The Tiger and Parrot on Robinson Court

[shere]

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THE VOICE OF THE TIGER RINGS IN MY EARS,
but i'm not crazy, no, say i'm not crazy
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Shere raised his eyes to look down the tree-lined street. So perfect, with every tree evenly spaced, every house settled in rich, green yards, all the gardens neat and tidy. Cookie cutter houses on a cookie cutter street, like every precious small town in this country. The only thing that differed was the color of the house (though only modest New England colors would do: white, blue, tan or yellow) or maybe the variety of flower planted around the mailboxes. Shere would have heaved a sigh at the monotony of it all if he wasn't so used to it - he'd been living on Robinson Court since he'd graduated college two years ago. His own house was white with a maple tree in the yard, his drive way surround by thick grass. He was no different, and he honestly didn't feel the need to be so.

Stuffing his hands into the pockets of shorts, Shere walked at his usual pace down his usual path to his house (seventh on the left, a house or two down from the far corner). The air was heavy and hot, and Shere was inwardly glad that he was the Phys Ed teacher and not some academic teacher. Though he was outside nearly all day when the weather was nice and it was hot, at least he didn't have to dress as nicely as the other teachers. While they wore bloses, skirts or dress slacks, he got to wear shorts and warm-up tee shirts. His grass-stained sneakers and whistle around his neck would never be permitted in the building, the cargo shorts and gray tee shirt would be a disgrace. But his job was flexible on that part. Shere didn't think he'd be able to stand anything else.

Besides that small bonus, Shere still felt miserable today. Another day had gone by in which he hadn't discovered the human host for Mowgli, whom Shere Khan had every intention to kill as soon as he got the chance. Not kill in an obvious way of course, as Shere still had plans on living in Memory after his revenge had been exacted on the mancub. But no Mowgli today, and with each passing year the man cub didn't reveal himself, Shere Khan grew more demanding and Shere Caine grew more resentful.

He wondered if he should try and exercise his tiger form for a while. He hadn't morphed in a while and knew that doing so was needed, but his body would be stiff from lack of changing. But not here, anyway, and not now. The street was too public and small, and Shere would want a larger place to run and jump and climb and sharped his claws. Shere looked at the trees as walked: No, they were no good to stretch his claws on. The wood was too hard, he'd need something softer than Maple. Pine, maybe, but for that he'd need to go to the woods.

"Saturday," he said aloud to himself, making a mental note as to when he'd transform and roam the thick woods outside of Memory. Shere Khan needed to be released once in a while, or he was going to make Shere Caine crazy.

[vanisher]

Flash was busily walking home from a class. He was a junior at Harmony. As he walked home, he was complaining in his usual sarcastic tone about how kooky everyone was acting, professors included. He had his bright green eyes glued to the ground as he walked. "Geez, what is with everyone in this one horse town? Why is everyone acting like...like some damn cartoon character? Seriously, if I see one more person wishing upon a star, I'm gonna choke. And worst of all those psychos had the gall to drag me over here to this stinkin' town and for what? To tell me that they suspect I am playing host to an unknown Disney character and the only way I can figure out who it is, is by taking classes and letting go all of my paranoia? Ha, I think not! I've seen politicians who make more sense than that! Seriously though, the next person who tells me that I'm a host to some make believe cartoon character is going to get it and get it good. No more mister nice guy," he complained aloud as he kicked a small pebble along the sidewalk.

His home was the eighth house on the left and strangely enough he spotted a familiar figure headed to the house next to his. He smiled. 'Oh, must be my new neighbor,' he thought. 'Hmmm...and who knows, maybe he's normal like me.'

Curious, Flash slowly approached Shere and offered a friendly smile. "Hi there. I'm your new neighbor, Flash. What's your name? How long have you been living in this strange place? Me, I just moved in like a few days ago, but I've seen you around as I was moving in. And let me tell you, just between you and me this place is weird. Say, you been to that academy, right? All those poor kids are being manipulated into thinking that they are playing host to a cartoon character. Pretty stupid, huh? And that college isn't much better, but I need to get my degree, so I'll just tolerate my professors' mannerisims and my fellow classmates' behavior for now," he introduced, ranting on somewhat. Like Iago, Flash didn't know when to shut up and has a big mouth to boot.

[shere]

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THE VOICE OF THE TIGER RINGS IN MY EARS,
but i'm not crazy, no, say i'm not crazy
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Saturday is too far away, Human. I need to stretch my claws! The tiger complained in Shere's head, which he shook gently from side to side as he neared his house as if to dispel the voice. Soon, Shere thought back to the tiger, with such a force of thought as to quiet the beast. Sometimes it was such a bother to share his brain with another.

Shere's house came into view, identical to the others and basically only identifiable by the numbers (1084) and name (Caine) on the mailbox. He had another evening of solitude to look forward to, quiet hours to spend with no one. Shere almost smiled as he thought of rest of the day he had without high schoolers and co-workers to put up with, but his thoughts were interrupted by a unfamiliar and very abrupt voice. How had he not noticed the man following him down the street? The man had, apparently, been muttering to himself for some time and Shere must have been too wrapped up in his own conversation with the tiger in his head to realize.

"Hi there. I'm your new neighbor, Flash. What's your name? How long have you been living in this strange place? Me, I just moved in like a few days ago, but I've seen you around as I was moving in..." The dark-haired man went on like this for quite some time, hardly letting Shere get in a word let alone any sort of reaction. It was only after the man trailed off ("So I'll just tolerate my professors' mannerisims and my fellow classmates' behavior for now...") that Shere was finally able to respond, though he was, admittedly, entirely speechless.

"Uh" was his profound answer. Shere stood there, one hand in the middle of taking his mail out of his mailbox, the other still in his pocket. His mouth hung open a bit stupidly and his eyebrows were pulled low in a sort of I-can't-believe-this-guy expression, but he quickly recovered. Shere pulled out his mail and resisted the urge to immediately thumb through it (which was habit), and instead address his... new neighbor?

A moment or two passed of awkward silence while Shere still processed all the man, Flash, apparently, had said. Flash mentioned he'd just moved next door (That would explain the moving trucks, he thought), and was attending the local college, which he found to be as weird as the Academy? Had he heard the of the academy, he asked, and yes of course Shere had since he worked there. Another moment and Shere realized Flash did not at all believe in playing host to a cartoon character, which made the tiger in his roar with laughter. Be quiet, you make it difficult to think, he sighed in his head, and Shere Khan was again quiet.

"Uh, sorry. Yes. I'm Shere," he finally answered as politely as he could, though small talk was hardly his favorite thing. His normal reaction would have been to nod and walk away because of his aversion to interacting with people, but a thought had occurred to him - was Flash, perhaps, the mancub he was looking for? Was Mowgli hidden up there in his head? Flash certainly seemed loopy and confident enough to be the wretched boy, so Shere made an effort to be... pleasant.

"I work at the Academy, actually," he continued, and swung the whistle still around his neck as a way of making his point. "The gym teacher." And then he was stuck for what to say next, not used to having to make conversation. Hopefully Flash would pipe up and make it easier - the college guy had a lot to say and Shere had very little, except to find out if he was Mowgli... Oh! "You think the cartoon thing isn't true, then?" The tiger chuckled again, and Shere actually smiled a bit, too. The irony was amusing, he'd admit.

[vanisher]

Flash looked Shere over a moment once the other admitted being the academy's gym teacher. 'With a get up like that, it's definitely believable,' he thought. "Uh, the gym teacher, right, that certainly explains why you're dressed that way," he said.

Flash laughed. "Of course I don't. Don't tell me you believe it. It's just a scam to get us to come here and live and work in their dumpy little town otherwise this place would never ever make any money. I mean just look at it, it's so boring! There's nothing to do here. No movie theaters. No bowling alleys. No casinos. No gambling. No fun. Nothing. It's an entertainment wasteland I tell ya. But seriously now, if this whole I'm playing host to some Disney cartoon character is real than I'm president of the United States, and a wealthy, incredibly good looking President at that. So, no, I don't believe it and I'll never believe it," he said, confident. Like Iago Flash was always one to complain. "So, you were saying...?" He asked looking Shere over.

Flash then shrugged. "Well, whether you believe it or not it's still nice to meet you. So, if you ever need to speak with a fellow adult, you know where to find me. I'll just be hanging out next door. Oh, and I also got hired at that local sweet shop Closest thing I could find to an entertainment center, sad as that is. Put her there," Flash quickly added, extending his hand for the other to shake.

[shere]

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THE VOICE OF THE TIGER RINGS IN MY EARS,
but i'm not crazy, no, say i'm not crazy
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And Shere certainly wasn't disappointed in his hope that Flash would have something to say. The man had the gift of gab, Shere mused, watching him, fascinated that anyone could ever have so much to say. Flash mentioned the way he was dressed and Shere looked down to inspect his attire. He was looking particularly worn today - the heat and his classes combined to make his day exhausting, evidenced in the tired expression on his face, the sweat stain around his collar and grass stains on his knees. "Oh. Yes, I suppose so," he muttered, brushing the hand clutching the mail over his front in a sorry attempt to look more presentable.

Looking up again, still brushed at the hem of his shirt vaguely, focusing mainly on what Flash had to say about the town of Memory. It had been Shere's home for a total of six years now: he moved into the dorms (one on the boys only floor in Frollo hall) when he was going in to high school and then began the process of buying the house on Robinson Court after he had returned to Memory from his four years at college. He had never considered it an entertainment wasteland, but then he probably had vastly different notions of what entertainment was. He wasn't ever like a normal boy growing up, having awakened Shere Khan in his head at such a young age. Shere had always preferred to be on his own anyway, reading, plotting and exercising and getting used to his tiger form. That was entertainment enough for him.

So, yeah, he didn't really care about bowling alleys.

But Shere forced a smile onto his face in fake agreement, muttering "yeah"s and "uh huh"s in all the right places. "That's an interesting point," he said in his oddly muddled accent (part English, part American, part Indian, actually, which combined was something very weird), "your conspiracy theory. Though I hardly think the Academy controls the town enough to essentially run it." Shere left out his opinion on the Disney characters on purpose, waiting instead for Flash to pursue the topic for a little longer on his own. Shere wanted to see just exactly how much Flash was opposed to the idea, because though he seemed very sure of himself, Shere had just one question topic. "But I do have to ask... You didn't get a letter from the Academy, did you? Ever?" Many kids received letters and ignored them, but Shere knew they'd always end up in Memory eventually. Those letters could be very persuasive.

Flash stuck out his hand to shake which Shere accepted, shaking it firmly like he'd been taught. "Thank you, I'm sure I'll need another adult to talk to in a town swarming with children," he said, forcing a genial laugh to keep up appearances. "So college at Harmony, then? What's your major?" Shere continued the conversation now, easing in to his role as friendly-next-door-neighbor, now that he'd been at the conversation a while. Shere saw that he'd be able to make friends with Flash easily enough, and that made finding the character in his neighbor that much easier.

[vanisher]

At Shere's question, Flash just stared at him, stunned. Starting to sweat, he gulped. "Uh...my letter? Right, actually I really don't want to talk about it. But, I will say this, I did get a letter. I got it beginning of my freshman year of high school, but uh you see those letters mysteriously remained in the back of my closet, away from my mother's eyes. That is until very recently when the academy sent yet another obnoxious letter, stating they really wanted me to come. That I have some...make believe Disney character hidden within, just waiting to be let out and as such I needed to come to this puny little town's college post haste. And so you can only imagine my mother's anger when she discovered that I kept the previous letters hidden in my room. Rest assured had I known they would send yet another, I would have hidden it along with all the others, the persistent jerks!" Flash explained.

"My mother was so mad at me. This is exactly how she sounded..." He then cleared his throat. "Flash, you mean to tell me you had this letter all along from that fancy prestigious academy and you never told your father and I?" Flash said, cleverly mimicking his mom's voice. "And I was all like this: Yes, well I don't want to go! Everyone in that school is a weirdo. Just look at what the letter says," Flash said in his voice. "Yes, well it says your college will be paid for. So, you're going and that's final," Flash said in his mom's voice. "What and leave this wonderful city and all it's bright lights and entertainment behind? I think not!" Flash said in his voice again. "And so after another heated argument between my mother and I, I ended up here in nowhereville," Flash grumbled, kicking a nearby coke can.

Flash then looked at Shere and blushed. "Uh, did I forget to mention that I have an facility of mimicking peoples voices? Oops, silly me. It's more like an art or a hobby of mine really or a gift. Some call it a gift," he said, rubbing the back of his neck. He was pretty sure Shere was staring at him the whole time he was doing voice impersonations. 'Great, there goes my one chance at making a good first impression. Now the guy probably thinks I'm the crazy one,' he thought to himself. 'Stupid, stupid, stupid,' he scolded himself.

After shaking his hand, Flash smiled. "I'm a business major. It is the perfect way for me to learn how to make money. When I get out, I'm hoping to become one of those entrepreneur types. You know, the kind you always see on T.V that make a lot of money. That'll be me...soon er at least one of these days," he proudly answered.

[shere]

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THE VOICE OF THE TIGER RINGS IN MY EARS,
but i'm not crazy, no, say i'm not crazy
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Shere grinned in malicious triumph at getting Flash to stutter to a pause. His letter... Something he didn't want to talk about. Shere remembered his own letter and how curiously, disarmingly specific it was and could understand how it would shake Flash up like that. Shere's smile fell as Flash stared at him, momentarily stunned. Well, at least he had manged to confirm that Flash had indeed received a letter, and that was a start. It was positive that there was a character inside his neighbor, but if only Shere could figure out which one, and quickly.

A small breeze picked up then, and Shere looked into the direction is came from. The sun was full on his face and he had to squint into the light, dappled as it was by the leaves on the trees. The warm air was a relief even it was still muggy, and Shere figured that by the lull in conversation that it was ended. He was about to shake Flash's hand again, go inside and sort his mail and possibly take a cooling shower, when Flash continued. Shere turned to face his neighbor again, quickly placing the hand he was about to offer for a shake at his throat, toying with the whistle there.

"But, I will say this, I did get a letter. I got it beginning of my freshman year of high school..." Flash began, launching into a detailed story of his experience with his first letter. Shere nodded but he was torn between paying the utmost attention (to find out if he was Mowgli) and leaving right then and there (he could tell this story would be long and Shere didn't like people anyway). He settled for paying half attention while Flash explained his letter, leaning against his mailbox wondering how much hotter the day was going to get.

And how much longer he'd have to stand out here.

Flash did something then, though, that make Shere straighten up again and fix his eyes on the younger man. Was he... That was very clearly and remarkably a woman's voice coming out of his mouth! "Wha-..." Shere started in amazement, not so much listening to Flash's story as his incredible ability to mimic voices. He sounded exactly like a woman! That's not possible...

Quickly Shere's mind began to work, thinking over Mowgli's characteristics from The Jungle Book and comparing what he knew to Flash. Could Mowgli have the ability to mimic voices so accurately? Shere suspected not - more likely the boy would have an affinity for animals... Be able to talk to them or some such. So Flash couldn't be Mowgli, for this mimicking ability was clearly an effect of the character still dormant in him. But who in Disney's vast list of characters had such an ability?

Slightly crestfallen that he'd met another dormant non-Mowgli, Shere's shoulders dropped a bit as he listened to Flash switch back and forth between his normal voice and that of his mother. An idea came to him, however, that Flash's ability could be incredibly beneficial to his plans later on. How many ways could he use an ability like that! Shere perked up then and redoubled his efforts to be friendly to his neighbor. He could be a powerful tool with which Shere could achieve his ends.

Oh, but he was still staring at Flash in a surprised and rather rude manner.

"I... Wow." Shere blinked and shook his head, trying not to stare anymore. "That's an amazing talent! Or gift, I suppose, like you said," he gushed only half faking his enthusiasm for Flash's ability. In a moment of inspiration Shere tilted his head and considered the younger man. "Why don't you come on in? I've dealt with too many kids today and could use some older company. You can tell me more about your business plans... And that incredible voice of yours!"

[vanisher]

At Shere's sudden request, Flash was unsure whether or not he should be flattered or disturbed. Never before has anyone shown an appreciation for his ability to mimic voices before. Flash felt certain that Shere would react just like all the others before him and think him crazy or overly dramatic, but when he didn't... Flash just found himself, standing there for a few moments rooted to the ground because the way Shere complimented him made him feel uncomfortable. It wasn't necessarily the words themselves that made him feel the way he did, but the way Shere said it. '...You can tell me more about your business plans... And that incredible voice of yours.'

Again, Flash found himself staring at the older man. Just what did he mean by my incredible voice...? At last, after a few more moments of awkward silence, Flash found his voice. "Uh...I don't want to impose... But, if It truly is okay with you, then sure. Why not?" He answered not wanting to sound rude by refusing Shere's invitation.

[shere]

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THE VOICE OF THE TIGER RINGS IN MY EARS,
but i'm not crazy, no, say i'm not crazy
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The conversation hit another lull and Shere could tell that this time it was his fault. The hairs on the back of his neck stood up in agitation, and if he were in his tiger form he knew his fur would be on end. Shere's smile faltered but didn't drop, keeping up the appearance of friendly-guy-next-door. He could tell Flash's mimicry would come in handy one day, and he wanted this man on his side before Harmony College got to him first.

At long last Flash accepted the invitation and Shere smiled politely, relieved. "Great," he enthused, gesturing with his head toward the front door and uttering a quick "right this way." He tucked the mail under his arm and retrieved his house keys from his pocket, unlocked the door and, remembering his manners, stepped aside to let his guest enter first. "You'll have to forgive the mess..."

There was no mess, though. Shere kept an impeccably tidy house, sparsely furnished and with little color besides white. The walls were white, the ceilings were white, the curtains were white - the only bits of color were the few chairs and tables and other furnishings, and they were only colored because they were hand-me-downs. Shere was a bit cheap when it came to decorating. But these tidy places were only the ones guests (which Shere was even surprised he invited a guest) could see. The upstairs, his bedroom especially, were... Well, the upstairs wasn't quite so neat.

Shere's eyes strayed up the stairs for a moment, cringing a bit when he saw chunks of drywall littered over the top steps. Luckily the claw marks and tufts of fur weren't visible from their vantage on the first floor, but Shere would be in trouble if Flash asked to use the bathroom. Shere distinctly remembered the state the shower curtain was in (torn to tatters) after the last time he morphed into Shere Khan's form, and that wasn't something he wanted Flash to see, lest he get suspicious. Thinking it over now, Shere concluded that inviting Flash into his house without having prepared or cleaned first was probably a really, really bad idea.

Closing the door behind him, Shere smiled a bit awkwardly, not sure of what to do with himself. He'd never had a guest over before, even if it was to manipulate them to his purposes like he was trying to do now. Hardly the criminal mastermind or gracious host, Shere looked around his house for a moment, looking sort of lost. But at last Shere Khan gratefully prompted him on social etiquette, and before long Shere was leading Flash into the living room and offering him something to drink.

"I think I've got some powdered lemonade somewhere in the cupboard that I can make," he said as he ushered Flash to the worn sofa, "or ice water, I guess." Shere scratched idly at his cheek as awaited Flash's decision, realized he was still holding the mail, and awkwardly and unceremoniously dropped it on the coffee table. Let's not make this visit too long, Human, Shere Khan growled in his head. Get what need from him quickly and then turn him out! His presence tries my patience... Shere only swallowed and nodded slightly to himself, then hitched on that same friendly smile for Flash. "So what'll it be?"

[vanisher]

Still feeling nervous, Flash somewhat reluctantly followed Shere into his home. Flash kept telling himself, that there was nothing to be afraid of and that Shere's just an over zealous complimenter not there was anything wrong with being complimented on his abilities 'After all, it was about time someone actually liked and appreciated my ability to mimic. It's not easy, ya know,' Flash reminded himself as he entered Shere's home.

However, when Shere mentioned having a mess, Flash's suspicious eyes wandered around the room and stopped when he found none. Upon realizing that there was no mess, Flash gently tapped his host on the shoulder. "Um, I don't know if you've noticed, but there is no mess here. Your home is nice, so stop worrying," he said in his usual brutally honest manner. Like Iago, Flash tended to say whatever is on his mind without really thinking about it first. This usually resulted in people, friends and family included getting mad at him.

Thinking that perhaps there was a mess upstairs, Flash's eyes followed Shere's and he frowned at him. "Is something wrong? Something you want to keep hidden from little 'ole me, perhaps? Don't sweat it neighbor, whatever secrets you possess is safe with me. So, go ahead, talk, let it all out and don't you mind me," Flash slyly asked before he found himself being led to his neighbor's sofa. Looking at it, he could tell it was worn. Flash smiled when Shere offered him a drink. "Hmmm...lemonade sounds nice, yes," Flash answered.

[shere]

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THE VOICE OF THE TIGER RINGS IN MY EARS,
but i'm not crazy, no, say i'm not crazy
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Shere had cringed inwardly when he asked Flash to forgive the mess... He had been thinking of the trashed second floor at the time, forgetting that the bits Flash would see were perfectly acceptable. Flash seemed to pick up on the weirdness of his comment, too, even tapping him on the shoulder to point out the almost hospital-clean status of his living room. Shere only nodded and tried to smile.

Flash didn't stop there, however, and as Shere ushered him into the living room, his guest insinuated that Shere might have something to hide. "Is something wrong? Something you want to keep hidden from little 'ole me, perhaps? Don't sweat it neighbor, whatever secrets you possess is safe with me. So, go ahead, talk, let it all out and don't you mind me," Flash said amicably enough, in what was probably just a friendly gesture. But Shere...

It set off Shere's defense mechanism, instantly putting his guard up. Flash had said he didn't believe in the whole playing host to Disney characters thing, so Shere wasn't about to disprove him by showing him which character he played host to. But with Flash's comment Shere couldn't help the lengthening of his teeth into sharp fangs, the stripes of black that appeared in his fiercly red hair, the way his eyes turned yellow. Quickly Shere turned his back on his guest, his hands flying to cover his hair as he rushed out of the room. "Lemonade it is," he called when he was halfway down the hall, trying to keep the slight panic out of his voice. "Back in a moment."

Stupid Human, Shere Khan purred in his head while Shere leaned over the sink, his hands gripping the edge. It wouldn't have happened at all if you weren't in my head, Shere thought back bitterly, taking deep breaths and willing himself to return to normal. Oho, the tiger chuckled, aren't we ungrateful today? You must learn to keep that temper of yours, Human. Revealing our little secret to that babbling, mimicking other-Human won't do us any favors. Shere glared into the sink and flexed his shoulders, knowing that Shere Khan was right. Now, the tiger continued when Shere's hair, eyes and teeth were back to normal, mustn't keep our guest waiting. Finish your visit quickly, now. I grow impatient.

Returning to the living room moments later with a glass of lemonade in his hand, Shere smiled apologetically. "Sorry for the delay," he stalled and handed the glass to Flash, "I um, needed to take my asthma medicine. That's why I rushed... out of here, uh," he finished lamely, clearing his throat. There was a moment's awkward pause before Shere remembered to sit in the chair opposite Flash.

"So," he started, a bit too loudly and enthusiastically as he was still rattled by Flash's offer to confide his secrets in him, "how did you come across that talent of yours?"

[vanisher]

Flash frowned at his new neighbor's behavior. And he knew something was up. He could sense it in Shere's voice, in his strange behavior and then he wondered why his neighbor was even putting up with him. Flash was no fool. He knew how...difficult it was for him to make friends due to his,,,antics. Flash at often felt it was a wonder that he even had friends.

When Shere returned, lemonade in hand, Flash took his glass and tried his best to smile despite his...emotional discomfort. In fact, Shere's next question just made him feel even worse. Grumbling a bit, he felt himself sink in the couch. "Why do you want to know?" He asked with a slight growl that seemed to say, 'that's personal information. Back off!' Of course not even Flash would flat out say that, but it was there just the same, in the tone of his voice.

"Also, I'd very much would like to know why you are putting up with me? I mesn I just met you and... I'm no fool. I know I'm not the easiest person to get along with, which explains why I don't have many friends and yet here you are...being all nice to me and for what? Don't get me wrong, it's a nice gesture, but I cannot help but feel like that there is a reason, a motive behind it all and these questions about my gift and the way you ask about it... I'm sorry, I really am. I mean I don't want to insult you, but...but I feel as though I already have. I'm sorry for having such a big mouth. Maybe I should just leave though I hope we can still be friends..." Flash blurted out all at once without really thinking.

[shere]

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THE VOICE OF THE TIGER RINGS IN MY EARS,
but i'm not crazy, no, say i'm not crazy
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Shere situated himself more comfortably in his chair, able to breathe a little easier now that he and Shere Khan were on the same page. His momentary freak out a minute ago was perhaps a cause for a alarm, but Shere figured the less he brought it to his guest's attention and the more he focused on Flash, the less memorable it would be. And Shere Khan and Shere wanted the same thing at this point, anyway: to get what they wanted from Flash and then turn him out. Even if all that meant was begin to "build a friendship" with the new neighbor, that was fine. At least Shere would be able to get his foot in the door, so to speak, with Flash, and then Shere Khan would be appeased. Though their original plan might be taking longer than usual, everything would still, eventually, fall into place. And now there was the very real possibility of Flash's knowing or unknowing assitance. Shere and Shere Khan could not yet predict Flash's importance, but together they knew his talent to be invaluable.

But Flash now seemed to be putting up a bit of a fight. "Why do want to know?" His neighbor spoke with a roughness in his voice that had Shere lifting his eyebrows at him, though whether he was more surprised or intrigued was uncertain. He cracked a bit of a smile, though, careful to keep his lips closed lest his temper flare again and he let his fangs slip. He could feel a pain behind his eyes, dull and persistant, and Shere knew the golden color was threatening to come back with a vengeance if Flash where to continue in this surprisingly hostile manner.

Flash looked a little uncomfortable in his surroundings as he sat on the sofa, his green eyes still eying the room a bit suspiciously. Does he know? Shere wondered to himself at the tail end of Flash's question left hanging in the air. Shere didn't dare answer why he wanted to know since the younger man's tone made it very clear that it was a warning rather than an actual question. But the tiger in Shere purred happily at the intriguing turn of events, despite the fact that they were being threatened, and the lid might blow off the top of thier plans, to boot. Shere Khan chuckled in his head while Shere himself was torn between amusement and wondering if he should be worried.

When Flash opened his mouth again, however, all fears were laid to rest. It wasn't that Flash knew anything, or was really threatening him... Shere continued to smile and crossed his legs as he listened to the dark-haired man's rather long confession. He was just insecure! Obviously not used to being treated in such a manner, Flash apparently didn't know what to make of Shere's (surface-only) kindness. He could guess at Flash's difficult time making friends and the like if people weren't willing to put up with his rather animated antics. But unlike the people Flash surrounded himself with, Shere saw the incredible opportunity in the younger man's gift, and was even willing (surprisingly) to tolerate his constant chatter if it meant getting what he wanted.

"Flash, please, don't go! You're not insulting me in the slightest and I only just wanted to get to know my new neighbor!" Shere said slickly, letting Shere Khan control his voice a little so that it was more soothing and practiced-sounding. Shere's own voice was a bit unreliable when it came to communications of this delicate kind, his accent muddled as it was. Shere Khan, however, was more accustomed to handling situations of this kind, and it was for this reason that Shere let the sly tiger do the talking. "You have a very interesting gift, and I was just fascinated, that's all. It's not every day you meet someone who can mimic voices to perfection, you know," Shere said smoothly, offering a modest, almost embarrassed smile and lowering his eyes so that it didn't seem like he was threatening Flash.

"Why, if you like I'll even let you know one of my talents, if that would put you more at ease." Shere lifted his eyes again then, his offer polite and unassuming.

But what would he tell Flash if he said yes?

[vanisher]

Shere's 'kind' words caused Flash to smile. "Thank you for being so understanding. It's not everyday I meet a neighbor who understands me. It's not easy you know...to make friends. Everyone's always looking to push you around or walk on you like a doormat. Heh, I remember getting picked on as a kid, but one day the school bullies annoyed me so much that I started mimicking them. Everntually they got so annoyed that they stopped. Unfortunately, this sort of gave me the reputation of a loner. Nobody wanted to pick on me, but no one wanted to be my friend either save like two people," Flash admitted with a sigh. Then with a shake of his head, he said, "I don't know what's wrong with me, but I know it's something, Maybe I should see a specialist that deals with personality oddities..."

When Shere offered to tell Flash one of his secrets, he smiled. "Oh that would be nice, but I ddon't want you to feel obligated to do so. Although, it would ne nice to know a little somethng about you. I don't want to end up as the only person talking and god knows if you don't start talking I will and then you would never get a word out," Flash said with a slight laugh. Flash then took another sip of his lemonade and took out a cigarette while looking at Shere. "Do you mind? I haven't had one of these in over an hour," he said.

[shere]

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

THE VOICE OF THE TIGER RINGS IN MY EARS,
but i'm not crazy, no, say i'm not crazy
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Shere relaxed when Flash smiled at him, folding his hands carefully and lacing his fingers together. He nodded at Flash's story, sort of taking it in: the bullies, being a loner, his few friends. Yeah, that would figure, Shere thought as he eyed him. Flash didn't exactly exude that super friendly vibe, though lord knows he talked enough.

"A perfectly logical explanation," Shere smiled at him, nodding again. It did make sense that his talent would make its appearance when Flash was under a lot of stress, and being bullied was probably very stressful. Flash even went so far as to mention seeking out a specialist, at which point Shere laughed good-naturedly. "Nothing's wrong with you Flash," he chuckled, momentarily unlacing his fingers to brush the hair out of his eyes. "You're just... talkative." Another smile, and Shere thought they were off to a brilliant start, even in spite of the couple speed bumps.

He sat up again a bit more attentively when Flash agreed that being shown one of Shere's "talents" would make more sense in their situation, explaining that otherwise he was bound to get carried away. Shere laughed politely again as if they now had their own sort of inside joke, and sat up in his chair, wondering what on earth he was thinking when he made such an offer. It wasn't very well like he could show the younger man how he could change into an excessively large tiger. Tigers weren't especially common animals in Maine, let alone ones that were previously human.

"You have to give me a moment, then, hmmm," Shere considered with an air of happiness, feigning an eagerness to flaunt whatever "talent" he chose to show. Mentally he delved into rarely used parts of his brain, digging, searching, desperate for a talent that wasn't based on Shere Khan. He nodded approval vaguely when Flash asked if he could smoke inside, too distracted to have realized what he agreed to. But his mind eventually caught up with him and abruptly Shere switched gears. "Oh, no! Ah, sorry. No, please don't smoke around me..." Shere said with a slight panic in his voice as he rapidly sat up to face Flash. He couldn't tell his neighbor that he was deathly afraid of fire in even the smallest form, even that with which to light a cigarette, so Shere had to think fast. "It's ah," he patted his chest, near his throat. "My asthma, remember? It's, er, been acting up," and he cleared his throat for emphasis, but offered a friendly smile so as not to put his guest off.

Crisis averted, Shere continued to entertain various "talents" he could show Flash. "Well," he said slowly, "I suppose I can..." Oh, he gave up. The only things he could do besides fence (well he is the fencing instructor at the Academy) were attributes accredited to Shere Khan. So, that was what Shere would do. "Sort of roar like a tiger? Rather convincingly, too," he added a bit lamely at the end. There, that was a safe subject, right? Anyone could do that...?