AN: *sigh* Well, here it is. It was only a matter of time before I did a Self-Insert fic. Hopefully the stigma of the genre will not prevent people from liking or at least trying to read the story. Please keep in mind that the personality and narrative style displayed here are my actual thought processes. Or at least something close. Warning: This first chapter might be boring. Sorry, but I need a base to 'kick off' from.

Disclaimer: I do not own Highschool DxD.

"Speech"
Text
Thoughts
Inner Being to Outer Being/[Ddraige/Albion]
Dragon/Beast
Spell/Technique/[Sacred Gear]

Chapter 1: Far From Home, In a Land Unknown

Some days, it just doesn't pay to get out of bed. I don't actually believe this saying, but I felt it would be an appropriate way to start this story.

Who am I? Sorry, but I don't feel like giving my real name. From here on out, though, you can call me Neseg. Yeah, weird name, I know. But it's fake so all's well and good.

Anyways…you're probably wondering what this is all about. To be honest, I've wondered that too, but that's neither here nor there. This is a story, to be read and hopefully enjoyed.

It all started one night, on an ordinary day for me. I was holed up in my room, doing what I normally do late into the early hours of the morning. By the time I went to bed, it was about 1:30. I've always had a good memory for such things, which is why I can even remember that. But what I remember the most was the dream.

As is normal for dreams, I don't know when mine began. All of a sudden, I found myself in a cold, wet darkness. There was an uncomfortable pressure, which squeezed me from all directions. There was nothing beneath my feet; my whole body was stretched throughout the abyss, weightless.

Slowly, I started to…sense things. Creatures moving, all around my body. I turned my head minutely, with great effort. I only caught a glimpse of several rather ugly fish, illuminated by stems growing from their heads, before they all scattered in a panic. Why are there Angler Fish in here? I wondered vaguely.

As far as I knew, animals almost never appeared in my dreams. Except for the times when I turned into one, but I digress.

By now, I had realized that I was in the ocean. Somewhere so far down in the depths that not even sunlight could reach me. I felt a flicker of fear and tried to swim upwards, but my limbs refused to move even an inch. I couldn't even feel where they were; it felt like my legs had been fused together. Furiously, I tried kicking, but only managed a small, very uncomfortable motion. However, to my surprise, I felt myself shoot forward a great distance.

Once more I tried to move and received the same awkward 'this is not right' feeling, but I still moved. I angled my body upwards and started moving in earnest, only to be rewarded with the feeling of highly pressurized water rushing past me. Yes! I'm doing it! I thought triumphantly. After several minutes of this, I started to see a faint glow above me. Awesome! The sun! I wriggled, flexed, and shot towards the light. Within seconds, the glorious warmth hit my face as I broke the surface.

All around me was the pale blue of the sky, with the sun shining directly down on me. I shook my head, glad that after the darkness, the light was somehow not blinding to me. Then, abruptly, one of my thoughts pointed out that I had yet to actually blink, so of course I did just that. Or...I tried. I think I actually did blink, but for some reason I could still see the whole time. I craned my head around, taking a good look at my surroundings. Indeed, beneath me was the ocean, with the sky above me and the horizon off in the distance. It was a spectacular view, quite beautiful. Then I noticed that the ocean seemed to be further away than I thought. Was I floating in the air, now? I looked down and saw...

I came awake with a start. Blinking (and noticing that my eyelids seemed to work now), I wracked my brain quickly, trying to remember what I'd just seen at the end, there. Try as I might, though, I could not recall.

After a long debate whether I should get up or not, I finally rolled out of bed and onto my feet. The moment I did, however, I froze. "What the hell?" I whispered. This was most certainly not my room. It was much smaller, for one thing, and darker due to a lack of windows. "What the hell?" I repeated, louder this time. This couldn't be right. I had no memory of us (my family) going on vacation or anything of the like.

Cautiously, I explored the rest of the place. I quickly realized that I was in an apartment, with a decent amount of space (more than I could use realistically) and pretty good furnishings. I won't bore you with the details, but it was a nice place. Now, if only I weren't going out of my mind with fear. Why was I here? Why had I woken up in this place?

I noticed a neat envelope placed prominently on the bare kitchen table. Of course, there was no address, because that would be too easy, but it bore my name. My actual name, more specifically. The sender, however, made my heart pound particularly hard. Rather than a name, the paper bore a symbol. A symbol that was known to very few people, all of whom I knew and none of whom would think to use it. That, of course, was because it was a mark that I myself had invented. An Infinity, bisected horizontally by thin black line- or as I called it, the Negative Infinity.

Carefully, I ripped the envelope open and pulled out a letter. The handwriting on it was unfamiliar, but neat.

Dear [insert Alias here],

If you are reading this, you have no doubt already realized that you have ended up in a strange place. While I can sympathize with your confusion, I must inform you that you are very far from home indeed. Eventually, you will have the opportunity to return, but for now, you are...needed here, in this world. Indeed, this world is different from yours, but you will recognize it soon enough.

Contained in the envelope is a credit card. You need not worry about money, for yours will never run out; it would be best not to be tied down to a job at the moment. Your wallet, similarly, will always have the amount of cash you need. I suggest you not spend too much, of course; don't want to attract too much attention. Your flash-drive (you know the one) has been 'upgraded'- you shall soon realize how. This apartment is yours. All bills for it have been paid; payments will be given automatically.

Your family will not discover your absence, for time has grown still in your world. While I know it is not in your nature, I fully recommend that you get out of the apartment and do some exploring. At the very least, you will need food. I apologize in advance for the language barrier, but given time, that will cease to be a problem.

By now, you must be ever so confused...for that, I again apologize. However, I have a job to do, and I believe that ultimately, you will come to enjoy this experience.

You know who I am,

SD

PS: Keep your dreams in mind.
PPS: The weather is a bit cold.

As I finished the letter, I faintly realized that I had sat down at some point, so engrossed was I in its contents. Taking a deep breath, I stared unseeingly down at the paper as I organized my thoughts.

Firstly, the statement that I was in another world. For an average human being besides myself, this might be met with skepticism or derision. However, I have always been a person who secretly believes in supernatural happenings. Moreover, certain details in the letter dispelled any potential thoughts about being kidnapped somehow.

Taking the envelope, I turned it over and shook a black credit card out onto the table. It was completely blank, but the center glowed iridescently as I tilted it cautiously. However, no other part of it reflected the light above, no matter how I turned it. Trudging into my new room, I quickly found my brown leather wallet and opened it. It was full of bills. However, they weren't the American dollars that I was used to. "Yen?" I muttered, taking one out and looking it over. It seemed that I was somehow in Japan. Joy. It was a good thing that I completed two years of Japanese in college before being transported here. Not only that, but as I looked around, I realized that nearly all of my normal furniture had somehow been transplanted into the room. My computer, my bed, my armchair (which I honestly didn't use all that much), my backpack, my bookshelves, which looked a lot larger than before, and my desk. I mentally added another tally to 'transported to a different world' column, got dressed and left.

Much to my dismay, the fridge was empty, as was the cabinet. Fortunately, I had a good supply of plates and such.

I found a key numbered 204 on a hook next to the door. Obviously that was to lock the door behind me, should I go out. Well...I did need something to eat. Panicking after finding yourself in a strange apartment could inspire great hunger, I discovered. I collected my wallet, plus the key, and left.

As I exited my new living area, I glanced at the plate next to the door. Written on it in Katakana was the word ネセグ. Yup, definitely in Japan. Fuck my life.

Once I left the building, I discovered that the area was pretty nice, all things considered. The sun was shining brightly, with a few clouds here and there, and a few western-style houses lined the street. Venturing off to the left, I quickly found the town area, and started looking for a supermarket.

Inevitably, I passed a large number of people on my walk, all going about their own business. One or two of them gave me a glance or two, but said nothing. I supposed that was to be expected, given that I was the foreigner in this situation and looked it.

My hair was a deep brown, and tended to become quite shaggy when long. Combined with the fact I wasn't exactly diligent in taking care of it, the whole thing ended up looking decidedly fluffy. My soft-cheeked, solemn-looking face had a fine layer of stubble, from neglecting to shave more than once a week. Standing at five feet ten inches, I was a good deal taller than most of the people I encountered, though my bowed head made my height seem less impressive. I was a little on the hefty side, at least around the midsection, but my rumpled black sweatshirt did a good job of hiding my gut. Next most other guys, I would most likely fall towards the lower side of the 'attractiveness' scale. But then, I've never really been interested in a relationship that much anyway. Or at least, so I like to tell myself.

As I walked, my mind drifted to the final part of the letter that I'd found. I could not return home for a long time. That was (presumably) a fact. Normally I never, ever liked being away from home for an extended period of time, especially without my family. I doubted very much that I could last very long on my own without breaking down completely; I was not the most independent person in the world, you see. However...those initials...

SD

Combined with the vernacular of the letter and the Negative Infinity on the envelope, I knew exactly who had written it. Or at least, I could make a highly educated guess. Storia Daisho. 'Who is that?' you might wonder, and well you should. You see, Storia Daisho, like the Negative Infinity, does not exist. He is a character that I made up; a mage of supreme power, nigh-infinite patience and a tongue that could gore a man's conscience at fifty paces. His role is a simple one, most of the time: whatever story I write, he takes my place, recording the events of that story for some vague, indefinable reason. In short, he is The Narrator of all my stories.

But I received a letter written by him. A letter telling me that he needed me, his creator, for a story.

A part of me, the part that loved fantasy books with nearly feverish delight and always wanted to believe that somewhere out there, magic existed, felt immensely gratified and strengthened by this fact. And if this should all turn out to be some sort of horrible prank? Well...I was technically a pacifist, but I would probably snap or something.

Eventually, after searching for a good while, I found the supermarket. It was a good deal harder than it would be in my home country, seeing as the sign above the door was written in Katakana; it took me a minute of staring and trying to decipher it before I figured out what it was saying.

As I searched the shelves for food, I found myself appreciating the trouble my mother went through. Not only was it difficult to read the labels on the items, but it was also, almost impossible to find anything kosher. Well, I guess that last one wasn't exactly vital, so no big deal. If God is displeased with my eating choices, He'll have to take it up with me Himself.

Seeing as I lacked a car, I eventually deduced that I would have to make multiple trips to the market in order to get everything I needed. For the moment, I only got the bare necessity of eggs, salt, egg whites, butter and so on.

Anyway, afterward I paid for the stuff (communication was a little difficult, but well within my skill to manage under the circumstances) and left with several paper bags. The walk back to the apartment was a bit slower this time, owing to the weight of the ingredients. However, I encountered no trouble on the walk and ended up reaching my door on the second floor.

As I searched for my key, a voice said "Oi!" making me jump and look around. A black-haired woman jogged towards me from down the hall, grinning. Feeling an uncomfortable heat about my face, I carefully avoided looking at her properly, lest it worsen.

"Ah...yes?" I said tentatively in Japanese. She asked me a question, but I quickly told her that I only knew a little Japanese. She blinked, somewhat confused, then to my surprise switched to English.

"Is this better?" she asked. Her voice, while young-sounding, had a pleasantly smooth cast to it. There was also a definite accent to it, but it wasn't the thickest I'd ever heard.

I nodded gratefully, repositioning the bag still in my arms. "Yeah, that's a lot better, thanks."

She merely grinned, clearly proud to show off her knowledge of my language, and I felt another wash of heat on the back of my neck. "Heheh, you're welcome! When I learned English in school, I didn't think I'd ever meet a foreigner as my next-door neighbor. Where are you from?"

"Oh, um," I mumbled, finally managing to drag my eyes around to look at the woman. She wore a short-sleeved green shirt which, while not that low in the neckline, fit snugly around her round breasts. Not wanting to get caught staring at her chest, I continued downward, only to see that her lower half was clad in a long, swishy lavender skirt. After that, my nerve once again failed me and I looked away. Remembering that I was supposed to answer a question, I finally said, "I'm from America."

"Eh~?" she sighed, grinning, "Well, nice to meet you. I saw the movers loading all the boxes into the apartment, but I never saw you. You're pretty elusive, aren't you Oji-san?"

Despite myself, my eyebrow twitched. I knew that 'Oji-san' wasn't exactly an insult in Japanese, but it still stung. "I'm twenty," I said shortly, "But I just moved in, so it makes sense that I'd stay indoors for a bit."

"If you say so," she said, smirking, "But all that aside...what's your name?"

Vaguely, I recalled that it was supposed to be polite for the inquirer to give their name first in Japan. I didn't want to come off as standoffish, though, so I merely said, "You can call me Neseg." Shifting my grocery bag (damn it this thing is heavy!), I tentatively held out my hand, "What's yours?"

She smiled warmly and returned the handshake. I couldn't help but notice that her skin was very soft and warm. In fact, that fact consumed my focus so much that it took me a moment to register her reply.

"Nice to meet you, Neseg-san. I'm Amano Yuuma."

And suddenly, I did not feel so hot any more. On the contrary, a chill ran down my spine, spreading to my limbs and the rest of my body.

"Oh," I said, trying to keep my face straight, "Well, nice to meet you, Amano-san. Now if you'll excuse me, I need to put these…" I managed to somehow squeeze through the door and close it without looking like I was running away. Or at least I hope I did.

Once inside, I cursed to myself, legs trembling as a cold sweat broke out on my face. This was for two reasons. One was because I'd accidentally left my groceries outside and would have to return for them. The other, however, was not so mundane.

For you see, in the tail-end of that little conversation, I'd suddenly realized exactly which world I was in. Storia had been right, it hadn't taken long to figure out at all.

I was in the world of Highschool DxD, and I had just met the Fallen Angel Raynare. I had a distinctly unpleasant feeling that my meeting her was nowhere even near a coincidence, especially if she was calling herself Yuuma. There was only one conclusion I could come to. "I really should've stayed in today."

First, though, better get my groceries…

AN: Aaand I think I'll leave it there for now. Once more, I apologize for the fact that this chapter doesn't really have anything in it, but at this point in time, there really wouldn't be. However, in light of that, I will instead wait until Chapter 2 is complete before uploading this.

Summary Notes:
1. My introduction. I ain't givin' my real name, so you can just call me Neseg. That's NEH-seg, or Nessig, just for pronunciation's sake. Maybe someone can figure out why I chose that name.
2. As anyone who remembers them could tell you, dreams can be really weird. Like, you can get really cool story ideas from them, but at the same time they don't really make sense at the time. My dream, while it seems nonsensical, does possess a certain amount of significance.
3. Okay, now here's where things start to diverge from my real self a little. If I were to wake up in a strange house, I would be scared out of my fucking mind. I am not a person who deals with being removed from my comfort zone well. However, crippling terror and a refusal to leave the house a story does not make. At least, not the kind of story that I want to write.
4. Be honest, are any of you surprised that the Gormim are behind this?
5. Most other people, I believe, would most likely be suspicious as hell after reading such a vague letter. I, however, am very easily reassured by such things. You might find it a sad fact, but frankly, but I can easily calm down if a person is polite enough. The alternative is just getting mad, and I don't like doing that.
6. I don't want to hear anything about the money and the apartment. Not a word.
7. I go out to get myself some food. Boring, yes, but I've got my priorities. Exploring a town is not a big one.
8. And then, the big kicker: I meet Amano Yuuma. What does this mean for me? For Issei? That is for the next chapter to answer.

If you enjoy this fic, or at least are interested enough to keep reading (which is doubtful, I know), then kindly leave a review telling me what (if anything) you found interesting. If this did not interest you, then move on, bucko. I need not your negativity.

I might upload chapter 2 in a day or so, to give you lot time to review this one.

North South out.