Restive

Rem sits with the bottle between their knees. They'd stolen it from the kitchens. When they get into these restive moods, they always do something impulsive. It's fine. No one will miss it. Probably.

They hand the bottle over to their companion, Anther, also a student, also there on a "Scholarship". The two had recently cultivated a habit of sneaking out to meet on the refectory's rooftop after nightfall.

The summer air feels sweet and heavy. Moonlight casts long shadows across nearby roofs and shuttered windows. Adolescent hands, sticky with humitidy, wrap themselves around the cool glass of treasured contraband.

"Thanks, this is really good." Anther takes a swig from the bottle, wiping their mouth on their sleeve before handing it back.

"Pretty sure it's just cooking wine," Rem says. Not that either of them would have been able to tell the difference.

The two sit in companionable silence for a few moments. This was far from their first time breaking curfew, and by now much of the initial thrill had given way to comfort and comradery.

"So, question," Anther says, after some time, "have you been using Shaping to...change things?

"Oh, uh, yeah. You could tell?“

“It seemed like you might be...halting? Or maybe augmenting? I wasn't really sure."

"Yeah, I've mostly, uhm, halted. Or delayed, I guess. I've made some changes too, but it's difficult to know how exactly to do it, without observing, uh, more directly."

Rem passes the bottle over. Anther accepts it.

"Has anyone ever let you, you know, observe?"

"No, not exactly. I mean, we've had conversations in class about things like that, so I know in theory, but I've never..."

"Do you want to?"

"Oh," Rem replies, suddenly acutely aware of the sensation of their own heartbeat. "OK."

Anther sets the bottle down and takes Rem's hand, lifting it to the bare skin at their neck. "Go ahead."

"Alright," Rem says. They reach out with their magic, feeling that familiar prickle at their fingertips.

Anther twitches away, almost flinching at the sensation.

"Sorry, is that OK?"

"No, it's fine. It just tickles. Keep going."

Rem inhales slowly, and closes their eyes. They've never scanned another person this way, at least not with this particular goal in mind, but they soon find what they seek, and gaps in their knowledge begin to dwindle. There are things about Anther's form that are different from their own, and more that are the same.

Rem pauses.

"I think I want to try something now, if that's OK."

"Yeah, go ahead."

It's not too difficult. In fact, it's surprisingly easy, taking bits and pieces of what they observed and applying it to themself. Small changes at first. The texture of their skin, the line of their jaw. Distribution of fat around their chest and hips.

After a few minutes of deep focus, Rem opens their eyes.

"Hey, look at you." Anther smiles.

Rem exhales, feeling something like relief. Something at once new and familiar. They meet Anther's gaze, and grin back wildly.

"Look at me," Rem says, and as they lean over to grab the bottle, their chest fills with an exhilaration that has nothing to do with wine.