Well, this may be pointing out the obvious but if you're going to initiate two variables and use them in a manner that the identifiers themselves could handle, it might be best to just use the identifiers in place of those variables.

Variables are meant to be used as a substitute for multiple occurrences of a single string or value, not to be set and used once. Especially global variables... yuck.

Global variables in a sense relate to a quote off the Hangover "What happens in Vegas stays in Vegas... Except for Herpes.. that shit'll come home with you." /var sets the value and erases when the script is finished and/or commanded to erase beforehand. While /set sets the value and unless forced to do otherwise, is stuck in your variables tab until you either 1.) Manually erase it or 2.) /unset it. Re-enforcing the fact that /set is in fact.. herpes. D: