Wake Up, Mother!

Character fiction from a troupe Vampire: The Masquerade LARP...

Wake Up, Mother! 

by Simon W

Jakob took a steadying breath he didn't really need. He'd been a Brujah for over a hundred years. But right now the second scariest vampire he'd ever met was asking really uncomfortable questions. 

"Did I stutter?"

Jakob couldn't help the small flinch. "No, sir.... uh, I mean No, Imperator. I heard you. I just.... she asked for ten years."

"She's not getting it. She's needed now."

Jakob gulped. Imperator Black had a reputation and from what he could see it was well deserved. While not currently threatening violence, he carried himself with the air of that being able to change very quickly whenever he wanted. There was only one other vampire Jakob had ever met who carried themselves in that same way. He wondered, briefly, if it was a characteristic of the Gangrel clan. 

A look from Imperator Black made him stop wool gathering. Jakob realized he needed to be rational. It's not as though he was actually being given anything remotely like a choice. "Ok," he said, "follow me. It will take a moment to prepare things."

And with that, he went to one of the outer buildings in the compound where he and two others of his line had been living for the past three years. They didn't participate in kindred politics out here and it wasn't near anything like a proper domain. It was just the place they lived and they did their best to keep out of the way of their neighbors, both supernatural and mortal. He quickly grabbed one of the herd of sheep that they tended and, after considering for a moment, simply broke the animal's neck. He was going to need all of it. After that he led the Imperator to the stone cairn that was near the back of the property under a tall conifer. He hung the dead sheep so that the blood dripped down onto the stones. And then, as he knew he would need to, he waited. 

Once gravity had done its work and most of the sheep's blood had fallen to the stones and been absorbed into the ground Jakob took a breath and yelled, "Mother! Mother, wake up! You're needed." There was no response for several moments. Jakob stamped on the ground. "Mother! Mother, wake up! Nathaniel Black is here and he says you're needed!"

Several more moments passed. Jakob was prepared to shout again when he noticed the soil starting to shift under the stones. He backed up. 

The creature that burst out of the ground could only be called humanoid because of its shape, not its demeanor. They had blood red eyes, long sharp claws on what might be hands, and a sense of fury that was palpable; they leapt at Jakob nearly pummeling him to the ground. Only his superior strength allowed him to maintain his own balance and hold the creature as they spent their rage. He kept saying, over and over, "Mother, it's me Jakob, your youngest son. I'm here, I'm here, I'm here."

During it all, Jakob was aware that the Imperator was watching the entire scene with a neutral expression on his face. 

After what felt like an eternity but was probably only a few moments the creature's fury was spent. Red eyes dimmed, claws retracted, and Jakob found himself embracing rather than grappling a woman of slight stature who was sobbing into his shoulder. He let her cry it out; from experience he knew she would calm herself after a moment but only if not admonished to do so. 

Her sobs subsided and soon she was standing in front of him. "Jakob, did I hurt you? What's wrong? It hasn't been ten years already has it?" 

"No, Mother, you didn't hurt me. It's... it's only been three years. But you see..."

"Nathaniel Black?" she said questioningly, looking past Jakob. "Are you here for clan business or does Hasfa need something?"

"He's not a servire anymore, Mother," Jakob said quietly. "He's the Imperator now... and Mother, there's something you should know..."

"Imperator?" said Saoirse at the same time that Imperator Black said, "A lot has changed in three years." They both looked at one another and raised their eyebrows. 

It was only at this point that Saoirse even seemed to become aware of her disheveled state. She looked down at herself. She looked at Jakob and Nathaniel. "How urgent is your business... Imperator? Do I have time to check on my children here and get cleaned up?

"You have until tomorrow night. I'll be back to collect you and explain everything." And with that he left, nearly as quietly and quickly as he had arrived. 

Saoirse looked at Jakob. "What has happened to the world since your father died? Maybe... maybe just the really important bits."

As they walked back toward the compound two other vampires came running out, greeting Saoirse with a combination of delight and fear. As the four entered the main house Jakob could be heard saying, "well first of all, the old Camarilla fell and now... now there is a new one."