Conductor across same terminal of different batteries...

[MDJH]

If I had a combination of several AA and/or AAA batteries, and I had some sort of conductor (let's say a piece of aluminum foil) over all their positive terminals, and another conductor over all their negative terminals, then had some piece of wire go from one conductor, through a load, (like a voltmeter) to the other, would this function as batteries connected in series, or as batteries connected in parallel?

[John Cuthber]

parallel

[MDJH]

Ok, another question. Would the current through the load be pulled through as if each battery-to-load-and-back loop were its own circuit?