The thing you have to know about the slums, is that even the residential areas look like run down disater zones that have been hit by multiple hurricanes all at once.
As in even the ceilings have holes in them.
Most just throw a tarp down and tuck its edges into what ever nook and cranny you can find until it resembles something roof like in appearance.
Others just tear it down and use the pieces to improve on other homes in better condition.
Luckily I was a bit more fortunate in that one of Seth’s favour for payments was the repairs on my roof.
Thank you boss man.
A perk to be sure but when you live in a world of shifters that range from cute little fluffies to fire breathing scale defying dragons who couldn’t give a hoot if thier heavily wieghted arses cave in a roof or two you take what you can get.
The inside wasn’t much better.
It being a small one bedroom with cracked walls and various stains that didn’t leave much to the imagination.
A home amongst the chaos but it was my chaos and the best one I could find that wasn’t already hold up with a family or three that had managed to squeeze into whatever space they could find.
A situation more shifters found themselves in as thier numbers grow to unsustainable figures.
The term fuck like rabbits in the literal sense comes to mind.
“Rexy, Rexy did you see my mummy?”
What do you know.
Here comes one of the little munchkins now.
“Not this time sweatie I left work early so she won’t be back for another couple of hours.”
Her cherub face sinking.
I sighed inwardly knowing my afternoon of alone time had just been shot to shit by a small kit furball with adorable cuteness that just can’t be denied.
“Come on. You can wait for her in my room.”
Sqwealing in delight she bunny hopped her way up the stairs pausing each flight until I finally caught up.
“Come on Rexy!”
Her sing songy voice making me smile through pants of much needed air.
Finally reaching the top my inner monougue cursing the day I decided how awesome it would be to live on the top floor of a seven story building with no working elevator.
“What’s so funny? Did my ear change again?”
Swallowing my laughter at my own ignorance I smile up at her.
“Nope still human. Just remembering something funny.”
Children still finding thier full form struggle to control the shift resulting in limbs changing from human to animal of thier own accord.
For Milly it was her ears that randomly elongated into furried extentions of her human apendages.
“Good. Cause I’ve been practicing. Haven’t had a random change all day. I think I’m getting better at it.”
“That’s amazing Milly keep at it. I know you’ll master the shift in no time.”
“You mean it?”
“Of course. Would I lie to you?”
“Never.”
“That’s right. Here,” throwing her the keys which she plucked out of the air with a jump that was fitting for her breed.
She laughed innocently and sprinted towards my apartment.
It took me five more minutes to get there.
“You really need more exercise Rexy.”
“Don’t I know it.”
Dumping my bag on the couch I made a beeline for the fridge.
“Have you had lunch yet?”
Her eyes avoided mine telling me exactly what the answer was.
“Sandwich?”
Snapping her head towards me she nodded vigorously.
“Yes please!”
Milly’s mum worked in the red light district one of the few places in the slums that always had open employment.
Which isn’t surprising considering my previous comment.
Being a rabbit shifter just made her job an ocupational hazard.
It didn’t take long before we were both settled in front of the tv watching a show about mermaids one of the few creatures that really was a myth.
“Rexy?”
“Hmm?”
“What kind of shifter are you?”
Stiffling a cough after choking on my bread I looked towards her noting the hesitant sqirm.
“I know mamma says it’s rude to ask but we’re friends right? Friends tell each other everything don’t they.”
Taking a deep breath I put what was left of my sandwich down.
“Well Milly, to be honest I have no idea.”
“What! How is that possible? Everyone knows what shifter they are.”
“Not me.”
“What about your parents what kind of shifters are they?”
“I was orphaned as a baby, so I have no idea what my parents were.”
“Awe I’m sorry I didn’t mean to make you cry.”
To be clear I was not crying but Milly god bless her soul was the most kind hearted being I’d ever meet.
“Don’t worry about me sweatie it was a long time ago. I do have parents just not ones that I share shifter genes with.”
“What kind of shifters are they?”
“They’re both wolf shifters.”
Which was probably why I got along so well with Seth now that I think about it.
“Is that why we can never touch because you don’t know what kind of shifter you are?”
It broke my heart to know how much she struggled with this.
Rabbits were always very affectionate showing thier love through touch.
To not be able to share how she feels must be hard on her.
She was very mature though for all her seven years of life she never once tried to touch me after I’d warned her against it.
“If I could I would give you the biggest cuddliest hug Milly. I love you for caring enough to respect my no touching rule and I want more then anything to be able to show you just how much you mean to me.”
I didn’t know what else to say.
I couldn’t tell anyone why I couldn’t be touched.
It wasn’t like it was a secret but how can I explain something that I can’t even understand myself.
“It’s ok Rexy. We can still be friends even if I can’t hug you. It won’t make me love you less.”
Oh my god the cuteness in this kid.
“Thanks Milly. Now come on the mermaids tail awaits.”
“Yey mermaids tail, mermaids tail!”
~
Milly now gone.
Her mum greatful for the help left all smiles as always.
Both mum and daughter the purest of souls in a world full of darkness.
Screw the uppers for thier treatment of the slums.
Our status in life should not be determined by what shift you are.
Every shifter has the potential to be who and whatever they want.
Yet the higher ups call the shots and there’s not a thing any of us can do about it.
The last time the slums rose up against them.
All it took was a legion of dragon shifters with thier fire breathing carnage.
Hence the disaster zone.
In the aftermath the state decided since we dared defy thier rule it was up to us to put the slums back together.
An imposible feat considering the limited resouces.
When no one has any money you’re left with a run down part of the city that just gets worse with each passing year.
Not to mention the fact that the uppers send thier goons every few years to remind us of our place in life.
Which means any repairs we make just get obliterated.
They always seem to target those areas first.
So eventually we just gave up trying.
It wasn’t all bad.
Sure we gave up on rebuilds but that doesn’t mean we gave up living.
We have schools for the kids, running water and even working electricity.
Most of those who live in the slums are self taught in its maintenance, so repairs to the sewerage and power grid don’t always go as planned but hey we make it through.
Eventually.
Excluding the time someone hit a sewerage line flooding the slums with a days worth literal shit.
The upper class stepped in on that one.
Couldn’t handle the smell that rained down on thier precious citizens.
I feel like we won in the respect.
All in all we would probably be better off without them to be honest.
Who wouldn’t want want to live here when the alternative is direct rule of overbearing shifters who feel that thier very form entitles them to lord it over you.
We share what we have and we live with what we got.
It’s simple.
We only have one rule here.
Stay out of the allyways.
You know the saying the things that go bump in the night.
Well the allyways are worse.
Now if your wondering why Rexy’s thought process is so well let’s face it grammatically incorrect.
it’s because I picture here thoughts (much like my own) a jumbling mess of chaos that literally spills out of her brain in one breath.
ps.
i also suck at grammer.
my full stops and commas spit out like brain farts on a starry night in the middle of nowhere.
(am working on it) that’s all for now mwah.