#but yeah knitting is really way less complicated than it looks! the fanciest-looking things are often much easier than they seem

[damnedtreasure]

Seconding all this! I usually recommend doing a dishcloth for the very very first project for a lot of the reasons listed above (cotton is inexpensive, easy to rip out, it's a quick low-stakes intimidating project), but if you're passionate about a certain project, go wild! The only thing I tend to dissuade people from is a scarf, but only if the reason they gave for wanting to make one is a shrug and a "it sounds easy." Scarves are definitely easy! They're also very long, and I have heard countless stories of half-done scarves shoved in the backs of closets because they started one, and once they got the hang of it, got very bored very fast, or looked at how much more they had to do and were preemptively exhausted. I usually steer them towards cowls or hats (quicker, less yarn and less cost), unless they're passionate about a scarf.

If you're passionate about something, all the things said above are really good pieces of advice! I know so many people who started on things classically considered "too much" for beginners, like steeked sweaters or blankets with twenty different stitch patterns.

If you're like a lot of people who wander into my store, however, who just want to jump in to knitting and want a starter project (that isn't a dishcloth or a square), I always recommend tincanknits' Simple Collection. It's a whole bunch of free patterns that have links in the pdfs to in-depth photo and written tutorials on every step. (For video tutorials, I actually recommend the exact same ones as above!) It also contains my absolute most favourite starter sock pattern, which I don't hesitate to give to someone without any experience in knitting at all. All the patterns are also fantastic bases for modification, and lend themselves really well to swapping out stitch patterns or throwing in some colour work.

Other little tidbits of advice accumulated from the feedback of many many beginners:

If you have any difficulty in motor control or moving your hands I highly recommend staying away from anything too bulky, even though that seems like it'd be the easiest. In my experience, folks have it easiest with a worsted weight (/weight 4/medium) yarn, with around 4-5.5mm/us6-9/uk8-5 needles. Too bulky, just like too thin, can wind up being difficult to manage, especially if your hands are on the smaller size.

For those who deal with any sort of pain, it can be helpful to set stretch or rest breaks for yourself. I tend to write mine into my patterns every x amount of rows, or between sections.

Match your needle and yarn size to each other. Too-thick needles with too-thin yarn becomes difficult to control, and the reverse can be too tight to manage.

This one is more my advice than feedback I've heard, but if you're lucky enough to have a local yarn store near you, nine times out of ten the staff will be delighted to help you, walk you through tricky bits in a project, or translate whatever weird jargon google can't seem to handle. (Most often we won't care if you're not here to buy anything, because growing the community interested in the hobby is sometimes the only advertising we do, and we know how expensive this hobby can get in comparison to others.)

If there's no yarn store near you, or no community you care to associate with, I highly recommend libraries. Most libraries I've been to have a decent selection of pattern or teaching books, and I've picked up spinning, felting, and a few other hobbies by sitting myself down in the fibre arts section and cracking open a book and giving it a try. If your library doesn't have anything, ask a librarian if they can order some! (Librarians are also fantastic if you want to start your own fibre arts group, but your mileage may vary on keeping any given group drama free.)

I usually don't jump onto posts like this, so apologies if I've rambled a bit too much. I really really love knitting, and as much as I love those of us who have been knitting for decades, I secretly love beginners just a tiny bit more. Never hesitate to try new things, try things that are above your supposed skill level, or disregard any of my advice, because the most fun and most fun conversations I've had are when someone comes in and goes "So I tried something completely weird..." It's a 50/50 split on whether it goes poorly or fantastically, but it's always interesting. And if it goes badly, the worst you can do is mess up a bit of yarn, and that's not so bad in the grand scheme of things.

This might be an odd or personal question, but could I ask how you started knitting and where you started as a beginner? Or what would you recommend? I’ve tried to join clubs and groups irl, but there’s so much drama and gossiping. When I said I didn’t want to take part in that aspect, they started ostracizing and gossiping about me. Any websites, yt channels or books you’d recommend for a beginner?

--

Haha.

My friend, this does not even register on the scale of deeply personal or odd questions people have sent me.

I've been trying to remember exactly how I started and why (like, even before this ask). I think it was on a family vacation to Scotland the summer before I started college. That would have been in 1999.

I taught myself from one of those awful 90s pamphlets with the line drawings. They're a nightmare compared to being able to see someone do the motions in person or even in a video. I had some awful plastic needles and no guidance on yarn and just knit with what I found at some shop there. Do not recommend!

I achieved what I wanted during college, which was to make a nice cable-knit sweater that I still wear, and then I got frustrated with crappy acrylic yarn and drifted away from knitting until a year or so ago.

The fact is, I basically didn't do beginner projects. I moved straight from making one rectangle to making grandiose sweaters or whatever else struck my fancy. (But if you want to know, I was using Viking Patterns for Knitting and a bunch of Alice Starmore books, all of which you can still buy.) I know plenty of people who did it this way, but you certainly don't have to.

And you definitely don't need to learn from a terrible 90s printed pamphlet!

Luckily, nowadays, you can find a tutorial on just about anything on Youtube. I enjoy watching the technical and historical types discuss quirks of knitting you might not think of without years of practice or research.

Roxanne Richardson is great, for example.

Look for somebody old, not wearing a lot of makeup, and not talking about their indie dyeing/yarn business and you'll avoid most of the clowns who learned to knit five minutes ago and now want to be knitfluencers.

When I want a super simple technique tutorial, I usually end up looking at either Nimble Needles or VeryPink Knits. I find her super annoying, but her tutorials are spot-on. Norman's voice is much more soothing and I just enjoy his presence more, but both of them have good ultra close-up shots of what they're doing (which lots of vloggers don't because it requires special equipment).

I'd just figure out what kind of finished products you want to use knitting for and then find patterns and tutorials geared towards those.

Cables are relatively easy. Stranded colorwork requires a fair amount of physical coordination and some people find it rather difficult at first.

Circular needles are far more popular than traditional straight ones for people starting today.

Cotton yarn is relatively less nice to knit with than wool for most people, but it tends to be the natural fiber available at a low price point from major retailers.

Picking up general tips like that by watching various youtubers will help you pick a project that won't be too painful to work on.

People who naturally knit loosely should consider grippy bamboo or wooden needles. People who naturally knit tightly should consider slippery metal ones.

My biggest piece of advice is that you're usually better off with something "hard" that you actually like rather than a "practice" project you don't care about, at least after you've made like one rectangle to practice doing a knit stitch at all.

--

Finding community can be hard, and yes, some crafting hobbies are infested with drama.

But if you just want to know how to knit, you're way better off with some video tutorials and a nice pattern you like.

[soulbore]

@chanceofpunching​​​ ━━ SAVED THREAD - below the read more is all the past writing from google docs━━━━ ⌈  Kara & Kara ⌋

Kara’s head tilts up, thoughtful about a world with a Master Sergeant Schott, wondering if he’d be anything like what Alex told her about the other Winn. One grizzled and hopeful but still so good inside, and she likes to think so--is certain of it. “Well...you could always just call me Supergirl, if you want.” She offers, starting to point out different rooms as they walk--pointing out the med bay and the corridors--where she trains and where they sleep--where, on occasion, they play Uno outside of the containment center if Kara happens to run into anything radioactive-- “Which happens...way more than I ever want it to--” and where Winn spends the majority of his time tinkering away on different bits of technology. Ultimately, she brings them to the mess hall, where food is happily hidden and devoured most days, before gesturing towards it with a smile, “I realized you probably haven’t eaten anything. So...Ruby,” It’s definitely weirder calling herself another name, “Were you born with that or--wait, does that mean the Danvers adopted you, too? Is that your given middle name? Or did they give you that when you, you know,” A vague gesture, “Became Kara Danvers?”

   The mirror was something Kara was learning to use. Going to different universes that could perhaps provide information or if they needed information for Kara’s world. This ancient tool was proving to be worthwhile as it had saved their universe just a year ago. She paused to look around, reaching over and putting the cloth back over the mirror wondering where she was. She would need it to get back to her world. But when she stepped out of the place the mirror had been, she didn’t expect what she saw.

A pause came from her as she saw an alien walking down the street. Did she… just see that? She reached over, pulling off the SG1 patch from her jacket (she didn’t know this place) and tucked it into her pocket as she walked down the street. But then she pulled herself to a stop when she saw something...someone? Flying in the sky. Now she was really confused.

This was nothing like anything she had been to before.

 ━━━━

Alien invasions are kind of a common occurrence in National City. It’s sort of like the Goldilocks topic of her home--sometimes they’re big; sometimes they’re small; and sometimes they’re just...annoying.

Which is how Kara feels about it when she’s hurtling through the sky, feeling a little bad about punching a flying species of alien in the face that she’s never seen before. This was the small kind--the sort of mini-scale invasion that happens once a week and is hopefully hidden from the news, if Alex has any say in it--but there’s only been four of the same species seen this morning in the past twelve minutes.

(All of them fly, have super strength, and breathe fire, though, so...that’s in the bad column, one more strike towards annoying. They’re trying to blow up banks, too, which is generally...not very nice) 

Supergirl is wrangling the last one and manages to tackle it in air into the ground, both of them leaving a trail of asphalt ricocheting up from the ground as she does, its large claw--did she mention that all of them are also beetle-shaped, three times her size, and have huge crab claws?--hitting into a nearby street pole, knocking it over. 

A blur of winded red and blue as Kara barely manages to speed forward enough to catch it before it can hit--

“Again??” It’s a yelp the moment she catches sight of familiar eyes underneath a cap, her own widening, hearing a snarl from behind her, feeling heat. 

It snarls, too? Oh, come on. 

“Um...excuse...me one--” Kara throws the pole at it before zooming to tackle it, again, trying to keep it from breathing fire on the poor screaming people of National City around them, punching it one more time before she’s certain it’s down for good, breathlessly leaning up to press her hand against an ear. “Okay, Alex, got it.” 

She turns over her shoulder and offers a sheepish wave to...herself, yelling over the rubble of the city, “Sorry about that! Are you okay?” 

━━━━

Kara's eyes widen as she stared at these large...giant crab? things? Okay, it wasn't the alien thing that confused her, it was just how calm everyone else seemed to be. WEll, besides the ones running who were in too close proximity to it but it was more like, this was normal. For now, she kept her distance back, until one of the other flying people landed on the ground and that's when she was just staring.

Okay, another me. Or, not me. Kara was trying to understand how her alter person, could fly. She pulled off her sunglasses, staring as she moved toward her and wasn't even bothered by a copy-cat look. "I'm...okay. And you are really calm about this whole seeing someone who looks like you," She looked behind Kara, toward the alien that she assumed was passed out now.

"So aliens are a common occurrence on this earth? And just, how are you flying? Does the government cover this up, though you were just flying and how would you even cover that up?" Oh, Kara had so many questions, as she paused for a second and took a breath. "Sorry, let me start over. Where am I?" The civilization here looked modern day, much like her earth, though hers wasn't quite as advanced as some of the cell phones. The fanciest thing they had was the Nokia cellphone or the radios they had.

━━━━

”Oh,” Kara hops over the slumped crab...beetle guy after making sure it’s still breathing, coming closer to another her, hands settling on hips out of habit despite her smile. “It’s starting to happen, like, once a week. As long as you’re not a really mean, heart-cutting Nazi, then there’s really nothing to worry about. Well, usually. I actually really liked the last one I met--the last…” A nose scrunches a little, “...me.” 

But this Kara isn’t looking very...surprised, either. Even if the outfit kind of reminds of her something she’s seen Lucy wear, “Aliens are...pretty common place here, yeah. So are you not--can you not--” Brows barely knit, because this isn’t a scenario she’s actually ran into, before. Powerless. And a thousand and one possibilities-- “I have...powers thanks to the sunlight on this planet which is...something I guess you don’t. You’re in National City and what--” A low, slow blink as Kara’s head finally dips. She doesn’t mean to be rude with x-ray vision, but without glasses, it’s a little hard to shut it off sometimes, given the fact that it’s naturally attached to her retinas. And there it is, something curled around the other her’s spinal cord. Something living, with a neural network and likely a vascular system.  “...is--do you have--” It’s not an implant. It’s not technology. Her mind goes back to Krypton, wondering if it’s one of their augmentation devices or-- “...I really don’t want to alarm you,” A hint of Supergirl shines through her voice, back tightening like the fight has ran fingertips up her shoulders, memories of long tendrils and vines and the soft glow of a cool, red sun on her cheeks. There was more than just the Black Mercy in the world--“But there’s something attached to your spinal cord. Is that normal?” 

 ━━━━

Kara's eyes widen. "Na...zis? Wait, they were defeated back in the 1940's before I was even born, how do you have?" Okay, yep, this world was...different. Very different. "You've met another you? So that's common in this world? There's no adverse effects like entropic cascade failure? I mean, neither one of you suffers when in the presence of another?" That was something Kara had to find out, cause if not, well, she had to leave in less than a week.

"Huh. Interesting," So aliens and humans could exist among each other. That's something the general would like to know, though she couldn't help but wonder if there would be some adverse effects. But just the knowledge it could happen one day was better then none. "Can I not?" Kara raised a brow, waiting to hear the rest of it. The information was entirely new. She looked up toward the sun (which looked just like her earth's and then back to Kara. "That's astounding. Major Luthor would probably go nuts right now, wanting to ask you so many questions how," She said, and then paused. 

A shift changed, Kara could sense it, and she took a step back. It was almost a defensive reaction, Kara was highly protective of Ken'tha, the Goa'uld was... well, it was complicated. But Kara would even say that she was her friend. Ken'tha has saved her many times over and she wouldn't let anyone hurt her. "It's...complicated. But by the fact you have no idea who she is, I'm assuming you've never had any interactions with a race called the Goa'uld?" Kara honestly couldn't believe it. To find a planet that has never been touched or harassed by the Goa'uld. Did these aliens even exist here? She couldn't help but wonder what it was like.

"I'm not alarmed, she's been with me since I was 8. She means no harm, to anyone. Like you have the power to fly and well...see through people it seems. Ken'tha helps me, think of it like a symbiotic relationship," Kara wasn't sure about any of this anymore, this woman was clearly powerful and there would be no way to stop her even with her abilities that the naquadah in her blood gives her.

━━━━

“Oh, they definitely lost the war, here.” A beat, “Well, for...the most part. Sadly, there’s still Nazi’s.” A hatred Kara couldn’t--won’t--comprehend. Then again, xenophobia in general is still prevalent, beneath the good in people. Tangible. She can feel it, behind the fear. The good.

Which is why palms immediately raise to showcase peaceful intend the moment the other woman keeps talking--nothing but a sad smile spreading, hoping to put the other Kara at ease. 

Because that feeling spreads underneath the stretched crest on a red and blue chest, eyes skimming over features that she would understand even if she wasn’t familiar with seeing them in a mirror. She’s familiar with this. It’s usually so subtle, that faint way people’s spines tense and their jaws clench and their eyes widen just a little when she gets near--

“So she’s...a she. Another lifeform? Ken’tha.” It’s repeated, the name quietly being committed to memory, stepping a little closer, hands still raised. “We’ve never met any Goa’uld--” It doesn’t sound like...Interlac, or any form of language she’s familiar with, either. “But I’m assuming that means they’re...symbiotic, where you’re from? Which is…” Eyes flick around to make sure no one’s near, “...not Earth? I would never mean anyone harm. My track record with things going near my brain stem just...is really not great. I didn’t mean to worry you. But, no, I have...no idea what entropic cascade failure is--” Though she has a feeling lena might answer a quick text if she asked, “And I’ve never had any negative effects from being near another...me. Well,” Her chin tips upwards, sheepishly smiling, “Outside of her trying to cut out my heart. Did...I mention that really wasn’t fun? Oh,” The smile turns into a bright laugh, “Or almost dying of embarrassment. Nothing worse than that. Are you okay/” A little more seriously, because there’s no telling what happened to lead them here, this time: “How did you get here?”  

━━━━

“Yes,” Kara nodded slightly, still be cautious. There were too many times when someone wanted to experiment, or try to cut her open to understand her more, and other sort of negative responses. She really rather not find herself like that here on this earth, even though it seemed aliens were accepted. But where all aliens? Kara was a little weary when it came to that, now that she knew this other woman knew. “Interesting,” The Goa’uld never came here, but clearly they were advanced enough and had means of defense. It made her wonder what happened to the Goa’uld here, or if they even existed. “Well, not all of them,” Kara had to reiterate. “Most Goa’uld are parasitic, but Ken’tha, she’s different. It's a long story, but the Goa’uld are a major threat in the universe, my universe. They enslave higher races and exterminate others.” She really needed a book. “Ken’tha isn’t parasitic, she’s part of me, but she’s never controlled me. She saved me from the slavery of Goa’uld, though my planet wasn’t as lucky. That’s why I’m here. I travel to different universes, seeing if I can learn things of how to defeat them,” AT the moment, it was an ongoing war and the Goa’uld were winning.

“Huh,” The knowledge that there was no failure here was a loophole she didn’t expect. Major Luthor would definitely have a field day with this. “That… doesn’t sound fun at all. At least it didn’t happen. I know all too well the trouble of people wanting to cut you open,” She didn’t quite know how This Kara could laugh at it, but maybe the silver lining effect was what she was looking at. “I’m okay,” Kara said, as she was just trying to gauge if she was truly safe at the moment or not. “You have to forgive me, most people who find out that a Goa’uld and I are bonded typically leads to wanting to either kill me or experiment on me. It took me about a year or so to convince earth I wasn’t a threat. The Goa’uld are sentient beings who create themselves as gods, they take host, enslaving them and using their bodies. That’s what happened on Krypton, one of the gods called himself Rao, and either enslaved the Kryptonians as host or turned them into Gaffa, the ones who carry the goa’uld til they are old enough to take a host themselves.” 

Yeah, Kara really needed a book. She shook her head and waved her hand. “Like I said, long story. But I came through something called a Quantum Mirror. I’ve been studying it and traveling to different alternate realities, though I’m starting to think this isn’t an alternate reality. I’m have to do some research, and see how this came to be,” Perhaps the ones who create the mirror had more dials on the device then just alternate realities. Or perhaps it was something new altogether. Her anthropology degree didn’t come with instructions for things like that, she would have to study the language some more and see if she could figure it out.

━━━━

Her voice is quiet, conflicted, something deep and buried behind fluttering eyelashes and soft breath, “But Rao is…peaceful.” Brows knit, momentarily pained before her chin once more tips upwards. “That sounds horrible.” A back is wound of steel, now, jaw taut as she stands taller, thinking of the way J’onn’s knees had pressed into the off-colored sand of a white martian-dominated planet. “There’s no experimentation going to happen here, but we’ll see what we can do to help you.” It’s an immediate promise, and one Supergirl doesn’t plan on turning her back on, voice resolved. “Everyone deserves a right to freedom. I have friends who think the same; I’m sure between all of us, we can help you fight them. I can take you back to the DEO—it’s…our base of operations. I’m sure my sister would love to ask you a million and one questions," She pauses, nose scrunching before she asks, because she’s still hearing about the…Cat thing, “…you’re not married, right?”  

━━━━

“I know, our teachings on Krypton, well, I’m sure you know. He promoted peace, love among the people. But this false god, Rao, the host he takes has no control, those who have become Jaffa, it's been almost 30 years since the invasion. Those who now follow him, are brainwashed in believing he is here to save them and they worship him, I don’t know if there are any Kryptonians left who are free,” It was difficult to deal with. Knowing that her people. Her mother, father, all those she knew, were no longer themselves. It seemed a slim chance of any of them being free. But she was trying, she wanted to try to find a way to save her people.

“At least your world is not bothered by them,” Kara smiled, as she shifted the pack on her shoulder. A breath of relief left her lips, really rather not having any other test thrown on her since the last one about half a year ago. “Thank you, I’m not quite sure what help you can give since you’ve never dealt with this alien before,” And she prayed she never had to, “But any help would be great. But, what is the DEO?” Perhaps it was a variation of the SGC? Or is it some other operation in order? Oh, she had so many questions!

“Um...no?” Kara paused at the thought, looking at Kara, wondering if she was suppose to be. The way things were on her earth, the person she liked well… it was clear she couldn’t do anything about it. Not with the government and the society at hand. “Do you have some ritual rites that require marriage?”

━━━━

“At least they’re alive.” It’s a grave statement, but a serious one, “That means there’s hope. If there’s one thing I’ve learned, it’s that anyone who’s caged can…always be set free.” She reaches out, now, hand curling over rough fabric with a smile, “I hope we can help you do it. And the answer to that question’s…really something I probably shouldn’t answer out loud. The DEO, I mean.”

A quip about journalists is familiar on her tongue but pauses when she realizes it might not land—knowing this is a different her. A different world. Something made clearly evident by the comment about marriage, which causes a bright laugh, hand falling to shake her head, “No, no, sorry. Well, some places here do have rituals and traditions, but not here. I just…thank Rao, I was starting to think I was the only version of me in the universe not married. Not that I’m looking but—” The laughter turns into a happy sigh, “Nevermind. I can fly you there, if you want. To the DEO. It will be faster. I promise they’re friends. Family. I trust them with my life.”

━━━━

Kara gave a weak smile, because there might be a bit of hope, but she knew the Goa’uld. They would die long before even thinking of giving up their host. Or worse. But this Kara, she had a good life, and she wasn’t about to trouble her with her own world problems. But it was more than just her people, it was earth too. She had family, friends, and while there was trouble in that world, there were good people too and none of them deserved to be slaves. “Oh ...OH!” It dawned on Kara that the DEO in a way was like the SGC. Though it still didn’t answer what it is entirely.

“Oh thank goodness, I’m always curious about other world cultures and the people. A place might look like earth, but the people are always different. And with Aliens living openly in your world, I imagine some things must have changed,” Kara grinned and then paused. “Fly...me ...there?” Okay, Kara wasn’t sure about that. Jumping through a wormhole to travel hundreds of lightyears across galaxies, sure! Easy. Flying in the air where if she fell could mean her death? Not...so easy. “Okay, if its faster,” She said, though when it happens she was going to close her eyes the whole way there.

━━━━

"Well, I wouldn't say…" A beat, some of the sunshine fading from her smile--her lips--fingers barely curling in the air before they fall, "Openly. We still have a lot to fear. Too much. We're working on changing that. People don't know who I am. I'm... Supergirl. I'm here to help them, a symbol, a...hero, even though I don't feel that way most days. But they don't know who I am. It's still not openly." She shakes her head and carefully picks up the other her, nodding, "But that will change someday, too. Do you want me to go fast or slow?" Her laugh is calm, gentle, because it's hardly the first time she's given someone a ride across town. "My sister, she likes to joke that I have a frequent flyer program. I'm used to helping people get around the city. Which means I've never dropped a single person." Well, unless it was intentionally. "Why don't you tell me more about it?" She kicks off, slowly starting to hover, making sure the other woman is securely against her chest. "Your world. There must be so much different." 

━━━━

Yeah, she was absolutely positive she hated flying the moment Supergirl's feet left the ground. Noooope! So she closed her eyes tight just ignoring everything and focusing on what to talk about. "Well, i've been on earth for about 22 years now. I'm not sure what year it is here, but it's 1996 there. Nor much is different but technology is different from what little I've e seen in stores." She kept her thoughts on taking about her world. 

"No DEO," she paused at the thought and figured to say it anyway. Besides they tell other worlds what they are. "I'm part of a program called SG1. We travel to other worlds, helping against the goa'uld but also explorers. I'm a bit of a culture buff. I have a PhD in anthropology, archeology, and linguistics." She wasn't sure what all to talk about so she talked, waiting for solid ground again. 

"I don't think there's many difference, honestly. We seem very similar. Except the whole you can fly and I can't. "

━━━━

"And you have a symbiotic lifeform attached to your spinal cord." It's a smiling reminder, wrapping her cape a little around them as she heads towards a familiar building across the city, trying to ward off the chill. A symbiotic lifeform and Krypton wasn't destroyed, just...taken over. "You landed on time." The realization follows after a short moment of math. "Did...did Kal-El come with you?" Wary of broaching the subject, hopeful, because as much as this isn't her world--

"It's definitely not 1996. I...was in space in 1996. It's 2019. And I have...an English degree." It feels a little pitiful in comparison, but given the fact that she's currently calculating the exact speed she has to go to not rip the other woman's body in half without a second thought, she reminds herself that that was her own choice. "I'm a journalist. So you go to other planets?" They dip around the bend of a building before moving up, up, and away fully into the sky. "That must be amazing! The last time I had a chance to go to another planet I was kidnapped!" 

A beat, admitting over the wind:

"Twice?"

━━━━

“That.. yeah, didn’t think about that one,” She was so used to Ken’tha that, it didn’t really think to mention it because it was normal to her. The chill of the air made her pull her jacket closer around her, still keeping her eyes close cause yeah, this wasn’t fun. At all. She didn’t want a frequent flyer card, EVER. “Kal-El?” Kara questioned as she peeked one eye open and then immediately regretted it, closing it again as she tried to ease her heart rate. “I’ve never heard of a Kal-El.” It must be another thing that was different. But there was no one with that name when she left Krypton.

“20...19.” Whoa, time change. Major time change. “A journalist, that’s neat! I could never pull that off, not with what I know,” A chuckle left her lips at that thought.

“I do, many of them. All of them extremely fascinating. Others ...well, interesting but terrifying at the same time,” She smiled to herself. She paused for a moment, biting the bottom of her lip at that thought. “Yeah, I’ve had a few of those moments too. They are never fun. Ever. Won’t talk about how my time Colonel Grant has gotten on my case of jumping before I look. And my sister questions how I’m not stealthy when she’s taught me hundreds of times what to do. I’m an archeologist, not a military personnel… But its still amusing at times. I pretty sure I trip over my feet at least once a day,”

━━━━

"Oh, tell me about it!" The speed slows, whipping wind gentler as she eases in the air at the sound of a kicked up heartbeat. Kara wonders if their heartbeats are different--if Alex would be able to tell--but quietly moves a little underneath the clouds, instead, so that the wind won't be so harsh. That the speed might not be nearly as noticable. Her laugh, however, is now clear as day. "Alex has tried for years to make me sneaky--" 

Sister. Does that mean this Kara has an Alex, too?

Maybe that's what happened to--what did the other Kara call her? Overgirl?--maybe the other half of her heart was nowhere to be found, after all. That's why it never worked on this planet, in the first place. 

"And sorry, sorry--" She's still laughing. "The um...the only person I know with the last name Grant, I was...just imagining them as a Colonel for a second. I just--" It's a much needed laugh, still. "Yeah, can't picture it on any timeline. Kal-El is my...our cousin. He was just a baby when…" A sharp breath, finally admitting, "Krypton was destroyed, here. I was sent to protect him. I had hoped…" Her voice trails off like her cape, trilling in the wind in a soft, brushing flap of a noise. "It's funny. No matter how many times I meet another me, it's...hard not to care--not to see the people I know and love. Who they are, inside, no matter what they've done or...who they are. I guess I just hoped there was a universe out there where I'd made it with him in the right time." The smile is hidden underneath the wind as they dip a little further, Supergirl gently setting Kara down on the balcony. "We're here." 

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Her eyes slowly peeked open, seeing the balcony as she slipped out of her arms. One toe at first and then the next, the cargo pants fitting against her legs with more comfort. "Oh, thank Rao, solid ground," She paused and then looked at Supergirl. "No offense..." She immediately stated, feeling bad for that. "Huh, you know a Grant? Interesting. You wouldn't happen to know a Luthor? Lena Luthor?" She added, curious if her entire team was here. "And what about Olivia Marsdin?" Another question.

Pausing, the thought for a moment. Cousin. She had... or would have? Or... did he ever come to pass, or was that all interrupted with the invasion. So many questions, but it was a little sad that she never even knew. But then her eyes widen. Her world...destroyed? "I'm sorry," She immediately stated, feeling the need to. Because she couldn't fathom Krypton destroyed. 

"Well, in a way, we are one of the same. Things just took us in different directions. Luthor said that it just takes one thing to change the course

 of events in all these worlds. Some good, some bad, but our underlying traits always seem to be the same. Well, sometimes. Then you meet an evil version of yourself and it changes all those thoughts," She was glad she hadn't met a darker version of herself, but she saw it with Teal'c, which was terrifying in itself. "Well, that's all theoretical, I haven't been to many alternate universes to put that hypothesis to the test."

She turned around, realizing she was still talking (again.) "So, this is the DEO. In the middle of National City?" It didn't seem very...secretive. Maybe it wasn't entirely like the SGC.

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"Yes, but I...really doubt they're the same." Given the fact that she's not entirely certain Ms. Grant exists without a perpetual cup of coffee and vercase clinging to her form, Kara has reasonable doubt that everything in their universe is the same. There's a lot of Grants in the world. Still, features visibly brighten at the familiarity, "Lena's my best friend. And...wait, Madame President Marsdin? J'onn, the leader here, he says it's sometimes better," Kara pushes open the large glass double doors, beaming at the bustling interior, inside, "To hide in plain sight. The sting that's there--thats always there, a dull blade tucked underneath old scar tissue in her chest--is muted now that they've moved on from the thought of Krypton. "So...you have Olivia and President Marsdin, too? I...meant to ask you about your outfit, by the way. I'm guessing it's military, since you were talking about how you're an archaeologist...are you a civilian contractor?"

At least then they'd have another thing in common, majors aside. 

"Is that part of the unit that goes to--you said you go to other worlds. Were they supposed to be here with you?"

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“Whoa, back up. President!?” Kara eyes widen slightly. “Well, she’s just General Marsdin where I work. Major Luthor is there too, she’s the brains of our operation pretty much,” Kara chuckled and nodded her head. “Alex is our medical doctor, and J’onn, well, that’s a new name. I don’t know anyone by that name.” She was running through a list of everyone she knew, but it didn’t sound familiar. She let Supergirl go first, following her pass the doors as she glanced around. People all dressed in dark gear, computers in the distance. It might not be the SGC, but some things are similar. But her eyes were huge at the kind of computers they had. “Wow…” She said, because her earth had nothing like it. Krypton was far more advanced, but comparing earth's it was different.

She glanced down at her outfit and then back to Kara. “Oh, yeah. Since there’s no such thing as the stargate program here,” If there was, she was sure there would be tell tell signs of it already, but nothing. “I was part of the group who found the stargate on Earth. Due to my Ph.D’s and the knowledge I have on the stargate originally, I was contracted,” Yeah, she could hear Grant’s lectures already. But she knew that by saying these things, IF there was a stargate or the goa’uld showed up, this Kara would be ready. She would know what to look for and what to be careful with.

“Usually, yes. We are part of the first team that makes first contact with other worlds. But what I’m doing here, it's been a sort of experiment. I go to other alternate worlds through the quantum mirror with General Marsdin approval, and I see if there is anything of use I can find to help our earth. But, its partly curiosity too. I like to see new worlds, learn about them, understand them or at least try to comprehend them. Maybe it's the Kryptonian in me,” Kara said with a chuckle on her lips. “But I also like being able to help all these worlds. And Ken’tha too, she’s seeing the world in ways she’s never saw. All she was taught was world domination, but now she just wants to learn and understand, and help in her own way too.”

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"Major Luthor?" Kara's nose scrunches, a hint of fondness warning her voice--her chest--lips twisting upwards as she imagines it. It takes a momentary adjustment to imagine Lena in the military, but being the brains of an operation? That sounds right. "It sounds like a great team. Like you're doing really great work. She sounds kind of like our Winn. Speaking of!" Kara gently wraps fingers around the other woman's wrist--a lifetime of being gentler than she needs to be in fear of being anything but. 

"Winn!" On cue, someone spins around in his chair, nerf gun poised before it hesitates on a second Kara. She immediately continues: "This one isn't a Nazi." He visibly relaxes. Maybe Winn wasn't there for it, but she knows all he's heard has been stories. "Kara, Winn. Also my best friend. Kara is part of a team that travels to other worlds to help stop hostile takeover threats through something called a… Stargate? Right?" She turns on a red boot to not towards the other her. 

"Oh, cool, that sounds like the plot to Wormhole X-treme. Nice to meet you, not-Nazi Kara." He sets down the gun fully to smile, hopping up to greet her, "Uh… Alex just ran out to go stop the rest of the big… Giant claw bug guys."

"So…" Kara shrugs, offering the other her a smile, "I can show you around here?"

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A grin crossed her lips as she let the thought rest on the tip of her mind. So many differences, it was interesting to see how people were different in each world. “Winn?” Kara paused, “Schott?” Another added word as she turned around and eyebrows raised up, staring at him. “You look exactly that Master Sergeant Schott… except the whole, water gun thing. He had a real one,” She spoke a little but saw his hesitation before Kara confirmed it was okay. She looked at Supergirl and nodded. “Right,” She smiled and then looked at Winn.

And groaned.

“No, they have that show here too? Colonel Grant is grumbling from a distance, I can hear it,” Kara said, still remembering the first time she saw the whole show for that. IT was the worst thing she had ever seen. “And, just call me…” She paused and looked at Supergirl Kara, wondering what she could be called here. That wouldn’t be confusing at all. “Well, my middle name is Ruby. Would that be easier?” She questioned because saying Kara and Kara and things were going to get very confusing very fast. 

“Sure!” Kara couldn’t deny she was curious now.

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