[He's not stupid. She says that like she knows, and the part of him that still resembles something human immediately feels both sympathy and regret. He's been the cause of plenty of slow deaths in his time, not always as friendly as he considered himself to be now. He wasn't proud of himself, but there were certain things he wasn't sure he'd ever be able to make up for. That -- the disregard for human life he'd had while under the Old Man's command -- was just one of them.]

Good for drama, I s'pose, but not so good in practice. Not to mention humiliatin', cruel...

[He's not envious of anyone who goes that way.]

Give me a good, clean beheading and I'm set.

[His usual cheer is still present, tireless as ever, and yet something in his voice almost breaks just then, wavers. It hasn't been all that long, after all.]

Blue blood, huh. Well... might have to be desperate first, but don't wanna be accused of never tryin' anything new.