"Yeah, yeah..." Cid waved the young ninja off as he handed his mug to Tifa. Although he'd stayed out of the less superficial aspects of the conversation so far, everyone's apparent relief at being buddy-buddy and sticking together was beginning to get on his nerves, if only because there was one problem hanging over their heads like a damn harbinger of denial.

"Yeah, well," he began with a sigh, tossing his fork at his plate as he stretched his arms over his head and leaned back in his chair, "the one point that these bastards forgot to address is the one that makes this whole operation a damn sight trickier than it should be."

He looked to each one of his comrades in turn.

"Last thing Gothman remembers is us on our merry way to the damn Northern Crater. Barret here hails from two years after that, from when you guys did in... Kadodgy or whenever the fuck cornrows are in style. Yuffie... I got nothin', but a kid who calls me gramps doesn't count anyway."

He then looked back to Tifa, mouth twisting into a wide, wry grin.

"Me? Last thing I remember is some fucking bright backlash once Meteor was about to blow." He winced both at the memory and at the wounded arm he'd stretched too hard, then nodded towards her. "I'm guessin' from the fact that you have a different hairdo than I remember and ain't reactin' to Barret's new one that you're gonna tell me I'm lookin' too good for my age."

He then shot Yuffie a glare.

" 'Cause I sure as fuck ain't 'gramps.' "