Part of Your World
By Shade the Raven
Persona 4: MC(Souji)/Yukiko
All characters and trademarked items properties of their respective owners
The summer sun beamed down onto the land, yet it could not hold a candle compared to the smile she wore. Such was the power of a focused heart, even one as young as hers. And it was a feeling she was growing quite used to, for it happened every time she was with him. It took but a single thought or side long glance to send that spark along her nerves and cause her cheeks to burn. But today would stand out among all the rest for Yukiko Amagi.
Earlier that afternoon, the young heiress to the Amagi Inn had called upon him to help her with her shopping, but Yukiko did not tell Souji Seta what she was searching for until she was sure it was right. For few were those she would ask to sample her cooking, and not just for the apparent safety hazard. Most like her best friend Chie would stomach it as best they were able and complement whatever they could. But he was different. Souji was honest and sometimes honestly blunt. But never was his honesty meant to be mean or disrespectful. Quite the contrary, if Souji found a problem, then Souji would be the first to step up to fix it. And that warm directness and unflinching charity were things Yukiko truly cherished about him. Which is why she finally asked him, simply and sweetly "Taste my cooking again, okay?"
Souji met her blush with his own warm gaze and smiled "Of course. I'd be happy to."
And the smile that set itself upon her lips would not let go for the rest of the day, as she wore it the entire walk home as they chatted about the simpler things in life and about what wonderful concoction Yukiko had planned for Souji to sample next. In what felt like a few paces time, they had arrived at the Amagi Inn and had to say goodbye for the moment. Yet, as Seta handed her the last of the grocery sacks for the trip, fate tipped its hat to them as their hands met among the plastic. The feeling of his pulse along her slender fingers fused her cheeks with a bright crimson hue, and she could not help but notice a similar tint crossing his features. Still, not one to be predictable, Souji gave her hand a gentle squeeze and nodded "Let me know if you need anything else, Yukiko."
"I will. Thank you Souji-kun" she replied as she backed into her quarters. But the instant her door closed, a chill crept across her. Somehow, Amagi just didn't feel quite like herself without him by her side anymore. Even though her room was a shrine within itself, decorated with treasures from throughout history, the first thing she gravitated to grasp was a pint sized stuffed doll that Souji had bought for her from Junes. While he had said "It reminds me of Konohana Sakuya, which means it reminds of you", now Yukiko had to grin as she wondered just what he was thinking by that.
Clutching the small stuffed idol to her chest, Yukiko could not help but smile wide and she began to wonder just what more there was beneath and beyond his silver capped exterior and the town they called home. And one by one, those thoughts translated into a quiet song for only those closest to her heart as she held the toy akin to a dance partner in a private tango. "Maybe he's right. All I need is a bit more practice, and I know I can get it right. And who knows, maybe one of these charms has a little luck in it too."
Look at this stuff
Isn't it neat?
Wouldn't you think my collection's complete?
Wouldn't you think I'm the girl
The girl who has everything?
Look at this inn
Histories untold
How many wonders can one town hold?
Looking around here you think
Sure, she's got everything
I've got items and trinkets a-plenty
I've got charms and antiques galore
You want thingamabobs?
I've got twenty!
But who cares?
No big deal
I want more
Ever since she was little, people have told her she was graceful, but Yukiko never really felt it until recently. Granted, her normal attire of a long slender dress and form fitting blouse has drawn many a drooling gaze from her fellow students, but that's all those eyes ever meant. Even Youske, dear friend and valued team member that he was, had been guilty of the same crime last year. So when Seta arrived in their classroom for the first time, he was simply one more face in the crowd.
And then she was kidnapped, and Amagi's world turned completely upside down. Her own deepest, darkest secrets now stared back at her, perverting and twisting her thoughts into sick reflections of her heart. Things even her closest confidante Chie never knew were suddenly thrust into light, so it was even more apprehensive when a near stranger was the one leading the charge to save her. The fire in Souji's eyes as he fought her Shadow was incredible, and when Yukiko asked her about that fateful day, he had simply shrugged and said "I know how hard it can feel to stare down your own heart all alone. One of the benefits of moving so often. I couldn't just stand by at let it try and kill you, and I didn't care what you would have thought of me afterwards. Had to do what I could."
And at that moment, while paired with him on a bold reconnaissance mission to save the next target from a same fate as her, Yukiko promised herself that she would learn more about this Souji Seta.
I wanna be where more people are
I wanna see, wanna see them dancin'
Walking around with a - what do you call 'em?
Oh - love!
Walkin these streets, you don't get too far
There's so much more that just isn't out here
Strolling along down a - what's that word again?
Boulevard!
Being the heiress of possibly the most popular attraction in this small town, Yukiko had the privilege of meeting most everyone and anyone who came into their Inn. So that meant the 'gossip' that swam around town was too quickly spoiled by repetition, as were the streets of the Shopping District and the waters of the Samegawa River. Yet, the young man who had seen more of the world than she had heard of yet was the same person to turn her eyes to the subtle beauty and humble elegance of such small town charms. Which made Yukiko stop and wonder, even for a moment's pause, just what it was she would be leaving behind.
Out where they walk, out where they run
Out where they stay all day in the sun
Wanderin' free - wish I could be
Part of that world
What would I give if I could live out of this town?
What would I pay to spend a day warm on the sand?
Bet'cha out there they understand
That they don't reprimand their daughters
Proper women sick of servin'
Ready to stand
And I'm ready to know what the people know
Ask 'em my questions and get some answers
What is this fire and why does it - what's the word?
Burn?
Sometimes nature can be as subtle as a train horn, such as the case of their Personas strongest elements. Jiraiya's mastery of the wind was a perfect match for Hanamura's happy-go-lucky and free flowing nature. Tomoe was built for battle and as cold and relentless as ice, a doppelganger for her best friend Satonaka. And then there was Konohana Sakuya, the product of Yukiko Amagi facing her darkest secrets. A bender of fire, but also the team's lifeline at times. To the ruby wrapped Priestess, it didn't make any sense why such powers would choose her. Fire was explosive, ferocious even apocalyptic at times, and none of these described her soft-spoken and tempered nature.
Or, at least it didn't, until Souji explained it in a new light one day as they walked together along the riverbank "Fire is as vital as it is powerful. Without it, we wouldn't be here today. Its simple desire to expand and continue burning are easy to see, which is why it's been tied to life's more… intimate tendencies. Passion, love, and even healing have all used fire to personify them. So, I think, it's a perfect fit."
"But what about my …other abilities? I mean, the healing magic? I'm… I 've never fixed anything beyond a Band-Aid before…and I'm not much of a cook" Amagi asked, the rather shameful memories of Mystery Food X and a failed box lunch coming to the forefront.
"But you're always willing to try. Without you, Chie wouldn't have anyone to lean on like she does, which means Youske would be taking a whole lot more beatings. That, and you are our first success as a group. You showed us that we could do this, we could save anyone who got thrown into the TV by this wackjob. That success gave us the fire that we needed to keep going like we have." Try as he might to be cool and calm as usual, even Souji could feel that dramatic tingle arc across his skin. He never would have talked to anyone like this before, so serious and honest, but easy and carefree. Running his hand through his silvered hair, he smiled and added "And more than that, you showed me that wanting your future and actually pursuing it are two very different things."
"What do you mean?"
Shrugging, Seta gestured to the horizon "Everyday, the sun rises one way and sets the opposite. And in that small span of time, I could have bounced between here and New York and it wouldn't have mattered to me. I guess I got so used to being on the move, I forgot what having roots felt like. So, when I first came to Inaba, it was an actual shock to be staying in one place for so long, especially with family."
Yukiko gave him a look of honest surprise. He was describing, in his own view, the very life she had hoped to explore. Not being tied down to any one dream or career. Able to set her own course. Was this the bitter downside she hadn't seen?
"And then all this madness started and everything went insane" their leader continued. "But I was able to see at least a little of the truth in this so far. Just because I'm never rooted anywhere for long, doesn't mean I have to just drift like a ghost." Turning to meet her eye to eye, Souji nodded "And you showed me that. Everyone has shown me a little something different, but you Yukiko, you showed me just how strong I can be. And I don't think I could ever thank you enough for that."
When's it my turn?
Wouldn't I love, love to explore that world far away?
Out in the city
Wish I could be
Part of your world
You've already shown me so much, Souji-kun, it's me who is thankful to have you with me…she thought to herself, fully aware of the embers blossoming on her cheeks. Even her body seemed to be attuned to the thoughts running through her mind, for even as her voice grew louder inside her room, she held the small stuffed avatar to her heart and began to spin, the feeling of her skirt wrapping around her legs like a soft viper most enjoyable, though Yukiko let her mind wonder for an instant just what she would feel as Souji's arms closed around her to hold her with such closeness.
What would I give to live where you are
What would I pay to stay here beside you
What would I do to see you, smiling at me
Where would we walk
Where would we run
If we could stay all day in the sun
Just you and me
And I could be…
Part of your world…
Of all the places to stop her hypnotic twist, the crimson Priestess' gaze locked right onto his framed view, a souvenir from a good friend with a camera and too many ideas to do with it. Yukiko couldn't help but chuckle as she snapped picture after picture of her town, forging memories of a place she would soon leave behind. But when he looked at her and laughed in return, she could not help but blush slightly and catch that moment in time. She had seen Souji when he smiled on cue, but this was different. This was natural, unrestrained and caring. Which made her often just how often this still solemn transfer student actually smiled like this.
And how much more he could thanks to her touch. And that maybe, just maybe, this so-called 'Amagi Challenge' had met its match. Though the lyrics reached their end, the embers they created did not, as she reached out to grab that picture and giggle at her own entertainment.
I don't know when
I don't know how
But I know something's starting right now
Watch and you'll see
Someday I'll be
Part of your
world.
(Meanwhile…)
There were quite a few things he had come to expect as of late, and others he could never have predicted. This case certainly fell into the latter, as the moment Souji had raised his hand to knock on Yukiko's door, the voice of a crimson clad angel swept out from the other side and made him pause. Leaning onto the door as carefully as possible, he kept his gaze alert for any passing workers, though his attention was quickly tractored into the melody. For breathtaking and stunning were the only ways he could describe it.
Seta knew how much Yukiko wanted to see more of the world and find her own place in life, and he certainly sympathized with that, both in connection with and in spite of his own travels thus far. Still, the closer that he became to the young Priestess, the more he could see the kindness and caring that she still held for those that had helped her get this far, along with her loyalty to her family's name and tradition. And that was something he would never ask her to betray.
Yet there was an even more powerful force ensnaring them both now, that simple but all powerful emotion known as love. It was clear to Souji that what he had felt within his heart had been shared by hers, which made up his mind for him. Not just a simple case of the Amagi Challenge, this was as pure as the summer sky and as clear as the autumn's wind. Smiling to himself, he backed away from her chamber door once things had gone quiet. Tempting as it was to simply bash down her door and confess his feelings in a truly brash and more Youske-style way, Seta knew that this was something that could not be rushed. "A surprised flower never blooms properly. But one that has grown under its own power will blossom eternally…" he mused to himself, in a voice shared by both Souji and his own true self, Izanagi. Besides, if love knew no truer feeling than this, then he was more than able to wait for her. I love you too, Yukiko Amagi. Without you, my world is incomplete, and we just can't let that happen, can we?
I won't lie, in terms of P4 pairings, this one is my favorite by far. And at the risk of letting loose my inner fanboy, I'll just leave it at that
Many thanks go to DA atist Marureeu, whose picture of Yukiko inspired this, along with fellow author Bonusparts (Mayumi-H on ) for kindly kicking in the rear and remind me why I love to write
REVIEWS ALWAYS WELCOME