"These are... absolutely amazing."

   I stared at the laptop screen as image after image scrolled past.
Shelly had downloaded a number of pictures and artwork from off of the
websites she sent me, since I hadn't had enough time to look at them
myself.

   It had been over a week since that first meeting.  Since then we'd
been trading email and managing short times together when our schedules
allowed.  Unfortunately that meant lunch and dinner, and we both were a
little self-conscious, given the way that folks had started talking
about us.

   My habit was to go out of my way, being polite and formal around
her.  I didn't want it to look like I was falling for her, and she would
do the same around me.  Privately we'd laugh about it in email, talking
about the reactions that others were making when we were together.  But
we both recognized the fact that the last thing we needed were to get
reputations.

   After a while we found that Friday afternoons were going to be the
best chance to get together.  So we arranged a time after our last
classes to meet, along one of the paths that wound about the school.  I
had found it one day when I was wandering, a small picnic table shaded
by some large trees.  It was far enough off from the path that someone
would have to intentionally walk over, but could give us a little
privacy.  Shelly had brought her laptop with her, and set it up.

   "I downloaded a batch of images from those websites I was telling
you about," she said after giving me a light hug.  "Since I know that
what you've been looking at in class has been the usual sort of images,
I thought you would like to see a little more variety."

   "You know I'd like to know how others think," I told her as I sat
down where I could see the screen.  "Where I'm from, there's not much
variety.  Lots of hills, lots of corn, lots of the same kind of people."

   She giggled.  "Well, you're going to see things you've never
imagined now."  Bringing up a program, she started up the display, and I
found myself amazed at the sheer variety of forms that people could come
up with.  Shapes of every kind were represented, from common ones such
as felines and lupines to equines and centaurs, mythic creatures such as
dragons and unicorns to unusual forms that defied words.  My imagination
began firing off as I constantly stared while Shelly explained where she
got them from.

   "There's a couple of sites devoted to what's called anthropomorpic
art," she said, clicking past another image.  "There's quite a number of
artists out there who draw this sort of stuff, and post it so others can
see.  There's also a few message boards devoted to both the art and the
transformation aspects."

   "I can see why," I replied, gazing at an image of a centaur.  "And
I'm not surprised this isn't where most folks can find it."

   "Most folks aren't interested in it," Shelly explained.  "Given a
choice between this," and she clicked on an image of a tigress morph in
a harem outfit, "and say, Vanessa Saunders in the same outfit, 99% would
choose Vanessa."

   Vanessa Saunders was one of those actresses who looked like she
belonged in a men's magazine.  I shook my head, amazed.  "Even if they
both are built like the proverbial brick chicken house," I said idly,
still staring at the tigress.  Shelly laughed and nodded.

   "Well, I like the idea of looking like her," she said, nodding
towards the screen.  "Or maybe like this one."  Another image came up,
and I blinked at it.  The caption read 'naga', but it was not the
classical image I was familiar with.  This one was without arms, the
shoulders smooth and rounded, but in every other respect was the
traditional female/snake.  I looked up at Shelly, and she was blushing.

   "I just like the idea," she quietly told me.  "I like unusual
shapes, and I have quite a few unusual images elsewhere."

   I was quiet for a moment as I thought about her words.  Even though
she seemed ashamed of saying, she did enjoy the idea of being something
different, something unusual.  She wanted to experience it for herself,
and I tried to find some fault with that, pushing my own opinions out of
the way.  Finally I admitted to myself that there was nothing wrong with
that, she was entitled to her enjoyment and that I couldn't really judge
her for that fact.

   It brought back a part of my last ethics class, concerning using
talent in general.  The teacher had pointed out that it was the forced
use of talent that was viewed as wrong and even evil, but when it was
used with someone who consented, it was perfectly acceptable.  "As long
as they understand what's happening, and really want to be changed, then
you're allowed to do so," she had told the class.  "You'll find as part
of your schooling that you will be changed, or will change others, and
that by being here you are in a sense allowing yourself to be changed."

   The lesson made sense now, sitting with Shelly and listening to her
passionate talk about being in these shapes.  And again, I really
couldn't complain about it.  She wanted to take those shapes, and I
could change her if I wanted to.

   "Show me one of the unusual ones you'd love to take," I told her,
surprising myself at the command as well as her.  She looked closely at
me, then looked back at the screen, scrolling through the list.

   "Here's one," she finally said, displaying the image.

   I looked at the picture, fascinated in a way I couldn't explain.
Imagine a image of a female wolf morph, only she was hardly normal in
any respect.  From the two heads on her shoulders to the four arms and
two tails, she was truly a bizarre sight.  And yet... she seemed like
she'd be fun in more ways than one.  The extras could be rather...

   Suddenly I blushed a bit, realizing where my thoughts were heading.
I glanced out of the corner of my eyes at Shelly, and she had a rather
fond expression on her face.  She spied me glancing at her, and gave a
warm smile.

   "It's ok, Kyle," she said, her own blush fading from her cheeks.  "I
think the same thing from time to time, about a lot of these forms.
This isn't the most outrageous of the shapes, but it's one I've always
been fascinated in."  She looked back at the image.  "To have two heads
instead of one, being able to have four arms, the way the body must
feel, even the idea of having two sets of thoughts and yet still be
one."  She shivered a bit, then shook herself.  "It's just so..."

   "You'd really like to try something like this?" I asked her, looking
at the image again.  "I mean, it sounds crazy to want to be something
like this."  I looked up at her, and saw she was blushing again.  "But
if you really wanted to look like her, I'd... I'd like to try it."

   Her eyes flew wide open.  "You would?  Right now?  You'd do that for
me?"

   "Well, if you don't..."

   Her hand clamped around my mouth tightly.  "Don't you dare say it,"
she hissed.  "Don't you even think it.  If you're serious about wanting
to change me, then do it.  You know that I'd like it."

   I nodded, and she took her hand away from me.  "Ok, just give me a
moment," I said, still a little shaken at the force of her desire.  I
stared at the image on the screen, trying to burn it into my thoughts.
"Are you ready for this?"

   Shelly sighed.  "I've been ready for this for... never mind, Kyle.
Just do it.  Now."

   I touched her hand, and visualized the image in my mind.  Power
flowed from me, a powerful current that enveloped Shelly.  I closed my
eyes tightly, working to keep the picture in my thoughts.  A gasp came
from her and I could feel her changing, her hand becoming a paw covered
in fur.  There were more sounds from her, but I closed them out,
concentrating on the change alone.  Only when the tingling sensation
fade and the feel of power flowing ceased did I open my eyes up.

   What greeted me there was something that was clearly not natural.
Two pairs of eyes peered over twin muzzles, both clearly surprised.  The
heads rested on a broad pair of shoulders, from which four arms came
from the sides.  Down lower I could see the tips of two tails flicking
about behind her, along with the rather curvy appearance she now had.
She raises all four paws and peered at them, then turned her heads this
way and that.

   "Oh, wow," she finally managed in stereo, a low rumble present in
her voice.  "This is just so amazing."  She looked at me with one head
while the other looked the other way.  "This is going to take some time
to get used to."

   "How does it feel?" I asked, my curiosity getting the better of me.
She giggled, and shrugged her shoulders.

   "It feels so... so very strange."  That came from her right head,
the one that was looking at me.  "But it's so different."  The left head
spoke that time, and I had to laugh at the responses.

   "You sound like you'd want to stay this way," I told her.  She gave
me a lupine grin and winked.

   "Oh, I would!"  She looked at herself, sliding the lower pair of
paws along her sides.  "This is so different from anything I've been
before, and I love it."  Her expression was one of near rapture, and I
she was happier than I had ever seen before.

   Suddenly she turned both muzzles towards me and grinned in tandem.
"You know, Kyle," she said, "maybe you should try this yourself.  Find
out just how much different it is, and why I like it so much.  You might
find yourself surprised."

   I thought about it for less than a second.  It sounded frightening,
but if she could find enjoyment, well, why couldn't I?  I gave her a
wink, and nodded.

   "Oh, go ahead.  What's good for the goose is good for the gander," I
said.  "Let's both look like someone's nightmare."

   She gave a short barking laugh, then touched me.  "Close your eyes,"
she warned.  "It'll make it easier on you when you change."

   I closed my eyes, and waited.  A wave of warm energy flowed into me
from where she touched, and I felt my body turning into putty, reflowing
into a new shape.  An itchy sensation covered my skin, while I felt...
something pushing out from the sides and behind me.  My head literally
split into two, and with it came an odd doubling of my thoughts.  The
putty feeling vanished, replaced with a new feeling of solidness, and a
new set of sensations.

   My senses felt like they have been switch into overdrive.  Hearing
was sharp and crisp, sounds that previously were barely audible clear
and recognizable.  Smells came just as crisply, the world around me
identifible alone that way.  Trees, grasses, small animals, the scent of
humans in the distance, all of it was recognized, identified and filed
away.

   I opened my eyes carefully, then let out a gasp.  Or rather, two
gasps at the same moment.  Everything around me was momentarily doubled,
like having blurry vision.  Then my mind 'snapped' the visions into
focus, becoming one image with more detail, more clarity.  The range of
vision seemed wider, and I was able to focus on something without
consciously thinking about it.

   My thoughts drifted back to Shelly, who sat there quietly waiting.
I looked at her, and admired the way she looked, from the brownish-black
fur covering her to the twin muzzles that were fascinating in their own
right.  I could smell her emotions, both apprehensive and alluring.

   "This feels..."  I started to talk, then realized that I was doing
so twice over.  Two sets of thoughts were present, each one separate and
yet connected.  I blinked in surprise, and one head looked downwards
while the other looked around.  The shift in vision was disorienting for
a moment, but again my mind quickly adjusted to handle the changes.

   From one set of eyes I could see myself covered in fur, a darker
shade than Shelly was.  My arms rested against my sides, and I moved
one, then another, then another until all four were in front of me, the
pads of my paws upwards.  I flexed them, and short claws came out,
quickly disappearing when I relaxed.

   The other (left) muzzle looked at Shelly, and I licked my lips.
"Oh... my..." My mind (minds?) were working furiously to handle all of
the changes, but I felt myself becoming used to the new shape.  Within a
few seconds everything had settled down, and felt perfectly normal now.

   I looked back at Shelly, and she giggled at my reactions.  Reaching
out, she started to lightly scratch my chest with two of her paws.

  "This is better than I've imagined," she said from her left.  "It's
so strange, but it feels like I've always been this way for my entire
life."  That came from her right, and I had to laugh.  Carrying on
conversations could get rather strange right there between us.

   She was truly happy with the changes, her paws either caressing her
sides or lightly caressing me.  She'd gaze at me warmly, then look down
at herself with delight, both amused and excited at the body.  "I'm so
glad you've let me do this," she told me, moving around the table.  Her
arms slid around my waist, and before I could react, she was kissing me.

   It was a while before we broke the kiss, panting softly from both
muzzles.  "Shelly," I said gently, trying to think of how to say what I
wanted to say.  "I've never done anything like this before with anyone.
I'm... I guess what I'm saying is, I do like you.  I mean, I do like
what we've done.  But..  I don't want to rush into something I might
regret."

   "Kyle," she whispered, one muzzle kissing me again while the other
brushed her lips across mine, "what we do in private is private.  The
school only doesn't want us to do anything in the rooms.  Out in the
wild, they only make sure we're safe."

   I felt myself stirring, and I could smell her own arousal.  She
wanted me, that much was clear.  But through the images that demanded
attention, I managed to keep my voice straight.

   "Shelly, I really... hell, I've never done anything like this
before."  My honesty started coming out.  "I've never had a girlfriend,
I've never had a lover, and I really sometimes feel awkward about this."
Turning around, I looked at her.  "You look to me so lovely, but I was
thinking that before we changed.  I like you, Shelly, I like you a lot.
I just feel like we're rushing things, and I don't want to make a
mistake like that.  I want to share your pleasures, but..."  My voice
faded out, unable to say the words.

   Shelly sighed gently.  "You're right," she finally replied.  "I hate
to say it, but you're right."  She kissed me gently and slid next to me,
still keeping two of her arms around my waist.  "You know I've had
partners in the past, but that was just moments.  With you, I feel
something different, not wanting to lose that feeling."  She gave a wry
sort of smile.  "I do want you, but... as something more."  A giggle
came from her as she shook her head.  "And maybe it was the body talking
there.  Because I could smell your wants, and you wanted me so badly."

   "Tell me about it."  I managed a grin on my muzzles.  "You wouldn't
believe the kind of ache I was feeling."

   Shelly winked.  "Actually, I could.  I spent one night as a male,
and I do understand it, a little."  She hugged me tightly, then let go.
"You're not shocked at that, are you?"

   I shook my head.  "No, not as much as we've been reading each
other's thoughts."  I paused a moment, then blushed at another dream I
recalled.  "Once I dreamt that I was female, and wondered if that was
really how it was like."

   Lips brushed against mine.  "Maybe another night we can find out,"
she said softly.  "Along with other things."

   I nodded slowly.  "Along with other things."

--

   We didn't change back, not immediately.  There were some woods close
by, so we walked through the trees, holding hands as we simply let
ourselves be for a bit.  It was unusual, carrying on a conversation
while looking around, spying small animals scampering about or listening
to the birds chittering in the tree tops.  We were still aware of our
desires for each other, but reality kept us in check from acting.

   She was right about one thing, it certainly did feel perfectly
normal being this way.  Perhaps it was because we both were stylists
that we could make it feel so right for each other, but whatever the
reason neither of us wanted to change back right away.  So we walked,
and talked, and enjoyed our new forms until we noticed that the sun had
already set, and the moon was shining down overhead.

   Walking back to the edge of the woods, we paused and held hands.  "I
suppose we'll have to go back to normal," Shelly said, disappointment in
her voice.

   "It's that, or we'd probably cause a riot in the dining hall when we
walk in."  I wasn't too happy either, but life wasn't fair in that
respect.  "But we can try this again, or any other shapes you might
like."

   Her expression brightened a bit at that.  "As long as you find some
forms you'd want to try out as well," she said firmly.  "I don't want
you indulging me without me being able to do the same for you."

   I laughed.  "Ok, I'll look at those sites and see what sort of
shapes might be fun to try out."  Leaning forward, I kissed her warmly,
and was met with the same warm kiss.  "But now..."

   We looked at each other, then closed our eyes.  Power flowed both
ways as my body and hers responded, returning to our normal shape.  I
opened up my eyes, and sighed softly.

   "Back to reality," I muttered.