The hivemind is conquering for me?

Nerissa nodded her head, her red lips folding in on themselves for a moment, savouring the kiss.

”It was good. It was not what I expected at all. I of course knew what to do and was aware that stimulation would occur. However, I didn’t expect to feel so...” Nerissa paused, lost for words for once.

”Natural?” I offered a word and she took it by nodding her head.

”Yes. I suppose that is the word I was thinking of. I always thought of the action of taking care of a primal need. That doing something like that was a failure of the mind over temptation. But experiencing it myself, just now. I understand why people do it. It helped.”

”Ouch. You must think pretty bad of me then huh? I am releasing that primal urge quite often.” I joked, but Nerissa took my hand and shook her head.

”No. You are different. From my observations, I have yet to see you in the year I have known you, to do that to yourself. You are a prime male specimen, Apollo. I don’t think you have had to release your own urges since I have known you. Am I correct?”

I opened my mouth to refute, but nothing came out. I really hadn’t done the five knuckle shuffle this year. This lifetime actually. Before I got infected by the horny, I had remained purely celibate until I was sixteen. That included no DIY time. As if Jewel found me doing that to myself... I knew for a fact that she would have taken it as a sign to swoop in and apply pressure to breed earlier.

”Huh. Wow I am one lucky bastard huh? Though perhaps I should choke the ol’ cyclops one of these days? Meh, effort.” I thought aloud before shaking my head and turning back to Ness.

”Sorry, go on.” I gestured for Nerissa to continue and she did.

”So yes. Once I started, I copied a technique I saw that had me intrigued. I am not ready for... Insertion. So I just stayed around the... You know.”

I smirked and brushed her hair to the side gently. ”It is adorable how one with as much life experience as you have can still get embarrassed by saying the actual words. You mean you stuck to your labia and you clit?”

”*Ahem* Yes. I was trying to maintain some dignity Apollo, but thank you for that. Yes I focused there. I enjoyed it at moments, but other moments pulled me out of the experience. And to answer your question. I wasn’t able to ’Reach the ending.’ But I got very close.”

”Oh you didn’t?” I said, saddened for her. ”Thats a shame. But I suppose there was quite a bit of pressure on it for you. It wasn’t exactly a naturally occurring moment. I kind of just told you to do it and you did. Was that the issue?”

Nerissa shook her head. ”No Apollo. Actually. That is what I thought about to start off, aside from what I already told you had excited me. It intrigues me that over time I have come to ’enjoy’ taking orders from you. It pleases me to do them.”

”Oh? Is that so? Then I order you to tell me what else you were thinking about.” I cooed with a flirtatious wink.

Nerissa smiled. ”Nice try, but I was already planning on telling you. As I said, I began thinking about you. Watching you be intimate with Onyx, Orchid and Sophia. I found remembering their faces to be. Intriguing.”

’Nice.’

However, it was when I was enjoying those moments, thinking about you, about Apollo. My Goddesses visage appeared before me in my mind and I felt naughty. And not in the fun way. It feels like I am doing something I shouldn’t be doing. Not without her express permission.”

”Hmm~” I hummed and softly nodded my head. We did share a name after all and my namesake was beyond important to Nerissa. She was probably stressed about the whole thing down to her core. However, the important question remained.

”Alright. I won’t dive into that bag of worms. So you had some performance anxiety? It happens to the best of some people. The real question is, has that heat that was consuming you gone?

Nerissa jolted as I asked that. Not in shock, more like she was returning to a neutral position to check herself thoroughly. ”Yes. It is gone. Like I said, I did surprisingly enjoy myself for the most part. I think I got what I needed. I just didn’t achieve an ending and I am fine with that. I have... Future opportunities to experience that for the first time.”

”Oh? So you will be wanting to polish your pearl again in the near future?” I said with a suppressed chuckle as I had managed to flabbergast Nerissa.

”Apollo! That was unnecessarily vulgar. And no. That is not what I meant- I mean... I will leave now. I am going to accompany Skaja and Serena until the other Praetorians arrive. Their tension will not rise with me in the room. I think.”

I shook my head. Valid plan. ”Or!” I moved over to the bed and climbed in. Making room and patting it. ”We could try cuddling again? I promise no bad touch. Just holding one another.”

Nerissa just looked at me for a few moments. Silent, no emotion visible on her face.

”So you know. A cuddle after all that feels particularly nice. Just saying.” I then patted the bed once more with a smile showing all of my innocence. I truly meant what I said after all.

After a few moments, I was ready to shrug my shoulders, it wasn’t a big deal. The last thing I wanted to do was push her into something. Today was already a massive milestone for her, but to my delight. She removed the rest of her armour and approached me in her skinsuit silently.

She then crawled into bed beside me and I wrapped my arms around the Nymph, in a warm, caring manner, doing my best to make sure none of my pokey-bits would come into contact with her. Just in case.

Like last time in the bunker, her shoulders were practically stone, hard and tense, but this time she calmed herself much faster. adapting to my touch. Her head was being cradled by my forearm and she placed her left hand into my right hand. Directly in front of her face.

Once I heard her let out a sigh I wasn’t even sure she knew she made. I spoke,

”Nerissa?”

”Apollo?

”Can you promise me something?” I asked and instantly felt her move slightly.

”Yes, I can?” She replied calmly and collected.

I took a deep breath. Slightly afraid to ask the next part. But I went ahead with it.

”Can you not tell Sithrik we did this? Otherwise I am going to be stuck with a snake body pillow. She is too slick with words and it’s hard to fend her off at times. So please, don’t tell her.”

...

Nerissa’s Nymph nature suddenly nagged nefariously in her mind. The true test of friendship was to prank your friends and Apollo meant more to her than just a friend. With that piece of knowledge, the urge for chaos became too strong to fight. Especially in such a wonderful space she was in at this moment. So carefree. So cosy. She succumbed. She couldn’t fight.

How could she?

”Of course I won’t tell Sithrik about this Apollo. What do you take me for? This will be our little secret. Just you, me and cuddles make three.”

”Really?” She heard the relief in his voice and she did everything in her power to stop her diaphragm from jolting.

”Of course Apollo. Of course. Of course... Of course...”

...

Hours later

”Well we knew the Drakoshi were retards, but this takes the icing on the cake.” Serena spoke as she pointed at the holoprojector at the new intel.

Images of Drakoshi just outside of artillery range. The clans had begun pouring out of their massive adapted fortress and were stationed in front of it like didn’t understand how a siege actually worked.

”Should we just shell them? Our artillery can just move up? Right?” One of the voices in the room spoke, but I shook my head after observing the data.

”No... That won’t work. Where did I just see that- Ah there. Look. They have positioned they have changed their artillery into SAMS. If we try to rain down on them, they are just going to shoot it out.

This is all the clans in one location. They could keep a dome of defence up for months with the amount of munitions they have. And we can’t risk them receiving more reinforcements.”

”So what? They want us to engage in a standoff?” Another voice in the room asked, but Serena shook her head, her eyes glued to all the data before her.

”No. This isn’t a standoff. It’s a declaration. They know something we don’t about the upcoming battle that makes them confident... Or they are bluffing... Shit. We can’t take any chances on a long siege. We need to face them in the field. Now.”