Val just keeps walking and talking, with Kade trying in vain to interject.

Val: The bar isn’t that high. (Kade: Gee, thanks.) Val: You could literally just draw a ditch, (Kade: Val—) Val, continuing: and then we can fill it with all your horrifying unmakeable ideas.

Kade: Val.

Val: What?

Meanwhile, something moves just around the corner.

Val: Oh, or, or, make a dark alley! Ha, then you really wouldn’t have to do much—

Kade, interrupting: Val, that’s not how it works.

Val: Yeah?

Behind her, the little moving thing lands on the exit door.

Val: Is muse that fleeting?

Val turns around and spots her target, just as the automatic door opens and it flies away.

Kade: It has nothing to do with “muse,” I’m just not gonna waste my time on something mediocre—

The call drops, literally; Val lunges at the mysterious fluttering thing… and falls flat on her face.

Val, still on the ground, flails her hand around for the phone.

Kade: The hell was that?

Val: Oh, uh—

She reaches backwards, fixated on the offscreen beyond.

Val: Hey, have you at least saved something? A frustrated little scribble, maybe?

Kade: No. …Why?

Val: Huh, all right. Must be seeing things.

Kade: Uh-huh. And I’m not saving a pixel until it’s done, by the way.

Val: Figured. But hey, now that we’ve talked about it, can you get something going?

Kade, thoroughly pissed: I just told you—

But Kade stops, takes a moment. Then, calmer: Look, I appreciate the thought,

but I’m gonna take a break.

Val doesn’t like the sound of that.

Val: You just went for a walk—

Kade: A break from talking.

Val leaves the school building; an overhead view reveals void overtaking sections of the ground.

Kade: Just, like, I dunno, for a couple hours or something?

Kade: I’ll call you back later, promi—

Val, interrupting: I know, I know, I’m getting on your nerves again.

She waves her hand dismissively.

Val: Sorry. Later~

Beep. Val hangs up.