Luciano Alejandro Ortega
He/Him
27 years old
Violent
50 kg
Personality
Luciano is rough around the edges, often described as having a hard outer shell that once cracked revealed a somewhat goofy and easygoing guy. Still, he never had been the best at socializing and defaulted to being guarded towards people he wasn't familiar with or trusted. However, for those he managed to create bonds with, he was quick to becoming incredibly protective of them. Making it his duty to keep them healthy and safe, failing at this causes him immense guilt and emotional pain.
He tends to handle things with an objective view, gravitating to the simplest, and effective solutions to problems. It is rare for him to relent to alternative solutions, but if they are suggested by people he trusts and cares for, he is far more agreeable.
Luciano is not quick to anger, nor does he seek chances to cause violence. However, if he finds himself in a situation that calls for it, He is more than willing to get his hands dirty. Handling it like any other problem, quickly and in the most effective way possible. He doesn't attempt to be cruel, but his cold, calculating actions could be seen as such by some.
Appearance
Luciano is a 5"8' Hispanic and Japanese mixed American. He tends to sport long messy dyed blonde hair with his natural color constantly peeking out through his roots. Luciano can be usually seen with unkempt stubble around his more grown out goatee, grooming clearly not being a constant priority. He walks around with a determined gait, which is often confused with confidence. Luciano's eyes are a light brown and are in a constant state of tiredness, eye bags born from trouble sleeping.
On the left side of his neck is a rough tattoo of a snake that continues down into his left arm, where it joins a sleeve of more rough inked tattoos of skulls, roses and snakes.
Background
Luciano Alejandro Ortega was born in 1966, to two Immigrant Parents in New York. a Mexican father and a Japanese mother who came to America searching for better opportunities. Raised in a loving household, Luciano grew up with the belief that hard work and perseverance mattered above all else.
As a child, Luciano was quiet and observant, preferring to watch the world around him rather than involve himself in it. Over time, that silence turned into blunt honesty. By high school, he had become thoughtful, reserved, and stubborn. He had few friends and plenty of enemies, often ending up in fights because he refused to back down from confrontations. It didn't bother him much though, as he had formed a close bond with the Seong twins.
Victoria one day simply appeared in front of him and still to this day, Luciano was unsure of how or why they quickly became good friends. This friendship led to meeting her twin sister, Jane. The two had a lot in common, the biggest being their protectiveness over Tori. They too, became good friends.
Despite his troubled school record, Luciano earned acceptance into a prestigious Ivy League university through years of hard work from both himself and his parents. He pursued pre-med, hoping to eventually become a doctor. This resulted in effectively leaving everyone he knew in High School behind. It was tough in the beginning, Luciano buried himself in studying and EMT training, rarely socializing outside of a small circle of friends. To most, he seemed cold and distant. However, those who were able to get close to him knew him as deeply loyal, protective, and surprisingly lively once he lowered his guard.
Everything changed during what should have been a routine EMT shift. Luciano responded to a call only to discover it was his childhood home. Intruders had broken in, beaten his parents, and stolen what they could. Neither parent survived long after reaching the hospital.
Their deaths shattered Luciano. as he realized he had only pursued medicine to make them proud, he spiraled into depression and eventually dropped out of school.
Over the next few years, he struggled to hold jobs due to his anger and grief. Eventually, desperation pushed him into illegal work, patching up criminals for cash. His skill and silence earned him recognition, leading to a small gang effectively adopting him as their medic.
Though Luciano was nothing like the gang's loud and reckless members, he found a sense of belonging among them. Over time, he became more involved in their operations, learning new skills and protecting his crew with the same fierce loyalty he had always shown those close to him.
Then, in 1993, the Rifts opened.
Monsters began pouring out of these rifts, killing anything alive. Luciano and his gang survived the initial chaos and hid underground, scavenging in order to survive. During a supply run, they discovered a refugee camp inside Yankee Stadium, but the safety was short-lived. More Rifts opened around the large number of survivors, unleashing another massacre. Luciano tried desperately to save his friends, but when the chaos ended, he found himself completely alone.
It started off small, an acquaintance that knew of Luciano's past experience as an EMT reached out. They offered cash in exchange for patching up injuries, no questions asked. After the first instance, Luciano continued to get offers, from people he didn't know as word got around. He did good work and best of all didn't ask any questions.
For the next year, Luciano wandered through a ruined world alone. One step after the other, for days and days. Eventually they turned into weeks and then into months, being directed by an inexplicable force until it eventually brought him to Knox County. He wasn't sure what he was doing here, or why he had kept going forward. the only thing he did know was that if he died, the memories of everyone he had failed to protect would die with him.
