(OPEN) Hero for a day

(Chris, having finished his classes for the day, stumbles into the usual park. He is seen sitting on a park bench taking in the sights. All of a sudden, he is shaken by the screams of a little girl in peril. He rushes over to the location of the screams to find that the little girl in question is being chased by a jackal. Chris rushes to tackle the Akita onto the grass, where the jackal bites him in left arm arm. Chris struggles against emoting his pain. You... call that a bite? (Chris half-heartedly bites the large dog in it's throat with his fangs, and then the dog skimpers off in pain. Chris turns slowly to address the shaking girl. You okay? (Chris notices that the girl is pointing to a few other students from Yamaku staring at him with bewildered expressions.) Oh crap...

I am one of those students.

You look familiar!

Seeing the dog running away I chase it and tackle it to the ground. Ignoring the pain in my wrist from using my left hand in such a matter.

Couldn't be...

After closer examination I find a disfigured jaw like it was hit by a wooden club weapon and a blade penetration mark on it's side.

The same place I threw my knife at a dog when it attacked me.

It IS!

I am currently unarmed with nothing but my pocket knife.

I take it out anyway while holding down the animal. Opening it with one hand.

Rage toward myself and toward the dog cloud my thoughts. I've lost the will to show a less threatening composure in front of others.

Right now it does not matter if I am seen as threatening. This thing has not learned to stay away from attacking humans for food and I let it go the first time.

When an animal attacks me I see it as it just trying to survive.

However, when I see one attacking someone else I see it as my duty for that not to happen.

All my fault-all my fault-all my fault-all my fault!

*G* "I let you go and you still have not learned!?"

I raise my knife. My handicapped hand pushing down on it's throat.

Someone completely different is in my body right now. My aura is black. My expression one of actual anger.

Not a sight often spotted of me and not one I show onlookers.

I'll not have you harm that animal, Satoshi!

My arm suddenly stops and my personality flips back to normal but still dead serious.

Hm..

There are few people whom I take orders from no questions asked.

Christopher happens to be one of them.

My mouth spits out venom as I speak to the animal again.

*G* "Next time I catch you, your head shall rest atop a pike."

"Have anything to use as a muzzle? He's struck before."

I raise my arm, revealing a gauze-wrapped wrist.

"Just ask Nakagawa."

Sumiko? (Chris looks at Satoshi with intent eyes.) Is she hurt!?

"No. I can tell this is the one that approached us that night her and I were in the woods, though."

"Look here."

I point to it's battle scar.

"This was done from a thrown knife. A bit wide for how deep it is, confirming it was done by a kunai."

"We left a little after you did but ended up being stumbled upon."

"Threw one of my knives at this little bastard and got bit."

"I hurt it and let it run without finishing thinking it may have learned it's lesson and because I wasn't about to...do such a thing in front of Nakagawa."

My voice and language may be serious but that doesn't stop me from saying one of my common 'Satoshisms.'

"Just is not my style, man."

I pause. Noticeably troubled.

"But if I knew it would-..."

"I'm just glad you were here, it could of-..."

My head is sinking more and more every sentence fragment.

"I don't think I would of been able to..."

"..forgive myself."

It would of been my fault...

Satoshi... (The little girl that Chris saved grabs onto his shirt to get his attention. He turns around and bends down to address her.) Are you okay? (Chris discovers that the little girl is an orphan that had run away from the orphanage that he works at.)

I'm a little busy acting like an Italian who is unable to give something to someone to notice but soon I find myself with an actual good reason to not listen.

Taking my shoe and sock off I pull on the two ends of the little wearable cloth while sitting (not with my full weight, just enough to keep it down) on the dog to keep it from getting away.

In a little bit we have our own homemade muzzle so it cannot bite anyone while I transport it to a place I had in mind.

Animal control.

Thinking to myself 'Get sum, yeh damn sum-BITCH! Chances are they'll take you to the farm for me.'

"Hey, Chris. So what does she have to day?"

I say it as a legit question even if my poor choice in words sounds like I'm douchein' it up and making her thank him.

(Chris pats the little girl on her head.) Run along now, Suki. I better see you while I'm working tomorrow. (The little girl nods her head and wanders off.) You were saying, Satoshi?

"What did she want to say to you?"

"Anything important?"

She just wanted to tell me that she ran away from the orphanage I work at. If she's the sweet little girl I've been led to believe, then I'll see her while I'm working there tomorrow.

A werewolf working at an orphanage...

I don't know why I think this but those two things don't really seem to go together much.

It's almost funny the irony.

"Huh, that's pretty cool. I didn't know you worked at an orphanage."

I get up and lift my catch on my shoulder as it struggles.

My face soon gets a good taste of what dog foot tastes like.

"Ah-what the hell, man!"

"He-hey Cook, help me by calming down the 'twee shakuh' over here."

Put him down, bro. I'll see what I can do to calm the beast.

"I could think of one quick and easy way..."

Instead of keeping my grudge against it, I obediently set the dog down like a good boy.

"What are you going to do?"

Sure he's a werewolf but...can he really do what I think he's going to do?

(Chris makes a whistling sound, and the creature immediately rushes over to him and rolls over on his back. Chris proceeds to rub the dog's belly.) You are such a scary dog, aren't you!? Yes, you are! (The creature is so elated that his tongue is rolling out of his mouth.)

What the fuck?

What the fuck?

"What the fuck?"

...Dude, I got nothing.

Me either...

"Eeeh..."

A quite surprised me comes up to the dog and unties his muzzle.

My mind is a little softer toward the animal but I still can't help but see it as the one that attacked myself and a little girl.

The moment Chris leaves, that dog will go back to normal and continue what it started.

I can't have that no matter what.

"Hey, Chris, man, lets go."

I step back to the side while looking to show that we should go as well as my words do.

Ah... (Chris huffs. Chris then allows the animal to roll back over on it's legs and it runs off into the scenery.)

When I see it sprint off I find myself experiencing much worry.

Worry for the next person to come across that rogue animal.

Shit-where's it going??

The worry quickly turns half into frustration.

"Chris!"

I take a few steps to close the gap between him and me before resting my hand upon his shoulder.

My mood is filled with frustration but in the case of dealing with a friend my voice harbors no accusations with those worries. My mind is automatically hardwired to forgive even before knowing what exactly happened (that is, unless his judgement is just a huge lapse in common sense that any normal person could of used).

That is how far my trust goes. In some cases it is good and in some it is bad for me. A gift and a curse.

(Anyone with at least a degree of trust can imagine in which situations and cases it could be either.)

I trust anyone but, when it's down to the potential harm of others, even MY trust has it's limits.

If I hadn't known him, you can definitely bet I would of (or at least tried to) pinned him into the nearest wall. Practically spitting my frustrated questions at him.

"Promise me what you did is safe to everyone that is met by it!-Can you-can you at all?-Please?"

I can honestly make no promises that that creature won't continue to hurt people, but killing him would upset the natural order of things. We werewolves consider the unlawful deaths of animals to be the equivalent what you humans have dubbed mortal sins. Knowing what I'll do to him if he reares his face around here again, he'll have half a brain to stay away.

"Didn't stop him from coming again the last time..."

I let go of Chris and turn my body away from him.

My expression so powerful-so chilled, that the air around me almost feels cold as well as it already feels thick.

It is a mood of pure sorrow. Of death itself.

"If I come to town one day and find it mauling someone once more..."

Hands are clenched to fists.

"...I won't forgive nor forget what mercy you and I have shown..."

"These 'sins.' Are to protect those who cannot protect themselves."

My head turns to my side. Right eye hidden behind my bangs looking back at Christopher.

"Perhaps one who works at an orphanage might understand."

"Perhaps one who just had to save one of the orphans would understand."

My head turns back straight.

"If you were not here today. That little girl might have been~..."

My chin sinks lower...

"....been my burden to carry for the rest of my life..."

and lower...

"Might have become the very definition of nightmare inside of me..."

and finally looks down at almost a 90 degree angle.

"I promised both to myself and to that jackal that I would not give it a second chance..."

"Now that I've failed to uphold my end, all I can do is pray I never see that thing again..."

"Or else I wont forgive myself...I simply do not have that amount of strength."

You're cause is a most honorable one, Satoshi. I just... didn't feel it necessary to kill that jackal, even if it nearly attacked Suki. Trust me, I love children. I'd much rather hold a conversation with a child than most adults.

"Even for Nakagawa?"

Images of her face when we were tracked...

of that first howl...that first sight...the fear in her eyes..

all of those flash through my mind.

"Chris...I'm just warning you that if I see it again...I'm not going to hesitate like I did today.."

Those words escape my mouth as if they are not mine.

As if they were read from a sheet of paper. A line made for me to repeat.

"And as a friend I wish for you to forgive me in advance...because I don't think I'll be able to refuse an action with or without it..."

My words are cold but my voice is not.

Filled with an indescribable emotion. One of an unwanted sense of duty.

The same one as a soldier pointing a rifle at an unarmed enemy whom he knows may or may not acquire a weapon and then use it against another unarmed person.

"I'm sorry, but that is how it is."

You do what you have to do, bro.

I offer little to break the silence for a bit.

"Thank you."

No 'danke.' No 'grazie.' No 'thank you' (English).

Just something rarely heard from my lips.

An 'arigato' in my home country language.

This time the words are my conciousness's instead of my mind's even if they emit depressing feelings.

This time they have myself in them.

With that said, I must be going for now. You take care of yourself, brudda. (Chris smiles after having used one of Satoshi's quirks.)