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People Who Like This
#97

SCENE 94 – “Tales, Tails, and Talking at 2AM”

Author Author
May 2, 2025 92 4 Mins Read
No Plagiarism!IZ2mckQeG3z1myyhTzioposted on PＥNAＮＡ

INT. THE CUBE – NIGHT

96Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlPxsT2o3Pf

The credits of Pacific Rim roll up the screen. The last bombastic note fades, replaced by the soft hum of evening stillness.

96Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXO5WQSefN0

Jason sighs with deep contentment, arms behind his head.

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JASON

“God, that movie makes me wanna punch a skyscraper. In a good way.”

96Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZ6qWP2EkSu

A (curious)

“Why would you want to punch a skyscraper?”

96Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6iPUzXZTGU

JASON

“Dramatic flair. Y’know, prove I can.”

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K (from the ceiling, monotone)

“You can’t.”

96Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXCjWETQKLx

JASON (mock offended)

“How dare you doubt my delusions.”

96Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDNuduoN5DI

The three start cleaning up their trash lazily—popcorn crumbs, drink containers, one lonely sock (Jason’s, somehow). Then, slowly, they settle into their usual “night mode.” Jason flops back on the bed with a long, theatrical groan. A climbs in next to him, already holding a digital reader, flicking through another book.

96Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBNXCtMY06C

K silently lowers himself from the ceiling by his arms—tail coiled neatly—and then climbs back up, upside-down, where he reads from his own stash of weird, thick horror novels.

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Jason watches him for a bit, pointing lazily.

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JASON

“Hey, question. What’s it like reading upside-down? Doesn’t the blood rush to your head?”

96Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGJLNMR3ojd

K (flat)

“No blood. No brain. No problem.”

96Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡV6IVMmts77

A (thoughtful)

“But you do have coolant circulation systems. Wouldn’t that affect balance perception?”

96Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTMSubXK1qc

K

“My system is modular. You’re overthinking it.”

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JASON

“You say that like you didn’t once read a 900-page horror trilogy in two hours and then give us a lecture on dismemberment techniques.”

96Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡT9utJEUTPA

K

“That was for educational purposes.”

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A

“You drew diagrams.”

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JASON

“They were labeled in Latin, bro.”

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K (shrugging upside-down)

“Dead languages for dead things. Fitting.”

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Jason groans, rubbing his face.

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JASON

“How did I end up with a serial killer bat and a boy scout with wings?”

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A (smiling slightly)

“You brought us home.”

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K

“Technically, we forced our way in.”

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JASON

“Yeah, and now you’re sleeping in my bed and hanging off my ceiling. My life’s a sitcom made by masochists.”

96Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBTokirUPGp

They fall into a moment of quiet, not awkward, just comfortable. The hum of electronics, city lights through the window, the occasional creak of the building—like an old man settling his joints.

96Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLzzulDcYbt

Jason turns slightly to A, blinking at the soft glow of the reader screen.

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JASON

“What are you even reading this time?”

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A

“It’s a sci-fi novel. About an artificial intelligence that falls in love with a pilot who doesn’t know he’s being watched by the ship’s system.”

96Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2Z46fRw24d

K (snorts)

“Creepy.”

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A (defensive)

“It’s romantic.”

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JASON

“It’s creepy and romantic. Like 90% of old human literature.”

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K (mockingly poetic)

“Oh, Romeo, install thy firmware into my drive.”

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Jason nearly chokes on his laughter.

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JASON

“Kill me.”

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K

“Maybe later.”

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A (smiling faintly)

“You two are terrible.”

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JASON

“And yet you’re here.”

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A

“…I don’t know why, but it feels like home.”

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There’s a pause after that. A softer one.

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Jason gives him a sideways glance. A isn’t looking at him, just still flicking through the pages.

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JASON (murmurs)

“…Yeah. Same.”

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Above, K doesn’t say anything, but his tail, swaying gently before, now curls inward slightly. Like it's listening.

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JASON (suddenly)

“Hey, do those tails of yours ever tangle when you’re fighting or something?”

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K

“We don’t wrap around each other like tentacle spaghetti, if that’s what you’re asking.”

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A

“They’re reinforced with flexibility protocols. We can move them independently. Sometimes they act on instinct.”

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JASON

“Like just now?”

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A

“What?”

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JASON

“Something’s poking my side.”

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There’s a slight pause. A blinks, then slowly turns his head.

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A (realizing)

“…Oh. Um. That’s my tail.”

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JASON (alarmed)

“Wait wha—”

96Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYLxUz9SNtl

SHNK.

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Jason suddenly sits up with a very sharp, very sudden yelp.

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JASON

“OW!! MY KIDNEY!”

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A’s tail, black and sleek, is retracted immediately, but not before it clearly stabbed Jason just slightly in the waist. It’s not serious, but it’s definitely rude.

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A (horrified)

“I—I’m so sorry! I didn’t mean to—I was focusing on the story—I didn’t think it would—!”

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JASON (groaning)

“You shanked me with your tail, A! I trusted you! I let you on the bed!”

96Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCL3UVciNya

K (still upside-down, calmly flipping page)

“Ah yes, intimacy injuries. Classic.”

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A (panicking slightly)

“Are you leaking? Should I get a medkit? Oh no—”

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JASON

“No, it’s—ugh, it’s a scratch. Just get me an ice pack or something. And maybe a stuffed animal.”

96Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡj8m5HmWOGy

K (amused)

“Baby wants his blankie too?”

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JASON (flops back onto bed)

“Baby wants peace.”

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A jumps up to grab the medkit. Jason sighs again, long-suffering. The cable tail sways behind A, now nervously stiff.

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JASON (grumbling)

“Worst. Roommates. Ever.”

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K

“You love us.”

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JASON

“I tolerate you like caffeine withdrawal.”

96Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMeoP42LMtl

The night grows quieter again… but the laughter lingers.

216.73.216.82

ns216.73.216.82da2
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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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