He has heard the duck metaphor before, but followed up with an empath giving him a look...well. Nothing quite like being put on notice. Having the ability to put things aside does not prevent Xander from picking up on them in the first place.
He closes his eyes briefly as Seto speaks - evidently correcting assumptions with the truth had come back around. So much for controlling the narrative to prevent that scenario. But Seto is explaining, and Siebren is, as always, curious.
It takes him three sentences to regret that curiosity.
This is...there is little wonder Seto had referred to this as a burden; it would be difficult to carry in the best of circumstances, and obviously Seto had not had anything of the sort. Those marks on his back, and his words...it is not difficult to see what Seto is implying.
The realization sinks in, and for a moment, Siebren burns with rage.
He understands being broken and reformed - he has done it himself, however unwillingly - but Siebren's circumstances were the result of an accident, an experiment gone wrong, and all the choices leading up to it had been his to make. Seto had made a deal to try to care for his brother, and the adult in the equation had abused him - had broken him on purpose - Seto had not deserved that - no child deserves that-
But the businessman in question is in the past and a different dimension, and rage without a target is useless - to Siebren, and more importantly, to Seto. He lets go of it - pushes it away - and the moment fades, taking the fire with it.
"Of course it feels that way," he says, still searching for words even as he speaks. "It is the opposite of everything you have been taught." And pain, for good or for ill, is an effective teacher. "But...progress, by its nature, is gradual. You make an attempt, you learn, and you incorporate what you have learned into your next attempt. You may not be able to see the difference, when you know the effort that went into every attempt, but those who know your starting point would likely be able to see it easily." Whether there is anyone else on the train that knows that starting point aside from Siebren and Xander is a question that does not bear asking at the moment.
no subject
He closes his eyes briefly as Seto speaks - evidently correcting assumptions with the truth had come back around. So much for controlling the narrative to prevent that scenario. But Seto is explaining, and Siebren is, as always, curious.
It takes him three sentences to regret that curiosity.
This is...there is little wonder Seto had referred to this as a burden; it would be difficult to carry in the best of circumstances, and obviously Seto had not had anything of the sort. Those marks on his back, and his words...it is not difficult to see what Seto is implying.
The realization sinks in, and for a moment, Siebren burns with rage.
He understands being broken and reformed - he has done it himself, however unwillingly - but Siebren's circumstances were the result of an accident, an experiment gone wrong, and all the choices leading up to it had been his to make. Seto had made a deal to try to care for his brother, and the adult in the equation had abused him - had broken him on purpose - Seto had not deserved that - no child deserves that-
But the businessman in question is in the past and a different dimension, and rage without a target is useless - to Siebren, and more importantly, to Seto. He lets go of it - pushes it away - and the moment fades, taking the fire with it.
"Of course it feels that way," he says, still searching for words even as he speaks. "It is the opposite of everything you have been taught." And pain, for good or for ill, is an effective teacher. "But...progress, by its nature, is gradual. You make an attempt, you learn, and you incorporate what you have learned into your next attempt. You may not be able to see the difference, when you know the effort that went into every attempt, but those who know your starting point would likely be able to see it easily." Whether there is anyone else on the train that knows that starting point aside from Siebren and Xander is a question that does not bear asking at the moment.