Work In Progress

1.14 I Know

[Periscope and Pipette are in Pipette's living room.]

Pipette: There's something that I should probably tell you.

Periscope: What is it now?

Pipette: It's about Aglet.

Periscope, quickly: Just tell me.

[Pipette doesn't "just tell" them as quickly.]

Pipette, hesitantly: ... Aglet and Moe are... dating.

[Periscope doesn't respond.]

Pipette: I know.

Periscope: Ok.

Pipette: I'm sorry.

Periscope: No, I'm ok.

[There's a brief pause.]

Periscope: You're really bad at delivering news.

Pipette: I know.

Periscope: You could have at least not told me this on the same day as the- the Bezel thing.

Pipette: Yeah, I know, that was dumb, I just-

Periscope: I don't think you can justify this, Pipe, this was just a bad decision on your part.

Pipette: Can I at least explain myself?

Periscope: No.

Pipette: We should have told you before, is the thing, and it had to be before you started dating again, and now that Moe and Aglet are a thing, I just thought that-

Periscope: That what, that now would be the best time? Because it's kind of really not.

[Pipette gives a small huff under their breath, and then leans over towards Periscope to kiss them on the cheek.]

Periscope: ... What?

[The screen cuts to Dice and Tab, talking in Dice and Periscope's kitchen.]

Tab: And so, the thing was that it wasn't even 3-hole punched when I got it.

Dice: Really? That's ridiculous!

Tab: I know! So then, I had to take it all the way back to the reimbursement office in Solace because the one in Morose had shut down.

Dice: It shut down after one locust infestation?

Tab: I know, it held up really poorly.

Dice: So how'd you get to Solace?

Tab: I had to send a letter to Bracket. You remember Bracket?

Dice: Oh yeah, how're they doing?

Tab: Just as bad as always, you know, but anyways, so they found an excuse to send a van down to Harmony because they're on the energy commission-

Dice: Since when?

Tab: Since relocation.

Dice: Huh.

Tab: But I had to send the letter so many times, because-

Dice: I know, our postal system is the worst.

[Both pause for a sip from their mugs.]

Dice: So what are you getting in the mail these days?

[The screen cuts back to Periscope and Pipette.]

Periscope: What was that?

Pipette: It was nothing.

Periscope: Is this your version of self-pity because Dice slipped up again and you don't want to take advantage of their situation?

Pipette: Don't psychoanalyze me.

Periscope: But really though, why would you do that?

Pipette: You shouldn't strain your voice like that.

Periscope: I know!

[They both pause.]

Periscope: Why would you kiss me?

Pipette: Because I thought you might have needed it.

Periscope: What does that even mean?

Pipette: I don't know, it just seemed... like you might have needed it.

[Neither one of them wants to make eye contact.]

Periscope: I mean, thanks for the thought, but I don't think that's what I need.

Pipette: Ok.

Periscope: I mean, it's not that I don't like you as a person or anything, it's just that- I don't think our relationship is this.

Pipette: I know.

Periscope: I think you just- I don't... think that platonic relationships are supposed to be like that.

Pipette: I'm sorry, it was forward.

Periscope: Not that I don't think you're cute or anything, I just think that this is you not wanting to get involved with Dice right now.

Pipette: If that's what you want to think.

[The screen goes back to Dice and Tab.]

Dice: Yeah... So, it wasn't as bad as it could have been. What about that one, how'd you get that?

Tab: Oh, that's not a surgical scar. That's actually from the shrapnel from Mass Rock.

Dice: You got hit with shrapnel at Mass Rock?

Tab: I know, I know, it was stupid. I wasn't at one of the barriers when Hinge fired the shot.

[There's a somber pause.]

Tab: Do you remember Hinge?

Dice: No one could possibly try to forget.

Tab: They were good in action.

Dice: Yeah...

Tab: Won Mass Rock for us.

Dice: ... Can we not talk about it?

Tab: Why? Hardly anyone even got hurt, it was just Hinge and-

Dice: Bezel.

[Tab resigns.]

Dice: Bezel who dated Peri before they left for Harmony.

Tab: Right.

Dice: We still haven't told them.

Tab: ... Oh.

Dice: I know. It's just rough, we really don't know how to bring it up.

Tab: Yeah, maybe you should get on that.

Dice: Don't make it sound like a chore that we have to get out of the way.

Tab: It's really not my problem anyways.

Dice: ... Yeah, I know.

[The screen goes back to Pipette and Periscope.]

Pipette: ... You think I'm cute?

[credits]