Pharynx walked up to the mirror. A long, diagonal crack marred its glass surface, but it would serve its purpose nonetheless.
The changeling took a deep breath, his horn and antlers aglow. A maroon wave of magic washed over him as he closed his eyes.
When he opened them again, he found his brother's face staring back at him.
"Thorax" studied his reflection. Pharynx had always prided himself on his shapeshifting prowess, and this was no exception. He'd achieved pinpoint accuracy once again.
Now came the true test. Maintaining his brother's guise, Pharynx gave the mirror the most cheerful-looking smile he could manage. "Thorax" beamed right back at him.
Finally, Pharynx lowered the veil. When the aura subsided, the smile that was previously Thorax's found itself plastered onto his own face.
And oh how he hated the unnatural way it looked.
Pharynx grimaced at the sight—an expression, he mused, that seemed far more befitting.
"...How do you make it look so easy?" he asked.
Of course, nobody answered Pharynx, because he was all by himself.