1 Late Awakening

A lack of pain was the first thing Jason noticed when he woke up. The night prior had been his thirtieth birthday and he had one too many shots. Somewhere along the line he had gotten wasted and started talking to a girl. If her laughter was any indication, he imagined things had gone swimmingly. Perhaps she's the one he had thought. At least, that was until her boyfriend had shown up and punched him in the face. The beating that had ensued left him with a black eye more than a few bruises.

Shaking the last vestiges of sleep off, Jason was greeted by the familiar sight of green eyes. "Good morning," he stated as he ran his hand over her soft golden hair. "Last night was rough. Guess I shouldn't have tried to seduce a lady while her boyfriend was watching." Squeezing his slender companion, he sighed sadly while continuing, "You would be the only girl for me, if you weren't just a pillow."

"You certainly woke up late," a voice mused from behind Jason.

Jason froze in the middle of a reply. Ever since he left the orphanage, he had lived alone. There wasn't supposed to be anyone in his apartment. Jumping up from his bed, he readied himself for the worst and was stunned.

A vast swath of stars, too numerous to count, extended in every direction Jason looked. Gaping at the sight, his eyes finally fell on the voice's source. There he saw an elderly woman seated at an ornate table. Garbed in fanciful white robes, the woman exuded a sense of agelessness.

"Who are you?" inquired a weary Jason.

"Have a seat and I'll tell you." The elderly lady told Jason as she beckoned him.

Jason didn't know who this lady was or where he was. Maybe he was dreaming. Garbed in only his briefs, he sat down with his pillow still tightly in his grasp. If he wasn't so tense, he might laugh at himself for trying to protect a pillow.

With a satisfied grunt, the lady began to speak. "I suppose I should start with your question. I am the one who created everything you have and ever will see. You can call me whatever you want. God. demon. old lady. Whatever you decide to call me, I have brought your soul here for an important proposal."

"M-my soul? Did you just kill me?" Jason asked with a pale face. He was still too young to die a virgin.

"Hardly, John Johnson-" Jason flinched as the goddess said his old name, "If you reject the offer, no harm shall come to you. You will wake with no memory of this meeting and someone else will be chosen."

"What's your offer?" Jason questioned while still tense. This was way out of his league.

In response to the query, God laid out her deal, "You have spent most of your life playing video games or watching anime. I have come to offer you the chance to go to one those worlds you are so desperate to get lost in."

"Really?!" Jason exclaimed. It was like a lightning bolt stuck him. Another world, magic, adventure, and romance His mind whirled. Something he always wanted had just fallen into his lap, but It seemed to be too good to be true. Something smelled fishy. He didn't save a kid from a truck or any of the other things he usually saw rewarded this chance.

"Why me? The kindest thing I can remember doing is recycling and that was because I didn't want to get fined." Jason asked trying and failing to curb his enthusiasm.

"You have no one and no one will care if you are gone." God said sweetly. She had gone straight for Jason's liver. "Besides, you did a wonderful thing last night." She added.

"Get into a bar fight?" Jason asked sarcastically.

"No. Your, 'I've fallen in love with you. Please bear my children,' comment scared that women's boyfriend into finally marrying her after 5 years of dating. Truly you took a beating in the name of love." The goddess giggled. It was a tinkling sound you would have expected from a small child.

Jason felt completely embarrassed. He hadn't even remembered saying that. He could only blame alcohol for rotting his brain. It certainly was not anime's fault. Definitely.

Having stunned Jason to silence, the lady continued cheerily, "While I did say you can go to another world, it can't be just 'any' other world. I am using templates, so the world you go to must be known to at least ten million others and you must reincarnate as one of its inhabitants." With a knowing chuckle, she added, "And because this is to relieve my boredom, you can't reincarnate as the same person that someone else picked."

"Someone else? There are others?" Jason asked as a ball of ice formed in his stomach. He had found the catch.

"Nearly all of the people chosen have accepted the offer so far." God's smile became a smirk.

"Regretfully, you slept in quite late or you may have seen some of them here. Less than ten percent are left."

Her words hit Jason like spark. His previously bundled excitement ignited into nervous tension. He hoped he wasn't too late.

"I want to be reborn as Emiya Shirou from Fate Stay Night," stated Jason.

"He was among the first few chosen from that world." God said with an apologetic smile.

"What about Emiya Kitsurugi?" Jason asked quickly.

"The seventh." The elderly lady asserted.

With a sinking feeling Jason began naming off characters from his favorite game. Each name he listed quickly got shot down. Kirie Kotomine, Ryuudou Issei and even Shinji Matou were all taken. Struggling to think of people he might be Jason muttered, "it would be a lot simpler if there was a list," and a list promptly materialized before him. Giving God a grateful smile he looked down at the sheet of paper. As he looked over the list of taken people his smile quickly soured. He hadn't even thought of some of these. Scrolling through the list of names Jason's eyes locked onto Lancelot du Lac's name.

With a glimmer of an idea Jason asked, "Can I be reborn as Emiya Shirou from Fate Zero?"

With a light laugh the old lady replied, "Unfortunately, that world is not recognized by enough people as a separate world."

"What about Fate Grand Order?"

"That world is not well known enough."

"Fate Apocrypha?", Jason Inquired disheartened and not willing to quit.

"Emiya Shirou is already selected in that world." The goddess said with a shake of her head. With a wave of her hand the list updated.

Glancing down, Jason became listless. Not only had most of the main cast from that world been taken, but many of the Fate Stay Night character were selected as well. If only he had woken up sooner. He had missed his golden opportunity because he decided to drink. He was never going to touch alcohol again.

"Perhaps a different world?" God asked breaking his reverie.

Startled into action, Jason stopped thinking about what had already happened and started on what could happen. Who cared if Jason couldn't go to his favorite world? He could still go to a world with magic and adventure. Bleach or Naruto? They both were more popular than Fate Stay Night. Dark Souls? He would probably die immediately… Try as he might, he couldn't really decide on what world would be best. Jason's gaze kept wandering as his mind ran in circle before his eyes locked onto the elderly lady.

"You're a god, right?" Jason asked feeling as if he achieved enlightenment.

"The one and only," God said cheekily.

"Then can you put me in the best world I can go to? One where I can learn magic and be happy and… and… " Jason trailed off. He was unable to voice the rest of his request. It had sounded better and less humiliating in his head. Maybe he should leave the last part out. No. He quashed the idea. "…lose my virginity." He added in a small voice. Even if he could only barely muster the courage to talk to women while dead drunk, he still had his dreams.

The elderly lady seemed to light up as she spoke, "You are the first person to ask me to directly intervene in their selection." She hummed as she thought. "While this avatar is not capable of granting such a request, I can request the information if you wish for me to." She sat up straight and continued somberly, "If I grant this request you will no longer have the option of backing out."

Taken aback by her serious demeanor, Jason waffled in indecision before making his resolve. "I'm sure" He could only pray he wasn't making a mistake. Hopefully God was listening from across the table.

"Then I shall grant your wish!" the elderly lady proclaimed with a wide grin. Expecting something extraordinary to happen with how loudly she shouted, Jason was disappointed when an envelope floated down into her hands. She guffawed as she read the contents aloud, "You shall be reborn into the world of Highschool DXD as Gasper Vladi."

"Highschool DXD?" Jason said as he struggled to remember the plot.

The anime about a pervert named Issei becoming a devil and gathering a harem. Supposedly it had a light novel about it, but he had lost interest after the over the top breast jokes in the anime's first season. He couldn't remember a guy with the name Gasper from what he had seen.

"Who is 'Gasper'?" Jason asked putting emphasis on the unfamiliar name. God snickered and an image of Gasper projected above the table.

Gasper was a short and pale individual. Petite may have fit better, Jason hedged. Shoulder length blonde hair and bright red eyes set into a beautiful face summed up the rest of Gasper's features. All of that would have been fine with Jason if 'he' wasn't clearly wearing a uniform with a skirt.

"A girl? This is best world you think I can go to and I have… have to be a girl?" Jason stammered as unable to properly voice his outrage. He didn't want to lose his virginity like that! He was going to cry.

The elderly lady stopped giggling and said with a severe look, "I do not 'think', I know this is the best world for you." She then added with a mischievous smile, "Beside Gasper is a guy. He was just into cross-dressing."

"A t-trap?" Jason sputtered at the lady's uncustomary seriousness.

He had definitely gotten the only character in the show more perverted than Issei. He could see the perverted Gasper, with his pretty face, sneaking into the girl's locker room. He was assuredly a super ultra-level predator. He wouldn't go down that dark road. He promised himself there would be strictly no cross-dressing. It was an absolute rule.

"Well Now we get to the really interesting part. The wishing stage, time to let your individuality shine." God said while Jason was brooding. Then she added slyly, "Usually I give people the choice of one game-breaking wish or three minor wishes, but you have already made your first minor wish."

"A wish?" Jason asked while looking down.

If he had known about the wishes, he could have just been a random character in the fate world and wished to join the holy grail war. "Can I wish to summon Saber?" voiced Jason as he thought of his childish crush. She was the first person he had ever wanted to help. Even if she didn't want to be saved.

"I can't grant that wish." The elderly lady said wryly.

"What's the difference between a game-breaker and a minor wish?" questioned Jason bitterly. His hopes had been crushed again. He felt cheated.

Turning one palm face up God said, "A Game breaking wish, as its name implies, is something that goes against how the rules of the world. It manifests something you would have never been able to accomplish or create. Some examples of them would be having me grant you a system that lets you level up or, as you wished for, pulling a soul from another world."

Repeating the gesture, the elderly lady continued, "On the other hand a minor wish are changes within the scope of the worlds rules. If something has the possibility to happen within the world you can wish for it. An item falling into your lap, a person you dislike never being born or instantly mastering an ability." Jason had been listening intently to the explanation and immediately latched onto something.

"If I can make it so people were never born, does that mean I can change how I am born?" Jason asked hopefully. Perhaps his fate as a 'trap' could be avoided.

"You will look so cute though. Are you really sure you want to make that your second wish?" asked the goddess seeking confirmation. Jason couldn't nod his head fast enough.

With a wave of her hand, God sent the table and chairs flowing into the floor. Jason scrambled to his feet barely avoiding falling on his butt. In his haste he dropped his pillow and watched it too flow into the floor. This was probably the last time he would see it or Saber. He somberly looked up and was now facing a huge mirror that reflected only opaque mist.

"This next part usually happens when you are reincarnated, but you have to be awake to see the changes. All bodies are made to fit the soul. If the soul is altered, the body too will be altered. What your about to do is mold the body through the soul."

"What does that mean exactly?" Jason asked uncomprehendingly.

"If you do too big a change, it will hurt. A lot. You shouldn't have to worry about it, since your options will be limited to only those possible for the original Gasper. I will give you some privacy," God said as she vanished behind the mirror with a wink. Soon after she vanished the mirror began to glow.

Jason stared at it waiting for whatever molding of the soul was. He hoped it wasn't very painful. The light slowly grew brighter when he noticed something wrong. His last line of defense had been stripped from him without him even knowing. God had stolen his underwear! At least she wasn't looking. He still couldn't shake the feeling she had seen his greatest insecurity. While his crippling self-consciousness reared its head, the light from the mirror reached a blinding degree.

Jason now understood what she meant by 'mold'. It started with a tingle in his skin that spread to the rest of his body. His skin crawled and his bones creaked, as his body was changing. With a queasy feeling his stomach began to twist. From his gut to his heart, his insides shifted uncomfortably, almost painfully, around.

A sharp pain and the taste of blood in Jason's mouth signaled the arrival of his new fangs. Blood had never tasted so good. Had he become some sort of vampire? He became so entranced by the sweet zing of his own blood that he accidentally cut his tongue on his new fangs. By the time he willed himself to stop thinking about the blood the transformation had finished. Looking at his new form, he reached up and touched his check only to feel impossible smooth skin. The mirror now showed a taller Gasper, that somehow looked even more beautiful, staring back at him.

"Why do I look different from the image you showed me and how am I supposed to change my appearance?" puzzled Jason as he looked for an interface of some kind.

"Since you haven't been conceived yet, you don't really have a physical form. So, the mirror will reflect you as you would look like in adulthood," answered an amused voice from behind the mirror. "To change your appearance, you only need to focus on a part of yourself in the mirror and will it to change."

His questions answered, Jason focused on his hair while avoiding glancing at lower half. He had to stay calm and not think about it. It would be a problem he dealt with later. He could shift the color from shades of blonde and change how it grew out. That was all he could do with it. Deciding it really didn't matter much, he left his hair blonde and short.

Moving on from the lack luster hair options, Jason got to the main problem of all traps. Glaring at the impossibly pretty face he was momentarily stumped. Did he make the nose longer or shorter? What about the pointy ears? Fumbling around Jason realized the only thing about the face he couldn't change was the red eyes. He could change their color, but they couldn't be anything other than shades of red.

After a while of trying to make his face less feminine, Jason tried something different. Focusing on his entire face he willed it to be 'handsome'. For a moment nothing happened, then slowly he felt his face begin to crawl. His eyebrows thickened, and his chin became less of a point. Even his hair changed. Staring at his new face he was at a loss. His hair now parted in the middle leaving his face framed by it instead of covered by it. His changes didn't end there. The newly formed bones of his body creaked once more as his body sought to rearrange itself.

While he was waiting for the change to end, he noticed that the cut on his tongue had healed itself. Tentatively he poked his fang with his tongue and was rewarded with a brief pain followed by the familiar taste of blood. It soothed him like a cool breeze on a summer day. Swirling the blood around in his mouth, he felt the wound heal itself within moments.

Jason look over his newly remodeled body. His new appearance was quite handsome if he said so himself. At least it probably was. Maybe he should have paid more attention to what made men attractive. His height had increased by perhaps a foot and his shoulder seemed broader. A lot of things combine to make someone handsome he guessed.

Done with his face and apparently his body, Jason stopped avoiding his groin. Gritting his teeth, Jason turned his sights on the most stressful part. Putting his hand up against his penis he cringed. It, not even reaching his knuckles, was even smaller than in his last life. Trying to not hyperventilate he focused on it and willed it to grow. He hoped it would at least be an average size at the end. The familiar crawling sensation occurred as it began to grow.

It was growing too slowly for Jason. It hadn't even reached his knuckle when it began to slow. Panicking he willed it to grow more as if it might change the final size. Tingling began on his arms and face, but he ignored it. He couldn't take it if he had to endure the heckling again. He just couldn't.

As its length reached past Jason's knuckle, he felt brief relief and then his world exploded in pain. His mouth filled with blood as knives raked across his arms. This was not like anything he ever experienced. Struggling to focus on the taste of blood, he was denied even that relieve as fire ants crawled down his throat.

Just when Jason thought the torture would end, he staggered to his knees. He tried to scream as his groin began to tear itself apart, only to choke on his own tongue. Falling onto his hands, he struggled to breath as pain erupted along his back. Gagging, he managed to dislodge his tongue as it seemed to fall and fall from his mouth. He took big gulping breaths as the pain receded.

Rolling over, Jason just laid there in a pool of blood. Maybe he had been too greedy. What changes could have possibly warranted such pain for him? Staring down at the source of his calamity he immediately realized why it felt like his groin was tearing apart. Hesitantly he placed his, oddly clawed, black hand against his new nether region. He closed his eyes and began to cry tears of joy. His new size was nearly double the size of his hand.

A feeling of vindication welled up within Jason. All the pain and suffering had been worth it. It didn't matter that it was ringed and covered in blunted spikes. It didn't matter if there was two of them. It didn't matter they were swollen at the base or his balls were missing. They would never say 'john john has a little john' again.

Floating on clouds, Jason stood up on wobbly legs and observed the damage. Twitching his long tongue, he felt his new sets of fangs. Black ink stained his legs and crawled up his back to coat his arms. The only places not stained were his face and upper torso. Inspecting his hand, he realized it was tiny scales that now coated his body.

Jason stopped looking an began to laugh. He looked like the cross between a perverted hentai monster, an edgy teenager, and a supermodel. The perfect image for an ecchi anime character.

With a glance at his reflection, Jason quickly dismissed the idea of changing anything else. He was already satisfied with not being a trap nor below average. No need to force himself through that pain again.

"I'm all done with my appearance." Jason said not knowing how to end the process.

Walking out from behind the mirror God whistled while eyeing him up and down. Acting on years of conditioned reflex, Jason covered his groin with his hands. He instantaneously recoiled. Why were they so sensitive?! He became caught in a loop of wanting to shield himself and not wanting to release himself all over the floor. Being bigger had quickly brought him a disadvantage. Deciding to give up he turned his back to the lady.

"A peculiar choice in appearance. Also, if you don't stop hiding yourself, we will never finish." The lady said while bringing back the table. While giving her a withering look, Jason backed up and sat in the chair she provided. Swinging his legs under the table, he was now confidant that his lower half wasn't visible.

With that irritating grin still etched on her face, God added, "What will be your last wish?"

Jason sat there stumped. He couldn't think of what to wish for. Was his character weak or strong? Did he already have money or was he poor? Jason hoped he had a family. He obviously went to Issei's school. He really wished he had watched more of the show or maybe…

Figuring his best bet to get ahead was information Jason asked, "Can I wish to read the novel the world I'm going to is based on?"

"That," God began to say and halted. Cocking her head to the side, she let out an amused chuckle. "is an interesting loophole."

"Loophole?" Unable to understand what she was getting at.

"Technically, the wish is asking for the light novel which is an item you won't find in that world. However, it is also possible, though it would have been very unlikely, for you to learn all that information in your new life. Therefore, the wish could have been both types. A loophole. Although it's not a very impressive one."

"So, are you saying it can be granted?" Jason pressed.

"If you want, I shall grant that wish." The goddess acknowledged.

Thinking he got ahead somehow, Jason nodded his head. Maybe his luck was turning around. Jason gasped as information flooded his brain. Like a light flicking on, one moment he didn't know anything and the next… Gasper Vladi, unlike Jason's previous thoughts, was a lot like Jason himself. Scorned where he grew up, Gasper had fled and lived a big portion of his life in solitude. The only big difference Jason saw, aside from Gasper being a vampire, was that Gasper found friends in the Gremory group. As he sat digesting the information, the light dimmed.

"Now that our business is concluded, enjoy your new life. I will watch your story unfold with rapt attention." God said as information was still entering Jason's brain.

Jason opened his mouth to thank her, yet the words were blocked by the next thing he learned. Gasper Vladi had killed his mother when he was born. This horrifying revelation was the last thing Jason thought as darkness reached out to consume him.