#jak is the stubborn one but Damas is more stubborn

[radioactivepeasant]

Snippets: Free Day Thursday PART TWO!

Surprise, now you get Baby Croc stuff that needs no trigger warnings! Still borrowing Star Wars "swears", still not sorry.

Part One Here:

The Slam Dozer rolled to a stop in the midst of the Strider Range. Three Wastelanders stepped out, looking around them for what should have been a missing warrior. There was nothing. No vehicle, no sign of the Wastelander who had activated their beacon.

"Eyes open," their leader grunted, "Could be a trap."

Something moved among the boulders, and the men raised their rifles instantly. In response the pale something shrieked and dropped out of sight. Long ears were still visible from the sides of the rock it had chosen as its hiding place, trembling. Then, as if gathering its courage, it raised its head above the boulder.

The men recoiled.

It looked almost like a human child, but...but not quite. A leathery hide the color of a bloodless corpse, pupils so dilated that no sclera were even visible, horns poking out of wiry gray hair. This was not a human. But it didn't look like an animal, either.

"What the kriff!"

The largest of their number raised his gun, sighting down the barrel onto the creature's forehead.

The leader grabbed the barrel and forced it down.

"Hold your fire!" he snapped.

"But sire, look! The rottin' thing's gotta be a metalhead!"

The third man wrinkled his nose incredulously. "You see any gems on that thing? Strewth, man, I think that's a bloody spirit!"

Their leader eased closer to the rocks, noting with some disquiet that the beacon they'd picked up was in the same direction.

"Who are you?" he demanded, as if the creature could understand him, "Are you friend or foe?"

To the surprise of all three, the creature responded.

In the broken SparSign of an extremely young child, it signed, "I Croc! Help Croc? Help big brother! Help! Help!"

On legs shaped more like a Leaper's than a human's, "Croc" bounded away to crouch over a crumpled form in the sand. This time, it was clearly human.

"Eeeeg. Ep!" The spirit thing made a pitiful squeal and patted the boy’s face.

"Big brothers not get up! Too tired! You help? No hurt!" Suddenly he bared sharp fangs, revealing how he'd gotten his name. "No hurt my brothers! You not Red Armor Crunchies? I eat Red Armor Crunchies."

The men wondered whether they really wanted to find out what a "red armor crunchy" was. Slowly, one hand out in a placating gesture, the leader of the band began to move closer. He kept his eyes on the spirit-child and its human "sibling", ready to halt if they made any sudden moves.

"We will not attack you if you do not attack us," he said to the creature. "Where are your people, little traveler? How have you come to this place?"

The spirit-child nestled closer to the motionless boy and uttered a distressed chittering. "I no know. Fancy bad man say us are monsters and taked us here so us would get dead. I no wanna get dead!"

"Exiles?" The big man murmured to the man with the eyepatch.

"Haven's really gone to the crocadogs," Eyepatch muttered back. "I thought their nature spirits had already abandoned them. Didn't think they were killin' em."

"It ain't a spirit, Drake. Nature spirits don't wear clothes."

"Then what is it? Sure ain't a metalhead, tell you that much."

"Enough," their leader interrupted sternly.

He continued to approach the exiles, one foot in front of the other, and pointed his staff behind him.

"There are others here. Animals. At least one is a species capable of speech -- they may shed some light on this. Drake, get the animals and give them some water. Kleiver, put the boy in the truck. He's still breathing."

The child brightened, losing all trace of his former ferocity as if a switch had been flipped off. "You help? You good guys?"

"We try to be," the man with the staff answered, a little dryly.

As he came to a stop by the bodies, he knelt. The human "big brother" was painfully thin, cheekbones sharp against a face that looked younger than anticipated. He had the same matted hair "Croc" did, as if no one took care of him at all. The refuse of Haven: it was not an uncommon condition for exiles to be found in. But most were older, and either coherent or already dead. This boy was somewhere in between.

"He an' Daxter no answerin' me!" Croc fretted. "Not Bad Guy, you wake him up, okay?"

"Damas. Not "not bad guy"," the man grunted as he took a waterskin from his belt. It was half empty, but it would have to suffice. "If I'm to call you by your name, I request that you do me the same courtesy."

"I no can curtsy, Damas man," Croc answered solemnly, "Tail too heavy."

"I said courtesy, not- nevermind." Damas lifted the human boy's head and poured water into his mouth. "Where did you learn our sign language, little traveler?"

Immediately, the child pointed to the unconscious boy.

More mysteries.

🐊🐊🐊🐊🐊🐊🐊🐊🐊🐊🐊🐊🐊🐊🐊🐊🐊

"Yrrp!"

Jak was rudely reintroduced to consciousness by the full weight of his half-brother...clone...person...slamming into his stomach. His eyes flew open as the breath was driven from him in a pained wheeze. Instinctively, he shoved the scaly child off and rolled to his side, gasping for air. The kid was no lightweight.

"Jak!" Daxter's worried voice cut in over his wheezing, "Are- are you okay?! I tried to keep the menace distracted, but he was going crazy while they took the IV out!"

The what?

Jak slowly opened his eyes and blinked until his vision cleared. They were in a room made of metal and some kind of reddish brown stone, radiating a comforting heat -- nothing like the murderous sun in the desert. Jak made a face.

"Wh- rr?" he rasped, unable to say much more until he'd swallowed several times.

"Off. You could have hurt him," a new voice interrupted, deeper and sterner. It wasn't anyone Jak knew.

Croc chirped indignantly, and then the surface Jak lay on rose slightly as if a weight had been removed. Was he on a mattress? Oh. Yes, he was on a remarkably clean mattress. And for that matter, he seemed to be remarkably clean.

That was...a little disturbing. A lot disturbing, actually. Because Jak knew he hadn't washed himself.

"Cr-oc?" he croaked, and finally rolled back onto his back.

An unnecessarily spiky man stood at the end of the bed holding Croc, bundled up in his arms like a particularly naughty puppy. Croc didn't seem to be too upset about it, which was unusual, seeing as Croc bit anyone who wasn't Jak or Daxter. Even Tess had gotten nipped once.

Jak stared at the weathered warrior at the foot of the bed, and the warrior stared back.

"If this is another mirage, I'm going back to sleep," Jak muttered in a creaking voice.

The man laughed.

It was a crackling, raspy sound, as if he were unused to it.

"If this were a mirage, I wouldn't have to make sure the young goblin here did not undo the monks' hard work to repair your ribs."

"My ribs?"*Jak’s face twisted in confusion. "Nothing was wrong with my ribs."

The stranger fixed him with a measured stare that left him feeling oddly defensive.

"Young man, you had two cracked ribs and three that had healed improperly from past breaks. Surely you noticed that kind of pain!"

The boy's blank stare was dismally telling.

"Nobody cares about cracked ribs as long as you can still fight," Jak grumbled. "I've had worse."

Daxter cringed beside Jak. "He's not wrong. Jak here's been through stuff that would give a metalhead nightmares. Don't uh, don't take it personal, y'know? Him and me, we got raised to think pain only mattered when it happened to someone else."

"Why isn't Croc biting you?" Jak interrupted. "He hates strangers."

"Because biting one's host is not an acceptable way to treat the laws of hospitality," the man answered, then bounced Croc a little higher in his arms. "Is that not so, little one?"

"I not bite the Damas man, that's rude," Croc confirmed. "But I maybe bite the stinky man a little bit."

"No, we don't bite Kleiver either," the man -- Damas? -- corrected firmly. "You don't know where he's been."

"I bite only a little bit!"

"No."

"A just a little bit!"

The man adjusted his hold on Croc, shifting him to his hip as though a half-metalhead baby was a perfectly normal thing to encounter.

"You are not biting Kleiver and that is final."

Then he turned his attention back to Jak.

"This one led me to you and your friend in the desert. I brought you to my city. In return, I expect you to be honest when I ask you some questions."

Jak pushed himself up into a sitting position and grimaced at a faint wave of dizziness. "That's it? Just answer some questions? I don't buy it."

Damas looked annoyed. His lips flattened into a thin line for a moment, and his eyes grew calculating. Then he seemed to come to a decision.

"Answer questions for now. Should you choose to remain in my city, you will be expected to prove that you will contribute to the good of the community and not sit idly while others do the lion's share of the work. It is so for all newcomers, although dispensation can be made for your age."

Jak bristled. "What about my age?"

Their rescuer -- and host, apparently -- raised an eyebrow and Jak found himself quieting unexpectedly.

"Exiles as young as the three of you are rarely found alive. Most of our laws apply to older survivors."

Daxter blinked. "Huh. Well. Nice of someone to notice for once."

Damas barely nodded. "The monks will inform me when you are considered recovered enough to be moved. In the meantime-"

He bent and set Croc down on the floor.

"Go, amuse yourself, little one. No biting."

Then he reached into an open bag sitting on the table at the foot of the bed and held up the beacon.

"Let's discuss this."

[seirei-bh]

I did a remake of my old design about my version of Jak's mother! Feirah, a wastelander and artifact runner. You can see other drawing about her with her son here.

She was away from Spargus all the time because she had some important missions to do outside.

I decided to not add her bio here, despite of I wrote a lot about her, because I've changed some stuff about her backstory, besides some details are important spoilers about my fanfic (yep, finally I'm going back to keep writing it! Actually I've been working on it, but I couldn't post anything new because I was still fixing plot holes of Jak 3 and doing other stuff).

[artstar1997]

Here’s my Jak and Daxter OC, Jakleen.

Name: Marella “Jakleen”

Age: 15 (in the Precursor Legacy), 17 (in Jak II), 18 (in Jak III), 19 (in Jak X)

Gender: Female

Nickname(s): Jakkie, Princess, Nightingale, Desert Rose, Miss Starshine in Light, Little Miss Starshine

Birth Date: ???

Race: Human

Occupation: Leader of the Demolition Team

Affiliation(s): House of Mar, Underground, Brutter’s lurker tribe (honorary), Wastelanders, Sky Pirates (honorary) The Character’s Appearance Appearance: She has a curvy, athletic build, dark tan skin (compared to Jak’s tan skin), and signature long, green-blond hair. She wears a golden yellow top or shirt, beige pants or shorts, a steel ring in the center of her chest held up by leather straps, a large right shoulder plate, and a pair of goggles.

In The Precursor Legacy, at 15 years old, Jakleen has a more youthful look, with her hair in Afro puffs and she wears a backless turtleneck top and beige capri pants. In Jak II, her hair grew longer and she wears a midriff-length tank top with pants, shoes, and fingerless gloves. In Jak 3, she wears a customized crop top with precursor armor, fitted pants, and a matching sarong with her hair in twist braids. In Jak X, she wears her hair in pigtails, a midriff-length corset with a leather jacket, skinny jeans, and knee-high boots. In The Lost Frontier, Jakline wears a yellow long-sleeved jacket with a matching bikini top, and several arm accessories, and her hair is tied in a half-bun.

When she was young, her hair is fixed in an afro, and she wore a yellow and beige dress. She notably wore the amulet as a necklace, which allowed others to identify her as Damas' daughter.

Height: 5’6” (TPL), 5,7” (Jak 2), 5’8” (Jak 3-Jak X)

Weight: ??? About the Character

Personality: Jakleen is confident, hardworking, generous, open-minded optimistic, caring, ambitious, and a strong leader, but she balances it with her love for beauty, music, arts, and fashion. She is the born leader of the team because of her integrity, self-awareness, courage, respect, empathy, and gratitude, despite Jak being five minutes older than her. She is also organized, with a knack for forming strategies, studying and applying different tactics, how to act in control, and take calculated decisions without getting carried away. Her traits and skills in being the leader of the team made her good friends with other characters with strong leadership skills like Captain Phoenix, Torn, and Ashelin. She is also talented and she would try different talents to see which one fits her but all in all, she just wanted to try new things. Don’t let her good girl side fool you, Jakleen is also protective, fierce, courageous, and hotheaded, especially with her loved ones, her friends, and family.

Fear(s): Being attacked by or becoming a dark eco monster like Dark Jak, failure, and being rejected

Likes: Music, art, fashion, singing, teasing Jak, hanging out with Keira, Ashelin, or Tess, boys, shopping, organizing, keeping things in order, arranging her weapons based on the eco colors

Dislikes: Anyone who hurt, tease or harm her friends and loved ones, Daxter’s constant bragging, Erol or Razer’s advances on her, her suitors, drab colors, the lack of style, art or color

Habit(s): Styling her hair, humming songs, customizing her outfits, and throwing insults at enemies.

Flaw(s): She can be vain and egoistical, often centering herself as the main attraction. She is also arrogant, dramatic, sharp tonged, often puts others down due to being bossy and stubborn and is prone to losing her temper. Certain annoyances like Daxter’s ongoing storytelling nonsense would lead to her knocking him off Jak’s shoulder or any high platform like a bar table or Jak’s short temper would made her snap him out of him by slapping. Many enemies end up being insulted by her when she fights them.

Talent(s): Singing, dancing, fashion designing, painting, hairdressing, cooking, baking, and organizing

Hobbies: Singing, dancing, fashion designing, painting, hairstyling, doing makeovers, shopping (much to Damas and Jak's annoyance), spa days, makeup, and pranking anyone (including her brother, Jak).

The Character’s Relationship With Others

Reputation: Jakleen is an empath who loves helping everyone. She finds joy in assisting others around her, and becomes popular because of her optimism.

Love Interest(s):

Captain Phoenix - Jakleen is smitten with Captain Phoenix when she first saw him because of his well-mannered and level-headed personality. He had a clear attraction to Keira, at first and showed frustration when she favored Jak over him, but he later moves on to Jakleen, who returns her attraction to him and they became an item, something that Jak tried to prevent from happening until they decided to put their differences aside for her sake. She was able to save Phoenix when the Phantom Blade was about to collide and they are able to continue their relationship.

Friend(s):

Daxter - Jakleen had been friends with Daxter for years but not as close as Jak. Despite her occasional scolding or slaps, she cares for him and would keep him safe from danger with her psychic powers whenever they go on adventures.

Keira Hagai - Jakleen had been friends with Keira for years, ever since they live in Sandover Village. She was also there for her when she started having occasional nightmares and migraines due to the pain she felt in Jak when he was subjected to the dark eco experiments. Keira was horrified when she found out that Erol was just using her to get closer to Jakleen, but this made their friendship closer than ever.

Ashelin Praxis - She was unsure about her at first because of her relation to Baron Praxis, being his daughter. After getting to know her more, Jakleen slowly warms up to her and becomes friends with her.

Torn - She was intimidated by him at first but later warms up to him when she helped him organize strategies and tactics.

Tess - She became very close friends with her when she and Keira first arrived in Haven City. She also comforts Jakleen when she is in pain from the occasional nightmares and migraines due to the pain she felt in Jak when he was subjected to the dark eco experiments.

Vin - Jakleen would use her telepathy to communicate with Vin but she would occasionally visit him when needed. He was forever grateful to her for saving him from the crashing metal head.

Enemy(ies):

Gol and Maia Acheron - She only heard of them until she encountered them in the Red Sage’s hut. She became furious when she heard their plan and wanted to even the score.

Baron Praxis - Jakleen hates him for his tyranny and because he experimented on her brother. Despite the hostility, she is willing to forgive him when he was dying.

Erol - She has a love/hate relationship with Erol due to the fact that he tries to flirt with her. When he was turned into Cyber Errol, she is glad that their relationship is over.

Krew - Jakleen doesn’t trust him, not even once because she could see what his intentions are through her psychic powers.

Count Veger - She hates him for banishing her brother and slinked off with him to the wasteland, where she met the wastelanders. She called him a monster for his misdeeds when he revealed himself to her and her family. When he was turned into an ottsel, she snickered at his new appearance and thought of selling him to Kleiver.

Razer and the dream team - Jakleen finds them abhorrent because of their infatuation towards her.

G.T. Blitz - She has been keeping her eye on G.T. Blit, Kras City Racing Commissioner and host of the G.T. Blitz Show, who is constantly accompanied by floating cameras. She often uses her psychic powers to know more about him until she knew that he is Mizo.

Duke Skyheed - Jakleen never trusts him at all because she used her telepathy to read his mind and find out earlier than Jak about what he is doing.

Klout- She never trust him at all and she wants to warn Captain Phoenix about his upcoming betrayal.

Relationship(s):

Jak - Jak is her twin older brother, because of the seal of mar amulet on her neck and the psychic link she shares with him. Despite being younger than him, Jakleen would boss him around and try to keep him in line but he is also protective of her. He would let her join the racing circuit but he would try to keep her away from Captain Phoenix, whom she had a relationship with. Jakleen would style or braid his hair, and she often has a playful attitude towards him.

Damas - He is Jak and her father. She was scared of him when she first arrived in Spargus but she is able to hold her own, even if she defended Jak, Daxter, and Sig in the arena. She is able to save him in the catacombs and reveals the truth to him by showing her amulet. Jakleen loves him and tries her best to make him proud.

Hera - She is her and Jak’s mother. She first encountered her when she arrived in Spargus, where she is disguised as a servant. When the twins revealed themselves to their parents, they were happily reunited.

Sig - She sees him as her uncle figure due to their encounter in Haven City.

Jinx - Jakleen doesn't like him due to the fact that he tends to flirt with her.

Samos Hagai - Jakleen respects him and listens to his advices a lot.

Pecker - Jakleen trusts him because he has been trafficking information and advising important people. She had been snickering about how he is at odds with Daxter, as both have tendencies towards sarcasm and a short temper.

Seem - She respects her for her knowledge of the precursors. Despite the mistrust at first. She eventually grows to respect them and displays several signs of gratitude and impression.

Kleiver - Jakleen is on neutral terms with Kleiver because of his rivalry with Jak. Despite this, she would threaten Count Veger by saying his name.

Rayn - She is neutral at first, due to the shocking fact that she heard about the poisoned wine that she knocked off the table while she slept during the meeting.

Tym - Jakleen was wary of him for his laugh, but she slowly becomes friends with him for his knowledge and for being compassionate and level-headed.

The Precursors - Jakleen was able to hear their voices through her telepathy until she was surprised to see their true forms when she, Jak, Daxter, and Count Veger arrived at the precursor core. The Character’s Abilities

Fighting Style: Hand-to-hand combat, weapons proficiency, martial arts skills Eco Channeler: Yes

Other Power(s): Psychic powers, healing powers, telepathy, telekinesis, light eco psychic shields, dark eco psychic blasts, teleportation

Weapon(s): Eco weapons, morph gun, gunstaff, precursor sword

Extra(s): None

(On a scale of 1 - 10, 1 being terrible and 10 being the best)

Eco Channeling: 10/10

Hand-To-Hand Combat: 10/10

Weapon Handling: 8/10

Defense: 7/10

Offense: 10/10

People Skills: 9/10 The Character’s Familial/Biographical Information

Birthplace: Haven City

Family:

Jak (twin brother)

Damas (Father)

Hera (Mother)

Familial Background:

Marella is the last to be born among the twins. With their eco powers, Jak was the heir to Mar's legacy, and believed to be the Chosen One, one of the privileges that Jakleen shared with him. When her parents were banished, Marella's teleportation powers went haywire and transported her to the place where her brother was held. She was able to escape with him when her untapped powers transported them to the streets.

Character Background:

She and Jak were found by a young Samos, who found him wandering the streets and recognized them for the amulet. The Underground kept Jak hoping both that he could be placed on the throne to depose Praxis, and in the hopes, he could open the Tomb of Mar and find the Precursor Stone. Meanwhile, as Damas ruled Spargus his banishment from Haven, Damas hoped to one day find the two again, keeping an amulet identical to Jak's, and preserving Mar's armor for when they met again. She was kept safe by her older self throughout the ordeal. After the old twins defeated Kor, the young Samos took her and Jak back in time to Sandover Village, where they would be trained to have the skills he used to defeat Kor that day, completing the cycle.

Growing up in Sandover Village, the twins became best friends with Daxter and was watched over by Samos and the Explorer, called himself Jak's uncle. Jakleen was adopted by a beautiful singer who taught her music and other talents and skills that she would later use when she grew older. She also became close with Keira, who would go on to become her brother's love interest. Over time, Jakleen saved young Jak from the wumpbee nests on his ninth birthday.

Jakleen first appeared when Jak and Daxter returned to a disappointed Samos, who directed them to seek help from Gol Acheron, the dark eco sage Keira offered to help, providing her zoomer to travel north to see him provided they could find power cells to power the heat shield needed to cross the Fire Canyon. Venturing up north, they witnessed Lurkers' increased attacks on the villages, with Rock Village under siege, and both the blue and the red sages were kidnapped.

At the Red Sage's hut, Gol and his older sister Maia arrived to taunt Jak, Daxter, Jakleen, Samos, and Keira, revealing their plan to open the dark eco silos and reshape the world to their liking. Daxter was dismayed that the one they had sought for help was now the foe they had to defeat, but the group persevered; no longer trying to cure Daxter, but to save the world. At the silo near the citadel, four surrounding pipelines opened up and an accident light eco appeared, which Daxter believed could have changed him back, but reluctantly gave Jak permission to use it to stop the precursor robot and save the world, causing Jak to nod enthusiastically in agreement. When the four sages and the group celebrated, Jak leaned in to kiss Keira, only for Daxter to interrupt them, which caused Jakleen to snicker in response. Using their 100 power cells, the two found the Rift Gate and Rift Rider, hidden behind a Precursor door.

Jak, Jakleen, Daxter, Samos, and Keira activated the Rift Gate, opening a portal for the Metal Head leader to appear. In desperation, Jak then activated the Rift Rider, following its preset coordinates to Haven City, many years in the future. There, Jak was captured by an already waiting Erol, and sent to be experimented on for Baron Praxis' Dark Warrior Program while Keira and Jakleen escaped with Samos and Daxter. Jak remained there for two years, which caused Jakleen to have migraines and nightmares, thus gaining psychic attacks of her own. Upon escaping, Jak and Daxter reunited with Jakline, who found Kor and his younger self (unbeknownst to him) outside, and after protecting Kor from the Krimzon Guard, the three were directed to work for the Underground and ask for Torn.

Torn refused to let Jak speak to the Underground's leader, and sent Jak, Jakleen, and Daxter on increasingly dangerous missions out of his dislike for them. While Daxter protested this, Jak revelled in the opportunity to hurt the Baron, more-so than to help the Underground but Jakleen elbows him to keep him in line. Torn's missions led them to work for Krew in order to gain favors with Krew and leverage his connections, something Jak was willing to do in his quest against Praxis, and was rewarded with the Morph Gun and upgrades. Torn and Krew's missions also led the team to meet Vin, Ashelin Praxis, Onin, and her interpreter Pecker, Sig, and Tess with a reunion with Keira at the Mar Memorial Stadium. Jak competed for her NYFE racing team and she provided the JET-board, although the two were at odds due to Jak's friendship with Krew and Erol’s attraction to Jakleen. Meanwhile, an oracle taught Jak to control his dark powers.

Shortly after, the trio discovered Dead Town, and realized Haven City was in fact his own world's future. Furthermore, the Underground's leader finally agreed to meet with Jak, Jakleen and Daxter, only for them to find the leader was Samos, but a younger Samos, who did not recognize them. Between Samos and Onin's missions, Jak now directed efforts to find the Tomb of Mar so his younger self could obtain the Precursor Stone; when they did so, his younger self was forbidden from completing the tomb's tests of manhood forcing him and Daxter to take them instead, only for Baron Praxis to capture most Underground members and take the Precursor Stone for himself. Jakline was able to run into her younger self, who managed to escape with her untapped powers, so that she can give them the location of the Underground members.

At Torn's direction, Jak and Jakleen freed the Underground members from the fortress; in there, Kor and the child Jak were missing, but the older Samos of his time was found locked up beside his younger version. Learning from Samos that the Baron's plans to use the Precursor Stone with the piercer bomb against the Metal Heads would destroy the world, Jak raced in the NYFE championship to enter Haven Palace, in the meanwhile helping Keira rebuild the Rift Rider, as the two reconciled. Jak's win helped him reach the palace where he clashed with Ashelin; revealing his stake had gone above mere revenge. Jakleen, on his behalf, pleaded with her for help to save the world, which she obliged when Vin confirmed Samos' vision. Jak defeated Krew at the weapons factory and stopped the piercer bomb, after which the city was invaded by Metal Heads, entering when Kor sabotaged Haven City's Shield Wall and Sig opened a door in the Underport at the behest of Krew, double-crossing the Baron.

At the construction site, Jak, alongside Jakleen, who is trying to protect her younger self, learned that Kor was the Metal Head leader, having used a human disguise to infiltrate the Underground. Kor then killed Baron Praxis, who with his dying breath called Jak the "supreme weapon" and revealed to him a second piercer bomb, and the Precursor Stone. Jak, Jakleen, and Daxter took the stone and, with the Metal Heads preoccupied with attacking the city, used the opportunity to storm the nest, and after using Mar’s Gun to blow a hole in it, revealed his intention to stay and fight for Haven rather than abandon it with Keira's Rift Rider. When confronting Kor, Kor revealed to Jak and Jakleen that the twins were their younger selves, and they defeated Kor. He and Jakleen sent the twins alongside the younger Samos to the past using Keira's Rift Rider, completing the cycle and ending the three-hundred-year war with the Metal Heads.

Jak and Daxter were banished to the wastelands by Count Veger but Jakleen slipped off to join them using her teleportation powers. When Jak came to, Damas ordered that he and Daxter prove themselves worthy to gain citizenship of Spargus, or be cast aside.

In spite of an antagonistic relationship with Kleiver, one of the high-ranking Wastelanders, Jak performed well and proved himself in his missions for Spargus and his performance in the Arena of Death. Damas also warmed to Jak and Jakleen, showing (but attempting to hide) paternal pride in him and concern for their safety, and giving them fatherly advice. The relationship soured when Jak encountered Sig at the Arena of Death, and both Jak and Sig refused to fight one another, defiling the arena. Damas threatened to exile both, but Jakline defended them. He gave them a chance for redemption due to Sig's service as a spy in Haven, which both were able to achieve by destroying a nest of metal-pedes nearby. The twins also met Seem and the Precursor Monks, who showed hostility to him at first, but through their temple in the Wasteland he was able to obtain light eco powers and gained the ability to transform into Light Jak, much to her amazement.

Partway through Jak's time in Spargus, Ashelin arrived and pleaded Jak to return to Haven, only for Jak to harshly defy her, consigning Haven to doom due to their treatment of him and Jakleen tried to convince him. Nonetheless, Jak and Jakleen eventually did return via the catacombs in the war effort, motivated by vengeance against Veger. Jak and Jakleen linked up again with Samos, Keira, Torn, Tess, and Ashelin to battle both the Metal Head and KG Death Bot fronts, fighting for the Freedom League. During the war, they learned that a now-cybernetic Errol, working with fallen Precursors known as the Dark Makers, was behind the war and commanded both forces.

The war against the Dark Makers required the two to find artifacts to use the Astro-Viewer, learn more about his new enemy. While in Spargus to find the artifacts, Sig told Jak and Jakleen that Damas had planned to ensure Spargus survived the war, believing Haven was doomed. Jak rebuked him and Spargus for "playing with peoples' lives", and continued to fight the war against Errol. The twins confronted Errol at the KG War Factory, where he declared he would stop Errol and the Dark Makers' plan destroy the world, before shutting down the factory and weakening the KG Death Bots front. After this, when the Dark Makers attacked Spargus, Jak and Jakleen fended them off, earning their citizenship of Spargus, receiving a piece of Mar's armor that Damas was saving for his own son (not knowing Jak was his son) as well as a war beacon that he could use to summon Wastelanders whenever he needed it.

She and Jak then went to the catacombs to reach the Precursor core so he could activate the Planetary Defense System and stop the Dark Makers. The path to the catacombs was riddled with Metal Heads, causing Jak to use the war beacon to summon Damas. Damas helped Jak fight through, only to be fatally wounded by a missile and Jakleen was able to heal him with her powers. Jak realized that Damas was his father, and he and Jakleen revealed the amulets they carry, but they were also met by Hera, their biological mother, who was disguised as a servant in the palace when they came. Veger taunted them for this, causing Jakleen to call him a monster but Hera held her back to prevent her from causing more harm. This caused Jak and Jakleen, with Hera and an injured Damas to chase him there down the catacombs in anger.

When he reached the Precursor core, the Precursors offered Jak and Jakleen the opportunity to transform into a Precursor themselves, only for Veger to take it himself and be transformed into an ottsel against his will. The three Precursors then sent Jak to the Dark Maker ship to prevent Errol from awakening its cargo and told Jakleen to conjure a portal to send herself, a recovering Damas, and Hera back to Spargus, before the leader privately expressed lack of confidence in them and wish for a "backup hero".

Jak successfully stopped Errol and the Dark Makers from destroying the world, turning the tide in the Precursors' universe-wide war with the Dark Makers. Jak and Daxter returned to the place where Jakleen and Ashelin were waiting. As soon as Jak arrived, Jakleen ran to him and they both hugged. The Precursors, after thanking the people of the planet, told them there were more adventures in the future, asking him to join them in fighting the Dark Makers in other worlds. Jak obliged at first, but declined last minute due to his loyalty to Jakleen and Daxter, choosing to stay in his world. The now-reunited family was happily spending time together, catching up with the times they lost.

A year later, Jak, Jakleen, Daxter, Keira, Torn, and Ashelin traveled to Kras City on the invite of Krew's daughter Rayn, to attend the reading of Krew's will. Jakleen slept throughout the toasting of his death, and knocked down the glass of wine. She woke up when they were informed they had been poisoned, and that the only way to obtain the antidote was to win the Kras City Grand Championship for Krew's racing team. The group turned on Rayn, who claimed to be unaware as she had drank from the same bottle, though Jak chose to believe her, and agreed to race for their survival. When the team learned that Krew and Kras City crime boss Mizo had bet each other's business against who won the championship—meaning they were unwittingly caught in the middle of a gang war—Jak told the team to sit tight and keep racing while pledging to think of a way out. Jakleen would drive in Keira’s place due to not being allowed to race.

Jak got off to a slow start, berated by the show's announcer G.T. Blitz poor ratings on his first race in spite of his win, but gained notoriety as he racked up good points for the season, eventually attracting the attention of veterans of the sport, something that Jakleen is worried about. When Pecker became Blitz's co-host, in addition to investigating the crime ring behind the sport, he tended to hype up Jak on-air, only for Blitz to discredit him. Jakleen became more worried about her brother as he continued to race but she continued to race with the team.

In the race against Razer, Jakleen became more angry when she heard that her brother's car was sabotaged in a race preventing him from firing weapons; but nonetheless, he won anyway. She even complained about it. When Jak won the final race, G.T. Blitz revealed he was Mizo, and stole the antidotes, leading Jak to chase and destroy his car. Mizo chided Jak's tendency to leave his foes to die, which Jak shrugged off as Mizo's car exploded.

After celebrating his win, Rayn ran off, leaving behind a note that she had betrayed them all as she had never been poisoned, but had been using them to take over Mizo's business, meaning Jak's trust in her had been misplaced. Nonetheless, the group agreed not to worry in the short term, and after the celebration, Jakleen screamed in excitement as she watches Jak (with encouragement from Daxter) kissed Keira.

In the future, an eco shortage caused Jak, Jakleen, Daxter, and Keira to travel to the Brink a Hellcat IV search of new eco. Along the way, a group of sky pirates by Captain Phoenix, attempted to raid them for their eco, causing Jak to try to transform into Dark Jak to defend them, but doing so unsuccessfully due to the eco shortage making it unstable. Captain Phoenix therefore mistook Jak for one of the aeropans, his enemies, and tried to kill him, but Daxter scared him away with the gun turret placed on their aircraft, inadvertently forcing them to crash land on the Brink.

Keira was able to repair the ship, and after another run-in with the Sky Pirates where they attack the ACS Behemoth, Jak fought them off and was welcomed to Aeropa by its leaders, Duke Skyheed, and Chancellor Ruskin. Despite Jakleen being distrustful towards the duke, Skyheed gave Jak the eco seeker to help them find more eco, though the device was broken.

Then, Captain Phoenix attacks the building and steals both the Eco Seeker and Keira but Jakleen sneaked in the Phantom Blade. Jak and Daxter were able to get to them but, on board, Jak and Phoenix argue and tip the Eco Seeker overboard accidentally, so both return to the island once more to retrieve it from a volcanic crater. Keira intervenes and makes them call a truce and shake hands. Jakleen fell head over heels for Captain Phoenix, who became interested in her, and Jak would try to prevent it, only to cause tension and a sour relationship between the twins.

While working to repair it, Jak and Jakleen learned that the Aeropans had their own Dark Warrior Program creating dark mutants, causing him to become vengeful as he remembered what had happened to him. A castaway named Tym, whom they had met earlier, remembered that he had once worked on the program and regretted it, and told Captain Phoenix that Jak was not one of the Aeropans' dark mutant experiments but evidence that dark eco could be controlled. Jak and Phoenix then put aside their differences entirely for Jakleen and to fight against the Aeropans to stop the experiments, which made him reconcile with his sister.

In a siege on Aeropa, Jak finally met up with Skyheed, who also turned into a massive Dark Warrior while Jakleen stayed with Keira. Jak's battle with Skyheed forced him to retreat to his shielded flagship, where he attempted to drain eco from the eco core. While Jakleen used her teleportation powers to save Captain Phoenix, Jak was finally able to kill Skyheed, using a new light eco weapon made by Keira. The storms were then calmed due to the realigning and activation of the eco core, and the world was no longer in want of eco.

[assassyart]

is it ok for me ask what your take on jatchet but as parents are? I made a ship child for em and I'm curious on your opinion on if Ratchet and Jak became parents

Oh sure! Sounds fun!

I'll admit, I kinda just ran with the idea of how both would individually act as a parent not necessarily parents together, but it still works shippy-wise, too!

Jak and Ratchet both love kids, but playing hero with some children and having to take care of a kid are two different things.

For starters, Jak has way more experience with parents than Ratchet does. Whether that was good parenting though...well...I guess that's up to you. 💀 Jak was raised by Samos and got to meet his actual dad, while the closest thing Ratchet's had to a father figure was Azimuth, and that...uh...yeah, didn't end well.

I think keeping this in mind is important, because Ratchet and Jak's backstories are very different and this would drastically impact how they would react to the challenge of raising a kid of their own. As a kid, Jak was reckless, stubborn, and never listened. He had an itch for adventure and that ended up only getting him into trouble. He's very aware of that now, and while he does look back on it fondly, I do not think he'd feel the same when faced with a kid that potentially acts the same way as he did. I think he'd end up subconsciously drawing inspiration from Damas and Samos. ("Oh my god I sound like Samos, what have I become" would definitely be something he says at some point.)

He'd likely become overprotective, especially knowing that he's got a lot of enemies that might try to target his kid. He would do or kill anything to protect his kid, even at the cost of not being home as much. That said, I think he'd do everything he could to be actively in the kid's life, especially since he was cheated of spending more time with Damas and would've given anything to spend more time with him.

Moving on to the lombaxy boy, Ratchet's childhood was filled with a whole lot of nothing. He was alone for most of his childhood until meeting Clank. As a kid that never got to leave Veldin, Ratchet's greatest fear would be that his kid doesn't get to see what the universe has to offer. Sure it's a scary universe out there, but Ratchet feels like it'd be better to grow up knowing that there is so much out there than to stay cooped up on one planet. (Or maybe he's simply projecting.)

He'd be the type of parent that wears one of those things you can strap to your chest to hold the baby so your hands are free (Clank on his back, the kid on his chest: an unstoppable adventuring trio). He's definitely the more carefree one, and tends to let the kid get away with things if it does no harm (and his definition of "no harm" is a lot different from everyone else's lmao).

I don't think Ratchet would ever let the kid get into any real danger, though. If some save-the-world thing came up, he'd demand for his kid to stay home so he can deal with it. His "chill dad" routine would be gone completely, because for all his faults, Ratchet will still always put his life on the line for the ones he loves, even if it means he has to hurt someone's feelings he cares about.

Overall, I think he'd be a decent dad? Too laid back probably and he'd definitely suck at disciplining, leaving his partner to do it.

Which brings me back to Jak. Jak wouldn't admit it out loud, but he would be terrified that the kid will end up being afraid of him. Consequently, I think he'd refuse to use his dark eco at all around the kid, only showing off his light eco. This is a complete contrast to Ratchet whom would show off his trophies for all the arena challenges he's won for the kid's fifth birthday. 💀

Jak would cherish the kid to hell and back, but he's always got a fear ingrained in his head that he'll screw everything up. In spite of that, I do think Jak would be the one to train the kid in self-defense, because Jak's pretty confident in his own abilities and would jump at the chance to ensure his kid is strong enough to take anyone on. I think that's where his bonding with the kid would flourish.

In conclusion: Ratchet's the fun one, Jak is trying his best, they're still a mess. <3

[radioactivepeasant]

Fic Prompts: Free Day Thursday

(Continuing my Jak and Daxter au with a lil Angst because Jak needs a hug. And therapy. As do most of the inhabitants of the in-game universe)

Damas was staring again.

Jak could feel his gaze like a laser sight, homing in on the back of his head in a way that set his teeth on edge. He had always hated being stared at as a child, but after the Baron's experiments, it had become almost unbearable. Part of Jak wanted to be seen, truly seen, by his father. The rest of him couldn't bear for the man to look at him. There was so much blood on his hands, so much dark eco tainting his blood. He wasn't Damas's innocent little baby anymore. He was just...just Jak.

Jak tried to let some of the tension out of his shoulders. He'd have given anything for Daxter to be there; Dax would know what to say to break the ice. But Daxter was still standing on that platform years away, thinking he was saying goodbye to his friend.

After checking the coordinates one more time, Jak finally made himself turn to face his father. "You, um...you should get some sleep," he said gruffly, "It's going to be a long flight."

There was a softness in the Spargan king's face that Jak had only seen a few times. And it hurt to see it, to know this was the last time he would have the chance in this circle of time. What was wrong with him? Why couldn't he just be happy to have this moment with a father who accepted his grown son's identity? Surely this was a better final memory of Damas than holding his battered body as he choked out his final words.

Why couldn't he just be happy?!

Damas rose from the bench where little Mar slept, wrapped in a sheet stolen from someone's laundry line. He stepped into the cockpit area and took the co-pilot seat with a soft grunt. The utilitarian seat hadn't been made for comfort, but he eased back as though it were as familiar as his throne.

"Why don't you rest?" he offered. "I can keep us on course."

Jak shook his head. "I'm fine."

Damas didn't look convinced. "You've been fighting hard, Mar."

"I've fought harder."

Stubborn as any Spargan.

Damas frowned. "The best warriors know to take care of their bodies-"

"-as they would their best rifle, I know," Jak groaned, "You had a good time drilling that one into my skull."

That took Damas by surprise. "I thought you said you didn't grow up knowing me?"

Jak flinched and looked away. "I didn't."

The king leaned forward slowly. This older Mar was skittish, in some ways. Like a kicked crocodog. Damas couldn't shake the feeling that if he moved too quickly, his boy would bolt. Slow and steady, he reached out to place a hand on his shoulder.

"Mar?"

Jak wouldn't look at him.

Spargans didn't cry.

Spargans didn't cry!

"I met you for the first time ten months ago," he finally croaked. "We...we had both...changed too much to recognize each other. I went by a different name, and you thought I'd be younger-" he cut himself off short. This wasn't something he felt ready to talk about.

"What name?"

Jak briefly glanced up, then away. "What?"

Damas squeezed his shoulder. "What name were you accustomed to?" he asked patiently, never pushing.

That, that he could talk about. That topic was safe.

"I was raised as Jak," he answered. "Oh, and when you and Junior back there get to Sandover, the version of me you're going to find there will also go by Jak. He -- I -- couldn't find anyone who understood Spargan Sign, so he let his very first friend pick a name for him. It's not Mar, but...it's important to him. To me."

"Jak..." Damas tried the name out. He tilted his head in thought, then nodded. "May I call you Jak then, if it is important? When I find this other you-" he broke off with a dry chuckle. "The monks once chastised me for dragging my feet about producing an heir. What would they think now, knowing I have many?"

The thought made Jak's brain hurt. Was the Jak of each time loop a separate person with separate experiences? Or were some the same Jak? He was pretty sure the one currently in Sandover was connected to his current loop. Did that mean that he might cease to exist soon? Or that he would change?

"M- Jak," Damas broke into his thoughts, sounding more solemn than before. "When you go back to your time...will I be there?"

The way Jak's teeth clenched, hard enough to grind against each other, told Damas more than he wanted to know. But morbid curiosity, as well as some undefined sense of guilt he couldn't shake, pressed him to keep asking.

"Did I have the chance to redeem myself before the end?"

Jak's head whipped up, and he stared at Damas in blank shock. "Redeem yourself?" he sputtered, "For what?"

"For not..." Damas made a frustrated gesture with his free hand. "Not being there. To protect you. For not recognizing you when you found your way home."

Jak reached out, vaguely aware that his hand was trembling when he placed it on the king's arm. "It was my fault-!" he blurted out.

Damas raised a brow -- like he always did - used to do - when Jak boasted -- and remarked, "Somehow I doubt that."

The dam burst. Afterwards, Jak would never be able to remember when, exactly, he'd started crying. Only that he couldn't stop.

"I tried to fight my way into Haven City without- without backup. Just me and Daxter. And you- you had to come save our sorry hides and-! There was a missile- I should've been driving! I could've healed myself, the vents weren't that far, I- it should have been m-"

He didn't get the chance to finish the sentence before he was pulled out of the chair and into a crushing hug.

"You are not to blame." Damas tightened his arms around Jak and sighed. "If I managed to keep you safe, then I did what any father should do."

"You didn't know-!" Jak hiccupped into his shoulder. "I didn't get to tell you I was- was me!"

Like it would've made it any less tragic if he had. It wasn't fair.

"Steady, son. It's in the past now. I'm here."

Damas glanced to the side, and through watery eyes saw little Mar peeking out from under the sheet. The child looked concerned. Damas smiled reassuringly at him.

"See Mar?" he called softly, "You can be all grown up, and a matchless warrior, but you'll never be too old for a hug from your father. Take my word for it."

He turned his eyes back to Jak and cleared his throat. "I swear to the Precursors that I will not let you see me die that way. You twisted fate this far, I'll take it the rest of the way."

Pulling back so that he could look Jak in the eye, he vowed, "I will find you, with Mar. And I don't know what will happen in our future, but I will be waiting when you come home, if I have to hold the Precursors themselves hostage to get there."

Jak swiped his arm roughly across his eyes and grinned. He had some of his old fierceness back now. "You're starting to sound like me," he said with a hoarse chuckle.

"Must be a House of Mar thing," Damas smirked.

He wasn't holding out hope that his life would be altered by this. The other loops had played out the same, again and again, once the Dark Makers came into play. But knowing Damas would have wanted to come back helped. Maybe this was closure, in a way.

Jak blinked suddenly. "Mar! Oh shoot, uh....okay, Damas-"

The king gave him a look, and Jak awkwardly amended, "er...Father -- Precursors, I'm not used to that -- um...there's no easy way to put this. You're probably going to meet a guy in one of the villages that I'm 80% sure is the original Mar. And he's not exactly up to Spargan standards, put it that way. But don't be too hard on him, he just needs to get out of the town."

For just a moment, Jak could have sworn Damas's eye twitched.