#BUT IF YOU THINK ABOUT IT DARK JAK REALLY STARTED IT ALL

[vtmgremlin]

Ok so I debated all of 2 seconds on if i should post this here or make a new blog for this kinda content but its _fine_ , anyways

Behold

[httpiastri]

PERFECTLY FINE – CHAPTER ONE (BAHRAIN)

genre: fluff, angst, etc.

warnings: hmmm nothing i think

word count: 5.3k

author's note: aaaa first chapter !! i don't rlly like it but still !!!! a very much opener/get-to-know-the-characters/intro chapter, so maybe boring at times idk. still so excited, thanks to everyone who's contributed. love u all <333

author's note pt2: when i write about the different drivers and their living situations, i know it's not all accurate to how they actually live irl. ik i wrote modena instead of maranello here for ollie although idk exactly when he moved, but there are mentions of milton keynes for the rbj drivers bcs it made it easier for me. anyways, just go with whatever i say about how they live lol. also !!!! i changed yn's team from mp to campos hehe. okay now let's start :)

series masterlist

the winter break coming to an end is always a bittersweet feeling.

having a lot of free time to catch up with friends and family is always greatly appreciated, but at the same time, it doesn't take many days before you miss racing after the last race of the season. especially when the season is as short as the f3 season is, and especially when you don't partake in any of the winter-season races.

this year, though, coming back to the paddock doesn't feel as complicated as it most often does. your heart is light and your smile is big as you enter through the gates after the long taxi ride from your hotel, and you already can't wait to get started.

as you make your way toward the campos truck, you greet a few people you meet here and there, but it's the sight of a head full of dark, curly hair that makes you stop in your tracks. "jak!"

the american turns around when he hears your voice, grin taking over his face already. you strut all the way over to him, practically throwing yourself into his arms. "hey there," he chuckles, giving you a big hug.

"oh, i've missed you so much!" you exclaim, giving him one last squeeze before pulling away. "it feels like i haven't seen you in ages."

"right? the break was way too long."

juan pokes his head through the door to the truck when he hears your voices, making some kind of comment about all of these loud teenagers always causing a commotion, before coming down to greet you with a hug as well. "how was your break?" he asks.

"wonderful, really. i spent most of it at home, catching up with family and friends. then me and ollie-" your eyes widen at your own words. you clear your throat, looking away from both of the boys for a second. "well, i went to italy."

your relationship with ollie isn't exactly a secret around the paddock, but it's a bit of an unspoken rule not to mention it too much. both because you all want to separate your personal lives from your racing ones – you don't wish to crash into a close friend like jak any more than you'd like to crash into ollie, after all – and because a certain other driver might be around to hear.

someone who's quite the conflict of interest in this specific topic.

your break truly was wonderful. it felt like the only things on your schedule were skiing in the italian mountains, gym-and sim-training, and just relaxing at home in england to recharge for the next season. you had spent a lot of it with ollie, getting to know both him and his family better. it hadn't taken you long before you were best friends with his little sister, sharing little inside jokes and spending time cheering her on at the stable. and you'd even grown surprisingly close with ollie's younger brother, and you loved seeing the three siblings interact.

they all made you feel truly at home with them, like an extended family. you couldn't have asked for anything more.

ollie was well-known in your family even before the break, especially considering how he was one of the first drivers your father picked out for the academy. and during the break, he only further impressed them; he always helped out with household tasks, he did his best to create connections to every relative of yours that he met, and he even bought the sweetest little christmas presents for your parents and grandparents. however, just the mention of italy in your current conversation is enough to make the dams drivers understand. no other detail is necessary.

when you're done talking about your break, it's juan's turn, and then jak's. during the catchup, more and more people drop by to say hello, and it doesn't take long before there's a full-on gathering outside the dams truck. dennis, another one of your former academy members, and pepe, your new teammate and newly found platonic soulmate, both listen in as jak tells you all about how jetlagged he is after coming back from the states just two days ago. "have you gotten properly settled in with aston?" you ask with a smile.

"totally. it's been great, honestly. even the apartment they found for me is top-notch."

"oh? better than milton keynes?"

jak raises his eyebrows at you, and then he bursts out laughing. "duh." throughout the many years of living next-door from each other, there wasn't a single day when the two of you didn't complain about something the apartment complex. the smell, the noise, the trails of blood in the staircase; not exactly things you'll miss when you move out one day.

"i still can't really believe we're not neighbors anymore," you complain, jutting out your bottom lip as you speak. "i've been so close to knocking on your old door so many times, but now some other freak lives there-"

"hey!" pepe shoves your shoulder, and the whole group laughs. "you're much worse than i am!"

"i'm so glad i finally moved out of there," dennis chimes in. "if i had been neighbors with y/n and pepe at the same time… i don't think i would've gotten any sleep at all, man."

"i didn't get any sleep for four years when i lived there..." jak groans.

"is this your first time in a series together?" juan jumps in, looking between you and jak, but seems surprised when you both nod. "best friends but you've never raced each other? maybe this season is what forces you apart."

"yeah, what will you do if i crash into you when you're in the lead?" jak teases, pressing an elbow into your side.

"then i think a few compromising pictures of you might make their way to the aston martin headquarters..."

when it's like this, being on the same grid with all of these people is so easy. you're all friends, not opponents. all in the same boat with the same excitement and expectations for the season. unfortunately, you know it won't stay this uncomplicated for long. when you're actually out on track in a few weeks, forcing each other into the walls and swearing at each other over the team radios, there won't be any more happy faces.

but for now, you enjoy smiling with the people who are just as much your friends as they are your enemies. that is, until you spot someone else joining your little group.

paul.

suddenly, the smile feels much more forced; the air is thicker and harder to breathe in. and when he makes his way over to you, a lump forms in your throat.

a lump you understand probably won't disappear all season.

the second you're back in your hotel room, you reach for the little dark blue book you've hidden in your bedside drawer. the pen in your hand is one you've had for years, one you always bring with you to every race weekend. the ink has been refilled possibly hundreds of times, but the plastic body has remained the same ever since you bought it.

the journal itself is torn; it's been used and loved for many years, too. it's like an extra best friend, a second home. when you're writing in it, it's one of the few times you feel like you can actually be your true, authentic self – it's one of the few times when you're not afraid that someone will judge your emotions or thoughts.

today, you know what you want to write about instantly.

i saw paul for the first time since abu dhabi.

i haven't been able to stop thinking about him. no matter how hard, i couldn't get him out of my mind. i've been wondering what he looks like now, how his voice has changed, if his smile is still as bright. and suddenly, he was there and i saw him.

the answer? he's just as he always was. and i can't tell if that makes me feel alright or awful.

you're pulled out of your head by the sound of a knock on your door, and you instantly scramble to hide your journal in the drawer again. the second you pull the door open and ollie's gaze meets yours, it's like all of your previous thoughts disappear. it's just you and him again; no one else even exists.

especially not paul.

"are you ready to go?" ollie asks, hands finding your sides as he leans in to press a quick kiss to your cheek. "i found the address of some good pasta place, it's just a few blocks from here."

you nod, your hands landing on top of his and giving them a quick squeeze before pulling away. "i just need to put on some earrings," you start, backing into the room. "will you help me choose?"

"of course."

"carlos set a stunning lap today. did you see it?"

the question makes you roll your eyes, letting out a sigh as you bring out three plates from the cupboard above the stove. your dad has always been quick to comment on anything good regarding ferrari; to anyone living in the max verstappen era, even a sliver of a good result is enough to spark some hope, so you aren't exactly surprised. "yes, dad. of course i saw it."

"i reckon this will be our year," your dad continues as you walk past him cooking by the stove, carrying the plates to the dinner table. "carlos will make them regret getting lewis instead of him."

you can't help the chuckle that leaves your mouth. your mom gives you a knowing glare over her newspaper – don't start anything. you choose to ignore it. "you really think this is how it's going to look next week during the actual race?" you ask. "you don't think max is sandbagging the slightest?"

"i'm just telling you," your dad starts, giving his stew a good stir. the snarky tone in his voice is unmistakable. "don't come home crying to me when you realize red bull isn't going to cut it anymore. if you regret your choices, go somewhere else."

even like this, when you're back home for a few days to catch up with your family, neither of you can stay away from this bickering. your dad is always pestering you about sticking with the red bull junior team, and you never can back down from a fight. you're way too stubborn.

"are you saying that i wouldn't have a place in ferrari if i wanted to?" you set the plates down with a thud, the sound making your mother flinch in her seat by the table. "you would say no to your only daughter, huh?"

"i'm just saying that you'd need to prove yourself to get into the academy."

despite your harsh tones, most people around you think you're just joking around when you act like this; some family-mockery can never hurt, right? however, there's always a hint of seriousness behind it. it's been like this between the two of you forever, and especially ever since your dad became the head of the ferrari driver academy – the rivalry between you two is stronger than ever.

you've always been sure of your choice; you've always felt like the red bull family is perfect for you. but recently, you've started to wonder if staying with the team actually was the right thing for you. what really is your future in the team? it's not like you haven't got great drivers ahead of you, drivers who will be called in for a possible f1 seat before you.

and it's not like red bull has a stellar record of keeping all of their drivers. they only have four seats in formula one, after all.

your dad wants you in ferrari, that much is clear. you may have joined the red bull junior team because of his past with the team; he did win their first ever championship, after all. accepting was the only option when you got the offer to join. however... your dad really wants you in ferrari. there's just something about the brand, the colors and the history that obviously is intriguing for everyone. even lewis hamilton couldn't stay away, for god's sake.

you can't admit it, though. not here, not right now.

so instead, you choose to fight fire with fire. "bullshit," you mumble under your breath before speaking clearly again. "second in the championship last year wasn't proof enough?"

"stop this," your mom says, folding up her newspaper and placing it on the table. you roll your eyes yet again but look back at her when she speaks again. "new subject: how is our dear ollie doing?"

you visibly relax at the question, your heart softening in your chest. "he's good. he's back in modena now, so..."

if it had been your dad asking about ollie, you know it would've been because he's interested in how the academy is doing. but since your mom is the one asking, you know it's real concern and curiosity. "how did he find the new car? did he enjoy testing?"

"not really," you say, slipping into the seat opposite your mum as your dad places the pot of stew in front of you on the table. "though, you know, the prema cars are never that good in bahrain. but he assumes they'll bounce back."

there's something in your dad's tone when he speaks again that makes you stop in the middle of your reach for the ladle. "yeah, so i've heard..." it's almost sarcastic, maybe a bit... irritated?

you turn towards him, a frown on your face. "what?"

"william," your mom says with a shake of her head. she knows something. "let's not go there." but just as you're about to call them out on how strange they're acting, she speaks again: "what do your upcoming weeks look like? for how long will you be back in england?"

anyone with eyes – or even without, to be fair – can tell that they're hiding something. and while your curiosity is killing you, you're not in the mood for a full-fledged fight at this time. you take the high road, which isn't your most familiar way of handling things like this, and try your best to push away any wishes to question your parents. you answer, engage in polite conversations and chat about your upcoming season. then, you thank them for dinner and leave the house after giving them their respective kisses on their cheeks.

but all evening, your mind is on something else. and when you get back home to your apartment, your fingers itch to send ollie a text asking if he knows anything. but instead, you go to bed with a knot in your stomach. maybe it's a topic for another day.

being back in the car for testing was great, but it was nothing compared to being back on the track for an actual race weekend. the first round of the championship was something you'd looked forward to for what felt like years, and now it was finally time. you've never been more excited, or nervous, for any race weekend.

you weren't off to the best of starts, though. qualifying has always been one of your stronger suits, so coming 13th was not a result you had anticipated. thankfully, it meant you had time to practice overtaking and had a good chance of improving your place. having to start right behind pepe and paul in both races was an interesting coincidence, but you were obviously not going to let any of it affect your racing.

though p8 is not the best place to finish, you are actually quite pleased with having gained several positions in the sprint race and taking your first point of the year. the car was, as you knew it would be, very different from the f3 car, although you were surprisingly confident and managed it well despite the circumstances.

paul, too, handled it all very well – p12 to p5 is a great record. and when he sees the timing board and realizes that you also did well considering the circumstances, he's overjoyed. he's practically bouncing down the paddock when he finally gets out of his car, accepting the fans' cheers and the handshakes from his engineers with a big grin. and when he sees you further down the paddock, his mind is filled with memories of the two of you celebrating your good placements in all other categories.

just because you aren't a couple now doesn't mean you can't honor these results together, right?

but just a second later, he realizes that you're surrounded by the familiar red-clad staff members instead of your own campos staff, and you're standing right by that red prema car he knows so well. and, sure enough, soon the person he'd forgotten about steps up to you.

paul watches as you wrap your arms around ollie's shoulders, and his heart sinks in his chest. your boyfriend hides his face in your shoulder and your hand comes up to stroke the skin on the back of his neck. paul can tell how your lips are moving, and the pout you're showing off tells him enough about what's going on even though he can't actually hear what you're saying. you aren't prioritizing being happy about your own race – it's more important to comfort ollie.

to paul, there's something so unsettling about the sight. he's seen the two of you together many times before – besides, he gets tagged in pretty much every picture a fan takes of you with your boyfriend – but it isn't your proximity that he has issues with.

the thing that upsets him is the fact that there's a frown stretched across your features; one that doesn't leave even when you part from ollie, or when you're cheered on by your mechanics, or when you leave for your post-race interviews. a frown that any other time would be replaced with a big, proud smile because of your accomplishments.

the music blasting into your ears from your airpods cuts out the rest of the world, the usually so busy and loud paddock all gone the second you pressed the play button on your phone. it's been your favorite way of getting in the race mood for years; you're not superstitious in many other ways, but your playlist has stayed the same since your first season in f4. walking around the garage, doing your warmups, or even just sitting around and waiting to get in the car like you are right now, you listen to the exact same songs on repeat. it's one of the few things that makes you truly focus on the race ahead of you.

so when you feel two hands on your shoulders from behind, you jump in your seat. turning your head, you're relieved to see the big smile of pepe shining down at you. "did i scare you?" he asks loudly enough to cut through the music, and you barely have time to nod and take one airpod out before he speaks again. "good, that was my intention."

you slide your airpods into their case as pepe plops into the seat next to you, eyes zoning in on the f3 feature race on the screen in front of you. "i'm so upset," you huff, shaking your head. "did you see the start?"

"i heard," he answers just as dino's red car appears on the screen, and he crosses his arms over his chest. "but he's made up ten places already, right?"

"yeah..." you lean your head onto his shoulder with a sigh. "we should focus on the positives. like chris!"

"and like our upcoming race." you can practically hear his grin when he speaks. "i have a good feeling about it."

when you found out that jak was leaving the red bull junior academy last fall, you were heartbroken. he's been one of your closest friends ever since you first met; the two of you have always been joined by the hip, despite how you've never raced in the same series before, and you spent most of your free time either training together or just hanging out. how would you ever get over him leaving you all alone in the academy?

thankfully, pepe joined in the late summer. at first, you were just acquaintances, but something about his personality was too good not to fall for. it didn't take long for him to become one of your closest friends, too. another boy your age, another boy with crazy energy and amazing potential – he filled the void in your heart quite well.

as well as jak's old apartment.

you'd raced each other in f3 last season, though barely ever crossed paths or talked. but living next to each other, doing all of your sim work together, and now even being on the same team meant that your relationship went from zero to one hundred in just days.

this season is your first with campos, while he's been with the team for several years already, and so far he's been very good at helping you get used to everything off track. they took a big chance choosing two rookies for their lineup, and the two of you promised each other to do your best to make them satisfied with their choice. so far, you've gotten one third and eight place in your first-ever f2 race – and you're just getting started.

"i do, too," you hum. "let's go out there and show them today."

paul is beaming when you see him stroll back to the paddock after his media duties. his cap is perched on top of his head – the right cap, finally – and his fingers are still tightly wrapped around the neck of his champagne bottle. when he notices you leaning against the doorframe leading into the f2 hospitality, his smile grows even bigger.

you meet him halfway, arms wrapping around his shoulders easily, just like they have so many times before. one of his arms drapes around your waist and he holds you close, a hum vibrating from his chest. finally, he thinks to himself; this definitely makes up for all of the things he felt yesterday.

"congrats, paul," you tell him. "that was amazing. you were amazing."

"thank you," he says before pausing. then, he lets out a chuckle. "to be honest, i wasn't sure if you would care."

you frown at him when you pull slightly away from him, just enough to look into his eyes. is that what he really thought? that you wouldn't care about his driving? "oh, please. you still mean a lot to me, okay?" your hand moves down to his upper arm, giving it a soft squeeze. "i still consider you to be one of my closest friends."

friends. the word stings like a knife in his heart. it's been months since you broke up, and yet, it still feels like a raw wound.

paul forces a smile. he understands that despite how painful it is, there's something good in it. there's still a place for him in your heart, even if he's forced to share it with someone else.

he pulls you in again, and the hug is even tighter now than before. it's a comforting feeling; you're both at peace, with a good weekend behind you, in the arms of someone so close to you. after everything you've gone through together, but especially everything he has gone through these last few months with the mercedes academy and prema, you're finally through to the other side. "it all worked out in the end, huh?" you ask after a few moments of silence.

"i guess it did." you part from each other to leave that oh-so-familiar gap between you yet again. "will you be celebrating with us tonight? i think pepe had something planned. you know how he is."

you snort. "yeah, i do know. maybe i will." you shift uncomfortably, crossing your arms over your chest as your eyes dart to the ground. "but, um... i'll have to check with..."

you don't even say his name – you don't have to. ollie's entire weekend has been so far from everyone's expectations, and if you know him correctly, he will not be in the mood for celebrations tonight.

paul nods slowly, pressing his lips into a thin line. "right."

the silence that follows is so awkward you can't help but chew on your bottom lip, a tiny sigh escaping through your mouth. he must be hating this, you think – today is supposed to be only a good day for him, he shouldn't have his ex's new relationship pushed up in his face.

"well, i have a debrief to get to," you make up, flashing him a quick smile. "congrats again, paul."

"thank you." he gives you another nod, before turning away and making his way towards the paddock. "pepe will text you!"

and just like that, he's off, and your mind wanders to the thought of actually going out to celebrate. ollie will definitely not join you, though you're not sure why you don't want to go without him. is it because you'd rather stay and comfort him?

or is it because you're scared of what you'll do, or feel, when you're alone with paul for the first time since you broke up?

"p5 is still good, my dear." your mom's voice booms out from the speakers of your phone as you drop it onto the desk, and you can't help but let out a sigh, taking a step back.

"of course, but... i feel like i could've done more." it was both true and not; with paul's five-second penalty, you definitely could've gained at least one more position if only you had stayed within that gap. but then again, a fifth position and ten more points was a great result for a rookie.

"but you'll still be going out to celebrate with your friends, right?"

you ended up telling pepe you weren't in the mood to party, despite his persistent complaints, and decided to instead use the evening for relaxation and recovery. your entire body, especially your neck, has really suffered this weekend – you were already sore after the shakedown, but this is on another level – so a bubble bath and a good night's sleep in your hotel room seemed like a much better choice.

"no, i'm just going to rest a little..." you hum, flopping down on the chair by the desk. "maybe grab something to eat with ollie."

weirdly enough, you haven't been able to get in contact with him all evening. you were told that he hurried back to his hotel room right after the race, not in the mood to talk to anyone on the team at all, so you chose to give him some time alone to cool down before you'll eventually go over there. still, you thought he would've answered at least one of your many texts by now.

thinking about your boyfriend, you suddenly remember something. "hey, mum?" she lets out an affirmative sound. "you remember when i was home last time, and dad said something about ollie and the car? and he acted all weird?" you pause for a moment, but when she doesn't say anything, you keep going. "what was that all about?"

"well darling, we..." you take the sudden silence as a sign that she might not be sure how honest she wants to be right now, and it makes you frown instinctively. she sighs. "we're just a little worried about him, that's all."

your confusion only grows. "what's that supposed to mean?"

"we're worried he's feeling too pressured to impress us." you hear her take a deep breath. "of course, your father is his boss, so it is natural in that way. but we wish he would just see us as any regular parents. he's always talking about racing like there's nothing else in the world, and..."

"that's not fair." you shake your head despite the fact that she can't see it. "that isn't him. he isn't all racing and no fun."

"oh love, i'm sure he is loads of fun, but-"

"i really have to go," you cut her off, standing from your seat. "talk to you later."

you hang up before she can even answer, the guilt in your head from treating your mother like that already pushed away by the anger growing inside of you.

you always assumed your parents loved ollie. sure, you knew they adored having paul over when you were still a couple, too, but ollie is every mother-in-law's dream son. he's from your country, he's a pure sweetheart, he's even in the fda for god's sake. how could they not love him?

and so what if he tries to impress them? who wouldn't do the same?

when ollie opens his door for you, he looks like he's just woken up from a bad night's sleep. bed head, bags under his eyes, and just a general aura of tiredness. if you didn't know better, you'd think he was an insomniac. but thinking back to how badly his race went, the sight of him just makes your stomach churn.

your arms wrap around his neck in an instant, pulling him into your warm embrace. you feel the tension in his upper back release right away, and ollie's hands find your sides, giving you a light squeeze. you refrain the urge to pull away when he nuzzles his nose into your neck, standing strong against your usual ticklishness, and your heart softens slightly when he lets out a deep sigh into your skin.

"you okay?" you finally manage to get out, and his answer comes in the form of a nod against your shoulder. "is there anything i can do for you?"

he pulls away but stays so close that you feel his breath against your face; so close that you're both slightly cross-eyed when your gazes meet. "stay with me?"

your answer is expressed through the fleeting kiss you press to his lips, your way of saying of course. ollie doesn't waste any time pulling you into his hotel room, and you flop down onto the bed with him. he sits up and watches you lie down against the covers, your head nestling into the pillow. "tell me about your race," he says as he reaches down to take your hand, his fingers slipping in between yours. "eight positions gained, huh?"

of course he doesn't want to talk about his own race. but the fact that he's willing to think about racing at all, just to let you have a chance to talk about how well you did and boast a little; it all makes your heart flutter.

and you're sure, you're so sure that he is so much more than just a racing driver. he's not what your parents think he is. he's an incredible racer, sure, but he's also the sweetest man you've ever met. the perfect boyfriend.

even when he's feeling like this, he takes his time to still pay attention to you and ask questions. and then he listens, he really listens, because he wants to understand every inch of your mind just as well as he geeks out about every detail of apexes and tyre degradation. and then he says just the right things, the things to sweep you off your feet yet again.

he's so perfect that he's incredibly easy to love.

so why is there a knot in your stomach at the thought of the race – and more specifically, the person on the last step of the podium?

why does your mind keep running back to how he's celebrating, and what it would be like if you'd been there with him?

yourusername just posted!

yourusername double pookie podiums & good points in the bag! thanks camposracing for a great car ❤️ we go again in a week!

show all 81 comments

user top job this weekend!!

‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎

user i will stop hating on red bull if either of these get into f1

→ user red bull juniors >>> anyone else

‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎

user what happened to ollie though 😭

→ user it's just the first round, calm your horses

→ user why always bring up ollie on her posts... is that all she is, ollie's gf? 😐

→ user forreeaaalll

‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎

redbulljuniorteam y/n and pepe making us proud 🥺

→ user pls admin you're making me cry

→ yourusername me too 😭

[radioactivepeasant]

Free Day Friday: untitled Jak oneshot/ Daxter Snaps And It Doesn't Go Well

(This takes place right after Jak finally gets to return to Spargus in Jak 3, because I had some Feelings about the Dark Eco Oracle and its well-loved shrine having been either moved or destroyed in Haven. Also for reference: since the original Jak concept art was a cat/foxlike alien child, hence the ears being set so high on his head in TPL, I'm hereby deciding that their species can purr. Because I said so.)

This is Quite Long, so I'll probably crosspost to AO3 later.

TW: panic attack

Jak hadn't been surprised by the summons when he'd returned from Haven. He knew he was in for it. Damas had started trusting him with more and more responsibilities and then Jak had screwed it all up. Running off to Haven and then getting stuck there immediately after? Not a good look.

Honestly, Jak was just grateful he wasn't being "escorted" up by city guards.

Part of him wanted to go in fighting. That's all Damas cares about, right? a small, bitter corner of his heart muttered.

The rest of him was too afraid. He finally knew better than to look to anyone in Haven for affirmation or examples. Damas had been the closest he'd ever come to an authority figure he trusted. What if he lost that, too?

The second his and Daxter's heads were visible in the elevator shaft, Damas was already raising his voice. Perhaps he was simply projecting his voice to reach them, but Jak's stomach twisted into knots regardless, and his breathing became quick and shallow.

"Where have you been?" Damas demanded, rising from his throne. "It's been a month!"

The elevator locked, and Jak crept out onto the pathway like a skittish animal. He didn't meet Damas’s eyes. The confused anger and hurt he'd seen in them the last time flashed in his memory, and he winced. An oppressive silence fell for a few unnaturally long seconds, punctuated by the creak of the water wheel. Damas was waiting for an answer.

It's not our fault, Jak tried to reassure himself, Just another betrayal. We didn't do anything wrong.

When he didn't answer Damas, the king’s expression twisted between outrage and disbelief and-

And disappointment.

"Nothing? Really, Jak?" He took one step down from the dais, clenching his fist at his side. "Why didn't you tell anyone where you were going?"

Daxter took it upon himself to answer when Jak wouldn't -- or couldn't.

"Oh lay off!" he hissed, puffing himself up to look bigger, "Don't you have friends to kill in your gladiator ring?"

"Dax!" Jak gasped. Too late.

The words were already out and a black look fell across Damas’s face. His entire posture went rigid.

"Excuse me?" he asked in a frightful facsimile of calm.

"Daxter, don't," Jak pleaded, but it was far too late for that. When Daxter got this mad, he didn't even hear Jak.

"You heard me!"

Daxter leapt off Jak's shoulder and stood on the first stepping stone as if blocking the way between them.

"You tried to make us kill one of our only real friends, and threw a tantrum when we wouldn't! And if you think I'd trust you with Jak's location after that, those spikes must be diggin' into your brain!"

Jak couldn't breathe.

Either Damas was going to cut them off, or Daxter was going to get hurt, and either way everything was going to crumble. He'd finally escaped Haven and there was going to be nothing to escape to.

His core pulsed, obeying signals he didn't even know his brain was sending. It tried to respond to the fight-or-flight instincts quickening his pulse and shortening his breath. In Haven, he would have gone Dark in response. But he'd used all the dark eco. There was nothing left. Nothing but adrenaline and panic.

A strange, almost echoing sensation pushed at the inside of his skull, and the room spun. He couldn't breathe. His lungs felt like they'd been fused shut. He couldn't breathe!

"Jak!"

Between blurs of brown and green, Damas -- or an unfocused and staticy version of him -- approached rapidly.

As if from another room, Jak heard Daxter snarl, "Stay back! If you hurt him, I'll rip your spikes out!"

"I wouldn't hurt him!"

"You already did!"

It was too much. He couldn't- he couldn't focus. He couldn't find the light eco. Jak's knees gave, and it was a struggle to stay upright. Hands caught his upper arms, preventing him from collapsing entirely.

"Breathe, Jak!"

Damas sounded worried this time.

"You have to breathe!"

"Can't-!" Jak gasped, breath squeaking.

Then the world turned sideways and he was in the water. Or partly in the water.

His legs twitched with the shock of the new sensation, surprising him enough to suck in a deep breath. A compressing sensation against his chest and arms tightened in response.

"Focus on the water. Find your feet."

It took four tries to get his boots on the rocky bottom of the pool. His chest hurt, but he managed another deep breath.

"That's it. You can do this."

A small hand took his, pulling against the pressure around his shoulders, and pressed it against a narrow chest.

"L- like we practiced, bud-"

Oh. There's Daxter.

"Just breathe when I breathe, remember?"

Distantly, he heard Damas ask Daxter, "Has this happened before? In- in Spargus, I mean."

"Don't think about it, warrior," the other voice encouraged -- Damas? Is that Damas? But he's mad at us! -- "Just do as your friend does."

"If Jak wants to tell ya, he'll tell ya," Daxter said sourly. "You and I are not on speaking terms right now."

"...that is understandable."

One by one, his muscles relaxed. His breathing was much too fast, but it was easier to get full breaths at least.

When the ringing in Jak’s ears at last began to subside, he picked up a new sound. It was faint, barely audible at all, but he could just make out a nervous rumble. A laryngeal vibration he could feel through the back of his shirt. With conscious thought on standby mode, Jak's body responded to long-forgotten cues unbidden. His glottis rapidly dilated and constricted with his breathing, creating its own vibrations in a bid to self-soothe. It was how he'd learned not to cry out loud as a young child -- although blessedly, he would never remember that.

It wasn't the first time Damas had walked one of his people through a panic attack in the throne room, and it wouldn't be the last. But this one hurt.

"You're safe. There is no danger here. This is a safe place."

Shame raked its claws down his chest and Pain reached through the incision, grasping at organs and prying bones out of the way.

Jak didn't trust him.

And it was his fault.

"I'm sorry," he whispered- to Jak, to Daxter, to either-

A memory loomed damningly before his eyes. Mar had just started walking, and nearly toppled into the pools. Damas had yelled at him to get away from the edge, and the baby had burst into a loud, terrified wail.

"I'm- was it the shouting? I-"

"I'm sorry, it's okay, it's okay now- I know, I used the Big Voice, Daddy's sorry! You scared me, Bug!"

He hadn't gotten any better after losing Mar, had he? He still shouted when he was afraid. And look how that had turned out.

Damas tightened his hold on Jak and rested his chin on the crown of the boy's head. The apologies were bitter on his tongue, but necessary.

"I...I triggered this, didn't I? I'm sorry- gods, I'm sorry, Jak. I'm- you scared me. I couldn't find you! No one could!"

"You...thought we defected?" he asked through numbed lips.

The panic was slow to fade, still muddling Jak's mind. He couldn't quite make sense of what he was hearing.

"I thought the Marauders had taken you! Or you'd collapsed somewhere in the Wastes where we couldn't find you!" Damas answered. The dregs of that old fear still stained the edges of his voice. He shuddered.

He swallowed hard, interrupting the agitated purring for a moment. "I...did not handle the...situation as I should have. I damaged your trust. And I deserved worse than the silent treatment. I understand that. But to keep it from Sig, too?"

"You can't just run away like that! I- I understand why you didn't tell me-"

Painfully slowly, Jak drew his legs back out of the water and onto the rocks.

"They wouldn't let me," he mumbled. "They didn't let us leave."

Damas shot a concerned look at Daxter, who shrugged and looked away.

Shifting his grip to have one arm around the boy's waist, Damas heaved himself to his feet, taking Jak with him.

This promised to be a very unpleasant conversation, the least he could do was find them somewhere more comfortable to sit.

They were silent for a time, each processing the whirlwind of events. Jak was deeply, thoroughly, confused. No one had ever apologized like that before. Acknowledging his pain and the specific way their actions had caused it? It would be a cold day in hell before Samos ever did anything like that.

He didn't understand.

They'd defied Damas, then run from him. Daxter had just challenged him to his face.

Yet he spoke like a man anxiously awaiting the return of a prodigal son.

"Who wouldn't let you leave, Jak?" Damas asked him, far too gently.

Jak shut his eyes. "Haven."

"Haven?!" Damas sounded horrified. "What were you doing there?! Is that where you've been this whole time?"

Miserably, Jak nodded. "I was just- we were just scouting. Just- it wasn't supposed to be-"

He gritted his teeth.

"They locked down the air trains," he croaked. "And- and there's force fields blocking off the city exits. The only way they'd let us go was if I fought on the frontlines for three weeks first."

Fighting down his anger lest he trigger Jak's panic again, Damas forced himself to ask, "What made you go back to that city in the first place?"

A hostage. His boy- The boy had been a bloody hostage, and he'd had no idea! Damas felt something dark and dense fluttering between his ribs. If he found the person who ordered this, he would drown them in the sands.

Jak winced and passed several looks back and forth with Daxter.

"Ashelin...called me to the oasis," he said at last.

Damas stiffened beside him.

"She want- she wanted me to come back to Haven. After everything they did to me, she wanted me to come back."

He felt the hints of the anxiety returning, and wrapped his arms around himself for comfort.

"Ashelin Praxis?" Damas demanded. He curled his lip. "I might have known. I hope you told her where to shove that offer."

Daxter scoffed. "Oh, he did. Even told her "I have new friends now", which was a little too generous considering what you said to my pal."

Jak gave the ottsel a weary look, and Daxter grudgingly subsided.

"I told her to leave. She- she wouldn't drop it. Said the friends we still had were going to die. That it was my responsibility because of-"

He flipped a hand in the air in frustration.

"I don't know! Dead people I share some common blood with!"

"Pal, I'm pretty sure that common blood stopped bein' responsible for that dump when Princess Scribbleface's darling pappy took over," Daxter grumbled.

"Common blood?!" Damas startled, but Jak had already moved on, hastily trying to explain himself.

"We didn't believe her -- I- I mean, why would we? But when I asked the Oracle in the temple-"

"How did you find the Oracle?!" Damas spluttered.

"The stupid thing called me," Jak growled. He leaned forward and pressed his face into his hands. "Said the whole planet was in danger and my friends would die if I didn't find the catacombs."

He muffled a snarl in his palms.

"I hate them. I hate those rottin' things. They don't tell me when something is a trap. They only tell me what fits their agenda."

Jak could speak to Precursor Oracles.

Only monks were supposed to still be able to do that.

Monks, or Heirs of Mar taking the Trials.

"And...was it a trap?" Damas asked, fearing he already knew the answer.

A painful, wishful image of Jak in the Tomb of Mar wormed through Damas’s thoughts. If life had any semblance of fairness, or restitution, it would have been reality. It was not what he deserved, not after how many times he'd failed the people he cared about. But Jak deserved it. He'd been isolated enough.

Jak's face was like stone.

"All they cared about was getting me into Haven to find the catacombs before that nutcase Veger could. And all Haven cared about was keeping us there."

A deep, ominous creaking filled the room. Harsh shadows stretched and yawned as the terrible old statue beside the dais flickered, then lit up. A suffocating sense of dread filled Damas as he beheld the monolith. It wasn't a real Oracle. It was a shell, made to hold pieces of the water wheel. It wasn't made to have any kind of lights.

Daxter yelped and scurried up to Jak’s shoulder as the water wheel ground to a halt.

The silence was unnatural.

Jak's chest heaved, and Damas feared for a moment that he was going to panic again. But an answering light flickered in the boy's eyes. White, incandescent rage.

"What do you want now? You're not welcome here!" Jak snarled, standing up with a jerk.

"Angry one-"

It said in warning, a rolling, ancient voice that echoed off the stones and twisted in their eardrums.

Jak clenched his fists.

"No! I'm not afraid of you! You're no "holier" than Onin. You aren't even a Precursor!"

A sense of fury shook the room, and the water trembled.

Jak held his ground though his legs shook.

"You can't do anything to punish me," he challenged, angry tears glowing in his eyes. "The worst you can do is withhold information that would protect me, and you do that anyway! If- if you had power at all, you wouldn't have let Veger destroy Crius!"

Crius? Damas vaguely remembered that name. Hadn't he been one of the Bonekeeper's heralds? The memories were fuzzy at best. Father forbade Mother from speaking of the Bonekeeper when they married. Any communing with the patron of dark eco was done in secret, and as a child Damas had only caught her once.

"The dark shrine was all those people had!" the anger was slipping away from Jak now, replaced by something closer to grief. "He gave them hope! He gave- he gave me hope! And you couldn't save him. So what makes you think you can scare me now? Hu'mens are worse than you."

And the Oracle, miraculously, quieted. The waters stilled, and some of the dread receded. Jak fell back to the steps, having exhausted the last reserves of his emotions.

"Yeah! You tell him, Jak!" Daxter cheered, breaking the silence, "About time you put Sparky in his place!"

He ruffled Jak's hair -- the hair he could reach at least -- and leaned against his arm comfortingly.

"Next, we get Loghead!"

The Oracle remained lit, but speechless. All this time, had rebuking the heralds really been an option? Ever the pragmatist, Damas decided to follow Jak's example.

"As the boy said." His voice was quiet at first, but gained courage with each new word.

"This is not a place of seers and soothsayers. Respectfully: we do not require your guidance at this time."

"Heir of Mar-"

the Oracle began, almost wheedling.

Rage loosened his lips and he lost the last shred of reverence he'd held for the messenger.

Jak went rigid and Damas felt an anger of his own. How dare this entity try to leverage his bloodline when the Precursors had turned their backs on him!

"Hold your tongue! Unless you can comprehend the trouble you have caused, keep your counsel to yourself."

Resentfully, the Oracle's eyes flashed.

And with that, the lights were gone. The water wheel resumed its gloomy rhythm. The statue was hollow once more.

"So be it. You wish to hear no truth from me? Then you, Damas of the Wastes, shall hear no truth from me."

Something about the acquiescence -- or threat -- made Damas uneasy. Withholding information again, just as Jak had said. But he had the feeling it was hinting at something important. Taunting him.

Bloody seven hells.

He'd sooner cast the bones himself and call upon the Dark Lady directly as his mother once had than ever deal with that thing again.

"Little wonder you're always so on edge, dealing with that," he said; a poor attempt at a joke.

Jak dropped his face back into his hands.

"I'm so sick of them. Jak do this. Jak go there. Suffer for us, Jak! It's Fate!"

Damas scoffed. "Fate, eh? Wastelanders make their own fate. If this is who my monks consult, it's no surprise that they believe the world is coming to an end."

"They are pretty worried about the creatures in that space ship," Jak admitted reluctantly.

"Bah."

Damas waved it off.

"When the metalheads invaded our world, we survived with or without the Precursors they hunted. We will do the same if these creatures land."

He jostled Jak's shoulder -- shaking Daxter by proxy.

"Ey! No manhandling!"

Daxter slithered away down the steps and into the water. He glared up over the step like a little croc.

"You keep your emotionally constipated hands away from me!"

Damas let out a startled laugh, and Jak shook his head and grinned.

"I...guess you're right. Spargus is pretty tough."

"We are Wastelanders, boy," Damas declared, "We carved out a home in the places where nothing else survives. We'll carve out our fate the same way, with the same tools our ancestors used."

"...with eco," Jak said quietly, as if experiencing a revelation.

"Our minds think alike."

Damas’s wry grin faded.

"Jak...I'm...sorry. That I made you feel you couldn't contact me for help. If I had known you were being held in Haven against your will, I would have come for you."

The boy fixed him with a bewildered expression.

"You would have?" Jak asked, "You're serious. You. Leaving your people to come after me?"

The king met his stare evenly.

"Yes."

"After the- the thing, with the Arena-?"

Damas winced and looked away.

"I. I did not warn you, I was not permitted to. But the final trial of a Spargan is one they are supposed to lose."

Jak bristled. "What?!"

"It's a test of whether they can put loyalty to their city over the commands of a tyrant. Sig wasn't supposed to throw down his gun, he was supposed to goad you into a sparring match." Damas ran his hand over his shaved head. "I should have told him before he went in that it was you. I didn't know that you knew each other, but- maybe he wouldn't have panicked if he'd known it was a Final Trial. Maybe I wouldn't have panicked."

Jak stared at him in disbelief for several seconds. For reasons he couldn't quite explain, he blurted out an accusation with no bite to it.

"What, did you forget I didn't grow up here?"

When he was met with chagrined silence, his eyes widened.

"Oh my gods you did. How?! You're the one that found me out there!"

Clearly embarrassed, Damas shrugged his shoulders. "I don't know what to tell you. There are days when it just...seems as though I have known you for much longer than seven months."

Jak took that statement, turned it over in his mind. The version of Damas in his head wasn't quite matching the one in front of him. Even before things had become strained between them, he hadn't had the context to understand the way Damas saw him. He still didn't- not completely.

"Sorry," he said suddenly, and gestured to the soaked trousers. "I um. I don't usually...not in front of people, I mean-"

He leaned back against the stairs and stretched his legs out before him. The linen stuck to his legs in sodden wrinkles and folds, nearly transparent against his calves. It would dry quickly once he stepped outside again -- and the evaporating water would serve to cool his skin nicely. But for now, it drew his mind to his panic attack.

"Don't apologize." Damas laced his fingers together loosely and leaned his elbows against his knees. "May...may I ask what it was that sparked that kind of fear?"

Jak met Daxter's eyes, down in the water. The ottsel winced. He knew he'd taken it too far. He was just so sick of people acting like Jak was a trained dog with no autonomy of his own. And sometimes his desire to protect Jak’s emotions didn't mesh completely with what Jak needed at the moment.

Jak broke their gaze and began to pick at a scar on his elbow.

"...thought I was going to have to choose sides. Between you and Dax."

"Why would supporting Daxter cause you to panic?" Damas pressed.

"Because," he muttered with a shrug.

He'd assumed without question that Jak would take Daxter's side. Jak didn't know whether to be amused or grateful or just tired.

"Because?"

"Because I- I wanted this to still be home." Jak made a vague gesture encompassing the room, and its occupants.

"This is your home," Damas insisted. He glanced to the empty Oracle with a thoughtful frown.

Something lingered in the corners of Jak's eyes. A concern he wasn't voicing. Did he still believe he could be so easily forsaken?

"If this is where the desert brought you, then this is where the desert meant you to thrive."

But then, he had been cast out of Haven on the flimsiest of pretenses. His faith in hu'menity was shaken. For a moment, Damas considered changing the subject. He could talk about the coming trials, give Jak something else to think about.

Or he could meet him on his level. Show him the same vulnerability he'd so unwillingly displayed.

The words stuck to his tongue, stabbed like needles into the roof of his mouth as he forced them through his teeth.

"I...had a son. Some years ago."

"Had". Was there ever such a horrible word?

"He was like you -- or, he would have been, when he was older."

Under his breath he added, "if he ever got the chance to get older."

Jak's brows knit together, then went slack. From tiny pinpricks in the centers of his eyes, horror flooded out to the rest of his face.

"You have a child?"

After a moment to collect himself, the king nodded.

His head dipped lower, nearly brushing the steeple of his fingertips.

"I did. He was taken from me, by some of the same people who seem to have orchestrated your own suffering."

"I pray that my son still lives but- he was so young. So small. So-"

Damas’s voice cracked.

"So very small."

Guilt played across Jak's face for a moment, then was swallowed up by a deep sadness that welled up from within. Haven was a city of devils. He wondered if Damas’s child had been taken during the time when Praxis was snatching children en masse in his search for Jak's childhood self.

Did that make it his fault that Damas was so bereaved?

"That's-"

That's not fair. It's an abomination. Hurting a kid should be enough to make the Precursors strike you dead on the spot. Errol should've died the first time he put me in the Chair-

Jak's thoughts spiraled out of control, and he had to fight to return his focus to the moment.

"That's terrible."

Inhaling sharply, Damas raised his head and straightened his spine. One warm, callused hand found its way to Jak’s shoulder and squeezed.

He felt his throat closing up, snapping his voice into grating pieces.

"The reason I tell you this is so that you will understand this: It would take more than a little teenaged defiance to make me turn my back on you."

"I lost my son, Jak," he croaked, "I cannot lose you, too."

The laryngeal vibration began again -- from Jak, this time. The nearly autonomous response was as much a subconscious desire to comfort Damas as it was self-soothing. Even so, his chest ached dully. How old, he wondered, had Damas’s son been when he was taken? He must have been so scared! Did he call out for his father? Did Damas call out for him?

"In...war," Damas said hesitantly, "Sacrifices are sometimes required of us. In my case, I had to stay and rebuild the part of the wall the attackers destroyed. To protect thousands from the storms and the Marauders. I knew that, but it still took days for Sig to convince me to send him to Haven in my place."

"Yeah," Jak muttered, "I know about sacrfices."

But Damas shook his head. "It's hardly a sacrifice if someone else chose it for you out of convenience. That's just betrayal."

Silence fell again, but there was no tension to it. A sense of introspection lingered between them, each consumed with his own thoughts. Even Daxter's anger had muted itself -- now overlayed with guilt, berating himself for jumping to fight Jak's battles without bothering to see what Jak himself wanted.

The moment of quiet ended with a crackling of the city radio from which Damas monitored all official channels.

"Oh not now," the man groaned with a most unkingly attitude. "Can I have a moment of peace?"

"No way," Jak scoffed, finding a glimmer of humor in the situation, "You jinxed it by letting us take a break. Now something crazy is going to happen."

Damas narrowed his eyes. "Boy, if you will that into reality-" he warned, with no real way to finish the threat.

The second he picked up the receiver, he knew it was going to be a headache.

"Sire! We've got three different Marauder patrols converging on the city gates! There's a fourth on the radar crossing the river now!"

Daxter pulled himself out of the water and cringed. "How many cars is that?"

"Twelve, at least," Jak gulped.

Damas did not take this information the way he normally would have. He seemed to be fuming as he stood up and stomped up the stairs to retrieve his staff. Jak could hear him muttering under his breath.

His voice rose to something more audible. "I'm not in the mood for this, Egil," he snapped, addressing the thane of the Marauders as if he were present.

"Not the time, Egil, this is not the time to test me! Just got my kid back, got threatened by a bloody Oracle-"

Jak decided, for the sake of being able to focus during a fight, to just pretend he hadn't heard Damas referring to him as his own kid. He could come back to that and freak out later. Right now, there was a fight to be had. He held an arm down for Daxter to use as a ramp, then stood.

"Where do you need me?" he asked.

Damas gave him a searching look. For an instant, his gaze flicked to the lifeless Oracle. That seemed to reinforce his resolve.

"With me," he said shortly. "We're taking the Dozer. You're on the turret gun."

The way Jak's -- and even Daxter's -- eyes lit up almost made up for the hassle Damas knew this skirmish was going to be. He cast one last look at the Oracle before shepherding them to the lift.

Keep your counsel, he thought, and I will keep mine. I don't need your permission to add a son to my House. What of that, eh? The Heir and your renegade Pawn allied against you!

"Hey, maybe I should drive," Jak suggested as the lift began to move."

"Hm." Damas pretended to consider it. "No."

"Why not?!"

"You can't reach the pedals yet."

He could have simply explained that he preferred to drive his favorite vehicle himself. But, the slightest bit giddy at the thought of open rebellion against fate, Damas instead bent slightly to offer a teasing grin.

"What?! Oh come on!"

The elevator sank out of sight, and the water wheel trembled. The statue vibrated and the pools bubbled and boiled with the helpless fury of a falconer whose birds had long since slipped the jesses to fly free. But the boy had not spoken falsley: it was not a Precursor, merely the echo of one's memory. In the face of hu'men defiance, it was helpless to retaliate in any meaningful way. Even withholding the truth of the Hero's identity had been robbed of its intended effect, considering the Fallen Heir and the Hero had gone ahead and reformed the broken bond between them anyway!

The Oracle could not comprehend their motives, nor could it ever hope to understand the complexities of the hu'men mind.

It could only watch and seethe.

[pxperplxnets]

lia alfonso character headcanons/facts:

-she has raging adhd

-shes pansexual

-also demi-gendered (she/they)

-shes argentinian

-her favourite colors are dark blue and sage green

-her favourite fruit is passionfruit

-she always watches argentinian football matches

-doesnt matter where she is, she watches them religiously

-sleeps either with one of ollies shirts or with her own oversized shirts

-her favorite animals are capybaras

-her favourite drivers of all time are michael schumacher and kimi raikkonen

-when she counts she always starts in english but changes to spanish when she gets to 13

-”eleven, twelve, trece, catorce…”

-i know thats oddly specific but i do that and i feel like she would too

-she kind of just forgets how to speak english sometimes

-this makes things very dificult when shes trying to communicate with ollie

-she speaks spanish, english and italian

-her favourite school subject is lunch

-cant do math for the life of her

-treid to be vegetarian but forgot she was and ate meat the next day

-she has a sister that is 6 years older

-she had a rottweiler called tupac back home

-she lived in the us for a long time before she moved back to argentina

-when she clips her nails she always skips one without realizing

-her favourite shows are new girl and adventure time

-painting has been her passion since she was very little

-she plans on going to art college

-her first job (apart from babysitting) was face painter at kids parties

-she is very conected to music even though she cannot sing

-she whistles all the time without realizing

-jak hates it

-”can you please stop whistling?” “*whistles aggresively*”

-her favourite singers are mac demarco, taylor swift and lana del rey

-she had a one direction obsession

-she likes to anotate books and normally makes them really artsy looking

-she has three stick and poke tattoos

-one of them is a tiny heart on her ankle which she got matching with her girl best friend

-the other one is a spiral on her shoulder

-and the last one is a j on the side of her finger

-j as in jak bc he would not leave her alone when she got the heart with her other best friend

-the plan was her getting a j and him geting an l

-he chickened out

-she designs jaks helmets

-she met jak because her mom was really good friends with his mom and they moved next to them when they moved to the us

-moving on to some headcanons about her relationship with ollie

-once they got together he asked her to design a helmet for him

-ollie once tried to read and anotate a book for her an failed miserably

-since she likes to wear really baggy clothes she steals his all the time

-first time she went out to track wearing his shirt he couldnt focus for the rest of the day

-her and jak jokingly fight for ollie all the time

-”sorry babe, i made plans with jak” “i told you i wanted to hang out with ollie today, you asshole” “stay mad hoe”

-always joking tho

-jak is not the only third wheel

-sometimes ollie third wheels them

-or lia third wheels them

-going back to lia

-she hates orange flavoured candy

-totally right to do so

-her biggest childhood crush was barracuda from an argentinian show called chiquititas 98

-never quite got over the fact that he had to leave the show

-she always paints her nails

-once jack got into a fight with another kid because he insulted her

-she is that one bitch with the two braids

-i am too its fine

-she wears glasses

-or wears contacts

-babe is blind as shit

-i cant think of anything else

-oh well she is the only one of my motorsport oc’s whos name doesnt start with an a

-annoyes me to no end

-we love her tho

------------------------------------------------

authors note:

trying something new to give you all some content and give you some facts about the girls.

Anyone in special that you guys want next? let me know!

[sandover-days]

⁔⁔⁔ JUST STAY WITH ME !

DISCLAIMER: this needs to be redone!

hi there! you can call me pup or bow, and this is my sfw agere blog! i use he/it/(any)neos/they (in order of preference) and occasionally use she/her for myself ^^ i am a minor even outside of regression. i'm pretty sure i usually regress to one of these two age ranges depending on circumstances and what my brain feels like: 0-2 (or maybe 0-3, i'm not sure. i just know it's very, very small) and 4-6. when i'm small (and even when i'm big!) i love kirby, blues clues, bluey (the essential /j), lps, and way more! lps 1012 and tabby/lps 460(mostly her 2d promo art, because that's how she looks in new puppy on the block) are two of my biggest comforts!! i'm also fictionkin, my known kintypes are rico from beatcats, lps 1013/the puppy from the lps figures/the lps friends game, and daxter from jak and daxter (canon divergent in his case) ! not all of these sources are child-friendly, just a warning (COUGH canon daxter COUGH) i might start taking requests for something on this blog, but i don't know what, and i make no promises. this blog will mostly be used for viewing and requesting agere content. ramble posts will not be tagged in anything other than my blog-specific tags. any fandom agere i might post will be tagged with "[fandom name] agere" but not "[fandom tag]" as i am rather shy about people not in the sfw agere community seeing agere content for my fandoms, especially since i'm probably very recognizable.

⁔⁔⁔ DNI

please do not interact with this blog if your blog is or you are: lgbtphobic/terf/truscum/similar, transid/transx/similar, nsfw/kink/minors dni(i'm a minor and this is an agere blog, i don't have a problem with sexual stuff i just don't want it near this blog fir obvious reasons), pedo/map/shotacon/lolicon, ddlg(+variants)/abdl/ageplay/petplay/cgl) or sexualize agere or childlike behavior in general, anti-agere/petre or think of it as a trend/cool aesthetic thing, think regression must be cute and/or positive and cannot contain negative emotions or dark aesthetics, think diapers in agere are inherently sexual, proship/comship/anti-anti/similar, pro-ed/pro-self harm, anti-mogai, anti neopronouns, anti otherkin/therian/fictionkin, harry potter fan, dream smp fan (or fan of any of the people in it-- i can't be bothered to find out who's relatively unproblematic), discourse blog, support cringe culture, think regressors being romantically involved OUTSIDE of their regression is kink (i haven't regressed on the platform i talk to them on most of the time in a long while but when i did my partner would sometimes hang out with me if they were online and nothing in those interactions was sexual or even really romantic)

⁔⁔⁔ DISCLAIMERS & BOUNDARIES

i am neutral on label discourse such as mspec lesbians/gays and contradictory identities. i am not diagnosed with anything and do not claim to be. please do not refer to me as a "little" or call my regression "littlespace," it makes me very uncomfortable (for like no reason?? the terms aren't inherently nsfw why is my brain wonky about them). i often use alternatives that include the words "tiny" or "small," but you can get creative! you also may use the terms in reference to yourself or others when talking to me, just don't use them to refer to me. i have nothing against the terms, they just aren't my thing. i am not looking for a caretaker/caregiver/whatever word you wanna use. the reason there's nothing about serious irl stuff in the world on this blog is because all that gets put on my main blog which is not hooked to this one; i am not ignoring these events. i may miss jak a lot, but i'm not looking for him as my mems of him are romantic and i already have a partner whom i love very very very much <33

[astrathechinchilla]

For the lurker slavery thing, I think it was implied that Gol and Maia created them so after they were defeated they were lost and leaderless. Just left on their own to survive with precurians (borrowing your word) hating them. So of course they retreat into caves and dark spaces, slowly building their own culture while precurians slowly grow in fear of them upon stumbling into these budding civilizations because 'what if they're regrouping and planning to invade us again' and eventually tensions grow until the precurians, already paranoid because of a war with the metal heads, invade them to eliminate a potential threat of a two front war. They still see them as not much else than beasts and now defeating what was essentially a culture of refugees and seeing how easy it was, someone gets the idea of putting them to work. So now any settlement found gets raided for more slaves. Only now.in constant contact with the lurkers and some lurkers slowly learning precurian languages do a select few precurians start to see beyond prejudice of them being conquered beasts and seeing the culture lurkers developed and really they are sapient creatures like them and maybe this whole slavery thing is kinda fucked up.

Welp that got longer than I thought it would. Hope you don't mind the headcannon

You do not know how fast I clicked to answer this

Neat headcanon

I don’t really know if that first fact of Gol and Maia creating the Lurkers is really a definite truth or falsity in the actual canon, but it is one way to view them that I believe is valid. I don’t personally go with it, since the origins of their people aren’t really the big issue that I have with the way Jak & Daxter writes them, so I’m not going to really talk about that in all honesty (also it may not have been all Lurkers that served under those two, but they are the only ones that are shown so you are right to assume that).

Even if this isn’t how I would frame the situation, that being a majority of Precurians having a long standing hatred for Lurkers that lasted up until now, it is a valid approach to writing this.

However, you also have to consider when the enslavement began. If it was happening long before the Baron came into power, then you have to also consider Damas and the Mar family line who ruled before him as actively participating in the crime of slavery.

However, if it happened after Praxis became the ruler of Haven, I don’t think it would be hatred alone that was the cause of the Baron to so quickly commit a crime such as this. I think it would stem from a very different crime, betrayal.

You must consider the timeline you made before putting in these kinds of details.

This is what @sonicringnoise means you guys, DON’T DO WHAT I’M DOING IF YOU LIKE YOUR BRAIN.

If you don’t want to talk about the contradicting time line and lose your sanity, turn away now. Otherwise, buckle up cause I’m about to spit some facts that are important when you consider this specific plot hole.

———

Now when it comes to the details of the timeline, it’s all over the place. So many details do not make sense when considering certain character’s ages, specifically Mar’s(the kid), and contradict each other.

Everyone out there, how long do you think the Baron has been in power? With how a lot of the story is framed, it makes it seem like decades, but in reality I believe it hasn’t been that long. Why do I think that? It’s the combination of Mar’s age, Veger kidnapping him then losing him, and Damas being banished.

Now, look at Mar.

When we put his height into consideration, along with the way he walks, I believe he’s around 3-4 years old at the max. Some believe he’s around 5-6, but I believe he’s younger than that solely because of the comment older Samos makes at the end of Jak 2.

Younger children like that generally don’t remember much from that age, and though Jak says he does remember ‘the light’, that’s the only thing he seems to remember.

When we consider this, it’s right to presume that Mar’s kidnapping had, at the very least, taken place 3-4-ish years before the events of Jak 2, and along with that Damas’s banishment.

Damas most likely lost his son in Haven City after Praxis betrayed him, separating him from his son upon being imprisoned, and he then was later banished. That’s why he sent Sig into the city as a spy, to find his son.

At the very least, Mar had to have been an infant at the beginning of Praxis’s reign, only a couple a months old at best, so it was easy for Veger to take him. However, he couldn’t hold onto the child for long, because he ‘lost him to the Underground’.

Therefore, the max amount of time Praxis has been in power should be about 4 years. Granted, this number can change increase depending on if you think Mar was kidnapped in Spargus or Haven, but for what was presented to us in the games, it’s most likely the latter being the actual canon cause they don’t specify.

However, when you make this the exact number of years Praxis has been in power, certain details don’t make sense and contradict these facts. The major one is actually a part of the physical world design- and I’m not talking about the map itself. I’m talking about an important detail.

I’m referring to the Baron’s statue in Haven City.

Now, with how the statue crumbles, along with the crunchy sound affects after it’s hit with the laser/light/whatever that was, people would assume that the statue is made of stone or a material along those lines, right? Wrong.

If you look closely, the inside of the statue’s head it’s shown to be hollow on the inside. And notice anything else? The color looks akin to the shade of the Statue of Liberty(probably another thing inspired by GTA- I don’t know if any of the games at the time take place in New York City, but this is all speculation)

However, why I bring up the specifics of the material being used to make this statue is important, because if this was made the same way the Statue of Liberty was made, it would have taken 9 YEARS TO FINISH(give or take).

This completely contradicts all of the information I previously presented, so in my fic I changed the statue from being a completely finished structure to being at the beginning of its construction.

Now, everyone must be thinking, what does this all have to do with the slavery of the Lurkers? It’s exactly what I pointed out at the beginning of the rant- You must consider the timeline you made before putting in these kinds of details.

If you have Lurkers that have only been enslaved after Baron Praxis was put into power, that means if we consider the fact that it would only be at a max 4 years, it’s most likely not bigotry being the primary reason he did so.

If it were to have been longer than that, you’ll then have to consider the fact that Damas may have participated in such a inhumane practice along with the entirety of his bloodline, possibly even Mar himself.

However, if it’s the former like how I personally believe, it most likely happened this way-

The Lurkers and Precurians did have conflicts in the past because of the aftermath of Gol and Maia, but they soon came to an understanding with each other after these fights. This could either be because-

They saw that they were more alike than they realized via experiencing each other’s cultures and people realizing the fighting wasn’t worth it, or-

They found respect in each other when a common enemy, The Metal Heads, appeared. They then realized fighting amongst themselves was going to kill them, so they made a truce that grew into a strong bond between their factions.

It could be both of these reasons in varied combinations, or it could’ve been neither. Either way, they reconciled somehow. Therefore, it was most likely not hatred and bigotry being the sole factor of their future enslavement at the hands of the Baron’s rule.

The Lurkers must have been aligned with Haven in the fight against the MetalHeads, but the Baron broke that alliance when he enslaved a large portion of the Lurker people, betraying their trust. Why? Most likely because they would’ve retaliated when Damas was banished from the kingdom and are fiercely loyal to people they consider friends. He doesn’t want to lose his new founded position, so he attacks first, and enslaves the Lurkers that didn’t escape him.

I only came to these conclusions solely based on the time frame I grasped from the given information the game presents. You can all come to different conclusions depending on which facts you think are the best to go with, even changing key facts like where and when Mar was born and all that stuff.

However, you must still consider the implications that your headcanons/alternate universes have, and take extra care to iron out any contradictions caused by such details. I do it everyday with my work, and I urge you all to do the same.

———

Nobody else has sent an ask like this before so if you want to send me more, please do so. That goes for everyone else out there as well 🤗.

[woelfin-sheeps-clothing]

Just found your blog after popping into the J&D tag for the first time in a while and you're doing FANTASTIC work for this tiny fandom, especially with Dark Jak and Jaxter content! Us fans are getting FED :D

Hi there! I'm so sorry that I've taken this long to reply. Your message absolutely made my day when I received it, thank you so, so much! Believe me, I'm also getting a great deal of enjoyment out of all the Dark Jak art I've been making too. 😆

The Jak and Daxter fandom could not have come into my life at a better point in time. What started as me glancing up at what my husband was playing on the PlayStation gradually evolved into a very profound appreciation for the story and the characters, as well as the crucial chunk of videogame history Jak and Daxter became a part of. I absolutely fell in love with Jak's character come Jak II and watched a lot more closely when my husband started to play. I loved how he had a lot of moments of rash decisions and impulses and selfish behaviors, and the way he'd watch Daxter when Daxter was speaking with the edge of his lip curling up ever so slightly. He very much reminded me of myself when I was being a very difficult teenager and butting heads with just about everyone in my life. 😂

I'd fallen into a weird art rut I couldn't get out of, between being tired all the time and a lot of nonsense at work that was beginning to become nonstop (still is, if anyone wants THAT story), to the point I wasn't really happy with anything I was making, my progression as an artist was stalling, and I flat out was just not creating much of anything anymore. Then one day I got the weird urge to draw Dark Jak being sassy, and for the first time in a while I found that I couldn't put my tablet down. I just had to finish. I was excited to be done with chores because I wanted to get right back to working on the piece. I found myself learning new art tricks and falling in love with lineart and cell shading again and not feeling compelled to have a more painterly style. And then when I was done? All I could think of is "I gotta do that again". There was no waffling for three days on some half baked sketches, no avoiding creating because I'd inevitably be stuck. I knew what I wanted to make, and I knew how I was going to make the next one better with all the things I'd learned in the first one.

It's been exactly a month since I finished that first piece, and for the first time in a long while I can look back and see how much I created, be it simple sketches or a fully fleshed piece. That hasn't happened to me in such a long time that the past month kinda feels like a fever dream. But it's helped put me in a better mental state to start trying to build a new portfolio again, to start setting things up to become more freelance than in-house. It's also changed how I view my engagement.

Is it fun to get a bunch of notes? Of course. But now when I post a JnD piece, what I'm looking forward to is not the numbers but the comments, reading all the wonderful and silly tags people leave for me. It makes me so incredibly happy, and it put me in the orbit of a lot of other wonderful people in this fandom. I've gotten to see so much wonderful and fun art from others in this fandom too, and read many absolutely awesome fics made by the same people. It's been so freaking cool to me to have this more one-on-one interaction with folks that I never got with other fandoms. When I make stuff, not only is it making me happy to make it, but in the back of my mind I'm also going "I can't wait till x sees this!"

Sorry if this got way too TMI or drawn out, but please let me say with all of my heart thank you @whisker-biscuit , and thank you to everyone else's who's left fun comments and tags on my stuff these past few weeks. This has made the start of the year so unbelievably incredible to me in ways I didn't foresee, and I'm very thankful for it. I'm hopeful about my artistic future in ways I have been in a while, and it means the absolute world to me.

[griseldabanks]

1, 3, 7, 8, 11, 13-16, and 24-29 for the fic-writer's ask game, please?

the last sentence you wrote

"I have a feeling you're going to learn more about me than you ever wanted to know."

3. how you feel about your current WIP

I've got a lot of WIPs right now, but the one I kind of consider my "main" one right now is a chapter (or maybe two?) for my Captain America fic Take Me Beyond. I have to confess I'm a little self-conscious about it right now, because it's full of romantic fluff, and goes in a direction I've never really written before, so I'm kind of terrified of how it will turn out and how it will be received. So it's probably a good thing that for now it remains locked away from the world, and only I know what I scribble in the secret watches of the night :P

7. your preferred writing fonts

Already answered this one - Times New Roman, because it's the default and I can't be bothered. Though...actually, I'm writing my main WIP on Google Docs, and the default there is Arial, and I keep it that way.

8. if you had to write a sequel to a fic, you’d write one for…

You know, I think I'd go for a sequel to my Captain America fic "Honey, I've Been There." I actually had some thoughts of where I would take that AU before Take Me In fell into my lap and completely took over my life. "Honey, I've Been There" was all about Bucky's relationship with Steve's daughter, Juliet, so I was thinking of doing another fic focusing on Bucky's relationship with Steve's son, Jimmy. It would be a bit later, when Jimmy is a teenager and starts getting in trouble at school, and Bucky has to be the first one to give him a talking-to because his parents are off doing superhero stuff. That idea is still floating around in my head, though admittedly having written more than 350k words about Steve with a different son has kind of taken the wind out of that idea's sails.

11. a WIP you’d like to finish someday

You know what? I'd really like to get back to working on the Jak & Daxter novelization I was working on before Captain America barged into my life and completely derailed everything I was working on in 2016. I managed to write eight chapters (plus a prologue) of that novelization before I set it aside, and while the way I was approaching it was probably too game-y and I'd need to start over from scratch anyway because my writing is so much improved, it's still such a good story. I've been slowly replaying the games recently, and remembering all the things I wanted to do with that novelization. The way I wanted to flesh out the characters and relationships, the headcanons I wanted to insert because my ideas are better than theirs. One of these days I'll get back to it. One of these days.

13. a fandom you’re thinking about writing for

Actually, just today I was thinking about writing something for the anime Buddy Daddies. I'm watching it for the third time (first time in the dub), and it's just...it's so good. I want more of such great characters. And the fandom needs more content for them that does not ship Kazuki and Rei :/ And I also long for a crossover with Captain America, so if I ever figure out a good way to do that, you can bet you'll see some!

14. where do you get your inspiration?

Wow, such a broad question. I guess sometimes it's just an interesting concept that unfolds into an actual story, like "What if Sherlock is blinded and has to do his deductions without being able to see?" But I guess most of the time, the inspiration for the stories I write come from the stories I read. If you were to put up a list of all the fics I've read against my faves list, you could probably draw lines connecting the ideas I got from which fics inspired them.

15. favorite weather for writing

I was thinking about it, and I actually don't think the weather really influences my writing one way or another. That might be partly because a lot of my writing gets done in the evening, when it's too dark to see the weather anyway. Necessity and a lack of time has meant that I can't worry about writing things in the wrong season, either. If it's August and I'm melting but the next scene I need to write requires the characters to snuggle up under a blanket in front of a fire, too bad!

16. favorite place to write

Pretty much the only place I write is on my computer at my desk.

24. how do you recharge when you’re not feeling creative?

If we are to dip our buckets into the well of creativity, we must first fill the well - by reading, watching, reading, playing, reading, talking, and reading. I'm also trying to learn the value of rest. Yes, it's important to cultivate a discipline of regular writing, but it's also important to not push yourself to the breaking point.

25. besides writing, what are your other hobbies?

Reading, if you couldn't guess. Playing video games (particularly ones with good stories). I dabble a little bit in video editing, and I've recently felt the urge to get back into cross-stitch. I sewed a couple of cross-stitch designs when I was a teenager, and it was a lot of fun (and not as daunting as other kinds of sewing, lol).

26. are you able to write with other people around?

It's actually kind of hard for me to do that ^^' It was like that for me with school, too; in college, I was never the kind of person who thrived with study parties or going to coffee shops to study. It's the same with writing; I need a minimum of distractions. Also, if other people are around, with a few exceptions, I feel like I'm going to be rude if I have my earbuds in and then they try to talk to me. So the only way I can write around other people is if there's that unspoken understanding that we're going to introvert together.

27. your favorite part of the writing process

I love it when I've thought through a scene and know what I need to write, and then I finally get a chance to sit down and find out how it's going to come out on the paper. It might not come out exactly the way I daydreamed it to myself while falling asleep, but that's the fun part!

28. your least favorite part of the writing process

Honestly? Research. Sometimes you can go down fascinating rabbit trails that suck you in, and sometimes "research" actually just means "rewatching/rereading the source material you already love to look for a detail," and that's always fun. Maybe I've just been burned by all the dull and hard-to-understand legal jargon I've had to look up for a certain project of mine, but a lot of times when I realize I need to research something to figure out how a scene is going to work, I just get this sinking feeling and it's really hard to motivate myself to do it. Feels too much like school. Please just download the information to my brain so I can get on with writing the story that we actually care about.

29. how easy is it for you to come up with titles?

UUUUUGHGHGHG, SOOOOOOOO HAAAAAAAAAARD DX I never know what to call anything, so with a very few exceptions, my titles will generally end up either some generic word, or a line from a song that feels appropriate.

Fic Writer Ask Game

[zachsgamejournal]

PLAYING: Kingdom Hearts 1.5

So I'm impressed with some of these old graphics, and it's funny how much of the gameplay matches Final Fantasy 7 Remake, but scenario designs of this game feel dated...if they were every impressive.

For the past few months my wife has insisted on us playing through Skyward Sword as a family. We've started the game at least 4 times, even after beating it last year. I'm really done with it. I've gotten used to the silly "motion" controls, so I feel comfortable playing. But I just don't like it all that much. While my wife and I agree that Ocarina of Time is a our favorite, Breath of the Wild is my second favorite, but she has zero interests, and then she loves Skyward Sword and I just...I don't love it. Somehow the controller keeps getting passed to me and I'm the least interested in seeing it played...

POINT IS--I've tried to introduce some other games that I think the kids would enjoy and my wife tolerate. We started Sly Cooper, which they did get into for a while. But then everyone lost interests and I was playing it by myself. And while I love the game, if I'm gonna game by myself I want to work on my backlog of games I've never played before.

Recently, I tried to show Jak and Daxter. If I'm being honest, it's great production value but the story is shit. It's a poor rip off of Ocarina of Time, at BEST. The majority of characters have a cringe-worthy negativity about them. Everyone is kind of mean or short-tempered with each other. I'm sure it was meant to be edgy comedy--but now that I'm no longer self-loathing teenager with a hatred of humanity, it's hard to "stomach" it as entertainment.

BUT the world and levels are GREAT! And that's what I wanted to share and experience. I thought there being scenes and dialog might make it somewhat interesting for my wife, but it didn't work.

That's when she asked, "Don't we have Kingdom Heart!" Yes we do! What a great compromise. I still wanted to play Jak & Daxter. Jak 3 is my favorite, and Jak 2 has more going for it story wise than the original--but i felt a need to draw my kids' interest in. Anyway, it's a game I haven't beaten before (though I've played quite a bit), my wife hasn't seen it much before, and the kids haven't seen it at all. Plus we're Disney people and it's got Disney in it.

Thinks to note: it's SO FREAKING 2000s--the character designs, the female hair cuts--ha! Also, being what gaming was--Yuffie shows up in her minimal clothing and my wife had to roll her eyes. Yeah...I know. But then you look at Kairi was basically wearing 3 shirts on top of each other. Kinda hilarious.

The game takes forever to progress IMO, but we made it pretty far. Honestly almost as far as I ever got when I played on PS2 and we've only played for 1 day!

Break it down:

INTRO:

What is up with these Japanese games and their music video intros? They're always montages, and I can't tell if they're previewing future content or trying to tell a story now...it's just a bunch of images of characters doing shit. I was watching the Final Fantasy 8 intro, and it was kind of the same--what are all these images of characters doing different things mean??

But then the game goes into a surreal tutorial where you're walking on stain glassed floors featuring different Disney Princesses. We used that to try to get my daughter's interest piqued. We choose to favor the sword and abandon the shield. Later we read that was the worst thing you could do. Doesn't matter, I put us on easy mode.

After a lot of explanations and questions and blah, blah, blah--I finally fight the dark monster giant. We then wake up on a tropical island with our friends. Riku and Kairi are the main friends of Sora, but then there's some Final Fantasy 8 and 10 characters there in kid form. I'm not sure the plot behind them being there, but what-evs.

We have to find supplies to build a raft to explore beyond the island. I thought these kids were trapped there for some unknown reason, but turns out they all live with their parents somewhere else from where the island can be seen. So these kids were really about to fuck off and float out into the sea without their parents permission???

Anyway, strange ball appears in the sky, Riku starts acting weird, my world gets sucked in and I arrive at Traverse Town. There, Donald and Goofy are looking for Mickey while I look for my friends. There's much fighting. The city is split into three districts and the layout is both boring and confusing. Also, there's a bunch of buildings I can go into that don't seem to serve much purpose. It reminds me of Mega Man Legends a little. I spent an hour searching about trying to figure out what to do. The game REALLY suffers from not having clear objectives and guides. If this was aimed at kids, then they failed to make this game accessible.

After meeting up with Leon (formally Squall), Yuffie, and Aerith--Sora agrees to go on quest with Donald and Goofy. There's bloated conflict where Sora is really looking for his friends and not mickey while donald and goofy want to find mickey not sora's friends. I don't care.

For some reason I thought Tarzan was the first land, but we went to Alice in Wonderland. I hate this area. I remember the first time I played this I felt cheated. Much of the scenery is drawn on the floor and walls. And the whole thing takes place "inside" with painted walls and false fauna. Maybe it's meant to be charming, but it felt more like the outdated wait-line decorations then actually adventuring into the world of Alice in Wonderland. On top of that, it's pretty confusing to figure out where to go and what to do. So it's ugly and confusing, and I'm just not having fun.

After we make it through, we arrive at the Hercules stadium. There's some lame "we want to participate in the games", "well you can't" drama. But whatever. We fight some normal enemies then are invited to battle CLOUD! Great to see more FF7 representation. But WTF is up with his sword being covered in bandages? After that, we face the Cerberus as Hercules rescues Cloud. This was the hardest fight in the game and the hardest since so far. But I think I was allowed to leave and try again later. No idea--but I put goofy and donald on aggressive and we got it on the second try.

Finally made it to Tarzan and I thought I liked this one. Turns out it's just as confusing. And after a while, you realize how everything is aggravatingly connected, but to advance the story you have to keep going over the same areas time and time again. It was annoying. I had to go into Jane's tent on like 6 different occasions to advance the plot. It's like they made the areas and then had to backfill those levels with story events without knowing how to create a satisfactory sequence. BUT the graphics and set design were top-notch!

I'm pretty sure Aladdin is next. This is where I got stuck on my first Ps2 playthrough. And I think I got past it while on PS3--but then I stopped playing. My wife says she's interested to see what comes next and the kids are into it. I'm even letting them play. Unfortunately the game is too confusing to let me play it completely.

It's cute that they've allowed platforming in this game. It's rough and overly challenging. But Squaresoft was mostly known for making RPGs, and this is getting more into the action genre. So of course they're not going to nail it on the first try. Just like me and most the jumps in this game.

The combat is...ok. Once again, I think this is the first time Square truly attempted an action-based combat system...or at least in 3d? I mean, they made Tobal No. 1 & 2--but they weren't typically making action games. Honestly, most action games at the time were still figuring things out, like Dynasty Warriors, God of War, Devil May Cry--and such. The problem is the targeting system. The game lets you target an enemy, like Zelda, but will autotarget otherwise. And sometimes the auto-target isn't great. Like when the game targets an enemy behind me but I want to strike the enemy in front of me.

The level design--just isn't good. Ha! The graphics and scenery capture the movies quite well, but maps are laid out strangely and make it hard to keep your bearings. You're never given strong direction on where to go or even a map to help you make sense of things. But that's the 2000s I guess...

Mostly I'm having fun and the everyone in the family is enjoying it. Plus, I don't have to play Skyward Sword!

[lockleysfav]

My Armour

Pairings: Moonknight boys x female reader

Summary: After you meet Steven when he so kindly shielded you from the rain at the bus stop you seemed to fall madly in love with him. Jake seemed to be closed up at first but be grew to love you. But the problem was, Marc seemed to hate everything about you.

Steven, Marc and Jake all have separate bodies

Warnings: Jealousy, Violence (Fighting), Protective mk boys, Smut, Threesome, P in V, Gentle boys, light mentions of SA, Some of this is pure filth, Hospitals, Angst

part 2

You had just left the museum, cursing to yourself when you ran straight out into the pelting rain. Earlier you debated on bringing an umbrella since the sky casted a light grey but you decided against it hoping you’d be able to make it home before the rain actually got heavy, clearly today your luck wasnt great. So, scoffing, you ran to the bus stop and saw that the bus wouldnt arrive for another 5 minutes, so you’d be standing in the rain.

After a minute or two you heard a voice saying his goodbyes to his co workers “it’s steven..with a v” you heard him huff and as he turned back towards the bus stop, he locked eyes with yours and for some reason you felt your cheecks heat up so you quickly turned back ahead of you ‘fucking keep it together woman’ you scolded yourself. You squeezed your eyes shut when you felt yourself starting to shiver but it was quickly taken away when you felt a big warm jacket wrap around you, your whipped around and you saw the man that you locked eyes with again. steven. He smiled at you “Sorry..i saw you shivering” he pulled out his umbrella and pushed it open, bringing it to cover the bother of you from the rain, you hugged the jacket around you and nodded at him “t-thank you so much steven” he froze for a moment “how do you know my name?” he questioned with a puzzled look and you laughed “Steven..with a v right?” he stood puzzled for a moment but then you saw his eyes relax “ohh..you heard that huh?” he smiled again and you nodded. Unfortunately, your time with the gentleman was up as your bus came down the road, you turned to him once more “Not your bus?” he shook his head no and you felt a tinge of disappointment, you really enjoyed his company. You’d just met the man but you couldn’t stop yourself from freaking out and asking him the question before you’d never see him again “can i get your number?” you asked while handing him his jacket and he had a look of thought on him, as soon as the bus hauled to a stop you sighed and turned, not noticing he’d shoved a note into your back pocket when you turned around to get onto the bus. As you got to your seat you looked at Steven and he gave you the sweetest smile, waving at you as the bus took off.

—

Now here you were, on your 4th date with Steven. You’d fallen so in love with the Man it hurt to think about not being around him, but you dared not to telling him that. You didnt want to freak him out, maybe if you told him you loved him already he’d be weirded out and would stop talking to you and you couldnt risk that. Steven had told you about Marc and Jake on the 3rd date, of course at first you didn’t believe him but when you were in a dark alley one night, oblivious to the fact a man was following you, you had heard a loud thud and you whipped around to see a man in a white suit, 2 batons in his hands beating the shit out of the guy. After he finished he turned to you seeing you shaken up, but when the suit literally dissolved in front of your eyes and out came steven you immediately calmed down, running into his arms.

Steven told you they all live together because despite their arguments they couldnt bare the thought of losing eachother, he expected you to make fun of him for it but you smiled at him in awe, you really thought it was adorable. Steven went home that day and told Marc and Jake about you but he was hurt when Marc laughed at him “Just fuck her and get it over with, i hate hearing your sappy ass love stories about her” Jake laughed at that and continued eating his food but Steven argued back “Just because you lost Layla that doesnt mean i cant go out and find someone. I wont be the one who fucks this up” and with that he stormed out, picking up his phone and dialling your number.

“Hello?” you grumbled, it was midnight and you were about to fall asleep when you heard the buzzing of your phone. Steven sighed on the other end “Hey love, can i see you? i- i could really do with seeing you right now” he laughed nervously and you hesitated, you were so so tired but then again you loved Steven too much to deny him so you told him you’d meet him at his place. He was about to yell no but you already ended the call. Oh. Oh he panicked. He did not want you meeting Marc and Jake especially after how they just acted.

—

You pulled on some pj’s not bothering to get all fancy, afterall it was midnight. When you got to the elevator Steven was already there speed walking to you “Heyyyy love, how about we take a walk yeah?” you raised an eyebrow staring at him “Steven” you spoke “it’s literally snowing” He looked at you, then outside, then back to you and you saw how his smile faulted, he had no choice now. It was now or never. And god he’d rather choose never but he didnt want to disappoint you when he was the one who got you to meet him in the first place.

He led you inside the elevator with an arm wrapped around you tightly, the elevator dinged as you reached the floor and when he walked you to his door he stopped you and leaned down a little “Marc and Jake….they’re um” you shushed him with a kiss “It’s okay baby, i dont care if they dont like me it’s just me and you remember?” he bit his lip and nodded “yeah..just me and you” you both smiled at each other and he opened the door, leading you inside where Jake looked up from his newspaper and almost spat out his chicken. God you were not what he was expecting, you were absolutely gorgeous. Marc sat up from the couch but didnt pay any mind to you, it did sting a little but you had to remind yourself you only need to worry about Steven. You turned and saw Jake, he was looking at you like he’d just seen a ghost but he was quick to change his expression into a scowl “Do you need something or you gonna keep staring?” he mumbled in a harsh tone, you looked away “no..im sorry” you muttered and and you felt Steven wrap an arm around you protectively causing you to clutch onto his jacket. He eyed Jake daringly while he led you to the bed, sitting you down and then crouching to be eye level with you. In a low voice he said “I’m so sorry they’re being like this love..you dont have to stay i’ll drive you b-“ you cut him off “it’s okay i promise, like i said i only care about you right now” you took a moment to look around you, then back to Steven “Is this the only bed?” you asked and he laughed a little “I know the flat is small..but this is my bed, Marc sleeps on the couch even tho theres another room, thats where Jake sleeps. There’s two beds in there but Marc still refuses to sleep in there, Jake probably threatened him because he prefers being alone” You giggled and he watched you in awe. He loved the way your eyes crinkled up when you laughed.

Steven had changed into his Pj’s, Jake went to his room and Marc was fast asleep on the couch while the baseball played on the screen, Steven had to switch it off before crawling into bed “you okay with staying the night?” he asked and you nodded “Yeah, i feel warm and cosy” you smiled and nuzzled into him, your nose rubbing against his ribs making him laugh and wiggle from being ticklish. You were both laughing until you heard Marc groan in his sleep, you quickly slapped a hand over your mouth stiffling your laugh.

—

It was 3:08am when your eyes shot open and you were panting, the sheets stuck to your sweaty skin and you felt hot tears streaming down your face from the nightmare you had. You turned to see Steven dozing away and it made your heartbeat calm down a little, his steady breathing and peaceful facial expressions made your body relax and you cuddled into him, fisting his t-shirt.

“Are you okay?” you tensed at the deep voice, you sat up quickly and saw Jake at the table again but doing absolutely nothing, he had a glass of whiskey by him but other than that he was staring into nothing. “w-what?” you replied, a little shaken from the nightmare but confused that he was asking if you were okay.

Jake looked down at the table and removed his flat cap, making eye contact with you “i heard you mumbling no in your sleep..like you were being hurt” you gulped “are you okay?” his voice was gentle towards you and you couldnt stop fucking stuttering “Yeah…yes i’m okay thank you” he nodded and went back to staring into his whiskey glass. Thats when Steven woke up wrapping an arm around your stomach and pulling you against his chest. You smiled again and he nuzzled his nose into your hair inhaling your scent “Mmm..you smell good love” he kissed at the back of your neck and you squirmed in his hold “Baby..go back to sleep” you said to him and turned around so you could face him. Jake was sheepishly watching the both of you, jealousy hitting him like a ton of bricks. He had always wished to experience such love. He could tell by the look in Steven eyes he’d fallen utterly and hopelessly in love with you, he didnt blame him, you seemed like a sweet girl. Beautiful too.

Your fingers pushed away Stevens curls and you peppered his face with sweet kisses before you pulled away and looked at him “i love you” you muttered out. You were terrified you went too far but when his eyes widened and the grin on his face grew. you felt a wash of relief “i love you too darling” he pulled you in for a kiss and you felt his leg slot itself between your legs. Instinctively you grinded down on it and moaned into his mouth, Steven bit down on your lip and muttered a soft ‘fuck’. Again, Jakes head flew up to be sure of what he heard just come out of your mouth and he saw how your body was withering against Steven. The moment he felt his jeans tighten he got up and left to his room, he was starting to get frustrated with himself, hes always managed to control himself but seeing you rut and whine against Steven lit a fire deep inside his stomach that he couldnt put out. So when he slipped into bed he unbuckled his belt, threw off his jeans and pushed his hand into his boxers, wrapping his fingers around his hard cock, sighing in relief as he started fisting it slowly to the sounds of you and Steven.

Your legs were wrapped around Stevens head as he was sucking at your clit underneath the blanket, your head was thrown back and your fingers were curled into the sheets. At first you didn’t want to wake Marc but as the pleasure grew stronger you really couldnt give a shit. Steven continued licking and sucking and when he inserted two fingers you couldnt help but let out a loud whimper but quickly slapping a hand over your mouth, shakily breathing through your nose. You used your other hand to fist Stevens hair and grind your pussy against his mouth for more friction, he seemed to like it because he buried his face deeper while curling his fingers into your g-spot. That was your breaking point. You used both hands to fist his hair as you squirted over his face “Fuck! Steven you did so fucking good baby” you moaned out and he removed his lips from your clit, smiling, he silenced your heavy breathing by kissing you deeply, the taste of you smeared on his tongue that was clashing against yours. Suddenly, he pulled away and you heard a faint grunt, but it was only you who seemed to hear it.

Jake came harder than he ever had before when you let out that last whimper, his cum dribbling over his bruised knuckles. After taking his time to calm down he got up and opened his bedroom door, making his way to the bathroom but on his way he saw Stevens head thrown right back, his top teeth sinking into his bottom lip, his eyes squeezed shut and one hand underneath the covers, the other holding onto the blanket tightly. He saw how the blanket slightly moved up and down, as soon as he heard the slurping noises he felt his face burn a light pink. how the fuck has someone managed to make jake lockley blush.

—

When Steven woke up he was a little frantic when you weren’t beside him but when he turned around to jump out of bed and look for you he saw a note on the fish tank

‘Gone to work :) there is a sandwich in the fridge for you dont worry it’s all vegan. I’ll see you later! Text me :) i love you ♡’

He sighed and held the note to his chest, turning around and seeing Marc and Jake eating breakfast at the table.

When he got out of the shower and brushed his teeth he checked the time and saw he had 30 minutes until he had to leave so be picked up his phone and called you to check up on you.

“Hello?” you said joyfully through the phone, causing a smile to creep on Stevens face

“Hey love, is everything okay?” he asked and you giggled a little “Yeah everythings a-okay here, just stacking shelfs” when you finished your sentence, your co-worker walked past you and slapped your ass making you drop a canned soup “Frankie what the fuck?!” you screamed at him and he laughed. You weren’t amused in the slightest and neither was Steven.

‘shit’ you cursed to yourself but when you went to pick your phone back up you saw that he had ended the call. Your heart felt tight and the thought of Steven being upset or misunderstanding something worried you into a panic. You kept ringing him but he wouldnt pick up.

When steven heard the guy slap your ass and your harsh tone telling him ‘what the fuck’ his face dropped. Jake immediately dropped his spoon looking at Steven “Whats wrong amigo?” Marc also looked up at that and Steven was clenching his jaw “Y/n” he muttered and Marc scoffed “Not interested” for some reason this caused a rush of anger through Steven and he lunged at Marc pinning him to the fridge, Jake was a little taken aback by Stevens rage “Will you stop fucking talking like she’s some washed up whore, she’s my everything dont you understand? I’m not asking you to love her or like her, just fucking accept her she doesnt need someone like you messing this up” he let go of Marc and Marc stared at him. Jake knew Marc was likely gonna kick off so he got up and sat Marc down, when marc sat down so did Steven and Jake asked what was wrong “Some..guy touched her ass and she didnt like it” His fists balled but when Jake and Marc were the first to immediately stand up he was flushed with confusion.

—

It was your lunch break when Frankie decided to do it again, slapping your ass but this time it was your food that dropped everywhere. He laughed while you picked up the food that was luckily covered but suddenly you saw a pair of tanned hands holding onto yours, you looked up and met Stevens worried eyes “S’okay love i’ll buy you some food” His presence made the wall you had been building today, break, you buried your face in his chest and cried into it. Steven stroked the back of your hair and made sure to distract you when a car screeched around the corner, haulting to a stop, Jake and Marc came out of the car and walked over to Frankie. Jake was the first to punch him, knocking him straight on his ass while Marc seemed to have a more feral rage. He grabbed him by the collar of his shirt and dragged him to a wall, shoving him up and slamming him into the bricks “no one” he pants “no one touches her do you understand?” he was seething. Steven didnt notice you peeping around his shoulder, watching the whole thing unfold.

“o-okay man i was just messing with her she knows that” he laughed nervously but Marcs face grew red with rage “i know that she didnt fucking like it, you think you can just lay hands on her? you think any man other than us can lay hands on her?” frankie shook his head frantically but Marc clearly wasnt finished. He let frankie go causing him to tumble to the floor, Jake stepped in front of Marc and looked down at the man “puta” he muttered before pulling out a beautifully carved knife, holding it to his pinky and without hesitation he sliced the mans finger off but before he could scream in agony, Marc punched him making him go unconscious.

You hid in Stevens arms, shaking, you loved how protective they suddenly were but you were still just an innocent lady…seeing a man be attacked like that would startle you.

Steven held you tightly and kissed your head “Lets go, im taking you home” he said and picked you up bridal style to his car.

—

When you fell asleep in the car he bought a chinese for you and then a few things for Marc and Jake. He managed to carry you and the food to the room, luckily Marc and Jake were already home and Marc rushed over seeing you ‘unconscious’ in Stevens arms “W-what happened is she okay?” he panicked but Steven looked down at you, placing the food down and kissing your forehead “Shes asleep” he said and Marc hesitated. “Can i?…i wont hurt her” Steven nodded and Marc took you from his arms so he could place you into bed, he leaned down and kissed your hairline, stroking a few hairs away from your face “I’m sorry for treating you the way i did honey” he got up and before he could turn he felt a hand wrap around his wrist “Marc” you spoke and he smiled at you “It’s okay”. Marc kissed your hand and walked back over to his brothers, Jake grabbed a plate full of food along with a can of soda to bring to you but when he came to you, you stood up “can we sit on the couch…all of us?” he smiled at that and nodded to you “of course” he took your food and placed it on the table in front of the couch. Marc, Steven and Jake all grabbed their plates and came over to the couch. Marc sat to your right and Jake sat to your left, you sat in the middle with Steven laying between your legs watching a random marvel movie on the tv.

When thor lost his brother Loki you had to hide your face, Steven huffed a laugh and turned his head to look up at you “Are you crying love?” you shook your head “It’s so sad” you sobbed and Jake laughed but then he gasped “Marc??” you all turned to him and saw his teary eyes. He quickly wiped them away and sat up “i literally had an eyelash in my eye” You giggled and held onto stevens hand letting him kiss along your wrist, your legs involuntarily squeezed around him causing him to groan lightly, at first you froze, your cheeks burning a bright red as you looked over at Marc who didnt pay much attention but when you looked over at Jake he suddenly had a pillow on his lap. You were a little confused but turned back to Steven, leaning down and whispering “Can we go to bed?” you nipped at his ear and he immediately sat up, putting his food on the table and you followed after him.

———

2 days later you were sat at home, it was a friday and you and Jake planned to go to a club. Steven was more than happy to let you to go, Marc insisted to tag along because deep down he just wanted to protect you from the evil, but he also knew Jake could handle anything, so he was a little stroppy when Jake argued saying its his turn to bond with you, Marc can wait his turn.

Jake obviously had to drive his limo over to your house, you came out in a beautiful [colour] dress. He stopped himself from gauking and staring too long but the moment you sat snug in his limo he couldnt help himself. God he really tried. “you look gorgeous cariño” you blushed at his compliment and he was quick to set off down the road towards the club.

—

About an hour in, you were drunk to say the least, you had slumped over the bar and Jake had to keep sitting you up, it was until you had a random burst of energy and pulled jake to his feet and dragged him to the dance floor. You danced against him and he was so let loose, he could dance, way better than Steven and assuming Marc. He told you it was the Spanish in him and you laughed, your back pressed against his chest as his hand traced over your stomach, dancing slowly when a love song came on. “Did i tell you how handsome you look in that suit?” you mumured against his ear and he shook his head “You didnt, but i appreciate the compliment bebe” his breath fanned across your neck causing you to shiver. You let out an accidental moan and Jake growled “Fuck y/n no sabes lo difícil que es controlarme a mi alrededor” You had no idea what he said but you sighed against his skin “I wanna go home” you whispered and he nodded “Okay, come on.” As he lead you to the exit his head whipped around when you yelped. Some guy had spilt fucking beer on your dress and Oh was Jake furious. The guy didnt even have the decency to apologise, he just laughed and carried on walking. Obviously that was until Jake gently pushed past you grabbing onto the guy by the back of his neck and slamming him into the window, completely shattering the glass. When Jake turnt him around there was blood seeping from his unconscious face, He dragged him towards you “Apologise” he smiled down at him, shaking him. “No? alright then” You panicked when Jake pulled out a gun, you grabbed onto his wrist “Jake..Lets just go it’s fine i can wash it out” Jake looked up at your pleading eyes and dropped the guy, looping his arm in yours and leading you to the Limo, carefully sitting you down “Steven wont be happy, nor will Marc” was all he said before driving home.

—

When you got to their apartment Steven examined you for any injuries, repeatedly asking if you were okay and you nodded each time. When he helped you into the shower he got in with you and you rested your head against his shoulder, sighing. “I love you so much Stevie..so so much” you slurred and he sighed, wrapping his arms around you “I know dove, i love you just as much”

“Can i ask you something? it’s not something i want i promise, i was only thinking about it” you asked and he nodded, assuring you to go on.

“Since you..Marc and Jake all have the same faces, youre all the same person but when you obviously came back to life for some reason you all stayed in separate bodies….if i was to-“ You stopped when Steven laughed.

He pulled away and cupped your face “I wouldnt mind darling…You’re right. We are the same person and i know they would never hurt you. I would never hurt you. In fact, i would actually love it if we were all together” you smiled and your eyes widened in question “really?” you asked and he kissed you “Yeah”.

After your shower, Steven went over to his brothers and had a conversation you werent so sure about but you did notice how Jakes body relaxed yet he became fidgety, constantly looking at you and then back to steven and marc. It confused you but you were still tipsy, so you slipped on Stevens shirt and Marcs sweatpants, slumping into bed and wrapping yourself in Stevens blanket, hogging it completely.

—

You dont remember falling asleep but you were woken up by Marc and Jake arguing. You looked over to see if Steven was beside you but he wasnt. That was odd. He never left your side unless he needed to. You tumbled out of bed and groaned in pain, hitting your head on the wood. Jake jolted around and saw you laying on the floor, of course being overly protective he thought the worst. But marc was ahead of him, kneeling down and scooping you up in his arms placing you back into bed “go back to sleep honey, i’m sorry for waking you” he kissed the side of your head and you whined for Steven “Wheres Steven” you took a pause and clutched your blanket “need him” Jake looked at Marc who was already looking back at him “Stevens gone out to grab some milk and some snacks cariño” Jake told you and you whined again.

Sweat clung to your skin and Marc genuinely became a little concerned “are you okay? can we help with whatever you need?” he rested a hand on your shoulder and you shivered “i..im not sure” you said, muffled from being buried into the sheets. Jake knew. From the way you were desperately holding back from grinding against the blanket that managed to get in between your legs, Marc was surprisingly oblivious. When you looked up, your doey eyes met Jakes and he snapped, he crawled over to you kicking off his shoes and taking off his cap in the process “i can give you what you need yeah? Steven had a conversation with us…he’s completely okay with this” You shook your head “Please please please” you begged and he chuckled “Shhh mi amor” he whispered against you and slowly leaned down to kiss at your neck.

Marc stepped back, he could feel his pants growing tighter but he didnt want to ruin anything for Steven. He didnt want to accidentally hurt you, he didnt want to offend you at all he was so lost on what to do until Steven came through the door. He stopped at the sight of Jake caging you in, kissing down your neck, hearing your needy whines, he dropped the bag and shook off his jacket, making his way over to the three of you. You looked to see Steven and you reached your hand out “Baby..need you so bad…need all of you” Steven crawled onto the bed and started kissing you deeply, Again Marc stood there awkwardly.

“Amigo..” Jake started, looking to Marc and you did the same, grabbing onto his wrist “If you dont want to thats okay Marc, None of us will judge but if you do thats okay too, Steven can show you gentle okay?” he looked to Steven, then back to you, nodding before taking your hand and kissing along your forearm and up to your shoulder. You felt overwhelmed with all of them kissing different parts of your body, you pushed Jake down and he continued kissing down your stomach, wrapping his fingers around the waistband of the sweatpants you were wearing, pulling them down along with your panties. He didnt leave time, he knelt down and licked a stripe up your clit and your back arched off the bed, moaning into Stevens mouth. He caressed your face and pulled away, looking into your eyes that struggled to stay open “Does that feel good love? is Jake making you feel good hm?” you nodded frantically “Mhm” you moaned and Jake took that as cue to start sucking on your clit, working a finger inside you.

Marc lifted your shirt and Steven pulled it off you, Marc helped you sit up while Steven unclasped your bra, letting it fall to the floor. When you laid back down, Marc latched his mouth over a nipple causing you to grip Stevens hand “Fuck Marc, just like that” he groaned at your whining and his hand came up to play with your other nipple. Steven started to get a little impatient, so he kissed your forehead and pushed down his pants, freeing his aching cock that sprung to his stomach. You were quick to wrap your hand around it, lifting your head and sucking on his tip, you moaned at the taste of his pre-cum and he bucked his hips, his dick hitting the back of your throat making you gag “Shit, im so sorry darling” He removed his dick and kissed the tip of your nose, you giggled at him and kissed him “it’s okay, you didnt hurt me baby” He smiled lovingly at you sat back up “keep going” you whispered and he nodded, sliding his dick across your lips, thrusting slightly until you opened your mouth again. Marc and Jake looked at the both of you.

God you were both so in love, it was adorable. They were happy for the both of you.

Jake stood up, fisting his dick, he stood closer and rubbed the tip of his dick against your clit causing you to moan around Stevens dick, Jake looked to Steven almost as if he was asking permission to fuck you, First Steven looked down to you and you knew why he was looking, you nodded and Steven nodded to Jake. The moment he nodded you felt Jakes cock slide straight into you, bottoming out and you had to move away from Stevens dick to push Jake slightly back. He panicked for a moment “Sorry cariño i didn’t mean to go so fast” he pulled out halfway and stroked the outside of your thighs until you laid back down, holding onto Marcs hand. Marc glared at Jake “Just be careful” Steven interrupted. You kissed his fingers and he looked down at you “If you want to stop, dont ever be nervous to say so” he kissed you back and you sighed “I know i know….i dont wanna stop” At that, Jake slowly inched back in, thrusting slowly, he felt his dick twitch at the sight of your face twisting in pleasure. Marc kissed along your jaw and you made eye contact with him “Are you okay?” you whispered and he nodded with a cute grin “I dont want to fuck you yet, if thats okay. I’d rather take my time, just me and you” he blushed as he finished and you stroked the side of this cheek “Of course, thats okay darling” Marc got up, grabbing his jacket and leaving so he didnt get tempted.

—

Once Steven came down your throat and Jake pulled out, spilling his cum over your stomach, Marc walked back in seeing your exhausted body laying against Steven. Jake was kissing your inner thigh but you nudged him away “too sensitive” you whined and Jake gave a last kiss before getting up and walking to the bathroom to clean himself off. Marc came over to you with a warm, damp cloth in his hand. Steven was holding you while Marc cleaned off the cum that had striped across your stomach, then he wiped the drool from your chin and neck, then your nipples, then in between your legs. Your legs jolted from being sensitive and Marc apologised, kissing your knee before finishing up and throwing the cloth away. You felt hot, you were sweating and being so close to Steven started agitating you, you didnt want to pull away but you had to and when you did Steven looked at you confused. “everything okay love?” he asked, holding onto your hand and you smiled “Yeah..just need a drink” you replied back to him, crawling off the bed and towards the kitchen.

Marc came up behind you, grabbing a glass before you tried to reach for it. You muttered a ‘thank you’ and stumbled over to the tap, gripping onto the side for a second to stable yourself. Of course, you just assumed it was because of the sex you just had but your insides felt like they were becoming warmer, almost burning. “M-marc” you stuttered out and he turned to you, his face dropping completely. Your eyebrows furrowed at his sudden change in expression, but what you didnt see was how your face had lost its colour and the thin layer of sweat had turned into streaks. Jake and Steven came over when they heard Marcs panicked tone “Y/n look at me” Marc said, he was slowly walking towards you but you werent aware, your head was spinning. The glass in your hand was slipping and Steven caught sight of it, rushing to grab it before it dropped but as he made the sudden motion your eyes lulled back, your body was held up by Marc who quickly picked you up bridal style “Jake run down and start the fucking car!” he yelled but Jake was already out the door, running to the car.

—

Your head was on Stevens lap as Jake drove you to the hospital, most definitely going way past the speed limit but he didnt care. Marc was next to Steven, comforting him while Steven continued to stroke your hair “wake up baby come on, please” he whispered, desperate to see any movement from you. You still had a pulse but you were completely unconscious, Marc was holding your hand tightly and even tho he wasn’t one to show much emotion, here he was, tears streaming down his face at the thought of losing you. Maybe he ran out of time to show you how much he actually loves you, to show you how gentle he can be, to show you the world.

Jake haulted to a stop and practically threw the door open, Steven begged to be the one to take you in but Jake was against it, telling him it wouldn’t be good for him nor Marc to come in since it would only cause more worry. Marc agreed and for once, he pulled Steven into a hug, stroking his back “Its gonna be okay, she’ll be okay she has to be”. Steven nodded against him and Marc watched Jake carry you into the Hospital.

————

Thank you for reading!

[bonky-n-steeb]

— beautifulest

𝙨𝙪𝙢𝙢𝙖𝙧𝙮 || Jake catfishes you.

𝙬𝙖𝙧𝙣𝙞𝙣𝙜𝙨 || face sitting. squirting. catfishing (but it’s not really dark). PWP. MINORS DNI 🔞

I have decided to not do taglists anymore, so if you wished to be notified of my newest updates please follow @bonky-n-steeb-lib and turn on the notifications!

Jake is an goofy idiot and I love him. Also this is the first time I’m writing Jake Jensen, so please be kind :)

Luke Rogers: Hi!

Jake anxiously chewed his lip as he stared at his mobile. His hands were sweaty — Jakey, you’ve handled guns and missiles, this is just a message.

He himself cringed a bit at the stupid name he had chosen. He had spent some time thinking about names and then finally taken it from his idols: Luke Skywalker and Steve Rogers.

Luke Rogers? Really Jakey? You’re supposed to be smart! But not only was he dumb, he was also anxious and really really bad at expressing his feelings.

It’s not that he didn’t feel emotions — he rather felt a lot of feeling, he just didn’t know how to let it all out. And that was the problem currently ruining his life.

All he had to do, was literally go into the other room and say, I really like you Y/N and I want to spend my entire life with you and I want to hold you and never let you go and I want to kiss you all over and I….

The list was endless. But did he do that? No. What he did instead was catfish you. It was wrong. So so wrong. And he was gonna end up in hell for this.

But what else was he supposed to do? No matter how much he tried hinting that he liked you, you never got it. You were smart, kind and beautiful but boy, were you stupid when it came to romance.

When were you going to see this? When were you going to see this? Just open the fucking phone and check your app Y/N. Come on. Please check the app!

Y/N: Hello!

“Yess!” He jumped up a little on the bed when you replied. This is gonna go smoothly. He just knew that deep in his heart. After all you’re good with electronics, right Jakey?

Y/N: Can I tell you something?

Luke: Sure, go ahead.

Y/N: I know this guy who would kill to have your name.

Luke: Who??

Y/N: So my best friend is a complete nerd and he loves loves loves Star Wars and MCU. Trust me he’d love to have such a name.

Jake’s heart was gonna leap out of his chest. You thought about him while talking to other guys. Jesus Christ, you’re a lucky bastard Jakey.

He couldn’t wait to see where this went.

~~~

It went much much much better than he had thought.

Probably a little too good for his liking.

It had been a little over a month of constant too and fro messages. It was all fun and games until one day you had been smiling ridiculously and he had asked the reason behind it.

And with a chipper tone you’d told him about ‘a guy named Luke.’ About how funny and caring he was. And how despite not seeing him, you were probably falling in love with him.

Jake had never wanted to smash something so bad in his entire life. What the hell? You weren’t supposed to fall for some non existent guy named Luke, you were supposed to fall for Jake!

He just wanted to talk to you for fun but instead he ended up making himself a competitor. Life was fucking him so bad. He had to do something about this Luke.

So he started ghosting you. He hated not responding to your messages and just see them pop up. But he had to do what had to be done.

His heart broke to pieces when he came home one day only to see you crying on the couch. Quickly discarding his bag and shoes, he sat besides you and wrapped his huge arms around you.

It was an unsaid rule between you two to comfort the other. It didn’t matter the time or the place or the reason. His heart fluttered a bit when you leaned into his warmth and tucked your head in the crook of his neck.

“What happened pretty girl? Why so upset?” You sniffled before answering, “Rem… remember Luke? He…” you let out a wailing sob before continuing, “He ghosted me. He doesn’t answer to anything I say.”

You buried yourself back in Jake’s shoulder and he mouthed out a ‘fuck!’ while you weren’t looking. “Look at me.” He gently pulled you up to face him.

“He’s an asshole to hurt someone as precious as you. You’re the sweetest, smartest, beautifulest person that I know of. And only an idiot who doesn’t know what a true jewel looks like would reject you.”

“Jake, beautifulest is not a world.” You chuckled as you wiped off snot. Honestly, Jake’s words touched the deepest part of your heart. The sincerity in his eyes was just unparalleled.

“Well to me it is. You’re beautifulest.” By now both of your noses were just an inch from touching. “Thank you Jake. And you’re no less. You’re beautifulest to me too.”

And that was all it took for him to pull you into a scorching kiss. He placed his hands on your hips and pull you up on his lap. Your hands framed his scruffy cheeks as he kissed you as if he wanted to devour you.

Breaking out of the kiss, you both panted for breath. “Is this gonna be a one time thing or more than that?” Your eyes were needy as you asked him.

“This is gonna be a as-long-as-you-want-it thing baby.” A small smile crept up your face and you bit your lower lip cheekily. “What if I want forever?”

Jake’s breath hitched in his throat. “Then this will be a forever thing.” You could feel his hard length right beneath your core and you couldn’t help but grind down. “Oh Jake, I’ve wanted you for so long.”

“What?” He furrowed his brows as he asked. “Do you know why I decided to move in with you? You’re just so gorgeous and goofy. And that ass of yours. And these fucking arms. God, I’d kill to have them around me.”

“So… So you mean you’ve liked me all this time?”Jake asked bamboozled. “Yeah Jake.” You didn’t know what you did wrong because it felt like he was suddenly in distress.

“What the fuck? You.. You wanted me all this time. What was even the point of doing all that?” In the heat of the moment Jake slipped up. “What do you mean by all that?”

Jake looked around for a second before closing his eyes. “Promise me you won’t get mad.” You knew Jake always asked this when he messed up. “What did you do? Jake you’re scaring me.”

“Just promise me. Please!” He just flashed you his doe eyed look and you couldn’t deny. “Okay I won’t get angry. Now tell me.” You were still on his lap as you sternly looked at him.

“I’m Luke.” You we’re still looking at him with confusion as you didn’t quite get the meaning. “What?” He removed his spectacles and pinched his nose.

“I’m Luke Rogers.” While confessing it felt like his tongue was made up of lead as it was refusing to move. “You… you catfished me?”

“I wish there was a better word for that.” Your face was unreadable and Jake was more worried than even the time Aisha had a gun pointed at his dick.

“Why the fuck would you do that? What the hell were you thinking?” You were probably the angriest he had ever seen you and that was turning him on somehow.

“I know what I did was wrong. But I wanted to talk to you more than just a friend. I wanted to know what it feels like to be someone you like. I wanted a part of you to make me whole.”

Your anger mellowed down when you saw the pain in his eyes and longing behind his words. “Oh Jake, all you had to do was tell me instead of doing all this. Or probably I should’ve told you first.”

You pressed your forehead to Jake’s and he held you tightly against him. “We’re such idiots.” You chuckled and Jake joined in. “That we are. I’m sorry though. I didn’t mean to hurt you or anything. I’m really very sorry.”

You could feel how Jake was hard in his pants and started rubbing yourself over the course material of his jeans. “I know a particular way by which you could ask for forgiveness.”

This time it was you who pulled him in for a kiss. Jake was taken aback for a moment before he regained his senses. “You know, you really are my soulmate.” Jake couldn’t believe how lucky he was to have you.

The kisses were sloppy and downright filthy between you two. Your tongues exploring each other’s mouths and teeth leaving imprints on lips. If kisses with Jake were gone be like this, you were down for it anytime.

“I want you so bad.” Jake’s cock was now throbbing with need and he had to do something. “Take me Jake.” You half moaned half pleaded.

Within the next moment, you found yourself getting carried by Jake to the bedroom. This man was definitely more strong than he let on, you thought to yourself.

You both discarded your clothings by the time you reached the bedroom. One could trace your path to the room with the way the clothes were scattered.

You openly gawked when you saw Jake naked. His body was sculpted by Michaelangelo himself. The hard plane of his abs and the veins standing to attention in his arms.

And your mouth watered when your eyes landed on his thick length. You’d be lying if you said you hadn’t fantasised him before. You knew he was big when you’d seen a tent in his pants more than once, but you hadn’t thought him to be this big.

“Likin’ the angle of the dangle?” Jake smirked as he said his signature dialogue. “Jake. I still haven’t forgiven you.” You said with a roll of your eyes.

No matter how romantic he got, he still was going to be the goofy Jake you fell for. “Okay okay. I’m sorry. Now let’s have some sexy time what say?” He jumped into the bed and wiggled his eyebrows excitedly.

“Jake, you’re so fucking adorable.” You straddled him and bent down to bite his irresistible plump lips. “I want you to sit on my face.” You choked on your spit when you heard him. “What?”

Living with this guy was like ice and fire. One moment he was the cutest guy you’d ever known and the next moment he said stuff that made you choke on air.

“I said, sit on my face.” He put his arms under your hips and pulled you up to his chest. “I want to apologise and I suppose this is the best way.”

“You have a great reasoning Jensen.” You crawled up further until you were hovering above his face. “Jake please tell me if it’s too much. I’ve never done this before and I don’t….”

The rest of your words were melted in a moan as Jake curled his hands around your thighs and licked a thick stripe across your weeping pussy. “Holy fuck!”

You always through people were exaggerating face sitting, but boy, were you wrong. All coherent thoughts flew out of your head as Jake’s hot tongue started licking your swollen folds.

By now you had forgotten all your insecurities and inhibitions and were actually grinding down on his face. “Jake.. please.” You didn’t know what you were asking for but you knew you needed something more.

Turns out Jake knew you more than you yourself did, and placed a sweet kiss to your throbbing clit. That gesture was so gentle yet so filthy that you thought you might cum on spot.

He flicked his tongue on your neglected clit and your eyes rolled back. “Oh fuck yes Jake right there” you screamed as your hands fisted themselves in your bed sheets.

His hands were holding your thighs tightly and goes you didn’t have any other option but to take it. “I’m… I’m close.” Jake just hummed in your cunt and the vibrations traveled all the way up your spine.

He started sucking on your clit and the hot suction on your swollen clit was enough to make you cum. Your toes curled as you shook and trembled over Jake’s face.

All this time you screamed a chant of “Jake. don’t stop. fuck. so good, so good.” Jake licked your nectar through your orgasm and didn’t stop even after.

You squirmed and tried to get up but his hands kept you locked in place. “Jake… I…” you sighed as Jake slowed down his ministrations.

“Did you forgive me baby?” Only his eyes were visible and the rest of his face was still buried in your cunt. His eyes were blown wide with arousal and only a thin layer of crystal blue was remaining around the irises.

You pouted your lips and shook your head. “No baby you gotta work a little harder.” Jake raised his eyebrows and you knew that bastard was smirking. “Harder huh?” He asked with mirth.

“Yup. I’m not gonna forgive you so easily.” You genuinely thought he would put his gorgeous dick in you and rail you within an inch of life. But Jake did not such thing and got back to sucking your clit.

“Jake..” his name left like a whine from your lips as he started fucking your with his tongue. Your hole clenched around him as his stubble rubbed against the smooth skin of your thighs.

“I’m not gonna let you up until you forgive me.” Jake was eating you out like a starved man having desert. The fact that he honestly didn’t even care about his own breath made you even more lightheaded.

“You mean.. aahhh!” You asked as you realisedJake wasn’t going to fuck you and just keep doing this until you forgave him. You didn’t know whether to kill him for it or hate him.

Your legs were now like jello and were barely able to hold you up and you wondered if you’d be going to work tomorrow. “Such a pretty pussy. Gonna eat it for breakfast, lunch and dinner.”

“Yeah right.” You said sarcastically despite being literally out of breath. You still had no idea how Jake was so good at holding his. “You think I’m joking? Here I’m ready to be a martyr for your pussy and you think I’m joking!”

You couldn’t stop the laugh that bubbled up. “Jake shut up! You’re ruining the mood.” You clutched your stomach as you wheezed. “Don’t worry baby, I’ll get you back in.”

As he licked your clit, there was a slight hint of teeth this time and you couldn’t believe the jolt of electricity that went through your body. “Jake. Oh my god. Oh my god!”

“Didn’t know you were a sucker for pain.” Though Jake kept his teeth away from you, you sure noted down different ways of trying out this kink in future. “I’m. I’m gonna…”

You couldn’t exactly pinpoint what, but something felt different this time. “Cum for me baby. Make a mess on my face… oh yeah! Just like that.”

You threw your head back and came harder than you ever had. It felt like a dam being released and for a minute you thought you were peeing before you realised exactly what was happening.

You were squirting and Jake was dutifully lapping up as much as he could. “Oh Jake! Oh my god! Fuck. Please. I’m so sorry. So sorry!” You just babbled a jumble of words and sentences as you came down from your toe curling orgasm.

Your hands were barely stopping you from slumping down on the bed. “I’m so sorry. I didn’t know.” Jake smacked your ass and you squealed.

“That was the hottest fucking thing I’d ever seen. And now that I know I can make you fucking squirt, I ain’t stopping baby.” Jake was just about to started lapping again when you stopped him.

“I forgive you!” Your body was covered in sweat and slick and you were panting. “Did you really forgive me or you saying just so that I stop?” You shook your head before gaining enough strength to reply.

“No no. I actually forgive you.” He placed one kiss to your pussy before sliding up. “Good girl.” Sighing with relief, you finally slumped into the bed on your stomach.

Your closed eyes snapped open as Jake spread your legs situated himself in between. He pressed his rock hard cock between your petals and coated his length with your slick.

“What… ahhh fuck! Jake!” You pathetically whined as you entered you in a single stroke. The feeling of fullness was unbelievable and you almost came from him filling you up.

“Baby, I now gotta make you squirt on my cock.”

[httpiastri]

🍈 Jak with breathless kisses plz?

🍈 – send me a driver and a prompt from this list of hugging prompts, these touch starved prompts, or these kiss prompts, and i will write a short blurb for you!!

author's note: aaaa first time writing for jak !!! rlly enjoyed it hehe and i looked at some very cute pics for inspo 🥰 hope you enjoy this!! <33

3k celly !!

teammate!jak crawford x reader

the anticipation in the pit of your stomach keeps growing with every passing second.

he should be here soon, shouldn't he? what's taking him so long?

you've been waiting in the truck for the last fifteen minutes now, but still no trace of your teammate. he always wants to stop by his locker briefly after a podium to hand in his helmet and such, but so far, you've been all alone in here.

maybe it's time to give up, you think; maybe he got pulled away to do something else. maybe he's too popular, too busy signing autographs and taking selfies with fans. he's an f2 feature race winner now, after all.

you're just about to head down the stairs and leave the truck when the door opens and shuts on the bottom floor. your breath hitches in your throat – could it be him? – and you freeze completely. the sound of a few footsteps up the stairs meets your ears, and jak also stops in his tracks the second his eyes land on you.

"is anyone…"

you instantly shake your head. "i'm the only one in here."

when his brain registers your words, he doesn't waste even a second before sprinting up the last few steps and throwing himself into your arms. the mere force of the hug leaves you both breathless, the ever-increasing pace of your heartbeat unmistakable against his chest. "that was a-" he starts, not able to stop himself from letting out a little laugh before sucking in another breath of air. "a pretty alright race, huh?"

your giggle is always like music to his ears, but especially right now. "pretty decent." you pull away ever so slightly, your arms still wrapped around his shoulders. "you were far from decent, though. pretty damn amazing."

his lips are pressed onto yours just a second later, arms around your waist pressing you up even closer to him. he's intoxicating, the way his lips move against yours and how his hand reaches up to tilt your head to the side leaving your knees weak instantly. today, you truly couldn't care less about the taste of sweat on his lips or his little stubble against your skin; he's a winner, a feature race winner, and nothing else matters.

when you pull apart for air, jak just pulls you back in again, not wanting to waste even a second on not kissing you. you can feel him smile against you, one of those smiles of his that is completely contagious, and he swallows the laugh that slips past your lips. "jak, i-" you say when pulling away again in a weak attempt to catch your breath. your efforts are futile, however, because when jak instead starts tracing his kisses along your jaw and down your neck, your head starts spinning all over again. "we- we can celebrate later, okay?" your hands reach for the collar of his racing suit, unwillingly pulling him away from your skin. you don't miss the slight hint of disappointment in his eyes. "tonight. just us."

he finally nods, pulling a hand through his dark curls and taking a deep breath. "yeah…"

you tug softly on his collar, bending him down just enough for you to press your lips to his forehead. "i'm really proud of you, okay?" you tell him, pressing one kiss to each of his cheeks. "now hurry up with your media duties so that you can come back to me already."

"yes, ma'am."

[radioactivepeasant]

Fic Prompts: Meddling Mar Monday

(From a bit later in the story)

The waters surrounding the coastal desert were cool and green, and so undisturbed within the cove that beyond the breakers everything took on a breathtaking clarity. Colorful fish darted back and forth after food, while poisonous eels floated serenely in place beneath the dock, enjoying the shade. Deeper down, the light that filtered through the waves colored the world a watery blue, disguising brighter colors.

Jak kicked his feet and spiraled down to the edge of a slightly sickly coral reef. It seemed to span the entire mouth of the cove, turning it into more of a lagoon. Just beyond, the depth dropped sharply. Jak stared down into an abrupt expanse of dark water and couldn't shake the feeling that something was staring back. He would have expected that to frighten him, or at least unsettle him. But somehow, Jak wasn't afraid. He swam backwards a foot or so, and eagerly scanned the depths for a glimpse of larger animals. He knew he'd seen something from Damas’s tower. Was it watching him now? Was it bigger than even the various species of Lurker Sharks?

Jak had glimpsed the Colossal Shark Brutter kept at the fish cannery once. He'd been overwhelmed by the sheer size of the fish. The idea that creatures so powerful and vast still swam in their waters in spite of everything was really sort of humbling. Brutter kept it in captivity simply because he could think of no way to safely release it without mass casualties. Jak wasn't even sure how he'd caught the thing in the first place.

An orange jellyfish drifted along behind Jak, and its tentacles briefly grazed his shoulder. A jolt of pain, not unlike electricity, shot down his arm. Annoyed, Jak shook the limb out, sending the oblivious jelly tumbling away. Well, they couldn't all be harmless, he supposed. Shrugging off the pain as he always did, Jak made a leisurely climb to the surface to suck in another lungful of air, then dove below again to immerse himself in the jewel colored world beneath the water. A glint of metal caught his eye, yards away, and he grinned. There we go.

When he was a kid in Sandover, there were always orbs washing up on the shore from sunken Precursor cities and research stations. Surely, the Wastelanders couldn't have found all of them.

While nowhere near the tens of orbs he and Daxter used to scoop out of the shallows, the orb Jak found encrusted with barnacles was worth perhaps thrice as much as it had been when he was Mar’s age. Satisfaction filled his chest as he examined the sand-scoured weight. This would at least give them a start on buying enough food and water to last the week. Jak carefully slid the orb into the pouch he'd made out of his scarf, taking care not to damage the two small conch shells and three cone shells he'd already picked up. An orb wouldn't do him much good if it smashed his rent payment, now would it.

Though he was reluctant to leave the lagoon, Jak knew his supply of air was finite. In his dark form, he could've stayed under for far longer. But he was not ready to let these people know about that part of his life. Even if the ocean did seem like a safe place to release dark eco buildup.

When Jak waded out of the surf, his fingers were wrinkled and his hair was a mess, but he couldn't have cared less. It was as if months of tension had uncoiled and drifted away in the lagoon, leaving him lighter for it. Humming cheerfully, Jak wrung seawater out of his tunic and bent down to pick up his boots. A glance upward made him pause.

Mar was still with the six kids who had been playing with catapults on the shore, but now they were all clustered together, staring at him.

"What?" Jak asked self-consciously. His mood was beginning to deflate.

The oldest child there, roughly twelve or thirteen, pointed at the water.

"You went to the edge of the reef!"

Confused, Jak looked to the one-armed teacher for explanation. She looked as startled as her charges, but also a little impressed.

"You've got guts, I'll give you that," she said after a second, "But then, Seek here says you're new to Spargus, so I guess no one told you about the reef."

Jak laced up his boots and stood, brushing off sand. "Oh. Well, I didn't touch it, if that's what you're worried about. It doesn't look that healthy."

The teacher -- Korah, Daxter would later tell him -- grimaced.

"Yeah, that's our fault. Last generation didn't understand the damage yellow eco residue can do to coral. Took a couple years to pinpoint the shells ejected from the turret as the problem."

She shrugged.

"It's healing at its own pace. But that's not what the kids are concerned about. They thought you were going to go over the reef."

Jak actually laughed, surprising himself.

"Into dark water before I've had a chance to get a headlamp? Right. I'd want to be able to see what's down there."

A boy about Mar's age grimaced comically. "That's not allowed! You'll get eaten!"

"No I won't."

"Yeah you will!"

Jak boldly tousled the kid’s already messy black hair.

"I'm not afraid of sharks."

Korah cleared her throat.

"It's not sharks you have to watch for."

She pointed out towards the small island Jak had spotted past the reef. "That's Mother and Child Island. We don't swim there, and we don't take motorized boats there. The sounds attract the Scylla."

Daxter left off playing some kind of marble game with a little girl and cringed. "Uh...you mean the beastie on the edge of old maps? The "here there be monsters" Scylla?"

"I thought those were made up!" Jak looked just a little too eager.

"Nope." Korah shook her shaved head. "She's real, alright. Don't know how many of her kind there are out there, but she likes this coast for the smaller squid that hang around, and the occasional swimmer."

Daxter's fur puffed out. "Jak, if you try to take me past that reef, I'm gonna unionize."

Jak shaded his eyes and stared at the water as if he could see the colossal squid.

"So has anybody fought her or chased her off before?"

Korah's tone turned sharp. "Don't even think about it, newbie. Not only is that a fool's errand, it would unbalance the ecosystem."

Another one of the two older kids nodded. "The Scylla eats the squid and smaller sharks so they don't come bother us. If there's no Scylla, something bigger will move in."

Intrigued, Mar asked, "Bigger like what?"

The girl bent slightly to look him in the eye. "Ever seen the Colossal Blue shark?"

"No," answered Mar, and at the same time Jak and Daxter answered, "Yes!" With wildly different levels of enthusiasm.

"Yeah." The girl tossed auburn hair over her shoulder and straightened. "The Scylla keeps the Colossal Blues out of the area. Teacher says we give her her space, and she gives us ours as long as we don't swim past the reef."

Reluctantly, Jak agreed that the rule made sense in context. But now he really wanted to see the giant scylla.

[inimikal-archive]

Its  time  for  Erol  headcanon  stuff  at  long  last.  This  is  a  big  rewrite  of  stuff  from  Erol’s  old  blog ! 

The  first  thing  to  address,  I  think,  is  the  character  ages  so  I’m  gonna  start  here.  They’re  completely  insane  &  Erol  is  one  of  the  few  characters  never  given  an  age  in  the  canon.  A  lot  of  people  tend  to  put  Erol  in  his  mid 30s  &  I  actually  have  no  idea  why  because  he  always  registered  as  a  lot  younger  to  me,  keeping  in  mind  almost  all  the  characters  are  a  hell  of  a  lot  younger  than  you  would  think  because  Naughty  Dog  made  some  very  interesting  choices  with  JnD.  So  while  I  don’t  give  a  shit  about  the  “canon”  ages,  &  Erol  never  got  a  canon  age,  I  still  tend  to  see  him  a  lot  younger  than  fanon  seems  to.  Plus,  does  the  man  look  like  hes  in  his  30s ?  Not  to  me.  He  doesn’t  act  like  it  either. 

My  age  for  Erol  is  around  20-23ish,  just  slightly  younger  than  Ashelin.   Now  I  think  the  reason  people  tend  to  aim  a  lot  older  is  because  of  Erol’s  advanced  rank  in   the  KG.  But  things  to  consider  here  is  that  a  lot  of  the  KG  were  implied  to  be  very  young,  more  so  than  you  might  think,  many  (forcefully)  recruited  as  children  &  (forcefully)  kept  in  the  service  until  their  deaths  &  all  evidence  leads  to  the  fact  that  many  KG  soldiers  died  very  young  given  ever  present  battles  against  the  metal-heads  &  the  extreme  corruption  of  Haven  itself. 

Again,  other  very  high  ranking  members  of  the  KG  such  as  Ashelin  Praxis  were  only  in their  early  20s.  I  believe  Ashelin  was  around  22-23-24  years  old  throughout  the  games  from  Jak 2  to  Jak  X.  Torn,  an  ex  KG  captain  was  by  far  the  oldest  at  28-29-30,  but  still  not  quite  as  old  as  you  might  imagine.  I  mean,  I  even  think  Torn’s  on  the  young  side  but  he  seems  older  to  me.  If  I  hadn’t  looked  his  age  up  I’d  imagine  him  to  be  a  little  older  but  the  thing  is  he’s  just  been  through  some  shit  &  honestly  given  how  life  was  in  Haven  city,  anyone  making  it  into  their  30s  was  probably  looked  at  as  hitting  middle  age.  OF  COURSE,  there  are  some  characters  in  the  game  that  ARE  actually  “old”  but  they  tend  to  predate  all  of  the  craziness  we  see  in  jak  2,  as  we  know  Haven  was  not  always  like  this,  but  that  we’re  introduced  to  it  at  a  time  where  its  teetering  on  the  edge  of  losing  a  long  &  grueling  war  with  literal  monsters  that  are  literally  planning  to  kill  &  eat  everyone.  Furthermore,  they’re  not  shown  as  high  ranking  figures  in  the  KG  because  active  Krimzon  Guard  personnel  would  obviously  have  a  much  lower  life  expectancy  all  of  this  considered.  

&  the  final  thing  to  consider  is  that  kids  are  a  lot  easier  to  manipulate,  radicalize  &  indoctrinate  &  the  Baron’s  dictatorship  at  this  point  was  relying  heavily  on  propaganda  &  martial  law.  Moreover,  Erol  himself  was  essentially  treated  as  living  propaganda.  This  was  very,  very  intentional  &  above  all  why  Erol  always  registered  to  me  as  a  lot  younger  than  he  seems  to  hit  in  the  fandom.  Erol  was,  essentially,  in  my  headcanon,  an  up  &  coming  young  race  star  who  was  purposefully  indoctrinated  &  recruited  into  the  KG  to  help  boost  the  appeal  of  the  KG   &  the  Baron’s  rule.  Evidence  of  this,  I  think,  is  everywhere  but  what  really  guides  my  thought  process  is  the  way  Erol  has  been  canonly  dubbed  “The  son  of  Haven  City”,  this  is  an  affectionate  moniker  given  to  him  by  Baron  Praxis  &  Erol’s  races  are  highly  promoted  &  glamorized  throughout  the  city  along  with  Erol  himself.  They’re  also  heavily  linked  to  Praxis   as  the  “prizes”  for  winning  are  not  only  an  extremely  large  supply  of  dark  eco  (one  that  we  could  argue  the  Baron  couldn’t  actually  afford  to  give)  but  also  a  tour  of  Haven  Palace.  These  are  both  things  the  Baron  was  not  the  kind  of  guy  to  offer  to  just  anyone. So  this  meant  the  reality  of  the  NYFE  championship  was  really  just  Praxis  putting  on  a show  where  he  promotes  these  races  that  get  the  city  hyped  because  not  only  do  many  of  them  look  at  Erol  as  a  hero  &  a  celebrity,  but  this  also  promoted  massive  engagement  with &  glamorized  the  KG,  because  even  if  you  didn't  like  Erol,  you  didn’t  like  the  military  &  you  just  liked  racing,  you’d  be  tempted  to  try  your  hand  at  beating  him  &  snatching  his  crown,  as  well  as  a  massive  supply  of  eco  which  could  probably  make  your  wildest  dreams  come  true.  But  the  thing  was  Erol  never  lost.  He  was  undefeated  &  undeniably  the  most  talented  racer  in  the  game  outside  of  Jak’s  protagonist  powers.

This  also  suggests  a  kind  of  surrogate  father-son  dynamic  between  Erol  &  Praxis  which  seems  to  very  much  fit  given  Erol  was  closer  to  Praxis  than  it  seemed  anyone  else  was,  including  his  own  daughter.  In  fact,  it  even  seems  as  if  Erol  was  the  only  person  in  the  entire  city  Praxis  really  trusted  beside  himself.  I  think  when   Praxis  refers  to  Erol  as  “the  son  of  haven  city”  he’s  practically  calling  Erol  his  son  given  he  is  haven  city.  Again,  Praxis  was  very  much  a  cunning,  foul  tempered,  stern  &  paranoid  man  so  this  is  extremely  unusual  &  definitely  makes  Erol  very  note-worthy  &  “special”  way  beyond  his  title  as  NYFE  champion.  Also  brings  me  to  the  fact  that  Erol  was  very,  very  much  like  Praxis  himself,  as  if  the  man  was  fundamental  in  shaping  who  Erol  is.  It  seemed  to  me  that  Erol  had  picked  up  a  lot  from  him  &  there  is  cut  dialog  suggesting  Erol  would  become  the  next  Baron  in  Praxis’  defeat/death.  Which  is  a  lot  given  Praxis  literally  had  a  biological  daughter  right  there  but  she  was  not  favored  by  him  near  as  much  as  Erol  apparently  was.  Which  is  stuff  I  think  all  fits  &  works  for  canon  &  honestly  ND  screwed  up  the  game  in  the  end  there  horrendously  so  I  have  to  fix  everything  &  I  kind  of  see  Erol  as  the  perfect  foil  to  Jak  &  this  gives  them  some  similarities  in  the  sense  that  Jak  has  Samos  as  a  surrogate  father  figure  as  he  isn’t  able  to  connect  with  his  real  father  until  Damas  death. 

Which  brings  me  to  Erol’s  real  father  &  his  background,  which  is  purely  my  own  headcanons  here  that  I  tie  into  all  of  this.  This  is  a  nutshell  version  of  what  I  wrote  up  for  Erol’s  blog  because  I’m  lazy.  I  haven't  named  Erol’s  father  yet  &  I’m  following  the  JnD  trend  of  character’s  having  fathers  with  no  mothers,  but  he  was  a  track  mechanic  which  is  where  Erol’s  love  of  racing  began.  He  always  wanted  to  race,  something  that  he  maybe  once  hoped  would  come  with  the  benefit  of  impressing  his  father.  The  problem  being  that  Erol’s  father  was  an  abusive  alcoholic  &  a  small  time  criminal  who  was  involved  in  a  lot  of  shady  practices,  notably  drug  trafficking.  Which  is  where  Erol  got  all  of  his  race  training  from  -  he  was  the  delivery  /  errand  boy  for  a  lot  of  his  father’s  “business”,  both  legal  &  not  so  legal.  He  took  this  service  as  an  opportunity  to  practice  his  racing  skills  by  getting  himself  from  point  A  to  B  around  the  city  in  record  time.   When  Erol  expressed  wanting  to  race  he  was  delighted  to  find  his  father  was  more  than  supportive.  In  fact,  despite  the  serious  danger  of  racing,  he  had   a  plan  for  Erol  to  win  the  Eco.  &  it  was  here  when  Erol’s  speed  &  talents  on  the  track  got  him  noticed  by  Praxis,  who  quickly  “befriended”  him  &  invited  him  into  the  KG.  Erol  loved  the  attention,  especially  from  someone  so  important.  When  Erol  won  his  first  championship  he  found  out  his  father  planned  to  take  the  Eco  &  split  town,  &  Erol  seemed  to  have  been  left  out  of  the  loop  on  this.  A  fight  erupted  &  Erol  returned  to  Praxis  with  the  Eco,  leaving  his  father  for  dead.  From  here,  Erol  officially  joined  the  KG  &  the  two  began  to  conspire  about  the  following  races.  As  in  it  was  Erol’s  duty  to  remain  champion  &  win  the  races  in  order  to  keep  the  eco  &  the  palace  tour  out  of  the  hands  of  the  public.  Further,  Erol’s  relationship  with  Praxis  meant  he  moved  through  the  KG  fast  making  him  as  much  of  a  ‘solider’  as  he  was  a  champion  racer.  Which  leads  me  to  another  headcanon  I  have  regarding  Erol’s  position  as  Commander,  as  in,  I  don’t  think  it  was  a  rank  that  really  existed  before  Erol  &  before  Torn’s  defection.  Essentially,  in  my  headcanon  Torn  was  the  highest  ranking  KG  captain  &  once  he  defected  it  caused  a  bit  of  chaos,  &  was  especially  troublesome  in  the  sense  that  as  far  as  the  canon  goes,  the  KG  isn’t  something  you  just  walk  away  from,  hence  the  tattoos,  its  to  the  death,  not  only  that  but  a  high-ranking  leader  such  as  torn  saying  “screw  it,  Praxis  is  corrupt”  &  ditching  really  does  NOT  bode  well  for  both  public  &  private  image.  So  in  order  to  remedy  this  Torn  was  smeared  as  a  coward  &  a  traitor  &  a  higher  rank  was  applied,  &  Erol  was  naturally  chosen  to  fill  it.  Erol,  who  was  already  pretty  well  liked  due  to  his  race-star  status  &  potentially  “trusted”  by  the  public  as  a  result  meant  that  Erol  taking  over  in  such  a  way  &  thus  helping  spread  the  word  that  Torn  was  just  a  cowardly  traitor  made  the  story  that  much  easier  to  swallow  &  helped  to  pacify  both  the  public  &  the  Guard. 

This  gave  Erol  more  control  over  the  KG  &  the  city,  &  Praxis  more  control  overall  since  Erol  was  basically  just  a  younger  extension  of  himself.  Which  means,  roughly  by  the  timeline  Erol  has  been  Commander  for  around  4ish  years  in  my  headcanon  &  why  Erol  is  considered  as  much  a  threat  to  &  enemy  of  the  underground  as  Praxis  himself.  You  can’t  really  separate  the  two  of  them.    Another  thing  that  made  my  thoughts  go  this  way  was  the  KG  tattoos.  Now  these  seem  to  indicate  rank,  however,  you  cant  just  change  your  massive  face  tattoo  as  you  level  up.  Normally,  you’d  think  if  these  tattoo's  had  to  do  with  rank,  you’d  have  to  get  a  pattern  similar  to  Torn  &  Ashelin’s  before  you  moved  up  to  whatever  “addition”  was  made  to  indicate  Commander,  that  is  IF  the  commander  rank  always  existed.  From  what  we  saw,   Ashelin  &  Torn  seemed  to  have  a  similar  tattoo  pattern  which  makes  sense  as  they  were  both  top  KG  officers  with  the  Rank  of  “Captain”.  Erol  on  the  other  hand  has  a  completely  different  tattoo  pattern  that  doesn’t  even  resemble  what  Ashelin  &  Torn  have  going  on.  You  would  think  if  this  is  the  tattoo  you  get  when  you  level  up  to  Captain,  Erol  would  have  had  to  have  a  similar  tattoo  before  he  made  Commander.  But  he  doesn’t.  Its  as  if  the  Commander  title  was  added  just  for  him  &  thus  his  tattoo  pattern  is  exclusive  to  him.  So  how  it  goes  in  my  mind  is  Ashelin  was  promoted  to  take  Torn’s  place  as  the  lead  Captain,  &  the  tattoo  was  slightly  changed  for  her  &  Erol  was  placed  directly  into  a  higher  role,  which  came  with  a  completely  different  tattoo  pattern  all  together  &  was  no  doubt  a  shit  on  Ashelin  in  the  process  &  feels  very  Praxis  to  do  tbh,  given  he  clearly  didn’t  trust  or  favor  his  daughter. 

While  Erol  may  recognize  Praxis  as  a  little  unstable,  he  doesn’t  actually  fault  him  because  he  believes  in  him  &  believes  hes  right  in  his  approach  to  everything.  &  if  hes  wrong ?  No  hes  not  &  Erol  will  make  him  right,  because  Erol  as  much  looks  at  him  as  a  father  figure  as  it  seems  Praxis  thinks  of  him  as  a  son.  Erol’s  less  about  the  ultimate  good  of  the  city  &  more  about  pleasing  himself  &  impressing  Praxis.  Another  thing  to  note  in  Erols  motives  for  helping  Praxis  is  that  he  really  doesn’t  seem  to  like  Haven  city  that  much.  Sure,  Erol’s  fighting  for  his  city  &  his  people,  to  protect  them  from  the  metal-heads  but  he  doesn’t  seem  to  have  a  lot  of  love  over-all  for  the  city.  In  fact,  he  seems  quite  bitter  toward  it  &  doesn't  seem  to  like  many  of  the  people  in  it  which  is  why  I  headcanon  that  Erol  came  from  a  dodgy  background  as  opposed  to  always  being  among  the  city  elite.  Which  means  unlike  Ashelin,  he  cant  look  at  the  city  or  his  hopes  for  it  through  rose-colored  glasses. 

For  me  this  just  explains  why  Erol,  despite  being  looked  at  quite  fondly  by  the  general  public,  doesn’t  really  return  the  love  &  seems  to  be  lone  wolf  outside  of  the  KG  troops  he  commands.  He  appears  more  for  individuals  (like  Praxis  &  Keira )  than  for  the  majority.  Hes  “protecting”  the  city  &  following  Praxis  orders  not  out  of  a  love  for  it  &  its  people,  &  a  hope  to  create  a  better  future,  like  Ashelin , but  more  because  doing  so  is  a  necessity  given  the  very  real  threat  of  the  metal-heads  busting  in  &  killing  everyone,  himself  included,  otherwise.  Because  even  if  Erol  doesn’t  have  a  lot  of  love  for  everyone,  he  does  have  those  few  people  he  does  care  about  &  the  metal-heads  taking  over  was  a  guaranteed  death  sentence  for  everyone.  As  Kor,  the  metal-head  leader  described  once  the  metal-heads  take  a  city  they  kill  &  eat  until  no  one  is  left.  Being  killed  by  metal-heads  is  thought  of  as  the  worst  way  to  go. 

Anyway,  now  that  all  that  rambling  is  out  of  the  way  I  was  talking  to  @pertrahe​  earlier  about  AUs  &  since  I’d  rewrite  a  lot  of  JnD  going  into  Jak  3  I  was  thinking  of  like  alternative  scenarios  for  Erol’s  death  bc  tbh  ND  fucked  this  up  &  got  a  bit  of  pocket  with  it  lmao.  Like  they  knew  killing  him  off  was  a  dumb  move  &  tried  to  bring  him  back  right  away  &  made  a  mess  of  the  whole  thing  so   alternative  events  for  Erol:  1)  Potentially  attempts  to  fight  the  metal-heads  with  his  own  squad  as  he  thought  he  could  do  during  the  start  of  the  game,  after  Praxis  death.  Gets  mauled  half  to  death  as  a  result.  Though  to  keep  the  Dark  Eco  exposure  which  I  kind  of  think  is  important  going  forward  he  could  be  involved  in  an  explosion  perhaps  by  trying  to  bait  the  metal-heads  with  the  eco  or  something  along  those  lines.  The  over-exposure  to  the  Dark  Eco  attracts  the  Dark  Makers  &  they  decide  to  save  &  “rebuild”  him.    2)  Erol’s  “death”  happens  as  canon  but  we  actually  get  more  details  on  the  aftermath  including  Keira  being  acknowledged  as  having  sage  abilities  &  being  able  to  harness  Green  Eco  to  save  him  from  death  since  Erol’s  “accident”  was  a  very  public  thing,  lmao.  Though  maybe  she  should  have  let  him  die  given  he’s  in  a  pretty  sorry  state  of  being  &  it  gets  worse.  I  like  to  think  maybe  Count  Vegar  had  something  to  do  with  Erol  suddenly  being  labeled  “dead”  &   attempts  to  eject  him  from  Haven  Hospital  &  leave  him  somewhere  to  die,  looking  at  him  as  possible  threat  to  his  own  plans  in  spite  of  his  condition,  which  similarly  to  1,  leads  to  the  Dark  Maker’s  finding  him  &  perhaps  were  the  ones  linking  with  the  KG  robots  to  “rebuild”  him  into  a  cyborg-nightmare  that  the  alien  from  Virus  1999  would  be  proud  of.  (thats  the  peek  aesthetic  here,  btw)   We  know  that  the  Dark  Makers  were  very  technologically  advanced  &  they  had  some  weird  control  over  cybernetics.  Though  they  dont  really  explain  it  in  the  game  we  can  at  LEAST  assume  this  is  how  Erol’s  canon  counterpart  was  able  to  “link”  with  the  Dark  Marker’s  &  maybe  the  massive  over-exposure  to  Dark  Eco  made  Erol  appealing  to  them.  Though  we  just  don’t  know  how  he  got  “resurrected”  as  a  cyborg  in  the  first  place.  Like  there  is  just  no  info  on  any  of  that,  this  is  just  me  speculating  &  how  I’d  probably  work  toward  explaining  it  in  AUs  /  rewrites  because  I’m  def  not  sticking  to  canon  after  Jak  2  regardless.  Theres  also  a  3rd  option  in  Erol  never  getting  exploded  at  all  &  maybe  just  putting  aside  his  ISSUES  to  work  with  the  underground  to  stop  Praxis  from  trying  to  blow  up  the  whole  city  cos  thats  a  bit  extra.  Like  Erol  would  have  fought  with  Praxis  to  the  death  but  he  probably  wouldn’t  want  to  go  as  far  as  blowing  up  the  entire  city  &  himself.  He  might  be  torn  over  it  because  Erol  does  follow  Praxis  logic  but  at  the  same  time  he  held  this  personal  glimmer  of  hope  that  it  didn’t  need  to  come  to  that  &  they  could  defeat  the  metal-heads.  Again,  Erol  was  quite  convinced  he  could  put  up  a  good  enough  fight  himself.  But  anyway,  something  happening  in  regards  to  Erol  living  long  enough  to  find  out  Praxis  actually  planned  to  blow  up  all  of  them  in  an  effort  to  take  the  metal-heads  with  them.  I  don’t  know.  I  love  the  fact  I  have  the  real,  canon  based  potential  for  a  gory  horror  cyborg  Erol  but  the  way  canon  did  it  sucked  so  bad !  So  I’m  def  down  for  exploring  all  the  possible  alternative  options.  

[moomingitz]

It’s... interesting looking back at the Jak and Daxter series, because when the second and third games first came out during my edgy teen years my mindset for them was mostly, “OMG Jak is now a buff and rugged edgy boi, he’s saying curse words, and has a literal edgy dark side to him. And Daxter is a big playboi who doesn’t hide his love for bewbs. Jak and Daxter is no longer for babies but for mature big kids like me!”

But looking at the series now; Holy shit, Jak has had it rough. Where do I even begin? This is going to be long, so get comfortable:

First, Jak was ripped away from his father at a very young age due to an insurrection. Then he was kidnapped by one of the people who was responsible for it, with the intention of being used to awaken some ancient Precursor technology, but luckily he somehow escaped and then was taken in by a rebellion group.

Then he was sent back into the past to be raised by Samos, the Sage of Green Eco. While that was a good thing for Jak, since he was able to grow up in a loving and supportive environment, what happened to him before that is something that would still be traumatic to a little kid especially in the form of something like Separation Anxiety. While this goes into headcanon territory, I can’t help but wonder if that had a lot to do with why Jak was the mostly silent type before the events of the second game. But thankfully he was lucky to grow up with two best friends like Daxter and Keira.

Surely you think that would be the end of misfortune Jak would have to go through. Wrong!

Fast forward to where he’s now 15 years old and everything seems all good and exciting after he and Daxter saved the world from Dee Snider and his twisted sister. Sure they didn’t accomplish what they set out for by turning Daxter back into his old humanoid self, by Daxter is content staying as a furry anyway. At least they saved the world and found some ancient Precursor technology. But hold up! Turns out it was some kind of rift gate and the moment they activated it some giant bug monster pops out and they’re all separated and thrown into some new place they’ve never seen.

Literal seconds later, before Jak or Daxter have any time to react or process what exactly just happened and where they ended up, Jak is immediately arrested and knocked unconscious, despite doing nothing wrong. He’s then tortured and experimented on for the next two years, in hopes of turning him into a living weapon by pumping Dark Eco into him. Keep in mind Jak was only 15-16 years old during those nightmarish two years of his life. But his BFF Daxter never gave up looking for him and eventually rescued Jak.

Upon busting out Jak has no damn idea where exactly he is, and when he does it turns out him and Daxter are now in a totalitarian, police state of a hellhole where never ending propaganda is blared everywhere you go, and where Jak’s only crime is just existing. Oh, and there’s currently an ongoing war between this police state regime ruling the city and some species called Metal Heads, so the territory outside the city is near inhospitable. So just simply leaving Haven City isn’t really an option. It’s either deal with the Krimson Gaurd who will get on you for just sneezing in the wrong direction, or claw your way for survival outside the city walls.

Until finding Samos and Kiera much later, Daxter is the only familiar and welcoming face Jak still had until then(the only exception being Sig in the “welcoming face” department).

Oh, and it turns out those Dark Eco experiments gave JAk some dark Hulk like form that he has trouble controlling(at least that’s what the game tells us). Oh, and they eventually learn that this shithole place they found themselves in is actually their home 500 years into the future. Oh, and it turns that this little kid they’ve been having to protect from both the Krimson Guard and the Metal Head army is actually Jak’s younger self.

Despite all that, the rebellion group and many of the criminals they had to work with eventually warm up and even become their friends, the authoritarian regime eventually crumbles, and they kill the Metal Head leader. Even though Jak doesn’t go back to his childhood home in the past, Keira, Samos, and Daxter choose to stay with him in the future, so he’s definitely not alone in the end. Happy ending earned, and that should be the end of all the bad stuff to happen in Jak’s life, right?...

Of course that wouldn’t be the end of bad traumatic shit to happen to Jak!

Right after the events of the second game, Jak is not only blamed for the fallout of the Praxis regime falling and the Metal Head army’s demise, but he’s outright banished to the Wasteland, no thanks to some weasely council member, Veger.

But ya boi Daxter snuck out to join Jak in his exile, so at least Jak still has his best friend with him. Jak now has to survive in a Mad Max esque land after proving himself worthy to Damas, the leader of some refuge village. But it’s kind of good because he slowly gets on this guy’s good graces.

Oh, but later on it turns out this Damas guy is actually the very father Jak was forcibly separated from during his very early childhood. But, Jak only figured that out just as Damas was dying, and he didn’t have a chance to tell Damas that he was his son that’s he’s been wanting to find for years.

It also turns out this Veger douchebag was one of the people aside from Baron Praxis who was responsible for Jak being separated from Dadmas, and was the guy who kidnapped him in an attempt use him to obtain that ancient Precursor technology.

Of course everything works out in the end. But yeah... You see what I mean? Jak was put through the wringer during the events of this whole trilogy! He's done nothing wrong! Yet starting from a very young age he’s either been targeted or dragged into other’s messes for just existing, or for something he had no choice to do in order to survive. The only real thing he did wrong was dragging Daxter over to Misty Island, which led to him being accidentally transformed into an ottsel in the first place. But the events of the first games was all a lighthearted adventure anyway. Aside from that it’s been one unfortunate or traumatic event after another for Jak.

When letting everything Jak went through really sink in, there’s guaranteed trauma and the resulting PTSD this poor guy is going to have to address or else it will inevitably manifest itself in some way later on. Acting gruff and blase' will only work for so long. I know some people get tired with pieces of fiction being compared to Steven Universe, but Steven’s eventual mental breakdown seriously came to mind. And some people will say, “It’s just a vidya game, stop thinking too much into it.”, but there was a conscious decision to take this series into a more dark and mature direction after the first game. So, it’s a bit hard not to think about more possible unpleasant implications based on what happened in the sequels, especially when looking at the events of the games through the lenses of today.

Taking all of this into consideration is also why I think Daxter is seriously the “MVP” of the series.

Daxter grew up being Jak’s best friend, which I’m sure helped Jak a lot after being separated from his father and taken to a literal place in time completely different and unfamiliar to him. I’m very sure his time growing up in Sandover Village and hanging out with Daxter was the best period of Jak’s life. Even after Jak dragged him to Misty Island, accidentally causing him to be transformed into an ottsel, and sacrificing his chance to be turned back to normal in order to save the world, Daxter showed no hard feelings towards Jak and he even learns to like being an ottsel.

He spent two years trying to find out where Jak was being held prisoner in Haven City, and infiltrated the place once he did and helped Jak escape.

And despite not having any fingers pointed towards him for the fallout after the events of the second game, Daxter still chooses to join Jak in exile in the Wasteland.

Daxter has never shown any ill will towards Jak despite him being the one responsible for being turned into an ottsel, and he’s never really abandoned him even when he is given many chances to or a way to get himself out of really bad situations. Despite everything, Daxter is still the same quippy, upbeat dork of a friend Jak has grown up with.

I really believe Daxter helped a lot with keeping Jak’s sanity intact during all of the hell he was put through and beyond. If there was a guaranteed way for someone to sign their own death warrant with Jak, I think harming or outright killing Daxter would be it.

[whimperwoods]

Part 14 of Anna and Gozukk

This time, a new perspective. Because Jak just will not stay in the background. Jak gets a migraine and Anna turns out to be a real grown-up after all.

The masterpost is here and includes a cheat sheet with character names/relationships.

tw: past slavery (series), tw: past abuse (series), tw: migraines, tw: child whumpee (kind of? he’s 8 and gets migraines and that sucks. but no one in his world would ever ever hurt him on purpose)

Let me know if you want to be added to the taglist!

Tag list: @redwingedwhump, @nine-tailed-whump, @thehurtsandthecomfurts @kixngiggles, @bluebadgerwhump, @dragonheart905, @carolinethedragon, @whumpzone, @newbornwhumperfly, @cupcakes-and-pain, @much-ado-about-whumping, @winedark-whump

****

Jak gritted his teeth, knowing his mom was right about Uncle Gozukk’s tent. It would be better there, but walking through the sunlight and trying not to run into anyone was almost hard enough not to make up for it. Everything was fuzzy around the edges, dark lines shimmering around people and tents and carts and making him feel dizzy.

It was a relief to step into his uncle’s tent, even with the brazier in the middle of the front room lit and glowing.

Miss Anna looked up in surprise, losing her grip on a bowstring that sprung away from the bow she was trying to string. Jak faked a smile to reassure her, but he wasn’t sure it was a very good one.

Her brow furrowed. “Are you ok?” she asked softly.

He shrugged one shoulder. “Kinda? I get these headaches sometimes where it’s just half my head really hurts and everything looks funny and all the noises are too loud.”

She put the bow down and stepped forward, laying the back of her hand against his forehead to check his temperature and all of a sudden, she was a real grown-up, after all. Some of the tension in his shoulders relaxed, not that it helped the pain much.

“Well, you don’t have a fever,” she said, her voice lower and softer, almost hard to hear, but soothing. “Do you want me to put the fire out?”

She was already moving to douse the brazier, so he nodded, letting her.

The tent got dimmer, easing some of the pain, and he stood in the middle of the floor, hugging himself around the middle. Usually, he laid down on Uncle Gozukk’s sleeping mat when this happened, but that seemed weird with Miss Anna here.

“Let’s get you back away from the entrance where it’s darker,” she said, her voice still soft and low. Her hand on his shoulder guided him toward a pile of cushions and he went along, relaxing a little further as she took charge.

“Did you get headaches when you were a kid?” he asked.

“Not like the kind you get,” she answered, sitting down beside him as he laid down on the thick carpet, “But I did get a lot of illnesses. I got all the stuff human kids get and all the stuff elf kids get, so it got a little rough sometimes.”

He hugged a small pillow and curled onto his side, closing his eyes and pressing his throbbing temple against the ground. Miss Anna brushed his hair back from his face, but his messy curls sprang back forward, as usual, instead of staying back where she’d pushed them.

Her hand started rubbing the back of his neck, massaging at the base of his skull, on either side of his spine. “Does that help?” she asked gently.

“I think so,” he answered, almost at a whisper.

She hummed in response and her hand kept moving, soothing and surprisingly strong.

Lying in the quiet, even with the gentle massage, just made it impossible to ignore the radiating throbs of pain through the right side of his head, but talking in common was hard when he was this tired, even though he was the best one his age at it. He bit his lip and tried to think, but that was hard, too.

His head kept pulsing, and he decided what he needed most was a distraction.

“Miss Anna?” he asked softly.

“Yeah?”

“Can you talk to me? So I don’t have to notice?”

“Of course,” she said, “What do you want to talk about?”

“I dunno. Common’s hard, ‘cause my head hurts.”

“Oh. I don’t know any orcish yet.”

“Do you wanna know how to say hi?” he asked.

“Sure. How would I say, ‘Hi, I’m Anna?’“

He told her, and she repeated it, pronouncing it not quite right. At least that was something to focus on. He corrected her and she tried again until she got it. Then he taught her how to tell people what tribe she was from, and listened to her try out the sounds until she got them right.

“What else do you think’s most important?” she asked, scooting closer. He rearranged to rest his head in her lap and she started rubbing at the sides of his nose instead, right at the bottom of his eyebrows. “Is this better, or is the one at the back of your neck better?”

He shrugged his free shoulder, not sure. “I dunno. They’re both better, I think?”

She hummed, continuing to massage pressure points around his head and neck, but as the silence stretched out, he found himself focused on the pain again, awash in it without a distraction.

“How come you know all this stuff?” he asked.

“My mom and I were kind of all we had,” she said, “And we didn’t have much money. So we had to learn some tricks instead of calling a healer. Doesn’t always work out, though.”

She sounded sad, and when he worked up the guts to turn his head and look up at her, he could tell from her face that she actually was.

“Oh,” he said. “You don’t need money for a healer here. So it’ll be ok now.”

She smiled, still looking sad. “Thanks, Jak. That’s good to know.”

“Oh!” he said, half sitting up. “I forgot! Emve said his grandma said I should tell Uncle Gozukk that Elder Mazogga wants to see you.”

Miss Anna ran a hand through his hair again. “It’s alright, Jak. You just rest. We’ll tell your uncle when he comes back for lunch.”

He laid back down, resting his head in her lap. She massaged his temple.

“Any other really important words for me to learn?” she asked.

“Please and thank you,” he said, “You don’t have to be polite in common if the other people are being rude first, ‘cause then you gotta be direct and just get to the point, but you always gotta be polite in orcish.”

“Ok, how do I say those?”

By the time she had “Please,” “Thank you,” “Yes, please,” and “No, thank you” down, he’d been distracted from the pain long enough to start feeling tired, and he thought maybe Miss Anna could tell, because she’d moved from massaging pressure points to just running her fingers gently through his hair at his temple.

“I think maybe you should try to get some rest,” she suggested softly, “I don’t think I can remember more than that at a time.”

He nodded, trying to focus on her hand in his hair instead of the throbbing, and gradually, he fell asleep.