So, hey! My first fic. I should probably talk about it's conception. I've been exposed to the Persona series alot through my friends, particularly Rare Kuma. I got interested in the characters, and this idea of mine was made when I was joking about stuff for his current fic. So, I decided to go for it. I want to try and experiment with my writing, see if I can find quirks, or aspects of it I am adept at. I'll try to stick with this through to the end.
So with that, let's begin!
Note: I do not own any of the characters in this fic. Persona 4 is the property of Atlus.
Prologue:
It was a rainy day in the small town of Inaba. In the grey downpour upon a certain street, there was a Chinese Resturant named Aiya's. Inside, three friends sat together, The first girl had a plucky aura around her. Her brown eyes brimmed with energy, her short brown hair neatly set around like a mushroom. Her slender, if slightly stocky legs were visible underneath her short skirt and gym shorts, while her hands were tucked into her green-and-yellow jersey. She was Chie Satonaka.
A girl with raven black hair held in a red headband stood, her slanted black eyes staring with a cool, yet warm perception. Her glossed lips were twirled into a pretty smile, and she held her stance with composure and elegance. Her red cardigan suited her black skirt, stocking and shoes. She was Yukiko Amagi.
The boy with the two girls had an innocent, charming, cute face, and a slim body, clad in an open-collar frilled shirt with a rose at the chest pocket and black pants. His blonde hair was a sidesweep, while his wide blue eyes gleamed with enthusiasm and cheer. He was called Teddie. He also wasn't quite human, but that's a another story.
"So, Labrys' sent me a message about her new home! She's moved in with Aigis, who's living with one of their old friends."
"Oooh, let me see!" said Yukiko cheerfully, as she and Teddie looked at the picture, seeing the two robots, one golden haired with blue eyes, and the other silver haired with red eyes, smiling and happily waving at the camera, while sitting down inside what looked like a pillow fort.
"It's really great to know that Labrys finally found a family after all she got put through!" Chie gleefully said, "Although I'm not sure why they're in a pillow fort..."
Teddie spoke up at that, "Awww, come on Chie-chan! That pillow fort looks beary fluffy!"
"It's just them having fun together! They look so cute in that!" Yukiko said, giggling.
"Yeah...Still, I wish we could have spent more time with Labrys..." Chie wistfully said. "Ah well, maybe when all that crap with that Entity is over, we can invite Labrys to Inaba, and all of Aigis' old friends as well! Labrys said that the person they are with would love to meet us someday!"
"And when that happens, we should invite them all here! We can give them their trial by Aiya Beef Bowl!" said Yukiko.
"Ha! Yeah, today would have been the perfect day for it. Although if Aki was any indication, those Port Island people may be made of sterner stuff than we thought..." Chie trailed off in thought.
"Chie, you don't need to gush about your manly lover!" Yukiko said, cheekily smirking at Chie, who promptly started to blush.
"Hey, it's not like that!" Chie promptly retorted, but their attention was drawn towards Teddie as he started looking a combination of surprise and envy!
"Whaaaa?! You mean I'm not manly enough?" said Teddie accusingly.
"I never said anything like tha-" started Chie, before an indignant Teddie started up again.
"Well, I'll prove to you that this bear's the manliest of all! I'm going to take on the Rainy Day Beef Bowl challenge!"
Both Chie and Yukiko both looked stunned. Yukiko's expression turned into a smile, "Alright then Teddie, go for it!" Chie had other thoughts though.
"Ahahahaha..." laughed Chie, sporting a look of smugness. "Yukiko, if there's anything I know; it's the art of beef. The very IDEA that Teddie can even finish that bowl is a logical impossibility!"
"Hey, Yu-kun did it! We were there remember!"
"Yu being able to finish it was one thing, but Teddie? He's more fluff then muscle! His body could barely stand up to that sheer volume of beef!"
Teddie's expression was one of growing shame and sadness, as he muttered: "Chie-chan? You don't think I'm bear enough to handle it?"
Seeing his sorrow, Yukiko spoke up to him, "Don't get down like that Teddie! I know that you might not be the hardiest one around, but you have something that will get you through any obstacle!"
"What's that Yuki-chan?" said Teddie, piping up. Yukiko got closer and started ruffling his hair as Ted's smile grew.
"Your undying spirit... and my support." As Yukiko finished up, she careful placed her hand on to Teddie's own, looking deeply into his eyes with a proud look towards him. Teddie stood still and silent, before rising up, with a look of pure determination and drive all over his face, as he marched right on to the counter, looking the waitress right in the eye".
He then declared, as seriously and sternly as possible: "Bring on the Beef Bowl, baby."
"Right away sir," The waitress went to get the meal as Teddie sustained his determined look.
"He's dead." Chie said, as if it were a fact.
"Have more faith Chie! You never know! Teddie may actually get through it!"
"Yukiko, get real! Ted's a goner. In fact, the idea of him finishing that bowl is so ridiculous, that I would bet you anything, ANYTHING, that he can't do it!"
Yukiko turned sly at Chie's words. "Anything? All right..." Yukiko said as her tone became smugger and smugger. "How about this: If Teddie can finish that Beef Bowl, you will have to go an entire month without Steak. So what do you say Chie? Shake on it?"
Chie looked at her friend for a second, before taking Yukiko's extended hand and shaking it with nary a second thought. "Sucker's bet Yukiko. Suck. Ers. Bet."
"The Beef Bowl is ready." The waitress came back, in her arms a bowl, containing what could only be described as a mountain of meat, steaming hot. Few could even imagine being able to finish even half of it. But not Teddie.
He took the bowl, set it down at a table, staring at it. This was it. This was the moment his entire existence had been building up to. What stood before him now was the greatest challenge he would ever face. Every bit of his being would be put to the test. He would have to follow in Sensei's footsteps closer than ever. But he had courage. He took Yukiko's words to heart. He had the greatest boon he could ever hope for.
He had a totally hot stud who believed in him.
"RRRRAAAGGHHHH!" He let out a battle cry, grabbed his chopsticks and dug in. Chie and Yukiko watched on as Ted started chowing down on piece after piece of meat, starting to chip away at the monolith before him.
"Sooo good..." cried out Teddie, "It's so soft, tender...The juice is so wonderful...But I can't be tempted by it...The meat is for eating, to savouring!" as he went back to chowing through it.
"C'mon Teddie, that's the spirit!" cried out Yukiko in support.
"Well, he's got the drive, that's for sure," said Chie, looking on intently, "but he's about to find out that Beef Bowl punishes those who think they can get on with guts alone..."
Ten Minutes passed by, as Teddie still kept at it. The mountain had lost its peak, as the meat started nearing the bowl. Teddie still kept his drive, but as his watchers could see, his speed had lost a bit of its edge, and his eyes showed a twinkle of fatigue. Chie simply looked on, a small cocky smile on her face, while Yukiko looked on, hopeful, her hands clasped together.
"Is that all you got beef bowl? This bear's gonna tidy you up in no time!" Teddie cried out, meat juice starting to line his mouth.
"Teddie..." said Yukiko, still hopeful.
Another 20 minutes had gone by, as the meat had finally retreated back into the bowl. Teddie, however, was truly starting to show cracks. His speed was a shadow of what it had been going in, his eyes showed exhaustion, his pose was starting to slump, and stains littered his clothes. Despite this, Teddie still kept at it.
"I can see...The rice..." Teddie mumbled, "I must have courage...I must be dedicated...I must know my pace...I must understand...I must beat it..." As Teddie chanted, voice stricken with fatigue, he looked at Yukiko, beginning to look worried for him. "I must prove myself to Yuki-chan!" His spirit rekindled, he started going through it with renewed strength.
"I'll admit, i'm impressed that he's managed to get this far," said Chie, her tone and expression having shifted to that of fascination. "He's held up far better than I thought he would. But he's not going to last much longer Yukiko. Tell him to call it off Yukiko. I'm kinda getting worried about him..."
"I can't do that now Chie! Teddie's come so far! It would break his heart if I were to turn my back on him this far in." Yukiko smiled at Teddie, as Teddie gave a hearty thumbs up back.
Another 30 Minutes passed...
Teddie had been reduced to a near lifeless husk. His eyes were barely open, but what could be seen between his eyelids looked blank. Meat juice caked his face and his clothes, as his mouth hung open, dribbling liquid out, his body had gone limp and his stomach was bloated and swollen. The only signs that he was still conscious were the slight, quick spasms of his hands, and the low groaning noise emitting from his mouth.
The last half an hour had seen Ted's energy fall to pieces before his very eyes, as the beef got to him, and drained him away. It culminated in him spending 3 minutes trying to put a piece in his mouth, only for it to fall back out again. Teddie had picked it up, and put it back in his mouth, only for it to fall back out again, as the process repeated itself.
And as a final insult, a cluster of meat still remained in the bowl, untouched, even with Teddie's best efforts. Looking upon this sorry sight, were Chie and Yukiko, the former with a sad, yet expectant look on her face, the latter stricken with grief and worry.
"Well Yukiko, he did his best, and it was far more than I could have ever expected. But it's over now. He didn't make it. Ted's looking like a corpse now!"
"You're right Chie. I shouldn't have made him do it." Yukiko said in sorrow. She walked over to the mess that was Teddie. "Teddie. I'm sorry. But you did your very best. I'm so proud of you..." Yukiko said with kindness, as she stroked Teddie's grease coated cheek, before starting to walk away.
But in Teddie's mind...
"Beef...Beef everywhere...It's too much...I'm no bear...I'm nothing but a sad cub...It's over..." The thoughts swamp through Teddie's meat addled mind. And then he saw Yukikio stroking his cheek, with that look, and fading away. "Yuki-chan...I failed you...I'm not worthy..." He started to submit to the beef when...
"...You have something that will get you through any obstacle!"
"What's that Yuki-chan?" said Teddie, piping up. Yukiko got closer and started ruffling his hair as Ted's smile grew.
"Your undying spirit...And my support." As Yukiko finished up, she careful placed her hand onto Teddie's own, looking deeply into his eyes with a proud look towards him.
The memory swamp into Teddie's mind, as a fire ignited in him. "No...What kind of bear would I be if I let down Yuki-chan?! She believed in me, and I will never. Let. HER..."
"DOOOOOWWWWWNNNNN!" Teddie cried out, as every person in the room, quickly looked back at Teddie, rising out of his slump, pure drive engraved on his face, as he looked down at the Beef Bowl, with a burning glare.
"Teddie?" said Yukiko, surprised as could be.
"Alright Beef Bowl...Let's settle this...BEAR TO BEEF!" And with those words, Teddie reached into the bowl, grabbed two handfuls of meat from the cluster, and shoved them, one handful at a time, into his mouth, tearing through them with his teeth, and forcefully swallowing them. He looked into the bowl, as only a single piece remained, before he grabbed the bowl with both his hands, and tipped the last piece into his mouth, as he chewed it with two, furious chomps, before sucking it down his gullet.
Teddie lowered the bowl, his stained face and lined eyes showing no emotion. And then he uttered out his words, to the two amazed girls standing in front of him.
"It is done".
And then he crumpled to the floor.
"...die...ddie...eddie...Teddie...Teddie?..."
The voice echoed through the darkness, a voice that had helped him through his ordeal. Knowing that, Teddie slowly and weakly opened his eyes. A worried Chie and Yukiko stood above him.
"Teddie! You're awake!" Said Yukiko as her face turned to joy.
"I don't believe it Teddie...That was amazing!" Chie's face did the same.
"Yuki-chan...It was all thanks to you..." Teddie said weakly, "If it wasn't for your support, that Beef Bowl would have been un...Un...Un..."
"Un-bear-able?" Yukiko said with a hint of confusion.
Teddie turned his head to his side at the empty Beef Bowl, looking at it as if it were an infected plague rat. "...What have you done to me Beef Bowl..." Teddie groaned in horror. "What have you done..."
Yukiko looked at Chie. "So Chie, looks like Ted really could do it!"
"I don't believe it...Well, I guess miracles can happen," Chie said, her voice a mix of amusement and amazement.
"But Chie..." And then Yukiko's tone gained a malevolent edge. "You know what this means, right?...hehehehe..."
"What do you mean?..." said Chie, confused.
Yukiko was barely holding back laughter. "You lost your bet...hehehe...Which means...hehehe...Guess whose going a month with out steak?! PSHHHAHAHAHAHAHA!"
Chie stood blankly, as Yukiko howled with laughter. "Well, you see-" Chie started...
And then it sank in to her.
"No. No." Chie's tone was quiet and unbelieving. "No. No No. NO. NO. NONONONONO" Her tone turned frantic, as she fully realized the horror of what she had just gotten herself into.
"NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO OOOOO!"
Her cry of agony sounded out through Aiya, through the district, and through Inaba itself.
All the while Yukiko had nearly keeled over from manicial laughter, and Teddie was lying on the floor.