Masks

At the End of the Day

Alexander sighs as he checks the calendar for the fiftieth time in the night. It is exactly one month later...the date being when Jessica gets to come out of the coffin. Alex slowly gets out of the chair and walks over to Jessica who during the month has floated back up to the surface of the blood. He strokes her cheek, a tear falling down his own as he looks at what she has become. Just like him, just like Lars, and just like all the others of the Nosferatu clan. 'We should have gone the other route. Ghoul her instead of simply embracing her,' he thought bitterly, his anger turning into hate for his sire. And towards his clan, the so-called "family" that couldn't just have waited. The door to the haven creaks open as Lars enters, drawing a small growl from Alexander. 'You took the woman I love and made her this,' Alex though bitterly in his mind but casts down his eyes as Lars shines with who he really is.

Lars, the leader, primogen, and voice of the Nosferatu, glares down his childe. It is almost as if Lars knows what Alexander is thinking. He also understands the great tie that Alex and Jessica have. 'I know that he is angry, but it has been a month now! Alex should let his anger go before it eats him up from inside. It will lead to the darker side of vampires. And I do not want to lose him, my first.' Lars' eyes turn to the coffin and his voice pierces the silence. "Has there been any change?" he asks.

"No," Alexander replies, his voice no louder than a whisper. "But the month has ended, she should wake up tonight." 'And I need her to wake up tonight,' he silently adds to himself.

"I know," he says reassuringly. His eyes flick from the coffin to Alex as he gets a bad feeling in the pit of his stomach. "Alexander...has you fed this night?" Alexander hangs his head and shakes no. "Have you fed anything this week?" Lars asks with concern in his voice. Alexander makes the same reply as before and Lars motions to the shadows for a blood doll to be brought in. "Good thing that the Toreador primogen thought to pay me this way for the information I gave her," Lars almost brags as the blood doll comes over to Lars and then goes to Alexander. Alex shows no emotional response as he drains the doll dry, needing the blood to stay alert and awake.

A small motion comes from the coffin as well as a soft moan. Alexander drops the doll as she falls to the ground dead, rushing to Jessica's side. "Jessica," he whispers, "come back to me love," Alex kisses her lips softly, getting a response as she kisses back. As he lets goof the kiss, his grin lights up the room as he lifts her from the coffin and hugs her tightly in his arms.

"Alex," she says clearly, "why can't I see?" Her voice goes frantic as she continues to ask that question, getting out of Alex's arms and falling to the floor. She starts to cry, wanting to feel the tears fall down her cheeks and the tears not coming. Her hands fly to where her eyes should be, but she feels skin, not her eyes holes or even her lashes. "What...why...this?" She asks, rocking back and forth on the floor as the door creaks open again. A woman of exceptional beauty, hair of gold with full red rose lips. She looks to Jessica on the floor with a look of pity.

"A word, gentlemen," she says as she motions to outside the haven.

"What do you need, Madam Seneschal?" Lars asks as Alexander keeps his eyes down and his emotions in check as they move outside.

"I would like an update on your little experiment, Lars. Also, the Prince would like to meet the newest member to his city and welcome her to the Camarilla," she sighs softly as she sees Alexander's eyes dart to other members of his clan while she is talking. "Something more interesting than what I am asking you and Lars about, Alexander?"

His eyes flick back to the Seneschal with a smirk on his face. "If you will excuse me, Madam Seneschal, sire," he says with a respectable bow to the both of them. "But there is something that I must attend to." And without waiting for a response from either of them, walks over to a man with checkerboard hair and an olive skin complexion.

"Childer today," Lars says with a small sigh. "Please excuse what he just did...the embrace of Miss Winters has put much stress on him," and a loud bang comes from within the haven, making the Seneschal jump. "Miss Winters has gone under on of the extremes of our curse. She awoke from torpor tonight and is trying to come to terms with what she has become. As for meeting the Prince, it will be hard to do...another couple of weeks, perhaps."

She nods in agreement, and looks towards Alexander going close to Lars so only he can hear what she has to say. "Since when do you let your childe associate with a person who might be a member of the Sabbat?"

Lars looks to where his childe is, looking concerned. "I do not," he mummers into her ear. "Give me some time to look into it. Miguel has questionable politics, but that does not make him a Sabbat member."

She nods with a sigh. "Still...I just don't want to see either of you hurt. Also, even though he has been released from your care, a crime on Alexander would be a high mark against you."

"Thank you for your concern, Serena but Alex knows the light from the dark. I am more worried about Jessica right now. Sure both are new to all of this, but Alex has been my ghoul for four years. If he cannot stay with the light, then I wash my hands clean of him."

"Harsh words for one with your hear, Lars." Another loud bang comes from inside the haven with crying that both can hear. Serena shakes her head with sadness in her eyes. "I feel for the child, Lars. And I will relay what you have told we have spoken about." Both the lady and lord nod and go their own ways as Alex and Miguel continue to talk.

*~*~*~*

"Ah, Alex, how does the death of innocence goes? Has the sleeping beauty awoke and that is why I see you out here now?" Miguel asks with a smirk towards his friend, watching Alex's emotions on his face. "Your face is long, not a good sign, and your eyes have the look of a fierce thunderstorm."

Alex's eyes flashes like lightening as he looks up at Miguel. "She just woke up and I fear she has lost both sight and mind! Her...the..." He sighs and fights back his tears. "I hate him for doing this," Alex whispers with a dark growl. "He turned her into a monster just to have an information network. Ruined her good life, her..." He trails off as Miguel pats his shoulder.

"I am sorry, amigo, but this is just like I told you before. They get to reign only because they are our elders. It is only this fact that you were not heard on how she should be dealt with."

Alex nods agreeing with his friend. "There should be a different system for picking who gets to rule."

Miguel smirks, eviling smiling only to himself. "The Camarilla will not hear of a different way of elder picking but there are other organizations..."

"Other organizations?"

"Yes, amigo, other organizations. The Sabbat, the Anarchs, and the Independents. Didn't Lars tell you about this?" Alexander shakes his head no, his eyes filled with curiosity. "Well, then listen with open ears. The independents and the Anarchs organization mean the same as their names. The Sabbat, on the other hand, is everything the Camarilla is not. You are allowed to question your elders and it is the strongest that rule, not just the elders. If you don't like what your superior is doing, you can try and challenge him or her. The Sabbat is freedom amigo and you should think about joining us. Or you can just waste away in the Camarilla as your best years go by." And Miguel disappears into the shadows to let Alex think.

*~*~*~*

Lars goes back into his haven, looking to his newest childe on the floor. He has turned her world upside down and shut her out of another. Now he has even more to talk to her about and it has to be done tonight. "Jessica?" He asks as she picks her head up to somewhat look at him if she could still see. "There is more that we must talk about tonight if you are up for it." She nods a yes, waiting for him to start speaking again. "You have been turned into a vampire, of clan Nosferatu to be exact. Our curse that comes along with the gift of unlife is that we get a deformity in some way. Some are less severe while others are more."

"That's why the blindness happened," Jessica says out loud but mostly to herself.

"Correct, Jessica..."

"Not Jessica!" She exclaims out of nowhere. "From now on, I want to be known as Pyre. I remember why I was embraced, I don't think I need to know about anything else."

Lars sighs and the door creaks open as Alexander comes in. Lars looks back to Pyre and nods. "Very well, Pyre, if that is your wish..."