memento mori ◈| k.baudelaire (COMPLETED)

ⅠⅠ: The Reptile Room - edited

For Beatrice-
My love for you shall live forever.
You, however, did not.

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The Baudelaires and Anastasia arrive at their proper guardian's home, who they were supposed to go to all along. "What do we call him? I mean, he's not exactly our uncle.", Violet inquires. "Well, you can call him Dr. Montgomery, or if he asks to be called by his first name, Montgomery. " "His name is Montgomery Montgomery?" "Yes, yes. And I'm sure he's very sensitive about that, so please don't ridicule him. 'Ridicule' means 'tease.'" "We know what ridicule means." Ana snaps.

As soon as the doorbell is rung, a tall man with a squiggly mustache appears. He gladly greets the four children. "Nice to meet you Dr. Montgomery." "Please, call me, Monty. I don't like fancy titles unless they give me a discount at the movies. "

The children enter the very grand home that was filled with reptile affiliated items. "You must be Violet, the inventor. And you are Klaus, the reader. And you must be Sunny. And you are Anastasia, the remembrall." Of course where the orphans grew up, 'remembrall' means 'you remember everything.' "Your mother and I were almost like siblings." Monty continues to speak about the children, and the four finally feel better about having a new guardian.

 
SCREECH...

SCREECH...

SCREECH...

"Oh I'm terribly sorry about that. My screeching iguana clock does tend to startle some people. But then, so, of course, does the screeching iguana. Mr. Poe then exits the home with a frightened look on his face. Monty then explains his discomfort with Mr. Poe with placing the children in the terrible care of Count Olaf. Klaus brings up the fact that they never heard of the man of Dr. Montgomery. "Not even you, Anastasia?" "I think my mother did say she was going to visit a close friend at a place called The Reptile Room, but that's it." Monty then guides the children up the stairs to a picture of a piano. "Look, here is a picture of us." "There is no one in that picture." "We're locked inside the piano." Monty explains.

Dr. Monty then explains to the children about what he does, but then recalls the fact that his trusty assistant, Gustav, had tragically passed that early morning. "Now back to what Ms. Ana brought up earlier." He then walks to a door with many tricky locks. He explains that the locks are just a decoy so spies wouldn't get into his pride procession of The Reptile Room.
He then shows all the different types of reptiles he keeps for his studies. "Now children this is my newest finding, of the, incredibly deadly viper. But not to worry, the viper is completely harmless. I only named it this to confuse others about its true nature."

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The next morning the Baudelaires and Ana are working in the reptile room. Monty comes in to tell the children he would be leaving to go to the market. He also tells them that they will be seeing a movie later on in the day. Klaus and Ana look at each other in excitement. Klaus finds a blueprint of Dr. Montegomery's landscaping. It's a labyrinth that in the center is a shape of an eye that's on the spyglass, and the tattoo that is on Count Olaf's ankle. Before they dove too deep the doorbell rang.

The children go to check the door and it appears to be Count Olaf in disguise. " Good morning. I am Stephano, Dr. Montgomery Montgomery's new assistant." Before Klaus could slam the door in Count Olaf's face, he stops it with a knife. He threatens the children with it, chasing them around the foyer. He then points back to the picture of the piano. "I remember that day." "You were in the piano?" "No, I took the photo."

Before Count Olaf could hurt the children, the screeching iguana clock rings and scares Count Olaf, which gives the children time to escape to the reptile room. Of course with all the different locks and gears on the door, Count Olaf is confused on how to even open the door.
Dr. Monty comes back and appears to not notice Count Olaf's disguise, and the day follows out as nothing strange had happened. However, later on in the day, Monty pulls the children aside and explains he knows that Stephano is Count Olaf, and he assures the children he will find a way to escape.