The hivemind is conquering for me?

There was no one in the surroundings, but as I gazed into the fire, a face emerged from within. ”I dimmed my presence greatly Apollo, It should have felt like I was still inside your Mindspace.”

I smiled. ”The fire wasn’t getting hotter despite the fact I added more fuel. Fire doesn’t have heat regulation, you know this.” Sol observed me for a moment in silence after my comment before she spoke once again.

” Apollo, you have been looking at Similarities ever since you spotted them in this universe. It is indeed curious, but I think when you randomly came across a difference and it was someone close to you that showed you the difference, despite it being a silly little thing. It just came as a shock to you. You recently had the closure that you are you, not some construct and found peace with that, perhaps you are now coming to terms that this universe is actually different from your old one? The similarities simply being a coincidence?”

Sol’s words made a large amount of sense to me. I was always looking for similarities, blinding me to the differences. There were so many, I mean, I was clearly inside another universe! Why would I still care about the old one? I barely remember it, snippets, that’s all.

The biggest one is the amount of love I have to offer to all those close to me. I should explore all these differences with those that I love. Not simply focus on the similarities.

I smiled and let out a breath of clarity, feeling better already. Sometimes it took just a simple conversation to give sight to a blindness you didn’t know you had. ”Thank you Sol.” I said as I turned onto my back to gaze into the sky.

The night sky was beautiful, calm, serene, only slightly ruined by the large looming ships of Spartari that formed the blockade above. as I gazed for a few moments,, a thought suddenly occurred to me. ”Oh shit.”

”What is it my Kindled?” Sol asked. ”I forgot to reach out to that general after my shuttle was shot down... Meh, oh well.”

I continued my stargazing for a while before I started to feel sleepy. Closing my eyes, I said to Sol. ”Can you keep yourself lit? All the fuel is over there.” I pointed with my eyes closed towards an assortment of sticks.

”Of course, my kindled, you rest easy, I shall keep you safe.”

...

After waking up, I sat upright and stretched. I then listened as my back decided to perform a musical piece made up of only cracking noises. Sleeping on the ground had its costs after all.

looking to my right, Sol was still crackling softly in her fire, it looked like she had gone through all the material I left for her and judging by the lack of dead tree nearby, she had gotten extra ’hungry’ last night.

I then stood up and patted myself of any dirt before addressing Sol. ”You can return to the Mindspace now, I’m going to douse the fire.” There was a slight jump in the flames as Sol left, due to the fact the flame was no longer regulating its own heat. I then reached out and grasped the heat of the flame, making it cooler and cooler until it could no longer burn its fuel, smothering it completely. I then manipulated some dirt nearby with my Gyrokinesis to cover up where the fire just was before making my way back to the city.

...

After entering the club, the first person I was greeted by was Janine who had been sitting by the bar staring at the club entrance. She was wearing her usual mercenary clothes and her hair and skin were back to normal.

Running up to me, she hugged my torso and apologised. ”Apollo, I am so sorry if I upset you last night. I didn’t mean to, I am so sorry.” By the tone of her voice, I could tell the way I handled leaving last night had weighed on her mind slightly.

Hugging her and rubbing her back in a soothing motion, I replied. ”You have nothing to apologise for, you didn’t upset me, I just had a realization about my life that blindsided me and soured my mood a little bit. Trust me, we are fine... Though if you want to flash me to cheer me up, I’d be ok with that.”

”Asshole!” Janine said while laughing and gently punched my shoulder. She then looked around cautiously before smiling playfully. She turned around and lowered her pants slightly for a second, stupefying me as I eyes were naturally drawn to her rear and the pink thong she was wearing for simply a moment before she pulled her pants back up.

”O, I, U.” I began fishing for words, but only seemed to be reeling in vowels. Janine saw this and a wicked smile crept upon her face as she patted me on the arm. ”Don’t be asking for spice if you can’t handle the heat, handsome.”

Janine then got on her tip toes and pulled my head down, kissing me on the cheek. ”Now, I have got to go and check on my recon target. I will be back later if you want to hang out. See you later!”

I watched as Janine walked away, hand on my cheek where she just kissed me, confusion welling up in me at her strange behaviour.

”What the...”

...

”Onyx, will you pull your pants up! No one wants to see your ass and vagina like that! It’s disgusting!” Sophia yelled at the Stalker who had been in that position since last night. It was on her couch for Apollo’s sake! It was already bad enough seeing the other’s erogenous zones in the bedroom, never mind in her relaxation area.

She wasn’t the only one to feel that way of course, the Hive found each other’s bodies repulsive in the sexual context; only Apollo was delicious to both taste and the eyes.

” I told you Sophia. Apollo almost broke a fixed point!!! He shouldn’t be able and yet he did! Something is wrong! I am sitting here and awaiting my punishment until the point fully fixes itself and returns to normal. If I attempt to do anything else I could cause the future as I know it to collapse!”

”... But can’t you wait with your pants on? It’s gross.” Sophia asked, causing Onyx to look through her legs towards Sophia. ”It is not gross, Apollo loves it, my universe’s opinion means everything compared to your whining. Besides, I know you have literally eaten thousands of these. It’s what we do. Stop acting like a human with your distaste for my genitals, despite our current form, we are predators, you should care less, you should see a meal you want to devour, and not in the euphemistic sense. Now, stop moping and let me await punishment in peace! He can’t be gone for too long!

*Ding*

Onyx jumped slightly at the ding and began to arc her back more, pushing her rear upwards. Sophia walked away and towards the door to greet, ”Apollo! Where were you all night? You made me worried again. Are you ok? Why do you smell like arid grass and smoke?”

I blinked in surprise at Sophia’s amazing sense of smell. ”Huh, I didn’t realise arid grass had a specific scent? And I think you answered your own question. I had a bit of a clarity opener about my life last night and needed time to think on my own.”

Hearing what I just said, Sophia pressed herself up against me and looked up concerned. ”I hope your clarity wasn’t about our relationship Apollo, I’m not sure about the rest of the hive, but I don’t think I would react well, if you decided you wanted to break- Kiyah!”

I slapt Sophia hard on the rear for her idiocy. ”Idiot bug! Don’t ever think in that way again! Break up? Are you crazy? I am not letting you go. Ever! I love you more than life itself. You are my everything. My Hive, my mate, my partner, my lover, my wife. You. Are. MINE!”

The possessiveness of my tone caused all of the fluid inside of Sophia’s body to expel out of her cave entrance, drenching her clothes in a moment. She then gulped audibly as she looked at me full of love and desire.

”Water.” She said dryly before she waddled over to the kitchen in a daze. With Sophia reprimanded for her poor train of thought, I moved into the living room to the presence of a beautiful caramel delight up in the air above the couch.

Walking over, I caressed the curves of the treat in front of me before turning my attention to the determined look of the green eyed beauty before me. It took me a few moments of lingering to her gaze that I realised why she was positioned the way she was.

”Oh? Were you waiting for your punishment all night? My most sincere apologies darling, I had a personal matter to take care of. What a good girl you are...” I saw a micromovement in my Stalkers body language, she was trying not to convey any emotions for some reason, but I could tell she enjoyed the praise.

Still, reaching into the air beside me, Zircon suddenly materialised in my hand. ”Still though, you had been a bad girl for quite some time weren’t you? Keeping secrets from me? Telling my precious little sword to keep a secret from me?”

I swatted my own palm with Zircon a few times to let the pressure sink in. Before declaring.

”Time for your punishment.”