Set the scene
Use one sentence from the letter and one sensory detail from the courtyard. More information is not always more engaging; a restrained scene leaves space for the other voice.
Choose what happens next
Agree on what is known and what remains invented. Make the next decision small enough to answer in a single message.
An opening to borrow
“Someone left a note on our table: take the longer way home. What would make you follow it?”
Make the scene yours
Choose a pace that suits you. Add one observation of your own rather than specifying every reply. The characters are fictional adults, and the setting can stay entirely invented. Keep personal addresses, private histories and identifying details out of the exchange.
A natural ending
The characters can put away the object, change their plan, or decide to stop for the day. You do not need an elaborate conclusion. A short scene is complete when you no longer want to add another turn.