London

While not born in the city for beasts, London had been raised in what was originally an accepting city. Nobody ever gave her foul looks or threatened her life just because of how she was born. In fact, she even had a lot of human friends in school. Most of them were ones she'd met in middle school and kept throughout most of her life there. One of those friends in particular had always grabbed her interest, however. Michelle, a normal human girl, had always had her heart. Most of London's thoughts became full of that girl. To the point where it even annoyed herself, but these thoughts were allowed to continue for years after. Eleventh grade is when she actually decided to ask her out. These feelings had been going on since around grade seven, and she was honest about that. Hearing that Michelle had always felt the same way made her so happy. The girl of London's dreams had loved her back just as intensely, and they were happy now.

People were supposed to be accepting here. Apparently most of them had been faking it, as there was a fateful night that had started a wide range of attacks. Several humans were growing tired of living among what they thought to be terrible monsters. Even when most of the crimes here were committed by human hands, they were being labelled the monsters. Seeing the news that so many beasts' homes had been broken into was heartbreaking. So many lives were taken, and even if you got away, what was the point? Pretty much anyone who escaped these brutal crimes would be living with the traumatizing imagery of what had happened to those they loved.

Mom and dad went out on a date night before this all had happened. There was no telling if they were still okay. Practically much every news station was only talking about the murders within homes, which gave London a slight hope that maybe nothing had even happened at any restaurants. After all, there would be other humans there as well, would they really put one of their own on the line just to please their hatred?

Probably only minutes passed after the news broke out, too little time for London to even process what was happening, before Michelle had come running into her girlfriend's home. Tears were streaming down her face with an obvious sight of panic. She'd had a key to the house for a year now, so there was no need for her to make more noise than she already had when London's life could very well be in danger if she did so. As soon as the two were together, Michelle was unable to stop crying at the relief that her love was okay. Only a second was spared to give her girlfriend a hug before the human ran to tear sheets from one of the nearest beds. The sheet was a deep black and the best bet London had at keeping her cover.

With London now somewhat guaranteed a safe exit, Michelle explained everything she knew about a city for beasts that would keep her safe from all that was happening. Such was a place London had never even heard of before. Their family never needed to know about it, as things were supposed to be okay here. Both of them soon began to leave the house and talk quietly between each other as they ran as fast as they could. Michelle did her best to avoid any of the neighborhoods that were heavily attacked right now. This sheet only gave protection if nobody was able to see them up close.

Of course her parents were a concern. It was just that London was in too much shock to even register what all was even happening. Everything was so unbelievably sudden. All that was happening right now must have been some large, coordinated attack. A bunch of disgusting humans plotting out the downfall of those who so rarely did anything to them. When there's a few stray humans who would kill beasts, none of them went out of their way to kill every last one of them, did they? So why was the opposite happening the once or twice every year just too much to bear?

The two of them ran for so long. Gunshots were constantly surrounding them, screams and roars of beasts so deperately trying to save those they loved piercing their ears. For the first time, London could sense herself starting to cry as the onslaught of destruction just kept going for what felt like over an hour. The two of them had finally made it far away enough from the situation to take a rest and catch their breath the best they could. Pretty much the most they were able to do when running was stop for a few seconds to prevent London's legs giving out. Michelle was a member of the track team, this barely bothered her, but she wanted to make sure she wouldn't have to fight to carry her girlfriend the rest of the way out.

So they slowed down. They'd reached a grassy clearing, just a ways away from their destination. Michelle seemed much more tired than she would be in this kind of situation. Worry spiked as the human girl had fallen over. No matter how much London wanted to pretend the sight before her as she turned to check that things were okay wasn't real, there was no avoiding it. A deep gunshot wound was in Michelle's side, bleeding more than London even knew how to handle. Those tears that had started to fall just increased as she tried so hard to figure out what to do. The one person she had now, as there was no way her parents would be alive or know of her location, was just dying before her eyes. Her pretty white shirt was becoming stained in a deep crimson. There wasn't much Michelle was able to say without being in immense pain. Having been running for at least ten to fifteen minutes with a bullet in her was just allowing it to move around and worsen her pain. There was likely no way of getting her to a doctor in time. Whatever energy she had was used all in getting London to a safe place before she were to give up.

No matter what London were to do try to do or say, nothing was going to change the fate of what was happening before her. Every last part of Michelle's remaining will and energy was used to comfort her girlfriend, as well as just barely handing her the map to the city of beasts before falling into a deep sleep.

Half an hour passed of the demon sitting over her now deceased lover, unable to do anything but sob. So much for believing humans wouldn't put their own at risk just to put an end to what they labeled as the real monsters. Though she could only spend so much time here, as she had to get to that city. For Michelle. She wouldn't want to see London give up when she lost her own life to get her this far. So like hell she was going to ruin that.

Upon entering the city of beasts, so many people were there to welcome her. The fact that she was stained with Michelle's blood had worried her that she'd immediately be thrown out, but the creatures that surrounded her immediately were all filled with concern for her safety instead. Not to mention the fact that she'd been walking for around two days to get here, she was starving and it was obvious. Those who greeted her were as quick as they could be to find her some food and somewhere temporary to live. Said home was only free for a month, however, enough time for London to find a job and support herself after.

That sheet has stayed with her since. It's probably the thing best taken care of in London's possession. There was never enough time for her to grab any memories of her family or friends before she left. Hell, she didn't even have any snacks or supplies to move with. That was okay. Michelle would want her to move on, so that's what she did, as hard as it was. Having little to keep her tied down to that horrific night just made it easier to let the past go.

London's entire personality changed when she got into the new city and started meeting people alike to her. Most of her mean or questionable actions and words were just her ways of coping, but she's never told anyone that. Nowadays, she's much more energetic and often pretty rude to get any negative thoughts away. She does her best to not let her newly formed fear of what had happened repeating pull her back from having fun. No matter how traumatizing it was for her, she just treats it as something that happened and nothing more. Only a part of her past that she needs to move on from.

Amazing friends and a fun boyfriend are what keeps her going every day. There's never a moment she isn't thankful for each one of them. No matter how mean she can come off, she's always appreciative of their existence alone.