Benjamin found himself being softly awakened by his mother. They hadn't been in Trespiano long, and his boarding school had always let out earlier than everywhere else, so the move didn't conflict. His days had been long, boring and with the exception of attending a fencing class, empty. Which is why he was surprised his mother woke him up. "Ben, today's the festival, get up or you might miss something." She said softly. Festival? What festival? "I didn't know there was one." He said, groggily and blinking away sleep. "I was speaking with the neighbors. They hold one every year for Summer." She stood up and patted him on the head, and left the room.

The Spanish boy stood up eventually, getting his orientation to prevent falling over, and managed to stumble his way into clothing. Button-down, pants, shoes. He decided to roll his sleeves because of the weather, tripped into the bathroom to ensure he didn't look like a mess on feet and made his way into the dining room, passing his father, who just so happen to be passed out and drunk on the sofa. "Your father started celebrating last night." Benjamin just grunted and ignored him. He resented his father for many reasons but drinking was one in the top ten. He and his mother sat down for breakfast and they bid farewell as he went to find out about this festival business. Walking towards the square, he noted a squabble about eggs and just people-watched as he strolled around. He hadn't much chance to explore the town so he decided he might as well look around, too.

Abby was happy to hear her accent wasn't as bad as she had feared. She was taught Italian when she was young but she only used it when she had to talk to older family members or when she wanted to impress someone. "Oh, don't feel bad. My grandpa is just crazy, that's all." She commented, not wanting Jak to feel like she had to hurry. Being out and about in Trespiano made the blond girl curious about her home. It wouldn't be so bad to take the scenic route while they were at it. Plus, it would be nice revenge to bring back the groceries late. A wicked smile formed on Abby's lips as she thought of her 'evil' plan when a gurgling interrupted her. Looking down, Abby blushed in embarrassment for the second time that day when she realized she hadn't eaten anything yet. Looking down the cobblestone street, she saw a cute little cafe at the end of the block.

"Um, do you mind if we go there? I didn't eat breakfast..." She asked sheepishly.

---

Sonya had positioned herself nicely on top of a roof building right across the street from the cafe the pink-haired future boss had rushed into in what looked like a search for a restroom. She shook her head at his antics. As she waited for him to come out, she canvassed the area for any other potential candidates. Luckily for her, she already spotted two potential guardians; the candidates of the Guardian of the Mist and the Guardian of the Cloud. The two had a certain air about them that made them stand out from the rest of the population, which was both good and bad depending on the situation. Sonya decided to make a note of it and took her sleek smartphone out of a small holster on her hip. That's when she saw a missed call and raised one trimmed eyebrow when she saw who it was.

Vector.

She hadn't expected him to contact her so quickly. He must have known she'd just gotten to Trespiano a few hours ago. Well, if there was one person who was more dedicated to her job than her, it was Vector. It was admirable how loyal he was and Sonya couldn't help but feel the utmost respect for him. However, she decided not to ignore his call for now. If the CEDEF leader really had something important to tell her, he would call again. Instead, she continued her recon mission, keeping an eye out for more potential Guardian candidates.

"Oh, uh, sure. We could definitely stop. I've already eaten, so go ahead. I'm gonna make. Quick stop for something anyway. I'll be right back." Jak smiled and waved as she walked towards the end of the street. A flower vendor was there, bright green leaves waving back at her. Jak kept walking, humming to herself, moving her bangs out of her face again. It seemed like another quiet day, but something was amiss. Sure it was summer, but the feeling of being watched wasn't from tourists. Something was out of place, but she couldn't tell what exactly.

She rubbed her neck and shrugged it off. It wasn't like she looked like a delinquent with her sports bag over her shoulder and the bottom of the bat sticking out just enough so that she could pull it free in an emergency. At last she reached the flower vendor. He had just about everything, orchids, roses, and even a few hyacinths. Jak scanned for one color in particular, and picked a batch of purple hyacinths out of the bunch. She fumbled around for her wallet and quickly paid for them. She made a few jokes with the vendor, and left, carefully placing the flowers in her bag, just in front of the bat and other gear. Jakki sighed and sat down just outside the café staring at the sky. She could probably go in and grab something to eat as well, but she didn't feel hungry. She didn't really feel anything, just kind of empty inside. She was taking the scenic route to avoid going home for too long. It felt empty there too, and her mother wasn't helping, with her insistences that he was still alive and fighting.

Jak laid back and just tried to relax. Today was a warm summer day, and the sun was eye-searingly bright. There was no way she was going to go back to being gloomy on a day like this. She started to hum another song, closing her eyes and leaning back in her chair as she waited for Abby.

"Come ooonnnn-" Daisuke pretended to get on his knees and beg to Cyril, theatrically tugging on his wrist. It was probably a little too late to wonder if the school nearby had a dramatic arts club; he absolutely loved being on stage and acting, especially for comedic and satirical plays. It was perhaps the only hobby out of everything that he was good at; he enjoyed entertaining people and making them laugh, and he himself was a very expressive person. He was never the type of person to shy away from company, at least, he wasn't from what he could remember.

When Cyril finally agreed to go to his house rather annoyingly, Daisuke jumped to his feet and boomed in excitement. Boy, Miss Ottavio's gonna be happy I've already made a friend! And it hasn't even been over five minutes! "Yay!" he cheered! only to remember being clothed in aquarium-styled pajamas. He beckoned for Cyril to follow him as he sprinted down the street, calling back. "You saw nothing!"

---

So, this was Fionn Breckenridge, one of the two chosen candidates for the eleventh generation Vongola Sun Guardian, the one that Vector had picked which contested Decimo's selection of the newly arrived Abigail de Luca. He mumbled a thoughtful "hmm" to himself as they shook hands, attempting to see if he could manually detect the boy's type of wave energy. Still unawakened, I see.

"It's a pleasure to meet you too, Fionn," Vector replied full of respect, smiling down at the boy. He nodded to his offer of helping him get to the marketplace, digging a hand back into his pocket and pulling out his cell phone to check the time. Things are falling into place, let's see if these kids can really pull it off. "Please lead the way, if you may."

After Naoto left the cafe he ended up at the park enjoying his snack and sharing a bit of it with the birds. He finished off the last of his muffins that he bought with a satisfied breath. He sat back on the bench in the middle of the park stretching his arms over his head. It wasn't Rome but Trespiano had it's own appeal. By not being Rome it avoided the inconvenience of obnoxious tourists who would ruin such a nice day. On a day like this you could anything and still have a good time. Sitting on a park bench was one of those things. "Yup, the first day of summer vacation is always the best." Naoto mused as he laid his head back and looked up at the sky. The sky always intrigued Naoto. It could be so tranquil and beautiful, yet it could also be dark and fearsome. And there's still more to it...heh, I wonder if I could discover all the aspects of the sky~ He mused. Naoto chuckled. What a weird thing to think about~" He said to himself with scratch to his cheek.

A little later Naoto finally arrived at the site of the festival set up. He looked around and spotted his father lugging a small barrel on his shoulder. A well built Italian man, Liberta Alato was always quick to help out with anything around Trespiano. "Hey, dad! Need a hand?" Naoto chimed as he walked up. "Oh Naoto. Heh, I'm not old yet son. I can still work with the rest of 'em." He said dropping a hand on his son's shoulder. "Besides, it's summer. You should be having fun." Naoto smirked and put his hands on the back of his head. "C'mon, you know I can't have fun until the festival's up and running." Liberta smiled. "I'm glad you inherited my hard working spirit. But Naoto you should really try to make more friends." Naoto sighed. "Jeez, way to kill the moment. I'm gonna get started over here..." Naoto walked over and hefted a small barrel onto his shoulder and grabbed an ever smaller one under his other arm. Liberta watched his son. Your a great young man Naoto...others will see that and whether you like it or not they'll gather around you.

Aunt’s omelet has to be ruined by now. Cyril thought, shaking his head as he followed Daisuke down the street. The other boy sprinted into a brisk run, and so, Cyril began to run as well, rushing up to his side. I’m expecting that this short visit to his house to get eggs will take much longer than I expected. Daisuke would probably keep him there for a bit, talking about stupid crap and all. His brown eyes rested on the path, restraining a sigh that wanted to escape him so. It was obvious that he was annoyed. It would have been much simpler if the boy didn’t bump into him.

Though, it was pretty today. The warmth cheered him up, and the smell of the ocean made him feel… nice. There was something about the salty tang of Trespiano that made him feel as if they were freer than the people of Vendrello or other large cities. I don’t understand how people can live in blocks for houses and not have any space to breathe. he continued to run, maintaining his deadpanned expression. His eyes flicked up to the sky as he thought.

He had been born and raised in Lipari, which was a town around Trespiano’s size. It was also near the ocean, and one could see the broad expanse of blue if they were to look out their window. He would have stayed if it hadn’t been for his parents. Just because his father was a boss of a family didn’t mean that he had to become one as well. Even though he had prayed for a younger brother or sister in the off-chance that they could take his father’s place instead of him, his mother never had another child.

”Are we almost there, or did you lose your way already?” he snapped at Daisuke, his brows furrowing. ”I have to get home.”

---

Fionn shifted his feet, glancing away from the man who had called himself Vector. His shyness had gotten a hold of him all of a sudden, and now he simply couldn’t find anything else to say to this dark haired figure. Running a hand through his blond hair, his amber colored eyes flicked down the street. He knew where the marketplace was, at least. He wouldn’t embarrass himself in front of this man. And so, he pulled himself away from the wall and began walking down the street.

I hope Reiner won’t get angry at me for leaving. But I don’t think he’ll come back. He’s probably busy talking with dad or helping mom. he shoved his hands into his pockets. I wonder what he had to pick up for his wife, though?

The sun was shining harder on the street, making Fionn flinch a little. He’d have to get used to all of the sunshine in this place. Not to mention his mother wanted to go to the beach in the summer. Not looking forward to the sunburns. he sighed. I already get them when I’m out in the streets too much. He supposed that he did like Trespiano, though. It was tiny and quiet and most of the people were nice and willing to talk, even though Fionn didn’t like doing so.

They made their way to the marketplace, and he paused near a few fruit stands. ”This is the place. There’s… there’s a lot of things one can buy here.” Fionn told Vector, turning toward him and forcing a smile on his face. I hope I can get back soon.

Benjamin walked up and down a few streets, exploring and peering into shops, enjoying smells and sights. There was so much in this sleepy little town. So much livelihood. It was a good thing they were in Italy because he only knew Spanish. He could understand everyone else though, those speaking Italian, and they could understand him just fine. His English was choppy at best, never having cared to learn it. The United Stated was across an ocean and the United Kingdom was rainy and dreary. Suddenly, he felt a thirst coming on, which might not have happened if he had drank anything at breakfast, but the smell of his father had been enough to rush him out of the house. He found himself near the town square again, and seeing that there was a busy cafe open that morning, he started that way.

A little bell rang as he walked into the shop and it made him smile. Barcelona's massive stores were no match to how quaint this cafe was. After ordering something small and cold, he peered around for somewhere to sit down. My my, it was crowded. But there was so little open with the festival setting up within view. From what he'd seen it looked fun, and he figured he'd have a decent time; a day when he wasn't so bored. His drink came up and he thanked the barista. Now then, where to sit? He noticed a girl geared up for baseball and decided that was as a good place as any. "Excuse me, would you mind if I sat down? This place is so full there aren't many options." He asked, speaking softly and smiling.

Jak had been wondering if it would rain again soon. It had been so hot for so long, and it seemed appropriate for what she had to do later. For now though, she had to put it out of her mind. That line of thinking would only ruin the rest of today. She had the whole first day of summer to be happy and enjoy the festival. She sighed and adjusted herself in the seat, waiting for Abby to order whatever it was she was going to order so that Jakki could leave and show her the grocery store. Had she even grabbed anything for breakfast? Probably not, judging by how her stomach felt.

As she stared off in space, a brown haired boy came up to her, and asked to sit down next to her. "Sure, I don't mind. I'll be leaving soon anyway." she smiled and relaxed back in the chair. "My name's Jakki, but you can call me Jak if you want to." as she shifted yet again in the small chair, her bag fell over, landing right on the flowers she had just bought. She quickly checked the bag, flipping it over and opening it, but just as fast as she had reacted, the bag was shut again and pushed back under her chair. "Uh, flowers for a family member." she smiled again, even though the smile was false, at least the lie was mostly true. They were for a family member, but not exactly how he'd think. Lie of omission was still a lie though, and Jak hated lying, even if she did it almost everyday.

Benjamin smiled as he pulled the chair and sat down. He almost set down his drink but Jakki fidgeted and he waited patiently so the table wouldn't fall out beneath his cup. Once he was sure it was safe, he smiled again. "Lucky family member you have." He said. Wasn't something he really knew much about. He'd never met extended family and really only his mother cared for him. "My name is Benjamin, by the way. I'm pleased to meet you, Jak." Taking a sip, he stared out the window for a moment. "If you wouldn't mind, would you tell me how long the festival goes on here? This is my first time attending it." It looked like it was going to be quite fun. He'd been watching the set-up and there was going to be a lot. There was no way it would be as exciting as the Running of The Bulls, but it might be more akin to a wine festival. "I'm sure you've guess that though." His smile formed into a smirk that came further up the right side of his face than the left and crinkled his laugh lines for a moment. Despite fitting in by physical appearance, little to nothing else about him said Italian.

After observing a pineapple intently as it seemed to shimmer in the summer sun, Vector placed it back into its respective stall. He was particularly uninterested in everything that had to do with this little town and its people, he only needed to know the location where the most civilians would be concentrated. Though he didn't intend on hurting anyone directly, it was all up at the discretion of the candidates and the people themselves. Tsunayoshi Sawada may have cared deeply about involving innocents, but personally, he himself did not if they were the key to accomplishing his mission.

"So I've seen," Vector nodded in agreement to Fionn, seeing the marketplace brim with activity. It was still fairly early in the morning, and yet, it was already packed with crowds of people, and the occasion street performer. It was almost as if it were a rush hour of some sort before the actual festival would occur, and it proceeded to conflict the man; would it fare better if he waited longer? "Tell me, young sport," Vector turned to the boy, leaning in to ask in a whisper. "When does this festival occur, exactly?"

---

Daisuke, on the other hand, was excited. Already, he had made himself a friend; a friend who looked tough, as well! His cheeky, boyish smile as the two reached the doorstep of his house only grew more as he knocked on the door lightly three times, with Miss Ottavio coming into view as the door opened. She looked mildly confused at the boy accompanying Daisuke, but upon seeing the latter, she sighed and shook her head. "You were so thrilled that you forgot to change out of your pajamas," she grumbled.

Daisuke's face reddened in embarrassment. "Uhm, yeah."

"Now, if your dad found out about this, he'd take away my paycheck."

"Pfft," Daisuke scoffed, pushing past Ottavio in a rushed manner. He nearly ran into a pillar of cardboard boxes, the house still being set up after moving in the other day. He somehow ran up the stairs backwards and pointed towards Cyril, calling out, "He needs some eggs! I accidentally-"

And of course, trying to run up a set of stairs backwards never yielded any positive results. It shouldn't have been a surprise that Daisuke would trip along the way, and that's exactly what happened; he fell back into the stairs and tumbled down a few steps, throwing his hands up to his head. He writhed in a brief moment of agony before jumping back up to his feet, walking up normally this time around and rubbing the back of his skull.

Miss Ottavio shook her head again, sighing as she looked down at Cyril. "Daisuke can be... challenging to take care of," she said, her next statement containing a hint of sarcasm. "But as long as I'm getting paid, I'll pass."

She turned her back to Cyril, motioning for him to come inside. "You're here for eggs, he said? Come on in." She navigated through another maze of wooden crates until they reached the kitchen, where she pulled a carton of eggs from their refrigerator, which was stocked with enough supplies like they were preparing for a third World War.

Miss Ottavio turned and handed the carton to Cyril, smiling. "You know, no matter how gullible and weird he can be, Daisuke's a good kid. His dad's never around and so is his mom, but he's always smiling. I think you'd be great friends."

When he said that the family member was lucky, Jak looked away for a moment, her eyes a mixture of grief, pain, and... anger? She was quick to return the eye contact though, trying to cover for her minor slip up. "For someone who actually lives here all the time, I'm only mediocre at seeing if people are from around here or not, I guess. Sorry..." she laughed a little at her expense. "And the festival lasts about... two or three days? I know it's more than one, but I only ever attend the first day because that's when they have the best prizes."

Her father made it a habit to attend the first day and the first day only. Mostly because he was afraid that they were going to get thrown out of the ball throwing stands due to Jak's arm. Those were some of her favorite memories of her father, but this year, she'd be going there alone. Let it wash away, it's going to be fine. I'm going to have a great time. "Oh, you might want to be careful about some of the stands. I know that the water gun stand usually cheats by making the target small and the clown face rise slower the higher it gets. Also, the strength tester stand cheats. The only way to win is to just punch the lever directly, the hammer has a light head, so it just bounces up and down on the lever rather than actually hit it square." she noticed her rambling. "Oh, sorry. Once I get started talking about the festival I usually don't stop."

Fionn watched the people in the marketplace, a frown on his face. There were so many people around… it made him want to duck away from the crowds and go back home. The amber eyed, blond haired boy glanced up at Vector, who had leaned in to ask when exactly did the festival start. With a tip of his head, Fionn began to think. ”I haven’t really gone any sort of festival in Trespiano.” he explained to the dark haired man. There was something… weird about him. Not that he wasn’t nice or anything, but… ”But… I think it’ll start soon. There’s a lot of people around here.”

His brother loved to go to festivals, so he would probably want to look around before he went home. Then he would forget about the time and the two siblings would be home by the time the festival finished for the day. Fionn would much rather stay at home and read a book or something. He wasn’t one for such festivities. He glanced back up at the man, suddenly feeling uncomfortable. What if Reiner is looking for me at the moment?

---

Cyril followed Daisuke to his home, internally huffing and scowling at him. Though he maintained a fairly calm composure, he was fuming on the inside. I can’t believe I have to go to this idiot’s house to get eggs. But… oh well. At least he’s making up for his mistake. Yet, he rolled his eyes as he walked up to the door. The woman that answered Daisuke’s knocking seemed decent enough. Was this his aunt? Or… someone else?

Daisuke pushed past the woman, and began to go up the stairs backwards. Of course, he fell, and tumbled down a couple of steps. Cyril felt like bursting out and laughing at him, but he held back his laughter. No, that would be rude. Especially in front of this woman. His dark eyes flicked back over to her as she walked back inside, motioning for him to follow. Cyril did just that. I hope that Aunt doesn’t get angry. he thought as he followed her.

After carefully avoiding bumping into the wooden crates, he followed the woman into the kitchen. The fridge was stocked with food, making him wonder why they would need such a surplus of supplies. Does the dolt eat that much? he questioned, raising an eyebrow. But she turned toward him, holding out the carton of eggs. He blinked, taking it from her hands. He was about to thank her and leave, but she was… telling him something.

”You think so?” even though he doubted what she said, a ghost of a smirk crossed his lips, and his expression grew softer. Cyril couldn’t be cold to this woman. She was sweet and kind. A fine person. At least… at least she wasn’t as much as an idiot as the boy. ”All I know is that I’ll be seeing more of him. Thank you for the eggs, though.”

This was unexpected; it would appear that Joli had been ignored. He certainly, wasn't going to waste his time on someone who didn't care to pay attention to him. Resending his extended hand from the back of the chair, he looked around for more seats. It would appear everyone had decided to escape the heat and sit inside, which he confirmed upon looking out the windows. Marching to the front counter, Joli ordered some eggs with rye toast, and pointed to indicate that he would be sitting at the table outside next to the only currently occupied one. After confirming with the cashier, he paid and walked, a bit exasperated, out the door to his seat.

He over heard a little of the conversation between the two people sitting at the other table, but chose not to respond, as he didn't much care to be caught up in discussion. As he took his seat, he quietly sipped his coffee, patiently waiting for his food. Still, he couldn't get his mind off the incident that had occured just prior; maybe it was an overreaction, but he was truly frustrated. Still, he wasn't one to be ruled by his emtions, at least not terribly often. As he thought, he could feel the warmth of his drink slide down the back of his throat. Simply enjoying the moment, he closed his eyes and experienced the heat of the sun beat against his skin. There was something sensual about being outside, about being part of nature. It was like an old friend, or lover; a source of pure comfort.

As he considered this, the smell of salt, pepper and egg snuck its way into his nostrils and jogged him from his thoughts. "Smells fantastic," he said, opening his eyes and smiling gently at the server, "Thank you."

Miss Ottavio's eyes scanned Cyril, almost as if she had analyzed the boy completely and saw right through him. She blinked and broke the brief silence with another warm smile of hers, nodding to him. "That's good to hear," she said, placing a hand on her hip. Her sheen, black hair fell neatly past her shoulders and at the front, a few strands created curtain-like formations that covered her electric green eyes. Despite the fact that she would be entering her forties the coming year, she had often surprised suitors who believed her to be younger through this. Visibly troubled, she sighed. "I do hope his father returns soon... the boy hasn't had real parents in his life at all."

"GUPYAA!" Daisuke shouted as he came tumbling down the stairs, barely keeping to his feet. Both of his hands clung to the railing in a death grip as he reached the bottom, breathing heavily as he brought one up to scratch the back of his head. Seeing that Cyril had completed his objective of obtaining eggs, he laughed. "Woo! Mission accomplished! Back to home base for you!" he cheered, throwing his hands up. He was now in his typical attire which consisted of a basic pair of jeans and a white t-shirt. He wasn't one who could afford to buy flashy clothing and such, so he stuck to the basics. "But we've got one more side quest to do before we continue the main one, friend!"

Miss Ottavio rose a hand to her face and shook her head as Daisuke continued. "Off to the festival!" And with that, the Japanese boy brushed past Cyril with a hand forward as he surged through the streets.

"Like I said, he hasn't had real parents in his life at all..." Miss Ottavio cringed.

---

"A lot of people, you say?" Vector repeated in a question, tilting his head in false curiosity. Perfect, he thought. Time to start the show, then.

Vector coughed a few times before patting Fionn on the shoulder, smiling as he bowed respectfully. "Thank you for your guidance, young sport," he rose from his gesture, tipping his fedora in accordance. He began to walk away and a corner of his lips rose in a smug grin, raising his hand to wave as his back turned to Fionn and he walked in the opposite direction. "I will someday return to remit your kindness."

---

MOMENTS LATER

So, Fionn Breckenridge was correct.

Vector stood still in the middle of the roaring crowd full of festivity, already annoyed by how loud everything was. He looked around before settling on an alleyway near the central marketplace, digging into the inside pocket of his suit and revealing a box. His ring emitted a strong charge of electrical current as he pressed it into the opening in the box, causing it to open. Followed by powerful Lightning Flames, the outline of a rapier materializing within the grip of his right hand followed shortly after.

Raising the sword into the air and over his head, Vector shouted, "Thunder, set!" Despite it still being a nice and sunny, summer day, a large arc of lightning bolted from the sky and struck the tip of the rapier, coating his entire body in stronger Lightning Flames as the blade acted like a lightning rod. He effortlessly channeled the current from the tip and redirected it down the alley, striking one of the unoccupied stalls and setting it aflame.

"Hmm," Vector grumbled as he channeled another bolt of lightning to a second stall, also setting it aflame. Soon enough, the fire itself continued to grow and grow, almost as if the entire marketplace was completely suffocated in smoke while the townspeople fled. The rapier returned to his box as the Lightning Flames dissipated, and Vector slipped out of the alley.

---

Daisuke hadn't even noticed that there was a fire going on in the festival.

He had been too preoccupied attempting to throw miniature hoops around a bowling pin to win a goldfish, and he had thought of the rising temperature and sweat on his forehead as a sign of extreme focus. Must.. win... goldfish... he thought as he proceeded to throw the third hoop, cut abruptly as the tent he was in came crashing down in flames.

"What-" Daisuke cried as he felt the flames singe the clothing around his shoulder, completely in a panic. He ran through the dismantled tent and, still unknown to the layout of Trespiano, lost himself in the maze-like marketplace that was on fire. He was quick to remember the one important lesson that America had taught him from Smokey the Bear. "STOP... DROP... AND ROLL...!"

Benjamin was enjoying himself more than he thought he would. He'd heeded Jak's warnings and avoided the games that cheated, and he even won a stuffed elephant from one of the stalls. It was fun. He carried his prize under one arm until he saw a little girl crying after losing one of the rigged games. He knelt down and pressed the toy into her arms and her face lit up like a fire cracker. She squeezed and hugged the Spanish youth. She plodded away after her mother and showed her the new prize she claimed, pointing all the while at Benjamin, who returned the smile from the mother and waved in a friendly manner. To be perfectly honest most of his motivation was to unload the elephant since carrying it was such a hastle, but it just so happened that he would see that girl.

He chose to sit down on a bench and look around at the faces for a little while, when suddenly lightning struck down on one of the stalls, which made him jump and land on his rump, right on the ground. It was followed by a twin and he nearly jumped out of his skin. But then fire started. And fire spread. And some of the rides were partially wooden. All the stalks were. The whole place was going up in flames and he was stuck staring at it all like a deer in headlights. What the Hell!? It's not even cloudy. Where in God's blue sky did those come from!? His mind was racing but his feet were lead. Should he call the fire department? Did Trespiano even have one!?

Jak had won a few prizes and stuffed them in her bag with the flowers. Things were going great, she even had some surplus winnings from the bottle knocking down tent that she gave it away to some kids. She was mostly done with the festival after that though, so she sat on a bench and watched the clouds in the sky. How come clouds never run into each other? They always are so close, but they never touch. Jak thought, just before she saw a darker cloud drift lazily across the sky. Jak didn't even have to look to know what had happened. Fire. her bag was in hand and she was upright before the masses even knew. Jak was set to flee when she heard someone yell, "STOP... DROP... AND ROLL...!"
Was... someone still near the fire? Jak's eyes widened. She didn't even have second thoughts as she plunged closer to what seemed to be the start of the fires. "Miss, you;re going the wrong way!" some woman yelled at her.
"I know!" she yelled back, slowing down only once she was closer to the voice. Thankfully the fire was mostly outside, so smoke inhalation wasn't much of a problem, and the festival was attended by a lot of people, so odds were that someone was going to call the fire department. Hopefully whoever was still near the fire could be moved away quickly, she didn't know if she could combat a huge blaze if it got out of control. "Hello? Is there anyone still here? Hello?"
This fire is going to be different... everyone will be fine... please let this be different...

Well, at least he was able to quickly go home and eat breakfast. After wolfing down the omelet with the slightly singed vegetables, Cyril decided that he should go out and get some fresh air. He always liked going on walks after eating, anyway. His aunt always complained about him leaving home too early and then coming home too late, but he really didn’t see what the big deal was. It wasn’t like he was going out to get into fights. Surprisingly, he was a very patient person and would only throw punches if he was seriously provoked. He sighed, shoving his hands in his pockets and walking down the street as he began to whistle a tune.

He had walked a few blocks when he began to smell smoke and hear people scream. Cyril paused, a frown coming over his face. Was that some sort of new ride? No… it couldn’t be… A new ride wouldn’t smoke that much. That’s a fire. he thought, the frown deepening on his lips. While Cyril was usually indifferent to things going on around him, this was something different. Pulling his hands out of his pockets, he ran to the festival.

The amount of smoke increased significantly the closer he got to the festival. Cyril wheezed as he rushed into the midst of the flaming stalls and tents. The smoke stung his eyes and made them well up with tears. Is there anyone here? he thought, coughing. Why did I come again? I should have just minded my own business… But maybe there was a child or someone else that needed help. Just because I don’t like festivals doesn’t mean I shouldn’t go and help when people are in danger…

Cyril coughed again, turning and running further into the festival. Though he tripped over someone before he could get very far. He fell on his face, skidding a few inches before his body came to a stop. Pain razed across his jaw, and he sat up, snarling violently over his shoulder at the idiot who was sitting on his ass. ”What the hell are you doing?!” he shouted, his voice hoarse from the smoke inhalation. ”You must be a fucking idiot, sitting on the floor in the middle of a fire!”

Finally, the festival has kicked off. Naoto had went home to shower and change after helping with the set up. When he returned things were already lively. His mother had arrived some time before him and he could see her and his dad enjoying their time together. Naoto smiled then went off to enjoy the festival when he realized his dad was already near drunk and was making idiotic kissy faces at his wife. Naoto did just about everything there was to do. He rode rides, played games managing to beat a few of the rigged ones with his challenge facing spirit. He was even dragged onto the dance floor by girls from school who knew him from soccer. Despite this morning's emergency he managed stuff himself with loads of the festival food. When Naoto saw a performer trying to keep a ball in the air as long as he could he decided to be an attraction at the festival too. With his soccer skill and uncanny reflexes he entertained the children and their parents for quite some time. Watching him out was weird to think that such an outgoing and will like kid didn't have many friends. Throughout the festival though he did seem to be he holding back.

After his grandstander act Naoto took a well deserved rest on a bench. "You're such a show off." Naoto looked over to see Tommy standing there with a smirk. "Who are you calling a show off Mr. I'm Gonna Be Better Than You Someday~" Tommy leaned back with his hands on his head and a toothy grin. "Speaking of which, are tea up for a game?" He asked lightly kicking a ball to Naoto who stopped it with his foot. "Sorry, I'm a little wiped. But maybe if you get me a drink and a snack I'll be able to regain my energy hehe." Tommy gave Naoto an annoyed look but then chuckled and turned around to head for one of the stands. "Fine but we're definitely having a match got it?" Naoto smiled and looked down at the ball. That's when he heard the deafening sound followed by screams. He looked up to see fires erupt out of nowhere. "Aaah!" Mario jumped to his feet hearing Tommy's voice. He looked around and saw the boy on his but in front of a burning stand. "Tommy, you okay!?" Naoto called. Tommy looked back and nodded. As he started getting up the sign from the stands started to break off and fell above him. "Tommy, DUCK!" Without hesitation Naoto acted, bringing back his leg. Don't miss! He thought to himself as he kicked the soccer ball as hard as he could sending it soaring towards the sign and bashing it away from Tommy. Naoto rushed over to make sure his little pal was alright. Luckily he was safe but now Naoto still wondered. What the he'll is going on?

Benjamin snapped to when Cyril tripped over him. He'd been so struck with terror that he hadn't even stood up. He might as well have leapt to his feet and looked around. He threw a hand to the boy who tripped over him to hastily help him up and said, in a hurry, "We don't have time to berate my decisions. C'mon. The fire department isn't here and this place is dangerous. Someone might be stuck." Despite his haste he spoke quite sternly. This guy was large and seemed fairly muscular, and Ben was is good shape for himself. Between the two of them they could probably lift a car off of someone if they really tried so a fair ride wouldn't be an obstacle. "You can feel free to moan later, but right now just c'mon." He was trying his best hand at Italian but it was still mostly Spanish. He spun when he heard something that resembled coughing but sounded more like a dying bear. He didn't say anything to Cyril because it should have been obvious what his intentions were. As soon as he arrived there was an elderly man caught under a broken roof to a more solid enclosure. It looked like it had been a company's kiosk, and was built out of metal rather than just wood. The man was stuck at his waist and couldn't push the weight off if himself. Benjamin squatted down to lift but he could only just start to get it off the ground. Where was that kid? I swear to God if he ran off I'm going to find him and slap the mess out of him."

((I dunno if Cyril is big. But I got that impression.
Also, it took me all I had to not have Benjamin start organizing people like getting Jak, Cyril and himself into a finely tuned help-machine. But I feel like that should be Boss XI (whomever that is). So hop on that, XI.))

It always seemed incredible how fast time moved when one was deep in thought. As he walked around the festival, it wasn't until the sun blinded him from the east that Joli realized just how late it was getting. It seemed before he set out that the sun hadn't even reached its full height in the sky. After he was full from food, Joli had left the cafe and had begun observing those in town. He often found himself doing this, but on days of celebration, it was considerably more entertaining. There was the constant look of defeat on the kids faces as they tried endlessly to win prizes at the game stands. There was the strange multiplication of couples around town, all stuck in a trance based on ceaseless eye contact. There were the screams from small children on the faster rides, usually followed by the click, click, click of parents' cameras. There was the myriad of sales pitches flying at lightening speed from the mouths of vendors trying to sell their products.

And those were only the good things.

There was also this universal lack of discretion by the adults underlined by the prodigal use of alcohol and food, and it truly sickened him. It was like watching the worse contender on the biggest loser splurge unnecessarily on grease and butter; unsightly in the least. Still, it was no use complaining, as that was how it had invariably been. Regardless, ripped from his thoughts by the sun, Joli felt the imminent return home settle on his body as he was suddenly shaken by screams.

Somehow, heavily concentrated, he had missed the smell of soot and burning until he turned to face the direction of the scream. Shocked by the size and seemingly sudden appearance of flames, Joli sprung too almost naturally as his feet pulled him straight into the furnace, as they say. Quickly shuffling past panicking citizens, Joli could see the fear and mistrust on their faces, saying clearly, in his mind, that none of them were going to stop to provide aid. A bit distraught, Joli, in that moment decided to only think about what he could do, and ignore that no one might be their to support his efforts. Just as he had made up his mind, he caught a glimpse of a man trapped under chunks of a fallen sign, and changed tilt to help. As he got within reach, he saw that another boy, around his age, had already begun an attempt to lift the metal and wood away, but could only do so much. Grabbing onto the other edge, he helped successfully lift the debris up, but it wouldn't be enough without someone else to drag the man out!