Teige eyed him, and then looked away.

"No one's ever told YOU t'at you weren't a man," he said. "Or man enough. I mean, look at yeh."

Hawk said nothing, leaning against the sink and the mirror and listening with his brow knit.

"I left home saying t'at I'd fight," Teige continued. "If I don't, and I go home, I get to lock eyes wit' all those who knew I couldn't hack it. Who knew I'd fall short, 'cos I always fall short."

Hawk opened his mouth to say something, but didn't, for a second.

"Okay, but fuck those people," he suggested finally. "Whaddya give a rat's ass what they think?"

He held out the piece of paper, which Teige snatched back, retorting, "I donno, Sunshine, why do YOU keep t'inking you're stupid when you ent?? Why'd you let a bunch of humans who don't like you ennyway convince ya of t'at?"