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Wise had just finished eating dinner at the one and only Cheesetopia. It wasn’t just any plain ol’ dinner, though. It was a small feast dedicated just for him. He wasn’t really in the mood for a huge meal tonight, but he made sure to try a small bite of everything the restaurant prepared, from the fried rice to the mashed potatoes.
Apparently, the Outer Ring’s new Overlord, Caesar King, ordered this feast in celebration of finishing the commission she requested. A rogue biker gang was trying to intercept a supply truck filled with essential products for Blazewood’s citizens in an attempt to humiliate Caesar’s rule. They tried very hard to hide the stolen goods deep within in the Hollow, but Phaethon made searching for them look like a childish game of hide-and-seek.
As soon as the feast was over, Wise prepares to drive back to Random Play. Caesar verbally states her intent to walk with him to his car, sounding strangely adamant about seeing him off. The other members of the Sons of Calydon look at her funny, but she ignores their confused faces as she walks off next to Wise. They can’t help but notice she was twiddling her fingers behind her back as she walked.
“Thanks again for your help, Proxy,” said Caesar.
“Hey, thank you for the post-commission meal,” Wise thanked back. “You didn’t really have to go extra for me, though.”
“Hey, we would’ve lost a large amount of essential supplies for the folks here in Blazewood if it weren’t for you,” Caesar said thankfully. “I thought you deserved a little feast as a reward for all the times you’ve helped us.”
“Helping Phaethon with their electricity bill is thank you enough,” Wise cracked. “But seriously, though, the food was delicious… especially the cake you made.”
“Hehehe,” Caesar laughed awkwardly. “You really think so?”
Caesar turns away as she asked, rubbing the back of her neck with her prosthetic arm.
“Well, to be honest, it was a bit overdone, especially the sweetness,” Wise said honestly. “But hey, I didn’t mind too much.”
“I’m glad to hear it,” Caesar smiled. “It was my first time baking a cake, honestly.”
“It’s quite impressive for a first attempt,” Wise complimented.
“Um, to be honest, I had a little help,” Caesar admitted. “Okay, a lot of help, actually. I didn’t want to waste the ingredients, so I consulted multiple recipe books and a Bangboo chef. When I tell you that little guy saved me from so many potential mistakes, oh, you have no idea. That cake would’ve turned into an unrecognized pile of slop if not for him. I don’t think I can take any credit at all.”
“Still, that was very nice of you,” said Wise. “You really didn’t have to, but I can see this meant a lot to you.”
“Well, it was for you,” Caesar said, rather softly and sentimentally. “Of course, I wanted to put in the effort. The Sons of Calydon can’t manage a kitchen to save our lives, let alone handle a spatula. But I wanted the challenge.”
“So, if I asked you to bake another cake for my sister?” Wise asked, suggesting a future request.
“For you, I’ll put in 1000% effort,” Caesar replied enthusiastically.
“I fear the cake might actually become slop with that much effort,” Wise joked.
Instead of feeling offended, Caesar actually laughed in response. She knows he doesn’t mean anything bad by it. It’s just another way of saying that she’s trying too hard all for the sake of a simple layer of cake.
The two eventually made it to Wise’s car. Caesar watches as Wise pets Eous before opening the car door for the little Bangboo. The sight was adorable, and all Caesar can do is just smile. This boy and his bunny-shaped companion have done so much for the Outer Ring. A feast feels like an inadequate reward, she thought.
Wise takes a moment to look at the night sky above, deciding to enjoy the view before driving off. Caesar stands next to him to watch, but her mind was preoccupied on another matter.
Caesar looks down at Wise’s hand, which was so close to her one good hand. She starts feeling hot under her cheeks as certain thoughts start to dominate her mind. She tries to look away and focus on the night sky, but her eyes constantly look at both Wise’s hand and her own shaking fingers. Before she knew it, she was slowly reaching for his hand.
However, at the last second, Caesar clenches her fist and puts it behind her back. Damn, she muttered soundlessly under her breath.
“Hey, uh, Proxy,” Caesar spoke. “Are you sure you don’t want to spend the night here? I can set up a spot for you somewhere.”
“That’s a kind offer, but I’m gonna have to politely decline,” said Wise. “Belle wants me back at the store ASAP, something about a ruckus involving Vivian, Nicole, and an angry Bangboo.”
“Oh, okay,” Caesar replied, sounding kinda disappointed. “I guess I can’t keep you tied down here for long, huh? But just remember, if you ever need a spot to lie down and rest here, just come to me.”
“I’ll keep it in mind,” Wise promised. “Thank you for your hospitality, Caesar. Sometimes, I wonder if I’m truly deserving of it.”
“Hey, there’s no need for that kind of talk,” Caesar disagreed kindly. “As long as I’m in charge, I wanna make sure Blazewood is like a second home to you.”
Wise’s smile widens a bit as he lets a little chuckle.
“Is that too much?” Caesar blushed.
“I just can’t help but find it quite charming how much you care,” Wise complimented.
“Ch-Charming? M-Me?” Caesar blushed again. “Come on, Proxy. That’s too much coming from you.”
“Sorry. I just… the words kinda came out on their own,” Wise replied, embarrassed by his compliment.
“Sometimes, I wonder if you like messing with me,” Caesar smirked. “Comparing me to a princess, offering to take my hand, imagining me on a magazine cover… am I missing something here, Proxy?”
“I guess I am a bit too much, aren’t I?” Wise blushed.
“Hey, don’t be embarrassed. If anything, I find that charming about you,” Caesar complimented.
“Oh, come on. Now you’re just teasing me,” Wise accused with a bashful smile.
“No, I mean it,” Caesar said adamantly. “I don’t just say that to anyone.”
“Charming isn’t exactly how I’d describe myself,” said Wise. “I’m just trying to be a decent friend, though my sister sometimes questions my people skills. I’m sure she’d laugh at the idea of me being some sort of Prince Charming.”
“Oh, would she? Ha… hehe… ha,” Caesar laughed nervously.
“Did I say something funny?” Wise asked, confused by her odd expression.
“Oh, uh… ahem,” Caesar cleared her throat. “N-No, not at all. I’m sure some lucky lady out there would be happy to call you their Prince Charming.”
“If that day ever comes to pass,” Wise muttered sadly.
“What was that?” Caesar asked, wondering if she heard him wrong.
“Oh, uh, n-nothing,” Wise stuttered. “I, uh, I should get going. I’ll see you next time, Caesar. Feel free to drop by the video store whenever you want. I’d like to spend time with you again.”
“Well, I suppose I can delegate some tedious labor to Lucy just to clear my schedule,” Caesar joked. “But sure, Proxy. I’m always up for hanging out with you. Always.”
After a moderately long period of silence and exchanging smiles, Wise boards his car and drives back to New Eridu. Caesar waves goodbye as she watches the car disappear into the distance. Already, she misses his presence, but he has a home to return to.
Caesar returns to her bike, checking if the components are in good condition, all the while humming this tune that she has made up in her mind. Words like “blush,” “rollercoaster,” and “blooming flower” come out of her mouth, but there are moments where she forgets what the next line is. As she continues to sing and hum, images from a familiar daydream pop up in her mind.
A girl with brown hair… suddenly turns green.
A boy with red hair… suddenly turns grey.
The two of them standing near each other with their backs against one another. The girl turns around as the boy walks away. The girl wants to reach out to him, but the boy vanishes into the crowd. The girl stands there, looking for the boy, wondering if she should brave through the ocean of people to find him. Her friend calls to her and asks her if she wants to spend time with her later, but the girl tunes out her friend’s words, occupied by her own thoughts. Would it be a mistake to try to…
“Ahem!”
Caesar turns to the source of that “ahem.” That source is Lucy, who is walking towards while being accompanied by Burnice, Piper, and Lighter. The daughter of the Montefio family was giving her one of those judgmental looks again.
“Would you care to explain yourself, Caesar?” Lucy asked, sounding like a parent coming to scold their child.
“Explain what?” Caesar asked.
“Well, let’s see,” Lucy started, pretending to think about it. “You spent an awfully high amount of effort on the feast for the Proxy. You asked him if you could accompany him on his way to his vehicle, which was only a few dozen steps from the diner… oh, and you were just about to hold his hand without consent!”
“Uh, wai… wha…” Caesar reacted, surprised by the last part. “H-How could you accuse me of such a thing, Lucy? I don’t even know what you’re talking about, hehe…”
“Your face is as guilty as Burnice’s when we ask her why a fire started out of nowhere yesterday!” Lucy accused.
“Hey, I said it wasn’t me that time,” Burnice reacted.
“Lucy, don’t you think you’re making too big of a deal out of this?” Piper questioned.
“You say the boss is carrying a torch for someone. Unusual, but not unexpected,” Lighter commented.
“Carrying a tor… excuse me?!” Caesar reacted, trying to appear normal rather than flustered.
“You’re not fooling anyone, Caesar,” said Lucy, still looking angry.
“Lucy, what in the heavens’ name is this really about?” Caesar asked, still refusing to respond properly to the accusation.
“Oh, playing dumb, are we?” Lucy accused. “Well, maybe this will jog your memory.”
Putting emphasis on “this,” Lucy throws down an open comic book, showing a page of a girl showing a boy towards a table full of different kinds of food, including a cake (which has a suspicious similarity to the cake that was eaten at the Outer Ring Overlord’s feast today). The girl in the comic is blushing and has an obvious adoring look in her eye.
“You threw that feast and baked that cake for Wise because of this stupid comic, didn’t you?” Lucy accused.
Caesar grabs the comic and says, “Hey, where did you get this?”
“Lucy went through your belongings while you were watching the Proxy drive off into the moonlight,” Piper answered.
“Not cool, Lucy!” Caesar criticized.
“Stop dodging this, Caesar!” Lucy shouted. “We know you love romantic stuff, whether it’s comics or movies. Just last month, a group of ladies were having a private viewing of a romantic comedy here, and Kasa told us of a suspicious individual wearing a cloak heading towards that viewing party. She mentioned seeing green hair sticking out of the cloak. Even Burnice can tell who that was.”
“I wasn’t fully certain, but I was about 60% sure it was Caesar,” said Burnice.
“So, what? Why does it matter that I made Wise a cake?” Caesar asked. “I just, uh, wanted to thank him for all he’s done for us. Blazewood’s citizens would be struggling now without those supplies he helped us recover…”
“It’s not about the cake,” Lucy replied loudly. “It’s about you recreating these romantic scenarios with the Proxy. The ending even shows the girl trying to hold the boy’s hand. However, unlike you, she actually went through with it.”
“Grr,” Caesar growled and blushed as she put the comic away.
“Aww, she’s so cute when she’s so flustered,” Burnice commented with a teasing smile.
Burnice was about to pinch Caesar’s burning red cheeks, but Caesar smacks her hand away.
“Look, Caesar, the only one freaking about this is Lucy,” said Piper. “You don’t have to hide your true feelings from us. Besides, they’re as clear as the sun on a burning hot day.”
“Nrr,” Caesar growled again, avoiding eye contact.
“I think we’re upsetting the Boss, ladies,” Lighter said carefully. “Your Highness, I feel like we need to table this discussion for tomorrow. It’s getting late and she might need the rest considering the battle and the cake.”
“No, Lighter. We’re talking about this right here, right now,” Lucy insisted.
“Then care to explain why you’re treating this like an emergency?” Lighter requested.
“She’s manufacturing these scenarios to get Wise all to herself,” said Lucy. “Every time he visits, she’s all over him like Piper to Steeltusk.”
“Hey, leave me and my baby out of this,” Piper reacted, offended.
“And so, what? Is there something wrong with Caesar wanting to hang with the Proxy, Lucy?” Burnice asked.
“It’s how she hangs out with him that’s the issue,” said Lucy. “Heck, whenever we visit the city, you look like you’re daydreaming all the time. Whenever we run into Wise, you just ignore whatever it is we’re doing and talk to him.”
“This is gonna escalate into something undesirable,” Lighter muttered.
“And do I even dare bring up that one incident?” Lucy continued. “Wise and Caesar went missing together for a whole day. They both returned with suspicious smiles on their faces, and they refused to tell me what they were up to while they were out together. They were clearly hiding something big. What if… what if…”
A thought, a vivid image popped into Lucy's mind.
“Oh, my goodness,” Lucy uttered with shock and disgust. “Caesar, you didn’t do something scandalous to him, did you?”
Burnice gasps and says, “Are you suggesting they’ve already… oh, my… what a dream come true for Caesar!”
“Too much information,” Lighter commented.
“Those two did look awfully happy after being stuck together for hours,” Piper remembered.
“P-Please, stop,” Ceasar grunted. “I-It’s not what you think.”
Caesar grabs her sword and shield. She still refuses to look at her fellow bikers. She doesn’t want them to see the look on her face, and she refuses to acknowledge the legitimacy of these accusations. She almost dents her shield with her prosthetic hand, shaking from the intense emotions she’s feeling from hearing Lucy shout at her about Wise.
Caesar’s stubborn refusal to respond, however, isn’t going to stop Lucy from probing.
“Are you even actually interested in him, Caesar?” Lucy questioned. “Wise deserves better than this. He shouldn’t be toyed with like some helpless bachelor, least of all by some selfish Overlord who is obsessed with fictional romance. He deserves something real, something from the heart. Do you hear me, Caesar?”
Caesar’s grip on her shield tightens as her breathing speeds up. It looks like she’s about to explode with anger, but she’s holding it in as best as she can.
“Have you thought about what he would think about this?” Lucy persisted. “How will Wise feel when he finds out that you’re just using him to live out your childish fantasies?”
Caesar suddenly raises her shield, alarming the other Sons of Calydon. The green-haired biker turns around as fast as one can blink. As the Sons of Calydon make their respective moves, Caesar’s swings her shield high and hits…
A wooden wall.
The Sons of Calydon were surprised, but more so by the target of the shield rather than the Overlord’s reaction.
Lucy was holding her helmet tightly with both hands, and her knees were shaking. Lighter and Piper were shielding Lucy. Burnice had her fingers on her flamethrowers’ triggers.
Caesar leaves her shield on the wall while keeping her head down, still not wanting her friends to see the look on her face. The shield on the wall tells something, but not everything.
Caesar gets on her bike and quickly rides away into the night, not wanting to speak to the Sons of Calydon about this matter.
Lucy’s hands remain on her helmet as she tries to recover from the shock of Caesar’s sudden action. The daughter of the Montefio family is trying to relax her breathing, but it’s a slow process at the moment. It’s almost like she’s about to hyperventilate. The sight of the shield on the wall doesn’t help her nerves.
“For a second, I thought she was gonna take Lucy’s head off,” said Piper.
“But she wouldn’t really do that, right?” Burnice said nervously but positively.
“I’m pretty sure that shield swing was at head-level with Lucy,” said Lighter.
“N-N-Not h-helping, Lighter,” Lucy stuttered.
Caesar rode on her bike for about half an hour before stopping. After parking her bike, she sits down on a boulder and buries her face in one hand. She can feel a couple tears stream down her face. She wipes them away quickly, but her eyes continue to water, suggesting more tears are to come. All Caesar wanted to do was take some time to herself to calm down and eventually return to her normal demeanor, but that was proving to be easier said than done.
Dammit, Lucy, she thought. She has no right to judge me for this.
Thinking back to her violent response to Lucy’s accusations, Caesar can only smack herself in the head out of disappointment. While she’s lost her temper before when it came to Lucy, it was never to this degree. If Lucy was just standing a few inches closer when she reached her breaking point… oh, goodness…
After a while, she lies down on the boulder, on the brink of falling asleep.
Just as she was about to close her eyes, she starts to hear the roaring sound of motorbikes in the distance. She sits up and looks far to her right, seeing two motorbikes heading her way.
It was Burnice and Lighter.
They park their bikes next to Caesar’s and quickly walk up to the Overlord herself.
“There you are, Boss,” Lighter greeted. “We thought we lost you a while ago. Good thing your bike left tracks for us to follow.”
“I, uh, brought some Nitro-Fuel just in case,” Burnice said with careful positivity. “Although, judging by your face, I take it you’re not in the mood.”
“You didn’t bring Lucy with you?” Caesar noticed.
“We initially wanted to bring her so she can apologize,” said Lighter. “But Piper said you both needed more time to relax and think it over.”
“She was worried you two would yell at each other if you both didn’t get a proper good night sleep before talking again,” Burnice added.
“Hmm,” Caesar scoffed.
“Look, Boss, relax. No one here but Lucy is judging you,” said Lighter. “While a bit surprising, I can understand why the Proxy has captured your attention. You look happier than usual whenever you’re near him, and we love seeing you in high spirits.”
“Lucy’s probably just jealous she doesn’t have someone like the Proxy waiting for her,” Burnice assumed. “She did deny it, insisting she wasn’t jealous. But even I can tell she’s lying.”
“Lucy tends to criticize me when it comes to my qualifications as a leader,” said Caesar. “What’s she trying to say? That how I feel about the Proxy is gonna compromise my capabilities as Overlord?”
“Then tell us, Caesar. Do you think falling in love with Wise is making you a worse Overlord?” Burnice asked.
“I’m not… ugh!” Caesar denied again.
“Come on, Caesar. It’s okay to share it with us,” Burnice assured. “Girl meets boy. Girl falls in love with boy. It’s no different from lots of people in this world. Why feel so embarrassed and cagey about it?”
“You’re never one to let Lucy get in your head this much,” said Lighter. “You weigh her opinions on a lot of things, sure, but this is the most extreme reaction we’ve ever seen from you when it comes to her. I’m guessing you take exception to the accusation that you consult your comics to manufacture situations to attach the Proxy to your hip.”
“Lighter,” Caesar scolded, blushing as she did.
“So, what? Maybe Caeasar was just looking for advice,” said Burnice. “But the part about Lucy saying that Wise deserves something real, and also accusing her of not really being interested… now, why would that bother Caesar so much?”
“’Cause what if Lucy’s right?!” Caesar said suddenly and loudly.
Lighter and Burnice stop talking and wait for more words from their leader. Caesar takes a few deep breaths as she hugs her knees close to her chest, thinking about the words she let out just now.
“Fine, I admit, I do recreate moments from my comics ‘cause I want to know what it’s like to experience them with Wise,” Caesar admitted. “But I… is that… what if that’s just it? What if I am just trying to bring these pages to life for my own sake instead of focusing on how Wise actually feels about me? What does that make me? A terrible friend, that’s what. Lucy talks about how he deserves something that’s real and from the heart. I don’t think I’ve done anything like that all. And that makes me feel… agh!”
Caesar hides her face behind her knees as she takes more deep breaths. Finally admitting her guilt and some negative thoughts concerning her own personal feelings, it’s all too much for her, emotionally.
Burnice decides to sit next to Caesar. Lighter follows her, sitting on the other empty spot next to his boss.
“Well, I think Lucy’s wrong,” said Burnice. “I may not be an expert myself, but it’s like I said, I think you use your comics for advice. I think you wanting to spend time with him and wanting to make him smile, that’s real. Am I right?”
“You… you’re… m-maybe,” Caesar replied weakly.
“Even if you wanted to live out that stuff from the comics with him, does that change the fact that you want to be next to him at all times?” Lighter added.
“N-No,” Caesar answered.
Burnice quickly pulls Caesar into a side hug, hoping some physical reassurance is another thing she needs to cheer up.
Lighter raises his arm and fist. Caesar smiles and kindly bumping fists with him, showing that she’s feeling a little better.
“Then don’t let Lucy get to you, especially about this,” said Burnice. “You like Wise. You want to spend time with him. You want to hold his hand, kiss him under the moonlight, maybe invite him to your place and tuck him…”
Blushing at the inappropriate implications, Caesar immediately pushes Burnice off of her, shutting up the pyromaniac.
“Okay, that’s enough,” said Caesar.
“You were looking a little red there, boss,” Lighter teased. “Your face color almost matches my scarf.”
Caesar punches Lighter on the shoulder, but she does it with a smile on her face, which is a delightful sight to her friends.
“The point, Caesar, is that you shouldn’t let what anyone else thinks about you affect how you want to spend your time with Wise,” said Burnice. “It would be nice if you came to us so we can help you. I’d love nothing more than to put a big smile on both your faces… well, bigger smiles, anyway.”
“I don’t know, guys. I don’t even know how he feels about me,” said Caesar.
“He’s a fool if he doesn’t treasure you that way you do him,” said Lighter. “And luckily for you, from my point of view, he’s no fool.”
“You really think so?” Caesar asked eagerly.
“I’m no expert on this matter, but I like to think I can notice some signs,” said Lighter.
“Is it because it’s like that between you and Belle?” Burnice teased. “Don’t think I didn’t notice that smile on your face when she rode with you on your bike. Arms all over you, might I add.”
Lighter blushes at the mention of the Proxy sister, but he quickly laughs it off and looks off into the distance. The guilty look on his face was still clear as day to both Caesar and Burnice. Caesar elbows him on the arm, teasing him. Lighter just smiles it off, trying to act cool to avoid discussing it. Burnice chuckles at the Sons of Calydon’s Champion, enjoying the sight of his reddening cheeks and getting a confirmation of his feelings for the blue-haired Proxy.
“Thanks, guys,” Caesar said gratefully. “I needed this.”
“Hey, maybe Lighter and I aren’t the ideal consultants for love, but we are still your family, aren’t we?” Burnice said happily.
“We’re willing to brave impossible challenges just to see you smile and ready to go, Boss,” said Lighter.
Caesar wipes her eye dry and says, “I just wish I could come up with something original. I don’t know what I’m really doing.”
“You could just tell him how you feel and see if he says the same thing in return,” Burnice suggested.
“That’s easy for you to say. You’re not the one being judged for feeling like this,” Caesar blushed.
“You could throw him some hints, maybe some flowers or a gift,” Lighter suggested. “The more you make him think about the message behind these gestures, the more he’ll suspect that your feelings towards him are more than just that of the friendly kind.”
“And you better do it quick, ‘cause there’re about a handful of girls waiting on him,” Burnice teased. “There’s that cute girl in purple who’s a big Phaethon fangirl. There’s the cool Fox Thiren from Section 6. There’s that pretty blind girl from the Defense For-“
Caesar responds by smacking Burnice on the side, although this one was not really a friendly gesture. Unfortunately for Burnice, she was sitting to Caesar’s left, meaning that her midsection got hit with the Overlord’s metallic arm.
Burnice tries to hold in the pained sounds that her mouth wants to let out.
“I’ll… think about it,” Caesar promised.
Without saying another word, Caesar gets off the rock and hops back on her bike. She starts her bike, but she waits for Burnice and Lighter. She wants to ride back to Blazewood with them.
It’s no fun riding solo, after all.
Lighter and Burnice get back on their bikes and start them. Just as they were about to ride off together…
“Hey, Caesar, remember how wild you were behaving when I challenged you to a Nitro-Fuel drinking contest?” Burnice reminded. “Maybe I can arrange for you and Wise to compete in one. Imagine all the unfiltered confessions you could throw at him…”
Caesar interrupts the pyromaniac and literally rides away from this conversation.
“I think she loves that idea,” Burnice assumed.
“Piece of advice, Burnice. Don’t force it,” Lighter advised. “For the Boss’s sake and ours.”
Burnice rubs the spot where Caesar smacked her earlier, letting out a silent “ow.”