Confidence[/u]
Tybalt looked around the bar, his phone clutched tightly in his hand. It was so busy he had to squeeze his way through multiple groups before he could find a table to stand at, no chairs, and lean awkwardly against while he considered going home. It was true what they said; The Gullet was the most popular club in town, at least among its target audience. Predators and prey would come from all over the city to hook up and go home well fed or well digested. Usually the cat would have happily fallen into the latter category, but tonight he had a mission - he was going to be a predator, and enjoy all the ego-boosting benefits that came with it.
It had started as a conversation with his therapist about his lack of self-confidence and had quickly spiralled into nights and lunch breaks spent scrolling through articles on boosting himself up. He had tried everything from ‘morning success mantras’ to ‘dressing for success’, but nothing had worked. He tugged at the expensive watch he had dumped his last paycheck into and looked down at all the hands ticking away, barely visible in the dim light of the bar. He didn’t even like analog watches, though at least living off nothing but ramen noodles and soup for a month had left him hungry enough to go through with his plans.
He opened the article once again; ‘Self-Confidence Starts with a S(tomach)! - The 6 S’s of being a Successful Predator!’ …Tybalt closed his eyes and tried to remember the order; Spot, Seduce, Swallow– No, that wasn’t it. The cat quickly scrolled down to the section with the rules to make sure he could memorise the game plan, he would only get one shot at this after all.
‘1. Spot - Find a delicious prey, and make sure they’re in your PVC, Potential Vore Chance. Choose someone smaller or weaker than you are, or someone you think will easily be tricked into letting down their guard if you’re small and weak yourself.”
Tybalt glanced back up at his target; a peacock by the bar with dazzling light purple and blue feathers. The bird was a bit taller than he was, but he was also skinnier. As he stared at the bird he found himself starting to drool again. The cat took a long sip of his Long Island Iced Tea to help gulp back the drool and swallow his jittering nerves. It would be a challenge, but he’d feel a lot more confident if he succeeded. The peacock glanced his way and the cat quickly returned his gaze to the screen to read the next step.
’2. Stalk/Seduce - If you’re a ‘Power Predator’ who uses raw strength to get what you want, you’re going to want to get your target alone. Track your prey until you’ve got them cornered and then move in for the meal! If however, you’re a ‘Personality Predator’, who uses charm to coax their prey into their maw, you’ll want to ‘Seduce’ them. Approach them with compliments, buy them a drink, lower their defences, but make your move before they get away…’
“Definitely ‘Seduce’,” Tybalt decided, his tail tucking up against his left leg as he ducked his head. For all the stretching he had been doing to work on his flexibility and stomach capacity, he hadn’t done anything that would lead to the muscles needed to overpower the mouth-watering bird by the bar. He tried to reframe the thought to focus on his strengths; he was small, cute and adorable. He’d have no trouble convincing the bird to let his guard down.
He put his phone back into his pocket and emptied his glass before making his way to the bar, his tail swishing behind him. He put one hand on his hips, trying to walk the way he had seen more sultry predators approach him before. He sidled up alongside the bird with a low purr and gazed longingly at him with deep blue eyes that glimmered with hunger.
The peacock stared unflinchingly straight ahead, his eyes following the bartender as he moved back and forth. Tybalt leaned forward on the bar and tried another purr, his tail curling up behind him as he twirled his claw with his whiskers. ’I feel ridiculous… isn’t this how you’d usually go about seducing someone though?’ The cat thought, feeling hot under his fur as he pushed his rear out even further. ’Mmrrew, big birdy, you’re going to go straight to my butt~’ the cat thought, wiggling his rear teasingly as he stared up at the oblivious peacock. After a few moments without getting a reaction the cat stopped pushing his backside out, feeling embarrassed as he tucked his tail up against it. It was no use trying to draw the peacock’s gaze with his body, he had no idea the cat even existed despite being right next to him. It was time to use his last resort… talking to a stranger.
“Hey,” the cat straightened himself before leaning back coolly against the bar. The peacock finally looked down at him, and for a moment Tybalt felt his confidence wane. He steeled his resolve, determined to seduce the bird into his belly no matter how self-conscious he felt. “Can I buy you a drink?”
“Can I buy you one?” The peacock asked as he turned to face him. The bird was far more handsome up close, dressed in only a scarf and some shorts, with a slender, bare midriff that revealed the bird’s toned body underneath his soft purple feathers. “Looks like you’re empty,” The peacock smiled down at him.
“I aM!” Tybalt’s voice cracked on what would’ve otherwise been a perfect line as he patted his stomach with his free hand. The peacock let out a chirp of amusement as he leaned on the bar, his tail feathers fanning out behind him, the patterns on each tip like six hypnotic eyes all staring at him at once.
“I meant your drink,” he gestured to the glass the cat was holding.
“Oh, right! Sure,” Tybalt replied, placing the empty glass on the table and sliding it over to Gyro, the ice cubes inside clinking against each other. He had managed to regain some of his swagger with the slick move, though his drink order presented another perfect chance for a predatory pick-up line. The cat scanned his mind for cocktails that used bird names. “I’ll have a… mockingbird.” The cat’s voice dropped into a gluttonous purr as he leaned forward and stared deeply into the peacock’s eyes. For a moment he almost felt his stomach growl, he was acting like a real predator!
“...and a Tequila Mockingbird for the cat,” The peacock finished his order with the bartender, clearly amused by Tybalt’s antics, though not as flustered as the cat had hoped. Tybalt grimaced as he heard the full name of the drink; he hated tequila, but if he could cover up the flavour with the bird by the end of the night it would be a net win. “I’m Gyro, by the way. Probably should’ve got introductions out of the way before our drink orders.” He held out his fingerless gloved hand to the cat, his wings curling against his arm gently as he offered it.
“Tybalt,” he replied, shaking the bird’s hand before going back to casually leaning against the bar and pretending to scout out prey. All he had to do was copy what the other predators were doing and he’d have the bird’s feathers fluffing out in excitement in no time. “Lots of tasty prey-things out tonight,” he observed, winking at Gyro.
“So I’ve noticed,” Gyro replied as he leaned back against the bar, almost mimicking the cat’s behaviour as his tail feathers brushed up against his leg. “I guess you’ve got something in mind for tonight then? Looking for someone to ‘spend it with’?” The peacock asked with a playful cock of his head towards the private rooms at the back of the club.
“It’s not like I’d be spending the whole night with them,” Tybalt replied, his hand trailing over his flat stomach. He could only hope his hoodie made it look bigger, the bird would never believe he was a seasoned predator if he could see how skinny he was. “I’m just trying to find someone who’ll satisfy my tastes, if you know what I mean.”
“Oh, I think I do. Looking for something to sate the urges a lot of people come here for, I’ll bet.” Gyro nodded knowingly. “The sort of thing you can’t really talk about wanting to do in public,” he raised an eyebrow at him, “though I guess being a cat, you’ve got a bit more leeway on that kind of thing. Plenty of lives.”
“And plenty of choices; mice, fish…” Tybalt’s eyes sparkled as he stared at the bird, drool dripping freely from the corner of his mouth. “Birdies~” he teased with a playful purr, his slender tail curling around Gyro’s leg.
“I’m flattered I meet the criteria,” the peacock replied with a little grin as he stood up straight, his tail feathers raising regally behind him. The cat glanced over at him, taken off-guard by how casual the bird was being in the face of a hungry predator, he’d usually be a blushing mess by this point. Gyro leaned forward, his eyes lidding as he stared into the cat’s. “And of course, I accept. I’d say you’re to my tastes too. It might be a tight fit, but I’ve heard cats are very flexible.”
“Very, I won’t have any trouble with you at all,” Tybalt lied. He just hoped starving himself leading up tonight would be enough to finish the huge meal before him. “Besides, cats and birds are kind of a classic combination, aren’t they?” Tybalt replied, his heart racing with excitement. He couldn’t believe his ears; Gyro was into it! He’d finally experience what it was like to be a predator, and his prey wouldn’t even put up a fight. The bartender placed their drinks in front of them and they each took their own. “To being delicious,” Tybalt winked as he playfully clinked his glass against Gyro’s.
“You said it,” Gyro replied as he brought his glass to his beak and slipped at the contents. Tybalt choked back his first mouthful of the cocktail; the bitter tequila stung his throat, but he couldn’t let himself get into a coughing fit right after being so seductive and sauve. He grimaced and drank it down, his ears wilting in dismay at how much of the drink there still was to go. “Let’s finish our drinks, then we’ll get a room and talk ‘business’,” Gyro promised him as he took another slow sip of his cocktail.
As the two spent more time together, Tybalt began to wonder whether he could really go through with the plan. Drinking tequila on an empty stomach had quickly backfired on the cat, leaving his head spinning as he tried to maintain the ruse that he was a sauve, seasoned predator talking to his… handsome… charming prey. The cat giggled drunkenly to himself, soon those sweet-scented, pretty feathers would be sliding down his throat, only to be belched back out later like a feathery firework. His stomach groaned hungrily at the thought… Yes, he thought, he could do this. He had to do this.
Time quickly became a blur: at some point he had taken off his hoodie and tied it around his hips, and he vaguely remembered the bird leaving to book a room before coming back to get him. As the cat walked through the crowded bar, lead along by the markings on the peacock’s tail feathers, he quickly pulled out his phone and fumbled his way through the passcode to check the guide.
’3 - Slurp - Now’s the time to make your intentions known with a nice big slluurrrp! Run your tongue across their face to stun them, then…
4 - Swallow! - Shove their face into your maw and start gulping them down like they’re a delicious mouth-watering Cajun Burger and Fries Combo Meal (now only $5.49 at ShinDigs!)”
“Slurp and Swallow, slurp and swallow,” Tybalt muttered to himself, committing the two words to memory. The mention of fast food had only made him hungrier, his stomach growling ravenously as he followed the bird’s tail feathers down to his backside. He licked his lips as he thought about what was under those shorts; soon those delicious chicken thighs would be his… or peacock thighs, but then, male chickens were called ‘cocks’… were female peacocks called peahens? The cat shook his head to disperse the drunken train of thought as he put his phone back in his pocket. Finally Gyro led the stumbling cat out of the crowded bar and up the stairs to the private rooms, opening the door to allow the white cat to step inside.
“Mmhh… I really like these rooms ,they’re all glowy.” Tybalt purred as he looked around, his eyes following the neon trails that bordered the ceiling and walls before finally he sat back on the bed. “Heh, dinner time~” he teased, wiggling his hips as he stared up at the bird.
“Someone’s excited,” Gyro smiled down at him as he closed the door behind him and twisted the lock in place. No escaping now - Only one of them would be leaving the room un-eaten.
“First time,” Tybalt admitted before he could stop himself as he took off his shirt to reveal his slender, preyish body. The small part of him that was still sober winced as he revealed his inexperience, but it didn’t seem to change the peacock’s attitude towards him. Gyro stepped forward and curled his hand under Tybalt’s chin, bringing it up until their eyes met.
“You don’t have to lie about it, you know. I’ve seen you at The Gullet before,” Gyro reassured him as he ran his eyes up and down the cat’s body. He trailed his claws along the curve of the cat’s jawline and scritched him behind the ear, leaving Tybalt purring blissfully as the peacock continued. “I feel like every time I see you you’re with someone new, I’ve got to wonder how many lives you’ve got left in you.”
“Enough for a birdy~” Tybalt replied in the hungriest voice he could muster, his jaws yawning open as his tongue slurped over his fangs in his best attempt at a mawshot. He had to wonder what his lives had to do with being a predator though. Moreover, how had Gyro seen him doing this before? This was his first time taking someone to a private room to eat them. When he came to The Gullet he was usually there to be–
The white cat’s pupils shrank as the penny finally dropped, a familiar chill up his spine as he looked up at the bird. Gyro stared down at him, his tongue running over his beak as he cast a shadow over the cat, his outline lit by the purple neon lights on the walls. “U-umm,” Tybalt mumbled, his tail lashing across the bed behind him nervously as he suddenly felt much smaller in front of the peacock. “Y-you do know who’s going to be the predator here, right?” he asked with a sheepish smile, his fingers curling against the satin covers of the bed.
“Oh, I’m well aware, kitty. It’s like you said; cats and birds are a classic combination.” Gyro replied as he put one hand on each of the cat’s shoulders, his wings spreading out from his arms to block his escape. “Perfect for Role Reversal.”
“R-role reversal?” Tybalt mewled nervously as he squirmed against the bed. His struggles were cut short as Gyro leaned forward and gave him a long Slrrrrrrrrrp from his nose up to his forehead. Tybalt grimaced as the saliva dripped through his white fur and over the sides of his muzzle, his head still foggy with alcohol as the bird licked his beak and stared down at his prize. As Tybalt stared up at him, he remembered the steps from the article: Gyro had Spotted him at the bar, Seduced him into the private room and Slurped him across his face… which meant the next step would be…
“AAaaa–HULLPP!” Gyro swung his wide open beak down over the cat’s head, cutting off his final mew of protest. His hands slide down from Tybalt’s shoulders to his upper arms, pinning them to the cat’s sides as he squirmed against the bed and kicked his legs. “G-Gyro! Mmph! I’m supposed to be the pred!” The cat yelled, but every time he opened his mouth the walls of the bird’s throat clenched around his muzzle, holding it shut so all he could do was let out muffled mewls. “Mmphhh!”
“Mmhhh~” Gyro drooled over the cat’s head, leaving saliva running through his dark brown hair and matting his fur. He brought his beak back for a moment only to push forward, timing his first gulp perfectly to force the cat’s head into his throat, leaving his neck bulging out under his beak. He pushed Tybalt’s arms tighter, compacting them against his chest as much as he could as he worked his beak over the kitty’s shoulders inch by delicious vanilla-furred inch.
The cat whimpered as he continued to descend, the frames of his glasses creaking each time the fleshy walls around him squeezed them against his face. Another gulp from the bird shoved him another few inches forward, drool dripping from his hair and splattering in his eyes. He closed them tightly as he curled his toes against the bed to pin himself in place; maybe if he held Gyro off for long enough the bird would realise his mistake and spit him back out again.
To his surprise, the bird instead pushed forward over his body instead of trying to drag the cat into his, leaving the fleshy walls around Tybalt moving disorientingly as the path to the stomach suddenly became more horizontal than vertical. The tip of the peacock’s beak nipped along the small of the cat’s back, letting him know he was rapidly reaching the halfway point. He had read enough guides to know the prey’s hips were the point of no return. With the cat’s arms firmly locked in place by his throat Gyro moved his hands down to the cat’s shorts and slipped past the waistband to give his cheeks an appraising squeeze. “Mmmmmhmhm~” he chuckled around the cat’s upper body, clearly excited for this next part.
Tybalt’s hands rapidly edged towards his maw, still grasping for anything to hold himself in place. As his two thousand dollar watch clinked against the bird’s beak his eyes widened in a panic as he pictured something so expensive going through what he was about to. “W-wait! My watch!” he begged, “I-I really need to take it off first!” The bird’s beak loosened its grip, allowing the cat to bring his hands together and fumble blindly with his watch. Finally he undid the clasp, allowing it to fall onto the bed between his legs. Tybalt let out a sigh of relief knowing it would be safe, only to perk his ears. “...Wait, if you could hear me saying that–”
GLLRP! Gyro swallowed again before the cat could continue that train of thought; saving expensive watches was one thing, but saving delicious kitty boys was another. The peacock tugged at the back of the cat’s shorts, bringing them and his boxer briefs down to leave them behind while he gulped the plump hips and rear into his hungry jaws. At least his phone would be safe since it was in his pocket, but he couldn’t help but feel hot under his fur as the peacock’s slimy tongue slurped over his snow white cheeks. The cat tucked his tail between his legs in a bashful attempt at being modest despite having his face being slowly inched into the bird’s stomach. The peacock paid no mind to the tail though, it was too slender to cover up his view in the mirror at the end of the bed.
“N-nyyaa, come on, the one time I came in here to be a pred!” Tybalt protested, shaking his head rapidly as it was lowered towards the bubbling stomach juices beneath him.He could feel the Peacock’s wings brushing against his thighs as Gyro tucked his ankles under his buttcheeks, forcing the cat’s legs into his ever-widening beak in the process. It seemed like it would be much harder to eat him while his back half was curled up in a ball, what could the Peacock possible by getting out of putting his prey in such a challenging–
Klik! Among all the stomach noises, bubbling glorps, and the beating of the bird’s heart above him, he heard the shutter sound of his phone’s camera app. Tybalt turned red under his fur; not only had he failed in his mission, but everyone online would see it too! The cat wiggled his hips in protest, trying to get his tail out from between his legs so he could slap the phone out of the Peacock’s hand. The movement only made him slip further in, and try as he might he couldn’t stop his downward momentum. Soon his shoulders pushed their way through the tight confines of the stomach sphincter, drenched in sweat, saliva and slime as they splashed into the pool of stomach fluids either side of his head. Up above he could feel Gyro tilting his head back for the final gulp, the cat wiggled his rump desperately, his tail twisting painfully until it sprung free and shot upwards. “W-wait!”
Gyro’s beak snapped down hard on it, leaving it fluffing out as the bulge of the Tybalt’s rear pushed against his cheeks. He couldn’t even move his tongue to get a good taste with how much of the cat was balled up in his mouth, though it wouldn’t matter for much longer. The bird tossed his head back, GLLLRRP! …the bulge shifted down to his neck, GLLLRRMPPP! …and down past his chest, dragging the twitching tail along with it. The peacock slurped the last few inches of the tail into his jaws and gave one last swallow before collapsing forward over his bulging stomach and sinking deep into the mattress. “Hffff… nice, UURrp… watch~” he drooled as the warmth of his predatory gluttony washed over him.
The extra pressure on his stomach helped push the last of the cat’s body into his belly, and as he rolled forward on it Tybalt was forced to curl up in a ball. “L-Let me out! You’ve got it all wrong, I was supposed to be the predator tonight!” He mewed as he wriggled to get his left arm free enough to push against the wall in front of him.
“I don’t know, Tybalt, I’m looking at this picture I took, and you definitely look like a prey to me,” Gyro replied as he shifted his weight, causing his stomach to let out a low Grrrrwgggglbble around the cat. “Mmh, my stomach thinks so too. Two against one, kitty.”The bird opened his beak wide and let out a belch littered with white flecks of fur, snapping another picture on the cat’s phone as he did so. “Hmm, that wasn’t a very good one. Can we try that again? Want to make sure I get my good side~”
“I-I know I’m usually the prey, but I was supposed to try to eat someone tonight,” Tybalt explained quickly, another ’Grrrrrn’[i/] from the bird’s belly reminding him he didn’t have much time left to convince him. “A-an article said it would boost my confidence!”
“Oh yeah, here it is,” Gyro replied as he tapped a claw on the next open tab. “Let’s see… Number 5, ‘Stomach’.” He grinned as he started to rub down on the squirming belly beneath him, his hips bucking against the underside as he read: “By now you’re enjoying a full belly, but the battle isn’t over just yet. You’re going to want to rub that belly to break down your prey’s stamina until they stop squirming. Remember: hard on top, soft on bottom.”
“C-Come on!” Tybalt whined as he pushed with all his might against the stomach wall. For a moment he could almost feel the sphincter opening around his left paw, but it quickly pushed it back inside before he could make any headway beyond making the bird belch out more of the humid but precious air. The peacock followed the instructions to a T; rubbing hard against the top of his belly to compact the cat into the goopy stomach acids around him, only to rub soothingly on the sides to help the digestive process along. “Mmhhh.. Mrrorl..” Tybalt mumbled, his head spinning as the walls pushed him in every direction, tightening and loosening against his fur as they diligently rubbed in the fluids.
“Mmm, that’s much better. This article might have some good advice after all, just not for you.” Gyro teased the cat as he grinded his body against his soft-feathered gut, listening to the groans and blorps it made as it worked on the cat inside. “But I’ll give you a little confidence boost before you’re bird hips, seems like the least I could do after such a wonderful meal~”
The stomach walls loosened their grip on Tybalt as the peacock gulped down some air, allowing the cat a chance to catch his breath. “First and foremost, you’re the most delicious cat I’ve ever eaten. Sweet, but not too sweet, easy on the stomach too. I get the feeling you’re not going to give me any aches or pains~” Gyro teased him with a gentle rub over his ears.
Tybalt blushed at the bird’s kind words, a little conflicted on how to respond. “Th-that’s not really the kind of confidence I needed–” …but it felt good. So good.
“Second, you’re a nice adaptable meal. Flexible enough that even an amateur pred could fit you in their jaws and send you down their throat without pulling a muscle,” Gyro continued as he rolled himself over, causing his gut to slosh around Tybalt as it spun around him. Finally the cat landed upside down with his head between his legs, and Gyro’s hands rubbing over his cheeks from the other side of the wall of flesh between them. “And you’re small enough I could probably still walk around with ease.”
“Th-that’s good, I think?” Tybalt mumbled, his heart racing at all the compliments as the bird massaged the stomach walls either side of him. He finally shuffled himself back into an upright position, only to feel the stomach sag underneath him as Gyro heaved himself off the bed. “B-but I don’t think being a good prey is something to feel confident over–”
“I don’t see why not, if you came here looking to get a confidence boost out of being a predator, you could easily get one out of being food.” Gyro replied as he slipped the cat’s watch into his pocket with his free hand, his other holding his belly up to prevent Tybalt’s weight from straining it too much. “But I know all this might sound like I’m just trying to make you feel better for getting eaten alive, so why don’t we go ask around? I’ve got this nice picture I took of you after all~”
“W-what? H-hey!” Tybalt mewled as the peacock started to walk, the loud club music blocking out his protests as Gyro plodded his way back down the stairs and into the crowded bar below. His stomach sloshed with each step the peacock took, rocking the cat back and forth like a hammock. Though even with all the noise around him and his waning grip on staying conscious, he could hear Gyro’s voice as he approached other predators; “Excuse me, if I could have a moment of your time… Would you eat this cat?”
Tybalt froze, his heart sinking in embarrassment, but his ears perked in curiosity.
“That cat? Yeah, of course!”
“He looks delicious!”
“Is he here right now?”
“In a manner of speaking,” Gyro teased as his feathered arms lifted up his gut before dropping it, causing it to bounce the cat in place and splash him with stomach juices. The predators immediately started rubbing the cat from every direction, telling the peacock how jealous they were of him. After basking in the belly rubs Gyro thanked them for their time and moved onto the next group, holding up the cat’s phone to show them the picture of his white-furred butt, glistening with drool and framed by the yellow of the peacock’s beak. “Excuse me, would you eat this cat?”
Tybalt’s head spun with all the compliments he was getting as the bird moved from group to group, and before long he couldn’t stop himself from purring. To think so many predators wanted to eat him; that he was so desired some made threats of reaching down Gyro’s throat to grab him, or even offering to pay the peacock to let them eat him instead. And then the peacock refusing all the prices and waddling off to tease the cat some more? Tybalt rubbed himself against the stomach walls, purring blissfully as he started to lose all sense of time and consciousness… he was such a good prey. So delicious, so juicy and filling. How could he have not seen all these wonderful qualities in himself before? Why did he ever think he needed to be anything else? A cat like him had plenty to be confident about. Tybalt closed his eyes with a blissful sigh, allowing sleep to take him as the juices rose around his chest…
Gyro gagged as he felt something rising up his throat and quickly stepped away from the crowd and into the corner of the club. After a few tosses of his head the obstruction finally came free and flew out of his jaws with a belch and directly into his hands; the cat’s glasses… a little gunky and acid burned around the frames, but still usable. He breathed out a sigh of satisfaction and gave his limp gut one last rub before plodding over to the bar to drop off the cat’s phone, watch, glasses and wallet with the bartender. No doubt Tybalt would come back to collect them at some point, and he’d be fending off predators with both arms given all the publicity the peacock had drummed up for him tonight. Still, it’d distract the other predators and keep them off his own tail feathers, and if the cat was happy to be eaten anyway, what was the harm in painting a bullseye on his butt?
As he walked away to go find another prey to top his gut up with now that the cat was on his way to being soup, Tybalt’s phone buzzed with a notification. It was the cat’s roommate asking whether he had succeeded in his quest for the night, though naturally Tybalt wouldn’t be in a state to respond until morning. As the notification disappeared back off the top of the screen, all that was left was the final bullet point of the article.
’6 - Success! - Well done, you’ve successfully devoured another person and are on your way to a heavier and more confident you! Don’t forget to feed your belly regularly to keep that new predatory figure of yours.’
The End
tastytales
