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People Who Like This
#79

SCENE 76 – "Manners, Please"

Author Author
Apr 29, 2025 73 2 Mins Read
x
No Plagiarism!TlBj2yq4fsoNWC2SlLu8posted on PＥNAＮＡ

INT. CABIN FEVER RESTAURANT – LATE AFTERNOON

77Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeGbK3pQDaM

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

77Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEVzhHMyLOq

VINCENT

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

77Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkEpah2pkDl

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

77Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcVtSXQh6FE

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

77Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡowyi56j0La

Then—

K leans over his plate, opens his mouth wide—

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TOO wide.

77Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQAhrK8fszj

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.

77Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhMr6thVVv6

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.

77Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxHE2C3SNlt

A (hissing)

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

77Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡx8FuvXrITQ

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

77Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡa7h5frZXMC

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

77Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9IN1DtmmCm

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."

77Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhEZqFYh9gg

JASON (still frozen)

"Like demon mouth?!"

77Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡo5bZfS8fcq

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."

77Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4dBsmKa8RZ

Jason blinks slowly, still processing.

77Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUAuhjOupvG

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.

77Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUe6bH8oOFE

A (trying to lighten the mood)

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

77Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8d0bDcLH8c

JASON (deadpan, lowering his hand)

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

77Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAJdCNmE0li

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:

77Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKMnM4YUBl9

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.

216.73.216.154

ns216.73.216.154da2
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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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