Drawn into Passion

AN: It's been a while since my last story, but here you go. This story is the product of constantly thinking about monster girl games. To get it out of my head, I started writing my thoughts down, later combining it with a fantasy setting I'd been working on independently. When I first wrote out the story outline, it was similar to the games I was inspired by: monster girls attack the protagonist and try to make him come, and make him a sex slave and/or kill him if they succeed. I then realised that I wasn't really comfortable with writing such a story, and had another idea: what if I took the concept of "sexual combat" and tried to make it consensual?

******

It was Friday night. For most university students, this was the time to visit the pubs, wind down after the stress of the week, and have the time of their lives.

So why was Lee alone in his apartment?

That was a question he'd asked himself repeatedly. He wasn't even all that interested in games like this, so why was he spending - or rather, wasting - a night on one?

Lee looked at the cover of the game's case. It was emblazoned with a picture of a very voluptuous woman with a goat's horns, a bat's wings, and a spaded tail - the stereotypical image of a succubus. Her clothing, if it could be described as such, only served to emphasise her figure - it was basically a modern string swimsuit, with the strings allowing just a hint of her areolae to be seen. The title was "Drawn into Passion" in ornate purple lettering.

The sight of the cover made Lee highly suspicious of the nature of the game. Not for the first time that night, he considered simply throwing the game out and doing something more productive.

Then he remembered that he'd spent fifteen dollars on this, and no refunds were allowed.

Sighing, Lee took the CD out of its case and inserted it in his computer. He also plugged in his headphones and put them on.

While he waited for the game to load, Lee flipped through the game's manual and read through the basic controls. He then put the manual down, as he preferred to avoid any potential spoilers in his games.

The game took a surprising amount of time to load, though that might have been more because of Lee's outdated hardware. While he waited, Lee reminisced about how he'd ended up in this situation.

Lee travelled to and from university using that marvel of transportation technology, the only one that had withstood the test of time - his own two legs. It saved him the cost of public transport, and as an added bonus, walking all the way while carrying a backpack was a decent way of staying fit. Thanks to this method of transport, Lee had stumbled across a run-down second-hand shop with a sign outside saying: "All Kinds of Wonders at Incredibly Low Prices". Since he wasn't in a hurry at the time, he'd stepped in for a look.

The sign turned out not to be false advertising. Indeed, Lee saw all kinds of merchandise on offer: pots and pans, crockery and cutlery, clothes in all sizes, shelf after shelf of books, a veritable mountain of children's toys. And most of the items showed no signs of damage.

After some browsing, Lee had reached a corner containing several stacks of video games. They ranged from recent releases to old classics, and all were at reasonable prices. Still, money was a bit tight this month, so Lee had resolved to only buy one game.

Lee had spent what felt like hours searching through the stacks, though obviously it couldn't have been more than five minutes in reality. At that point, the woman behind the counter had asked if he needed help. Lee had politely declined, then decided to use his usual method of making a choice in this kind of situation. He used a random number generator app on his phone to, well, generate a random number, then removed that number of games from the top of a stack and picked up the game that was revealed.

In retrospect, he really should have rolled for another number.

At the time, he'd decided that he was tired enough already and should get home as soon as possible. Of course, when he had begun approaching the counter, his heart was filled with apprehension due to the nature of the game. However, the woman behind the counter hadn't said a word about that. She did, however, warn him that they didn't accept any refunds.

Back in the present, the game finally finished loading. The title screen appeared.

It was the same succubus on the cover of the case. She was squeezing her breast with one hand, completely revealing the nipple, while her other hand reached provocatively towards her groin. And in the background, a woman's moans were faintly audible.

Lee looked down at the power button of his computer. He eventually wrenched his gaze away, muttering to himself, "Fifteen dollars, no refunds. Fifteen dollars, no refunds." With some resignation, he moved the cursor to the "New Game" option and clicked.

The screen turned black for a few seconds. Then a series of still images appeared, resembling pages from a picture book. They depicted medieval peasants working in the fields, fantastical creatures roaming the wilderness, knights in shining armour assembled in grand castles - essentially a standard fantasy setting. It had the usual mishmash of culture and technology from a range of places and time periods. Words appeared at the bottom of the screen, narrating the setting in an overly-dramatic manner. It didn't quite start with "A long time ago, in a kingdom far, far away" but Lee wouldn't have been at all surprised if it had.

The later images had a dramatically different atmosphere. Monsters invaded the kingdom, breaking through any resistance and kidnapping everyone in sight. The sunny day was replaced by a night lit by a red moon. Even the letters of the narration changed, going from pale brown to the same shade of purple as the game's title.

But the monsters were - well, they could best be described as demonstrating the nature of the game. They were all combinations of women with animals, plants or various other things. Some were based on mythology, like the harpies swooping from the sky to snatch up victims or the mermaids bursting from a lake to overturn boats. Others had more modern inspirations: Lee was fairly certain that a woman with worms for arms had never appeared in any myth. And the monsters' feminine parts were all universally, unrealistically attractive. Each one had the face of a supermodel with well-done makeup and the figure of a porn star. To top it all off, they were dressed just as skimpily as the succubus on the cover, or were completely naked.

Then there was the manner in which the monsters were fighting, if 'fighting' was even the correct word to use. The humans were unable to injure even a single monster: their swords and spears shattered on the monsters' bare skin, while their arrows bounced off entirely. Whereas the monsters... the monster manner of fighting was illustrated, in exquisite detail, by a particular series of three images.

The first showed a lamia, a monster with the lower body of an enormous snake, coiling around a human soldier and easily tearing off his armour. The soldier was visibly wounded by the act, but the lamia showed no signs of caring.

The second showed the lamia raping the soldier, who cried as he tried to push her away.

The third showed the soldier utterly broken in mind and soul, while the lamia had an expression of dark triumph.

This kind of scene was repeated over and over.

Afterwards, there were images of monsters surrounding a human woman. The monsters' shadows warped and grew, no longer corresponding to their owners' actions, and covered the woman. Then the shadows retreated to reveal the woman, now transformed into a succubus. The succubus mounted a man and proceeded to drain him into an emaciated husk through lethal intercourse.

There were so many images in this vein that Lee zoned out and stopped paying attention to the details.

Eventually, the introduction shifted in focus. The images were no longer in a picture book-style and all focused on a silhouette walking through a dark forest. This was probably the player character, Lee guessed.

A window appeared on the screen, asking for the player's name. Lee decided to put in his own, too tired to try thinking of another one.

The introduction continued. The screen showed a young man in tattered clothing, warily watching his surroundings. Lee idly noted that he resembled himself to a degree. They had a similar hairstyle, though the game character's hair was obviously even less tidy, and similar eyes and nose.

A text box appeared at the bottom of the screen, titled "Lee".

It's not the time to get lost in history. I need to find food before the sun sets, or I'll be too weak to do anything tomorrow.

Unlike the narration before, the text box didn't change on its own. Lee - the real one, that is - pressed the right arrow key and the next text box appeared.

I've been thinking about this kind of thing a lot recently. How we ended up huddling in the woods, struggling to survive.

I guess it's not that surprising. Along with survival knowledge, this story was what every kid was taught. The adults and older kids made sure to pound it into our heads so we wouldn't forget. They told us of how we humans used to have a peaceful and prosperous kingdom. They told us how monsters emerged from the shadows and completely destroyed it in just a few years. That's why the only free humans, like us, had to run into the cracks of the world and hide if we wanted to stay free.

I've never seen a monster in my life. No one else in the group had, either. We were the lucky ones - no, the smart ones. There used to be a larger group that we traded with, living on the edge of the forest. They chose to live there because there was more food, too stupid to consider that they were exposed to danger. And when we visited them one day, they were all gone, with only the tracks of monsters left behind.

So my group went deeper into the forest. We couldn't find as much food, so some of us starved to death. We didn't have as much medicine since we could no longer trade, so most who got sick ended up dying as well. Eventually, there were only twenty of us left.

But monsters aren't the only dangerous things around. One night, a scale bear came into our camp to eat our food stores. It was quiet when it snuck in, but once it was spotted, it roared and started tearing us to pieces. Reared up on its hind legs it was easily twice as tall as a man, with armoured scales and claws like knives. It didn't seem to feel any pain, it kept killing us even with five or six spears stuck in its hide. By the time it finally fell, only me and two others were alive. The others were too far gone and died within the hour.

So now I'm on my own. If I fall and break a bone, or get bitten by any one of half the creatures in the forest, or eat the wrong kind of plant or mushroom, I'm finished. It's like I'm part of those dark jokes I used to hear, back when I wasn't on my own.

There was a brief pause in the narration. Real Lee took the time to take all this information in.

Sometimes, I want to just end it now. After all, what's the point of going on? Even if I'm incredibly lucky and don't die to any of those things, the chances of me finding another human this deep in the forest are non-existent. I'd end up dying without ever having children. No one will remember that I ever existed.

Wait, what was that? Were those... voices?

The screen changed, showing the in-game Lee crouching down, and then hiding in a dense bush.

If it's other humans, I - no, I'd still have to be careful. Even if we're the same kind, that doesn't mean we'll work together. My old group had run into more than one gang of bandits.

If it's monsters... no, there's no way that could happen.

Unfortunately, Lee's avatar's hopes were betrayed. Two monsters appeared on the screen, both of a clearly ursine disposition. They had round ears, sharp teeth, and legs covered in thick fur and terminating in paws rather than feet. However, the rest of their bodies was all voluptuous femininity.

The two bear monsters were arguing with each other, though there was no voice acting for this scene, just subtitles.

"This is my territory! I claimed it first!" growled the one on the left of the screen.

"That means nothing," said the one on the right. "Now that I'm here, I challenge you for it!"

"So you're not backing down?" said the one on the left, narrowing her eyes. "Then I'm not going down without a fight!"

The bear monsters met in combat - but not the kind where blood is spilled. Instead, they embraced each other, brought their lips together in a passionate kiss and ground their crotches together.

Seeing this, the real Lee couldn't help but laugh. It was to be expected, given what he'd already seen of the game, but that didn't make it any less ridiculous. On the other hand, while the image was static, it was accompanied by lustful moans that greatly enhanced the experience. Lee could see how this sort of game might appeal to its intended audience.

Meanwhile, the narration started up again.

Wha - What are they doing!? Are they actually - but that doesn't make any sense, they're both female so they couldn't get a child out of this. And from what they were saying before - but how could this possibly be a fight!?

There was a whole lot of text describing the monsters fondling, caressing, groping, licking and sucking every part of each other. Lee didn't pay much attention to it.

The moans increased in tempo. Soon, there was the unmistakeable, drawn-out cry of a woman's orgasm. Lee was suddenly very glad that he'd thought to put on headphones earlier.

The image changed again, with the challenger bear monster standing triumphantly while the other was sprawled on the ground. It might have been more impressive if it weren't for the saliva splashed across the monsters' chins, the clear fluid dripping from their slits, and the unfocused gaze of pure bliss on the loser's face.

"Hah... hah... it's my win," the victor said smugly.

"I... I can't believe how good you were," the loser said breathlessly.

"It's over... this land is mine," the victor said.

"Mmm... would you do that for me again?" the loser asked.

The victorious monster grinned broadly. "Anytime," she said.

The scene changed back to game Lee still hiding in the bush. The sounds of slow shuffling footsteps could be heard, suggesting that the bear monsters were leaving.

By their standards, that counts as a fight? Unbelievable... but to some degree, it makes sense. The way everyone described them, monsters aren't people like us, more like evil spirits of depravity. It only makes sense that they pervert fighting as well.

But to think that monsters actually look like that - no, I can't think that. "The beauty of monsters is only on the outside, on the inside they are dark and ugly." I have to remember that.

After a scene break, game Lee managed to find a large tree with branches almost weighed down by fruit. He rejoiced, thinking that his fortunes had begun to turn around.

Of course, real Lee, armed with knowledge of the typical story structure, realised what was going to happen next.

With a sound of flapping wings, the scene changed and a harpy appeared in front of game Lee. The harpy had large wings, which would have easily spanned twice her height when outstretched, and scaly legs with clawed feet. Her plumage was a vibrant red with striking blue bands across her wings. Her face and torso were shaped like a human's, with light brown skin, ample breasts and hips, and not a single scrap of clothing.

With a cheerful smile, the harpy said, "Hi there! You're the first human I've seen in a long time! My name's Sita, what's your name?"

Real Lee felt that it was a pity that the image wasn't animated and the dialogue wasn't voiced. Clearly, games like this didn't have much of a budget. It would have been nice to see someone this bright and bubbly bouncing around - and not just in that sense.

A - a - a monster!? Shit! I have to take her down now, before she can do anything!

According to the text, "Lee snatched up a fallen branch and, with strength born of desperation, swung it at the harpy's head. The branch shattered harmlessly without leaving a mark, though the harpy still cried out in surprise."

Sadly, these actions were largely not reflected on-screen. There was only a high-pitched yelp and a look of shock on Sita's face.

That didn't do anything! So the stories about monsters being invincible were true!? If that's the case...

"Hey! What was that for?" Sita asked, sounding genuinely hurt.

There's no cover anywhere nearby, and I can't outrun something that can fly. If that's the case, I can only kill her first. But if monsters can't be hurt by normal means - and judging from what those monsters were doing earlier...

"I - I'm sorry," Lee said, trying to inject as much apology into his voice as he could. "It's just - you startled me, so I couldn't help it."

"Is that seriously a reason to attack someone?" Sita asked. "Okay, maybe I should have called out to you first, but I wasn't trying to hurt you!"

If I'm right... the very idea of it is disgusting. It's the kind of thing that I was told was only done by fools who gave in to the temptations of monsters. But it doesn't look like I have any other choice.

"I'm sorry, it's just..." Lee worked his brain frantically, trying to think of an excuse, "it's just that I've been living on my own, so I have to be very careful. There's lots of dangerous animals in the forest, so I - I have to be careful."

Sita brought her wing to her mouth. For once, this wasn't limited to the text, as the image actually changed.

"Nonono, I should be sorry!" Sita said. "I - I can't believe I forgot that humans can be hurt. It's my fault, I shouldn't have - "

While Sita continued apologising, game Lee continued planning his next move.

Even after I manage to - defeat her - I still need to finish her off. Both this monster and the two before were breathing, so it looks like they still need to breathe to live. Once she's down, I can choke her to death. If that doesn't work, then I'm dead. But if I can't kill her, I'll be dead anyway, or worse.

"S - so, Sita, you don't have to apologise," Lee said, forcing himself to sound as polite as possible. "It was just... an accident. Anyway, to answer your first question, my name is Lee."

Still looking remorseful, Sita nodded. "Okay then, Lee. But if there's anything I can do to make it up to you, please tell me. My mother didn't raise a daughter who wouldn't make up for her mistakes."

"In that case... " Lee said probingly, "...would you mind if I keep gathering fruit from this tree? I'm having trouble finding enough food lately, and - "

"Sure!" Sita said. "I don't mind! I'll even show you all the other places I get food from. Is there anything else I can help you with?"

Quit acting innocent, monster. Who do you think's going to fall for that?

But now I have to... dammit, I don't have any idea of how to bring that up! If I just - just ask her up front, she might get suspicious. I have to approach this carefully...

But I have zero experience with - with this kind of thing. The only idea I have is that old story...

Coughing nervously, game Lee said, "Actually, there is one more thing. Sita, the truth is, I - " game Lee gulped and reminded himself that this was a monster, an enemy to humanity, not a naked and discomfortingly-attractive woman. "The truth is that ever since I saw you, I - I think that you're the most beautiful person I've ever met!"