"Guilty by design,
she's nothing more than fiction."
-Orgy

Foreword

There will be blatant adult themes towards the end of this chapter; a further warning is in place as a reminder just before the mature segment begins. It's not glaringly necessary to the plot, so if you do not enjoy themes of a sexual nature, then please skip past that part of the chapter—the conclusion of the segment is clearly marked. To those who decide to read, please do so at your own discretion. Throughout the story, there will be more content of this nature, but all will be clearly defined at the beginning of the chapters that include such scenes, and each segment will have warnings posted prior to where they begin

. . .

After her final class of the day, Davina decided, after some deliberation, to swing by the campus library before heading home. She had been assigned her first research paper of the semester, and was eager to make some headway on it. Two hours and a cup of coffee later, she headed for the train station, pleased to see that the nasty weather had finally relented and the sun had dared to peak out from among the gray patchwork of the clouds. She hadn't yet received a reply from Shuichi, and couldn't help but feel somewhat disappointed, even if the feeling was a tad premature. He was probably busy, either with school, perhaps work, or maybe even his family. Davina counseled herself to remain patient, and put faith in the notion that he would contact her when he could—he didn't seem like the kind of person to make frivolous decisions or not see things through, but considering how little she truly knew about him, it was hard to make a solid judgment. But her gut told her that she would definitely be hearing from him soon, and she decided to trust that feeling. Better that then work herself up on what ifs and negative thoughts, neither of which would benefit her in the slightest.

It was just after six when she finally arrived at her apartment—she milled about for a bit, grabbing a quick snack of salty senbei rice crackers and a tall glass of water as she got a jump start on tidying her apartment. She threw in a load of laundry, swept the floors, and put away the few dishes that had been left to dry on the drain rack, all the while contemplating what to do with what remained her of evening. With the rain having dissipated and the weather being fairly agreeable, Davina considered taking a walk down to the nearby park—she had ventured past it several times during her trips into the downtown district, but had yet to stop in and see it for herself. In truth, it wasn't a very big place, but quaint, home to a small manmade lake surrounded by a cobblestone walking path, and plenty of trees to provide shade and ambiance. After some brief mulling over, she decided to check it out, bringing her book along with her for the journey.

Davina reached the commons in what amounted to a short, six minute walk and headed through the tall iron wrought arch that served as the entrance and bore the park's name, engraved into the metal plate.

"Yureihana Park," Davina muttered to herself, quirking a curious brow at the unusual name. The translation, if she was correct, meant ghost flower—certainly a strange name for a park, but she found herself liking it all the same. As she ventured further inside, she spotted a massive collection of peculiar flowers clustered near the roots of the many trees—upon closer inspection, she recognized the vivid red blossoms as spider lilies, and suddenly, the venue's name made much more sense. The crimson blooms, which were also known as higanbana, were often called ghost flowers and typically left at graves, disliked due to their association with death despite their eccentric beauty. The commons was littered with them, those odd, spider-like flora appearing to almost glow with their flamboyant scarlet hue against the dark green foliage. Davina admired them for a long minute then continued onward, heading toward the lake. She ambled along the stone path for a while, making her way around the calm body of water before perching on one of the empty benches that sat along the outer perimeter.

Withdrawing her novel from her bag, Davina picked up at her last bookmarked page and began to read, the soft sounds of nature instilling a comforting calm within her that inspired her body to relax. The previous rain had left a pleasant chill in the air, and much of the lingering humidity had dissipated. The fresh air was much appreciated, and she sucked it deep into the confines of her lungs, enjoying the faint floral fragrance that wafted forth from the many spider lilies that dwelled about.

Soon, she finished what remained of her novel, and with a soft sigh, slipped her book back into its holding place, her attention drawn to the lake. The water was a deep shade of black blue and nearly still, with only the slight movement of the wind to cause an occasional ripple on the smooth surface. She stared at the sight in silent appreciation for a long minute, just before the quiet was interrupted by a low growl deep within her belly. Apparently, the snack she had consumed before her excursion hadn't been enough to quell her hunger—she knew that she had few options at home, with grocery shopping on her to-do list for tomorrow. But with it being a Friday night, odds were that most places would be busy, and she wasn't much in a mood to deal with the bustle and loudness of a crowded restaurant, so she would have to make do with what she had available. She decided to linger for a few extra minutes, simply enjoying the serenity of her surroundings.

Without warning, the center of the lake began to swirl in an odd formation—it was subtle at first, but quickly gained speed and force, creating an odd whirlpool among the dark water. Davina stared at the disturbance with curiosity, wondering just what was causing it—the wind was nearly non-existent, and certainly wouldn't cause such an effect—maybe an animal?

Intrigued by the strange occurrence, she left the bench and approached the edge of the lake in an attempt to get a better look. But as she walked over, the bizarre motion ceased, and the water calmed once more. She stared at the spot that had been swirling only seconds before, rapidly blinking her eyes and questioning herself if she had truly witnessed such a thing or if it had been a figment of her imagination.

The sound of a throat clearing near Davina's feet startled her, nearly causing her to leap up in fright. Her gaze immediately fell downward, fixating on an alien looking creature, the likes of which she had never seen before. It was small, perhaps the size of a house cat, and bore an eerie resemblance to the fictional Cornish pixies that hailed from the Harry Potter series, sans the tiny wings. The outlandish creature stared up at her with onyx eyes that seemed to glisten, and held something up to her in its tiny hands—the bauble it offered was a spherical gem of some sort, about the size of a ping pong ball and opaque, with colors reminiscent of a Mexican fire opal. Oddly enough, the jewel looked quite similar to a pendant her mother owned—Davina had always admired it, liking the colors of the oddly hued stone. She had never seen another quite like it before.

"A gift," the creature said, its voice high pitched and words spoken in a language unlike anything she had ever heard before, but could somehow understand. Before her own actions could register even to herself, Davina reached out and took the gem from the strange being, clasping it firmly between her index finger and thumb. The stone itself seemed to hum with power, and had an inexplicable warmth that radiated forth from it. She stared down at it, then glanced back over at the creature, who smiled up at her, revealing a row of tiny, needle-sharp teeth. "The Kurosuna family sends their affection, little one."

Before Davina's mind could form a response, the alien being slipped away, leaping back into the dark waters from which it had emerged. If she hadn't witnessed the disturbance it left in its wake, she might have believed that it hadn't been there in the first place.

Frozen in place, Davina's eyes were drawn to the gem, raising it to her level of sight to examine it further. It glittered with a vague, understated beauty, the inner parts of it glimmering with colorful fractals. Her mind fought to process the interaction that had just occurred, unsure of what had just conspired. It certainly wasn't a product of her imagination, as overactive as it could be—she stood there holding proof in her hand. But what the hell was that…thing? And the language it had spoken, it echoed within the confines of her mind, confused as to how she could understand a speech she did not know.

For a brief moment, she considered tossing the gem into the lake from which it had come, but hesitated—if the creature still lingered beneath the surface, she didn't want to risk angering it. Instead, she placed it in the pocket of her sweater for safekeeping. Once more, she glanced out onto the lake, momentarily questioning her sanity. What had just happened couldn't be real, and yet, somehow it was. Both intrigued and disturbed, Davina fled the park, her mind reeling. She had so many questions, and no one to ask.

All previous feelings of tranquility had vanished, and it wasn't until she was back within the familiarity of her apartment did Davina take a second to catch her breath. Her surroundings offered some semblance of comfort, but did little to shake her unease as she kicked off her shoes and peeled off her coat, hanging it upon the rack that hung near the door. She then sat at her desk, attempting to calm herself and collect her thoughts. The name the creature had given her wasn't one she knew—'The Kurosuna family sends their affection, little one', rang out inside her head like a maddening mantra, spoken in the creature's shrill tone. It sent a harsh shudder racing down the length of her spine. Who were the Kurosuna? Why had they given her a gift? Where had the creature come from? What was it? How was such a thing even possible?

"Black sand," she said the translation of the surname out loud, trying to wrap her mind around it and coming up empty handed. If anything, it only inspired further questions. She toyed with the idea of withdrawing the gem from its hiding place within her coat pocket, but found herself lacking the energy to move and fetch it—to hold it in her hand and look upon it would only further instill that the interaction had occurred in reality and wasn't some outlandish fantasy byproduct of her imagination.

Despite her lack of willingness, after several minutes of internally arguing with herself, Davina rose to her feet and collected the stone from its hiding place. The urge to call her mother and question her was suddenly overwhelming—it was the same type of gem in her necklace, she was nearly sure of it. Best to start there—after all, if she went about spouting stories of some otherworldly creature suddenly appearing from the depths of a lake to deliver a rock, her mother would probably think she had lost her mind entirely. But somewhere along the lines of the grabbing her phone and pulling up her mother's cell phone number, with her finger hovering just over the call button, Davina lost her nerve—never mind the fact that, with the time difference, it was just after four in the morning over in Denver. If she called now, not only would her mother think she had gone mad, but she would also be livid at being woken up at such an early hour. Frustrated, she threw the phone down on her desk, feeling at a loss of how to proceed.

She was taken by the sudden urge to sketch the creature, just on the off chance its image faded from her mind's eye. Quickly grabbing up her sketch book, Davina set to work, her pencil dancing over the thick paper in a flurry. In spite of the frightening subject matter, the comfort of the familiar action soon managed to quell her concern some, and she felt a strange sense of relief wash over her as she fine tuned the details of her artwork, adding in strokes of color in the appropriate shades. Upon completion of her artwork, she laid the instruments down with a sigh, eying the sketch with a critical eye. She had even drawn the gemstone clasped in its hands—it mirrored perfectly the talisman that sat just above her book. Once again, she found herself staring at the stone, awash in conflicting feelings of admiration and loathing.

Suddenly, Davina felt herself grow heated with anger—she felt helpless, plagued by the unknown, and with no one to talk to. Slamming her sketchbook closed, she snatched up the gem and hid it away within the confines of a small jewelry box that sat atop her dresser, burying it within a drawer that held no other articles. She was shaking by the time she left her bedroom, and stomped into the washroom to rinse her face. She gripped the sides of the sink in her hands, the cold porcelain a welcoming change against her warm flesh.

A distraction—she needed a distraction, lest the barrage of unanswered questions drive her to insanity.

Taking a deep breath, Davina relocated to the kitchen, making herself a cup of hot chai tea. Her hunger had been long forgotten in light of the events that had occurred, and hadn't returned. She settled down on her bed with her laptop, intent on watching a movie—in light of her current literary selection, she selected The Silence Of The Lambs from her library and set it to play. It was a film she had seen countless times before, but among her favorites, and she forced herself to focus on it, finding vague comfort in the dark storyline.

In spite of the odds, her plan had the desired effect—by the movie's conclusion, she felt somewhat better. She decided it best to continue with her current course and made herself a fresh cup of tea after a quick trip to the bathroom to relieve herself. As the movie Hannibal began to play, she ventured over to her desk to reclaim her phone, only to realize that she had an unread message. It was from nearly two hours prior, and from Shuichi—he had finally found the time to respond to her.

'Sorry for the delay. Will you be free Sunday afternoon?' the text read. Davina glanced at the time in the upper right corner of her phone—it was nearing ten. Probably too late to return his inquiry, but Davina found herself typing up a response just the same.

'Sounds perfect. Any ideas on where you'd like to meet up?'

Given the late hour, she wasn't anticipated a response, so when her phone vibrated in her hand mere seconds later, she nearly dropped it out of surprise.

"Get it together, girl," she scolded herself, angry that she was still feeling so on edge. She clicked on the new message and read it quickly, a small smile perching across her lips.

'I've got something in mind. If you can meet me at the train station at 2, we can go from there.'

'A surprise,' she thought, mildly amused at the idea. 'Well, that's almost…romantic…'

Mentally, Davina kicked herself. It was just a friendly outing, not a date. And yet, by him keeping the details of their impending meeting a secret, it felt like more than just a casual hangout. The thought both irked and intrigued her.

'Sounds like a plan. I'll see you there at 2 on Sunday.'

Once again, her phone buzzed, a new message popping up on the screen.

'Great, looking forward to it. I'll see you on Sunday. Have a good night.'

The smile on her face widened at his confirmation—so, it was really happening. The thought both excited and worried her, wondering just what Shuichi was plotting for their venture. She considered replying with well wishes of her own, but ultimately decided against it. It was fairly late, and Shuichi didn't strike her as being a night owl—he seemed more like a morning person, judging by what she knew of him. Early to bed, early to rise, and all of that drivel. Perhaps it was a fabrication born of her own thoughts, but she currently had no evidence to contrary. He had certainly seemed bright eyed and bushy tailed during their morning interactions earlier that day, where as she had been little more than half awake until their unanticipated collision while on the train. The press of her body against his, while exceedingly brief, had been hard to shake from her mind. Even from that slight contact, she could feel the firmness of his lithe form, hidden away beneath his clothing. Davina found herself imagining the faint touch yet again and shuddered at the recollection. She wanted more of it, even if she was hesitant to admit to such a desire.

Returning to the comfort of her bed, Davina settled in and turned her attention back to her laptop screen, slowly immersing herself into the cinematic world of Thomas Harris's creation. There was something soothing about Anthony Hopkin's voice, even when cast in the role of a brutal serial murderer with cannibalistic tendencies.

"'He woke her then, and trembling and obedient, she ate that burning heart out of his hand. Weeping, I saw him then depart from me. Could he daily feel a stab of hunger for her? Find nourishment in the very sight of her? I think so. But would she see through the bars of his plight, and ache for him?'" The words written by Dante Alighieri, when spoken in the deliciously rich, yearning tones of Hopkins, somehow brought Shuichi to the forefront of her mind. She pictured those green eyes, vivid and penetrating, their hue among that of her favorite color, and found herself eager to see them again.

Sunday couldn't come along fast enough.

. . .

Following the conclusion of his classes for the day, Shuichi had left the campus of Chishiki No Eda and headed for the train station. The poor weather had lessened considerably, but little sun made its way through the thick cover of the overcast sky. As he awaited the arrival of the orange line, he glanced curiously throughout the vestibule, searching idly for that telltale glint of copper hair and found nothing. Admittedly, he felt disappointment at Davina's absence, despite knowing that the odds of seeing her there again were slim.

He made his way back home, nearly being run over by Kokoda the moment he set foot in the door. The teenager was eager for his attention, and as promised, Shuichi settled in to spend time with him. After several hours of playing video games, he requested a short break so that he could prepare dinner—his mother was working a late shift, a prior text message had forewarned, and his stepfather was stuck over at the café, working for the evening after the person scheduled had abruptly called off. Kokoda had informed him of this shortly after his arrival, and Shuichi had been prepared to contact Kazuya and ask him if he was needed, but his step brother had balked at the idea, prompting Shuichi to forego the question.

He headed into the kitchen and began to pull the items he needed from the fridge and pantry. Before he immersed himself in cooking, Shuichi reached for his phone and typed up a reply to Davina's previous message—he had intended on doing so once he returned home, but had forgotten due to Kokoda's zeal for them to spend some time together. He sent the message along and focused on the task at hand, preparing a meal of rice, teriyaki salmon, and steamed vegetables. He and Kokoda ate in comfortable silence, and then he began to clean the mess he had made, storing away the leftovers and washing the dishes while his step brother chatted his ear off about his excitement to begin a new school year and his displeasure at summer vacation ending.

Shuichi listened with a less than attentive ear, responding only when necessary. In truth, his mind was elsewhere—if Davina agreed to meet up with him on Sunday, he wanted to take her somewhere nice. It certainly wasn't a date, but it couldn't hurt to make a good impression. He had a decent idea in mind—there was a little coffee house on the outskirts of Osaka, one only a few blocks from the university campus, where they had live music and a quaint garden area. He had been there several times, with Kanaka, and had enjoyed it well enough. It seemed like a fitting location for what he had in mind.

When he got the opportunity to check his phone, he was disappointed that he hadn't received a reply to his inquiry—it had been nearly an hour since he had sent it. Perhaps he was mistaken, and Davina wasn't keen on seeing him outside of a school setting—she could have very well just requested his company in an effort to be polite. However, that didn't seem like her to just pitch the idea only to abandon it. Perhaps she was busy—it was a Friday evening, after all. But he knew from her personal explanation that she had yet to really make any friends, and that the odds that she was out and about were rather slim. Maybe she had met someone else at school—the sudden thoughts of another person holding her attention caused an involuntary growl to emit from his throat. The sound, while unanticipated, was loud enough to catch Kokoda's attention, who immediately paused in his mostly one sided conversation to inquire if Shuichi was okay.

"Of course, just clearing my throat," he lied, knowing his explanation would satisfy his younger sibling. As expected, Kokoda accepted his reply and continued on with his gossip.

Shuichi shook the thoughts of Davina being entertained by another from his mind—the feelings that accompanied the notion were alarming to him, to say the least. Possession over women had never really been a trait of his, even during the peak of his demon self—for him, up until the establishment of his human family, material objects had always the source of his obsession, his driving force as a thief. How often he had reveled in the obtaining of beautiful jewels and priceless artifacts, surrounding himself in tangible items that gifted him with a sense of purpose and superiority. Not once in his long years had a female ever brought upon a possessive streak or inspired such burning feelings of envy. Not women, never women. Women were expendable, an entertaining means to a very satisfying end. He had shared his bed with countless numbers of them over the course of his life, and had hardly ever paid any of them so much as a second though.

He had altered those manners to an extent once he had decided to openly embrace his life as a human, but the base notion remained unchanged. To realize that he experienced such a sensation of wanting over a female he hardly knew was utterly foreign to him—perhaps it would be a good thing if she had decided against their impending meeting. Shuichi believed that these feelings, if permitted, would only worsen if given the opportunity, and he wasn't sure if such a thing would be a force in his favor.

With his good mood now in dire straits, he returned to Kokoda's room with his sibling at the lead, to continue the game they had abandoned in favor of eating. But his sudden irritation led to poor performance, and after an extremely frustrating hour of making little headway on the current level, he opted to take his leave, telling Kokoda that he was tired and ready to head off to bed. The teenager didn't protest, content with the fact that Shuichi had managed to get him far past the boss that had been giving him difficulty—he eager took a hold of the controller as Shuichi offered it to him and claimed the chair previously occupied by his older brother, his attention devoured by the screen. With a deep sigh, Shuichi left his step brother's room, heading into the bathroom to shower.

Refreshed, he returned to his room, clad in a damp towel, his long red hair still moist with water. He was in the midst of slipping into some comfortable sweats when the subtle vibration of his phone caught his attention. Much to his pleasure, Davina had finally responded to his previous message. After a short play of back and forth, plans were established for Sunday afternoon—this agreement brought a sense of relief to Shuichi, but only just. Concerned thoughts of where such a path could eventually lead still nagged at him, but he shrugged them away. Best to cross that bridge if and when things arrived at that point. For what it was worth, he was genuinely excited for Sunday to come around—it would certainly be nice to see and converse with Davina in a casual setting. He was curious to learn more about her.

Suddenly aware of how tired he truly was, Shuichi turned off his light and slipped into the soft plush of his bed—the sheets were chilly from the circulated air of the room, but would warm quickly enough from the heat that radiated forth from his body. He closed his eyes, intending on finding sleep, and found that, despite his exhaustion, his mind would not cease its internal dialogue.

[WARNING: MATURE THEMES OF A SEXUAL NATURE AHEAD/PLEASE PROCEED AT YOUR OWN DISCRETION]

His thoughts trailed back to the minute contact between himself and Davina on the train that morning—the touch had been so brief, it was nearly incomprehensible, but the softness of her body against the firmness of his own had been unmistakably real. He pictured her ample curves, recalling with hunger the way they had pushed into him, and the delightful way he had appeared to melt into her with the force of the collision. The mental image sent a sudden rush of heat to flood his lower extremities, and much to his surprise and mild disdain, that part of his body that had remained untouched for a good while began to swell and grow hard. He attempted to stave off the feeling, but it remained, inspired by the lustful notions he was entertaining.

When it came to the female form, Shuichi appreciated it in its entirety, but harbored a deep fondness for a thick posterior—it was lovely to look at, satisfying to grab, and delightfully fun to spank. To watch pale flesh grow red and heated from the force of his hand meeting flesh had been one of his favorite pastimes as Yoko, and he missed this particular pleasure greatly. None of his previous partners during the expanse of his human love life had been willing to permit his indulgence, finding the concept off-putting or even rude. Davina had an ass that any man would be more than happy to handle, and the mere thought had his hands itching with want.

He imagined this exchange, his mind painting a painfully vivid picture of her willingly submitting to his wishes, bending over on a bed and offering to his elated gaze her ample backside. He could nearly feel the warmth and softness of her flesh as he rubbed it with his calloused palms, before swiftly delivering a hearty slap to the swell of her ass. The thought of the sensation it would inspire had him gasping softly, imagining the echo of that delectable sound as it reverberated across the expanse of the room, accompanied by her startled, yet heated yelp. He imagined what she would sound like, her cry lancing through him like fire and further stirring his cock to insistent life, the limb now straining hard against the cloth confines of his sweats. He could picture the flush of her pale skin from where he struck her, the crimson mark unfurling like a hesitant flower hungry for sunlight. In his fantasy, he spanked her again, the shrill sound emitting from her lips hungry with desperation for more of his lustful violence.

Unable to deny his own arousal any longer, Shuichi shrugged out of his pants and reached down to grasp his cock, gasping at the contact. He could feel the wetness as it gathered at the very tip of his length, and used the palm of his hand to spread it over his harden flesh as a means of lubrication. He stroked himself firmly from tip to heel, feeling pinpricks of elation wash over him in light of his lecherous actions. His mind continued the fantasy, picturing Davina's squirming form as he continued his ministrations, imagining the secret place hidden between the valley of those luscious thighs growing wet with need. Shuichi stroked himself harder at the thought, now panting with the effort. It didn't take long for him to near the peak of his climax, his caresses growing more and more rapid as he danced closer and closer to the edge.

After what seemed like a small eternity but was in fact only a few short minutes, he exploded, gasping out loud as a hard shudder gripped his entire body. He managed to cast off his comforter prior to his eruption, hot pearlescent essence springing forth to cover the apex of his lower extremities and his hand as stars exploded behind his eyes. He laid there, his mind in shambles, his breathing coming in short, erratic bursts as his heartbeat echoed loudly within his ears. Satisfaction flooded him, his form tingling with pleasure as he rode out the remainder of his orgasm. It took him a few minutes to regain his faculties, and once he did, he immediately sought out the towel that remained from his shower to clean himself up. He redressed, and snuck into the bathroom to wash his hands, burying the soiled towel deep in the dirty hamper.

[END OF MATURE CONTENT]

After grabbing a glass of water from the kitchen, Shuichi returned to his bedroom, feeling somewhat relieved. He wasn't one to usually pleasure himself, since he typically had access to a willing partner, but the carnal act had satiated him, at least, for the moment. He crawled back into bed, now heavy with fatigue, and within minutes, was sound asleep, his mind finally falling blissfully silent as he fell into the comfort of oblivion.