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You were fast asleep, it had been a long night, you stayed up a bit later than you usually would with Tenna, watching some Christmas themed movies and cartoons, the two of you had been surrounded by warm comfy blankets though Tenna provided a lot of warmth himself, the gentle glow of his screen, the shows and movies flickering softly, he of course liked having his arms wrapped around you, along with his plug tail.
Despite his size, he was always so gentle with you, always holding you as if you were a delicate flower, once he had confessed that he was so scared of hurting you, that sometimes he forgot his own size and strength, your reassurances had thankfully helped him through that.
In fact there was one time where one of his claws accidentally cut your skin and Tenna had freaked out, it was a tiny cut and literally nothing to worry about but the Television panicked, he bandaged your cut and even wound up shrinking down in size due to being upset, he could be a bit of a drama king sometimes but it was sweet how much he cared about you and your safety.
Even though when you helped him feel better, he grew in size again and nearly squashed you underneath him, which he also apologized for, you had been with Tenna for as long as you could remember, ever since you first met him, he had technically just taken you and plopped you on his game show, though you didn't mind it, in fact all things considering, you're glad it happened.
You and Tenna had grown more and more attached to each other with each show that passed, Tenna started inviting you to do a lot more than just star in his shows, sometimes it was just to hang out in his office and chat, other times it was little dinner dates though he had denied at the time, and then one day, the Television had finally confessed, he was extremely cliche about it but he brought roses, a box of chocolates, balloons and even a plush for extra measures.
He was actually smooth at times with some things he said …But then there was the clumsiness, he had tripped and fell, the items scattering all around which seemed to embarrass him, but when you laughed, when you seemed entertained by him and his shenanigans, you remember seeing a spark surge through his antennas.
You of course had accepted when he asked you out properly, and after that, well, you two grew closer and closer, until finally you got married, Tenna of course had planned the BIGGEST wedding possible, all the works, maybe even a bit TOO much but he had admitted he just wanted you to have the best wedding possible, when you said you didn't need the biggest and flashiest wedding, that you were just happy about being with him, about getting married to him in general.
Tenna seemed to calm down after that, it didn't stop him from being extra but he was always extra in general, but he just seemed… Really happy after you had said that, you even caught a glimpse of that plug tail wagging, though he denied it to this very day, he got flustered each time you brought it up too.
Ever since then, you were happily married to this silly Tv man, life with him could be… Eccentric, as Tenna was a pretty eccentric kinda guy, he was silly, wacky but never glooby …Whatever that meant, his antics though are just another thing you adore about him, you adore his charm and his silly nature, and of course, despite all the antics he gets up to and basically throws you into along with him, you also adored his sweet, tender, and kind nature.
Tenna might have claws and razor sharp fangs but he always is mindful and careful around you, anytime he picked you up to hold you, he was careful not to let those claws dig in, sometimes retracting them if he felt especially anxious about touching you, his kisses were tender, though sometimes his nose poked you, and or a fang grazes you …Not that you mind of course.
He always tried his best, he was also might protective as well, perhaps even a bit… Overprotective of you, The Dark World could be dangerous sometimes, so he had told you to just yell his name and he'd come running …Apparently he meant that literally, because one day something tried attacking you, you screamed his name and in all honesty, his sprint was a bit… Terrifying, it didn't help the fact he had grown in size.
he was gigantic and it had made the ground shake and tremor, he was quick to snatch you up and hold you securely against him, his first instinct was to check for injuries and you swore if he had found any, that enemy would of been.
…Well, it's best not to say, even then he still scared the shit out of them, Tenna can be pretty frightening when he gets genuinely angry, though he always promised that anger would never be directed toward you.
After that, Tenna had treated you to some ice cream, despite the fact you weren't hurt, he could tell you were kinda shaken up after that, despite how you said he didn't need to do it, he insisted and well …There was rarely ever winning an argument with him, as you dream peacefully, dreaming of good memories, good times with your husband, Tenna slowly peers around the corner, his nose bending a bit as he's pressed close to the doorway, when he readjusts.
It springs back to normal with a comical 'boing' sound though he's quick to clutch it to prevent waking you up, he walks into the room, slow, tip-toeing even, as he stands beside the bed you share together, he smiles down at you, a bunch of love hearts appearing on his screen, he turns his volume down so he can whisper "Aww… They look so happy in their sleep… They must be having good dreams"
Tenna gently reaches out his clawed hand, he strokes your head gently, delicately, keeping his touch as light as a feather so he wouldn't disturb your sleeping form, the Television doesn't know how he got this lucky, how he scored so well but he wouldn't trade this, he wouldn't trade his life with you for anything in the entire world, not ratings, not more people watching him, nothing, he was… Genuinely happy like this, his plug tail wags a little as he stares down at you with adoration
"…Sleep well, my shining little star…" And with that, Tenna leans down, ensuring his nose isn't a nuisance and he presses a kiss to your forehead, before pulling away and heading back out of the bedroom, he feels a sense of contentment, of bliss wash over him, how on EARTH did he get so lucky…?
. . .
A few hours later, you finally begin to stir, the reason you woke up is because you can smell a delicious aroma coming from presumably the kitchen, it stirred you from your slumber, your eyes slowly open though you need to blink and rub at them a few times to clear your vision, and then you stretch and yawn a little, glancing to the clock to see it's around 11:00 AM, you figured Tenna would have already woken you up but no, then again considering the smell wafting to the bedroom…
You had a pretty good idea of what he might be doing, you then look at the date, it's Christmas Eve… You smile at this, Christmases with Tenna could be interesting, he usually invited a good amount of people on Christmas Day, Kris, Susie and Ralsei had came by last time, though Kris and Susie just poured some eggnog into each other's mouths.
It was nice, funny too when Kris had spoken to Tenna when they were asked how they were liking the party so far 'bangin' party my man' it at least meant they were enjoying themselves, either way, you stretch one final time before slowly getting out of bed, heading to the kitchen, not bothering to change out of your comfortable pajamas, you slowly amble through the hallway, to the living room and finally at the kitchen, you stop at the table and you see Tenna standing there by the stove/oven.
He has four arms which you rarely see him with, he's got a lot of ingredients, mixing some of them, pouring another into a bowl, though breakfast is already nearly done, this seems like dessert, in fact, it looks like he's making chocolate chip cookies for later, when Tenna hears you, one of his antennas twitches, before he turns his head around while still working "Ah! Good morning sleeping beauty! I was wondering if I'd need to wake you up! You're just in time actually…!"
You smile "Good morning, Tenna" When he had said you were just in time, you watch as he sets the dessert ingredients aside, and the lights turn out before a spotlight shines on him, then as dramatic as usual "You're just in time for…!" A drum roll plays from somewhere, where? You aren't sure but you stopped question the cartoony-like antics long ago, and then Tenna uses his four arms, he grabs the pan with one to dramatically flip the pancakes, holding a plate with the other.
The pancakes land perfect on top of one another, another hand pours some syrup on it and then adds some strawberries around the plate, the other two hands deal with the bacon and eggs, flipping them dramatically onto the plate before Tenna spun around and posed in a comical way while sliding the plates on the table, he spoke, cranking up his volume a bit "MR. ANT TENNA'S… BREAKFAST TIIIIIME~!" He winks after saying that.
You can't help but grin and laugh a little at this display, you do applaud of course and then he begins to bow a bunch of times while saying 'thank you' his movements are always a bit erratic while he bows, and then Tenna stands back up normally, his plug tail swishing, he walks toward you, despite not being an outrageous height right now.
Tenna still towers completely over you, though his posture is not menacing in the slightest, he reaches a hand out to stroke your head before he places a kiss on your lips.
He lingers there, just enjoying the kiss, when you return the kiss, he blushes as well, his screen turning a bright red, hearts flutter across his screen, dancing like flower petals, when he pulls back, he sighs in bliss "Always love the support from my number one fan!"
Tenna then pats your head before pulling out a chair and gesturing for you to sit "Go ahead! Eat up! I'm making dessert for later on too, some cookies, classic style aka homemade and fresh! Oh- And I have a surprise later too"
You take a seat at the table, looking at the breakfast displayed before you, big fluffy pancakes, syrup dribbling down them, fresh strawberries on the side, some juicy bacon and eggs plated to the side as well, and then of course, a glass of juice Tenna quickly slides in there because he totally didn't forget that until just this moment, you listen to him mention how he's making dessert for later.
And then you perk up as he mentions a surprise "Oh?" Curiosity laces your tone as you ask him, of course his response is a laugh and he shakes his head before booping you on the nose "Well now silly, if I told you, it wouldn't be a surprise! You'll see soon enough! For now, eat your breakfast!"
You sigh, knowing Tenna wouldn't tell you anything, not even a hint this time, you dig into your breakfast, despite not seeming like it, the Television is an AMAZING cook.
Tenna's always been a good cook, another charming part of him, and he adores making you breakfast especially, even if he always does it in such a dramatic manner, you close your eyes and sigh in bliss, when you compliment his cooking, saying how you always adored his food, his tail wags, face blushes and some smoke comes from his head, he adjusts his tie with one of his hands and looks away, being bashful.
"D'aww… I'm glad you enjoy my cooking! You know I really enjoy making food for you, I always love seeing your smile, especially right after you take the first bite! Like you're doing right now" He points for emphasis, there is indeed a smile on your face.
It's your turn for your face to turn red at his words, seeing you blush makes him smirk confidently "Ah, bonus points because now you're blushing too!" He teases.
You playfully tell him to shut up though your mouth is full of food, he retorts and tells you it's impolite to talk with your mouth full, after a bit of playful banter, you continue eating and he finishes up putting those cookies in the oven finally, checking it over before sitting beside you at the table, his plug tail lifts up, beginning to pat and stroke your head as he speaks, while he is still loud when speaking most times.
He is actually a bit quieter when off the air "Now! When you get finished eating, like I said, I want you to get dressed, wear what makes you comfortable but remember! Make sure you wear something nice and warm for tonight because you could get cold!" He then puts a hand to his mouth like he's whispering
"And trust me, no one wants the cold shoulder …or a cold either" You nod at his words, continuing to eat your breakfast, when you swallow some more of your pancakes, you then speak.
"You really aren't gonna tell me where we're going?"
Tenna then shakes his head "Nope! Secret!" You sigh, knowing damn well Tenna won't tell you anything and he threatens to playfully deduct your points if you kept asking, you decide to leave it alone and wait, after finishing your breakfast.
You offer to wash the dishes this time which Tenna tries to insist himself but when you tell him he's done it the last two times, he relents, he does thank you and give you a kiss on the forehead for taking care of that for him, and then your off, to get cleaned up, a shower, a change of clothes.
You put on the warmest and comfiest clothes you had for winter time, after a bit when you come back out and Tenna notices you, his antennas twitch suddenly before shaping into a heart and his screen turns red, he swallows thickly and adjusts his tie.
"Well now! Don't you look absolutely dashing! Almost as dashing as me, those clothes really suit you, and so do the colors!" Tenna walks toward you and then picks you up, holding you as if you weighed nothing at all, he holds you close to him, hugging you tightly …Maybe a bit… Too… Tightly.
"Ghk… T-Tens… H-Honey… I love you but… Please- you're… Crushing me a little" Tenna gasps and he eases up, looking a bit embarrassed "Oh- Sorry, I forget sometimes my own strength! Especially when it comes to Lightners, specifically the human variety!" He does check you over to ensure you were fine, dusting you off a bit.
When you smile and tell him not to worry that you were alright, he seems to relax at least a little bit, as you lean forward to initiate the kiss this time, his tail suddenly stands straight out, making a comical 'boing' sound.
His antennas do the same before he sighs in bliss, Tenna is a lot more happier since you came into his life, since you actually stayed with him, he remembers how you were always there for him since you came into this Dark World, even at his lowest points, you stuck around with him, it made him the happiest television in the world, he returns the kiss, wrapping his arms fully around you but not crushing you thankfully this time.
As you two share a heated kiss that gets both of your faces red, it feels so nice, so blissful- Click! A camera shutter noise startles you both, Tenna whips his head around 360 degrees to see Mike with a camera in their hand, snickering, an anger vein appears on his screen as he gently sets you down before turning fully to him.
"Mike! What- what the hey what the mammia mia- whocho mama! You-you can't just-" Tenna deeply inhales, though is calm by no means "This ain't no peep show! This isn't even a show, especially not one of those After Dark ones! Scram!"
Tenna extends his claws and shows off his fangs as he steps closer in a menacing way to get Mike to shoo, which they happily do so, immediately fleeing, it takes him a few minutes to realize before he smacks his screen with his palm which makes himself static "H-HEY WAIT! THE PICTURE! MIKE!!! GET BACK HERE!!"
He yells, immediately charging after Mike, he does peer back into the room beforehand "Hey my sweet shining little star, be a dear for me and keep an eye on the cookies pretty please?" You laugh and nod "Of course Tens, of course"
After thanking you by extending one of his arms to pat your head, he then rushes off, you walk toward the kitchen and take a seat at the table, watching to ensure the cookies didn't burn or god forbid the house burn down.
Even from here you can hear the commotion in the distance, you hear what sounds like a cat meowing loudly, then you hear some crashing and banging around, Tenna yelling for the picture, a bunch of cartoon sound effects if you were being honest, you can hear Tenna yelling at Mike, before he presumably and finally catches them.
…After thirty minutes of running around that is, by this time, you had put on oven mitts to take the cookies out, seeing how they were perfectly golden brown, how soft and chewy they seemed, you were tempted to take one right now but you knew if you did, Tenna would scold you because their too hot.
…But your husband isn't in the room yet …One wouldn't hurt, you reach out to take a cookie with the mitt still on, plucking it from the tray, you are about to try scarfing it down before a shadow appears, looming over you.
…Uh-Oh… …You begin to sweat a bit, you can hear him tapping his foot, you swallow thickly ". . . ah- …Miiiike…? Is-is that you?" You try to joke around but then you feel a clearly gloved hand on your shoulder, an incorrect buzzer sound plays "Wrong answer! …Try. Again… My sweet shining little star…" You sweat more profusely "Uhhh… …Zapper…?"
You keep jokingly guessing, Tenna plays an incorrect buzzer each time before he finally says your name "I'm not playing with you, give me that cookie- you know it's too hot" …Silence falls across both of you, in fact a tumbleweed passes through the kitchen to which Tenna looks confused at.
"Huh- what- what- how'd that get in here?" You take this chance to immediately scarf down the cookie, Tenna gasps "H-HEY! NO!" He tries to wrestle the cookie from you but it's too little, too late unfortunately.
*You ate the cookie… It's absolutely delicious! But… …It's hot… Too hot, in hindsight you should of waited for it to cool… … Oh well, it was totally worth it. 10- Damage.
Tenna pinches the bridge of his nose, watching as you fan your mouth off to cool it down, he sighs, the anger vein prominent on his forehead "Don't you feel SILLY? Don't you feel stupid? Don't you feel a little ashamed?"
He grabs some milk from the fridge and pours you a bit of it, telling you to at least try to cool your mouth off in a way that'll actually help, you drink the milk, it doesn't heal you, but it helps a lot, you grin at him "It was totally worth it, the cookies are delicious"
Tenna tries to hide his smile but you see it, you see his screen turn red for a split second though he tries to keep his stern tone "…I'm flattered but flattery will get you nowhere, in fact, I'm deducting ten points from you right after I heal you"
You pout at his words and cross your arms but then you smirk as an idea forms in your head.
"You can't deduct my points if you don't get a chance to heal me" Tenna stares at you before he grins, showing off his fangs "Oh? …You're playing a dangerous game, my shining little star… And we're not even airing this one!"
You get in a stance to run, while your husband, playfully exasperated tells you to not dare run, the moment you do, Tenna immediately chases after you, telling you to get back there, though this sounds less like cartoon violence, you run him around a few times, taunting him playfully and sticking out your tongue to blow a raspberry at him.
Though you forget some of your husbands abilities, like for example, him growing in size, which he does so and immediately snatches you up in his giant hand "Got'cha!" You struggle and squirm in his grasp but you huff and relent "…That's no fair, you cheater!"
Tenna gasps in mock offense "Cheating?! I do NOT cheat! Besides, if you had just stood there and took your point deduction like a good little star should, I wouldn't of had to do this!" You blink at his phrasing and slowly look up to him and utter a confused 'what' but he either noticed and purposefully ignored you or was truly oblivious.
"Anywho! Time to get you healed and your points taken! An equivalent exchange if you will!" Tenna snaps his fingers, the damage you took from the hot cookie is removed and so are some of your points which you scoff at, but your husband doesn't seem done there.
"And now, for making me chase you around our humble abode so cruelly after I was cooking all day…" He speaks dramatically, a hand across his screen "You get to go to our… FABULOUS TIME OUT CORNER~!" An audience laughing and clapping plays from somewhere, you shake your head "Oh Tens, c'mon you already took my points- don't put me in there"
"Ah ah ah! Don't you 'Tens' me… You did this to yourself!" Tenna immediately shushes you and then he places you in his shirt pocket, sealing you inside "You can come out when you learn to behave! …Or maybe when I decide to let you back out, you do look cute inside of there! Like a cute little pocket pet"
You glare at him through his pocket, immediately punching at it "I will FIGHT you, don't you dare call me a pocket pet!" Tenna can't help but grin, he pats at his pocket in a playfully but annoyingly condescending way.
"Oh relax, maybe you'll learn your lesson after this!" True to the television's word, he keeps you in his pocket, always managing to stop your attempts from escaping, you didn't really mind being in his pocket, you were more so just doing this out of spite and stubbornness.
Of course every single time without fail, Tenna always managed to block you and stop your escape attempts, he teased you as well "You know I can do this all day! I rarely get tired like you do, and besides, you should save your strength and energy for tonight! I hope you haven't forgotten about my little surprise!"
You huff and mutter something though he just responds with a 'great!' and leaves you in his pocket for a bit, he does finally release you to which you dramatically gasp at and say 'freedom' in a forced raspy voice, Tenna would probably roll his eyes if he had any, instead his antennas roll to the side and he pats your head with a finger.
"Sheesh, and they say I'M the dramatic one" After that, the only thing left to do is just, hang out around the house, you help Tenna with some of the chores, also helping yourself to some cookies since they cooled down by now.
…And then finally as a few hours pass, Tenna seems excited, excited to take you out tonight, though he won't tell you where, in fact, he even covers your eyes "Alright! Let's get this show on the road! C'mon, c'mon! I'll help guide you, you trust me, right?" You smile and sigh before nodding "Of course I do, Tens, lead the way"
There's a pause for a moment, you can feel him stiffen up slightly but the next time he speaks, there's a genuine smile in his voice "Alright then! I got you, don't worry!" And with that, Tenna leads you out the door, and into the Cungadero the two of you shared, Tenna had said this car was a gift from an old… But he never finished his words.
He had trailed off, seeming upset and annoyed that day which is why you didn't press him on the issue, either way, he leads you into the vehicle, he puts a blindfold on you to which you snort at "Uhhh is this technically a kidnapping? Tenna- what-?"
He laughs at your response "No, because a kidnapping implies you don't WANT to go with me willingly, and I know for a fact that you do, silly!" You shrug and listen as he gets in the car, after shrinking down a bit more of course, and then both of you are off, you feel excited, you finally get to see the big surprise Tenna has planned for the both of you all day, though you didn't quite know where the both of you would go on Christmas Eve.
Most of the stores are closed but either way, it was around 6:30 PM when you got there, you heard the car door opening and shutting and then repeat as Tenna reached in and gently took hold of your hand in his "Careful now when stepping out! Last thing I want is for you to wind up injured …Again…"
You nod and step out, allowing him to help you down and guide you to where it is he planned to take you "Alright! You can take your blindfold off now!" He exclaims, clearly feeling excited.
You reach up to take your blindfold off and when you do, you gasp a little as you take in your surroundings, the sun is just about to set, the city in behind the bench, it was just on the outskirts of it, in front of the both of you would be a… Well a park but it sets the scene nice enough, it's beautiful, it'll look better at night, but that's not what makes this place special, no, this place…
This is where the two of you shared your first kiss, where you two finally decided to become partners, this place held a special place in both of your hearts, Tenna's tail sways back and forth "I-I was planning to take you somewhere new actually but… There'll be a blizzard late tonight and well… I don't control the weather obviously, I just broadcast it…"
He pauses for a moment before continuing on "Either way, I figured this would be the next best thing, the same spot where we first… W-Well uh you know" He adjusts his tie, a blush appearing on his screen as he looks away shyly.
You immediately hug Tenna who smiles down at you "It's perfect… Really, c'mon let's- let's sit and watch the sun set together" You begin to drag Tenna over to the bench and you sit down with him, he still has that blush on his screen and his plug tail is wagging, you snuggle into him which seems to just make his screen turn more pink, some smoke coming from the back of his head.
He enjoys your proximity though and places an arm behind you, holding you close to him, you both turn your attention toward the sun set, while it sets you two reminiscence about the first meetings you had.
Reminiscing about all the times the both of you shared together, the ups, the downs, the all arounds, and then of course about the time you two finally kissed one another, you tease Tenna and remind him of how nervous he had been, and the nose incident.
Tenna scoffs and looks embarrassed "Eh?! I-I told you not to bring that up anymore! Ough… God- That was so embarrassing… I-I… Ugh…" He grumbles about it to which you laugh at "Oh Tens… It was funny, you laughed at it afterwards too, don't pretend you don't find that funny! Your nose poked me right between the eyes …I'll be honest, it's a lot sharper than I expected"
Tenna can't help but smile though he is trying to pretend like he's not, his wagging tail gives him away "Well, I'm just glad it didn't poke you IN the eyes! Yikes…" He shakes his head, and then the two of you get to watch as the sun sets, as day becomes night, well, is it technically a real sun or just something to replicate it…?
This is a Dark World after all, lights, shadows, they all function differently between the two differing worlds, either way, there's no time to question the intricacies of this world vs the Light World, the city lights then finally come on.
It lights up the background, Tenna's screen creates a warm, comforting glow as well, and right as night falls, snow also begins to fall, Tenna seems surprised and startled "What? Bah! Those two idiots said it wouldn't start snowing at all 'til at LEAST ten pm tonight! Lotta good they are… And their supposed to be the weather"
You shrug "Hey, c'mon… So long as it's not going to fall TOO heavily, it'll be fine, besides, the snow makes this more… Cozy…"
Tenna seems to relax a bit more by you saying that and sighs, for the next few minutes, the both of you sit in silence, you lay your head on Tenna's shoulder, well as much of it as you can reach, he looks down at you, his screen glowing and providing more warmth.
He smiles before his screen flickers to a bunch of hearts, the word 'love' popping up in fancy cursive pink text, he also plays some soft comforting music, you don't know why but it reminds you of Home.
The noises of the city in the background, not too loud or obnoxious considering the distance adds to the ambience, you close your eyes and hum along to the little tune Tenna's playing, it makes his antennas form the shape of a heart, for awhile the both of you stay like this, comfortable in each other's embrace.
Tenna's screen keeps some of the area lit up so it's not THAT dark, the snow falls, slowly but surely blanketing the ground, you then turn to your partner fully, you stare at him with adoration and when he finally notices, he looks down at you with a smile "Why're you starin' at me? Is there something on my screen?"
Unlike before, it's your turn this time, you gently grab his tie and pull his face closer to yours, this flusters him to no ends, especially when your lips brush against his screen, so softly, so smooth, it makes more smoke rise from the back of his head.
His body twitches as you kissed him, his tail swishing faster now, his antennas making a sonar-like sound as electricity sparks through them, for a second he trembles but then he suddenly pins you down to the bench, albeit gently of course.
He doesn't want to break the bench or break your bones, he looms atop you, panting when you pull away from the kiss to squeak at the sudden change in position.
"T-Tenna!-" Though he doesn't allow that for long, he immediately silences you with another kiss, his hand coming up to delicately hold the back of your head as he deepens the kiss, he rarely ever shows them off but you can feel it, his tongue …Or well his tongueS…
He has multiple, wire-like tongues that plunge into your mouth and explore, your eyes widen slightly at the feeling of them, some press against the roof of your mouth, others press and dance against your own tongue, some get a little too close to the back of your throat.
You then feel his actual antennas, they prod and twitch around your face and head as if petting you, feeling you, Tenna does love to feel you after all, he likes touching you, embracing you, it seems to help him remember you're still really here with him, at some point you signal that you need to breathe a little and Tenna quickly pulls back.
His tongues swiping across his screen lips, you gasp and pant deeply after that, a bit of drool leaking from your mouth which he delicately wipes off, he smiles down at you "…God… I really did strike it BIG after all, how did I get so lucky?"
He sighs blissfully, his own screen pink as he leans back on the bench, putting his hands up to his head, holding it, he kicks his feet as well, all while you catch your breath, your own face red as can be, that was a… REALLY passionate kiss.
You smile at his words, you look at him, seeing him so happy, you could really get used to this life, a life with Tenna, you really wouldn't have it any other way.