fandomhigh | An Excuse for Field Trips, Wednesday, 4th Period

Once again, Hannibal and Jonothon had their class meeting on the Causeway. This week they'd been told to dress for warmer weather, and to bring good hiking shoes, if they had them.

"Welcome back," Hannibal greeted them. "We can get to our trips again now that the island seems to have given up on...whatever that was last week."

He opened the large pack he had with him and passed out large bottles of water to everyone. "You will want to drink as much as you can. We will be visiting a high-altitude site, and this will help you adjust. Don't overexert yourself, and let us know if you're experiencing any ill effects."

//And you'll want to wear sunscreen,// Jono added, opening his own... rather less large pack. He hadn't been put on water bottle duty, it was fine. He handed out the little travel-sized bottles of sunscreen for the class to take. //Gets sunny up there.// A pause. //This week, we're going to Peru. Into the Andes. There are the ruins of an old citadel up there that a few of you from Earth might have heard of, and we're going to be doing a bit of exploring, there.//

"Machu Picchu," Hannibal said. "It has been designated a world heritage site for its extraordinary architecture and historical value. We'll be able to walk through the ruins, which have been partially reconstructed over the years, and there will be guides if you have questions. The local language is Spanish, but most will speak at least some English. If you need more, please ask." Because he spoke Spanish, too. Of course.

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"Both," Vette admitted, though she was trying to keep casual about it, chomping that excitement back hard. "The history here is something totally new, you know? But one history can always be applied to other ones for context." A beat. "Or whatever."

Best to not sound too thoughtful, don't judge her.

"... And I can't help but wonder if the buildings have traps."

Pirate.

Hannibal was amused. "The Inca aren't known for having left traps. In any event, this was an estate, not a tomb. I imagine it would be quite inconvenient having to disarm every door in your home before walking through."

Amusing, possibly, but inconvenient.

"The history of this culture we unfortunately mostly know through their conquerors. That is one reason places like this are so important."

Vette looked faintly intrigued - it was about as much interest as she cared to show, though she would definitely be looking into this place more later.

"Okay, no traps. And this place gets enough tourists, I bet all the fun treasure's already been cleared out, too."

What a sham.

"Anything perceived to be of value is currently in museums," Hannibal agreed. "Would a museum visit be of interest? We haven't been to one yet this semester."

Vette considered that offer carefully for a moment.

"It would end badly for the museum," she cautioned.

Because, really, that just sounded like a challenge.

Hannibal pondered that.

"To do anything to hurt them while we've invited you as a guest would be quite rude," he said. "However, I can hardly prevent you from doing whatever you like at a future date."

Would that be acceptable?

"Hmmm," Vette mused, and then shrugged. "I guess that depends on if going back is worth my time."

"If not, then it shouldn't be worth your time on the initial visit, either," Hannibal pointed out.

"Yeah," Vette sighed, "except for the challenge. What's even the point if there's no challenge?"

"And the challenge is greater on the initial visit?" Hannibal asked.

"Sure," Vette replied easily. "Going in blind and with an audience? That's way easier than sneaking in after hours with an idea of the layout already."

Hannibal nodded. "So is it more about the skill involved, or the possible gains?"

"Little from Column Aurek, little from Column Besh," Vette rattled off easily. "I mean, don't get me wrong, I'm all about material gains, but what's the point if I can't challenge myself to get them? Boring."

Hannibal smiled. "I know someone who used to break into the homes of rich people to steal inconsequentials. Forks and such. It was more about the symbolism and accomplishment than the value. I think you would like him ~~even if they'll never meet because ahahaha~~."

He smirked. "There is, however, more than one museum with artifacts that the cultures they come from have contested their ownership of. If they shouldn't have them in the first place, there would be no harm in removing them, would there?"

It certainly wouldn't be rude.

Vette's eyes went a little bit wider.

"It's like you've been reading my diary," she accused.

Hannibal chuckled. "One of those museums kept many things from this site for years."

It wasn't a huge leap from there; individuals might steal items for their monetary value; museums had a history of taking them from their native cultures.

"I'll see what museums we might be able to find."

"Yesssss," Vette replied, grinning faintly. "And... could you let me know in advance which we're going to? I'll need time to ... you know. Figure out the most straightforward way to see everything in the museum, of course."

Yes. That. And not to research everything they had and figure out what was and wasn't stolen. Not at all.

Hannibal gave her a little bow. "I will see what I can do."

An Excuse for Field Trips, Wednesday, 4th Period

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