Hello! Hope you’re doing well :) May I request a Child! Reader x Tenna pls? Basically, Reader is permanently in a wheelchair due to *insert accident* and is really sad since we haven’t been able to make friends. So, our parents get Tenna, hoping to cheer us up. And it does! We manage to fix him up, we talk to him, and we become friends! Skip to Reader accidentally getting trapped in a Darkworld, where we finally meet Tenna face-to-nose, he thanks us for being his friend, and he protects us. Thxs
Aw thank you! And thank you for the first Tenna request! (note this is purely platonic, and Reader is just a few years younger than the Fun Gang)
............
"Wow, I haven't seen one of these in years."
"Are we sure we wanna keep this? It looks pretty busted up..."
"She said it could still work. She's no mechanic, but...she knows [y/n] is."
"Ah, you're right, dear. I think this will cheer them up."
"I hope so."
Despite hearing the faint voices of your parents, you were too occupied with repairing your alarm clock to fully listen. You managed to bolt it to your nightstand so that you didn't accidentally knock it off...again.
It's happened quite a few times. And it always ended up on the floor, ringing and ringing and ringing until you either threw something at it or crawled out of bed to shut it off yourself.
Unfortunately, that's how most of your mornings have started ever since the accident.
You were paralyzed from the waist down, having to use a wheelchair to get around most places. You've taken a lot of time off of school to undergo surgeries and physical therapy, but none of it changed the fact that you couldn't "magically" walk again.
It left you feeling rather lonely, staying indoors all day to tinker with small appliances to your mind occupied, as you loved to assemble, repair, and disassemble things. Your parents considered you an "engineer in-the-making", but you didn't see your skills as anything more than just a hobby. Something to make you temporarily forget the pain.
Eventually, you and your family moved to a new town, populated by more monsters than humans. And while you did enroll into a new school and met new people, you still felt sad--the memories following you no matter where you went.
Today, however, your parents surprised you with a new addition to your room. You weren't expecting anything, so to see them walk in with a CRT television had your eyes widening in awe.
You've read about those old-fashioned TVs, certain that they stopped making them. But apparently not.
The most shocking part was that it was Susie, of all people, who wanted you to have it, insisting that it "needed a good home". You laughed when they told you this, believing they meant a different Susie.
No way could it be from that same mean reptilian girl that everyone at school was so afraid of, even Ms. Alphys.
Surely, it sounded impossible....until you found a note on the back of the large appliance, a small letter addressed to you specifically. Once your parents left you with the TV, you opened it, wondering what it would say:
"Hey, [y/n]. Sorry about all the times I made fun of you in computer class. I know this doesn't make up for it, but I want you to have this TV. Consider it a housewarming gift. His name's Tenna. Don't ask why. I tried fixing him myself, but you're better at that stuff than I am. I don't want him back or any money or anything. Just...take good care of him, alright?
See you at school, Susie"
'Wow, she's..actually nice?' For the first time in a while, you found yourself smiling at the note. Maybe you were wrong about her, or maybe she decided to have a change of heart. Regardless, you'll be sure to thank her at school tomorrow..
You looked closer at the CRT TV, and sure enough you could see her efforts to fix it: with duct tape wrapped around the two broken antennae. There were a few light cracks in the screen, but it wasn't anything too bad. At least she tried her best.
Funny enough, you were thinking about fixing one of the TVs at school that were broken, so you had all the tools needed. Of course this one was way older than any of them, but it shouldn't be as complex.
Once you found everything you needed, you went right to work on repairing the antennae, carefully removing the duct tape, shining the dials, wiping the dust off all sides of the box, and checking the internal wiring to make sure nothing was fried.
All the while, you talked to Tenna, explaining what you were doing to him, like a doctor tending to their patient. You knew he couldn't really talk back to you, but the silence had to be filled somehow.
It took a few long hours, plus a dinner break, but around midnight the TV looked good as new.
The final step was to simply plug it into the wall and see if all your efforts were worth it.
And miraculously, it worked. The screen flickered to life, showing you a channel that was presenting the opening theme for a gameshow program called "Mr. Ant Tenna's TV Time". The host himself looked a lot like the television sitting in your room right now, with the rest of his body being humanoid, dressed in a shimmering red coat with a bright yellow tie and a golden lapel that said "TV".
He had no eyes, but a grinning mouth and a pointed nose as he appeared on the stage, clutching a microphone and introducing the contestants of the show with such vigor.
'Well..I did it.' You chuckled, climbing onto your bed and deciding to sit back and watch the episode for a while.
One episode turned into two, and then two into three...until you suddenly remembered that you had school in the morning and switched it off, falling asleep rather quickly.
.............
Over the next week or so, you've been coming home in a better mood--mainly because you're so eager to use your new television.
TV Time was became your favorite program rather quickly, having binged-watched it so much. At this point, you were aware that every episode was just a rerun. With the same quizzes and "physical challenges" as before, but it provided good background noise for when you're doing homework or tinkering with some other electronic.
You still talked to Tenna like he could hear you, answering along to the game's questions even though you already knew the outcome of each episode.
The monster movie that was constantly on was predictable at best, but sometimes you'd catch glimpses of new side characters--or a new attack the monster unleashed upon the city. That was great, too, but you mainly tuned into his gameshow and kept it on that.
Sometimes, when you just want some quiet, you'll sit at your desk and journal your thoughts--sometimes speaking them outloud to Tenna. It felt absolutely ridiculous, but at the same time it made you feel less lonesome in your room.
You started to see him as....a friend.
A friend who didn't judge you and always kept you company when you needed it most. Your parents thought it was sweet, but they did push you to make some actual friends at school, too. And you did, among them being Susie, who asked you how Tenna was doing lately.
She seemed nervous for some reason, but sighed in relief after you assured her he's been doing good. You thought she'd make fun of you for befriending an inanimate object, although she revealed something rather..surprising to you while offering to walk you home one evening.
She made you swear to secrecy, before telling you about a dream she had. Apparently, she and Kris met Tenna as his gameshow host's self, and they were forced to play through several rounds on his TV Time program, using "magic" and "acts" to win every challenge thrown their way. All of this accumulated into a "final battle" where he intended to keep them all playing forever, decreeing that his show would "never end".
He sounded evil, until Susie also told you that he used to be Kris' TV, who was lonely and afraid of being forgotten when everyone at their house stopped watching him. They came to realize he wasn't really a bad guy, and promised to find somebody who'd take him into their home. Someone who could fix him and enjoy all the programs he had to offer.
That was the real reason she wanted you to have him.
"Wow, that sounds like...a super vivid dream." You hummed as you both stopped in front of your house, looking up at her. "I guess you'd feel weird having him in your house after making that promise."
"Erm..yeah." She rubbed her neck awkwardly. "Just...don't go telling anyone about that dream, alright? It's between you and me."
"Don't worry. Your secret's safe with me." You chuckled. "Did you wanna spend the night? My parents won't be back till later."
"I can't tonight. But next time? Hell yeah." With a toothy grin, Susie lightly punched your arm. "Say hi to Tenna for me, will ya?"
"Will do."
After waving goodbye to her, you remained in front of the door for a moment, wondering if you'll somehow meet Tenna in your own dreams. The chances seemed to be likely, although you still had some doubts.
Shrugging, you decided that the only way that could be possible was if you headed to bed. So you went inside and shut the door, sighing as you hung up your bag on the coatrack and rubbed your eyes.
But the peace and quiet you were used to coming home to wasn't there right now.
Instead, you felt a rather...heavy and foreboding presence.
One that that made your heart pound, warning your gut that there was someone else in this house with you.
Somebody that shouldn't be here.
"Hello...?"
There was no response.
After grabbing a hammer off the counter for protection, you wheeled yourself towards your room, that same sensation only worsening the closer you got to the door. Then you were right in front of it, confused as to why it was fully closed, knowing damn well you didn't leave it that way when you were heading to school.
All instincts told you not to open it up, to get away and call the police....yet curiosity got the better of you, as you cautiously pried it open.
At first, nothing seemed amiss...
Until you spotted a dark and tall skeletal figure standing in the very corner, merged with the shadows. They appeared to be a monster, and normally you wouldn't think to judge their appearance.
But they looked nothing like any resident of the town you've seen before. Plus, they're just here...in your room, and you had no idea why or what they wanted. They seemed fixated with your television, speaking to it in a language you couldn't understand.
"H-Hey. Who are you?! That TV isn't for sale.."
They were caught by surprise, immediately turning to face you. They had a singular glowing mouth/eye, and sharp claws with holes in the palms, clutching a long and jagged sword.
Fear gripped your heart as you stared back at the monster, hands trembling as you knew you were no match for them. You tried to remember what your parents told you about intruders....but they've never said anything about sword-wielding ones.
They took one step towards you, and you immediately surrendered, terrified for your life.
"A-Actually, you can have it! It's yours. I know it's a rarity, so...j-just take it and leave me alone." You pleaded, trying to move yourself backwards. "Please..I-I don't want any trouble."
They stepped closer, a smaller sword manifesting out of thin air beside them.
"Wait, wait....what are you doing with that??"
Their only response was a wicked grin, before they suddenly threw their arm up and slammed it back down, the sword following their movements and stabbing the floor itself.
In an instant, a pillar of bright white light illuminated the entire room, followed by thick billowing clouds of black smoke that enveloped every single one of your senses.....
After that, there was total darkness.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
You woke up in a strange place.
"..h...huh?"
As you slowly regained consciousness, you realized you were somewhere cold and a dark. A rickety wooden floor was beneath you, creaking under the weight of you and your wheelchair. And in the distance, you could hear the whistle of a wind draft.
You rubbed your eyes, trying to survey your surroundings and make sense of what exactly happened.
'There was an intruder...a monster with a sword. They were in my room...and.....huh?' As you took your hand away from your face, you realized you were wearing armored gauntlets with black gloves. 'What? When did I get these..?'
You then looked down at yourself, seeing that your outfit was completely different: befitting of a medieval blacksmith, with a silver chest plate covered by a black leather apron. In your other hand was a weapon--a large hammer, to be more precise, that shimmered with magic.
Not only that, but your wheelchair was different, too. It was covered in armored plates, bearing the symbols of Delta Rune on the armrests. You definitely didn't engrave any of those, so...how was that possible?
Could this be the same dream Susie had about-?
A shriek from the darkness startled you, and upon looking up....your blood ran cold as you realized it was the same knight-like monster from before. Somehow, they brought you here....and you still had no idea what they wanted.
"Oh come on...I..I-I told you it was yours!" You shouted, terrified out of your mind. "Do you even understand me?? I don't want any trouble!!"
They tilted their head to the side, lowering their weapon. But instead of giving you an answer, they raised their free hand, and from the hole in their palm, a violet beam of energy burst forth and made contact with you.
It didn't hurt, but you felt yourself being pulled towards it, helpless to stop-
"OH NO YOU DON'T!!"
Out of nowhere, a microphone was thrown at their head, cutting off their energy beam as they shrieked and spun around to see who did that.
"Y-Yeah! That's what you get for sneaking up on me!!"
You realized who your savior was, eyes widening.
It was Tenna, or at least..his gameshow-persona. And he was a lot taller than what he appeared on television. He looked scared as hell, as though regretting his actions. But he wiped away the sweat on his screen and made himself look bigger, huffing as he put his fists up.
"That's right...I-I'm back. I don't take orders from you anymore. So...if you want a fight, then....huh?"
Much to his confusion (and yours), the Knight transformed into a floating ball of darkness, flying past him and vanishing from sight--as though they suddenly didn't feel like fighting or kidnapping you anymore.
But...at least they've gone away for the time being.
"You there! Are you alright??? Did they hurt you?? I didn't think my aim would be that good."
You turned your attention back to Tenna, surprised that he was now talking to you directly. But when he recognized you, he gasped. "Wait, could it be...you're [y/n], right??"
"Uh...yeah?" You blinked slowly. "I'm okay. You're...the Mr. Ant Tenna?"
"Oh please. Just "Tenna" is fine! That's what you've been calling me!" He waved you off with a small laugh. "Are you familiar with Susie? Ah, what a sweetheart she was to send me to your parents' doorstep! She kept her promise. If only I could thank her.."
To say you were stunned would be a total understatement.
You were finally having a dream about this same person your friend spoke of--the one you hoped to meet. But the strangest thing was that you don't remember ever falling asleep.
You had no idea where you were or why you had this strange armor on....nor why that knight-like figure attacked you.
Your mind was still a bit hazy, so you decided to spare yourself the headache and not think about that right now.
"I know Susie. She...told me she had-"
"It's funny. One moment, I'm playing court jester to a King and his son, and the next...I'm here! YOU'RE here!" He pointed to you with dramatic flair. Somewhere in the distance, an audience was cheering. "You....You're the one who fixed me up, aren't you?" His voice went quiet as he then kneeled in front of you, hands clasped together like a prayer. "Thank you. You have no idea how much this means to me."
"I....you're welcome, I guess." You were still having a hard time grasping all of this. But then again, you must've been dreaming...so nothing truly had to make sense here. "Susie talked about you in one of her dreams."
"Dreams....?" He seemed confused at first, although he perked up. "Why...of course! I'm sure she told you a lot about me, didn't she?"
"Yeah, and...also about Kris."
"...I figured as much. I'm gonna miss them a lot...Toriel, Asgore, Asriel..." His shoulders slumped.
You blinked. "You knew all of them?"
"Knew them? I've been with them their whole lives, kid!" Tenna cleared his throat. "You see, I was the one they all gathered around during holidays and even regular ol' days! Just one big happy family sharing smiles, tears, and screams around my screen." His face glitched to show the inside of the Dreemurr's living room space. "I've gotten them through good times, bad times...everything! But then.... things changed. Everyone was fighting, some left and never came back. Those who stayed...didn't even look at me anymore."
You frowned slightly, seeing his antennae droop as the image disappeared, replaced with a frown of his own. "I kept asking myself...where did it all go wrong? Why couldn't I keep them together? I thought I was going to be unplugged for the last time and thrown out. But then Susie had this great idea. She told me that wasn't my fate. She found somebody who'd want me. And....that turned out to be you, [y/n]." His smile returned.
This was...some interesting information. You barely knew about Kris' family--except for the fact that Toriel's and Asgore's separation was apparently the talk of the entire town--so to learn that their own TV had seen the fallout from inside the house and somehow believed it was his fault was....quite heartbreaking.
You're surprised he's even telling you all of this.
"I'm sorry you had to see..whatever went down in that house. But if you don't mind me asking, do you remember how you got um...so banged up? Was it that knight?"
".....yes. I...w-went against their word, and delivered the grand prize to my contestants. Then out of nowhere, I felt this pain and...e-everything went dark after that." Tenna clutched at his arms, as though afraid they weren't there. "I'm okay now, though. Susie and her friends fixed me up. But you made me feel like brand new."
Standing up, he looked down at you with a warm smile. "And in turn, I've made you the happiest you've been in a long time! Am I right or am I wrong?" He tossed his hands up in glee.
You couldn't protest that. If he had seen everything that happened in the Dreemurr household, then surely...he's heard all the things you've said to him back in your world.
Everything from your chronic pain, to how different you felt from your peers, and to how silly yet comforting it was talking to a television set. He knew so much about you, so it's no wonder he wanted to tell you so much about himself.
"Yeah. You did. I really do enjoy watching those programs after school."
"....you do?"
His change of tone was like an emotional whiplash, and you were confused as he began tapping his fingers together nervously. "They haven't...bored you yet?"
"No. Why do you ask that, Tenna?" You tilted your head, seeing him now looking down at the floor. In that moment, you swear you heard him sniffling. "What's wrong?"
"N-Nothing. I just...wanna take a quick survey. Do you like sports? What's your favorite part of TV Time-?"
"Are you afraid that...I'll get bored of you, too?"
Judging from how he shrank significantly--becoming even smaller than you---your answer was right on the money. You felt bad for even asking him that, but you didn't want him to hide anything else from you.
"I'm sorry. Even after all this time, I...I-I still feel useless." A spotlight illuminated him as his antenna drooped once more, his screen going completely black. "I admit it. I'm outdated. I don't come with any updates. I know nothing about apps, or streaming, or the Internet. I can't even come up with new segments for my gameshow!! You were fully committed to fixing me, and yet...this is all I can offer. The same reruns, the same weather reports, the same quizzes, same prizes..the same....everything!" He clutched his head, falling to his knees. "I'm sorry if it's not enough. I...I try my best. I just...don't wanna become junk.."
Hearing his words only made your heart sink further. Susie definitely didn't say anything about him having all this unresolved trauma in her note.
But...you wanted to comfort him.
Even though you're still convinced this was all nothing more than a dream, you were feeling a certain type of guilt that would probably haunt you if you woke up.
You were determined to help him, and prove that you wanted him to stay with you.
Somehow this world knew your exact thoughts, and reacted accordingly by projecting a spotlight onto you. You didn't mind the soft music playing in the background, nor the hush from the invisible audience.
Instead you just looked at Tenna. "Why would I wanna get rid of you? Meeting you was the best thing that's ever happened to me."
His antenna twitched slightly.
"Listen, I know how it feel to seem "boring". After my accident, nobody really wanted to hang out with me anymore, and...tinkering with machines is all I'm really good at. Moving into a new town didn't make me feel much better. I still felt useless. Like I'd never amount to anything. But now? I'm happy knowing that I've been able to help you with my skills. My parents were pretty proud of me...but you might've already heard that, huh?"
"........."
Continuing, you sighed. "Honestly? Modern TV is kinda overrated. There's too many commercials, too many things locked behind "yearly plans"....it takes all the fun out of watching it. But with your shows, I don't have to worry about any of that crap. I needed an escape from reality, and repairing you, talking to you...has made me feel less lonely. It helped me forget my pain. It made me feel like I've gained a friend." You smiled warmly, hoping he could see it. "You've helped me more than you realize, too. Plus, you saved me from that scary knight back there."
He could feel a squeeze on his heart, and he sniffled again, slowly looking up at you. "Y-You...think of me as a friend?"
"Of course." You wheeled closer, holding your hand out to him. "I don't regret fixing you, Tenna. Not one bit."
"So...you're truly happy with me? Are you sure my broadcasts are good enough?"
"They're more than good. They're marvelous." You chuckled at the way his screen flickered back to normal, his mouth completely agape.
"Marvelous??"
Just like that, the dramatic spotlights were gone. His size changed back to normal, and his grin was wider than ever before. "Oh, thank you!! Thank you!!!" He shook your hand vigorously, as though he was accepting the Nobel peace prize. "I knew I wasn't boring you yet! I knew it all along! I'll never doubt you ever again!"
"Sure, haha." You smile back, letting his hand go as he pulled a microphone out of thin air. "So..I don't think I wanna wake up just yet. What should we do now?"
"I'm glad you asked!" He laughed. "I have a plan to repay you for all your generosity! Have you always wanted to be on one of my shows???" Holding the microphone to you, you blinked for a moment, flustered that you were being put on the spot.
"A-Ah..well-"
"Oh what am I saying? Of COURSE you do!! Well, my dear friend, you're in luck! Because NOW'S YOUR CHANCE TO LIVE THAT REALITY!!"
"...wait wha-"
With the snap of his fingers, the lights in the decrepit area suddenly cut out, and when they came back on--you found yourself on a colorful stage, sitting in front of a podium with a smaller microphone. Behind you was a large screen with the "TV TIME" logo displayed, and in front of you was an audience of creatures made from shadows.
They were all applauding and cheering, the volume growing tenfold as Tenna appeared beside you, bowing.
It was exactly like the program you loved to watch.
Only this time, you were the star.
"THAAAT'S RIGHT, FOLKS! We are officially off hiatus and back on the air! Isn't that wonderful?" He clasped his hands together, before gesturing to you. "And we could all thank our lovely contestant for that! So let's give 'em a hand, everyone!"
Bashful at all of this attention, you waved politely to the crowd, who was already throwing flowers onto the stagefloor. You managed to catch one and rest it on your podium, grinning.
This was definitely one vivid dream you were having, but you were looking forward to whatever Tenna had in store for you this "episode".
"Now let's jump right into our first round! Don't touch that dial! Beeeecauuuuse....IT'S. T.V. TIIIIME!!!"
