Nali's nose crinkled in response to his narrowed eyes. "I understood that they were not proper Guardians. We will prove much harder to kill, I hope." Ah, he seemed so set on being unhappy. But Nali could keep faith – they would both settle when they had arrived at the Cirque, when the call of the place wasn't grating against their nerves, when they'd had the chance to rest and look around.
For a moment when he rose and moved close, Nalini felt her pulse quicken. She lifted her eyes, taking him in for a moment – dour as he may have been, Ashok was handsome. Aesthetically pleasing. He seemed to hesitate, and she waited – waiting for him to offer her something, to try and bridge the strange gap between them.
When he didn't, she smiled gently regardless, rising to her feet – and then up onto her toes, to brush her lips against his cheek. "We will begin once we've rested and settled, yes. I'm sure that you will be wonderful."