*Encouragement helps! It helps a lot!! Even if Hayate can't particularly realize it is encouraging due to that sudden roller coaster ride moment. Once he survives this he is going to tell Leon to invest in some kind of harness to hold onto cause there is no way he can picture a guy like that clinging to a metal bird for dear life.

... then again, maybe that's why he wanted someone else to break her in...

And yes. Azure has definitely upgraded to hiding her eyes. Only peeking through her paws every few seconds to make sure doom has not fallen.*