Chapter Text
Despite his reputation, Jon didn’t actually go to bookshops all that often. But every once in a while he’d be passing a charity shop and do a bit of idle browsing.
On this occasion, while scanning through the shelves looking for an interesting read or perhaps a good dvd, the image of some cats caught his eye.
“The Familiar Habits of Domesticated Cats”
He slips the book out off the shelf and takes in what seems to be a somewhat brief non-fiction about cats and their behaviours towards people.
He already knows plenty about this topic, but the afternoon looked so grey today and he had no other plans. Flicking open the front cover, he finds that it’s only 50p (plus no interior bookplate that would make him throw the book halfway across the room).
It seems to have some lovely pictures too - the cover having a darling little Siamese asleep in a sunbeam.
So all in all he decides it seems worth it. He pays, pops it into his bag, and is on his way - planning to read it the same evening.
The book is about finished by the time he should start making dinner, having had some interesting theories and explanations of the little habits of his favourite creatures.
Whipping up a quick meal doesn’t take too long, though he swears it smells stronger than normal. He chalks it up to adding extra spices or something of the like without realising.
~
J: “Morning, Tim.”
The bubbly man’s head perks up, and promptly freezes.
T: “G- uh… oh um… good… um…”
Jon raises a thoroughly unimpressed eyebrow at Tim’s apparent confusion.
T: “Morning….”
J: “Hm.”
Jon dismisses the odd conversation and makes his way to office, feeling Tim’s eyes burning holes into the back of his head the whole way. What on earth was that about?
~
Jon hasn’t been sat at his desk for too long before he hears murmuring outside his door. He can’t hear it all but it has the tone of a badly whispered conversation. Tim? And Sasha it seems. He can’t discern if Martin is with them.
‘Tim I…what you’re… about?’
‘I….just check…me, please.’
‘…what?’
‘Just…prove… not crazy!’
The sounds get closer before there is a quick knock to his door.
J: “Come in.”
The door opens to two very bemused looking assistants. He doesn’t know when this became a staring match but it seems to be one for a very, very long moment.
J: “…. Can I help you?”
They look even more confused, maybe a little worried. Tim murmurs a little.
T: “Has he seriously not realised…”
J: “Realised what?”
Jon snips irritably, getting fed up with this.
S: “Jon I um… I don’t mean to freak you out but uh….”
She reaches into her pocket and pulls out her phone, offering it to him from the door.
He’s getting irritated now, standing up and feeling his tail swish in annoyance. He can’t fathom why his past self bought trousers that were this annoying to wear around his tail.
He takes the offered object from her, seeing she’s opened the front-facing camera. Internally, there’s a moment of worry as to what on earth may be wrong with his appearance to warrant this kind of reaction.
But looking at himself, he sees nothing amiss.
J: “Seriously now, I don’t understand what on earth you’re talking about - get to the damn point.”
His ears twitch towards the sound of footsteps in the hall, getting closer to the door. Maybe Martin will make more sense - which is a thought Jon never thought he’d have.
M: “Morning- what’s going…. Jon what on earth are you… why are… why is Jon… a- a cat?”
Or perhaps Martin will make just as little sense as the other two.