Hi, to no one's surprise I have a Dair prompt for you! There were so many good ones! Here it is: "I organize a petition to get you, the CEO, to live off of my wage for three months and since it’s getting media attention, your PR manager suggests you accept the challenge, and you keep coming into my department to ask me how to do things"
Alright, my darling friend, as I have informed you already, this spiralled wildly out of control. They’re both just such idiots, though! I kept trying to make them schmooch and all they wanted to do was be giant idiots in love.
So, as such, I thought it’d be best to post it to AO3, but here’s a teaser!
Also, I cannot express how poorly I did sticking to your prompt. It is shameful.
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Title: An Utter Lack of Self-Preservation Instincts
Fandom: Gossip Girl (though typing that makes me want to die...this is for the Princess and the Pauper fandom as I like to think of it)
Pairing: Dan/Blair
Other Characters: Dan being totally 😍 the meaner Blair is to him, Blair deserving nice things (and Dan being one of those nice things)
Additional Tags: the lightest of enemies to lovers, complete AU (Dan isn’t Gossip Girl, OF COURSE), Suzanne’s total inability to follow a prompt b/c this isn’t at all what you asked for!
Word Count: ~6,300
AO3 Link
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It was intended to be a puff piece. A quick little fluffy profile with Vanity Fair about the new sustainable fashion division of Waldorf Designs. Except the article the editor sent over for her comment in no way resembles a puff piece. And the cause for such a deviation from the plan appears to be one Daniel Humphrey. Blair Waldorf never met the man but she is prepared to destroy him.
“‘Sustainability is of course a noble aim,’ says Daniel Humphrey, Digital Communications Assistant for Waldorf Designs, ‘but sustainable for who?’” Blair reads aloud to her assistant, her voice rising in pitch as she continues. “‘How is it sustainable for our US factory workers to live off minimum wage? How is it sustainable for a company as successful as Waldorf Designs to continue to offer unpaid internships? Perhaps the company’s intentions are good but it’s hard not to see this new division of Waldorf Designs as merely an attempt to greenwash products to make our most privileged client feel a little better about themselves.’” She slams the draft of the article onto her desk. “Has PR drafted a response?”
Her assistant Hannah nods. “We sent it an hour ago. It’ll be included in the article.”
An article that, owing to one Dan Humphrey, is now a longform deep dive into the deep-rooted inequalities that existed within the fashion industry. She is going to kill him.
“Where is Humphrey’s office?”
It isn’t entirely uncommon for Blair to sweep through the admin offices of Waldorf Designs. Still, her presence causes a slight frisson of energy to pass through the offices and cubicles on the seventh floor. She’d be lying if she said she didn’t love it.
She catches sight of Dan Humphrey well before he notices her. Based on his role (a glorified assistant) and the ‘I know better than everyone’ tone within the article, she expected someone straight out of college – someone ready to claw, and climb over everyone to prove their intelligence and worth. She did not expect a man who, if she were to guess, was closer to her 35-years of age. A man who looks a little bored, reclined in his office chair, drumming a green highlighter against his pant leg.
“If it isn’t Waldorf Design’s own Benedict Arnold?” He fumbles the highlighter. It spins out of his hand, as he quickly sits up and then jumps to his feet.
Perhaps not the most professional of greetings, but effective.
“You’re Blair Waldorf.”
“And you’re the reason for my migraine.” He frowns. “Follow me.”
There was a time when Blair might have dressed this Dan Humphrey down in a more public setting, but that’s not who she is anymore. Besides, there is a good chance they can still redirect the story. Dan follows her into a small conference room at the far end of the floor. She sits down at the head of the table and is a little surprised when he sits in the seat right beside her. Does this man have zero self-preservation instincts?
She sets the folder she carried up with her in front of him. “May I ask, Mr. Humphrey, why you felt it was your place or right to give a quote to the press on behalf of Waldorf Designs?”
“Dan.” At her raised eyebrow, he continues. “You can call me Dan, and I don’t know what you’re talking about.” He reaches for the folder, opens it. Blair watches carefully as he reads the article, his eyes widening the slightest bit as he reads. “No,” he says, his voice low and surprised. “She didn’t.”
“‘She didn’t’ what?” Blair asks.
Dan shakes his head, ignoring her as he continues to read. Once he’s done, he slides the folder back across to her.
“The author of the article is my friend—,” he pauses, reconsiders, “was my friend? Briefly my girlfriend, too, though that didn’t—”
“Humphrey, I am not interested in your friends or girlfriends. Please be less hyper verbal and tell me what is going on.”
He takes a deep breath. “I know the author, Vanessa Abrams. I didn’t realize she was quoting me, I—”
“Did you tell her what you said was off the record?”
“No. But she didn’t tell me I was on the record.”
Blair stands up. “I think legal can work with that.”
“You’re going to bury it?”
“I’m going to try.” He gives her a look like he’s—she doesn’t quite know how to categorize it—but, it’s almost like he’s disappointed in her. Which is absurd. She doesn’t know this low-level minion nor does she have any intention to get to know him. Still, she hates it when people make their disapproval evident. “What? What is that look?”
“Well, am I wrong?”
“Most likely.” She shifts her weight slightly from one foot to the other. “About what?”
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