Another day, another session of training for Tigress. That was what she did all day, every day for as long as she could. Her hard exterior matched her warrior-like instinct. A ferocious feline who out everyone aside for the sake of training, well apart from Shifu of course who was like a father to her from an early age. She made almost no contact with any of the other members of the Jade palace. At least not when it came to something personal or "Fun" as Po would have sometimes pointed out as long as Tigress wasn't around him in case she ever decided to show him how "fun" it would be to use him for a punching bag.
Today, it was a Sunday morning. The only day of the week where Shifu would grant Po and the furious five a day of from training. Of course, Tigress acted as though she didn't even know the meaning behind the words "Day off" and would be sure to, to no one's surprise, walk over to the training hall and do what she does best. As predicted, the moment she had finished her tofu cubes that she ate almost every day for almost every meal, she left the kitchen and through the front doors of the barracks leaving Po and the rest of the five to talk amongst themselves. Po was quick to start off and decided to bring up something that had been on his mind for quite a bit of time now.
"Hey guys uhh, I know I haven't been here as long as the rest of you buuuut... does Tigress do anything other than train and be a total bore"?
Always the sensitive speaker at the table right? Far from it. That honor went to the green tree snake Viper who cared for everyone's safety more than her own, like a caring mother.
"Don't be so hard on her Po". She hissed at the chubby panda. "She just prefers to train to be the best fighter she can be".
"Well yeah but she does it all the time. I mean, does she ever, you know, at least TRY to enjoy life"? Po asked to everybody around the table.
"You'd think so, but no". Mantis replied receiving a whack to the back of the head from the tail of the snake. Crane was next to speak up.
"Come on you two, leave her alone. Why should it matter to us what she does"?
"I'm just saying is all". Pouted Po folding his arms and acting a little like an overgrown child, which in a way he kind of was. "You'd think it would kill her to have some fun".
Breakfast passed by without anybody else mentioning a word for or against Tigress. Of course, it being the day off, the rest of them strolled off into town. The only one of them would stayed behind was Po, to see if Tigress wanted in on their little outing.
He travelled all the way up to the training hall, jogging lightly as he did and stopping every couple of minutes to catch his breath before reaching his destination. As he walked through the large and heavy wooden doors of the building, he saw Tigress just training on the spinning logs at the front of the training hall. Every ten seconds or so a spiked club on chain would swing down to try and catch her off guard. Everytime one did, it would either miss or be smashed into dozens of pieces from the cats fists. Po awed at the awesome sight but forgot about it at once after remembering why he had come up to see her in the first place.
"Hey Ti"? He asked.
Instead of making her way off of the logs and speaking to her friend, she just spun round and continued to train while talking to the panda at the same time.
"What is it Po"? She asked a little annoyed about being interrupted during the training session, though it didn't seem to make her any less dangerous as another spiked club exploded upon impact of her fist.
"First off, that was totally awesome". He smiled and waved his hands in amazement of Tigresses power. "Second, I was wondering if you wanted to maybe, take the day off for once and enjoy a walk into town with me and the guys"?
"I appreciate it Po, but I'd rather be on alert at all times instead of letting my guard down over something silly like a walk around town".
Po figured she'd say something like that but it was worth a shot. Knowing that he was beaten he headed out of the training hall and down the stairs down to the Valley of Peace. He was so caught up in Tigress saying no that he had accidentally tripped over his own leg and yelled as he tumbled down the stairs like a big bouncy ball. Of course it wasn't the first time something like this had happened and it certainly wasn't going to be the last but it didn't do anything to soothe his pain. Still, he would have been in that much more pain if it wasn't for his soft furry and flabby body managing to shield most of his body. The second he had reached the end of the stairs he fell face first onto the floor as the remaining four members of the furious five were already waiting for him. Monkey and Mantis just laughed at the scene. They had seen it happen before but it just got funnier the more times it happened.
"I take it Tigress said no"? Crane asked as Po got to his feet.
"That obvious"? The panda shrugged before they all headed off into town. Along the way, they came across a small store. Po had to take a second look at it before an idea popped into his head. He put a hand under his chin and formulated a plan to get Tigress to have some fun. However Monkey quickly interrupted him.
"Po"?
"Yeah Monkey"?
"Are you getting one of those ideas that you normally get that turn out bad"?
"...Noooooooo. Why would you think that"?
Obviously the five did not seem to be fooled at this at all.
"Trust me I know what I'm doing".
"That would be a first". Mantis joked and watched as Po entered the shop with the sign above reading *MRS YUNS WOOL and CLOTHES SHOP*.
Po walked past all the wool and cotton clothing items hung up on either side of the small shop and waltzed right up to the owner, of who was an old goat in a pink robe with and cheery face, and asked.
"Hey there Mrs Yun. You wouldn't happen to have a ball of string for sale would you"?
Ten minutes later and Po was running back up to the training hall with the ball of string in both his large hands. He ran up the stairs, paused to catch his breath, made his way up to the training hall, stopped again to catch his breath a second time, and entered and found Tigress practising with several shiukiens and watched as she tossed them all at three different wooden dummies. Out of the nine she threw, every single one hit their mark. Two of each hit the dummy where its heart would be and the last three had hit each dummy right in the tenders. Po hesitated a little before making his way down the catwalk and up to Tigress as she was about to pull the throwing stars out and try again as though she believed that she could do better.
"Hey Tigress! Check this out"! Po yelled excitedly as he showed Tigress what he had in his hands.
"It's a ball of string". Tigress deadpanned, not even slightly amused at the object held in front of her.
"Yeah it is! Wanna touch how soft it is"? He smirked as he knew what happens when any cat, big or small gets their claws on a ball of string. Tigress stared at Po.
"Have you been eating those month old cookies again"?
"No"! Po defended as Tigress continued to stare at him with a raised eyebrow. "Okay, maybe six. But that has nothing to do with that, honest. Come Ti what have you got to lose? You know unless you're scared".
Tigress glared angrily at the panda for making such a bold and ridiculous statement.
"I don't get scared". She snarled and snatched the ball of string from Po's hands, ready to prove him wrong.
She grabbed it and was ready to throw it back into Po's face until she realised something about the string. She couldn't describe it but for some reason it felt... good on her claws. She didn't know why or what it was but she didn't fight against it. She tossed it up in the air and began catching it, using both her claws several times, causing a small smile to appear on her face which was quite a rare sight for anyone to witness from the kung fu master. At one point she threw it a little too high into the air and she had to lean back to catch it. She fell over by doing so but she didn't seem to care as long as she had her ball of string. The next thing she did surprised Po. She purred as though she was a young feline only five or ten years old. The sight was cute. Here the great and powerful master Tigress had been taken down by nothing more than a ball of string. Her tail moved in every direction and the ball of string bobbed in every direction, either being tossed up into the air or being gripped in the felines claws. At this point, a cocky Po bent down next to her and spoke.
"Well well well seems like the great powerful Tigress isn't as tough as I thou"-
Po was cut off as an orange hand grabbed his big fat lips. Tigress glared and pulled him forward so that he could hear her.
"Is you even finish that sentence, I'll make you regret it. Clear"? She growled angrily. She may have seemed like an innocent kitty cat a few moments ago but it didn't hide her toughness.
"Clear". Po whimpered back and Tigress let go causing him to fall onto his back. He picked himself up and decided that it would be best to leave Tigress alone for a bit. But before he could leave through the front doors, he looked back to the now cute looking tiger and smiled. Glad that his friend was finally having fun for once.
As Tigress played with the ball of string a bit longer, she found the strength inside her to stop for a minute and just sit up, looking at the door Po had walked out of and wondered.
"Maybe I should learn to have a little more fun". She wondered, remembering how much of a good time she had with just a ball of string. What would it have been like to maybe hang around with her friends and experience something she never really discovered until that very moment? Maybe Po was right. Maybe she should forget training for the rest of the day and "Hang out".
She began actually considering it and was ready to do it until she saw the ball of string laid right next to her. A small smile crept onto her face.
"Maybe just another five minutes". She thought to herself before grabbing the ball of string once more.
...
Just a little short I couldn't resist making and wrote it in an hour just for the fun of it. Hope you enjoyed it. Cheerio!