THE BUSINESSMAN

A DAY IN THE LIFE OF COUNCILMAN SILPH

FERNANDO’S SCHEDULE, on paper, is a mess of double bookings and hectic timeslots. pulling up his public calendar is a sea of different colors. each set of hues represents a different obligation, whether it be council, gym, or corporate, all overlapping in a constant vy for his attention.

in reality, fernando manages quite well. his free time is as elusive as getting a straight answer out of him but the pace he maintains does not befit someone late for several different meetings. he carries on at his own stride, uncaring, reassured that eventually, all will be done.

for lunch, he makes a casual appearance in the league breakroom. the same instance Kazimir Wynter had caught him with, taking a packed lunch from the fridge, and preparing his food before moving onto his next engagement.

with an almost incessant habit of checking the notification on his watch as they blip to life, he stands nearby, evidently waiting for his turn at the cappuccino machine.

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iseult babineaux

THE BUSINESSMAN

A DAY IN THE LIFE OF COUNCILMAN SILPH

“GOOD AFTERNOON.”

those who have not dealt with fernando in business know nothing of his ire. gossip may paint a picture but his in person encounters tend to blur the lines. it’s how depictions can differ to the extremes.

a matter of perspective.

“thank you.” a small nod of his head acts as his token of appreciation. “just hot water, if you don’t mind.”

[attr="class","spiralpee"]
iseult babineaux

THE BUSINESSMAN

A DAY IN THE LIFE OF COUNCILMAN SILPH

“OH?”

he matches her tit for tat, smile for smile. it’s polite, earnest, but lacks the polish of much else.

another nod is given in thanks when he receives the mug. he accepts it from the bottom, cupping it with one hand. it’s only when her own fingers leave the handle’s loop that he takes it with the other.

“who’s caught your attention?”

[attr="class","spiralpee"]
iseult babineaux

THE BUSINESSMAN

A DAY IN THE LIFE OF COUNCILMAN SILPH

“AH.”

her answer tells him everything he needs to know about her—she’s one of them.

singsong praises are well and good but they’re wholesomely not needed. he knows this because he does it too. flattery, niceties for the sake of humility and people pleasing. it’s respectable but lacks the personality found in more brazen, honest members.

the litmus test is referring to dahlia goode or himself as interesting. they are many things: grounded, sensible, driven—but interesting they are not. not in his eyes.

fernando doesn’t bat an eye as his judgement sits within the safety of his own inner thoughts. her hand is shaken with a firm enthusiasm. tight but not hard pressed.

“a pleasure, babineaux,” he repeats slowly, careful to try and pronounce it properly the first time around.

“i didn’t know black skipped ahead of everyone else on the assistant chart.”

[attr="class","spiralpee"]
iseult babineaux

THE BUSINESSMAN

A DAY IN THE LIFE OF COUNCILMAN SILPH

“I’M SURE HE COULD USE AN EXTRA—”

hand.

“—ASSISTANT.”

mentally, fernando catches himself instantly. despite the months between gabriel losing his arm in the GREAT HOENNIAN SEA, recognizing that common manners of speech were now off the table, still takes adjustment. thankfully, he doesn’t miss a beat.

“oh?”

with no reason to stay near the cappacino machine, fernando moves back to the break room’s center counter. his lunch today is a bag of meal replacement powder, hence his request.

he unseals the bag, eyeballing a good service size into the mug.

“what did you want to know?”

[attr="class","spiralpee"]
iseult babineaux

THE BUSINESSMAN

A DAY IN THE LIFE OF COUNCILMAN SILPH

“I HAVE TIME,” is among the whitest lies he’ll impart onto her. a stir of his spoon thickens his hot water and soon enough it starts to resemble bleached gruel.

“you think so?”

he laughs, inward, near sardonic.

“i think i’m quite simple. principled, perhaps, but simple.”

he tastes a spoonful at first. despite its appearance, he neither winces or shows any sign of distaste. he only goes back to stirring, implying that it’s not ready.

[attr="class","spiralpee"]
iseult babineaux

THE BUSINESSMAN

A DAY IN THE LIFE OF COUNCILMAN SILPH

“YOU’RE FINE, BABINEAUX.”

her apology means nothing to him. it’s no more than empty words. the same as blanket praise. not that she’s said anything that’s warranted such in the first place—

“no offense taken.”

his stirring comes to an end when his spoon taps against the rim of his mug. he repeats the action until the laddle is empty and relatively dry.

“but it’s not much, really.”

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iseult babineaux