MMA System: I Will Be Pound For Pound Goat

The man approached their table and sat down, nodding a polite greeting to Damon and Svetlana.

"Mornin', how are ye both?" he said in gruff but not unfriendly tone.

Before either of them could respond, one of the café waiters approached, holding a notepad but breaking into a grin when he saw the man.
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"Ah, Paddy! Yer back again, huh? Ye practically live here these days," the waiter said, his own Irish accent laced with humor.

Paddy chuckled, leaning back in his chair. "What can I say, Liam? The coffee's good, and the company's tolerable."

Liam laughed. "I'll take that as a compliment, Paddy. Same as usual, yeah?"

"Aye, the usual," Paddy replied with a nod.

Liam scribbled on his notepad and turned to Damon and Svetlana. "Anything else for ye two while I'm here?"

They shook their heads, and Liam walked off, leaving them with Paddy.

Damon took a mental note of the man's name, leaning forward slightly.

"Paddy, I assume?" Damon said, his voice calm but direct.

Paddy nodded, folding his arms on the table. "Aye, that's me. Now, let's get to it, lad. Ye woke me up at a feckin' ungodly hour last night, so I'm hopin' this is worth me time."

Damon glanced at Svetlana, then back at Paddy, his expression firm.

"It will be."

Damon leaned forward slightly, his voice steady but polite. "First off, I'm Damon Cross, and this is Svetlana, my girlfriend." He gestured toward her with a small nod.

Svetlana gave a polite smile, but Damon quickly continued, not wanting to lose the moment. "I wanted to apologize for waking you up so late last night. That was rude of me. But I was looking for someone, a relative, actually, and I thought you might be able to help."

Paddy raised an eyebrow, his expression in skepticism.

"Aye, so ye're the lad that dragged me outta me bed," he said, his Irish accent thick and his tone blunt.

"Well, yer apology's noted, but I'll be honest with ye, it's not worth feck all if ye've got me wastin' me time."

Damon straightened slightly, maintaining eye contact.

Paddy leaned back in his chair, folding his arms. "A relative, ye say? Bit vague, don't ye think? Who is it ye're lookin' for then? Or better yet, why's it so important that ye came knockin' on a stranger's door at night like ye were huntin' for ghosts?"

Svetlana glanced at Damon, but he remained calm, letting Paddy speak.

It was clear Paddy wasn't the type to mince words.

"I don't mean to sound like a bollocks," Paddy continued, his tone softening slightly, "but if yer lookin' for somethin' serious, ye best get to the point."

Damon nodded, meeting Paddy's gaze with quiet determination. "I am looking for something serious. I need to know about someone who used to live at your house."

Paddy's eyes narrowed slightly, curiosity flickering behind his bold exterior. "Well, now ye've got me interest. Let's hear it, lad."

Damon leaned back slightly, glancing at Svetlana for reassurance before beginning. "I lived in that house with my family more than a decade ago. My mom and I… we left my father."

The word father left his lips strangely, the tone tense and heavy, as though it carried a weight he hadn't fully processed.

Paddy leaned forward slightly, listening as he waited for his food.

His expression was unreadable, but his piercing gaze made it clear he was paying attention.

"I came here because I need to know if he still lives there, or if he's moved," Damon continued.

His voice was steady, but the tension in his jaw was apparent.

Just as Damon finished explaining, the waiter returned, setting down a plate of food in front of Paddy.

The warm aroma wafted across the table, but Paddy didn't touch it right away.

Instead, he locked eyes with Damon, tapping his fingers lightly on the table as if weighing his response.

"When I came to that house," Paddy said after a moment, his voice calm but direct, "it was empty. They said it was up for sale, so I bought it." He paused, linking his fingers together before grabbing a napkin and wiping his hands.

Damon didn't flinch, keeping steady eye contact, his focus unwavering.

Svetlana watched silently, sensing the growing tension between them.

Paddy finally broke the silence, his tone shifting to something slightly more considerate.

"How about this," he said, leaning back in his chair. "Let me try callin' the lad who sold me the house. He might know somethin'. Should only take a minute."

Damon gave a small nod. "I'd appreciate that," he said, his voice calm but with a flicker of hope beneath it.

Paddy pulled out his phone, his movements slow and deliberate, as if testing Damon's patience. "Right, then. Let's see if we can find ye some answers, lad," he said, dialing the number.

The sounds of the café seemed to fade into the background as they all waited for the call to connect.

The call connected, and Paddy leaned back in his chair, his tone casual at first.

"Aye, it's Paddy," he said, giving Damon a quick glance before returning his focus to the call. "Got a question about that house ye sold me a few years back."

He paused, listening intently. "Who was livin' there before ye sold it?" he asked, his voice calm but direct.

There was a moment of silence as the other person replied.

Paddy's expression shifted slightly, a flicker of curiosity crossing his face. "Aye, I see. Ye wouldn't happen to know where he went, would ye?"

Another pause, and then Paddy chuckled lightly, though it seemed more out of politeness than humor. "Don't worry, I'm not huntin' to beat someone up or anythin' like that. Just need to know for somethin' important."

As the conversation continued, Paddy's demeanor subtly changed.

His face darkened for a moment, his brows furrowing deeply as he listened. "Are ye sure about that?" he asked, his tone suddenly cautious, almost disbelieving.

The caller's response was evidently firm because Paddy nodded slowly. "Right… thanks for lettin' me know. Appreciate it."

He hung up the phone, setting it on the table with a faint sigh.

His expression was unreadable now, but there was a hint of hesitation as he looked at Damon, as though weighing his next words carefully.