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Jacks White Oak Field Trip Goblin Market Night 240327
In an eerie fusion of mundane academia and mystical adventure, a group of students led by Father Jack delves into the heart of the Goblin Market—a hidden, magical bazaar filled with the wares of the arcane and the macabre. The students' journey begins with a mix of excitement and trepidation as they assemble at the White Oak Union, a transitional space serving as their gateway to realms beyond. Among them are Lilah, eagerly greeting Father Jack despite her fatigue; Sienna, brightening at the sight of her cousin Aristotle; and Caelum, greeting his peers with a laid-back charm. The expedition promises to be an educational experience, but as the group delves deeper, the quaint charm of a field trip quickly intertwines with the darker realities of the magical world.
As the students navigate through the market, they encounter an array of peculiarities. From steaks suspiciously lying on the ground to unsettling revelations about the sale of children's hearts for sinister practices like fleshforming, the market proves to be a place where the extraordinary meets the morbid. Father Jack educates the group on various magical artifacts, including a neutralizing collar used to suppress supernatural abilities—a demonstration that piques the interest of the group, particularly Sienna and Viktorin, who discuss the nature of vampire blood and its powers with a mix of curiosity and trepidation. The visit culminates in a grim lesson on the moral complexities of magic, with the discovery of a human infant's heart highlighting the market's more troubling aspects. Through banter, jest, and moments of discomfort, the students are exposed to both the wonders and the ethical dilemmas of a world hidden within their own—a reminder that beyond the thrill of the unknown lies a realm where moral boundaries blur.
(Jack's [White Oak] Field Trip: Goblin Market (Night))
[Tue Mar 26 2024]
In the Reception of the White Oak Union
The Union serves as the gateway to the rest of the campus and facilities
therein. Less a building and more the seamless fusion of the two adjacent
structures, the space is styled as a plaza with office space lining both
sides.
The plaza provides space for administrative offices and important communal
areas such as the lunch room, bookstore, and library. It's also home to the
Haven Sheriff's Department, the deputies of which assist with school security
and community outreach when their other duties permit.
Residents otherwise unassociated with the Institute come and go through the
Union, unmolested by security or staff, many on the way to the clinic or
library.
It is about 50F(10C) degrees.
For once not early, Lilah slips into the back of the gathering just barely on time. She's out of breath and looks exhausted, but she's here with a smile. "Hello, Father!" she greets Jack. "Can't wait to see this place."
"On time for a lesson, for once." Caelum nods to Jack, then passes a look at Sienna and back. Viktorin get's an upnod in return, and he greets Aristotle and Lilah in kind. "Hey."
"You too, Father," Aristotle says, tapping briefly onto his phone once he takes in the sights of everyone. He makes his way towards Caelum once he spots him, slipping his phone into his pocket afterwards and offering Sienna a warm smile. "Hey hey."
Sienna immediately brightens at the sight of Aristotle among the gathered crowd, breaking from her side at Caelum to rush over and catch her cousin in a tight hug. "Ari!" she squeals with delight, pressing her face into his arm. 'I missed you!""
Meridith gazes at Caelum a moment, then turns to look over Lilah, Sienna, Jessica.
"Hey, Caelum," Lilah says. "Hi Sienna. Hi uhh, everyone." It may be that she still doesn't know some of her classmates, yet, but Lilah waves to the group, as she slips in closer.
"And of course the mists are rising," Jack tells the class with humor. "We'll leave from Camp White Oak," he says. "There's a door to the market there, right now. But before leave -- and while we give room for any stragglers, anyone want to share what they know about what the Goblin Market is, and how one gets to it?"
A little "Oomf!" leaves Aristotle at that sudden tight hug, but it's returned easily enough. "Missed you too." He offers, tone genuine. "Been a boring old man with school and work, but I'll probably find my youth again once I graduate."
"Why's it called the goblin market, do goblins actually exist?" Jessica ask as she raises her hand to ask a question, but notably she doesn't wait for Jack to respond to her raised hand before asking anyways
Viktorin says "I've not seen any green men, not once, whenever I've been that way. No clue why they call it the Goblin Market."
Caelum passes a smirk between Aristotle and Sienna, but otherwise, he moves on ahead to drop and sit on a couch while listening to Jack. He's as clueless as one can possibly be, not even efforting to come up with an answer to the question.
Viktorin says "Maybe I'm just color blind."
"It is, in fact, full of goblins," Jack tells the class. "Though I will confess: I do not entirely understand their origins. There are many strange things in the world," he says. "The market is one of them. Does anyone know how to find it?" he asks the assembled students.
"I don't have any idea why it's called that." Aristotle admits, shrugging his shoulders at Jack's question as he honestly answers. "Maybe it's named after someone. Jerry Goblin, the guy who... set the place up, or something."
Meridith leans back, listening but looking perhaps a little bored or distracted.
"Oh. Nevermind." Aristotle decides, when he's corrected by Jack's answer.
Plopping down on a sectional, Viktorin gives Jack a shrug. "You can buy nifty stuff there. And they got a bar. Places to work on equipment. And other sketchy stuff."
"We're allowed to do our shopping and all of that while we're there, right?" Sienna pipes up from Aristotle's side, her brows lifted with a hopeful gleam to her large green eyes as she drifts back over to one of the couches where Caelum's sat himself. "I have like, five things on my list I need to get while we're there. For science."
Jessica's eyes light up with obvious excitement when the existence of goblins are confirmed. She drops her hand then and looks to the others to listen to their comments and questions
"I've literally never been." Aristotle says, chuckling at Viktorin when he's echoed. "For all we know, there could be a goblin there named Jerry. Watch." He says, snickering.
"Yes, Miss Swann. You can go shopping. If you're lucky," Jack tells Sienna dryly, "They'll have a Birkin bag for you." He pauses. "No one knows how to find it?" he asks.
"You said the camp," Lilah says to Jack, but clearly other than parrotting back his own words, she's clueless on this one.
"Do they even take.. mortal money, or whatever?" Caelum tips abrow at Sienna while he leans back where he is, draws an arm on the back of the couch, and slides a little to make room for Sienna. "I don't have any Goblin Jerry currency on me, left it in my other pants."
Meridith says "Ask a wizard, though it's almost always open as the abandoned asylum"
"I don't need a damned birkin bag. I have appropriate supernatural engineering needs that cannot be addressed here, thank you very much," Sienna mumbles under her breath at Jack's retort, clearly taking offense. It lasts for all but a moment as Caelum speaks to her, quickly grinning his way. "Well we'll find out tonight!"
Caelum mumbles under his breath, "What's a birkin bag.."
"I'd love one," Lilah replies to Sienna with a little smile.
Viktorin blinks at Aristotle, asking unsurely, "You've never been? But why? You can buy organs there."
"Well, despite being on the sheriff's department, I actually still have all of my organs." Aristotle says, nodding at Viktorin. "So... I don't need extras right now."
Meridith stares at Viktorin.
Meridith says "...Childrens hearts, you mean?"
Lilah balks at Meridith's claim and stutters a horrified, "What?"
Meridith says "S'only organs I know they sell, fuel for fleshforming"
"Hidden throughout Haven are secret doors to the market," Jack tells the class. "Those who have been trained in magic can sense the mystical link, but they move often -- once a week, more or less." A pause. "Actually -seeing- the door requires one to be in possession of a mystical key. Those of you who are members of the societies here in town already have one; the same magic that creates your company's mark also acts as a key, but for the rest of you?" he says. "We'll go first to the bookstore to get some keys."
OOC: Anyone with any arcane focus can see in the entries on 'shop list' a line 'You sense a mystical link'. That's the indication that there is a market door at that shop. You need a society symbol, a goblin market key, or to be a member of WO staff to see the market door.
"There's more things in life than Birkins," Sienna reassures Lilah with ease. "Like, finding fae-powered tools... Pure demon blood to increase the power of explosives tenfold, for science, and all that."
"That's all I've ever heard of them selling there." Konami remarks with a shrug, to the others at the seats.
Viktorin asks Sienna "Is there anything to make me glow in the dark?"
Lilah arches an eyebrow at Sienna's claim. Looking mildly offended, she starts to retort, but she's entirely taken aback by the news about children's hearts being sold, and starts to look queasy, instead. That definitely wins.
Meridith frowns at Lilah, mouthing 'sorry'
Konami smirks at Viktorin and says, "It was a joke, and yes I know how that stuff would be bad to be around."
As if prompted by something Jack has stated, Aristotle tugs his badge from his pocket to clip to his waistband.
"This way," Jack indicates to the class.
OOC: Since the 'beckon' command isn't working, I'm headed to the bookstore if you aren't following me.
"I'm gonna have to watch out for people slipping radium into my drinks now, aren't I?" Viktorin grumbles, before following along, slinking behind Jack.
Konami says "I would."
Walking into the bookstore, Jack tells the class, "Anything can be turned into a key. It's a simple enough ritual. Let me show it to you," he says, as he approaches the attendant for a pre-prepared box of supplies.
Viktorin informs Aristotle, "You can get extra organs though, just in case."
"True. I guess I'll just have to keep that in mind in case I ever need a decoy spleen." Aristotle decides, chuckling. When he's handed a strange key, he looks to it for a moment before shaking his head, "Oh, I don't think I actually need one, but I'll hang on to it just in case."
Caelum stares on after Jack, completely oblivious to what he's doing, evidently clueless down to the knit of his brows and perplexed expression. Even when he gets a key, he just stares at it, twists it around and about in inspection. "Very Goblin-y."
"I think... a good portion of us probably wouldn't need one," Viktorin admits, skeptically.
Passing out a series of strange iron keys, Jack says, "The truth is that anything can serve as a key -- an item, jewelry, even a piece of clothing. It needs to be held or worn to be effective, however. I like actual keys because they have a certain sort of gravitas, but the incantation is much the same for anything." He takes one of the keys, holding it up. "Repeat after me." A pause. "Obsecro vos spiritus aeris et tenebrarum," he invokes, his Latin a low chant. "Fac huius oblationis clavem aliquam aperire ad vistas alienas ianuam."
OOC: To make an object into a goblin market key, 'custom key'. Any object can be used as a key.
"Let me know if you're having trouble with the invocation," Jack tells the class.
Attempting to pronounce the words, Viktorin utters, "Obsixro vas spiritos."
Jessica butchers the living shit out of the incantation and her key does nothing. She gives it another shot, then another. A real windgardium leviosa moment. When it becomes obvious after then or so tries she's not going to get it, she goes quiet and decides not to point out her failure to anyone else.
Caelum stares at they key - then up at Jack, very much confused still. When he stares back, he looks, for all of a moment, as if he'll make an effort to recite what their instructor has, but all that notion is dismissed at the drop of a hat and he shakes his head. "Unless you want me to praise Goblin-" A glance at Aristotle, "Goblin Jerry, was it? I'm not pulling this off." Ever magically averse, he holds his key to Sienna instead, draws out his sweetest smile. "Please?"
"Jerry Goblin." Aristotle says, snorting in amusement at Caelum as he corrects the name he'd given to the proprietor of the Goblin Market, who may or may not actually exist. He's done no such incantations however, looking content to watch the others for now, perhaps like Caelum he'd butcher it.
"I'll be right back," Sienna announces suddenly as she digs a small cube out of her bag. "Please don't leave me!"
Latin isn't her preferred way, but Lilah repeats the words after Jack, watching the strange key in her hands as she does. There's a moment when she looks around at what the others are doing, but for the most part she keeps her key in cupped hands until light flares and she nods contentedly.
"Anyone else?" Jack asks around. "Otherwise, we'll head back down to reception to gather up for the van to Camp White Oak."
Viktorin flicks his gaze upward, mentioning, "I'll be fine. I got my own key inside." Fiddling with his phone, the dusky man taps away. And then inclines his head towards Jack.
"Sorry, I had it mixed." Caelum steps closer to Aristotle, while the Swann leaves the area, with his key no less. "Overlord Jerry, lastname Goblin." He fixes himself - then, hands in his pockets, continues to wait. At Jack's question, he gives a near clueless shrug of his shoulders.
"Very good," Jack tells the assembled students, sweeping down back towards reception.
"Overlord Jerrilius Goblin of the Goblin dynasty." Aristotle says, nodding sagely at Caelum's words.
"I think Jerrilius Goblin of the Goblin dynasty is a pretty cool name," Caelum chimes alongside Aristotle, giving a sagely nod towards Viktorin. "We could make a religion out of this."
"Now there's an idea." Aristotle decides with another small little nod.
"Alright!" Jack says to those assembled. "Into the vans."
Viktorin giggle-snorts a bit at Caelum's words. Throwing a glance towards Aristotle, he asks, "If we do, we need to find a unique hat. A big one, you know? For our head priest or whatever."
"If there's not enough seats," Jack shares, "You can meet us at Camp White Oak." He pauses. "And remember to drive slowly because the mists are high."
Jack loads into the van, driving towards Camp White Oak. He turns on some Christian rock as they drive.
"You all are on something tonight," Lilah muses to the gathered young men in the van, before she shakes her head and settles into her own thoughts, for the meantime. Eventually she pipes up to ask, "Father, is it true? They butcher children for... parts?"
Viktorin cringes a bit at Jack as he turns on the music. "I... really miss listening to Jazz..."
"They say jazz is the Devil's music," Jack says to Viktorin. Surely he isn't serious.
"I thought it was rock and roll, that was that." Konami remarks with a snort.
Brows raise as Jack drives. "Silly?" Jack asks Viktorin. "What an interesting thing to say about your teacher," he says, but it's clear there's some humor. "Candidly, I love jazz," he shares with the student as he piles out of the van. "I'm told Miss Matheson is on her way. We'll give her a moment," he tells Sienna, Caelum, Viktorin, Lilah, Konami, Jessica, and Aristotle.
"I think I need to be going," Lilah murmurs after a moment, tense and with anxiety that's been held at bay growing more pronounced on her exhausted features. "I... can I - you said something about a make up class, right Father?"
"What's wrong, Miss McFadden?" Jack asks Lilah, his voice concerned as he turns to look at the redheaded student.
Slipped out of his car and leaning on it, with his hands in his pockets, Caelum narrows his eyes on Lilah, attention set on her as well. "I'm sure they don't sell -that- many hearts."
"Apparently Miss Matheson is going to be delayed more," Jack shares with the class. "We should find the door." He looks at Lilah. "Miss McFadden, a little squeamishness isn't a good quality," he says. "This is important."
Viktorin stretches his lips into a grin, pleased to hear about Jack's fondness for Jazz. "What's your favorite artist? I'm fond of Charles Mingus, Yusef Lateef, John Coltrane... plenty of other artists too."
"It's late and I'm just really tired and I don't feel very..." Lilah begins and then blanches again at Caelum's claim. "That's just fucking horrible, don't joke about it!" she snaps at him, though it's likely not him that she's having the issue with. She starts to say something else but then snaps her jaw shut with a fiery look at Jack. "Whatever," she grumbles. "I did ask about making it up."
"Who sees a door here?" Jack asks the assembled students as he walks into the clearing in camp where supplies are sold.
Lilah gestures toward the south, but still looks rather pissy.
"Sorry," Caelum lifts a hand towards Lilah, as if surrendering to a promise of assault. Then his head tilts at Sienna, "Do you have the keys?"
Jessica looks about blankly with a 'what door' expression.
"There is, Miss Li," Jack tells Jessica, "A magical door here. Here --" He hands over the key he enchanted to Jessica. "Hold it up. Now do you see?"
Sienna casually draws out an all too familiar device to Caelum, claiming, "Right here."
Viktorin says "The south door? Yeah I see it. I've always seen it"
Jessica takes hold of the key, frowning faintly as she looks around again, still she seems confused, "I have no idea what the hell you are talking about."
Viktorin says "it's an ugly looking door. It needs more paint."
Jessica says "Both of these keys are identical"
Lilah sighs and shakes her head as Jessica gives up both keys. Still looking irritated, she offers a brief nod to Caelum and then turns to slip off back the way they came in, despite having pointed out the door.
Jack says to Jessica, "Try now."
It's a bit belated of a response, but Aristotle nods and points towards the southern door. "Yeah, I can see that one too." He says, nodding.
Jessica takes yet another key from Jack and tries looking where everyone else says to look. "Nope.." she hands back the key, disappointment evident on her expression. "It's probably cause I'm human."
Jessica says "Oh "
Jessica says "Wait! "
Konami says "I can see it, and I'm human so it can't be that."
Jessica points to the south with the key, "I got it."
The sight of whatever Sienna brought out has Caelum smirk out and shake his head slightly - but its fleeting. He sticks close to her side, "I'll trust you to keep me safe in Jerry Goblin's den."
"It could be -- ah. Or now you see it?" Jack asks Jessica as she holds up the key. "Does anyone else need a key to be able to see it?" he asks. "I have two more on me," he says.
"I don't have a key, but I can see it." Caelum informs - not entirely sure how that works.
Viktorin states to Caelum, "Goblins aren't too hard to fight. They're very small, you see. And we're quite large."
"I'm sure that Jerry's the most trustworthy goblin you'll ever find." Konami remarks with a snicker.
"Miss Li, since you've had the best discovery tonight -- open that door to the south and we will step through," Jack tells Jessica before he looks around to the other students.
As Jessica opens the door, Jack leads the students through it.
"Huh. Alright." Jessica says, then she steps to the hidden door to open it. There is a pause at the threshold where she frowns, glances back. But then ultimately steps inside
"For someone who isn't able to see this, what... do they end up seeing?" Aristotle asks, looking to Jack. "Is it like... that Harry Potter movie where we're kind of just walking through a wall?" He asks. "And, if someone leaves a door open, can someone without a key accidentally wander inside?"
Meridith waves to the others and strides over.
"I don't have a key and I just wandered inside." Caelum happily relays to Aristotle, smirking, fangs and all still with his hands in his pockets as he trails along beside Sienna. "This is all confusing the hell out of me."
"And of course no one here has marked the doors," Jack says. "I don't know if someone can wander," he says to Aristotle. "That's an interesting question. But they just don't see a door at all without a key." He pauses. "So this corridor has a great many doors. It's considered polite to mark the door so you know which direction you walk through," he says. "No one did that, here." He stares between two open doors. "And so it's an open question which door leads back to town," he admits. "A problem for the end of the night."
"Yeah, but... you're not human." Aristotle says, motioning to Caelum. "If someone walked though a wall you wouldn't really be too surprised I'd guess."
"Here, you can see the doors marked more clearly," Jack says to the assembled students. "But these aren't updated -- there is no door at Gentek. Be very careful walking through an unknown door," he says. "It can drop you deep in the Forest, sometimes, surrounded by things that very much want to eat you."
Meridith nods to Jack. "Usually you can step back in, but bare in mind, the door won't be the direction you came from."
"I guess," Caelum gives a light shrug of his shoulders to Aristotle. Then to Jack, he knits his brows - "Should we have brought arm and armor? If I knew.."
Jack nods to Meridith. "Sometimes. If it's the middle of the forest, not always." He shakes his head to Caelum. "No. We'll take a safe exit into town, if it comes to that," he says. "The farther north this passage runs, the safer the doors."
"These doors are accurate, I think. The door to Perdition's Passage is one-way, but I've used the psych ward door recently," Jack tells the students. "It's just down the road from the parsonage." He pauses. "Any question about doors before we enter the market proper?"
Sienna sticks close to Caelum and Aristotle's side as they move through the passageway, teeth tucked anxiously into her bottom lip. "Does anyone ever get lost, and served up as meat at the markets later?" she wonders toward the front of the group where Jack stands./
"...People get lost," Jack tells Sienna, grimly. "And as we'll see in a moment, there are... unsavory things for sale." Is that an answer? If it is, it's a disturbing one.
"Put that thing on silent, dude." Caelum tells Viktorin, eyes narrowed briefly above his smirk. Whatever he intended to say more, he doesn't in favor of glancing at Sienna, and stepping just a tad closer to keep her in-between Aristotle and himself. "I bet, if they're selling organs and all." His words are the opposite of reassuring. "If you do get lost, I'll make sure you end up on my plate."
"...People get lost," Jack tells Sienna, grimly. "And as we'll see in a moment, there are... unsavory things for sale." Is that an answer? If it is, it's a disturbing one.
Jessica peeks through one of the closed doors
"A regular Texas Chainsaw Massacre right here in little ol' Haven." Aristotle quietly says, of the assumption of what happens to the lost here.
Meridith rolls her eyes slightly.
Stepping into the market proper, Jack looks around. It is a bustling space, with doors leading off into a variety of strange rooms and a grand bazaar dominating the center of the area. It is, in fact, a market full of goblins, with strange, shady traders hawking a variety of goods. "Here we are," Jack tells the students. "Stay close. There are a variety of things here -- many of them quite powerful, and quite illegal."
Jessica rubs tiredly at an eye by slipping a finger under her glasses. The tiredness she began with has finally taken her down and she's soon off looking for a suitable door home.
Caelum stares down at a large beef steak on the floor.
The moment that a sign for the magical workshop comes into her line of sight, Sienna immediately flits off from the protection of Caelum and Aristotle's presences, yelling, "I'll be right back!!"
"Eat it," Meridith goads Caelum.
"Me too." Caelum trails along - stopped to stare at Meridith, give her a look.
Meridith snorts
"That shit's been there for a while. You'd probably get sick if you eat it," Viktorin tells Meridith, glancing down in disgust at the steak.
Aristotle begins to mosey along towards shady trader, nose crinkling a bit as he engages in a slight bit of conversation before looking over his wares.
"Avoid the steak," Jack shares. "This southern section of the market has weapons, largely. Some of these can be purchased in town, but not all of them." He pauses. "But I want you to look here for something specific..." He exchanges a little money with a trader, purchasing a silver electronic collar. Holding it high, he says, "See this?"
Meridith gazes at the collar and shifts to slip into the shadows a bit.
"What's that?" Aristotle wonders, motioning towards Jack's displayed collar as his attention leaves shady trader, now, in favor of the Father.
"This is a neutralizing collar," Jack tells Aristotle. "The Temple, especially, uses collars like this or similar devices to render supernatural abilities inert." He pauses. "When it's locked on a person, they cannot remove it and they cannot use their powers."
OOC: These collars can be customized, though it's good practice to make sure if you customize it is clear the kind of device it is. When worn, a person can lock it with 'lock person' and it shuts off access to their powers until unlocked with 'unlock person'.
Viktorin is thinking along the lines of Aristotle, but probably far more adventureous. "If I put that on- Oh. Okay, I won't explode."
"The opposite of explode, really," Jack tells Viktorin.
"No," Jack tells Viktorin. "They aren't. Also here in the south side of the bazaar are two important facilities," he says. "Miss Swann and Mr. Cross are in the magical workshop, which can make a wide variety of things. We'll frankly have to have a class on it alone," he says, nodding to Sienna and Caelum as they return. "Opposite here is the library. It has a similar catalog as White Oak's Library does," he says. "But it tends to attract a wider clientele." He is slipping a silver electronic collar into his satchel; apparently, Sienna and Caelum missed whatever he was going to say about that.
"Huh. I wonder what the science behind something like that is." Aristotle says, curiously looking over the collar. "That would stand to reason that whoever made this was able to isolate what specifically makes someone supernatural... enough to hamper it anyway. Which would mean it's plausible to replicate that and make someone whose human, supernatural, without actually being supernatural."
"The line between science and magic is very thin," Jack agrees with Aristotle gravely. "I suspect it is akin, in some ways, to the science that powers the Machine in the Clinic."
"Hm. Interesting." Aristotle decides.
Sienna immediately focuses in on the silver collar Jack pulls from his satchel, eyes brightening with a glimmer of tentative recognition. "Oh, oh, oh!" she squeals from the back of the group beside Caelum and Aristotle. "Are we going to get to try them out?!"
"Though --" Jack follows up with Aristotle. "It doesn't change your nature. It just suppresses it," he says. "Any questions in this part of the bazaar before we head north to more... exotic goods?" He turns to look at Sienna. "Yes, Miss Swann, though I think experimenting with the collar may be a class of its own."
Meridith scowls.
Viktorin wrinkles his nose and slants his eyes at the mention of 'the machine'. Disgust practically oozes from the Czech. However he turns his gaze towards Sienna, asking, "You want to try out the neutering collar. Uh. I'm not being the guinea pig here. No thanks."
Viktorin deliberately avoids Jack, his collar, and Sienna, nervously.
"I have no questions." Caelum is evidently still disinterested in magic, even though he gives a skeptic eye to the disappearing collar. Wary, in how he tries to distract himself with his eyes cast elsewhere, anywhere but it.
"Now you're practically begging to be made a volunteer," Sienna posits toward Viktorin when he vehemently expresses his desire for the otherwise. Her bottom lip slips out in a soft pout at Jack's words, proposing with a gentle pinch of her forefinger and thumb together, "Aw, come on, Father Jack. You've got us right here, in the middle of the most interesting place ever, showing us cool things. Can't we just try it once?"
Ever the voice of wisdom, rarely, Caelum chimes in after staring at Sienna, then back at Jack. "I think we should move on before she enslaves a bunch of us."
Meridith says "It doesn't make you a slave, it just...neutralizes powers. I'm still tough as heck even without that stuff"
Viktorin says "It's too bright in here to really use my powers. Well. One of them, I guess."
Leading the class north, Jack says, "And the north side here is the heart, really, of the market. They sell occult artifacts here," he says, indicating the shady traders. "Nightmare charms... Compasses to travel to other worlds... and then more troubling things."
Meridith nods. Her arms fold over her chest.
Viktorin asks Jack, "What's with the vial of blood?"
Meridith says "Vee. "
Viktorin says "No thanks."
"Perhaps Mr. Cross can answer that best," Jack tells Viktorin. "Or Miss Swann." He glances at Caelum and Sienna. "Vampire blood has a variety of... powers."
Meridith exhales harshly, looking away from things.
"So I am aware," Viktorin tells Jack with a bit of anxiety as he peruses the wares. "Last thing I want is to be turned into a slobbery mutt. So again, no thanks."
"Last time I mentioned that out where I shouldn't, all the sellers at the stalls started sharpening stakes and giving me looks." Caelum informs, inspecting a few goods laid about with narrow eyes on it aside from the class. "I'm the product here, I shouldn't flaunt."
Meridith says "Oh is that why you're like that?"
Meridith snorts audibly.
Sienna spares a glance aside to Caelum when the conversation shifts to the topic of vampire blood. "I would be more than happy to answer any questions, Father Jack," she primly volunteers to Jack, her smile bright.
"I'm sure you would, Miss Swann. There's something even more troubling for sale here, though," Jack says to the class after he banters back with Sienna. "Who sees what it is?"
Meridith says "...The hearts of kids..."
"I'm gonna go on a limb and say it's the tiny heart over there." Aristotle says, pointing over to where that expensive piece of meat is.
"This world is awful," Jack tells Meridith and Aristotle. "Everything about magic -- including -that- -- is a perversion of the natural order," he explains. Grimly, he asks, "Does anyone know what that is used for?"
"Is it that thing?" Caelum pokes- points over at a human infant's heart on a serving platter not too far from the blood. "It has to be it, right?" He agees
"Is it that thing?" Caelum pokes- points over at a human infant's heart on a serving platter not too far from the blood. "It has to be it, right?" He agrees with Aristotle.
"I seem to recall reading somewhere in the library that the hearts might be used for some forms of fleshforming?" Konami remarks over to Jack.
Meridith nods harshly. "Fleshforming," she says with a gentle shrug. She turns and gazes at Sienna. "What do you mean?"
As the students navigate through the market, they encounter an array of peculiarities. From steaks suspiciously lying on the ground to unsettling revelations about the sale of children's hearts for sinister practices like fleshforming, the market proves to be a place where the extraordinary meets the morbid. Father Jack educates the group on various magical artifacts, including a neutralizing collar used to suppress supernatural abilities—a demonstration that piques the interest of the group, particularly Sienna and Viktorin, who discuss the nature of vampire blood and its powers with a mix of curiosity and trepidation. The visit culminates in a grim lesson on the moral complexities of magic, with the discovery of a human infant's heart highlighting the market's more troubling aspects. Through banter, jest, and moments of discomfort, the students are exposed to both the wonders and the ethical dilemmas of a world hidden within their own—a reminder that beyond the thrill of the unknown lies a realm where moral boundaries blur.
(Jack's [White Oak] Field Trip: Goblin Market (Night))
[Tue Mar 26 2024]
In the Reception of the White Oak Union
The Union serves as the gateway to the rest of the campus and facilities
therein. Less a building and more the seamless fusion of the two adjacent
structures, the space is styled as a plaza with office space lining both
sides.
The plaza provides space for administrative offices and important communal
areas such as the lunch room, bookstore, and library. It's also home to the
Haven Sheriff's Department, the deputies of which assist with school security
and community outreach when their other duties permit.
Residents otherwise unassociated with the Institute come and go through the
Union, unmolested by security or staff, many on the way to the clinic or
library.
It is about 50F(10C) degrees.
For once not early, Lilah slips into the back of the gathering just barely on time. She's out of breath and looks exhausted, but she's here with a smile. "Hello, Father!" she greets Jack. "Can't wait to see this place."
"On time for a lesson, for once." Caelum nods to Jack, then passes a look at Sienna and back. Viktorin get's an upnod in return, and he greets Aristotle and Lilah in kind. "Hey."
"You too, Father," Aristotle says, tapping briefly onto his phone once he takes in the sights of everyone. He makes his way towards Caelum once he spots him, slipping his phone into his pocket afterwards and offering Sienna a warm smile. "Hey hey."
Sienna immediately brightens at the sight of Aristotle among the gathered crowd, breaking from her side at Caelum to rush over and catch her cousin in a tight hug. "Ari!" she squeals with delight, pressing her face into his arm. 'I missed you!""
Meridith gazes at Caelum a moment, then turns to look over Lilah, Sienna, Jessica.
"Hey, Caelum," Lilah says. "Hi Sienna. Hi uhh, everyone." It may be that she still doesn't know some of her classmates, yet, but Lilah waves to the group, as she slips in closer.
"And of course the mists are rising," Jack tells the class with humor. "We'll leave from Camp White Oak," he says. "There's a door to the market there, right now. But before leave -- and while we give room for any stragglers, anyone want to share what they know about what the Goblin Market is, and how one gets to it?"
A little "Oomf!" leaves Aristotle at that sudden tight hug, but it's returned easily enough. "Missed you too." He offers, tone genuine. "Been a boring old man with school and work, but I'll probably find my youth again once I graduate."
"Why's it called the goblin market, do goblins actually exist?" Jessica ask as she raises her hand to ask a question, but notably she doesn't wait for Jack to respond to her raised hand before asking anyways
Viktorin says "I've not seen any green men, not once, whenever I've been that way. No clue why they call it the Goblin Market."
Caelum passes a smirk between Aristotle and Sienna, but otherwise, he moves on ahead to drop and sit on a couch while listening to Jack. He's as clueless as one can possibly be, not even efforting to come up with an answer to the question.
Viktorin says "Maybe I'm just color blind."
"It is, in fact, full of goblins," Jack tells the class. "Though I will confess: I do not entirely understand their origins. There are many strange things in the world," he says. "The market is one of them. Does anyone know how to find it?" he asks the assembled students.
"I don't have any idea why it's called that." Aristotle admits, shrugging his shoulders at Jack's question as he honestly answers. "Maybe it's named after someone. Jerry Goblin, the guy who... set the place up, or something."
Meridith leans back, listening but looking perhaps a little bored or distracted.
"Oh. Nevermind." Aristotle decides, when he's corrected by Jack's answer.
Plopping down on a sectional, Viktorin gives Jack a shrug. "You can buy nifty stuff there. And they got a bar. Places to work on equipment. And other sketchy stuff."
"We're allowed to do our shopping and all of that while we're there, right?" Sienna pipes up from Aristotle's side, her brows lifted with a hopeful gleam to her large green eyes as she drifts back over to one of the couches where Caelum's sat himself. "I have like, five things on my list I need to get while we're there. For science."
Jessica's eyes light up with obvious excitement when the existence of goblins are confirmed. She drops her hand then and looks to the others to listen to their comments and questions
"I've literally never been." Aristotle says, chuckling at Viktorin when he's echoed. "For all we know, there could be a goblin there named Jerry. Watch." He says, snickering.
"Yes, Miss Swann. You can go shopping. If you're lucky," Jack tells Sienna dryly, "They'll have a Birkin bag for you." He pauses. "No one knows how to find it?" he asks.
"You said the camp," Lilah says to Jack, but clearly other than parrotting back his own words, she's clueless on this one.
"Do they even take.. mortal money, or whatever?" Caelum tips abrow at Sienna while he leans back where he is, draws an arm on the back of the couch, and slides a little to make room for Sienna. "I don't have any Goblin Jerry currency on me, left it in my other pants."
Meridith says "Ask a wizard, though it's almost always open as the abandoned asylum"
"I don't need a damned birkin bag. I have appropriate supernatural engineering needs that cannot be addressed here, thank you very much," Sienna mumbles under her breath at Jack's retort, clearly taking offense. It lasts for all but a moment as Caelum speaks to her, quickly grinning his way. "Well we'll find out tonight!"
Caelum mumbles under his breath, "What's a birkin bag.."
"I'd love one," Lilah replies to Sienna with a little smile.
Viktorin blinks at Aristotle, asking unsurely, "You've never been? But why? You can buy organs there."
"Well, despite being on the sheriff's department, I actually still have all of my organs." Aristotle says, nodding at Viktorin. "So... I don't need extras right now."
Meridith stares at Viktorin.
Meridith says "...Childrens hearts, you mean?"
Lilah balks at Meridith's claim and stutters a horrified, "What?"
Meridith says "S'only organs I know they sell, fuel for fleshforming"
"Hidden throughout Haven are secret doors to the market," Jack tells the class. "Those who have been trained in magic can sense the mystical link, but they move often -- once a week, more or less." A pause. "Actually -seeing- the door requires one to be in possession of a mystical key. Those of you who are members of the societies here in town already have one; the same magic that creates your company's mark also acts as a key, but for the rest of you?" he says. "We'll go first to the bookstore to get some keys."
OOC: Anyone with any arcane focus can see in the entries on 'shop list' a line 'You sense a mystical link'. That's the indication that there is a market door at that shop. You need a society symbol, a goblin market key, or to be a member of WO staff to see the market door.
"There's more things in life than Birkins," Sienna reassures Lilah with ease. "Like, finding fae-powered tools... Pure demon blood to increase the power of explosives tenfold, for science, and all that."
"That's all I've ever heard of them selling there." Konami remarks with a shrug, to the others at the seats.
Viktorin asks Sienna "Is there anything to make me glow in the dark?"
Lilah arches an eyebrow at Sienna's claim. Looking mildly offended, she starts to retort, but she's entirely taken aback by the news about children's hearts being sold, and starts to look queasy, instead. That definitely wins.
Meridith frowns at Lilah, mouthing 'sorry'
Konami smirks at Viktorin and says, "It was a joke, and yes I know how that stuff would be bad to be around."
As if prompted by something Jack has stated, Aristotle tugs his badge from his pocket to clip to his waistband.
"This way," Jack indicates to the class.
OOC: Since the 'beckon' command isn't working, I'm headed to the bookstore if you aren't following me.
"I'm gonna have to watch out for people slipping radium into my drinks now, aren't I?" Viktorin grumbles, before following along, slinking behind Jack.
Konami says "I would."
Walking into the bookstore, Jack tells the class, "Anything can be turned into a key. It's a simple enough ritual. Let me show it to you," he says, as he approaches the attendant for a pre-prepared box of supplies.
Viktorin informs Aristotle, "You can get extra organs though, just in case."
"True. I guess I'll just have to keep that in mind in case I ever need a decoy spleen." Aristotle decides, chuckling. When he's handed a strange key, he looks to it for a moment before shaking his head, "Oh, I don't think I actually need one, but I'll hang on to it just in case."
Caelum stares on after Jack, completely oblivious to what he's doing, evidently clueless down to the knit of his brows and perplexed expression. Even when he gets a key, he just stares at it, twists it around and about in inspection. "Very Goblin-y."
"I think... a good portion of us probably wouldn't need one," Viktorin admits, skeptically.
Passing out a series of strange iron keys, Jack says, "The truth is that anything can serve as a key -- an item, jewelry, even a piece of clothing. It needs to be held or worn to be effective, however. I like actual keys because they have a certain sort of gravitas, but the incantation is much the same for anything." He takes one of the keys, holding it up. "Repeat after me." A pause. "Obsecro vos spiritus aeris et tenebrarum," he invokes, his Latin a low chant. "Fac huius oblationis clavem aliquam aperire ad vistas alienas ianuam."
OOC: To make an object into a goblin market key, 'custom
Attempting to pronounce the words, Viktorin utters, "Obsixro vas spiritos."
Jessica butchers the living shit out of the incantation and her key does nothing. She gives it another shot, then another. A real windgardium leviosa moment. When it becomes obvious after then or so tries she's not going to get it, she goes quiet and decides not to point out her failure to anyone else.
Caelum stares at they key - then up at Jack, very much confused still. When he stares back, he looks, for all of a moment, as if he'll make an effort to recite what their instructor has, but all that notion is dismissed at the drop of a hat and he shakes his head. "Unless you want me to praise Goblin-" A glance at Aristotle, "Goblin Jerry, was it? I'm not pulling this off." Ever magically averse, he holds his key to Sienna instead, draws out his sweetest smile. "Please?"
"Jerry Goblin." Aristotle says, snorting in amusement at Caelum as he corrects the name he'd given to the proprietor of the Goblin Market, who may or may not actually exist. He's done no such incantations however, looking content to watch the others for now, perhaps like Caelum he'd butcher it.
"I'll be right back," Sienna announces suddenly as she digs a small cube out of her bag. "Please don't leave me!"
Latin isn't her preferred way, but Lilah repeats the words after Jack, watching the strange key in her hands as she does. There's a moment when she looks around at what the others are doing, but for the most part she keeps her key in cupped hands until light flares and she nods contentedly.
"Anyone else?" Jack asks around. "Otherwise, we'll head back down to reception to gather up for the van to Camp White Oak."
Viktorin flicks his gaze upward, mentioning, "I'll be fine. I got my own key inside." Fiddling with his phone, the dusky man taps away. And then inclines his head towards Jack.
"Sorry, I had it mixed." Caelum steps closer to Aristotle, while the Swann leaves the area, with his key no less. "Overlord Jerry, lastname Goblin." He fixes himself - then, hands in his pockets, continues to wait. At Jack's question, he gives a near clueless shrug of his shoulders.
"Very good," Jack tells the assembled students, sweeping down back towards reception.
"Overlord Jerrilius Goblin of the Goblin dynasty." Aristotle says, nodding sagely at Caelum's words.
"I think Jerrilius Goblin of the Goblin dynasty is a pretty cool name," Caelum chimes alongside Aristotle, giving a sagely nod towards Viktorin. "We could make a religion out of this."
"Now there's an idea." Aristotle decides with another small little nod.
"Alright!" Jack says to those assembled. "Into the vans."
Viktorin giggle-snorts a bit at Caelum's words. Throwing a glance towards Aristotle, he asks, "If we do, we need to find a unique hat. A big one, you know? For our head priest or whatever."
"If there's not enough seats," Jack shares, "You can meet us at Camp White Oak." He pauses. "And remember to drive slowly because the mists are high."
Jack loads into the van, driving towards Camp White Oak. He turns on some Christian rock as they drive.
"You all are on something tonight," Lilah muses to the gathered young men in the van, before she shakes her head and settles into her own thoughts, for the meantime. Eventually she pipes up to ask, "Father, is it true? They butcher children for... parts?"
Viktorin cringes a bit at Jack as he turns on the music. "I... really miss listening to Jazz..."
"They say jazz is the Devil's music," Jack says to Viktorin. Surely he isn't serious.
"I thought it was rock and roll, that was that." Konami remarks with a snort.
Brows raise as Jack drives. "Silly?" Jack asks Viktorin. "What an interesting thing to say about your teacher," he says, but it's clear there's some humor. "Candidly, I love jazz," he shares with the student as he piles out of the van. "I'm told Miss Matheson is on her way. We'll give her a moment," he tells Sienna, Caelum, Viktorin, Lilah, Konami, Jessica, and Aristotle.
"I think I need to be going," Lilah murmurs after a moment, tense and with anxiety that's been held at bay growing more pronounced on her exhausted features. "I... can I - you said something about a make up class, right Father?"
"What's wrong, Miss McFadden?" Jack asks Lilah, his voice concerned as he turns to look at the redheaded student.
Slipped out of his car and leaning on it, with his hands in his pockets, Caelum narrows his eyes on Lilah, attention set on her as well. "I'm sure they don't sell -that- many hearts."
"Apparently Miss Matheson is going to be delayed more," Jack shares with the class. "We should find the door." He looks at Lilah. "Miss McFadden, a little squeamishness isn't a good quality," he says. "This is important."
Viktorin stretches his lips into a grin, pleased to hear about Jack's fondness for Jazz. "What's your favorite artist? I'm fond of Charles Mingus, Yusef Lateef, John Coltrane... plenty of other artists too."
"It's late and I'm just really tired and I don't feel very..." Lilah begins and then blanches again at Caelum's claim. "That's just fucking horrible, don't joke about it!" she snaps at him, though it's likely not him that she's having the issue with. She starts to say something else but then snaps her jaw shut with a fiery look at Jack. "Whatever," she grumbles. "I did ask about making it up."
"Who sees a door here?" Jack asks the assembled students as he walks into the clearing in camp where supplies are sold.
Lilah gestures toward the south, but still looks rather pissy.
"Sorry," Caelum lifts a hand towards Lilah, as if surrendering to a promise of assault. Then his head tilts at Sienna, "Do you have the keys?"
Jessica looks about blankly with a 'what door' expression.
"There is, Miss Li," Jack tells Jessica, "A magical door here. Here --" He hands over the key he enchanted to Jessica. "Hold it up. Now do you see?"
Sienna casually draws out an all too familiar device to Caelum, claiming, "Right here."
Viktorin says "The south door? Yeah I see it. I've always seen it"
Jessica takes hold of the key, frowning faintly as she looks around again, still she seems confused, "I have no idea what the hell you are talking about."
Viktorin says "it's an ugly looking door. It needs more paint."
Jessica says "Both of these keys are identical"
Lilah sighs and shakes her head as Jessica gives up both keys. Still looking irritated, she offers a brief nod to Caelum and then turns to slip off back the way they came in, despite having pointed out the door.
Jack says to Jessica, "Try now."
It's a bit belated of a response, but Aristotle nods and points towards the southern door. "Yeah, I can see that one too." He says, nodding.
Jessica takes yet another key from Jack and tries looking where everyone else says to look. "Nope.." she hands back the key, disappointment evident on her expression. "It's probably cause I'm human."
Jessica says "Oh "
Jessica says "Wait! "
Konami says "I can see it, and I'm human so it can't be that."
Jessica points to the south with the key, "I got it."
The sight of whatever Sienna brought out has Caelum smirk out and shake his head slightly - but its fleeting. He sticks close to her side, "I'll trust you to keep me safe in Jerry Goblin's den."
"It could be -- ah. Or now you see it?" Jack asks Jessica as she holds up the key. "Does anyone else need a key to be able to see it?" he asks. "I have two more on me," he says.
"I don't have a key, but I can see it." Caelum informs - not entirely sure how that works.
Viktorin states to Caelum, "Goblins aren't too hard to fight. They're very small, you see. And we're quite large."
"I'm sure that Jerry's the most trustworthy goblin you'll ever find." Konami remarks with a snicker.
"Miss Li, since you've had the best discovery tonight -- open that door to the south and we will step through," Jack tells Jessica before he looks around to the other students.
As Jessica opens the door, Jack leads the students through it.
"Huh. Alright." Jessica says, then she steps to the hidden door to open it. There is a pause at the threshold where she frowns, glances back. But then ultimately steps inside
"For someone who isn't able to see this, what... do they end up seeing?" Aristotle asks, looking to Jack. "Is it like... that Harry Potter movie where we're kind of just walking through a wall?" He asks. "And, if someone leaves a door open, can someone without a key accidentally wander inside?"
Meridith waves to the others and strides over.
"I don't have a key and I just wandered inside." Caelum happily relays to Aristotle, smirking, fangs and all still with his hands in his pockets as he trails along beside Sienna. "This is all confusing the hell out of me."
"And of course no one here has marked the doors," Jack says. "I don't know if someone can wander," he says to Aristotle. "That's an interesting question. But they just don't see a door at all without a key." He pauses. "So this corridor has a great many doors. It's considered polite to mark the door so you know which direction you walk through," he says. "No one did that, here." He stares between two open doors. "And so it's an open question which door leads back to town," he admits. "A problem for the end of the night."
"Yeah, but... you're not human." Aristotle says, motioning to Caelum. "If someone walked though a wall you wouldn't really be too surprised I'd guess."
"Here, you can see the doors marked more clearly," Jack says to the assembled students. "But these aren't updated -- there is no door at Gentek. Be very careful walking through an unknown door," he says. "It can drop you deep in the Forest, sometimes, surrounded by things that very much want to eat you."
Meridith nods to Jack. "Usually you can step back in, but bare in mind, the door won't be the direction you came from."
"I guess," Caelum gives a light shrug of his shoulders to Aristotle. Then to Jack, he knits his brows - "Should we have brought arm and armor? If I knew.."
Jack nods to Meridith. "Sometimes. If it's the middle of the forest, not always." He shakes his head to Caelum. "No. We'll take a safe exit into town, if it comes to that," he says. "The farther north this passage runs, the safer the doors."
"These doors are accurate, I think. The door to Perdition's Passage is one-way, but I've used the psych ward door recently," Jack tells the students. "It's just down the road from the parsonage." He pauses. "Any question about doors before we enter the market proper?"
Sienna sticks close to Caelum and Aristotle's side as they move through the passageway, teeth tucked anxiously into her bottom lip. "Does anyone ever get lost, and served up as meat at the markets later?" she wonders toward the front of the group where Jack stands./
"...People get lost," Jack tells Sienna, grimly. "And as we'll see in a moment, there are... unsavory things for sale." Is that an answer? If it is, it's a disturbing one.
"Put that thing on silent, dude." Caelum tells Viktorin, eyes narrowed briefly above his smirk. Whatever he intended to say more, he doesn't in favor of glancing at Sienna, and stepping just a tad closer to keep her in-between Aristotle and himself. "I bet, if they're selling organs and all." His words are the opposite of reassuring. "If you do get lost, I'll make sure you end up on my plate."
"...People get lost," Jack tells Sienna, grimly. "And as we'll see in a moment, there are... unsavory things for sale." Is that an answer? If it is, it's a disturbing one.
Jessica peeks through one of the closed doors
"A regular Texas Chainsaw Massacre right here in little ol' Haven." Aristotle quietly says, of the assumption of what happens to the lost here.
Meridith rolls her eyes slightly.
Stepping into the market proper, Jack looks around. It is a bustling space, with doors leading off into a variety of strange rooms and a grand bazaar dominating the center of the area. It is, in fact, a market full of goblins, with strange, shady traders hawking a variety of goods. "Here we are," Jack tells the students. "Stay close. There are a variety of things here -- many of them quite powerful, and quite illegal."
Jessica rubs tiredly at an eye by slipping a finger under her glasses. The tiredness she began with has finally taken her down and she's soon off looking for a suitable door home.
Caelum stares down at a large beef steak on the floor.
The moment that a sign for the magical workshop comes into her line of sight, Sienna immediately flits off from the protection of Caelum and Aristotle's presences, yelling, "I'll be right back!!"
"Eat it," Meridith goads Caelum.
"Me too." Caelum trails along - stopped to stare at Meridith, give her a look.
Meridith snorts
"That shit's been there for a while. You'd probably get sick if you eat it," Viktorin tells Meridith, glancing down in disgust at the steak.
Aristotle begins to mosey along towards shady trader, nose crinkling a bit as he engages in a slight bit of conversation before looking over his wares.
"Avoid the steak," Jack shares. "This southern section of the market has weapons, largely. Some of these can be purchased in town, but not all of them." He pauses. "But I want you to look here for something specific..." He exchanges a little money with a trader, purchasing a silver electronic collar. Holding it high, he says, "See this?"
Meridith gazes at the collar and shifts to slip into the shadows a bit.
"What's that?" Aristotle wonders, motioning towards Jack's displayed collar as his attention leaves shady trader, now, in favor of the Father.
"This is a neutralizing collar," Jack tells Aristotle. "The Temple, especially, uses collars like this or similar devices to render supernatural abilities inert." He pauses. "When it's locked on a person, they cannot remove it and they cannot use their powers."
OOC: These collars can be customized, though it's good practice to make sure if you customize it is clear the kind of device it is. When worn, a person can lock it with 'lock person' and it shuts off access to their powers until unlocked with 'unlock person'.
Viktorin is thinking along the lines of Aristotle, but probably far more adventureous. "If I put that on- Oh. Okay, I won't explode."
"The opposite of explode, really," Jack tells Viktorin.
"No," Jack tells Viktorin. "They aren't. Also here in the south side of the bazaar are two important facilities," he says. "Miss Swann and Mr. Cross are in the magical workshop, which can make a wide variety of things. We'll frankly have to have a class on it alone," he says, nodding to Sienna and Caelum as they return. "Opposite here is the library. It has a similar catalog as White Oak's Library does," he says. "But it tends to attract a wider clientele." He is slipping a silver electronic collar into his satchel; apparently, Sienna and Caelum missed whatever he was going to say about that.
"Huh. I wonder what the science behind something like that is." Aristotle says, curiously looking over the collar. "That would stand to reason that whoever made this was able to isolate what specifically makes someone supernatural... enough to hamper it anyway. Which would mean it's plausible to replicate that and make someone whose human, supernatural, without actually being supernatural."
"The line between science and magic is very thin," Jack agrees with Aristotle gravely. "I suspect it is akin, in some ways, to the science that powers the Machine in the Clinic."
"Hm. Interesting." Aristotle decides.
Sienna immediately focuses in on the silver collar Jack pulls from his satchel, eyes brightening with a glimmer of tentative recognition. "Oh, oh, oh!" she squeals from the back of the group beside Caelum and Aristotle. "Are we going to get to try them out?!"
"Though --" Jack follows up with Aristotle. "It doesn't change your nature. It just suppresses it," he says. "Any questions in this part of the bazaar before we head north to more... exotic goods?" He turns to look at Sienna. "Yes, Miss Swann, though I think experimenting with the collar may be a class of its own."
Meridith scowls.
Viktorin wrinkles his nose and slants his eyes at the mention of 'the machine'. Disgust practically oozes from the Czech. However he turns his gaze towards Sienna, asking, "You want to try out the neutering collar. Uh. I'm not being the guinea pig here. No thanks."
Viktorin deliberately avoids Jack, his collar, and Sienna, nervously.
"I have no questions." Caelum is evidently still disinterested in magic, even though he gives a skeptic eye to the disappearing collar. Wary, in how he tries to distract himself with his eyes cast elsewhere, anywhere but it.
"Now you're practically begging to be made a volunteer," Sienna posits toward Viktorin when he vehemently expresses his desire for the otherwise. Her bottom lip slips out in a soft pout at Jack's words, proposing with a gentle pinch of her forefinger and thumb together, "Aw, come on, Father Jack. You've got us right here, in the middle of the most interesting place ever, showing us cool things. Can't we just try it once?"
Ever the voice of wisdom, rarely, Caelum chimes in after staring at Sienna, then back at Jack. "I think we should move on before she enslaves a bunch of us."
Meridith says "It doesn't make you a slave, it just...neutralizes powers. I'm still tough as heck even without that stuff"
Viktorin says "It's too bright in here to really use my powers. Well. One of them, I guess."
Leading the class north, Jack says, "And the north side here is the heart, really, of the market. They sell occult artifacts here," he says, indicating the shady traders. "Nightmare charms... Compasses to travel to other worlds... and then more troubling things."
Meridith nods. Her arms fold over her chest.
Viktorin asks Jack, "What's with the vial of blood?"
Meridith says "Vee. "
Viktorin says "No thanks."
"Perhaps Mr. Cross can answer that best," Jack tells Viktorin. "Or Miss Swann." He glances at Caelum and Sienna. "Vampire blood has a variety of... powers."
Meridith exhales harshly, looking away from things.
"So I am aware," Viktorin tells Jack with a bit of anxiety as he peruses the wares. "Last thing I want is to be turned into a slobbery mutt. So again, no thanks."
"Last time I mentioned that out where I shouldn't, all the sellers at the stalls started sharpening stakes and giving me looks." Caelum informs, inspecting a few goods laid about with narrow eyes on it aside from the class. "I'm the product here, I shouldn't flaunt."
Meridith says "Oh is that why you're like that?"
Meridith snorts audibly.
Sienna spares a glance aside to Caelum when the conversation shifts to the topic of vampire blood. "I would be more than happy to answer any questions, Father Jack," she primly volunteers to Jack, her smile bright.
"I'm sure you would, Miss Swann. There's something even more troubling for sale here, though," Jack says to the class after he banters back with Sienna. "Who sees what it is?"
Meridith says "...The hearts of kids..."
"I'm gonna go on a limb and say it's the tiny heart over there." Aristotle says, pointing over to where that expensive piece of meat is.
"This world is awful," Jack tells Meridith and Aristotle. "Everything about magic -- including -that- -- is a perversion of the natural order," he explains. Grimly, he asks, "Does anyone know what that is used for?"
"Is it that thing?" Caelum pokes- points over at a human infant's heart on a serving platter not too far from the blood. "It has to be it, right?" He agees
"Is it that thing?" Caelum pokes- points over at a human infant's heart on a serving platter not too far from the blood. "It has to be it, right?" He agrees with Aristotle.
"I seem to recall reading somewhere in the library that the hearts might be used for some forms of fleshforming?" Konami remarks over to Jack.
Meridith nods harshly. "Fleshforming," she says with a gentle shrug. She turns and gazes at Sienna. "What do you mean?"