r a f a e l

italian, mexican, merrockite. lawyer & real estate mogul, owner of bardales inc. please keep your dog on a leash rp only.

[rafaelcb]

RAFAEL BARDALES. rafael, raf. he/him, cis man, November 15, 1970; born on the Amafli Coast, attended college in New York City, set up home in Merrock, Maine. only child, single, childless, prefers it that way; ex-husband. owner of Bardales Inc., a combined law firm and real estate agency. lives downtown and could survive on tiramisu. absolutely does not want to pet your crusty dog.

bio. stats. timeline. connections. wanted. muse. writing ideas.

[rafaelcb]

WHO: rafael & @jj-hayes

WHERE: the creamery, suburbs

WHEN: ice cream day (july 19, 2026)

Although he had been planning on stopping by the Creamery for ice cream regardless during the month of July (or... maybe just to sate a craving), ice cream day seemed like as good a time as any to make good on that promise. It seemed, as he started up the walk to the outdoor ordering window, that a lot of other people had the same idea, getting in line behind Jefferson and pocketing his hands as he looked ahead -- far ahead -- at the menu. "I guess everyone had the same idea today, hmm?"

[alejaalverez]

Well, grapes are technically purple and green, so I'm sure that's four colors you needed to know. That's so boring of you. And that's how you learned the remaining colors, then? I think I've heard you mention blue once or twice, so you learned that somewhere. Not in the least, and it's not sometimes our civic duty to do so, either.

[rafaelcb]

And some of the grapes are so purple that they look almost blue... so add that to the mix, and apparently I need to know a lot more than I gave myself credit for. It clearly stuck with me, maybe because I felt better than the other grape-lovers, implying that some were blue? I feel like I finally have a right to talk poorly about the wealthy without sounding like a hypocrite, so... thank you, Benefactor.

[xshaylambert]

"Now that is something that wouldn't fair well in my line of work and would end my twenty.. something.. year long career," Shayna shook her head with laughter. She had been working for the school just as long as Rafael had been running his own business in town. "That doesn't mean I can't shut my ears out here in public," she added with a shrug. "I'm sure you have enough employees to boss around that it sometimes feels like parenting. They're just adults." The way that Rafael felt fatherhood was not for him, Shayna felt similar about his business ventures. She couldn't imagine being in his shoes in that regard.

[rafaelcb]

"Almost dated yourself there?" he asked, amusement evident on his face and to his tone as his brows shot up and he did his best to hold back a laugh. Honestly, she reminded him of himself whenever he thought about how long he had been doing this, and how many decades he had seen pass by. Not that it was anything to be ashamed of, of course. "No, trust me, I get it. If I see a client -- in law or real estate -- approach me in public, the last thing I want to do is talk about a listing or a case, either, I want to enjoy my outside-of-the-office life," and for the most part, people really did get that. "And you're not wrong," he laughed, "I do sometimes have to parent them. Still. In their big ages. Mostly at happy hour after a long day."

[mariah-h-kenmore]

"I've definitely experienced that over the last year of living here. Everyone has been so supportive of me and my kids. It's been very nice. People have even been very supportive coming to my booth and checking out my new business even if they don't really need it at this moment." she smiled. Mariah had been surprised by how many people came and saw her booth and took her card, planning to use her business when they were in need.

Mariah took a deep breath and nodded as Rafael explained how opening a new company in a new town could be hard and stressful. It was exactly how she felt. "I'm hoping that's how the town sees me. I know it's happening at a very inopportune time, but I really just want to help all the people and the town." she explained with a nod. Her eyebrows rose and she smiled as Raf showed her the bag of food he got from the various food trucks. "Good for you! Ummm, not yet. I really want to show everyone that I'm dedicated to the business. I'm hoping my parents grab me something when they come with my kids." she shrugged softly.

[rafaelcb]

"I'm not a father myself, obviously," he gestured to himself and let out a laugh, shrugging both of his shoulders, "but I do know a lot of people who have kids, and they all swear up and down that this is the very best place to raise a family." And honestly, he didn't need to have children to know that -- he had only ever heard good things about the school, he knew how supportive the community was, and the town itself was family-friendly, with parks and a children's museum, a library, fun activities. He could understand the draw for new parents, for sure. "I think that's one of the best things -- they may not ever need it, even, but I bet that if you ever needed support, they would give it to you."

Offering her a reassuring smile, Rafael shook his head, "people can see you. They see you out here today, shaking hands and smiling, giving them a little insight into your business. I don't think that you have to worry. A lot of the trouble with the Benefactor stems from the fact that… well, who are they?" No one knew their intentions, and sure, no one knew anyone's intention, really, but… the fact that they didn't even know who they were, what they were doing, that didn't necessarily sit right with others. Himself, included. "Oh," Rafael widened his eyes a little bit, looking over his shoulder, "do you want something? I'd be happy to go grab you something to eat or drink, if you want -- dedication or not, everyone should stay well fed and hydrated."

[brooksienewman]

You did a good job of being...whatever you are being. A man who does things and stuff, I guess. I'm always thoroughly impressed with you for that. Was making the friends worth it or did you wish you outshone all of them? Unless someone is allergic or their heart is full of hate, which does happen from time to time.

[rafaelcb]

That's actually what it says on my office door. 'Rafael Bardales, Man Who Does Things and Stuff.' Which, honestly, might be an easier way to explain what I do for a living than, 'I'm a lawyer, I also am a real estate agent, manage a number of properties around town and invest wisely.' That kind of makes people pause. I guess making friends was worth it. I don't know that they're still my friends, but. It does -- those people exist in this world.

[aneesapillai]

“That is true… I didn’t even think much of the other farms that come to visit just for farmers market. We’ve just gotten used to having an abundance of fresh fruits and veggies, like… all the time,” she said. “I try to try new things but I’m always nervous they won’t turn out well. Especially with the two girls, they might not like it. But they haven’t been too picky, thankfully. There are days when all they want are dino nuggets and French fries, but I figured out how to be sneaky and toss some good stuff in,” she said. “Because some days that is also all I want to eat…” she admitted. “I do love comfort food that just never fails to make me feel better.” Ani nodded with a laugh. “Then it’s like oops! Time to order pizza!”

[rafaelcb]

"I know in some areas, they're facing shortages and losses because of the odd weather," sometimes it got warm, only to turn around and have one of those flash freezes, and nothing killed off crops after. Rafael was honestly just grateful for whatever he could get, knowing that it would be enough for him to have fresh fruits and veggies from anywhere. If it was local, that was just a nice added bonus. "Ah, see, I didn't think about that -- kids are always harder to feed. But it's good that they're not picky, does that mean you actually get to eat things other than dinosaur shaped chicken nuggets every now and then?" But it was good that she knew how to sneak the good stuff in there, too. "I'm big on comfort food, too. I've got the luxury of being Mexican and Italian -- there are so many good comfort meals in there."

[gavjgreene]

Gavin smiled over at the guy as he looked briefly around at the bar, he nodded along and smiled, "I mean it's easy to slip up when everyone around you calls it soccer." He laughed al ittle looking over at the guy for a moment, "Italy sounds like a dream to have grown up in if I am honest. What made you move away?" He asked curiously. He smiled, "Chicago was great, quite lively and it was home for my whole life so until coming here I didn't really know any different. Pretty much yeah however, I will shout that Chicago does the best pizza for the rest of my life." He laughed a little looking at him raising his eyebrows for a moment, "Oh really? Does it often get rowdy here then?"

[rafaelcb]

"That's very true," when you were a creature of habit, you had a tendency to pick up on the phrases everyone else was using, after all. And besides, it wasn't as though it was actually hurting anyone or anything to call the sport by the wrong name. "School," he answered simply, "I wanted to become a lawyer and not just any kind of lawyer, I wanted to be one of those high-stake cases, badass American lawyers." Although he did roll his eyes a little as he said that, "but I got accepted to a good law school and knew that I had to take that chance. Haven't looked back. Although I do vacation there every now and then," it was nice to go home, see how it had changed since he had been a little boy. "As long as you don't declare that while you're standing in the middle of Pizza Thyme, you should be okay," he laughed, knowing that the bakers there might have some problems with someone putting down their pizza. "It can. But I also count one or two shouts as rowdy, I'm old," he teased, lifting his beer to take a sip.

[mcndyhcrtmcn]

Mandy wrinkled up her nose. Raf was like everyone’s favorite uncle. He was just so easy to have a good laugh with. She let out a dramatic sigh as he agreed with her mother’s sentiments. “I’ll tell her you said that,” she finally let out a laugh. Her head turned back to the game and stuck out her bottom lip. “Beginner’s luck!” she called out before giggling again.

[rafaelcb]

"Please do," he replied with a lilt to his voice, unable to help teasing her a little bit. He did sputter a laugh when she declared it beginner's luck, though, turning to look at her with a touch of disbelief. "Do you think I'm a beginner, at my age?" No, he had been playing this for a while, there was no way that he was going to go down like that. "Let's see you do any better, Ms. Hartman."

[alicezhaox]

So how are you holding up? Now that we know you are absolutely not the Benefactor? Jokes aside, how have you been? Enjoying the summer, I hope. I owe you a tiramisu from Rossi’s.

[rafaelcb]

You know, it only took everyone about twenty-five years of me telling them that if I were the Benefactor, I would not be spending my money on other people to have them finally believe me. I don't know what part of 'I'm a selfish bastard,' people don't like to believe! You do, as always, but otherwise, summer has been... summer. I saw the forecast for this week this morning, and I am not looking forward to the heat.

[xshaylambert]

"You just have to learn to tune it out," Shayna chuckled. "Maybe it's easier now that I'm a mom, but learning to tune it out is helpful because sometimes there is no balloon escaping into the sky. Sometimes they cry like that just to cry."

[rafaelcb]

Rafael couldn't help the small, mischievous smile that crossed his face, "you don't imply that same logic to work, do you? Tell the crying children that come into the nurse's office to cry it out?" Actually, he was very sure she didn't -- she seemed like the nurturing kind of person who would want them to feel better. "But this is also probably why I'm not a parent." Among... a thousand other reasons. "My patience is done and gone when I'm out of the office."

[samuelxkwon]

"You can talk your way out of it, I'm sure. No one will think I get the idea from you," Sam said with a laugh. He definitely wouldn't be naming names but he wouldn't be surprised if they came to a conclusion that it was Rafael that he was talking about. He had heard about the man before he even met him all those time ago. He then looked towards the kid as Rafael took the mirror from him. The young client seemed intent on making sure to check all angles, which internally made him worry a bit and the kid wasn't even his client. Sam then huffed out a laugh at Rafael's words, moving his hand to wave it off. "Hey, I'll take that. I don't usually take part in something like this. My art is usually confined to my sketchbook. And the occasional uploads to my art account that barely has any followers. 'not as bad as expected' is pretty good to me," he grinned. And he meant it.

[rafaelcb]

"I am pretty good at talking my way out of trouble," one of the best parts of being a lawyer, he supposed, knowing how to talk and how to make sure that he didn't end up the center of chaos. That wasn't really a position that he wanted to be in. "No, you did good," he promised with a quick grin, "I was going to ask how much art you do in your free time, expecting you to tell me none, but color me intrigued." Rafael might not have taken Sam for an artist, and not in a bad way -- it was just fun to find out what someone's hobbies and interests were outside of what he knew them for. "Do you want me to sign a review for you?" he asked, clearly teasing now, "something to hang on the table that says 'not as bad as expected!' so everyone comes by?"

[kennedyxwarren]

"Okay, glad to hear it!" Kennedy exhaled softly, smiling at Rafael's greeting, a gentle touch to his upper arm. She took a moment herself to admire the view from where he stood, the greenery of the small town, blonde locks slightly falling to the side. She couldn't help but give a skeptical glance at his comment, as if ready to defend the accusation before he finished his sentence. "You had me in the first half, not going to lie," she gave a warm laugh. "But appreciate that you know I'm better than that." Rafael was probably someone who scheduled as in-depth as herself, to know he was as efficient about being on schedule as herself.

"I am!" she nodded, taking a seat on the other side of the table, the menu placed on her side, the list of the weekly specials being on top of the regular menu. "While I can't wait to see what's on the menu- pretty sure whenever I dine here, it never disappoints," she nodded in agreement at his statement. "But desserts, you're speaking my language here. If it were up to me, we'd be doing that first," she teased, an amused smile on her lips. "Anything catch your eye just yet?"

[rafaelcb]

Letting out a warmer laugh, he nodded his head, "I feel like as an event planner, of all people, you would never be late." She knew the importance of getting somewhere on time, making sure not to leave other people waiting. It was important to be punctual. Funny how different their fields were, but at the end of the day, they both held a lot of the same values. It also came down to being aware of how it felt to have your time wasted, and doing your best to not waste anyone else's in return.

"That's how I feel, too," he agreed with a laugh, flicking the edge of the menu as he got comfortable in his chair, "but I feel that way about pretty much every restaurant in town." There might have been some that he didn't frequent as often as others, places that he only visited every now and then, but he had never really had a bad meal. Maybe it was just the fact that it was such a small town, and everyone seemed to want to put in the work to make their food that much better for the people who were eating there. "This might sound a bit… plebian," he grinned, "but I saw a waitress walk by with a slab of chocolate cake with peanut butter icing, and that looked like it was calling my name."

[jcksonfields]

JD let out a laugh, "I was just trying to figure out what I should get. Or how I'm supposed to choose what to get. Shit there's too many options." He scratched his arm and then ran a hand through his hair and cursed again, "shit, if they don't hear cursing from their parents they'll definitely hear it elsewhere I promise." He tried not to curse if he didn't have to but when it came to decisions and food, all bets were off. "I never ask for help but I'm almost begging for help this time," he was teasing and let out a laugh. "Nachos just seem to be calling my name," he nodded and decided on that, "and then ice cream. Oh chocolate for sure. Then I'd say mint to be honest."

[rafaelcb]

Rafael was not someone who spent a lot of time around kids. Every now and then, someone would bring a child into his office for a meeting, or he would volunteer to do something at a school, or the community center, but as a whole? He preferred to be around grown-ups, and for the most part, they didn't mind when the curse words flew. Thankfully. "I feel like kids swear younger and younger, too, don't they? It used to be so taboo, and now it's almost a rite of passage." It didn't seem like they worried all that much about getting into trouble, for example. "Do you do nachos with just the cheese, or fully loaded? I enjoy them fully loaded, but I also enjoy not having heartburn at a public carnival," he laughed, shaking his head. Something about that seemed pretty unpleasant, if he was honest. "Good combination, I can approve of that."

[amberstevenson]

"Knitting? No. Crocheting however." A small smirk appeared on her features at that and she shook her head. "Showing my age there, I think..." She hadn't really got into it, though, she had plenty of hobbies that didn't include wool. She nodded at Raf's words, her expression becoming quite thoughtful. "Travelling the world would be amazing. I haven't done it enough yet. Early retirement might be calling." She shrugged, and then glanced back to him. "Would you want to do anything different?"

[rafaelcb]

"Crocheting is popular!" he said with a nod of his head, "I've seen so many stands at different fairs and markets we've had in town where people sell crocheted stuffed animals, it seems like something that sells pretty good." Or maybe it was just that people hoped they sold, since they enjoyed making them. Either option worked. "A someday goal, maybe?" he asked with a more sincere smile, before laughing softly, "or early retirement. That, too. For me..." he trailed off thoughtfully, brushing paint along the wood grain carefully, "I like what I do. I don't know if I could imagine doing anything else -- most of the things that I enjoy are hobbies or collecting: wine, old cars. Could I be a professional sports car collector?"

[mcndyhcrtmcn]

"You know me," Mandy smirked. "Let's be for real here, though. I make your life more fun and interesting," she said with a nod. Watching him, she tried not to make any random noise as not to distract him. Or something like that. Looking back at him, she pursed her lips and hummed. "Hmmm... oh yeah. That's what my mom always told me too," she teased him again. "Nice throw, though." she shrugged.

[rafaelcb]

"Something like that," he let out a low laugh, shaking his head. But there was truth to it. There would always be people in Rafael's life that made it a little more interesting and kept him on his toes, whether or not he liked it. He had gotten used to her. "And I bet that she's right for telling you that," he grinned, lifting the next ball to take another roll, this one going directly the center and stealing a quick 'yes!' from Rafael under his breath before reaching for the final ball. "Comes down to this one."

[alejaalverez]

So instead of regular elementary school, you just...learned how to be a sommelier? That makes sense. But you're not one now, so you didn't do a good job. People definitely don't like talking poorly about the wealthy and powerful.

[rafaelcb]

Yes. We didn't need to know any colors but red and white, so we just skipped over the basic education and went straight to learning about wine. I didn't. I ended up begging my parents to put me in boring, Americanized school, basically. As a small child. No, no, it's not like it's a completely justified hobby these days.