Ace hadn't been lucky enough to hit the same growth spurt as most of his brothers, and there was little to do about it other than try his hardest to fight the inevitable remarks. Just as the Barkeep had noted, he was also unusually thin for a soldier, but there was more strength to his body than it might have seemed. His eating habits, too, could be considered more or less healthy on a normal day. He had no issue digging into his plate as it was offered to him, at least, feelings of hunger resurfacing at the sight and scent of a warm meal.

"It's good." While he'd never been taught proper table manners, he could still appreciate the efforts of a skilled cook with words of courtesy.

"Somehow, this sounds less fun when you phrase it that way. Inquiring about people's lives... I mean," he absentmindedly sifted through the food with his fork, looking thoughtful, "as a superior officer, he can be insufferable, but at least he's consistent, and fair when it comes down to it." Unlike those eager to abuse their position in order to trouble their subordinates with pointless tasks; it was people like Cid who made his patience run thin.

And these days, he didn't have much of a patience to begin with. "Though maybe there's something. Were the horses really that big of a deal on Mars?" That outright contempt for all things Chocobo interested him far more than whatever spicy details the Barkeep had in store. He also found enjoyment in listening to stories about different worlds, it didn't happen often enough.