All materials belong to their respective owners. I only own Shaun and House Leeds.

Chapter 1: Rude Awakenings

I vomited.

Not the most dignified first action to take when coming too, but I think it's a pretty common one. At least, I would assume. I don't really pass out often, to be honest. In fact, this is probably a first.

The sight and smell of my recently evacuated dinner snapped me out of my musings; if only due to the fact that it was starting to make my stomach churn, and guided my attention to the fact that I appeared to be kneeling in grass. It took me a while to process this, and even when I did, I found myself rolling onto my back to see if my mind was playing a trick on me.

It wasn't.

Somehow, I found myself right smack-dab in the middle of a giant field.

I felt my eyes widen as they travelled over my newfound landscape. The previously stated field I found myself in was surrounded by a fair few mountains dotted over the horizon. To my left, I could hear the faint sound of running water. A faint wintry breeze blew through the few solitary trees stationed a few meters away as the grey, overcast sky made the sun fairly hard to pinpoint.

I stood up slowly, holding the jacket I wore close to my body as a chill ran up my spine. This wasn't a place I recognised; and last I checked, it was still August.

I shivered again, but this time it wasn't due to the cold. "What in the actual…" I trailed off as I heard own voice. It was croaky, like I hadn't spoken in ages. Once again, a huge red-fucking-flag. I cleared my throat, almost desperately.

Scratching a strange itch below my nose, I looked around my immediate surroundings. I could question 'What the fuck is happening right now' plenty later, but right now is time to get my ass in gear and act on my priorities.

Priority number one being to find other people. Chances are I was still in England, or at least Britain: and as long as I'm still on the same landmass I can just hitchhike my way home.

The conclusion I eventually came to was to investigate the running water I could still hear. Which I sincerely bloody hoped was a river; and to my (relative) delight, it was one. A really damn big one, in fact. I made my way to the bank and exhaled shakily. I took a moment to scan the opposite bank, feeling the adrenaline start to wear of and the anxiety to begin creeping in.

Luckily, a massive fuck-off stone bridge stood of to my right; about a mile or so away.

I didn't waste time.

I took a running start. Which was a terrible idea, considering the fact that I had nothing to run on. But the gnawing dread that started weighing on my chest seemingly didn't care, as I continued on my anxiety-fueled sprint.

I don't know how long I was running. Time being a relative concept and all, but I found myself at the mouth of the bridge. I looked around wildly a brief second, both nursing a stitch at my side and breathing heavily. Damn, I really am out of shape. I tried to chuckle to myself, but it came out more like a strangled cough.

I started pacing in a feeble attempt to work off the nervous energy I was feeling. I scratched my nose again. The itch was still there, and apparently wasn't going away. Taking my hand away from my face, I noticed dried blood underneath the fingernail I used.

A nosebleed? How hadn't I noticed it before?

"Ho there, boy! Might there be something wrong with your hand?"

I couldn't help but yelp as I span around, clearly amusing the man who had just addressed me. His face was friendly enough: A fairly rounded thing, with crooked spectacles that sat on his nose and eyes that sparkled with mirth; but still felt somewhat off.

"Um, nah. 's nothing." I fumbled out, my throat once again feeling dry. When did I last drink, again?

The man continued grinning, the smile playing at his lips. "I see." He looked to both his left and right, further up the strangely cobblestone road he was riding down. "May I ask what you're doing here? The Great Bridge Of Myrrdin is hardly a place to simply wander around!"

The name sounded familiar, but not in a way that inspired any confidence within me. The man continued, clearly not paying attention to the quizzical look on my face. "Why, it's extremely peculiar! You hardly look to be an envoy of either the Empire nor the Alliance-" I raised my hand to interrupt this.

"Back up a second, what? Empire? Alliance?" The dread was now building up to a suffocating degree. The words continued to be eerily familiar, to the point where I was once again feeling a bit queasy. Wiping some sweat from my brow, I looked the man head-on. He wasn't grinning anymore, instead adopting a shocked expression.

Then a brief second later, he burst out laughing; which was kind of uncalled for.

"What rock have you been living under, boy? Do you not know of the Leicester Alliance, or even the Adrestian Empire- Hang about, what's wrong with you now? Why, you look like you've seen a gho-"

I stopped listening to the man on the carriage as I took what he said in. The Leicester and the Adrestian Empire. As far as I was aware, those two places from were a video game, of all things.

"Boy?"

Oh for fuck's sake, this day just keeps getting better and better, doesn't it?!

If my memory serves (and it usually doesn't), the game this was from was a Fire Emblem one. Three Houses to be precise; and something in my gut tells me this is far too elaborate to be like, a convention or prank or some shit.

"Boy?!"

So, not only was I in the middle of nowhere; I also am operating under the assumption that I'm in a video game, more specifically; one where a massive war will break out, leading to nothing but turmoil and strife and death and blood and-

"Boy!"

I jumped out of my skin as an unfamiliar calloused hand snapped its fingers right in my face. It seemed that my carriage buddy had gotten out of his carriage while I drifted off. Now that I got a good look at him, I mentally confirmed he was in-fact of nobility; on account of his fine clothes and a general high-brow composure. Now I could see his full body, I saw that he was only a little shorter than I was; somewhere below six feet. Bizarrely, his body was fairly slim; despite his rounder face. Not waiting for me to respond, he continued. "Ah, it seems you are back with the living. You gave me quite a fright."

As he talked, he retrieved a white handkerchief from the red blazer he was wearing and offered it to me, I offered him a puzzled look; to which he responded by pointing under his nose. Following his directions, I wiped my nose and inspected it. I was shocked to see a dark red. Another nosebleed.

"Ah, but where are my manners! I have yet to introduce myself. My name is Robert Lafonia Leeds, head of House Leeds of the Leicester Alliance! May I inquire as to your name, and perhaps where you are from? Your accent is most unusual." Wow, Sir Robert. Way to put the random guy you found on the side of the street on the spot.

"Uh, Shaun. Shaun Goodman. Sir." I replied, once again stumbling over my words. I opened my mouth to reply to the second question, but quickly closed it when I clocked that I couldn't exactly answer this question honestly. Chances were that Sir Robert hadn't even heard of England, let alone London. My best bet was probably playing the classic amnesia card. Hell, if whats-their-name from Awakening could pull it off, maybe I had a chance too.

"That's just the thing. I, er, don't know." Despite my usually terrible acting skills, a look of sympathy dawned on the wealthy man's face. He looked solemn for a good few seconds, apparently searching for something to say.

Eventually, he brightened up again. "Well, at least now I know why you looked to be a frightened rabbit!" Was his poor attempt of lightening the mood. He gazed at me expectantly, to which I contorted my face in a way that vaguely resembled a smile.

The man didn't look entirely convinced, but dropped the non-verbal conversation; instead placing his hand under his chin in what looked to be deep thought. It got to the point where I was feeling a little self-conscious, tugging my jacket closer to my body and looking anywhere apart from the man's deep blue eyes.

Eventually, he murmured in affirmation. "Hm. Yes, I guess you will do."

"What was that?"

He smiled widely once again, clapping his right hand on my shoulder (To which I yelped. Adrenaline highs are a bitch, by the way.) "Congratulations, you're being adopted!"

"What was that?!"

Carriage journeys are a pain in the ass. Both metaphorically and physically. The constant bumping was definitely something I was going to have to get used to if I'm going to be staying here for any length of time.

Staying.

I felt a pit in my stomach at that word.

I was very aware of the hardships this world was going to be going through in the not so distant future, and I was even more aware of the fact that I had very few options in getting back home. Unlike Awakening, there wasn't an Outworld Gate just lying around; so that option was shot down before it even had a chance. Maybe the Church?

Nah, probably not. That would require me getting to Garreg Mach Monastery first; and if I remember right that's easier said then done. Also, the Archbishop is a super-crazy dragon lady that would probably eat me before hearing me out on my story of inter-dimensional fuckery.

And that doesn't even begin to cover how much of a shitshow this world will become when the war breaks out. Will I be forced to fight?! I know House Leeds is literally right next to Myrrdin, one of the biggest tactical positions on the continent. Will I be able to keep my head down? Or will I be conscripted to fight and die for somewhere I honestly don't really care about? This whole thing is a mess.

TL DR: I'm stuck here for the time being, in a world doomed to break out into war and that also lacks toothpaste.

It would appear the universe has shat in my breakfast once again.

"You are looking awfully glum there, Shaun." I looked up to see my father of five minutes sitting casually across with me, that wide grin still glued to his face. I rolled my eyes ever so slightly, staring out the window at the slowly passing scenery.

"Yeah, no shit." I muttered, mainly to myself than to Robert. After all, he had taken a chance with me; the least I could do is hold off on being a sarky bastard until we at least got back to House Leeds. Which apparently was a thing that exists, yet was never covered by the game. At least, I don't remember it being covered.

Smelling something metallic, I rubbed my nose. Only a little blood this time, but this is something I probably need to keep an eye on.

A beat passed.

"… Why the hell did you just adopt me?"

"I like to think of myself as a good judge of character."

"That is probably the most unsatisfying answer you could've given."

"Apologies. If you are really so hesitant, the exit to the carriage is right there."

Okay, I kind of deserved that.

It's not like I'm not grateful to the man. Honestly, I am. But how quickly he answered the question would put anyone on edge, post involuntary interdimensional travel paranoia non-withstanding. It was obvious that he had ulterior motives, all I could hope is that they weren't sinister. I looked back to the man in question, and saw that he was staring out of the carriage window, a far-away look in his eyes.

As cowardly as it sounds, I wasn't about to pry. We rode in silence for the rest of the journey.

The carriage came to a stop a good hour or two later, and as I stumbled out of the carriage, I caught sight of what looked to be a hybrid of castle and a manor stood on a lone hill; surrounded by a few dozen smaller houses. Whilst not nearly as big as I would've assumed the houses of families like Gloucester might've been (Though Robert had mentioned that they were a fairly minor House, despite being so close to Myrrdin): it still stood tall and proud, only dwarfed by the mountains stood behind it. I shuddered slightly as some vertigo kicked in, but I was distracted by my traveling partner before I threw up for the second time today.

"Glorious, is it not? Passed down through generations of the Leeds family; going back to when we first split off from House Gloucester." I raised an eyebrow at that, opening my mouth to interject; but Robert interrupted my unsaid question. "Driver! Return the carriage to the stable, if you please." Giving me the smallest of smiles, he began striding to the door; leading me to jog after him to catch up.

He all but kicked the door to his grand abode open, eliciting a yell from the interior. It was only moments before we were rushed by a woman who looked to be in her fifties (Provided people actually lived that long in this world), her face red and her legs moving fast enough that I could almost swear I saw dust clouds.

"Why the bleedin' hell do you hafta be so damn theatrical all the time! Y' scared half to death, y' silly old bastard!" Christ, that voice was like a cat being dragged though a hedge by it's tail; with almost double the saliva input. She was by all means a tiny woman, both short and fairly thin; yet she possessed a presence on par or above most professional wrestler. With her thin red hair, generally dirty clothing and the rag she seemed about to strangle someone with; I took a shot in the dark and guessed she was a servant. Robert tried to put his hands up in apology, but this only served to make her more angry. "And who's this pipsqueak? Some unlucky kid you made with one a' those imperi-"

"That's enough, Sybil; I have pressing matters to attend to at the moment. You are free to yell at me all you want later." I was almost impressed about how impassively the man waved her off, and even more so about how she actually complied; albeit with more than a few death threats under her breath. Mostly involving reproductive organs.

"Do all of your servants treat you like that?" I asked as we continued walking into the house, my previously impressed disposition fading quickly. Robert chuckled in response (Once again not answering my goddamn question) and lead me through winding corridors and elaborate rooms; all serving different purposes. It was clear that the Leeds family was very proud of its admittedly meagre history. Robert descended into many rants about 'My grandfather this' and 'My father that', only stopping when I not-so subtly yawned. One thing, however, did catch my attention.

There was a tapestry of the war for the Leicester Alliance's independence from Faerghus, however there was no evidence of the red that appeared to be House Leeds' signature colour; leading me to believe it separated from Gloucester sometime afterwards.

Honestly, I didn't really pay attention to much of it, save important stuff like the library, training ground and mess hall; stuff that was basically essential to surviving in Fodlan.

Fodlan.

I guess it still hadn't quite clicked for me yet. Cast into a different world, throwing up, then meeting some twat who had pretty much adopted me on the spot. It was downright surreal; mainly due to how many questions it opened in my head. Had I, when playing games, been manipulating real people's lives? Choosing whether they lived or died? Decided the outcome of the past, present and future for these people?

It was a lot of existential dread for a single internal conversation, so I noped out of that ASAP.

"… And this would be your room." The voice beside me announced, snapping me out of my thoughts before I could walk headfirst into the door right in front of me. I looked up at Sir Robert, as if asking him permission. He grinned and nodded, so I inhaled deeply and stepped into my room.

It was… Kinda disappointing, actually.

I guess barebones would be the way to describe it. It was decently sized, but the white walls gave it something of a sterile atmosphere; almost like a hospital room back home. Hell, the only furniture present was the bed; and even then the sheets were the same blinding white. I looked back at Robert, the head of my new house; and he gave me a wide smile.

"I um… Don't know what to say. Thanks, I guess?" The man frowned slightly, also looking around the room. Once again, I felt massively ungrateful. Even if he had ulterior motives, this man had still given me a home. And a rather nice one, at that. Very few people would stick their necks out for some dumb kid they found on the side of the street. Blushing self-consciously, I gave him something akin to a bow. "Thanks, Sir Robert. This is just… A lot to take in all at once."

"Think nothing of it." That same damn grin remained on his face, like he was trying so hard to be nice to me for reasons I don't think I want to know. "Moving swiftly onwards, I assume you're hungry." Actually, that was a good point. I was very bloody hungry. I hadn't even eaten since I first came to this universe, and my first experience here was puking up pretty much all of it back up. So yeah, I was hungry. I nodded enthusiastically to convey this.

He let out a small chuckle. "Good, you are welcome to come down to the mess hall at any time. After all…" He gave me a rather devilish smirk, a far cry from all his body language so far. "You're going to be needing your strength if you are to represent House Leeds at the Officer's Academy." Robert shut the door, leaving me white-faced and not all that hungry anymore.

I slumped down onto my bed and put my face into the expensive looking pillow.

I screamed.

A/N:

Oh boy oh boy, I sure am FE trash right about now.

Hey all, and welcome to this self-indulgent nonsense about some dickhead who falls into a videogame. I know, right? Such a unique concept.

Just as a forewarning, updates are going to be sporadic at best. My life is kinda a mess rn, so please be a little bit patient when it comes to new chapters for this fic.

Also, a big thanks to all those beautiful people at the Treehouse Discord, who were a massive driving force behind me getting off my arse and actually writing this damn thing! It's free for anyone to join, so feel free to: /9XG3U7a