Velour

Personality:

Velour is a bartender who works at a local bar. He's hardworking and professional, and on a surface value, courteous and kind to others. While his otherwise friendly disposition is sometimes laced with curt, insensitive remarks -- those who know him well can recognize that as a telling sign that he's completely lost on the conversation. While he's terrible at math and other logic-based smarts, Velour enjoys creating and solving seemingly 'unsolvable' puzzles, often reaching a tad too outside of the box sometimes in his attempts to solve them.

Of most important, however, is Velour's dedication to his work. He is sometimes too loyal for his own good, and often discards his emotions to ensure a task is done 'without flaws'. As the game continues, however, Velour slowly has begun to question the rules of the game as a whole -- while fearing that, should he abandon the 'role' given to him entirely, there will be nothing left of him remaining. 

Background [Pre-Game]:

Velour is a bartender who lost his family at a very young age. Because he grew up always working, and never thinking for himself, he doesn't believe he has a purpose outside of his job. Because this, his job is 'who he is', and without his job, 'he no longer exists.' This becomes very tricky for him when he finally finds himself with a job that gives him not only freetime to spare, but excess funds he has no idea what to do with. Is he truly alive, if what he's worked for remains unused? Has he ever been alive to begin with, or has he been dead all this time? Who is Velour, actually?

It's a question that deep, deep down, he seeks an answer for -- even if he's not completely aware of the fact as of yet. 

Arc 1:

In the first Arc, Velour is one of the last people to check the mysterious watches that the 12 people present in the town wear. Up until then, he had wondered what to do -- there was no place for him to work at, so where would he go? Was there a way out? Was he going to die? But when the watch revealed his role, Velour understood. The roles that these watches gave -- the Sheep, the Hunter, and for him, the Wolf -- these were important tasks that had to be fulfilled. Rules that he had to follow...a 'new life', with his prior work so far away from him. 

He takes on the role of the Wolf with pride, crafting riddles for the other residents to decipher, creating tension, and anything to direct the resident's fear towards his role. While Velour dangles the very real fear that he could kill any of the Sheep at any time, Velour's ultimate goal had two distinct parts: to bring the hunter out from hiding through increasing threats, and once done, decide who would 'win' this game through a fight to the death.  However, Velour's 'match' with the Hunter doesn't happen as expected -- and without warning, he's put to sleep by Seira, one of the residents. When he comes to, however? He's not sure why, but everyone is so insistent that he 'died', and that it's the day before...

Just what happened during his time where he was sleeping?

Arc 2:

After Velour realizes that he had indeed died, and that Malley, Yuuta, and Vincent were telling the truth, Velour lashes out at the three for 'ruining' the game. After all, if he, the Wolf, had died in the right hands, they would be out of this game! They had to be, right?  But, when Velour finds out that the Hunter did kill him, his anger quickly evolves to fear. If the hunter completed their role, why did they go back in time? Why are they still in the game? What happened that was wrong? And was it because of him? Further to add to confusion was the changing of his role -- and because of his new role, Velour spends much of this Arc docile and reserved (much like a Sheep would).

After Eli's plan to find the Hunter backfires and results in his death, the group gathers to discuss the murder to little avail. By the end, Velour is furious -- and frankly, confused -- about the game as a whole. Why did Vincent, the Hunter, not protect the sheep? Why didn't he kill? Why did Yuuta so confidently say that a Sheep might kill? Why would a sheep ever kill in this game? And why did Thyma mention that she wasn't supposed to be a Wolf? Was this game....was Malley really serious, about the game being full of lies?

How can you play a game full of lies, full of roles that no one wants to be?

As the game loops once more, Velour begins to wonder -- what is my purpose being here? Was there any purpose at all? Quietly, he proposes that question to Yuuta -- but is unable to finish his words, and finds himself in his room once more. 

Arc 3:

Wanting to express his thoughts prior, Velour seeks out Yuuta to speak alone. However, Yuuta instead uses the time to request help from Velour -- a surprise in and of itself -- to properly bring this game to an end. With Velour's role fortunately being a sheep, he readily accepts, and with this newfound 'purpose', eagerly begins to assist Yuuta --the Hunter -- whenever possible. Eventually, when a fire breaks out, Velour temporarily tackles with possibility that the victim in this round was Malley. A sheep, he's sure, burned to death by the wolf. A murder, no different than the others, but...what was different with this? 

As the debate as to who set the fire ensures, his somber attitude rapidly shifts to joy when he learns that Malley is alive -- alive! -- and was the wolf responsible for the 'wolf and sheep puzzle' the fire created. He eagerly solves the puzzle alongside Yuuta, and even helps to disarm Eli's gun to pin the other wolf -- but, as the debate comes to a close, several very confusing things come to light. Yuuta, the hunter, used their weapon to kill a sheep. Velour had helped that. Velour had helped the hunter kill...a sheep? But the hunter was supposed to protect, right? And the other wolf, Guiying. Velour had been so sure that Guiying had helped in some way, but...but if Guiying never did any of this crime, was it really fair to kill them? Hearing Vincent call him out for the fear that he and Yuuta brought to the debate has Velour question what to do -- and Vincent, upset, simply asks him to 'do whatever you want.'

Whatever he...wants?

Without thinking. Without even stopping to consider why, Velour's concern for Malley springs back to the front of his mind. He rushes to their room, and when confronted with a Yuuta, ready to fire a lethal shot at the fleeing wolf? Despite his role, despite Yuuta's role, despite everything this game is meant to operate...he stops them. 

He stops them, and doesn't fully understand why.

Arc 4:

After processing his thoughts with Vincent, Velour and Vincent begin looking for Malley and Yuuta, wary that the two crossing paths will spell trouble. However, as Velour continues searching, something important finally clicks in his head -- that all this time, was it really his purpose to play this game? A game, where not everyone enjoys the result? A game, where no matter what, someone has to die?

(If only the first round had only one Wolf. If only his death had stayed...)

Tucking his concerns to the back of his mind, Velour begins to take mental note of what he's learned -- what he remembers -- and what he doesn't have the answers for. Knowing he can remember, he takes a risk and leaps out of bounds of the game -- though the watch predictably puts Velour to sleep, Velour wonders, curiously, why Bene and Guiying were so worried about him prior. Did they remember something, too? Or perhaps, this was something else? Before he can ask them further, another murder occurs. At first confident to find the truth, Velour goes silent as he reaches it. A Hunter, promising a Wolf to hide a secret. A wolf, wanting to die for the sake of family. And the true culprit, who did not kill, but perhaps, saved the Wolf from misery...

Just what sort of person, brought them here? What sort of person decided for them to come here to 'kill'?

Arc 5:

After meeting with the others to discuss what to do next, Velour brings Thyma aside to discuss the past games, and more importantly, give them the chance to speak their mind. Though he expects Thyma to be wary of him, their outburst about what Velour's done -- what he's done during the times he doesn't remember -- paints a picture for Velour that, by following his role so closely in the past, he's put so many through such pain. He makes a promise to Thyma, that he's not going to kill anymore. Shows her that, even if his role is that of the Hunter, he can work together with the wolves. And when he learns as well that Thyma is one of the said wolves? All the more he wants to search for the truth. All the more he wants to find that 'other' way out, for their sake, and perhaps, even for himself.

But, when that truth brings him to the files at the School once again, and he finds his own file, something unfamiliar stirs in his heart. He feels various emotions -- anger, confusion, and sorrow -- far greater than anything he's felt up until now, but make it all so clear his other actions in the past. His fall as the Wolf. The idea of Malley in danger. The desire to reach out to Camille in the fourth Round. The desire to mend Thyma's trust with him, even despite all he's done. 

He's hurt others. And others, they've hurt him. As he makes that connection, for the first time, Velour puts aside his 'purpose' -- and when he finds, despite his fears, that 'something' still lives within him? Though it hurts, it hurts so much to be alive, he holds onto it, and doesn't let go. 

After all, he's not the only one hurting, is he? Whoever's behind this game, whether it's Eli, the Yunna family, or someone else...

They've been through a lot of hurt, too. 

Arc 6:

Immediately when the final arc begins, Velour realizes that the game had returned to the same conditions as it did the first time he played. He was the Wolf, and as he'd soon find with Yuuta, Airi was once more the Hunter, too. Instead of pursuing the game, however, Velour decides to convince Yuuta and Vincent to gather as many people as possible to meet at sunset -- and though everyone seems to remember what had happened in the prior Arc, the three manage to do this almost perfectly. As the others worry about whether or not to stay, Vincent presents everyone with a note that was left in Camille's room, which requests them to stay at the shrine longer. Fortunately, everyone agrees to stay, and just as Karin finds her way to the others, so does the person responsible writing the note.

After playing Linnea's 'game' of questions, however, Velour realizes one very, very important thing. All this time, the person behind this could easily be seen as a villain, as someone that easily could be killed in order to escape the game. Linnea themself even presents the offer by dropping the gun by their feet -- but as Velour thinks about how Linnea had acted in the past, between the difficult decision in the fourth round, the adverse reaction to the fire in the third, and the way they interacted with the others as a whole...

Deep down, despite Linnea's inability to put faith in humanity, they too wanted to be proven wrong.

And Velour decides to do just that. He points out the fact that, even despite the scars that could come, humans are capable of healing. Questions the others who had gone through so many time loops remembering to show that despite their pain, they had learned, too, valuable things that would help them out of the seemingly endless sea of hurt. And when he concludes that, Linnea too, needed that help to take those first steps forward...in the end, he's able to get through to them. 

Being freed from the confines of the watches, everyone spends the night at the town before parting ways -- but not without Velour making sure that, should any of them wish to contact him in the future, they'd have the ability to. 

Other Info:

• Whenever Velour either has a 'big brained' theory, completely head empty, or is super lost on a conversation, his otherwise stoic expression turns to a sassy smirk, not unlike the :3 face. 
• Velour enjoys wearing attire that either a) fits the role of the job he's supposed to do or b) makes him look nice. He's pretty comfortable in his body, and isn't afraid to wear something showy. He also has a soft spot for animal themed attire, like the wolf hoodie he wore while he was the wolf role, and is very likely some degree of furry without realizing it.
• Velour used to always wear gloves to remind to himself about the promise he made with the manager of his first job. In post game, though he often wears them out of habit, he's a bit less strict about wearing them.
• He enjoys a wide variety of food and is an excellent cook. His specialty in foods are mostly related to brunch, such as pancakes and omurice, and in post game, he's begun to cook for himself, instead of feasting primarily on 'healthy' power bars and other 'quick eats'. 
• Despite working as a bartender, he has a surprisingly low tolerance for alcohol. That said, he only ever drinks when improving the bar's recipes, and even then, it's very little.
• aside from bartending, he's worked a wide variety of service jobs prior, even handling more than one at a time if the situation called for it. 
• He desperately needs a cat in his life -- and in post game, he manages to adopt one on a whim. He does his best not to spend too much on his cat's needs, but it's tricky.
• In post game, Velour keeps in decent contact with Malley, and hopes that, should Malley ever need the help, they can confide in him. Even moreso, he hopes that he can give Malley the childhood that they never really had -- and does his best to try and be something of a parental figure for Malley to have.
• In addition, Velour also has a tight connection with Seira, who he...may or may not have signed onto being a part of her gang. Whether or not this shoots him in the foot or not is up for debate, but he certainly doesn't dislike Seira's company, and is at least willing to gather information for her if she so requests it. 
• Velour has a reasonable amount of money under his belt, and had no idea what to do with it prior to the start of the game. In Post game, however, Velour has begun to take time off of work to travel, occasionally surprise others (Malley especially) with thoughtful gifts, and on the rare spur of the moment, actually buy something for himself. 

Music Notes: 

• General: ROLEPLAY [Itoki Hana]; Silence -restoration- (Oblivion)
• Arc 1: In the Moonlight -pillage- (Oblivion), 木の棒 (空木ノ花)
• Arc 2+ Gremlin Vibes:  グィネヴィア and リリスの方舟 (空木ノ花)
• Arc 2+ Friend Vibes: 人狼の為の子守唄 (Sharou), Feelings -Moonlit- (Oblivion)
• Arc 5+: Air my Quiet Breath, This Passing Night (Ode to a Nightingale) 
• Arc 6 Wolf Vibes (Affectionate): Phantom Dance -ouster- (Oblivion), Howling Moon (AD:Piano IV Monochrome)