Arcanestars + Oneshots

🦁⚠️ Black Market Powder

Powder could still feel the heat of the flames licking at her, sobbing loudly as she reached out for Vi. "Vi! Come back!" Her cheek stung, still feeling the sting of her fingers digging into her cheeks. "I need you! Come back! Vi! Please!"

The rain pattered, tears blurring her vision. She only wanted to help, howling in agony for her sister to come back. Vi looked over, the screaming and sobbing suddenly disappearing. Looking over, she noticed that Powder was gone. "Powder?" She whispered, eyes wide. Where did she go? Did she get hurt?

Powder didn't notice that the light of the fire was gone, closing her eyes as she sobbed into the night. When her eyes opened, she saw that she was being hidden under what seemed like a clothed table. Where am I? The smell of cooked meat surrounded her, the pitter-patter of rain and people walking surrounded her. No, not people... People had skin, these had fur and scales. They talked about the conflict between herbivores and carnivores, they talked about gangs and hookers as though it were nothing. Powder looked around, seeing the cloth be lifted up.

Powder made eye contact with a turtle, bolting out from under the table. Fear gripped her senses, clinging to the blue crystal in her palm. Skinned and cooked bodies hung around her, creatures sitting while eating, walking and looking for gods knew what. She continued to run, not knowing where her feet would take her. That was until she ran into a pair of legs. Powder looked up, remembering what Vi had called her. A jinx... Well, what great luck? A lion's head stared down at her, Powder's lip trembling in fear. "What's that?" A smooth voice called out, a deer walking over.

Powder stared in horror, shying away from the deer as he bent over. "I don't know, never saw a beast like this before... Seems to be a child though." The deer commented. He held a hand out, Powder hugged the deer-man, sobbing. "You're alright now, little one." The deer whispered, rubbing her back. "Boss, we can't show softness in public of the Black Market, what will the other gangs think?" The lion hissed quietly, the deer tutting at the question. "It's a child, Ibuki. You know as well as I do that this child probably escaped from one of the livestock trades. If we leave it out here, it'll surely be eaten alive or die of cold." The deer whispered, Powder looking up at the two. "Ibuki, carry it. We're heading back." The deer ordered. Powder looked at the lion known as Ibuki, squeaking as he lifted her up.

"What is your name?" The deer asked as they walked, holding an umbrella. Mylo was right, you're a jinx! "My name is... Jinx. I'm 11." Powder... No, Jinx spoke up. "What kind of beast are you, Jinx? We've never seen one of your kind before." Ibuki questioned, their conversation quiet. "I'm not a beast, I'm a person. A human." She sniffled out, looking around. "Never heard of a human."

The mansion was huge, Jinx looking around curiously as she was surrounded by lions. "This is Jinx." The deer greeted, his hands on her shoulders. The lions whispered to each other, all in confusion. They looked at her teeth, her hands, her hair. "She's a furless lion!" "No, look at her, she has no whiskers or fangs! No fur except for the mane on top of her head!" "Can she eat meat?" A younger looking male lion asked, all of them perking up. "That's actually a good question." Ibuki grumbled.

Jinx sat beside the deer, a platter in front of her. Ibuki lifted the lid to the platter, a beautiful steak sitting on the plate. "This is from a buff-" Ibuki stopped speaking as Jinx cut the steak, stuffing it into her mouth. She chewed feverishly, now using her hands to eat more. Ibuki saw the shock in the faces of the lions. "She's no lion."

Jinx looked up, seeing another platter be put down for her. "But she sure eats like one!" Jinx looked up at the deer, seeing him nod in approval to let her eat her fill.

"Welcome to the Shishigumi, Jinx."