The thread thread!

[Anonymous]

Despite the fact that whenever he tried to spend some free time down in the city, it never seemed to go well, Alaric was gamely trying again. He hated being stuck inside the Citadel for weeks on end. The white walls started to wear away at his sanity.

Walking down the street, Alaric just enjoyed the false sunshine and 'fresh' air. His mom had been bugging him to go try some yarn place she had found and today seemed like a good time to try it. He hadn't really done much knitting recently, he had only ever gotten okay at knitting.

The building came into view, small and cute, like most yarn stores. He found he tended to get 'she'ed more often in places like that, though cutting his hair seemed to make him appear more masculine. Humans, go figure.

Stepping inside, Alaric nodded to the woman inside, waving a hand to show he didn't need help when she started to approach. He just wanted to look around a bit. Moving through the store, occasionally reaching out to touch a skein, feeling it. Maybe he would make Remi a scarf or something. Use a slightly fancy pattern or something to make it exciting.

Turning around, Alaric moved to head toward another end of the shop when he smacked into someone. They had been too short to really see in his peripheral vision, "Oh! Crap! I'm sorry."

[Anonymous]

Any time she was in a place like this, Gauri couldn't help but get excited. She wanted, needed to buy it all! What she was really here for was a batch of lovely soft cream thread that she was itching to use for a bikini, or something else that needed a fine knit. She'd missed the last lot and instructed the owner to call her the moment the stuff came in, and of course it had happened while she was working. Luckily, there was enough left when she'd been able to rush over that she didn't need to pull rank on any civilians, but it had been close. So now she clutched the precious thread tight in her hand and browsed the rest of their stock.

Aaand that was why she tried not to come here too often. It wasn't that it was bad – quite the opposite. They had way too many amazing things that she'd buy on a whim and keep in a pile in her room for months on end. It was... A problem. No time to worry about that though, now was a time for shopping! She'd need some little tiny needles since she lost her last lot, and she didn't have anything in that shade of green, and oh yesss that one had sparkles! The sparkly stuff was a bitch to handle, and it was kinda scratchy too, but damn if it wouldn't make for the most hideous socks of all time. She had to have it.

Grabbing a couple in different colours, she turned to go check out some buttons and found her face suddenly and almost painfully in someone else's chest. “Huuuuuh? Oh, it's all cool...” She blinked slightly as she looked up, craning her neck to see an at least vaguely familiar white face. Uhhhh, Al... rec? That quiet tech guy Echo, who came to fiddle with the surveillance crap that one time it went down... Yeah him! “Oh, heyyy! You're not here for the good stuff too, are you, 'cos I'm sorry to say I got the last. Well, not that sorry, haha!”

[Anonymous]

Having someone's face smooshed into his breasts was a little awkward and Alaric took a quick step back to keep distance between him and the other person. It was another Pilot, which was slightly surprising, he hadn't thought he would run into one here.

And she was tiny! More so than most humans, she was closer to a child's size. But she was a Pilot and therefore not a child. It was kinnda cute, like a doll or something. He tried to recall her name, but he could only remember it started with a G or a J or something like that. He had fixed some equipment for her once, but he hadn't really spoken to her.

Aaaaaaand he had been staring at her. Way to be awesome Alaric. That wasn't weird at all, "Aw, really? What did you get then? I'm just browsing really, I was looking for something to make a scarf off. What are you making then? I've never been this place before." Now the babbling. Even better. He knew how to impress people. Smooth as sandpaper he was.

[Anonymous]

Gauri's polite smile couldn't help but grow more bemused for every moment the other Pilot just stood there with that glazed expression. Was he going to say something, or..? Wait, was he looking at her head? She was pretty sure she didn't have any welts on it or anything else funny-looking, so there was no way he was going to know. But what if he did? That would be so embarrassing – no... No. He wasn't going to figure it out, and even if he did, it wouldn't be that bad, so she wasn't going to worry about it. She absolutely was not going to worry.

The awkward silence ended mercifully quickly with a rush of questions, all on her favourite subject! Her face lit up and she let out a dorky giggle as she decided what to answer first. It didn't matter too much though; she'd get around to all of it if he really was that interested. “Oh man, you've been missing out! Everything in here is amazing... Here, feel this!” Suddenly, she thrust her arm up to rub the cream fibres on his face, eager to share her joy. “Isn't it the silky softest thing ever?!”

[Anonymous]

Alaric was a little startled when the small woman suddenly shoved the yarn into his face. But it was really soft. He nodded, giving a wide smile, "Yeah! That is really soft. And it's such a pretty color. What are you going to make with it?"

He felt a little better that she didn't seem put off by him and talking about crafting projects was always one of his favorite things to do.

[Anonymous]

Yeah, this stuff was awesome, for sure! The other Pilot definitely appreciated it, and Gauri gave a happy little wiggle accompanied by an aggressively excited noise. “I just wanna make everything with it, you don't even know! Naw, I was thinking it'd make a really cute bikini, maybe with some cabling for detail – nothin' too fancy, this yarn's so nice I wanna let it speak for itself, y'know?”

Having run out of things to talk about there, she sensed another impending awkward silence and nodded vaguely for a few moments before trying to head it off. “So, a scarf! Yeah, scarves are fun. Have you got a pattern in mind or ya just gonna wing it?”

[Anonymous]

"Ooooo! A bikini would be really pretty. I've never tried to knit swimwear. I don't really do much swimming. I didn't even know you could knit swimsuits. Can it go in the water? Or just decorative?" Alaric grinned again, already relaxing around the small woman.

She was so doll like and cute, he kept wanting to pet her. And she didn't even reach his shoulder, her face barely reached his chest.

"Oh, I haven't really decided yet. I wanted to see what yarn grabbed me. I keep thinking I should do more with cabling, I'm still getting the hang out it, but, well, I might also try and do something with a lot of color switching."

[Anonymous]

“Oh no, it isn't practical, I just like makin' weird stuff,” Gauri admitted with a laugh and a shrug. After all, she was wearing a sweater she'd knit herself with a pretty good likeness of a toaster on the front, so it wasn't exactly a secret. A significant number of the things she made existed simply because they seemed like a challenge at the time. If they ever got used, then that was a plus.

“Yeah man, that's what scarves are for!” she grinned excitedly, happy to have a knitting discussion that wouldn't end in incomprehensible drama. Kind of odd, but that was how it was. “You can't go as nuts with the colours on anything else, well I mean ya can but it looks really stupid. Ooh, let's find you some damn yarn already!”

[Anonymous]

"Oh, damn, how disappointing. No one will ever get to see you in it then." Alaric smiled, not really realizing how that comment could be taken a little wrong, "Though there is nothing wrong with weird stuff. My mother likes to make stuff for me and some of my friends. One time was teddy bear hats."

The huge alien smiled, turning slightly to keep browsing the racks as they spoke, "I was thinking about making a scarf for Remi, but maybe I'll make it for Gabriel. I can go crazier with Gabe's. Or Blaine. They both like really bright colors and stuff."

[Anonymous]

Gauri had never been great with innuendo, so the possibly-offending comment flew right past her. The teddy bear hat, though, that was a thing that she cared passionately about. “Oh! Yeah, there's been an awesome hat pattern goin' round, with that bear with the goofy face...” She paused for a second to demonstrate, opening her eyes wide and crossing them while pinching her cheeks and pursing her lips, then carrying on with a laugh. “You know, from that show for tiny little kids, what was it? Oh yeah, Boopsie Bear! Please tell me she used it, cos I really wanted one but then hats piss me off so I didn't make it in the end.”

Seeing the big guy turn back to the shelves, she did the same and cast an experienced eye over the merchandise. Her hands were too full for her to pick anything more up, but she could still look. Maybe she should have grabbed a basket... She laughed again with a cheerful grin at his indecisiveness. “Heck, make all three if ya can't pick! 'Swhat I'd do!”

[Anonymous]

Alaric laughed, "Oh wow. I didn't expect you to know that show. But yeah, she used that one." Gauri's expression was a pretty good match for the bear, "Well, she did some alternate faces on the different hats. I think it's her passive-aggressive way of letting me know she wants grandkids."

Reaching out and stroking a pretty green yarn, Alaric shook his head, "Naw, I'm too slow. It would never get done. I'll just see if I can find the coolest yarn and figure out who it would look best on. Something bright I think. Eye blindingly cheery."

[Anonymous]

“Man, I love that show! I watch it all the time,” Gauri admitted happily. There was no point in being ashamed of things she liked, even if they were kinda really stupid. After all, everyone enjoyed something that they probably shouldn't. She glanced over to the large man, flashing him a cheeky wink and joking, “Hey, I can pretend to be your kid if you'd wanna, get her off your back.”

Bright and blinding, yes! Here was a man who knitted after her own heart. It was almost enough to give a girl a crush. “Ooh, they've got some neons over here,” she pointed out. “Dunno if they're the right weight though. They might have some heavier ones if you want 'em?”

[Anonymous]

"Yeah. It's a pretty cute show. I like the adventure shows more though." Alaric loved cartoons and watched them all the time. His apartment back at the Citadel was covered with posters and videos and dolls. He gave a small laugh, shaking his head, "Well, you might be the right size, you you are lacking in other areas."

He waved his tail to the side, grinning, "And well, you know, we aren't the same color." His head swiveled at the mention of neons, "Oooo! Yes please! And I always double strand scarves anyway, so I can use a more neutral, heavier color to go with the neon. So many awesome colors! What do you think about this green and pink together. Maybe for Blaine."

[Anonymous]

“Really? I never got into them, they kinda confused me,” Gauri shrugged. She didn't follow any series, not properly, so anything with a storyline lost her a few episodes in, but she had a strange love for brightly-coloured shows where animals (or people in animal suits) kept singing for no apparent reason. It was oddly hypnotic, in a way. The fact that it made no sense was... Soothing.

The comment about her lacking something sent her hand self-consciously to her head, but she let out a cheerful laugh when she saw his tail. Yeah, that'd be it. Just more friendly joking, of course, nothing to worry about. She recovered with an excited grin when the alien held up his chosen yarn, and she nodded furiously in appreciation. “Ahh, yeah, that's a great choice! I bet it's gonna look awesome.”

[Anonymous]

The hand to her head Alaric assumed was because of his horns. Or the third eye. Humans tended to focus on those bits, as they were very...obvious. "Okay! What color should I use for the thicker yarn? White maybe?"

He turned, scanning for some more muted tones that wouldn't clash with the vivid neons. Not even Blaine would wear something that gaudy, "Hmmm...Or maybe I could make him a hat. He really likes hats and I know a pretty easy pattern for one...what do you think?"

[Anonymous]

“I think anything from white through brown could work, it really depends what you're goin' for,” Gauri suggested with the oddly serious expression she got when knitting discussions came up, before laughing and shaking her head. “Buuut I don't have a great eye for colour so don't take my word on it too much, 'kay?”

It was fine for her to walk around looking like the whole yarn store exploded and she'd decided to wear whatever survived, but she wasn't going to inflict that kind of a fashion crime on unwitting innocents. At least Alaric seemed to have the right idea for not making people want to puke up their eyes... She would have probably added purple. Smiling, she turned back to the racks and gave her standard advice. “Just make whatever you think would be the most fun!”

[Anonymous]

"Not brown." Alaric wrinkled his nose at the idea, "That's not a good color for neons. White maybe. White could be good. Or maybe a more neutral blue?" He glanced over the racks, mulling it over. He didn't want it too crazy. Though he should probably grab extra yarn. Blaine would probably expect a hat and scarf. With matching mittens and maybe some socks. Because he was Blaine and that was what he did.

Reaching out, Alaric snagged a pale blue and held it against the yarn he had already, "Too much?"

[Anonymous]

“Well, I like it!” offered Gauri with a laugh and a shrug. She'd admitted her taste was suspect, if her shirt hadn't already done that for her, so her approval was probably a mark against it. Still, if she didn't like it precisely for being ugly, it might be acceptable to other people too. So that was all right.

[Anonymous]

"Done!" Alaric laughed and grabbed a few skeins. And went back for more of the neon yarn, figuring he could handle at least the hat and the scarf. Those weren't too fancy or anything. He paid for them quickly, getting his bag back from the woman behind the counter before moving to the side to let Gauri pick up her own yarn, "Thanks for the help picking those out. It's surprising to run into a Pilot in a craft store."

[Anonymous]

“Hey, no problem!” grinned Gauri, dumping her armful of goods down so she could point out a pack of buttons she liked. Cute little pastel flowers and hearts would look great on anything! Shopping vicariously through Alaric still meant she'd bought less than usual though, and she hesitated a moment before taking her own bag, half-expecting that she'd need a second. She thanked the owner again for telling her about her beloved yarn, then turned back to the other Pilot and beamed up at him. “You don't mind if I come bend your ear about it once in a while, do ya? It's not often I get to talk about knitting in public.”