I'm not thrilled with how this doodle turned out, but I did it anyway to get a self-analysis across. It occurred to me today: Raziya and Dana are flip sides of my imagination. Comedy and tragedy, respectively. Let me explain.

Dana represents tragedy. Hers is a post-apocalyptic Earth in the vein of Fallout. Fantastical elements are saved for fantasy-horror and grimdark sci-fi, where monsters and magic-using villains make life even more harsh. Violence is graphic and a given. Dana shows no mercy when a fight breaks out because she expects none, and has a reason not to. Dana sees herself a survivor, and not a hero. She fights as a hero because no one else will, and she regrets what she's become. The loss of her father shattered her world and forced her to become hardened, but on the inside she hates her life and has a death wish (for now). Even though she fights for her loved ones, Dana prefers to go on missions and to bear her sins alone. Her signature weapon is a plasma pistol, an advanced and military-grade energy weapon that melts the flesh of her enemies.

Raziya represents comedy. Hers is a light-hearted fantasy realm in the vein of Dragon Quest. Fantastical elements are uncommon but held in a neutral-to-positive light, disregarding monsters and magic-wielding villains. Violence isn't usually graphic but its effects are real, yet even near-death is a potion or a healing spell away from being saved from. Raziya shows mercy, even if her enemies wouldn't return the favor, because she holds herself to a righteous standard. Raziya sees herself a hero, even if sometimes she doesn't believe it. The loss of her father broke her heart and hurt her self-image, but also forced her to come to terms with herself and her place in the world. She fights for her friends, and will come to understand she cannot face the world alone. Her signature weapon is a staff, a humble and versatile weapon that can be used for both brutal swats and restrained smacks.

As much as I'd like to accentuate Raziya -- I've got a RPG Maker game I wanna release a demo of starring her before March, after all -- I cannot deny the importance of Dana. As much as I like to explore the world of the Moon Fall, I cannot deny the lighthearted realm of Arakhavia. As far as my imagination goes, Dana is my Yin and Raziya is my Yang; I must find balance between the hard of Dana's apocalypse and the soft of Raziya's fantasy.