so i have thoughts on the timeline of DTN. and character implications.
we know that prior to the events of ln2, mono was already familiar with pale city. there’s a lot of evidence and in game details that prove this, but the most efficient one is his official character bio, “As the world buckled under the relentless pulse of the signal tower, mono takes refuge where he can.”
in episode 6 of the ln2 comics we also see him in pale city. the world “buckling” under the signal tower causes him to flee, which is why we next find him in the wilderness. his initial pale city visit is where i think DTN takes place- here’s why.
it seems my analysis on mono not being a kindhearted hero out to save the other kids of the nowhere was right, he is “hesitant” to work with hush, with them having a shared goal.
(her reaching out…familiar)
mono has clearly survived in the nowhere for a long time, which requires a significant level of self preservation. it makes sense he would struggle to work with someone else. in the trailer, we can see hush getting pulled into a television by a (difficult to make out) shadow figure—before mono jumps on it and crushes it’s screen. at some point in the comic, they are going to pale city.
my prediction is that hush meets a tragic fate, and mono flees pale city. this gives him the incentive to save six that we see in the wilderness. a kid got caught and it was partially his fault, but with a new perspective on working with someone else- he decides to take that chance again.
it’s worth noting that this decision might not be immediate either. mono notices six in the wilderness, but takes no immediate action to help her via distracting the hunter- and while the tally marks in the hunter’s basement could’ve been left by other kids, they could also be her counting the days.
beyond (just) trust issues, i think this is could be why six is initially fearful and distrusting of mono. he distracted her and did not initially come to help. togetherness 2 is when mono redeems the situation by going out of his way to go back to save her. her animation indicates that she’s surprised by this choice.
six wasn’t the only one taking a risk by trusting another child in the nowhere, mono was too.
