Autharyx nods along with the explanation as if he actually understands it. He’d been hesitant about bought meat the day before, but if this meal is anything like the food from yesterday, he’s sure he will enjoy it. Do all mortals cook their food like this, or is he just very lucky to have found one that does? He can’t remember the food humans sometimes brought into his cave as having been anything like this, but then he supposes it’s different when you don’t have a mortal body to appreciate it.

“It sounds good,” he says earnestly, breaking into a smile when the tail fastens around his wrist again. He doesn’t know why he feels so… flattered when it happens, but if it feels good it’s probably not a bad thing. Viltez doesn’t seem to mind it any more, not as much as he did at first. His explanation of why it was ‘inappropriate’ still doesn’t really make sense to him, but he’s fairly certain he managed to assure the half-breed that he didn’t mind. In fact, he finds himself looking forward to each instance where he’s able to touch it. He doesn’t know why, but he thinks it has something to do with the sounds his host had made when he’d touched it for the first time. The breathy gasps had been unlike anything he’d heard before, and he still doesn’t know what about it fascinates him so much. 

He absent-mindedly runs his fingers over the soft fur a couple of times, before gently extracting himself so he can go set the table. Normally he would prefer being waited on, but it only feels natural to help out a little when Viltez is being so accommodating to him. It’s simple enough to stay out of Viltez’ way now that he is actually trying, and by the time the food is finished, Autharyx has plates set up, as well as some water to go with the food. He even helps carry the food to the table, after which he sits down at the same spot as yesterday. Now that he spent the last meal observing and copying table manners, he feels confident to try and keep a conversation going for this one. 

“The forest here is beautiful,” he says after they’ve both filled their plates. The forest falls within Viltez’ territory after all, and it is indeed worth a compliment.