Mono + Six Afterstory || Little Nightmares II

Five

After Six and Mono got dressed in the clean clothes provided for them, they decided to lay low and continue their resting period for a while longer, or at least until their coats were dry.
They sat in the room where several bunk beds were, but didn't try to get any sleep yet. Instead, Six sat in front of Mono and allowed him to not only comb her hair out, but also trim her bangs just a bit so she could see better. She wouldn't let him cut them a normal length, but he understood without having to ask why. It was probably the same reason she didn't want him touching her face earlier. Maybe she was insecure, or maybe she just didn't want to look weak in front of him.

When he was done, she dusted herself off and got up from the floor, running over to the dresser and jumping onto it so she could look out of the window. She stared in awe at the city buildings across the way, even glancing down to the playground at the front of the school. "Mono, do you think things will get better? Do you think the viewers will be okay? You haven't said much about it." She asked quietly, turning around and dangling her legs off of the dresser comfortably.

Mono walked over to Six and reached his hands out to her, helping her back down onto the floor. "I'm not sure... I really do hope for the best, but those people will always be missing important parts of who they are." He frowned, wiping a tuft of hair from her shoulder from where he had trimmed. "When you got taken by the thin man, I saw your glitched shadow. It was leading me to the tower. I found a lot of other glitched children during our time together...what if they got taken, too, but didn't escape? What if that's why you're getting so hungry?" He was panicking; if what the viewers desired was anything like what happened to Six, then she could really be in trouble...and it was all his fault.

Six didn't know how to reassure Mono with words, so she rubbed her thumbs over his knuckles gently, keeping eye context with him. "When I got out of the TV, I felt different...like I wasn't all me. Like I was missing something. But it's okay. Even if the thin man did take something from my body, I have you, so I'll be fine." She furrowed her brows as she spoke, seeming both determined and yet unsure at the same time. She could tell Mono deeply appreciated her trying to cheer him up.

     "I'll make it up to you, I promise." He was on the verge of pulling Six into a hug, but before he could, he was petrified as the same shadow figure appeared behind the girl. He pulled Six close and glared at the glitched version as it sat down and curled up into a ball. Not long after they witnessed this, it completely vanished into thin air.
     Although he was confused and wanted answers, he took one look at Six beside him and his mind flashed with realization. "Your soul..." He blurted out, piecing things together in his head. He was hoping the girl could indulge him, but instead, she walked over to a flyer on the ground and picked it up, her face frozen in thought; she looked mesmerized. "Hey, Six?" He tried to get her attention, and thankfully she snapped out of whatever trance she was in.

     "This place." She began, showing the flyer to Mono, who examined it closely upon first encounter with the image. "The Maw...has lots of food. What if other kids are hiding there? We should go." She suggested thoughtfully. Mono approached her slowly and took the flyer from her, an unimpressed glint in his eyes.

     "It might not be safe for kids... It's a giant submarine." He replied with apprehension lacing his voice. Six's disappointment in him was painfully obvious, so he sighed and smiled guiltily. They wouldn't get anywhere if he refused her, so he was just thinking ahead. "Okay, so we go...but then what? Have you even thought about it?"

     Six dropped her head in shame, sitting on the floor and assuming the same position her glitched version had a moment ago. "I know you're just trying to keep me safe, but I'm not some weak little girl." She closed her eyes, trying to calm down after getting worked up from her anger.