[RP] Spiritwater – Tides of Witchcraft

[HorusMyDude]

Ruford McDonough
Lobby, Hano Grand Resort
Affected RP'ers: None

Operative Ruford 'From Dewford' McDonough had not had a good day.

It hadn't been his time experiencing Shadowcraft – oh no, there had been a time a couple years back in Phenac City that lived in his nightmares. Being tranformed into a centaur was no fun, and he had just gotten used to walking on four hooves when he had been turned back. Ruford shivered as he remembered the cold memory, of the harsh 'clip clop' on the cobblestone streets, the flies swaying around his Rapidash tail, walking all over his Rapidash back, sucking his Rapidash blood...

Time to ignore that memory. Ruford had been stationed in Hano Grand Resort, a beautiful place – Ruford had made it his home while he was out here, living off of nice martinis and nothing else. Though he often tried (and failed) to have a woman on his arm, he was on the clock today. Literally, the folks upstairs had him clock his time.

“So we can track your whereabouts,” Cynthia had said, “Enough people have been disappearing as is. The less operatives we lose to this, the better.”

She had looked absolutely exhausted when she spoke, deep rings under her eyes. Agatha was a right witch – both figuratively and literally. So Ruford, instead of complaining that the Man was looking over his shoulder, hadn't said a word. Never mind the fact that the Sinnoh champ could piledrive him into the ground, Royal style. Five days since the Wishmaker had arrived with an army of Leaguefolk in tow – well, Ruford had already been here for a year, and had blended in right and nice. Blend in, had been the instructions.

So Ruford indeed felt rather odd indeed when his 'blending in' costume was a League-provided Lickilicky costume. It was one that employees at amusement parks usually wore, a gaudy thing that had an ominous air about it, like at any moment it could spring to life and start strangling children. Ruford noticed children and smaller Pokemon keeping away from him as he sat on one of the couches in the Resort lobby. Even a Machamp, flexing for a gaggle of tourists, lost his luster at the sight and made a quiet exit.

Almost time for his orders. Ruford took a deep breath, pulling an arm free from the confines of the Lickilicky's hand and looking at his watch. Sure enough, he was getting a call.

His other hand was stuck in the costume, so Ruford used his nose to press the 'call' button. He accidentally hung up. Letting out a curse, he wrenched his stuck arm free – hearing the sound of the costume tearing as he did so, and re-dialed. Of course it came from Steven.

“This is Baron Alberto,” Ruford said, referring to his callsign, “Is this Big Gross?”

“'Big Gross' is not my callsign,” Steven's voice, though crackled and quiet, had an air of tired annoyance, “What's your status, Baron?”

“I'm at the Resort, like you ordered,” Ruford replied, “Keeping an eye out, and all that. Really quiet, Steve. Not the good kind, either. Folks are scared. I mean, I like fish, but I wouldn't like to have a mermaid tale-”

“Let's keep that one on the need-to-know, Baron,” Steven replied, “And use callsigns over the line. Never know who might be tapped in.”

“It's Agatha,” Ruford said, “She's old. Probably doesn't even know what a watch is. She was born, what? Four hundred years ago? People were using muskets when she was a teen-”

“Concentrate, Baron. Keep an eye on the Resort. You're in that Lickilicky costume, right? Maybe pretend to be entertaining. A real mascot. I'll see what I can do about getting you a balloon stand. The more you look like one of the locals, the better.”

“Alola, indeed,” Ruford said, “Alright. When should I head north?”

“In a couple hours. I'm still confirming a few things here. Might need your expertise soon, depending on how the investigation pans out. For now, I need you at the Resort in case anything crops up, or Agatha decides to strike there.”

“Right on, I'll keep my Pokemon on hand,” Ruford said, sticking his hand back into place, “Say hi to everyone up there for me, will ya?”

“...See you, Baron.”

The Hoenn Champion hung up the line. Ruford gave a grim smile at that. The fact that Steven Stone was out here meant the League was really concerned – two Champions at all, and not even in their home regions, meant certain expletives had hit the fan. As Ruford stood up, he wondered what the whippersnapper Champ in Alola was up to.

“Right, entertaining. Fun.”

He began to walk forward, bobbing and almost rolling through the lobby. Ruford sighed in frustration. He didn't have any peripheral vision, and what sight he had was hazed by a black mesh. He was already starting to sweat.

“I could've had a cute Charizard costume, or dressed up with cool ol' wings like those butterfly girls,” he muttered to himself, “But nooo, they had to go with the bargain bin Lickilicky costume that Steven wore at his day job when he was a teen at the carnival.”

He lumbered on, the dark storm, with its shadows seeming like claws and fangs, hugged the island, putting a dour mood on the entire island.