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Initially, they think it's a glitch in Tenna’s programming.
It seemed like a rational idea at the time, because who else can go up against The Roaring Knight and survive one of their brutal attacks? Who else can be ravaged, limb from limb, and come out defiant and alive? Who else can defy a prophecy that foretold their demise and emerge unscathed?
"Literal Children? LMAO?" Queen would say, laughing at the rumours and theories whispering around her.
Regardless, they had assumed that being put back together with soldering irons and duct tape must have loosened a few screws. Why else would Tenna's screen glow red so easily from a single glance? His antenna sparking with bolts of energy as his body vibrates in place when someone brushes past him?
Then, they see it as something more.
Like... perhaps this is something deep-seated and repressed. Tenna's abandonment issues and his touch-starved nature are not a secret, after all. For some unknown reason, he makes it a point not to touch other Darkners, despite how needy he is for physical contact. His little not-quite-friend/not-quite-lover, who keeps his distance from the other Darkners, is incredibly tactile with the TV Host, but they suppose Tenna longs for more. He practically pines for it. They see it when Malius touches his hand when passing him a baked good in the bakery, or when a Bloxer lands a blow against him in the Love Dojo. Tenna's screen fuzzes briefly with static, hands twitching as smoke bursts free from his head.
It’s not just the touch either; it’s their words.
A Rudinn compliments him for the shows he used to run, and it leaves Tenna stammering for the rest of the day.
An Addison asks for his autograph, and Tenna can barely hold the pen as he shakes with visible pleasure.
Even a simple, ‘you look nice today’, will have his screen exploding with static.
"Oh My Beep, This Would Make Me Sad But I— Oh. Running Diagnostics. Yeah This Just Makes Me Sad," Queen would say, her visor lighting up with a bright :(.
Eventually, they see it as something Tenna needs.
After all, not only is he practical Dark World royalty with a personal suite in the castle, but... he defied a prophecy and survived the Knight's attack. He also has one of the saddest backstories in the world: abandoned by his Lightner family, a sufferer of two divorces, and he has to deal with insecurities?? How tragic. The Darkners of his world had thought he’d be worse, gloating and showing off, bragging to anyone who would listen. Rather, the opposite happened. Tenna became more withdrawn; a shadow of his former self, where he seemed to shy away from the spotlight rather than relish in it.
The final straw was when he didn’t even show up to the grand opening of his new TV Studio in town. They hadn’t realised how deep the shame must have set into his core, hollowing him out into a shell of his former glory.
The denizens of Castle Town came to an unspoken agreement that they could spoil him a little; be gentler, a bit softer with their words and touch.
After all, it’s what he deserves.
Elnina and Lanino take it upon themselves to make the first move on their ex-boss.
They like to think they know him best, considering how far back their friendship goes, and so they know exactly how to push the right buttons to bring the pep back to Tenna’s step.
Plus, seeing him happier would aid in removing their trauma from almost witnessing him die. Oh, it had been so haunting, gathering his arms and handing them over to Susie and the Shadowguys, watching them reattach his limbs. Sometimes, Elnina can still hear his faint whining, his little staticky gasps of pain, late at night when she tries to sleep. So yes, she would love the chance to replace such memories with cheerier ones that don’t dampen her spirits.
As luck would have it, they find him lurking outside their Love Dojo, clearly interested in going, but for some reason, hesitating. Tenna has visited in the past, but always alone. In a way, they feel quite pleased that he leaves his, ah, beau behind. Something about the way he sits and glares at anyone who wanders too close leaves them greatly unnerved. Today is no different; he’s alone, but he looks more despondent than usual. He’s smaller, too.
Elnina turns to Lanino and sighs.
“He makes my heart drizzle with sadness,” she says.
“Indeed. Just looking at that sad face extinguishes my burning heat,” Lanino agrees.
They trade a glance, a small beat of silence passing, before nodding firmly in unison.
“It’s decided then! Let’s sprinkle some cheer in his life!” Elnina declares, looping her arm around Lanino’s. She tugs him along and pitches her voice higher. “Well, my luna love, look who we have here!”
Tenna jumps at her words and looks at them sheepishly.
“Ah, Elnina! Lanino!! My wonderful friends, I– ah, I was just leavi—”
“No, no!” Lanino interrupts, holding up a hand. “Please come in! We’re just cleaning up after the last match!”
Tenna fiddles with his tie for a moment; Elnina wonders if he still feels some shame or resentment after they quit working for him. Looking at his small frown, she suspects it’s more of the former rather than the latter.
“Are you sure? I don’t want to be a bother,” he says, tilting his head.
“Of course you won’t!” Elnina says, leaving Lanino’s side to take one of Tenna’s arms.
“Come shine your presence onto the others!” Lanino adds, taking Tenna’s other arm.
They lead him into their Dojo in tandem; Elnina keeps her grip firm, tightening when she feels him shiver slightly. She can't remember the last time she touched Tenna, whether it be to tap him on the shoulder or to hug him after a particularly good show. She makes a mental note to at least pat him on the head once a week to help him acclimatise to platonic affection. They walk into the room to see it empty of visitors. The disco ball is still spinning, with bright red hearts being projected around the place. The Jigsawry behind the desk is busy calculating their daily earnings, whilst Clover lounges around in their bed. Bloxers practice in a corner, and the Werewerewire is providing constructive criticism on their form.
“You know, I didn’t mention it before, but you guys have created an amazing set here!” Tenna says, his voice earnest with a hint of pride threading the words together.
“Thank you! We showered it with love—” Elnina begins mistily.
“—added some solar-powered action—” Lanino adds warmly.
“—and finished with a pouring of appreciation.” Elnina finishes.
“Ah.” Tenna ducks his head, shrinking every-so-slightly. “I suppose that’s more than you got with me.”
Elnina and Lanino share a glance. Yes, they are supposed to be showering praise and adoration onto their sad friend, but this conversation has been long overdue. They couldn’t exactly have it whilst he was on the edge of death, flickering and whirring whilst Susie soldered his arms back on and rewired his cathode. Better late than never, plus it could be a healthy way to help Tenna grow in confidence.
“Yes, it is,” Elnina admitted, keeping her tone soft as she gently tugs her arm free. She turned to gaze up at him, hoping to project a sense of honesty. “But without the contracts and that awful Knight, you’ve become a much better person.” Which is true. Even before the Knight, Tenna ran a tight-fisted ship, holding Points over people’s heads like swords. The Knight only amplified his worst traits, but Elnina is glad the Lightners helped them quiet those behaviours.
“I… you think so?” Tenna asks.
“We hated being your employees—” Lanino says bluntly, removing his arm from Tenna to stand beside Elnina.
“—we love being your friends!” Elnina finishes brightly.
“Was I really that bad?” Tenna asks, fiddling with his tie as his screen grows dull.
“Yes,” they say in unison.
“Oh,” Tenna shrinks before them.
“But, like we said!” Lanino says hurriedly. “You are a wonderful friend, so please don’t keep your spark from us!”
“Especially from our Love Dojo,” Elnina spins, gesturing around her. “Your skills truly eclipse all others!”
“They do?” Tenna asks, perking up slightly.
“Of course! Don’t believe us, as them,” they respond together. Then, they turn to address the room at large.
“Doesn’t Tenna make you beam with joy?”
“Doesn’t he just make you float with awe?”
There’s a loud cheer of agreement in response before the Darkners make their way towards Tenna. Clover is the first to speak, her three heads grinning widely at the TV Host.
“Oh yes, he’s—”
“—handsome—”
“—and tall like a tree—”
“—he makes me want to eat the Dojo!”
Elnina and Lanino step aside and watch as Tenna is swarmed by Castle Town denizens, eager to inform him of how starstruck they are by him and how they would love the chance to watch him in action again soon. Tenna’s antenna twists around each other, his screen flushing with pink-tinted static as the Jigawry praises his athletic ability and the Werewerewire sizzles with loud admiration.
Elnina beams with pride, satisfied with a job well done.
“You could come with me next time? Put on a real performance, like old times!”
“YOU WANT TO [[World domination for half the price]] THE [[Hyperlink blocked]] DOJO?”
“Not completely! Not… yet, at least! Besides, we do put on one heck of a show.”
“EAHAHAHA! OUR SHOWS AREN’T EXACTLY [[PG-Rated]].”
“N-Not those kinds of shows!!”
“BUT [[Hyperlink blocked]] YOU IS MY FAV—”
“Okay!! I’m calling for a cut on this conversation!!”
Queen could perhaps be more subtle, but then she wouldn't be Queen.
“Attention Big Guy,” she greets, tottering into Tenna’s room with knocking first. “I Have Something To Say.”
She waits patiently, ignoring the way Spamton hisses and curses at her from where he’s sitting on Tenna’s lap. Tenna pats him on the head idly and tugs his tie out of Spamton’s mouth. They were clearly about to engage in some coitus, but Queen is way more important than such frivolities, so she doesn’t mind interrupting them. Plus, she has it on good neighbourly authority that they have completed such activities at least four times this week, so they can wait for the fifth.
“I Would Like Your Hardware To Integrate With My Software,” she announces.
There’s a terse beat of silence.
“I… what does that mean?” Tenna utters, his voice sweetly confused.
“Tenna Darling Honey,” she continues, making her way further into the room. “I Think We Should Make Trucies With Each Other And Grab A Byte Sometime. LMAO Actually I Would Say You Should Take A Byte Out Of Me But I Am Rock Hard And Will Break You.”
“O-Oh! Is this… are you just here to flirt with me?” Tenna says, a rosy hue glowing on his screen as his fingers begin twirling his tie. “Again?”
“AGAIN?!?!” Spamton bursts out, head swivelling dizzily from Queen to Tenna.
“Oh Yes, Now Let Me Finish. Ahem.” Queen clears her throat and begins again. “I Think Breaking You Would Actually Be Quite Fun But Do Not Worry I Have Been Told I Am Very Good At Physical Maintenance.”
Tenna blushes brighter, his antenna sparkling with electricity; she grins when she spies him squirming slightly on the bed and knows that she’s hitting all his buttons and twisting his dials.
“ARE YOU [[Syncing up]] WITH MY [[Top tier deal]]?” Spamton demands, jumping down from Tenna’s lap and marching over to her. His glasses glint, and his mouth is tight with fury. Tenna is silent from the bed, but Queen can tell from his vitals that he is switched on to their interaction. It amuses her to see him so needy when he’s supposed to be on the same level as her. If he weren’t so handsome, she’d think it slightly pathetic. She glances down at Spamton and grins at the memory of their last meeting.
“Who The Beep Are You?” she asks, knowing how to pull on his strings.
“WHAT? YOU DON’T [[P!$$!NG]] RECOGNISE ME?!” he throws up his arms in outrage.
“No I Really Do Not,” she lies easily. Then Queen laughs and peers down at him. “I Have Never Met You Before And I Am Sure I Would Remember Such Vile Shades Of Pink And Yellow. Have You Ever Thought About Trying A Nice Vivid Green?” she asks, remembering how sodden and angry he had been. Top Five Anime Betrayals, one of her best moments, for sure.
“Queen!” Tenna scolds, a frown marring his screen.
“I Would Apologise But I Am Not Sorry,” Queen shrugs, TRUTH glowing on her visor.
“I thought you were here to flirt with me,” he says, folding his arms, “not belittle my—”
“LMAO, Emphasis On The Be Little.”
“YOU [[Truth or dare]] TO [[Attempt synchronisation]] IN FRONT OF ME?”
“In Front Of You And Your Salad Yes.”
“There isn’t any salad?” Tenna’s screen wrinkles with confusion as he glances around the room. Queen isn’t particularly interested in bedding him, but there is something distinctly upgradeable about him.
“QUOTING [[Memeable content]] WILL ONLY GET YOU [[Data erased]] [[At fast rates]]!” Spamton threatens, thrusting a finger up at her.
Queen tilts her head and smirks; oh yes, this could prove to be an interesting upgrade to her relationship with them both. She scans a few probabilities and finds them all beneficial in her favour. Of course, even if they weren’t, Queen finds herself very skilled at twisting them to make them beneficial for her.
“Yes I Think I Will Accept These New Parameters,” she says aloud, nodding as she produces a cocktail. She lifts it in a toast before throwing it down her throat. “Running SecureTennasNetwork.exe At Maximum Capacity.”
“I don’t think I have a network,” Tenna murmurs thoughtfully, almost to himself as he glances down.
“Oh Beep,” Queen says, almost with a sigh. “This Is Big Tasque Energy Right Here I Should Ask Tasque Manager For Taming Tips.”
“WHO THE [[Hyper Efficient Low Level]] DO YOU THINK YOU ARE?” Spamton snaps, gaining her attention at once. “COME [[Invasive virus]] AGAIN AND I WILL [[Blackout]] YOUR [[Cruel Punishment Unleashed]]!”
“LMAO That Threat Could Work But I Do Not Even Know Who You Are?” Queen lies, her visor lighting up with LIAR. “So I Do Not Care.” She then turns, happy with the carnage she has wrought and totters out of the room. “Peace Signs, Peace Signs Everywhere.”
She cackles when she hears something shatter against the closed door behind her.
Oh yes, this will be fun.
“She’s not so bad when you get to know her.”
“NO, SHE’S [[Ninth layer of hell]].”
“Come on…”
“IF SHE LOOKS AT YOU AGAIN, I WILL [[Download rapid ads]] ALL OVER HER AND [[Reverse CPR]] HER WITH HER OWN [[Charger cord]]!”
“Ooooh…? Hm.”
“YOU [[High ratings]] THAT?”
“Wear less, say more.”
Lancer grins when he watches his pixelated car careen straight into a wall.
His grin grows wider when Tenna adds an explosion on his screen. They’re sitting in Queen’s room, with wires leading from Lancer’s gaming console to Tenna’s head. His screen glows with the words GAME OVER; Lancer's twenty-eighth one of the evening. It’s been really fun finding new ways to break the game with Tenna, especially as his fourth dad adds extra new graphics to make it even more exciting.
Plus, it makes Tenna happy, which girldad has said is a very important mission that everyone needs to complete. And Lancer loves completing missions… in real life. In video games?
GAME OVER
Would you like to start over for the [29th] time?
“Blow up the ‘game over’ screen now!” Lancer commands. Dutifully, Tenna obliges. Lancer cheers, shoving his controller into his mouth, only for fourth dad to wrench it immediately out. The video game fades away as Tenna’s stern frown appears in its place.
“What have I told you about choking hazards?” he lectures, wiping the controller on his jacket and frowning at the teeth indents left behind in the plastic.
“I can’t play games if I can’t breathe,” Lancer recites before he bounces up and twirls around. “Hey fourth dad, that’s gotta be a whole new record today! We are masters of gaming! Everyone bow down to your new rulers!” He grins when he hears a faint audience cheering and applauding his prowess. He’s not sure how Tenna does it, but it’s such a cool party trick.
“You are a fantastic contestant! How about we make it to thirty game overs?” Tenna says, sounding like lesser dad when he tries to make Lancer eat something green and healthy. Lancer sticks out his tongue as he shakes his head.
“Can’t, I have to go, go, go!” he declares.
“O-Oh,” Tenna utters, before he slowly detaches the wires in his head. “You’re leaving so soon? No, of course you are. These are those boundaries Mike keeps talking about. Yes, this is… fine.” He looks almost cross as he mutters to himself, and Lancer feels confused by all the emotions flying around. Tenna suddenly looks up with a bright smile that has Lancer feeling… sad. “Where are you going?”
“Fluff-boy says Susie and Kris are coming over!” Lancer explains. For a second, he thinks he sees Tenna wince. “I’m gonna go and meet them by the entrance. I made them candy for presents!”
“You did?” Tenna pauses, scanning him slightly. “Where are they?”
“I ate them,” Lancer says, before falling back with his signature laugh.
Tenna picks him up and sets him back on his feet with a soft smile. Lancer likes this fourth dad; he’s nicer than the first one, though not as funny as the girl one.
“I hope you have fun with them,” Tenna says, patting him on the head, but his smile still doesn’t look quite right. Lancer stares at it and hums loudly.
“You can come meet them too? Susie likes you!!” he says, tugging on Tenna’s hand insistently.
“Oh… I don’t know,” Tenna trails off, before he gently pulls his hand back. “I don’t think it’d be a good idea.”
“Why not?” Lancer tilts his head. He watches as Tenna’s antenna droops and wonders if this is what his girldad had been talking about when it came to his fourth dad being a ‘Blue Screened Sad Man’. Seeing him look so down has Lancer wanting to squish a pie on his head to make him look less :(.
“I think you would have more fun without me,” Tenna explains with a shrug. Lancer frowns because it sounds like an excuse, but he doesn’t really know how to argue against it. “Last time I tried having fun with you guys, it didn’t exactly end well…”
“Because you tried to kill them?”
“Wha— no!” Tenna looks horrified. “Wrong answer, I did not try to kill them!”
“It’s okay if you did. Like most people here have tried to kill them.”
“I did not try to kill them!” Tenna enforces, before he pinches the bridge of his nose and counts to ten. Lancer snorts and does a little spin whilst he waits for Tenna to finish. “Listen,” Tenna continues. “I think it’s best if you go and have fun now.”
“Are you mad at me?” Lancer asks, peering up at Tenna. “Because my OG dad used to do that breathing thing when he was mad at me. He did it a lot, actually.”
“I— no, I’m not mad at you,” Tenna reassures him, a small wrinkle appearing next to his smile. “And the more I learn about your dad, the more I have decided to quit playing court jester to him.”
“Why?”
“Because he’s not a very good audience.”
“Why?”
“Because he’s rude to yo— the talent.”
“Why?”
“Because talent deserves to be treated with respect.”
“Why?”
“Lancer, go play with your friends.”
“Why— oh wait, that’s a good idea!” Lancer grins and gives Tenna a little salute before he bounces out of the room. There’s still a little voice in the back of his mind that feels sad about leaving Tenna behind, but he’s sure Susie will have a plan to make everything better.
He throws himself down the castle staircase and bounces out of the foyer. He enjoys his time in Castle Town, but he has missed being taken with his friends back to the Light World. For some reason, they left him behind after their last tryst, which only hurt his feelings a little bit. Lancer decides that his second mission of the day will be convincing Susie and Kris to take him back; he enjoys the new worlds they take him to, and it’s so worth turning into stone for!
He rolls his way through the courtyard and jumps up with joy when he sees a familiar violet mop of hair by the entrance of the Dark World.
“Hey, Susie, hey!!” Lancer calls out, throwing himself at her.
“LANCER!” Susie yells, throwing her arms up happily.
“SUSIE!” Lancer cries back, leaping onto her back easily. “AND SUSIE’S BLUE FRIEND!”
Kris gives him a thumbs-up.
“You are right next to each other!” Ralsei chides with a frown.
They ignore him.
“Hey man! What’s been going on?” Susie greets, automatically following Kris, who quietly leads them towards the castle.
“Hanging out with fourth dad, playing that new game you told me about,” Lancer explains, wrapping his arms around her shoulders and shoving his face into her hair. “He’s way more fun than lesser dad, but like, twice as sad.”
“Fourth dad?”
“Yeah! The TV guy!”
“Tenna’s sad?” Susie asks, her brows knitting together with concern.
“Yeah. Girldad says he’s been moping ever since you brought him here,” Lancer explains, around a mouthful of her hair, “and we all need to try cheering him up!”
“It’s true,” Ralsei adds, hands folded behind his back, “he’s been quite unlike himself since we rescued him. Everyone is worried.”
“Huh,” Susie ponders for a moment, then a smile grows on her lips. “Alright, okay. I think I have an idea…”
“YOU [[Custody battle]] MORE KIDS?”
“Only one more!! You know how much I adore my family-friendly audience!”
“WELL. DON’T [[Backburner]] OUR PIPIS!”
“Aw, I would never forget about our darling pipis! They’re so special to me!”
“[[DILF]].”
“What… what does that mean?”
“I’LL [[Feature presentation]] YOU LATER.”
“A… what?”
“It’s a sleepover, man!” Susie grins, gesturing to the green dinosaur onesie she’s wearing. “Come on, we can’t start without you!”
Tenna doesn’t have the chance to ask further questions; instead, he’s yanked from his doorway and down the corridor, stumbling over the stairs as Susie leads him to Kris’ room. He goes happily, not bothered by her directness as he owes her a million and one favours; plus, she’s easily become his most favourite viewer of all time.
Bar Kris.
But then again, Kris is a given.
Susie drags Tenna inside Kris’ room, and he’s surprised to see that it’s been extended into a much larger place. He can easily spy the furniture that screams Kris; it’s all soft blues, calming and quiet. It clashes with the much more vivid pink that takes over halfway through the room, and Tenna knows that this is where Susie’s room begins. In the centre is a massive bed, swirls of cerulean and violet decorating the sheets, with plush pillows thrown across it. It’s laden with sweets, cakes, chips and soda pop.
Helping themselves to the buffet are the rest of Tenna’s children.
Kris is dressed in the sweetest blue puppy onesie; it’s already covered in smeared chocolate and crumbs. Ralsei is wearing an adorable green bunny costume, the ears flopping over his face. To finish off the group, Lancer has buried himself half into the ground, floating in a pool of bright orange soda. They all look so precious, and Tenna has to swallow down the scream that threatens to break free from his throat. Oh, if only Shuttah were here! He’d take the most darling photos for Tenna’s albums.
“I got him!” Susie declares with a flourishing gesture to Tenna.
In return, Tenna gives the children an awkward wave.
“Hey, fourth dad!” Lancer calls out with a wide grin; his smile helps melt away any nervous energy which lingered in Tenna’s core.
“Oh! Mr. Tenna, lovely to see you!” Ralsei says, cheeks already sticky with icing and flushed with happiness. “I hope you’re enjoying your room in the castle! Let me know if there’s anything I can do to make you feel comfortable!”
“Ralsei! You little ragamuffin!” Tenna bounces over, hands clasped to his chest. “You’ve done plenty!! You’ve even given me a swish new TV Studio, so what more could a CRT like me need?”
“U-Um, but the Zapper there says you haven’t—” Ralsei begins with a soft frown on his face, but Tenna cuts him off with a cheery laugh.
“Hahahaha! Ralsei, you are so funny!!!” Tenna wipes away a fake tear, then claps his hands together. “So, I hear you’re having a sleepover? How fun!!”
“Yes, it’ll be my first one,” Ralsei says, his frown melting away, but there’s still a hint of concern glimmering in his eyes. “I’m quite excited.”
“Sleepover, sleepover, sleepover!” Lancer chants, “Susie promises it’ll be the best one ever!”
“And why wouldn’t it be?” Tenna asks, grinning broadly. “The snacks! The games!! The lifelong bonding with great pals!!! What more do you need?”
“You,” Susie snorts. “Obviously.”
Tenna feels his cathode beat furiously in his chest as a beat of silence passes.
“Y-You need me?” he asks, his antenna flickering cautiously.
“Of course we need you!” Susie says, rolling her eyes. “No sleepover is complete without the TV!”
And oh, how he has longed to hear such sweet words.
“Well, of course not! Everyone knows that!” Tenna trills, his nose popping out a flower which he happily plucks and passes to Ralsei, who tucks it behind his ear. “Please, dear viewers, tell me what you would like to watch!”
“Movies,” Susie says, grinning with a mouthful of fangs, “scary movies.”
“A-Ah! Not too scary, of course,” Ralsei says, clutching at a pillow. “Remember, you promised age-appropriate media only!”
“I did. I said Light World age-appropriate media.” Susie acquiesces with a nod before she gives Ralsei a viscous grin. “Except, we’re not in the Light World.” Susie jumps on the bed and turns to Tenna with a gleeful fist-pump. “Start the show, Tenna!”
“Anything for you, sweetheart!” he says, before he perches on the edge of the bed away from them. He’s about to find an R-rated flick when he’s suddenly yanked forward.
“Dude, why are you so far away?” Susie snorts before she bullies him against the bedframe. The children then settle around him, flopped on their bellies, all looking up at him with fistfuls of snacks. “You're a part of this sleepover, too!”
“O-Oh!!” Tenna utters, before he curls his legs underneath himself and once again, swallows down a squeal of joy. “Thank you! Well! Settle in, folks!!! We have an evening of prime-time, monster-mashing horror flicks, perfectly picked for your viewing pleasure!” He then inwardly searches through his channels until he lands on one which suits Susie’s needs perfectly.
His smile fades into the background as his screen projects a classic movie, filled with terrible graphics and cheesy dialogue. Lancer throws popcorn at Susie, who catches it effortlessly whilst cheering the monster on, Kris cackling at every crushed building and person, whilst Ralsei watches half behind a pillow.
It feels like home again.
Tenna sits patiently, feeling so happy that he’s fulfilling his purpose and doing such a good job while doing so. He doesn’t mind when Ralsei spills soda on him, or when a wayward popcorn kernel hits him, or when Kris and Susie start plastering his head with stickers because they think he can’t see past the movie scenes — rather, it makes him happier than he’s ever been in a long time.
At some point, the Lightners fall asleep. Ralsei and Lancer join them after some gentle encouragement from Tenna. Soon enough, he has a puddle of sleeping teenagers spread across him, snoring away in peaceful slumber. Tenna contemplates leaving them alone, but then Ralsei’s fist closes around his jacket, Lancer grabs onto his ankle, and Susie’s drool leaves a stain on his trousers. Then, Kris curls up against him with their hands tucked under their chin like a puppy. Tenna has never felt so… important, until this moment.
He can’t believe that he almost destroyed this, that he almost allowed the Knight to work their wicked magic and deny him this small joy. He’s so proud of his children for outliving their fight and inwardly promises to never let their choice to save him go to waste.
After a moment, Tenna decides to continue playing the show, but turns the volume down; he settles against the cushions and lets himself sink into the dreamy moment.
“WHERE HAVE YOU BEEN?”
“I had a sleepover?”
“YOU [[Repeat subscriptions]]!”
“With the children!”
“OH.”
“Who else would I be—”
“[[Ctr+Alt+Delete]]!”
“Were you wor—”
“[[CTR+ALT+DELETE]]!!”
There’s a change in Tenna’s attitude.
Lancer likes to think he should take credit.
Susie thinks it’s all down to her.
“Listen Let’s Just Call It All Around Trucies Okay?” Queen says. “Team Effort And All That.”
Regardless, it’s nice to see Tenna smiling more around town. He greets people and joins in with conversations without that aura of insecure anxiety lingering on his shoulders. Tenna even visits the Love Dojo regularly and acts as the announcer, face flushing with pleasure whenever he’s applauded. They see him in the bakery and treat him to free tarts and teas, leaving him sweetly flustered with gratitude. Instead of absconding like usual, however, Tenna stays. He sits with Addisons and listens to their ideas, applauding and complimenting the Wicabels on their charming tunes. He even invites some of them to work with him at his TV Studio, which has the denizens falling over themselves in the face of his kindness. They’re also pleased as punch that he’s finally turning up at his studio, ready to work and put on a show.
Several days later, the Castle Town denizens gather in the café as a mini-celebration for all their hard work over the past few weeks, pride blossoming in the air. Their beloved TV Host may have arrived with trauma and despair, but they successfully managed to drown out the negativity with their love. Now, he’s more confident, he’s nicer and much happier.
The Darkners clink their bottles, pat each other on the backs, and congratulate themselves on a job well done.
Gosh.
It’s taken a while, but Tenna’s patience has finally been rewarded.
He honestly deserves several accolades for his part in this whole production! Truly a T-Ranked effort on his part; the improvisation alone should earn him his stripes. And his spots. Oooh, and all his stars.
Tenna sighs as he thinks about all the sweet things the Darkners have done for him lately, and he squirms with delight in his bed. His screen begins to flicker with memories, and he’s about to settle in for a lovely evening of reminiscing when a small hand sharply slaps him irritably on his screen.
"[[Gold star]] YOU [[Spoiled for choice]] BRAT. GOT EVERYONE [[Jumping through hoops]] BACKWARDS FOR YOU."
Tenna grins brightly in the dimly lit bedroom, pulling Spamton closer to him. Honestly, he thought he'd be furious seeing his old partner again, but when Kris left the glasses in his room one day and they crossed paths, Tenna found himself hungrier for the attention instead. Sure, they still fight... but they've recently gotten very good at kissing and making up.
"Are you featuring yourself there?"
"YOU EVEN GOT [[HeartShaped]] AND HIS [[ViolentViolet]] TO JOIN IN," Spamton says, clearly ignoring him.
"Oh. That one wasn't even planned,” Tenna says truthfully. Since putting him back together, he swore he would try his hardest to be authentic for his sweet Lightner children, his favourite viewers. That evening had not been planned, but it remains his most cherished memory of feeling loved and accepted.
"[[Press X For Doubt]]."
Which, to be honest, isn’t a hard competition to win.
"I mean it,” Tenna says, flicking Spamton on the ear. “It was genuinely a surprise!!"
"MAKES SENSE. SEEMS TO BE THE ONLY [[Number #1 Fans]] YOU DON’T [[Pull strings]] FOR,” Spamton remarks, biting Tenna’s fingers with a snarl.
Tenna ignores the sizzling burn in his wires as Spamton’s teeth leave dents in his chassis and tears his fingers free.
“I don’t ‘pull strings’!” He sniffs at the accusation and averts his gaze, though his grip doesn’t loosen. Rather, it tightens; just in case Spamton gets silly ideas like trying to leave him. “I just… helped nudge a plot along that featured me as its main character. A sad face here, a mournful sigh there, it was classic drama. It’s not my fault that these tropes were TV Gold back in the day! And that they still make for a very successful formula!”
“YEAH, YOU’RE A REAL [[Commercial success]].”
“Oh,” Tenna utters, his grip tightening an inch more. “You’re mad at me.”
“[[Two points]] TO THE [[Glorified paperweight]],” Spamton squirms in his hold, though it doesn’t feel like he’s trying to escape. Tenna’s inwardly pleased to realise that he’s just trying to get more comfortable.
“Don’t change the script!” Tenna says, loosening his hold and allowing Spamton to twist around to face him properly. “You can’t be mean to me just because everyone else is being nice!”
“WHO ELSE IS GOING TO [[Sign the contract]] TO KEEP YOU [[Heavenly virtuous]]?” Spamton snort, poking Tenna’s nose.
“I don’t need to be humble,” Tenna rolls his eyes, batting at Spamton’s hands. “Whoever heard of a humble TV Host?”
“CONGRATULATIONS! YOU’VE JUST [[Won 1 Free Pin]] TO DEFLATE YOUR [[Oversized]] EGO!”
“Sp-Spamton!” Tenna flusters, feeling his antenna twitch as Spamton’s mocking tone curls through his vents and sends shivers through his wiring. “That is not how you talk to your—”
“[[Close those deals]]!” Spamton slaps a hand on Tenna’s lips. “IF I WANTED A [[Dealbreaker]] [[For the noggin]] I’D JUST WATCH [[Static flicker]] ON YOUR [[Burned-in]] FACE.”
“St-Stop!” Tenna splutters, covering his screen to hide the burn-in which does not actually exist, whilst he squirms under Spamton’s body.
“OH.” Spamton says, glancing beneath him before he slowly looks up with a wide, wicked grin on his lips. “OH. [[Interests rising at rapid rates]]?”
“No!” Tenna lies, his legs slowly spreading as Spamton laughs at him. “Don’t be mean to me, it’s not fair!” His body begins to shiver, and static begins gathering in his throat. “Go back to being nice!” Tenna’s voice breaks into a whirring whine. “That’s how the story should end!”
“EAHAHAHA!” Spamton cackles. “I CAN [[Mould this clay]]!”
“No-o-o-o-o!” Tenna slurs, quivering when Spamton grabs his antenna. “Shut this down! I’m shutting this whole thing dow—”
“YOU WANT TO BE A [[Good boy]] FOR YOUR [[Favourite sales spouse#1997]]?” Spamton asks, tugging on an antenna idly.
“I—”
“LISTEN UP, [[Floppy brick]], YOU’RE [[Static]] [[Skip]] [[Stuck on repeat]], NOW IT’S MY TIME TO [[Hit the mic]]!” Spamton interrupts, wrapping Tenna’s antenna around a fist and tugging tightly.
Tenna bites his lip, his screen glowing rosy red as he nods.
“YOU WANT TO BE [[Doggone best]]?”
Tenna nods again.
“THEN YOU GOTTA [[Earn it]]!”
And Tenna nods furiously once more, because he adores it when people are nice to him, but holy smokes, he loves it when Spamton is mean.