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"Yeah." That response didn't do much to ease Jordan's trepidation, but he'd already offered; he poured a second cup and held it out to Jezebel. He couldn't quite tell what kind of creature she was - had been? - and couldn't recall Robert ever having mentioned it. Demon, perhaps.

"No." Jordan snorted. "You were watching me the whole time; even if I'd wanted to, I'm not that good at sleight of hand. Just wondering if caffiene has any effect on golems." Also if it was a good idea to give it to her, specifically, but he kept that to himself.

On the other hand, after she left, it would be Robert's problem...

"s**t, sorry!" Jordan looked chagrined. "Forgot to warn you it was hot." He should have figured, really; if she didn't know what coffee was, she wouldn't realize that she should wait for it to cool. He could practically hear Ferros laughing at him.

"Are you sure you're not getting me mixed up with Robert?" Jordan asked lightly. "I mean, understandable, with all that brilliance and tact and all, but really. I'm not insulted, though. I promise." He sat down, giving Jezebel a curious glance.

Jordan paused, studying Jezebel's face. This was a loaded question if he'd ever heard one. He hoped that whatever he said wouldn't be taken as extra ammunition against Robert; still, honesty was probably the best policy here.

"Ferros and I - well, before I say anything else," he said, "I should probably tell you that I think he and I are closer than many pairs. When I woke up,, it was like - " he thought about the analogy for a moment, looking for the right words, " - like realizing I'd been missing one of my hands all my life, and I'd only just found out that it should be there. He's a part of me, and I of him." A small, self-conscious laugh. "That sounds kind of cliched, doesn't it. I'd forgotten what's it's like not having anyone else in my head. I keep thinking something and waiting for his response before I remember he can't hear me right now." He stroked his thumb along the band of the ring on his index finger, looking thoughtfully at the stone, nearly as dim as an ordinary jewel while its inhabitant's consciousness was elsewhere.

"He lets me know when I'm being an idiot, points out things I miss, tells me what he thinks I should do." A small smile crossed his face. "Much of the time he's right. He tells stupid jokes, listens to my stupid jokes and tells me they're stupid, and tries to get me to blush by saying embarrassing things nobody else can hear. That's not a suggestion, by the way," he added dryly. "He's ... well, he's my partner." He shrugged a little. "Words don't cover it. It's not like anything else anyone's ever been to me. This is the second time since we've bonded that I've been unable to hear him. It's not freaking me out this time since I know why and I know he'll be back, but I miss him."

"There's times when we argue or have disputes, of course, but mostly we get along. Honestly, it surprised me to learn that other pairs don't. I guess it's natural, different people are different - well, duh, yeah," he laughed at himself, "that's kind of the definition of different, isn't it, but it didn't occur to me at first because he and I do work well."

Jordan looked up to direct a steady look at Jezebel. "What brought you to choose Robert? I'm not criticizing you," he clarified, "I've been curious about that for some time."

Jordan's eyebrows arched, and he took some time to think over his answer. He knew Ferros didn't resent being a weapon, but it explained some things that Jezebel did. "I think," he said finally, "that it might do a lot of us good to try it."

He stroked Ferros's ring again as he turned the idea over in his head. "The Hunter candidate testing takes away our memories," he mused, "and gives us a taste of being what we are when we don't know who we are. I don't know what any of us were really like before the island. Before bonding. Maybe if the human halves had a taste of dependency, it'd teach us to respect and value you more."

He rested his elbows on his knees, a faint frown creasing his brows. "Hell if I know how to get that idea up the chain," he said, mostly to himself. "That's going to take some thought. Maybe if - dammit, I feel like half my brain's missing," he grumbled, and shook his head, refocusing on Jezebel with a small smile. "Ferros and I share minds; it'd have been impossible for me not to recognize that he's as much a person as I am, even if I wanted to. It's given me a lot to think about."

"He better not die too soon. He owes me a beer," Jordan answered lightly. He left the other part of Jezebel's answer alone, sensing in it an essential honesty and vulnerability that he suspected she had given as a deliberate gift.

He stood also, ambling back over to the tiny kitchen to pick up his coffee cup, sipping the hot drink before he said, "I'm lucky he chose me."

The unfinished statement drew a curious look from Jordan, but he didn't press, not wanting to damage the tentative respect their conversation had earned from her. If she wanted to finish the thought, she'd come back to it.

"It's an acquired taste," he said amiably. "It also contains a mild stimulant." Now that he thought about it, he realized that the caffeine shouldn't be a problem; the golem body was made of clay and likely didn't have the neural receptors that would have been affected by the compound. He'd been worrying for no good reason. Then again, he was good at that.

"Not at all," he replied. "I'm not about to make you wander around in dirty clothes. Or nude. While I'm sure some people would enjoy the view, it'd be very uncouth of me to demand the towel." He grinned. "One of the female hunters might have something you could borrow till your clothes are clean. Hm, I wonder where Maddie is?" He took his phone out of his pocket.