The soft white sand of Academy City's largest artificial beach stretched as far as the eye could see. Beyond it the blue water seemed to go on for miles, disrupted only by 2 large green walls that divided it into three sections. The water in the leftmost section was calm, as if it was a pool rather than an ocean. The water of the middle section had calm waves that broke over the sand then receded without too much force. The rightmost section had much larger waves that one
could, and many did, surf on.
The weather machine sent a pleasant zephyr swirling through the air while massive UV lamps provided light, heat, and the opportunity for visitors to sunbathe. The ceiling projected an image of a blue sky peppered with puffy white clouds.
The creator of this place had even replicated the salty smell and taste of the ocean breeze.
Kuroko smiled at the pleasant, relaxing atmosphere of the place. Today was one of the rare days off, and she planned to exploit her lack of Judgment work for all it was worth and have as much fun as possible. And here was the perfect place to do it.
Her head moved back and forth as she scanned the horizon. The place was not overcrowded, but it was hardly empty. Many other people, in groups, couples, or alone, had spread their beach towels on the sand as they engaged in the various activities that this place offered.
'Couples...' Kuroko thought as she turned to look at the girl who stood a few feet behind her. 'I'm here as part of a couple.' She grinned as she thought this.
It was true. Kuroko was currently here on her very first date with her girlfriend of four months: Konori-senpai.
Of course, the pair's relationship stretched back far longer than that. Surely since birth the pair had been tied by the red string of fate, for how could a pair as perfect as themselves not be destined to be together?
They had met over a year ago, after Kuroko had graduated from Judgement training academy. Her branch designation was decided by the area of the school that she was currently enrolled in, and it just so happened that she was dumped into Branch 177, a fledgeling branch based in a middle school which the only 2 members of the branch were currently third year at. Since Kuroko was a trainee, and a very young one at that, she was apprenticed to one of the girls, a 14 year old named Konori Mii.
At first she had been quite resentful of this. She never did like authority, and the idea that she needed what amounted in her mind to a babysitter did not sit well with her. It did not help that Konori took her job as Kuroko's mentor and senpai quite seriously and did her best to keep the younger girl safe by not allowing her to partake in any of the more risky (and fun and exciting) elements of Judgment work.
Kuroko lasted about a week before she confronted Konori about this protectiveness, telling the older girl that she was strong enough to handle herself, and demanding that her senpai allow her to attempt to make an arrest.
Konori agreed on the condition that Kuroko managed to beat her in a fight.
Though younger and smaller Kuroko was an extremely strong fighter and she was sure she could easily beat the older girl, so she had agreed.
She was beaten with embarrassing ease. She demanded a rematch but she was beaten again and again.
Konori had earned Kuroko's grudging respect that day. And over the months the respect blossomed further and further as she saw her senpai's sense of duty and justice, saw her passion for helping others, saw her skill and elegance and beauty, saw just what an amazing person her senpai was.
The respect soon blossomed into a massive crush.
Kuroko had kept quiet about the crush, hoping it would fade in time. Then something had happened that made her decide to confess.
She and Konori and Uiharu had been involved in a bank robbery. Kuroko had acted quite... stupidly. She had almost been killed but Konori had protected her, getting herself hurt in the process.
That incident had opened Kuroko's eyes to a number of things. She saw how much Konori cared about her and how much she cared about Konori. The thought that she might have lost her senpai in that robbery was almost unbearable.
Even though she was positive that her feelings would never be returned she had decided to confess them to her beloved senpai, so that she would never have to regret keeping them to herself, like he would have if Konori had died that day.
To her surprise, joy, and relief Konori had returned her feelings and the pair had been going out ever since.
It wasn't exactly public, not even Uiharu knew about their relationship. And despite how long they had been together and how deeply in love they were and how many times they had kissed this was the first time that they had gone out on an official date.
"Konori-senpai!" She called back to her senior, her happiness clear from her voice, "Where should we set up?"
Konori squinted against the false sun, shielding her eyes with her hand and trying to ignore the way her heart pounded in her chest. It was finally here. After weeks and months of imagining it, she was finally on her first date with Shirai-sa - no, Kuroko. She had to get out of that habit, at least in her own head. In public and at work she would have to keep referring to her as "Shirai-san" but the younger girl had told her on more than one occasion to call her by her given name. The thought of doing such a thing brought blood rushing to her cheeks, but she couldn't deny that it was a pleasant idea.
It was a beautiful day, though that was really no surprise. Konori sighed. As much as she enjoyed the perfect weather, there was a part of her that wished they were at a real beach, with real weather. Not that she really had anything against the climate control; she had never been a particularly big fan of the rain, but it did break her feeling of immersion every time she looked out and saw those towering barricades. The knowledge that they were underground didn't do much for her either. But Kuroko did look happy. That was all that really mattered.
As they walked out onto the sandy beach, Konori couldn't help but feel exposed, and it had little to do with her rather revealing swimsuit. One of Kuroko's picks, naturally. No it wasn't the slightly-too-small bikini that was making her feel exposed. It was the fact that this was her first real date with the girl she had been in a relationship with for the last few months. She knew it was ridiculous, but she felt like everyone around them knew, knew they were in a relationship, and were judging her for it.
Not that she was ashamed of her girlfriend, not at all. It was just, well, there were certain factors to consider, and she still wasn't terribly comfortable with them. There was of course the age difference, though thankfully Kuroko was really quite mature for her age. Still, for a high school student to be dating someone who had just entered middle school was not something that would generally be considered acceptable.
Still, she could look past that. Konori had known Kuroko for months, and though she had initially been concerned, she knew now that the younger girl was fully capable of making her own decisions. When Kuroko had first started her Judgment training, Konori had assumed she was just another headstrong brat, out to prove themselves superior to all the other students. But she'd worked hard, harder than anyone else, and had proven herself more than capable.
Perhaps it was that determination that had led Konori to first start becoming attracted to the girl. Or perhaps it was the aftermath of the bank incident. In either case, there was no denying those feelings now. Her eyes roamed over the fit body of her junior, a faint blush coloring her cheeks as she admired the girl's body. She wasn't exactly well developed, but she was confident, and carried herself with an air of maturity that Konori found incredibly attractive.
Kuroko was currently scouting the beach for a place to set up, and so Konori let her eyes roam over the younger girl's body. Her legs were toned and lithe, powerful but sleek. Her swimsuit did little to cover her rump, and Konori reddened as her eyes lingered. Above that, her back arched gently upwards, and Konori couldn't help but admire the smooth, bare skin. It made her want to touch it, but she refrained. That would be improper, particularly out in public like this. Still though, she always felt something burning in her chest whenever she saw Kuroko in any state of undress.
She was positively breathtaking. Konori couldn't help but wonder just what it was that drew her to the younger girl.
She was started out of her thoughts when Kuroko called out to her. "Oh, well anywhere should be fine. Just not too close to the water, I don't want to be that close if there are going to be a lot of people coming in and out." She wasn't a huge fan of crowds, and would have preferred something a little quieter, but Kuroko loved the beach. Or at least she had loved the idea of Konori in a swimsuit.
Of course, it was always a challenge to find a suit that fit her properly, and Kuroko's suggestions hadn't exactly helped. Honestly, she felt like she was going to fall out of her top at any moment. It was rather embarrassing, but she pushed those feelings aside. She'd turned down enough requests for dates from Kuroko that she wasn't about to do anything to make this one less special.
The teleporter smiled at her senpai, being a lot more obvious in her ogling than the older girl had been. Konori was, in Kuroko's mind, the epitome of sexiness. Everything from her dainty feet clad in white sandals with pink straps, to her shapely, toned legs that were equally good at being a place to rest your head as they were being weapons. Then her wide shapely hips and full firm butt that Kuroko relished every chance to gaze at or touch, magnificently hugged by the bottom half of the bikini that Kuroko had managed to convince her to wear. The bottom half was quite simple, a low hugging frilly red waistband that was perched just above her bottom and revealed the wonderful creases of the leg that spoke of hidden treasure deeper down, covered, unfortunately, by the white fabric that made up the rest of the bikini bottom.
Of course that was just the bottom. Above that lay the skinny waist that gave Konori a figure that could rival an hourglass. And of course one could hardly talk about her figure without mentioning those two most wonderful things Kuroko had ever set her eyes upon: Konori's fantastic breasts.
Once upon a time Kuroko had been so jealous of them, and if she was honest with herself she still was a bit. But now those breasts were hers to enjoy, hers to feel, hers to kiss, hers to love and cherish. She adored those wonderful orbs of soft flesh that seemed to be made of clouds and dreams, able to pull off any look, even the white and pink polka dotted bikini top that Konori wore that barely seemed to be able to contain them
Of course it was not just the older girls admittedly dynamite body that Kuroko drooled over. Her short black hair that draped her face was simply styled yet surprisingly beautiful. Her features were a brilliant combination of elegantly angled and cutely curved that managed to be adorable and sexy while inspiring a sense of calm and security in those who looked upon it. The glasses which the older girl still wore even on the beach were subtle yet they added a certain something to her that made her even more attractive. Behind the glasses were her brilliant grey blue eyes which twinkled with compassion and, right now, a tiny bit of fear that Kuroko found deliciously seductive.
And of course Kuroko knew that those eyes could see through anything, it was Konori's ability. Perhaps she was peering through Kuroko's swimsuit at this very second.
The teleporter grinned as she walked to a secluded place near the edge of the place, her hips swaying seductively, giving any x-ray visioned voyeur who happened to be watching one hell of a show. Kuroko might not have had the body of her senpai, but she had plenty of confidence in what she did have and was more than happy to flaunt it.
After having been turned down so many times for a date she had to truly seize the opportunity now that it was here. And what an opportunity it was, not only were they on a date, but it was at this place, a beach where both of them were showing plenty of skin and would have countless chances to get... intimate.
And the first chance was right now. She laid the towel on the soft, warm sand and planted the umbrella at such an angle as to block the pair of them from most prying eyes.
Kuroko barely contained her massive grin as she patted the towel and said, "Come on Konori, I found us a place. Now lay down and I'll apply some sunscreen onto your back." 'and maybe after that your side and front and all over.'
The sand was warm, spilling over the edges of her sandals as she walked, following Kuroko to a, thankfully, more secluded section of the artificial beach. Her eyes were glued to the younger girl's posterior, knowing full well she was making those exaggerated movements for her benefit. It was oh so tempting to use her ability, but she refrained. At least for now. A light blush colored her cheeks. Konori would have liked to claim she'd had the strength of will to never use her ability on her junior, but that was not the case. On more than one occasion she had used her power to sneak glances of the lithe, toned body she kept hidden beneath her clothes. It was always a beautiful sight, even if Konori did feel rather awful about doing it after the fact.
Kuroko spread out the towel, and Konori's heart fluttered when she offered to apply sunscreen for her. It was obvious she had ulterior motives, but… well, she did need help getting her back, and she had to admit she wasn't entirely opposed to the idea. Kuroko's hands on her skin did always feel wonderful.
"Thank you, Shir- Kuroko." Konori caught herself before lying facedown on the towel and letting out a sigh. She really did need to remember to call her 'Kuroko' when they were alone. Kuroko had asked her to, after all.
Kuroko let the full force of her lecherous grin shine through as she perched herself just below the small of Konori's back. Her knees were to either side of the older girl, apparently holding her weight up, but in truth she was mostly letting her weight rest on her senpai. More specifically that wonderful firm butt that made the perfect seat of rest.
The sand beneath the towel was warm and comforting, and Konori felt some of the tension ease out of her muscles. She just needed to be calm, and today would go wonderfully. There was no need to be worried. Her self-assurance was interrupted when a gentle weight settled against her bottom. Konori peeked behind her and flushed at the sight of Kuroko seated upon her backside.
"Ah, Kuroko... that's a little embarrassing. Couldn't you just do it from the side?"
The teleporter just kept up her grin as she lathered her hands with the sunscreen before leaning forward. Her fingers undoing the strap of her senpai's bikini to "prevent tan lines". "No worries Konori-senpai, it's just sunscreen. There's no need at all to be embarrassed," she whispered in the older girl's ears as her hands clasped the girl's shoulders and began to massage the lotion into the skin.
A shiver raced up Konori's spine when Kuroko undid the clasp to her top, and when the younger girl's fingers began to rub the lotion into her shoulders she let out a contented sigh. "Okay. Just… just don't take too long, okay?"
"Trust me, this will be over far too soon for my tastes," Kuroko frowned for a second. Her time with Konori always ended too quickly. But all that meant was that she needed to savor the time she did get while she had it.
She pressed a gentle kiss to her senpai's neck before drawing herself up again and staring down at the beautiful form spread out beneath her. She licked her lips as her hands moved in slow circles over Konori's shoulders, feeling every twitch of the girl's wonderful muscles as her palms brushed the smooth, supple skin.
Her hands moved lower, fingers brushing over her sides where, just beyond, lay those tantalizing took all her self control to stop her hands from dipping low and groping those incredible things for all they were worth. 'That will come later' she reminded herself.
While she could not get quite enough self control to prevent the tips of her fingers from brushing along those breasts, she managed to hold back on her all out fondling and move her hands lower, away from the danger area.
Now she was at her senpai's slim waist. Unlike herself the older girl had just enough fat on her to give her form, and definition, and softness and all those lovely things that made her pleasant to touch and hold and hug and... Kuroko shook her head, she was rambling again. This was an amazing opportunity and she had to focus on the job at hand.
She lathered up her hands again and scooted backwards slightly to access the older girl's lower back. The fact that this just so happened to seat Kuroko even more firmly upon Konori's butt was, of course, an unintentional, but very happy, side effect.
Once that was done she began to run her hands slowly along Konori's curves. "Now how about you lean up a bit and let me do the front as well," she cooed seductively into the older girl's ear.
Konori's mind had started to drift as she let her junior rub the lotion into the skin of her back. A sigh escaped her throat and she closed her eyes. It was soothing, and she found herself actually enjoying the way Kuroko's hands moved over her back, rubbing slowly and firmly, not missing an inch of her exposed skin.
She was so lost in the sensation that she almost missed the seductive whisper in her ear. She opened her eyes, blinking, and then the implications of Kuroko's request caught up with her and she flushed scarlet. They were in public! And Kuroko still wanted to… to do that? Surely someone would notice and then where would they be?
"I-I think I can manage the front myself, thank you!" The younger girl was still perched upon her bottom, and Konori kept her eyes glued on the towel, trying to hide her blush. Kuroko had a way of flustering her that no one else seemed able to achieve. It was sometimes rather frustrating. Konori was not a person who liked to lose her cool.
Holding her top in place, she rolled over, careful to keep her breasts from slipping out. Kuroko tumbled off of her and Konori sighed as her blush started to recede. "Honestly, Kuroko. I don't know what I'm going to do with you."
Kuroko frowned slightly as she regained her balance and seated posture. "You could let me do things girlfriends are supposed to do," Kuroko murmured too quietly for Konori to be able to hear. Then she took a deep breath and her smile overtook her face once again. "Well... how about you do my back now?"
The smile slipped off of Kuroko's face and Konori felt a pang of guilt in her chest. She really did want this day to go well, especially for Kuroko. But there were some things she just wasn't comfortable with, and she needed to make sure her girlfriend knew that. Still, she didn't want to hurt her feelings in the process.
After a moment, the smile returned and Konori felt a surge of relief. "Yes, of course." She scooted aside and gestured for Kuroko to lie down. She smiled at the younger girl as she clasped her top back in place. "I need to return the favor, right?"
Kuroko laid down, her hands folded under her chin as she waited for her senpai to begin massaging her.
Konori shifted into position next to Kuroko, not being entirely comfortable with emulating the younger girl's approach. Gently, she undid the string that held Kuroko's top in place, exposing the younger girl's smooth back. Kuroko had chosen an even less conservative swimsuit for herself than she had for Konori. The fabric was a dark purple, outlined in white and with patterns of midnight blue swirling over it. It was rather pretty. There just wasn't much of it there. The top barely covered Kuroko's modest breasts, and the bottom hugged her butt tightly enough that it left very little to the imagination.
"It's much easier if you do it like I did you know Konori-senpai," Kuroko tried to convince the older girl, disappointed at the lack of contact and looking for a way to encourage more of it.
Konori hesitated, hands resting on the tube of suntan lotion. "I don't know, Kuroko… I don't really know if I'm comfortable doing that." She bit her lip, her heart rate increasing. She didn't want to disappoint Kuroko today, but that was an embarrassing request.
Kuroko frowned again and jerked the umbrella to provide them with even more cover. "It'll be fine... we're not doing anything that any couple of girls wouldn't do for each other when they went to the beach."
"I… suppose," Konori responded, biting her lip. The way Kuroko had shifted the umbrella did provide them with more cover, and it wasn't as though friends didn't do this sort of thing for each other. There was no reason anyone would automatically assume they were dating. "Well… alright then."
Kuroko smiled and relaxed again, preparing for her little slice of heaven.
With a deep breath, Konori pushed down her anxiety and shifted so she was seated just below the small of Kuroko's back, resting against the firm muscles of her butt. Her cheeks flared pink but she forced herself to focus on the task at hand. She rubbed some of the lotion into her hands and then slowly and carefully began to run her her hands along the smooth, perfect skin of her junior's back.
Kuroko was incredible warm beneath her, and Konori could feel the heat radiating off of the girl as her hands slowly traced the contours of her back. She started at the shoulders, moving down slowly, tracing first the gentle protrusions of her shoulder blades, then down her spine, marvelling at the feeling of each vertebra beneath her fingers.
Slowly, her embarrassment began to diminish as she lost herself in her task. She'd touched Kuroko before of course, but there was something about doing it like this that mesmerized Konori and she found herself leaning forward ever so slightly, her hips sliding slightly further down until she was seated upon the back of Kuroko's thighs.
Her hands traced the younger girl's sides and Konori's heart started to beat a little faster as her fingers brushed past the modest swell of Kuroko's chest. She didn't allow herself to stop there though. If she did, she had no idea what might happen.
Finally, she managed to finish coating Kuroko's back in the lotion. She sat up a little straighter, taking a deep breath and tearing her eyes from Kuroko's back. "There, how's that?"
Kuroko glanced at the umbrella to ensure that she was adequately covered then she rolled over, not bothering to reattach her top, and grinned at Konori. "That's perfect, now how about the other side?"
Kuroko turned and Konori's face flushed in embarrassment at the younger girl's boldness. "K-Kuroko!" She looked around quickly, noting with relief that they were mostly hidden from view. She took a few deep breaths, tearing her eyes away from the alluring sight of Kuroko's naked chest. "I think y-you'll be fine! Actually, why don't we go for a swim? Yes, I think I could stand to cool down a bit."
Konori saw Kuroko frown, though obviously she assumed that it was because of her rejection. "Fine," Kuroko huffed as she did her top up again, a look of both resentment and determination on her features.
Konori breathed a sigh of relief when Kuroko tied her top back on. As marvelous as the younger girl's chest was to look at, this was not the time or the place for that kind of thing. "The water looks great." Konori took Kuroko by the hand and led the way towards the water. Kuroko seemed a little tense, but she attributed it to being rebuffed. "I've never actually swam in one of these, but my roommate tells me they're great."
They reached the edge and Konori tested the water with her foot. She smiled. It was pleasantly cool, the perfect temperature. "Come on, let's go!" She began to wade into the water, dragging her junior along with her.
"Hey, wait a second," Kuroko called out to Konori. She wasn't exactly nervous but she was a little worried about making a fool of herself. Not that she could think of a way out of it at this point.
The water felt great, and Konori smiled as she waded out deeper. "What is it? The water is great and we have all this space! I haven't gotten to really swim in ages. With that she slipped her hand out of Kuroko's and plunged under the small waves, savoring the feeling of being completely under water. She surfaced a moment later, taking a refreshing breath of air and beaming at Kuroko.
Kuroko stood up in the shallower part of the "ocean" looking at Konori, wondering what to do. She returned the smile but it was a little... strained.
Kuroko's strained expression did not go unnoticed, and Konori's own smile faltered a bit. "Ah, Kuroko, is something wrong?"
Kuroko glanced at the water, "I..." she began.
"What is it?" Konori could barely touch the bottom, and something occurred to her. "Kuroko… can you swim?"
"Of course I can swim," Kuroko huffed, diving into the water and swimming with considerable speed towards Konori. However when she reached the older girl all she could do was grab onto her. "I can swim fine I just... I just can't float." She admitted as she clung to her senpai, trying to keep her head above water.
When her junior latched onto her, Konori had to stifle a giggle. Of course kuroko could swim. But the fact that she couldn't float was rather amusing. It made sense too, given how little extra fat there was on her. Under most circumstances, Konori would have been rather jealous of that fact, but in this case, it was a blessing.
As her humor passed though, she realized how close Kuroko was to her. Out here in the water, it was harder for anyone on land to see what they were doing, and Kuroko's body was pressed flush against her own. She felt her blush returning, but did nothing to separate their bodies. "W-well, I'll keep you safe then," she said, forcing a smile.
Kuroko heard the words and felt herself blushing. However she was stubborn as ever, "I-I don't need you to keep me sa-" she began to splutter as her head dipped below water.
Konori couldn't help but smile at Kuroko's stubborn attitude. She had been expecting something like that. It was part of the reason Konori found her so attractive in the first place. Though it could be a bit much at times, her stubborn determination was one of Kuroko's best traits.
She was dragged out of her thoughts when Kuroko dipped under, and Konori let out a startled cry before dragging the younger girl back up out of the water.
Kuroko wrapped her arms around her senpai's shoulders, hauling her head back up and onto the older girl's "flotation devices". For once there were no perverted thoughts in her head as she rested it on Konori's breasts, just a mix of panic and frustration at being so vulnerable in front of her girlfriend, who she always sought to look cool in front of.
Under normal circumstances Konori would have been rather flustered to have Kuroko's head resting against her breasts, but right now all she could do was hold the younger girl close. She wrapped an arm around her waist and used her other hand to stroke her head. "Sorry, Kuroko. Do you want to head back in?"
"No, I can swim just fine," Kuroko stated stubbornly as she tried to swim around a little. It was true she was fine while moving, but the moment she stopped, she was forced to cling onto Konori again.
A small smile worked its way onto Konori's face as Kuroko swam, only to return to her after a moment. No matter how tough she tried to appear, every time she tired she would have to return to her. Konori found she didn't mind that so much. "Well we can stay out here as long as you like then."
Konori simply paddled slowly around, waiting for Kuroko to return. It was actually rather fun. Kuroko latched onto her again, breathing heavily, and Konori wrapped her arms around the smaller girl. "You know, you don't have to prove anything to me. I know very well how capable you are."
Kuroko huffed, but she was getting tired, "Fine... But what else are we supposed to do while we're here?"
Konori pondered for a moment, before catching sight of another group of girls on the beach playing volleyball. "Well, would you like to join them?" she asked, gesturing to the girls playing on the beach.
Kuroko nodded, still hanging onto Konori. "Fine, let's go." She began, but made no move to let go of Konori. The swimming had made her tired and she didn't really have it in her to swim to shore, especially when that involved letting go of Konori. Of course that was before Kuroko made a very unfortunate discovery that just strengthened her resolve to stay put.
Konori made to move towards shore, but something in Kuroko's expression stopped her.
"Kuroko? What's wrong?"
"Um.. You're..." Kuroko began, but was unsure how to proceed. So she just went with what felt natural and reached around the older girl's waist to grip at her currently uncovered bottom.
Konori watched with concern until she felt something squeeze her rump. "Hey! What are you-" It took her a moment to realize the the younger girl's hand had touched bare flesh, and she looked down with dawning horror. Her cheeks flared red and she let out an embarrassed cry before covering herself with her hands.
"Don't worry senpai. I'll figure this out," Kuroko said, trying hard to keep the panic from her own voice. Her own panic was more from the fact that without Konori to keep her afloat it was highly possible for her to sink. She couldn't tread water forever after all.
There was no doubt that Kuroko could swim, but without her holding her up it was already apparent the younger girl was struggling. Konori knew what she needed to do, and her blush deepened. She swallowed her fear and took hold of Kuroko, uncovering herself in the process.
"K-Kuroko! I can't get out of the water with no bottom!"
Kuroko's mind raced to figure out a possible solution, when finally one dawned on her. "Senpai, I have an idea. Hold still," she commanded before letting herself sink a little. She could see her senpai's legs working furiously to tread water, and Kuroko waited until they began to slow down, both providing her with a view that caused blood to leak from her nose and allowing her to tug off the bottoms of her own swimsuit and tug them up Konori's leg instead.
Unfortunately Kuroko was a little too distractible. The sight of the older girl's bare skin was such a rare and wonderful sight. Even tired and deprived of oxygen as she was she still took a moment or five to celebrate the fabulous view in front of her.
Konori was trying to control her embarrassment while Kuroko did who-knows-what underwater. She shook the younger girl's shoulder in an attempt to get her attention.
The gentle shake was enough to get Kuroko's attention and reluctantly pull her attention away from her seniors wonderful legs and firm butt and pull up her own bikini bottoms. Then she climbed up Konori's body, gasping for air, careful not to pull down the bikini bottoms yet again with her random clasping.
When Kuroko emerged from the water she was coughing and sputtering, and Konori almost forgot what it was she had been doing, so concerned she was for the younger girl. "Are you okay?! Sorry, I don't know what happened, I just… they're gone!"
"It's fine," she spluttered, "I g-gave you m-mine. I'll te-teleport to shore. I have a spare pair in my bag."
That was when what Kuroko said caught up to her. "You what? Kuroko, you can't just teleport to shore, you're almost naked!"
"Our towel is less than 80 meters away from the edge of the water, I should easily be able to make it that far without anyone seeing me. Don't worry," Kuroko tried to comfort the older girl, happy to be able to show off her chivalrous side after the embarrassment of the swimming.
It still didn't sound like a very good plan. Konori bit her lip. What they probably should have done was have her wait in the water while Kuroko went and got her spares, but she didn't want to point that out now that the girl had already gone through all the effort of trying to help.
"O-okay, just don't let anyone see you!"
Kuroko nodded. "Meet me there," she told Konori before disappearing.
Konori took a moment to collect herself in the water. Just how had she managed to lose her bottom? It must have happened when Kuroko was latching onto her. She might have been mad at the girl, but she'd tried so hard to make it right that she couldn't muster the anger.
Speaking of, the bottoms that Kuroko had provided were far too tight. She could feel them riding up and biting into the skin of her hips, as well as certain… other areas. It was almost as bad as being without a bottom, but there wasn't much she could do about it at this point. Instead, she made her way out of the water and back to the towel, trying to ignore the eyes she felt lingering on her backside.
By the time Konori made her way back Kuroko was in her other bikini. This new swimsuit had a similar style and coverage area, but this time it was black with sultry swirls of crimson to decorate it.
As she watched Konori approach her she gave her an admiring look. "They might not match but you really can make anything look good senpai," the teleporter stated appreciatively.
"If you say so," Konori said, unable to meet the younger girl's gaze. This date was starting to fall apart and it hadn't even been an hour. The new bottom was far too tight and she felt even more exposed than before in it.
She dried herself off and took a seat on the towel with a sigh, hugging her legs to her chest. "Sorry, Kuroko. I didn't mean to make you have to give up part of your swimsuit. I even lost the one you picked out for me."
"It's fine," Kuroko waved it off, "we can always go shopping for more. But for right now let's not let this get us down. How about playing that volleyball like you said?"
"Eh?" Konori flushed. "I-I can't play like this! This bottom barely fits me at all! I can't go strutting around in front of other people!"
"Come on, you have plenty to show off. Just try it every once in a while," Kuroko insisted as she grabbed Konori's hand and teleported the pair of them to the volleyball court where the net was set up and two girls were celebrating their 10th victory in a row.
"Anyone else feeling like losing?" One of them boasted to the crowd that had gathered around them. The pair were perhaps 15 or 16 years old. One of them wore a simple, dark-blue, athletic one-piece swimsuit that suited her toned, tanned body. Her dark brown hair, bleached light by sun and salt, was pulled up into a bun. Her friend wore a floral print bikini and had light blond hair that fell just beyond shoulder length on her equally tanned, but far less fit, body.
"We'll challenge you," Kuroko called out as she took position on the opposite end of the net. Her chest was out, her shoulders squared, every inch of her radiated confidence.
The sudden and unexpected teleport was disorienting, and by the time Konori had gathered herself Kuroko had already issued her challenge.
"Kuroko!" she hissed, "This is a bad idea! Everyone is going to be staring at me!" Her face was blushed, even her ears taking on color, and her heart was pounding in her chest. She could feel the eyes on her already, staring at her chest and the fabric clinging to her waist.
The two girls on the other side of the net scoffed. "A cow and an ironing board? These are our opponents?" the one with the bikini sneered, "another easy victory for us it seems."
The one in the one piece was slightly more focused on the game. "Alright, standard volleyball rules. Use of powers are only allowed on your side of the net and any direct use of a power on the ball counts as a hit. We'll begin now." She said with a grin as she tossed the ball to the girl with the bikini, who levitated it with her power and served it with impressive strength. It was aimed far away from either of the two, near the edge of the court. There was no way to catch up to it.
Unless one of them was a teleporter of course.
Kuroko appeared under the ball and bumped it towards Konori. However it took more than a millisecond or two to fully recover from teleportation, so the blow was off and the ball went slightly wide. "Konori," she yelled, hoping her senior could reach it in time.
Being out front of so many people in a swimsuit that barely covered her body was about as embarrassing a situation as Konori could ever remember being in, but when the bikini-clad girl proclaimed her team's victory before the match even began Konori's eyes narrowed and the majority of her embarrassment disappeared.
She grit her teeth and stood up straight, following Kuroko onto the volleyball court and getting into position, not even noticing how the ready position flaunted her assets. The other girl's arrogance burned, and Konori's determination set in. She and Kuroko would show these two what a real team looked like.
When Kuroko called her name and sent the ball her way, Konori moved quickly, setting the ball up for the teleporter.
"Kuroko!"
"I got it," Kuroko grinned as she teleported into the air and spiked the ball fast and hard, embedding it into the sand between their opponent's feet.
She landed elegantly back on earth, the sand cushioning her not inconsiderable fall, and smirked at the other two. "One-zero, our serve."
The girl in the bikini frowned as she floated the ball over to Kuroko, who tossed it to Konori. While the teleporter was confident in her own ability to serve skillfully she knew Konori would be just as skilled and, with that lovely chest of hers, would put on a much better show.
Konori couldn't help the feeling of elation in her chest when Kuroko scored, and she caught the ball with a nod, moving into position. Her prior embarrassment was forgotten in the heat of competition, and so she didn't notice the stares her body was garnering from the gathering crowd.
"Serve up." She tossed the ball into the air before spiking it with the palm of her hand, sending it racing over the net.
The girl in the bikini easily managed to get under it and bump it upwards and towards the net. The other girl raced towards it, but Konori got the feeling that something was wrong. She briefly used her power and saw that the ball she was rushing towards was a mere illusion. Her eyes shot towards the other person, the girl in the bikini and saw her dashing towards another ball further back.
It must have taken quite a bit of skill to pull off this trick, feinting one direction while hitting it in another, but Konori was skilled at seeing through illusions and rushed to block the real ball even as Kuroko fell for the feint. The real ball slapped against her hands as she jumped in front of the net to block it and bounced onto the sand on their opponents side of the net.
Kuroko was surprised when the ball she had attempted to block passed through her body like it was nothing, but was even more surprised when she saw, out of the corner of her eye, Konori blocking another ball altogether. Unlike the one Kuroko had tried to hit that once seemed to be real, scoring them a point.
Kuroko smiled at her partner's superior perception. It was very difficult to trick Konori and she had the reflexes and cunning to be able to react against any sort of illusion, which seemed to be the power of the girl in the one piece.
"Two-zero now," the teleporter boasted, "looks like your victory isn't as assured as you thought it was." She could hear cheering from the crowd and allowed herself a smug, self assured grin.
The other two frowned deeper as they returned the ball for Konori to serve again. She did so and again the one in the bikini set it and the one in the one piece went up for a spike. Konori searched for the real ball and Kuroko held back as well. However there was no other ball to find. The hesitation was great enough to allow the girl in the one piece to spike it easily and score a point.
A frown of frustration found its way onto Konori's face. They had gotten the early advantage, but the other girls were by no means unskilled. They hadn't been winning with just their tricks, but the combination of their skill and their abilities made it difficult. It might have been impossible were it not for her own ability, but even with that the illusion was still troublesome. Kuroko had to wait for her to act, lest she pursue the wrong ball, and the hesitation would cost them some points.
The girl served, and this time two balls left her palm, arcing in different directions. Konori watched carefully and dove for the real one just in time to get a hand under it, but it wasn't enough to set it for Kuroko and the game was tied up.
The opposing girls were starting to get their confidence back and fall into a rhythm. If they didn't disrupt it, they would probably lose. But Konori was nothing if not observant. As they got set up for the next serve, she leaned in to whisper to Kuroko.
"When she hits the ball, watch how she shifts her weight. The real ball will be the one that follows from that. I think the illusion breaks off from the real one."
Kuroko nodded and watched closely as the girl in the bikini served the ball again. Once more two balls arced from the girl's palm. She was ready for it this time though. She teleported over to where the real one was heading and set it up for Konori once again.
As soon as Kuroko teleported Konori made her move. She sprinted up to the net and leapt into the air, spiking the ball down hard into the sand.
"Looks like it's our point this time, 3-2. Your turn to serve, Kuroko."
Kuroko nodded, only half listening. the other half of her attention was devoted to examining every inch of Konori's body. Watching her breasts heave against her bikini top as she jumped and walked around, watching her now quite exposed butt shifting with each step as the borrowed bottom rode up. She knew that if she could get Konori to focus on something like a competition she would let her guard down and allow Kuroko the full view of her magnificent body.
Still the teleporter couldn't look forever, as much as she wanted to. She caught the ball as it was passed back to them. Then she grinned and served and the game progressed.
It was a good game that remained quite tight throughout, but in the end, Kuroko and Konori just barely inched out a victory.
Though a bit huffy at first their opponents weren't sore losers and even went over to congratulate the pair on a game well played, a sentiment the Judgement agents heartily returned.
A thin sheen of sweat made Konori's body glisten in the light, and she was breathing heavily by the time the game was over. Still, she felt much better now. Kuroko seemed to be enjoying herself, and even their opponents had congratulated them on the game. It had been fun, and she was feeling better.
"Shall we head back to our spot? I could use a break."
Kuroko nodded and the pair started walking back towards their towel.
"Excuse me." Someone spoke from behind them and Konori stopped, turning to look at the newcomer. He was taller than her, and well built. He looked to be the kind of guy that was attractive and knew it, carrying himself with an ease and confidence that actually reminded Konori a little bit of Kuroko, strange as it was.
"Yes? Can I help you?"
The man took a step closer and ran his hand through his hair. "I was just admiring your game. You really know what you're doing." His eyes roamed over her body and Konori flushed. "And I have to say, I admire your bold choice of swim attire. Not many girls would be willing to wear something like that."
"Ah, w-well that's…" Konori's embarrassment returned full force and her face lit up. She had completely forgotten about how she was dressed while they were playing. She could only imagine the display she had put on. It was so embarrassing she wanted to just sink into the sand and disappear.
"Hey, I mean that as a compliment. You really rock the look. Seriously, I don't think there was a guy on this beach that wasn't checking you out." He laughed a bit, seemingly oblivious to how uncomfortable Konori was getting. "Speaking of that, do you wanna come hang out with me and a couple of friends? I'm sure we could show you a great time."
A knot twisted in her stomach. She had absolutely no interest in going with him, but she couldn't find the words for an appropriate refusal. The truth was she was on a date, but could she say that? She still wasn't sure she was ready to let people know about her relationship with Kuroko, and certainly not like this.
"She's not interested," Kuroko cut in, stepping between the two. Her words were curt and dismissive, and her tone sounded like the growling of a guard dog if you stepped onto its territory. Her face was cut into a deep, disapproving frown that matched her slanted eyebrows.
The guy glared down at the small teleporter for a second then gave Konori a sympathetic look. "Stuck babysitting your sister then? Well maybe once you've put her down for a nap we can ha-"
"I'm not her little sister," Kuroko bristled, "I'm her gir-"
She was suddenly interrupted when Konori clamped her hands over her mouth.
Panic flared in Konori's chest when Kuroko opened her mouth to speak. She couldn't let her say that. The man gave her a confused look, and she tried to ignore the look of hurt and betrayal on Kuroko's face as she tried to force a smile.
"Ah, s-sorry, she's my friend and she can be a little protective of me. I'll definitely consider your offer though, thank you!"
Her heart was pounding in her chest as she attempted to steer Kuroko away and back towards their towel. Her whole body was tense. She shouldn't have said that. He had been rude to Kuroko, and she should have stood up for her. Wasn't that what girlfriends were supposed to do?
Before they could even take a step towards the towel Kuroko teleported the pair of them behind the beach house near the volleyball courts. The back was secluded, hard to get to, and provided perfect cover, so they were alone and nobody could see or hear what they were doing.
But despite the possibility for quite a wide range of "activities" Kuroko's mind was far from the gutter at the moment. Even as she teleported Konori off of her and pushed her against the beachhouse wall, a position which would normally take half a second to devolve into passionate makeouts, her mouth was more preoccupied asking the one word that always burned at her consciousness: "Why? Am I not your girlfriend? Are you ashamed of me? Why can't we tell anyone senpai?"
The sudden teleportations were disorienting, and before she knew it Konori was pinned to a wall, Kuroko's hurt and angry face inches away. It took her a moment to get her bearings again, and when she did she looked down at the younger girl, a lump forming in her throat as she asked the question Konori had been struggling with all day. For a moment, she was silent. How was she supposed to answer that?
"I… of course I'm not ashamed of you. But I… I don't know! I shouldn't be dating you, it's irresponsible of me as your senior in Judgment, and I can't stand the thought of the way people would look at me if they knew." Her eyes burned with tears of shame and frustration. "I want to be with you but if people knew they would think I was terrible, or that I had duped you into it, or that I was taking advantage of you."
"So you expect me to just stay quiet while I watch people hit on my girlfriend? What does it matter what people think of us. We love each other and that's the only thing that counts," Kuroko said, her own eyes rimmed with tears of frustration as well. Her voice shaky and hurt and angry as she gripped the older girl's arm tighter and pushed her harder against the wall. "what do you expect me to do, senpai?"
The volume of Kuroko's love was such that she thought it might burst out of her, and yet for the past four months, since she'd started dating her senior, she'd been forced to keep it inside. Whenever the two spent time together it was a constant game of making sure there was no possible way the two could be seen before they exchanged even the slightest displays of affection towards each other. It was tearing Kuroko apart and sometimes, like now, she just needed a bit of reassurance.
Konori felt awful. The words tumbled out of Kuroko's mouth, and guilt grew in Konori's chest. It wasn't that she was ashamed of Kuroko, not at all. She was just scared. But Kuroko deserved a girlfriend that would show her the affection she deserved, that wouldn't shy away from her just because she was afraid. Konori wanted so badly to be that person, but sometimes it was so hard.
"I'm really sorry, Kuroko." Konori took a shaky breath and laid a hand on Kuroko's soft cheek. "I just… I'm frightened. I don't know what I should do or how I should feel."
Kuroko let her arms fall to her side and rested her head in Konori's cleavage with a sigh, trying to calm herself down by immersing herself in the most comfortable place she could think of. "No.. I'm the sorry one," Kuroko stated apologetically, all anger and hurt and frustration falling away from her voice as she bathed in the pleasant scent of her senpai. She knew she was asking too much of Konori, she knew that, with a bit of time, she would eventually tease the older girl out of her comfort zone. She just needed to give it more time, to be more patient. "I shouldn't rush your feelings. But next time... I know it's petty but can you just refuse them right away if someone tries to hit on you? Even if I'm not there."
Konori wrapped her arms around Kuroko, for once not minding that the girl was in a rather compromising position, and held her close. "I will, I promise. He just took me by surprise. I really didn't have any intention of accepting his offer."
She smiled and leaned down, planting a kiss on the top of Kuroko's head. "How about we get some ice cream?"
Kuroko frowned. "I'm not a little kid, you can't just ply me off with ice cream!" She scolded her senpai.
"Ah, sorry! I didn't mean to… I mean, I wasn't…" Konori sighed, shaking her head. "Nevermind. Just forget I said anything."
Suddenly an image ran through Kuroko's head. "I never said I didn't want any," she tried to hastily amend.
Konori blinked, before a small giggle made it's way out of her. "Well okay then, let's go."
She hesitated for a moment, before mustering as much of her courage as she could and talking Kuroko's hand in hers. It was a small step, but she felt it was the least she could do after the way she'd been making Kuroko feel today.
Kuroko looked down at the hand in her own then up at the face of the person it belonged to and smiled at the older girl. She clasped her hand tightly as she teleported them to the beach house front for their ice cream.
As soon as they landed Konori stumbled a bit. "Please let me know when you're going to do that," she said, shaking her head. It was a mystery to her how the younger girl could do that all the time. She must have gotten used to how disorienting it was.
Still holding Kuroko's hand, she walked up the the ice cream vendor and ordered two vanilla cones.
"Make that one cone," Kuroko corrected her.
A look of confusion flashed across Konori's face before she amended the order. "Ah, yes. One please."
The vendor handed her the cone and she paid with money she had been storing in her top. They began wandering along the beach, and she looked curiously at Kuroko. "I thought you said you wanted one? Or are you trying to say I need to lose weight?"
"Oh no, never lose those delicious curves of yours," Kuroko gasped, as if the prospect was the most horrible thing she could imagine. Then she smiled as she teleported the pair of them to their towel and tugged her down so she was sitting next to the older girl. She grinned at her senpai before leaning in to lick the ice cream the older girl held in her hand. "I'm saying why get two when we can share one."
Konori blushed slightly at the implications, but tried to keep herself composed. "Well, I suppose that's alright." She held the cone out to Kuroko with a smile. "Would you like to do the honors and give it the first taste then?"
"I think we should do it together don't you," Kuroko cooed, layering on the seduction despite the apparent innocence of the request.
The blush on her face deepened, but Konori couldn't see any reason to refuse. "O-okay then." She leaned in, sticking out her tongue and taking a lick from the cone.
Kuroko quickly darted her tongue out, sliding it along Konori's as the older girl licked the cone, snatching a bit of the collected ice cream as well as sneaking a covert frenching.
Konori pulled back with a gentle gasp, her whole face flushed red and her heart pounding in her chest. "K-K-Kuroko!"
"Yes senpai?" the teleporter asked innocently as she licked her lips.
"You can't… you just-" She stopped, sighing. Kuroko was just being her usual self, there was no sense getting upset about it. Besides, it wasn't like she hadn't enjoyed it. It was just unexpected. "Nevermind."
Kuroko giggled and began playing a game of what could only be described as tag, chasing Konori's tongue with her own, only getting the ice cream she could scrape off of it and having way more fun than she should just eating ice cream.
Attempting to actually eat the ice cream became an exercise in frustration, but soon Konori began to get into the game as well, laughing each time Kuroko managed to catch her. It was rather amusing, and would have made a strange sight if anyone had been looking.
Kuroko giggled as well as the pair played, enjoying her failures to get ice cream as much as her successes, since failures usually involved a little more contact. The ice cream soon began to melt, so the two sped up, brushing tongues more often as they sought to prevent any from spilling.
Soon, the ice cream was gone and the two were left with melted cream on their smiling faces. "I must admit, sharing was more fun than I had been expecting." Once she'd gotten over her embarrassment, Konori had to admit that it had been rather fun.
"And it isn't over yet," Kuroko smiled, her voice still sultry and seductive. She leaned forward, one hand on Konori's thighs to hold the teleporter's weight while the other gripped the other girl's chin. Then the younger girl leaned forward and began to lick the melted cream from Konori's face, taking long, slow, deliberate licks.
As Kuroko leaned forward, Konori's cheeks colored again, and when the younger girl's tongue traced along her face she couldn't help but shudder. She made no move to push her away this time though. Instead, she gently placed her hands on Kuroko's hips, letting her eyes drift closed as the small, warm muscle played over her skin.
Kuroko took her time in licking her senpai clean, only stopping when she was finished because she did not want the other girl to have all the fun. "Oh senpai, I think I got some ice cream on my face as well." She smiled innocently as her hand moved from the older girls chin along her shoulder and arm, stroking Konori's smooth skin.
The gentle tickling of Kuroko's tongue finally stopped and Konori opened her eyes to see the smiling face of her junior. She couldn't help but roll her eyes a bit at her request. "Of course you did. You, know, I'm starting to think this was a part of your plan the whole time." With a sigh and a shake of her head she gently took Kuroko by the chin. "Hold still." Slowly, she began to lick along Kuroko's jaw, moving up and playing gently along her lips.
Kuroko didn't restrain her expressions of pleasure in the slightest, moaning softly with each brush of Konori's tongue along her face, revelling in the closeness of her girlfriend. She held completely still, not wanting to break the magic of this moment.
Konori moved slowly, teasing Kuroko's lips with her tongue as she cleaned her face. It wasn't often that she managed to gather the courage to do something like this, but the mood was light enough, and she was starting to have a hard time fighting her attraction as well. Finally, she'd completely cleaned the younger girl's face, and leaned back and released Kuroko's chin, smiling at her.
Kuroko leaned forward, following the older girl as she backed off. But she was content to simply rest her head on her senior's shoulders as she looked over at the artificial sky with it's surprisingly real looking sunset. The sky was tinged orange, crimson, and lilac and the reddish yellow sun, only half visible above the horizon was reflected in the water, creating a beautiful image.
"Today has been wonderful senpai. This date has been great," she said with a contented noise that was not unlike a purring kitten, "I don't know what you've been so afraid of up until now."
The brilliant colors of the artificial sunset were almost hypnotizing, and Konori smiled as Kuroko leaned against her as she looked out over the water. It did almost feel like they were really at the beach.
It was much less crowded now, people packing up and leaving as the "sun" kissed the horizon. "I really am glad you enjoyed it." She bit her lip. "To be honest, I was worried that I had ruined it for you."
Kuroko gripped the older girl's chin again and turned her so that the two were face to face. Her smile was gentle and warm. "You could never ruin my day. Just seeing you makes me so incredibly happy. You make every day the best day of my life."
Konori flushed at the line. "Y-you always know just what to say to embarrass me, you know that?" But she smiled. It was rather adorable, and no one had ever said anything like that to her before. "But you know, being with you makes me happy too."
Kuroko gazed deep into Konori's eyes. She was currently straddling the older girl's lap, one hand still on her thigh the other on her chin. Now both hands moved to the other girl's shoulders and wrapped themselves around her neck. "Senpai," she whispered, her voice speaking of need as she gazed at her one true love.
With her junior so close, Konori felt almost as though she could actually feel Kuroko's heart beating in her chest. Her own was beating rapidly, and as Kuroko leaned closer Konori momentarily forgot about her fear. Her eyes drifted closed and she wrapped her arms around Kuroko's waist, feeling her warm skin against her own.
Kuroko felt as her body and her senpai's seemed to mold together as she drew closer and closer until finally their lips touched and they became one. Kuroko could feel those wonderful breasts pressing against her own far more modest ones as the older girl held onto her waist. She drew her in closer with an eagerness that Kuroko returned wholeheartedly.
When their lips met, Konori tensed, her arms tightening around Kuroko's waist and pulling the younger girl flush against her body. In the heat of the moment, she couldn't even bring herself to care if anyone saw them. The taste of ice cream still lingered on Kuroko's lips, and she delicately ran her tongue over those tender lips, returning the kiss and letting her hands gently caress the smooth skin of Kuroko's back.
Sadly all things must end and Kuroko very reluctantly pulled back, gasping for the air she had not allowed herself to take earlier. She still held Konori tight as the sun continued to fall over the horizon. Her head resting on the older girl's shoulder as she leaned up to whisper in her ear.
"I love you senpai..."
Konori smiled as the kiss was broken, holding Kuroko close and watching the remains of the sunlight dip below the horizon, casting brilliant colors across the water.
"I love you too, Kuroko."
Author's Note 1 (by TPK): Well here you have it, this is the first of what I hope to be a series of collaborations with other authors on this site. The writing style might be a bit odd compared to what you usually read but I hope you enjoyed it nonetheless. It was done by working in tandem with my other author (GreatSnapper in this case), each of us writing a section, ranging in length from a sentence to paragraph, and then letting the other person write a section. Because of this the POV hops around and the flow might be disrupted, but it was a fun experiment to do whether or not it worked out perfectly.
My other collabs will also be KuroKonori because I admit that I really like the pairing. KuroMiko is still my OTP but there is a definite bond between Kuroko and Konori that isn't really shown in the anime or manga. Konori has known Kuroko for longer than anyone else and they share a deep and caring relationship. In addition Kuroko has shown both affection and attraction towards Konori (with a body like that I don't blame her) making it a far more realistic pairing than most that feature Kuroko.
And as for Konori... she does have that old flame that she's hung up over in the anime, but since it isn't in the manga I'll just discount that for this AU, or maybe she's just gotten over it. Either way it works.
Author's Note 2 (GreatSnapper): So this is something that I hadn't really considered before it was proposed, but proposed it was, and who am I to decline such a generous offer? Romance is not particularly high on my list of things I would consider myself good at writing, but it can be fun. In this case, I was intrigued enough by the pairing to give it a whirl, and I can't say I didn't have a good time. Perhaps part of that is because working with another writer opens up new avenues, and the experience itself was rather new. I'm used to writing being very solitary, so it was interesting to try it with someone looking over my shoulder. On top of that, there's a certain amount of creative control that must be relinquished. That can be hard to do, but I think the end result is an interesting experiment. It certainly reads differently from the kind of thing I would normally write, but it was written differently as well. Overall, a fun experience. Perhaps you'll enjoy the fruits of our labor.