Malkavian Madness


Disclaimer: Vampire the Masquerade – Bloodlines = © WhiteWolf. I don't make any profit from this story.

Warnings for this chapter: suggestive themes (light F/F), language

A/N: The grand finale! *drumroll* Thanks to everyone who read and reviewed this story :)


VII: Vanity

Immaculate

Purple. Such a pristine color, often connected to royalty, to nobility. Purple – the color of seduction, the perfect mixture of blue and red, the perfect combination of innocence and passion, of calmness and desire, of ice and fire.

Jeanette eyed the aubergine-colored velvet dress with big, almost child-like eyes. It's so pretty, she thought in delight as she slipped into it.

It was indeed a pretty dress: it was taken in at the waist, the lower part pleated, swirling around Jeanette's long legs while the upper part fitted snugly onto her body. The cleavage wasn't very deep – unusual, considering the rest of Jeanette's wardrobe –, adorned by skillfully placed pieces of fabric. A leather trim was on the top of the dress that blended straight into leather straps.

Innocent, yet seductive.

Tonight, Jeanette refrained from wearing her usual net stockings and strappy high heels, putting on suspenders and lace stockings and black patent leather pumps instead. Her long blonde hair was curled and pinned up loosely, her lips were painted in a deep burgundy, her eyes void of any dramatic smudged eyeliner.

Done. You're all dolled up now. How does it feel to hide your true self beneath a layer of make-up? How does it feel to know you can never turn back time? How does it feel to know your innocence won't ever return? How does it feel?

Ignore the voices. The less you care, the happier you will be.

Jeanette thought she looked quite nice, actually. Sophisticated. Modest. Lady-like. … Human?

She added the final touch and put on the necklace with the locket from the Ocean House. Carefully, she took a step back from the mirror, taking a look at her reflection. Her nimble fingers danced around the small pendant.

See that, Therese? Mine!

A low growl that came from her own mouth answered her but she composed herself quickly, twining some of the locks that got into her face around her finger before pinning them to the side.

Looking good.

Vanity – the mother of all sins. The fountain of all the things that made existence miserable and made her feel guilty in her dark moments. But Jeanette couldn't help but like the feeling she got whenever she looked in the mirror. Looking at herself made her feel proud even though the small voice in the back of her mind kept on whispering that she didn't achieve anything in her life. Jeanette lived through the night which passed in a blur just to stumble back into her haven at sunrise, disoriented and confused with no clue what life really was about.

A small frown appeared on her forehead. The meaning of life? What was she even thinking about?

Jeanette was prepared for the night and left her small flat that was located above the club, riding down the elevator. She wasn't properly dressed for The Asylum, her destination was another club...


Oh, if the humans only knew..., Jeanette thought with a scoff as she entered the Vesuvius.

So many kindred in one city, blending into society without being noticed. Maybe it was good thing... otherwise she wouldn't be enjoying a glass of blood and her own private strip tease of one of Velvet Velour's dancers.

Jeanette eyed the girl in front of her hungrily as she moved with the slow music. She was good-looking but Jeanette didn't really pay attention to her face. Her body shape was very feminine, she had a slim waist and curvy hips and big breasts (silicone, and lots of it but who cares about minor details like these?).

For now, simply watching would suffice but Jeanette knew she wanted more. The night was young, after all and Jeanette wasn't picky when it came to sex. Male, female – it didn't matter to her. Bodies are bodies, people are people. The gender wasn't important as long as the beast got its fix.

Carnal desire. It burned hotly in her veins. Tonight, Jeanette was the seducer and the girl in front of her was her prey. Tonight, Jeanette would make her submit to her, make her succumb to her wishes, make this nameless dancer her personal slave. It's her true nature. Luring victims in and then snapping shut just like a Venus flytrap. Jeanette actually enjoyed the little role play, liked to be dominant.

The Vesuvius was a very stylish and expensive strip club. Currently, Jeanette was seated in one of the booths, leaned back against the crimson cushions of the sofa that was placed there. She set the empty glass aside, beckoning the dancer to come closer to her. With an elegant sway of her hips, she sat down into Jeanette's lap, straddling her.

Jeanette let her fingers run over the exposed skin of the girl in front of her, starting by cupping her cheek, down to her throat, over her collarbones down to her cleavage. The dancer wore a set of lingerie that consisted of a black and baby pink lace bra and panties.

Jeanette twirled the ends of the small bow that was placed between her breasts around her finger, hearing her giggle silently as the bow ends tickled her skin. Jeanette's hands trailed lower to her stomach, feeling the supple skin there.

Ah, warmth. We've been dead for too long.

The dancer flinched a little when Jeanette traced her sides. "Baby, why are you so cold?", she asked with a sharp intake of breath, making Jeanette snigger quietly.

"Warm me up, honey", Jeanette said innocently even though her lips had curled into a wicked smile.

The dancer had caught the hint and leaned down, smoothing her lips against Jeanette's.

We've been dead for way too long.

Such a nice feeling – the body of someone else pressed close to you, absorbing someone else's body heat.

The dancer's hands tangled into Jeanette's hair and she pressed the girl closer to her in response. She could taste the artificial cherry aroma of the dancer's lip gloss along with her natural, slightly sweet taste, felt every of her small breaths on her face, memorized the sensation of those full lips on her own. Their tongues rubbed against each other, slowly, sensually.

Doesn't it feel like a sin to you?

Not that discussion again. Why now, of all times? And she just started to enjoy herself!

Why should passion and sex be sins? Living meant reproducing and reproducing involved – oh.

And now you get it.

Was it because Jeanette was with a woman?

It's because we're a vampire and she's a human. We don't breed this way. We actually don't breed at all.

Because we're all cursed and doomed, blah blah blah. Jeanette told the voices to shut up, giving them the mental finger, enjoying the deep kisses she was sharing with the nameless dancer.

Ivory Princess, you think of yourself as immaculate. You are not a child anymore, yet you act like one. You are not innocent anymore, yet you want to be.

Jeanette froze. The girl in her lap stared at her.

"What is it, baby?", she asked with a grin. "Want to take this further? If you have the cash, we can go to one of the private rooms." She wriggled her brows and Jeanette frowned.

"I have to go."

The grin vanished from the dancer's face. "You're kidding, right?" Suddenly, she sounded pissed.

Jeanette pushed her out of her lap, leaving the Vesuvius without another word.

Innocence. Who needs that shit anyway? Jeanette had other things to worry about.

Getting laid is number one on your priority list, just as always, you whore.

Therese. She always had to ruin everything with her morals, her twisted view of purity.

Put on your scanty outfits, Jeanette. Apply some more make-up. You live for moments like these, right? You enjoy being undressed by the eyes of strangers you just met. You enjoy to flaunt our body. You are so arrogant that it makes me sick.

"Look who's talking", Jeanette said nonchalantly, "I am arrogant, huh? Says the greedy bitch that can't keep her fingers to herself, clawing onto possessions like a madman."

Jeanette took a cab back home. Just as always, the night had passed in a blur. She hadn't even realized how much time she had actually spent in the strip club. Still, it was about 4 AM – there were still a lot of people in the club but Jeanette was in a bad mood thanks to Therese, not really interested in picking up someone for a little action.

"Are you satisfied now?", Jeanette asked as soon as the door of the small apartment had slammed shut behind her. She was stripping herself, pulling off the beautiful velvet dress.

"I am", came the answer from her other self, "You're slacking off, dear sister."

"Shut up."

"I'm stronger than you."

"You're not."

"I am our true face."

"Really? I am the face of our desire. I am everything you ever wanted to be. How does it feel, Therese?"

"Don't give me that. I am –"

"YOU ARE ME! DON'T YOU GET IT? I AM YOU AND I WON'T GO AWAY!"

They broke down, grabbing the edge of the fancy heart-shaped bed that stood in the room. Therese knew Jeanette was right – she couldn't delete her existence.

Jeanette grabbed the necklace of the small locket the duckling had brought yesterday.

"You wanted this so badly and he refused to give it to me", she whispered. "Look how fucked-up we are."

They couldn't continue like this. One of them had to go.

"What are you doing?", Therese asked when Jeanette slipped into her usual outfit, hiding the locket in her bra.

"Going for a walk", Jeanette said innocently. Of course, Therese already knew what she was up to.

"You can't throw it away."

"Watch me." Jeanette grinned when she felt Therese panic. "Would it really matter if I threw it away? You already dispelled the Ocean House." Her smirk got even wider. "You greedy whore. You just want the jewelry for yourself, this has nothing to do with politics."

Therese growled loudly. Jeanette always knew. "Someday, I will kill you."

"Of course you will." Jeanette shut the door behind her, making her way downstairs and onto the street, going into the direction of the Santa Monica Pier. "But until you do, I'll still have my fun." She started climbing up the stairs to the pier, making her way to the railing.

"Fun?", Therese huffed with a disapproving glare, "So this is what you call fun? Destroying my –"

"Your what exactly?", Jeanette intervened, "It's not your amulet. Why are you so attached to it, hmm?"

The pendant dangled from its chain, Jeanette only needed to open her palm and would be washed away by the ocean. The twins fought for power, both of them determined to win.

"You created me to take the things your personality couldn't handle, Therese", Jeanette said silently, staring into the distance. "I am this way because you forced me to be this way. That's why you're the dark one. You're the one pulling the strings but I had enough of you forcing me down."

"And what about you?", Therese asked, "You're always working against me, no matter what I do. We could get along but you always refuse. You don't want us to get along, you're happy with the way things are, you're happy with acting like a child."

The pendant fell down, landing in the ocean with a smack. The twins stared at the spot where it sank to the ground, washed away by the waves.

"This was the final straw, Therese", Jeanette whispered, biting her lip when she realized she had started to cry.

"So be it", Therese spat venomously, "You won't survive your next slip-up, Jeanette."

They left the beach and Therese collapsed onto her bed once she was in her haven, crying herself to sleep until the sun rose.

Vanity – the mother of all sins. The fountain of all the things that made existence miserable.