Figurino

[Code Name] Figurino

[Gender] Male

[Combat Experience] None

[Place of Birth] Siracusa

[Date of Birth] Jan 21

[Race] Lupo

[Height] 165cm

[Infection Status]

Medical tests have confirmed that no infection is present.

[Physical Strength] Standard

[Mobility] Normal

[Physical Resilience] Standard

[Tactical Acumen] Normal

[Combat Skill] Normal

[Originium Arts Assimilation] Standard

Operator Figurino, real name Luchino de Montano, is the current owner of the famous Tailor de Montano shop in Siracusa. The Siracusa branch sent him to Rhodes Island on an exchange tour. During his stay on the ship, he was temporarily assigned to the Logistics Department to provide various types of support to Rhodes Island.

Imaging tests reveal clear, normal outlines of internal organs, and no abnormal shadows have been detected. Originium granules have not been detected in the circulatory system and there is no sign of infection. At this time, this operator is believed to be uninfected.

[Cell-Originium Assimilation] 0%

Operator Figurino shows no signs of Originium infection.

[Blood Originium-Crystal Density] 0.11u/L

Operator Figurino rarely comes into contact with Originium.

The name 'de Montano' might be unfamiliar to operators aboard Rhodes Island's main ship, but it's a household name in our Siracusa branch. After all, the finest tailored suits in their wardrobe all come from the Tailor de Montano shop. So when the current proprietor, Luchino, expressed interest in joining Rhodes Island, our operators at the Siracusa branch wasted no time sending his resume to the flagship.

The arrival of this young tailor didn't cause much of a stir at first—other than Orchid, who was absolutely thrilled. She had written several articles about traditional suits for her personal column, but this was her first chance to exchange ideas with the proprietor of a Siracusan tailoring shop. They penned a few articles together and created some prototype garments. Orchid rolled out some promotional slogans, like 'new looks, new trends' and 'leading a style revolution at Rhodes Island,' making it all sound quite impressive. It seems Luchino was inspired by her enthusiasm; he hadn't expected his craft to find much use at Rhodes Island.

Luckily, the uniform policy at Rhodes Island isn't particularly strict, and a wave of new fashion trends quickly took root. So if you notice operators wearing pocket squares or trading their tactical jackets for vests and tweed coats, don't be surprised. They've likely given in to Luchino and Orchid's persuasion and volunteered to be models.

That said, Luchino does seem a bit irked by the way operators refer to his creations as 'Western-style suits'. 'These clothes clearly originated in Siracusa and spread westward—so why does everyone insist on calling them 'Western-style'?' he wonders.

One day, when Umberto was returning home, a giant wolf appeared on the path and stopped him. Using its claws, the wolf showed him how to mend fabric. With its teeth, it demonstrated how to cut cloth. With its tail, it taught him how to measure. The wolf wouldn't let him go until he had mastered each skill. That's how Umberto learned the art of tailoring and eventually opened the Tailor de Montano.

When Figurino was very small, he was swallowed by a giant cloth doll. The doll threatened to digest him and turn him into cotton, but he managed to find the loose thread; when he pulled on it, the doll unraveled. This convinced Umberto that Figurino was a natural-born tailor. He took him in as his apprentice, teaching him all the secrets of tailoring. He even crafted an Arts module for him using threads from the unraveled doll.

On nights when the two moons were full, a metal man would sneak into children's rooms to stretch them while they slept. Figurino, determined to avoid a visit from the metal man, painted his eyelids with eyeshadow to make it look like he was awake.

What kind of place is the Tailor de Montano? Orchid has explored it extensively in her column, but it's Figurino's untold stories that are truly captivating. The metal man who stretches children, the giant cloth doll, the giant wolf—these strange and fantastical figures turn the humble tailoring shop into a mystical wonderland.

Of course, Figurino has never actually seen the metal man, the giant doll, or the big bad wolf. These are all stories that Umberto used to tell him. For a long time, he couldn't understand why Umberto enjoyed tirelessly telling these fairy tales. However, when Figurino shared these stories with the children of Rhodes Island, he saw their eyes light up with curiosity. When he told the tales to young patients, he watched them drift off to sleep, comforted by the familiar words. Seeing these reactions, he finally understood why Umberto kept telling the stories.

'So... you don't believe in those stories anymore?'

'Of course not! I've known forever now that grown-ups made them up to trick kids!'

'Then why were you so scared when that doll that Shamare lost turned up at the foot of your bed? Your ears couldn't even stand up!'

Siracusan mafia films were once a wildly popular genre in the Core countries. By the time Figurino turned twelve or thirteen, he had grown tired of Umberto's old tales and went looking for new ones in the streets ruled by gangsters. He developed a fascination with mafia novels and films. He even picked up some slick famiglia slang and learned a few Originium Arts for self-defense (no wonder he performed so well in the operator tests despite lacking actual combat experience). Umberto noticed this but rarely intervened directly. Over time, the street thugs who had befriended Figurino either left the mafia or simply ghosted him. In any case, Figurino's 'famiglia journey' was anything but smooth.

They say, 'never meet your heroes.' When Figurino finally came face-to-face with some of the famiglia 'big-shots', he realized that the glamorous Siracusan tales were nothing more than fairytales.

Still, Figurino remains an active member of Rhodes Island's mafia film fan club to this day. Many Siracusan natives scoff at those films, dismissing them as fantasies made for foreign audiences, but Figurino begs to differ.

[Post-Screening Discussion Notes]

'The male lead, Reyna, is so classy!'

'What's the point of being classy? If you ask me, the strategist, Tomassino, was much more cunning—he was the real star of the movie!'

'Figurino, what do you think?'

'Hmm... During the final showdown between the two families, at the marketplace, an unnamed member of Reyna's family gets ten seconds of screen time.'

'Oh! I remember that guy. He had the chance to take out the opposing leader with a single arrow, but he lost his nerve, ducked down a bit, and missed his shot.'

'You guys didn't see what really happened?! He ducked to shield a little girl selling oranges from a stray arrow.'

'Now that guy, that type of character, appears in plenty of other mafia films—young couples who refuse the gangsters' entreaties, old judges that uphold justice to the end of their lives. I've met people like that in real life. They may not be glamorous, but they are the real 'big shots.''

Siracusa was going through a time of great upheaval. After Umberto's passing, many clothing companies sought to leverage Tailor de Montano's reputation to establish themselves in the new city. A few of the more prestigious ones reached out to Luchino with offers of partnership. A handful of wealthy buyers came calling, hoping he would sell his shop in exchange for a more secure financial future. He had indeed considered selling his shop, but not because people were offering gobs of cash for it. It was, in fact, because he was unsure if he, armed only with measuring tape and scissors, could manage Tailor de Montano as successfully as his predecessor had.

Though the shop's future was still up in the air, Luchino personally wrote Umberto's obituary as a sign of respect for the old man. He sent it to every customer listed in the shop's registry, assuming most wouldn't reply. To his surprise, messages of condolence poured in from all over Siracusa. Luchino knew that most of their loyal customers were ordinary Siracusans. Yet their letters were every bit as polished and respectful as those of the shop's most distinguished clients. Some even included advance payments, hoping to secure a few of their upcoming pieces.

Luchino thought of the familiar fabrics and threads in the shop, the sound of scissors slicing through cloth, and the snap of thread being cut in that tiny workspace. He recalled how those scattered fabrics and threads were transformed into elegant garments. More importantly, he thought of the old tailor who, even as his life neared its end, imbued every single stitch with the same vigor and energy. Now, in the wake of the old tailor's passing, these letters from his loyal customers seemed to tell his final story. It was as if they were reminding Luchino that even with just a measuring tape and scissors in hand, he could craft a legend of his own.

Umberto's story had come to an end, but Luchino's was only beginning. What kind of legend he would stitch together would be for him to decide. From De Montano to Rhodes Island, the boy who grew up in Siracusa was ready to start a new chapter.

Tailor de Montano is still there, albeit temporarily closed, but the tailoring must go on. Figurino brought enough tools and materials to set up a small tailoring shop and applied for a modest workspace at Rhodes Island to use as his workshop. He continues to offer his familiar services to customers in Rhodes Island, from simple mending to complex alterations and custom orders. He remains meticulous and precise, just like the old man was.

Umberto served as a role model for so many Siracusans, especially Figurino. Though Umberto is gone, his teachings and the example he set continue to shape Figurino's growth. What exactly did the old man teach him? Figurino himself once said that Umberto taught him a craft, 'but also more than that.' There was so much more he could, and did, learn from Umberto, beyond just how to run a well-regarded tailoring shop. For now, Figurino has chosen to continue honing his skills with the tools at hand: a measuring tape, fabric, and scissors.