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People Who Like This
#79

SCENE 76 – "Manners, Please"

Author Author
Apr 29, 2025 70 2 Mins Read
x
No Plagiarism!Q8mlyOYxFQ3OZqNiOwGiposted on PＥNAＮＡ

INT. CABIN FEVER RESTAURANT – LATE AFTERNOON

74Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8uKle01fny

The table clinks and creaks as Vincent returns, balancing three heavy plates. He sets them down with practiced ease.

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VINCENT

"Alright. Burger for the troublemaker, pancakes and syrup for the smiley one, and... meat platter for the quiet one."

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Jason gives a lazy thumbs up. Vincent just chuckles and walks off, back into the kitchen.

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Without wasting a second, A digs in, practically vibrating with excitement over the pancakes. Jason munches on his burger, feeling some semblance of peace.

74Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkxFibnvWJy

Then—

K leans over his plate, opens his mouth wide—

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TOO wide.

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The seams of his faceplate split open like petals, revealing rows of razor-sharp, glistening teeth.

A grotesque, tentacle-like tongue slithers out, drooping saliva straight onto his meat platter.

74Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYTRHCi2o0b

JASON (almost dropping his burger)

"WHAT THE FUCK—!"

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Before Jason can start a riot, A yanks K down under the table with surprising strength.

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A (hissing)

"Close your mouth!! What are you thinking?!"

74Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSljNfhM72B

From under the table, a wet snap-snap sound echoes as K forces his maw closed, the seams sealing up like a zipper.

74Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdTXFh3jkJt

Jason stares, eyes wide, burger halfway to his mouth.

74Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡk6nSjqrVmO

JASON (hoarse whisper)

"Was that—was that normal? What the hell just happened?!"

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A pops his head up, smiling a little too tightly.

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A (nervous chuckle)

"Uhh, so... funny thing. Purification bots... we have some, uh, weird design features."

74Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2xLVMQNhcI

JASON (still frozen)

"Like demon mouth?!"

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A (sheepishly)

"Yeah. The whole face-splitting-mouth thing? Totally normal. It's a... um... intimidation mechanism. Usually stays hidden. Unless he feels like threatening the meal, apparently."

74Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzg5WaBX21u

Jason blinks slowly, still processing.

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JASON

"Threatening... the meat."

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K (muffled from under the table)

"It looked at me funny."

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Jason slaps a hand over his face, groaning deep into his palm.

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Thankfully, none of the other customers seem to have noticed. The cozy murmur of conversation and clinking utensils continues uninterrupted around them.

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A (trying to lighten the mood)

"Good news is, if anyone had seen it, they'd probably just think he’s a cosplay enthusiast."

74Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3OCy4VUKgT

JASON (deadpan, lowering his hand)

"Yeah, a cosplay of ‘literal nightmare.’"

74Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKnGcQpZ2vt

K slithers back up into his seat, his face normal again, picking up a fork like nothing happened.

Jason stares at him for a second longer, then mutters:

74Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6PVNL1Kcgx

JASON

"...I'm never sleeping again."

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They return to eating, the weirdness sinking back into the restaurant’s warm, greasy atmosphere.

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Outside, the city blurs on.

Inside Cabin Fever, it’s just another day surviving with two ticking disasters for roommates.

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FADE OUT.

216.73.216.107

ns216.73.216.107da2
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Table of Contents
#0 Intro
#1 Welcome to Central City
#2 SCENE 1 – “Security Life” pt1
#3 SCENE 1 – “Security Life” pt2
#4 SCENE 2 – “Quiet Doesn’t Last”
#5 SCENE 3 – “Unwelcome Footprints”
#6 SCENE 4 – “Break the Silence”
#7 SCENE 5 – “The Parts We Don’t Talk About”
#8 SCENE 6 – “Still Breathing”
#9 SCENE 7 – “The Smiling Knife”
#10 SCENE 8 – “Ghost in the Pipes”
#11 SCENE 9 – “Right-Hand Problems”
#12 SCENE 10 – “Drag Marks and Doubt”
#13 SCENE 11 – “Below the Skin of the City”
#14 SCENE 12 – “What Shouldn’t Be There”
#15 SCENE 13 – “Echoes of Vision”
#16 SCENE 14 – “Fragments of a Dying Empire”
#17 SCENE 15 – “Shadows Don’t Bargain”
#18 SCENE 16 – “Rust Between Circuits”
#19 SCENE 17 – “The Breach”
#20 SCENE 18 – “Three Bots & a Parasite”
#21 SCENE 19 – “Paperwork and Parasites”
#22 SCENE 20 – “Smuggle Me Softly”
#23 SCENE 21 – “Oil, Info, and Idiots”
#24 SCENE 21 – EXTENDED: “Sleepover Protocols & Other Malfunctions”
#25 SCENE 22 – “Robot Makeover: Low Budget Edition”
#26 SCENE 23 – “Caffeine, Cloaks, and Casual Paranoia”
#27 SCENE 24 – “Rustfields”
#28 SCENE 25 – “Buzz and Circuits”
#29 SCENE 26 – “Tune-Ups and Tightropes”
#30 SCENE 27 – “Errands and Egos”
#31 SCENE 28 – “Groceries and Good Lies”
#32 SCENE 29 – “Dinner and Disclosures”
#33 SCENE 30 – “Steam, Suffering, and Swords”
#34 SCENE 31 – “Dicey Decisions”
#35 SCENE 32 – “Good Night, You Weirdos”
#36 SCENE 33 – “Dreamscapes”
#37 SCENE 34 – “Office and Off-Duty”
#38 SCENE 35 – “A Pleasant Stroll… with Minor Homicidal Undertones”
#39 SCENE 36 – “Wings and Wires”
#40 SCENE 37 – “After-Hours”
#41 SCENE 38 – “Alcohol & Stuff”
#42 SCENE 39 – “Shutdown.exe”
#43 SCENE 40 – “The Weight of Peace”
#44 SCENE 41 – “Midnight, Glitches, and Blankets”
#45 SCENE 42 – “Dawn of the Mildly Functional”
#46 SCENE 43 – “Commute to Doom”
#47 SCENE 44 – “An Office Full of Violence and Vending Machines”
#48 SCENE 45 – “Lunch Break and Clickbait Nightmares”
#49 SCENE 46 – “Rise and Resist (Routine)”
#50 SCENE 47 – “Unauthorized Research”
#51 SCENE 48 – “Wardrobe Upgrades”
#52 SCENE 49 – “Field‑Trip From Hell”
#53 SCENE 50 – “Afternoon Idleness”
#54 SCENE 51 – “Uno and Other Emergencies”
#55 SCENE 52 – “Tech on a Budget”
#56 SCENE 53 – “Delivery, Disobedience & Discoveries”
#57 SCENE 54 – “Questions & Quirks”
#58 SCENE 55 – “Privacy Settings”
#59 SCENE 56 – “Entertainment Planning”
#60 SCENE 57 – "Loyalty Reinforcement Seminar"
#61 SCENE 58 – “Friday‑Night Free Play”
#62 SCENE 59 – “Spire of Panic”
#63 SCENE 60 – “Lines, Orders, and Vines”
#64 SCENE 61 – “Infiltration”
#65 SCENE 62 – “Regroup & Re‑Arm”
#66 SCENE 63 – “Through Flesh and Steel”
#67 SCENE 64 – “Descent Protocol”
#68 SCENE 65 – “The Lungs Below”
#69 SCENE 66 – “Dead Air”
#70 SCENE 67 – “The Heart of the Hollow”
#71 SCENE 68 – “Overheat Protocol”
#72 SCENE 69 – “Sanitized and Sampled”
#73 SCENE 70 – “Totally Normal Roommates”
#74 SCENE 71 – "The Long Walk to Judgment"
#75 SCENE 72 – "Welcome Home, Idiot"
#76 SCENE 73 – "A Promise, A Vacation"
#77 SCENE 74 – "Field Trip to Food"
#78 SCENE 75 – "Cabin Fever"
#79 SCENE 76 – "Manners, Please"
#80 SCENE 77 – "Errands with Extra Steps"
#81 SCENE 78 – "Books, Pills, and Poor Decisions"
#82 SCENE 79 – "Pharmacy Phantoms"
#83 SCENE 80 – "Digital Birds and Binary Bees"
#84 SCENE 81 – "Babysitting? Seriously?"
#85 SCENE 82 – "The Babysitting Begins"
#86 SCENE 83 – "Chaos, Baby-Sized"
#87 SCENE 84 – "Midnight Meltdown"
#88 SCENE 85 – "The Dreams They Dreamed"
#89 SCENE 86 – "The Morning After"
#90 SCENE 87 – "Return of the Parents"
#91 SCENE 88 – "The Reveal"
#92 SCENE 89 – "System Error: Josh.exe Has Stopped Responding"
#93 SCENE 90 – "A Totally Normal Lunch"
#94 SCENE 91 – “Business As Usual”
#95 SCENE 92 – “After the Storm”
#96 SCENE 93 – “The Rim of Opinions”
#97 SCENE 94 – “Tales, Tails, and Talking at 2AM”
#98 SCENE 95 – “Surgery, Solo”
#99 SCENE 96 – “Sleepless Core”
#100 SCENE 97 – “Unknown Systems”
#101 SCENE 98 – “Orders and Oil”
#102 SCENE 99 – “Key Moments”
#103 SCENE 100 – “Three Days of Sky”
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