The hivemind is conquering for me?

”So, what’s in the barrel?” I asked as I stood up and walked over to it. There was a spigot on top of the barrel that had yet to be tapped so I assumed it was a liquid of some sort. Valerica decided not to punish Kathrine again for her insult and walked up beside me.

”Well, I have some good news that I need to share with you, but I want to tell you later. But we can still celebrate it for now and the best way to celebrate is to drink, so.” Valerica picked up the spigot and jammed it into the designated weak point on the barrel.

As soon as she did so, a sweet scent wafted into the suite, a smell I remembered very well. ”You didn’t? How? I thought it was a guarded secret and was rarely given out?” Valerica then used the Spigot and poured out two glasses.

”Your Mommy is a very influential woman Apollo, although my kitten is the current head of the family, I have influence elsewhere. ’Acquiring’ a couple dozen barrels of Psionic alcohol and smuggling them here isn’t too big of an issue for me.”

I suddenly felt an extreme thirst take over me. I was literally just thinking about how to get a hold of this beverage earlier and Valerica managed to get some for me. Taking the glass from her hand, I proceeded to say. ”I love you so much.” Before passing the glass to Kathrine.

I struck a critical hit against Valerica who’s smile threatened to break her face. I was not paying attention though. I had been in the company of three very drunk women earlier and could not get drunk myself. I had a long day and getting inebriated was the perfect way to unwind.

Removing the spigot, I lifted up the barrel and placed my mouth against the hole. I then poked a hole in the top of the barrel with a heated finger and began chugging. Kathrine and Valerica looked on impressed at first, but that impressed look soon turned into surprise and then shock when I finished the entire barrel.

”*GAAAAH!* Hah-Hah- Very full. Whoo!” I exclaimed as I placed down the barrel. ”You said there were a couple dozen more right? I didn’t just do an absolute selfish did I?” I then rubbed my belly that had developed a bulge before sitting down.

”Apollo, you do realise you just drank sixty pints of the drink? At the party on Ecumenopolis 1 you had about twenty.” Kathrine said, slightly nervous. ”Oh? So when this kicks in we are going to see drunk Apollo? That should be a fun surprise for everyone.” I said in the third person.

”I-I’ll go and get another barrel in the meantime then. Just don’t chug this next one.” Kathrine then placed her drink down on the table and left the room once more. Valerica then picked up Kathrine’s drink and sighed.

”Well, I was going to suggest another wager to see if last time was a fluke, but I guess not huh my baby? Still though, I will venture to catch up!” Valerica then placed both glasses against her mouth and shot her neck back as she began downing the two drinks simultaneously.

After she finished her drinks, Valerica shook her head, the Psionically strong alcohol hitting her immediately. ”Goodness! Apollo, how did you manage to drink all of that in one go! It is both incredibly strong and overpoweringly sweet all at once.”

”Apollo likes it sweet.” I said and raised my arms. Valerica sat down next to me and asked. ”Why are you speaking in the third person darling?” I shrugged. ”Apollo has no idea, but Apollo likes it very much. It reminds him of Orchid. Apollo loves Orchid. Uh oh.”

I was still sober enough to tell that I was beginning to get drunk and as I turned to the grinning Valerica I said. ”Oh, by the way, you said you wanted to tell Apollo something later, It would probably be best if you told Apollo now. Apollo can feel himself slipping.”

Valerica put on a serious face. She was waiting until she was drunk in case of heartbreak, but the drink had also hit her hard as well so she said fuck it. ”Apollo, I have pulled some strings and have adopted you into my family officially as my son. From now on, if you choose, you can be Apollo Hyllus-Lambdason.”

I felt a wetness on my face. Confused, I looked up as it wasn’t raining, and we were inside. Wiping the wet away, I realised more was coming from my eye. ’Oh, Apollo is crying?’ With a heavy breath upon realising tears were falling from my eye, I looked at Valerica with both confusion and happiness.

”You love Apollo so much already that you are willing to adopt Apollo? But what about Kathrine? She wants to make the baba’s with Apollo?” Valerica placed her hand on my knee as she said. ”That is fine, you can still make babies with Kathrine and give me plenty more grandbabies, with her divorce going through soon, you will be my son and son in law when you get married so it will be fine. Besides, house breeding is allowed every few generations and you two aren’t blood related so I am not in opposition to it.”

I schooched up closer to Valerica, I needed to get this across before I became drunk, the effects seemed to be wearing off though, but just to remain cautious. ”Hic- Valerimummy listen to Apollo carefully. Apollo’s going to protect you from now on. You are safe. The big cutie won’t hurt you in the future, Apollo p-promises. Apollo keeps you safe because Apollo wuv’s you as well!”

”*SNIIIIIIIIF*” Valerica held back tears, half of what Apollo just said was gibberish and she had no idea what he meant by ’big cutie’, but the rawness of his emotions, she could tell he cared. She could tell he accepted her love and was now hers! Her son. Her beautiful son. Her beautiful, handsome, charming son...

Valerica suddenly become hyper aware that her hand was now on Apollo’s thigh and quickly pulled away. The drink had clearly hit her hard having it so fast. It was a good thing she pulled away as Kathrine returned with another barrel that moment and Apollo sprang into action.

”Phew, this things weigh a bit, a dress is not the best item to wear either to carry them, I was getting all sorts of LOOKS!” Kathrine exclaimed at the end as she was swooped off her feet and was spun around by her lover.

”Oh Kathrine, Apollo loves you so much! Apollo is so glad we are going to be together forever! *Gasp* Why didn’t you tell Apollo you were getting divorced!?! You are supposed to tell your master everything! Bad, Kathrine, bad.”

’Oh, master play? Kinky, I like it.’ Valerica said with a smirk as she subtly tapped the new barrel and began pouring herself a drink.

”Apollo!” Kathrine exclaimed embarrassed. ”Not in front of my mother! Please, I am embarrassed!” She said, but was smiling like a Cheshire cat at the sudden attention. I suddenly snorted hearing what Kathrine said and placed her down. ”You are right. We must behave in front of the mother. We are siblings now after all. Hahahaha!”

I suddenly burst out laughing, before getting side-tracked as I went to go and pick up a glass for another drink as I thought the buzz was fading away. ’Seriously, this stuff is weaker than I remember...’

”What did you do to him?” Kathrine asked her mother, who looked offended. ”Me? Nothing! You were here when he downed enough of that liquid to kill off an entire warship X many times over. I did tell him about the divorce and the adoption though.” Valerica said, as she giggled, watching Apollo doing his best to hold back a laugh.

Kathrine jolted again when she felt Apollo wrap around her midsection, picking her up before sitting down together, her on his knee. ”You know, now we are siblings, we are going to have to play ’sweet home Alabama’ in secret or Mummy will get mad at us for boinking.”

Valerica’s heart melted again, receiving even more critical damage hearing him using the word in a sentence outside of conversation with her while Kathrine asked. ”What’s an Alabama?”

”Shhh! Apollo can’t tell you that, it’s a secret. But familial ties mean nothing, or everything there, so we will be fine hahaha!” Kathrine shook her head. She was too sober for Apollo as he currently was.

She was loving it, but she was getting embarrassed too easily, she needed something so she could roll with the punches.

…

Meanwhile, a certain Stalker inside of Apollo’s Mindspace listened to those words carefully. She heard the word secret and knew something was at play as Apollo had only one secret from the hive. She looked over to the golden, restricted section of Apollo’s Mindspace and narrowed her eyes. ’Has something from his inherited memories finally broken through? Jewel needs to learn of this the next time we meet. It could give clues to learn more about Apollo’s subspecies.

Meanwhile, a sentient fire woman shook her head at her kindled. It was already a bad joke, but when no one in this universe could understand it, it just made it dreadful. Something she found insanely cute.

She wanted to go out and join Apollo, but she knew better, these Spartari had always been a vulgar species after all, she would prefer to steer clear for as long as she was capable.