'You have a soul now.'

"I've been informed. What effects should I expect this to have?"

'I expect any daeva-specific ones to have already made themselves evident if there were any.'

"And non-specifically?"

'Subsequent interactions between you and the magic system reference the soul you have instead of creating a new one; the magic regards you as a consistent entity.'

"Sounds all right."

'I would be very alarmed if such a fundamental piece of the system didn't.  Can you dance.'

"I haven't really learned how, but it's no longer absurd to imagine doing so."

'I cannot imagine I would be an adequate source of instruction.'

"I wasn't suggesting it, I'll watch videos and try things and figure it out. I'm not in a hurry."

"Ancora, do you want to dance with someone in general or just with Cam?"

'Both.'

"Well, I can dance.  Probably mostly not in styles that you care about, but - waltzing?  Do you like waltzing?"

'I do.'  They step into position to lead.  The placement of their arms looks a little silly what with the implied height difference.

" - Just a sec.  Uh, frequently when people suggest things like that they don't mean right away.  But I will, as soon as I - " she scoops up her cat from the seat is the booth.  ". . . Actually, Cam, can you hold her a minute - probably we should figure out some way I can leave her alone without it risking being her weeks to my hours, given that she can't come downstairs on her own - "

Cam accepts the cat.

"Careful, she's an old lady - " she trots upstairs and is back almost immediately, carrying some cat supplies and wearing her stilty legs and safety gear.  Standing naturally she's still not quite Ancora's height but stretching up a bit she can make herself taller than they are.  She sets up a station for Smokey and deposits her therein, or rather asks Cam to; tall-Judy's balance is a lot better than it was but carrying live animals seems like an obviously bad idea.

"Don't suppose you'd like to provide the music?  Uh, probably not anything too fast to start with, please."

Cam puts the cat down and plays a moderate waltz.

Judy gets into position to follow and gamely down-up-ups her way across the floor as well as one can in what could sort of be considered 26-inch heels.

'Collaborative performance art gives more magic than other forms,' declares Ancora after the song ends.

"Interesting! I wonder why."

'It may be that it's simply more aligned with my desires.  I did not know of computer modeling and digital painting to miss them in my exile; dancing and music were very saliently activities I could only partake in by and for myself.'

"That makes sense."

'I suspected this might be the case but had been uncertain until now.  This did not give much power compared to more effortful and considered works, but by expectation the gain should have been negligible.