So my previous question was answered very quickly when I woke up as Sapphire did not let my into the bathroom without her supervision. Trying to argue that I needed some sort of boundary got me nowhere even when I mentioned our dorm area was suppose to be secure, the mia refused to budge on this until I brought up that she would have to go at some point as well meaning I would have to join her for the same reasons.

  That caused some sort of internal dilemma within her own head and even then it looked like I still wouldn't win. It was only when I asked how she'd use a toilet that she got really embarrassed and admitted we would need some privacy from each other but only within the confines of this room. If I was to use the public restrooms she came in regardless.

  Not quite a fair exchange but I'll take it. With all this I was expecting to be the target of an attack every other day just for being an Acolyte.

  My next problem or really something I had to get use to was actually having a guard in the first pce. I know it was said a lot but when you actually have someone with a gun almost the same size as you strapped to their back walking just a half step away, it sinks in pretty quickly. Sapphire also had a sidearm on her hip that I didn't even notice before just in case.

  We had roughly three hours before my first css so Sapphire had recommended we get some food. This had led to her showing me the uniform I was required to wear unless I was heading or in the public areas of the space station. It wasn't fshy just a completely silver uniform with a symbol on each shoulder that looked like a starfish with pnets orbiting it to denounce that I was an Acolyte.

  Sapphire just had her basic camo uniform that she wore to the room in the first pce but she said that a repcement uniform would be sent to our quarter's when it was confirmed we had bonded.

  She also made sure I had my shield active before we left as during my sleep it had fizzled out.

  "So stupid question but is there going to be any food familiar to my home world here or is it all alien to me, and second is it all save for me to consume?"

  My question caught the blue mia by surprise.

  "Oh Empresses clit! Why did I not think of that?" Sapphire growled form her position on my left just slightly ahead, this allowed her tail to flow behind us and if her mutation was correct she could very quickly bring it up as a shield should anything come from our blind spot.

  I let her have her moment of anger but couldn't help thinking she still looked cute even when angry.

  "Fuck the void. We're going to have to meet someone in the mess hall just to confirm if you're species has any allergies." Sapphire swore as we stopped in the hallway. Sapphires tail wrapped around me blocking both side directions while still allowing vision of each other and she pulled a small device from her pocket that looked like a tablet that was smaller and more transparent.

  "You don't sound too happy about that?" I asked running my hands over her scales while I waited to be released. Even though we were alone at the moment she still didn't take any chances.

  "I was hoping for a bit longer before you had to meet her but desperate times." My guard sighed releasing her grip on me.

  "Anything I need to know about from this so called friend?" I asked.

  "Don't try and sleep with her." Sapphire replied.

  "Is that going to be your answer to everyone we meet?" I let my hand brush her hip.

  "Yes."

  I got a gre from the corner of her vision so for once I said nothing more and just followed her through the maze of corridors until we came across a very obvious looking mess hall that reminded me of my boarding school days. The only difference being that there was a full assortment of creatures of all shapes and sizes. Some were simir to Liliana and her guards but some I couldn't began to guess what they were.

  Sapphire didn't bother going to the side with food, instead taking me rather forcefully to the opposite side in the very corner table and sitting us down with my back to the wall and her on my left. Her tail was pced over my feet with the majority on my right side as if to act like a second person.

  Unlike in our living area or the empty hallway Sapphires entire demeanor since we entered the mess hall was in guard mode. Something I wouldn't say out loud, at least not here. Maybe back in our rooms.

  We didn't say anything for a while, due to Sapphires 'guard mode' I didn't want to disturb her.

  Almost everyone that passed us gave a surprised look at me with some of the other Acolytes trying to get closer. An unwritten rule seemed to be in py because every time one of them got close their own guards would notice Sapphire and pull them back.

  This happened a lot even if I gave a friendly wave back although apart from myself every other Acolyte had at least two guards with the majority having an average of three. One Acolyte, a goblin look alike had six guards of the same race that all moved as one through the crowds.

  "Is having multiple guards normal?" I tried to figure out the answer but Sapphire didn't answer her eyes taking in everything around us with far more precision than myself. Her tail moved slightly to show she'd heard my question however.

  Chalking it up to ask again ter I went back to watching the crowd trying to find anyone that didn't match the fantasy creatures I knew. There were a few that I recognized as the sasquatch creature and a few that walked on four legs while still having arms but nothing too out the gate, there was admittedly only about sixty people in this room so not a rge portion of the whole so I settled to look again when we were in css just to see if there was a species that dominated in popution.

  That was until someone broke the silent rule in a run or rather quick slither while her guards struggled to keep up.

  "Sister!"

  Sapphire didn't flinch as a white mia very simir to herself except for a different colour and pink tips on her horns tried to tackle the rger blue mia only being stopped by another orange mia who grabbed her by the horns just in time.

  "Acolyte Amethyst do not run off like that. It's hard enough for the others to keep up." The orange mia growled at the white one as another two women joined them. One being of the shadow species I'd seen in Lilianas guards while the other reminded me of a cross between a woman and an ant.

  Without a second recovery the two that weren't holding Sapphires sister down slipped into a half circle formation in the corner with us so that both myself and the white mia were inside.

  "But Ra'ray Sapphire wouldn't hurt me we're family." Amethyst wined trying and failing to remove her horns.

  "And what about the Acolyte she's currently protecting?" Ra'ray almost forced Amethyst to look my way with her horns.

  The white mias entire body shook with the smile that spread across her face.

  "Sapphire you should have said your Acolyte was a male!"

  That drew a few stares from the other tables but no one else made an effort to get closer.

  Sapphire however moved from my left side to my p just in time for Amethyst to wriggle out of Ra'rays grip and dive under the table, coming up just to my right.

  "Oooow and he's a cute one. Have you already fucked him sister?"

  "Oh for the love of the stars Amethyst have some restraint. We haven't even sat down yet." Ra'ray muttered coming around the other side and forcefully pulling the excited white mia to a more respectable distance. "If it wasn't obvious already I'm Ra'ray, guard of this delightful bundle of scales.

  "Rely."

  "Beless."

  The shadow women and ant woman pitched in their own names before going back to scanning the room.

  Sapphire seemed happy with this and moved off my p and onto my right side this time, probably to put herself between Amethyst and me. Her tail still stayed on my p and left side.

  "John." I replied offering my hand to shake.

  Amethyst took the opportunity to grab it and shook vigorously with the added accident that it brushed against her tits with every movement. I didn't think much of this until I noticed Sapphire gre at her sister who made no attempt to hide that she was doing it on purpose.

  "Anyway." Sapphire finally interrupted after a good ten seconds of 'accidental' fondling. "If I knew anyone else in medical I would have invited them but since your here what can humans safety consume?"

  Not at all perturbed Amethyst gave one final shake that almost dipped too low before responding. "Oh if it's humans you don't need to worry. Those bastards can basically eat anything and the worst they get is an upset gut. Did you know on there own pnet they routinely consume foods that are poisonous to almost everything else? Like there's this think called coffee. It's beans are poisonous to most species and instead of staying away from it humans had the bright idea to brew it with hot water or milk and drink it."

  "It helps us stay awake." I added.

  "See!? Totally weird. But you shouldn't have to worry, nothing the canteen serves will harm him but just be careful when he's pnet-side. I'm not to proficient with their full evaluation because there's so few aboard the Acolytes Rest."

  Well that's interesting. I thought I was the first for some reason but that seems wrong.

  "Good. Thank you for the information you may leave now." Sapphire said coldly.

  "But sister we just sat down." Amethyst wined trying to cling to her sister.

  "Still a no." The blue mia replied with the same tone.

  Before Amethyst could say anything more Ra'ray interrupted. "Acolyte Amethyst could you please have some decorum? Try asking if you could get her and John some food from the canteen so she doesn't need to move amongst the crowds. I'm sure she will let you eat with her if you were to do that."

  The white mia almost seemed to sense the opportunity and gave Sapphire the snake equivalent of puppy dog eyes. Sapphire let out a growl but did end up giving in to her excitable sister.

  Without any more prompting Amethyst dove back under the table with the intention of sliding into the crowds until Beless the ant woman grabbed her horn this time. Amethyst didn't say anything this time and wasn't released until all three of her guards were ready around her then as a group with her in the middle the made their way to the canteen.

  Alone once again Sapphire didn't drop her passive scanning of the room, her tail however moved from my p to the floor that gave me more room to move while still having the majority of it on my left as a barricade of scales.

  "So your sister seems interesting." I prompted to try and fill the silence and learn a bit about my guard.

  I got a grunt in return.

  "Is there anything I can say that will actually get a response?"

  This time I saw her eye soften slightly but she still kept scanning the room. "You need more guards."

  Well that's something at least. I was kind of expecting Sapphire to be a bit possessive being that I was male and she technically had me all to herself by being my only guard but apparently not.

  "Oh why's that?"

  My question was returned with another question. "What do you think is the most dangerous thing to an Acolyte?"

  Well a lot. I mean I am new to all this but I doubt a Acolyte could stand in front of one of those cannons on the side of the space station.

  "A big bullet?"

  I got a confused look from my mia but it was quickly repced with a look of mild amusement.

  "No. The biggest threat to you is another Acolyte."

  "Ah." Came my response. "And being in a room filled with them is a little overwhelming."

  "Yes. You are to only one with so little guards so I suggest we rectify that after your css."

  "And you're okay if something were to happen between this new guard and myself?"

  Again the confusion brushed against her face however this time it was repced with a snicker. "I keep forgetting your from a world with even birth rates. No I will not be jealous if that's what you're implying, in fact it would be highly beneficial if we were all to partake at regur intervals."

  I must have looked like a deer in headlights because Sapphire gave a snort of ughter.

  "Females outside of your Earth know we have to share males to even have a chance at finding a mate. Not that I'm saying we are mates just that I will never get jealous if you do decide to sample others out there. But it does raise another problem as your guard. Your shield becoming inactive during our.... Well when we fucked is not unique to you. It is one of the things we are taught during our training, that you are most vulnerable during this act. To work around it all guards are advised to make sure we can satisfy our Acolytes so they don't go looking elsewhere, we are also trained well in these arts to make sure we're the best."

  Now that was a lot of information I needed to keep track of but basically she's saying I'm more than welcome to py with any of my guards but not anyone else. I mean her reasoning makes sense and it also expins why that elf told me not to get a male guard so.... A stray thought crossed my mind as I watched the other Acolytes and their guards socializing together. Almost all of them were female meaning Sapphire was trained to pleasure another female.

  I had to readjust myself at that thought. Sapphire definitely noticed but couldn't comment as Amethyst took this opportunity to return with two rather full ptes one in each arm.

  The one she pced in front of Sapphire consisted of a lot of egg-like items with meat pced to the side. There was also a single slice of what looked like an apple but I doubt it was.

  The pte she gave to me however was very different in contrast. With rge heaping's of what I hoped were mash potatoes drizzled with butter and cheese while staying together with the same meat that Sapphire had.

  "Here you go John. This should be a banced meal for a human, if you want a more focused meal however I will need you to do a check up in my b."

  Lab had me on edge as the thought of being a science experiment was a little daunting. Sapphire rolled her eyes at her sister.

  "Amethyst has a focus on healing as an Acolyte. So she's been put in the medical field on board the Acolytes Rest."

  "Yes you'll learn more about focuses and all that nonsense in css but I will be one of the ones putting you back together if anything happens." The white mia dug into her own meal that Ra'ray had brought over and began to speak around her food. "That's not me giving you permission to get injured or die in the first pce however. I would rather not have Sapphire crippled for the rest of her life."

  Crippled? Like if I die does Sapphire lose her tail or something.

  Neither of the girls graced my confused looks with any form of expnation and it wasn't until I looked down at my food that I noticed Sapphire had taken a small amount of every item on my pte and ate it herself. Like she was my ver own poison checker.

  So much I needed to figure out and everytime they answered one of my questions a new one came to mind. Hopefully css would be more informative.

  We finished our meal with a little more small chatter, Amethyst seemed to be more held back in her approach so I chalked that up to her guards having a word with her when she was getting food. Sapphire seemed to appreciate that and the two sisters actually looked like they were enjoying themselves, up until Sapphires tablet thing buzzed.

  "Voids tail! We have to go Johns css is about to start."

  I was all but shoved out of my seat by my blue mia with the other girls trying to hide smirks as we left. Wasn't even given time to say goodbye but I'm sure we'd see them again.

  Once we were out of the canteen I was once again lost in the corridors and at the mercy of Sapphires navigational skills. That was however the least of my concerns as a pit began to form in my gut.

  I was always nervous when starting a new css, seems being on an alien ship is making I just a little bit worse.