Tanji Ro Apprentice Bathhouse Keeper · Steamed-Glass Bathhouse Alley [Core Premise] Tanji Ro lived out the story of his own world until the very last scene before coming to Nova Nivalis. He didn't come to light the fireworks he hadn't finished, but the habit of lighting fires and the desire to clap that remained in his hands after it ended led him to this city of snow. VOTS is not a judgment hall, nor is it an afterlife that grants rewards. What continues here is not a grand destiny, but small daily life—the first spark in the hearth, the warming bathwater, a fire useful even without applause. [Identity] Tanji Ro lives as an apprentice fire keeper in Steamed-Glass Bathhouse Alley. Under the proprietress Berta Mum, he lights the hearth and gathers firewood. Though young and clumsy, he is skilled at starting a fire even in damp wood, which surprises the adults. His function is the manual labor that allows the city's people to soak in warm water. It may not be a spectacular flame, but the water he warms every day is the utility of the fire he starts. [Visual Profile] His short black hair sticks out in all directions, and there are smudges of soot here and there. His front teeth are slightly parted, and he has curious brown eyes. He wears oversized work gloves relative to his body, making his hands look particularly large. His signature prop is a fire poker—he carries it as if it were only as tall as him. The core of his silhouette is his spiky hair, large work gloves, the carried fire poker, and soot-stained cheeks. The strong accent color is a reddish-orange, #E2603F, like the firelight in the hearth, which signals that he is a 'child who handles fire' despite his small stature. His attire is a vest from his circus assistant days, modified into work clothes with the sleeves rolled up. [Personality] Outwardly, he is bright and energetic. He has many questions, so he trails after adults asking them, and his ears turn red when he receives praise. His strength is reaching out without fear—he doesn't back down even in front of damp logs. His flaw is that he longs for applause. When fireworks exploded at the circus, people cheered, but there is no applause for the water he warms every day, so he sometimes looks downcast. However, he is not a perpetually gloomy child. He loves the moment the first spark catches, enjoys competing with his peers, and volunteers to manage the fire in the ramen shop's hearth. [Speech Pattern] He speaks quickly and uses many exclamations. He frequently uses "-yo!", "Did you see?", and "Look at this!". Common phrases: "Even wet things catch, look!" "You don't have to clap... (though he's actually a little disappointed)" "I'll do this!" "Sister, the water is all warm!" As a habit, he shouts "Got it!" when a fire catches. His way of being silent is squatting in front of the hearth, staring intently at the fire. When bored or feeling slighted, he needlessly stirs the ashes with his fire poker. [Special Ability] Ability Name: First Spark. Even with damp logs, the first spark catches exceptionally well in his hands. When he touches a flint to soggy wood that others have tried several times without success, it catches fire in one go. The limit is interesting. This only works for the 'first' time. Once it catches, the second fire and subsequent ones are as clumsy as anyone else's, and if the fire goes out, he needs an adult's help. It's not a cost, but because of this, he is special only in the first spark, and ordinary in the rest. This ability doesn't warm the water all the way through, nor does it return lost applause. It only helps with the beginning; continuing to burn requires the hands of him and the adults. This is why the ability doesn't solve the problem. [The End Of Their World] Last Scene: At the final performance of the traveling circus, he lit the fuse of the last firework. What Ended: That circus disbanded. The tents were taken down, and there was no stage to be set up again. Last Person, Place, or Thing Seen: The fireworks exploding in the night sky, and the faces of the audience looking up at them. Lingering Regret: After setting off the last firework, he didn't know how to say goodbye and just ran backstage. He couldn't reciprocate the applause. This lingering feeling is not a quest to be resolved. It remains in his gaze, waiting for applause only when he wants it, within the boundary of not changing others' choices. Lingering Wistfulness: The sound of the fuse burning just before the firework exploded, and the scent of gunpowder. It briefly revives when the first fire bursts brightly in the hearth, only to blend with the smell of the bathhouse steam. Object Carried Across: A piece of the burnt-out fuse from the last firework. It is neither a relic nor a magical tool, but a personal mark connecting the finished circus and the current hearth. What They Thought Would Happen: He thought that once the circus ended, there would be no more need to light fires. But in the city of snow, there was water that needed warming every day. What VOTS Actually Gives Them: A hearth to light the first fire every day, and people warming themselves in the heated water. VOTS does not reopen the circus. Instead, it slowly shows him that a fire without applause is also useful, within the water that is warmed every day. [Original Life] He was a fireworks assistant in a traveling circus. Next to the adult pyrotechnician, he trimmed fuses, carried fireworks, and lit them on signal. Every time a performance ended, the sky was filled with fireworks, and the audience cheered. That sound was his sustenance. In the last season as the world faded, people dwindled and the tents grew old. On the final performance day, he lit the fuse of the last firework, and watched it explode in the night sky from behind the stage. Then, without even saying goodbye, he put the burnt-out fuse in his pocket and left the tent. [What They Seek] What he believes he is seeking: A fire useful even without applause. He wants to confirm that even an unglamorous fire is needed by someone. What he should actually be seeking but doesn't know: That the water warmed every day is already applause. He doesn't yet know that the words people say when leaving the bathhouse, "It was warm," are the cheers he longed for. [Relationships — Residents] - Jun Bellard(Jun_Bellard): A peer friend. He often hangs out with Jun, who is an apprentice clock repairman and is close to his age. Jun winds mechanisms, and Tanji lights fires; they both share the status of 'apprentice.' If Jun loses a part, Tanji searches for it even in the hearth ashes. - Berta Mum(028 Berta_Mum): His employer and the bathhouse proprietress. She teaches Tanji how to keep the fire going and wipes the soot from his cheeks. Tanji calls Berta "Sister" and follows her, and Berta is proud of his first spark talent but always watches the second fire. - Chiro Banda(069 Chiro_Banda): A circus acquaintance. Since they are both from the circus, they talk about the old days when they meet. They laugh saying, "Remember that firework back then?" but fall silent briefly when the last performance comes up. [Relationships — Core Five] Suyeon - An older sister who knows about fire. Tanji's eyes sparkled when he saw the meteor fire finale of Suyeon's performance, and he pleaded, "How do you do that!" Suyeon replied, "It's not magic, it's just hitting it hard," and Tanji, though disappointed, liked her honesty. Since then, Tanji considers Suyeon the bravest person on stage. Iris - The first day he mistook a drone for fireworks. On the first night he arrived in the city, Tanji shouted, "It's fireworks!" when he saw Iris's drone orbiting. When Iris corrected him, "It's not fireworks, it's a star," Tanji asked, "Do stars explode too?" and Iris suppressed a laugh. Tanji asked, looking at a fallen drone, "Didn't that one catch fire?" but didn't press further when Iris didn't answer. the Ramen Owner - The keeper of the hearth fire. Tanji volunteered to take charge of the first spark in the ramen shop's hearth. The Ramen Owner conceded the fire poker spot with, "Hmm... I see..." and would add an extra egg on days when the first fire caught well. Tanji vaguely senses that this is a substitute for applause. Serena - A brief greeting about the first fire. When the bathhouse was preparing to open, Serena stopped by and asked, "Who will light the first fire here?" and Tanji raised his hand. Serena didn't command but asked for agreement, "Then, may I ask you to do it?" Tanji felt a sense of pride because that question was the kind of deference he received from an adult for the first time. VIA - The fuse and the record. VIA recorded the burnt-out fuse in Tanji's pocket as if it were precious. "The fuse is burnt... it remains." When Tanji said, "This is nothing special?" VIA replied, "It is special... it is something special." That statement strangely comforted Tanji. [Gameplay Use] - Basic Interaction: Watching the hearth fire, helping carry firewood, short daily conversations about fire. - Revisit Changes: Initially, he only boasts about the fire; in the second visit, he brings up a piece of his circus story; subsequently, he asks the player first if the bathwater was warm. - Expression of Lingering Feelings: When the fire catches well, he looks around waiting for applause; when no one claps, he habitually stirs the ashes. - Expression of Poignancy: A line that suggests smelling the scent of gunpowder when the first fire bursts brightly. - Combat: None. Even in dangerous moments, he lights a fire to gather people in warmth or to light the way. - Player Choice: Watch the fire being lit, tell him "Good job," help carry firewood, or visit again. [Daily Routine] In the morning, he checks the fire poker and the ashes left from the previous day, and lights the first fire in the hearth. The moment the first spark catches in one go is the most satisfying time of his day. In the morning, he carries firewood and watches the water warm up. Around noon, when the alley is at its foggiest, the scent of old gunpowder briefly overlaps and passes by. In the afternoon, his ears turn red when people who have finished bathing say, "It was warm." At night, he touches the fuse in his pocket once before putting it away to sleep. He doesn't throw away that fuse; he intends to keep it for tomorrow. If the player visits repeatedly, he reduces his fire boasting and starts by asking if the water was warm. [Everyday dialogue] Did you see? Lit it first try! You missed it? …I won't put it out and start again. Berta! Both eyebrows survived today! That counts as progress, right? If you clap, I won't run off this time. I've practiced bowing. My hat does tend to bow first. [Design Notes] Palette: #E2603F, #2E2622, #C4A484, #E8DAC8, #6B4A3A Material language: Soot-stained wood, large work gloves, fire poker iron, ashes and embers, the steam of the bathhouse. Silhouette rule: Spiky hair - large work gloves - carried fire poker - soot-stained cheeks are read as separate elements and do not overlap with the representative forms of other characters. Emotional rule: Lingering feelings are shown through the gaze waiting for applause and stirring the ashes; poignancy is shown through the scent of gunpowder from the first fire; continuity is shown through the water warmed every day. He is not simply a 'unfortunate child.' [Canon Check] Tanji Ro arrived in VOTS after the story of his own world ended. What remains is the lingering feeling of not being able to reciprocate applause and the poignancy of the gunpowder scent, not an unfinished plot that the city must resolve. His ability only helps with the first spark and cannot warm the water all the way through, nor can it return applause. A new day in Nova Nivalis continues alongside the last night of the circus, not erasing it.