Tumgik
#mancub
trippysph1nx · 4 months
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Johnny in the wild, taking a swim with friendly jungle beasts.
Commissioned by Johnny_mancub [FA] Back in 2022 ! (thats why his old hair cut is present.}
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mrtnz24 · 1 year
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twotonejake · 6 months
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Photographs +2 from Mischief Brew
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klirk-hammurton · 2 months
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Open Commissions
I am thinking about taking requests for more NSFW Alphabets and possibly writing kinks for Metallica. I know I've done these before, but I will be more than happy to reopen the ask box and doing these on different eras of Metallica (KEA, RTL, MOP, AJFA, etc) just so I can start trying to get into the swing of being active again here.
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Heya 👋
I discovered your account a few weeks ago and I fell in love with your twisted wonderland x house of mouse AU and I also started posting about this AU merged with my Twisted Wonderland AU 😊
Alas here is my question
I'm a huge jungle book fan, so I'm curious how they see Yuu in your AU
Hope you have a wonderful day/night 😊
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I LOVE JUNGLE BOOK SO MUCH - it's actually one of the only instances where I like the movie more than the book (mainly because the books are super depressing - though it is lowkey funny how book!Shere Khan has the exact same death as Mufasa)
So I'm setting the HoM!AU as post-Shere Khan's defeat and pre-Mowgli going to the man village.
Literally all of them ship Yuu with any Savanaclaw Student
So I've said it before but Mowgli's family - Raksha, Rama and his brothers - absolutely adore Jack. They all like to roughhouse with him it's adorable. I personally headcanon that he's twisted from Mowgli's wolf father which is why he's not as villainous as his peers and also why he has a strong sense of justice - plus why he's close to his younger siblings.
Mowgli and Yuu are best friends. He and his brothers welcome her to the pack the same way they welcomed Mowgli and Jack. Raksha's mother instincts are blaring when she sees her so she joins the other animal Disney mums like Sarabi, Duchess and Mama Jumbo in doting on her with maternal affection.
Bagheera (Disney's OG good kitty before Simba - I literally love him so much he has my heart) is like Yuu's cool uncle. He is such a dad (even though his first instinct was to eat baby!Mowgli when he first saw him), the moment he sees Yuu he's like 'must protect'. Seing a mancub that he wouldn't get grey fur babysitting is such a relief and he spends most of his time just chatting with her and preventing Baloo and the rest of his cast from corrupting her. I have a twst!Bagheera OC that Yuu befriends and he's like this cool senior that warns her of dangers of possible predators.
Baloo is ecstatic to have another mancub to impart his wisdom onto :D (lowkey think that he would be friends with Timon and Pumbaa since they have similar life philosophies of taking it easy and stuff). Yuu thinks of him similarly to how she thinks of Coach Vargas - fun uncle who means well and she probably shouldn't get any advice from.
Kaa tried to eat her when he first met her but was then stopped by Minnie and Bagheera. Yuu's learned her lesson with Jamil when it comes to staring into the eyes of a snake. He and Sir Hiss are snarky snake besties and get snek cuddles around her neck privileges.
Shere Khan with Yuu is: No mancub allowed *sees Yuu* one mancub allowed. He's like a platonic tsundere where he pretends he doesn't like her but still loves it when she gives him head scritches.
I feel like Shere Khan has a love hate relationship with Scar. Tigers are actually stronger than lions are and have been known to beat them in fights even though Scar is, by twst lore and probably also Disney lore, a more important figure and much above SK in the villain pecking order so there would also be that whole fighting instinct over the hierarchy between them. This fighting instinct is also included in the whole Custody Battle™ because they both keep on making jabs at the other's expense (Shere Khan likes to say that Yuu deserves better than some lion whenever Scar is near him). The two of them are also best friends - it's hilarious. It's also funny to watch them gripe about Tigger and Prince John who they both consider the embarrassments of their species.
The elephants are cool. They hang out with the other Disney elephants (like the ones in Dumbo and Lion King). I forgot his name but that baby elephant that Mowgli befriends is totally bffs with Dumbo and the two of them like to play with Yuu and Mowgli together.
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I'm super surprised with all the cat asks no one's asked for Reader turning BACK into a human.
Probably at the worst time lol
Can I request that? House's choice on who💕
Thankies bartender
twst! cat mc returns to human
characters: Vil Schoenheit, Azul Ashengrotto, Leona Kingscholar
warnings: gender neutral mc
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Vil
Vil had made quick work of returning to the infirmary after your... accident. he refused to leave you be until you were restored to your original form.
the young man was furious for you to have been harmed, and your wounded back leg had to be mended first. when you awoke you maintained a coper taste of blood in your mouth.
dull pain hummed through your whole body, but it was soothed by a gentle voice and a hand petting your head.
"shh, rest now sweet potato." as your eyes blinked open you were melt with violet ones.
"...Vil," your voice scratched your throat, coming out as a mewl of pain.
the young man hovered over you, placing a wet cloth to your forehead. his brows were creased in concern.
"shh, shh my love. conserve your strength for now." he sighed, sitting back at your side. a gentle hand cupped your cheek, skin soft and warm.
you whined in pain and discomfort, leaning into the palm of his hand. Vil bit his lip, leaning down to press a kiss to your nose.
"dont fret little one, you are safe now."
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Azul
when you awoke you heard soft sobbing. it was quiet and muffled, barely registering passed the ache in your body, particularly your spine.
as your eyes focused back on the world around you, your gaze dropped to your bedside, finding a pale haired back curled up and laying his arms on your bed. the sobs came from his head buried in his arms.
you hadn't the strength to speak, but you very slowly lifted your hand. your touch was light as you placed it on the merman's head, pulling him out of his sorrows.
Azul lifts his head, blue eyes puffy with tears. he takes your hand delicately in his, holding it to his cheeks.
"thank the seven seas... you're awake." his voice is scratchy from his tears. you smile, taking his cheek in your palm. his eyes flutter closed as he leans into your touch.
seeing the housewarden so deeply vulnerable was a rare sight. you couldn't help but smile, wiping away at the blank ink that had dribbled from his mouth. Azul tries to turn away and hide but you just bring him back.
"I'm sorry... I promise you nothing like that will ever happen again."
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Leona
when you come to, you feel warm. something soft is resting against your cheek, and you are tucked into someone's chest. your ribcage is bandaged and numb.
there is a sigh from the man around you, a rumble almost akin to a purr from his chest. you breath deeply, a scent you'd become very familiar with overtaking your sense.
"...Leona?" you called, your hand reaching to fist in his shirt.
"so the kitten is awake after all." his voice is low and quiet, but it rumbles over your ears in a soothing way. you quickly realize the soft thing against your cheek is his hair as it is brushed away to let him see you.
you blink up at him, your body is sore and you doubt you'd be able to stand if you tried. he reaches a hand up, cupping your cheek gently.
"you're an idiot of a herbivore. running off like that. could have gotten yourself run over. kittens know not to run off like that." while his words are scolding his voice is soft. he leans down, running his tongue over your cheek, the texture is slightly ticklish.
"what am I going to do with you, mancub." he sighs, pulling you closer against him.
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kaamowglilover · 3 months
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I need to find me a mancub to wrap up and play with. To have one submit themselves and give in to my desires. The coils are both keeping him protected, but also dominating his weak body.
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mxncub · 6 months
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The hyena's golden yellow and stripped hide stood out among the lush, vibrant green tones of the jungle. He sauntered around with the confidence of an animal that thinks highly of themselves, but stopped abruptly when the telltale scent of some leftover animal remains reached his nose, along with another scent– strangely familiar.
Both scents were quite strong, easy to follow. When he spotted the child playing with some bone, Tabaqui stopped. He recognized the boy as that one mancub that once escaped Shere Khan and, for a moment, he pondered if he should approach and risk the wrath of the Seeonee pack, or leave unnoticed while he could.
He concluded there'd be no fun in leaving.
"Well well well, look what crawled out of the wolf's den," Tabaqui let out a hoot-laugh. "You like bones, mancub? Cause so do I."
@here-there-be-beasts
Brown eyes gazed at the animal before him looking up from the dry meatless bones he was playing with. The game Mowgli was playing was a simple one. He'd paw one bone across the dirt to mark it then did another to see if it went any further than the last. When it began to grow dull that's when the other appeared.
"You play with bones too?" the six-year-old asked crawling forward on all fours away from the bone pile he had previously made. Raksha had given the boy permission to play a ways from the den but said to come straight back home either when she called or it began to grow dark whichever came first.
Mowgli personally didn't see any harm in playing with the other, even if they didn't smell like a wolf. Perhaps the animal was just a new friend he hadn't made yet. A smile grew on the child's face at the prospect of having a possible new friend to play with.
Someone different.
"I'm Mowgli. How come I haven't seen you in the pack?" Was he a new potential member perhaps? "Are you lost? If you are we can go back to the den and talk to Akela about letting you live with us then we can play with bones all the time!" Wouldn't that be wonderful?
"What's your name? I gotta let him and Mam'mī know what it is if we go back..."
@here-there-be-beasts
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cavetigrim · 9 months
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❛ i know you. how else do you think i found you so easily? ❜ (from Bagheera) @panthera-nigrum
"Perhaps I thought that you were not foolish enough to seek me out," the tiger replies, eyeing the panther balefully from his crouched position beneath the canopy. Beneath his paws lies the fruits of his most recent labour; a male sambhur, mature and antlered, now lifeless and half-devoured, his blood seeping into the disturbed soil left by his final struggle.
A good kill. Shere Khan rarely found himself challenged by mere prey animals, yet this buck had taken him the greater part of the day to track and bring to heel. Even once the tiger's claws had sunk themselves into yielding flesh, the buck had refused to relent; kicking and twisting beneath a merciless grip, even managing to turn and rake his captor's side with his prongs. Shere Khan had felt no small amount of pride at finally dragging the buck down, crushing his prey's windpipe even as his own blood trickled down his flank.
That elation quickly dissipated when the tell-tale scent of panther grew strong, even above that of his kill.
The great tiger did not consider the panther a major threat, but even so, he is loath to let other denizens of the jungles see him in a moment of weakness. The wounds from the sambhur are shallow and already healing, but he is exhausted from the trials of the hunt, and has gorged himself upon the spoils of his victory since. The last thing he needs is a fleet-footed messenger to bring word of his compromised state to every ally of the mancub she could find.
"Why are you here, Bagheera? You are no jackal, to follow a tiger's hunt in the hopes of scraps and dry bones. Or have you come to beg once again for your mancub's life?"
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writingforfun0714 · 9 months
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Hello everyone, sorry I have been inactive for about a month or so.
I’ve also been hard at work on my very first request for @depressed-sasuke
I wanna thank you for being so patient with me. Like I said earlier, I ended up doing a rewrite and took some stuff out cuz it had started to trail on a bit too long. I also noticed quite a few typos doing a quick reread so if there’s any others I missed, I’m sorry—I really just wanted to post this today. I hope you like it🥰
Maisy
Request from @depressed-sasuke : Jungle Book (2016) OC character
About the character
—Name: Santi
—16 M
I also added a few other OCs just to fill out some human characters.
Warnings: Spoilers for Jungle Book 2016, 3rd POV, OC character/s, long fic
10,433 word count
A Chance Encounter
3rd POV
It’s a warm day in the Seeonee jungle. The breeze is light and there’s not a cloud in the sky. Shere Khan, the law-breaking tiger, has been gone for 6 years, ever since his fight with the mancub, Mowgli. The boy himself saw the tiger fall into the Red Flower. Despite stealing the forbidden Red Flower and nearly burning down the jungle, Mowgli had shown great courage and strength in choosing to side with his wolf brethren and using his intelligence to outsmart the ferocious tiger.
After the great elephants put the flames out, Mowgli had decided to remain with the wolfpack that his mother, Raksha, now leads. For 6 years, the jungle had known peace and tranquility. In those years, Mowgli has grown into a strong, confident, if a bit wild 16yr old. Remnants of his childhood is still visible with his red loincloth still in use and his boyish face not having grown into that of a full-grown man’s face, though his hair has gotten longer and his body is no longer scrawny and small but muscular and lean, littered with a few scars.
Despite Shere Khan’s defeat, there are rumors that he lives. Men from the manvillage claim to have seen shadows of a monster. Among those men is Dev, an accomplished hunter of the village. Mostly hunting for food, Dev has only hunted in order to protect and feed the manvillage unlike those who view hunting as a sport and kill for fun.
Dev is a single father who has a 16 year old son named Santi. Santi has soft brown skin and jet black hair with the same intense, dark eyes as his father. Santi’s mother, Dev’s wife, was killed bringing Santi into the world. While Santi loves the jungle, he also gets along well with the other children in the village. In fact, he’s with them right now as the adults discuss what to do about Shere Khan.
The adults are gathered around the fire pit in the center of the village. It’s mostly men, though there are a couple women also gathered too. Santi is keeping the kids out of the way but they’re still close enough to overhear what the adults say. They are worried about their cattle disappearing.
“No one has seen anything? Really?” A middle aged man asks, looking around at the crowd. People murmur ‘no’s and shake their heads.
“It’s a monster-“ a woman says, garnering attention.
“A monster?” A young man asks and she nods.
“We all know monsters are not real,” the first man argues.
“It had burned flesh and a blind left eye,” the woman insists. Whispers of Shere Khan, the tiger, flow through the crowd. An argument suddenly forms between the woman and the middle aged man.
“Khan burned in the forest fire 6 years ago-“ he says.
“Did you see it? Did anyone actually see the tiger perish in the flames?” The woman asks the crowd and no one answers. Some even look away. The arguing continues, but Santi has stopped paying attention and started remembering the day the village saw the fire engulfing the jungle across the river. Santi was a young 10 year old boy who just started to learn the basics of hunting. Santi was with his father as he told hunting stories to the other men gathered around the huge bonfire. It was nighttime and Santi was sitting on a small rock, working on re-stringing his bow when he saw it. A shadowy figure that made its way across the bridge. He couldn’t tell what it was, but he did see the mysterious figure take one of the torches and run back into the jungle. That was right before the alarm bell rang to alert everyone about the fire. Santi never told anyone about the mysterious figure and the torch.
“Monster or not, something is killing our livestock. Until we catch the culprit, I suggest we have watch duty over the herd,” Dev suggests.
“Messua, you said the creature was burned?” Dev asks and the young woman nods.
“Badly…it..it had no pelt left-“ Messua says, remembering the vivid, grotesque beast that was once Shere Khan. She shivers fearfully.
“Everyone, I will need the most experienced hunters with me to track down this beast, volunteers be warned, you may not return,” Dev says. 3 strong young men in their 30s step forward. Dev knows them, being the best hunter of the village, he taught those men himself when he was a teenager and they were children. Santi stands and he makes eye contact with his father.
“I’m ready to join you Father, I’ll make you proud,” Santi assures his father. Knowing how far his son has come with his lessons and teachings, Dev nods approvingly.
“I’ve always been proud of you Son,” Dev says as the children give Santi encouragement.
“We will take the time to gather our weapons and ready ourselves. It’s nearly sunset, so we will depart then,” Dev says as Messua steps forward.
“While the hunting party is out, we need to decide who will watch over the herd of cattle,” she says as Santi, his father and the 3 volunteers head off to get what they need. Meanwhile deep in the jungle…
The Seeonee wolfpack is gathered around Council Rock. Raksha, Mowgli’s mother, is sitting on the Alpha’s spot with the rest of the Pack all sitting at attention. The Pack elders are sitting to Raksha’s left. Mowgli is sitting with his siblings and Baloo the bear while Bagheera is up in a nearby tree that overlooks Council Rock.
“Alright, quiet please everyone,” Raksha says, getting the Pack’s attention and everyone quiets down.
“I’m afraid I must report some unsettling news. Our scouts have seen signs of Shere Khan, the tiger,” Raksha says, looking at Mowgli. His dark eyes widen and the boy gasps.
“N-No…No-it can’t be-..I..I killed him when I was a cub-“ Mowgli insists, standing up. Whispers sound through the Pack.
“It’s true Brother-I spotted the tiger while I was out on scout patrol in the Rocky Plains,” Gray, one of Mowgli’s brothers, argues gently. Mowgli wants to argue but the honesty in Gray Brother’s voice confirms their mother’s words.
“I-I saw him fall into the Red Flower-I saw him!” Mowgli insists, looking out at the rest of the wolf pack as they whisper to each other, unsure of his claim. The boy looks pleadingly up at his mother. She nods and glances to the Pack elders, to Biranyi in particular.
“I believe you Mowgli,” the old wolf says, getting everyone’s attention while also making the boy smile.
“For 6 seasons we’ve known peace and good hunts in the Jungle, we have had no reason to think Shere Khan survived the Red Flower,” Biranyi says. When the old wolf mentions the Red Flower, Mowgli feels a pit in his stomach. While his family, including Baloo and Bagheera, have all tried reassuring the boy over the seasons, Mowgli has always felt guilty since he was the one that brought the fire to the Jungle in the first place.
“You chose to be with us just like your mother chose you all those seasons ago,” Bagheera’s voice rings in his head.
“We must send out a hunting party to track down Shere Khan and end him once and for all,” Akru, a young male wolf with brown and gray fur announces, getting Mowgli’s attention.
“No-I must end the tiger,” Mowgli speaks up.
“Mowgli-“ Raksha immediately interrupts, feeling her protective mothering take over. Mowgli looks at her, watching her ears go back slightly in sadness.
“I…I don’t think that is wise. Let a more experienced wolf-“ Raksha tries to tell her son.
“I fought Shere Khan 6 seasons ago! I have to finish this. He dislikes the rest of you, but he HATES me,” Mowgli interrupts.
“Mowgli I-“ Raksha pleads.
“Mother I know I’ve only been on 2 hunts, but Shere Khan killed Akela because of me-I have to avenge him!” Mowgli insists.
“Enough!” Raksha barks harshly, causing the teenager to flinch before sitting back down and the Pack to go silent. Even Bagheera and Baloo appear startled.
“I am the leader of the Seeonee Wolf Pack. There will be no more of this talk Mowgli, is that understood?” Raksha asks seriously. Mowgli looks like he wants to argue with his mother until he catches sight of Bagheera’s big bright lime green eyes. The boy sees Bagheera shake his head slightly and sighs.
“Understood,” Mowgli replies glumly. Raksha nods and proceeds with asking for volunteers for the hunting party. She only picks the experienced hunters and Mowgli can’t help but feel wronged.
“What is it Brother?” Gray asks, nudging Mowgli lightly with his cold, wet nose. Mowgli looks away and pulls his knees up to his chin.
“Nothing,” he says, clearly upset.
After the assembly, Mowgli manages to sneak away without Raksha knowing, however, the boy’s actions don’t go unnoticed by Bagheera. The panther jumps silently off of the branch he was laying on and follows Mowgli.
The cat keeps the brown skinned boy in his sights at all times. Bagheera watches as Mowgli stops by a tree and breaks off a low-hanging branch. Bagheera watches Mowgli break off all the smaller branches sticking out. Bagheera takes a few steps, revealing his position.
“Mowgli, what are you doing?” Bagheera asks, clearly concerned about his boy.
“You heard Mother, she doesn’t want me to finish my fight with Khan,” Mowgli grumbles as he strips the 4-foot long stick down.
“Mowgli, going against your mother is one thing, but she is also the leader of the Pack. If you do this, she can force you out of the Pack,” Bagheera warns.
“I have to do this Bagheera. For Akela. And for myself…I have to finish what I started and as payback for burning the Jungle,” Mowgli says, referring to stealing the Red Flower.
“I know you feel guilty about burning the Jungle. But you never started anything. You did right by all of us by facing Shere Khan,” Bagheera says, “it’s over.” He says finally.
“Not for me. Bagheera…as hunters, isn’t it our job to make sure our prey does not suffer? Khan would be severely burned and deformed. Is it not my job to put him out of his misery?” Mowgli asks.
At first, Bagheera doesn’t answer and instead, looks away as if gathering his thoughts of what he wants to say.
“Yes Mowgli, you are right. As hunters, it’s our job to make sure we hunt only for food, and to not cause suffering. But Raksha is right in her own way. She has a responsibility to you, both as leader of the Pack and your mother,” Bagheera says, and Mowgli sighs.
“I know Mother loves me and wants to protect me, but I have to do this,” the brown-skinned boy insists. Bagheera looks into the boy’s eyes and eventually nods.
“I understand,” Bagheera says, “but I’m going with you.”
“Bagheera, no-I won’t let you get hurt for me,” Mowgli argues and Bagheera shakes his head.
“I’m sorry, but this is nonnegotiable. I will tell Raksha if you refuse,” Bagheera argues calmly back. Mowgli can’t help but smile.
“Alright. I’ll take all the help I can get,” the boy says and Bagheera nods.
Back in the manvillage Dev and Santi are in their home gathering what they need.
“Thank you for allowing me in the hunting party Father. I’ll finally show you what a great hunter I am and I will make you proud, I promise,” Santi assures his father.
“Santi, I know you’re a great hunter and I’ve always been proud of you. You’ve grown into quite a hunter and I’m getting on in years. I can’t move like I used to and my eyes aren’t what they used to be. That’s why I want you in the hunting party, because I know you will succeed where I will fail,” Dev explains. Santi looks at his father in surprise.
“Father you are still the village’s most accomplished hunter. I still have so much to learn from you,” Santi insists and Dev chuckles and ruffles his son’s hair like how he used to when Santi was a small boy.
“I appreciate that Santi, but you are more capable than you know. I have complete and total trust in you,” Dev tells his son, who nods. If he was being honest, part of Santi is glad his father trusts him so much but another part of Santi is worried that if he fails, he’d disappoint his father.
After gathering his knife, bow and quiver of arrows, Santi joins with his father and the other 3 volunteers around the unlit bonfire. The others are also armed with bows and knives strapped around them. The older men start formulating a plan as Dev pulls out a map of the area and Santi listens intently.
“What is the tiger’s last known sighting?” Dev asks.
“Around the southern jungle, past the swamps and the rocky plains, but that was about 6 years ago,” Rohan, one of the volunteers answers. He was one of the children Dev taught when he was a teenager. Now Rohan is an adult and is expecting his first child with his wife.
“He might return to a familiar area, even after all those years,” Amir, another volunteer says. He and Rohan are close friends having grown up together. Dev nods in agreement.
“The deer have been plentiful there as well,” Dev says, looking to Santi. The boy recently went to the rocky plains and managed to snag an older buck so the village could eat. Santi nods.
“I brought one back the day before yesterday,” Santi confirms.
“We’ll split up to cover the large area. Send a smoke signal if you need help or if you spot the tiger. If there is no signal we should regroup somewhere,” Amir suggests. Dev points to a lake.
“There, we’ll regroup at Elephant Lake,” Dev says and the others nod in agreement. Dev turns to his son rather seriously.
“Signal even if you sprain an ankle, ok?” Dev asks.
“Father-“
“Ok?” Dev repeats more insistently and Santi nods, playfully rolling his eyes and nodding.
“Yes Father,” the teenager answers and Dev nods, hugging his son.
“I’m so proud of you,” Dev says. Santi hugs his father back before joining Rohan and the other 2 hunter volunteers at the bridge that crosses the river that separates the village from the jungle.
The group crosses the bridge and walks together for about a mile until the path stops. It continues a few different ways so this is where the group decides to split up.
“Good hunting,” Dev says.
“Good hunting,” the others repeat before they all take off in different directions.
Santi heads on the southwest trail for about a mile before deciding to go off the dirt path that only travelers and hunters use. Santi runs deeper into the jungle, cautious and alert. His bright, dark eyes scan the area as he runs. Even with the slight breeze, it’s still incredibly hot and Santi starts sweating after about a mile.
Deep in the jungle, Mowgli and Bagheera move swiftly. It won’t be long until Raksha notices Mowgli is gone, considering everyone went back to their den after the assembly.
“Where do we even start looking? Shere Khan could be anywhere,” Mowgli asks as he runs beside Bagheera.
“Gray Brother said he was out scouting the Rocky Plains when he saw Shere Khan. We should start there,” Bagheera tells the boy, who nods and keeps running, climbing up into the trees every now and then.
The two get to the tree line and spot the tall beige grasses of the Rocky Plains.
“Flank left and search,” Bagheera orders quietly and Mowgli nods and the two separate and search.
Back at the dens, Raksha looks around and doesn’t see Mowgli. She sees Gray and Tavi, Mowgli’s siblings, walking together.
“Gray-Tavi!” Raksha calls to her pups. They look at their mother and hurry over.
“Yes Mother?” Tavi asks.
“Where is your brother?” Raksha asks, referring to Mowgli. The two young wolves look around.
“He was here for the howl-“ Gray says, looking around. The end howl happens last at assemblies.
“You know Mowgli. He’s probably off with Bagheera-“ Tavi says. Raksha’s eyes widen and she looks around before realizing her daughter is right. Bagheera is nowhere to be seen either.
“You’re probably right,” Raksha agrees, though a feeling still nags at her. It’s like a pit in her stomach. She knows Mowgli wouldn’t have given up about Shere Khan that easily. Since burning the Jungle and Akela’s death, Mowgli has been plagued with nightmares and guilt that on some days, seem to crush the boy. As his mother, Raksha shares his pain because she cannot stand to see him so upset. Over the years, she’s always assured the boy that even though using the Red Flower was forbidden, he did so with good intentions.
“We can go look for him if you want us to,” Gray offers. At first, Raksha wants to say yes, just to make sure Mowgli is ok, but that’s when she remembers how he seemed at the assembly. The mother wolf realizes she’s being a bit overprotective and sighs.
“No, it’s ok, he should have some time to himself,” Raksha says and the two young wolves nod. As they turn to head back to their dens, Raksha stops them.
“Does…Does Mowgli think I’m smothering him?” Raksha suddenly asks. The two wolves blink and share a look.
“Oh—uh-“ Tavi stutters.
“Tell me the truth pups,” Raksha says. Despite being adults themselves, they will always be her pups.
“Sometimes…but he knows it’s not your fault,” Gray admits.
“Gray-“ Tavi says, nudging her brother with her muzzle.
“What? Mother was going to find out at some point-“ Gray argues. When Raksha gives them a questioning look, Gray sighs and his ears go back slightly.
“Mowgli told us not to say anything,” Gray explains. She nods understandingly.
“It’s harder with Mowgli…he’s different, so I can’t tell when he’s ready to go off on his own,” Raksha says. Mowgli is the only one of her pups that still live with her. While Gray and Tavi have been on multiple hunts, Mowgli’s only been on 2, and has been a chaser both times.
“He knows you love him and that you just want what’s best for him,” Tavi tells her mother. Raksha’s eyes shine and she nods.
“Thank you..both of you. If you go rabbit hunting, be sure to pick up a couple extra for the food reserve,” Raksha instructs and the two nod. As the leader of the Pack, Raksha is in charge of the food supply, making sure it won’t run low unless it’s unavoidable.
“We will,” Gray answers and the siblings walk off towards the small waterfall that provides a source of water for the Pack that’s right by the dens, which is much more convenient than going to Peace Rock.
The wind blows lightly as Santi keeps a slower, steadier pace through the dense jungle. Hearing the different sounds of the jungle keeps Santi alert to everything around him as his eyes scan ahead. The hunting party’s only been separated for a few hours. It’s like looking for a needle in a haystack. Santi knows to look for clues but the jungle is enormous and goes on for thousands of miles. The most logical places would be right across the river since Khan seems to prefer the easier targets of cattle. Being domesticated animals, they are not quick like deer or rabbits and they are all in one place.
Santi climbs over a fallen tree trunk and makes his way deeper into the jungle. Every hour or so, Santi climbs a tree and looks around to check for smoke signals since he’s not near any high ground.
The teenager hears a slight rustling and his hand hovers over the knife strapped across his body. A rabbit races out and disappears into some brush. Getting thirsty, Santi keeps going until he hears the trickle of a small creek. He sees the creek cutting through the trees and approaches. He sticks his hands in the water. It’s not cold, but it’s not warm either. He cups some water out and drinks before splashing some water on his face and neck. That’s when he spots it. In the creek bed, Santi spots a paw print in the mud! He gasps and looks at it. It’s big and feline. Canine tracks from dholes or wolves are longer and don’t have claw marks.
Santi remembers his fathers words from one of his first hunting lessons, back when he was a young boy.
“Follow your lead until you can confirm with your own eyes. Just because you spot a set of tracks or a tuft of fur doesn’t mean you’ve spotted your prey,” his father had told him. 10 year old Santi had gotten excited when he found what he thought were tracks of a fox, but were instead of a dhole. He shouldn’t get his hopes up just yet.
It’s been nearly a week of hunting for Shere Khan in the Jungle. Santi has gotten to the rocky plains and no one’s sent up a signal. Which is good…and bad. No one’s hurt or needs help, but no sightings of Shere Khan, yet.
He follows the tracks until they stop. Santi looks around. Bugs buzz and birds chirp. Various rustling from small creatures and even the noise of the breeze makes the stillness seem loud. That’s when he hears a noise. It’s a harsh, painful sounding noise before it dies out as quickly as it came. Santi knows that sound…it’s of a cow dying. Shere Khan!
Santi races in the direction of the noise as fast as he can. The teenager keeps in shape helping his father so he doesn’t tire easily. As Santi runs, he grabs hold of the hilt of his hunting knife. It’s a long hunting knife his father used. Dev gave it to his son for his 13th birthday.
Santi climbs up a rocky outcrop to get a better look. The teenager spots a tree trunk with bloody claw marks carved into the bark and climbs back down. He hurries over to get a better look at the bloody claw marks before turning and spotting a trail of blood that leads to a mauled body of what used to be a cow. It’s covered in claw marks and none of it has been eaten. Santi’s eyes widen. It hasn’t been eaten! It’s a trap!
A vicious roar breaks the quiet of the jungle. The roar sounds like the noise of a demon. Santi glances around nervously and prepares himself. The teenager looks around for any sign of what made the roaring noise. Santi’s hand hovers over the knife hilt, ready for anything.
“Did Shere Khan know to set a trap?” Santi thinks to himself. Unaware to the boy, Shere Khan is watching the teenager’s every move. Despite how much time has gone by, Shere Khan is still in pain. Not nearly as bad as surviving the fall into the fire, but that’s why he’s been eating cattle. He cannot hunt anymore and Man’s cattle are easily killed. His striped fur is all but gone and even patches of his skin are deformed from the Red Flower’s touch. His blind eye is bloody and his good eye can really only see shapes. His sense of smell has returned a little and because of all of the raw skin exposed, his sense of touch is almost always pain.
Santi cautiously moves through the Jungle, unaware his every move is being watched. He doesn’t see any threats nearby, so he decides to start a smoke signal. Green leaves and sticks create more smoke than dry ones, so Santi makes sure to grab some of both.
He finds a flat rock on the ground and two dry sticks about an inch thick each. He piles more of the dry twigs and leaves near him. The boy grabs the two sticks perpendicularly to each other and starts rubbing them together furiously, still being watched by the unseen tiger.
After a few minutes, Santi sees a wispy trail of smoke starting to form from his stick and smiles. Almost there…almost there. Once the smoke is thick enough Santi blows very gently on it to start the ember going. He sees a small glowing orange dot and feeds the ember more dry sticks and leaves to make it grow.
The ember grows into a very small flame so, carefully, Santi adds more dry plant life to the pile. Once the fire has grown a bit bigger (though still rather small in general), Sant starts adding the greener plant life he’s gathered. He puts 2 twigs and a handful of greenish yellow leaves. The fire’s still lit but the smoke gets thicker almost instantly. Accidentally breathing some of the smoke in, Santi coughs slightly before taking off his shirt. He uses the fabric to cover the fire. He moves in and out of the smoke to create clouds of smoke that rise into the air. It should be nice and visible since Santi is near the Rocky Plains and there’s no trees to obscure the smoke.
As Mowgli moves swiftly and quietly through the tall grasses of the plains, he looks in the sky and spots small gray clouds wafting up. Memories of the Red Flower from 6 seasons ago flash through the teenager’s mind. Hoping that it’s not, Mowgli hurries towards the source of the gray clouds. As he moves, Mowgli wonders if Bagheera can see it too, since they split up to cover more area. Hopefully Bagheera’s on his way.
Mowgli manages to sneak his way through the grasses until he gets so close he sees the Red Flower, and the creature making it. Mowgli’s eyes widen in shock. You see, 6 seasons ago, when Mowgli stole the Red Flower from the manvillage, it was night. Only the moon and stars dimly lit the area. Mowgli’s eyes do not work as well as his wolf brethren’s and while he did see the creatures called Man thanks to the glow of the Red Flower, Mowgli didn’t really see any defining features. At the time, the boy just thought they were unlike anything he had ever seen.
But now, in broad daylight, Mowgli sees the haunting similarities between himself and the man creature. The man creature’s fur is shorter and it’s covered in some sort of colorful skin from the back legs going down all the way to cover the back paws. That’s when Mowgli notices a subtle movement in the underbrush. Mowgli immediately thinks of Bagheera, but when he catches the sight of reddish pink flesh, he lets doubt creep in. No, that is not Bagheera.
Without warning, a piercing roar breaks the steady quiet of the Jungle and Shere Khan leaps out at the creature! Mowgli seems almost frozen when he catches sight of the once formidable tiger. Deep down, Mowgli knows that it is Shere Khan, but because of his deformed, almost grotesque appearance, all Mowgli can think of is a monster and fear grips the boy so tightly all he can do is watch.
Mowgli watches the the man creature scream as Khan leaps at him. The tiger’s claws rake across the man’s bare chest and he cries out in pain. Mowgli gasps and his grip on his sharpened stick tightens. Mowgli’s eyes scan the surrounding area and he can’t help but feel down when he doesn’t see any sign of Bagheera. Maybe he’s too far away, Mowgli thinks to himself.
Mowgli watches Shere Khan circle his prey. Mowgli sees the human’s paw come up and cover its bloody chest. The claw marks look deep and blood runs down the creature’s bare chest. Mowgli can’t help but marvel at the similarities between himself and the man creature. Mowgli’s reminded of when Shere Khan managed to scratch his own chest during their fight 6 seasons ago. He was climbing down the dead tree when Khan managed to surprise the boy. He jerked back just fast enough to only get raked by one claw across his upper chest, creating an ‘X’ pattern over an already healed scar from a previous wound.
The human winces and pants, its paw is shaking and Mowgli hopes for Bagheera to show any second now. Seeing Shere Khan move in for the kill, Mowgli shifts his grip on his sharpened stick and winds up to throw it. He takes an almost silent breath before shutting his eyes. He opens them and instantly throws the stick. It pierces the tiger’s flank and he roars in pain. He looks around, though being almost blind, cannot see Mowgli.
“RAAAAUGGHHH!!!!” Mowgli screams, jumping off the branch he was perched on. The teenager collides with the tiger, causing a painful roar and they tumble to the ground. The man creature collapses, blacking out.
Mowgli feels the tiger’s deformed, almost melted skin and winces in disgust before backing away.
“Mowgli!” Mowgli hears a familiar voice call out to him. The boy turns towards the voice and sees Bagheera race towards them. Shere Khan struggles on the ground, unable to get up from the searing pain of being tackled, the permanent pain from the Red Flower and the stick that’s piercing his back left flank. Seeing that the tiger is no threat like this, Bagheera slows to a stop and looks at the injured, deformed tiger. Bagheera’s eyes widen and his ears go back slightly at the sight of the tiger.
“Shere Khan,” Bagheera breathes quietly. He takes in the vivid sight of the tiger and cannot help but admire Khan’s sheer will to live.
Shere Khan swipes wildly at the air in front of him with a roar, unable to tell where Mowgli is.
“You will never be rid of me mancub!!! My hate for you kept my spirit alive and I have waited for the day when I would finally kill you!” Shere Khan snarls angrily. Mowgli carefully moves around in the tiger’s blind spot and yanks out his sharpened stick that was piercing his left flank. Shere Khan roars in pain before whirling around where Mowgli is and swipes viciously. Mowgli jerks backward and falls over, nearly missing the tiger’s claws as they swipe through the air in front of his face. Bagheera prepares to leap but Mowgli stops the panther, shaking his head. Understanding it is Mowgli’s choice to make, Bagheera does as he’s told.
Unaware to anyone, the human stirs and groggily wakes up with blurred vision and a searing pain on his chest. The teenager sees a half naked boy about his age standing in front of him with a sharpened stick that’s bloody. Mowgli attacks the monstrous creature as the injured teenager passes out again.
Mowgli charges forward and jams the sharpened stick into the tiger, screaming as he does it. Shere Khan roars and tries clawing Mowgli before the boy shoves the stick in deeper and the tiger gets weaker and weaker until he stops struggling. The tiger’s breathing is ragged and rough. Mowgli approaches and looks down at the tiger. Mowgli’s dark eyes never stray from Shere Khan’s blind eye and his permanently red, injured eye. The boy watches as Shere Khan’s eyes slowly dim before shutting forever and the tiger’s ragged breathing stops.
Bagheera looks to Mowgli when he sees the boy just staring at the tiger’s lifeless body.
“Are you alright Mowgli?” The panther asks, clearly concerned.
“I…I can’t believe how awful he looked,” Mowgli says. Bagheera nods.
“The Red Flower is merciless to everyone. It’s destructive power is not to be doubted,” Bagheera explains.
At the mention of Man, Mowgli glances over to the creature who looks almost exactly like him.
“Mowgli-we should report Shere Khan’s death to your mother,” Bagheera says, trying to get the boy’s attention, thought it’s not working.
“Bagheera?” Mowgli asks, looking at the large black cat.
“This is what Man looks like?” Mowgli asks him. Truth be told, Mowgli knows the answer, but he needs to hear Bagheera’s answer. Bagheera sighs, but nods.
“Yes Mowgli,” Bagheera admits, knowing what Mowgli was really asking. Mowgli looks at the injuries on the human’s bare chest. 3 long, deep claw marks slash across the Man’s chest.
“We should leave before he wakes up,” Bagheera suggests, though his tone is more insistent.
“The human needs help Bagheera, his wounds look deep,” Mowgli alerts. Bagheera falters slightly.
“Mowgli, contact with Man is forbidden,” Bagheera warns.
“You helped me…why can’t I help him?” Mowgli asks, referring to when the panther found the boy about 16 seasons ago. Not wanting to argue, Bagheera huffs and takes a step, turning.
“You can make choices for yourself…but I will obey the Law,” Bagheera says, disappearing into the Jungle.
“Bagheera—…” Mowgli tries, though he knows Bagheera is already gone. He sighs.
“I have to,” Mowgli says aloud, but more for himself.
Mowgli turns his attention to the human. His chest is bloody and his breathing is shallow and weak.
“Hold on,” Mowgli whispers before running off into the tall grasses of the Rocky Plains. He gets to a sage shrub and rips off a handful of the green plant. Mowgli hurries back. He shoves the sage into his mouth before grabbing the human and hauling the limp body onto his back, draping over his shoulders. The human’s head lolls limply on Mowgli’s left shoulder. He hears the human groan slightly.
Mowgli heads to the only other one who could possibly help him. Baloo.
“Rules were meant to be—well not necessarily broken, but certainly bent. And definitely reinterpreted, don’t ya think?” The sloth bear’s words ring in Mowgli’s mind. The boy prays that Baloo will understand.
Coming in and out of consciousness was disorienting for Santi. He couldn’t tell where he was or what was happening. He could hear grunts of exertion and slight panting with a few huffs. He feels searing pain on his chest.
Santi knows he’s being carried and vaguely thinks he’s been found by someone from the hunting party. His smoke signal…perhaps he was saved by his father, Santi wishes. He feels his one of his feet drag on the ground and a firm grip around one wrist. Feeling lightheaded, Santi shuts his eyes.
Mowgli manages to trek all the way back to Baloo’s cave. Santi feels his feet drag along the ground when he’s conscious and tries to figure out who rescued him. Santi thinks it’s Rohan, but he’s not certain. The injured teenager groans quietly, unable to talk. Mowgli stops outside the entrance, gently setting the injured human down. Mowgli takes the sage out of his mouth before calling out.
“Baloo?! Baloo-are you there?!” Mowgli calls, stepping towards the cave.
“Mowgli? What is it?” Baloo asks, walking out. His eyes widen and the bear stops in his tracks when he sees Mowgli covered in blood. Baloo’s eyes then land on the injured human behind Mowgli.
“Is..is that-?” Baloo stutters.
“A human. Baloo-please, I need to use your cave-“ Mowgli asks.
“Mowgli, I know I said bending the rules is ok, but I’m an honorary Pack member now and I really don’t want to cross your mother,” Baloo says, having known Raksha a good long while now and knows how ferocious she can get.
“Please Baloo, I just need shelter for the human. You don’t even have to help me,” Mowgli pleads. Baloo sighs.
“Please Baloo? I’ll make sure the human doesn’t cause any trouble,” Mowgli insists. Baloo looks at Mowgli and eventually nods.
“Alright. But no one knows of this, do you understand?” Baloo asks seriously.
“Yes and I agree. If Mother finds out about this, she might not forgive me,” Mowgli says and Baloo nods before motioning inside. Mowgli nods and hands Baloo the sage he managed to hang onto.
Mowgli brings the injured man creature inside and sets him down towards the back of Baloo’s cave. The bear hands Mowgli the healing herb and Mowgli nods his thanks.
“I’ll be right back,” Mowgli says, grabbing a thick slab of bark. He runs out holding the sage in one hand and the piece of bark in the other before stopping in the small, slow flowing creek that runs right outside Baloo’s cave.
Mowgli looks around and sees a paw-sized rock and uses it to smash the sage on the piece of bark. He uses the water as moisture to make it easier to mash up. Mowgli has to be careful not to use too much water.
Once the sage is mashed into a green paste, Mowgli nods in approval before hurrying back inside. He sees the human stir and Mowgli starts to gently spread the green paste over the bloody claw marks.
Santi stirs a bit before feeling something cool and slightly soothing on his burning chest. His vision comes in and out of focus, but he sees the person who saved him is definitely not from the hunting party. Fear washes over Santi, though in his injured state, he merely whimpers before blacking out again.
“Mother will be suspicious if I don’t spend nights at home. Baloo I’ll need to leave the human here at night until he’s healed,” Mowgli explains.
“Mowgli I don’t feel comfortable around…them…” Baloo says, eyeing the human suspiciously.
“Don’t worry, you won’t have to do a thing,” Mowgli assures the bear.
“What if the human rubs off the sage? I cannot put the healing paste on,” Baloo says.
“Good point. Oh-hold on,” Mowgli says, hurrying over to the honey stash. Now that they are older, Bagheera doesn’t look down on Baloo having his honey stash. Hunting is no longer something to look forward to, but a chore. Laying in the sun is much more satisfying nowadays according to the panther.
Mowgli grabs a strong vine he weaved that’s also small enough to wrap around paws. He takes it and wraps the human’s front paws together behind its back. Mowgli makes sure the vine is tight and secure before looking up through the hole in the top of Baloo’s cave. Mowgli sees the sun setting and realizes he has to head back home.
About a day and a half passes before Santi finally wakes up and stays awake. While his chest does ache from soreness, it is no longer the same searing, burning pain that was more unbearable. The teenager realizes his hands are tied behind him rather quickly and starts struggling to get free, though it’s not working. He looks and sees the wounds on his chest are covered with a green paste and wonders what it is.
“Rohan? Amir?…Father?” Santi asks aloud, wondering who it is that saved him. Santi wonders why his hands are tied together. The teen looks around and is surprised to see he’s in a cave. To the left of him is a pile of honeycomb that oozes out onto the floor. Santi also spots vines coiled up and a bunch of grass and leaves scattered around for what looks like a sleeping area.
He wants to move but his chest aches and Santi looks at the green paste covering the injured area. That’s when Santi hears footsteps approaching. The teenager shifts as much as he can without his chest hurting too much. Santi feels around and grabs a palm-sized flat stone and wraps his fingers around it to hide just in case.
Santi’s eyes glance over to the entrance, spotting a figure approaching him. His vision focuses and adjusts to make out the details of the figure before freezing in shock. It’s a kid! Well, a teenager, around Santi’s age. But he’s wearing nothing but a faded red loincloth. Santi feels his breathing start to increase out of fear.
“Wh-Who are you?” Santi rasps out. The teenager’s bright dark eyes bore into Santi.
“I’m Santi…did you save me?” Santi tells the unfamiliar teenager. The long-haired teen nods, pointing at Santi’s chest.
“Heal you,” the wild boy tells Santi, “no touch.” Santi nods.
“Thank you,” Santi tells his mysterious savior.
“What’s your name?” Santi asks again but frowns when the other boy appears confused.
“Your name…what are you called?” Santi tries rephrasing.
“M-Mo…Mow-gleeeee…Mowgli,” the boy introduces, sounding out his name. Mowgli points at Santi.
“San-teeeee….Santi,” Mowgli repeats and Santi smiles and nods weakly.
“Yeah-I’m Santi…are you…are you from the village?” Santi asks. Mowgli shakes his head.
Santi remembers where he is and looks around.
“Is this…your home?” Santi asks. Mowgli didn’t seem to understand the question, so Santi motions around to the cave before pointing at Mowgli.
“Your home?” Santi asks again.
“Yes…no…cave is Baloo…I come here, but not home,” Mowgli explains as best he can with his limited knowledge.
When Mowgli was 13, he had learned from Baloo that humans have their own language and had assumed Mowgli knew it as well, being a human. Baloo didn’t know a lot about Man, only what he’d heard through rumors from Bagheera, Akela and Kaa. Chil the kite bird also shared stories of times he’s seen humans.
Baloo knew from past experience that lying to Mowgli was a lot worse than telling him the truth, even if the boy didn’t want to hear it. So any time Mowgli would ask about humans or the Manvillage, Baloo would try and be as truthful as he could, though Mowgli understands that he doesn’t know EVERYTHING.
It’s thanks to the old sloth bear that Mowgli had the courage to start trying to learn Man’s language. Mowgli didn’t want Bagheera to know. The very first thing Baloo taught him is that moving a head up and down means yes and side to side means no.
“Is…is it..dead?” Santi asks. Mowgli snaps out of his thoughts and remembers stabbing the tiger with his sharpened stick. Mowgli nods.
“I kill Shere Khan,” Mowgli says. Santi looks away. Mowgli sees a familiar feeling on Santi’s face. It’s a feeling of…disappointment. Mowgli was familiar with it, mostly when he was younger.
“Why face?” Mowgli asks, pointing to his face. Santi looks at Mowgli.
“My father…he will be disappointed in me. I couldn’t stand a chance against…Sh-Shere Khan,” Santi says, using the name Mowgli used. Mowgli smiles with realization. As he learned the language of Man, humans could learn the language of the wolf. They just had to be taught.
“Father,” Mowgli repeats. Santi nods before wincing in pain slightly. Mowgli notices and frowns. He approaches Santi slowly before gently reaching out and inspecting the wound. It’s not as red as it was and the bleeding stopped, though the claw marks are deep.
“Where did you learn healing?” Santi asks.
“Bagheera,” Mowgli states.
“What’s Bagheera?” Santi asks.
“Panther. Panther smart, told me healing,” Mowgli explains. Santi’s eyes widen. A panther?
“A…panther?” Santi asks.
“What about your mother and father?” Santi asks. Mowgli frowns in confusion.
“You know…Baloo. Isn’t that your father?” Santi asks. Mowgli chuckles and now Santi frowns in confusion.
“Baloo. Papa bear. Best friend. Baloo is best friend,” Mowgli explains.
“Do you have a father or a mother?” Santi asks. It would explain a lot about Mowgli, why he’s almost naked, talks about animals, and why his speech is broken. Mowgli seems to recognize the last word and he nods vigorously.
“Mother! Mother is strong and brave and kind,” Mowgli says. Santi awes at Mowgli’s explanation and, if truth be told, Santi was a bit jealous. He’d always wondered what it was like to have a mother. His father, Dev, would talk about Santi’s mother, Dev’s wife, whenever Santi would ask, but he’d never talk about her willingly to Santi. And even when the boy would ask his father, he could tell how sad his father would get from reliving past memories, so he eventually stopped asking so his father wouldn’t get upset thinking about her.
But thinking about his father makes Santi realize that his father is strong, brave and kind. In a way…Dev has been Santi’s father and his mother.
“And your father?” Santi asks. He watches Mowgli’s face fall.
“Killed…by Shere Khan,” Mowgli answers solemnly. Santi’s jealousy evaporates instantly and is replaced with empathy.
“My mother was killed…but I have my father,” Santi tells Mowgli, understanding the pain of losing a parent.
“Do you think you could…untie me?” Santi asks, moving his arms from behind his back. His wrists are still tied together with the vines Mowgli weaved together. Mowgli eyes Santi suspiciously.
“No touch healing paste,” Mowgli warns and Santi nods.
“I won’t,” he promises Mowgli. Santi watches Mowgli nod slightly before moving to get behind him. Mowgli unties Santi and the injured teen sighs with relief.
“Thanks,” Santi tells Mowgli.
Meanwhile elsewhere in the Jungle…
Dev makes his way towards the Swamp. It’s a bit out of the way from the last known area the tiger was spotted, but Dev thought he should check anyways. That is, until he looked up and saw a wispy trail of smoke! Dev’s eyes widen and he races in the direction he saw the pale gray smoke. He hopes it’s a tiger sighting rather than a call for help and he wishes it wasn’t his son either way.
If he was being honest with himself, Dev hadn’t been real present with Santi when the boy was younger. It was when Santi was around 10 that Dev realized how independent Santi had become and had shown an interest in hunting. Dev knew that he should bond with his son for multiple reasons but a big reason is to make up for lost time. He knew he was supposed to provide for Santi, but after the death of his wife, he misplaced his anger onto his son, which wasn’t fair to the boy. But after all these years, Santi is now almost a grown man and Dev doesn’t know what he’d do if something happened to Santi. Santi is all Dev has left.
After hiking a good 10 miles, Dev finds himself at the source of the smoke. He sees a small pile of green leaves that have blackened edges and tips. He looks around and doesn’t see anyone.
“Rohan? Amir? Ishan? Santi?” Dev asks, calling out each name, “is anyone there?!” Dev asks. He looks around and that’s when he spots the footprint in the ground. He sees it’s a bit smaller than a grown adult’s. Santi, Dev thinks.
Dev looks around and spots a patch of grass that’s been crushed. He sees a couple broken twigs sticking out from a nearby bush and his eyes widen. There’s been a struggle. Dev scans the surrounding area and finds a few drops of blood and gasps. Dev spots a footprint Santi’s size before he goes about 20 feet to the left to look around. That’s when he spots the stick. It’s pointing up awkwardly and Dev pushes past the bushes and walks around the trees until he spots the monster on the ground. Nothing but limp flesh, Dev feels his stomach churn at the sight of the creature that’s no longer the formidable tiger it used to be. Dev spots the blind eye of Shere Khan which is the only reason Dev is able to identify the tiger. Small patches of Khan’s pelt are still visible but mostly around his nose, eyes and ears. Dev understands why the young woman, Messua, thought it was a monster killing our cattle. In his current state, Shere Khan likely couldn’t hunt anything else as cattle are slow, easy pray, even for a creature as injured as he was. Dev sees the bloody stick poking out of Khan.
Dev’s happy the tiger is dead and out of his misery, but Dev’s also worried about his son, wondering if he’s alright. That’s all he wants, really. Dev continues, trying to follow the trail.
“DEV!” Dev hears his name being called as he makes his way through the dense Seeonee Jungle. Dev’s eyes widen and he feels a bit of relief when he recognizes the voice.
“Amir!? AMIR!” Dev looks around before spotting the bearded man approaching.
“Dev! I’m glad you are unharmed. Who sent the smoke signal?” Amir asks before his eyes spot the body of Shere Khan. His eyes widen and has a similar reaction as Dev did.
“Let’s talk somewhere else,” Dev suggests and motions away and Dev agrees quickly.
“I’m not sure who started the signal,” Dev says, clearly worried.
“Hey-Santi’s a great hunter. He even outshoots me a few times. I’m sure he’s ok,” Amir tries assuring Dev. Growing up, Amir, Rohan and Ishan have all looked up to Dev so they see Dev as an older brother figure. Dev nods.
“Hey if anything I’m sure it’s Ishan. You know how he always leaps before he looks,” Amir tries, earning a dry chuckle from Dev.
“C’mon, I think the others should be nearby. Let’s split up and look for them,” Amir suggests and Dev nods.
“Right, meet back here,” Dev says and Amir nods and the two split up.
It didn’t take long for Dev to find Rohan and for Amir to find Ishan, so they were able to meet back up fairly quickly.
“I didn’t start the signal,” Rohan says and Dev looks to Ishan.
“Neither did I,” Ishan adds.
“Then…it was Santi,” Dev says. No one says anything, but now that Dev knows it was Santi who started the smoke signal, Dev realizes that Santi crossed paths with Shere Khan.
Amir breaks the news about the tiger to Rohan and Ishan and even shows them the scarred, deformed body. The men gather around away from the lifeless body.
“Shere Khan is dead, that must mean that Santi sent the smoke signal because he spotted the tiger,” Rohan suggests.
“If it was for sighting Khan, where is Santi? He could’ve been hurt after engaging with the tiger. An animal like that is unpredictable,” Dev asks.
“That’s true. Why hasn’t Santi appeared unless he-“ Ishan begins, but that’s when Amir nudges his side roughly. Ishan groans and sends a look to Amir, who glares back at his friend.
“Let’s focus on finding Santi before we worry about anything else,” Rohan suggests logically. Dev nods in agreement. Finding Santi should be priority.
Back in Baloo’s cave, Santi has managed to sit up and Mowgli has given him a water filled fruit shell he made when he was 10. The only time Mowgli used it was when they went to Peace Rock for water. Santi takes a refreshing drink before looking at Mowgli. Santi sets the shell down.
“You’re not from the village, are you?” Santi asks, wiping his mouth nonchalantly. Mowgli shakes his head.
“Mother is leader of Seeonee Wolf Pack,” Mowgli explains. Santi looks at Mowgli.
“Your mother…is a wolf?” Santi asks. Mowgli howls.
“I am Mowgli of the Seeonee,” Mowgli states. The pieces start to connect in Santi’s mind and he realizes that Mowgli is a feral child, raised by wolves.
A million questions race by in Santi’s mind that he wants to ask Mowgli.
“Am I the first human you’ve seen?” Santi settles on a question.
“No..I saw before…6 seasons ago,” Mowgli explains, though Santi notices Mowgli is starting to look uncomfortable.
“Are you ok?” Santi asks.
“I…I saw them…the humans…when I took the Red Flower-“ Mowgli says. Santi’s eyes widen in realization. All those years ago. The shadowy figure Santi saw on the bridge. He’d seen the figure take the torch but didn’t think anything of it as the torches are there to use. It wasn’t until the alarm for the huge jungle fire that started did Santi put two and two together. By then, he was already too scared to say anything. Adding in that the fire was put out rather quickly, no one really thought anything of it.
“You took the fire?“ Santi asks and Mowgli nods sadly.
“Santi!” Mowgli suddenly hears a voice yell in the distance and Santi sees the feral teen tense up.
“You…I hear your name,” Mowgli alerts. Santi’s eyes widen.
“The hunters-“ Santi replies automatically. Mowgli flinches at the word ‘hunters’, knowing what that means.
“No-No-it’s ok. My father is one of them. I…am one of them,” Santi explains and Mowgli takes a step back, gasping quietly.
“But we only hunt if we have to—only to eat and so we’re not killed. That’s what my father taught me and that’s what he’s taught the others,” Santi explains and Mowgli settles slightly.
“Not…for sport?” Mowgli asks and Santi shakes his head.
“My father and I have never hunted for sport,” Santi assures Mowgli.
Mowgli looks and sees the sincerity in Santi’s eyes. The stories he’s heard would be on the contrary, but Mowgli knows better than anyone that you should judge someone by their heart and their actions rather than what they are and their prejudices.
“Hunt to eat,” Mowgli says and Santi nods.
“Santi!!!” The voice yells, getting a bit louder since he’s getting closer. The voice is loud enough that Santi recognizes it as his father’s voice! Mowgli looks to Santi.
“We will meet again, Santi,” Mowgli says and climbs out the skylight hole.
“Mowgli wait!” Santi calls out, but the other teenager is already gone. Santi gets to his feet and walks out.
“Father?! FATHER!” Santi calls out.
“SANTI!! DON’T MOVE!! WE’RE COMING!” Dev calls back as Santi steps out of the cave’s entrance. He sees a beautiful small flowing creek covered with purple flowers right in front of the cave.
Santi hears rustling nearby get louder and louder so he turns and that’s when his father breaks through the plant life, followed by the other volunteer hunters.
“Santi!” Dev exclaims, rushing forward, wrapping his son in a hug, despite Santi’s grunts of pain. While he is mostly healed and the claw marks have scabbed, Santi’s chest is still a bit sore and tender.
“Father-“ Santi pleads and the tone of his son’s voice causes Dev to back off. He looks and sees Santi’s bare chest is covered in a green paste that smeared onto his own clothes.
“Y-You’re hurt-“ Dev realizes.
“I’m ok Father-really,” Santi assures his father.
“Did you…kill the tiger?” Dev asks. Santi doesn’t answer at first. The fear of telling the truth causes Santi to look away.
“No…I’m sorry Father. Shere Khan caught me off guard,” Santi says.
“Do not be sorry my son. I’m just glad you’re alive,” Dev tells him.
“Khan…was dead when we found him,” Amir pipes up, motioning to the other hunters.
“Who did this?” Dev asks Santi, motioning to the green paste covering his bare chest.
“I was saved by a boy my age. He was the one that killed Shere Khan,” Santi explains.
“A boy? Who? You are the eldest male child of the village and the 2nd eldest is only 10,” Rohan asks.
“Santi can tell us later, but right now, we need to get you help,” Dev argues, letting his son use him for stability. Santi leans heavily on his father, not because he’s too weak, but because the boy missed his father. Sant was worried he’d never see his father again.
Rohan helps Dev with Santi while Amir and Ishan keep ready just in case anything happens. While his father and the others didn’t get a good look at the cave, Santi manages a glance behind himself.
Meanwhile, Mowgli manages to make it back to the Wolf Pack territory and back to the dens. Mowgli goes over the whole interaction with the human, including killing Shere Khan. Even remembering what the tiger looked like was unnerving for Mowgli so he doesn’t dwell on that particular moment.
He remembers seeing Santi on the ground, bloody and unconscious and Mowgli remembers feeling a need to protect. Honestly Mowgli still can’t really explain it, but he felt that way about any living creature in need. Akela told him once that he was special because of his selflessness. That is what makes a wolf, Akela had said.
“Mowgli-there you are,” the boy hears Bagheera’s silky voice. He looks and sees the panther up in a nearby tree.
“Bagheera…I…I was with the human-“ Mowgli tells the panther, not wanting to lie or keep things hidden. Bagheera nods.
“I figured,” he replies understandingly.
“He..wasn’t like some of the stories I’ve heard…and they’re not scary looking in the day,” Mowgli says and Bagheera nods.
“This particular human…” Mowgli trails off, stopping in his tracks. Bagheera stops and looks back at the boy. Noticing Mowgli isn’t making eye contact, Bagheera turns, focusing on him.
“What is it Mowgli?” Bagheera asks.
“You said I’m human, right Bagheera?” Mowgli asks and Bagheera nods.
“Yes,”
“Could there be other humans…like me?” Mowgli asks and Bagheera thinks on Mowgli’s question.
“Mowgli, you are uniquely you. You may be a human, but there are no humans like you,” Bagheera explains.
“But, if there was…do you think Ami would like him?” Mowgli asks and Bagheera’s eyes widen.
“Mowgli your mother is firm on the Laws of the Jungle. You deserve to know who you are so I will not mention your activities to your mother or anyone in the pack. But you cannot get caught,” Bagheera says. Mowgli nods.
“Thank you Bagheera,” Mowgli tells him, knowing Bagheera doesn’t have to keep his secrets. The panther nods.
“Of course,” he says before motioning with his head for the boy to follow.
“Come, it’s getting late,” Bagheera says and together, they walk back to the dens, where the Wolf Pack live.
Dev and the hunting party manage to hike all the way back and once they cross the bridge, others from the village hurry over to help.
“Messua, get the bandages,” Dev says and the young woman nods, hurrying off.
Dev takes Santi with Amir’s help and gets back to the small house tucked in the corner of the village. Dev sets Santi down on the bed gently and helps the boy lay back.
“Does it hurt son?” Dev asks.
“Sore…but it’s not too bad,” Santi says. Dev knows his son has a high tolerance for pain so for Santi to admit anything must be a lot for him. Dev nods.
“Ok, don’t worry son,” Dev tries comforting Santi. Santi nods and shuts his eyes. Messua comes in a few moments later holding a few different items.
“Thank you Messua,” Dev says as she gets to work.
“Of course Dev, he’ll be ok, your boy is strong,” Messua says as she starts wiping off the green paste on Santi’s chest.
“No-don’t-“ Santi tries, but Messua gently holds his hand down.
“I’m sorry I have to wipe your chest off,” she says and at the insistence of his father, Santi lets Messua work.
As Messua works, Dev’s able to see just how badly Santi got hurt and the boy can’t miss the worry plastered all over his father’s face.
“Father-it’s just a bit sore-I’m ok,” Santi says. Messua wraps Santi’s chest with bandage cloth.
“Sage..a great medicinal plant. I didn’t figure you two as herbalists,” Messua tells Santi and Dev.
“I’m not-“ Dev shakes his head.
“It was Mowgli, Father,” Santi says.
“Who is Mowgli?” Messua asks.
“He’s a boy my age. He lives in the Jungle and he was the one that helped me when Shere Khan caught me off guard,” Santi explains.
“Hm, well sounds like a smart kid,” Messua says.
Once Messua finishes with Santi, Dev gifts her a small basket of fruits and vegetables Dev recently harvested from his garden.
“Thank you Dev, but you really don’t have to-“ Messua tries, but Dev holds up a hand to stop her.
“I know, I want to,” Dev insists and Messua smiles before nodding.
“Thank you for getting rid of Shere Khan,” Messua says and Dev nods. The father and son duo head outside and meet up with the other volunteer hunters and Santi tells them everything that happened. Santi spends the next week or so resting and healing, but he can’t get that mysterious wild boy named Mowgli out of his head.
Back at the Wolf Pack dens, Mowgli and Bagheera head over towards Raksha and her den.
“Mowgli, where were you?” Raksha asks. Mowgli looks to Bagheera before looking at his mother.
“I was at Baloo’s,” Mowgli answers. While he isn’t exactly lying, he isn’t telling Raksha everything either.
While both boys think about their chance encounter, it isn’t until Santi has fully recovered, albeit with claw scars raked across his chest, that he goes to seek out Mowgli. While it was quite a trek to get there, Santi could remember what the cave looked like.
The two met up by chance and managed to stay in contact with each other, eventually becoming friends. The days turned to weeks, which turned into months. Mowgli could have never imagined himself friends with a human. Being leader has distracted Raksha enough that she nor anyone else in the Pack has figured out Mowgli sees a human rather regularly.
The boys had initially bonded over the loss of a parental figure, but they also learned they are rather different from each other. Mowgli would tell Santi stories about the Pack and his animal family while Santi would tell Mowgli about village life and what it’s like to be a human.
Bagheera and Baloo may have initially been skeptical, but now, after having seen how much happier Mowgli has been since meeting his human friend Santi, the pair of animals would much rather Mowgli break a Law than be miserable forever. Seeing Mowgli relate to a human but also choose to come back and live his life with his family has made both Baloo and Bagheera realize that Mowgli is exactly who he needs to be.
End.
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robswelshwife · 10 months
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#robbiewilliams #takethat #thatters #rw #aydafieldwilliams #junglebook #iwannabelikeyou #mancub
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thealmightyemprex · 2 years
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Favorite Movie Ramble :Jungle Book
So I didnt plan on watching this one today but I ended up watching Disney's classic The Jungle Book
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In this 1967 film Mowgli (Bruce Reitherman)is a human boy or "mancub " found by Bagheera the Panther (Sebastian Cabot) and raised by wolves until news that the man hating tiger Shere Khan (George Sanders) is nearby ,so Bagheera must take Mowgli to the man village which Mowgli is against and along the way they meet colorful characters :The swinging Orangutan King Louie (Louis Prima ) ,the voracious python Kaa (Sterling Holloway ) and the chill bear Baloo (Phil Harris)
So these are based on the Mowgli Stories from The Jungle Book and Second Jungle Book by Rudyard Kipling ,which I have read and I am a fan of.....I will not compare these to the Kipling stories simply because this is by design a loose adaptation ,Walt Disney wanted a more hearted tale ....And I think he and the team of artists and animators succeeded .This is a very fun movie
Now there is one flaw with the film:Mowgli is ....Meh.Reitherman does a good job but the writing is the problem. He is kind of just tossed around with very little agency and I feel like his motive is....Wrong . Like youd think his reason for not wanting to go to the Man Village would be he doesnt want to leave the only home he has ever known or his beloved wolf family ......Ceeeeeeeeeeeept the wolves are an after thought and his motive is more the jungle is more fun .He has more of a connection with Baloo who he meets briefly.I dunno in my mind it mightve been better to scrap the wolves and just have Bagheera and Baloo raise Mowgli .....Yes it would make it less like the book,where Mowglis mother ,father and brothers are a HUGE part of the story,but again this is already a very loose adaptation
That out of the way ,I love this film .There are a few reasons why but most of them have to do with how fun the characters are ,whether they be good or mor dubious.Ones I dont hear people talk about are the vultures ,who are slightly parodies of the Beatles/British pop groups in general ,but I like their personalities ,instead of being vi.llains they are bored but friendly guys who genuinely try to help Mowgli . We also have a herd of militant elephants led by Colonel Hathi played by Disney veteren J PAt O Malley,who is a tone of fun (Also shout out to Disney veteren Verna Felton,whose role as Hathis wife Winifred is her final role and to child actor turned character actor Clint Howard who plays Junior,Hathi and Winfreds son )
Our main supporting characters are Bagheera and Baloo .Bagheera is the uptight grumpy panther trying to keep Mowgli on track while Baloo is the easy going slacker bear who just loves life . I love the way they play off each other ,the more serious minded Bagheera and the carefree Baloo,and you believe both their love of Mowgli and their friendship by the end .Sebastian Cabot makes Bagheera not just a stick in the mud,you really get that he cares about Mowgli and Phil Harris makes Baloo instantly endearing,kind of like that cool uncle
Now Classic Disney is famous for its villains and this film has three . First villain we meet is the comically sinister Kaa,a ravenous python who seeks to make a meal of Mowgli .Kaa is very odd character,definately dangerous with his hypnotic powers and of course being a hungry predator who wants to gobble up our main character.....But he is also a bit goofy,often getting in his own way and incurring his fare amount of slapstick .I think one of the things that makes him stand out is his VOICE ,provided by Sterling Holloway,most known for being friendly characters like Winnie the Pooh ,but here gets to give a sinister performance but while still having a sense of humor. Also the animation on Kaa is amazing ,like he is designed to seem impossibly long leading to some amazing visual
Our second villain is King Louie ,who a lot of people forget is a bad guy simply cause he is such a joy to watch but he has more far reaching goals then the other two villains . Louie wants to be like man,and the way to be like man is to learn the secret of fire ,so he kidnaps Mowgli.Thats pretty sinister.....But he is entirely comedic,with a charismatic performance by Jazz singer Louis Prima .Prima by all accounts LOVED playing Louie ,putting alot of himself into the character and creating a fun charming kind of wild guy who isnt malicious but definately selfish .His scene is one of the most fun in the film,and I will go into why later
The third villain is our main bad guy and my absolute favorite character in the film:Shere Khan . Shere Khan is a vicious tiger who DESPISES humans .....And he is actually barely in the film ,but the movie builds hi8m up ,from the begining of the film we hear many of the characters discuss how dangerous this tiger is ,and when we meet him in the third act we believe it. What I love is he is very calm,intelligent almost gentlemenly.....But with this deadlyness underneath ,that he is a remorseless killer .And the movie makes it clear,it is not about predatory instincts unlike Kaa , this guy fears what Mowgli will become and wants to kill him,eating him comes second .He is played by veteren villain actor George Sanders in what I personally think is my favorite role of his ,his droll delivery makes his menace more casual ....Also while he is intimidating he is not out of tone with the film ,there is a sense of humor to him ,but it is more of dry wit
Another stand out of the film is the CHARACTER animation.Like not only are the voice actors on point the animators show why animation is the same as acting .Of course you have the more wild scenes like Kaas villain song or the battle with the monkies which is a very enjoyable action scene.....But my two favorite scenes are actually dialogue scenes ,where the subtleties of the characters movements are just extraordinary. I love the scene where Kaa has caught Mowgli,only to be confronted by Shere Khan : Kaa is clearly terrified of Shere Khan ,but is straight up lying to him,and Shere Khan knows he is lying but is enjoying intimidating and testing him , while still maintaining his gentlemanly demeaner .My favorite scene however is just Baloo and Bagheera nighttime-dawn conversation about what to do with Mowgli,with Bagheera trying to convince Baloo not to adopt Mowgli,its a scene I find very emotional .Oh I also think the film has one of my favorite endings to a Disney film
Lets end on the songs,cause I think has one of the best soundtracks of Classic Disney .Like Ichabod and Mr Toad lets rank em
6.Colonel Hathis March -Its a marching song ,fun but not as memorable
5.My Own Home:Nice simple song
4.Thats What Friends Are For -A song by the vultures in a barbershop style and I personally think its underrated
Going forward these top three shift from day to day ,so in my heart these are all three number one
3.Trust In Me:this is the villain song for Kaa ,and it's actuall one of the few pure villain songs in the Walt era ,and might be my favorite villain song from Walt era Disney(Though it might be tied with another song in this movie ) .It is both soothing and sinister .Also as I said the visuals during this scene are great
2.Bare Necessities : OK this is the one everyone knows and I think it is a perfect song to sum up Baloo and it is very fun
1.I Wann Be Like You :King Louie's song Louis Prima SELLS this song .It catchy ,its entertaing ,its high energy ,and I always have to sing along when I hear it .I have always loved this song and it is one of my favorite Disney tune
Rewatching this I was reminded why I love this movie and if you havent seen it or its been a while ,watch it
@angelixgutz @amalthea9 @ariel-seagull-wings @the-blue-fairie @princesssarisa @themousefromfantasyland @metropolitan-mutant-of-ark @filmcityworld1
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vgbossthemes · 11 months
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Now I'm the king of the swingers, oh, the jungle VIP. I've reached the top and had to stop, and that's what's botherin' me.
I wanna be a man, mancub, and stroll right into town. And be just like the other men, I'm tired of monkeyin' around! 
Oh, oobee doo. I wanna be like you hou hou. I wanna walk like you, talk like you, too hoo hoo. You're gonna see it's true, hou hou, an ape like me, hee hee, can learn to be huuuman too. 
Ahah! 
Now don't try to kid me, mancub, I made a deal with you. What I desire is man's red fire, to make my dream come true.
Now give me the secret, mancub, clue me what to do. Give me the power of man's red flower, so I can be like you. 
Oh, oobee doo. I wanna be like you hou hou. I wanna walk like you, talk like you, too hoo hoo. You're gonna see it's true, hou hou, an ape like me, hee hee, can learn to be huuuman too. 
Oh, oobee doo. I wanna be like you hou hou. I wanna walk like you, talk like you, too hoo hoo. You're gonna see it's true, hou hou, someone like meee can learn to be like someone like you
learn to be like someone like me
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panthera-nigrum · 2 years
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The Mark Of The Collar
I was struck with the inspiration to write this after seeing @mischievousgraxaim's ART
The jungle would have been peaceful if it wasn't for a certain mancub's yelling and laughter as he struggled to emerge from under the panther's heavy head. They'd been playing wrestling and, as usual, Bagheera hadn't had to make much of an effort to pin the scrawny child under her heavy paw, making a show of yawning as wide as she could before lying her head on top of him, eyes gleaming with mirth as Mowgli kicked his legs in the air while his arms pushed at her neck to try and get her to move off.
"Keep doing that and I might just fall asleep for real."
Mowgli being very vocal with his frustration didn't deter her from shifting her body into a more comfortable position. As she did so, the mancub's hands began to wrap around her neck, opting to try and pull instead of pushing to see if he had a better chance that way. But his right hand stopped before it could fully wrap around her neck, resting over a bald spot under her chin, right over her throat.
The hairless, horizontal gash was small, barely the length of his middle finger, but the panther's fur was so thick that a sudden bald area stood out like a thorn in one's paw. Mowgli couldn't understand how he'd never spotted it before.
The mancub yelped as Bagheera tensed and abruptly lifted her head, lifting him along with her due to the arm he'd previously wrapped over her shoulders. She shook until he landed back on his butt. Bagheera muttered something about how they'd been away from too long and it was time for him to return to his pack, but Mowgli wasn't paying attention.
"What's that mark, Bagheera?" Green eyes focused on the mancub and quickly turned away, making Mowgli told his head in confusion at his usually very open friend's hesitation. "Is it a birth mark? There's nothing to be embarrassed about. My mother says I have one on my back that looks like a leaf, but I can never see it."
"It's not," Bagheera interrupted his rambling curtly, then sighed, turning her body back towards the boy. "Or maybe it is. It depends on how you see it."
Mowgli's confusion was visible. Bagheera could see the question in his eyes: how could something be a birthmark and not a birthmark?
An explanation was due.
Bagheera lied back down and, instantly, the mancub sat against her front leg, leaning his head on her shoulder.
"You remember what I told you about our man-talks?"
Mowgli nodded. "Yes, we keep it between us." his brow furrowed as he tried to guess what that and the bald spot would have in common. "Because the pack gets mad."
"Yes." Bagheera nudged her nose against the top of Mowgli's head as she thought on how to start. "This will be that kind of story. Like you, I was born among men, as was my mother, and her mother. But we weren't as lucky as you to find a pack that loved and raised us. Instead, we found greedy man who saw us not as living beings, but as playthings, and as they do with animals that they believe themselves to own, they put collars on us."
"What's a collar?"
"It's a hard thing that goes wrapped tight around the neck and can be tied anywhere to keep you from going far. It's very uncomfortable," Bagheera explained. "And sometimes harmful. This on my neck is the mark of the collar, I've had it since I can remember."
She lifted her chin, exposing her throat in a way that no one but Mowgli had ever or would ever witness her do so willingly. The mancub shifted closer, his hand slowly reaching up and fingers disappearing past the fur that surrounded the hairless gash. The skin he touched wasn't smooth, but uneven and rough as he dragged two fingers over it. His eyes widened as he combed his fingers down Bagheera's neck fur.
"That's not a birthmark," Mowgli concluded, his tone somber. "Will it go away? When I stepped on the sharp rock that one time we went to the river, it left a mark. But it went away." he jumped to his feet and balanced himself on one foot, showing the sole of the other where all that was left of the scar was a thin, lighter colored line. "See?"
Bagheera huffed in amusement as he wobbled and stumbled once his balance failed him. She shook her head. "It's the forever kind of mark."
"Oh..."
"No one in the jungle knows I carry this mark," Bagheera told him, meeting Mowgli's eyes. "No one but you."
Mowgli's eyes went wide, then they burned with determination. "I won't tell anyone." he stated, climbing on Bagheera's back and dragging himself closer to her shoulders, pressing his forehead against the top of her muzzle and looking straight into her emerald eyes. "Not even Baloo or Grey. This is our secret."
Bagheera's expression softened, showing the fondness she felt for the mancub. "Thank you, little brother."
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scarlet-rose22 · 2 years
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what if Shere Khan raised Mowgli, like for whatever reason what would the mancub be like if he was raised by a tiger and a jackal would Mowgli get "the madness" too?
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Something I know happens in the HoM!AU is Timon and Pumbaa talking about their adopted lion son, Simba, Bagheera and Baloo (no this isn't Rama and Raksha erasure - I stan Mowgli's wolf parents so hard. I actually headcanon that Mowgli is the closest to Jack from the twst cast because of his love for his wolf family and Jack loves hanging out with Mowgli's pack) talking about their adopted mancub son, Mowgli, and Mickey and Minnie talking about their sort-of-adopted human pseudo-daughter, Yuu.
Like just because they're not the same species doesn't mean that they won't hesitate to brag about their children and destroy the world if anything happens to them.
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