Anis's character story

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Description[]

A member of the Counters Squad. She is full of a bright energy that is lively and full of energy. If you like it, you like it, if you don't like it, you don't like it. She has no wrinkles and is easy to get along with, but if she judges that the level of intimacy is likely to exceed the appropriate line, she draws the line calmly. She gets along well with everyone, but the people she talks with are very limited.

Nikke Backstory[]

A girl that knows exactly how to survive in this forlorn world. Somewhere in between somber Rapi and off-the-wall Neon, she is fond of telling jokes to lighten the mood whenever things get too tense.

Personality[]

Actually believe in others? Now that's a good joke.

Among the three, Anis is the most sarcastic and insolent, although she still shows her obedience and loyalty towards her commander. This impertinence knows no bounds, employing it regardless of the situation such as playfully barking at Privaty and calling her the Central Government's "lapdog" or calling out Eunhwa's brash attitude.

While she generally does not value her own (or others') life as a Nikke, she still shows empathy and concern for the well-being of the squad. Perhaps due to how seldom she becomes emotionally invested in people, anyone who does become one of those few she cares about will be subject to an almost overbearing level of concern. Anis also rarely gets shaken off, and whenever she undergoes an outburst, she will get things physical. Such examples include Snow White who was hit by Anis for failing to kill Chatterbox completely or Dorothy who attempted to turn against the group in hopes of reviving a pride and glory in the past. Another notable trait regarding Anis is her nihilistic outlook in life where her defeatism mindset is more apparent in recent missions on the surface, specifically with the revival of Cinderella. It appears that the mischievous Nikke much like the former Heretic used to pursue beauty, befitting her own manufacturer. However unfortunate circumstances led to her abstaining said practices. As such, Cinderella's vehemence in becoming beautiful as ever is something Anis shows jealousy of.^[1]

Story[]

Background[]

In the past, Anis was once a pop star in a three person group by the name of Twinkle Tri-Star (T.T. Star for short). For various reasons, she chose to retire from the idol life and leave it behind her… albeit not on the best terms with the rest of her band. Anis would then pivot from her formerly glamorous life to a more combat oriented one as yet another Nikke in the fight to reclaim the surface.

Anis would become infamous for her insubordination; constantly back talking and ignoring orders from her commanding officer. She had no respect for incompetent commanders who had zero business being on a battlefield, she had no respect for her so-called duty as a Nikke to give her life to protect humanity, and she especially had no respect for humanity in general. Her attitude had earned her a reputation of being a black sheep.

Some time before the start of the main storyline, she met Rapi, a former member of Absolute who would get passed around to various squads, and the two would eventually end up becoming part of Squad 04-F that would later be known as "Counters."

Main Story[]

Chapter 0[]

Anis and Rapi would be assimilated under the protagonist's command following their former commander recklessly going after the Raptures which ultimately led to his death, something which Marian reprimanded them of.

Event Story[]

No Caller ID[]

Anis is deployed with the rest of Counters to figure out the source of an unknown transmission from the surface

BULLET X CHAINSAW[]

Counters is deployed to figure out the source of unknown energies around the elevator, leading to a run-in with the Devil Hunters.

Blue Water Island[]

Joining the rest of the group on a mission to scout an island for resources, Anis also gets a swimsuit, but decides she wants to save wearing it for the right opportunity. She never gets that chance when the sea road collapses, leaving her stuck on the mainland with Sugar.

Sea, You, Again[]

Getting word that Counters is heading back to Blue Water Island, Anis finally sees her opportunity to show off her new swimsuit and ~~seduce~~ impress the protagonist.

Bond story[]

Episode 1 - Trip to the Ark[]

Anis is gearing up for a trip to the Ark, asking the others if they need anything. After halfheartedly hearing Neon's request for a magazine, she asks the protagonist if he wants anything. His requests for good food and music are met with a good-humored denial. Anis has lived her whole life in the Ark, and she can confidently say those things don't exist there. That tidbit actually reminds Anis of something, and she asks the protagonist if he was born to a rich family.

His denial of such only confuses Anis, as his seemingly absentminded ignorance of normal conventions gives the impression of a sheltered rich kid, yet he asserts he was born in the Ark and didn't come from affluence. Rapi warns her teammate against digging too much, but eventually the squad comes to a consensus that they're curious about their commander's origins. The protagonist admits he has no recollection of his past beyond being born in the Ark and attending the military academy to become a commander.

This revelation, plus the protagonist's admission of spending time in a hospital, lead Counters to hypothesize his memory was altered by a procedure or lost in some kind of trauma or accident. Anis comes to the conclusion that the protagonist is simply an ignorant fool, and takes it upon herself to show him the ropes of Ark life. Neon tries to squeeze her way into this arrangement, but Anis makes it clear that this is a two-person trip.

Anis introduces the protagonist to the busiest street of the Ark, which most folks simply call "downtown" because they can't bother to recall the proper name. It's a lively place with loads of people on the move, so all sorts of events and coincidences can end up happening here. Anis has been subject to a few of those herself on promotional activities, though she glosses over what those activities were...

Anis continues with a spiel about how the weather is so nice even though the Ark is an underground city. At the protagonist's questioning, she gestures to the Ark's "sky," which is actually a projection on the Dome of Eternity that encompasses the Ark. A lot of work went into making the Dome project the sun, the stars, even clouds and the moon. The protagonist asks if the Dome shows anything else, which Anis answers that it used to.

Some time ago that she can't recall the specifics of, the Big Three ran an advertisement on the Dome of Eternity. It caused a major stir as people remembered or even learned that the "sky" above their heads was fake. Panic and depression spiked in the days that followed, not to mention the death toll...

Moving on from that part of history, Anis clarifies that the Ark's dome has only projected the sky ever since. The protagonist then wonders if rain or snow falls in the Ark, and just as Anis is about to answer, water begins to drip from above...

Almost on cue, rain begins to fall in the Ark. Anis and the protagonist take shelter in a store as they watch it come down when the latter spies something odd. While most are dashing to get out of the rain, some people are basking in it and gazing up at the sky. Seeing the confusion on his face, Anis explains that those people are the ones who remember. They still have memories of what it was like to see, hear, and feel the real rains of the surface, gesturing to how every one of those people lingering in the rain is someone comparatively old or even elderly.

Perhaps to help those people cope, or perhaps to reinvigorate efforts to retake the surface. Whatever the reason, the Ark sometimes sees artificial rain or snowfall. While Anis is bemoaning how the drainage will be troublesome after the shower ends, the protagonist can only look at the strangely joyous, teary expressions on those who stand in the rain. Anis checks her phone to see the rain will last another hour, and after some brief chatter, the two decide to get some food while they wait out the rain.

Episode 2 - Food[]

The duo takes shelter in an eatery styling itself like a fast food joint. After waffling between a burger set or a milkshake, the protagonist decides on his order, with Anis ordering the same thing as him.

20 minutes later, the food arrives. It tastes exactly as the protagonist expected it to. As he talks with Anis about the food's flavor, the Tetra Nikke of Counters has an interesting exposition for him on how food is made in the Ark.

The Ark itself is far too small to host any kind of large-scale farm, fishery, crop field, or anything like what people think of when they think of food production sources. So how does the Ark manage to craft things like burgers and milkshakes? The protagonist initially guesses it comes from the surface, but Anis has a rebuttal for that. The surface is now the Raptures' territory, so how could anyone bring back any kind of food, let alone in enough quantities to sustain the millions living in the Ark?

With the context set, Anis makes the big reveal. All food in the Ark is composed of Splendamin, a jelly-like substance similar in appearance to konjac. The recipe is one of the Ark's most heavily-guarded secrets, so few, if any know what it's made of or how. Splendamin is a tasteless substance, but is so nutritionally optimized that humans can live up to 100 years eating nothing but the stuff. In order to replicate the look and taste of other foods, a mass of Splendamin will be shaped to an approximation of the intended food, then injected with food colorings and chemicals to simulate the rest. Anis snarks that in essence, all of the Ark's food is fake, and everyone seemingly acknowledges that fact even while they stuff their faces with it.

Seeing the protagonist gaze down at his synthetic food, it's enough to make Anis wonder. Can people whose entire lives are encompassed in the Ark like him distinguish between "real" and "fake" when it comes to things like food? To her, food being "real" or "fake" is all just mental constructs. Food is food, the nutritional value is the same if not better than "real" stuff, and if it's tasty, you'll eat it. So why complain about your food not being "real"?

This prompts the protagonist to ask if "real" food exists in the Ark, which Anis explains it kind of does. Sometimes a lucky soul will bring in a cache of food from the surface, and the Ark itself hosts small-scale cultivars and meat culture facilities, but the expenses associated with producing and distributing the stuff means it's mostly a luxury so the rich can flex their money muscles. As much as some may insist "real" food tastes different, Anis doesn't see the point when "fake" food is just the same and so much more accessible.

Having learned the origins of the the meal in front of him, the protagonist muses that the Ark has fake food production down to a T. But that fake food is what keeps millions of people from starving. Anis chuckles in agreement with his statement, chalking up the Ark's current state of relative stability to the "Big Three" companies of the colony; Elysion, Missilis Industry, and Tetra Line.

Anis breaks into an exposition regarding the companies; the three she mentioned are the largest and most prosperous in all the Ark when it comes to their respective fields, on top of being the only companies authorized to create Nikkes. Elysion is in charge of military supplies, food, and transportation. Tetra Line handles clothing, entertainment, and daily necessities. Everything else like medicine and technology is in Missilis' playbook.

With that explanation handled, Anis elaborates that most if not all of the Ark credits the Big Three for their current state of prosperity, with the present tech base being approximately 100 years ahead of what it was and was expected to be when humanity first fled underground. Though the corporations do occasionally partake in...less than peaceful maneuvers, the Central Government manages to keep a lid on it...mostly.

The protagonist becomes curious as to how the companies manage to source the materials they would undoubtedly need to mass-produce like they do now. Anis' answer is simple; from the surface. Whether it's having resource collection teams work in secured areas or directly sending commanders and Nikkes to retrieve them, the Big Three and the Ark rely on the commanders to ensure a steady material flow back to the production facilities. But as Anis admits, even that is a shaky prospect. No matter how advanced technology gets or how optimized production is, the simple fact is that by Rapture interference or simply depletion, there's a limit to how many resources the Ark can acquire from the surface. The increasing instability of the Ark's sustainability is why there's such a major push to try and retake the surface.

As for how much progress is made on that end-goal, Anis admits...it's minimal. Territories are lost almost as soon as they're captured. The unfortunate reality is that in the century since mankind first fled to the Ark, not one square inch of the surface has ever been permanently reclaimed. Anis apologizes for bringing the mood down with negative topics over a meal, but the protagonist is glad to learn more about the Ark.

A check of the newsfeed shows that the rain will stop in 20 seconds, and the protagonist glances outside to see the rain taper off to nothing. With the weather clearing up, Anis decides it's time to move on, specifically to Royal Road...

Episode 3 - Unofficial Social Classes[]

Anis waves her arm to show the vast open Royal Road to the protagonist. Despite being just as crowded as downtown, the ambient noise of passersby is a lot quieter by comparison. Anis explains this is because Royal Road is the territory of "Sovereigns," going into a spiel about the Ark's citizens.

All citizens are registered with the Central Government via an ID chip implanted into their arm, ear, or neck. Because only those with chips are considered "citizens" and are allowed to access the Ark's facilities, the chips are provided for free. However, human nature is a fickle one, and there are always people who want to demonstrate, or at least feel like, they are "superior" in status to everyone around them. Thus, some began to pay a lot of money to get custom chips with designs from brand-name fashion lines or have it made from organic materials. A chip like that could easily run up a tab of billions of credits for something that has the exact same functions as something the government gives out for free.

This high-rolling behavior eventually led to a social stratification within the Ark. "Sovereigns" are the high-class who paid through the nose for extravagant custom chips. "Quotidians" are the mid-to-low-class who get theirs for free from the government or for a modest price from an authorized distributor.

Frankly, both Anis and the protagonist see it as superfluous, but that's just how things turned out. Despite serious protests from Quotidians and strong discouragement from the Central Government, the classism propagated until eventually, a part of the Ark was sectioned off to be exclusively for Sovereigns. That place ended up becoming the Royal Road they now stand in. Despite it being made to house Sovereigns, these days it's little more than an overly-luxurious shopping arcade. The protagonist asks how that came to be, and Anis has a simple answer; egotism.

The obscenely-rich Sovereigns who lived in Royal Road were surrounded by other obscenely-rich Sovereigns, and couldn't stand the idea of not being to able to flex on the plebs just by walking down the street. So they dispersed across the Ark, leaving Royal Road empty save for shops only they could afford. Eventually, this led to a de jure ban on class-based discrimination, meaning Sovereigns have to share facilities with Quotidians.

It wasn't so much the destruction of a difference so much as an invalidation of something that never existed in the first place. By Anis' take of it, the only "difference" between a Sovereign and a Quotidian is a construct the former insisted on to slake their egos. Of course, there still exist some people who buy into all that nonsense, but given how they seem to be satisfied with some shiny title that ultimately means nothing, the government seems content to let it slide.

With the worldbuilding session over, Anis decides now is the time to shop in Royal Road, much to the protagonist's confusion. That comment Anis made before they came to the Ark, about how she wanted him to buy a pretty necklace for her? Turns out she wasn't kidding, and this place is the only spot she can buy it from. The protagonist is understandably consternated about the idea of forking over tons of money, but Anis assures him it's not that expensive.

After a brief bout of shenanigans at the jeweler's, Anis is marveling over her new necklace. It's the newest from the "Twinkle Tristar" brand, run by a member of the now-defunct eponymous idol group, and beloved by many for its appealing designs and prices. With Anis having grabbed what she wanted, she's about ready to call this a trip, even though they haven't gone to many places. Then she notices something, and points it out the protagonist...

Two armed soldiers are carrying off a man in shabby clothes in what is clearly some kind of arrest. Noting the man likely got caught trying to steal some valuables, Anis calls it a shame after "all the work sneaking in." Those last words pique the protagonist's interest, and he asks her to clarify.

Back when Anis was explaining about the citizen classifications, there was one more type that she didn't bring up. "Outlaws," non-citizens who do not possess an ID chip. Outlaws supposedly make up 10% of the Ark's population, but it's likely higher as no one has run an official census on the matter. The protagonist remembers only chip-holders are allowed to use Ark facilities, so he asks how the Outlaws live in the Ark. The answer? They don't. Outlaws do not possess any housing in the Ark, and reside on its fringes in the Outer Rim.

Episode 4 - People in the Outer Rims[]

The gate to the Outer Rim shakily opens, an automated announcement asking people to be careful. Anis is in disbelief that she's actually making a trip to the Outer Rim. She's going along with this since the protagonist insists, but asserts that she's not responsible for whatever happens going forward...

Cut to one hour ago, when the protagonist declared his intent to see the Outer Rim. Anis was dejected but unsurprised, as he decided he didn't care for the reasons why he shouldn't visit. He didn't care that the Rim is unclean and full of criminal elements. He didn't care that the place was so lawless even the Central Government had given up enforcing order there. Anis relented to his persistence, on a few conditions. Follow her closely, do not talk loudly, do not look around and gawk, do not give or take anything with anyone.

A dark and dingy street is what greets the duo as they take their first steps into the Outer Rim. Every single "building" here is either a collapsed wreck or a ramshackle hodgepodge of materials. Most if not all the buildings lack electricity, and there's a stench in the air that wafts off of everything. Anis gestures to a group of impoverished huddled around a fire. Thankfully, none of them seem to care for the duo's presence, so this area is safe for some small exploration before they leave.

The protagonist wonders how people ended up here and why. Anis answers that this place was originally a dumping ground for all the garbage the Ark didn't want stinking up their shiny inner city. As to why there are people here, Anis claims they're all criminals. One of the common punishments for those who commit crimes in the Ark is the removal of their citizen ID chip, which completely gutters their ability to live a normal life in the Ark. People who tire of skulking through the Ark's alleys and scrummaging for scraps then end up here in the Rim one way or another, where they continue to skulk in alleys and scrummage for scraps. Then the people who drift in get together and have kids, and before anyone knows it, a veritable shantytown crops up on the Ark's outskirts. Naturally, said children also don't have ID chips, and the unregistered population keeps growing out of sight.

The sheer state of the Outer Rim is why a lot of Outlaws try to escape, whether it's by sneaking into the Ark or by buying illegal ID chips. The latter is doable in one of two ways; either a black market dealer sells an unofficially authorized chip, or a genuine chip is...acquired...from a citizen. The protagonist is initially confused until Anis spells it out for him; Outlaws will amputate or even murder citizens to steal their ID chips. The latter case is admittedly less common, as murdering a citizen is a fast-track to ~~life in prison~~ the Rehabilitation Center or worse.

The protagonist's next question is how Outlaws make a living in the Rim. Anis answers that pretty much anything is on the table here, but the most commonly-known practice is to scavenge Rapture and Nikke parts from the surface and sell them to dealers. It's incredibly dangerous and incredibly illegal, which just so happens to sum up pretty much every "job" that's available in the Outer Rim. The crime rate is so out of control that the Central Government threw their hands in the air and just segregated the Rim from the Ark with that thick wall they'd passed through earlier.

Anis explains that the wall serves a second purpose; to deter dissident groups like the infamous Heavenly Ascension. HA is one of, if not the biggest group that violently campaigns for Outlaw rights, and claimed responsibility for the train crash that happened some time ago. Her explanation finished, Anis asks the protagonist to get behind her. A group is coming their way, and they don't look too friendly...

One of the ragged men leers at Anis and...asks her who won today's ball game? She tells him the Red Dotz won, and a drunkard in the group guffaws, having won some kind of wager he'd previously made. The man who asked the question hands the drunk some wine, and the group shambles away.

Watching them go, Anis feels slightly sheepish for assuming the worst of the crowd. As relief washes over her, a voice calls out to the duo from the side. A punk-looking woman approaches them and asks their purpose in the Rim, and Anis answers that they're seeing the sights. The woman bluntly tells them to leave, and as the duo turns, she offers some parting advice. Next time, pick a better excuse like coming for a deal.

Finally back in the safety of the Ark, Anis breathes a sigh of relief and asks the protagonist if there's anywhere else he wants to go. With how late it's getting after that bout of excitement in the Rim, he's about ready to go back to the Outpost. Tired from all the walking and talking, Anis is more than happy to head home.

Episode 5 - The Ideal Look[]

The familiar sights and faces of the Outpost are a relief to Anis and the protagonist, the former asking the latter for permission to use his shower before trudging off tiredly.

Rapi asks the protagonist about his sightseeing trip with Anis. Hearing him mention a jaunt in the Outer Rim, the Counters leader remarks how lucky he is to get back alive, let alone in one piece. The fact that this tour of his failed to jostle any memories is unfortunate, but unsurprising to her. Seeing the tired look on his face, Rapi bids the protagonist goodnight and lets him go to rest.

Stepping into his room, the protagonist bumps into Anis, who just came out of the bathroom (thankfully fully clothed). Hearing him deny being too tired, Anis grabs a soda from the fridge and sits on the couch, asking him about his thoughts on the tour. More specifically, she wants to know what he saw in the world that they've been born to.

The protagonist answers that he felt both despair and hope alike were thick in the air. When Anis asks him about his plans for the future, he states he intend to do his best to live, one day at a time. Accepting this answer, Anis takes a swig of soda before she speaks...or rather, lets out a loud burp.

Sheepishly apologizing for the burp, Anis decides to say her piece. She doesn't much care for this world, what's in it, or what she plans to do. Frankly, she has no reason to live, but is too afraid of dying to simply keel over. She confesses that her will became stronger after she became a Nikke, but that was only because she had to become stronger to survive. Anything beyond simply living another day is just...something she either doesn't know or doesn't care about.

With that kind of mindset, Anis found today's trip surprisingly meaningful, claiming it's not anyone she takes on a merry jaunt outside even if they ask her to. Looking the protagonist dead in the eyes, Anis admits...she kind of admires him. The man's lack of memories mean all of this is a strange new world to him, full of both wonders and horrors. Yet he chooses to go on anyway, driven by whatever his heart urges him to do. Quite the opposite to her character.

To that end, she asks the protagonist to keep her around, which he claims he'll do for as long as she wants to be around. The straightforward answer evokes a brilliant smile from her face, as it seems the protagonist is all she's ever asked for in a commander; a reasonable person who treats Nikkes respectfully without abusing his authority. It's why more than anything, she doesn't want him to die. It's one thing if she kicks the bucket, since she can be backed up as long as her head's intact. It's another thing for a human to get shot up. Her piece said, Anis leaves the room so the protagonist can take a shower and go to sleep, a pleased grin on her face as the protagonist thanks her for the tour.

Alone in the room, the protagonist is about to take a shower when someone knocks at his door. It's Anis again, asking if he's too tired to share a can of beer together...

Story appearances[]

Main story[]

Events[]

Bond story[]

Brief encounters[]

Notes

↑ D.ramz illustrated her Burst animation.

References

↑ Story, Chapter 33. Cutscene: "Beautiful Figure."

[1] D.ramz illustrated her Burst animation.

[2] Story, Chapter 33. Cutscene: "Beautiful Figure."

[Note 1]

[1]