01x03 - Careful Now

[bunniefuu]

When a being considers
the vastness of the orb,

they're often reminded of
their own insect-like tininess.

These moments of reflection
can sometimes result

in a sensation of helplessness.

But with that uncertainty comes
the feeling of great possibility.

The orb contains so many possibilities
that oftentimes,

beings underestimate its potential

and fail to realize that when
one opportunity seems so far away,

another one may be much closer
than you think.

Here's our orb
It's slightly leaning

Orbiting a star

We find ways to give life meaning

Some might seem bizarre

All we know is that we exist

And it won't be for long
So it helps to put some foot tubes on

Joy and sadness, courage and fear

Curiosity and anger
On a planet full of danger

And it's only getting stranger
From here

What is...

I'm not usually up at the crack of star.

Likewise. This was the only time
I could cleanse my tubes.

A-well, you just can't be
Too careful now

At a cliff on the side of the road

But if you wanna eat a meal
That's a cut above

While you worry 'bout
What's waiting below

A-well, you gotta go

Gotta go to Careful Now
You gotta go to Careful Now

Every meal is bliss
When you're on the abyss

- At Careful Now
- Don't fall down

I can't believe they're still playing
this commercial.

They must have made it 20 revolutions ago.

That's a real place?

Yeah. It's perched dangerously
on the edge of a cliff.

I heard it's about to break off
and plunge into the void.

Oh, no.

They've been saying that forever though.
I guess you've never been?

No. I just moved here
to live with my sibling.

They're expecting their first offspring.

That's so sweet.

If you know of any good places

that aren't perched
dangerously on a cliff,

I'd love to know about them.

It's not that dangerous.

I was there a few weeks ago

for a last-day-as-a-single-being
celebration.

It wasn't mine.

No, I'm still in my days
as a single being.

That being's got the right idea.

Yep. Warm foot fabric tubes
straight out the tumble heater.

Oh, no! That's mine.

Stand back. I can handle this.

I'm sorry about that.
I feel like it's my fault.

Oh, please. It's no big deal.

I can run out and get you a fresh cup
from somewhere.

Is that cliff place nearby?

For sure, yeah.

Okay. Well, I can go there and grab it.

- Or...
- Or?

Or would you want to go sit there

and consume jitter liquid
together on purpose?

Yes.

It won't fall into the void today, right?

I doubt it.

If you have any thoughts
for this revolution's rooftop attraction,

speak now or forever hold
your flavormuscle.

Every revolution, I suggest something
with purpose and function.

And every revolution,

you opt for an attraction
that is neither purposeful nor functional.

That's because I choose
to live with flair.

Welcome to Careful Now.
Would you like to sit or scoot?

Scoot?

Can I get someone
to get you some jitter liquid?

- Yes, please.
- That'd be great.

Coming right up.

This is nice. Once you're inside,
it doesn't feel like

you could perish at any moment.

Well, you haven't tried
the sustenance yet.

- What part of Burg do you...
- You know about Double Shadow Day?

Apologies. Go ahead.

I was just wondering if you know
about Double Shadow Day.

It's coming up.

Is that the eclipse?
My sibling mentioned it to me.

We thought it would be exciting
if their offspring emerged that day.

That would be.

I believe in the interconnectedness
of our orb and our life cycles

from the moment of emergence.

And Double Shadow is a great day.

But the weeks leading up to it
can be a little messy.

Really?

Big time. Beings can get
completely out of sorts.

They say not to make any important
decisions in these weeks

because you may not be thinking clearly.

I made the decision to ask you
for jitter liquid, and that worked out.

Look at this view.

We need an attraction that helps people
appreciate the greatness

of what sits in front of them.

How about some nice tables and chairs?

Boring. Plus, that won't work in the rain.

Beings can sit inside if it rains.

I want this attraction
to be enjoyable all revolution long.

- We can put up a tent.
- Then you can't see the sky!

Let's think bigger and more precariously,
like a zip line over the void.

Beings love to dangle on wires.

I am going to check on my patrons.

A trapeze could be fun.

They are one of my favorite
pretenders as well.

I've heard as a civilian being,
they are not that friendly.

But I still think they are very talented.

Perhaps we could go see
their newest moving image together?

I find you very easy to converse with.
But I don't wanna deceive you.

I'm not ready to commit
to a romance right now.

I see. That's okay.
I'm not looking for anything serious.

It's just with Double Shadow Day
coming up, I don't think it's a good idea.

I would not wanna send a message
to the orb that I am open to change.

- Apologies.
- No apologies necessary.

Instead of dealing with feelings directly,
you are avoiding them

while placing blame
on the shifting positions of the moons.

- I understand.
- Perhaps I should go.

Can I leave some currency
for my jitter liquid?

It is not necessary, but I will think
more highly of you if you do.

Maybe it's better I don't then.

Hey!

Sorry about your broken blood pump.

You really wear your blood pump
on your sleeve, huh?

I... Do I?

- I heard you say you just moved here.
- How did you hear that?

And I believe that one being's misfortune
is another being's lucky day.

In this case, you are the being
with the misfortune.

And I am the being with the lucky day.

Do you need a job?
We could use a little more help.

I don't know.

I heard this place might fall
into the void soon.

It might. But you know what they say,

"When one door closes, another door opens.

And you won't know if you're gonna fall
into the gaping hole underneath it

until you walk through."

I've never heard that saying.
But I do need a job.

- Uh-huh?
- And I'd love to meet some new beings.

But I've never worked
in a restaurant before.

Your negotiating skills
could use some work,

but I think you're perfect for the job.

Let's go meet the rest of the staff.

Here they are.

You hired this being?

Not yet, but we do need someone
to start immediately.

The other night, you covered
for half of the waitstaff.

You did great
but also lit a table on fire.

Well, there's plenty to do...
There always is.

But who even is this?

A good kid. Probably.

Actually, I'm 22 revolutions.

I graduated
with high back pats and everything.

A great kid. Just moved here,
probably great at all sorts of stuff.

Remind you of any other valiant beings
you knew around ten revolutions ago?

We could use a fresh
point of view around here.

I bet they can add some spice
to this old place.

We'll try you out and see
if you can handle it.

What's your strongest skill?

Learning new skills.

See? Always learning.
Go on, give them the tour.

I'll be on the roof, brainstorming
our latest attraction.

If you have any ideas, I'm all ears.

Every revolution, they unveil
a new rooftop attraction

to both attract new patrons
and entertain our regulars.

They are usually poorly thought-out
and difficult to use.

What was it last revolution?

They turned an old phone booth
into a tiny dance club.

- That sounds fun.
- Three of our patrons got stuck inside.

- Yikes.
- But then two fell in love.

But then the other one perished.

In an unrelated incident.
Anyway, right this way.

Okay, this is our patience podium.

We refer to every group that comes in
as a "party,"

so they feel like they're fun.

If there's a wait,
we give them one of these.

It buzzes when their table's ready.
Also relieves tension headaches.

This is where we keep our mild poison.

Our poison pourers guard the bottles,

mix the liquids and tell patrons
when to stop getting sloppy.

I'm more of a poison sommelier.

The bar is also the designated area

for single beings to attempt
to connect with each other

in the hopes of future mouth pushing
or domestic stability.

It's fun to watch them
whether it's going well or not,

but especially when it's not.

We also have a fizz liquid sh**ter.

Here, try it. But aim it away from us,

like maybe over...

Let's head to the kitchen.

Lots to see there.

Yes, the kitchen.
The beating blood pump of any restaurant.

So you know your way around a kitchen.

Of course.
Here is the sustenance preserver.

- That's the plate cleaner.
- Must be a modern unit.

- It's been here as long as I have.
- And this must be the sizzle maker.

The heat blaster.
Okay, let's start from the top.

Sustenance goes on plates,
plates go on trays, trays go on limbs.

We use the stacking system here.
Stack. Stack. Stack. Photo booth.

We do not nap in there,
despite wanting to.

Someone's in here.

You can write down a patron's order,

but it's more suspenseful
for them if you memorize it.

You know when you see your order
coming towards you,

but it's really for someone else?

We prevent that with set paths
and tray domes.

- There's old stuff on the walls.
- I've seen that in lots of restaurants.

Why is it that...

Because nostalgia makes food taste better.

Are you joining the tour?

Thanks so much. I'd love to.

Next up, my house.

Did anyone mention to you

that the restaurant has been
slowly drifting down the cliff?

Maybe.

We had it all assessed.
Or rather, the city did.

Sure, yes. When I took over, I thought,
"Oh, Lorb, this won't end well."

But that was many revolutions ago.
Our patrons no longer wear life vests.

You can if you like.
There's tons in the supply closet.

At my insistence, the city sends
their best structural engineers

to give us the all clear every few months.

The current one showed up yesterday
and has just been measuring stuff

and frowning for hours, like they all do.

Perhaps talking with them
will placate your nerves.

Here you go. It's all yours.

Thanks. Perfect fit. Hand holes.

Apologies, I don't wish
to disrupt your work.

I just wanted to introduce you
to this curious being

who has some safety questions
I felt ill-equipped to answer.

Well, not sure I have any good news
for you on the safety front.

The danger to this place
should concern you.

It does. But it's always the same warning.

It's practically reassuring at this point.
The restaurant might fall off the cliff.

Yeah, sorry, it's gonna plummet.

- What?
- Sure, in, like, 20 revolutions.

Well, that at least gives us
enough time to...

No. It's way more likely
that it'll fall on Double Shadow Day

because the moons control the tides

which affects the tectonic shelves
and all that.

Sorry, this Double Shadow Day?
This revolution?

Do you know if the kitchen's
still dealing with that lunch rush?

I'm thinking of getting
a triple-starch bowl.

How can you think about that right now?
We're all gonna perish in the void.

There's no need to worry.

I have a plan to reinforce the foundation
in a way that'll work better

than this tape-and-spit situation
you have going on right now.

I did not mean for this encounter
to increase your anxiety.

I don't know if I can
accept employment here.

I am too concerned about perishing.

Plus, I don't think you even want me
to work here.

Well, now that you no longer want to
work here, I want you to work here more.

Isn't that interesting? Playing hard
to get has many advantages.

It does.

Aren't you frightened?

I know you've been doing this a while,
but why stay?

Funny story.

I moved here when I was your age
with a group of student meteorologists

to find out what that fog in the void is.

Things did not go as planned.

- Are you the only survivor?
- What? No.

I see. So, if you're trained
in meteorology...

Why do I work here at all?

Well, turned out I was awful
at meteorology.

Way more guessing than I expected.

But I'm great at other things,
and I ended up really liking the work.

I love this place.

I'm assuming you figured out
what's under the fog?

No, no one knows how far down
it goes or what's at the bottom.

Might be liquid, might be dirt,
might be dreams.

But the point is,
this is a nice place to work.

And you can't beat that view.
Shall we head to the roof?

Have we settled on an attraction?

Not yet. And we're running out of time.

- We must decide on the attraction tonight.
- Why?

I've always worked best under pressure.

So, have you learned the ropes yet, kid?

I think I learned some,
but I'm sure there are more to grasp.

They know nothing of
restaurant management,

but they are pleasant to be around.

Gratitude.

If you can think of an idea
for the attraction, I'll give you a raise.

Seriously? What if I think of one?

I'm gonna go check on my patrons again.

See ya.

I can't help but notice that you keep
stealing glances at the regular customer.

Am I being too obvious?

I don't think they've noticed.
Why don't you go talk to them?

I don't think so.

Why not? They're just a being.

I am not able to open myself up
to other beings quite that easily.

Maybe that's something you can talk about.

- You might have that in common.
- No. Gratitude.

What's the worst that could happen?

In the weeks leading up
to Double Shadow Day,

anything is possible.

- Is that really a thing?
- I did not used to think so, but right now

it seems like an excuse
that could work in my favor.

It's fun to take risks.

If that's not deception,
then don't you think

you should risk falling
into the void and work here?

I could not possibly make
that type of decision in the weeks

before Double Shadow Day.

How about this? If I take the job,
will you go over there?

How about a half step?

Will you bring this to them?

Apologies. I have some
leftover mush stuck in my mouthstones.

No apology necessary
for good oral hygiene,

though I do not need
to hear too much about it.

I'll take your currency
whenever you're ready.

I think that's what I say.
I've never done this before.

Gratitude.

Sorry I didn't reply yesterday.

I'm really bad at this stuff.

I just wanted to say that I don't
not like you.

The management.

See? Easy.

Yes, you're right.

I always think it's important
not to make large mountains

out of mini crawling insect hills.

In the grand scheme of the orb,
we're specks.

And when we see ourselves that way,

we can better appreciate
our own experiences,

as well as how magical
the orb actually is.

Oh, my Lorb.

I know what this revolution's attraction
should be.

A tiny ice-skating rink?

No, something a little more meaningful.

Than an ice-skating rink?

It is my honor to present
our brand-new attraction.

A telescope.

And it's pointed at our two moons,
Lorb and Rorb,

all ready for Double Shadow Day.

I had one of these as a young being.

This might be my favorite attraction.

It was all their idea.

Sometimes, we just need to take
a good look at the giant orb around us

to see what's been right in front
of our eyeholes the entire time.

Plus, you can use it
to search for treasure.

Okay.

I must admit that hiring them
was a good idea,

despite the fact
that they're a terrible server.

I am impressed
that you saw their potential.

Every being has their own strengths.

They may be more creative,
but you are a great manager.

Gratitude. You are a very eccentric owner.

Gratitude.
And I can get even weirder than this.

No need to show me.

Hey. Thanks for sticking around.

Thanks for convincing me to.

I'll admit, the more I think about it,
the more terrified I am

about plummeting into the chasm.

Hey. If we plummet,
we plummet in good company.