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You really needed to get out of here.
As you, Kris, Susie, and Ralsei played along with Tenna's continuous games, all you could think about was Toriel. You could only hope she was okay, and that hopefully this could end quick enough. You weren't sure how on the stars above you were going to explain.. this to her. Tenna had to have known, his figure towering the four of you. He was imposing, it demanded power and attention that you knew hadn't been received in a long time. You always liked the TV the Dreemurrs had in the Light World, worked so perfectly when Kris and Asriel were small kids, when the Holidays used to visit very often, when Toriel and Asgore were happily married.. Whenever you came over to "babysit" Kris and Asriel after the divorce (they didn't really need it, you only said yes because Toriel asked), you would turn on the TV so the house was never too quiet. But those days were gone, and now? The TV that sat in silence and dust was in front of you, with big broad shoulders and looked so big, so strong. He could've manhandled all of you if he so desired and it would take little to no effort to do that. His smile.. fuck, you had to stop staring. It was creepily wide, and you swore you could've seen sharp canines that threatened to show themselves while also threatening to stir something between your legs. You tried dissociating, staring somewhat at the audience but your eyes kept drawing back to the TV.
"For our next segment, a very special PERFORMANCE!"
The announcement drew excitement from the crowd, and you could swear as you looked over to Kris, their eye twitched a little. You were able to sit out when Kris, Ralsei, and Susie had to act as a band for some reason. Albeit, Tenna had you sit right next to him. He was uncomfortably, unbearably pushing his body against yours, sometimes his large finger would brush against your leg as you did your best to focus on the kids persisted. After they succeeded, Kris seemed a little winded and frustrated, which you couldn't blame them. To say that Tenna had yet another performance in store after that experience, it was justifiable.
"It will be the performance of a lifetime! A certain song from a certain well-acclaimed musical, and can only be sung from a certain someone! And who is that 'someone' you ask? Well, it's none other than!-"
A well-timed spotlight lands on you, making your posture a little straighter and your eyes widening. Kris, Susie, and Ralsei shared similar expressions once the spotlight faded and you looked back at them for confirmation for what Tenna meant. You, reluctantly, looked up at Tenna.
"What? Me?" you managed to say, pointing at yourself despite knowing you heard him loud and clear and as if the spotlight wasn't placed on some star with legs or whatever the fuck.
"Of course, my dear! Who else here could sing as high as you did, when waiting for the kids' food to be ready? You were such a NIGHTINGALE!"
You shrank a little at the thought of that. All that time, he was there for everything that happened in the Dreemurr household. While that meant he sat there for.. unpleasant arguments, the fact he knew you sang had your feathers ruffled. Every high and low note you challenged yourself to reach, voice cracks and vocal warmups, little hums and flat out belting when the kids stepped out of the house for a while. And to do that, on stage?
And like clockwork, the podiums were rolled out of the stage in a blur and the kids were kicked into the wings before you could blink. Most of the stage went to black with a spotlight returning to you to illuminate your body in the darkness. The orchestra immediately started up, beginning the song even though you still needed time to process for what you had to do. As Tenna (and well, the industry too) would say, The show must go on! You were promptly given a microphone by a Shadowguy, and now it was just you and the music. You were familiar with it, you would sing it often at the Dreemurrs' and in your own home. It was sort of like a party trick when the visits were frequent. Sing this song, pretty please? was what you would often here, and you would entertain it. This.. shouldn't be any different. You had to just jump straight in without a proper warmup.. but it was fine. You knew this song like the back of your hand, every beat and every cue.
Once you began to sing, it came out so naturally. The audience is dead silent, eager and listening. From your peripheral, Ralsei, Susie, and Kris were still in the wings. Susie seemed shocked, Ralsei gave you a smile for encouragement, and Kris had an expression, while not very decipherable to some they already seemed to know that this would be easy for you. And Tenna.. was nowhere to be found from what you were able to see. You didn't doubt if he went somewhere backstage. But you swore, you could feel his presence, his voice. That deep, old showman voice that after all of this, once you had back the privilege of laying in your bed and attempting to sleep, you would hear it. If you dreamed, he would be there. Calling to you, speaking your name. God, how could you dream anything again if he entered your dream as if he was intruding your mind?
You looked up, startled when - speak of the Devil - Tenna stepped into another spotlight and began singing the other half of the duet. You immediately look back to the audience that briefly clapped when he appeared onstage, reminding yourself you had to stay concentrated. You didn't know what else to expect, with him getting into any and everything he could. He, much like the character he is singing for, demands you sing. Sing for him, as if you had done it before. Something strange, something strange indeed because you never really intended to sing for him specifically all those years ago. But what if he did was a question that began to haunt you once you thought of it, doing your best to keep a suitable distance away from Tenna. That was like asking Kris and Susie to not do anything batshit crazy; Tenna was massive in every sense (maybe.. even in that sense...you should start attending church with Toriel). He seemed to know he was getting in your head and was strongly impacting you, and was enjoying it. Enjoying it a little too much as he stepped closer to you, staring you down as if you were the most delicious pray he had set his eyes on. You squirmed.
He sings you that even as you glance behind yourself, that he, and he Tenna was inside your mind. You knew deep down that he didn't have to try, and that he already succeeded in so. He said it as if you were his to claim, his to possess. You ignored the pulse in the lower part of your body, and you continued the song. It's funny, as you say that people draw back in fear when seeing his face. Tenna was terrifying, with his huge, brawny physique, the way he lashes out at his employees out of seemingly nowhere, and when his smile treaded out of silly and goofy to downright scary (and more) because why on Earth does he need those fangs. He could pick you up, holding you down to submit to his will and his will alone. And he would do it with a cocky smile, satisfied in knowing he won and would have a joy in toying with you. You bit your lip, and once both of your voices finally harmonize, you knew it was over for yourself. Or, perhaps it was over for you in the start.
He's there.. and truly, you do have to beware of him, the chorus trills to you. It isn't about the elusive man singing to your character, hypnotizing her, you and Tenna knew that (although, not the bewaring him part). It shares the same kind of feeling you had when the employees backstage would talk about Tenna's temper tantrums, how they shudder when they reminisce on his wrath. You had to stop yourself from jumping when his large hand grazed your chin, letting you get a gentle feel of claws hidden in those sleek gloves as he directs you to look up at him. You could feel your knees buckle a little, a wide sneering smirk stretched across his screen when he croons about your fantasies. It's a sickening face of pleasure, he just wants you to crumble and he would enjoy every moment. That he was always with you, in you that you feel his hold on you tightens slightly. He wants you to look at him as you tried your hardest not to falter. You squint at him, a look of contempt as you begrudgingly agree he is in your mind. You shut your eyes, breaking away as it was time for the big moment. So you begin to vocalize. Both the most fun and most difficult part, the thing everyone is waiting for. You feel Kris', Susie's, Ralsei's presence, and you know that they are cheering you on. And Tenna..
“Sing.”
You gripped on your microphone until your knuckles were white. You upped the amount of vibrato you were already using, your back straightened considerably and shoulders untensed as you prepared yourself. All while Tenna goads you, again demanding for you to sing. You sing for the crowd, the ratings, for him. And you do, that's the only thing you can do. You've already gotten so far and you had to give it your all. You keep going, not failing for even a moment despite Tenna suddenly pushing his body against yours from behind, his hands moving across your body. Your stomach, your collarbone, even brushing over your sides, your thighs, chest, and for a split moment he brushes over your groin. You shiver, not sure if you want to swat his hands away or urge him to continue, get rougher and touch you more if he's so willing to do unrehearsed, uncoordinated intimate movements in front of a literal audience (didn't he say he could get in trouble with the censors?). He's gotten louder, more commanding and maybe even a little desperate, as if he's wishing he could hear the absolute highest you could go without damaging your voice or making it sound like nails against a chalkboard.
You keep going higher, as the song- Tenna, demands. His voice sent pangs through your skull, crawling his way to the deepest, darkest parts of your mind. His hand is once again at your head, but this time he delicately holds your neck. He does nothing menacing but ushering you to look back at him again. He's tilting your head back, because he wants your attention again and more conveniently for you, giving your voice further support. You trembled, back forced to arch for Tenna as you did your best to make sure your breathing did not fail you when you were close. But it's so, so pleasant, and so intimate that you nearly forget that this is live. Maybe he liked the fact he had you in this position with so many people to see, especially with how he could make you grovel. It just makes you want to scream, to push back and fight against him.
“Sing for ME!”
Just as you open your eyes and reach your end, you see his screen and that razor sharp mouth of his. He's satisfied. An abrupt, electricial spark runs right through you, from his hands to your temples. It wasn't painful enough for it not to really sting, but it was mind-numbing and sent so many exhilarating thrills throughout your body that it was borderline erotic. It does manage to catch you off-guard, but thankfully it happens as you cry out the final note that could've came out as a shameful moan if you weren't so careful. This highest note you have sung in your life, and in response the audience finally breaks their silence and into a great amount of applause. Some even stood up to clap.
Tenna said something about how that was a wonderful, electrifying performance, but everything is a blur to you as you breathe heavily and grasp at your throat, wondering if you should credit yourself or Tenna for what had just happened. The show cuts to commercial, you are whisked off-stage and into the Green Room by the children. Kris pats you on the back, although somewhat questioning that you really didn't want to get into at the moment. Susie rambles about how you did great, and so does Ralsei as he offers you a drink for your troubles. Many of the Darkners backstage complimented your voice when they passed by, and you tiredly thanked them. Tenna strutted into the room, on a wonderful high and you two immediately see each other. All that you could gather from his presence is him telepathically telling you that you are mine. You continued drinking to avoid his gaze, pushing your knees together when he comes up to talk up a storm with the kids and to you as if everything that had happened on stage was normal. He seemed perfectly prim and poised, woefully ignoring how much he had jostled you.
"The audience couldn't get enough of it!" he laughs, bending down to your eye-level. He grinned impishly at you, leaning in closer so that you could only hear it in your ear.
"You couldn't get enough of it either, couldn't you?" he spoke lowly in a disgustingly smug tone, but it made a shiver going down your spine as you swore you could feel the spark again prick your ear. You gave no indication of an answer to not offer him the slightest amount of joy after what he put you through. You did say the answer in your head to yourself. Yes, I couldn't.