Okay, I'm new at this so please give me a break. Honestly I'm nervous about posting. There seem to be so many complicated things - I'm afraid I'll mess something up. XD Anyhoo... After first seeing The Dark Knight I was absolutely enthralled with the Joker. Heath Ledger's performance completely blew my mind. Plus, I kinda have a thing for villains, so his sexy awesomeness just kind of sucked me in. Apparently I have a fetish for crazy guys. Moving on. First things first: Here's a short bio of the character. I'm kind of confused with this way of posting stuff, so sorry if I screw something up and it looks weird. This is taking place throughout the Dark Knight. I'll probably stay close to the story most of the time... And I guess I don't really know if they let you do this, but I'm like OCD about having visuals for things in my stories, so I have links to pics for the piercings, clothes, etc. if anyone else is curious in the slightest. I've also got some banners which I obviously can't put up. I guess if anyone is interested they can email me or mention it otherwise. I'm used to writing on quizilla, but this is much better. And just for an interesting note, I got the title of this story from a song by Hedwig and the Angry Inch. I'm totally in love with this song. It's so amazing. You guys should check it out.

Name: Adelaide Steinman (aka Addy)

Age: 21

Hair: Shoulder length, multiple shades of brown

Eyes: Blue-green

Height: 5'10

Occupation: Student at Gotham University (yes I know I made that up 8P)

Family: Mother murdered freshman year of college; no grandparents; father's location unknown - left when Addy was six, haven't seen or heard from him since; only sibling (sister) went missing when Addy was thirteen - there never were any leads

Interesting Facts: Center of lip pierced, lotus blossom tattoo on right shoulder, tongue pierced, gifted pianist, ear lobes pierced three times, and right ear has industrial piercing

Just fyi, there's a club where I live called the Blue Note, which is were I got the name for the restaurant. In the story it's the Bleu Note because it's a French restaurant! XD And I'm too lazy to come up with a cool name...

It started out with a letter...

Adelaide noticed an envelope in the box she shared with her roommate, Emilia. She tried the combination several times, growing more and more flustered. She finally gave up and went to the front desk. She turned the creamy white envelope over and over again in her hands as she rode in the elevator alone. She tossed it onto her desk and stared at it from across the room. Why would Bruce Wayne send her a letter? She picked it up and tore it open, hands shaking. She read over it quickly.

Dear Miss Steinman,

Master Wayne would like to request your services at his fundraiser for Mister Harvey Dent tomorrow evening. He was very impressed with your performance at the University Music Festival. He would like to invite you to dinner at the Bleu Note to further discuss matters. Reservations are for 7:00 under his name. He would be much obliged if you would join him.

Sincerely,

Alfred

Addy marveled briefly over his elegant scrawl before sitting on her bed. Bruce Wayne wanted her to play the piano at his fundraiser? Her body quivered with excitement and nervousness. But what would she wear? Hell, what was she going to wear to dinner!? She looked at the clock. It was already 5:30. She groaned and rushed to the shower. Afterward she securely tied her bathrobe shut and started rummaging through her closet. By the time she'd decided that she had absolutely nothing decent to wear, Emilia was walking through the door. She paused to take in the clothing strewn about before closing the door. "What are you doing?" she asked, careful not to step on anything. Addy sighed dejectedly and huffed, "I'm going out to dinner at The Bleu Note and I have nothing to wear!"

Emilia's eyes bugged out and she squealed, "The Bleu Note!? Oh my God, are you serious? Who's taking you there?" Addy turned away to sift through a pile of clothes and murmured, "Bruce Wayne..." "What!? For serious!?" Emilia was twice as exuberant as Addy. "What's going on between you? Why didn't you say anything before? Tell me everything!" Addy blushed and said, "It's nothing like that. I've never even met the guy. He wants me to play the piano at his fundraiser tomorrow. Right now I have to be to be ready by 7:00. Help me!" Emilia seemed to materialize an outfit out of the disaster that was Addy's closet. She wore a sheer emerald green long-sleeved shirt over a black tank top, a tan dress skirt ending just below her knees, and a pair of black sling-back wedges. Emilia quickly worked a miracle on her usually shapeless hair, handed her a black pea coat and her purse, and shoved her out the door. A cab was waiting for her and she made a mental note to thank Emilia when she returned.

Addy felt immediately self-conscious as she approached the front door. The woman at the register scrutinized her appearance with raised eyebrows. "Can I... help you?" she asked with a horribly fake smile. Addy cleared her throat and choked out, "I'm meeting someone." The woman blinked and said, "I can see that. Name?" She bit back the insult she wanted to hurl at her and stammered, "Oh-uh... Wayne." The woman raised her eyebrows again and said, "Right this way." Addy tried to calm herself as she weaved through the tables. Bruce looked up as she approached and stood with a smile. He shook her hand and said, "Good evening Miss Steinman. I'm so glad that you could join me. May I?" He gestured to her coat and she replied, "Oh. Um-yes. Thank you." She slipped out of her coat and he draped it neatly over the back of her chair. She sat down and he scooted her chair in.

"Can I get you anything to drink?" the woman asked. Addy could tell she was growing impatient. "Water's fine," she replied with a smile. It left as soon as the woman did and she sighed with relief. She looked around awkwardly and said, "So... about your fundraiser?" "Oh, of course," Bruce replied, leaning forward eagerly. "I'm hosting a fundraiser tomorrow evening for Harvey Dent. I'd be honored if you would come and play the piano for us." She didn't know what to say. Tomorrow was Saturday, so she didn't have any classes to go to. She had to admit it would be a wonderful experience.

"I-I don't know," she said with uncertainty, wringing her hands. "I saw you play at the music festival. You were amazing." She blushed and scoffed, picking up her menu. "No really," Bruce continued. "You played Moonlight Sonata beautifully. I can't force you to do it, of course, but why don't you think about it over dinner?" Addy smiled and nodded. She opened her menu and her smile faded. She shifted uncomfortably and said sheepishly, "Um... I have no idea what this says. I can't read French." Bruce chuckled and asked, "Would you like me to order for you?" She smiled again, relieved. "I'll just have what you're having." A tall male set a glass of ice water in front of her and said something in French. She looked desperately to Bruce, floundering for something to say.

He quickly spoke up, words flowing smoothly. He was clearly very fluent in French. Perhaps he had even been to France. It was a distinct possibility. The waiter scribbled something on a notepad and said something else before taking the menus and leaving. "So you're a sophomore, right?" Bruce asked. "Yep. One more year ahead of me," she replied proudly. "What's your major?" She swallowed a gulp of water. "Photojournalism. I hope to work for National Geographic. Travel the world, you know? Give me chance to get out of this place..." She trailed off, drowning the last of her sentence in another drink of water. Bruce frowned but didn't press the matter.

Dinner was delicious. Addy wasn't entirely sure what it was, but she loved it. After the plates were removed, Bruce said something else to the waiter. They made small talk until the waiter returned with a bottle of wine. "Oh, no no no no," she objected, waving her hands. "Really, this is a bit much. It's not too late to leave, is it?" "If you leave now you'll miss dessert," Bruce said with a smile. She groaned inwardly, cursing her weakness for sweet things. "Fine, fine," she grumbled. The waiter poured her a glass and once he had left, she cautiously picked it up. The dark red liquid shimmered playfully. It smelled strong. She took a small drink. The sweetness of it surprised her. She nodded and set her glass down again. "You have good taste in wine, Mr. Wayne," she said with a smile. He returned the gesture and replied, "Please call me Bruce."

Three glasses of wine later, the waiter set a wonderful looking chocolate dish on the table. She gasped, eyes the size of dinner plates. She completely ignored what Bruce was saying, hoping he wasn't speaking to her. "Are you going to eat it or stare at it all night long?" he teased. "I just... don't want to destroy it," she said breathlessly. "It's like a work of art!" He chuckled and she tentatively picked up her spoon. She paused and said quickly, "You go first." He smiled and scooped a big bite off with his fork. She raised her spoon, careful not to collapse the whole thing.

She almost died right there on the spot. She closed her eyes and said, "Mmmmm... Oh my God. That has got to be the most amazing thing I've ever eaten!" However, she could only manage a few more bites before she was full. "I hate to waste something so good, but I can't eat another bite," she said sheepishly. Bruce waved a waiter over, who took the dish away once done conversing. "You can take it home with you then," he said simply. As they headed out the doors, Addy was beginning to feel the effects of the wine. "So let's say I decide to do this," she began, swaying slightly in the bitter breeze. "I don't have to wear a dress, do I?" Bruce frowned and asked, "Why not?" She stared at him with an 'oh please' expression and said, "I'm a college student here. Work with me, Bruce." After a brief pause, his car pulled up. She had to clench her jaw shut to keep from gaping like an idiot. The valet handed Bruce his keys and he opened the door for her. She slid in, marveling at the beautiful interior.

'Lamborghini, eh? Bit too noticeable for my taste, but still awesome,' she thought as Bruce walked around the front of the car. She buckled her seat belt and he sped off down the street. She was kind of in awe that they weren't getting pulled over. "What size dress do you wear?" Bruce asked suddenly. Addy frowned in confusion, her buzzed mind not sure if she should be insulted. "Excuse me?" she said. "I'll buy you a dress to wear," he clarified, noting the slight hostility in her voice. "It's the least I could do. After all, you're being gracious enough to play some beautiful music at my party." She blushed and said, "Couldn't I just wear a t-shirt and jeans? No one's even going to look at me. They'll be too busy talking." He smiled. "If it makes you more comfortable, go right ahead." They were already at her residence hall. 'Man he drives fast' she noted. "Thank you so much for everything," she said. "Tonight was amazing. So... what time does your fundraiser start?" Bruce smiled again and replied, "8:00. I'm glad that you decided to come. I'll send someone to get you at 7:30."

"Okay. Goodnight Mr.-oh-uh... Bruce. Thanks again." "No problem. See you tomorrow." She headed slowly for the front door. She looked up at the seven stories of her residence hall. Michelin Hall was shaped like a squared off 'U'. The sidewalk went right up the center, splitting the lawn in half. She was feeling the buzz of the wine, the liquid warming her slightly. She opened her purse and retrieved her ipod. She turned it up all the way, bobbing her head to the beat as she dug deeper. It took her several tries to get her cigarette lit. She swayed precariously toward one of the picnic benches. Her eyes lingered on the small view of the park to the right. The city's crime rate was still on the rise, especially with this Joker character. But she felt secure surrounded by the walls of her residence hall.

She wobbled on, sitting within running distance of the emergency station. She looked up at the stars and inhaled deeply, letting the smoke seep out slowly. The breeze made the trees dance. She got the eerie feeling that someone was watching her from the darkness across the street. A shiver ran down her spine, tingly gooseflesh breaking out across her body. She pulled the headphones down to rest around her neck. Her music sounded loud in the silence around her. She left her headphones where they were and took another drag. She scanned the trees and bushes carefully, trying to convince herself that no one was there. She pulled a taser from her bag and held it tightly in her hand. After a few minutes she relaxed and started bobbing to the music again. 'The Bird and the Worm... Who does this remind me of? I can't remember...' She stood up and swayed toward the nearest ashtray, her cigarette nearly gone. She sang the words quietly to herself, using sweeping gestures and dancing about at the angry parts. She put out her cigarette and took out another.

"I really should quit," she mumbled to herself as she lit a fresh one. The song ended and "Psycho" began. She liked it but frowned, wondering where her upbeat music was. By the time her second cigarette was almost done, her eyelids were growing heavy. She skipped a song that was annoying her at the moment and somewhere a twig snapped loudly. She froze and whipped around to face the street. She peered through the darkness, shoes hanging by two fingers from her left hand. Her breath stopped as a figure emerged from behind a bush. The vague outline told her it was a man. Without a second thought she dropped her cigarette and sprinted for the doors. Once through the first set of doors she fumbled through her bag for her I.D. She glanced up to see if she was being pursued. She stopped, confused. No one was following her. She searched until she found the figure standing exactly where he had emerged. He didn't move - just stood there, staring.

She scanned her I.D. and quickly slid past the door. She rushed to the elevator without looking out the window again. She slumped against the elevator wall trying to calm her frantically beating heart. It was times like these she was glad she lived on the fourth floor. When she opened her door, the familiar scent of her room washed over her. She found it oddly soothing. The TV was on, but Emilia was sleeping soundly. Addy turned the TV off and put the scrumptious dessert in the fridge. She changed into her pajamas and ran a brush through her hair. Emilia definitely had to do her hair tomorrow. She yawned widely as she leaned over Emilia's bed, searching for the cord to shut the blinds.

She glanced out the window and froze. She stepped away from the window, shaking her head. She had to be crazy. She pressed her face to the glass and cupped her hands around her eyes. Sure enough - a figure was standing on the border of the grass and the sidewalk at the park across the street. Perhaps it was even the same figure. Whoever it was, he seemed to be staring directly at her. Though she couldn't see his face, it felt like she was making eye contact. A shiver violently shook her body and she quickly stepped away to shut the blinds. She made sure the door was locked and checked the windows, just to be sure. She was hesitant to shut the light off, casting her eyes around the room in search of something to do. She sighed in defeat and flipped the switch, swiftly scrambling into bed. She lay on her side, curled up in a ball, and stared at the wall until she fell asleep.