The Aesthete

The Aesthete, sometimes known as Es, is a shapeshifter and erstwhile enemy of the Exegete.

Like the Exegete, they have survived the centuries since their homeworld's destruction by wandering the galaxy taking on different forms, but their attitude towards those tranformations is quite different from Egg's. Befitting their title, Es sees transformation as an aesthetic experience, and aims to become the best possible version of whatever form they take. In the centuries since the destruction of the Reef, this has taken on a violent tinge to it: Es most enjoys stealing the forms of others and displacing them from their identities, sometimes killing them. This provides Es with a formal point of comparison and a place from which to improve. One of their proudest accomplishments, for example, was stealing the identity of a rich businesswoman, then convincing the woman's friends that she was the true version, while the original was imprisoned for fraud.

Es's outlook has caused tension and occasional conflict with Egg. Egg is disgusted by Es's enjoyment of violence, humiliation and one-upmanship, seeing their outlook as fundamentally disrespectful of the forms they take; Es is put off by what they see as the excessive moral weight Egg puts on transformations and utterly perplexed by their desire to heal others. Sometimes, their disagreements have taken the form of rather academic differences in interpretation, and they have been able to get along otherwise; at other times, they have come to blows. Neither of them will go so far as to seriously harm or kill the other, however - not with so few Shapeshifters left. Indeed, Es is the only Shapeshifter Egg has met in centuries, and the only one they can recognize by scent or touch.

Shapeshifter relationships are complex. Returning to the Reef was not only a physiological anchor, but an emotional one as well; all Shapeshifters share an innate bond from this, one that feels somewhere between romantic and familial. Egg and Es both also feel a strong biological pull towards others of their kind so as to recreate the anchor. But Egg's disagreements with Es are a kind of biology, too; their opposing stances concern the future of their species, even if they are the only two individuals remaining in it. The result is that Egg sees Es as a kind of wayward sibling; while they are revolted by their ideas, they cannot help but continue to believe that they will change, despite all evidence to the contrary.

Egg can immediately recognize Es by touch; Es has a distinctive way of forming themselves on the cellular level that Egg is familiar with. Egg can sense Es from afar as well, but unless they are looking out for them this will only manifest as a rank, rather off-putting smell.