“That would be the first I’ve heard that my own charming personality brought out the best in someone.” The tiger didn’t like how casual she was acting, but at least it was better then causing trouble. His tone of voice was still very solemn, but her childish behavior was giving Khan the sense that he was far more superior then she. Perhaps, in this light, she wasn’t as threatening as she seemed..
As Raven walked around the cave and said something under her breath, Khan couldn’t help but get up from his spot on the ground and take a step forward, not expecting what happend next.
As the creature’s skin turned a sickly blue, almost scale-like texture, Khan stepped backwards once again, lowering his head as she suddenly took on another form. It was too obvious not to have expected something freakish to happen in this situation.The tiger’s eyes widened as he saw Raven take the form of himself. It was like looking at a mirror. The resemblance was uncanny! He reassured himself that this was no human he had encountered.
Hearing his own voice talk back to him was chilling. He had never heard himself before, so hearing what he sounded like was so..interesting. But the shock and fear was still settling in from her transformation, so Khan didn’t have time to wonder about his new twin.
“A-astounding..” Was all that he could say as he started at the creature across from him. Sure, it was very horrifying, but so odd as well…Flashing a smile that was somewhere between charming and menacing, Raven tapped her tail in a rhythmic beat. This body may not be hers by nature, but it was in her nature to steal others bodies. Long ago she became accustom to matching her mannerisms to that of the form she held, but this was enough to make even her question her performance. Hardly ever did she need or even want to shift into an animal, and this left her with very little experience.
Despite her difficulty, she analyzed Khan’s movements well when she first came in to greet him — his expressions, his voice, his poise, and personality — and quickly matched him. If it were not for the odd miscalculation or a poorly synched twitch, she would appear to be his picture perfect reflection.
“I quite like it. Orange isn’t quite my colour, on the contrary; I much prefer the blue,” Admiring his fur as well as that that covered herself, she purred softly. Even within a big brute of an animal, her instincts left an air of elegance flow in and around the conversation.
As much as she enjoyed the look of awe on Khan’s face, the current form was boring her. It took away her best skills; her agility, her size, and her experience at close combat. Craving the thrill of victory — even without a real fight around the corner — Raven morphed back into her own body, the real one this time, blue skin, scarlet hair, and her yellow cat-like eyes.
Her position hardly changing through the shift, she now lounged in a much more womanly manner. Legs outstretched, arms folding over her hips, she ran the fingers of her free hand along the ridges and grooves of the rocks she relaxed on.
Perhaps it was because she was in the form of himself, or because the idea of a creature that could take on other forms wasn’t as far fetched as some of the other things he had stumbled on, but slowly, Khan found himself enthralled with Raven’s ability. But then he thought; if she was able to become what she pleased, that would mean she was able to be whoever she wanted. Someone powerful, like himself, or something as weak and incompetent as a human. Fascinating, really. Terrifying when he thought about her possibilities more, but still very fascinating.
As she returned to that blue, more human-appearing form, the tiger lifted his head slowly and steady, making sure not to move too quickly for his own sake. What was that saying again? ‘curiosity killed the cat…?’
Shere Khan took a step closer to the creature as she lounged nonchalantly.
“What are you?”
Shere Khan learned the hard way that there were many other creatures out there that, sadly, were stronger and more powerful them him. He learned the hard way what some creatures were capable of, and he didn’t plan on finding out what Raven was capable of. Just…keep things to a mere chat. Yes, that’s what he needed to do.
“You do seem rather ecstatic for the situation at hand..or are you always this enthusiastic?” Khan subconsciously clawed at the ground when she brought up his teeth and claws, raising an eyebrow at her statement. “And you’re so found of my deadly features as well. Isn’t that questionable…” refusing to let his guard down, he continued. “I never said you couldn’t ’bring out your tricks’. I don’t approve, but then again, I take it that you’ll do whatever you want while you’re here. You don’t seem like the type that follows the rules that you’re given.”Raven shook her head in reply, “Hardly. Seems that your fabulous hosting skills and sparkling personality bring out the best in me, big guy!” she laughed, letting her guard down slightly, and thereby losing her sophisticated I-know-more-than-you voice to a much more childish one.
Clapping her hands together, she pointed to Khan as he remarked on her lack of obedience, “The big kitty gets it!” she bellowed. Strutting along the far wall of the cave, she tapped her chin and pondered aloud, “Now what can I do that will surely impress…” Reaching the farthest corner from the feline, she faced the wall. Her inner actress induced a perfectly placed dramatic pause. As soon as it was over, she twirled on the balls of her feet — blue scales appearing around the width of her body and traveling downward until her hair and nails were fur and claws.
She had morphed into a tiger. A mirrored image of Khan, to be exact. Lounging on the ground lazily, she flicked her adopted tail while emanating a subtle purr. “I don’t think it looks tacky at all,” she added harshly, her voice deep and rich, “I think it’s purrfect,”
“That would be the first I’ve heard that my own charming personality brought out the best in someone.” The tiger didn’t like how casual she was acting, but at least it was better then causing trouble. His tone of voice was still very solemn, but her childish behavior was giving Khan the sense that he was far more superior then she. Perhaps, in this light, she wasn’t as threatening as she seemed..
As Raven walked around the cave and said something under her breath, Khan couldn’t help but get up from his spot on the ground and take a step forward, not expecting what happend next.
As the creature’s skin turned a sickly blue, almost scale-like texture, Khan stepped backwards once again, lowering his head as she suddenly took on another form. It was too obvious not to have expected something freakish to happen in this situation.
The tiger’s eyes widened as he saw Raven take the form of himself. It was like looking at a mirror. The resemblance was uncanny! He reassured himself that this was no human he had encountered.
Hearing his own voice talk back to him was chilling. He had never heard himself before, so hearing what he sounded like was so..interesting. But the shock and fear was still settling in from her transformation, so Khan didn’t have time to wonder about his new twin.
“A-astounding..” Was all that he could say as he started at the creature across from him. Sure, it was very horrifying, but so odd as well…
“I have yet to be wrong..” He muttered to himself, furrowing his brow as she mimicked him. Raven was obviously something that Khan could not trust, but he hadn’t planed on trusting her from the start. Her eerie attitude and her sense of humor around this whole conversation put the tiger in defense mode. “I suppose the fact that you travel is why you find yourself in my presence, correct?” Keeping himself a fair distance from his visitor, Khan continued to watch her for any sudden movement. Her mocking tone of voice only made him more cautious. He wasn’t stupid; he knew when to pick his fights and when to wait. Now started the waiting game.
“Just wandering, really. And now here I am!” she exclaimed, throwing her hands into the air. A sneer stretched across her face, her heart fluttering at the sight of his discomfort. Kicking her feet to and fro in a childlike manner, Raven slapped on another dazzling smile. Another key point in any performance; to keep the audience on their toes. Never stop, never quit, never quiver, the show simply must go on. “I really wish you’d let me have a little more fun. You’ve got your claws; I wouldn’t mind if you showed them. You’ve got those teeth; I wouldn’t flee if you bared them,” She spoke to him as if scolding a child, an undeniable sense of disappointment ringing through her words. “Doesn’t it seem the slightest bit hypocritical I can’t bring out my tricks? Tut, tut!” she asserted in a clear voice, making sure each word stood on its own as much as it did flow with the sentence.
Shere Khan learned the hard way that there were many other creatures out there that, sadly, were stronger and more powerful them him. He learned the hard way what some creatures were capable of, and he didn’t plan on finding out what Raven was capable of. Just…keep things to a mere chat. Yes, that’s what he needed to do.
“You do seem rather ecstatic for the situation at hand..or are you always this enthusiastic?” Khan subconsciously clawed at the ground when she brought up his teeth and claws, raising an eyebrow at her statement. “And you’re so found of my deadly features as well. Isn’t that questionable…” refusing to let his guard down, he continued. “I never said you couldn’t ’bring out your tricks’. I don’t approve, but then again, I take it that you’ll do whatever you want while you’re here. You don’t seem like the type that follows the rules that you’re given.”
“You’ll do whatever I allow. You are only the visitor, as I recall.” Khan raised an eyebrow, now feeling less afraid and acting more like his cocky self. “Raven then.” Seeing as she was so proud of that alter-ego name of hers, ‘Mystique’, Khan decided to call her by her first name. He chose to call people he met by their most informal name out of disrespect for them.
But her tone of voice was chilling; as if everything she said was a lie. Odd…
“Shere Khan. You may call me that.” He nodded as he said his name, agreeing with himself. “And you obviously aren’t from the jungle. I must ask you, where are you from exactly?” Khan wanted to get the point and find out just what she was. Then he would be able to judge her correctly.Twirling her hair mindlessly, she shook herself back to the present. Puffing up her chest and mocking his facial expression she repeated, “Shere Khan,” replicating his voice as she did. Looking back at him from the corner of her eye, she chuckled, back to her own voice.
“I find it funny how you can be so sure, I’ve fooled people on the same topic very easily countless times,” she added, thinking aloud more than speaking to him, “New York, wonderful place, but not very well suited for a tiger,” Raven shrugged, her eyes raking the cave as a precaution. Exit, foot bearings, rocks, and dirt — all pasted into her mind if the situation called for it. “That’s where I spent most of my life, but I used to travel a lot…”
“I have yet to be wrong..” He muttered to himself, furrowing his brow as she mimicked him. Raven was obviously something that Khan could not trust, but he hadn’t planed on trusting her from the start. Her eerie attitude and her sense of humor around this whole conversation put the tiger in defense mode. “I suppose the fact that you travel is why you find yourself in my presence, correct?” Keeping himself a fair distance from his visitor, Khan continued to watch her for any sudden movement. Her mocking tone of voice only made him more cautious. He wasn’t stupid; he knew when to pick his fights and when to wait. Now started the waiting game.
(Source: yana-van-luv)
The tiger pressed his nose against the giant dog’s leg. ((Aka since tiger’s don’t actually ‘kiss’)) “Now shoo.”
(Source: fashionablenovelist, via protectoroftheunderworld)
“Likewise, an y’all may. It’s a rather complicated set o’ affairs, really. I got some folks that ain’t too very fond o’ me an’ would love t’ get their hands on my hide. Some o’ which I’m sure would mean so quite lit’raly.” He shrugged lightly and chuckled with a rather sardonic tone, “Some folks like other forms o’ leather tha’ don’ come from creatures with four legs, an’ there’s far too many people out there that’d like t’ get a hold o’ me for jus’ tha’ reason. I ain’t goin’ t’ lie, I don’ take too kindly t’ the idea o’ bein’ a new belt for some proud man tha’s upset at me for takin’ too high a likin’ t’ his daughter or son or what have ya.”
Khan listened intently to Facilier as he explained his disposition, finding it quite interesting. “I understand. Thus the life of a sinner I once heard used as a phrase for a situation similar to your own.” He couldn’t help but smile in a collected manner, knowing that he was in the presence of a fellow…villainous figure like himself. It only made things more relatable. “Past demons are so bothersome when you get down to it, don’t you agree..?”
“One could say that, yes. When it comes t’ keepin’ one’s life they are, at least, however,” Facilier cocked his head to the side, looking off to the ground more in thought than anything else, and released a slight huff of amusement, “they could also be useful when one is in need o’ a source o’ inspiration. Whether it be for a new sort o’ personal menace or even jus’ a display o’ sudden madness, t’ cause disquiet amongst t’ gentler folks, past misdeeds can always find a way o’ bein’ inspirational.” His gaze returned to Shere Khan’s and he matched his smile, but kept it to a respective level of understanding. He didn’t want to cause a need for unnecessary bloodshed, which always seemed to be the case when the more darker hearted beings discovered his turn of face.
“Quite.” The tiger batted his tail on the ground as they spoke. “Inspirational? I suppose you could say that..Although I would rather take those past encounters and forget about them completely. But then again, that’s just my own opinion.” Khan quickly shrugged it off and chose to change the subject. He wasn’t the kind of creature that liked to dwell on a matter for too long. And this human wasn’t as annoying as the others, so there was no point in shunning him. “But enough about the obviously intriguing prior events. Might I ask where you are from?”
