[Hello everyone! As promised in the comments a little while ago, there's a short essay on how shapeshifting works up now on my worldbuilding blog. Today's page will be the last one for 2015--thanks so much for reading and commenting, and there'll be a new page on January 3!]

"Probably they're remarking on how hard you're blushing, yeah?" Teige said gleefully, not noticing Hawk's fists clench. "Well you must be feeling better--"

"Teige," Hawk muttered, warningly.

"--I never seen you smile like that."

"Teige--"

"But I seem to recall," Teige went on, "you didn't want nothing to do with demons?"

"Drop it," Hawk snapped, rounding on Teige, who looked back with some surprise. Hawk seemed to struggle for a moment, the feathers on his back standing on end, before he turned away again with a soft and angry "Please."

He reached Parker before Teige did; she was peering past him down the hill, grinning.

"Who're they?" she asked Hawk lightly. "A pair of models lost in the woods--?"

She trailed off, catching the look on Hawk's face as he stormed past her. Teige was just behind him, but let Hawk go on ahead.

"Not models," Teige told Parker, "just unicorns."

"What's he lookin' so guilty for?" Parker asked. Teige put his ears back ruefully.

"Ah. Think I teased him a bit too much, is all."