Note: Before reading, please take one more look at the rating, the genres, and the characters involved. Are you sure you want to read this?

If you are, I'd still like to share some extremely important thoughts with you first: Preferences for this kind of, err, story, differs, but this is aiming for the "natural" approach, if there is any such approach. Either way, you may like it or you may not, or maybe you only like part of it.

Now sit back, close the door to your room, and read on.

Sick Day

by Cun

XXX

One fine Saturday morning in July, inside room 208 of Tokiwadai's dormitory…

"Whaat, Misaka-san is sick?" Kazari's voice was severely worried as she spoke into Kuroko's ear through the cell phone.

"Yes… I am sorry, but we will not be able to join you today…" Kuroko glanced over at the bed of her roommate, where Onee-sama was currently lying in a state of half-sleep, breathing heavily. Her forehead was slick with sweat, and she looked rather restless. "Her fever is quite high and she'll need someone to take care of her."

There was a sigh in the other end. "I guess that someone has to be you."

"Of course! No-one else knows how to care for Onee-sama; I am her personal doctor, nurse, psychiatrist, surgeon and lover!"

"I really hope she'll never need all of that…" Kazari said. "Well, in that case, good luck! We'll eat some ice cream for you guys too!"

"Please do." Kuroko hung up with that, and turned towards Onee-sama's bed. To tell the truth, she had never considered the possibility of Mikoto growing sick. Of course, the older girl was human like everyone else, yet it had seemed like an impossible scenario, as if she should be above mere troubles like catching a cold. Yet here she was, shivering with fever and barely able to sleep at all with her body wracked by cold.

Onee-sama had insisted she was perfectly fine this morning of course, and then proceeded to nearly faint on her way to the bathroom. Kuroko had helped her back into bed, and ever since, her condition seemed to have been growing worse.

"Uggh…" As if to prove otherwise, Mikoto groaned and put a hand to her head, slowly sitting up in the bed. She was feeling nauseous and dizzy, and looked that way too.

Kuroko smiled gently and walked over to her bed. "Onee-sama, you should not be moving around quite yet."

"I'm – fine…" Mikoto insisted, putting her feet on the floor and breathing heavily at the movement, one hand still supporting her head. "I just… need to…"

Kuroko gave a lighthearted sigh. Just like her Onee-sama to refuse to show any signs of weakness – even though they were plainly obvious. Kuroko wouldn't be the one to argue on the subject though; rather, she planned to let nature speak for itself. Therefore she made no move to stop her when the other girl forced herself to stand up.

Once on her feet, Mikoto felt kind of unsteady; her sight was swaying. I feel like I've eaten fermented sea-food. She staggered towards the bathroom, each step reverberating to her head and making the sweat on her forehead even more prominent. Why is our bathroom so far away? Who needs so much floor space anyway…? She hardly noticed herself falling – only realizing what had happened when her face met with Kuroko's shoulder, and the other girl wrapped her arms around her torso.

"Onee-sama, while I admire your stubbornness, sometimes it's better to admit defeat." Kuroko said gently. She could feel the heat radiating from the body underneath the green pajamas, and Onee-sama's hot breath was heaving against her shirt.

Mikoto gritted her teeth. She felt weak, something she utterly hated – and she couldn't seem to fight the dizziness in her head. Still, when nature calls…

"Sorry, Kuroko… just – let me –" She unwound from Kuroko's grasp and stepped forward again, determined to reach the door if nothing else. However her feet weren't listening, and she tripped again; only saved from meeting the floor face first because Kuroko quickly grabbed hold of her again.

"Mou, Onee-sama, at least allow me to support you. It would be bad if you cracked open your skull because you insist on doing everything on your own."

Seeing the logic in this statement, and how stupid it would be for the Railgun to meet her pitiful end with a hit to the head against the porcelain toilet, Mikoto finally relented and allowed Kuroko to help her inside the bathroom.

The room felt much warmer than their bedroom; the heat cables in the tiled floor were wonderful against her feet.

Kuroko helped Mikoto into the small enclosure with the toilet, and deposited her on the closed lid.

"Thanks, I'll… do the rest myself." Mikoto breathed, not feeling like having Kuroko help her with this specific part of the project.

"That's quite alright, Onee-sama." Kuroko smiled, and closed the door behind her as she left. Mikoto bent over, rubbing her temples tiredly. I think I'm gonna cry…

She managed by herself; by the time she left the room she had even washed her hands, and felt just a tiny bit better. Though as soon as she had walked the few steps that separated the enclosure from the main bathroom, she was leaning on the wall again, heaving for breath.

"Onee-sama…" Kuroko entered the room again, having heard the sounds of the other girl finishing up. She gazed at her roommate worriedly, wondering if it would be better to call a doctor. Mikoto had made a clear point that that was out of the question unless she was on the brink of dying. Still, seeing her like this… Kuroko was torn between what to do.

"I'm sorry…" Mikoto suddenly gasped, sweat-drops running down her face and collecting in her neck. "I don't… feel so good…"

"Honestly, Onee-sama…" Kuroko sighed and stepped towards her, wounding her arm above her own shoulders as a means of support. "The only reason I will not teleport you directly back to bed is because the exposure to teleportation while feeling ill may have less than desired results…" She put a hand on her back and realized it was soaked. "Ah, you're…" she frowned, knowing that going back to bed while sweaty from fever would only make things worse – and then her eyes lit up. In this state, there's no way she could electrify me! … A door of possibilities suddenly opened in her mind, and a rather creepy smirk appeared on her face.

Carefully forming the smirk into a calm smile, she gazed tenderly up at her Onee-sama. "Onee-sama, you need to wash off and have a change of clothes – I will get you another pajama while you manage yourself."

And she teleported out into the bigger room. Mikoto was left standing there, feeling quite ill – yet she saw the truth in Kuroko's words. She dazedly entered the bathroom with the shower and the bathtub and the spacious basin sink, fingers grasping at the buttons of her Gekota pajama while she walked. She couldn't seem to figure them out, and her head was becoming heavier and heavier. As she gazed ahead feverishly, she swayed dangerously, and put out a hand to support herself on the sink.

I can't do this. It hurt to admit it, but nothing was more certain than this fact right now. She was too dizzy, too weak, to even stand properly. Her right hand clenched on the collar of her pajama and she gritted her teeth, feeling her gut coil in frustration. This is so…

"Onee-sama, do you prefer this light blue one or this deep red?" Kuroko came beaming into the doorway, holding in each hand a transparent night dress from her own collection; Mikoto managed to turn around to look at it, and immediately gritted her teeth.

One electrification later, Kuroko returned to the bathroom with Mikoto's own pair of spare Gekota pajama, feeling slightly stunned still. To think she still managed to punish me – the power of a level five is truly astonishing. She was slightly nervous when she entered the room, however she needn't have been. Mikoto was leaning on the sink with both hands, hunched over while trying to catch her breath. If anything, it seemed like she was feeling worse now than just a minute ago.

"Aah, Onee-sama, your delicate body might not tolerate this…" she stepped into the room and hung the spare pajama on a hook on the wall, beside her own row of see-through night dresses. Then she dragged forth a stool from underneath a shelf, placing it in an appropriate position behind Mikoto.

Mikoto didn't even have the energy to retort; it felt like her lungs were constricting themselves in her chest. When Kuroko's hands gently grabbed her arm and nudged her away from the sink, she could only do so much not to collapse at once; and when she finally sat on the stool, her body seemed to scream for rest.

Kuroko observed her hunched form closely, before giving a small sigh and smiling gently. "Onee-sama, you need to remove your pajama."

Mikoto instantly grasped at the front of her pajama, tensing up. "Don't start your perverted – I swear I'll…" Though she had no energy left to do anything at all, let alone carry out any punishment.

Kuroko sighed. "I am not surprised you would suspect something like that, but this time I had no underlying thoughts on the subject. You need to wash off, and to do that, an essential first step is to undress, is it not?"

She supposed that was true. Yet there was a high probability that Kuroko was lying, and she most likely did have underlying motives for suggesting it. Her hand shook; those buttons felt like they were mocking her with their simplicity. Gritting her teeth, she tried to undo the first one again; her fingers slipped, and she couldn't seem to remember how to do it. After several failed attempts, her actions stilled, and an air of foreboding grew around her. These buttons are made of metal, right? With my power, I could…

Kuroko saw the other girl tense up, and felt like she could read her mind. "Onee-sama, there is a much simpler way to solve this than by resorting to violence." She offered her advice, penetrating the glowing red mist collecting in Mikoto's head.

Before she could even properly interpret her words, Kuroko was in front of her, already unbuttoning the first button. "Wha – Kuroko!" She instantly reddened, pulling back.

"Please remain calm, Onee-sama, and allow me to do this. It would do no good if you were to stress yourself unnecessarily."

Mikoto hesitated, wondering if that was the reason why the longhaired girl hadn't just teleported away the pajama when she had the chance – and then settling down with the fact that Kuroko was not staring at her chest while working, at least.

In fact, to avoid causing stress to her Onee-sama might have been one of the reasons Kuroko did not forcibly remove the garment at once. However the main reason was that she simply wanted to grab this chance while she had it. To undress Onee-sama with her consent… needless to say, her dreams were coming true. She slowly unbuttoned every last button like they were Christmas presents, just barely keeping the drool from running down her chin, and by the time she reached the last one, her hands were shaking in anticipation. She could feel the heat of Onee-sama's body, intensified by the fever, and could hear her uneven breath – the temptation to just reach out those last few centimeters and touch the skin beneath the pajama was almost too great. Being too obvious might result in another punishment though, and even though she doubted Onee-sama would be strong enough to completely knock her out, she still did not want her health to deteriorate.

And so, resisting the urge to touch, she instead stood up and walked around to stand at Mikoto's back, before allowing her fingers to curl around the collar of her pajama and gently pull the garment off Onee-sama's upper body. Her fingers stroked by Mikoto's skin on the way down her arms; it sent tingles through her entire being.

Once the pajama left her body, Mikoto shuddered and clasped her arms around herself. "Gah, it's cold!"

"I will wipe your back for you." Kuroko said; she allowed her fingers to strafe over Onee-sama's neck when she walked past towards the sink, and the motion sent what felt like an electric charge right up into Mikoto's head, making her shudder again. As the touch left her skin, she felt even colder than before, and dizzy to boot.

"Really, you should stop those late-night endeavors of yours." Kuroko said while pulling out a soft cloth from underneath the sink, and wetted it in lukewarm water. "Is it really worth getting sick over?" Turning around, she could only drink in the sight of her half-naked Onee-sama shivering on the stool, arms crossed in front of her chest, and found she was not one bit sorry that she had to cancel the shopping date with Uiharu and Saten-san to care for her instead. Onee-sama's light brown hair was sticking to her neck, her skin glistening with sweat; her half-closed eyes seemed cloudy, as if a veil of fever had settled upon them. She swallowed a lump in her throat and moved forward gingerly, too wound up to try and teleport at the moment. Stay calm, Kuroko. This is your biggest chance ever. It was in fact so unreal she hardly knew what to make of it, and so, she would merely continue from here.

Mikoto wasn't even listening to what her roommate was saying anymore; she had enough trouble trying to breathe normally. When the cloth suddenly touched the skin on her back however, she jolted, and a painful throb soared through her chest at the movement.

"Ah – d-don't do that so suddenly!" She stuttered. The cloth was warm, but left her back even colder than before; she tried to keep her teeth from clattering while it gently caressed her skin.

"Apologies," Kuroko said behind her, more attentive to her current task than actually listening. She wiped Onee-sama's back with slow movements, secretly interpreting every line and form; her shoulders, her neck, her spine, her lean, invisible muscles that made her able to even knock down Kuroko in their many wrestling fights (disregarding the fact that Kuroko wanted to be knocked down) – right now, they were moving and tensing from the cold air touching Onee-sama's wet skin, and Kuroko found it hard to keep her saliva inside her mouth. The soft neck, beautiful hair, firm shoulders, tantalizing back, and slender arms – Ah, in so many ways, Onee-sama was simply perfect! Forgetting to be careful for a moment, her hands let go of the cloth, which fell to the floor with a splat, and instead entwined themselves into the hair in the neck of the other girl, feeling the strands tickle against her skin, and the soft scalp underneath, hot with sweat.

Such a bold move would normally lead to instant cremation, but Mikoto was too dazed to feel angry, and the pseudo massage from the teleporter's fingers felt wonderful either way, soon lolling her into a perfectly welcome state of relaxation. Subconsciously, she leaned into the touch, and her eyes drooped, her breath steadying, her arms falling to rest on her stomach. She could easily fall asleep right there…

Kuroko let her fingers glide over Onee-sama's scalp and gently massaged her temples, feeling like a faithful disciple finally allowed to touch her Goddess, and hardly believing it – she could hear her breath steadying, could feel how Onee-sama slowly relaxed into her touch, allowing her to explore every strand of hair, every inch of her scalp. Kuroko's heart was soaring, she could hardly breathe. She dragged her fingers backwards past Onee-sama's ears, and then let them glide through her hair towards her forehead again. She rubbed the skin just below Mikoto's hair line gently, moving slowly from her forehead to her temples. Excitement fluttered in her belly like crazed butterflies on drugs – her mind was in bliss, pure utter Nirvana; she could write her testament right there and die, and not regret it for even a second. I can't believe this is happening! Her fingers gently caressed Mikoto's scalp, as gingerly as one would touch a Ming vase – then suddenly, a small crackle left Mikoto's temple, barely even noticeable to anyone not knowing to look for it.

Kuroko did though. She had a deeply engraved instinct in how to spot those tiny signs of danger – interpreted into her after being treated as a malfunctioning toaster several times. She stalled, unsure. It had seemed like the other girl was calming down, so… Is she angry? It seemed highly unlikely, but even so… Just to be sure…

"Onee-sama…" she uttered, as if carefully trying to coax a sleeping bear out of its hibernation without getting a hand chomped off in the process.

"Hmm?" Mikoto's tired voice drawled out; she felt drowsy, and her brain was like sugared mush. The massage was turning every limb in her body to jelly, and she had nearly fallen asleep before Kuroko spoke up.

"Do you not… approve of this?" Kuroko was cautious about mentioning their exact position directly; if Onee-sama was indeed not aware of it, and realized, she might be scorched after all.

"Ah, it – it's wonderful, please don't… stop…" Mikoto groggily said, wanting the disturbance to go away and the other sensation to go on.

Kuroko was glad to hear this; yet that still left one thing to be answered. "But your electricity…"

"Eh?" Mikoto was still not completely out of her half-asleep state, but she couldn't remember having used her ability at all. "I didn't…"

This was a lacking answer indeed. There was no doubt there had been electric charges emitting from the other girl. Did she not do it consciously? Kuroko gazed at the top of her head again, absorbing in every brown strand, every lock of hair. Perhaps being sick caused her ability to run rampant? Though, why? But despite her insecurity, she was growing excited. Even if having uncontrolled electric currents snapping about would be dangerous, something inside her wanted to risk the pain, yes, even embrace it…

Moving slowly, she gently entwined her fingers into Onee-sama's hair again, making small circles with her fingertips on her scalp. A pleased sigh escaped Mikoto's lips in response, and she closed her eyes drowsily once more. Kuroko's heart was beating harshly, her body felt numb with anticipation. As she continued caressing Mikoto's head, her stomach was twirling like she was riding a rollercoaster, and she had to remind herself to breathe. Her fingers once again glided through the strands of hair towards Mikoto's temples; and then another spark appeared, striking her directly in the thumb.

Kuroko winced at the sudden pain and pulled her hands away, and Mikoto jolted awake, "Ah, K-Kuroko, are you…" She turned her head and looked up at her roommate, who was cradling her thumb with a teary expression, yet a smile donned her face anyway.

"Not to worry, Onee-sama, it was merely a small jolt…" It was more surprise than pain that made her react so.

Mikoto gazed at Kuroko's hands for a few more seconds, and then turned away, ashamed.

"I – I'm sorry." She said, hunching forwards again. "I don't know what it was… it just… felt so good…" She was reddening, feeling embarrassed, and not quite sure why. Her vision was swimming, and her head felt both light and heavy at once.

Her words made Kuroko feel apprehensive, yet exalted. So that's it? Those charges are truly subconscious... a squirmy feeling settled in her stomach, and her face was heating up from the feelings bombarding her system, but more importantly, it's a reaction to the pleasure only I, Shirai Kuroko, can give her! Her smile was turning lecherous; her fingers twitched, her thumb still feeling a bit numb.

Mikoto was feeling cold again, and realized she had yet to put on a new set of pajama. Standing up, and nearly passing out at the sudden movement, she put a hand to her head and waited for the swirl in her head to go away.

"Onee-sama, we never finished drying you off…" Kuroko followed her every move closely, observing the motion of each muscle in her back separately, as if she was an artist studying her art subject. She had been looking forward to keep wiping Onee-sama's body, and if possible… the other side as well…

However Mikoto approached the wall and grabbed the pajama hanging there, pulling down the top.

"I'm cold." She explained, carefully pulling the dry garment on, and reaching for the buttons. She managed to conquer the top one just in front of her chest, perspiration running down her brow from pure concentration. Who the hell invented these things? Her fingers were trembling again, and the second button slipped from her grasp. She stared down at it, feeling her sight starting to swim, her head pounding, her breath become heavier and heavier. Without even realizing it, she was growing furious – at the buttons, at this situation, at herself for becoming sick, and at that spiky-haired moron for having tricked her into chasing him all night long in the rain.

Kuroko noticed how Onee-sama's shoulders shook slightly, and heard her ragged breath grow shallow; knowing the signs of an on-coming temper tantrum quite well, she moved forward, and grasped at her tense shoulders, massaging them gently. "Please do not fret, Onee-sama. Kuroko will make sure your recovery is quick and painless." Any fear of being zapped for her advances was long gone – she figured their previous intimacy would have invoked her punishment if there was any to be had. Now, it was all down to subtlety.

"I'm not… pained…" Mikoto forced out, though when she said it, she realized her chest actually was hurting – a piercing feeling, like something was stuck on the inside of her ribs. She was breathing too harshly. She let her hands fall to her sides heavily, and leaned her forehead into the cool surface of the wall. A deep sigh escaped her lips, and she tried to steady her breath while Kuroko's hands kept kneading her shoulders, releasing some of the tension in her body. God this is just…

When it seemed like Onee-sama had once again calmed down, Kuroko let her fingers slide down her back, feeling it twitch at her touch. She smirked, letting her fingers rest lightly at her lower back, separated from her skin by the pajama.

"Why do people get sick?" Mikoto groaned, still leaning against the wall.

"Well, it is a result of an infection in the body, whether it be a virus or bacteria, that may have entered through your bloodstream or airways." Kuroko helpfully provided, making circles on Onee-sama's back with her fingers, and enjoying the feeling of the other girl tensing up at the motion. Is she ticklish? The thought was rather intriguing. Playing with it in her mind, she continued: "It may cause an increase in temperature; in your case most likely an intermittent fever. Despite the unpleasant feeling, fever actually has a purpose for –"

"Hai, hai, I didn't ask for an autopsy." Mikoto said, somehow feeling even worse now, and distracted by the touch on her back. It was disturbingly gentle and calming, those circling motions somehow manifesting themselves throughout her nervous system and travelling along her spine into her head, creating a feeling of drowsiness. She really could fall asleep right there… but just as her eyes were drooping, she snapped out of it. I was… changing… She drew a deep breath and straightened – Kuroko removed her hands. Reaching up to the lining of her pajama trousers, Mikoto suddenly paused, as if realizing something.

"Kuroko, turn around."

"What?" Kuroko nearly gasped it out, having been prepared to thoroughly enjoy the scenery, and devastated at having her dreams so suddenly crushed.

Mikoto gritted her teeth. "Turn. Around."

"Onee-sama –!"

A crackle of electricity escaped Mikoto's bangs, and Kuroko instantly snapped her mouth shut and turned around.

Mikoto regretted it the moment she let it out – her head swirled, and she had to support herself to the wall to not fall over. Even though she wanted to feel better, her condition was quickly deteriorating, and when she once again stood up straight to pull off the pajama trousers, she was already heaving for breath. I can't… stand this… She gritted her teeth and slowly worked the trousers off, the clothing almost sticking to her skin in places, and the cold air prickling against her sweaty body.

Keh. Keh. Keh. Kuroko's inner monologue held a scary tone of voice; she was gleefully observing the entire display through stealthy means. I was already prepared for something like this! In her hand she was holding a tiny pocket mirror, angled just right for her to see Onee-sama slowly undress. Of course, it wasn't nearly as good as the real thing, but it was enough to make her nose tingle. Still, Onee-sama, wearing those childish things… she frowned at the Gekota panties that was revealed underneath the pajama – and then her chest constricted in utter excitement. Will she be changing them too…? It was too unreal to comprehend, leaving her completely breathless.

The pajama pants slowly came off, revealing slim, delicate legs which Kuroko longed to touch – she wondered whether the skin on her legs felt any different from that on her back, wondered if they were soft or firm; Onee-sama is athletic, but it doesn't show – perhaps something in the middle… She was nearly holding her breath by the time Mikoto reached up for the dry pajama trousers on the hook on the wall.

As soon as she reached up however, her sight blackened for a second, and Kuroko saw her pass out – within a heartbeat the teleporter was behind her roommate, holding her beneath her arms while the pocket mirror gracelessly fell to the floor and shattered against at the tiles back at her previous position. Mikoto's head weakly fell to the side and touched Kuroko's shoulder, before her eyes opened again, and she realized she had fallen.

"Ah…"

"Onee-sama," Kuroko said gently above her, "we should get you back to bed before you are hurt."

Mikoto breathed shallowly, the bathroom swimming in front of her eyes. Suddenly she was feeling absolutely horrible, like a sneak attack from below.

Kuroko interpreted the lack of an answer as an answer in itself. Onee-sama was obviously only growing more ill the longer this kept up – and so she shifted their positions slightly, once more placing Onee-sama's arm over her own shoulders, and keeping her own arm around Onee-sama's midriff to keep her steady. Mikoto hung heavily onto her as she slowly walked them out. She really wished she could teleport her, but it is true teleportation is not the best cure to sickness – without going into detail.

She helped Onee-sama over the floor of their dorm room and made her sit down on her bed again. Mikoto was hardly even noticing what was going on – she was just concentrating on breathing, now, her sight wavering with nauseating dizziness. Kuroko stood before her and watched her hunched form, frowning. Then she reached out a hand and placed it on her shoulder.

Before Mikoto even realized she was back in bed, Kuroko gently pushed her backwards until she was lying on the mattress once more, gazing up into the ceiling. Kuroko helped her completely into the bed by lifting her legs up as well, secretly reveling at the smooth skin beneath her hands. Then she stood above her – with only the top button closed, Onee-sama's pajama completely showed off her slick skin and delicious abdomen to the other girl, and the effect this had on Kuroko was both thrilling and maddening. Her heaving breath – her sweaty skin – aah, there is no part of Onee-sama that is not beautiful. Before she knew it, she had climbed into the bed and kneeled above Onee-sama, with one leg on each side of the other girl's thighs. Mikoto had closed her eyes, trying to reign in her unsteady breath – however she seemed to have forgotten how to breathe properly. Her hand was clawing at the pajama as if it was restricting her lungs.

Kuroko slowly leaned forward and put her hands on Mikoto's exposed stomach. Mikoto winced at the sudden coldness, and tensed – Kuroko felt an explosion of excitement in the pit of her stomach. Slowly, she moved her fingers across Onee-sama's soft, yet alluringly tight stomach, speaking volumes of how effective Tokiwadai's gym lessons were – or perhaps how restless the older girl was. In any case, even if it wasn't visible to the naked eye, Kuroko could experience firsthand just how tantalizing and delicious her Onee-sama's fitness was. She let her hands move down towards Onee-sama's sides, and Mikoto's brow furrowed, her breath catching – Kuroko could feel the muscles beneath her fingers constrict, and the feeling reverberated up her arms and into her very core, setting her insides ablaze. It didn't make matters easier that she was sitting on Mikoto's thighs, thus sensing every move the other girl made, be it only a twitch or a pull.

"Ah, I – can't – breathe." Mikoto stuttered, her mind a complete swirl – Kuroko's fingers were tickling against her skin, and she couldn't seem to get a grasp on what to do with the air that entered her lungs.

"My, Onee-sama, just relax and let Kuroko handle the rest." Kuroko said smugly, letting her fingers glide over Onee-sama's stomach towards her chest. While she felt exceptionally bold right now, she wasn't quite ready to press her luck just yet, and flattened her hands just beneath Mikoto's hidden breasts – the one single button keeping the pajama in place over them. Mikoto's breath hitched again, and her hand clutched at the pajama in question like it was a lifeline. Her eyes were clenched shut, and she was fighting the unreal dizziness in her head – she felt like she could pass out any moment.

And still, she was not able to calm down and breathe. It was a horrible sensation, as if she was slowly suffocating. Kuroko observed her gasping for air and frowned. Sliding forward, she positioned herself atop the lower part of Onee-sama's abdomen, barely aware of the danger zone she was entering – right now she had no perverted thoughts in mind though; she was honestly worried. Sitting like this allowed her to reach even the top of Onee-sama's head if she wanted, and she put one hand on Mikoto's breast bone and tried to will some of her own calmness into the other girl.

"Onee-sama." She said gently. "Please concentrate on your breath."

Mikoto gasped shallowly, barely hearing Kuroko talk, but still feeling the warm hand on her chest. Not being able to breathe was scary in itself, but being alone as well made the feeling even more terrible. It felt somehow secure, knowing the other girl was there.

"Breathe." Kuroko said. She would not want Onee-sama to hyperventilate of all things – she did not know if she would be able to calm her down properly, and this special moment would be ruined if she had to call for the dorm mistress.

Mikoto drew a trembling breath that ended all too quickly, resulting in a new set of shallow gasps rapidly entering and leaving her mouth, yet not properly staying in her lungs. Her hand tightened its grip on her pajama, trembling from the stress. Kuroko grasped it gently with her other hand, thumb stroking over the tense knuckles.

"Slowly," she said, watching her pained face carefully, "breathe in through your nose, fill your stomach, and let it out through your mouth." It might feel constricting trying to breathe through your nose in such a state, but concentrating on the task would hopefully help the other girl calm down. Kuroko watched as Mikoto tried to follow her lead, drawing a shaky breath (through her mouth, yet that was still better than nothing), and letting it out in a somewhat controlled fashion. Her chest rose and fell with the motion. A couple more times, and the tremble in her body seemed to cease.

Her breath returning to a more normal state, the panic gripping at Mikoto's chest seemed to loosen up – the hand that had gripped her pajama so tightly finally eased up, before falling to rest at her side. She drew a deep breath, feeling relieved and tired.

Kuroko smiled, seeing the stress in Onee-sama's features soften – her eyes were still closed though, and she was pale, sweat running down her face. She moved her hand from Mikoto's chest to her forehead, touching it gently. It was burning hot and slick with sweat. But it was likely to pass, she was certain. This was her Onee-sama after all; the one and only Railgun. Having her knocked out for more than a day because of a mere cold was beyond ridiculous. In other words, she had to enjoy this while it lasted, and now that the other girl had calmed down and stopped panicking, she could go back to her original motive: Her one-of-a-kind exploration of Onee-sama's body, and her reactions to whatever Kuroko did.

Reaching forward with her other hand as well, she let them both slide over Onee-sama's temples and down the side of her head, before tracing the strands of hair behind her ears, and following them down on each side of her neck – she could sense a shudder travel through Mikoto's entire body at the movement, and smirked. She let her fingers glide down to the collar of the pajama, and then dragged them upwards again, gently stroking Mikoto's skin on the way, past her cheek bones and towards her ears – Mikoto reacted by stretching her neck somewhat, a weak sigh of a moan escaping her lips – and Kuroko's body was suddenly aflame. She gently caressed the skin behind Mikoto's ears, moving her fingers in slow, lazy circles, and just barely brushing by the tip of her earlobes. There was a strange heat building in the air between them; she could feel Onee-sama's body relaxing beneath her own – it was fascinating.

Kuroko carefully licked her lips and kept moving her fingers in circular motions, slowly moving from the back of Onee-sama's ears and towards her temples. Slowly, gently, caressing the skin with utter patience, looking at Onee-sama's closed eyes, her slightly parted lips, hearing her calm breath. It was hard to tell if she had fallen asleep or not – but there was one way to determine it for sure, was it not? She moved her fingers gingerly across Onee-sama's temples, leaving but a breath of a touch on the smooth skin; and just like she'd hoped, a small blue crackle suddenly escaped from Mikoto's fringe, dancing into the air before vanishing.

The excitement in her body was slowly growing. Like an adventurer heading into uncharted territory in search of unspoken riches, she felt bold and delighted. Trying to tempt those small charges of electricity to emerge; this became her objective. What would make Onee-sama react with this obvious sign of pleasure? Her scalp seems to be quite sensitive. Most espers were quite wary of their head, with the brain being the seat of their ability and thus easily vulnerable. However Kuroko had never heard about anyone unconsciously letting out traces of their power when touched in certain ways. Perhaps it is how only a level five would respond. Or perhaps Onee-sama was merely especially receptive – in any case, there was no doubt to Kuroko she could make those small zaps appear by other means.

She let her hands once more travel down the side of Mikoto's neck, and brushed her thumbs over her throat, leaving mere ghosts of a feeling – Mikoto's breath hitched slightly, and her eyes drowsily opened, in mere slits.

"Kuroko…" She muttered, nearly begging with her tone of voice. She was too lost in pleasure by the younger girl's gentle caresses to even consider what they were doing was not a normal past-time activity for the two of them. As long as those fingers moved across her skin, she felt like the world was grinding to a halt, and her body relaxed in a way she had never experienced before.

"Hush, Onee-sama," Kuroko whispered. "Just relax. Kuroko will take care of you."

Mikoto had nothing to say to that, and just gave a tired sigh before once again resting into the mattress and closing her eyes.

Kuroko leaned down, her lips hovering mere inches away from Onee-sama's, her heart beating painfully fast in her chest as her hot breath traced Onee-sama's slightly parted lips. No… kissing her might ruin it all. She planned to enjoy this as long as she could – being too obvious might cause Onee-sama to snap back into reality and realize what they were doing, and that would certainly be the end of it. So instead of kissing those teasing, inviting wonders, she sat up straight to better allow her hands to continue their quest.

So her scalp is an obvious pleasure zone… then how about this? She put her hands down and let them fan out to each side on Mikoto's stomach. Mikoto's breath hitched, and the skin beneath Kuroko's hands tightened instinctively – she really is ticklish, isn't she? Kuroko lightly traced her fingers across Onee-sama's stomach in waves, playfully circling her navel and feeling the tension beneath her fingers increase with each move. Boldly, she let her fingers trace a bigger area, over her midriff and down her sides – Mikoto gave an almost pained gasp and shrank away from the touch, and at once, another spark of electricity erupted from her bangs, as well as from the skin on her stomach. There was a troubled yet pleased expression on her face which made Kuroko's heart soar. Her head seemed to steer into a single-line file, as if trying to shut out everything else.

Running her fingers lightly across Onee-sama's stomach, she kept teasing the ticklish skin, compelling those hidden muscles beneath to tighten up, and Mikoto's breath soon became ragged again. Small blue charges erupted from the skin on her stomach, barely even visible to the naked eye, and then ran along with Kuroko's fingers and left a tingling sensation when they hit one of them – it was not enough to hurt though, and Kuroko was too busy exploring these new sensations to mind either way. Feeling Onee-sama being so restless under her, yet still obviously pleasured, made her own body tingle in an unfamiliar and delightful way, drowning everything else. Onee-sama's taut stomach and shallow gasps of breath was a great source of pleasure; experiencing the body beneath hers move and live and breathe, was amazing to say the least.

Kuroko leaned forward and let her hands glide up towards Onee-sama's breasts again, feeling the entire body beneath her shudder at the movement, the motion tickling against her thighs – and as her fingers dangerously neared that forbidden place inch by inch, it seemed like every single muscle in Onee-sama's body constricted, and more sparks left her bangs with a gasp of breath. Kuroko stopped, pausing with her hands just below her nipples. She really has no control over it, has she? If this continues… Excitement was climbing from her stomach up; she licked her lips again, as they had dried up.

Mikoto's head rolled to one side, her brow furrowing and sweat running down her face; she gasped in a mouthful of air, her hands curling around the sheet on the bed. Her entire body was hot and tense, and it felt like something was swirling around inside her head.

Kuroko boldly let her fingers advance, inch by inch, until they reached those subtle tips of Onee-sama's breasts, hidden beneath the pajama still – and as her fingers brushed past them, Mikoto gasped, her knees bent upwards, and there was a dangerous zap of electricity from her temples. Kuroko couldn't help but smirk widely; the unique experience of touching Onee-sama like this coupled with the obvious dangers of having uncontrolled electricity emitting from her, was enticing her to no ends. She massaged the small subtle breasts beneath her hands, reveling at the soft feeling.

"Kh – K-Kuroko…" Mikoto stuttered, her mind a mush of feelings and impressions, and small electric charges escaping her clutch without leave. She felt so heavy, yet light at the same time; she didn't want this to end yet it was terrifying how she seemed to have lost control over her own body. With feverish sweat running over her skin, hot breath escaping her lips and her muscles almost painfully tense, it felt like she was in the middle of an especially harsh work-out session. And Kuroko's weight on her lower abdomen was unsettling, yet left a tingling sensation in her entire body.

"Sssh," Kuroko whispered, gliding her fingers in circles over Onee-sama's breasts and enjoying how the other girl trembled and tensed simultaneously at her touch, lapping in the sight of that troubled expression and those blue charges restlessly leaving her bangs, the tickling feeling inside her own body growing slowly, out to her very fingertips, and leaking out like hot steam from within.

"It – hurts." Mikoto breathed, and then groaned as Kuroko's fingers stroked over her nipples again, yet another pulse of pleasure soaring through her being and manifesting itself in the form of a blue crackle from her temple. Her fingers were digging into the sheet below them, and when Kuroko next dragged her fingers across her skin toward her abdomen, her back arched, and another fierce electric charge left her bangs. I – can't – stop it. She gasped and gritted her teeth, not in anger, but because her entire body was so tense and sluggish and hot and cold – it was an effort to try and keep everything trapped inside, and the electricity was still emitting unrestrictedly from her temples. For every touch she trembled all over, and the tendons in her arms and legs would soon snap from the stress applied to them.

"Aah, Onee-sama, if this is your pain, I would love to see your pleasure…" Kuroko smirked, tracing the skin along the edge of the Gekota panties below her with her fingers, and her smirk grew even wider when another crackle of electricity suddenly erupted from the skin of Onee-sama's stomach. She is growing excited, no? She felt warm and restless, as if her body wanted her to squirm around. Yet she didn't move. She was still sitting in her position on top of Onee-sama's body, seeing, no, memorizing every single inch of the other girl, every drop of sweat, every twitch or pull of her body, every breath, every moving muscle, every last spark of electricity, be they too small to see for an untrained eye or the size of those she would let out when issuing a warning to whatever bad guy stood before her. She sat still observing all of this, feeling her aroused lust grow steadily more.

Are they still meant to warn me? She wondered, running her hands over Onee-sama's lower abdomen, feeling it tremble, and hearing Mikoto's breath hitch once more. Is this Onee-sama's way of alerting me to the dangers I'm facing as the Railgun's destined partner and love? Her insides were tossing around, coiling up like snakes as she dragged her hands upwards, her gut tightening in anticipation, or eager, or something more. Her fingers reached the stiff nipples on Onee-sama's developing breasts once more. The pajama was still covering them up; it was time to do something about that. She barely touched the fabric; it instantly disappeared, and Mikoto shuddered at the sudden coldness. Kuroko feasted on the sight of Onee-sama's naked upper body, sweaty and trembling from cold. Onee-sama… blinded with scorching love, she let her hands rest on either side of Mikoto's torso, and leaned down and let her tongue run over one of the nipples.

"Guah –!" The effect this simple gesture had on Onee-sama was amazing indeed. Her back arched, as if thrusting her chest towards Kuroko, and her face grimaced as if both pain and pleasure ran through her system at once – electricity spat forth from her skin, striking into the air and running along Kuroko's tongue, numbing it with a stab of pain. She pulled back slightly, feeling the heat explode in her own abdomen; despite the pain, or perhaps because of it, it was too enchanting to stop. Onee-sama was so sensitive to her light touches she hadn't been able to resist; she had expected a more prominent reaction to a more direct advance, and she hadn't been disappointed. If anything, the pain only nurtured her rousing feelings, tickling against the inside of her belly and chest with increasing vigor.

Mikoto was heaving for breath now, feeling absolutely horrible and yet so extremely good at the same time – disgusted at her lack of self-control yet enticed by Kuroko's advances that seemed to effectively paralyze her very brain. Her blood was rushing through her veins in a hundred kilometers per second, her heart beating against the ribs caging it in as if it would burst if slowed down even a fraction – she was exhilarated, and completely drugged on the feeling.

"Onee-sama, even when pleased you seek to punish me?" Kuroko uttered, the numbness in her tongue slowly going away. She was barely able to hold back long enough to talk with how much lust was surging through her veins. Despite the obvious risk of keeping this game up, she was far too lost in the thrilling sensation of having Onee-sama in this position to care. With mere touches, the third strongest level five was reduced to a trembling form before her eyes, and the satisfaction was manifesting itself in the form of her more and more bold advances. She was feeling superior in this position, more powerful than she'd ever experienced before. And it was incredibly satisfying.

Mikoto drew a shaky breath and gazed up at the longhaired girl above her. "Kuroko…" Her voice was but a mere whisper; the tremble in her body was slowly dying down now that the other's hands had left her skin; she felt like she could breathe once more.

Kuroko smirked. "Ah no, Onee-sama, we can't have you relax just yet." And she ran her hands over her stomach and chest in one smooth move – Mikoto groaned and arched into her touch, and more electricity crackled across her skin and bangs. The muscles that had just started to ease up tightened again, growing rigid under the teleporter's expert touch.

"Ah – it – tickles –" Mikoto gasped, clenching her hands on the bed sheet.

"If you're this ticklish, the only cure is to make you used to it, no?" Kuroko said, smiling smugly as her hands ran over Mikoto's soft breasts, compelling the older girl to groan again and more electric strikes to erupt from her forehead, then glided upwards past her collar bone, to her shoulders, and down her slender arms, feeling the incredible firmness of her slim biceps and the high-strung tendons in her elbow pits.

Mikoto gasped for breath as the sensations bombarded her brain – she felt cold on the places Kuroko's hands touched and left behind, and wanted to have them everywhere at once.

Kuroko's insides were tickling in an almost bothersome manner now; at the same time, she felt extremely pleased. Mikoto was gritting her teeth, her entire body shivering with the effort of withstanding the torturous touches. Her mind was swirling, sweat drops running down her face as pearls. It felt like her veins would explode from the pressure within, possibly due to the millions of volts currently rampaging through them, and the tension was building from her abdomen into her chest, and further up to her throat and head.

Kuroko's fingers dragged themselves down the side of Onee-sama's chest, while she saw and felt her every move against her touch – electric currents ran with her fingers like ripples in the water following a dripping oar, small zaps and buzzes mixing themselves with the sounds of Onee-sama's shallow gasps, clawing at Kuroko's fingers, leaving sensations of static that travelled right up into her head and made the younger girl involuntarily shudder in delight.

"Can you not control your ability, Onee-sama?" She asked sensually, dragging her fingers along the side of her stomach and finally along the lining of Mikoto's panties and just barely tickling the skin underneath. Mikoto's abdomen constricted at the touch, and the older girl breathed shallowly, electric charges leaping from her bangs.

"I – can't –" she gasped, tensing again when Kuroko's hands gently laid themselves to rest just above her private zone. The heat was gathering in Mikoto's head, fighting off the paleness of the fever and sending her thoughts into disarray. Her skin was slick with sweat, and her limbs trembling from cold and tension both. Still she was desperately trying to control the chaos in her mind.

Kuroko felt wonderfully wet all over; despite being fully dressed, she could feel her own body growing more and more excited. Still she was completely calm and levelheaded in her actions.

"Aaah, well I wonder… will you be able to control it at all if I…" She let the words hang in the air suggestively, moved herself backwards to sit near Onee-sama's knees, and curled her fingers around the edge of her frog panties. Mikoto's breath hitched, and the electric currents emitting from her bangs intensified, which in turn made the excitement that had been growing inside Kuroko all this time soar. Her heart beat harshly, pouring blood into her veins with exhilarating speed; her abdomen tensed up until it hurt, trying to contain the oncoming heat waves of ecstasy, yet only succeeding in making it grow even more.

"K-Kuroko… don't…" Mikoto's hands rose to grab the wrists of her roommate, and Kuroko looked up at her feverish eyes, completely doused with unspeakable feelings. The feeling of danger and power was seeping into her body, making her feel like she was growing, somehow. Who would think my touch alone could transform Onee-sama into this? She was feeling incredibly powerful with the level five under her like this, the wonderful feeling of arousal seeping into her from her secret place. Her hands were shaking, the hot palms of Onee-sama grasping at her wrists, a feeling of static running between them from the touch. Her chest was filling with a euphoric feeling; she felt strength soar through her veins, as if this unreal event was empowering her very core, her mind turning hazy. She was breathing shallowly, and the room was too hot; she was sweating, and her shirt was completely sticking to her body.

She slowly leaned down with her face poised above Onee-sama's stomach; regally, tenderly, she let her lips brush over the hot, wet skin of her roommate, and felt her shiver from the touch. A small electric charge struck out and hit her lips; the pain was like a match to the fuel in her mind. Overwhelming power swelled inside her, filling her stomach, her lungs, her arms, legs and head with unlimited heatwaves. She let her lips wander downwards, felt Onee-sama's legs tense up beneath her, felt her abdomen grow even harder, heard her breath hitch. Kuroko's hands were pulling the childish garment down, her mouth following closely inch by inch. She was still growing, the power boiling in her blood filling her mind with euphoria, and her entire body tightening with anticipation, her private zone wetting up with each passing second. Will I be punished? Most likely, yes, however right now her power level was so high she could probably teleport away the entire world if she wanted.

Mikoto's hands couldn't possibly hold on any longer; she let go off Kuroko to grasp at the bed sheet again, grimacing as wave after wave of pleasure soared into her head as Kuroko's tongue playfully tasted the surface of her private area. The panties were completely off now, and long gone. Kuroko's tongue was touching her sensitive skin directly, and the sensation was completely unreal.

"Kh –" Mikoto was unable to say anything else through her gritted teeth. The sound was like a gon-gon announcing the final round in a wrestling match, and absolute strength enveloped Kuroko's entire being, blinding her to anything but this very moment. She nimbly let her tongue taste a tender spot beneath Onee-sama's wet lips, and Mikoto's entire body arched. "Aah –" Electricity snaked from her head, and her hands grasped desperately at the bed sheet, like it was the only thing keeping her from drowning. "K-Kuroko, I can't…"

Kuroko was barely listening, busily exploring that new plot of land that seemed to shoot Onee-sama's pleasure levels skywards… slowly at first… tantalizingly softly… Her strength was rapidly escalating with each gasp from the older girl, forcing her lean muscles to constrict and tighten, and elation was growing in her abdomen until she could barely contain it. She was shivering with the strain of keeping it in check, yet it was impossible, and her hips were dancing back and forth in slow motion.

Mikoto's breath grew more and more rigid as the torture from Kuroko's tongue continued; it felt like the limits of her brain had been removed, allowing her ability to run rampant within the confines of her head. Her entire body was emitting electric charges; she was terrified, yet longed for it, as if she knew by instinct that whatever was going to happen would be exceptionally blissful. "S-stop…"

Despite the electricity striking at her, or perhaps because of it, Kuroko's body continued to heat up, her power continued to grow, her lower abdomen and stomach continued to tighten until it felt like her ribs might tear open the skin of her chest – her forehead was slick with sweat, her hair sticking to her scalp, and the incredible feeling of blissful euphoria and overwhelming might was filling every limb of her body, making her tense muscles grow even tenser. Her brain might explode any moment from the surge of feelings gathering there – her heart was one step ahead though, drumming against her ribcage with the speed of the flapping wings of a hummingbird. She could sense how Onee-sama's pleasure level soared more and more, and upped the speed and pressure of her tongue in accordance.

Electric charges were lashing out from Mikoto's shivering body, completely uncontrolled – tearing at Kuroko's shirt, whizzing past her pigtails, striking at her knees and elbows and leaving painful burns on her skin – but Kuroko could not feel pain, as the expanding strength and the increasing tension of her body were numbing her other senses. The electricity only fuelled her rising power, and blinded her to anything else. The heat of her arousal was growing at exhilarating speed; it was too much for her to bear. It tickled against the insides of her abdomen, made her tense body feel like it was bombarded by blunt needles, and Onee-sama's most sacred place was right underneath her tongue, growing wetter and wetter as she worked with that delicious spot.

Saliva was gathering in her mouth, but despite being so powerful, she had no strength to swallow. It was too intense; she was trembling all over, and the might inside her nerves was pouring out of her in waves despite her effort to keep it in.

"Ah – ah –" Mikoto was trying to fight the onslaught of pleasure with all her might, but had no means to conquer it; her mind was completely drowned in euphoria, her entire world was growing white with hotness. Kuroko's tongue worked faster, harder, and Mikoto's body was shivering uncontrollably; "Kha – Kh – Kuro–"

Hearing her name uttered in such a way, Kuroko's insides only coiled up even more, and her tongue worked even faster. She was completely wet, and she could feel Onee-sama reaching her limit, as if the taste on her tongue could tell her, the feeling of her electric charges warn her. She pressed on, working her tongue in ways she'd only ever dreamt of, feeling the pain from Onee-sama's electricity grow in accordance to her increasing wetness. Come, Onee-sama, she thought dazedly.

Mikoto threw her head backwards, grimacing and trembling simultaneously; she couldn't see or think, so many things taking up space in her head it might blow open any moment. Kuroko's tongue kept torturing her, and she could feel the climax approaching at neck-breaking speed; liquid fire erupted in her head. "Aah—!" She couldn't control her body anymore and her hips strained themselves, shivering with pleasure. Kuroko increased the pressure even more. "Kuroko—!" She could hardly gasp out the warning; it was so good, and Kuroko still kept up, not minding the dangerous flashes of lightning in the slightest. Mikoto desperately gulped down air between gasps as her sight turned white with searing heat, her back arching as the pleasure skyrocketed into her mind, and yet the feeling of Kuroko's tongue did not stop – "Gh—!"

In one hot, blinding moment, all the feelings inside her blew up like a hand grenade: Her entire body trembled as a wave of ecstasy clouded her mind and shot out in all directions, seamlessly transforming into electricity that struck out around her, hitting the bed, the ceiling, and walls – Kuroko felt the wet coming of Onee-sama against her tongue like the sweet dessert after a delicious main course, and all the collecting and growing feelings inside her surged in a myriad of chaos, sending a euphoric feeling through her entire body and releasing all the assimilating power in a single, mind-blowing burst – before she was struck too.

The painful shock of electricity tore through her being, jolting all senses awake and harshly pulling her back into reality. While the previous pain had only served to further elate her bliss, this one was too intense to be considered loving.

Mikoto couldn't do anything to stop it; her ability had completely hijacked her mind and turned her feverish confusion into dangerous lust – and in her release, everything came at once. She could do nothing but let it out, and only when her body and mind felt like it was completely empty, did the electricity stop rampaging.

Gasping for breath, she lay staring at the scorched ceiling, her chest heaving, burning sensations lingering on her skin still. Her body felt completely numb and mushy. She gritted her teeth and sat up in the bed with shaking movements, feeling the cold air tickle against her naked body, and seeing Kuroko covering at the foot of her bed, several scorched gashes on her clothes and skin.

Mikoto's breath hitched; her mind was starting to swirl again, but she refused to let herself fall victim to the sickness again just yet.

"Kuroko?" She was just a tiny bit worried; however, that idiot had an amazing constitution and would most likely not be badly hindered because of this.

Kuroko timidly looked up at her, feeling like she'd just dropped a hairdryer into the bathtub. Her body was still weak and jelly-like too, the after-effects of their thrilling adventure still lingering in her limbs.

"O-Onee-sama… you really… can't control it, can you…"

Mikoto gritted her teeth; her face was completely red. "Of course not! I told you to stop, didn't I? You moron!" Her protest came off as slightly weaker than usual, though whether it was because of her lacking strength or if it was actually not that heartfully meant, was hard to tell.

"Aaah…" Kuroko forced out a trembling smile. "In that case, we'll just have to keep doing this until you can, no…?"

End note:

Well, it's light - depending on what you consider heavy - and perhaps a bit slow at times (though I may be biased after re-reading it a thousand times), but I already have to picture them as slightly older to justify it in my mind, and going further right now feels awkward (they're 13 and 14 years old. Did that make you feel bad? Yeah, now you kind of know how I feel). I wonder if Kuroko may seem OOC, but there is no canon source material on this (surprise?) and I find it much more pleasant to present their potential relationship in a more humane manner than any of those scary doujins out there.

Really. Those are creepy.

Aside from that, this is the first time I've ever tried writing something like this. It certainly is… different. I consider the first half of the, err, story, to be slightly experimental, while the latter part is just blrrrfflkdfklsddsss. And this time my obvious lack of an extensive English vocabulary really hurt. Ouch. Hopefully you were still able to enjoy it though. In… whatever way you enjoy this kind of thing… *creepy Kuroko smirk*

Oh, and *cough* depending on the feedback on this one I might have... *shifty eyes* a sequel…

(And for the reference, I am working on a couple of stories that are not this kind. Really, I wonder where the heck this came from.)