[Video]

[burnt_offering]

[Ace and Luffy are sitting together, and Ace has a serious expression on his face. This is kind of important in his opinion, they've got to figure out who their potential allies and enemies are here. Not that being a pirate is a promise of alliances, or Marines a promise of a threat, but it's still good to have a base to go off of. And to Ace and Luffy, piracy is freedom. And the Marines stand for things far worse.]

So this is a roll call. If you're a pirate, let us know. If you're a Marine? Let us know faster.

[Luffy laughs, waving at the camera. He sticks his little finger into his nose, and thinks for a second.]

I haven't seen marines here, or other pirates. Do people here know what a pirate is? [He laughs again.] We're pirates! And brothers!

[Ace's expression softens considerably, and he smiles. He's weak against Luffy's antics, even more so now that they've been separated and reunited.] Yeah, that's right. And we wanna know who else lived a life of piracy back in their home world. Especially if you're from our home world.

Comments

[liberaltus]

And here I was lamenting arranged marriages! A bounty on your head before you were even born, huh? Quite the achievement...though I suppose I understand a bit what it is not to be seen as a person, but as a repository for a legacy. Sins of the father and all of that. We don't have children in my homeland, we breed traits, it's marvelous in a grotesque sort of way.

[He's being sarcastic, of course, not at all concerned about throwing shade on a country that he loves and countrymen he hardly resembles.]

Made of fire, well now that's very literal, mages are born mages, but being literally made up of something is entirely different. Perhaps you could elaborate on that for me so I can understand the differences better? [Dorian is trying to form an image of someone who is made of fire, seems like it would be difficult to go anywhere without burning anything up.]

Ah, so I'll start with the Rite of Tranquility because this will be the most complex to explain. Mages have a connection to another plane of reality called the Fade, it is a plane that exists alongside our own, but it is separated by a barrier we call the Veil. It is where everyone goes in their dreams, mages and non-mages alike, and our belief it is where we go when we die. It is the place where demons and spirits originate, but that's another issue entirely. It is also the place where mages draw their magic abilities from. [Another moment to let this information sink in.] The Rite of Tranquility involves the use of Lyrium branding to sever a mage from the fade and as a consequence of doing so, this cuts the mage off of their dreams and their emotions. It's been described as being smothered in a crystal-clear silence that has no meaning and that is problematic on its own, but let's take it further. The Tranquil operate purely on logic, but this makes them more susceptible to suggestion and limits their ability to think in a flexible way. So, because of their lack of emotion, they are less likely to oppose an authority figure because they lack the desire to object and are more inclined to serve. Now imagine if you were a mage and a Templar wanted you to do something you found objectionable, that Templar could bring about a false claim against the mage and then that mage is subject to the Rite and would, in the future, not be able to say "no" to that Templar. I'm sure I don't have to ask you to imagine how something like this could be conveniently abused.

[Even in his own homeland where there was a more relaxed attitude about mages and magic the Rite was still used.]

The Rite of Annulment is simpler, but no less bankrupt morally. If a mage in the Circle becomes possessed by a demon then the Knight Commander, or the Templar in charge, can get permission from the Chantry to kill every mage inside of the Circle for the transgressions of the few. Right down to the last man, woman, and child. Funny thing is that when mages become dangerous inside of the Circle, it's usually as a result of trying to free themselves of it.

[burnt_offering]

Those are bad too. I'd never wanna marry someone just 'cause I was told to. [He huffs.] The man that helped my mom make me, he was kinda famous in a bad way. So that's why they were trying to find me. [The understatement of the year.] It'd be better if people were less caught up about blood and rules and traits, and more focused on stuff that really makes a difference.

[Ace nods, and then lifts a hand up. And it ignites into flames, from the finger all the way down to the wrist, and further still to the elbow. And then he grabs his hat with the flames that were once his hand, and presses the fires up against his brother who's leaning out of frame mostly to talk to someone else enthusiastically.

And nothing burns.

He finally pulls the flames back, and his arm and hand reform.] So back home, we get our powers from cursed fruits, devil fruits is what they're called. My fruit is the Mera Mera, and it made me a fire human. I can choose what burns, I can form it how I want, I'm pretty much immune to heat or cold as far as I've tested. Unless it's a real special situation. [He shakes his head, though.] But I can't do what you do. It's just fire when it comes down to it. Maybe not normal fire, but it's still fire.

[But the talk of the rites makes him feel ill.] That's... [Ace goes from a quiet expression to visible rage.] Shit. It's so wrong. We have slavery back home, and Seastone can cut off someone from their devil fruit and drain them. The Marines use it to keep devil fruit users controlled when they're imprisoned. Is there anywhere that's free of this kinda thing? Or is it just how people are?