"You say that," Gideon grins, "but if we end up with signs floating above our heads, I'll know who to thank." It's also a joke. She's not sure how much the Ancient cares about their theorizing beyond how it affects their standing in the color swatched watches. Gideon's has stayed a very Seventh green the entire time. She's not sure what to make of that.

Gideon shrugs. "We get what we take out of it. Whether that's a bloody fist or changing habits," she says. "I don't know. It's kind of a nothing's changed but everything's changed kind of thing. At the same time." Do not ask her to explain how that's possible. She's using the best words she has. "Doing nothing. Interacting with nothing and no one. Ignoring the 'how don't you starve to death' issues, it's still a choice. No matter how contrived any of this is, we always have a choice." That's the truth, end of the day, no matter how pinned and cornered life gets.

"Lets just say my reaction to all this would be a whole lot different if there wasn't a choice and leave it at that," Gideon says. She nudges her shoulder against Chloe's since touch is something welcome. At least a little. "You can probably guess how that'd go, given all—" Gideon waves one hand.

"And there's a lot of us. I doubt we're all taking anything the exact same way."