Millie took Wheel's cool hand in her own and squeezed it, "It's good to see you. We've been apart for so long. And you seem to have made some interesting friends." Wheel started to protest, "They're not-" and stopped, "Yeah. They've been kind to me. Berlin, the captain, especially. This curse, it's made things so, I've been able to stay here." He looked at Uban talking to the man in glasses, "So, who's this crowd? They're treating you okay?" --- Yawar's flies fidgeted, buzzing at a safe distance in a semicircle where the shifter lay in the old mans lap to keep him centered in his vision. With the knowledge that there weren’t any other shifters laying in wait for them, Yawar peeled a fly away to inform Kaga-met. Uban's attempt at reassurance only made him tense, and his vision fractured as the flies scattered from the dangerous cat. Coughing nervously, he said, "I have uh. Medical condition, I can't take them off when there's light," lightly touching the frames, he said softly, "They were a gift from my lover. When I wear them it's a reminder of what waits for me back home." [i]-Misk, wait for me.-[/i] He had re centered his focus on Uban, landing a fly on the railing behind Uban and another on Yawar's shoulder. The sailor had a rough, easy charm to him, [i]-The captain, Millie's friend, Uban, they're sailing a pleasure barge here.-[/i] Yawar’s thoughts had strayed from the conversation, and Uban had kept talking, something about the woman pirate and grenadoes, when he brandished a pair of small objects in front of him. Yawar leaned closer to act like he was studying them, and when Uban tossed them into the air accompanied by a crack of lightning, the flies closest to the lightning were blinded and he stumbled back. Understanding of what Uban had been saying came crashing down on him, and he exclaimed, “Incredible! You’re able to harness your lightning to weapons, and, runes? In my years of study and travel I’ve never seen anything like it. I’ve heard the mages of the east are able to control the elements, but they use tools and implements,” His curiosity piqued, he resembled his flies to study the bald headed woman more closely, though still avoiding the dangerous cat, “You said Hana made these runes? How interesting.” --- Kaga-Met chewed his lower lip, “Yes, I understand. I’ll instruct my crew to avoid sharing personal details, though it looks like they’re talking with one another already.” He looked wryly at Yawar, who from the looks of it was stiffly making conversation with Uban. Millies conversation with Wheel, however, concerned him. “Berlin, if I make speak frankly, who is this Wheel? I trust Millie in a fight, but she can be rather, ah, hotheaded, and she doesn’t speak much of her past to us. I know she came from the northern city of Vyrm, but that’s all.” At this point, a fly landed on his hand, and walked in a clockwise circle before taking off again. All clear. Kaga-met had been weighing his decision since stepping aboard, and it was time to make a choice. The Swift wasn’t capable of defeating the slavers by itself, and while there were mysteries and dangers with this pirate crew, their intentions were clear and they were open to cooperation. It’d be harder to find better allies. Trusting them meant losing any advantage they still held, but it was necessary. “Captain, I’m keen on talking strategy with you, but there’s another thing you should know,” He called out to his chiurgeon, “Yawar! Show them what you can do!” --- Yawar was startled to hear the command so shortly after he’d told his captain, but then, it wasn’t his place to call the shots. He just hoped it wouldn’t scare Uban to death. --- All across the ship, the flies that had been watching and hiding lifted into the air, buzzing and swarming above Yawars head, forming a dark cloud over him. The cloud broke into two as the flies then flew below his chin and up behind his glasses. Once it was done, he smiled weakly at Uban. --- Kaga-met said, “Yawar is our chiurgeon, a trained doctor. He has undergone a treatment, and now sees out of the eyes of the flies that he controls. He can see anything they do, and can serve excellently in gathering information. Berlin, we can discuss specifics later, but let me say this. If we succeed I will see to it that you are rewarded, and not just in the pleasure of defeating evil and replacing it with good.” He outstretched his hand, “Shall we address our team?”