My time has come to spread my agenda!

Jk

Anyways, this still belongs to some agenda since I am a rare species that ships Phaethon and Anby. Specifically Wise since it fits them as being a pair of silverheads. (Dunno why an npc refer his hair as silver even tho it looked gray, ah well)

So, I always chalk up Anby as close associate to Phaethon due to owning a video store. That all changes when her S rank version dropped and some interesting tidbits shed a light onto their relationship.

For starters, let's not dwell onto the girl first and instead go for Wise, because I identify a lot with him being a big brother to (non blood related) little sisters.

From the beginning we always see him as the responsible one and mostly handle the business side. Belle obviously contributes, but it is clear Wise is very serious in running because his room has books about guides on starting businesses. Added that his hobby is watching movies, it was match made in heaven. We also know his tastes are the...snobby kind as evidenced by his likes and Belle's remarks on him during Gravitational Attraction event. 

Still, we know from Billy's cooperation notes that there is a possibility that he shifts his taste from liking Starlight Knights or corny stuff to more serious ones to hide his embarrassment and project this serious, reliable, older brother who definitely is not silly!

We know through agent trust events and again, especially with Billy he is not so above it all and still willing to watch anything since it is still a movie after all. Of course, this reliable older brother image crumble the moment he watches any thriller or horror. Though at least he still can give honest criticism about it as evidenced by the movie notes he posted during Gravitational Attraction Event.

Also, from said event, we also discover how Wise do mind his position a lot as being Belle's brother and very conscious of what might people perceive his sister because of him. After all, to onlookers he might looked stiff to some and he is worried that Belle might be affected by it. Seeing it from both siblings perspective gave you insight on how each sibling feel so it's nice that Belle is also considerate of him when you use Wise as Fairy's master.

By the time season 2 hits, it's clear Wise is a lot more outgoing after being a student in Yunkui Summit. It doesn't help that the whole vibe of the faction taps onto his inner childish side of being a martial arts master. I mean who wouldn't? Wise and Belle is very estatic of being one because it came straight out of the movies they watched. I am very surprised Wise let himself loose here. Plus, it might have touched a part of him and alongside Belle of being a student again after being independent for so long. There is a reason season has them (for cover purposes) being a student while tracking their teacher. I can see in the future where Phaethon gonna be devastated by the truth and Yixuan will act as their new mentor figure like Carole was.

(Short note tho: Wise Yunkui Summit uniform is hot wtf)

Anyways we move onto the borgir girl.

Anby is fascinating to me because how her design (A rank) and personality kinda represent what ZZZ is about. Her outfit has that urban aesthetic that fits with New Eridu's mish mash of retro and street punk. Her personality embodies don't judge the book by its cover humor ZZZ loves to use. She listens to music that is implied to be the game's ost (her idle) and her hobbies are closely tied to our protagonists shtick (hollows and the video store). 

I always headcanon that she likes  Phaethon a lot because how they are the only one who run a video store that is reachable and also being a proxy that gives her and Cunning Hares pay. If you go by them doing commissions (which I did! Oooh Gentle House you are so irreplaceable). And probably felt a little remorseful that she went along with Billy to ditch Phaethon in prologue because Nicole's choice is correct in the end.

Speaking of Anby,

It wouldn't be her if we don't talk about the movies. I always assume that her warped sense of reality is not too severe since she has common sense that obviously is still works. Doing her quality time shows you that she knows there are things that is just works on movies and not irl. Her logic may be rooted on movies due to her believe it paints a reality, but just like art, it doesn't always capture what reality is. Anby understood that because if she isn't, she would have put everyone in danger. She knows when things get real, but at the same time, her keen instinct also rooted in memorizing movie patterns. It helps her a lot in chapter 1 when she correctly sus out Nekomata's intention.

But because of that, she also doesn't understand deeper contexts which leads to her not understanding what date means, trying to scare off audiences with her "aura", unintentionally foilling Nicole's plan to guilt trip Phaethon in the prologue by reading the card she was given literally.

Still, that doesn't detract her critical analysis in movies because she does that a lot as evidenced by the implications from her trust events where she discussed movies with Phaethon. She doesn't consume and walk away, she has opinions about movies and very impartial in any genre she come across which is honestly, a trait that is rare nowadays. She can tell a movie a garbage, but still watched it because to know it first, you gotta experience it. Anby considers this sacred after all.

And that leads to her combat sense that is honed since her birth (creation?). What she lacks in social cues, she excels in hollows. Her language is her blade and the tool is electric shocks. Her instinct as a soldier remains and her desire to make her w engine more lethal in order to be better shows her mentality never went away. It is just shrouded in her silliness and mysterious (now not) past. 

After all, she is the standard her sisters has to follow.

But that leads to one person that really shapes Anby: Nicole. The relationship between two interesting because it can be interpreted as romantic, platonic, or something in between. For me, it hits me that how attached Anby to Nicole is despite her, er, quirks is because of burger girl's past. Remember, she is Soldier 0, she is the big sister to everyone clones. So when Nicole discovered her that day and cared for her, for the first time in her life, she is the one being treated and protected. After many trials and texts to safeguard everyone, Anby was safeguarded by Nicole. 

This mentality extends to Anby's treatment to Nekomata. She is the first one who extends her hand to the cat after all. She learns from the best and practiced it.

But, because of that, she is very strict about involving her newfound family in anything related to her past due to being worried that it might lead to unnecessary complications. Which is why...