Hello there!

Okay, before we begin and I actually let you read what you came to read, I have a message for someone: a guest who simply called themselves "B" in a review.

To "B": First of all, thank you for your kind words. Reviews like that always brighten up my day. But, more importantly than brightening my day, I took your words seriously. Especially since after I really thought about it: I'm not going to be able to produce pieces the length of Supper's Ready on a regular basis. While the extremely positive response that the story got deeply satisfied me (especially considering how long it took to make), it was a challenge that I'm not altogether sure how I got through. Making another one-shot of that length seems impossible to me right now.

And I realized… it's actually okay to have one-shots of 3,000 words that focus on fluffy or angsty moments and don't necessarily have a point. I can still do interesting things with 3,000 words.

So, I have thought up a new purpose for this one-shot collection! Originally, this was going to be a collection of "different" one-shots, but instead, it's going to be a more "normal" collection. And, because of my love for music, it will be an "album" of sorts, as every single one of my one-shots will, from here on, only be placed in this "album" until we reach seven one-shots, at which point I'll make a new collection. So, I'll not be posting any more one-shots by themselves. They'll all find their way in here.

Every collection/album will have seven one-shots, one of which will be "special," or the highlight story of the collection. Normally, it would be saved for the seventh and final slot, but I already wrote Supper's Ready and it'll serve just fine as the "special" one-shot.

So, "B," I thank you for your words which started that whole train of thought. It's much appreciated!

Alright then! Today's latest edition to my first collection is called Creep. The title is based on the Radiohead song of the same name. As per usual, listening to the song is not mandatory for understanding the one-shot as this isn't a song-fic, but, also as per usual, I heavily recommend giving it a spin.

Prompt (I'm going to start doing this since I'm no longer doing summaries): After the events of KFP 1, Po struggles with his relationship with his childhood idol, Master Tigress. Perhaps she's right, maybe he doesn't belong in the Jade Palace…

Yes, this idea of the Tigress' and Po's relationship beginning to improve right after the events of KFP isn't new, but I'm putting my own little twisted spin on it ;)

(I own Dreamworks and its associates and KFP…

…Just seeing if you were paying attention).

On with the show!

Reaching out with his paw, Po grabbed the faucet and twisted it, letting the water splash down in the sink. He cupped his paws and let the water collect in them, then splashing it in his face. Its bitter bite helped shake him out of his lingering drowsiness.

He looked up and into the mirror, and the person that looked back at him didn't look happy.

Why shouldn't he be happy, he wondered? He had defeated Tai-Lung just a few days ago, saved the Valley, finally got Master Shifu's approval and respect, and was a hero in the valley. It was everything he had ever dreamed of. Had he not spent countless days in bed, right before the Sun rose in the cool early mornings, daydreaming about fantasies such as this?

But his dream come true could not fill the hole he carried inside. It hadn't been there before. Well, that was a lie, he thought, as he continued to stare at his own jade eyes. It had been there. It was the hole of childish desire, a hole that could only be filled with distant dreams. But now that his dreams were now a reality, how could it be that the hole had only grown?

He didn't want to admit it, but he knew. He had spent these last few days trying to encourage himself that his life was good and that everything was finally going his way. He was literally living in a palace. What more could he want?

But, he thought, how could he ever be honest with other people if he wasn't even honest with himself?

He knew what it was. He knew. And he continued to gaze into the mirror.

Meanwhile, someone still lay in bed in their room. A pair of amber eyes blankly stared up at the ceiling. They blinked once, twice. Tigress was usually already up and preparing herself for the day at this point in the morning.

There was still twenty minutes before the morning gong rang. However, she had finely tuned her internal clock and could make herself wake up before the gong rang to give her enough time to prepare herself. She didn't require much, but one thing that she always did was comb her fur. Tigress was not a fan of wasting her time on improving her physical appeal, but if she did not comb the fur on her face or around her head, it would start to knot and pull on her face and scalp, and could get quite uncomfortable if left alone.

With a robotic motion that spoke of habitual practice rather than an actual desire to get up, Tigress threw the bedsheets off of her and swung her legs over the bed, sitting herself up on the edge of the mattress. Tigress usually slept in only her black silk pants and her chest bindings, and this was as she looked now. She rested her bare elbows on her knees, rubbing her numb paws together. Not so much to warm them up, as that was a moot point, but it was something that she found herself instinctively doing whenever she was stressed.

Standing up, once again out of habit, Tigress took a few steps across the room and opened up the window.

Outside, Tigress could see the oranges and reds of the rising Sun. Its light washed over the land and bathed it in its pure glow. A soft breeze blew in from the window and brought the scent of the outdoors with it.

This was a sight that Tigress was very used to, and while it once evoked a sense of awe in her, it was now nothing more than an exercise for the eyes, adjusting them to the light. Closing the shutters without very much thought, Tigress stepped back to her small wardrobe over by the corner of her room and pulled open one of the drawers. Reaching inside, she pulled out a small hand-held mirror.

It was very simple; very cheap. With a wooden frame that bore the scratches of time and a glass reflector that occasionally required Tigress to grab a pawful of her silk trousers and wipe it clean of fingerprints and dust, the simple, yet durable mirror had been bought for her by Viper as a gift a few years ago.

She had never let Viper know, but she used it every morning when she combed her fur.

Tigress reached down and grabbed the comb, walked back over to her bed, and sat down. She gazed into the mirror and saw a pair of emotionless eyes staring back.

Tigress did not like the person in the mirror.

Setting the mirror down on the bed, and the comb on the other side, she placed her paws behind her and sat on the bed, letting her thoughts drift.

What was she even doing, she wondered? Desiring the answer to that question, she decided to consult the only person who could answer that question. So, she grabbed the mirror once more and looked at the person on the other side.

Meanwhile, Po was still in the baths, still staring into the mirror, thoughts running through his mind like water.

Po: "I know what's wrong with me. I don't want to accept it, but I know. My dream has come true. I'm practicing kung-fu under Master Shifu, in the Jade Palace, right next to the Furious friggin' Five! Yet, where did I get that dream? Where did it come from?"

Tigress: "What's gotten into me? Every morning, I shot out of bed, the desire the train ingrained in my very being. But these last few days…"

Po: "I remember. That night. I was looking for mushrooms, of all things. And that's when I saw her. Master Tigress. I'm not sure why the sight of her physically maiming someone seemed so enticing to me then, but it gave me the desire to learn all things kung-fu. Ever since then, every daydream, every fantasy, and every birthday wish has all been the same. That, somehow, someway, I could fight by the Five's side against the hordes of evil and emerge victorious, bodaciously walking off into the sunset without looking back."

Tigress: "I've spent my whole life training for one thing. To become the Dragon Warrior. But why did I want it? I wasn't like Tai-Lung. I didn't care about the "limitless" power that was it was rumored to contain. I didn't want to lord over everyone. All I ever wanted was to make Shifu proud. Why? Because I love him. He came and trained me so that I may be adopted and find happiness, but when still no one would adopt me, he brought me home with him. I love him. All those years that he shut himself away and treated me like a student, I knew my father was in there. I just thought that, maybe, if I became the Dragon Warrior, he would come out of his shell again."

Po: "But I was wrong. I thought kung-fu was the only dream I had. It wasn't. It was the respect of the Five. Their approval meant so much. What did every dream of mine have in common? I would be joking around with them or they would be asking me for orders or something like that. That was the dream. And, I'm starting to get it for the most part. They're warming up to me, especially after I beat Tai-Lung. But… she hates me."

Tigress: "So I trained. And not just trained. I sacrificed. I put my body through a meat grinder for that title. I broke bones and I bled all over the Training Hall and all throughout the Ironwood Forest for that title. I studied everything on kung-fu my eyes could ever see for that title. I was so close. I'd done so much. I'd given my whole life. I love Master Oogway, he was like a grandfather to me, but I can't forget the face he made as he walked down those steps, right after saying 'I sense the Dragon Warrior is among us.' He seemed so calm, so sure. Was he mocking me? Was he mocking my sacrifice? Was he oblivious to all I'd done? Only to give the title to some… panda."

Po: "But the sad thing is… I can't get her off my mind. She's been my hero forever. Like a dedicated fanboy, I'd given my right arm to catch glimpses of her whenever she made her rare appearances in the Valley. I practically worshiped her. And what was the first interaction I had with her? I was just opening my eyes, and she was glaring down at me, her fist raised, like she was going to do to me what she did to Boar. And the first time I talked to her? Sheesh."

Tigress: "The noodle maker's son!? I'll never understand Oogway's sense of humor. How could he choose this random citizen over me? Or at least choose one of the Five!? Preferably someone who actually knew kung-fu? And then, the panda actually goes and performs a miracle. He somehow beat Tai-Lung."

Po: "But, even though she treated me like that, I know that can't be her. Not really. I just don't understand why she hates me like she does. I wish I could let her go. Why do I even need her approval? I hardly know her. What does it matter to me if some stranger likes me? Why do I care? Why do I care…?"

Tigress: "But… why? Why did Oogway choose him? Really? It's not so he could beat Tai-Lung. We could have simply stayed with Shifu in the Jade Palace and the six of us combined would have been too much for even someone as skilled as that leopard. Oogway chose him for some other reason."

Po: "If only she didn't look like such a goddess, maybe it would be easier to let her go. But, I can't even look in her eye. And, ooh, that fur. It nearly makes me cry. And when she trains? She floats around like a feather. Everything she does is graceful and majestic. Everything I do seems clumsy and stupid in comparison. Maybe that's why she doesn't like me."

Tigress: "So why didn't he choose me? What did I do wrong? Is it because he thinks… that I don't feel? I mean, I constantly try to control my emotions, but that's because my emotions got me locked in a cage for years. Bottling them up and storing them away was how I was able to live a life outside of that foul place. But… even Oogway? What did he think I was?"

Po: "I'm just some noodle-maker to her. That's all I'll ever be. She's a kung-fu warrior. There seems to be a sort of… incompatibility between the two. After all, I've treated a wooden model of her like an idol. I did everything but get down on my knees and pray to it."

Tigress: "Did Oogway think I was just… a tool? Did he and Shifu simply bring me here so I could unleash my rage on those who deserved it? Is it because they thought that I can't feel anything? Was that why he didn't give the title to me? Yes. That must be it. He must have thought I was just a…"

Po: "No wonder she hates me, now that I think about it. I'm such a…"

Po and Tigress: "...Creep."

Tigress: "My paws… They can't feel anything. But whose fault is that!? Everything I did, I did to make him proud! And he snatches my dream right out of my grip and hands it to the panda! If I appear emotionless, it's because that's what Master Shifu taught me! A warrior has no use for emotions! My anger and aggression is the only thing that's ever proved useful in a fight."

Po: "Why am I so clumsy? Why can't I appear just a little more competent sometimes? But Tigress… she just seems so special. I wish I was special…"

Tigress: "But… look at me. Sitting here, without my vest, I see why no guy in the village will turn their heads in my direction. I might as well be another guy. A really big, strong guy, at that. What guy would ever approach someone like me who puts them to shame?"

Po: "'At least someone who could touch his toes,' Crane said that one day. Oh, I know I'm a panda, but why does my stomach have to come out so far? What girl would ever look in my direction? If only shirts and vests weren't so friggin' uncomfortable on me, then maybe I'd cover up all my fat…"

Tigress: "No. Maybe Oogway's right. Maybe I am unfeeling. Look how I treated that panda when he arrived. I told him that he didn't belong here. I said that! I've rarely apologized for anything, and I'm not sure how to do so now."

Po: "I got lucky in that fight. Tai-Lung had been traveling non-stop for days, been in fights with the Five and with Shifu, and had probably been running on nothing but pure adrenaline for far too long. Plus, he was so distracted with getting that scroll that he hardly bothered with me. Only after he had completely tired himself out in getting that scroll was I able to go for a low blow with the Wushi Finger Hold. If we fought a hundred more times, and the conditions were fair, I'd lose a hundred times. So I didn't accomplish anything great."

Tigress: "I see now. I'm nothing but a machine. That's why he didn't give me the title. When I didn't get my way, I stepped over the panda like dirt. Maybe that was his final lesson to me. To us. But how can I apologize now? He said he was a 'big fan,' and now the Five are starting to tell me what a hero I was to him. What does he think of his great hero now? He probably hates me."

Po: "Maybe Tigress was right. She should be the Dragon Warrior. I'm an insult to everything she's ever worked for. Oh, what am I doing here?"

Tigress: "Why am I here? A protector of the Valley? When I can't even give decent respect to one person? No. What in the gods' names am I doing here?"

Tigress and Po: "I don't belong here."

And, that concludes our little one-shot for today!

Well, I must admit I had fun with the double monologue idea. Not a dialogue, but rather two separate monologues. A… bilogue? Is that a thing? Can I make it a thing?

Anyway, I hoped you enjoyed this little one-shot! For those of you with sharp eyes and good memories, you may recall that I said in the previous one-shot that the next story would be called Starless. I must admit that I was working on that story, but I ended up scrapping it because I didn't like it. However, I am going to pull some parts from it and recreate it into something else. Something that might just find its way into this seven-part collection…

Well, keep being awesome!