Zeroth Directive

Archive III

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.''

Archive IV

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.

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Archive IV