Ryan sprawled back in his chair, clutching his fruit drink like a lifeline as he plowed through his third plate of food, completely unbothered by the stares around him. Courtesy? Manners? What were those, anyway? He couldn't remember the last time he'd eaten with any semblance of restraint. Maybe they'd invented forks and knives for civilized folk, but Ryan was far from interested in that.
"Whoa, easy there, buddy," Luke laughed, barely hiding a wince. "No one's swiping your food... at least not while you're watching."
Ignoring Luke's quip, Ryan picked up a tender drumstick, glancing at it as though it was the only thing keeping him alive. Then, abandoning it, he turned to the bowl of noodles, its steam curling upwards like an invitation. Without a second thought, he tilted the bowl straight toward his face, slurping down the noodles like they held the answers to life's mysteries.
