DISCLAIMER: The Devil Wears Prada and its characters belong to Lauren Weisberger and 20th Century Fox. No infringement intended.
ARCHIVING: Only with the permission of the author.

ABCs of DWP (F to J) I
By pdt_bear

 

Prompt: Fate
Words: 113

It was almost inevitable -- the one capricious decision made to redeem what was turning into a difficult Monday would be the turning point for so much of what would happen over the next few months.

Falling back into a pattern long perfected -- testing skills and observations, saying little on performance beyond pursed lips or a quirk of the same, intent fell to the wayside, and the eyes reflected more that was always left unspoken.

It wasn't until the near impossible became almost reasonable that she realized it wasn't so much the changing expectations, as it was the ability of someone to not only rise to anticipate the challenge but exceed them.



Prompt: Gravity
Words: 81

The feeling of effortless floating among fluffy clouds and warmth was the first hint that this was more dream than reality. The ephemeral sensations gave way to the solid pull of the morning.

Once more, the dreams that emerged in the dark of night found themselves boxed away from the light of day, as if they could only be made real once the burdens of achieving the impossible were washed away under pounding heat that soon faded to just bearable warmth.



Prompt: Homesick
Words: 137

A bell could never be un-rung nor could someone go home again, and yet the heart never really listened to those platitudes that did little to mask the hurt that lurked within her eyes. Every step in the rushing river left prints that swirled and disappeared even before the thought was fully formed.

The lingering sense of regret tinged every moment where 'freedom' from the 'Dragon Lady' was celebrated. It was never so much the expectations of the impossible were welcome as much as it was the eventual realization that these quests -- for skirts, boards, and books, spurred one forward in the knowledge that failure was an option for those that did not push themselves above and beyond any mountain ever climbed. That opportunity to bring that look of surprise and then pleasure was recognition enough.



Prompt: Inept
Words: 127

It wasn't incompetence so much as it was an absolute lack of creativity and foresight. Observational skills had fallen to a new low, and obviously the new Andr..., no, the new Emily's stay in the office would be short in duration and joining the long list of other names that needn't be remembered.

Was diligence so hard to ask for? Was it so difficult to expect some modicum of thought to exist behind those pretty eyes? Was it asking for the impossible to expect the coffee to be scalding hot, and the phones to be answered promptly?

It was an emptiness made more acute now that it was obvious what was missing -- a piece of the puzzle that had matched so perfectly as to be seamless.



Prompt: Juicy
Words: 95

Luscious would have been the sensation of watching full lips dressed in red, quirked upwards in a smile.

Some days, it was the emergence of some sense of self-awareness and style that caught her attention - one particularly happy memory of that quiet smirk, the Chanel and those boots floated through her mind. It was the confident carriage that drew her attention each time Andrea moved in and out of the office. Knowledge that this particular second assistant had been able to step through the flames and actually win a round against the mythical dragon.

The End

Return to The Devil Wears Prada Fiction

Return to Main Page