I always adore it when people make Tenna self-aware of the massive discrepancy between him and other darkners due to the power and privilege he was given simply from his mere existence. It honestly fits quite a lot with his canonical fear of abandonment, so of course he'd be hyperaware of the fact that most of his employees only stay because they're required to. Even the ones that genuinely love him and would stay regardless of contracts, I could see him believing otherwise (especially after Spamton leaves and the decade long downhill spiral begins).
This all is made even better with the headcanon that, with Tenna being a Dark World ruler, he's comparable to a literal deity with control over absolutely everything (within his own domain). The whole "Tenna is TV World" thing I've that seen some people play around with is a concept that I love dearly.
I love the point you make about how some Darkners probably DO love and care about Tenna, but he's too paranoid to recognize that. The contracts: a necessity in his eyes (or lack there of). He's a business man and he views his Darnker to Darkner relationships with those lenses. Its no wonder he and Spamton got along famously. I found the contractual obligation problem to be the perfect "in" to establish to each other that this wasn't just a mutual business venture. They're both so focused on their work and are thus chronically alone, lacking understanding from others; either seen as useful or burdensome, not as individuals. That's due to their goals. Spamton has been desperate to be chosen by Lightners his whole life, and Tenna is holding onto his Lightner family as tight as he can because things are starting to fall apart and he's scared of things changing. Neither are focused enough on themselves, as in their core, their spirits. Only the now. Only the tomorrow. Only progress. Only the goal. Because there is no contract yet to muddy the waters, they can take a moment to realize, as different as they are, they do understand each other. In the Japanese translation, I read that apparently the grammar of how Spamton refers to Tenna and vice versa suggests they see eachother as equals. A king seeing his business partner as equal to himself means a lot about both of them, how they see each other.
Tenna is interesting to me because as in control as he is, he's also very helpless. Helpless to change and time, and eventually fate. He's powerful and controlling, but it doesn't matter. None of his power matters in the end. Its all smoke and mirrors. Movie magic can't stop reality. King had his son, Queen had Swatch and the Swatchlings, and Tenna... Had Mike and Ramb... But he didn't. He really didn't. Mike wasn't even really Mike, and Ramb... As a Pippins explained, Tenna butted heads with Ramb because Ramb always advocated for what Kris wanted and Tenna always railed against that, refusing to indulge Kris's darker side. Ramb was punished by being essentially put in the TV World doghouse, unable to do much of anything on his own and yet always on call to do whatever Tenna demanded.
Tenna has no one, and during his mental breakdown, the smoke and mirrors are pulled away to reveal he still has no clue how to maintain a relationship. The one chance he had to fumble in safety because they both sucked at relationships so they could learn how to forge their own in their own time their own way... It was gone in an instant. And it never came back.
I think he's been focusing on his work ever since. Relationships hurt. Business is business. Its a barrier and focusing on the facade of a family relationship with the Dreemurrs he has is all he cares to focus on. Its his everything. He focused on his family and that failed him too. The one thing he focused all his energy into abandoned him just like everyone else. At least in his eyes.
And another couple points to back up the idea that he IS TV World:
* One of the Shuttahs describes that color bathed the world and the stage was born when Tenna arrived
* When Tenna's having his break down, specifically after "Mike" leaves, that's when not only do the screens all shut off (could be the Mikes' doing) but that "snow" starts drifting over shut down areas, likely NOT the Mikes' doing. Tenna is feeling the cold shoulder from everyone and the Knight is likely gonna have his head if this all falls apart the rest of the way. When he's losing control, the world starts to fall apart, which is in contrast to Queen when Spamton takes over. Cyber City doesn't change. No color shift, the lights stay on. Inspite of the run it takes to get her dethroned, the structure of the world is stable. It honestly makes me curious what the rest of TV World looks like during the fight after he's KOed.
Lots of food for thought. Too much honestly I'm getting full help.
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