[attr="class","spiral"] There is a certain charm that can only be found in the cold recesses of a drained glass. Be it a beer mug or a shot glass, Fernando finds solace in the perfection of an empty vessel, drained of its contents and left just as pure as it was prior to being a carriage of another night's drink. The progressing months take their toll on a weary body and Fernando bottles up the wear and tear until the baggage unloads. This time of year seems to take its sweet time and the call of winter cannot come soon enough. The snow will bring a sluggish trudge to the end of the year and with it a break that's both long needed and much appreciated.

To him, The Stray is just another pub in Hoenn, another place to squander a night beseeched with a loneliness pervaded by his lack of accompaniment. Work keeps him busy and for the most part, it's his best company. There's companionship found in Pokemon but that's beneath him. To have to resort to something that has no choice, something not human, is a cope out that he will neither admit nor succumb to. That's why he makes up one of the patrons tonight and rubs his temple as the alcohol plays a lulling spell that brings his exhaustion center stage.

Fernando waves his hands to signal for attention and looks down at his empty glass. "A whiskey sour whenever you have the chance. Crown Royal."

[attr="class","spiral"] "Not in particular. I just have a grouchy, tired face," Fernando comments idly to carrying on the conversation. He swirls the drink with his straw before taking a sip, wincing as whisky has a stronger taste than he had expected. The first pour always does, at least until some of the ice melts or if the bartender keeps a light pour.

"How about you? Can't imagine it gets too busy this time of year?"

[attr="class","spiral"] "Naturally," Fernando admits to his own distaste. It's become a trend among those he's familiar with as well as the strangers who find themselves bold enough to comment on a councilman's demeanor. Regardless, repetition bears ill truths and Fernando accepts them as they were.

"That's good," Fernando answers absentmindedly, half paying attention, half fixated on his own glass. "This is a time meant for family. People should be spending it at home with their loved ones. I'm glad business is enough to make up for slow period like these."

[attr="class","spiral"] The retort is so simple, obvious too. Having to face his own statement thrown back at him catches Fernando off-guard and the absurdity of it tickles his amusement. He can't help but laugh, genuine but filled with minor astonishment. "Indeed I am. Guess that means I don't have much of either, huh?"

Despite the jokes, despite the laughter, there is a grim realization that comes from an inverse self-reflection. Fernando is alone and he has no one to blame but himself. His family is non-existent, felled by his own hands, and all in the name for prestige and power. Those around him have their own families and Fernando finds such occasions awkward. Even then, they're nothing more than possessions, people he caters to out of his own physical needs.

Lillian, Isra, even Perse to some extent. Which one did he truly hold close to his heart and find some sense of belonging.

None of them because there is only one person who he truly understands: himself.

"Joining anyone else's just feels forced and awkward but I suppose it beats working."

[attr="class","spiral"]Fernando disagrees with that statement but avoids commenting as such. He keeps his thoughts to himself despite how quickly they lash out like a raised flag, eager to disagree, begging to argue. Instead, he smiles at the comment when his attention is pulled by another patron requesting Evan's assistance.

He sits there when Evan shuffles off to attend to the other and reaches for his phone. Unsurprisingly, there's no notification. Figures. There's an odd comfort in the lack of interactions with others and Fernando allows himself to sink into his own peace of mind, disturbingly coming to peace with a newfound sense of solitude. He traces the odd change in character back to the Aqua Summer Festival and attribute it to his bond with the Tapu Fini. Having felt at some vague levels the Pokemnon's perspective on events and how it carries himself has imprinted itself onto him.

Nothing matters but the end goal takes a turn for the worst and Fernando catches his self imposed alienation well ahead of time, considering it while his mind is loose and wandering.

"Maybe," Fernando trails off considering Evan's suggestion. "But it's all the same in the end. Visits for me are never simple."

[attr="class","spiral"] "Reputation begets reputation."

He takes a sip and feels his throat dry after it passes through his throat. He needs water but refuses to risk the chance of deflating the progress he's already made. That can wait until he has to close out.

"The same questions about being a council member or things about Silph Co. get boring after a while. It tend to attract a lot of attention."

[attr="class","spiral"] Fernando stares at Evan for a moment before laughing. Not mockingly. No, that's reserved for someone more familiar, like Isra Nightingale. His laugh is genuine, filled with amusement at how others perceive solutions for issues that seem so complicated on paper but can be fixed with the right mindset.

"It's hard to get word in before they start but that works here and there. It also fails just as much," he answers with another light chuckle. The laughter leaves him parched and he turns to his mug for another cleansing.