Am I Pretty?
Po and Tigress were helping Mr. Ping while Li Shan was sick. Tigress decided to be the server.
Actually, Mr. Ping told her to. "Why?"
"You're not social and you need practice. That much is obvious," The bird stated. Po covered his laugh too late as the tiger already glared at him with her familiar icy rage. "Besides, you don't spill as many bowls as Po."
"Dad."
"I'm serious," Mr. Ping said, sending the tiger on her way.
Tigress sighed as she returned to the kitchen for more bowls from Po who tended the soup. "Tell me again why you still help your dad?"
"Getting tired by the morning rush?" Po teased.
"No," Tigress grunted, "I'm just wondering. You talked about your previous life like it was doomed to mediocrity."
The panda shrugged. His eyes drifted to Mr. Ping who was serving some bowls and plates to the rest of his customers.
While collecting their money.
"I like cooking with my dad, but my love for food isn't intense like his... or yours," Po chuckled. "I guess, I just like having fun cooking with him. When I was a kid, I thought I could live up to that intense passion for cooking, but... I couldn't. But... it's still a nice thing between me and my dad."
A calm smile rested on the tiger's face as Mr. Ping returned to the kitchen. "Eh, Po. Why's your tiger friend staring at Lei Lei?"
"Tigress?"
"No, the OTHER tiger friend," The goose pointed to a male tiger glaring at a pouting little panda. Lin's eyes darted between the burly tiger and the small panda. Lei Lei struggled and squinted hard before finally blinking and exhaling.
"Ha! I win!"
"No fair!" Lei Lei pouted, crossing her arms. "I want a rematch!"
"This is the fourth time you lost," Jin laughed. "And you don't need to hold your breath in a staring contest, so stop doing that."
Po chuckled, "I guess he's just getting used to the locals. Seems like Lin and Lei Lei like him."
"As long as his swords don't poke the customers, I'll be fine. I remember he was just as clumsy as you growing up," Mr. Ping said.
"I... think I should get Lin and Lei Lei."
"Tigress! I'm not that bad."
"Last night, you tripped over a bean bun, and tumbled out of the barracks and down the steps. We didn't know where you were until we found you in the village. And you were still asleep on the floor!"
"Okay, okay, okay," Po grumbled while his father squawked in laughter. Tigress strolled over to the kids where Lei Lei lost her last contest with Jin.
"Come on, you two. It's time for training," Tigress smiled. "Say goodbye to Jin."
"Hold on. Why don't I come with you? The Jade Palace isn't off limits to warriors, is it?" Jin said.
Tigress raised her eyebrow. "No, but it can be a hazard. Mr. Ping mentioned that you're just as... uncoordinated as Po."
"Ahh! Not all the time," Jin spluttered. "I'm more blumy... I mean clumsy with my words. Anyway, Let's go up the stairs."
The kids giggled at Jin's wordplay, but Tigress scanned the tiger up and down for any suspicious signs. The four walked up the mountain with Jin racing Lei Lei. Of course, the poor panda only got about 500 steps before getting tired. "Hah, Hah, made it... hah," Jin gasped. Lei Lei was lying chin first on the steps with her tongue sticking out. Her body refused to move.
Tigress smirked as she carried Lin on her shoulders. "Do you always compete against children?"
"Hah, hah, it's... No," Jin panted. He gently picked up Lei Lei and cradled her in his arms. The little panda napped immediately. Tigress's eyes widened. Jin had only been in the village for two weeks and the little girl was completely at ease with him.
"She seems to trust you," Tigress mentioned.
Jin smiled, "I get along with kids."
"Is that because you're in touch with your... inner child, like Po?"
"I can't tell if that was an insult," Jin chuckled nervously.
Tigress's smile widened, "Po didn't mention much about you. We only know that you're a warrior, you've been protecting Rua and Maoqi. And you've been Po's friend for a while. What else is there?"
Jin gulped a bit, "Uhhh nothing much. My dad was a soldier when I met Po and then we moved. I tried being a soldier, but I was... unpredictable."
"Something you and Po share."
The male tiger smiled sheepishly, "Anyway after my dad died at war, I learned swords from my uncle. He'd always tease me about going to a monastery."
"He wanted you to be a monk?"
"No, he just figured that... with all my bad flirting, I would be better uhh-"
"Celibate?"
Jin sighed, "Yeah."
"You don't seem to have trouble with talking to me."
"That's because I don't want to make the mighty Master Tigress mad. ANNNNND it's a long way down the steps."
Tigress frowned, "What has Po told you?"
"Nothing bad, but he did say he tries his best to keep you in a good mood around the steps just in case," Jin nervously smiled.
Tigress nodded, though her mind could feel a familiar painful past tapping at her from the deep. The memory of Po's arrival gave her chills. How could they be that cruel to someone? And learning Po's state of mind at the time only added to her guilty conscience. "Master Tigress, are you okay?" said the wolf boy atop her shoulders. Tigress looked around. She hadn't realized they had come to the top.
"Yes, I'm fine, Lin," Tigress said, waking Lei Lei up in Jin's arms. "Now that you two are well-rested, I think it's time to train."
"YAY!" The two shouted. As the two ran off to the Training Hall, Jin looked at the Kung fu master with a crescent frown.
"Is something wrong?"
"Nothing."
"It doesn't look like it. Is it something I said?"
"No, it's... nothing like that. I'll be fine."
"Do you want to be fine?"
"What?" Tigress snapped her head to Jin. "What is that supposed to mean?"
Jin rubbed the back of his neck, gritting his teeth. "Well, whenever I feel guilty or upset, I say I'm fine just so others can leave me alone. I don't want pity. But... I know I don't want to be fine. I want to be... sad."
"Why?"
"Because it's honestly what I'm feeling. You can't have peace when you lie to yourself," Jin explained. Tigress nodded. Her life with Shifu should've reminded her of that. "And... uhhh Never mind."
"What?"
"It's stupid."
"Then there's no harm in saying it, now that the expectation has been set."
"I... ugh..." Jin sighed, "I... don't like seeing a gorgeous, amazing woman like you... being sad." Tigress's eyes widened. "Uhhh that was weird from me! Why don't we just teach the kids? I mean, you teach the kids! I... I think I should go practice my sword techniques." Jin hurriedly scurried away before she could say anything else.
Tigress shook her head, but she couldn't move. She stared at the ground until Lei Lei asked for her presence.
Jin somehow excused himself from the Training Hall when the Furious Five, Zhen, and Tai Lung came back. After taking Lin and Lei Lei back home, all the warriors came, sat down, and ate Po's noodles. "I'm glad that you guys got back. How did Zhen do?" Po asked.
The little fox sighed, "I... got... captured. Tai Lung had to bail me out."
"Oh that's okay, you'll get it the next time," Po smiled.
"Really?" Tai Lung and Zhen said at the same time.
"Yeah, you're not going to get it right the first time. It's okay. I didn't pick you because of your potential."
"Then why did you pick me?"
"Ahh you will learn in time," Po smiled.
Zhen pouted, "I feel like you're just saying that to sound like the tortoise."
"He is."
"Shhh Tai Lung. She doesn't need to know that!"
"Anyway, there is a serious matter I've been wanting to ask you, Po," Tai Lung said, wiping his mouth. "You've been raised by the goose almost your entire life, correct?" Po nodded. "I can't imagine that he did anything to contribute to your... initial self-hatred. So what did?"
The room got quiet. Po rolled his eyes but sighed, "Why do you always want to know this stuff about me?"
"You're the Dragon Warrior. And I'm sure I'm only saying what everyone here has been too... afraid to ask," Tai Lung explained. Po checked each face and everyone, except Tigress, nodded. The panda sighed loudly, leaning back in his chair.
"I guess I thought my life wasn't worth it. Sure I fed people, but it wasn't what I wanted to do. People called me names, but that only made stuff on the inside worse. I just... didn't like being me... Me in a crowd of people who were all... better. The pigs, ducks, geese, goats, sheep, bunnies, gazelles. They could be anything, but me... I felt like being me prevented me from doing what I wanted: Kung fu. Sure, my dad might have given me a little pressure, but it wasn't really intense. And... I'd be lying if I said some of the self-hatred wasn't... love and romance related."
"Ah, which reminds me," Tai Lung smirked, "What kind of do you-"
"Whatever woman it is, I probably have a better shot of getting her than you do," Po grinned. The room laughed while the snow leopard glowered his food into his mouth. The panda went back to eating but saw the tiger still pensively staring at the table. "Hey, Tigress. Are you okay? You haven't touched the food?"
"I... I'm not hungry."
"You have to eat, Master Tigress," Shifu said, "A warrior has to be well-fueled for any danger."
"Buutt a clouded mind can ruin a hungry gut," Po replied. "So what's wrong?" Tigress turned left and right. The entire room was on her.
She sat straighter and took a long breath, "Do you... Do you all think I'm beautiful?"
"Yes," They all said with no hesitation and went back to eating.
"You can't just say that so casually!" Tigress spluttered.
"But it's true, you're beautiful," Po said, "Anyone can see that."
"And anyone who doesn't is blind," Shifu firmly replied. "Now, why do you ask?"
Tigress stood up and sighed, "No reason. Lei Lei said something that made me ask. I'm... going to retire for tonight." The tiger headed to the exit. "And don't send Po after me."
"That's not fair!" Po pouted. Tigress smirked, but only for a moment. She strolled to her room, passing over wooden floors that felt all too familiar to her. The silence of the barracks swarmed around her form as if Viper were hugging her. Sighing, she went to her room and sat down on the floor.
She meditated until there was a knock on her door. She opened it to see Viper and Zhen.
The tiger blinked. "Maybe I shouldn't have restricted Po."
"What's that supposed to mean?" Zhen asked.
"I knew someone would come, but I... wanted to see who you would send if I forbade Po to come," Tigress smirked as she allowed them into her room. "What was the reasoning?"
"Po said it might be something involving Jin and Zhen needs practice cheering people up," Viper replied. "And we knew that sending a woman was much, much better than sending any of the guys and Tai Lung."
"I think Tai Lung would've worked."
Viper and Zhen lowered their heads while a disbelieving stare rested on their eyes. "Really?"
"He's gotten... better," Tigress replied.
"So... what's wrong?" Zhen asked.
The tiger sighed and sat down on her mat. "Po was right. It... does involve Jin, but... I wanted to know if I'm wrong."
"Huh?"
"Jin told me that he gets nervous around beautiful women. Which explains why he's been this way with me. I know it's an old line, but his words were sincere," Tigress took a breath. "I've... rarely allowed my feelings to think for me, but I don't know what to do with this one."
Viper slithered up to her and rested her tail on Tigress's leg. "As long as I've known you, you've been the strong silent type. Being the unofficial leader of the Furious Five, I figured you had a lot on your mind. But what are you really worried about? You've had crushes before. Why is this different?"
"Because it doesn't feel like one. It feels... different. I don't know," Tigress shook her head. "But I don't want to do it."
"Why?"
"Because of you," Tigress replied. Viper tilted her head. "The situation with General Pantu-"
"Tigress, that was different. I was more flustered at his advances than in love," Viper interrupted.
"And no one's rushing you into this relationship," Zhen said. "You got to think of this like a heist. Scout out the land, figure out the timing of the guards, and then make your move. Most of my heists took... about 6 months to a year. If you like Jin and Jin likes you, time with him and without him will make it clear."
Tigress and Viper stared at the Corsac fox with confused stares. "That was... weirdly helpful," The tiger said.
"Looks like that Dragon Warrior wisdom is working," Viper smirked.
"You should wait. Besides, even if Jin likes you, you don't know anything about each other. I thought you and Po were made for each other but-"
"Po is a good friend of mine," Tigress stated firmly.
"Okay, okay," Zhen backed off with her paws up.
"But... thank you," Tigress smiled.
A few days passed after that meeting. Jin mostly stayed in the village, patrolling with Po when he had the chance. Turning a corner under the afternoon sun, Jin frowned at the brick path leading straight to the Jade Palace steps. Po clapped the tiger's back. "Hey, you okay?"
"Huh? Oh! Yeah, I'm fine."
"You're not."
Jin sighed, "Nothing, I just... I might have messed up my chances with Tigress."
"I figured." Jin snapped his head towards the panda with a worried glare. "She asked us if she was beautiful a few days back. I guessed you had something to do with it."
The tiger groaned, "I'm such an idiot."
"Look, she knows you're a good person. Just give it time. There's no rush. Don't worry so much about what can happen. Worry about now," Po said.
"Is that Dragon Warrior knowledge or something?"
"More like experience," Po smiled. Just then, a familiar goose skirted around the street corner and ran full speed to the tiger and panda. He had Lin running with him, clutching the goose's feathers while his father was right behind. "Whoa! Zan, what's wrong?"
"Jiaohua made the wrong people upset," Zan panted, "And there's too many."
"It's not my fault! I told you we shouldn't have taken that route," the wolf barked.
"I said I was sorry!"
Po looked far down the street to see a group of rams in dark purple leather armor marching toward them.
"You pissed off the Lu-Lang Gang?!" Po shouted.
"It's not my fault! We stumbled into their territory! They've been on our tail ever since!"
"You fought first!" Zan retorted. "I told you not to escalate things!"
"They grabbed you," Jiaohua barked back.
"I can handle people grabbing me!" Zan squawked.
"If you didn't choose that route, we wouldn't be here!"
"Why would you let me choose the route!? You're the bodyguard!"
"You're the councilman!"
"I'm a kid!"
"Mr. Po, please help us!" Lin cried, latching to the panda's gut. The rams' spears, bows, and swords glistened in the sun as they marched towards them. Village civilians cleared the streets for their invaders. The bear drew the kid behind him, but Jin stopped him.
"Let me take care of this," the tiger said sternly. He stood in front of the group. The rams saw the tiger and made a full stop, crashing into each other. Their knees, once marching with fierce power and speed, came to a knocking stop.
"Is... Is that the Sharp Jin?"
"Turn away. Now," Jin declared. "Leave them alone or deal with me."
"The Lu Lang gang doesn't back away from those who insult us!" Shouted one of the soldiers.
Jin cracked the stiffness in his neck and pulled his twin swords out. "Good," He grinned.
Running full speed, Jin planted his foot right onto one of the rams' shields, jumped up, and cut their spears in half. Jumping over the entire 30-manned group, he swung around and knocked each and every sword out of their hands, smashing his fists straight through their wooden shields. A soldier aimed for his back, but the tiger moved left, cut the spear, and cut straight through his lamellar armor, leaving him naked. Jin clashed swords with another soldier.
The tiger slid back, knocked the swords out of the ram's hands, and punched the next soldier behind him. Quickly and methodically, he cut through the rams like paper, taking each one down. Some ran in terror while others groaned in pain as Jin sheathed his swords. Po walked up and examined the rams.
"First off, that was awesome! Second, I'm glad there's no blood."
"I try my best to be sharp AND precise."
Po bent down to one of the rams and lightly picked his head up. "You're not going to bother the goose or any of my friends again, right?"
"N-N-No!"
"Good," Po smiled, patting the ram's head. "Come on Jin, help me with these guys."
"Do you mind if I join in?" Said a voice behind them. Jin spun around and saw Tigress walking up to them.
Jin's throat tightened as she smiled. "N-N-N-No, it's fine! Uh... how long have you been-"
"A while. Mr. Ping's shop is close by," Tigress replied. "You fight very well, Jin."
"Th-Thank, you Master Tigress. I'm... I'm really sorry about-"
"Don't be," Tigress stopped him, "It... caught me off guard, but... you spoke the truth, correct?"
"O-Of course!"
"Good," Tigress smiled. "Come, we should help Po."
"Oh please no," Po grunted, picking up another ram in his arms, "Please keep talking while I do all the work."
Tigress rolled her eyes and helped while Jin's goofy grin stayed plastered to his face.
Continued...