you can judge a man's true character...

Though Tempest didn't realise it, she was far more in her element in her own house than she was anywhere else. Even with Mordekai's bulk taking up much of the little space there was in the kitchen/dining area of the cottage, knowing exactly where everything was made everything so much simpler. The confines and the arrangement made everything a mere hop, skip or jump (or some combination of the three) away, and when she wasn't concentrating on the great brute, her movements were far more relaxed.

She tensed up and stilled for a split second, half way between a skip and a flutter as Mordekai spoke and she dreaded and willed for her name to come from his lips again. It didn't, and she landed just as lightly as she'd taken off, a half a second out of step, albeit both relieved and a touch irritated. There really was just no pleasing her.

Tempest turned and raised her hand to grab a utensil hung from the rafters just as the were offered his nickname, and the fae suddenly found her hand otherwise engaged. For some reason unknown to her, Tempest allowed the outpouring of overzealous and slightly dated appreciation, trying to stop the smile from tugging at the corners of her lips. When it seemed he had paused for breath, Tempest simultaneously grabbed a spatula with one hand, and pulled her other hand free – and none too gently. She brandished the tool in Kai's face as if she were scolding a child. ”Now then! There really is no need for your theatrics!” She chastised, attempting to look as though she were sincere. She swatted him on the bicep with the flat of the spatula before quickly making her way over to the fire to tend to their breakfast. ”Do at least attempt to behave yourself!” It wasn't a request.

... by the way he treats his fellow animals.

you can judge a man's true character...

Without Mordekai's distractions, the rest of the breakfast made its way to the table within minutes. Most of the large omelette was portioned onto the were's plate, and Tempest filled her plate with the remainder, brushing past Mordekai as she fluttered to her own seat. Her wings finally stilled as she landed, and she sat back and enjoyed the calm silence, broken only by the sounds of them eating. She finished first, but instead of then just watching her guest while he ate, Tempest closed her eyes, taking the time to try to meditate away at least a little bit of the stress that she seemed to accumulate so quickly. For a while, she was permitted the quiet atmosphere she needed to do so. However, she knew immediately when her time was up when his voice cut through her finally serene thoughts.

Her eyes opened, focusing immediately on the man. Peace disrupted, Tempest's jaw moved back into the stubborn set which was its natural state. Her first instinct was to shoot back,”I don't have to tell you anything.” As soon as she said it, though, she realised just how childish that sounded. Would it hurt to be polite? It would be uncomfortable, perhaps, but not painful. And it had been pointed out to her on quite a few occasions that she could work on her social interaction skills. Perhaps now was as good a time as any.She relented, shrugging one shoulder. ”This is my parent's house. This is where I have always lived, and probably always will.” She didn't cite the fact that most Fae lived under the pink blossoms of the Niwetri Forest – most people knew that, and it was hardly necessary information. She also didn't tell him that it was close enough to her infirmary and her workshop that living elsewhere would be pointless and time consuming – he didn't need to know that either.

She quirked an eyebrow at the second question. Was he being serious? ”Perhaps I would.” Tempest conceded. ”If I ever got any.” OK, so polite wasn't going so well. At least she was trying? Her mother's nagging voice came to her then, as if she was right there in the room with them. ”Try harder. It won't kill you.” True. And there was the potential that, if she allowed herself, she might actually enjoy his company. Much as she wanted to, she couldn't spend all of her time cooped up in an office or a workshop.

Tempest didn't know how to 'play nice', so she did the next best thing in her book. She asked questions – at least she was making conversation. ”What are you doing in Niwetri?” She asked, genuinely curious despite herself. ”Do you live here?”

... by the way he treats his fellow animals.

you can judge a man's true character...

Kai leaned on the table, his actions drawing Tempest's attention as the open collar of his shirt gaped open further to reveal even more of his muscular chest. Throughout his earlier nudity, Tempest had been too focused on either getting free of him or specifically not looking to appreciate the parts of him that it was almost acceptable to look at. Funny how a simple layer of cloth could change one's perspective. Catching herself after a couple of seconds, Tempest's gaze flicked instead to his hair, though she was still listening to his answer. Even as she was thinking that he should brush his hair before it properly dried, an image of the map of Oedir came to her mind, unbidden. 'Far to the north' could only mean one of two things. Either he lived in Krizala, where Tempest wasn't even sure a house existed – or he wasn't entirely sure where he was. ”Wandering?” She echoed, her brow creasing slightly. ”Are you looking for something?” She wondered aloud.

Tempest forced her hand to remain still as he grasped it – she had been rude enough, and he wasn't doing anything terrible with it. Yet. The fae gave a small smile and a shrug of one shoulder. ”It would be strange to call anywhere else home now.” Tradition dictated that she should have moved out long ago, but with her mother so frequently gone, Tempest almost lived alone anyway. A good thing, really, as she didn't have to worry about her mother bursting in and launching into a tirade about letting untrustworthy strangers into her house.

Her breath hitched slightly as Kai pushed his thumbs into her palm, and her hand instinctively tried to jump away from the contact. Again, she found herself restrained, but instead of complaining, the fiery fae tried to relax for once. It wasn't as if he was trying to hurt her. He wasn't doing any harm, and in fact, he was pushing fewer personal space boundaries than he had been earlier. Her voice was the softest he would have heard it as she responded to his thanks. ”You're welcome.”

Tempest didn't dare move or speak, in case Kai took it upon himself to stop. She hadn't quite realised just how much she used her hands – gardening, gathering, treating patients, mixing potions and writing up copious amounts of notes had stressed muscles she hadn't even thought about in years. She had been watching his hands as they worked, admiring their strength, but she met Mordekai's gaze as he asked her another question. Shaking her head, she glanced out of the window in the direction of the garden. ”You didn't pull up any roots.” Or, not that she had seen, anyway. ”It will grow back if left well enough alone.” Her tone was light, but she couldn't help the quick quirk of her eyebrow as she sent a look his way that said 'stay away this time' – it was as close to a joke as Tempest had uttered for an age. His breakfast had consisted of hardy plants – Tempest wasn't overly concerned about their welfare. She did have another idea though. ”Your hair should really be brushed before it dries. It will be impossible otherwise.” Though she couldn't and wouldn't admit it, she had wanted to run her fingers through it since he had shifted. ”May I?” She gestured over to her dresser, where her own hairbrush sat.

... by the way he treats his fellow animals.

you can judge a man's true character...

Tempest rolled her eyes and shook her head at his wheedling tone. ”That's no excuse for bad manners.” She groused, not entirely serious. Though she was still rather put out that now she had to wait at least another month before she'd be able to use her own herbs, at least she knew there was nothing wrong with the foundations of her garden. Animals had a much more acute sense of smell – werebeasts included – and if there had been anything wrong beneath the soil, Mordekai wouldn't have chosen her patch as his breakfast plate. Perhaps it was a blessing in disguise. At the very least, she wasn't too angry at him any more.

Her eyes narrowed a little at his expression trying to gauge his reaction, but in the end it didn't really matter how much he was or wasn't going to enjoy it – it needed to be done, and Tempest was going to be the one to do it. Mordekai's grip slackened enough that the little fae semi-reluctantly slid her hand out of his grasp, using it to push away from the table. As she flew around the obstacle, she seemed to ripple in the air for a second as a shiver racked her body. The tips of her wings flicked as if trying to dispel an irksome fly, and she tutted under her breath. She had almost forgotten that she was still in sodden clothing. Shooting an irritated look at the back of Mordekai's head, Tempest quickly returned to the table with her brush. ”I am not a lady. Tempest will suffice.” Ladies didn't curse, or lose their temper, or end up in a lake with a stranger, or a myriad of other things that seemed to be happening to her recently.

Though she was as careful as she could be, there were still knots to comb out, and she winced in pity every time she felt resistance instead of the smooth movement of the brush through his locks. The repetitive motions, the silken feel of his hair running through her fingers, and his rumbling noises of satisfaction had almost a hypnotic effect on the healer. His hair suitably tamed, Tempest took a second to place the brush by Kai's right hand, then returned her attentions to where they were clearly appreciated. The first two fingers of each hand massaged his temples, waiting for his head to roll back before Tempest spread her fingers across Kai's hairline, raking into his hair as each finger rotated in a mirror image to the opposite hand. When she reached the back of his head, her wings fell silent as she landed daintily on her feet, her hands already sliding under the curtain of his hair to massage his neck and shoulders.

... by the way he treats his fellow animals.

you can judge a man's true character...

Tempest had just lulled herself into a soothing rhythm in sync with Mordekai's reactions when he took it upon himself to move. For half a second, her fingers pushed through the space that he had previously occupied, and the change dumped her rather unceremoniously back into her own far too crowded and noisy conscious mind. In order to stop herself from falling face first into his (admittedly broad and surprisingly attractive) back, Tempest grabbed the dark dried Pokeweed vines that formed the back of Kai's chair to steady herself. It seemed that Mordekai had other plans, though, as Tempest wasn't even given time to curl her slim fingers around the wood before she was plucked out of her position by all too familiar hands. And yet, she still couldn't quite bring herself to be angry. Mildly annoyed was probably a better term, as indicated by the half-hearted glare that she sent his way. ”If you wanted me to move, you could have just asked.”

Did she hate how easily he picked her up and moved her around as if she was a little doll for him to play with? Yes. And no. Much as she tried to tell herself that she didn't want him to do it again, there was an increasingly large part of her that almost craved his calming touch. Her irritation faded as he took over, his actions mirroring hers of only a moment ago. Tempest rolled her shoulders back, arching and elongating her spine, stretching much as a cat would after a particularly satisfying nap. Her eyelids soon fluttered closed and she hummed vague noises of delight as she felt her aches easing. More easily than she would have thought possible, she slipped back into that near meditative state, emerging again with reluctance as Mordekai spoke.

It took a couple of seconds for the words to properly penetrate her fogged mind, which was more than long enough for her to get distracted by his eyes. She soldiered on, though, something in the back of her mind still managing to make sense of his speech and churn out an at least coherent response. Her lips pulled up into a half smile. ”Perhaps not.” She agreed, shrugging one shoulder. ”But this is.” It had been far too long since Tempest had allowed herself to have any form of fun. Perhaps it was best that he had come trampling in, forcing his company on her – otherwise she would have been doing what she normally did when she wasn't working; sitting alone in a dim cave a few miles northwest of her house, experimenting and researching.

Before she allowed herself to overthink what she was doing, Tempest shifted on Kai's lap, moving herself a few inches closer to him. Her arms were nowhere near as long as his, and though she was already preparing herself for the sting of a rejection that she wasn't entirely sure was going to come, she slipped her hands across the exposed portion of his chest and over his shoulders, her fingers dancing across his shoulders as her eyes traced the contours of his face. Despite how physically close they were, Tempest couldn't quite bring herself to meet his eyes.

... by the way he treats his fellow animals.

you can judge a man's true character...

Was this sensible? Probably not. Tempest was aware of the fact, but she couldn't quite bring herself to care. It had been far too long since a man (or woman, for that matter) had caught her attention this way. Usually, it was a fleeting glance and back to work, if she noticed at all. Besides Mordekai not seeming to want to let that happen, Tempest had just about convinced herself that she both needed and deserved time off – even if it was just an hour or two. What could go wrong? Her logical brain knew exactly what could go wrong – one of the main reasons she disliked putting herself out there – but that part of her brain was being suitably quieted by Kai's movements, and all she could think about was how good it felt.

Tempest wondered briefly what she had been thinking when she had forced him to dress – a pair of trousers would have sufficed, and then she wouldn't have this troublesome obstacle in her way. At Kai's wordless insistence, Tempest moved a few inches closer, close enough that when she breathed, her chest was mere millimetres from brushing his. Normally almost constantly fluttering, indicating her anxiety or anger, Tempest's wings were now only slowly beating the air behind her – not quickly enough to lift her into the air, even if she had wanted to go anywhere. Relaxed as she was, she didn't even flinch as his stubble grazed her cheek – in fact, sure in his inability to see her expression, she actually smiled. Close up, the angle for Tempest to reach his shoulders was awkward, so her hands dropped to the hem of his shirt. Without hesitation, her fingers skimmed his stomach as they made their way to his lower back, kneading up the sides of his spine as well as she could without being able to see, being careful not to dislodge his head from her shoulder. Occasionally, little noises of approval leaked from between her lips, but she was too engrossed in him to notice them.

Her hands faltered for a second as he pushed up her top, revealing her stomach and lower back. No-one had ever accused Tempest of being shy and retiring, though, so it wasn't long before she had resumed the rhythm they had established. As Kai lifted his head, Tempest turned hers to see if there was a problem, and his lips grazed her jaw rather closer to her mouth than he had probably intended. She had no choice but to meet his gaze then, and her heart thumped almost painfully in her chest. As soon as their eyes locked, Tempest stilled. Kai brushed a strand of hair from her cheek, but the curl bounced almost immediately back in front of her face, eliciting a half smile from the fae. Slowly, as if afraid of spooking him (though really she was the one that was scared), Tempest moved her hands from being wrapped around his waist to resting on either side of his neck, her thumbs brushing his jaw as she pressed her lips to his.

... by the way he treats his fellow animals.