The hivemind is conquering for me?

”Credit for your thoughts?” I asked Janine, as we sat down on a little bench, as she was looking around. We had been here all day going from booth to booth, meeting people from all manner of life. I noticed Janine had been inquisitive about something for a while, so I sent Orchid to Valerica with Nerissa and Gabrielle to ask about where we would be staying tonight so I could figure out what.

Janine looked up at me surprised, but her thoughts were not too deep so she felt no need sharing. ”Oh, um. I just realised that everyone here is like, super hot. Well, for the most part. I mean, look at that woman over there for example, I mean... That ass and face should be illegal together.”

I looked to where Janine was looking and sure enough an extremely attractive woman was walking, her face was aesthetically appealing and her rear had that perfect amount of jiggle as she walked.

I nodded my head in appreciation of the fine specimen before I replied. ”Well, it does make sense doesn’t it? I mean, Psionic energy is symbiotic with those that can wield its power.” Janine looked back at me, only just stopping the hypnotic effect of the women.

”Symbiotic? What do you mean?” She asked, causing me to smile. ”Well, think about it. Psionic energy can only be used by a very finite amount of vessels. So many prerequisites are needed to become Psionically gifted. Wouldn’t the energy want to maintain its vessel to the best of its ability? Keep it intact? Make it stronger, more perfect in order to be wielded with greater ability.”

Janine looked at me like I was crazy for a moment. ”Apollo, the way you just described the energy... Are you saying it’s alive?”

A head behind us suddenly lifted up, not meaning to overhead, but clearly did and was intrigued.

I gave my answer some thought for a moment before responding. ”Well, technically. Yes. Well, some energy, not all. The energy coursing through your body, it’s in tune with you, it’s a part of you, it lives within you. It wants you to stay alive as much as you do, though it doesn’t think, it just exists. To empower you, to nurture you, to grow. In a weird cosmological sense, it enjoys being used. It wants to be used and wants you to use it.”

”Excuse me?” A voice suddenly chimed up from behind me. I turned around and was greeted by a woman with blue hair with a purple hue styled in twin braids. I recognised the woman as the shouty woman from the line earlier today, but I didn’t bring that up.

”Is everything alright?” I inquired with a smile, causing the woman to smile back. ”Um, Yes. Sorry, I didn’t mean to overhear your conversation with your... Friend.” She paused awkwardly, realising I was talking to a Sepiida, before she got back on track.

”But I was just wondering about what you meant by living energy? That doesn’t make scientific sense. Energy is a property, not a living thing. It can’t be destroyed or created, only transferred.”

I smiled at the woman. ”Are you a scientist?” I asked, causing the woman to nod her head. To make my point, I could have simply whipped up ol’ Sol and basically let her Psionic ass be my entire point, but I would then most likely not end up having a good time after the fact. Instead I asked a simple, yet complex question.

”Ok, so you are thinking about what you overheard as a woman on logic. So tell me this. What is Psionic energy? What does it do? In its most basic rudimentary form. What is it?” The woman looked at me blankly, I could see the cogs turning in her brain before she attempted to subvert the subject.

”I don’t know, I am just enrolling now and-” ”-No, don’t worry about that, so am I. It’s not a trick, just tell me the first thing that comes into your head when you think Psionics.” The woman did exactly as I asked and simply replied.

”Power?” She said with a slight tilt to her head alignment, as though she thought she was still being tested. ”Power to what?” I followed up, I was getting into this as I could see Janine out of the corner of my eye also pondering.

”Power to... Change? No, wait! Power to alter. Um. Is that right?” I smiled and sat upright. ”The power to alter is a good answer. You are right Energy as science knows it cannot be created and destroyed, only transferred. But Psionics, Psionics can alter reality cant it? I mean-”

*click* I snapped my fingers and produced a small flame above my index finger before snapping again to put it out, solely for the flair, I didn’t need the gesture.

”-How else could the energy I put in-between my fingers produce fire? From a scientific stand point, it is impossible. There is no fuel to burn, I am creating the energy myself and destroying it to keep the flame burning. Feel, my flame isn’t even producing heat, energy is not being transfered. The Psionic energy is literally defying reality to my whim. Doing something that should be impossible. So why can’t it be alive? Because it doesn’t make logical sense? In my opinion it is because it doesn’t make logical sense that it can be alive. That is the beauty of this great gift we have been given. We can believe in the impossible because it no longer is.”

The woman closed her eyes, dulling her senses as she began taking in everything I just said, I could see her mouthing the words I said to her before slowly opening her purple eyes a few moments later.

”Thank you for taking the time to tell me about all that, but wow, do I feel inadequate now. Am I supposed to know all of this? I have only had my powers for a couple of years, but I have been occupied with family stuff. Am I going to struggle with my courses and lectures?”

I swivelled round my entire body on the bench and patted the woman on the shoulder in a comforting motion. ”Ah, I doubt you should know this stuff, this is some pretty ’out there’ knowledge. I have had my powers since I was a kid and have been taught my whole life, don’t worry, it gets easier to understand, but not everything. There is still so much to learn.”

The woman smiled as she rested her fist against her chin. ”And is that why you are here, great sage one? To learn more?” I chuckled softly at the woman’s banter before nodding my head.

”Yes, naturally. I might know more than someone who is just enrolling and beginning to learn about their great gift, but there is still plenty more to learn. There is never an end to learning, there is always going to be someone who knows more than you, someone more powerful, as a word of advice, don’t let whatever power you come into blind you to this. There are forces out there that see us as nothing but wet paper.”

The woman then bowed as she remained sat down and in a banterous tone said. ”Thank you for your wisdom, great sage one, I shall take it to heart.” She then looked up after softly laughing before extending her arm out.

”I am Althea by the way, nice to meet you.” She said politely, prompting me to extend my hand for a friendly hand shake. ”Apollo. Nice to meet you too.” I said with a smile, before the woman stood up.

”Well then Apollo. You have a nice day, I have to run, my stalker is walking over and I can’t kill him yet. Give my regards to the Praetorian escorting you around. It is not everyday you see a hero of Spartari, It is even rarer seeing one acting as a bodyguard for a mystery man. Well, Bye. And thanks again for your insight.”

I then watched the woman walk away for a moment before turning to the white haired man, who took a gaze at me then at the direction Althea was walking towards before turning around, seemingly not wanting the slightest risk of confrontation.

I then smiled to myself as I looked back over to the woman and muttered. ”Huh, nice girl.” I then proceeded to turn back to Janine and was about to continue where I left off, but noticed she was giving me a hostile look.

”What?” I asked confused, before she huffed to the side, not wanting to look at me it seemed as she responded.

”Its not even fair to be mad at you as you clearly don’t even realise you do it... It is actually infuriating how nice you are that you don’t even see what you are doing. Anyway, can you carry on what you were saying before we were interrupted?”

I did as Janine asked, but in the back of my mind I was thinking to myself.

’Seriously, what is with all the looks I have been getting today? Is it something in the air?’