fandomhigh | Weapons 101; Tuesday, First Period [08/06].

Well, today's lesson was definitely going to be held in the Danger Shop, because there wasn't a whole lot of room on the island to cover today's weapons as well as Amaya would like anyway, and today's weapons were ones Amaya had more experience with than Rosa, actually, so she told the detective she could sit this one out if she wanted, but yeah, right, Rosa wasn't missing this one for anything. Because the field they were in today was much more open and wider than usual, and there was a castle (it's only a model!) sitting on a gently sloping hill nearby, and the weapons they were using today were definitely not going to fit on a table or a rack.

"Siege weapons!" Amaya announced proudly, excitedly, gesturing to the small collection of various delightful mechanical wonders around her. "Specifically, petrary weapons, which are a classification of siege weapons that involve flinging heavy objects or missiles, typically large stones, though not always. And before anyone asks, no, we will not be flinging each other, even if it is the danger shop. I'll admit, they're not exactly the most practical of weapons in this particular day and age. They're not really the most practical of weapons outside of war, if I'm entirely honest, but I dare anyone to give one of these a try and then look me in the eye and tell me that they didn't have a good time with it.
.
"Petrary weapons were developed as a way to break down fortresses and walls to gain points of entry into enemy strongholds. Some of them are gravity operated, like a trebuchet, where a large counterweight is used to propel the missile, or they're tension operated, like a catapult, where the throwing arm is pulled back and then released.

"Today, you'll have the chance to give four different petrary weapons a try: the classic catapult, the traditional trebuchet, a biting ballista, and the more manual mangonel..."

And if anyone in particular was wanting a complete and detailed dissection on exactly what made each one different in painstaking detail, you were in luck! Because that was exactly what you were getting, as Amaya launched into how each one was made, how to use one, what the benefits and downfalls of each design was, and all the thrilling science behind it all. Look. They were both weapons and machines. She was going to geek out about them, especially since most of the students seemed to actually be interested in her little rambling lectures, and it was kind of her job, anyway.

But she also knew that they'd likely be itching to go break down some fake walls on that nice stately castle (even if it was only a model), because she felt that way, too. "If anyone wants me to go over anything again once they actually get up to one of the machines and start to figure out how to put all of this into practice," she said, "just let me know. But I think you're ready to give it a try, so go ahead and let's get our siege on."

[[ ~~incoming~~ ocd is up! ballista link also fiiiixed! ]]

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

It may be overly long and detailed, but it certainly is passionate, and there's probably just about anything you'd need to know about these sorts of siege weapons in there, right down to the precise calculations on how much tension you need for a projectile of any given weight to the type of wood best suited for each design and type of missile used.

Prompto had a very vested interest in building machines, especially machines that were weapons, especially machines that were weapons that were long-range, but even his eyes were glazing over a little while trying to take that all in.

It helped, though, letting his mind wander into thinking of how to adapt the concept of a trebuchet or a catapult and turn it into a smaller, more efficient sort of personal attack weapon, and he got really excited about the idea of doing a sort of hand-held ballista...

...until he realized, oh, wait, that was pretty much just a crossbow...

Ooh! Ooh! But what if he made it an autocrossbow! Yeaaaah!!

Given that, like, these weapons were still all in use and very effective in her world, Nina had a pretty good idea of the basics of them all already, but that wasn't going to stop her from listening to Amaya's lecture intently.

Most of her knowledge, after all, was how to sabotage them so they didn't work.

Learning how they were supposed to work, in great, great, great detail was really interesting.

Vette was maybe a little distracted today. She normally would have been all over this lesson in a big way, throwing herself in and poking at the details and seeing if there was anything at all she could do in order to make this thing work even better.

But Sidon was nowhere to be found, and wasn't answering her calls, and it was making her heart do little flips in her chest, and she just...

...

She just wasn't okay, today.

Probably for the best she hang back and not poke at anything potentially dangerous, even in the danger shop.

It was hard to miss that worry pouring out of Vette. Lana nudged her discreetly and looked a question at her.

Vette looked up, almost startled by the nudge. And then just kind of... hiked up a shoulder. Gave a crooked attempt at a smile.

Looked back down again.

Wasn't sure she wanted to talk about it.

Was probably being stupid.

Okay, that was not enough of an answer.

Lana scooted a little closer. Whispered, "What's wrong?"

Vette was quiet for a moment, wrinkling her nose a little. Girl couldn't mope and fret without people actually caring around here?

It was weird.

Nice, but weird.

"Sidon," she replied. "He's not... not anywhere. I've been looking for him since yesterday. He's not even returning my calls."

Lana frowned. "Not even in his room? Have you tried talking to...Paris, isn't it?"

"Is Paris even still around?" Vette shrugged. "He's not in his room. He's not at the shelter, he missed his classes yesterday, he's just... gone."

Poof.

Lana frowned. "That's not like him. Do you have a way of contacting his home world?" Even heading back there unexpectedly without letting someone know was out of character, but it was all she could think of.

"... Not really," Vette replied. "Not without actually packing up and going there, anyway. I guess I could write a letter, but by the time someone sees it, maybe he'll be back and I'll just look paranoid and stupid."

Big mood.

"Caring and concerned, you mean," Lana corrected. "You've every right to be; this isn't like him." And it wasn't as though Sidon was easy to miss if he were around the island somewhere.

"Perhaps we can check with the school office? They'd know if he had to leave suddenly, wouldn't they?"

Vette's shoulder hiked up slightly.

"Maybe. Do you ever check in with them when you leave with no notice?"

She hadn't been aware that was a thing they needed to do.

"I've never left with no notice," Lana admitted. "It just seems like the sort of thing they'd know."

Vette paused for a long moment.

"I guess they knew when I showed up with no notice, too," she allowed. "But still, that's creepy."

"Maybe a little." Lana shrugged, not particularly bothered by it. "Useful, though."

"... Sure."

Vette was willing to let you keep thinking that, Lana. But for a pirate, having the weird other-reality school that kidnapped you also be keeping constant tabs on you was baaaasically the worst.

...

Would've been useful for finding Sidon, though, granted.

"One way or another, we'll find him," Lana swore.

".. When you say it like that, it sounds like you mean 'dead or alive,' and I don't like it," Vette noted.

"Sorry!" Lana said, startled. "I didn't mean it like that. Just...whether it's easy or we have to tear things apart." She shrugged. Sith.

Weapons 101; Tuesday, First Period [08/06].

Listen to the Lecture - Weapons, 08/06.

Re: Listen to the Lecture - Weapons, 08/06.

Re: Listen to the Lecture - Weapons, 08/06.

Re: Listen to the Lecture - Weapons, 08/06.

Re: Listen to the Lecture - Weapons, 08/06.

Re: Listen to the Lecture - Weapons, 08/06.

Re: Listen to the Lecture - Weapons, 08/06.

Re: Listen to the Lecture - Weapons, 08/06.

Re: Listen to the Lecture - Weapons, 08/06.

Re: Listen to the Lecture - Weapons, 08/06.

Re: Listen to the Lecture - Weapons, 08/06.

Re: Listen to the Lecture - Weapons, 08/06.

Re: Listen to the Lecture - Weapons, 08/06.

Re: Listen to the Lecture - Weapons, 08/06.

Re: Listen to the Lecture - Weapons, 08/06.

Re: Listen to the Lecture - Weapons, 08/06.

Re: Listen to the Lecture - Weapons, 08/06.

Re: Listen to the Lecture - Weapons, 08/06.

Re: Listen to the Lecture - Weapons, 08/06.

Re: Listen to the Lecture - Weapons, 08/06.

Re: Listen to the Lecture - Weapons, 08/06.