Capricorn yawns, rubs her eyes, then squints at the glowing console. "Okay... so... that leaves us with at least... twenty?" She blinks. "My Goddess... twenty-eight samples from Ballad Eleven. At least half of them are vocals. Do you need to further isolate them?"
I shake my head, then gestured at the last disc.
"Mmmm... right. And for Ballad Twelve, we have seventeen samples. Erm... Miss Scratch..." Capricorn leans back, pointing at the sheet of paper I have clipped to the desk. "What exactly does this second category mean?"
I lift a pair of pens and twirl them.
"Oh. So..." She blinks. "You wish to tinker with some of the musical samples to create an overlay?"
I nod, then gesture again.
"I-I'm not suggesting you don't own the rights to them! You composed the instrumentals as well, after all."
With a wincing expression, I twirl the pens a few more strokes.
"It's... it's quite alright. It's just that... I-I have a hard time telling the difference between..." She fights another yawn. "...your excitement and... your ire."
I nod, exhaling. Without gesturing another phrase, I twirl Disc One and float it back over a spindel.
Capricorn looks at me incredulously. "You... you w-wish to go over the Ballads again?"
I shrug... then ultimately nod.
"You aren't seriously expecting to grab more samples, are you?"
I simply play the record and raise one clamshell of a headphone over my left ear. My brow furrows above my shades as I listen... concentrate.
"I mean... that's all well and good, Miss Scratch. Just..." She sighs, her eyelids heavy. "Honestly, I'm quite lost. I don't know how you manage to keep up with all of this... or even categorize it."
I pause the disc, then levitate a pencil over to mark the timestamp down.
With a creak of her chair, Capricorn gets up and trots towards my side of the studio. "I'm flattered to be involved in this. But... but I'm not sure how much more I can be involved." She smiles awkwardly. "Seriously, I almost feel as though I'm slowing you down."
I freeze for a brief moment. I look up at her. Levitating the pencil and a pen, I express myself yet again in blank speech.
She reads me, then smiles. "Well, that's very kind of you. And as much as I wish to be kind in turn..." She teeters. "I fear that I'll collapse if I try to keep up any longer. I do hope you won't mind..."
I shake my head, waving a hoof.
"Mmmm... very well. Upstairs I go." She shuffles a few feet away, then stops. She looks back. "You... could sleep on the couch, y'know."
I raise an eyebrow.
"I can already tell you'll be at this for a long time. And when I agreed to assist you, that meant lending my shelter as well as my instruments." She smiles. "If heading back to your hotel would only mean delaying the execution of your work, then we musn't let that get in the way. Wouldn't you agree?"
I bite my lip. After a shrug, I smile at her, then bow my head in brief thanks.
"Please. It's a pleasure and an honor. Believe me." At last, she yawns. "I'll just... have to wait to feel pleasured and honored in the morning. I'm certain you understand."
I nod vaguely in her direction, waving a hoof.
"Ah. In the zone already. Best of luck." She shuffles up the stairs. "And remember, Miss Scratch. You've already seized genius. Now you've got the ability to magnify it."
I blink, lifting my head in her direction.
"Just let it come naturally." And she's gone. The burgundy drowns from the room.
Now all that's left is cyan and magenta.
I'm surrounded by it.
Drowning in it.
And the only place to go... is into the depths.
And so, with a sigh and a set of headphones...
...I plunge.