"Specialized in terms of being able to eat so many different solids is what I meant. Although I've heard many things about your adaptability... it's part of what makes me so curious about you." Particularly their ability to do a lot of things they weren't, perhaps, naturally intended to do with, perhaps, another species. But ZEX didn't mention that. "As for before, my food was primarily brought by supply lines and a few harvesters on Cerenkov... or did you mean generally?" ZEX tried to think of where to begin. "We can eat many things and do, it's just that none of them involve any kind of... teeth. We have a rather powerful digestive system... it's merely a matter of whatever it is we want to eat being able to be swallowed, and liquids are the natural choice. These are similar, in a way." ZEX indicated the potatoes, and paused. "You know, come to think of it... I've never harvested my own food before. Almost everything I ate was already prepared for consumption, bred for that specific purpose... we do enjoy the entire spectacle of mealtime, not that there's many occasions to look good that we don't enjoy. I suppose if I lived in one of our aquatic cities, it'd be different..."
ZEX quickly lost his train of thought when the Captain was touching him again, and he trailed off with a soft, pleased "Oh!". So many fingers moving around and near each other... it reminded ZEX pleasantly of intertwining head tentacles, and he sighed again fondly. Perhaps there was a positive side to hands after all.
Over all too soon. ZEX cautiously picked up a forkful of potatoes, and his hand paused as it usually did near the bottom of his neck. A subconscious routine that wasn't easily erased, and he again reminded himself that he no longer had a trunk, he had a mouth and it was far closer to the rest of his face than it was before. There, moderate success! A bit awkward, but the Captain did say this was appropriate behavior for humans, so he decided to stick with it.
"I never thought it'd be so complicated to be human. I was planning on learning more about your physiology while comfortably in my VUX body. I imagine this way is not nearly as enjoyable," ZEX said, smiling to himself, then perked slightly. "Oh yes, I remember what I meant to ask you before. Where would you like to meet for tonight?" ZEX paused to expand on that mentally for a moment with a brief daydream before continuing. "Perhaps your room? Or mine, if you prefer."
Merely openminded!
ZEX quickly lost his train of thought when the Captain was touching him again, and he trailed off with a soft, pleased "Oh!". So many fingers moving around and near each other... it reminded ZEX pleasantly of intertwining head tentacles, and he sighed again fondly. Perhaps there was a positive side to hands after all.
Over all too soon. ZEX cautiously picked up a forkful of potatoes, and his hand paused as it usually did near the bottom of his neck. A subconscious routine that wasn't easily erased, and he again reminded himself that he no longer had a trunk, he had a mouth and it was far closer to the rest of his face than it was before. There, moderate success! A bit awkward, but the Captain did say this was appropriate behavior for humans, so he decided to stick with it.
"I never thought it'd be so complicated to be human. I was planning on learning more about your physiology while comfortably in my VUX body. I imagine this way is not nearly as enjoyable," ZEX said, smiling to himself, then perked slightly. "Oh yes, I remember what I meant to ask you before. Where would you like to meet for tonight?" ZEX paused to expand on that mentally for a moment with a brief daydream before continuing. "Perhaps your room? Or mine, if you prefer."