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[firedupluz-blog]

rhysxtaylor‌:

At Luz’s words, Rhys tilted his head back a moment, resting against the back of the seat he was sitting upon before straightening himself up once more. “Mmm, you know I don’t buy any of that bullshit,” he answered with a chuckle. “If you’re heartless then so am I…” Which clearly couldn’t be true because of what he did, he was forever getting told that he cared too much sometimes —- but he loved his job and really that’s all there was to it. 

Luz pressed her lips into a thin line, finding it hard to argue with Rhys. As much as she was prone to present herself as an unemotional person, she obviously cared about something. If not, she wouldn’t bother to do a dangerous job that served the public every day. She was content to claim that as a selfish thing though, that had more to do with the loss of her sister than anything else, and Rhys wouldn’t convince her otherwise in that regard. “Well, have you ever threatened to put laxatives in your coworker’s coffee because he stole your yogurt?”

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pxrkerowens‌:

              Instagram, Parker scoffed and gave her a nod that signified his agreement. An online world he was far detached from, a few years too old to be sucked into the world of pictures and games… His sister, though? Amber was as active as any other twenty-three year old, always pulling him in for selfies and trying to teach him about the world of filters. “All about the likes these days, right?” Though he would assume that most teenagers weren’t stupid enough to broadcast their crimes online, “Whoa—-” Parker paused and held a hand out mid-sip, swallowing before continuing. “Are we old? Thinking social media is foolish and all that bullshit, does that make us old?” The man thought about it for a moment before releasing a nonchalant shrug, he wasn’t that bothered. Internet access was only something he recently had the privilege to and even then, it seemed like a waste of time unless he was streaming a movie. 

              Mocking a frown, Parker used one of his fingers to drag either side of his mouth downwards to pass his condolences. “I’m so sorry…” Parks lied, letting his lips return to the smirk they were frozen in previously. “I don’t know, you didn’t get laid so—” The man teased as he took another sip. “A pool?” There had been whispers of one, but he didn’t like hanging out at work. Most of the people who worked there irritated him, so the thought of entering into competition with them was too much of a connection. “I don’t know, but Rosberg is gonna’ try and take you out for a few drinks…” Watching her expression change, Parker’s remained indifferent as he looked up at her. “That’s going to be fun to watch. Five men vying for your attention, only to be pied off? Sign me up for that viewing party.”

“Yep. And swiping.” The swiping part she at least knew something about. She’d used dating apps enough to be familiar with the mindless activity of rapidly scanning through photos and making surface level decisions about people’s viability as a date based largely on their attractiveness. When Parker paused to question if they were old for being beyond the veil of excessive social media use, Luz scrunched her nose. “No, absolutely not. We’re just not as easily amused.” Luz rolled her eyes and comforted herself with a sip of her rich coffee.

 “Oh please. I don’t need a man for sexual pleasure.” Sure, she preferred the hot and heavy exchange between her and another person, but she wasn’t helpless without one. Luz’s brows furrowed when Parker revealed that one of their colleagues was indeed eyeing her. “Rosberg? I’d rather chew my own arm off. He always smells like pickles.” 

[firedupluz-blog]

oliviaxdawson‌:

                     “Sorry, but uh… did you see a set of keys anywhere around here by any chance?” Olivia asked, teeth clamping down onto her bottom lip in a lock, equivalent to crossing her fingers for luck, as if it might affect the answer to her question. While she was an optimist by heart, there was no way of knowing where her keys had gone — she couldn’t pinpoint the moment where she lost them, not even close. “My bag,” she said and held it up, small, soft, tan leather with a stretch of stitching that had come undone at the bottom. “There was a hole in it that I didn’t see, but uh… my keys did and made a run for it. Can’t get home now,” she added and pointed toward her car.

“Lost your keys again?” Luz teased with a soft grin on her lips as she approached her unlucky neighbor. It sucked hugely to lose anything, but especially a set of keys. She felt badly, but it hadn’t been the first time she caught the other woman in this predicament; so naturally, she had to poke a little fun. “Are we gonna have to fasten them to your jacket with a safety pin like they do with school kids?” she quipped, eyeing Olivia’s worn bag when she held it up for proof. “I didn’t see them. Maybe you dropped them in the car and didn’t notice--I know a guy who can jimmy the lock for you if that’s the case. He owes me a favor.”

[firedupluz-blog]

rhysxtaylor‌:

As Luz put herself in control of ordering their food, Rhys took a moment to sit back in his seat, enjoying the other drink he’d brought over with him to accompany the shots. At her words, though, he found himself leaning forwards once more, a smile working its way across his features. It was a typical evening for them really, what she was saying was exactly where they ended up nine times out of ten. “I definitely will,” he answered with a tilt of his head. “You know me.” She did, of course, very well. “Makes sense… hopefully I am a little more interesting.”

“Mm, I do.” Luz nodded, wondering what exactly it was that kept drawing her and Rhys together at the most convenient of times. The most obvious answer was physical attraction. She wasn’t looking for something romantic, and from what she could tell, he wasn’t either. Yet, there was definitely something there. Maybe it was best not to analyze it too closely and risk screwing it up. “A little-- about this much,” she teased, pinching her fingers together to demonstrate. “About the size of the empty hole where my heart should be.”

[firedupluz-blog]

rhysxtaylor‌:

At her remark, Rhys nodded, pushing the menu back towards her with a smile. No, food wasn’t the worst thing in the world, and it wasn’t as though he’d actually eaten tonight —- it could only be a good thing. He wasn’t exactly the greatest at taking care of himself when he was working. “Alright, great,” he answered, his smile becoming brighter. “Bad day for the most part, felt as though I needed a drink… or six. What about you?”

Now that they were in agreement on an appetizer, Luz peeked out into the aisle to catch the eye of the cocktail waitress. She tilted her head, pursing her soft lips with understanding when Rhys mentioned that he wasn’t having a great day. “If there’s anything I can do--” she reached across the table top and lightly grazed the back of his hand, “I’m sure you’ll let me know.” When the waitress came to their table, Luz withdrew her hand from Rhys’ and passed over the menu, requesting their nachos and another pair of shots for them to share. Upon the waitress’ departure, Luz exhaled softly. “I was just tired at looking at the same four walls of my apartment. I needed some excitement. And poof- here you are.”

[firedupluz-blog]

rhysxtaylor‌:

“Right now? Mostly tequila, but I’m willing to humour you,” Rhys mused lightly, his eyes glinting slightly under the low lights. There were always others things, but he’d come here very much with a one track mind, and tonight that was most definitely alcohol. A bad day usually equated to that. Then, after a pause, chewing idly on his lower lip, he offered, “Nachos sound good, though.”

“I love being humored.” Luz smiled at Rhys, then glanced one last time at the menu between them. After a moment, she nodded and tapped the appetizer item in question. “Nachos it is.” If only other men could be as agreeable as Rhys. “So, what brings you out tonight, Rhys?” she inquired. “It’s been a while since we’ve bumped into one another.”     

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pxrkerowens‌:

                    He was in no position to judge anyone’s obsession with something, caffeine being the less damaging one in comparison to his liking to alcohol. Maybe he had a problem, but that issue was helping him sleep and stopping him from setting fire to the police department… An irrational thought, but one he had dreamt of comfortably multiple times. Luz didn’t know, not really. None of them did, his sister’s name just another one on a plaque in the cemetery, but his struggles continued every second of the day. “You really are—” He teased, sitting down with a smile and letting his head fall into a light nod. “Would’ve told em’ myself, go set fire to something where other shit can’t catch. The hell is it with teenagers these days?” Parker was far from clean when it came to doing stupid things as a kid, but he knew the basics of how to get away with low-level shit. “Uneventful…” Lies, but he wasn’t about to spill the details of the NET to someone he couldn’t trust. And anyway, he was pretending to be a good citizen. “Played ball with some kids, worked a couple of nights—-” He was off nights for an entire ten days now, only on call for three so it had spiked his mood for the better. “Did you get laid, because I’m seeing a little bit of envy in those eyes…” Parker pointed towards her as she wen to get coffee, leaning back in his chair with a smirk, “Yes. I did, multiple times. If you’re in need, just say the words and I’ll oblige…”

Luz pushed the button on the coffee machine to fill her own cup, watching in awe as the heavenly liquid trickled down. She almost smiled at the sight of it, the rich aroma filling her nose as she awaited her precious caffeine fix. Coffee was a saving grace for Luz. Without it, she seemed to forget how to be cordial to other human beings. She’d been lucky to avoid any withdrawal-fueled confrontations with her colleagues this past month, but there was still time left before the month was over. “I wouldn’t be surprised if the kid just wanted a cool post for their instagram.That’s what is usually is--social media foolishness.” She shook her head, slipping her hands around the warm cup and removing it from the machine.

As Parker told her how his weekend went, Luz poured a packet of sugar into her cup and mixed it with a plastic spoon. “Sadly, I did not get laid this weekend,” she admitted, rolling her eyes in Parker’s direction. “I think what you’re seeing is caffeine withdrawal not envy.” She shuffled back to her seat after adding a splash of creamer, settling in and pressing her lips together to blow on the steaming surface of her coffee. “Good for you though.” She laughed, wagging her finger at Parker’s offer. “Is there some kind of pool on which one of you guys is gonna bag me first? No one’s gonna win, if that’s the case.”

[firedupluz-blog]

You know, you were right.

[firedupluz-blog]

dexterkincaid‌:

There was half an hour left of his shift, and it’s not like he was counting down the seconds until his freedom, but Dexter wasn’t exactly wheeling and dealing out front with his cupcake tray. Unfortunately for an unlucky citizen, they were walking in his selling bubble slash zone, so he interrupted their peace with his best Barney Stinson impression to ring out a question in tune to a memorable quote from How I Met Your Mother. “Waaaaaaaaanna try a cupcake?” He didn’t give them much time to respond without adding: “They’re from the summer menu and last batch of the day is going cheap before they’re gone for another year. Can’t get these bad boys in a couple of weeks.”

Luz knew that she’d made a mistake when she randomly decided to take a walk around her neighborhood. She wasn’t in a great mood, which wasn’t all that unusual but it was because of a particularly terrible date she’d had the night before, which was very unusual for her. Unfortunately one of her go-to friends with benefits had gone clingy overnight and she’d had to cut him off cold turkey; he hadn’t taken it very well. She really wasn’t in a state to have friendly conversation with anyone, so it dawned on her the moment she was approached outside of For Cupsake that she should have taken an extra minute to grab her earbuds before leaving her Westbrook apartment. The young man looked young though, so she tried to temper her annoyance. “They’re that special huh?” She eyed the cupcake tray from behind her over-sized shades. Maybe sugar would help her foul mood. “What flavor is this one?” she asked, pointing to the cupcake closed to her. 

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pxrkerowens‌:

            Humming to himself quietly, Parker kicked the door shut and went over to find the coffee pods instead. A shot of caffeine wouldn’t go a miss, not on a morning like this — Usually he was still recovering from the night before, an unprofessional and illegal state to be in when it came to firefighting but one that nobody dared question. He had some demons and they weren’t going to be fixed by firing him, at least not at the moment. Hangover free was a step in the right direction and as he pulled one of the pods out, he turned to look back at his colleague. “You want a coffee?” A kind gesture but one he didn’t want to offer, “No thanks. Girls have cooties—-” The man jeered with a smile, pressing the button on the machine and waiting patiently for it to pour into the cup. “Heard they caught some kids setting fire to a tree in the forest last night, cops involved and everything. Never know why they don’t do that while we’re working, it would make the shifts go quicker.” He scoffed, taking the cup and finding a seat opposite Luz before taking a sip. “You had a good weekend?”

Luz quietly eyed Parker from her perch, still curious about the unexplained change in his demeanor this morning. She raised a brow when he offered to prepare some coffee for her as well, but instinctively nodded in acceptance of his offer. Suspicions be damned, she liked her coffee. “If by coffee you mean my lifeblood? Then, yes.” She smiled when he jokingly passed on the opportunity to get a lick from her dirty spoon. “I know right? Girls are the worst.”

Luz returned her attention to the magazine she’d been looking through when Parker entered the firehouse kitchen. She rolled her eyes at the clearly airbrushed image of a bikini-clad model who was somehow supposed to be advertising a women’s perfume. She hummed in acknowledgment of Parker’s comment. “Idiots.” Apparently parents had stopped teaching their kids not to play with matches. Then again, it was fairly easy for them to get their grubby hands on lighters these days. “It was okay. Uneventful really... what about yours?” She set the magazine down to help herself to a cup of coffee. “Did you get laid or something? You’re in a weirdly good mood.” She’d contained her curiosity for long enough, without caffeine no less.    

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rhysxtaylor‌:

When she explained her reasons for the menu, Rhys found himself nodding his head in contemplation, wondering why he didn’t do the same more often. He supposed it was always so late when he found himself in a bar that he didn’t think about it too much, went straight for the drinking —- amongst other things. “Might be an idea,” he answered with a smile, glancing over the menu for a moment. “What did you have in mind?”

Luz tilted her head slightly, still pondering the small plate options as she replied to Rhys. “Something on the light side. Probably chips and salsa.” When she said it out loud it sounded the like the safest bet. “Wings are tempting, but too messy. I’d prefer to do messy differently at this hour.” She teased, lifting the shot glass that Rhys had gifted to her plush lips and knocking it back. Grinning as the ingested liquor warmed her belly, she asked, “and what are you craving?”

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rhysxtaylor‌:

“Exactly what I wanted to hear…” Rhys responded with a light chuckle, sinking into one of the other seats at her table a moment later, and then downing the shot in his own hand. “Food, huh?” he questioned then, noticing the menu in front of her. It was something he needed to make a habit of, honestly, trying to eat when he was out, not just down drink after drink, but it didn’t seem to have happened in recent months. Maybe it was a combination of work and having to play dad permanently, he didn’t know, either way he felt he needed to get out and unwind more frequently.

Luz was glad for such handsome company, even if it was unexpected. While the night was young and full of potential, one could never be too certain what kind of characters would be bar crawling also. Rhys’ arrival was a promising start to the evening; his presence would ward those unsavory types off for however long he decided to occupy her time. “Appetizers.” She replied, turning the menu to his view. Tonight was a marathon, not a sprint. Drinking on an empty stomach wouldn’t be her best bet if she wanted to remember how this night turned out the next day. “Can I tempt you into splitting a plate? Or are you on a liquid diet tonight?”

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pxrkerowens‌:

@firedupluz:

              "Morning, gorgeous—-” Parker greeted his co-worker with an enthusiastic grin and chucked his bag onto the table, humming quietly as the lack of a hangover had his mood shockingly positive. Rarely did he turn up to work in a good mood, but today would give everyone hope that it would change. “How many cats are we gonna’ rescue today?” He asked, opening the fridge to find little in the way of anything to eat. “Fuck—” He groaned, “I was hoping some of that chocolate cake was gonna’ be left…”

Luz lifted her eyes from the glossy pages of the entertainment magazine she’d been flipping through for lack of something better to do. Her dark brows knit with confusion when Parker greeted her with such a pleasantry. “Morning--Owens?” She was instantly suspicious that something was up with him, but she was going to feel him out for a bit before starting the interrogation. “Uh, hopefully none.” She dog-eared the magazine page so she wouldn’t lose her place, then set it down on the table beside an empty dessert plate. She glanced down at the chocolate-speckled fork on the plate, the last slice of cake polished off mere minutes before Parker entered the room. “Just finished that off. Sorry not sorry. You could lick my fork if you’re desperate.”

[firedupluz-blog]

Happiness was an elusive beast as far as Luz Desai was concerned, particularly on a day like today. It had been well over 10 years since a freak accident fire took her little sister’s life, but Leya’s birthday was a solemn day for Luz even now. On this occasion, she sought to bury her feelings of sadness and anger in work. It was more cost-effective than therapy, she figured. She was relieved almost when the fire bell sounded; she was already poised for action, seated in the truck in anticipation of a call. She quietly toyed the pendant of her necklace, a sweet sixteen gift from Leya that she never took off, as the truck barreled down the street toward North End. She pulled on her turnout pants and coat and was first out of the truck when they arrived at the scene of what she’d been informed was a small electrical fire. “Got it.” It was a warning as much as anything for the other guys to fall back and let her handle this one; her own personal score to settle that wouldn’t really settle anything. She took the stairs up to the apartment indicated and spotted a man who she presumed was the inhabitant in the hall. “Hey. Which room?”  she asked, pulling her gloves on. @elijah-parrish

[firedupluz-blog]

rhysxtaylor‌:

@firedupluz;

Rhys knew it was probably about time he kicked this habit. It was already getting on for midnight and yet here he was, wandering straight into a bar, intended on drinking for a couple of hours before he headed home. Elena would have something to say about it, no doubt, but when he’d had a day like the one he’d had, sometimes it really couldn’t be helped. Stepping into one of his usual haunts, he made a beeline for the bar, pulling his wallet from his pocket with enthusiasm. Maybe a couple of shots to start? As he got there, leaning casually against one of the bar stools, he glanced around a moment or two. It was then he spotted a familiar figure, smile curving across his lips. Once he’d downed one of the shots, he picked up a couple more, heading across the room and to where he’d spotted Luz. Approaching her, he was quick in holding a glass out, opening the conversation with, “Can I tempt you?”

Luz was on the prowl tonight. Her apartment was eerily quiet when she finished with her shift at the fire station and that type of quiet made her uncomfortable. She’d tried to relax as prescribed by her colleagues many a times, tidying up, taking a soothing bath, but she just couldn’t do it long-term. She needed release and she wasn’t too particular about what form that would take; she just knew that her odds of finding something or someone to occupy her downtime were far better at the local watering hole than in her cozy Westbrook apartment. She was skimming an appetizer menu at a small table when a familiar voice interrupted. Luz smiled with berry-hued lips, happily accepting the shot glass from Rhys. “Absolutely.” 

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[firedupluz-blog]

sierra-moore‌:

                   By the looks of it, this might not have been Luz’s scene. Features drooped into a stern frown as she weaved her way through the crowds, avoiding drops from popsicles and the slap of a tiny, sweaty palm against her leg. Part of Sierra couldn’t blame her, but she had proven herself to be fairly resilient to kids; in the past year she had been thrown up on, coughed on, gnawed and yanked to within an inch of her life and she still couldn’t hate Mia for it. “Hey, mine too—” The brunette laughed, zipping hers up as the instructor bellowed out muffled directions on how to build a raft. “Speak for yourself, but I like the faith…” She sniggered, still not listening to the man giving them instructions. “I think we’ve just got to tie the things, around the barrels and then tie them together.” A light shrug ensued as the group disbanded and they were set off to different areas of the lake. “Can’t be too hard, I saw some seven year olds do it earlier. Granted they’re tiny in comparison to us, but they won.” She was unashamed to admit that she had been watching the raft building all day, trying to get a grasp on it. “Can you swim, by the way?” The woman asked carefully as she set off to a free area, crouching down to pick up a piece of extra rope on the way. “Weird question, I assume most people do, but I don’t wanna’ find out can’t as we’re sinking way out in the water.”

“Perfect.” Luz smiled, regarding her fellow brunette with an appreciative once-over and nod. Sierra wasn’t wrong; they could both rock a red potato sack, if necessary. She followed the droning sound of the instructor’s voice to its source, but lost interest rather quickly. Men knew next to nothing in her humble opinion. They were better off resorting to trial and error. “Hm, inter-weaving is probably our best bet if we don’t want any pieces getting loose. But yeah, should be pretty straight-forward.” Luz smirked at Sierra when she asked if Luz could swim. “I can swim,” she nodded, walking in step with her companion, “but that’s irrelevant because we’re not gonna sink. Not today.”