It was night time. Otto sat on one of Deus's cliffs. By his side was the box of candies that America had gotten him. With him, on the other side of the candy box, was Tenya. The weapon believed she needed to have a talk with him, and being inside his head made it too hard to push him.

Otto was getting better at heeding her advice. He obliged, and got her a golem to use.

He knew the topic would be serious. And he knew he'd wanted to dance around it, or ignore it altogether. Tenya knew him too well, and this time she wouldn't sit idly in his head and submit to his cowardice.

"So." Tenya finally started, having allowed him time to relax in silence. "You ******** up." She smiled as she said this, giving her hunter an unrelenting stare. Otto of course tried not to look at her, hunched over a box of skittles.

"Cami had wanted to get to the source of it before, right? Well, I'm going to help her. By helping you. Otto, I'm here to keep you alive and healthy. But I'm also here to keep you together." Too many times she kept silent to stop him from getting mad with her. Their bond was important to her.

"I have one advantage over her. I know your mind better than everyone; so I think I have a theory." Otto looked at her now, slowing his chewing. She had his attention now.

"What happened didn't just happen for no reason, and we both know that." Otto sneered and looked back down into his nearly empty box. Tenya had anticipated his blockades to any attacks she might make on his character. But being an actual physical presence, she felt more powerful. She felt real, and not just a figment inside Otto's mind.

"I know you crave feeling wanted. Needed. Desired." She could see the vein in Otto's temple throb in irritation. She was hitting the nail on the head, as it were. Still, he needed to hear this aloud. He needed to confront it. Ripley had done something similar, and it had inspired her.

"You deny it to your core. So much that you believe you're repulsed. You convince yourself.. But, Otto? You even like negative attention, so long as it's aimed at you. Rep and his backhanded flirting on Twitter?"

Otto gave her a scandalized scoff. "Rep is gross, don't even---"

"Doesn't matter. You liked the attention." Tenya cut him off. She wouldn't be beat down by his denial any longer. She had a job to do. "So, when you and Zac were completely... um.. 'wasted'," She struggled with the wording, trying not to giggle at it, ".. and he made a move? Sure you were taken aback, but you didn't fight it."

"I was drunk!" He retorted again. "I just went with what felt good.."

Tenya smirked. He admitted it felt good. That was at least a plus. "Yeah, but you didn't imagine how bad the consequences would be either. Yes, you were drunk, I'll give you that. But why didn't you think of Maebe and Cami being hurt?"

Otto shrugged. He honestly didn't remember, even if Tenya did.

"You get jealous of them. When Maebe flirts on Twitter? It makes you angry. Why?"

Otto moved to asnwer, but Tenya lifted a finger.

"Not because you're mad at her, but because she's not focusing on you, and because you want that freedom too. You're too submissive and shy to flirt like she does, so you wait for someone to make the move on you. She gets to flirt, because it's not really cheating. You? You're bound by the morals and rules you've set in place. That kissing and romping and flirting are all things only those in love can do."

Otto looked mad; frustrated. He tossed the empty container back into the large box of snacks. "You sayin' I cheated to piss her off? I think you're way off. That's too ********' petty." Maebe was fragile. She wore masks to hide her sensitive centre. It had taken ages for him to make her break free and reveal her soft inner self. "I know how hard it was to make her trust me." And she was vindictive to shield that soreness within her. He knew if she found out, she would be beyond hurt. She would be out for blood. His.

Tenya nodded. "Yes, but why did you work so hard to make her trust you?" Otto stared with a furrowed brow. He could answer, but Tenya already had her own theory.

"Because you slept with her without being in love with her; or even liking her. Several times. Each time you did, you felt the compulsion to justify it with romantic intent. Making Maebe yours would make you feel giving into your lust would be righteous." She kept herself serious in demeanour, which was hard for her. She was afraid of creating a greater rift between herself and her Hunter.

"Everything you do is selfish, Otto. I love you as you are, but you need to accept that you aren't faithful to your own integrity. It's.. part of the reason you're always so mad at yourself." Maybe Otto never did realize this. Maybe he was so far into his own head that his choices and actions truly were a mystery to him.

"I know you're mad at me.." Tenya said softly, turning to look out at the rough ocean waters. "But you've been holding so much inside you. You're strong, Otto. Very strong. But that much pent up feelings are warping you and churning you about... you're getting sick Otto. Sick in the heart." She always felt it. Inside him he'd get better then worse. All of the bouncing around took damage. Cracks that would get filled in, but would never again be as they were.

"I can't just sit in your head and let you do this to yourself. You... you love being in turmoil sometimes. If you didn't--"

"I do not!" Otto yelled at her, watching her flinch. "I don't enjoy being miserable!"

"Then WHY!?" She shrieked back. Her hand slammed down, her head whipping to the side to stare him in the eyes. "Running away from all these problems are just packing garbage into an overstuffed trash bag! You'll fall apart!"

"So what!?"

"THINK!" Tenya was having none of it. Not anymore. "You love them. All your friends. Don't give them cause to worry. Stop making ME worry!" Damn.. she hadn't wanted to make this about her. Otto always thought of her as a little fairy that didn't really exist, sometimes. But she was real. She was so real, and her feelings had been hurt by his ignoring her.

She turned back to the ocean again, heaving in a slow yet deep breath. In, and out. Otto did the same.

"You value her feelings, and you don't want her cross with you." She began again, "You don't want to change her, or keep her from being who she really is. Yet, somehow, you did anyway. You got her roped into a committed relationship, because that's what you valued as right."

Otto shrugged. "I guess." He stared out at the water, watching as the occasional monster poked it's head out in the distance. "I'm.. not really sure what it is I want anymore. I just been going by what I know." Values and morals taught to him by those who raised him. Even if he'd never felt at home in said environment.

His head fell into his hands, a mop of blond hair cascading over his fingers. "God.. what do I do... If I talk to Maebe it's over. She might not ever be okay again."

Tenya's smile was soft, and never reached her eyes. "I wish I knew that one. Some secrets of yours I'll never know, after all." Tenya scooted a little closer, pushing the candy away. Dark arms fell over Otto, draping herself over him like a blanket.

"I'll be here Otto. You're never alone." She felt a tinge of pain in her heart; a ghost pain she supposed since her body was not true. She loved her hunter, whether by heart or necessity.

"If you choose not to talk to her, I'll understand. It's not just a selfish need to be liked, I know." Tenya murmured, "You're protecting her. You really do love her." Otto fell in love so easily, it was almost sad. Still, it was just another thing Tenya loved of him.

He wasn't perfect, but no one was. Not even her.