Laurent tipped his head to the side, brow furrowed slightly in thought. He studied the beast as he ate--monstrously, of course, but he was hardly to be blamed for that.

"I don't disdain you utterly, Beast. Only in part. The part that plays chess and reads poetry makes for a tolerable companion. But it is rather dreadfully overshadowed by the part that is wrathful and cruel, that threatens rape and murder, that stalks me and robs me of my freedom and privacy."

Resting his head on his fist, Laurent nibbled at a bite of food, continuing to study the beast as he ate. "You have a fixation upon a narrative of your own, don't you? Hated for your form, though you long to be respected as a man of taste. A man." Laurent's lips quirked, wry and a little bit cruel. "A human. I wonder if a part of you is promoting that narrative of the savage beast. You feel it's inevitable, so you want to press me to hate you, in order to spare you the deliberation. And yet you're torn by this part of you that wants to believe that you're gentle and honorable and would never carry out your threats."

Laurent turned a piece of cheese between his fingers, contemplating it for a moment. He ate it, then drank more of the sweet rosy wine. So. Maybe the Beast was interesting after all, as a puzzle.

As a challenge. Laurent did like a challenge.