Ok here goes, number 1 of Situ Prompt! If you have no idea what this is, have a read of the ‘explained‘ post first to find out what you need to do. In a nutshell, put your character in the situation detailed below and see what happens! Post your work or a link to your work in the comments below. Beneath the prompt will be my work linked to this situation.
Visiting Hours in the Library (Jason While)
This should have been Toby’s job. They had finally worked out a nice little rhythm working together which involved Toby doing all the leg work and Jason doing anything remotely dangerous, or interesting. This was not interesting. The pile of books of the dark oak table threatened to topple over at any point and crush him. He thought he might let it as well. The clock by the librarian’s desk struck again. Another hour had passed. Jason sat back and rubbed his tired eyes. His nose was itching again from all the dust. Angrily, he thumped the cover shut on the book in front of him, getting him a reproachful look from the Librarian at the desk. Well, at least Jason thought it was more reproachful than the man’s usual expression that seemed fixed between mild annoyance and permanent disdain.
The room was covered in a thick layer of gloom. The lighting was orange and only just managed to push back the shadows to the aisles. A desk lamp hung over the books on Jason’s desk, furiously working to illuminate the browning pages.
With a sigh, Jason pulled down the next tome. He wasn’t even that sure what he was looking for. Something in Edison’s history about a run-in with a man named Symes. He never heard of Symes, but there was a lot that had shifted slightly since history had been ‘re-modelled’. He opened the book and screwed up his eyes trying to focus on the scratchy print.
“Mr While?”
Jason was standing up in an instant. No-one should have been able to get that close to him without knowing. His chair scratched noisily against the floor. He looked to the librarian’s desk waiting for his admonishment but noted he was not there. He was always there. Jason turned his attention back to the person suddenly standing in front of him. A man, his hands out in front of him in a peaceful gesture, stood the other side of the desk. He was wearing a striped suit, definitely not this era, fifties perhaps.
“Who are you?” Jason kept his tone even and authoritative.
“A friend.”
“Prove it,” his hand moved to the small of his back. Even when he was inside the Ministry building, he kept a firearm with him. He found it was always a good idea to be prepared.
“I come with information,” the man’s voice wobbled slightly. He was young, younger than Jason had initially thought. The suit made him appear older and the light didn’t help but from the nervousness and voice, Jason put him in his twenties. “You’re looking in the wrong place.”
“I don’t do riddles,” Jason looked back to the desk. Still no Librarian, something was definitely wrong here. “You are not an agent here and now. How did you get in here?”
“You need to expand the search. Look for the Blue Lamp Club, you’ll find they will be more than useful in your hunt.”
Jason pulled his weapon and pointed it at the man, “I won’t ask you again. You are not supposed to be in here, so we’re just going to take a nice walk and see the Minister where you can answer all her questions. At which point, you’ll wish you just answered mine.”
“The Blue Lamp Club Mr While. It’s important.”
He was gone.
Jason froze.
A blink of the eye and he was gone.
Finally, thought registered again and Jason started searching round the stacks of books then towards the entrance. The Librarian was back behind his desk, leafing through paperwork. He glanced up, staring at Jason above his wire-rimmed glasses. When his eyes caught sight of the drawn weapon, his eyebrows raised in disapproval.
“Has anyone been through here? Have you seen anyone else?”
“Agent While, there has only been the two of us all morning.” Jason could hear the silent tutting along with the comment.
“What about when you went out?”
“I haven’t moved from my desk all morning.” The Librarian was frowning at him now.
Jason sighed. Time to find Tobias.
Lexikon 