A very beautiful flashback performance before the present was based on one in the movie "Memoirs of a Geisha", called the Snow Dance. The summary of the performance comes from someone who gave the storytelling of the dance while commenting on the YouTube video.
As well, the present dance in the chapter title was based on the concert version of Sarah Brightman's "Arabian Nights", which is the very same one here. :) The opening vocals are to DIE for.
This is also the containment of the last of "Now We Are Free".
Chapter Twenty-One
Of Belly Dances and Past Performances
"Does he have a death wish to think that you would ever agree to this?!" Eddie all but exploded when Iris broke the news to him, Jonathan, and the others later that evening. He sat tensed in his chair in the sitting area, but Joan was trying so hard to get him to calm down, her attempts in vain.
"Yeah, what gives him the right to make you not be with your Jonny boy?" Harley asked as she leaned in on her beloved vixen while sharing a look with Jonathan.
"It's Jonathan," he returned with an aggressive snarl. He was just as enraged as Eddie was tonight as it was. First, the sick son of a bitch cornered him at his library, and then he visited Iris' asylum with a so-called proposition in which she was to never see Jonathan again. The latter part made his temper rise all the more. Eddie was hella right as much as he was; what the hell gave Warner - who had said nearly the same thing to him years ago when he lured him into the place that almost successfully destroyed his chances with the woman he loved - to do this to her?
Iris stood from the sofa and proceeded to pace the space between them. "You're all right. He doesn't have the right. But I never thought I'd say this…I'm scared."
Jonathan found himself jumping up and reaching her side, pulling her close to him. "Don't be," he told her, the protective side of him taking over at once. "You're not alone in this. Eddie and I both know what he's like, so we know how to handle him."
"That's right," Eddie agreed. "But…" He held up one finger in figuration. "…we're not going to let him put his hands on our girl, right guys?" Everyone agreed loudly and affirmatively.
"You're damn right, Nygma," Pamela said, standing right up like the general in command. "And this means I've got the opportunity to reveal our plan right away, but for now…" Her emerald green eyes zoomed in Jonathan's direction with Iris. "I think the lady herself needs some alone time with the bookworm until I'm done."
Jonathan was flabbergasted. Why wouldn't she tell him and Iris now? Iris looked the same as she asked, "Why won't you tell me now?" she asked suspiciously. "Is it because I won't like the plan?"
"Trust her, Blue, it'll be worth it; now Jonny, take her out of here while we brief the troops." Harley nodded in emphasis to Ivy and the rest of the group. Jonathan sighed in irritation as he guided her out of the sitting room. He wasn't even sure what to say or think at the moment except have the feeling that whatever Harley had planned was crazy enough - given what her late boyfriend was infamous for that she had to pass on - and he hoped it involved the slow death of Warner like he should have done a long time ago. Whilst he'd been pleased with getting the old man released from Gotham State and wound up in the nuthouse, he hadn't seen any of this coming. He'd been hurt then and wasn't going to let the same happen to his Iris. He hoped what Harley and Ivy had in mind would be worth it.
"I hope she doesn't do anything that wounds you up back in Arkham - and perhaps me in there with you," she murmured, staring out at her opened window to stare at the darkening sky. "Or worse, both of us in Blackgate."
"I don't think Pamela would allow that, but Harley could always make a slip of something herself," Jonathan tried to assure her, also trying not to be concerned about the serious possibilities. "There is nothing to be afraid of." He pushed her hair behind her shoulder and kissed the outer shell of her ear gently.
"That doesn't scare me - it's because Warner made me forbidden to see you. I don't know much about him other than what you told me, and I fear of what he's capable of doing if he finds out you're still here…"
"He won't, and if he tries anything, then I'll give him a dose of your poison. Would you love to see that?" he asked her with a twitch of a sneaky smile that made her smile back for the first time that night. "Now, how about me distracting you from this mess?" With each word, he started unbuttoning her shirt from the first button down. "I'll start by removing these obstacles called clothes..."
~o~
"What the hell was HARLEY thinking, organizing this?!" Jonathan nearly raised his voice as he looked around the scene of the club they were in, called the Pleaser. Silly, erotic, ironic, obvious name, Edward thought as he nodded in agreement. Tuesday night for the after-work male part of the crowd to indulge in this stuff, given most of them were unable to see a woman outside of work anyways.
"Well, all she and Pam did say was that they were gonna draw Warner into the trap," he said. "I don't like this any more than you do, but at least this is a start. Step number one." He yelled over to the bar wench in a tight white tee and black shorts, her mousy brown hair in a ponytail. "Give us two Smirnoffs, please."
"There he is." He looked over to see where the man they were looking for was sitting alone at one of the tables. "Just makes me want to down more than one drink tonight and go over there and do what I want to him."
"And get your drunken ass in jail," Edward pointed out, making Jon turn and scowl at him, and it only made him laugh. "What? You know it will happen."
"Better reason than to have him put his hands on my Iris," Jonathan snarled warningly.
Edward held up his hands. "Hey, hey, don't get huffy with me. He won't so much as lay a hand on her the way a tipper would a stripper." Now that he said those words, what was he thinking? Both he and Jonathan cringed at his comparison, but eventually turned their attentions to the stage just as some very exotic Middle Eastern drums began their beats, and a woman of that descent on the stage, wearing a purple sari and her wild dark hair bushing down her back uttered a string of Hindu vocals as four dancers sashayed and pranced onto the stage. Their costumes were rather revealing and yet too irresistible to look away from: two were short, but one being vivid fuchsia pink and the other soft green, both dangling with golden coins that jiggled with every movement, while the other two were longer and from more Eastern culture - one was Arabic with a golden jeweled brassiere and a black chiffon skirt, the other Chinese and all gold and embellished with beading and star-twinkling gems. The odd but clever addition was that they all wore decorative Venetian half-masks in association with the colors of their garments. Edward knew that the blonde in pink was Harley, given that she'd often excitedly told him and her Mistah J and the others that her favorite color was pink, and the redhead in green was Pamela, none other.
And then the show really started when another dancer made her appearance. This one stood out among the other girls with her sultry royal blue set and the jingling silver coins dominating both the top and bottom pieces. Her long black hair flowed down her back, partially held back by a simpler Venetian mask from her backups, this being blue and silver with, from what he could tell from afar, a bejeweled colored braid. And then her voice filled the room:
Voyage
Voyage
Wilderness to wilderness
I traveled from afar
On the soft wind of the Nadq came
Fragrance of Araar
Splendor of a thousand suns shone glory in my path
No love more pure and rage more fierce
Could still my beating heart
Voyage
Voyage
"I remember back when she was thirteen, during our first year at Gotham State, she performed for the end of the year recitals," Jon said over his drink as he watched her perform, while at the same time, sneering at the way Warner looked her over like the way Edward remembered him looking at Jon long ago. Giving him a good reason to remove him from the world, the sooner the better.
~o~
9 years ago…
Professor Crane sat three rows away from the front. He'd reserved this seat only weeks before just so that he wouldn't lose the opportunity to miss being close to watch his best and favorite student perform. Ten of the "brightest young students" - indeed, he thought, choosing to think of Iris as the top of all of them - would be on the stage performing something they'd done from the heart. Scientifically, there was a zero chance that all or at least a handful of them would perform what they did on their own, most likely to plagiarize something that had already been done. But Iris, knowing how talented she was and given that she was taught to dance by her grandmother, would outshine all of them. But from what he read in the brochure he'd been given, she was saved until the very end. Save the best for last, he thought with a satisfied smile.
It was then that the lights darkened, save for a couple of blues and silver to add to the mood of the performance. Gracefully and slowly floating onto the stage was the haunting figure of a young woman in a long black kimono of pure silk, covered all over in golden, red, and orange flowers in a Tachibana pattern. She spread her arms out on either side of her to announce her entrance to the audience. Her very appearance raptured the attention of all beings alike, from the staff - such as Dr. Long and Crane himself - and her fellow students who looked on in awe at the sight of not only her luxurious robe and the music that played but also her face: it was the very resemblance to a Japanese geisha, with the essence of exotic and time-honored beauty. Her visage was flawlessly covered with a ghostly, pure white foundation, eyes and brows penciled and lined with black for lightly winged looks, and her full lips given a defined pucker with a delicious red apple color and a radiant satiny shine to make the petals of her mouth stand out the best amid her ethereally fair flesh. Her smooth mane of ebony hair, normally curled, was pearlized and shined and fixed for a straight curtain down her back, but some tumbling over her shoulders to frame her face.
Jonathan doubted this, but he could see that her bright sapphire eyes literally popped out like the gems that they were amid that created perfection.
On top of that, Iris looked like the flower that she was.
Very slow and harmonious music began, as Iris - known in the dance as the Airisu, which translated to "iris" in Japanese - looked over her shoulder with a worried expression before continuing her activity in giving the audience a good show of herself, displaying her crystalline beauty with the silky smooth hand motions, pointing in every direction, pausing directly at him.
For a moment, Jonathan was slightly worried about people turning his way, but as he looked from every corner of his eye, no heads turned his way, instead concentrating on the beautiful performer, where she was currently showered with glittering "snow", and her eyes were locked with his, setting the foundation overall for the story. The story was about a young princess waiting for her true love from spring to the whole year round when it snowed, but the shackles of society prevented her from ever being with him. As winter progressed, the more she began to die of depression and heartache…like a flower nearing the end of its time. She tried so hard to fight against all the feelings of bitterness, sadness, and the pain she felt. So therefore she wandered out into the winter night, naked and desolate, knowing he would find her. And so she died out in the snow, alone and frozen, hoping to reunite with her love in death. All of this began when the music took on a faster, aggravating tone with the drums, and Iris flung aside her robe to show more of her underneath.
Jonathan Crane could not contain his sudden intake of breath.
Her white foundation covered the rest of her body, from the neck down and every limb, and that meant the fingers and toes included. This under costume was more revealing and yet nature-inspired at the same time. The brassiere had a halter neck while the skirt had a slit in the front for more ease as she flung herself about the stage with so much energy to the sad mood of the story, progressing to the death of the delicate flower - delicate being the appropriate word for a girl bound by law to marry for status and power, never love, therefore shattering her will so easily. The entire ensemble was as black as her hair and much of the darkened auditorium, but the silvery white lights danced off the colored beadworks and glass seeds in the colors of teal - both blue and green - along with a green the color of certain plant leaves Crane was familiar with, and some gold to bring out very little happiness, finally tipped with beautiful large clear blue teardrops.
It was then that she finally succumbed to "death" and fell to the snow-covered stage; the audience cheered for her beauty and talent, but the performance was far from over, and the Airisu had another show for them. The lights soon changed to a glowing ruby red, and then there was music that he recognized so well. It was his favorite song, as it was hers. She arose then and shook off the snow so that she was anew like the flower blooming again in the spring for new life. Much like the tragic couple spending eternity in the supposed afterlife.
La la da pa da le na da na
Ve va da pa da le na la dumda
La la da pa da le na da na
Ve va da pa da le na la dumda
La la da pa da le na da na
Ve va da pa da le na la dumda
La la da pa da le na da na
Ve va da pa da le na la dumda
Her voice was pure magic that words did no justice, and Crane was very much aware of how his spirit soared. Her eyes closed briefly at the slow, flowing pause before reopening them and finishing.
Anol shalom (Almighty freedom)
Anol sheh ley kon-nud de ne um (Almighty freer of the soul)
Flavum (Be free)
Flavum (Be free)
M-ai shondol-lee (And imagine)
Flavu (Free)
Lof flesh lay (With peace at last)
Nof ne (It's lovely)
Nom de lis (It's lovely, this land)
Ham de num um dass (No one can believe or understand)
La um de (How far I came)
Flavne (Just for my lovely family)
Flay (I should have been there with them)
Shom de nomm (When the world crashed down)
Ma-lun des dwondi (But now they rest with me)
Dwwoondi (I'll never forget)
Alas sharum du koos (How I felt that moment
Shaley koot-tum (I became free)
The whole time Iris sang Now We Are Free, she remained standing where she was, instead making swift and graceful motions with her arms until it came to the fast-paced part and then she swirled to each word before stopping and assuming the same earlier position for the rest of the song. Jonathan found himself entranced by her. She was absolutely amazing. This was a side to her he had never seen before, and he was proud of her. He found himself clapping with the rest of the audience with pride and…a feeling he was beginning to think was what he feared he would have for a girl of only thirteen and a bright shining future in front of her. He would not sink to that level that he'd been through right up until graduation from this very same school. He would not betray Iris' trust that way.
~o~
Today
Not that she hated dancing and singing - she loved both of them - but it was because she had to do this for him. This was all Harley's idea really, that Joker would have done the same - Harley declaring her "puddin" a genius made Iris decide she wanted to lock him back up in Arkham herself right after tonight IF he'd been here. She'd have to settle on locking Harley back up after tonight, but then she'd have no backup for any of this.
So should I return to trace the shadows of my chases
My steps will echo there from sand to stone
I will never let my eyelids close on empty spaces
My dreams will find the void with tales unknown
Know the mighty infinite obscures the far horizon
The whispered road I take will never bend
Alone
And will the wind return my story to its promise
Or will my story chase me to my end
The dancers all but left the stage to do their things on the pole tables, which meant that her target was at one of them, and it was right near the end of the stage. He had his eyes on her the whole time she was performing, never seeming to suspect who she was but some random masked dancer for his amusement. Well, she would give him the tip on who she was once the party was over. Without making it look suspicious to anyone's eyes, she seductively waltzed over to the table after removing her hands from her waist - she'd kept a hidden written note inside the secret pocket cleverly sewn inside the skirt - and dropped the slip into his hand as she got up on the table to continue, this time continuing in the same Hindu language that the beginning vocalist had done so. As she continued to sway her hips, dip so that some of her thighs got his attention, she saw him briefly read the little note: It's me, your girl of choice. How about some fun after tonight, say a Friday night date?
The look he gave her after reading it said it all. Her stomach sank.
"You did it, Blue!" Harley squealed once they were out of the club and into an alleyway to change back into regular clothes. "You got him wrapped around your little finger."
"But I don't know if I can handle it," Iris gasped out, leaning forward and feeling her stomach grow worse than it was. "He's a pig, the whole looks of him…he makes me sick…"
Jonathan was at her side at once. "Oh, don't get sick now," he tried to soothe her as he rubbed her back gently. "I know what you're feeling because that was how I felt, but I fought it back down, lucky me." He gave a humorless laugh.
"You know, that's what I'm also afraid of, still…for you." Iris managed to pull herself together and stand up straight. "What if he comes and visits me at the house and sees you still there? I have very few options: either I lock you in your room while he's here and sneak you some food when he's not looking - which is very difficult, just thinking about it - or I leave you to stay with Alice and Jervis."
"I'd stick to the first," Jonathan answered. "It's my home even though I'm not paying for it."
His answer shocked her and Eddie as well. "Jon, are you serious? What if he ever stumbled across you during one of his little trips, and what if he gets suspicious about a certain locked door?"
Iris realized how right he was, but there were plenty of ideas she had to keep him from wandering the upstairs hall. "I'll make sure he doesn't get there," she said. "I'll use my charms…" She winked at them, suddenly liking where everything was going now. It had become clear that she was the one in charge, not this creepy old man who thought he would have what he couldn't have this time. Now she trusted Harley with all her crazy schemes. Perhaps she should thank her and the late "genius" after all. "So, what's the next step, girls? Until Friday night?"
"Well, he doesn't have your number, I don't believe," Pamela purred, "so he's bound to visit you in your office again to let you know about the time of day. In the meantime…" Her natural eyes twinkled with mischief. "I got yet another great idea…which involves giving him a hard time here. Let's get back to the house and get to business."