Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

What were you supposed to anticipate when you opened Azzy’s front door and were confronted by inky blackness? How were you supposed to react to your 80s-fied, neon vomit costume? How were you expected to respond to wacky people in this thrilling new world?

You no longer have those answers, because you’ve been a thousand steps behind everything. All of the residents have left you alone as their attention was directed towards the prophesied trio of Lightners (as you had overheard a stout person with a dice head call them). Then all the staff began rushing around manically, scattered pieces of dialogue telling you that the mini-celebrities had gone rogue. The aflame buildings on the stage screen were also concerning. Following that was suffocating silence.

In the present, you’re wandering around the deserted Green Room. The shadows line the place where it had previously been bustling with quirky people, the air filled with video game sound beeps and lobby music. It pains your heart for elusive reasons.

Maybe you should continue searching for the game show host instead of ruminating on your mysterious melancholy. That television man seemed so nice and lively, now he’s as MIA as the Lightners. To be frank, you’re unsettled without his bubbly, hyperbolic personality, as cliche as it is. Plus, it would be nice to have an explanation for the sudden change in the teenagers’ behaviour.

Your gaze lifts from the couches you had run your fingers along to the double doors opposite the first entryway. That’s one path you have not taken yet.

“Might as well,” you mutter to the stagnant room. You push the doors open with both hands and are swiftly greeted by piercing cold winds. The doors slam shut as you glance behind you. After unsuccessfully trying to bust down the doors and return to the much warmer Green Room, you begin your speed walk through the snow.

The blizzard is thick through the first stretch, obscuring your vision. Still, you make it out, step by step. A pointy green thing starts to appear in front of you. When you’re past the snowstorm, you gasp. It’s a pine tree adorned with baubles. A hamster ball sits atop, and you swear you spot a person inside. You trudge your tired legs to the base of the tree, straining your eyes and gasping when you recognise who it is.

“Hey, you there!”

The voice breaking the relatively calm ambience makes you flinch. You don’t have to turn to see him, he just slides into your field of view like he’s on a conveyor belt. You feel your eyes light up.

“Tenna! I’ve been looking for you!”

“That’s great, my lively audience member, but this place is STRICTLY off limits!” He places a hand parallel to your height flat against your back as he tries to usher you away. “With everyone gone, it’s only a matter of time before the contestants come back here. Why am I even telling you that-”

“Hold on just a second,” You plant your feet and glare at the screen in disbelief. “That’s why I’m in this place. I want to know why everyone has disappeared. I wanted to ask you, Mr Tenna.”

“I shan't bore my viewer with the intricacies of the entertainment industry. Now please, go.”

“No.” You purse your lips and dig your feet into the icy ground. “Something is wrong, and I’ll be damned if I go back to wandering around, room to room, by myself!”

He issues a short series of crackly interference, vaguely resembling grumbling. “Is everyone just going to blatantly ignore me!? First the Shadowmen and Pippins bailed, then the two weather lovers, even-” His gloved hands cover his screen and the man shrinks to your height, dwarfing you just before. “Even Mike left me. Mike, of all people, shouldn’t have abandoned me.” He grits his teeth. “Argh! Kris, Susie, Ralsei, I blame them all! Is it really that difficult to play a goshdarn game?”

He lets his hands fall to his sides, his screen now vacant. “I have no one. I’m a failure. A good-for-nothing loser.” He points an index finger into the air, a conspicuous ‘1’ flashing on his display. “I have one job: To make people feel something. It didn’t matter what emotion, just something to keep their eyes on me.” His outfit switches to his tap-dancing getup and he takes off the hat to hold it sorrowfully. His voice falls lifeless. “I guess I failed a long time ago. When even Toriel stopped watching me. The Knight told me I could have it all back if I just followed their orders, but things are worse than ever. I’m all alone in both worlds now. Ha, I should have known I could never compete with those newer models.”

The break in his ostentatious nature is jarring, but you’re more vexed by how he neglects you in his analysis.

“Hey, what about me?”

“Huh?” The host lifts his head, presumably looking at you which is hard to precisely determine when he has no eyes. “That is true, you’re here… what’s your name?”

“Y/N.”

“Y/N, I’m grateful you’ve stuck around.” Out of habit, the host’s tone switches from monotonous to performative and he directs a microphone he pulled out of nowhere to your face. “Let me ask YOU the billion dollar question, Y/N: WHY haven’t you moved on with your LIFE?”

Your lips part in brief uncertainty. Was he saying you were wasting your time? Should you be annoyed or saddened by his question?

You lean towards the microphone, setting your mind on honesty. Your words echo into the empty space of the wintery wonderland. “I don’t like being alone either. I’ve kinda felt like a ghost pretty much the entire time I’ve been here, but your shenanigans helped me forget my problems for a bit.”

“Oh!” He grows a few inches taller. He continues the on the spot interview. “Are you telling me that you enjoy my crafty and positively NOT AT ALL outdated shows and games?”

“Yeah, I do. I felt… comforted watching you running around and commentating on stage. I didn’t feel invisible.” You snicker, recalling the physical challenges he hosted for the Lightners. “Maybe we have something in common, Mr Tenna.”

“It seems that you have a point, Y/N… Welp, it can’t hurt to tell you.”

Your heart rises in your chest. “Tell me what, Tenna?”

“About my past.” His screen switches to static before showing a picture of Azzy’s living room. The sepia filter only increases the nostalgia it triggers. Your spirits sink as he begins his story.

“To be honest, I’ve felt like I wasn’t present to the Dreemurrs for a long time. I saw everything about their lives from their living room: the good, the bad and the ugly. The parents, Asgore and Toriel, were as lovey dovey as a rom com. Then, after some incident, they started fighting. A lot. I could hear them arguing from the kitchen. When they fought in the living room... No matter how much I tried to distract Kris, increase the volume, the action, the pizazz, they still paid more attention to them than me. Then they stopped watching me during the holiday season. All the guests, even the Holidays, stopped coming over.”

Your breath catches: You were one of those guests. This is news to you, not the incident, but Tori and Asgore’s marriage strife. Why did Azzy keep this hidden? You both talked about everything together. Correction: used to talk.

“After a little while, Kris and Tori stopped altogether.” He shrinks to your height when he finishes the monologue. It still baffles you to see him at eye level. “You asked me where everyone went. They left. All my workers called it quits, I found their contracts shredded to bits. I guess points aren’t enough for people anymore! And after I generously rehired them!!”

The host booms with laughter, the interference putting an uneasy spin on it. He approaches you, a hand up from his face like he’s about to spill the tea. “Do you wanna know a secret, Y/N?”

“Uh…”

“The AUDIENCE were my workers too!” He grins with the confession, though his furrowed brow says he’s far from proud. “That’s why…” His expression falters just as he slams his palms over his screen, shaking his head vigorously. “...they’re all GONE! I don’t have anyone else to watch my performances, my shows I put my heart and several commercials from many sponsors into!”

He remains in that hunched position for a tense minute. His breakdown had spurred the raging emotions storming inside your chest to escape through your eyes. The tears freeze seconds after they run down your cheeks. A violent shudder shakes your form, garnering Tenna to peak at you between finger gaps. He gasps in horror.

“Oh my word, are you ok? Here, take this!” The man shrugs off his jacket and drapes it over your shoulders, leaving him with just the button-up shirt. Residual heat carried over by the attire soothes your tremors, although you still sniffle. He looks at his feet, frowning. “I’m sorry. I should have put a rating on that one, B for BAGGAGE! Ha.. ah.”

The poorly-timed joke still curves your lips upward. “It’s alright, th-thank you. Won't you get cold though?”

“You're very welcome. And no, I’m always running HOT, baby!” He smiles widely as flames materialise on his display. You snicker at the overkill, your crying finally settling. You’re mildly nasally when you speak.

“You’re funny, Tenna.”

His height increases by the smallest bit. “Do you really mean that? Even though I made you sad?” He asks meekly.

You smirk mischievously, wiping icy streaks from your face. “It would be so funny if I said ‘no’ right now.”

He gasps like someone walking in on a crime scene a second time. “W-wait! So do you think I’m funny or are you pulling my leg?!”

“Of course I mean it!” You giggle, your cheeks dusted pink. You play with the lapels of the jacket. “And, if you don’t mind me saying, your suit is quite the eyecatcher. Very nice.”

That feeds his esteem. He rockets back to his towering height, pulling his shirt down to straighten out the creases. “I don’t mind at all! I aim to be very pleasing to the eyes. I aim to get the best deals too!” He shields his mouth in that cartoonish way again. “(I got this suit 95% off. That’s just good business, folks).” He leans up with a beaming smirk. “My most loyal audience member is so full of sweet compliments, sweeter than the 100 cups of coffee I have before I go live! Tell me, WHERE have you been all my LIFE?”

Your heart skips a beat. This bloody man has you captivated with his expressive behaviour and you barely know him. Well, his Darkner version anyway.

“Living across the street, mister.” Your amusement wanes as you recall the other thing rattling in your mind. “Tenna, can I ask you something?”

“Let me take a wild guess: You want to be my next show muse? That would bring back my star ratings from the un-walking dead! And it would be so lovely to see you on stage, shining in the spotlights by my side-”

“That sounds wonderful, Mr Tenna sir, however my question is different. Why is Toriel in that ball on top of that tree?”

His smile falls as he glances up to where your finger is pointing. “Tori? She’s in a slumber, that’s why! She’s completely safe, that mystery ball she’s in is as light as a duck’s feather.”

“But Tenna, why is she-”

“Listen, Y/N…” The television man gets on one knee, landing a gentle hand onto your shoulder. “I like you, so I’ll give it to you straight. But you can’t ask any more questions after I tell you, ok?”

The ultimatum leaves a sour taste in your mouth, but it seems like the only way to get an honest explanation. You nod, warily.

“Right, ok.” He stands upright. “So I can’t let Tori out because she would end all of this. The Dark Fountain would be sealed and she’ll throw me away like trash. I can’t let that happen. The show must go on, after all! It’s what I was MADE for!”

How are you supposed to rebuke that? It was plausible that after years of no use (and discovering that Tenna had gone down a questionable path in the name of this ‘Knight’), Toriel would be inclined to discard the tv. Discard him. But…

“Tenna, how will that- no, you said no more questions, so I’m just gonna say it: You won’t be happy running a perpetual game show for the rest of everyone’s lives.”

“Why would you possibly think that?” He chuckles, a sound accompanied by a 1950’s audience laugh track. “My happiness, like the Fun-o-Meter, is always at 100%, maximum power! Why? Because every single person will be watching ME! My audience will grow with the Roaring Knight, they said I could restore my former glory and more if I just kept those three teenagers busy.

I can guarantee that Susie, Ralsei and even Kris will be begging me for more and more boards, more minigames than I know what to do with. All they have to do is give it another shot. A BIG SHOT!”

You put a hesitant hand up to gently interrupt his ranting. “Excuse me, can I ask a question not about Toriel, please?”

He sighs. “Alright. I hope you know I’m being lenient here.”

“This ‘Roaring Knight’… who are they and how do you know they’ll keep their promise? Didn’t you say a few minutes ago that things are worse than ever after you decided to help this person?”

“That’s three questions.”

“I know, but please, Mr Tenna…”

Your imploring cracks the television man’s aloof attitude. He folds his hands behind his back. “I don’t. They just materialised after Kris created this Dark Fountain and told me that.” He laughs wryly. “It’s a TERRIBLE deal, folks! But a bad deal is better than no deal, am I right? I don’t even know the guy!”

You grimace, wringing your hands warmed by his coat. This is bad. This man is clearly not coping well with any of his self-proclaimed baggage and using his act to hide his pain. You assert to yourself that you will confront it.

“Hey, are you ok? You don’t have to keep up this schtick with me.” You take small steps to the Darkner, staring up into the screen from a couple feet away. You glimpse an antenna twitching. “We’re away from the cameras, you know.”

Pink pixels appear and cluster on his cheeks. “The camera’s aren’t rolling, yes. What gives you the idea that I’m not?”

“Well, I don’t mean to come off as brash, but there’s multiple answers to that. It sounds like the Dreemurrs and everyone else not watching you really impacted you emotionally. I get it.” You gesture to yourself. “I was best friends with Azzy, we played games all the time, you saw! When he left for college, I felt like I was missing a part of me.”

“Yeah, Kris told me that his brother was in college now…” He comments.

“Yeah, he stopped messaging me a month in.” Tenna seems surprised by that revelation. Your throat tightens. “I feel like I’ve been abandoned by Azzy and everyone talking about how he moved on to bigger and better things makes it so much worse. No one likes to be left behind, like we have.”

The host’s screen turns to black, his posture sagging as you go on.

“I’m really sorry that happened to you. You put all this passion into your work, only for it to not be appreciated by who you want to impress. Honestly, I think I know how you feel. You’re not worthless and you’re not alone, Tenna.” You clasp your hands, your face and ears heating up. ‘I think you’re wonderful and deserve better than someone making empty promises. I wish I could have you at my house.” Those last words slipped out, but you can’t say you didn’t mean them.

His head shoots up at your suggestion and the black dissipates in a blink of an eye. “You would have me? At your house?”

“Hell yeah! If I had you, I could brag to everyone that I had a one of a kind CRT television. I would visit you all the time in the Dark World too, play your games, chat, that sort of thing.”

The corners of your lips turn up shyly as his mouth falls open. Saying it out loud, you realise that there’s very little stopping you from actually doing it. “What do you say, Mr Showman? Would you be up for a move?”

His antennas spring up. “WOWZERS! The meter is off the charts ladies and germs, I mean OFF. THE. CHARTS!” Confetti showers down from above. “It’s not fun, no… is this what HOPE feels like?”

His joy has you giggling in delight. “It sure is, mister. All I ask is that you release Toriel.”

“Ok! The Knight won’t like it, but what have they done for me? Fuck the Knight!”

You bark out a shocked laugh. “Did you just swear? What about the censors?”

“The censors also left, they can get fucked too!”

You almost cry again, this time from laughing so much that tears prick at the corner of your eyes.

“Oh Tenna-”

“There he is!”

A feminine voice carries over into the- wait, where did the blizzard go? A trio of figures advance toward you and Tenna. He leaps into the air and lands in front of them on the tips of his toes.

“Ah, it’s you three! I have something amazing to-”

The purple lizard monster slashes her axe down, cutting close to the host.

“Enough of the goddamn games! Let Toriel go!”

“WOAH WOAH WOAH WOAH WOAH!!” He raises his hands in front of him. “I just had this suit DE-AXED!”

“We’re done playing. Give her back, now.”

The girl growls and it hits you: That’s Susie, who’s in Kris’ year according to Toriel. She chatted about the problematic girl when you called her last week about Asriel, which quickly became about his younger sibling and Kris’ classmates. Which means…

That blue person is them! Who’s that next to- Asriel!? No, he’s too short to be him. A child look-alike of your best friend, with pink horns instead?

“Susie, my greatest contestant, I know you’re tired of the menial games, so let me tell you all the great news! This wonderful audience member has agreed to take me to her house, where I’ll be alone no more! She’s generous, marvelous, FANTASTIC! A Lightner just like you guys! Say hi, Y/N!”

You give a petite wave and a polite smile. “Hey, everyone. Hey, Kris.”

The human’s mouth parts. Seems like they’re surprised you’re here too, either that or they’re confused by you wearing Tennis jacket (this awareness sets a deep blush into your cheeks). You can’t help but note how grown up Kris seems without the demon headband he used to wear all over town.

“Good contestants deserve a good prize. Audience!” The man points flamboyantly at you. “Would you please stand up and clap for our winners!”

Despite his contradictory language, you decide to play along. You sit briefly then stand up, applauding like you’re getting paid for it and grinning the entire time. You’re honestly happy at the 180 this television host has made in these last ten minutes.

“For outstanding kindness and bravery, Kris, Susie and Ralsei have won… THE GRAND PRIZE!!!”

Swirls of glitter surround the plastic ball, then it begins to gently descend. When it touches the snow, the ball and holiday tree evaporate.

“Here you go, she’s all yours, folks!” He folds his hands and tips his head against them. A flower blossoms from the tip of his nose like Pinocchio. “How wonderful, the family’s all back together again! Now you can all finally-”

Your wide smile shatters as two red strikes slash through his outstretched arms. His figure shakes with the impact and the screen flashes coloured blocks as he falls off the cliff edge.

“TENNA!” You shriek, drowning out Susie’s similar cry.

Tenna disappears into the depths with your shouts. A low humming drags your eyes from the side to the dark figure hovering above the snow. A rumbling, bassy noise surrounds the horrific creature. The teenage lizard speaks, her tone wobbly.

“Who… WHO the hell are you?!”

Chapter Text

“TENNA!”

The shout snaps your eyes open, even though it came for your own lungs. You inhale through your mouth as if you’ve just been resuscitated, almost shooting off the furniture beneath you.

Might as well have been given CPR. Shouldn’t you be dead?

Why are you in Azzy’s living room?

You whip your head around, taking in snapshots of your surroundings:

Couch, Kris, Susie, kitchen, hallway, front door, tv- TV!

Scrambling off the one seater, you claw your way over to the television. One of the antennas is taped together, the box smudged with black marks. Apart from the roughed-up appearance, he- it looks ok. If things worked like how you surmised, he should be alive. Hopefully.

Operating on autopilot, you drag your sore legs to the purple lizard snoring. You shake her shoulder.

“Susie, wake up.” You say softly. She doesn’t stir for a few seconds, then suddenly-

“H-HUH?!” Susie flinches so hard she jumps off the pillows, shielding her face with flexed hands like a martial artist. “Who the hell are you?!”

Her reaction echoes your last memory of her. In the Dark World. Confronting that… that dark angel…

The one that whacked you so hard with the side of its blade it sent you to dreamland. At least you’re breathing.

“I’m Y/N, I’m Azzy’s old friend. What happened to Tenna?”

Her distrusting expression eases up. “Azzy… that’s Kris’ brother. Tenna was in really bad shape when we found him, barely there.” Your heart threatens to seize at those words. “The Shadowguys and Pippins told me how to fix him, I hope it worked out. Are you still gonna take him?”

“Of course!” You know that impassioned claim would make you sound insane to anyone outside this room, but that thought is crushed by your desire to reunite with the Darkner.

“Great, we need to take him to school first.”

“Why is that?”

“The Dark Fountain is there.”

You make a W with your hands and shrug. The teenager groans.

“Do I have to explain the entire legend to you- Wait, screw that. Ralsei can do it, he’ll be waiting for us.”

“Rise and shine, sleepyheads!”

You and Susie freeze as the goat monster enters the living room. She gasps quietly as she spots you.

“Y/N! Whatever are you doing here?”

“Mrs- Miss Toriel! I, um…” Crap, you couldn’t tell her the truth. If you told her that you saw her house engulfed in black smoke in the dead of night, she would have the hospital and police on the phone in an instant. “I… was on my morning walk and wanted to say hi! You’re usually an early bird, right?”

She chuckles, a sound as warm as the spices in the pies she bakes. It erases the mildly stricken look on her face. “You're quite right, my dear. I seem to have woken up quite late this morning, however. I had the weirdest dream. Everything felt so cold.” She shivers at her recollection. When she meets your gaze again, she frowns.“Y/N, did I say something wrong? You look very pale, dear.”

“What? Oh, it’s nothing. Just sounds like a dream I had recently too!” You spot the lizard glance at you incredulously. Probably at your on-the-nose alibi for your odd reaction.

“Really now!” The goat hums in thought. “That is very interesting.” Her eyes drift to the side and she does a double take. “What happened- who damaged the television?!”

You open your mouth but Susie is already speaking.

“I bumped into it. Sorry, Toriel.”

The mum sighs with knitted brows, shaking her head. “It’s alright, Susie. To be honest, I think it’s time for it to go anyway. We haven’t been using it much, it’s just taking up extra space. Would you two be willing to help me throw it out?”

“Uh actually, Miss Toriel, I’m happy to take him- it back to my place!” You flush at your little slip up. “I’ve recently been getting into tinkering with old tech.” As if, but Azzy’s mum doesn’t need to know that.

“Oh, alright! If you two could do so now, that would be wonderful. When you come back, I’ll have pancakes waiting for you all. A stack each!”

“Woah, did you say pancakes?” To your shock, you notice a thick tail protrude from underneath Susie’s jacket. Did she always have one?

Toriel covers her mouth with one hand as she giggles. “Oh Susie, you are a funny child. Now run along, the sooner you get it done the sooner you can have breakfast.”

The lizard girl grabs your hand, tugging you towards the tv. “Come ok, Y/N, let’s get this over with. To your place we go!” She gives you a wink and you smile back.

Within seconds of hoisting it, you and Susie are out the door, steadily carrying the tv past your house and into the deserted school.

“It’s a Saturday, why is the school not locked up?”

“Beats me. Not complaining, it makes going to the Dark World easier.”

“...Huh.”

You both set the tv down so the girl can open the closet she’s led you to. An ominous atmosphere pours into the hallway.

“Alright, now let’s throw him in.”

“Wait, won’t that hurt him?”

“Nah, we’d be falling anyway so we can’t carry him in. Trust me, he’ll be fine.”

“If you say so.” You look down at the unassuming appliance. You set a hand atop the box, brushing your thumb over the frame. All of your heart is pining for him to be restored to his healthy, lively self. You can’t bear the notion that he might not be.

With Susie’s help, you push the tv into the closet. It tumbles into the void. Just before it falls out of sight, it dissolves into a thousand sparkles.

Susie dusts her hands as she walks down the hallway towards the school entrance. “Great. Now let’s get back to Kris’ house-”

Now you dash to grab her hand. “Hold on, aren’t we gonna see if he’s alright? He’s right there-”

“I don’t do anything without Kris.” She tugs her hand back and you release your grip. “Look, we’ll go and have breakfast back at their house then come back here. Tenna will be the first person we’ll visit. No sweat.”

You purse your lips after exhaling mutely. “Fine.”

It’s not long until the four of you are seated at the table. Susie is preoccupied with wolfing down forkfuls of pancakes and chastising Azzy’s sibling. You politely have a few mouthfuls, though the sweet content is bringing on a dull headache. Toriel never spared on sugar in her baking, it was a reflection of her shining personality.

“Kris, how did you sleep through a breakfast like this? Butterscotch pancakes?! Living like this has gotta be a sin.”

“Oh, sinning! That reminds me.” Toriel exclaims. “Susie, Y/N, how would you like to go to service with us today?”

Shit, what a horrible coincidence. How could you forget about how religious Azzy’s family was? You weren’t one to go to church, but you would attend every so often with your best friend. A brief memory of him in that stiff tan suit flashes behind your eyes.

“Sure!” The lizard girl says.

“Yeah, that sounds nice,” You reply.

“Oh, wonderful! Just let me find some clothes for you.”

“I can go to my place and change to save you the trouble, Miss Toriel.”

“Ah, that would be great, Y/N, it might take me a while to find clothes for these two. Meet us in 10 minutes at the church?”

“Sounds good, thanks for breakfast, Miss Toriel. See ya later, guys!” Giving a short wave and smile, you depart. You’re already thinking about your outfit as you speed walk to your house, not at all considering how it would transform in the Dark World.

Worried about your appearance when/if you reunite with the television man who may or may not be deceased? Terrified that a man you knew personally for a grand total of 5 minutes was long gone? How… ridiculous.

Chapter Text

The church service is 10% hymns, 80% Catty pretending to know the Prophecy, 9% you eavesdropping on Susie speaking in hushed tones to Kris, and a beautiful 1% guzzling your favourite combination of red and yellow fruit juice at the end.

All the while, you were mentally biting your nails. Tenna has to be alive, right? The tv would have been more busted if he’s… not.

You had picked out a black dress with silver detailing, kind of matching with gold-tipped ebony flats. As you sip the tangy juice by a glass-stained window, it dawns on you why you were drawn to picking out a dark outfit. Hopefully you won't be mourning today.

You scan the church for Kris and Susie. The human is walking up to people and making conversation with them. You’ve never seen anything more uncanny in your life. Why is the quiet kid suddenly initiating talk with all the townspeople? Are they ok?

They meet back with Susie and she talks to them. Then they approach you. “Hey Y/N, we’re going to school now. After, Kris and I are gonna go to Noelle’s house.”

Ah, yes. The Christmas girl, the one with the older sister you haven’t seen in years. You hope she’s doing well.

“Cool, let’s head out.” You say, leading the group out of the church.

—

The prince from the dark is waiting by the beam of light that you all descend from. When the tips of your toes touch solid ground, you take notice of your change in attire:

Your clothes have shifted from the short sleeve church dress to flowing silk sleeves and a long skirt, the light fabric a gradient pattern of pillar box red and yellow. A coal black cape wraps around you, secured by a gold-buckled belt. The silver stitching is now gold and your flats are lace up black boots which feel warm under your feet. Your skin tone is a pale pink. You feel like some sort of sorcerer but without the headwear.

“Susie! Kris!! Welcome back!!” The one known as Ralsei exclaims as he sees your group, wrapping Kris and the girl in a big hug. “I missed you…” he says shyly.

“Yeah, yeah,” Susie responds as the goat boy releases the two from his fluffy hold. His eyes light up as they land on you, mouth forming an O.

“Oh, hello! You’re Y/N, right? How are you feeling?”

The way he asks so earnestly, that gentle demeanor…

Aside from the pink horns, he’s a carbon copy of your childhood best friend. Something feels off about him, though.

You must have been staring for too long, because the goat boy huffs a timid laugh.
“I, uh, healed you after the battle with the Roaring Knight, but you didn’t wake up. I was worried you were… beyond saving, for lack of better words. I’m really happy you’re ok!”

This Darkner healed you? Were you that close to death’s door? A shiver runs through your spine, one you try to conceal.

“Thank you for taking care of me, Ralsei. I don’t know what would have happened to me otherwise.”

He smiles brightly. “Glad to be of service!”

That’s it: His over the top friendliness. It’s like he’s trying to compensate for something. But what?

“Hey, lemme talk about something.” Susie speaks up. “Remember that cop last night? Undyne? The Knight took her and locked her in the shelter south of town.”

“Wait, what? Undyne is in the shelter?”

The lizard turns to you. “Oh, right. You were knocked out. After we fought the Knight, they abducted Undyne. There’s.. No way we can get in. So now we’re looking for the codes to the lock.”

“Is that what you were doing at church today?” You ask.

“Yeah. We thought Noelle’s mum might have one, but-”

“Are you worried about her? Undyne?” Ralsei asks.

“Me? A cop like her? Hell no! Y’know, it’s just that…”

“Don’t worry, Susie. Someone strong like her will be ok. I want this to be a place where you can forget about the real world for a while. Just relax, ok?” The boy’s reassuring expression shifts to stern. “And if anything tough happens, I’ll come help you as fast as I can.”

“... Thanks, Ralsei.”

A heavy silence follows. The goat boy alleviates it. “... If it’s any consolation, I don’t sense any immediate danger. If the Knight’s only goal was to hurt people, they would have acted sooner, right? For now, let’s just make sure no one else gets taken.”

It’s strange seeing the girl look so downtrodden. “...Yeah, alright.” She scoffs, a toothy grin appearing on her face, casting away any traces of vulnerability. “Heh, what’s with you making me feel better?”

The Darkner doesn’t hesitate to snuggle up to the purple lizard. “I wike you too, Suwsie!” You stifle a snort.

“Yeah, alright, knock it off with the stupid voice!”

“Whwy? Oo-woo~”

He squeaks as Susie shoves him to the ground. He comically lies flat on his stomach like a green and white fluffy puddle.

“I should have NOT taught him that. Ok, let’s go find Tenna.”

“He’s in the new Green Room-”

“Quit talking into the floor, Ralsei! We can’t hear you!”

“Oh, ok.” He springs back up. “I said Tenna is in the new Green Room in the castle. I’ll lead you to him.”

“Thanks, Ralsei. Again.” You say as you all start walking over to the looming structure on the horizon.

“Y/N… fire outfit, by the way.” Susie comments after a few minutes.

“Oh. Thank you, Susie.”

“We kind of match, don’t we, Y/N?” Ralsei tilts his head, smiling with squinted eyes. A memory of Asriel walking home with you after school flashes through your mind, same position, same cheerful face, cast in darkness instead of afternoon sun. You return his cheerfulness, a sense of belonging washing over you.

“Yeah, we do.”

—

Soon, you’re walking down the hall, seeing two red framed doors with ‘TV’ written on them. There’s no guessing where they would lead to. Your hands tingle, the anticipation to see Tenna filling your body with electricity. You’re restraining yourself to not dash in as Ralsei pushes the doors open. Your eyes immediately scan the room, not searching for long until-

He’s there. In the right corner of the miniature Green Room, doing a little jig. He halts as soon as his screen turns at the noise of you and your friends entering. His mouth falls open and everything in your peripheral vision disappears.

He is as still as a statue as he murmurs your name: “Y/N?”

Your feet move on their own and you run over to the game show host, practically launching your body at him and you shout his name. He catches you, squeezing your sides lightly before wrapping you in a full-body embrace. The physicality snaps you out of your shock.

“Tenna, oh my gosh, you’re ok! I was so scared you were dead.” Tears spring to your eyes.

The man chuckles, a sound which quickly dwindles. “My dear Y/N, my best audience member, it would take more than some eldritch horror to take me out. I’m no mere television!” Despite what he says, he holds you flush against him and hastily runs a hand up and down your back.

“Uh, we’re gonna give you guys some… space.” Susie suggests with the grace of an awkward teenager. The green and blue party members nod, Kris leading the three out of the room.

“Thank you!” Tenna waves shortly to the Lightners before redirecting his attention to your tinged red face. He supports your weight under your arms which are still looped above his shoulders. “Are you alright? I’m assuming you had to fight the Knight after I…”

“Yeah. Well, I didn’t do anything, the Knight knocked me out pretty quickly.” You give a sheepish laugh when he gasps. “Ralsei healed me but I only woke up again in Azzy’s house, in the Light World.”

He holds you out in front of him so your hands fall onto his biceps, his words spilling out. With every utterance, his antennae twitch violently. “Oh god, did they hurt you? Tell me where they are now! I swear I’ll have their guts for garters, pummel them to the other side of the Earth, beat them into a million worthless particles-”

“Tenna, TENNA!”

The wires go still at your raised voice. “Yes?”

‘Shut up and kiss me’ is what embarrassingly pops into the forefront of your mind. Now isn’t the time for flirting!

“I’m not hurt, just worried about you. Your arms, they were sliced off!”

“Oh, those little scratch marks?” A cheesy laugh track plays for a few tense seconds. “Susie patched me up quite well, I knew I saw the sparkle of a great contestant in her. Now I’m here, temporarily of course. Nobody can keep me down for long!” He pulls you back against his front, petting the crown of your head like you’re his cat. His antennae wilt. “I was worried sick that I wouldn’t see you again. That The Knight had killed you.”

You pout. The man didn’t need to know at this moment that you almost did. He’s riled up enough as it is. So you pat his arms and draw an easy smile onto your face.

“Nobody can keep me down for long either, mister. I wish I could have fought them and seen what powers I had.”

Those wires lift slightly. “I bet you would have put on quite the performance, my superstar. But why wonder what your abilities are when you can just find out?” The host releases you from the embrace, grinning. “All you need to do is check your STATS!” He punctuates it with a dramatised point of an index finger at you.

“Wait, what?”

“Your STATS! You… haven’t looked?” A giant question mark forms on his display. You’re so lost that you’re starting to feel like you’re missing some important information.

“Mr Tenna, how am I supposed to check my stats?”

“Just close your eyes and visualise a series of buttons. One will be ‘POWER’. It will say your level, abilities, spells, all of that. Wanna do it now?”

You laugh, not entirely convinced. “Alright, I’ll give it a go.” You follow his instructions and, to your shock, a button is indeed suspended in your black mindscape. You press it and your details materialise in white, blocky text.

‘Y/N’

LV1 Fire Mage
Lights the way.

Spells
20% Lantern
12% Warm
60% FireBall

Attack: 8
Defense: 2
Magic: 4
Hotness: 75
Rizz: 85
Guts: 🔥

You blink your eyes open.

“Well? What did it say?”

Your ears burn. “Apparently I’m a level 1 fire mage? And my abilities are Lantern, Warm and FireBall.”

“Whew, sounds spicy!” Tenna fans himself. “How about your other stats? Attack, defense, abilities?”

Like how it had said you’re ‘hot’ and had ‘rizz’?

“N-nothing else! That was it.”

“Come onnnn,” The man gets on eye level with you, bending over 45 degrees. He forms a checkmark with his index finger and thumb where his chin would be, you can almost see an eyebrow quirking up (if he had them). “I heard that stutter, miss. Nothing gets past my antennae!”

“Wait, I thought you saw through those things.”

“Yes, what’s wrong with what I said?”

“Well, you said that you heard me from your antennae, but you also… see through them?”

“Yep!”

“Um… ok.”

“So are you going to tell me your other stats?”

Damn, he doesn't let up, does he? Your cheeks are redder than his jacket, you’re so sure of it. He backs up suddenly, hands up.

“Ok ok, I think I know why you won’t say. It’s because your stats are low, aren't they?"

“...Yes.” You answer slowly, wanting Tenna to believe the explanation he had hypothesised. Truth be told to no one but yourself, your suggestive abilities are the culprit of your self-conscious behaviour. Not your apparently below-average starting stats.

“That is nothing to fret over! The more battles you fight in, the more XP you’ll get. And more XP, as I’m sure you know, means leveling up. Like Kris and their friends! That’s how you get stronger!”

“But I don’t want to hurt anyone.”

“My dear, who said anything about hurting people? Battles don’t need to be violent- I mean, they do bring in more viewers, but I digress! For your sake, you can still get XP from resolving a fight by non-violent means, sparing if you will.”

“Oh, that’s a relief.”

“But Y/N, you will need to get stronger.” His tone falls low, screen going black. “I was absolutely terrified of what might have happened with you and the Knight. You really could have died.” The display resumes to its default, facial features appearing with it. ”I can help you. I’ll have my employees battle you, allow you to spare them and get STACKS of XP! Hell, I’ll let you commit arson with those fire powers of yours, burn my new studio to the ground if you have to! I’ll get Mike to rebuild it!!”

You burst out laughing, amused by that fantasy and endeared all the same. “If that’s the case, then I guess I have no choice, do I?”

“How splendid!” He clasps his hands together as sparkles materialise around his figure. “I won’t let you down, Y/N. You’ll be the most powerful mage the world has ever seen!”

“Hold your horses, big guy. We need to do something about getting you to my house first. As well as finding any… employees.” You glance at the beaming television. “Are they still working for you? I thought they quit.”

He gasps exaggeratedly. “Oh basketballs, I forgot they ripped up their contracts!” The man shrinks to the size of an ant, kicking the ground. “Apologies, my darling Y/N, I appear to be lacking any workers. I can’t blame them, I was a terrible boss. Truly.”

You walk over and crouch, giving an optimistic grin. “Who says you need to be an employer anyway? You can just train me yourself, right? It might be good for you, not worrying yourself with work obligations. Think of it as a vacation, finally using all your annual leave.”

He tips his screen up. He resembles a figurine, not that you would destroy his ego by telling him. “Huh. You make a compelling point. A vacation…” He sprouts up to a greater size than before, startling you and almost hitting the ceiling. “IS JUST WHAT THIS TELEVISION NEEDS!”

“Thoust is hurtingeth my earseth,” mutters somebody.

“Who said that?” You ask.

“Probably that lamp over there. It’s so stupid looking.”

“Hey!”

“Anyhoo, I’ll be back in a tenth of a second, sweetest. I just need to retrieve my holiday gear!” Tenna smashes through the wall as he leaves, silencing everyone in the room. Right on time, he returns in a brand new outfit, dancing goofily. He looks ready for the beach in his tropical-themed button up, board shorts and yellow crocs.

“Check THIS out!” He stops to pop his collar out. “Like my Hawaiian shirt, Y/N?”

Still recovering from the shock of him bursting through two walls, you nod. “Yeah, right on.”

“Oh, you!” He stops dancing to deftly lift you over his shoulder. You yelp and splutter as your face sears the very air with its heat. “Come on, we need the Light World me in your house so we can start training you!”

“Wait, wait! I need to talk to Ralsei and Susie before I go!”

“I’ll take you to them right now!” And somehow he knows exactly where they are: Upstairs, near a green door that you surmise as being the entrance to Ralsei’s room. The goat boy is wiping his eyes as you and Tenna approach.

“Hi again, folks! Y/N wants to talk to you before we depart for our new home.” He sets you onto your feet like you’re a ceramic figurine, contradicting his typically crass nature. “It has been a pleasure knowing all of you. Thank you especially, Susie. I would be in a whole lot more trouble if not for you.”

“No problem. Hey, why are you wearing that?”

“Y/N made me realise that I no longer have any employees, so I’m on vacation! But the two of us will still be hard at work, won’t we?”

You nod eagerly, Tenna’s energy infectious.

“Oh, cool. I’m sure you’ll be happy at Y/N’s place.”

“Is that where you’re heading off to? Well, I’m sure you’ll enjoy living there,” Ralsei agrees.

“Yeah, I think I will.” The host smiles down at you, and you swear you see traces of pink on his faintly static display. He waves at the three Lightners once more. “Farewell! I hope to see you all again one day!” He turns around, leaning down to talk softly. “I’ll be just outside the town, I’ll meet you there when you’re ready to go. Ok?”

“Ok, see you soon.” With that, the anthropomorphic television strides down the hallway. You face the goat boy.

“Ralsei, is there any way I can visit the Dark World from my house? So… I can see Tenna again?”

“It won’t be much of a world, but yes. Any dark space in your house, big enough to walk into, should hold a Dark Fountain. It will just be smaller than this one because the Dark Fountain here and the ones the Roaring Knight makes are bigger. Just don’t let the fountain get too big, alright? Bad things could happen.”

“Ok, I’ll keep that in mind. Thank you.”

You turn on your feet, but a random thought stops you.

“This might seem like a weird question, but how did Tenna get his jacket back? I was wearing it last.”

“Uh, I took it back when I went to look for him.” The lizard girl explains. “Why?”

What a thoughtful person, you think. Under that rough exterior is a soft heart. Susie is definitely misunderstood by the other townsfolk, no wonder Toriel took a chance on her.

“Just because,” you say.

—

“You ok, superstar?”

You trudge over to the television man, a mild frown creasing your face as you play back the fight with the Roaring Knight in your mind. You break the involuntary expression with upturned lips.

“Yeah, just thinking about things. You sure you’re ready to leave, too?”

“Sure am! I can’t wait a moment longer to see my new home.”

“You’re really excited, aren’t you?”

“Ecstatic with anticipation, sweetheart. Mr Ant Tenna is moving onwards and UPWARDS! To new beginnings!" His signature, extravagant finger point accompanies his speech. You muffle a giggle, then turn towards the light.

“Let’s go, funny man.”

The tip of your shoe is bathed in the glow as Tenna grabs your wrist. “Wait a second, Y/N. Shouldn’t we hold onto each other as we ascend? So we don’t get separated from each other?”

The visual of you and the host embracing each other as you are shot into the air has a romantic implication that you can’t deny. Does he view it like that? Or is he genuinely worried about becoming stranded in the dark?

“Ok. How should we, um…”

“Maybe if I put my hands here… may I?” Those giant gloved hands hover centimetres from your waist, kindling a spark in your blood.

“Sure!” You say too loudly.

They settle and you brace your hands on his shoulder pads. A peculiar heat rises at the back of your neck and scalp as he slightly squeezes your body. Whether it’s out of reflex or on purpose is a mystery.

“Now on the count of three, we’ll step into the light together.”

“Ok, I’m ready.”

“One, two… three.” You both take a sidestep into the beam, immediately being levitated. It’s a pretty fast ascension, so you’re grateful to have something, or someone, to hold onto. You dart your eyes around in the void to avoid confronting his reaction, his screen never turning away from what’s in front of him. Yet, you do shyly glance his way, catching how his antennae curve inwards so the receivers touch in the centre. Like a heart.

His giddy smile cements the idea that he’s purposefully hitting on you, despite the simmering anxiety accompanying the notion. You return his happy gaze, hoping to god your street smarts have improved since high school. You would die from mortification if the television man doesn’t feel the way you feel about him.

Wait, how do you feel about him?

“We’re almost there,” Tenna remarks quietly after a minute. “I hope you’ll be ok taking me to your house, Y/N. The Light World me is hefty, to put it lightly.” He chuckles.

Crap, that logic had escaped your thoughts. “I, um, forgot to ask Susie to come back to help me with that. I’ll figure something out.”

“Take your time, sweetheart.” Does your stomach always have to flip every time he calls you by a pet name? “You’re my star, and I’m not going anywhere, by myself that is. I bet someone else in town is around to help.”

The light begins to fill your retinas as you approach the surface.“Thanks, Tenna. I’ll see you real soon, ok?”

“See you soon, superstar.”

Chapter Text

The yellowed beam of light engulfs you and the television man in its radiance. Seconds later, you’re regaining your vision of the school hallway. Shaking your head to restore your bearings, you see the tv right next to you. As unassuming as when you threw it into the closet.

You consider your options: Susie is busy with her friends, Toriel will question why it isn't already at your house and you haven’t talked to Azzy’s dad in a good while. You could ask that guy from the ‘Pezza’ Shop, but you had witnessed him rant about how no girls wanted to date guys like him. You would be giving him false hope if you asked for his help. No thank you.

Perhaps you don’t need another person’s assistance?

Walking over to the right-most room, you spot a second closet. As you open the door, some cards and game pieces fall out. Underneath the mess is a foldable trolley.

Perfect.

Hoisting the television onto the trolley is the next challenge. You lift the television from the bottom, but when you try to set it down, the trolley rolls a couple of feet away. Groaning in frustration, you almost drop the tv on the ground to grab the handle. After pushing it handle-first against the wall, you try to lift the tv onto it again and succeed. The bottom of the trolley gives slightly with its weight. Tenna wasn’t kidding about his counterpart being heavy, that’s for sure.

The trip from the school to your house is a matter of minutes. You hum as you make the commute, the beautiful day and anticipation to see your friend driving your upbeat mood. The sun shines on the CRT, casting a lens flare across its screen. As you admire the visual effect, you daydream about Tenna walking along his island board, shielding his face from the light as he grins up into the artificial sky. It quickly escalates to him unbuttoning his Hawaiian shirt and sauntering over to you as you watch raptly, hypnotised in your sun lounge. How would he look under his clo-

That warmth at the back of your head returns. Not wanting to be distracted any further, you shake your arms to rid yourself of your fantasy like flicking off rainwater. The gameshow host may have been flirting with you in the Dark World, but there's no way he saw it as anything but a bit of fun. Right? That’s his whole schtick, you remind yourself. Fun, never too serious. Just a celebrity personality. An alter ego. Nothing more.

The trolley bumps the bottom stair, knocking you out of your rumination. You’re outside your house and just realised it. Fiddling with the keys in your bag, you unlock the front door, then make the less than graceful journey of lifting the television up the stairs and into your home. If Tenna was here like he was in the Dark World, you would be embarrassed by your unfeminine grunts and huffs of exertion.

Five minutes later, he’s in through the door. After the same amount of time, you’ve gotten him into your living room. With trembling arms, you heave the trolley inside as well. You decide against returning in for now, it wasn’t like anyone had used it recently. Might as well be yours for the time being. Like the tv now is.

Your stomach flips in anticipation. Oh, you have to see him this instant, need to see how your Dark World manifests.

You wash your face, give your hair a quick brush and set for your bedroom. Your walk-in wardrobe is too open to be dark enough. The underneath of your bed, with the frame sealed on all sides but one is more promising.

“I hope this works,” you mutter, flattening your body to commando crawl underneath the furniture. As your entire self is under the bed, you begin to doubt the existence of a Dark Fountain. Then the floor gives way and you’re tipping forward, more and more, until you’re plummeting into the void. You shriek as you’re thrown around in the emptiness.

As terrified as you are, when the new floor becomes visible, you land on a braced knee and hand. Very superhero-esc. This world has to have magic for such an absurd landing to not result in all your bones shattering. The deafening silence is short lived.

“Y/N!!!”

You jump and whip your body around, seeing the television man sprinting towards you like a marathon runner. As he grows closer, his wide grin becomes visible. When you’re in reach, he scoops you into his arms, spinning you in joyful circles. It’s a reminder of his strength, as well as his quickly developed affection for you.

“Tenna!”

“I’m so thrilled to see you again, superstar!” The Darkner sets you back on your buzzing feet. Your vision is still doing 360s and you stumble on solid ground.

He yelps in alarm, reaching out to steady your swaying frame. “Are you ok? I apologise, I think I got too carried away. Seems to be a bad habit of mine.”

You shake your head to reorient yourself, chuckling airily. “You certainly swept me off my feet, Mr Tenna. You have a good habit of doing that.”

He laughs awkwardly. “O-oh, do I? Are you sure about that? It being a goof thing?”

Surprising yourself, you wink as you reply with an assured, “Definitely.” That ‘rizz’ stat sure is something.

Your one-liner evidently affects the man, the blush on his cheeks spreading to redden his sharp nose. He clears his throat, adjusting his tie with a tight fist.

“R-right! Correct answer as always, Y/N. Now…” He claps his hands, glancing around. “Let’s figure out where we are. I think we need some light in here, more than what my screen can produce. You have a move for that, don’t you?”

“Huh? Oh yeah, Lantern!” You frown as you hold out your palms, trying to summon your spell through sheer willpower. Nothing happens.

“Um, Tenna?”

“Yes, my lovely Lightner?”

“I actually have no idea how to do any of my moves.” You giggle self-consciously.

“So you need instructions? No fear, I’m here to help! The first thing you need to do is pull up your Battle Menu. And to do that, you will have to enter a fight. So you’ll battle with me!” Your face falls and Tenna is quick to say, “We don’t ACTUALLY need to fight, remember? Just enter a battle so you can cast your moves, for the first time anyway. No one will get hurt, ok?”

“Uh… ok. I trust you. So how-”

Before you can finish, the host leaps into the air to land a few metres away. From the darkness, music emanates. He speaks in a raised voice.

“Alright! So this is what a battle looks like! You should see your options in your menu. Choose ACT to view your moves!”

You look down and a menu bar hovers with four tabs. You reach out to press ACT and the names of your moves appear. You choose Lantern.

“I chose the move! What do I do now?”

“Ok, now focus your magic on making your move happen.” He speaks into his mic as he points a finger into the air. “Feel the MANA running through your blood and cast your move!”

“Alright, here I go.” You breathe deeply, closing your eyes to bring all of your attention to Tenna’s advice. Soon, your hands gradually warm until it’s reminiscent of standing in front of a fireplace. You peek at your hands and your eyes widen. A hot pink flame hovers above your palms, flickering gently.

“Wow, would you look at that! You know what they say: Burn, baby, burn!” His quip is matched with a sped-up performance of the Cabbage Patch.

You laugh, partly in disbelief at your success and amusement at Tenna’s dancing. “Oh my god, this is awesome!” The flame grows in size, illuminating your surroundings. Another, smaller flame appears a few feet away, then a flurry light up. Lumpy, misshapen walls become clear.

“We’ve got ourselves a light show, folks! This is the makings of a great fire mage!”

The upbeat music fades out, signalling the end of battle. Your flame remains poised in your grasp.

“You did so well, my superstar. How do you feel?”

You grin up at the television. “Amazing. Thank you for the tutorial.”

He chuckles jovially, patting your back. The hue of the flame hides your involuntary reaction. “It’s no problem at all. Now let’s start our adventure!” He bows, gesturing forward. “Lead the way, Y/N.”

“Uh, right! Let’s go.”

Taking the lead on this expedition, especially with Tenna following, feels a bit jarring. Sure, this is your bedroom, your house, and you have the source of light. But this is also a Dark World, one you have never seen. You had thought he would be more suitable to be party leader.

You notice very quickly that these lumpy walls extend one either side of your path, with various textile patterns on each block. After trodding for a while, you find a curtain of mismatched fabric hanging in front, just below a sign that reads, ‘Welcome to the Pillow Fort’.

“Pillow Fort?” You repeat under your breath. “That must mean that my bed is this place in the Dark World.”

“Sounds comfy,” comments Tenna. “Will you do the honours?”

You take the hanging fabric in one hand and pull it to the side. You enter the new space, directing your flame side to side to ignite more candles and reveal more patchworks of bedding. Your companion follows just behind.

“It’s pretty quiet in here, isn’t it?” murmurs the television man. You turn to him and flinch, not expecting the man to have changed his height. He’s now just a head taller.

“Yeah, wonder what that’s about?” You look away to scan the vacant space, letting the question hang in the air. When Tenna doesn’t answer, you crane your neck behind you to him again.

A mischievous smile spreads over his screen as he drums his fingers on his hip. A wrench in your gut suggests he’s been watching you intently for the past minute (as much as an eyeless person can). You secretly wish he was. He speaks up in a drawl.

“You know, with the pillows, blankets and candles, it almost feels kind of… intimate for lack of better words. If no one else is around, perhaps we can, oh I don’t know, make the most of this winning atmosphere?”

Your entire body is ablaze, several degrees hotter than the magical flame. There is no way he’s implying what first springs to mind: You and him snogging in your pimped up, Dark World bed. Oh good lord, what if he is? Is this still his celebrity persona, or the real him?

As the supposed ‘rizzmaster’, you cannot allow yourself to be so easily swooned. Even by this exceedingly charming gameshow host. You adopt an innocent, confused expression, poking your cheek. “Oh? I didn’t know my bedroom would affect you so deeply, mister. What do you mean by ‘intimate’?”

Forget your flame, Tenna’s screen transforms into numerous shades of red. That flirtatious tone turns shaky. “Um, what I’m saying, sweetheart, is that this atmosphere is most fitting for a tv and their most loved audience member! W-which is you!”

“Which means?” You enjoy the way he flusters when you push for the real answer. You step closer to him and catch a projected bead of sweat running down his screen, fighting to keep up the naive charade.

“Y/N…- I mean, wow is the tension tense today, folks! What I want to know is what YOU think it means! Haha.”

In that moment he said your name, he seemed so vulnerable. You want to see it again. “Well, I think it means you’re insinuating we-”

“Alas, our queen is here!”

The two of you freeze.

“Who’s there?” You ask the mysterious voice, dropping the act.

“It is all of us, my queen.” It responds. You spot several pairs of white dots among the shadows, opposite of you and your companion. One emerges, a multicoloured, furry foot stepping into view.

It’s someone you haven’t seen in a long time.

Chapter Text

The figure is a teddy bear with a tiara and gown, with a greater stature than you had previously estimated from the shadows. The one that used to sit on your bed with its wonderful strawberry scent. The one you made when you were on a play date with Azzy all those years ago and stuffed into a box when the sight of her became too painful. That was soon after your best friend started college.

“Rainbow, is that you?”

“It is I, Princess Rainbow. We have yearned for your arrival into this world, maiden of kindness." With her words, the other stuffed toys step out of the darkness. You recognise all of them, even those you had placed into storage containers on shelves. You hear excited murmurs from the large group. “Welcome to Pillow Fort, where we reside and the kingdom you shall rule, Queen Y/N.”

“Wait a second, why are you calling me your queen?”

“Because that’s who you are, your Highness. And we, your devoted subjects.”

“Holy cuncadero! Y/N, you never told me you were royalty!” Tenna exclaims, screen black and hands on both sides of his head. He’s not the only one who’s shocked.

“That’s because I didn’t know!” You protest.

“Who is this gentleman, my queen?”

“Oh- Rainbow, this is Mr Ant Tenna. He was Azzy and Kris’ tv. They let me, uh, adopt him.” As you make your introduction, the television brushes down his shirt hastily, waving with a tight lipped smile.

“How delightful. Mr Tenna, it’s wonderful to meet your acquaintance.”

“Likewise, uh- colourful lady.”

“Now that we’re all acquainted, there is something I must tell you, your Highness: The Dark Fountain here is failing. Its form is fragile from the lack of Lightners, or even Darkners, entering this realm. Your presence has saved it from impending doom, however there is more to be done. We need more Lightners, more Darkners, to raise this fountain up to be raging once more. It is crucial to make this world even darker.”

The hairs on your head prick up. “But Ralsei said it’s dangerous if fountains get too big.”

“Do you not believe in the word of the Roaring Knight?” Rainbow’s voice takes on a questioning tone.

“Hey ladies, why don’t we take a time out and play a guessing game?” Tenna interjects. “The Knight promised you everything you could ever want if you followed their orders. Am I on the money?”

“The Knight swore on their promise!” An unexpected sharpness cuts through the teddy’s softspokeness. “I’m only going to ask once, television: Stop leading our queen astray and let her hear the way of the Roaring Knight, or I will have no choice but to use unpleasant methods of disposal.”

“Hold on just a second! Tenna isn’t leading me astray, he was fooled by the Knight too. He had his arms cut off for disobeying them!” You gesture to your companion in frustration. Was your toy always this gullible?

The bear turns her back to address her cohort. “Our queen has lost her way. I’m sorry, but I must resort to brute force. I cannot let this foolish television sway you any longer!”

“Hey, who are you calling FOOLISH?!” He sputters.

You march to stand in front of your friend, spreading your arms wide. “No one lays a finger on him. Not even you, Rainbow.”

“Y/N!”

“If it has to be this way…” She digs her paws into the ground, expression unreadable. “I won’t let you down, my queen. I will break this delusion you’ve succumbed to!” As she speaks, the others fall back gradually. It’s just you three in the circle now.

“Looks like these guys have been radicalised by the Knight, Y/N,” Tenna says to you quietly. “I can take ‘er on, wrangle her cowboy style. Do you want me to finish this?”

His dismembered form flashes like lightning behind your eyes. Never again, n-

“No!” Too loud. It snaps you back to reality, back to Tenna wincing. You grit your teeth with immediate guilt. “Shit, sorry about that. No, just guide me in battle. This can be my first real fight, which I can win through sparing them.”

Say it like you mean it, your mind demands.

“I WILL win by sparing them.”

“That’s my fiery girl!” He booms, leaping to the side. “Go get them, superstar! I believe in you!”

—

“Hey Y/N, do you have a moment to talk?” Tenna asks, tentatively touching your arm so you turn to him. You had just finished your conversation with two plushies, requesting them to clear out a larger space to hold battles in. It’s imperative they are trained up too, should the Roaring Knight ever return to this Dark World. It’s only been a few hours, but you have a feeling that with the Knight abducting people, time is of the essence.

Still, you could always spare a few minutes for your dear television.

“Yeah man, what’s up?”

He puts a hand over his sternum. “I want to thank you sincerely for all of this, sweetheart, it means the world to me. I hope I can make it up to you, even if it’s just through battle training.”

All he really has to do is call you ‘sweetheart’ with that blush one more time, a not so unwelcome thought says.

“And w-while we’re on this topic, I’d like to ask you something else.”

“Oh, ok!” Your reddened cheeks are making it difficult to focus on anything else but Tenna’s sugary words. His mouth is quite the distraction.

The television frantically twirls his yellow tie between gloved fingers. “Y/N, my most wondrous companion, I would like to ask if you would be interested in, um...” The fiddling grows more erratic, matching how he stumbles over his words. “Well, if it was in your purview, um… Oh to hell with it!” He yanks his tie down with sharp resolve and extends a flamboyant hand out. “Will you go on a date with me, Y/N?”

Ohmygodohmygodohmygod-

You beam up at him. “That would be lovely, Tenna. Any place in mind?”

“Wow!” He pulls his hand back to run over the tops of his springy antennae. “You actually said- Uh, I mean, you know that cafe/restaurant Rainbow mentioned? I thought we could go to lunch there, dinner even. Or it could be somewhere else, if you like!”

“Dinner sounds great,” you say with an easy smile. It conceals your urge to giggle hysterically. Was this really happening?

“Amazing! How about tomorrow at 6pm? I just need some time to prepare. Plus you have that night shift at the ‘pezza’ place, don’t you? You said so just now.”

You groan. You had to see that incel at the shift passover. He’s probably going to make you nauseous again with another backhanded, sexist compliment. Why couldn’t you wine and dine with Tenna tonight instead?

Because you need the money. The real- the Light World doesn’t use Dark Dollars.

“Unfortunately you’re right. Tomorrow night it is.”

“Perfect, I’ll meet you at the Light Fountain and we’ll walk over together. Prepare to be dazzled, darling viewer! Owner? Is it weird if I call you my owner? This is your house and I’m living in it, so you kinda are? Argh, I’m being so ungroovy right now. Forget what I said-”

“You can call me that, under the right circumstances.” You wink mischievously at the gameshow host who halts in his ranting.

“Wait.” You do, willing your smirk to remain concealed. “Are you… flirting?” He says slowly, his antennae flattening on top of his head. You can’t suppress your giggle this time, which seems to turn Tenna’s entire screen pink in a satisfying, instant fade.

You consider saying no to mess with him, but knowing Tenna, he would likely take it as a massive rejection. Charming as he is, he couldn’t take an ounce of criticism, even as a joke. So you change your answer.

“What if I am, mister?”

His mouth falls open, but he’s quick to gain his bearings this time. “Then I’ll just have to show you how a master plays the flirting game! I’m a television, darling! I’ve seen every romcom to exist so I know how to romance someone. Charisma is my middle name!”

The battle you had with your teddy bear doesn’t compare to the one waging within you as you fight to stay nonchalant. You hated to admit it, but his confidence was working you up. “Uh huh. In that case, I look forward to seeing you walk the walk tomorrow night.”

“Y-yeah! I’m excited too, Y/N. See you tomorrow!”

You say your farewells to Tenna and the residents, a single thought playing over and over:

That silly tv man, he’s already halfway there.

Chapter Text

Holy shit, that shift sucked. Like always, the obnoxious prick handed over the shop keys, declaring that if any “creepy weirdos” should harass you, he would be your “knight in shining armour, just for you”. Vom worthy. He should look in a mirror.

Then the next four hours proceeded with a grand total of one customer requesting that all the anchovies you have for the week be piled onto four pizzas. That was 20 minutes into your shift, too. It was dead silent after that.

Trudging home past 9pm, you’re almost tempted to dip under your bed and say hi to the Darkner version of your tv. You decide against it, since you already saw him today. You had to keep him wanting you, can’t be too eager, you chastise yourself. At least, not before the first date.

You sigh as you massage shampoo into your hair, steam coating the shower and bathroom in warm moisture. You wonder what he’ll be wearing: That alternative black suit you’ve seen him in once or twice in the first Dark World? Or would he be in something completely different? A blue jacket, perhaps? Green? Navy?

You mentally flip through all the possibilities as you thoroughly rinse your hair. In your bed, you toss around, finding it difficult to find sleep.

How could you relax? You had your first date tomorrow!

—

You’re light on your feet, having just descended from the Light Fountain. Your date doesn’t disappoint: The showman is wearing a cornflower blue dress jacket with his usual white button up, topped with a red tie and black shoes to finish. For the cherry on top, he holds a multicoloured bouquet of flowers, daisies and roses by the looks of them. As you close the distance, you see that his grip is rather tight around the bouquet, at odds with his shining smile.

“You look very pretty tonight,” Your date says in earnest after you hug him. “This shade of F/C really suits you.”

At the angle his nose is pointing down, you guess Tenna is looking at the hem of your dress when you part from the short embrace. It draws your heart tight as it flutters from his attention. Simultaneously, you pray he isn’t staring down the front of your attire at that steep angle, having chosen a dress with a v neckline.

“Thank you. You look snazzy yourself, man of the hour! Are those your flowers?” You jest sincerely.

“Haha, no, my witty viewer. They are none but yours!” He kneels, presenting the bouquet as if proposing. You accept them with a wide grin, burying a nose into the petals to appreciate their delicate aroma. “I, uh, hope you like them!”

“Mmm, I do. They’re beautiful, Tenna.”

He mutters something which is followed by a throat clearing cough, fist pressed to the side of his screen. While he’s distracted, you eye his jacket again. The fabric is frustratingly familiar, but you fail to pinpoint the cause of this notion.

“Say, where did you get this jacket from?”

“Um, the fabric is from something I thought you may not miss: Old curtains, sewn together by the guys at Pillow Fort…" He loses steam, his blush an array of hues that remind you of colour tests. “Old, like this television, haha…”

Still getting back his confidence, you conclude to yourself.

“Mister, while I would have liked to have been asked about using something of mine beforehand-” A pang of yearning hits your chest as his screen dims and antennae droop down. The last thing you want is to see him saddened, so you butter up your sentence: “-I can’t lie. This looks really good on you.”

Like he wasn’t downcast just a second ago, he beams at you with perky receivers, brightness reverted to its original state. “Oh, your praise is wonderful, Y/N. And I will absolutely talk to you before doing something like this again, don’t you fret! Now…”

The television man bows slightly, offering his left hand. “Shall we head to the diner?”

The walk is only a couple hundred metres, the restaurant being around the corner of the entrance to Pillow Fort. A neon sign shines on you two as you approach the front doors: Cafe Royale. You wonder who came up with that name, you snort to yourself. The title is pretty on the nose.

Your date escorts you inside first, holding the door open like the perfect chivalrous gentleman. The action turns your cheeks pink, feeling as highly regarded as a monarch should be. How would Tenna feel about being your prince?

There’s not much time to linger on this novel fantasy because your attention is immediately diverted to the music playing. Your face warms for an entirely different reason.

“Hey, I think I recognise this type of music," Tenna begins, pouting in thought. “I heard Kris and Noelle listening to something similar one time. What did they call it? Lightcore?”

“Nightcore,” you correct, aflame with mortification. The music from your angsty teen years airing for everyone to hear? How absolutely appalling. “I think this is my old playlist. Wait…”

The face-paced, cacophany of synthetic noises originate from a feminine figure dancing out of rhythm, almost chaotically, on a small, wooden stage. Their body has a LED display littered with icons, twin ponytails touching the floor. Their eyes zero in on you and your companion from across the room.

“Oh my gosh, the Queen is here everybody!” They squeal, waving at you. All the customers turn to the entrance of the restaurant, as if a giant spotlight was glaring at you. The entertainer rushes off the stage to meet you face to face, shaking the hand not gripping the flowers with fierce enthusiasm.

“I am so overjoyed to see you again, Your Highness! I hope you liked the song I was playing, you used to listen to it all the time L O L! I’m Tammy, that’s what you named me, Tammy the iTob, since your mum refused to get an iTab, otherwise you would have called me Tabby. I remember that very moment and I’m so happy I finally get to talk to you properly!”

She finally releases your hand, thoroughly shaken.

“H-hello again, Tammy.”

“And who is this fine guy you have with you, hmm?” She puts her hand up, index finger and thumb forming a checkmark. For some reason, a sense of possession grips your soul as your misplaced iTob eyes down your new television. It grows as he reaches out to shake her hand.

“Mr Tenna, pleasure to meet one of Y/N’s entertainers. You two must have known each other for a long time, right?” he looks at you expectantly with a small smile.

“Y-yeah. Sorry for losing you a few years ago, Tammy. Where are you?”

“Oh, water bottle under the bed, my Queen. You left me, well, under the bed! You dropped me down the side closest to the wall one night, six or seven years ago.” She laughs and it bothers you how natural it sounds.

“Well, it was very nice to meet you, Tammy. Y/N and I are out on a date right now so we’ll be on our way now.” The gameshow host says, intertwining his hand with yours once more. His thumb runs over your knuckles in comforting strokes.

“Oh, of course! What am I doing?” The smart device shakes her head. “ You’ve grown up so fast, Your Highness, already dating! I’ll let you guys get on with it, do you have any song requests?”

“Oh, no-” You cut yourself off, changing your mind. “How about ‘Everytime We Touch’?”

“Ooo, you used to love that one! Sure can. Have fun, you two!”

“Bye!” You and Tenna wave to the ditzy electronic as she runs back to the platform. All the diners resume their activities, the suffocating attention dissolved. The television man talks to the waiting staff, telling them of his booking.

When you’re seated in a secluded corner booth a few minutes later, he pipes up.

“So, tell me about your shift, superstar. How was it?”

“Well, thank you for asking, mister.” He eats up the praise like a starving dog, antennae folding inwards in a telling fashion. “It was pretty quiet, as usual. My lame ass coworker said the cringest thing to me, because I was closing for the night. He said-”

“He?” You catch Tenna echoing the word under his breath as a receiver twitches.

“Yeah, he said that he would be my ‘knight in shining armour‘ if anyone tried to mess with me while I was by myself. I swear, if anyone else had any other jobs going around, I would be outta there faster than you can say ‘pezza’. Who names a place with the word ‘pezza’ when ‘pizza’ works just fine? My boss is so weird.”

The man breathes out a laugh, showing off sharp canines that have you forgetting what you just ranted about. “You’re a real riot, Y/N. Fingers crossed you can find another position soon, that guy sounds like a real loser.”

You giggle out, “Tell me about it”, sipping the table water.

“So, Y/N, my dear Y/N,” The Darkner claps his hands together, changing the subject. “I promised to show you how the pros play the flirting game. So I brought this nifty Flirt O’ Meter with me. Well, two of them, one for each of us.” The meters in question are just the Fun O’ Meter but with a paper sheet slapped over the “Fun” with “Flirt” written on them. You guess that with no more studio, Tenna was operating on a tiny budget. “The one whose meter reaches the top first will be declared the ULTIMATE DATER! Ready to have your socks knocked off, my favourite viewer?”

You laugh with smirking lips. “I can think of something else to knock off of you, Mr Tenna.”

“Wow! You are a naughty one, Y/N- Hey, wait! I haven't started the game yet!”

You barely hold back your howl of amusement as the bottom of your meter gains a fraction of red.

“Ok then, it seems like we’re starting now. DATING START!” He strikes his left hand up, pointing into the air. You have to catch your bottom lip between your teeth to restrain even more laughter. “Prepare to be dazzled by my words of honey, owner of mine.” He clears his throat discreetly before an easy smile stretches over his screen. His voice is noticeably deeper when he speaks. “Your lips look lonely, would they like to meet mine?”

Oh my god, is he really busting out the cheesy pickup lines? Even so, the way he delivered it in such a sultry tone twists your stomach. Your face heating up is next to follow and his Flirt O’ Meter rising is last.

“Haha, you liked that one, didn’t you, Y/N?” He states as if he’s already the victor of this strange game. “Now we’re tied, back on an even playing field. Your turn!”

“Oh, ok! Um…” You wrack your brain for something enticing to say, but the television man is distracting you. Not on purpose, he just has his hands folded and elbows propped up on the table, nose (and therefore gaze, wherever he sees from) dead set on you. One pops into your head, internally cringing as you speak the line. “Did you fall from heaven? Cos you must be an angel.”

His face lights up like the sun rising past the horizon. “Such flattering words!” Your meter climbs a few steps. “But you’re the real angel here. I knew when I held you in the Light Fountain, seeing you bathed in that ethereal glow. I’m a mere mortal compared to you.”

You instantly flashback to his goofy smile and heart-shaped antennae from that incident. He virtually just confirmed that he was indeed hitting on you just a couple days ago.

This is some Shakespearean shit, the thought materialises in your reeling mind. And yet, you want to hear every line Tenna has to say. Surely he can see how much sweat has accumulated under your arms, how your complexion can be compared more and more to ripe cherries with each passing moment.

He leans forward toward you, fingertips planted on the tablecloth, swirling patterns into the fabric. He continues his proclamations. “I really gotta say, I’ve never met a girl like you before. There’s just something about you that is… brilliant, to say the least.”

You plaster on a poker face, hoping your cheeks aren’t sabotaging your nonchalant act as you respond. “Well, Tenna, maybe that’s because I’m a woman.” Those words hang in the air as, by some fluke, you get the courage to spit out, “And you are one hell of a man.”

Hey, he challenged your flirting expertise. Go big or go home, right?

Seeing your Flirt O’ Meter shoot up doesn’t bring on the magical self-confidence you were praying for. You quietly let your faux demeanor drop while your face bursts into flames. As you delicately chew your lip to steel yourself for any rejection, the gameshow host is unmoving while his jaw is dropped so low, you thought it might detach altogether.

It’s humiliatingly quiet. Now you clear your dry throat.

“Was that, um, too much?”

The red that rises from the bottom edge of his screen almost to the top catches you off guard. It fuels your blush, you feel the heat radiating from your skin.

He stammers for a few seconds, those fingers that froze digging into the table. You are sure that claws are protruding within his gloves. “I-I-I think that was perfect, you’re perfect! Look at your Flirt O’ Meter rise! And y-you’re right! You are a woman! A wonderful lady, so intelligent, mysterious and beautiful, uh…” He facepalms his display, muttering erratically, “Keep it together, Tenna! You’re gonna freak her out and lose.”

You laugh, for several reasons: One, because you can’t believe how passionately he reacted to your flirt when you had predicted otherwise. Two, because of how delightful his praise felt. Three, because if you didn’t laugh, you would be seconds away from silencing his ramblings with your mouth.

And you shouldn’t kiss on the first date, you remind yourself sternly.

“Tenna,” you say quietly, making his screen turn back forward. “You’re not freaking me out at all. It’s really sweet for my television to have such a high regard for me.”

Your reassurance and once again rising meter cut through his self critical mutterings, his antenna lifting by a measly fraction. “Are you sure? I feel like I’m fumbling hard, like the youth say nowadays. Just look at my meter...”

“Do you think I would still be here if you were, Mr Tenna?” You mimic his body language from earlier: You fold your hands under your chin, batting your eyes like the femme fatale you aspire to be. It’s shocking to you how easily you can voice your teases now. “Come on, good looking. Don’t underestimate yourself. I thought you were gonna show me the ropes to flirting, remember?”

Steam from his vents diffuses into the cool air in wispy clouds. It steals your gaze just as much as his beet-red screen. “Y/N…”

Biting your lip, you raise an eyebrow and call him softly by a name you haven’t heard anyone else speak, despite it being his first: “Ant?”

The effect is just what you hope for. The steam sizzles out and his display casts a bright red glow over the table he’s about to tear in half with those claws leaving marks in the cloth, the light reaching your fingertips. “Whew, no one ever calls me that! Mainly because I told my employees not to, but it’s different with you. This is… you’re…”

And just like that, your meter shoots to the very top, exploding in confetti with an array of winning bells and trumpets. He tips his screen down, the glow vanishing and replaced with a black void. “I admit it: You’re better at this than me. Flirting.” He lifts it back up with a closed lip smile, “Clearly you surpass me by a landslide. And here I was, talking some big game about sweeping you off your feet. Sorry, I couldn’t walk the walk after all.” His laugh is compensatory at best.

You choose to keep it lighthearted, try to cheer up the disheartened Tenna. “What can I say, mister? I never back down from a challenge, and you put up a hell of a fight. Or should I say flirt?”

That gets a spirited laugh out of the man as his screen flips back to its white display, as fast as a light switch. He eases, sighing deeply. “Y/N, not only are you smart and gorgeous, you’re funny too. You’re the whole shebang, sweetheart.”

Your face ignites like a flare. That damn nickname always has a visceral effect on you. You’re powerless to your abashed reaction, Tenna’s meter shoots up to three quarters full. It instantly catches the television’s interest.

“Oh ho, I think I just struck gold, folks! Guess the game isn’t over yet. Do you have something to tell me, sweetness?”

You’re sweating as it creeps up more. “Got no idea what you’re talking about, Tenna!”

“Please, call me Ant. I know you like it~” He sings the last part slowly.

You grit your teeth. He has found your weakness and is exploiting it to rile you up, fill his confounded meter. Regardless of the obvious bait, you bite. “What do I like, Te- Ant?”

“Calling me by my first name. Annnnd my little, sugary nicknames for you. This tv sees right through you, my dear.” He drawls, tapping those claws on the wood, having torn the tablecloth to shreds. His toothy grin, which shows off his pointy canines, are the cherry on top that has you melting like a sundae left out in the sun.

“I…” You purse your lips, evading his eyeless gaze. Your stomach is in knots from this sudden turn in conversation. You wish he would put you out of your misery and kiss you already. You could be breath to breath with him quickly if he just got on the table and crawled over, sank those delicious teeth into your neck-

“I guess I have my own admission to make.” Blushing hotly, you rush the words out, looking at the glass of water instead of your date’s glass screen. “I really, REALLY like when you call me by those nicknames. It makes me feel cared for.”

As you speak, the gameshow host’s cocky grin wanes to an expression of humility. His tone is completely devoid of the sensual taunting from before. “I didn’t know it meant so much to you, Y/N… I’ll call you sweetheart as many times as you want and then some. To be frank, calling you that is one of my favourite things in the world.”

His revelation gives you the courage to peer up at him. “Really?”

“Yep. It almost feels like you’re-” He shakes his head, cutting himself off with a short chuckle. “You know what? You won, so let’s end this game, at least for now. You must be starving, would you like to order?”

“Oh, yes! Uh…” You hide in your menu, pretending to assess your food options while secretly theorising what Tenna’s next words would have been. When you decide on your dish, he orders the same thing, with two glasses to go with it: Himself, mystery green liquid; You, sparkling grape juice.

“Don’t worry, it’s suitable for all ages,” Your date clarifies when it arrives.

“Why thank you, Tenna- Ant, sorry I meant Ant.” You hastily sip your juice to quench your embarrassment.

The gameshow host smiles gently at you. “No need to worry yourself, superstar. Don’t force yourself, call me whatever you’re comfortable with. It’s cool in my books.” He puts on a funny voice for the last sentence, successfully making you giggle.

“I appreciate that, Anthony.” You mischievously reply, relishing his confusion.

“Huh? I know what I just said, but why Anthony?”

“Because it’s the full name of Ant, in my world at least. Ant is short for Anthony. Is that… not the case with you?”

“Nope! Just Ant, like the insect. That being said, I’m no creepy crawly! Do you see six legs on me?” He gestures to his body, giggling at his own joke. Adorable, you think, before an epiphany hits.

“Wait, you do realise then that your name is Ant Tenna, right? It’s a literal pun, wordplay on the word ‘antenna’, like yours!”

Tenna bellows out laughter, causing some heads to turn to your table. “I know, I’m not the king of jokes for nothing, my darling. I’m entertaining right down to my name! ”

“Hah, I’m starting to see that, funny man.” You hum, downing the rest of your grape juice.

The next forty minutes in the restaurant consist of your dinner arriving and you digging into the food. You try your best to stay delicate and proper, but date anxiety really works up an appetite. You essentially guzzle your winguini (linguini made from wires according to the menu), a green aura with a large ‘+5’ materialising as you take the final bite.

“Uh, Tenna, what was that?”

“That was you healing just now, my sweet. That’s what happens when you eat food from the Dark World. But that only happens if you’ve taken damage…” He frowns. “You must have still been hurt from the Roaring Knight, or maybe your battle with Rainbow?”

“Oh yeah, that…” You recall how, in your confrontation with your childhood teddy bear, her hurling stuffing, one grazing your cheek.

“How remiss of me to not realise you were injured, my dear! I’m so sorry, you’re new to this world, I should have been paying more attention.” He cringes inward for a moment as his mouth disappears briefly. It reappears when he starts talking again. “If you’re finished eating, I’ll pay for all of this. Would you like dessert?”

“Oh, you don’t have to, Tenna. I can pay for mine.”

“I insist. I asked you out, after all.” He shoots you a reassuring smile as he scrambles for his wallet, taking out 500 Dark Dollars. “What dessert would you like? There’s ice cream, cake, tiramisu at the front?”

You flush from how set Tenna is on making this date enjoyable for you. An idea for a pickup line spawns in your mind, delivering it with a flirtatious grin.

“You’re sweeter than anything on this menu, Ant.”

His mouth is slightly agape as he registers your words. He chuckles as fresh steam sizzles out of his vents. “H-hey now, that’s cheating! The flirting game is over, you already won!”

“What if I don’t wanna stop, mister? You gonna stop me?”

He grins, shuffling closer to you in the booth. “Not for all the viewers in the world, Y/N.”