The Making of a Lady
Disclaimer: Nothing from Moulin Rouge or My Fair Lady belongs to me. I don't own characters, places, or songs. If I did, I'd probably be out shopping with my boatload of money rather than writing fanfics... Note: Some lyrics have been slightly changed to fit the story.
Author's Note: An idea occurred to me one night at around 1 o'clock in the morning while I was watching My Fair Lady. Why not make a modern day Moulin Rouge version of it? So that's exactly what I've done. And I don't even think there'll be a Duke, but you never know. Hope you like it!
* * *
Chapter One: All I Want
Satine Campbell groaned as the alarm in her tiny one-room apartment went off with a harsh buzz. She slammed her fist on it as she rolled out of bed and stumbled towards the even tinier bathroom. The water in the shower was cold, as usual, since her heating bill hadn't been paid in almost a year. But she was used to it by now.
Her long, curly red hair dripped water onto the tile floor as she put on her makeup- eyeshadow, mascara, blush, and a thick layer of red lipstick. She quickly dressed in front of the mirror, putting on her black bra and panties, gartered stockings, a low-cut glittering red shirt, and a black miniskirt.
After drying and styling her hair into perfect coils, she slipped into her thigh-high boots and hurried out the door. Time to go to work.
Her 'cubicle' was on the corner of 5th and Main. It even had a streetlight for her to lean against when business got slow. She waved to the other girls she passed, and her friends smiled in recognition. Satine was pretty much the star of the street. Her regulars called her a sparkling diamond because she always wore something that glittered.
She didn't mind, in fact, she enjoyed the nickname and her star status. She'd even had her favorite black beret fixed so that there were little rhinestones on it that spelled out 'Diamond.' It was her trademark now.
She adjusted the beret so that it perched just perfectly atop her curls. "Hey baby doll," she called to one of the girls in her heavy New York accent. "Got a smoke?"
Angie nodded and pulled a pack out of the top of one of her boots, along with a lighter. "Sure, Diamond. Here ya go."
Satine lit the cigarette and inhaled deeply, releasing the smoke a second later in a thin tendril that weaved through the night air. "Thanks, hon."
She took up her post, leaning against the streetlight as the sun began to set behind the skyscrapers of New York City. She was now open for business. After a few more drags on her cigarette, she tossed it to the ground and crushed it beneath the heel of her boot. After all, some of the boys didn't like a girl that smoked on the job.
Satine was twenty-seven years old, and she'd been working the streets for eight years now, longer than most of the girls she knew. Of course, she'd never been in love, not even before she became a prostitute. She'd never seen how love could benefit anyone. Someone was always cheating on someone else. She of all people should know that. Many a man had lain in her arms and told her about their wives. She was an escape for men, a way to make love once again without the commitment and baggage of love itself.
Anymore, she hardly thought about love. She just spread her legs, moaned a few times to make it look like she was enjoying herself, took her money, and avoided the cops. It wasn't much of a living, but it was a living all the same. But even still, sometimes at night she wondered if there was more than this...
The wind rippled playfully through her hair, and she closed her eyes for a moment. "One day I'll fly away... leave all this to yesterday." The words seemed to come from out of nowhere, surprising her with their sadness. Why would she want to fly away? There was nothing out there for her. She was a prostitute, she couldn't just go about changing her life. That fake crap only happened in movies like Pretty Woman. This was real life, and she'd better get used to it.
Business was slow tonight. She got a few whistles from passing cars, a few kids barely out of their teens stopped to ogle at her, and a well-dressed old man paused to chat, but there were no propositions, no stepping into an unfamiliar car to go to yet another room.
The night drug on. One by one as the clock on the corner approached three a.m., the girls began to make their way over to her corner. Morgan, a black girl, gave her a high five. "S'tine, what's up girl?"
She smiled. "Not much. Slow night, eh?"
"Yeh, very slow, especially since our precious Diamond hasn't gotten swept away yet," agreed Nini as she leaned haughtily against the wall. Just as Satine was the star of the streets, Nini was the bitch. Her black eyes glinted wickedly as she glanced at Satine. "Guess some lug won't get his money's worth tonight with ya, eh sweetie?"
"Fuck off, Nini," called one of the younger girls, Annie. "Get yer own corner to sulk. Just cause you haven't had a decent offer in a week doesn't mean..."
"Fuck yourself, doll," retorted the hooker. " 'Sides, that's all you can do. You haven't even HAD an offer, cept for what Harmony's passed off on ya. Why don't cha go on back home to mommy. Ya can't make it here."
The girls all fell silent as Nini gloated triumphantly, her arms crossed over her chest. After a moment, Angie spoke up. "Sing for us, Satine." She was echoed by a chorus of agreement from the rest of the girls, excepting Nini. Satine, though she denied it, had the voice of an angel... an angel of the underworld.
Normally, she would have refused, but she noticed Annie sniffling in the back of the group. The poor thing still wasn't used to being out on her own. They all knew her story- she'd run away from home a few months ago and had fallen into the trap of prostitution with no hope of getting out. "Fine," Satine agreed. She cleared her throat and tried to come up with a song. The winter wind blew around them, and the scantily clad girls shivered.
With a grin, Satine began. "All I want is a room somewhere, far away from the cold night air... and one enormous chair and wouldn't it be loverly?" She twirled around on one foot, her red hair whirling around her. "Lots of choc'late for me to eat. Lots of coal makin' lots of heat." She stopped in front of Anne and wrapped her hands around the girl's shivering fingers. "Warm face, warm hands, warm feet and wouldn't it be loverly?"
Anne nodded enthusiastically. Satine laughed, took her by the hands and began dancing around the streetcorner with her. "Oh so loverly sitting absolutely still. I would never budge till spring crept over the windowsill!" She bumped into someone and turned abruptly to find a gawking potential customer. Dropping Anne's hands, she pressed herself against the man, purring her song. "Someone's head restin' on my knee, warm and tender as he can be." She took his tie and pulled him down so that they were face to face. "Who doesn't just want to screw me!" She gave a push and turned away from him to where the girls were watching, declaring, "And wouldn't it be loverly!"
Nini rolled her eyes. "She's gon' crazy." She slinked her way over to the man who was still standing in shock from being sung to by a prostitute. "Com'on, love, I'll take good care of ya."
The rest hardly noticed or cared to as Nini went off with her prize of the night. They had joined Satine in singing. The Diamond herself finished the song as she stepped up onto the bottom of the streetlight so that she was head and shoulders above the rest. "And wouldn't it... be loverly?"
"Loverly," Anne sang back.
"Loverly..." Her voice trailed off as her long-forgotten dreams resurfaced for that moment. She stared out into the night. "One day, I'll fly away..." Beneath her, the girls began to disperse, either going back to try their corners once more or heading home for the night. Satine sank down wrapping her arms around her legs and resting her chin on her knees. "Fly, fly... away."
END CHAPTER ONE
Disclaimer: Nothing from Moulin Rouge or My Fair Lady belongs to me. I don't own characters, places, or songs. If I did, I'd probably be out shopping with my boatload of money rather than writing fanfics... Note: Some lyrics have been slightly changed to fit the story.
Author's Note: An idea occurred to me one night at around 1 o'clock in the morning while I was watching My Fair Lady. Why not make a modern day Moulin Rouge version of it? So that's exactly what I've done. And I don't even think there'll be a Duke, but you never know. Hope you like it!
* * *
Chapter One: All I Want
Satine Campbell groaned as the alarm in her tiny one-room apartment went off with a harsh buzz. She slammed her fist on it as she rolled out of bed and stumbled towards the even tinier bathroom. The water in the shower was cold, as usual, since her heating bill hadn't been paid in almost a year. But she was used to it by now.
Her long, curly red hair dripped water onto the tile floor as she put on her makeup- eyeshadow, mascara, blush, and a thick layer of red lipstick. She quickly dressed in front of the mirror, putting on her black bra and panties, gartered stockings, a low-cut glittering red shirt, and a black miniskirt.
After drying and styling her hair into perfect coils, she slipped into her thigh-high boots and hurried out the door. Time to go to work.
Her 'cubicle' was on the corner of 5th and Main. It even had a streetlight for her to lean against when business got slow. She waved to the other girls she passed, and her friends smiled in recognition. Satine was pretty much the star of the street. Her regulars called her a sparkling diamond because she always wore something that glittered.
She didn't mind, in fact, she enjoyed the nickname and her star status. She'd even had her favorite black beret fixed so that there were little rhinestones on it that spelled out 'Diamond.' It was her trademark now.
She adjusted the beret so that it perched just perfectly atop her curls. "Hey baby doll," she called to one of the girls in her heavy New York accent. "Got a smoke?"
Angie nodded and pulled a pack out of the top of one of her boots, along with a lighter. "Sure, Diamond. Here ya go."
Satine lit the cigarette and inhaled deeply, releasing the smoke a second later in a thin tendril that weaved through the night air. "Thanks, hon."
She took up her post, leaning against the streetlight as the sun began to set behind the skyscrapers of New York City. She was now open for business. After a few more drags on her cigarette, she tossed it to the ground and crushed it beneath the heel of her boot. After all, some of the boys didn't like a girl that smoked on the job.
Satine was twenty-seven years old, and she'd been working the streets for eight years now, longer than most of the girls she knew. Of course, she'd never been in love, not even before she became a prostitute. She'd never seen how love could benefit anyone. Someone was always cheating on someone else. She of all people should know that. Many a man had lain in her arms and told her about their wives. She was an escape for men, a way to make love once again without the commitment and baggage of love itself.
Anymore, she hardly thought about love. She just spread her legs, moaned a few times to make it look like she was enjoying herself, took her money, and avoided the cops. It wasn't much of a living, but it was a living all the same. But even still, sometimes at night she wondered if there was more than this...
The wind rippled playfully through her hair, and she closed her eyes for a moment. "One day I'll fly away... leave all this to yesterday." The words seemed to come from out of nowhere, surprising her with their sadness. Why would she want to fly away? There was nothing out there for her. She was a prostitute, she couldn't just go about changing her life. That fake crap only happened in movies like Pretty Woman. This was real life, and she'd better get used to it.
Business was slow tonight. She got a few whistles from passing cars, a few kids barely out of their teens stopped to ogle at her, and a well-dressed old man paused to chat, but there were no propositions, no stepping into an unfamiliar car to go to yet another room.
The night drug on. One by one as the clock on the corner approached three a.m., the girls began to make their way over to her corner. Morgan, a black girl, gave her a high five. "S'tine, what's up girl?"
She smiled. "Not much. Slow night, eh?"
"Yeh, very slow, especially since our precious Diamond hasn't gotten swept away yet," agreed Nini as she leaned haughtily against the wall. Just as Satine was the star of the streets, Nini was the bitch. Her black eyes glinted wickedly as she glanced at Satine. "Guess some lug won't get his money's worth tonight with ya, eh sweetie?"
"Fuck off, Nini," called one of the younger girls, Annie. "Get yer own corner to sulk. Just cause you haven't had a decent offer in a week doesn't mean..."
"Fuck yourself, doll," retorted the hooker. " 'Sides, that's all you can do. You haven't even HAD an offer, cept for what Harmony's passed off on ya. Why don't cha go on back home to mommy. Ya can't make it here."
The girls all fell silent as Nini gloated triumphantly, her arms crossed over her chest. After a moment, Angie spoke up. "Sing for us, Satine." She was echoed by a chorus of agreement from the rest of the girls, excepting Nini. Satine, though she denied it, had the voice of an angel... an angel of the underworld.
Normally, she would have refused, but she noticed Annie sniffling in the back of the group. The poor thing still wasn't used to being out on her own. They all knew her story- she'd run away from home a few months ago and had fallen into the trap of prostitution with no hope of getting out. "Fine," Satine agreed. She cleared her throat and tried to come up with a song. The winter wind blew around them, and the scantily clad girls shivered.
With a grin, Satine began. "All I want is a room somewhere, far away from the cold night air... and one enormous chair and wouldn't it be loverly?" She twirled around on one foot, her red hair whirling around her. "Lots of choc'late for me to eat. Lots of coal makin' lots of heat." She stopped in front of Anne and wrapped her hands around the girl's shivering fingers. "Warm face, warm hands, warm feet and wouldn't it be loverly?"
Anne nodded enthusiastically. Satine laughed, took her by the hands and began dancing around the streetcorner with her. "Oh so loverly sitting absolutely still. I would never budge till spring crept over the windowsill!" She bumped into someone and turned abruptly to find a gawking potential customer. Dropping Anne's hands, she pressed herself against the man, purring her song. "Someone's head restin' on my knee, warm and tender as he can be." She took his tie and pulled him down so that they were face to face. "Who doesn't just want to screw me!" She gave a push and turned away from him to where the girls were watching, declaring, "And wouldn't it be loverly!"
Nini rolled her eyes. "She's gon' crazy." She slinked her way over to the man who was still standing in shock from being sung to by a prostitute. "Com'on, love, I'll take good care of ya."
The rest hardly noticed or cared to as Nini went off with her prize of the night. They had joined Satine in singing. The Diamond herself finished the song as she stepped up onto the bottom of the streetlight so that she was head and shoulders above the rest. "And wouldn't it... be loverly?"
"Loverly," Anne sang back.
"Loverly..." Her voice trailed off as her long-forgotten dreams resurfaced for that moment. She stared out into the night. "One day, I'll fly away..." Beneath her, the girls began to disperse, either going back to try their corners once more or heading home for the night. Satine sank down wrapping her arms around her legs and resting her chin on her knees. "Fly, fly... away."
END CHAPTER ONE