Went through Priyet’s Dark Memory story, and it’s unsurprisingly rough. The first sections opens up with celebrating her birthday and her asking Saryu to grant her wish. This wish is to go to the “Land of Magic”, a utopia where dreams come true. It’s pretty obvious in the text that if you knew nothing else about her, you’d be like, “this girl is gay, in the closet and in love with this other girl”.
“...a place where everyone can live as themselves.” Not even subtle. Together they start to cast a spell and make this dream world. And Priyet’s greatest wish is to be free from the society that binds her, that dictates who she has to be, who she has to like, who she has to marry. She just wants to be free to be who she is, and love who she loves.
The middle sections are all just cute chatter and creating of new spots in the Land of Magic. It’s a very self-indulgent sequence, and it’s just utterly adorable. Occasionally they broach a serious topic like, “who said boys and girls are the only ones who can bind to each other?” It’s a piercing question that really speaks to her character conflict. I’m not sure if it was ever laid out in the main story that only hetero couples could do the bonding magic, which undercut it a bit for me. But I’m also so tuned into gay shit that I was guessing from the start that someone was going to be gay in the story, so maybe I just missed it or skipped a step.
The pair then make a chapel to do their own binding ritual in. They don’t make it too ornate, just nice enough to fulfill their dreams. Priyet designs a dress for Saryu, and Saryu designs a prince outfit for Priyet. And they make a small silver ring, for Saryu to wear. But this is Nier, so...
IT WAS ALL A FREAKIN’ DREAM. THIS GAME HURTS SO MUCH WHY DO I PUT UP WITH THIS.
We go from some of the most adorable shit this game has ever put out, and then they stab us through the heart with the truth of reality. Priyet is unable to live in her dream, and needs to return to her nightmare. Alone...