Francois Mamuwalde is the stage name of Clarence Wilks, a Caitiff residing in the Chicago area.
Biography[]
| “ | I am the first member of the legendary House of Lilith. I am the Mother of the legendary House of Mamuwalde and the fiercest bitch in all of the goddess’ creation. I am Francois Mamuwalde, but you can call me Buffy because I am here to slay all y’all muthafuckas! | ” |
Mortal Days[]
Clarence knew he was different from a very young age. His sisters would dress him up like a little girl. He would walk in his mother’s shoes, put on her jewelry and wear her wigs. He loved every second of it. Playing dress up was his thing. Clarence was enamored by his mother’s beauty and wanted to look just like her.
His parents didn’t approve of his orientation and ruthlessly tormented him in the hopes of changing his ways. Clarence ran away from home in ‘68 to become a famous performer and even now struggles to look back without welling up.
Clarence found himself on the streets of Greenwich Village black, gay, and homeless. He had to fight off the bums who would try and steal his things when he slept on the park benches. He had to run from cops who were cracking down on the “perverts” bringing down society. Clarence became a prostitute, selling his mouth and ass on the street for rent money and cigarettes.
Clarence was at the Stonewall when the riot started that Saturday night in June of ‘69. The riots were an inspiration. He knew he had to get his shit together. He started telling jokes on the corner for spare change. He was able to “mop” some dresses, wigs, and makeup to become someone new...something new.
His first drag persona was “Baby Love,” with Clarence performing in bathhouses and clubs from 1970 on. He was also a big fan of horror movies, often sneaking into theaters to catch the dollar show, occasionally pleasing a client in the back row.
August 25, 1972. A new vampire movie called Blacula opened. As Clarence enjoyed the performances of William Marshall and Vonetta McGee, he noticed a broad-shouldered, long-haired man sitting three seats away. He was staring in Clarence’s direction while rubbing his crotch. Understanding the signal, Clarence moved to the seat next to him and replaced the hand on the man’s crotch with his. He was about to get busy when the man yanked his head up and bit Clarence’s neck.
Kindred Nights[]
Clarence woke up under a pile of garbage in a dumpster the next evening. He was abandoned and thirsty, he had fangs and couldn’t walk out in the middle of the day anymore. Clarence was a mess.
He tried to learn about his new condition as best he could, but vampire movies are not educational films. At least he could see himself in the mirror to fix his face, but the rest of it was a sad state of affairs. He resorted to feeding on rats, cats, and dogs, scared he would turn anyone he bit. The stress affected Clarence’s performances, which also meant it was messing with his money. Clarence was bombing on stage, singing sad-ass songs; people were starting to hate Baby Love.
Clarence became so depressed that he contemplated suicide. It was New Year’s Eve and he decided that after his last show at the bathhouse, he would stand in the middle of the Village and watch the sunrise. Clarence opened with “The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face” by Roberta Flack. As he looked out into the sea of bored faces, he saw Erzulie in the crowd. A legend in the scene, Clarence thought his mind was playing tricks. Then, Erzulie started moving closer until she got up to the front. Child, the goddess was real! Clarence felt the spirit come back and proceeded to bring the house down…
Baby Love was back!
But, that was only the beginning. After the show, Erzulie came up to Baby Love and gave Clarence a hug. Erzulie took Clarence in and gave him a home, becoming Baby Love’s mentor and his friend. In return, Clarence pledged his eternal devotion and became the first member of what would become the House of Lilith.
That night, Baby Love died, only to be reborn as Francois Mamuwalde.
Appearence[]
Francois Mamuwalde is a 6’2” barrel-chested African American with caramel skin and almond eyes. As Clarence Wilks, Francois is a well-dressed man with a “club casual” style, often wearing skinny jeans (a little too skinny) with crisp button-down shirts, sweaters, dress shoes, and hats for every occasion.
In his Mamuwalde persona, Clarence is “cinched to the gods,” giving Francois an hourglass figure. Her looks are “almost there,” but something is never quite right. Some of her looks include “Power to the People while running B613 Realness”: a mash-up of Mamuwalde’s fashion icons Olivia Pope and Angela Davis. Another look, “Presidential Hip Hop Realness,” is the combination of former president of Liberia Ellen Johnson’s African-inspired fashion with the swagger of Hip Hop diva Remy Ma, all with a purple wig.
Francois Mamuwalde is a loud bitch. Aggressive and absolutely hilarious, Mamuwalde is quick to “tell people about themselves.” Her voice is slightly higher than the average black man with an almost stereotypical “sassy” effeminate twang.
Sheet[]
References[]
- VTM: Chicago by Night 5th Edition, p. 107-110
