"Wh...what d'ya want my help for??"

Numair looked slightly puzzled by the question as he shifted himself around to fully face Hawk. "Well, just a guess, but I imagine you know much more about flight than I do!" he said sensibly. "I would value your expertise."

"Uh," Hawk said, wings rustling as he shuffled them involuntarily. He actually took a step back as Numair scooted to sit at the edge of the tarp, his head now level with Hawk's.

"Please consider?" he said, and then added with every appearance of earnestness, "You could quite literally help change my entire world."

Hawk stared at him, at the sincerity in his face and the light in his eyes, and then had to look away.

"Look," he said reluctantly, "I ain't got 'expertise' on anythin' in particular. I wouldn't be much help. An' also," he added, "I don't know enough about Aetheri to agree to somethin' so big. I'm still gettin' used to the idea that y'all ain't all evil bastards."

The change in Numair's expression was stark, then. There was a flash of disappointment, but that was quickly replaced by--well, nothing. He sat back and seemed to cool, his face now more or less expressionless, his eyes shifting away like Hawk's had.

"...I did notice you have the accent of a south Archipelagan," he said. "I imagine you've...heard some things."