You were unsure of how much time you had spent wallowing on the floor that night, or how long it took you to actually get up and get yourself collected, but you managed. You decided to take a long shower and a power nap to dispel the remainder of the shame from last night. You could only guess it was the next day by the time you finally pushed yourself out from under the covers of the large king-sized bed and back into the bathroom. The painted, blacked-out windows made it hard to tell the time.
There was no clock in the room. You could only assume that Mono had your things, or maybe R had them destroyed for whatever reason. A quick look in the bathroom mirror showed you that your neck was black and blue. The imprint of his hand wrapped around your skin like a tattoo would take days to fade. At least it matched your hair. As you splashed cold water over your face, you scrubbed at your skin as if water would fade his lingering touch, but to no avail. You yanked the grey towel down that hung by the sink and began to pat your face dry, freezing, when you heard a click from the bedroom area. Your heart skipped a beat. Was he back?
"Ayo, lunch." You heard soon after, quickly restarting your heart as you realized by the improper speech that it was just Mono. Tossing the towel onto the floor, you headed back into the bathroom with a lack of amusement drizzled in your eyes. You still felt weak, though you didn't know if it was due to the beating you had taken last night or the fact that you 'lost' the fight that was taking a toll on your sanity. Failure was never an option. "Got yo favorite. A stack of pancakes and that shitty ass spinach omelet like Ma used to make." Mono moved to set the food down on the nightstand, carrying it on an elegant little bed tray that almost made you want to mock him for seeming like a housewife.
"Surprised you remembered." You scuffed, rubbing at the side of your neck as you approached the bed. You had rolled the decapitated head under the bed and swept the broken glass along with it using a hand towel to keep yourself from getting cut again. Clad in the grey sweats and white shirt Mono had given you last night, you flopped onto the bed. "Who's the fuck you think been makin' the pancakes since you's was ten?" Mono questioned in a cocky tone, stuffing his tatted hands into the pockets of his jet black hoodie as he waited for you to take stake of the food. "Surely not the brother who was too stoned off his ass to come to eat dinner every night." You rolled your eyes, dropping your hands back at your side as you sat down on the edge of the displaced bed and reached for the orange juice first. Weren't stoners supposed to be hungry constantly? Yet he was locked in his room nearly every night, blaring the shittiest rap music.
"Had everythan' I needed in mah room." Mono shrugged his shoulders. In plain view, you could see his rose tattoo on the side of his neck. Such a delicate tattoo for a man that prided himself on being so 'hard.' "Yeah, a dirty mag and your hand, right?" You brought the glass to your lips and took a sip. The acidic drink burning as it rolled down your still damaged throat, you cocked your head back to take a long chug.
"The fuck happened to you?" He questioned; you didn't need to meet his eyes to know he was talking about the extensive bruises that wrapped around your neck like a choker, or maybe it was the cuts and scrapes that littered your arms like a bad oil painting? "The fuck do you think?" You exhaled a satisfied sigh from the juice as you slid the glass back down onto the tray and let your glaring eyes roll back to your brother. "You left me alone with your deranged boss."
"R did that?" Mono seemed surprised but not enraged. You had known R for less than thirty minutes and saw a side of him that Mono hadn't? What kind of organization was this? "No. The candy man did." Your face scrunched as you stared at Mono dumbfounded. "Shit Sis, what'd you do?" Shaking your head, your blue hair rattled about before settling back on your brother with idiotic disbelief. "I've got a choke bruise, and you're asking what I did? You're such a loving brother." Sarcasm dripped from your pale lips as you ripped your eyes from him and shook your head again. Should you be surprised? He left you to rot in an asylum; of course, he'd defend this.
"Well, you ain't got a reputation fo being calm and collected, Sis." Of course, your lackluster brother would chalk this up to being your fault, even if he had a point. "Go fuck yourself." You spat back, darting your eyes to the tray of food. You reached for a pancake and stuffed one bare end between your teeth. Getting any sympathy from Mono was impossible; it wasn't like he would defend you even if he thought R was in the wrong.
"So, R's gotta assignment for ya." Mono successfully changed the subject. He watched you munch away at your pancake with a bored gaze, yup there was the extent of his compassion. "Tell 'em to shove that assignment straight up his ass." You spoke disrespectfully with a mouth full of fluffy dough, gesturing outward with your hand as if visually throwing something across the room. "He insists." His head tilted forward towards you, trying to offer you a puppy dog gaze, but that look meant nothing to you. He could use that look all day, and it still wouldn't dent your resolve to be rebellious. "Oh, so do I." You said as you shot down that look instantly, rolling your eyes back behind your head soon after before staring angrily down at your pancake. Why did this taste so good?
"Completed the task successfully, and R will let you outta your room." A quote that Mono followed with a sigh, slumping his shoulders as he was left to suffer with your stubbornness, his hands ruffling in his pockets. He was trying to figure out how to be a proper big brother, an older brother who could quickly get his sister to do what he asked, but you weren't that type. "He'd let me outta my room?" Your words stretched in sarcastic disbelief. "I'm a prisoner now? HA." Your head cocked back with a hearty huff in your mockery. You choked down your pancake with haste, silently threatening your brother with your teeth.
"It just a simple interrogation test. If you's as good as you boast, it should take you's twenty minutes, max." Taking a step closer, his tattooed hands left his pockets and extended outward, trying to plead with you to follow orders. "Trying to undermine me into doing what he wants?" Shoving the last bit of your pancake into your mouth, you chewed with irritation as you shot daggers across the room toward your brother. How pathetic of a tactic. "Trying to say give it a shot. You's like to prove yo self don't ya?" His hands flopped beside him, slapping at the thighs of his ripped black jeans as he lost the will to argue with you. Despite his skill set, confrontation wasn't his style. He'd instead shoot someone to shut them up over having to argue back and forth. You couldn't say you were that different in the same regard.
"Fine." You snatched another pancake from the plate and chomped down aggressively. "Now, get the fuck out of my room." You ordered, loosely using the term 'my room' only because it was the one you were occupying and not because you felt in any way at home. Mono showed no signs of letting this drop, so you'd instead get it over with.
||
Reaching out without permission, you plunged your hand into the pocket of Mono's hoodie. You could see the square outline of his cigarettes and quickly snatched it for yourself while heading down the winding halls of Halcyon Mansion. You had gotten into a change of clothes. A pair of skinny jeans and a white t-shirt tied to the side with the knot resting on your hip. You managed to get your hands on a pair of ankle-high leather boots that Mono had in his room. Left from one of his many one-night-stands that he never called back. Luckily that they were even your size.
You tucked the cigarette between your painted lips and set the end ablaze. You had taken the time to fix your makeup and reapply your face that morning after breakfast. It was a confidence thing. If you looked as good as the way you walked - correction, drugged and carried - in here, then R couldn't see the effect he hoped to have over you. You weren't giving him that satisfaction. Mono lead you up to a padlocked door. You could hear banging, followed by the angry yells of a man inside who seemed less than pleased with his confinement. You looked at your brother, wondering if he'd give you more background on this guy you were to be interrogating or at least tell you what information they wanted from him.
"Part of the test is... not giving you's any context clues. All we can tell you's is dat you's need ta collect as much information on tha D.F.C.I organization as possible." Mono moved to the door; he inserted his key to unlock the deadbolt, making it easier for you to enter. "I'm being used as a pawn to see if I'm worthy of a knight's status without giving me a sword to wield." You exhaled a cloud of smoke from your lips as you sighed. "It's a lose-lose battle, pussy move."
"I didn't make da rules." Mono stuffed the key into his back pocket as he gave you a lazy shrug, his eyes rolling back over at you. "Of course you don't, dipshit. As if you could." Your words were spat in disgust. He had three brain cells, one for his gang, one for his weed, and one for the lustful desires that kept him like a dog in heat 24/7. You flicked your cigarette onto the black stone floor, leaving Mono to clean up before moving to the door and opening it. You pushed your way inside. As much as you hated to be tested, you knew you had to play along with this little game to some extent if you wanted out. Maybe you could get some valuable intel against R and his gang as soon as you left.