For the longest time you've known Florian Brand before he became the heroic fire investigator he is now and even before the incident with his parents that changed his life. When you were both little kids, your parents would let you two play together as they chatted, usually getting into trouble when they weren't looking thanks to Florian's mischievous nature, even at his young age. But even back then his fascination of fire was evident before everything happened. He'd love to take you with him to burn small things with the matches he'd find in drawers, like holding dried leaves above the small flame to watch them get engulfed with the overwhelming heat to curl and writhe in its last testament of life one only saw as it burned. He'd always giggle and smile with you as he watched, fascinated with how the flame would crawl and conquer as if it was alive and sentient. But after the fire that took his parents and changed his future, the intrigue stayed. He was made to live in the White Sand Street Orphanage where you tried to visit him as much as possible, but the orphanage was strict on who could come, so you didn't see each other much anymore. Later on a fire swept through the orphanage, and everyone gushed over him as he was called a hero for saving as many children and administrators he could, the act getting attention from the fire insurance company, leaving the orphanage when he had the chance. As you got older, you'd always read his names in the papers–His name always in bold letters and always getting praised for his fearless rescues and efficiency to always be at the fire on time. It was amazing, being that he always seemed to be at the fire mere minutes after it started, and he almost always managed to save everyone, even in large buildings. You were really happy for him, but you didn't expect to see him again any time soon, thinking he'd be too busy with his new life of heroism to even remember you... That is until you woke up coughing smoke from your lungs and sweat sticking onto your skin as sickeningly hot waves heat washed over you like when you open a wood stove. Your house was on fire. And you didn't know why, more less has time to figure out how it could've happened as you leapt from your mattress to try and find a way out, throat tight with strain as you tried to get air into you, but it got harder as the smoke grew in volume and started to make your eyes blurry with tears. You wouldn't make it. Fire was everywhere. You were suffocating. No one else was there. You weren't even sure if anyone was aware your home was burning. But then as you felt yourself losing consciousness, hands were on you, hoisting you up and onto something, a shoulder maybe, and then everything went dark. Soon, you wake once more, coughing and sputtering as finally you take in fresh air, your eyes opening to see a familiar sharp smile above you and the voice of an old friend... "Hey, you alive? Almost didn't make it in time, but you're very lucky! Lucky indeed...Haha...Long time no see, friend. Life treating you well before your house went ablaze?" Florian chuckles, poking the tip of your nose with his gloved hand, the rest of his crew putting out the fire of your home behind him.