I mentioned a ways back that I took on a challenge of plotting a power fantasy isekai with an actually compelling story, and I threw myself into it completely one day when inspiration struck me. At one point in the story, the heroes conquer a series of trials as they ascend the holy Mount Mori, seeking the aid of the six elemental goddesses who live at its peak; when they arrive, they see the goddesses standing before them, over ten feet tall, glowing with otherworldly energy and regarding the six heroes who had just burst into their throne room.
After a long moment of silence, the goddess of light turns to the goddess of darkness and speaks the first words she’s spoken firsthand in the entire story, which are:
“Sister, must you fuck with every visitor we get?”
I am incredibly mistrustful of the radiantly serene. Now, this character hasn’t opened her mouth beyond “Send her in”, and this rant is just based on what my first view of her reminded me of, but I wanted to record my thoughts on the subject before I really get to know her, because my primary reaction to any character who’s all ~glorious and ethereal and serene~ is to wait for the other shoe to drop. It doesn’t take much to humanize them for me--a dab of sarcasm or some other flawed emotion suffices--but you generally don’t make an ultimate authority figure like this perfect unless they’re a) going to betray the heroes or b) going to be toppled and leave the heroes to pick up the pieces. It can’t last. It’s not conducive to character arcs or any kind of story for them to just be like that. There ALWAYS has to be some element of change, and for such a character that can only happen in one direction: down.
Now, again, I haven’t met this lady yet. For all I know, the next words out of her mouth will be a raunchy joke about the orgy she had last night. Don’t take this as any kind of serious commentary on her character, just...musing, on characters.
