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Castle Town brought with it a new lease of life for any Darkner who called it home.
For Spamton, it was a chance to become reacquainted with the simple luxuries of life: a warm bed, a roof over his head, a chance for forgiveness. Even after his NEO attack, the Lightners allowed him a chance to prove himself and do something good for once. No expectations to be the best. He had a long way to go before he was fully on the road to recovery, but it was a journey he was willing to make. This was a new start for him. This time, he had promised to be better for his friends!
For Tenna, however, it was a harsh dose of reality. He was unwanted by the family he cared deeply about for years, his staff were beginning to speak up about the harsh treatment they endured under his employment in the time between Spamton’s departure and the arrival of the Lightners; and he had been attacked with such ferocity that he nearly died. Somehow, Susie had rallied his unhappy staff to her side to help her save him. Did he really deserve that level of kindness after everything he did?
Reconciliation was difficult, but it was easier to heal and recover together. Spamton and Tenna could start rebuilding the life they should have always had. They were not at the stage of moving fully in together, but Spamton did try to spend several nights a week in Tenna's room as a ‘test run’. Both of them needed time to adjust to their new normals, and there was no hurry to pick up where they left off. The feelings were still there, like a single daisy that had survived the harsh frost.
Last night, the couple set the egg into the nest of blankets in her cot with the plan to go to bed early and sleep. Unfortunately, Angel had summoned itself when it was mentioned in passing and refused to disappear, choosing to sleep in the bed with its parents. Unsurprisingly, the little summon was still there in the morning - a little replica of its Dad, only missing the glasses. Angel zipped over to the dressing room table to search for Spamton's Dealmaker.
"[Do you wish to continue] SURE Y0U D ON”T WANT [come with me]?"
"I'm sure… There are some jobs I want to do today. I need to make sure I'm ready for when they find me a new home."
Spamton looked aside, a thought on his mind that he ultimately kept to himself as he instead said, "REMEMEMBER TOO T4KE [brakes].”
"I will."
<dad! i found dem! dey fell!> Angel's wings flapped at a high speed to help keep its altitude with the added weight of the glasses.
"THATS TH3 THAT””S THE [Little Shot]. TH ANKS KID." Spamton grinned. He put out his hands to let Angel drop the Dealmaker. "LET’S [make tracks with our brand new -]!!"
<ok! bye pop! c u l8er!>
“See you later.” Tenna's expression was soft as he waved the duo off. Once the door closed, however, neutrality took over. The short journey from the door to the cot was taken so he could check on their daughter before he started his actual plan for the morning.
The pale blue egg was a striking contrast to the bizarre orbs that Spamton could now create on a whim that he called 'Pipis'. At least their daughter didn't have the potential of exploding like they did… Hopefully. The egg was carefully nestled in a nest of blankets - after Tenna had reclaimed her after the fiasco with the cupboard, he was certain that she had been cold to the touch. It was a miracle she was still able to react.
He was a terrible parent. How could he have let her stay there alone, all because he couldn't face the idea of being reminded of everything he lost? Spamton had to survive on the streets, fighting a virus and losing his mind, and Tenna was fine. He was safe, he had a roof over his head - even when he had been unplugged - yet he couldn't handle a simple task of minding the egg alone. How ironic it was that Tenna praised Spamton for being such a dedicated single parent, yet when circumstances changed, Tenna couldn't stomach the concept of raising their daughter alone.
And what did he do? He put her somewhere cold where she could hibernate.
He reached down and gently covered the egg with the corner of one of the blankets, making sure that she was securely tucked in. Ever since he had been revived, he had been making sure his daughter was also able to recover by keeping her warm. "I think you and I shall have a quiet day today. I don't have the interest to do anything I had planned to do today." As his finger brushed along the blanket, the egg let out a short string of chirps. "It's alright, my little treasure. Everything will return to the scheduled programming after a short delay. Rest up first, okay?"
Another light chirp came out in response. Tenna smiled softly before moving back to the bed. The right thing should have been to take her with him, but he didn't want her to know he was glooby. A good parent never let a child know they weren't okay. A parent was supposed to be a good role model for the next generation… And Tenna was far from that.
Once he was under the blanket, Tenna wrapped his arms around the pillow and curled up against it, even if the grip made his shoulders ache. His form began to shrink. He wanted Spamton here. He wanted to be held by the former Big Shot and be told that everything would be okay.
But he didn't deserve to be told such a sweet lie. Tenna's life as he knew it was over. He had been abandoned by the Lightner family that he desperately wanted to be part of. Susie had risked everything saving him, only for Toriel to toss him outside. His love for that family hurt to carry, yet he refused to let it go. He was promised a new home, but nothing had happened yet. What if it was only delaying the inevitable of him being thrown out?
If Spamton did tell him such wonderful lies, Tenna would do everything in his power to believe them. There was nothing left to cling onto. It would become the brittle mask he would wear to act like nothing troubled him. It would be fitting, too. No one needed to question it. No one needed the reminder that Tenna was horrible and awful. No one needed the excuse to find further reasons to knock Tenna down, not when he did that himself. He didn't deserve a happy ending. He was a forgotten Dreemurr, a terrible boss, and…
A disappointment of a father and partner. He would enjoy this time with Spamton, and accept the reality that the puppet would move on without him. Spamton would take the children too - and maybe that would be for the best. Their daughter didn't have a choice on who she spent time with, and Angel was only here because Spamton was. They wouldn't want to be here by choice. Not anymore…
He clicked the screen off. It was better to shut out the world.
To the west of Castle Town, there was a small space at the bottom of a cliff. Spamton had been approached by a platoon of Cuptains the previous day, who had insisted that the strength to climb would help Spamton assist the Lightners better. It would help build his stamina, they insisted.
It was a challenge for the puppet. He could only climb a short distance before he lost his grip and fell. Luckily, the Cuptains were alert and could rapidly assemble to catch Spamton before he hurt himself. After five attempts, the training was adjusted, and Spamton was challenged to jog on the spot for a period of time. This was something that Angel could try and join in with. Before it could, a Cuptain approached it.
“I’m sorry, little one. This exercise is for the grown ups! Can’t have any of you little ones hurting yourselves!” Dejected by this refusal, Angel fluttered away to sit on a nearby rock to watch.
When the training paused for a break, Spamton crossed the space to kneel in front of Angel.
"WHAT [review our eating out plans] YUO, KID?"
<im bored> After being refused the chance to join in, there was nothing for Angel to do in the dedicated training space.
“HO W AB0UT YOU GO [time to pause and] ReST?”
<no tank u. can i go back 2 pop?>
“[Please read our T3rms and Conditions before continuin:g]!! DO YOU REmEMB R [wear] TO GO?”
Angel nodded, stretching both tiny arms into the air. <go str8! big castle at the back! up n up!>
“[That’s the ticket]!!” Spamton cackled as he ruffled the top of Angel's head with a finger. “IF YOU. CAN”t HIM COME B4CK. [Okie Dokie]??”
<ok. gud luk with de cups!> Hopping onto its feet, Angel hugged its father's hand and set off.
Castle Town was much smaller than Cyber City and TV World. It had the homey atmosphere of Tenna’s world, but the familiar blues of Spamton’s world. Together, these created the perfect space for the little summon. Angel was strong enough to travel the distance of the town by itself without tiring itself out. It was big enough to find many new discoveries, but small enough to ensure it would never get truly lost.
Angel slowly landed on one of the flower planters that lined the paths. Both of its parents were sad in Castle Town. It had been with Spamton the whole time, and it had watched the former Addison lose sight of everything, even when he tried to act like everything was okay. He never had a good answer to explain to Angel why they couldn't go home, or why Spamton couldn't simply say sorry to Angel's uncle Rose.
And now, Tenna was sad too. His arms hurt, and he wanted to live somewhere new. Angel wasn't fully sure what happened, but it hoped that its Pop would see Castle Town as his new home. They could all be together again, just like Angel wanted! They could ask Ralsei to make them all little rooms in Tenna’s space.
<o ye! dats were im 2 go!> Hopping into the air, Angel zipped through the town and followed the memorised directions perfectly until it arrived at the TV door.
Ever since Tenna and Spamton agreed to try dating again, Tenna put in a request to have all the doors for his section altered slightly. A smaller door was installed just above the main door handle to allow Angel to come and go by itself without needing to wait for someone to let it in.
<pop?> The shared living space was empty. Even Lanino and Elnina were nowhere to be seen. But that was okay! They could be anywhere in town. Angel decided to check Tenna's bedroom before making decisions on what to do next.
<pop?> This time, there was a response. The egg clucked, rolling just enough beneath the securely tucked top blanket to help draw attention to herself.
<hi sis!> Angel waited until it had landed in the cot before speaking. <have u seen pop?>
As before, its sister made noises in response. Angel liked to pretend that it could understand her perfectly, and so it nodded with a light hum, just like Spamton did when thinking about something.
<ye! ur rite. pop wuldnt go without u. dat wuld b reel stinky of him> Another sound came out of the egg, and Angel giggled. <i bet i can find him. dad seys im gr8 at findin tings. leave it 2 me!!>
From its vantage point on the headboard, Angel began the search by doing a wide scan of the bedroom. Unlike Spamton, Angel’s vision wasn’t damaged by the virus, which allowed it to see across the medium-sized bedroom that also doubled as Tenna’s dressing room.
<now were shuld i start?> Angel muttered to itself. <dere has 2 b a clu like one of dem shows pop likes. mayb dis is like dat. deres a misterry n de gud guyz find it!>
A brief pause followed this as the summon made a realisation. <pop always sed im gud. Dat means im a gud guy. n im de marphulus angel! welcom 2 de episode of tv time were we find pop!> Bolstered by the game it was playing, Angel took off into the air to do an initial sweep of the room. It continued speaking out loud so its sister could imagine what was happening. <im up in de air. pop is reel big n i always finded him wen we play hide n seek. n if hes hidin den dere must be clus!>
But what sort of clues would help Angel find its step-father? The question rolled over in its mind as it looked over the items scattered around the dressing room section, until…
<sis! i found a clu!> It couldn’t help but ding in excitement. <pops jacket is here! he always weres it in castil town cuz he seys its cold. so hes inside!>
The chirps from its sister gave it an idea as it whizzed over to the bed and peered over the edge. <ye! ur rite! his shoes r here 2! den… he must b in here!> It rose into the air until it landed on the corner of the bed closest to the cot with a frown. <sis? do u tink pop went out in his pjs?>
When the egg rattled, Angel hummed in agreement. <ye…dat wuld be silly. but if he didnt leav a note or take u… were did he go?>
Spamton had told Angel to return to him if Tenna couldn’t be found, but the egg couldn’t be left alone. Angel wasn’t allowed to carry the egg in case she fell and was hurt, but it would get in trouble for leaving her behind if Tenna wasn’t there. Not only that, Spamton was too far away to hear Angel’s notifications.
Unsure of what it could even try and do, Angel curled up into a little ball, burying its face against its knees. <i hope he didnt go poof. i missd him 4 4eva n 4eva>
The egg rustled until she had finally wriggled out of the top blanket. Slowly, she rolled toward Angel until she bumped into the railing of the cot. The sound startled Angel, whose head shot up in alarm. It scrambled forward, falling off the bed and taking flight before it could collide with the floor. Instead of going into the cot again, it hovered so it was on the other side of the railing. It put its hand through the gap, and the egg bumped against it as it let out a soft series of clucks.
Angel tilted its head. <de bed? but pop is big n i wuld c him…> it paused, turning its head to look at the bed. <mayb um… hes hidin in de bed? im tiny so mayb its easy to pretend hes part of de blanket wit his pillo ova his face? dis is a reelie gud idea, sis. ur really smart like dad n pop!>
In response, its sister gave a bright squeak before rolling back toward the nest. At the same time, Angel took off to check under the bed.
<sis! hes not pretennin 2 b a ghosty under de bed!> Once it popped out on the far side of the bed, it dove toward Tenna’s pillow. Both hands pressed firmly against it, which only confirmed that Tenna wasn’t hiding his head underneath it like Angel had suspected.
However, this new vantage spot allowed it to notice a small lump just below the edge of the blanket that it had missed when it was standing on the headboard. Slowly, the summon approached until it was able to reach forward and lift up a small section of the blanket with both hands.
There was something there: a tiny Tenna-like doll, curled up in a ball as one hand gripped onto part of the pillow. Angel craned its head forward as far as it could without tripping.
<... pop?>
It was another busy day in the Studio. Angel should have despawned in the midst of the chaos, but it was having so much fun seeing Tenna and his team hard at work. Not only that, it was a rare day that Spamton wasn't caught in a series of phone calls and could actually help out behind the scenes. As the backstage area grew busier and warmer, Angel asked a Zapper to open the door and let it out. In times like this, it was better to wait in Spamton's dressing room until its Dad could take a break.
Or, that would have been the plan, only for Ramb to call its name.
"You're looking a little red in th' face, luv. Got some fresh lem’nade ‘ere that oughta perk you right back up."
<but i dont have ny points>
"That don't bother me. I'll give it to you on th' 'ouse." The Plugboy chuckled after a moment when Angel didn't move. "For free. I'm givin' it to you for free." One simple word was enough to motivate the summon to shoot over and sit on a little box to the side of the counter. A thimble and a bottle was located as Ramb continued, "So I'm tryin' to learn th' best way to make some of these drinks an' I figured a good ol' lemonade wouldn't be too 'ard to figure out. But I need someone who's real good at knowin' when somethin' needs to be sweet to try it -"
<im gud at dat!>
"Right! So just to warn you - I 'aven't put much sugar in yet. Might be a little sour, so take a sip." The thimble was placed in front of Angel, who snatched it up and downed the liquid in one go. Ramb had to cover his mouth with a paw to not snigger at how the summon's wings puffed out while the body shrunk in on itself.
<sour!!!!>
"Needs more sugar, then?" Instead of answering, Angel quickly nodded its head. "I'll get on that. You probably 'aven't 'ad th' chance to see 'ow this all works, eh?"
When Angel had perched on Ramb's shoulder after recovering from the sour drink, the Plugboy began talking through the process of how taste testing can help improve the results of a drink such as a homemade lemonade. It was easier to add sugar if it was too sour, he explained, rather than adding too much sugar and having to make a new batch.
The tranquility of the Green Room was abruptly interrupted by the slamming of a door. The startled pair whipped their heads to look in the direction of the sound. Tenna stormed past the counter, with Spamton hot on his heels. To Angel's surprise, Tenna was the same size as its dad.
"Hey, c'mon, big guy. You're blowing this out of proportion. You heard the Lightners - they were going to be late for their music recitals." Spamton's voice was calm and steady despite the way he hurried after Tenna.
The host turned sharply on his heel, forcing Spamton to screech to a halt. "I'm doing no such thing. They hate me, Spamton. I'm barely worth their acknowledgement!"
"Tenten, tune yourself back in. You love when the kids go practice their music. You wouldn't want them to lose out on that because you want them to watch you, right?"
"... Right."
"Right! And there's no piano in the house, so they have to go out to play one. Let's take a break in your dressing room. I'll grab you a coffee, okay?" Spamton smiled softly before he kissed the side of Tenna's frame. "I'll see you in a few minutes."
Spamton stayed where he was, only approaching the counter once Tenna had dejectedly departed. The smooth act was back in full swing as he grinned at the Plugboy. "Hey Ramb. Sorry about that, you know how he gets when he's cut off in the middle of a performance. The usual for Tenna, and if you could just grab me a - Angel?"
<hi dad> The summon waved from Ramb's shoulder. It took off so it could land on the counter while Ramb set to work. From here, Spamton could crouch down to be at the summon’s eye level. <wat happend? y is pop small? we rnt in cyber city>
"Ah, right. You saw that too…" Spamton paused for a beat to look over his shoulder. "Do you know how you will curl up in a ball or hide away when you feel sad? Pop does the same, but he's too big to hide away like you do. Instead, he will shrink and make himself smaller."
The idea of Tenna being sad was something that startled the little summon. <but hes gruvy n neva glooby! he always seys dat!>
"And that's still true," Spamton lied, "But this isn't him feeling glooby. He's disappointed because he was in the middle of a really good show and the Lightners needed to leave. If they were able to stay, it would have been okay."
<liek how u hav 2 go 2 de phone all de time?>
The comparison, while accurate, was enough to make guilt briefly cross the Addison’s face. "Yes… Just like that. But that's not what we're talking about. I need you to do me a big favour." The Addison waited for a moment for Angel to nod and stand to attention. "If you ever see Pop smaller than he should be, make sure to be really nice to him, okay?"
Angel had seen Tenna smaller several times after that, but it was never this extreme. What had happened to make him tiny? There was a short hesitation before it decided to lower the blanket and crawl underneath it. This allowed it to be close enough to see Tenna for itself.
<pop? u ok?> A hand reached out to gently shake Tenna.
It was this simple action - and not the shouting and ruckus minutes earlier - that stirred Tenna from a heavy, dreamless sleep. The screen clicked on with a dim light to peer at the blurry figure in front of him.
Tenna frowned. "… Spamton? What are you doing back so soon?"
'Spamton' tilted 'his' head. <im not dad. im angel>
"Angel…? Angel?!" Tenna scrambled out from under the blanket out onto the pillow with such speed that both arms buckled from the pain. He dropped onto the pillow, suppressing a wince.
<pop! ur arms!>
"I-I'm fine… I just moved too fast, that's all. Just give me a minute." He would need longer than that, but Tenna was prepared to bottle up the pain and pretend everything was fine once he got used to the new, stinging sensations.
Angel, however, was as stubborn as both its parents as it pulled itself fully out of the fallen blanket. <i can help>
"Angel, please. Don't use your -" Tenna's attempt to stop Angel failed as the summon reached over to use its healing magic on one shoulder, then the other.
Shortly after the family had first been reunited, Angel discovered Tenna had been injured. It had worn itself out trying to heal Tenna's shoulders, but had a tantrum when Spamton tried to get it to stop. Both adults knew that Tenna's injuries couldn't be healed that easily. This time around, however, Angel's magic helped to ease the strain that Tenna had put on himself to get out. The shoulders were still injured, but the pain was no longer there. It prompted him to sit up. One arm was meekly stretched out, then the other, to confirm that there was no pain.
"Thank you, Angel…" There was a trace of disbelief in his voice that was missed by Angel.
<ur welcom! i liek helpin dose i luv!> The summon moved closer to Tenna, only to pause. <pop? y r u small? did sometin happen wen me n pop left?>
Tenna sighed. He couldn't tell the truth to Angel. But what could he say? Angel wouldn't let the topic drop if Tenna tried to dismiss it. However, there was something that could help distract Angel.
"Actually, yes. I decided to go back to bed, but my arms locked up. I fell asleep while waiting for them to ease up."
<n dats y dey hurt wen u moved!>
"Correct! If you hadn't come by, who knows how long I would have been stuck like that. Thank you for startling me awake and helping me. Now… Why are you here by yourself? Has your father finished his training already?"
<nope! i wanted 2 train 2 but de cups sed I culdnt. den i got bored waiting. i asked dad n he let me come back 2 u n sis. but wen i got here i culdnt find u. so i pretenned i was in a show liek u 2 luk all around de room. n den i found u!> Angel's long-winded explanation finished with it putting both hands up in the air, like how it had seen Tenna do it many times before.
"You did find me!" It was better to focus on how Angel completed what it set out to do rather than the guilt of not hearing any of this happening. "I am very proud of you for being able to do that, even when I was harder to find because I am very small today."
<ye! uve neva been me sized b4! i didnt no u culd do dat!>
"Me neither," Tenna lied, "and maybe this is a sign that I've been doing too much without taking breaks."
<liek how dad all ways used 2 sleep in his dressin room?>
"Precisely! But now that you are here, it's time to do something nice with our morning." Tenna slowly hoisted himself onto his feet and stepped off the pillow and onto the blanket. Both hands curled into fists as he took a slow breath. His form shuddered, but nothing happened.
<pop?> Angel's soft voice prompted Tenna to turn his head to look at the summon with a smile. It was peculiar to see it at nearly eye-level. What used to be over ten feet between them was now barely two inches apart. <u ok?>
Tenna reached down to take one of Angel's hands in his. "I'm okay. I think I'm in a bit of a pickle. I can't grow… But I suppose it's not all bad. Look: I can hold your hand."
<its nice 2 hav u me sized> Angel agreed, side-stepping so it could bump against Tenna's arm. In return, he kissed the top of its head.
"It is, and I get to see the world from your perspective. I never realised how messy this room is."
<no its not. deres all dese tings 2 do. loadz of games 2 play!>
"Is that why you kept stealing my paperweight?" Tenna's playful question had the summon giggle.
<ye ye! n wen ur me sized u get 2 sit on every1s shouldrs n eat reeeeelly big snacks!!>
"I wish I had a snack here. I bet one of those donuts would be more than enough for both of us. It would be a wonderful way to enjoy a quiet morning with my two babies. I think I'm the luckiest Darkner in -!" Tenna stumbled forward as Angel raced across the bed with his hand clasped between both of Angel's.
<i 4got!! sis needs 2 no ur ok!!> Its exclamation was further punctuated by how it screeched to a halt at the edge of the bed closest to the cot. Tenna peered down, antennae curling in thought.
"It would take a little problem-solving, but I should be able to use that box to help me grab the railings…"
<i culd lift u?>
"Angel, we can't do that."
<y not? uve neva flew. ive neva carryd someone me sized. n i told sis im gonna carry her wen she hatches so i gotta practis now!>
Ignoring the future problem of a six-inch tall summon trying to carry the baby when she hatches, Tenna sighed. "Even so. I might be small now, but I'm still made of metal and hard plastic. I'll be too heavy for you."
<nuh uh!> Angel yanked both hands away so it could fold its arms and shake its head in a very 'Spamton-esque' manner. <dad seys im reel strong. if i put my hands undr ur arms i culd get u up n up>
Tenna pressed his newly reclaimed hand against the side of his head to stop himself from sighing. He did remember Spamton using a similar phrase when Angel fetched him a pencil, but this was completely different! At the same time, he couldn't risk upsetting Angel by saying 'no', not when he was too small to actively do anything about this. "Alright. You can carry me. But only one-way, do you understand? It will be a lot harder for you to get us both out afterward and I don't want you hurting yourself, okay?"
<ok>
"And please be careful and go slowly."
<yes pop!>
Positioned at the furthest end of the bed, Tenna lifted his arms out. A hundred different worst-case scenarios played through his mind, but he had to keep them all at bay. Angel was genuinely excited to try something new; and Tenna was finding that his spirits were naturally lifting from having this quality time with his step-kid.
Once Angel was ready, it took to the air and rested a hand under each of Tenna's arms. The wings flapped harder than usual, but that didn't stop it from holding Tenna carefully as they began the slow ascent to the edge of the cot. Angel took the instructions seriously as it moved slowly over the gap. In turn, Tenna opted to stay still to not cause any distractions that would result in them getting injured.
As the edge of the cot was passed, Angel began the swift descent that ultimately had the pair bounce harmlessly off the soft mattress. Before Angel could do anything, Tenna reached out to take the summon's hand.
"Take a break first. Your face is bright red. We can let her know we're here once you have caught your breath." Though Angel pouted, it didn't object to what Tenna said. Slow breaths were taken by Tenna to give it something to mimic to help it recover from the ordeal. "You did a very good job, Angel, but I don't want you doing that again today, okay?"
<y not?>
"Well, it's like how Dad needs to train to build up his strength today. You train by doing small things at first and slowly adding to it once you can do that."
<is dat y dey wear makin him do de same tings again n again?>
“That’s right. Training is just another way to practise a skill. But it’s important to know when you are tired and should stop for the day.”
<oh. ok. i can do dat> At last, Angel looked and sounded like itself again. Tenna let go of the hand and it immediately bolted to the nest of blankets to wake its sister.
From the side, Tenna watched on. Keeping the egg warm had been his priority, yet he worried about whether it was enough, or whether he had gone too far. But from where he stood inside the cot, she looked perfectly content. Not only that, when Angel gave her the full run-down of what happened between her last seeing it and right now, Tenna watched how the egg rolled a fraction from side to side, like it was showing it was paying full attention.
< -now hes here! rite pop?>
"R-right!" Tenna stepped over, acting like he had been paying attention the whole time to Angel's lively ramble. He knelt on the nest so he could place both hands on the shell. From this angle, the highest part of the egg was nearly as tall as him. "Hello, sweetie. I'm sorry for worrying you and your sibling by hiding in the bed."
Tenna wasn't sure what to expect, but it wasn't the egg nudging itself to press against his hands. She was warm to the touch. All this time, he had been fearful that she had caught an incurable chill. Not only that, she still wanted to know he was there despite him hiding her away. "That's right, my little treasure, I'm right here. Pop's here." As his hands brushed against the shell, the warmth underneath moved with them, like she was trying to keep that touch close by.
His little girl… If she did hatch one day, would she still want to be held by her parents, or would she be stubbornly independent? Whatever the answer was, it wouldn't be known for a while. What did matter was how the egg chirped with a familiar melody that he used to sing to the pair when trying to help either of them settle.
Tenna's antennae perked. "You remember that. I don't think I told you or Angel the story about that little lullaby, did I?" Angel shook its head, and Tenna chuckled. "I guess now is as good a time as any to share it."
In truth, the reason for choosing one particular lullaby to sing to his children was a simple one - he had heard Lightners using it on a show and he liked it - but he couldn't simply leave it there. He channeled his almost-forgotten storytelling skills as he talked about the story woven into the lyrics and the meaning of the song. Sitting on the edge of the nest, he had one arm against his daughter's shell, and used the other arm to support Angel sitting on his lap. It was a comforting set-up for all of them. Each of them had the reassurance to know that the other members of the family who were currently not out training were there.
By the time he finished, both children had dozed off. Angel was carefully lowered onto the nest so Tenna could busy himself with taking the top blanket and covering the egg once more. Unlike earlier, where he had tucked her tightly, he left it loose enough to allow her room to wriggle around if she wished to do so.
Once this was complete, and both had received a soft kiss, he stepped back to take in the sight of how peaceful the pair looked while sleeping. It didn't matter that Tenna was now also trapped in the cot with no way out - the price of being in this moment was worth it. If he had been able to grow into a more acceptable size, he never would have had a bonding moment like this with his children. Now that it was clear that they would never return to the Dreemurr household, he wanted them both to have good memories about their new life together.
Sitting a short distance away, Tenna had a chance to think. Ever since he was unboxed, he wanted nothing more than to be a Dreemurr. He would have done anything to make that dream a reality - and he tried. He lost Spamton and Angel in exchange for something that never should have happened, and he lost himself sometime after that. With no chance to return home, and an uncertain future tinged with the potential of being truly outdated and unwanted, it was hard to look ahead.
But from this shifted perspective, why not look at what was here? He had a partner and two wonderful children. He had a family this whole time, and it didn't matter to them whether he was a top-billing star or a washed-out nobody. They loved him for him.
Hope… Susie had helped him recall that feeling. Something like that was whirring inside his chest. It was like love, but warmer. A sense of contentment despite the hardships that still lay ahead of him.
Somehow, someone still loved him. Somehow, he was allowed a second chance.
The body grew a little bigger in recognition of that.
Faint shuffling stirred him out of his daydreaming. Angel had woken, but still looked tired as it dropped down to sit beside Tenna.
"It's okay. You don't need to stay awake to keep me company. I'm sure Dad will be back shortly and he can get us all out of here."
<but i dun wanna sleep…>
"I know you don't." Shifting himself into a better seating position allowed Tenna to carefully lift Angel into his arms. The extra height allowed him to sit the child in his lap, facing him, with its cheek resting against his shoulder. "Why don't you lay like this for a few minutes first, okay? It’ll keep you warm since I don’t have my jacket."
<ok…> The voice was barely a murmur as Angel settled back to sleep. Tenna carefully wrapped both arms around the summon, pleased with himself for such a cunning plan. After all, when Spamton was an Addison, it was easy to encourage him to nap if Tenna played his cards right. It was little surprise to see Angel was just as susceptible.
Why had he never considered shrinking down before? Angel would never grow up like its sister would. It would always stay six inches tall. That meant it missed out on so many things that parents did for their children, like rocking them to sleep without the sensation of being swamped by a hand. If Tenna had thought of this years ago, he would have struggled to put the little summon once it was in his arms.
Perhaps that was what inspired him to start softly humming.
When Spamton stumbled through Tenna's door some time later, he had already made the decision to refuse all of Tenna's plans for the rest of the day in favour of sleeping. Training had been a disaster! If he couldn't match the energy levels of cups, what hope did he have to help Kris?
Instead of a boisterous greeting and a playful demand to hear how everything went, it was only a very faint sound of humming that welcomed Spamton. The puppet looked around as he scratched the side of his head with his finger.
Tenna's jacket was still draped over the chair. He hadn't left the room, but the bed was empty. Their daughter was still in the cot, alongside…
Hold on.
Spamton crouched down, lifting his glasses and squinting to make sure that he was definitely seeing this correctly. Tenna was sitting inside the cot, holding Angel. The host lifted his head and smiled.
"They're both asleep."
"i SEA YOUR’E [in a sticky situation?]..." Spamton was mindful to whisper, to the point of his voice almost straining.
"I would be a terrible parent to move my sleeping shooting star."
"NO N0 NO. YOUR " Spamton paused, pressing both of his hands together and lifting the top one to a small height.
The mime was understood as Tenna sighed. "I'm fine. Can you help us out?"
"WH4T IS Y OUR [plan and arrangements] F0UR T0DaY?"
"Sleep, probably." This brightened Spamton's expression, who scrambled onto his feet to fetch their daughter and place her on his pillow. When he returned to his original spot, the fixed wooden grin had grown wider.
"I HAD. SAME IDEA. WE SHOULD [nap]. HoLD 0N TIGHT." Compared to the excited action moments earlier, Spamton was more careful lifting Tenna and Angel out of the cot and placing the former host standing on the bed.
"[Ant]. WHAT HAPPENED?" When the shrunken TV didn't answer, Spamton let out a glitchy sigh. "I M1HGT HAVE [please check your computer’s memory] BUT. I “M NOT. AN IDIOT."
"I-I wasn't trying to suggest you were!" Tenna's quiet, rushed response was filled to the brim with a defensive tone. "I just… Not in front of the kids, please. I'm more like myself now, I promise. It was… A bad start." Through the coloured lenses, Tenna could see Spamton roll his eyes. "Okay, fine. I'm mostly like myself. But I don't want to let Angel go yet. It helped me today when I needed to see a friendly face. This is the least I can do in return."
The mere mention of its name had the summon stir. From a smaller position, Tenna had the thrill of watching Spamton shift into parent mode. The puppet crouched down and brushed a finger against Angel's cheek. "IT”S oKAY [Angel]. W E'RE [now’s the time to] A FAMLY [nap] ."
"So you can go back to sleep, okay?" Tenna's addition had Spamton's gaze briefly lift with a soft smile.
<k… luv u dad. luv u pop…> Nuzzling against Tenna's shoulder, the summon quickly drifted off once again, and that was Spamton's cue to climb onto the bed and rearrange the layout. Once the egg was moved, the pillows were raised to stand against the headboard. Spamton sat into the bundle of pillows, lifting their daughter and tugging the blanket toward him once Tenna had hopped out of the way.
Spamton stretched out his left arm, and Tenna understood. If the adults could nap comfortably while sitting, each of them could hold a child without worrying about disrupting them too much. While he settled against Spamton's side, the puppet positioned the egg on his lap and used his free arm to hold her in place. The left arm wrapped around Tenna's back and loosely rested against his left hip.
Several peaceful minutes passed before Tenna rested his head against Spamton. "I'm sorry."
"[Fore!!]?"
"This. I shouldn't have let myself become glooby. I shouldn't need to rely on the kids to make me feel better. I hate how selfish I -" The end of the sentence was trapped behind Tenna's lips. Spamton's left hand had moved to pinch them shut.
“WE”LL [catch up over coffe with ] LaTER. SLEP F1RST. I [[love]] YOU, MOR0N."
Tenna nestled in closer once Spamton’s hand returned to its previous spot. "I love you too."