in which Rick decides to play Ruana's game this time

[bashfulshifter]

Characters: Patrick Dawn and you!
Setting: Almost everywhere, from the 20th to the 25th of October. See prompts for specific floors.
Format: Action-spam to start, will match.
Summary: Catch-all for candy-hunting shenanigans! Each day will have its own top-post, along with the floors searched, people Rick is searching with, and any other relevant details. Of course, just because he's searching with specific people doesn't mean he can't run into others in-between floors, or even while engaged in the hunt itself! Just specify where and Rick will poke.
Warnings: Towards the end, Rick will be very paranoid about this whole business and might start acting funny. Or violent, if someone attempts to interfere/raid his stash. So potential for angry blonde man?

[It's almost as if he knows exactly what to do. Perhaps not why, but does he really need a reason? What else could compel him more than the opportunity to finally face Ruana in her own game? This is her game, right? It must be. Rick is just as certain of this as he is about scouring the Tower for candy—and in the same way, he has no idea how this will work towards catching the infamous administrator's attention.]

[But regardless of the "how" or "why," this hunt has given Rick more purpose than he's had in months. So he searches, frequently without breaks, in a blind, frantic fervor that becomes increasingly more panicked and paranoid as the week draws on...]

Comments

[stitchedupbodyguard]

[on the contrary, Veronica felt pretty good in this room. And she was positive something was in here.]

Not yet. You never know what's in these floors.

[She walked in further and started inspecting the various equipment. Her searching wasn't as thorough as it once was, her desire to having drained considerably. Something that Rick might notice.]

Maybe... maybe there's something in these cameras?

[bashfulshifter]

[Rick thinks to argue with her, but she does have a good point--just because one method fails doesn't mean all of them will, and he's noticed that Veronica's heightened senses account fairly well for lapses in his own. He sighs and trudges further in with a similar level of listlessness (although for different reasons).]

C-Could be. [He wanders to the opposite end of the room, where trays of chemical baths stagnate in the shadows. Rick crinkles his nose.] ...These m-might be c-c-covering up the s-scent. O-Or there c-could be s-s-some at the b-bottom...?

[Definitely not sticking his hand in any of them, that's for sure. He looks around for places to empty them out without making a mess--unlike whoever else was in here before and left their undeveloped photographs lying around. They couldn't be bothered to store them out of the way, at least?]

[stitchedupbodyguard]

[Veronica wanders around the floor for a minute, checking out all the corners and coming up empty. She stands in the middle of the room and thinks for a moment before joining Rick at the chemical baths. She was briefly stunned, the scent of chemicals in the air burning her nose.]

I don't t-think there'd been something in the chemical baths. A-at least not anything made of candy.

[She yawns and rubs her eyes. This game was beginning to wear out its welcome for Veronica.]

Odd though, someone left some negatives out.

[bashfulshifter]

[Rick nods and shrugs. Good point. For someone who looks so tired, Veronica still thinks clearer than he does. Speaking of which...]

...You f-feeling o-okay?

[stitchedupbodyguard]

...M-me?

[She subconsciously straightens up, her eyes a bit wider than before.]

Y-yes Fran-I-I mean, Rick. Just h-haven't.... slept much in a while is all.

[bashfulshifter]

[Rick raises an eyebrow at her as he carefully sifts through the small pile of negatives. Maybe there's something hiding underneath...?]

Y-You sh--shouldn't p-push yourself too hard... [Then, almost mechanically: ] ...you w-won't find a-a-as m-much c-candy if y-you're t-tired.

[PRIORITIES]

[stitchedupbodyguard]

Candy....

[her shoulders slump at the mention. She lets out a groan.]

I'm starting to get pretty sick of this candy thing. The paranoia that comes with it is driving me nuts.

[bashfulshifter]

[His response is quick and fused with the slightest hint of sardonic humor.]

I-I've f-f-found that l-looking for more c-candy makes me l-less p-p-paranoid about it.

[stitchedupbodyguard]

[That just makes her angry. She delicately picks up a negative and inspects it, speaking almost under her breath but loud enough to hear:]

That's how she's controling us. Damn admin... f-forcing us t-to do this stupid game...

[bashfulshifter]

[Rick shoots her a warning glance over his glasses--not threatening, but surprisingly stern.]

Veronica...you kn--know we d-don't have a ch--choice.

[stitchedupbodyguard]

But we should!

[That outburst puts the room in a moment of silence. Veronica instantly steps back, seemingly trying to make herself smaller.]

I-I'm sorry.... I j-just... I-I feel like I'm b-b-being targeted.

[bashfulshifter]

[Maybe it's the stress, maybe it's the paranoia, but whatever the case Rick snaps. He takes a step forward as Veronica shrinks back, glaring with quiet intensity.]

Th--That's b-because we are. There is n-nothing we can do a-about it e-except p-play her g-game and m-make sure w-w-we're not--k-k-killed for s-some s-s-silly m-misstep! Don't...just...I m-mean...t-t-take my a-advice on this o-one, o-okay? I d-don't want you to g-get h-hurt.

[stitchedupbodyguard]

[Veronica's left in shock for the moment.]

B-b-but.... But... That would mean that she'll win. We c-can't j-just do this...

[bashfulshifter]

[He sighs, briefly releasing eye-contact with Veronica to stare at the floor. He's starting to sound like Diarmuid now..."bide your time until the opportunity arises," he'd said. The servant's advice makes a lot more sense now.]

...She'll th--think she has, y-yes. [Then Rick's gaze goes back to his companion, glinting with almost crazed determination.] --B-But then we c-can d-d-draw her out--f-force her to c-come to us. I-It's the o-only way...she's t-too s-s-strong to c-c-confront d-directly.

[stitchedupbodyguard]

[She greets Rick's crazed determination with doubt, and a little suspicion.] and who's to say that we'll stand a chance against her if we draw her out? Do you really plan to take her head on?

[bashfulshifter]

[He throws his hands in the air.] --B-Better than h-having her c-c-catch us o-off-guard. I g-guess.

[And he impatiently tries to change the subject.]

--W-Were you g-g-going to try s-something with th--those n-negatives?

[stitchedupbodyguard]

Oh, y-yes. Right. I was t-thinking that we s-should try to develop them. M-maybe there's something on t-them that can help.

[And she starts doing just that, happy to be off of that conversation now.]

[bashfulshifter]

[Rick nods, the angry red blush steadily retreating from his face. He feels a little bad about having snapped at her--but he was right, wasn't he? Maybe it was about time he started being more strict with her.]

...Do y-you know...how to d-develop ph--photographs?

[stitchedupbodyguard]

A-as well as t-the next person. Which is t-to s-say, yes I do. Learned on my own, a-actually.

[She looks away from Rick for the moment, hiding her face behind her hat and a curtain of hair. She knew Rick was meaning well, but it was clear that this was getting to him pretty badly.

What could she do?]

[bashfulshifter]

[Not much, at the moment. Rick ignores the fact that there is obviously a problem here and instead looks over a second set of negatives, glancing between them and Veronica's hands as she works. He does not look at her face.]

Huh...This is s-s-something p-people do o-often w-where you're f-from?

[stitchedupbodyguard]

Probably not m-more t-than in your world. I just f-find it k-kinda useful.

[What with her job and all that. She glances over her shoulder at Rick a few times.]

[bashfulshifter]

[He follows Veronica's actions carefully, almost methodically trying not to catch eyes with her. Rick's quit simmering at this point, but the notion of apologizing now, after awkwardly waiting this long, makes him incredibly uncomfortable.]

[He settles for silence instead.]