H U R R I C A N E

"girls like her, my grandfather once warned me, girls like her turn into women with eyes like bullet holes and mouths made of knives. they are always restless. they are always hungry. they are bad news. they will drink you down like a shot of whisky. falling in love with them is like falling down a flight of stairs." — holly black, black heart

[xanthcs-blog]

leefinnegan:

first job of the day DONE. he always did the easier jobs first and left the more exciting ones for the dark sky and bright lights. pausing in his swagger to light a cigarette, he noticed the watchful eye of another. following the gaze to a small patch of crimson, stark against the white of his shirt, lee offered nought but a sarcastic smile. cordial to the point of contention. “cut myself shavin’.”

          SHE DID NOT care enough for an explanation, her fixation was solely rooted in the basic contrast that the red created against the white. it looked a little out of place, but most things did here, in vegas. even xanthe, flanked by gavril who had no purpose but to follow her around like a lap dog. still, she humoured the stranger. “you should be more careful— or not, if that’s the kind of look you’re going for.”

[xanthcs-blog]

ambigvity:

            EVERYTIME SHE SPEAKS, jackson had to force himself to endure the arrogance that basically oozed from every word she says; as if she was a machine programmed to intimidate others by showing off what she or her family can do. to hear such pride from someone wasn’t entirely new to the officer either since the pd is also filled with conceited people, unfortunately. but he learned to never match someone’s pride with his own ( with what little he has, that is ) and learned that when facing such personality, it was best for him to be the pliant one — and that was he became….for the most part.

               jackson managed to understand the woman’s thinking the whole time she spoke and knew that reasoning with her may have been pointless so instead of being the ‘cop’ that he was, he decided to play along in hopes that it could fix this whole ordeal. “well, obviously, i’m not one of those ‘other’ ones, ma’am,” he uttered, shaking his head, not even surprised by what he was hearing. he have heard, and knew, some corrupted cops and how some of them get easily blinded when money’s flashed on their faces. “it’s unfortunate you had to deal with those kind of cops, really. now it gave you an impression that you can use your money on every single cop ‘round here.” sure as heck, that trick won’t work for him. 

               as the brunette pushes her door open, the male was forced to take a huge step back so as to not risk his leg being hit by the door — her careless way of opening it would’ve left him surely injured. at her question, jackson proceeds to take out the small notebook he had on his pocket and looks down at her, flashing her a smile that meant to irritate her even more. “well, for starters, can i please have your name? i’m going to need it in my report for when i finally bring you to the station.” If she didn’t like her time being wasted, well, he’ll be damned for taking more of her time if and when he escorts her back to the pd.

          IF LOOKS COULD kill, this officer would’ve been six feet under judging by the glare xanthe shot at him. it was followed by a yawn at him rattling off, trying to showcase his morality— whatever the hell that was. the world she came from, nobody cared for any of that bullshit; it slowed you down, which was something nobody had time for. “this is not about them who gave me the wrong impression, this is you suffering from a superiority complex and having nothing better to do on the job. you can’t catch the people gunning people down day in, day out so you go after those who ‘violate useless traffic laws’ instead.”

          it was not her intention to cause injury to him, but if he hadn’t moved, thus had been hit by the door, she would not have minded in the slightest. he deserved worse for being such a time-waster. she raised an eyebrow at him, clearly finding his incessant questioning annoying to say the least. “that sounded awfully a lot like you said you’d be bringing me to the station. not that there’s any point in it, i’d be out within a phonecall. still, i’ll give you my name if you scoot away quicker— xanthe von ziegesar.” usually, the uttering of that decorated name was more than enough to get her out of petty situations with the law. because really, if she had learnt anything, it was that there was nothing a weighty surname couldn’t scratch away. “and if you want the plate number, i’m sure you can check that out for yourself,” she spat.

[xanthcs-blog]

scarlett-singh:

Of course you are. And the doctor gave the other a small smile, showing just how content with her profession she was. Heavens knew how much, not only hard word and effert but also love and dedication had been invested in her career. A moment passed and instead of guessing what kind of thoughts crossed the other’s mind, she grabbed a blanket and covered the shotgun in the backseat so no one could see it. When she was done did she turn her attention back to the brunette, clasping hands before her, leaning her hip against her car. After another moment, the doctor nodded softly and spoke. “What are you trying to accomplish here? Hurt my feelings? Teach me a lesson? Because,” she heaved a sigh. “It’s not doing anything.” With that, the doctor pulled out her car keys, ready to leave the scene. Once upon a time, Scarlett would allow a person to belittle her and her way of dealing with certain situations, she’d feel their words searing through her mind, wondering what she’d done wrong. However, the woman didn’t know her and Scarlett didn’t know her enough to find her opinion of her so valuable so it was best to leave it alone.

          SHE BLINKED ONCE, twice. clearly this woman thought a little too much of herself if she thought xanthe was actively spending time putting any of those accusations into effect. “if you think i’m trying to do any of that, you’re clearly a lot more self centred than i would’ve thought— this is no special treatment, snowflake. i treat every average jane or john doe like this. in fact i’m actually unable to understand what the hell you’re doing still standing here listening to me.” she had an excellent way with making people know where they were not wanted, so much so that it often caused a problem in certain social circles. but she didn’t care if it did— in fact it was better if it did. at least it would serve as a refreshing break from how people lapped up every word she said and provide her with some conflict for a short period of time, until she forced the other to cower into defeat.

[xanthcs-blog]

z-katiyals:

Zara’s eyes just went a little bit wider at Xanthe’s words, but she didn’t say anything, choosing to just nod, but in a very unsure manner. This woman was entirely different from anyone Zara had ever met, both in her professional line of business as well as the one she kept hidden and off the radar. “I–uh, maybe not,” she chuckled in a nervous manner, before noting the look of relief on the bodyguard’s face. “So this is normal for you then–having these guy trail you, wherever you go?” Zara had seen many bodyguards, but she’d never had to deal with one personally before, only taking them out really so she was a bit intrigued as to how a woman like Xanthe could tolerate it.

          IT WAS A little obvious from the way zara’s eyes widened, that these types of propositions were not as liberally handed out here as xanthe was used to dishing them out. still, the reaction didn’t lack novelty. “well the offer is still standing, so if you change your mind...” she trailed off with a shrug. as for what else she could exhaust gavril’s salary on? there was already a list forming in her mind. zara’s words brought her back to the dire reality that her life was, in terms of having someone trail her around like she was the crown jewels. “wherever,” she nodded, “—apart from the bathroom, of-course. but he has to do a sweep of it beforehand, which can result in a remotely amusing situation.”

[xanthcs-blog]

scarlett-singh:

Scarlett decided to take the firearm back to the Famiglia’s headquarters. She didn’t like the idea of providing the group with more weaponry, however she didn’t know where else to put it. At least the gang members knew how to secure it. “I’m a doctor,” she replied with a sigh, setting the weapon on the backseat of her chevy oldtimer. Lifting her gaze back to the brunette as she spat her venom, Scarlett merely blinked at her. Once, twice. Perhaps it wasn’t the brunette’s day. Or maybe her year. Perhaps she’d feel better after venting to a complete stranger. Or maybe not. One way or another, her words Scarlett wouldn’t take personally. “I’m glad you’re all alright, then.”

          XANTHE WONDERED WHY she had even asked. the answer should have been fairly obvious. but maybe that was because she was not interested in wasting time playing guessing games. “of-course you are.” why else would she want to play saviour? still, she couldn’t fathom why this woman was so... pretentious. or even indulging someone like the heiress, who wasted no time in mincing her words. she wasn’t being paid to stand there and let xanthe take her frustration out on her, so why not hightail it? “save it for somebody who wants that, along with your apology, lady.” 

[xanthcs-blog]

z-katiyals:

Zara was vaguely still amused by this woman’s ability to carry herself in a way that seemed to demand respect. But respect wasn’t something she gave away without really knowing someone so for now, she was cordial. Except for when she mentioned being a proud owner of a jaguar which is when she did end up giggling softly. “See now if anyone passed by, they’d assume you mean the vehicle, because THAT is a jaguar I’d like to proudly own.” But judging by the vehicle her bodyguard was standing near, even a jaguar was too downmarket for someone like Xanthe, and Zara found herself wondering more and more about what brought her to Vegas; because otherwise she’d have heard of her at some point before.

          “I COULD CUT it out of his salary for you,” she said with a gesture towards gavril, who didn’t even flinch in response. xanthe’s callous actions were part of a regular practice, she’d done worse to him before. “that ought to teach him some common courtesy.” it was not as though the bodyguard lacked efficiency, but his people skills could be refined— as could xanthe’s, one could argue. but she wasn’t the one staring at random strangers and letting her boss clean up after her. he had to pay the price for stepping out of line somehow or the other. “and if you think i am— i’m not joking.”

[xanthcs-blog]

cleorossi:

A SMILE pulled at the ends of cleo’s lips as the brunette introduced herself, nodding slightly so as to commit her name and face to memory before it was cleo’s turn to do that same. “ cleo, “ she responded, now completely at ease. picking up the glass xanthe had placed before her a few moments before, cleo lifted it to her lips to take a small sip from it. “ ah, “ cleo began, setting the glass down, “ no particular reason, really, as lame as it sounds. i’ve been working to get to this all day, though, “ cleo explained, eyes flickering to the glass for a moment. she loved what she did, there was no denying that. but the work that went into it could get a bit tiresome. 

          CLEO WAS A pretty simple name to file away; not exactly striking or overly unique but that perhaps made it easier. plus the face (and situation) would help. xanthe was silent as she listened to cleo, except she was a tad deflated by the response. at least the other woman had the courage to admit that was lame; it only helped to put her in a category not many were a part of. most people liked to put up a pretence that their lives were far more exciting than they truly were. her honesty was refreshing. “bad day on the job? —if it involves dealing with more of the likes of him,” she nodded in the direction of the guy cleo had previously ditched, “i would stick pins in my eyes. or worse.” 

[xanthcs-blog]

ambigvity:

             IT MIGHT SEEM FUNNY that he was having such a hard time trying to deal with the driver because come to think of it, all the trouble and the chasing was for a damn traffic ticket. but he knew that if she ended up being caught by a different officer that wasn’t him — well, she probably wouldn’t even have the guts to address him the way that she was doing now. not that jackson minded her words but he knew ( and she, too, probably knew ) that it wasn’t what one may deem an appropriate way to talk to a police officer. 

            hearing her words and her poorly crafted defense, jackson couldn’t help but let out a chuckle before shaking his head at her. “a tad over? in case you’re unaware — which i highly doubt you are — you were running at 90mph and that’s 45 ABOVE the speed limit.” though he meant his words, his tone was neither angry nor irked and he kept a cool, calm facade the whole time he spoke. “do you even pay attention to the signs? speed limit’s at 45mph on this road and thanks to your consideration for the unaware people on the crosswalk, you were able to stop right in time before you hit my patrol car and-or send someone to the hospital.”

            “and i do have the reason to arrest you now because you didn’t pull over when i told you to and that’s considered felony, miss,” and it was true. he had been in this job for so long, arresting someone just because they refused to stop when the police told them to was not exactly a new thing to him. then again, something tells him he could spare this lady the trouble if only she would stop being so haughty. “ your father’s a diplomat but i’m sure he’s not above the law now, is he? ” jackson uttered, shaking his head in disbelief for how can anyone be so unyielding and arrogant? it was amusing to some extent until it wasn’t and she was becoming more and more infuriating than he would allow her to be.

          brows raising at her words, jackson couldn’t believe she had the guts to utter them to her. “ are you bribing me? what kind of cop do you take me for? ” he scoffed, a tad bit insulted at her offer though his cool was still surprisingly intact. after all, he wasn’t going to lose it now when he was merely dealing with a ridiculously obstinate woman. 

         XANTHE SCOFFED AT his words; there was nothing wrong with the way that she was driving. she hadn’t actually killed anyone and wasn’t planning to. as long as that was clear, there was no harm done. she wasn’t reckless enough to be unaware of what killing someone meant. perhaps she would do it, if the situation arose but poor, defenceless people on the crossing wasn’t exactly a situation to kill for. 

          he was right, though, she was completely aware and in control of what she was doing, as she was most (if not all) of the time. there were no narcotics, barely any alcohol in her system whenever she drove— she didn’t have a death wish, after all. who would willingly leave a life like this? and when she did indulge, she was not foolish enough to go without arranging a ride home beforehand. (the duty, more often than not, fell on her current bodyguard, whoever that was at the time).

          she was brought up to believe that she was above everything and disregard anyone who felt different. hence why she merely laughed at the officer’s ridiculous insinuations, “you have no idea.” of what her step-father did, unwilling submit to the law. the 1% of the 1% were above whatever new laws that were continuously put in place in a pitiful attempt to reign them in from living as they pleased.

          if it wasn’t already obvious, she was a little amused (but more annoyed) that things didn’t get wrapped up as soon as she mentioned money. that was a first. “practically every other one i’ve come across in vegas so far. and this is how i’ve dealt with them,” she shrugged, not one to mince her words or cower down from what she had said. it was not her fault that people were easily corrupted once they sniffed a chance to earn something for doing nothing. 

          without warning, she opened her car door before stepping out. kicking the door shut, she crossed her arms over her chest. fingers tapped her elbow as she blankly stared at the man before her who wasn’t willing to bend like everybody else did. “so, what’s it going to be? because the longer i’m stood here, the more you’re wasting my damn time.” that was something xanthe didn’t take kindly to.

[xanthcs-blog]

minatcry:

           HE HADN’T EXPECTED ANYONE TO LISTEN to his introspective spiel, in all honesty — —  his barely audible soliloquies have become commonplace, but it’s rare that anyone stops to interrupt them. ‘ laser is always an option. i contemplated it when i was thirty, i think ; figured i should sort that shit out before it got to be too much of a problem. joke’s on me now. ’ adjusting the frames that rest upon his countenance, dark brow arches at the other for a brief moment before the regaled curve of a half-smirk etches itself out on the male’s brims. ‘ it ain’t so bad, i just feel old. ’

         SHE LISTENED TO the man’s words, thinking it to be her entertainment until the next thing her fickle attention span latched onto. her cutlery and food was discarded in lieu of silent concentration. “—is this the part where i’m supposed to say you don’t look it? because i’m pretty shit at lying.” it didn’t sound as odd when he had said it as opposed to when the word left her lips, even if she was accustomed to saying worse on a daily basis. words and phrases from different parts of the world had seeped into her vocabulary over the years, none of which were fit for someone of her stature according to her mother. but xanthe didn’t think of her.

[xanthcs-blog]

scarlett-singh:

It was only polite Scarlett remained silent as the other spoke and finally, she nodded softly at her words. The other woman asked a valid question and the doctor had an answer ready for her. “My degree. It reminds me of my duty. And my honor. I was sworn to do whatever it took to help others and that is what I’m doing.” Apart from passion in her voice that could be sensed whenever she spoke of her profession, her face assumed a serious expression. “If my ‘sharper tone of voice’ was so rude it offended you, I apologize.” And while she meant it, she still needed to make one thing clear: “For hurting you in some way. Not using it.”

          THE WOMAN WASN’T an officer, that much was clear— she wouldn’t have asked for help to dispose of the weapon if that were the case. but what the hell was she, some kind of vigilante? “well, what oath did you take, that warrants... this?” xanthe asked, straight-faced. she found dedication to duty and honour incredibly nauseating. but the next set of words were even worse than that. “and let’s get this straight, you didn’t hurt me and i don’t want your apology. but if i did— that spiel would have been a complete waste of my time.” so much for authenticity. the woman was practically dripping of a skewed martyr complex.

[xanthcs-blog]

scarlett-singh:

Scarlett lifted the weapon carefully, inspecting it closely, not fazed by the woman or her attitude. “A, I don’t judge by appearance.” She cast her a glance, arching a brow. “Should I? –And b, no one. It’s not my intention to order anyone around. However, I am determined and it is my duty to do whatever it takes–even use a sharper tone of voice, believe it or not– to make sure no one gets hurts just because some individuals felt like playing around.”

          THE RESPONSE WAS unlike anything she could have thought, amusing even. xanthe shook her head, her immediate judgement being that the woman before her was slightly off-kilter. or maybe she was simply someone with a little too much righteousness seeping through her. “i don’t mean to be rude— and believe me, i don’t but what do you believe gives you the authority to use a ‘sharper tone of voice’ to anyone in plain sight?” to her. not even her fathers had the right to do that, step or birth.

[xanthcs-blog]

scarlett-singh:

“–Is this yours?” Scarlett called out, picking up the weapon (only because she was wearing rubber gloves)– her brows drawn in worry, disapproval thick in her voice. “If not, help me get rid of it. … Simply leaving it here, honestly. Someone could get seriously hurt.” The last part she murmured more to herself. No wonder, she hadn’t slept in 30 hours.

          SOME PEOPLE DIDN’T understand how to avoid interrupting others. especially random people in public— strangers were exceptionally annoying. “a, does it look like that’s mine?” she asked, deadpan. “and b, what makes you think that someone like you can order around someone like me?” she had no idea of who or what this woman was, but there was nobody who could make xanthe dance on their fingers.

[khwaahish-deactivated20250607]

Priyanka Chopra and Farhan Akhtar as Ayesha Mehra and Sunny Gill In Dil Dhadakne Do (2015)

[xanthcs-blog]

z-katiyals:

Zara would have to be honest when she thought that she’d never encountered someone like this woman before in her life. She had met a lot of entitled people in her line of work, but they were only entitled for a few moments until she’d quite skillfully quieted them. Still, she nodded at her words and managed a small smile, hoping her expression didn’t give away what she was really thinking. “Jaguars–as pets?” Her widened eyes were giving it all away now, because she was quite taken aback by her words. “Um, but thank you again for having him help out.” She stuck out her hand, “I’m Zara, Zara Katiyal.”

          IT WAS NOT as though xanthe was unfamiliar with people being unable to understand her peculiar ways, but it was slightly amusing when she encountered somebody along those lines. at least during the initial shock they displayed when they were introduced to them. “of-course. what else?” she laughed as if there were any other category that could fit. well, there was generally, but none for what she had insinuated. a wavering dismissal was offered in return of the thank you, that was already old news. but she firmly shook the woman, zara’s hand and released it before introducing herself. “xanthe, xanthe von ziegesar, proud owner of a jaguar.” among other obscure things. 

[xanthcs-blog]

cleorossi:

“THANK YOU,” cleo replied appreciatively, immediately relaxing into her seat as relief to be in far better company washed over her. nodding as she continued, cleo knew the woman was right. she could have very easily called security but strangely enough, this was the first thing that came to mind. “you have a valid point. i saw the empty seat and kinda ducked for it, though,” she blonde replied honestly. a smile pulled at the ends of cleo’s lips as she saw the brunette reach for a bottle sitting between them, nodding easily since there was no denying she could use a drink. “after dealing with that? triple, please.” she could take her alcohol, anyways. 

         A RARE SMILE on her lips was her response to the woman thanking her, before she continued to listen to what she had to say. truthfully, xanthe could not blame her for cashing in on the first opportunity she noticed. and maybe she glad for her company to be replaced by the stranger, even. she poured what she was told and pushed the glass to the woman. “xanthe,” the brunette introduced herself, “—any reason why you turned up on your lonesome? not that i’m against lone wolves, but surely you would have better company flock towards you.” she put her own drink to her lips, mentally counting down the moments until the previous occupant of the seat in front of her turned up. that would be amusing. 

[xanthcs-blog]

z-katiyals:

Zara was a bit surprised when the man she’d been addressing hadn’t said a word as he grabbed her painting from her, almost causing her to have an outburst until she saw him nodding for her car. Zara took her keys out and popped the trunk, watching in surprise as this man, who was dressed in complete black, despite the crazy Vegas heat put the painting away before returning to the woman who had previously been looking down at her phone. She was about to say a quick thank you, when the woman spoke instead and Zara found herself a bit put off by the stranger’s attitude. “I was about to say thank you, you just caught me a bit off guard,” she tucked her phone into her cross body purse before looking back up at this woman who had a very distinct vibe about her. “What is he–your bodyguard or something?” This girl looked almost like she didn’t really belong in this part of the world, which had Zara wondering if she was one of the many tourists or someone she should keep her eye out for. 

         XANTHE SHOOK HER head in response, the stranger didn’t need to thank her. it was her bodyguard’s fault for staring, so he should have been the one to clean up the mess. she shot a pointed look in his direction before turning her attention to the woman instead. “unfortunately so,” she replied with a shrug. “i’d call him my dog on a leash but— dogs are infinitely cuter.” and a lot more welcome in her life; gavril was not exactly a chosen pet. she’d given him the slip a couple of times, but none had lasted long enough for her liking. he always managed to catch up, his intellect was sharper than the previous bodyguard in that sense. “although truthfully, i prefer jaguars.”

[xanthcs-blog]

z-katiyals:

Zara was walking through the an gallery when her eyes fell on an absolutely exquisite piece that instantly took her breath away. It wasn’t by an artist she knew, but that didn’t stop her from purchasing the painting anyways. She’d been trying to get it to her vehicle, when she realized that turning down help was not the right choice, and she really should’ve let the assistant help her with this painting to the car. Except now, she was stumbling and struggling as she finally stepped out of the gallery and now had a couple dozen steps to get to her car. “I really need to stop being self sufficient sometimes,” she muttered to herself, suddenly aware of someone watching her, which had her drop the painting on the concrete, needing to catch her breath (the heels she was wearing weren’t a very good idea either). “Well, you could help instead of watching?”

          BROWS FURROWED, SHE looked up on hearing the words. well, it was not xanthe who was watching whatever happened, happen. she was minding her own business, eyes on her phone instead. so she figured that the woman who currently had a painting at her feet (most likely from the gallery a few feet away) was referring to her bodyguard. “i think she’s talking to you,” she said, gesturing to the man in question, before she nodded at him to go and help the stranger. after gavril had done so, he looked back at his current employer. or rather, his charge. but xanthe was not paying him any heed, she looked right through him and at the woman instead. “—you’re welcome,” was all that left her lips. straightforward, and simple.