Characters / Spaghetti Ice

Warning: All spoilers are unmarked!

Spaghetti Ice characters

Ishiro

Ishiro

Ishiro acts as the protagonist of Spaghetti Ice. As an ordinary human, he initially seems out of place in a world of monsters and magic. However, his unwavering spirit and resourcefulness make him an invaluable asset among allies. Throughout the story, he encounters an assorted cast of characters and faces an ever-growing series of challenges.

Tropes:

• Animal Lover: Has an affinity for mythical creatures.
• Magnetic Hero: Accumulates a band of other characters over the course of Spaghetti Ice, including <redacted>, Vicerre, and the Nekorei.
• Positive Friend Influence: Acts as one to Armin, which eventually cements his Heel–Face Turn.
• Unique Protagonist Asset: Ishiro’s Heroic Willpower against the effects of the Synthetic Plague makes him pivotal in stopping it.

<redacted>

<redacted>

Ishiro's longest and dearest companion, <redacted> offers magic to complement Ishiro's bravery. She acts as the heart of the team, being instrumental in, among other things, causing Armin to have a change of heart. Eventually, Dream World claims her soul, splintering her into fragments. However, she continues to appear in spirit from time to time.

Tropes:

• Living Emotional Crutch: For one definition of “living”. When her soul is splintered in the Dream World, one shard acts as a Living Emotional Crutch for Vicerre. This causes Vicerre to become much more emotionally stable than Armin, his past self, ever was. This is somewhat undone when Vicerre returns <redacted’s> soul fragment, however.

Armin

Armin

A brilliant bioengineer by trade, Armin acts as the first major antagonist of Spaghetti Ice.

Initially, he has a jaded view of humanity and seeks to improve it through his own means. This leads to him synthesizing a virus that adds everyone it spreads to his collective, in order to usher in a world where people can live under his ward without being held back by such petty things as emotions or individuality.

At the start of the story, he has a ruthlessly pragmatic and devil-may-care contempt for others. In the event of defiance, his solution is to spread the virus towards those people, willing them into compliance. The fact that the protagonist, Ishiro, is somehow able to avoid this fate unsettles Armin, forcing him to explore alternate venues to remove him from his plans.

As the story unfolds, it becomes apparent that there is a heart underneath his twisted, frigid image. During the Adventure arc, he develops a begrudging curiosity for people like Ishiro. By the start of the Dream World arc, he seems conflicted at times going about his standard course of action.

This development is cut short, however. While in the Dream World, he goes missing. When asked about where he went, The Gamemaster simply explains that she erased him.

Tropes:

• Brainy Brunet: The smartest member of the cast, the author states Armin was designed with brown hair specifically because of the trope implications.
• Breakout Character: Armin was originally written as a one-shot antagonist, but Ishiro's insistence on always Saving the Villain eventually led to him becoming a central cast member.
• Cut Lex Luthor a Check: Subverted. Following his defeat in the Virus Arc, he repurposes his biotech for more experimental purposes, leading to inventions like the Dream Machine or interdimensional portal, seeing use in the Dream World and Multiverse arcs, respectively. By Cherry Ice, he's established a legitimate business with his technologies and recruited several of his friends as colleagues. Of course, by then, he no longer plays a villainous role.
• The Dreaded: Becomes this for Ishiro following Zada's death. By the Multiverse arc, when it seems Armin had successfully pulled off a Split-Personality Takeover on Vicerre, Ishiro immediately enters fight-or-flight mode.
• Dreary Half-Lidded Eyes: Is often drawn with these in supplementary art, reflective of his aloof, distant demeanor.
• Enemy Within: Vicerre is horrified to learn about his past self's cruelties. For a long time after this revelation, he considers Armin as one of these, refusing to use any of his characteristics or abilities in fear of a Split-Personality Takeover.
• Evil Cannot Comprehend Good: Is willing to explore and pursue many subjects in the name of science. Love and friendship are not among them. Even as Ishiro aims to befriend him, he observes his actions with curiosity more than anything.
• Evil Is Angular: As described in supporting art, Armin is designed with this trope in mind. This trope is downplayed after he undergoes Character Development.
• Evil Sounds Deep: As an antagonist, Armin bears a sharp, baritone voice. After he undergoes Character Development, it becomes softer and closer to a tenor.
• Evilutionary Biologist: During his stint as Arc Villain, he designs a Synthetic Plague to fuel his Assimilation Plot.
• Exotic Eye Designs: According to the author, Armin has white pupils to make him look "intense". They become the standard black shade after he undergoes Character Development.
• From Nobody to Nightmare: The nameless virus was developed as a means of amplifying Armin’s natural abilities. It Went Horribly Right and caused him to believe that the world was Beyond Saving, kickstarting the Virus arc.
• Glass Cannon: His intellect and supernatural abilities let him one-shot characters, but he still has the physique of an ordinary person.
• Godhood Seeker: During the Virus arc. Having become disillusioned with humanity, he sought to control it with an iron grip and preside over it.
• Hates Being Touched: Freezes up at the prospect of physical contact (no pun intended). When Ishiro threatens him with an incoming hug, he portals him a hundred meters away.
• Hates Small Talk: Initially sees no need to dispense pleasantries or even interact with others if possible. Eventually gets downgraded to No Social Skills.
• Icy Blue Eyes: Armin's eyes are naturally blue, and he has a cold personality to match. This becomes more literal after experimenting with The Exogeny, where he gains the ability to manifest ice.
• Knight of Cerebus: His addition to the story marks the transition of Spaghetti Ice from a casual, episodic story to one with a serious, overarching plot.
• An Ice Person: Gains cryokinetic abilities while experimenting with The Exogeny. His preferred use of the ability is to Impale Others with Extreme Prejudice.
• Lean and Mean: Is described as lanky and gaunt, and he acts as the first Arc Villain of Spaghetti Ice. This trope is justified, as it’s shown in several scenes he devotes all of his time to his scientific projects and neglects his own health. In contrast, Vicerre is depicted as fairer in complexion.
• Long Range Combatant: The times when he needed to get his hands dirty, he prefers to portal himself away and stab his adversaries with ice from afar. Justified since he otherwise has a normal human physiology.
• Messy Hair: To emphasize how disheveled he is, Armin is depicted with unkempt hair. As the author complains, they can't change his hairstyle even if they want to, since it is now iconic to his appearance.
• Morally Ambiguous Doctorate:
  • Armin has all of the hallmarks of one. He never formally completes his doctorate, however.
  • After a Time Skip, Vicerre eventually does complete his doctorate, but by that point, he drops the “morally ambiguous” part and insists Ishiro drops any honorifics that might have come with the doctorate.
• Non-Specifically Foreign: Is described as "the equivalent of western European":
  • Is described as having a non-specific western-sounding accent.
  • His Drink-Based Characterization is inspired by (but not confirmed to be an example of) Brits Love Tea.
  • His first name has Germanic roots.
  • His last name is completely made up but uses Italian pronunciation.
• Prefers Proper Names: As an indicator of his detachment from others, he never addresses any of the other characters as anything but their proper names.
• Progressively Prettier: Was originally depicted as more aged and decrepit when he was purely villainous. Since he has undergone Character Development, he is drawn with cleaner features. In-universe, this is justified as him taking better care of his health.
• Reformed, but Not Tamed: During the Adventure arc, Ishiro acts as the Kid with the Leash to Armin. While nominally on the protagonists' side, Armin still opts for ruthlessly pragmatic methods of solving problems, which Ishiro and the gang need to rein in.
• Rules Lawyer: Whenever Armin acquires a new mechanic, his first instinct is to dissect its rules and find optimal uses for it:
  • Can he use his domain over ice to freeze someone from the inside out? No, he can only form ice between a surface and air. Instead, he opts to turn others into Human Popsicles.
  • Can he use his portals to create Portal Cuts? No, if a portal closes around something, the point of contact is soft. Knowing this, he can use portals as supernatural restraints.
  • Over time, however, he does change his methodology from “optimal” uses to “creative” uses.
• A Sinister Clue: Acts as the first major antagonist of the story and is explicitly depicted as left-handed.
• Sinister Schnoz: Has a prominent nose compared to the other members of the cast. The “sinister” part is eventually subverted after Character Development.
• Sour Outside, Sad Inside: His prickly, abrasive demeanor is revealed to stem from his desire to Never Be Hurt Again.
• Split-Personality Merge: Reconciles with Vicerre over the course of the Second Adventure arc. The best way to describe the process is to think of a pendulum with Armin at one end and Vicerre at the other, swinging back and forth until it settles in the middle.
• Spock Speak: Is prone to describing his observations in dry, clinical terms.
• Supernatural Gold Eyes: When under the influence of the virus, his eyes become tainted yellow. This also extends to whoever he puppets with it.
• Token Evil Teammate: Acts as one while he’s corrupted by the Exogeny and tethered to Ishiro.
• Took a Level in Kindness: Boy, howdy. It takes just over two story arcs for him to become anything close to a sympathetic character. Then, he undergoes Laser-Guided Amnesia, and it gets complicated from there.
• Trademark Favorite Food: Ishiro implants a penchant for strawberries on Armin in the Dream World. This eventually evolves into a penchant for strawberry ice cream, fitting for his Elemental Motif.
• The Unfettered: During the Virus arc, he does not care one bit about the current state of humanity, much less one random person (our protagonist) who happened to stumble across him.
• Villainous Cheekbones: Acts as an antagonist for much of the story, and is drawn with prominent cheekbones.
• Visionary Villain: The plot of the Virus arc is fueled by one of these. Armin sees a future with no conflict or suffering, dictated by his own hand.
• What Is This Thing You Call "Love"?: Finds Ishiro’s loyalty to his friends and kindness to others to be utterly bewildering at first, and thus subject to study. Over time, this causes Curiosity Causes Conversion.

Vesta

Vesta

An artificial being derived from <redacted>, Vesta is one of Armin's creations and acts as one of his companions. Unfortunately, due to her unstable biology, she doesn't last long. Her death is what plunges Armin to despair and makes him susceptible to the Exogeny's corruption.

Tropes

• Clone Degeneration: Her health starts failing into first Adventure arc, and nothing Armin can do saves her.

Zada

Zada

A legendary goldhorn, Zada is one of the many mythical creatures the protagonists encounter in their adventures. She has the unique ability to grow and shape plants from soil—including her own body. Unfortunately, due to her rarity and unique abilities, she is often hunted. Over the course of Spaghetti Ice, the protagonists are unable to save her from an untimely fate, but they are able to relocate her scion to a protected grove.

Tropes:

• Born-Again Immortality: Being a Planimal, killing her body does not kill her lineage. The protagonists able to rescue her from permanent death by propagating her scion from a sprout.
• Green Thumb: Has the ability to grow plants within her proximity.
• The Marvelous Deer: Is described with deer-like features like antlers and hooves and is considered mythical in nature.
• Planimal: Resembles a deer with plants sprouting out of her.
• Single Specimen Species: Is the only known member of her species, making her mythical in a world of mythical creatures.

The Exogeny

The Exogeny

Less a character and more an incorrigible, malevolent force, the Exogeny acts as the second major antagonist of Spaghetti Ice. Originally thought to be another plague, the protagonists eventually discover the Exogeny to be an entity from another dimension with a single function: to decay. It takes the combined efforts of Ishiro, <redacted>, and Armin to reach the Exogeny's core and purge it from existence.

Tropes:

• The Corruption: The Exogeny acts as a force of pure malevolence. Those under its influence receive terrible power but become a perversion of their usual self.
  • <redacted> changes from friendly and enthusiastic to cold and unfeeling.
  • Armin changes from embittered and morbidly curious to starkly cruel and unhinged.
• Eldritch Abomination: Resides in its own Pocket Dimension, corrupts others from its very presence, and doesn't resemble anything known to man.
• Sealed Evil in Another World: The Exogeny is accidentally discovered from exploring other dimensions. It quickly becomes a Leaking Can of Evil once a connection is made between its Pocket Dimension and the home dimension of Spaghetti Ice.

The Gamemaster

The Gamemaster

The Gamemaster acts as the overseer of the Dream World. When the protagonists enter the Dream World, she explains its mechanics and offers tips to help them with their stay. She generally takes a passive approach to maintaining the Dream World.

…That is, until she gets fed up with Armin’s antics.

Tropes:

• Domain Holder: Can control anything that happens in the Dream World. Is an ordinary human outside of it.
• No Name Given: All of the characters refer to as "the Gamemaster", and she never shares her true name.
• Virtual-Reality Warper: Can control the Dream World and its denizens freely.
• The Voice: Is never seen in the Dream World, instead acting as a disembodied voice in the sky.
• Weaker in the Real World: The Lady of Dreams just happened to grant The Gamemaster domain over the Dream World on a fickle whim. Outside of the Dream World, The Gamemaster is just an ordinary girl.

Vicerre

Vicerre

One of the many denizens of the Dream World, Vicerre serves as a companion for Ishiro in his travels. He’s a tad flighty, but he makes up for it in fascination and friendliness.

In actuality, Vicerre is the product of The Gamemaster resetting, deconstructing, and reassembling Armin. She suppressed Armin's memories and instilled a fragment of <redacted>’s soul in him, which acts as the dominant personality. When this is revealed to Vicerre, he takes the news in stride. After all, he has no familiarity with Armin.

It's not until Vicerre returns <redacted>'s soul fragment does it become apparent that Armin's presence isn't entirely lost, however. Soon, he finds himself questioning some of his instincts, especially when they would otherwise cause his friends harm. Then, when he and Ishiro experience a matter of life and death, Armin's dormant memories resurface.

He spends much of the next arc caught between two goals: he wants nothing to do with Armin, but, knowing his history, he wants to support and make amends with Ishiro. Because of this, he tries to maintain a pleasant façade, but he grows increasingly feverish as time passes. It's only when he accepts responsibility for his past actions as Armin is he able to reconcile with himself and move on.

Ultimately, Vicerre’s personality lands somewhere between the two extremes. He’s willing to entertain his time with other people, but he is also willing to use coercion and manipulation to get what he desires. He gives in to his Armin persona if necessary, but he never loses sight of who he has grown into, when it matters.

Tropes:

• A Form You Are Comfortable With: As Ishiro is Better with Non-Human Company, Vicerre occasionally takes on the form of a kitsune in the Dream World.
• Amnesiac Dissonance: Lacks Armin's acerbic nature and is, instead, genuinely friendly.
• Amnesiac Resonance: Even before his memories return to him, there are hints to Vicerre's true nature:
  • He seems to know more about life outside the Dream World than he should, such as when he identified one particular, unusual-looking tree as the Tree of Life.
  • He is able to read into Ishiro’s relationship with his companions remarkably well for someone he just met. This makes sense, of course, knowing that he had been around them for the past few arcs.
  • He retains Armin's morbid curiosity.
• Amnesiacs are Innocent: Shortly after introduction, Vicerre is depicted as having a childlike wonder at elements in the Dream World. Subverted, as this turns out to be less “innocence” and more his past self’s ravenous curiosity seeping through.
• The Atoner: Becomes one of these in the Second Adventure arc, taking any opportunity to support Ishiro in his adventures.
• Curious as a Monkey: Retains Armin's scientific curiosity, which leads him to poking his nose in places he shouldn't normally be.
• Death Seeker: During the Second Adventure arc, Vicerre often puts himself in harm's way due to feeling guilty for his actions as Armin. Eventually, Ishiro urges him to stop and stresses that he has more than redeemed himself at this point.
• Do Not Call Me "Paul": After Armin’s memories and abilities start trickling in, Vicerre asks Ishiro not to mention Armin’s name, in fear that this will accelerate his memories and personality. This changes after reconciliation. Most notably, when introducing himself to Zada’s scion, he states “Either Armin or Vicerre is fine.”
• Dream Weaver: After being rewarded Dream Smoke from the Lady of Dreams, uses technology to facilitate this trope.
• Drink-Based Characterization: During the Multiverse arc, Vicerre always offers tea to his guests and drinks tea himself, invoking Tea Is Classy. Additionally, given Vicerre's Trademark Favorite Food, he prefers strawberry- and other fruit-based varieties of tea when possible.
• Gadgeteer Genius: Repurposes his talent in designing biotechnology post-reconciliation. Over the course of Spaghetti Ice, he realizes devices such as the vector reversers, Dream Machine, and artificial portholes. This carries over into Cherry Ice, where he has since invented an interdimensional portal.
• Genius Sweet Tooth: Is often seen snacking on strawberry tea, strawberry jam on toast, or strawberry ice cream, and is the most intelligent member of the cast.
• Good Is Not Soft: After regaining Armin's memories, he's still as quite cordial around friends, but he's unflinchingly merciless against those he considers enemies.
• Hyde Plays Jekyll: Inverted. Vicerre enjoys opportunities to indulge Armin's mannerisms and abilities:
  • When he received news his old apartment building was to be demolished, Armin took it upon himself to do the honors himself and “have some fun”, leading to what he describes as a “symphony of destruction”.
  • During the Multiverse arc, Armin appeared before Ishiro at the drop of a hat after the latter requested to see the former.
  • In a “Jekyll Plays Hyde Plays Jekyll” example, Vicerre has faked a Split-Personality Takeover from Armin to troll Ishiro.
• An Ice Person: Inherited cryokinetic abilities after reawakening Armin's memories. In contrast to Armin, he uses the ability in more creative, mundane ways.
• Identity Amnesia: It's not revealed until late in the Dream World arc that Vicerre is Armin without his memories. It’s not revealed until even later that this was a deliberate Memory Gambit on Armin’s part.
• Last-Name Basis: Continues to be referred to as “Vicerre” even after the revelation that this was Armin's last name all along.
• Locked into Strangeness: Is depicted with tawny, well-kempt hair, which is why Ishiro doesn't recognize him at first. This turns out to be a byproduct of The Gamemaster manipulating his soul. After regaining his memories and leaving the Dream World, his hair reverts to its original brown, unkempt shape.
• Must Make Amends: In the Second Adventure arc, Vicerre admits that the reason he accompanies and supports Ishiro on his travels is that he continues to feel guilt for his actions as Armin. It takes insistence on Ishiro’s part to convince him that he has been absolved of his past and that he fully trusts him.
• Not So Above It All: Post-reconciliation, he grows to enjoy taking part in Ishiro's antics.
• Past-Life Memories: Early in the Dream World arc, Vicerre gets flashes of knowledge at opportune moments, and he can't place how he knows this information. It turns out that this knowledge comes from Armin before he underwent Laser-Guided Amnesia.
• The Professor: Ends up in this role post-reconciliation. He’s still as knowledgeable as usual, and the previous energy he had used to devise personal ploys has been channeled into more benign—if not less effective—venues. In particular, he often invents revolutionary technology, partially out of curiosity, and partially to give the protagonists another toy for their shenanigans.
• Rules Lawyer: Old habits die hard! Vicerre retains the same analytical mind as his past self.
  • After rescuing some of her baku, the Lady of Dreams rewards Vicerre with a flask of her special Dream Smoke. Dream Smoke can bring objects from the Dream World into reality. Naturally, the first thing Vicerre does with it is to synthesize more Dream Smoke for an infinite supply.
• A Sinister Clue: Is revealed in the Second Adventure arc that he writes with his left hand. Vicerre isn’t exactly sinister, but he does acquire a trollish and vindictive streak.
• Smug Super: Loves to troll and misdirect others with his supernatural abilities:
  • Uses portals to engage in Stealth Hi Byes with Ishiro.
  • Uses portals to drop Ishiro in unexpected locations.
  • Uses portals to drop surprise gifts on other people.
  • Uses portals to leave Invidia dangling in one place.
  • Uses portals to leave Invidia in an infinite falling loop.
  • Anything to do with his portals, really.
• Split-Personality Merge: Reconciles with Armin over the course of the Second Adventure arc. The best way to describe the process is to think of a pendulum with Armin at one end and Vicerre at the other, swinging back and forth until it settles in the middle.
• Took a Level in Idealism: Sits opposite of Armin on the Sliding Scale of Idealism Versus Cynicism; in contrast to his past self's misanthropic cynicism, Vicerre is genial and idealistic. Even after Armin's influence erodes his beliefs, he still comes to a balanced understanding.
• Virtual-Reality Warper: Defied. As The Overseer of the Dream World, Vicerre has the capacity to reshape it to his will—and knowing his methodologies, this includes actual Reality Warper abilities. Vicerre being Vicerre however, he's much more content to leave the Dream World to its devices.

Solana

Solana

One of <redacted’s> soul fragments, she represents <redacted’s> playful and affectionate side.

Tropes:

• Stellar Name: Fittingly enough for <redacted's> Elemental Motif, Solana has a fire-themed name to match. In her case, "Solana" comes from "sol", as in the sun.

The Nekorei

The Nekorei

The Nekorei is one of the many mythical creatures the protagonists encounter in their adventures. Initially a lonely cat spirit poltergeist, the protagonists befriend her, and she becomes a recurring character.

Tropes:

• A Lizard Named "Liz": "Nekorei" literally translates to "cat spirit" in Japanese.
• Cats Are Magic: Is a cat spirit with Poltergeist powers.
• Ghostly Chill: The Nekorei is chilly to the touch. Living beings possessed by the Nekorei feel a cold presence entering them.
• I Just Want to Have Friends: Her original motive for possessing Solana's Empty Shell and pretending to be her, as she wasn't able to talk to others or feel warmth staying tethered to her talismans. The protagonists eventually work out a solution.
• Poltergeist: The Nekorei can possess any object she comes into contact with and animate it. Anything that doesn’t have a free will of its own can be animated freely, such as the enchanted talismans she uses to communicate with the physical world. Anything that does have a free will, however, is much harder to animate, and she struggles to fight for control over it.

Invidia

Invidia

One of <redacted’s> soul fragments, she represents <redacted’s> fiery and passionate side.

Tropes:

• Green-Eyed Monster: If the name didn't give it away already, she is monstrous in size and is initially jealous of the attention other characters get in Ishiro's team.

The Lady of Dreams

The Lady of Dreams

Capricious by nature, the Lady of Dreams is responsible for the creation of the Dream World. The Dream Smoke she conjures is known to create life and soothe savage beasts. On a whim, she grants The Gamemaster the ability to manipulate dreams, setting off the Dream World arc. When she’s not playing with her abilities, she prefers to boss around her baku minions and lounge in her temple.

Shaved Ice characters

Clementine

Clementine

An expert in magical beasts, Clementine acts as the protagonist of Shaved Ice.

When her best friend and companion begins to act bizarrely one day, Clementine sets out on a journey to uncover the cause and save her. Along the way, Clementine encounters friends old and new. With her knowledge and her friends’ skills, they are able to uncover the source of the phenomenon and the secrets that lie within.

Tropes:

• Action Girl: The opening chapter sees her tough off a bite from a feral Solana and chase her down. One chapter later, she uses force to pressure Vicerre into giving her answers.
• The Beastmaster: Has shades of one given her affinity for mythical creatures.
• Better with Non-Human Company: Has encyclopedic knowledge on all manner of mythical creatures and knows how to handle creatures that would otherwise kill a person in one fell swoop. Finds talking to people to be the bigger challenge.
• Composite Character: Fulfills the same Better with Non-Human Company Nature Hero role as Ishiro + has the same friendly disposition, Fiery Redhead aesthetic, and Guile Hero markings as <redacted>.
• Experienced Protagonist: Starts Shaved Ice already having years of knowledge and experience working with a wide range of species. Her character arc involves expanding that skillset to humans.
• Plucky Girl: It's implied in the chapter "Clementine" she's all too familiar with tragedy in her line of work. Despite her past experience, she stays determined when trying to unravel the mysterious phenomenon that enthralled Solana.
• Supporting Protagonist: Clementine is the viewpoint character and has a small character arc, but Vicerre is the character that sees the most changes.
• Suspiciously Similar Substitute: To Ishiro. Both of them act as Animal Lover protagonists who are Better with Non-Human Company. Additionally, they both build teams of mythical creatures.

Solana

Solana

Solana is a kitsune and faithful friend of Clementine. Normally cultivated and astute, she is discovered one morning in a trance-like state. When Clementine tries to find the cause, Solana bursts off in a mad dash, kicking off the events of Shaved Ice.

As it turns out, Solana had come under the thrall of someone known as Vicerre. While her body remained under his control, her mind was trapped in the Mental Plane. Shortly after Clementine discovers this, the same fate befalls her.

While in the Mental Plane, Solana acts as a source of exposition and explains the phenomenon’s consequences.

Neko

Neko

A mythical carbuncle, Neko is one of Clementine's companions who joins her on her adventure. He acts silly and tends to make trivial comments, but that doesn't stop Clementine from loving him.

Tropes:

• A Dog Named "Cat": Neko is a Carbuncle Creature whose name is the Japanese word for "cat".
• Adaptational Comic Relief: The Nekorei in Spaghetti Ice is a Shrinking Violet, while Neko is more extroverted and silly.
• Gender Flip: Is male in Shaved Ice, while his Spaghetti Ice counterpart is female.
• Plucky Comic Relief: Is the goofball of the cast, whose primary goal tends to be less “save the world” and more “find the next snack”. While seemingly short-sighted, Neko’s observations often nudge the plot along somehow.

Vicerre

Vicerre

A specialist in the field of oneirology, Vicerre acts as the antagonist of Shaved Ice.

He is initially presented as something of an enigma. He has some connection to the phenomenon of mystic creatures being enthralled, but he is averse to disclosing his role and motive in the grand scope.

In reality, Vicerre is the designer of Oneiros, a system that pulls those affected by it into a shared dream in the Mental Plane. At one point, he sought to use this technology to help treat cognitive conditions. Following the death of a close friend, however, he repurposed Oneiros to include everyone—willingly or not.

Vicerre is secretive, aloof, and calculating, although, as Clementine finds out, he has a caring side buried under his icy exterior.

Tropes:

• Adaptational Nice Guy: Is far less… extreme than his Spaghetti Ice incarnation:
  • In Spaghetti Ice, Armin finds the concept of love and friendship utterly foreign, acts as an Aloof Ally in earlier arcs, and has no qualms killing others if that is the quickest way to achieve his goals.
  • In Shaved Ice, Vicerre is much more patient with other people. When confronting Clementine, he only threatens violence as a last resort, and he never actually intends to go through with it.
• Brainy Brunet: The smartest member of the cast, the author states Vicerre was designed with brown hair specifically because of the trope implications.
• Decomposite Character: In Spaghetti Ice, Armin and Vicerre represent two halves of one character. In Shaved Ice, they are connected but separate.
• Dreary Half-Lidded Eyes: Is often drawn with these in supplementary art, reflective of his aloof, distant demeanor.
• Evil Is Angular: Like his Spaghetti Ice counterpart, he is designed with wedges and sharp angles in mind.
• Exotic Eye Designs: Has white pupils instead of black ones. Within the story itself, Clementine describes Vicerre’s eyes as unnaturally “intense”.
• The Fettered: By the end of the story, Vicerre willingly abdicates Oneiros and all abilities associated with it (well, until Cherry Ice).
• Hates Being Touched: Vicerre freezes up (no pun intended) when Clementine gives him a hug. Unlike his Spaghetti Ice incarnation, he doesn’t actively avoid physical contact, but he is still very unaccustomed to it.
• Hidden Agenda Villain: Much of Shaved Ice consists of the protagonists searching for the cause and motivation for Vicerre's machinations. The protagonists get a cause while in the Mental Plane, but the motivation isn't clear until they hear from Vicerre himself.
• An Ice Person: Inherits the ability to grow ice from the ground from Armin. He comes within an inch of Impaling Clementine With Extreme Prejudice with this ability, but it never resolves.
• Icy Blue Eyes: Vicerre's eyes are naturally blue, and he has a cold personality to match. This becomes more literal after reconciling with Armin, at which point he gains the ability to manifest ice.
• Intelligence Equals Isolation: It’s revealed that the loss of the original Armin caused Vicerre to withdraw from society and focus extensively on the Oneiros project. By the events of Shaved Ice, he wants nothing to do with a visitor at his doorstep.
• Jade-Colored Glasses: As revealed in the chapter “Revelations”, the death of Armin tainted his perception of life, acting as the Cynicism Catalyst for the events of Shaved Ice.
• Last-Name Basis: Fittingly enough for how impersonal he is. When asked for his name, Vicerre only reveals his last name. The only hint the reader gets of his first name is in the chapter “Oneiros”, where we learn it starts with “A”.
• Light Is Not Good: Vicerre is often framed in blinding light, mirroring his Well-Intentioned Extremist and Knight Templar actions. It’s telling that the scene where Clementine gets to see who he is Beneath the Mask takes place at night.
• Powers Do the Fighting: Is more than content to threaten Clementine with a spear of ice while sitting casually at his workplace.
• Prefers Proper Names: Even more so than his Spaghetti Ice incarnation—Vicerre refers to Clementine as “Miss Clementine”, a step more detached than simply using her full first name. This is in contrast to Armin, who often calls her by her nickname “Clem”. After Armin returns from the Mental Plane, Vicerre narrows the gap and calls her “Clementine”.
• Professor Guinea Pig: Justified. After “the incident”, the funding for his work was cut off. Vicerre resorted to using his own remaining resources to complete Project Oneiros—subjecting himself in the process.
• Sinister Schnoz: Is described as having a "tall, sharp nose" and is depicted as such. Eventually subverted as he becomes a more neutral figure.
• Sugar-and-Ice Personality: Vicerre is extremely prickly towards Clementine at the beginning of the story. By the epilogue, however, he’s seen offering her breakfast and spending time with her as a friend. Ironically for this trope, it's the “sugar” part of his personality that's An Ice Person.
• Supernatural Gold Eyes: While using Oneiros, his eyes become tainted yellow. This also extends to whoever he enthralls with it.
• Took a Level in Cynic: Had much more idealistic plans for Oneiros before "the accident". Shaved Ice starts from Vicerre's nadir and, among other things, acts as a quest to restore his Level in Idealism.
• Totalitarian Utilitarian: Checks off many tropes for the archetype. After losing his Only Friend, he withdrew from society and grew obsessed with his work. He creates Oneiros, a Lotus-Eater Machine, as a way to stop suffering on a massive scale.
• Tragic Ice Character: His Headscape is an Endless Winter, he has Icy Blue Eyes (when not under the effects of Oneiros), and his Mental Plane counterpart has actual ice powers. In addition, he has a bitterly cold and guarded demeanor from his Dark and Troubled Past.
• Villainous Cheekbones: Acts as an antagonist for much of the story and is drawn with prominent cheekbones.
• Woobie, Destroyer of Worlds: The events of Shaved Ice were motivated by his desire to ensure no one would ever experience the same grief he endured. When Clementine uncovers the motive, she can't help but sympathize.

Armin

Armin

An ice kitsune, Armin acts as the resident expert on the Mental Plane. As he and others are pulled into the Mental Plane through a mysterious force, he seeks to understand and find an answer to this phenomenon.

By forming a partnership with Clementine, he is able to discover the source of the phenomenon. From there, his sharp mind and domain over ice become useful in unlocking the phenomenon's secrets.

Unbeknownst to him, Armin is actually a simulacrum created out of Vicerre’s memories and shaped by Oneiros. Knowing this, he is able to manipulate the Mental Plane to a much more advanced degree, including reversing the effects of Oneiros. As his last grace, he sacrifices his own ego to restore Vicerre as well.

Tropes:

• Adaptation Species Change: Is a kitsune in Shaved Ice, whereas the analogous character in Spaghetti Ice was human.
• Amnesiac Dissonance: Armin lacks Vicerre's abrasive nature and is, instead, genuinely friendly.
• Amnesiac God: Or, well, Amnesiac Administrator. Armin is kept unaware of his true origins for much of the plot. Once he unlocks his true abilities, he is able to manipulate the Mental Plane to a much more potent degree than before, being able to warp matter at will and portal to anywhere in the Mental Plane.
• Amnesiacs are Innocent: Vicerre derived Armin from his memories before he Took a Level in Cynic, so Armin is still optimistic.
• Death of Personality: Discussed. Armin accepts that he might cease to exist upon exiting the Mental Plane. Knowing that, Clementine gives him a parting farewell. In actuality, the result is closer to that of a Split-Personality Merge.
• Decomposite Character: In Spaghetti Ice, Armin and Vicerre represent two halves of one character. In Shaved Ice, they are separate, although they share a connection.
• An Ice Person: Armin has cryokinetic abilities, and he embodies the soft and gentle aspects of this trope. He also fits this trope on a more classical level as well, being the most level-headed and thoughtful member of the team. He later passes these traits to Vicerre.
• Identity Amnesia: It’s not revealed until the end of the story that Armin is derived from Vicerre. It is eventually revealed Vicerre disassociated the part of him from before the story's Plot-Triggering Death with the part after.
• Personality Remnant: Clementine speculates the remnants of Armin’s personality are what convinces Vicerre to spare her after they leave the Mental Plane. Eventually confirmed in the epilogue.
• Shadow Archetype: Armin embodies Vicerre’s repressed positive traits, including his optimism, idealism, and kindness. Consequently, his reconciliation with his physical self leads to Vicerre Taking a Level in Idealism.
• Virtual-Reality Warper: As The Administrator of the Mental Plane, Armin can reshape it to his will. Within the story alone, he conjures a cup of tea for Clementine and opens portals to anywhere in the Mental Plane (instead of having a limited range). This carries into Alis as of Cherry Ice, although it sees much less use then.

Cherry Ice characters

Vic

Vic

Cryptic, eccentric, and mischievous, this incarnation of Vicerre loves nothing more than to toy with others, then surprise them with acts of kindness.

When his home universe fractures, Vic encounters Solana, a young woman born from the aftermath. Initially, he thinks of her as any other person he’s encountered—entertaining, to be sure, but nothing personal. It’s only when he notices how Solana cares about him does he begin to question his own motives. After this realization, Vic becomes considerably more self-conscious of his antics.

Tropes:

• Adaptational Protagonist: Goes from Arc Villain to supporting cast member in Spaghetti Ice to protagonist in Cherry Ice.
• Beware the Nice Ones: Positions himself as a well-meaning, if eccentric, scientist. Icebreaker 067 discusses a hypothetical situation where he is pushed to his breaking point, and the result is not pretty. It only makes sense the person with ice powers and a room full of highly-advanced technology can elect to use those resources to maim someone, then leave them to rot in a Sealed Room in the Middle of Nowhere. The part where he is an Ex-Big Bad should have tipped you off.
• Celibate Eccentric Genius: Despite being companions with Solana, Vic is uninterested in prospect of romance. Instead, he prefers pursuing his scientific interests. Solana often has to push him outside his comfort zone.
• Delighting in Riddles: Loves to tease Solana with casual riddles and mysteries.
  • In Icebreaker 043, he quizzes her on what was in the iced tea he made her, not telling her it was brewed using some of her own gift to him.
  • In Vignette 013, he is covert on Alis's true nature, only describing him in vague terms before Solana meets him directly.
  • In Vignette 020, he obfuscates the real reason behind his visit with Alis behind a chess pun (to check with him).
• Drink-Based Characterization: Expanded upon from Spaghetti Ice. He enjoys tea all the same, but it's shown in Vignette 007 he has seven separate blends of tea that all happen to be fruity and red. This reflects Vic's Genius Sweet Tooth and Nightmare Fetishist tendencies.
• Expository Hairstyle Change: Grew out his hair after the Time Skip, signifying how he mellowed out.
• Future Foil: Acts as one towards Alis, his counterpart from the Shaved Ice continuity. Whereas Alis is reserved and calculating, Vic has loosened up greatly from nine years of Character Development.
• The Gadfly: Loves teasing others with puzzles. Solana is his favorite target, followed by the reader.
• Maker of Monsters: Vic is one of the brains behind Arklight Limited, a company that specializes in synthesizing custom, fantastical creatures. Unlike most examples of this trope, however, said “monsters” are created as vanity projects and designed with ethics in mind.
• Mystical White Hair: In Illustration 060, Vic is shown with white streaks in his hair at 30 years of age. The image description states his hair is streaked white due to his his ice abilities manifesting physically.
• Nightmare Fetishist:
  • Is repeatedly depicted as having a penchant for red fluids of all natures.
  • In Icebreaker 037, he finds the idea of designing a centipede dragon exciting.
  • In Vignette 015, he plays into the A Bloody Mess situation Solana comments he's in.
  • In Icebreaker 021, Solana comments she wouldn't be surprised if she found herself Strapped to an Operating Table as one of Vic's Halloween shenanigans.
• Odd Name, Normal Nickname: Is primarily referred to as "Vic" in Cherry Ice. That's not short for Victor, but Vicerre.
• Power Stereotype Flip: Has the ability to manifest ice. Many characters with abilities over ice have cool, distant personalities. In contrast, Vic is socially-awkward, eccentric, and a fan of puzzles.
• Ridiculously Successful Future Self: Downplayed. From Alis's perspective, Vic is one to him. While not exorbitantly wealthy, Vic is still very well off. In contrast, it's revealed Alis is struggling financially following the events that led to Shaved Ice.
• Rules Lawyer: Yep, he's still one of these. In Icebreaker 040, he asks a gamut of questions about the rules of a hypothetical Time Travel scenario and has to be told "no" ten times, much to the author's chagrin.
• Signature Instrument: The piano:
  • Vic is depicted playing the piano in supplementary art.
  • Vic is described as favoring pianos for their elegance and complexity.
• Significant Wardrobe Shift:
  • Is depicted in warm and cozy clothes (i.e. a thick winter coat, sweater, scarf, and gloves) to represent the warm and cozy aspects of his Elemental Motif.
  • The scarf he wears is a Friendship Trinket from Solana.
• Thermal Dissident: As a side-effect of his cryokinetic abilities, Vic tolerates a wider range of temperatures than the average person.
  • In Vignette 018, he is shown to enjoy ice cream in the dead of winter, much to his friends' display.
  • In Illustration 066, he is depicted as wearing a woolen sweater and full-length trousers at the beach.
• Trademark Favorite Food: Has a penchant for fruits, ice cream, and fruit-flavored ice cream. Solana can expect him to comment on one of these should it come up in a scene.
• Weapon-Based Characterization: Is depicted as using a spear made of ice (a bident, technically) in supporting material. Why a spear?
  • In contrast to Armin, who was purely a Long Range Combatant, Vic is more comfortable with approaching others.
  • As Vic has Pungeon Master shades, he enjoys the Stealth Pun associated with a minty spear.

Solana

Solana

Following a fracture in the fabric of spacetime, a mysterious young woman emerges from its wake. Known only as Solana, she accompanies Vic and often becomes the target of his antics. Strangely, she has an awareness of events far beyond her ken. This is later to be revealed due to her origins, as she is the reincarnation of several past characters.

Tropes:

• Animal Lover: Has a kitsune and Nekorei as her companions.
• Born as an Adult: As she was "born" from supernatural origins, she has the physiology of an young adult woman despite only being a few years old.
• Born of Magic: Is born from spacetime collapsing and folding multiple characters into one Composite Character.
• Boyish Short Hair: Her hair doesn't reach past her shoulders, and she is the more physical of the main duo.
• Composite Character: Quite literally! She is combination of multiple Spaghetti Ice characters, including <redacted's> fragments and The Gamemaster.
• Girl Friday: Handles administrative tasks, bookkeeping, and human resources when working in Arklight Limited.
• Girl Next Door: Is sweet, level-headed, capable, and wholesome. In addition, thanks to portal shenanigans, Vic casually visits her as though she were a literal next-door neighbor.
• My Instincts Are Showing: As some of Solana's past lives include beasts, she can act a Little Bit Beastly at times. For instance, she enjoys eating offal and has worse-than-usual table manners.
• Only One Name: Is known only as “Solana”.
• Shorttank: Checks off many of the hallmarks for this trope: She wears a sleeveless top and sneakers, has a soft spot for animals, and plays off Vic, the male lead.
• Vibrant Orange: Solana's hair and irises are a bright orange-red color, and she has a sweet and friendly personality.
• The Team Normal: Despite living in a Fantasy Kitchen Sink and having An Ice Person and a Fantastic Fox as her companions, she has no special powers to speak of.
  • On two separate occasions (Vignettes 039 and 041), Vic and Alis study supernatural elements in her, only to find she seems 100% physically normal.
  • It's implied in Vignette 052 Solana is normal to a supernatural degree. The Arclight virus, which induces madness in those it infects, only irritates her slightly when she comes into contact with it.
  • Deconstructed in Vignette 067. Solana attributes her complete lack of special abilities this incarnation to wanting to be loved for who she is rather than what she can do. She later realizes she needs to love herself first, and in doing so, allows herself to, through Vic's science, gain special powers.

Alis

Alis

Alis is a man in a strange time and place. Within the span of a year, his life was upended—he suffered the loss of his only friend, and following that, his life’s work. Out of desperation and pain, he hatched a plot to save everyone else from a similar fate. It’s not until a woman named Clementine gets caught up in his plan that he is convinced otherwise.

Shortly after, he finds a visitor outside his door. Said visitor hails from another universe nine years displaced and has a keen interest in him and his work. What is stranger yet is that this visitor appears to be… himself.

As Alis leaves his past behind, he faces a strange future ahead of him.

Like he was in Shaved Ice, Alis is reserved and calculating, although he is not without a soft side.

Tropes:

• Alice Allusion: Bears a number of similarities to themes found in Alice's Adventures in Wonderland:
  • The author named Alis not after "Alice" but instead because they found the name "Alistair" neat. However, they conceded the wordplay between "Alis" and "Alice" was fun.
  • Alis's project Oneiros serves as a fanciful Mental World, not unlike the Wonderland and Looking-Glass World Lewis Carroll's Alice visit.
  • Math and wordplay are staples of both works.
• Byronic Hero: Is as broody and melancholic as he was in Shaved Ice, with the only difference being he’s on the protagonists’ side.
• Chessmaster Sidekick: Is the most intellectual member of the cast and prefers operating from the shadows within Arklight Limited.
• Drink-Based Characterization: Enjoys a classy cup of tea as much as his Spaghetti Ice variant. In contrast to Vic, however, he prefers minty flavors over sweet flavors.
• Gender-Blender Name: Played with. “Alis” is phonetically equivalent to the female name “Alice”. Solana assumes “Alice” is female the first time she hears the name from Vic.
• Killing Your Alternate Self: Out of a misguided attempt to Screw Destiny, he kills Vic in Vignette 043 after learning of his connection to the Storyteller. He promptly realizes his mistake and spends the next twelve Vignettes working out a way to bring him back.
• Loner-Turned-Friend: After being talked out of Project Oneiros in Shaved Ice and occasionally visiting the Spaghetti Ice cast, Alis officially joins Team Arklight in Vignette 023.
• Replacement Flat Character: Vic was originally an acerbic Tragic Ice Character who mellows out thanks to his peers. In the process of doing so, he encounters an Alternate Self by the name of Alis. Alis retains all of his flaws but lacks the former's Character Development, serving as a contrast how Vic has changed since the events of Spaghetti Ice. Eventually, the "Flat" part of the trope name is downplayed, as Vic helps spur Alis's own Divergent Character Evolution.
• Smart People Play Chess: Shows interest in playing a friendly game of chess with Vic in Vignette 020. He's unimpressed with Vic's series of perpetual checks at first, until he realizes he's not playing to win, but instead to check up on him.

The Storyteller

The Storyteller

The overdeity of the universe, the Storyteller is responsible for overseeing the story's narrative structure. While the Storyteller generally acts as a humble narrator, they occasionally act on the story itself by triggering certain events in-universe or by communicating with the characters within.

Tropes:

• Author Powers:
  • Updates hair physics in Illustration 029 to better reflect out-of-universe Art Evolution.
  • Rewrites Alis's personality to be less caustic in the non-canon ending to Vignette 043.
  • Has the ability to Retcon timelines out of canon, as evidenced in Vignette 050.
• From Beyond the Fourth Wall: Acts as both the in-universe narrator and as an entity that can change the universe from outside it.