The pitches and intervals within this piece are based on craps payout ratios and odds. The most overt examples of this inspiration are the dice tosses that continue throughout the piece. Each system within the notation is based on a different number call, but it’s not gamified (the numbers on the dice when tossed do not matter). It is a spiritual successor to a piece I wrote last summer for Brightwork Ensemble called polarité, sans the flute and violin. The name of the piece is a reference to the slight pauses one may take before performing an action when they become overwhelmed with emotion for a moment, something the musicians embody in between each sound object they play.