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therenaissancedungeonmaster · 2 years

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Chapter Two: Strange Meetings

Summary: Jon helps a woman who believes she is being followed by a mannequin, and reveals himself to have been an avatar, to surprising effect.

AU: Post-MAG 200 inspired by @/spooksier

It’s strange to live in a world where the veil that hid the truth has been revealed so awfully and violently. Everyone has their own responses to it, regardless of if they were the watcher or the watched.

Jon knew that the woman who came into Lighthouse Books had been the watched. The Knowing was so infrequent nowadays, but when it occurred, it hit him like a tidal wave. He stared at the squat white woman with the frizzy auburn hair, bundled up tight in a peacoat despite it being early spring. He couldn’t take his eyes off her, as fear manifested in her eyes, as she grinded her teeth, as she looked behind her as if being followed, the way her feet scraped against the wood floors as she speed-walked. He took it all in, bathing in it, until she stood right in front of the checkout desk and started talking to him. What was she saying? Jon couldn’t seem to hear, all he could do was watch as her eyes darted about like magic eight-balls.

Then she reached for his hand and gripped it with cold, clammy hands. He recoiled, just long enough to actually hear what she was saying.

“-please, sir, I’m in mortal danger! Can you protect me?” she cried. Jon blinked and nodded, and immediately, all the panic in the woman’s face melted away.

“Thank God, thank God, I knew I felt it when I came in here,” she said, “What’s your name?”

Jon was fortunate enough to find his voice, “Jon. My name is Jon. Do you want to take a seat?”

The woman nodded, and Jon guided her to a small reading nook that Martin had set up next to the checkout desk. Once she sat down, he held up a finger, and went to the backroom. He picked up a tape, and set it up to record more, and returned back, sitting in a chair across from her.

“Do you mind if I record this?” Jon asked.

“Um… for what reason?” the woman asked.

“I… uh… have memory problems, and the tapes help,” Jon said.

“Alright, go ahead then,” the woman said. Jon started the recorder.

“What’s your name?” Jon asked.

“Valerie Quinn,” the woman said.

“Alright, Miss Quinn, do you want to tell me what happened?” Jon said.

“I… uh… I just…” Valerie began, eyes looking everywhere but at Jon, “I don’t… I know I should but I was in a Stranger domain and now no one’s faces look right and I don’t, I don’t want to feel stupid again.”

“You are not stupid. If… If you want to tell me what happened, please do. I will not judge you,” Jon said softly. That therapy was doing wonders in this moment; demanding answers previously, while effective when the Eye was active, only seemed to turn people away, and he needed this.

“Okay, okay…” Valerie said. She took in a deep breath, and began, “I believe I am being followed by a mannequin.”

“What makes you say that?”

“I… I just feel it, y’know? I keep turning around and there’s this figure in a trenchcoat and a fedora and I can’t see its face and I know it’s ridiculous, but I know mannequins. I know mannequins. I didn’t spend God knows how long in that wretched place to not be able to know when someone is a mannequin and when someone isn’t. And now one of them is following me again, and I just… I thought that that was over. I thought that that part of life was over. Why is it still happening?” Valerie cried, then put her head in her hands. Jon wished at this moment that Martin was here to comfort her with a gentle touch. He was always good at that. But Martin was out running errands, leaving Jon to do his best.

“Is that what was happening when you came in?” Jon asked.

“Yes, yes, yes, it was. I’m… I think it didn’t follow me in, but I can’t… I don’t know. I don’t…” Valerie muttered, staring at her own hands as she wrung them. Then, she looked up at him, and panic swelled in her eyes again, “Oh my god, what are you?”

Jon’s stomach lurched, and he reeled back as a static filled his mind and adrenaline stiffened his limbs. But before he could do anything more to prepare to defend himself, the panic in her eyes dropped again suddenly.

“Sorry, sorry, sorry… it’s been rough, like I’ve said. I’m sure you’re just a normal person, but… all the faces look the same, but different, and they all look like they want to hurt me, and I wish it would stop. I wouldn’t be here if I thought you were going to hurt me,” Valerie said with a sigh. Jon thought about the irony of her statement, because he had already hurt her. He had caused her this pain.

“I’m sorry to hear that, Miss Quinn. Would you like me to look around the shop to make sure that I don’t see anything like your description nearby?” Jon offered.

“I… I would appreciate that, but I would like to come with you, if that’s alright. Strange things happen when I can’t see where people go,” Valerie said. Jon nodded, and the two of them stood up. Together, they examined every corner of the bookstore - with Jon taking every chance he could to swipe away whatever cobwebs he felt, regardless of if he could feel them - and then, he took a look outside the front door. There were several people in the street, and a few street cars, but no one wore a trenchcoat and fedora. He turned back to Valerie.

“If something was following you, they’re not following you anymore,” Jon said.

“Oh, thank God,” Valerie sighed with relief.

“I am not certain, however, why that might be the case,” Jon said.

“What do you mean?”

“Well… this place is,” Jon gestured vaguely at the shelves, “Protected from that kind of stuff.”

“Really? How did you do that?” Valerie said, a flicker of light appearing in her brown eyes, like a dash of hope. Jon felt a knot in his gut.

“It’s… um… me and my husband were avatars, unfortunately, and avatars tend to be… left alone by monsters,” Jon said.

“You were an avatar?” Valerie said.

“Yes,” Jon said, neglecting to mention he still was an avatar, and likely would be for the rest of his life. Then he added, “If that changes your opinion of this place, I understa-”

“No, no! My sister, she was an avatar for a Spiral domain! She had always been a little… odd, and when the apocalypse happened, that oddness made her an avatar. Now that all that’s over, she’s finally getting treatment, but I know… I know from her and what she’s told me that there wasn’t much she could do. Much anyone could do. Being an avatar doesn’t mean you are bad, it just means you got a different deck than the rest of us did, but not one that made you any better or worse,” Valerie said.

Jon smiled softly, and asked, “I appreciate the understanding. Does your sister live in London? Maybe you could stay with her until you think you’re safe?”

“No, she lives in Dublin, unfortunately,” Valerie sighed, “But maybe I should call her, she may have some ideas, if for nothing else, for the paranoia.”

“Of course,” Jon said, “And if you would like, I can give you the store’s number.”

“I would appreciate that,” Valerie said.

“Give me a minute,” Jon said. He headed back to the checkout desk, where he pulled out a sticky note and a pen, and wrote it down. He turned to walk back to Valerie, only to find her right behind him. Jon jumped.

“Sorry, sorry! I won’t be so close next time…” Valerie said.

“It’s alright. Here,” Jon said, handing her the sticky note, “Call anytime.”

“I will,” Valerie said, beaming at him, before rushing out the door again. Jon leaned against the desk, watching the wind swing the door.

#tma #jonmartin #the magnus archives #fanfic #jarchivist #tw unreality #tw mental illness #jon sims #jonathan sims #post mag 200 #tma the stranger #tma the eye #tma avatar #writing #long post

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