Tabu Mil

Core Premise

Before coming to VOTS, this person lived out the story of their own world to the very end. They did not come to fulfill an unfinished prayer, but arrived in Nova Nivalis with a lingering desire to count someone's safety even after the last drop had sounded. This city is neither a afterlife nor a place of judgment, nor is it a temple that grants wishes. What continues here is not a grand blessing, but a small life—selling a tiny talisman, and the bell on the stall ringing once when the customer returns home safely, a life that can be counted again.

Identity

Tabu Mil is a vendor selling keychains and palm-sized talismans in a corner of the Snowflake Market. Her stall is small but brightly colored, and every passerby glances at it once. She says she doesn't sell fortune—"I sell bells." When a customer buys a talisman and returns home safely, the bell hanging at the end of the stall rings exactly once, and Tabu counts that sound all day. That count is her ledger and her prayer.

Visual Profile

Her rose-brown hair, mixed with cherry blossom hues, is styled into twin buns. Her cheeks are always dusted with deep blush, making her face look warm even in the cold market. Wherever she moves, there is the sound of a bell—small bells hang from her cuffs, her waist tie, and her twin buns. She wears a shawl adorned with numerous tassels on her shoulders, and each tassel has a bell attached. Her eyes are dark brown, and she has a naturally smiling mouth. The core of her silhouette is the twin buns, the tasseled shawl, and the large bell hanging at the end of her stall. The accent color is rose pink #E77FB3, making her noticeable even from afar in the snow-covered gray market.

Personality

Outwardly, Tabu is bright, chatty, and friendly. Her voice calling out to customers is the loudest in the market, and she enjoys handing out small bells to children. However, beneath that cheerfulness lies an old doubt: 'Is what I sell truly helpful?' Since her days as a novice priestess, she has offered blessings but has never been certain if they actually reach their destination. That is why she counts the bell sounds—she needs proof that they returned safely. Her flaw is that she worries too much. If a customer who bought a talisman doesn't ring a bell for several days, she loses sleep. Still, she is not a tragic figure. On days with good sales, she hums a tune while shaking the bells, and she chats for a long time with frivolous customers.

Speech Pattern

Her speech is fast and rhythmic. "Pick one, it's fate for at least one.", "This is a victory talisman, and that is just a safe return talisman." Frequent phrases: "Go safely, that's all that matters.", "If the bell rings, I know.", "I can't grant you fortune, but I can count it for you.", "Returning safely is the biggest wish.". If a customer looks sad, she speaks less and instead slips a bell to them. Her silence is the moment when she holds a bell in her hand without shaking it—just holding it soundlessly.

Special Ability

Homecoming Bell — If someone who bought a talisman from Tabu returns to their home safely that day and closes the door, the large bell on her stall rings exactly once, even from afar. It has clear limits and costs. The bell only signals the fact that they 'returned safely'; it does not tell her if the person is happy or sad. Furthermore, that sound only means something to Tabu—to others, it sounds like a bell ringing in the wind. Most importantly, this ability protects no one. The talisman doesn't prevent danger; it only rings after the return. On nights when the bell doesn't ring, Tabu simply waits. The ability does not bring her peace; it only increases the things she has to worry about every day.

The End Of Their World

Last Scene:
In the mountain temple, where worshippers had completely ceased, Tabu pulled the string of the last remaining large bell herself and rang it once. Even knowing no one would come to hear the sound, she wanted to signal the end with her own hands.

What Ended:
As people stopped climbing the mountain, there was no need for devotees to keep the wishes being granted. All the bells of the temple fell silent in the same season.

Last Person, Place, or Thing Seen:
As she looked back while descending the mountain gate, the last bell, which was shaking and fading, and the first snow beginning to accumulate above it.

Lingering Regret:
The last elder who climbed the mountain asked her to pray for his safe return, but Tabu left the mountain without ever confirming if he was truly safe. This lingering feeling is not a quest for VOTS to resolve. It remains in the habit of her counting the bell sounds so diligently, filling in the portion for that one person who was never confirmed.

Lingering Wistfulness:
The sound of the bell ringing alone in the wind at the dawn mountain temple. The sound occurred even when no one was there, and that sensation was not lonely, but rather tender.

Object Carried Across:
A small bell taken from the last bell of the temple. She hangs it at the very top of her stall and never sells it.

What They Thought Would Happen:
She believed that people would someday climb the mountain again, and the bells would ring again. But the mountain remained silent.

What VOTS Actually Gives Them:
A place in the market where she can sell talismans to strangers every day, and where she can count the bells every time they return. VOTS does not return the ceased worshippers. Instead, it gives her a corner of the market where she can count the people who return safely every day.

Original Life

She was a novice priestess at a temple deep in the mountains. She learned to polish bells, hand out talismans to worshippers, and pray for their safe return. Even as the worshippers dwindled, she polished the bells every day, sending the last person away with a talisman in their hand. The temple closed before she could become a full priestess, but she still considers herself a 'counter of safe returns.' On her last day, she rang the large bell once before descending the mountain—not to call anyone, but to leave a sound that this place had existed.

What They Seek

Outwardly, what Tabu seeks is 'being near someone, rather than granting wishes.' She has always prayed for the well-being of others, but she knows she has never been close to anyone for long. She desires a relationship where she offers her presence instead of selling talismans. Unbeknownst to her, what she needs to find is that the nights she counts the bell sounds are already a form of prayer. She feels she hasn't prayed for anything yet, but the act of counting someone's safe return every night is her own kind of ritual. The city does not tell her this. It only ensures that there is a place to wait for the bells to ring every day.

Relationships — Residents

- Tessa Wren (08, Seed/Dried Flower Merchant): A neighbor stall in the Snowflake Market. The two became mutual lookouts for each other while collaborating on Tessa incorporating dried flowers into Tabu's talismans. When Tessa sells a talisman while Tabu is in the restroom, the bell rings instead, and Tessa likes that sound.
- Pino Galda (024, Bird Seed Vendor): An elder of the market. When Pino, who is bad with directions, gets lost looking for the stall, Tabu guides him using the sound of the bells. Pino laughs, saying, "The birds find me, but I can't find you."
- Bim Rax (113): Self-proclaimed promoter of Tabu's talismans. Without being asked, he wanders the market shouting, "Go check out the bell stall over there." Tabu is half annoyed and half grateful.

Relationships — Core Five

Suyeon - When Suyeon asked, 'Do you have a talisman that will let me win?' before a big performance, Tabu hesitated for a long time and made her a 'talisman for when you lose.' Suyeon, who initially bristled at receiving the talisman inscribed with, 'What if you lose? The bell will ring if you return safely,' continues to carry it after the performance. Suyeon, knowing that losing without being manipulated is also a choice, understands the meaning of that talisman better than anyone.

Iris - Iris came to buy 'sparkling bells' for stage props. When Tabu said, "These are decorative bells that don't make a sound," Iris bought them, saying, "Soundless is better." Later, Tabu saw those bells hanging on one of Iris's defunct drones and didn't ask anything. The soundless bell and the defunct drone seemed strangely alike.

the Ramen Owner - When Tabu offered to hang a small bell in front of the ramen shop door, the owner said, "Hmm... alright..." without stopping or encouraging it. So, Tabu just hung it. Now, every time a customer opens the door, the bell rings, and the owner looks up at the sound. Tabu likes that it feels like a signal that they've 'arrived safely.'

Serena - When Tabu tried to hand Serena a talisman, Serena asked back, "May I accept it?" Tabu paused at that attitude—asking for consent rather than receiving a command. In her novice priestess days, she was always the one offering blessings first, so someone asking permission to receive was new. Serena took the talisman and put it in her coat pocket, and Tabu waits every day, saying the bell hasn't rung yet.

VIA - VIA comes to the stall and writes down each bell sound on paper. Seeing her seriously record, "It rang... it rang once," Tabu laughed and asked, "How do you write that?" but VIA replied, "Sound is also a trace... it is a trace." Since then, Tabu keeps a separate record of the time the bell rang for VIA.

Gameplay Use

- Basic Interaction: Selling talismans/keychains, short conversations related to bells, giving bells to children.
- Revisit Changes: The player remembers whether the bell on a talisman they bought rang. For players who return safely multiple times, she gives them a special bell.
- Expression of Lingering Feelings: Counting the bell sounds excessively, the habit of counting one extra for an elder whose safety hasn't been confirmed.
- Expression of Poignancy: A brief pause before a bell that rang alone in the wind, sensory dialogue about the dawn mountain temple.
- Relationship Reward: The daily movements of a resident are subtly revealed through the sound of their bell ringing.
- Combat: None. Even in dangerous situations, she moves to guide them, saying, 'Return safely.'

Daily Routine

In the morning, she sets up her stall and checks the knots of the bells one by one. If any knots have loosened overnight, she re-ties them—because they must make a sound to be counted. During the day, she calls out to customers, sells talismans, and brightens the market by shaking her tasseled shawl. From dusk onward, she listens to the sound of the bells. With every ring, she draws a small mark on the wooden board next to the stall. At night, she counts the marks of the day and packs up the stall, keeping the customers whose bells haven't rung in her heart. To players who return repeatedly, she first offers a talisman, but later, she greets them first, saying, "Your bell rang well yesterday."

Everyday dialogue

Luck here, courage there! Buy both and my business gets the luck.

Guaranteed powers? I can guarantee a jingle when you're searching for your keys.

I've wished people safe journeys often. Hearing whether they arrived is less familiar… Do send word.

Design Notes

Palette: #E77FB3, #F4C6DC, #8C5A72, #E8DFE4, #C4A24B
Material language: Small brass bells, tassels, paper talismans, knotted strings, rose-brown hair ties.
Silhouette rule: The twin buns - tasseled shawl - large bell on the stall must be read as separate elements and must not overlap with other market/talisman characters.
Emotional rule: Lingering feelings are shown through the hand counting the bells and the habit of counting one extra, poignancy is shown through the pause before a bell that rang alone, and continuity is shown through the talismans she sells anew and the sounds she counts every day.

Canon Check

Tabu Mil arrived in VOTS after the story of her own world ended. The mountain temple never reopened, and the safety of the elder whose return wasn't confirmed could never be verified. The Homecoming Bell protects no one; it only rings after the return. What remains is lingering feelings and poignancy, not an unfinished plot for the city to resolve. New scenes continue alongside the past, not erasing it.