AN: For the first time in forever, I don't have that much to say.
However, I like to put notes at the beginning and end of my stories. Therefore, I've decided to tell you what
brought on the inspiration for this little ficlet. It's pretty simple and straightforward, but I'll share it anyway.
During my daily KFP pondering session, I realized that Li Shan received nothing more than a brief introduction to Tigress. And while he was first introduced to each of the five (and Shifu) in the same manner, a side of me felt a need to fill the ever-growing void in my brain.
I wouldn't exactly call this a fix-it-fic, mostly because I'm not necessarily "fixing" a scene. I'm not substituting one scene for another, either. So, on that note, it's just a ficlet. My word count estimate as of right now is around one thousand words, but we'll see how that turns out.
Quick side tangent: Thank you for the love on A Moment of Bliss! The reviews/comments and kudos/favorites mean so much! :')
As always, I hope you enjoy! :D
POST-KFP3
"Master Tigress, may I be frank with you?" Li questioned, shattering the deafening silence that had built inside his home.
He'd invited his son's best friend inside for a cup of tea, mostly just to show hospitality. However, he began to wish he'd brought Po as well as the idle chit-chat morphed into sparse conversations, which eventually fizzled into painfully awkward silence.
Tigress nodded. Li gave a nod and small smile in response and continued, "I really want to make a good impression on Lotus' friends," He took a deep breath. "You especially."
"May I ask why?" Tigress questioned, taking a small sip of her tea.
"Well, from what I can see, and from what Lotus has told me, you're his best friend." Li explained. "And seeing as that's probably true on both sides, I'd tend to think that you two have a somewhat intimate relationship." He paused briefly. "I just want to get to know the people who have known my son for longer than three months."
Li chuckled slightly, looking away from Tigress' face. She suddenly had a sympathetic expression, and nodded so slightly that the action could hardly be seen. She didn't fully understand exactly what he meant when he'd said that, but she understood it just enough. Tigress'd experienced all types of pain, both physical and emotional, but she could never truly understand what it was like to lose a family.
"Anyway," He continued. "I've talked to every other one of Lotus' friends, and found a way to," He trailed off for a moment. "Bond with them, if you will, by finding common ground. And common ground usually lies in interests." He stopped to quickly sip his tea before continuing. "I actually found it somewhat easy to find common interests with all of the others, but I unfortunately haven't been able to figure out what interests you yet." He chuckled lightly. "It's obvious that you have a strong passion for Kung Fu. However, I know nothing about that. The only other thing that I could think of was Lotus."
Tigress inhaled quickly; unfortunately for her, she'd had tea in her mouth at the time. She suddenly started to cough violently, instantly covering her mouth with her right arm. "I apologize," She croaked, her throat feeling weak after the sudden coughing fit. She cleared her throat, and continued in a much clearer voice, "With all due respect, what exactly are you implying when you saying that we have Po in common?"
Li seemed confused for a split second, until his eyes suddenly grew wide and he started to laugh nervously. He truly was Po's father. "No, no, no! I'm so sorry, Master Tigress, I didn't mean-" He stopped in a quick attempt to rephrase. "I wouldn't dream of suggesting-" He sighed heavily out of pure embarrassment. "I meant that you know my son very well; probably better than most people in his life, in fact." He paused briefly. "I want to know him on a deeper level, but I don't want to just outright ask for information. It feels impersonal."
Tigress' muscles relaxed slightly. "I understand," She said through a small smile. "What would you like to know?"
"Anything." Li said through a breath of relief. He'd half expected Tigress to decline his request.
"Well, Po's biggest passion is Kung Fu." She paused. "Though, that's rather obvious." Sighing lightly to herself, she looked into her tea cup, watching small bubbles rise from the bottom and sit on the surface of the liquid. "There is something that I find quite intriguing, though. He's so dedicated to what he does. Although it may not seem like it at first, he's so devoted to being Dragon Warrior; it's unbelievable."
Li's small grin had morphed into a wide smile.
"And in addition to being a beyond excellent warrior, he's a great friend." She paused briefly, debating whether to continue on the topic. "He's the strongest person I know. Having gone through everything he has, and still going through life with a smile; both for himself and for others. I don't know how he does it." She smiled a bit more. She was somewhat amused at her own behavior; opening up to who was essentially a complete stranger. About Po, no less. She quickly convinced herself that she was doing it for Li, so he could get closure. "I truly admire him. He's everything I'd like to be, and he's everything I'm not and more."
Her thoughts quickly began to start racing as the words exited her mouth. Everything she'd just said was nothing short of the truth; otherwise she wouldn't have said it.
If this was the case, why did she feel so strange about it?
"Li!" A loud voice interrupted Tigress' thoughts.
"Ping!" Li suddenly exclaimed, looking into the direction of the doorway. "To what do we owe the pleasure?"
"Master Tigress, Po is looking for you." Mr. Ping informed Tigress. "He mentioned something about a peach grove, would you happen to know anything about that?"
"Oh!" Tigress gasped. "Po and I are going to take Lei Lei to a place that Po told me about the other day, but I have no idea where we're going." Tigress told Mr. Ping, who had a small smirk on his face. "I should probably be going." She got up and turned to Li. "It was a pleasure, Mr. Shan."
"Oh, stop!" Li laughed heartily. "Please, Master Tigress, call me Li. You're practically family."
Tigress, now unable to speak, simply nodded and left the room. Mr. Ping chuckled lightly as he watched her leave, looking oddly off-center. Which was notable, mostly because she was usually so put-together. So sure of herself.
"How long do you give it?" Mr. Ping asked, reoccupying Tigress' seat, his eyes still on the mass of gold and orange moving away from the cliffside hut.
"I'd say about a month," Li said. "What about you?"
"I don't even bother trying to guess anymore," Mr. Ping sighed. "It'll happen eventually, but I've found that with this type of situation, patience is key."
"Interesting theory." Li commented, leaning back in his chair. "How long how they known each other again?"
"Around two years now." Mr. Ping answered casually.
Li sighed heavily as he muttered under his breath, "Dear god, son."
AN: Finally, I'm done!
If you don't know what the peach grove is, I'm going to explain it to you now: The peach grove is a deleted location from the Panda Village. I've heard a few rumors about what its original purpose was, but I'm not completely sure. It was pretty much a bunch of peach trees in a canyon-like area, with lush grasses, waterfalls, and rivers. Absolutely gorgeous.
Fun fact: While I was writing this, Kung Fu Panda started playing on the TV. It's still playing even as I'm writing this end note. Shifu and Tai Lung are about to fight right now. It's pretty intense, not gonna lie.
I'm begging here: Please leave constructive criticism in the comments/reviews! I'm not asking for a follow, I'm not asking for a kudos, I'm just asking for what you think and what I should improve upon.
I'm weird like that.
Have a great day everyone, and I hope you enjoyed reading! :D