#Lore24 – Entry #294 – Sentinel City by Night #20 – Matters of Faith
From the Journal of Sheba O’Rourke, Private Investigator
“Been to several strange places all over Sentinel City, but Light’s Hope Chapel was the strangest one yet. Hadn’t planned on stopping in, no reason to really, just happened to be in the neighborhood. I’d continued my work, had a couple more instances where I picked up on someone following me, but never could pin them down. Think they know that I know for sure now, so they’re being a lot more subtle about it. Got word to Grim Jacobs via Sokolova but hadn’t heard from him or his Hounds yet.
Was on my way back from trolling for a source on the drug when I happened upon the church. Parking lot had to have been half full, odd for this time of night, so I figured what the hell, I’d bite the bullet and stop in and see what this preacher was all about.
Can’t say I was prepared for what I experienced when I walked into the chapel. Heard her preaching about the works of the “Great One”, of the power found within its “pure and holy light” and the like. The crowd was enthralled by her, don’t know if she was using one of our vampiric tricks or if she was just that damn good at preaching. Still, noticed she wasn’t referencing God or Jesus during that sermon.
Tried to get a good look at Ausar. Could tell she was dressed like a nun but had trouble keeping my eyes on her. Hadn’t felt this kind of sensation…ever. My skin tingled as I hit the rear pews, not painfully so, but I couldn’t keep from squirming, kinda like that feeling I got that time back in San Diego when I was nearly caught outdoors on a late night and felt the dawn creeping up on me. Had to avert my eyes when she picked up her cross and brandished it over the crowd, the candlelight glinting off the gold just too intense for me. I wasn’t even using my heightened senses. Then I got the bright idea to read her aura.
Was damn near blinded by the light radiating off her, pure, golden…holy. I’d never seen that before, had to quickly shut that off and rub my eyes, but still couldn’t get the after images to clear for a good while. I’d never come across this before, but I knew instinctively what it was. True faith. It might not have been in the god that cursed us Kindred, but whatever it was, Ausar had the utmost unshakeable belief in it, and I’d wager her flock believed in it just as much as she did.
And here I thought I got hyper-obsessed with my work sometimes…
That was probably the most uncomfortable twenty minutes of my unlife; just kept waiting for my skin to burst into flames under the power of ‘the Light’, and though I’d thought to leave, I couldn’t make myself get up. Fact that I’m writing this means I made it out, of course, and not even a sunburn to show for it.
Ausar’s intensity faded once she’d wrapped up her sermon, thankfully. I kept my distance while she mingled with her flock, but eventually, once they had started to file out, she came up to me. She seemed every bit the true believer she presented herself as, a fervor in her that I’d almost call a mania, barely contained. Still had trouble keeping eye contact with her, kept feeling like I was transgressing or something. Damn strange sensation. She apologized for it, though, said those like me with increased senses often struggled around her at first. Won’t go into too much detail about what we discussed; I’ve never been the type to be especially religious, but a little food for thought never hurt anyone.
Wasted damn near the whole night chatting with her, though; tried to wiggle out of it, but something about her kept drawing me back in. Definitely counting this one amongst the strangest nights in my life…so far, anyway. Who knows what tomorrow may bring? By the end of it, she’d extended an invitation for me to share her haven if I didn’t wish to go home, an offer I respectfully declined, but likewise advised me to keep her in mind should I require guidance in spiritual matters and even if I should find myself in need of healing. Not so sure I wanted to be touched by those hands of hers or not given that her presence alone was enough to make my skin crawl.
Ankara Ausar is something else. That’s all I can really say. Don’t know if that’s holy fervor and her faith guiding her or some kind of madness. Maybe both. She is a fellow Malkavian, after all. We’re all known to have our moments of lunacy, just have to wonder if she’s living in hers all the damn time or if I caught her on a lucid night.”