Ok, so this is my very first self-insert story. I don't usually like the whole "me and my friends got sucked into Ivalice" thing, but I thought it would be fun if me and some of my pals on here got sucked into…one of my fics. The descriptions of people and their daily lives outside of this site are meant to be accurate (real names, physical descriptions, etc), so when I'm talking about my daily life I am using real stuff, so it'll be starting out with me coming home from work. I am also writing this in the third person, because that's just how I roll. I hope you enjoy, and please review. Also, if you'd like to be included in this fic just private message me your info and I'll put you in

The Wakeup Call

Chapter 1

Grey punched the call button on his cell phone for the fifth time, "Never any fucking service in this damn town," he cursed, tossing the cell into the passenger seat of his car.

He turned onto England Drive slowly, making sure to keep an eye out for the neighbor kids who always had a habit of riding their bikes in the street. He hadn't had the best day, and nothing was going right. It didn't help that his mother's car was parked in his driveway when he pulled up. He'd worked a fourteen hour shift, and he was in no mood for her constant badgering today. Stepping out of his car into the chilly February air, he fought off the urge to light a cigarette; it would only give his mother something else to bitch at him about.

The front door was unlocked, and he tossed his keys on the table, dreading the scene he knew would be waiting for him in the living room. It was always the same when his mother visited, and today was no different. She sat rigidly on the couch, obviously uncomfortable with her surroundings. His boyfriend, Joe, sat across from her, trying as best he could to break the awkward silence.

"Hi mom," he muttered, tossing his leather jacket on the end of the sofa and trying his best to sound happy to see her.

"Jonathan!" she squealed, rising to her feet.

"Mom, don't call me Jonathan. Dad is Jonathan, that's why I've gone by my middle name my entire life," Grey sighed.

His mother frowned, "It was your father's idea to name you Grey. It isn't a name it's a color."

He wanted to scream. This was the millionth time that they had had this conversation, "Well whether it's a name or not it's on my birth certificate and I've been going by it for nearly 23 years now."

She shrugged, "Why are you getting home so late?"

"I work," he sighed, "What are you doing here so late?"

"I brought you some groceries," she said, "I've already put them away."

"Mom, I don't need you to buy me groceries," Grey sighed, "We have money."

She glanced over at Joe disapprovingly, "Still, I am your mother Jonathan. I'm allowed to bring you food if I want."

He blocked out the rest of the conversation. If he and his mother got to arguing, she wouldn't stop yapping until she'd covered all the bases…the way he dressed, lived, ate, smoked too much…and finally…how she would never get any more grandchildren. It just wasn't worth it, not after the day he'd had.

When he finally ushered her out the door nearly half an hour later he felt like a huge weight had been taken off his shoulders.

"So," said Joe, who had barely spoken since he'd come home, "How was your day?"

Grey flung himself down on the couch, "Shitty. Yours?"

Joe shrugged, "Wasn't bad until your mom showed up."

Grey lit a cigarette and frowned, "I'm sorry. She didn't say anything too out of line did she?"

"Just the usual," he said, "You know the drill."

Grey nodded. His mother tended to see his being gay as a sickness, as if a good dose of Nyquil would turn him straight, "I'm sorry you had to deal with her alone. I got stuck at work."

Joe shrugged, "It's been eight years, Grey. I'm used to her shit."

Grey didn't say anything as he ran a hand through his spikey brown hair and grabbed his laptop. He needed to be doing homework, as he was four years into a psychology degree that still was far from finished, but he just didn't have the energy for that right now.

Joe stood up and planted a kiss on the top of his head, "I have to go to the store. We need beer."

Grey nodded, "Mmkay. I'm gonna work on updating some fanfics while you're gone. Love you."

Joe nodded, "Love you too," and Grey heard the door slam shut a few seconds later.

This latest fic was not going the way he'd planned, and every time he went to update his mind went blank. It had only been a couple of weeks ago that he'd been updating every time a single review came in, but that didn't seem so easy now. Signing in with his screen name, BalthierFan6828, he clicked on his latest review, one from his good buddy Masaki-Hanabusa.

Putting his cigarette out, he pulled up a blank Microsoft word document. Trying to remember where he'd left off, he pulled up his latest fic and skimmed the last chapter he'd written. He'd left Balthier bleeding and dying, Vaan crying, and the others completely helpless. Great… where the hell was there to go from here. He stared at the screen for a long time, his tattooed arms limp by his sides, his mind a complete blank.

Finally, he started to type…

The heat of the desert seemed more stifling to Balthier now than it ever had before. He would have complained, or said something smart, but the excruciating pain in his side, as well as the fact that he'd had a silence spell cast on him, prohibited him from doing so.

"Hang on Balthier," cried Vaan, "I know I wrote down that spell Fran told me about. I'll find it."

Balthier closed his eyes. Vaan was terrible at remembering spells, even simple ones, and kept several of them written down on a scrap of paper in his pack. Had the two of them not been alone, he would have demanded that someone else heal him, but now he could not afford to be picky. He begged Vaan with his mind to hurry up, but still the boy rummaged through his pack endlessly, until finally he pulled out a worn scrap of paper.

"Found it!" he piped gleefully.

Balthier shot him an angry glance, begging him to hurry.

Vaan understood, and began to study the list in search of the spell he needed.

"I forgot to label some of these," he muttered, glancing worriedly over at the bleeding pirate, "But…uh…I think this is the one I need."

Balthier wasn't so sure that Vaan knew what he was talking about, but he couldn't say anything…and Vaan was already chanting the strange spell.

Grey cursed under his breath, this chapter was shit so far, but he didn't want to give up on it just yet. He rubbed his eyes, maybe it was just that he'd had such a long day…but he didn't feel right. Something was…off. He put down his laptop and sat up, suddenly overly warm.

"Damn," he muttered, pulling off his T-shirt, "It feels like a desert in here."

He closed his eyes and sighed, he'd just been under a lot of stress. His hands started to shake, and suddenly he felt as if he were going to pass out. Grabbing at the couch arm, he toppled over beside his laptop, letting the blackness claim him.

When he opened his eyes, he was laying in sand.

Balthier closed his eyes and waited for the magic to take the pain away, but as Vaan finished the spell, nothing happened.

Luci signed into her fanfiction account as Masaki-Hanabusa, ready to update a few fics, and read a few chapters before dinner. She had just turned eighteen, and she was in one of those moods where nothing could bring her down. Tossing her shoulder length brown hair out of her eyes, she clicked on one of her friend's new stories. She'd been reading BalthierFan6828's fics for a few months now, and she always made sure to review.

This new fic had Balthier injured in the desert, with only Vaan to heal him…and Vaan wasn't very good at remembering spells. She was reading in earnest, wondering what would happen next, when she began to feel dizzy.

Balthier's eyes snapped open when he heard the thud of something hitting the ground beside him. Wide eyed, he grabbed at Vaan's arm, motioning for the boy to look over at what he was seeing.

A boy and girl lay, not too far from each other, in the sand. Both were dressed strangely, and neither of them had been there the moment before.

To Be Continued…

Hope you enjoyed! Please review, because I've never written one of these before and I don't know if this one is good or not. If you want to be involved in it, message me your info and I'll put you in!