Frisky Growth

Story by Amethyst Mare on SoFurry

, , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

A pair of dragoness anthros meet up after some time apart, one unable to keep their hands off the other, groping and enjoying her body while things heat up between them...


This story has been available for early reading one to two months ago on SubscribeStar and Patreon (SubscribeStar contains extreme content while Patreon does not)! Please check the tiers on the following links if you would like to support!

Patreon (no extreme content): https://www.patreon.com/arianmabe

SubscribeStar (includes extreme content): https://subscribestar.adult/arian-mabe

My erotic eBooks are available on Kindle, Smashwords and Commiss.io worldwide also!

Kindle (Alis Mitsy):https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07GLWQZFP

Smashwords:https://www.smashwords.com/profile/view/ArianMabe

Commiss.io:https://commiss.io/amethystmare

As always, I am open for commissions starting at 30 GBP per 1,000 words - please e-mail arianmabe[at]gmail.com for more information or see my profile!

Story © Amethyst Mare / Arian Mabe

Characters © respective owners


Frisky Growth

Written by Arian Mabe (Amethyst Mare)

Commissioned by Geordie79

"Oh... Wow..."

Kalleis took a step back on the train station platform, eyes wide, though the dragoness was not exactly of a diminutive stature herself. There were few that she felt at all intimidated by, standing tall at six foot two inches, height being something that she measured and kept track of. But her friend, who she had not seen in a few months, despite corresponding by letter (for the history of it) and speaking through small magical portals. In modern times, communication was not an issue for the number of means there were to get in touch with others, magic and, quite often too, magic-infused technology at their disposal.

Yet transport could be more comfortable when magic was not utilised, which was why Dianah had chosen to take the train back to their hometown on the coast, blue water lapping at a white shoreline. Tiny rocks had broken down into fragments of sand that, while not perfectly white with black and grey and shaded chips broken through it, gave the impression that it was an angelic white, something that could not be replicated in any other land. Olive groves were plentiful further inland, the warm air of the Mediterranean climate softening around both Kalleis and Dianah.

Though the grey dragoness was lightly clothed in a long, flowing dress that came down to her ankles, the blue fabric rippling in the breeze. Kalleis' soft markings came in varying shades of grey, even a touch of brown, though were hidden by the dress fluttering at her legs as they curved around her waist, where they added to the shape of her body. The softer grey running down from under her chin, down the entire front of her body, however, could be seen at the neck of her dress where it came up around her neck, to keep everything in place.

Where Kalleis was comfortable with her size, it could not be more obvious that Dianah was very uncomfortable with her height, shifting her weight from foot to foot in her sandals, the straps of which came up around her ankles. The white-bodied dragoness with a long, flowing mane of blue hair that constantly seemed to ripple and move grumbled as she ducked to squeeze through the train doors. Whereas nothing had changed about the train that had been running for many years on the same track, taking people around the country and beyond, further onto the continent, Dianah had changed. Even the tastefully placed and decorated waste receptacles at the train station looked small next to her, no longer coming up to her waist as they would have before but her thighs. Such a small thing was impossible to miss after such time.

"Dianah..." Kalleis laughed softly, offering her a hand as the taller, bigger dragoness wedged herself out awkwardly, which was not befitting of her and her power at all. "What happened to you? Have you been training? That's incredible!"

She openly admired her friend, even if the growth in her power had shown through very clearly in bodily growth too. Where the dragoness had been a little taller than her before, she had to be over seven feet tall by that stage, struggling to understand where her body was at any one time. That was one of the many problems with her body growing, even if it reflected a change in her power, the magic inside her, what she trained and practised every single day.

For the magic, of course, had to have somewhere to reside, even if it was inside the body of a dragon who did not yet know how she could hold it...

"Speak for yourself," Dianah grumbled, wincing as she bumped her shoulder on the side of the train's door. "You didn't have to sit in two seats and pay for them too... That was so embarrassing."

And she genuinely meant it too, even as Kalleis chuckled and took her hands in hers, drawing her to the side of the platform, under the awning that was there more to shelter them from the strong sunshine. Most stayed out of the direct heat in the middle of the day, but she could not help that that had been when the train had been due to come in.

"Aw, come on, Dianah, it couldn't be that bad. That's amazing!"

It had been too long since they had been together and Dianah forgot her worries as they embraced strongly, though they did have to consider where Kalleis' head was, considering the difference in their heights. It was not too bad, but it was enough to give them pause, Kalleis giggling and brushing her fingers back through her hair.

"Yeah... I'll try to be modest with you, Dianah, don't worry!"

But perhaps Dianah did have something to worry about, after all, for Kalleis kept her eyes on the taller, stronger dragoness even while they were walking along the promenade, some of the beachy shops for tourists a little on the busy side, though it was nearing the end of the season. Once youngsters were back in full schooling at the end of summer, there were fewer families there and more couples, more enjoying the country and the coast quietly, laughter on the air.

Some held hands and she wondered, briefly, if she should with Dianah. They weren't lovers and never had been, but there was something else between them. Something linked to their magical abilities, what they had practised together and trained in for so many years before.

Dianah knew it...but Kalleis had never been so open with it. The taller dragoness had a little rounded touch to her stature, as if she was trying to curl into herself a little more, and her smile was a little more on the shy side, but Kalleis was not worried about that. She'd help Dianah feel a little more herself again, straightening her shoulders, walking tall and proud with the swing of her tail behind her drawing her eye lustfully. The dragoness was so tall, perhaps around six and a half feet? Why was it hard to judge that, she was terrible at sizes, though she was certainly bigger than expected... But she wondered if she would even be able to use the benches at any of their old stomping grounds for fear of cracking the wood with her power.

"How about we go to a café?" Kalleis suggested, if only to distract herself, for it was difficult to walk and talk at the same time when her eyes wandered so much, swallowing a flutter of pleasurable nerves. "We can sit and have a cool drink for the moment?"

Dianah smiled.

"That sounds like a lovely idea."

And that was all some meetings and "coming togethers" had to be, nothing grand coming to pass while they found somewhere to sit and caught up. The chair that had been pushed in for Dianah, however, was not as large as it could have been, her buttocks pushing out over either side of the chair, firm with muscle. Swearing a khaki shirt that was tied in front of her belly, a strip of skin between it and her long shorts was exposed, the dragoness exposed through her growth while she tried to hide the rest of her body. At her height, it was a failed effort.

"Are you okay there, Dianah?" Kalleis murmured, leaning forward over the table so that she did not have to raise her voice too much, as if she was concerned. "Should I ask them for another chair?"

The dragoness grunted and shook her head, though there was the heat of a blush in her cheeks.

"No... No... No, I'll make it work, it's fine..." Dianah squirmed, trying to wriggle into place, as if that would make her size squeeze into place. "Ugh, if only I hadn't hit seven foot, maybe things would have been...hm... I'll fit..."

But it was not fine, not as the chair creaked under her greater weight - a weight that Dianah could not help but hold at her greater height. There was more bone density there, more muscle, even more fat, sinew and fascia to hold in mind, though she didn't want to think about it too much.

Dianah groaned, though it did not cover up the creaking and shaking of the wooden chair under her, the little padding of the seat squashed completely flat under her weight. Why couldn't she grow in power without growing in size? With so many advancements in technology and magic, she should have been more than well enough able to do both, avoiding bodily growth. The embarrassing thing about growing - or one of many things - was that her chest had grown too, swelling out before her and straining the buttons on the front of her shirt.

Only a little, really. But it was enough for Dianah to know that she would have to, yet again, buy a set of new shirts. Perhaps she should swap to dresses like Kalleis seemed to prefer, for they might last longer with her growth, allowing her to not have to buy new clothes so often. They might not end up very modest, however, if the rise of her breasts altered the fit of it beyond what the dress was meant to cover.

But there was a severe problem with the chair and it was only the dragoness who caught herself just in time by standing that prevented her from tumbling to the floor in an ungainly heap. Their drinks might have been delivered, but Dianah busied herself clumsily with trying to make sure everything was settled, hands fluttering anxiously around them.

"Oh, dear... I'm sorry, Kalleis..."

"Oh!"

The chair shuddered as if it had been holding on to only a flutter of life, folding to the ground in a crumpled heap. It was only one leg that had snapped, but it was enough, worked free from the constant shifting of the dragoness trying to get comfortable.

"I'll get someone!" Kalleis said, trying her best to make her friend feel at ease, despite the flicker of a smile pulling more and more at her lips. "Hang on, don't worry about it - this is just something we have to deal with, hm?"

And that was true. Not everyone in the world, whether they were wolves or donkeys or birds or any other kind of anthro that was commonplace or rare, had to deal with the growth of magic flowing through them, only those that practised it. Everyone could use magic to varying degrees, though one thing that Kalleis had never denied to herself was how erotic she found the growth effect of using one's powers...especially when it came to Dianah.

Maybe she should have been open about it. Or maybe things were as they were meant to be already, her breath hitching a little, coming slightly more quickly in her chest. Kalleis didn't need to catch her breath, but she still wanted to be a good friend and a good host to Dianah, who needed a bit more help at the moment, considering everything. Her eyes, however, were apt to wander, stroking down the dragoness' strong shoulders to her wider, fuller bosom, how her breasts rounded out the front of her shirt beautifully. It was not that Dianah was, per se, demure, but it simply was not a look that the dragon would have chosen for herself, not in any way.

"There's a new clothes shop a little further into town now," Kalleis said helpfully, though what she was thinking of was getting Dianah out of her clothes. "We could stop by there - I could use some jeans for when the weather gets colder. It won't be long before the weather will shift and the rain will come in."

Dianah smiled a bit weakly, though she had to lean down to speak to Kalleis, being so tall. That was one more thing she disliked, being so much taller than others that so much of what others said went under her radar, slipping away without her even realising. She wanted to be engaged with others, but she, quite rightly, felt as if everyone was staring at her, that there were so many eyes on her that she didn't know where to turn.

Her friend was there though, gently and kindly distracting her while the sweet staff members discreetly brought over a couple of chairs for her. That was embarrassing, to need two normal chairs instead of one, but Dianah supposed that it was something that she would have to get used to. She sat carefully, considering the shopping trip. It was something that she wouldn't have been all that interested in before, but it was a thing with growing so much that she had to make sure her wardrobe was updated.

Kalleis was so sweet to make sure she had the chance to, even while she was home and between work sessions. Her heart warmed, but the dragoness did not understand what lay in the green eyes of her friend, her own eyes tracing a path along Kalleis' curved horns.

They drank softly, quietly, laughter easing the tension between them, though there was something more as Kalleis grew bold enough to touch her friend. Just on the arm, the hand, even a shoulder, a bump of her hip when, eventually, they rose and made their way out of the café, ease between them. Her thicker, longer tail swung awkwardly, catching and scraping a chair across the hard floor, though Kalleis only giggled while her friend scuttled ahead, hoping that no one had seen.

"Oh, you don't have to worry about it so much, Dianah," she tried to reassure her friend, brushing her tail against Dianah's without thinking about it. "Everyone knows what happens when power has to grow like yours has - we learned about it in school, remember? No one's going to think anything strange, it's just something we have to deal with."

Dianah smiled, a little of the tension slipping from her shoulders, where they had been rounded and hunched.

"You always know what to say, Kalleis, I really have missed you."

Kalleis blushed a little, though it was not from embarrassment. Why had that compliment felt so good? Oh, but she had missed Dianah too, even if she let her tail curl closer and closer to Dianah's, more often in contact with hers than it was not. It was closer than they ever had been and the little shiver Dianah gave had Kalleis purred softly, her throat trembling.

Clothes shopping... Oh, she wished she was in the same cubicle as Dianah to change, but that was not what they did. Close enough, but not so close that they could share a cubicle. As she changed, Dianah's tail bumped the curtain, half-swishing it open as she muttered a curse and yanked it closed, heart pounding.

Everything was more difficult with even a little more height, but it would be fine, it all would be fine, she told herself. Kalleis wasn't bothered by it, so it was not something that she had to worry about either.

Something was lingering in the air between them, the crackling tension that she had picked up on in the café. She didn't know what name she could put to it, but it did not feel like a bad thing at all, just a thing. She could deal with things, which was something at least.

Still, it made her smile and it made her tingle in a weird way, a way that sent twists into the pit of her stomach. It was better, anyway, than being out in public and wondering whether everyone was looking at her or not, whether she was doing something she shouldn't be doing or moving awkwardly with her greater height.

Dianah would get used to it all in time, but that was all she needed: time. Not everything could be done instantly.

She came out with a new shirt that, thankfully, covered her breasts with a little more modesty, a scoop neck that brushed her collarbone only so that the attention was not drawn entirely to her chest. It had short sleeves and no buttons, a T-shirt that looked right at home on her, though the loose, linen trousers on her bottom half could not help but frame the muscle of her backside. She turned and posed, eyeing up her reflection in the mirror, though even that felt claustrophobic, as if the walls there were closing in around her.

"Kalleis?" She called, stepping out with a rattle of curtain hooks on the rail. "Are you ready?"

She stood tall, a little foolish, as Kalleis stepped up, her expression changing. Her clothes hardly looked any different at all (well, it was still a dress, just something lighter and floatier around her thighs, much shorter than the other), but she froze on seeing Dianah.

The taller dragoness swallowed and tried to smile, holding her hands out to either side of her body.

"Does this look okay?" Dianah said with a grimace, her lips twisting. "I don't know... It seems a bit much to me, really..."

Kalleis couldn't help herself. Stretching up onto her toes, even with her sandals on, she pressed her body up against Dianah's, teasing her, though the closeness and the pressure was everything she craved. Dianah's eyes widened, but her hands only came up to hold Kalleis and to keep her in place, not to push her away.

That told Kalleis everything she needed to know.

"I think it looks amazing..." Kalleis breathed. "You look amazing... Like this. As you were before. Really, really...amazing."

Some things did not need to be said aloud, as poignant as they were. It was not a turning point in the relationship, but it was something indeed that would linger as Kalleis could not resist running her hands down her friend's body. It was not something that she ever would have had the boldness to do before, but that did not matter, not then, not after everything they had been through together.

Maybe it was time for some new experiences... Not quite friends with benefits, but following that crackling, leaping spark of sexual tension to see what lay at the end of it.

Just a grope, just a tease... Kalleis did not want to change the fact that she was attracted, in some way, to the bigger dragoness, but she had to press up close, even as Dianah's chest warmed.

Yet that was in more ways than one as her breasts grew, to a paired gasp, swelling out, filling out the space in her shirt, the front straining all over again. Dianah squawked, ducking back, blue hair floating around her, wild and untamed, though it was such a change from her usually so presentable self that Kalleis could not help but laugh. The dragoness' head was almost at the height of the cubicle walls, so high that she could very nearly peer over into the next one - if she'd been so inclined, of course.

"Dianah - hang on! I'm sorry, let me - let me help you!"

But it was not a moment where she could even be much help, following Dianah back into her changing room, her tail sticking out from the curtain. The dragoness panted softly, helplessness in her eyes, though she was not averse to her friend following her inside, which only confused her more. She knew that magic could do strange things to a creature's body, but was it so wrong to want to arch into those touches? Some sly part of Dianah tempted at the thought of seeing how far her powers could be pushed, how big she could become, though that was not something she had ventured into yet.

"You need to relax, Dianah," Kalleis purred playfully, pressing her back as her chest swelled, the more powerful of the two whimpering as she grew, the seams straining, pulling under her armpits while the clothes tried, desperately, to contain her. "There's nothing you need to worry about..."

She was bold, oh - she had to be bold. Kalleis had learned nothing else as she adoringly ran her hands down her friend's body, relishing in the tiny moan Dianah gave, how the dragoness smiled shyly, as fleeting as it was. She loved those smiles, the larger muzzle they were painted over with the delicacy of an artist's brush, how much stronger she was, her muscles larger, firmer, still holding her goddess-like, feminine shape. Even her hips were wider, the dragoness gasping as she rumbled inside, as if something was churning in the pit of her stomach.

Oh! Oh, it was happening again - but for Kalleis? Kalleis pressed in close, nuzzling at her breasts, which were a lot easier for her to reach as Dianah filled out her clothes even more, her new trousers pulling around her thighs, hips widening. If the cubicle had been small before, it was downright tiny as she pressed her hand up against the mirror - not that it had been any use to her anyway.

Her head swirled, body aching, pushing up to Kalleis, though her mind was right there with her body, urging her on. The power thrummed warmly through her, showing her that something was aching inside her, deeper down, something that she had been hiding when she'd been practising, the energy that tingled, that tempted her to try something new.

And Kalleis was right there before her, offering it to her, all with a grin on her face, hands on her hips, up to her waist, even brushing tenderly over her breasts, purring her appreciation for her strengthening, growing body.

Lovers? No... No, that would not have suited them. Admiration for power, enjoying the crackling tension that could spark into at least something a little more between them? Well, that was something she could go for...

It was still Kalleis who had to lead her home and out of the shop, having bought a new top that covered her breasts with long, flowing fabric, but with her chest growing like that, it was hard for her to appear modest at all, even when she was fully covered with clothes. It didn't help that Kalleis pressed in closer and closer to Dianah, intertwining their tails as they walked, letting her hips bump

"Dianah, you should be so proud of your power," Kalleis breathed, sliding her hand around to the dragoness' opposite hip, so close that they touched one another with every stride. "It's... Wow... Dianah, don't hide away."

But Dianah only had a blush on her cheeks, wondering what the hell she was doing as Kalleis stole another grope of her chest, biting her lip, the smaller dragoness' eyes dancing cheekily. Oh, she knew exactly what she was doing, but bringing Dianah to such fervour and crescendo of need was not something that could be simmered down again so quickly.

She had to get Dianah back to hers, stumbling in through the door. They half-pushed others off the pavement to get through, Dianah shuddering, laughing shakily, though the excitement of it all was intoxicating too.

"Do you know how hot you are like this? Always were..." Kalleis breathed heavily, pushing her back in through the door, head ducked down to avoid the frame. "Jeez... Let's... Come on!"

She had to get up the stairs first though, Dianah grumbling a little as she had to go up the stairs sideways, half-tripping over herself. She didn't know how to move, how much bigger she was, panting, heaving, snatching at breaths that she needed for her strained lungs. But her shirt strained more and more, her breasts rising - not to hyper proportions as she had feared, but enough that she felt the pull of her back muscles, her body forced to accommodate. She had to be past seven and a half feet by that time, blushing heavily, feeling like a giant in her own skin. But maybe it was "right" too?

Yet it was all worth it as they tumbled back down onto Kalleis' bed together, a tangle of limbs, Dianah groaning as she arched her back. She barely even took in the mess of Kalleis' bedroom as she rolled in the sheets together, kicking off the pile of clothes that had been there.

That could be worried about later, though there was nothing truly to worry about as Kalleis got to have her way with her, hands all over her body, stroking and teasing, finding every last little part of her that she wanted to please, to adore. Dianah would not have said, before, that she was passive, but it was nice to be adored too, even as Kalleis wriggled out of her clothes. The heat in there was still too much for comfort, but Dianah had no idea how she could get out of her clothes, the bed creaking under her threatening to break.

"Ah - Kalleis, I'm too heavy!"

"No, you're not," Kalleis murmured, eyes smouldering. "You're gorgeous."

Perfect, so perfect - and what could be more perfect than two dragonesses coming together in a kind of lust? It may not have been the typical lust that may have been found in a bar or down on the beach, two partners finding one another, whether for a fling or a long-term thing, but it was theirs and it was what two friends could enjoy. No one could understand how hot it was to have that power, that growth, even the little difficulties that Dianah faced. Maybe Kalleis would have thought otherwise if it was her unable to ride a bike easily, bending the frame, twisting a metal bench out of shape, even perhaps standing up in the deep end of the pool, if they were to go down together. Where Dianah had been embarrassed, Kalleis knew her friend would come into herself, all in time.

And it was partly down to her to show it through her enjoyment of her, her friskiness met willingly, though Kalleis doubted Dianah had been expecting it at all. That was all by the by as she slid her hand between Dianah's thighs, rubbing her sex lightly through her clothes, panting softly, shifting her weight.

"Oh... Oh my..."

"Enjoy it... I want to see how big you can get, Dianah," she whispered with a flushed face, leaning in close. "You're so powerful, so strong... Look at you... Oh, you make me want to see more!"

They both did, wanting to see more, a moment that was theirs alone to bear, the flush of warmth seeping through Dianah from her friend's touch. She was not just a friend to her but something more, not a lover - oh, it was all so confusing! Neither was it something that they had to worry about as Kalleis' nipples teasingly firmed up from sexual pleasure, the sheer arousal of pushing her body up against Dianah's again and again.

The white of her scales was divine, but she had to strip her clothes off, tearing them down the seams where her body had grown too large for them. The dragoness was perhaps a foot and a half taller than she had been when they had first gone into the clothes shop, but she had a funny feeling in her gut that there was more to come. Kalleis growled, sliding her hands over her friend's glowing, white scales, those touches of blue, her whole body on fire with arousal and her power. For she could not be forgotten as she grew too, her body infused with magic, her training not as great as Dianah's but still significant.

The swell was present in her naked state, panting, enjoying it, though she did not grow to such a point that she by any means caught up with Dianah. She was never meant to and she was okay with that, rolling her hips, grinding her sex down against Dianah's with raw passion, needing it in the frenzied heat of the moment. Even her horns ached as she grew, everything in proportion, feeling as if she was filling out the scope of her own body, though it was an increase overall.

Not as much as Dianah...but very hot all the same, fuelling her need, burning up from the inside out. God, she was going to cum so hard... Too quickly!

With both nude, Dianah could better take in Kalleis' body, but it was not as if there was much time, the sexual tension between them closing in like a vice. Kalleis was everywhere, kissing and moaning, nuzzling into her breasts, but it was how her hands roamed that had Dianah hotter and more bothered than ever.

She ground back up against Kalleis with a feral growl, enjoying herself a little more. Although it was the focus, it was one of the first times that she didn't feel self-conscious about her size, how she had grown. And if it could elicit a reaction like the one from Kalleis, maybe it wasn't such a bad thing after all.

She grunted, pawing at Kalleis, though the dragoness was on top of her, laying over her form. They should have paid more attention to the creaking bed as, finally, Dianah's body rumbled with change, swelling, shifting, growing larger overall. Her breasts had settled once her clothes had been removed, leaving her free to adjust her size by another foot - no, another foot and a half. It was hard to say how tall she was, but she had gone past nine feet tall, head swimming, panting lightly.

Yes... Three feet taller than Kalleis and feeling it too, as she cradled the dragoness on top of her, trying to get her hand down to Kalleis' backside, though the smaller dragoness was a force of nature herself. What Kalleis wanted she got - and there was no question about that.

Yet their groping hands found one another as if they were meant to be, Kalleis resting on top, murmuring, enjoying the moment, though Dianah had to twist to get her hand down between Kalleis' legs. The size difference might only have been a little, but it was notable when it came to things like that, panting out one another's names. Fingers slopped into Dianah's sex as she pushed her head back into the pillows, losing everything in the moment of orgasm.

She tried to howl, but the creak and crash of the bed frame finally giving up under their combined weights drowned it out, though that did not stop Kalleis' fingers from driving fervently, filling the larger dragoness repeatedly. Dianah cried out, her growth settling at ten feet, though only Kalleis was there to bear witness to the growth in her majesty. Her thumb grazed Dianah's clit with every stroke and there was no holding back as she too hit her high, the electric tingle of her nipples brushing Dianah's chest too much to bear. Even with their height difference, Dianah's breasts were too large to be ignored, Kalleis rolling her own chest up against them, all for a notch more pleasure.

Ripples of orgasm, however, were there to be ridden out, there to be enjoyed, murmuring her pleasure, her admiration for Dianah's body. She even changed that the dragon spared a few words as to her growth too, the power that was inside her, sending her flush warm and through with desire. Dianah was far too large for the bed, hanging off it at her greater size, dwarfing it entirely as if it had been a bed made for someone much younger than the two of them.

Yet it was worth it, all so very much, languishing so that they could best enjoy every little bit of it, from the warmth of one another's scales to the push of another powerful body. They could not have that from any other, not in the same way, Kalleis' fingers dripping with Dianah's juices even as she groped her backside, squeezing lightly, relishing in how much larger and firmer it was. Some changes, after all, were not solely due to power, but the dragoness' physical work too.

She loved that. She didn't love the dragoness, but it was hard to see such adoration wound with admiration coming forth in any other way as Dianah shuddered and panted in the afterglow.

As they came down from their highs, there would be much more conversation to be had, times changing, but they would remain friends through it all, the only two that understood, intimately, what to grow with power meant. It was far more than anyone who didn't wield magic could have anticipated and that was why they'd had to spend such power with one another.

The broken remains of the bed lay under them, the mattress squeaking lightly. Kalleis giggled, light-headed, her cheek squashed to Dianah's breast.

"Worth it..."

Indeed it was!