Cid had been tinkering with a new bracket design for the airship engines. He was going to mount better vibration isolators to avoid shaking the main deck so hard. It was especially severe when they ran heavy loads under the heavy turbulence of bad weather; King Odin had requested it as the highest priority and Cid understood that a man of his age really couldn't deal with that kind of stress on his body for very long. Still, if the King had given him the time to optimize all of his designs, he would've had this issue figured out before ever using the airships. Cid kept those grumblings to himself, though.
He walked into Baron's ornate halls to get to the airship docks when he came across new Red Wing cadets. He didn't approve of his babies being used for violence, but the king assured him that they were to be seen more as enhancements of a strong defensive military as opposed to a proactive endeavor to war with neighboring countries. As such, he normally didn't pay them any mind, but a certain topic of discussion perked his interest.
"-Rosa? She's looking rather nice these days in that tight white mage gown. Think she's single?" one asked the other.
"She'd look a lot nicer with it on the floor of my quarters. I'll let you know just how good after I ask her to the next ball," his friend replied. They were both chortling when Cid came up from behind and gave each of them a swift swing of his hammer to the back of their heads. He dragged them to their instructor and was very pleased to hear the instructor say the beautiful words 'punish them as you see fit'. After all, he'd been planning on dismantling one of the airship's engines down to every bolt, screw, and crank pin later that week for a durability study. It was awfully kind of those two young men to volunteer to help.
"Any damage to any component better be logged in that book, otherwise I'll make you tear down and put together the rest of my fleet! You hear me you little shits?!" Cid shouted at the cadets as he left. He heard a sir, yes, sir! as he rounded the corner.
He once again left his workshop, but instead of heading to the docks, he went straight to town. He walked down the main street and took a right to a quaint home nearby. He rapped the door with his wrench so roughly that the fury contained in the face of the woman who swung the door open could've melted Damcyan's fire crystal.
"Cid, if your wrench so much as touches this door again, I'm going to shove it so far up y-"
"Jo!" Cid greeted with his signature smile, ignoring the incoming threat from the woman towering over him. She clenched her jaw.
"What?" she asked.
"I'd like to borrow Rosa for this evening," he replied.
At her frozen stare of confusion, Cid went on to explain his newfound concerns to Joanna.
"I did it for my own girl, and I think your daughter needs the help, too," he finished.
Joanna tapped a slender finger against the door frame. She sighed.
"I suppose she's at that age. I'll have her ready by six," she said, moving to shut the door. She stopped halfway. "And Cid? Remember what I said about the wrench next time."
Cid winked at her as he left. He pulled out his self balancing sundial - a new design! - and realized he wouldn't have time to finish the bracket work today.
Oh well, there is a higher priority in Baron. My deepest apologies, my king!
Cid was dressed to the nines, his beard was trimmed, and he'd managed to find an old bottle of cologne at the bottom of the junk drawer in his kitchen. The sight (and smell) was rather strange to all who knew him, and he received many stares and double takes as he approached the Farrell home. This time, he used his knuckles to gently tap against the door.
Instead of angry Joanna, serene Rosa was the one to greet him. Like Cid, she was dressed nicely: an evening gown with a silken shawl wrapped around her shoulders. Her hair was done up, and she aptly smelled like roses.
"Hi Uncle Cid," Rosa said.
She shifted from side to side, her feet unaccustomed to the heels she'd clearly borrowed from her mother. Cid remembered those; Joanna had given him a nice, square shaped bruise on his shin when he'd accidentally stepped on her gown's oversized train with his muddy boots at Odin's coronation. Rosa's father, in turn, had turned red from restraining a laugh to avoid Joanna's ire. It was bittersweet for Cid to know that what he was doing tonight was something Lord Farrell had looked forward to doing himself; he'd loved his daughter with all of his heart.
"Hey kid," Cid said. He pivoted on his feet to face away from the door and extended an arm for Rosa to hold onto. As she took it, Cid strolled them through the town. The sun had not quite set yet, so Cid took advantage of the remaining light to get Rosa more comfortable.
"Uncle Cid?" Rosa asked. "Why are we dressed up tonight?"
Cid tossed his head back and laughed.
"Why, we're on a date!" he said.
Rosa stopped in her tracks, her face flaming crimson.
"Um…" Her voice wavered.
"Not a real date, child," Cid reassured her. "This is a test date, so you know exactly what to expect when you go on a real date. Uncle Cid can take care of any boy who treats you badly, but you need to know what's good and what's bad behavior. Not all boys are nice. And not all boys are honest."
"But I'm not allowed to date yet," Rosa said.
Cid squeezed her arm gently.
"Be that as it may, if a boy you liked wanted to spend time with you, would you really say no?" he asked.
Rosa blushed again, a small smile on her lips.
"No, I guess not," she admitted.
Cid hummed.
"I thought so."
They made another round through the square, and once Rosa gained confidence in her walk, Cid directed them to the restaurant attached to the inn. He pulled open the door and gestured for her to walk in. When the waitress directed them to a small, two person table, Cid pulled back Rosa's chair, pushing it back in as she sat down. As she removed her shawl, Cid placed it on the back of her chair for her.
Rosa smiled at him from across the table as he sat down. He smiled back, unrolling the napkin on the table and laying it across his lap. She did the same.
"Enjoying yourself?" he asked.
She nodded vigorously, her hands clasped together on the table.
"Good," he said. "You should never settle for less. If a boy has disrespected you by now, you need to leave the restaurant and go straight home."
"But…isn't that rude?" Rosa asked, concern marring her gentle features.
Cid shook his head, and reached over to place his hand over hers.
"It's not rude if they were rude first," Cid emphasized.
They were interrupted by the waiter, and Cid and Rosa placed their orders. Cid regaled her with stories of her mother while they waited. Rosa laughed hard at the one in particular involving a portrait of Rosa's grandfather, a bottle of whiskey, and Joanna's pet squirrel. He knew Jo would nearly make him regret telling her that story, but Rosa's genuine delight made it worth it.
She wiped away tears of laughter as their food was set in front of them. They ate in silence as they enjoyed their dinner. At one point, Rosa stood and made her way to the restaurant's lavatory. She soon came back, and Cid stopped her as she reached for her drink.
"When you leave your drink unattended like that, just get a new one," Cid told her.
Rosa pulled her hand back, and Cid flagged the waiter down to bring her another glass. When they finished dessert, Cid paid for their meal, draped her shawl over her shoulders, pulled back the seat for her, and opened the door for her to leave.
Crickets chirped unseen in the long grass, and toads croaked in the garden to the north. The moons shone bright in the sky, and the stars sparkled something bright in the late evening.
"Rosa, darling," Cid said, "nothing good ever happens late at night. It's just now gotten dark, so it's time for me to take you home. Don't let any of those boys convince you to go look at their super cool rock collections or that really awesome view in the woods of sleeping chocobos. All of it can wait 'til daytime. Even if nothing happens, they can still lie and pretend you were someone you're not."
Rosa nodded. The permanent cheer that had adorned her all evening disappeared.
"Uncle Cid?" she finally asked, looking up at him. "Are they all really that bad?"
Cid pulled her in for a hug, kissing the top of her golden head.
"Not all of them. But enough of them are," he said. He pulled away to look at her. "I know you'll find someone who will love you and respect you the way you deserve. Just like your mother found Lord Farrell."
Rosa smiled at the mention of her father.
"Like my father," she said to herself.
Cid felt a pang of sympathy for the young girl in front of him. She had a long road ahead of her, but Cid knew she'd be alright. He took her back home, and at her doorstep gave her a gentle kiss on her hand.
"Oh! Before I forget," Cid said, rummaging through his pockets as Rosa reached for the door.
He pulled out bundle of tiny clay pellets and handed them to Rosa. She looked at them in her palm, confused at the ordinary items she now owned.
"Thank you," Rosa said, her voice uncertain. Cid held back a laugh.
"Those are monster deterrents. I normally use them to keep imps away from the airship docks, but they should work on humans as well. Just break one on anyone who tries to hurt you, and they'll be stained for days with a disgusting scent that irritates their sinuses. It goes away with a quick Cure in case you get some on you. It also doesn't do any lasting damage, so feel free to leave the asshole marked with it. They can get help at the infirmary, so you focus on yourself and yourself alone, ya hear?" Cid said.
Rosa glanced down at them again, this time understanding. She hugged him tightly once more.
"I'm also learning archery. In the meantime, this will help. Thank you, Uncle Cid," she said, her voice muffled by his shoulder. He squeezed her back. That's Jo's child alright, no doubt about it!
"Good night, kiddo," Cid replied, turning to head home. The door shut softly behind him.
She'll be alright, indeed.
A/N: Inspired by Jenneh's established friendship between Cid and Rosa's mother in Out of The Light. I can't help but imagine Cid and Rosa having these sorts of found family moments now :)