Setting: Interior, nicopolitan’s bedroom, late at night. Low light.

Muse: What are you working on?

nicopolitan: Music! And it feels great. I think I’m done with this track.

Muse: It sounds done. How many others have you finished?

nicopolitan: I have no idea. When you told me about a year ago to work on music for 7 hours spread over 7 days a week, no matter if I was having writer’s block or made insignificant changes, I had stuck with it ever since. I started with an empty file folder and now it’s about… [checks folder size] Wh-… 30 gigs of data???

Muse: But how much finished music have you written?

nicopolitan: I dunno.

Muse: Import the finished ones to iTunes and see what it says.

nicopolitan: [imports songs] Wow. Uh. 74 minutes.

Muse: You can release an album now!

nicopolitan: I can release three EP’s at this rate — some of them still need polishing, but the end is definitely in sight.

Muse: Feel good?

nicopolitan: Feels weird! Good, yeah, but it makes me kind of antsy.

Muse: Why?

nicopolitan: Well… now I have to figure out how to play these songs on stage.

Muse: Do you have stagefright?

nicopolitan: I’ve never played a solo act before. Oh-

Muse: Oh, shit!

nicopolitan: Stop putting words in my mouth.

Muse: Stop putting your mouth on my words!

nicopolitan: …What does that even mean?

Muse: ……

nicopolitan: ……………

Muse: …so, book a rehearsal space?

nicopolitan: Uh, yes, book a rehearsal space.