acrimsonking (acrimsonking) wrote in shadows_rpg, @ 2018-04-27 10:06:00 |
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Entry tags: | #october 2017, anthony, anthony x rebecca |
Who: Anthony and Rebecca
When: Afternoon, October 19th, Thursday
Where: Out and about
Status: Complete
It had been awhile since Anthony had spoken to Rebecca. Understandably, she was busy and he had other things on his mind. But with circumstances being what they were, he felt it was necessary to touch base with her, as Anthony never liked to go too long in between their chats. Wilkes was harder to pin down and Anthony didn’t have the patience to deal with him this week.
He had sent her a text the evening before and waited on the street outside of Joyland Coffee, holding his coffee in one hand and an umbrella in the other. It was a miserable day, but it was easier to talk as they walked, rather than sitting down somewhere they could be overheard. Anthony sipped his coffee, watching a few cars drive by before the sight of Rebecca walking down the sidewalk toward him caught his eye. "Lovely day," he said in greeting, a smile playing at his lips. "I hope you don't mind a bit of rain."
There was normally more than enough to keep Rebecca occupied, which was by design, but there were those for whom she would make time. Anthony was one of them. They had known each other for quite some time and maintaining regular contact suited her preferences as well. In some respects, he knew her better than most and nothing ill had come of it so far, which made it easier, in a way, to keep their acquaintance cordial.
Joining Anthony in front of Joyland, Rebecca smiled a little and said, “I would have requested we reschedule, if so.” She understood the wisdom behind walking rather than lingering in one place. The weather was further suited to no one eavesdropping on their conversation, as there weren’t many other people milling about. She picked a direction to walk in, trusting Anthony would keep apace, or take the lead if he had any specific place in mind. “How are Miriam and your children?” she inquired.
"They're well," Anthony said, because the truth was much more personal and not something he was apt to discuss, even if Rebecca wasn't necessarily a stranger. "Sera is finishing up her last year of high school, and Caius has recently gotten married. I fear Miriam will be suffering from empty nest syndrome soon enough." Obligatory small talk was fine with Anthony, at least for the time being. Sometimes he wished he could give simplistic, boring updates on his family that were truthful, but life was never easy, was it? He sipped his coffee and glanced at Rebecca. "And how are you and yours?"
The interest on Rebecca’s part was polite more than anything. Small talk was one of those things she didn’t really care about, but understood the societal expectation. Any kind of in-depth conversation about family would have likely been better suited elsewhere. “Has it been that long since we last spoke? I don’t recall Caius being engaged, but send our congratulations to him,” Rebecca said. She assumed it was an elopement of some sort, or at least a more private matter, rather than the former. “They’re both good. Michael continues to do as well as can be expected, given his condition. He’s still working at the museum and at his band, when possible. Terry’s good about looking after him when work pulls me away,” Rebecca said, glancing over at Anthony in turn. He was one of few who had more of an idea of the true nature of part of her work. “Which I imagine might start to pick up, soon.”
Anthony chuckled softly, as Caius hadn't been engaged when he came back from Anguilla married. He supposed it should have been something he'd seen coming, given how closely he had been involved in Caius's life up until then. If he and Reagan had attempted to elope in Point Pleasant, he would have known, so Anthony couldn't help but wonder if marrying Reagan in Anguilla had been his plan all along. "It was an extremely brief engagement," Anthony said dryly before glancing at Rebecca. "But I'm glad to hear Michael is doing well." He had spoken to Wilkes a couple of times in the past week or so, so Rebecca's statement wasn't a surprising one. He continued to walk, his eyes focused on the path in front of them. "That's what I hear. I got the impression that Christopher was ready to push forward. I suppose if there was ever a good time for it, now would be it."
Rebecca’s lips twitched with some genuine amusement from Anthony’s tone. Most of what she knew of Caius was pieced together from Anthony’s comments over the years rather than having any much direct contact with him, but it didn’t come as much of a surprise that his marriage may have been a tad… impulsive. She nodded acknowledgment to his comment about Michael with a murmured thanks, though her attention was admittedly more focused elsewhere. “When I last spoke to him, that seemed to be his intention.” There were still matters on her end to consider for her direct re-involvement, given the career she had built while Michael was her only subject; to abandon it fully at once would appear odd. “In your opinion, what makes now a good time?” she asked. Though she was not especially superstitious or attuned to the energy of the town despite living there for years, she knew there was something unique about it and was curious if Anthony meant anything by it, or just that enough time had passed now since the fire.
Anthony slightly resented the timing of Caius and Reagan's marriage. The problems arising from it distracted him from his own goals, and while Anthony was quite adept at multitasking, it became a tad bit more difficult when he had such a personal stake in one of the issues. He couldn't just leave Caius to handle things on his own. His son was capable, yes, but that wasn't the point. Anthony had plans for him, and he couldn't allow this roadblock to deter him. "There's something in the air," Anthony said, his lips twitching into the faintest of smiles. "I feel as though it might be a rough winter for this town. More so than usual. Something is coming, although I can't quite put my finger on what it is." He sipped his coffee and then glanced at Rebecca. "What fun is life without a little chaos? It's best that Wilkes takes advantage of it while he can, otherwise he'll never find the same success his father did. And I would hate to see him, and by extension, you, fail. I assume you'll be involved?"
Unexpected swerves from people in one’s life were inevitable, though Rebecca was also the sort who preferred to keep her affairs as strictly ordered as possible. Sometimes she disapproved of Michael’s choices, though he hadn’t done anything particularly dramatic insofar as she was aware. To an extent he had free will, though ultimately she controlled a large part of her son’s life through the administration of his illness. His ignorance to this fact was imperative for obvious reasons, which was another factor for consideration as regarded her return to AIR. To Anthony’s comments, Rebecca hummed her agreement, giving him a faint smile in return. “Chaos offers several advantages and certainly keeps things interesting for everyone. I haven’t worked out all the specifics with Christopher quite yet, since I am better known now around town than I was years ago, but your assumption is ultimately correct. There’s never been anything quite so fascinating as Dr. Wilkes’ work and I’m sure there’s more for us to discover. I presume you’ll want to be kept up-to-date on our progress, as before,” she said.
"You presume correct," Anthony said with a brief smile. "If I'm donating the funds, I expect to know what's going on and when. Of course I'll maintain my distance and keep my hands clean, but I always want to be aware of where my money is going. And I have no doubt that your expertise and contributions will improve the facilities once more. I don't expect history to repeat itself, so I imagine Wilkes will be a bit more... choosy about his subjects. I hope you'll keep me up to date with his work. I know how he can sometimes get... distracted by things. I don't want to have to pull the plug on this endeavor before it has gotten the chance to get up off the ground."
Rebecca inclined her head. It was reasonable for Anthony to want to know where his money was going for his business investment. “Given that the arrangement proved mutually beneficial, I see no reason for that to change. We have more data now than years ago when it comes to selecting and maintaining our subjects, though there can of course be outliers.” The fire that destroyed the facility years ago had been regrettable, though there were measures they could take now to mitigate that happening again. “Christopher’s focus can be a bit narrow at times, so I will be prepared to help nudge things forward as is appropriate. And will keep you informed, of course.”
Anthony's smile appeared again. "Ah, see, that's what I like to hear. He needs someone to keep him on the proper path. His father strayed and look what happened. But I have complete faith that you'll help make the facility a success again." She wasn't as emotionally attached to the project as Christopher would be... was... and so Rebecca would be able to recognize if he was making the incorrect decisions. Anthony was more than willing to step in and fix things if he had to. It wouldn't be the first time. He slowed, prepared to part ways with Rebecca now that they had gotten to the crux of their conversation. Anthony had never been one for small talk unless it was necessary. "It was a pleasure catching up, Rebecca. Miriam and I will have to have you and Michael over for dinner one night soon."
Keeping an eye on the bigger picture had never been a problem for Rebecca, nor had modulating her feelings, whatever they might be, to not get in the way. It accounted, in her mind, for much of her success as a researcher and a physician, since someone needed to stay above the messier concerns with which other people could become preoccupied. Though she had admired Dr. Wilkes, she knew he could sometimes be singular in his concerns, as could his son, and with the years of experience she felt better placed this time around. Anthony’s interference would be justified, if it came to it, but he was ultimately a businessman rather than a scientist, so her preference would be to minimize the need insofar as she was able. “Indeed it was. I always enjoy our talks, Anthony,” she said and meant it, perhaps more than she did with most other people since there was less need for pretense than usual. She gave him a small smile. “I’m sure we can schedule a time for dinner. We’ll be in touch soon.” And with that, she was content to make her departure as well.