Equal Friendship
Apr. 26th, 2018 11:24 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
madimpossibledreamerAdulting tip: DO NOT ATTEMPT FOUR INTERVIEWS IN ONE DAY.
-Announcement brought to you by your daily fic.-
~Dreamer~
Notes: I really need Yosuke and Chie to be friends. I really kind of never started shipping them, partly because especially in the animation which was the first exposure I had to P4, the flirting between Yu & Yosuke and Chie & Yukiko respectively was really kind of the opposite of subtle, and it's fun. Also, we don't get enough depictions of guys and girls as friends which is a shame because it can be fun. I like showing characters interacting with each other so they don't all just exist in some sort of weird mass simulation for Souji|Yu. And I really need it not to be as shallow as depicted, i.e. Chie always being abrasive and stepping over clear lines (making him pay a huge tab, pouncing on the smallest transgressions to extort money out of him) and Yosuke being a peeping tom/pervert (which, y'know, I'm okay with certain obsessions being a character trait; I'm not okay with it being played off for laughs instead of 'this is really creepy, don't be like this'--and I'm still angry about the guys being punished for the girls' mistake. not the screen-tipping over scene. if possible my Souji would've ditched them before that point). That's more like just their Shadow selves. Make them real friends with a real reason to stay friends! In some ways, I like writing them as better friends than Chie & Yukiko, because they tend to have this weird understanding. They think alike, I guess?
Main Points:
Persona 4 Average AU
Chapter Summary: Sometimes Yosuke helps Chie out, too. (SPOILERS for Chariot social link.)
Word Count: 1017
Rating: teen for yosuke's swearing
-Announcement brought to you by your daily fic.-
~Dreamer~
Notes: I really need Yosuke and Chie to be friends. I really kind of never started shipping them, partly because especially in the animation which was the first exposure I had to P4, the flirting between Yu & Yosuke and Chie & Yukiko respectively was really kind of the opposite of subtle, and it's fun. Also, we don't get enough depictions of guys and girls as friends which is a shame because it can be fun. I like showing characters interacting with each other so they don't all just exist in some sort of weird mass simulation for Souji|Yu. And I really need it not to be as shallow as depicted, i.e. Chie always being abrasive and stepping over clear lines (making him pay a huge tab, pouncing on the smallest transgressions to extort money out of him) and Yosuke being a peeping tom/pervert (which, y'know, I'm okay with certain obsessions being a character trait; I'm not okay with it being played off for laughs instead of 'this is really creepy, don't be like this'--and I'm still angry about the guys being punished for the girls' mistake. not the screen-tipping over scene. if possible my Souji would've ditched them before that point). That's more like just their Shadow selves. Make them real friends with a real reason to stay friends! In some ways, I like writing them as better friends than Chie & Yukiko, because they tend to have this weird understanding. They think alike, I guess?
Main Points:
Persona 4 Average AU
Chapter Summary: Sometimes Yosuke helps Chie out, too. (SPOILERS for Chariot social link.)
Word Count: 1017
Rating: teen for yosuke's swearing
“So, I’m invading your house again,” Chie insists, and Yosuke’s eyebrows raise.
“Uhh.”
“Is that your girlfriend?” his dad asks, and he just has the sudden urge to shove his dad into the wall. Maybe Chie’s tendency toward violence is contagious. “Say hi from me!”
“I keep telling you, she’s just a friend!” he practically yells at his dad, then pulls the phone back up to his ear. “Sorry, what?”
But Chie’s uncharacteristically silent at the end, then oddly enough changes her mind. She sounds hesitant. “Sorry if it’s too much trouble. I guess you’re busy, I’ll just leave you—”
“If you hang up, I will call back,” he threatens, even though he’s not sure in what universe that’s actually frightening. “What’s this about?”
“Can’t a girl just want to hang out with a friend?” she tries, and, damn, there’s something definitely wrong if she’s pulling that.
“Well, I, um.” He winces. He’s not sounding cool at all. “Uh, you might want to bring your homework and have us muddle through it at least before dinner, because I guarantee you if I haven’t gotten it done, you haven’t either.”
“Come on, I’m not as bad as you!” she protests.
“Uh-huh. So it’s all ready to be turned in right now,” he nods, highly skeptical of that idea.
A long pause follows. “I hate you.”
He chuckles. “I have it on good authority that’s not true. See you soon.”
When it comes to grades, he really has been trying lately, and he keeps them mostly on track. By dinner, he has something he feels vaguely proud of, and Chie at least has something she can turn in.
She’s quiet during dinner, so he babbles to fill in the silence, and she actually looks like she’s appreciating it for once, so there’s definitely something very wrong. His dad makes one off-colour joke (yeah, okay, so maybe he gets that from somewhere, especially when Chie glances at him with a disapproving look) but overall he knows it’s not like they really think she’s his girlfriend (even though they’d probably approve if she was). They know she knows about his past and doesn’t judge him for it and that kind of friendship is worth so much more than even a relationship. A romantic kind of relationship, he means. Seriously, he means it. A few bruises are more than worth it (even though, really, someday she needs to learn about her true strength, because geez she never grew out of that ‘young kid throw your entire weight behind your punch’ stage). He’d wonder about physical abuse except he’s pretty sure half the time she doesn’t even mean for it to hurt as much as it does and then is just clueless or is embarrassed about the whole thing.
When they get back up to his room, he can barely breathe through the tension in the room. “Chie,” he breaks the silence and finds there are absolutely no words that follow her name, so he’s just kind of scrambling. “Did you just want to kick my ass in a virtual way today?” It’s awkward and inadequate and god she’s not wrong about not being able to know how to deal with a girl even if it’s one he’s not even dating…
“I don’t think I ever told you about Takeshi,” she begins, and he notes the lack of honorific. “That whole thing about guys seeing Yukiko but not me? It started somewhere.”
“I can punch him for you,” he automatically offers, and she giggles long enough he starts wondering if Yukiko’s mannerisms are contagious. “I was serious!” he insists, hurt.
“Oh, no, I know. It’s just…If I want someone punched, I’m really good with doing that myself, you know?” she points out, still smiling, and, well…
“Can’t argue with that,” he agrees.
“I really liked him, but all we’ll be is friends, because he still thinks about her. Seta-kun and I saw him when we were training today,” she’s disappointed, and—wait.
“That’s why you freaked out when I said you weren’t my girlfriend,” he realizes, and whoops, he said that out loud.
“Thanks a lot, jerk,” she says, and she’s actually hurt. Fix time.
He reaches out and puts a hesitant hand on her shoulder. She doesn’t punch him or knock it off, so that’s something. “Hey, his loss, right? I’d date you if we wouldn’t end up killing each other within a week. You’re brave and strong and the kindest, most understanding person I know, even if you’re crap at expressing it. It’s not like Yukiko-san actually knows how to cook either, right?”
Chie smirks. It’s hesitant, but it’s there. “Right.”
“And there are some guys who aren’t intimidated by you. Ichijou for one. Nagase, too, but I don’t think he cares about girls at all. You just gotta find someone who appreciates your strengths, which are, really, uh, your strength. You’ll probably never be that perfect housewife, but for a guy who’s looking for a partner, someone who can keep up with him and have his back? You just gotta find someone like that.” He’s just stumbling his way through this, but by the way her posture perks up, he’s doing some good, which, well, yes! Here he is, helping her through something Mr. Perfect Seta couldn’t. Go Yosuke.
“How?” she asks, because of course now she wants a battle plan.
He thinks about that a bit. “Probably? Just go up to ‘em at lunch, just try to go for friendship first. Just ask if you can hang out or whatever. If they’re willing to go along with it and don’t seem scared, or if they’re even willing to call you out on whenever you’re being too pushy, sounds like a great start to me.”
She grins and elbows him. He coughs. That’s gonna bruise tomorrow. “Well, you’re right about us killing each other or I’d totally try to date you. I guess I’ll settle for destroying you in a game.”
“Appreciated,” he wheezes as he picks up a controller, but resolves to give her a good fight anyway.
“Uhh.”
“Is that your girlfriend?” his dad asks, and he just has the sudden urge to shove his dad into the wall. Maybe Chie’s tendency toward violence is contagious. “Say hi from me!”
“I keep telling you, she’s just a friend!” he practically yells at his dad, then pulls the phone back up to his ear. “Sorry, what?”
But Chie’s uncharacteristically silent at the end, then oddly enough changes her mind. She sounds hesitant. “Sorry if it’s too much trouble. I guess you’re busy, I’ll just leave you—”
“If you hang up, I will call back,” he threatens, even though he’s not sure in what universe that’s actually frightening. “What’s this about?”
“Can’t a girl just want to hang out with a friend?” she tries, and, damn, there’s something definitely wrong if she’s pulling that.
“Well, I, um.” He winces. He’s not sounding cool at all. “Uh, you might want to bring your homework and have us muddle through it at least before dinner, because I guarantee you if I haven’t gotten it done, you haven’t either.”
“Come on, I’m not as bad as you!” she protests.
“Uh-huh. So it’s all ready to be turned in right now,” he nods, highly skeptical of that idea.
A long pause follows. “I hate you.”
He chuckles. “I have it on good authority that’s not true. See you soon.”
When it comes to grades, he really has been trying lately, and he keeps them mostly on track. By dinner, he has something he feels vaguely proud of, and Chie at least has something she can turn in.
She’s quiet during dinner, so he babbles to fill in the silence, and she actually looks like she’s appreciating it for once, so there’s definitely something very wrong. His dad makes one off-colour joke (yeah, okay, so maybe he gets that from somewhere, especially when Chie glances at him with a disapproving look) but overall he knows it’s not like they really think she’s his girlfriend (even though they’d probably approve if she was). They know she knows about his past and doesn’t judge him for it and that kind of friendship is worth so much more than even a relationship. A romantic kind of relationship, he means. Seriously, he means it. A few bruises are more than worth it (even though, really, someday she needs to learn about her true strength, because geez she never grew out of that ‘young kid throw your entire weight behind your punch’ stage). He’d wonder about physical abuse except he’s pretty sure half the time she doesn’t even mean for it to hurt as much as it does and then is just clueless or is embarrassed about the whole thing.
When they get back up to his room, he can barely breathe through the tension in the room. “Chie,” he breaks the silence and finds there are absolutely no words that follow her name, so he’s just kind of scrambling. “Did you just want to kick my ass in a virtual way today?” It’s awkward and inadequate and god she’s not wrong about not being able to know how to deal with a girl even if it’s one he’s not even dating…
“I don’t think I ever told you about Takeshi,” she begins, and he notes the lack of honorific. “That whole thing about guys seeing Yukiko but not me? It started somewhere.”
“I can punch him for you,” he automatically offers, and she giggles long enough he starts wondering if Yukiko’s mannerisms are contagious. “I was serious!” he insists, hurt.
“Oh, no, I know. It’s just…If I want someone punched, I’m really good with doing that myself, you know?” she points out, still smiling, and, well…
“Can’t argue with that,” he agrees.
“I really liked him, but all we’ll be is friends, because he still thinks about her. Seta-kun and I saw him when we were training today,” she’s disappointed, and—wait.
“That’s why you freaked out when I said you weren’t my girlfriend,” he realizes, and whoops, he said that out loud.
“Thanks a lot, jerk,” she says, and she’s actually hurt. Fix time.
He reaches out and puts a hesitant hand on her shoulder. She doesn’t punch him or knock it off, so that’s something. “Hey, his loss, right? I’d date you if we wouldn’t end up killing each other within a week. You’re brave and strong and the kindest, most understanding person I know, even if you’re crap at expressing it. It’s not like Yukiko-san actually knows how to cook either, right?”
Chie smirks. It’s hesitant, but it’s there. “Right.”
“And there are some guys who aren’t intimidated by you. Ichijou for one. Nagase, too, but I don’t think he cares about girls at all. You just gotta find someone who appreciates your strengths, which are, really, uh, your strength. You’ll probably never be that perfect housewife, but for a guy who’s looking for a partner, someone who can keep up with him and have his back? You just gotta find someone like that.” He’s just stumbling his way through this, but by the way her posture perks up, he’s doing some good, which, well, yes! Here he is, helping her through something Mr. Perfect Seta couldn’t. Go Yosuke.
“How?” she asks, because of course now she wants a battle plan.
He thinks about that a bit. “Probably? Just go up to ‘em at lunch, just try to go for friendship first. Just ask if you can hang out or whatever. If they’re willing to go along with it and don’t seem scared, or if they’re even willing to call you out on whenever you’re being too pushy, sounds like a great start to me.”
She grins and elbows him. He coughs. That’s gonna bruise tomorrow. “Well, you’re right about us killing each other or I’d totally try to date you. I guess I’ll settle for destroying you in a game.”
“Appreciated,” he wheezes as he picks up a controller, but resolves to give her a good fight anyway.
