Chocolate #21, Amaretto #15, Vinegar #8
Story: Blaze Mob Family
Title: A Chance Meeting
Prompt: Chocolate #21: luck, Amaretto #15: ink blot, Vinegar #8: contents under pressure
Rating: PG13
Characters: Firebird Blaze, Edan Blaze, Paul Robinson, Peter de Luca, Willow de Luca
Summary: Shortly after A Trophy For Participating. When you live across the street from your current enemy, you’re bound to have some awkward run-ins. I’m not entirely sure how ‘ink blot’ this turned out to be, but I really did try to make Firebird and Peter’s word duel a bit murky. What can I say? I’m not so good with veiling my insults. XD
“Ms. Blaze!”
Firebird paused at the sound of her name, then smirked when she saw who had said it. Peter de Luca was crossing the street, his blond trophy wife in tow. So this was how he wanted to play it. She had to respect a man that didn’t beat around the bush and pretend to be anything but her opponent.
“Yes?” she asked when Peter de Luca was standing in front of her.
Peter held out his hand. “I couldn’t miss this opportunity to put an end to our circling and formally introduce myself. I’m Peter de Luca, the new district attorney for the city. This is my wife, Willow.”
“How kind of you,” Firebird said, taking his hand then Willow’s. “You already know me, it seems.”
“I do,” Peter confirmed. “From both work and my son.”
Willow piped up then, “Your brother is the first friend Marco has made here, and he always has a great deal to say about his big sister.”
“Oh?” Firebird looked down at Edan standing beside her. “All good things I hope?”
Edan grinned up at her. “Of course!”
“Of course,” she repeated, looking back at Willow. “I hope you’ve found my city to be a welcoming one.”
Willow smiled but Peter smoothly cut in before she could say anything. “Naturally. New Palermo has more than lived up to its reputation as one of the most beautiful cities in the country. Granted, it's streets could use a bit cleaning, but I’m more than happy to do my part.”
Firebird didn’t respond to Peter’s barb. If he was going to make this such an obvious pissing contest, then she didn’t want Edan to be exposed to it. She looked down at her little brother. “Edan, would you please go get me a Gatorade from your mother? I’m afraid I forgot to bring a drink, and it’s going to get very hot at the beach.”
Edan nodded solemnly, the thought of his sister succumbing to dehydration was a very serious matter that he would do everything to avert. “I’ll get you two, okay?”
“That would be perfect. Thank you,” Firebird said with a growing smile, watching her brother run back up to the house.
Peter had watched the whole scene closely. “You’re quite attached to him, aren’t you?”
“I am attached to everyone I call family, Mr. de Luca,” Firebird said, her grin going back to the small half-smile that she always wore when she was dueling with an opponent.
De Luca nodded a little, putting his own half-smile on. “Yes, about that. Bugsy Loretto was one of your family members, wasn’t he? It’s rather unfortunate about his prison sentence,” de Luca smirked. “I’d apologize to you about it but putting away criminals is part of my job description.”
“Hmm, yes. Every job has its downside,” Firebird said. “It would seem that yours is tearing loving fathers away from their children.”
Paul didn’t look the least bit put out by her accusations. “Loretto was a thug that beat up innocent people for fun. I will do everything I can to put men like that behind bars where they belong.”
Firebird’s eyes strayed down to the neckline of Willow’s dress and the fading yellow bruise by her shoulder that she had noticed as soon as Willow had come by. “Is that so?” Firebird said benignly, looking back at Peter with knowing eyes.
Peter’s eyebrows drew together as he looked down at his wife, then a storm cloud crossed his face when he realized what Firebird had seen. “What are you accusing me of exactly, Ms. Blaze?” he asked.
Firebird widened her eyes in faux innocence. “Why, Mr. de Luca, I would never presume to accuse you of anything. That’s your job, not mine.”
Peter’s eyes were narrowed as he glared at her. “I’m well aware of what my job entails. And I wanted to tell you personally that I am very good at what I do.”
Firebird smiled. “I expect nothing less, Mr. de Luca.”
Edan came racing out of the house. He skidded to a stop in front of Firebird and held up a drink in each hand. “I got you the purple one and the blue one.”
“Perfect,” Firebird said. “They’re both my favorite.”
Firebird set her hand on Edan’s back and looked at the de Lucas. “I hate to cut our conversation short, but we’ve a date with the beach.”
“Of course, we won’t keep you any longer,” Willow said, taking Firebird’s hand again. “It was wonderful to finally put a face to the name that Edan speaks of so often.”
Firebird smiled warmly at the woman. “Thank you, Mrs. de Luca. It was a pleasure.” She shook Peter de Luca’s hand, keeping her warm smile in place. “Thank you for going out of your way to introduce yourself to me, Mr. de Luca. I certainly won’t forget you.”
“Nor I you, Ms. Blaze,” Peter said. He’d obviously enjoyed their little exchange, despite the little slip with his wife.
Peter moved to pull his hand away and Firebird tightened her grip. “Since you were so kind to tell me personally, I feel it’s only right that I return the favor and tell you that I too am very good at my job.”
Peter pulled his hand harder and Firebird let go. She wasn’t physically as strong as him, but this wasn’t a physical fight they were engaging in. This was a battle centered around strategy, and it was common knowledge that Blaze children used chess pieces as chew toys. She was looking forward to paying Mr. de Luca back for Bugsy, and taking his arrogant attitude down a notch while she was at it.
Peter smiled at her, showing his teeth as a crocodile would. It appeared he felt the same way about her. “I expect nothing less, Ms. Blaze. You all have a wonderful day at the beach. I hope we’ll meet each other again soon.”
Title: A Chance Meeting
Prompt: Chocolate #21: luck, Amaretto #15: ink blot, Vinegar #8: contents under pressure
Rating: PG13
Characters: Firebird Blaze, Edan Blaze, Paul Robinson, Peter de Luca, Willow de Luca
Summary: Shortly after A Trophy For Participating. When you live across the street from your current enemy, you’re bound to have some awkward run-ins. I’m not entirely sure how ‘ink blot’ this turned out to be, but I really did try to make Firebird and Peter’s word duel a bit murky. What can I say? I’m not so good with veiling my insults. XD
“Ms. Blaze!”
Firebird paused at the sound of her name, then smirked when she saw who had said it. Peter de Luca was crossing the street, his blond trophy wife in tow. So this was how he wanted to play it. She had to respect a man that didn’t beat around the bush and pretend to be anything but her opponent.
“Yes?” she asked when Peter de Luca was standing in front of her.
Peter held out his hand. “I couldn’t miss this opportunity to put an end to our circling and formally introduce myself. I’m Peter de Luca, the new district attorney for the city. This is my wife, Willow.”
“How kind of you,” Firebird said, taking his hand then Willow’s. “You already know me, it seems.”
“I do,” Peter confirmed. “From both work and my son.”
Willow piped up then, “Your brother is the first friend Marco has made here, and he always has a great deal to say about his big sister.”
“Oh?” Firebird looked down at Edan standing beside her. “All good things I hope?”
Edan grinned up at her. “Of course!”
“Of course,” she repeated, looking back at Willow. “I hope you’ve found my city to be a welcoming one.”
Willow smiled but Peter smoothly cut in before she could say anything. “Naturally. New Palermo has more than lived up to its reputation as one of the most beautiful cities in the country. Granted, it's streets could use a bit cleaning, but I’m more than happy to do my part.”
Firebird didn’t respond to Peter’s barb. If he was going to make this such an obvious pissing contest, then she didn’t want Edan to be exposed to it. She looked down at her little brother. “Edan, would you please go get me a Gatorade from your mother? I’m afraid I forgot to bring a drink, and it’s going to get very hot at the beach.”
Edan nodded solemnly, the thought of his sister succumbing to dehydration was a very serious matter that he would do everything to avert. “I’ll get you two, okay?”
“That would be perfect. Thank you,” Firebird said with a growing smile, watching her brother run back up to the house.
Peter had watched the whole scene closely. “You’re quite attached to him, aren’t you?”
“I am attached to everyone I call family, Mr. de Luca,” Firebird said, her grin going back to the small half-smile that she always wore when she was dueling with an opponent.
De Luca nodded a little, putting his own half-smile on. “Yes, about that. Bugsy Loretto was one of your family members, wasn’t he? It’s rather unfortunate about his prison sentence,” de Luca smirked. “I’d apologize to you about it but putting away criminals is part of my job description.”
“Hmm, yes. Every job has its downside,” Firebird said. “It would seem that yours is tearing loving fathers away from their children.”
Paul didn’t look the least bit put out by her accusations. “Loretto was a thug that beat up innocent people for fun. I will do everything I can to put men like that behind bars where they belong.”
Firebird’s eyes strayed down to the neckline of Willow’s dress and the fading yellow bruise by her shoulder that she had noticed as soon as Willow had come by. “Is that so?” Firebird said benignly, looking back at Peter with knowing eyes.
Peter’s eyebrows drew together as he looked down at his wife, then a storm cloud crossed his face when he realized what Firebird had seen. “What are you accusing me of exactly, Ms. Blaze?” he asked.
Firebird widened her eyes in faux innocence. “Why, Mr. de Luca, I would never presume to accuse you of anything. That’s your job, not mine.”
Peter’s eyes were narrowed as he glared at her. “I’m well aware of what my job entails. And I wanted to tell you personally that I am very good at what I do.”
Firebird smiled. “I expect nothing less, Mr. de Luca.”
Edan came racing out of the house. He skidded to a stop in front of Firebird and held up a drink in each hand. “I got you the purple one and the blue one.”
“Perfect,” Firebird said. “They’re both my favorite.”
Firebird set her hand on Edan’s back and looked at the de Lucas. “I hate to cut our conversation short, but we’ve a date with the beach.”
“Of course, we won’t keep you any longer,” Willow said, taking Firebird’s hand again. “It was wonderful to finally put a face to the name that Edan speaks of so often.”
Firebird smiled warmly at the woman. “Thank you, Mrs. de Luca. It was a pleasure.” She shook Peter de Luca’s hand, keeping her warm smile in place. “Thank you for going out of your way to introduce yourself to me, Mr. de Luca. I certainly won’t forget you.”
“Nor I you, Ms. Blaze,” Peter said. He’d obviously enjoyed their little exchange, despite the little slip with his wife.
Peter moved to pull his hand away and Firebird tightened her grip. “Since you were so kind to tell me personally, I feel it’s only right that I return the favor and tell you that I too am very good at my job.”
Peter pulled his hand harder and Firebird let go. She wasn’t physically as strong as him, but this wasn’t a physical fight they were engaging in. This was a battle centered around strategy, and it was common knowledge that Blaze children used chess pieces as chew toys. She was looking forward to paying Mr. de Luca back for Bugsy, and taking his arrogant attitude down a notch while she was at it.
Peter smiled at her, showing his teeth as a crocodile would. It appeared he felt the same way about her. “I expect nothing less, Ms. Blaze. You all have a wonderful day at the beach. I hope we’ll meet each other again soon.”