Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

"What to do... what to... do..."

Procrastination lingered heavily in the proxies mind, forming his mood in a poignant state, undecided on how to spend his afternoon other than working. Business still refusing to boom after so much loss of momentum, the store barely racked in customers, unknowing of the cause. Feeling burnt out from watching the endless supplies of tapes the store had in it's storage, unless Wise had someone to watch them with other than Belle, the interwebs also fell short of any commissions – whatever the reasons may be, life as a whole, became a bit stale, which is a shame, it all radiated with the same feeling, dullness. The male proxy sought out for something interesting to pop out of nowhere, it could be anything! Cmon world, give this man your best shot-

"Me."

Sitting several inches away from him, was the female proxy, enticing the idea to her brother, who blabbeled on to himself for several seconds.

"..."

"..."

The staredown that could last a millennium. Remember a few seconds ago on how he wished for any outcome to appear? Yea, burn it, make sure there's no trace of it left.

"So we're just going to ignore what you just said right?" He asked normally, as if this were a common occurrence.

"Yep."

"Good."

Both listened to the amazing sound of nothingness when they looked around the room, Wise being the one to feel awkward, who knew whitenoise could be so appropriate at a time like this, though the audio got increasingly louder, how is that possible one may ask? Well those types of jokes can do that to any situation, and Belle laughed quietly, tapping each individual finger on the couches arm.

"Yknow I only said that to catch your attention right?" She said, breaking the silence barrier, aww it was so peaceful..

"I'm aware, that's the only reason you say those kinds of things."

"Then why do you act shocked everytime?"

"Because I'm human..?"

"That a good thing or a bad thing?"

"..... Touché."

Belle giggled at her brothers response.

"Alright, you caught me in your trap, what do you want?" Wise said with a sarcastic smile, raising both of his hands up for a quick second.

"What do I want? Have you forgotten, doofus?"

"Huh? Forgotten what?"

"Uh, your appointment with the Victoria Housekeeping members! Remember when Lycaon said the whole staff would personally serve you over dinner?"

"...! Oh damn! You're right! How did I -?"

Memories that previously escaped him, all came flooding back. After the ballet towers incident, Wise overexerted his physical and mental capability to control Euos during the mission, obviously his deeds were not overshadowed one bit, each of the members gave their gratitude – intending a personal service of a new celebratory extension, just for the proxy. The collaboration from both parties were a hit! Comparable to the guy who invented the sandwich, they worked that well together, why wouldn't they need each others essentials? The maids and butlers received a master proxy, and the siblings got good amounts of dennies, plus new friends to chat with! Any commission at this point is a cake walk.

"W-when does that start again?" The gray haired man asked his sister in a slight rush of adrenaline.

"Later today! At 7! C'mon bro you've been out of your A game recently."

"Y-yea... I have, maybe the decline in activities lately have left me a bit slow..." He sighed, picking himself off of his spot on the sofa, taking his phone out from his pocket.

"What should we wear? Been a while since I dressed up properly."

"That's easy, you should just go with your normal fit, it's not like they gave you a book guide on how to act in front of them." Belle considered, laying down on the couch with her arms crossed behind her head, a chill demeanor indeed.

"Hmm? You're not coming with?" He said, noticing the word play she chose when responding to him.

"Nah, you were the one controlling Eous, I saw your body increasingly slouch out of fatigue that day, you earned it bro! Plus, I don't want your gloomy aura all up in my space~!"

"I-im not gloomy!"

"Uh oh, the radius is getting bigger!" Belle shouted out faintly, moving her hands around her body like a mime would if it were trapped in a box

"Q-quit it with your negative comments!.... but, are you sure you don't want to tag along Belle?"

"Trust me, this is something you need right now, and don't worry, your cute little sister won't suddenly disappear after you attend their gathering!"

"The fact you think I would worry about something like that concerns me." He mostly joked, his tone. Ot catchingit though.

"Ok you can leave now!" Belle sat up, pointing at the exit with a pout.

"Yep yep, on it." The male proxy quickly responded, heading for the metal door, giving a two-finger salute before he got the negative side effect of 'shrewish sister' above his head.

|

"Hmmm..... should I...."

Unsure of how to attend, Wise thought about whether he should arrive bearing gifts of some sort, or if he should just come in empty handed. When comparing these options side by side, is there really any need to thought process this at all? The proxy had only one solution... man fuck these ho- show some hospitality for the people who cared about his welfare, one item or several per person seemed fair, so a quick run through some shops were in order!

Tires slowly waned as the male sibling reached his destination, the sun was just about ready to set, the orange in the sky highlighted the complex details of a restaurant building infront of him, for a place as welcoming and thronged upon, there were a very few count in numbers when it came to the cars in the parking lot.

"Woah... 'One's delight' huh? Fancy..."

Exiting the vehicle, he gradually approached the structure, sucking in the scenery, the excessive flowers on the walls ranged from teal, imperial red, sage, and any other color in slight various change in tone which could be hard to point out unless one was lettered on the subject, the bushes appeared to be wine glasses, that or it was a poorly cut out version of a cylinder, either one was acceptable, who was Wise to judge on a Topiary enthusiast on their expertise? Certainly not him – the proxy lives a fairly plain life other than the obvious - which was proxy work, so he tipped his imaginary hat off to anyone who had the determination for their hobbies that effect them positively and or the people around them cause he definitely doesnt have the energy to dedicate his life on a hobby, its all about the work industry.... Making his way to the entrance, there were two miniature fountains creating pleasant noises on either side of him; the design looked so darn adorable that Wise pictured baby ducks playing on the main level of the layered fountain in his mind.

The male proxy started to imagine how the Victoria Housekeeping crew were commissioned to keep the customers sated for the time being until he arrived, as if they were a backup staff to give the former employees an intermission, hence the time he needed to be at the restaurant. With a bag in hand accommodating his presents for the members – it's his way of giving back to the people who have no contract stating the need to provide any service for him for free, so he'll just say its a poureboire for now. He stepped inside the serene lobby, meeting a wall that ended to his left and right, what could be in the left corner? What could lead to the right??? Probably the same place....

"Good evening Mr. Wise."

Oh, he was so immersed in his own childish notions that he forgot the most important part of any restaurant diners entrance hall, the receptionist!

"Hmm? O-oh, hi."

He snapped back to reality in an instant, eyes locking on to the attendant who bowed slightly behind the counter. Now realizing the woman knew his identification despite being here for the first time.

"Uh, so how do you know my name?"

He asked with a tender expression, totally not a little disturbed by the psychic infront of him.

"Victoria Housekeeping rented the establishment for a very important individual." The lady followed up with a chuckle, "It must be quite the achievement to have a very well respected house eagerly serve one specific person."

"T-that so?"

"Mhm, by the looks of it, they all had their own delighted expression plastered on their features." Commented the woman, blasting a ray of positive outlook on the proxy.

Who knew the factions members carried deep fondness exclusive to the proxy, the whole ordeal made him blush slightly.

"T-that means alot, thanks for sharing that information with me..."

"Of course, though If I have the approval to request something small, I'd be most grateful if you prevented from leaking out the last comment I shared, the members have a fairly concrete record of not televising compassion towards any of their guests."

"Well, they kind of threw that out of the window by creating this whole event, hehe."

The woman tittered, taking action by leaving her station at the desk, standing firmly before the important guest.

"Te-he, all of this banter is showing me why they fancy you~" She said with a contented gaze, presenting her hand.

"May I have the honors of guiding you to your destination?"

Wise could only blush, her formal attitude mixed with her fully revealed attire consisting of a long sleeve blazer with a pencil skirt made his face heat up ever so faintly.

"I-id appreciate it."

He said, scratching the back of his head with the bag in his palm before taking her hand with his avaliable one.

"Right this way, Mr. Wise."

The brown haired woman said, matching his height due to her heels.

|

Allowing someone else to commence his direction around the intricate and jawdropping scenery never felt better, however something lingered around the ever so active wits of the proxy, how did this lady get the right person to greet? Did she just guess and turn down any other stationary passerby who had no knowledge of a private event taking place in the property for just one vip? Perhaps one of the members gave her a discrete description on his appearance, the clothes he wore and what not, if that were the reason – the sharp prediction on his attire rather shocked Wise, who'd have the capability to smack dab his predictability?... well he just shot himself in the foot with that one, as it's told not shown above his head, his characteristic isn't very quirky like his counterpart, damn you Belle, how dare you be on the money about this specific scenario!... but it was a good call on not permitting something more proper to wear, if that were the case, can't have her claiming all the credit so easily...

Taking in the temporary concealed space, the gray haired man saw no use in closing down the entire place, seen as he was being lead to a more secluded area of the fashionable eatery, sauntering towards an eye catching black double doors, are those sliding door handles made of gold? Is bro dreaming? Is this where they hold private party's for thousandaires?

Shaking his head with such intensity for a quick second, he decided to smell the coffee and accept this was in fact just for him.

Creak

As the receptionist opened the door accompanied by Wise hand in hand, it slowly revealed the occupants awaiting inside.

"Master Proxy."

"M-master Proxy...!"

Everyone said in unison as if they waited 5 hours to do so, the green haired maid being the one to stutter after witnessing someone commit hand holding with the proxy. Nobody paid any mind, it's Corin after all, she acts skittish when interacting with babies.

"I'll take my leave." Said the receptionist before kindly exiting as she stated.

.
.
.

"Glad you could make it, thought you'd bail on us."  The shark thiren said, shoulder bumping him, gnawing at a lolipop.

"C-cmon I'd never do that, especially since this is an important circumstance." He replied, hiding his self-accusation demeanor, twas Belle that saved his ass for reminding him.

"Mhm, I'll remember that next time I suggest a place to hang." Ellen responded, not taking kindly to his constant change in plans because of work.

"I am most thankful for your attendance Master Proxy." The Wolf thiren spoke out next, bowing with a hand to his chest.

"Don't mention it."

"I am sincere, if you had not been present on time – then our funds would have decreased with no prior way to restore it." Lycaon admitted.

"N-no kidding." Replied the proxy, unaware that they would have been forced to cancel the entire reservation if he were missing.

"Indeed I'm not, so I'll state it once again, thank you for joining us." Kindly gestured the wolf, escorting the proxy to the narrow table accompanied by many different chairs.

While making his way to the small steps that lead to the family sized table, out of the corner of his eye, something manifested before him, almost causing a reaction of surprise.

"O dear guide, allow me to store your belongings somewhere safe." Declared the Ghost maid flying beside him, a sweet smile shown as she reached out for the bag in his hand.

"Hold on, you don't need to do that."

"Why? Is something wrong?" Rina asked with a bit of concern.

"I-I have a gift for each of you... I didn't want to just come here without saying a thanks of my own."

"O-oh...! Pray tell what you brought for us!"

"Tell us!"

"Hurry up!" Pestered the two floating bangboos.

Feeling embarrassed for being the center of attention as if he wasn't already, Wise searched for the offering he got for Rina.

"H-here you go."

Unsure if it was the right call, Wise brought a gift with lasting affection... A very familiar looking piece of headwear Rina instantly recognized.

"This is..."

"A cloche hat... It reminded me of you when I first saw it..."

Wise conveyed in a heartfelt manner, bringing it up to the maid for her to grab. The same looking hat that granny Leisha wore, only this one had the colors relating to Rina, the main head being porcelain while the string band appeared red.

Alexandrina Sebastiane took the gift in hand, examining it, feeling the texture of the cloth, with no further words, she took the honor of wearing it above her head, replacing the headdress, blushing faintly in the process. The two usually rowdy bangboos also floated in silence, giving Wise a gentle nod of approval.

"I'm glad you like it."

Tenderly pushing on through, Wise turned to the wolf himself.

"I don't know if this will be as impactful as Rina's gift, but I hope you'll like what I got you."

The proxy said, digging in his mystery bag, pulling out a Random play logo'd ball textured like a tennis ball, holding it out for Lycaon to examine.

"Oh, uh..."

The butler cleared his throat before gently taking it off his hand, eyeing somewhere else but the proxies direction, his tail wagging softly from side to side.

"My thanks."

Wise nodded, thankfully his bright idea to sell Random Play themed balls came into play – now he moved on to the green haired maid.

"Corin! I got you something that could help your saw stay intact!" He said happily rummaging through the bag, if her introduction wasn't so rudely interrupted by her saw detaching itself, Victoria Housekeeping would have looked very menacing when first meeting, but not everything goes as planned, and this little maid looked more cute than anything.

"O-oh really...!?"

"Mhm!"

Now taking out the most heaviest thing from the bag, the proxy presented a small supply kit for Corin's desperate needs! Bolts that could withstand lightning fast speeds received by any saw, followed by a drill that could easily attach the screws to her weapon, to add it all up, there's a small bottle that contains moisturized liquids which could help jump start her saw without delay or malfunctions.

"W-wow... t-thank you Master Proxy...!"

Squeeked the short maid, who nervously but ardently took the kind offering, blushing as she hugged it, her back shown to him so he couldn't witness the affectionate gratitude.

Last and very definitely least, he walked up to Ellen who had an eyebrow raised as he took out her gift.

"How invigorating." She said looking up at him, insinuating a grateful tone?

"I thought it suited you, since it looked like your profile picture."

Wise chuckled, handing the phone case to his shark friend, the crying shark picture laid behind the case, not only this but he also got a pop socket with the same image, perfect! If she ever messes up the support, she still has the case. But wait! There's more! Not quite at the end of the special event – he gave her the final ingredient, a sticker, with you guessed it, the same image. So if she breaks the back support, or loses the case somewhere, she's still got the sticker glued behind her phone, and if thats somehow gone.... g-uh-uhm.... n-not his fault!

|

Proceeding with this lively evening, Wise respectfully took a seat at the center while everyone set aside their unpredicted gifts of gratitude. The whole environment felt like one big party surrounded by family, something the male sibling didn't have the luxury of experiencing all too much, it's not that he didn't want it, he couldn't... How would it be possible with just his sister...? Grief filled the mind, why did it everything end up like this... why did hollows have to exist...

tap tap tap

"Belle, where are you?"
.
.
"I'm still home, why what's wrong?"

"...Nothing, just making sure your keeping the store clean."

"Of course I am, I already ordered bangboo 6 to do so~"

He rolled his eyes.

"Typical, lol."

"Heehee~!"

Closing his phone, he sighed In relief, maybe this lost proxy chose to be oblivious to other perspectives, though it doesn't change the fact that it's impossible to know every intention behind closed mouths, unseen thoughts, whatever you could refer to it as. But what he can see, is the selfless acts of others today – watching their playful interactions.

"Uhn-na-nhe. (Enjoy some refreshments!)"

"Hmm? Oh, thanks!"

Completely missing out on the butler boo adorably struggling his way to climb the table, he presents a small cup of coffee to the proxy, offering sugar cubes and cream.

"Just a little is fine, thanks little guy."

"Nu-nha! (Notify me anytime for more!)"

A few circulate swirls was the key for a perfect brew, a single sip calmed the soul, well the first and last due to the size of the cup.

"I-i'm glad you decided to wear the same outfit Master Proxy!"

Corin noted beside the gray haired man, directing a nervous smile his way.

The comment caught his attention, slightly taken aback by the crucial clairvoyance.

***

"As per agreement to our private discussion, we've decided to join you on the table after you've been sated with our services."

Lycaon announced, each of the Victoria Housekeeping member bowed after the introduction, a small maid ready to speak out.

"M-master proxy-"

"Hey, Wise, er- master, now's the time to make use of us." Ellen pointed out, crossing her arms, waiting for instructions.

"R-right, uh... what can I request?"

"Anything you see fit, dear guide." Said Rina.

"Ooh, you should order Anastella to do something." Drusilla chimed in.

"No way, command Drusilla!" Anastella retorted.

"I suggested you first!"

"Nuh-uh!"

The two puppet bangboo's flew around each, eventually clashing into one another with murder on their minds.

"Oh, oh, hit em with a right hook, wait your arms are too stubby for that haha!" Wise chanted.

"My dear guide I'd greatly appreciate it if you didn't encourage their behavior. I already have enough on my plate dealing with these two rascals, it would lead to more trouble if they knew what they were doing is entertaining others!" Rina said with a smile, indicating anything other than a positive outlook.

"Wait, do you think we can make money out of this?" Drusilla thought out.

"Maybe maybe!"

Drusilla and Anastella back and forthed for a few moments, opening up the curtains to a new form of income, though the idea came up empty as Rina grabbed the both of them, activating their silent mode, guess that's a no for underground bangboo brawls, perhaps the scheme currently exists somewhere in New eridu.

|

"M-master Proxy-!"

"Wut-tai-nah! (Heads up!)"

"Huh?"

PLOP

All could be heard was a bangboo followed by a loud thump, Wise quickly turned to the source of the noise, mouth agape, witnessing a small bite-sized pancake travel at Mach speed towards him, attaining its purpose within a blink of an eye.

"Hmmph!!"

With less than a second of time to process anything, the butlerboo scored an impressive goal, flinging the simple treat with his pan into the mouth of the proxy – twisting it's mustache in pure satisfaction, giving necessary kudos to himself for the sheer amount of accuracy needed to obtain the feat.

Closing the entrance to his tastebuds was all Wise could do, and, he felt nothing but bliss, the fluffiness, sweetness, buttery goodness, all performed a small waltz in his mouth – ready to enhance the flavor up a notch, he picked up a small cup of milk and downed it with no further delay, recieving his daily dairy intake in the meantime.

"Oh my, need me to further your experience with my home-baked cookies dear guide?"

The male proxy nearly choked at Rina's kind gesture.

"N-no thank you, I think I've had my share of sweets today...!"

Nailed it.

|

"U-uhm, M-master Proxy-!"

"Hear ya go master, a one in a lifetime opportunity...!"

Ellen said very, very enthusiastically (very, I might add), slowly showing her backside to the vip, presenting her large, smooth, shark tail to him.

"You may....... touch it as much as you like."

She said with hesitation. Wise being unsure if it were out of embarrassment or pure loathing. Either way, if Ellen's offering this 'one time thing', who is he to refuse?

Don't mind if I do! He cowardly said in his head.

"Mmgh..!"

Ellen jolted slightly from his digits slowly caressing her thiren genes, receiving a slight difference in what she was expecting.

"Tihi...! Stop...!"

Chuckling, Wise furthered his action, slowly sliding his fingers against her tail, hearing sounds of soft giggling from the shark maid, he knew all about this technique of tickling, being a victim far too many times to Belle with this pattern of touch, for New Eridus sake! That woman's even his sensei at this moment!

"Ok...! I said no more!"

Repeated the shark, slapping his hand away with the force of that huge tail of hers.

"Hmph."

|

"..... M...... Master pro-"

"Master Proxy, as told, I have returned from the storage unit with the spork you have requested."

"Nice! Thank you Lycaon."

"May I ask why you only require this specific item?"

"So I can enjoy both solid and liquid foods."

"Ah..."

Contemplating, Lycaon closes his eyes, smiling to himself, perhaps the proxy doesn't have a needy side after all, a tiny demand endowed apon the maids and butlers are scarce, it should be since Victoria housekeepings ministrations aren't cheap, making the best use out of these individuals are a must.

And now, ladies and gentlemen, it's time for the best, most exciting occasion of all time! Give it up for............. E-ellen?

"zzz..."

Halfway through the assembly, a tired school girl dozed off in a corner, slouching on the couch, with a soft grumble, Lycaon shook her, bringing up a small candy with an intense aroma up to her nose, solving the issue quickly as she woke up – lazily snatching the saccharine treat from his hand.

"I'm up, I'm up. Is my overtime still good?"

"Stay focused, remember, there are no profits to gain from this." Lycoan reminded.

"Right, kinda forgot about that."

|

The night flew by, almost every attendant brought forth a lending hand, issuing a successful and happy proxy, which in hindsight, didn't need a tutorial on how to achieve, they could just stand in one place and he would feel giddy inside. Though a missing piece still lingered... ah! The food! Having a backup private meeting without Rina, the trio unified a treaty to NOT let her cook for the safety of anyone who wasn't Ellen.

Everyone sat at the table after bringing out the delightful meals, ranging from salty, spicy... hard, soft, liquid, and anything you could think of. Of course, Wise had first pick, many appetizing dishes presented, calling his name, knowing their fragrances have him wrapped around their utensils – fork, knife, and sink-er......? Though when push comes to shove from a non-existent hand, the proxy selected one of each item as to not hold any of the others time.

Moments pass, chatter arises, and stomachs fill up. The stately behavior in each individual triggered his dopamine, failing to notice any stagnant lifeforms that may be restricted to the microcosm service room. To his eyes, nobody felt left out, dining was an absolute to anyone who participated in the event, Wise would've had his share of alcohol; though driving back home with booze in his system is sure to not end pleasantly, in situations like this, his saving grace, juice would so happily substitute the thirst! Which leaves all the more mature beverages to Lycaon and Rinas disposal, who politely declined Ellen's small plea to have a tiny sip.

Throughout the night, Wise felt the subtle hints of stares while focusing on his last few bites, feeling a tad bit nervous on who could be somberly prying him, he glanced up- oh... Everyone was looking his way.... smiles across the board, all sharing a common achievement of satisfaction watching the proxy give off a soothing aura of content around him which lasted the entire session.

|

"Once again, you have earned our deepest appreciations for attending our small get together Master Proxy."

"A-anytime Lycaon, thank you for holding this gathering for my sake... I... really appreciate it..."

Wise responded, holding a hand to his chest. Recieving a fuzzy feeling of happiness, not everyone can say they have friends who are willing to do so much for them... Especially for the purpose of making someone joyful with no prior intentions... but on a side note, there's this unusual contempt simmering slowly, subconsciously acknowledging the few attempts at compensation being interlude by others actions without even realizing it.

However, wanting to dissect it was irrelevant at the moment, seeing that everyone said their goodbyes already, Wise stood next to his unlocked car, looking back at the restaurant, marking this encounter in a permanent place in his heart... Luckily he took a picture too! Watching his phone carefully, he saw everyone's array of affection. Rina's kind, welcoming smile,
Ellen's lazy, torpid face,
Lycaons tender, humane expression,
Corin's nervous simper,
Even the butlerboo's solemn posture of twisting his mustache again. The frame that captured a moment in time pushed a faint mellow chuckle out of the proxy. Until something caught his eye in the picture.

Whoops...

Neglecting an important property belonging to him, he forgot about the bag that once contained gifts for the faction. Thank goodness for his unnecessary overanalyzing, or else the complimentary Random Play tote bag would've been gone without a trace for sure! Only one copy exists as of now but if they went on sell (which is very soon), it would go for 3 ez paimentzz of 92.35, what a steal!

As he steadily made his way back to 'One's delight', he encountered the receptionist again.

"Hey, I just came by to get my things. Kinda forgot about them." He chuckled.

"That is no problem Mr. Wise, I hope to see all of you once again."

"Same here!"

He said delighted, hearing the sounds of a  car trunk closing as he proceeded to the vip room. Visiting once again felt eerily different, no echoes of laughter, nor occupants to fill the empty space felt depressing, he wasn't surprised how tidy and shiny the interior appeared even after all the chaos it endured, they weren't Victoria Housekeeping for nothing... Making like a tree, he quickly got out of there with said bag in his possession, before departing out of the resteraunt, the receptionist had one more thing to say.

"Make sure you don't keep your company waiting!"

He looked back, examining her pupils glance down, behind him towards the parking lot, though he assumed she was mentioning his bag.

"Oh, sure no problem!"

Whether it was an espers ability or a plain lucky guess, the woman apparently knew about his plans to sell copies of the bag in the future! Man what is up with all of these prophets today? Nevertheless, he did make it obvious by having the stores logo plastered on it, so it wasn't entirely a luck of the draw, but its strange how she just noticed the product...

Rapidly evanescing the thought, the proxy made his way to his car, opening the door, letting out a weary sigh as he took a seat. Today was fun, that's the least he could say, wanting to ween in more on the matter but his brain suffered from exhaustion. He turned the keys and started up the vehicle, requiring smooth or rather fast beats to keep him awake through the trip.

"Let's see... how do I..... get back home."

He said with a hoarse voice, rearranging his front mirror, decreasing the chance of a slanted reflector, can't have himself crashing after a wonderful day, so hopefully he could end it off with a restful conclusion. The proxy readied up his gps, and music to commemorate, playing the "songs I don't listen to around people" Playlist. Judging by the title, you'd be able to guess why it's named the way it is, Wise got the feeling that he'd be the only one to enjoy these types of genres in his friend group, though he wasn't against the popular trends, but a little bit of guilty pleasure to the ears never hurt anyone, especially people who wouldnt be able to witness this interesting flip flop of a collection................

Tires slowed down, rolling over the cobblestone below. Too tired to even think right now, Wise didn't even bother parking correctly in their own private lot, he turned off the vehicle and stumbled out of the moving machine.

"Home... sweet home... hopefully Belle left the back door unlocked..."

His voice pitched barley above a whisper, approaching closer to his supplication, an answer being essential.

Creak

"Hmhm..."

A wee smile appeared on his face, appreciating the subtle things which made his day just a little easier – realizing he really did hit the jackpot, a loving sister who's always supportive, and friends whom he could trust with his life... Not everyone is given the opulence of friendship, so he made sure to keep it, hold it tight, and never burn any bridges to the wonderful individuals around him, if he somehow messed up, to the point of risking a lasting relationship, he'd do anything.... himself he might add, didn't matter how hard or annoying, the people around him are worth it.

The gray haired man closed the door, not even bothering to lock it, a hassle of turning the key in the key hole at the moment seemed like hell, even so, gates protected the back of the building and what desperate human or thiren would ought to rob a movie store, that'd be one heck of a movie night if that were the case, might aswell steal from a convenience store for the appropriate amount of snack and drink.

Swaying, he slowly climbed up the stairs, if soreness also played a factor while he clambered, he'd call it a day, sleeping on the staircase didn't seem like a horrible idea, gotta stockpile all the energy you can get for the next day as they say, nobody says that.

Before collapsing on his own bed, he took a quick second of intervention to open Belle's room...

.........snore.......

Good, now that everything checked out. It was his time to clock out for the day, he's gotta give it to his sister, the male proxy really did need a break for once. She's had way too many moments of seeing through him, noticing the tenuous differences in his behavior – which bemused the proxy, the way he acts never changes, or atleast it feels that way to him; clueless by the iota of his own deportment, all he could do is shrug it off. People knew him better than himself he supposed.

flop

Grunting, the male proxy dropped down like roadkill, laying closer to the wall for the maximum amount of comfortableness, though the risk of some kind of monster appearing to endanger his safety rose to a unwanted degree – double downing just for the occasion was rapidly decided, seeing as he knocked out, a K.O from his pillow, maybe copying this method a few more times could satiate his sleep schedule.

***

Panting, Wise couldn't lose track of an evil beast following his every move, he looked back, not spotting a thing, knowing damn well the creature didn't allow him to get away so easily. Nightmares are a pain, the odds of obtaining one are slim, but never zero, and it so happens that the proxy secured one of his own, aware of the scenario similar to the thriller he watch with Belle a few days ago. A new day started, what better way to begin than having a horrible experience before you can even wake up.

With the ability of 'sleep running', the gray haired man had made no further distance from the leering monster.
.
.
.
.

Silence, his senses kicking up a few notches due to the overwhelming quietness.

BOOM

From above, the green alien looking creature appeared with a screech, scaring the daylights out of Wise.

"Ah...!"

"Aaah!!"

"Huh?!"

Sitting up at full speed, half of phaethon awoke, catching a glimpse, staring at a horrified green haired maid similar in appearance to a cute Frankensteins monster standing beside his bed! (So many monsters today!)

"C-corin...?!" A surprised husked filled word escaped his mouth. Quickly rubbing his eyes.

"G-good morning master proxy! I-I hope you had a good night's sleep!!"

She said with a nervous demeanor, bowing very fast and low for the gray haired proxy.

"Corin... h-how did you get in here? The store isnt even open, or atleast I think its not depending on what time it is." He Contemplated, not acknowledging why Corin would freely go up to his room rather than waiting for his approach down at the shop, if it were open.

He now noted how warm his body felt, catching a dented outline located beside him on the berth – looking up once again, the maid blushed pink, averting her eyes elsewhere but his returning gaze.

"I-i.... uhm..."

"....? Cmon Corin, you can tell me."

"....."

"I won't get mad, I-i promise, I pinky swear!"

"But... y-your going to think I'm weird..."

"Everyone's a little weird from time to time, it's just up to you on whether you want to embrace and reveal that strange side of you..."

".... sigh... o-ok..."
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"I-i... snuck into your car when you weren't looking.... I laid beneath the chairs in the back."

"When...?............!"

Thinking behind, the time he forgot to grab his bag before his leave seemed like the possible sequence for Corins bold action. A hand placed under his chin, glancing at the huge saw leaning against the cabinets behind the maid.

"H-how did you even bring that here? I would've noticed something shining at the back my car...!"

"U-uhm... I hid it in your trunk..."

Flooding memories crashed his mind for a second time, the sound of a trunk was heard when he entered the restaurant again to retrieve his own product!

No wonder she said that.... Wise thought out, going back to the moment where the receptionist mentioned his company.... not his actual company – but the girl she saw going in his vehicle! That kind of company!!

"S-so.... you heard my... p-playlist...?" He asked, feeling self-conscious of the fact that someone heard a part of his music taste.

"Y-yea..." She said, feeling reluctant to say anymore. "l-like you said... everyone has a weird side right...!?"

"Uuuugh......"

"I-im sorry if that came out as rude master proxy please forgive me!!"

"... it's ok... but, why did you wriggle into my car?"

"B-because! When we were all at the restaurant, I didn't even get to serve you once...! C-chance after chance I took, it was snatched up by the other servers...! I-i felt so left out, e-everyone seized my opportunity to thank you properly...!"

"That's it...? exhale Corin, you don't need to thank me through various acts of helpfulness, being my friend is all I could ever ask for. You, Lycaon, Ellen and Rina all decided to hold that celebration on your own free will, I never asked for it! But I appreciate the sentiment, I really do, i-it shows me that we are more than just clients and proxies...!"

"I-I know I don't have to, but its like you said, i-im doing this out of my own will... you may not know this but, the time we've spent together have always been magical, your always so kind, going out of your way to include a nobody like me...! T-thats the reason why I felt so content when realizing the opportunity I've been given to serve you... and look how that turned out..."

"..."

Wise let out a breath, sinking in the words of abandonment released from the green haired maid.

"So, I've come up with my own solution, to compensate for failing a scheduled service, I've decided to become master proxies personal maid for the time being....!"
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"Huh...?"

Chapter Text

"Y-you heard me...! I-im volunteering to become your private maid..!"

Wise shifted to the edge of the bed, soon making contact with the floor as he stayed seated. He stared at the extraordinary situation hes encountered, equivalent to an accidental start of a side quest for a videogame. Before dealing with said problem, he leaned down, grabbing his sneakers, shirking around this predicament, several seconds pass, no words exchanged. Now that he properly geared up fully for this impeccable maid who was ready to adapt her words into action – he stood up with a velvety looking smile.

"That's really generous of you Corin, but I think you're wasting your time, I've already elaborated that you only need to be my friend and enjoy some of your free time with me if you want."

The proxy gently held a hand on her back, planning to escort the timid housekeeping maid out of the remote, unruffled living space, though not an inch of her responded to his purposeful inadequate push, as if her feet were glued to the floor.

"N-no..! I-im putting my foot down on this one Master Proxy..!"

Thump

Closing her eyes shut with her hands up to her chest, the maid suddenly spoke with more than expected tones coming out of her vocal cords. Not expecting to act like a helpless child, proceeding to stomp the floor when she spoke.

"A-ahh...! I-im so sorry Master Proxy, I could've damaged master floor!"

"Master floor?"

Surprised by the initial determined path Corin so bravely took. Her adorable concern about inanimate matter coaxed an internal smile on Wise, soon showing said emotion, reason being the thought of Corin referring to his room as 'Master bedroom', which wouldn't be the wrong thing to say, though the ironic nature of it all caused the proxy to easily have a light hearted mental motion film playing. He wanted to applaud the green haired maid by mentioning the 'joke' she came up with, tempted to say "I see what you did there", but teasing the coy girl first thing in the morning seemed cruel, especially with the committed decision she made.

"How about this, the first request I'd like to make is – referring to anything in the whole building as 'master' is unnecessary, so don't do it..... sound good?"

"S-so I don't call you Master Proxy anymore....?" She said timidly, looking up at the man that almost doubled her height.

"You, could call me Wise, if you want of course, I'm not saying it's a mandatory change but I'm just letting you know that you're free to call me by my given name."

The small maid's face hued red, looking down at the wooden floorboard for a healthy amount of time, when it comes to shy people that is.

"I-i don't think I'm w-worthy of calling you by your name... is it ok if I stick with Master Proxy...?"

"O-of course...! Take your time Corin. I want you to feel comfortable when you say it for the first time, so no pressure at all."

She nods her head. "T-that applies to your sister aswell right..? O-or do I say master manager for her instead?

"Pfft, anything you say labeled with 'master' at the beginning of it is bound to boost her ego! I assure you, she would have a field day with it."

"U-understood..!"Corin confirmed with a beaming, nervous smile. "I-i-i know that I'm not the best service taker at Victoria Housekeeping Co. B-but I'll do my utmost to make your everyday life easier...!"

"...How long do you plan to keep this up...? I'm afraid you'll overexert yourself trying to serve me."

"I-i already decided when I'll stop...! I secretly pledged to be your service provider yesterday, a-and I won't quit until you say "T-thank you for being mine..."!"

"Thank you for being mine, Corin."

The maid's face flushed red, not sure what he meant exactly when those words were spoken, despite already Informing him what they intold.

"M-m-maybe we should rephrase that saying...!!!"

She managed to say in a higher pitched tone, covering her face with one hand while the other reached out towards his direction, waving it a few dozen times. She turned her back to him, cupping her cheeks in utter bashfulness, a squiggly smile appeared, unable to remain restricted away from her features. Wise observed the small girl infront of him, feeling awkward from the assumed constant stress he dishes out for her on accident.

"Uh..... so what should I say then?"

"I-ill figure something out...!"

She stated, quickly turning back to him with that same resolute gaze from before. The proxy could feel her burning passion even through all the shy barriers she holds up, to the point where if she discarded her meek nature, then the maid would appear more bubbly with a side of fierceness! Though he never did say he wanted that to be canon, the real Corin is precious in his eyes, she has her moments, and they shine brighter than any star in the sky, even if the maid refuses to see herself as valuable, he'll be that stepping stone of encouragement. With an eyefull of his adorable personal shy caretaker, he refused to ignore the blatant shift in her tone.

"You seem so energetic today, did you also rest easy?"

"H-huh?! U-u-uhm...!....... y-yea!"

"We will be taking our leave Master Proxy. Please, return back to your headquarters as soon as possible, your safety measures greatly to us."

The wolf thiren said, taking one more bow, subservient towards the proxy.

"Same to you Lycaon, stay safe!"

Holding a hand out, his Lupine friend shook it with pleasure, showing a merry side to him. The hand lock symbols trust – displaying the unbreakable bond these two parties built up from scratch. After the respectful interaction, everyone separated; the gray haired man now viewed out of sight for the members as they hit a corner towards their vehicle, however one of them had a few unfinished endeavors that needed to be tackled. Double taking, Corin stopped in her tracks, watching her fellow companions walk ahead of her, unsure on what path to take.

"U-uhm, Mr. Lycaon, I.... f-forgot the drill kit Master Proxy gifted me...!"

Everyone paused to look her way, Lycaon softly huffed, expressing a cordial look her way.

"If that's the case, you don't need to worry Corin. I'll retrieve your prized possession."

He said lightly, planning to walk passed her, back to the eatery, but two wobbly hands impacted his chest.

"N-no that's alright! I'll do it myself, y-you guys can go on without me..! I'll find a way back home on my own...!"

She yelped, removing her intruding hands away from her superior, not denying the 'prized possession' comment he made.

"Hmm? A-are you sure Corin? We could await your arrival while you search for the items in the meantime."

"N-no need! I'm already incentive in my decision M-mr. Lycaon..!"

"But-"

"I won't get lost, I swear! I-im not that helpless am i..?"

"N-no, I never stated that-"

"T-then please let me do this..! I-if I screw up, I promise i won't ever request anymore selfish notions!"

"That is not my concern, your safety is on the line."

The tiny quarrel lead to a moment of deafening silence, the wolf hadn't seen such a more insistent Corin ever in his life – the moment he saw her head droop down in defeat, he faintly exhaled, nodding his head gently, coming to a conclusion.

"..Corin, I trust you. You are allowed to carry on your desires..."

"R-really..?"

The thiren crouched down on one knee, patting the coy maid on the shoulder.

"Positive. If this specific scenario needs your care, who am I to cancel it? Uh-but please, be careful."

"Thank you Mr. Lycaon! I-im sorry if I pushed you too much, I promise to be on my best behavior from now on...!"

The twin tailed girl leaned forward, embracing the butler who so generously granted her wish. The Wolf held his hands out, not anticipating her gratitude to instantly be shown – with a smile, he reciprocated. Hugging the fragile girl with newly found courage. What chiefly motivated Corin he so dared asked? Nothing clicked, all he could do is hope for her return to the faction after her solo expedition. They soon separated, Lycaon stood back up and bid her farwell, not aware of the green haired maids tiny fib.

|

"So why did you let her go? The whole act played like a father allowing his daughter to explore the big world."

Ellen mentioned as soon as they entered their own vehicle. Lycaon sat in the driver's seat, Rina located beside him – the shark sat behind with Drusilla, Anastella, and the bangboo.

"Is it not obvious? I trust her, and I'm sure you can attest to that."

He stated, glancing at the front mirror for her reaction.

"Mm."

She hummed, shrugging without rejecting his testament.

"I'm just saddened that our dear guide declined my baked muffins for leftovers, I took extra precautions to make sure they were cooked to perfection!... Would you two like a light treat on the road?"

Lycaon cleared his throat, disregarding the ghost's generous oven cake offer as he starts up the car.

"Eh, I'll take one."

The other thiren bravely answered, receiving something one could only hope wasn't death in the small paper cup. With a raise of the shoulders, she took several bites out of the poison- I mean baked good.

"Anyway... I made up my mind solely because of the Master Proxy, I didn't catch any sounds of a car commencing. So by the off chance that Corin does encounter him, she'd travel with a trusted ally rather than alone."

"Eh? Hang on, if that's the case then I want to catch a ride with Wise too, doesn't seem fair that she gets the opportunity."

Ellen softly scoffed, wanting to spend more time with the Random Play owner, clearly not gruntled with the lack of a one on one with the gray haired man.

"Now's not the time to act obtuse towards her-"

"I'm not..!.. Corin is like a sister to me, but that doesn't mean I can't get upset by the options presented to her.... Nevermind you wouldn't understand..."

The car began to roll its wheels, everyone within the vehicle censored any kind of speech, the only noise that the group could hear were the external sounds of wind and tires spinning on the road – Lycaon's ear twitched, signaling him to calm the silent storm.

"My apologies Ellen, I should've never assumed any kind of resentment you possibly had for Corin..."

"Hm... it's fine, I acted out of term too.... we good?"

"Absolutely."

***

"Hawawawawa! What am I doing what am I doing...!"

Back where the ceremony began, Corin hid next to the same poorly cut bushes from before, blending in, regretting the best Cunning performance she could ever display, literally – if she had to impel her superior further, it'd sap her mental energy in a flash; luckily the wolf thiren spared her this time, though harboring her motive flooded the maid with guilt. The previous occurrence where she lied was...... how old is she?

Whatever, none of that was important! The drill kit never left her care and she's ready to play the lead maid for the proxy! Ok, wait for an opportunity, be sneaky and get in! Simple! The amateur plan never flew past Corin's consciousness, her purple eyes tracked the gray haired sibling walking towards the restaurant, without a moment to lose, she takes feather light steps, approaching his business car. Once Wise was out of sight, she quickly opened the trunk, gently placing her saw inside, trying her damnest to close it as quietly as humanly possible.

thunk

Step one completed, now all she needed to do was-

"!"

While making her way to the back passenger seat, she glanced at the entrance of 'One's delight', unexpectedly exchanging eye contact with the receptionist. Looking around for someone to assist her, Corin realized that this decision chosen left her unaccompanied, nobody could aid the poor girl – so with further nervous acting, she waved at the woman with an anxious smile, given the green light by the equal gesture the receptionist performed.

Now that everything worked as planned, Corin rapidly entered the proxy's car, laying beneath the passenger seats, breathing heavily. The plan itself was all luck and no skill, every event bestowed upon her was served on a silver platter – Wise leaving for a short time, the unlocked trunk AND doors enacted a foolish game of roulette, as if it were all rigged in her favor. Though the small role she played of the deceiver brought a small look of triumphant on her face, that receptionist didn't know what hit her!!

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"Uuugh...! Why now...!"

Like in an intense game of hide and seek, the maid's body announced a crude feeling, an urge to urinate would arise. A full proof plan only existed in la la land, but in reality, not everything goes accordingly – but with her indurate motive to serve the master proxy personally continued in her mind, this was mere child's play for the maid, though it didn't stop the uncomfortable wrangling down below throughout the entirety of the soon to be road trip.

***

Listening to most of Wise's playlist worsened her situation, but the goal line was near, the vehicle slowly came to a hault. Listening to his exhausted voice pricked her on every side of the body, blaming herself for not managing his energy by succouring him back at the party. Unnecessary self-inculpating doesn't make the job any easier – the maid heard his low, sleepy grumbles as he exited the vehicle, closing the door, preventing anymore noise to enter the car. The silence didn't brook her need to use the restroom however, the stillness activated her brain to send countless signals to her lower parts, causing the saw wielder to shoot her body up – impatiently scouting for Wise's appearance. No sight of him triggered her limbs to activate, pulling the handle bar, opening the door with ease, quickly retrieving her saw shortly after.

Only one hurdle faced her, the back door. Though Corin made sure to manifest a respite from her lucky streak – taking a short break to lock the two gates protecting the uninhabited lot. No holds barred for this maid's inner dispute, quickly pushing away the internal voices of backlash she constantly gave to herself throughout the sneaky adventure. Quivering, the shy girl pulled on the door handle, crossing her fingers that none of the landowners heard any sounds of a metal door's hinges squeaking.

Perfect. 'Infiltrating', isn't exactly the word Corin would like to use at this particular moment in time, how about, a friendly midnight visit? That sounds way better! Though before she meets her unaware master, a swift visit to the toilet was definite, but not without a quiet "P-pardon the intrusion." to accompany her encroachment.

|

Two things could act into play, one, watching Wise sleep peacefully all night; Or two, find a place to rest and greet the proxy first thing in the morning – both choices seemed like a free ride to the police station. If you think about it, a girl randomly occuring in your room would creep anyone out, unless someone was into that sort of thing... actually, don't ween on the subject anymore, the world is sick nowadays – no one would complain about the scenario presented. Either way, the maid knew the sleeping man before her would never find lecherous joy in the opposite sex dropping by his room, only question is, what would his reaction be?

All the overthinking scrambled her mind, she looked around the cozy living area spotting a couch that begged for her attention – though a noise interrupted the magnetic pull the sofa had on her. A soft whimper escaped the snoozing proxy, like a child having a nightmare; he twitched ever so slightly, rearranging his unconscious body to face her direction. Even with the unsaturated sight, Corin could tell his facial expressions showed one's of distraught, stirring him awake clearly indicates a bad resolution – so with a light bulb appearing above her head, lighting up the room (not really), she reached behind her, bringing out her trusty teddy bear. With endless evidence to prove its usefulness, the maid gently placed it against his chest, observing his arm wrap around the stuffed toy, displaying a warm, neutral face now.

Corin watched everything unfold, noticing the rise in tempo of the bears heartbeat.

"Mmngh...."

With a slight pout, the green haired maid felt a little rivalry forming with her fluffy companion, instantly wanting to take part in the embrace of her proxy aswell....... Teensy movements followed after she laid beside him, the sheets shuffled, barely pitching a sound – a hefty breath left the maids mouth, scooting ever so closely to the man she "owes", her face burned brighter, steam almost forming above her head as she stared at his sleeping features; his closed eyes, his silver hair..... h-his parted lips...! Gah! Get your head out of the gutter...! She shut her eyelids, hesitant to place a hand on his waist, but without further delay, she proceeded.

His faint snores soothed her stress... Until she realized. A girl, a boy, and something small in between them almost represented.... a minature family....

"!!!"

The sudden thought radiated heat from her entire figure, sure it was just a dumb unbelievable fantasy, but can't a girl dream? Besides, thats all its going to remain as, a dream.... it's not like Wise had any captivated feelings for her, she's just a background character, a nuisance for anybody associated with the maid... But that's why she's chosen to enjoy the moments created with the proxy before they would eventually depart from each other, no unneeded desire was wanted anyway, so it's best to show nothing... However, exposing it to a hibernating proxy was good enough.

"zzz...."

With her energy expended, the inevitability of falling asleep eventually kicked the maid down, supplementing the day, sleeping besides phaethon.

"You woke up at a healthy time..! W-what time did you go to sleep?"

Corin asked, following him outside of the room.

"Hmm... not sure, I wanna say around two thirty-ish?... What time is it?" He questioned, bringing out his personal device to see a clear 11 AM on display.

Close, it was actually before two. Corin self-effacingly said in her head, avoiding the availability of marking herself as a bad image – can't outright reveal her attention to detail when it came to him.

"That's good...! It's always beneficial to get eight plus hours of sleep!" She happily stated, following him into another, smaller area.

"Yea your right haha!..... uh, b-uh.... Corin? Why are you in the restroom with me?"

"Ah! I-im sorry, are you going to use the t-toilet...?!"

"N-no! I was just going to brush my teeth...!"

"Oh...!......... I-if that's the case... may I remain by your side...? I-im sorry if that's a weird thing to ask!!"

She panicked slightly, bowing a few times after asking the question.

"I-its ok! If you really want to stick by me, be my guest!"

"T-thank you Master Proxy...!"

An awkward moment of quietude filled the marbled space, unable to keep it's capacity to hold these two uneasy individuals. Water produced out of the facet, softly hitting the base of the sink – it was mandatory at this point, seeing as it's the only semi placid occurrence. More than enough swipes satiated the proxies gums, a few waves of water mixed with toothpaste swished around his mouth before ultimately gushing out at a rapid pace – later checking if there were any hidden blots stuck in the inner side of his oral captivity.

"Cool, done."

"U-uhm, i-its best if you partake in this activity twice every morning for the best possible results...!"

Corin chipped in nervously, suggesting her two sense on the matter.

"That so...? Hmmm..... ok then! How about you brush my teeth for me?"

"H-huh?!"

"Yea! And I could also brush your teeth in the meantime! Just give me a moment, I think I have a spare tooth brush in the cabinet, gotta make sure your dentals are healthy too!"

Wise enthusiastically proposed, crouching down on one knee, searching for an extra brush, all the while Corin felt her legs wobbling, thinking about the approaching occasion.

"Think we should do it in one session? Or one at a time?"

"Huh?! U-uhm! Y-your free to choose whatever fits your agenda...!"

She responded in an instant, holding a fist up to her lips, darting her eyes anywhere but his current position.

"Alright then! Here ya go!"

"O-ok..!"

Upon the proxy handing Corin his personal toothbrush, he stood back up – steadily taking the new brush out of its plastic case, plastering both the bristles with nice globs of toothpaste, battabing battaboom the preparation was complete. The proxy brought out a stool that laid lifeless in the corner, taking a seat to match the young maids height.

"I'm ready to be cleaned up by the best! Ready Corin?"

"Y-you think too highly of me Master Proxy...! B-but yes, I'm mentally prepared now!"

"Alright! Show me those pearly whites!"

By knowing the fundamentals of dental hygiene, Wise made sure he could do the maid's teeth justice! It's basically a necessity for him to know the ropes by now, past memories revealed him experimenting on Belle whenever she felt too lazy/tired to do it herself, with overwhelming trial and error, the male sibling somehow managed to cause his sister's gums to bleed everytime, uncertain if it were his roughness while in the process, or the female siblings lack of oral care.

Green meets purple (magenta? Idk), while staring at one another, they held each others brushes, slowly but surely bringing the bristles to their respective destinations, asking for entry without saying a word. Corin would say she's blasé to this circumstance, which is the case when acting on it alone, but brushing someone else's teeth while they do the same is far too different than the norm! Soon, both their own sets of small nylon came in contact with the opposites teeth, giving each other a full-dentured display – the maid used her right arm while Wise did the same, as to not tangle their own limbs together.

With a presented blush asking to be noticed by the proxy, they exerted the minty paste for the others health, the shy girl shuffled her hand horizontally first, attacking the bottom row followed by the top with such etiquette. Phaethon came with a different approach, waving his hand carefully in a vertical way. After the front teeth were done, the internal row needed attention aswell. However, having to open her mouth for Wise to freely explore in affected her flight mode, almost bailing all together, though the moment her sights witnessed the proxy expose his oral cavity with no hesitation froze her.

Of course... Wise trusts this adorable maid, no sense of callous could ever be spotted, a contrast of her own actions. T-though it's not like Corin secretly despised him or doesn't have faith in the proxy, it's just, the mind goes to several alternate paths... More so, it's the embarrassment she carries, even if she didn't Inherent her bashful persona, any Individual would act demure in this scenario, let alone find a route to this. (That's it, Corin needs to upload a step by step tutorial to unlock this path in the dating sim)

Even after she parts her teeth, a dubious feeling is left lingering, a few low whimpers escape her as she endures the bristles scraping her inner dentals.
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With water rushing in each individuals respective oral living spaces, the pair cleaned up any pesky dirt left in their mouths, both glancing at the mirror.

"U-uhm... Master Proxy what are your plans for today..?"

She asked, now facing up towards him.

"Hmmm... honestly, nothing really, I just thought I could stay in, maybe make a light snack before the day ends so I don't feel starved when I go to sleep."

"H-huh? You mean you want to feel hungry throughout the day? Why?"

"Hey, it's not as big of a deal as you think it is!.. That would be my usual go to whenever me and Belle didn't have any money to spare. I've gotten used to that life style."

"T-t-thats not right! Master Proxy, I-i refuse to see a frugal snack fail to sate your stomach...! A-allow me to cook a full course meal for you, please...! As your maid, I-i won't stop until I drop...!"

Ahh, jeez, a turn of events that's long been predicted, as to why Wise communicated his worries directly to the maid despite already filling in the gaps/predicting the exponential deeds the determined maid might ultimately commit. He scratched the back of his head, concerned about the last detail she boldly spat out... So with a fist connecting to his palm from above, a better alternative would knock at his noggin.

"Or, how about we go out to lunch! Dinner! However you wanna call it."

"W-wha? You want to take me out? B-but why all of a sudden?"

"It's not that hard to figure out. ... Listen, I know you want to serve me, and I'm super grateful! However... exploiting you leaves a bad taste in my mouth, especially when you say your going to deplete your energy just for me. I-it makes me worry, Corin."

"It shouldn't!... I mean-, I-i know I mention my condition alot, but, when I say those things, i-i don't mean literally! J-just figuratively, I wouldn't actually risk my health for you...! Y-you believe me, right?"

A two-faced lie flew around the statement, undetected by the proxy of course, if anyone were in this position, they'd also blindly accept her words without taking a second to rethink. I mean, if you did, you'd look like the bad guy, doubting a naturally shy girl who couldn't tell right from wrong when it came to minute sayings – besides, her harmless deceitful side looks exactly like her normal side, not even a gentleman's pipe could enhance his detective skills.

Without considering her syllables turned speech, he nodded his head, unaware of the sacrifices Corin is willing to make for him, even if it meant hurting her sub-par life.

She sighed In relief, relinquishing another small victory.

"U-uh... Master Proxy? C-can i have some privacy...? I have to..."

"Huh? O-oh! Yea no problem..!"

|

While Corin did her business aswell as brushing her teeth a second time for the "best possible result" as she put it.

Wise hung outside the restroom, waiting for his trusty partner to finish up whatever it is girls do in the bathroom.

Creak

He looks up from his phone, only to be greeted by his half-woke sibling fiddling with one of her eyes.

"Yawwwn... Hmm? Ah bro, good morning!"

"Top of the morning Belle."

The female proxy suddenly obtained all the necessary energy needed to start her day within a blink of an eye.

"Why are you just waiting outside of the bathroom you weirdo? Who's in there, casper?"

"Teh, you'll see soon enough, why the hurry?"

"Oh come on, you act like you'll disintegrate if you so dare to expose your valuable information."

"Mm, indubitably my dear sister, to what resides in this here lair? It matters not, for the truth will surely reveal itself in due time."

"My! I do look forward for our arranged meeting with this mysterious and intriguing guest!"

They laugh in unison as if they own the property rights to sixth street and Lumina Square combined, all that was missing are their monocle's and cups of tea, what flavored tea? Hopefully not green, God please don't let it be green tea....

"Ahehe, well since your being a buster, I'll wait, but in the meantime, it's time to check your calendar! Winter is here!"

"Indubitably."

"You can stop that now."

"Sorry, but yea, kind of excited for the festivities Sixth Street has planned, all of the managers are probably preparing a small festival, I don't know, I'll have to go check with them... or I could just be wrong haha."

"Hopefully something fun happens! Ooh, If it snows I'm definitely going to try and catch some in my mouth!"

"Uh, why?"

"Because, I heard it tastes like love!"

"Heh, Belle, do you really believe that?"

"People believe in Santa, so what's wrong with me boarding the train of blind faith?!"

"Haha, ok ok, I'll leave that to you then."

Wise said, shaking his head from his sister's gullible nature, was it on purpose? He couldn't put his finger on it, though trying to rectify her current stance would only lead to a pointless argument, which would also direct them to an apology right after the dispute.

"Also! Don't forget our dinner date, I want to arrive at the buffet just in time for brunch! I need my chicken and waffles!"

The blue haired sibling said with a giggle, failing to observe her brothers new worried gaze.

"Ah, t-that was today...?" He asked, feeling a sense of unease. "Uhm... your probably gonna hate me for this, but, I kind of already, maybe, at some point, made plans today..."

"W-wha?! With who?!"

Heavy Rustling

"M-master Proxy, I'm done cleaning myself up, i-i took the courtesy of leaving your bathroom spotless as thanks...!" The green haired maid expressed with a timorous voice, slightly pleading for just an ounce of praise from the male proxy.

"W-with Corin..."

He answered, confusing the short, green haired girl.

"W-with Corin?? Bro, we already made plans together!"

"I-i forgot! I'm sorry! We can always reschedule Belle, it's not the end of the world."

"Of course, yea, why not, you always tend to forget important things, huh Wise?"

"Belle enough, I admit, it's my fault, but I can't just leave Corin out to dry, I promised her dinner, and I'm not going to cancel our day out."

All Belle could feel was the treachery her brother so unexpectedly dispensed. She huffed.

.

"Sis... hey sis."

No response.

"Siiiiiiiis, you can't ignore me forever."

Her mouth twitched, preventing it from lapping a different emotion by crossing her arms with a pout.

"You already know I'll make it up to you, I always dooo~"

Her eyebrows changed from one's of annoyance to amusement, her puffed up cheek expanded more, attempting the impossible of not laughing.

"Boop."

He poked her cheek, causing her to burst out laughing.

"Ok ok! But when the day comes, your paying for everything!"

"Done and done! Give me a harder assignment next time teach!"

Belle punched him lightly on the arm, later embracing him for a few seconds, though during those few frames of clutching, she glanced at Corin with derided eyes for a what seemed like a nano second, before retracting to her normal, bubbly self. Soon pulling back from her brothers arms, walking past both of them into the restroom.

With eyes comparable to a hawks, Corin so clearly distinguished her stare, almost flinching in the moment but miraculously kept her cool, though her anxiety didn't let down one bit.

"M-master Proxy..! D-did I do something wrong...?"

"You? Of course not! those little arguments me and my sister have, never jeopardize our relationship, so I can say with one hundred percent confidence that you didn't cause a dent in our bond. Plus, even if you did, I'd blame Belle, after me, obviously – it shouldn't be your fault for needing a friend outside of work."

"... I-i see, but, are you sure there's nothing I can do to calm the tension...?"

"Oh don't worry, after a few minutes, hours at most, she's back to her usual self."

"R-right..."

A car trip is always trusted, I mean, the majority own atleast one vehicle, multiple if your a psycho, I said what I said, though your an exception if it's a necessity needed for meaningful use. These hunks of metal are so useful that the people who can't afford one take public transportation, is it your right to reject and fight against these machines? Well, yes, but your fighting a battle you can't win, life just goes n goes, and people have places to be, sure it's killing the earth, but neither you nor me are going to live long enough to see the calamity of our dumb resolution.

Unrelated info aside, Wise and Corin let their conversations reside in their own heads. The proxy felt this pang of uncertainty, feeling the need to comfort the quiet girl beside him, even though she's an introverted person who excels at keeping to herself and would prefer avoiding conversation or pity, but this time, an assumption arose, was she nervous? Not in the bog standard kind of way, like actually spooked of something? Perhaps he accidentally subdued her?

No matter, he quickly bursted the thought bubble, parking at a more secluded area at Lumina Square.

"Since I only made the reservation an hour ago, we still have some time to kill. You down to take a stroll around the square?"

His subtle words knocked the maid back to her senses, somehow managing to hear his phrase despite the long daydream.

"Y-yes...! If that'll make you happy, I-ill gladly walk around with you...!"

"Great! Let's head out!"

He announced, opening the car door.

"Ok..!"

|

The proxy/maid duo headed for the central square, reminiscing their previous encounters. Who would've thunk that these polar opposites, (to a certain degree) have had so many wacky upcomings, retaining the same bond as of today. To Wise, those moments held a special place in his heart – as they walked, he looked down, meeting her returning gaze, though she quickly retracted her eyes, watching ahead of them now; how cute, she must've simultaneously thought about those same memories, wanting to catch a glimpse of him, but got way more than she bargained for.

The sun remained ablaze up in the endless sky, shedding hopes at the likes of people who are at the end of their ropes. Luckily it didn't unleash too much of it's overwhelming power, no signs of heat waves could be seen after all. Yea... this is peaceful, except for the few times where Corin accidently bumped into several pedestrians, begging for forgiveness everytime. Other than that, his surroundings wrapped around like a warm blanket over him-

"Am I a bad maid..?"

"Huh?"

"A-am I... a bad maid?"

She repeated softly, taking one more step before haulting, leaving Wise a few inches ahead of her.

"What's with the sudden question?"

He stopped, taking a 180 to see her worried look.

"I... It's just, I haven't even done anything for you yet, besides brushing your teeth, a-and it feels like your intentionally preventing me from fulfilling my duties...!"

Dead on. So on the money that it zipped Wise's mouth shut, a small sweat gland appeared from his face, unable to soften the confronting blow.

"... That's why I asked.... a-am I such a bad maid... that you won't give me the light of day...?"

"No... it's not that... I..."
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A few seconds pass without a word, it was so silent that it'd be best if those ticks in the air didn't exist...

His right hand made its way to the side of his waist, a breath would flow through his nostrils.

"I need to gather my thoughts, Corin... Would you mind following me while I find the right words to say?"

"S-sure..."

With a nod from the proxy and a second head movement signaling her to follow – the male/female combo passed by the many establishments held at the square, making their way behind the tin masters coffee shop, following a route where the population diminished, going down the steps to greet the river ahead of them. Corin's nerves began to work overtime, feeling anxious, falling victim to the harsh, spine chilling suspense.

Walking to their left towards the benches, Wise took a seat on the sturdy slab of wood held by its concrete legs below, sucking in the peaceful sounds of the gentle water flow. He tapped the smooth surface next to him two times, politely asking the saw wielder if she could accompany him.

As soon as she descended next to the proxy, he began.

"I didn't expect your resolve to be so hardwired. That's Corin for you... You never fail to amaze me."

She blushed, averting her view by watching the peaceful waters.

"...sigh... Look, I don't take pleasure in comparing people, but... I'm glad your the one who's my personal caretaker... heh-if I'm being honest, your the best option! When it comes to Ellen... well, I feel like she'd just complain and glance at me menacingly if I ever requested anything. With Lycaon... anything but ease comes to mind, he's such a professional that I see myself as a stick in the mud if he ever personally served me... and with Rina... eh, she would be fine – until the time for lunch starts. Either way, im just a stud on the ground."

He chuckled at the last few statements.

"So that just leaves you... your the perfect maid – you can cook, clean, and your manners are just super refined! Be proud of yourself! The only thing that holds you back is your shyness, but I see that as a good thing, so there's this amount of cons to you."

He spoke out, holding his hand out low. Indicating that Corin has barley any faults to her.

During the proxies speech, Corin refuted the critic's he stated in her head, something along the lines of "T-thats not true...!", and "They would never see you as a nuisance...!". Though the only thing she would outwardly express were a few words-

"T-thank you... Master Proxy..."

Her emotions reveal true, though the rising suspicion cycling in the proxies skull lead him to believe otherwise, so just to be sure-

"And, if it makes you feel any better, I promise you can be my service provider from now on, I'll make small requests for you to fulfill. But before that, just go along with this silly day of ours."

He winked, raising his eyebrows gently for a response.

"O-of course Master Proxy!"

She cheerfully voiced, showing more life to her eyes than before his last response. Bingo, his firm speculation revealed itself to be accurate, bout time he's had one over her!

"I'll say it one more time, ha-im glad your here with me."
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Those words followed with a sonorous voice simmered in the maid's head, her eyes widened as she peeked his way, soon staring at his closed eye smile that pushed her to an unbearable degree. For a second, the faded sounds of the calm waves gave an illusive sense of the world coming to a screeching stop... Nothing existed, barring the proxy... The moment his green eyes aligned with hers, she shifted closer... Mouth barley gaped, leaning ever so slightly to the man...

.

"Corin."

"Y-yes...?"

Her voice spawned a new, stuttered note. A soft, dedicated pitch that aired out any signs of restraint, one where her nerves lacked any signals of cowardice...

"We gotta head out before our table gets swiped!"

He expressed in a light manner, standing up, swiping his legs before holding out a hand for his maid.

"O-oh...! Right! Let's!"

Next time... Don't let up just yet.

***

"S-so, Master Proxy...! Where are we dining..?"

"We!"

Unnecessary pause

"Are going to, 'Lamm's!' Ever heard of it?"

"Y-yes I have...! I had a commission to work there for a day!.. Everyone was very busy at Victoria Housekeeping, so Mr. Lycaon sent me for the job..!"

"What a coincidence! Mind sharing your experience? Maybe your one day trial co-workers will recognize you!"

"I-i don't know... it's embarrassing...!"

"Why...? Did, something happen?"

"W-well..."

Folded under zero pressure.

"When I was a waitress, everyone would prefer a different attendant...! Even when i did have someone I could help, we only exchanged yelps instead of words... I only got to truly serve one customer because every other service taker was busy..."

"What happened to the person you took care of?"

"H-he actually liked my services...! T-thats why after my shift ended, I was confused on why nobody wanted my care...!"

Wise took in what she dished out, knocking down almost all possible answers, why would they reject such an adorable harmless looking maid?

"Until my fellow workers told me that my saw scared them..."

Ok, now the cats out of the hollow. In his perspective, the reasoning's from the pedestrians seemed ludicrous. Buuuuut since he played it fair, witnessing a saw wielding waitress approach your table would have coined a new fear.

"I see... Did that upset you?"

"S-sort of... I had it because, what if a bad guy appeared? W-who would protect the unarmed civilians...?"

"Mhm... but, wouldn't you be a little spooked if a person with a dangerous weapon walked up to you?"

"N-no!... W-well... I'd have to get over my fear of people in general first, b-but if I did! I wouldn't discriminate against someone who's prepared for self-defense...!"

"Mm.... that's if their weapon is for that reason only right?"

"Of course... I-im not going to mislead you and say I wholeheartedly believe any weapon wielder has the best intentions... but, with a good perception, you can tell who's good or not..."

"Mmm..."

The pair kept their steady pace towards the restaurant, the male proxy couldn't grasp just how much faith she had in others. So much so that he pushed aside any other previous thoughts, he wished that positivity could be directed towards herself from time to time, who knew people had the capability of setting others at such a high degree, only to bring themselves down in the process.

"Ah! I-i-im sorry, I went on a whole tangent without your approval...!"

"No, it's ok! I'm glad you expressed your inner frustrations. It shows that there's more than meets the eye!"

Puddy, is the description Corin felt at the moment, no matter what she says or does, this proxy always had a compliment to get her back on her feet. She walked alongside him, apprehensive by the prying eyes as they grow closer to their destination.

|

"Man, this wait time is insane! Can't we go somewhere else?"

.

"I love you~"

"I love you more~"

"Oh you~!"

As the building came within... well walking range. Corin noticed a rising number of couples in the region – soft laughter, romantic tension, and the love left prolonging itself in the air. Her comfort zone held on by a thread, the lone source of solace was received by the proxy beside her, soon realizing that they themselves blended in with the masses, causing her to heat up inside, though obviously it was wishful thinking, can't have your hopes up for delusional scenarios.

The couple of friends (see what I did there?) proceeded near the restaurant, soon sheathing themselves from the ball of fire above, having to meet the reception at the right of the room while couples sat on the left.

"Good afternoon, are you here to book a reservation?"

".........Uh no actually, I've already set one up online, under Wise."

The gentleman behind the counter opened his little tablet under him, searching  through the wait list.

"Hmm... Wise.... Wise... ah! Here we go, right on time!"

He taps on the device, leaving the unknowing duo to witness his smile grow a little wider, whatever kind of shenanigans was going through his head seemed pretty joyous!

"A table for two, alright! Gotta say Mr. Wise, your date is really adorable!"

"H-huh?"

An audible sound of confusion escaped from the maid's vocals, caught off guard by the workers bold assumption.

"Thank you! Isn't my girlfriend just the cutest?"

"H-HUH?!"

With the maid's face shaded pink, her status with the proxy shot up from Master and servant, to a shocking romantic relationship! Though her knowledge on the matter was nowhere to be found!

"Judging by her reaction, she's a shy one ain't she?"

"Your absolutely right! she usually feels nervous revealing our relationship around stranger's so we look like friends rather than a couple sometimes, but when she's comfortable – we glue to each other like magnets. Isn't that right Corin?"

Disguising some truth beneath a nearly forgotten ruse prevented the coy maid from denying his statement...

"Y-yes...! T-t-that's correct...!"

Though she didn't shoot down any of the proxies claims. Soon hugging his arm, closing her eyes as her smile beamed with joy – she'd always assumed differently since the proxy gave the impression of setting them as having a more frivolous relationship, but now that's rebuted. The entire scene was surprising to say the least, but the more prevelant display was Corin accepting his sudden claim, guess you should fight the unexpected with the unexpected.

|

Never leaving his side, Corin held onto the proxy with an enduring grin. The couple were being escorted by a waitress, approaching a table accompanied by two sofas at the corner, the lonely regulars at the restaurant thought this saw wielding girl would work for a second time, reaching the point of being frightened, though the maid paid no mind, she had a date of her own (ha, take that you lonely fu-). After reaching their designated area, Wise took one side while Corin... Sat by him, clinging to his arm, discovering codependency, the need for another seat seemed silly to her since she could just sit by her boyfriend. (The other couch needs attention too!)

After the waitress bowed, she left for the time being, ready to make her appearance once the couple were ready to order.

"M-master Proxy... S-should I make a request to the manager? So I can be a waitress for the moment?.. T-that way, I can take your order personally...!"

The gray haired man chuckled, watching the shy maid raise her head up, arms remained around his.

"No need Corin, and thank you for playing along with my act, you did very well!"

.
.
.

"W-what.....?"

"I saw that there was a couples discount at this place, you get way more benefits and a way better service than a normal customer would recieve for some reason... that's what the website said atleast, can't they get sued for something like that? I don't know."

He said while placing a hand under his chin, stating the last part to himself.

"Anyway, sorry I didn't inform you, it kinda slipped my mind. I only remembered when we came in here, so I had no prior way of telling you, but I just went with the flow and I'm glad you picked up on it! Your amazing!"

Alright, Alot to take in Corin, dont cry, don't cry, please dont cry!... While she won the battle against her tears, the damage her heart took was devastating – now she knew why he asked her to play along with this "silly day" of theirs earlier, then again, he forgot, so what the hell, was this a cruel joke?

"T-thank you... I-i have a knack for... p-pretending..."

She uttered slowly and miserably, keeping her voice at a higher pitch to make her true emotional state seem less obvious, hiding her face by looking down, gripping his arm tighter ever so slightly.

***

"Wow! I wouldn't have been able to guess the captivating scenery in this lovely dining room, and I'm still none the wiser, how did you find this place Lycaon?"

Sitting a few feet away from the previous pair, were a couple that played a very believable act. Thanks to his increasing guilt for not accepting the ghost maid's sweet delights on multiple occasions – Lycaon took Rina out for dinner as an apology without actually saying sorry... and avoiding to disclose his reasoning for this date in the first place, just a "lovely dinner" would be good enough.

"It's been recommended to me by several clients, and now I see why they fancy it so much."

He stated, seeing how his 'Wife' gawked at their surroundings, which brought a light smile to the wolf's face.

Going a few steps of time back, Lycaon proposed a dinner date to Rina, requesting that they act like a married couple to obtain the better service, and by golly did they nail it! As soon as they appeared by the buildings front entrance, they just screamed married! They elegantly entered the restaurant in arms, giving and receiving compliments from one another – all while having propped rings equipped. To say that this duo were like two peas in a pot was an understatement!

The thiren joined in on the observation, one neat detail anyone could spot were the hearts located at the middle of each table – anyone who purchased the couples discount had a table stand, however it pinched the bottom of a paper heart rather than a number, which makes it simpler as to who's a couple or not.

"Mm?" The thiren's ears propped up.

Whether dirt sabotaged his sharp eyes or he just imagined them, Lycaon spotted some unique individuals that could never be mistaken for others, aswell as the prominent heart which unveiled the improbable.

"Well would you look at that..."

Lycaon gently said, expressing a soft- almost proud smile.

"Hmm? Look at what, honey?"

Lycaon silently pointed behind her right side with a jaunty demeanor. One good look, no, a double take, disclosed her curiosity, wonderment invaded her eyes upon witnessing Corin and Wise on a date.

"Awww! Our daughter is all grown up!"

She said, leaning on her clasped hands, rejoicing.

"Indeed she has."

Lycaon followed up, playing along with Rina's motherly persona.

***

The hued interior of the restaurant assisted in giving off a more romantic vibe for the couples, enhancing the experience with gentle lovey dovey music, not gonna name any names here but the 2010's remastered version of a specific song sounds amazing!

Unbeknownst to the motive, Wise received a generous offering of liquor from the waitress – rejecting the kind gift but with enough inducement by the server, he humored her, taking a sip. With widespread eyes, he downed it without even knowing. Either it was karma for deciving Corin or just the service takers job, he increasingly got hammered with each round, the scarcity of food didn't help either.

The maid's anxious mind rose up, needing to request water from any of the workers, though her timidness prevented such actions.

"H-hello..? O-oh."

.

"E-excuse me...!"

.

"H-he needs water...!"

.

With each passerby, the saw wielder would fail to raise her voice every time, disappointed by her lack of courage... If only she could imagine every person around the facility as her friends, but alas, shape-shifting a person for your convenience doesn't exist.

A small tray came in contact with their table.

"Here is your bill, I hope you two have a lovely evening."

"Thanks."

"A-ah, excuse me...! Can I- uh-....."

With no opportunity to speak, the waitress escorted herself to another table, giving zero damn's about the maids troubles.

"Hey is' okayy Corin, is' on me..!"

"T-thats not the problem Master Proxy...! Y-you need to ingest some water into your system...!"

With inexplicable reason for panicking, the proxy laughed it off, patting her on the head.

"Hey, hey, why the long face...? Tell you what, I'll pay for everything, then we can go back home...! Sound good?"

"B-but, I'm worried about your condition... I-it's not safe for you to drive, h-hand me your keys please...!"

"Oh c'mon Corin, dont trouble yourself for my benefit...! Scooch over, let's go."

"I-i won't move until you give me the keys...! I refuse to see you do something illicit..!"

She said above a whisper, almost apologizing for acting out of term but would deviate from it, Wise needed to get home safe and if she has to act stubborn to achieve that goal, so be it.

With the best 'glare' one shy girl could manage, she looked up at him with an adorable pout, causing the proxy to sigh in defeat.

"O-ok... you win Corin... please take care of this failure..."

He said in a somber way, handing over the 'key' to their exit. (Ha)

"P-please don't ever say that again... You'll never reach that point in your life... T-to me that is..."

|

The sun began to set, presenting a lighter orange as opposed to the bright blue that came before, the color looked identical to the booze, drank by the proxy. The word drunk wasn't underplayed either, seeing the negative connotations take a toll on his behavior, showing severity, forcing the maid to coddle the proxy, though subduing an individual as important as him had her confidence burn to cinders. However, her made up contract states that the Master Proxy must be handled with an etiquette manner, assuring he remains appeased.

With both passengers in the car, the only thing she should focus on now was a way to assuage her increasing disquietude, not because of how inexperienced of a driver she was, Lycaon already taught her the basics of a full fledged vehicle, (took many attempts but she got the hang of it) but because of the half-conscious proxy sitting next to her, ignoring the safety precautions he should already be aware of.

"M-master Proxy, we're already on the road, please put your seat belt on..."

.

"T-Fine..."

Click

When the deed was done, he rested his arm over the cup holders, accidentally pushing down on a water bottle placed in one of them.

Corin took a quick glance, noticing the savior to his eventual hangover.

"W-while your at it, you should drink some water, it'll greatly assist your health tomorrow..."

"Mm... not in the mood..."

"P-please..? Master Proxy, I just want you to be chipper when you wake up tomorrow, i-i'd hate to be the reason why you'll end up sick..."

"Is fine Corin, eiwont be your fault."

The mulish responses he furnished at the maid twisted a new reaction... frustration.

"Master Proxy.... please, it's all I ask of you, i-i want you to listen, for your sake...!"

"Mmmmm..."

With a new conduct emanating from the proxy, she grew saddened, not only is he acting like a child, but he tried to avoid her services, PLAYED with her feelings, going as far as to hornswoggle the poor girl into thinking they became a thing, only to FUCKING shoot it down-!

"Master Proxy!!.... geh, sniff, I beg you... just drink the water, sniff, for me... please?"

Shedding a few tears, she turned her head towards him, asking a simple favor that didn't harm anyone, it's not like she dared him to face his biggest fear for the fun of it! No! She only wants his body to receive an appropriate dosage of water to negate the effects of alcohol....

Realizing his grave mistake, Wise felt like dirt, a scum of the earth... Even if he shared his thoughts to the sorrowful maid before him, she'd still defend him, his worst enemy was himself after all... Despite being tipsy, the image of a crying Corin forever burned in his retinas. With a shameful tone, he agreed to her suggestion.

"I will... Sorry Corin..."

Even with his actions affecting the saw wielder negatively, she couldn't hate him, if she did, then imagining a life where her favorite person would no longer take part in her own little world scared her... way too much. Besides, his decisions in no way shape or form had any intentions to hurt the maid, and she knew this, time after time he always communicated that he found displeasure in using her, though the reservation incident could've been handled more professionally, either way, Wise isn't a bad guy, though his actions don't always go as planned in the mental department. At times like these, she could always turn to her Teddy bear for emotional support, the stuffing inside always felt soft, she couldn't wait to embrace it later.

|

"Upsy daisy..."

Parked behind the Random Play store, Corin assisted the half-asleep proxy out of the vehicle, holding his hand in embarrassment as they approached the backdoor. As soon as the doors hinges squeeked like a rave party, quickened footstep could be heard on the second floor.

"Wise-!"

Belle cheerfully said, looking below from the top of the steps, spotting two individuals rather than one.

"eeeeee-and Corin...! Wow heh...!"

"M-master Manager! Sorry for the intrusion, i-i was just taking Master Proxy back to his headquarters...!"

"Awww you shouldn't have...! Really..!... Don't worry, I'll take care of the rest, you can head on back home!"

"Huh? But I have to take care of him, h-hes intoxicated...!"

"Like I said, don't worry about it! He'll be better off with his sister instead..!"

With barley a glint in the female proxies eyes, Corin felt discontented, though it might be the mind playing a trick on her since Belle was expressing a 'friendly' smile. Once Belle stooped down to their level, she grabbed ahold of her brothers arm, ready to take charge.

"Master manager, i-im sorry if I'm being selfish here but i-its my responsibility to care for him...! I-ill make sure Master Proxy gets the help he deserves, I promise...!"
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Belle only sighed, keeping her smile on display as she nodded.

"Alright then! Just make sure you give him a stern talk first thing in the morning ok?"

"Y-yes of course..!"

With a wave, the blue haired girl took first dibs on climbing the stairs, walking away from the maid's perception. After Corin heard a door close, she proceeded to follow the path of victory, soon reaching her destination with the proxy.

Creak

As she gently placed Wise upright on his bed, she examined his sleeping features, blushing at his adorable face.

***

Tap Tap Tap

"Master Proxy, before you indulge in your own thoughts, drink some more water please..."

With a few taps to his cheek, the proxy opened his eyes, facing the green haired girl with a glass of water, luckily he followed her instructions, grasping the cup before taking his time in sipping the cold beverage. Like a child who's been on his best behavior, he got tucked in his bed by the maid, feeling her smooth hand rub against the top of his head as she hummed a small lullaby.

"zzz..."

Soft snores escaped his mouth, gaping slightly while he slept.

Corin giggled gently, cupping his cheek as her eyes fixated on him-

"I love you, Master Proxy..." She softly admitted. "I'm sorry someone like me has fallen for you..."

She huffed a sigh of remorse for being the skittish type... If nobody wants him, she'll gladly take him as her own, hoping nobody else likes phaethon, is that selfish...? Who knew at this point. Though she knows she has to act fast, any kind of competiton could instantly best her, but every fiber of her being declines a declaration of confession, the immense fear of rejection held her in place... Refusing to ever let this girl admit to all these pent up feelings...

Chapter Text

There was darkness... It evaded his vision. T-there were sounds. They were so distinct and random that he couldn't comprehend what they were...! Wise panicked, he couldn't move, it felt like his limbs were attached to the ground below, making him as short as a bangboo. He heard mourningful wails, grunts of regret, sounds of utter incertitude.

SSSSSSSSS

That's when he heard a harsh sound piercing his ears followed by a tear of a material.

"NOOOOOOOO!"

|

"Ah!"

His body would stir awake, causing him to sit upright within a string length of a second. In doing so, he felt his throat regurgitating, promptly making him cover his mouth with a fist.

"I-in here Master Proxy...!" A girl's voice would be heard to his right, one quick glance - his personal maid who sat on his chair.

Without a second thought, he took the small bucket from her hands, hanging his head above it. Panting, allowing excess drool to pour inside the crevices of the bucket as he swallowed big gulps.

The constant teasing of his body deciding whether to excrete the intoxicated liquid would be greatly appreciated if it could halt in its advancements... Though that wasn't his decision to make. Consequences abides by actions. Play stupid games, win stupid prizes...

The same couldn't be said about his involuntary reward... Corin. While he held the bucket with his left hand, his right was occupied with hers... Her soft touch was filled with gingerly aspects, her thumb rubbing his knuckles embarked such comfort... Then some of the memories flooded his brain.

After failing to vomit which was overall the better outcome, he held his head low, interlocking fingers with his maid which made her blush, looking away.

"I'm sorry, Corin. I'm an idiot." He said with shaky breaths.

Even with her coy trait, that comment wouldn't make her unresponsive, "You'll never be considered as such in my lexicon, Master Proxy. It was an honest mistake... And I for one can't be let off the hook either... I observed the woman who pressured you into drinking, and I didn't do anything to prevent your intoxication... That, I can't deny..."

The proxy gave her a smile that denied any kind of sanctimonious undertones, it was genuine. He hated to admit that- "You won't even let me take full responsibility, huh?" -because of her overly humble personality.

She gazed at her shoes, flustered, "I-im sorry... I just... I want to negate this self-loathing state you're in... Y-you of all people shouldn't have to experience such a thing..." Her words were filled with sincerity, so much so that it suffused the two individuals with warmth, like a little bubble around them.

"I requite that saying onto you aswell." He sat at the edge of the bed, facing her.

"H-huh?"

The maid almost squeeked as the proxy gently pulled her in for a hug. His burly arms would wrap around her back, assuring her saftey from the destructive world beyond.

Instinctively, her arms would work their way around his body aswell, the blood rushed through her cheeks, giving off an intense hue.

"Because you don't deserve aloof individuals or terrible clients challenging your capabilities. You have everything to gain, and so little to be dettered about." He loosened his clutch as he examined her Visage, her mouth slightly parted, "Why do I say this?... Your incapable of transgressions... You, are something special, Corin."

What did that mean exactly....? She can distinctly point out how genuine and moral his words were but that made it all the more difficult... Does Wise feel... a-any kind of romantic energy between them...? The maid so desperately wanted to fess up, though her mouth simply refused to move, the best she could utter was a husky, small sounding 'I'...

"T-t-thank you... Master Proxy..." She leaned in, placing her chin over his shoulder, growing accustomed to his arms.

After some simple lines of regalement to boost one another's vitality. At the drop of the hat, Wise would request his maid to undertake some simple chores as he laid in bed, still affected by a light headed feeling.

"Can you make sure to open the store-?" Then he quickly realized how comfortable he got ordering Corin around willy nilly, "Ah... Nevermind."

Understandably showing a confused gaze, she thought they were taking new steps towards her becoming his private maid. Corin halted from exiting his room, "I-is something the matter, Master Proxy...?"

"I just now comprehended the opportunistic situation Im in." He layed a hand over his forhead for a few seconds, "These are basic tasks that I should be doing. Not something selfish like dictating you around."

"T-that's ok...! I've already stated that this is my choice...! I-i want to admit this to you now, I-I-" the word love came to mind, though she couldn't utter such a word without a certain context behind it, "I feel elation when I know I'm making your day to day life better...!"

No matter the words... It's not what you say, it's how you say it, and every verbal sound that came out of her mouth made him smile a tiny bit more, "Sigh, Then can you do me one last favor? I'll make sure to strict myself from asking for your assistance. So that I won't go overboard."

"That's ok...! As long as you truly need my aid, I'll always treat it as an incentive...!" They weren't quite at that step where he was out right selfish with his request, but this would have to do!

"Thank you, truly." He cleared his throat, swallowing any residuum saliva, "Can you please wake Belle up? It's her turn to start the day off earning money for the electric bill."

"O-of course...! It's always important to keep a consistent schedule between the master siblings...!"

"Except it's the 5th time this week that I've had to pick up her slack, simply because she hates morning shifts."

Corin lightly tittered at the flowery reveal, finding his bond with his sister to be wholesome.

As an only child, the maid couldn't say she understood the relations with a relative slightly older or younger than her. The best example she could give was Ellen, though they lived in two seperate worlds within the same métier... What could they talk about besides work...? On a surface level, there was no intersection between their interests... Either way, it wasn't like Ellen wanted to hang out with the maid outside of their job...

Speaking of siblings and close individuals... The thought of Belle becoming her sister came to mind. Maybe she can be her interlocutor, discussing the maid's plan on marrying-

TAP

TAP

Corin lightly smacked both of her cheeks with her hands, standing infront of the female proxy's door. W-what am I thinking...?! I-i'm treading on territory that could deteriorate our relationship...! The maid shook her head from side to side, cupping her own face as she tries to calm herself down.

Many a thoughts dashed through her head, mentally sapping away her confidence to visit Belles room. Though her rationality came to fruition as Wise's request would remind her that he does in fact trust the maid.

With a solidified regard, Corin slowly reached for the handle, entering the female proxy's quarters. The sight of her room alone almost triggered Corin's insintinctiveness to help.

Plushies, and pillows scattered around the area. It was as if the cotton/feather stuffed items made a pathway all the way to the kingdom (bed).

She crouched down, ready to tidy up the place for the time being, though she promptly stopped herself. Even she saw that it was incredibly unprofessional to force a cleaning on someone else's property. Who knew, maybe Belle saw the room as an art piece! Just because minds conflict with each other doesn't mean we should abide by the others standards right?

With an inaudible sigh, the maid stood back up, wiping her skirt in the process, "M-Master manager...? I've been instructed to rouse you from your slumber...!" She timidly said.

It was safe to say that Corin's voice lacked a few decibels to wake any of the lightest sleepers, though right after she finished her sentence, Belle would arise from her bed, shifting the sheets away, as if she were already conscious before the maid's arrival.

"Sigh, now your dictating my sleep schedule?" The female proxy's voice appeared unamused, "That's my brother's job, not yours."

"U-uhm...!" The maid interlocked her fingers, holding her hands close to her chest, "I-i didn't mean to disturb you...! I-i was simply following orders...!"

"Then can you simply get out of his life?"

"W-what...?"

The atmosphere dimmed more than before,

"I can't even hang out with him, let alone speak to him without the presence of someone else!" The mentioning of an individual was clearly directed as Corin being Belle's restriction.

The coy girl was left speechless, unknown as to why such verbal abuse was used against her. It wasn't the volume in which Belle spoke to her with, her tone was fairly plain with a tad of annoyance on the side, no, it was the implications - as if Corin, whether she acknowledged it or not, no matter what she did, was a nuisance.

Belle saw the tears welling up in the maid's eyes, causing her to close her lids for a few seconds before huffing.

"Kidding!" Her voice returned to its original, bubbly persona, "Did my 'jealous sister' archetype fool you, Corin?"

"U-uah...?" Belle's words took a few seconds to process in the maid's head, but once they did, the produced water vanished, "Y-yes...! It did...!" She let out a breath of relief, holding one hand to her heart now.

"Sorry about that." The proxy giggled, "I wanted to see if I was intimidating to anyone if I were a tad mingy!" Her smile seemingly true.

"I-it really deluded me...!" Her head would nod a few times over, agreeing with her words.

"Hoo....." After clearing the air with an exhale, the female proxy would retain from her bed, fitting herself in her jacket and sneakers. Tapping the ground with her toes two times to tighten the shoes grip. Belle walked over to the door, "I will say, Corin. You really should give my brother a breather, he needs some space." She heavily suggested, walking past the maid, turning her head to gaze at the now drooping Corin.

.....

Silence compiled within the air. The maid knew Belle was in the right.... But all of this effort... This, lying she's had to display... I-it shouldn't be underplayed...! Not one bit.

Corin gripped on the hem of her skirt, her eyes covered by her side bangs - until she resolved an answer, looking back up, "I-im sorry, Master manager..." Her words stopped Belle in her tracks, "But I made a promise with Master Proxy...! A-and he knows that I won't back down so easily, e-even if he wants me to...!"

The manager's eyes narrowed as her brows furrowed, smoldering slightly. Corin couldn't see her full expression, but her gaze sent every negative signal her way, almost making the coy girl flinch. Belle walked towards the stairs; Corin unknowing if she did anything to downright make the woman infront of her despise anything about her... There was a quiet scoff... While the manager was stepping down the stairs, her features was no longer written with silent rage... Only neutral-'happiness'.

The brain is a visual instrument, and at some cases it tweaks your field of visions to see illusions... Though what Corin saw was nothing but...

"... A-are... You still playing pretend...?" Her voice fades out, only being heard by herself...

The mint haired girl remained in silence in the room, just standing... Musing, crestfallen with her failed attempts to be a slight bit of use to anyone... Even if it's for a few seconds, Corin just needs a few words, a-a gesture to show that she was appreciated...! Y-yes Wise reminds her again and again, but... It's like he has too!... What else is he supposed to do or say...?!

Corin leave me alone!

Corin for God's sake you don't HAVE to serve me! You're annoying me more than anything!

CORIN, STOP BEING SELFESS!! I didn't want this let alone ask for it! I don't need your services!

Co-dependency is a pain...

N-no, he wouldn't say those things...!

Even if he's already have, just, not with those select words... She should know by now that he'd do anything but bring anyone's mood down voluntarily...

...

Corin couldn't stop fidgeting on Belle's couch, when did she get there...?

Her right leg couldn't stop shaking, it's always like this when she ponders for minutes on end, even though only a few seconds passed by...

The maid stood back up, the shaking of her leg halted... If it was worth anything, she noticed that the manager almost tripped on a pillow on the ground when she was making her departure, so to fix everything (hopefully) between them, Corin would tidy up her room, placing the plushy's and pillows alike on the couch and bed.

If Corin had the right to rest whenever she liked, her circadian rythym would be anything but normal. As if she came home from school just to lay down to take a 10 hour nap.

|

"Shivering" While he browsed on Inter-Knot, Wise clacked his teeth a few times, noticing he only had one of his shirts on - his other shirt and jacket were folded neatly to his left on the wooden counter of the bed.

Creak

He would look ahead as soon as he heard the metal hinges shift, his gaze meeting Corin's as she turns around to close it. As she slowly walked towards him, her eyes were more focused on the ground.

Wind blew through his nose, "Mind if I say something dumb?" The question caught her attention.

"O-of course..." She said, sitting properly on his bed.

"You looked like you just came back from mourning at a ceremonial funeral."

If he were a tad specific, say 'Here lies Corin's social status', then yes, yes she has. While the joke didn't cause her to titter, she only smiled.

"C-can I also be facetious...?"

"Go for it!"

"Y-you look like you just had a hangover...!" She nervously laugh.

His lids widened just a bit as he nodded his head, "Y-yea, that is, what happened huh?" Her joke succeeded in making him laugh with how straightforward it turned out to be, which was unexpected, working in her favor.

Corin then gave a bashful look as she faced away, "I-im sorry that was very terrible...!"

"N-no that was funny...! I'm one for blunt jokes aswell, you're not the only one!"

"..." Her head turned his way again, "I suppose.... my humor delivery isn't to a fault then...?"

"Not one bit. I approve of it... Uh t-though you don't necessarily need my approval for anything, that's just to... 'acknowledge' it you could say."

"I-i understand...!"

"That's good." The proxy steadied his fists infront of him, as he was pumped up for the day, "Just be your own you."

Her heart thumped. His beaming smile, his encouraging words... It made her want to get even closer like last time... But as she does so, her heart beats out of control, communicating that she was in the danger zone! That her next move could deem her as a weirdo for scooching towards his personal space... Either way, Wise inadvertently canceled any more movements as he reached to gather his clothing, now standing up on the floor below, simultaneously equipping said wear.

"I'm going to check if there's any festivities Sixth Street is planning." After sliding his arm into his jackets sleeve, he held out a hand, "Will you be accompanying me?"

"A-absolutely...!" Her face emitted a faint blush as she grabbed his welcoming touch, gently standing up by his side. After she let go, she performed a small curtsy, making them both smile.

The two headed for the exit, he held the door for her, gesturing his hand as to say she's free to walk out whenever she pleased. After a word of gratitude they both found themselves at the first floor of the Random Play building.

"Ah, bro!" His sister, initially leaning on the counter, holding her head with a hand, stood straight up when she saw her brother, now waving at him excitedly.

"Sis." He nodded, Corin waving shyly towards her.

As for the female siblings' buoyant energy, it could easily be explained as she was just about ready to say something,

"Me and Corin are heading out to talk to the other managers about Sixth Streets festivities."

However, he already had plans with that..... sigh.... Her mouth hung open as her eyes scrunched up, "W-wh... But I'm a manager in this district, not her...! Shouldn't I come with you instead??"

"Sorry Belle, but remember that time I wanted to snag myself a limited edition ice cream flavor at the one-four-one, but I was forced to man down the store while you went to get it instead?!" He recalled his sister eating said frozen treat in front of him, all while having a playful smirk.

"I-i gave you one after though...!" She reminded, which was true.

"Yea, but that was an hour after your mouth executed my planned treat! And I know you know that I was pissed at that point."

The female sibling couldn't refute what she saw. He was grateful for the icecream, but that didn't ease his frustration all together...

She was left silent.

"Honestly, I'm surprised." He pointed out, "What makes you want to come with me? Usually you favor being cooped up in your room watching tv dramas while I give you info on Sixth Streets state of affairs."

"Because-" I'm tired of Corin occupying your schedule 24/7 "I want to cohort myself with everyone else...!"

"Riiight..." He doubted, but, who knew, maybe she was telling the truth, "Either way, we can do it the next time a holiday comes by or something similar. Deal?"

She pursed her lips, unsatisfied with the results acquired.

"Sure." So her response would lack any of that previous ebullient aura emitting out of her.

Wise nodded, smiling before walking towards the entrance door.

Corin, silent as she was, took a peek at his sister, apologizing in her thoughts... And it was as if Belle heard her call for forgiveness as she glanced at Corin... Her eyes were twin storms, crackling with silent rage.

As all this was happening, concomitantly, Wise took one final glance at Belle, seeing as she stared menacingly at something behind him... Wait...

Ding!

As he opened the door to exit the Random Play store, his head turn towards Corin, catching a glimpse of fear on her eyes as she looked away from Belle, holding an anxious look.

What was happening...?

When the door closed, Wise's whole body turned towards her. "Corin. Are you ok?" His voice couldn't be hold a more worried tone.

"H-huh??" Her reaction was the same as always, confused. As if she missed an important part in a film, leaving her to figure out why the plot jumped to an entirely new act.

"You look very intimidated right now... As if you're compelled to do so...?" The assumption to her previous emotion couldn't be more right, though it would remain alleged.

"T-thats because it's fairly chilly outside today...! I-im worried that you'll be hit with a serious cold...!" Was her smooth cover-up, which will diminish in quality overtime if she continues down the path meant to ruse another.

To enhance said lie, her brows held a concerned look.

Nearly believable, that was all he could say, because while it is true that her current state held an apropos to distress, the reasoning displayed failed to align with the true cause.

... As to not push her against her own will, he wouldn't brood over it, avoiding that subject all together.

"I should be the one worried about you, Haha. You're only wearing your uniform with no external clothing to keep you warm."

His response set a small light in her, the way he cared.... "I-its the only proper attire I must abide by since it was b-bequethed onto me from Victoria Housekeeping...!" So she has to properly inform her master that HE comes first!!

"I can't argue with that." He shrugged, smiling, "You knew what you were getting yourself into."

"Y-you make me sound like a competent adult...!"

"Hey, I'd be appalled if you were anything but that. You kind of have to be if you want to set your life afloat, right?"

"Y-you're absolutely correct...!" Is something she wished for it to not be the norm, talking to anyone she didn't know was and is scary... But just like any other day, be polite, and go with the flow... W-well, with a few hiccups and stutters here and there...!

As they began to walk, Wise could still feel the effects of the winds chilling breeze through his multi-layered wear. Now multiply that by 5 for the maid located close by.

"Corin?"

"Y-yes?"

He held out an arm.

"Do you want to grab onto me as we walk? Maybe our body heat can warm the path." He chuckled, not knowing why he said it in a cheesy way. Though the thought of a rise in temperature for the rest of their trip as long as they latch onto each other was one he couldn't help but smile about.

"Y-yes!!"

She quickly cleared her throat, embarrassed that so much excitement spilled through her vocals.

"I-i am g-grateful for your consideration of me...!"

"Again, I should be the one saying these things." He laughed, so did she.

Nervous, overjoyed, but most obvious through physical contact, fidgety - the coy maid wrapped her arms around his right, pressing her cheek against his forearm, steam manifesting above her cute little head! It's as if all of her shy traits dissipated into this developing whimsy kind!

That is, until, the thoughts of people thinking they look like a couple, which in turn, welcomed her coy characteristics again, though her heart would melt away out of pure bliss! Maybe it already has as her face bleeds red from these coming and going mental images!

Quick, extract the bear's heart and implant it into her, stat!

-

Their first stop would of course be the noodle master himself, General N. Chop! (N, for noodle!)

Luckily, Waterfall Soup lacked any customers at this specific time seeing as only one was located at the off-angle part of the restaurant towards coff cafe.

With a gentle wave, Wise would greet the red talent,

"How's it been, Chop?"

The shop owner, grinning as his hand extension washed some dishes, "Just dandy! You and the Ms's?" kindly responded back.

"Fine as always. Corin?" He shook his arm once, asking for her to greet herself from behind his arm, face hidden and all.

"U-uhm, I-it couldn't be better...!" Were her true thoughts, seeing as she was given permission to hold onto her crush.

The 'exasperated' response she gave made the two gentlemen smile.

"I'm glad to finally meet you, Corin!" He said, catching glimpses of her walking around the district on several occasions.

He then eyed the proxy, "Is this seriously where you'll be spending your first date, Wise?" The General would point out, shaking his head in fake disappointment.

"E-eep...!" The maid promptly responded with a confused yelp. She knew it! N-now she regrets not wearing something proper...! How could she ruin her first actual intimate day with her Master Proxy?? Should she apologize with a gift??? A-a gesture? Anything???

"Ahaha! Just a tease, my apologies, Corin!" Chop said, instantly retracting his lighthearted comment.

Oh...

She heard the Proxy and Noodle Master titter, as if they were making fun of her... Which obviously, couldn't be more far from the truth, but her cute reaction initiated them to let out a small round of mirth.

She let out an inaudible sigh, "I'm glad..." Calming her own nerves with logic, understanding the crowd she's apart in.

"..." Even if her voice was low, Wise's sense of hearing made a few adaptive changes to understand the undiscernible decibals of the maid, naming itself the 'Corin Adjuster'... And, he couldn't blame her... He wouldn't date himself either but, ouch... It still hurt to hear the confirmation... "Uhh, so Chop, are there any plans for this upcoming Christmas?"

The General scratched his beard with his index and thumb, pondering for a quick second, "To be honest, I don't think so, we haven't really discussed what to do as a unit." We being the fellow managers.

"Ah..." Wise was fairly disappointed, usually he's spoon fed by the other managers on their ideas and such as he and his sister are usually left out of the debates, to their request of course. Being proxies meant you didn't have as much leeway as the other store owners, living a double life can be quite nerve wracking.

"What I do know is that I'll be making a special bowl of noodles for these upcoming weeks!" His arm extensions instantly got to work, kneading and fiddling with a fresh mound of dough, "Get this, you can order your favorite kind of bowl. Let's say - the fried barbecue or Red chili chicken bowl, and for just a small upcharge, you'll experience the rich, soft sensation of mint!" As he explained the process, the noodles were prepared and ready for the proxy's consumption!

Everything was presented as normal, except for one crucial detail that veered from that title.

"Maybe you could do less with the food coloring." Wise would point out the green presentation of the broth, which made it a tad unappealing.

"Hah! I'll take that into account since I wanted someones opinion on the look! I wasn't sure if was appetizing to the average consumer." He admitted.

"Well it's not banal, I can say that much. But sticking to your roots is the best way to go sometimes."

"Agreed!" He grinned, "Well? Won't you have a taste?"

"Oh, right." Picking up some chopsticks from the counter, he picked them apart, swiftly swirling both sticks inside of the bowl, managing to get a decent amount of noodles. He blew on it once before slurping away, munching.

It was seemingly indifferent, until his tastebuds were given the two piece combo by the the taste of mint! As if it were melted ice cream combined with a pork broth!

The first hit was in effect.

"COUGH!, Woah!" The hacking sound he extracted from his mouth made Corin worry, though before she could ask if he was alright, the second hit soon made its way, giving him the feeling of the mints menthol, "Ooh." He nodded his head a few times, "That's not bad, hold on." Going for seconds, he caught a piece of pork with a bit of the pasta in between his sticks, promptly slurping them up.

"Mmm." He continues munching, before swallowing, "You should try some, Corin!" He suggested with a smile, handing her the chopsticks.

"O-oh, uhm...!" The maid was afraid by his initial reaction to the flavors, but her curiosity won the battle as soon as it was formed, so she gently took the sticks, "I-if you don't mind...!" before clacking them twice, dipping them in the broth.

Forget the fact that he put his lips on the chopsticks, forget the fact that he put his lips on the chopsticks...!

"Try to get a bit of everything." Wise said over her shoulder.

She nodded once, blushing - scooping up a bit of corn, green onions, pork and noodles. After blowing on it once, she dug in.

The flavors instantly bursted in her oral crevices, making sure it made a lasting impact on her palate, "I-its really good...!" She opinionated, instantly going back for more.

"Glad to hear it!" The general triumphed, crossing his arms, "And It's safe to say I get two thumbs up, right?"

"You get four!" The proxy corrected, holding two thumbs up, Corin following suit, providing the cutest of smiles after she was done having a taste.

"That's better than what I had planned, heh!" The noodle master then picked the bowl up with his extension, pouring the green broth out, "because of your guy's honesty, you two get fifty percent off any bowl with the inclusion of the mint broth for tomorrow, since that's when I'll be officially advertising it!"

"I appreciate that greatly!" Wise thanked, "How about it, Corin? Would you like to eat noodles together tomorrow?"

"I-i couldn't possibly refuse another day with you, Master Proxy...! T-thank you for the invitation..!" She squeeked at first, but kept her calm throughout her response.

"I'll be checking in with the others, Chop. See you around!" Wise waved at the shop owner, the gesture being reciprocated.

"Come back anytime!" Was his simple response.

As one could guess, the duo traveled to nearly every shop in the district, Wise being the one to ask the simple question of what Sixth Street's plan was. It seemed this year every store would be having its own little product to sell to the public - for instance, Elfy would be releasing her newest drive disc stock of Christmas jingles. She revealed that there will be classics such as 'Eridu's White Cloak', 'The falling mystery', so on and so forth. But there will also be some new releases that are rarely heard in this day and age as the classics obviously dominate the radios and broadcasts.

All Asha has planned is the selling of merchandising and decorations within the arcade. Christmas themed items, some that can be bought with actual money, while others only tickets (Godfinger's personal currency).

The Proxy couldn't help himself, he bought him and his maid a small toy, two snakes from the 'Snake Duel' game, both had Santa hats though the key difference were the colors, Wise had a bright orange snake while Corin politely asked for the purple one.

Enzo decided to take it easy for the holiday season, closing up shop for a whopping total of an entire month! Wise understood completely. Fixing, modifying, and upgrading bangboos on a day to day basis can be quite tiring, especially if you work 12 hours a day just hearing ehn-ne!'s And such. Good thing it pays well, which is why the mechanic has the luxury to lay low for some alone time.

One-for-one will be selling a new snack every day until Christmas arrives, just today they released a new packaged bread, the flavor being ginger while the loaf itself held the appearance of a ginger bread man. Of course the Proxy couldn't not get the snack and share it with his maid friend, so he did! The two of them stood infront of the store, going halfies as they munch away on their respective chunk, giving each other their honest reviews.

After throwing the wrapper away, the maid gazed downwards, tapping her index fingers together.

"U-uhm... M-master Proxy...?" Her voice would call out.

"Yes, Corin?"

"M-may I..." A step in the right direction. Badump. A step in the right direction...! "H-hold you close again...?"

The smallest hue of red covered his cheeks as he smiled in return, "Of course you can. Bring it in."

His maid bobbed her head as she shifted closer. He wouldn't dare to disturb the pace in which she was approaching, if he came on too strong, she could very well scurry away, and who would want to scare their good friend?

One step, two step, she approached his side, holding out her hand, before snuggling herself with his right arm. She looked up, their eyes meet, she gazes back down in small panic, he didn't seem to mind, obviously you can't lose your anxious stature when it comes to socializing in just a few minutes, but he's glad that she's so open with him... It makes him proud of himself, but more importantly, grateful for the opportunity to understand the maiden on a deeper level than others... Her likes, dislikes (which doesn't seem to exist for the most part), hobbies, habits...

Before he knew it, he was observing her whole figure, body language and warmth... Something inside of him advised to keep her around for as long as possible. Who else was as cute and likable as Corin anyway...? She's obedient, caring, insanely strong and reliable! Deep down there was a motivation to make her feel happy no matter what for some reason...!

He probably forgot her attention to detail because she noticed that they haven't been moving for the past few seconds, causing her to look up at him.

"M-master Proxy..?"

"Hmm?" His eyes truly awoke as he stirred his head up, "Uh... Sorry Corin, I zoned out." He chuckled lightly.

"T-thats ok...! W-whatever Master Proxy desires, even if it's a small break, I-i can fulfill...!"

"Thank you for the reassurance, I must be a terrible 'master' huh?" He joked.

"N-not at all...!" Her voice gaining newfound ardor, taking the joke a different way, "E-even when I want you to be, a-a little selfish with my services, you still found a way to be the least problematic Master..! I-it makes me want to fulfill my duties even more...!"

"Then I'll try not to build that motivation up too high. I know it'll make you feel like your meaningless in my life. Which is plain dishonesty."

"T-then can I cook dinner for you tonight...?"

"That'll suffice, Corin. Make anything you'd like." His words of approval made her more joyous by the second, "Though, can I make a suggestion?"

"Y-yes please...! I'd like to know what you fancy the most...!"

Finally! No repercussions nor denials or setbacks! Progress was in order!

"Meat."

"Uh-huh..!" She nodded, detaching herself from him as she brought out a small notepad with a cutesy pink pen, writing down several things.

"Are you afraid you'll forget what I said?"

"I'll never forget a word you say Master Proxy...! I-im just writing down all of the meat dishes I could prepare later tonight...!" She says while scribbling on her notes.

"O-oh!" He took a small peak at the paper, surprised to see several meat based dishes that had their planned out sides, along with how to properly cook them! "That's Corin for you!"

Knowing what your going to make is impressive enough, but a step by step procedure on how to make said dish is beyond him! If she has that good of a memory, wouldn't it be unnecessary to write them down on paper? Eh, he digress's, who knew if Corin loses her train of thought in the heat of the moment.

While in his little trip through his thoughts, the maid finished her notes, pocketing them before promptly hugging his arm again. She was over the moon by this point, that was, until she realized her bold gesture without asking for permission like last time, causing her face to host a red aura.

H-hopefully I didn't seem forceful...!

Her concerns were put on hold however as she heard him hum while they began to walk towards Coff Cafe.

There really wasn't anything special about their physical contact... W-which isn't a bad thing, it's just... Is this the norm whenever he's with a girl...? Is that why he's so calm...? W-well it's not like Corin is expecting him to start frothing at the mouth in response to her touch, but... to act so casual... Guess that's what maturity looks like. How a solidified 'friendship mentality' is presented...

She...

She really is just 'a friend', nothing that could branch into.....

H-how would his ideal woman even look like?? H-has he already met her? N-no! It can't be....! S-she hasn't even confessed to him yet, let alone muster up even a percentage of courage to lead up to that point...! Even if she is at fault for a lack of communication skills, i-its still not fair! One doesn't need to suffer for their internal errs!! She's trying!

"?" The Proxy noticed as the grip around his arm began to tighten, he gazed ahead as they continued to slow walk towards Tin Master's humble abode.

He understands in a way, perhaps she was afraid to talk to the virtuoso of the coffee bean - being a disciple of the Tin Master her skills on brewing special coffee couldn't be better! Though there could be that lingering doubt that she wouldn't live up to his nonexistent standards.

It was a fun thought to entertain, which of course he wouldn't want to be true, Corin already has enough on her plate, or, cup in this case dealing with him.

The flavor of the ginger dawdle around his tastebuds, reminding him of one-four-one's fun little 'snack every day' event.

"hmm, hmm, hmm, hmm, hmm ,hmm... On the 12th day of snacksmas...."

As the Proxy hummed, he took a glance at the angled wall to his left, eyeing the specials; seeing a new limited flavor called the 'Cinnasnow'. The name fascinated him to the point of wanting to know what its flavors consisted of.

The example drawing showed an all white drink, earning its 'snow' part of the name.

Ding!

"Ahh, the manager!" Tin Master raised his hand, greeting both guests, now seeing the small maid by the proxy's side, "Oh and Ms. Corin! H-What a delight!" He clapped his hands once, firmly holding them together.

"G-good afternoon, Tin Master...!" The maid bowed her head lightly, keeping her grasp on the master proxy.

"Have you continued practicing with your 'Coff Cafe' study handbook like we agreed?" He gently asked.

"Y-yes. At all times...!" She dug into her front pocket, taking out a tiny booklet with the signature Coff Caffe logo.

Wise's vocal cords verbally oo'd inside of his throat, "Have you worked for the Tin Master, Corin?"

"N-no actually...! I-i needed some experience making coffee since that's a particular beverage category I'm unfamiliar with."

The Tin Master chuckled, recalling said event by adding an addendum, "I remember when Ms.Corin stood outside the Cafe for a full 3 hours as passerby walked in and out of the store. I was sickly worried for the poor girl since the workers and customers alike were reporting her to me." The maid blushes out of embarrassment.

The brewing Master continues, "So as the store owner, it was obviously my responsibility to aid her troubles." He moved his fingers, as if it were walking, "Initially, I assumed she needed a dose of espresso since there were bags under her eyes."

The reason for her pale look that day was the fact that she actually stood outside of the Cafe for a full 24 hours, though she wasn't standing directly infront of the store. Sometimes she was located behind it as she tried to fill herself with courage to ask for guidance, and or by it's left next to the payphone, pretending to call the Tin Master as if she were doing a phone interview, applying for the Cafe before going in person to secure the job!

"But as it turns out-" The mechanical man then turned a glanced at the maid, seeing her squiggly, sheepish mouth, "Oh, what was I thinking? It's best if she explains it to you."

Worst time to pass the torch!

"H-huh??" She turned her head upwards, watching as the proxy held a curious look, along with the Tin Master who proceeded to give her a thumbs up! "U-uhm... V-Victoria Housekeeping Co. required me to gain the necessary experience to make java...!" She admits, but not without a hesitation to continue, "T-they recieved news that every other member was busy with a task while I had to handle the caffeinated beverages... a-and heard that my drinks were..." Her head gently drooped down, "U-unsatisfactory... That I can only make black coffee... N-no traces of pizazz or creativity..."

"And so she was lambasted by her clients..." The Tin Master finished, holding a saddened look.

The atmosphere shifted from its original path... Which made it call out to the Proxy to light it up once more.

The maid felt a hand on her head, causing her to make a cute little sound, "How did their words make you feel, Corin...?" The proxy would ask.

"..." nothing was said in return.

"Not very good, huh?"

Again... No words were exchanged, but he felt her head nod a few times.

He smiled softly, "Hey." He crouched down to her level, making her eyes widen just a bit as he held onto her shoulders, "I know it's a part of your job to know the ins and outs about service tasks. To give it your all every step of the way." He noticed her frequent eyes movements, how she would focus on the ground, unable to look at his face for more than a fraction of a second, "But they aren't sloganeers who have the right to sap your confidence away until you're "perfect"."

"..." It was as if he were talking to a soulless shell of a person, but that didn't stop him from pouring his thoughts into it.

"If you were forced to take on a task such as asking for advice from a superior on a certain function, even when they know how you are as a person - then I find that as a problem. You shouldn't have to take the burden of expectation when you're just starting out on a new branch of knowledge."

"..."

"... How much time did they give you to learn about coffee?"

"..." She was breathing heavily at this point, but managed to suck in a breath, "O-only 3 days."

"And what would've happened if you failed that deadline?"

"I-i would be fired..."

"Bull-..." He refrained from finishing that word, "I know well that they aren't going to let off their best maid just because she has little experience with a certain category of service. I full on believe what they did there was a scare tactic."

"T-they're a very professional agency-"

"Corin..." His stern voice caught her by surprise, shutting her lips... Though his next words would be delivered more gently, "Don't ever defend something that actively harms your well being, that can kill your mental state."

He nodded once, "I understand. They are the top in the service industry, but if they don't care about their employees, then they lose all their status for me." He patted her shoulder once before standing up, "I know it's a very hard ask, but grow a spine for once, only when you're being treated unfairly. Can you do that?" Was the finishing blow.

"Y-yes...! Whatever you think Is best Master Proxy...! B-but i have a small feeling that they're looking for the best in me, e-even if they use harsh wording..."

They were now in the green in Corin's happy-O-meter!

"If you say so... But no take backs!" He grinned lightly, holding out his arm again.

"Mhm...!" She glued herself back into it, hugging him. Her smile couldn't be beat in his humble opinion!

Hopefully she didn't mean what she stated literally, if she took everything he said, good advice or not, without taking a second to look back and think, then he was just as bad as the people he's criticizing.

Such good friends! What a swell sight! Thought the Tin Master.

"Let's try this again." The Proxy joked, both compatriots began to titter, "Say, Tin master. I saw that you have a new flavor in town, the Cinnasnow. What's that about?"

"Ooh, I'm glad you asked!" He already began to prep for the drinks ingredients, "It has a unique sensation that every customer won't stop prattling about!" He took out a bag of cinnamon, "It's mostly coffee, milk, and cinnamon with a dash of honey - but the real joy people get out of it is the temperature!"

"Interesting. I'll order one." He happily requested, "Do you want one aswell, Corin?"

"Y-yes please, if thats okay with you...!"

"Make that two cups Tin Master! Please and thank you!"

"Your entreaty is as good as taken!" Soon after saying so, the robot worked his magic on a moderate sized cup, examining it before filling it up with delights, "Heehee!" After finishing said drinks, he presented it with a smile.

Wise tapped his card on the terminal before taking the cups, holding the small plates under them.

Soon, the duo sat on the table beside the window.

"Rock, paper, scissors on who gets to go first?" Wise queried.

"O-okay..!" Agreed the maid, bringing out her hand.

"Rock, paper, scissors, shoot!"
"R-rock, paper, scissors, shoot!"

They both laid there hands flat up right. It seemed they both chose paper, until the maid very gently attacked his fingers with her nails.

"S-shhhrrrrr...!"

She bobbed her finger nails on the back of his hand, as if she were cutting him.

"..." His loss for words would redden her face, "W-what was that...?" He broke the tension.

"... S-saw...?"

Her inclusion of another object rather than conforming with the standard three was a lighthearted razz he didn't expect her to come up with....

He'd better say something before she dies of embarrassment!

"O-oh...! Haha, then you win! Paper loses to a saw any day of the week." The hand that lost to hers now held a thumbs up before holding the cups handle, "You deserve to go first, but I want the description of its texture!" A smile was provided.

"I-ill provide...!" She nodded before picking the cup up, inhaling it's oh so good aroma, "Mm...!" After she took a decent sip, her eyes widened as she places it back on the plate.

"Well? Is it booming?"

"I-its relatively on the thicker side with a grainy texture, t-though it's barely noticeable. But Master Proxy, the drink was cold when I touched it with my lips, u-until It entered my mouth, t-thats when it became hot...!"

"Hmm?"

His confusion asked for confirmation.

"M-mhm...!" She tilted her head downward, before bringing it back up, repeating the action several times over.

He had nothing to lose when he gazed at his drink, plus it's cinnamon flavored so that only just furthered his intentions to drink it.

Picking up the cup, he proceeded to drink away. "Mm!" And that's when it's secret unveiled itself.

Corin was telling no lie, the drink is ice cold, though the moment it welcomed itself in his oral crevice did it unleash its hidden ability to form the polarity of reaching higher on the temperature scale.

"Like snow melting away as you heat it up~" The shop owner added, making the two guests turn to him.

"How did you make this?" The Proxy queried first, "It's definitely something I haven't felt before."

"Ah well, I used a milk brand that requires a certain conduction of heat to retain onto itself. So a prerequisite is the mouth, as per intended by the company since its a surrounding warmth!" He informed, "You can dip your finger into the drink, though your outer body heat isn't enough to warm it up."

He did as the master said, predictaby, he was correct, "That's pretty cool. And it tastes nice too."

"I-indeed...!" The maid agreed.

The next few minutes were filled with a slow jazz melody accompanying the air around, the window beginning to fog ever so slightly from the warmth inside. Words were a gauze, barely exchanged after the discussion of the newest drink.

... Without the topic of serving him, Corin hadn't a clue on how to start a freshly brewed conversation with the Master Proxy... She fiddled with her hands... Wouldn't it be deemed as an annoying disturbance to talk during a peaceful setting...? Ah, why is she so inept with this sort of stuff... B-but she doesn't want to seem overly pathological towards him...! Even though she dragged him into this whole situation... which caused him to keep her in company at the end of the day...

And... for some reason made his sister gave her unfavorable looks, it wasnt real... right?... N-no that was just a joke as she said... It had to be... Yes...

M-master Proxy, does Master Manager dislike me...? Was something she so desperately wanted to say but every fiber of her being halted her lips from moving... Only making her say it in her mind. She knows she and the female sibling haven't spoken all to much, but for the most part she seemed very kind...!

Shake it off...

After jerking her head from side to side a few times, the maid recalled how the Master Proxy's physiognomy was written with grief everytime the managers told him they didn't have a clue on what to do with Sixth Street as a whole for the holidays.

So, with her proclivity of serving her Master Proxy, whether it was to make him happy or to make his life a little easier, a suggestion came to mind.

"I-I have an idea for the district...!" The maid said, voice soft but firming up.

"Y-you do..?" His eyes widened in surprise, clearly unprepared for Corin’s sudden suggestion, surprise turning into hope.

"M-mhm...!" She claimed with a hum, "W-we could decorate the curb of every property with C-christmas lights...!"

"T-that sounds like a fun idea! But-" He was concerned about one thing, "The snow could cover it up entirely..."

"H-how thick is the snow around here...?"

"A decent amount..."

"T-then we could also decorate the buildings too...! With their respective color...!"

"We’d need every shop owner's permission... We work as a unit..." He said with a trace of doubt, not knowing if every manager was up for the idea of Christmas lights illuminating every crevice of the district. Still, he gave a subtle smile at Corin’s effort to turn Sixth Street’s homely atmosphere into something festive. Even if it was faint.

"If it means anything," The Tin Master chimed in, "I wouldn't mind voting yes on that notion."

A break through, "T-then it's highly likely that the others will have the same answer...!" Corin said, her eyes lighting up with new-found resolve.

"Are you sure...? I don't want to feel inconsiderate with my words because of my selfishness to show my holiday spirit." He doubted.

That was the phrasing she’d been waiting for—“My.”. He's refrained himself from desiring on his own accord but now she's found the key!

She quickly gulped down the last of her coffee and stood up, grabbing his hand.

"W-we have to try...!"

"C-corin??"

Before he could react, they were already out of the café, Corin dragging him toward the 141 convenience store, her determination pulling them into something new.

“I-I might not have the status to ask the managers for anything myself, but I can push you to ask for yourself...!” she declared, stopping right in front of the store. Her expression was firm, a rare steel behind her usual nerves.

"W-what’s gotten into you? I-it’s not that big of a deal, Corin..."

"Yes it is…! I know it is, Master Proxy...!" Her eyes searched his, reading past his words, past the hesitation.

"I-I know it’s ironic for me of all people to utter these words, but… p-please don’t be afraid to ask," she pleaded, voice trembling but sincere. "If this is something you really want… then please follow it."

"...." He expelled a breath, you dunce, your an open book for everyone to read, which made her work overtime, "I will." But he didn't mind if she didn't, seeing as her smile was as wide as ever.

It was safe to say that the Proxy used his best convincing voice on every shop owner within the district... Well, in reality it was just his normal tone, except for the ones where they had to call their bosses such as Susie at the gadget store. Other than that, operation 'light' was a success! Oh! And for howl, a tasty bone was enough to convince him!

"We should probably keep tabs on measurements for everyone's curb huh?"

"A-and for the stone slabs next to them...!"

"Oh, you think it'll look better with double the lights?"

"I-if that's ok with you...!"

"If it's ok with you then I'm definitely ok with it!"

"T-then I'll give it an ok...!" She nervously shook a fist close to her chest.

"Ok!" He held a thumbs up.

Both exuding some much needed laughter.

Corin's cute giggles made him blush from one side of the street and back. The way she held a hand up to her mouth when she tittered made his body warm...

They would finally head back to the outskirts of Random Play.

"Thank you, Corin. I couldn't have done this without you." His voice genuine, appreciative.

"A-anything for you, M-master Proxy...!" Her lilac colored eyes glistened, revealing her full devotion to him.

His heart thumped...

"Mm...." A small thrum escaped him...

Right... She favored him as a friend... reminding himself of the whisper from before, at General Chop's shop...

That was close... He almost set himself up for failure just now.

10 minutes after the duo left the Random Play store:

"Sigh... First, she ruins my plans to go eat - then she invites herself into my brother's room with no intentions of leaving him alone - and now she's taking my place as a manager?" The female Proxy's tone grew distasteful for that maid with each thing she's listed off.

She may not know the coy girl very well as her brother has taken most of the jobs including Victoria Housekeeping, but to have the audacity to take the role of his sister from her?

Oh but, that's not what Belle thinks at all. There was a clear, deeper picture for Corin's presence. Those blushes whenever she was close to him. The door was translucent at that point to everyone except for Wise.

If Corin turned into anything more with him, then every day would turn out the same... When will it be her turn to hog his attention whenever they had free time? Huh??

Bam!

Belle slammed her fist on the front counter, groaning as she dragged her face across the solid surface... If only someone else fancied him in that way but with a tighter schedule...

"Oh...!"

A certain someone came to mind! Sure at a glance it wouldn't seem like it, but she was the perfect candidate!

The Proxy took out her phone, navigating her knock knock before spotting the saddened fish profile picture.

Belle: "Ellen! Are you free today?"

"Just give me a couple of minutes."

Tick tock, tick tock.

Ellen: "Alrighty, I'm finished. What's up?"

Belle typed away with lightning fast speeds, impressively fat fingering 0 words!

"Let's hang out! Just us girls!"

"Sounds cool. I'm heading towards your place rn."

"Uh, wait-wait! Don't!"

"?"

"Let's meet up at Lumina Square, get some tasty grubs at the galleria!"

"So ya' like grubs?"

"Uhm... n-no I was just tryna sound funny."

"Hah, what a terrible start then."

Belle lightly tittered.

Yea... She was miles better than Corin.

She continued to type like crazy on that poor phone of hers, walking out of the store.