Azrael had seen a few cities since first becoming human, yet this one was different. New Orleans was what Tobias had called it, and the name had sounded familiar to Azrael. Yet while he had almost believed it would be a modern city, it spoke of old things and earlier times. It wasn’t just the buildings themselves, dated as so many of them were. It was the wildness that seemed to reach into every part of the city that they passed through. Old as so many of the buildings seemed, there was an ancient feel in the lush greenery, that was so prevalent it seemed unstoppable.
It was certainly a vibrant place, and not just in its growth. Blending comfortably with the feeling of age and history, was a vitality in the population. Their short stop for lunch had left Azrael absolutely delighted at the crowds of people that they passed. Tobias had snorted at the sight of people in bars, but Azrael hadn’t minded at all. Everyone who walked around them seemed to possess a joy and vigor that couldn’t be suppressed.
“You alright over there?”
Azrael turned to Tobias with a wide grin plastered on his face. “I love this place,what a wonder! Would that we could live here.”
“Really?”
“Old and new, brought together into a surprisingly effective community. It’s so antiquated , but it feels too lively to be old at the same time.”
“You think that’s lively? Try being around here during Mardi Gras.”
“What’s Mardi Gras?”
“You know, I don’t actually know what it’s supposed to be a celebration of. People like to use it as a reason to get drunk in public and make spectacles of themselves, though. Well, and it is pretty. There’s music, dancing, a parade, all sorts of things. Just, most people tend to be drunk while it’s going on.”
“Have you been?”
“Once, the first year I met David. He dragged me down here with him over spring break from college. I got so drunk that I finally got the courage to kiss him. Didn’t really go anywhere else except where the partying was at, though. Never thought to go to The Garden District.”
A title apparently given to the part of the city they were entering, the one that would lead them to Tobias’ aunt’s home. Tobias had seemed a little surprised when he had spoken to his aunt to arrange the visit. He had only explained to Azrael that it was the ‘rich people’ part of New Orleans. Azrael had thought that it sounded nice, being able to live somewhere where ‘garden’ was in the title.
It wasn’t quite what he had expected, however, as they pulled into where the district officially began. In truth, he had expected there to be fewer homes, and more…gardens. Not that there weren’t gardens, because it seemed as if each and every piece of property was engulfed in its own garden of sorts. If the other parts of the city had seemed old to him, it was even more pronounced here. Some of the homes were quite rundown and decrepit looking, but most were towering testaments to the age that they would have been built in. As with so much of the city, even the homes were covered with vibrant plant life.
Colorful flowers of all sorts hung from trellises and wrought iron fencing. Vines wrapped around pillars and statues, some simply green, and others flowering. There were trees that stood tall, spreading out in all directions, and others whose branches hung low, all dotted throughout various landscapes. The air was rife with the smell of the flowers, almost sickeningly sweet in some places.
Slowly, they passed a group of people, all but one clustered together behind a single woman who gestured to a nearby grand house as she spoke. “What are they doing?”
Tobias carefully glanced to the group, “Ah, looks like a tour group. I think just about every house up here is at least a couple hundred years old. I heard about the tours when I was here with David. They’re just there to show off the houses and all the gardens. Guess it’s good for tourism, but if I was as rich as some of these people, I’d find it kind of annoying to have groups of people occasionally gawking at my house.”
“I would take it as a compliment. These homes are beautiful.”
“Yeah, but unless I built really tall fences, how would I do my naked sunbathing?”
Azrael smiled at that, remembering their time spent bathing nude on the rocks beside the river at the cabin. There hadn’t been any opportunity to really enjoy that sort of open nakedness with one another since, unless you counted their tryst beside the cornfield. Azrael thought the idea of Tobias naked among all of this color and life would be a magnificent sight. Though he rather suspected that they wouldn’t be getting any chances for that. Even Azrael knew better than to run about naked while under the hospitality of Tobias’ aunt.
“Did your aunt live up to your expectations over the phone?”
Tobias laughed a little as he navigated the streets. “She was as loud as I remembered her being. Sounded thrilled as can be that I decided to take her up on her offer. She sounded…pleased that you were coming too.”
Azrael had given Tobias privacy when he had made the call. “Oh? Does that mean you didn’t…?”
“No, not because I’m trying to hide it or anything, well, not really. I just didn’t know how to slip it into conversation that I was bringing my partner, lover, boyfriend, whatever. I mentioned that you were coming with me and all that, but no real details. I wanna get to know her a little better before I try to bring that up, anyway. She might be the odd duck of the family, but I don’t know enough about her to know if she’s going to be just like the rest when it comes to that sort of thing.”
Azrael nodded, understanding. Tobias sagged with what appeared to be relief and Azrael said nothing, only smiled. Tobias had been explaining a little too much, which told Azrael that he was nervous. Not just about meeting his aunt for the first time in years, but Azrael suspected Tobias had been nervous that he might take his secrecy to heart. Azrael saw no harm in using the cautious approach with that information, especially after everything that Tobias had been through in his life.
“Here it is. Holy shit, it’s big!”
Azrael leaned forward to see better as Tobias pulled into the driveway that extended further back to the house. He recognized the style of home from when he had seen a similar one during their extended trip around the country. Tobias had referred to it as ‘Victorian’ style, and it seemed to fit right in with the ageless, yet simultaneously old feel of the other parts of the neighborhood. This was, in fact, not one of the homes that had begun to crumble in the face of time, Tobias’ aunt apparently having kept up with the maintenance. It was as vibrantly colored as the rest of the district, greenery seeming to touch everything, even extending up to the banisters of the large porch, which ran along the entire front of the house.
As the truck rumbled its way up the driveway, the front door opened and an older woman walked out. As they neared, Azrael could see that this simply had to be Vivian. Even at first glance, she seemed to fit right in among the ancient, yet undying, scenery. As they exited the truck, Azrael watched her descend the stairs, standing nearly as tall as both men. Her hair was almost pure silver, thick like a wolf’s coat, kept short and able to fly away in whatever direction it chose. Bright steely-blue eyes flashed with a great intelligence as her pleased gaze swept over both of them.
“Tobias,” her voice was throaty and rich, sounding as if she were moments away from laughter, “My God, how you have grown.”
“Aunt Vivian,” Tobias replied as he stepped closer to her. “You haven’t aged at all.”
That made her laugh. “Flattery will get you everywhere, my dear. And Lord, are you handsome! Come here and give me a hug.”
Tobias had only taken a step forward when she closed the distance and wrapped her arms around him in a strong hold. For a moment, Tobias hesitated, before pulling his arms up to return the gesture. She lingered over the hug, her face hidden by the bulk of Tobias’ body. When she released him to step back, she turned her gaze to Azrael.
“You must be Azrael,” she had barely got the words out before she stepped forward and wrapped him up in a hug as well. Azrael was just as surprised as Tobias had been, but returned the hug almost automatically. She was a thin woman, who held more strength in her than he would have expected. Vivian squeezed him one last time before releasing him to step back and look at the both of them.
“Ah, such handsome men in my home. I’m sure it will get the neighbors just gossiping away. Come in, come in. I just put tea on, or I can make some coffee, if you wish. Lord knows I drink enough of the stuff myself.”
“Tea is fine,” Tobias answered, shooting Azrael a bemused expression. They moved to follow after her, Azrael a little amused by the brisk pace that she set as she took to the front walk. She moved with every bit of confidence of a woman who knew where she was going and was intent on getting there—well ahead of schedule.
“‘Fine’ he says,” she huffed as they entered the front door. “I know ‘fine’ well enough to know I’ll be putting on coffee. Make yourselves comfortable. I’ll be right back.”
Then, she was gone with an imperious gesture and surprisingly soft steps on the wood floors, as she strode down the hallway to a nearby open door. It led into what appeared to be a sitting area, complete with comfortable-looking chairs and couch, laid out around an ornate, low wooden table. A glance through an open door into another nearby room showed much the same taste as the room she had gestured toward. There was a strong feeling of comfort everywhere, with just enough of what Azrael felt was richness, to remind them that they were not in the middle of the rough terrain of the mountains.
“I don’t think I want to sit on anything in here. I feel like the couch will burst into flames if I do.”
Azrael smiled at Tobias, taking the initiative to sit on a nearby couch. He found it comfortable when he sank into it, with just the right amount of firmness near the bottom of the cushion to be supportive. Some of Tobias’ nerves were getting to him, however, and he was slow to ease back all the way. Tobias sat himself stiffly on the couch across from him, looking out of place due more to his discomfort than because of his more casual dress.
Vivian returned moments later, the soft clatter of the tray, laden with cups and a pot, breaking the silence. “Oh good heavens, you both look as if you’re ready to bolt out the door. You can relax, you know.”
Tobias’ smile was weak as he glanced down at his jeans and boots. “Bit different from what we’ve been used to.”
“I imagine you have been sleeping in that monster of a truck of yours, or random motels. Do you find those more or less comfortable than living out in the middle of nowhere?”
“Sometimes the truck was more comfortable than some of those beds, not gonna lie.”
She poured each of them a steaming cup of coffee. “So the mountain man descends to deal with humanity again. To go from there all the way to the lofty heights of the Garden District must be quite the change for both of you.”
“Well, we weren’t up there the whole time. Just worked out that I got to my forwarding box within a week of your letter arriving.”
“You mentioned you were traveling. Whatever for?”
Tobias looked to Azrael. “Was showing Az different parts of the country. He’s not seen much of it before, and it was time for me to stop living my life away on the mountain.”
“Tobias, my dear. Call it what it was: you were hiding away on that mountain. Though it begs the question of how the two of you ever crossed paths in the first place. Forgive me, Azrael, but you don’t strike me as the type to enjoy living in some far-flung portion of the earth.”
Azrael blinked, disarmed by the utterly candid way that she spoke. Tobias, however, seemed to be getting over his initial confusion, smiling at Vivian’s bluntness. Considering how sensitive Tobias could be about someone prying into his past, Azrael thought he was taking the probing Vivian was already bringing to the table with more grace than expected.
“Someone wandered up on the mountain and got himself hurt, and I just happened to be lucky enough to find him.”
“I take that to mean you are the sole reason my dear nephew decided to unearth himself from the mountainside, then?”
Azrael was slow to answer, looking to Tobias for help and finding only an amused shrug, “I…suppose so. He was kind enough to take me in, and from that we grew close. Eventually we found our way off the mountain and have been traveling since then.”
“How interesting. Had you seen much before I lured the two of you from your grand adventure for a visit?”
“He has taken me to Florida so I could stand in the ocean. The mountains of Colorado, so I could make a fool of myself on a snowboard. We traveled through many of the central areas of the country, up to Michigan and then down this way after receiving your letter.”
She wrinkled her nose. “Michigan? Whatever was in Michigan of all places?”
Tobias shifted a little awkwardly, a gesture that her sharp eyes latched onto almost immediately. “Old stomping ground of mine.”
Vivian clicked her tongue. “Dear me, you have been all over the place haven’t you, Tobias? And I don’t just mean recently. Just how far did you run to get away?”
Azrael didn’t like the insinuation in her tone, frowning slightly at the idea that Tobias had been running for any other reason than for his own good. It was hard to tell if the woman’s bluntness was simply straightforwardness that came without any preamble or subtlety, or if there was truly an edge of judgement to her words. Tobias seemed unperturbed by it, looking less uncomfortable the more she spoke.
“Aunt Vivian—”
“Just Vivian is fine dear, more than fine. No need to call me ‘aunt’ when we barely know one another.”
“Err, Vivian then, I think you know just how far someone has to run to get away from the family. You went about the same distance, just in the other direction.”
“Are you insinuating that I fled my family?”
Tobias grinned. “About as much as you are about me.”
Vivian nodded in what Azrael thought was approval. “Mmm. Our family does have that effect on people, doesn’t it? In truth, I went farther than this. I lived in San Francisco for a long time. Grand city during the time that I was there. I would say that I dislike it now, but that’s the opinion of an old woman who really just misses the days when she was in her prime. It’s quieter here, which seemed like such a good idea at the time. Now it’s positively driving me mad.”
Azrael gazed around, admiring the room once more. “It is a fine home.”
“Oh, that’s sweet of you, dear. Personally, I feel it’s a bit stuffy, but I think if I changed it up, the neighborhood would have me committed and thrown out on the streets. They’re so prickly about that sort of thing, for the tourists of course. Honestly, it must require being born into money, or at least the money around here, for you to care one whit what some jackass from Oklahoma thinks about your home.”
Azrael could only stare at the woman, his cup of coffee hanging frozen in the air before him, as she continued to rattle off about the state of affairs in the neighborhood. She spoke in quick, yet precise sentences, some of them sprinkled with the harsh judgements she had already lain out. Tobias was engaging her in conversation with the same vigor that she showed, laughing more than once at the scathing comments she made. He wasn’t sure if he was as charmed by her as Tobias was, but he had to admit that she certainly was fitting the brief description that Tobias had given of her. She was, indeed, a loud woman, even if she hardly raised her voice to speak.
“So tell me,” she began, switching topics. “What finally drove you away from the madness that was, and probably still is, the religious fervor of our dear family members?”
For the first time in the past hour, Tobias looked uncomfortable, setting his newly refilled cup of coffee down and averting his gaze. “There were a lot of things that led to me leaving.”
“Heaven knows there must be one hell of a list. My parents, your great-grandparents, were fairly stuck on the idea of God and all that nonsense themselves. I was lucky to have been sent away to a nice private school, which spared me the worst of it. Once I was old enough, I got myself out of there and ended up finding James. Now there was a man who knew how to handle a pain in the ass like me. May he rest in peace finally, as I know he got so little of it when he was married to me.”
“Can’t say I know much about you or him. My mother didn’t really talk about you guys too much…at all actually.”
“Well, every generation has to have its black sheep I suppose, or at least every other one. That’s why we black sheep have to stick together. Keeps life a little interesting, or at least a little less lonely. Having you two around is like a breath of fresh air for me. Dear Azrael is a little quiet for my taste, but I suppose there is supposed to be a balance in all things. I think I’ve talked your ears off for long enough, I have a guest room set up for each of you, I’m sure you’re quite tired after all that driving and hearing me babble on. Make yourselves comfortable, dinner will be in the evening after I’ve returned. I have one of those dreadful neighborhood meetings to attend.”
The tray and cups were cleared so quickly, Azrael wasn’t sure if he had seen her move. “Oh, well thank you very much for your hospitality, Vivian.”
She chuckled as she exited the room. “I’m sure you’ll change your tune after another day or so, dear.”