1.15 Apology Rejected

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[Periscope walks into the kitchen, where Dice is sitting alone.]

Periscope: Hey.

Dice: Hey. You want tea?

Periscope: Yeah, sure.

Dice, sighing: Great.

[Dice stands up to get the kettle, which is steaming already, to pour Periscope a cup of tea.]

Dice: So, uh... I've got something to tell you.

Periscope: You sound like Pipette. I'm not in the mood to learn new things today.

Dice: ... Oh?

Periscope: Yeah.

[Dice puts a cup of tea in front of Periscope, who immediately picks it up.]

Dice: It's hot.

[Periscope sips it anyways.]

Dice: Ok.

Periscope: So, Bezel.

[Dice does not respond.]

Periscope: You're all a real lot of nozzles, you know that?

Dice: ... Just didn't know how to say it, was all.

Periscope: You should have just told me when you first got here.

Dice: I'm sorry.

Periscope, after a pause: You're what?

Dice: I'm sorry.

[Periscope doesn't have an answer. Instead, they take another sip of their tea, and leave the kitchen.]

Dice, talking to no one: I'm sorry.

[The screen cuts to Aglet and Moe, walking up towards Pipette and Moe's house. They stop in front of the door.]

Moe: When are you free again?

Aglet: Never and always.

Moe: Then I'll see you when I do.

[Moe kisses Aglet on the cheek, not that I'm bitter about it or anything. Aglet is smiling, because for some reason they like him, and then leaves. The screen cuts as Moe is opening the door, to Periscope's bedroom, where Dice is walking in. You think to yourself, "wow that's clever."]

Dice: You deserve to know the full thing.

Periscope: ... Why?

Dice: Because I know Pipe probably wouldn't tell you.

Periscope: ... They didn't.

[Dice sits down on the bed.]

Dice: ... We were in a bad situation at a place called Mass Rock. It wasn't supposed to be complicated. Most of us got to safety, but in order to go on with the campaign, we had to blow our way through.

Periscope: And Bez?

Dice: What?

Periscope: And Bezel?

Dice: Bezel... didn't make it to the barrier.

Periscope: And where were they?

Dice: We don't know.

[There is a somber pause.]

Dice: You know how it is with people who go missing in action.

Periscope: "Presume dead until confirmed otherwise."

Dice: Right.

Periscope: Fine.

[Periscope pauses for a moment.]

Periscope: What an idiot.

Dice: Peri, don't.

Periscope: Got themself killed. That's so stupid.

Dice: Peri.

Periscope: I don't care, D. It's not my fault. There's nothing I can do about it. I just have to brush it aside, and never think about it again, just like the rest of you did.

Dice: We forgot about it because we weren't allowed to talk about what happened, Peri. It wasn't a life choice to just ignore the fact that someone we worked with suddenly disappeared-

Periscope: You didn't even know them.

[Dice doesn't have a response for this.]

Periscope: None of you even knew what they were like. None of you really knew Bezel, so I don't want to hear the dumb excuses for why I was never told. I just... don't, ok?

Dice: I'm sorry.

Periscope: Fine. Whatever.

[Dice doesn't look up from a spot on the floor.]

Periscope: I don't want to see you right now.

Dice, not as a response to what Periscope just said: You're mad at me.

Periscope: Yes, I'm mad at you. I'm allowed to be mad at you. Anger happens sometimes, Dice. I don't want to see you right now.

[The screen cuts to Pipette's living room, where Moe is sitting alone. The door opens, and Dice walks in considerably more angered than as previously seen.]

Dice: Where are they?

Moe: Who, Pipette?

Dice: Where is that pea-minded rat's feather?

[Pipette comes from exactly where you'd expect them to, into the frame, over towards where Dice is.]

Pipette: Dice? Shouldn't you be at home?

[Dice slaps Pipette in the face. Pipette has the reaction people typically do when being hit in the face, and needs a moment to compose themself.]

Pipette: So I'm guessing Peri told you.

Dice: Yes, Peri told me.

Pipette: I'm sorry, I didn't mean to kiss them, I-

Dice: You kissed Periscope?!

[There is a stunned silence.]

Pipette: I thought that's what we were talking about.

Dice: It's not.

Pipette: ... Then what am I sorry about?

Dice: Bezel. You're sorry about Bezel, you narcissistic, selfish...

[Dice doesn't finish the thought. Dice, after not finishing the thought, turns to leave.]

Dice: I can't put up with this.

Pipette: Well I'm sorry about Bezel, then, D, really, I am!

Dice, already leaving: I don't believe you.

[Dice is no longer in frame. The door is heard opening and closing, hard.]

[credits.]

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