Through the theater doors, and what Risiko found there

"Well, here, you hold it up as such" Risiko said, grabbing the cloth by the length ends. He walked over behind Audi. "Now hold still. What we're going to do is tuck this, wrap it, pleat it, tuck it again, wrap and then drape. It will make more sense as we go along. Ready?" he asked, moving his head over her shoulder, smiling at a sideways glance.

Audi blinked, then her brow creased as she glanced at him over her shoulder. Right. All she really got from his explanation was that he was going to wrap this 'sari' around her, so holding out her arms to her sides would probably help - and, that's what she did, though still unsurely.

"Okay."

With a light sigh, she made a mental note to do some research on clothing later. It would be exciting, but another thing to study...? It already felt like the day was too short.

Risiko moved gingerly and lightly, tucking and wrapping. He chose to wrap the sari more like a towel rather than into Audi's trousers. To do so would have been entirely immodest. Perhaps a flaw, but Risiko's self-imposed rules of modesty were completely inflexible. Finishing, he stepped back and around, giving her an up and down look.
"Yes, that fits you quite nicely" He said.

It felt rather odd to be tended to in that way, unnatural even, almost as if he was her servant. Audi couldn't help a light giggle at the thought. As Risiko went about the work, her eyes followed his hands curiously and she tried to memorize the movements for future reference. Since she had no idea about how a sari was usually arranged, she did not realize him straying from the routine. It looked... rather complicated.

When he was done and moved to the front of her, Audi's head snapped up and she smiled. Then, she quickly trotted over to the mirror, now considerably easier to find than earlier, and spun around in front of in. As she examined her new attire, she pulled at the edges of fabric there and there, making slight adjustments to her liking. Finally, she gave a nod. "Yes." She turned to Risiko again. "Thank you!"

She paused for a moment, and as she stared at him, her gaze slowly turned more and more admiring.

"What else can you do?" she asked quietly.

Risiko leaned on one leg and brought his right hand under his chin supported by his folded left as he watched Audi move to the mirror. Alright, got the tucks right, it wasn't falling off.

"Oh yes, it's no problem" Risiko smiled back. Though he continued to smile, he felt awkward during her pause. He never liked those pauses, when someone was making up their mind about what to say. The ball was in their court, but they were holding it for now. He supposed that some actually liked the pauseand used it to their advantage. Not very...

Snapping back from the winding road of his mind, he shrugged "Oh, you know. Schtuff. We read a lot. What can you do?" Risiko said, a small smile, tilting his head and presenting the lower left of his jaw.

Audi gave a light, disbelieving scoff at his modesty, though it was followed by a 'hm' as she reconsidered. Perhaps, perhaps... It could be easily believed he got that knowledge out of books. Humans weren't born perfect, not at all, they just had... a head-start, she supposed...

"Alchemy," she answered absent-mindedly, "and tailoring." Abruptly turning around again to face the mirror, Audi looked herself up and down. A furry mockery of a human being, dressed in over-sized clothing. A pathetic little homunculus, nothing more. Was that really what she wanted to be...?

Lost in her musings, she literally forgot of the presence of the other.

Risiko leaned forwards, interested. "Alchemy?" He asked, raising his eyebrows. "You mean like...transmutation? Lead into gold? That sort of thing? "
He saw she was transfixed to the mirror's reflection. Straightening, he smiled "Don't worry, you look fine. The sari may be a bit large, but it still fits!" he said, giving a little wave of his hand.

As she was addressed, Audi twitched slightly.

"Chrysopoeia. Yes." she said, smiling all too-sweetly. She was not a human, and she was not perfect, but humans were not perfect, either. Look at them, so clueless about the Great Work, thinking it is merely about gold... Such fools. Was she to consider herself inferior to them, just because they were born as bald monkeys and she was not?

Laughable.

She spun around, a flicker in her eye. "It does." she affirmed, then tilted her head. "Find me another outfit?"
He was an opportunity to learn, and she wasn't about to waste it.

"Oh, I don't know. I'm so terrible at picking clothing wily-nily. Events are better. " Risiko said, though he still walked over to the rack and going through it, moving hangers like abacus beads. He addressed Audi over his shoulder "So, alchemy and tailoring...they usually aren't a pair. How'd you come to learn them?" Risiko was intrigued. Where he came from, alchemy didn't actually work, and rats certainly did not mend clothing. How Audi came to do both could be interesting, not to mention how alchemy worked. He had quite the opportunity to learn something new and unusual here.

Audi blinked, then shook her head energetically. "Not terrible." She glanced down. "The sari is great."
But after that, a bit of strained silence reigned as she pondered on how to answer. Sighing, the ratgirl slowly strolled over to the rack Risiko was browsing to stand beside him, tracing the clothes with her eyes. "I learned them." she said, then looked up to him with a bit of proud defiance. "Myself."
With a shrug, she looked to the clothes' rack again. "Amateur, you see." she added, as if needing an excuse for her not knowing what a sari is.

"Hmm" Risiko said, briefly looking at her during her proud moment. She's more proud of learning something herself than of being able to perform and impossible science he thought. Interesting.
"Ah, howabout here!?" he exclaimed, pulling a hanger up and out. A full length turquoise evening gown came out. It had a full front, and attached by a loop of fabric going about the neck, leaving the shoulders and the upper back visible. Though it hung limply now, it appeared to fit close to the hips, but spread out and drag on the floor.
Risiko took a second look at it, holding it at arms's length. "Too much? I never can tell."

The fact that he seemed to give up on the subject came as somewhat of a relief. As proud as Audi was, she still wasn't certain how much did she want to tell people. How much was she allowed to tell people. There was no guidance. Master was dead...
As the dress was produced, the matter of alchemy was all but forgotten and Audi clasped her hands together in excitement. It was beautiful! Her eyes trailed up and down the dress, taking in its fantastic cut and color.
"Too much?" she echoed unsurely, adoring gaze still glued to the gown. It could be too big, but hopefully nothing a few well-placed pins wouldn't fix... "In what way?"

Risiko shrugged as he held out the dress loosely to Audi. "Too fancy, too out of place, too not-your-style, or all of the above" he said. He smiled as she admired it. "But I am glad that you seem to like it. It certainly is pretty". He thought a moment about the 'normal' world, where he used to be. His friends might wear something like this for a dance competition, or a fancy dinner. It seemed that in no time at all, he had left it all behind for the road less traveled by. Funny how things worked like that, all because occasionally he did something unusual.

Letting out a 'pshhh', the ratgirl flipped a hand dismissively. "Can try it on, regardless." She shrugged, then looked down to her current outfit. Carefully, she started unwrapping the sari, slow and mindful as to memorize the process and be able to reverse it later. Once that was done, she folded the fabric in two and threw it over the rack to be hung up properly later.
Right now, there was no time for that as Audi spun around to stare at the dress again with glittery eyes. Then, displaying an impressive level of flexibility, she reached to her back to start undoing the dress she was currently wearing. Ooh, she couldn't wait.

"Gahh!" Risiko exclaimed as he crossed his elbows over his eyes and turned away. "What are you doing?" He knew that he and Audi had different standards of modesty, but this far even?

Audi jumped back, startled, at the sudden yell. What the heck was this guy's problem? She stared at him with her brow furrowed. "Changing...?" she said, shrugging. "What else?"
As she remembered how he had hid behind the curtain to change, her head turned to glance at it. Perhaps that was his custom, and he expected everybody else to follow it, too. What a waste of energy, that. Letting out a dismissive 'tch', Audi continued undoing the clasps, and soon she slid down the gown to remain only in the light cotton tunic she had underneath. "Pass me the dress."

"ah, sure" he Risiko said, looking around for the blue gown. Seeing it, he picked it up and handed it to Audi, notedly looking away. "I am curious as to something" Risiko said. "How long have you lived amongst humans? "
He realized that, even amongst humans he was a bit more prudish, but still! To say nothing of what community she had lived in before this!

She took the gown and started putting it on. "Thanks." came muffled from underneath the fabric as she slid it over her head. The question he asked had her freezing for a second before continuing to pull the garment on so that she could peer up at him inquisitively. Why would he ask...? Did she do something glaringly wrong? Worry crossed her expression as she ran her hands over the skirt to smoothen it out, silence dragging on. She wasn't even sure how to answer. There were the home-clan's underground caverns which she barely remembered, then working with the Alchemist... which was living amongst, well, one human, if that counted. Then there were the streets, which was avoiding humans more than anything, and then the Academy...
"It's hard to say." she answered finally, looking down. "But I know I don't really fit."

Risiko shuffled awkwardly at Audi's self-deprecation. "Well, no, I think you've done a wonderful job" he stated. I'm a mathmetician, not a psychologist he thought (in Deforest Kelley's voice). He started again after a slightly too long of a break. "I mean, everyone here's a bit wonky. It's why we're here. Yes?" he hoped that was the right thing to say.

Audi let out an amused huff as she waved her hand in an attempt to dismiss the awkward air. It was a fact that she had accepted, so no comforting was necessary... but regardless, her head stayed down in order to conceal a small smile. So what if he was just saying that? It was still nice.

Shaking her head, she turned around and approached the mirror, slowly this time. The dress really was stunning... herself in it less so. The waist was a bit too low. Squinting, Audi pinched up a bit of fabric. If she tucked it in here... hmm... but the dress wasn't hers to make adjustments to, she reminded herself as she let go of the fold, letting the gown fall back to its unflattering shape.

And she turned her head sharply in Risiko's direction to pierce him with her asymmetric gaze. "How are you wonky?"

Risiko smirked a bit at Audi's huff. It was a very human gesture, cultural. As she walked to the mirror, Risiko made a note of her admiration.
"What do you think of the colour?" he asked as she squinted.
Risiko failed under the gaze and gave a sidelong glance to the right. "Just ah, like you, I enjoy making things. You, your garments, and I, just stuff. My stuff it ah.. it does things. That is to say, my creations, they act in ways I don't mean to. Magic, you would say. The thing is" Risiko looked at Audi and shrugged. "I can't intend it. It happens by itself."

The question of the color was forgotten as Audi listened to Risiko's answer all-too-intently. Slowly, her head tilted to the side and her eyes widened, then she blinked twice. Huh. Well, that sounded... really familiar.

Straightening out, a serious expression on her face, she walked up to him. As she came to a halt in front of him, she had to lean back in order to maintain eye contact despite the height difference.
"You will find out why." she stated. "And I will help you."

She gave a firm nod.

"I promise."

Risiko straightened, mostly to back his head as far away from the now silent and serious rat-girl. He returned her stare downwards. Such confidence in her voice! Risiko almost believed her for a moment. He smiled sweetly down at her.
"Thanks. I'm certain the answer will fall from the sky one day. And besides" He added "Even if it doesn't, finding something I made has other properties is like having an unexpected birthday. It's a nice surprise."

It was somewhat patronizing, she thought, the tone that he'd taken. She swiveled her head to give him an askew look, a silent 'oh really?'. The practice of telling one's self something over and over, in the belief that with enough repetition it would become true, was all too familiar to her to not recognize it when others did it. Risiko couldn't really not care about the source of his magic.

Audi shook her head. "I will help you." she repeated simply. Then, with a slight smile to help the serious mood dissipate, she took a step back, stumbling slightly over the skirts of the gown. With an impatient tut, she looked down at it - but as she did, her gaze turned somewhat longing. Huh... There was no explicit rule against taking and using clothes found in the theater, but it was only logical to assume it was forbidden... but, really... what was the harm? It was only gathering dust here.

"Do you think it is okay if I take it?" Audi asked tentatively, not sure of his answer or if he wouldn't think less of her for even considering such thievery.

At Audi's silent look, Risiko raised his eyebrows, and tilted his head, a sassy 'yes really' reply. As she turned away, he smiled at determination. It was a good thing to be sure, but there was a place for passiveness as well.

Risiko looked back at the racks of clothing. "well.." he said hesitantly. There were a lot of them..and it certainly didn't look used. Slowly "I suppose if you left a note, describing the item and who you were..they could find it if they really needed it.." Risiko wasn't a thief, he just believed in utility. Someone should at least enjoy it for the time being.