#jak is Grounded

[radioactivepeasant]

Fic Prompts: Snippet Thursday

Following up from last week's poll, this week we have Prisoner Exchange AU: Jak gets in trouble (we all knew it had to happen sooner or later)

The second his boots hit the sand, Jak knew he'd screwed up. He could see Damas waiting in the vehicle pit, having what looked to be an extremely intense conversation with Sig. And Jak knew it was his fault. The idea of facing the wrath of the king was far from appealing, but he disliked the idea of Sig taking the blame for his stupidity.

"So do we face the music, or fake our deaths and flee the country?" Daxter asked morosely from behind him.

The question was answered for him when Damas looked over at them. Oh, he looked calm at first glance, but his eyes radiated fury. He pointed at them, and then to the ground beside him, and his meaning was clear:

Get your you-know-what over here. Now.

"Dun-da-dun: we're dead," Daxter announced.

"Extremely dead," Jak agreed.

Nevertheless, he ignored the way his stomach churned and twisted around his ribs, and picked his way across the sand.

Being in trouble was nothing new for Jak. In fact, most of his memories involved getting punished for one escapade or another. But this was the first time in recent memory that he could remember being anxious about getting in trouble. He'd seen Damas angry a few times before, but it had never been directed at him. In spite of everything they'd gone through, and everything they'd worked to build, Jak felt his pulse racing, and the old familiar instinct to fight for his life.

When he'd reached the men, Jak opened his mouth, intending to defend Sig. Damas beat him to it.

"What were you thinking?" he demanded.

Jak had thought that would have been obvious.

"That...I...was gonna clear out the metalpede nest?"

The glare he got in return warned him to try a different tack.

"Look, don't blame Sig. If he hadn't gone with me, I would've gone without him."

Damas did not appear to like that any more than the last statement. A muscle in his jaw twitched, and he narrowed his eyes at Jak.

"I told you not to enter the canyons until you had all three amulets."

"I'm sorry, okay? But we lost seven people to that nest!" Jak defended, flinging out an arm to gesture to the walls. "Egil's goons are already pushing past the river and winter's on the way. We can't afford to lose any more scouts!"

"I cannot afford to lose you!" Damas snapped.

Jak flinched away from his harsh tone. A mixture of confusion, nerves, and wounded pride compelled him to retort, "I'm trying to help! I live here now, remember?"

Damas closed his eyes and took a deliberately slow breath. Sig, Jak, and Daxter exchanged nervous glances. They knew full well this didn't herald anything good.

"Sig," Damas said through gritted teeth, "take the boys to their room, then wait for me in the aviary."

Sig nodded, but didn't verbally respond. He seemed to be feeling much more guilt than Jak did. He stepped to the left and put a hand on Jak’s shoulder. Before they could leave, Damas turned and cleared his throat.

"Wait. Give me your gate passes- both of you. You're all confined to the city until I decide what to do with you."

Privately, Jak thought that being deprived of his gate pass was a heavy punishment already. But Damas seemed mad enough that mentioning it might cause him to prove Jak wrong. He kept his mouth shut -- somewhat belatedly, so much for Damas’s attempts at teaching him negotiation -- and let his father take his gate pass away.

Well, this sucks, he thought, but knew better than to voice it.

When they'd walked far enough to be mostly out of earshot, Daxter remarked, "Well, that could've gone worse."

"Might still get worse," Sig sighed. He ran a hand over his head. "...Damas is right. I almost got us killed out there, cherries. He's got every right to be mad."

Jak tugged at his amulet restlessly. "You didn't want me to go along," he argued, "Doesn't that count for something? He's acting like I didn't take on a Swarm King with just Daxter and a gun!"

Sig ducked into the archway leading to the tower entrance and grimaced.

"No, he's acting like a man who lost his only son for years, and then had to deal with him recklessly risking his life on something that takes an entire team to accomplish. He-"

The big warrior stopped and blew out a frustrated breath. "You scared him, cherry. We scared him. And if anything had happened to you today, it would've been on me."

He shook his head and stomped into the lift.

"Two years I spent tearing Haven apart to find you, and then I let you waltz right back into danger. Unbelievable."

Jak settled into the corner of the lift and waited a few seconds until the silence became uncomfortable.

"Sig," he said, "You knew us before he did. In Haven, I mean. You know what we can do! You wouldn't have been able to stop me from joining the mission."

Guilt plucked at his lungs until he added, "I never meant for you to get in trouble, Sig. Usually we're the only ones who get blamed."

Sig's prosthetic eye whirred as its focus narrowed onto Jak’s face.

"Whatever was "usual" in Haven," he warned, "you're better off forgetting it. Things are different in the Wastelands, you know that!"

"I'm trying to help!" Jak argued. Why didn't anyone get that?! If he was capable of helping, he was obligated to help, wasn't he?

The lift locked into place and Sig pushed him out into the empty throne room. "You want to help?" he muttered, more to himself than to Jak or Daxter, "Maybe quit acting like it doesn't matter what happens to you as long as a job gets done."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

Sig shook his head and pointed down the side corridor. "Just...go on back to your room, cherry. Precursors willing, Damas will have calmed down by the time he makes it up here. But I wouldn't be expecting that gate pass back anytime soon."

"You can't be serious," Jak groaned.

He was.

______________________________________

The room had seemed impractically large the first night the boys had been "quarantined" in the tower. Now it felt like the walls were closing in as Jak paced the circumference of the chamber for the fifth time. It had already been an hour, and there had been no sign of Damas. Somehow, that was worse than him being mad. When you knew it was coming, but they made you wait-

That was one of the most terrifying parts of the Baron’s prison.

As Jak started his sixth circuit, tracing his fingers along the wall, he passed Daxter lying on the bed.

"Huh," Daxter said aloud, wrinkling his nose.

"What?" Jak paused mid-step to look down at him.

Daxter sat up suddenly with a furrowed brow. "Say uh...you don't think Spikes was- nah, he doesn't seem that touchy-feely."

Jak thought of Damas holding him, the night he'd finally understood who he was. He thought of fierce embraces and quiet tears and kept them to himself.

"What do you mean, Dax?"

The ottsel fidgeted, and Jak recognized the emotion coloring his eyes as regret.

"It's just..."

Daxter's ears drooped.

"When you go off without me, I know you don't need my help. And I know you can take any monster that comes your way. But I worry anyway -- I can't help it! I lost ya for two years, and sometimes I get scared! Osmo, back in Haven, he called that traumatic stress."

Jak felt a pit in his stomach as he sank back down to sit beside Daxter on the bed.

"Oh," he said quietly.

He'd known, of course. Daxter always wore his heart on his sleeve. But he never talked about it.

"Do- do you think Spike Dad feels like that?" asked Daxter, gnawing on his lip, "cos if he does, I'm gonna feel like a heel."

Jak was silent as he contemplated that. Traumatic stress, huh? What would've set off-

Oh. He'd snuck out. Damas probably found his room empty. Did he have a flashback, like Jak did when doors were locked? Had Jak caused him to panic?

With a groan, Jak put his face in his hands.

"I suck at being a son," he grumbled.

"In our defense, only one of us has been actively parented before this," Daxter suggested, but it was half-hearted.

His ears twitched, first up, then back down again.

"Do...do you think he's gonna yell?"

"If he yells, I'll yell back," Jak answered hesitantly. "But I don't- I don't think he's going to be like Samos. I just...haven't decided if that's a good thing yet."

_________________________________________

Damas entered the chamber well over two hours later to find his son pacing like a caged caracal. By the slightly disturbed furniture, pushed away from walls here and there, it looked as if Jak had been at this for a while now. From all that Sig had told him, he could guess he was in for a fight. Considering what he'd been put through before returning to Spargus, the boy understandably did not take well to any perceived threat to his autonomy. But the moment Jak spotted him, his shoulders slumped.

"So-" Damas began, trying not to read too much into how resigned Jak looked.

"Look-" Jak interrupted, then winced slightly.

"I- We're...sorry," he said haltingly. "I...just wanted- I just wanted to help you."

He looked so earnest. Damas didn’t doubt he and Daxter had managed to talk Sig into letting them turn his scouting mission into a search-and-destroy. It was hard to argue with a face like that. Did the boy even understand what he'd done wrong?

"Oh Jak," Damas sighed.

He lowered himself to the small couch by the window and beckoned him over.

"Come. Sit with me."

Jak hesitated, but complied. The couch was small, but he tried to give Damas as much space as possible. He picked at a scar on his thumb and didn't look up.

"Why you?" Damas asked. When Jak didn't immediately answer, he prodded his shoulder. "Hmm? Why did you, specifically, have to go kill those metalpedes?"

Jak shrugged. "Because I could. Because I'm harder to kill than other people. Why risk them if I don't need to?"

From any other Spargan, those words would've been commendable. Coming from his only child, they burned Damas like brands pressed into his skin. Jak should never have been taught to see himself as expendable. He should never have suffered as he had. And yet Damas had failed to protect him.

"And you gave no thought at all to Sig’s warnings that this was a task too dangerous for one person?"

He watched his son's brows quirk as if something about the question puzzled him.

"Wh- when, um, when we were kids," Jak mumbled, "Nobody actually...cared...if we were doing something dangerous. Not unless it inconvenienced them. They expected us to do these things. To...to earn our keep."

When he looked up at last, Damas was frowning thoughtfully.

"Hmm. I...think I understand."

Damas turned that thought over in his mind. It would do no good to get angry now: Jak would just think it was directed at him. Still, it was for the best that the people of that tiny village were far, far beyond his reach.

"My son," he said, gently but firmly, "You must unlearn what your captors drilled into you. You are home now- you are free now. Those expectations do not apply."

For a moment, Jak said nothing. Then he whispered, "I don't know who I am without them."

Daxter peeked over the arm of the couch with an endearingly miserable look.

"Jak didn't mean to scare ya, and- and Sig just came along to watch our backs! Don't be mad at Sig, er, sir."

An honorific out of Daxter? Hell must have frozen over. It was this, more than anything, that told Damas that the boys truly were sorry.

"Sig didn't do wrong by going with you," he allowed, and dropped a hand over the couch arm to rest over Daxter's head. "But he did not inform me of what was happening, or give me time to form a larger team. That is what he did wrong- and what you did wrong. But we are not here to discuss Sig. We are here to decide what consequences I need to set to ensure that this does not happen again."

Both boys winced, and Damas noticed Daxter curl in on himself as though shielding himself before a blow. Jak schooled his face into an emotionless mask.

Damas regretted his promise to spare Haven for Jak's sake.

"You will be confined to the tower for six days," Damas announced, forcing himself to ignore the boys' reactions. "If you want your gate pass back, you'll have to earn it. Show me that I can trust you to make better decisions."

"And...after the week is up?" asked Daxter tentatively.

The king shifted his weight and ran a hand over his face. Alright, Sig. I'm choosing my battles.

"Before I came in here, I was going to ban you from the Arena trials until midwinter," he admitted.

Jak stiffened beside him, the protest already on his lips.

"But," Damas continued, "as you seem to have a better understanding of the gravity of the situation than I had initially thought, I offer a compromise."

Jak flexed his fingers and glanced over nervously. "O...kay?"

Damas offered a small smile in response. "You will only be barred from the Arena until you can escape me in a sparring match. How long that lasts will be up to you."

Jak sagged with relief -- and Daxter suddenly got a lot more anxious. Sure, Jak could fight metalheads the size of buildings and come out on top. But Damas had something the metalheads didn't: opposable thumbs.

This probably wasn't going to be as easy as Jak was thinking.

"Thanks. For...for not yelling," Jak said unexpectedly. "Daxter doesn't like yelling."

Damas dropped his other hand across the back of Jak's neck and squeezed affectionately, just the barest hint of pressure.

"If you have to shout to make your point, you've already lost control of the situation," he advised.

He caught the incredulous expression passing between the two boys and chose to let it go. They were still learning what it was to have a childhood. Lessons in leadership could come later.

"I know you're still getting to know me," he said hesitantly, "Perhaps the restrictions I place do not make sense to you. But they exist because I care about your safety. I fought to make this city one in which you could choose your own path. So you wouldn't have to fight for your life."

Daxter stretched up on tip-paws. "But that's why Jak fights!" he protested, "Cause he can't stand the idea of anybody goin' through what he did!"

Damas flinched, ever so slightly, and Daxter regretted bringing it up. It was fairly obvious that Damas had the same kind of survivor's guilt that he did.

"I...don't know a whole lot about dads, sure, but he's just doin' what you do, doesn't that count for somethin?"

Damas shook his head, but he didn't appear to be disagreeing. He only whispered, "I should have been there."

Daxter knew what he meant.

After a moment's hesitation, he climbed up onto the arm of the couch and tentatively patted Damas’s shoulder.

"Aw, look. Jak, uh...Jak has always been pretty fearless about runnin' into danger. Even before things went sideways! He used to wade out to the sandbar to save stranded Lurker Hounds, even though he knew they were gonna try and bite him! He uh, he had to learn that from somewhere, right?"

Jak raised his head and blinked. He'd sort of figured he'd learned it from his own elder self in an eternal loop. But...could Daxter be right? Was that wild, fearless, reckless little kid simply acting like a normal Wastelander?

"Maybe you fought so he wouldn't have to," Daxter suggested, merely thinking out loud, "But maybe he decided to be just like you? I mean have you met him? The kid's got a head like a rock!"

"Dude, really?" Jak glared at him.

Damas’s smile was bittersweet at best. "It is...a nice thought, Daxter," he admitted, "Admittedly, Jak...was quite stubborn when he was Mar."

Impulsively, he swung his arms close, dragging both boys into an impromptu embrace.

"However, you are still grounded."

"Darnit!" Daxter fumed.

[memingursa]

They’d literally rather make no money than re release blood borne/let Miyazaki have access to bloodborne or touch any of their exclusives that isn’t the last of us

[bunsuuu]

[Trip to Flora]

"As the pair made their way through the numerous halls of the Flora palace, wandering eyes could not help but stare. From the members of the court to war chiefs, all confused about two things; why was Evelyn back only now after very sudden disappearance and who was the stranger walking by her side."

* * *

I did some lore stuff- I actually had to somewhat remake Jak's outfit because he needed to fit in. If the people of Flora learned that he came from the surface, everyone would absolutely panic.

This is still ship stuff which is why Daxter nor Red aren't there. I do wanna draw more of Flora's map and key places so I will include them later though.

* * *

✨️ Reminder that Evelyn's ask box is still opened and will be for a while, feel free to ask anything 🩷 ✨️

[darkestrellar]

have pretty much finished my black playthrough (had to go through the unexplored areas postgame and find all the sages) so NEXT I can replay black 2 and decide WHAT was alt verse svern doing in all of that

[supposed-to-be-studying]

.

[quinnred]

Shrileket: God of the Beautiful Wrath, God of the Spear, Sun-Dropper Shrileket is the embodiment of focus, gust, conspiracy, spears, venom, meteors, and just punishment. He is represented by the Cone-Shell in the South, and by the Heron and Fisher in the North. Warriors may wear an eye-marked sea shell upon their head or as necklace to evoke Shrileket’s accuracy and deliverance and be blessed with a just rage.

The Shell Gods were gods of strength, endurance, and handiwork, and so the birth of the armless and scrawny Shrileket to a consort of Zridtara was not revered. The wobbly weakling only had a shell upon his small head and had no feet but pin points that left it oddly balanced. Afraid to inform their chief, the consort left the newborn to be raised by the Servikah giants within the lower chambers of the Mesa. Despite his seeming lameness, Shrileket was already quite clever and remembered each wrong done to him as he grew in the shadows of his Shell kin, from the neglect of his mother to the bullying of his siblings. From hidden corners of the Mesa, he payed great attention to the habits of each brother and planned every detail of their shaming. He perfected his movements under the guise of dancing with his Servikah and sharpened his shell head with his feet. He would challenge his proudest and tallest brother, Thulla the god of Towers, to a duel. Red with laughter, Thulla agreed to the contest with this comical upstart and met him at the ground of his choosing. The brothers would fight upon the morning ground of Glarelund, carved into an arena so Thulla and Shrileket’s siblings could be audience. After a boast of mockery, Thulla’s first step into the ring followed with immediate foolery as the tall god teetered and tottered upon the shiny ground. Shrileket, however, slid with grace and elegance, dancing around the oaf with pecks and kicks to trip him further. In but a few moments Thulla had fallen, intensely embarrassed by Shrileket who had known that ice grew thin and smooth in the mornings of this region due to his Servikah guardians. Shrileket’s glee was the brightest he felt in a long time, but would sour as Thulla spit cruelties at the victor. Too indignant to let his win soothe him, Shrileket pounced on his brother and castrated him with his sharpened head to the horror of his fellows. The victory of the honourable duel had been ignored by the Shell Gods, instead enraged by the maiming of their proudest son and had banished Shrileket. Painting himself eyes from the gore of Thulla, Shrileket remembered the face of each and every one who cursed him and set off into the world. From there he would receive an invitation from the Feather Gods who admired Shrileket’s strategy and wrath, and especially his shaming of Thulla and gifted him with cloth weaved from god feather so he may join them in The Sun. Shrileket accepted and would earn further gifts, such as Godler servants sculpted into arms for his use and a consort for whom weaved him his cloth. From there he would take his seat at the bottom of The Sun, enthroned upside down at it’s tear ducts were he harvest his sunlight spears to damn those he chooses. Though his cool rage made him a fine arbitrator, his arm servants despised their role and their master and ever whispered bad advice and annoyances into his ears. Their hope was to be destroyed by their owner and freed of their obligations, released into the next life. Unfortunately for them Shrileket found it better to punish their betrayal with further eternal service. His many years of dedication as a divine punisher would end upon the beginning of the Deiomachy, as he would be sent to stop his brother-by-fate god of rage, Tilshek, from entering The Sun. Disgusted by how much Tilshek reminded him of an unrefined self, Shrileket would stop at nothing to kill the half-Jak, dropping from The Sun like tear drop lighting. Their clash would announce war between the Feather and Shell, booming as only gods could for days until they fell upon each other’s impalements.

[samandcolbyownme]

OOO can you write fem reader x jake fluff to smut? Like reader having been away to film a vid with sam n colby in another country and she finally gets back? love your writing its MWAH

Warnings: strong language, sexual and suggestive language, hints at sexting, fluff mostly I’ll do a part 2 at some point

Enjoy!

══════════════════

“I bet Jake is itching to see you.” Sam chuckles, “This is the first time you’ve been away from each other for more than a few days right?” You look at Sam and nod, “Two days is the most, anything more is..” you sigh and shake your head, laughing as the flight attendant announces take off.

You make sure neither boy on either side of you are looking at your phone before you open the thread because as you suspected, photos you sent Jake to hold him over for the duration of the plane ride are on full display.

You text him - quickly, On the plane getting ready for take off. I love you. I can’t wait fuck, I mean hug and kiss you. You hit send and put your phone on airplane mode. You get out your headphones, slipping them over your ears before you turn on your music.

You smile as one of Jake’s favorite songs plays. You try to follow along to the words, the beat of the music, but you just can’t.

You were needing Jake.

Craving, aching, yearning for him.

You knew you were flying home to some good welcome home sex, but you needed to calm down now. You glanced over to the window, smiling at Colby when he looks over at you. He gives you a thumbs up and you nod, giving him a thumbs up back before resting your head back.

You needed Jake’s hands on you. Recovering your body in his fingerprints, his touch that makes you weak no matter what way he touches you.

You tried pushing the thoughts away, mainly because they were just causing you to be uncomfortable because you were forcing yourself to sit still. You were scared to sleep. No matter how tired you were, you didn’t want to risk announcing in your sleep to the whole plane that you’re having a wet dream.

You took a deep, quiet, and calming breath before closing your eyes. All you could picture was seeing Jake in the airport. It’s going to be late when you get in, but you know neither you nor Jake will be tired once you get your hands on each other.

You eventually make it through the long flight, basically if you didn’t have Sam or colby to talk to, you would have died from boredom.

As you make your way off the plane and to the baggage claim, you feel your heart start racing faster and faster. You felt like you were meeting Jake for the very first time all over again.

You love and hated it.

“So you see them?” Sam asks and Colby looks around, “No, not yet.” Your eyes search the crowd around you and you suddenly spot Jake over everybody.

You gasp, tapping Colby’s side with your hand, “There.” You point and Jake and Johnnie wave. Sam looks at you, “Go.” He nods towards Jake, “I got your bags.”

You smile and let go of your suitcase, ripping off your backpack and taking off towards Jake. As soon as you’re close enough, you push yourself off the ground, leaping into his open arms.

He catches your and your arms and legs wrap around him. He hugs you right, “Mmm.” He squeezes your body, “I missed you.” He leans his head back and scans his eyes over your face, “Gimme a kiss, sugar lips.”

You laugh and lean in, pressing your lips to his. His arms tighten around your body and he hums lowly, “I hope you’re not tired.” He chuckles and leans back to look at you.

You bite your lip, “Don’t worry, I feel a second wind coming on.” You smirk and he nods, “Good, because I have a schedule, and it’s a lengthy schedule.” He winks and you laugh. You honestly wouldn’t be surprised if he did have a schedule.

You talk amongst each other, mainly about the investigation, as you make your way to his car. Colby leans forward once he shuts the door and you look over at him, “What’s up?”

“Is it cool if we find a close hotel to crash at?” Colby asks and your eyes move up to Jake. You look forward to hide your smirk and nod, “Yeah, I think that’s a good idea.”

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Thank you so much for reading! As always, let me know what you thought. I love you all! 🖤

Likes and reblogs are majorly appreciated!

[fortpeat]

Thoughts on EPISODE 9

In a way I am glad that this episode ended on a slightly good note I am sure there's more angst coming our way with next episode but it looks like the kind of angst that I very much like 🤭🫣

Also can I say how grateful I am that they didn't make Jak into this big villain and ended his storyline in the most pathetic weak way ! I am sure a lot of us can relate to manipulative parents so I am happy that they didn't have Jak psychologically torture Rak even more than ever just for the sake of having a better storyline. Also thank you for giving us Mahasamut kicking Jak's ass to the ground.

This just shows that all Jak is capable of is using mind tricks and scare the people in his life to give him money. The man is tall and looks strong but one punch and he's on the ground actually shows how weak he is and why he always resorted to mental manipulations scaring Rak and his family into giving him money.

I am also glad that we didnt get Rak and his family suddenly being strong enough to fight back against Jak, sure in a fictional plotwise it would have looked good but I don't think it works like that in real life. You don't suddenly get the courage to fight back against someone that tormented you just like that especially after years and years of mental torture. It would have been too unbelievable also I feel like it would have sent a message like - "if you want to fight back you can, you just choose not to" when it's never that easy especially where a parent is concerned!

Sure maybe some time later Rak would be able to face Jak and not be so scared and terrified of his mere presence but that's not today and that's okay you know. But I know that Rak will get there and that's all I need. The fact that he officially cut off Jak and told him to go to hell is more than enough coz we have seen how haunted Rak is of Jak so this itself is a big step in my opinion.

Sometimes you need a outside person to help us see that the monster that's been threatening us is nothing but weak and for Rak that was Mahasamut! And if that reduced Mahasamut into just Rak's knight in shining armor that's okay you know. Coz Mahasamut didn't just help Rak but he also saved Rak's niece and sister into realising that they hold the power. Mahasamut is the kidn of person who has lots of love to give and just wants to protect the people he care about and in his life thats Rak and everyone Rak cares about and Rak's family has officially adopted Mahasamut as well and for Mahasamut who was thrown away and didn't have anyone this is everything! Unknowingly Rak gave Mahasamut a family and even though we haven't seen much interactions we know that they all adore Mahasamut I mean how can they not !

Maybe I am biased coz this is my babies series and they have given so so much to bring this to life and I love them so very much and yes there could be somethings that can be improved especially the pacing of the show coz I am sure the next episode is gonna be jam-packed! But with how much hard work Fortpeat have give into this series and how talented they are and how much life they give to these characters I can't be disappointed coz at the end of each episode I am so happy and I am gonna be so so sad after this series is over 😭😭😭 coz this was everything and more 😭😭

[secriden]

love sea episode 2 rewatch thoughts:

in hindsight, this opening should've clued us in that this episode was going to be horny as fuck.

ok so if episode 1 was about establishing mahasamut, i think the purpose of episode 2 is really to give us a much more nuanced introduction to tongrak. what's fascinating is that the show chooses to impart this insight to us through a rather unusual medium: sex (and, specifically, tongrak's attitude about sex).

we open with kinky kinky beach sex and it tells us that tongrak is impulsive, hedonistic, and tends to give into the emotions of the moment (something that, as the series develops, he does with increasingly self-sabotaging results; eg. when he lashes out at mahasamut after the 1st run in with prin or when he runs off to appease jak when he gets fearful in episode 9).

it also tells us that tongrak is very comfortable with his physical wants and needs. sure, mahasamut kinda flusters him because he awakens desires that are more intense than he's is used to, but tongrak's still grounded enough in his sense of self that he can roll with it pretty quickly and becomes an active, willing, even enthusiastic participant. (it's not going to be his physical desire that drives a wedge between them; its going to be the emotional connection that ends up being terrifying to tongrak.)

this episode also lays a ton of groundwork to set up why and how intensely mahasamut and tongrak are drawn to each other.

a lot of it, early on, is purely physical.

mahasamut and tongrak clock that they're compatible in their (D/s) kink immediately and they embrace this with gleeful abandonment. other people have made this point a lot more clearly than i could ever hope to (see @williamrikers excellent analysis of mutrak's kink dynamic), so i won't belabour the point, but i would like to point out how thoroughly the show wants the audience to know that these two are a perfect match physically and sexually (specifically with their particular kinks) and that they are incredibly comfortable with that.

(an aside: one thing i adore about peat's portrayal of tongrak's submissiveness in the beach scene is the way he starts out being the initiator in the kiss - in the gif above, it's tongrak that grabs mahasamut and yanks him into the kiss at first - but once its clear that mahasamut is on board, tongrak is almost constantly angled up, head tipped back, responding to mahasamut's cues but making no attempt to direct whats happening. there's so much surrender in the pliant way peat holds himself as they kiss and the way he goes from pulling mahasamut into the kiss to just clinging to his torso as he lets mahasamut take control. even when he reaches for mahasamut's dick, the second mahasamut pins him down and gives him an instruction, tongrak makes no attempt to redirect and just goes with what mahasamut wants. there's just such great detail in this portrayal of surrender.)

but what makes this encounter different (from the many, many other ones they've both had) is going to be how neither of them were able to keep this connection as purely physical for very long. (this is what episode 3 is for, though, so lets put a pin in that thought.)

back to insights into tongrak's character: we also get an escalation/confirmation about how tongrak views sex (and relationships) as purely transactional. tongrak's entire backstory is grounded in the idea that 'everybody has a price' because that's what his parents showed him. to tongrak, every human interaction is about finding the right things to give (usually money in his case) to get what he wants and this has allowed him to rationalise that feelings and emotions (both his own/the other person's) don't matter.

tongrak firmly believes that as long as he's offering something of sufficient (monetary) value, he's perfectly within rights to demand what he wants without consulting mahasamut's feelings, wants, or thoughts about the matter. in fact, he thinks of mahasamut as kind of an object for his sexual gratification and/or convenience. this is why he feels no remorse about kicking mahasamut out after they have sex even though mahasamut clearly wants to cuddle/come down from the physical high together. the next morning, it never pings to him that he should be guilty about how he treated mahasamut.

(look at his face. he's such an entitled diva. i love him so much.)

not only is this attitude - in reality - a very inaccurate way to view human beings (because as a species we are creatures very much led by our emotions), but it is the source of tongrak's own dissatisfaction and unhappiness. he never acknowledges any of his own emotional needs and so cannot manage or address them in a meaningful or healthy way.

so to summarise tongrak understands and is comfortable with his physical desires but does not know how to even acknowledge his emotional ones whilst impulsively being led by them in the heat of the moment: already we can see that this is a recipe for disaster and tells an unspoken story of pain and trauma.

(i also want to mention how well mahasamut continues to respond to tongrak's specific brand of caustic entitlement. he doesn't bother making a big deal about tongrak throwing money at him, but he also never names a price for his 'services' either. he blatantly refers to tongrak as his "owner" but also makes it clear that it's not tongrak's money that's keeping him around, but rather mahasamut's own desire for tongrak. it's like he'll act in tongrak's play but he won't quite stick to the script either. its so, so effective because he doesn't trigger tongrak's fight or flight response but he's still undermining and proving tongrak's assumptions wrong at every turn. this is what allows mahasamut to worm his way behind tongrak's walls whilst simultaneously chipping away at them.)

one last little bit of (this time non-sex-adjacent) insight into tongrak: he has a great capacity for compassion. (which will, eventually, turn into love.)

mahasamut, at this point, is mostly just an incredible lay to tongrak. but already he shows care and concern for mahasamut that's separate from what he can offer tongrak. he's concerned at a (relatively minor) hint that mahasamut has been mistreated in the past and then again concerned that mahasamut will suffer the repercussions of any hit to his reputation. [note: this is informed by a backstory regarding homophobia on the island that's from Khom/Connor's story in Love Sand, but even without that insight we can see tongrak's concern is for mahasamut.] (again, this is something the show is setting up to callback to later when tongrak gets offended on mahasamut's behalf when he thinks the waiter made fun of mahasamut.)

these little glimpses give us such a contrasting perspective on tongrak compared to episode 1, where he was mostly just a rich, entitled, and fairly unlikable character. we're being shown that what we've seen so far is really a mask as tongrak's true character slowly starts bleeding through as he has more interactions with mahasamut.

and then the episode closes on heartbreak: You're aware aren't you? Love is just a figment of our imagination.

tongrak's expression right before he says this is filled with resignation and disappointment. he hates that he has to say it but he feels its his duty to burst mahasamut's bubble. he genuinely believes this and so to him he's just doing mahasamut a favour by telling him a Truth about life. for us, this is the final crack in the mask and we see just how lost and fragile and hurt tongrak truly is.

(and the way peat sells this part - the cold almost clinical look in his eyes when he says the line. the tiny pout of his lips like tongrak can't help but feel sad about it, even though he accepts it as reality. the cold, flat tone peat uses to deliver the line when tongrak's usually quite expressive and uses lots of inflections and intonations in his speech. ugh <3)

but this is also really important because this is why we, the audience, start to care about tongrak. mame takes us on this journey, sets us up to wonder why tongrak's the main character when he starts out kinda of awful and then shifts the ground out from under us by showing us his soft, wounded underbelly. we can't help but want him to be loved, now, and this is why we become invested in 'tongrak mahasamut'.

[thissying]

“On Wednesday afternoon the news came that the Grand Prix was cancelled and then Max himself came up with the idea of organizing a sim race, so that there is still something to experience for the fans this weekend, but also to draw attention to what is happening in Emilia-Romagna and to support the people affected by the storm. "So this really happens on Max's initiative," Atze Kerkhof of Team Redline told Motorsport.com. “Max will of course participate and there will be quite a few members of the Red Bull Junior Team with Enzo Fittipaldi, Ayumu Iwasa, Arvid Lindblad, Jak Crawford and Isack Hadjar. There will also be drivers from Formula E, including Antonio Felix da Costa and Oliver Rowland. Three-time Supercars champion Shane van Gisbergen and Luke Browning have also agreed to participate.”

F2 driver Richard Verschoor, Aston Martin reserve Felipe Drugovich and Alpine reserve Jack Doohan have also been confirmed via Twitter. A grid of twenty-five to thirty drivers is targeted. Kerkhof himself will also participate, just like a few other riders from the Team Redline stable. “But also Sebastian Job, who is part of the Red Bull Racing Esports team. So it will be a nice mix of professional sim drivers and names that normally come out on the track.”

Just like the previous races that were held under the name Real Racers Never Quit, they will be driven on iRacing. “We will be running four races in a row at the Imola circuit, with four different cars,” Kerkhof explains the format of Sunday's event. “We are doing a race with a Formula 3, a race with a Formula Ford, a race with a Mazda MX-5 and a race with a Toyota GR86. Max chose these cars because they are not too difficult to master in the game, are fun to drive and can make for entertaining races for the viewers. We could also have gone for a Formula 1 or GT3, but then you will spend a lot more time getting to know the game version of the car and it might also be less competitive in the races. But because we want to have races that are fun to watch first and foremost, Max picked these four.”

As mentioned earlier, Verstappen wants to raise money with the sim race for the victims of the storm in Emilia-Romagna. “We will support the same action as AlphaTauri,” explains Kerkhof. “As you know that team is based in Faenza and that place has also been hit hard. We will show a link and QR code in the stream that can be used to donate money to the emergency fund. We will encourage anyone watching to make a donation."

Setting up a major sim racing event this hastily is no easy feat. Kerkhof: “Verstappen.com Racing and Team Redline have worked together to get this event off the ground. And Verstappen.com Racing is in turn supported by Red Bull, which has helped to gather some of these drivers. So yes, it is a lot of work, but the fact that Verstappen.com Racing and Team Redline have joined forces makes it a lot easier.” - Atze van de Kerkhof about tomorrow's RRNQ (X)

[yilinggusu]

Sometimes you need someone to point out just how small and pathetic emotionally abusive parents are and can be to their own children even when those children become adults. Mut is probably the only person in Rak's life that has faced Jak and told him how pathetic he is and that he isn't afraid of him. Mut is the only person Rak knows that isn't afraid of Jak because Mut can see right through his bullshit. Mut figured Jak out from the very start and was never afraid of him at all even when Rak was still completely terrified and tried to protect Mut by tearing up the contract. The way Mut tells Rak to take a good look at Jak and see him for the small pathetic man he is. Also the symbolism of Jak lying on the floor looking like a weak pathetic man was good too. Jak finally met someone that didn't give a shit about his manipulative ways and wasn't afraid of him while seeing him for what he is at the same time. Mut even reduces Jak to be being a slimy old fraud that can do nothing to him or to Rak and Mut isn't wrong. The way Mut stands over Jak while he tells Rak all of this speaks volumes.

The way Mut tells Rak to look at his father lying on the ground and asks Rak what does he see. Mut points out that Jak can't do anything to him, to Rak or to his family because Jak is a slimy old fraud. Mut tells Rak to take a good look and points out that Jak wouldn't dare kill anyone. Jak couldn't even fight back when Mut beat the shit out of him never mind kill anyone.

The way Mut reassures Rak that he's telling the truth in that no one is going to die and that it wasn't Rak's fault about the doctor who died in an accident. The desperate look on Rak's face when he asks for that reassurance from Mut by asking 'do you mean it' and he needed that reassurance all along. Mut reassures Rak again by telling him to look at Jak who is still lying on the floor like a pathetic coward whose actions have finally been exposed.

Rak admitting he's been afraid of his father for his whole life is the whole reason why his father had so much power over him for decades. Rak has been manipulated since he was a child and as an adult feels powerless because he never had anyone to help him and fight for him the way Mut did. Rak's father had had complete control to manipulate and abuse Rak for so many years with no one to stand up for Rak. Rak was all alone but now he has Mut in his corner to fight for him. Finally Rak can see that Jak isn't the big unbeatable monster he had to deal with as a child and as an adult. Even though Rak is scared he now has the confidence to stand up to his father with the help of Mut who has been fiercely at his side since they came back to Bangkok.

To Rak, Jak has always been a big monster who can ruin his life and also destroy Mut. Mut did what Rak never had the strength to do which was face up to Jak. Mut beat the shit out of Jak before asking him if he's ready to face him now that the contract had been ripped up. You just know Mut was only holding back because it was one of the terms Rak had set out.

Mut calling Jak a slimy fraud reduces him to exactly that so he's no longer the huge monster that occupies Rak's mind. Jak becomes human and is just a powerless piece of shit that can't do anything. He no longer has any power over Rak now that Rak can see the monster from his childhood is just another adult and an emotionally abusive one at that. Rak telling his father to leave him, his family and Mut alone is just the start of Rak getting back some power that he never had before in his life. Mut is a big help in helping Rak take back some of that power and control.

[radioactivepeasant]

Snippets: Free Day Thursday

As per the poll results, we are giving Damas stress via Just Plain Silliness. It builds character. Not that I needed an excuse to Inconvenience Characters in the first place 😆 it's become my favorite way of writing anything. Not Angst or Adventure, but Aggravation of Character in ridiculous ways 😂

This falls into the Trespasser au (last "episode" of that found HERE) a bit before the second Arena fight in the game.

The king of Spargus, Jak decided, was a killjoy.

For a city where strength and survival were supposed to be the most important traits, he sure didn't like any of Jak's demonstrations of strength or survival.

"You can't race Leapers in the middle of the market."

"Don't swim over the reef."

"Stop antagonizing the monks."

"You can't race Leapers on neighborhood roofs, either."

"If I told you not to swim over the reef, why would you assume I'd be okay with you feeding the sea monster?!'

It was like he was vehemently opposed to the mere concept of fun.

Jak folded his arms and tried not to roll his eyes while Kleiver complained about the scuffed up suspension and undercarriage on the Dune Hopper. Sure, he'd cut it a little close on the broken bridge, but he'd gotten away with the artifacts and left the Marauders in a two car pile up, so who was the winner, here?

Not Jak, apparently.

Damas listened to Kleiver yell about how he'd have to redo the entire suspension -- a gross exaggeration -- and how there was half a metalhead stuck in the undercarriage. Now that, Jak hadn't known about. When had he run over a metalhead?

"Hey! We didn't do that!" Daxter protested, "How do we know you didn't put that there last time you drove?!"

"Because I don't take the Hopper if I plan to do a run down Turquoise Canyon!" Kleiver snapped.

Damas steepled his fingers in front of his mouth and examined the damaged vehicle.

"One of these days, kid, I swear to Volcan-"

"What?! I got the job done, didn't I?" Jak protested indignantly. "Did you want the Marauders to get their hands on a functioning power cell?"

Damas’s jaw tightened so much that his mouth appeared to be folding inward. He inhaled slowly, and let it out again, ears twitching while he was very obviously counting to ten.

"There are no jumps in the canyon," he said slowly, "So how did you manage this?"

Jak shrugged nonchalantly. "The 'rauders chased us out to the ruins," he explained, "Ran out of turbo, so I had to get creative with the jump."

Kleiver started swearing very creatively under his breath. Damas turned an interesting shade of red.

"That does it."

The king grabbed Jak by the channeling ring and near dragged him out of the garage before Kleiver could clobber someone with a wrench.

"One more stunt like that out of you," Damas threatened, "and I'm entering you into an apprenticeship. Let's see you foment chaos with an actual structure in your day."

"You're not gonna do that," Jak scoffed.

Damas’s eyes narrowed. "Try me."

Jak did not take this nearly as seriously as he ought to have. In fact, he seemed to regard the threat as more instances of Damas "worrying too much". Damas did not worry too much! If anything, he wasn't worried enough about the insanity this young unknown relative had brought into his city! More than one advisor or guildmaster had been privy to the king muttering darkly, "I'm either going to kill him, or start training him myself. I'll let you know when I've figured out which."

And of course, Jak kept being Jak. Climbing the Arena walls because he saw a Precursor orb someone had dropped. Messing around with some kind of evil alien satellite on the beach. Inciting other inhabitants of the youth barracks to join foot races in the barrack halls in the dead hours of night. And he seemed to regard all of this as perfectly normal behavior. It was like all the impulses he'd had to shove down in Haven, all the ways he'd had to be perfect to fit under the yoke of that terrible word, hero, everything came crashing down in Spargus. He had almost no limits here, and that kind of freedom seemed to awaken a wildness that was above the paygrade of the dorm supervisor.

It came to the point where Damas was actually allowing the kid to go out into a sandstorm, just to get some of that boundless energy out! It wouldn't have been his first choice. Or even his tenth. But the storm rolling in was much larger than anything else they'd seen that summer. And for all his recklessness, Jak was their fastest driver.

"Four scouts have not reported in," the king told Jak and Daxter. His face was grim. "Two just set off their emergency beacons. At the rate this storm is going-"

He shook his head, cutting off his sentence.

Daxter had worried that Spargus would be another Krew situation at first. But here was the king of the cranky lizard-riders, flipping out because a handful of scouts -- one of the lowest ranks in the city -- weren't accounted for before a deadly storm.

In Haven, their absence wouldn't have even been noticed until roll call.

The old timers in the market were right, weren't they? "King's eyes see all." This guy watched everyone like a hawk, didn't he? Daxter wasn't sure if that bothered him, or if it just reminded him of Jak.

He supposed that was fitting, considering the two were probably related, no matter how in denial Jak seemed to be about being an Heir of Mar.

"Where's the Crawler right now?" Jak asked.

The mobile sandstorm shelter wasn't invincible, but it could take a lot. That would be the scouts' best bet.

Damas looked out the windows, glaring at the dark clouds as though he could hold the storm back by sheer force of will. It took a moment to hear his voice over the water.

"The Crawler is in the steppes at the moment. She's not a fast vehicle, Jak. I need you to get those scouts to either the Crawler or the city."

"I will."

Damas turned a stern look on them both.

"No stunts. These are people's lives we're talking about."

"I know!" Jak sputtered, a little offended. "And I won't bust the car up this time, so Kleiver can give it a rest."

"No. I'm serious, boy," Damas warned, "If it comes down to abandoning the car for shelter or trying to drive in the storm, you leave the car. Do you understand?"

Jak huffed. Damas had seen him outrun sandstorms before! What was so bad about a slightly bigger one?

"I got it, I got it," he grumbled.

Damas glared.

"No. Stunts. You get back here in one piece."

"Okay, I got it already!" Jak groaned.

"Jak-!"

"I know, Dad!" Jak complained.

An instant later his eyes widened.

The water suddenly seemed much louder than usual.

Daxter wasn't even sure any of them were breathing.

Three pairs of dramatically widened eyes darted back and forth between them as silence built up like steam under pressure. It was going to erupt sooner or later, the question was how.

Damas made a very small, strangled noise in the back of his throat.

Jak snapped out of his moment of horrified realization.

"Uh. I'll let you know when everyone is accounted for!"

He pivoted and bolted for the elevator before Damas could see his entire face burn crimson.

A guard at the back of the chamber opened his mouth to comment and in one rushed tangle of syllables Jak hissed,

"Youdidn'thearanything!"

Damas didn't blink for a good two minutes after Jak had left.

He didn't move for a good two minutes.

He stood exactly where he'd been, staring blankly at the empty elevator shaft.

The captain of the tower guard, an older man named Cephus, left his place by the windows to lean into Damas’s peripheral vision. He waved slightly, and the king finally blinked.

"Are you alright, sire?" Cephus asked.

Damas made a curious wheeze before speaking through a groaning inhalation.

"Oh no."

"Hm!" Cephus stroked his long beard. "Guess the wild one imprinted on you! Do I offer congratulations or condolences?"

Damas nodded slowly and stiffly.

"....help."

There could not possibly have been a worse time for the monks to finally send him the results of the blood test.

[bird-inacage]

Love Sea Episode 9: Lost at Sea before the Finale

Sigh. I had high hopes for this episode, which reached it's apex in the main conflict with Rak's dad (our honorary big bad). But yet again it's at a crucial juncture in the story, where writing and execution have fallen short when it really mattered.

Despite building tension for the past few weeks in service of this moment, it's swiftly deflated with little fuss. I thought the contract-tearing scene would provide a riveting layer of complexity for our characters to navigate. But it's barely a hiccup. The entire pay off we've been hurtling towards just unceremoniously fizzles out.

Here are my observations as to why this episode missed the mark (some of which I hope to dig into when I do a full review of the series).

The 'saviour' plot device. Where a character repeatedly saves the day in service of other characters (regardless of their credentials to do so). This is the role they've boxed Mut in. He swoops in - solves, fixes, pursues, soothes. He's faultless. He's unwavering. He's Rak's hero in shining armour. This isn't fundamentally bad except his capacity is reduced mainly to just that, and the cost is little to no development of his own. I take enormous issue with this because I dearly love Mut. He has great scope for a far more compelling trajectory. We had wonderful insights into his outlook on life in the earlier episodes, which have since taken a noticeable backseat. We are yet to see significant exploration of Mut's struggles, flaws or weaknesses. There appears to be some focus on this in episode 10, but why so little so late?

The women are rendered superfluous. Which isn't helped when we already have a lacklustre GL portrayal. As things go awry - Kwan, Vi and Mook are varying degrees of 'just there'. I would have loved to see the plot utilise the women who know Rak best, to contribute towards bringing Jak down. But the show's priority to aid Mut's heroic efforts, means the women are left with very little to do.

Mut VS Jak. If you compare the two men, Jak is taller and in fairly good shape. Physically, you'd expect more resistance in a fight. When Jak goes down, he barely tries to get up (even when Mut's back is turned). Thus, the outcome of the fight feels unearned, especially if we are to believe this man has violent tendencies that have traumatised his children. (He may not be murderously insane, but still volatile enough to maim his own son). By being so easily overpowered, the takeaway ends up being: 'oh, we needn't have worried'. And this exchange didn't have to be strictly physical either, it could have been psychological. Jak could have taunted Mut like he did in the café, and tried to chip at his resolve. Alternatively, if Rak were the one to overcome his father (in a bid to save Mut), it would show that Rak's love can power through his fear, and he'd gain that lesson through his own agency rather than Mut telling him he should no longer be afraid. (Another symptom of this series is subjugating Rak to a huge degree of passivity).

I'm not sold on Jak's character motivations, based on what we've seen. He's not quite smart or menacing enough to be a calculated sociopath, and he's a shade too conniving for an apathetic loser. If he's as lazy as we've been told, why would he go this far to secure Prin's money, when he's already syphoning finances from Rak and his mother? Couldn't he just sit back and continue to leech with no effort? If his desperation were a result of poor spending, it would at least ground his motive. Or if he's fuelled by the thrill of tormenting his family, we'd need to see mental depravity. Instead, much of Jak's actions feel - dare I say - 'because plot'? (Make your villains more formidable and their eventual downfall will pack more punch).

The few too many plot conveniences. The sillier one being how on earth Rak left the house without anyone noticing? The enormous glass staircase which sits front and centre in an open plan property makes it near impossible to go undetected. Unless he parkoured from his bedroom?

I'm gutted because the show veers towards the more questionable choices at their disposal. The set ups are there. The ideas are there. The parameters are there. It's what they decide to do with them that sadly misfires. This has caused my investment in the story to plummet towards the latter half.

I continue to watch for Fortpeat, and I feel for them because they've worked so hard. There's some lovely acting sprinkled throughout this episode but at this late stage in the series, the plot should be driving things home. Whereas the metaphorical tide keeps moving those goal posts in and out of sight. I hope they can at least round things off on a high note next week.

[writerinlearning]

𝐓𝐱𝗼𝐩𝐮 𝐬𝐢: 𝐬𝐢̀ 𝐋𝐞’𝐚𝐰𝐭𝐮: | 𝗉𝖺𝗋𝗍. 𝗍𝗁𝗋𝖾𝖾.

𝗽𝗹𝗼𝘁: 𝗒𝗈𝗎 𝗐𝖺𝗄𝖾 𝗎𝗉 𝗂𝗇 𝖺 𝗐𝗁𝗂𝗍𝖾 𝗋𝗈𝗈𝗆, 𝖺𝗇𝖽 𝗌𝗅𝗈𝗐𝗅𝗒 𝗒𝗈𝗎𝗋 𝗆𝖾𝗆𝗈𝗋𝗂𝖾𝗌 𝖼𝗈𝗆𝖾 𝖻𝖺𝖼𝗄. 𝗒𝗈𝗎𝗋 𝗉𝗋𝗈𝗍𝖾𝖼𝗍𝗂𝗏𝖾 𝖺𝗇𝖽 𝗐𝖺𝗋𝗋𝗂𝗈𝗋 𝗂𝗇𝗌𝗍𝗂𝗇𝖼𝗍𝗌 𝖼𝗈𝗆𝖾 𝗈𝗎𝗍 𝗐𝗁𝖾𝗇 𝗒𝗈𝗎 𝗌𝖾𝖾 𝗍𝗁𝖾 𝖢𝗈𝗅𝗈𝗇𝖾𝗅.

𝗽𝗮𝗶𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗴: 𝗍𝗁𝖾 𝗌𝗎𝗅𝗅𝗒’𝗌 𝗑 𝗌𝗎𝗅𝗅𝗒!𝖿𝖾𝗆!𝗋𝖾𝖺𝖽𝖾𝗋

𝘄𝗮𝗿𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴𝘀: 𝗇𝗈𝗇𝖾 𝗍𝗁𝖺𝗍 𝗂 𝖼𝖺𝗇 𝗍𝗁𝗂𝗇𝗄 𝗈𝖿. 𝖼𝖺𝗇𝗈𝗇-𝖽𝗂𝗏𝖾𝗋𝗀𝖾𝗇𝗍 𝖿𝗋𝗈𝗆 𝗍𝗁𝖾 𝗆𝗈𝗏𝗂𝖾, 𝗌𝗈 𝗂 𝗀𝗎𝖾𝗌𝗌 𝗂𝗍’𝗌 𝗌𝗉𝗈𝗂𝗅𝖾𝗋-𝖿𝗋𝖾𝖾. 𝗋𝖾𝖺𝖽𝖾𝗋 𝗂𝗌 𝗁𝗎𝗋𝗍𝗂𝗇𝗀 𝖺𝗇𝖽 𝗊𝗎𝖺𝗋𝗂𝗍𝖼𝗁 𝗂𝗌 𝖻𝖾𝗂𝗇𝗀 𝖺𝗇 𝖺𝗌𝗌. 𝗋𝖾𝖺𝖽𝖾𝗋 𝗂𝗌 𝗇𝖾𝗍𝖾𝗒𝖺𝗆’𝗌 𝗍𝗐𝗂𝗇 𝗌𝗂𝗌𝗍𝖾𝗋. 𝗉𝗋𝗈𝗍𝖾𝖼𝗍𝗂𝗏𝖾!𝗌𝗂𝗌𝗍𝖾𝗋 𝗋𝖾𝖺𝖽𝖾𝗋. 𝗐𝗈𝗋𝗋𝗂𝖾𝖽 𝗇𝖾𝗍𝖾𝗒𝖺𝗆. 𝗍𝗁𝗂𝗋𝖽 𝗉𝖾𝗋𝗌𝗈𝗇 𝗉𝗈𝗂𝗇𝗍 𝗈𝖿 𝗏𝗂𝖾𝗐. 𝗎𝗌𝖾 𝗈𝖿 𝗇𝖺’𝗏𝗂 𝗅𝖺𝗇𝗀𝗎𝖺𝗀𝖾.

𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗱 𝗰𝗼𝘂𝗻𝘁: 𝟤,𝟩𝗄

𝗮.𝗻: 𝖾𝗇𝗀𝗅𝗂𝗌𝗁 𝗂𝗌𝗇’𝗍 𝗆𝗒 𝖿𝗂𝗋𝗌𝗍 𝗅𝖺𝗇𝗀𝗎𝖺𝗀𝖾, 𝖺𝗉𝗅𝗈𝗅𝗈𝗀𝗂𝖾𝗌 𝖿𝗈𝗋 𝗍𝗁𝖾 𝗉𝗈𝗌𝗌𝗂𝖻𝗅𝖾 𝗆𝗂𝗌𝗍𝖺𝗄𝖾𝗌. 𝖺𝗌 𝗇𝖾𝗍𝖾𝗒𝖺𝗆 𝖺𝗇𝖽 𝗋𝖾𝖺𝖽𝖾𝗋 𝖺𝗋𝖾 𝗍𝗐𝗂𝗇𝗌, 𝗂 𝗁𝖺𝗏𝖽 𝗍𝗁𝗂𝗌 𝗂𝖽𝖾𝖺 𝗍𝗁𝖺𝗍 𝗍𝗁𝖾𝗒 𝗌𝗁𝖺𝗋𝖾 𝖺 𝗍𝗐𝗂𝗇 𝖻𝗈𝗇𝖽 𝗍𝗁𝖺𝗍 𝖺𝗅𝗅𝗈𝗐 𝗍𝗁𝖾𝗆 𝗍𝗈 𝖿𝖾𝖾𝗅 𝖾𝖺𝖼𝗁 𝗈𝗍𝗁𝖾𝗋’𝗌 𝖾𝗆𝗈𝗍𝗂𝗈𝗇𝗌 𝖺𝗇𝖽 𝖿𝖾𝖾𝗅𝗂𝗇𝗀𝗌, 𝗐𝗁𝗂𝖼𝗁 𝗂𝗌 𝖻𝖺𝗌𝗂𝖼𝖺𝗅𝗅𝗒 𝗍𝗁𝖾 𝗉𝗅𝗈𝗍𝗅𝗂𝗇𝖾 𝖿𝗈𝗋 𝗍𝗁𝗂𝗌 𝗉𝖺𝗋𝗍 𝖺𝗇𝖽 𝗍𝗁𝖾 𝖿𝗈𝗅𝗅𝗈𝗐𝗂𝗇𝗀 𝗈𝗇𝖾𝗌. 𝗂 𝗁𝗈𝗉𝖾 𝗒𝗈𝗎 𝖾𝗇𝗃𝗈𝗒! 𝗽.𝘀: 𝗶𝗳 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝘄𝗮𝗻𝘁 𝘁𝗼 𝗯𝗲 𝗮𝗱𝗱𝗲𝗱 𝘁𝗼 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘁𝗮𝗴𝗹𝗶𝘀𝘁, 𝗽𝗹𝗲𝗮𝘀𝗲 𝘀𝗲𝗻𝗱 𝗮𝗻 𝗮𝘀𝗸, 𝗶𝘁’𝗹𝗹 𝗯𝗲 𝗲𝗮𝘀𝗶𝗲𝗿 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗺𝗲 𝘁𝗼 𝘀𝗲𝗲 :)

𝗻𝗮’𝘃𝗶 𝗹𝗮𝗻𝗴𝘂𝗮𝗴𝗲: 𝘁𝘅𝗼𝗽𝘂 𝘀𝗶: [’𝘵’𝘰.𝘱𝘶 ’𝘴𝘪]: 𝖺𝖿𝗋𝖺𝗂𝖽 (𝖻𝖾) // 𝘀𝗶̀ [𝘴𝘪]: 𝖺𝗇𝖽 // 𝗹𝗲’𝗮𝘄𝘁𝘂: [𝘭ε.’?𝘢𝘸.𝘵𝘶]: 𝖺𝗅𝗈𝗇𝖾 // 𝗺𝗮’𝗶𝘁𝗮𝗻 [𝘮𝘢.’?𝘪.𝘵𝘢𝘯]: 𝗆𝗒 𝗌𝗈𝗇 // 𝘀𝗮’𝗻𝗼𝗸 [’𝘴𝘢?.𝘯𝘰𝘬]: 𝗆𝗈𝗍𝗁𝖾𝗋.

𝘀𝗲𝗿𝗶𝗲𝘀 𝗺𝗮𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗹𝗶𝘀𝘁 || 𝗇𝗈 𝗌𝗐𝖺𝗉𝗑𝗂̀ 𝗅𝖾𝖿𝗍 𝖻𝖾𝗁𝗂𝗇𝖽: 𝗉𝖺𝗋𝗍. 𝗍𝗁𝗋𝖾𝖾 || 𝗺𝗮𝗶𝗻 𝗺𝗮𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗹𝗶𝘀𝘁

          “Where is Y/N?”

          Tuk questions her parents as soon as they get back to the High Camp and into the family tent. Her big yellow eyes look around for her older sister, and she tilts her head when she cannot find her.

          Jake stops in his tracks, and he turns around to his little girl, bending down on one knee to be her size. He cups her face in his large hands and brush his thumbs against her cheeks.

          “Y/N’s not going to be home for a little while, babygirl.”

          Jake tells Tuk. He does not see the point in lying to her; she might only be seven years old, but he knows his daughter is far from being an idiot. She is smart, for her young age, and sooner or later she would notice her sister’s absence. When she tilts her head slightly, Jake smiles softly, and he takes her in his arms. She buries her face in his chest, and her soft sniffles turn his ears flat against his scalp. He sighs, running his hand up and down her back, and he turns his head to his eldest son.

          Neteyam is pacing around the tent, hands balled into fists at his sides, and his brow muscles are pinched together in a deep frown on his forehead. Sometimes, his body stills for a second and he winces, a deep, choked breath coming from his chest, before he resumes his pacing.

          Near him, Lo’ak is sitting on the floor with his face in his hands. Spider is next to him, his breathing mask tied around his face, and he exchanges with Kiri in hushed whispers.

          Neytiri leans against the wooden pillar that keeps the tent from flattening on the ground, and she keeps her eyes on Neteyam. Jake knows she worries, as does he, but she already lost so much because of the Sky People, and Jake knows his mate worry they might take their oldest daughter as well. He won’t let it happen though, he will do what he needs to do, to save his girl. And he won’t leave the forest without her. This family is his fortress, their fortress, and no one in this family gets left behind.

          Amidst the silence, a sudden gasping-sound pulls both Neytiri and Jake from their thoughts, and they look up to see their oldest son with his hands around his throat, gasping for air. Neytiri rushes to him first, because Jake still holds on to Tuk, who has fallen asleep in his arms, and he has to find a comfortable enough spot for her to rest. Still, he listens to his mate as she talks to their son.

           “Ma’itan, what is wrong?” She asks, and Neteyam shakes his head. “Breathe, Neteyam. In, and out.”

          “It’s not…” Neteyam breathes out. “It is not me, sa’nok.”

          A pause. Neteyam takes a deep breath, and sighs when he feels the air in his lungs once more.

          “Dad. Mom.” Neteyam says, panic laced in his voice. “I think something is wrong with Y/N.”

__

          When she opens her eyes, Y/N does not recognize her surroundings. She can hear multiple voices around her, but they all come out muffled in her fuzzy mind. Bright lights blind her, and she has to keep her eyes closed. The voices become clearer then, but she doesn’t understand everything. It isn’t Na’vi they speak, but the words are familiar, reminding her of when her father would get angry, and he’d curse and speak in this other language only their mother seemed to understand.

          Her eyes snap open, thinking of her parents, and she remembers. She had been in the forest, near the old shack, with her siblings and Spider, and there had been avatars. She remembers freeing herself and running away, trying to find her parents, but after that, her mind is blank. She doesn’t remember anything. Panic flashes in her eyes, and her body shudders. She looks around, slowly, taking in her surroundings.

          There are bright lights hanging from a ceiling, and something hard under her body. White walls surround her, and there is a small door on her right. It is left ajar, and she can hear voices come from behind. Nothing else is in the room, except for a mirror, and she can see her battered reflection in it. She is a blue stain in this white room, out of place. Looking at herself, Y/N notices the bruise that form on her cheekbone, a purple circle on her blue skin. Small cuts cover her features, her arms, and some are on her chest, visible through the beaded top she wears. She sees her hands tied in front of her, and in a rush of panic she tugs at her bond, crying out in frustration when it doesn’t budge. If the voices behind the door heard her, they don’t let her know it.

          Her chest heaves up as she takes a deep breath, and as it fills her lungs, she coughs. She shouldn’t be coughing, but she is, and the panic grows tenfold, tears lingering at her waterline and hands beginning to tremble slightly. The air burns her throat, and she has to fight the urge to scratch it, relieve herself from the unwanted itch in her esophagus. She knows the Pandoran air isn’t supposed to hurt her as she breathes, and it dwells on her with horror that she isn’t in the forest anymore.

          Y/N knows perfectly well where she is, from the stories her father used to tell her and Neteyam when they were younger, and her mind wanders to her twin, wondering if he can feel it too, the unbreathable air of the Sky People.

          Then, her mind wanders to her siblings, and fear rises in every fiber of her body. She shifts around, frantically glancing around her. Her breath quickens, and soon she is panting, heart constricted in her chest. She had been with Tuk and Lo’ak, from what she remembers. Have they been caught with her? Did she lead them into harm’s way? The tears begin to silently roll down her cheeks, breath heavier and shallower as she writhes around trying to escape her bonds.

          The leather strap around her waist finally snaps, and she falls down on her side in a heavy thud. Her frame is far too tall for a room this size, a human-sized room, and her knees and elbows keep on hitting on the walls around her.

          It seems that her movements have finally alerted the voices outside of the door ajar, and a tall blue figure steps inside the room. Y/N lifts her head up when she hears them clear their throat, and her brow muscles instantly turn into a deep frown on her forehead. Her eyes, green under the bright light, widen slightly, and she bares her teeth and fangs, snarling. It is a pained snarl, almost out of breath, and she has to cough to clear her throat. It brings more tears to her eyes, fear settling in all of her body, and she scurries away until her back collides with the wall behind her. Through her blurry vision, she can see a blue hand with five fingers reaching out for her, but her fight or flight instincts kick in and, although both her hands are tied, she manages to grab the person’s hand in both of hers, and she summons her whole strength to flip them away from her.

          “Don’t touch me!”

          Y/N snarls, hissing at the person laying on the ground and groaning beside her.

          “You’re his kid  alright.”

          She turns her head to the voice, and all previous emotions vanish from her face when she sees him, another avatar that looks like the alien her parents fought against during the first war with the Sky People. She knows them that it is him, somehow reincarnated into this blue body that looks like hers, to blend in with her people.

          Colonel Quaritch stands as a ten feet tall avatar, leaning against the doorframe and with his arms crossed across his chest. His lips form a smirk on his face, and he eyes Y/N with some sort of mischief hidden in his gold irises. He sees behind her than Wainfleet is getting back up, hands up in the air when Y/N glares at him from over her shoulder, and he walks around her to leave the room.

          Y/N swallows, and she knows that if she is here, and Quaritch is here, it means that he wants her for something. Or rather, for someone, and she knows exactly who that someone is: her father. Y/N bares her fangs at him, but he just laughs at her when she begins to cough again.

          “Hissing and snarling won’t get you anywhere, sweetheart.” Quaritch says, laughing.

          “Where are my siblings?” Y/N spits out, narrowing her eyes at him. “What have you done to them?”

          “Your siblings are none of my concern. You, however, might just get me what I want.”

          “Where are my siblings?”

          Y/N snarls, pausing between each word. Her hands ball into fists in her lap, and when she licks her lips, her fangs brush against her bottom lip in a dangerous display of anger. Quaritch’s smile falters, if only for a second, before he straightens his posture and inhales air through a mask linked to a metallic bottle hanging around his waist. Y/N knows what it is, remembering it from the countless times she went with Kiri and Lo’ak to visit Grace’s avatar and the scientists. It’s air to help the Na’vi breathe in human atmosphere, just like Spider’s mask help him breathe when he steps outside of the scientists’ lab.

          “I imagine your siblings are safe with your mummy and daddy.” Quaritch says, rolling his eyes. “Or they could be lost in the forest, what do I care? I have you, and you’re going to get me what I want.”

          Y/N hisses, baring her fangs. Struggling, she manages to get on her two feet, wobbling slightly when her head hit the ceiling and she groans in pain. Her heart pounds in her chest, almost begging her to inhale some respirable air from the forest, but the ajar door is now closed, and her only way of breathing the air of her home is through the mask Quaritch holds in his hand. And from the way he looks at her with a raised brow, an actual brow like her father’s, a distinct sign of the avatars, Y/N knows that Quaritch knows she needs to breathe through the mask.

          “I can get you one.” He says nodding down to the mask in his hand.

          It isn’t like the one Spider, or any of the Sky People, wears when he goes outside the lab. It’s small and transparent-green, covering the nose and mouth enough to inhale the air of Pandora. As a kid, Y/N always wondered how it was possible, and although Norm and Max have both explained it to her, she still cannot quite wrap her finger around the concept.

          “You will not.” Y/N coughs. “Unless you get something from me.”

          “You certainly didn’t get your wits from your father.” Quaritch scoffs but still he smiles. “You’re right, I need something from you. And if you are willing to help, you can walk out of here freely.”

          Y/N bares her teeth, hissing. Quaritch chuckles and shrugs his shoulders, shaking his head at her stubbornness.

          “I’ll be nice once, then I won’t.” Quaritch says with a smile. “If you don’t want to cooperate…” He pauses, crossing his arms over his chest, “it won’t be me you’ll have to deal with. I’ll let the Sky People do what they wish to get answers out of you.”

          Y/N doesn’t say anything, instead glaring at the avatar before her. She inhales deeply, her chest rising up and down as the air burns her throat and lungs and she begins to cough again. Tears prickle her eyes again, and her mind wanders to her twin.

          She wonders if Neteyam is as in much pain as she is, if he has trouble breathing like she is, or if his chest hurt as much as hers. She imagines her parents are near him and worried upon seeing him distressed, if he is, and she closes her eyes mumbling a prayer to Eywa to protect her family. She chokes back a sob, shoulders slumping.

          She doesn’t see it, but Quaritch has a victorious smile on his blue face, eyes glittering with mischief. He knows he has her, that she might just give up and give him what he wants. He certainly does not expect to see her lift her head high, eyes darkening and boring into his skull as if she were drilling holes into his forehead. Her lips are a thin line on her face, pressed together and the tip of her fangs manages to slip through. Her breath is slow and shallow, and her hands are balled into fists in front of her. She stands tall on her feet, back straight against the wall behind her, and her head tilted slightly.

          “All I need is your father’s location,” Quaritch says, walking up to her. “You give me that, and I’ll get you one of these masks.”

          He tells Y/N, showing her the transparent-green mask he holds in his hand, before he inhales through it. Y/N growls, teeth and fangs bared at him.

          “I would rather be a prisoner my whole life than tell you my family’s location.”

          Y/N snarls. She doesn’t doubt that her parents can take care of Quaritch, but it is her siblings and the People she is worried about. Neteyam can take care of himself, after all, he is a warrior just like her. She has no doubts about Lo’ak being able to defend himself, but he can be reckless at times, and he could easily get injured, especially if he’s fighting against military-experienced avatars like Quaritch. But Kiri and Tuk? She couldn’t risk her sisters being injured, or worse. She wouldn’t bare it, the weight of knowing something happened to them because of her. And the People? She knows how much her mother care for the People, how hurt she had been during the first war against the Sky People when so many lives were lost. She couldn’t risk it happening all over again, she wouldn’t. The People deserved to be at peace, after so many years of being invaded by the aliens.

          So, Y/N keeps her mouth shut, lips sealed into a thin line on her face as she glares at Quaritch, her orbs a swirl of yellow and green under the artificial white light in the room.

          “Very well then.” Quaritch turns to the one-way mirror behind him. “She’s all yours.”

          Y/N narrows her eyes when the Colonel takes one last look at her before he leaves the room and lock the door behind him, and then she glances to the mirror in front of her. Once again, she sees her battered and exhausted figure, chest heaving up and down at a slow pace, but each breath she takes is a burn in her lungs. How long can she last without breathing Pandoran air, she doesn’t know, she has never tried before. She feels the tears sting her eyes, and she tilts her head back to prevent them from rolling down her cheeks, blinking. She knows behind the mirror are the Sky People, waiting for her to let her guards down so they can do whatever they want with her to gain information about her father, but she will not give them satisfaction. Even if her body gives out, and they begin to torture her, she will not say a word to them.

          A trembling breath leaves through her lips as her body slumps against the cold wall behind her. Her legs are pressed against her torso, tied hands resting in her lap, and her beaded braids move back and forth slightly in front of her face. She is not afraid anymore, because now she knows where she is, and what they want from her, however she can sense the fatigue settling in her body to the marrow of her bones. She will not give up, and she tries to fight against her needs. She fights to keep her eyes open, to will herself to stay awake. But her body can only take so much, and the burning of her lungs makes it all the more difficult to stay awake. She thinks of her parents, and of her siblings, and she smiles, before her eyelids finally drop over her colorful orbs and sleep consumes her entirely.

𝘁𝗮𝗴𝗹𝗶𝘀𝘁: @websterss // @sully-stick-together // @eywas-heir // @nao-cchi // @ssc7514 // @lola-bunn1 // @brittclass-18 // @missroro // @min-aaa // @stomach-bugg09 // @aonungs-tsahik // @galacticstxrdust // @yeosxxx // @kurtsworld096 // @junnniiieee07 // @keijikunn // @isnt-itstrange // @creamboba // @ghibliwatcher​ // @bwormie​ // @simp-erformarvelwomen​ // @nomnom21​ // @silkenthusiasts​ // @neteyamoa​ // @perseny​ // @mae-is-crazy​ // @minjix​ // @23victoria​ // @dumb-fawkin-bitch​ // @straightestgay-voice​ // @historygeekqueen​ // @epicy0n​ 

[jake-sullys-wife]

YAYYYYYY TO JAKE SULLY FICS

Can I send in Jake sully smut request? Can u write stepdad!jake x reader or human!reader??

*i tried my very best but please enjoy this request! And do please send more because requests are open! And I will write down my rules later on today but do enjoy! 😊😊*

⚠️: smut🔞, stalking, breeding kink, used the word 'daddy', in the Forest, sneaking out, (please tell me if I miss anything else)

- Stepdad Jake Sully x human Reader

(The beginning of the story kinda doesn't make any sense but I'm trying here. just bear with me 😭)

*You were adopted by Jake Sully and neytiri like Kirk and ever since the adoption you been living with them*

*But as you got older (like between 18-19-20) you began sneaking out at night and the worst part is Jake knows you're sneaking out but doesn't know why*

*so one night you decided sneak out, standing up carefully, carefully walking out the doorway andddd out you go!*

*You walked through the forest, looking around everything around you. You are happy that you were born on Pandora but you just wish you weren't wearing this oxygen mask after all you are a human*

*As you walked through the forest for the past few minutes you feel like something or someone is watching you...*

*You don't know who's watching you but you kept walking anyway*

*Your feet began to hurt so you lay back in cancer tree and sat down to rest. You wanted to take a little nap so you close your eyes and taking a little nap because why not right?*

*A minute pass by and you began to hear footsteps. You thought it was a small animal walking pass by that's when until you hear..*

"Hey."

*You opened your eyes and you looked up to see your stepfather... Jake Sully*

"Just what you think you doing out here? You know it's dangerous out here"

*You got up fast, still looking up at Jake. Putting your hands behind your back*

"Heyyy jak- I mean sir I was just uhhh training! Yup I was training!"

*You nervously chuckled and smiled at him. Jake putting his hands on his hips*

"Training? At night? You were training at night by yourself?"

*You nodded*

"Ok then where's your bow? Your arrows? Hm?"

*Oh no now he's questioning you! Think!*

"I've must forgot yeah! soo hahahaaaa...."

*Jake let out a sigh*

"Ok cut the bullshit. Tell me why you're sneaking out"

*You sighed*

"I just wanted to see what is like to be by myself that's all I'm sorry"

*you look down at the ground, felt guilty*

"*Sigh* ok but you know you're not getting out of this one right?"

*You nodded as you turned around facing the tree and undo your Loincloth then put your hands on the tree*

*As your Loincloth falls on the ground. Jake walked approaches you from behind, putting his hands on your body*

*One hand on your stomach, one hand on your thigh. He leaned down as you can feel his breath on your hot neck and then he whispered in your ear*

"You know, I always wonder why you were sneaking out. Maybe you want me to find you...all alone...waiting for daddy~"

*You blushed hard then you felt his two fingers rubbing your pussy*

*You let out a small moan*

"You're already wet for me, huh? What a naughty girl you are~"

*Then he silp his two fingers in you. You gasped*

*You feel your pussy stretching as he sipping in and out*

*He went a little faster leaving you a few more moans out*

"Mmh~ just hearing you moaning makes me wanna fuck you moreee~"

*He took his fingers out then he undo his Loincloth, it fell to the ground. he stroke his staff for a moment then lined it up to your pussy*

"I hope your ready for this babygirl~"

*He slowly sliding it in you, it was way bigger than his fingers. His staff stretching you out more than his fingers*

"Fuck...you're tight~"

*His dick was only half inside you*

"You gotta daddy in...I want to be in you fully"

*Your legs are already shaking as you felt his hands on yours hips, lifting your ass up higher. Your feet no longer touching the ground.*

*He slowly sliding out then THRUST right back in and he's fully in*

*You moaned loudly. You feel very full*

"Ooooohh fuckkkk!~ you feel amazing!~"

*And without warning he picks up the pace by thrusting faster and deeper*

*You're moaning his name, telling him to slow down. You can't even breathe right*

"I can't slow down!~. You *thrust* just*thrust* feel *thrust* so *thrust* good!~ *THRUST*"

*You gripping the tree. Holding it for dear life as Jake is fucking you out*

"Hold shit, I wanna breed you so fucking bad right now!~"

*Breed? No no no that can't be possible, right?*

"I'm breed this damn pussy... letting everyone know that it's mine~"

*You clinched around his dick as you were close to cumming*

*He slap your ass, watching it bounced as he kept thrusting*

"I can smell that you're close babygirl~ I'm getting close too and breeding this pussy!~"

*You both heavily breathing and groaning*

"S-sir!~ I'm cumming! Ah!~"

*You cummed around his cock and now it's Jake's turn*

"Fuck... I'm gonna cum, sooo deep inside you...~"

*You feel him going faster and harder*

"I'm gonna... gonna--... Fuck!~"

*His sticky and thick and heavy seed went deep inside. He slips out and covered your pussy with his big hand keeping his seed inside*

"Gotta make it stays in...now let's get back home. Don't want anyone suspect us we were gone"

- *end*

[blazehedgehog]

My discord got me thinking about how Naughty Dog tried to do a Jak 4 and they were so obsessed with cinematic realism that they went "nope, this is too creepy" and backed off because they literally refused to do it any other way

Thinking of when Double Fine was still doing the Devs Play video series, and they had someone from Naughty Dog on there, and even though I don't think he worked at the company anymore, he still was so very clearly "cinematic realism" poisoned. Even when talking about Naughty Dog's Crash Bandicoot games, he was going on about how they were always trying to apply Hollywood techniques and make the games more cinematic.

And thinking about how much of the game industry is bleeding itself dry trying to replicate things we already have in real life. Across two generations of hardware, Naughty Dog has released two new games and eight ports or remakes. Some of which are double dips. When you think about Insomniac's woes over struggling to break even with Spider-man, one gets the impression from all these ports and remakes that Naughty Dog isn't doing much better.

Do you know how much money Lethal Company made? It has 260,000 reviews on Steam, and you can probably charitably double, triple, or even quadruple that number to get within the ballpark of what it actually sold. We'll reign it in a little and estimate it sold 600,000 units. That's $6,000,000 of what is very likely pure profit. People have retired on less. This kid isn't even 25 years old.

Meanwhile, for Spider-man 2, Insomniac had to sell 7,000,000 units just to start turning a profit. Spider-man 2 put them nearly FIVE HUNDRED MILLION DOLLARS ($500,000,000) in the hole. For a game, by their own admission, people may not even be able to tell is any better visually than Spider-man 1. They talk about smaller side games like Miles Morales as a cheap way to reuse assets and buffer the astronomical financial drain these games are. They've got to make up ground somewhere.

There's rumors Naughty Dog's next game might be a remake of Uncharted 1. The well's going to run dry eventually. Then what happens to Naughty Dog when they're writing a one-billion dollar check for the next evolution in cinematic realism that is impossible for anyone to be able to cash? When does this all break down? Soon, right?

It sure feels like it's going to be soon. This is such a boring waste of money.