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People Who Like This
#53

SCENE 50 – “Afternoon Idleness”

Author Author
Apr 24, 2025 7 2 Mins Read
x
No Plagiarism!C4ijgNmhiBZmBLYuNNqPposted on PＥNAＮＡ

INT. JASON’S CUBE – MID‑AFTERNOON

11Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXOHx0HzEHo

Faded sunlight drips through the blinds. The room is mostly quiet except for SD‑K, now reclining in Jason’s rickety chair, idly flipping Jason’s battered copy of Twilight back and forth like a confused critic.

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SD‑K

“…She describes his marble skin every paragraph. Why. Why is that necessary?”

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Across the room, a blanket burrito stirs. SD‑A’s visor flickers to life, the trench coat still wrapped snugly around him. He sits up, optics hazy.

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SD‑A

“Whuh… morning?”

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SD‑K (flat)

“Afternoon. You power‑napped through half a solar rotation.”

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SD‑A (stretching)

“Ah. Calibration complete.”

(he notices K’s new outfit, blinks)

“Nice jacket. When did you join a biker gang?”

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SD‑K

“Just enhancing my aura of menace. Jason’s closet is a museum of questionable taste.”

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He gestures to the book.

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SD‑K

“For instance, this literary horror.”

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SD‑A

“Ooo, romance! Can I read?”

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SD‑K

“I doubt your innocence will survive page three.”

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SD‑A stands, slips the trench coat on properly—sleeves too long, hem dragging—and wanders the room, taking in the aftermath of K’s “research.”

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SD‑A

“You cleaned? Or… looted?”

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SD‑K

“Both. I acquired a modest stipend.”

(jingles cred‑cores in his pocket)

“Consider it hazard pay.”

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SD‑A

“Jason’s gonna notice.”

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SD‑K

“I’ll blame capitalism.”

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There’s a clatter as SD‑A trips over a stray box of cigarettes.

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SD‑A

“He quit, huh?”

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SD‑K

“Quit buying them? Clearly not.”

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SD‑A picks up one unopened pack, tilts his head.

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SD‑A

“What do they taste like?”

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SD‑K

“Regret and burnt wire.”

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SD‑A sets it down quickly.

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SD‑A

“Pass.”

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He shuffles to the desk, pokes Jason’s weird spoon‑king sculpture.

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SD‑A

“Is this art or an offering?”

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SD‑K

“Both. Worship at your own risk.”

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SD‑A smiles, sits at the terminal chair.

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SD‑A

“What do we do until Jason’s back?”

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SD‑K (shrugs)

“I tried reading, dismantling the toaster, counting ceiling cracks… I’m open to suggestions.”

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SD‑A

“Cartoons?”

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SD‑K

“Only if they involve explosions.”

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SD‑A (types, pulls up an old animated series: two robots fighting crime with slapstick rocket punches)

“Explosions guaranteed.”

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The screen plays muted booms and bright flashes. SD‑K stands behind, arms folded but clearly watching.

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SD‑K

“…Acceptable.”

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They settle—A perched in the chair, coat puddling around him; K leaning against the wall, jacket collar up. For a moment the cube feels almost… homey.

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SD‑A

“Think Jason’s okay?”

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SD‑K

“He’s babysitting cadets. I give him ten minutes before existential crisis, but he’ll live.”

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SD‑A

“Good.”

(smiles at the screen)

“I like this… routine.”

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SD‑K (after a beat)

“Routine. Huh.”

(softly—almost admitting)

“Could get used to it.”

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They watch in companionable silence as a cartoon rocket explodes into Technicolor gears.

13.59.192.254

ns13.59.192.254da2
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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”
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