# Reel 4: "Nodes Don't Answer. They Negotiate."

**Duration:** 45 seconds
**Series:** 4 of 7
**Hashtags:** #MultiAgent #AI #GraphOfAgents #DevTools #GraQle
**Background visual:** `traversal-2-messages.svg` (message particles traveling between nodes)

---

## Storyboard

| Time | You (Camera) | Background | On-Screen Text |
|------|-------------|------------|----------------|
| 0-4s | Lean slightly forward. "Now it gets interesting." | Dark, particles begin moving | **"Layer 3: LLM Reasoning"** (cyan) |
| 4-10s | "Eight nodes survived. Each one becomes an agent." | 8 nodes glow, each pulsing | **8 agents activated** |
| 10-16s | "Auth asks routes — 'Do you consume my JWT validation?'" | Message particle travels auth→routes | **auth → routes** |
| 16-21s | "Routes responds — 'Yes. Three endpoints use your decorator.'" | Particle returns routes→auth | **"3 endpoints depend on you"** |
| 21-26s | "API confirms — 'I import verify-token and AuthError.'" | Particle travels auth→api | **"I import your functions"** |
| 26-31s | "Middleware says — 'I wrap you on every request. If you break, I break.'" | Particle from middleware → all | **"Breaking auth breaks me"** |
| 31-37s | "Two rounds. Five messages. These aren't guesses. They checked the code." | All edges glow bright | **2 rounds · 180 tokens** |
| 37-42s | "Total cost: three ten-thousandths of a dollar." | Big number | **$0.0003** |
| 42-45s | "For the answer that would have cost fifteen cents." | Fade to pip install | **500 tokens. Not 50,000.** |

## Script (Dialogue)

> Now it gets interesting.
>
> Eight nodes survived. Each one becomes an agent.
>
> Auth asks routes — "do you consume my JWT validation?"
>
> Routes responds — "yes. Three endpoints use your decorator."
>
> API confirms — "I import verify-token and AuthError."
>
> Middleware says — "I wrap you on every request. If you break, I break."
>
> Two rounds. Five messages. These aren't guesses. They checked the code.
>
> Total cost: three ten-thousandths of a dollar. For the answer that would have cost fifteen cents.

## Teleprompter

```
Now it gets interesting.

Eight nodes survived.
Each one becomes an agent.

Auth asks routes:
"Do you consume my JWT validation?"

Routes responds:
"Yes. Three endpoints use your decorator."

API confirms:
"I import verify-token and AuthError."

Middleware says:
"I wrap you on every request.
If you break, I break."

Two rounds. Five messages.
These aren't guesses.
They checked the code.

Total cost:
three ten-thousandths of a dollar.

For the answer that would have cost
fifteen cents.
```

## Edit Notes

- **This is the most visually dynamic reel.** The message particles traveling between nodes should be timed to each agent quote.
- **10-31s:** Use split-screen if possible — you on the left, message log on the right (like the `traversal-2-messages.png` chat log).
- **Voice direction:** When quoting agents, slightly change tone. Auth = authoritative. Routes = responsive. Middleware = matter-of-fact. This makes the agents feel alive.
- **31-37s:** "These aren't guesses. They checked the code." — deliver this line slower, with weight. It's the credibility moment.
