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Post by Emma “Emmz” Squalor on Apr 20, 2009 18:26:29 GMT -5
Jerome’s jaw dropped at that. If there was one topic to avoid with Monty Montgomery, it was that of reptiles. He planned on studying to become a herpetologist one day, and could go on for hours at a time if given the opportunity.
Like everyone did at first, Jerome had found Monty’s passion about the reptile world to be mesmerizing. But after a while, Jerome had been unable to ignore the fact that it did become quite dull. He was just far too polite to say so.
“Oh, yes!” Monty exclaimed excitedly. “Ever since I was a child, I’ve been very fond of snakes. I wanted to fill my entire room with them at one point, but my parents were deadest against it. They did allow me to keep some lizards and a few toads, though.”
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Post by Very Funky Disco on Apr 20, 2009 18:33:09 GMT -5
"Holy salsa!" gasped Violet. Then, with sudden embarrassment, she muttered, "I'm sorry, Monty. It's just that..." She wasn't sure of whether or not she should tell them of the other Monty.
"She knew another Monty," explained Quigley, putting his arm around Violet. "He was a herpetologist, just like... We was their second guardian, after Count Olaf. It's probably best not to talk about him, but the other Monty was actually murdered by this Olaf guy."
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Post by Emma “Emmz” Squalor on Apr 20, 2009 18:43:45 GMT -5
“That sounds terrible!” Jerome exclaimed.
“Pardon me,” Monty said. “But did you just say Count Olaf?”
Quigley nodded.
“I might be wrong,” Monty went on. “But I believe that ‘Count Olaf’ is the same name as the legal guardian of a friend of mine.”
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Post by Very Funky Disco on Apr 20, 2009 18:49:32 GMT -5
"No way!" whispered Violet, shocked. "He died four year ago, on that island. He died of a harpoon shot. I was shocked by how sad I felt, since he had caused us trouble for several months."
"This Count Olaf that you know," Duncan asked, slowly. "Does he have a single eyebrow and a tattoo of an eye on his ankle?" He wanted to add that it was the VFD insignia, but figured that it might not be the best idea.
"Are you, uh," Quigley asked, nervously, "aware of a VFD organization?"
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Post by Emma “Emmz” Squalor on Apr 20, 2009 18:59:06 GMT -5
“I’m not sure what any of his physical traits might be,” Monty admitted. “Since I’ve never seen a picture of him. But he is part of the V.F.D. organization. I’m not supposed to talk about it amongst anyone who isn’t a member. But since you all know about it, and Jerome knows about it now, then I suppose it’s alright.”
Jerome looked a little hurt by this, as well he felt he should be. Why hadn’t Monty ever told him about the organization? Here he was, a shy boy without any other friends, and the only one he had in the world was keeping secrets from him. It just wasn’t fair!
“Why didn’t you ever tell me,” Jerome asked, and for a moment he looked as though he might cry. “I thought… I thought we were friends.”
Monty looked like he wanted to apologize. “We are. It isn’t that I didn’t want to, Jerome,” Monty explained. “It’s that I couldn’t. Revealing the truth to you would have only complicated things.”
Jerome nodded, though the wounded look on his round face showed no signs of fading.
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Post by Very Funky Disco on Apr 20, 2009 19:11:24 GMT -5
"Actually," Quigley commented, gently, "I'm not sure if it even really matters anymore. Back in 1948, the man with a beard but no hair and the woman with hair but no beard had worked inwardly to destroy everything the VFD ever stood for. By 1965, the schism became official. Just four years ago, there was the Hotel Denouement fire. At this rate, the VFD will probably become dissolved by 1999."
Violet blushed, as she didn't wish to admit her role in the Hotel Denouement fire.
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Post by Emma “Emmz” Squalor on Apr 20, 2009 20:00:30 GMT -5
“That’s only fourteen years from now,” Monty said. “I haven’t heard anything about the possibility of V.F.D. being destroyed. Let alone a schism. However…” He looked thoughtful, and turned his blue eyes toward an identically blue sky. “Count Olaf is associated with two people Esmé has described as a man with hair but no beard, and a woman with hair but no beard. She’s completely terrified of them.”
Jerome would have liked to participate in the conversation, but he didn’t understand anything anyone was talking about. He had heard Monty talk of a girl named Esmé, and that she was presently dating a boy they both attended school with.
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Post by Very Funky Disco on Apr 20, 2009 20:10:33 GMT -5
"Yeah, Olaf did seem to be associated with them," replied Violet. "The Olaf that we knew, anyway."
"You know of a woman named Esme?" Duncan asked, quietly. He wondered if it was the same Esme that they were familiar with. "What is she like?"
"And you don't know about any schism in the VFD?" Quigley asked, confused. "The side that starts fires, and the side that puts them out?"
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Post by Emma “Emmz” Squalor on Apr 20, 2009 20:32:26 GMT -5
“I’m afraid not,” Monty admitted. “V.F.D. is an organization full of noble volunteers. As for Esmé Salinger, I go to school with her. She’s actually the best friend of my girlfriend, Geraldine Julienne. Right now, Esmé is dating a friend of mine: Bertrand Baudelaire.”
Violet, Quigley, Duncan and Jennifer all gazed at Monty in wonder. This caused the future herpetologist to raise his hand and scratch the back of his head in bewilderment.
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Post by Very Funky Disco on Apr 20, 2009 20:40:42 GMT -5
"This might sound like a silly question," Violet asked, nervously, "but, uh, what year is this?"
If not for the fact that Jerome didn't look like even a younger version of the Jerome she knew, she could've almost sworn that she had travelled back in time. She knew that Dr. Brown was busy fine tuning a time machine, but that time machine would allow only for astral projection.
"Violet's late father was called Bertrand," explained Quigley, softly. "He died, though, five years ago. Actually, the mansion was burnt down - killing both of her parents. Bertrand and Beatrice."
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Post by Emma “Emmz” Squalor on Apr 20, 2009 20:51:19 GMT -5
Monty gasped. Jerome made a small noise that was halfway between a scream and a squeak. His cheeks reddened, and he lowered his eyes to the sand in embarrassment.
Normally, Monty would have dismissed the information he had just received as a coincidence. But the fact that both of his friends were named Beatrice and Bertrand peaked his suspicions.
“It’s 1985,” Monty said. “November Fifth, to be precise.”
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Post by Very Funky Disco on Apr 20, 2009 20:54:01 GMT -5
"Yeah, that's what I thought," Violet replied, nervously.
OOC: Any ideas of where we should go from here?
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Post by Emma “Emmz” Squalor on Apr 20, 2009 21:14:57 GMT -5
Monty raised an eyebrow, and Jerome turned his attention from the sand to the four faces in front of them.
“So,” Monty said. “What you’re telling us is that you’re all from the future?”
[Hmm… do you want to have Klaus, Isadora and Esmé meet up with the others on the beach?]
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Post by Very Funky Disco on Apr 20, 2009 21:41:40 GMT -5
Quigley swallowed, as he replied, "I have a feeling that, somehow, we were transported into another world. Either that, or you guys were."
"Do you know of any Quagmires?" asked Duncan, nervously. "I can tell that you're a little, uh... Well, we can show you our driver's licences."
"This Beatrice that you know," added Violet, as she pulled out her driver's licence, "From your reaction, I suspect that you, uh, know someone by that name. Well, does she have a... a daughter... named Violet? I'm the eldest in my family."
"I don't suppose you know of a Lorraine," Duncan commented, nervously. "She's my mother. Our sister, Isadora, is the spitting image of her. Her maiden name is Baines."
"Do you know of any Parkers?" asked Jennifer, swallowing.
OOC: Yeah, that's probably a good idea.
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Post by Emma “Emmz” Squalor on Apr 20, 2009 22:01:09 GMT -5
“I’m afraid that neither of us knows anyone by the name of ‘Quagmire’,” Jerome said, as Violet and Jennifer handed him their driver’s licenses to examine. “Or ‘Parker’, for that matter. “I’m afraid we don’t know anyone going by the name of ‘Lorraine Baines’, either,” Monty confessed, as Quigley and Duncan handed him their driver’s licenses. “However, Beatrice did recently discover that she’s pregnant. She told Esmé and Geraldine, and Geraldine told me.” He grinned. “Beatrice made them both promise not to tell anyone. But Geraldine hasn’t been able to keep a secret for as long as I’ve known her— we met in the fifth grade.” [O.K., cool. ]
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