#coral island rafael x oc

[penelopetheconartist]

Orange Porch Light : Part 4

Coral Island Fanfiction about Rafael and OC. This is what I do when I'm bored at work so it is not polished. I wrote it to give myself more Rafael content. Plz enjoy!

Coral Island 1.0 is released tomorrow :D

"Oh, you're going to the tavern this evening? Cool I'll see you there", said Pablo. "Rafael you won't go?" Inquired Penelope trying to sound chill because she wanted him to come but the whole point was to get to know other people. Raf shook his head, "nah. Uhm. I like my quiet evenings." Penelope nodded, “that's fair. Maybe I'll convince you some other time.” He liked that she didn't push him to go out and he especially liked that she was going to ask him again. “I definitely think people need to get out more”, Pablo said nudging Raf who only rolled his eyes because of course, Pablo will always try to push him to go out. “Alright cool, well I suppose I'll see you guys later.” “Byeeeee”, Pablo said like a dork and Raf just nodded and smiled. As soon as the door shut Pablo turned abruptly to Rafael. “Come out tonight.” “What? no.” “Yes! If you come out, it'll be a group setting and there will be no pressure and you can spend more time with Penelope! And maybe even ask her out!” it was a foolproof plan according to Pablo. “Pablo, it'll be too crowded, and I'll be too uncomfortable to talk to her at all.” “Oh my god, you're killing me. Raf c'mon.” “No.” “C'mon.” “No.” “Come OOONNNNN!” Raf grunted and walked away. “Uuughh,” Pablo lamented. If you don’t ask her out soon someone else will!”

Rafael ignored Pablo and continued working. Their stubbornness infuriated each other.

“Fine! I'll flirt with her tonight! I'll ask her out!” Raf tensed but continued to ignored him and started to hammer away to drown out his stupid brother. Pablo went to change so he could head out to the tavern. As he left, he called out, “don't be surprised if I bring Penelope home tonight. “ In frustration, Raf slammed the hammer as hard as he could and Pablo was gone. He knew Pablo wasn't serious but he aslo knew his brother was charming af and probably could easily win Penelope over. Angry, he went up to his room so he could watch movies alone.

Pablo was sitting with Luke and Alice and called over Penelope as soon as she arrived. Penelope waved and walked to the bar first to grab a beer. She sat with them and both Luke and Alice had so many questions for the new girl. This is exactly what Penelope wanted, to get to know more people than just the blacksmiths she had to see daily because she kept breaking her tools. Pablo attempted to flirt but all his advances fell flat. He was actually pleased because this meant she was seriously into his brother. Luke and Penelope both offered to collect more beers for the table. As soon as they were out of earshot Pablo leaned over to Alice, “I think I need your help.” “With what?” “Raf is head over heels for her and I'm pretty sure she feels the same way about him.” “Awwwwwww!” Alice beamed, “That’s adorable.” “It is until they try to talk to each other,” Pablo stared into the distance remembering the ‘cringe’ he had to witness, “oh my god Alice, Raf is so goddam stubborn.” Alice smiled, “Aww no he's just shy.” Pablo shook his head and leaned back, “same thing.” Alice only giggled. “I couldn't get him to come out tonight. Alice raised a brow, “Yeah he'll never come here on a Friday. Maybe a Tuesday.” Penelope and Luke returned with new drinks. Pablo tried to flirt a few more times but Penelope just didn't react. Alice did and kicked him a few times. A few more people came by to chat with the newcomer. Overall, Penelope had a good night. But as she walked home, she found herself feeling a little sad that Rafael didn't join them, but she didn't blame him. The place was busy and loud, and Penelope drank a little more than she intended so she wouldn't feel overwhelmed. But that was probably enough socializing for the rest of next week. Pablo got in late. The shop was quiet. He crept up the stairs like he always does on Friday. They still worked a half day on Saturday, and he didn't want to wake Raf. Pablo did feel like a dick for saying what he said to Raf and even flirting with Penelope. He decided he’d wake up early to make breakfast to show he was sorry. If Raf was still awake, he'd apologize now. He peeked into Raf's room and there were zero lights. Sometimes he's still up watching a movie on his tablet but not tonight. Alright, Pablo will apologize tomorrow. Pablo woke up before Raf and made breakfast. When Raf joined him in the kitchen Pablo was plating it up. Raf yawned and raked his hand through his messy hair, “what's this?” Pablo sighed, “sorry for what I said yesterday. I was being a dick.” Raf nodded in agreement and sat down to start eating. “Also, I'm sorry I flirted with Penelope last night.” Raf tensed and gripped his fork, he was preparing himself for the worst. Was Penelope about to join them for breakfast? Pablo sat down across from his clearly distraught brother, “you'll be happy to know she did not flirt with me in return. She barely paid attention to me. “ Raf relaxed and finally looked up at Pablo, “really?” Pablo leaned back looking disappointed, “Yeah. That doesn't often happen to me.” Raf just laughed and started eating. They were good now. Penelope arrived a little before they closed in a very good mood. A bit too enthusiasctically she slammed some money on the counter resulting in both her and Rafael jumping just a little.

He smirked slightly confused, “Uh hey. How’s it going?”

Penelope was embarrassed for slamming the money, “Hey. It’s going good. I got paid!!!”

“Ah”, his smile brightened, “congratulations.”

“Thanks! I’d like to get a new pickaxe! … please”, she added because she was taught to always be polite.

Pablo could hear them chatting from the other room, so he decided to eavesdrop.

Rafael was getting a work order ready for Penelope and tried to make conversation, “did you have fun last night?” “Yeah, uhm, Pablo seemed to have a little too much last night.” “Oh?” “Yeah. I think he was flirting with me but everything he said was so cheesy.” Pablo stayed in the other room as now he was slightly offended. Rafael just laughed, “he can get flirty when he drinks. And when he’s sober… He’s just flirty. Harmless really.” Harmless??!! Pablo was more offended. Penelope sighed in relief, “Oh good.” Raf’s heart did a happy dance because Penelope is NOT interested in his brother, “Hey so I’ll have this new pickaxe ready sometime this week. Is that okay?

Penelope was so excited to have money and new things, “that’s perfect!”

Her enthusiasm was endearing, and Rafael couldn’t stop smiling as she left.

[emerald-dragonflame]

Finally got my girl Amisha someone. Of course it’s the introverted blacksmith, lol.

With the ability to finally marry in Coral Island, of course I had to figure out who would go with who. And Amisha was probably the hardest.

In the beginning of her story, she very much has a Kuzko (the Emperor’s New Grove) personality. Spoiled rotten, kind of an asshole, and really only was nice to S.K. and Oak. That is, of course, until she met Rafael.

In the game, Rafael tends to the graveyard next to his and his brother’s home/shop, and usually spends most of the morning there. He’s very quiet and sweet and Amisha, for some reason, started to fall. Seeing him care for people long gone, she may have been an ass, and may have thought he was just a goody-two-shoes just trying to make people think he was a good person, but something about that intrigued her. Then learning that he was the forgotten one, the man silently ignored by almost everyone, even by his parents (this is canon btw), she realized that it wasn’t an act. And well…

Anywho, she’s also a dancer, and I have no idea if Rafael can or cannot dance (he’s Latino so you would think so but… meh), but I thought this would be a really cute scene. Fite me.

[cinderswrites]

Daffodil Dreams :: Spring Blooms

A Coral Island Fanfic

Playlist || Cover Art || Mood Board

Themes: Slice of Life, Romance, Fluff, maybe some Angst, maybe some Smut (not too graphic but graphic enough)

MDNI || OC x Rafael mainly, OC x Twins (friendship only), other characters featured here and there || WC: 3,338

The briny breeze of the saltwater wound itself through her thick cerise waves, whipping them around her face as the boat continued driving through the ocean water. A smile spread across her face, her golden eyes shining with excitement, and her heart raced in her chest with anticipation.

Her mind thought of everything she had left behind: a fast-paced, awful-paying job in ‘customer care’, the few co-workers she could almost call friends, and her grandparents. The latter was probably the only thing that hurt to think about, but she knew they were well taken care of and they would send her mail often as they promised. She sold everything when she left, taking nothing but a bag of her clothes and some mementos close to her. One of which was a photo of her as a child with two little blond girls.

The twins, Alice and Suki, had been her friends for as long as she could remember. More Suki than Alice these days, but she was excited to see them both nonetheless. “Aye, it’s been a while since you last visited, hm?” Wataru’s grumbling voice called to her from his position by the motor.

She turned around, nodding and smiling at him. “Yeah, it’s been years. Can’t wait.”

He nodded at her and gestured with his free arm to something in the distance. She turned back around, seeing the peak of the mountain and the pier more clearly now that they were closer. She clasped her hands together, trying to hold in her excitement. A tangy smell hit her senses as they got closer, causing her face to scrunch up. She could see the tar-colored effects of the recent oil spill as well as giant black roots that seemed to be creeping toward the island like an ancient sea monster, slowly sucking the life from it.

Her chest felt a pang of sadness. The island was still beautiful from where she sat, but the oil spill had certainly done a number on it. Besides the smell, there wasn’t much clean water near the shore that she could see, and its inky blackness seemed to creep everywhere. Soon enough, they reached the pier, and as Captain Wataru pulled up and started tying off the boat, an older gentleman with a hat on waved at her. “Hello!” he called, his voice booming as the motor of the boat died down. “You must be Cinders, right?”

On steady legs, she exited the boat, grabbed her suitcase, and stepped onto the dock easily. She smiled at the older man, who had a rather profound belly and gentle eyes. “Yes! Cinders Snyder. It’s nice to meet you!”

She stuck out her hand and he shook it with gusto. “I’m Connor, the mayor of Starlet Town. Let’s go see your new farm!”

She nodded with another grin and followed along after bidding farewell to the captain. Her steps were light and bouncy, and she had a swelling feeling of anticipation in her chest that drove her onward.

°❀⋆.ೃ࿔*:･°❀⋆.ೃ࿔*:･°❀⋆.ೃ࿔*:･°❀⋆.ೃ࿔*:･°❀⋆.ೃ࿔*:･°❀⋆.ೃ࿔*:･°❀⋆.ೃ࿔*:･

Later on in the evening, after settling into her cabin and planting her first crops for spring, Cinders walked down Garden Lane towards the inn. The twins knew she was coming and they were waiting for her. Cinders stretched her arms behind her head as she walked, enjoying the cool spring breeze on her skin. Her muscles were burning with the effort of the day, but she’d never felt better. She had cleaned up a bit before going to the inn. Being in her old overalls and t-shirt didn’t feel like a proper way to meet old friends. She dressed up in a gray flowy blouse and a pair of jean capris, wearing her usual slip-on sneakers. She brushed out her hair and it flowed around her shoulders and past the middle of her back, shiny and bright.

As she walked up the dock and towards the front doors of the inn, she could hear the chatter inside. Anxiety peeked its head out, making her heart feel jittery for a second as she hesitated outside the door. Taking a calming breath, she stepped inside. The bright lights illuminating the lobby of the inn almost blinded her, the feeling of the warm air and smell of someone’s dinner hitting her nostrils made her feel more at ease.

“Cinders!!”

She barely had a chance to turn towards the familiar voice before she was wrapped up in strong arms, crushing her against another soft and feminine body. “S-Suki!” she coughed, having had the wind squeezed out of her. When Suki let her go, Cinders grinned and put her hands on the blond’s shoulders. “Oh, jeez, it’s been ages, huh? Look at you! All grown up!”

Suki waved her hand dismissively with a laugh, “You sound like your grandmother!” she remarked jokingly. Her blue eyes met Cinders’ golden ones with fondness and she pulled her in again for an albeit gentler hug this time. “I missed you so much! You’ve grown up since we last saw each other, huh?”

Once they parted, another flash of blond hair tumbled its way into her arms: Alice. “Cinders!” she squealed, holding her just as tightly as her sister had done. “It’s been so long! You’re here and I still can’t believe it!”

“Oh, Alice! It has!” Cinders hugged her back before finally the three of them stepped away from each other.

Cinders ran a hand through her thick hair, a soft flush creeping on her face as she realized their reunion had an audience. A little girl with long brown hair peeked around the leg of a tall rather burly man who stood nearby, an uncertain smile on his face. Next to him was a shorter, leaner-toned man who shared some resemblances with the taller one. The shorter man had a grin on his face as he stood with the confidence of a preened cockatoo with his arms crossed over his chest.

The little girl must have remembered Cinders from her previous short trips to the island, because she bolted out from behind the tall man’s leg, startling him, and barreled herself towards Cinders with amazing speed. The young woman was almost knocked off her feet with the force of Valentina crashing into her midsection, squeezing her with her small arms. “Aunty Cindy! You’re back!”

“Hi, Valentina,” Cinders said with a laugh, her hand smoothing the girl’s beautiful brown hair. “I missed you.”

“I missed you, too!” The girl nuzzled her face into Cinders’ soft belly before she let her go and clung onto her hand. Cinders grinned at her before looking up at the twins.

Suki glanced over at the men and back at the new arrival before the light bulb clicked on. “Oh! I’m sorry, how rude!” she laughed a little and gestured to the men. “These are the Sanchez brothers. That’s Rafael,” Suki pointed at the taller one who smiled a little and nodded in her direction. “and that’s Pablo.”

The leaner man strode forward, smiling dazzlingly as he reached for Cinders’ hand, bringing it up to his lips and kissing the back of it softly. “We’re Valentina’s uncles,” he added as he lowered her hand. Cinders saw Suki roll her eyes, an action that was repeated on the taller man’s face. “Your name is… Cinders?”

She nodded, pulling her hand back quickly and smiling with a hint of discomfort. “Yes, Cinders Snyder. It’s nice to meet you.”

Pablo smiled again before stepping back. The taller man walked forward with quiet steps, holding his large hand out. “Um, hi, I’m Rafael,” he said in a quiet voice.

Cinders looked up into his soft brown eyes, feeling her heart skip a beat, and she could feel the heat return to her face. “Hello,” she said, smiling as she reached forward to take his hand. Despite his rugged demeanor, his hand was soft, warm, and comforting all at once. “It’s nice to meet you, too.”

“Um, you too,” his smile was still small and uncertain, and he let her hand go and stepped away as well.

Suki clapped her hands, “Alright! Everyone’s met everyone, yes? Who’s up for some dinner?”

A chorus of agreement responded to her and Cinders was pulled along towards the inn’s kitchen by an eager Valentina who rambled on about how she wanted Cinders to sit with her and tell her about everything before moving here. She laughed and followed after her, her golden eyes glancing at Rafael as he and his brother Pablo trailed behind. She noticed how Rafael smiled at the little girl’s antics fondly, and her heart skipped another beat.

Valentina made her sit in the middle of the table while the little girl sat on her left side, still holding onto her hand, as if she were to let go, Cinders would be gone forever. The tall man, Rafael, sat on the other side of Valentina. Pablo sat across from him, with Alice on his left, and Suki on hers. Suki spread out the dinner, which was a spread of seafood dishes, freshly caught that morning and cooked for tonight.

The conversation was sparse as everyone reached for their favorites. Cinders helped Valentina get a couple of fish tacos that she loved so much, and after that, she reached over for the sashimi. Her hand collided with Rafael’s, who had been about to take the dish. He promptly dropped it, and it clattered loudly on the table’s wooden surface.

“Oh!” she gasped, looking over at him, “I’m sorry.”

“S-sorry,” he replied, putting his hands in his lap. “Please, help yourself first.”

Pablo, who had been talking with the twins, looked over at them when the dish was dropped. He grinned at his brother, a curious look in his dark eyes. “Everything alright, Raf?”

Rafael nodded but avoided anyone’s gaze.

Cinders smiled a little to herself as she grabbed the dish, picking off a few pieces with a fork before she reached over to hand it to the taller brother. He noticed immediately and looked up to meet her eyes. A small smile returned her own as he grabbed it and served himself. She sat back in her seat, taking one of the soy sauce bottles.

“So, Cinders,” Pablo said after a few minutes. She glanced up at him as she was chewing her food. “What brings you back to Coral Island? It’s quite a move from the city.”

She swallowed, taking a drink of water after. “It’s not much of a story, really,” she said with a soft laugh. “I was working in a call center and taking care of my grandparents. I lived with them at the time. Grandma Ina saw how I brought her garden back to life in the backyard and told me about her and Pappy’s old farm here, and she said they’d sign over the deed if I wanted it. She mentioned that the mayor here contacted her recently about purchasing it if no one was going to take over.”

“And you just packed your bags and moved?” he seemed incredulous, his eyebrows raising in surprise.

Cinders shrugged, “I was tired of the city life and needed a change.”

“You weren’t worried about leaving anyone behind?” he continued with his prying questions. Cinders noticed Rafael’s look of disapproval towards him from the corner of her eye.

She smiled and shook her head quickly, “No, the only people I left behind were my grandparents. One of my cousins moved in with them in my place, so they’re still being taken care of. Much better than I could, since she’s a nurse.”

Suki leaned her chin in her hand with her elbow on the table, sighing dramatically. “And here I thought you missed me so much, you wanted to come back,” she said in faux upset.

Alice giggled while Cinders rolled her eyes in response. “Oh, of course, how could I forget you, Suki?”

Valentina tugged on the sleeve of her gray blouse. She leaned in conspiratorially, holding up her hand to her mouth. “You actually came back for me, right, Aunty?” she whispered loud enough for everyone at the table to hear.

Amidst the gentle chuckling, Cinders nodded, wrapping her arm around the girl and squeezing her against her side. “You saw right through me! I did promise you after my last visit.”

Valentina giggled and her megawatt smile shone brightly. Dinner continued on amiably, the twins recounting their experience running the inn so far. Suki didn’t mention her recent divorce, but from her letters, Cinders knew that it bothered her something fierce. As dinner was ending, everyone moved from the dining room to the lobby. Cinders stayed behind to collect the plates and put the food away, cleaning up after everyone.

Rafael had wandered back in, pausing in the archway, watching her in surprise. “You shouldn’t clean up after everyone,” he said after a moment. “You’re the guest tonight.”

Cinders looked up from washing the dishes. She smiled, tucking a stray strand of hair behind her pierced ear. “Oh, I don’t mind. Suki and Alice know how I am.”

He strolled up next to her, opening the dishwasher and placing the rinsed-off dishes inside. “I’ll help you then,” he said as he did so. Soon enough, the kitchen and dining room were cleaned.

Cinders dried her hands with a towel after they were done, folding it over the handle of the oven. She leaned back against one of the counters, nodding to herself as she looked over the long room with a sense of pride. Rafael silently settled next to her once he started the dishwasher. It wasn’t an awkward silence, though, it was the kind of silence that was comfortable and warm, like a soft blanket on a chilly evening.

“Cinders,” he said after a moment passed. She looked up at him curiously.

“Yeah?”

He glanced at her before ducking his head and rubbing his neck, “S-sorry. It’s just… I’ve never heard someone named that.”

“Oh,” she laughed softly. She shrugged her shoulder, looking back at the room, “It’s unconventional for sure, and most people just call me Cindy, which I’m fine with.”

“Did your parents tell you why they named you it?” his tone was curious.

“No, they didn’t name me. I guess I named myself?” she said, her voice lilting as if asking a question. “It’s a little convoluted, I suppose. My grandparents raised me from birth, and my grandma wanted me to have a name that I was proud of. So around the time I could talk, I finally told her I found a name. I must have been about five or so.” His eyebrows pinched together, “What did they call you until you decided? And how did you decide on Cinders?”

She giggled and looked down, scuffing the tip of her shoe on the tile, “They called me Jane, like Jane Doe, until I figured out I wanted to be called Cinders. And I found that name in a book about cats, funnily enough. It just sounded so… me, and that’s what I wanted. I’ve never had regrets.”

He smiled, chuckling softly. “That’s a very interesting way to find a name,” he commented. “It’s… nice. I think it suits you.”

She looked up at him again with a friendly smile on her lips. “Thank you, Rafael,” she replied. “I think it does, too.”

“How was your first day on the farm?”

She blew air out of her mouth in a heavy sigh. “Goddess, it was tiring!” she laughed, “Like I mentioned earlier, I restored grandma’s garden back in the city, but that was like training wheels compared to farm work. I’ll definitely be sore in the morning.”

“What are you planning for the plot overall?”

“Mm… ideally, I’d like to focus on flowers and honey, maybe make some mead eventually. I know the Duckorns are the main vineyard here, and I don’t want to step on any toes, but I do love bees and honey. I figure I’ll start with a little bit of everything until I’m settled enough to change to the flowers,” she explained, reaching up to rub her chin thoughtfully as she spoke.

He nodded along as she talked, visibly interested in what she was saying, which made her feel happy and noticed. She was used to talking to people, but not feeling like they were actively listening. After she finished, he spoke again, “Wow, that’s quite a plan there. What about ranching?”

“Oh, I’d love to get goats eventually, but I don’t think Jack has any right now. There’s still a lot of things I need to do before that anyway, especially clearing all the debris,” she groaned. “It’s going to take ages.”

“I bet it’ll go faster than you think,” he had a tone of confidence. “Maybe—“

Before he could finish his sentence, Pablo walked into the kitchen. “Hey, Raf, what’s the hold-up?” he asked casually. He looked around the kitchen and dining room, “Wow, did you two clean up in here?”

Cinders nodded. “Sure did,” she said, her tone even and friendly. Then she turned to Rafael, “Am I keeping you?”

Pablo answered for him, “We do need to get going before it’s too late. Shutting off the furnaces takes a while.” he reminded his brother before he left.

Rafael rolled his eyes. He looked down at Cinders with a sheepish smile, “I suppose I’ll see you around.”

She walked with him to the lobby. “It was nice talking with you, Rafael,” she told him sweetly just before they walked to the others. “A-and you,” he replied, his voice shy again. The three women and the little girl bid a goodnight to the brothers and watched as they left.

Cinders felt Suki’s elbow in her ribs the moment the door closed. “Gettin’ kinda cozy in the kitchen with Rafael, weren’t you?” she said slyly.

Alice giggled, as did Valentina, while Cinders blushed fiercely. “Mind your business, nosy,” she retorted playfully. “We were just talking.”

“Sure, sure,” Suki said, raising her hands in mock surrender. “Whatever you say.”

Cinders rolled her eyes hard enough that they felt like they were going to roll back into her brain. “You’re a menace,” she laughed. “I should get going, too.”

Valentina wrapped her arms around her midsection again. “Nooo!” she whined tiredly. “I don’t want you to leave, Aunty!”

Cinders looked down, patting the girl’s head softly. “Aww, sweetheart, you can come visit me anytime. And I’ll be around town, too. I’m not leaving this time.”

Suki pulled the small girl off, hoisting her up in her arms. “Come on, Val, she’ll be back around when she has time. I’ll make sure of it,” she added, holding two fingers up in an ‘I’m watching you’ gesture.

Valentina rubbed her eyes sleepily and nodded, giggling at her mother’s antics. “Okay. Goodnight, Aunty Cindy.”

“Goodnight, Valentina!” Cinders waved as Suki carried the girl towards her room.

Alice yawned and stretched beside her, having been silent throughout the exchange. “It was real nice seeing you again, Cinders,” she said gently. “We really missed you around here. Suki, especially. She hasn’t had a close girlfriend for a while.”

Cinders looked at her, searching her face. “Yeah… I missed you all, too. I should have come sooner, honestly,” she sighed. “Twenty-eight and starting life over? Feels like a… I don’t know. Something.”

Alice reached out and patted her shoulder comfortingly. “Hey, don’t worry about that, yeah? I mean, look at Suki. She started over recently, too.”

Cinders nodded, “You’re right.”

“Have a good night and a safe walk, okay?”

“Yeah. Good night, Alice.”

The pink-haired farmer smiled at her one last time before walking to the door. She opened it and stepped out into the cool night air, feeling the chill raise goosebumps on her arms. She rubbed them as she began walking off the dock and towards her farm, ready to settle into bed after a long and exciting day. The nocturnal song of the crickets and river bubbling kept her company as she walked.

[dewittwrites]

PARTNER HUNT.

Waddup! So I suck at talking about myself it’s a whole thing but I’m trying so here we go! The name is Roman, typically, buuuut I respond to nicknames and shortened versions of the name because… why not! I’m 33 old as fuck 😭 and I’m in the GMT timezone! I do not write with people under the age of 25. It’s my preference because of my age so please keep that in mind.

I write exclusively on Discord, and I have some wanted plots / faces / pairings beneath the cut! Because… why not just get into it. If you’re fancying anything with me, please be advised that I don’t do single muse RP servers, I make Forum Style Servers and then have a category / forum for each verse or era or genre etc. single muse servers just feel so wasteful. Anyway! My Discord for those interested is CountOliveira

- Anything mafia style / mafia based. Give me the titular Romeo & Juliet plot, the children of the opposing / clashing Bosses falling in love and secretly leading a life together. The Bosses who argue up a storm in public and fuck like pornstars in private. The fights for territory, the bloodshed, the death.

- The abducted falling in love with their captor. Money has exchanged hands but they won’t go back because they don’t want to leave their captor behind or see them go to jail… or worse. Kidnapping plots filled with seedy dubious scenes, mind games and manipulation.

- anything SUPERNATURAL. And not necessarily the show, just anything with supernatural creatures and beings! Hiding in plain sight, living a secret life, living out and proud and being hunted for their pride. The supernatural hunting the humans… anyone played Redfall?

- Dead by Daylight. Resident Evil. Red Dead Redemption. Dying Light. Dead Island. Stardew Valley. Coral Island. Some of my favourite games, gimme! Especially the Resident Evil. Gimme OCs, gimme our own spin on canons!

- T A B O O. Seriously I have so few limits with kink and smut and relationships. Hit me with your wants and desires and I’m willing to bet I’ll say yes!

- the Dom and Sub learning together. Exploring their kinks and their limits, how to navigate their dynamic together. What makes them tick.

- anything you want. I’m versatile and I’m an open book.

- MWP: Ronen Rubinstein x Rafael Silva. Matthew Daddario x Dominic Sherwood. Eiza Gonzalez x DJ Cotrona.

- MWF: pending!?

[penelopetheconartist]

Orange Porch Light : Part 5

Coral Island Fanfiction by a Rafael simp. Rafael and OC. I needed more Rafael content so I wrote some for funzies. This is one of the cuter parts of this lil story imo. Work and classes have been kind to me so I've been able to indulge in writing for myself.

This fanfiction is from my google keep. Edited to make sense but not to be fancy :)

Scene setting. Raf and Pab are decorating for the cherry blossom festival. Mayor and Betty are there helping Millie with planning and coordinating the games n shit. Penelope is out walking and sees that stuff is happening in the park, so she wanders that way. Betty and the mayor are all OMG look at all this prep for the festival. They call over Pablo and start talking about him and praising him for all the help he does around the town. Literally the whole time Penelope keeps looking at Rafael who is ACTUALLY DOING THE WORK! So, while the oldies are talking about how amazing Pablo is, Penelope removes herself from the conversation and approaches Rafael who was up on a ladder hanging decorations. As she approached, he came down from the ladder to grab some more decorations. He did not see her.

“Hi Rafael”, Penelope said just as he turned around. He quickly turned, startled but smiled, “oh! Hey Penelope.” “Sorry! Didn't mean to scare you.” He laughed shyly, “ah. No worries. Uhm what are you doing here?” “I was walking and saw that the park was busy.” “Oh yeah. The cherry blossom festival is soon”, he smiled more. “Would you like some help?” Rafael was a little surprised at the offer but as soon as he saw Pablo still surrounded by old people praising him, Rafael sighed, “Uh help would actually be really nice”, he rubbed the back of his neck as he felt himself get flustered, “if you could hand me decorations as I need them, that would be great.” “Sure thing!” Penelope smiled, eager to spend time with him. He climbed back up the ladder and Penelope would pass him whichever decoration he needed next. They chatted and it was easy because they were busy doing work so they could distract from the shared shyness. So, I don't see you out much. What do you do for fun? Rafael leaned forward on the ladder to look down at her, “uh. I watch movies mostly.” Penelope handed him another decoration, “oh yeah? What kind of movies?” He reached up to place the decoration, “Uhm, mostly horror.” Penelope smiled, “do you have a favourite?”

Yeah, uhm, Alakazam, he started to grin, it has a lot of jump scares so its pretty fun.”

Penelope nodded thoughtfully, “I don’t think I’ve seen that one yet.”

Rafael lit up. Yet!? “You like horror too?”

“Yeah, although I think I lean more towards thriller than jump scare”, she smiled Then they started talking excitedly about all their favourite horror movies while they continued decorating the park. Penelope went on a tangent about different directors and their different takes on what makes a thriller and Rafael stared at her dreamily. Penelope noticed he looked a little out of it, "you alright?" Rafael snapped back to reality pink tinting his face, “uh yeah. Let's take a break.” They sat on the grass and looked towards Pablo still getting praised by the old people. Rafael rolled his eyes. “I take it this happens often.” Rafael laughed to himself, “yeah”, he took a drink of water and then held it to Penelope, “Uhm do you want some? I'm sorry I only have my water bottle. Some people think sharing drinks is gross.” Penelope laughed and took the water, “I don't think it's gross unless you're sick.” She took a sip. He grinned relieved. “So, are we gunna have a horror movie marathon on Halloween?” Penelope gave him back the bottle. Rafael lit up, “uh we could! That sounds like fun.” Penelope's smile changed into a more mischievous one, “and then we could dress up in really gory costumes and hide in the woods and scare people!” Rafael's brows went up, Uhm. Maybe...., he laughed nervously. Penelope laughed, “I wouldn't. Well....” Rafael shook his head and took a final sip of water on their break. “So how long is that gunna last”, Penelope pointed to the old people and Pablo. Rafael sighed and looked around the park, “if you want to keep helping me....uh we could probably have the park done before they're done talking.” “Well”, Penelope stood and offered a hand to help Raf up, “shall we get back to it?” Rafael smirked and took her hand but did not use her for help standing, He appreciated the gesture though. Rafael was right, they did finish the park before Pablo was finished being praised. This whole time Penelope kept up with Rafael hauling all the heavy decorations. He was impressed and thankful. Raf hated when Pablo got distracted and then he would do most of this himself. Before long, Penelope and Rafael were done. They stood beside each other admiring their hard work. All that's left is to make sure the lights are connected, Rafael walked towards the power and Penelope followed. The sun had begun to lower so the lights would be somewhat noticeable. He handed her the cables, “would you like to do the honours?” Penelope grinned in excitement, “sure!” Rafael's seen the park lit up before so he peeked at Penelope's expression as soon as everything lit up. “Wow”, she sighed, it's so pretty! Rafael felt his face turning pink. She was so cute it was hard not to stare at her. Finally, he also looked at the lights, “they look even better in the dark.” They smiled at each other and went back to looking at the park. “Thanks for the help, Penelope”, Rafael said rubbing his arm, “I really appreciate it.” Penelope smiled at him, “You’re welcome! This was fun!” Rafael snickered, “I owe you one for sure.” “Oh no don't worry about it.” Pablo came running over to them.

“I'm so sorry Raf!” He cried out of breath, “Betty and Connor wouldn't leave me alone! Let me cook dinner. Penelope, I owe you too. Will you join us?” Penelope shrugged, “uh sure.” “Awesome”, he smiled his big, charming smile, “the park looks great! You two did a great job!”

While Pablo was cooking, Penelope and Rafael hung out in the kitchen and all 3 were chatting. Pablo kept apologizing about Betty and Connor. Rafael brushed off the apologies and Penelope accepted the apologies. Pablo noticed Rafael appeared almost a bit more confident around Penelope. Maybe it was a good thing he slacked off this time. After dinner, Penelope went home, and Pablo cleaned up the dishes as part of his apology to Rafael. Rafael still felt he owed Penelope since he didn't cook the dinner so the next morning, he got up extra early to make some food and go buy coffee. He really hoped Raj knew how Penelope liked her coffee. Thankfully they did and all Rafael had to do was walk to her farm. And not chicken out. Penelope was hard at work, and she didn't notice Rafael until he was at her doorstep. He waved and a confused Penelope dropped what she was doing in her garden and approached him. “Rafael? It's 7 in the morning. What are you doing?” He blushed and handed her the coffee, “I uh wanted to show my appreciation for your help yesterday.” Penelope took the cup, “Rafael. This is so kind of you, but you really didn't---" “I also made extra sashimi”, he interrupted and handed her the container. She just looked at him surprised and he glanced away shyly.

Penelope took a sip of her coffee, “Mmmm, this is perfect.”

“Yeah?” Raf was relieved she said something.

She smiled and nodded.

“Cool, uh. Well, I’ll see you later.”

“See you later.” Although Rafael brought her coffee and lunch earlier today, he still didn't feel like he had thanked Penelope enough but what else could he do? He and Pablo sat in the living room watching TV. Raf, in his ponderings, looked around and noticed it was quite dark outside. Suddenly, Rafael had the most perfect idea and whipped out his phone to text Penelope. He was just dramatic enough that Pablo glanced over his shoulder to see his bro texting like a madman. He didn't ask. Freshly showered and in her snuggly pajamas, Penelope was getting ready for a cozy solo movie night. She had a beer ready, some popcorn ready, and her squishmallow, Francine on the couch. Before she cracked the beer, she noticed her phone had a message. Oh, from Rafael? <Can you meet me at the park? It's urgent> Penelope was worried. What could've happened??? Did something happen with the decorations?? She didn’t ask, he said it was urgent. <Be there in 10> She threw some shoes on and bolted out in her jammies. What could be urgent this late? It was so dark Penelope was squinting to try and see Rafael anywhere. “Rafael?” She called out to the void, “Is everything okay?” All the lights suddenly came on. Penelope gasped in awe; the lights were so much prettier in the dark. Caught up in the surprise and the beauty Penelope wandered the park admiring the decorations. Pink petals danced around her in the chilly spring night air, and she was caught up in the magic. Penelope finally saw Rafael standing by the power generator and she smiled at him. “Rafael, this is really beautiful. But you had me worried. I thought something was wrong.” “Uh sorry”, Rafael rubbed his neck, “I wanted to surprise you.” Penelope laughed and approached him, “why?” “I wanted you to see the lights when it was dark. Uhm when it's not busy. Like tomorrow will be. As a proper thank you. For the help yesterday.” Penelope smiled but omg, “Rafael, the coffee this morning was enough. Seriously.” Rafael just made a hmm noise in disagreement. Penelope shook her head and walked around a little more to admire the lights that were all for her tonight. He finally noticed what she was wearing, “Uhm. Are those pajamas?” Penelope face palmed realizing she booked it here in her jammies, “yes. Because you said it was urgent ...” Rafael smirked a bit embarrassed, “ah I'm sorry.” Her jammies were so cute, fuzzy with little duckies all over them. “Do you always wear such cute pajamas?” He asked without thinking. Penelope rolled her eyes and answered without thinking, “I usually don't wear any.” Rafael coughed not wanting to picture that but also really wanting to picture that. “Oh! Uhm.” His voice was higher, “uh. Caught you on a good night then??” Penelope started to laugh so hard which helped Rafael come down from whatever high he went on and he joined the laughter albeit awkward because he was still fighting the mental image. “This is much prettier at night”, Penelope finally said, “thanks for showing me.” Rafael was blushing hard, “no problem. Sorry I made it sound like an emergency.” Penelope elbowed him, “yeah don't make it sound like an emergency next time. I'll still show up.” Raf gulped.....next time?? She wants there to be a NEXT TIME! He rubbed the back of his neck, he was so flustered, “got it ... no fake emergencies.”

They turned off the lights and strolled together to the graveyard. Rafael was still flustered but managed to maintain some composure.

“I’ll see you at the festival tomorrow?” Penelope half asked as she wasn’t sure if Rafael attends festivals.

He rubbed his neck, “yeah.”

“Cool”, she smiled, “sweet dreams.”

“Sweet dreams”, he stuttered.

Penelope was more embarrassed that she ran out in her pajamas to realize how romantic the whole evening was. This realization hit her like a ton of bricks as she stepped on to the first bridge near her home. Was that a romantic gesture???????!!!!!!! Because she’s an idiot, she decided to ignore this question and have a stronger drink for her solo movie night.

Pablo was upstairs when Rafael got in.

“Oh, where did you go?” he asked in passing.

“Nothing!” Rafael stammered and disappeared into his room. Pablo did not ask.

[penelopetheconartist]

Orange Porch Light: aka Coral Island Fanfiction by a Rafael Simp Section 3. Again this is just from my google keep notes because I get bored at work. Grammer will be questionable and I’ve probably forgotten some quotation marks

Penelope was trying not to eat the entire cake as per Rafael's advice. She spent a couple days getting the garden ready. Once she was satisfied with the amount planted she loaded up some of her tools and heads to blacksmiths. On her way, she stopped by Raja’s to grab a coffee for Rafael as both a ‘sorry’ and a ‘thank you’ for falling asleep at his table.

     Raj smiled, “Good morning Penelope, what can i get for you?”

     Penelope could feel her hands start to sweat, “Hi Raj, uhm you wouldn’t happen to know how Rafael takes his coffee?”

     Raj barely took a second because of course they know everyone’s coffee order, “oh yeah. He just likes black coffee. One of those then?”

     “Uhm yes please.”

     Raj grinned, “Anything for yourself?”

     Penelope was digging out some change, “oh uhm. Not right now. I’ll probably grab one on the way back.” 

     Well, I hope to see you later then,” Raj handed her the cup of coffee.

     Oooooooh that's what Pablo was doing.

     When Penelope arrived at the blacksmiths, Pablo was at the counter going over some paperwork and Rafael was hammering something so he didn't hear her come in.

     Pablo lit up, “oh hey Penelope what can we do for you today?”

     She placed the tools on the counter and smiled politely a little hurt Rafael hasn't turned around yet, “Hi Pablo, I was hoping to maybe get these upgraded?”

     Pablo picked up one of the tools and gave it a quick once over, “yeah shouldn't be a problem I'll check with Raf on time frame. Hey Raf!!”

    He didn't turn around. Pablo rolled his eyes and gestured to his ears at Penelope. She did not know what that meant. Pablo found a pen and whipped at the back of his brothers head. Bullseye! Raf flinched and turned around ready to say some choice words to Pablo but quickly softened when he saw who their customer was.

     “Oh hi”, he smiled shyly taking earplugs out. 

     Penelope powerwalked away from the shop. Raf called her sweet and she was dying. She really wished she could just ask him out but was that weird? She's only lived here for 3 weeks. Besides her home she's been at the blacksmith the most. Maybe she'll go to the tavern this weekend and get to know more people. Yeah, that's what she needs. She made her way back to Raja’s to get herself a coffee. Raj noticed Penelope looked more flustered than she had this morning. Had they known what her favourite coffee was, they would’ve started to make it.

     “Raf how many days to get these in better shape?”

     Rafael approached the counter offering one more shy smile to Penelope before looking over the tools. He picked up one tool at a time giving each a thorough look over. (Because let’s be honest, he probably does most of the actual work).

     “I can have the pickaxe ready tomorrow”, he said moving it aside and Pablo started to write up the work order, “This sickle I can have done the next day.” He leaned forward on the counter to look closer and mentally map what he'd do. He grabbed the sketch pad on the other side of the counter to get a quick sketch of the plans with some notes.

     Penelope just stood there trying not to be obvious about admiring his arms. Pablo 100% noticed but only smirked to himself.

     “Thanks again for getting the hoe in better shape.”

     Rafael tensed, he was still so nervous around her. Which was ridiculous right? She's only been here 3 weeks now? He couldn't have any sort of feelings right? She's just new. She's just new and that's why he's so nervous.

     He grinned but looked away rubbing the back of his neck, “uh yeah. You're welcome.”

     Pablo was dying from how awkward they were and left to go count some supplies. He would've seized the opportunity if she had shown any interest in him. These two communicating was pure agony to him.

     Penelope dug her toe and didn't look up, “Uhm thanks for letting me sleep at the table. I'm sorry about that again. So here this is for you.” She held out the coffee but kept her eyes lowered.

     Rafael looked towards her surprised and blushed hard, “Oh!” He laughed awkwardly, “you're too sweet. Thank you.”

     She finally looked up when he took the cup and he had such a bright smile,

“Raj said you liked black coffee.”

     “I do. Thanks a lot!”

     “Okay cool,” she smiled relieved, “Well I'll see you guys tomorrow,” Penelope stammered and left the shop in a hurry.

     Raf held the hot cup between his hands and smiled at the door Penelope vanished through.

     Pablo came back to the counter to finish the work orders, “so... she fell asleep at our table, huh?”

     Raf laughed a little and took a sip of the coffee, “uh yeah.”

     “When?”

     “Uhm last Friday”, Raf smirked. 

     Pablo scrunched his brows, “why?”

     “She was tired and I told her to grab some coffee while I took a look at the hoe,” Raf took another sip of the coffee and sat down to work on the plans for Penelope's tools.

     Pablo sat down beside him. Raf smiled every time he took a sip of the coffee which drove Pablo insane.

     “So when are you going to ask her out?” He asked almost impatiently.

     Raf choked, “what are you talking about”, he said quietly cuz he absolutely knew what he was talking about.

     Pablo groaned, “oh my god you're both so into each other. Ask her out!”

     Raf blushed harder and looked away, “she's not into me.”

     “She brought you a coffee.”

     Rafael thudded his head against the counter and groaned, "So??"

     Pablo laughed and patted him on the back. "Penelope's really into you. You don't see the way she looks at you, man. It's cute and gross."

     Raf laughed but kept his forehead on the counter. "You know I can't ask her out. I would probably die on the spot."

     Pablo snickered, "yeah I know. It's alright I'll help in whatever way I can. I'll think of something."

     Raf sat up, "thanks Pablo."

     Pablo just laughed, "anytime man. Y'all need to hook up so you stop being so goddam awkward."

     Raf covered his face to hide his embarrassment, "geezus Pablo."

     “Glad to see you came back,” Raj greeted warmly in an effort to help Penelope out of her flustered state, “are you getting something for yourself this time?”

     “Yes please, I’d like a coffee with coconut milk.”

     Raj gave her a side grin and started making her the drink, “Did Rafael like his coffee?”

     Penelope’s face turned pinker as she accepted her coffee, “uhm yup!”

     Raj noted her reaction and smiled to themself, “good to hear, take care Penelope,” they called as she awkwardly walked away.

[cinderswrites]

Daffodil Dreams :: Farming Pains

A Coral Island Fanfic

Playlist || Cover Art || Mood Board

Themes: Slice of Life, Romance, Fluff, maybe some Angst, maybe some Smut (not too graphic but graphic enough)

MDNI || OC x Rafael mainly, OC x Twins (friendship only), other characters featured here and there || WC: 2,723

Content Warning: Mildly graphic medical procedure and mention of shots

On a Tuesday afternoon in the second week of Spring, Cinders was walking towards the Sanchez Brothers Blacksmith. The bag on her back swayed with the heaviness of the materials inside, her old axe dangling from a loop connected to the bag. She wore a pair of old overalls, patched in the knees with a cute checked piece of fabric, and an old T-shirt with a faded image of some slasher movie. Her hair was in a loose ponytail, swishing behind her as her steady and determined steps carried her forth.

Her right hand was wrapped with a makeshift bandage. The palm was slightly swollen and irritated due to a sizable splinter embedded within, which drove her purposeful mission toward the blacksmiths. The damned handle of the axe, and the axe overall, needed to be upgraded. She was tiring of the blisters and splinters and having to soak her hands nightly in an Epsom bath that Betty, the old matriarch of the family that ran Fishensips, had shown her.

She walked past the cemetery, noticing that Rafael wasn’t cleaning the ever-present moss off the tombstones. She smiled to herself thinking about it. He was so caring about this town and its appearance, and the importance it had to him. It was endearing and charming, and it warmed her heart.

Soon enough, she was trotting up the steps and opening the door to the shop. The heat from the furnaces wafted in her face like a warm towel wrapping around her. She shivered from the sudden temperature change.

“Welcome!” an increasingly familiar voice said to her left. She turned her head to see Rafael working on something at the longer furnace, his back to her. “I’ll be with you in just a moment.”

She didn’t see Pablo around, figuring he must have stepped out to take a break or gather more ore for the shop. She took a few more steps inside, pulling her bag off her back and holding it with her less-damaged left hand. Cinders took this time to look around the shop, admiring the sturdy stone appearance of it. As far as she knew, the Sanchez brothers’ parents had built this shop themselves and both took over once their parents were too old to continue the trade. As she watched the toned muscles of Rafael’s back flexing under his thin linen shirt as he lifted a heavy-looking sword to the anvil, raising his right arm to pound a hammer down onto it to shape it, she thought about how much strength and physical ability it must take to perform the duties of a blacksmith. Wow, he’s awfully strong… heat rose to her cheeks at the thought.

After a few minutes, Rafael lifted the sword, placing it into a tub of cool water. The satisfying hiss of steam was released as the metal cooled down. He lifted one of his leather-gloved hands to his brow, wiping away beads of sweat. Then he pulled off the gloves, shoving them in his apron pockets as he turned to see who had walked in. When he saw Cinders standing there, he raised his eyebrows. “C-Cinders,” he greeted. “Hey, how are you?”

His smile made her heart dance, and she looked away with a smile of her own. “Hey, Rafi,” her smile widened into a grin as she used the nickname she’d given him. In the week and a half, since she’d moved to Coral Island, she and Rafael had spent spare moments talking and getting to know each other when their busy schedules would allow it. Rafael stood, watching her as if waiting for something, and she realized she didn’t answer him properly. “Oh, sorry,” she laughed awkwardly, “I’m doing alright.”

He walked towards the archway that led him behind the counter. He placed his hands down on the top of it, leaning forward. “What can I do for you?” he asked.

She followed him and pulled the axe out of her bag, placing it in front of him gently. His eyes immediately honed in on the bandage on her hand. “I came to get this damn thing fixed up,” she said with a hint of disdain. She opened her bag, pulling out the necessary materials.

“Is your hand okay?” he asked with concern.

Cinders met his eyes and nodded, “It’s fine. I need to visit Charles after this, but I’ll be alright.”

“You don’t have any work gloves?”

She shook her head, “No, unfortunately not.” She smiled sheepishly. “I should probably get some, huh?”

He blew air through his nose in a half-scoff, half-laugh kind of way, “I can’t imagine how your hands must feel.” He glanced somewhere behind him then, “Um, give me just a second. I’ll be right back.”

“Sure,” she nodded, leaning on her arms on the counter as she watched him walk up the stairs to the attached apartment. She wondered idly if their apartment suffered from the heat of the shop.

Eventually, she heard his footsteps on the stairs as he descended and walked towards her with a small nondescript cardboard box. He placed it on the counter, sliding it to her. She looked at it, then up at him quizzically as she grabbed it and opened it. A pair of brown leather gloves sat inside. She felt her eyes widen as she pulled one out, feeling the tautness of the leather between her fingers. It was made with very good materials as she felt the thickness of the leather and the softness inside. The seams of the glove were sewn with a thick sinew thread instead of a cheaper sewing thread.

“Rafi,” she said, looking up at him. “These are incredible.”

His cheeks glowed as he smiled at her, replying with, “You can have them.”

“How much?” she asked, placing the glove back in the box and putting the lid on it again.

“Oh, no, I meant for free.” Her golden eyes widened once more, flicking to his face in shock. “Really! Think of it as a gift.”

She was silent for a few moments, her heart thudding in her chest. He’s just… giving them to me? That’s… so sweet. Instead of insisting on paying him, as she could see the persistence in his brown gaze, she smiled warmly. “Well… okay. Thank you,” her voice was sincere and thick with an emotion she couldn’t quite place. “I appreciate it.”

“Y-yeah…” his smile faltered a bit as he looked away. “Of course.”

She placed the box in her bag. “So, how much for the work on the axe?”

“Oh! Right,” he moved the axe to the side, double-checking that she had enough materials. He told her the price, then added, “It should be ready tomorrow. If you come before the festival, you can probably get it then.”

Cinders nodded, “Neat. Alright, then.”

“Anything else I can help with?”

“No, I think that was it.”

He pulled his gloves back on and walked around the counter to go back to working on the sword. “It was nice seeing you stop in today,” he said as he stopped next to her. “Will I see you at the festival tomorrow?”

She slung the much lighter bag over her shoulders again, getting ready to leave. “Yeah, of course. I wouldn’t miss my first festival for anything,” she laughed.

Rafael chuckled in return. “Right. It’s such a treat to see, I hope it lives up to your expectations.”

Cinders grinned, “I don’t think that’ll be hard.”

His mahogany gaze flicked to her shirt for a second, the corners of his lips twitching slightly. “Do… you like horror movies?” he hesitated with his question.

She looked down at her shirt and back up at him, “Oh, yeah! I do. I love anything horror.”

Rafael grinned then, a sparkle coming to his eyes. “Really? Me, too! Um, maybe we can watch a movie together sometime?” he suggested, his eyes looking off to the side.

“That sounds good to me,” her voice was soft and sweet again, the feeling of another blush coloring her cheeks making her look away as well.

He smiled at her again as she walked towards the door to leave. “Take care, Cinders.”

“You, too, Rafi!” she called over her shoulder, opening the door and stepping out to the much chiller afternoon air.

She made her way to the clinic quickly, walking past the new Pufferfish building. She felt a frown tugging the corners of her lips down as she looked at it, remembering the commotion of their opening day and how they revealed themselves to be an oil company, most likely the same one that had caused the oil spill surrounding the island in the first place. Cinders hurried by the building, quickening her steps.

Opening the door to the clinic, she was greeted by Charles, the redheaded doctor, who stood behind the counter clicking away on the computer. She stepped forward, waiting patiently until he finished with whatever he was doing. It took a moment before he glanced up, doing a double-take when he noticed her.

“Oh! Farmer Cinders, right?” he asked.

She nodded with a smile, “That’s right.”

“What can I help you with today?”

She held up her right hand. “Afraid I’ve got a bit of a problem here. A splinter’s stuck in my hand.”

He frowned, straightening up. “That’s not good. Come on, I’m free now. Let’s go to the back room.”

He gestured her to follow him and she did as he led her to the furthest room. He motioned for her to sit on the exam table, and she hopped up on it easily. He grabbed a tray and a pair of long tweezers along with prepackage gauze and a roll of self-adhesive wrap. Finally, he reached for another small package and some antiseptic. He wheeled the tray over to her, pulling along a stool.

Charles folded a blue and white pad on the tray. “Put your hand here, please,” he said, pulling a pair of glasses out of his pocket and putting them on. Cinders followed his instructions, resting her hand on the pad.

He pulled on a pair of blue sterile gloves from a nearby dispenser, then sat on the stool, scooting forward. He unwrapped the makeshift bandage she had made and wrinkled his nose. Her palm was now badly swollen, red, and hot, and the area the splinter had gone in was oozing something sickly yellowish. “Wow,” he said. “That looks painful. You said it was a splinter?”

“Um, yeah. Came off of my axe earlier,” she explained, wincing as he poked around the area.

“Your axe? Do you know when your last tetanus shot was?” Charles asked as he wheeled over to a drawer, pulling out a few small packs of alcohol pads. He scooted back over, opening one of them and cleaning the wound, wiping away the infection. After he did that, he opened the smaller package, pulling out a large swab with a brown liquid on the end. He wiped that around on her palm, staining her skin a coppery-orange hue.

“Honestly… no.”

“Have you had your records faxed over yet?”

“Mm… I don’t think so. I can call over to my old primary’s office after this and see if they can today,” she offered.

He nodded, “Yes, that would be good. In the meantime, we’ll get you up to date on the shot even if you’ve had it in the last few years.”

She sighed, “Alright.”

His gentle gloved hands worked the end of the splinter to the surface as she winced and gasped in pain. “I’m sorry it’s painful,” he said, glancing up at her with a sympathetic smile. “If you want, I could numb the area, but if you can manage the pain, I’d rather not.”

One shot today is enough for me! Cinders shook her head, “No, I’ll be fine. Thanks for the offer, though.” The thought of having a needle in her hand instead of just getting it over with made her feel squeamish.

He manipulated the splinter so it poked back out of the way it came. “It might hurt, but push right here, where my thumb is right now. We don’t want the sucker to go back in.”

She did what he asked, applying the same pressure he did to keep the end of the splinter poking out of her skin. He reached for the long tweezers, tilting his head to look through the magnified lenses of his glasses as he tenderly gripped the end of the wooden shard. He tried to extract it, but it seemed almost stuck inside her skin. After several minutes of his tweezers slipping off the end of it, he sighed.

“Cinders, I’m really sorry, but it looks like we might need to make a small cut,” he leaned back and looked at her over the wire frame of his glasses.

She frowned. “Ugh, really?”

“Yes. Do you want that numbing shot now?”

Great, this is just great, she felt herself feeling frustrated. She took a deep breath and nodded, “Yeah.”

A few minutes and a rather painful shot later, her hand was finally numbed enough to where she couldn’t feel it anymore. Like it had dissolved off her arm even though she could still see it attached. Charles took a scalpel and made a small two-centimeter cut in her skin, just wide enough to allow the skin to stretch. He pulled out the splinter then, and both of them made noises of surprise.

The splinter was almost two inches in length and jagged in shape. It left a visible hole in her palm that made the hair on her arms and the back of her neck rise. “Goddess, I can’t believe the size of that was in your hand, and I pulled it out!” Charles said with a chuckle. He put the splinter in an oblong metal container.

“Yeah, that was in there pretty deep, huh?” she exhaled slowly.

The doctor reached for the antiseptic, squeezing a generous amount onto her palm. He worked it into her skin, making sure some of it went into the wound itself. Her hand was throbbing something fierce, and it felt like it was radiating heat, but most of the pain had dissipated now. He took a couple of butterfly bandages to pull the edges of the wound closed.

“No stitches?” Cinders asked.

“No, I want the wound open to drain out any inner infection,” he explained.

She watched as he opened the pack of gauze, placing a square sheet over her wound. He unraveled the self-adhesive wrap which was a teal color, placing it over the gauze and wrapping it around her hand and thumb until it was secured.

The wrapping wasn’t tight but it hugged her hand nicely. He smoothed the end of it down onto itself. “There we go,” he said, “all fixed up. Let me grab that shot for you and we’ll be done.”

“Sure,” she nodded, pulling her hand to rest it in her lap.

Charles cleaned up the tray, tossing the garbage into a small bin underneath a counter with a sink. He meandered around the counter, opening another drawer and pulling out a prepackaged syringe, a band-aid, and another alcohol pad. He walked back over to her. “Can you lift your shirt sleeve?” he asked.

She reached over with her left hand to lift the sleeve of her right shoulder. He swabbed the alcohol pad over her skin and had the syringe ready in his hand. “Alright, quick poke,” he said as he pushed the syringe into her skin. She winced, feeling the slight burn of the shot release in her arm. “And all done!”

He covered the injection site with a band-aid before he massaged the skin with his hand, spreading the shot around. “You’ll probably feel soreness in your shoulder tomorrow but that’s normal,” he told her.

Cinders nodded, “Okay.”

“You’re all good to go, then.”

“Thank you, Charles,” she said gratefully as she slipped off the exam table.

“Come back tomorrow so I can check the wound and change the bandage,” he instructed. “I’ll be here until around ten, then I’ll be at the festival. See you there?”

“Of course. See you then,” she waved, giving him a polite smile as she walked back the way they came, leaving the clinic.

[cinderswrites]

Daffodil Dreams :: Festive Spirit

A Coral Island Fanfic

Playlist || Cover Art || Mood Board

Themes: Slice of Life, Romance, Fluff, maybe some Angst, maybe some Smut (not too graphic but graphic enough)

MDNI || OC x Rafael mainly, OC x Twins (friendship only), other characters featured here and there || WC: 3,104

Content Warning: Mildly graphic medical procedure

The next morning, Cinders was fishing in the nearby rice fields. The air was crisp after an overnight drizzle, and she could feel the beginnings of a warm day as she stood on the wooden platform, casting into the rice fields. Nearby sounds of birds chirping and insects buzzing sang their morning melody as the forest near her began waking up.

Her right hand was still painful and it throbbed with the effort of reeling in and casting, but she was able to ignore it. She needed something for the potluck soup today and figured she’d fish up a crab. It took a couple of hours before she found one that looked good enough to take in and she began walking back to her farm with her catches dangling on the chain hook she attached to her bag.

Kenny, the son of the ranchers who lived behind her, waved to her as she strolled past. The sun was peeking over the trees as it made its way across the pale blue sky, sending streaks of fading pink light to signal morning was in full swing. “Mornin’, Cinders!” the young man called out, accented with one of his brilliant smiles. “You’re up early.”

Bessie, his treasured cow, seemed to moo in agreement. Cinders slowed her steps as she walked by and gestured to her back. “Morning, Kenny! I was fishing for the soup later on,” she replied.

“Ooh, hope you got a good one! See you there.” He grinned again and tipped his hat to her as she continued towards her farm.

In her cozy little cabin, she prepped the crab and began making some frybread using her grandmother’s recipe that she was taught at a younger age. There were still a couple of hours before she had to go to the clinic for the bandage change and then to the festival, so she worked diligently mixing the dough, kneading it, and breaking it into separate pieces, frying them a few at a time.

After almost an hour and a half, she had a large picnic basket filled to the brim with bread. Cinders cleaned her kitchen quickly, then went to her wardrobe to pick something out. She browsed through her clothes, most of them some variation of pants or leggings with faded graphic tees. She had a few special dresses, and she chose one that was white linen with small blue flowers dappled over it. She brushed out and braided her hair down her back, tying it off with a white ribbon.

In the body-length mirror on the inner door of her wardrobe, she made sure her face was clean from any stray specks of flour that may have landed on her. Finally, she swapped her slip-on sneakers for a pair of comfy sandals and grabbed the basket with the bread and the small dish with the cleaned crab inside. She slung a smaller handbag over her shoulder as well.

The walk past Garden Lane and through Starlet Town was relatively unremarkable. The day was bright and warm with a cool breeze sifting through the trees and the streets, and most people were on their way to the festival. She passed by Sam’s shop, seeing him and Emily getting ready to leave from the window she looked through. She passed by Bonbon, the friendly brown fluffy labradoodle that belonged to the small blond child. I think her name is Zoe. I should commit these names to memory.

Her idle thoughts kept her company as she approached the clinic. She opened the door with one arm, pulling herself and the basket hanging from her elbow through. No one was at the desk, but the door had a bell on it, and she heard an “I’ll be right there!” come from within the clinic.

She set the basket onto the counter and waited patiently as Charles shuffled from the back exam room, muttering to himself about inventory. He looked up as he approached the counter and smiled. “Ah, Cinders! Here for your bandage change?”

“Yep!” she chirped, holding up her hand. “I did my best to keep it clean, but I’m afraid I might have gotten some flour in it.”

“Flour?” The redhead looked at her quizzically before his blue eyes settled on the basket. “Oh! Did you make bread for today?”

“Yes. My grandma’s frybread recipe,” Cinders grinned, puffing out her chest proudly.

Charles’ eyes sparkled. “I don’t believe I was living here when your grandparents were still around, but I’ve heard tales about Ina’s frybread. I can’t wait to try some at the festival!”

He waved his hand at her and together they walked back to the same exam room as the day before. A few moments later, she was seated on the exam table and he had her hand on the tray with some clean bandages and antiseptic. He unwrapped her hand carefully and pulled away the gauze. A few stringy strands of it pulled at the edges of her skin where it had gotten stuck and made her take a sharp intake of breath.

“Sorry about that,” Charles murmured as he tilted her hand back and forth, examining the small wound.

“It’s okay,” she replied softly, looking at the wound and seeing the edges of the cut looking moist and white, like skin ready to peel. He removed the butterfly bandages and reached for an alcohol swab, cleaning around the wound with his gloved hands once more. He added more antiseptic ointment before placing down a fresh piece of gauze and wrapping her hand with the self-adhesive wrap again, this time in a pink color.

“It’s looking good,” he told her as he pulled off his gloves and began cleaning up. “No need for the butterfly band-aids this time, and you should be healed up in a week or so. Starting tomorrow, take the wrap off and let it air dry, try not to get it dirty, okay?”

Cinders listened to his instructions and nodded. She slid off the exam table, standing up and flexing her hand open and closed. “Thank you, Charles! I’ll see you in a bit at the festival, then?”

He nodded. “Yes, see you then!”

She gave a small wave as she walked back out to the lobby area and grabbed her basket. Leaving the clinic, she was greeted with the breeze carrying the salty smell of the sea towards her and she smiled up at the clear sky. She could already hear the buzz of people chatting over in Alun-Alun Square.

Cinders walked up the steps behind the clinic, turning left to walk around the Victorian Mansion that belonged to Randy, Ling, and Leah. She trotted up another set of stairs until she was on the path that led straight to the square where the festival was being held. She smiled at the librarian, Millie, before she continued walking into the festival.

All around her was an array of delicate pinks; pillows, blankets, and trees. Almost everywhere she looked, she saw pink. She saw most of the townspeople as well, smiling and saying a quick “Hello!” while on her way to the long spread of food. As she approached, Frank, the owner of Fishensips, visibly brightened and waved at her. “Cinders! Hey, you made it!”

She grinned, holding up her basket. “Of course I did!” she said, “And with food, as well.”

He eyed the basket, scratching his chin. “What did you bring?”

“Grandma Ina’s frybread,” she said, finally walking up to one of the long tables and placing the basket on top of it. “There’s about a hundred pieces in there, so everyone should have enough.”

He laughed, and his mother, Betty, joined in as well. Betty reached over and placed one of her aged hands on Cinders’ arm gently, “You’re so sweet to be carrying on your grandmother’s recipes. I miss that old bird something fierce. Is she well, dear?”

Cinders nodded enthusiastically, “Very,” she told the older woman. “She told me in her last letter to tell you not to bend over backward making tumpeng this year.”

Betty laughed airily, bringing a hand up to her mouth. “Oh, of course, she would say that. You make sure to let her know it’s tradition!”

“I will,” the young woman smiled brightly. She remembered something else suddenly, and reached into her handbag, rummaging around for a moment. “I have a gift for you.”

Betty’s face brightened. “Oh?”

Cinders pulled out a daffodil hair clip, knit with soft yellow yarn. She gestured to Betty’s hair and the old woman nodded. With careful hands, she clipped the daffodil into Betty’s black and gray hair, just above her left ear. “There you go!”

“It’s so beautiful, Cinders!” Betty praised. “How did you know that daffodils are my favorite flower?”

Cinders’ face turned rosy as she smiled shyly, “Grandma Ina made it and sent it with her last letter.”

“You’ll have to get me her address soon so I can send her something as well. It would be wonderful to be in touch with her again,” Betty smiled at her gratefully. “Go enjoy yourself now, dear.”

Frank had moved back to the grill, still cooking, so Cinders nodded at Betty and stepped away from the buffet. She quickly walked up to the community soup and dropped in her prepped pieces of crab, giving it a quick stir, before she stepped back and looked around. People were milling about in little groups and Theo, a fisherman by trade and a hobbyist musician, was singing under the large cherry blossom tree.

As she meandered closer, his eyes brightened when he saw her and he gestured her over. “Cinders! Come, join me!”

She held up her hands, waving them in front of her with a laugh. He insisted, so, blushing something fierce, she walked over to him. He glanced up at her from the stool he sat on. “You know this song, right?” he asked her.

Cinders leaned over to the other stool in front of him, looking at the sheet music he placed down. She nodded and straightened up. “Yeah, I’ve sung it before,” she confirmed.

“Sing with me! I’ll lead you in, okay?” He grinned up at her, strumming the opening chords of the song.

Even though she knew the lyrics by heart—it had been a favorite song of her pappy’s and one she heard throughout childhood—she kept her golden gaze trained on the sheet paper, not wanting to mess up the song. Her voice was soft and bashful at first, but when Theo joined in, she increased her volume. Glancing up, she saw Ben sitting on one of the pillows, swaying slightly to the music. Behind him stood Leah who was also watching in interest. Several other people stopped to watch her and Theo perform the song.

One of which was Rafael. He had been on his way to the buffet when he noticed her and had stopped to watch. His smile was wider than usual, his mahogany gaze focused only on her. He had his hands in the pockets of his trousers, standing in a relaxed way. Cinders could feel the blush return to her face as she met his eyes, quickly turning them back to the sheet music.

The song felt like it lasted forever, but she kept her voice steady and even, harmonizing with Theo and taking small liberties with flourishes here and there. When it finished, the small crowd around the tree clapped their hands, and she heard a whistle from somewhere. Theo gestured to her and she bowed, the smile on her face so wide that her rosy cheeks were almost hurting.

When she straightened out, she patted Theo on the shoulder and dismissed herself with a small wave, walking off to the side and around the crowd as Theo began another song. She brushed some loose shorter strands of hair from her face as she took a deep breath. Rafael came into view then, having been seeking her out after she left Theo’s makeshift stage area.

“Cinders!” he said, his eyes wide with amazement and sounding breathless. “Wow! You… were incredible!”

She shook her head with a modest smile, waving her hand flippantly. “No, no, it was nothing!”

“Really,” he insisted, finally coming to a stop in front of her. They were close to a seating area, away from Theo’s audience. The sounds of his song drifted through the air above them. “I didn’t know you could sing so well.”

Cinders shrugged her shoulder, glancing down at her hands. “I’ve had some practice, I guess,” she laughed softly. “Did… did you enjoy it?”

Her golden eyes peeked through her lashes and he nodded enthusiastically. “Of course! If I had an award, I’d give you one,” he laughed. It was a newer sound she’d never heard before, as Rafael was such a quiet and reserved person. She enjoyed the deep sound of his laugh reverberating around them.

“Thank you,” she gushed, crossing a hand over her chest to rub her other forearm. “Did you eat, yet?”

“No, I was on my way there, but noticed you and Theo,” he said. “Do you want to get some food with me?”

Cinders nodded, “Yeah. Let’s go get a plate.”

They walked to the buffet together, each piling a plate with their favorites and some new things they hadn’t tried yet. Cinders noticed that her basket of frybread was almost half gone already and that Rafael had grabbed two pieces in addition to his other choices. They found a seat on two pillows situated a little farther from the other seating groups.

They ate in an easy silence, both of them watching the people around them mingle and talk amongst themselves. There seemed to be a mishap over at the buffet table as Frank tried to do some kind of trip with flipping meat on the grill, only for it to fly several feet away in the grass. Betty and Frank’s wife, Erica, seemed to be scolding him while he was grinning with embarrassment and rubbing his neck.

Cinders saw Connor talking with Mr. Duckorns, an owner of the vineyard. They had a glass of wine in their hands, a sample he must have brought to share with everyone. Over on the wooden dock, she could see the tips of several fishing poles, remembering that she saw some of the kids and Joko, one of the town’s carpenters, fishing in the lake of the temple nearby when she walked up.

“Are you doing the sack race this year?” Rafael asked her as he took a drink of some fruit juice.

She turned to set her gold eyes on him as she replied, “No, I probably shouldn’t.” She held up her brightly pink bandaged hand.

His eyebrows raised slightly. “Ouch! It was that bad?” he asked.

She nodded with an incredulous laugh, “You wouldn’t believe the size of the splinter when it came out. Charles had to make room for it to be removed.”

He smiled sympathetically at her, “Are you okay now? Does it hurt?”

Cinders shrugged, turning her gaze back toward the festivities. “Not as much as before. It’s healing, at least.”

“That’s good. Have you had a chance to use those gloves?”

She shook her head, “Not yet. I’m waiting for my hand to heal some more before I try to do any work with tools.”

He nodded in understanding, “Well, your axe is all finished and ready to be picked up.”

Cinders’ full lips stretched into a wide grin, “Really? Great! I guess I’ll see you tomorrow morning, then.”

He nodded, “For sure.”

“Are you going to race?”

“Mm…” he scratched his cheek as his eyes trailed over to the sack race where people were still signing up. “I usually do every year.”

“You should! I’ll be on the side cheering for you if you do,” she offered.

Rafael looked back at her, a shy smile tugging at the corners of his lips. “Now, how can I refuse that?” he chuckled. “I’ll sign up once we’re done eating.”

“Sounds like a plan!” she nodded affirmatively. They settled back into the cozy silence between them, each taking their time eating the food they picked out. Once in a while, they’d comment on something they tried, or on something that happened. Like Luke accidentally tripping Ling on his second trip to the buffet, which made both of them snicker like school kids.

When the last call for the sack race sign-ups was sounded, both of them stood up from the pillows. Cinders brushed the back of her dress free of any loose grass and trotted after Rafael. Some ten or so minutes later, she was standing on the side, cheering with others who were not participating. Rafael looked so focused and determined on winning, it was endearing. He ended up in second place in the last round.

“Congrats!” she exclaimed as she bounded up to him, her eyes glittering with joy. “You did so well!”

He was still catching his breath and seemed to be stunned by her words. He reached up, rubbing the back of his neck, unable to suppress the wide grin that stretched across his handsome features. “Ha… thanks,” his voice was airy and bashful.

“Are you okay?” she giggled, reaching out to touch his upper arm in a comforting gesture.

He seemed to freeze in place for a few seconds before he nodded in a slightly jerky motion, “U-um, yeah, I’m fine. It was just tiring, heh.”

“I think we’re getting ready to wrap up the festival now,” Cinders mentioned, watching as a few people began to gather around the buffet and the community’s soup. “Come on.”

She reached for his hand, grabbing it gently to pull him along with her. They stood on the edges of the crowd as Judge Ross tasted the soup. Everyone eagerly awaited her reaction. “Delicious!” she called out after a moment, a bright smile on her face. “Amazing blend of community products everyone.”

The crowd clapped enthusiastically before people began converging in a line for a taste of their own. Sometime later, Cinders stood off to the side, sipping her small bowl and chatting with Rafael and Alice. Several people, seeing her chatting near the buffet table, had approached her and complimented her on the bread she had brought. The day’s events were finally winding down as the sky began to streak with orange and purple hues as the evening started creeping forward. In her mind, she thought today had been successful, in both the community potluck and her experience with her first island festival.