Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Tenna was late.

Tenna was never late for a shoot.

Everyone was starting to freak out and talk about what was going on.

"Think he… had trouble getting changed?" Elnina asked softly to her husband.

"He'd never get changed any later than 2 hours before filming. I hardly think he had a wardrobe malfunction for 2 hours" Lanino pointed out worriedly, which only helped to increase his wife's concern.

"Maybe he got distracted by something important" Shuttah offered as an answer.

"Or maybe he's doing some 'coping' in his dressing room" a Pippins added unhelpfully, getting a dirty look from the three chatting darkners. 

"Don't even insinuate that!" Lanino said in an angry voice, but was quickly calmed by Elnina. 

"Well if he ain't's here den he's gots ta be in dere. Doin' what, I dunno. But dat's where everyone saw him last."

They looked to the Zapper slowly, already in agreement that was most certainly the case. The silence lingered for a moment on the set, no one wanting to break the silence and bring up the big, obvious, glaring elephant in the room. Most people probably knew what had happened, they just wanted to think there could be a less uncomfortable reason.

"... … … So… who's checking up on him?" Shuttah asked nervously, looking around and catching the awkward faces of everyone in the room, clearly not wanting to be the one. That awkwardness held until a loud groan was heard from the backstage area, footsteps coming down the walkway stairs.

"Of course none of you will. That's my job after all. Lazy, unhelpful, good for nothing…" the ever outspoken Mike was heard grumbling angrily as he shoved his way past everyone and headed immediately for the changing rooms. 

"Pl-please inform us when you find out what happened!" Elnina shouted after him, gaining another groan from him. Then he was gone, rushing down the hallway towards Tenna's whereabouts.

How could Tenna be late!? How could they have not been informed earlier of something being wrong?! How didn't they go to check immediately when he didn't show up at least half an hour before filming started?! Battat was kicking themself for being so stupid and undeservedly optimistic. It was just that Tenna had been so upbeat and happy recently, so no one was expecting another breakdown so suddenly. The Mikes had all kept an eye on him like usual and nothing seemed wrong.

Maybe Tenna was acting a little funny, but nothing too weird. Just small things that could be shrugged off. Like him asking Mike to help him with a script, saying he was having a hard time getting the lines right. Or him throwing his arms around restlessly more than usual. Or him getting a bit more impatient with Mike in the most pouty way possible. Nothing that was concerning.

But here they were, missing out on Tenna having another one of his episodes somehow. They should have been paying more attention!

Arriving at the changing room, Battat stood outside and took a second to listen in on anything happening inside. It was quiet. Not unusual for a situation like this, but still not ideal.

They gave a big knock on the door, hoping it might be enough to snap the host out of his spiral. They didn't expect to hear a startled shriek from the other side.

"Uh- m-mr. Tenna, sir?"

"GO AWAY!!!"

"It's me, boss! Mike!"

"M-m-mike… D-DON'T COME IN!!! LEAVE ME ALONE!!!"

That wasn't good. Tenna was never the type of person to wanna be left alone. At least when it came to the people he held close, like Mike or even Elnina and Lanino. That gave Battat both a small hope that it wasn't something serious and a pit in their stomach saying that it was really bad.

"Hey! Come on! It's yer pal! Motormouth Mike! Ya know you can trust me to-"

"JUST GO!!!"

They weren't getting anywhere like this. "Sir, you're late for filming. Ya got the whole crew waiting on you!"

"I DON'T CARE! JUST GO AWAY ALREADY!"

Ok, now he was just being difficult. He couldn't make everyone prepare an episode and then bail on them. That wasn't very professional of him. So, despite feeling bad about going against their boss' orders, they opened the door and entered the dressing room.

The room was brightly lit like normal, but with no obvious TV heads in sight. So they walked further in and glanced around for him, wondering where he could be. But eventually, they found him huddled up behind the privacy screen, tucked into the corner while hugging his legs tightly. He was basically just a big ball trying to hide wherever he could fit. It made Battat frown, getting annoyed with him already.

"Sir. Come on. What's wrong?"

He only responded with a grumpy whine, shifting away from them and continuing to hide his face. They crossed their arms and tapped their foot impatiently. The noise seemed to make Tenna tense.

"Mr. Tenna, ya know I'm here to help you, but ya gotta tell me what's wrong so I can help!"

"I don't want your help! I just wanna be alone!"

"Sir! Everyone is worried about you! You didn't show up and gave no warning or explanation for it! I think you owe them something at least!"

The TV whimpered miserably and reached up to pull on his antennae, growing more stressed from all these demands. They didn't notice it until they stepped closer, but Tenna seemed quite a bit smaller than usual. That did tend to happen when he was having an episode. They felt a little confused on how to proceed, seeing as they were given nothing to work with. So while he was turned away, they sent a message to the other two to come and give them a hand. Maybe Jongler or Pluey could get through to him.

"... … … Why are you still here?"

"I'm sorry, but it's my job to keep the show going when you're having issues. Or cancel it when you're having issues issues. So I need-"

"No! I don't wanna!"

That took them off guard, hearing the CRT speaking in such a blunt, hostile, petulant way. It sounded so juvenile. So unlike the charismatic gameshow host and very different from his insecure and anxious self while having a bad day. It felt weird.

"What do you mean 'you don't wanna'??? You have to! It's your job!"

"NO!!! NO NO NO! I DON'T WANNA DO IT! I DON'T WANNA!" Tenna had started shouting at them again, this time with a tearfilled voice that betrayed exactly what was happening on the screen facing the wall. 

"Mr. Tenna…?"

"IDONTWANNAIDONTWANNAIDONTWANNA!" he continued loudly proclaiming whilst covering the sides of his head, a subtle hiccup sneaking into his ramble as he began to shiver.

Ok. This was really freaky now. This wasn't Tenna. At least not the Tenna they knew. He would never devolve into this type of childish argumentation. He probably wouldn't even fight Mike about it this hard in the first place. He was rather compliant a lot of the time, which made this even more strange.

They heard the door quietly open and close, followed by the other two Mikes approaching the screen where small Mike was standing. They quickly pointed to Jongler and motioned them to take over, which they did. The tall microphone hopped behind the screen and over to Tenna, kneeling down beside him.

"Hey. What's da matter, boss? Why're you's upset?"

The gentler voice seemed to coax Tenna to at least turn and look at Mike, sniffling and gasping between sobs. He was still shaking, messing with his antennae roughly. Jongler decided to slowly move to take his hands away from them, knowing how sensitive they were. 

"Please don't do dat. It's gotta hurts."

His frown only grew into a grimace, wavering with fresh, harsher sobs. Tears rolled down his screen and he gripped onto the hands clutching his.

"I-I-I… I… c-c-can't go."

"Why's dat?"

"Because they'll hate me!"

"Huh? Whys would dey hate you?"

"B-b-because I didn't come! I made them wait for me! So they hate me!"

Jongler let go of his hands and instead sat down beside him to rub his back calmly. They noticed how small he was right then, almost close to their own height. "Dey ain't hate you. Just worried."

"B-b-but I can't do it! I can't do it! They'll hate me for messing up!"

"Messing up what?"

"The show!"

"Why do ya think you's gonna mess it up?"

"Because I will! I can't do it! Everything is wrong! I forgot everything I was gonna say, the lights are too bright, I keep stumbling and dropping stuff, my clothes feel tight and I can't stop crying!" He sounded so devastated as he leaned against Mike for support, finding it easier to talk with this one instead of small Mike.

But Jongler caught onto something in particular in his rant. "Oh. Ya suit ain't sittin' right? Yeah, dat's da worst. My suit gets real itchy sometimes. Makes it hard to focus."

"R-really?" Tenna muttered weakly and glanced back up at Mike, sniffling and pressing even closer to them.

"Yeah! No wonder you's forgot your lines. I forget da mouthwash Mike thing all da times because da suit keeps rubbin' me wrong."

That seemed to make Tenna laugh softly, hearing them mess up the name again. Battat facepalmed themself at this idiot's inability to get the name right, but felt thankful for it right then as it at least made Tenna cheer up a little.

"Wanna get changed?" They then asked, taking the CRT by surprise. He looked away and shyly wrung his hands together.

"... … … Yes" he mumbled shamefully. 

"Alright. Come on, boss." Jongler stood up and helped the shaky man on the floor up to his feet, still supporting him as they took him towards the couch. Battat and Pluey quickly rushed to hide behind a full body mirror, glancing out at Jongler as they sat Tenna down carefully. 

"Dere we go. Let me just gives ya some privacy" they said and motioned to the screen again, suggesting they wait back there for him to change. He looked at the screen before turning his face towards the floor, nodding meekly and pulling on the collar of his suit. So the disguised Zapper quickly dashed back to behind the screen and waited for someone else to take over for them. They felt that they weren't gonna get much more out of him.

But as they waited for Tenna to finish changing, they soon heard a distressed whine coming from him and all peeked out in confusion. Tenna seemed to be starting to cry again, hands fumbling with the buttons and failing to open them. "I- I c-can't get it off! I can't get it off!" He yelled as the tears started up again, only making it harder on himself to undress.

Battat could tell this wasn't good. So they grabbed Pluey by the arm and dragged him over towards the couch, throwing him over to Tenna before diving behind it. Cat Mike stood awkwardly in front of him, watching him flail helplessly at his own chest while sobbing uncontrollably. 

"Here, boss. Let me help you with that" Battat said from behind the couch, hinting for Pluey to do just that. He quickly caught on and reached out to assist in unbuttoning the suit. It was a little awkward with his microphone gloves on, but he had enough flexibility in them to at least manage that. Once it was off, Tenna looked down at his dress shirt and nudged his fingers together nervously. He obviously didn't want to ask for more help, but wouldn't be able to take it off himself, if the mishap with the prior layer was any indication.

"Uh… what would you like to change into, boss?" Battat asked hesitantly, looking back at the closet in the corner of the room. 

"... … … I… don't…"

"It's ok. Whatever you's want" Jongler spoke up, suddenly appearing beside their fellow Mike and startling them, almost giving away the cover.

"... Can… can I… get some jammies?"

Pluey looked up in surprise, not expecting to hear Tenna say 'jammies' of all things. Battat was equally shocked, giving the responsibility of answering to Jongler. "Of course, boss. Give me a second."

They both started pointing towards the closet in the back, making Pluey snap out of his shock and immediately run to rummage through the closet for some pyjamas. He found two pairs. The normal star covered button up ones and a more casual Super Smashing Fighters themed tee with matching pants. He turned and held up the pair, silently asking which one.

"Uh- which one do ya want? The star ones or the Smashing Fighters one?" Battat asked, not sure themself on which was best. 

Tenna perked up slightly at the question, getting a little giddy at the last alternative. He didn't hesitate before answering with the last one. So Pluey ran back over to him with a big smile, placing the set down and starting to undo his dress shirt. It took very little time, leaving the host in only his pants. He shifted uncomfortably at the thought of Mike helping him get his pants off. It felt really gross for some reason, even though something like that would usually not bother him as much. Sure, it was weird, but now it just felt really yucky.

He was brought back to reality as the pyjamas were put onto his lap. He looked up to see the cat smile at him and cover his eyes in an exaggerated manner, making him giggle softly at the silly gesture. He took a while to get changed, but was eventually dressed in the pyjamas and sat comfortably on the couch, relieved to be out of the suit. 

"So. Now that you're in better clothes, wanna tell me what happened?"

Tenna stiffened and yelped out a startle, feeling himself shrink a bit at the question. He was reluctant to talk about it. He frankly couldn't even talk about it because nothing had happened. Everything had been going fine until he had changed and was rehearsing his lines. He couldn't read the text, like at all. It was impossible to even comprehend what was written on the paper, which seemed to be a development that had started about a week ago. But this was the worst it had gotten. Plus he was getting really overwhelmed by the bright lights in the changing room and the suit thing started to really bother him. It all just kept building and building until he couldn't take it anymore and collapsed into a sobbing mess.

He was, again, brought back to the moment as a weight suddenly appeared on his lap. He looked down and saw Mike sprawled out over his legs on the couch, rolling over to his back and swishing his tail against the TV's arm. Tenna smiled softly and started rubbing his tummy, gaining a satisfied purr from him as he took his other hand into his own.

" Can you tell me what's wrong?" Battat asked, picking up on his difficulty speaking pretty fast. 

"Um… I don't know… it's hard to explain. Lots of stuff, stupid small stuff. Don't know why…"

"Like what?"

"... The lights are… They're hurting my eyes…"

"Um… ok? Maybe… uh… w-we can go back to your bedroom instead! That should be a good change of scenery!"

He liked that idea. He wanted to not be in the changing room anymore. He wanted to get as far away from the production part of the studio as possible. So he nodded with a soft hum, still petting Pluey in order to soothe himself. 

Battat peeked over the back of the couch and motioned for Pluey and them to switch out. So the cat jumped out of his lap and ran around the back, scaring Tenna briefly before he was replaced by the short microphone, offering him their hand. He accepted, getting up to his feet and, shockingly, not towering over them at all. He was still significantly taller, but way shorter than normal. He was probably even shorter than Jongler at this point. Why was he so small still? Wasn't he comfortable? He should have returned to his usual height by now.

But they didn't question it out loud as they led the way towards the star's private room. The other two trailed behind far enough so there was no way for them to be noticed. But Tenna was far too distracted to notice them anyway. He was just looking down at Mike quietly and thinking. He felt the need for contact in some way, something to ground him and help him not to get lost in this thick mind fog that was growing more and more dense. He felt lost and confused, like he wasn't familiar with his own studio or his own body, like everything was growing around him and dwarfing him in comparison. It was scary. He didn't like it at all.

Without thinking, he had reached out and grabbed Mike's hand, stopping him completely in his tracks. He turned to look at him in shock, hand stiff in the other's grip. Tenna felt so stupid for doing that. Why did he do that? It was dumb and he was being a dummy.

"S-sorry, Mike. Sorry…" he mumbled and turned his head away from him. But he couldn't let go of his hand. He tried to release his grip, but just couldn't do it. It was frustrating and made him feel so upset again. Why couldn't he control his own body?! Why was everything so hard?! Why couldn't he understand anything?! 

"Hey… um… it's alright. J-just breathe, ok? I don't mind if ya… need some support. Seems like you're not feeling yourself right now, so I better be here to help ya out. We'll get ya right back to normal, alright?"

Battat tried to keep their voice composed and reassuring, knowing that whatever was happening was just as frightening to him as it was for them. The poor guy was barely functioning properly, wobbling slightly as he walked and unable to do any precise hand movements. Whatever it was, it had Tenna reduced to a small and helpless lookalike of the showstopping TV Time host. He needed someone to take care of him right then.

"Alright, Tenna?" They asked again as they moved his head to look at them, giving the most reassuring smile they could muster. That seemed to do the trick, as he soon gave a resigned nod and a meek, "Ok."

The walk was mostly quiet, save for the occasional word of comfort from Mike as they made their way through the empty studio. Lucky for them that everyone was still waiting by the set. The disguised Pippins would tell everyone that the episode was cancelled, but didn't want to have them all out and about until Tenna was in his room and away from any prying eyes. He was fragile right then. He couldn't handle any more attention.

Soon enough, they reached the door to Tenna's room without any trouble, aside from the CRT almost stumbling over his own feet once or twice. But he was fine, Battat caught him before anything could go wrong. They opened the door and ushered Tenna inside. But before entering themself, they turned to the other two that were sneaking over and whispered to them, "Jongler, inform everyone on the set that today's stuff is cancelled. Don't give any specifics, at all. Just say it's private. Pluey, could you make sure no one tries to bother him and that everything is running properly? I'll try to handle Tenna for now."

They both gave them a salute before running off to complete their given tasks. The Pippins sighed, feeling like this was going to be a long and confusing night for them. But they composed themself and turned around to lock the door behind them before walking over to Tenna. To their surprise, he was sitting on the floor and messing with a bobblehead of himself. He seemed absorbed in the activity, not noticing himself nibbling on something he picked up. 

"H-hey" Battat called out, but kept their voice low so it wouldn't alarm the man. They rushed over and pulled the thing away from his mouth, finding that it was just a pencil. A thoroughly chewed pencil at that. It had only been a few seconds, how fast can he chew?

"S-s-sorry, Mike…" he mumbled and dropped it on the table, putting his hands in his lap shamefully.

"I-i-i-it's fine! I just… uhhh… nevermind. Do you need something?"

He looked down at the table quietly, not entirely sure what he did need. He needed something for sure, but what was alluding him. It was hard to pinpoint the thing, it was more so just a desire for calm and security. But that wasn't a very helpful thing to say. What was Mike supposed to do with that?

"... … … Dunno. Head feels weird…"

"Does it hurt?"

He answered with a head shake and a mumbled, 'mh mh' in lue of an actual no. It didn't really hurt. He felt a little lightheaded but it wasn't painful, unlike earlier with the bright lights. But Mike still helped him up and started leading him towards the bed. "How about you lie down anyway? Get comfortable."

Tenna put up no struggle and simply allowed himself to be handled with such care. It felt nice, making him feel even more fuzzy in the brain. It was like there was a layer of static over his thoughts, making them harder to access and use properly. He could only really think and communicate simplicially, anything more complicated getting lost in the fog.

Once he was tucked into bed, he glanced up at Mike, waiting for the usually vocal man to say something else.

Battat faltered under the gaze, unsure what else to do. They were absolutely not leaving him alone like this, lest he fall out of bed and hurt himself or his condition turn critical. No, he was in need of someone to watch over him right then and damn it if that wasn't what being Mike was all about! Even if the real Mike didn't care about that principle when Tenna needed him most, instead opting to disappear without a trace.

They shook their head to clear up their wandering thoughts, telling themself that they could ruminate on that later. Tenna was top priority right then.

"Hey, do you feel tired? Or hungry?"

A head shake to both of those things. Damn, guy gave them nothing to work with here! Alright, think, think… What might help Tenna feel more relaxed…?

"... Game?" The television spoke up quietly, shyly hiding himself slightly under the blanket so Mike couldn't see his blushing screen. 

Game??? What the hell does he mean by a game??? Why is he acting like a-

No, Battat. Don't start to spiral into making sense out of all of this. He's not feeling like himself right now. Just humour him and make him feel safe.

"Alright. What game? Something quick and simple, maybe?"

Tenna put a thoughtful finger to his lips before lighting up with a bright grin. "Oh! I spy! That's simple!"

"Good choice. Yeah, we can do that. Do you wanna start?"

He nodded happily before exploring the room with his eyes, inspecting all the beautiful and intricate details. "Hm… I spy with my little eye… something… brown!"

Battat looked back at the room with a hum and did the same scan as Tenna did before. "Hrnnnngggg… is it… the bedside table?"

"No."

"Maybe… the vanity?"

"No! That's red!"

"That's clearly some sort of rosewood color or something!"

"That's not brown!"

They groaned and rolled their eyes. "Whatever! So… is it… the door?"

"Nope! Try again!"

"Ghhhh… is it… … the bed frame?"

"Yes! You got it!"

"Alright! Sweet! Guess it's my turn! Well my thing is-"

"Hey! You didn't say the thing!"

"Ugh. Do I have to?"

"YES!"

"Fine! Fine. I spy with my little eye… something green."

"Umm… hm…" Tenna looked around, trying really hard to find something that was green in the room. "... … … The cactus?"

"Nope."

"Nghhhhhhh… the… um…"

"Need a hint?"

"No! I got it!"

They couldn't help the laugh escaping at his grumpy reply, finding his childish reactions kind of endearing right then.

"Ummmmmm… is it… oh! Is it the floor?"

"The heck? You actually got it!"

"Yay! Only two guesses!"

"Ha ha ha! Alright, ya big gloat! It's your turn."

"Alright, ok! I spy with my little eye, something red!"

"... Is it the vanity?" Battat asked incredulously.

"Nope! But you just agreed it's red!"

"Damn it!"

Tenna laughed before giving them a light push, barely able to even tilt them with how weak it was. "No swearing!"

"Yeah yeah" they grumbled before smirking amusedly at the little blep Tenna's face made at their resignation. "Is it… the couch?"

"No!"

"The armchair?"

"Nuh-uh!"

"Your bobblehead?"

"Noooo!"

"Your sheets?"

"Nope nope nope!"

"The eyes of the shadow on the wall?"

Tenna shot up straight and turned to look in the direction the microphone was looking, only to find nothing there. He heard them cracking up and turned with a frustrated blush on his face.

"Seems like my next guess would be your cute face now!" They snickered into their hand.

"Not funny!" The TV exclaimed before falling back into bed with his arms crossed and a pout on his face. The Pippins took a moment to compose themself before reaching out and rubbing his head.

"Awe, c'mon! I'm only teasing!"

Tenna just huffed and sank further back into the pillows under his head, grumpy in the same way a little kid would be. 

"Ok, ok. I give up. What was it?"

"... … Your bowtie."

They looked down at the bowtie on their costume, feeling silly for not even considering that. They laughed gently and gave him a pat on the head. "Shoot! Ya got me with that one. How can I ever beat an I spy mastermind such as yourself?"

Tenna started laughing excitedly and grinned at the man beside him, feeling really good about his victory and Mike's compliment. It was ridiculous and clearly said flippantly, but it felt special to him for some reason.

"I win! Thank you bowtie for helping!" He gave a giddy thanks to Mike's bowtie of all things, making Battat feel another chuckle escaping them from just how silly it was. He was being such a goofy goober. It was honestly kinda cute, in the same way a kid was being cute when they got really excited about things. 

Something seemed to click for the Pippins right then, considering how many times they had compared Tenna's behaviour to that of a child. It all just seemed to be reminiscent of a little kid. Even the coordination issues and the unsteady balance reminded them of someone very young who hasn't quite mastered their motor functions yet. Was Tenna… turning into a kid??? 

No no no! That's ridiculous! How would that even be possible!? He's just… sick! Yeah! Just sick! He's probably running a fever right now if I just-

Battat placed their hand on Tenna's screen, making him look up at the hand with innocent curiosity. "What are you doing?"

He's… he's completely normal. But… why… could it be another illness without fever symptoms? Could it have something to do with his mental state? L-like he got so overwhelmed that his brain just shut down so he wouldn't have to process it! That- that… would… actually make a lot of sense. Is he… trying to feel like a kid to avoid the darker stuff happening in his head?

"Mike…? Did I… do something bad?" Tenna asked nervously, pulling the blanket up further, as if it would protect him from danger. They couldn't help the coo that escaped them, feeling like crap for making him say that in such a sweet and timid voice. They weren't exactly a fan of kids, but they also didn't like seeing someone so helpless be hurt and scared.

"No! Of course you didn't, buddy- I mean boss! I was just thinking about something!"

"... … …" Tenna stayed quiet for a moment, seemingly considering something before speaking again. "I… I like buddy more…"

"Oh! A-alright then! Buddy it is!"

Battat rubbed his head gently and watched him smile back up at them. It felt… sweet. Just being able to soothe the guy like this was satisfying in a way that made them feel big and capable. They were so good at handling anything thrown at them!

"Hey. Think you might feel better if you take a little nap."

Tenna shot up straight and looked at them like they were suggesting to cancel the whole show. "What?! I don't wanna sleep!"

"Are you sure? You look completely beat!"

He crossed his arms and pouted stubbornly at them. "Am not! I'm not tired at all!"

"Alright. Then… how about I put on one of your bedtime programs?"

That earned the Pippins a suspicious glare as he remained seated, eyeing the TV in the room occasionally. "So you can make me go to sleep?"

"What?! Noooooo! I would never!" They replied light-heartedly as they watched him for a reaction. He simply huffed and looked away, turning his nose up at the joke.

"Ok. Then how about we… watch something else?"

"... Like what?"

"Like uh… one of those old western movies! That should keep you wide awake, right? Horseback riding, gunslinging, lasso throwing action to keep you on your toes!"

That was the ticket, gaining Tenna's interest as he agreed with it quickly. Battat laughed proudly and went to prepare the movie for them to watch.

*~*~*

It went… not completely as planned.

While at first Tenna was watching with wide eyes and excitement, the thrill quickly died down at the first gunshot. He jumped at the sudden noise and grabbed onto Battat from the freight. They turned to him and rubbed his arm, sitting comfortably on the bed next to him. There was actually quite a lot of space for both of them to fit, seeing as the CRT was still the same size as when they left the changing room. It also made it a lot less suffocating when he squeezed them in his arms from another loud bang coming out of the speakers.

"Hey. Hey. You alright, buddy?"

"S-sorry… it surprised me."

"You want me to turn it off?"

"N-no! I'm fine! I'm… I'm big and strong! I'm not scared of anything!"

They frowned before pulling him in a little closer, giving him a light squeeze of reassurance. "Hey, it's fine to be scared. Loud noises can really rattle you, ya know?"

"I'm fine! I'm not-"

Before he could finish, an explosion went off from the TNT the bad guy had planted around the bank. It was worse than the gunshots, causing Tenna to scramble back and quickly dive under the blanket, shaking like a cold wet dog during a thunderstorm. Battat paused the movie before they shimmied over and lifted the blanket to look at the cowering darkner underneath.

"Little buddy? Are you ok? You're sure you don't want to change to another movie?"

Tenna covered his face, both out of fear and embarrassment from Mike seeing him act like that. He didn't like feeling so small and defenceless, jumping at the littlest of things and crying like a baby. He was acting like a wimpy toddler!

"Hey…"

He looked up, seeing Mike offer him another hug. He crawled back out and accepted the invitation for more comfort, despite feeling embarrassed about needing it less than a minute ago. His head was making so little sense and he didn't have the willpower to question it.

"Maybe cowboy action isn't the right thing for you right now. Let's find something else and continue this one when you're ready."

He hesitantly nodded into Mike's shoulder and held onto him tightly until he could hear the current movie being removed. Instead, his caretaker decided to pop in a musical. Maria Poppers would be fine. The movie started and the two got themselves comfortable again, Tenna hanging onto Mike's arm despite the scary stuff being over.

"What's with the clinging, buddy?" The disguised Pippins asked with a playful lilt to their voice, giving the CRT another pat on the head. He looked away with a faint pink blush on his screen, moving a little closer at the harmless teasing.

"... I don't wanna be alone."

"Good, because I ain't leaving."

He looked surprised, turning to the slightly smaller darkner with a stunned expression frozen on his face.

"I can't feel confident in leaving you alone like this! You need someone to watch out for you right now, more than usual. I'm not going anywhere until you feel like yourself again."

After a few more seconds of stunned silence, a smile spread across the TV's screen and tears were pooling in his invisible eyes. He dove back into the other's shoulder and thanked them weakly between sniffles. 

… … … Yeah. I made the right call. He needs me right now. I'm not going to let him get hurt like this.

The movie played as normal and Tenna was watching with rapt attention as he held Battat to his chest like a plushie. And that was fine. They actually didn't mind this time, unlike most other times that the host would randomly hug them or pick them up. This was gentle, done out of a need for security rather than just friendly affection. 

It had only been about an hour before they felt something nudging the top of the costume head. Looking up, they saw Tenna leaning against them, sleepily staring at the movie while obviously not paying attention. They hummed out a soft chuckle before pulling the blanket up over him, making him sigh softly and nuzzle up with Mike in the bed. His screen was dimming, signalling that he was about to fall asleep. 

"Goodnight, buddy."

"Night-night, papa."

Battat froze, feeling like they just had water splashed in their face. That nickname or tongue slip or whatever it was supposed to be hit them like a ton of bricks and almost knocked the sense right out of them. They turned to question that strange word choice, but stopped as soon as they saw the dark screen of the sleeping TV. 

He's… asleep. Huh… I… that… was so weird. Did he mean to call me that?! Did he think I was someone else?! Who would this other person be?! The real Mike?!?! Was Mike Tenna's DAD!?!?!?!

They stopped panicking as they heard a soft jingle from the TV, looking up to see the nanny tucking in a child for bed while singing a sweet lullaby. They huffed quietly and sank further into the bed, their mind swirling with conflicting emotions and burning questions.

Hm. There's no way he was his dad. Aside from it being logically impossible and absolutely insane… … … you can't call someone who would abandon his own kid a father. 

Battat reached out and wrapped one arm around Tenna, electing to not think about that anymore and try to get some sleep as well. Maybe they would feel better after a nap too.

Chapter Text

Tenna sat nervously in the meeting room, staring at his hands as he started fiddling with them restlessly. 

He was so doomed. Everything was over. His social credibility and his image was ruined. Good bye TV time! Good bye marvelous mystery board! It was a good run!

… Could Mike take any longer?! He had been waiting for him for… checking his watch… ten minutes! And those ten minutes were torture. He was dying inside from embarrassment and shame, thinking about what he had done.

The memories were a tiny bit fuzzy, at least on the details, but the events were loud and clear enough. He had broken down over something so stupid as his own tailor-made suit! It was made to fit him perfectly while outlining his figure in a presentable way. It shouldn't have felt so restrictive. Oh, and let's not forget how he lost the ability to read! Seriously! He forgot how to read! Like a damn baby!

And that brought him to the worst part of the whole thing; Mike finding him.

He groaned and covered his face, feeling the shameful hot blush return. It was so humiliating! He had yelled at Mike like he himself was a five year old and cried like one too. And not only that, he needed Mike to help him get changed and led by the hand back to his room before being tucked into bed. Then he asked Mike to play a game of 'I spy' with him and got genuinely excited about winning. His assistant even had to negotiate with him in order to make him go to sleep! It was absolutely mortifying thinking back on it. Why had he done all that?! Why had he felt so strange and acted so childish?!

And that wasn't even the WORST worst part! The actual death sentence for pride. The moment he wished he didn't remember. When he had called Mike-

The door to the meeting room opened and in stepped Mike, looking presentable as always in his suit and bowtie. Tenna jumped slightly at his appearance, feeling himself grow even more nervous as the man walked across the room, not acknowledging Tenna yet. He just headed for the seat across from him and climbed up to sit down. He looked up at his boss with an awkwardly serious face, which could only mean bad news for him.

"... … … So… how are you doing today, boss?"

"Ah-! I-I'm doing fine! Just a little… worried. About all this. I mean, why would you want to have a meeting with me all of a sudden?"

Tenna had been pretending that nothing had happened ever since he woke up with Mike squeezed against his chest later on. He acted like he simply couldn't recall what led them to their current position, hoping that maybe Mike would just assume he had been in some sort of delirious state that made him act weird. Maybe he'd act like it never happened either in order to spare his poor boss from the humiliation. But that didn't seem to be the case.

"... I think we both know why. Yesterday was… well it was definitely something."

"Yeah! Wow! Waking up with you in my bed! What a scandalous headline that would be!"

Mike cringed at that comment, clearly not enjoying his attempt at humor. Tenna deflated slightly and lowered his head, wondering if he should just shut up rather than make everything worse.

"I'd… rather we focus on what happened before that. When I… found you in your dressing room. I know you remember what happened. You wouldn't have reacted the way you did if you hadn't remembered."

He remained silent, looking away while maintaining the guise of ignorance.

"Tenna, please! I really need you to talk to me about this! I want to understand what happened! I need to know what's going on with you!"

It got harder to keep his composure when Mike started pleading with him like that. He sounded so concerned, so confused and desperate for answers. But… what answers could Tenna possibly have for him. Like he knew any better why he suddenly started acting like a little kid!

"Tenna. Look, I'm not angry or anything! I'm not even that weirded out anymore! What happened was just… so strange. It felt like there was… something more behind it than just you suddenly acting weird! It was still you, just… another you. I think? I don't know what I'm saying anymore, just- PLEASE, say something!"

"... … …"

"Tenna?"

"... … … Let's end this conversation here."

Mike's face fell into dismay, seeing him still deny what had happened so strongly. It… it hurt to see him so distraught, especially after everything he had done for the TV when he wasn't feeling his best. But he couldn't face what he had done. It was too much. He was… too vulnerable. He often did wear his heart on his sleeve, but there was a line even he couldn't cross when it came to showing himself to someone. This, whatever this was, it was too much.

"C-come on, Tenna! We can talk this out! I-it's not like I've never taken care of you before! I've played you your bedtime programs plenty of times and tucked you in at-"

"We're done." He pushed his chair back and stood back up, turning to leave the room. But the microphone scrambled to follow him, catching up before he left and grabbing his sleeve. 

"WAIT! Please, I'm begging you! I just want to talk about it! I just want to help you! Isn't that my job?! I'm supposed to help so just let me do it! Please, buddy!"

Mike was quickly shoved away, causing him to fall back onto the floor with a sound thump. He groaned and looked up in time to see Tenna bearing his fangs at him, his shoulders looking so tense and his fists clenched.

"Know your place, Mike. Your job is to follow orders, not get involved in affairs that don't concern you. You do as I say, that's it. I'm your boss, not your buddy. Address me with respect or I will have you fired."

The man crumbled under the cold, serious, domineering tone in his voice. It was one that said, 'this isn't a threat, it's a promise' and couldn't be argued with. His face fell as he didn't move to get up or speak up again. Tenna took that as acceptance and continued out the door, leaving Mike alone in the silent meeting room.

*~*~*

The door to Tenna's room slammed shut as he stormed over towards his vanity, smashing his open palms onto the surface and staring into the mirror. He was so mad. He was absolutely fuming. How dare Mike demand anything from him?! How dare he push the issue after he had made it perfectly clear that it wasn't up for discussion?! How dare he use that nickname on him like that?! Trying to manipulate him and get him to yield, probably! Just like Mike! That- that pompous, loud, nosey, annoying-

He screamed in frustration and swept his arm across the tabletop of the vanity, knocking all of his makeup and accessory items off it and onto the floor. He growled and kicked a bottle of screen shiner, sending it skittering across the floor and spilling onto his carpet. 

"Why does he need to know so badly?!? HUH!?! Why should it matter to him?! Why is this something he needs to get involved with?! It's my god damn business! It's my god damn mental breakdown! It's my god damn sick and broken brain!"

He paced around the room, groaning and tugging violently at his antennae as he felt himself growing almost hysterical with rage. He wanted to break something! He wanted to run someone over with a car! He wanted to burn the entire building to the ground! He just wanted to ruin something so badly just to maybe feel the satisfaction of seeing someone else suffer for a change. 

"I should just fire him already! I should march right up to his room and throw him out myself! That should teach him a lesson! Teach him to not defy me! God! I hate him! I hate him!"

He sat down on the floor beside his bed, continuing to pull his antennae down on either side of his head. His screen grew teary at the pain that surged through them as he stretched them and scratched them against the edges of his head. It was painful but it helped distract him from how much his body was shaking and his chest squeezed in on itself. He could barely breathe, he could barely think of anything other than how angry he was at himself for being so damn pathetic and pitiful. 

He sniffled, hands trembling as he lost some of the strength in his grip. The shaking was getting more intense, feeling like his entire body was growing weaker by the second. But he forced himself to stand up and stumble over towards the couch. He used it for support, cursing himself out for not being able to stand properly. It was so pathetic! He was such a joke! Such a loser! Why did Mike even care about him at all?!? Didn't he have more important things to worry about?!? More important than HIM?!?

"THIS IS WHY HE LEFT, YOU MORON! THIS IS WHY SHE DOESN'T TURN YOU ON ANYMORE! THIS IS WHY NEITHER OF THEM EVER GIVE YOU A SECOND GLANCE! THIS IS WHY NOBODY LOVES YOU!!!"

…

…

…

"... This is why… your family doesn't love you."

He collapsed. He fell onto the floor and started wailing uncontrollably, not caring about anyone that might pass by and hear. Why should he care? Nobody loves him anyway. Nobody cares if he's crying despicably on the floor of his fancy room that he did nothing to deserve. Nobody would care if he cried and cried until he broke something and became irreparably damaged. Nobody would care if he was gone. Because nobody loves him.

He wished papa was here. He wished he would hug him and tell him that everything was ok. That he might say that he loves him, even if he didn't mean it, because nobody does. He wanted papa to rub the side of his face as he held him close and told him there was nothing to be afraid of. Tell him that he wasn't leaving. That he would never leave. 

"Papa…"

He called out weakly between sobs, hoping that it was the magic word that would summon his papa to him. But nobody came.

"Papa!"

He tried again, louder, really really really meaning it this time. Saying it with his whole chest, even though his voice wobbled. Still all alone.

"WAAAAAAAAH!!! I WANT MY PAPA!!!"

*~*~*

Battat sighed heavily as he laid spread out on the floor, staring at the ceiling with dead eyes. He just felt hopeless after the meeting with Tenna. He hadn't exactly expected much, but he didn't expect things to go this badly. 

What was a die to do?

"Boss?"

He turned his head to look at Jongler, barely responding to their concerned call.

"Hey… you's wanna talk about it?"

"... … Why? It's not like I managed to get anywhere with him."

"Don't say dat. He was probably just… scared to discuss it."

"How does that change anything? He doesn't want my help. He doesn't want my support."

Battat pushed himself up to a seated position, grabbing his head as he grumbled angrily. "I should have known better than to get so invested in this! I shouldn't have started to care so much!"

"What do ya mean?"

"He… he… Jongler, when he was falling asleep, holding me and all that, he called me papa."

That seemed to really shock them, judging by how they pulled back as if they were held at gunpoint. They stayed silent for a long moment before returning back to the previous spot. 

"He… he did?"

"Yeah. He did. I just… I couldn't shake the feeling that… it… it was because he trusted me. Because he felt safe with me and was thankful for all the things I did for him. I thought he… thought of me as someone who would protect him when he couldn't take care of himself. But… guess I'm just an idiot, huh?"

"No! Of course not! I think he does feel all dat. He really does feel all safe like with you's and trusts you ta take care of him."

"Then why would he threaten me like that? Why would he shove me to the floor and tell me that my only role is to serve him?"

They didn't have a reply. They couldn't answer that question. It was very complicated. Tenna could have so many reasons for having done all that and Jongler wouldn't even know where to start guessing. And Battat knew that, as he hung his head in resignation and just sighed.

"... I kinda appreciated… being called papa. It… really carries a lot of meaning. Not that I ever wanted to be a dad, but the sentiment was… nice."

They nodded and reached to rub his back, but stopped as they heard a light knock on the door. 

"Might be Pluey. But you should hide, just to be safe" Battat grumbled as he got up and picked up the costume that was haphazardly tossed on the floor beside him. Jongler nodded again before getting up and heading into another part of the Mike room.

Once Battat was suited up, he walked over to the door and opened it. "Yeah? Wha-"

His eyes met nothing as he looked up, so his eyes tracked down.

And down.

And… down…

And… there, standing at just about half a head shorter than him, was Tenna. His face was black and empty, his legs shaking under his weight and his antennae looking to be in a very sorry state. 

He was stunned, unsure if he was seeing this correctly. He blinked, but the image remained.

"... Tenna?"

"... … …" He didn't say anything. He just stood there, looking almost dead from the blank and empty screen and from how unstable he was. He could faintly see streaks running down his screen, suggesting he had been crying. Crying… a lot.

"... … … Hey. Is… everything ok?" He couldn't help it. He had to know before he could feel alright doing anything else.

"... … … … … P-papa… I…"

Oh. Oh no. No no no no no! Not again! The name was like a dagger to his heart, getting twisted and pulled out and plunged back in for good measure. He wanted to feel some sort of anger or even disappointment towards the man who had rejected his support so cruelly earlier.

Except that man was nowhere to be seen. All he saw was a poor, sad, vulnerable little boy that was begging for help.

"Hey… hey little buddy. What is it? It's ok. You can tell me."

Tenna started shaking more, which was enough to completely take away his strength. He fell forward into Battat's chest, who caught him easily and pulled him closer to better keep his balance. He started sobbing softly, his voice sounding so exhausted and strained. He must have been crying for hours. Or he was… screaming. Ough. There it was again. The knife in his heart. Ow.

"Papa… papa… I'm sorry… sorry… sorry… so sorry papa…"

"Hey now, buddy. It's ok. It's alright. You don't have to apologize to me. I know you were having it rough today and that all of this is scary and confusing, so don't beat yourself up over it."

"Papa… papa I… I don't… I… papa!"

"Shhhhhh~. It's alright, little buddy. No hard feelings. I promise. Uh… p… pa… … … papa is here. I've got you. And I'm not letting you go, ok?"

He tried to hug him back, but could barely lift his arms to wrap around him. Battat quickly shifted him around so he could lift him up and carry him into the room, rocking him lightly as he walked.

"Heyyyyyyy. Don't cry, little buddy. Everything is going to be ok. Papa is here, ok? Papa has you. You're safe now and you don't need to be scared of anything. I will stay with you. Just breathe for me, ok? Try to breathe slowly. Listen to me."

He started demonstrating the pattern as he held the boy, walking in circles in order to soothe him further with the gentle movements. It seemed to be helping, Tenna's expression growing calmer and softer. He could hear his breathing getting better, which he had to praise. "Good job. Really good job. I'm so happy you could do it. That's my little buddy. Now, how would you like a sleepover here in my room? I have some pillows and stuff we can set up."

That was a lie. They didn't have that, but he hoped he could ask Jongler to go get some either once his hands were free or the tired CRT in his arms had passed out. No other choice.

"... … … … Mhm…" he hummed quietly in agreement and nuzzled up closer to the microphone holding him so tenderly. 

"Good. Good."

"... … Papa… I want to do something good… since I was bad to you. Wanna do something so you can love me…"

"You don't have to do anything, silly! I'm already holding you and all that, aren't I? Don't worry about anything right now. We can talk about that when you're big and can talk with big words."

"... Ok."

"Hey. Buddy?"

"Mm?"

"I love you, alright?"

"... … … Love you too."

Why did I say that?! Why did I say that?! Why did I say that?!

"Are you gonna fall asleep on me?"

"Yeah…"

"Alright then. Sleep tight, buddy."

"Night-night… papa."

Damn it. My mask is gonna stain. God damn it.

Chapter Text

Tenna still didn't wanna talk about it.

Now, to be fair to Tenna, he did apologize after feeling like an adult again. He seemed pretty ashamed of himself for talking to his wonderful, kind, dedicated and caring employee like that. Especially after he so easily could just take care of him again like nothing happened. It kinda just proved to him how much Mike meant what he said. That he really did just want to help him. That he wasn't going anywhere, no matter how much Tenna…

Some more tears were shed, but tears of a mature variety this time. He apologized one or two more times before he admitted that maybe they really were friends after all. Of course Tenna would assume Mike's kindness ended at the paycheck. He always did tell him that he felt it was the only reason people stuck around and tolerated him. Why wouldn't he think the same about Mike?

But they had assured him that they were friends, for real. 

Still, Tenna avoided talking about last day's events like the plague. He just kept looking away and saying something like, "I don't know" or "it's hard" or nothing at all. While it frustrated Battat, they decided that pushing him on it wouldn't do anyone any good. They would just have to work with him towards broaching the topic gradually.

Meanwhile, they decided to go do some digging.

If there was one thing they were good at, it's investigating. While their Mike theory might possibly be dead in the water, it still helped them develop enough skills to do some light sleuthing. 

First, they would have to figure out if anyone else knows about this little problem with the boss, or at least witnessed it at some point. Tenna didn't just teleport to Mike's door after all, so someone may have seen him.

Second, they would have to learn some more actual childcare and how to deal with troubled or emotionally fragile kids. They needed something concrete to refer to so they knew they were doing it right, they couldn't go off of their surprisingly helpful instinct like they had up til then. It wouldn't last. They would have to actually learn a little.

Third, and probably most importantly, figure out what exactly is going inside of Tenna's head. What precisely is causing him to turn into a kid like this? Is it only one source or are there multiple things that could trigger it? Is it actually something that happens for more people than just him? Anyone in the studio maybe? Is it possible that it's some sort of mental condition or is it rather a healing tactic? How much memory overlap is there between kid Tenna and adult Tenna?

So many questions that needed answers. So, the first thing they did was simply walk around as their normal (not really normal) Pippins self and try to strike up casual conversations. Not that they even knew the meaning of casual. It was pretty awkward, but they did seem to gather that no one really noticed anything weird about Tenna. One person said they saw him walking through the corridor at one point, but when addressed, simply sped up and stumbled forward. They also mentioned hearing him trip before continuing. That just made Battat want to cry, thinking about that poor kid falling over himself to get to his pa- UM! To Mike's room!

Damn it! Focus, Battat! You already got too emotionally invested yesterday! You can't let it happen again! You need to stay… well not professional, that's not really possible in this situation. But you can't get sentimental about this! Keep your emotions out of it. This is about him, not you. Focus on him.

Ok. So no real progress there. And asking if anyone had noticed if Tenna had been behaving immaturely would most definitely be a weird thing to ask and just spawn endless counter questions. No. They had to go about it delicately. They had to keep Tenna's secret secure at all costs.

Which meant they would have to move onto another topic; getting better with kids.

Unfortunately, TV world had no freaking children anywhere. At least to their knowledge. Granted, they didn't exactly socialize much, so maybe someone on the crew had a kid that they didn't know about. But how would they find that out and ask for advice? How would they ask without it making people think they suddenly had a baby?

Well for the first question, they could probably talk to someone who loves to gossip and socialise. Shuttah would probably have been overjoyed to help someone take family photos, but they… didn't exactly make much sense a lot of the time. It was a headache sometimes to figure out what they were going on about. Then there was Ramb, who always talked to people that sat at the bar and ordered-

WAIT! RAMB!

Of course! How could they forget one of the most annoying things about that plug? His constant mentioning of Kris! He always acted like Kris was the center of the universe and that they should all focus on making them happy. Ramb had known Kris for a long while, ever since they stole him from the library as a kid. If anyone would know something about kids, it'd be him! 

*~*~*

Ramb laughed softly as he took back the empty glass the Shadowguy handed him and bid them farewell. He turned around and put it away with the other dishes, humming a casual tune to himself. That was, until someone called for him.

"Hey! Ramb!"

He turned back around and saw a Green Pippins leaning on the counter and looking at him meaningfully, as if they were on a mission.

"Ah. Well good day there, mate. What can I help you with then?"

"Oh, just… just really thirsty is all! Could I get a sparkling peach lemonade?"

"Lemonade? Don't you usually want something a little stronger?"

"Not in the mood to get… you know."

"Ryte, luv. Well one lemonade, comin' up."

As Ramb went to get the requested drink, Battat started thinking about how to naturally start a conversation about Kris. Shouldn't be that hard. It was practically all Ramb ever talked about! Anything could trigger the classic question, 'what would make Kris happy?'. 

"So. Anything on ya mind, luv?"

"Huh? Oh! I uh… just… um… I've just been kinda… thinking a lot about this new hobby I've gotten into."

"Oh? Is 'at so? Well now, care to share with the class?"

"Well, it's not as much a hobby as a topic I'm interested in. Can't really do much with it, you know?"

"Ryte, ryte. O' course. Mind skippin' the faff then and telling me?"

They didn't like how he could so easily see through anyone's intentions in an instant. He was way too observant for his own good. Or Battat was just jealous. No, definitely the first one.

"Well I started getting really fascinated by childcare and… like, pediatric psychology."

Ramb raised his brows high enough that they could probably crash through the roof. That just made them mad, crossing their arms at him with a scowl.

"Ey? Never took ya for that kinda die."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"No need to get ya knickers in a twist, chum. I just always took ya for the child free sort. You're always just proper high-strung from what I see, comin' up 'ere all knackered out and grumblin' 'bout ol' Tenna."

They tensed slightly at the mention of Tenna, feeling like he had already clocked what was going on and was trying to subtly grill them on it. But that wasn't possible. Come on, keep your cool, Battat.

"Right. Well… I just am, ok?"

"Yeah. I 'ear that. Sounds great. You aren't expecting or anythin', are ya?"

"N-NO! God no! Where would I even find the time to-!"

"Ok, luv! Ok. Got it. Sorry to ask."

There was a bit of awkward silence as Battat took a slow sip of their drink, glancing away to another interesting corner. 

"But yeah. Kids are a joy. Why I remember when Kris used to play with me all the time as a li'l squirt. Cheeky li'l thing, that one."

Perfect! Their opportunity!

"Right! You and Kris are really close, aren't you? Does that mean you know a lot about children?"

"Hmm… can't say I do, luv. I know Kris, that's for certain. But Kris ain't any ol' kidda, now are they?"

"No, but they… definitely must have gone through a lot. Even at such a young age, they had to deal with, you know, being the only human in a town of monsters."

"Bang on, luv. Yeah. They always wore those horns to fit in and tried walking on all fours, even though that ain't how two-legged monsters walk. What a tyke."

"Yeah… hey, mind if I… ask something slightly invasive?"

That got Ramb's attention real good after all the talk about Kris before the question. He had a very curious smile on his lips. "Go on then."

"Ok… so, did you happen to be around when they had any bad days? You know, when they act out or just can't stop crying?"

He stayed quiet for a long time, staring off towards his bottles with a distant gaze. Battat worried that they may have asked too much.

"... … … Kris… they 'aven't been as lively since the divorce. I was there, ya know? I was in the room with them as Tori told them about what was happening. Poor Asriel was there too, holding back a bloody tsunami of tears. He was strugglin' to not cry as he hugged Kris, who was just… silent. I'd never seen them so… empty. I don't think they knew how to deal with the news. They just shut down. Barely even cried."

The silence returned, Ramb clearly considering what to say next. Battat just allowed him that time, not wanting to interrupt such a serious recollection. They knew that Kris changed after Asgore left. Everyone knew. But only a very few people knew anything more than that. Even Tenna was mostly in the dark about what exactly was going on with that kid's head.

"... … … I couldn't do much to 'elp, but dang it if I didn't give it a crack. They plugged me into the wall upstairs for a while, so I tried to help turn off the lights for them and snooze their alarm when they should be gettin' a bit more beauty sleep. But eventually I was brought back down to the livin' room. And they stopped playin' with me."

"Ah… I'm… sorry to hear that, Ramb." What else could they say in a situation like that?

"Divorce is never easy, luv. It changes the family. It changes the people. Some try to make good changes, find something new to pursue. Some drown their pain, actin' like it never 'appened and ignore the damage it left behind. Some simply can't deal and just stop feelin' much of anything to not feel the heartache. And some… can't move on. They dwell in the past, cling to it like a bloody lifeline. They don't accept that things are different and try to live in the moment when they were happy."

Dwell in the past, huh? That… does sound like Tenna to a T. As well as some of the other stuff, shutting down and drowning the pain out being pretty accurate to some of his behaviour too.

They weren't sure what to do with that info. What could that mean? Could it be related to the latest problem with the host? Or was that too generic of a statement that they were just trying to force their own issues into? 

"... Think it… could change you even deeper than that?"

"Hm? What's 'at?"

"Think it could cause your brain to kinda… I don't know, force a shut down? Like, unintentionally make you block all that trauma out and make you… like… um- like- unable to process it?"

"You lost me, luv."

"I mean like- like- like some kind of amnesia, except not really. Like, it makes your brain weaken its comprehensive abilities and makes your mind feel more… young? Or… underdeveloped?"

The power strip stood there for a long time, taking in the information with quite a bit of struggle. Battat felt like such an idiot for not thinking of a better way to formulate their questions before going to get their answers. They were spouting utter nonsense and they were sure Ramb was beyond lost.

"Like… ya mean they… feel more… child like?"

"... Yeah… I guess so."

"Hmm… well the mind sure is a hotchpotch of emotions and faff. I guess it could 'appen that someone started acting like a kid again to not get overwhelmed by baffling feelings. Actually, would probably make sense if the issue is a messy divorce. Feeling young and carefree, dealing with emotions in a simple and easy way."

"Yeah! Exactly what I was thinking!"

"But why would ya ask that? Sounds a little… oddly specific, innit?"

Battat felt sweat starting to collect on their forehead, feeling like they had already said too much. But they had to know! They had to figure out as much as they could.

"I mean… yeah. Just… happened to see a little about it in my reading, a part about CPTSD, I think."

"Chum, I 'ave no idea what those letters mean. But if ya say so, I'll buy it. Anyway, that was a bonkers talk. Got real for a minute."

"Yeah. Sorry about that. Just… guess I got a little too into my hyper fixation there. My bad" they laughed awkwardly, trying to play it off as just being incredibly nosey.

"'Ey, luv."

Ramb reached across the counter and gave a light pat to their arm, smiling in a slightly reassuring manner.

"If you are dealin' with some proper issues, don't be scared to ask for 'elp, ok?"

Battat started blushing like mad, mortified to think that the plug got the totally wrong idea. THEY weren't the one having the crisis! But… they couldn't really tell him that. And if it helped with getting information…

"... Yeah. Thanks for the talk. It did give me… a bit of clarity."

"Glad to 'elp."

They shuffled off the seat and started heading back towards the Mike room, thinking about everything they had just talked about. They learnt very little in terms of actual childcare, but got a slightly better idea of what the major issue most likely originated from. It was a good start.

Chapter Text

"No no no! This is all wrong! You need to stick the landing and do the pose! You can't be fumbling around and getting your bearings for a whole three seconds before the pose! It will look awful!"

Tenna was shouting at the group of Shadowguys that were nervously stepping back from the large host. They tried to explain themselves with jazz solos and sign language, but were interrupted as Tenna threw his arm out to the side.

"This is unacceptable! We need to get this right today or we'll be behind schedule!"

"Um… T-tenna, sir. Camera two just ran out of film" a Pippins spoke up as they walked out from stage left.

"WHAT?!? But we need that one! We need all the cameras for the action shot! We have to get all the angles covered for when the showdown takes place! It's important!"

"W-we'll just get more, sir…"

"Well then what are you standing around for?! GO GET IT!" The large man yelled through his clenched fangs, his mood quickly escalating. That scared the poor die, who ran to fetch that new film. 

"AND WHAT ARE YOU FOUR STANDING AROUND FOR?!? Get back to practicing that landing! We don't have all day!" He then snapped around to the Shadowguys and shouted, pointing back up towards the place they had jumped from. One of them was fidgeting nervously, holding up their hand and signing that they bruised their leg.

Tenna's attempt at a smile twitched, accompanied by the most suffocating silence experienced by man. He started breathing quickly before screaming in frustration and pulling on his antennae, making everyone on set back away from him in fear.

"WHY CAN'T ANYTHING GO RIGHT?! WHY C-CAN'T THINGS JUST BE EASY?!? I DON'T UNDERSTAND! I DON'T-"

His rambling was cut short by the lights overhead suddenly turning off. It snapped him out of his frenzy and made him lift his head to look around shocked. "Wh-what happened?!"

*Kzzzzzt!*

"Mr. Tenna, sir. There seems to be a tiny issue with the lights. I'll have it back up in no time but I need to speak to you first. Could we meet by your room?"

That was Mike speaking over the intercom. It almost made Tenna feel relieved, if it wasn't for there being yet another issue happening. Sure! Ok! What's another one on top of all the previous ones?!

He growled in frustration before turning to look at the crew. "Alright. Take ten. I'll be back in a bit…" he grumbled and dragged himself off set. He felt awful. Everything sucked! Nothing was going according to plan, everyone was being so incompetent and getting on his nerves, technical problems kept cropping up and he thought he might be getting a headache. Absolutely terrible day. 

Arriving at his room, he saw Mike waiting for him outside, arms crossed and tapping his foot rapidly. It gave Tenna pause, wondering if he was upset with him for some reason. But he quickly shook that worry off and straightened himself out, walking over to his assistant with a small smile.

"Hello Mike! So, tell me, what is it you wanted to talk about? What's happening with the lights?"

"Hey! Um… yeah, about the lights… there was nothing wrong with them. I shut them off myself."

The TV stopped, frozen for a moment as he processed that blunt statement that came out of left field. He did… what?

"You… turned them off??? Why would you do that?! Don't you realize we have so much stuff to get done today?!"

"Yes. That's exactly why I did it. I was watching you through the monitors like usual and… well…" Mike trailed off, turning his head around as he scanned the hallway. Tenna was so confused. What's going on? Why is he acting so weird?

"Are you ok? Seriously, you were not holding up well down there on set. Ya don't usually get so snappy with employees unless something is wrong."

"Wh-what?! M-m-mike! Don't start getting all soft on me! It's just a bad day is all! And people are getting on my nerves quite a lot too."

"Yeah. I noticed. You're getting really irritable. I think you need to take a break, buddy."

He was really taken aback by the casual, no nonsense statement from him. Especially with that tacked on 'buddy' at the end.

"What are you s-saying, Mike?! I don't need a break! I'm working perfectly fine as is! And besides, we don't have time for a break! We've got a tightly packed schedule for today and have no time to waste!"

The microphone gave him a disapproving scowl while crossing his arms over his chest again. This shocked Tenna more. This was… so strange. What was going on?

"Don't give me that! I can tell that you're getting stressed and need to unwind! And the schedule is only packed because you wanted to get this scene done early and tried to cram everything into a two day span! I should know, you told me to do it!"

"Mike? What's going on with you? Why are you suddenly getting so snippy with me? Did I do something to upset you?" Tenna tried to keep up his big and proud persona, though he couldn't completely hide his concern. Mike seemed to fold at the last question, sighing loudly and uncrossing his arms.

"No, Tenna. You didn't upset me. I'm just worried about you. You can't-"

"Well there's no need to worry!" He interrupted him with an enthusiastic grin, leaning down to be closer to his level. "I am doing just fine, like I said! I can handle this, trust me on that. I'll be sure to tell you if I need your help, I promise. But for now I should get back to-"

"No!" Mike took a step forward, making the much bigger man stumble back slightly out of surprise, startled by his authoritative command.

"H-huh?!?"

"No! I'm putting my foot down! You need to take a break and take some time to decompress! That's not up for debate!"

He stared at him quietly, unsure of how to even react to his subordinate talking to him like a misbehaving kid. A part of him actually felt the strong urge to cave and do as he said, but that was quickly quelled by his pride. How dare he talk to him that way?! Especially when he wasn't… wasn't acting like… no! It doesn't matter! He was still the one in charge, regardless of how big he felt!

"EXCUSE ME?! Who do you think you are?! Think you can come and give me orders like some minimum wage coffee fetcher?! Need I remind you that I'M YOUR BOSS! You do NOT speak to me that way or order me around!" He raised his voice and grew slightly in height, towering over the small microphone as he put him in his place. His fangs returned and he held out his now clawed gloves, the anger he felt growing the more he talked.

But Mike remained unmoved, unimpressed. 

Huh?

Why… wasn't he reacting? He'd usually fall all over himself to apologize and calm Tenna down if he somehow managed to make him mad. He valued Tenna's satisfaction above all else. He followed Tenna's orders diligently and always spoke to him with the respect that a superior deserves. But… he was just staring at him, as if he was throwing a tantrum. Why???

"... Got that out of your system?" He asked calmly, waiting for the answer patiently.

WHAT???

"... Uhhh… I…" Tenna shrunk back down, thoroughly confused about what was happening. He felt like everything stopped making sense, like he entered an entirely different dark world with entirely different rules. 

"Look, let's both of us calm down, ok? What's going on?"

He shrunk more, staring at Mike with visible question marks around him. What did he mean?!? He just told him what was going on! He was mad because nothing was going well and everyone was annoying and his head hurt! Why wasn't he listening?!

"Hey. Hey. Don't do that. You'll hurt yourself."

Suddenly Mike reached out and pulled Tenna's arm away from his head where he was pulling on his antennae. He didn't even notice himself doing it. He unintentionally let out a soft whine, wanting to do something with his hands to occupy himself.

"I know, buddy. It's hard to not do it. But you'll make them sore. Why don't we go into your room and we can talk this out?"

Yeah. Maybe Mike was right. He seemed to understand what was going on with him today. He wasn't feeling well, even though he said he was, and Mike saw that and tried to make him see it too. Maybe he should listen to him.

So the microphone opened Tenna's door for him and motioned him inside, which Tenna followed without putting up any more fight. As he disappeared into the room, Battat looked back towards the hallway and motioned Jongler over, who took their place and entered the room after the TV.

He was sitting on the couch, looking uncomfortable as he waited silently for Mike to join him. He felt weird. Everything about what just happened was weird and he couldn't understand how he went from telling off his beloved assistant to being consoled by him.

But soon he was joined by that assistant, who sat beside him and put a hand on his leg. 

"Hey boss. So, why's don't we's take a second ta calm down, yeah? You's said da day was bad, right?"

He stared at them, trying to decide what exactly he wanted to say. He could try to tell them off again for still talking down to him, but he honestly didn't feel mad about that anymore. He was upset, sure, but had lost all his steam after screaming so much. 

"I uh… it's… yeah. Everything just went wrong and I'm not feeling very well."

"Mm hmm. I saw on da feed. You's were gettin' reals mad. More dan normal."

"B-but that's because everyone was being so bad at their jobs and they messed up everything! It's just-! I was just-!"

"Hey. Tenna? Deep breaths."

They put a hand on his own, which he had started waving around as he grew more and more agitated as he spoke. The CRT looked at it for a second before breathing deeply to calm down.

"Good. Now, was it worse dan usual? Did dey mess up more today?"

He thought about it, now that he wasn't so worked up. Had they been doing worse today than other days? He… couldn't really say they did. It usually does take a couple times before they get a good shot, especially for stunt scenes. But they didn't have time to mess up a couple of times, they needed to get it right as soon as possible or they wouldn't be finished before it needed to air. 

"Um… I… I… don't think so. I think I was just stressed because of the time crunch. Maybe I overreacted because of it. I… I didn't… r-realize I was being so rude!"

"I knows. You's always tryin' your best, but you's can't put so much pressure on yourself and everyone else. Don't be so hard on yourself, buddy."

"I-I… o-oh god. I m-messed up. I yelled at everyone! They're… th-they're-!"

"Gonna understand if you's just apologize an' tells dem what was botherin' you."

"Are… are you sure? You don't think… they're still gonna be angry with me?"

"Maybe some, but you's should just say sorry and make good with dem. Dat's all you's can do. And an apology can go a long way. And better behaviour in da future. Don't be forgettin' dat."

"I… I don't know. I'm scared that it won't help!"

"Ok? Does dat mean dey's ain't deservin' it no more?"

He looked over at them confused, getting teary-eyed from the building feeling of guilt in his chest.

"You's did somethin' bad, you say sorry. You's say it because someone got hurt, not because you's feel bad. You's ain't sayin' it to be forgiven, but to make up. See what I means?"

He stayed quiet still, looking down at the floor in quiet contemplation. He never thought of it like that. Apologizing was always something he did because he didn't want people to leave. He felt that if he just grovelled enough at their feet, they would have no choice but to take him back. But… that wasn't what it was for. It was meant to show remorse, to admit your fault to the person you hurt. It was meant to make them feel better.

For whose sake had he been apologizing?

"I… I… wh-what… I'm…" he looked down at his hands, feeling like he was seeing himself in the mirror for the first time and all that stared back was a heartless villain. Had he always been so self-centred?

"Hey, no. No, don't cry. C'mer, big guy. It's ok. You's ok" Jongler mumbled soothingly as they pulled him into their chest, running a hand down his back to further help. It hurt to see Tenna cry like that. He was so blind to how things were supposed to work and, though they couldn't say their own view of the world was perfectly balanced, they at least had proper relationships with people who were their equals. They had real friends and free time. Everyone here was an employee, so that can't have fostered many healthy and balanced friendships. 

And the lightners… well… let's just say they were far from equals with Tenna. No equal should be able to pull someone's plug from the wall without a second thought.

"Shhhhh~. It's ok, sweetheart. It's ok. Shhhhhhh~. We'll's figure dis out together, ok? I'm here with ya. I'll help ya learn how ta be better. I's ain't goin' nowhere."

Tenna sobbed harder, throwing his arms around them and pressing his head further into their embrace. They just shushed him and rocked rhythmically from side to side, trying to calm him down. "It ain't da end of da world. You can change. You's can always be better. So no more tears, alright sweetheart? You'll get through dis. I promise."

He could only nod into their chest as they pet him on the head. He believed them. He believed them so strongly when they told him that they weren't leaving and that they would help him. No one who planned on leaving would be putting up with all this for so long. 

"Do ya wanna go apologize now? Or do you's need some time? I can go tells staff dat you's decided ta give 'em a break for da rest of da day."

"B-b-but-! But the… the episode!"

"We'll ju- I means I'll just redo da schedule to make it work."

"... … … Please?"

Jongler hummed happily and gave him a reassuring squeeze before pulling their arms back, allowing Tenna to sit back up and look at the floor nervously.

"Alright. Let me just tell da guys abouts the news an' we's can hang out for a while. Ok, sweetheart?"

He nodded lightly and went to reach for his antennae, but noticed himself doing it and put his arm back down. Mike seemed to notice and hummed thoughtfully. They stood up and hopped off towards one of Tenna's drawers, opening it and scouring through the contents. A bunch of junk that he never had the heart to toss. Gotta have something good in there.

They saw something bright in the corner of the drawer and reached to pull it out. It was an old controller for a game console that had been lost a long time ago. This would do. They returned to Tenna and handed it to him. "Here."

He took it with a puzzled look on his face, unsure about why they wanted him to have it. It didn't work for any games they had, so what was the point?

"Fiddle 'round with dis for a while until I's come back."

Ok? He… he could do that. Curiously, he experimented with the device by pushing the big button on the right side. The noise it gave away was satisfying, with just enough resistance to pop down under a slight bit of pressure. And letting it go allowed it to spring back into position with that same click sound. He marvelled at the sensation, finding it strangely calming. So he continued exploring the buttons by pressing on the shoulders. It felt like when one pulls back a piece of plastic and then releases it so it bounces back to normal, except much softer.

He did it a couple of times before moving on to the joysticks. He tried the big one first, which he spun around in circles. It felt nice. It was smooth, but with just the slightest bit of friction to give the movement some texture. The other, smaller joystick was different. It had eight corners that it could be tilted towards, making the act of twirling it more like tracing the shape of the octagon. Hard stop after hard stop as he went from one corner to another. Then, when he let go, it sprung back upright, as if nothing had happened.

When he finally managed to take his attention away from the satisfying fidgeting, he noticed that Mike had already disappeared, most likely to inform everyone of the changed plans. But he felt alright with that. He said he was going to come back, so Tenna just needed to wait. In the meantime, he continued messing with the controller and pretending that he was playing a really hard game, pulling off tricky moves and narrowly getting through obstacles. He was doing such a good job at this imaginary game, he knew because the feeling of the game pad following his every move felt so right and stimulating that it could only mean that he was playing perfectly.

After a while of playing, he heard a gentle knock on the door. Looking up, he saw the handle turning before Mike entered again, swishing his tail happily as he waved hello excitedly. Tenna jumped up from the couch and ran over to hug him, feeling strangely giddy to see him, despite having been gone for twenty minutes max.

"Miiiiiiiike~!" He cheered and nuzzled into his fur, earning him a slightly rougher head rub than earlier. Not too rough, of course, but noticeable enough.

He pushed Tenna back after a few seconds and gave him a head tilt, which he took as an invitation to talk. 

"You said we could hang out earlier! I really really really wanna do that! Think we could play something? I was playing a game with the controller you gave me earlier and I was doing SO good! I was- I was, like, jumping over- um, lava! And I was riding a- a- a super cool SKATEBOARD!" He really took that invitation and ran with it! He started talking at a hundred miles per hour and bounced on his toes as he spoke, making hand movements to illustrate all of the actions he was describing.

Pluey happily listened, just feeling glad to see him so carefree and having fun. Especially after seeing him be so upset the entire day. That wouldn't do! He wouldn't allow it! 

But that didn't seem like a problem anymore, seeing Tenna waving his arms in the air as he released a soft squeal, the excitement of his own fantasy continuously hyping him up. It was cute. The host really could be so adorable when he wanted to be. 

One of the things Tenna said gave Pluey an idea. He smirked slightly before walking past him and towards the couch. The TV turned towards him with a confused noise, wondering if he had even listened to what he said. But that little worry disappeared as the cat began to grab the pillows from the couch and toss them on the floor. He watched in silent confusion, unsure what he should do about it. Someone was messing up his room, which should make him mad. But… it was Mike. So there must be a reason for it.

After he had not only stripped the couch of its pillows but also its cushions, he grabbed a blanket and twisted it up into a thin rope and laid that out onto the ground too, leading to right in front of his bed. It was only then he realized that Mike had essentially made a trail of pillows leading towards the bed with the blanket being the final stretch. It was very reminiscent of something he had seen countless times.

"THE FLOOR IS LAVA!!!" he exclaimed in joy, watching the cat snicker at his brilliant deduction. He quickly moved to the bare couch and hopped onto it, waving Tenna over in faux panic. It made him laugh giddily and run over to join him. 

"We're gonna get from here to the bed, right?"

Mike nodded with a wide grin and got into a readying stance, much like a normal cat would when preparing to attack a red moving dot. Tenna giggled before getting ready to start too. Once he did, he jumped over to the first cushion, swaying a bit before he managed to steady himself. He sighed in relief and continued onto the next one, allowing Mike to follow after him. They hopped from pillow to pillow, Tenna focusing intently on keeping his balance. It was a lot easier when he was a little smaller than normal, though maybe it wasn't considering he was having an unusual amount of difficulty.

He was brought back to the moment by the sight of a black blur shooting past him, looking up in time to see Mike landing on another pillow way further away from the one he stood on. Tenna stared in awe at him, finding his jumping abilities so cool. He wished he could do that! Maybe… maybe he could. Getting ready to make the same jump after Mike had moved, he wound up before propelling himself off the pillow. 

Unfortunately, he didn't make it far. Instead, he fell forward and landed on his front, his nose being the main casualty. Pluey gasped out an airy horn sound before running over to help him up. Once he did, he looked over Tenna to make sure he wasn't hurt. His screen was fine, no visible cracks or scuffs. His nose was a little bruised, but nothing beyond what you'd expect from a fall like that.

And once the CRT got over the shock of the event, his face twisted into a pained grimace and tears started to quickly run down his screen. 

"Eeeeeeeeeh…!" He whined before the floodgates opened and he wailed loudly. Pluey jumped and quickly tried to calm Tenna as best he could, putting an arm around his shoulders and rubbing his back. But it didn't seem to help.

"WAAAAAAAH!!! IT HUUUUUURTS!!!" he cried and grabbed his nose, gasping in air between the cries of pain. Pluey started panicking, not sure how to help without being able to communicate with him verbally. He looked around for some sort of idea, anything that might help. 

He jumped in surprise as he felt Tenna grab his tail, only to wrap it around his nose, as if the soft texture of the fur would negate the pounding ache in it. He laughed nervously and gave him another head pat, hoping it would help him calm down. He wasn't screaming anymore, but he was still crying. So Pluey had no other choice than to pull out the secret weapon. He prepared for this scenario.

Reaching into his suit's pockets, he pulled out one of the candies he had in there. One of Tenna's favorite candies; soft cinnamon caramels. They were small and easy to carry multiples of.

He then held up the candy to Tenna in an offering gesture. The tears temporarily stopped and he gawked at the little treat.

"Cinna-mels!" He said loudly before grabbing it from him and fumbling with the wrapper. Once it was out, he popped it in his mouth and started chewing quietly, the tears having decreased in volume. Pluey sighed and moved closer to give him a light hug, rubbing his back as they waited for him to calm.

"... … … I don't like being in lava. I was supposed to look cool like you! It's not fair!" He complained and wrapped his arms around his legs, huffing loudly. The cat sighed and continued rubbing him, thinking of something else he could do. That's when he realized how small Tenna had gotten. It happened so gradually that he didn't notice at first. He was getting even smaller than himself! Which meant…

Proud of himself for the idea, Pluey wasted no time pulling away from Tenna and looking at him expectantly with his tail wagging. The CRT looked at him confused, wondering why he stopped holding him. Then the cat dove behind him, picked him up and swiftly placed him on his back. Tenna yelped at first, gripping onto Mike tightly so he wouldn't fall off. But he just continued holding the kid and started jumping again from pillow to pillow.

Eventually, Tenna started having fun again! It took a while, but he seemed to enjoy it when he took big leaps and landed almost perfectly each time. It was such a relief to Pluey, who thought he was going to have to switch out with one of the other two. As fun as Tenna is when he's in 'little guy mode' as he decided to call it, he also seemed really sensitive and prone to outbursts. Mostly the crying kind if last time was any indication. And Pluey did not know how to console very well unless it was Jongler or Battat, since he knew those two so well. But he doesn't know this version of Tenna very well at all. So he just resorted to trying to cheer him up and distract him from the tears.

After a bit of 'tight rope walking' on the blanket, he took Tenna off his shoulders and threw him gently onto the bed before plopping down beside him, making him giggle loudly. It was too cute! Seeing him smile like that was almost addictive. Shadowguys were entertainers first and foremost, so seeing someone be genuinely delighted by their silly acts was such a fulfilling sensation.

After the laugh died down though, Tenna looked away uncomfortably and frowned slightly, making Pluey tilt his head in confusion.

"... My nose still hurts."

Ah. Of course. He didn't actually do anything to help that. Not that he really could do anything other than put a bandaid on it. But he had to make the pain go away first. And he knew the secret formula to curing a bruise!

He opened Tenna's bedside drawer, looking for something he could use. And wouldn't you know it, he found the perfect thing! A pen that looked like a magic wand, along with some bandaids. Jackpot!

He pulled both out, putting the box of bandaids down before holding the cute star end of the pen up in a showy display. The little TV just watched curiously, his face filled with wonder. Pluey smiled and started twirling the wand around, doing some simple tricks before tapping it ever so gently against Tenna's nose. He chuckled, amused by the overdramatic performance. 

Then Pluey twirled the wand around his nose a few times, giving it another tap, once more causing him to laugh. The last thing he did was raise his hand, as if summoning a magic force from the heavens, then tapped the wand to his own mouth. After that, he leaned in and gave the tip of his nose a light little kiss, proceeded by making jazz hands, signifying the end of the ritual.

Tenna just sat there with a huge grin on his face, almost growing teary-eyed again from that one little peck. He stayed silent as Mike then put a bandaid on the nose to seal the deal. He soon threw himself at Mike and gave him a hug, surprising the cat briefly.

"Thank you, pappy! You're the best!"

Oh. Oh no. That wasn't good. Now Pluey was the one who wanted to cry. He could have broken down at that sweet and genuinely adoring thanks, if not for having to be the one put together right then. And calling him pappy didn't help! Stay strong, Pluey. Stay strong for the boy.

*~*~*

"Hey uh… boss? I gots somethin' I'm curious 'bout."

"What is it?" Battat asked Jongler as they were walking over to check how things were going with Tenna.

"How's come you didn't get all scared of da boss when he yelled at ya? You's usually all worried 'bout makin' him mad an' all."

"Heh! Yeah. I know. But… I mean… after what happened last time, I don't think I could ever be scared of him again. I saw… I saw a terrified little boy who was desperate for someone to help him. And… damn it if I would be heartless enough to let myself be scared out of that at the first sign of an outburst!"

"Wowza boss. Didn't knows ya had such natural parenting instincts."

"WH-WHU-! I-IT'S NOT PARENTAL INSTINCTS! A-a-anyone would do the same in my position! At least… anyone that had a heart."

"I mean… maybe. Can't say I didn't. By da way, do we's even know what's happenin' with da boss?"

"As far as I can tell, it's some sort of altered mental state. Not sure exactly what it is, but it seems to be related to his mood, at least partially. Though judging by how it started, that could be a miscalculation or overgeneralization. It does have some correlations with his usual outbursts, in that he uses anger to get his way. And since he's the boss, it's always worked. But pushing back on it seems to make him relent instantly and get, for lack of a better word, accomodating."

Jongler just stared at Battat after he finished his rant, as if they hadn't caught a single word of it. He sighed heavily and rubbed his head, feeling as though his genius theory crafting for this new subject that wasn't Mike was being underappreciated. 

"What I mean is that, even if we don't know exactly what triggers it, it does seem to affect the way he acts, typically making him more emotional. I think this is what has been happening for a while now."

"You's mean before da dressing room thing?"

"Exactly. I'm gonna have to keep an eye on him so I can figure out exactly what's going on. But for now, let's just check and see how Pluey's doing."

They agreed with him as they approached the door with Tenna's name on it. Battat very carefully turned the door handle and peeked inside, looking around for the two guys. He quickly spotted them on the floor, curled up in a big nest of pillows and cushions and blankets. Tenna was lying beside Pluey, leaned against him as the cat man was curled around him, providing a bit of warmth as they both napped. 

"They're… both asleep" he told Jongler with a big sigh, looking around at the mess they had caused. Letting Pluey be alone with little Tenna was a mistake. 

"Good. He needed da rest. He was dealin' with lots of stuff and learnin' important life lessons 'bout how he acts."

"Geez, Jong! Since when did you become parent of the year?" Battat decided to tease them a little, enjoying the way their plain face grew redder afterwards. 

"I… I just… guess I kinda just know how to talk to kids. Never been 'round many kids, so I's didn't know."

He chuckled and nudged them casually, deciding to leave the passed out darkners be. Pluey can inform them when he wakes up about anything important. 

"Well thank heavens for that! You don't realize how low our child care skills would have been if you didn't join!"

"Aww. Thanks, boss. You's too nice!"

Chapter Text

"Soooooo… Mike?" Tenna said as casually as he could, looking over at the tall microphone as he helped polish his nose. 

"Hm? What is it?" He asked.

"... … I… wanted to talk to you about something."

"Oh, of course. Go right ahead, boss."

"It's… well… it's about the… th-the- the thing. You know? That uh… weird thing."

Jongler tilted their head with a slightly confused hum, not sure if they did know about any weird things. 

"Th-the-! Ugh! The kid thing!"

"Ooooh! You's mean dat thing! I's ain't seein' dat as nothin' weird."

"Oh come on! You know as well as I do that it is WEI-RD."

"Can't say I knows much, but I's know dat you's ain't a weirdo."

Tenna lowered his head slightly, quietly staring at the floor as the other darkner just sat there, equally as quiet.

"... So? You's wanted ta talk?"

"Ah! Right! I um… I was just thinking about… what we talked about a while back. You know, about the whole apologizing thing."

Right. They did recall that talk. It was something that really made Jongler feel… odd. Like, really odd. It was this feeling that they had very rarely experienced, so much so that they didn't think they could identify it. It was… like feeling you said something important. Like imparting a life lesson onto someone. 

"Yeah. What's 'bout it?"

"Well I… I actually did what you told me to do. I went back and apologized to the crew for how I treated them that day. I told them that I had been stressing myself up and took that stress out on them, and I shouldn't have."

"Wowza, boss. Dat's some mighty fine work! Proud of ya!" They told him genuinely as they finished off their task with a final polish on the tip of the nose. It sparkled gratefully and they nodded in approval.

"Yeah. I also decided to… give them some compensation pay for the hostile work environment. I just wanted to make sure I did my best to make up for the mess I caused."

"Tenna… dat's real kind of you. I's seriously impressed!"

Tenna started blushing at the praise, turning his screen away as he pouted sourly. "Don't say that like I'm some rampaging bull."

"I ain't mean it like dat. But… you's do get emotional real fast."

"I DO NOT!"

… … …

The silence was palpable, waiting for Tenna to realise what just happened there. He blushed even more and covered his face, groaning loudly. 

"Shut up…"

"I didn't say anythin'."

"Well don't…"

They chuckled at his embarrassment, finding it kinda cute. He was just too adorable sometimes. But, stretching their back, they stood up and turned towards the rest of the changing room.

"Alright! I think it is about 'tie'-m, yeah?" Jongler joked as they picked up his tie and held it up to him, looking proud of themself. Tenna started snickering at the pun before realising he was and quickly put a stop to it. 

"No! That's such lowbrow humor! Not clever in the slightest!"

They just continued laughing at their own joke and sat down to put on the TV's tie. It only took a second for him to continue talking again.

"You know… after filming, I went to see how everyone was doing at the after party. I was worried about going in since I thought they may still be mad at me, so I just kinda stood to the side of the doorway to gather my nerves."

"Yeah?"

"But I heard a couple of guys talking nearby, being pretty loud and all. One of them said something about me thinking I can buy people's forgiveness, only for another one to say that they would let me yell at them all day as long as they get paid for it. Then the last one said that they were just happy to hear me apologize, that I was much easier to work with after that."

Jongler bloomed with what they hoped came across as a smile, pulling the knot on the tie to secure it before patting at it lightly. "Sounds like you's made dem feel much better. You's should be real happy 'bout dat."

Tenna smiled brightly as he adjusted the tie a little, making sure it sat comfortably. Then he reached down and gave Mike a half hug before standing up. "Thanks, dad."

Jongler froze, sitting as stiff as a board in their seat while Tenna obliviously walked over towards the door to head out onto the set. After the shock wore off, they turned towards him and asked a soft, "wh-what?"

Tenna looked over confused, wondering what the surprise was about. It only took two seconds to remember what exactly he said and for his screen to turn bright red. He sputtered incoherently for a bit, trying to save the situation. But ultimately, he just yelled an awkward goodbye at them before slamming the door shut and running off.

The Zapper sat silently in the changing room, looking at the door as their cogs were turning. They shifted to looking at their hands, idly considering the situation before they could get out of their seat.

"... … … … … Oh gosh."

*~*~*

"FELLAS! I'S THINK I MIGHTS BE DONE FOR!"

The two other darkners jumped at the sudden appearance of their third member, slamming open the door in a frenzy. Pluey looked mortified, immediately assuming that Jongler was about to die. Battat looked over with bewilderment taking over their face, putting down the nanny magazine they had been reading.

"WHAT?! What happened?! Did you get found out by someone?!"

Pluey played a wobbly note, signing to them, "Did you swallow maus poison?!?"

"NO! WORSE! I think I's may be gettin' too involved!"

"..." Both the other two looked at each other, confusion apparent in their faces. Jongler just jumped inside and fell over into an office chair that spun a couple of times from the motion.

"Guys. It happened. It happened to me too."

"What happened???" The Pippins asked, wondering if they should know what on earth they're talking about.

"When Tenna left for da show, he's called me dad."

Pluey shot up straight and stared at the Zapper while Battat gawked, stunned for a long time before something occurred to them. 

"Wait! You let him go to the recording while he's feeling young?!? What were you thinking?!?"

"N-no, boss! Dat's da thing! He was normal adult Tenna, not li'l guy mode!"

"Ok, first, stop calling it that! Second, WHAT?!?!"

"Yeah! He was just leavin' and said, 'thanks, dad' without even knowin' at first!" 

"Th-that's not possible! He must have been on the edge of getting younger! He might be so overwhelmed right now and might even start crying! QUICK! THE MONITORS!"

Battat scrambled out of their seat and booked it towards the monitor room, leaving the other two in the dust. Pluey looked from them to Jongler, who seemed a little concerned but also too distracted to be fully worried. He let out a little jingle to get their attention before signing, "He called me pappy once when in li'l guy mode and it melted my heart. He was so cute!"

"Yeah… when he's called me dad, it felt… nice. I's felt mighty appreciated for what I's did for him."

"Right?! It just feels like he cares so much and it's so sweet!"

"Yeah… and he's took my advice. He really listened like I said somethin' smart. He apologized to da crew and tried to makes dem feel better."

"Well that's because you did say something smart. You gave him a great lesson. I'm just surprised it carried over from li'l guy mode to big guy mode!"

"Yeah… seems he's learnin' real well when he's small…"

"WHAT!" Battat yelled as they threw the door open before slamming it back shut. 

"What, boss?"

"You were right! He's actually acting perfectly fine! I couldn't notice anything off about his behaviour! And you're sure you heard him say that?!"

"Yeah. He's definitely said dad."

They leaned their head against a wall and glared at the floor, unable to believe what they were hearing. This didn't line up at all with what they had been noting down about Tenna's younger self and normal self. The diagram they made of the differences and how to spot a potential sign of slipping had a very clear point of 'if he calls you papa, it's an obvious sign he's already gone young.' 

"He didn't seem like he meant to calls me dat. He got red and nervous before boltin'."

They ignored Jongler, rushing over to the white board they had stolen from a conference room that was covered in notes and other overcomplicated scrawlings. They wrote down a note along the lines of, 'Tenna may accidentally call you dad when normal. Doesn't use 'papa' unless young?'

"Hey wait. Where did da Mike board go? It's usually on dat wall, ain't it?" Jongler asked and pointed at the new addition they hadn't noticed til then. 

"Oh! Yeah, I put it away for a little bit so I could focus on this first. It's a bit more pressing of an issue."

"Sure, but…"

"What else happened when you helped him prepare?" They asked, too absorbed in this new revelation to really care about the surprise from the remote. 

Jongler explained everything that happened to Battat, who was feverishly taking notes and writing them down in different areas of the board, as if these letters were in any way, shape or form organized. 

"So… what I'm getting is that it's actually easier for him to learn new things when he's small like that. Or at least he's more willing to accept the advice given. Could it be because it's more emotionally impactful to him when he views us as authority figures? Because his pride or possibly his present issues makes him less focused or willing to learn? Perhaps his biases affect the way he takes in information…"

"I's think it's because he trusts us and wants to make us proud," Jongler said happily, holding their face in a dreamy manner. Battat glanced over with a slight blush, grip tightening on their marker. 

"Don't be ridiculous. There is clearly something deep and psychological happening with him and we need to keep our view on this logical and factual."

"But… didn't you's say dat you's felt da same way when he's called you papa?"

They stiffened and whirled around to face them, lips pressed together tightly as the green blush deepened. Pluey grinned at that little tidbit and glanced at the die mischievously. He purred a few suave notes and leaned against his hands, watching them for their flustered reactions.

"Look. I had a moment of weakness, alright? But we need to take this seriously and not let our emotions get the better of us!"

The others looked at each other, the Shadowguy meowing musically at the Zapper, who nodded in agreement. "Yeah. Dey absolutely want to be main papa."

"EXCUSE ME?!? I DON'T WANT TO BE… THAT! YOU NEED TO ACTUALLY TAKE THIS STUFF SERIOUSLY! IT'S NO JOKE!"

"It's ok. You's can be papa one. We don't mind."

"I'M NOT TRYING TO BE HIS FAVORITE!!!"

Pluey giggled at their exasperation, finding it cute how easy they were to fluster. It was great. And hilarious.

*~*~*

Tenna returned to the changing room, sighing loudly as he slipped his tie off and kicked off his shoes. He was tired. That shoot took a lot out of him. His suit was starting to feel stuffy with how long he had been wearing it. It would definitely need a wash at this point. 

He shrugged the suit off and tossed it over the privacy screen, throwing himself down on the couch and letting out another deep sigh, happy to finally take a load off. Those stage lights sure are hot.

He reached down to unbutton his dress shirt, tracing the first button absentmindedly before he started. But he found it… difficult to figure out. He looked down with a grunt and focused really hard on getting it open. When he, once again failed, he just huffed in mild annoyance and laid down onto the couch.

No worries. Just had to give himself a minute to de-stress and he'd be good to go. Forcing himself to do it would only cause the fuzzy feeling to get worse. But he wasn't fully there yet, so it would most likely pass soon.

Thinking about that sensation in his head only reminded him of Mike, which in turn only reminded him of that humiliating slip-up he made before shooting.

The CRT grabbed the nearest pillow and shoved it over his face, releasing a miserable scream into it. GOD that was so embarrassing! He couldn't believe he said that to Mike while fully grown and not even slightly fuzzy-headed! It was absolutely mortifying!

He was so ashamed that he didn't even dare to call on Mike to do anything while filming. He either just asked other people to do it or… let it be. Of course, most of what Mike does can't really be done by just anyone else, so he had to grit his teeth and deal with it.

"... Why, Tenna? Why did you call him dad out of nowhere? There was no reason to! Literally none!" He grumbled to himself and rolled over to his side, facing the back of the couch.

"Now you've probably weirded him out. He was tolerant enough of you acting like a baby, but there's no excuse like that here! Ugh! I hate myself!" He exclaimed and tossed the pillow away, rolling back over to stare at the ceiling, arm draped over his forehead.

"... … … … Heh. Look at me. Acting like a moody teenager, worrying about looking dumb in front of my friends and throwing stuff. I'm really going through the whole age spectrum, huh? Guess all that's left is literal infant now."

He laughed dryly and smiled to himself, a smile with no real amusement behind it. He wasn't sad or angry or anything like that, just generally upset. Worked up would probably be the right term. Not that he cared much for pedantics right then, he just wanted to understand what he was feeling. 

"... … … Do I… actually view Mike as a father figure?" 

That question made Tenna feel extremely uncomfortable. It had so much weight behind it; so many implications and emotions. It was really hard to think about it, as doing so caused the fuzziness to creep in further over his mind. He glanced around the room, trying to find something to distract himself with.

His eyes landed on a box of props used for a physical challenge from months ago. It was a fishing game. Standard affair, with a few extra sharks, piranhas and electric eels to avoid catching. 

He didn't know why, but it caught his attention. It triggered a memory to pop up; a movie about two dog monsters that went on a roadtrip. One of the running themes was of the dad being obsessed with fishing and his son finding it super embarrassing because it wasn't 'cool'. But, near the end of the movie, he had perfected his dad's signature fishing technique and it led into a really heartwarming moment between them.

He remembered Asgore sitting and watching that movie with Asriel, laughing and really enjoying it. The big goat had turned to his son and told him how proud he is of him, even if he thinks he's lame. Asriel, being the absolute sweetest little guy, told him that he didn't think he was lame at all. They shared a hug before Asgore suggested that they try gardening together, which the little boy quickly agreed to.

After some teachings, failures and gentle coaching, Asriel seemed to improve. Tenna remembered Asriel running up to Asgore with a pot in his hands, showing off the flower that had just started to bloom. The man couldn't contain his tears and gave the boy a big hug, telling him how proud he was. After calming down and actually inspecting the flower, he told Asriel:

"Oh my, son! That's some fine work you did! I'm so proud of you!"

The phrase really stood out to him. Just the feeling of praise from the person who mentored you and overall raised you must be so fulfilling. That you actually succeeded in something, that the things you were taught stuck and you managed to follow through.

Whether that be learning a new skill or a life lesson in how to be better, it must be so wonderful to make the person who taught you all of it proud.

"... … … Mike?" He called softly into the little headset he neglected to remove, wondering if he had just left after not being given enough things to do.

"*Kzzzzzt* Yes, boss?"

Ah. He hadn't. Always there for him, wasn't he?

"... Thank you for being here. I mean it."

"Whu-? Of course, Tenna. I'll's always be here! I-"

"And thank you for… making me do better. I feel like I learnt something really important from you."

"Tenna… dat's… so sweet of you's."

There was a long pause, awkward and filled with emotions. 

"... … … You's startin' to feel small again, ain't you?"

"Please come to the changing room. These buttons are impossible right now."

"'Course, sweetheart. I'll's be right dere."

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Chapter Text

"Mike! Show us the results!" Tenna called out as he pointed up at the board behind him. Battat was quick to oblige, pushing the button to bring up the screen. The numbers ticked up until the full score was shown off, followed by a flashy graphic saying, 'T-RANK'.

"WOW! Would you look at that?! Looks like our lovely contestant not only managed to get every question right, but also nailed the essay portion! WHAT A GENIUS! Let's give her a big round of applause, folks!" 

The audience started clapping enthusiastically for the water cooler behind the podium, who turned pink from all the praise she received. Tenna clapped too, walking over to her with the biggest grin on his face.

"What a great show, contestant! I've never seen someone ace a quiz like this before, and so fast at that! It brings a TEAR to my eye!" He spoke dramatically and made loud hand gestures. He leaned down and shook her spout in congratulations.

Battat huffed softly and looked away from the screen, resting their head against their hand tiredly. Boy did they wish they hadn't stayed up all night for two days in a row. But they couldn't go to bed when they were getting so close to a new discovery. 

First, they had looked up more info about childhood trauma in order to understand the proper way to deal with fragile kids. Well, the 'studying' was very limited, considering they didn't exactly have a huge library of research papers by professionals. The most they had was a bookshelf in the lounge, which was mostly random magazines and other books of varying subjects. 

Then, while looking through children's books about how to deal with your feelings, something occurred to them. Could it be that… Mike actually did take care of Tenna like this in the past? Or at least was some sort of role model in Tenna's eyes? Sure, he left the poor TV without saying a word, but that didn't mean he hadn't done something to earn his admiration. Plus, Tenna wasn't exactly the most well adjusted individual. Him getting attached to shady people wasn't really big news.

And that train of thought had been what kept them up last night, making them bring the Mike board back out to work on. They were so tired. But nothing a cup of espresso can't solve. Extra strong to keep them vigilant.

Speaking of being vigilant, the Pippins suddenly realized they had zoned out and slapped themself back to reality, looking up at the screen. But they froze at what they saw.

Tenna was… smaller. Just a little smaller than when they looked away, but still noticeable enough. He was fidgeting more than usual and shook his free hand around as he spoke. "And now it's time for the physical challenge! Oh golly, I can't wait to see how she does in it! It's gonna be so cool!"

Were they being paranoid or did that seem… different? They leaned closer to the screen, now watching like a hawk for any obvious signs of Tenna getting younger.

Tenna brought the water cooler over to the challenge area, themed around the weather channel. He motioned towards the roof, where Lanino and Elnina were sitting on platforms on opposite ends of the set. 

"Alright! So, in this challenge, clouds and suns are gonna come falling down! You have to move them- wait, no. You… you have to bounce them! Yes! You have to bounce them towards the other side into the- the- the um… ah… what was it called again?"

Yep. Ok. Tenna was getting sloppy, so he was definitely slipping. Mike quickly took charge and grabbed the little mic for the loud speaker. 

*KZZZZZT* "Hahaha! Oh Tenna! You sure love your jokes! But as our lovely host said, your job is to bounce the clouds and the suns into the goals on the opposite sides! But be careful! If one of them touches the floor, that's a strike to your popularity meter! Run out of popularity and it's game over! Pretty simple and straightforward, wouldn't you say, Mr. Tenna?"

Tenna stayed quiet for a moment, processing what had just happened. Battat was sweating, praying that he would catch on and just go with it without any more mess-ups.

"... Yeah! Exactly, Mike! You got it! And thanks! You're too nice sometimes!"

They sighed in relief as they watched Tenna walk off stage to allow the challenge to start. They quickly fired it off before rushing out of the monitor room, running past Pluey on the way. 

"Plue! Take over for me on the controls! I gotta head over to the set!" 

He stopped in surprise and watched as they hurriedly pulled the costume on. He tilted his head and made a curious melody at them.

"He's getting young! I gotta pull him off the set immediately!"

He gasped musically and made random sounds in an attempt at questioning them further.

"No time to elaborate! Just make sure everything goes smoothly while I get him!"

The silhouette then gave them a salute before running into the monitor room to do just that. Battat sighed and put the mask on before running out of the Mike room, ignoring the way it made their head spin slightly.

*~*~*

"Pssst! Hey! Elnina!"

The weather girl jumped slightly in surprise before turning around and spotting a familiar round head poking up from the edge of the platform.

"Mike???"

"Yeah, it's me. Look, don't stop the challenge. Just keep doing your thing while I talk. I'm gonna need you and Lanino to close off the episode today. Something happened to Tenna and it would be too noticeable if he were to do it, so I need you both to tag in."

She listened tensely as she continued throwing her clouds down for the contestant to bounce. "Oh gosh! Is he hurt?"

"No. He's fine. It would just be too distracting is all."

"Ok. Do you… need us to address Tenna's absence?"

"No, just say something along the lines of, 'Thanks Tenna for allowing us to close this episode off'. Don't make it sound like there's an issue. Do you have mics on?"

"O-ok. We can do that. And no, we don't."

"Got it. I'll ask someone to go get you some."

Then Mike climbed back down the stepladder up to the platform and jumped off, looking around frantically for a stagehand. They spotted some other Pippins further away, slacking off and chit-chatting. They rushed over to them and immediately raised their voice, putting on a commanding tone.

"YOU THREE! What do you think you're doing?!"

"Uh- M-mike! We were, uh, just-"

"Don't stand around like idiots! YOU, go get a pair of mics for Elnina and Lanino! YOU, prepare the price for the contestant! And YOU! You go and get me a big cup of pure espresso shots! As caffeinated as it can get!"

The three looked at each other with displeased faces, clearly not prepared to be bossed around like that by the big guy's assistant. But they were startled into action as Mike yelled, "PRONTO!!!"

The microphone sighed tiredly before rushing to find their host. They eventually spotted him peeking out through the curtains at the performance, his cord having extended from his back to wave around excitedly like a dog's tail. Tenna didn't like having it out like that in public, which meant he must be feeling smaller and hadn't noticed.

"Pluey. Is his mic off?" They whispered into their earpiece, receiving a positive note in response. So they walked over and pulled Tenna back away from the curtains. 

"Hey! Tenna! We gotta go!"

He was at first startled by the suddenness of their presence, then registered what they said and stared in disbelief.

"WHAT?! NO! I was supposed to give her a price and then end the episode! We can't go!"

"Already got all that sorted. We have to get you to the changing room, buddy!"

"No! I wanna end the show! It was really good and I need to… to… do it!" Tenna pulled his arm out of Mike's grasp, cradling it to his chest and frowning at the short darkner. But they just turned back around towards him and scowled right back.

"Not like that, you aren't! Can't you hear how you sound? If you go out like that, you'll embarrass yourself live!"

"NUH-UH! I'm fine! I can do it really good!"

Battat felt like their head was gonna explode. They had to get Tenna out of there as fast as possible, but he was being so stubborn! They didn't know how to make him move! They usually wouldn't have that big of an issue figuring out something, but they had less than half of their brain cells left after drowning them in caffeine and stress.

"Tenna! Stop being difficult and come with me!" They demanded and pointed to the empty spot right beside them. But the TV stood firm, arms crossed and an angry pout displayed on his screen. They wanted to pull their eyes out from how frustrated they were with him. Why couldn't he be as compliant as he usually was when they and the others used their serious voices? Why did today have to be the day where he gets defiant?

"Sir. Your coff-"

"ANT TENNA!!! I WILL GIVE YOU TEN SECONDS TO DROP THAT ATTITUDE OF YOURS OR SO HELP ME GOD, YOU WILL BE IN TROUBLE!!!"

Battat completely missed the Pippins that had just returned with their coffee, interrupting them as they shouted at their boss like an angry parent. It completely shocked the poor stage hand, who just stood there and gawked in disbelief. Tenna was also shocked, gripping his tie and shrinking down ever so slightly from the rage being thrown at him.

It was quiet for a moment before Tenna started sniffling and tears began forming on his screen. Battat immediately realized what they had done and swore under their breath, not actually having intended to get loud with him. They just snapped and lashed out. 

"H… hey, buddy. I'm sorr-"

The host then burst out sobbing as he ran straight past his assistant and bolted out of the door to the set. They turned and watched him run, feeling a horrible sensation of dread and guilt clawing at their back. Damn it! They should have tried to be more composed! They shouldn't have been so forceful! They should have asked Jongler to take him instead! They were much better with little Tenna than they were!

"... Uhhhhhh… what the hell was-?" Before the red Pippins could question the situation, Battat shoved them out of the way to go and chase after Tenna. 

He couldn't have gone far! And there weren't many splitting paths for a bit, which means they might still catch him! They ran as fast as they could, stumbling and ramming into things they failed to notice in their rush. They had to find him! They had to make sure he wasn't hurt and wouldn't get seen in his current state! They had to comfort him! They had to apologize for being such a stupid bastard and yelling at a kid like that! They had to find him!

*~*~*

Tenna cried as he curled up under the desk he found himself using to hide. He wasn't sure exactly where he was, he just knew it was a room with a lot of tables and chairs. He picked it randomly out of all the doors in the hallway and was lucky enough to find a hiding place.

He was covering his audio receptors and struggling to breathe, feeling like everything around him had become so very loud. Every sound was cranked up to eleven, his own mechanics were grating to his ears and the echoes of Mike's shouts were still ringing in his head. He couldn't think straight. He felt like he was about to die, like the world would fold in around him and crush him like a saltine cracker.

"No… no… no… stop yelling… please stop it. Not again… not again… I didn't do good enough… I didn't make them happy… I didn't stop their yelling. I tried, Kris… I tried. I really really really tried…"

He was lying on his side, hyperventilating and trying to will the loud voices out of his head. He didn't want to hear it. He didn't want them to fight again. Why was it always the living room? Why couldn't they cover him so he didn't have to hear it? Why was he forced to listen to them screaming hate at each other?

"I'm sorry… I'm sorry… I'm sorry I'm not good enough. I'm sorry I-I can't make them stop. I'm sorry I c-couldn't help th-them. I'm sorry I made them hate each other! I-I-I-I don't… I can't… I can't do anything! They're fighting again a-and I can't stop it!"

The CRT gasped harshly as his chest felt like it was gonna collapse in on itself and choke him from the inside. His head was pounding and his inner mechanics were twisting themselves up around each other like some disgusting ribbon of wires and cords. He felt sick. He felt like he was trapped someplace cold and empty and harsh, just waiting out the time until he would slowly and painfully pass on.

"The family… They're… Th-they're-... Fighting again! They don't love each other any more! Th-they hate me! Because I'm not good enough… I'm no good!"

As Tenna was bawling his eyes out, Battat was walking down the corridor and looking at the many doors lining the walls. Of course. Of course he had to run down this way. He just had to make everything more difficult on the poor die. They were already feeling their body swaying and struggling to hold up their weight. They couldn't walk straight, they couldn't see straight, they couldn't think straight! Everything was so muddled and it didn't help that they felt like they might have a panic attack any second.

"Come on, focus! You can't have a fainting spell now! You have to find Tenna!" They slapped both cheeks to shake off the encroaching fatigue, feeling it try to settle over their brain. They looked around the hallway, wanting to find some hint as to which way Tenna went before ripping every door off their hinges in order to find him.

In their hazy vision, everything looked the exact same. Battat could barely make out the rectangular shapes of the doors, let alone anything subtle. Damn them and their tiredness! They wouldn't have been in this situation if they had just gone to bed like they should have! This is all because of their inability to regulate their fixation and not trying more to be in top-shape for work! They hated themself and their stupid brain!

Suddenly, the Pippins could have sworn they heard something. They looked around frantically, trying to locate the source of the noise. Then they heard it again. It sounded like… a whimper? TENNA!

They rushed towards a door further down the hallway and threw it open, looking around the office styled room. They knew they heard it coming from here! He had to be in there!

"TENNA! Tenna, little buddy! Are you in here?! C-come out, please! I'm sorry, I didn't mean to yell at you!" They started shouting as they stumbled further into the room. But Tenna just froze as he heard Mike's voice, still being so loud. He shivered and tucked himself further into the nook he found himself, extremely thankful for his current size. 

He was scared. Scared that Mike was still angry. Scared that it was his turn now to be yelled at. He didn't want to be yelled at. He didn't want to make Mike madder. 

"Tenna… Tenna please! Look, I wasn't- I was just- I-I shouldn't have screamed at you! I… I…" they had a hard time stringing together a coherent explanation for their actions. Everything just felt so difficult. Even bending down to check under the tables and desks was making them see white whenever they stood back up. Had they been forgetting to drink water too? They certainly had been drinking, but it was nothing but coffee. They were such a moron! So forgetful and dumb and incompetent! How were they meant to take care of Tenna if they couldn't even take care of themself?!?

"Buddy… I… please, just come out… Papa promises he's not upset. He just wants… to…"

A harsh and sudden wave of nausea hit them out of nowhere, sending them fumbling backwards. They attempted to lean against a table to stabilise themself, but greatly miscalculated and instead pushed their hand through nothing. And, to add insult to injury, they weren't far away enough from the table to not slam their head into it on the way down. 

"GHK-!!!"

Battat face planted onto the floor with a loud thud, feeling like they just crashed through a concrete wall. Their head thrummed painfully and their vision swam with stars and bright lights. Everything was so much. Existing was too much right then. Being Battat was so very exhausting. They wished they weren't, for just a little while, present in reality. That they could escape their mortal form and just be free of all these burdens.

These were the dazed, half lucid thoughts that the die had as they closed their eyes, trying to get rid of the blinding lights that made their headache worse. But it only served as the final nail in the coffin for their fleeting consciousness. They felt the sweet embrace of sleep slowly drag them down before they knew what was happening.

…

…

… 

Mike suddenly got really quiet.

Tenna was still nervous. Had Mike just… left him? Had he given up on the TV and gone away? Did he not want to be around him anymore?! Did he hate him now!? 

The thought hurt Tenna so much. It made him desperately want to go and chase after him, beg him to not leave him alone forever and cling to him so he couldn't. He wanted his papa to not hate him! He'd do whatever he had to in order for him to love him again and not leave the house, never to return.

"PAPA! WAIT! DON'T G-"

As the CRT scrambled out from under the desk and went for the door, he quickly noticed the big grey shape on the floor. He stopped and looked over at it, trying to make it out through tearfilled eyes. 

Stepping closer, it became clearer, making it very apparent that it was Mike. He was lying face down on the floor, still, unmoving, silent. Tenna began shaking harder, a small part of him asking himself if he was even alive. But the big sigh he released after a few seconds told him that he was one hundred percent alive still. That's a relief.

"... Papa?" He asked hesitantly and took a step closer to him, waiting for any kind of reaction to his call. But he received nothing. So he walked up right next to him and got down on his knees, shaking Mike weakly with one hand. Still nothing.

"Papa! Are you ok? Are you…" he didn't know what word should end that sentence. He was just talking, trying to get the passed out microphone's attention. But he got no response out of him, no matter what he did.

Ok. He was panicking. This wasn't good. This was the opposite of good. What should he do? Should he go get someone? Should he ask Mike for help?

Oh. Right.

"... Papa. 'm sorry I hurt yu. But… wha do I…"

Maybe he could… lift him? But he wasn't good at lifting stuff! He was feeling so small right then, so there's no way he could pick Mike up. He looked down at his hands, only then taking notice of his current size. He was… actually not that small yet. He still had quite a bit of height left on him, still taller than Mike. 

"... Ok. Ok! Can do this! Don' cry no more! Help papa! Help papa to your room!" He told himself with a trembling voice, breathing deeply and deliberately to try and steady his nerves. He didn't want to cry anymore. He didn't want to be upset. He wanted to be strong and save papa! 

"Papa. I'm… gonna lift you now" Tenna informed the unconscious darkner before slowly wrapping his arms around him and pulling him up towards his chest. Ok. So far so good. He could do this.

Carefully, he struggled to get back up to his feet, feeling extremely unstable, especially with something so heavy in his arms. But he tried his best, using a chair for support by putting his elbow onto it and hoisting himself up. 

And it worked! He was standing up with Mike in his arms. He was a little wobbly, but he somehow managed. 

"Wow! 'm so strong! Papa would be proud'a me!" He praised himself before focusing on the man in his arms, walking slowly and carefully out the room and towards the changing rooms, which was closest to them.

*~*~*

Once Mike was safely deposited onto the fancy couch, Tenna looked at him quietly and shifted in worry. He couldn't let Mike just sleep like that. He didn't look comfortable at all. 

The kid looked around the unusually big dressing room and thought about what he should do to help. 

Hmmmm… Papa needs a blanket. And pillow. And a stuffy! Can't sleep without stuffy! And jammies. But… can't change him, can I?

He was thinking pretty hard about it, trying his best to come up with a checklist of things Mike needed for a proper nap. He distantly realized too that he should get something for his nasty bump. Maybe something cold? Would a wet rag be ok? He didn't have much else.

He decided that it would work for now and ran to grab a random piece of cloth from the wardrobe and rushed into the bathroom to wet it. He had to climb a little bit to reach the sink, but he managed eventually. Once he was placing the now wet glove onto the Microphone's dent, he ran right back to the wardrobe to look for his comfy items. 

Mike had insisted on putting some stuff in here for Tenna if he ever started feeling smaller while working, so there were loads of stuff like pillows and blankets, pyjamas, toys, plushies and even a hidden stash of candy he wasn't supposed to know about. But he saw Mike sneak a piece out of there, so he knew, but decided to keep that a secret.

He picked up the big bundle of blanket and stumbled over to the couch, tossing it up onto his papa before running around him to properly cover him. Then he ran back and dragged a couple pillows over, tucking them under his head as best he could. The CRT was steadily growing smaller as he worked on making the mic as cozy as possible, but ignored that completely in favor of his mission.

The last thing he did was go and grab the green dinosaur plush that rested on the bottom of the wardrobe, giving it a big hug before bringing it over as well. 

"Here! For you, papa!" He announced proudly and tucked it in beside him, smiling so brightly at his work as a flower sprouted from his nose. 

…

…

"... 'm sorry fo' hu'ting you, papa. 'm a bad boy. Naughty! So naughty! Should be punished!" He started sniffling and put his head down beside him while sitting on the floor, looking up at him regretfully.

Mike made a soft noise and shifted slightly, his head tipping over towards Tenna. He gasped and ducked down so he was only peeking slightly over the edge of the couch. 

"... … … Papa…?"

Battat felt like a slurry. Their head was completely stirred up into an incoherent mess. They barely even registered that they had woken up at all, still under the impression that everything was just some nonsense dream. Their head was absolutely throbbing with pain and their eyes refused to focus properly. 

They felt warm. Very warm. And heavy. It felt as though something was on top of them, forcing them to lie down and stay there. Probably Pluey forcing them to take a break. Typical him.

"Papa…?"

The Pippins groaned and blinked a couple of times before they could make out who just said that. They saw Tenna; sweet, innocent, helpless little Tenna. He was looking at them like they were a scary monster. It immediately broke their heart to see. They forced themself to say something, despite their brain barely functioning enough to stay conscious.

"Hhhhheyyy, my little champ. What'ssss th-the- m-m-matter?"

"I… I…" Tenna immediately started tearing up, thinking about everything he had done that led Mike to getting hurt. He caused all this. It was his fault.

"H-h-hey. Hey, whazza cryin' forrrr?" Battat sat up as much as they could, hand weakly reaching out towards the sad kid. Tenna quickly hugged their arm and whimpered loudly.

"'m sorry! I sorry! 's my bad you got hurt! I was bad! I made you hurt! S'upid Tenna!"

That made them shoot up on the couch and look at the kiddo in concern, ignoring the way it made their head swim. "Wh-what?! No! Nnnno, Hun! Yur not baaaad! Nooooo. C-come… c'mer."

They bent down and tried to pick Tenna up, despite their own condition and the TV still being slightly too big to be carried easily. He realized this and instead elected to climb up onto the couch himself and sit beside them.

He squeaked as the woozy darkner wrapped their arms around him and clumsily pulled him into a big hug, smushing his face into their chest uncomfortably. But Tenna didn't argue with it, both too surprised to do so and not wanting Mike to let go of him.

"Don't say that, baby. Don't even th-think it. You're so sweet, the s-sweetest llllittle guy. Papa hhhates when you're mean to yourself. Makes papa so sad." They had started baby talking as they rubbed his back and nuzzled their own cheek against the top of his head. He was frozen, unsure about how to take all that. It made him confused, but he really appreciated their reassurance. Even if he didn't agree with it.

"I'm so s'rry 'bout yelling at youuu! I was so tired. R-really tired. Pr'mis I'm not mad… I was wr-rong."

Tenna felt himself tremble as he listened to Mike, only feeling the prior tears increase in volume. He didn't deserve the apology. He didn't deserve the hug. He deserved to be yelled at more for being so disobedient. 

"H-hey. Shhhhhhh~. Shhhhhh nooooo. Don't cry, hunny. Please don't cry. It's ok. You didn't do anything wrong. I was bad f'r yelling. Papa is the bad one here. Nnnnot you" they kept slurring as they sank back down into the pillows behind them, pulling Tenna down with them. He had been shrinking even more, to the point of being close to Mike's height. He hiccuped sadly and nuzzled his head against them, feeling both undeserving of the hug and desperate for it to never end. 

"B-b-but… but I… I made you hurt yourself…"

"Nnnnoooooo! Nonononono. It wasn't your fault. I wuz not takin' care of m-myself. You… you… you're good" they muttered softly while running a lazy hand down Tenna's back. But he looked up at them in shock and gawked.

"What?! Why?!"

"It's… it's not easy, kid. Sometimes… you juss… think you're good when ya not. Ya don' realize how… like… bad ya feel… you always have t' do an' do an' do or ya feel like crap" they started laughing bitterly, their voice sounding hollow. 

"Bu' I don' want you to feel poopy!"

They laughed again, this time with genuine affection as they rubbed his head once more. "I know…"

"You always take care of me… why can't you do for you too?"

Battat smiled at him, feeling tears pool up under their mask and threatening to leak through. They felt so touched by his words, despite how simple they were. They weren't exactly fully present mentally at that moment. They would never have told Tenna all of that if they had been, but it felt so much easier to just speak their mind rather than come up with complicated excuses. Lying was so much effort.

"Awwwww. Hunny. 'm sorry. I… I-I'm really… r-really…" they started feeling a lump in their throat, their dizzy mind getting so inexplicably sentimental out of nowhere. Must be because they were knocked on the head and got a concussion, not because they had been suppressing a lot of deep and complex emotions, choosing to never address them. Couldn't possibly be the case. They nuzzled even further into Tenna.

"... … … Papa. Is ok. I love you."

They smiled like an idiot at that adorable little voice, trying to comfort this barely conscious grown-ass man crying against the top of his head. They felt so warm and mushy, this swelling feeling in their chest that made it feel like their heart was expanding. Should have probably been a cause for concern medically speaking, but they couldn't care right then.

Battat grabbed both sides of the TV's boxy head and shoved their face against his forehead, giving him a big kiss with a loud, 'MMMMWAH'.

Tenna gasped in surprise before looking up at Mike, mouth agape in disbelief. They chuckled breathily at the expression and decided that one wasn't enough, diving back in to give a series of small kisses to one of his cheeks. This elicited a small giggle out of Tenna, who hugged Mike tightly and mumbled a delightful, "Papaaaaa! Stoooooop!"

"Nuh-uh! Still got another cheek!" They shifted to pepper the other side with kisses, making the kid burst out laughing and kicking his feet restlessly. He was just so happy. He barely remembered why he had been sad before, the giddiness and fuzz taking over his head and fogging those memories up until he couldn't recognize them.

Once the mic was done being sappy, they let out an exhausted sigh and sank back down again, resting their head on the big and soft pillow. It felt amazing to the tired Pippins, along with the blanket draped over them and the warm little bundle of joy in their arms. It was so… soothing.

Tenna noticed them dozing off slightly and gave a big smile, tucking them back in again after making himself comfortable too. "Go to bed, papa. I'll take care of you. Just a li'l!"

"Mmmmmm… haaaaaaa… ok, kiddo. Love ya lots."

"Hee hee! I love you too!" He squished Mike in another big hug, until they suddenly started snoring loudly only a few seconds later. He giggled to himself and snuggled up against them, unable to stop smiling. He felt so loved. Like he was getting triple the amount of love one person would usually give! 

What more could a little TV ask for?

Chapter Text

Jongler sat quietly in the monitor room and watched the screen, currently playing a rerun of an old Christmas special. It was a claymation version of A Christmas Carol. It was an oldie but a goodie. They didn't have much to do for the time being, so they just sat and watched the movie play. 

It made them feel… melancholy. A little nostalgic even. They couldn't help the mixed emotions stirring up in their chest from the-

"Jongler. We gotta switch soon."

They turned in surprise, watching both of the other two Mikes enter the room. As soon as they saw them, their faces shifted into slight concern. Pluey tooted softly and signed, "is something wrong, bud?"

"Nah. I'm good. Just… a li'l distracted today. Sorry, y'all."

"Hey… it's no problem. It's not like you have a lot to do today, what with all the holiday specials lined up. But… is there something on your mind?" Battat asked in an uncharacteristically gentle tone, which almost frightened the other two. He was usually always on the go or stressed out, so him seemingly being in a calm mood was almost a little concerning.

"Ummm… y-yeah. It's just… I don't know. After all dis stuff we's been doin' with da boss and takin' care of him, it's mades me feel odd."

"Yeah. I get what you mean. I've been wracking my brain constantly for answers as to why I'm getting so… emotionally invested in this whole thing."

"Yeah. Same. I… I's just can't help but feel bad for him when he cries. And I really liked him callin' me dad. It… it felt… how's should I put dis?"

Pluey pulled out a chair and sat down beside them, giving a patient smile as he prepared to listen. That was his role after all. Battat settled for learning back again the wall, putting the papers he was carrying down to give Jongler his full attention. It was a rare moment of peace for the three of them, who were usually being called on constantly to do a little bit of whatever Tenna needed. But fortunately, the host had been put down for a nap, so they had nothing that needed their immediate attention.

"Well… it sounds weird but… I's almost felt… nostalgic. Like, it gave me a warm feeling in my chest just hearing it. Him holdin' me felt so familiar too."

"Really?" Battat asked curiously, to which Pluey made a note of agreement and tilted his head at them.

"Yeah… … kinda like I'm feelin's now, watchin' dis special."

Pluey glanced over at the screen, seeing the first ghost visit Ebenezer in his bedroom. He started signing, "Did you watch it a lot in the past?"

"Yeah. But… it wasn't… me who puts it on. It was… her."

"Her?" Battat said, his interest piqued.

"It… was one of her favourites. She would watch it every year…"

*~*~*

Jongler watched the bright smile on the little deer girl's face stretch until it evolved into a laugh filled with excitement. She picked them up and aimed them at the TV, pushing the next channel button a couple of times until a snowy picture of stop-motion figures appeared on the screen. She bounced on the spot, gripping the remote to her chest.

"It's starting! It's starting!" She said, too giddy to sit still.

Then another deer girl entered the living room, glancing over at her sister on the couch.

"Hey, Noelle. Whatcha watching?"

"A Christmas carol! The clay one! It's just starting!" She explained as she flapped her free hand, the one not gripping the remote. But the bigger girl sighed and rolled her eyes.

"Again? You watch it every year. Aren't you getting tired of it?"

"Nope! It's the best movie ever!"

"You say the same thing about the Nutcracker."

"They're both the best movie!"

"Don't you want to watch something new? Something a little more exciting?"

The dark haired deer looked from her little sister to the remote in her hands, something clicking in her head before she let out a devious chuckle. "I've got one you could watch. How about... The Big Christmas Massacre!" She announced before swiping the remote away from Noelle, laughing in amusement as she prevented her from taking it back by pushing her away via the face.

"DESS!!! NO!!! I DON'T WANNA WATCH THAT!!! GIVE IT BACK!!!"

"Awe come on! You're a big girl soon! You gotta start watching the big kid movies! You need some horror anyways if you wanna stay up all Christmas eve! A few nightmares should help."

"NOOOOO!!! I DON'T WANT TO!!!"

December chuckled before aiming the remote at the TV and pushing the channel button to get to the horror and thriller channels. But as she pressed, nothing happened on the TV. She grunted and tried again from a different angle, but it was still the same colorful movie. She then started growling and pushed it repeatedly while repositioning herself again and again. It didn't help.

She groaned loudly in annoyance and tossed the remote back onto the couch, which Noelle picked up and clutched to her chest.

"DAAAAAAD! THE TV REMOTE ISN'T WORKING!" she shouted up the stairs at her father, who shouted back, "BETTER FIND IT A JOB THEN!"

"DAD!!!" she then exclaimed before throwing her hands up in the air, sulking defeatedly. 

"Whatever. I'll just play games in my room." 

She then stormed up the stairs, leaving her little sister alone on the couch in front of her movie.

Noelle looked down at the device in confusion, wondering why it suddenly stopped working. She tried it out again, pressing the exact same button that Dess tried. It immediately flipped over to a cooking show about making vegan éclairs or something like that. She then pressed the button to switch it back to her Christmas movie again. She couldn't help but to smile even brighter than she had earlier before the movie. She hugged the remote and let out an adorable little squeak.

"Thank you, remote friend!"

*~*~*

"I… I thinks dat was da first time anyone talked to me. Noelle… she was da cutest kid. And Dess was a sweetheart too, even if she was a li'l edgy. She would have pro'ly not made her watch da whole thing. But… I was worried 'bout poor Noelle gettin' scared by alls da blood an' stuffs. So I's just didn't change channel."

"Wow. Jongler. I had no idea you used to belong to the Holidays. Why haven't you told us this before?" Battat questioned, sliding down the wall to sit on the floor casually. There was another chair, but he elected to not acknowledge that.

"I's didn't think it was important. Plus, it was real long ago. I barely remembers anything from dat time. Just… small memories."

"Hm… guess that's fair enough. I don't remember that much from Card Kingdom either. It was long ago for me too. I don't even know how I ended up getting smuggled over here with the other Pippins, but somehow, here I am."

Pluey played a happy melody and clapped softly, then started signing, "Didn't you tell us Card Kingdom is in the school?"

"Yeah. It is. It… encompasses a weird area of the school though. It's like… the closet and like, one classroom or something? I'm not really sure, I wasn't exactly an adventurous guy back then. Or… ever."

"Wells dat does explain how you's are so good with li'l guy mode Tenna."

"Jongler, I am going to wring your neck one of these days."

Pluey giggled at the antics before signing again. "Still, you know how to handle him so well when he's being difficult. I could never tell him off like you do."

"Yeah, same. I's just don't know how to be as bossy as you's" Jongler added with a little nod.

"It's not being 'bossy', it's called discipline! And I'm no better with small Tenna than you both. I'm way too hard on him I feel…"

"Nah, boss. You's doin' great! Right, Plue?" The Zapper turned to their shadowy friend, who gave a big nod of agreement and a thumbs up. Battat huffed and crossed his arms, face gaining a pale green blush. "Thanks… but I'm no Mr. Boom."

"Who?" Jongler asked, followed by a confused horn sound from Pluey.

"Probably the most impressive teacher I've ever witnessed…"

*~*~*

Battat wasn't used to anyone being in the classroom during lunch. The kids were all so eager to get out of there whenever they got the chance. But, for some reason, this fish girl was inside the classroom's closet, hiding from everyone else. He had no clue why she'd do that, but it was clear that she was upset. 

He recognised her somewhat. She was one of the louder kids in class, always picking fights and always being a handful to deal with. She wasn't a bad kid per say, but she was very easily excitable. She'd throw the dice very hard whenever she was playing a board game.

The door to the classroom creaked open, making the teen tense up and cover her mouth. A pair of shoes thumped against the floor as the person entered, humming and hawing quietly to themself. It sounded like they were just stopping by for something and leaving immediately. But that voice was a little familiar to him.

As the girl moved slightly, trying to be careful, she heard the sound of something clacking against the shelf above her before tumbling down onto the floor. A die from a clue game rolled up to her feet, making her swear softly to herself.

"Eh?" A raspy voice muttered as the steps approached the closet and it opened up, revealing the old turtle standing outside. He raised his brows in surprise.

"Undyne? What are you doing in here? Shouldn't you be getting some grub?"

She hissed in annoyance and picked up the stupid die that gave her away. She knew it was probably just her moving that caused it to fall, but she felt like it was all its fault. She reeled back and tossed it towards Gerson, who quickly moved to catch it in his palm.

"Hey now! What did this die ever do to you?"

"IT WAS LOUD!"

"Ey? And since when has that ever been a crime?" 

"Since forever, obviously."

Gerson tilted his head curiously before stepping away from the closet, allowing her access to get out if she wanted it. He then sat down on the teacher's desk and placed the die down on it. "Is that so? Well, care to enlighten me about this age-old law?"

The fish huffed and rushed out of the closet, kicking at a desk on her way. "Well nobody likes someone who's too loud and yelling all the time! So it has to be illegal or something!"

"Hey now, lass. We don't assault school property."

"Bite my ass!"

Gerson started laughing at her insult, making her get even angrier with him. "I would, but I'm afraid I got a seafood allergy!"

"WHAT ARE YOU LAUGHING AT, OLD MAN?!" she barked before running up to him with a punch at the ready. But the old turtle caught her fist and twirled her around, having her in an armlock in less than two seconds.

She squirmed in his grip as she tried to get free, yelling some incoherent swears at him. He just chuckled softly before releasing her, putting his arms up placatingly. "Quick tip: if ya charge someone head on, you're giving them too much opportunity to counter you."

"Shut up, old man!"

"I may be old, but you forgot something."

"... What?"

"I'm still your teacher. Detention. Now park your butt over there, missy."

Undyne looked taken aback by this, as if she hadn't expected her actions to have consequences. She sputtered indignantly before storming over to her desk and sitting down, leaning back into her seat with a grumpy slouch. Gerson hummed thoughtfully and approached her, not seeming angry or disappointed at all.

"Alright. Now, care to tell me why you were hiding in here?"

She just glanced up at him, keeping her mouth firmly shut.

"Hey, I'm not the police. I'm not gonna arrest ya for making sounds. Be as loud as ya want in here!"

That surprised, making her shoot back up straight and stare in silence for a moment. Then she sighed and lowered her head. "It's... Just... Everyone keeps avoiding me for some reason."

"Hm... Is that so?"

"Yeah! I just want to hang out and talk, but everyone covers their ears whenever I open my mouth and then leave!"

"Really? Ya don't think it could have to do with you constantly challenging everyone to a fight every recess?"

She didn't respond, her shoulders dropping sadly as her expression turned gloomy.

"Gyah ha ha ha! I'm just joking! Well, sort of. It's not very often kids wanna just roughhouse at your age. But ain't nothing wrong with a little sparring now and again!"

"... Then why doesn't anyone wanna do it?"

"It's just... Not a common hobby. It's like a teenager being interested in bingo! It's just not very likely. But that doesn't make it wrong!"

It didn't seem to have made her feel any better. She just sat there and stared at her desk, feeling like if she spoke, she'd gain the attention of the entire town. The teacher beside her watched her as he contemplated his next move, stroking his beard idly.

"... Ya know, I admire someone with a strong voice and presence. It shows strength of character! Courage to put yourself out there and be seen! Sometimes... I wish my son had that kind of courage."

Undyne perked up and turned to look at him again. "Your son?"

"Alvin... He's a gentle soul. And ain't nothing wrong with that either! But... He's a bit of a soft-shelled turtle. He's fragile sometimes, afraid of being judged. He doesn't dare to stand out and risk making a bad impression. He doesn't want people to think bad of him. But... It's made it a lot easier for him to get picked on. He doesn't stand up for himself either, hoping that they will stop if he just appeases them."

"WHAT?! Who is picking on him?! I'll kick their asses!"

"Woaw there, killer shark! Where's the sudden chivalry comin' from?"

"Bullies are the WORST! I hate them! They just like picking on people who are small and can't fight back! You should fight someone bigger than you if you really want to prove that you're strong!"

Gerson burst out laughing at that, slapping his knee and almost doubling over. Undyne felt offended by him making fun of her for what she said. It was something she strongly believed in, so him treating it like a joke made her blood boil. But he quickly continued talking. 

"Now THAT'S a warrior's spirit if I ever did see one! It's a sense of honour I wish more people had! Alvin could learn a thing or two from your tenacity!"

She relaxed a little at his comment, watching him as he walked back over to the teacher's desk and picked the die back up. "You'd make a good knight, I'll tell you that."

"... ... ... Is... Alvin in school today?"

"Yes. He's having lunch right now. Why don't you go and say hi to him? I think he needs a little bit of kindness from someone as audacious as you."

"But... I thought I had detention."

"What? You're just gonna let me win? Where'd that fiery spirit go?" He laughed again in amusement, seeing her eyes light up as she got up from the desk. He stepped in front of the door in a weak attempt at blocking her path. She grinned harshly before rushing at him and shoving her way past, running out the door and down the corridor.

The old turtle watched with a proud smile on his face before shifting his gaze down to the cube in his hands. He huffed and placed his other hand on his hip. "Alright, you little tattle-tale. It's back to your game with you."

...

...

...

"Thanks for letting me know about her."

*~*~*

"He really knew how to deal with children, especially troubled ones. He had such an understanding for them and could handle them with the perfect balance of discipline and compassion. He could read the kid and know exactly how to treat them to get his message across. He just… he was a genius."

"Wowza, Batts. He sure sounds like he's was a great person" Jongler said, voice filled with awe after having listened with such rapt attention. Pluey smiled and held both his own cheeks, finding the story so sweet. 

"Yes. He really was… he… he was an inspiration, to be sure. I kinda did admire how he could deal with everything so easily. He was both responsible and laid-back. He took no nonsense, yet could be so kind. How could you not look up to someone like that? Plus, he wrote an amazing book! He really had everything. It would have been weird to not be envious of his character."

Pluey tilted his head and signed, "But nobody is perfect, right? Everyone has flaws."

"Of course. He… was apparently a bit of an absent father when it came to supporting his son's church. He was too busy to attend and I think he wasn't even that religious. So yeah, not perfect."

"But that could never be you. You are the least absent papa anyone could have!"

Battat grew even greener than he was earlier and whipped his head around to glare at the floor. He tried to object to the nickname, but found it impossible to do when he had been using it so liberally lately.

"W-well what about you, huh?! What's your deal then?! Why do you feel so sentimental when it comes to little Tenna? Any backstory there, huh?"

He just made a soft trumpet noise in confusion, tilting his head the opposite direction as before. He got a thoughtful expression on his face as he rubbed his chin, contemplating the question for a while.

Then he shrugged and signed, "He's just too cute!"

"That's it?!?"

Pluey jumped as both of their friends questioned them, the shock in their voices as clear as day.

"I mean, dat's fine, Plue! But… ain't dere any other reason ya feels da need to take care of him?" Jongler asked, seemingly in disbelief at the simple explanation. He just laughed in response and continued, "It's just the right thing to do, isn't it? I couldn't let him suffer like that, it would feel so wrong."

"Guess that's true…" Battat admitted softly, a little disappointed that both him and Jongler had these fond memories to reminisce on while Pluey just… had his regular, simple Pluey reasons for what he did. He had kinda hoped they could all bond over their stories.

That was until the intercom went off, scaring all three of them. They looked at the speaker, wondering who could be calling them. That was, until a fussy voice whined into it, sounding pretty groggy. 

"Mnnnnnng… pappy… pappy, where you go? I wanna cuddle… but only if you're fluffy!"

"Ah. Tenna woke up" the die sighed and put his head back against the wall. "Welp… looks like he's expecting cat Mike."

The Shadowguy shot up to his feet and gave a happy smile, clearly excited at the prospect. He did love cuddling, just like most cats would. He waved his friends goodbye before rushing out the room and towards the closet to get changed.

He pulled out the cat costume and held it up, giving it a once-over to make sure it was clean and presentable. When he was sure, he started pulling up the body portion until it was snuggly hugging his body. Though he didn't put on the head quite yet. Instead, he looked at himself in the mirror. His eyes drifted up towards his hat, staring at it for a long moment.

He found his hand moving up on its own towards the fedora and removing it easily. He saw his ears under it. Those small, cute, triangular yet rounded cat ears that he adored so much. Those ears that suit him so perfectly. Those ears that just matched his personality to a T. 

He couldn't imagine having anything else hiding under his hat. 

A smile formed on his face, thinking about it. He was just so happy. Happy for how fortunate he was to work at TV studio. To work with one of the kindest people he's ever met. To have Tenna as a boss.

Thinking of which, he had to go. He quickly put the mask on and gave himself one last grin before running off, fantasizing about a very fond memory on the way there.

*~*~*

The studio was… barely even a studio yet. They didn't have much, considering they had yet to find a place to settle down. This was just a temporary place, a starting point until someone decided to pick Tenna up and get him a new gig. Until then, it was just Tenna, one measly Zapper and roughly 25 Shadowguys, all working out of what was essentially a cardboard box. Or, in the case of the light world, literally a box.

And, among those 25 Shadowguys was Pluey. Nothing unique about him, nothing you could pick out of a crowd. He, quite literally, blended in with the crowd. Not that he minded just being another face in the masses, not having to be the centre of attention. 

It was the criteria for what that metaphorical face looked like that was the issue.

He hated being seen. He avoided taking on any roles without heavy costuming. He absolutely refused to take off his hat. Because what would pop out was just… disappointment.

He had always hated those stupid looking bunny ears on his head. They were so ugly on him. He didn't like how they looked, he didn't like how they moved, he didn't like how cramped they felt when obscured under his fedora. It just didn't suit him at all! It didn't look like him.

So, after a long while of looking in the mirror and feeling nothing but disgust, he tried to do something about it. He scrounged through some stuff in the props department and eventually stumbled on some rubber bands. Seemed perfect. So he used them to tie his ears down behind his head, hiding them under some locks of hair to conceal it from sight.

The result was that his ears still stuck up slightly at the base, forming a very vague triangular shape that almost resembled cat ears. And, for some reason, that felt right. The sight of them, even if not real, made him feel less ugly and more… Pluey. He actually liked his appearance for the first time in his life. 

But he felt ashamed about showing it off to anyone. After all, no Shadowguys had cat ears, or even anything aside from bunny ears. At least not back then. Pluey had found other cat guys when Tenna got picked up by Toriel and Asgore. But as it was, all Shadowguys had bunny ears, period. 

So he'd continue hiding it under his hat, silently worried about what everyone would think of him if they found out. If they knew he wanted to be a cat instead. Surely they would be disturbed. Why wouldn't they be?

But one day, as Pluey was walking through the halls with a script in his hands, he got lost in his own thoughts. He just couldn't stop stressing himself out about the ear thing. He constantly feared someone seeing his hat fall off his head and immediately scream about his ears being butchered or something. 

But in his distraction, he accidentally walked into a wall that appeared so suddenly in front of him, sending him falling back onto the floor. He made some dizzy sax noises as he attempted to collect his bearings.

"O-OH GOSH! I'm sorry, pal! Didn't see you there! Did you get hurt?"

He shot up straight and stared at the large man standing in front of him. A new, inexperienced, young upstart with that hopefully twinkle on his screen was nervously wringing his hands as he inspected his employee. Pluey felt his blood run cold and a big bead of sweat run down the side of his face. He just walked into his boss. Uh oh.

"Here. Let me help y-" Tenna paused as he went to offer his hand, shock clear on his face as his head shifted ever so slightly upwards. That was enough for the shadow to realize something he hadn't noticed until then.

His head felt cold.

"Oh! Wow! Are those… cat ears???" The TV asked, intrigue very apparent in his tone as he helped his employee up anyway, despite him not making any move to get up himself. He was frozen in terror, wondering if this was somehow going to lead to him getting fired. That would be bad, considering there was nothing outside of the studio.

"Um… hello? Are you there? Can you hear me? You're… you're not hard of hearing, are you?" He waved a hand in front of him, trying to snap him out of his shock. Which it did, making the Shadowguy glance up at Tenna with a forced smile, nodding shakily. 

"... Wait. You are hard of hearing or you can hear me? Hold on, maybe I should just ask one question so I won't continue getting confused. You can hear me?"

He couldn't help but to giggle at the little ramble, finding his silly tangents kind of cute. But he quickly dismissed it and gave a more firm nod.

"Oh! Good. Sorry I shoved you, it's just hard to see everyone when I'm so big, you know?"

He just smiled and gave a thumbs up, showing he understood him and it was fine.

"Phew. What a relief. Anyway, second thing. You actually have cat ears?"

Ah. Right. Forgot about that for a second. He pressed his lips into a thin line and averted his gaze, giving a very hesitant nod. Tenna just stared in silence for the longest time, making Pluey really worry that he'd be thrown out.

"... … … Can… can I… pet them?"

What?

"Oh! Sorry! That was weird! Forget I said anything! Aha ha ha ha! I don't know why I even said that it just sort of slipped out and I didn't actually mean to ask you something so-" 

Tenna started rambling again, this time out of nervousness. He was swinging his head around and emoting with his arms in a way that was clearly not intentional, most likely some sort of nervous tick. He sputtered and laughed, trying to somehow make the situation less awkward and failing.

But… Pluey didn't… mind the question. Actually, it sounded… nice. He had never been pet before. Might feel… pleasant.

As Tenna's hand moved down in it's aimless flailing, Pluey grabbed it and stopped the TV in his tracks, who looked stunned by the confidence to just grab your boss. 

But he quickly moved that hand to the top of his head, letting it settle there before letting him go again. Then he waited, watching his boss expectantly.

Tenna stood frozen for a few moments before slowly moving his hand from side to side, gently rubbing the shadow's head and ears. And holy crap, it did feel nice. The sensation was probably one of the most satisfying things he's ever experienced. The touch was so soft and the friction was nothing short of wonderfully pleasant.

"Wooooow… They're really soft… the other Shadowguys never let me pet them because theirs are too sensitive. Guess it's something that's just different between bunny ears and cat ears. But I didn't know you guys could have any other kind of ears. That's really neat!" 

Pluey ignored his employer's ranting, too swept up with how much he enjoyed it when Tenna moved to scratch him behind the ears. It was really good.

"My! You do like headpats, don't you? Well that's great! I wouldn't mind doing it again if that's something you-" as he was talking, he moved to rub the back of his head, which Pluey couldn't help but indulge in. It was so distracting that he didn't notice either how Tenna abruptly stopped talking or the lack of pressure on the tip of his ears. He only noticed once Tenna pulled back all of a sudden.

"A… hair tie?" He questioned, looking down at the rubber band that he accidentally rubbed loose. The Shadowguy went rigid at the question, frozen in fear at the realization of what that meant.

"Oh! They… weren't really cat ears…"

His long ears flopped down over his head, a devastated look on his face as he stared up at Tenna. He seemed to be… disappointed. It just further cemented Pluey's dismay as he swirled around and bent over to pick his hat back up. He quickly put it on, harshly shoving his ears into it so they were completely hidden from sight. He hated them. He hated them so much.

"H-hey wait! Where are you going? I'm sorry! I didn't mean to offend you!" 

He just lowered his head and shuffled off, unable to look his boss in the face after that mortifying experience. He should have known this plan wouldn't work. He should have known that you can't just make something look like something else with nothing but a rubber band and a dream.

"Wait! Slow down!" He heard Tenna take a few strides and catch up to him fast, stepping in front of him to maybe encourage him to stop. Pluey noticed that his boss had become significantly shorter than before.

"Look, I really am sorry! I didn't mean anything by it! I was just surprised! It's not like I'm angry or sad or anything! You look fine as you are!"

Pluey unleashed a cacophony of jazz instruments, all playing out of tune and out of sync. He yelled at Tenna, the boss of the whole studio, as his eyes got teary. He removed his hat and pointed at the ears, as if trying to make a point about how wrong he was. He pulled them down over his face to try and hide the waterworks, shivering as he squeezed them in his grip. It hurt, but that wasn't anything new for him.

"H-h-hey now! Hey! Please calm down! It's ok! They are ok!" 

He released one last blaring trumpet sound, telling him that NO, THEY WERE NOT OK! He then tugged the ears out to the side, as if he was trying to pull them off. He wished he could. He wished he could just tear them from his skull.

"Oh… I see how it is."

He paused the painful tug-of-war and gazed up at Tenna, seeing his very serious expression. Oh no. He had messed up, hadn't had? He just screamed in the big man's face about his ears. There was no way he was walking away from this with his job.

Tenna raised his hand, poising it in a snapping gesture. Oh! He wasn't just firing Pluey, he was getting rid of Pluey. That made him let go of his ears back away slowly, holding his hands up in a vain attempt at protecting himself. 

The CRT snapped his fingers, and Pluey winced, covering his face as he awaited whatever kind of punishment was in store.

"There! That's better!"

… What?

He dared to look up from his shield of arms, glancing up at Tenna fearfully. But he was just met with a bright, proud grin. That was enough to make him lower his arms and give him a confused doot.

"How do they feel now?"

How… how do they…?

The Shadowguy nervously reached up to his head and tried to feel his ears, but found nothing where he was grasping. Unnerved, he continued downwards towards his hair until he felt something. The fluffy shape twitched as he touched it, sending a slight shiver through his shoulders. His… his ears just felt that.

He put his hands over the two pointy objects on his head, which gave him the sensation of his ears being covered. He inspected the things with his fingers, completely in disbelief at the shape he was tracing.

"Do you like it better like this? I'm not sure exactly how you wanted them to look, so I just made it pretty generic. But I can make them look a little different if you want."

Tenna had changed his ears. He just snapped his fingers and his ugly stupid bunny ears were replaced with… with…

"Oh! You probably can't tell what they look like! Here, let me just…" Tenna got down on his knees in front of Pluey and turned his screen off, allowing him to see himself in the reflection of the glass.

He had cat ears. They were… small and perky and so very fluffy. They moved as he willed them to, tilting to the left, to the right, straight up, flat against his head. They were… his ears.

"Sooooo… do you like them?" The TV asked sheepishly, poking his fingers together as his face lit back up to a nervous smile. 

The response he got was a big hug as Pluey threw his arms around his shoulders and nuzzled his cheek against his face. He was so happy! He couldn't believe this was real! He couldn't believe he was rid of those long and uncomfortable things! He had ears that suited him, that felt like him! 

Tenna froze briefly before letting out a laugh and petting him on the head again. He seemed surprised by the joy that this brought him, probably because it was so easy for him to change. It was just a finger snap for him. But for Pluey, it was everything. It was his biggest insecurity completely squashed.

He was so grateful. He couldn't thank his boss enough for this wonderful gift. So he decided to instead be there for him however he could. He would stick by the host through thick and thin, support him and help him however he could. He'd take care of anything he needed. It's the least he could do.

Chapter Text

The day had been the worst.

Tenna felt like everyone was staring at him. Suppose that wasn't entirely out of the ordinary, but this was different. The looks he saw were the sideways kind, quick glances before diverting your gaze to not get noticed staring. The kind that were followed up with whispering and some sort of facial expression; an amused grin, a concerned sneer or simply cringing. 

He didn't know why they were looking at him like that. What were they talking about? What had he done? Should he… find out what was going on? It might be a good idea if he had done something bad that offended people. But he just didn't know how to broach the topic, who to bring it up to.

But as he was walking with his head down, he faintly heard his name get mumbled from behind him. He turned around and saw a Pippins speaking to a Zapper in hushed tones, face twisted into a somber frown. The Zapper seemed surprised by what they heard, glancing back over at Tenna. But they jumped in surprise as they saw him staring right at them.

"Uh-oh… um… he's lookin'."

The Pippins looked up and saw him as well, expression immediately dropping into… some sort of shame? Or more likely, pity. He didn't like it. It felt so… demeaning.

"Why are you talking about me?" He asked quietly, just standing there and waiting for an answer. The Pippins looked up at their Zapper friend, who gave them a resigned nod. So they sighed and started walking over to Tenna.

"Hi boss. Sorry, didn't mean to… gossip about you. I'm sure you've heard enough of it going on already."

"So everyone has been talking about me behind my back?"

"Yeah… I was just talking with my friend about how people have been treating the situation and how… well… unprofessional it seems."

Ah. So this was one of the rare 'none trouble making' Pippins that actually worked at the studio. Good to know not all of them were so bad. Still…

"And… What exactly is the situation?"

"Oh? Y-you haven't heard yet???"

"No! Of course I haven't! Everyone keeps whispering about it without talking to me!"

They looked uncomfortable, glancing back at the Zapper with worry on their face. Said Zapper looked sad as they nodded again, as if giving their friend encouragement to say it.

"Ok. Well. Apparently, someone… saw Mike yell at you…"

Tenna's heart dropped into the pit of his stomach, immediately recognizing the event they were referring to. When Mike was trying to remove him from the set as he was getting younger without noticing.

"And it wasn't, like, normal yelling, but more like berating. He was basically scolding you or something. And I was saying that he shouldn't be treating his own boss like that, but whoever started that rumor is no better."

His chest tightened, his vision got fuzzy at the edges. Someone saw that happen. He thought no one was around to see that. Did they hear it?

"And… I heard that you ran off crying. I'm… I'm sorry if that's true. And I'm sorry if it isn't and now that's getting spread around."

He gripped his shirt, his breathing picking up in speed as he felt something hot in his core. A sparking sensation like an overburdened fuse, ready to burst. He couldn't believe this. He couldn't believe this was happening. He felt so angry. So unbelievably angry.

"Um… Mr. Tenna? You's ok? If it ain't true, I can try to set things straight for ya. Ain't dat right, little buddy?" The Zapper had moved over to their friend, trying to help console the host.

But he just twitched harshly at that god damned nickname they used for their friend. 

"Yeah! I'm sure most people don't even believe it!" The Pippins added on as they watched their boss grow more tense, hands curling up into fists. He clenched his teeth and inhaled sharply, scaring his two employees.

"Yes… that would be oh so wonderful. Now, if you'll excuse me, I have something I must attend to. Ta-ta!"

The words were hissed out through his fangs, which kept being flashed from behind his shaking lips. The smaller, trembling darkners both gave a stiff salute before running for dear life. Tenna just stared at the spot they stood, feeling a fire raging inside his screen. He was growing warmer and warmer from the building rage inside him. 

*~*~*

*KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK*

The door to Mike's room was banged on brutally, scaring all the people inside to high heavens. They looked at each other in fear, only one of them currently in costume; Pluey. So the other two ran off to hide; Jongler in the monitor room and Battat behind a nearby cat statue so they could offer their voice if needed.

Cat Mike scrambled over to the door and opened it up, ready to greet whoever was outside. But he didn't get the chance, being shoved back by the hulking CRT that had to squeeze his way through the door to fit. The cat stumbled backwards and landed on his rear, looking up at Tenna in stunned shock. He saw his bright red face and sharp fangs, snarling like an animal at him. He gulped and sank down further onto the floor.

Tenna took a moment to speak, looking around the room for a brief moment before kneeling down and getting right up in Mike's face. 

"THIS IS ALL YOUR FAULT!!!"

He whimpered fearfully and inched back away from Tenna, scared that he might actually try to hurt him. Battat watched in horror as this happened, feeling their heart drop at the sight of him, so upset and worked up.

"Wh-what-?! Boss, What's going on?!?" They asked, trying to match Pluey's energy to be a bit more convincing. That wasn't very hard, considering they were as scared as him.

Tenna hissed and dug his claws into the floor, shrinking a tiny bit as Mike spoke. He was silently fuming for a short moment before getting back to his screaming.

"YOU DID THIS TO ME!!! YOU RUINED EVERYTHING! MY REPUTATION, COMPLETELY RUINED!!! ALL BECAUSE YOU HAD TO FEEL ALL HIGH AND MIGHTY AND PARENT ME!!!"

"I-I-I d-don't understand! Wh-what are you t-t-talking about?!"

"YOU EMBARRASSED ME IN FRONT OF MY WORKERS!!! YOU YELLED AT ME LIKE A STUPID KID AND NOW EVERYONE KNOWS!!! EVERYONE THINKS I'M A PATHETIC PUSHOVER BECAUSE OF YOU!!!"

Battat felt time stop, all warmth leave the room and a painful tingle run through their entire body. The day they made Tenna cry. No… they… they forgot about that… They completely blocked out the part of that event where a Pippins had returned with a coffee right as they told Tenna off for being difficult. How could they forget about it?! How could they have made such a huge oversight?!?

"T-t-tenna… I… I… oh god. I d-didn't realize someone was… I… I was so out of it that I-"

"THAT YOU GAVE AWAY THE BIGGEST SECRET I HAVE AND MADE AN IDIOT OUT OF ME IN FRONT OF MY EMPLOYEES!!! YOU JUST OUTED ME AS A FREAK AND A JOKE!!! NOW NO ONE WILL TAKE ME SERIOUSLY EVER AGAIN!!!"

"H-hey! That's not true! Those dumb Pippins spread rumours all the time! This will just be anoth-"

"NO MIKE!!! THIS IS TOO FAR!!! THIS-!!!"

He choked on a sob at the back of his throat, dragging his claws against the floor and scaring Pluey with the grating noise. He just sat and watched as the man yelled at the other Mike that was actually speaking, feeling powerless to have any input.

"Y-you-!!! You embarrassed me!!! You hurt me!!! You took advantage of me when I was too weak and pathetic to do anything!!! I… I… I trusted you. I came crying to you and let you help me when I told you I didn't need it! I took your advice and tried to make you proud! I let you play around with me and cuddle with me like a stupid pet! And… and you just… punch me in the face in front of the people who are supposed to respect me. You humiliate me! I… oh god… oh Christ…"

"Tenna… Please, trust me when I say that I really didn't mean to do that. I hadn't been sleeping properly and I was running on a lot of coffee. I didn't want to yell at you right then, my brain just couldn't come up with anything reasonable. I… I'm so sorry, hun. I-"

"DON'T CALL ME THAT!!!" he screamed and hit the floor, forcing his sadness down and burying it with more anger. "Don't you dare call me that! This whole thing was stupid from the start! I should never have let myself devolve into such… such… such embarrassing and stupid behaviour!"

He got back up from the floor and turned to head for the door, but Pluey scrambled over to grab his arm, terrified of him leaving while so emotional. He couldn't be around people like that! It would make everything so much worse!

… Why did Battat stop talking?

"... Mike… let me go or I'm punching you…"

The way Tenna said that made Pluey feel like he meant it. So he quickly released him and cradled his paws against his chest. He felt a little teary-eyed as he saw the angry, almost hateful face on the other's screen. 

"This is done. Don't talk about it again. Don't try to boss me around anymore. I don't need your help."

And with that,Tenna left the room. He disappeared down the hallway and left the cat on the floor, shivering and crying quietly. Jongler ran out of the monitor room when it was quiet again and closed the door, then checked on Pluey.

"Hey. You's ok?" They asked and rubbed his back. He rubbed his eyes and nodded, even though he very much wasn't. He then pointed over to the cat statue where Battat was hiding. They got up and went to check on them, peeking around the statue hesitantly.

They were biting their lip harshly and staring at the wall, tears rolling down their face. They were shaking and pulling on their poncho, as if the mere cloth touching them was too tight and suffocating.

"Batts…" Jongler mumbled and pulled them in for a hug, running a hand down their back.

"... I-I messed up… I destroyed everything… I broke his t-trust… wh-what have I done…?"

They just sighed deeply and squeezed them a little closer, trying to calm them down as best they could. Pluey also ran over and wrapped his arms around both of them, crying out unstable melodies into the die's back. 

"It's gonna be ok, guys… he's just mad. Gives him time to cool off. He'll… he'll talk to us soon" they tried to reassure their friends, realizing that they had now been given the responsibility of emotional rock. Both of them were devastated, they needed Jongler to be the calm and collected one. 

They heard the loud speaker suddenly turn on, a heavy breath preparing to speak in the background. 

"... Work is cancelled today. Everyone, go do your own thing."

Then it cut off, just like that.

That was Tenna.

Battat finally let out a pained sob and clung to Jongler desperately. They sighed sadly and rubbed their thumb into their back as Pluey nuzzled into the Pippins, wanting to help comfort them too.

*~*~*

The green room was mostly empty, since everyone had been so eager to get out of the studio to have fun or whatever. But he didn't care. He was just happy to have the place to himself… mostly. 

Tenna had seen the odd Zapper and Shadowguy on his way there, but they seemed almost afraid of gaining his attention. They avoided eye contact and quickened their pace. Everyone knew to avoid Mr. Tenna when he was having an episode. Or… a temper tantrum.

He just sat at the empty bar, tapping his finger against the counter and thinking. He… had calmed down a bit since his outburst. He was still unbelievably angry with Mike, but he wasn't as fired up about it. He was just seething to himself while pondering.

Stupid, stupid Mike! He managed to trick me into this weak position where he could get power over me! Of course he just did it so I would need him, not just work-wise, but emotionally too! He's just another user! Just like that butthole, Spamton! He was probably just waiting to persuade me into raising his pay or giving him more time off or more stake in the show! God! He sucks!

"Ey, luv. Why the 'glooby' face?"

He jumped to high heavens as a voice suddenly cut into his heated internal monologue. He looked up and saw Ramb behind the counter, just exiting from the backroom area. 

"R-ramb! Wh-what are you still doing here?!"

"I could ask you the same thing, boss."

"I asked you first!"

He quirked one eyebrow at the TV's outburst, a little surprised by it. Tenna got a slight blush and tried to keep himself composed, not wanting to slip into more… childish mannerisms.

"Well I was just comin' to finish up the dishes. Didn't get to do that before some rubbish needed a little dealing with."

He huffed at the plugboy and turned his head away, wanting to avoid any further conversation. "Whatever. Get me a margarita or something."

"No can do, luv."

"Huh?"

"Well since ya shut the place down for the day, I decided to put away the alcohol before clocking out."

"Well that's stupid!" Tenna growled and dug his nails into the counter.

"Hey, it's standard protocol, innit?"

The TV grumbled to himself and plopped his chin into his hands with a sour pout. Ugh! Stupid protocols! Why couldn't he do what he wanted?! It's his studio, isn't it?!

He hadn't noticed Ramb walking off until he returned again, putting a can down in front of him suddenly. Tenna recoiled slightly in surprise before glancing between the can and the bartender. 

"Found this in the fridge. On the house."

He picked it up and looked at the colourful, cutesy cover art reading, 'Spirkle Peachy-Panic'.

"Seriously? What do I look like, a 10 year old?"

Ramb's brows raised curiously at the question, finding it pretty weird. "Sorry. Didn't know there was an age limit on soda."

Tenna just huffed as he opened the can, deciding that he was too thirsty to care about the childish appearance of it. So he took a quick sip and found himself pausing in surprise, his antennae quirking up at the taste of the drink. It was actually pretty good.

He then glanced over to Ramb, who had a self-satisfied smirk playing on his lips as he noticed Tenna's reaction. He lowered his head in embarrassment and continued drinking, not saying anything.

"So. Wanna tell me about your mood then? Why the long face?"

"You wouldn't get it."

"'Course. That's why I'm askin' you about it."

Smart ass, Tenna thought as he pouted to himself.

"... Everyone is talking about me. Talking about something really embarrassing."

"Ah. Figured it would 'ave been that."

If he already knew, then why even ask?

"So, Mike gettin' a bit too loud?"

"It's… n-no, it's… Mike… Mike… " just saying his name again made his anger bubble back up to the surface. "He's such a jerk! He's so pushy and always thinks he knows best! Always trying to butt in to my business and try to take control!"

Ramb made a curious expression, finding his choice of words rather odd. He'd usually have way worse things to say about someone who pisses him off. This was… tame, to be honest.

"I mean, ain't he your main bloke, luv? Didn't you make him your assistant so he could take charge?"

"I told you that you wouldn't get it!" Tenna shouted before crossing his arms and turning towards the wall, slouching in his seat as he sulked. Ramb just sighed softly, taking in the TV host's strange new attitude. 

"Hmm… luv. Ya wanna know what I think?"

"No."

"Well that's a shame, because I think Mike might just be worried 'bout you."

Tenna turned his screen slightly to glance at Ramb over his shoulder.

"Ya know he always focuses on you. He probably thinks 'bout you lots more than ya believe. An' I don't think Mike's the sorta bloke to blow up at his own boss for no reason."

"... Do you know Mike or something?"

"More or less. Get t'know all sorta people in my line o' work. Even Mike. Why, he came up to me recently an' told me I couldn't serve ya alcohol anymore if you're actin' funny. Said I should give him a ring instead."

Tenna could only huff more and further tuck himself into a grumpy ball. Of course he'd do that! Just another way he was trying to control him! 

"... Sounded like he was real worried. Stressed even. He was goin' over a list an' muttering 'bout you stayin' safe or something."

"... … … Really?"

Ramb just nodded, giving a half smile and leaning over against the counter. "I'd wager that he-"

Before he could finish that thought, the doors at the other end of the room slammed open and a pair of harsh footsteps started rapidly approaching. Tenna spun around and looked, horrified, in said direction. He was shocked to see that it was Elnina rushing into the room, her face twisted into an angry scowl as she stomped up to the bar and sat herself down on one of the stools. She plonked her chin into her hands and gave a frustrated huff.

"Ramb. Give me a Hawaiian blue."

"Sorry, but if I'm not getting a drink, there's no chance you will either" Tenna chimed in, muttering under his breath as he prepared to take a sip of his soda.

"Huh?! Why?!"

"Business closed, luv. Already put all'at away."

Elnina stared at Ramb with an almost unreadable expression, a hint of irritation seeping through in the form of an eye twitch. Then she sighed and faceplanted into the counter top.

"Looks like it's a gloopy kinda day for everyone, innit?" The Plugboy then commented and turned to take care of the dishes again.

"You don't even know…" she grumbled into the surface her face was pressed against. Tenna sat and drummed his fingers on the counter, thinking about what he wanted to do. Did he want to get involved in whatever she had going on by asking, or did he prefer to stay out of it and deal with his own issues?

Reluctantly, he decided to open his mouth. "What… happened?"

"You wouldn't understand…" she muttered and put her arms on the counter to use as a cushion for her head.  

He felt himself grow a bit more sympathetic towards her mood, since he had used that exact line earlier.

"... Someone being a big jerk and ruining everything?"

"... … … Kinda" she relented and finally looked up at him, only then realizing he was also in a bad mood. "... Same for you?"

"Yep."

There was a bit of silence between them, awkwardly sitting there and thinking up what to say next.

"... Just… ugh! I'm tired of it!"

He looked down at the cloud with a curious head tilt, asking her, "Tired of what?"

"Of… of the couple thing! N-not, like, me and Lanino being together! Just… just the whole weather duo schtick! I don't want that to be all I am! I don't want that to be what people know me for!"

"Really? I thought you and Lanino enjoyed being the lovey-dovey couple!"

"Well-! I… I don't! It's always us! It's never me! We are always assigned to everything as a couple and talked about like a package deal! And Lanino doesn't even seem to care! He just tells me, 'Don't mind them! They all just see us as such a perfect couple that they couldn't imagine the two of us being apart'! Like, doesn't that bother you too?! Don't you want to be seen as Lanino, the fashionista instead of half of the weather duo?!"

Tenna was leaning back away from her as she went on this tirade about her problem, zero pauses and zero restraints. Seemed like she just really needed to vent.

"I know I do! I wanna be known as Elnina, makeup artist extraordinaire! Or Elnina, queen of party games! I'm sick of it! But not him! He just wants me to calm down, says I'm getting worked up over nothing! Is my individuality nothing to him?!"

"... Yeah. Sounds like he doesn't respect you."

She quickly shut up at the TV's comment and looked back up at him, seeing his sour, yet empathetic face staring into his half-drunk soda can.

"... Exactly. That's what it feels like. Um… what… What about you?"

"Mike… he's trying to control me and push me around like he's the boss here. Thinks I'm not able to handle myself."

"Oh… what an ass! You shouldn't let him do that! You're his boss! If anything, he should listen to you!" 

Elnina had gotten up from her seat, as if she was about to give a serious pep talk. Tenna watched her in shock for a moment before the words sank in, making him feel so vindicated in his emotions. "Yeah! You're right! Who does he think he is?! He even embarrassed me in front of my employees by yelling at me! And now everyone is gossiping about it!"

"Now, you two. Think ya may 'ave lost the plot a bit. Let's not-" but Ramb was very quickly cut off, just as fast as he tried to join in the conversation.

"WHAT?! What an absolute ass! He must think he's so high and mighty to do something like that! You're Mr. Ant Tenna! You're the star of the show!"

"THANK YOU! Holy crap, I thought I was the one with a big head for feeling that!"

"No! He's lucky to even have his job!"

"And hey! You deserve some more credit too! After all, weather girls are the WAVE! You make even the rainiest days exciting! And your makeup is always on point!"

"OH MY GOD! Finally someone gets it!"

"Um… ya know, I'm sure the fellas weren't trying to be gits. Maybe cut them a little slack, yeah?"

They both turned to glare at the plug, telling him to stay out of it. He just sighed in defeat and raised his hands placatingly.

"You know… I think what you need is a little break from it all. Like, all this studio stuff. Why don't we take a walk through the purple cliffs for a bit of fresh air and a change of scenery?"

Tenna gasped as she suggested that, looking completely flabbergasted at her. He couldn't believe she was even thinking about doing something like that! Doesn't she know how dangerous that place can be?

"B-b-but that place is off limits! No one's allowed to go there!"

"Yeah, but… who made that rule?"

He sat quietly for a moment, processing her question and what it was implying. "Um… m-me?"

"Exactly. Who's going to get on your case for breaking your own rules? You're the boss, aren't you? You can go where you please!"

… … …

"Yeah… yeah! You're right! Screw some dumb rules! I'm Ant freaking Tenna! No one can tell me what to do!"

"H-hey, luv. Not to be a gobby, but that doesn't sound very safe to me. It's a ryte steep place, yeah?"

"Stay out of it, Ramb!" The TV yelled at him and pushed his chair back, giving him an angry growl with his demand. Ramb just stared for a moment, considering Tenna and how unreasonable he's been so far. He almost managed to reason with him before Elnina showed up and fired him up again. 

"... Fine." He left it at that, continuing to clean one of the dirty glasses. 

"Alright! Let's go!" Elnina grabbed Tenna by the arm and dragged him along giddily, running out of the green room while he laughed along with her hype.

… … …

"... … … This ain't good."

*~*~*

"Hey… hey… it's alright. It's gonna be alrights."

But Jongler got no response from Battat, who was lying on the floor in the changing room and crying miserably. They hadn't stopped crying ever since Tenna yelled at them earlier that day. They were just so devastated. 

Jongler hadn't seen them cry like that before, as they tended to push down their emotions and hide it from everyone. But they did no such thing this time, instead letting the tears flow and their sobs tear through them unabetted.

"I'm s-such a moron. I'm a-a-ah- an idiot! I hu-hurt him s-s-so bad! I made him hate us! I'm sorry! I-I'm sorry!"

"He's ain't hate us. He'll calm down soon. Just gives him time."

But they were once again ignored as the die curled up into the fetal position and whimpered to themself. Jongler sighed deeply and decided to give them some space. They hopped out and looked over at the couch where Pluey was, also curled up. He was still in his Mike costume, finding it somewhat soothing as he tried his best to stay calm. Though he was still shaking, the Zapper noted as they sat down beside him and rubbed his back.

"Hey, Plue. You's holdin' up ok?"

He nodded weakly and buried his face in his arms.

"Plue… please be honest."

He stayed silent for a short second before nodding again and looking up at them. He pointed at his chest where his heart is and mimicked himself tearing it in two. Then he stared at the floor for a moment and pointed towards the dressing room.

"You's heartbroken and worried 'bout Battat?"

The cat nodded sadly and put his chin into Jongler's lap, giving them a pleading look. They understood and started petting his head softly, making him relax slightly.

"Yeah. Me too. But ya knows he's ain't mean what he said. Tenna's just mad. People say stuffs dey don't mean when dey feel hurt. Just let him cool off firsts."

Pluey dooted sullenly, not having much else to add to their statement. Jongler sighed again and continued the head pats, not sure what else they could say to reassure their crestfallen friends. Battat was inconsolable and Pluey couldn't stop worrying about both them and Tenna. They themself seemed to be the only one who was handling the situation well. It's just easy for them to see how Tenna was acting out of anger rather than actually meaning everything he said. He was just acting out because something bad happened and he needs someone to take the blame for it.

As they sat quietly in the Mike room, they suddenly heard someone knocking at the door. Pluey tensed up and stared towards the entrance in a panic.

"Guhhhhh… J-just a second! Mike ain't dressed!" Jongler quickly made up an excuse before pointing Pluey towards the changing room. He quickly obliged and ran to hide in there with Battat, but not before handing Jongler their costume. They started clumsily pulling it on as they jumped over towards the door, hoping that whoever knocked didn't hear them scrambling.

Once they were fully costumed-up, they opened the door to see Ramb standing outside.

"Ah. Hello. It's um… motorcycle Mike."

"Motormouth Mike, luv."

"Oh yeahs. Right."

"Listen, I came here to tell ya about Tenna."

Jongler straightened up real quick hearing that. They didn't expect to suddenly have someone show up to give them Tenna info.

"Oh! Uh… alright?" They tried sounding as casual as they could.

"He went to the purple cliffs with Elnina."

"HE WHAT?!?" They couldn't help the outburst. Just hearing that Tenna had gone somewhere so mysterious and risky immediately set off their protective instincts.

"Well the two of them were complaining about you and Lanino and working each other up. Then they wanted to get out of the studio and decided to mosey on up to the cliffs."

Jongler started pacing back and forth, gripping their head as their nerves kept rising higher and higher. Why would Tenna do that?! He was the one who said that place was dangerous and off limits! Why would he do something so reckless-

They paused, getting hit with the most obvious answer to that question. Unfortunately, it was also the one they prayed wasn't true. He had gotten younger.

"Oh no oh no oh no. Dis ain't good. Dis is really really bad! H-he's could get hurt! O-or lost! He's could get scared and have a breakdown and- OH MY GOD!"

"Mate. Mate! Calm down. They just left. You can probably catch-up if you-"

"FINALLY!!! SOMEONE!!!"

They were both startled by the sudden scream echoing down the corridor to Mike's room. Jongler leaned out to see who it was and was stunned to see Lanino booking it towards the two. Before they could react, he grabbed the Plugboy by his collar and swept him into the air, as if he was about to beat him up.

"ALRIGHT, YOU ELONGATED WALL SOCKET! YOU ALWAYS SEEM TO KNOW WHAT'S GOING ON, SO TELL ME WHERE MY SWEET CLOUD WENT!"

"Wh-whoa there, chum! No need to get threatenin'!"

"JUST SPILL IT!!! YOU HAVE TO KNOW WHERE SHE WENT! YOU HAVE TO!!!"

"Um… L-lanino…" Jongler spoke up, gaining the moon's attention and making him drop Ramb. He instead turned to them, looking equally frantic. 

"YOU!!! YOU'RE THE GUY WITH CAMERAS EVERYWHERE, RIGHT?!? YOU HAVE TO KNOW WHERE SHE WENT!"

"I-I's do, but only 'cause Ramb tolds me. Elnina wents with Tenna to da purple cliffs."

"SHE WHAT?!?"

"Dat's what I said!"

Now it was Lanino's turn to start pacing, biting on his glove as his face fell into terror. "No no no no no! I knew I should have gone after her! My little raindrop, in a dangerous place like that?! What might happen to her?!"

Jongler watched him start to panic, feeling like they had been doing a lot of emotional support the past few hours. What's a couple more?

They placed a hand on his shoulder, regaining his focus. "Lanino. We can't be standin' 'round. We's gots to find them."

He stared for a tense second before huffing determinedly, giving a decisive nod. "You're right! We have to go!"

*~*~*

"W-wow… this place s-sure is… rickety…" Tenna mumbled with restrained nerves, feeling the walkway shake with every step he took. Even getting up to where they were was an experience. They had to climb up a slippery hillside with what looked like some sort of wooden slope that became an unintentional slide with its worn down surface.

Elnina seemed to keep it cool, though he sometimes thought he saw her expression shift to uncertainty before she turned away. But he decided he probably just misread it.

"It's pretty old, so I don't doubt it. But… who cares! It's not that old and fragile! It's not gonna… mh… break."

Was that a gulp he heard?

"Ok…"

"H-h-hey! Let's not think about that! Let's instead… um…" She started looking around for something to help her change the topic. She glanced over the edge of the platform and spotted something weird; these elongated wobbly things, like an untied balloon animal.

"Ah! There! Look at that thing!"

Tenna looked over at it as well, confused about what he was seeing. "Um… a… weird rock or something?"

"No! There's no way that's a rock! It's moving slightly! Come on. Get a little creative with it. This might be something we've never seen before. What do you think it might be?"

He was surprised by her insistence, but elected to humor her and considered the object below them. "Hmm… maybe it's a strange looking plant that only grows here."

"Laaaaame! I know you're more creative than that!" Elnina teased him light-heartedly as she gave his side a little bump with her elbow.

"I think… that's actually just one strand of hair and that we are standing on the back of a big hairy creature that all of TV world is built on!"

Tenna raised his antennae from the intrigue of such an idea. It sounded like something right out of a movie; a world that existed on the back of a larger than life creature. It fascinated him.

"So… what are you thinking?" The cloud then asked with a smirk, giving him an encouraging side glance.

"I think… that's actually the tail of another kind of darkner that lives in the abyss! Like… like… OH! What if it's Mike's long lost sibling, Amp?"

"Mike has a sibling?"

"He might!"

They both started laughing, thinking about what Amp might look like. They shared a few ideas back and forth, each one more silly than the last. It was fun. Tenna was having a lot of fun. It helped him forget about the horrible rumour going around and tainting his name.

"Think they're as short as Mike? Or maybe they're taller than you!" Elnina suggested and held her chin methodically. Tenna laughed again at the notion of someone being bigger than him when he could literally grow and shrink-

Something just occurred to the CRT right then. Something he hadn't even thought about being a possibility until that moment. He turned to his current partner in crime and gulped nervously. "Hey… Elnina? How… how tall do I look right now?"

"Huh? Oh don't worry! I wasn't being serious! I don't think anyone can reach your height!"

"N-no. I'm serious. How tall am I? You know, compared to normal."

She stared at him with a puzzled expression, scanning him for some sort of explanation to his line of questioning. "Ummm… you're… shorter than normal? Maybe like… vending machine height?"

Oh no.

That's not good. He had gotten shorter without noticing it. That usually doesn't happen, his shrinking is most often fast and noticeable. If it happened so gradually that no one paid attention to it…

It meant he was getting small.

No no NO! Not here! Not now! He was out in a place that was not only treacherous, but could also have unknown creatures lurking around! And he was with one of his friends that had no idea about his secret! What was he supposed to do?! How could he hide his embarrassing behaviour from her?! How could he convince her to go back?!

"Tenna? What's up? Y-you don't look too good" Elnina asked worriedly as she saw him gripping his head and shiver slightly. 

"I… I… I d-don't wanna be here anymore! L-let's head back!"

"What?! But we just got here! We've barely even looked around!"

"This was stupid! We shouldn't have left! C-can we just hang out i-in my room instead?"

Elnina crossed her arms and pouted softly, a little sad that their exploration had to end so soon. But… Tenna was clearly stressed out. She didn't want to make him feel worse after how bad his day had already been.

"Hm… ok. Fine. Guess I can hide from Lanino there for a while."

She walked over to Tenna and pet him on the back, trying to reassure him in some way. He appreciated it, giving her a wobbly smile before turning to head back. But as they did, they looked over at the splitting paths and hills they had traversed, noting how far away they actually got.

"... Do you remember which way we came from?" He asked, voice risen into a tense, frightened pitch.

"Umm… I think… uhhhhh…"

Yep. Ok. Tenna was panicking.

*~*~*

"ELNINA!!!"

"TENNA!!!"

"SWEET CLOUD, WHERE ARE YOU!?!"

"TENNA, CAN YOU'S HEAR ME?!?"

The two darkners wandered through the purple cliffs and took turns shouting for their respective person. But it didn't seem like they were nearby. Jongler was growing more and more concerned as time went on. But not just that, they were growing upset too. Why would Tenna do this?! Why would he go here of all places?! Couldn't he just lock himself in his room like a normal brooding teenager?!

"Hey! Mike!"

They turned towards Lanino, seeing him standing a bit ahead and looking at the ground quietly.

"Uh… yes?"

"I… I was just wondering… why are you out here looking for Tenna? I mean, I know you're his personal assistant and practically do everything for him, but isn't this a step too far?"

They went rigid from the question, feeling the stress of the situation finally starting to weigh down on them. They had kept it together so well, but this was all getting too much.

"Wh-what's do you mean too far?"

"Just like, you're so worried about him when he's just your boss. Sure, you may be friends too, but this is a little… much?"

"Much? A little… much?" The mic repeated softly, pulling on their suit jacket in an attempt to make it feel less restrictive. "A little much???"

"Um… well I mean…"

"You's wanna know what's a little much?! Havin' everyone ask for da moon from ya! Feelin' like you's are responsible for someone because dey can't take care of demself! Not knowin' how to handle somethin' but bein' forced to 'cause you's da only one available!"

"M-m-mike! H-hey! I didn't mean to-"

"What's a little much is workin' yourself to da bone an' still feelin' likes you must help your friend, even though you's brain is scrambled to hell! What's a little much is gettin' in da middle of somethin' dat ain't your fault an' gettin' yelled at withouts any way to defend yourself! What's a little MUCH is losin' control of yourself without no idea hows and feelin' scared for your life! THAT'S a little much!"

…

…

…

Lanino was leaning back away from the disguised Zapper as they loomed over him with a very threatening aura, leaving him stunned and at a loss for words. Jongler just stood there, trying to recollect themself after that sudden outburst. It was very unlike them. They never get out right angry with anyone. But this was different. This was… a lot.

"... I'm sorry, Mike. I… I was being nosey. It just confused me how… you can care so much about him. Tenna is mine and Elnina's friend too and even we don't go this far for him. I… I just…"

They listened to his apology and explanation, taking that time to calm back down and really understand what he meant. Suppose being this protective of someone is a bit overkill for a normal adult friendship. 

"I's care 'bout Tenna just as much as you's cares 'bout Elnina. Alright?"

"Of course. I'm Sorry."

"Accepted. Now let's gets movin'."

They straightened their cowboy hat and continued on ahead, ignoring the sun as he idled in place for a moment. He rubbed his head and glanced around, getting a sneaking suspicion that something more was going on than he realized. But as he glanced up towards a higher part of the path, he noticed something bright red against the sea of purple. 

"Mike! Mike, over there!"

Jongler immediately skidded to a halt and twisted around towards Lanino, following his finger to the red dot. They jumped over to join his side, straining their sights to make the shape out.

"Dat's… Dat's Tenna!!!"

They jumped up to the edge of the wooden platform and started waving their arms wildly, trying to gain the hosts attention. "TENNA!!! SWEETHEART!!! CAN YOU'S HEAR ME?!?"

"Watch out!!!" Lanino shouted and quickly grabbed the Zapper by their costume collar, pulling them back from the drop they were leaning too far over for his comfort. They gasped and twisted around towards him, giving him a grateful and apologetic nod.

"Let's find a way over there now! I think we should get there if we follow this path around the side. We can probably save some time by climbing the rest of the way from there to them" Lanino explained as he pointed out his planned path. Jongler could only nod again in confirmation as they immediately set off to reach their friends.

Meanwhile, Tenna was sitting on the ground, curled up and whimpering after trying yet another path that didn't lead them anywhere recognizable. Elnina was sitting beside him, petting his back and trying her best to calm him. But he could tell she was equally as scared about the whole situation, most likely due to his own panicking. That only made him more upset, that he was forcing people to comfort him when they shouldn't have to. 

He felt so stupid! Why couldn't he control himself and stop this stupid child thing from happening?! Why couldn't he just pull himself together and act like a freaking adult?! He knew for a fact that he could act like a reasonable grown-up, so why was it suddenly getting so hard to do that?! He told Mike that this was over, yet he continued doing it! Was this something that he couldn't just will away?! Was he stuck doing this forever and having to be a burden to everyone around him?!

"H-he-hey Tenna. I-it's ok. We'll be ok! Let's j-just… go back and try the other way… maybe we climbed up a different part of the cliff."

Elnina was being so nice to him. He didn't deserve it. He was so high maintenance! He was so needy! He was clingy and incompetent and desperate for anyone's love! It's why people always left in the end. Because he never had anything to offer them. It's why Spamton left, because Tenna was nothing but an emotional leech, always guilting him into paying attention to him and giving him his undivided attention without giving anything of value back. He knew he did it! He did it on purpose because it was the only way for anyone to wanna stay with him. It was all pity. Pity for this pathetic man with no spine and no emotional maturity. Or any maturity at all! He was acting like a toddler all the time and he couldn't even stop doing it when he wanted to!

"TENNA!!!"

The two darkners jumped in surprise at the shout, looking over towards the source of the noise. They saw a familiar figure getting pushed up onto the same walkway as them before scrambling to its feet and rushing towards them.

He knew that voice.

"MIKE?!?"

"TENNA!!! OH THANKS GOD YOU'S ALRIGHT!!!"

Mike was bouncing over towards them both as Lanino was hoisting himself up as well after having helped Mike out. Elnina saw him and gasped sharply, running over to him so she could help him up. Tenna just stood frozen in place, watching his assistant jump right up to him and crush him in a huge hug. 

"Tenna! Sweetheart! Oh, you's ok! Thank heavens! I was so worried!"

"... D… d-dad… I…"

"How dare you do somethings so reckless?! Do you realize what coulds have happened to you?! Do you understand how scared I was?!"

He shrunk a little more as he was quietly scolded, still holding onto Mike even as it happened. He didn't want to let them go. He couldn't let them go even if he wanted to. His arms refused to loosen up their grip. "I… I'm… I'm sorry, dad."

Jongler took a deep breath, feeling how badly Tenna was trembling against them. They need to stay composed.

"We'll's talk 'bout dis later. Let's head back."

He nodded against them. They tried to pull away, but felt Tenna tighten his grip on them. 

"Sweetheart. Not here."

But he still didn't let go. They sighed deeply and glanced back at the weather couple, currently in a sort of similar position as them.

"Don't ever do that to me again! You scared the ever living daylight out of me!"

"I'm sorry, Nino…"

"I- It's- sigh… I'm sorry too. I shouldn't have brushed you off like I did. But we're having a serious talk about this when we get back!"

"Yes, Nino…"

"Ohhhhh. Don't make that face at me. It burns my soul."

They watched Lanino pull his partner in close and kiss her on the forehead, while Elnina just stared at the ground shamefully. 

"Hey. Uhh… you's two go on ahead. Tenna needs a minute" Mike told the couple as they pulled Tenna a little closer, petting him on the back to soothe him. They looked at each other briefly before giving them a nod and heading back down the path towards the studio.

Jongler stood there with Tenna in their arms, waiting for the other darkners to disappear from view before turning back to the child they were holding. He had shrunk so quickly. He was barely shorter than them now. 

"You really hads me worried, ya know."

"... Why…?"

"Why what?"

"Why did you… come looking for me?"

They took a deep breath to steady themself, feeling like they needed to stay really focused in order to not say the completely wrong thing. That inhale seemed to scare the TV, who jolted and gripped them tighter.

"Because I care 'bout you. Because you's need someone to help ya when you's ain't feelin' well. Because you matter to so many people at da studio. Because… I loves you."

Tenna cried as he heard that. It hit him right in the heart. 

"I-I-I love you too, d-dad."

Chapter Text

The room was very quiet as the two darkners sat across from each other, Tenna on the couch and Jongler in the armchair. They had just gotten back from the purple cliffs and settled down to have a serious chat about what just happened. Tenna was still the same height as he was when they carried him back; just shorter than themself. So he was still somewhat younger. If Jongler were to guess, they'd say about early teens based on his behaviour.

"... Tenna."

The TV jolted at his name getting called.

"I's don't much appreciate how you's were speakin' earlier today. You were bein' very cruel, ya know?"

He lowered his head further, screen dimming as he refused to look Mike in the face.

"It does no one no good to start yellin' when we's upset. I knows you know dis. An' you's know how much it hurts when's you do dat."

He shivered a little and wrapped his arms around himself, not sure how to respond to that.

"So why? Why are you bein' cruel to da people tryin's to help ya? Try'na make dem prove dey care? Scared of bein' open or hurt? Attention? Please, just gives me somethin' to work with."

… … …

They stared at him for a long while, waiting for him to answer. But the kid just huffed and turned his head away, feeling so… something. It was almost like Mike thought they knew him on a deep, psychological level and was just trying to dissect him in order to pick him apart. They wanted to expose his insides and uncover every last inch of him so they would know exactly what made him tick. 

He felt like a captured animal being studied. Or like… like he was being interrogated and forced to spill all his darkest secrets, only for them to be used against him. 

Suddenly and without warning, Mike stood up from their seat and jumped off towards another corner of the room. Tenna watched them, bewildered by the action. He watched them look through Tenna's bookshelf and pick up some random book from it before returning to their seat. They plopped themself down and opened the book, starting to read it. 

There was a brief stint of silence before Tenna's confusion got the better of him and he asked, "um… wh-what are you…?"

"We's ain't doin' dis. You's ain't gonna make me do all da talkin' here. So either we's make dis a chat or we'll sit here in a stalemate. It's up to you's."

He was stunned. How was he supposed to react to something like that? He could barely process it. And, in response, Mike went right back to the book without hesitation.

They were just… going to ignore him? While in the exact same room?

He was just going to sit there and say nothing to Tenna after everything that happened that day? After that huge argument. After he already apologized to him, he wasn't going to say anything back? Just leave his own partner to sit in silence.

"I-I-I… M-m-mike… I…"

They looked up from the book at him, quickly giving him their full attention.

"I… I… don't know what to say. I'm sorry. I… I don't know why I did it."

Jongler sighed deeply and put the book down, leaning against their knees tiredly. "Was it to vent? Because you's know we wou- um! Because… we… have a close bond and… I wouldn't leave you. Because I's feel safer 'cause I know 'bout your issues."

"It's… I honestly don't know, Mike! I'm… I'm…"

"... Why… did you's go to da cliffs."

"Mike, I-! I wish I could-!"

"No no. I mean what was you feelin' when you's left?"

He paused, taking in the question and thinking it over for a moment. He tried to remember exactly what he was thinking when he did that, when he let himself get convinced to leave.

"Um… I just… I think I just felt mad. Mad that… I was being disrespected. I wanted to get away from everyone. I wanted to prove that… … … that I… still had control."

Jongler sighed and shook their head, getting up to move over to the couch, sitting down beside him.

"Sweetheart. I understand dat dis must be scary and you's worried 'bout losing things. Losin'... People an' power. But you's need to trust me and talk to me, not scream."

Tenna huffed sadly and lowered his head again, giving a dejected nod at their lecture. They gave him a light hug, petting him on the shoulder. "It's fine to not be in control. I'll be dere for you. But… after what you's did todays, I'm not very happy. We can't let dis slide. So you's stayin' in here for da rest of da day."

Tenna was surprised. He was… being punished? He didn't realize that was something Mike was even allowed to do! Was that something he should be ok with?! After all, he's… he was a… fully… grown…

…

… He couldn't even bring himself to think it. He couldn't call himself an adult if he tried. The thought, frankly, hurt him. For some reason, being grown-up right then was even more painful to consider than actually being lectured like a misbehaving child. It was easier to just take the punishment and try to be on his best behaviour. Arguing was so difficult.

"... Yes, Mike."

"Good. Glad we's in agreement. Now, I gots ta go. See ya in da mornin'."

And with that, Mike hopped over to the door and headed outside. But before they could close it, Tenna ran over and grabbed it weakly. They paused and looked at him curiously. 

"... … … I… I didn't mean what I said… about… it being over and-"

"Not now. Tells me 'bout it later, ok?"

"... Ok."

They put a hand on his head and rubbed it quickly. "Love ya, Tenna."

"I love you too."

And then the door closed. And Tenna was left all alone in his room.

He sighed and sat himself down on his couch again, pulling his legs up to his chest and hugging them close. It felt… strange. Why wasn't he angrier about being punished like this? Why did it almost feel… relieving? He was still upset, of course. But… it wasn't as intense as before. It was more… melancholic.

Maybe he felt like he deserved this. That it was fair for him to suffer through being alone in his room for a while if it meant Mike would be happy again. Maybe if he just did as told and let Mike take charge for a bit, things would get better.

Yeah. As long as it would make him happy, Tenna would endure it.

*~*~*

When Jongler returned to the Mike room, they slammed the door shut, too tired to close it any softer. It was empty. Most likely because Pluey was still with Battat in the changing room. They went over to check and, yeah, there they were.

The die was still lying on the floor, but had seemingly stopped crying. They just laid against the cat, who was curled around them and purring softly as he was pet by them. 

But as soon as the Zapper entered, they both looked over to them. Pluey shot up and ran over to check on them, signing his concerns to them after removing the mic gloves.

"Is alright, plue. 'm fines. Tenna's in his room now. We's had a talk an'... Mng…" they trailed off and rubbed their face, clearly losing their train of thought. 

"... … … Jongler?" Battat asked in a soft murmur, finally getting up from the floor and approaching them. 

"Hm? Oh. Yeahs. We's had a talk 'bout his behaviour an' discussed why he's did all'at an' den we… I mean I asked why he did… um…"

"Are… you ok? You look tired."

Pluey nodded and started helping them remove their suit jacket, tooting in a doting manner.

"Yeah. Jus' fine. Pro'ly jus' need sum shuteye."

Pluey gave a very understanding smile and assisted them with getting the whole costume off, meanwhile Battat left the room as he did so. Once they were out of the uncomfortable costume they sighed heavily and almost slumped over right there and then. But their co-Mike quickly caught them and assisted them out towards the couch in the common area. 

They were both surprised to see Battat standing beside it, puffing up a pillow and holding a blanket over their shoulder. They glanced back when they heard the two exit the changing room and pouted lightly, a slight green blush tinting their cheeks.

"... You've done a lot today. Get some rest."

"Awe. Batty. Ya shouldn't have."

They blushed more and stomped their foot grumpily. "Maybe you're right, if you're gonna give me dumb nicknames! Just get onto the couch before I take it back!"

The Zapper laughed tiredly as they were assisted over to their sleeping spot and made comfortable by their friends. Pluey nuzzled their face and purred cutely while Battat pet them on the shoulder.

"Thanks for everything you do."

They sighed happily and cuddled up on the couch before dozing off to sleep. Their friends watched for a brief moment before Battat growled and stomped off towards the monitor room. Pluey was confused, running after to see what was going on with them. He wasn't sure why their mood suddenly flipped like that or why they wanted to go to the monitor room.

He peeked inside and saw Battat bring up the feed for Tenna's room, showing him sitting on the couch and kicking one leg while leaning on the other. They gritted their teeth and squeezed their eyes shut, forcing a pair of tears out. Pluey ran over and made a sax noise, tilting his head in concern.

"Why… why did they get the apology?! Why couldn't I have been the one to get it?! It's not fair! It's… ugh!"

He whined sympathetically and gave Battat a hug, trying to make them feel better.

"I know it shouldn't mean anything! I know we are all Mike so it shouldn't matter who gets it! But… but… I just wanna talk to him! I want to have that conversation with him! I want him to understand my side! But Jongler already did that! I lost my chance! I can't bring it up again or it would be suspicious! Or it might even make him feel worse about what he did if we continue hammering the point into him. I… I just…"

Pluey shushed softly and rubbed their head, nodding at them to signal that he fully understood what they were trying to say. It's not fair that they can't get their closure too, like Jongler did. That they can't personally receive the same apology. It sucks. Pluey felt the same way.

"... I wish he knew about us. I wish he knew who was actually taking care of him. Mike doesn't deserve all the love, we do! He left him without a single word! He should hate him for that! I hate him for it! I-"

"M-m-mike…? Are you there?"

They both went rigid as they heard Tenna's tiny voice call out to the aether, hoping Mike was watching him through the monitors right then. And, luckily, they were. 

Battat scrambled out of Pluey's arms and tripped over their own feet to get over to the controls, pushing the intercom button and leaning into the mic.

"Tenna! Hey! What… What's up?" They cringed at themself for how eager they sounded. They were way too desperate to talk with him. They needed to take it down a notch.

"... … … I know you said I can't leave the room, but… c-can't you come back? P-p-please?"

Their heart split into a billion pieces at the weak, begging tone in his voice. It made them feel so weak and like they wanted to do whatever they could to make all his pain go away. But… they didn't think they could face him yet. It sounded like Jongler grounded him from what he said, so they couldn't really undermine their punishment like that. It didn't feel right.

"I'm… sorry, hun. But I'm busy right now."

They watched as Tenna's face fell and he tried to hold his tears in, clearly not feeling good about Mike seeing him cry again. It just made Battat wish they could choke themself until they passed out. How dare they make him even more sad?!

"But… I can still talk over the intercom."

His head immediately shot back up and he stared up at the camera in the corner of the room, a small, barely noticeable smile forming on his face.

"Thanks…"

Tenna was so relieved. He had felt so bad about everything he did. After having sat and thought about it more and more, he realised how badly he had hurt the one person who accepted his freaky quirk and cared about him more than anyone else. The only guy who would do anything for him. Who was always there for him, never not there. He had abused him and tried to make him out as the villain.

He wanted to apologize as many times as it would take for him to finally be happy again. He wanted to prove that he was being serious about his regret. This wasn't like last time! He fully understood what he did wrong and would never reject him ever again! He'd be good! He'd never act out again!

So when Mike agreed to talk with him, he was overjoyed. But he tried to not show it. He wanted to be taken seriously. He couldn't get emotional again or Mike might tell him again that they will 'talk about this later', probably after he calms down. He needed to talk now.

"I… um… I know you said we would talk about it later… but I want you to know that I didn't mean it, ok? I… I was angry… I'm sorry."

It was quiet for a moment before the intercom crackled back to life. "Tenna… I'm… happy to hear that. What you said earlier really hurt me. A lot. I know you were hurting too and it was partly my fault, but still. I was devastated when you told me I couldn't help you anymore."

"But… why? Why do you care so much? I was so horrible to you, so why do you still want to babysit me?"

It became quiet again, making Tenna's poker face start to crack. He hated being alone with his thoughts. His brain was so mean and awful to him. It kept yelling at him and reminding him of stuff he wished he could forget. It made it so hard to accept things and made him doubt everything anyone said. He wanted to just be happy so that he'd stop hurting everyone.

"Well… don't take this the wrong way, but I… quite like you when you're smaller."

"Huh?" What?

"I mean, you're still my friend when you're grown-up Tenna too. But… taking care of you and playing with you and all that is… fun. You're actually a nice kid and, though you have a temper and I hate seeing you cry, it's all worth it when I can make you smile at me again."

The TV sat frozen on the spot, feeling so… mixed. He liked Tenna as a petulant, whiny, needy brat? Did he prefer little Tenna over big Tenna? Was it because he was easier to deal with when he was small and weak? Was it-

"I… I don't… I don't want to lose you, ok? It might sound selfish, but looking after you has been my job for years now and, honestly, it feels like I wouldn't be much without this job. As in, there would be nothing for me to strive towards, nothing to give myself meaning. I was… quite lonely before. But with this gig, I've actually made friends! You included. I don't think I could leave this job even if something better showed up, because I don't want to. I wanna organise your nose drawer. I wanna man the show behind the scenes. I wanna tuck you in at night. And… yes, I wanna take care of my little buddy."

He was stunned, staring up at the camera with his jaw dropped and unnoticed tears rolling down his screen. He… really did like his job? Could that be true? Could he really let himself believe in that? Could he really allow himself to hope?

"I… y-y-you… you mean that? Really, really?"

"Heh! Of course I do! What kinda papa would I be otherwise? A lousy one, that's for sure!"

A flower bloomed from his nose as Mike said that, so proudly and unashamedly calling himself papa. It made his heart hurt in such a way that he wished would never stop. It was so warm and big and filled with so much gratitude that it was ready to burst at any moment.

"Papa…!"

"I accept your apology, hun. And… I'm sorry for what I caused. I was being so careless and let myself be around you when I was in no condition to handle you. I should have been taking care of myself better so I wouldn't have made such a big mistake."

Saying that made the flower on his nose wilt away. He remembered why he had been so angry in the first place. Everyone knew about his embarrassing secret. It was all over. No one would want him as the star anymore.

"Hey! Hey, buddy! It's ok! I'll sort this out, ok? You don't have to worry about anything! This is my mess, I'll clean it up!"

"B-but… how will you-?"

"I'm Motormouth freaking Mike, aren't I? You know that I'll always get it done for you! Always there, never not, right?"

"... Yeah. Ok. I… I-I trust y-you."

"Me-yike! That's right!"

Tenna giggled at his silly little catchphrase before he groaned loudly and rubbed his screen where his eyes would be. It stung a little bit from all the crying he'd done throughout the day.

"Hey. You've had a long day, buddy. Why don't you take a nap and we can talk whenever you wake up?"

That was probably a good idea. He was already grounded so it wasn't like he had much to do anyway. But could he even sleep like this? He still felt shaken up from everything that happened.

"I… I don't know if I can…"

"Hm… I've got an idea. Remember that lamp that Pl- that I got you a few years ago? The cat one that changes colors. Could you bring that one out?"

Tenna was confused, but did as asked and walked over to his dresser. He opened the cupboard and saw the oval shape with two pointed ears on top of it. He grabbed it, feeling the soft silicone as he brought it out. He briefly admired the cute little cat face on the front of it before walking over to his bed with it.

"Good. Are there batteries in it?"

Tenna checked quickly. "Yeah."

"Alright. Turn it on so I can shut off the overhead lights. That way you don't have to lie in complete darkness or be assaulted by lights. Then, make yourself comfortable and I'll sing something for you."

He paused at the last part. Mike was gonna… sing for him? He hadn't done that in a long time! Usually he'd only sing when Tenna had really bad nightmares, he thought no one was around to hear or when they were out drinking and doing karaoke. But he was offering to sing himself, without any begging from Tenna? That made him feel a bit more reassured.

He flicked the switch on and watched the cat light up red, only to then shift into pink and then purple. He put it down on his nightstand and watched as the overhead lights turned off. Then he got into bed and tucked himself in as well as he could.

"Great job. Now, just try to calm down. And remember, always here-"

"-Never not."

"That's my boy! But now it's time to sit back, relax and enjoy a smooth solo sung by yours truly, Motormouth Mike."

Tenna snickered at his antics and shifted his attention to the light. It was a nice distraction and felt much safer than sleeping in complete darkness would have been right then. It just helped soothe him.

As did the gentle voice that flowed from the speakers.

"Take a moment to think of just

Flexibility, love, and trust~

Take a moment to think of just

Flexibility, love, and trust~"

He recognised those lyrics. It was from a cartoon. He didn't know Mike paid attention to the cartoons he aired.

"Here comes a thought that might alarm you~

What someone said and how it harmed you~

Something you did, that failed to be charming~

Things that you said are suddenly swarming~"

The small TV sighed gently as he watched the lamp shift between all the colours of the rainbow, and then some. It was pretty. It was distracting.

"And, oh, you're losing sight, you're losing touch~

All these little things seem to matter so much~

That they confuse you~

That I might lose you~"

Mike's singing voice was nice. It always was. It was low and gravely, a little breathy sometimes but it just added character to it. Made it so uniquely 'Mike'. The coarse texture of the sound with that warm undertone to it, hinting at how much he enjoyed every second he sang. It felt so… homely. So strong and protective in the most gentle of ways. Almost… fatherly. Had it always sounded like that to him?

"Take a moment, remind yourself~

To take a moment and find yourself~

Take a moment to ask yourself~

If this is how we fall apart~"

He let out a big yawn, stretching his arms a bit before making himself more comfortable, curling up and cradling his hands to his chest. But it didn't feel quite right. Something was missing. He absentmindedly reached out behind him and pulled a cute dog plushie into his arms, squishing it against his face as his screen started to dim.

"But it's not, but it's not, but it's not, but it's not, but it's not~

It's okay, it's okay, it's okay, it's okay, it's okay~

You've got nothing, got nothing, got nothing, got nothing to fear~"

Everything felt so peaceful. He felt safe and cared for, even though Mike wasn't exactly in the room with him. Hearing his voice over the speaker was enough to assure him that he was always watching over him. He was always ready to help. 

"I'm here, I'm here, I'm here~"

Always there.

Battat watched as Tenna's screen turned off and he fell asleep, so calm and content. He was still, quiet, unbothered. Finally.

"Ahhhh…" they sighed and finally turned off the mic, watching to make sure the sound of it cutting off didn't disrupt the child's sleep. Fortunately, it didn't. 

Pluey leaned over to the screen and made a soft trumpet noise, cooing at the visual of little Tenna napping so adorably. Battat groaned and shoved him away, as he had invaded their space to fawn over the screen.

"Yeah yeah yeah. He's a precious little star or whatever. We don't have time. We got much more important stuff to take care of."

He tilted his head in confusion, wondering what exactly they needed to take care of. Battat just sighed and turned back to the screens, switching it over to the general view of all the different camera feeds across the studio.

"I'm gonna need you to cut the power to Tenna's room. Since he's using that battery powered lamp, he shouldn't notice anything changing if he were to wake up."

He honked a surprised trombone sound and looked at them for further elaboration.

"I don't want the speakers in his room to accidentally pick this next part up or risk them making any noise when I activate the universal speaker system across the studio."

He was so lost. What exactly was Battat planning on doing? Though he still did as asked and shut down the power for Tenna's room. There was absolutely no visible change to the feed, which made the die feel a lot of relief. Good thing they remembered that silly lamp Pluey got Tenna once.

But they had something they needed to get done. They had a promise to keep. They had to live up to their title, as Mike and as papa.

They pushed down the broadcast-to-all button.

*KZZZZZT!* "Hello everyone! Special announcement from Tenna's personal assistant, Motormouth Mike! The microphone who croons and groans!"

Pretty much every head turned towards the nearest speaker as they heard Mike's voice booming from it in his typical boisterous tone. Obviously, everyone was curious about this unexpected announcement.

"Well… 'announcement' might be a little misleading. It's more of a… clarification. See, I've been hearing rumours going around about me and Tenna, supposing that I had screamed at him and made him cry."

A lot of the people listening in looked very nervous or uncomfortable, clearly picking up the shift in his tone from the usual to more serious.

"And I'd just like to say… are y'all stupid?! Seriously, I am Tenna's right AND left hand guy, his favourite employee! You think that you get to keep a title like that while yelling in the head honcho's face?! Get real! Whoever made that rumour up was really desperate to cause some drama! Can't believe all of you actually bought something so dumb! Use your brains, folks!"

In one room where a bunch of Pippins had gathered to play poker, one of them stared up at the speakers in disbelief. The others looked gobsmacked too before they all turned to the stunned one, who started sweating and looking around frantically at the annoyed faces surrounding them.

"He-hey! I didn't lie! I really did see it happen!"

"Uh huh? Is that so?" One asked and leaned on the table, their expression sceptical.

"Yes!!! He literally yelled at him right as I came back with the coffee!"

Another one that sat beside them tilted closer to them and gave a doubtful look up and down. 

"Riiiiiight… and I guess it was also true that he cursed him out and threw the coffee cup at him."

"..." They zipped up, eyes darting back and forth before they laughed nervously. 

"Ok, maybe I embellished the story a tiny bit! But the yelling thing did happen!"

They all shared a glance, unanimously agreeing that this guy was spewing bull.

"And continuing on that subject… Y'ALL NEED TO GET YOUR ACT TOGETHER!!!"

There was a painful distortion to the speakers as Mike raised his voice, most likely leaning in close to the microphone as he shouted. It made a lot of the staff cover their ears in pain.

"Seriously! Are you TRYING to get this place shut down for good?! Tenna isn't only the star of the show, but the boss of this entire place! If he breaks down or snaps because his own employees can't be assed to take their jobs seriously, we're all screwed! I'm the only one keeping him sane and happy here! I'm saving YOUR hides by being a kiss-ass, so maybe be a little more accommodating!"

Battat took a deep breath, feeling like they might just go on a rant if they didn't calm down. Pluey was helping with that, nuzzling their side and letting them pet his head. It was super effective.

"You have all been very unprofessional and have affected Tenna mentally with your gossip. Now we need to cancel tomorrow's filming and air a rerun instead! You know how that's gonna affect ratings?! Better start being a little nicer to Tenna or you will answer to not only him, but me too! And like I said, I ain't his favourite for nothing. That's all, folks. This has been Mike, signing off."

*KZZZZZT*

As the sound cut, everyone was looking at each other with varying different emotions. Most were worry, fear or embarrassment. But some were more angry, like the gambling Pippins.

"Who does that guy think he is?! 'Tenna's favourite'?!? How big is his ego anyway?!"

"That dude always pissed me off! He's such a lapdog!"

"Well maybe none of this would be an issue if SOMEONE hadn't made up a stupid story to stir up some drama!"

"I'M TELLING YOU GUYS! IT REALLY HAPPENED! I SAW IT HAPPEN! TENNA WAS SOBBING AND RUNNING AWAY!"

"Didn't you also say he tripped over his own feet and face planted on the floor? Was that part accurate?"

"... … …"

"Yeah, ok! They're full of it! Let's ditch this game!"

Back with Battat and Pluey, they were both taking a moment to unwind from that stressful situation. The Pippins sat on the couch, their legs resting over Jongler's as they stared up at the roof with their head back. The Shadowguy was curled up by Jongler's chest, who had unconsciously wrapped their arms around him in their sleep. He was purring softly into their clothes as he too slept soundly.

Battat glanced over at them with a small smirk, feeling warm inside at the sight of them cuddling. They looked so peaceful. And the knowledge that Tenna was also sleeping peacefully made them even happier. It was such a relief after everything that happened. They weren't sure if their announcement had the intended effect, but they had a feeling that it at least provided a little damage control.

They hummed in surprise as they heard Jongler groan, shifting slightly and turning their face towards Pluey. The die wondered if they were awake or just moved in their sleep.

"... Did I… do good, boss?"

Huh? What are they talking about?

"What do you mean, pal?"

"I… I was… bein' hard on da li'l guy… I's don' know if… I should have…"

Ah. That's what they mean. I'm not sure what exactly they did, but they couldn't have been harder on the guy than I was while totally crashing out. At least they did something to fix the issue instead of crying like a mess on the floor.

"Jongler. You did fine. You can't go soft on kids all the time. Sometimes they need to have firm boundaries in place if they're gonna learn."

"... … … Yeahs. S'pose you's right. Thanks, Batts. I like bein' a parent with you's guys…"

Battat turned bright green at the ditzy, mumbled comment coming from the remote as they put their head back down and pulled Pluey in closer. The die groaned quietly, feeling hot in the face and jitters in their chest. Why were they getting so worked up over one small comment?!

"We're not parents. We're just taking care of-"

"I'm dad, you's papa. Da's my baby 's far as I sees it."

They got even greener as the blush intensified, watching their friend ramble tiredly as they once again began to doze off. The Pippins sighed grumpily and reached over to pet their head. "Shut up and go to sleep. Tenna's already napping too."

"M'kay. Night, Batts."

Then they conked out with a sound snore, making Battat snicker to themself. What goobers they allied themself with. One couldn't help but be a little endeared to them. 

"... You're both doing amazing. I couldn't ask for better people helping me out."

Good thing the other two were asleep. They would be dying of embarrassment if either one heard that.

I'VE RECEIVED SO MUCH AMAZING FANART! THANKS TO ALL OF YOU!

First all these lovely ones from Peepz again. They have given me so many beautiful doodles that I adore!

LOOK AT THEM ALL!!!

Then we have some links to the awesome stuff other people made!

LizardScalesFairyTales Did this cool, heartbreaking one.

And I_disagree_with_your_existence did this collection of beautiful drawings! 

GAZE UPON THEM ALL AND REJOICE!

Chapter Text

Tenna woke up with a start, feeling sweaty and dizzy. He wasn't sure what was going on, but he must have just been a little hot during the night. He uncomfortably shrugged the feeling off and got out of bed, getting ready for a boring day. 

No filming, sadly. It was a paperwork kinda day, where he'd sit in his little office and file away stupid papers about this and that. It was such boring work. He hated doing it. But it had to be done. So he got dressed, not even bothering with his suit and just pulling on a t-shirt and blazer. He stumbled a bit when pulling on his pants, feeling a little faint from the sudden movement. He fell back against the couch and groaned loudly, his head spinning from all the sudden movements it was doing. He felt nauseous. 

"Owwww… it hurts…" he grumbled and stood back up, again attempting to pull his pants up. He finally got them on and sighed, exhaustion weighing down on him. He just woke up! How was he tired already?!

He clumsily fumbled over towards the door, ignoring how his vision was twisting the room out of shape. He was fine. It wasn't a big deal. He was just-

"HRGK-!" He suddenly heaved, feeling his magical digestive system acting up. He felt a burning sensation in his gut, slowly rising up towards his chest. He shook his head frantically as tears began to form on his screen. 

Nononononono! Don't throw up! Don't throw up, don't throw up, don't throw up! Please! Please please please please please!

He started begging, praying that he wasn't about to barf. He hated doing it. It was one of the worst things a lot of mechanical darkners could experience. The pain of ejecting their magic like that was basically torture. Especially for someone as old as him. It was like vomiting a mixture of burning needles and ice shards! It was the most painful thing he'd ever experienced. He'd rather get his face smashed in than-

The thought of his screen cracking made him feel ill. He felt like he just got punched in the stomach, forcing his magic right out of him.

A loud splatter was heard as Tenna vomited, creating a big stain of static on the floor. He stared at it in horror and disgust, the sight of it making him feel even more-

He barfed again, this one strong enough to send him to his knees. His throat was burning in agony, feeling like there were millions of deep gashes running along his insides. He tried to breathe through the remaining static dribbling out of his mouth, shaking violently and sobbing on his hands and knees. It hurt. It hurt so bad. Why did it have to be like this?! Why did he have to suffer?! Why couldn't he ever be normally sick?! Why did it always have to feel like he was dying all of a sudden anytime he was ill?! He hated it! He hated his old, fragile, broken-

Another hurl broke him. He started wailing after the third time, his ailment beating him into submission and reducing him to a blubbering mess on the floor. He couldn't handle it! He couldn't take it! He was scared! He… he…

*~*~*

Battat stretched as he walked into the Mike room, glancing around and noticing that he was the first to arrive, as per usual. He sighed and scratched his head, starting the coffee machine to get a piping hot cup of coffee. 

As he waited, he heard his communicator go off, which laid on the table and bit away. He groaned tiredly and wandered over to it, picking it up and answering. "Who is it?" He asked in a groggy voice, expecting to hear from Pluey or Jongler. They usually checked in on him as soon as they woke-

"I-I-I- hrgh-! BLURRRRRGH!!!"

Battat jumped at the sudden, vile noise playing directly into his ear. It was disgusting! Sounded like someone was barfing right at-

He shivered, realisation hitting him like a cartoon anvil. 

"Wh-who-?!"

"Ughhh… p-papa… I… I don't… grhp!"

Screw the coffee! Hearing that made him even more awake than any caffeine could! He took off towards the changing room while putting the communicator on. "HUNNY! What's wrong?! Are you ok?!"

"I-I-I-I-I d-don't fe-feel good! It hurts! It huuuuuuurts!" 

"Tenna, hunny! Try to stay calm! Papa's coming! Lie down on your side on the couch, not your back! Breathe and focus on something else!"

"I can't! It-it-it h-hurts too much!"

"You can! I know you can! Because you are so strong and brave and smart! You just need to wait until I get there!"

"HURRY! PLEASE! I'M SCARED!" 

"I am! I'm hurrying as fast as I can! Just grab a plushie and squeeze it until I'm there!"

"I'M DYING! I'M GONNA DIE!"

"No! No you won't! Everything will be fine! I'll be there in a minute and you'll be all better! I swear on my heart!"

Tenna just started sobbing on the other end as Battat hastily pulled on the Mike suit, not caring enough to button up the jacket or to tighten his belt. He had no time! He needed to get to that poor little boy.

*~*~*

"Papa's not comin'! Papa's not comin'! Papa's not comin'! Papa's not comin'!"

Tenna was rocking back and forth on the floor, squeezing his blue dog plush tightly in his arms. His throat was still burning. The viscous static was still everywhere on the floor, inviting him to add on to the mass with its awful, eye straining flickering. He didn't have anything more to give, but he felt like it might just be forced out of him anyway. 

"I'm gonna die… I'm gonna die! I don't wanna! PAPA!" He cried out towards the heavens, hoping with all his heart that, this time, it would work. It didn't work before, but maybe he had been good enough for the world to reward him.

*SLAM*

And it did. Mike was standing in the doorway, panting heavily and looking like he had been through a tornado with how messy he was. His clothes were askew and he hadn't properly closed all of his layers, jacket left completely unbuttoned. Even his face looked like it wasn't perfectly centered. But Tenna didn't care, because papa was here!

"Pah-ba…" he tried to speak through all the tears and snot rolling down his screen. Mike looked down at the floor with a start, stepping away from the mess before rushing over to Tenna's side.

"Hunny! Are you ok?! How are you feeling?!" He asked frantically and started looking him over, carefully scanning him for any further problems. 

"I-I-I- WHAAAAAAA!!! I FEE' AWFUH!!!" The TV wailed and crushed the plushie in his arms, not sure what else he could do right then. His head was so spinny and confused and he felt almost detached from his body, aside from the nausea and the pain.

"I understand, buddy. I get it. But it's ok now. I'm here. I'll fix you right up, alright? First, you need to drink something. You-"

"NO!!!" Tenna screeched, the idea of trying to get anything down his torn throat absolutely terrifying him. It would hurt! And then it would come back out and hurt even more!

"But you need to! If you don't drink you'll feel even worse!"

"NO!!!!!"

"Please, Tens? Do it for papa? I got a nice, soothing, sweet cup of milk for you. It'll make your throat feel all cool and smooth."

He kept sniffling and whimpering, looking down at Mike and the mug he was holding. It was in one of his favourite mugs. How did he get that so fast? 

"I-i-i-it- w-will?"

"Of course! I promise it will help you! Just take slow, small sips and it will go down easy."

Well… if Mike promised…

He released the plushie from his grip and reached out with extremely unstable hands towards the cup. He accidentally just smacked his hand into it, almost causing it to spill all over Mike. He squeaked, mortified that he could have made him upset with his clumsiness. He blubbered some incoherent apologies before Mike cut him off.

"Hey! Hey. It's cool. Everything is fine. Here, let me help you instead."

Luckily Tenna had shrunk down enough to be at least close to the microphone's height while sitting, so he had no issues putting his hands around Tenna's and guiding the mug to his mouth. They remained there for two minutes or so, slowly sipping away at the nice, cool milk. He was right, it did make his throat feel better. It was like the milk was washing off the insufferable coat of static inside him and instead coating it in something more numbing. It had a bit of a weird taste to it, but not enough to dissuade him from finishing it.

"There we go. Good job, little guy. You did great. Such a brave boy you are, right?" Mike reached over to pet him on the head, giving him a big, proud smile. Tenna smiled back weakly and nodded in agreement. 

"Good! Then we should get you back to bed. Need help?"

He looked confused, just staring at his caregiver with furrowed brows and a puzzled expression. Mike hummed curiously at his confusion. "What's up?"

"Um… th-the… the…" Tenna turned his head towards the static on the floor, but was stopped by Mike's hand on the side of his head, gently bringing it back to him. The touch felt so nice. It was cold and made him feel so calm.

"Oh! Wow! You're pretty warm! Guess I gotta get you something for that too. But forget about the mess, I'll take care of that. You just take a cozy little nap, ok?"

"Huh?... but… I juss woke up…"

The shorter darkner chuckled warmly, making Tenna relax more into his hand, still cradling his face. "I know. But wouldn't it be nice to get all snuggled up in bed again? You still look tired, so I bet some more sleep would make you feel much better!"

"... but… but…"

"But what, buddy?"

"... … … I… my work… had papers… I think."

"Don't even worry about that! I'll take care of everything, including you. So you just hop right back in bed and I'll get you nicely tucked in! How's that sound?"

He was still confused. He should be feeling bad about causing a mess and having Mike tell him to go to bed again. But he said all of it with such a peppy tone that he couldn't find a reason to be upset. It actually made him… like the idea when he phrased it like that. Maybe… maybe he could…

"Um… if it's ok…"

"Of course it is! Now up up up! Let's go- oh! Can't forget your little friend!" Mike picked up the plushie from the floor and shoved it into Tenna's arms before helping him up off the floor. He allowed himself to be handled and guided to bed, feeling far too dizzy and light-headed to do much of anything except follow. It all became a blur, one second sitting on the floor and the next staring up at the roof as Mike is tucking him back in.

"There we go! Wrapped up tight! Comfy?"

He stayed quiet, just staring past the microphone as his mind wandered off someplace else. That seemed to concern said microphone, as he waved a hand in Tenna's face. "Hello?"

"Huh…?"

"Um… I'm gonna… go get something to clean up with. I'll only be a minute or two. Is that fine?"

He continued just staring blankly as he processed the question, his brain buffering something fierce. But he finally answered after a yawn forced him out of his head. "Mmm… kayyyy…" he mumbled sleepily and nuzzled up into his pillow. 

"... … … gr-great! Be back in a bit!"

Mike rushed over to the door as Tenna started dozing off again, feeling really tired suddenly. So tired that he didn't feel too bothered about his papa leaving. 

"GUYS!!! GET UP!!! I NEED YOUR HELP!!!" Battat yelled into his communicator as he bolted down the hallway towards the nearest janitor's closet.

"Wh-whu-what's wrong?!?" Jongler asked, startled by the clear panic in their friend's voice. He could also hear Pluey in the background, making worried jazz sounds. 

"Tenna is sick! He threw up and called me, crying like mad! Now he's acting very off! He wasn't even bothered by me having to leave!"

"Oh… dat don't sound good."

"No it doesn't! I need you both to get some medicine for fevers and nausea for me! I already got him to drink some milk with painkillers! Also get me something easy to eat, like yogurt or something! He needs to get some food in him!"

"R-right, boss! We's comin' as soon as we can!"

He didn't even say anything in response, just unpressed the earpiece and continued running. He swung the janitor's closet open and grabbed the nearest mop and bucket, filling it with water before bolting back towards the room again. He didn't care that he was spilling about half the contents, just trying to return as soon as possible. 

When he got back to the room, he looked over at Tenna and saw him already asleep again, snoring soundly. He let out a sigh of relief and got to work cleaning up. It was… a lot, for sure. It actually worried him how much static there was on the floor. The sheer volume of it suggested he had been… throwing up quite a bit. He must have been completely drained by it! Poor little guy!

After a long while of mopping and sweating, he heard a very gentle knock on the door. He put the mop away and walked over to it, opening it to both Jongler and Pluey in their Mike outfits. Battat jumped in shock and grabbed both of them by their collars and dragged them inside. 

"WHAT DO YOU IDIOTS THINK YOU'RE DOING?!?" he whisper-yelled at his friends, giving them the hardest glare he could muster. 

"Helpin', boss. Like you's asked" Jongler said as they held up the requested medicine, while Pluey held up a big, cute lunch box with the TV time logo and a cartoony Tenna head on it.

"OK?! So WHY are you both in your Mike outfits?! We're not supposed to be in costume at the same time!"

"Well… Tenna might want pappy or dad…"

Pluey agreed with a vigorous nod. The disguised die groaned loudly and put his face in his hands. "Oh my freaking God…"

He then snatched the stuff out of their hands and walked back over towards Tenna. "I got this! I'll call one of you if I need to switch out!"

But the cat suddenly interrupted him with a microphone paw in his path, pointing towards Tenna and himself as he expressed his own desire to help out.

"Don't be dumb! He's sick right now! He needs someone responsible to watch over him!"

He honked out an offended gasp, putting a hand to his chest and glaring at Battat. He then leaned in and told him off briefly for insinuating he wasn't. 

"Um…" Jongler spoke up, gaining both of their attention. "I mean… not to be dat Zapper, but I's think I'm mighty responsible. An'... You are better at managin' da Mike stuffs so… maybe you's should do dat while I watch Tenna…"

They both stared at them in shock, stunned for a moment before both shooting the idea down.

"Whu-?! Why not?!" They asked, also getting offended. 

"Because you can barely remember our name, so I dread to think how you might mess up something more complicated!" Battat turned away and continued towards the bed with the stuff, but Pluey huffed and snatched it away from him. He sputtered indignantly before going to take it back, but being stopped by the other's hand in his face. 

Jongler took the stuff that the cat was balancing in one hand, worried that it might fall to the floor. "A'right a'right! Let's not get rude here, boys!"

Pluey spun around and complained at the Zapper, not bothering to actually make himself understood. Battat also joined in the argument, trying to tell them both to just get out. Meanwhile, Jongler tried their best to calm both of them down.

Tenna felt his eyes groggily flutter open at the noise going on around him. He felt so… foggy. He wasn't sure what was going on or what was making that noise. All he knew was that he was hot and his tummy hurt. He groaned softly and reached up to rub at his screen, trying to see what was happening. 

He looked over at the vague moving shapes that slowly came into focus, revealing a short microphone, a tall microphone with a cowboy hat and a cat with microphone paws. He stared for a moment, taking the sight in as his mind struggled to process what he was seeing. Papa? Dad? Pappy?

"Look! Alls I'm sayin' is dat we's want to take care of him too!"

"Why are you so adamant about taking over?! I got this, alright?!"

Some annoyed dooting sounded from cat Mike as he glared at short Mike. 

"What?! You've got something to say?! Let me guess, 'I'm being selfish for hogging all the Tenna time', right?"

Cat Mike immediately nodded.

"Well maybe if you guys got up earlier, you'd be notified when he needs help and be there!"

"Now that ain't very mature! Dis ain't a competition!"

"Damn right! It's a responsibility! And it's one I take very seriously!"

"We's do too! You're just bein' a bad co-parent!"

"WANNA SAY THAT AGAIN?!"

Mike was angry. Mike was fighting. They were getting upset and arguing about him. They were fighting because of him. It's his fault. Tenna had caused his parent… parents? To hate each other by being so small and weak. It's his fault. It's all his fault!

Pluey stopped fuming as he heard something from behind him. He turned around and spotted Tenna staring at them. At first, he froze in fear, realizing that Tenna saw them in the same room. But then he noticed the TV was shaking and crying, clutching the sheets in his hands. It broke the Shadowguy's heart and he couldn't stop himself from running over and hugging him tightly. 

"P-p-pappy… 'm sorry… I di'n't mean to… sniff to be… small… 'm so sorry!"

Jongler and Battat both shut up as they heard Tenna's tiny voice whimpering. They turned towards him and saw Pluey cradling the CRT in his arms, who was now about the size of a regular child. He was trying to reach for his antennae, but couldn't do so while Pluey squeezed him against his fluffy chest. 

"Sweetheart…"

"Hunny…"

They both couldn't help themselves either and ran over to his side as well. They sat to either side of him and both rubbed his back soothingly. 

"P'ease! P'ease stop! Don' hate each otha! 'M sowwy! I be big again! I pwomise!" His words had started slurring and getting more and more childish as he cried, sounding younger by the second. It made all of them sad, and angry at themselves for arguing around Tenna, who notoriously had a trigger for loud angry arguments.

"Sweetheart! We're so sorry! We's didn't mean to get angry! It ain't your fault, li'l guy!" Jongler tried their best to comfort him, joining in the hug and petting the kid on his square head.

"Yeah! We're sorry, buddy! Don't cry! We promise to not fight anymore! It was a stupid argument anyway!" Battat added on while frantically trying to figure out a believable excuse for there being three Mikes in one room. He was sure that once Tenna calmed down, he'd be so confused about it.

"I can be big! I can! J-juss- sniff. Juss lemme grow back! I neva be small again! I be big an' good!"

"Tenna, sweetie pie! We ain't mad at you. Or about you. We's just… gots da mornin' grumpies! Ya know hows you's wanna stay in bed but can't? Like dat!"

"Uh… y-yeah! Exactly! We just got a little mad for no reason! But it's good! We're all ok now, I-"

Pluey gently nudged Battat's shoulder, gaining his attention. He gave him a confused look before the shadow grabbed him and pulled him into the hug, nuzzling him lightly on the head. The die huffed and looked away bashfully. 

"Yeah yeah… I'm sorry too. Shouldn't have… been so controlling."

"Awe, fellas… I'm sorry for callin' you a bad parent! An' sorry for suggestin' you's wasn't responsible" Jongler looked between the two of them as they addressed them, wrapping their arms around the entire group in a big bear hug. Battat huffed amusedly and gave them some friendly pats on the back. 

"You weren't wrong… I was being pretty selfish…" he grumbled and felt a little guilty about how he was acting. 

"No! Don't say dat! You's just care 'bout Tenna so much!"

"Yeah… I guess I really wanted to take care of him."

"You… you not… angy?" Tenna mumbled and sniffled as he looked up at the three of them, still having that sad puppy face after you yell at them for chewing on the furniture. Pluey smiled and shook his head, then pointed at his face as he grinned brightly. Tenna looked at the other two, who also gave their best showcase of a happy expression. The TV sobbed still and nuzzled up into Pluey more. 

"... ok. I… I sca'ed. Thought… thought I need to be big… but big's too much! Big scawy! If 'm big I can't get hug or hold! Ev'yone see me an' laugh! I gotta do stuffs! Big suck! Hate big! Don' wanna be big!!! NO!!!" He had started to work himself up into a temper tantrum with all the thoughts of what being big meant. 

It meant he'd have to deal with so many things, so many complicated things, important things that needed him to do it right or everything would be bad! It meant people would look at him weird if he acted even the slightest bit off and treat him like a freak. It meant he was too big to be loved and protected and comforted by his Mike! He wouldn't get any love! He couldn't be big!

"Hey! Hey! Tenna! Tenna, please listen to me, baby! Calm down, please! No one is making you be big right now! No one expects you to be, either. We want to help you and care for you! I promise! So don't cry please, little guy!" 

Battat reached over to wipe Tenna's tears with a napkin he pulled from his pocket. Pluey leaned down and started snuggling into the little boy, desperate to comfort him and hug all his tears away. He didn't have any words to offer, so actions would have to do.

"R- *sniff* R-really? I can be small? Is ok?" He asked through the tsunami running down his screen, making all three of them coo in pity. They all hugged him even tighter, Jongler whispering softly, "yeah. 'Course, sweetie. It's always ok if you're small. We's always be deres for ya."

He hiccuped and leaned over into Pluey again, finding his fur so soothing and cozy. The other two let him go and watched him sink further into the fluff, seemingly getting more lethargic. 

"Awe snap! The meds! I forgot!" Battat mumbled as he ran over to the table, where one of them had set down the medication. He picked up the medicine for his nausea first, which was a dissolvent power to put in a drink. He opened up the lunchbox and found some yogurt cups in it that he grabbed and removed the seal of. He poured the powder in and started mixing it around with a spoon, then walked over to the bed again. 

"Hey. Look what I got, bud. Some yogurt! Don't you want some?"

Tenna pouted and shook his head, digging his weak fingers into Pluey. The cat frowned and rubbed his back, hoping he'd eat something at least. The poor guy must be starving. 

"Come on. You have to eat. You haven't had breakfast yet and you just threw up! You'll feel awful if you-" Battat stopped talking as he heard the CRT whimper miserably, seeing him shake his head even harder with a terrified look on his face. 

"Why not? Aren't you hungry?"

He stayed quiet for a bit too long before giving his answer, making them all believe his head shake was a lie. He was just so scared of vomiting again that he didn't dare do anything that might fuel his illness. He just hid his face in cat Mike's chest to protect himself. 

"C'mon, sweetie. It'll be ok. Promise." Jongler leaned over and tried to look him in the face, to which he just shifted away from them. They sighed and rubbed their chin, thinking of some way to convince him to eat.

Pluey suddenly had a lightbulb moment, stretching his arm out to Battat and motioning for the food. He hesitantly handed it over, watching him look down at Tenna and gently shake his shoulders. He peered up at him with a nervous frown.

He picked up the spoon and sniffed at it, then perked his ears up, as if surprised by the smell. He looked at it with exaggerated curiosity and intrigue. Then he glanced down to Tenna, politely offering the spoon.

But he refused again, making the cat shrug and turn his head to the side, opening his mouth and pretending to eat it. He opened his eyes wide and put his hands to his cheeks, really playing up all the gushing of how much he enjoyed the yogurt. Tenna stared at him, wondering if it really was that good. 

He took another (the same) spoonful of yogurt and 'ate' it ravenously, shifting around on the spot and purring joyously. The other two just watched his performance, trying not to laugh at how silly he looked. 

But Tenna started getting REALLY curious about the yogurt now. Was it really that tasty? How come he hadn't tried it before then? Was there more? If not, it looked like pappy was about to eat all of it before he'd get to taste!

"Wait! Pappy! I wan'!" He exclaimed as he reached his hands out and made a grabby motion. Jongler and Battat both sighed in relief, seeing him agree to eat. But, to both their shock, Pluey pouted and held the yogurt cup away from him. The little TV whined angrily and bounced in frustration, his gesturing getting more insistent. But he didn't give in, shaking his head profusely and holding it close to his face. 

"EEEEEEEEHHHH!!! I WAN' TOOOOOO!!!" Tenna started crying again, completely forgetting that he had been refusing it just a few moments ago. Battat decided that was enough and snatched it away from Pluey, who acted hurt in the most overdramatic fashion he could. The die just groaned and moved the crying kid over to his own lap.

"It's alright, little buddy. Don't cry. I got it for you. I won't let pappy hoard all the yogurt like a greedy dragon." 

He sniffled and rubbed his screen, looking up at his papa pleadingly. "You won't?"

"Of course not. Now open up, here's your delicious spoonful."

He tried to pull himself together enough to actually eat the food he was offered. He opened his mouth wide and waited for it. The small Mike chuckled softly and fed him a big glob of yogurt, watching him as he tasted it. 

"... … … tha's it?" He asked in disappointment. He thought it would be tastier.

"Maybe you gots a bad bite. Try another" Jongler suggested helpfully, to which Battat nodded in agreement. The TV was a little sad, but figured dad must be right, since pappy seemed to love it so much. He ate more, getting a few more scoops in him until the whole cup was empty. It wasn't as good as he expected, but it made him feel better after eating it. He was still very foggy, but the pain and nausea had lessened significantly. 

"There we go! See? You ate the whole thing! I'm so proud of you!" Papa said happily and gave him a big hug, making Tenna feel a lot better. He did something good! He made papa proud! It made him so happy that he practically melted into the embrace and mumbled some soft, cutesy gibberish. 

"Wanna lie down, sweetheart?" Dad asked and pulled the blanket back for him. But he huffed softly and pressed further into papa, not wanting to leave his lap. 

"Seems that's a no, chief" papa joked, making all of them laugh together. The sound was like music to the toddler's ears; his parents together in the same room, happy, getting along, liking each other. He could feel his heart soar at the thought of it all. His family. They were happy together. A tight knit, loving, complete family. He felt so fulfilled, like a missing part of him just returned and slotted right back into place.

"Mmmmm… my… my fam'ly. Ev'yone… love each otha. Papa… dad… pappy… they love…"

Battat suddenly froze as he squished Tenna to his chest, immediately feeling his face heat up like a firework. Jongler was also surprised, holding their jacket and staring, utterly dumbfounded. Pluey jolted to attention as all his fur raised up straight. His tail shot out into a rigid pole and he made a squeaky clown horn sound. They all stared at Tenna for a couple of seconds, seeing his screen turn dark as he fell asleep again. 

"... … …"

Their eyes shifted up towards each other for an awkward glance, then they all quickly turned away to avoid any tense eye contact. 

The silence was thick as Battat tucked Tenna back into bed, trying not to die right there on the spot. 

What was that?!? Why did he say that?!? Was he hallucinating from his fever and thought we were the dreemurrs?!? But he said our nicknames!!! WAIT!!! HE SAID ALL THREE OF OUR NICKNAMES!!! DOES HE KNOW?!? HAS HE KNOWN THIS WHOLE TIME?!?

AND WHY AM I SO WORKED UP ABOUT THAT INOCCUOUS FAMILY STATEMENT?!?!?

*~*~*

Tenna groaned as his screen turned on slowly, seeing some blurry shapes in front of him. He didn't want to move. He was so cozy. Being held by papa made him feel safe and secure. Papa always took such good care of him. Papa was always there for him. Papa…

… was gone.

Tenna noticed the absence of arms around him and struggled to focus his gaze and sit up. His arms felt so weak and his head was swimming, feeling like it was filled with thick, colorful, jiggly jello. He couldn't think straight, his brain melting from how soft and warm it was. Words tried to exit his mouth, but were also melting on the way out into a string of unintelligible babbles. They fell lazily from his tongue and left him feeling even more dizzy, his head wobbling from side to side. 

"Tens!" He heard dad's voice before some footsteps approached the bed. The TV groaned and looked up at the two Mikes beside him- wait. Two?

"Mnnnnnnng… paa… pah…" he barely managed to get out, looking between the cat and cowboy with a fuzzy screen. 

"Ah. Papa just wents to do some work stuffs! But we're here to- h-hey! Sweetheart! What's wrong?" 

As soon as Tenna heard papa had left, his heart broke. Papa left him. Papa was gone. Was he ever coming back? What if it was the last time he'd ever walk through those doors? And he didn't even get to say goodbye, again. This couldn't be happening to him again! He can't lose another family!

The kid sat up in bed and wailed, scaring the two caregivers stiff. He just cried loudly and kicked his feet, yelling about wanting papa and begging for him to come back. 

"H-h-hey! Hey, baby! No! Shhhhhhh! No, it's okay! Papa's comin' back soon! Promise! Don't cry! Please don't cry, sweetie!" They tried to calm him back down, watching Pluey pull him into a tight hug and rub his back soothingly. But he just sobbed into his chest and hit him on the back, causing no pain or even mild discomfort; he was too weak to do anything to him.

Jongler looked around, trying to find something that might help cheer him up again. They spotted his plushies at the foot of the bed and grabbed one quickly, holding it up for him to see. "L-look! It's your friend, Boshi! Don't ya wanna hold li'l Bo-"

Before they could finish, Tenna had pushed away from Pluey and smacked the plushie out of Jongler's hands. It fell to the floor and the TV continued crying loudly. Pluey was desperate to make him stop. It hurt so much to hear him cry. He just couldn't bear it! So he used his secret weapon, the cinna-mels! Pulling out a candy from his pocket, he offered it to the angry kid with a gentle note.

That, too, failed as he slapped his hand away and fell back onto the bed, flailing his arms and legs in his fit. The Shadowguy nervously wrung his hands, scanning the room for anything else that could help. Jongler was paralysed as they seemingly weren't sure what to do anymore. 

Looking over at Tenna's dresser, he jumped up and ran over to it, going through every drawer. He had to have something, ANYTHING, that could help him calm down and stop crying. Maybe a cool toy or a pretty trinket or-

…

That could work.

Jongler finally managed to move as they leaned over Tenna, hovering their hands around him in uncertainty. They weren't sure if touching him would make it worse. But as they began to panic, their friend came flying back to their side, picking the CRT up and shoving something into his face.

Both the Zapper and the TV were stunned by the sudden action, freezing on the spot to process what just happened. Jongler didn't even realise what Pluey had done for a few seconds until they registered what they were seeing. 

Tenna had a pacifier in his mouth; pink and white with a red heart on the shield. And Tenna was equally as shocked about it that he had stopped crying. He looked down at it, shifting it around with his lips in confusion. What just happened? What is this? Why was this thing in his mouth? It felt weird and-

Suck

…

Suck-suck

That… that was… nice. He couldn't begin to understand why or how this rubber thing in his mouth was making him feel better, but boy did it ever do just that. It satisfied that fuzzy part of his head in such a way that he couldn't help but to continue sucking on it.

Tenna's shoulders dropped and his face relaxed, all his limbs that had previously been thrashing about now limp at his sides. He laid his head against pappy's chest with a soft moan, feeling tuckered out after such an outburst. Pluey smiled in relief and started rocking him from side to side, making him relax even more.

"Alright. I'm back, guys. Is he still-" Battat came back into the room, speaking before he even entered. He stopped when he saw Tenna awake, sucking on a pacifier and leaning into Pluey's chest. 

Just what he needed, more questions. He had left specifically to get some alone time to think about everything that just happened, but then he comes back to something even more strange going on. Great. Fantastic. 

The kid suddenly raised his arms towards him and made some desperate noises that were muffled by the pacifier. He waved his arms up and down, as if trying to reach out and grab him. The Pippins couldn't help but to coo as he walked over and received the small toddler from his co-Mike, holding him to his chest and petting him.

"Hey there, buddy. It's ok. Papa's back."

Tenna hugged him tightly and made a grumpy sound, making him laugh. He hugged him back with a few happy hums.

"Welp. Guess I's should take over Mike duty den" Jongler announced sheepishly, feeling pretty useless for not doing anything to help while the boy was crying. They moved over towards the door, only to be stopped by a loud whine from said boy. Tenna reached out towards them too, just like he did with Battat. That made them blush slightly, surprised that he wanted them to stay.

"Hey, hey. It's ok, hunny. Maybe pappy should go instead then-"

Tenna cried louder at that, causing him to drop the pacifier. He watched it fall to the floor and began tearing up again, everything just upsetting him right then. Why did they all want to leave him? Why couldn't they all stay together? Did they not love each other anymore?! Would he lose another family?! Where was his rubber thing?!?

His rage was quickly quelled as Pluey picked the pacifier back up and put it in his mouth, right after wiping it off, of course. It only took a second of suckling before he sighed and melted back into papa's arms. He sighed too, looking up at his friends with a nervous expression. Guess he wasn't getting that alone time to think after all. 

"Seems like he needs us all to stay here."

"Seems like it, boss."

Pluey smiled and rubbed Tenna's head, delighted to find his temperature had gone down. He told the other two as much. 

"Well… I guess we can watch him together until we can get him to bed properly. Can't let him see us together if he starts feeling big again."

"Right. It'll be fine! We's got dis, boss!" Jongler wrapped their arms around Battat, who started feeling pretty warm under his mask. It only got worse as Pluey joined in the hug. Damn these idiots! Why did they have to overcomplicate his already confusing emotions?!

Chapter Text

Battat rushed down the hallway towards the onsite living area. They had something very important they needed to discuss with someone. Or someones. They would have done so yesterday while Tenna was sick, but couldn't bring themself to stay away from him for too long whilst in such a rough state. But now that he was feeling better and was back to his big self, they could leave him with Pluey or Jongler as they took care of business. 

I can't believe how lucky we were with Tenna's memory from yesterday being so blurry.

They had been the one to check on him in the morning. When he woke up, he was mostly back to normal. A little groggy, maybe, but coherent and present. He told Mike about this crazy dream he had, how there had been three of him, all wearing his different outfits and bickering over something. Battat was sweating bullets hearing that, trying to act nonchalant about it and making a joke or two before changing the topic. They thanked their lucky stars that he was more than willing to do so. He even seemed a little amused as they did so, probably enjoying their slightly flustered reaction to it.

After getting him to take some medicine, then drink and eat something, they turned on a movie for him to watch and left him to enjoy his lazy morning. Then they immediately headed for their main objective that day. The thing that had been gnawing at them ever since they heard it yesterday. 

"Age regression…" they muttered the word to themself, as if trying to etch it into their brain so they wouldn't forget it. That was, without a question, the word they had heard whispered between those two in hushed tones. As if it was a secret. 

The moment it grazed their ears, they froze in time and continued eavesdropping on the conversation. It wasn't much, it was barely anything useful to further explain what that word meant. But it wasn't necessary, because they knew exactly what it was.

It was what had been happening to Tenna this whole time.

It only made sense, breaking the two words down and coming to the most logical conclusion. Regression, going backwards in the development of something. So going backwards in age… yeah. It didn't take a genius to figure it out. 

But that being said, it made them wonder why on earth someone around the studio would know about it. And if they did, they must have more information about it. The Pippins had to know. They had to understand what Tenna was going through. 

They knew where to find them. The darkners had gone up to Mike and told him that one was sick and the other needed to take care of them. So they were in their room.

Once Battat arrived at their destination, they walked up to the right door and gave it a shaky knock. They were so tense. They had no clue what to say, how to go about it the best way possible or how to not give away Tenna's secret. 

But those concerns disappeared as they heard a yelp from the other side of the door, followed by some whispers before footsteps approached them. What was that about?

The door opened and a fluffy head of white peeked out, looking down at Mike with a surprised gasp.

"Ah! Mike! Hello! Wh-what are you doing here so early?"

"Hi, Elnina. I… I need to talk with you about something. It's very important."

"Um… I ah… now is really not a good time."

"Please! It's urgent!"

The cloud bit her lip and shifted her gaze to the side, as if she was considering taking a glance back into the room before deciding against it. 

"Well… can we make it quick? And can we talk about it outside?"

"Absolutely not. I would rather we have this talk in private. It's… kind of sensitive."

"W-well I'm really busy right now. And Lanino is… sleeping, so I don't want you to bother him."

"Elnina. I'm begging you. It's a pretty big deal and I have been going crazy over this for months! Can you please spare just fifteen minutes for me?"

She seemed to be getting annoyed with them, standing up straight and stomping one foot. "Mike! I told you no! I have my hands full, so you will just have to-"

"Nina…? Are you ok?" Battat suddenly heard Lanino from behind his wife, mumbling softly and worriedly. Elnina yipped in surprise and swung around to face him, causing him to get startled too and drop the furry plushie in his arms. They stared at him in shock, since he looked nothing like how he usually presented himself. 

The fashionable, bombastic, classy moon was messy. His hair was unkempt, he had no makeup on, he was acting very meek and he was wearing a blue onesie with purple hearts on it. It was like looking at a completely different person. Like he was… 

Elnina started stammering and looking between the two of them, scrambling to come up with a good response as her husband fearfully hid behind her and gripped her arm. The die just kept staring, processing the sight and formulating their own plan of actions. 

"M-m-mike! Th-this-! I-it's not what it looks like! I promise! W-we aren't, like, trying to skip out on work or anything! This is just… Lanino is just doing… a uh- a-a new beauty treatment a-a-a-and-!"

But Battat ignored her rushed explanation as they stepped into the doorway, making her back up a bit with a loud gulp. They quietly crouched down and picked up the abandoned toy, then turned to the scared sun peeking out at them.

"... Hey, little guy. Think ya dropped your friend here. Would you like them back?"

He watched silently for a moment before giving a hesitant nod, stretching out his arm toward the plushie. They met him halfway and handed it over to him, giving a gentle smile as he squished it to his chest.

"Do they have a name?"

"... Pinky."

"The orange fur ball is named Pinky?" They asked with a slight chuckle in their voice. Lanino shrank back, clearly still nervous. So they tried to quickly make him feel better. 

"Though I guess my name isn't gray or something. Silly question for me to ask, huh?"

He peeked back out again, seemingly reassured by the lighthearted conversation as he nodded in response. 

"Well it's a nice name for such a cute li'l thing. But I gotta talk with Elnina now, if that's ok."

He smiled at the compliment, nuzzling the toy before giving their question a nod. So they turned back to Elnina, who was staring in disbelief with her jaw on the floor. She was completely stunned.

"You… why…?"

"... can I please come in? It's really important."

*~*~*

Battat was sitting beside Elnina on their couch, watching Lanino silently for a moment, playing with some toy blocks and looking completely unbothered by their presence. It's amazing how comfortable he was with someone other than Elnina around while he's so young. 

"So… I overheard you two speaking before you told me about Lanino being sick yesterday. "

She turned to them with a surprised hum, looking like she was thinking about what an idiot she was. "Oh…"

"I didn't hear everything. Barely caught what you were even talking about. But you… you said one word that caught my attention. Age regression, I'm pretty sure it was."

"Y… yeah. I remember trying to be quiet about it. I didn't want anyone to overhear us. But… heh. Guess that failed spectacularly."

"Could you… tell me about it? What exactly is it? How does it work? Why does it happen?"

"... … … Mike. Are you… also…?"

"N-n-no! Not me! I just- I've just been-! J-j-j-just answer the darn question!"

She giggled at their sudden nerves, but decided to spare them the humiliation. "Alright, alright. Age regression is a coping mechanism. It's where someone starts to mentally feel younger than they actually are in order to, for example, relieve stress or defend themself from traumatic episodes. It can be voluntary or involuntary, like for my little sunbeam, it was involuntary. He had gotten very stressed by the conversation we were having and was starting to slip, so I needed to take care of him."

Battat nodded as they scrambled to grab a random napkin and a pen to note everything down. She raised her eyebrow at that, but didn't comment on it. When they finished writing they looked back up at her. "I see. Is this… common?"

"Not… exactly? It's not weird or bad, but it's not exactly well-known. Me and Lanino only learnt about it during our time in Cyber City. We became friends with some very nice Ambyu-Lances and they were there when I had a meltdown that caused me to regress fairly young once. We weren't entirely sure what we were experiencing until they explained it to us. They also gave us some tips and advice on how to handle it and take care of each other when we're feeling little."

"Wait. You both do it?"

"Yes. It's… actually what brought us closer together."

"Ah… I see…"

"But Mike, tell me, when did you find out that you were also regressing?"

They choked on their own saliva and started coughing harshly, scaring Lanino who turned to look at the flustered microphone. "You ok, Mike?" He asked hesitantly. 

"Y-yeah! Yeah! 'M fine, kiddo! P-peachier than a p-princess!"

He laughed at that before going back to his building, satisfied with the response. The disguised Pippins cleared their throat before they could correct Elnina on her WILD assumption. 

"I already told you! I'm not doing that! It's not me regressing!"

"Oh! Are you… a caregiver then?"

They paused, processing the question for a moment.

"... … … there's a term for it?"

"Ah hah! I knew you were involved with age regression in some way! Why else would you be so desperate to talk about it?"

"Gh-! Y-yeah yeah! Get your celebrations in. It's not a big deal."

"Actually… it kinda is. We didn't know anyone else around here was dealing with it too. It's… actually kind of a relief to hear. Makes me feel… less alone. I'm sure Lanino would say the same."

"Right… well it wasn't until recently that I even… had any experience with it. Like I said, it's been a couple months since the first time."

"Um… if you don't mind me asking…?"

They looked up, feeling like they knew exactly what she was about to ask them. It was the only reasonable thing to ask. It's what they would have asked. 

"... it's not Tenna, is it?"

Oh… not just 'who is it?'. She specifically clocked that it was him. Damn… then does anyone else also suspect something's up?

"... … … sigh. Yeah. It's Tenna."

The cloud sighed and looked down at her feet, formulating her next words before speaking. It left the room eerily quiet for a long moment, aside from the boy's blocks gently clacking. 

"Figured. He's been acting a little off recently and that rumour that went around had me thinking. I… kinda suspected something was up when I had regressed a while back. When we went out to the purple cliffs."

"Oh yeah, that reminds me. Don't ever take my little buddy somewhere like that ever again! It's not exactly the safest place for kids."

"Little buddy?" She giggled at their nickname for Tenna, causing them to tense up and blush through their costume. They turned their head away and huffed.

"Ha ha! You know it's not actually that dangerous, right?"

"For a kid it is!"

"... yeah. Fair. That does explain why you were so worked up when you found him."

Battat sighed and held their head, thinking of what to bring up next. They had kinda gotten most of their questions answered. All they needed was a quick crash course on how to take care of Tenna when he's regressed and how to spot the signs of him regressing so they could finally learn how to properly care for him.

"So… could you… tell me how to be a caregiver?"

She looked up at them in shock, until her face shifted to confusion. "What do you mean? I thought you already were."

They groaned and buried their face in their hands. "No! I mean how to be a proper caregiver! What am I supposed to do with him? What shouldn't I do? The do's and don't's! The actual methods for dealing with regression!"

She stayed quiet for a moment, looking back over to Lanino as she thought about what to say. They were getting really frustrated. What was so hard to understand?! They just needed a rundown on the right techniques and knowledge of the subject!

"Um… it's… not that simple, Mike."

"What do you-!?! Gh-! Wh-what do you mean it's not that simple?!" They stopped themself from shouting, not wanting to startle the sun playing on the floor. 

"Well what have you been doing so far?"

They stared at her, calming down slightly so they could better answer.

"I… I've just been keeping an eye on him and helped him where I could. He's been… very emotional when it happens, usually. So I try to comfort him and calm him down as best I can. But it's… it's… it's been such a struggle! He's so fragile and he has such big emotions! It's so hard to deal with sometimes! He's yelled at me when he's angry and told me to stop taking care of him, but then when he slips he's so helpless and begs for forgiveness! I can't not care about him! Even when he isn't fully small, I just can't stop looking out for signs and be extra paranoid!"

"Hey! Hey Mike! Mike! Calm down! It's ok. It's alright. Just breathe, ok?" Elnina had moved closer to Battat as they started unintentionally rambling and venting out their frustrations about how tough it's been to learn about all this without any guidance. She rubbed their back slowly and gave a patient smile. Lanino had also scooted over to them, placing Pinky onto their lap for further support. 

They laughed a breathy, shaky laugh before they squeezed the toy in their hands and took a couple deep breaths. Once calm, they looked back up at Elnina. 

"Sorry…"

"It's fine. I get it. It must have been hard doing this on your own."

They bit their tongue and gave a small nod.

"Well, as far as I can tell, you've done all you can. Caregiving isn't one-size-fits-all. Just like every kid is different, so is every little. You have to learn as you go with this, see what works for them and yourself. And, considering you're Tenna's personal assistant, I think you would be the darkner that knows him best. Yes, it is a struggle in the beginning, but you'll get better. And he'll get more comfortable with your arrangement over time."

The die listened intently, switching to bite the inside of their cheek. They had a sneaking suspicion that something like that was going to be the case, they just prayed that there would be this universal guidebook for them to follow. They were a rule-follower. They liked having clear instructions on what to do. So… this made their fear bubble back up.

"... are you sure? There isn't… some sort of list of things to know? There isn't… anything to help me do this right?"

She smiled and grabbed their hands, rubbing the backs of them with her thumbs in soothing motions. "If it makes you feel any better, we can help."

"Whu-what?"

"I mean, wouldn't that lighten the mental load at least a little? Plus, Tenna would probably feel way better knowing he's not alone in what he's going through."

They sat and thought about it. They were scared of how Tenna would react to finding out they spilled his secret. They were so worried about him breaking down again and feeling betrayed. They already broke his trust once, they were dreading the thought of it happening again. 

"I… I… I don't want to hurt him again… I can't…"

"Hey. It's alright. I'm sure he'll understand. We just need to break it to him carefully. I promise that everything will be fine, so don't be scared."

Battat took a deep breath and closed their eyes, focusing on their own thoughts for a moment. 

This is for him. You're just making sure he's properly taken care of. You're just trying to be the best papa you can. You have to do this. It's for the best. 

"... alright. Fine."

*~*~*

*Knock knock knock*

"Come in!" Tenna called out before he shoved a scoop of ice cream into his mouth that Mike got him earlier. He had refused at first, but when Tenna put on the sad puppy look, he immediately folded. What a softy, metaphorically and literally.

The door opened and he saw Mike enter, smiling at him like normal. "Heyyyyy big guy!"

"Mike! You're back! How's everything going so far in the studio? No troubles, I hope!"

"Yep! Everyone is behaving themselves and keeping it orderly. Nothing to worry about."

"That's great, Mike. Thank you so much for all your help. I realise it's a lot of work to put on one pair of shoulders! Really, I should have found someone who could help you out, but I'm not sure who to even ask!"

"A-ah- h-hahaha! D-don't even mention it! I'm handling it just fine! With all the major production being put on hold until you recover, it's really not that much!"

"Right. Well thank you again. And… thanks for… you know."

"Yeah… by the way, there's… someone who wants to talk with you."

"Now? Are you sure?"

"Yeah, I'm sure. It's… pretty important. N-not business related, but… yeah."

The TV looked pretty confused and a little nervous, unsure what or who to even expect. He was sick, after all, so shouldn't any important things be waiting until he's fully recovered?

"Um… alright? Who… who is it?"

Mike smiled tensely and turned towards the door, calling in whoever was outside. To his surprise, it was Lanino and Elnina. 

"Oh! Elnina! Lanino! Wasn't expecting you two! How are you doing?"

They looked at each other with slight apprehension, clearly communicating something that he wasn't aware of. Then they gave that same smile that Mike had. What was going on?

"We're… alright. It's just…" Lanino started. 

"We really need to discuss something with you. Something that we… haven't felt confident bringing up before" Elnina continued.

"Yes. It's a little personal, but we… we want to be honest and open with you, as our boss and as our friend" Lanino then concluded.

The CRT was a little stunned, not sure what could be weighing on their hearts so much that they needed to confess it to him. But… they were being so trusting with him. He couldn't turn them down even if he wanted to. It would be cruel. 

"Of course, old friends! You can tell me anything! Come! Sit down and we can talk." He began petting the spot beside him on the bed, inviting them to sit.

They both turned to Mike, giving him a questioning look. He walked over to them with a curious hum. Then they started whispering back and forth.

"Do you… wanna step out while we talk to him?"

"What?! Why would I-"

"You know… in case it gets too much."

"Yeah, and if he starts getting overwhelmed by us crowding him."

"Hell no! If he gets upset by this, then I need to be here for him!"

"OK. If you say so."

What in the world was he going to find out about his friends?

The weather couple walked over and sat down beside him, staying quiet for an awkward moment before Lanino decided to speak up first. 

"See, Tenna. We would like to talk about our sudden absences over the years. You know, those times we've informed you that one of us isn't feeling well and needs to be taken care of."

He nodded, well aware of their unexpected sicknesses or need for time off due to some sort of health reason. He just assumed they were prone to it or something. It wasn't really that often, at least not so much so to need addressing. 

"Yes, well… we never told you exactly why we needed those breaks. Because the reason was… very very personal and… not very easily grasped" Elnina spoke softly, shifting around in her seat restlessly, as if she was too uncomfortable to sit still. 

"Ah-! I… I-I completely understand! There's no need to get so worked up over it! If you have special conditions then we can totally try to work around it! I just hope it isn't something dangerous or painful. Lord knows I wouldn't want two of my best employees to suffer while working for me!"

They looked at each other again, the sun squeezing his lover's hand in a supportive hold, giving a reassuring nod to her. Tenna just watched, feeling like he was gonna find out that one of them was dying or something. It caused his metaphorical heart to pound in his chest and his wires to run cold.

The sun turned to him, smiling unsurely. 

"Tenna… me and Elnina are age regressors."

…

"... um… I'm- I'm sorry. You're… what?"

"Age regressors. It means that we have a tendency to feel very young mentally whenever we get overwhelmed. We won't be able to do certain things and we'll start acting very childishly, because we really feel like we are a child. It's almost like… a mental shutdown, trying to prevent us from getting too overloaded."

Tenna sat quietly as he explained that, mouth falling open in shock at what he was hearing. He couldn't… he couldn't be hearing it right. This wasn't real. He must still be dreaming, right? There's no way he just described exactly what he himself had been going through. 

Elnina leaned over and put a hand on the TV's leg, trying to soothe him as she noticed him getting a little tense. "We've been doing it for years now, so we have sort of come up with a system that works for us. You… actually saw it happening to me when I convinced you to go to the purple cliffs with me. I was feeling like a teenager then and was sort of acting out from frustration. I'm sorry about that."

Oh! OH!!! So THAT'S why she was being like that! I never even questioned the way she was acting then! I was so focused on everything else that I completely glossed over it! 

"And…" she continued, gulping softly before looking Tenna in the face. "We… noticed that you have been acting a little unusual recently. No offence. But… but… um…"

"We… we were wondering if… you… you know, if you were…" Lanino tried to take over the question from his sweet cloud, but also failed in getting to the point. They were both seemingly really nervous to ask him the question he knew was coming. He just didn't know what to do about it. He was paralysed from total shock, so many thoughts flying through his head at the speed of light. 

But then he felt Mike's familiar glove on his shoulder, rubbing his thumb against it and giving him the most reassuring smile he could. The microphone hopped up beside him and put an arm around his back, giving him a comforting half hug to put him at ease. And it did, a little. 

"Hey, Tens. I think I figured out what's going on."

"M-mike?! You… why…? I don't… h-how did you-?"

"If I see a problem, you know damn well I'll do whatever I can to solve it! You needed answers that I didn't have, so I went out and found them for you. That's what a good assistant does."

Tenna covered his mouth, unable to believe that any of this was real. It felt… too good to be true. Too much like a cheesy family movie where everything wraps up perfectly and everyone gets their happy resolution. But real life couldn't be that satisfying. It was cruel and hard and disappointing, where you may not even reach that good ending even if you work, fight and sacrifice for it. Real life was a series of hopeful glimmers within his reach, being snatched away from him and pushing him down into a pit of despair. A tease of something good that he'll never have.

"Tenna. Hey. It's alright. We don't judge you. We understand" Lanino mumbled calmingly, seeing the TV staring down at his lap with a darkened screen. Elnina decided to also join in with consoling him.

"Yeah. And we just want to help you. You're our friend. We care about you."

"I-I-I… th-this… I don't… understand. I… I… what did I do… to deserve this?"

"Tenna, buddy" Mike said warmly as he pulled the large darkner closer, allowing him to rest his screen on top of his head. "It's not about deserving things. You have a right to be happy. You can be cared about just because. We want to be here for you, that's all. Sometimes, it just is what it is. And is that really so bad?"

Tenna shivered as he slowly wrapped his arms around him, pulling him into a proper hug. Mike chuckled and pet him on the back, soothing his tremors until they were gone. Tenna wasn't sure what he was feeling. He was happy, so very happy. He was confused. He was upset. He was so so so emotional. But he somehow managed to not burst out into tears this time. The three people around him, currently giving him a big group hug, were calming those overwhelming emotions to a manageable level. 

He just sat there, enjoying the embrace. 

'Sometimes, it just is what it is'… God. What a stupid thing for ME to say. Doubtful of everything, always anxious and reading into everything. But… it's what Tenna needs to hear. Who cares if I'm a big, filthy hypocrite. 

Battat was chastising themself mentally. They really shouldn't be talking about accepting things at face value. 

Whatever. At least my obsessive investigating and stubbornness did SOMETHING good this time. 

Chapter Text

Tenna wandered into the green room aimlessly, thinking about what he should do. He had already wrapped up the day's work, but was still feeling rather restless and bored. He just wanted something fun to do until he could head to bed. If he didn't do something, he wouldn't feel tired later and would have a terrible night's sleep. He knew from experience. 

But something caught his attention. He heard some talking coming from one of the couches, along with the action packed sounds of the TV. He felt himself gravitated towards it, curiosity making him wander over and take a look at what was happening. 

Two Pippins were playing a racing game, getting very into it and bantering back and forth. Tenna was immediately intrigued by the game. The fast pace and colorful visuals really pulled him in, his focus quickly and fully grabbed. So he idled behind them and watched with rapt attention. 

"Hah! Didn't take long to bump you down to second!"

"Greedy bastard! Can't share the first place for even a second!"

"Sorry, but first place isn't for losers!"

There was a brief pause, the second Pippins gaining a smirk on her face. She didn't say anything as she pushed one of the shoulder buttons, her character throwing something into the air. It zapped through the sky and crashed into the other Pippins' character, making him swerve out and letting his attacker zoom past him and straight across the finish line. 

"WHAT THE HELL?!? HOW DID YOU GET A REVENGE STRIKER IN SECOND PLACE?!"

"Guess I'm just built different."

"That's completely and utterly bull-GHAAA!!!" 

The first Pippins screamed as he was startled by the big TV looming behind them. It scared the other one too, who turned quickly to see just what got him yelling. Tenna pulled back, also startled by that sudden reaction. He had been so sucked into the game that he forgot he was actually there.

"T-T-TENNA!!! CHRIST! A LITTLE WARNING NEXT TIME!"

"S-sorry! I didn't mean to scare you! I was just watching the game! It looked fun!" He tried to explain himself, hoping he didn't make the two of them mad. They seemed a little shocked by it, but shrugged it off quickly to focus on the real issue. 

"It would be fun if it wasn't so damn reliant on RNG! It's like playing well doesn't even matter!"

"You're just mad that the RNG gods love me more."

"Right, because that's the only way you'd win over me. Although… that luck seems awfully suspicious…"

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"Getting a Revenge Striker in second place shouldn't even be possible. I bet… yeah! I bet you cheated and hacked the game beforehand!"

She gasped as he accused her, pulling back and dropping her controller onto the table. Then she growled and poked him in the chest. "As if! Don't gotta be a sore loser and throw around cheating allegations! Just accept that you lost, fair and square!"

"That win was anything but fair! I was in first place for that entire race and then you swoop in last minute and steal it from me via pure luck?! That's the cheapest win I've ever seen!"

"Oh yeah? Well not as cheap as that new tie you bought after losing your nice one in a game of strip poker!"

He slammed his fists into the table in front of him, scaring the large CRT behind them as he glared at his opponent with death in his eyes. "YOU TAKE THAT BACK, SCUMBAG!!!"

Tenna whined to himself and backed away a bit, pulling on his antennae uncomfortably and shifting on the spot. He didn't like this. They were getting too loud and too angry. It scared him. He felt like they might start fighting. Was it because he was there? Did he ruin the mood? Or was he just there at the wrong time? Either way, it made him feel so awful just listening to the jabs and shouting. 

"Ey, chums. How 'bout we pack it in there, alright? Ain't no need to go bonkers over a li'l game."

Everyone looked over to the bar, seeing Ramb standing there and leaning casually over the counter. He smiled in a calm, yet slightly forced way as he looked at the two loudmouths. They both just scoffed with the winning Pippins commenting, "Shut up, Ramb. You're not even allowed to handle points, let alone give orders."

"I just thought Mr. Tenna 'ere might prefer it if we kept it civil, yeah?"

Tenna jolted up straight as he was addressed, still a little tense from the previous shouting. "Um! I uh… y-yeah. Maybe… let's be a little less loud."

"Whatever! I'm leaving!" The losing Pippins threw his hand up dismissively and stormed out the room without as much as a goodbye. So the remaining one huffed and turned to Tenna, pointing in the direction of the exit.

"What a sore loser, am I right?"

He just looked down at his hands as he tapped his index fingers against one another, not really in the mood to be trash talking anyone. It just wasn't very nice, and Mike has helped him learn how to be nicer.

"But hey! Since we're here, why not celebrate my win with a victory drink, eh?"

That caused his antennae to perk up, interested in that proposal. He would love something to drink! Maybe a soda or a chocolate milk or something! Maybe Ramb has another one of those peachy drinks!

He nodded enthusiastically and the die laughed proudly. "I knew you couldn't resist a sip!"

They both took a seat at the bar, the plugboy looking between the two of them with a pinch of uncertainty. But he tried to keep the poker face up. "Well then, mates. What will it be?"

"Do you-"

"Hey! I got an idea! Why don't you mix us one of those fancy new strawberry martinis you got! They could really pack a punch!" The Pippins interrupted Tenna, smirking to the bartender as she leaned on her elbow. Tenna looked over to her curiously before turning back to Ramb. 

He laughed softly and gave a disapproving side glance to the request. "I'm not sure if that's such a great idea right now. It's pretty late and work starts-"

But before he could object fully, the host let out a disappointed groan and pouted at him sadly. "Awwwwwwgh! C'mon, Ramb! That sounds yummy! I wanna try it!"

The Pippins snickered at his reaction and gave a self-satisfied smirk to the bartender, seeing his defeated sneer. "You heard the boss, pluggy. Give him his drink."

Ramb looked uncomfortably between them and remained quiet for a bit, considering what to do right then. But eventually he seemed to fold and turned to prepare the drinks. It didn't take long for them to be ready, the Pippins getting her glass first. Then Tenna got his, in a slightly taller glass and with a swirly straw. He gasped softly at the funny straw, twisting around to make a heart shape. He was very entertained by it.

"Got those li'l buggers in recently. Figured it'd be a nice surprise."

"It's so cute! I love it! Thanks, Ramb!"

He smiled at the TV as he pulled his drink closer for a sip. The die grumbled a small 'weirdo' under her breath before chugging her own drink. She regretted it as she started coughing from the alcohol hitting her throat. "Damn! That's strong!"

"Sorry, luv. Thought ya would'ov been able to handle it."

She glared at the bartender before she realised Tenna was about to take his first sip. Oh this would be hilarious, she thought. Tenna was a notorious lightweight, so he'd probably be choking on it.

He sipped on his straw quietly for a moment before his screen lit up and he gasped silently. He pulled back and held his cheek, smiling brightly. "Mmmmm! That was really tasty! Thank you for getting it!" He thanked the Pippins, who stared in shock at him. How hadn't he wretched immediately at the strong alcohol?!

She tried not to look too surprised, as she saw Ramb watching them both in amusement. She just kept drinking her own martini and side eyeing Tenna for drinking it up without a single flinch.

"Oh! I almost forgot! Gotta pay, right? How much are they?" Tenna asked innocently before taking another delighted sip. That made the Pippins get an idea. If she couldn't enjoy watching him struggle a little, at least she could be compensated for the loss.

"Shoot! I just remembered that I don't have that many points left! See, Shuttah lost its paycheck recently and I've been helping it pay for dinner until next payday rolls around. Darn. What a shame. And I was really looking forward to this drink." She tried to play up the disappointment without going into overacting territory, lightly pushing the glass back over to Ramb. Tenna watched her sadly, feeling bad about her having to lose out on something she was excited about, just because she was helping out a friend. It wasn't fair! If only someone could lend her some points. 

…

Wait. He has points!

"Um-! Uh, actually! Wait! What if I pay? That way, you can enjoy your drink too!"

Ha. Sucker.

"Really, Mr. Tenna? You'd do that for me?"

"Ah huh! Sure! I have lots to spare!"

"Alright, calm down. No need to brag."

Tenna timidly shrunk down slightly, his excitement shifting into bashfulness. "S-sorry…"

"Well thanks for the drink, boss! You sure-"

"No need to bother, lovey."

They looked at Ramb, who gave Tenna a warm smile as he leaned against the counter. The TV tilted his head in confusion. "Huh? What d'ya mean?"

"On the 'ouse today. As thanks for takin' care of poor Shuttah. What a ryte charitable lass ya are." 

His gaze shifted to the Pippins, with his smile turning lopsided and slightly more strained. His eyes narrowed the smallest bit, subtly signaling to her that he knew her game. She recoiled a little, picking up on his displeased vibes and deciding to not challenge him on his counter play. It wasn't like he stopped her from getting a free drink, so whatever. 

"That's so nice of you, Ramb!" Tenna praised, making the plug turn back to him, his features softening again to invitingly pleasant. 

"No issue, lovey. You just enjoy your drink."

They both continued drinking for a while, the Pippins getting more and more tipsy as she emptied her glass. But she also got more and more confused as Tenna didn't seem to get plastered at all. He continued acting cheery and polite, maybe looking a little less put together and slightly clumsy, but nothing that screamed 'getting buzzed'.

After a while, the die was, without a doubt, drunk. She was lying with the side of her face against the table and groaning loudly, ignoring the looks that Ramb was tossing her.

"Someone's gettin' pissed."

Tenna gasped and shoved the bartender's shoulder, looking offended. "Hey! Bad language!"

Ramb laughed at his angry pout and held his hands up defensively. "Sorry, lovey. My bad."

"Hey! How's come yuu di'n't get even a li'l drunk, huh?" The Pippins asked suspiciously from her newfound pillow of wood. Tenna seemed confused by the question, just tilting his head at her. "Huh? I didn't get… what?"

"Don' act ssss'upid! Ya know wha I mean!"

He recoiled as she yelled at him, almost knocking over his soon-to-be empty glass. That made her shift her attention over to it and eye it intensely. She quickly threw Ramb a glance before grabbing the drink and downing the last gulp. 

"H-hey! That's mine!" The TV complained sadly, but didn't make a move to stop her. He just watched as her eyes shot open wide and she slammed the glass down and shot Ramb a death glare.

"YOU BASTHDARD! THERE'S NO ALCOHOL 'N THIS!"

"Hm? What do ya mean, luv? Tenna never asked for no alcohol."

"YOU KNEW WHAT YOU WERE DOIN'!!! TRY'NA MAKE ME LOOK DUMB!"

"Ain't no hassle on my part doin' that, mate. Practically more than halfway there already."

"THIS IS WHY ERRYONE HATES YOU, RAMB!!! YOU 'N TENNA RUIN ALL THE FUN!!!"

Suddenly, a hand was draped over the small darkner's shoulder and carefully removed her from her seat. She yelped in surprise and whipped her head around to see a tall Zapper holding her.

"Hey dere, buddy. You's gettin' pretty rowdy. Let's gets you back home, eh?"

"... you called sechk-uurity on me?!"

Ramb hummed softly at the shock in her voice, putting on an innocent face as he rested his cheek in his hand. "Just wanted to make sure ya made it home alright. Be careful with her, yeah luv?" He shifted to talking to the Zapper, who gave a small salute before turning to leave with the drunk Pippins. She grumbled angrily but didn't put up a fight as she was removed, leaving the CRT and the plug alone in the green room. 

Ramb looked to Tenna, his smile vanishing as he saw him pulling nervously at his gloves. 

"Alright, lovey?"

"... … … do I… ruin everyone's fun? I didn't mean to. I just… I just wanted to…"

"Ey, luv. Don't listen to that tosspot. She was just riled up because she couldn't cause a stir. She wasn't bein' very nice, was she?" The Plugboy spoke as softly as he could and rubbed Tenna's arm lightly, giving a reassuring smile to help cheer him up. 

He just whined sadly and pouted, unsure if that was true. He wasn't exactly the most thrilling person to have around. He usually put a stop to the Pippins and their money making games, so they probably thought he was a real kill-joy. 

"Welp. Looks like it's time to close up shop for the night. Usually I like to 'ave myself a li'l telly time to take a load off before headin' to bed."

His antennae perked up in curiosity at Ramb's casual remark while he was putting the drinks and stuff away. "Oh? What stuff do you watch?"

"Ah, just a li'l bit'a this, a li'l bit'a that. Whatever catches my eye."

"Do you like watching… cartoons?"

He gave a gruff laugh and turned back to Tenna, who immediately felt embarrassed about asking. Of course he didn't, dummy!

"On the occasion. Seen quite a few of 'em. But I'm proper lousy at pickin' 'em. Can't seem to find the good ones. Makes me wish someone who knows their cartoons could give me a hand."

Ramb sighed dramatically and started washing up the two recently emptied glasses. Tenna watched him quietly, his gears starting to turn after his initial embarrassment passed. He wasn't good at finding fun cartoons? That's sad. Tenna had watched so many amazing cartoons that he could probably spot a good one from a mile away. 

Wait!

"Hey! Maybe I can help! I love cartoons!"

The plug turned around with an amused, fond smile on his face, putting the clean dishes away before approaching the boy. "Really? You'd help me? That would be sweet of ya, lovey. Why don't ya prepare the couch over there for us and we can watch together?"

The CRT beamed at the suggestion. That sounded like so much fun! He'd love to have a movie night! He gave Ramb an eager nod before running over to the couch and rearranging the pillows and throw blanket. 

Meanwhile, Ramb walked into the back of the bar and picked up the phone hanging on the wall. He dialed the number for Mike's room and waited for an answer. He eventually heard the receiver getting picked up and a questioning trill on the other end. 

"Mike, luv. I just wanted to give you a ring and tell ya that Tenna's over 'ere in the green room. He's… actin' a little funny, but he ain't seem upset none."

He heard a short flute sound rising in pitch, making him chuckle to himself before continuing. "Don't worry, fella. He's all good. Just thought you might wanna know in case things go pear shaped. But I need to go now, so you just take your time. I'll keep my eye on him til ya get 'ere."

Mike was quiet on the other end, most likely trying to figure out how to communicate that he understood. He seemed to settle on a loud purr, which Ramb accepted as confirmation. "Great. Well, see ya later."

*~*~*

Pluey was booking it down the corridor towards the green room, his tail flapping behind him and his ears lying flat against his head. He couldn't believe that Tenna was regressing now all of a sudden, without any attempt to contact them or even get to someplace private. He was usually pretty good with calling one of them when he was upset and starting to feel small. Though Ramb did say he wasn't upset, so maybe it was something different? Or maybe he simply didn't notice it happening. 

Whatever it was didn't matter. He had to check on him just in case. Especially since the other two were busy. He would have to do, even if one of the others would have been better than him.

The cat gently pushed the door open and peeked inside, spotting Tenna immediately on one of the couches. He was wrapped up in a blanket with his knees to his chest, staring at the movie playing with a spellbound expression. Ramb was sitting on one end of the couch and resting his head against his folded arm, his eyes seemingly more concerned with checking on Tenna than watching the TV. 

Pluey was a little stunned, but couldn't help but to smile at the sight of his boy so captivated by what was presumably a silly little film. He slid inside and closed the door behind him, sneaking over to the couch and climbing up beside Tenna. He gently pressed his head into Tenna's side as he purred happily. 

Tenna was surprised at first, then overjoyed as he realized what suddenly appeared at his side.

"MIKE!" he called out and quickly opened up the blanket to crush his assistant in his arms, nuzzling against his soft, fluffy fur. "Why are you here?" he asked as he looked at him with a bright grin. Pluey purred happily and held him close to his chest, which was a little awkward with how big he was still.

"I called him. Figured he would like to watch too" Ramb explained, giving Mike a small wink. He was a little surprised. Why was Ramb acting like… that? He was acting as if he knew exactly what was happening. He… he couldn't, right? There's no way he figured out that Tenna-

"OH! OH OH OH! MIKE! You have to stay and watch! This movie is so good! It's about a unicorn and she's the only unicorn left and- and- and she went out to find out what happened to all the others!" Tenna started excitedly explaining the plot to Pluey, bouncing in his seat as his cord started thumping rapidly against the couch. The cat couldn't help but to laugh to himself and reach up to rub his head. He was being too much of a silly goober, he couldn't not pet him