livestage | CIRRUS NETWORK

CIRRUS NETWORK

You find yourselves in a surprisingly sterile room. It's entirely white, almost blindingly so. There are a few beanbag chairs to sit on, though perhaps not enough for your entire family. On one of the walls, there's a laminated poster of a wheel. At the center of the room is a table with a glass case on top. If you lift the case, you'll find a single red button. Behind a glass panel on the wall is a monitor that is currently off.

Curiously, it does not seem as though you can actually destroy anything in this room (save for a simple note by the button), regardless of how much you may try. The glass will never shatter. The poster cannot be torn into pieces. Furthermore, your blessings and powers are off and none of your personal belongings are actually on your person.

A simple note lays by the button on the table, a reminder of your directive: Will you push the button?

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I will fight you if you go for the button, Booker Storm.

How quickly you forget being put in a blender that you're ready to sign yourself and the rest of us up for it again.

As the one who got submerged in the blender, I think I'm allowed to have an opinion on it too, judging on my estimate of how these punishments might measure up, and the fact that there's a maximum potential of only two, not twenty-five.

I heard you say it 'has no point'? Last time ended up not having very much point, sure, but it was entirely aimed at ourselves. I think preserving goodwill with the other Families very much has a point.

Ask me if I'd rather see you blended again or have the good will of someone so fickle that they'd get mad over you not volunteering to be blended again.

I would prefer to be blended once today than be blended seven times in any future performance where each Family can choose their targets freely.

I have bad news for you about being in a Family with me. We were always fucked for any kind of popularity contest. All the more reason to not sign up to take double damage.

You're really underestimating how much people can like you, or like the rest of Cirrus, and you're still not convincing me.

Popularity contests aren't about people liking you, they're about liking you more than other, better, more deserving or pitiful people. We're never going to win that race.

This is edging into tangential territory, but people like Mr. Joel wouldn't punish you, I am pretty sure.

Sure, but would the Siren's Family us more highly than any other? Not a chance.

They care about him even if they don't care about you. It's all relative.

And he'll care about me even if we push the button, so there's no reason not to push it.

Counterpoint: there's plenty of reason to not push it.

Counter-counter point, all of your reasons were bad and also I don't care. You're outvoted anyway.

[going to go push the button!]

[tackles his ass]

No!

[goes down oof, but keeps dragging himself toward the button]

Prick! See if I believe you about not volunteering for it ever again.

You didn't --

[getting him in a headlock if he can, putting his not-inconsiderable strength into it]

--ban it completely! This is a fully different circumstance!

Oh, so it only matters if it's exactly the same?

[you know what maybe today is the day I BITE YOU uses his also not inconsiderable strength to jerk on Vincent's wrist so he can bite into his forearm]

[SNARLS FULLY FERALLY but just locks his arm harder, shaking Booker like a terrier shakes a rat]

You don't want to, I don't want to. You don't think it's worth it, I do. That's what it boils down to.

[trying his best to make Vincent bleed through his clothes, and risking letting go with one hand but just to grope behind him to grab Vincent's hair and pull on that, his mouth remains too occupied to argue but he hopes his emotions are conveyed through action]

[yeah he also gives up on words and just kind of leans his weight into trying to slam Booker into the ground bodily. F if Booker rips some of his hair out or he gets a full chunk bitten out of his arm in the process, this too is not as bad as continuous torture death by hurricane]

[ultimately booker is missing his tail and claws AND doesn't actually know how to fight so he will be probably successfully subdued but Vincent WILL bleed at least, but eventually he goes somewhat limp under Vincent]

[HE'LL PAY THE BLOOD TITHE. EYES ON THE PRIZE. Booker probably has feathery keratinous scales stuck between his teeth, yuck

fully does not relax his grip past letting Booker get at least a little air. does not fully trust him to not be shamming]

[gasps, wheezing, for air and also tries to awkwardly punch him in the throat]

[HACKS AND WHEEZES but sort of full-weight bodyslams him against the ground at the same time. just fully. drops on him]

Re: DISCUSSION

thefaultinthestars - 2025-05-31 02:43 (UTC) - Expand

Re: DISCUSSION

endsjustified - 2025-05-31 02:43 (UTC) - Expand

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