Three months before Katrina
New Orleans, Louisiana
Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport
I passed by the security check-point where people where being searched before going to their perspective flights and adventures. It's so cool in here; I wonder how hot it is outside, the weather reports said a thunderstorm was coming in from Texas, so it's probably humid as hell outside. As I walked to the baggage claim I wished for the hundredth time I'd asked my uncle what the man was supposed to look like. All he said was that the guy wall tall and dark and would have a girl about my age with him. I asked if it was his daughter and my uncle said no but for some reason I got the impression that my uncle was laughing on the inside. Although as an Oneroi he doesn't have emotions technically, but still I'd always wondered about that.
I wished bleakly for the seventieth time that I had just talked to Dr. Alexander on the phone instead of taking a quick trip to New Orleans. Maybe this friend of my family's won't show and I can just call Dr. Alexander and lie saying I missed my flight, and then take the next flight home. Then I realized the fates would not be that nice to me.
As I neared the baggage conveyor for my flight I saw an oddly dressed pair standing off by the lost luggage office. They look like the poster kids for Hot Topics©. The man who looked no older than me was as tall as the door—most doors are at least seven feet in height. But what made his appearance odd were the designer sunglasses and the bright green hair with black skunk streaks in it. The girl standing next to him had black hair with red streaks in varying sizes. Her clothes were black with red…pretty much anything that wasn't black was red. I stopped and grabbed a baggage trolley so I wouldn't be caught staring but I couldn't help turning back to glance again. The guy was like a magnet, every woman in the area was staring at him. Oh no, they're coming this way, maybe they'll just pass by me, I thought as I grabbed my small bag from the conveyor.
As they neared, they slowed down, not veering in the slightest. The girl let go of the man's hand and skipped the last ten feet to me. She stopped and smiled, peering at me like I was a weirdo or an art piece.
"Akri, Simi thinks this be the person M'Adoc asked us to pick,"she said as she stared at me then frowned, "Is your name Serenia?" she asked.
"Um…yeah." I stammered, not really sure what to say to the strange goth girl.
The man adjusted his sunglasses on his face and I caught sight of silver colored eyes before he pushed them back into place. He smiled a dazzling smile.
"I'm Ash and this is my daughter Simi. Your uncle asked me if I could get you from the airport." He said, his smile in place as he bent towards my luggage.
"I can carry my bag, its no big deal, it's only a small thing." I said as I waved his hand away and picked up my bag.
Ash smiled still and took my bag right out of my hand, his other hand motioning towards the doors. Simi smiled and took my hand, pulling me along with her.
"Akri, he real gentleman towards ladies, except the heifer goddess, Simi knows this. No need to worry about carrying it yourself. You like barbeque?" Simi said, her conversation a bit jumbled as she pulled me towards the doors.
I looked back at Ash and wondered how he had a kid who looked about my age when he looked like he was my age. I thought to myself that he would look gorgeous in a suit or even better yet with a poet's shirt and the pants he was wearing. As we neared the doors Simi stopped then looked around as she rubbed her stomach.
"Alrightie, Simi thinks we need to leave cause all these peoples making the Simi hungry for barbeque and fried, crispy barbequed peoples sound good." She said, making smacking noises at the end of her rambling.
"Head to the IROC out front. The guy with the obnoxious Hawaiian shirt is the owner of the vehicle and he's our ride. Simi take the bag and tell Otto that I'm still waiting on the new gopher and that I will be there shortly, oh and no eating the tires please, people need them."he said as he handed over my luggage to Simi then patting her on the head.
"Simi no eat tires?!? But Simi is hungry! You no fun anymore Akri." said Simi as she took the bag then pouted at Ash.
"Go with her Serenia, don't worry about anything okay." Said Ash as he turned around and walked back towards baggage.
Simi grabbed my hand again and pulled me out the doors, "Come on Serenia, Otto be a waiting for us and he bored easily."
"Wait…why are we waiting for someone else?" asked Serenia, a slightly confused look on her face.
"Akri waiting on new helper for the area that's all," Simi started moving practically dragging me with her, "come on, Otto be waiting."
We walked to the vehicle, which looked like the thing belonged in a junk heap not in front of an airport. A good looking guy in an outrageous Hawaiian shirt came forward.
"Akri say he just waiting on new gopher then we go and that I can't eat any tires, you also have to entertain us until then." Said Simi in a singsong voice.
Otto made a face at Simi then turned to look at me. Even though the clothes screamed stupid rich idiot, his hands looked like he actually worked and his hair cut was the shabby chic that was in style.
"Name's Otto Carvalletti, I'll be your chauffeur, guide, dinner show for your stay as long as I'm not too busy. May I take you backpack?" he asked, his accent giving him away as an intelligent individual.
"Serenia Dreamus and your outfit is atrocious yet expensive at the same time, where did you get it? Rich boys pretend store for bad vacations or Mafia'r'us?" I asked, letting him take my backpack.
Otto took my pack and smiled, "Well, I just took my leave from the general and his wife. I didn't have much time to change after Acheron called before coming out here to play chauffeur. So you'll just have to put up with my loud shirt until I drop you off at Tulane." He said as he opened the front passenger door and set m backpack on it.
"What's his problem?" I asked Simi when he walked away.
"Otto hate being errand boy, makes him seem less important than he feels. But he never tell Akri that, not unless he don't want to be barbequed or become a permanent gopher. Gopher's okay once the fur all gone, especially with my barbeque sauce. Simi knows a great recipe for barbeque sauce and gopher, but Simi no think you would like it." Said Simi, the last half more of ramble than anything.
I smiled and shook my head at Simi, "That's okay Simi, I'm not a huge fan of barbeque sauce and I don't know if I'd like gopher. Thank you though for the offer."
