[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?
[His antennas spring straight upwards with surprise at the question.]
Huh?? I--
[Somehow he wasn't expecting that question, despite how their conversations have gone before. Those times, Tenna was the one asking unexpected things of Shadow Milk. The shoe's on the other foot now.
The answer is as obvious as a pipis hidden in his closet, dark and shuttered behind doors. It's as obvious as the disturbing appearance of Spamton's new face. He drops his head a bit, looking at the floor.]
It's not like I ever... wanted... him to go. I didn't want that. I didn't think ... but if he's here now, then I don't want to avoid him. I can't do that.
[It's okay. Tenna looks away too. He doesn't really have conversations like this, not with people he thinks of as friends. Maybe he'll unload on his employees sometimes, vent his misery at Mike, but he doesn't usually seek out a conversation. Or advice. But everything's so damned weird and tense, he just had to try something. Anything.
Tenna likes Shadow Milk. Of everyone he's met here, he seemed like the one who'd understand his conundrum the best.]
I figured you might. Aha...
[He sighs dramatically, hanging his head.]
I kinda forgot to ask him where he lives or what his phone number is.
[the feeling is mutual, Tenna. Shadow Milk almost never talks about deep subjects. he prefers to have fun, put on a show, act like he's always so wonderful and happy.
the truth is, since being here, he's been feeling kind of weird and more lonely than usual. he's been trying to reach out to others. it has not been easy, but he's starting to get the hang of it. obviously, it's less work to speak to people on the network. but real raw conversations like this? where he's face to face with someone else? they don't really happen. until now, he supposes]
I'm sure you'll see him again! You can probably even search him up on the ORACLE thing.
[Listen. Tenna is not good at the ORACLE. He understands only the most basic functions like 'call people' and 'you can write text to them.' A search is way beyond his abilities.]
[The walk-through probably starts on Shadow Milk's ORACLE, before it has to move on to him showing Tenna on his ORACLE, because no matter how much Tenna is paying attention it does not seem to sink in. He cannot follow the steps on his own.
Eventually, though, the end result is Tenna has Spamton's ID in his phone.]
Oh, is that it? It's in there now? Wow, thank you!
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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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Huh?? I--
[Somehow he wasn't expecting that question, despite how their conversations have gone before. Those times, Tenna was the one asking unexpected things of Shadow Milk. The shoe's on the other foot now.
The answer is as obvious as a pipis hidden in his closet, dark and shuttered behind doors. It's as obvious as the disturbing appearance of Spamton's new face. He drops his head a bit, looking at the floor.]
It's not like I ever... wanted... him to go. I didn't want that. I didn't think ... but if he's here now, then I don't want to avoid him. I can't do that.
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his eyes widen, but only for a moment. then his glee passes. he's not that delighted that he caught Tenna in surprise. that isn't what matters here]
I mean, this place is big enough. You probably could. If you wanted.
[and he could avoid Pure Vanilla! even though that guy was so persistent]
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[Tenna knows that full well, having spent several days running all over both Somnius and Lumindeas trying to find Mike, then Spamton.]
I don't want to though.
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[he glances away, feeling so weird]
I really do.
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Tenna likes Shadow Milk. Of everyone he's met here, he seemed like the one who'd understand his conundrum the best.]
I figured you might. Aha...
[He sighs dramatically, hanging his head.]
I kinda forgot to ask him where he lives or what his phone number is.
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the truth is, since being here, he's been feeling kind of weird and more lonely than usual. he's been trying to reach out to others. it has not been easy, but he's starting to get the hang of it. obviously, it's less work to speak to people on the network. but real raw conversations like this? where he's face to face with someone else? they don't really happen. until now, he supposes]
I'm sure you'll see him again! You can probably even search him up on the ORACLE thing.
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[Listen. Tenna is not good at the ORACLE. He understands only the most basic functions like 'call people' and 'you can write text to them.' A search is way beyond his abilities.]
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[he pulls out his ORACLE]
It's kinda finicky, but you can search for your ex within the user database.
[Shadow Milk walks Tenna through this process, searching for Spamton by typing out his name with his thumb]
shall we start wrapping up?
Eventually, though, the end result is Tenna has Spamton's ID in his phone.]
Oh, is that it? It's in there now? Wow, thank you!
sure!
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wrapped!