Surprise quiz - Tenna's on your Dash!!! I loved making this Tenna animation (I completed it mostly in the Tenna zine server with some other awesome people drawing Tenna art at the same time it was so fun!!)
Some process shots under the cut - and the original Gif I made in procreate that spawned this (I animated in ToonBoom Harmony afterwards, animating in Procreate is PAINFUL) (And of course I put it through a VHS filter too hehehehe)
I showed this to my dad and he said "you're drawing that tv guy again? Still" yeah dad. Still.
I seriously cannot stfu about him. They were supposed to be short and simple but I got carried away.
⢠Gets an absolute kick out of it when you two wear matching sets. It could vary from accessories to clothing. One day you both walked out and wore strikingly similar outfits, although it couldāve been easily passed off as a coincidence the smile that crept on his face stated otherwise.
⢠Checks on you periodically throughout the day. His long nose will round the corner before he comes into view and asks if you need anything. āI saw that you didnāt have breakfast this morning so I brought your favorite. Courtesy of Mike.ā heāll hum, setting your lunch aside with a smile.
⢠When heās overwhelmed by joy, he jumps up and clacks his heels together. Heās a loser, what can I say.
⢠Adopted torielās compassionate and loving nature. Heāll mirror some of her mannerisms without even realizing it. Heāll smooth out the wrinkles from your clothes with his big gloved hands and gently pick out strings of loose thread before you head out, bombard you with inquiries about your day as a means to strike up a meaningful conversation, smother you with kisses despite your protest. He makes me sick.
⢠When youāre upset, his instant response is to cheer you up. Heāll crack a joke, broadcast your favorite channels, find an activity that he knows you love, anything to keep you distracted. Itās not in the pursuit of avoiding emotional intimacy or to force positivity, itās a default of his. Entertainment is his prowess after all so heās simply doing what he does best. Some instances, it can be effective while othersā not so much which is why communication is pivotal with tenna. Tell him, āI just need to be held,ā and heāll listen.
⢠Kiss-ahlolic. Any excuse to muster a kiss out of you. A good morning kiss, a goodnight kiss, a pre show kiss and after show kiss, heās relentless. It gets him all giddy and amped so who are you to deny him?
⢠Hyper vigilance. Heās constantly over analyzing and scrutinizing your body language, your actions, your intentions and even your words like an intensive surgeon on an operating table. If he senses something is afootā regardless of how irrational it may seem, heāll spiral. A shift in your tone will cause him to flinch. When he asks about your day and you look distracted, his smile will falter and heāll grow clammy. If you cancel your plans on him, heāll instantly assume the worst. Thereās been plenty of times where heās showed up on your doorstep completely unannounced with visibly shaken hands and tears cascading down his screen, asking where he went wrong and then pleading and begging for you not to leave him. Heās especially fragile during moments like these, and requires a copious amount of patience, understanding and reassurance so please be gentle.
⢠His claws. An attribute of his that we all know and love. Sometimes theyāll retract on their own, either getting caught in something or accidentally inflicting damage on innocent by standers (furniture). Youāve thrown away plenty of good sweaters because of him. Arguably, they are incredibly convenient for head scratches. You donāt even have to ask, just lay your head against his lap and heāll oblige with a smile.
⢠You entrusted him with your spare key shortly after you two began dating. Albeit shy, he would pop in randomly under the influence that he left something behind, āI uh.. forgot my socks! Theyāre my lucky pair. Donāt go anywhere without āem! But while Iām here..ā and then purposely linger. Now he visits quite frequently, not that youāre complaining. When you walk in, youāll either find him in the midst of tidying your place up or hunched over your kitchen counter with an apron neatly wrapped around his waist as he prepares dinner for the night. Make sure to demonstrate your appreciation when you get the chance. (Domesticated tenna am I right)
⢠Very touchy. He loves to pinch at your fat, pull your cheeks, poke and prod at your ribcage, the whole nine yards. Given that he is artificial, flesh and muscles and tendons is completely foreign to him. So naturally, heās curious.
⢠Definitely the type to twirl his finger around the cord of a landline phone.
⢠Has a MAJOR sweet tooth. A sweet treat before bed kind of guy. Heād be the type to buy you a box of chocolates and then gradually eat them throughout the day because of his intense cravings. So when you confront himā heāll sputter, trying to pin the blame on someone else but unbeknownst to him, thereās residue on his face and you canāt help but laugh at the absurdity. Heāll buy you another one for compensation but promise to share?
the mental image of tenna coming around a corner and just seeing his stupid big ass nose first before any other part of his body is really funny thank you
Heās just goofy af, I like to pick at him for it
I seriously cannot stfu about him. They were supposed to be short and simple but I got carried away.
⢠Gets an absolute kick out of it when you two wear matching sets. It could vary from accessories to clothing. One day you both walked out and wore strikingly similar outfits, although it couldāve been easily passed off as a coincidence the smile that crept on his face stated otherwise.
⢠Checks on you periodically throughout the day. His long nose will round the corner before he comes into view and asks if you need anything. āI saw that you didnāt have breakfast this morning so I brought your favorite. Courtesy of Mike.ā heāll hum, setting your lunch aside with a smile.
⢠When heās overwhelmed by joy, he jumps up and clacks his heels together. Heās a loser, what can I say.
⢠Adopted torielās compassionate and loving nature. Heāll mirror some of her mannerisms without even realizing it. Heāll smooth out the wrinkles from your clothes with his big gloved hands and gently pick out strings of loose thread before you head out, bombard you with inquiries about your day as a means to strike up a meaningful conversation, smother you with kisses despite your protest. He makes me sick.
⢠When youāre upset, his instant response is to cheer you up. Heāll crack a joke, broadcast your favorite channels, find an activity that he knows you love, anything to keep you distracted. Itās not in the pursuit of avoiding emotional intimacy or to force positivity, itās a default of his. Entertainment is his prowess after all so heās simply doing what he does best. Some instances, it can be effective while othersā not so much which is why communication is pivotal with tenna. Tell him, āI just need to be held,ā and heāll listen.
⢠Kiss-ahlolic. Any excuse to muster a kiss out of you. A good morning kiss, a goodnight kiss, a pre show kiss and after show kiss, heās relentless. It gets him all giddy and amped so who are you to deny him?
⢠Hyper vigilance. Heās constantly over analyzing and scrutinizing your body language, your actions, your intentions and even your words like an intensive surgeon on an operating table. If he senses something is afootā regardless of how irrational it may seem, heāll spiral. A shift in your tone will cause him to flinch. When he asks about your day and you look distracted, his smile will falter and heāll grow clammy. If you cancel your plans on him, heāll instantly assume the worst. Thereās been plenty of times where heās showed up on your doorstep completely unannounced with visibly shaken hands and tears cascading down his screen, asking where he went wrong and then pleading and begging for you not to leave him. Heās especially fragile during moments like these, and requires a copious amount of patience, understanding and reassurance so please be gentle.
⢠His claws. An attribute of his that we all know and love. Sometimes theyāll retract on their own, either getting caught in something or accidentally inflicting damage on innocent by standers (furniture). Youāve thrown away plenty of good sweaters because of him. Arguably, they are incredibly convenient for head scratches. You donāt even have to ask, just lay your head against his lap and heāll oblige with a smile.
⢠You entrusted him with your spare key shortly after you two began dating. Albeit shy, he would pop in randomly under the influence that he left something behind, āI uh.. forgot my socks! Theyāre my lucky pair. Donāt go anywhere without āem! But while Iām here..ā and then purposely linger. Now he visits quite frequently, not that youāre complaining. When you walk in, youāll either find him in the midst of tidying your place up or hunched over your kitchen counter with an apron neatly wrapped around his waist as he prepares dinner for the night. Make sure to demonstrate your appreciation when you get the chance. (Domesticated tenna am I right)
⢠Very touchy. He loves to pinch at your fat, pull your cheeks, poke and prod at your ribcage, the whole nine yards. Given that he is artificial, flesh and muscles and tendons is completely foreign to him. So naturally, heās curious.
⢠Definitely the type to twirl his finger around the cord of a landline phone.
⢠Has a MAJOR sweet tooth. A sweet treat before bed kind of guy. Heād be the type to buy you a box of chocolates and then gradually eat them throughout the day because of his intense cravings. So when you confront himā heāll sputter, trying to pin the blame on someone else but unbeknownst to him, thereās residue on his face and you canāt help but laugh at the absurdity. Heāll buy you another one for compensation but promise to share?
I started drawing this and forgot to do anything else tonight
my silly hc for different era's of tenna's life <3 more detail + closeups under cut
Baby
fresh from the box!!!! one of various gifts received at the Dreemurr wedding
imprinted on the Dreemurrs like instantly there was no hope for this guy. saw limited use in the early days, but got more and more attached from there
super naive about lightner's perspective of him and other darkners at first. developed fear of abandonment as he saw it happening to other darkners over the years
gets literally whatever he wants if he pouts about it enough
Debut
started regular broadcasts in a small studio
limited range due to the limited audience. primarily focused on newscasting. sometimes dabbled in cooking shows and western films
early employees included the weather duo, shuttah, battat, jongler, and pluey
was originally involved rather closely in production. gradually shifted production responsibilities to employees as the spotlight drew him in
Rising Star
Asriel's birth marked a significant shift in his work ethic. somehow even MORE invested in the Dreemurr's than he already was
Broadened scope for the new viewers. Transitioned more to gaming and family movies
Studio expansion + stricter contracts. Gotta put on a good show for everyone after all
Big Shot
"holiday movies" era. peak of his career
working with a certain "business" partner helped boost his performance
kind of snippy and perfectionist about how the studio's run since he's made it big, kind of becoming an ass in the name of making the Lightners happy
literally the best time of his life. couldnt be happier if he tried
Decline
"the family's fighting again"
gradual decline in viewership as things fell apart
desperation to keep things together lead to The Phone Incident which did not help
overcome with insecurity and dread of being thrown out
tendency for emotional outbursts/lashing out got much worse
eventually unplugged and left catatonic. just watching and waiting. hopeless
Chapter 3
we all saw how that went
please god look at him
but dont look at him too close hes all dusty
Chaper 4+
at a loss for what he's supposed to be doing now
tense relationship with former employees. very awkward
injuries from the knight still give him trouble and make him even more self conscious about being broken
A collection of tenna (x reader) hcās Iāve compiled over the last several days because heās infested my brain.
⢠WORKAHOLIC. but I bet that was pretty obvious right? abides heavily by the āif youāre early, youāre on time, if youāre on time, youāre late.ā Mentality. Punctuality is pivotal to him. Has respect for people with a strong work ethic.
Youāre a different story on the other hand. The first time you were late, he approached you with tense shoulders and a forced smile. You had just surpassed the grace period and he was prickly. He asked about your whereabouts and what was the reason for your tardiness. You were being rebuked by your boss. Anyone wouldāve taken this seriously and you were no exception, but how could you when all you could think about is the subtle wags of his tail? Despite his response, he was happy to see that you showed up in the end.
⢠Just to be a tease, heāll find some loose fabric of yours and gently step on it to prevent you from walking away or grab you by the collar of your shirt and pick you up like a kitten being picked up by their scruff. Once, he made a joke that you looked like the cat in the āhang in there, baby!ā poster. He thought it was an hilarious comparison, you did not.
⢠Exhibits an unruly amount of strength. Like Iām talking Mr incredible strength. I wouldnāt be surprised if they have certain things in the studio drilled or even chained to the floor to prevent him from flinging them into the walls. Lots of property damage because of him. Lol.
⢠He likes to think heās subtle ā sneaky even, when seeking for your validation but it couldnāt be any farther from the truth. Not when heās constantly glued to your hip.
⢠Classic old timey cologne. He will purposely use every excuse in the book to touch you JUST so you could smell like him. Heāll rub his sleeve against your shoulder and then go to explain that it was a stain you had and that he took the liberty of cleaning it for you. Total gentlemen, right?
⢠He is a SNACKER. So If thereās one thing for certain, is that the break room is always supplied with an assortment of food. Heāll pop up with a little party plate in his hand and fill it up. Itās mainly common to see him after rehearsals or during the evening before he retires to his office. If you offer him something, heāll wiggle his fingers in delight and go, ādonāt mind if I do!ā Lame.
⢠Speaking of snacking, heās the type to absentmindedly shake peanuts in his hand while going over spreadsheets before he pops them in his mouth.
⢠He can be passive aggressive. mean. assertive. Itās deeply upsetting that I donāt see this side of his character explored very often.
⢠Exceptionally good cook. Aside from having his own cooking segments, heās also appeared as a guest star in a few food shows. So this guy definitely knows a thing or two. Just donāt shun him for wanting a frozen meal.
⢠Forget the āwill you love me if I were a wormā debate, how about the āIf I ever exploded into smithereens, would you be there with a dust pan to sweep me up?ā Heās just dramatic like that. And when he asks, heās serious, so donāt laugh.
No response aside from the soft hum of his internal fans. Your nose scrunches in annoyance at this and it only prompts tenna to reach out and squeeze the button of your noseā which was then accompanied by a āhonk!ā from him.
He was just messing with you at this point.
āTenna!ā You cry out.
āHm?ā he hums, innocently watching as you writhe underneath him like a fish deprived of water.
āYou need toā oofā MOVE! My shift starts in an hour and I need to get ready!ā
but he doesnāt budge, not even by a hair. Insteadā he goes completely LIMP, the sound of you groaning loudly in frustration only eggs him on. With his head placed carefully next to yours, heāll go on to feign a HEAVY sigh of exhaustion as his body curls around you with a lazy wag of his tail.
āNo, I donāt think I will.ā
Despite the best of your ability, your efforts of prying your massively clingy mechanical lap dog bf off of you proved to be nugatory. So with a huff, you lay your head back down against the mattress, and reluctantly accept your fate.
And itās not like youāre against the notion. In fact, you love it. (If youāre into deep pressure therapy then heād be a perfect candidate!)
Youāre just fussing to fuss and heās acutely aware of this. Despite the fact that you werenāt fussing, you had a legitimate reason, a perfectly VALID reason.
But it didnāt matter.
The first time you told him off, he was in SHAMBLES. He jumped on his two feet and quickly began to inspect your body with shaky gloved fingers.
He had fully convinced himself that he had flatten you into a pancake. That the damage was so irreversible you would have to spent the rest of your foreseeable life as some sort of 2D monstrosity, and that you could only have conversations if you were facing forward otherwise you would disappear entirely if you were facing sideways.
Which was horrifying to think about it. Even more horrifying because heād be the one responsible for it.
So you had to reassure him incessantly.
Now? You wished you hadnāt. Thereās no bounds with him.
Tenna likes to talk. A lot. External monologue. So I feel like it wouldnāt be outlandish to say that one day as you two encounter each other in the halls, heāll scoop you up and twirl you around as your limbs swing helplessly behind you like a paper doll.
āYou know,ā heāll then go on to say, the edge of his long nose bristling against your scalp. Your hairs raising in correlation to the static thatās being produced from his screen.
āSometimes when I pick you up, I have this inclination to stuff you in my pocket and just go on about my day like nothing. Then during lunch, iād tear off pieces of my sandwich and slip it inside so youād have something to snack on. But thatād be weird, right?ā
Heāll confess with a toothy smile as he sets you safely back down on the ground.
But before you could even articulate a response, heāll interrupt by implementing a loving pat to the top of your head then disappear from your line of sight in two quick strides. His long cord tail being the last thing you see.
Thinking about how kissing Tenna would probably make your hair stick up all funny because of the static electricity. He would make some joke about it and try to flatten it back down but just make it even worse with his stupid giant ass hand. I feel like there's joke potential there like he could just give you a peck on the forehead and you would look disheveled like you just made out sloppy style.
The idea of getting shocked by the screen in general is so silly and cute to me.