Sae Niijima is such a good character it drives me insane a little. She's not a mother nor a maternal or doting older sister but instead a twenty four year old who was thrown into a position of responsibility that she never asked for. She loves Makoto just as much as she resents her and its so apparent every time they talk up until November. "Are you studying?" (I want you to do well) (I need you to get a job and stop making my life harder) "I'll use any method necessary to get this promotion" (Life will be easier for us) (So stop distracting me with your problems) "Focus on your future" (I know that you're capable) (I can't afford to waste my time on you, so stop wasting time on others)
Makoto is not only the sole reason she pushes as hard as she does for a promotion, for success, and the reason that she loses herself in her animosity over her fathers death, but also someone she can't stand for so long. Makoto was 14-15 when their father died. Sae was 21. As soon as she got the career she wanted and things started to look up, her stability was robbed from her and she was disillusioned with the system that her father had taught her to rely on and completely adhere to. How do you manage, the daughter of a cop, following his footsteps towards law enforcement, when you're suddenly reminded of how unfair it is? You can't quit, your little sister relies on you and she's so young and struggling just as badly with this grief. So you pick yourself up and you get moving again. You push harder, press further. You abandon your morals and your ethics because punishing criminals (guilty or not) is almost like punishing the man who killed your father.
And the whole time she's fighting for promotions, going for drinks with the SIU Director to make herself more favourable for promotions, trying to navigate being a woman in a competitive, suffocating, male-dominated field, falling behind despite doing so much where others are promoted for doing so little - all the while your little sister comes back from school and her biggest issues are so small compared to yours.
Persona 5 revolves so heavily around grief and loss and change and Sae embodies all of that so well, all of the sharp and unpleasant and jagged parts of grief.
754 notes
·
View notes
maybe this is my curtains are blue moment, but its so fascinating to me that we are withheld from seeing wolfwood’s likeness again (from the moment he dies) until vash kills legato. after which, we see him multiple times in the closing act of the manga, as is . complete and all.
surely nightow drew that last panel the way he did bc it was aesthetically pleasing, easier to draw, or perhaps more relevant/emotional for the situation, but i reaally really like what it accomplishes in portraying vash’s grieving process . by remembering him through inanimate objects like his gravesite , through the punisher, or through unmentionables (constantly referring to wolfwood as He, or Him) as opposed to his own Body or Self, you feel a sense of distance and detachment . its something vash doesnt really unpack until that critical moment where he has to, as wolfwood says, make an important and complicated choice . & by that point, having honored his sacrifice and finally Answered wolfwood’s dilemma, we see ww again. in full. CRAZYYYYYYYYYYY literally so cool and awesome 2 me
2K notes
·
View notes
☆ glimpse of divinity
{☆} characters lyney, neuvillette [ separate ]
{☆} notes cult au, drabble, gender neutral reader
{☆} warnings none
{☆} word count 0.8k
× neuvillette
The first time he sees you strolling the streets of Fontaine with a glint of wonder in your eyes, he thinks he must have finally lost it. He has to rub his eyes and check a few dozen times before he's certain that you are, in fact, real and not some figment of his imagination conjured by a lack of sleep and overdose on caffeine.
..Though now that he gets a better look, it's not quite the same. Like a smudged painting, he thinks. Still, the uncanny resemblance to the visage of the Divine One has him lingering around the area just to stare a little longer, a deep, devoted sense of affection bristling beneath his skin.
And then you turn sharply on your heel, staring directly back at him, and he feels a sudden wave of embarrassment and something akin to shame.
Archons, he'd just made a fool of himself, hadn't he?
He quickly turns away, clearing his throat and hiding his embarrassment behind his hand. Though it does not seem to deter you, the soft tap of your shoes growing closer until you were peering up at him with wide eyes.
"..Hello." He offers awkwardly, a little too stiff and a little too formal, but you don't seem to mind in the slightest. He knows that your appearance, your vague similarities to the Divine One are mere coincidence, but it does not stop his heart from skipping a beat when you smile up at him. "I– apologize for being so uncouth and staring, it's just.."
His voice trails off into a breathy exhale, his hand twitching on his cane as if he wanted to reach out and touch you..but he restrains himself in time. He could not make a bigger fool of himself – he would never hear the end of it from lady Furina.
"You remind me of someone."
He decides, readjusting his hands on his cane as he bows his head for a moment is a show of genuineness, though it must look awkward with how stiff his body feels.
Yet he cannot help but want to get closer anyway, to hear the silky lilt of your voice grace his pointed ears. This is as close as he will ever get to the Divine..he is a weak man, he finds, as he offers a hand to you.
"I understand if this is a bit..forward, but would you mind joining me for tea?"
× lyney
He is a master magician – his entire work is built on keen misdirection and sleight of hand, but even he stumbles for a minute thinking he'd seen an illusion in your warm smile and striking features. Almost an exact copy of the Divine One, yet not quite..
Still, it's enough to pique his interest – enough, too, to give him the confidence to slip into your conversation with ease, all smiles and the slip of a card between his fingers.
"Hello, stranger – I don't think I've seen you in Fontaine before," He laughs, his hand reaching around to rest gently on your opposite shoulder, his voice a ghost of a whisper in your ear. "Say, could I interest you in a bit of magic?"
He perks up at the way you seem to light up like fireworks at his offer, a spark almost like recognition in your eyes he brushes aside – he's quite well known, after all.
"Good! Now, if I may just borrow your attention for a minute.." He grins, stepping around you and turning sharply to face you, his hand outstretched with a deck of cards in his hands, face down. "Let's start simple, shall we? I shan't overwhelm my audience – pick a card."
He holds the cards out again, his features twisted in something like awe, though he hides it well.
His heart flutters at the briefest of glances of your hand against his as you pluck a card from his hand, and he quickly retracts it, reshuffling the deck with a broad grin and a wink.
"Do your best to remember it! If you could return it to the deck.." The card is placed back in it's place amongst the rest, and the magic begins!
"Now then, let's see..hm," He hums for a long moment, the silence filled by the constant shuffle of cards until he suddenly plucks one from the deck, flipping it around for you to see. "Is this your card?"
He frowns when you shake your head, almost pouting, before he lights up again and steps forward.
"Ah! How foolish of me, I missed it..it's riiight here, see." He winks, reaching behind your ear..and pulls free a card from seemingly thin air. He flips it around for you to see again, and when you tell him it is, in fact, your card, he flips it around again.
And before you can see it, he's holding a rainbow rose between his fingers, his hand outstretched as he bows.
His eyes glint with a sort of wonder as he looks at your features, his smile widening a fraction.
"Well, dear stranger? Did you enjoy the show?"
904 notes
·
View notes
Ancient Loz AU Story
10,000 years before the events of BOTW the Princess of Hyrule and the Hero who wields the sword that seals the Darkness first fought off the Calamity. With the help of the Sheikah, Guardians, Champions and the Divine Beasts.
However, the hero and her best friend; the Prince of the Gerudo, were now missing.
The only one to return from the fight was the Princess…
Bloodied and bruised. She emerged from the castle alone. No longer the energetic, and free spirited person she used to be. Now, she is filled with a sole dedication to her Kingdom. But cold, and filled with deep sorrow.
She orders the Sheikah to create shrines to train the next hero.They prepare the towers, store the Guardians under the castle till they are needed. Research started on the slate where it can be used for building infrastructure and even battle. Anything to help prepare for another Calamity.
The Gerudo Prince wasn't seen again and the heroes identity was forgotten
But, the Royal blood of Hylia lives on….
Link is from a traveling caravan. His family has blood from the ancient Zonai tribe. He travels with a decent size troupe along with his sister, father and grandmother.
He meets Zelda during a festival where he was entering an archery contest in castletown. Zelda, who was disguised as Sheik, was also entering. She beat him at the contest(barely), but was extremely bothered by how good he was.
The festival goes on for about 3 days and at the end there is the sword ceremony where all the people coming of age(18) can attempt to pull the sword. She was presiding over it and witnessed him pull the sword and his whole life change.
Not long after they meet officially and Link is appointed as her Knight; She introduces him to Ganondorf, her best friend from childhood.
And the chaos and comrade-ere ensues~
Over 3 years they travel, train, fall in love and wait for the day when the evil is supposed to show itself. With no sign of the great evil, they start to relax a bit. But that is when it strikes.
Ganon travelling by himself at this time. Explores a cave in the Gerudo desert and encounters something ominous. Whispers in the dark speak to him and his fears and wants and his distaste for the King of Hyrule….
The voice is familiar, much too familiar, and before he can fight back it consumes him.
When he awakes he is alone.
He isn't instantly ‘evil’ but over time it twists his thoughts and actions. His closest friends and mother grow concerned. He becomes harsher and radical. Cruel.
During a secret meeting with the King, Ganon assassinates him.
Zelda happens upon Ganon covered in blood. She thinks he's hurt and is concerned by his behavior the past year. He snaps. He tells her every dark thing he has been thinking, and that he killed her father. In shock, and devastated, she can’t move as Ganon is about to strike her. But Link manages to get to her in time because the master sword was glowing, something he has never seen before but an instinct so old took over him.
He races to escape with her.
Ganon takes over the castle. But only as a steward because the King and the Princess are nowhere to be found. No one is the wiser to his malevolent plots. Yet.
He knows she has to act fast since Zelda and Link escaped.
Zelda and Link make it all the way to Kakariko Village and Impa and they are all Informed that the Calamity is upon them. No one can believe it is their Ganondorf who is doing this but it is undeniable. They grieve, but they must act fast. With the help of the Sheikah they gather the guardians, monks and send word to the Races and Champions to prepare for battle.
Zelda listens as Link hums an old Zonai Lullaby his mother used to sing to him. And it makes her remember something she read about. A story about there being an ancient Zonai device below the castle that would help defeat the Demon King.
Impa knows the tunnels She can help them sneak in. So they prepare to infiltrate the castle.
Under the castle they find the Zonai Artifacts that were left behind for sealing the great evil.
Ganon's followers saw them enter however and informed him. Knowing this is his chance he stops all pretenses and releases his power. Unleashing a mob of monsters and a cloud of malace into the castle and across Hyrule. But the Champions and Shekah are prepared to meet them.
Looking around for any clue. Trying to think of anything they read or that Link heard from his family that could be used to turn on the sealing jewelry.
They don’t know how to activate it, but Ganon is going to be upon them soon as they had to fight through hordes of monsters beforehand.
Out of the dark behind them he emerges.
Zelda and Link manage to avoid the surprise attack. They both go on the defensive.
They fight and try to reason with him. They can’t believe this is their friend, their lover.
The fight is tough, because they all know each other's moves after training together for years along with the emotional turmoil.
Zelda tells Link he needs to figure out how to activate the artifact if they are to succeed. She will hold him off. But by this point they are both exhausted.
Ganon manages to cut Link, spraying blood over the floor and the statue. Link falls to the floor and Ganon towers over him ready to strike him down, but Zelda blasts him away.
Ganon turns his attention to her. Annoyed with her meddling and manages to land a blow on her also. Cutting the tip of her right ear off.
The statue lights up from the blood. The blood of a zonai.
That was another part of the Lullaby from Links family Zelda realizes.
The Jewelry glows and expands before flying off the wrists of the statue to Link. He is surrounded by a green glowing light that blasts Ganon and Zelda back. The bands constrict around his arms and legs disintegrating the clothing underneath. He screams.
Zelda watches on in horror as Link transforms before her. His skin is turning black and his bones and skin stretch until he is 6 ft tall. What did she get him into? This was supposed to help them what was happening… She is living in a nightmare. What else will she have to give up.
She cries as she looks at him, feeling his pain and fear. His hair band she had given him falls from his hair. Rolling across the floor towards her.
“..Zelda….” He says
She picks up the hair band and goes to him! But he is not really responding.
He is restrained and struggling within himself.
His head is filled with the spirits of the Zonai he knows what he must do…he knows this is the last time he will see Zelda and Ganon. To seal the Demon King he must sacrifice himself.
He says the last part of the Lullaby to Zelda and she knows. This is it.
She kisses him. Though a bit strange now that he's so tall and his lips are cold.
Ganon is getting up across the cavern from them, laughing. He mocks them and their weak attempts at thwarting him.
One last clash. Zelda manages to get his weapon from him and Link plunges his arm into Ganons chest activating the sealing power. Glowing green.
They both freeze in place and all is quiet. Entombed under the castle.
The malice and monsters disappear.
Zelda cautiously goes up to them. She doesn't touch them lest she break the spell somehow.
The only thing she does is grab the hair bangle that fell to the floor in the final fight. It was the one from Ganon’s hair. And she left for the surface.
Alone.
Thanks for Reading! <3
1K notes
·
View notes