Post by gemma on Jul 21, 2012 21:33:24 GMT -8
“And you doubted me when I said you’d make a great mother.”
Somehow, this only made Gemma more flustered than she already was. It was true that she had looked after her little brother when he was younger, but... that had always seemed different, as though they were a team -- albeit one made up of members with vastly differing ages -- rather than her acting as his parent. But perhaps... perhaps she had, in a way. Their own parents certainly hadn't been particularly... kindly towards either of them. Perhaps she really had learned to be a proper mother from those experiences.
“Mmm, you don’t have to be formal, you walked in on me in a towel."
This made her blush violently, but it also startled a giggle out of her.
"What, is that the requirement for speaking plainly? Coming in on someone while they're in some state of undress?" She couldn't help the wicked smirk that crossed her lips. "... actually, that might be true... I've got an experience to support that claim... But you wouldn't want to hear about that."
“Are you still going to teach me some day? French. Like you offered when we met.”
".... are you still interested?" Gemma couldn't help but be a bit surprised. She hadn't forgotten her offer, but she had figured that Ryder would... she hadn't known that he had taken such an interest in the subject. "I'm not sure if I mentioned it before or not, but... I'm not the best of teachers. I could make an attempt, though, if you'd like... right now, even, while we wait."
“Right. I mean, I feel better. I wasn’t joking. You know, I thought that running into someone else would be quite a bad twist. But not now. Now I’m just glad it wasn’t some little kid.”
Gemma gave Ryder a small smile back when he glanced at her, relaxing from her kneeling position into a cross-legged sitting posture.
"I know the feeling... and I share it. I'm glad it was you I found here... I wouldn't have been able to talk to anyone else, really, and that would only have made me feel worse..." She blushed a bit to admit such a thing, but it was true: she felt more comfortable around Ryder than practically any young man she knew, save for Orion, DC -- neither of whom were around to speak to -- and her own little brother (who wouldn't have been much help, since he didn't have enough life experience to understand exactly how she was feeling at the moment). The fact that they actually were turning out to have several things in common at the moment only made matters more... interesting.
“Y’know, this is going to sound strange, but it’s been a while since I’ve been around someone who I could actually talk to. I've got a brother. Lyle. My da is great, but he’s odd. Works for the Quibbler, kind of self-explanatory. I talk to my mates, but it’s not the same. We talk about stupid pranks and taunt each other. We don’t really communicate.”
Gemma nodded, not entirely sure what to say, at first. Where to begin with that? There were so many things she could say, but... should she say them, that was the question.
"I... I haven't really, either, truth be told..." She stared at her hands, which were knotting together in her lap. "Orion... well. Ri's not much for talking about emotion. It's... it's just how he is. And besides that... I don't have many people I am even willing to talk to about such things. I don't feel comfortable speaking with just... anyone." She smiled waveringly, still staring at her hands. "So... so this is... nice. Pleasant. A-and... and I do actually feel comfortable with you, Ryder." She finally managed to look up at him, her dark eyes oddly nervous. She wasn't used to speaking like this. Hopefully he wouldn't take it the wrong way.
Somehow, this only made Gemma more flustered than she already was. It was true that she had looked after her little brother when he was younger, but... that had always seemed different, as though they were a team -- albeit one made up of members with vastly differing ages -- rather than her acting as his parent. But perhaps... perhaps she had, in a way. Their own parents certainly hadn't been particularly... kindly towards either of them. Perhaps she really had learned to be a proper mother from those experiences.
“Mmm, you don’t have to be formal, you walked in on me in a towel."
This made her blush violently, but it also startled a giggle out of her.
"What, is that the requirement for speaking plainly? Coming in on someone while they're in some state of undress?" She couldn't help the wicked smirk that crossed her lips. "... actually, that might be true... I've got an experience to support that claim... But you wouldn't want to hear about that."
“Are you still going to teach me some day? French. Like you offered when we met.”
".... are you still interested?" Gemma couldn't help but be a bit surprised. She hadn't forgotten her offer, but she had figured that Ryder would... she hadn't known that he had taken such an interest in the subject. "I'm not sure if I mentioned it before or not, but... I'm not the best of teachers. I could make an attempt, though, if you'd like... right now, even, while we wait."
“Right. I mean, I feel better. I wasn’t joking. You know, I thought that running into someone else would be quite a bad twist. But not now. Now I’m just glad it wasn’t some little kid.”
Gemma gave Ryder a small smile back when he glanced at her, relaxing from her kneeling position into a cross-legged sitting posture.
"I know the feeling... and I share it. I'm glad it was you I found here... I wouldn't have been able to talk to anyone else, really, and that would only have made me feel worse..." She blushed a bit to admit such a thing, but it was true: she felt more comfortable around Ryder than practically any young man she knew, save for Orion, DC -- neither of whom were around to speak to -- and her own little brother (who wouldn't have been much help, since he didn't have enough life experience to understand exactly how she was feeling at the moment). The fact that they actually were turning out to have several things in common at the moment only made matters more... interesting.
“Y’know, this is going to sound strange, but it’s been a while since I’ve been around someone who I could actually talk to. I've got a brother. Lyle. My da is great, but he’s odd. Works for the Quibbler, kind of self-explanatory. I talk to my mates, but it’s not the same. We talk about stupid pranks and taunt each other. We don’t really communicate.”
Gemma nodded, not entirely sure what to say, at first. Where to begin with that? There were so many things she could say, but... should she say them, that was the question.
"I... I haven't really, either, truth be told..." She stared at her hands, which were knotting together in her lap. "Orion... well. Ri's not much for talking about emotion. It's... it's just how he is. And besides that... I don't have many people I am even willing to talk to about such things. I don't feel comfortable speaking with just... anyone." She smiled waveringly, still staring at her hands. "So... so this is... nice. Pleasant. A-and... and I do actually feel comfortable with you, Ryder." She finally managed to look up at him, her dark eyes oddly nervous. She wasn't used to speaking like this. Hopefully he wouldn't take it the wrong way.