Zainul Arifin

About

Anis Zainul Arifin, S.T., is the father of Lintang Arifin, Faiza Arifin, and Fadhly Arifin, as well as the husband of Widya Indriani. He is an employee of the Ospomere Power Co. and works in Unit 3 of the power plant. His complicated relationship with his family, his best friend Valerie St. Clair, and his manager Ludwig Caine play a significant role in The Paraffin Investigative Co.

Personality

Zainul is polite to a fault and can be downright pedantic about rules of etiquette. He yearns to be accepted by the people around him and fears ostracisation, hence his adherence to social norms. He also emulates his friends’ mannerisms, accents, and vocabulary to blend in with them. His anxiety regarding social exclusion leads him to overthink his words and actions.

His pedantry also extends to other areas of his life. He can be rather fussy, especially regarding cleanliness, safety, and religion. His rigid, controlling nature stems from his low stress tolerance — he is quite neurotic, freaks out often, and is easily overwhelmed by his environment. He often lets his worries overtake him and can come across as unreasonable.

Though intelligent, he lacks confidence and does not trust his own judgement. He has difficulty expressing what he thinks is true as he does not want to offend. He has a few areas of interest, but he doubts his expertise even in those areas. He tends to go along with what others tell him (perhaps out of a sense of misplaced idealism) and he often fails to see through other people’s intentions, making him seem a bit naïve.

Regardless, he is easy to get along with. He is willing to set his needs aside for others and does his best to accommodate their feelings; at least, until his quirks and insecurities take over. He is even-tempered and wears his heart on his sleeve. Though he has his insensitive moments, he rarely means malice except towards those he feels have mistreated him. He is willing to share his knowledge and talk about his interests when asked.

Appearance

Zainul is a short, bespectacled elderly man with a thin frame and very little muscle. He has tanned skin, black greying slicked-back hair, brown eyes, and a black goatee. His normal attire consists of a purple shirt, a dark purple tie, a white suit jacket, light blue trousers, and brown work shoes. He prefers formal pieces of clothing and keeps his appearance neat.