"Nom, nom, nom..."
With her face buried in a mountain of cheesecake, Neeko felt like she'd ascended straight to heaven. Sweet, fragrant, soft, she could eat as much as she wanted, however she wanted.
That weird no-tail guy kept staring at her, though.
"What are you looking at? Cheesecake is Neeko's! Neeko's not sharing with you!"
Protective of her food, Neeko glared fiercely at Duke. He just chuckled and wiped some crumbs from her cheek.
"I'm not taking any. Eat as much as you like."
"Really?"
"Really."
"You're a good no-tail!"
That simple compliment from the ever-genuine Neeko made Duke roll his eyes, though the corner of his mouth tugged up in amusement. Seeing her finally warm up to him, he didn't hesitate to pull up a chair and sit at the table.
Watching Neeko scarf down her cake like a wild animal made Duke's stomach grumble a bit too.
Noticing his gaze, Neeko picked up a slice and offered it to him. "Here! For you!"
"Thanks, but I'm not hungry yet."
"Then it's all for Neeko!"
Grinning with joy, she dove back into her feast. Duke, tempted to ruffle her head, hesitated mid-motion as he remembered her natural ability.
Neeko could absorb someone's Sho'ma, their soul essence, just through physical contact, and transform into their likeness.
Sho'ma, in essence, was the soul itself.
By absorbing someone's Sho'ma, Neeko could not only copy their appearance, but also glean their secrets and emotions.
As she once put it, "Magic shares memory, color, and feeling. Magic connects everyone."
And Duke... had a lot of secrets. Dangerous ones. If even one slipped out, the entire world might turn on him.
But then, Neeko reached out on her own and gently grasped his hand, her amber eyes glowing with childlike wonder.
In the blink of an eye, Neeko's body shimmered and morphed, she had taken on Duke's form, though her cheeks were still smeared with cake.
"Wha, ?"
Duke was caught off guard. He hadn't expected that.
"So strange," Neeko said with a tilt of the head, "Neeko can't see any secrets in you. No past either. But your Sho'ma feels so warm and powerful, so full of life... like snuggling in mama's arms."
Duke blinked at the mirrored version of himself. He had been the one worrying about touching her, and she just went ahead and grabbed him first.
But then again... it made sense.
The Oovi-Kat, the Misttail tribe, were innately attuned to the spiritual world. Their Sho'ma resonated with all living things, allowing them to mimic the shapes of others, even communicating and connecting soul-to-soul. Among themselves, there were no secrets.
Neeko's instinctive urge to touch and merge with someone's Sho'ma was her way of sensing their heart, of protecting herself.
What surprised Duke was that even with contact, Neeko couldn't uncover his memories. Maybe it was due to his system's self-protection... or perhaps his innate magical talent naturally blocked it.
Either way, it was a relief.
"Neeko likes your Sho'ma!"
She beamed, raising both hands like a child discovering her new favorite toy.
"Is that so?" Duke smiled warmly. He reached out to pet her head, only to grimace at the fact she was still wearing his face.
"Uh, Neeko, can you change back?"
"Okay!"
With a shake of her head, Neeko reverted to her usual form. She even leaned her head closer, inviting the head pats.
Duke ran his fingers through her soft blue-violet hair as Neeko closed her eyes, basking in the affection. At the same time, she deepened her connection to his Sho'ma, imprinting his presence in her heart.
But Duke's expression gradually shifted. He could feel her thoughts and emotions now, flowing into him like a quiet stream.
"Wait... did you just merge part of my soul?"
"Yup! All Misttails do that. Neeko has to, too!"
But when Neeko spoke of her people, her expression dimmed. The vibrant flowers on the sides of her head wilted with sorrow.
"Don't think about sad things now."
Duke gently brought her back to the moment. "Say, after fusing with my Sho'ma... do you feel anything strange?"
"Strange?" Neeko tilted her head and focused on the sensation. After a moment, she firmly shook her head.
"Nope! Just warmth and... so much life!"
"Your Sho'ma, Duke, it's Neeko's favorite!"
"I see..."
Duke pulled his hand back, letting Neeko return to her cake while he sank into thought.
"I originally assumed my gift was like Big Mom's Soul-Soul Fruit, giving life to the inanimate. But this trip to Bilgewater showed me there's more. Heimerdinger was right, my magic is something miraculous."
"Not only can I animate objects, I can also passively influence living beings, feeling their emotions, thoughts..."
"With Graves, I proved that I could subtly affect others through that connection. But even someone like Neeko, naturally gifted with magic, can be affected? I need to reevaluate my abilities."
"To what extent can I sense someone? How far can I influence them?"
Maybe it was time to set aside research into the Second Sin and focus on exploring his own magical potential. How much of it had he yet to unlock?
Come to think of it, he owed that realization to the spider. If she hadn't enchanted the Swordfish crew, he wouldn't have infused magic into Captain List's body, and discovered this power.
"Sir, he's here."
A sailor appeared at the kitchen door and saluted. Duke nodded, gesturing for the man to bring their guest in.
Soon, Colette stepped into the room, goat horns peeking from his dark hair. He looked visibly nervous, but the moment he spotted Neeko, with her face covered in cake, his expression tensed.
"I'm so sorry, sir! I didn't know Neeko would sneak aboard your ship. If she caused any damage, I can... I can make it right!"
"No need," Duke waved him off. "Actually, I... sort of lured her here."
"Huh?"
Colette's eyes narrowed with suspicion. Neeko tilted her head, confused. Duke motioned for him to sit.
"Please. Join me."
"Forgive the intrusion."
Taking a seat, Colette seemed unsure of Duke's intentions.
After a moment of silence, Duke spoke directly: "I want to adopt her."
"...What?"
"Don't panic. I have no ill intentions toward her. In fact, I might be the one person who understands her the most..."
"But she left her tribe. If she doesn't return..."
"Her tribe is gone."
"What?!"
Colette looked at Neeko, face filled with shock and sadness. No wonder she never mentioned her people.
"I get what you're thinking," Duke said. "You don't trust me. That's fair. No one would easily trust a stranger."
"But I swear on my soul, I mean her no harm. Adopting her isn't just for her sake, it's also to protect her... and you."
"Protect?"
"You know how powerful her gift is. You also know how others would view that kind of power."
"So you mean to...?"
"I'll take her in," Duke said as he placed a pouch of golden Sea Serpents on the table. "Since you saved her, I'll consider you her temporary guardian."
He pushed the pouch toward Colette and spoke earnestly. "You live adrift at sea. It's not easy. And with Neeko traveling beside you, it's only a matter of time before she vanishes without a word... leaving you to worry."
"I understand, sir."
Colette looked at the pouch, hesitant to accept it. But Duke pressed it into his hands.
"You've earned it. And it's my way of saying thank you."
"Please, take care of her."
"I swear on my ancestors, I will."
Moved by Duke's sincerity, Colette nodded. Then, turning to Neeko, he forced a smile.
"Neeko!"
"What is it, horn-head?"
"No more running off, okay?"
"Neeko knows! You're so annoying!"
Still munching her cake, Neeko pouted. Colette bowed once more to Duke and left without looking back. As he stepped over the threshold, Duke added quietly:
"I live in Piltover. If you ever find yourself there, visit Blue Rose Manor or the Corin Workshop."
Colette nodded slightly, then disappeared down the corridor.
Duke turned back to Neeko, only to find her eyes brimming with tears. One drop, then another, rolled down her cheeks.
"Will I never see horn-head again?"
"You will. One day."
He gently stroked her head. "Every parting leads to a future meeting. That's how life works."
"Okay..."
"So from now on, Neeko stays with Duke?" she sniffled. Though she couldn't see his past or deepest secrets, the Sho'ma she had absorbed let her feel Duke's true emotions. She knew what he was thinking.
For her, a lost girl with no home, no dreams, no visions from her elders, Duke was the only anchor in a world of uncertainty.
"That's right. You're with me now. No more drifting."
"Then... can Neeko have another slice of cheesecake?"
"Of course. Eat as much as you like."
"Yay! Neeko loves cheesecake!"
Her sorrow vanished in a flash, and she raised her arms in triumph. Duke watched her with a gentle smile.
May this innocence... last forever.
End of chapter...
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