"
"ARE YOU THE REFEREE?"
"The... the what?" the Midlander asked, canting his head. "The refry?"
"THE REFEREE." Jredthys repeated. "THE ONE IN CHARGE OF THE RULES."
"I... I guess?" Know-it-all answered with a shrug. "I made the game, and it's my ball. If they're playing with me, they gotta follow my rules."
"NO." The Judge shook his head. "THE REFEREE DOES NOT PLAY. HE ONLY OVERSEES TO ENSURE THE RULES ARE FOLLOWED."
"Well, that's no fun. Who'd wanna do that?" the girl piped up again, hands on her hips.
"Yeah, I made this up to play it, not to stand around shouting at people."
"I WILL SERVE AS REFEREE, THEN," Jredthys intoned as he turned his unseen gaze onto the Midlander, causing the boy to shirk back some. If he had any argument against the Judge's self-appointment, he didn't voice it. "IF YOU WILL TELL ME THE RULES?"
What followed was an odd scene as the other children slowly grew more confident and drew closer. The Judge remained kneeling as the Midlander boy - whose name was Martin - meandered and mumbled the various rules he had made for Bounce. From the point system, to the thrower not being able to take more than a single step to put power into their throws, to the various no-nos that were included. Here and there, the Highlander girl - whose name was Lara - piped up to voice her discontent with the various rules, most notably the "no headshots" rule. Judge, on the other hand, took it all in - doing little more than stating ways to simplify certain rules or offering new ones.
"UNDERSTOOD." The Judge rose to his feet again after all was said and done, a solid reminder to the children of just how tall and imposing he was. That form was turned towards Lara, whose latest biting comment caught in her throat. "FORBIDDEN: HEADSHOT. POINT IN FAVOR OF BIGHEAD."
"M-my name's Kokomoto," the large-craniumed Lalafellan child interjected quietly.
"YELLOW CARD," Jredthys continued, withdrawing the lemon-hued object from somewhere on his person. "PUNISHMENT: ONE LAP AROUND THE CAMP."
"W-wait, what?" Lara questioned, even as the armored man knelt down again to lightly press the card into her forehead. "L-like, running?"
"YES."
She looked like she wanted to argue, to refute his claim. Yet somehow, an armored man that was more than seven fulms tall tended to put a damper on such things. Even with children. In one little last bit of defiance, she asked: "C-can I at least take the card off?"
"NO." The Judge turned his attentions back the rest of the group. One of them snickered at the yellow card affixed to the Lara's head, garnering an aimless glare from her at all of them before she stormed off in a huff. She still did as she was told, however, moving to the edge of the camp to start her lap. Jredthys folded his arms over his chest and cast a look over the rest of the destitute children. "RESUME GAME."
And resume they did, minus the Highlander girl as she quickened her brisk jog to a full-on run to fulfill her punishment and get back in the game.
))The door creaked shut behind the Judge as he ducked his armored frame through the doorway. Behind him was the results of his most recent judgment - a bit of a tainted victory in the air as the remaining hired muscle started awkwardly searching for any valuables the merchant family had. After all, they had taken a loan to help them through a rough patch in their business and thus it was only proper that the collectors get their due payment. The loan shark hadn't, however, expected Jredthys to be so knowledgeable on loan rates and interest - nor that he would cite that he was in violation of a law as well. So, while his muscle may be roughing up the family, what he would be getting from them would pale to the gil he'd have to spend to get the Judge's findings swept under the rug and out of the eager fingers of his competitors.
As one would expect an Ul'dahn who was risking losing a sizable amount of gil, the loan shark had chosen the obvious solution of silencing the Judge before such information could be disseminated. And, as an appropriate countermeasure, the armored behemoth had moved to defend himself from the two hired muscle that moved to engage him. The end result of all this was said pair sprawled out on the street in front of him in a bed of shattered glass, eyes rolled up into their heads as if trying to get a good look at the yellow card neatly affixed to their foreheads. For obstruction of justice, of course, though Jredthys had made a point of giving the store owners the gil necessary to repair the damages before making his exit. The other two grunts had wisely decided to not bar the Judge on either points, finding taking the gil from the merchants a much more palatable task than following in their mates' footsteps.
"FORBIDDEN: OBSTRUCTION," the Judge intoned as he paused between the two crumpled forms - Hellsguard both - before continuing onward into the streets of Ul'dah. "RECOMMENDED: HEALING."
A slight up-tilt of his helmet was the only hint of the massive armored figure turning his hidden gaze skyward. The burning sun was well into its descent towards the horizon now, the sweltering heat slowly beginning to drain away in preparation for the chill night that would follow. Already color was seeping across the vast expanse of azure overhead, heralding the blanket of glittering dark velvet that would soon cover the sky. The Judge returned his attentions to the earthly realm and lengthened his strides, since it would not be proper to pass along his findings at a time when the interested parties would be far more in favor of closing up shop and heading home for supper.
However, it seemed Nymeia was spinning a different thread entirely for the enigmatic ebony-clad lawman. He was passing the Gate of Nald when the sounds of dissent reached his ears from just beyond it, followed by a small object rolling to a stop against the the side of his greaves. It seemed to be a ball of some sort, wrought from Garlean rubber from the looks of it, and about the size of a closed fist. Already mildly curious of what cause of the shouting, the wayward sphere sealed the deal for him. After all, it would be improper not to return a lost object such as this.
"He's out, totally out!" one of the voices stated angrily as the Judge drew nearer. It belonged to a fiery-haired Highlander girl, likely just over ten cycles old, and full of the vim and vigor of her people. Her tattered clothes marked her as likely one of the Ala Mhigan refugees, forced to live on the outskirts of the Jewel in squalid living conditions. Though the focus of her ire was by no means well-to-do himself.
"You hit him in the head! That doesn't count! Head is off-limits!" the Midlander boy countered resolutely, his arms firmly crossed over his chest. He was taller than her, older as well - likely between thirteen and fourteen cycles. His garb was just as ill-tended, but was a hodgepodge of Uldahn cloth that marked him as a likely resident of Pearl Lane.
"He's a Lalafell!" the girl snapped. "They're, like, half head! That ain't fair!"
The other children, almost a full dozen with the arguing pair included, caught sight of the armored bulk approaching and quickly scattered to what hiding places they could find in the sparse shrubbery and worn tents that dotted the Ul'dahn outskirts. The pair of Hyur, still deeply involved in their dispute, didn't notice Jredthys until he was already atop them. With his armored form towering over them in the afternoon light, their argument sputtered out and they sought to shrink into themselves.
"WHAT IS THE ISSUE?" the Judge queried, his power voice causing a wince out of the both of them - not unlike that one Hyur woman who always seemed to react so negatively whenever he spoke at the Grindstone. And a couple of the other Overseers... and some of the competitors. A lot of them seemed to dislike his voice. However, a powerful voice that grabbed and held one's attention was only proper for a Judge, was it not? Regardless of motive or intent, the two remained timid and tight-lipped at his presence.
"SPEAK," he intoned, his armor creaking as he dropped to a knee to get a better look at the both of them. One arm draped over his knee, while the other held out the wayward ball. Neither seemed in a hurry to take it from him. "I AM A JUDGE. I RESOLVE DISPUTES, FAIRLY AND PROPERLY."
Curiosity was starting to outweigh their fear now that it seemed Judge wasn't there to harm them or insult them like one of the less reputable Blades, and tiny heads begin popping out of their hiding places. The argumentative pair looked at each other in confusion, then back at the armored man. It was the girl that ultimately reached out a tentative hand and snatched back the rubber ball.
"Was nothin', we was just playin' a game," she stated, sending a sideways glance to the Midlander boy. She continued speaking even as her gaze remained fixed on the other child, her temper flaring back up as she recounted the situation. "'n I got Bighead Popoto over there out, but Mr. Know-It-All here says he ain't because I hit him in the head."
"Because hitting the head isn't allowed! Whether they're a Lalafell or a Roegadyn!"
"OUT?"
The two paused again in their quickly rekindling argument, remembering there was a very large third person involved in the debate now.
"It's a game I made up," the so-called "Mr. Know-It-All" explained, rubbing at the back of his neck. "Call it 'Bounce.' You throw the ball at the wall and make a run for the 'goal.'" He motioned to a fire-pit that an elderly Highlander man was trying to re-stoke for the oncoming evening. "Everyone else tries to get the ball and hit 'em with it."
"If ya hit him, you get a point," the girl interjected gruffly. "If he makes it, he gets a point. Most points wins. I hit the runner, so I get the point."
"And I'm saying you don't get no point because you hit him in the head!"
"La-la-fell!"
"ARE YOU THE REFEREE?"
"The... the what?" the Midlander asked, canting his head. "The refry?"
"THE REFEREE." Jredthys repeated. "THE ONE IN CHARGE OF THE RULES."
"I... I guess?" Know-it-all answered with a shrug. "I made the game, and it's my ball. If they're playing with me, they gotta follow my rules."
"NO." The Judge shook his head. "THE REFEREE DOES NOT PLAY. HE ONLY OVERSEES TO ENSURE THE RULES ARE FOLLOWED."
"Well, that's no fun. Who'd wanna do that?" the girl piped up again, hands on her hips.
"Yeah, I made this up to play it, not to stand around shouting at people."
"I WILL SERVE AS REFEREE, THEN," Jredthys intoned as he turned his unseen gaze onto the Midlander, causing the boy to shirk back some. If he had any argument against the Judge's self-appointment, he didn't voice it. "IF YOU WILL TELL ME THE RULES?"
What followed was an odd scene as the other children slowly grew more confident and drew closer. The Judge remained kneeling as the Midlander boy - whose name was Martin - meandered and mumbled the various rules he had made for Bounce. From the point system, to the thrower not being able to take more than a single step to put power into their throws, to the various no-nos that were included. Here and there, the Highlander girl - whose name was Lara - piped up to voice her discontent with the various rules, most notably the "no headshots" rule. Judge, on the other hand, took it all in - doing little more than stating ways to simplify certain rules or offering new ones.
"UNDERSTOOD." The Judge rose to his feet again after all was said and done, a solid reminder to the children of just how tall and imposing he was. That form was turned towards Lara, whose latest biting comment caught in her throat. "FORBIDDEN: HEADSHOT. POINT IN FAVOR OF BIGHEAD."
"M-my name's Kokomoto," the large-craniumed Lalafellan child interjected quietly.
"YELLOW CARD," Jredthys continued, withdrawing the lemon-hued object from somewhere on his person. "PUNISHMENT: ONE LAP AROUND THE CAMP."
"W-wait, what?" Lara questioned, even as the armored man knelt down again to lightly press the card into her forehead. "L-like, running?"
"YES."
She looked like she wanted to argue, to refute his claim. Yet somehow, an armored man that was more than seven fulms tall tended to put a damper on such things. Even with children. In one little last bit of defiance, she asked: "C-can I at least take the card off?"
"NO." The Judge turned his attentions back the rest of the group. One of them snickered at the yellow card affixed to the Lara's head, garnering an aimless glare from her at all of them before she stormed off in a huff. She still did as she was told, however, moving to the edge of the camp to start her lap. Jredthys folded his arms over his chest and cast a look over the rest of the destitute children. "RESUME GAME."
And resume they did, minus the Highlander girl as she quickened her brisk jog to a full-on run to fulfill her punishment and get back in the game.
~