As interracial relationships become more and more common and gene pools begin to mix, people are born with the genetic ability to shape shift. These people, known as therianthropes, all have Black ancestry, and when the first generation grows up, the most common job field they enter is modeling. A young woman named Dawn works as an assistant for the highest-paid therianthrope model named Voile. Though most therianthropes change shape to match whatever is needed of them, Voile refuses to become non-black. She may change her skin tone slightly or her hair style, but she never transforms into the blonde and blue-eyed model that many magazines request, despite the majority of the world no longer having those features. One day, when she is hosting a party at her New York penthouse, Voile proposes to her guests, mostly therianthropes like herself, that they remain Black to protest the injustices present in their industry. Voile knows her friends have faced degradation and exploitation, having been groped at photo shoots or called racial slurs. Though some of the guests leave the party, many of them stay and agree with Voile's proposal. Together, they plan to arrive at the upcoming Fashion Week in their Black skin. When the models finally arrive and refuse to change their shape, makeup artists complain about having the wrong shades and the hairstylists are ill-equipped to style Black hair. Some designers and reporters even mention reverse racism or claim that Black people wouldn't be able to afford the clothes. However, the models refuse to change and threaten to leave when they are met with backlash and complaints. So, when the show begins, every single model who walks the runway is Black. After this incident, however, most model agencies close, including Voile's. Designers and magazines stop hiring therianthropes, saying they prefer people who are born with classic beauty. Voile's fame soon ends, and she lets Dawn go to cut down on expenses, though she ensures that she receives severance pay and a generous bonus. Before Dawn leaves, she meets Voile in her personal library. Voile tells her the story of her ancestors, many of whom also had the ability to shape shift. As a parting gift, she gives Dawn a copy of _The Souls of Black Folk _by DuBois.