Torensten was quite abundant in means to obtain meat. If you weren't afraid of a little danger, anyway. Much of the creatures you could eat also posed the risk of biting back. For a dragon however, this wasn't a problem whatsoever. Odds were Vordun had hunted creatures that Caius hadn't even hunted himself. At the least, Cindy didn't ask too many questions about Noctis and their troubles. While she seemed nice enough, she wasn't exactly on a list of people he would immediately spill a prison break to. Of course, all those efforts would be for naught as Cindy wound up showing up anyway.

He laughed a bit when she called chocobos "overgrown chickens". "I dunno, chickens I have found are generally far more volatile. Chocobo can be rowdy, but so long as you don't provoke them they usually won't peck. Of course, not everyone gets along with animals either" Caius mused aloud. "We have had people who get on the chocobo and soon after are bucked off. But the same one will be perfectly cooperative with the next person. Animals can sense things in people, I suppose."

Cindy agreed to Caius bringing Vordun to the little intimidation show, and that got a grin out of him. "I'm sure he will enjoy that" Caius agreed, trying not to laugh too hard at the thought of Vordun scaring the daylights out of their little scammer. He was very much looking forward to this, even if he tried not to show just how much. Scammers had no place in this city.

Speaking of Vordun, Cindy brought up that Vordun likely soaked up all the spoiling. "Indeed he did" Caius remarked with a bright smile. "He did not object to being pampered at all. And got so used to it that I've pampered him just a little more than usual since then. Suppose he deserves it. Though honestly it's just nice to be able to have him out openly here in Torensten. No more having to hide."

He squinted a moment as he looked her in the face though. For all the hard work she clearly did, he saw no real signs of battle on her. "I have to admit though, I am surprised to hear you say you couldn't do those things. You look like you could handle yourself in a scrap."

Looked like she could, but unlike everyone else from the Lucis he knew, also looked like she hadn't. Caius did have to remind himself though, that this Cindy was from a time before it was necessary.

Caius couldn't stop a stifled laugh when Cindy brought up the short story of seeing chickens chase people on sight. It was very on-brand, considering they had housed chickens alongside their chocobos. Those things would peck just about anyone who came near them. Even if you came with food. "I think it's the other way around. If we didn't keep them satisfied, I imagine they may very well band together against us. Peck us all to death in our sleep" came a dry attempt at humor. "Perhaps those chickens tolerate us just enough to keep us around."

At the least, he understood what Cindy meant by people who animals typically left alone. "I have usually been good with animals. Not every animal, but I seem to be able to at least indicate I mean no harm. Certainly helped with raising Vordun" Caius responded at that. It also helped that he had been the first thing Vordun saw when he hatched. So that was probably cheating, just a bit. But it had taken a very careful, patient and caring hand to raise such a volatile creature known only as... A baby. Babies were very dangerous and violent creatures. Imagine trying to raise one that had razor sharp teeth that could tear off your fingers.

Their food soon arrived, and Caius listened to Cindy as he dug in. It had in fact been a long flight back, and then the whole car pulling thing happened as well, so he was actually fairly hungry. Caius just had a good poker face, is all. But a smile broke through as Cindy equated pampering Vordun to paying someone for a job well done. "Well, he certainly gets paid well for his services. As he should" he remarked with a laugh before taking a long drink. He'd forgotten to drink from his canteen while pulling the car, and only when the water touched his lips did it hit him. This was an unfortunate habit of which came up often.

Cindy elaborated on the subject of fighting, saying she could, and had been taught. But chose not to if she couldn't help it. Caius had to hold in a laugh when she suddenly fired up, however, when it came to standing up for her friends. It was adorable, how fiery she suddenly became over it. But it was admirable, and he respected that willingness to do right by those she cared for. She would be able to hold her own, he was sure.

"That would explain things. I was curious, as you have a build one would expect from a fighter, but also lack the markings. Even wounds that don't scar can leave some kind of indent. Not that I doubt you could knock someone silly if you wanted, though. Are you sure you don't want to whack your scammer upside the head yourself? I don't think you need me to scare him straight."

That was a joke, that last part. She had said she wasn't going out of her way to fight.

How quaint had his life turned out? Going from surviving a decade of the Starscourge without ever seeing the sun, to now sitting here with a version of Miss Aurum that had never even seen it, talking about hypothetical invasions most fowl. He certainly hadn't expected his life to end up this way, that's for sure. In another world entirely, with people that were familiar, and yet... Also weren't, at the same time. Caius wasn't sure how to even begin to process the fact that Noctis, Prompto, and now Cindy were all his age now. When the ones he'd met before were a decade his senior. Though he wasn't too sure if Cindy was older than him or younger at this juncture... He didn't really intend on asking.

Caius dug in pretty heavily considering his previous hunger, and the fact Cindy had done the same meant that he didn't find reason to restrain much. He did however, listen as she talked about growing up turning wrenches and working with vehicles. Seems she was similar to him in that she just grew up around it, and learned from there. Just as he had with the chocobo farm. If not for Vordun, to be honest, he probably would have taken in a few chocobo by now. But a dragon was enough to care for by itself. At least for now. Maybe down the line, when he was a bit older and fighting a bit less, he would have the time.

"I can certainly admire the dedication that comes from continuing to pursue a passion like that all the way from a young age into your adult years. Especially when it sounds like a lot of work" Caius commented at that, though couldn't help a laugh when she remarked she just didn't want to be involved in a conflict.

"Vordun it is, then" Caius responded as he wiped his mouth once the food was finished. "Once we get the bill squared, feel free to lead the way to where you had the girls bring the car, and we'll get to it."