[attr="class","spiral"] black coffee was always quick.

fernando silph guzzled down what was left of his lukewarm brew without second thought. it tastes straight like ass but that's never fazed him before. not since he was a child, before he knew the taste of liquor along with several other vices that, in exchange for a less than stellar taste, amplified experiences elsewhere.

he drank it because it was bitter.

he can feel the remnants of the coffee's taste along with the cotton mouth that comes after. the sensation is annoying but discomfort keeps him alert, awake enough to stir throughout the day despite his lack of sleep. rest never comes easy to silph with all things considered but the past few nights have been anything but productive. heart palpitations, passing out on his desk, he almost mistakenly pissed in the trashcan instead of the toilet due to their proximity and how inattentive he was.

but sunlight comes up and his body runs on autopilot once again, crossing over the hump of exhaustion and ready to meander like a bum from one city to the next. jogging at a brisk pace through mauville, fernando smiles at the people he passes with a face unfit for his true character. very few know him for his true thoughts but that's because he lives and breaths a lie to adjust to what society expects. in his standard semi-casual business attire, he can feel his toes twinge with the uncomfortable sensation of heat from his pacing, wearing heeled boots that have no business suffocating the heat of his run.

he starts up the steps for the pokemon center to switch out his current pokemon, unable to use the bulk of them after having lost to cait alfric in a spar against her vast army. there was nothing more refreshing than limit testing his newly caught pokemon against her own, a habit that the two seem to turn into tradition after drawn out meetings.

[attr="class","spiral"] noisy. the sound of someone's call rips the attention of those around her and all eyes stare back at bailey cooper. fernando's among them and it takes him a moment to recognize her despite her outfit. it isn't until he hones in on her face, really scrutinizing her features with a scrunched up face of his own, does he make out the minor details of her profile.

"cooper?"

fernando scoffs with a light chuckle, stopping in place before starting back down the stairs and closer to her. naturally, he extends a hand. "what brings you to mauville?"

[attr="class","spiral"] Fernando doesn't pull any punches. The shake is firm and held with the resounding posture of a business man that's meeting someone he needs. In many respects, Bailey is one of them, member of the illustrious Elite Four, and now the main topic for the current news cycle. It makes sense why she dresses so plain and Fernando accepts her greeting with a grateful nod.

"Ah. Fallarbor sounds nice right about now." He never gets to follow that train or thought aloud. Not when his own name interrupts his thoughts and Fernando left staring at a man who seems both familiar yet distant. He knows that face from somewhere but can't put a name to it. It's been too long since the Aqua Summer Festival.

Fernando never gets a chance to get a word in before the tension rises. It looks like Dawn's stricken a chord and Fernando's eyes go wide. "You should know better than to trust rumors on the internet. After all, Sergeant Cooper has better taste then that." Deescalation isn't his strong point but at least he can try. "She's in League of her own."

[attr="class","spiral"] cait alfric's gym trainer. Interesting. Fernando makes a mental note to pair the two together but sits on inquiring further. There's a time and place for everything; the sooner they separate the better.

Things settles down when he flees and Fernando stomachs his expression. "You're all the rage these days, Cooper. Everyone lvoes celebrity gossip and you're sitting right in the limelight." Fernando hides his own amusement behind his traditional deadpan expression, one meant for business and the centerpiece for his reputation of being a grouch. He rather appear stone faced than laugh openly at Bailey's plight, trying to switch topics before she can latch onto her current temper.

"We should probably head inside. Care to accompany me?"