Uban's eyebrows twitched up just a little at learning Misk was a man. Mostly, he was just embarrassed he'd mistaken the name of a man in another culture to be a woman's, and he could feel some of his own ignorance when it came to the ways of peoples from all over Carisia. Uban tried to remember if Yawar ever mentioned where exactly he and his crew were from. But only a little of this showed on his face, and he quickly smiled and said, "Aha, I see! Sorry for the mistake. I've got admit, it's [I]very[/I]fun being a free man in a port!" he chuckled. "So many options..." Uban shrugged a little with one shoulder. "I dunno, I do miss Delorah, but honestly, she's not the adventuring sort, and I've become one. Not to mention I'm the second son of a drunk, piss-poor farmer so it's not like I had much to offer her anyway." Another shrug. He thought of her fondly now and again, but he'd accepted his path strayed from hers long ago. -- Berlin nodded, the wheels turning inside his head as he listened. Two berserkers? Now he really did wonder where they'd come from, because evidently they'd come from the same place. Maybe they got the curse at the same time and for the same reason. He'd ask Wheel about it sometime, he thought. Berlin smiled, inspecting one of his large, calloused hands. "It does have its advantages, that's for sure. These hands have narrowly avoided disaster many times," he chuckled. He didn't mention the weight of responsibility he felt, holding a power like that. He could slip into the innermost chambers of a person's mind in an instant, and though he could not read thoughts, he [I]could[/I] command someone to tell him their darkest secrets, their deep fears, and their greatest hopes. To override a man's autonomy was...a sobering experience. One Berlin did not take lightly. The question of genuine trust from those he cared about always plagued him, and it had since he was a boy. -- Both captains addressed their combined crews, and Kaga-Met offered to share lunch. Berlin smiled. "We'd be honored to break bread with you." He adopted a mischievous air and said, "I might possibly have a cask or two of wine I've had stashed away for a special occasion...I see no reason this couldn't be considered one. Pieter," he said, raising the volume of his voice a little so it would carry. "Bring out the [I]good[/I] wine, would you? And every last cup we've got." He then said in a softer tone to Kaga-Met, "If you'll excuse me, I've got to have a...difficult conversation with a very moody shapeshifter." Berlin did not need to speak to the shifter-cat to summon him to his shoulder; he merely looked at him, nodded his head towards the door of the captain's quarters, and the black cat leapt nimbly from Pieter to Berlin. Behind the closed door, Berlin said, "Alright, take a seat, lad. There's something you and I need to discuss." Somewhat hesitantly, Rohaan jumped from the man's shoulder to the bed, and shifted to his natural form. He said nothing, but those blue eyes of his tracked Berlin intensely. How was he supposed to begin? "Lad, I know humans have historically not been kind to you. They have hurt you, and robbed you of your home and your family." Rohaan looked away. "This is my home now," he muttered. There was an unspoken, [I]'and you are my family'[/I] that neither of them needed to hear in words to know to be true. Berlin smiled. "Yes. It is. You have every reason to hate humans. But do you?" The boy glowered, thinking of the invaders standing on the deck that had come to his ship, his home. "Kind of." Berlin's eyebrow raised. "All of them?" he challenged. Rohaan softened a little. "Well...no." "I thought not. Hana's not so bad, is she?" Rohaan shrugged coyly, looking at the floor. "Yeah, I guess she's alright." That, coming from him in a moment where he'd been pressed for a direct answer, was a lot. Berlin nodded. "And why don't you hate all of them? What makes those few different than the rest?" "They..." Rohaan thought, screwing up his little face as he considered. "They don't want to hurt me. They don't want me dead. They're...actually nice." "Aye. Just because someone belongs to a group of people that has wronged you, doesn't mean that individual will. Because people are all different, and they make their own paths in life. Some people choose to be fearful and hateful. Some don't." Berlin took many breaths before he figured out how to continue. "I'm going to tell you something, Rheoaan. But you have to promise me you won't do anything rash. It might upset you. Do you promise?" Nervous, Rohaan answered, "Aye." "If you need to stay in here until you're ready to join us, that's fine. Take all the time you need. I'll make sure you get lunch. But I don't want you going out there until you're calm. Okay?" "...Okay..." Berlin sighed. There was nothing for it, he just had to say it. "Captain Kaga-Met and his crew are from Bariz, Rheoaan. They're Barizian." When Rohaan's blue eyes went wide in horror, Berlin was quick to add, "But you just heard him--they are angry at the slavers too and want them dead. They are not slavers and do not condone slavery. They were not the ones who stole you." He could see the shifter's breath quickening as a wild, primal fear gripped him. "In Bariz, there are two...groups. One who uses slaves and bloodshed to accomplish dark magic. The other abhors it. Kaga-Met is the latter. He and his crew are not here to hurt you, Rheoaan. I need you cooperate with them and be civil. You don't have to like them, but they're going to be your battlemates, so you have to learn to work with them. I need you to trust--" Berlin watched as Rohaan's visage turned on a dime from fear to a boiling, explosive anger. "You traitor!" he howled. He had tears in his eyes. "You traitor, how could you?" Rohaan sprang to his feet, but without any real direction, so he paced like a caged animal and uttered a primal howl, his body shaking with rage. It looked like he was barely restraining himself from burning down the whole world, and the effort left him feeling like he was going to burst. Berlin reached a hand out for the boy's shoulder. "Rheoaan..." "Don't touch me!" Rohaan shrieked, slapping Berlin's hand away with a crack. Berlin recoiled, knowing all too well that a simple slap was the least of what he could have done to him in that situation. Still, the boy's words stung him more than the strike, and more than Rohaan would ever know. The implication in his outraged words were clear. [I]Don't manipulate me.[/I] He'd sworn to refrain from doing that as much as possible with his crew, but Rohaan in particular. There had been very few times when Berlin had to restrain him for some reason or another, but he wouldn't dare try to alter his thoughts or feelings about a situation. He thought Rohaan knew that. The fact it had ever come into question tore at Berlin's core. The man looked down at the boy as he seethed, his white shirt balled in his small fists as he practically squirmed with undirected rage and anger and fear. It was a terrible thing to watch. And for a moment, he saw the dirty, battered, malnourished feral wretch he'd taken in two years ago. The one that had pressed himself into a corner like a wounded spider and had bitten anyone who got too close. The one that had howled and screamed and kicked and bit and clawed when Berlin had tried to treat his injuries. And the one who had wept softly in the dark after he thought Berlin was fast asleep. Berlin sighed. He'd done this before, he could do it again. "Rheoaan..." he kept his distance this time. "You trust me, don't you? They are not. Here. To hurt you. I promise. I swear to you by the moon and the stars that they want what you want. Vengeance. You'll have it, Rheoaan. I promise." He got no reply, so Berlin straightened. This all felt very familiar indeed. "Alright. I'll leave you be. Just think about what I said about people choosing their own paths, Rheoaan." With that, Berlin exited and shut the door behind him. As the latch clicked into place, he took a moment to allow his troubled exasperation to surface. The man smoothed back the stray strands of his blonde hair that had escaped his ponytail as he leaned heavy against the door, then with a sigh, he gathered his composure and rejoined the group with his back straight and his head held high. Anyone who knew him, though, would see the stormy look in his gray eyes that betrayed his smile.