Uncrackplotted (open)

[mancalledspade]

The curse had worn off so gradually, he barely noticed as it did. One day, when he saw, really saw, a nice pair of legs walk by, it hit him that he was back to normal. On one level, at least

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[queen_oracle]

Mickle's home again, and preparing herself for spring by getting mud between her toes and petals in her hair, and by running around in the clear, clean air.

In this manner, she almost crashes into him, but stops and tumbles sideways at the last minute, head over heels, with a gleeful whoop.

[queen_oracle]

"Probably. And we saw the trees! The ones that were so big you couldn't see the tops?" Mickle bends quickly and picks a piece of grass, whistles through it cheerfully. "I don't think there's anything as good as travel." She cocks her head. "And talking about myself, apparently. What do you do?"

[mancalledspade]

"Get other people to talk about themselves." A wry grin. "I'm a private detective, or was."

[queen_oracle]

"Ooo," thoughtfully. "But I guess there isn't a lot you'd want to look after here." She looks up at him and grins, her grin that's everywhere all over her, making her one big laugh. "People do stupid things and kill each other and then they come back. In between they get married and have babies, or at least they sleep together. It's a little boring."

[mancalledspade]

"Well, except for the coming back part, ain't so different from home. Though I admit, takes some of the challenge out of solving a murder, when the victim'll be back to tell you who did it in a day or two." His tone is mostly light, though there might be a tiny bit of bitterness behind it.

[queen_oracle]

"I know." Her eyes dance, but there's a bit of serious in them, too. "You can't do your job here, because there's no money, and people can get almost anything out of the air. It's a watchamacallit, a utopia sort of, that way. And then people die and come back again, so that's pointless too. It's hard to find anything to challenge you."

[mancalledspade]

"Ain't much of a utopia, takin' a man's work from him." He exhales a long jet of smoke. "Though I guess I ain't the kind of man who deserves a utopia, since I make my livin' off people getting bumped off or cheatin' on each other or needing something too dirty done to do themselves."

[queen_oracle]

"Only that things come to the people who need them. Where I came from most people didn't have enough. Here everybody has what they need. The thing is, it's only things they can make appear, which isn't the same, I know." She chews the grass. "That's all right. I was a thief."

[mancalledspade]

"To keep yourself fed, or for the thrill of it?" he asks, more curious than judgmental.

[queen_oracle]

"To eat," simply. "I told you I ran away from the Corrective School. I met a thief in Born who took me for his apprentice, sort of. After he was hanged I met Theo, and of course Theo was young then, and thought it was awful."

[mancalledspade]

"Feedin' yourself ain't awful. I can't think stealin's much worse than getting paid to snoop on people."

[queen_oracle]

"Or the other way around, either." She laughs.

[mancalledspade]

He smiles. "Maybe not, kid."

[queen_oracle]

"But we can't either of us do that the right way here. That's why I keep leaving."

[mancalledspade]

"How? The gate?"

[queen_oracle]

She tilts her head again, fast and darting like a sparrow. "If you go far enough you can always go. It doesn't just end. Theo and I took a boat this last time."