My overly complicated TMA au (inspired by Occudo's Gertrude is still around series) bc I'm obsessing over it again, featuring:
- Childhood friends Gerry and Jon
- A lot of other changes that will be explained as I talk, so:
He couldn't kill her. The Beholding didn't want to let go of its Archivist and Jonah couldn't kill her. But she was planning something, of that he was sure, and he had to limit her somehow. Back when she had assistants it was easier, he could manipulate them and-
He was her boss, wasn't he?
Jon was transferred to the Archives out of the blue. He didn't know why, exactly. He definitely wasn't qualified for the job, and Lord knows he wasn't that bad at his current work to necessitate a demotion or anything.
It's not even that the Archivist would have requested him specifically, for whatever reason. Everyone knew that if she did talk with anyone from Research, it was Sasha James.
But he got moved. And that was a good thing. Because Gerry worked closely with Miss Robinson, and maybe if they were in proximity the guy would finally stop ignoring him.
Or not. Because Miss Robinson apparently hated him because Mr Bouchard forced her to take him as an assistant and Gerry did whatever his lady ordered him to.
Whatever. It was fine. Being left alone in the creepy Archives for weeks when they were 'travelling' is fine. Being berated for both doing anything and nothing without any explicit instructions was fine. The loneliness was fine.
(I imagine Jon's relationship with Gertrude here to be like early Jon and Martin but without her sending him on dangerous follow-ups because she knows better.)
Eventually he starts doing the job of the Archivist by himself. While Miss Robinson was of doing anything but what she was supposed do, he started recording the written Statements, taking the live ones, organising the place.
He learns the Supernatural truly exists when a door that isn't there opens in his office and a being that calls itself Michael appears. It tells him the story of Michael Shelley. It warns him of Gertrude. It calls him 'interesting', whatever that means. It tells him about the Unknowing.
When Miss Robinson comes back, he doesn't bother trying to tell her. He doesn't bother trying to talk to Gerry either.
He just ducks his head and continues pretending the Statements are just stories.
He pretends he doesn't know things he shouldn't, for the most part. He does something with his knowledge only once, during this period. He slips a printed note into Gerry's pocket. He knows the man refuses to speak to him, for whatever reason. But he will be damned if Jon lets his first ever friend die.
During these months, Sasha James starts becoming a-, not exactly a common occurence in the Archives, but when Miss Robinson is present, oftentimes Miss James is as well. He isn't even surprised when she gets transferred officially.
She ignores him, at first. He knows Miss Robinson told her a lot about his bad working habits. Which she definitely knows a ton about, with how often she's there, sure.
He decides to be a bit petty, at first. Oh, she thinks he doesn't do anything? Okay then, he's going to go to the Library and read for half his workday. (He reads the Statements he brings with himself.)
That's when he befriends one of the Librarians, Martin Blackwood. They bond over having no idea what they're doing.
Sasha James, apparently, is more observant than their boss, although he supposes she does spend more time in the Archives than Miss Robinson. She notes how more tapes keep appearing even when she's not the one who records them. She can see the organised part of the Archives grow day by day. She figures out she can ask him for any Statement by number and he'll be able to tell her where it is and what it's about. (Only the latter of those required him to have read it before).
They slowly become friends as well. He keeps his distance though. He isn't sure how much she knows about the Supernatural, and he's got a ritual to stop.
He starts playing a more active role. He starts looking at places involved with the Stranger, looking for clues.
During one of those stake-outs, in a place that clearly hosted them at some point but got abandoned, he meets another person.
Later, he will learn his name, Tim Stoker. He'll learn his story, about the loss of Danny. For now the two laugh, exchange numbers and spend the rest of the evening sharing information and getting drunk.
Sasha, as it turns out, didn't know about the Supernatural at all. He, Martin and Tim are at the Library, cross-referencing a new Statement with a map and some books when they realise that this is not the first time this table has come up. In fact, Martin is pretty sure this particular item is in Artefact Storage.
Him and Tim share a look, and head to take a look at it, followed closely by Martin who decides he's tired of being idle. Which is how they stumble into one panicking Sasha James, running from something that looks like... Sasha. But different, somehow.
Jon isn't sure what happens. This isn't like the times he randomly knows a piece of information that completes a puzzle he's been trying to solve. This is so much more.
"I see you." He will tell the not!Sasha. "I know what you are."
And the thing, born to be everything but known and seen, dies.
Safe to say, they forget about the table entirely, as they have to explain the Paranormal to Sasha (and Tim and Martin, who actually don't know all that much when it comes to things that aren't clowns).
Sometime after this Michael, who for some reason keeps visiting him, starts calling him Archivist. Jon will argue, claiming that that's Miss Robinson. It will point out that he seems to be doing the job better than her, and threatens him into being better to his 'assistants' than her.
Which is why, when he comes into work before Sasha and finds Miss Robinson there, (alone, without Gerry), telling him to get ready to go into the field, he hesitates. He knows this is it, that the Unknowing is near. He knows the friends he's made will come with, if he texts them.
Which is why he doesn't. He won't be another Miss Robinson. He won't let others sacrifice themselves for his sake.
He helps her set up the explosives. He almost doesn't make it out on time. He gets saved by a very angry goth who should not be there at all.
Watching Gerry yell at Miss Robinson will be very amusing. What will be worse though, is Mr Bouchard showing up from nowhere and start to spout bullshit about 'him being a better fit for the job' and offering him the position of the Head Archivist.
And now, Jon is not an idiot. He doesn't trust Miss Robinson with his life. She was already willing to sacrifice him once. But he does not trust Mr Bouchard at all, period. And Lord knows he doesn't trust himself not to get manipulated.
Long story short, he tells the man where to shove it.
Later, he'll have an honest conversation with Gerry. About how he was trying to protect Jon from the Paranormal, and when Jon started working at the Institute, from the active parts of it. They will have a fistfight along the way, but eventually they'll be friends again.
Later, his friends will all yell at him and then at Miss Robinson ("Call me Gertrude, Jesus Christ, literally everybody does that. Why do you insist on being respectful, I've been everything but towards you."). She will be very confused by the man who goes by Tim, very obviously doesn't work at the institute, and seems very upset by the fact he wasn't present for the Unknowing's destruction.
But that will come later.
For now, Jonah Magnus has failed spectacularly yet again.
