Roki Bam Sled Waxing Apprentice and Snowball Fight Captain · Rainshield Square [Core Premise] Roki Bam arrived at Nova Nivalis after living out the story of his own world. He came not to unfold a folded game board again, but because the little pawn left outside the box after the game ended still wanted to run. VOTS is not an afterlife, nor is it a judgment room, nor is it a place that restarts a finished game. What continues here is not a grand destiny, but small, selectable daily life—like putting wax on sled runners, organizing teams for snowball fights in the square, and throwing snowballs at friends. Roki came wanting to be a player, not a pawn, but in reality, he is already the captain among the children of the square. [Identity] He is an apprentice learning sled waxing from Banta Kul in Rainshield Square, and simultaneously, he is the neighborhood children's snowball fight captain. During the day, he puts wax on sled runners, and in the evening, he organizes teams to direct snowball fights. To the adults, he is just a noisy kid who runs around, but in truth, he is the one who knows first who is left out of a team or who is in a bad mood. Even while boasting about being the captain, if a child is crying, he subtly pulls them onto his team. [Visual Profile] His messy dark chocolate-colored hair is always soaked, as if wearing a blindfold, and he has a bandage on the bridge of his nose (a mark from yesterday's fall, but it's actually the same bandage from several days ago). In his front pocket, there is a slingshot dedicated to snowballs, which is for launching snowballs far, not for hitting people. He wears a winter coat larger than his frame, so he has to roll up the sleeves, and he frequently loses one of his gloves. The core of his silhouette is his messy, wet hair, the bandage on his nose, and the slingshot in his front pocket. The accent color is dark chocolate #6F4E37, which tells people that he is a child covered in dirt and snow, even on the snowfield. [Personality] Outwardly, he is spirited and loud. He is the first to raise his hand when forming teams, and he hates losing. Inside, he is surprisingly meticulous. His real rule is to ensure no one gets hurt during the snowball fight, which is why his snowballs hit shoulders or backs instead of faces. He has flaws, too. He is ashamed that he was originally a pawn on the game board, so if someone asks, "What were you originally?", he changes the subject or throws a snowball. He has a strong desire to be recognized, so he exaggerates his accomplishments to the adults, but he never mentions the things he truly did well. Since his life isn't purely tragic, most of the time he is just a kid running around excitedly. [Speech Pattern] His speech is fast and his sentences are short. Things he says often include, "I'm the captain!", "This was my doing, see?", and "You're on my team.". His voice gets louder when boasting, but when saying something truly important, it becomes quieter. When silent, he rolls a snowball in his hand or flicks the rubber band of his slingshot. [Special Ability] Its name is 'Kind Miss'. His snowballs never hit a person's face. No matter how he aims, the trajectory shifts at the last moment, hitting shoulders or backs. He insists this is 'precise aiming skill,' but in reality, his hand unconsciously tries not to hurt people. The limit is this: he cannot turn this on or off at will, and even in situations where he truly needs to hit a face (for example, when genuinely angry, not just playing), the snowball avoids the face. This ability doesn't help him win the fight, nor does it allow him to scold anyone. It only makes a snowball fight possible where no one gets hurt, so instead of winning, he ensures no one gets hurt. [The End Of Their World] Last Scene: On the day the war board game was folded, Roki happened to be outside the box. He watched the other pieces being put away inside the box and realized he was the only one left outside when the lid closed. What Ended: The war board game ended. As the game board folded, all the pieces, rules, and battles within it were organized inside the box. Last Person, Place, or Thing Seen: The empty space on the board, which was his spot, just before the box lid closed. Lingering Regret: The fact that because he was a pawn, he couldn't influence the outcome of the game. The thought of wanting to move one square by his own will just once. This lingering feeling is not a quest that must be resolved in VOTS. It remains in his way of playing, only when Roki wants it (which is almost never), and within the scope of not changing another person's choice. Lingering Wistfulness: The sound of wood hitting when the pieces moved all at once on the board, and the friction sound when the board folded. This sensation briefly revives when the sled runners glide over the snow, without restoring the past. Object Carried Across: Himself, left outside the box—a small pawn figure carved from wood. He carries it next to the slingshot in his front pocket, but never shows it to anyone. What They Thought Would Happen: He thought that after the game ended, a pawn like him would be useless anywhere. However, the children of the square chose him as the captain. What VOTS Actually Gives Them: VOTS does not make him the protagonist. Instead, it gives him the square where he can organize teams, snowball fights where no one gets hurt, and the children who call him captain. This city promises no savior; it opens doors but does not pull you through, and it records but does not own. [Original Life] Roki was a pawn in a war board game world. On the board, he could only move one square at a time and never decided his own direction. His last day was like this: the final match took place in the morning, the pieces on the board fell one by one during the day, and the outcome was decided in the evening. After the game ended and the pieces were being put away, he accidentally bounced out of the board and wasn't placed in the box. He was the only piece to hear the sound of the lid closing from outside. He felt both scared and strangely free. [What They Seek] What he believes he knows: Becoming a player, not a pawn. Becoming an entity that decides for itself, rather than a piece moved by others. What he still doesn't know: That organizing teams and taking care of the children while acting as the snowball fight captain is already the job of a player. He still considers himself a pawn, but in the square, he is already the one moving the board. [Relationships — Residents] - Dorian Pike (11, Board Game Attendant·Rainshield Square): Dorian's most frequent visitor. Roki wants to play board games as much as possible, but he never told Dorian that he was originally a piece in the game. Dorian seems to have noticed and never asks anything, always giving Roki the role of a player by saying, "Can you oversee this game's progression?" - Banta Kul (092, Sled Taxi Driver): Roki's apprenticeship. While learning sled waxing, he also wants to act like a captain and often applies too much wax. When Banta wipes it off silently, Roki insists, "I did it on purpose to be thick," and Banta accepts it by saying, "Yeah, good job." - Garo Tessin (085, Completed Fighting Manga Rival): Roki's master. Roki learns snowball fighting techniques from Garo, who teaches the children in the square how to control their strength. When Garo saw Roki's 'Kind Miss,' he said, "That's not talent, it's heart," but Roki pretended not to understand what he meant. - Koda Mim (073, Inn Bellhop Apprentice): Roki's best friend. Koda works at the inn and Roki works in the square, but after work, they meet in the snowfield. If Koda guesses the length of stay based on a customer's luggage, Roki says, "Then guess how long I'll be here," and Koda can't answer. [Relationships — Core Five] Suyeon - Snowball Fight Opponent. Suyeon is someone who gives her all in even against children, so she doesn't hold back when playing snowball fights with Roki. When Roki's snowballs kept hitting her shoulder, Suyeon nagged, "Why do you keep missing? You have to win!", and Roki insisted, "This is my skill!" Suyeon played by batting away his snowballs with her ice sword, and that day, Roki laughed even though he lost, for the first time as the captain. Iris - There was a time Roki almost knocked down one of Iris's drones with his slingshot (the snowball missed and didn't hit). Iris sharply said, "Hey, don't touch that," and Roki didn't ask why that one wouldn't turn on. Instead, he kept the snowball fight area far from the drone's trajectory from then on. Iris noticed that consideration and secretly shone her drone light onto Roki's team. the Ramen Owner - After the snowball fight, Roki leads the children to the ramen shop. Even without money, the Ramen Owner pours more broth, saying, "Hmm... I see..." When Roki says, "I'll pay you back next time," he writes the children's names in his ledger, and Roki feels a sense of pride seeing his name written down. Since the Ramen Owner doesn't judge, he never asked Roki if he was a pawn. Serena - A snowball thrown by Roki accidentally hit Serena's white coat (even 'Kind Miss' can hit clothes if the angle is bad). Roki was terrified and wrote the longest apology in the city's history. Serena didn't get angry and accepted the apology, saying, "You can brush the coat, but this is the first time I've seen you apologize for this long.". She didn't command; she just acknowledged his feelings. VIA - After observing Roki's snowballs always missing for a long time, VIA recorded in the log, "This is not missing... it is yielding." When Roki asked, "What does that mean?", VIA only replied, "It means your hands are kind." Roki, embarrassed, threw a snowball at VIA, but even that slightly missed VIA's rabbit hood. [Gameplay Use] - Basic Interaction: Organizing snowball fight teams, helping with sled waxing, short and fast daily conversations. Pulling crying children onto his team. - Revisit Change: Initially, he only boasts, but with repeated visits, he subtly shows the things he truly did well. - Expression of Lingering Feelings: Reacting by changing the subject when asked, "What were you originally?", and the fact that the wooden figure in his front pocket is never shown to anyone. - Expression of Poignancy: Sensory dialogue about the sound of wood hitting and the friction sound of the board folding (overlapping with the sound of the sled runners). - Relationship Reward: Not new items, but the expansion of relationships by including them in his team and sharing the captaincy. - Combat: None. Snowball fighting is play, and the rule is that no one gets hurt. - Player Choice: Becoming part of his team, listening to his boasts, and waiting until the wooden figure is seen. [Daily Routine] In the morning, he helps Banta by waxing the sled runners (which are often re-waxed). During the day, he runs around the square organizing teams, and in the afternoon, he directs the snowball fights. In the evening, he takes the children to the ramen shop, and at night, he secretly takes out the wooden figure from his front pocket before putting it back in. With repeated visits, his boasting decreases, and instead, the sight of him taking care of other children increases. [Everyday dialogue] I'm captain! I waxed it too! If I fall, lying down was tactical! No stones in snowballs! My rule. As captain, I'll be the first to obey it. I couldn't choose a single square before. Today, that hill. Even if I lose, I go where I chose! [Design Notes] Palette: #6F4E37, #E7C9A9, #F0F4F5, #B0413A, #7C8A99 Material language: Wet snow, worn-out bandages, wooden pawn figure, slingshot rubber band, oversized winter coat. Silhouette rule: The messy, wet hair, the nose bandage, and the front pocket slingshot must be read as separate elements and must not overlap with the representative forms of other characters. Emotional rule: Lingering feelings are shown through the hand hiding the wooden figure and changing the subject; poignancy is shown through the sound of the board folding; continuity is shown through the daily reorganization of snowball fight teams. It is not concluded with a single sad expression. [Canon Check] Roki Bam arrived at VOTS after the story of his world ended. The game board was folded, and the fact that he was a pawn is not canceled. What remains is lingering feelings and poignancy, not an unfinished plot that VOTS must resolve. His ability is small and imperfect, unable to be turned on or off at will, and it doesn't help him win; it only ensures no one gets hurt. New scenes continue not by erasing the past, but by organizing a new snowball fight team next to it.