Raphi Coolidge

Character full name: Raphael Coolidge 

Age: 40 Gender: Male Pronouns: He/Him Occupation: VP to COO at  Coolidge Ltd. (Think, Hilton)  Neighbourhood: Maple Forest Face claim: Scott Speedman pretty tragic intro I shall work on it eventually...alas, read at your own risk.

“Any celestial body on a clear night is worth the wait. Venus did not disappoint.” Mariah replied with a small smile as she finished packing up her things. She moved some hair out of her face as she looked up to where he pointed and smiled genuinely. “That is her. The naked eye does her no justice. The telescopes at my former job were the best on the planet. You could see every little characteristic.” She really did miss those telescopes. She also really missed her job, but she couldn’t go back there now. She had kissed that goodbye. Her lips frowned as he described his and many others opinion of what Venus should look like. “She’s actually yellowish orange. She reflects the light from the sun.” Mariah started walking, but turned when he mentioned there could be a bear in the Cavity. “You and I are both standing here living, breathing, and talking so I don’t think a bear is in there.” She turned and started walking back to her car. “So why are you really out here?”

Raphi looked on at her clear and clinical description, impressed. “Huh” he got out squinting again upwards. One  eye, then covering the other. “I kinda see the orange. But I’ve been told I’m a little color blind.” He told her, not sure if that was a true memory or an overall assumption he’d learned once about men in general or that he really did think it looked pinkish. “Where was that telescope? Don’t tell me, NASA?” His squint of curiosity back on her as she started walking as he took those couple steps to catch up.

He didn’t like being that brother, but he had made a promise to his mother that he intended to keep. Lately his little sister got in with the wrong crowd so he wasn’t all that surprised to find that she wasn’t home when he came home from a late shift. A trip down memory lane reminded him that he too once got in with the wrong crowd, hell he was the wrong crowd. He already had an idea of where she was and a quick track of her location confirmed it, it was how he ended up at the cavity - stood adjacent to the other with an eyebrow raised and a lopsided smile on his features. “I think we’ve all had our share of summer nights here.” He laughed, it was like the right of passage when you were young. “What kind of flash? Like a phone flash, or a flash of an animals eyes kind of thing?”

Nodding in the others direction, reflecting back too fondly and somewhat embarrassed too. “Ooh we have, haven’t we?” It was rhetorical as he looked at the guy, not sure if he recognized him or not but It did though distract for that moment on what it was he hadn’t quite seen before. Or what he thought he might’ve saw. “Neither.” He said, contemplating  what it was he did see, “Cell phone I’d ignore, animal I’d get the hell out of here. I’m open minded enough though, maybe my ex. She was always into that hexing, voo doo stuff.” 

               "I  WASN’T  GOING  TO  JUDGE  YOU.“  isla  says  nonchalantly,  pointing  her  flashlight  downwards  and  away  from  her  face.  ”in  fact,  i’m  glad  i  bumped  into  you.  i’m  also  lost  so…  i  guess  we  can  help  each  other  out?“

“That’s a relief.” he commented, still locked on what it could look like. That brushed off for the time being when she revealed being lost herself, “Perfect. Yes. We can help each other. I’m not sure why I’ve gone completely dumb but I have. I used to just run straight through the woods, paths I know lead in all sort of directions. So uh, really hoping you’re directionally uh, forward.” 

Chris pulled a face, tilting his head as he looked into the cavity. “I remember… if i remember correctly you said to go left and we had to go right.” They weren’t exactly pleasant memories. “Oh now you’re joking, that place isn’t actually haunted it’s just some old hole left here by a construction team. If i was a ghost haunting that place i’d be pissed.” 

“...well I was fed wrong mapping information.” he held back a more worded explanation to the best of his memory, maybe now slightly playing the victim. They’d gotten stuck on his own accord which at the time was a hoot, getting Chris to look a cowardly fool was the real goal at the time, the memory kind of a sour reflection on himself. Chalking it up to confidence of an adolescence at the moment. “Lucky you didn’t slide down that pipe hole to nowhere aren’t you then? I don’t know anymore what’s in there. If memory serves there was some pretty unexplainable shit.” 

Truth be told Alex hated the idea of the cavity at night, even as a kid it had terrified her. She took out her phone torch, scanning down the hole with the torch. “Did you ever get to the back?” She grimaced. “No… i gave up. I hated it. This damn place gives me the creeps. Something about the inevitable darkness.” She shuddered. “And excuse you… I am amazing at spin the bottle, i’ve kissed everyone in that damn circle.” 

“Or what’s in the darkness...” he said ominously, swiveling his dark casted shadow of a head in her direction again, pressing the center button on his phone to light up from below his chin, even if it only held for a total of two seconds, “Didn’t know there was a real talent behind the game. But alright, I’ll give you that.  That had to have been a real struggle in some cases.” He snorted, snatching her phone to direct towards the Cavity’s entrance when a single sound of a drip reverberated in response, “—but no never been to the back. I’ve heard it goes through the town though, some old prohibition booze smuggling routes, don’t know if that’s true or not but haven’t ever gotten the balls to really pass go.” 

Marcus gave a laugh, just because I have a blog on the internet does not mean I would make a meme out of your ass… or maybe I would,” he joked. “Honestly, it’s probably just an animal or something. But kids do, I did. You grow up here?”

“And so would begin my downfall. How quickly those things find their place on the internet for years even if stupidly tame. I’ll pass.” he laughed along with the admission, not really at all concerned that that would actually be an outcome. “Mm, I did. Every summer since I could take my first step.” Stung a little at the lack of recognition, not that he’d ever say so out loud. “You’d think I’d know my way around by now.” 

Mariah always liked to watch the stars at night and near the Cavity was surprisingly the best place to see them. She was cleaning up her blanket and snacks when she saw the flashlight and heard the man once they met eyes. “I..umm…I wasn’t going to say anything. I was just cleaning up my stuff, but now that you say it does look pretty weird, but so does looking at the stars in front of it so I guess we’re even.” she shrugged as she put her things in her bag. “You can see Venus tonight. It rarely happens and I wanted to catch it.” she nodded before taking a breath. “I could guide you back to where I parked my car if you’re lost though.” Her eyes narrowed as he said he heard and saw something in the Cavity. “More than likely just a stray animal. Nothing to worry about.” she said with a shake of her head. People always said they heard and saw things but she knew it was just a way to scare the little kids so they didn’t come here and get into trouble.

Raphi agreed, he’d take even after getting a good glimpse of her setup she was tucking away in front of him, “Venus huh? Was she worth it?” squinting upwards as if he’d be able to see what it was she was talking about. “Ah- that her?” he pointed to the only other bright object in the sky outside the moon. “Thought she’d be all fire-y red. Or pink.” No shame in his lack of knowledge and only stereotypes. “I’ll take that guide, yeah.” He said, hands on hips as he looked her dead on before giving another glance over his shoulder at the cavity that if he thought hard enough could swear to hear it called like it was actually the basis for Pennywise. “I don’t know if that’s really any better, you know there’s bears in this area.” 

“Yeah, I don’t think I’d even fit in there anymore. I’ll leave that to the kids,” he laughed a little, pulling his water from his small bag around his waist. “Maybe you should go in then, I’ll record your reaction on my phone,” he said, taking a drink.

Raphi looked the guy up and down- something that felt like a bit of knock to his own physique as it was, if Marcus wasn’t able to fit well, surely he wasn’t either. Mostly though the fun was kicked out of it all, “And have my ass hangin’ out in a meme worthy position, I’ll pass.”  “Eh, kids have great imaginations. I’m sure they’ll find a way to make it memorable without us.” 

Alex raised a brow. “Oh i bet you did.” She replied mischievously. “A flash?” She quirked her eyebrows again, looking deep into the cave. “Have you ever been in it? Like on a dare. I always bottled it.” 

Raphi offered a shrug in reply, tilting his head towards hers and a wink as to say ‘what can I say’, “Yeah, too many times. Dare to touch the back without a light, dare to explore past the water gate, dare to take off my skivvies. Can’t say I ever did all of them but yeah, plenty of dares in there...what’s bottled it? Spin the bottle? Can’t really picture you a spin the bottle kind of girl, don’t ask me why.” 

Marcus had been out for a late night run and had noticed the man and his flashlight. He jogged towards him and laughed slightly. “I am not judging. I used to hangout here as a kid too. I think we all used to. I’m assuming the teens still do?| he rambled on. “Honestly, could be some kids messing about in there… or an animal. You want to find out?”

“Oh yeah, I’m sure its kids...yeah. Nah you know no need to go looking—” he registered Marcus’ getup, clocked himself for more or less giving up on the running thing. “Unless,” he started, the prankster in him had wheels turning, “it’s only a right of passage to get the living shit scared out of you in there, no? Personally I can thank my sisters for that. Someone’s gotta do it, maybe?”