SHERE KHAN: CHARACTER SHEET
When the fires, when the fires are consumin’ you
And your sacred stars won’t be guiding you
I’ve got blood, I’ve got blood
Blood on my name
Not a spell gonna be broken
With a potion or a priest
When you’re cursed you’re always hopin’
That a prophet would be grieved
ORIGINS & FAMILIAL RELATIONS:
Name: Suta Shere Khan
Nickname: Su, Sher, Lungri
Reason for Name: Shere’s birth name was meant to be an homage to the gods for giving his parents a healthy baby boy. He was their first successful attempt at conceiving and his mother and father wanted to acknowledge that. His middle name, which he legally goes by now, was basically a pun to his behavior as a boy, their little cub.
Birthday: 08 June 1974 (Gemini)
Age: 43 47
Gender: Male
Place of Birth: Samsing, near the Neora Valley National Park, located in Western Bengal
Places lived since: Windsor, England (university); Scotland (fieldwork); Belfast, Northern Ireland (post-doctoral work at Queen’s); Swynlake, England (current residence)
Number of siblings: None
Relationship with family (close? estranged?)
Gambheer Khan (father): As a boy,Shere and his father had an exceptional relationship. They could constantly be seen hanging off one another, romping about their little home at the edge of Samsing and in the nearby Neora Valley National Park. As their tigers, Gambheer taught his son that a lot of what made him who he was resided within himself. He taught him to be proud of it, even if he needed to hide it from the outside world. They came from royalty, they came from the gods, they came from greatness. And Shere should never forget that. After Shere’s mother’s death, Gambheer became a different man. A flip was switched. And he was no longer the father Shere had known as a boy. His death still sits heavily in Shere’s heart but, deep down, he does not regret it. [FC: Fahim Fazil]
Tanvi Khan (née Mukherjee) (mother): Shere’s mother was always the quieter of the pair, the more meek, mild, and reserved of his parents. Shere could never understand it, why she rarely joined he and his father on their adventures, why she rarely allowed herself the luxury of going into the main village. She often stayed home with his didimā and darned their clothing or prepared their dinners or took care to remain unseen whenever she was herself, her tiger self. That was the only time Shere ever saw his mother graceful, the only time he ever saw her sure of herself, and it saddened him that she so rarely indulged in it. Her death hits him hardest possibly the hardest of the three he lost, the only family he had, but he keeps it hidden well behind his mask of indifference. [FC: Sarita Choudhury]
Iti Mukherjee (mother’s mother): Shere’s didimā was his closest companion, besides his father, and one of his only confidants. Her wise face and easy smile and the way she comforted with tight hugs and warm chai always made him sleep easier in the nights, knowing she was there for him. Her stories about her early youth, as a young tiger that was carefree, roaming the regions of Bengal before she met his mother’s father. He was killed by poachers before Shere was even born so the stories of their love were always ones he especially enjoyed. She rarely allowed herself to shift when Shere was present and the rare times he glimpsed her in her tiger form are cherished memories. His father always did say he looked a lot like her then. Her death struck him hard and it took him years to overcome it.
Aahana Khan (baby sister): Shere never got to meet her. She was taken far too soon, but he knew he would have adored her. She would have been his: his to protect, his to love and cherish. Though her life was ended even before it began, he knew she would have been special. If she had been given the chance, his Aahana could have done many great things…it is hers that is the hardest death. It is hers that haunts him most, to this day.
Happiest memory: Shere’s happiest memory is of his family, whole and happy, taking a rare trek into the Neora Valley National Park, given permission from some friends they had there, and spending the day laughing and playing. His mother had packed them all lunch and dinner and his didimā her sitar, serenading them all with beautiful songs and basking in the time they had together.
Childhood trauma: The day the villagers came and took everything away from him.
PHYSICAL:
Height: 6′ (182.88 cm)
Weight: 176 pounds (80 kg)
Build: Broad chest and shoulders, narrow hips. Muscular but not overly so.
Nationality: Bengali
Complexion (freckles, acne, skin tone, birthmarks): Shere’s skin is fairly smooth, with a few laugh lines around his eyes, and is unblemished except for a birthmark along his lower back, a dark Mongolian spot roughly the size of his fist and shaped like the boot of Italy. It extends down below his beltline and just above where his hipline would be, on his left side. His left leg is riddled with deep scars and burns, largely on his upper thigh and hip region, though some scar tissue extends into his knee area.
Distinguishing facial features: Shere’s eyes are the lightest of anyone in his family. Rather than the commonly seen dark brown his are a light hazel, with flecks of green and darker brown around the pupil.
Hair color: Dark brownish black
Usual hairstyle: Kept short though enough to curl around his ears. It is wavy so he styles it back in a coif if he is out and about. Otherwise, he leaves it natural. (He’s got serious bedhead and it’s low-key adorable.)
Eye color: Hazel
Glasses? Contacts?: Shere, ironically, has astigmatism in his right eye so he needs them to read. He generally wears them while he teaches or grades papers.
Style of dress/typical outfit(s): During the workday Shere prefers to wear a nicely tailored suit jacket and slacks, preferring presentability and comfort over looking casual. However, it is not uncommon for him to bring a change of shirt and pants and leave them in his office for him to change into after a long workday.
Typical style of shoes: Dress shoes, preferably Oxfords, or barefoot. There is no in between unless he is working out. Then it is tennis shoes.
Health (is this person usually sick? or very resilient?): Shere runs hotter than a normal person so he rarely, if ever, gets sick. If he does, he’s one of those annoying people that either gets over it within a few days or is miserable for like a month.
Grooming (does she/he wear makeup? shower daily? wear only clean clothes? pluck his/her eyebrows?): Shere is very meticulous in his daily grooming habits because of the presence he believes he must maintain for his students. He showers twice daily, once before classes start and once when he returns home (primarily for his leg). His clothing is laid out the night before for the next day (as it is often easier for him than having to hobble back and forth from his closet to his cupboard. That gets tiring rather quickly without his cane).
Jewelry? Tattoos? Piercings?: None, though he wears a bead bracelet on his left wrist, just below the line of his cuff. It would have been his gift for his sister, but he kept it and added beads to it so he could wear it instead. It is his constant reminder, and the only one, of the family he once had. He never takes it off.
Accent?: A mix of the dialect around Windsor and his native Bengla. His English is accented but not hard to understand.
Unique mannerisms/physical habits: When Shere is particularly excited about a topic or simply knows the topic well he gestures widely and expansively. His face brightens and you can tell he knows what he’s talking about. Alternatively, if he is corrected or has no clue about something then he is quiet and closed off, hands clasped behind his back or on top of his cane and he does not make eye contact, preferring to stare at one’s chest (if male) or over one’s shoulder (if female) while he listens. He also tends to rely heavily on his cane, which has caused some pain in other areas of his body, though it is far more manageable than anything else.
Athletic: As much as he can be with his leg. He performs yoga occasionally to help stretch out the muscles as well as some physical therapy that he attends regularly. Otherwise, he lifts weights or swims pretty much exclusively. He enjoys the water immensely and likes that he can do more in it with his leg than on land.
INTELLECT:
Level of education: Shere has received his doctorate in magizoology and his bachelor and master’s degrees in medicine and anatomy of magical creatures, respectively. His doctoral thesis was on the care and conservation of creature habitats found in Magic-hostile countries.
Level of self esteem: Despite his leg and the handicap he has made do with since he was a boy, Shere oozes self-confidence. He never let the cruel words of his peers get to him because he knew they were said out of jealousy. His grades were always better, his mind always sharper. He knew that. They just needed to realize it.
Gifts/talents: Shere is a pretty keen observer, which is aided by his heightened senses, but he is also fairly decent at parsing information and making it understandable to people who have a lower knowledge base than him.
Shortcomings: Shere can come off as incredibly arrogant when really he’s just proud. Also, he’s grumpy af. Like. Always. Except for a few people.
Style of speech (loud, mumbler, articulate, etc.): Because he had to learn English (British English) as a secondary language, Shere enunciates every word with precision and does not mince words. This can make him come off as rather sharp or harsh but in reality, it was difficult for him to pick up the language. Unlike with his native tongue or the other languages he knows, English was one he struggled with and he occasionally still makes errors or mistakes with idioms and some terms of slang. It frustrates him to no end.
“Left brain” or “right brain” thinker?: Surprisingly, Shere is largely a right brain thinker. Though he thinks through much of his final decisions many of the important matters in his life (See: wanting to kill the Mundus in Swynlake) are all emotionally based.
Artistic?: Not in the slightest. He attempted sitar as a boy and his didimā took it away from him because it hurt her ears. He’d rather not have a repeat performance. Due to his background in medicine, Shere is a fairly good artist. He can draw from memory if the need arises but he prefers to work off of life. Consequently, when he is doodling you can often find half-finshed sketches of the people of things around him. Sometimes he incorporates those things into the work he uses for his classes, but it is rare and often only small pieces of it.
Mathematical?: Kinda? He doesn’t mind maths but he would prefer the grunt work of academic field research to have to crunch numbers all the time.
Languages?: Bengla, Hindi, Urdu, British English, and passable Scots Gaelic
Neuroses: I suppose Shere is rather meticulous in his organization of his desk, even when there are papers all over it. He refers to it, quite seriously, as organized chaos.
Life philosophy: Still a process.
Religious stance: His family was Hindu so he is as well. He often reserves puja for Ganesha though he also occasionally pays his tribute to Kali, as well.
Cautious or daring?: In his youth, Shere was much bolder. Now, as an older man, he has become much more cautious with his life and who sees him, if anyone, like a tiger.
Optimist or pessimist?: Shere is incredibly pessimistic. He has what I like to call “killer of joy” syndrome.
Extrovert or introvert?: Ambivert. Shere can adapt to many types of people groups, though he often prefers to be left to his own devices when it is available to him.
Level of comfort with technology: Though he may be getting up there, Shere is relatively used to technology, at least the basics of it anyway. He needs it for a lot of what he does at the university and he uses his phone for planning out his classes but otherwise doesn’t use it much. Social media is something he does not grasp nor does he want to.
RELATIONSHIPS:
Current marital/relationship status: Single
Sexual orientation: Bisexual. So very bisexual.
Past relationships: Unknown. He’s very tight-lipped about them, if he had any.
A social person? (popular, loner, some close friends, makes friends and then quickly drops them): Shere can be relatively social but he can only stand large crowds of people (aka students) for so long. He’s a bit more relaxed around his colleagues because they know to leave him alone (mostly) when he needs them to.
Most comfortable around (person): Shere is probably most comfortable around Sweet, surprisingly enough. His personality is one that Shere doesn’t find too aggrieving. His is a constant due to their work in the university and, though he may grouch about his American-ness and lack of appreciation for chai tea, Shere considers him to be a good egg, and one he respects, despite his being a Mundus, or so he thinks. This has become a particular problem for him, as he didn’t want to like a Mundi but, well, what can you do?
SECRETS:
Life goals: Finally be released of the guilt and pain he feels for surviving his family and hiding when he could have helped them.
Dreams: See above. Also, like, I’d love for him to not have to use a cane all the time? So maybe the possibility of a service dog? He really doesn’t want any more corrective surgery. They’ve already told him it wouldn’t help anyway.
Greatest fears: The nightmare of his father’s death coming back to haunt him. He was never caught for it and no one ever suspected the grieving son but he’s always felt a hint of apprehension about it.
Most ashamed of: Leaving his mother and didimā to die.
Compulsions: Tapping his fingers. Particularly on top of his cane.
Obsessions: Shere is almost obsessed with the notion that the Mundi populations around him need to be “taught a lesson” about their treatment of Magicks like him and his family, innocent, save for the atrocities his father committed. They had no part in them and yet, like many, are tried for crimes not their own. He wants something to be done but does not know how to go about it beyond education and, possibly, taking matters into his own hands…
Secret hobbies: (I’ll have you know this is purely my own selfish need to post his fc singing). Shere can sing, and rather well, though he does it rarely, and often only when he is alone. When he is in a particularly good mood one may find him singing along to a popular Hindi song or two on his office radio. (Basically, I am asking for someone to walk in on this, yah feel?)
Secret skills: See: turning into a tiger. I’d count that as a pretty big secret.
Crimes committed (and was he/she caught? charged?): Shere murdered his father while he was drunk and, possibly, a few other people at another time though he doesn’t know that for sure. Sometimes he thinks he may be more like his father than he believes and, deep down, he has resigned himself to that.
What he/she most wants to change about his/her current life: He wants to change the nightmares, the pain, the guilt. He wants to forget about it.
What he/she most wants to change about his/her physical appearance: If he could fix one thing it would be the leg that has hurt him and haunted him for years. He does not feel whole with it the way it is but it cannot be repaired more than it already has been, not through medicine anyway. He was once told he was lucky to still have a leg at all.
DETAILS & QUIRKS:
Night owl or early bird?: Shere is a night owl through and through. He thinks better and gets more work done at night. Not to mention he sees better then too.
Light or heavy sleeper?: Shere tends to take cat naps in his office a lot so he sleeps pretty lightly. He has also done so ever since the attack on his family.
Favorite food: Lau ghonto. It is a light dish and one that allows him a taste of home relatively quickly and easily without smelling incredibly obnoxious to his neighbors.
Least favorite food: Peanut butter. It always gets stuck to the roof of his mouth and that’s never fun for anyone, let alone an old grump like him. I would also say he has an aversion to it because it makes his mouth itch, so he probably has a mild peanut allergy.
Favorite book: He enjoys classical literature, but one of his favorites would have to be The Tempest by William Shakespeare. (If you allow him to rip apart the atrocity that is Wuthering Heights he’d love you forever, too.)
Least favorite book: Literally give him any trashy romance novel and he’ll chuck it out the window. Those things give him a headache.
Favorite movie: He doesn’t…really….watch them? Or television? Call him old fashioned but he prefers listening to music or radio over television.
Least favorite movie: See above.
Favorite song: He doesn’t really have a favorite song? But maybe one of the old ones he’s didimā used to sing to him as a boy. Generally, those are his “happy songs.”
Least favorite song: Anything American pop. He will literally break your radio if he hears it. It annoys him to absolutely no end.
Crunchy or smooth peanut butter?: Neither. He hates peanut butter.
Lefty or righty?: Shere is predominantly right-handed since he more often than not has a cane in his left hand. Doesn’t mean he can’t use his left hand if need be, he just doesn’t like to.
Favorite color: Red
Cusser?: Only occasionally. If his students ever heard him they’d probably be shocked.
Smoker? Drinker? Drug user?: Shere only drinks and it’s only occasionally, though he does have a penchant for good wine.
Biggest regret: As stated before, Shere’s biggest regret is letting his father take him away and letting his mother, sister, and didimā die for something they never did.
Pets?: HA that’s funny. Shere has no time to take care of a pet (though possibly getting a service dog that wouldn’t be terrified of him could be a plot for later on in the cards).
