Did you know you don't get headpats in heaven?

Unbelievable, right? Immortality and demons and nature spirits, yes, but the simple idea of--of--oh my [i]gosh right there don't stop[/i]--of scritching someone behind the ears because she did good, oh so good, yes she did?

Not a trace of ear scritches, bellyrubs, or headpats to be found. It's dignified this, and growl that, and stern the other one.

What do you need if there's kids frightened by a fire, huh? What good will a fanged grin the size of a dinner plate do there, huh?

Shifu is cute, a crowd favorite, and she is weaponizing it [i]viciously.[/i]  She's new, she's weird, but she's also an orange-maned dog thing the size of a pony? And adults do this weird thing when they're confused, right? Like, it cuts through the panic and terror, short circuits their brain, and the new thing is so interesting they forget they're scared?

Humans are so cool like that.

It feels so good to be able to help like this, even if she's not able to do the same thing her guardians can, you know, the thing where they can talk without moving their teeth?

Oh. Right there. Rrrrrrright theee[i]eere oh my gosh[/i]

She grins--not the full threat display, but enough to make the kid perk up, and gives him a sloppy lick up one side of his face. Laughter. That's her reward, right there. Headpats, scritches, and to move onto the next terrified, shniffling kid.

It feels good to be a hero.

[Shifu accepts the shift.]