♣ backstory ♣

New Haven is a big city, built to accommodate the tens of thousands of people that bustle through its streets. Yet, it is most unkind to its largest families, who toil away in its most difficult professions in order to make ends meet. Such was the reality of the Bugatti family: Etta, a fretful mother who cut textiles in a factory, Benito, a harsh father and diligent meatpacker, and the four children they worked tirelessly to feed. Simply eating packaged foods was not good enough -- for the Bugattis, a meal made from scratch was an opportunity to experience joy in a life where it was otherwise fleeting. They insisted on cooking with fresh ingredients even if it meant eating every other day to stretch their pennies for what they could afford. Being the youngest of his siblings by half a decade, Luciano suspected from an early age that his existence had been unanticipated, reflected in how often he was overlooked in favor of brothers and a sister who were old enough to provide their labor. Bruno, the eldest, grew to join his mother on the assembly line while Luca and Carlotta made deliveries, helped around the house, and spent the slivers of time in between trying to raise their little brother. This was no substitute for the constant attendance of a parent, however, and Luci quickly learned to fend for himself as best he could. In time, this independence would become an asset and also a reason to leave.

surviving the streets
As he grew, Luciano began spending less time at home and more time outside on the streets, seeking the attention and camraderie he could not get from family. Other unattended children roaming around took notice of him and persuaded him to talk and play, on occasion even extending the offer of a cigarette as a gesture of goodwill. The longer he spent frolicking around with the city's abandoned youth, the more Luci noted their resourcefulness, making do with very little, and saw himself reflected in their struggles. Yet, they persisted through each day relying on each other and ensured that not a single one of them was ever left wanting. One day, an older child saw Luciano studying them and invited him to help break into a nearby warehouse to steal canned goods. It was on this day that, at the age of ten, Luci would accept his invitation and never return to the cramped confines of the Bugatti household. Though he was welcomed into the den of the street rats, he quickly realized he was not as strong nor as fast as the others and it was not long before his shortfalls got them caught. He was branded a liability and the sting of shame and disappointment in its wake motivated Luci to cut ties and go solo. In the years that followed, he floated between the patchwork gangs of adolescents and focused on honing his own skills. He learned to step away from footwork and quietly observe from the sidelines, gaining reconnoissance through eavesdropping and scouting perimeters that could help shape plans. The information gleaned from these endeavors could build connections and those long hours spent chatting in the alleys provided an avenue to learn about people: what they liked, what they didn't, who worked with whom and how the city was divided into turfs to avoid or infiltrate. An approachable boy with a pretty face and even prettier words, Luci excelled as an informant. For those who spend any time in organized crime, they know that talk is the currency of the streets and can be bought, traded, and sold. Those who are wealthy in gossip and drift without allegiance, therefore, are prime targets for bankruptcy.

♣ talents & traits ♣

Years of surviving on his own have sharpened Luciano's senses. He is exceedingly perceptive, often seeing or hearing signs of trouble long before others around him. This extends to his investigative skills and his keen eyes usually spot details that might be overlooked. Above all, he prides himself in his ability to mingle with most anyone, using silver-tongued persuasion to secure deals, curry favor with important folk, and tempt suitors. Luci has an innate talent for reading people and their true intentions, mainly through analysis of their tone of voice, body language, and the subtle expression of their eyes. With this in mind, he can influence a conversation's flow. Bending the truth seems to come naturally to him and if given a little time, he can concoct a believable explanation out of thin air. He carries a few tools of deception on his person, namely a rolodex of fake personas and their accompanying identification, as well as a forgery kit to fluidly copy handwriting for correspondence. He may have never been formally schooled, but he is streetwise and knowledgable about matters of personal interest: the lifestyle of New Haven's elite, ritzy fashion, the nobility and elegance of dragons, music, and food. These latter passions have evolved into serious hobbies and he is regarded by his peers as a gifted chef and lively swing dancer, providing them delicious meals and dazzling entertainment. Always one to chase the spotlight, the one time this showman would prefer not to draw so much attention is in the heat of battle. Luciano is the definition of "a lover, not a fighter", and he much prefers trying to talk himself out of a scuff rather than engage. In the event a battle is inevitable, he uses his swift feet to slip around opponents, avoiding blows and delivering precise stabs with his rapier. On the sidelines, he casts spells of trickery to bolster his teammates and undermine an enemy's efforts or provide a distraction long enough for them to patch their wounds.

temperament
Luciano was once a slave to his desires and although he is no longer their prisoner, he is still very much shackled by hedonism, drawn like a moth to flame toward the finer things in life and enjoying pleasure in all its forms. Though he is careful to project an air of calculated dignity, he is quick to lose control in his indulgences, especially when it comes to spending money. He has expensive tastes and invests a lot of time and cash preening himself in the finest clothing, accessories, and self-care products his coin can buy. His need to be admired may come off as arrogant or showy, but to his credit, many are charmed by his confidence. It is undeniable that he has a command of words and his charisma attracts (and demands) attention. He is cunning and wily in ways that sometimes get him into mischief, and though he is quite skilled at deceiving others, he is poor at being honest with himself. What many never get to see are the rare glimpses beyond this cocky veneer that expose the truth that he is not the outwardly composed man he claims, but a broken one. Luci is touch-starved and thirsts for affection that he seeks to satisfy with flings. Despite his expertise in netting a good catch for an evening, he is completely lost when it comes to romance beyond fulfilling his own needs, much less a steady relationship. He has a track record of shirking responsibility -- exemplified through his fathering of countless children he does not know -- and this occasionally spills over into his daily duties, such as enjoying a soak in the bath when he should be training. He can be fragile in both body and mind which has a tendency to translate into cowardice on the battlefield that has worsened since his brush with death. Though he would never admit it, he loves to feel wanted by the people that surround him and is eager to please them, driving him to do better so he can receive the validation and praise he so craves. In this way, he is a loyal and devoted companion and will move the earth for those he deems worthy of his company.

heart & soul
Luci's life may have stabilized in some ways, but he still remains driven by his emotions. A man who feels so deeply about life is bound to have this manifest in unexpected ways. For him, he has yet to discover that his emotions impact the quality and potency of the meals he cooks. His feelings have a tendency to work their way into his food, for both better or worse. For instance, when he is glowing with joy, his meals might acquire a hint of flavor that invokes a similar feeling in those that partake of it. When he finds himself stuck in a bout of sour or glum sorts, however, it is said that something feels slightly 'off' about the taste of a familiar dish. This is not to disparage the superb cooking he is able to consistently pull off, of course, nor his skill. He has learned from Ardin's chemical expertise how to mix healing potions into meals to bolster their capability to revitalize those that eat them, and this is one hundred percent by his hand. As he has learned to fine-tune his command of magic, Luciano can Prestidigitate music in place of a record player with a snap of his fingers. Though the music is soft in volume by his standards, it helps him concentrate on menial tasks and provide relaxation during downtime. He is also unable to replicate songs he is unfamiliar with, so the majority of his repertoire consists of jazz or swing. When he uses this cantrip without a song in mind, it can lead to unanticipated results -- what is on his mind seems to influence his personal jukebox and, try as he might, once one has begun to play it stubbornly refuses to change its tune, even if it means rotating through multiple different arrangements of the same piece. As of late, Luci has felt inexplicably drawn to hummingbirds as a spirit animal, seeing them in his dreams and in how their motifs have unconsciously influenced the look and feel of his magical energy. His Mantle of Inspiration takes aspects from the ruby-throated hummingbird, which shares a similar color scheme to his favored hues. So too does the rapier he carries in this form, its hilt and the long thin blade reminiscent of a swordbilled hummingbird.