Going Native (Worm Fanfic)

"I am not the protagonist you were expecting. I am not even a background character.".

You know that story where the happy-go-lucky Self-Insert swings into Brockton Bay, then promptly stands up and saves the world using only competence, confidence and the absolute certainty that you are right.

This is not that fic.

Following one too many brushes with the reality of his situation, with no idea who is responsible, and after a vehement Refusal of the Call and all the responsibility that entailed, Ian Sullivan is just trying to get by in Brockton Bay - to survive, to try find his own happiness. But the plot's still coming along like riding on a runaway train... and some things might just be worth standing up and fighting for anyway.

A story based around two simple themes; Knowing how to act, and being able to act, are two entirely seperate things. The anguish from living to other's expectations, and the consequences of making our own choices.

A Worm fanfic by Dartz-IRL. Found Here

Tropes used in Going Native (Worm Fanfic) include:

All There in the Manual: SpaceBattles variant includes extensive author's notes detailing some of the background information, or pointing out various Chekov's guns along the way.
American Accents: Jaeger's attempt at faking a New Hampshire accent notably disturbs Glory Girl. Has also started naturally picking up some of the local affectations...
Armor-Piercing Question. Delivered by Shadow Stalker, of all people.
Author's Saving Throw: After the fandom reaction to the revelation that Taylor had been left in the locker, the story was amended to ensure that Ian was away from school at the time.
Awesome By Analysis: When faced with AM technology, as befits an Engineer, a self-described apprentice of the Tao of Scotty.
Blackmail: Attempted by Sophia Hess when she discovers Akikos secret. Attempted in reverse through an Engineered Public Confession via recorder.
Blood Knight: Parahuman Powers. And a history of violent 'self defense'
Break the Cutie : Akiko.
Chekhov's Armoury: Including a literal Chekhov's Gun introduced in the very first post.
Choose Your Own Adventure: On the one hand, an explicit aversion of CYOA-type fanfics. On the other, the intrepid protagonist eschews the audience-expected adventure, to pursue the goals that matter to him the most, for his own reasons.
Clarke's Third Law: The difference between Tinkertech and regular-tech. Or AM/FM. Actual Machines/Fucking Magic
Cluster F-Bomb. Coupled with a few Unusual Euphemisms.
The Cracker: Akiko. Otherwise known as Info-chan. What she does for the ABB.
Cross Cultural Kerfluffle/Did Not Do Research: 'Peckerwood' is NOT a surname.
Combat Pragmatist: As befits the source.
Conflict Ball: Enforced by Parahuman Powers.
Cool Bike: Ian owns an old Honda CB750 motorcycle.
Cultural Rebel: One aspect of Akiko's character, Simurgh tattoo and all.
Crossover: Technically one with Attack on Titan. 3D maneuver gear, or a variant of it, making an appearance, and the cape-name Jaeger
Dark Is Evil: An assumption made by Glory Girl when she spots an injured Jaeger making his way home, wearing black armoured leather Along with a gasmask, goggles and a stahlhelm-like helmet.
Dark Secret: Akiko Hasegawa. Nagasaki resident. Leviathan refugee. Card Carrying ABB member after her own bullying-induced Despair Event Horizon
Deconstruction: Of the standard "Save the World and make Taylor's life a ton better" variety.
Despair Event Horizon. Through an attempt to Jumped At the Call, and realising just what that exactly doing that would involve.
Doomed Hometown: By virtue of Endbringer attack.
Drives Like Crazy: When you have a Power that lets you reset time, you tend not to worry about causing accidents you can undo on a whim.
Eagleland: A mixture of Type-1 and Type-2. Not just another world, but another country, including a few minor cultural misunderstandings. We're playing a refugee in America.
The Engineer: Ian's life before Earth Bet - a professional engineer. The skills learned still show.
- "I am no 'Fucking Tinker'. I am an Engineer. I cannot break the laws of physics, but I do have the Power"
Engineered Public Confession: Used as a means of group defense against Shadow Stalker.
Even Evil Has Loved Ones: The Empire 88 members beaten by Jaeger and Glory Girl.
Fandom Nod: Several.
Fandom Tic: Used and abused with reckless abandon.
Gameplay and Story Segregation: A print version. Yes, those are obviously The Travellers right there and the narrative knows you're meant to notice that, but at the same time it's noted that you're only getting the filtered version of reality that lets you make that conclusion easily.
Going Native : As per the title, and as per the original implications. Eventually, Brockton Bay becomes something of a home.
Gratuitous Japanese: As befits a fic featuring a Japanese refugee and a western anime fan.
Happily-Failed Suicide: Unable to face up to SAVE THE WORLD along with the COMPETENCE and HARD DECISIONS required, Ian decides to enjoy what's left, makes some friends and actually attempts to make a life.
Heel Realisation: When Sophia Hess decides she wants to be friends, you know you dun fucked up somewhere kiddo.
Interrupted Suicide: By a Trigger Event.
Insult Backfire: Jaeger asks Shadow Stalker if she's had Colonel Kurtz' 'Snail Dream' too. She merely comments that crawling along the edge of a razor doesn't bother the snail at all; it's learned to adapt.
Ireland: Required Reading to understand some of the references.
Knight in Sour Armor: What Jaeger ultimately becomes.
Male Gaze : Jaeger, meet Glory Girl. Yes, we get it, you are sixteen.
MacGuffin: Exactly who, or what is responsible for everything happening. Simurgh did it. But we will never learn that. Or why
Meta Fiction : At times aware of the audience, addressing them directly, and at times consciously hiding details from the audience. Such as the ultimate fate of the elderly man hit over the head by a hurley, or at times trying to justify his actions to the audience, and himself, or the different signal-to-noise ratio between literature and reality that makes some things in print so obvious. Along with a sympathetic Armsmaster-centric Wormfic written in Brockton Bay.
Moral Myopia: Explicitly pointed out in the author notes. Jaeger reduces the Empire mooks to inhuman cardboard cutouts in his narrative, while the narrative attempts to show their human side creeping through.
Mundane Utility: Using a power to reset time by fifteen seconds. Handy for dodging police, driving like a maniac, cheating at pocker, making friends, or brute-forcing reality.
Nice Job Breaking It, Hero: What Ian specifically hopes to avoid.
Noodle Incident: 'Peckerwood is not a surname'. The events of Devil's Night and why they needed to escape from the police.
One of Us: Makes multiple specific fandom callouts. Along with the odd spurt of Purple Prose if something inspires.
Oireland: A Berserk Button. In-universe, and out. A great way to get punched in the face.
Off the Rails : Intentionally trying to avoid this. Before choosing not to care
Painting the Fourth Wall: Ian is aware he's talking to someone from 'normal' Earth and that you're reading what he's writing.
Panty Shot : Noted in the narrative.
Playful Hacker: When Akiko's not 'on the job'
Reality Ensues: Hitting people over the head can easily be unintentionally fatal, not just knocking them unconscious. If you beat people up in school, suspension ensues. The school will call to find out why you mitched. Pissing off local gangs results in them coming after you. If you run a cheating ring in High School, people won't trust you. Serious injuries can't just be magicked away, and they can still be aggrevated years later. Guns are dangerous....
Reasonable Authority Figure: The Faculty of Winslow High School are genuinely concerned over Ian's academic performance in class, and his occasional mitching from school.
Refusal of the Call : Earning your own Trigger Event while being fully aware of what exactly that means has that effect.
Schedule Slip: Theoretically has a 4-week update schedule. Rarely if ever fucking makes it.
Schrödinger's Gun: An intentional aspect of the fic's narrative, some of which are flagged in the author's notes.
Shout-Out: Several:
- Explicit ones to Drunkard's Walk series.
- Borderlands 2. Also serving as Foreshadowing and Irony for those familiar with the source material.
- Apocalypse Now.
- Multiple popular Wormfics, including Security!
Take That: To Oireland, The American Justice system, Rationalists, and The Reader
The Stations of the Canon. Both a specific intent in-story, but ultimately partially averted.
Survivor Guilt: Subtle. He has killed a man in a fight over food while hungry. And intentionally hides this from the reader.
Tempting Fate: 'Enh, I can take you'.
Time Travel. What Jaeger's power appears to be. A resettable fifteen second jump into the past, every fifteen seconds.
This Is Reality: Explicitly noted and specifically a theme. There's a difference between words on a page, and a person standing in front of you. There's a difference between knowing how to act, and being able to act.
Trapped in Another World: As befits a Self-Insert Fic.
Unfortunate Implications: Jumped upon by some readers upon revelation of Akiko's ABB membership, who hadn't noticed her Playful Hacker tendencies.
Unreliable Narrator: Ian's biases come through loud and clear in the narrative.
Values Dissonance: Between the Japanese Akiko and the Irish Ian. Between the Irish Ian, and America.
Wangst: Intentional in-story. If such a thing were possible.
What the Hell, Hero?: The fandom reaction to the revelation that Taylor was specifically left in the Locker.
What You Are in the Dark: With no one but himself, or Taylor to know..... he decided to act, rather than leave her to walk home alone. Setting his own personal plot in motion, when it turns out he's been spotted..
Year Inside, Hour Outside: A consequence of repeated uses of his power. Without the ageing.
Your Approval Fills Me with Shame: A genuine offer to partner with Shadow Stalker and form a vigilante team Frank Castle would be proud of leads to something of a Heel Realisation.