"I had forgotten how wonderful it was. The wind in your hair, the endless sky..."
BASICS
RETIRE INFO: Adopt human if Nero is in play, retire otherwise; adopt dragon
NAME: Cid
GENDER: Cis male
PRONOUNS: he/him/his
ORIENTATION: Homosexual
BIRTHDATE: Early summer 2742
AGE: 27 as of late spring 2770
LOCATION: High Reaches Weyr
OCCUPATION: Weyrling, journeyman smith
WING: N/A
APPEARANCE
EYES: Blue
HAIR: Dirty blonde
HEIGHT AND BUILD: 5'8", sturdy
PLAY-BY: Cid nan Garlond (FFXIV)
FULL APPEARANCE: Though Cid is shorter than most men, a point that rankles him, he is sturdy and muscular. He has light eyes and hair, and his skin is prone to burning more than tanning. His features tend toward the angular, though he doesn't look delicate in any sense of the word, and he can often be found with a determined expression on his face.
He takes some pride in his hair and beard, keeping the former a little longer than many men and the latter neatly trimmed. Due to his father's inheritance, he can afford very well-made clothes, though he keeps his outfits practical and built to withstand the toils of Smithcraft.
PERSONALITY
PERSONALITY: Cid knows he is possessed of a brilliant mind, able to see patterns and make connections that would take others ages, but wants to use it to share his knowledge and help Pern continue to fight against Thread. Curious and adventurous, he has always had a yearning for the skies that made it easier for him to become a Candidate than he thought it would be. He's patient with those who aren't as bright as he is, and loves to take younger Smiths under his wing to tutor them. He proudly shows off his creations, treating them as his children, but he mostly indulges in arrogance around Naevero.
He also tends to be overly arrogant towards other male Smiths who are taller than he is, though to a lesser extent than he is with Naevero. He views them as a threat to his skill and achievements, even when they are less skilled than he is. He tries not to be as rude as he was in his youth, but is sometimes unsuccessful. He does tend to brag about his early advancement when taller Smiths are within earshot. He may be short, but he has many accomplishments packed into that short frame, and he won't let Pern forget it. This extends to Pern at large as well - he tends to treat tall men more rudely, though he'll listen to them if they speak sense. He just won't be happy about it.
Cid's extreme idealism as a youth has been tempered by age, though he retains an overly self-sacrificing streak. He only reluctantly listens to people who tell him that he does not need to keep working, and chafes when he has nothing to do. He gladly rushes into danger for the people he fights for, and would think his life a worthy sacrifice for the greater good.
Still more of an idealist than a pragmatist, Cid follows his morals more than institutions or leaders. He is glad that High Reaches has turned in favor of chromatics, though he is increasingly wary of rising anti-metallic sentiment. He believes that both metallics and chromatics are indispensable to the defense of Pern in their own ways, and wishes that they could coexist.
Cid is a pacifist, for the most part. He will reluctantly take up arms if he deems it necessary to protect the people he views as being in the right, but hopes that someday, weapons to harm other humans will not have to exist.
HISTORY
FAMILY: Midas (father - deceased), Cirida (mother - deceased)
SIGNIFICANT OTHER: N/A
BIRTHPLACE: Smithcraft Hall
HISTORY: Cid's mother died in childbirth, and brilliant master smith Midas named Cid after her to an extent, not liking the name 'Cirid' much. Plus, Cid rhymed with Mid, Midas' old childhood nickname.
Cid and Midas grew up as close as any child and master smith father could be. Though Cid spent much of his time in the creche, Midas made time in his busy schedule to spend with his son, beginning to teach Cid the very basics of smithcrafting as soon as he could be trusted not to hurt himself with small tools.
Cid formally apprenticed at twelve, and quickly began to establish himself as a prodigy. There were initially some whispers of nepotism, but Cid's individual accomplishments quickly quelled most of those. At age thirteen, he met his lifelong rival. Naevero hadn't come from privilege like Cid had, but he had an equal thirst to learn, and a greater thirst to prove himself. Cid viewed it as an opportunity to better himself, but also to knock Naevero down a few pegs.
As Naevero and the other male Smith apprentices hit puberty, many of them grew like weeds. Cid...did not. He had always been on the short side, but with a tall father, he'd expected puberty to take care of that. Cid grew a little, of course, but not nearly as much of his peers, many of whom reached over six feet tall. Due to the near-relentless teenage boy teasing he faced, Cid's resentment of taller men began.
Despite his rough puberty, Cid's brilliance earned him a special twentieth Turning-day present indeed, the knots of a journeyman. He couldn't resist a wink at still-apprentice Naevero, despite the importance of the occasion.
Thankfully, his one indulgence in immature rivalry didn't affect his posting to High Reaches Weyr. He arrived in the aftermath of Golre's death to find a Weyr in shambles. Feeling powerless in the midst of the rebuilding, he transferred to Telgar Weyr to find a bit of stability to begin his career.
Cid's time at Telgar was not entirely uneventful. He was kept plenty busy by strap repairs and flamethrower construction for Threadfall, and by his father's alarming desire to aid High Reaches in the war. Cid felt like he didn't know his father anymore, especially once Midas transferred to High Reaches and began to make good on his ideas. When Midas passed from an illness, Cid's feelings were a gnarled knot of grief, anger, and horror at his father's deeds.
He took it upon himself to move back to High Reaches and help them rebuild. To his surprise, he was Searched by a green almost immediately upon his arrival. He took a little time to decide between his craft and the skies, but ultimately felt that he could have more influence through being a rider, so as to help atone for the deeds of his father. Plus, he would get to fly.
The second surprise was finding Naevero as a fellow candidate. They fell into their old rivalry easily. Clutches came and went, with neither of the men Impressing. But at least Naevero hadn't Impressed first...
