[Maybe someday the frog will realize there is no way to sneak into Ironhide's main intake, and give up. But for now, it's going to keep frog-walking around his head.]
[Ironhide's hand on Xanth's shoulder provides comforting weight; it's grounding.]
Y-Yeah, just... th-this place is... h-huge.
[Might as well begin where they are, then. Xanth steps out from under Ironhide's hand, throws him a small smile, and then starts the search for the Books on Creatures section.]
[This would probably go by faster if they could find a librarian, as Xanth is pretty sure there is one, but that person doesn't seem to be around. Manual searching, it is.
Eventually, Xanth spies a book regarding toads. Toads and frogs are kind of similar, right?]
M-Maybe it's-- d-down here?
[And he starts down the aisle, looking for anything on frogs, rather than toads.]
[If Xanth had someone with him who'd actually spent a lot of time in a library, it might help. Instead, it's a millennia-old soldier who was more at home on a battlefield than anywhere else.]
[He follows behind, peering over the boy's shoulder in between scanning shelves.]
[Xanth just shrugs. He doesn't much get it, either. Still looking along the shelf, he runs his fingers across the spines.]
U-Um...
[Come on, come on...]
Oh!
[He pulls one book out. There's a frog on the cover not unlike the one sitting on Ironhide's head, and across the top reads Frogs 101. Eyebrows lifting hopefully, Xanth holds the book up for Ironhide to see.]
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Y... Yeah.
B-But, um, there's-- th-there's gotta be books o-on frogs in... i-in the... library...
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... I could go and look. Or ask around.
[Since he's not sure if Xanth would want to go back in there, after what happened.]
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W-Well, uh, two-- t-two heads are b-better than one, r-right? I-I mean, it, i-it cuts down s--searching time.
[As long as they don't go back in that room, he'll be fine. Not great, but fine.]
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[Finally, he nods.]
We will go together. Figure it out... somehow.
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Y--Yeah.
I-In, in-- in the meantime... a-are you gonna-- g-gonna carry that guy a-all over?
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Guess I have to. It will not leave me alone.
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G--Guess so.
W-We should-- start now, th-then, to-- to get this l-little guy set up?
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[While he puts up with it. For C4's sake.]
Yeah. C'mon. Best get moving.
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[At least it's not far to the library. He's starting to feel the urge to refuel until he gets overcharged enough to pass out.]
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As Xanth pushes open one large door to the library, his shoulders tense. He hasn't set foot in the library since the... incident.
But it's okay. This is just the library. Just a house for many, many books.]
Wh-- where, uh, d-do you-- think th-they keep the... the books o-on frogs?
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[He's right behind Xanth, and when he stops, one of Ironhide's hands rests on his shoulder. Lightly. He doesn't say anything, though.]
With... other books on creatures? That would make sense. Ratchet kept his books like that.
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Y-Yeah, just... th-this place is... h-huge.
[Might as well begin where they are, then. Xanth steps out from under Ironhide's hand, throws him a small smile, and then starts the search for the Books on Creatures section.]
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[Ironhide nods, and limps after him, scanning shelves.]
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Eventually, Xanth spies a book regarding toads. Toads and frogs are kind of similar, right?]
M-Maybe it's-- d-down here?
[And he starts down the aisle, looking for anything on frogs, rather than toads.]
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[He follows behind, peering over the boy's shoulder in between scanning shelves.]
That is a frog there. Why not that one?
[That's a toad, Ironhide.]
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[Xanth picks up said book and examines it. Dang that really does look like a frog.]
I-I, uh, I think it's-- a-a toad, a, actually.
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... And?
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[Why else would they have different names, right? Then again, lots of things have different names...
Xanth tucks the book under his arm, but he glances down the row of shelves.]
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[They're animals. They can't be that much different. Seriously.]
See anything else?
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U-Um...
[Come on, come on...]
Oh!
[He pulls one book out. There's a frog on the cover not unlike the one sitting on Ironhide's head, and across the top reads Frogs 101. Eyebrows lifting hopefully, Xanth holds the book up for Ironhide to see.]
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[He peers at it, the good optic flicking over the cover, the title... and then he nods.]
Good work. We will use that.
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(Protip, Xanth: the librarian already doesn't like how you stained his floor with blood. He'll care.)
He tucks the book under his arm.]
G--Great! Sh--should we, uh, h--head back then?
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Yeah. C'mon.
[And you know what? Xanth is going to get picked up.]
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Hey, Xanth's not arguing. He kind of likes being carried by Ironhide, actually, and he's learning to climb up as Ironhide grabs him.
Quickly, he's secure up on Ironhide's shoulder, book in tow.]
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