Observing the virulent feast wasn't particularly appetizing, but Reid hadn't known many animals so motivated by food. Geese were notably territorial; this one had claimed dominion over a significant stretch of terrain. Perhaps he had a nest nearby. There was no hostility from the Goose as it waddled towards him, stomach bloated from the overfill of gluten the creature had been ingesting over the last hour. After observing its violent tendencies over this time, Reid could tell when the noble fiend was preparing to strike.
Stood in nothing but his nakedness, the hand that was extended towards Reid was utterly unlike the wing that the illithid had seen only moments ago. A druid then, but even in this, the Goose was different from the others. Carved in absolute uniqueness, chiseled in a way that Reid could still not place. The cephalopod's eyes lingered upon the other man's for a moment longer before he reached up and followed through on the social construct. His hand closed over the Goose's as he shook and gave the man a curt nod.
"You're welcome." Reid's skin mottled and quickly shifted as the ceremorphed creature quickly glamoured himself into his vessel's skin. "I think you might have known this one, possibly in a past life." He didn't see the need to hold the glamour, so he shifted back quickly as the tentacles that had haphazardly curled around the Goose's wrist released as Reid let go of his hand. Again, the illithid returned to the superior form of communication as he telepathically spoke into the Goose's mind. "What should I call you?"
ⒽⓄⓃⓀ
A belch, a grunt, some unidentified noise of frustration, all signs that the sudden adjustment was an incredible shock. Oratio spent so much time as the Goose that he'd forgotten how to exist as a druid. Would he be able to shift back soon? He hoped so. The urge to use the people attending this festival as target practice was still strong. Was it always this fucking cold?
Oratio's eyes narrowed when the creature shifted to look more human but relaxed when he returned to normal. Or what Oratio considered normal. Maybe it was a symptom of his animal mind, but he felt more comfortable with the stranger looking like his true self, tentacles and all. "Wouldn't know. Don't remember much yet. It'll take time." Living essentially the same life in every reincarnation with most of that time spent as the Goose could make it tricky for Oratio to provide context to his memories. There was no way he would pick out some random face through all of that, not that he was in a position to place much stock in the past anyway. His gratitude came from the events of that day for the strange, unique being who helped him get that bread.
"I am ... Oratio," he responds in that short way that almost sounds like squawking. Public nudity didn't bother him, but the chill without feathers to cover him combined with everything else he lost by no longer being the Goose made the experience of being a druid rather jarring. Oratio squatted to the ground and then bunny hopped onto the bench. He seemed much more at ease with his large body compressed together like that. "Telepathy," he says, finally able to put a word to the instant communication between them. "I remember thinking. You are very useful. Thanks was warranted, but I didn't mean to change. Forgot I could. You don't have to change, but what are you?"














