aldersprig | Step on my Tail, a story of Fae Apoc for the Giraffe Call (@daHob)

This story contains magic and references to Changes but no slavery, or sex. It does involve references to violence.

For @DaHob's prompt

Faerie Apocalypse has a landing page here here (and on LJ).

This takes place during the apoc, ~2012-2013

I love that house, you understand?

First house, paid for it right out of college with a fudgie little mortgage I only had to twist a few arms to get. So that's my house, that's my pride, my joy, that's my territory.

And yes, I'm territorial. Find me an Ellehemaei who isn't. It's in the Law. It's in our blood. And those of us with animal Changes... yeah. Snarl, hiss, spray on the corners. It's our territory, gods-damn-it.

And there is, in that year, one thing I love more than I love my house, and that is my man. My beautiful buddy, my partner. My Tiger. We grew up together. We Changed together. Went to college together. We'd been side by side since we were kits, and we were going to be side by side forever. Tiger was the only person with a permanent invitation into my house.

And then three goddamned gods rip through the walls between the lands and decide our little city is theirs.

I could forgive them that, live with that. I don’t need to be queen of the land, not me. I don’t need to be queen of anything but my own house.

And Tiger, Tiger isn’t really a King-of-the-Jungle sort, either. He’s content with his bars and his clubs and his dance halls, and me. He’s content being a small-beans king and a sometimes queen. We’re happy.

And then those fucking beasts decide that they wanted to go to the clubs. And they decide they’re kings of the goddamned fucking clubs. Of Tiger's club. Of my Tiger's fucking club, do you understand?

And there is one thing my Tiger can't stand. And one thing I can’t stand. And when they tear out three of my Tiger's ribs and leave him for dead, not knowing he was fae...

Then I get angry. And that's why the city burns.