[Ah, some fight to her; he enjoys a challenge and admires her spirited defiance, seeing something of himself in it. He is seemingly unfazed, but the flickers of emotion scintillating in his eyes defy his pleasant mask.]

Never was I a man to begin with. [He chuckles softly albeit humourlessly.] There was only a devil whom was foolish enough to dream of being a man. Of being something it could never be. And soon did it fade as I was shown the error of my ways and learned my place in the world. [His smile twists into something nastier, sharp as a knife’s edge with fury and hurt. His voice drops to a seething hiss.]

How keen were many to put me in my place... men and beasts alike.

[Nothing has changed, he thinks. His eyes fall shut as he relives a moment, vivid and violent, in flashes, his hand doubling into a powerless, trembling fist. It's the sting of his nails biting deeply into his palms that draws him back. Breathing slowly with a conscious effort, his eyes slide open.]

I am what I shall always be. [His conversations with Julia echo in memory and he angrily wills away the sudden, sharp ache in his chest.]