bart6

Starring: Bart Fatima, Sephiroth
Date of Log: April 20th, 2001
Location: Balamb Isle.

You'd be amazed at the kind of trouble Bart can get into. Then again, if you know him well enough, no... you wouldn't be. He honestly didn't mean for this to happen, but then again, when DOES he deliberately go out of his way to get into trouble? It all started when Badb finally admitted he can try the wings if he wants to. Why this change of heart for her? Cause he kept asking about them. She's not the only one who can be persistant and annoying when the situation calls for it, after all. n.nb So, out they came and the boy tried them a few times and took quite the spill on more than one occasion before he thought to just give up on them. That's why he looks a bit bedraggled at the moment. Sungold hair spills around his shoulders, unbound and a bit tangled and windblown. There are bruises and scratches along his bear arms and the white chaps have sustained a few grass marks and other smudges of dirt and grime in his numerous attempts to gain flight. It's a good thing no one saw him, at least to his knowledge. It was sorta embarassing.
But, as usual, lead him not into trouble for he can find it just fine on his own. Alone in the woodlands of Balamb, he came across a bit more than he could handle in the way of a Raldo pack. So, in a moment of desperation to keep himself from being clawed and smashed to death, he used the wings to get himself up onto a more lofty perch... the tallest tree in the area, which is about thirty feet up. No branches on it except the topmost layers. Needless to say, the youth is now well and truly stuck, since he now has no confidence that he can get himself down again when he knows he can't quite control the wings yet. So, sitting up there for now, he sighs heavily and ponders how to get out of this one.

Sometimes you just have to get away from it all. Especially when you are in charge of something as big as Galbadia Garden, and more importantly when you call someone the likes of Tomo lover. c.c; Sometimes that man is enough to wear down even Sephiroth's seeming boundless patience... and so Sephiroth gets out before it gets too much. Today is one of those days. Wearing an outfit that was drawn in that picture of Seph with wings, the only covering arms and shoulders, leaving lower chest and abdoment bare to where a couple of belts hold up white pants, the man is out wandering. The forests of Balamb are rather large and have the most interesting critters in them; most of which are not at all friendly and like to pick fights. n.nV
So after a while of sitting in your tree wondering how in the hell you are going to get down, there is a cry of pain that sounds like an animal. The Raldos at the base of your tree stop milling about and soon head off into the underbrush. Of course it still leaves you in your tree, but they are now gone. Whatever it is that is out there sounds really nasty too. o.o; In moments of the Raldos running off there are the fierce, and brief, sounds of a battle. Wet crunchie noises, squeals of pain, a bark of anger.. and then silence. Something whomped them pretty good.
You are left in that silence for about fifteen minutes, with only a bird making the occasional questioning chirp somewhere near you, and then you hear a voice. It's a soft one for all that he is trying to project, but sadly Sephiroth's voice doesn't remotely travel far. "Quite a mess you have yourself in." There is amusement there and should you look down a white haired man is standing beneath your tree. One hand is lifted to shade eyes as he looks up at you, and his long hair billows about with the touch of every breeze. Badb will most certainly recognize this one. 9.9 "What? The mother hen fail to get you out of it?" Oh yeah, he doesn't like her one bit.

Well, what's this? Bart peers down, shielding his face from the sunlight that occasionally glints through the canopy of leaves he sits beneath. That the raldos have left is a blessing. However, that leaves him with the predicament of getting out of the tree. That's a rather long way down there. o_o And Bart isn't all that keen about ending up a grease spot on the forest floor. The sound of pain and barks of anger do carry upwards, the prince lifting a golden eyebrow as he listens. Something's going on down there and for a moment he wonders if it's Sigurd. Then, he really hopes it's not cause this will take quite a bit of explaining. When the silence permeates the forest, save for the normal sounds of activity, wind and wildlife, the boy leans forward and looks down again, just in time to catch sight of the white haired man he just barely recalls from that encounter back in Balamb Town. Though he can just barely make out what's being said, he knows it's a taunt and he frowns. "Hey, what's your problem?" After all, the boy doesn't really remember much from that day. There is just a tingling sensation of recollection from somewhere. Badb, on the other hand, is mildly aggitated by your presence. The boy's hair flicks over one shoulder rather suddenly, though it's hard to say if it's her or if it's the wind up in the trees.
For the moment, the wings are not present, he put them away so he could maneuver up this high without them being in his way. So it leaves one to wonder just how the hell he got up here in the first place.

"From all appearances," The man on the ground states calmly, hand still lifted to shade eyes. "you are the one with the problem. Not I." Since you are in the tree and he is standing quite nicely on the ground. The tone is rich with humor, so he's actually teasing you and not trying to be cruel. At least he doesn't think he is. However you take it is up to you since his features show little in the way of emotion. "Are you stuck?" Oddly enough he just doesn't ask about how you got there. Then again why should he? You have a GF in your head that he never junctioned. Maybe she allows her chosen to fly. Not like he knows. Should you admit to being stuck, or even avoid the question (Which leads him to believe you are..), Sephiroth takes a couple of running steps and then leaps upwards. He makes it look so easy, clearing a good twenty five feet so that he can grab onto one of the branches and pull himself rather gracefully onto one of the limbs. Crouching there, hair hanging downwards to sway beneath that limb, the SOLDIER looks at you through half-lidded eyes. Meow, birdie. "Need some help down?" He asks, lips pulling into something of a smirk. No Sephiroth really doesn't know how to deal with people well, and probably is just making things worse.

There's a derisive snort from the prince, up in that lofty height. Arms fold over his chest and he looks down at you with a touch of impatient ire in those crystal blue eyes. "No, I'm not stuck... I'm uh..." he pauses and glances from left to right, "Um... just..." Yeah, he's stuck. Now, if Badb allowed him to fly, would he be stuck here? Float only does so much and at this height he'd still drop like a rock to about two feet off the ground. The spell isn't meant to break someone's fall, after all. When you come up the tree like that, Bart just instinctively backs off to another branch, letting you have the one he was just recently perched on. After all, there is only a glimmer of recognition for you, otherwise he doesn't know you from adam. Sairou never knew much about the Butcher of Midgar, after all. He frowns a bit at your ofference of help and that smirk. The most it does is make him look that much more stubborn, his jaw set as he says, "No, I can make it down myself." Ah, that's Bart for you, impulsive idiot that he is. "Who are you, anyway? And what was that crack about a mother hen?" Nope, he really doesn't remember you, Sephiroth.

Yeah, yeah, Bart. You are doing just fine on your own. Everyone can see that. 9.9 Not coming any closer than he has, the man is at least within close enough distance that you can hear him clearly. Crouching there on that limb, one hand touching lightly to the bark while the other is rested on a knee. The pose should be terribly uncomfortable and yet he looks fine with it. "Are you sure?" He asks, leaning forward some to be able to see down to te ground. "The Raldos are gone and there is nothing else in your way. Why else would you be in a tree if you were not trapped there?" Logic for you. Oh wait, this is Bart. Never mind.
"Hmm? Badb has not told you? I am surprised. After her lies to you inside of the restaurant I was sure she would invent all kinds of details." For all you don't know him, this man sure seems to believe he knows Badb. o.o "My name is Sephiroth. The mother hen is Badb of course. You seemed to be rather drunk the day we first met, so it does not surprise me you do not remember." For all that he was smirking before he doesn't suggest that you being drunk was bad. It's just that you were and so don't hurt yourself attempting to remember him.

Logic! Har! Who needs it when you're young and dumb? However, Bart then looks down before looking back up at you and he doesn't reply to that one, just frowning deeply instead. This is so damned humiliating, really it is. If it weren't such a drop... bleh. The frustrated expression changes then to something akin to perplexity, blinking those beautiful blue eyes at your apparent knowledge of Badb. "How do you... no, nevermind." Badb is already ruffling her feathers at the back of the prince's mind, which is enough of an indicator to him that she's aggitated and the last thing he needs is for her to unjunction. Doesn't mean he can't use the wings, but he doesn't know that. Badb never mentioned that he has them because he's a Fatima, not because he's junctioned to her. His gaze grows momentarily distant, inner conversation going on, apparently, and then he focuses on you again. "I can get down... it's just gonna take a little bit of, um... well..." So, as if to emphasize that he -can- get down, somehow, the wings untwine from his back, tearing shirt and jacket fabric a bit more in the effort for freedom. He leaves them folded at his back, since he's not out to make himself lose his balance up this high.

You don't ask and Sephiroth doesn't bother to offer the information. Nice how things work out sometimes, eh? Or not. There is only a little shrug as you claim never mind and the man leaves it at that. Knowing about Badb has nothing to do with your current problem and he knows it. Remaining quiet as you attempt to explain, the white head cants to one side to show that the man is indeed paying attention to you. At his throat is a necklace that is actually made of polished steel, and in it is Holy. Here in the dappled light of the branches the thing pulses with Sephiroth's heartbeat - all there for the looking at. He was given something nice to wear it in.
When the wings come out you have a rather stunned SOLDIER on your hands. Eyes widen somewhat and Sephiroth stares at those wings for a long set of seconds. How did... oh, never mind. *sigh* You probably don't even know. "I believe I understand your problem." The man comments in a rueful manner. "While I have never treed myself I do understand." And with that he spreads his own. Why tell when you can show. Crouching there the things emerge from his back, feathers whispering and rustling against one another as his sixteen foot wing spans fills the air behind him. The things are unnaturally white and have nearly a misty quality to them. More ethereal than real. "All you need to do is catch an updraft." And with this the wings pull in and back until they are very small things, but still out. Why is he doing this? As he's an idea in mind. You aren't going to like it. Leaping for you, moving at speeds that Badb has only recently allowed you to get to, Sephiroth attempts something simple. He wants to grab you and quite literally throw you and your wings into the air as high as he can. You just needed some lift after all. ;)

That makes two stunned people, then. Bart never expected to meet someone else with wings. His take on an ethereal quality also, for they are born of Air ether, and aren't like a bird's wings, though they can break and cause him pain if someone wanted to be cruel in that manner. "Well," he starts and has to pause a second to stare at those wings again. So like his that it suddenly makes him wonder, eyes snapping back to yours again to see them glowing green and slitted like a cat's. You're not a Fatima .... so maybe you're junctioned? He's trying to figure it out with what limited knowledge he has. "I guess you would, wouldn't you." Understand, that is. "Catch an updraft? I've been trying all da-- hey!" And as you leap for him, he leans back far enough that he nearly tumbles off the branch righ then, a hand reaching out to balance himself against the trunk. So this gives you plenty of time and leverage to grab him by the jacket and heft him into the air. "Waaaaauuuuuuuuuuugh!" His cry of surprise sort of grows distance as he goes flying, literally.
Talk about out of the fire and into the frying pan, at least that's how Bart sees it. He just curls his body into a ball and hangs onto himself with his eyes squeezed shut, not at all believing he can handle flight at this height when he's got no practice at it whatsoever. Lucky for him, (or maybe it's just that damned luck junction kicking in), there's a gust of air right under the wings, which he instinctively catches, wings heavily flapping down to keep himself aloft rather than drop like a rock to the earth below. Takes him a moment to realize he's doing it, one blue eye cracking open, followed by the other and then he slowly lets go of himself, untensing. Wow... this is kinda cool.

Landing is gonna be a bitch, though.

Once you are air born Sephiroth follows. He leaps into the sky after you, wings filling out as he reaches as high as that leap is going to take him, and then with a rush of sound the wings spread to catch the air. "The mistake I made first was in flapping." He offers as he shifts himself slightly downwards and begins a lazy glide to the ocean. "You are too big to be able to flap like the smaller birds, so you have to ride the thermals." And as if to demonstrate the man happens across one. The are easy things to find on a mountainous island when one nears the open water. Wings cupped to it all he rises, spiraling slowly since he isn't doing anything to control that spin. Sephiroth's hair riots around his head as he lifts his face and watches the sky above him. Sadly it means he can't talk to you any more since he's going up and you are doing what ever it is that you are doing.
If you pay attention to him at all his own flight isn't totally steady. The SOLDIER is still very much learning, and only has some weeks of practice on you. n.n Good thing he's not afraid of heights. Should you not follow him up, Sephiroth seeks to bring himself back down to your level, making a wide turn and angeling down. He's not comfortable enough with it all to dive on things. c.c Just imagine if he couldn't control it.

When you make your appearance, Bart actually relaxes further. Hey, you at least know what you're doing... er, he thinks. That you seem a bit unsteady makes him wonder, but you're doing far better than he is, at least. He's unsteady, easily gusted left or right by a bit of wind that's cross to the thermals he's found to ride. Arms are extended, meant to help him keep some semblence of balance while he does this. Badb adds in her own aid, as she had been trying to do before, as she is a Spirit of the Air and has some command over it. She likes the boy, even if he's not Irvine, and since he hasn't angered her and she's not about to let him look like a fool in front of Sephiroth. Besides, he never told her that he had wings. -.- Not that it would have changed much, but... still.
Seeing you drifting up, he tries to follow, manages to for a little bit of a rise and then gets gusted aside with a little noise that sounds frustrated. Righting himself again, he starts learning how to at least hold the wings to help against those drafts he's not wanting. Once he's steady again, he can't help but grin. Man, if only Sigurd could see this. He'd probably freak! n.nV

Swooping the last little bit to get near you, wings and body angled so that he doesn't clip your wing with his own, Sephiroth cuts it a smidge close, but manages not to make a mess of things. "Use your whole body for control, not just your arms." He is going to have to ask your name once the two of you are on the ground. Calling you 'hey you' just doesn't seem right some now. Then again Sephiroth always tends to make things more formal than they are needed to be. Just the way the man is. "Do not let the winds control your wings. Try the thermal again.." There is more he wants to say, but since he can't hover.. well, this is going to do. With shifting of his weight, which might be strange for he's in the air, Sephiroth moves beneath you, and then a heavy couple of flaps later he's swooping again for that same thermal as before.
Wings are cupped and he again rises into the air, going pretty high before leaving it to assume a wide spiral down. This allows him to watch you from above. One thing he plans to do is bring you into landing soon. The SOLDIER remembers only too well how much he HURT that first time flying and doesn't want you to have to deal with that if you can't help it. Muscles have to be trained and you are using some you aren't familiar with yet.

This really is taking a lot of effort. @_@ Bart grimaces a bit, but there's a steely determination in his expression, jaw setting stubbornly. Of course, he nearly freaks to see you dart by so close, seeing as he doesn't have that kind of control. But, he listens, nods and follows along, mimicking your movements to catch and ride that thermal, finding that you're right about it. He's really going to be sore after this, no matter how much or little time he spends at it. It's his first flight, after all, with a pair of wings he never knew he had till now. It takes him nearly being blown off course a few times to finally understand how to keep from being caught on another sharp gust, to keep in line with the thermal and angle himself and the wings in order to stay balanced. But, at least he seems to have some sort of control finally. Oh it'll take him a lot of practice to perfect this, but it's a start.
It might be a good idea to remind the kid not to get cocky, for as soon as he realizes he's got this kind of control, he grins and ponders what sort of stunts to pull. When he really -does- have control over it he'll be a little terror on two wings.

You don't really get any time to think of trouble to cause as Sephiroth circles close again and points. "Well done... this way!" And then he ducks his wings and swoops down before spreading them in full and turning to one side to set a course for the ground. The man heads for one of the wide stretches of grasslands and with little swoops gets lower and lower until he's gliding over the grasses themselves. Hands out stretched he spends a moment with fingertips touching the things as he zooms past, but then it's time to get to work. There is a slight shifting of his wings to more cup the air than allow for gliding, and legs are pulled up and forward. A pause and then he's running to a landing, wings lifted up and out of the way. Later on he will learn better landings, but for now this is the best he can do, and probably the easiest for you as well. Looking up to you, again a hand shading his eyes against the sunlight, Sephiroth motions for you to follow. Whether or not you do is of course to you, but hopefully your aching muscles will help you reach the conclusion that it's time to get down. c.c;

Oh yeah, time to go down. Someday he does want to attempt something a little more interesting, but when you start downward, he realizes his whole body is really starting to protest this, especially the muscles that attach to the ether wings. Problem is, even if your landing is clumsy, Bart has never tried it before. o_o So, he takes a deep breath and just goes for it, trying to mimick what you did. But, in the end, he trips, fumbles forward and sommersaults a few times along the ground *crash* *thump* *skiiiiid* in a rather painful looking manner before finally coming to a full stop, wings having taken quite the beating in the process, not to mention the rest of him. Having landed on his stomach, he just lays there for a few moments, covered by the span of those feathery, ethereal wings before he groans and one wing curves up to let him start trying to gather himself up. No sense if bothering with pride or dignity, both of them went out the window the second he starting tumbling forward.
Looking around for you, he says, "Please tell me this gets easier eventually."

There is a grimace as you ..um.. land, but Sephiroth pulls in his own wings and hurries over to where you lay. Without a word he drops to his knees and begins checking your wings to make sure that you haven't broken one, much less any other limb. When you prove to be whole the man then aids you to a sitting position, but does attempt to keep you from standing for the moment. Just rest for now. You need it. Smirking a little, kneeling at your side, Sephiroth gives off a purring chuckle as he nods. "For all that it does not feel like it does right now... yes, flying gets easier." Settling back on his heels the SOLDIER doesn't seem inclined towards touching you any more. He's not really a touchy feely kind of person and now that he knows you are okay there is no reason to get in your space. "My first landing was very much the same." Pausing for a moment he looks out over the grasslands and purrs at his own memory; laughing at himself a little. "I ate turf very well." Vincent got to see that. 9.9 "I would not suggest trying anything again for a couple of days. If you are anything like I was you will be incredibly sore. Spread the wings during the mean time, but leave off flying for some days. Might I know your name?" Since he didn't get it in the tree with you being such a snot.

"I'll take that to heart," is replied wearily. However, the truth to your words is easily felt, since it's now a lot harder to hold those wings up and he ends up pulling them back in, no matter that they're a little strained from the fall, er landing. There are slits left in the jacket and shirt underneath said jacket, a slight viewing of lattice work scars marking him there though they are not from the emergence of the wings. There is a chuckle as you share the story of your own first landing, making the sunhaired youth feel at least a little better about having nose dived on his first try. A couple of days? Well, he'll live, even if he's the impatient sort. Besides, if he tries it anyway, he'll feel the pain and learn that your words do hold merit. This is the type of kid who has to make his own mistakes, can tell him things till you're blue in the face but he just has to find out for himself.
"Bartolomei," is offered when you ask for a name. Unusual that he gives out his full name, but it sounds a lot better than just 'Bart' after you gave your name. Sephiroth sounds so neat, after all.

Sephiroth sounds pretentious, that's what it sounds like. For all of his life, until just weeks ago, he had assumed that Hojo had named him out of the professer's own arrogance. The name would suggest that after all. It's a name that suggest pride and power, as well as a looming ego. To bad it was his mother who named him, instead naming her unborn son for the base of all life. She claims then he was her support. Made him feel rather strange in knowing that. Not being behind you the man can't see your scars and wouldn't think anything of it if he had. There are a number of scars on his own body, and right now you can see quite a few of them. The most impressive is the scar that runs pretty much the whole of the way across his abdomen.. on both front and back. c.c The surviving of that one has got to be an interesting story. "Well, Bartolomei, you did well for your first flight. You did not break anything, and you learned something important. I... do wonder how you have wings though." Yes, there is an uncertainty as he asks this. One hand lifts from a thigh and the fingers flicker. The motion is small however. "Do you know?" And yes, he will call you Bartolomei from now on.

Bartolomei isn't meant to be pretentious, but he is a prince and most royalty have a habit of naming their children odd and fanciful things. Edbart didn't seem to waver from this. Your words of encouragement just make him beam a bit, proud of himself for apparently achieving something on his first try, even if it didn't feel like much. He doesn't try to get up, though. @_@ Heck no, he's tired and he doesn't think his legs could hold him right now till he's had a chance to relax for a bit.
That scar across your abdomen was seen, but before he can ask about it, well, you ask him about the wings. "I think it's Badb's gift." Blue eyes grow distant for a moment as there is an inner conversation going on. Badb just kindly letting the boy know they're his, and she just pointed them out to him. "Wait... no, she says it's just me." Now he's a bit confused. No one explained to him that air ether sometimes produces this sort of thing, but Badb knows since it's her main element. Looking up at you again, he explains, "I can touch ether, channel it. I guess it's a part of the air ether. It runs in the family."

Kneeling before you in a very Oriental manner, hands on thighs, Sephiroth cants his head to the side and listens to you explain. Well, as much as you do explain anyway. The man's silver hair spreads out over his shoulders, but seems to mind itself today and only flows down his back to cover his booted feet as well as an area of the grass behind him. He's got a lot of hair. When you finally speak of ether, there is a faint frown, showing in a furrow between his brows, and he asks, "Ether? I am not familiar with the term." Saying it was Badb made one hell of a lot more sense. Ether doesn't mean anything to him at all. Now the man has to wonder where his own wings come from. Like yours they can appear and disappear as he wills, and also like yours they seem somewhat other than natural. Does this mean that his wings are made the same way and he's never know it? Then again there are a LOT of things that he doesn't know how to explain about Jenova as well as himself. Sometimes it sucks being a one of a kind. You never quite know how to classify yourself. u.u

"Ether it's..." the boy pauses again, trying to remember how the shamans described it to him. "It's a wild energy, somewhat like chi, only earth based, draws off the planet and the elements." He does know what chi is, he's had a lot of knowledge shoved into his head, whether he understands it or not is another matter. "My family has had the ability to channel it for generations. Most of us can only touch one element, like my brother, but somehow I'm able to use them all, air, earth, fire and water. I guess Badb makes me a little stronger with air ether, though." Quite honestly, she doesn't like him explaining this to you, but just sulks and ruffles her feathers in the back of his mind. Later she'll get him for this, but for now just lets him be. Canting his head to the side, "So... I take it you don't channel ether?" Since you aren't familiar with the term. "How do you have wings, then?" Touche. You asked him, now it's his turn to ask you. He leans back on his palms, waiting for your answer.

Your explaination this time actually makes sense to the man. It clicks with a lot of other things he's learned over the last year. Chi is something the people of the Four Gods call life force, and calling on the power of the world is something he was born knowing how to do.. even if he didn't know that he knew. If that at all makes sense. >.>; At least he didn't know until he was well out of Midgar City and under the control of Jenova. She sparked a lot of things that would have otherwise remained buried. He nods when you claim Badb makes you stronger in air. That makes perfect sense. When you ask about his own wings there is a shrug. "I do not know." About the ether part. "I could for all that I am aware of, but have never heard the term before. I was born with the wings and discovered them about the age of three, but one has ...damaged to the point where there was no point in even.." Trailing off the man can only shrug again and glance away for a moment. "Recently my body was healed of a great injury by magic and I discovered by accident that the damaged one was made whole." Looking back to you, Sephiroth is smirking slightly in a wry manner. "I am afraid I have no answer for why I have them."

Well, that's kind of odd. Makes a little sense to him, though not much. If nothing else, he understands your lack of knowledge. He has no idea why he has wings, other than they must be a part of the ether inside of him. He'll have to ask Sigurd later if their father had wings, or their grandfather or anyone else of the Fatima bloodline. As far as he knows, besides you he's terribly unusual. Bart hmms, canting his head slighly to the side as sungold bangs brush against his forehead. Sapphire colored eyes are looking at that scar again as you mention being recently healed. "I still don't understand all of it myself, don't have any control over it except if I'm using my whips. What happened to cause that anyway." His chin tilts slightly as if pointing toward the scar on your abdomen without wanting to move his arms to do it with a finger. "Looks kinda nasty to me." Hey, he's got scars, but nothing like that.

It's more than kind of odd and he knows it. c.c; When you ask about the scar at his waist, Sephiroth glances down at it before smiling softly to himself. Instead of touching the scar itself, the man lifts a hand to lightly touch the glowing stone over the hollow of his throat. It's in such a location that he can't really see it. However, he doesn't have to see it to know it's there, and be damn grateful for it being there. Now.. what to tell you? It brings him to pause as he thinks about what to say and how to say it. Eventually the man looks down and then away. "You ask difficult questions, Bartolomei. Six years ago I was possessed by a malignant force that attempted to use me to destroy the world. Luckily for all of us that force was arrogant to the point of idiocy and underestimated a young man. He nearly cut me in half and then threw me into the life blood of the world, or the Life Stream. I was locked there for five years, sleeping. The story is very long, and very involved, and I am giving you very little of it, but after that five years I woke. There were those who wished to make sure that possessing spirit did not remain in control and I was protected from her, freed from my prison, and then healed. The scar you ask of is from that."

Aw, but you have the rapt attention of the sunhaired boy in front of you, Sepiroth. Nothing wrong with telling a long story! Jesse does it to him all the time, even if he's retold the tale several times with differing embellishments. n.nv "Do I? I'm told I'm a difficult person to deal with sometimes." This is said with a grin that reaches his eyes, making them sparkle with amusement. He doesn't mind a joke at his expense if he's the one tossing it out. But yes, difficult questions indeed. And the more he hears from you the more questions he has. Destroy the world? Lifestream? But, when you admit to only giving him part of it, he looks pensive for a moment, squinting one eye at you as if determining what to ask you next. "Lifestream... I've heard of it. Is that why the wound didn't kill you?" Something like that would normally be considered a mortal wound, after all. "Or did someone use a Life spell on you?" Like Sigurd did for him, back at Yggridsil.

There is no return grin from the pale man, but he does lean his head to the side and heavily lid his eyes in a manner that suggests amusement. Sephiroth just doesn't show emotion entirely well some of the time for all that he's learning to be far more expressive than he has ever been before in his life. Good thing for you the SOLDIER is patient and willing to answer your questions. Or at least listen to them and decide if he wants to answer. It's more than some people would do. There is a nod over asking if the life stream is part of the reason the wound didn't kill him. "No, Bartolomei, I never died." Pausing for a moment a hand motions vaguely on the air as he finds there is really no way to explain things without telling the truth. Ah well. Not like he blends in anyway. "I... am a combination of three different races. One of those allows me to control the life stream in a small regard. That possessing force used that link to force the life steam into saving me. It wrapped me in a cocoon of sorts that held me sleeping as it slowly healed my body. If it had not been for others I would still be within that prison." For the stone, while it was indeed healing him, would have taken decades to be able to do so. Slow indeed.

This is sort of confusing to Bart, but he listens nonetheless, waiting till you are finished before bombarding you with more questions. "Three life forms? How did that happen?" Science isn't something he was raised knowing, or much technology. Imagine him in a Gear. x.x But, anyway... "What force was trying to possess you anyway and would it try to do it to someone else? How was that cocoon a prison? Couldn't get out of it?" No, he doesn't quite get it, but you have only provided so much information and he interpretes that off what limited knowledge he already has of subjects such as these. Thank goodness you're the patient type, seeing as the boy is just shooting questions at you left and right. But, he's genuinely curious and how many youths do you know can sit and ask about these like this without getting bored and wanting to run off to do some other foolhardy thing. (This is unusual for Bart, too. Normally you can't hold his attention for this long.)

*Sigh* Three life forms. The hand that had been motioning slightly, the one that had touched Holy, sinks down to once more rest on thigh. Sephiroth waits for your questions to come tumbling out before he makes an attempt at answering everything. Starting off he explains how he came to be. "My parents were human, and while I was still within my mother's womb another man changed me. He took aspects of two other races and combined them in such a way as to create me. Truth be told I am technically something that should not be able to exist." Which he finds ironic in some regards. There is a slightly wry sound to the man's voice as he explains this. "The force is the spirit of a being I know of as Jenova. I know very little of her, and in fact I know possibly more than anyone else on the world.. so there is not much I can explain of her. And yes, she will try for someone else, but there is only one possible person who might be acceptable for her, and I am keeping an eye on him. I will not allow her to destroy the world if I can help it." Not after being possessed he sure isn't. o.o; "The cocoon really was not a cocoon. That was about the only word I could think of that might explain it for you. When I fell into the life stream Jenova used my link to it to save me. It quite literally encased me in a magical crystal." He lifts his hands, forming them in such a way to suggest holding something inside. "I could not move, breath.. anything. The magic kept me alive, and it was healing me, but it also made it impossible for me to do anything for five years. After that time I managed to wake enough to send my consciousness outside of the stone. It allowed me to interact with others, but in a strange and sometimes limited manner. The reason I could not get out of it is because someone in Kutou found that stone and put it in a place I could not reach. My mind was literally trapped out of reach of my phsyical form. How I managed to continue living I do not know. Eventually I managed to find someone who could get to it, and they moved the stone to a better location. After that it was a matter of getting it to a place where the stone could be removed magically."

This is getting complicated and rather fantastical. Bart listens, but more and more there's a look of confusion in those blue eyes. So... he decides not to ask anything else for the moment, reaching for the braid to pull it over his shoulder and tug at it lightly. "Sounds complicated." And he thought his life was weird. Being an exiled and disposed prince is a little easier than this story he's just heard and is trying to digest. "So... that stone." he gestures now to Holy, "Is the reason why this Jenova can't use you?" It's kinda pretty, after all, pulsing as it does. He doesn't really understand nor fathom how someone could be powerful enough to destroy the world, so forgive his youthful naivete.

When you admit to it sounding complicated the pale man before you with the alien seeming eyes can only laugh. Not a human sound sadly enough, but instead something feline; alien. All the same it isn't cold or dangerous in quality. Sephiroth is honestly finding that funny and so voicing it. Not his fault Jenova makes it so that he almost can't sound human. "Very." Is admitted a moment later, the man falling silent again so that you can ask about the stone. He lifts his hand once more and touches the softly glowing thing before nodding. "Yes. It is a very rare materia. Very probably the only one of its kind on the world. I do not know exactly how it keeps Jenova from me, but so long as I wear it I am free of her." Leaning forward he actually lifts his chin and turns his head so that you can touch it if you want. Holy tingles as all materia do, but it also grants a sense of peace. There is a good reason Aerith felt safe with it. The thing is all about healing and goodness and protection after all.

Well it -does- sound complicated. Golden eyebrows furrow slightly as the boy took affront to you laughing at him like that, followed by a slight frown. But, that inhuman sound at least steels him to temper any ideas of being his impulsive and impetuous self, since the last thing he needs is to get into trouble (that comes later after he tries going home). But, since you have made motions that would allow him to touch it, he does, rather boldly. He blinks and sits back again, "Wow..." Yeah, he's suitably impressed with it, any thoughts of stubbornness gone in light of this. He can understand now why Jenova wouldn't want to be near it. Badb didn't seem to mind it, however, so that just further proves to the boy that the spirit in his head isn't all bad, no matter what Squall says or thinks about her. "So... if you're not going to destroy the world, why are you in Balamb?" Seems like a good question to him, why come here of all places? Then again, he'd rather be back in Sairou in the desert. Much more arid there, the humidity here is stifling.

What is he doing in Balamb? Shifting back to once more kneel there before you, all but sitting on his heels, the man replaces your fingers with his own on the stone. For the most part it looks like a neat bit of jewelry, but you know better now. Turning his torso, the man points to the huge bulk of Galbadaia garden looming over there near the water. It's been parked there for several days now. "That is mine." He states with no doubts. "I came to talk to the people of Balamb Garden and make sure we understood one another. I have no interest in harming anything of Balamb and wished them to know that." So that mistakes won't be made later and have people's lives pay for that mistake. "And speaking of that I need to get back." Shifting his weight the man rises fluidly to his feet with out the aid of his hands, but then steps forward to offer you one. If you accept it he will help you to stand. "And you should go home and have a hot shower to relieve some of those aching muscles." Where your home is he doesn't know, and neither does he ask. "It was interesting meeting you, Bartolomei. Perhaps we shall discover one another again and practice your flying." With this ending the man smiles at you. It's all he has to offer right now. Then without much of further good-bye he walks off towards that garden he had pointed to moments before.