Find a quieter place to work

"Let's find a quieter place to work," you say, looking about the party floor for a quiet corner.

Yu one-ups you and points to the stairs. "There should be some empty rooms on the second floor we could use," she offers, helpfully.

"Cool. Let's go." You lead the way, Yu swiftly follows.

With the air of two kids heading off to break the rules, you and Yutong slip away from the crowd and music and head upstairs. Along the mezzanine balcony, overlooking the partiers, you find the door to the master bedroom. It's empty. Nobody's shacking up here yet, it seems.

You hold the door for Yu, she stealths inside, and you follow after, closing (and locking) the door behind you. You're not sure why you did that, but the excited energy in your gut worries over being interrupted while practicing with your power.

Inside the large bedroom, with door shut, the thumping music sounds dully through the floor. There must be some soundproofing to the room because it's much quieter in here than the rest of the house.

While Yu inspects the room, you take the opportunity inspect your petite Asian frend.

You've never really noticed Yu before. Probably because she does such a good job of blending into the background. But now? Appraising Yu's overall waifish build fills you with the sudden and inexplicable urge to sling her over your shoulder and carry her off someplace.

Your heart flutters. Man, one drop of potentially limitless power, and it goes straight to your head.

Yutong turns suddenly, startling you. No way she can tell what you were thinking just now, right?

But she just smiles, and adjusts her glasses. "So what should we test first?"

Phew. Close call. Still, now that you're alone, you're more distracted by Yutong than you're comfortable admitting.

Is it the fact she's five foot flat, that being around her makes you feel like all big and strong? Okay, maybe that's part of it, but looking her in the eye, you realize it's her eyes that are making your heart beat faster. Glasses and sleek black hair (with its blue streak) frame awfully pretty, expressive eyes, with angular Asiatic features.

But you’re just friends. Good friends, you remind yourself. You're definitely not getting turned on at the thought of claiming her hoodie. Or shirt. Or the slender body beneath it...

Yu waves her hand in front of your face. "Hello?"

"Oh! Sorry. Just thinking," you say, turning red.

"I understand. It's hard to know where to start. The possibilities are limitless," says Yutong, oblivious to where your mind was going. "We already know you can claim physical and conceptual items, but what does that mean? How far does it go? How much influence do you have on your claims, or do they just come as is...?"

Yu continues theorizing about the infinite horizons to explore in your new powers, giving you space to breathe.

Yeah, the fact you were checking her out went right over her head. Though there's no reason she'd expect you to. It's not like you ever have before. But yeah - being alone with a girl (even Yutong - especially Yutong?) at a party will do that to a guy.

Of course you've noticed how pretty she is before now (at least when she's not slurping down a frosty or sticking her nose into a textbook), but you've never paid her any mind in that way. All through high school, you were too busy crushing on your rough-and-tumble friend Jane.

But right now, you have to admit, even as a bookish introvert who spends half her time focusing on her studies, Yutong can get it.

"So let's just pick an entry point and work in from there," says Yutong, suddenly demanding your attention again.

"Huh?" you ask.

She smiles and tucks her hair behind an ear, realizing you weren't listening to her at all. "That is, what interests you the most? We'll start figuring out your powers from there."