☿ // 007; [video]

[fionnuisce]

So. That month certainly happened. As usual I'll be the contrary fool who points out that leaping directly for Jason's throat was foolish and hastily conceived. I hope at least some of you understand that outright murdering the one person that makes our own deaths a minor inconvenience would be ill-advised at best. When next this opportunity presents itself, I advise that quick planning should lead to a less half-baked idea.

[Deadpan as ever (or perhaps even more so), Waver appeared today in much better shape than he had been the previous month, though for some reason he was currently lacking the usual sunglasses. If not for the frown set deeply on his face and disapproving tone, one might dare think he might have been in a good mood.]

Now that that's been said--and without touching upon specifics--I'd like to hear how everyone else is faring at the moment. [It would be stupid to outright say HEY GUYS HOW'D THE COLLAR EXPERIMENT GO FOR YOU ALL, so Waver elected to be vague.]

If anyone should care to answer that, I have quite a lot of work to do- [He idly held up a number of sheets of what appeared to be parchment, the topmost one having runic writing on it.] -so I will most likely be found on floor twenty-seven in a half hour or so. [And for the next few days without a break, probably.]

[There followed a short pause, after which the severity in the cold and British accented speech lessened slightly.]

...My disapproval of the methods aside, congratulations. Ill-advised or not, you did accomplish something. Don't allow yourselves to think this a failure.

Comments

[fionnuisce]

I never said it was smart. Even so, I'm pretty sure there are safeguards against that.

[Shrug.]

The freezing point of mercury is about negative thirty-nine degrees, and its boiling point is around three hundred fifty-six. [Celsius, of course.] It's liquid in most survivable temperatures, so it serves a purpose most other fluids wouldn't. Since the technique requires a liquid form, using something that could freeze or evaporate would be suicide.

[oathshackledbird]

That's why they use it in thermometers, right?

[Diarmuid rolls his eyes.]

The Grail can give me fun facts about thermometers, but not tell me how to use a stove. For crying out loud...

[fionnuisce]

[Waver laughed, quickly stifling it out of concern for embarrassing Diarmuid.]

That's right, at any rate.

[oathshackledbird]

[Diarmuid waves a dismissive hand at the stifled laugh.]

Go on, laugh. I don't mind. I know just how ridiculous the whole thing is. Besides, it's good to see you laughing.

[fionnuisce]

No, no. Fate forbid I humiliate you over something so trivial.

[oathshackledbird]

As you say, it's trivial. I am hardly humiliated. A little embarrassed, maybe, but hardly humiliated.

[fionnuisce]

Just forget it, it's not that big of a deal. At any rate--poisonous or not, mercury would be the only viable liquid for this technique. I'm sure the flashy aspect of it was just a bonus.

[oathshackledbird]

Or if we do give him a little credit, the flash is good for a distraction too.

[Diarmuid laughs.]

I must be tired if I am giving him credit for something...

[fionnuisce]

No--when it comes to matters like this, even I have to grudgingly admit he was a genius. The problem lies in that he was a brainless idiot in every other possible capacity.

[oathshackledbird]

I do feel bed for the version of Lady Sola-Ui who was here. Having actually married him...

[Granted, there had been no Grail War on her world, but Diarmuid's not sure if being bound as she was with her wings clipped was a much better fate. Still, she did have her children...

...or would as soon as they got the worlds restored anyway.]

[fionnuisce]

I feel a deep sense of sympathy and pity for that poor woman.

[oathshackledbird]

I realize wondering doesn't do me any good, but I do wonder how different things would have been if her family had found someone else to marry her to...

[fionnuisce]

He'd be miserable and alone, and she'd be better off.

[oathshackledbird]

And what of me? Do you think I still would have been summoned? That the other you would have still ended up taking his relic? How different might the war have gone...

[Diarmuid falls quiet for a moment, then shakes his head.]

It doesn't matter. I suspect that considering his nature would not have changed, he still would have found reason to distrust me and that would have been our downfall sooner or later.

[fionnuisce]

...Does it matter that much? That's not the case, so is it worth dwelling on?

[oathshackledbird]

No, it doesn't.

[Diarmuid shakes his head and then motions toward Waver's work.]

So what else can you tell me about it? Any other interesting tidbits to share?

[Because, he does want to understand it since he will probably be fighting next to it again soon enough.]

[fionnuisce]

Well...I don't know where to start, really. What would you want to know?

[oathshackledbird]

Well, it and I are both weapons at your disposable.

[Diarmuid points at Waver, cutting off the objection he can feel coming.]

And I'm not dehumanizing myself. I am just making a vague generalization, so don't get upset. What I am looking for are the best ways for us to work together to protect you and hurt our enemies.

[fionnuisce]

[YOU'RE GETTING SUCH A FROWN]

I'd start with 'try to keep Gae Dearg away from it', because then I've got a puddle and a puddle doesn't do a lot of good.

[Sheesh.]

Past that...its attacking power is based on centrifugal force. To phrase that as simply as possible, it sort of means that if I tell it to attack, the power that attack has comes from the motion of its source more than the attacking end itself--just like an ordinary whip. What that essentially means is that its weakest point lies at the source of the motion itself.

[oathshackledbird]

[Waver, he's not trying to make you upset. Don't frown like that...]

Centrifugal force. I remember that from when you first showed it to me. The hallway was a little difficult for you to work in because it was narrow. A wider space would have been better...

[He falls quiet for a few moments, thinking over what Waver has said.]

If I wanted to attack from a certain point, it would probably be best to be in that central pivot point, right? Anyone attacking would be so busy watching the blade that they wouldn't be watching that point...

[Eye of the storm logic. It would be safe for him to work in that point as well. Less blade dodging is always good.]

Of course, that also only works if it is staying put and I know you have it move a lot.

[fionnuisce]

That's correct. Like you say, the trick is getting there in the first place.

...Of course, you specifically could just negate it altogether. So strategy doesn't particularly matter in your case.

[oathshackledbird]

[Diarmuid waves a hand dismissively.]

Of course, but I'm not looking for ways to disable it myself. I am more interested in ways to use it to the best advantage when attacking with it. So there is using it as a big shiny distraction and using it as a shield obviously...

[fionnuisce]

I don't really need to be covered if I'm using it as a shield--true, it can be outpaced and even overpowered, but it would take someone of absurd power or tactics to manage that. Nine times out of ten, its automatic defense is enough to protect me.

As far as using it to our advantage, I'm sure I could think of something. It's fast, but I doubt it could keep up with you.

[oathshackledbird]

Don't worry about it now. I'm distracting you from remaking it and that is more important.

[Diarmuid crosses his arms on the table and rests his head on them.]

I think I will just watch for a bit.

[fionnuisce]

Hm--I don't often perform magecraft with an audience. I wonder if I can handle the pressure.