Changing the Nature of Khan

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January 6th, Year 1

Adjusting to living among men and the city was like having a crash course in hunting when he was a cub. It was rough and tumble, one had to think quick on their paws to survive but what Khan hadn't expected was having to mentor something he usually ate. The deer, Gurri, was merely a child and the fact that he had to teach her to defend herself was...

An odd concept to say the least. They couldn't be more different, he wasn't sure if he was just displeased with the situation or what. He wasn't sure of anything anymore, his emotions a whirlwind of constant confusion as he tried to ride the surf of this new life.

He would make do with what he had too now, but he wasn't sure if he would like it.

Long strong limbs slowly carried the beast to the open courtyard where the young fawn was settled amongst the flowers. She appeared to be alone but the gentle discussion only a few meters away made it obvious that she wasn't. Two seeming appearing humans were over by a patch of flowers, what they were doing he couldn't see well. A frown tugged at his muzzle as he came to a pause near Gurri, he had intended to train her today but that thought was quickly slipping his mind as cub like curiosity built. "What are you doing?"

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Gurri sensed the scrutiny, and her blue eyes flickered up, always guarded. It was hard for her to trust Shere Khan. Granted, they were on the same team, but it was impossible for her to forget that Shere Khan dined on her kind. He still reeked of blood and ichor. Gurri had been told that she should feel privileged to have him as her mentor, but she did not think so. She would have gone back to the Freedom Fighters to avoid becoming tiger chow, but no one was allowed to leave the Rogues once they joined. They knew too much. She was damned either way.

"Nothing," she sulked, avoiding eye contact.

[Jenn]

For a few moments, Jenn wasn't aware of the new presence in the courtyard, having been deep in conversation with Taylor. However, hearing the tiger's deep rumble of a voice, then Gurri's meek reply quickly drew her attention away from her friend.

Her head turning, she looked at the fawn, noticing how uncomfortable she was around Shere Khan. Part of her thought it was some kind of cruel and unusual joke to have the two paired up as mentor and apprentice.
Giving out a small sigh, she moved one of her wings out to brush lightly against Gurri in some small attempt to calm the poor deer's nerves.

She then turned her attention to Khan, and addressed his question,
"Relaxing. It's a nice day out. Why don't you join us?"
Perhaps if they could get Shere Khan to relax and not be so uptight, then Gurri would be able to relax a bit as well.

[Taylor]

Taylor looked towards the small fawn as well, noticing that Jenn had reached out in an attempt to calm the poor deer. She thought it was a little bit of a cruel joke from Clopin to pair up predator and prey, but knowing him and his crazy ways, she held onto some sort of comfort that it would be beneficial for Gurri…somehow.

“And having a nice conversation. Tell me Khan, do they have flowers like these back where you live?” Taylor asked, picking out a lotus flower. She held it out to him, taking notice of the large cat’s clouded eye.

She then inched herself a little closer to Gurri, hoping to comfort the small fawn.

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When Clopin had paired him with the little fawn he had thought it was a jest. Clopin was known for being a mischievous type of fellow but the fact that he was serious about it was a bit alarming. He killed small prey like this back home, it was easy to hunt when he was ill and didn't require much effort. The fact they had been put together was a mockery of both him and little Gurri. Prey and Predator working together? Now, why would the gods allow such a thing? Despite the fact it left a sour taste in his mouth, Khan would put up with it, he wasn't going to complain like a little insolent cub. He would make a warrior out of Gurri if he really had too, even if they were so vastly different.

However such efforts would be postponed for the time being. Other things caught his interest, why were these three just lounging about? He was curious.

The winged mancub and the other man cub had suddenly addressed him, yanking him out of his crucial thoughts. His black tinged ears pressed against his skull, still very much uncertain of all these men. Back home he wouldn't hesitate to deal with them but here he was in the belly of the beast. Jenn's words almost seemed to take him when he was off guard, his expression visibly flattered in surprise. Most would run from him not ask if he wanted to relax with them. There a long clear moment of hesitation before the old tiger sat down. A loud grunt of discomfort sounded from him due to his aching joints. It was a pleasant day but he could feel rain coming on the horizon. Surely it would arrive either that night or the next day.

Taylor's voice then reached his ears and her outstretched arm caused him to jerk his head back. Muzzle wrinkled slightly at first but the sudden glimmer of white made his attention turn from hostile to curious. Golden hue focused on the petals of the flower before he outstretched a paw carefully, he took the flower from Taylor with some assistance from her. Setting it between his paws and taking a good long gaze at it. Memories of his past playing in his mind. He could hear his mother's gentle voice telling him to be careful, telling him how delicate and precious such gifts were.

He had fallen far from her teachings.

He felt a frown tug at his lips. Was this is mother's doing? Guiding him here into the heart of man's home? Was she telling him that he needed to change?

He huffed softly, turning his gaze back to Taylor he would not dwell on that now. "Yes... We have many of these flowers were I come from, they're stunning when they come to bloom..." His voice wasn't as harsh as before, it almost seemed gentle.

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Gurri did stand taller as Jenn and Taylor encompassed her, grateful they were there. Gurri, who had been the most open-minded out of her family when it came to the Kings and He, had got used to the humans in the Cours des Miracles. She could almost see her mother shaking her head in disapproval. Faline had often compared her to her uncle, Gobo, whose life had been cut short by the thunder-stick. Gobo disappeared the same day Bambi's mother died only to return some time later as a fully grown deer. A He had saved him from the massacre, just like the brown He had saved her from that wicked fox. Gobo fatally assumed that because he was rescued by a human, they would all be a friend to him.

Well, this was different. They were Rogues. So why couldn't she think the same way about Shere Khan? What made him different from Jenn or Taylor?

Her nose crinkled. Blood.

"...what kind of flowers?" she asked guardedly, but there was a tremor in her voice. 

[Taylor]

“Lilies. I think they’re beautiful.” Taylor said with a smile. She had fond memories of lilies, and how her parents always made sure to give her a bouquet of them for her birthday.

But that was long ago—another time, another place, it seemed. A time before her world shattered to pieces. She turned her attention from Gurri back to the grizzled tiger, and she couldn’t help but smile more. The way he was studying the flower so intently, it seemed like he was remembering a memory too.

“Khan…I don’t mean to offend, but you remind me so much of my cat back home, even thought you’re ten times larger than he is.”

“Honestly, you two both make the same expression when you’re curious about something.”