Author's note: Hi everybody! Yes, I know I said this would only be about Tigress and that is still the plan, but for this one I needed to include Po in here (and he will be there for future ones). The focus still remains on Tigress and her inner thoughts and feelings, plus the format will still stay the same. No dialogue and fairly short one-shots. I will admit that this took a bit longer to write than I'd like to admit, but that is solely because I wanted to get the emotions and thoughts spot on in here. Hope you like it!

Disclaimer: I DO NOT OWN KFP (yadda yadda)

Enjoy.

Being Different

Within a simple day of eating noodles, Tigress finds herself thinking about something that she doesn't often concern herself with. Something that brews a new feeling within her heart.

A chorus of happy stomachs and homely chatter fill the air of Dragon warrior noodles and tofu, blending together seamlessly with the scrumptious aroma of Mr. Ping's cooking. These voices haven't died down since the moment they arrived within the restaurant, nor do they ever plan to. They sing their melodious content loudly which only helps to pull in more starving bellies. With each villager that leaves the establishment, another takes their place. Yet one person in particular stays within the restaurant, making sure to take their time with their food rather than gobble it all up in a single bite. Someone whose contribution to the customers' content symphony is far more subtle.

Whether it be a quiet hum or a brief chuff of satisfaction, the master of tiger style still shows her appreciation for yet another exquisite meal from the Ping family. As the delicious tingle of spicy noodle soup pangs at her taste buds once more, Tigress' eyes scan around at her neighbouring tables. She sees family, friends, lovers, people from all walks of life all enjoying themselves in this single moment. However, amber irises are quick to pick out a few similarities within a few of the restaurant patrons. Particularly the couples enjoying their time alone.

On each table she notices the excruciating effort the female partners have taken to looking their best. Makeup, silk dresses and fragrances that only just manage to pierce through the veil of noodle soup and dumplings happily taking residence within everyone's nostrils. All that effort for a single day out. Part of her wants to dismiss their efforts as unnecessary, a pointless hassle. Yet when she looks closer, the tiger notices the men practically hypnotised by their admittedly beautiful outfits. On top of this, she can see the happiness radiating off these women, appreciating their partner's wholehearted affection.

A microscopic frown plants itself on Tigress' face as she gulps down her meal, those tiny tingles rising in their intensity as a rare thought invades her mind. The idea of wanting someone to look at her that way. To be in awe of her in a way that isn't fearful. Although the thought barely ever crosses her mind, the lone tiger has had the spare fantasy here and there. Of course, as her training got more intense, she had to put these thoughts aside. Romance doesn't exactly coincide with kung fu after all. But with Po's laxer attitude in the Jade Palace, her mind tends to occasionally drift away to these less than disciplined daydreams.

Dreams that are far from grand or even that romantic. Perhaps a hug, date or if she felt particularly daring, a kiss. That was the extent of it all. No epic fairy tales of how she and her love would die in each other's arms, not even marriage. In most cases her partner never even had a face or form, instead only the feelings reigned clear in her mind. The warmth of their embrace, the delicate whisper of sweet nothings in her ear. That was what mattered to her. Then again, in some dreams there was a clear partner. Someone she would've never expected to dream about in such a way. At these thoughts, Tigress lets out a quiet scoff. Dear Gods, when did she get so soft? Then again, is it really such a bad thing to want this? Several other warriors and kung fu masters have fallen in love before. So why is it so different for her?

As she places another portion of noodles in her mouth, her eyes catch a glimpse of her paw, their black and orange stripes unmatched by any of the other restaurant patrons.

She knows exactly why.

Amber irises gaze out upon the sea of villagers presiding within the restaurant. Geese, goats, pigs, ducks, even a few antelopes; But no tigers. No matter the time of day, no matter the season, no matter the celebration, she had never seen a single tiger. Even when she had ventured off to faraway lands with the five, amidst the copious number of felines both friend and foe, none of them had ever been a tiger. As far as she is concerned, she is the only one. Sometimes she wonders if Po ever felt this way. If he ever felt so left out and alone.

Tigress continues looking over the noodle shop's pedestrian river, catching the waves of silk dresses flowing so delicately through the modest breeze. Patterns of flowers, water and even the godly colours of the rising sun adorn these beautiful fabrics. In spite of wanting to feel just how they did, she is unable to imagine herself within those elaborate garments. Instead, her mind can only pick out how impractical they are. Within a fight they would either restrict movement entirely or tear at the seams, ruining it entirely. Same with the makeup shielding their faces and the extravagant perfumes on their person. She can only imagine these efforts being ruined by the prevalence of sweat after a day's work of training.

Sometimes she wishes that she would just throw these thoughts aside, that it would be so much easier to make herself look prim and proper. No, though beautiful, all of this preparation has never been for her. Their overtly feminine looks aren't what she desires, only the feeling of being sought for and loved. She knows that her lack of this made her different, that in the eyes of some it made her less of a woman. Then again, it can't be worse than being treated as less than a person, like some rabid creature. Thought it isn't often, her ears have heard a fearful or uncaring comment muttered every once in a while. She knows that its hard to yearn for the heartfelt gaze of a loving soul when she is the way she is. So different, so strange. No wonder people barely ever approach her.

Through staring at this ocean of chattering heads and customers consuming their meals, Tigress notices something piercing through these seemingly endless waters. Two jade beacons glow from the kitchen, shining a guiding light that beckons towards the tiger lost in her rumination. Two jade eyes that belong to a particular panda that had changed her life whether for better or worse. Amber irises stare at the dragon warrior in intrigue, noticing his right elbow planted on the table and supporting his right cheek lazily leaning onto it, as well as the dazed smile planted on his face. His eyes are practically glued to her, hypnotised by… her? They make eye contact and for a brief moment, the tiger master sees something within Po's eyes. Something that makes her heart tingle with warmth.

As soon as she notices this however, Po stands up straight only to hit his head on the kitchen's low ceiling. Tigress' lip quirks up as she furrows her brows at him, eliciting a nervous chuckle from the bumbling panda. Their eyes settle on each other, building a calming stream between the two warriors as the tiger feels her heart's tingle evolve into a gentle flame. Before long however, Mr. Ping soon interrupts them, honking orders at Po that Tigress can barely make out in spite of her naturally more sensitive hearing. In spite of this interruption, the flame in Tigress' heart doesn't die out. It only burns brighter. Her smile grows wider as she realises just how he had been looking at her. He was in love… with her. A brief chuff escapes her throat at this revelation, her amber eyes crackling with the same warmth igniting her heart.

Perhaps it isn't so bad being different.

Aw isn't that cute, Tigress is all flustered and stuff. Anyways, yeah, the main talk about for this one-shot is essentially Tigress and femininity, and what she basically thinks about it. I'm fairly certain this has been tackled before, but this is my spin on it.