"Most normal animals don't like me." Sephiroth is fully aware this is opening himself up to Cloud telling him, flat out, that of course they don't, animals recognize monsters even more easily than people, or something of that nature. Something indicating that it's some inherent flaw in Sephiroth that makes even animals hate him as a deserved consequence, and neither he nor anyone else should be surprised. The idea that he could simply alter his behavior to not give people chances to be cruel to him simply does not enter Sephiroth's mind. So much of his life has been unavoidable misery that his actions have no control over that he often doesn't even try to avoid unpleasantness. He often forgets it's even an option.

And, on some level...perhaps he feels he deserves it. Certainly from Cloud.

"But birds...never seem to be as bothered." He's always wondered about that. It's because, deep down, all birds aspire to supervillainy.

The response from Cloud is...far more muted than Sephiroth would have expected. Perhaps it's for the sake of the birds...in which case, Sephiroth supposes, Angeal's idea may have some merit to it after all. He cautiously moves across the pen, keeping a healthy distance from Cloud, in order to sit down...almost as far away from him as possible.

It's wholly in deference to Sephiroth's being incredibly aware how little Cloud wants to be around him or anywhere near him, of course, but honestly, to an outside observer - it almost looks as though Sephiroth is afraid of Cloud.

"It was Angeal's idea. He seems to think it could...help, in some way. I have my doubts, but he understands people better than I do." Sephiroth looks down at the chicken in his lap, and then strokes the feathers of her back. She makes a content little sound about it.