Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

The day he healed, it rained.

Pitter patter of small, but determined steps breached puddles on the open road - for once undisturbed by uncoordinated traffic. All things considered, a calm autumn day graced the town. The two stopped before a drooping house and gave the door a knock before noticing it crack open by the breadth of a hair. Perhaps they would have found that strange if they couldn't relate. Stranger was that whoever was on the other side of the door seemed to have no problem seeing the object of his desire: a worn television, kindly delivered by neighborhood kids.

And for no price at all? A pinch of suspicion remained, but whatever the case, it could hardly phase his existence.

For the first time in what felt like forever, the ghost opened the door and was greeted by a reptilian girl and surprisingly, a human child. Stuck in his awe, and frankly blinded by the brightness outside, he was stuck in place and trying to shield his eye despite a lack of hands. On a mission, the girl phased right through him, head turned left and right in search of a suitable spot to place their friend.

“Uh, I'll need some directions.” She said, hidden eyes darting back and forth between several doors. It was a nice home, she noticed. No cracked walls or broken furniture… Just like Kris' house, only lacking the note of butterscotch. In fact, it smelled like nothing in there, aside from the faintest note of dust and hairspray. If only she had a lighter and some candles on hand. “Where to?”

“Ah, of course! Just this way.” The translucent spectre piped up, closing the door behind the quiet child. He phased right through a pink door, leaving the girl standing awkwardly on the outside.

“Why even have a door if you don't use it.” She stood before the wall with extra steps, eyes squinted at the concept.

“Aren't you quite a nosey one? Regardless, how else would our furniture fit inside?”

“OK, good to know, but this won't work with ‘open sesame’,” she grumbled, giving the pink door a light kick.

“Oh my, you might've noticed a lack of limbs on my end, so your little friend may have to help you out.”

“Can't ghosts possess things or something? Make them move and fly around and all that.”

“That is frankly more trouble than it's worth - especially emotionally. I'm glad I've managed to open up to let you in so far, my beauties. That's what I call teamwork. Makes the dream work~.”

Susie and Kris glanced at each other and shrugged before they went to work. Whatever, as long as the job got done and it made Tenna happy.

Opening the door greeted them with a sight not unlike the supply closet in school. There was probably a normal room in there, as suggested by the cone of light shining in from the living room. But otherwise it was hard to tell. In a way, endless possibilities! However, Susie was even more at a loss of where to place the TV now. What if there were random holes dug in the ground?

“Hate to sound demanding, but is there a light switch here? That we could uh… turn on for a sec?”

“Right, right, let me just…” It sounded like the pink ghost was taking a deep breath. And later began to dig around a heap of things. With a raised brow, the children waited until with a ‘click’, a bright pink room, decked out in stars and movie posters sprung to life.

Susie turned to face Kris, teeth bared and beaming with excitement. This was just like the green room! Well, pink room in this case. Simple otherwise, with only a bed, a dozen copies of what looked like the same book and an empty desk, but it was perfect! “No way… He'll love this, Kris!”

In the meantime, the ghost emerged from what looked like a built-in closet. “You mean Mr. Tenna?”

Susie sputtered a little, ready to backpedal in order to try and save some face. But the ghost just giggled, amused by how helpful they were trying to be. Without a word, the other child handed him an unwrapped, blue mint candy. Was this at all related to their gift? Maybe a token of appreciation? Winner, winner… something dinner? At least it wasn’t sticky, he thought. He’d save it for later, another thing to add to the pile.

“I'll just put him here, alright?” Susie huffed and placed the TV upon the desk. Rattled from the impact, a couple of drawers opened that near spilled of various cables and electronic items.

A small squeal sounded from the ghost, who excitedly inspected the antique model with dazzled interest. With the speed of light, the new addition to his home was set up and running. At first, static broke through the silence, then a news channel came on, immediately drawing the ghost in with how purposeful everyone on there looked.

Dusting off her hands, she smiled seeing the end result. Tenna fit right in, and hopefully, he would find the happiness he was looking for with this new owner. Now only why did that sound like giving away a pet? Susie sighed and patted Kris’ shoulder.

“Heh, I'm glad you like it. If there's ever an issue… let us know, ok?”

“Oh my! Are you skilled at fixing things?”

Susie drove together in surprise and rubbed the back of her neck. She had fixed the guy up before. Granted, with some help. But now that she thought about it, nothing would stop her from ‘borrowing’ a manual from some electronic shop. “Uhm…! Sort of! Yeah! You know what, yeah!”

“My, I can't thank you enough, my nifty little darlings!” The ghost hesitated a moment before speaking on. “When the world knows my name, I'll take you with me on tours.”

“The world…?” Susie tilted her head, but shrugged it off. “Sweet! I better get to sit behind the steering wheel though. Ah, what's your name by the way?”

“...It's a work in progress,” the ghost admitted, sounding the slightest bit strained. “You'll know when the time comes.”

“Heh, gotcha. We'll be on our way then, yeah?” Susie announced, the thought of loitering around inside the living room lingering on her mind after closing the door. But it would just give Tenna trouble probably, so they left as quickly as they arrived.

“Take care, darlings~ And thank you for your kindness. Truly…” With a lack of arms, he could only commit to a little bow. And once they were gone—

“Phew…” He sighed loudly and slid down the door until he met the floor face-down. “Ugh, how very overwhelming.”

Unchanged in position, the pink ghost hovered over to his bed to ‘lie down’. Or at least to gain the idea of it. He nudged a pillow into place and swapped through the different channels, wondering just how many there were. Every so often he noticed that the remote wouldn't quite switch the channels, so it took a little more effort to press them. But a gift was a gift - there wasn't much luxury to be expected in freebies. Perhaps - just like the nickname - it added character. Everyone has their faults, he thought.

What he stumbled upon on the 69th channel made his eye widen with shocked intrigue. Trendy music boomed as a woman dropped her polar bear coat to reveal white lingerie. He audibly gasped, but kept watching, eye glued to the screen to the point he hadn't noticed how close he had gotten by the time it was over.

“Tenna, you cad. What is this… salacious music video? Oh my, I think something just awakened within me…”

Shaking the thought off, the strong wish to see more of the kind grew like a spring blossom. No, like fireworks about to burst! While advertisements were running he hurried to the closet and rummaged around to find the light switch on a heap of other things. He knew that his cousins kept the lights on in their rooms, but it was simply too daunting to him. Although it was a pity - he had wanted to add a mirror to his room for a while, but decided against it every time.

When he emerged, not the faintest sign of daylight filtered through thick curtains and once more, he felt at peace. Within pitch black, only the TV's shine illuminated his path back to the bed, like an ideal red carpet on his way to stardom. He got comfy and considered what snacks to steal from Maddy's room when his gaze fell on something in the darkness. A shape he couldn't make out at first. But that wasn't the outline of his desk as per usual, was it? No, it was… a gigantic tv-headed gentleman sitting on the floor, legs tucked in to fit into the plain room…!?

“And there’s more where that came from, folks! Tune in for another round of when it’s… Mr. (Ant) Tenna’s~ TV~ Tiiii— ”

“AHHHHHHHHHHHHH—!!! SOMEONE HELP ME!! INTRUDER!!” He thrashed across the room, launching a barrage of pillows to hit the panicking man- tv- thing trying to shield himself.

Unfortunately, Blooky was still out for his shift and the children were long gone, which only left… Maddy.

The door slammed open, and a torn punching bag threw itself through the door. It sported a couple tears and some noticeable imprints of knuckles. Also it stunk of sweat, which the ghost did not appreciate in the least. But back to panicking.

“What's wrong!? What's wrong!? WHAT'S WRONG!?” Maddy yelled, worming their way into the middle of the slightly less dark room. As if looking around for a threat, they spun in circles like a sausage in a microwave - it looked equally as wrong as that culinary disaster.

The ghost remained pressed to the wall over his headboard, wanting to pretend to hyperventilate, but he just stared at the faint outline of the tv, which was somehow back to normal!? Was this the prank he saw coming or was he genuinely going insane? He didn't get a word out and instead fell face-first onto his pillow.

Confused, Maddy settled back down and wormed to the bed. “Uh, if you were just singing- that was really good. Don't think I heard you reach notes that high before.”

“Excuse me!?” The ghost jumped up, pink hue ever so slightly shifting to red. “I feared for my undead life! I thought something or someone was after my pretty head! Besides!! How could you not! Tell that! From singing!! Were all your compliments just lies…!!”

Met with their own usual energy, Maddy actually simmered down. “Ok, no need to freak out like that. Or to act like such a punching bag.”

The ghost groaned dramatically, thinking himself ready for a hot bath and warm towels over his forehead. “You just don't get it.”

Maddy sighed and the ghost just knew they were rolling their eyes at him. “So, what even scared you exactly?”

Though it was a fair question, he sputtered for a moment, unable to conjure up an explanation. He himself couldn't believe what he had seen. Aside from the obvious entertainment device, what he saw had looked faintly like a finely dressed gentleman. Suit, tie, gloves, shimmery, shiny slacks, the works. Was it a dream? Had he fallen asleep to the dream of making it big and imagined a business partner of gigantic proportions to congratulate him on his world tours within the confinement of his room?

He shook his head, this was getting really weird. And pathetic. Deciding not to add the term ‘crazy’ to the short list of what people thought about him, he laid down atop Maddy's floppy body.

“Ugh, it was but a nightmare, but what a nightmare! The nightmare of nightmares! Urgently, you must haste to make me a soothing cup of hot cocoa, dearest Maddy. Or I fear I will be forever consumed by fear.”

“Aww, there there, it's alright,” Maddy tried to soothe the ghost by rubbing him against the wall, but he just phased back and forth out of and into the room. “Haha, I'll come to the rescue soon, so settle back down and get comfy. I'm here for you.”

“You're the best, darling~” The ghost called out, tears of glitter falling from his eye.

“Nah, that's you,” Maddy tried to sound heroic as they slammed the door shut.

And immediately, the ghost turned to face the tv, eye wide in bewilderment that it was back. The thing- man- tv was back!!

This time, he didn't scream, and instead phased so far into his wall that only his face was poking out to peek. His weak spot, if he so thought about it, but now wasn't the time for that. Here in the pitch black of his room, barely visible outlines became the stage for this unfathomable encounter. And he only appeared when it was fully dark!? Was this the effect… of being loved to the fullest!? He had too many questions, but too few words to utter even a single one.

“Uhm… if… if I so may… say—” A staticky voice overshadowed the sound of the selected channel. “Our p-production apologizes for the uhm… inappropriate content. W-within the options menu, there are r—”

“Wait—”

The TV man flinched, “Yes…?”

“Why are you so nervous? Isn't this a robbery or a ghostnapping of my most famous, incorporeal self?” Ever so slowly, the ghost emerged from the wall, not fully trusting this situation yet. “I didn't expect my guests to leave behind another.”

“Ahem–” Tenna fumbled with his tie, visibly shrinking at the mention of abandonment. Way to be put on the spot. But this was his second attempt– he couldn't mess this up! Besides, he was made to be in the spotlight! To be the spotlight!! “Haha, it's a long, boring story. But the spice of it is uhm… I– can't leave, even if you wanted me to. Which I hope you don't, I mean… of course not; who would ever— PLEASE DON'T THROW ME AWAY!!”

Met with a lot to unpack, the ghost's mouth was drawn in a straight, thin line. Weirded out wouldn't begin to explain it. What did it even mean not to be able to let him leave? Apparently he didn't want that in the first place.

“Easy there… Let's not overreact. Mr. Tenna, correct?” The ghost asked softly.

“Ah– yes, the one and only! The famed Mr. ‘Ant’ Tenna, bringing to your home from your home since 1954.” Tenna piped up, trying not to throw anything over from his position.

“Oh my, that must mean you have gathered quite the wide array of experience.”

“Now, it wouldn't be humble to say I'm top of the game, but–” Humored chuckling rang from the TV whose cheeks started to redden, and the ghost felt in awe. What a curious character he had invited into his life! “Show them the VHS, Mike!”

A moment of silence. But nothing happened……

“Who is this Mike person, darling?” Tenna could swear the ghost’s shape turned into a question mark for a moment.

“Ahaha! Old habits, where did I leave my cue cards…!” The TV began to sweat up a storm, patting himself down as he cursed Mike out to hell and back in thought. He should fire hi– oh yeah, right.

“Then tell me, dear~” The ghost spoke and hit the mute button so sports news wouldn't yell over them.

“—What exactly?” Tenna held the sides of his blocky head as it swayed in exasperation.

“Tell me this long story of why you're suddenly sitting in my bedroom when it gets dark. I asked for some… entertainment within this bleak life of mine, no? Should it be over so soon?”

“Ah–!! Finally someone who gets it! Let me break it down for you.” Tenna said and started dancing—

BANG!

The door sprung wide open and Maddy dashed in, almost spilling the entire cup of cocoa in the process. Luckily, the ghost could take control of the contents before they hit the floor, assembling them into an even nicer sight with whipped cream and a cherry on top. And when he looked back, Tenna was indeed gone again. All about the dark, huh?

“Would it kill you to knock, Maddison!!” He whipped back around.

“You knew I was going to come in,” Maddy said dismissively. “By the way, you need to turn the volume on to hear what that thing says.”

Steam shot out from where the ghost's ears would be, and he ushered Maddy out of the room with the full force that a steam engine entailed.

“I know that! Everyone knows that! Thank you for the cocoa, now get out!”

This time, the ghost was looking directly at Tenna when the door closed, watching out for the moment he'd reappear. And truly, when darkness returned to its darkest state, he faded into view as if he had been there the entire time. As if solely invisible to the untrained eye unused to the dark. Hands excitedly gestured in ways that conveyed true passion.

“Ah–! You missed the best part! Let me rewind that for you, I recorded it all with the newest tech,” Tenna joked happily and showed a cassette symbol on screen before audibly rewinding a high-pitched version of– whatever he had said.

In the meantime, the cup of cocoa floated over to him and dabbed the faintest smear of whipped cream on the tip of his nose. Surprised, his stream of jumbled words came crashing down, and he carefully reached out for the cup lest it could fall at any moment.

“For me? Why, thank you, uhm…” Tenna hesitated to wipe the cream away. What was the meaning of this? Or better yet - what would be a good way to play it off?

“Is anything the matter?” The ghost asked, tilting his head.

“I can't help but notice you know me better than I know you now, my kind viewer. To finalize your system setup; what is your name?”

“Does it matter? I'm a nobody…”

“Nobody? That can't be right. How else would I see you?”

“... Aren't we just a cheeky one. I can change that if it bothers you so.” The ghost warned and slowly turned himself invisible. Halfway there, he would stop - it was but a small trick he’d play.

“My apologies if it was out of line…! I- ah– meant it quite literally!!” Tenna backpedaled, arms flailing as he reached out in vain for the untouchable ghost.

A small smile grew on the ghost’s lips. Actually, this was better than what he had wished for. “Heh, yes, I know. …It's Hapstablook. ‘The happy ghost’.”

“That's quite a mouthful. Add that to my tongue twister transistor list-or, mistor!” Tenna was chipper in his commentary, lips puckered as if awaiting an alternative. “Is there a three-letter option? The press robs you for each one.”

Hapstablook just stared at the strange man for a moment before letting out a stream of giggles. Tenna didn't know how to react at first - when was the last time someone truly found him funny? Not just out of pity or when he got hurt or- or–

“If I must,” Hapstablook drawled amusedly. It was a strange, but good feeling to be seen for once, even if it wasn't the way he wanted to be seen. “You can call me ‘Happy’ or ‘Hap’, dear. If the latter is more suitable~"

“Yes…! Yes, it will do quite nicely. Thank you for completing your mandatory,  home video setup!” Tenna chirped, ready to reach out and shake Happy's hands - if only he had some. That would take some getting used to, just like this arrangement as a whole. But slowly, as they talked he noticed the star-patterned wallpapers coming to life more and more. As if they glowed in the dark, powered by the pleasant moment created. Tenna looked at them in thought before watching his reflection in his cup of cocoa. The whipped cream had long melted, but the cherry still swam on the surface. Taking a sip filled him with warmth. It was strange, he didn't usually see the point in taking breaks. And that never changed, but this didn't feel so bad.

“To get back to the elephant - or rather CRT - in the room haha… You likely noticed, only pure darkness lets you see me. In fact, usually, it takes even more than this.”

“To create something… darker than dark?” Happy tilted his head, wondering what that was supposed to mean.

“Precisely, a sort ofdarkness, if you will. It’s known as the dark world - realms powered by fountains that bring out the best from what you thought you knew.” Tenna raised a finger for emphasis and accidentally bumped the ceiling.

At that, Happy took a careful look around his room. Did that mean there was such a ‘fountain’ in his room? Whatever that meant. And more importantly, were there more visitors of Tenna’s kind around? Suddenly, the ghost felt himself heating up. That thought alone was scary. But sure enough, prevailing silence assured that no one else was around. “Does… all of this only apply to charming TV’s? Not that I’m complaining.”

“Uhm—” A gloved finger pulled at the collar of Tenna's suit jacket. “Quite frankly, I'm a little confused here myself. See, usually my world is an empire. A studio empire built upon contractors and the support of my fans. But alas, now I find myself here - alone. Which is a wonderful place! But I didn't expect to be so– how shall I say…”

“Corporeal?” Happy snorted, but tried to hide the sound when he noticed. He didn't like to sound like a pig. Much less in front of Tenna. What a conundrum; now he even had to watch his tone at home.

“Why, please, don't hide your joy, because that is the very power that fuels me to aspire to new heights every day.”

“New heights, you say…” Happy looked up, then his gaze drifted over the abandoned parts in his desk. “Why, I'd be Happy to help you reach them. It's the least I can do for being rewarded so handsomely out of nowhere~.”

In saying so, Happy flew up to the electronic man's screen. He liked this form of Tenna's; tall, well-dressed, full of limbs. From up close, a couple cracks and bandaids were visible on his head - placed just the same as on its counterpart visible in daylight. He even appeared like this reality wasn’t cut out to portray him. The light treated him differently than any mere object. As if he were a diamond, with love put into each polygon. In short, the full picture was magnificent. Tenna tensed under this close attention to detail, sweating and nervous at the idea of judgement. Gloved fists clenched – everyone has their flaws, so why were his supposedly so detrimental?

It wasn't right to possess the living, but for just a moment, Happy wondered what would happen if he took over the TV when the lights were turned on. However… looking at Maddy's range of motion, that wasn't such a good idea. If he accidentally ended up breaking Tenna…! That would be a disaster he couldn't live with. Let alone the thought of whether Tenna would feel him control what wasn't his? Well, technically Happy owned him now, no? But that didn't feel or sound right.

Seeing as Tenna's nose was still smeared with cream, he licked it off and went back to lie down. When his gaze fell on the tv host, he was surprised to find only a colorful, striped error screen.

“Mr. Tenna? Is the program already over for tonight?” Happy wondered aloud, slightly peeved at the thought he wouldn't get to see more of those music videos.

“A-as they say!!” Tenna suddenly shouted. “Turning your TV on is the first step to success, but let's not get carried away, shall we!!”

“Oh my! Success…! Consider me sat, darling,” Happy chimed in, slightly adjusting his floating position in kind.

Slightly unnerved as he seemed, Tenna cleared his throat. “Ahahah…! Then consider your mind expanded! Your invisible socks blown off! Parties rocked! Evenings saved!”

“That sounds almost too good to be true…! But in exchange… is one lowly viewer such as myself really enough?”

“One lowly— Dear Hap, no viewer of mine is lowly! You may not have a nose, but you’re a  in the making and this is only the beginning! Think back to times of innocence and let yourself be engulfed by that which brings a sparkle to your eye. (Now without pesky censors!) Uncut! Un-boredom! Only stardom!”

An eep of excitement escaped the little ghost. The promises were the same wherever he turned, but coming from this grandiose fella, it sounded genuine! Like advice from an experienced veteran! He was easy to talk to, so easy in fact that this must have been Happy's longest conversation in years…! Though he knew there was nothing inside his chest, for a moment it felt like an impressed heart swelled with hope.

“I suppose… the first step is to get in the loop, huh?” The remote raised, Happy switched the channel and electrifying music filled the dreamy room. It fit his determined glance just right.

“Precisely! The world is your oyster, so crack it open and slurp it up before it gets away! Dr. Tennaville prescribes a minimum of ‘gotta catch’em all’.”

“How silly,” Happy chuckled and got comfortable on his pillow, eye never straying from the screen. But was it really the show or that big nose he was looking at? In the end, both were good. “Tell ‘Dr. Tennaville’ he can come by for a home visit anytime~”

Countless times that night and long into the early morning hours, flustered static noises, hushed laughter and gasps of awe rang through the domain of spectres. Joined in the living room, the remaining cousins smiled when their gazes fell on the pink door, and they went about their day feeling a little lighter.

All day the next day, it remained dark in the little ghost’s room. Tenna, who had barely allowed himself to move due to the restrictions of space, decided to shrink down when Happy… looked peacefully asleep. It was hard to tell. He wasn’t sure if turning his screen light off would stir him too much, so he decided against it. What a demanding viewer he was! Aside from soaking in music for hours on end, Happy had made it a point to give every channel a shot, even the radio broadcasts to a blank screen. Not exactly Tenna’s favorite, but what mattered it what he showed? As long as the quality was top of the line…! He smiled to himself, nose held high after a day well spent.

A sliver of doubt kept his posture measured at first, yet he still decided to dance erratically over the desk like a spinning flashlight. He made it! More shows, more fun adventures and most importantly, no landfills!

His skin crawled underneath his gloves when he came to a halt, quiet and contemplative. He took a look at his hands, faintly recollecting the briefest of moments when they parted with his body. Faint touch ghosted over what he had always taken for granted, rising until he stopped short before his shoulders. If this whole debacle had caused even more flaws to arise within him, what would he do? A glance went around the room… There was no mirror, was there? He hated to go through Happy’s things, but technically, wasn’t this his home too now? Indeed, he wasn’t just a guest, so might as well!

Kneeling down before the desk, he hesitated to pull any drawer all the way open. The way he saw it, there were only bad memories in there. Who needed those? Weren’t it too loud of an action, he’d lunge in them and throw all those insolent cables in the trash where they belonged. Perhaps he could suggest some channels to Happy that warned of the dangers of the internet. Yes… yes, that he would do. He couldn’t let his new friend get corrupted.

With a sigh and the greatest hesitancy, he opened a drawer, but nothing. Only what he expected. Another and the same result. Until eventually, he began to wonder… didn’t a computer system include, well, a computer? But with no laptop in sight, he sighed in relief. Not that he feared for his number one status, but… Ok, he did, he very much did. Yet this assembly of accessories without a proper device could only mean one thing…! Did Happy get rid of it before Tenna’s entrance!? He could barely believe his own thoughts, although he should! It was the only correct choice!

In the final drawer, towards the very back, he found a small, cream-colored pocket mirror. The dust it had collected stained his gloves. How long had it gone untouched?

Placing it upon the desk, he realized this wouldn’t work out with his large frame, so he shrunk down to the size of a true ant. There he began to undress. Jacket, gloves, tie, dress shirt… He needed to know what he was working with, so with a strengthening breath, he turned to face the mirror. Curiously enough, for all the people who looked at him, for all the make-up sessions he underwent to get ready, he rarely took a moment to truly perceive himself. It felt uncomfortable – he’d rather just let this be and rest. But there he was, looking at his real mechanical body; everything looked to be in good enough condition. Nothing worrying, which wasn’t actually surprising. After all, he had moved and danced just fine all night. Still, he felt a weight was lifted off his shoulders. Like every moment had been a bluff and he feared someone would call it out.

He had to thank Susie for this somehow. Susie and his former employees, who despite despising and disrespecting him on the regular… didn’t…want him to die? If only they were here now, brought to life out of nothing just like him. But maybe it was better that they weren’t. He wasn’t ready – there was so much yet for him to learn. And gazing upon the peacefully sleeping ghost, he believed that within his new viewer could lie the key to make things right. Finally, he wasn’t talking to a wall anymore, spiraling as he escaped the silence.

With a small smile, he gradually returned to full height and returned the evidence of his endeavours. Though in the confinement of these walls, he had to sit and hug his legs tight if he wanted to be himself, he found that was a small price to pay.

When his light finally dimmed, glowing pink stars watched over him, joined by a single lashed eye, quiet as a mouse.

Chapter Text

When the sound of birds chirping rang across Hometown, Happy opened the curtains of his lone window. Not exactly to get the day started, but so it would give Tenna more to see over the horizon. Enrichment, he wanted to say, but didn't. His tasks that morning were straightforward - do the dishes, sweep the living room, yada yada. With a little dish towel wrapped around his head, he dissipated through the door. Which left the towel falling to the floor… and quickly picked up to a briefly opened door.

While Tenna was always ready for morning cartoons, games or endless commercials, he sighed contently in the confinement of his lit up state. With a new viewer who would come back to him, what had he ever been afraid of? It was a swift change of scenery - surely the masses were just clawing for a chance to have him. The best Black Friday deal in town, it was a surprise no one was throwing rocks through the windows just for a chance.

Actually… the slightly dirty glass invited the television's gaze outside - past the walls of this gloomy house, there seemed to be a nice, sunny day outside. Much like the one he had seen the day he was a brand-new addition to the Dreemurr household - and now, the former ‘nobody's’ house. Through the window, there was nothing but a forest of golden trees in sight. Yet if he wasn’t mistaken, right behind those trees, there remained the home of the Dreemurrs. Keeping quiet watch, not a thought crossed his mind; only wistful silence remained. Twin antennas drooped, at least in thought. Though he knew it was better this way, he still missed them. It was the only family he had ever known – and they’d pushed him out of the nest. He just wanted to hear it one last time. Know that they meant it.

If only he still had Mike at least. Mike or her… his little angel. Taking the time to think about it made him sick with worry.

He could hear clinking tableware from the next room, a running faucet and multiple exasperated ‘ughhhh's. These walls weren't particularly thick, now were they? Or was Happy just being this loud on purpose; to have Tenna take a little bit more part in his life? It made him smile to think that. In the Dreemurr house, the open kitchen had sometimes annoyed him as it blared over his shows. But only now he realized how much comfort he found in those familiar sounds. He fondly remembered the times little Kris turned his volume up so high his speakers nearly burst - and Toriel, bless her heart, with her ears plugged with her paws, muted the sound and hid the remote on the fridge. Tenna chuckled to himself, those were the days.

Suddenly, a familiar pink face phased through the door and Tenna’s world lit up. Or lit down, seeing as the curtains were drawn shut at once, engulfing him in the comfortable realm of make-belief they enjoyed to share.

“Welcome back Ladies and Germs! It seems you checked off that daunting  for today! As your , dear Hap, please choose the lucky winner for today!” Tenna boomed and did a little dance in celebration. “Today's program includes the news, western style shootouts, closed door cartoons, dramas and  romances!” Each category had the host wearing different costumes as well - just how much energy did this man have?

With a tired blink, Happy sunk onto his pillow and chose a dramatic reality soap opera for the day. They were all staged to hell and back, but they were funny in a pathetic way. Like watching turtles attacking shoes, each new problem couldn't sound more made up. But in all honesty, Happy took some notes here and there. It made life a little more fun to act over the top.

“Only top notch quality today, huh? (Well I guess I did offer it, but that stays between us!)” Tenna joked, holding out a hand as if he were sharing a secret before an audience.

It got a chuckle out of Happy, even before what happened on screen crashed and burned. Literally - it looked like two trains collided head-on with big explosions, but he wasn't paying attention anymore. “I wouldn't say I'm the only one here with a knack for dramatics, darling~”

“Oh really? Did you bring your dear cousin from yesterday?” Tenna grinned.

With a brow raised, Happy gave him a daring look. “Wouldn't you like to know. They're a ghost just like myself, they could be anywhere… even within… you!” At that, Happy moved a soda can to lightly tap against Tenna's frame.

Dumbstruck, Tenna acted like a mouse was scurrying around his feet. Screaming incoherently and frantically jumping around as he patted around his blocky head as if it were covered in cobwebs. Happy hadn’t taken him for such a scaredy type - he'd gladly keep this in mind.

“WHAT THE WOAH—” Tenna took a deep breath seeing as nothing was really happening. At first he thought he was possessed and acted accordingly, but no…! All a bluff! He kicked the air as if ready to fight - but of course he knew nothing he could do would phase the pink ghost. Except for one thing! “This means war!”

Reaching into his pocket, he pulled out a huge suitcase. Golden clasps pushed open, the inside shone with a brilliant light, but Happy couldn't manage to steal a look inside. Where had he even hidden this big thing!? Tenna rummaged through it a little and soon shoved a controller near the ghost. Carefully laid out, he placed a GameDie on the desk next to him. And… fiddled around with the connecting cables.

“We'll be right back due to… technical difficulties. (Typically I have stagehands for this).” The corresponding plugs were somewhere around his nape, it looked like. No wonder he was tapping around blindly.

“Let me help, deary, it'll be easier.” Happy offered, not waiting for an answer before flying past Tenna's head. But the lad just wouldn't hold still.

“No, I've got this! Just a second…!”

Happy huffed and in trying to direct the increasingly erratic movements, for a second he accidentally phased through the back of Tenna's head. Somehow he seemed to notice, since the TV host went rigid as a board at a moment's notice. It even looked like an arctic shiver had overcome him–

“Are we finally ready to hold still now?” Happy asked, voice coated in a hint of annoyance. Funnily enough, he had barely comprehended what he saw inside of the box. Mostly just a funny cone that looked like the inverse of Tenna's nose. Nothing too extraordinary - as little as Happy understood of these things anyway.

“How… humiliating…!” Tenna choked out, holding a flower to his chest as if he was nearing his grave. Perhaps the saying was right, it was better not to try at home what you saw in TV.

“Calm down, dear, you're fine. What's the big deal? You can see through me all the time,” Happy muttered, circling Tenna's head to find the screen leaning to a warmer hue.

“It… has been ages since anyone last looked inside me,” Tenna admitted, sweating bullets like he was being grilled over a fire. It had to be dusty in there, he was sure. Could ghosts be allergic to dust? Actually, he didn’t want to find out.

“Oh darling… here’s a deal, I won’t look inside you - ever. Promise. And in return, you’ll. Sit. Still.” Fumbling the cables from a pouting Tenna’s hand, Happy… intended to get to work. Plugging in the power cable was easy enough, but what was the rest of this maze all about?? He hesitated at all these abbreviations and tiny text too small to be read with a magnifying glass. If he were to ever have a body, it should be simple, straight to the point. At least there were ports corresponding to the tri-colored plugs he carried. What he didn’t anticipate was that it mattered which row he put them into.

“W– wrong! Hold on, that's- that’s not right!” Tenna spoke strained, holding onto the table for dear life. “Something’s not–” Suddenly his voice cut off and was replaced with what sounded like a series of jumbled xylophone sounds, ending on a more forceful, lower note.

“Oh my~” Happy chuckled and messed around with the order of cables. Red into white, yellow into red, the works.

“!!taht potS” Garbled noise came from Tenna, but the giggling ghost didn't mind. “!gniod er'uoy tahw wonk t'nod uoY”

Before he could try out more wrong ports, the cables were all snagged away and Tenna turned to him, fangs bared in anger. Oops, that was too far, it seemed.

“Now I know who not to trust with these,” Tenna scoffed, crossing his arms defiantly, foot tapping with bottled frustration.

Happy tried to look at him, but a lack of eyes made it difficult. Regardless, Tenna was an expert at expressing the nuances of how pissed he was. “I'm sorry, darling… Did it hurt at all?”

Tenna hesitated for a second before lowering his hands to the ground. He wasn’t used to this… His face lowered, wondering what Happy thought of him now. “It did not, it just felt… humiliating. I don't wish to look like a fool before you.”

Happy felt a small stab at his heart. Who knew that soon enough, he would feel sympathy for his TV? “If it helps at all, it wasn't in mean spirit. It was cute to me, but now… I wouldn't mind watching more of my shows instead, if you so prefer.”

“Cute?” Tenna's mouth wobbled when he spoke the word in disbelief. Then, frantically, he raised his hands in an attempt to stop the ghost. “No, nono–! My only hope for revenge is this battle! So would you be so kind? Now– only the far left row, top to bottom.”

“As you wish, deary!” A little surprised but elated, Happy took the opportunity head-on and after a bit of fiddling, the screen changed to show a bobbing, see-through die with various options written on each edge. Satisfyingly enough, it made spooky noises with every turn. He kind of liked the retro feeling there was to it, although dress-up and flash games had usually caught his fancy more than anything else. In a sense, he felt he had missed out, so this was a perfect opportunity!

Starting the game showed an old-fashioned title screen of the producers’ company logos first - a quiet intro to contrast the thundering beginning of several strange statues of characters coming to life. Happy perked up at the idea, only to get more and more confused at the following onslaught of action and explosions shown on-screen. At least they knew to make an entrance, he noted with a small smile. Although it all lacked a certain… spotlight on anyone in particular. Too many stars at once for his taste. Like boybands that didn’t know how many members bloated the cast.

“So when do we get to eliminate them?” Happy asked half-jokingly, eye lidded with the certainty which character he wanted already.

“This isn’t The Bachelor, so it depends entirely on your !” Tenna taunted with a grin - white fangs breaking through the game’s contents like a spectre in a dark room.

Happy forced out a haphazard laugh. Oh boy, now what had he agreed to here…

Sat before the dramatically introduced, but rather plain menu, Happy quickly noticed his controller wasn’t letting them maneuver. But someone else could! Quickly, they entered the character selection screen and the first player turned out to be this cartoony, black silhouette that the game called ‘Mr. Game & Watch’...? Instead of the regular inky black one, he switched to the red variant. Interesting choice, for sure... Not one that Happy had ever heard of – or cared about; that thing was probably older than him.

“How are you doing all these things? Where’s your controller?” In secret, Happy had hoped to copy whatever Tenna was doing, but this wasn’t doing him any favors. He hasn’t played a single console game in his life.

“Dear Hap, I AM the controller! It is within my nature~” Tenna chirped, smiling like a sunflower graced by what it loved most. Happy rolled his eye at that and pushed the joysticks around aimlessly, unaware where his pointer had even ended up at. Somewhere off-screen apparently, since somehow he tickled a quiet, forced laugh from his TV. Trying not to squirm too heavily, gloved hands reached over and extended past what Happy expected of Tenna’s reach, only to coil around and take a hold of the controller. “No fear, Mr. Tenna’s here! I’ll show you the ropes.”

Happy blinked in surprise; were those arms actually winches? Not that it mattered particularly, but he couldn’t take his eye off them until Tenna went to work explaining the buttons. Large thumbs circled tiny joysticks, mostly obscuring Happy’s view of what was going on, but he believed he got the gist of it now. Sight focused on his cursor, he went in a couple circles at first.

“Baby steps, folks,” Tenna commented with a chuckle and played a laugh track that made Happy’s eye blow wide in annoyance.

“Watch your tone, Mr.! I’d like to see you learn something new this quickly!” Happy complained, clearly going red in the face. It felt daunting, but he would be damned if he gave up so quickly - he wouldn’t do Tenna that favor.

Tenna just shrugged dismissively, clearly amused. “There’s no need for that. Call it a game master’s privilege~”

Pouting but determined, Happy took in the roster of fighters at their disposal. First, his eye wandered to what he knew… small, pink creatures that were solely made for merchandise purposes. It was likely expected of him to pick either one of them, but he was looking for someone else – a character that widened his eye with a sparkle. He had seen them in the beginning sequence; an orange android clad in mechanic armor, an arm cannon and spherical shoulders. They looked just like… Happy chewed on his cheek as his eye flitted back to the pink options. That first princess looked too innocent, shallow even. But he enjoyed the more astute look in the second one’s eyes, as well as the pointy spikes on each side of her head.

“Decisions, decisions… In the end it won’t matter whom you choose, you’ll find yourself to bits regardless,” Tenna taunted, already impatiently waiting for the ghost’s final decision. Not to say he wouldn’t simply lock in Jigglypuff for his player two and start the game by himself in T-minus 5… 4… 3…

‘Samus!’ the game announced loudly, slightly surprising the TV host. It was one of Asriel’s favorite characters. Tenna sat on this information for a moment without starting the round - Happy seemed satisfied enough switching around skin colors on loop.

…How would Asriel react seeing the old television gone when he returned home? Would he even notice? If he did, would he care? Would he want to play this exact game one more time, but find it gone? Somehow Tenna doubted it; Asriel wasn’t the last one to lose interest in him. And it all just felt so… inconclusive, like his story had simply fizzled out because no one cared to read to the end. But who would bid their TV farewell before going out to see the world? Perhaps Ralsei was rig–

Suddenly, a knife swished an inch past Tenna's box head, narrowly missing him before sinking into the wall.

“Getting cold feet, darling?” Happy smirked and retrieved the knife through magical means.

Tenna’s arms were raised, back pressed flat against the wall and the corners of his mouth lowered so far they veered off his screen.

“Geez– tie me to a wheel and spin it, huh?” Tenna gasped on emptied lungs, sweating and floored beyond compare. Had he misjudged just how dangerous his viewer could be!? Frightened, he jumped around like the ground was made of hot coals. “Was that really necessary!? And where did you hide that knife!!”

“I’m not hiding anything, deary~” Happy smiled casually and let a plate of dessert float up from under his bed. “I just borrowed it from my cousin. Fancy a slice of pumpkin pie for the season?”

“Oh, that looks really goo– LET’S GET THE ELEPHANT OUT OF THE WAY FIRST,” Tenna slapped himself in correction, arm raised in protest.

“My, how rude,” Happy rolled his eye playfully. “Do sharp things scare you, Mr. Tenna? Are you a boy who only knows to wield toys?”

Without a spark of hesitation, a quick series of clacks rang through the room, the spinning of a revolver cylinder. A single click preceded the ear-deafening ‘BANG’ that ripped a hole into the wall next to Happy’s head. Both sides were left with wide, toothy grins.

“No, my style is simply more refined,” Tenna said cockily and spun the firearm around his finger.

“You’re something else when you’re not zoning out,” Happy murmured with intrigue. “Guess it’s time to take you up on your challenge. But can it serve half as fierce of a show?”

“Place your bets now, folks! It’s now or never!” One finger raised up, it bumped against the ceiling with a dull thud. Locking in their characters brought them to the stage selection - a whole jumbled mess from what the ghost could make out. A couple looked pretty enough, but only if he squinted. Tenna hovered over his choice and chuckled to himself. “Let’s keep it easy for .”

Happy scoffed as a short load brought them onto a tiny island in a staged sea, all made up of colorful pieces of cardboard. Rather haphazardly made, he assumed, what with the emergency tape and instruction symbols on the ‘blue horizon’. Distracted by this fact, he only noticed the fight began when he was already being juggled around by this bloody stick figure.

“Mind your manners, touching costs extra,” Happy grumbled, trying to break free for long enough to learn how to move at all. “This is unfair!”

“Whoever said this would be a fair fight?” Tenna laughed only to throw Samus off the cliff. “Oops~”

“You…!” Annoyed but invincible for a short period, Happy walked in exactly the wrong direction as he was paying more attention to Tenna’s character than where there was ground to stand on.

“Ohh–! Ouch, that wasn’t on me,” he suppressed a chuckle, making Happy realize his error.

“Huh? Oh well, luckily I’m immortal as ever,” Happy boasted, smirking as he reappeared on that glowing platform in the air again.

“Actually, this is your last life,” Tenna pointed out as matter-of-factly as he could, but couldn’t help a smirk that made him turn his head away.

“Hey, eyes on the prize!” 

Not only could the ghost not see properly when Tenna turned away, but it looked like another unfair advantage…! Glaring with spite, he pressed every button he could until to his amazement!! A rocket launched from his arm, hitting his opponent no matter where he ran. “Wow~ Bet your little blob can’t do that.”

“You’re playing with fire, little ghost.” And sure enough, an unimpressive match made Samus burst up in flames - not enough to knock him away, but unexpected in its brutality. Although, surely, rockets had to do more damage than fire, no?

“Cheesyyyy,” Happy stuck his tongue out and began to wildly fire missiles about. It actually gave Tenna a hard time – for about 5 seconds until a wrong button transformed Samus into a tiny ball. It created an opening for Tenna to fire the robotic space cadet out of the ring with a booming hammer strike. Happy dropped his controller on the pillow when his control was ripped away once more and he had to clap for that undeserving ‘winner’! He didn’t like it, but replicated the action in real life.

Seeing this, Tenna bowed in an exaggerated motion. Out of nowhere, flowers landed before his feet.

“You’re celebrating too early, Mr.” Happy spoke and twirled his knife around. “It’s the best of three, is it not?”

“Looks like my options are cut out for me,” Tenna muttered to a non-existent audience in the corner. “If you insist~! But let’s make it a little more interesting, shall we?”

A swift visit to the battle options made one small, but notable difference. Bomb rain. While Happy didn't understand the impact quite yet, the sight of bombs alone worked to excite him. He was never allowed to bring any into the house, even if he disguised them as pets. Just like new year's fireworks, no video footage could convey the real thrill. Still, this was better than nothing, and it didn't bring that policewoman to his doorstep.

The back of a fighter jet became their next battleground. It traversed a bustling city and had matters of its own to worry about, it seemed. Perfect opportunity to cause some chaos! Upon the start of the battle, bombs fell from the sky like snow, coating the battleship in a deadly minefield. Tenna smirked when he noticed Happy struggling with how to pick up a single one of them - let alone figure out how to throw them. He just jumped around and randomly attacked the items, which—

“Oh crap–” A chain reaction of explosions blew them both off the back of the ship. “I mean, well done! Anfirst~!”

Happy narrowed his eyes, but piped up when he happened to press the right button to pick one of the living explosives up.

“You know, they are cute. It's a pity but… Die!!” Already, the ticking time bomb came barreling for the stick figure, but it was just as swiftly avoided.

Tenna shook his head dismissively. “Ah ah ah~ that was beginner's luck (or rather, misfortune) earlier!” Yet before Tenna could pick up a single bomb, a whole barrage of them came onto him like a tsunami. 

“Wait!! How did you throw that many!?” Were his last famous words before being blasted off stage.

Jumping around in a mocking fashion, Happy didn't notice that with time, the bombs left sitting started walking around and exploding all around him. Narrowly escaping that disaster with a series of random mashed buttons, a pleased huff left him.

“You just wait…” Tenna muttered ominously and— started camping out on the back end of the ship while snickering to himself.

“Are you serious–” Happy grumbled as he found his bomb throws got nowhere near reaching that little hiding roach. The timer still gave them about four minutes, plenty of time for him to learn how to coordinate himself better. But the constant explosions all around didn't make it too easy. “You know what, typically the one with the most lives wins at the end, no? If so, I don't mind, take your sweet time.”

It wasn't like he was in a hurry anyway, and he found he was getting a little better at dodging hazards by the minute. Tenna meanwhile was sweating bullets - it didn't make sense! His hitbox was way smaller, this shouldn't be such an issue! Even Asriel and Kris had had problems with his ‘computer-automated’ fighter at times, that had to mean something! Or did they actually just suck at this game!? Actually, now that he recalled, Kris had more often than not walked their own fighters off cliffs intentionally. No wonder Asriel put the game down a while after December stopped coming by. But did that mean the game was bad? Judging by the growing grin on Happy’s face, Tenna was growing weary. Too late, he realized that a mech-suited space hunter leapt over him, bomb in hand and with an exit strategy in mind. A swift explosion delivered right to his unsuspecting face, he got flung around in an erupting inferno and finally kissed the horizon riding on a charged plasma projectile.

Satisfied, Happy spun in a circle, celebrating his first ever videogame victory! And such a dramatically brutal one at that! He could get used to this. With the arrival of Tenna’s turn to clap in defeat, he shook his head erratically, antennas zig-zagging in agitation.

“We’re not finished yet! One last round and the loser’s fate is decided!” Tenna hissed, but only met Happy’s unimpressed face, a smirk even.

“I don’t remember agreeing to any kind of punishment, hun.” The word rolled over Happy’s tongue with the excitement of seeing his opponent struggle for it. A subtle tilt of his head dismissed the idea. “Besides, I clapped for you, you’ll clap for me, easy as pie. Otherwise I’m not playing~”

“You didn’t— you didn’t have to do that! I didn’t even ask you to! (Although maybe I should have.)” Tenna was shaking, caught in a glue trap of silly kindness.

“It just seemed fun to do. Don’t you enjoy having an adoring audience~?” Happy chuckled, laying front-down on his pillow. If he had legs, they would be swaying in amusement right now.

“A-adoring!?” Tenna yelled in distress, clutching his chest as his cheeks heated up. This had to be psychological warfare! A strategy he was already seeing through like the holey slice of cheese it was!! “Enough of that! It’s time to finish this!”

Shoulders shrugged, Happy got ready for another new stage. It looked like the inside of a deep, dark cavern with a sea of glistening, molten rock surrounding them. The inside of an active volcano - or how Happy imagined one anyway. A futuristically lit platform lay beneath their feet, half-rock and half-... something fleshy. Did he even want to know?

When the first bombs fell, hell broke loose as before. Only now, there was no room for Tenna to hide. Only the small, elevated platforms warded off a couple hits, but his smile grew strained when the relentless barrage bolted him out once, twice, th—

“GAHHH!! To hell with this!!” With a single, rumbling stomp on the ground, the TV host crossed his arms and the footage unceremoniously switched from a clobber party to the news channel. He didn’t care what they had to say on there, just anything was better than spending another minute in that aggravating game. He’d never choose that good-for-nothing stick figure again. Actually, why was he taking part in a game anyway? That’s not his intended purpose! He grumbled to himself as a ghostly, pink presence floated up to his face, so close that reality looked cast in a pink filter. It took a moment to orient himself which part of the spectre he was even looking at - ah, there was his eye. That small, crackling abyss lined by striking lashes.

“That was fun,” Happy admitted, taking joy in the ways he could catch his TV off-guard. He didn’t mind the temper tantrum – in fact, he knew them well, because often he was the one to act them out. If only to wallow in his own little misery. “We should do that again sometime, if you’d like.”

Tenna muttered incoherently at first, mostly trying to convey a feeling rather than give out a definite answer. “What makes you think I’d want that?”

Happy shrugged - or at least conveyed the intention with a casual hum. “I’m determined never to say never. If I wanted to start another game right now, what would you do?”

The TV host sighed heavily, antennas drooping in exasperation. Happy took from this all he needed to know.

“‘It would make me look stupid.’ Is that what you think, dear?” In that void of white lacking the sincerity of windows to the soul, the ghost searched for answers. It would be easy to peek inside the TV’s head now and frighten him into revealing everything. But that didn’t sit right with him, it had to be this way.

“...” Tenna looked to the side, wishing to evaporate into thin air. If only he took one, long, hard nap now, maybe he would wake up again to the comfort of Mike catering to his every need, the audience of shadows beneath his feet and his family back where they belonged. But if by that logic all of this was a dream, perhaps for once, he could speak his mind. Unobstructed by this noise; this idea of needing to be funny to be heard. His screen went dark. It wasn’t right to make this about himself. “Don’t you want your electronics to work the way they are supposed to?”

Happy remained silent, floating just an inch away to provide some space.

“Don’t you?” Tenna asked again, unnerved by the silence.

“But you were never broken,” Happy muttered sincerely. A small chuckle curled his lips upwards with fondness. “You showed me something new today, and I’ll treasure it. Because it was you who broadened my horizon. I… learned something I didn’t think I could do before. And you know why? Because I’m a chicken. Thinking that I’d suck - hard. And I did, but you… were worried about the exact same thing, no? Isn’t that silly?”

The tension in Tenna’s limbs slowly faded away, replaced by confusion, and then a single thought. Hands raised, no hesitation was left in him as he clapped for his viewer’s success. Steadily, without great bravado, just like his fighter was likely still doing on the console yet to be shut down.

Happy’s eye went wide, smooth floating halting completely in mid-air. His mouth opened ever so slightly, awed by the larger than life TV host playing by his rules. A faint red hue settled over his face, but he managed not to turn invisible entirely.

“I think you played well. (For a rookie~!)” Tenna chirped as his light turned back on. “Next time, let’s take a look at what curious creatures those capture capsules can produce!”

A small smile stretched over Happy’s lips and he nodded enthusiastically. Fighting games had never interested him much, but with Tenna he wanted to experience all these things that pertained to being a famed celebrity. Even if just like Tenna, he could just have one dedicated viewer whose life he gave a little magic to, that would mean more than the world to him. Because of that, he understood he couldn’t leave Tenna hanging.

“Now, celebratory pie?” Happy offered the forgotten plate.

“Count me in, I’m positively starving!”

Nodding with a lighthearted bounce to his presence, Happy tossed the slice upwards. He wasn't sure if a TV really needed to eat, but then again, did it really matter? He was also wearing a tailcoat and comically large, yellow shoes. With precise aim, the knife cut it in mid-air, parting it into two pieces that landed in their mouths. Satisfied hums went around, enjoying the rich flavor until the knife loosened from the ceiling and sliced right between Tenna’s legs, opened right on time before another ugly incident.

“Okay, maybe less of that,” Happy laughed sheepishly and Tenna acted annoyed as he repeatedly attempted to flick the ghost’s untouchable forehead.

‘On today’s Hometown news!’ A professional voice suddenly broke through. Did the volume just increase by itself? It was a pretty news anchor standing before festively decorated stalls. ‘The Autumn Festival is shaping up to be the event of the season! All of Hometown’s inhabitants are attending, so make sure to pay it a visit! Actually, why are we broadcasting this again if everyone is already here?’

‘It’s so everyone can say hi to their relatives!’

‘Don’t they all also live in town here?’

‘They sure do!’

What followed were countless scenes of people that Happy assumed were his neighbors enthusiastically greeting each other in person.

“A bustling festival!" Tenna chimed in. “Wouldn’t you enjoy going there? It seems to be the talk of the town.”

“Hm, it’s not quite my thing,” Happy said with a shake of his head, eyes fixed on everyone but the random people in the foreground. He sighed contently once Maddy and Blooky shifted into view and their greetings went out to a certain ‘Hapstablook’.

‘Who is that?’ The lady asked with an unbothered, toothy smile. ‘Anyway, moving on~’

It looked like a bit of a scene broke loose as Maddy threw themselves against the cameraman in a fit of anger. The screen promptly cut back to in-studio footage.

“What was that all about? She acted like she had never heard of you,” Tenna scoffed, familiar enough with Hometown to know that it was a rather tight-knit, small community. How was that possible?

“That’s because she doesn’t,” Happy nodded matter-of-factly. "Nobody does, except for my family and you. That’s why I'm nobody.”

“After everything you told me today, that’s exceptional bulls—”

Chirp!

All went dead silent.

Chapter Text

Chirp.

“What was that?” Happy asked, motion halting in place.

“What was what?” Tenna replied, gaining him a suspicious look from the ghost.

“That noise,” Happy emphasized. That lone, brassy sound, hollow but excited like a tiny trumpet played by an overzealous ant that showed up early for a grand parade. 

“Oh that, silly me!” Tenna laughed, “That certainly came from outside! The festival must be quite loud, haha!”

“Quit messing with me,” Happy murmured slightly on edge. Even through the window he couldn’t hear much of anything going on outside. In contrast to the walls in here, he’d congratulate whoever made this building if his worries didn’t lie elsewhere. “What if it’s a mouse? I’m not looking forward to escorting a critter outside, but I don’t want it to be stuck here either.”

“Uhh!! But dear Hap! You most rarely use the door, when would a mouse ever have gotten in without you noticing?” Tenna argued, gesturing dismissively.

“Look, I’m not sure. Maybe it dug a tunnel - which would be its own can of worms - but that’s unimportant now,” Happy shook his head and floated from side to side a little, trying to sharpen his senses in case he could hear it again.

“Nothing?” Tenna asked after a solid second of anticipation, unable to keep his feet still.

“I won’t know unless it’s quiet,” Happy grumbled and decided to lift his furniture for a better look. Under the bed, there was nothing animal-shaped, only a collection of the same unicolor books without titles or cover images. They were the ghost’s humble collection of thoughts; his dreams and aspirations, grievances and day-to-day events. Of which there weren’t many, therefore he bought books in bulk to begin a new one for each entry. It made his eventless life feel a little richer. But now, with Tenna in his presence, he should take the time to take up the pen again. Even if it entertained none but himself.

Under the desk, he had just as little luck. Or maybe it was lucky that he found nothing. Going outside to see the streets filled with people was bound to needlessly overload his senses. If only…

“Oh Mr. Tenna, dear?” Happy floated up right to the poor sap’s face, unaware what an iota of personal space was.

“These graphics are made for at least one (1) meter of viewing distance…!” Tenna shivered in place as he straightened his tie repeatedly.

Pulling a face, Happy rolled his eye and quietly bemoaned the fact he couldn’t shake Tenna into compliance. Even just leaning against him ran the risk of accidentally peeking behind the screen, and he wouldn’t risk that.

“What if I asked you to take care of that little infestation of ours—?” Happy dragged each sound on as long as he could, hoping it would help to make Tenna forget what he was asking and agree.

“You mean… with bringing it outside? It pains me to say, but I cannot do that! Remember, as soon as the lights come on, I’m gone.” Tenna rubbed the back of his neck. This unusual situation - their encounter - was bizarre enough as is. He couldn’t even imagine whether it was possible for him to alter reality in a meaningful way. But seeing the bullet hole in the wall… He really wished he could help, but he needed to think of a different plan.

“Oh, yes… You’re right,” Happy conceded with a small sigh. In the end, not much changed for him, did it? A strange new companion didn’t mean that all his worries dissipated overnight, but the simple comfort he felt in his presence made it easy to forget. “Then, uhm… just help me find it. It’s not hiding under you, is it?”

Tenna actually didn’t know…! What if it was somewhere near his person!? He was sure he hadn’t seen anything the prior morning, but this wasn’t the right time to make sure! He patted his sides down in overdramatic motions and tapped blindly along the carpet floor, but nothing. Good. Crap. Good that he still had time, but crap that so far, his options were limited. Just how much could he get away with? “Nothing here! Darn, it must have escaped! Better luck next time. So, what’s on TV now? What’s next in line for a famous ?”

“Wait, if I just listen, maybe we’ll hear it again,” Happy protested, but Tenna already put Grey’s Anatomy on full blast. The ghost’s eye widened, glued to the screen for a moment too long. Attracted like a moth to a flame, the trap was paying off. “Hold on, Christina is pregnant!?”

Unable to tear his gaze away at first, Happy eventually shook his head. “Can you record that for me, deary? I’d like to watch it after getting this situation sorted out. I can’t relax and bask in the drama like this.”

“You don’t want to… watch TV right now?” Tenna’s voice trembled with hurt. It was intuitive in a way that he wasn’t sure if it was genuine or not.

“Just for the moment~ My, you really are impatient, aren’t you?” Happy sighed, giving his TV a pensive look. What was his deal all of a sudden?

Tenna’s screen lowered to the floor, antennas drooping. The whole room turned grey and became covered in red, x-shaped marks that crossed out every star.  “Well… yes, then I guess I should… shut myself off; never make a sound again. I might as well go back to mute shows. Everyone go home, it’s over. Toss the dial in the trash. The show’s off, I’m officially on the street, living in a cardboard box. I’d take donations, but my arms are like twigs: too weak to hold them. I’ll just wait for Mike to come get me… which isn’t going to be happening ever. Because he hates me. Maybe some day, someone will take me apart and use me as the theater for their puppet shows on the street.”

The ghost didn’t say a word when the pity party came to an end and the dejected TV host stood atop the desk at the size of a handbag. Back turned and head hung low, at least now he could say with certainty that nothing was hidden under Tenna’s backside. Suffice to say, that was something. Not unexpected, but something. In a way, he had hoped it wouldn’t come to this. Brow lowered, he squinted, making his displeasure clear. The room felt colder, for there was no pity in him, no panic. Only a sobering sense of clarity. Of course this would happen. They weren’t really as close as Tenna’s behavior made it seem.

“Wow, this… really isn’t a good look on you, Mr. I must say I’m disappointed,” Happy shook his head before floating out through the door, silent as the nameless spectre the world knew him as.

Tenna froze even though he should feel a wave of relief. Disappointed…? His chest ached terribly, like an icicle tore a hole through his heart. But he grit his teeth - he had to pull himself together, this wasn’t the time! Who knew when the ghost decided to return? It was his personal bunker after all, where else would he go?

Chirp!

There it was again! Only this time, he could pinpoint it more clearly; the closet! With haste, he nearly tore the doors off their hinges. It looked like an absolute mess inside – all of the crowding belongings of the ghost were haphazardly thrown into this place with little regard for order. All until they formed a dusty pile of glittery costumes, music albums, various broken musical instruments and untouched make-up kits. On top of it all sat the lone light switch and…!

“Darling!!” Tenna shrieked with joy, feeling like the weight of the world tumbled off his shoulders. If he could, he would cry with relief, so instead he only produced a string of incoherent noises as snot dripped from his nose. “I’m so glad you’re alright! You had papa worried sick! Don’t ever run away from home again, you hear me?”

He blew his nose until he felt more calm and held the egg to the side of his head. As if it spoke words only he could hear, he made affirmative sounds every now and again.

“Uhuh, so the kids dropped you off here? That’s splendid! Incredible! I must thank them somehow, I owe them my life! But… how did they get their hands on you in the first place? What!? They kidnapped you!? I’ll never forgive them in my life!!”

But now it was time to manage his priorities; he had kept her in a closet to hide for a long time, so it only seemed right to continue this trend. A nicer bed would do, he thought, so he’d see to that somehow. Maybe something made out of shredded newspapers? If only he could reach the front door on a Sunday morning. Would it be too suspicious to ask Hap to bring them to him? “How glad I am Hap didn’t find out, I wouldn’t know what I would do if he did, haha! What would he think if he knew, hahaha!” Tenna joked, bathing in the fragile sense of security he deluded himself into believing he had. A straying glance across the room confirmed; Happy’s face peeked through the door, mouth drawn in a thin line as he stared blankly.

At mach speed, the closet door was shut and Tenna leaned against it like it was the most normal thing in the world. Like a conversation around the watercooler, both situations made him sweat with anxiety.

“Hap! My dear viewer, splendid spooker Hap! Looking good over there! I missed you, Hap, haha! What brings you here?” Tenna laughed nervously, trying to play it off casually with miserable success.

“To my own room?” Happy asked incredulously, not seeing the need to move by an inch.

"Ahaha…! Yes, that’s silly isn’t it? Why were you gone in the first place?”

“Mr. Tenna, I’m going to open that closet,” Happy spoke calmly. It wasn’t a threat, it was a promise.

“What? Haha, why would you do that? It’s just the same old closet, nothing of interest in there. All just stuff we don’t need in here!” Tenna’s mouth ran like a faucet, aware that he was tying the noose tighter around his neck by the second, but was unable to stop himself.

“Step aside or I will make you, hon.”

“Make me!?” A strain of arrogance entered Tenna’s voice. “You’ve got some nerve. This is none of your business!”

“This is my house, of course it’s my business! All of a sudden you’re acting like you robbed a bank! If you won’t tell me what the matter is, you’ve got it coming.”

“Your house?” A mocking laugh left Tenna. “I doubt it. Who is paying the bills? Definitely not you.”

Happy's heart sank in shock and hurt, the betrayed look on his face telling Tenna he'd done it again; he went too far. But there was no room for regret in his stance, this was a hill worth dying on. “How dare you…”

No more. A pink aura manifested around the TV host, forcing him into immovability. Tenna fought against this powerful force, but found himself unable to break free. Slowly, he was being dragged over to the bed. “No! No, you can't do this! If they find out, I'm…! They can't know! They will think…!”

Sharp claws dented his gloves in his instinctive, rage-filled attempts to reach out for the closet. This couldn’t be happening! What if he lost her once and for all!? The last shred of family he still had left? But he couldn’t do anything, rendered frozen in place. He shivered all over in agitation and before the fatigue of hopelessness set in, he suddenly exploded in size to fill out half of the room. Happy's eye widened in surprise, he had taken it Tenna's usual height was the limit, but this rapidly outgrew his capabilities of control. The aura dissipated like a futile spell, but in return Tenna's entire being appeared unstable. 

“You will not lay a finger on that closet ever again!” He screamed, claws digging into the walls.

Unnerved, Happy backed off. Not because he saw himself in danger; nothing could harm him, so much he knew. No knives, no bullets and for sure no extra large TVs. But what he witnessed intimidated him on a deeper level. Before him sat this hunched over man who clung to something that meant more to him than his own life. What could be so terrible, so unspeakable that a TV would never want him to find out about it?

Tenna trembled with the effort of keeping this form up, but he was desperate. Happy didn't deserve to be dragged into his affairs, so it was best to keep them locked behind thousands of hidden doors. It really wasn't necessary for Happy to know more about him than what he could offer. The daily TV program was all a viewer needed! Who cared about what state Tenna's motherboard was in or what his most precious possession was? There were more important things like recording Happy's favorite show for later!

Actually… record… record!? He was supposed to record Grey's Anatomy! For heaven's sake, he had totally forgotten about that! Hands pressed flat to his screen, he cowered in shame when his size shrunk dramatically. He sat there dejected, unable to muster a single word of excuse nor of apology. His feelings were a jumbled mess, leading him to feel both justified and terrible at the same time. As if he had yelled at a puppy that peed on the carpet.

“Hap, what am I doing…?” Tenna spoke weakly, so terribly confused on why he worked so hard to ruin his second chance.

Faced with all that just happened, Happy didn't care about petty drama or soap operas. There was still the ominous skeleton in the closet to be addressed, but at this point, he wasn’t sure how to approach the matter without causing another meltdown. There were many punctures in his walls, and he dreaded what he might see if he turned the lights on. Would they still be there? Would that mean… that there was a tangible possibility Tenna might destroy his home in a fit of rage?

“Mr. Tenna, it cannot continue like this,” Happy spoke softly, heartache contained in every syllable.

Tenna gasped, brought to his knees as he reached out for the ghost. As always, a futile effort. “...Are you going to throw me away?”

“No, but I'll do something worse: I will squeeze every last secret out of you. And if you prefer homelessness over that, then so be it. But I will not accept this lying down. This is not about gratitude, that you owe me because I took you in. It's about clarity. Because I refuse to walk on eggshells in my own home, is that clear? I deserve comfort here and I can be your partner in crime, but that's not in the cards if you hiss and claw at me like a stray cat.”

“Partner in crime…?” Tenna muttered confused, daring a single glance at the ghost floating high above. He didn't like the sound of this. At all.

Out of nowhere, a stool appeared, Tenna was sat atop it and a spotlight cast him in a bright cone like the beginning of an interrogation. This was new— Usually, people just bent to his will or – more recently – kicked his ass. If he was to be honest, he preferred that over the current situation.

With a heavy sigh, he snapped his fingers and his suitcase opened by itself. Surprised, Happy tried to keep a close eye on both sources of concern. But before he knew it, his room had transformed into a mock-The Dating Game setup, complete with chairs for everyone and a translucent, heart-shaped filter between them.

“Welcome, Ladies and Germs to a , late noon story!” Tenna bowed to the nonexistent audience. “Please give a warm welcome and applause to our bachelors of the day! Bachelor number 1: an honorary guest in our studio! He's here, he's there, he's everywhere! No need to hide what isn't there; it's nothingness! Coming straight to your house if this show goes awry!

Bachelor number 2: equally as quiet, but a good listener! The outer shell is hard, but holds an endearing, soft core. A musical prodigy with a knack for the top brass, please welcome my little darling!

And last but not least, bachelor number 3! Ever groovy and never glooby, the star host whose first gig was singing before a pond full of frogs at the age of three! Their croaking applause will never be forgotten. Three-times accidental ‘exploding you with my mind’-award winner and highly appraised eyewear model; me! Mr. (Ant) Tenna!

Next, we'll be right back to meet our young contestant on the other side after the ad break, so don't touch that dial!”

A small jingle played from Tenna's speakers, advertising for laundry detergent by the sound of it.

“Mr. Tenna? My~ you're versed in my tastes, but don't get things twisted,” Happy chuckled dryly. Fine, if this was the way things had to go, he wouldn't mind. At least they could approach the matter in a way that left less of a bitter taste in his mouth.

“My bad, it's the only motive I had on hand.” The TV-headed, shadowy silhouette rubbed his neck. But he felt it was the only way for him to speak his mind. “You have my word, no tricks.”

Once the little song ended, he was back on his feet, and suddenly, it sounded like there was an audience as well. It was difficult to pinpoint where the sound of clapping and cheering came from. And frankly, Happy couldn't even see far enough off-stage past the blinding spotlights to tell whether anyone was there or not. But he'd chalk it up to ‘Dark World' things. In the meantime, Tenna bowed with boundless enthusiasm.

“Welcome back everyone, it's time to meet our gentleman of the night! Elusive, yet of grande impression. Seen when he wants to be seen. The owl’s hoot, he's tit for tat, generous and a real spook. Welcome Mr. Hapstablook!”

Happy leaned forward in his chair, cheeks warming up as the sounds of a roaring audience felt oddly flattering. He wasn’t done with his sour look though, that would take some more convincing.

Eye narrowed, Happy faced the audience with a beaming smile fueled by spite. “Hi darlings, I expect you all look forward to us getting along famously? Fingers crossed for the best~” 

A nervous laugh sounded from Tenna, who pulled at his collar. Meanwhile, a tiny pixelated Tenna came up to Happy and provided him with a couple of cue cards. Before the ghost could investigate the small creature's appearance, it was gone again, and with it went those cards without a single look at what they held. As if he needed these.

“Contestant number 1, on a Sunday morning, what would you wake me up with?”

“With as much TV time as you want of course! (And pancakes, if I had access to the kitchen.)”

“Why, who would let a stranger in their house anywho,” Happy commented and immediately the TV’s antennas drooped low. “Contestant number 2, how about you?”

There was silence for a moment. All he could see through the panel was how Tenna held up and shook an egg around as if to animate its speech.

“Maybe no wakey wakey eggs and bakey, but I'll be the best alarm clock you ever had! A tiny orchestra all for you.” It was obvious Tenna was only changing the tone of his voice, but this left Happy with more questions than before.

“But I do like my eggs sunny side up, how can we solve this, hun?” 

“Well you're to die for, but there's so much in this life yet for me to see - with you.” A wave of ‘aww's only made Happy roll his eye.

“Bachelor number 1, how would you describe bachelor number 2 to me?” Happy asked, dissatisfied with his lack of arms and legs to cross provocatively.

“I– I understand your impatience, but I’m afraid that's against the rules!” Tenna muttered behind a raised palm.

“Answer my question or get the boot.”

“Ok, ok! Ah, where to begin… She… it's a she! Yes, uhm… she's big, blue and beautiful, a future star and very dear to me.” Tenna's heart raced as he hoped that was enough to be said.

“Might just get jealous, why don't you run off with her if she's so beautiful and dear? Why put in all this effort?” Shocked murmuring went about, and the camera focused awkwardly close on the host's face. In protest, he shoved it away to the best of his abilities.

For a moment, it was Tenna who was taken aback by this setup. He hadn't expected Hap to take it this seriously. “No that's not it! My heart may have holes, but its shell is made up of old memories - and that includes her.”

“So you can't let go?” There was a sharp edge to Happy's tone, but really he held sympathy. His own dream wasn't any less of a castle in the air.

“No, I… I can't. It was long, long ago that I thought I had a shot at true success, that the world would see me! But my then-partner stood me up. And all that is left of this time is her. It's disgraceful… this is not what TV professionalism looks like. I should forget about it. I should be over it!”

Slowly, the edge of Happy's anger softened. “But you're not.”

“I'm not.” Tenna shook his head.

“So… she is what exactly? Your daughter?” Happy was genuinely intrigued and a little invested.

“I would rather not go into further detail, but I love her more than tacky words can describe. I'm so terribly afraid of losing her and in the same breath, losing myself. It would be like the last good thing I helped make would simply disappear.”

Happy halted for a second. Ok, so— daughter. Why was he being so vague about this? Certainly, that ex played a role in it. He'd have wished for some popcorn right now if this didn't pertain to his friend.

“Alright, hm… Bachelor number 1,” Happy spoke and heard a faint ‘again?’ from the other side, “Tell me; what were the last two days like for you?”

“Uhm, for me?” Tenna sputtered, feeling a little lost on where to begin.

“Yes, you, silly.”

“It- it was an honor to serve as your home entertainment system so far! What greater joy could I imagine than to be used until the fun runs out?” Palms intertwined, he fluttered up off his chair as if he weighed less than a feather drifting in fresh spring air.

“Wrong answer.” Happy shook his head, and a ‘wrong’ buzzer sound played as he took the wind out of Tenna's sails. “Bachelor number 2, can you describe more accurately what bachelor number 1 felt like being here?”

Tenna looked back and forth between the contestant and the imagined audience, chuckling and muttering ‘how would she know that?’ repeatedly until he got over himself and began speaking.

“He feels lost, he doesn't know where he belongs. This isn't his home, and he feels incredibly sorry for making you feel like it wasn't yours either, Hap. He just couldn't believe his luck to get to make someone happy again, so he treated it as if it was really just a matter of time until the daydream ended.”

“I'm truly sorry. Whatever you choose to do with me now, I'll accept it. The time for CRTs is over, I've known it ever since commercials for bigger, slimmer models started airing. I didn't want to hear or see any of it. But I'm just humble ol’ me – ol’ Tenna and his little darling. It's all I've got.” This time, there was no reaction from the audience, he didn't want it. Speaking freely came rarely enough as it was. He didn't need masses to give their judgement on his affairs. He only needed to feel that his shoulders weighed less and that for once, everyone was treated fairly.

The sound of an engine revving was a small prelude to the gnashing, overbearing sound of a chainsaw as it cut the panel between the contestants in half. Little pieces of wood and plastic flew about, which he shielded the little pipis from. Once the walls fell, the lone ghost joined the little family.

“As much as I enjoy the dramatics, that’s enough. I heard all I needed to hear.” Happy chuckled as he let the heavy machinery clatter to the floor. A curious glance went out to the unoccupied chairs before returning to a defensively seated Tenna. “What you have there is precious. I understand why you wouldn’t let it go unprotected. Next time, just fill me in, ok?”

Pensively, Tenna nodded. The urge remained strong to hide everything about himself away, and he doubted it would ever leave completely. But was it wrong to have that last bastion of secrecy? Only time could tell. “As you can tell, I haven’t worked eye-to-eye with anyone in forever. I fear I’ve become a… not so good person. I used to have lots of people around me, bound them to me with rules and rewards. Now, I see what it truly earned me. I saw it the day I got here. Even before that, really.”

“Maybe it really was time for a fresh start, huh?” Happy asked, wondering just what exactly happened in that Dreemurr household. Were there more sentient objects? It was surprising enough that his TV could do these things all of a sudden. “Don’t worry, darling, you and your little one are here to stay. Although you were wrong about one thing.”

“That is?” Tenna wondered aloud, slowly gaining the courage to turn around with his little one in hand. His palm alone was big enough to cover her still… Baby steps.

“This is also your home now. If you want it to be. It’s not perfect, but that's not what it’s about, I believe.”

“...” Tenna’s mouth stood agape as he found himself at a loss for words. This time was different. He really felt… different. Calm, elated, taken aback, all at once. His nose began to run and staticky cheeks warmed up as he fought the lump forming in his throat. “You’ve got me all flustered, haha… I don’t know how to repay you for this. Nor how to make things right. Will the grand prize of a baking course for two do anything? It was actually meant for a couple, but uhm…”

“Now, I won’t say no to that, but it’s not all up to you, Mr.”  Happy scolded with a cheeky tongue stuck out. “You’ve signed a deal with the dead now. I hope you’re aware of that. And as for your little one… may I see her?”

Comfort came from patting the egg’s shell, his small island of calm in a sea of noise and distractions. Now that he was of clearer mind, it seemed best for her. It takes a village, he always heard, and his own capabilities were a far cry from it. Slowly and with care, he lowered the blue shell to Happy’s eye level. In awe, the ghost gave the oddly huge egg an investigative look. In hindsight, it was to be expected; Tenna is a big gentleman!

“Wow~ I’ve never seen a more beautiful and well-loved little mademoiselle. I’m dying to know her hair care routine,” Happy cooed, already infatuated with the little thing. It reminded him of Blooky, just as quiet and musically inclined.

Tenna lit up with pride, beaming from cheek to cheek as he realized the upsides of sharing his passions. “You get it! No one could hold a candle to her even in the most daunting of beauty pageants! Oh but, such unfriendly environments aren’t good for her! No, she is already a star; a shooting star that fell from the sky and chose my hands to rest upon. Just for a while until her time comes to shine brighter than I ever could.”

“Looks like I’ll have tremendous competition~ I’ll welcome it with grace. But for now, let’s make her a place to stay that’s worthwhile, no?” Once the stage was shoved back where it came from, Happy opened the closet and pushed his collection of items to the side. Though as he mused over what to use for the padding, his eyes darted back to some wooly sweaters and soft cotton tops. They floated into place to form a neat little area big enough to accommodate their player three. “There, nice and comfy, and with enough privacy to let her rest whenever she needs it. What do you say?”

Once the pipis was lovingly placed down, Tenna straightened up quickly, gloved hands folded flat before his wiggling lips. What really made him the happiest was the fact that both of them were accepted and safe. Delight bloomed at the tip of his nose. Never in his wildest dreams had he expected this outcome. “Gahh!! It’s ! ! ! I could crash through the roof with joy! I’m serious when I say, I’m forever grateful! I will never cause you any trouble ever again!”

“Ah ah~ What did I say about never saying never? Some trouble is entirely welcome~ And please, it’s nothing. Can’t let a beautiful princess go without a roof over her head.”

“Ah, of course…!” Tenna floundered, feeling like he was still tapping in the dark when it came to this strangely inspirational side of the ghost. “Then let’s let her rest now. This day was exhausting enough for a little one.”

Slowly, he pushed the doors closed and sighed with relief once it was done. Sometimes, she cried out to him for a long time after he left, but his duties hadn’t always left room to return in time. Now, this unfortunate circumstance may change! He hoped this would make her happier.

“I can’t help but wonder… how did she make those noises from within the shell?”

“Haha, I don’t know! Just an egg quirk, I suppose!” Tenna laughed, having imagined that all worthwhile eggs behaved like this. Suddenly, Happy felt the immense desire to inspect the shelves in the supermarket. Maybe he just hadn’t ever listened close enough? Well, it wasn’t like he spent much time there anyway.

Settling back onto the bed made Happy feel like all the energy was sucked out of him. He hadn’t realized how draining it could feel to talk his manic TV out of multiple tantrums in the same day. Was this worth it? He liked Tenna, and truth be told, he wasn’t mentally prepared to go out and look for a different one if push had come to shove. With the internet still down, that posed a serious threat to his entertainment value. But as it turned out, he still derived a certain degree of… fun from these situations, no matter how strange or dire they felt. A tiny bit like he was a person who could make a difference and stand up for what he believed in. And maybe because he had experience with similar outbursts in his family. Still, the ghosts loved every one of their own all the same. That thought drove a small smile onto his face.

He turned to face the ceiling and just observed the stars that weren’t crossed out anymore. It was quiet, a serene calm that Tenna also indulged in while he waited for new requests to arrive. It didn’t feel awkward, but rather relaxing, so he, too, took in the many shapes of space, and could only think of how many times he had passed the green room in a hurry without appreciating them. His antennas straightened up when he noticed the covers of Happy’s bed shifting. A book floated up from underneath it, joined by a pen that soon pushed against the first line of a blank, new page.

“Dear Diary,” Happy spoke aloud, so Tenna could hear, “I’ve made two new friends. One is a little rectangular and the other is round, but they keep me fabulous company. Finally, I have someone to watch my favorite series with. But I wonder if he likes them too, because he only keeps looking at me when they’re on.”