INT. JASON’S APARTMENT CUBE – LATE NIGHT
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[The game board’s now in shambles. Tiny figurines lay sprawled across the faux-wood terrain, some missing arms, one wearing a bottle cap like a crown. Jason yawns dramatically as SD-A gathers his “gold coins” (read: rusted screws) into a small pile with childlike pride.]
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JASON
“Alright, treasure goblin, game night’s over. I’m cutting you off before you buy a fourth haunted frying pan.”
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SD-A (mock offended)
“They stack bonuses!”
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SD-K (dry, from under the table)
“I stacked myself into a dumpster. That was fun.”
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[Jason stands up, stretches with a few joint creaks and servo hums, then gestures toward the room.]
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JASON
“Okay, now, bedtime. I’m serious. I got work tomorrow, and you two need to power down before you short your circuits from all the emotional bonding.”
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SD-K
“I don’t sleep, remember? We literally go into low-function idle mode. It's not—”
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JASON (already pulling a rolled-up blanket from a drawer)
“Yeah yeah yeah. I don’t care. You’re sleeping. It’s mandatory. Or I’m making you cuddle A.”
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SD-K
“…where do you want me to shut down.”
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[Jason smirks, tosses the blanket to a dusty corner, and pats an empty charging port beside it. A has already curled up near the bed, tucked between a stack of toolboxes and a half-finished sculpture of what might be a robot wearing a dress.]
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SD-A (content)
“This is… cozy.”
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JASON (settling into his single, beat-up bed with exposed wires hanging like sad tinsel)
“Cozy’s one word for it. Overcrowded’s another. But, y’know… I’ve never had this kinda thing before. Friends staying over, late-night nonsense, pretend dragons trying to tax me…”
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[A long pause. Jason stares up at the ceiling, where a patch of flickering neon mimics a cracked sky. A low whirr fills the room as the bots idle down slowly.]
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JASON (softly)
“Honestly... this feels kinda nice.”
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SD-A (half-drowsy)
“It does.”
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SD-K (reluctantly, eyes dimming)
“…not terrible.”
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JASON (grinning)
“High praise from the king of cranky.”
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[The room goes quiet. One by one, their systems wind down, the glow of their eyes fading like old lanterns. Outside, Central City hums faintly under the veil of cold night. Inside, three weirdos have found something almost like peace.]
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JASON (V.O.)
“Tomorrow’s gonna be a mess, for sure. But tonight? We sleep. We recharge. And maybe... just maybe… we dream of haunted frying pans.”
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FADE OUT.
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