Mimic-Space

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A mimic-space is a sentient headspace (or a sector of it) which changes the way it appears to imitate another headspace that exists or has existed.

It is a subterm of Sentispace.

Causes of mimicry
Many reasons exists as to why a mimic-space behaves this way:
 * Maybe it was a sentient fluidspace that changed so much it cannot go back to its original form, does not remember how to, or does not want to; so as a result, it can only mimic other headspaces.
 * Maybe it's trying to mess around with a headmate for various reasons (e.g, to act as a protector to its symbiotics; to stop a threat from doing something by catching their attention).
 * Maybe the entity is connected to a headmate through symbiosis, thus extracts headspaces images from the symbiotic's thoughts/memories or moods, whether it is with/without their consent or knowledge of that bond. (In that case, these images can only be headspaces that currently exist or have existed, but not headspaces that are pure imagination.)
 * etc.

Identifying a mimic-space
Traveling through this type of headspace may make a headmate feel like something is wrong, without being able to tell what is wrong.

There are many causes as to why it creates this type of feeling:
 * Some small details may not be very accurate due to the amount of energy this mimicry requires, and the brain would perceive it, so the headmate would know something is wrong yet not being able to tell what is wrong. (This is a bit like a gut instinct you get when meeting someone that feels dangerous without knowing why, due to microexpressions .)
 * Some parts may appear blurry due to the amount of energy this mimicry requires, making it look like a Matrix glitch that feels off.
 * The place may emit a particular energy/vibe/frequency that makes a headmate feel sick / act on a defensive mode.
 * etc.

Some clues may help to understand what feels wrong. Example: a headmate always feels a specific feeling when entering headspace A. Currently they are traveling in headspace B, and suddenly they find themselves in headspace A, but they realize they did not experience the usual feeling they get when entering headspace A. With that in mind, they inspect the place and realize something's off about it. It may mean that they are actually in a mimic-space of headspace A.

Related Terms
A mimic-space is similar to a mimic (a headmate who can only appear as another member(s) of a system).

It is not to be confused with a substitute-space, which refers to a sentient headspace whose role is to act in place of another headspace(s). A term that is similar to a substitute, a headmate whose role is to act in place of another headmate(s).

A fluidspace refers to a headspace that is constantly changing in terms of what it looks like and the locations available.

A shapeshifter is a headmate who has the ability to shift its form to look like any species/person/object.

History
This term has been coined on November 24th, 2023, by Pluralpedia user Oceanic-Lanterns. After a few months of experiencing this type of sentispace, they synthesized every interaction they had with it to coin this article. This was accomplished with a journal in which some system mapping had been done for the entire period of time.