MMA System: I Will Be Pound For Pound Goat

Damon stood in his room, hands on his hips, staring blankly at the wall.

Fancy or casual?

The question felt more complicated than it needed to be, but he wasn't about to mess this up.

With a sigh, he walked out to the living room.

Aoife, his mom, was sitting on the couch with a book on her lap.

As he got closer, she looked up, her eyebrows raised a little in interest.

"Mom," Damon said, rubbing the back of his head awkwardly. "I need some advice."

Aoife's lips curled into a small smile. "This should be good. What is it, son?"

Damon cleared his throat, shifting his weight from one foot to the other. "So... first date. Fancy or casual? What's better?"

Aoife set her book down, her smile widening. "First date, huh?" she asked, tilting her head slightly. "This wouldn't happen to be with Svetlana, would it?"

Damon gave a nod, appearing confident despite the confusion. "Yeah, it's Svetlana."

Aoife chuckled softly. "Well, that depends. What's the plan? Fancy says you're trying to impress her, but casual says you want her to feel comfortable. Both are good, but it depends on the girl."

Damon frowned, considering her words. "Yeah, that's kind of what I thought."

Aoife leaned forward, her tone growing softer. "Svetlana's a sweet girl, Damon. I don't think she's the kind of person who needs grand gestures. But... she'll appreciate the thought you put into it. So, maybe aim for something in between? A nice dinner, somewhere quiet where you can talk."

Damon nodded slowly. "That makes sense. Thanks, Mom."

Aoife smiled knowingly. "And Damon?"

"Yeah?"

"Relax. Be yourself. That's what she likes about you."

Damon gave her a small smile, feeling a bit more confident. "Got it. Thanks."

As he turned to leave, Aoife called after him. "Oh, and don't overthink it too much! It's not a job interview, it's a date!"

Damon let out a soft laugh and went back to his room to think about what was left.

Damon leaned back from the wall and raised an eyebrow at his mom as he did so. When Aoife looked up from her book, she smiled calmly at him..

"When did you start reading?" Damon asked, pointing at the book in her hands.

She shrugged, closing the book with a light pat. "Recently. Since my son's working hard and doesn't need me to work anymore, it's boring sitting around all day doing nothing. Figured I'd try something new. Reading's not so bad."

Damon nodded, a small smile tugging at the corners of his lips. "That's good. Okay, let me go get ready."

He turned to leave but froze when Aoife called out after him. "And shave that damn hair off your face! You look like a sheep someone forgot to shear!"

Damon groaned, rubbing his mustache. "It's not that bad!"

"It is!" Aoife shouted back, her Irish accent thick with teasing. "You'll scare the poor girl into thinking you've been lost in the Wicklow Mountains for a month!"

Damon laughed and shook his head as he walked down the hall. He called over his shoulder, "Love you too, Mom!"

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"Shave it, Damon!" she yelled back, her laughter following him.

So Damon got ready for the date for the rest of the day.

The more he worked on the details, the more confident he felt about how things were coming together.

He wasn't trying to be fancy, he wasn't trying to impress Svetlana with big moves.

Instead, he was just trying to make a place where they could chill out, talk, and enjoy each other's company.

He picked up the phone and sent her a quick text message.

[Wear something casual, nothing fancy.]

He stared at the screen for a moment, debating whether it sounded too direct or impersonal.

But it felt right for the kind of evening he had planned. It wasn't about making her feel pressured, it was about making her feel comfortable.

Choosing that spot, he thought it would be fun and give them lots of chances to talk without being interrupted.

Though he'd thought long and hard about his choice, Damon still felt a lingering doubt.

Was this the right move?

Was it the right setting?

He then told himself that Svetlana wasn't just anyone.

He had known her for a while and was her friend, so he knew what made her feel comfortable.

Still, as the hours ticked by, Damon found himself double-checking everything.

But

Now that everything was ready, Damon finished getting ready and put on clothes.

He chose a fitted polo shirt that showed off his fit body without making it look too tight.

With khaki chino pants and white sneakers, he looked both casual and put-together.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om

As for accessories.

He had never been interested in watches or chains, and tonight was no different.

Standing in front of the mirror, Damon gave himself a once-over.

He had taken his mother's advice and shaved his mustache, though his hand instinctively brushed his upper lip, as if the hair were still there.

Satisfied, he stepped out of his room and made his way to the kitchen, where Aoife was busy preparing a meal.

Her face lit up with a warm smile as she turned around when she heard him come in.

She quickly ran her hand over her eyes when they sparkled.

Damon noticed immediately and walked closer. "Mom, what's wrong?" he asked, his tone concerned.

Aoife shook her head, wiping at her eyes even though no tears had fallen. "It's nothing, sweetheart. It's just…"

She placed her hands on his shoulders, giving him a gentle pat. "You're so grown now. Look at you," she said, her voice soft with emotion. "You look so handsome, Damon. I'm proud of you."

Damon's chest got tight when she spoke. After looking down for a moment, he walked closer to her and hugged her.

He said, "Thanks, Mom," in a quiet voice that was full of thanks.

This moment seemed simple, but it held a lot of weight.

Hearing those words from her would always mean a lot to him, no matter how strong or successful he got.