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Castle Town was a place of refuge for all Darkners. When you arrived through the portal in the closet, going north would bring you to the town where the Darkners lived. The path going east brought you to a popular viewing spot and a quiet space near the closed entrance to Card Kingdom. If you chose to go west, it used to be a short path that led to a dead end at the bottom of a cliff. Now, the path continued toward one more location: the lake.
And on this lake, there was a boat - a houseboat, to be more precise. It had been constructed from dark wood and given a final seal of approval from Malius. The patterns adorning the outside were bright and whimsical, almost like they came out of a fairytale book. It was tall enough to easily accommodate Susie's height, and long enough to span a quarter of the natural pier that extended into the lake like an outstretched arm. After spending many years homeless on the streets of Cyber City, Spamton G. Spamton finally had a place to call his own. It was more than perfect for him, complete with a comfortable bed and a little pantry of snacks and ingredients. The very bottom floor was made of a strong glass that allowed him to see into the depths below.
Most importantly, it allowed him to live with his partner, Tenna.
Once upon a time, Ant Tenna was the ruler of TV World. A literally larger-than-life humanoid Darkner with a CRT television for a head, he was the embodiment of all things ‘showbiz’. He struck a deal to work against the Lightners in exchange for the security of never being thrown out, but in the end he received a mortal wound that amputated both of his arms. The morning after Susie rallied everyone together to save Tenna, his Light World form was taken outside… And stolen. A metamorphosis unlike anything that had ever been recorded then occurred.
After that day, he was simply ‘Tenna’, the large mercreature that lived in the lake that had formed specially to accommodate him. He was an aquatic being with a humanoid upper body that seamlessly morphed into a long, strong tail. The TV-shaped head remained, the only true proof of who this used to be. What had been a soft lilac had turned into a deep purple that continued down his body in patterns that mimicked an orca. The screen was white and showed a familiar face that lacked the distinct nose. This same white was found on the underbelly. No other remnants of the electronics that had previously formed the Darkner could be found - even the antennae had been replaced with two stalks of seagrass. Many things had been lost, including most of his memories and his ability to speak fluently, but Tenna's love for Spamton endured. This formed a steady foundation despite the stormy conditions that followed their reunion and Spamton reeling with the truth of Tenna's changed fate.
Love, despite the years of internalised hatred, had finally won. But this renewed love brought with it a unique problem: they couldn't have a truly settled routine together. Spamton had to live on the boat since he couldn't swim, and Tenna no longer had the ability to change his size. Neither of them complained. After all, it was better than Spamton having to walk from Castle Town every time he wanted to see Tenna!
Once night fell, Tenna undid the heavy rope and gently tugged the boat across the lake. It was part of their new routine. On the opposite side of the lake, one jagged rock had a yellow band of material wrapped around it. This was the visual indicator to where Tenna’s underwater cave was, and it was also where he could tie the rope to ‘dock’ the houseboat to keep Spamton close. Thanks to the glass bottom, Spamton could see the entrance of the little cave, along with their egg in a nest just by the entrance, whenever he wanted.
But he wasn't there. Instead, he had climbed to the top deck so Tenna could lift him up and let him sit on his palm. It was the best way for Tenna to lean down and rub the size of his head against Spamton's cheek in a nuzzle.
"SOM ETHING WR0NG, [Big] GUY?" Spamton had noticed how the chatter had died down once it was time to call it a night.
Spamton's observation was correct. Tenna guiltily nodded. "Stay. Sleep."
"YOU KNOW WE [can't believe these deals!]. YOU CANT [shrink-wrap that], AND I CAN"T SW1M."
"Only float…"
"YYEAH. SO WE [gotta make it] D0. AND! I LIKE [bote]."
That wasn't enough to end the topic. Tenna huffed. "Stupid Land Tenna."
"..... YOU CANT [keep] [the blame game] YOUER PAST [shelf] FOR EVERYTHI)NG. THAT GOES WRONG [now!!!]!"
"Tenna can! Stupid Land Tenna!" This time, it was said in a brighter tone, clearly joking despite the low mood. Tenna pulled his head back, only to change his mind and lightly bump their foreheads together. "Miss Spammy. Want Spammy. Hold Spammy..."
Spamton mimicked the action, knowing Tenna was just as touch-starved as he was. "YEAH. [I miss my -] TO .WERE STILL [in-traiming videos]. THERES G0TTA BE AA [Workaround]!"
"Workaround?"
"YEAH.!! A D1FFERENT WAY FOR US TO BOTH [get some sweet shut-eye] TOOGETHER."
"Different…" The word was repeated softly, and a little pat on his cheek brought him back to the present.
"[Don’t worry about the smoke] YOURE [[pretty]] LITTLE HEAD ABOUT IT [tonite]. TOMORROW [you and I can work together] TO BRIANSTORM WHEN I COME [back to back] from WOR.K. [okie dokie]?”
"Okay…" The seagrass stalks fell forward so they could gently brush against Spamton's hair and face. The buds' familiar scent of the firewood cologne was left behind, as though working as a substitute for Tenna himself not being there. "Love you."
Spamton leaned forward and pressed his teeth against the MerDarkner's lips. "LOVE YOU. GOODNIGHT."
Tenna brought the houseboat back to the natural pier early the next morning. With Spamton helping his brother open the Cyber Boutique, he needed all the extra time to hurry back to Castle Town.
That left Tenna with a lot of time to think after breakfast.
A 'workaround'. That word became more familiar the more he thought about it. He must have used it before when he was Land Tenna, and he also knew he was the one to solve problems. That meant that he would be able to figure out how to find a way for them both to safely fall asleep together!
First, he examined the house boat. It was too small. Not only that, Land Tenna could change size. The Tenna of now couldn't, but the boat still wasn't suitable. He would still run the risk of drying out. Plus, how could he move? He had no legs!
If he didn't want to dry out, then he would need to sleep in the water. As he mulled that over, he dipped below the surface and made his way back to the cave. His daughter was effortlessly scooped up as he began investigating the interior walls with his free hand. There was not a single air pocket in the cave. It was perfect for underwater living, but Spamton would struggle.
Tenna returned to the surface with the egg cradled in his arms. The base of the natural pier, where it opened onto the main land, seemed like the most obvious answer. It was large enough to accommodate Tenna, and safe for Spamton! He hopped onto the land to sit on it with the egg on his lap to try and test this.
After a few minutes, his daughter began to rock and let out a lamenting chirp. She was uncomfortable. The cold air was drying out the mucus. That wasn't fair.
"Sorry…" Tenna softly kissed the shell and slipped back into the water. Once rehydrated, the egg rocked into his hands. She was okay. That was the most important thing.
But this didn't solve the problem! He turned to float on his back while trying to think of other options. Tenna couldn't leave the lake, and there wasn't anywhere else for the lake to travel to. All the rocks around the edge were too high and precarious. The last thing Tenna wanted was to cause an injury while climbing - even if it was a good price to pay to cuddle his mate.
Then again…
Tenna slowly rolled himself onto his stomach so he could return to an upright position as he looked around. Not all the rocks went high above the water. Some stopped below it. These gaps allowed the water to pool in - but how deep were the pools?
This was the push he needed. The rest of the morning and afternoon was dedicated to thoroughly examining the full border of the lake for any large, sturdy gaps. If there was, could it fit him and the egg side-by-side? Was it high enough to cover the baby, but not Tenna? Was it flat and secure?
One by one, discoveries were being knocked off the list until, finally, one little nook ticked all the right boxes. There was one way to find out whether it was completely perfect.
It was sunset by the time Spamton returned with two boxes of sandwiches. The pair set up their makeshift picnic by the shore as usual, but Tenna couldn't help but watch Spamton. He was exhausted - so much so that he didn't even have the energy to summon Angel, the little child of healing magic.
"Spammy tired," hummed Tenna once he finished his last sandwich. He reached out and gently brushed his index finger along Spamton's cheek.
"YEAAH. [Long! Long! Maaaan!] DAY. NOT [used wares] T0 IT."
"Work tomorrow?"
"NO. NEED A [brake! Brake, damnit!]..."
The seagrass stalks curled in excitement. "So Spammy and Tenna sleep."
"SLEEP EALRY? YES."
"Sleep now?"
"N0W?" Behind the tinted glasses, Spamton squinted. "WHAT SYOUR IDEA?"
"Can lift?" Tenna offered an outstretched hand, one that Spamton accepted and climbed onto. The hand was lifted so Tenna could nuzzle his mate, then he set off. "Tenna has idea. Good idea. Sleep idea. Tenna look and Tenna see. Tenna go all over and find… This!" He stopped at the shallow lake nestled in the little nook and lowered Spamton onto the dry rocks just to the side. Once he was safe, Tenna eased himself into the makeshift seat. The water rose with the presence, but the rocky walls meant it didn't hit the area Spamton was standing on. "Look! Can sit! Water to wet body. No too many water!"
Spamton's head tilted to the side as he took the sight in. He watched how the water lapped around Tenna's waist, but the upper half remained dry. He had to admit: he was curious.
"LETS [take it out for a test run!]!." He pulled out his inventory screen to look for the yellow throw that had been his old reliable over many years before he had been gifted a new set of quilt and pillows with the houseboat. Meanwhile, Tenna went back under the water to fetch the egg. She was lifted to Spamton's level.
"H3LLO MY [special little lady]. I MISSED YOU." He carefully lifted her to hug her as best as he could. In response, the egg whistled a familiar little tune. "[You got that right, folks]! ITS [[Daddy]]!" He pressed his teeth against her shell, making sure to let out a dramatic "[mwah.mp3]" that had her rattle with what the parents guessed was a giggle.
Tenna had taken the time to settle into the nook in such a way that lessened the pressure on his body and confirmed his hunch that the spot was comfortable. From here, he was able to watch his mate talk to their baby and tell her about what happened while he was away. He loved moments like this, where it felt like they really were a family.
"-TIME [four] BEDDY-BYES. RIGHT, [[Pop]]?" Tenna was startled at the attention returning to him.
"Yes! Correct!" He reached up to take the egg first and place it beside him, then Spamton. With such an immense size difference, it left their sleeping arrangements rather unusual, but Tenna had an idea. He lifted the puppet toward the shoulder to allow Spamton to gauge what position would work best for him. After a few moments, inspiration struck, and Spamton shuffled himself up until he was able to wrap himself in the throw and curl up against Tenna's collarbone.
The puppet was used to making himself smaller to fit in awkward spaces when he needed to hide. It had been a long time since that action was rewarded with the warmth of another holding him close. In their younger days, when both of them were 'normal', Tenna loved taking Spamton and holding him close when they fell asleep. At first, the Addison had been embarrassed, mentally comparing it to being treated like a teddy bear. As time passed, he began to notice the finer details: the way Tenna buried his screen into his hair, the way the grip was secure but still loose enough to allow Spamton to turn if ever he needed to, the way Spamton was almost being protected.
He felt safe, even now. Though their forms were changed beyond recognition, there was still that same sense of familiarity and casual intimacy. Tenna even lifted a hand to cover the yellow throw. How had he been able to sleep for years without this? How had Tenna been able to sleep without this?
"Goodnight, Spammy."
Maybe that didn't matter. One good thing about Tenna losing his memories was that he didn't carry the burden of the loss anymore.
Spamton's wooden mouth curled into a smile. "GO0DNIGHT,, T3NNA."
He didn't mind being the only one to remember. It made moments like this all the sweeter, knowing that had things been different, had Spamton been able to take that train back to TV World, the puppet would have been welcomed home with open arms.
In minutes, both had fallen asleep, bodies relaxed with the awareness that the one that was loved more than anything else was right there. Home was on the craggy shore of a lake, in a makeshift workaround nest.
It was perfect.