The story goes that there was a popular seamstress. She made many attires sought by many. But there was a downside to this- jobs that were too tight on time. It always made her stressed, having to rush a job while wanting things to be perfect.

One such day, there was client needing clothes very urgently. They barely give her enough time! Not only that, but her supplies were running low!

The seamstress was panicking. What should she do?!

Just then, another customer walked in. They wished to have a look around, and she was happy to help. On the back of her mind, she thought… If it’s possible to create silk from humans, then…

This was her livelihood. She would do anything.

A few days later, her apprentice entered, having been on a trip. They had noticed that the seamstress looked… disturbed? Stressed? But also, damn did it smell bad! They questioned her on what happened while they were gone, with her responding, “Oh, you know. Was just working on a rush order.”

They raised on eyebrow. She should’ve messaged them, then? She shook her head, stating that there was no time. Well, if she’s sure. They looked at the work she’s done, observing the clothes on the various mannequins. They look good as always, but something felt… off? They glanced to the side, and saw something behind a few curtains.

…Bones?

Just then, they felt a sharp slash of pain across their back. They staggered, whipping around to face who attacked them.

The seamstress was holding a bloodied saw. Her expression was horrified. The apprentice has a vague idea now. They yelled, shouted, asking what did she do, did she kill other people for this? She responded that, yes. She had no other choice. Or else, she wouldn’t make it.

But the guilt was weighing on her. She falls to her knees, unable to go through killing her apprentice- her friend. So, she thought of something else.

“Do you actually like eating people? What do humans taste like?” Bong-Bong asked.

She had found Tom lounging in the Main Room of Disciplinary. It was a self-study day, so the other Disciplinary members were nowhere to be found.

“Damn, at least have some tact when bringing that up.” Tom huffed, scratching the back of his head. Is this the only topic that people seem to think of when talking to him?

Bong-Bong tilted her head, “I had the impulse to try to eat one of the corpses, but the texture of the skin was too off-putting, so I couldn’t.” She admitted.

He looked at her dumbfounded. “…To be honest, I didn’t think you’d be the type to actually try to.”

Back then, Bong-Bong was much more of a nervous wreck. After her encounter with the Mountain of Smiling Bodies, she was utterly terrified of Abnormalities for a while. It was soon discovered that her mental corruption was above threshold, so she was gone for a while.

And when she came back… A slight personality shift was an understatement.

Tom glanced at the ribbons on Bong-Bong’s clothes and body. Maybe her current EGO may have to do with it.

“But for the record, I haven’t actually eaten anyone. Yet, anyway.” He stated. He was only slightly annoyed by people already believing that as fact.

She looked at him quizzically. “I’ve heard that Clerks saw you looming over corpses, taking out their insides and eating them up…”

Tom sighed. “… I… guess I was sorta doing that, except for the eating part,” he said, “I need organs for entirely different reasons.”

He lifted up his shirt, to reveal that his skin and flesh on his abdomen was gone, with the bottom of his rib cage can be slightly seen, and his spine being exposed. There, Bong-Bong saw that some of his organs were graying out and decaying.

He quickly pulls back down his shirt, feeling a bit embarrassed that she barely reacted.

“I just need sorta-fresh insides when I feel like my current ones stop working.” Tom explained.

“Harvesting organs…” Bong-Bong muttered, thinking to herself. “I thought you were maybe a District 23 person, so you weren’t ashamed.”

“Is that how people perceive me…” Tom groaned, leaning his head back. Here he thought doing the organ harvesting more discreetly would’ve been better, but it just made him look more ominous.

“Is that why there were rumors about your endless stomach?” She questioned.

“Rumors? I guess so...” He replied. He didn’t even know there were other rumors…!

“Well… would you still try eating a human?” She asked.

He raises an eyebrow. “I mean… sure. I don’t think I can eat a corpse raw, but if you told me a meat pie had human remains after the fact… then I probably won’t care.” He mused.

“Okay. I’m going to see if I can find a dead body.” She said, standing up.

“…You seem rather insistent on eating someone, huh?”

“Mhm.” She simply nodded.

“Is there a particular reason, or…? Because I thought there’d at least be some hesitancy.” Tom questioned. He generally got the mood from the atmosphere that cannibalism is at least discouraged…

“Mmmh…” Bong-Bong only pondered for a moment, “I just feel like it. And I want to do it as soon as possible.”

And with that, Bong-Bong takes her leave. Tom scratched the back of his neck as he watched her disappear from view.

It’s not like he’s gonna stop her. Though, he is slightly worried about how people might treat her in the future…

It’s… mostly likely fine. Hopefully.

He will admit. His own urges do become painful at points, but he’d rather not act on it for now.

———

Author note time

This came to be thanks to insomnia, and using a wheel spinner to give me an OC interaction to write about. So if you see more oddball combos, this is why.