1) It reads as if Druag has a contention with a certain Pangoro, by the couple mentions and another concerning his ilk as an explanation for Druag's lateness. Is there any particular reason why? I'd like to know why he is a character more specifically mentioned and his defining traits rivaled, if there's something behind it or if there's some unique dynamic you want to pursue.
It's not that Druag has anything against Goro personally or even recognizes him: I just threw that mention in there in case you might think a Druddigon was too big to be intimidated: short answer is he's not. Druag isn't elderly but more middle-aged than anything, and given his condition he wouldn't be able to stand up to Goro, I was just making sure it was clear that he wouldn't think himself above the guard in terms of strength, and would still be quelled despite outsizing most if not all of the other employees.
The other mention about the guards in the park can be redone if I made too many presumptions, I was presuming there were other volunteer guards for the festival and that Goro wouldn't be the
only one starting early. Since Druag occasionally has to sleep on the street and because of his visage, he would have met some doubt from a volunteer, whereas the permanent police--if indeed there are any--would have pegged him as a hobo by now and left him alone. Again, I apologize if there was too much presumption there, I could easily make him an hour late for some other reason.
2) If I were Castiel right now and I were to say to Druag, "My store is looking for a face--an approachable, marketable, and savvy employee of entry-level retail that customers can look upon and feel... welcomed. How will you be that face?" How would he respond? Reply in-character.
Well, Druag would have to fish for pity in this instance and try to adapt the same line of salesmanship he would have used to sell the less-valuable rocks back in his mining days, that special blend of appealing to generalizations and pandering to personal principles. There would, of course, also be quite the accompaniment of gesturing from his free hand.
"Well, Mr. Castiel, I know I'm not the prettiest face, but wouldn't you say people these days much prefer an authentic grin over a fake smile? Everyone expects employees to be smiling yes-men, mere constructs for all the more
personality they show. But I gotta say, sir, you strike me as a thinking individual, someone not so taken with skin-deep looks as that shop-owner across the way, there. Why, only look at your current employees: they're
real people, sir, and so am I. What's more welcoming than a friendly fellow on his cane, ready to shoot the breeze and sell you quality charms and trinkets? I'd provide your store with a
real face, Mr. Castiel, and everyone who comes here will look and say, 'Yesiree, that Castiel's a good fellow: he's not the sort to judge on appearances, where better to spend my
hard-earned cash than in support of such a
stand-up member of the community!' They would look around, sir, and see that
this, at least, is a store for
all Pokemon, they'd see you, sir, a Ghost, already stigmatized by the shallower masses. And then they'd see that fish you have there--as different from us as you can get--they'd see you have a quadruped, and a biped, too. And then, sir, they'd see me, a victim of circumstance, someone who had been given a chance, and they'd know that
they were welcome here, sir."