❪ introlog: #6 ❫ city of secrets

[natha]

You've spent the last few days on Thesa Station, taking in the knowledge that your world is no more. Now, the time to put all your survival training into practice has arrived: El Nysa needs you, and you're here to help the planet thrive. Are you ready? THE DESCENT     All refugees on the station are called to the hangar, where a large-scale teleporter awaits. Simply step onto the space between the arrays and wait; everyone will be sent down to the planet together. Before they depart, all refugees will be given a cold weather survival kit with warm clothing, rations, and bedding. The arrays build into a brilliant wash of light, creating a column that travels all the way from Thesa Station to the surface of El Nysa, teleporting the refugees to the planet on an aurora. Once on the planet's surface, refugees receive one last message from Darma. It has been a long, perilous year for you, refugees. And yet we must ask you to brave further peril. Within Nadril are the secrets to how poor Ysverai's revival was hidden from our sight and how this disaster has come to our star. Find the first refugee from beyond this planet, a man named Magda. He will not speak to us, for much has come between us, but to you… If you prove yourselves, he may be willing to answer your questions. We beseech you, for there is a veil over Nadril that hides all within from us. There may yet be more untold dangers waiting to befall this planet. For the good of all who make this world home, we ask you to lend us your aid. There is yet one more favor we would ask of you. In warding off the Storm's encroachment, the physical aspect of ourselves that you call Thesa Station was damaged. We must remain to continue repairs to El Nysa and to deal with Ysverai, but there should be suitable technology within Nadril that could be used for spare parts. If you have the chance to find it and can return it to us, it would hasten— Darma's message crackles with static, another image overlaying hers — her broadcast is cut off and replaced with another. A more sullen and alien voice takes Darma’s place, overlapping on itself in an ominous reveal. It has been a long, perilous year for you, refugees. And yet you’ve only just arrived here. To say I’m not disappointed in your… generation would be to lie, and I am nothing if not an honest creature. But I suppose these have been unusual circumstances. You must ask yourself this — are you only here as Darma's lapdogs? I can assure you, it's not worth being on the Natha's leash. With time, that will be something you'll have to learn for yourself. If you're so determined to come find Nadril, then follow the path north, and you'll find the border. What awaits you is revelation, if you're up to the challenge. A FROZEN LAND     The refugees land on a literally frozen world, both in temperature and time. Curls of icy wind hold swirls of snow aloft and an uncanny silence is broken only by the crunch of hoarfrost underfoot. Only Darma's protection allows the refugees to move through this frozen world — and movement is very necessary. Bitter cold sneaks through even the thickest clothing and without warning, a snowstorm rises: unnaturally quickly, a wall of white howls directly in the refugee's path. Bizarrely, the way back is perfectly calm; it's obvious that this storm is no product of nature. Magda's challenge becomes clear: the only way to Nadril lies through this storm. Visibility within the storm is near zero, the whiteout hiding any landmarks from view and making navigation near impossible. The only guidance refugees have is a sporadic path of faint, greenish lights, easily lost in the raging storm. Refugees need all the survival skills they practiced on Thesa Station to survive, for getting lost alone is a death sentence. Luckily, those separated from the group can happen upon guiding lights Magda has planted throughout the tundra. These blue-white sparks cause frostbite if handled recklessly, but they also serve as directional anchors, turning into ghostly flames that lead lost souls back to the path to Nadril. The trek through the storm will be no mean feat and will last for the better part of three days. By the time the refugees reach Nadril's gate, most will find themselves exhausted and running on fumes. As the snowstorm dies away and a gap in the glittering forcefield around the city opens to usher the refugees inside, it's clear that Nadril is a different beast. A WARM(?) WELCOME     I. Despite the unforgiving journey, entering Nadril is painless. Once inside, characters will be greeted by their predecessors: the original refugees who made this advanced city. They'll immediately be offered medical attention, as well as warm cider and blankets. But it's obvious that the Nadril citizens prefer higher tech to fend off the weather: they also offer wristlets and ear cuffs that that double as mittens and earmuffs by creating warm bubbles of air. The earrings also feature a few quality of life programs, such as timed alarms and thought-to-speech messaging. However, both programs are in beta stages so it's not unusual for a stray thought to accidentally slip through or an alarm to accidentally ring at an inopportune time. II. Refugees are offered free lodging in a large, crystalline building crafted from ice. Despite the coarse building material, the ice is unmelting and surprisingly well-insulated, and the beds are as warm and cozy. The rooms are, however, small. The sleeping quarters house two people, and are some cross between an igloo and a capsule hotel. Though built for efficiency over comfort, all rooms are also outfitted with the latest Nadril AI, RoboAlfred, or Ralf for short. This helpful program is installed in practically all the furnishings: the closet tells guests to bundle up, the bathroom sink reminds them to brush their teeth, and the mirror offers helpful fashion tips. Ralf's personality matrix still needs polish, though: it may very well insult your clothes and passively-aggressively question your lifestyle choices for the entire stay. III. Though not as advanced as Thesa Station, the colony has technology far beyond the rest of the continent, such as rudimentary AIs and mechanical transportation. Nadril's skyline is a point of pride — refugees can take a (literal) lightrail that gives an aerial view of the colony, which is hewn almost entirely from ice and rock. Despite its tech, Nadril is much more sparsely populated than Olympia and Wyver, and its residents stay near a central hub: a Natha refugee drop ship, Central, which has crashed and long embedded itself into the earth. Central is similar to an older, smaller, grounded model of Thesa Station, in functional order with round-the-clock solar power. Within Central are lounges similar to ones on the Station, though many of the damaged areas have been converted. They include repair stations, different wings dedicated to science, botany, astrology, and mechanics, and a research and history facility, which has a smattering of technology from planets beyond El Nysa — including your own. The staff here don't mind if anything is sampled and studied, but objects cannot be taken from the labs. IV. On the outskirts of the central hub, many will find several curious looking bots with insect-like wings perched about high traffic walkways. Simply passing the bots will cause a dizzying flash before a series of photos print out. Upon closer inspection, people will find that these images reflect stills taken from their home worlds as they remember it. Unfortunately, these photos only last a couple of hours at best. At that time, they will revert back to regular pictures of the refugees. People will be encouraged to share these images of their worlds. The residents of Nadril comprehend the value of remembering one's origins, and will be pleased to see that people still hold memories of old homes close to them. RECREATION IN NADRIL     I. Small, mechanical creatures scampering through the city are a common sight. Ask anyone, and they’ll tell you that they come from a shop called Paws About Town. They’re very useful, as companions, gophers, and couriers (though the more mischievous will note that they’re just small enough to keep tabs on people without being noticed). Premade robotic pets are available on display inside the shop. They come in all shapes, but small sizes; one may be able to find robots that even look like miniature creatures from their homeworld. These are a part of a new, highly customizable line with programmable personalities. Customers have the chance to take pets for a one-day trial run. Those who don’t know how to program may want to enlist more knowledgeable aid, but the pets come with instructional pamphlets for basic personality traits such as obedience, helpfulness, playfulness, and bloodthirst. For returns, the switch to wipe the robot's personality to a blank slate is on the back of its neck, right between a switch to invert all traits, and a switch to have them learn by observing. Try not to press the wrong switch — you might wind up with a pet with a mind of its own! II. A. The Frosty Tap Cantina is a thriving hub of activity, but one of the major draws is the self-service bar: molecular mixology is wildly popular here. Playing with drink compositions can be a game in and of itself, and newcomers to the cantina will find that the bartender — a cheerful woman with lilac skin and three eyes — is always happy to give them a few tips on how to use the wide array of tools within reach of the barstools. All manner of drinks are possible — from glowing, layered cocktails, to clear drinks with colored, spherical bubbles and vividly-colored shots that give off their own smoke. There's a nightly contest in the cantina for the most creative drink created by a team — this may be as good a time as any to partner up with someone and see what can you come up with. Winner gets all their drinks for the night free! And, hey, even if you don't win, you get to drink whatever you make. The well-lubricated patrons of the bar are eager to challenge anyone nearby to a different sort of drinking game… Just how well can you hold your liquor? B. Holo-screens in the cantina are nearly always broadcasting some match or another of a game that looks very much like hockey, albeit played with sticks that light up and a puck that changes shape from time to time. Colonists here merely refer to the game as "the sport," and one of their favored pastimes is betting. However, they don't use currency — they wager dares. Nadril colonists are a tough, weathered lot, and they prefer to speak with actions over silver. Colonists will urge the refugees to take part as well. Common dares range from the ridiculous (lead a sing-a-long, attempt to make someone with a poker face smile) to the suggestive (kiss the person in the cantina you find most attractive, strip off a piece of clothing), to the outright reckless (venture out into the snow for a certain amount of time, and no one will judge if you find some company to keep warm). The colonists are unfazed by even the most insane or tawdry of dares — but you'll certainly be called a killjoy for refusing too often! Why not grab a friend and give it a whirl, or challenge a rival to a dare yourself? THE MISSION     I. On the outskirts of Nadril is the communications tower of the old refugees. This is where Magda resides, monitoring Nadril's technological protections, the extent of the Natha’s influence, and running his own personal projects for El Nysa’s technological advancement. It is isolated, filled with research labs and relics of the past refugees who have come to El Nysa — a living mausoleum of worlds swallowed up by the Storm whose peoples have refused to forget where they came from. Crew photos line the walls of the tower: pictures of alien families and friends, the refugees who came to Nadril before you. Each group of photos gradually becomes smaller in number, and the most recent of the pictures are from half a century ago. Magda's picture can be found among the first group of refugees, an unusually small cluster of photos dating back centuries in El Nysa's past. I have been on this planet for nearly two centuries. Life has come, evolved, and collided in an ever expanding culture. But Darma fears interference, and made this place a prison, with she our warden, stifling the growth of the creatures native to this world rather than encouraging them to flourish. She sent you here for answers in her stead because she knows I'll spurn her, and after seeing what that fool Raysc has wrought, I'll give you them — not for Darma's sake, but because I trust after all the Natha have done to you, you'll understand my decision. Mistakes were made, and I won't hide them. You've made it here so there's some mettle to you, and unlike the Orbiters, I'm not interested in hiding the secrets of the dangers we face. I gave Raysc what he needed to keep his actions hidden from Darma's eyes — what he needed to advance the primitive magics the Natha had doomed him to. It was old Natha tech, Darma's very own used against her. Hilarious, isn't it? Raysc learned of Nadril, and like you, braved the snow to find his way here. He proved his worth and his determination, and he spoke of a brighter future, El Nysa coming into its own, its people realizing their true potential, unhindered by the shackles that had been put upon them. I believed him. He had vision — or so I thought. In truth, he was a fool. A madman. He wasted the opportunity I gave him on his petty vengeance. But not everyone on this planet is such an idiot. Surely you lot aren't. The Natha are hiding things from us — about the Storm, about everything. And here in Nadril, we're going to find all those secrets. What's it going to be? Will you help us, or are you going to stay obedient dogs on Darma's leash? Magda isn't too talkative yet; after all, the new flock of refugees may just be here as eyes and ears for the Orbiters. But what he has said leaves you with plenty to talk about, and if you can earn his trust by helping out around Nadril, he doubtless has a great deal more to reveal. II. Central isn't the only Natha ship that made its way to El Nysa — another, crashed just outside Nadril's borders, is little more than a junk heap. It's here that you'll find the spare parts Darma asked you to retrieve for Thesa Station. What remains of the ship's hull serves as a windbreak, and snow has built up against it, turning the piles of old Natha tech inside into something of a snowy morass. Holes in the deck offer would-be scavengers passage to the ship's innards, barely illuminated with flickering lights — the tech is old, but hardy enough to withstand a crash landing, the severe weather, and the passage of centuries. Deep in the wreck are the remains of living quarters, research labs, VR arenas, mecha bays, cafeterias, and a host of other rooms, many of which may seem familiar from Thesa Station, albeit with a decidedly older feel to what remains of the smooth curves and sleek surfaces of the Natha architecture. Most of the ship's systems are damaged and the technology is nonfunctional, but that just means there's plenty of spare parts to be found. The wreck isn't in the best shape, its structural integrity damaged, and the drifting snow threatens to block off exit routes. Be careful while exploring and be sure to bring a partner. As it turns out, Darma isn't the only one interested in the wreck — Magda is also eager to get his hands on Natha technology. In his own way of taking some responsibility for Raysc, he's asking scavengers to bring him parts, muttering about seeing what he can do about Ysverai's curse. Bring him anything that looks useful, and he may have a chance to succeed, though whether he'll be more effective than the Natha Orbiters is up for debate... FINAL OOC NOTES     An AC-eligible thread with a new character as a participant for 2 NADRIL REP POINTS may be submitted from this log. SUBMIT THE THREAD HERE BY AUGUST 5TH, 11:59 PM EST. As always, feel free to create your own prompts and explore the Nadril location page! There are a variety of activities made available, including fishing and cave exploration! Please direct questions to the questions thread below! Thank you! QUICK NAV premise ● faq ● lore ● map ● npcs taken ● atp/emp ● application ● rep/acp calendar ● hiatus/drops ● modbox [ FULL NAVIGATION ] elnysa nysalogs nysaisles nysaooc elnyan

Comments

[thedarkbond]

[That is...a way to put it, though Ren sets it aside for now in favour of focusing on the potential ways he could take advantage of this situation. He can't help but laugh at the particular phrasing of "shed your skirt", though, and he picks at the half-skirt he wears over his pants.]

Hmm, I don't think taking off my skirt would be that entertaining...but I think I might've seen her dare someone to make a confession to someone earlier as well. It'd be a lot easier if they picked the dares before the person.

[He tilts his head to one side like he's very disappointed that's not how it works, but keeps an eye on the game in case the chain of dares cycles back around to her.] Is that the only dare you did?

[morbide]

[Henry shakes his head "no" in reply. He lifts his hand and begins to recount the dares on his fingers, clearly having a tough time remembering what they might have been.]

Let's see... The obvious one that I've gotten plenty of times is standing out in the cold, sometimes in varying states of undress. That's a boring one, if you ask me. In another I would've had to kiss some stranger – also boring. Oh! But I was also dared to find somebody in this bar and bite their neck like a vampire! I thought that one would have been kinda funny, nya ha! Especially if I could manage to draw blood with these blunt things I call teeth...

[Henry drops his hand, clearly giving up on remembering all of the possibilities.]

There were some others, but, eh. Why?

[thedarkbond]

[That last one does sound a little bit funny, and Ren can't quite hide an amused smile at the mention of it. It seems like a bit of a missed opportunity to not do one like that, honestly.]

Mmm, mostly wondering what people are asking for the most. It's kind of boring that so many people are asking others to stand out in the snow when it takes three days of standing out in the snow to get here anyway. And if this game is popular here. I'd get really over that dare getting thrown out so often...

[Sure, it's a test of endurance, but it's not a very interesting one, and even less so if it's getting repeated again and again. There are better and more fun ways to test that.]

I wonder how long it's been since they had new people to dare.

[morbide]

They're so obviously bored with each other that I'm sure we're the first newblood they've had in a loooong time.

[Not to mention how eager they are to rope a stranger into their fun.]

But it's not hard to find excitement in their bar games! Once you start asking for off-color dares, some of these people toss one right back at you. After I dared a guy to yank a tooth for me, he dared me to carve his initials into my skin! I didn't really wanna do that, but I can appreciate the suggestion – AND the bloody mess it'd leave.

[thedarkbond]

Right? That's what I was thinking, when they all seem to be throwing around the same old boring dares. [With a drawn-out sigh as if this is somehow the worst transgression he's encountered since waking up, Ren drops his head to the bar counter as if he's just faceplanting himself. He's still peering out to one side, but it's hard to tell through his curtain of hair.]

Maybe you should've dared that guy to let you carve his initials into his own skin. Do they allow counter-dares...?

[It wouldn't be pleasant either way, but it'd at least be more entertaining to watch. And probably to do as well.]

I wonder what they would've done with the tooth you pulled, though. That sounds kind of like someone trying to get a weird keepsake.

[morbide]

That's 'cause it IS a weird keepsake.

[Henry pats his hip proudly. That tooth is very real and very much his, now. That's a dare he won.]

See? You can control the cool dares by making them yourself, and winning. Easy peasy. And I'm one tooth richer, to add to my tooth collection. That's why I didn't do a counter-dare: because I liked my idea better.

[Does he have a tooth collection? Would he ever give a straight answer? Mysteries.]

[thedarkbond]

[Ren looks somewhat less perturbed by the idea of someone having a tooth collection than most people probably would be, though it does distract him from the topic of dares for a couple of moments while he looks vaguely up to the roof with a finger on his lip, as if he's thinking at length about something.

After that pause, he tilts his head and speaks absently. He still sounds pretty preoccupied with the whole thing.] What would you do with the teeth, though...?

[Because that's definitely the most important question about literally any of what was just said.]

[morbide]

What? Oh.

[...This is about that tooth collection comment, isn't it? The one he literally just spoke about. Henry still appears confused, like this shouldn't be a question.]

You know. Stuff and things.

[There's a blatant side-step of the question, here. Henry continues on, quickly:] Actually, I don't have as many as I used to. Back home I had quite the collection harvested from corpses. Those chompers really came in handy whenever I was in a crunch! People don't willingly give teeth away, so you have to get them where you can.

[thedarkbond]

[That sure is a side-stepped question, and while Ren knows better than to pursue the subject blatantly, it's way too weird and interesting an aside to abandon entirely. Especially if apparently this guy is happy to resort to grave-robbing to get them (because he'd rather not think too hard about the alternative there).]

That doesn't tell me why they're so helpful, though... [There is an immense pout in Ren's tone saying that, most of which also makes it to his face.] You can't just talk all about why things are useful and prized and cool and not say why, that's bad storytelling.

[He waves a finger as if chiding him for it.]

[morbide]

[For as much as Henry avoided the answer for the sake of bad storytelling, he doesn't seem too reluctant to provide his reasons for holding onto teeth, much less any other excess. Henry keeps right on smiling and points a finger back.]

Oh, all right. Maybe it was just to see if you REALLY wanted to know, that's all. [It's no big secret; Henry keeps talking in his regular unchecked volume.]

You see, things like teeth work great as components casting a curse. That's why a set of teeth make me smile. I could use fingernails or locks of hair, true, but teeth are harder to come by, which obviously means they're more valuable and potent. [He waves a hand.] I don't make the rules, I just practice 'em. But teeth hardly compare to things like dragon scales, the blood of a fell beast, the tears of a pegasus... Oh, the things I could do with those!

[thedarkbond]

[Clearly it isn't a secret, but Ren still seems pretty happy to get an answer, resting his chin on his hands as he listens. It's a lot more interesting of a reply than he could have hoped for, and he slowly looks more and more delighted as he goes on. Dark mages are something Ren has a remarkable amount of experience with considering they don't exist on his planet.]

So you're some kind of dark mage? That's so cool...what kinds of magic do you like to do? Other than curses...or I guess if you mostly like curses I could just ask what kinds of curses you like...or maybe what it is you could do with those more powerful ingredients...?

[Important questions and important decisions, and Ren taps his chin as if he's having trouble narrowing down specifically what he should be asking about.]

[morbide]

No, that's a TOTALLY valid question. My favorite curses are definitely the killer ones! And they're the ones I'm best at, to boot. I'm the best at all of them, true, but I'm especially good at killing curses. Organ rupturing, heart kicking into overdrive, overheating from the inside-out... Oooh, the possibilities are endless with killing curses! If you can think of it, I can probably kill with it.

[He's getting ahead of himself, bringing both hands to cup his chin as he fantasizes about the ways a curse could kill. While continuing to think about those varying ways, he provides a quick answer about ingredients:]

Rarer components are great for suuper specialized magic, like necromancy or communion. I don't need pegasus tears to kill a guy, though. I'm plenty fine with plucking a strand of hair and going to town, there.

[thedarkbond]

[Yep, that sure is the alternative Ren was trying not to think about earlier, though he doesn't look openly perturbed by it. God knows he knows that people can be interested in offputting things and not necessarily be a bad person (or not that bad of a person, at least).]

Hmm...maybe we shouldn't test that... [Ren can think of a lot of things. It's the source of his power, in a way, and despite his preference not to do it personally, his imaginative ability does indeed extend to creative deaths when it has to.] Necromancy would be pretty cool to watch, I think, but if it's hard to get the ingredients then I guess it would only be worth doing for really bad situations...but I guess I know who to go to if I ever get into too much trouble...

[It's said in that same airheaded tone he's had for a lot of the conversation, as if he's unaware of the implications of the comment. But no, as much as he doesn't like the idea of killing all that much...it might be useful to have someone who can do it without being bothered by it. There are always enemies who won't go down until they're eradicated in some way.]

[morbide]

You mean, if you died? I can only theoretically revive people as zombies. Which I think is pretty awesome, myself, but most people aren't interested in going down that road. But hey, if you wanna become the undead, I'd be totally willing to help you there!

[Out of most people's mouths, that might sound vaguely threatening. Henry doesn't seem to detect that offering to help one become the undead doesn't sound very friendly, or if he does, he doesn't mind it.]

[thedarkbond]

[Ren doesn't seem fussed by the implications either, though he smiles and waves a hand as if to say not to worry about it.] No, I think I have plenty more to do before I'd try out being a zombie, but I'll keep it in mind. I just meant that it sounds like you have a lot of cool magic.

[And considering Ren's cool magic is decidedly less flexible in its use, he has somewhat less to defend himself with here than most people do.]

[morbide]

Oh. Gotcha. [He nods in understanding.] You're right, I do have a lot of cool magic. Then what kind of trouble are you projecting for yourself, if not bloody demise and subsequent resurrection as a zombie? How much trouble's too much trouble?

[thedarkbond]

Mmm...enough that I can't get out of it myself, probably... [He pouts a little as he says it, as if he doesn't like the idea that that much trouble might exist.] I keep hearing about all the places here being in silly fights with each other, so I guess I'm kind of expecting we're going to end up dragged into it.

[Ren usually has very little issue with being dragged into fights as long as someone's being interesting enough to make it worth his while, but he's not good at physical combat, or at least he isn't in this body. Being dragged into a fight here is going to have its issues.]

[morbide]

That's all? A little war? Psh, that's definitely what I'm good for, and my magic, too.

[Even if it's only his magical talent Ren's honing in on, leave it to Henry to give himself up regardless.]

I know! I could cast a curse on you that makes you invisible to the enemy, so you don't have to deal with it at all. Easy as pie. You could kick back and nobody would even know you were staying out of it.

[thedarkbond]

[Well, that certainly explains the somewhat blase attitude towards death. Ren is only really used to being part of that thing by proxy, so it's a little more of an annoying prospect to him.

That actually sounds like a pretty useful curse, even if Ren is going to airhead his way through it as ever.] How does the curse define who's an enemy and who isn't, though...? Being invisible to anyone who might be an enemy wouldn't be very fun.

[morbide]

Weeeell, curses don't really discriminate. If it's a curse on you, you'd be invisible to everyone, and that's that. Now if I cursed an army, then you'd just be invisible to them and nobody else.

[And never mind that cursing an entire army would require more resources and planning, but Henry doesn't find that important to explain when he's putting forth an offer. He instead changes gears, giving Ren a tilt of his head and a slight lean.]

Why don't you wanna get involved in it, anyway? You're clearly not a pacifist or anything like that, so what's the deal?

[thedarkbond]

I'd rather you cursed the army... [Being invisible to everyone seems like it'd get boring really quickly, and though he'd assume curses can be reversed, that also seems like a lot of trouble.

At Henry's question, Ren pouts a little and rests his chin in his hands.] I don't have any magic or anything, so I'm not that much good in a fight...and also big messy squabbles like that are really boring, usually it's just people trying to show off in really unoriginal ways...

[With weapons and lots of dead people and other such things Ren finds markedly less interesting than a good and genuine fight between rivals.]

[morbide]

[Henry lights up, his head bobbing up and down as he brings a fist down into the palm of his hand out of realization.]

See, that's your problem! You don't have magic, so you can't use it against your foes to make them explode in guts and glory. If I didn't have my magic, war would be boring to me, too, and that's saying something. If you could cast awesome magic, wouldn't you be less bored?

[thedarkbond]

[Well, Henry isn't exactly wrong, and Ren's expression becomes a little more thoughtful. In part because he's not entirely sure of the mechanics of magic here, and whether there is a possibility he might be able to learn it.]

Well, yes, but I don't think I'd find exploding people that interesting...I'm sure there are other kinds of magic that would work better for me...

[Dark magic is fine, but if he's going to be casting magic on people he wants to be able to watch them squirm, and blowing them up doesn't really lend itself to that in the slightest.]

[morbide]

Really? That's no fun. [Henry turns back toward the tabletop some more, his idea thwarted by Ren's disinterest.] Dark magic's preeeetty much the most interesting magic out there, if you ask me. Otherwise you've got the elemental stuff and healing magic, and maybe some light magic out there? But a dark mage gets the benefit of spinning spells, which makes it superior in my book.

[Henry idly pushes a straw left behind in an abandoned glass of... something blue. It's not his, that's for sure.]

What ARE you looking for in a magical skillset, if not the immense power of dark magic or the ability to curse your friends and foes?

[thedarkbond]

[Ren's halfway to taking another drink himself as Henry talks, except he looks very surprised at the notion that he's not interested in dark magic at all and sets it down again, waving a hand.]

Oh, no, the whole immense power of dark magic thing is totally fine with me, I just don't think it's very interesting to make people explode. [Because clearly being fine with dark magic is something that needs to be cleared up.] If I don't have to kill someone, I'd rather not do it...so it'd be fine if I could just defend myself and make someone really regret having decided to fight me in the first place.

[The tone with which he says that is far too cheery compared to the actual words being said, though Ren could be a lot more questionable about the subject if he wanted to.]