Throughout the years, Morty found that some of the best spots to gain information on the supernatural is, surprisingly, online. Sure, it’s like finding a diamond in the rough; a nugget of truth in a mountain of lies but when he finds a trustworthy piece, it often leads to some of his tougher cases to date. Regardless of where you are in the world, you can be a victim of the supernatural, and that’s where he comes in.
Keep Reading
First and foremost, Riley is not an expert on possession.
He manifests life – the energy that governs the living and fuels their core. He does not, however, have any sort of grip on the undead or anything involving ghosts. He can’t see them on their own. He can’t even touch them. Riley is just about as in the dark as any other human would be in this situation.
Which is why he feels powerless when his manager becomes the victim of a possession.
The signs are markedly clear. It’s like something out of a tv show – the sudden change in behavior, the awkward movement, speaking in tongues – the levitating. And on a deeper, more spiritual level… a violent shift in aura. Where there had been bright, unyielding colors now lay dark. At once, Brad Hawthorne had become a different person entirely. No trace of his aura could be found.
Thankfully, containing his manager wasn’t too hard.
And it was at that point that Riley knew he had to reach out to someone. As it happens, he debates calling Interpol. There were so many resources to take advantage of in Interpol. But Riley is well acquainted with the fallout that happens with calling Interpol. More than likely, they’ll take Brad themselves, observe him like some sort of lab rat. For all of the knowledge the organization held, their archives over the supernatural were… less to be desired. As far as Riley’s concerned, he wouldn’t be getting Brad back for a long, long time. Maybe even never.
And where would Riley be without his manager?
Riley goes for an unorthodox method.
The internet is another great resource – billions, if not trillions of people use it. Riley does his own research on ghosts. Most of what he finds is… questionable. He’s on his sixth hour of searching when he eventually finds himself on Craigslist and shining like a beacon amongst thousands of queries of supernatural nonsense is one advertisement:
MEDIUM FOR HIRE.
Days pass. Brad’s condition only worsens, and it takes all of Riley’s strength as well as the aid of his partners to keep his manager subdued. Leaving his team alone to deal with his manager is risky – but it’s a chance that Riley must take. He navigates through the city, eventually finding himself in the meeting place that he and medium agreed upon – just a few meters away from the Valley Windworks facility. The road, thankfully, was populated enough so that if this medium turned out to be hostile – they couldn’t act.
And in an even worse case scenario, Riley knew how to defend himself.
Thankfully, nothing of the sort happens. He approaches the Valley Windworks as the sun begins its descent into the sky. The cool, autumn breeze carries the scent of flowers from the nearby city – with just a faint touch of honey. The route is so picturesque and quaint, and as Riley walks alongside the picket fence lined on either side of the road here, he thinks to himself how nice a photoshoot here would be.
Morty sticks out here.
The backdrop of flowers provides a stark dichotomy – Morty’s aura is an intense, lavender-like light whereas the petunias and peonies have a lovely, pastel shade. It radiates off him like a glow – a beacon in the fading light. And despite its intensity, there is a certain warmth to the glow – little flecks of orange and yellow here in there pattering out.
Riley knows this person – he’s well acquainted with Morty from the beach house.
“Hey,” he begins, grinning. “… I should have known that it was you. My apologies for not reaching out to you sooner – I didn’t think you’d travel across the region for a case like this. How are you?”
The road to Snowpoint was a path from which endless snow fell from the heavens, chilled by ice and an impossible forest that made travel both time consuming and disorienting. To aid their travelers, Sinnohian governments had laid lights along the route path – industrial beacons whose shimmer could be seen even in the worst of snowstorms. Riley had found himself thankful for the lights –
Until they stopped working.
(Perhaps their generators had frozen over?)
He clutches the folds of his scarf, rearing them over his lips. For a moment, he stands within the swath of snow before closing his eyes. When he reopens them, his world is alight with flecks of color – pinks, purples, myriads of saturated vibrancies. These colors exist on the fringes of his vision, much too far beyond the wind and snow to comprehend. The more he concentrates, the more these colors flicker and mute. Riley gives a defeated hiss when the last color snaps from his sight, fading into the dull background of gray and white.
There were many ways to impact his mystical sight, and wind was one of them.
But to his surprise, one last color reappears before him. The color is strange, to say the least – it is not a vibrant, impacted aura, but a muted glow. It doesn’t feel like a human… but it’s distinctly not Pokemon. And yet here it is, yards away, flickering off a figure distinctly humanoid. Coming towards him, gaining in intensity.
The first thing that comes to mind is an unsaturated aurora bourealis, shifting in colors that Riley can’t totally comprehend right now – and on instinct, he calls out:
❝ Hello? Is someone there? ❞
... This aura, thankfully, didn’t feel like a threat. No hostile intentions to be found. But he stands still, his fingers balled up into fists... on the off chance that it may become so.
Here was a man asking him if Green wanted the opportunity to see Onixes fuck. He like. He offered that to Green. Right out the gate. Like it was normal. Biologist or not, Green was quietly starting to wonder what the fuck this guy was on, looking so handsome yet being so utterly oblivious to the kinda shit he was saying.
He was like a prince. Goddamn. Who was this man. Was he in love? Probably.
He laughed along as this Riley dude spoke so calmly and so sophisticated about Onixes being in heat, and threw an arm around Riley’s far shoulder, pulling him in close. “Of course it’ll be beneficial to my research, Randy. What could be less suggestive than two guys being dudes, watching Onixes fucking and re-carving half your island in the pursuit of baby-makin’? Nothing gay about that. No sir.” He patted his shoulder.
“How ‘bout we just do both, huh? See some good ol’ Onix fuckin’ and if we don’t die a horribly rocky cave-in death, then we’ll see all the cool Steelixes and other shit like that? Nothing could be better. Absolutely nothing.”
“Then again, I don’t think we’ll die. I’d have to do some serious damage control, but there’s no way in hell I’d let some rock snake fuckery take down a handsome gem like yourself. So you’re in good hands, don’t worry. You got the guidance, I’ve got the beef. Show the way, Ronald.”
Okay, Riley knows that Green’s strong. Far more talented on the battlefield than he is. And in spirit; the more he looks, the more he notices… a bit of an anomaly in Green’s aura. Auras, when concentrated on, tend to appear brighter than they really are. And to find Green in the caves, Riley had focused on his aura. But he’s no longer doing that, and yet here is Green’s aura, astoundingly bright.
So, just like Green’s prowess in battle, his aura is powerful.
… Green must be a very emotional person, Riley thinks. Or is there another reason?
And suddenly, Green’s astoundingly close to him. A little too close for Riley’s comfort. He feels as if he should have seen that coming. He laughs a little too loudly, clearly caught off guard.
Alright, now he’s interested. Green’s aura will be interesting to observe and analyze throughout this tour.
“Protect me? Why… you’re too kind, Green. I can assure you that I am more than capable of defending myself.” He pauses, considering his tone of voice. “Oh! But the sentiment is greatly appreciated. It’s an honor to have someone of Champion status on my side.”
All of a sudden, the ground rumbles. About thirty yards away, Riley catches sight of a glimmering Onix body, body intertwined with another mass. And he can’t help but smile.
“Can you see that…? There, just beyond the corridor. It’s the Onix. We can get a little bit closer if you want the personal and intimate experience.”
The moment Riley touches his chest, it feels like he’s disconnected from reality. This isn’t the first time he’s been subjected through a mental dive, but the context this time around is far from pleasant. Had he been capable of sarcasm at the moment, he would find it ironic that the event that first forged the bond of his friendship with Riley now becomes the one that’ll break it. The aura user wouldn’t see in his heart ‘something good and magical’ that gave way to trust. He might come across memories that would further incriminate him.
Oh well, it’s not like he could do anything–
Keep Reading
He hovers over the rim of the can for just a second longer, snot and saliva dripping down into the trashbag. His eyes are burning. His lungs constrict and ache and itch. If not for the presence of the officers just beyond the door, Riley might spend another minute hacking up whatever else still sits in his stomach.
Harley’s words just barely reach him. What did you see?
“Horrible,” he rasps. “Can’t –“ And then his voice is a low whine. “Harley, you…”
Oh god, where does he even begin?
Now, brainwashing isn’t something so uncommon in Riley’s line of work. Persuasive Pokémon and impressive neurological technology exist – although the means for doing so are not readily available. Whoever did this must have access to a lot of money, or must be an incredibly talented Trainer…
And normally, if someone has the ability to alter someone’s cognitive state – they never stop at just one person. Why would you, if you could dominate someone’s mind?
The gears in his head begin to turn.
One after another, the clues snap together. The chain of robberies. The arrests, with the thieves bearing nothing in common. No – now he has a theory. Castelia City sees a lot of theft and breaking-and-entering misdemeanors. So it isn’t uncommon; local authorities have just chalked it up to a seasonal rash of crimes. What they should be looking at what’s being stolen…
Riley’s eyes dart back to Harley. His expression gaunt, he staggers towards his friend. His fingers worry themselves into the front of his jacket as he hyperventilates, the last vestiges of panic from Harley’s memory still coursing through his body –
“You’re… you’re innocent. You did steal… but you are innocent. You’re innocent because you didn’t consciously steal it. You were made to do that. Harley, you’ve been—”
And he feels the officers outside grow antsy, eager to make an actual arrest. If he doesn’t act now, they will. And once Harley is behind bars, it will be difficult for Riley to free him – even with his credentials.
“… I’m sorry, my friend. I’m very sorry. Please, I’ll explain everything when I get back. I won’t let them take you, Harley. I’m going to help you. Don’t speak to anybody else! You have the right to a lawyer!”
The door opens, and Riley rushes himself into the hallway.
Rui was willing to call herself a lot of things. She was brash. She was bold. She was aggressive. She was witty.
She was not, however, girly, or elegant, or refined.
Unfortunately for her, that’s exactly what her current situation called for.
Keep Reading
He arrives at the hotel, hand laced around his manager’s own. And immediately after leaving the car, he regrets coming.
Going to parties meant playing the role of arm candy, something in which Riley had tons of experience in. And it was a simple job to play, too. All he had to do was smile, make conversation. Accept a few compliments graciously, and then speak well of his clients and their photoshoots. Riley is a living doll, meant to be fawned over, only meant to speak when it’s appropriate. He has done this for years and knows the routine pretty well.
Using aura to read the air also helps.
Aura, as diverse of an ability as it is, all ties back to one similar trait – the sensing of living beings and their intent and emotion. The moment he steps inside the grand foyer, his sixth sense transcends beyond his line of biological sight. Like echolocation, he can map the room, sensing everything with a pulse and soul. Everyone’s auras – from Pokémon to human – all shine through in a radiant spectrum, splendid and brilliant. From yards away, their emotions are child’s play to read.
Right away however, there is a light more brilliant than he’s ever seen. And it wants to leave.
While the individuals with a strong spirit always tend to produce the strongest auras, this one outshines them all by a longshot. This aura is a beacon amidst a sea of candle lights. And it both earns his interest and puts him on edge.
For once, he has reason not to follow his routine.
Riley excuses himself about ten steps into the room and wades into crowd, much to his manager’s chagrin.
The bar swims into view. He scans its patrons: an older man unable to hold down his whiskey, an entrepreneur preaching about her latest investment, and then most curiously of all – a young woman with brilliant red hair and an exhausted expression.
But before he can speak, she turns around and greets him.
Riley’s sure that his placid expression betrays him. With the music and chatter, you’d think that sneaking up on people would be easy.
Regardless, he clears his throat and sits beside her.
“Honey bourbon on the rocks, please!”
His eyes flit back over to her.
“Fantastic,” he replies with a dry laugh. “Although… I’d much rather be elsewhere – if I am being honest. Wouldn’t you agree? …Oh!” And he sticks out a gloved hand. “Riley Kavanaugh – my apologies for not introducing myself proper. Pleased to meet you.”
“… they’re alright when it comes to snack food. If I must, I’ll eat the hot cheetos brand. But if there are others, I’ll take them. Next question.”
“As for friendship… I’m happy to have indulged in at as of late. Perhaps this might seem a bit sorry… but when I was much younger, I didn’t have many friends. Now that I reflect on it, it feels somewhat lonely… so I’m glad to see things have changed for the better.”
“When I think of goblins… I think of the funniest, most thoughtful man I can think of. And how endearing and adorable he is even while he’s laughing and lugging peanuts at others from the rafters. Some might say that he’s a tad wonky, but that’s just how I like him.”
“… I have always thought the moral code behind knighthood was quite honorable. I’ve heard countless denominational fairy tales about how brave and powerful knights were. Whether they faced off against rampaging Pokemon, corrupt lords, or even the forces of nature themselves -- they always won. And they would always pull off their deeds with such heroic aplomb; they would make it look so easy. ... I’ve always aspired to be like them, and follow in the footsteps of my ancestors. One day, perhaps...?”
2087
dailybridgerton
jbbartram-illu
pixelskylines
prguitarman
baratheonpilled
discoholicmusic
