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In the thick heat of the Winnebago, there was a flash of light. The watch had just been enchanted by Indrid. He wiped at his forehead after the task— it had been awhile since he had enchanted something. He hoped it would work.
The cloaking spell was a classic one, just something to change the visage of the goatman in his home. It wasn’t exactly a tricky one, but Indred had rarely used any magic except for his natural soothsaying abilities. Duck, Aubrey, and Ned needed this though to be able to prevent further disaster; so if protecting the goatman was what they needed, then he would gladly help.
He rather liked the goatman anyway— he was wholly entertaining to watch. Even though Indrid could see multiple futures, Billy always seemed to follow the paths less travelled. It was always something unexpected that Billy invoked, causing Indrid to feel a feeling he hadn’t felt in a long time.
Surprise.
Standing up from the floor, the watch cold against his hand, Indrid walked it over to the goatman.
“I, uh.” Indred emptied his palm into the goatman’s furry Hand. “I hope you like what I whipped up”
Billy took the watch from him, confused at the article. He gingerly placed it in his mouth, the chain of the watch drooping our past his lips.
Indred couldn’t help but chuckle. Surprise, again.
”Pizza?” He bleated through the mouthful of metal.
Aubrey planted her hands on her hips and smiled. “No, Billy. Not pizza.” There was a touch of laughter in her voice.
”It’s a watch, Billy.” Duck tapped his own wrist. “You put it on your wrist.”
Billy blinked. He blinked again. Slowly, he opened his mouth, and the watch fell from it to his open hand. It had a bit of saliva on it.
”Duck?” He bleated, confused. He held out the watch as if he were giving it to the human.
Indred held back a laugh. Billy was more animalistic than he was hominid, and that made for some entertaining interactions. He watched his with a sense of amusement.
”Not very clever, is he?” He said teasingly to Ned.
”Yeah, well.” He shifted his weight onto a heavy foot. “He’s a goatman who learned how to speak English less than an hour ago, so...”
Duck sighed at the offering. “No, Billy, I don’t need that. I appreciate it...” after a moment, Duck took the watch in his hands. “Here, let me help.”
The man deftly slipped the watch around the goatman’s furry wrist, and in an instant, he changed.
Indrid hadn’t really thought about the form that he was giving to Billy. It wasn’t a concern of his what he looked like, so long as he wasn’t covered in fur and over seven feet tall. But apparently, something had snuck into his subconscious.
The goat snout was replaced without a chiseled face, his rectangular pupils were replaced with dashing eyes. Billy’s cloaked body gave way to a more muscular one, a transformation that took Indrid by surprise.
Indrid took a step back in surprise, his face turning hot.
“Whoa!” He exclaimed, his usual calm demeanor breaking slightly. “Damn! It looks like I had Ryan Gosling on the brain while I whipped up the ol’ spell.”
Honestly? He didn’t entirely dislike it.
Gosling-goatman looked down at his newly fleshy hands and palmed at his button down shirt under a denim jacket. (“Very nice,” Indred thought.) He observer his body’s confusedly, almost offended at the prospect of his horns, tail, and goat ears being gone.
It was charming to watch what looked like a handsome grown man see his sculpted body for the first time. It was... cute. Indred smiled to himself.
Indrid hummed to himself. Aubrey seemed to take notice.
Billy furrowed his brow. “Duck?” He bleated. His voice didn’t change, and it caught everyone off guard. “Duck? Duck?!”
”Whoa, Whoa!” Duck exclaimed, putting his hands up. “Calm down, man. ‘S Alright. It’s just temporary, okay?”
Despite his assurances, Billy continued to panic a little. “Duck?” He whined. “Duck?!”
Duck quickly and gently unclipped the watch from his wrist, and instantly, Billy turned back into his original form.
Billy grabbed at his arms, and sighed in relief to feel the fur on them.
”See?” Duck said. “It’s fine. You’re fine.”
Indred groaned under his breath. “You should put that watch back on.”
The four turned to look at the man. His face grew hot again, and he hoped that his reflective sunglasses were big enough to cover the blush spreading across his cheeks.
”I meant,” he stumbled. “For the disguse. In case someone sees.”
Duck went to hand the watch back to Billy, but Aubrey just grinned at Indrid.
The moth man crossed his arms. “What?”
”I didn’t peg you for a Ryan Gosling type.” She smiled. “But then again, who isn’t?”
”I didn’t purposefully turn him into a hunk.” For a moment, that seemed like a good excuse, then he backpedaled. “I mean—“
”Do you see any futures,” she said as an aside to him. “Where you and a goatman disguised as Ryan Gosling get together?”
He mumbled. “Please stop.”
”He takes you in his muscular arms, and says ‘pizza’. Or ‘grow’.”
”Aubrey, I—“
”Ooh, or ‘Duck’. But that would really make things messy, wouldn’t it?”
Indrid sighed.