A series of faces turned back to Suyan. "Oh, uh..." Hawk fumbled for a moment. The silhouette next to him had lost its clarity and was now a formless body and head. < I am new at Aetherian. I need help to say to you. The neighbors are here. They will help after you. > He paused, "Uh," and then tried to clarify, < your home and your family. And we look for who does this. >

Someone said something next to him.

< Did this, > Hawk corrected himself. < Sorry. Do you understand? >

Suyan stared at him for a long moment with a strange look on her face, a creeping sort of concern. < ...Oh, but... > she said, glancing around, < ...I don't see anyone, Hawk-- >

"I don't see anyone, Hawk," Liya echoed, giving him a worried side-eye. Emry rolled his eyes.

"That's 'cuz there's nothing there," he said impatiently, gesturing, and the gesture became an upraised hand, and there was a sudden shriek--

"STOP IT!"

But it all did stop immediately, zipped up somewhere in the lines that etched Hawk's shifting heads, and he recoiled, and so did Suyan.

< A-ah, s-sorry... >

< No, no, > Hawk said quickly. < I mean to say... > He seemed to need to search harder for the words now, punctuating each sentence with a pause. < It is okay. And you are not stuck here. >