this can only go well

[misheard]

THE 'TRUE SELF' MEME(inspired by Persona 4)



"In Jungian psychology, the shadow or "shadow aspect" is a part of the unconscious mind consisting of repressed weaknesses, shortcomings, and instincts."

Everyone has another side to them that they keep hidden away, feelings they bottle up to save face or avoid conflict. But what if those feelings take a life of their own...?

Perhaps it's your best friend, a close family member, a hated enemy, or maybe it's just a complete stranger. No matter who it is, they are different now, possessing creepy yellow eyes, a distorted voice, and a disconcerting aura. Take care in what you say to them, though, because there are three little words that will set them off into an unstoppable rage...

How to:
Step 1: Post as your character with their name and canon
Step 2: Others respond stumbling onto your character
Step 3: WHOOPS. Character A has been replaced by their Shadow or Other Self!
Step 4: Play out the encounter! Will you start an epic boss fight? Have a pleasant chat? Or maybe just flat out ignore them? Run wild!

Comments

[hopedout]

Why does it matter? I came because of you, after all. We need to get out of here.

[ He doesn't care if he is a coward. He knows that he is. It's only obvious, isn't it? ]

CW: self destructive talk, suicidal talk, DR2 spoilers

[eyeswideopen]

'What does it matter'. 'I don't want to talk about this'. [He throws his free hand up and the shadows surge up like the ripple of the waves. His unnaturally glowing eyes narrow as he laughs again.

Spider thin cracks spread out around his feet.]

Of course even if you see something you don't like or confuses you, you avoid saying anything about it. I do so hate to repeat myself but honestly, I already said how it feels.

It would be easier on you. On everyone if I died just like I'd intended to. One less Ultimate Despair Remnant, one less trouble. As I told Sanae. A good man would have murdered himself long ago once he learned what he was. Instead of living on.

The pure being that she is...of course she disagreed with me. I owe that conversation to you in fact! You questioning those who were friends with me forced me to answer a lot of people who needed to just know the truth.

[hopedout]

...

[ He's soon silenced by Komaeda's - no, by this man's words - as he looks him over. But enough is enough when he starts to talk about himself like that, and anger sets in. ]

No, that's wrong!! It won't be easy on me. And not on everyone else. Like you just said, you have friends there, won't you? If you died, what would they think? They'd be upset, right?! [ He swallows hard, hand closed up into a tight fist. ]

Now tell me where he is. Where's the real Komaeda?

[eyeswideopen]

[The world around them seems to breathe as the walls crack and splinter like glass. Shadows grow thicker as the distant cry of sea birds and crashing waves echo back as if from a distant shore. Komaeda holds his breath for a second and in a voice as cold as how he'd addressed Hinata when he told him what he was he says,]

Say that again. I don't think I heard you right.

[hopedout]

I said. Where is he. The other Komaeda?

[ He doesn't mind repeating himself; after all, what he's asking is for the truth and only that. ]

[eyeswideopen]

Fool. [Shadows swallow Komaeda and spread out over the area around them. The walls crumble and crack, falling away into an open starry sky. Roots burst out of the ground to wind around the edge of the circle. Thick fog hides all but, the massive trunk of the tree where a massive draconic serpent awaits. It lets go of its own tail, black blood dripping down over the bark.

The bark cracks and withers as it roars.]

[hopedout]

[ He's called a fool and soon enough the shadows encompass the entire area, to the point where he can barely tell which is which. His own shadow? Or someone else's entirely? He shakes his head and walks through the thick of the fog before he sees the serpent. ]

So... this is what you are?

[eyeswideopen]

[The eyes of the giant serpent ignite as it draws back, black fire building in its mouth. Just before the blast is released, someone grabs Hinata and yanks him behind the giant tree roots. The air is scorching hot even from their safe space.

Komaeda sighs, the spear the shadow had once held in his hands.] Of course I arrive too late to warn you. Now we have to calm that shadow down.

Please tell me you enraged it quickly. It makes me feel ill to think what it might have admitted.

[hopedout]

You're... welcome?

[ Translation: he did enrage it rather quickly. ] Does that mean we have to fight it, Komaeda?

[eyeswideopen]

Yes. Then I have to talk with it. [He puts a hand to his chest as he looks briefly ill. Ugh. The heat cuts off and he darts out of their hiding space both to take the beast by surprise and to avoid the inevitable questions.

He'd rather not hear what it had said. To further stave that off he tosses Hinata a sheathed sword without looking away from the beast.]

Though I suppose I should be flattered the monster it became is one of the more major symbols of the ancient world. Jörmungandr of all things!

[The draconic serpent lashes out and he barely dodges the fangs that leave a puddle of black blood at the center of the arena.]

[hopedout]

... Talk with it?

[ What is there to talk about? If they defeat it, doesn't it just disappear? Then again, it seems that Komaeda knows more about this topic, although he can't help but wonder why. ]

[eyeswideopen]

Yes. [He side glances at Hinata as he rolls out of the way of another strike. The ground shakes under the impact again and again. Yet Komaeda continues to dodge with almost effortless ease.]

Once it's defeated it will revert to the shadow it was. ...consider it all the elements of myself I don't like, want to admit to, or even hide from myself. That's what a shadow like that is.

The only one that can make it disappear is me.

[hopedout]

Shit-!

[ He has to make sure that he himself doesn't get hit by that. What a pain in the ass. But it's not too difficult, thankfully. ]

Alright... I think I can handle it, but I might need a distraction.

[eyeswideopen]

We're handling it. Hinata, this isn't going to be somethi- [The snake has been slowly unwinding from the tree while they were talking. It's tail whips too fast for a regular human, talented or no, right into Komaeda's stomach. He hears something crunch inside him as he is send sliding across the stone.

The world goes black for a moment as he struggles to reign in the pain and not pass out. He'd been in this situation before. Last time it had been the aspect of fear hammering at his mind like an avalanche. The monster had hit him so fast he'd barely even realized the damn thing had moved.

This is bad. They are in over their heads on this one. Komaeda coughs up blood as the beast roars it's fury. That he notices something else. Some of its ribs are damaged.

...]

Oh of course. ...as I was saying. Ha, this is Jörmungandr the nordic world wurm. Said to poison the skies when the world is ending in Ragnarok. Buy me...a minute to get up and heal. I want...to test something. [He manages to keep his agony from flooding through but it's there in the background.]