[OPEN][BACKDATED] Stitch me back, one by one!

[chronomancer]

Characters: Jade!Eridan Ampora, and YOU!
Setting: Floor 15, the workshop.
Format: I'll start with action, but I'll match you.
Summary: In which Eridan pretends he knows how to sew. Spoilers, he doesn't. Backdated to before the Labyrinth event!
Warning: None? I'll add if necessary.

[It's really not that hard, he figures, to use his torn jacket as a pattern and make a new one with some scraps of red fabric lying around. It's just. Cutting fabric and sewing it together. How hard can it be?

Apparently, very hard and not really a project for the uninitiated.

He's left the whole mess on a workbench for now, focusing on patching up his other pair of pants. That, at least, he's relatively used to. It's not the neatest of stitch-work, but at least it'll hold.

At least, he thinks with grim amusement, he has two hands now, to do this. Otherwise it'd be well and truly hopeless.]

Comments

[chronomancer]

[She really should have. Mostly because he's focused enough on what he's doing that he doesn't really notice her until she's close enough it's like she came out of nowhere. He yelps, dropping the mending, reaching for his shovel on reflex.

Which to be honest, it's quite a ridiculous reaction. He knows as much. He has the good graces to look sheepish once the question and the fact she's not a monster register in his brain.]

Sorry.

[Jumpy troll is jumpy. He ducks his head, but he does put the shovel away. Can we... pretend that just didn't happen? Please? Sob. Oh right, question. She asked a question. He blushes in embarrassment.]

Er. A jacket? ...kinda?

[floreatnoctem]

[For her part, Chidori only raises a brow a little at the shovel, despite the fact that at the hostile movement, her weight had shifted in anticipation of having to dodge. She relaxed again when he put it away, and then reached past him to pick up the attempted jacket.]

It's fine. I take it you were attempting a replacement?

[chronomancer]

Kinda.

[He shrugs, eyeing the mess with a little wince.]

Should've gone with the original idea and made the torn one a vest or something.

[Easy as tearing out the other sleeve, right?]

[floreatnoctem]

[She could see why he'd rather done that than continue trying... but what he'd managed wasn't all that bad.]

Why not ask for help?

[chronomancer]

[What are you talking about, it's horrible and he keeps pinching himself. Which isn't that terrible except he keeps pinching under his claws and that hurts a lot.]

Oh, I. Don't really have anyone to ask.

[Yay! Mumbling trolls.]

[floreatnoctem]

[Well, the fact that he's got claws to begin with probably isn't helping him out much- needles are already finicky enough as is without those in the way. She leans down a little to hear him, and then blinks, once, twice...]

...have you even tried asking around?

[chronomancer]

...I don't want to be a bother.

[Flinching and curling down some more under the scrutiny. Whoops. Though to be fair he's good at precision work. Even with the claws, okay. Rifle cleaning is a delicate business. He just. Doesn't know how to sew properly. What do you mean it's not just about putting the needle through the cloth?]

[floreatnoctem]

You can't be more of a bother than anyone else in the tower.

[She pulls back, crossing her arms lightly.]

Besides, some might like the opportunity to find a way to fill their time.

[chronomancer]

But even then, they could be filling up their time helping someone else.

[...self-sacrifice, meet self-sacrifice. Holy shit, they might create a black hole.]

[floreatnoctem]

[Despair event horizon, fast approaching.

Chidori blinks at the answer- it sounds like something she (or Willow, to be honest) would say- and then shakes her head a little.]

I believe you'll find you might count as that 'someone else' if you were to ask the right person.

[chronomancer]

[Yeah, actively trying to disappear here, fast approaching self-pity singularity.]

...I know.

[He... sounds rather upset by that.]

[floreatnoctem]

Well then.

[Chidori can sense that much, considering how obviously he makes it at the end, and sighs quietly, settling beside him on the workbench. Her hands settle on the table, and she gives him a curious look.]

Why not ask?

[She's not busy, at the moment, after all.]

[chronomancer]

...you sure?

[He's giving you all the ways out possible.]

I don't want to be an inconvenience or anything...

[floreatnoctem]

It's good for keeping busy.

[Besides, there are only so many dresses she can make with what's in here.]

But if you would rather I not, I will not press the issue.

[chronomancer]

[He shrugs a little, picking at his shirt with his claws, wearing the fabric thin.]

...ah, I would appreciate your help, then. If you're sure you wouldn't rather be doing something else.

[floreatnoctem]

[She shook her head, and leaned over to inspect his work carefully.]

It's no trouble- I like to sew.

[chronomancer]

Then...

[He nods.]

I'd appreciate your help. A lot.

[floreatnoctem]

Very well- what is it you're having the most trouble with? [A beat.] Besides needles under your claws, that is.

[chronomancer]

[He flushed some more at the comment, looking sheepish.]

Ah. I think it's just figuring out the stitches, the cuts are fine, right?

[Right?]

[floreatnoctem]

...if you were to have finished putting all of this together, you'd have had one sleeve longer than the other.

[And that's just for starters. But dissecting everything wrong with it would waste precious time.]

If I could take a look at the original, I might be able to come up with a better pattern.

[chronomancer]

[...whoops.]

Ah, the problem is that the original is missing an arm.

[Thanks to your psycho moirail. :|]

[floreatnoctem]

You use the other, in that case.

[Hey, she's working on it, okay?]

[chronomancer]

[Well, as long as he doesn't do it again...]

But. That's what I did.

[Help.]

[floreatnoctem]

[Eridan.

Eridan, what.]

I see.

[Gently... pulling the fabric closer to herself.]

Did you not take your measurements beforehand?

[chronomancer]

[He nods.]

Doublechecked, even.

[He's not stupid! Just... really not good at this.]