[ During that pause, she fills in a thousand and one answers. All of them are...crueler than Giorno deserves. Dismissive, scoffing. Either in the vain of why else would we be here? or you? are you kidding? both enough to twist her stomach over and over and over itself in knots, and her arms feel so, so warm, unused to the added warmth from the feathers.

All it feels like is that she's ruined something, in that endless, uncomfortable silence.

But, actually. ]

You're... Oh. [ And then the knots suddenly straighten out, and she feels red in the face for a completely different reason.

Riley smiles, but it's not from the relief flooding her. It's because she doesn't know what else to do, to alleviate the awkward situation. ]

S- sorry. [ Ohhh, don't you dare. Riley takes a moment to right herself. ] I don't, uh— I didn't...think you'd do something like that, I just-

[ And now she's looking straight ahead, trying to find something to focus on. Something else. ]

I don't have...many male friends? [ ... ] A- any. Back home. When guys... When they'd say something like that, it'd just be for, uh... If they wanted to...you know.

[ A pretty, bubbly cheerleader? Who wouldn't want one of those? ]