Gaia was realizing that at this moment, she was being completely herself. Really, she didn't know why, but then again she tended to be whatever the person she was interacting with wanted or needed. And right now, Hercules needed someone to help teach him about the things in this world, the things happening, help aide in his transition. And really, Gaia was certain she was the only one who could do that for him granted the fact she'd also made the two thousand year leap in time that he had. So for the moment, all thoughts of flattery and sex were pushed from her mind, something that was rare. Rarer yet was the fact she wasn't trying to manipulate him either. Though she rather was coming to understand Hercules was not a man easily manipulated by anyone, so she would not even try to play her games with him. There were others here that she could do that with. But Hercules? No. She would just let herself be herself, let him see that. And hopefully she could keep him from seeing the scheming side of herself, but she had no intentions of using those skills whenever he was around her.
As she read his first response, Gaia was both filled with wonder, but also she felt, what was that, empathy? Or something close to it when he mentioned losing his wife and children. She well knew what it was like to lose a spouse, she'd lost hers. The only difference was she wasn't so much in love with her husband as she was in love with his purse. But Hercules no doubt loved his wife and children. Instead of giving a vocal or written response to that particular fact, she reached out and set her hand on his forearm and gave it a gentle, sympathetic squeeze.
When she read the second part of his response, she again found her interest piqued. Truly he had travelled far and wide. She wasn't so certain she'd heard of the Norselands, but no doubt they were far to the north. It was all fascinating, though, in an odd sort of way. Gaia was more interested in the adventure part, not so much the fact all the lands he spoke of were littered with barbarians. Clearing the text, she went about her response.
You have traveled far and wide! The Norselands, they are far to the north? I do not seem to recall hearing of those lands. But again, Gaul tended to be what everyone was talking about. It had been established she was from a time even earlier than Hercules, considering he knew who Julius Caesar was and she didn't. Perhaps the Norselands had yet to be approached by the Romans in her time, but they had in the time Hercules was from.