Whatever his final assessment of her ends up being, it seems to be something that sticks with himself; it's not outwardly expressed. Could be bad, but one would hopefully take it as a good thing.<br/><br/>"You need to have more confidence, Mina." Yes, he shortens her name. Tactical decision. If she ends up on the excursion, on the adventure, he doesn't feel like stumbling over such a lengthy name in the midst of battle. It's part of the reason why he shortens his own name to just Naga; why he chops off the extra two syllables. Makes things easier. "And if you don't have that confidence? Then act like you do." His own way of saying 'fake it 'til you make it'.<br/><br/>They navigated the forest steadily enough, and she may notice that his eyes are keen, and alert; his body seems tensed at close inspection, but at-ease at a glance. It's a subtle readiness. It would be difficult for most to pick up on, and could, in some ways, be compared to a snake that's ready to dart and bite. If you knew what to look for, you could recognize it; if you weren't familiar, then most people would just see someone at ease, and not understand how in less than a blink of an eye, that could change.<br/><br/>"Ahh, you're good. No harm done. But you are right, I've tussled with a lot of critters. Some times on my own, some times with others. Haven't met anything that could take me down yet." But even as he said that, something felt wrong. Something in the back of his mind. He huffed; maybe she'd hear the sound of annoyance, maybe she wouldn't. But soon after making the sound, they were where they needed to be.<br/><br/>"Just remember, Mina. Give it your all. Go full tilt, keep on casting, keep on swinging, until you're right to the point where you think you're going to fall. And you know what you do when you reach that point, when you think you can't go any further?" He flashed her a grin, paused for just a single moment, for dramatic effect. "You go just a few steps further. That's how you get stronger, that's how you get better. Even if you fall at the end of it all, there's something to be gained from it." Another pause. "Well, as long as you stay alive, that is." A bit of a grim chuckle punctuated his words. But hey, he is trying to give her encouragement! Doing his best at any rate.