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Truth or Dare Crossroads

Beginning - Starlit Sky

unrepentantAuthor

A cat that writes stories.
Location
UK
Pronouns
they/she
Partners
  1. purrloin-salem
  2. sneasel-dusk
  3. luz-companion
  4. brisa-companion
  5. meowth-laura
  6. delphox-jesse
  7. mewtwo
  8. zeraora
The space between worlds, shapeless and unknowable, has many names. The Astral Plane. Spirits' Edge. The Dream Lands.

It is no physical location. One cannot simply walk there. It is the place where souls from different worlds may meet, whether living or dead. And when they do, the skin of the world ripples, flows, and takes an appearance they can understand. Most often, a quiet crossroads lit by alien stars.

Spirits drawn here are not trapped, but may return to their bodies at any time. Until then, they have the opportunity to speak with souls from other worlds, to relax... and to play Truth or Dare.

<><><>​

Welcome to the Spirit Nexus, a dreamlike space that lies at the crossroads between worlds! Here, your characters can appear and linger for as long as you want. All they have to do to leave is answer any of the given Truths or perform any of the given Dares within the Whispering Pillar; after that, they can return to their world immediately (if you want!) or linger behind to comment or interact with other characters within the nexus.

It seems that a mysterious being is using this space as a means to learn about other worlds…

This is meant to be a low-stakes semi-freeform roleplay where characters are free to come and go as they want, letting players test a variety of characters if they like and getting used to their voice and how they would react to situations outside their home world. In other words, it’s for character development and fun! Feel free to use it as a case study to determine who you’d like to bring to a longer RP, or just enjoy the ride.

For consistency, write all scenes in third person, past tense, standard English prose. No first person, no present tense, no script chat; write as if you are co-writing a story with no single protagonist.

Characters can answer any of the available Truths or Dares that have been posted in the thread thus far, not just the one from the last poster. Feel free to direct a specific truth or dare at another character in particular, but keep in mind that anyone can respond to them. The Whispering Pillar will ‘remember’ all requests for a period of time, which is how the requests can linger in the nexus even if the character who created the prompt has left.

The Whispering Pillar can change its appearance, the environment, and create relevant objects to the convenience of the writer. This is for convenience, and so the dares are not limited by physics or practicality.

In the Spirit Nexus, it is impossible to die, and all injuries are temporary. Anything that happens here stays here, which means that situations that might ordinarily be risky or dangerous back home can be a lot more lighthearted here (most relevant for the ‘dare’ side of things, naturally.) How long the injuries last is up to the writer.

Excessively cruel entries are discouraged, though if you arrange with another participant for them to do a specific dare that may go against this rule, feel free. If both the giving and receiving party of a command are fine with it, there’s no problem.

You can only bring one character at a time, but feel free to cycle through them as you like.

Keep all commands ‘Teen’ or below. Excess violence or mature content isn’t everyone’s cup of tea, so it’s best to keep the tone as broad-appeal as possible. All fanfiction and roleplaying rules still apply.

Side-interactions between characters that decided to linger in the Spirit Nexus are fine, as long as they do not interfere with the ongoing truth or dare.

And finally…

Always end your ToD posts with new commands, like so:
Truth: “Think of somebody really important to you. When you see them again, what would you tell them?”
Dare: “Eat this Tamato Berry.” [Object: Extremely spicy and fresh Tamato Berry]

Please ask myself or @Chibi Pika if you have any questions! Or if neither of us are available, I'm sure any members of staff would be glad to help you.

<><><>​

Lurosa opened her eyes. She no longer saw her laboratory at Sol Campus. She saw a sea of stars, with no constellations she could recognise, shining gently down on a dark plain that extended to the horizon. She glanced over her shoulder; the plain extended behind her as well. She could see nothing of note but her own twin-tipped espeon tail.

Fascinating.

She took a step forward, and the featureless ground rippled beneath her paw to take the form of paved stone. She walked forward, and a path of flagstones extended before her. She looked ahead, and saw no destinations, no structures, no living things.

"Am I dead?" she asked herself, aloud. It wouldn't be the first time a experiment at Psion College had killed her, but something told her she was not permanently dead just yet.

"Where am I," she called, "and is anyone else here?"

What was this place?

It is an Astral Path. If it intersects with another, it will become a Spirit Nexus.
...
It seems it will do so imminently.
 
Last edited:

Chibi Pika

Stay positive
Staff
Location
somewhere in spacetime
Pronouns
they/them
Partners
  1. pikachu-chibi
  2. lugia
  3. palkia
  4. lucario-shiny
  5. incineroar-starr
Swirls of dream-smoke drifted upward, stars and souls alike twinkling in the ethereal sky. Alioth hummed to himself as he located his favorite clearing (it was never quite in the same place twice) and sat down to brew a pot of tea. It was equal parts familiar and unfamiliar, this ever-shifting road laced with the whispers of spirits as they drifted in and out of the crossroads.

Today was already proving somewhat more to the 'unfamiliar' side of things. He'd felt a strange presence observing him ever since he arrived. Several times he'd reached out, but had not yet received a reply. Perhaps it would reveal itself in due time.

The second unfamiliar thing was a voice, rather more clear than usual. Certainly not very whisper-y.

"I am here," he replied simply, raising a paw in greeting as an Espeon appeared through the mist. He cocked his head, observing her form. "You don't look like a departed spirit to me. Are you a fellow shaman?"
 

unrepentantAuthor

A cat that writes stories.
Location
UK
Pronouns
they/she
Partners
  1. purrloin-salem
  2. sneasel-dusk
  3. luz-companion
  4. brisa-companion
  5. meowth-laura
  6. delphox-jesse
  7. mewtwo
  8. zeraora
#include <aether_io>
int main() {
aether_out << "INITIALIZING_ASTRAL_ENVIRONMENT:\n";
aether_out << "- Intersect: Astral_Paths\n";
aether_out << "- Sync: Astral_Sea\n";
aether_out << "- Generate: Spirit_Nexus\n";
// ...

Oh! A fellow pokémon had stepped into existence before her – a typhlosion, her senses told her, though an odd one, to be sure. His flames were an ethereal magenta, and he wore a hooded cloak of a style she did not recognise. Beneath his paws, a path of autumn leaves intersected with her paved stones, winding behind and ahead of him into infinity.

Each spirit's path is different. Possibly they are all unique. Every path, if it does not terminate, leads to a crossroads.

Lurosa gave the stranger a bright smile, and flicked her tail up in greeting.

"Not at all!" she replied. "I am a researcher, and a scholar of the psionic sciences. My name is Lurosa, and it's my pleasure to meet you. I assume that you yourself are a 'shaman', then? Can you tell me what this... 'place' is?"

aether_out << "INITIATE_WHISPERING_PILLAR_SEQUENCE:\n";
aether_out << "- Generate: Vapor_Pillar_Structure\n";
aether_out << "- Integrate: Ethereal_Elements\n";
aether_out << "- Stabilize: Pillar_Existence\n";

As she replied, the air seemed to move, for the first time since she'd arrived. Wisps of vapour flowed between her and the ghostly typhlosion, and Lurosa looked up to see a shape forming in the air, a tower of cloud, or mist, hovering above their dreamlike crossroads.

Was this the Concourse she'd attempted to create...?
 
Last edited:

Chibi Pika

Stay positive
Staff
Location
somewhere in spacetime
Pronouns
they/them
Partners
  1. pikachu-chibi
  2. lugia
  3. palkia
  4. lucario-shiny
  5. incineroar-starr
Alioth scratched his chin, flames gently wavering in the breeze. "There are as many names for it as there are visitors. But I'm rather fond of the 'Twilight Crossroads' moniker. Where two paths meet, there's always a crossing, mm?"

He followed her gaze upward. "Ah. And it seems that this crossing is a strong one. Enough to make the Whispering Pillar take shape." He poured out a cup of dandelion tea, inhaling the steam with a thoughtful look. "Quite uncommon to meet an offworlder here. I normally learn from the wandering spirits of my home."
 

unrepentantAuthor

A cat that writes stories.
Location
UK
Pronouns
they/she
Partners
  1. purrloin-salem
  2. sneasel-dusk
  3. luz-companion
  4. brisa-companion
  5. meowth-laura
  6. delphox-jesse
  7. mewtwo
  8. zeraora
Lurosa's brain lit up with thoughts, theories, ideas – was this happenstance, or her own doing? Was there a celestial realm beyond this? What did it mean that their crossing was 'strong'? Countless questions bubbled up under her tongue.

"Are there many visitors? What manner of visitors? Are you a regular? What was your name, sorry – wait, what is the Whispering Pillar? And you said Wandering Spirits – by that do you mean ghosts, Ghost-types, some other thing? What world are you from? Or are you a native of this plane? Can you tell me more about this plane? What is that you're drinking? Is it important? Actually, am I trapped here? You said 'visitors', does that mean there's a means of returning home? Are you—"

Rather too many questions.

I also have many questions.
 

Chibi Pika

Stay positive
Staff
Location
somewhere in spacetime
Pronouns
they/them
Partners
  1. pikachu-chibi
  2. lugia
  3. palkia
  4. lucario-shiny
  5. incineroar-starr
Alioth drank deeply from his cup—the heat was no bother to him—and chuckled. “Call me Alioth. You could say I’m a regular—I come here often to learn what I can from the departed souls of my home… and the occasional visitor from worlds beyond,” he added, nodding to her.

He leaned back, taking in the sight of the great pillar touching down not far from their crossing. “Don’t make the mistake of thinking I know all there is to know about this place. And far be it for me to deprive you of the chance to learn for yourself. But it’s a simple matter to return home, for an offworlder such as yourself. The pillar needs only a simple showing of will. Baring a truth of the soul, or perhaps demonstrating a feat. It’s quite flexible.”
 

unrepentantAuthor

A cat that writes stories.
Location
UK
Pronouns
they/she
Partners
  1. purrloin-salem
  2. sneasel-dusk
  3. luz-companion
  4. brisa-companion
  5. meowth-laura
  6. delphox-jesse
  7. mewtwo
  8. zeraora
"Oh, I see," replied Lurosa, stifling the tide of questions. "So... like Truth or Dare, then? You play a round, and the pillar sends you home?"

She didn't wait for a response, but paused only to consider a prompt for her companion, to test her hypothesis. Every question bubbling in her brain constituted a 'Truth' prompt, did they not? Ah, but perhaps she should go first...

"Very well, Typhlosion Alioth, I shall choose Truth."

aether_out << "INITIATE_TRUTH_OR_DARE_INSTANCE:\n";
aether_out << "- Configure: Game_Parameters\n";
aether_out << "- Initialize: Player_List\n";
aether_out << "TRUTH_OR_DARE_INSTANCE_READY\n";
 

Chibi Pika

Stay positive
Staff
Location
somewhere in spacetime
Pronouns
they/them
Partners
  1. pikachu-chibi
  2. lugia
  3. palkia
  4. lucario-shiny
  5. incineroar-starr
Alioth cocked his head. “‘Truth or Dare’… I hadn’t thought of it like that before, but it has a nice ring, doesn’t it?” He drained his cup of tea, pondering what question to present. A showing of will…

“For a seeker of knowledge… “what is the truth that you seek most?”
 

unrepentantAuthor

A cat that writes stories.
Location
UK
Pronouns
they/she
Partners
  1. purrloin-salem
  2. sneasel-dusk
  3. luz-companion
  4. brisa-companion
  5. meowth-laura
  6. delphox-jesse
  7. mewtwo
  8. zeraora
The Whispering Pillar – now a slowly-rotating column of mist and fog – seemed to inhale, softly, at Alioth's words. His question seemed to flicker and swirl inside the Pillar, as if his breath and words were preserved inside it.

aether_out << "LOAD_PROMPT_01:\n";
aether_out << "- Type: Truth\n";
aether_out << "- Prompt: What is the truth that you seek most?\n";
aether_out << "PROMPT_01_LOADED\n";

Lurosa stroked her chin with her tailtips, and thought hard.

"Well, I am a scientist, as I said. So, inquiry is in my nature. Perhaps that means I'm looking for the fundamental truth of our existence? The nature of consciousness. Of the soul, you might say. That's why I'm here now, after all!" She laughed lightly at herself, and smiled. "There you have it. The truth I seek most is the nature of the pokémon soul."

The nature of the pokémon soul? ...I also want to know.
aether_out << "SOUL_LOCATION_AND_TRANSFER_PROCESS:\n";
aether_out << "- Locate: Target_Souls\n";
aether_out << "- Extract: Soul_Data\n";
aether_out << "- Transfer: Spirit_Nexus\n";
aether_out << "INITIATE_SOUL_INSTANTIATION:\n";
aether_out << "- Load: Soul_03\n";
aether_out << "- Load: Soul_04\n";
aether_out << "- Load: Soul_05\n";
// ...
 

IFBench

Rescue Team Member
Location
Pokemon Paradise
Partners
  1. chikorita-saltriv
  2. bench-gen
  3. charmander
  4. snivy
  5. treecko
  6. tropius
  7. arctozolt
  8. wartortle
One of the first souls "loaded" would be a horrific mismatch, two creatures stitched together unevenly and unnaturally. One might call this creature an Arctozolt.

Of course...technically, it had two souls, for each of its component parts. But the souls, too, were stitched together. Did it count as one soul? Two? Something in between?

Whatever the case was, it was not happy.

Opening their eyes, they'd find themselves not where they were before. Their tail immediately began lashing as they saw the others here, and growled, attempting to scare them away. They couldn't be seen, not like this, not yet...
 

Ambyssin

Gotta go back. Back to the past.
Location
Residency hell
Pronouns
he/him
Partners
  1. silvally-dragon
  2. necrozma-ultra
  3. milotic
  4. zoroark-soda
  5. dreepy
  6. mewtwo-ambyssin
Chains.

Thick and heavy.

Dragging him down. Down, down, down.

The surface— the light grew farther and farther. Sealed by chain— no, a red chain. Weaving over and over upon itself until it blocked out everything. No sights. No sounds.

Emptiness? Trapped within a void?

... No, he'd felt this before. Over and over.

Every so often he saw what he did. His body, but not his to control. Something else moved it. Made it speak. All while he stayed buried under the red chain's thousands of links.

Until suddenly, something yanked him out of the depths.

<><><>
Nova was weightless at first. But then there was some light. A certain heaviness— wait, no, these were his legs. He remember how to walk, right? Move the golden, chitinous forelegs. Left first. Lift it and plant it on the metal grou—

The type: full misjudged the step and toppled over on his right side with a warbled squawk.
 

Navar

Professional Mudkip Lover
Location
Brazil
Pronouns
He/Him
Partners
  1. swampert
  2. chesnaught-apron
  3. lucario-mega
No skin. No hair. Something else—slimy? Scales, slimy scales around his body. Yes, that was natural; his body was like this now.

He touched the top of his head, feeling a large fin. Then, around his cheeks. All normal. Looking at his arms, they were blue, the same tone he was so used to by now. Far from being human.

His fins/tails twitched slightly, and he smiled.

He was still a Marshtomp.

"Okay... I'm good—great, actually!"

Something else, surrounding his neck. Or... lack of it. Nothing surrounded his neck, but something should. A scarf, a red scarf. It wasn't there.

"...Frick. Shiron, you don't have your scarf."

Shiron put a hand in front of his face, groaning. "...All things considered, it could be a lot worse."
 

Ambyssin

Gotta go back. Back to the past.
Location
Residency hell
Pronouns
he/him
Partners
  1. silvally-dragon
  2. necrozma-ultra
  3. milotic
  4. zoroark-soda
  5. dreepy
  6. mewtwo-ambyssin
A voice. Voice meant another body. Hostiles?

Nova scrambled to his feet, head crest fanning out.

Marshtomp. Water/ground. Usually with Torrent. Slow and clumsy. Grass strikes from behind optim—

No! No, no, no. He couldn't think like that. Why were those impulses bubbling up now? Whoever this marshstomp wasn't didn't sound all that threatening.

... But what if that was an attempt to get Nova to lower his guard?

"Identify yourself." Nova's cheek bolts slowly whirred in their sockets.
 

Navar

Professional Mudkip Lover
Location
Brazil
Pronouns
He/Him
Partners
  1. swampert
  2. chesnaught-apron
  3. lucario-mega
"Wah!"

Shiron fell on his butt, the weird Pokémon(?) he didn't recognize looked intimidating. And he was asking for identification. Which only made it more intimidating.

"H-Hi! I'm Shiron, a pleasure meeting you!"
 

IFBench

Rescue Team Member
Location
Pokemon Paradise
Partners
  1. chikorita-saltriv
  2. bench-gen
  3. charmander
  4. snivy
  5. treecko
  6. tropius
  7. arctozolt
  8. wartortle
The chimera stopped growling, as it heard the Pillar. So, in order to get out of here...

No, it couldn't risk it. Couldn't-

Its tail smacked into its beak, and it yelped.

Are you daft? Come on, it'll be easy! Could be fun, too!

Do you seriously think we should partake in this children's game?!
Yes. Come on, you're the one with the mouth.

The creature sighed, and spoke in a strange, broken voice.

Truth: "Is there anything that you've done that many would call horrible, but that you don't regret at all?"
 

Ambyssin

Gotta go back. Back to the past.
Location
Residency hell
Pronouns
he/him
Partners
  1. silvally-dragon
  2. necrozma-ultra
  3. milotic
  4. zoroark-soda
  5. dreepy
  6. mewtwo-ambyssin
It sounded sincere enough. Flustered, uneven tone. Suggestive of fear. Nova still felt... off, but his body was still larger. Way larger than a marshtomp's... and far, far bigger than the ducklett that showed up not long after.

"What's going on here?" His blue eyes darted around. "Where are w—"

Then he heard an unfamiliar voice. This one sounded more concerning and its source...

Improper. Incorrect. Mutated.

"Identify yourself," Nova growled.
 

IFBench

Rescue Team Member
Location
Pokemon Paradise
Partners
  1. chikorita-saltriv
  2. bench-gen
  3. charmander
  4. snivy
  5. treecko
  6. tropius
  7. arctozolt
  8. wartortle
"Na-" It began, before its tail smacked into its snout again.

"...'Arctozolt'," is all it replied with, looking away.
 

Ambyssin

Gotta go back. Back to the past.
Location
Residency hell
Pronouns
he/him
Partners
  1. silvally-dragon
  2. necrozma-ultra
  3. milotic
  4. zoroark-soda
  5. dreepy
  6. mewtwo-ambyssin
"There is no such species designation in my database."

What was he saying? Why was this stupid programming bubbling up now? Fight it, Nova! This wasn't him. It hadn't been for... for...

How long had it been anyway? How long—

"Mutant. Phantom." His blue eyes flickered. "Your soul must be corrupted."

He looked around. Whatever had brought the type: full here could surely excise this Phantom from the area before it lashed out at the smaller water-types.
 

IFBench

Rescue Team Member
Location
Pokemon Paradise
Partners
  1. chikorita-saltriv
  2. bench-gen
  3. charmander
  4. snivy
  5. treecko
  6. tropius
  7. arctozolt
  8. wartortle
"Oh, fuck off," it said, though as its head leaned towards Nova, its legs took a step back.
 

Ambyssin

Gotta go back. Back to the past.
Location
Residency hell
Pronouns
he/him
Partners
  1. silvally-dragon
  2. necrozma-ultra
  3. milotic
  4. zoroark-soda
  5. dreepy
  6. mewtwo-ambyssin
The thing was just annoyed. Just ann—

No. It dropped profanity. It was clearly hostile.

But its movements didn't—

Hostile, hostile, hostile.

"Stand back and drop the dirty language or I will take steps to make sure your threatening behavior is neutralized." Nova's cheek bolts flickered like warning lights.
 
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