iTunes Meme - Devil Wears Prada - Andy/Miranda
Title: iTunes Meme
Rating: PG-13
Pairing/Characters: Andy/Miranda, one features Emily and one features Nigel
Prompt(s): 1. Pick a character, pairing, or fandom you like.
2. Turn your music player on and turn it on random.
3. Write a drabble/ficlet related to each song that plays. You only have the length of the song to finish the drabble; you start when the song starts and stop when it's over. No lingering afterwards!
4. Do five of these and post them.
Length/Word Count: 5 drabbles totaling 1909 words with titles, artists, and lyric snippets
Summary: 5 drabbles inspired mainly by country music and one showtune.
Disclaimer: I certainly don't own any of the characters mentioned, nor do I own any of the rights to any of the songs used. This is just for fun.
Warnings: The last drabble talks about one of the characters having HIV. Skip it if this bothers you.
Author's Note: These are all unbetaed, so any mistakes are my own.
Last Call - Lee Ann Womack
I recognized your number
It's burned into my brain
I felt my heart beating faster
Every time it rang
Some things never change
That's why I didn't answer
It had been well over a year, almost two years if you rounded up, since she had tossed her phone into the fountain in Paris. She did her best not to think about Runway or anything related to it in that time, and she was doing a pretty good job.
At least, most of the time. Until her phone started ringing. It didn't happen often by any stretch of the imagination, but the fact that it happened at all was unsettling. She knew the ring without even looking at the number. And she knew the number without ever looking at the display. It was burned into her brain from all the times it had called her during her tenure.
With each ring, her heart beat faster and faster. Answer it. Answer it. Damn it, answer it!
But she couldn't. She couldn't bring herself to pick up the phone. Instead, she let it go to voicemail, something she would never, ever have done in the past. Back then, it was self preservation to answer the calls. Now, it was self preservation not to. She breathed a sigh of relief when it finally stopped ringing, but it was short lived, as the phone soon beeped, signaling a voice mail.
She didn't need to check it to know what it would say. She was sure that tomorrow she would read on Page Six about another breakup the 'Dragon Lady' had gone through. She hit the ignore button, and did her best to also ignore the tear that slipped down her cheek. Tomorrow she would have Doug delete the message for her.
As she lay in bed that night, the phone on the nightstand, mocking her with its silence, she wondered where Miranda was. She had to have been drinking to have called her like this. She hoped she was alright. She wished she could pick up the phone, call her back, run to the townhouse and take her in her arms, kiss away the tears, promise never to leave her. But she couldn't. And in reality, that wasn't what Miranda wanted at all, despite what the voice mails might say. If it was, Andy would be her first call… not her last.
She's So California - Gary Allan
Rising star, she'll break your heart
'Cause she's so California
She's a wildfire out of control
Headed for ya
So when you get burned
Don't say I didn't warn ya
'Cause she's so California
Andrea Sachs was Hollywood's new it girl. She had been on the radar for a few years, of course, staring out with smaller parts in lesser known movies, but soon studios had begun to take notice. Now, after a string of chick flicks and summer blockbusters that had gotten her name recognition, she had taken on a role that was completely different from anything else she had ever done, and it had gotten her nomination after nomination this awards season.
Besides being a good actress, the girl had a good fashion sense to boot, making it to the top of all the 'Best Dressed Lists'. So it was only natural that her name came up for the February issue of Runway. Nigel was the one who pitched the idea. Miranda merely nodded and seemed to forget it.
Except that she didn't. When the time came for the shoot, which they had decided would take place in Hollywood, Miranda decided she needed to come along to oversee. Something which Miranda never did. On the plane, Nigel noticed that Miranda was reviewing some of Andrea's movies, and clicking through websites, looking at pictures of the young actress, with an eye that was obviously devouring not just the girl's clothes, but the girl herself.
"Be careful," he finally whispered to her, just before the plane began to disembark.
"Pardon me?" Miranda asked, eyebrow raised.
"I know what you're thinking. I'm just telling you to be careful. Our Ms. Sachs just had a rather public breakup, as I'm sure you're aware."
"I don't know what you're talking about, Nigel." Miranda dismissed him, but it was obvious that she did know exactly what he was talking about.
"She's California, Miranda. And that's very, very different than New York." He tried again on the ride over to the studio where they would be meeting Andrea. But the instant Miranda stepped out of the limo and the brunette beauty walked over to them, all smiles and Chanel, he knew it was no use. He just hoped Miranda didn't get burned.
I Know A Girl - Brenda Braxton, from Chicago
I know a girl, a girl with so much luck
She could get run over by a two ton truck
Then brush herself off and walk away
How she does it, couldn't say…
I, on the other hand
Get run over by a truck
And I am deader than a duck
Emily sat at her desk, crutches propped beside her, looking at the picture of Paris on her desktop. She should be there now, not Andrea. It should be her enjoying all the parties and shows and clothes. But instead, she was here, with a broken leg, her whole body aching.
For two years she had slaved away as Miranda's first assistant for nothing. She had gotten absolutely no praise, no recognition, no nothing. The only thing she had wanted was the chance to go to Paris, and it was finally within reach. And then Andrea Sachs had come along. Andrea Sachs who could do no wrong.
Andrea Sachs who walked into the office in horrid clothing and yet was still hired. Andrea Sachs who scoffed at the belts and only got a slight tongue lashing and that was that. Andrea Sachs who saved her ass at the benefit. Andrea Sachs who walked in on Miranda and Stephen having a fight, and yet somehow managed to pull a Harry Potter manuscript out of her ass and save the day yet again.
If she had done any of the things Andrea had done, she would be fired instantly. But Andrea Sachs was apparently bullet proof. Emily had gotten run over by a car, and Andrea had gotten to go to Paris. Just like that.
Do you believe it? I mean, do you believe it?
Emily shut down her computer and hobbled home, trying not to think about Paris, or ways she could kill Andrea Sachs when she got back.
Take Me As I Am - Sugarland
I ain't saying I'm perfect
But I promise I'm worth it
Now I'm standing here in front of you
Tell me boy, what are you gonna do
Andy took a deep breath before raising her hand and bringing her closed fist to the townhouse door. She had been back from Paris for a month, and although she had gotten the job at the Mirror and tried to move on, she could not stop thoughts of Miranda from popping into her head at the most inopportune moments.
Finally, after reading about the official filing of the divorce and the fact that neither party was contesting it, Andy knew she had to do something. Which led to her standing on Miranda's doorstep at almost midnight on a Tuesday night.
Miranda, for her part, didn't look nearly as surprised to find Andy on her doorstep as Andy thought she might.
"Don't talk. Don't say anything. I just… need to say this. I can't stop thinking about you. I really fucked up when I left you in Paris. I shouldn't have done that. But I needed to. For myself. I needed to be away from you for a while. And I have been. And now I know that I don't want to be away from you any more. But I also don't want to work for you either. I want more than that. I hope you do too."
Miranda opened her mouth to speak, but Andy stopped her again. "No. I'm not done yet. Before you answer, you need to know a few things. I'm back to being a size six. I like being a size six. That's not going to change. I work crazy hours at the paper and get wrapped up in my articles, as dull as they may be. I'm messy and I snore and I hog the covers. I like to wear sweatpants and I like to eat ice cream and sometimes I like to do both those things at the same time. I like wearing fashionable clothes, but sometimes I hate the fashion industry. We will fight, about many things. I will probably act like a child sometimes, and throw things back at you that I shouldn't. I'm not saying I'm perfect, but I promise you, Miranda… I'm worth it." Andy took a breath. "And I'm standing here, in front of you, right now. If you want it, come and get it, but understand, that if you do, you take me as I am. So…" She looked at Miranda expectantly. "What are you going to do?"
She Thinks His Name Was John - Reba McEntire
And all her friends say what a pity, what a loss
And in the end when she was barely hanging on
All she could say is she thinks his name was John
She had always, always been careful when it came to sex. She could list, off the top of her head, the names of all the men she'd been with. She was always in control when she had sex, she never allowed herself to be taken advantage of. There was the night in Paris with Christian, but even then, she had known what she was doing and she had used a condom.
One time… one time she had made a mistake, a stupid, alcohol-induced mistake. And that was all it took. He was gone in the morning when she woke up and it wasn't until almost a year later when she found out.
HIV. It was something she didn't think of. A disease that happened to other people, people in Africa or homosexuals (which she was realizing she was just when the diagnosis came), but not to her. And then, suddenly it didn't happen to them, it happened to her.
Somehow she became the face of HIV, the person who was willing to stand up, to fight, to speak out. She refused to be silent. She wrote article after article. She won the Pulitzer she had always dreamed of. And she cried herself to sleep every night.
Lily and Doug stuck by her, but the others, all the rest of them, her other friends, her family, they left. Couldn't handle it. Blamed her for her stupid mistake. Couldn't even speak the word. And then, almost out of no where, Nigel was there and then Miranda and somehow they formed a relationship, even while Andy's health got worse.
There were drugs and they were much more effective than things in the past, but even so, they couldn't stop the inevitable. And though she'd tried not to dwell on it, in those last few hours, in the hospital, with Miranda holding her, she couldn't help it.
"John." She whispered, over and over. "I think his name was John."
Miranda just held her tighter, fighting back sobs. "Shh, darling. Shh."
Rating: PG-13
Pairing/Characters: Andy/Miranda, one features Emily and one features Nigel
Prompt(s): 1. Pick a character, pairing, or fandom you like.
2. Turn your music player on and turn it on random.
3. Write a drabble/ficlet related to each song that plays. You only have the length of the song to finish the drabble; you start when the song starts and stop when it's over. No lingering afterwards!
4. Do five of these and post them.
Length/Word Count: 5 drabbles totaling 1909 words with titles, artists, and lyric snippets
Summary: 5 drabbles inspired mainly by country music and one showtune.
Disclaimer: I certainly don't own any of the characters mentioned, nor do I own any of the rights to any of the songs used. This is just for fun.
Warnings: The last drabble talks about one of the characters having HIV. Skip it if this bothers you.
Author's Note: These are all unbetaed, so any mistakes are my own.
Last Call - Lee Ann Womack
I recognized your number
It's burned into my brain
I felt my heart beating faster
Every time it rang
Some things never change
That's why I didn't answer
It had been well over a year, almost two years if you rounded up, since she had tossed her phone into the fountain in Paris. She did her best not to think about Runway or anything related to it in that time, and she was doing a pretty good job.
At least, most of the time. Until her phone started ringing. It didn't happen often by any stretch of the imagination, but the fact that it happened at all was unsettling. She knew the ring without even looking at the number. And she knew the number without ever looking at the display. It was burned into her brain from all the times it had called her during her tenure.
With each ring, her heart beat faster and faster. Answer it. Answer it. Damn it, answer it!
But she couldn't. She couldn't bring herself to pick up the phone. Instead, she let it go to voicemail, something she would never, ever have done in the past. Back then, it was self preservation to answer the calls. Now, it was self preservation not to. She breathed a sigh of relief when it finally stopped ringing, but it was short lived, as the phone soon beeped, signaling a voice mail.
She didn't need to check it to know what it would say. She was sure that tomorrow she would read on Page Six about another breakup the 'Dragon Lady' had gone through. She hit the ignore button, and did her best to also ignore the tear that slipped down her cheek. Tomorrow she would have Doug delete the message for her.
As she lay in bed that night, the phone on the nightstand, mocking her with its silence, she wondered where Miranda was. She had to have been drinking to have called her like this. She hoped she was alright. She wished she could pick up the phone, call her back, run to the townhouse and take her in her arms, kiss away the tears, promise never to leave her. But she couldn't. And in reality, that wasn't what Miranda wanted at all, despite what the voice mails might say. If it was, Andy would be her first call… not her last.
She's So California - Gary Allan
Rising star, she'll break your heart
'Cause she's so California
She's a wildfire out of control
Headed for ya
So when you get burned
Don't say I didn't warn ya
'Cause she's so California
Andrea Sachs was Hollywood's new it girl. She had been on the radar for a few years, of course, staring out with smaller parts in lesser known movies, but soon studios had begun to take notice. Now, after a string of chick flicks and summer blockbusters that had gotten her name recognition, she had taken on a role that was completely different from anything else she had ever done, and it had gotten her nomination after nomination this awards season.
Besides being a good actress, the girl had a good fashion sense to boot, making it to the top of all the 'Best Dressed Lists'. So it was only natural that her name came up for the February issue of Runway. Nigel was the one who pitched the idea. Miranda merely nodded and seemed to forget it.
Except that she didn't. When the time came for the shoot, which they had decided would take place in Hollywood, Miranda decided she needed to come along to oversee. Something which Miranda never did. On the plane, Nigel noticed that Miranda was reviewing some of Andrea's movies, and clicking through websites, looking at pictures of the young actress, with an eye that was obviously devouring not just the girl's clothes, but the girl herself.
"Be careful," he finally whispered to her, just before the plane began to disembark.
"Pardon me?" Miranda asked, eyebrow raised.
"I know what you're thinking. I'm just telling you to be careful. Our Ms. Sachs just had a rather public breakup, as I'm sure you're aware."
"I don't know what you're talking about, Nigel." Miranda dismissed him, but it was obvious that she did know exactly what he was talking about.
"She's California, Miranda. And that's very, very different than New York." He tried again on the ride over to the studio where they would be meeting Andrea. But the instant Miranda stepped out of the limo and the brunette beauty walked over to them, all smiles and Chanel, he knew it was no use. He just hoped Miranda didn't get burned.
I Know A Girl - Brenda Braxton, from Chicago
I know a girl, a girl with so much luck
She could get run over by a two ton truck
Then brush herself off and walk away
How she does it, couldn't say…
I, on the other hand
Get run over by a truck
And I am deader than a duck
Emily sat at her desk, crutches propped beside her, looking at the picture of Paris on her desktop. She should be there now, not Andrea. It should be her enjoying all the parties and shows and clothes. But instead, she was here, with a broken leg, her whole body aching.
For two years she had slaved away as Miranda's first assistant for nothing. She had gotten absolutely no praise, no recognition, no nothing. The only thing she had wanted was the chance to go to Paris, and it was finally within reach. And then Andrea Sachs had come along. Andrea Sachs who could do no wrong.
Andrea Sachs who walked into the office in horrid clothing and yet was still hired. Andrea Sachs who scoffed at the belts and only got a slight tongue lashing and that was that. Andrea Sachs who saved her ass at the benefit. Andrea Sachs who walked in on Miranda and Stephen having a fight, and yet somehow managed to pull a Harry Potter manuscript out of her ass and save the day yet again.
If she had done any of the things Andrea had done, she would be fired instantly. But Andrea Sachs was apparently bullet proof. Emily had gotten run over by a car, and Andrea had gotten to go to Paris. Just like that.
Do you believe it? I mean, do you believe it?
Emily shut down her computer and hobbled home, trying not to think about Paris, or ways she could kill Andrea Sachs when she got back.
Take Me As I Am - Sugarland
I ain't saying I'm perfect
But I promise I'm worth it
Now I'm standing here in front of you
Tell me boy, what are you gonna do
Andy took a deep breath before raising her hand and bringing her closed fist to the townhouse door. She had been back from Paris for a month, and although she had gotten the job at the Mirror and tried to move on, she could not stop thoughts of Miranda from popping into her head at the most inopportune moments.
Finally, after reading about the official filing of the divorce and the fact that neither party was contesting it, Andy knew she had to do something. Which led to her standing on Miranda's doorstep at almost midnight on a Tuesday night.
Miranda, for her part, didn't look nearly as surprised to find Andy on her doorstep as Andy thought she might.
"Don't talk. Don't say anything. I just… need to say this. I can't stop thinking about you. I really fucked up when I left you in Paris. I shouldn't have done that. But I needed to. For myself. I needed to be away from you for a while. And I have been. And now I know that I don't want to be away from you any more. But I also don't want to work for you either. I want more than that. I hope you do too."
Miranda opened her mouth to speak, but Andy stopped her again. "No. I'm not done yet. Before you answer, you need to know a few things. I'm back to being a size six. I like being a size six. That's not going to change. I work crazy hours at the paper and get wrapped up in my articles, as dull as they may be. I'm messy and I snore and I hog the covers. I like to wear sweatpants and I like to eat ice cream and sometimes I like to do both those things at the same time. I like wearing fashionable clothes, but sometimes I hate the fashion industry. We will fight, about many things. I will probably act like a child sometimes, and throw things back at you that I shouldn't. I'm not saying I'm perfect, but I promise you, Miranda… I'm worth it." Andy took a breath. "And I'm standing here, in front of you, right now. If you want it, come and get it, but understand, that if you do, you take me as I am. So…" She looked at Miranda expectantly. "What are you going to do?"
She Thinks His Name Was John - Reba McEntire
And all her friends say what a pity, what a loss
And in the end when she was barely hanging on
All she could say is she thinks his name was John
She had always, always been careful when it came to sex. She could list, off the top of her head, the names of all the men she'd been with. She was always in control when she had sex, she never allowed herself to be taken advantage of. There was the night in Paris with Christian, but even then, she had known what she was doing and she had used a condom.
One time… one time she had made a mistake, a stupid, alcohol-induced mistake. And that was all it took. He was gone in the morning when she woke up and it wasn't until almost a year later when she found out.
HIV. It was something she didn't think of. A disease that happened to other people, people in Africa or homosexuals (which she was realizing she was just when the diagnosis came), but not to her. And then, suddenly it didn't happen to them, it happened to her.
Somehow she became the face of HIV, the person who was willing to stand up, to fight, to speak out. She refused to be silent. She wrote article after article. She won the Pulitzer she had always dreamed of. And she cried herself to sleep every night.
Lily and Doug stuck by her, but the others, all the rest of them, her other friends, her family, they left. Couldn't handle it. Blamed her for her stupid mistake. Couldn't even speak the word. And then, almost out of no where, Nigel was there and then Miranda and somehow they formed a relationship, even while Andy's health got worse.
There were drugs and they were much more effective than things in the past, but even so, they couldn't stop the inevitable. And though she'd tried not to dwell on it, in those last few hours, in the hospital, with Miranda holding her, she couldn't help it.
"John." She whispered, over and over. "I think his name was John."
Miranda just held her tighter, fighting back sobs. "Shh, darling. Shh."