Boot-Scoot
I actually have a more dramatic start to this one, but it just didn’t fit.
I like it anyhow.  My thanks to Megan, who not only gave me the idea for
this series, but encouraged me several times by telling me to stop. <EG>  I
don’t own any of their characters, just mine.  This takes place somewhere
around the second season.  For more information, please see the first story,
Bad Hair Day.

Miklos looked up as his normally graceful mistress plopped herself on the
bar stool and leaned on the bar.  He waited, but she obviously wanted him to
speak first.
“May I help you Lady?”
Jeanette sighed, the air, puffing out her perfect cheeks.
“I’m bored Miklos.” Having said that, she resumed staring at the wall.
Miklos shook his head.  This was happening more and more often lately.  She
would tire of one thing and move on to the next, but this was becoming a
distressingly common scene.
“Has my Lady any idea of what she would like to do?”
Jeanette shrugged her perfect shoulder, displacing the strap of her
beautiful black dress, causing several club patrons turned their heads, and
one to be slapped by his girlfriend.  Jeanette, ever heedless of the effect
she wrought on male hormones, pulled the strap back up.
“No.  That’s the problem.  What can I do?”  Her voice took a very slight
whine.  Miklos cringed.
“Has my Lady read the comics?” Usually that would distract her.
“Yes.  All of them.  From the beginning.” She said with finality.
“All of them Lady?” Miklos asked, buying for time to think of more things.
“Yes.  ALL of them.” Jeanette repeated. “I’m OLD remember?”
Miklos worried.  Any time she brought in her age, his Lady was hard to
distract.  “Umm... has my Lady gone to see the lake?”
“I’ve seen it.”
“A movie?”
“All stupid.”
“Flying?”
“Nah.”
“Shopping?”
“What would I buy?”
“Clothes?”
“Boring.”
“Rearranged furniture?”
“Twice this week.”
“Street hunting?”
“It’s winter, not many are out.”
“Club hunting?”
“They’re getting suspicious.”
“Alley hunting?”
“I hate the smell.”“Rich hunting?”
“I.” She paused. “I...haven’t done that in a while, have I?”
Miklos breathed an invisible sigh of relief.  At last. “No Lady, you
haven’t.”
She turned to face the crowd, chewing on her lip.  “How long has it been?”
She asked Miklos, a slight pout forming on her face.  A young man walked
into a pole.
“Much too long Lady.” Miklos placed a glass on the bar for another patron.
“I could go see how things have changed.” She said thoughtfully.
“I hear there are some wonderful new clubs.” Miklos said, encouraging her
train of thought.
“I did get that new gown I’ve been dying to try out.” She warmed up to the
idea.
“No time like the present.”
“And I think I have the perfect necklace to go with it.”
“When does Lady plan on going out?”
Jeanette looked at the clock behind the bar. “Oh, tomorrow Miklos.”
“Tomorrow?” He prayed that he wouldn’t have to deal with more of this
tonight.
She stared randomly into the crowd, seeming to catch the eyes of many, but
not seeing anything at all.  A man slipped and dropped his drink on his
date. “I’ll prepare now, but I don’t have time to get all dressed up and go
out tonight.  It takes time for a woman to look beautiful.”
“My Lady looks gorgeous in anything.”
“Really Miklos?” Jeanette startled him by asking, and turning towards him.
“Of course Lady.  You could wear rags, and would turn the heads of kings.”
Miklos reassured her, not sure where the question had come from. “My Lady
knows that she doesn’t have to do anything to make people notice her.”
Jeanette nodded slightly, as if reminding herself.  “Yes, but... It’s more
fun this way.”

A new purpose gripped her as she woke up, a beginning sense of anticipation
for the new night.  She hadn't felt this for a while, and it pleased her.
Throwing open her closet, she looked at the outfit she had carefully
selected for tonight.  Tonight, she would hunt the rich.
Two hours later, she swept down the stairs, her long cocktail dress flowing
behind her.  Especially designed for her, the front came up to show off a
little of her perfect legs, while the back almost swept the ground, so it
could ‘swoosh’.  Expensive jewelry glittered around her, her hair and makeup
immaculate and calculated to draw in the shyest of courtiers.  A cloud of
expensive and tantalizing perfume surrounded her.  Many of the employees of
the club stopped and stared at their beautiful employer turned goddess.  One
almost stabbed himself with his broom.  Miklos at the bar only nodded and
continued in his job.  ‘Thank heavens.’ he thought to himself fervently.
‘This should keep her occupied for a while.’

Three nights later, Jeanette woke up.  She had been going out every night to
the fanciest clubs and restaurants Toronto had to offer.  She had been
courted by (and dined on) the riches and most handsome men in the world.
She was pampered and flattered, she teased and was chased, hunter and
hunted.  Everything that she loved to do.  And yet, she dreaded going out
tonight.  It seemed odd, because it usually took longer to tire of ‘hunting
the rich.’ But there she was.
In fact, she really didn’t want to start her night.  She was tired.  She was
bored.  She wanted *one night* in which she didn’t have to be perfect.  She
loved her power over men, but one shouldn’t have to work so hard at it!
Especially one as gorgeous as her!  Finally dragging herself out of bed and
through the shower, Jeanette tried to shake off the listlessness.  She
wasn’t looking forward to it as she normally did, but she would give it a
go.  She began throwing on one of her simpler outfits, and a half-hour later
was ready to meet the world enough to go shopping.
Wandering through the stores, Jeanette couldn’t really find anything that
caught her fancy.  At least it was fall, and she could shop the mortal
stores as well.  Wandering aimlessly, she arrived in an area of the mall she
hadn’t been to before.  Sticking to the sides, she watched people, as they
were proving more interesting than clothes tonight.  Suddenly, a particular
mortal caught her eye.  She was... pretty, certainly.  And had an air of
confidence.  She was certainly catching people’s eyes.  However, she was
dressed as if she didn’t care that the world was watching.  Yet, she still
drew many admirable stares.  Jeanette felt a challenge growing in her.
-Well, if a *mortal* can do it, so can I!-
Hurrying to a nearby store, she quickly found what she wanted and bought it.

Nearing dawn, she returned to the Raven.  Jeanette slipped through the crowd
easily and settled on her barstool in her corner.  No one refuted her right
to be there.  She waved nonchalantly for Miklos to bring her a drink.  It
had been an interesting night, and she wanted some of her best.  The
all-familiar thump of the music filled the dark and writhing room.  Children
of the night, both mortal and non filled the dance floor, and all the tables
were occupied.  All seemed normal.  At the other end of the bar, Miklos
glanced up at her, recognition of the routine in his face, then did a double
take.  He seemed shocked and dropped his glass.
-odd, Miklos has never dropped a glass before.- Jeanette thought curiously
to herself.  When he came over, she asked him. “Are you quite all right
Miklos?”
“Um...y.y.yes L.lady.” He stammered.
“Then I will have some of my Best.” Jeanette responded, dismissing him, and
turning to peruse the room.  Returning quickly with her glass, Miklos set it
down and disappeared to clean of the broken glass.  Being the good bartender
that he was, he knew better than to point out that his Mistress had gone
insane.

Waking up to the new night, Jeanette woke up refreshed.  The change the
night before had erased the listlessness that had plagued her for weeks.  It
was nice to try something new once in a while.  Sliding out of bed, she
thought about the night awaiting her.  There were so many options!  She
decided she would do a little exploring, see the lake in moonlight, and then
go where her whims took her.  It felt like a careless night.
Throwing open her closet to find the perfect outfit, she looked at the mass
of clothes and suddenly felt tired.  The very thought of even starting the
arduous process of dressing depressed her.  A slight headache started behind
her eyes, and the annoying listlessness was creeping back.  Her eyes strayed
to the small pile of clothes in the corner.  Feeling a rebellion rising in
her, she pulled on her new clothes, threw back her hair, and went
downstairs, feeling carefree.
The club was in the early stages of setting up, the chairs still on the
tables, and people still coming in for work.  Miklos was already behind the
bar, pulling glasses out of the dishwasher, and hanging them up.  Jeanette
had not seen the club like this for a long time.  It was nice. Sauntering
over to the bar, she sat down.  Miklos had seen her come down the stairs, so
he was prepared, and had already regained his composure.  Placing a glass in
front of her, he said casually, “Going for a new look Lady?”
Tossing her ponytail, Jeanette replied carelessly, “Yes, I felt in need of a
casual day.”
“And is Lady going out tonight?”
“Yes, I’ve decided to go exploring.”
“Have fun Lady.”
“I will.”

-Fun.- Jeanette mused over the word a little. -I wonder what would be
‘fun’.-
Picking a random place, she landed and started walking.  Soon she saw a
group of people dressed almost exactly like her. One waved cheerfully as if
he knew her and said “Hi!  Are you going to the club too?”
“The club?” Jeanette wondered who this impertinent mortal was, and what “The
club” was.
“Yeah!  The Rattler!  You’re dressed just right for it!” His enthusiasm
didn’t diminish at all at her cold reply.
“Oh, that club.” Jeanette decided to play along. “Yes, but I do believe I’m
lost.”
“Well, come along with us!  We’ll get you there!”
Joining the group, she listened to them talk and joke, enjoying the warm
atmosphere.  Quickly she caught everyone’s names.  The boy who had waved to
her was named Shawn, and was apparently always as open and friendly as he
had been to her.
One of the girls directed a question at her. “Aren’t you cold?”
Jeanette started for a moment, then realized that everyone else had on a
heavy jacket, while she just had a t-shirt and a flannel over.  She tried to
look careless about it as she shrugged the question off. “No, I don’t get
cold easily.”
“Wow, I’m freezing!  You’re lucky!”
Jeanette shrugged again, and the conversation went on and swirled around
her.  Eventually they came to a building with loud music pulsating out of
it.  A large neon sign depicted a snake curling around the words “RATTLER”.
-I do believe this is the place.- Jeanette thought to herself, bemused.
It was definitely a nightclub, with all the signs of one.  The loud music,
the people clustered around the door, the large Bouncer, the smoke curling
out of the entrance, all pointed to this being a club just like her own.
But there was a difference.  This was nothing like her “RAVEN” that she had
built and designed herself.  The music wasn’t as driving, the atmosphere
wasn’t as dark, and everyone seemed...happier.  Plus, she blended in quite
well here.  Everyone was in jeans and some sort of flannel shirt!  There
were even several people wearing large cowboy hats.  She felt like she fit
in here, while she stuck out like a sore thumb in her own sanctuary now.
Entering with the rest of the group, she saw the dance floor was full, and
everyone was moving in the same way.  It reminded her of the dancing of her
youth.  She remembered peaking through the large doors to see everyone
dancing the same lovely steps.  They all looked so beautiful, she longed to
dance with them.  But that was the imaginings of youth.  Now, this dance
floor appealed to her more.  The dancers seemed freer, in a sense.  After
watching for a little, she felt confident she could perform this dance with
ease.  As she was about to sit down at a nearby table, Shawn grabbed her
hand and grinned at her.  “C’mon!  Let’s dance!”
He was just so excited to dance, she didn’t have the heart to rip his head
off tonight.  As she was led to the floor, she watched the other dancers
move.  Picking up the steps, she joined in.  As the night progressed, Shawn
and many others asked her to dance many times.  She rarely sat down, and was
never there for long before she was asked to dance again.  After a little,
she realized she was smiling.  It wasn’t slow or indulgent, or even cynical,
but rather... happy.  She realized that she was enjoying herself immensely,
and when dawn came, she was very  reluctant to slip away.  Entering through
the back of the club, she climbed the stairs and fell exhausted into bed.

Miklos listened as the Lady woke up.  Mentally, he kept track of her
routine. She was going to wear jeans again.  Now she was doing her hair, and
singing.  He cringed to hear the Lady singing Country, and hoped for the
hundredth time that is was just a phase that would end soon.  She opened the
door to her room, walked down the stairs... wait!  She was coming down to
the club!  He hadn’t seen her in a week, since she started using the back
entrance.
Quickly pouring her a drink, he placed the goblet on the bar and had it
waiting for her.  She appeared, a vision as always.  As she glided down the
stairs and across the room, he noted that she hadn’t lost any of her grace
or poise, but it was more than a little unnerving to see her wearing jeans
and a t-shirt.  The cowboy hat had to go.  She smiled more now.  That was
especially disturbing.  Picking up her glass, she addressed him as if
nothing was different from before.
“Anything new tonight Miklos?”
“No Lady, we hope for a busy night.”
“Good.”  She took a drink from her goblet.  “Can you do me a favor?”
“Of course Lady.”
“Have someone clean my closet.”
“Yes Lady.  What should I do with the clothes?”
“Throw them out.”
“Lady?!” Miklos just about choked; not sure he heard what she just said.
“Throw them out, sell them, donate them, burn them, wear them, cut them up
and sew them into quilts, I don’t care.”  She had a firm determination in
her voice. “I’m tired of them and the time they take to wear, care for and
even to buy.”
“Are you sure about this Lady?” Miklos’ voice climbed an octave.
Jeanette looked at him with a bit of warning in her eyes.  She drained her
glass quickly. “Quite.” Punctuating her decision by firmly placing the
goblet on the bar, she stood up and started out the door.  Pausing, she
looked back thoughtfully.
“Miklos?”
He paused, hoping wildly for a glimpse of sanity. “Lady?”
“Have them do the same with the cosmetics in my vanity.”
Strangling out a barely intelligible “Yes Lady,” Miklos nodded and gripped
the bar like a lifeline.  He watched while his formerly sane employer did
part of a step from a line dance while singing softly “..my achey-breaky
heart. I just don’t think...” and disappeared out the front door.
Staring in utter disbelief, Miklos fumbled below the bar for a bottle of the
Lady’s special reserve.  He needed a drink.

When will it END?!
Please contact dreamerextrodanar@hotmail.com with  comments.  I really
appreciate them!