by KajiraGames.
Chapter 38: Crazier Than Roberta?
Prince Lacroix's orders were to find Dr Grout, head of a mental institution and primogen of Roberta's own Malkavian clan. The institute was architecturally an old mansion owned by Grout, and as she explored, Roberta found dictaphone recordings that told his story.
A Malkavian vampiress apparently crazier than Roberta had been committed to the asylum, and had bitten and sired Dr Grout against his will. Grout had come to terms with his vampirism and was offered the post of primogen because he was more articulate than most Malkavs. His form of madness came in the form of voices, that warned him that Lacroix and other senior vampires were out to get him. Paranoia had made him stop turning up for vampire council meetings.
Roberta also found out that the most dangerous inmates had escaped in Grout's absence and were now knife-wielding obstacles to her search. The males were the most dangerous and had to be taken out with Roberta's fireaxe or her fangs. But with the women she could be more subtle.
One of Dr Grout's recordings said in his sophisticated voice: "Whatever mental disease has afflicted my female patients has increased their aggression but also raised their sensitivity exponentially. My attendants, before they were presumably killed in the mass escape, found that any one could be brought under control by taking a firm grip on one of their nipples. The pain thereof apparently overcomes their rage."
When Roberta encountered most of the women they were apparently oblivious to their surroundings, either weeping or laughing hysterically. To avoid their knife attacks, Roberta simply needed to sneak up behind them and grab one of their boobs. A hard nipple pinch and they would collapse to the ground screaming, and remain helpless till Roberta was well past them.
Only one of them was facing Roberta and alerted. She attacked the vampiress immediately, slashing the air with her knife. But no madwoman could match vampiric speed. Roberta dodged, knocked her opponent to the floor and straddled her. Then she took a firm grip of both nipples and pinched hard. The inmate yelled blue murder and dropped her knife. Roberta left her rolling around on the floor clutching her offended breasts.
The last opponent before Grout's inner sanctum was a male. Roberta wondered whether he would have a similar sensitivity in HIS gender-specific organs. As the madman attacked, she aimed a swift vampiric kick between his legs. He yelled, but the yell turned into a maniacal laugh, and he stood with his legs apart as if inviting her to do the same again.
Obviously the madness didn't work the same way with men. This one at least seemed to have some kind of masochism. It was tempting to kick him a few times for the hell of it, but Roberta didn't have time. She leapt at him, wrapped her bare legs around his waist and started to feed. The madman continued laughing, apparently enjoying this too. But the laughter became weaker and stopped as Roberta drank the last of his blood.
Again Roberta had the unusual feeling of being the sanest person in the building. She moved on to the ornate double doors to Dr Grout's private suite.
