penguinsoutofnowhere | Mindscape meme

Mindscape meme

☄ The Mindscape Meme ☄

If you've played Psychonauts, you have some idea of what's going on with this meme. (It doesn't have to play out much like Psychonauts if you don't want it to, though.) Your character has something going on in their inner mental world that needs to be confronted by psychic voyagers, and that's what's going to happen here. It's nothing but metaphor and symbolism from here on out, and you can be as dark or as silly as you want about it.

»» how to play
1. Post a comment (with your character's name and canon as the subject line) with a quick summary of what your character's mental world is like. It doesn't have to be long. "A colorful amusement park with inexplicably Arctic-themed rides" could work for a childish hedonist hiding the emotional scars of a terrible polar-bear-related incident, for example. Give it a snappy name if you feel like it. If you have some imagery or music that fits the atmosphere, you can even link that.
2. If you have any preferences you want to stick with, be sure to make a note of them in your initial comment.
3. Respond to other people's threads with a character to explore their mindscapes. Pick or roll the RNG for an option for what part your character winds up in--or suggest another one if you've got a wildcard idea.
4. First player, your character is the host. Second player, your character is the visitor.
5. The first player writes tags about the mental world that's being explored, explaining how it reacts and adapts to the visitor's presence there. You can do more than set the mood and describe how the environment changes, though: people can crop up inside the mindscape representing various aspects of your character's personality, and the visitor can interact with them. Or if you'd rather, you can have your character accompanying the visiting character through the mindscape, trying to help or misdirect them as they please.
6. The second player tags with their character's attempts to navigate the strange mindscape and solve the inner conflict plaguing the host character--or simply escape back to the material world. Or maybe their motive is less pure, and they're trying to uncover a secret that the first character is hiding deep within. You get to decide why they're there, really.
7. There isn't any right or wrong way to do this meme, so take as much or as little as you want from the options given.
8. Do your best to communicate OOCly with other players if you run into any trouble or confusion, provide warnings if it becomes necessary, and don't be afraid to tag around!

»» prompts for the mental voyagers
1. AT THE GATES. You're about to jump off from the outermost layers of your host's personality and start getting into the stuff that really makes them tick. Can you find the key to the lock, or the hidden door, or whatever wacky trick will lead you there? Of course, the more this character tends to hide their true self, the more their inner world will try to convince you there's nothing lurking behind this facade.
2. YOU WEREN'T SUPPOSED TO FIND THIS. You've stumbled into a hidden place where the host keeps a secret that they never wanted anyone else to know. What is it and how does it manifest in the mindscape? Are they going to attack you somehow for revealing it?
3. NIGHTMARE TIME. Oops, you've gone the wrong way, and now you're squaring off against the host's worst fears embodied within their head. What do they look like and what do they represent? Can they be defeated in combat or do you have to take a more delicate approach? Maybe they don't appear as obvious enemies at all, and they pose a more subtle danger.
4. FREE ADMISSION FOR CHILDREN. Hey, look, it's where your host keeps their most important childhood memories...good and bad. Be careful: they might not be all that accurate or trustworthy. Kids don't have the most objective perceptions of their lives.
5. THE BEST PART OF ME. You've finally found the host's greatest ideals and noblest inspirations--the things that drive them to do good and be a better person. Or maybe what you're dealing with here is the actual personification of their own greatest virtues. Perhaps they're under siege for some reason and need some help getting their strength back, or maybe they have something to teach you. On the other hand, in some characters, this part of the mindscape could be in pretty bad shape.
6. COME TO THE DARK SIDE. This isn't good. You've reached a part of the mindscape that represents or is controlled by the shadow--all the bad things about your host that they don't want to admit. Unless they have admitted it, in which case this place is under better control by them...but that doesn't necessarily make it any less dangerous for you. How will you escape, or will you try to help the host come to terms with this part of themselves first? Of course, you could also try to get them to give in to all these dark temptations and embrace them, if that's your preference...
7. FINAL BOSS. You're facing the embodiment of the core issue that haunts this character. Whatever it is, you have to think of a way to defeat it, whether through violence or other means. Are they too emotionally stable to have such a thing? Then it's the embodiment of their deepest motivation and you have to defeat it to get out of here.
8. ROAM FREE IN THE WILD SUBCONSCIOUS. Enough of those prescribed options; this one is your old wild card. Come up with your own twist on what can be done as a psychic voyager in someone else's mind.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[He lowers himself into the seat, listening.] ... I think they'd prefer if you were okay. You and your sister... you guys probably mean a lot to them, you know?

((His little feet swing from the edge of the chair, barely scraping the floor.)) At least my sister didn't get sick in the first place. If I got better-- they should've gotten better too.

... Sometimes, these things can't be helped. [He regrets saying that almost immediately but... it's the truth. He frowns, though, and it's obvious enough that he wishes he could find some way to help...]

... that doesn't mean I don't feel guilty about it. ((It's quiet, muttered, defeated.)) Maybe you should go to the next room. ((Was that door there before? Well, it's there now.))

... hang in there, all right? [The younger Green gets a hair ruffle before Red rises, waving to him as he moves on to the next room.]

((The next room is a barren bedroom, one that Red might have seen when he was very young. It's Green's room in Professor Oak's house. There's a bed, a dresser, a PC... and not much else. The walls are dark and bare besides for two tacked up pictures - one of Green's parents, and one of a young Professor Oak with a Pikachu.))

What are you doing here? ((The demand comes from a 9-year-old Green, turning away from sitting in front of the PC to stare at Red.))

... Uh... hey. [Suddenly, he's feeling more than a bit awkward, moreso than he did in the last room. He holds up his hands in a placating gesture.

No, he's not answering your question, 9-year-old Green.]

You know, if you wanted dinner, you could just go downstairs. ((He spits it, even though he's realizing that the man in the room is a bit old to be his rival.)) Grandpa only sets the table for two, but I bet he'd set the table for three if he saw you.

... I'm probably not hanging around that long. [He leans against a wall.] Something up?

[He's concerned, okay?]

Something up? Of course something's up. Grandpa hates me. No, he doesn't even hate me - he just ignores my existence. But you wouldn't know about that, would you? Cause you're Red and everyone likes you.

... I... it took me a long time to find out and I'm sorry. I know that won't fix anything, but... it's the truth.

[He can't help but mutter, mostly to himself--] Pretty sure I've made a few enemies, though...

... it's not your fault.

((He admits it quietly, reluctantly, shoulders slumping.)) I'm too cocky. Everyone says that. But-- if I don't-- if I don't like myself, who will, you know?

... Yeah, I get that. [... at least, the feelings behind that. He's never experienced it himself, but...

... god, he can't even begin to imagine how it feels.]

((He sighs, then curls up.)) I don't... it just... feels like people like you, so if I'm better than you one day... then people'll like me too.

((He takes a shaky breath, then shrugs. No crying here. He's a man.)) Maybe you should just- go to the last room.

... Yeah. Maybe I should. [He walks over to Green from his place against the wall, ruffling Green's hair.] ... You're a strong kid, Green. That's why I looked up to you when we were younger.

[... And now he'll move on to the next room.]

((That certainly earns a look of shock, but Green's too late to call out and stop him - Red's already gone through the door.

The last room is smoky, filled with the scent and haze of incense. Which is why Red won't seen this Green coming until he's shoved the boy against a wall.)) What are you doing here? ((He snarls, his fingers tight on Red's shirt.))

[... Well, Red would answer that, except the smoke and incense has given him a bit of a coughing fit.

But at least it's fairly obvious what this place is. Once he recovers...] ... This is Pokemon Tower, isn't it? [His voice is quieter than usual, and something about it sounds... guilty, perhaps?]

Yeah. It is. ((His voice is low, rough, choked up with the smoke ~~and possibly tears~~.)) So I don't get why you're here.

I didn't kill one of your Pokemon, did I?

...

[... Well he can't say "I opened up a door in your head and it led me here."] ... No, you didn't. Can't I at least... pay respects?

... I'm so sorry, Green. [Since this was at least partially his fault. The hat comes off.]

Pay respects? ((He demands, slamming Red against the wall again.)) You've taken everything from me - you don't get to start pretending you're sorry now.

...

[He wants to stay calm. He really does. But... no. He can't do it. He can't stay calm, stay silent this time.

He doesn't like raising his voice... but this time, he will.

He practically roars.] ... Pray tell, how the hell was I supposed to know?! Do you think I did it on purpose?! And who said anything about pretending?! How do you think I felt when I found out?!

So you're telling me after all these years, suddenly you're thinking that maybe you did something wrong? Are you serious? ((He lets out a breath, then slumps, still holding him against the wall.))

Why couldn't you have realized that you've taken everything away from me before you took Raticate too?

[Red sucks in a breath himself.] I'd never meant any of it and you know it. [He places his hands on Green's.] I was young and I was stupid, all right? Oblivious, even.

[It's fairly obvious he's trying to force himself to calm down after his little outburst.]

((It takes a moment of heavy breathing, but eventually Green lets go of Red's shirt to cling to his hands.)) You're going to take Champion from me. ((He says quietly.))

How can I be okay with it?

... I never said you had to be. [His voice is quiet again, the tone is the one he takes when he's attempting to be soothing.

He honestly feels terrible by this point...]

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