Finishing the last class before her class with Blizzard, Erina yawned, "Why do I have to go with the weirdo again...?"
"I dunno," Yuiko answered, looking around for Volcano, the person who was supposed to pick her up, "Maybe because she's apparently the best ice user in the world? I bet you'll learn a lot, which will be helpful for the rest of your life!"
"Hm, you raise a good point..." Erina mumbled, stroking her chin, shivering as she felt a gaze pierce into her back, "Darn it here she is, see you later I guess!"
"Take ca- oh she disappeared, Blizzard probably took her… another one bites the dust," Yuiko sighed, joking to herself, "At least Aunt Natsuki assured that she would make sure Erina didn't suffer anything..."
Walking around, Yuiko pondered, "So where's this Volcano perso- darn it!"
Being whisked off similar to Erina, Yuiko muttered, "Why like this... are none of the commandments normal people? Can't you just say 'hi' or 'hello I'm the one picking you up'?!"
Meanwhile, Erina was laying on the ground, breathless from Blizzard's 'kidnapping', "Hah... hah, hah... why so fast...? Why did you have to do it like this?"
"And... why the stare... I felt... your eyes.... all over my body..." Erina asked, catching her breath and glaring at Blizzard with an indignant gaze, "I'll... report you to Aunt Natsuki if you don't have a good reason!"
Averting her eyes, Amelia mumbled, "Well, it's the beauty of youth! It was too dazzling for me to ignore!"
"Just why," Erina replied, sighing in resignation as she sat up, reaching towards her terminal to contact Natsuki with a slight tease, "I guess I gotta use this report feature sooner than I thou-"
"WAIT NO!" Amelia exclaimed, "I'm innocent!! Please!"
"What's happening around here?" A voice sang from the darkness nearby, "A-me-li-a.... did you forget my warning... so fast?"
"N-N-N-N-Natsuki!!!!!" Amelia called out, "W-what brings you to my fine training area today?"
Revealing herself, Natsuki explained, "I'm just here to make sure you don't do anything to Erina. Volcano is fine, he's responsible. As a mostly normal person, he's someone who doesn't need to be worried about, but you.... you're someone on my watchlist..."
"Oh... well... love ya to Natsuki~" Amelia sighed, turning around back towards Erina, "Let's just start okay? Don't worry about Natsuki~ she's just weird like that~! So let me start by showing you something that you could do in the future if you get as good as me!"
Preparing to cast her magic, the air surrounding Amelia changed. Gone was the pervertedness, in its place, a calm seriousness, giving Amelia the aura of gracefulness.
Amazed, Erina thought to herself, "So this is the side she shows to the world... If only she could show me that side too! Maybe she can be normal sometimes too!"
Releasing her spell, Amelia grinned in satisfaction as a glowing blue ice dragon roared through the sky, radiating an air of destruction before dissipating into the distance, "Damn that was good... even the roar had a good echo to it..."
Turning around to look at Erina with a calm face, Amelia was surprised when she felt a person slam into her, "W-what do you need?"
Clinging onto Amelia with stars in her eyes, Erina exclaimed, "Can I do that?! I wanna do that! Gimme gimme!"
"You remind me of Natsuki..." Amelia muttered, "Well, you can't do it right now... but knowing you... maybe by the time you graduate here? Or maybe a little after you enter a magic academy? Honestly this spell isn't what I would say is top of the line, it's just a neat little intimidation spell that has a quick casting time."
"REALLY? I'll be able to do this?" Erina asked, her excitement pouring out of her in waves, "Then let's go! I don't care if you're a creep anymore!!!"
Getting stabbed in the heart, Amelia replied, "Oh... yeah... sure let's learn!"
--------
Meeting up with Yuiko after the class, Erina exclaimed, "That was amazing! Superb! The total best! I can't wait for the next one!"
Stunned, Yuiko asked, raising one of her eyebrows, "Wait... what about her creepiness?"
Hugging her arm, Erina replied, "I don't care! She does super-cool magic~!"
Flicking Erina's forehead, Yuiko rebuked with a stern tone, "Be on guard! Safety, Erina, SAFETY! I don't care if she does cool magic! you need to be cautious!"
"Why the flick..." Erina cried out with an aggrieved tone, "Natsuki was there watching..."
"Oh okay..." Yuiko murmured, "Stay safe, okay?"
"Yep," Erina agreed, nodding, she knew although she joked about Blizzard and creeps, in the end she still needed to be on guard for those things, "You too, okay? How is Volcano? Is he nice?"
Holding hands with Erina, Yuiko answered, "Well, yeah, he's pretty chill. He's also nice... I don't really know what to say. He's like a normal person, kinda like a neighbor or uncle, well, except he apparently is the most energetic person in the world."
"Ohhh! So kinda like our dads?" Erina asked, walking next to Yuiko, "Loud, moves a lot, super optimistic, and generally energy filled?"
"Yeah, similar to them," Yuiko nodded, "Though, I would say he takes the loud part to another level, I feel like even if he was whispering, I would be able to hear him from a block away!"
Giggling, Erina stopped and pulled Yuiko back, leaning into her ear and whispering, "Wait... isn't that Vanessa and Charlotte?"
"It is... come on Erina, let's not go by the- darn it..." Yuiko cursed, watching Vanessa spot them and run over, Charlotte in tow, "What do you want… Charlotte?"
"Treating me with such a cold attitude~" Vanessa laughed, clutching her heart in dramatic fashion, "Hehe~ it turns me on~!"
"Goddammit..." Yuiko muttered, looking into the sky with dead eyes, "What do you want, Vanessa?"
"Nothing~ I just came here to say hi to my beloved~" Vanessa teased with a joking smile, "So how are you doing my sweetheart~? E-ri-na~?"
Giving Vanessa her brightest innocent smile, Erina replied, "I'm doing great~! How about you?"
Watching Vanessa's resolve get crushed by Erina's smile, Charlotte teased, pulling Vanessa back next to her with a light yank, "Fu fu fu, not going too well, Vanessa~? You should give up already, I feel like no matter what Erina is someone who isn't going to be charmed that easily!"
"I know," Vanessa relented, "But! That just makes me want it more dammit!!"
"Want what, Vanessa?" Erina asked with an innocent smile on her face, unaware of Vanessa's despair, having just zoned out for a second and looked at a passing dog, "Can I help you get it?"
"Hah, it's useless! Arghhhhh, she's just too strong," Vanessa muttered, before putting on a cheerful smile, "Well, Erina... I don't need anything from you okay?"
Nodding, Erina stressed, "Well, if you ever need some help just ask okay? You're one of my friends after all!"
"Yeah... I'll totally ask!" Vanessa nodded, not at all affected by the friendzone, "Only friends eh? Hahh... I'll win eventually!"
Meanwhile, having caught up with Yuiko, Charlotte exclaimed, "Oh wait! I just remembered, Vanessa and I have team training we need to attend! We got distracted seeing you two walk by… So we'll catch you all later! Let's eat a meal sometime m'kay?"
"Sure~! Just shoot me a text okay? Take care, Vanessa~!" Yuiko answered, chuckling before leaning in and whispering with a tease, "I'm just going to ask that you stop pursuing Erina, okay?"
Glaring at Yuiko with a defiant expression, Vanessa retorted, "I'll get Erina eventually! I swe- ACK!"
"Vanessa~?" Charlotte asked, iron clamping Vanessa's shoulder, "What have I said about Erina~? Furthermore... Did you forget already about the... T-E-A-M practice?"
"Ahhhh!! Have mercy!!!" Vanessa pleaded with a tearful expression, "I'll go! I'll goooooo!!!!"
Bowing towards Yuiko and Erina, Charlotte apologized, "I'm sorry you had to see this... but we'll catch you some other time okay~!" Before walking off with Vanessa in tow...
"So she's the one with the power in that friendship..." Yuiko muttered, looking at the departing pair with intrigued eyes.
Holding hands with Yuiko once more, Erina added, "You wouldn't think... Charlotte is such a nice person too... Vanessa is much more... assertive..."
Walking off with Erina, Yuiko murmured, "Mhmm… I wonder if there's something between them, I can tell Vanessa's not really trying anything to 'pick people up' these days."