Everything is too much, the near silence is too loud, you're itchy and hot and cold and it's all just too much.

Your chest feels tight, and Otto's hand on your shoulder blade as you sob into his side, along with how his four metal tentacles wrapped gently around you, pulling you closer to him, is the only thing keeping you from spiralling even further into despair.

"Hey, hey, hey, Sweetheart, it's alright, you're allowed to cry." Otto soothes, rubbing your back as you sniffle against him. He smells like Marlboro cigars, and despite usually being disgusted by the smell, right now it just serves to help calm you down just a bit more.

He's not entirely sure why you're upset, all he got out of you earlier was hiccupping sobs and something about being worthless, but he'll be damned if he doesn't at least try to cheer you up.

"Sweetheart, have you ever... Hang on, you know swamp water, right?" Otto doesn't wait for your answer. "Swamp water is all stagnant and gross with all algae growing on it, and bugs eggs on the surface and it's smelly and there are crocodiles in it?"

"Well, I bet you feel like swamp water right now. I bet you feel like you can't even do basic human things like clean up well, or go out, or keep friendships. And you've just got all these awful, and untrue thoughts that maybe everyone would be better off without you, and you should just run off and start somewhere new or..." Otto shakes his head, clearly not wanting to entertain the idea.

"Look, the point is that you're not swamp water. You're not disgusting, or subhuman, or stagnant." As Otto speaks, one of his tentacles wriggles its way through the small gap in your arms and carefully wipes away your tears with a claw until Otto shoos it away.

It's times like this that you're sure that those tentacles are sentient somehow, but that's a mystery for another day.

Otto's hand moves up from your shoulder blade and into your hair, stroking it gently, as if you might break if he applies too much pressure.

You think you might.

There's quiet for a moment. Not quite silence due to the tentacles whirring and your occasional sobs, not to mention your racing heartbeat, but it's close enough to silence.

Then, "Sweetheart, you do know, deep down, that everything will turn out alright, right?"

When you don't answer, he sighs heavily and lifts your chin up. His hands are warmer than the tentacles, and the juxtaposition is a little odd, but comforting.

"It will be. Everything's going to be okay. I'm so proud of you for being so brave, and I promise, things will get better. You deserve better." Otto says, pulling you even closer and tucking your head underneath his chin. "Everything is going to be okay."