The hivemind is conquering for me?

As I said my piece about my position, a group of servants emerged from nearby doors. Each one was holding a silver platter thing with the big dome things on top. Super fancy. Each dome was so reflective as they put it down I could see myself perfectly within.

And as much as I was a sight to behold, heh, I resisted the urge to rub my hands together for the fancy feed. I was still hungry after not finishing that whole lasagne... ’I really hope this is more lasagne...’

My excitement soured instantly as the lids were removed. First of all, they had given me the food my food eats. A bunch of leaves on a plate. I was a meat man! Second, the portion... If you could call it that. There wasn’t enough food on the plate to fill up a twig.

”Don’t worry. This is just the first course. To activate the stomach and encourage appetite.” The girl to my right said.

I smiled at her, relieved, and thanked her. ”Thank you. Maxine, right?”

Maxine smiled at me and nodded.

’Ok, Maxine black lipstick, Mary no lipstick. Good to know...’ I thought to myself so I didn’t have to guess next time.

I felt a chill to my left, but when I turned to Hailey she was all smiles. Ignoring the phenomenon, I moved on to the next problem... Everyone was looking at me, I think they were waiting for me to start eating first, but the issue was the cutlery.

’Why is there so much?’

Four forks, three knives, three spoons. I wasn’t even going to count the other two forks on the table, considering their wrongness, as they should be called a tiny pitchfork and a tiny trident.

The pressure was actually more than I expected, but I just decided to go for it and reached for a fork.

”Nhn.” Maxine hummed negatively next to me. Taking the cue, I hovered over the next one.

”Mhm.”

And picked it up.

The others then joined in and picked up a knife and began to ’dive in’ . I followed suit and as soon as I picked up the knife Maxine whispered to me. ”You are doing that wrong.”

”Probably... Can you help?” I replied and she nodded with a smile.

”Just copy me and you will be fine.”

And so I did. I copied the eleven year old next to me and what would usually have taken me three seconds to eat took close to five minutes.

’Yeah... This is not for me. I prefer the Hives table manners compared to this... This is torture.’

Thinking about torture my face suddenly sank as I thought about what was to come tomorrow.

Pictures... Pictures everywhere.

As everyone put their cutlery down in hive-like unison, I threw mine down too before Sigismund asked with a knowing grin. ”Everything alright, son? Was the dish not to your liking?”

”You’re not supposed to like it. It’s an appetite accelerator...” Rickon muttered underneath his breath from the other side of the table.

I ignored the teen and replied to Sigismund. ”While I am sure it was excellent ’leafage’ I still prefer meat... Sorry, did he just say appetite accelerator?” I asked, concerned.

Elaine then responded to my question. ”Yes. We will be having a twelve course meal. This plant encourages your stomach’s digestive system to hasten and your appetite to grow. So you don’t feel full. That way you can truly enjoy each course without worrying about the next.”

”Why? Is there a problem, Sentinel?” Dickon spoke, his eyes narrowing at me with needless hostility. It was annoying.

’Keep looking at me like that and I’ll make you reunite with Belona...’ I thought before shaking my head.

”No... No problem, your grace. I just-”

”-It’s Your majesty when talking to your King, Apollo. Remember yourself.”

”-Right... Your majesty... I just didn’t expect such a plant to- Oh... Oh no...” I trailed off and Hailey leaned in closer, pressing her body against me.

”Apollo? Is there a problem?” She asked.

I leaned closer two, not realising that my body was blocking Dickon’s view of Hailey and the positioning looking rather nefarious as I replied.

”You know I am a black hole for food right?”

Hailey nodded her head.

”Well I’ve just been fed an appetite suppressant in a room where I am supposed to keep my etiquette. With my biology it’s already kicked in... And now I’m hangry.”

*Snort*

Sigismund let out a snort and covered his face with his hand as the others at the table suddenly stared at him for laughing like that.

As I sat back normally Hailey placed her hand on my thigh and began rubbing it in a comforting motion.

”Just hold on a little. The courses get bigger with each one.

...

Dickon’s eye began to twitch as he watched his daughter touch that scrunt...

’Wait... Where is her hand and why is it moving like that?’

What perversion was this? What does this scrunt think he is doing? Forcing her to touch him here?

Dickon stood up and was about to shout when the doors suddenly opened once more. The next course.

Dickon watched for a moment as the servants began moving, as he turned back to his innocent daughter and the perverted monster, Hailey had managed to wriggle free of his rancid claws as she prepared for the next course.

Naturally the piece of shit looked utterly annoyed that he wasn’t molesting his little girl in the presence of the family and he could stay that way. If he made another move. Not even Sigismund could save him...

...

”You know, I thought we were supposed to be an organised organisation? Where is it!” Rhapso proclaimed in frustration.

Before her was the Nymph library, or rather, the scroll dump.

The place was a mess of ancient lore and powerful rituals all piled together.

”Honestly, It’s a good thing we have the anti life wards up or Silverfish would have destroyed so much...”

Of course this was the second section of the library. The place where the stuff barely used or in some cases have never even been looked at were ’stored.’ Chucked in and forgotten about was more like it.

”Ness! Anything?”

A few meters away from her, Nerissa’s green head poked out of a large pile of scrolls. ”No, but it has to be in here... Though maybe we should wait until we are back from the Coalition? Distractions to our duty might negatively affect the mission.”

Rhapso turned her entire body and folded her arms, her ’assets’ pushing up in the lightweight fabric she was wearing.

”Pfft! Please! You don’t care about that. You are just being Jelly again because once I perform this ritual I can have fun with Apollo while you just sit in the corner and watch because you are too scared to go through it yourself.”

”I’m not Jelly!” Nerissa said, in a totally not Jelly tone... ”I just don’t think you should rush this...” She mumbled, prompting Rhapso to smirk and approach Nerissa. She extended her hand and Nerissa took it from amidst the scrolls.

Rhapso then yanked Nerissa out with force the Nymph wasn’t expecting. Falling to the floor, Rhapso caught Nerissa by the lower back and was now looking down into her eyes. Brushing the hair from Nerissa’s face with the back of her hand, Rhapso spoke in a sultry tone.

”Now imagine it was Apollo holding you like this, leaning in slowly, wanting to kiss you.” They were nose to nose at this point.

”Wouldn’t you just want to give in? Have that pesky constraint in our sisterhood removed? Allow him to pleasure us? Allow us to pleasure him?”

Nerissa gulped. ”Rhapso?”

”Yeah?” Rhapso replied.

”Move before I headbutt you.”

Rhapso was about to reply before a third voice cut in.

”My~ My~ Just what have I walked in on? How delectable.”

Turning in unison towards the third voice, Rhapso and Nerissa spotted Argyra in full armour, her finger where her mouth would be.

Nerissa swiftly escaped Rhapso’s clutches while Rhapso giggled.

”Hey sis. I was teasing Nessy-Bear. It got out of hand. What’s up? Why are you in gear?”

”Nessy-Bear? I like it.” Argyra commented, looking directly at Nerissa.

Nerissa could feel the teasing gaze of her sister and Rhapso was not helping.

”Yeah, Apollo came up with it and it is perfect, she can’t get enough of me using it, can’t you, Nessy-Bear?”

”...”

”...”

”...”

”So what’s up Argyra? We are busy.” Nerissa changed the topic.

”Nessy-Bear. No need to be so cold. I could cry if I thought you meant it... I come bearing news regarding our Sentinel.”

”Our?”

”What is it? Is Apollo alright?”

Nerissa and Rhapso asked respectfully.

Argyra glanced at Nerissa for a moment before replying.

”Apollo is fine... His armour though. One of the Praetorians on guard duty found an anomaly ping on their patrol, found a weird cube and now Phoebe is currently trying to de-escalate a situation regarding what to do with it, I think you two should also-”

The two Nymphs suddenly bolted out of the room, leaving Argyra standing by herself.

”Honestly, so rude. Someone needs to give those two a proper spanking...”