IC prospective

[dearmesemtex]

Character: Jim Moriarty
Mun: Eri
Plot specific: N

Bending myself to technical matters, I have contrived a revolutionary spell which is based on high-frequency sound waves. Extremely effective in the short range in initial tests, it unfortunately consumes quite a high level of power. I envisage it will be of great use once better refined, being easily activated and capable of causing a great deal of damage, including the temporary deafening of guard dogs. Has demonstrated a curious side effect; spell seems to have the ability to melt any chocolates within 100 paces whilst leaving other objects - glass, cabinetry, structures of any sort - intact. Cannot forsee a use, but will nonetheless log in the report. May need to defer to someone more knowledgeable in the use of sound waves.

Comments

[status_is_not_quo]

I'm interested by your results, of course, but I want to give you the heads up that it's been proven that sound waves at a high enough frequency are more than capable of disrupting the biorhythms of living organisms and causing lasting damage to the tissues of the lungs, liver, and brain.

Muggles have been using sonic weapons for years. They've also developed a million other uses for sound waves aside from that. This spell you've developed has enormous revolutionary potential in any number of magical disciplines.

How concentrated is the range of the sound waves? Does it have an area effect, or does it focus on a single target, as most spells do? If I were you, I'd proceed with caution, unless you want to risk running afoul of the peripheral sound waves and suffering long-term damage to your own organs in the name of experimentation.

[dearmesemtex]

Lasting damage...? You don't say?

...Muggles? They are capable of such adv-- Oh. Oh of course. Of course they would use such "magic" they could actually manage to access, wouldn't they? Might have to obtain a book or two for... study...

Of course, the revolutionary potential is there, Billy (was it? yes?), but it must be refined before being spread to the proper circles. For the right price.

Quite concentrated with unintended area effect. The poor chocolate was a casualty, as well as the companion's vest pocket (and, by extention, his vest) which it happened to be in. [odd inkblots and idle scratches as he considers potential long-term adverse effects, and whether or not it would be worth it to continue personal experimentation.] Ah, well, such is scientific development. [Fuck all care is given, apparently.] That is what healers are for.

[status_is_not_quo]

Low-frequency sound waves have been proven to cause more lethal damage, but after enough exposure the high-frequency waves can cause damage to the brain similar to a mild head injury because the sound waves make the cells in the brain rattle and vibrate like they would if the head had been struck against something.

The police use it for crowd control purposes mostly, but especially the US military has been researching all kinds of uses.

Obviously it has to be refined, I'm not stupid. I'm just saying that you seem to be fixated on the damaging effects, when it could also be useful as a diagnostic tool for healers among other things. And those are only the uses that are inspired by what muggles have done with the technology.

...If healers are equipped to deal with the sort of damage that it inflicts. The problem with revolutionary technology is that it's likely no one will be equipped to fix it if it goes wrong. The muggle scientist Marie Curie is well known for her discovery of radioactivity, but she died of cancer that she acquired because of her research. There isn't a magical cure for brain damage, last I checked. Or a muggle one, for that matter.

[dearmesemtex]

Mild head injury as though struck against something - suspect no outwardly visible symptoms... Crowd control? Hope this prospective use isn't necessary personally... Diagnostics; might prove useful. Investigate in interest of personal gain. [Seems he's swapped his notebooks for a moment - and has made an effort to correct the error, albiet a cursory one.]

Of course I am fixated on the damaging effects. That is why I developed such things in the first place. Though diagnostics might be of use...

If healers are... I would assume that they wouldn't be incompetent, but that is hoping too much, isn't it?

[status_is_not_quo]

_{[He saw that. Note to self: this is not Melvin, whom you can natter with and argue about quantum physics for hours. Do not jabber with Jim.]}

It isn't that healers are incompetent. It's that anyone will seem incompetent the first time that they are presented with a challenge. In the field of healing, like the muggle field of medicine, it's possible that people may die in the time that it takes for the healers or doctors to determine the best course of treatment for a particular injury or malady. I happened to get particularly lucky last term

This has been true for both the wizarding world and the muggles, throughout history. It is a simple fact of science that sometimes, trial and error must be resorted to and, in the bodily sciences, the "error" occasionally costs lives.

[dearmesemtex]

Yes, of course. And if trial and error is necessary for progress, then we have a certain... obligation... to ensure the trial (and subsequent error) is not... well, us. Correct? [Logically, yes. Fishing now, to see how easily manipulated Billy is, and where his moral compass points.]

You said yourself you were lucky. So you narrowly avoided being an error. How fortunate.

[status_is_not_quo]

Ordinarily and theoretically I would agree, but it's more complicated than that. Personally, I'll exhaust every last avenue of research and theory before I take it to a human subject. If there's no immediate reason for haste, I don't see the point in jumping right to human experimentation.

_{[Some hesitation dots here, as he tries to read what exactly Jim's trying to get out of him with that last remark.]}

I like to think so.

[dearmesemtex]

How so? [Oh, so he is a moral one. Inconvenient, etc.] You make it unnecessarily complicated. Why not cut out the process? Get on to bigger and better things?

Besides, wouldn't you be making a trial for those healers to improve as well?

Not that it has any effect on me what you do, when it comes down to it.

[status_is_not_quo]

But where's the science in just jumping to the end result? Even some of humanity's greatest scientific monsters (and scientific geniuses) at least did some testing and research before moving on to actual test subjects. It's called the Scientific Process, not the Scientific Circus Act. I'm not about to make an ass of myself by going off half-cocked on the first half-formed hypothesis that jumps into my head.

Besides, my projects are big enough. Too big, if the Ministry is to be believed.

[dearmesemtex]

Suppose that's one way of doing things. I prefer working it all out in advance before jumping in to test. Then note, refine, test again. Rely on it working the first time off-paper in some cases. The theory is that you do not act on half-formed hypotheses, but on fully-formed and developed ideas.

I will not stop you from going the long way, if that is your prefrence, though. [Just don't be angry if he beats you to the punch, if you have a notion he likes.]

Then damn the ministry.

[status_is_not_quo]

_{[Yeah, like hell you're actually going to get anything about his experiments from him. Even his roommate doesn't know what he's working on.]}

I always do, Jim.

[dearmesemtex]

[Was worth a shot - a shot which will continue to be taken at any offered oppurtunity, but not one that will be sought out; its not that important, after all.]

Good for you.

[oncoming]

Very useful, yes. But it'd be so much better if you could be able to fully control its power. A tool like that could just as well be used for more mundane things if you apply it correctly.

[a pause]

Though the chocolate could be important. It's these little things that make or break things, you know?

[dearmesemtex]

More... mundane things? [The notion hadn't occurred to him, really, as mundane is not typically his... area. But...] What sort of mundane things were you thinking?

The chocolate was an annoyance at the time, but. Yes, its importance will be considered. [For melting things of similar consistency, not for cooking.]

[semtex_sniper]

Bastard melted all of my chocolate! Got all over my things, too.

You'd better pay to replace it. All of it.

[dearmesemtex]

Oops~

You shoudldn't have been around when I was testing this. Not my fault.

[semtex_sniper]

You were the one who developed it. It is your fault.

Paying for the damage won't put a dent in your wallet.

So do it.

[dearmesemtex]

What do you want? More chocolate? Things?

...No.

[semtex_sniper]

I can clean my things. I need more chocolate.

Don't expect me to help you the next time you need it, then.

[dearmesemtex]

I already give you all the chocolate that comes into my posession, what more do you want? Just wait till dessert and swipe all the candies, or stalk some first years' care packages.

You'll help. You always do.

[semtex_sniper]

What more? I want you to replace the chocolate you ruined. I thought that was clear.

Desert isn't always chocolate, I'd have to wait until they decided to serve us the right thing. [impatient dots tapped out with the quill]

I can't help if I'm busy swiping chocolate from first-years.

[dearmesemtex]

And I am telling you how you can do so.

They usually have some sort of candy for those less inclined for proper things. Are Chocolate Frogs not a staple?

No, you can't swipe chocolate from first years if you're busy helping. Besides, how hard can it be?

[semtex_sniper]

Chocolate Frogs are good, but you melted better.

It isn't hard, its troublesome.

But Fine. [the final letter and period are written heavily from exasperation]

[dearmesemtex]

You might just have to be patient, if you can handle that, Seb.

Family thinks I have a penchant for chocolate because of you, and now I get it in every letter, almost. You're welcome.

[semtex_sniper]

You know I can be patient, Jim.

Send for a letter. You always get the good stuff we can't get at school.

[dearmesemtex]

You're expecting me to send a letter to a (few? Several?) hapless family member, demanding chocolate?

That is rediculous, Seb.

[semtex_sniper]

You've sent pettier letters.

[dearmesemtex]

I have. For me.

[semtex_sniper]

Forget about it. I'll get some on my own.

[He isn't happy about it, but arguing with Jim always ends in more frustration than he'd started with - Seb doesn't know why he still tries.]

[dearmesemtex]

If you want to be satisfied with what little you can scrape together for... how long?

[He argues, because Seb's frustration is amusing on a regular basis. He'll get his chocolate, sometime.]

[semtex_sniper]

How long are you going to make me scavenge?

[better be soon, or he actually /won't/ be able to help because he's in detention from stealing from first years]

[dearmesemtex]

Who knows?

I don't~