I’m negotiating a tricky course between the minefield of personal honesty on one side and the rocky coast of operational security on the other. - Iain Banks

Choice," he said heavily. A small smile disturbed his face. "We all think we have so much of that, don't we?

So," she said, "living all this time has been to no purpose, basically."
"True, but that hardly distinguishes me from anybody else, does it?"
"But shouldn't it, or there's no point?"
"No. Living either never has any point, or is always its own point; being a naturally cheery soul, I lean toward the latter. However, just having done more of it than another person doesn't really make much difference.

You'd make a great teenage boy," she told the avatar.
"I beg your pardon?"
"You still think girls get moist when they hear arcane nomenclature. It's sweet, I suppose.