Persona AU meme

[rikimaru]

Personas are manifestations of the soul, a mask worn by the wielder to face life and its hardships. Those with the ability to summon their persona are able to do battle against shadows, which embody the negative aspects of the heart. Shadows, much like personas, can take countless forms based on the person themselves. Despite the distinctions, both are derived from people, typically with shadows representing the part of yourself you deny and personas the parts you accept.

Both come from you. How you deal with both is entirely up to you.

NOW THAT WE GOT THE FLUFF OUT OF THE WAY, it's a generic persona AU meme. Borrow elements from the games, make up your own shit, it's your life; shape it to what you want it to be. The games generally mix slice of life with RPG shenanigans and both allow your characters to draw strength from their personas, from their true selves. Have fun with that.

A better summary of personas
Arcana alignments since every persona has one. Your call if you wanna bother with these.

How much you wanna AU your characters is up to you! Literally canon but with personas, suddenly high school setting with magical spirit monsters, whatever as long as you're having fun! Find your characters' arcana, make or borrow personas

SOME PROMPTS I GUESS:

1. Awakening: Sometimes, people gain the ability to summon personas after a crucial moment of intense emotion. A desire to protect, a yearning for revenge, maybe even the will to live. What's just as important as what brought on your awakening is who's around for it and who's about to get their asses kicked?

2. Shadow self: Those who have difficulty accepting who they are may have to deal with their shadows, their "darker" selves. Shadows emphasize (even exacerbate) the traits the person denies, growing violent and murderous when denied and potentially becoming personas when accepted. If you find your shadow, chances are you're in serious trouble. This could end in a fight if talking doesn't work. Just be careful about fighting a being that represents part of someone...

3. Dungeon crawling: Maybe this'll lead to a shadow confrontation, maybe it won't. Good on you if you're honing your fighting skills! Regardless, you're probably not alone in doing this, so take your pals and go beat up shadows. Dungeons shape themselves after a person's desires and personality, much like the shadows that inhabit them. If you're gonna go to a friend's dungeon, at least make sure they're okay with it; it might be too personal for them to deal with.

4. Social links: As most of the persona and shadow stuff happens behind the scenes, there's still the rest of your life to deal with. School stuff, work life, personal problems, it's all here. These are people you ride into battle with, so it's good to know who's on your side. It's as if actually being friends with someone will make them stronger allies or something!

5. Persona vs Persona: I mean. No one's stopping you from fighting. Maybe shadows aren't enough training for you. Maybe you're practicing tactics. Maybe it's a social link thing, maybe one or both of you are really pissed at each other. Your personas are doing the talking now, so hopefully you remembered your opponent's weaknesses you're unquestionably giving it everything you've got.

6. Mandatory smut option I guess: It doesn't count if we touch personas, right?

7. Wildcard joke goes here: I'm not your dad; make up your own damn prompts if you want!

But Riki, I want more details than this! What about a setting, better prompts or less vagueness on your part?

Comments

[bloodinbloom]

[He says that's the usual, but she's so confused.]

I don't know. Do people actually do that?

[yaboyguzma]

...No. Just him.

[He gently brushed the bee off. She lazily hovered back to the flowers as he stood, brushing his hand off on his jacket before abruptly continuing on his way.]

Gettin' a drink. Let's talk about that instead.

[bloodinbloom]

... A photograph would be better.

[She'll pout a little and watch the bee buzz away to return to her buzzness. It was a little startling how quickly Guzma took off, but she followed after him.]

A drink? Okay... hmm, what's your favorite drink?

[yaboyguzma]

[He sighed, rubbing the back of his neck.]

Hot chocolate, but I guess it's too warm for that. I heard frozen hot chocolate's okay, even if it makes no sense.

[But he gesticulated before him, placing one point from his left to his right.]

Look- I know. I know I'm supposed to get over my crap, but talking about the stuff my shadow talked up isn't helping. Not until I can put it all together and stop crashing at other people's places.

I'm not- I'm not comfy with that crap yet, you feel me?

[bloodinbloom]

Frozen hot chocolate? But... isn't that a chocolate milkshake then?

[Or close to one? That would be so weird, but now she wanted to try it.]

Huh? I 'feel you', I think. We don't have to talk about it... Were we talking about it?

[The got close to the subject, didn't they?]

[yaboyguzma]

How should I know!? The stupid bear suit says to keep working on your problems or whatever! But it's not like I can just... ugh... nevermind. Sorry.

[He ruffled his hair irritably sgain.]

Yeah. Milkshake. Might go malt this time. Then I can think about this whole ... summoning some kind of god from my head stuff a little more clearly.

[bloodinbloom]

It's okay. He said we should, but we don't have to talk about it right away. I mean, after everything, you can still take your time opening up about that even to us.

[She smiled back. He was trying, but she definitely wasn't going to rush him.]

Yeah... It's weird, but it's also really cool! Like magic!

[yaboyguzma]

Yeah, it's definitely a kind of magic. I guess I'm not surprised my Persona's a big bug.

Okay- a really cool giant bug with swords... I dunno about magic, though. Maybe he's got some if I really want it to since it's part of me.

But my beef with this whole thing is what we're supposed to do with it, yo! I thought we'd protect the town, but I can't even call him out right now even if I wanted to. It's really TV place or nothing, huh?

[bloodinbloom]

Oh, oh! It'll be like swish, swish, and haa! Like an awesome bug knight!

[And she made motions with her hands having... no idea how one actually wields a sword, but trying!]

It is, but you are protecting the town. Inside the TV is everyone's thoughts, right? I wonder if it can become too crowded...

[yaboyguzma]

[He puffed his cheeks a little and looked away. Okay, kid, stop. You're... embarrass- no, you're pretty friggin' cute for a weird kid.]

I guess so. I mean, don't you get days where your head feels too full and it's a jumble of crap at once?

[bloodinbloom]

[She giggled. This hanging out with people, it was fun!]

Oh, I do! It's the worst when I'm trying to remember if I had something important to do too!

[yaboyguzma]

Right. So if this place is everyone's minds, then it's got to get suffocating some days. No wonder we need those weird glasses to see through all that fog!

Then I can swish, swish, haa with the best of them.

[bloodinbloom]

Right! Even that makes sense!

I know you will. And I'll do my best to provide you guys support!

[yaboyguzma]

Yeah... that. You mean that weird thing you did the other day, right? I dunno what it was you did, but it gave me the punch I needed.

Was the two guys doing some big crazy show-stopping number you, too?

[bloodinbloom]

Oh good! I'm still getting used to this too so I was worried I might accidentally use a healing spell.

Show-stopping? Ah, no... I don't think Itzpapalotl can do anything like that.

[yaboyguzma]

Huh... So I guess it's time to grill that bear next time I see him. If I can do something pretty slick with somebody else, it's best to work it out now instead of when we're all half-dead or whatever.

Anyway- this place right here's got the best drinks. Cheap, too. But don't order anything bigger than a small unless you feel like drinking a milkshake out of a bucket. [He raised his hands.]

I mean, no judgment if you're a bucket type. I'm not your dad.

[bloodinbloom]

Hehe, yeah. And if you figure that out, let me know! I'll keep a better eye out for openings so you guys can really get those Shadows!

[She's never been here before and she had to look at the menu. There were a lot of drinks, and Guzma wasn't lying, they were pretty decently priced. Though, her eyes widened.]

They serve milkshakes in buckets? I'd never be able to finish that... I'll go with a small.

[yaboyguzma]

Okay, check it- Not a bucket, but- [He gestured to the 32 ounce and even 64 ounce cold cups stacked up on the far wall in the stall.]

Put a handle on it and it's a garden tool. I could tear up some nachos in that size, but I'm not gonna rustle up some brain freeze. ...Yo!

[He waved someone over.]

Gonna take one of your hot- ...Eh. Screw it. Lemme do one of your frozen chocolates. I'll be bad today.

[With a snap of his fingers, he gestured to Rosalia.]

...And whatever iki pua wants.

[bloodinbloom]

... Oh. Larger cups. [Though, looking at them still...] ... Those are still really big, but you're right. They could be small buckets!

[She was definitely ready to order the small now. If she had too much, there would be no way she could have dinner. And while she took a moment to wonder what iki pua was, she finally does realize the attendant waiting for her order.]

I-I'll have a small chocolate milkshake please...

[yaboyguzma]

[He dug into his pocket for cash and laid heavily-crinkled bills on the counter as the attendant got right to 'em.]

...Now I want nachos. Damn. Guess that's dinner.

[He shrugged.]

I'm not much of a cook, but I can manage that much. You just buy the cans and mix everything together. Easy! They even got spray cheese to top it all off at the convenience stores!

[bloodinbloom]

... You know, if you ever want me to cook you something, I can.

[She smiled brightly up at him.]

I learned how to be really careful.

[yaboyguzma]

Huh? Ya boy knows how to feed himself. You do you, and don't hack off any fingers or burn off your fingerprints.

[What even was home cooked? He'd never had it, but he didn't need it, either.]

[bloodinbloom]

Alright. Well, I'm still going to make snacks for you guys when we go into the dungeons.

[Can't stop her, she will make sure they stay full.]

[yaboyguzma]

Like I said- you do you.

[He reached for the first drink, passed it over, and leaned on the counter as he waited for his.]

...You'd be the first, though. Offering something like that.

[bloodinbloom]

[Smiling, she thanked him again as she accepted her beverage, but didn't begin to drink it... or eat it. Instead, she was waiting for his to be finished, looking at him quizzically.]

Really? Why?