The hivemind is conquering for me?

As I entered the cave, which was basically just a hole in the wall, Tamara was curled into a ball and was looking at me wearily and continued with her schtick. ”Don’t think about using this opportunity to touch me inappropriately, I can forgive the necessity earlier, but now-”

”-Oh for the love of- Will you give that a rest? Fuck me, do you not bore yourself with being so high strung? This is the only time I am going to utter these words again, so get it through your skull. I have zero. Zero levels of sexual attraction for you, your personality is toxic and a huge turn off, I have no intention of touching you and even If I did find you attractive, I am not some disgusting sub-human who would grope another person knowing I wont have their consent. So can you just chill? Please? Just chill? Please? Ok? Good talk.”

I then removed my helmet once more and began massaging my temples. The woman was more annoying than anything else I have experienced in both my lifetimes. I ignored the glare she was giving me after saying all that before she muttered. ”Whatever.” And turned over while dithering.

After about twenty minutes of blissful silence, it was unfortunately interrupted. ”Apollo?” Turning to face Tamara, she was looking at me and her face looked pale. ”Can you make a fire? I can’t get warm.”

I shook my head. ”No, it’s too dark, the fire’s light would stick out like a sore thumb. But if you are cold, here.” I stood up from my resting position and put my armour into standby mode and stepped out of it. ”Get in there, it’s heat regulated.”

Tamara sat up and looked at the inside of the suit. ”It looks icky.”

”Looks can be deceiving. If you want to get warm, get inside. The other option is using my Thermokinesis, but that requires touching you and I am well aware how you feel about that. So just get in the armour.”

Tamara looked at me warily for a moment, before her coldness probably made her get up and step into the armour. She grimaced as it closed around her, I didn’t blame her for that, it did look like the inside of a body after all, I was just used to it. A second after the armour closed around her and shrunk to her size and form

”Mmmh, warm.” Tamara practically purred before realising she did so. ”I mean, not bad.” She then put her hands onto her hips and smirked as I kept the helmet down. ”So what stops me from ditching you now I have this advanced set of armour?”

”You won’t get far.” I said simply, prompting Tamara to cross her arms. ”Is that a threat?” I shook my head as I sat back down in my rest spot. ”Nope, I am just telling you a fact. Now lay back down and get some rest.”

I then closed my eyes and began meditating. Tamara watched me in silence for a few moments before she walked back to her spot and lay back down. A few minutes went past before I heard her murmur. ”Thank you.”

”Don’t mention it.” I replied simply before resuming meditation.

Quite some time passed in silent recuperation before Tamara spoke up again. ”Apollo? Are you asleep?” A few seconds went by before I replied.

”No.”

Tamara then turned to face me, laying on her side she asked. ”I have some questions, can I ask them?”

With my eyes still closed, I gestured with my hand, indicating to her to go ahead.

”Where did you get this armour? It is so comfy, it’s like I am suspended on a cushion of air.”

I smiled hearing that, it truly was such a feeling. Unfortunately for her and knowing where her question was going, I answered with the fabricated background. ”I found it on a derelict space junk in the outer rim. The ship was beyond repair, but it was extra galactic. This was on the ship intact, one of a kind I am afraid and only works with my Mindspace connection. It’s also too alien to replicate.”

Tamara frowned hearing that, but followed up with. ”How did you get access to it during this game of hunters versus prey? You didn’t have it during the spar earlier.”

”I did though, It usually is stored in my arm and I always have it equipped as a vambrace. Yes, the whole thing In my arm, I could tell you were about to ask. It basically stores itself in the space between my atoms. As I said, It’s alien while also being incredibly advanced bio tech. Even with my Gene science, I can still barely understand how it works. It just does.

Tamara gave the armour a look over and sighed. ”I wish I had a set of armour like this. I can already tell its durability, it’s on the level of smaller knights in an even smaller frame. By the way, is this the power source? It’s freaky and I didn’t want to say so earlier, but being close to it gave me a bad vibe that I mistook for you.”

Opening my eyes and looking at the purple orbs on the front of the suit I nodded my head. ”Yeah, that’s the power source, you also aren’t the first to say it gives bad vibes. It’s probably because it devours anything you put into it to restore the armour. Literally anything. If a Psionic blast struck it dead centre, the orb would just devour it. Quite convenient as it is counter intuitive to most thoughts as most would think it to be the suits weak spot.”

” I see...” Tamara said before going silent to think. Silence took over the small cave again as I looked out into the jungle. The rain was pouring it down worse than before, but the drumming of the downpour on all the leaves in the surroundings was just mesmerizingly beautiful.

...

A few hours went by with me being transfixed by the rain. I had been casually chatting to Sol about this and that and commenting flirtily on the cheerleading outfit she had made after my comment and how I was taking advantage of that when we got home.

I had also been stroking Sapphire the whole time after she explained to me how surprisingly fast the woman with the spear was that discorporated her. Sapphire was slower than usual of course, maiming an individual took restraint after all, to her, killing was actually much easier as she didn’t have to slow herself down or hold back her strength. But the result of said actions spoke for itself as here she was in my Mindspace.

I was then pulled out of the view of Sol dancing seductively for me as I heard to my right, Tamara speak again.

”Sorry.”

Opening my eyes I turned to her with an eyebrow raised. ”What?” I asked, as I looked at the pink haired girl showing an emotion I had yet to see on her.

Tamara, exasperated, sighed again and repeated herself. ”I’m sorry.”

I sat up slightly giving her my full attention. ”And what exactly are you sorry for?” I pressed her on the matter. Something that caused her to frown in annoyance, but a moment later the frown softened as she began to explain herself.

”Look, I was wrong about you being a perv. Ok? I just get defensive around my group. We have been through a lot and guys come over to flirt with us all the time even with Sigfried there. I don’t want him thinking I am talking to other men behind his back so I lash out to protect us. I- I don’t even mean to sometimes, my anger, my rage, it just comes out and then that anger locks onto my thoughts, twisting them till I can’t think of anything else...”

Tamara then looked to the ground, pain was clearly visible in her eyes for a moment before she collected herself and continued. ”Look, I know what people say about me, they call me crazy, a bitch, high strung, toxic, but I don’t mean to be. My emotions when I am up and active are always clocked well above ten. I can’t control my impulses. It is only because we have had these few hours of silence and calm have I been able to consolidate my thoughts and understandings of you as a person. That is what I am sorry about, I had you read wrong. I can tell that despite looking a bit like a pervert, you definitely are not one. Ah, shit. Sorry. It’s still in the process.”

I kept Tamara’s gaze for a moment, choosing to ignore the last part and smiled at her. ”That took guts to admit that to a stranger who you got on the wrong foot with, I appreciate the effort you went through if your emotions are as you say they are. I am more than happy to wipe the slate clean if you are? What do you say?”

I then reached over my hand, waiting for a handshake. Tamara looked at my hand then to me and back at my hand a couple of times, most likely a cacophony of thoughts were going through her head due to her impulses, but eventually she reached out her gauntleted hand and shook my hand with a smile and simply repeated back.

”A clean slate.”