Date with Neo

[Day 71]

Inside a warehouse at the Vale docks, the atmosphere of the underground arena pulses with excitement. A robust woman positions herself in the corner of the platform, eyeing her next victim: a surprisingly attractive young man. "What a waste," she thinks, scanning him with her gaze.

"BEGIN!" shouts the announcer, breaking the silence.

Wasting no time, the woman charges toward the young man, who stares back at her from the opposite side. "Better put him out of his misery quickly," she reflects, feeling a brief flash of pity for him, though not enough to stop.

He, on the other hand, doesn't stand still. He runs toward her with surprising agility. "He's fast," she thinks, "but it won't help him..."

Her thoughts are abruptly interrupted when the young man leaps, spins in the air, and his kick lands squarely on her head. A sharp pain shoots through her, and she feels her brain rattle. Before she can react, her head crashes into the floor, the dull thud reverberating throughout the arena.

A momentary silence envelopes the spectators, but it soon erupts into cheers of euphoria.

"YEAH!!!"

"WHOOOO!!!"

The crowd ignites, chanting the young man's name:

"Aegis! Aegis! Aegis!"

He raises his hands, shouting with enthusiasm.

"AHHH!" making a spectacle of himself in front of the audience.

Meanwhile, an invisible Stomatopod rests on his head, enjoying the moment and listening to the crowd chant his name.

[Day 64]

[Daniel's Apartment – 10:00 AM]

It's another morning in Daniel's apartment, where the silence is interrupted by a series of impacts echoing through the room.

Bam! Bam! Bam!

A series of punches and kicks keep the punching bag constantly moving. At first glance, it would be a normal scene, except for one small detail: Aegis isn't on his head... or at least it seems that way.

BAM!

The last hit shakes the bag so hard it almost breaks the chain holding it up.

"Am I getting better or what?" Daniel says, still panting, as he looks at his reflection in the mirror, focusing on his head, waiting for a response.

Suddenly, a small explosion of crystals appears above him, revealing Aegis, the invisible shrimp that's been pulling the strings all along.

"Not bad," Aegis comments in his usual indifferent tone from his position on Daniel's head.

For the past week, Daniel has been experimenting with Neo's semblance, which, unlike Yang's, turned out to be easier to train, or at least doesn't require getting beaten up to activate. He's tested how much he can do with this ability, but the goal of gaining a new look still feels far off. Every time he tries, he only manages to create a distorted figure that wouldn't fool anyone.

Realizing that a complete transformation is out of reach for now, he decides to start with something simpler: changing color. He's managed to modify several shades on his body, but the more complex the change, the harder it is to maintain the illusion. However, not everything is frustrating; he discovered something that should've been obvious: everything he touches can also be covered by his illusion, not just his clothes. It took Daniel a few days to realize this.

With that idea in mind, new possibilities come to him. He approaches Aegis, a smile on his face, grabs him, and places him on his head.

"Ever heard of personal space?" Aegis asks, uninterested. "What are you planning now?"

"You'll see," Daniel responds, focusing on activating his semblance.

After a bit of effort, Aegis starts to glow brightly for a brief moment, revealing his new appearance: a spotted shrimp.

"Ahahahaha!" Daniel bursts out laughing. Aegis, noticing his new color, replies in a dry tone: "Bad choice. And terrible idea putting me on your head."

Daniel's laughter stops abruptly. "Wait, wait," he tries to explain, but it's too late. Aegis takes control, guiding Daniel toward the punching bag. "A broken finger won't hurt anyone," Aegis says as he lands a powerful punch on the bag, the pain shattering the illusion in an explosion of tiny crystals.

Daniel fixes his gaze on the mirror, watching his reflection and realizing the illusion broke, returning Aegis to normal. "Wait a second..." he mutters, concentrating again. He covers Aegis with another illusion, changing his color once more.

"I see you've chosen the path of pain," Aegis notes, noticing the new illusion.

"Keep punching," Daniel responds, staying focused.

Aegis, determined not to break the rhythm, charges forward. BAM! Another hit, and the illusion breaks again.

"Mmm..." Daniel reflects. "I have an idea, but we need a mirror closer."

Aegis has started to understand Daniel and knows he has a plan, so he decides to go along with it. Together, they get a mirror and place it a couple of meters behind the bag, positioned so Daniel can see himself.

"Alright, now keep going," Daniel says, taking a deep breath and focusing on creating illusions.

BAM! CRASH! The sound of punches and shattered crystals fills the apartment.

"What exactly are you doing?" Aegis asks, not stopping as he continues the series of punches, watching Daniel create illusions in sequence, only for them to be destroyed instantly with each impact.

"Training my semblance," Daniel replies, taking a moment to explain. "I want to maintain the illusion under pressure, even when I'm taking physical pain. It's a good challenge."

Aegis finds many flaws in his logic but decides not to crush his creativity. The training continues, with Aegis directing the punches while Daniel, with the help of the mirror, strives to maintain the illusion, challenging himself not to be distracted by the physical pain.

[Day 68]

BAM! BAM! BAM! A series of punches and kicks burst out of Daniel as he gives his all to conceal Aegis. Each move is full of energy, and in his mind, the focus is absolute. As he tries different colors, he also transforms himself, alternating between several illusion options. Among his experiments, he even attempts to leave Aegis completely without color, an idea that took him several tries and quite some time to develop.

Daniel goes through several forms of illusion: from making Aegis completely white to creating a blurry version. There were many failed attempts, but finally, after much effort, he succeeds. Aegis completely disappears from his sight.

The punches stop. Daniel lets out an ecstatic laugh, sweat dripping down his forehead as he pants from the effort. "Hahaha… I didn't drop the illusion! Ha!" With a sigh of relief, he collapses onto the floor, exhausted both physically and mentally.

Aegis, now invisible, also seems relieved. "Good, I was getting tired of being stuck under a hat all the time."

[Day 71]

Daniel walks around the apartment, getting ready for another date. But it's not a date with his girlfriend, of course. This time, he's preparing to meet Neopolitan, the psychopath who knows where he lives. Lately, he feels like she's growing impatient… or at least, that's what the increasingly strange and suggestive gifts are telling him. At first, they were just flowers, but they quickly escalated to whips and leather outfits.

"How the hell does she know my measurements?" was Daniel's first thought when he received the package.

Not wanting to tempt fate or become the victim of a scorned lover, he decided to message Neo, and they agreed to meet today. Now, Daniel is preparing with everything he considers necessary for the occasion.

Aegis, sitting on the table, skims through a checklist.

"Condoms?" he reads aloud.

"Yes," Daniel responds without hesitation.

"Spare shirt."

"Yes."

"Fake mustache."

"Yes."

"Scroll."

"Yes."

"Cash."

"Yes."

"Berry juice."

"Yes."

"Pikachu gummy."

"Yes."

"Speed shoes."

"Yes."

"Gun."

"Yes."

"Aegis?" Aegis pauses and looks at the list, clearly confused.

Daniel grabs him and places him on his head, activating an illusion that makes him invisible. "I thought I wasn't allowed to come on your dates," Aegis says sarcastically.

"Well, that was before I nearly got killed in an alleyway." Daniel leaves the apartment and starts walking. "From now on, I'm not going anywhere without you."

[30 minutes later]

As Daniel walks, he begins to seriously consider getting a mode of transportation. A motorcycle sounds good, but a flying car would be even better. He remembers hearing that they're more common in Atlas, but he hasn't seen a single one in Vale.

"I want one, but they're damn expensive… and with shipping, it's even worse," he grumbles to himself.

The postal service in this world is a mess, he thinks. You want to send a cake to your friend in another kingdom and end up paying ridiculous prices. Why? Because apparently, the delivery guy might get eaten by grimm. Most transports are armed or at least have some kind of escort, and if you have to cross the sea... forget it. "Damn grimm," Daniel mutters.

He finally arrives at the meeting place: an ice cream shop. As he walks in, he looks around. There are a few people seated, but none seem to be Neo. "Mmmm," he mutters thoughtfully.

From his invisible spot above Daniel's head, Aegis comments, "She's at the second table. She's the one looking at you like you're her prey."

Daniel follows the direction Aegis indicates. "How do you know?" he asks as he heads toward the table, not doubting for a second what Aegis says.

"When you create an illusion, you leave a kind of aura on yourself. She has the same aura," Aegis explains with the confidence of someone who's been observing the whole time.

"I don't see anything," Daniel replies, frowning.

"Well, I guess only I can see it," Aegis teases in a carefree tone.

"We seriously need to talk about what you can see," Daniel mutters with a hint of frustration.

Upon arriving, Daniel sits next to Neo, who, of course, pretends ignorance, as if she doesn't know why he sat beside her.

"No matter how much you change, I could always find you," Daniel says, trying to make his lie as believable as possible.

Neo, surprised by the comment, drops her disguise. She covers her mouth, pretending to laugh. But before Daniel can say anything else, she lunges toward him, getting close enough to steal a kiss. Daniel, though surprised, responds with enthusiasm, as if they hadn't seen each other in years. However, the beautiful moment is abruptly interrupted by the waitress.

"Ahh... sorry, but do you know where the girl who was sitting here a moment ago went?" the waitress asks, a bit uncomfortable at the sight of them.

Daniel quickly responds, "Oh, yeah, I saw her sneak out and run through the front door when you weren't looking." He points toward the street. Neo nods in agreement.

"Ah, no! Not again!" the girl shouts as she bolts toward the street.

Daniel and Neo look at each other and start laughing. At least Daniel does, because Neo simply holds her stomach, enjoying the moment.

Just then, another waiter, younger and clearly nervous, approaches. "Can I take your order?" he asks timidly.

"A blackberry cone," Daniel answers without much fuss. But Neo points to several items on the menu, her hands dancing all over the page until, at last, she stares directly at the waiter, waiting for his confirmation.

"Sorry, I didn't really understand..." the waiter apologizes, hiding behind his notepad.

Neo frowns, but Daniel doesn't waste any time. "BAM!" He slams the table, showing his frustration. "Are you incompetent?" he asks, much louder than necessary.

The waiter starts stammering, nervous. "I... I'm not..."

"She clearly ordered a chocolate sundae, with a scoop of vanilla ice cream, strawberry sauce, chopped nuts, a cherry on top, sprinkled with a bit of cinnamon, a cookie on the side, and, please, a touch of whipped cream—but not too much, because I don't want it melting. And make sure it's served in a large bowl!" Daniel says, catching his breath.

Both Neo and the waiter are left in complete shock. "How the hell did he get that?" the waiter wonders, while Neo, amused, claps softly. The waiter takes the order and quickly leaves, probably not wanting to come back.

Neo, intrigued, keeps looking at her scroll, ready to write Daniel a message about how he understood her order. But before she can do so, he stops her. "No need to write anything. Just express it however you want."

A radiant glow appears in Neo's eyes. She tries to convey her message, not with signs, but more empathetically, as she would usually do with Roman.

"Why do I understand you?" Daniel smiles, amused. "I don't know, maybe we're soulmates." The truth, however, is much simpler: his ability [Natural Polyglot] also includes Neo-language.

Neo feels ecstatic. For the first time, someone fully understands her; someone she can communicate with without needing words. And on top of that, someone who can place orders for her without mistakes! She jumps in her seat, pure happiness.

Soon after, their ice creams arrive, and they enjoy the dessert, exchanging complicit glances and smiles full of understanding. When they finish, Daniel notices a small spot of ice cream on Neo's face. Gently, he leans in to wipe it off, and although Neo likes the gesture, she decides to be more direct. Before he can react, she throws herself onto him, kissing him again, this time with more intensity. Daniel responds without hesitation, and soon, their mouths meet once again, their tongues intertwined in a passionate dance.

Not even being in a public place seems to bother them. The kisses grow more intense, and Neo, already fired up by the excitement, starts sliding her hand over Daniel's chest. She tries to slip her fingers between the buttons of his shirt, but the space is too tight. Noticing her intention, Daniel unbuttons one, giving her the access she seeks. "This is why I like you so much," Neo thinks, feeling Daniel's muscles beneath her fingers. He doesn't lag behind, sliding his hand over Neo's chest, savoring the shared intimacy.

The moment stretches on until they both hear a sharp "COUGH, COUGH." They ignore the intruder, but the "COUGH, COUGH!!!" becomes insistent, interrupting their moment. Finally, they separate, finding a woman dressed in the staff's uniform, though in black, indicating her rank: likely the manager of the place. She speaks firmly:

"Dear customer, this is a public establishment. I'm going to have to ask you to take your little tramp elsewhere." Her gaze falls on Daniel with disdain.

Before she can finish saying the last word, Neo is already ready to stab her in the eye with a spoon, but Daniel beats her to it. He stands up abruptly, his shirt still half open. "How dare you?!" he shouts, indignant. "Neo is no tramp!"

With that, Daniel slaps the manager so hard she flies onto a nearby table, ice cream spilling around her.

"Let's go, Neo," Daniel says, extending his hand. She gladly takes it. Neo isn't worried at all about being banned from the ice cream parlor; not when she can change her appearance and come back whenever she pleases.

Once outside, Daniel turns to Neo as they walk quickly. "Let's get out of here before they realize we didn't pay the bill, hahaha!"

Neo smiles conspiratorially, running alongside him. Although she has money, a lot of money, from years of crimes that have made her quite rich, paying for a couple of ice creams is nothing. But this isn't just about money; it's about the thrill of a shared crime. No matter how small, it feels incredibly good, and she's sure Daniel knows it too.

After running and laughing, now more relaxed, Daniel asks, "Do you have any other place in mind where you want to go?"

Neo checks the time and nods quickly, taking Daniel's hand. She leads him toward the docks, her heart racing with excitement and anticipation.

[Vale Docks]

Neo, with a mischievous smile, keeps holding Daniel's hand as she leads him toward a building in the middle of the docks. When they reach the door, a woman steps in their way.

"Stop!" she says, pointing at Daniel. "He can't come in..."

She doesn't even finish her sentence before Neo punches her square in the face. The woman, stunned, grabs her nose. After a moment of surprise, she mumbles, "Sorry, I made a mistake. Enjoy the show," and steps aside.

The crowd's cheers grow louder as they walk down the hallway. "YES, KILL HIM! FINISH HIM!" Daniel wonders where the hell he's ended up, while Aegis, much calmer, recognizes the unmistakable vibe. This smells like... home.

After passing through another door, a hidden arena is revealed before them. The noise is deafening; people shout as two fighters beat each other up in the center of the place.

"HAHA! I like this girl," Aegis comments.

Neo leads them to a VIP section, a balcony much better equipped than the rest. Once they sit down, Daniel can't help but look around with wide eyes. Neo watches him, reading his expressions, and gestures: "Don't like it?"

Daniel is about to reply, but Aegis whispers to him, "If you screw this up, I'm ditching you." With that threat ringing in his head, Daniel pulls himself together and taps into his inner actor. "I LOVE IT! How did you know I like watching people beat each other to near death?"

Neo hugs him, sticking out her tongue playfully. "Intuition," her gaze responds. Well, that, and she had already been inside his apartment when he wasn't around. She'd seen the smashed training machines, the wrecked punching bags, and how he dealt with those gang members in the alley—with that violence.

At first, Daniel doesn't show much interest, but the longer he watches, the more absorbed he becomes by the fight. He notices that some of the fighters' moves resemble the ones Aegis has taught him, though much sloppier.

Seeing Daniel so focused, Neo confirms she didn't make a mistake in bringing him here.

"BETS! PLACE YOUR BETS!" the announcer yells, ramping up the chaos.

Daniel hears the offer and turns to Neo. "Are the bets here safe?"

Neo thinks for a second and nods. At least for her, they are. If they don't pay up, the bettors end up dead. So yeah, safe.

Daniel asks Aegis, "Who should I bet on?"

Aegis analyzes the fighters for a moment. "Hmm... the one on the right. The one on the left is more tired. Her leg is injured; there's a slight limp, but she's trying to hide it."

"Got it," Daniel replies, and raising his voice, shouts, "10 thousand lien on the one on the right!"

The betting handler hears him and yells, "10 thousand for the hottie!"

Neo looks at Daniel, surprised. He flashes her a confident smile. "Don't worry," he says, pulling a wad of cash from his bag. Neo also catches sight of condoms, a fake mustache, and a gun. Interesting.

With money on the line, Daniel is now more invested in the fight. He cheers excitedly for his fighter, while Neo also waves her hands in support.

"WINNER!" everyone shouts in unison, and Daniel lets out a "WOOO!" Even though 10 thousand lien isn't much for his current bank account, the fun makes him feel more alive than ever.

Suddenly, the woman with the microphone approaches the center of the arena. "We have more challengers tonight!" she declares, scanning the crowd. After a brief pause, she points at someone with her hand.

"WE HAVE A CHALLENGER!"

Daniel laughs, but his laughter cuts off abruptly when he realizes everyone is looking at him, including Neo, who looks a bit confused. Glancing at his raised hand, he understands.

"Oh no..."

Author's note: Honestly, I wasn't really in the mood to write, but as they say, you only get better by trying, so here it is. It's not the best, but at least it's something. Now, an interesting question: how many times do you think a person with aura is stronger than a trained person without aura? Five, seven times stronger? I ask for several reasons...

Also, what reward would you give for winning the fight in the pit, you know, to motivate him?

Author's note 2: My other fanfic caught up to this one in collections in... 5 days! I don't know how to feel. On one hand, I'm happy because people liked it, but on the other, I remember that this one has been out for 2 months. Even so, that doesn't discourage me from continuing to write it.

Although I'm sure the furry cover helped.