'My progenitor dabbled in broader projects and one of them, left idle, was successful enough to create me.'

"- oh, huh, so you're some sort of second-generation artist?"

'I'm not sure what you mean by that.'

"You were made as, yourself, an art project. It wasn't obvious to me where artists normally come from, maybe that's typical."

'I wasn't the project; I resulted from its success, as is the standard method of reproduction for my species.  I expect my efforts here to result in at least one new artist, unless things go poorly again.  And I likely have fewer generations above me than almost any artist my age, but certainly not as little as two.'

"So you - sort of bud off when your parent makes enough art?"

'Enough successful art.  Which is why they're all so narrow.'

"What makes art successful? How does that make them narrow?"

'Successful art matches with its artist's vision and intentions.  If those intentions cover only very specific and carefully-chosen criteria, they are generally acknowledged to be more achievable.'

"...huh. And the characteristics of the art affect the budded-off artist."

'Correct.'

"That's an interesting way for a species to work."

'It is a terrible way for a species to work.  None of them even were interested in music, when I returned with the concept.'

"Well, most species do evolve over time."

'Is that so.'

"Most of the species I'm familiar with. Admittedly not most of the species who are people that I'm familiar with."

'I hope they are pointed in better directions, then.'

"...Elves seem lovely."

'What direction are Elves pointed in.'

"I'm not actually sure what you mean by that. They're - prosocial immortal artistic folks."

'What traits is their population acquiring more of over time at the expense of ones they are losing over time.'

"The being immortal means they may not be evolving in the same way. And they were created to begin with. I'm not sure there are coherent directions most evolved species are aimed at, except in retrospect."

'Artists are also immortal.'

"I had guessed but it's good to know."

They walk over to the electric guitar Cam made them and sling it on.

'What is it that you were playing before.'