"Wow, Eris, what kind of bird is that?!" I blurt out, my eyes practically bulging as I stare at the colossal drumstick in her hand.
Eris glances at the giant slab of meat, effortlessly holding it up as if it doesn't weigh a ton.
"Oh, this?" She smirks, wiggling the massive piece of meat.
Each drumstick is easily over two kilograms—so big it looks like something straight out of a fantasy RPG.
"Yeah!" I nod eagerly. "I've never seen anything this huge before!"
Eris grins. "Oh! It's from a wild Filoan chicken. It's a staple meat around here. The forests nearby are full of them, so people hunt and eat them every day. But… you don't remember that either?"
I freeze.
Ah, crap.
"A-ah…" I stammer, scrambling for an excuse. "Y-yeahhh… That's why I was so surprised…"
Eris's smile falters for just a second. A flicker of sadness passes through her expression.
"I-I see… That's really sad."
But then, just as quickly, her mood brightens again, her face lighting up like the sun.
"Well, on the bright side, you get to try new food again!" She practically beams and—before I can react—she shoves a whole drumstick into my hands.
"Come on, try it!"
I hesitate.
I should refuse.
I feel bad taking her food, especially after she paid for my meal.
But before I can even form the words—
The aroma hits me.
The scent of perfectly grilled chicken drifts up, wrapping around my senses like an irresistible spell.
The skin—charcoal-kissed and golden-brown—gleams under the dim tavern lights, caramelized honey coating its crisp surface, blending with the rich, fragrant herbs seared into every fiber.
Ohhh.
My brain short-circuits.
The smell is intoxicating, so good that my head spins, and my mouth waters uncontrollably.
I'm losing my mind.
"I-Is that okay?" I ask weakly, my grip tightening around the drumstick, my self-control hanging by a thread.
"Why wouldn't it be?!" Eris laughs, pushing the drumstick closer to me with an easy grin. "Eat up!"
Now that I'm holding it, I can feel the heat still radiating from the meat.
The crispy skin is perfectly firm, hiding what I just know is going to be the juiciest, most flavorful bite of my life.
"Let's take a bite at the same time! Cheers!!!" Eris grins, raising her drumstick high.
Her excitement is contagious.
"C-cheers!!!" I echo, mirroring her and tapping my drumstick against hers playfully.
"Alright, together on three!" Eris says, her voice brimming with excitement. "One, two… THREE! NOM!"
Eris takes a big, hearty bite, and I follow suit, sinking my teeth into the crispy, golden-brown skin.
The second my teeth break through to the tender, juicy meat underneath—
A flood of savory juices bursts into my mouth, exploding with flavor.
WWWWWWWWWWWWOOOOOOOOOOOOWWWWW!!!
IT'S. SO. GOOD.
My mind detonates like fireworks.
My taste buds are doing cartwheels, every single nerve in my body lighting up in pure bliss.
Saliva pools in my mouth as I savor the bite, the overwhelming wave of pleasure nearly knocking me out of my seat.
My eyes roll back slightly. My body trembles in delight.
I'M TRANSCENDING REALITY.
"MMMMMMHHHHHHMMMM!!!"
The embarrassing sounds slip out uncontrollably, but I don't even care anymore.
Nom nom nom nom…
I chew slowly, letting the rich, smoky, perfectly seasoned flavor linger on my tongue before finally swallowing.
As the warm, buttery meat slides down my throat, a deep, comforting heat spreads through my body.
It feels… amazing.
"Wow…" I murmur, breathless from the sheer joy of it all.
This is the best thing I have ever eaten in my entire life.
Isekai life, HECK YEAAAAHHH!!!
But then—
I glance at Eris.
And I freeze.
What… the actual—!?
My jaw drops.
The person sitting across from me isn't Eris anymore.
It's a freaking monster.
CHOMP!!!!
With a vicious bite, Eris's sharp teeth tear into the flesh savagely. Her eyes narrow, locked in a primal focus. Then, her neck and hand move in opposite directions, pulling the meat apart like it's paper.
It's feral.
Animalistic.
The meat juices splatter across the table, dripping down her chin. She casually wipes it off with a napkin, completely unfazed. Then—
RIP.
She tears off another chunk, chewing with ferocious intensity, like an apex predator devouring its prey.
Her entire body is moving now—leaning in, muscles tensed, fully immersed in the feast.
And just like that—
The drumstick is gone.
But she's not done yet.
CRACK!!!
Eris bites straight into the bone, shattering it like brittle glass. Tiny splinters fly, the sound popping like popcorn.
Then—
Slurp!!!
She sucks out the bone marrow with a loud, almost obscene noise.
She's still not finished.
Eris attacks the cartilage, tearing it from the bone's head and chewing through it with loud, satisfying crunches.
And then—
She picks up another drumstick and gazes at me.
Unblinking.
Everything clicks.
Oh my god.
THAT'S WHY.
I was wondering why Eris and Lilly looked at me like I had done something insane when I placed my order.
Like I had committed some heinous mistake.
And now… I finally understand.
Eris is a catgirl.
I'm a catgirl too.
And as catgirls…
WE DON'T EAT VEGETABLES.
"E-Eris…" I murmur, face burning with embarrassment as the realization slaps me. "D-do catgirls eat vegetables? You only eat meat, right?"
Eris takes a final bite, chews lazily, then swallows, dabbing her mouth with a napkin.
"Well, you do." She smirks, her voice dripping with amusement.
"No! I mean… does anyone else, except me, eat veggies?" I blurt out, my face heating up even more.
Eris tilts her head thoughtfully.
"Hmmm… Nope! Never seen another cat Furren do that!" she replies, bursting into laughter.
….
Fuuuucccckkkk…!!!
I feel so utterly stupid right now.
Eris suddenly gasps, eyes lighting up like she just solved a murder mystery.
"Aaaaa!!! I see!!!"
She slams a fist into her palm, then points dramatically at me.
"Don't tell me… you even forgot what your diet was?!"
I freeze.
Oh.
Ohhhhhh.
"Ah… y-yeah, apparently so," I admit sheepishly.
Eris bursts out laughing, clutching her stomach.
"AHA! That explains it!!!"
She leans back, wiping away a stray tear.
"I was literally thinking, what the hell were you doing, ordering food like a little rabbit?!"
I groan, covering my face.
I really did look like an idiot, didn't I?
"Well, now that you remember—eat up! And let's go for another tray!" Eris grins, raising her drumstick like a toast.
I hesitate for half a second before throwing my hands in the air.
"Y-YEAHHH! Let's go for another tray!!!"
Screw it. I might as well embrace this new reality.
More food is coming—and I can't wait.
In the end, we demolish three Filoan bird drumsticks each.
It's feral.
It's wild.
It's messy.
But holy crap, is it fun.
At first, it takes me a while to let go—to stop thinking about proper table manners, to turn off every trace of etiquette drilled into me.
But the moment I do—
The moment I stop holding back and just eat like a real catgirl—
The food tastes ten times better.