KFP: Tales of a ticklish tiger - Ch.1

KFP: Tales of a ticklish tiger

Chapter 1 .- Introduction to tickling; Tigress' shockingly tender soles

Disclaimer: All characters used here belong to DreamWorks

--PO?!-- Tigress exclaimed in shock, completely obliterating the image of self-control she'd just applied to her features.

--What the?! You're awake already?! Oh MAN, the setup was supposed to be done before you came around!-- The black and white bear complained, slapping a paw to his forehead as he continued to move in her direction; grumbling something about his attention span and forgetting the little details. Of course, the striped feline was too flabbergasted to comment on that. It wasn't until the male was right in front of her and began to tie her big toes together with a piece of cord that her brain started its second reboot of the day --There! That's a wrap!-- Po said happily once his newest handiwork was done; chuckling a little as he realized the unintended pun.

Shaking her head slightly to snap out of her daze, the bound tiger's features morphed into a dangerous scowl and her lips pulled back angrily as she found the voice to express her current thoughts.

--Panda...what the heck is the meaning of this?-- She grounded out, fighting with all her might against her temper in order to at least find out WHY she'd be pummeling her beloved in the very near future, while subconsciously wiggling her feet however little she could in their bound state and curling and uncurling her toes a couple of times to test the string's strength. Still, keeping a semblance of patience became even harder when the Dragon warrior remained silent and stared down at her for the next minute instead of answering immediately like he should have --Panda, I swear if you don't start explaining to me just what in blazes is going on in the next thirty seconds, not only will I beat you within an inch of your life, but I'll break up with you on the SPOT!-- Any other person probably would've gone for an instant breakup, and FOR any other person she would've given them three seconds at most, but she kept in mind their lives sometimes could be way too screwy for such radical actions --Who knows, maybe he messed with some palace artifact that's compelling him to do...whatever this is-- She thought.

It had been a good while since one of his more bizarre screwups, and it would certainly warrant for him to receive a severe scolding...perhaps a small pounding...but not the dissolution of a relationship that overall had come very close to being perfect up to this point.

--Oh, right! Um, well you see...-- Po started to respond; flustered at the fact he'd spaced out...while staring at his girlfriend's sexy and vulnerable feet-paws. Again --Geez, seriously, what the heck is wrong with me?!-- He thought in trepidation. In all honesty he freaked out like crazy the first instance it happened; sure, there'd been a tiny thrill to handling Tigress' unconscious body and tying her up and LOOKING at her bound and docile form once he finished had carried some of a pleasant tingle, but he'd simply chalked it up to a largely ignored portion of his male brain that yearned to feel dominant over his chosen partner (he'd heard something about that somewhere). Thus, he had taken those initial feelings as in stride as they could be.

It wasn't until he took off her footwear that the freakiness started up.

For whatever reason, he'd found the sight of her bound and naked soles to be absolutely enrapturing; to the point he found himself studying every inch of them with quite an unbecoming degree of attention. For the next two minutes or so, although for him it felt like an eternity, his entranced gaze admired the nigh revered extremities; burning the image of the fuzzy-looking white fur of the tiger master's heels and arches, along with the roughened but still very fetching dark brown pads on the balls of her feet and stubby toes, into his memory. At the same time, his mind did a disturbingly terrific job turning him on by making him imagine what it'd be like to touch them...feel them...run his fingers and perhaps his tongue ALL over them for hours on end.

--How would the mighty Master Tigress react to THAT?-- He remembered wondering, his inner voice sounding oddly impish --Would she burst out laughing the instant I started playing with her pretty feet-paws? Open with a squeal that'd soon devolve into wails and cackles? Perhaps begin quietly, nothing but cute giggles and snorts as she fights a losing battle against the tingly sensations surging through her helpless body? Or maybe...just maybe...she'd come to enjoy it and beg me to keep going until she passes out with a big, giddy smile across her face?--

The creepy nature of those final thoughts were the thing to snap him back into reality and, as previously stated, he majorly freaked out right where he stood; almost giving himself whiplash with how fast he turned away from his restrained and unconscious sweetheart to calm THE HELL down. He might've had practically zero experience with females, but he certainly could differentiate between what was supposed to be attractive and what shouldn't! Feet-paws surely fell on the latter category! Honestly, what in the actual FUCK!

Finally accomplishing his goal took him the better part of the next five minutes, during which he VERY seriously considered calling the whole plan quits, but in the end he managed to convince himself to see things through to the very end. He really didn't want to go back to the impossibly hard drawing board, and besides he figured all he had to do was to constantly remind himself why he was doing this.

--Ten seconds, Panda!-- Tigress growled out, the baring of her fangs and harsh pulls against her restraints serving very well to startle him back into the present. What's more, it also aided the male to focus his valor and finally respond in a somewhat firm tone of voice.

--It's as the note said, Ti...there is something we need to discuss-- Po stated nonchalantly, crossing his big arms in front of him as he stared her down with a level of confidence he'd probably never have whilst she was free and capable of inflicting heavy bodily damage onto his person.

--Ok...and under what reasoning did you find it appropriate to have me drugged and tied up for that?-- The feline hissed, narrowing her irate fiery orbs and fidgeting in her bonds some more to drive her point home a bit further; not having the slightest idea of how hard a time the monochromatic bear was having, trying to gulp some saliva down his suddenly parched throat because of the appealing show her toes put up as they half-wiggled --By the way, how in Oogway's name did you get me down here without anyone making a fuzz about it? Or did you somehow manage to rope the others into your little scheme?-- She asked, her anger diminishing just a tiny bit in the face of genuine curiosity. The idiot she loved, even if she couldn't recall why at the moment, had many talents...but stealth was NOT one of them, so one of the others had to have seen him carrying her slumbering body around the palace grounds.

--Ahem...um...Viper and Crane went shopping for some stuff they wanted, Monkey and Mantis left for a food convention, and Master Shifu is sorta knocked out in his room; I...think he drank some of the spiked tea I made while I was distracted-- He listed, hoping his voice didn't actually sound as hoarse as it did to his own ears. Tigress looked gobsmacked at the information provided, especially the last bit, and apparently couldn't find the words to respond even if she really wanted to, given how her mouth opened and closed a few times, so the panda used that to his advantage and continued --As to why...well, to put it simply: safety reasons-- He said, shrugging a little uncomfortably --I mean, c'mon Ti, arguing with you was hazardous when we were just friends, you can't blame me for wanting some type of security-- Of course, it wasn't the full truth; he also needed her to be restrained for the full scope of his plan.

--...you do realize I'll just end up pounding you even harder as soon as you free me, right?-- Tigress asked in an utterly serious voice; although at least she had the decency to not argue against his point of her being...physically inclined to unload tension when a discussion got heated.

--Yup, and I promise to face it like a grown up when the time comes...but at least I'll have gotten my point across-- Po replied with practiced ease, although feeling some enormous jitters fill his body at the thought of how bad the damage to his body could actually be by the end of all this.

The tiger master remained silent for a few seconds as she pondered the situation, staring at the male intensely all the while, before a resigned sigh left her black lips and she allowed her tense body to relax into the chair she was bound to once again.

--Fine, it might go against my better judgement, but I suppose you have done weirder and stupider things-- She grumbled a little reluctantly --Start talking before I change my mind--

--Well, alright! Phase 1 was completed successfully!-- The bear thought in glee; considering he believed getting away with his stunt at the beginning was the hardest part of the plot --Yes! Thank you! Right away!-- He responded, this time being completely sincere as his voice carried the full weight of his relief, before his features got serious and he confessed --Tigress...I wanted to talk about what you've been doing for the past three weeks or so...the whole acting lovey-dovey around me shtick--

--SHTICK?! I put myself through all that embarrassing stuff for his sake and he dares call it a stinking "shtick"?!-- The feline thought in aggravation, her infamous temper already starting to flare, and very fast as well. A small part of her recognized the selfishness of the thought, but the whole current situation had her in a bad mood to begin with; it was only natural that having her efforts demeaned so casually, or at least that's what it felt like to her, wouldn't help matters --What about it?-- She asked with an air of hostility, narrowing her fiery eyes in a subconscious effort to tell the male he should REALLY be careful with his next words.

--Oh boy, here we go-- Po thought nervously. He knew her anger would be quick to show up, what with the absurd situation and all, but his experience and knowledge of her made it possible for him to tell just how quick her ire was climbing through her tone. Nonetheless, he kept his voice under control and continued --Look, it's not like I don't appreciate the effort if that's what you're thinking, 'cause I really do; very very much-- He said earnestly --It's just...I feel you've been overdoing it. Like, a lot. It's painfully obvious you're not having a good time with it and, to be honest, it's been making me uncomfortable too--

--HE'S been uncomfortable?!-- Tigress' psyche roared in outrage --Oh, is that so? Then I guess I should apologize, I never realized having your girlfriend express her affection for you was so terrible! Silly me!-- She bit out, sarcasm dripping from her voice, while her muscles tensed slightly against her bonds after she felt the powerful urge to pounce on the bear and start pummeling him already.

--Of course it isn't, Ti! I just told you I appreciated the thought, it's just...-- Po stopped speaking in order to allow a sigh to leave his lips; feeling a bit tired already as the conversation deteriorated --Look, when I agreed to this relationship I did it knowing my partner, aka you, wouldn't be some doting and mushy female worshipping the ground I walked on; I did it knowing I'd be courting a hardcore and independent woman that would've some trouble showing her affection in anything other than small but meaningful doses. Seeing you put yourself through something that doesn't feel right to you for my sake is what makes it non-enjoyable-- He explained truthfully; hoping it would quell her fires at least a little.

To some degree, it worked. The striped feline did indeed feel her heart grow a bit warm at his clear sincerity and the care of his thoughts...but her ire had already been stoked, and once that happened her pride refused to simply let go. Being someone who took so much care over her emotional spectrum, whenever an emotion was allowed to really come forth it was (supposedly) for a good reason; so just forgetting about it was hard to do.

--Hn, I suppose the concern is sweet...but also completely unnecessary-- Tigress said, a bit scornfully if either of them was to be honest, while her amber orbs stared straight into his jade ones --I'm a big girl, panda, and as such, I am perfectly capable of determining if something is or isn't good for me. It was my decision to become more physical with you, one I didn't make lightly, so you will just have to trust I'll be fully ok with it in time-- Even to her own ears, the words spoken sounded sort of stupid and plain stubborn (hadn't she yearned the idea of somehow getting out of the mushy-girlfriend arrangement without it causing tension in her relationship?), but she didn't care at the moment.

--Of course-- Thought the ursine with resignation, already having foretold this outcome to the discussion, although he had expected to beat around the bush, dish out some more "arguments" and lines, a LOT more before reaching this particular point. Oh well, it seemed the universe wanted things to move along quickly --But what if you aren't, Tigress? What if you just can't grow used to acting like that? Are you willing to risk it becoming a problem for us if you end up too cranky because you're going out of your way to be something you aren't?-- Her answer to these questions would be what determined if his full plan would come into play. And, much as he tried not to, he couldn't help but feel excited at the idea of that being the case.

--Nothing like that will happen, Po-- The tiger replied exasperatedly, as if speaking to a misguided child (which, really, wasn't a new tone for her to use on him from time to time); although some part of her did feel a little unsettled at his words. She had to admit, it very well could be a likely possibility; she'd already been feeling quite irritable after three weeks of keeping up her doting behavior and she was known to take her frustrations out on others sometimes. Especially on Po.

--Hmm...ok then-- The male responded with a casual flair; going so far as to make a grand gesture out of shrugging his shoulders to denote his acceptance.

--No it won..wait, what?!-- Tigress half-shouted in shock; not expecting him to give in to her words so easily after all the trouble (not to mention, danger) he went through to have this conversation. Heck, he was incredibly stubborn on a regular basis, why wouldn't he be about this? --You're accepting what I said just like that? You're not going to argue about your opinion on the matter for hours on end before accepting I'm right?-- She asked in obvious surprise. It simply didn't add up.

--Nah, it wouldn't help any; I can see you're pretty set about keeping this little gig up. Besides, I'd have to be hopelessly stupid to actually insist my girlfriend stops being...nice...to me-- Po explained, still almost methodically calm, though grinning a bit sheepishly when choosing the word to describe her chosen attitude. Hearing the stress he put behind the word caused the feline to acquire a small blush, but she quickly pushed it aside.

--Oh...okay then? I suppose that would mean we are done here?-- She replied tentatively, still kinda unsure about his unusual behavioral response, but more than ready to put this weird incident behind her. Who knows? Maybe there'd be enough time to drag her male's fluffy tail to the training hall and wipe the floor with him for a few hours. However, the mildly sadistic hope promptly got squashed when said male's grin turned a tad, though noticeably enough, devious at her words --Po...what are you thinking?-- She asked sternly, yet with an undertone of caution to her words.

--Weeell, to tell you the truth I had very little hopes of actually convincing you to give it up; still wanted to try though. So, in light of that, it occurred to me I could just...-- He let his explanation hanging for a few seconds at the same time he took hold of her captive feet-paws. Of course, the tiger's immediate reaction was to open her maw to ask (not gently in the least) what the HECK he thought he was doing...but he answered soon enough when his hands began to rub and massage the extremities with both care and firmness --...ya know, join the club, if you catch my drift?--

Too stunned to speak, AGAIN, the feline master did nothing but sit there, tied up, and watch wide-eyed while her boyfriend started to tend to her weary and still slightly sweaty feet-paws; having abused them quite a bit, which was normal for her but still, while in training before this whole fiasco began. That being so, it took less than a full minute for the bear's fingers to find a particularly tight kink right in the center of her right arch that, once smoothed out, caused the woman to release a throaty groan of pleasure. The sound was enough for her to snap back into the present, though she still found herself unable to fully deter her reactions to his ministrations.

--Mmm...P-Po, what...ah!...what are you doing? Hah-- Tigress asked between more noises of delight, despite her best efforts to bar their exit from her maw. She simply couldn't help it. While her feet were properly taken care of, it was only enough for them to stay healthy; they never received any pampering whatsoever. Adding that to the fact her overwhelming indignation at her current vulnerable state had been priorly put to rest, irked as she might still be, plus that she trusted the panda on an intrinsic level by now, it wasn't surprising at all that she'd respond well to the stimuli. That he somehow seemed to know exactly where to find every last crick on her naked soles also contributed a lot to it.

--It's like I said: since your decision is obviously too important for me to dissuade you, then all that's left for me to do is join you in your efforts and start physically expressing my affection for my bodaciously awesome girlfriend-- He explained, the deviousness in his smile growing slightly as well as now lacing his tone, while his thumb found a new, quite bothersome, knot of tension beneath her left paw-pad and worked on relieving her from it. Throughout the process, the female actually had to bite inside her cheek to keep herself from mewling, which in the end did little to stop a subdued coo from escaping her once the deed was done --Oogway, she's gonna drive me insane!-- Po nervously thought, feeling his strange excitement climb exponentially with each sexy sound she made. He was going to need a VERY cold shower after this (and to see a shrink or something); but for now, he kept his cool and added --Given the position I got you in, I assumed giving your probably dead-tired feet-paws a nice rub would be a perfect place to start--

--But I...ooh...I didn't give you...ahn!...perrrmission to tou-mmm-ch my feet!-- The bound feline stated, trying to sound severe (failing miserably at it) and struggling to fight off the relaxing effect of having the male she loved spoiling her soles; since, for all intents and purposes, it was happening against her will --Be...Besides, couldn't you...aah!...untie me and then...oh, goodnmgh...a-ask if it was ooohkay?-- An endeavor that was proving itself to be harder and harder each second that passed; especially when his focus went to her restrained toes.

--Oh, but whatever for, Ti? By the sound of things you're enjoying yourself quite a bit-- He said, chuckling lightly even as he put tremendous effort into keeping himself calm as could be by beating back the thoughts of how bad he wanted to suck on her sexy toes after he finished rubbing them. Tigress, meanwhile, was putting just as much effort into not becoming a happily moaning and purring mess; seriously, how could her lovable moron have such magical fingers?! Where did this dangerously wonderful skill come from?! Damn it, she had to stay strong! --Of course, if it makes ya feel too uncomfortable I'll stop myself. All you gotta do is ask-- Po added, voice getting particularly sly.

--Grr, so that's how it is! Sneaky bastard-- Tigress thought, amber eyes going wide in astonishment as she stared at the ursine taking care of her feet-paws; understanding striking her like lightning once she heard how strongly he stressed the word 'uncomfortable'. The way his smile gained quite a bit of smugness to it when their eyes made direct contact only confirmed her conclusion --He wants me to contradict my decision!-- She concluded; very confident in the correctness of her assessment.

Well then, if that was the case he had another thing coming!

At such a discovery, her pride and whatever still survived of her ire redoubled her efforts to push back against the gratifying sensations of the amazing massage; though, for whatever reason, those had become quite stronger too. It certainly had nothing to do with the fact some part of her suddenly made note of how much more...appealing the Dragon warrior seemed at the moment; full of confidence while virtually lording over her vulnerable form. No sir, of course that wasn't it.

--Hmph, t-that's not...oohm...it, panda! Hah, I just mmmeant, a bit of a war...hahn...warning would've been NNnghice! You know I...ah...hate being caught off guard!-- She replied with difficulty. Just how tense were her feet for a freakin rub to feel so heavenly?! --I do-OH-n't mind the attention! It ffeelsss nice! And it's only my...nnh...my feet-- Which, annoyingly enough, was the most truthful statement she'd made 'til now --Ah! As a matter of...mmm...fact, you can do whateverrr you wAHNNt with them...f-for all I care...ooh, y-mphg...just don't expEGHt me to go e...easy on...mmha...you because of this when I...HAH...am free!-- She bit out while closing her eyes in an attempt to better regain her center and lowering her head slightly to hide the palpable burning of her cheeks; which probably couldn't be seen because of her orange fur, but she would rather not risk it.

--That's totally fair-- Po conceded with ease, not losing his sneaky grin for a second; in fact it only grew as he said --Although, bearing in mind the kind of agony I'll be in for eventually regardless of what I do, I think I'll take you up on the offer. After all, there IS another special activity I've heard couples do sometimes...one the current setting is perfectly suited for in fact-- For this statement, the monochromatic bear allowed his voice to sound more teasingly foreboding; knowing very well he'd cause his girlfriend's every neuron and nerve-ending to flare in alarm --Now the real persuasion begins...hope you're ready, Ti, 'cause I am not stopping until we're in agreement-- He thought resolutely; paying as little attention as possible to just how pleasing he personally found the idea. This wasn't supposed to be about him.

True to form, the tiger master's head snapped back up in an instant to direct a suspicious and, for good measure, menacing glare at the cheeky male standing before her...yet, like the first time around, an answer came before her demands for an explanation could even take form in her tongue. This new answer, however, wasn't exactly pleasant like the commencement of her massage. No, what she received was a mostly unknown and strange sensation, one she could barely recall feeling only once a LONG time ago; some kind of pseudo-electrical jolt that flared from the furry arch of her bare, right foot-paw and coursed through her restrained leg all the way to her startled brain, causing her breathing to hitch immediately and her affected extremity to jerk away as if frightened in response.

--Ooh that reaction was awesome! Let's see if we can get it a second time-- Po gleefully said before placing his left index finger beneath the bottom-end of the tiger's left paw-pad and slowly dragging it down towards her heel. Her body reacted on impulse once again by trying to get her sole away from his touch and another discreet gasp barged out of her black lips --Alright, so it wasn't a fluke! Operation giddy kitten is officially a go!-- He exclaimed, blurting out the name he'd come up with for his little plan in order to send his girlfriend's brain into overdrive since he knew she loathed being called 'kitten'. At the same time, his dexterous and curious digits began to poke and lightly scratch around her naked soles with their bluntish claws, causing the pair to fidget sexily in their bonds as much as they could while the owner felt something bubbling in the back of her throat.

--Hrrnn...pandHAH, j-just what ahahre you...hngh!...doing?! What IHIghs this?! Hrk!-- Tigress struggled to say amidst grunts and pants as she fought against whatever the odd new feeling was --W-Why am I reacting so strongly to this?! He's ba-barely even touching my feet now! It's not like it hurts or anything...and why THE HELL does it feel like I'm holding back a smile?!-- She thought, starting to feel alarmed in the face of her confusion while gritting her teeth and balling her hands into fists subconsciously out of effort.

--Heh, come on Tigress, you don't really expect me to believe you don't know what tickling is?-- A light chuckle escaped from the panda's lips at even suggesting such a ridiculous notion --Almost as ridiculous as just how sensitive her feet-paws actually are! Seriously, the opening rub was good to see what chances the plan had of succeeding, but even the result of that would only amount to a tentative guess 'cause her feet were bound to be tense, no pun intended heheh, so a positive reaction was kinda obvious. BUT if she's getting like this already...the odds might be in my favor after all" He pondered with enthusiasm, the whole while continuing to patiently probe the feline's captive soles; paying close attention to her every reaction in order to locate any sweet-spots and trying his hardest not to become too aroused by the enrapturing sight and sounds of her valiant resistance.

Meanwhile, the tiger master's brow, already quite tense with determination for not giving in to the tingling sensation coursing through her body, furrowed further in confusion as she wracked her brains in search for the meaning of that term she was sure to have heard or read before. It was no easy feat, though, since gathering her thoughts while keeping the...tickly? Ticklish?...whatever jolts at bay was proving to be quite troublesome. It became even more difficult when the ursine's fingers started to focus solely on the pads at the balls of her feet, specially whenever the claws at their tips would scrape gently against the very edges of them; causing her to shut her eyes tight and bite on her lip (unknowingly feeding his excitement in great manner) to stop...squeaks? Really?!...from escaping her mouth.

--C'mooonn, think Tigress, th-think! What was tickling?! It had a...a purpose! I know it did! But what...DAMN IT ALL, PANDA, LEAVE MY PAWS ALONE FOR A FREAKIN SECOND SO I CAN THINK!-- The feline angrily, as well as a tad desperately, shouted in her head; sweat beginning to form on her forehead as her resistance grew weary. Already the corner of her lips had curved slightly upwards into a forced smile and her leg and arm muscles began to actually feel strained as a result of her tightening them in her efforts to keep her feet-paws' struggles from becoming frantic.

Suddenly, after about ninety seconds of her pads being targeted, Po's digits shifted position again and went higher...quickly getting to work digging with precision at the base of her toes and also between them!

The bound master's response was immediate: at feeling the MUCH more powerful shock that she received from the quick assault on her restrained toes, her amber eyes flew wide open and a short, but loud, bark of laughter finally barreled its way out of her system while she gave a minor lurch within her bonds and her piggies curled up tight in order to protect themselves; almost crushing the invading fingers in a, frankly adorable, death-grip.

The atmosphere inside the cell became deadly still as the two creatures stared at one another in astonishment; utter and sorta-secretly delighted for the male, petrifying and embarrassed for the female. Yet, this pause didn't last long, for not thirty seconds later the sly grin returned to the Dragon warrior's maw, now sporting a touch of wickedness in the striped feline's eyes (which in reality was more of a playful mischief) that sent a small chill down her spine...although, funnily enough, there was a part of her mind, very quiet at the moment, where whether the shiver was out of fear or nervous excitement was put into question.

--Well, well...I believe we've finally found your greatest sweet spot, Ti-- Po said in an exaggeratedly ominous tone that actually did nothing to unsettle the feline...or at least nothing in comparison to the trepidation she felt grow in the pit of her stomach when his right hand took hold of the toes on her right foot and forcefully pulled them back; not without some difficulty, which he dealt with by distracting her with a couple mild tickles on her arch --How about we give it a proper test run before calling it quits on the warmup, hm?-- he asked. Of course, the question was a rhetorical one.

--SHIT!-- Tigress mentally cursed, using a word that would've been completely unacceptable in her vocabulary any other day but simply was too useful during this bizarre situation, as the panda inserted a single finger under her toes and started wiggling it around; causing her to snort as she stamped down on the laugh that'd wanted to come out. More of the same continued to be ripped out of her being, along with heavy huffs and tortured grunts, as her eyes closed again and her teeth clamped down hard on her lower lip; even to the point of drawing a bit of blood. Still, not even the twinge of pain was enough to deter the insufferable tingling from running amok throughout her form; rapidly eating away at her composure...chipping away at her resolve...putting such a strain on her conviction she was a bit wary she'd brea... --WAIT A FRIGGIN SECOND! THAT'S IT!--

Ice-cold dread the likes of which she'd seldom ever felt washed over the master of hardcore when the epiphany regarding her blurry knowledge on the subject of tickling finally hit her brain with the force of a cannon ball. It couldn't be possible; Po would never resort to measures like those! Where did he even find out about it?! Besides, he'd said what he had in mind was some other stupid, couples' thing!

And yet...

--What else could it be?! I'm tied up, defenseless...at his mercy...and he said it himself, this is what being tickled is...-- She thought, aghast...and certainly NOT the least bit enthralled. So great was her shock, her resistance took enough of a hit for a few, strangled giggles to get past her when he shifted his focus to her other foot's toes --Tickling: one of China's worst torture methods...fuck, damn toes!...and my idiot boyfriend is using it on me over a STUPID disagreement?!-- Now this was a serious outrage! She could sorta tolerate being drugged and tied up by someone she trusted (strangely enough, but true!) and stand by the imposed foot rub (she was uptight, but not THAT much), but doing something like this to her was really crossing a line! --Mrrph...ssstop! Pan...eee-heehee...panda, stop thihihihis! I...eek!...I meaneheheh it! Ahahagh! Ugh! STOP!-- She demanded, opening her eyes in a fiery glare...which was kinda negated by the bright flush on her face; fruit of her embarrassment at the giggly mess she turned into once she opened her maw.

Fortunately for her, though, the black and white bear actually heeded her words and the assault on her feet-paws came to an end; causing her to slump against the chair in a fit of heavy breathing while she subconsciously wiggled her liberated toes, the ones she could at least, in relief.

--Sure thing, Ti. I was planning on giving you a little break anyways; I mean, this was supposed to be a warmup, but with how hard you were taking it...I guess we can call it round one-- Po said, his infuriating smirk beaming down on her with maximum force...or at least it was until she snarled at him with such intensity one would think Tai Lung or Shen was standing before her. Sensing the shift in her mood, the male's features turned serious for a few moments as he seemed to analyze her...then went back to being smug as a look of understanding filled his gaze --Oh...you meant stopping altogether? That's a bit odd, didn't you say I could do whatever I wanted with your feet-paws for all you cared? You're going back on that?-- He asked mock-petulantly; reaching back up towards her fidgety toes and starting to play around with them.

Tigress flinched a little at the renewed contact, as well as the use of her own stubborn words against her, but she hurried to regain control of herself and growled at him again while kicking her restrained legs however little she could in an attempt to make him let go.

--Obviously that did NOT include torturing me!-- She snapped angrily; combining her furious jerks with sharp toe-curls in hopes she'd be lucky enough to scratch his sneaky digits with the claws at their tips. Of course, mortified as he was to admit it even if only to himself, the Dragon warrior still got a thrill out of that since the continuous scrunching and smoothening of her soles made for a very captivating show.

--Torturing? That's a bit of a strong word for what's happening here, don't ya think?-- The male inquired disbelievingly while he finally quit messing with her extremities. Surprisingly enough for the captive feline, whether he truly had never thought of it that way or his acting skills had improved by a wide margin wasn't 100% clear; given the utter confusion that now brimmed within his jade orbs --I told you, I'm just trying out something I've heard couples do sometimes. Guys tickle their girlfriends every now and then, the same in the other way around, or even have tickle fights on occasion; but I'd have to be crazy...er...to just casually start one of those with you out of nowhere-- He explained quite matter of factly.

--He's serious isn't he?-- Tigress asked herself, redundantly in her opinion, with a sweat-drop on her forehead. Exerting an unparalleled amount of self-control to reign in her boiling cauldron of a temper the slightest bit, she centered her smoldering gaze on him and spoke --Po, let's not kid ourselves here; do you really think I didn't catch on to your actual intentions for doing this? Can you look me in the eye and claim you didn't plan on tickling me until I changed my mind about my "gig"?-- She asked, using the term he'd priorly applied to refer to her way of acting, in a deadpan tone. In response, his lips trembled slightly as he (she assumed) resisted a pout; prompting the scowl on her face to deepen.

--Ok ok, you caught me. Really, it doesn't surprise me all that much-- Grumbled the panda after a minute of pondering if there was any point in trying to come up with a convincing lie --Still, that doesn't mean I was torturing you; just using an original...persuasion method?...that had a ghost of chance on getting things through your thick head. Geez--

--What the hell does he think torture is?-- Tigress thought, groaning exasperatedly inside her mind, although she kept the ridiculous question to herself and instead barked out --Whatever, panda! Just...Just freakin untie me already so I can beat your ass half-comatose for gods' sake!-- Interestingly enough, that's as far as her wrath would allow her to go in terms of threats, let alone punishment; the notion of dumping him still barely even existed in her mind --Then again, it's obvious this idiot honestly believed this wasn't such a big deal and he actually stopped as soon as I asked-- Add to that she had enough maturity to recognize that, for all intents and purposes, she was QUITE close to being an outright abusive bitch and she really had no motives to end their relationship over this incident.

She absolutely refused to be one of those females that demanded things out of life and/or other people but became indignant in the instant there was so much as an implication of similar concessions being expected from them.

Yet, much to her concealed dread, the warrior of black and white didn't move to do as he was told; instead, he simply remained standing there...staring at her contemplatively. With a sense of deja vu filling her being, in reminiscence of the first time he grabbed her feet-paws to massage them, the striped female gulped as discreetly as possible before growling in warning; resisting the urge to wiggle her vulnerable extremities and reveal her mounting nerves.

--Damn it, panda, do as I say!-- She shouted furiously --Whatever it is you're thinking...if you know what's good for you...FORGET ABOUT IT!--

--Yeah, I think the quality of my self-preservation instincts has been up to debate for a long while now-- Thought the ursine, summoning all of his kung fu warrior courage to return his beloved's gaze with a determined one of his own --If I do...will you quit trying to be awkwardly nice around me? After you pound me to the ground and then cool off about this whole shebang, I mean-- He inquired.

--Are you seriously still hung up on that?! What's the matter wi...--

--Yes or no, Tigress! That's all I want to hear-- Po interrupted her snappish reply, his voice sterner than she'd ever heard it. There went another unexplainable twinge of maybe-excitement because of it.

--Sigh I don't know, panda...I suppose I'll cut back on it-- She grumbled in reply: deciding that humoring him probably would make things move along faster. As for her not flat out telling him he'd have to get down on his knees and beg her for the slightest bit of physical affection anytime he wanted it in the near future (if not further)? Pride. She planned on sticking to her guns from the beginning, but after the way his little stunt developed, agreeing to stop wouldn't be much different than giving in. And Master Tigress of the Furious Five DID NOT give in. To ANYONE.

--You suppose? Should I take that as "Don't count on it. I'll keep doing things my way even if it kills me"?-- Asked the male, crossing his arms and looking down on her in a very unimpressed manner.

--Well, those wouldn't be my words exactly-- Tigress thought, blushing a bit more at being called out on her obstinate mindset, yet refusing to break eye contact with him this time around --Take it however you like, Po! Just get me out of this!-- She demanded again --Why is it so damn important I stop acting like that?! Do you really believe I will grow so sick of it I'll end up snapping and do some kind of irreparable damage to our relationship?!--

--I believe it's a risk, Ti! And what we have is something too precious for me to take any unnecessary risks with!-- He stated with conviction. In a silent reply, the striped feline sent him her own deadpan stare and pointedly wiggled her unrestrained toes as if to say 'Oh really? Then what do you call all this?!' --Th-This isn't the same thing! While crazy and stupidly dangerous to my wellbeing for sure, I trusted you'd know me well enough by now to let it slip...in your own bodaciously hardcore way-- This following statement came out a bit shaky, some out of embarrassment and the rest as a result of him holding his excitement back at her unknowing teasing, but there was no denying the honesty and resolution in his gaze --Yes, I knew there would be a ton of pain coming my way and I'd have A LOT of making up to do...but THOSE I am much more than willing to undertake--

Whether she liked it or not, the captive female found herself a bit moved by his heartfelt (if not kinda bizarre...but, as previously established, that was almost the norm in her life) words; yet she obviously was more than miffed enough to ignore the feeling for the most part and reply in a slightly acidic tone.

--Hmph, I suggest you save the sweet-talk till AFTER your beating. It's not going to do you much good as long as I'm here-- Nevertheless, the bear clearly wouldn't back down no matter what she said; save for her agreeing to his "demands" --At any rate, it would seem we're in a dead end of sorts...what happens now, Dragon warrior?-- In all honesty she didn't know WHY she decided to call him by his title...nor why it made her feel ANOTHER thrill run up her spine.

The ursine's brow furrowed in concentration at her question; and his mounting arousal climbed all the more at the way she addressed him. What could they(he) do? He knew from the start she wouldn't budge without convincing, hence the plan, but after she brought up the fact this whole thing might as well be a torture session (seriously, how DID he miss that?!), he felt reluctant to just keep going; no matter how much he actually wanted to play with her sexy feet-paws some more. And THAT was saying something, 'cause holding his weird attraction back was a super hard challen...

--That's it!-- Po merrily thought as an idea came to his brain, causing his smug smirk to reform; much to the tiger's very clear weariness --Hmm...how about we settle this with a little wagger?-- He proposed; not helping his girlfriend's nerves in the least with the cunning edge of his voice. Still, though...

--What do you have in mind?--