Mist | Pixar Luca Fanfic

Chapter 3: Degradation

The boy's POV
Darkness rose throughout the town of Portorosso, causing lights to flicker from house to house. The sound of footsteps blasts through the town as the boy sprints through Portorosso to the sign-up counter at the piazza.

Closed for the day. Come back tomorrow

"WHAT" the boy froze with disbelief.

"New here?" a voice rose from behind, causing the boy to gasp with shock.

"Oh... sorry... yeah..." the boy's words trembled.

"Joining the Portorosso cup eh?" the voice replied.

"Just signing up to be a helper." the boy corrected.

"Hmm...." the voice froze. "I'm Ercole Visconti"

"Nice to meet you" the boy smiled, "what are you doing out so late?"

"I could ask you the same question." the dark figure stepped into the light, a tall, slim, confident guy looking down at the boy.

"I-" the boy shrugged from discomfort, "I was just trying to sign up to be a helper, that's all. Have you ever participated before?"

"I did." Ercole snapped, "until those creatures... Those little pieces of pests came to ruin my life!"

"Creatures?"

"I'd be careful if I were you," Ercole uttered before disappearing back into the shadows.

•••

The next day arrives. The boy's eyes open with excitement.

"Day 2. Plan. Sign up to be a Portorosso cup helper!" The boy smiled to himself.

"I don't even know why you're making such a big deal out of being a helper" The boy's mom groans, walking towards the bathroom.

"You don't understand mom, I can make friends and stuff!" The boy grinned, "It's also good for my resume!" The boy added before rushing out the door.

•••

"I would like to sign up to be a helper for the Portorosso cup!" the boy exclaimed with excitement.

"A new person! name?"

"Just... Boy" the boy grinned shyly as he fidgeted with his fingers.

"Just boy? Uh-huh... Is this a joke? Sorry but the Portorosso cup is a tradition we have in this town. Since you're not from here, I suggest you respect us rather than make a joke out of it" the lady bellowed while pointing her fingers towards the boy.

"I... I'm not joking... I'm serious" the boy attempted to take a Portorosso cup leaflet but the lady quickly snatched it away from him.

"Leave now, we don't need jokesters around here" The lady warned and left the Portorosso cup sign-up counter.

"Who the heck do these foreigners think they are! Making a joke out of our tradition" the lady added before walking away from the boy.

The boy felt his eyes well up with tears but quickly wiped them away. It wasn't his fault that his parents didn't give him an English name.

"Would they even bother pronouncing my name if I told them my Chinese name?" The boy mumbled. "I should leave... before I make a scene..."

Alberto's POV
The sunlight shined through the window and illuminated Alberto's room. Alberto opened his eyes to the blinding sun. A wave of laziness engulfed him as he annoyingly covered his face with his pillow. A few minutes passed by and the sound of knocking echoed through the room.

"Alberto, it's 8 am, I'll be down at the pescheria to prepare the fresh batch of fish for the day"

Alberto replied with a soft groan before falling back asleep.

Eyes swelling with tiredness, Alberto made a big yawn before leaving his bed to get ready for the day. Since Massimo was going to the pescheria, he would be able to visit the piazza to volunteer to help out for the yearly Portorosso tradition, the Portorosso cup! Alberto changed into his signature outfit, a yellow tank top with brown shorts, and left to the piazza.

•••

The piazza was filled with rustling and bustling, the sound of joyous conversation ringing harmoniously through Portorosso. Yet, a voice from the distance contrasted with this harmony.

"Just boy? Is this a joke? Sorry but the Portorosso cup is a tradition we have in this town. Since you're not from here, I suggest you respect us rather than make a joke out of it" Mrs bellowed from a distance.

Alberto looked around to see the source of the noise. Then he saw it, the sound was coming from the sign-up counter for the Portorosso cup. Maintaining a distance, Alberto witnessed the situation from afar as he heard whispers from the crowd.

"He's the new Asian guy"

"I don't know why an Asian would bother coming this far to Portorosso"

"He doesn't even belong here"

The words pinned through Alberto's heart as they reminded him of the days when sea monsters were looked down upon in the hierarchy of power. Alberto struggled through the crowd to see who the mysterious boy was. And there he was. The boy. The boy he met at Portorosso Convenience the other day. The boy who left without saying another word. The boy who rejected plastic bags cuz it was "bad for the environment". That was the boy. And that boy was walking towards Alberto.

"Would they even bother pronouncing my name if I told them my Chinese name?" The boy's low and timid voice flew towards Alberto's ears.

"I heard that his parents hate sea monsters. That is probably why they chose Portorosso. Keep an eye on his family." One of the townspeople said, causing the crowd of people to grunt with annoyance.

But Alberto didn't agree with them. How could you simply judge someone without getting to know them? He had to figure out who this guy was. He had to.