Ghostie Bois Inc

Chapter Ten: The Podium

   "It was nice to meet you," Tubbo said, and looked at Niki longer than he did the Mayor. The man...unnerved him slightly. But it wasn't his mannerisms so much as his vague ominous familiarity. 

   Niki nodded to the two. "It was nice meeting you too, I wish you...luck, on your trip," She said. The boys nodded and started to leave the shop before she called after them. "Oh, wait!" 

   Tommy bent over backwards--quite literally--to dip his head back through the door. "Yes?"

   Ignoring how impatient Schlatt looked, Niki pointed to her left. "You two should check out the town library," She said. "You might find something you're looking for there." 

   A library. That sounded like a fantastic idea, if anything, there would at least be someone there to interrogate and ask. "Thank you!" Tubbo said and nodded his head. "We'll do that!" 

   Niki nodded and opened her mouth to say more. "Taxes, Niki. Do you or do you not have your taxes?" Schlatt interjected, sounding both annoyed and bored. Niki closed her mouth, and offered Tommy and Tubbo only a small smile before she disappeared into a back room. 

   "I don't think I liked that Mayor fellow," Tommy said as he and Tubbo walked side by side through L'Manburg. He had his arms stretched behind his head as he looked around. The sun was dipping beneath the horizon, tall trees that were caught in front of it cascaded shadows like tall bony fingers across the ground. Soon the soft pinks and oranges of the sky would fade away into black, stars would speckle that black sheet, and things would start to wind down for the day.

   Unfortunately, that meant that the library would probably be closing soon. 

   "He seemed kind of mean," Tubbo said as they walked, he was looking at the flowers that were set outside the shop where the strawberry-dress man worked. Admittedly he was looking at the flowers out of curiosity that there would be bees, but they were still very pretty to see. "And unfriendly."

   "I think unfriendly is mean, Tubbo," Tommy said, but nodded along none the less. 

   The two continued to make small conversation as they looked around--neither of them exactly knew where the library was, and their best bet had turned into wandering around. Eventually though, the two were able to find the building. 

   It seemed like any library, a small set of stairs leading up to a platform entrance and a set of doors. Thin and somewhat tall pillars propped up a canopy over the platform, and added a sort of decorative yet purposeful feel to the place. The building was made of wood, with windows placed in appropriate spaces. 

   Tommy groaned when he saw it. "Oh no, I should have known this was going to be boring," He said and rubbed his eyes with the heel of his hands.

   "It could be helpful though...?" Tubbo said, phrasing it like a question because he too was fighting off a bored remark. 

   The taller of the two sighed and nodded, walking towards the doors. "I guess so," He said and paused to look at the indent on the doorknobs. It was like a swirl, only slightly boxy-er. He didn't pay it any mind and pulled open the doors. 

   Immediately, Tubbo was almost decapitated by a book. 

   He yelped and ducked underneath it just in time, the leather bound projectile sailing over his head and tumbling down the stairs behind them. Both teens looked back see a book tossed pages down onto the pavement. 

   "It's not there either!" They could hear someone's muffled voice exclaim, and turned back to look inside the entrance of the library. A man was leaning forwards far into a large cardboard box near the front of the room. The green and purple checkered carpet was overrun with books laying about, and the man just kept on adding more. He was wearing a pair of jeans and a multicolored sweater.