The hivemind is conquering for me?

Nerissa tilted her head slightly to observe through her peripherals hearing that. ”Panic? Agents of Olympus are not known to panic.” Nerissa stated, causing Gabrielle to scoff. ”Yeah maybe the pussy ass Alphas and betas, stupid fuckers with their ’normal psyche.’ I’m an Omega, a variable emotional state that is only tolerated because of my strength. So yeah, I can panic... I mean, look at him. He is perfect... Though I wish that slut would stop touching his arm.”

Nerissa looked back at the scene of Orchid smiling for the first time since their reunion. ”I would watch what you say Gabrielle. Apollo loves deeply and extremely hard for those close to him. He would cut ties in an instant with you, an outsider, if he heard you speaking scornfully about one of his women.”

Gabrielle wanted to rebuke, but her words got caught in her throat, causing her to simply exhale in their stead. ”I-I can’t lose him... Not again. I wouldn’t be able to cope.” She had already snapped once due to losing her baby... The grief, the regret, the only thing that kept her going all these years.

If she lost him again because of her own stupidity... She wouldn’t continue existing...

”I can see a darkness in your eyes Gabrielle, snap out of it. You are thinking about this whole thing wrong.” Gabrielle snapped to attention at Nerissa’s words and listened. ”You are an agent of Olympus, while you are a field asset, you have been taught espionage. Treat Apollo as an asset you have been told to honeypot. How would you go about this? While thinking on that, remember all of that information with one clear thing in mind, you are not leaving your target, you are staying with him after the mission is over.”

Gabrielle cleared her mind of all her anxiety... Well most of her anxiety... A little bit... Not much. But it was enough for her to begin to think straight. She immediately began planning a strategy that didn’t involve buying her son ice-cream and winging it from there.

A smile emerged on her lips as she looked at her friend. ”Thank you Nerissa, I hope I can rely on you with my help in this?” She asked, getting a flat. ”Absolutely not.”

”Huh?”

Gabrielle’s confusion was immediately responded to. ”Apollo is my intrigue, my close personal friend. ”I am not going to tell him about your feelings and relationship to him, that is not my place. But I will not conspire behind his back, a plan to wiggle you closer to him. You have to do that yourself. Without letting me know any of it. I was simply the one to get you on the right train of thought and nothing more.”

Gabrielle looked up at Nerissa and shook her head. ”You know, I prefer it when you don’t talk, you are a real chatterbox, you know that?” Nerissa said nothing in response and lowered her sound suppressant, and just at the perfect time too.

”So Janine, feel like playing your role a little?” I said, causing her to roll her eyes. ”Fine, what do you want?” I gasped, clearly offended by my Sepiida and as her master was compelled to fix her attitude.

”Janine. That is no way to talk to your betters! Now, ask again and this time, be nice about it.” I narrowed my eyes and gave Janine a smug look, just to add extra emphasis to my little jest in case she didn’t quite pick up on my tone of voice.

Janine rolled her eyes before, in the most sarcastic accent, spoke as she curtsied. ”Of forgive me, most dearest master. Your pathetic blue servant forgot herself. Oh please allow me the honour of fetching your iced creams. Please tell me what you desire and I shall retrieve them with utmost haste.”

”Well, I want pistachio, Orchid?” I asked, ”Whatever Apollo is having.” She replied and then I turned to Nerissa who shook her head before I looked at my newest cohort. ”Gabrielle?” The woman smiled before looking towards Janine.

”I will go with her and help carry them over, I don’t know what I want just yet and I have to pay as well so it’s fine.” I saw no reason to refute and let the pair begin to walk away. As Janine passed me, I clasped her arm tightly and pulled her head close to my lips and warned.

”You are not pathetic, even in silly roleplay, I never want to hear you say that again, ok? You are my friend, degrade me as much as you want in our playful banter, but never yourself. Do you understand?”

Apollo’s sudden possessive and protective tone made Janine go weak behind the knees, but she didn’t let it show and simply nodded her head with a kind and warm smile. ”’Atta girl.” I then kissed her on the temple. ”Now, away with you wench, go and fetch my ice-cream.”

”Ass.” Janine said with a smile before walking away.

Gabrielle walked up beside Janine after they were out of earshot and asked. ”So, you and Apollo seem C-” ”-Cut the bullshit lady, tell me why you are here.” Janine kept her face all smiles, but her tone was anything but.

”What are you-” Gabrielle got cut off again. ”Don’t play dumb with me lady. You come to Sophia’s club wanting information on Apollo and now you are here? What do you want? I told you if you show any hostile intent towards that man I would kill you and I meant it. It would be the last thing I ever do, but it would be worth it, now speak.”

Gabrielle was once again impressed by the titanic balls on this Sepiida and smiled lovingly at her son’s companion. ”All I will say on the matter is this Janine. My investigation on Apollo ended pretty much right after we spoke. He is a good man and I have no negative intentions towards him. I have been mere for a few months and Nerissa will attest to this if you ask her.”

Janine looked up and narrowed her eyes. ”So you have no negative intentions, but you have intentions nonetheless? I will give you the benefit of the doubt woman, but remember my warning. I would happily die for that man.”

Gabrielle held Janine’s gaze for a short while before the Sepiida looked away with a huff. ”Look, like I just said, I will give you the benefit of the doubt, as that is what Apollo would do, but be warned, as smart as that man is and as much as I love him. He is a real dunce when it comes to reading people’s intentions. He is too trusting. So, If I see anything suspicious, I am putting you down.”

The two then locked eyes once more, a sort of understanding, an unspoken agreement forming between the two species. A very progressive move on Gabrielle’s part and the most ballsy move, outside of a mating, a Sepiida has ever committed.

Janine then turned to face her front and smiled cutely to the man running the booth. ”Hi, Can I order-”

...

”Apollo, something is strange about that woman... Orchid feels like she has seen that woman before. It is vexing.” Orchid stated as she leaned in close to whisper. Almost getting vexed by the fact Orchid had just used the word vexed, I shook my head and replied.

”Well, maybe she is a model or something on the side? She is quite pretty after all. You might have just seen her in the purging of all the media you binged before we went back home. Besides, she was quite open about her investigation of me and if she was working for royalty at the time like Onyx has just told me, I suppose that makes sense. I did have breakfast with the queen of spartari then blew up her courtyard in self defence, I would be surprised if that didn’t draw a little bit of attention at the time.”

I then turned to our third party, one who had ties to both myself and the newcomer. ”Nerissa, I value your opinion deeply given your age, wisdom and friendship. This Gabrielle, if we become friends, can she be trusted?”

Nerissa paused for a moment looking between myself and Orchid before speaking with a calm demeanor. ”Gabrielle is a friend you are going to want to have Apollo. Her investigation into you was nothing but a chore, something that had to be done. There was no malice in her intentions. My advice, accept her friendship. I know you yearn for friendship after all... But perhaps expand into the male side of making friends as well Apollo... You seem to have a knack for attracting the opposite sex into your friend group. That being said, whatever you decide to do, I will not judge, simply observe and satisfy my curiosity.”

Taking Nerissa’s words to heart, I decided to give the woman the benefit of the doubt and give it my all to be her friend. She did seem nice after all, and she did buy the ice-cream... The moment I made that inner declaration, I felt my Origin thrum with energy... This was not an act of self harm like I was annoyingly familiar with no... this was.

”Elation?”