The creature delicately extracted another nut and crunched it with obvious satisfaction. When Klaytei didn't immediately chase it away - or swing that deadly cleaver, it relaxed further and began grooming its whiskers clean from the slivers left behind.
Something about its casual attitude made her smile, so she set the cleaver aside and cautiously extended her hand. The fox sniffed her fingers briefly before tilting forward and allowing a gentle pat to its head. It wasn't the same kind of weirdly gentle strokes as the much-too-strong cultivator used, but it wasn't unpleasant.
"Well, you certainly have good taste. Those nuts cost her almost as much as she makes from one of those brooches."
The fox's tail swished once as if acknowledging the compliment… and the wealth she meant. Then it stood and trotted purposefully toward the kitchen door, pausing to look back at her expectantly. It had places to be and plans to follow.
