muse development questions // accepting
8. how many friends does your character have?
His father had no shortage of brothers and extended relatives, which made for a literal army of uncles, a few aunts, cousins, nephews and nieces for Indrajit to spend time with. Out of them all, however, only perhaps a handful or less might have been considered as true friends.
The soldiers who received his orders and fought with Indrajit on the front lines, they were closer to friends than the vast horde of family which resided in Lankapuri. Even then there weren’t terribly many, but he was notably close with his cousin Tara and uncle Vibhishana.
9. how many friends does your character want?
He’s fine without friends, truthfully. In life Meghanada wasn’t the most social of creatures and now that asuras have more or less been driven to extinction in the modern era he sees no need to befriend anyone - or rather does not see anyone as being worth that sort of notice, time and effort.
11. for what would your character give their life?
Family. For all of Ravana’s many faults, he did pass on that immense loyalty and protectiveness towards his family to his son. Even among the ranks of relatives Meghanada might have barely known, if they were to ever need his strength then he would give every bit of it for their sake.
Honor, of course, may come as a close second. But for Indrajit, honor is intrinsically tied to upholding his father’s legacy and protecting his family.
12. what are your character’s major flaws?
Most notably, his temper. After that would be his arrogance, then his absolute indifference towards others not of his kind. It’s mentioned several times in the Ramayana that when Indrajit grew angry all beings - from the depths of the netherworld to the highest of heavens and everything in between - shuddered with fear. With good reason, considering the deeds he managed to accomplish.
When he loses his temper Indrajit is horribly destructive, surpassing even Ravana in that regard. Sometimes it’s short lived, in other cases his rage can last years - even whole lifetimes where humans are concerned. Indrajit does not forget and he doesn’t forgive, and usually whatever made him angry winds up erased from existence.
His arrogance, once could argue, he learned from his father. Ravana was not a humble man by any stretch. And when one has spent their life undefeated in battle, renowned for taking on just about every god that exists and winning, then taking their celestial weapons and powers afterwards... arrogance is sort of expected. Coupled with his worldview of humans being weak, despicable things and the gods as petty, obnoxiously spoiled children; Indrajit’s a piece of work.
The indifference he feels towards others is an extension of that arrogance, to some extent. Rakshasa/asuras/demons have always drawn the short end of the stick when it comes to Hindu myth. They’re portrayed as brainless cannibals with no morals or beings so twistedly sly that no one is safe from their bloodthirsty treachery. Gods have hunted them for sport in the past and humans are like an invasive species that doesn’t know when to quit. So, in Indrajit’s eyes, if someone isn’t family by blood or marriage, or if they aren’t his native goddess or the Tridevi... fuck ‘em. Why should he care if they live or die, so long as Lanka is safe and his family’s well-being is secured?