Queen's note: Have some small feels…that are big feels. Also small friends!

Garnets

Chapter Three:

Trust

There was something about seeing such a massive man, clad in military-like but almost alien-like armor and several weapons attached to his person… crouching on his heels while reaching into the short corral panels. Fingers wiggling to try and attract the whistling guinea pigs closer to touch a brown or black head.

It was disarming, perhaps, but oddly sweet.

Lily hoped it was a good sign, that if this stranger was kind to animals he would not hurt her. Or just make off with both supplies and what she had managed to make.

So far so good, he was very quiet though. Letting his AI speak or translate what he signed. It definitely was not just the ASL that Lily remembered from her highschool classes. One or two signs she almost recognized, two things she remembered her dad seemed to reflexively do. Was it hybrid with his own signs, or 'shorthand' for a lack of better term?

With the guinea pigs distracting the man ('the Slayer' was real? That myth was reality?) Lily dared to get another look. She had not been extremely short by any means, about average for her family from her understanding at five two. but even with him crouched down she felt… small. The armored man was just huge, definitely had the same vibe as her dad did when in active service.

Except the marks on his armor.

Definitely claw marks had grooved into the armor, as well as what seemed many different types of bite marks. Some almost seemed human like on the forearms, except the fact that they were scraping metal. Another mark was definitely not human and completely covering his left shoulder, as if dragged across it to the front.

His eerie blue eyes met Lily's own, and the Slayer arched an eyebrow.

"Oh God, sorry," She flustered at being caught staring so openly, reaching up to rub the side of her head. Lily could almost hear her late grandmother muttering about proper manors. "Sorry, it's been a while since I've been around anyone again… also those look scary. Like they came from something scary."

There was an awkward pause and Lily winced, trying not to flail and resorted to just hiding her face in her hands. "The marks I mean? …I'm sorry. That was lame. Forget what I said."

There was a low snort, and then an almost chuffing like sound that came from the man. For the first time since arriving he gave a half smile, one of the scars that reached over his lip making it lopsided. Those intense eyes softened a bit before glancing down and tried to carefully pick up one of the paler, tawny pigs. Looking a bit disappointing as it scuttled away.

Lily shifted closer, hands out and whistling for the little fuzzy army. Getting them to almost all come over. Lifting one of the oldest, mellow females. Standing up with it cuddled she glanced at the Slayer, who was now watching her. "Would you like to hold her? Her name's Maple. She's my baby."

The man sat up a bit, careful to keep the left arm with the blade from being in a hostel position. That half smile back once the confused guinea pig was carefully settled in his hands. Mostly his right hand, and sniffing the new place. Lily watched to make sure there were no signs of stress.

The Slayer did have some dark red splatters on his armor after all.

It was a happy rumble-humm that came out of him once Maple seemed calm enough to start giving a few little grooming licks to his fingers.

Lily smiled and sat on her knees beside him and the coral, giving some attention again to those still in their pen. "I really like them too. You can see their excitement when they bounce like popcorn." She pointed out one doing that before making a lap.

…and ran full on into another.

Lily chewed on her lip, trying not to snort her laughter, "Granted, these guys may not be the smartest but, at least they're cute?"

Again that almost chuff like chuckle came, as the big man looked back at Maple. Giving her a careful cheek rub before gently putting her back to go bounce as well. He turned to look at Lily, humming as he touched a stain on her closer arm. It was not a full blood smear but still showed where he had picked her up.

"It'll wash off." Lily looked at the spot, and after a moment as he tapped the mask with a head tilt, she added. "Oh, it's to help me breathe. Not exactly like an asthma inhaler. When everything happened, I was exposed to the gasses on the mainland before Dad got us back here."

The connecting tube and small cylinder were shown, and how Lily could trigger a bigger dose while holding the mask up. It did not need to stay on while inside the platform, just hung from two straps.

"Mom and a few others were exposed too, but they said I got a bigger…burn? It was really hard to breath before one of the doctors on the platform due south of here made this to help. Riggs is able to mix up what's needed, and we use the old buoyancy dive tanks."

Lilly fiddled with the hose, looking up to meet the other's gaze. She finally asked what had been lingering on her mind. "What's going to happen to me here?"

The Slayer frowned and huffed before reaching out a big hand to cup across her back. Then slowly started to sign, as if he were trying to remember the more basic ASL instead of what he was used to. Having already picked up on how the girl stared and thought hard.

You come with me. Too young.

"The Slayer says that you can come back with him to the Fortress." Vega spoke for the first time in a while, having been talking with, as much as subtly taking over the lesser AI of the Platform. Not getting rid of Riggs though according to the deal they had made. "He thinks you are too young to stay here."

Despite herself, Lily laughed at the last part. The first part only just starting to set in, "Too young? I'll admit I want my dad, but I am twenty two."

She paused, squinting down at the floor. "Wait, no… it's not December yet is it? Yeah I'm still twenty two."

The Slayer, the Demigod that was now well over two thousand years old at this point, he gave a deep snort. Flashing a toothy smile as he got up. Scanning over the large room again. A former workshop when the platform was an oil rig, then altered for the biologists. Many tanks in rolling stands, only two had water and things moving inside, all the others set up to grow plants. Other crates of supplies had been placed here too, the Slayer already getting a glimpse of handwritten lists of the supplies inside.

He turned back to stoop, offering a hand to help Lily get up. How long do- how long for food?

"If miss Lily is careful, and not including growing things or the guinea pigs or fishing for protein. She might have a little less than six months of food stores." Riggs spoke, the deal with Vega in the background finished now.

"I'm not sure…" Lily stared at her hands still resting on the larger one. Eyes searching the grooves on the gauntlet's edges. "I... I don't think I'll survive outside of this place. I can barely walk for twenty minutes without having to stop for this."

She lifted the mask. "I can't breathe outside anymore. It's not as bad as the mainland but…"

The Slayer carefully closed his hands around the young woman's shoulders as he knelt down once more. Waiting a moment to be sure all attention was on him again before slowly, deliberately signing. Safer at Fortress. Let me be stronger.

"It's safer at the Fortress," Vega's voice said, "I can and will recalibrate the portal to be as close as possible."

Lily shifted in place, looking down and into the middle space, rather than anything in particular. "Last time I tried to leave, mom… whatever is left of mom? She ripped the boat apart. I lost my dad. What if she comes out again…?"

I am stronger. The Demigod gave as close to a chuckle as his throat could, flashing a grin for a moment. Then huffed as he carefully lifted his right hand to cup around Lily's shoulder. Squeezing just enough in an attempt to be some semblance of reassuring, without hurting.

Trust me?

The girl, a young woman (still seemed too young to him) studied his face very intently after the signed words she understood. That sort of searching look that wanted to trust, but was still scared. "...can I take my animals?"

The Slayer glanced first at guinea pigs, then to the top of one of the growing containers where a gray tabby was watching them from her safe spot. He smiled, Yes. Old greenhouse.

"There is a level in the Fortress that has completely secured vents and grow lights." Vega supplied.

"It'll take time to pack stuff." Lily warned, even though most everything was secured and could move at any time.

Yes. The man signed, holding his kneeling position.

"I'll be the last to leave," Lily took a breath, it was a lot to ask to trust this much. "If I trust you, how can you promise not to leave me?"

The bigger man let go of the young woman to reach for his chest plate. It hissed as he undid clasps to open it wide enough to reach in. There was an unexpected bleed of warm air rolling off the Slayer's body as he focused on carefully pulling something out from under the armor. It was a bit more advanced than just thick plates of metal, as he took out and held a complicated piece of… circuitry? Pressing it into Lily's hands.

"That," Vega spoke gently, it was amazing how much he could emote through his chosen voice. "Is a vital tracking component for the Slayer to be able to use the portals, and return to the Fortress. If disconnected he can only return here, as the portal is linked to the platform."

"...can we move stuff with the storm?"

Yes.

"Can Riggs come?"

Yes.

"...can I take my mom's fish tank?"

The Demigod huffed a laugh like sound and nodded, standing up at last. Resealing his chest plate and nodding.

Yes.

The fish tank rolled and could come.