[Tenna presses his lips together, grimacing, as his antennas bend forwards at right angles. He might as well... that's why he'd called Shadow Milk in the first place, after all. He's been stewing over this for weeks already and chasing his own thoughts in circles. It needs an outlet.]
It's like I said. We were partners, a long time ago. Business partners, and -- well, he's my ex too.
[Messy. Don't get involved with your business partner. He takes a sip of his drink.]
He used to help out with my show. He did commercials, infomercials, stuff like that.
[his ex? damn! things are finally clicking into place for Shadow Milk Cookie. he... he's no expert on romance, but he can sense the resentment, mingled with memories.
he looks down, idly spinning his straw in his drink]
Ahhh. I take it the, uh. Separation wasn't cordial, then. If you guys are strained now.
[don't worry, Tenna. Shadow Milk will find out who's in charge, and he will tell his comrades. that means he'll tell you when he finds out this place's secrets. and he will destroy]
[Annoying because of who it's attached to. Annoying because of everything it inspires in Tenna. Annoying because he can't let it be anything but that. Unfortunately, answering the question means he has to at least glance sideways at how things went down, which wasn't 'annoying'.
His antennas drift downwards a bit, hovering over his face.]
Okay, well - this is where it gets kind of weird. Because when he showed up he started arguing with me-- [Tenna started yelling at him first, but details] --and he was acting like it hadn't been that long since he saw me? Which is stupid, I know how long it's been, but -- he ran off again! Before I could figure anything out!
[And isn't that just the biggest pain in his panels? It's far, far more complicated than any of his most deranged daydreams. Tenna's gone over the events of the past more times than he can count, come up with countless what-ifs about how and when Spamton might reappear one day. None of it matched up with what actually happened.
Tenna has a mouthful of his drink, subsiding a bit from his loud irritation.]
I found him again a few days later and he was ... different. Said he went home and came back here years later. I didn't think that could happen.
[Tenna throws his free hand up in the air, at a loss.]
Now he agrees about how long it's been but it's -- all screwy. I have no idea what to do about any of it. It's not what I expected at all!
[He expected to get mad, get into a fight about it, tear strips off Spamton for all those years of accumulated misery. None of that happened. Instead Tenna got information he wasn't ready for.]
[Shadow Milk is trying to wrap his head around the "Said he went home and came back here years later" mess. he needs more information on this, but he's not sure Tenna can give him that information. he may... talk to others about it, people who have been in this world longer.
anyway, he shakes his head to clear it]
Yeah, that's a lot! Sounds like you were too stunned to properly tell him off, too.
[one of Shadow Milk's slender brows rise. it's not his place to ask what they talked about, but that's okay. there's plenty of other things to pick up on]
...Soooo, are you gonna talk to him again? Or, is it too... difficult?
[Tenna nods fervently, even if he didn't mean literal fighting. It's kind of hard to do that when Tenna is normally fifteen-feet tall and the ruler of his reality while Spamton is five-foot-nothing and not anywhere near that powerful.
He doesn't comment on the drink snatching. As long as it isn't his drink he could care less.]
What do you do about it, though? When he won't argue.
[It's a bit familiar, too. Tenna's anger had flared out quickly when talking to Spamton. It got no oxygen in the face of actually seeing the other Darkner. Worse... just seeing that face made his insides twist unpleasantly.]
It doesn't mean you aren't right, of course.
[Just like it doesn't mean Tenna wasn't right. It doesn't. It doesn't.]
[Shadow Milk has his own crashouts, obviously. but those have been... fewer, thanks to what happened with Catra. so he's trying to be more rational. but that doesn't mean he doesn't get angry]
Of course!
[he takes a swig of the drink. ooh, this one burns... bleh. he looks at the cup, sets it back on the counter, and nudges it away. nope]
But, I guess I have more important things to worry about now? Like, getting my powers back, and figuring out who runs this place.
[He quirks a little grin at Shadow Milk's reaction to the drink. No good, huh. It prompts him to finish off his own, sliding the empty glass back onto the counter.]
Oh, yeah, we can't forget all of that.
[It's what got them into this in the first place. If nothing else, Tenna wants to know what was in the contract they made. He's anxious about it. His deals have gone so badly in the past, what if this one does too? What if he's made another bad call?
He doesn't want to end up in the cold again.]
Still, it's just! This is important too. To me. I can't do nothing, y'know?
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Hmm. You wanna tell me a bit more about him? What's really goin' on between you two?
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It's like I said. We were partners, a long time ago. Business partners, and -- well, he's my ex too.
[Messy. Don't get involved with your business partner. He takes a sip of his drink.]
He used to help out with my show. He did commercials, infomercials, stuff like that.
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he looks down, idly spinning his straw in his drink]
Ahhh. I take it the, uh. Separation wasn't cordial, then. If you guys are strained now.
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[His antenna bend forward at angry right-angles.]
And then he just shows up here? Just like that?? It's so-- so-- I don't even know! Who's casting this stupid show we're all on?!
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I'm crumbling to know, myself! No one here seems to have any info about who's running the show here! Useless!
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[Then again, Tenna is a control-freak, so his concept of suitable management styles should not be relied upon. He huffs, taking a swig of his drink.]
But -- whatever, I can't do anything about that. It's Spamton I have to deal with now.
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Spamton... Silly name!
[you're one to talk!!]
Anyway, what happened when you saw him?
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[Annoying because of who it's attached to. Annoying because of everything it inspires in Tenna. Annoying because he can't let it be anything but that. Unfortunately, answering the question means he has to at least glance sideways at how things went down, which wasn't 'annoying'.
His antennas drift downwards a bit, hovering over his face.]
Okay, well - this is where it gets kind of weird. Because when he showed up he started arguing with me-- [Tenna started yelling at him first, but details] --and he was acting like it hadn't been that long since he saw me? Which is stupid, I know how long it's been, but -- he ran off again! Before I could figure anything out!
Can you believe that?
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[Shadow Milk swirls his straw in his cup, considering. he's upset on Tenna's behalf. why?]
Probably embarrassed, but he at least owes you an explanation. I think.
[says the Cookie who runs away from his own problems]
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[And isn't that just the biggest pain in his panels? It's far, far more complicated than any of his most deranged daydreams. Tenna's gone over the events of the past more times than he can count, come up with countless what-ifs about how and when Spamton might reappear one day. None of it matched up with what actually happened.
Tenna has a mouthful of his drink, subsiding a bit from his loud irritation.]
I found him again a few days later and he was ... different. Said he went home and came back here years later. I didn't think that could happen.
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what Tenna says next, though, has him lifting his head. his eyes widen a fraction]
Wh-what?
[he hasn't heard of that, either!]
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[Tenna throws his free hand up in the air, at a loss.]
Now he agrees about how long it's been but it's -- all screwy. I have no idea what to do about any of it. It's not what I expected at all!
[He expected to get mad, get into a fight about it, tear strips off Spamton for all those years of accumulated misery. None of that happened. Instead Tenna got information he wasn't ready for.]
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anyway, he shakes his head to clear it]
Yeah, that's a lot! Sounds like you were too stunned to properly tell him off, too.
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He just shakes his head, antennas falling back into right angles.]
Kinda. I said some things. But we just ended up talking.
[Until Tenna couldn't handle it anymore and left.]
He's still around somewhere, I-- I think. His stuff was still at the convention until it was over.
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...Soooo, are you gonna talk to him again? Or, is it too... difficult?
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I mean... yeah. I will. I-If he's still here. There's a lot I still haven't asked, so.
[And really, Tenna doesn't want to avoid him. Far from it. He just doesn't know where to go from here. He looks over at Shadow Milk.]
Do you ever argue with your roommate?
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It's more like... I try to argue? But he's too damn nice to yell, or fight back. Which annoys me!
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[Not being nice, exactly, but he wasn't arguing back. Which was part of the problem when Tenna wanted to argue with him.]
It's not like it's my fault he doesn't want to fight.
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[hmph! just for that, he's grabbing another drink. this probably belonged to someone else but oopsie. his now!!!]
He's not really a fighter to begin with, but... But, whatever. He's stupid.
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He doesn't comment on the drink snatching. As long as it isn't his drink he could care less.]
What do you do about it, though? When he won't argue.
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Mmmn.
[he thinks, canting his head to the side while he swirls the drink]
Depends on the argument. If it's something small, I just kinda... fizzle out. It's not worth it.
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[It's a bit familiar, too. Tenna's anger had flared out quickly when talking to Spamton. It got no oxygen in the face of actually seeing the other Darkner. Worse... just seeing that face made his insides twist unpleasantly.]
It doesn't mean you aren't right, of course.
[Just like it doesn't mean Tenna wasn't right. It doesn't. It doesn't.]
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Of course!
[he takes a swig of the drink. ooh, this one burns... bleh. he looks at the cup, sets it back on the counter, and nudges it away. nope]
But, I guess I have more important things to worry about now? Like, getting my powers back, and figuring out who runs this place.
[revenge, absolutely!]
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Oh, yeah, we can't forget all of that.
[It's what got them into this in the first place. If nothing else, Tenna wants to know what was in the contract they made. He's anxious about it. His deals have gone so badly in the past, what if this one does too? What if he's made another bad call?
He doesn't want to end up in the cold again.]
Still, it's just! This is important too. To me. I can't do nothing, y'know?
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You still care about him, then?
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shall we start wrapping up?
sure!
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wrapped!