Butterflies | ON HOLD | ASOUE Duncan Quagmire x OC

5 - SPYGLASS ✓

CHAPTER FIVE - SPYGLASS

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Isadora woke up at a normal time. She noticed that she was the only one in the broom closet, which caused her to look around for the other two. It didn't take her long of course, as she found the two right outside the door. She smiled when she saw Aileen, fast asleep on Duncan's shoulder, and him asleep on her head. It made her feel bad to wake them up, but she wanted to talk with her brother. She gently tapped on both their shoulders.

"Good morning you two," she smirked. They both drowsily awake. They look at each other and immediately separate. "I want to talk to Duncan for a second," Isadora says. Aileen nods, and runs off to do her own thing. "Why weren't you two in the broom closet?"

"I heard her crying and I left the closet to comfort her," Duncan replied. "I guess we both never made it back to the broom closet..."

"Why was she crying?" Isadora asked worriedly.

"Her parents had just died yesterday morning. Mr. Poe never gave her any time to cry before bringing her here." Duncan explained. "We talked for a little bit until she fell asleep. I think she feels better now."

"That's good," Isadora says. She looked up at the clock above her. "We need to get to class. I'll see you and Aileen at lunch." she smiled.

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The two reach the lunch table, where Isadora was already sitting. The three all sit on the same side of the bench, Duncan sat between the two girls.

"How was your day?" Isadora asked. "Boring, but better than yesterday," Aileen replied.

"That's great," Duncan says. In the distance, the group hears Carmelita say, "Oh Baudelaires! There are seats at my table, but I'm afraid it's a cake-sniffer-free zone." she smirks.

"Those are the kids that I toured the school with!" Aileen points out.

"Cake-sniffing orphans in the Orphan Shack!" she chants. All at once, practically the whole school joins in. "Cake-sniffing orphans in the Orphan Shack! Cake-sniffing orphans in the Orphan Shack!" They chant.

"Leave them alone Carmelita. You're the cake-sniffer. Nobody in their right mind would want to eat with you." Duncan shouts.

"Come sit with us." Isadora smiles. The Baudelaires quickly come over to our table, with their food trays in hand.

"Nice to see you all again, Baudelaires." Aileen welcomes. Violet and Klaus smile graciously at their kindness.

"You'll have to forgive Carmelita. She's so awful, Mrs. Bass is considering a life of crime. My sister wrote a poem about her." Duncan says. The four newer orphans all turn towards Isadora to hear her poem.

"'I would rather eat a bowl of vampire bats than spend an hour with Carmelita Spats.'" she recites.

"That's a couplet. Ogden Nash uses them." Klaus connects.

"I know. I've read all of his work." Isadora smiles. "I'm Isadora Quagmire, and this is my brother Duncan. You've already met Aileen Sinclair." she introduces.

"Yes we have. I'm Violet Baudelaire, and this is Klaus and Sunny." Violet introduces.

"Nice to meet you." Duncan smiles.

"We should warn you, the apples taste like horseradish," Isadora says, looking at Aileen about to take a bite out of an apple.

"Everything seems distasteful in this place," Klaus says.

"I hope you're surviving the Orphan Shack. It's pretty awful. We were living there until yesterday." Duncan says.

"I feel horrible that I got to skip the Orphan Shack straight to the broom closet. It's unfair to you all." Aileen says.

"It's alright Aileen. You didn't get to choose." Violet says.

"You're orphans?" Klaus asks the Quagmires.

"We lost our parents in a terrible fire. And our brother, Quigley. We were triplets." Isadora says solemnly.

"We're sorry to hear that," Violet says.

"We lost our parents in a fire as well..." Klaus said. "Mine too..." Aileen says.

"It's not fair. One minute you're safe and happy and... home, and the next." Klaus says.

"You're in a shack full of crabs." Isadora continues. "Crabs?" Aileen asked. All of them nodded.

"Well we can do something about the crabs. How did you deal with them?" Violet asks.

"We taped metal to our shoes to be extra noisy," Isadora responds.

"It scared the crabs, but it was exhausting to tap dance all the time." Duncan cautioned.

"Nobody likes tap dancing." Aileen groaned. Carmelita clicked up behind the Baudelaires and danced.

"Cake-sniffing orphans in the Orphan Shack! Cake-sniffing orphans in the Orphan Shack!" She teased. The orphans groaned as she sauntered away.

"She's been even worse since Nero got her those shoes." Isadora sighed.

"I'm sure I can invent something less exhausting than tap shoes. I'll need materials. Can everybody empty their pockets?" Violet asks. At once, everyone emptied their pockets. Nothing particularly useful, but Klaus, Isadora, and Aileen each pulled out a similar object.

Klaus had one piece, Isadora the other, and Aileen a full spyglass.

"Where did you get that?" all three questioned.