Of Course (Not)
Post-Training in the...Training Hall
"You like him, don't you?"
The tone was definitely accusatory, but it did little to faze her. She merely giggled; a naughty glint entered her sky-blue eyes that seemed to make them glow. "Maybe." She replied with a sultry coo, weaving her sinuous form across the floor of the Training Hall towards the doors.
Unsatisfied with such an ambiguous answer, the large cat asked her comrade a different question. Still similar in nature though spat out in a harsher manner. "Don't toy with me, Viper! Do you, or do you not, like the Panda?!" the last word was said with such passion that Viper could've sworn it made the Training Hall's floors shake. It probably did.
"Why? Do you like him?" Viper replied casually, slithering out the massive wooden doors and making her way down the stone steps without even bothering to look back at the now-fuming Tigress.
She nearly roared out her response to Viper's playful insinuation. "Of course not! How dare you accuse me of actually liking that blubber ball in such a way?! That's disgusting! Of course I do-…"
Tigress' heated rant was cut off by the sound of sharp, highly-amused laughter. Viper turned her neck back to smile mischievously at the irate feline. "That's cute." She said suddenly.
"What?"
"You know. 'Blubber Ball'. I think it fits him perfectly."
"It what?!"
"That aside…" Viper swished her tail dismissively. "…Of course I like Po. He's pretty funny, enthusiastic, charming in his own way, and he's also kind of cute." She mused with a sly smile.
Twisting her head back to its original position, she found herself on the receiving end of a patented "Tigress Death Glare", merely one of Tigress' many attacks that could send any seasoned warrior scurrying away in fear. Within the span of a second, Tigress had leapt from her place at the top of the stairs to the very bottom where Viper would have no choice but to confront her on this most grave of matters. Viper seemed more pleased than terrified.
"You have got to be kidding me!" Tigress hissed through gritted teeth. "Your taste in men is…is…shameful! Liking Crane is bad enough, but now you've set your snake eyes on the Panda?!"
"As a friend only, of course." Viper piped up cheerfully.
"'A friend'?" The cat repeated almost unbelievingly.
Viper nodded. "Naturally." She slid her way past Tigress' leg. "He's like a little brother to me. Come on, did you really think that I had feelings for him?"
"Of course not! I was just testing you to make sure that you didn't crack under intense pressure! Yet you remained calm and collected even while under fire…that is the way a true warrior acts!"
"Of course I did." Viper said smugly.
"Of course." Tigress concluded as she made her way past Viper. "Excuse me, I've got to talk to Master Shifu...it's...urgent business."
"Of course it is." Viper nodded.
With that, Tigress walked past her without saying another word.
Viper took note of the almost-triumphant but well-hidden grin that had just appeared on Tigress' face.
FIN