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Ian · Joined: 09 Jun 2008 Posts: 521 Location: South Carolina

"Well, then, let's hit the open-air markets in the French Quarter then. I don't want people to think I'm taking in bums." He laughs as he gets up and opens the gate so they can go back onto the sidewalk.

TonyLB · Joined: 09 Jun 2008 Posts: 494

As they walk along, April says quietly, "So, what do you want, Ian?"

Ian · Joined: 09 Jun 2008 Posts: 521 Location: South Carolina

"Well a new shirt or two wouldn't be bad." He sees her look and chuckles. "Seriously? I don't know. I've been dragging my feet searching New Orleans for Corwin because I think I like it here. Well, I know I like it here. But I feel like there's more. I could be a King somewhere, but I don't want that. I don't need to be catered to. Half the women I bring back to my apartment get scared off because its too clean. The servants used to get annoyed with me from always having my room clean in Amber. But I like order. Chaos is abhorrent to me. I guess that's it. I want order. It's predictable, at least."

TonyLB · Joined: 09 Jun 2008 Posts: 494

April laughs, and clambers up onto the grave-yard wall beside the sidewalk they're walking on. She walks it like a balance beam, hamming it up and swaying from one side to another.

"So, same same with me," she admits. "Except for the clean room stuff," she adds quickly, "that's just freakish. But not knowing what we want to do? Sure. How could we?"

She hops on down, and looks over at Ian. "I mean ... everything's so ... fraught. Like nothing less important than the throne is allowed to have a place in our lives. Even with all that mom hates him, I almost wish that Eric would just take the darn crown. At least then, maybe, it'd be done, and we could all stop sacrificing everything for ... whatever it is we're sacrificing for."

She spins around, arms wide, as if to embrace the city. "You could just live here, without having to make up a reason why it serves a greater purpose."

Ian · Joined: 09 Jun 2008 Posts: 521 Location: South Carolina

"Eric's a scumbag. I told him that I thought he killed Corwin and fed the body to wolves or something. He wasn't happy with me." Ian's eyes cloud for a moment as he remembers the encounter. "The sad part is, if he takes the throne, I'd be duty-bound to serve him." They pass the cemetary and Ian looks up at the movie theater. "Casablanca. My favorite." He looks at April with obvious fondness and puts an arm around her shoulders. "Of all the gin joints in all the towns in all the world, she walks into mine."

TonyLB · Joined: 09 Jun 2008 Posts: 494

"Oh, you big softie," April replies, elbowing him in gently in the ribs. "If anyone ever needs to set a trap for you, you better hope they don't know enough to do a double feature of Bogart films and Billie Christmas music. Moth to a flame, I tell ya."

Ian · Joined: 09 Jun 2008 Posts: 521 Location: South Carolina

"Here's lookin' at you, kid." He laughs then looks at her, thinking for a minute. "What was that weird snack you liked so much. Don't tell me. Oh, I remember." As he whisks her into a candy store. "Two pounds of chocolate-covered pretzels please," he tells the tall, lanky, girl behind the counter. "Did you say Billie Christmas?"