Talk:Lightning Lash/@comment-366087-20190818050853

Dust and taser functions aside… Ilia's weapon physically functions as a "Chinese paper yo-yo", not to be confused with the diabolo.

How it works is with a flick of the wrist the paper coil will partially uncoil several feet in a whip-like manner, before the nature of the paper coil pulls it back. Unless you try to over-extend the whip past the thin paper's structural support capacity. Meaning it gets kinked and has to be manually recoiled; too many times and the thing becomes useless.

I used to have several of these as a child. Dunno if they are still available in the US. Flat-coiled sheetmetal springs can suddenly *unwind* in a similar fashion, but do not have the same easy-recoiling ability.

Now, the toy at rest is a flat-front cylinder. I'm not sure how compact Ilia's weapon can get, but it looks to have at least a pointed "intermediate rest" position strong enough to also act as a short sword. Those unfamiliar with what it can do get caught off-guard by its sudden reach.

Finally, its extending function also mimics a reptile's flicking tongue. Apropos for a chameleon Faunus.