pq pq pq pq pq pq pq pq pq pq pq pq pq pq pq pq pq pq

(Yuma PoV)

I wasn't much for the big city. I had lived most of life in a tiny village. Give me a break. My partner on the other hand was big on the large city amenities. Bars and clubs and booze and maybe other drugs. And she dragged me and the rest of the team along with her down to Vale on Saturday. It didn't take much convincing to get Pine on board and from there it snowballed until it was a team outing that I couldn't just opt out of.

Pine was wearing her elegant dress which showed off her enormous angel wings. She looked good in white with the sash of red. My own partner was wearing a slitted black dress with yellow highlights. Rosé, our leader, was in a crimson skirt with white tassels, she hadn't forgone her sword. Pine as well had her weapons with her on her back and Peach was never unarmed. I had been forced, rather against my will, to leave my combat clothes behind and wear my best dress which was just a small purple skirt and top. It so wasn't me. I felt embarrassed enough in our uniforms.

"Let's get it ladies. We can run this town," my partner grinned.

"Where to first?" Pine tossed her long green hair back behind her.

"This town is full of clubs and up first is Junior's. It's supposed to be the hottest place in town and has been for years."

"Crime?" Rosé asked.

"Probably," Peach kept grinning. At least she was having a good time. "Junior himself is supposed to be a big time information broker."

"What does that mean? You can make a living selling information? What kind of information is even worth something?" I wondered.

"I can think of some things. Details on powerful semblances maybe. That sort of thing," Rosé pulled her hair back with both hands. "Damn, I wish the Prof could see me in this thing."

I didn't want the Professor to see me in my outfit. I felt like a little kid. Weren't our uniforms exposing enough? The skirt I was wearing was fairly short. As was Rosé's.

"And we're getting involved in this whole thing?" I went on.

"We're just going dancing and drinking. It's no big deal," Pine countered.

"Should we have someone be designated as sober?" I worried some more.

"We're four powerful huntresses. We'll be safe," Peach disagreed. "We won't force you to drink. It's supposed to be fun."

Right. Fun. I tried to imagine it for a minute and struggled.

"I'm not much of a drinker. I can stay sober if it will make you feel safer, Yuma," Rosé continued to pull her long silver pink hair back into a ponytail.

"Is there a story to that?" Pine asked.

"The Professor took me drinking once while I was training under him. I didn't much enjoy it and unfortunately he didn't try anything. It turned into a waste of time."

"Bold of you, sis," Peach laughed. "I mean good gods did you want him to fondle you?"

"I wouldn't say no," Rosé sing-songed with a sly smile.

"You have got it bad," Pine pointed out.

"Kinda. What? What's wrong with wanting a real man to touch me? I bet he knows how to do it too."

I turned red furiously. How could she be so bold?

"Aw you're making Yuma blush. Don't worry, the secret of your little crush is safe with us," Peach teased me.

"I'm not crushing on the Professor. Shut up," I snapped.

"Glad to hear it," Rosé murmured as she finished putting her hair up.

"Can't stand a little competition?" Peach asked.

"Am I supposed to say the more the merrier?" Rosé fired back. "I have dibs."

"Girlfriend, I bet I can get a kiss out of him before you," Peach folded her arms and pushed out her rack.

"Yeah, right. He and I have history."

"I'm surrounded by infatuated idiots. Are we going to party or not?" Pine stretched out one of her enormous wings. She flexed the muscles flapping one time and let it fold neatly on her back again.

"Yeah. We are. Hold your horses. I'm establishing dominance," Peach put a hand on her hip.

"Over me? Please," Rosé fired back in what was mostly a good natured fashion.

"Are you really not going to drink?" Pine asked.

"What do you think, Yuma? There will always be another time," Rosé reminded.

"No you can. It was just a thought," I said.

We marched out of the dorm and into the common areas. The boys of team CMAD were out playing cards at a table and they watched us go by. They even turned their heads to see us go. I flushed a little and reminded myself that compared to Pine and Peach they probably weren't looking at me.

Pine let out her ringing laugh at the boys once we left them behind and descended the stairs to the first floor.

"Did you see Mars's face?" Rosé giggled along with Pine.

"It's not nice to laugh at them," I pointed out. We were huntresses. We were supernaturally beautiful. The boys had had no chance.

We marched through the gardens and walkways out to the shuttle. I prepared myself. I got airsick. I didn't want to throw up on my only set of nice clothes before the night had even really begun.

We took the shuttle across to Vale and made our way through the dense city streets. Before I had just passed through and over the giant city. Same with Mistral. This was my first time down in such a large locale. It was fairly intimidating with the holographic street lights and the busy intersections even at night. Peach led the way and I followed close beside her. Not because I was scared or anything. I just wanted to be close to her. I breathed deeply to calm myself but it was hardly working.

At least I wasn't alone. I walked quietly while Pine and Rosé chatted behind us. We got looks from people on the street. It made me uncomfortable a little and I had to resist hyperventilating. Gods, why couldn't I be like Peach and relax. She looked so smooth inside. With eyeballs on her as probably the prettiest one she was so at ease.

It was probably her or Pine in their flowing dresses. Pine looked like a total angel-girl. And that wasn't a dig at Rosé who had a cute heart shaped face and bright blue eyes. That made me the ugly one. Not that I was bad looking. I just didn't stand out compared to my team. I knew that. They were just so beautiful and taller than me and I had dark hair and plain brown eyes. I just didn't peacock like the others in my purple skirt. Pine had just the most beautiful green eyes and long green hair where mine was short and black. Peach glowed with blonde hair and her vibrant pink eyes. I just had the short stick.

We came up on a three story club and we could feel the music from outside of the glass building with strobing lights. There was a line to get in with an enormous bouncer at the lead. We waited but only a little while. We were good looking girls and rules bent before us. We were let in ahead of a group of guys who must have been waiting for thirty minutes. That was nice. It gave my ego a little boost to be let in like that. Pine and Rosé lost it a little and broke down laughing. They weren't even drunk yet and they were red faced. The music rocked me on my feet and there was a great glass dance floor with several pillars of crystal that flashed under the flashing lights.

Around the outside of the paneled dance floor there was a bar and tables. I stuck close by Peach nervously. People moved and waved their arms out on the floor and I followed Peach to the bar. She ordered a cocktail for both of us and I pulled the hem of my skirt down and sipped the creamy sugary drink. It was good despite the alcohol and I found myself having downed half of it in just a moment.

"Woah, slow down there, Yuma. We have the whole night ahead of us," Peach gently pulled my drink away from my lips.

"It tastes-s s-so good." My voice came out a little slurred and it felt like I was talking from the long end of a tunnel as a heady dizziness settled on to the inside of my skull. "Woah," I managed, blinking quickly.

Rosé and Pine came laughing up to Peach and I with drinks of their own in their hands. I smiled and for the first time that evening I felt relaxed and I didn't feel self conscious about the length of my skirt. It covered me. That was enough, wasn't it?

"What do you even see in him?" Pine asked Rosé.

"What don't you? I mean come on. What does a guy have to do to get your attention? Doesn't he have it all? Plus he's my teacher. You know how it is. Forbidden chocolates tastes the sweetest. And it's not like he's much older than me. Our age gap will close as I get older. By the time we graduate who knows how he will see me."

"I suppose."

"Admit it," Rosé demanded. "You think he's hot and you totally get the appeal. Just confess and join the club."

Pine just shrugged but she also nodded like she agreed and she took a deep sip of her own cocktail.

"I'm not as crazy about it as you are. You want him to bend you over a desk and I'm just not there."

"Yeah. I do. Could you imagine?"

"For me it's the chase. I'd love to tempt him even though he knows he shouldn't. You know what I mean?" Peach asked. "I want him to not be able to help himself."

"You want that gratification?" I asked. "That's low."

"Oh and you're any better? I think he saved your life and now when he looks at you he makes your panties wet. That's what I think," Peach flicked her fingers at me.

"Well you're wrong. Pine, help me out." I sucked on my drink. "Peach is making it dirty." I gasped off the alcohol in my drink.

"I'm not involved. Find a way to defend yourself. Gods, I could suck down a few of these things," Pine gulped down her cocktail.

"Excuse me," a hand tapped me on the shoulder and I turned around. It was a tall blue haired boy with bright amber eyes and his hair was done up in a spiky fashion. "You wanna dance?"

"Me?" I wondered and I pointed at myself as I asked. I couldn't believe it.

"Yeah you, sweetheart." I swallowed the last of my drink and set it behind me. My vision was a little fuzzy and tunneled slightly and my muscles all felt incredibly relaxed. I turned and the world blurred with me.

"Yeah. Sure," I managed to fumble out with my tongue.

"Go Yuma," Rosé cheered.

"Get some," Pine agreed.

Peach just smiled as the boy pulled me out onto the glass dance floor.

pq pq pq pq pq pq pq pq pq pq pq pq pq pq pq pq pq pq

I danced close to the boy's body. I flowed so close to him that I knew I turned him on. I felt so powerful when I did that. How was it possible that I felt so powerful and I wanted to be so powerless. He didn't try much and the things he did try I let him get away with. It felt good. I waved my arms and slunk from side to side. I must have danced hard for nearly thirty minutes before I excused myself and went back over to the bar. I was breathless as I found Peach and ordered a cocktail. I wiped sweat from my brow.

"Peach?"

"Yuma, you're back."

"Why aren't you dancing."

She gave me a sly smile. "Unlike you nobody has asked me to dance."

"But you're beautiful," I blurted out.

"I think I'm a shade too intimidating," she managed. Was her smile brittle? No, it was full and the same as before. She was still self confident.

"That's not right. You're like, the prettiest girl here."

"It's a problem. That's for sure. Don't be sad for me, Yuma. I came out to drink and I am. I'll go out on the dance floor soon enough as well."

"I can't believe no one has asked you to dance. And they asked me before you. That's just… it's just so strange. It's like up is down and left is right. I don't get it."

"Yuma… it's really not such a big deal. Honestly. It's fine."

"It's messed up is what it is."

I watched a table over someone cut a line of white po wder and inhale it. Hardcore drugs gave me the willies. Before I could stop myself I walked over and pulled the dude's head back away from the illegal substance.

"Yuma!"

"Drugs are bad for you. That's illegal."

"What are you? A cop? Let go of me?" The man demanded.

"Yuma, what are you doing?" Peach demanded.

"I'm being a huntress. What's it look like?"

"You're going to start trouble!"

"Me? I'm not the one using illegal substances." I watched the bartender behind us talk into his radio. I took it all in even as my head spun a little. I felt like I was making a bad decision but I couldn't stop myself.

"Seriously fuck off and let me go!" The man shouted.

I looked up to see some men with crude weapons and in a sort of uniform with suits wearing red glasses and top hats. One of them came up to me to pull me off the guy and I put him in an arm lock with my supernatural strength. Two more of them came up to me with little hatchets that doubled as pistols. They were cheap mechashift weapons.

"Damnit Yuma!" Peach shouted and she delivered a right cross to one of the men's jaw that snapped his glasses and knocked him to the floor. She delivered three quick punches to the other man's stomach, each more devastating than the last as her semblance began to tick upwards on its counter. I kneed the man I was holding in the temple and he crumpled easily.

I turned to look at where the man had been doing drugs but he took off. Evidently he knew better than to frustrate a huntress.

More security guards came pouring from back rooms towards us.

"What's happening?" Pine asked as she came up to us.

"Ask Yuma. Little Miss too goody two shoes for her own good. Couldn't handle a little substance abuse."

"They're criminals," I pointed out. "We take down criminals. That's the job."

They whinged but my team had my back at least.

Rosé drew her weapon and Pine pulled her staff. I was the only one unarmed in all this as the men came rushing towards us.

I dived into the gray with fists and feet.

I grabbed a punch and threw the man over my body and to the floor. I stepped on his head brutally. It was so forceful that his head sort of bounced off the ground and for a second I worried that I killed him before he rolled over on the ground. Pine flew forward sweeping her staff into the stomach of some soldier. Then she reversed her spin on it and whacked him in the forehead.

Rosé crouched and started shooting while Peach dived forward into the gray and started to rack up her own body count. Her punches started being nearly explosive as she hit without being touched. She knocked someone twenty meters back and threw a window.

I sighed.

pq pq pq pq pq pq pq pq pq pq pq pq pq pq pq pq pq pq

-WG.