P4: Something Simple

Here's a Persona 4 piece that I did when I was still trying to decide how to write a story about them. Ultimately, it turned out that the characters were not where I wanted them to be (in life or in personality), so I scrapped it. The origin of the idea was to try and follow the progression of thought for someone creating. For Kanji, it was sewing; for Yukiko it may have been cooking; Yousuke, writing music; Chie, practicing a kata... that sort of thing. The problem was that the two characters I started with (Kanji and Rise) just didn't feel right. They sounded, as we say in the fan fiction realm, "OOC," or "out of character."

And, to be honest, they weren't the characters I wanted to write about, deep down.

But there are still little parts to this piece that I enjoy. You can judge for yourself.

It started with something simple: an idea. Then came stencil paper, tailoring chalk, fabric, and shears. Next, the right needles and thread, matched for stitch size and color. Then the proper diligence, to see the project through. And finally cotton stuffing, to bring a little life to it.

Kanji Tatsumi sat back in his chair and regarded his clever handiwork with no small sense of pride. Only a few years ago, he had considered his talent for sewing and design something for which he should be ashamed, about which he should keep quiet. It did not exactly fit everyone's image of a streetwise punk, to be sitting in his mother's textiles shop making stuffed dolls for the children in town. But time and experience had tempered the wild youth within him, and he now took great satisfaction in being able to create toys so unique.

Of course, the fledgling business endeavor had not been the only thing to ease his temperament.

“Aww, what a cute little guy!”

Kanji turned at the sound of the female voice. He smiled, wagging the stuffed animal in the air. “You talkin' about me, or the bear?”

The newcomer smirked at him. “The bear, you silly,” she said. She waved her hand out at him, swiping playfully at his head. “I'd never call you a 'little guy,'” she told him, hooking her arms around his neck and swinging into his lap with the inborn grace of a dancer.

He snickered. “You're happy,” he observed.

Rise Kujikawa grinned at him, showing her perfect, idol-worthy smile. “Work day's over! I wanna go someplace.”

Kanji shrugged. “Where d'you wanna go?”

She returned the gesture. “I dunno. Okina, maybe?” Her eyes lit up. “Oo! I heard from Ai-chan that Croco-Fur got some new fashions in this week!”

“Okina?” He scoffed. “That's over an hour by train! It's already almost six.”

She shrugged her shoulders back at him, then leaned toward him and whispered, like a conspirator. “We could get a room. Stay the night.”

He chuckled. “And they called me a bad influence!” He settled back in his chair, bouncing her a bit with his knees. “”How about we just go out, here? Aiya's always good.”

Rise made a face. “That's boring! I wanna go someplace different.”

He shrugged.