AN:
I was playing around with a character creator, and since Vampyr is my latest hyper-fixation, I decided to see if I could make Reid in it, I did, and thought it turned out fairly well, then posted it to the Vampyr fan-discord I'm to share the shenanigans with. Then I made McCullum too, and it sort of snow-balled from there. Between the bad habit of the folks the Pembroke of having magical miss-haps leave our Priwen leader not-quite human, and BlueEyedArcher encouraging me to write said bad idea... well, here we are.
All OCs so far belong to either BlueEyedArcher or Svart_Jade over on AO3, and are used with their permission. I though the boys could use their support, and Vinny's humor for what's going on was too much to pass up.
Ch 1: You think they'd learn by now.
Why McCullum had asked Reid over to help catalog and document a number of artifacts the Guard had from when they split from the Stole was beyond him. Until Geoffrey had said rather bluntly, "Look, if any of this is potentially magical or dangerous, your leechy ass is more likely to endure it with minimal risk."
Reid let out a silent huff at that. "Ah, so I'm meant to take the brunt of any possible curses, then, for once?" The Ekon gave Geoffrey a slight annoyed, but amused look, one eyebrow raised in question. Jonathan was already moving towards an opened box to begin sorting.
The hunter fought a losing battle to try and keep the heat of embarrassment from creeping up his cheeks, moving over to work with Reid. "I'm sure I don't know what you mean by that." Notebook in hand, pen ready to document the unsorted boxes.
Jonathan's only response was a disbelieving chuckle before pulling out the first object.
Working long throughout the night, they sorted, analyzed, and cataloged the items found within the boxes. Most of the contents had proven relatively mundane. Journals, illustrations of various types of immortals, and some antiquated hunting tools or curios. The most unusual, or perhaps out of place item, however was a cameo. At least, it looked like it was one but…
"Why would anyone have a cameo of… is that a horse?" McCullum asked incredulously
"A unicorn, of some sort, judging from the horn, though, the feathers framing it are an unusual touch." Reid held the pendant delicately between his long, thin fingers, the chain twisted around them. Tracing the black and white raised image lightly with one claw-tip. "How curious, I wonder how this came to be here?"
Jonathan turned the object around, eyes tracing over the back of the pendant. Geoffrey reached over, running one finger over the delicately carved form, not noticing the good doctor muttering low to himself as he tried to make sense of the scrawled script on the back of it.
A sharp shock, like strong static, sparked between the cameo and the pair holding it. The brief light not quite white, almost as if it had been laced with a multitude of other colors. The hunter pulled away in surprise, shaking his fingers, an unamused look darting back and forth between the pendant and the Ekon holding it. Gritting out low, "Reid. What. Did. You. Do?"
Quickly lowering the cameo to the desk, and shaking out his fingers, Jonathan was thankful that he never had enough blood in his system to blush. That did not stop the doctor from looking sheepish, or being unable to look the hunter in the eyes. "There was some form of writing on the back of the pendant, I was trying to decipher it."
"Reid," Geoffrey growled out, "if I wake up with hooves again 'cause of this, I swear ta' the Almighty I'll kick ya' right in the pants with them." He moved over to jab a finger at the doctor's chest. "And leech or not, that'll hurt for a good, long while."
Slowly, carefully, Reid grasped the offending digit and moved it away from his chest. "Duly noted, McCullum."
With a quiet huff, Geoffrey turned and looked out the window noticing how light the horizon already was. He ran a hand through his hair, watching as it continued to lighten, before pulling the curtains closed. Turning to Jonathan, he waved, tired. "You may as well go see O'Connor about where you can room for the day, we've been at this longer than I thought we would be, and I don't think you'd want to chance racing the dawn to either your fancy toff manor, or any of your hideouts."
Reid gave a sigh, the bone deep exhaustion that always seemed to find him with the sun's rise setting in. "Thank you, McCullum. I'll see you in the evening." Taking a moment to make sure the cameo that has shocked them both was placed carefully back in the box, on top of everything else should they need to find it if the hunter's paranoia proved true. He moved to the door, turning briefly, "Rest well, McCullum," and then made his way downstairs to find the Priwen lieutenant.
"Night, Reid." Geoffrey offered with a small wave as he went over to close the door. He gave the box with the possibly cursed pendant a hard glare before going about his routine for bed. A soft curse under his breath after he'd changed and settled under the covers, rolling onto his side, drifting off. Not quite registering the odd sensation building at the base of his spine, or the slight itch along his skin.
As he trudged down the stairs, Reid found the gentle bear of a man that was Geoffrey's lieutenant. Jonathan was half convinced Beamard O'Connor was one of the main reasons Priwen functioned as well as they did. He held up a hand in greeting, yawning a bit as the drowsiness spiked. "Good morning, Mr. O'Connor."
The lieutenant turned half surprised to see the good leech doctor still in the base. "Morning Doctor Reid, spent too long with the boss going through that mess of junk?" He eyed the Ekon, and noticed the man was struggling to stay upright from the pull of sleep.
"I'm afraid so," he replied, fighting back another yawn, "McCullum said I was to ask you where I could bunk safely for the day."
O'Connor scratched his chin a moment, thinking what rooms were empty and who was nearby that wasn't likely to try and stab the man in his sleep." I think the only room that might work is next to Babic and Bonner at the moment, would that be a problem?"
A tired, but amused chuckle slipped from the doctor's mouth, "No, I don't think it will." Reid gave a small shake of his head. "I've heard a bit of what they can get up to, but, considering I literally sleep like the dead, I don't think they'll wake me unless they come crashing into the room."
The lieutenant gave a brief bark of laughter. "Fair enough Doc, it's through the dining room there, top floor, the empty room is the last one on the left."
Reid gave a final wave before wandering off in search of his bed for the night, quickly shuking his heavy coat and all but his small clothes to lay down. The pull of undeath's deep sleep keeping his mind from noticing the faint tingling climbing its way across his skin as slumber claimed him.
Geoffrey was awoken to the sound of his doorknob rattling, before it opened and was shut with a bit more force than was ment, if the quiet cursing was any indication. There was a soft sound, almost like muffled hard soled shoes, but not quite, made its way through the room over to his bed.
"McCullum." Reid whispered, shaking the bed slightly, in an effort to rouse him, "Geoffrey, wake up! We have a problem!" The slightly panicked tone in the leech's voice did not go unnoticed.
He sat up, to ask what was so important, or, at least he tried, before he quickly fell back over, blankets and his sleepwear swamping him. "What in the-" Geoffry exclaimed, flailing about to pull his blankets off from over his head. Something felt… off, but he focused on getting himself untangled first.
With a huff and a final shove the hunter managed to free himself, tipping his head back to glare at the leech, before pausing. Something was obstructing his line of sight a bit, and he did not see Reid, He looked around, puzzled.
"Down here, Geoffrey." Reid entoned quickly.
Brows scrunched, he tipped his head down, and was met with the most ridiculous sight he thought he'd might ever see. A small, pale coated horse? Pony? Equine of some sort stood by his bed. It would maybe be about half his height, and stared at him with eyes far bigger than what you'd usually see on an equine of any sort. Its pale irises held slit pupils, a pair of fangs hooked over its lower lip, and a pair of small leathery wings shuffled nervously on it's back. Almost impossibly, the tiny horse seemed to have Reid's hair color, style and beard. The bridge of its muzzle was even broken in the same manner as the doctor's nose. Same scar across it and skipping under its left eye.
The hunter blinked, once, twice, and then gave an incredulous snort, half disbelief, half amusement. "Reid?" He asked before laughter bubbled up his throat.
Jonathan snorted, not sharing in Geoffrey's humor. He gave a toss of his head before he gestured a dark hoof at the hunter, wobbling slightly before he quickly set it back down. "You may want to take a look at yourself before you start laughing too much, McCullum."
That quickly evaporated any humor he'd had as he looked down at himself, and found, to his horror, that he seemed to be in the same state as Reid. Pale, peachy colored coat, broken up here and there by the myriad scars he'd gotten in his long life of hunting. He lifted one arm, foreleg? Up into his line of sight and noticed it ended in a dark hoof, turned it this way and that, filing away somehow, what he guessed was his wrist still had a human range of motion, or near enough he wasn't going to immediately complain. He brought the frogs of both hooves up to his face to find he did, in fact, now have a muzzle.
With a push, he moved the blankets the rest of the way off of himself, seeing a bit of his hindlegs sticking out from his underpants. Geoffrey closed his eyes, taking a deep breath, then another. Before, with deceptive calmness, slowly turned his head towards Jonathan and opened his eyes. "Reid?"
The Ekon turned equine looked at the hunter warily, muscles slowly tensing. "Yes, McCullum?"
"Do you remember what I said yesterday?" he asked, eyes narrowing.
Reid's ears pinned back against his skull, slowly stepping back, trying very hard not to trip over his hooves. "Yes, I remember."
Nodding once, Geoffrey shook the pants laying loose around him off, and shrugged out of his undershirt, before he turned to Reid, muscles coiling as he crouched on the bed. "Good," was all that he said before he sprang at the Ekon, roaring. "NOW STAY STILL AND TAKE YOUR LUMPS!"
Hooves clattered loudly against the hardwood floor through a cloud of shadows as Jonathan shadow jumped across the room, only to land in a tangle of limbs and another clatter of hooves. Scrambling to right himself, Reid managed to get his hooves under him and throw himself out of the way of the charging blur that was McCullum.
Clattering and cantering away from the other equine, he panted, "Geoffrey, please, let's be reasonable about this!" Wings fluttering as he made another shadow step to get out of range of the hoof that was aimed at his muzzle.
"I AM BEING REASONABLE!" The hunter bellowed. "I warned ya' that if I woke up again with hooves, ya'd be gettin' kicked with them!" McCullum turned, hooves clattering as he tried to find traction on the wood. "Now stop dodgin'!"
A sudden clamor from outside the leader's door brought both of them to a slow, ears turning to it, heads swiveled to face it as the sound of boots pounding up the stairs reached them. O'Connor threw the door open. "What is going on… in…" The words halted as he saw what was going on, Babic and Bonner stormed up shortly behind the lieutenant.
"What's up, is the boss okay?" Vincent aske, trying to look around the large man blocking the door.
"Heard noise, like goats let loose in boss' room, he goat-man again?" Vuka asked, stopped behind the other captain on the steps.
Beamard gave a long suffering sigh, before he moved out of the door and into the room proper, looking between the two small, and frankly cute equines. As he took in the appearances of both, he turned to the stocker built one covered in scars and lacking wings. "Well boss, what did it this time?"
Reid would tell you he did not sulk, hoof tip scuffing against the hardwood floor. "I am sorry about this, McCullum." It was a bit surprising how expressive their faces currently were.
Vincent stepped in behind O'Connor, took one look, and quickly covered his mouth, sides shaking. Vuka came in next, saw what the commotion had been about and sighed. "Vhy this place alvays so veird?" Babic began to snicker quietly.
The Priwen captains struggled not to laugh at the sight before them. Vincent lowered his hand from his mouth. "You two doing okay there, boss?"
McCullum's flat, unamused look spoke volumes. Ears pinned back against his head. "Don't."
"You sure, because… snrk!" Bonner was failing in his endeavor, and quickly covered his mouth to cut off another snicker.
"I swear ta' the Almighty-" McCullum started, muzzle curled back in a snarl, but he was swiftly cut off as Bonner could no longer contain himself, hand falling away as he burst out laughing, and Babic? Well, Vuka couldn't stay quiet.
"Both you and good Doctor are sounding little horse."
Reid groaned, hoof going up and draped across his muzzle at the pun.
Geoffrey glared at the two of his captains, hooves clopping loudly as he stocked forward. As he stood in front of the pair, he was mortified to find his head was barely level with their hips. With a snort and a toss of his head, he spun around and bucked the pair square in their chests.
In the pair's defense, they thought the joke was worth the hoofprints now bruised on their chests.