semi-plotted starter for @timedticket (let's get over your ex... together <3)
It might be a surprise to learn that the worst days for Tenna are not, in fact, the ones where everything goes wrong. They're not the ones where his performance is subpar, or where the show becomes a shitshow, or even the ones where his employees are seemingly trying to bankrupt him with their wanton mishandling of extremely expensive equipment.
Those are bad, sure. But there's a clear and blatant reason he can point to as to why he's in a mood, and everyone gets it.
But when it's a good old-fashioned Hallmark movie that tugs at his wires in exactly the wrong way? When it's catching sight of a splash of red and white and black on the edge of his screen, and turning to see one of those damn swatchlings running around? When it's having to struggle through conversion rates of points to dark dollars and redraft contracts with all his employees while trying not to think about the ones that hadn't stayed?
He doesn't know how to explain that. He doesn't know how to do anything except put on a half-assed mask and snap back at anyone who questions him a little too closely. Because this? This whole little problem of his? He's supposed to be over it. Movies aren't real. Heartbreak doesn't last forever. He's heard it over and over from anyone who means well and even those who don't. Lanino. Elnina. Shuttah. Mike. Hell, he'd even been there for Toriel comforting Asriel after his first puppy-love breakup, telling him that it would get better, that he'd heal and move on.
But if the movie doesn't mirror reality, then why has his never moved beyond the second act?
It's that very second act that tips Tenna over the edge one night, everyone piled into a newly-created theater room in the castle, where they've put on one of those very Hallmark films. Not on his own face, thankfully--no, Ralsei's rigged up a projector with the help and guidance of some of the TV crew, and for once that means he gets to hide in the back with the rest of the tall folks rather than be the star of the show.
Truthfully, that was the only reason he'd come in the first place. One of his few tells was how readily he made up excuses for being unable to play things like romcoms and tragedies. But he'd figured if he ended up shedding a few tears, no one would really notice in the dark. Surely he could handle one of these silly, over-the-top dramatic things? It's been nearly a decade at this point.
He's wholly unprepared for a lingering shot towards the end of the second act, an intended proposal gone south as the lover arrives to find their partner has packed up and moved away without a trace. The shot of the ring left in its box near the window all bathed in blue light is enough to make him want to throw up.
Thank god his screen is already off, because he needs to get out of there. Every fiber of his being is demanding it, and he slips out as noiselessly as possible; his footsteps are remarkably light, but the soft hiss of his hydraulics probably still betrays him to sensitive listeners.
As long as they think he's just going for snacks or a bathroom break or something, he doesn't care. He can't make his way outside the castle fast enough, drawing his pack of cigarettes out of his inner lining as he goes. With a trembling hand, he rips off his white glove and sparks one, two, three of them--who the fuck cares just shove them all in at the same time, he doesn't have lungs anyway, he just wants the ache to go away as fast as is possible.
Tenna slinks over to the side of the castle, outside the main courtyard and out of view of prying eyes, banging his back against the stone. It's a satisfying hit of pain to match the hit of nicotine, and he sinks down against it slowly, pulling his knees up to his chest and staring at the ring on the exposed metal. It's fine. It's fine.
He just needs the calm to kick in. Just enough that he can shove it all back into the closet it came out from. It doesn't matter if it's only for a few days or a few hours.
As long as it works at all, he can keep going.
He just...needs a few minutes.
