The DeVil Wears Prada

“Meems! Next time, skip the volleyball meeting!” Elle insisted, eyes wide as she took in the fact that her best friend had somehow passed up the opportunity. If she wouldn’t have skipped out, maybe Mimi and Andie would’ve been at the ball together. But taking your time with things was probably good too, right? Absence makes the heart grow fonder? “Okay, that seems like an attainable goal. But also… can’t relate. Any girl who can crush me emotionally reminds me of my mom.”

That was probably a statement that needed clarification, but Elle instead just cringed, thankful that they’d instead moved on to a waltzing lesson. Did she still have any clue how to do it? Not really. But it seemed like the point was that someone else was supposed to lead, so she nodded like she got it. She had time to learn, given that Mimi wasn’t about to run off and get married that very night. Probably.

“It’s kind of weird that we still refer to our ideal partner as Prince Charming when there actually is a Prince Charming, don’t you think? But I’m up for a tax break wed-Oh my gods, we’re financially independent from our parents so we have to pay taxes.”

“I know I know! I”m an idiot! I can’t believe it. I’ve never felt like this before so I panicked and ran away. It was absolutely mortifying.” Mimi side, shaking her head. “I’m horrified with myself, truly. Me, Mimi DeVil, reduced to putty all because some very beautiful girl who knows how to tackle men in sports looked at me. I nearly went weak kneed in my heels. It was repulsive.”

Elle didn’t talk much about her mom, but Mimi knew that their relationship was anything but good. It reminded her a lot of how things had been with Cruella. Of course, she was more of an open book but Mimi never pushed Elle to admit anything she didn’t feel comfortable with. So instead, she gave her shoulder a comforting squeeze, a reminder that she would always be here for her. No matter what.

“I’d say my ideal partner is Princess Charming but have you met her? She’s a nightmare wrapped in last seasons dresses.” Mimi rolled her eyes, but her frustration couldn’t last long when she noticed Elle start to panic. “Elliebelle! Calm down! We’re in college. We don’t have to pay taxes until we have jobs. And if we have jobs then we’ll figure it out together. You’re never alone.”

Seeing as I’m literally not interested in guys, I’m not sure how you plan on getting an answer out of me for that. None of them are hot. I suppose Mitch is visually appealing? Maybe? But that could just be his money talking.

As for women:

My Elliebelle is the hottest girl on campus bar none. 

Then Andie, because I want nothing more than to have that strong Olympian pick me up and throw me over her shoulder

Last vote is for Riley because obviously I have a type

“Hey, you never know what the universe may have in the cards for you,” Elle was sure to point  out, needing to give that reminder before she could even fully process the rest of what Mimi had said. Having quickly done so, she continued. “And nothing’s wrong with you, you just have a crush. A crush who would be crazy to not see how amazing you are. Give her time. Have you two been talking? Getting to know each other?”

For someone who had never been in a relationship before, Elle liked to think that she sure sounded like she knew what she was talking about. Thanks, books.

“Well, yes, I was counting on that, but please do not let me monopolize your time. I absolutely do want to dance the night away, but… I do not think that the my mother taught me a proper waltz, so I know I’m going to have to sit out a few. Or more.”

“We went on a pseudo date but I had to run out of there because of a volleyball meeting I forgot about,” Mimi sighed but cheered up remembering just how cute Andie had looked in her outfit. No one should look that good in Adidas but there she was, in a cropped shirt looking like a goddess. Which, technically, she was that. “The goal for tonight is to at least get her phone number. One step at a time, you know? I certainly have a type. Powerful girls who could destroy me emotionally and physically. It’s like that time I had a crush on Tatiana growing up.”

Her best friend was absolutely the cutest little bean in the entire world and Mimi would be damned if she didn’t live to see her smile. At least one of them seemed to understand the basics of relationships.

“Well that’s easy.” Mimi winked and grabbed her hand, squeezing them softly, “I’ll teach you. It’s as simple as one, two, three, four, one, two, three, four. If you step on my feet who cares. We have to get you practicing when you finally find your prince charming. Or you and I decide to run off into the sunset and get married for tax purposes. I will be waltzing at my wedding.”

“You are my personal god-friend,” Elle insisted, reaching up into her hair to try and figure out how Mimi had placed the pins just in case they decided to jump ship and need adjusting again. Elle hadn’t had to figure out a single aspect of her ensemble that evening. Mimi had just taken care of it all, without even being asked to. Truly, where would Elle be without her?

“But also please tell me if there’s any way I can be yours too. Do you need a wingwoman for the night? Or anyone you want to avoid? You know I just want your night to go well so come on. Spill. What are you hoping to achieve tonight?”

“Well you know I’ve been watching after Andie, but something tells me the chances of that happening tonight are going to be a swing and a miss,” she gestured to where the girl was, close to Amelia, following after her like a love sick puppy. “What is wrong with me? I’ve never wanted to do this sort of thing before. And not have someone just flock to me? I’m gorgeous! It’s devastating beyond belief.”

“But speaking of gorgeous, look at you! Did you want to dance at all tonight? Other than with me because obviously you’ll be getting one of those. Or one thousand of them. As long as you’re happy I know I’m happy too.”

Truthfully, Elle wouldn’t have even been at the ball without Mimi. And not just because Mimi was one of the driving forces in her social life, but because the girl had put so much time and effort into giving Elle her dream look for the evening.

Covered in stars and looking glamorous for the very first time in her life, Elle felt like a princess. And it was all thanks to her very best friend. Auradon was a magical place.

“Thanks again for,  y’know… this entire ensemble. I feel like the belle of the ball,” Elle remarked, giving Mimi the brightest of smiles. “And it is all, without a doubt, your doing.”

@mimithefirst​

If there was anything in the world that Mimi loved most of all, it was getting to see her best friend in the world with a smile on her face. She had worked harder on making sure Elle felt like a princess than her own look for the evening. Sometimes little sacrifices like this were okay to make to see that sweet smile as her best friend looked like the absolute belle of the ball.

“Of course, Elliebelle. You look amazing. Every girl deserves to look like a dream come true,” she reached up and readjusted the pins in her friend’s hair and kissed her forehead. “You especially. Just call me your very own personal fairy god-friend.”

taking a seat at the edge of the fountain, waiting for Mimi to follow suit, Andie held the phone so the girl could swipe through herself see if she liked any of them. In her humble opinion, they all looked absolutely stunning - less because of her photography skills and more because the girl was a vision in green. Hanging out with her was fun and part of her wondered what she had done to invite such a light into her life and this point a time. The girl seemed to appear from no where and yet, had a normally introverted Andie sinking into her warmth. 

That and, her perfume smelled so freaking good, Andie could low-key spend the rest of the evening hanging with her in close proximity with absolutely zero complaints. Had, more pressing matters hadn’t been pushing to the forefront of her mind. “Nah, I’m just making myself useful so you don’t find someone more interesting to hang with.” Andie quipped, offering the girl a playful smile. 

At the mention of adding her instagram, Andie immediately went for it. Dumb that she hadn’t thought to do it before, that was how people kept it contact after all. And Mimi was certainly someone she looked forward to keeping in contact with. “Done.” she said, handing back the phone. “you know you letting me hold your phone for that long says a lot about your personality. People’s phones are like their children.” she teased, thinking about the amount of embarrassing content on her own phone. Mostly texts and memes from Finn.  “You must trust me.” 

Mimi swept her dress to the side so she could sit properly beside Andie, making sure they were pressed close together. God was this what it was like to be smitten in the way those fairytales said? It was disgusting and beautiful all at once, the thunderous pound of her heart as she listened to the girl speak and saw her sweet dimples. The world was impossibly cruel to have this girl exist.

“Someone more interesting than you? I don’t think there is. Not every day I get to talk to a demigod. My brother’s busy and I lost my best friend Elle somewhere in the crowd. I’ll have to go find her soon. She’s like a lost puppy sometimes and I don’t want her getting hurt. If you see her around keep an eye her for me?” Mimi was protective of her best friend the same way that Val was with her most days. If anyone hurt Elle she would likely bring the wrath of the Gods down upon them.

She took her phone back and slid it between the dip of her cleavage. Sometimes that was just the best place to put it. “I do trust you. Besides, I’m not embarrassed of anything I do. That’s a boring way to live your life, isn’t it? If I do something I’m not afraid of people finding out about it. I do everything I do with pride. Maybe that’s the one thing I got from my mother. To live in fear is to live no life at all.”

Mimi blushed, turning away. Here she was with a chance to talk to the cute girl and she was ranting and raving like an idiot about some philosophical bullshit no one probably cared about. “Sorry. I sound like I’m preaching. I don’t mean to be. It’s just something I feel passionate about.”

She needed someone to remind her why the hell she was at this damned ball. Never an actual royal, she hadn’t been raised in this atmosphere like a good portion of the attendee’s. She was a fae. She grew up in the grassy fields, dense trees and aquamarine pools of Neverland. And when she wasn’t on that island, she was on another. Balls weren’t her style. Dresses that were so tight, with intentions to highlight her hour glass figure, were not her style. The open bar was probably the only thing that kept her here, aside from her dates. They kind of made it a bit more bearable too.

Stepping out of the bathroom stall, she didn’t even see the girl before she flipped her long mane of hair, no doubt trying to get some volume back. Cursing out loud as the dark locks whipped her in the face, Willow looked to see it was Cleo’s little sister. Once her gaze was no longer blurred “Mimi.” She spoke, her voice even as she looked her over, then moving forward to wash her hands. Willow hadn’t been close with Cleo on the Isle, in fact she had ignored most people that weren’t Hook, Kaela or Siren. So she wasn’t sure what Mimi was like as a person, but if she remembered correctly, she and Cleo weren’t close. “I didn’t even know you were here. Maybe next time check that the stalls are all empty before you start throwing your hair around.” @mimithefirst​

Mimi had gone into the bathroom to check everything in the mirror, worried that her hair was a mess or that her dress was off in case she ran into Andie tonight. This was supposed to be a good night and for the most part she wasn’t feeling the best. Val had showed up with a date, which was wonderful, but a bit surprising. It was nice to see her brother having a good time but she was nervous about what that would mean in the long run.

So, she had run to the bathroom to fix up her makeup and make sure her hair was as perfect as it could be. She hadn’t meant to hit Willow Doe of all people with it. Mimi didn’t bother to turn. Most people who were friends with her sister didn’t get along with her and she wasn’t ready for a fight tonight. “Sorry. Didn’t mean to go around hitting people with my hair. An accident, really. Royals really know how to throw a party don’t they? It’s a little stuffy though.”

coming to this event wasn’t something she had planned for her evening, when val asked her if she wanted to come with, tatiana honestly thought he was joking. it wasn’t until she got a knock on her door at 8 PM that she found out he was being serious, scrambling to contact cleo to send her a picture of something to wear so she could mimic it with a spell. the blonde didn’t dress up like this often, she felt sort of out of place, but the emerald green velvet dress fit her perfectly, a long slit up her right leg as her heels feet walked on the precious marble floors of the roux castle. she’d managed to sweep her hair out of her face in a half updo, and apply some make up to her features but nothing too dramatic. she’d always been a less is more makeup type of girl unless there was a certain mood that hit her or if someone did it for her, given the fact this was late minute, she didn’t have the time. 

the drama is annoying, but at least it provided entertainment and a distraction so she could snag more flutes of champagne to knock back. she’d already done two before she reached for the third and fourth one on the tray to bring to val when she caught sight of mimi. for some reason, even with cleo’s strained relationship with her siblings, tatiana felt the need to make sure no one fucked with mimi back on the isle. walking over, she handed her a flute with a smirk, “well, look at you little devil.” she said with a wiggle of her brow before glancing around, “enjoying the chaos?”

@mimithefirst​

Back on the isle, one of Mimi’s most embarrassing moments had to have involved any time she ever made an ass of herself in front of Tati. There was something about the girl that, back then, had made her quiver in her boots in the most exciting ways. Perhaps it was that same little girl crush that made her shiver when the woman approached and offered her a flute of champagne. She took a drink and tried to calm her nerves. Most of the night she’d been watching for Andie, which was stupid by itself. Maybe she wasn’t the kind of girl to come to these things. At least the alcohol would help her calm down.

“Aren’t I always? Whats a devil without chaos?” Little devil. That nickname felt good. But at least now she could look at Tati in the eyes without wanting to throw herself down a flight of stairs in embarrassment. “The dress looks good. Green is your color. And his. Which reminds me, I wanted to come ask you about something. I’m sure you know that Val is my world. He seemed very excited for you to come with him tonight so I have to warn you, ruler of the Isle or not, that if you hurt my brother I will find a way to make you very, very miserable.”

It wasn’t a threat. She wasn’t stupid enough to threatened Tati, but Mimi wanted to make it clear how much she loved her brother and the importance that the girl be kind to him. He was much more of a gentle soul than he dared to show with anyone.

“Here, hand me your phone.” Andie held out her hand for Mimi to oblige her request. She hoped that, from their previous little hangout at the dinner, the girl had gotten enough good vibes that she could trust Andie wasn’t the type to invade her privacy or do anything weird with it. Once she had it in hand, she ushered Mimi over to the nearby fountain in the courtyard, one that surprisingly hadn’t been covered by other party-goers with the same idea. “Okay, stand right…” the brunette put her hands on the girls waist so she could direct her, a focused gaze but soft smile playing on her lips. “There. Perfect.”

Now backing up - happy to be wearing pants so she could walk backwards and not have to worry about tripping over a long dress train like plenty others had done tonight, Andie stopped a few feet away and opened the camera on Mimi’s phone. “You look way to awesome to not have photo evidence.” she smiled, figuring she was doing the beauty a solid. “I would’ve used my phone but it’s dead.” she explained as she took a couple shots, first vertical then horizontal. For options. “Not to brag but I have photo credit on almost all my friends instagram’s. I’m that good.” she joked, knowing very well it took no skill to old a phone at arms length and take a subpar instagram shot - but hanging out with the isle born and being a little goofy was a fun way to spend, what was expected to be kind of a stuffy event. @mimithefirst​

When Mimi caught her first glimpse of Andie fucking Megalos for the evening, she forget what it was like the breath. The only thing she could feel was the deep thrum in her heart and the fire consuming her veins. Not only did this girl look cute in active wear but she could pull of a tuxedo. Was she some sort of Pandora, crafted out of clay specifically for Mimi? Either way, she was going to have to say a little thank you to the Gods tonight.

Her phone! Finally, she was going to get a chance to give Andie her phone number. They hadn’t had the chance at their little dinner adventure thanks to a memory lapse and an alarm reminding that Mimi was running late for mandatory volleyball practice. Now was the moment.

Or, you know, pictures were good too. Mimi couldn’t deny that she looked absolutely stunning tonight, in a green dress that she had salvaged from a thrift shop back on the isle. With a little bit of love and a lot of heart work it was absolutely perfect.

“Lucky me. I’ve got a photographer on my side tonight,” She smiled, moving close so she could swipe through the pictures Andie had taken. “Do me a favor and put in your instagram so I make sure I’m tagging the right person?”

ELLE: Well, I'm glad I'm a little disaster and not a big one. That's actually comforting. I read a book once that says once a baby arrives parents are supposed to just sort of know the perfect name for them, so maybe the same will be true of seeing a dog up for adoption.

ELLE: Do you think we'd be allowed to take pets back to the Isle if we go back over break?

ELLE: You're not wrong.

Mimi: You're THE little disaster. Maybe that's how it is with dogs then. I certainly felt that way with Timothy. I looked at him and suddenly understood why Cinderella loved her little mice friends so much.

ELLE: The former is not so appealing, but the latter seems nice. On some level they have to care, though, right? What if you name a dog like... Spot and they internally cringe each time you call out for them?

ELLE: I read adore as adopt and it was still a valid statement. Thank you. I do try.

Mimi: You, elliebelle, are my favorite little disaster. I'm sure Tim doesn't mind his name, because I love him and take care of him and cherish him. Our puppy will think the same thing.

To hear her validate what he thought caused the smallest of grins to pull at the ends of his lips, a sight so rare that Mimi was often the only recipient of such a gesture. He was all hard edges, but around his sister, he softened, considerably so, and the only opinion that mattered to him was hers. It was always and would always be that way. Beyond her, why give a fuck about what anyone else thought? As far as he was concerned, they were as inconsequential as the dirt scuffed on the bottom of his worn shoes – he still hadn’t gotten around to getting a new pair of shoes since arriving in Auradon, but there was no point in going out of his way if he hadn’t completely worn holes in the soles. Until then, if it wasn’t broke, why the fuck fix it?

However, it proved exponentially more difficult to swallow once she continued on her tangent on all the apparent good that came from their move from the isle and onto the mainland. Usually, he tended to let her go until she tired herself out. He didn’t have much to contribute when she got like this, mostly because he didn’t want to upset Mimi. The world had already been cruel to her; why add her brother on top of all of that? Instead, he ate in silence, nodding his head every so often until she eventually prompted him to speak, saying, “It’s been fine.” It wasn’t. Every inch of this place made his skin crawl. 

“I’ve been fine,” he said as he looked to his plate, nudging around some of the food that suddenly wasn’t as appetizing as it had been at the start of the evening. “I’ve got something steady going for me at the Duckling and the royal pains in the ass are better tippers once they’re drunk as shit, so it isn’t all bad.” He was fluent in the language of lying, but to Mimi, it always seemed more difficult to lie as blatantly through his teeth. “You don’t plan on goin’ back for the break?” he asked her once he willed himself to look back towards her. “‘cause I was thinking I might head back to the isle for a bit. Could come with, if you want.” He knew her answer before she even said it, but, stupidly, the flicker of hope that she’d come back with him hadn’t been entirely snuffed just yet. 

Mimi could immediately see him deflate when she started asking about him. Her brother was like that sometimes, always so focused on her that he always forgot about himself. it was sweet even if it did make her worry nearly all the time. She moved closer so she could rest her head on his shoulder. Looking down at his shoes, she frowned.

“I’m buying you a new pair. Those are terrible and I know you pulled them out of a dump aeons ago. I got my first order through my shop and I’m going to get you something! Anything you’ve been eying? Anything you need? Your little sister is here to help!”

She saluted him in the same way she had when she was little, following him around like he was the captain of her ship. Sometimes make believe was the only thing that got them through the days. Her favorite game had been any of the ones she was allowed to be picked up or tossed around like a small sack of potatoes. 

Well, to be fair that was still her favorite kind of game.

It was her turn to freeze when he mentioned The Isle. That place...that place was nothing to her anymore. It was hell and misery and trigger after trigger. That was not the kind of life she had ever wanted to live and now they didn’t have to. It broke her heart to know her brother couldn’t see that, couldn’t see that they could both be so much more than they had been there. He could go on to be the biggest chef that Auradon had ever known and they could live together in a house they bought, happy, healthy, content with no one to answer to but each other. They would show anyone, everyone, who had ever thought they were less by living the greatest lives anyone could imagine. Maybe Elle could be in a little house out back just for herself where she could blossom in the sunshine. That was the life she wanted, but it could not happen if he wasn’t part of it. A life without her brother would be misery in it’s truest form.

“I don’t...think I ever want to go back,” Mimi admitted softly. “I don’t want to see any of those people again. We’re past that. We’ve moved on. Val we’re both so much bigger than that place! What’s there to go back to? I’m here, you’re here, and Elle’s here. That’s enough, right?”

ELLE: The universe just wanted you to be extra blessed, I guess.

ELLE: Oh zeus. Oh no. That's a lot of pressure. What if the dog doesn't like it? Is there a way to know??

Mimi: sweetheart it's a dog. as long as you love it, they won't care about a name they do or do not like. They'll kiss you until your face is slobbery and you've feeling happy. That's how dogs are.

Andie paused for a moment as Mimi gracefully departed. Did she hit her head during the game and somehow hallucinate this whole interaction or…? A confused, amused expression stayed on her features until one of her friendlier teammates playfully nudged her to echo the same ‘good game’ chant he’d given the other players. Snapped out of her train of thought, she jogged back to the locker rooms. One perk of being a demi-goddess? The whole, getting hella sweaty during games wasn’t an issue. So, she clipped her hair back and just grabbed a quick shower to rinse whatever dirt had been kicked up on the field. 

Digging through her gym bag she pulled out a clean pair of Adidas grey sweatpants and an old white t-shirt that had been cropped to just an inch above where the waistband of her pants sat comfortable around her hips. Throwing on a sherpa lined denim coat to protect from the rapidly cooling weather, she did something she rarely did –  she scanned herself in the mirror, throwing her hair up and then pulling it down again. Realizing any tailoring of this look wasn’t gonna happen, she looked down at her phone and realized she had a solid minute to get back to the parking lot. “Shit! Shit! Shit.” she repeated as though it was a mantra as she shoved her uniform jersey back into her bag and slung it over her shoulder. 

Honestly running to the parking lot, she chuckled a little as she approached the girl waiting for her. “One minute isn’t technically late right?” Andie asked, running a hand through her hair as she offered an somewhat apologetic smile. Looking down at the sight of Mimi’s shoes. “You good to walk to Tiana’s in those?” She asked, before realizing assuming she would have trouble could sound presumptuous coming from her. “I mean they look rad.” Your shoes. Look Rad. What the hell, Andie. “I just mean it’s a good walk. We could get an uber if you wanna.” 

Mimi waited out front, watching the hands on her wristwatch tick past the time. One minute late. It wasn’t the worst but it certainly didn’t fall under an ideal category. If there was anything she hated, it was people being late. It was a good thing for Andie that she was cute enough it didn’t matter at all. Every time Mimi saw that face her heart fluttered in her chest.

She studied the girl and smiled. “Not at all. You look...very comfortable.” At least she could admire the Adidas logo on the sweatpants and the dedication to an aesthetic, even if it wasn’t specifically Mimi’s kind of desired look.

“I can walk anywhere in heels. It’s a gift and a talent. I’m multitalented,” Mimi winked, turning away a little and taking Andie’s hand. “I can imagine you’re starving after all that tough work. Whenever I’m done with volleyball games all I want is my brother to make me a pot of pasta.”