#spargus city

[sparguscityangel]

jak and daxter trilogy: locations → spargus city

“haven city's refuse, thrown out and left to die. just as you were. but now that you have been saved, your life belongs to the people of spargus. and we will use it well. if it's actually worth anything.”

[karla-the-elemental-dreamer]

Here is the in-dream homework; finished and delivered! Reminder, Jak wanted me to draw the image I presented in that dream a few days back. He relished the idea of having a picture where he was aged up and Damas was still alive.

The top image (-1) is the version if any JnD fans want to download and keep (please do not repost without credit!)

The following image (+1) is the actual piece with all of us (myself also) in it:

[radioactivepeasant]

Fic Prompts: Snippet Wednesday

This is technically part of the overarching Sons of Spargus universe, set between Jak 3 and Jak X. It's just an outline right now of a short horror fic with the working title Lightless Deep, featuring Jak being placed in command of a fairly doomed expedition into a sunken Precursor city similar to the one in TPL.

The inscription on the wall was deep, but crude. Not engraved, like most Precursor artifacts, but scratched or hammered into the metal of the torn bulkhead. Done quickly, and by the look of it, desperately. One of the monks traced his fingers over it and nodded solemnly.

"It is a warning against those who dwell in darkness," he said.

Jak curled his lip. "It's grafitti," he scoffed, "And that's not what it says."

The monk started to retort before remembering who he was speaking to. "With...respect, young prince," Resh said through gritted teeth, with anything but respect, "The Precursor language has been my area of expertise for decades."

Jak was nonplussed. "Yeah, and you people write your subjects before your predicates." He shrugged. "Old school Precurian text is the other way around."

He decided not to mention that this was why he could barely do more than write his name in the modern parlance. Instead he lifted his light a little higher and decided to show off. Just a little.

"It says "Come not near me, o you Pale One, from your depths where you lie dreaming."

Something nudged at the back of his mind like a half forgotten warning. Jak shook the creeping sensation off.

"Go down and be buried in the lightless deep, and be confounded by shadows for eternity.""

Daxter shuddered and drew his vest a little closer around him. "You know you two probably activated some ancient curse, right?"

[hollow-reign]

petty repost bc the OP was gross and I don't want to give them the satisfaction of notes or my answer 💕

[troblsomtwins829]

After the End of Kor and his nest, after the reign of Praxis has been dismantled, after Spargus takes Haven as a territory and formally inducts the crumbling city state into the Wasteland Federation, after all the boring and awful meetings and calls of council-

Two teenagers stand just out of frame, and in their boredom silently daring one another to perform whatever minor breach of etiquette that they can get away with just to pass the time until they're finally allowed to leave

[seirei-bh]

Resolving Ashelin plot holes in Jak 3

I originally wrote all of this essay in a Word document for myself, trying to find various possible solutions for those plot holes, as something for my fanfic, but since I've spent months thinking about it and trying to figure it out on my own, I wanted to share my entire struggle with these issues here with the fandom too XD because maybe they could help to some people who also writes fics or we could just share opinions about it.

The plot holes were big and I don't know how they could have gone unnoticed the first time I played Jak 3, omg~

Ashelin's main problems and plot holes were:

1) Ashelin knew that Damas was still alive, but she didn't tell anyone.

2) Ashelin knew that both Jak and Damas belonged to the House of Mar since she gave the Seal of Mar to Jak in the oasis, and because she knew Damas before he was banished, but she never mentioned any of this to either Jak or Damas. Maybe she didn't know for sure that The Kid of the Underground was Damas's son, but she could have at least deduced that they were family and that Damas could be his uncle or something similar.

3) There is no explanation about how Ashelin managed to find out that Damas was still alive after his banishment, how she found him, and why Ashelin had a beacon to call him (the beacon she gave to Jak at the beginning of the game).

4) Ashelin had the power to directly dissolved the Grand Council without any problems, but she didn't do it before Jak was banished.

Okay, let's first resolve the issues regarding Damas:

1) The first problem can be solved simply by Damas making Ashelin promise that she would never tell anyone that he was still alive, so Baron Praxis wouldn't try to go find him, kill him, and wouldn't find out Spargus's existence. And she didn't tell this to the Underground either probably because Damas was already king of Spargus when Ashelin found him and he had no intention of ruling Haven again.

This issue actually could have been solved just with a line of dialogue and it's something at least to can imagine easily, but the other two problems are more difficult to solve, especially the second.

2) I can understand why Ashelin didn't tell Jak about Damas being his family at the beginning of the game because she was busy fighting a civil war and ruling a ruined city, also because she needed Jak to return to the city, and also the promise she (maybe) made to Damas. But she had had other opportunities throughout the game to mention it to Jak after Jak met Damas in the desert, or at the very least to tell him that Damas was perhaps his relative, without specifying why or how. I can also understand that it would be very difficult for her to explain the whole time travel mess to Damas, but still, it's no reason not to at least tell Jak. Or to tell it to Samos, Keira or Daxter, because they are the ones involved in the time travel and the characters closer to Jak since his childhood, so some of them could help her to explain all that to Damas. So a possible option that I have thought of is that Onin told Ashelin that she should not say anything so as not to intervene in the fate that the Precursors have in store for Jak. It's still a cheap excuse, but Onin is the character who always seems to know more about the future than everyone else. So my final conclusion was that Onin convinced her not to tell Jak, while Damas convinced her not to talk about his own existence to others or reveal that he was the king of Haven City. Besides in this way Onin's role in this game would be useful, lol, because I swear she got the same writing problems than Keira.

p.s.: I've read somewhere that some people think that Ashelin never told him just so that Jak would return to Haven City and not stay in Spargus, but Ashelin is not a villain like her father nor a manipulative person (that's Rayn, lol .And Onin-Pecker-Samos too in some way, but only for the greater good) so I doubt it. As I said it could have been a believable excuse at the beginning for tense moments in the war and having to take drastic decisions, but not throughout the entire game. She's a good person, dammit. However I admit this could have been an interesting idea but only with a better and longer writing and with a proper character development of both or the to create more drama and tension between Jak and the City, and even a reflection for Jak himself on whether he should put his personal affairs above the good of others or if the right answer is the opposite, and a post conversation with Damas about this and what means to be a hero and a ruler...

3) Now we are going to try to solve the third problem… here I came up with three options: A) Ashelin gave Damas that beacon so that he could tell him that he was still alive and Damas activated it only years later to ask for help at some point . B) Sig, any other wastelander spy or even Damas himself, went to Haven City and asked Ashelin directly if she knew anything about The Kid's kidnapping, and then they stayed in touch because she promised she would try to find out where the kid was. C) Ashelin ventured into the desert at some point before Jak2 events or sent someone to look for Damas to see if he was alive and perhaps ask him to return to the city, which he refused, but Damas still gave her a beacon to keep in touch because he appreciates her.

4) Now there is the matter of the Grand Council. Well, this isn't exactly a plot hole, it's lazy writing XD There's no logical excuse in the game, unless at that time Ashelin had more power than before for unexplained reasons or just scrapped democracy and became a dictator like her father, lol. She also might have gained more political power over the war issue, but this is conjecture. Personally my decision with this has been to change this completely in my fanfic for another type of more coherent path, so Ashelin would not have the power to resolve the Council just like that in that scene, but she would have to balance the power later and gradually take power away from Veger (I didn't post the chapters with that subplot yet, so I won't be very specific, but it is based on Ashelin gradually acquiring more power and influence among other politicians in a slower, but also more rational and cunning way, GoT style~)

As a side note, we also have the issue that they completely removed the romantic relationship supposedly established between Torn and Ashelin at the end of Jak 2, and replaced it with Ashelin with Jak, forgetting about Keira's existence as well, but that's not exactly a plot hole either, it's forced rewriting, and at least it was solved in Jak X.

OOHH, and there is a problem also related to her design, and I'm not only referring to her soldier uniform is totally sexualized and that's not funtional for a soldier either for a ruler who wants to be respected, but there is also other problem: she still wear the symbol of the old KG on the shoulder, while she should be wearing the symbol of the Freedom League, and probably also some blue/yellow colors instead of only red.

Well, that's all... it's amazing how I used to think the biggest problem with Jak 3 were the writing of Keira, Errol and the Dark Makers. Because the more you write, the more you find plot holes with other characters and subplots.

[theshiaxartist]

A quick sketch concept for The Unified King AU Jak becomes Baron of Haven and King of Spargus and sets on the difficult task of unifying two cities that hate each other as much as they love him.

[renegadeful]

Since Merrin is a noble in Haven City / Spargus- I think she would often change her clothes and hair to fit the scene. I wanted to kind of explore that idea a bit.

[hecketernal]

Sneak Peak of Chapter Two of The Mar's Tomb Investigation

((this chapter has hands and has been fighting me like a fromsoft boss so yall can get a small treat of this snippet until i manage to wrangle it))

Sig leaned against a wall in the Slum out of way of foot traffic. Not that it would have mattered. Crowds of Havenites tended to part around big wastelanders with an intimidating cybernetic eye and reputation of working with Krew. Still, his mama didn't raise a rude boy, and he wasn't risking his mission just to bother some skittish, city folk. What he was looking for was too important for that. Meaning, he stood outta the way and tried to not attract unnecessary attention from the KG patrols, whilst he watched both sides of the Slums from the conjoining sector.

If he was lucky, he would be able to meet up with the chili peppers here.

If he was unlucky, it would be the starting point to tracking their actual location down.

The way he saw it there were two ways Jak and Daxter would break Tess and whoever else got rounded up by those Krimson Goons out of the prison. Via seeing it firsthand and word of mouth, Sig knew Jak liked to run in hot. Option one was therefore a loud explosive escape paired with a fast getaway vehicle. Option 1 was a good option. It was the kind of plan Sig missed pulling off himself, and it would see Jak and Daxter coming straight to Sig in no time flat.  Option two: transportation rings. Sig did not want it to be option two.

The blue eco powered transporters made for an easy way in and out of locations, and they were damn near untraceable. Unless, someone knew to set up a tracer ahead of time, which was more effort and eco than basically anyone wanted to spend. The Underground was lucky the Baron simply couldn't afford to waste the eco with his little war against the metalheads still ongoing. It was more effective to just set up more soldiers and turrets with that eco and prevent any escape in the first place. Any proper tracer was a pain to set up anyways. They took no less then three proper receivers, and each piece of equipment had to be set in a seperate location to allow triangulation. If the drop-off location was within that net, the receivers would pinpoint the location easily. If it was outside of the net, the triangulation would only give you a rough estimate of the direction and distance. Increasing the size of the net to fix that limitation brought its own issues. Namely, it increased the eco output needed to run. Spargus had set up several nets that could be used, but Sig's own personal one would work fine enough here. He didn't need exact coordinates to a Underground Midpoint or safe house, when he didn't have any excuse to know where to be knocking. He'd still be having to frame it as bumping into the boys randomly. He was just lucky he already knew and was friendly with the duo.

Sig wanted to sigh. Triangulation. Eco Nets. Subterfuge. Bluffs.Who would have thought his life would come to this. He was just lucky his identity in Haven was the simple brute. He was capable of doing this. Damas wouldn't have sent him otherwise, but it was mentally exhausting. Each little lie could be one more complications. Something he had to remember and continue to fake; unless, they were immediately nipped or based off of some truth.

It would be worth it for a chance to see Mar again. It was worth it. He mentally pulled up his big boy pants, but he made a note to himself to blow some frustration on the gun range. It wasn't like him to be the down in the dunes downer.

He would find Mar. He had to. A siren went off in the distance. It was showtime.

[trubbishrubbish]

Hmm... I feel as those it would be Jak that would be completely lost without Daxter.

Daxter saved him from the dark eco experiments.

He was the only friendly and familiar face he had when first arriving in Haven City and Spargus City.

The only person who has been with him the longest and can trust the most in his life.

[sparguscityangel]

ah crap more ocs

so in my fic over haven's walls i mentioned the six sisters, precursors who have dominion over their respective eco type. each sister has a homeland and attributes that correspond with their eco. in birth order we have:

mariym - patron of light eco and the goddess of transcendence. she is the twin sister of micte. mariym rules over spargus and the mountain temple, and her disguise among the citizens is that of a healer named merci. she is calm and collected, every step she takes is calculated and well-thought out.

micte - patron of dark eco and the goddess of transformation. she is the twin sister of mariym. in the fic, micte is not the most adjusted out of the bunch. she loves chaos, often looking to play with the mortal realm as much as possible. her dominion used to be misty island, and her disguise is that of the witch of the waste by the name of hin. unlike her sister, micte seeks so be as unpredictable as the element she controls.

kajin - patron of red eco and goddess of strength and resilience. kajin is the queen of the marauders, sat upon a throne of ice and knives. she is always down for a good battle, especially if weapons are involved. kajin rules over the marauder fortress and their former home in the ice lands. she is a glutton for violence, laid back, and truly a queen who cherishes her people.

tyr - patron of yellow eco and goddess of war and ire. much like her older sister, tyr is a warrior through and through. her love for violence and mayhem makes her the perfect companion to kajin. though her beloved boggy swamp is no longer around, tyr doesn't allow its absence to hinder her pride in her swamp lands. ambitious, hot headed, and bloodthirsty, tyr is easily the sister with the most devotees.

neera - patron of blue eco and goddess of speed and fortune. neera doesn't have the same fascination with worship and worshipers as her sisters do. instead, neera finds herself running to and fro, outracing the very lightning from the sky. rock village may be gone, but neera doesn't let that deter her from embracing her new home in haven among the electricity that flows through the city. she is quick witted and charming, the most humble of all the sisters.

kaliope - patron of green eco and goddess of health and prosperity. forever a child, kaliope is playfully juvenile. the monks have built many temples in her name, but kaliope would rather they seek her out in the trees and moss of haven forest.

[transmascblueblur]

What if Jak was trans? (Part I)

[Content warnings: semi-graphic descriptions of afab puberty (menstruation and unsafe binding in particular) with mentions of amab puberty, medical abuse/trauma/torture, mentions of ftm top surgery and HRT, some slightly transphobic & misogynistic phrasing/language, a brief mention of forced detransition, and subtext suggesting that cis adults see a trans minor naked without his consent, though NOT in a sexual way (as well as all the standard stuff you’d expect from the game Jak II, mostly violence).]

Out under the burning sun of the Wastelands, King Damas of Spargus is blessed with a gift from the Precursors: a baby girl.

Or so he thinks.

The heir to the Spargan throne enjoys desert life, riding the leaper lizards, watching the sand fly up behind the buggies as they speed out of the city's gate, sneakily observing the monks as they chant and perform their mysterious rituals. It's a happy, blissful time.

It doesn't take long, though, for the kid to realise that he's not a girl like everyone says he is, and communicates his feelings to the people around him as soon as he knows how. Damas, the leading reject in a city of rejects, a man ruled by nothing more than fatherly love, who would wage war on the blazing sun itself for his child, doesn't turn his back on his now-son, but embraces him. (Perhaps there are even other trans people in Spargus that ended up there for that reason, if Haven is generally a transphobic place?) He changes his former-daughter's name from the feminine Mara to the masculine Mar (or perhaps it was always Mar, in a gender neutral fashion). He cuts his son's hair, lets him wear his little dungarees, and since Mar is so young at this time, nobody who isn't already aware has no reason to suspect that Damas' son was ever anything else.

But then Count Veger strikes.

He hears that the banished King Damas, descendant of the House of Mar (and likely skilled in eco channelling), has had a son. Children are a lot easier to kidnap than adults, even the children of kings, and Veger needs someone who can channel eco for his experiments. In the night, he kidnaps Mar, whisking him out of his desert home and into the heart of metallic, miserable Haven City.

Damas' grief could swallow stars. He'll never stop looking, even if he has to empty the Wastelands of sand one grain at a time. Even if it kills him.

As surprised as Veger is to eventually discover that Mar isn't exactly a typical little boy, this doesn't affect his experiments, so he's content referring to Mar the way everyone else does, as a boy. All he truly cares about is unlocking the Precursors' secrets, anyway.

By means that remain unknown, perhaps after only a few days, or perhaps after many months, or something in-between, Mar is freed. Maybe Veger, or even an assistant of some kind, lets his guard down for just a second, and the sly little kid sneaks away, stumbling out of the lab and finding himself alone in an unfamiliar place — bare-footed, traumatised, silent. A stray croca-dog, just as dirt-covered and lonely as the boy, forms an attachment to him. With saliva dripping from flesh-rending teeth, he protects Mar from those that would harm him long enough for him to be found by Samos and taken to the Underground, where he also meets Kor.

Samos realises what that amulet around the child's neck means. As long as the kid sticks around long enough to be put on Haven's throne when Praxis is done away with, it doesn't really matter if he has shoes or not, right? Besides, as The Shadow, Samos has bigger priorities than babysitting. To the rest of the Underground, a scruffy little kid with short hair, dungarees, and a big croca-dog looks enough like a boy, so they have no reason to question whether he's a real boy or not. Besides, a lot the Underground's members generally prefer knowing that the heir to Haven isn't a girl, even if they can't quite justify why when Tess asks them.

Kor, meanwhile, already knows just who this child will become. Whilst baby Mar is now with the Underground, his older self has already come through the warp-gate and fallen into Praxis' hands, so Kor has seen the kid's older self at least once, and has seen at least a hint of the man - the hero - that he will grow into. (If he doesn't kill him first.)

And then, of course, shenanigans ensue. Mar meets Jak (thinks he's really cool) and Daxter (thinks he's really cute), is told to attempt the Tests of Manhood (and the door opened for him at first — he always knew he was a boy!), and gets kidnapped by Kor to open the Precursor Stone.

In the end, Mar watches as his former carer's severed head skids along the ground towards Jak's feet. (Gross. But also kinda cool.)

Then Mar realises that Jak is actually himself in the future, and gets the validation and euphoria he never knew he needed. He takes on the name Jak for himself, and travels back in time to Sandover Village with Samos, remembering nothing of his old life but the fading light of the warp-gate. (Unfortunately, he forgets that warning about the wumpbee nest.)

(Due to time loop issues, this means that the name Jak just appears from nowhere, since the Jak living in Sandover Village was given it from his older self that he met as a child in Haven, who heard it from his older self back when he was a kid, and the loop continues. If we want a satisfactory answer to the true origin of Jak's name, time-loop aside, my personal preference is this:

The Kid isn't speaking at all when he first arrives in Sandover, and Samos was always content to refer to him as just "The Kid" anyway, so without a way to clearly communicate his desire for a name with Samos, that's how he stays for a while. Over time, The Kid gets to know Keira, Daxter, and the villagers, and they get to know him. United by the same adventurous spirit, The Kid and The Explorer grow closer, and The Explorer then becomes known as Uncle. Samos is content to have someone else caring for The Kid, now that he has a daughter to take care of, and is happy for him to have some semblance of a family, so when Uncle suggests, you know, maybe giving the poor lad a name, Samos agrees. Keira and Daxter also suggest names, of course, but Samos flat refuses to let them, Daxter especially, who is currently a scruffy urchin but who he knows will one day be an animal, name the future hero of Haven. Furthermore, Samos is perfectly aware of the grim fate that Sandover Village will suffer when the warp-gate is reopened, so he allows The Explorer to name Jak as a small way for Sandover's people to live on.)

Time passes like thick honey in Sandover Village. The sea caresses the shoreline of Sentinel Beach, wind whispers and howls through the trees of the Forbidden Jungle, and yakows chew hay lazily over at the farm. Life is good, peaceful.

Jak grows up a bit, grows closer with Daxter and Keira, gets stung by some wumpbees, does a lot of exploring, makes a lot of trouble.

Eventually he finds himself able to talk sometimes, rather than just using the sign language he and Daxter invented for themselves, and doesn't mind doing it now and then. Then Daxter's voice starts dropping. A sudden jealousy starts gnawing at Jak, so he decides to keep quiet most of the time, even in the moments he can speak. (Daxter prefers the limelight anyway.)

Growing up has other downsides, too. Jak finds himself using whatever the women of the village recommend — certain types of grass, cloth, wool — to stop the bleeding that feels constant, even if it only comes every few weeks. And sweet Precursors, it hurts. (Not to mention the other strange stuff — headaches, tiredness, his gums feeling weird, an unsettled stomach, and the urge to cry and throw things, to name a few.) Keira, going through the same thing, gives advice and support, and whilst that makes it easier to bear, other boys don't have to suffer this, and that's all Jak can think about.

And then Jak's body starts really changing, visibly — especially his chest. All the while, Daxter enjoys a flat chest, a (small) growth spurt, no stomach cramps or bleeding, and a voice that cracks pleasantly, even if he himself finds it embarrassing (as well as apparently some... interesting dreams, but Daxter refuses to talk much about them).

When it gets too much to bear, Jak starts flattening his chest with bandages and suffers through the pain, periodically repairing the damage to his ribs and lungs with green eco. He has no other options. He'll always have to live this way, he knows. It's a horrifying truth, but perhaps it’s worth it when your two best friends - and all the other villagers, for that matter - can see you for who you are. But even when he begs Samos to please do something about all these awful, awful changes, the sage refuses, because even he doesn't know what to do. (Although, having already met Jak's older self, Samos knows that one day Jak's voice will be deep, his chest will be flat, and wonders how in green tarnation that will happen. It takes him a while to realise that the answer is not a happy one.)

Life goes on, and Jak grows older. For the first time, he finds himself truly envying his homeless, ill-treated, buck-toothed best friend, which just makes him feel worse, since Jak is objectively the luckier of the two (he's never accused of stealing, and always has a place to sleep). If Daxter notices Jak's jealousy, he's nice enough not to say anything. But no amount of envy on either side is enough to hurt their relationship, and they just grow closer the older they get.

More shenanigans ensue after the boys visit Misty Island (an inevitability, Samos knows, even if he did try to warn them). It all ends in a darkening sky, horrifying creatures crawling and fluttering out of a warp-gate, and a monster's voice cracking the tropical air like thunder,

"You cannot hide from me, boy!"

(It also ends with Daxter remaining short, furry, and bright orange. Overnight, Jak's envy is replaced with guilt as solid as the mountains.)

And just like that, Jak is back in Haven, lost and confused with nobody but an animal companion by his side for the second time in his life (but the first that he recalls).

But it doesn't last long. Seconds, at most.

Commander Erol has already received his orders from Baron Praxis, who was himself given a tip-off from Onin, and is expecting to pick up a teenage boy at the pier, and drag him to the prison kicking and screaming if necessary (through preferably with less fuss than that). Erol and his team retrieve the boy as planned, and Praxis is thrilled to finally have the most promising candidate for the Dark Warrior Program in his clutches. Imagine their surprise, perhaps when making Jak change into his prison uniform, when they notice something strange — he's not quite as male as that old soothsayer had made him out to be.

At first, the Baron is baffled. Onin had said a boy, but whoever this kid is, they're definitely the one. Their eco powers speak for themselves. Perhaps he sends Erol to ask Onin for an explanation, and perhaps she says just what she said the first time. So Praxis thinks about it. He's heard of people doing this sort of thing before, changing their sex, though he can’t quite fathom it himself. Of course, he could simply force this kid to live as female, change his name, warp his entire identity into what Praxis himself wants him — her — to be.

But then the Baron thinks some more. Jak wants to be a boy, badly. The tight bandages on his chest are a clear testament to that, and if the wise old Onin says he's a boy, she's probably not wrong. All it would take is some injections (which Jak will be no stranger to, since the eco will need to go directly into his bloodstream) and maybe some surgeries here and there. If Jak doesn't need to bind anymore, doesn't have to worry about menstruating anymore, and can grow the strength and muscle of a real man thanks to the testosterone, he will be a better warrior, and that works in Praxis' favour. Furthermore, it might even make Jak feel indebted to him, could even inspire some loyalty. After all, what use is your perfect Dark Warrior if he hates your guts, resists all of your commands, and is probably constantly plotting to kill you?

So the Baron makes Jak into a man and, as they will soon see, into a monster.

(It takes Praxis longer than it should to realise that, despite the surgeries and testosterone that he wouldn't have otherwise been able to access, Jak will never feel even an ounce of loyalty to him.)

Erol, meanwhile, has no qualms with Jak's transition. If anything, it makes him feel slightly better, because now he knows for sure that it's not a girl he's hurting (and this, for some reason, makes a world of difference to him).

Time crawls by like some dying insect as Jak rots in his cell. He's forced to train until he drops, takes beating after beating from the guards, suffers Erol's relentless sadism, screams and thrashes in the injection chair. It feels like years. He still remembers Daxter’s last words to him,

“Don’t worry Jak, I’ll save ya before ya know it!”

He wonders how long ago that was. He wonders if he’ll ever see Daxter again. He didn't know it was possible to miss someone so much, and wishes he never had to know that feeling.

Finally, the time comes. Sure, he’s a man now, and much stronger than he was, but no amount of dark eco in his blood is making him into the superweapon that the Baron has been searching for, and Jak is his last hope. (He's already seen the other four die, one at a time, wondering when it will be him.)

Praxis orders Erol to kill Jak that night. The Commander, now apparently bored of using him as his personal punching-bag and lab rat, gleefully agrees.

So Jak is left alone, lying limp in his restraints, the agony of another dark eco injection still blistering through his veins, only vaguely aware that at last, his suffering will end.

At one time he’d hoped to escape, to tear Praxis limb from limb, to make him suffer, but apparently that time has passed.

Now there’s nothing he can do but wait for death.

But then a familiar voice, like the sun through stormclouds, rings out through the sterile silence of the prison.

[radioactivepeasant]

Snippets: Monday

Sons of Spargus au vs Jak X: Combat Racing

The Bloody Hook pub was a hotspot for trouble, and Daxter had become adept at causing a large percentage of that trouble. It was almost too easy to swan in, tell the most absurdly tall tales, and let the local toughs fall right into his traps. Even patrons of the Bloody Hook had their pride, after all, and they couldn't be seen letting some scrawny, shirtless, outsider outdo them with his racing stories. By this point, Daxter had been in the city for only three weeks, and he could already discern the braggarts from the big league racers -- and they'd come to recognize his face as well.

Well, one of his faces, at least.

Nearly a month and they still hadn't figured it out. Without Jak or Tess around, Daxter's primary source of amusement was to rile up Shiv, Cutter, and Edje until the latter two were ready to jump him. Then, it was the work of a moment to start a bar fight, only to turn into an ottsel the instant the racers were distracted and skip out. So far, none of them had seen him in his ottsel form, and none of them knew how he kept escaping a beating. Cutter and Edje, specifically, were becoming increasingly upset every time Daxter made yet another getaway. But each time, they made more threats about their boss, and Daxter got a little more info for his report on Mizo.

Strictly speaking, he was well aware that his adoptive father wouldn't approve of his use of the ottsel form to start fights for amusement. "I have enough trouble keeping Jak from doing that" Damas probably would have said. But hey, it was effective!

Daxter hopped up onto a crate and scampered up a drainpipe to take a leisurely stroll along the gutter. He was in no hurry. Maybe the reading of Krew's will would be delayed by his absence, maybe it wouldn't. He didn't care much either way.

Honestly, why had the wrestling champ-turned-crime-lord written him and Jak into the will at all? Had they really fooled him that effectively into thinking they were loyal to him? Daxter somewhat doubted it. As far as he was concerned, if the will didn't have anything to do with getting The Naughty Ottsel back from the Freedom League, he wasn't interested.

But Spargus was interested, and that was the problem.

For some reason, Krew had also listed Ashelin Praxis, Torn, and Samos and Keira Hagai as beneficiaries. Damas already distrusted the green sage, but hearing that he was going to a will reading in Kras, the headquarters of Krew's biggest rival, made him even more suspicious. That was why Sig had sent Daxter in to gather intel, both on the will and on whether Mizo was gearing up for any kind of conflict that would interfere with trade routes. This was Daxter's first solo mission as one of the Spargan infiltration division, the Gilas, and he was determined to prove that Damas hadn't promoted him in vain.

But still, dealing with Krew? Again?!

The location of the will reading was not the most discreet location on the waterfront, in Daxter's opinion. It wasn't a dive, at least, but a low-end conference room in a mid-grade hotel wasn't exactly what he called "private". Still, the amenities were nice -- though the pool had a few too many chemicals in the water for Daxter's liking.

Daxter slipped in through the window he'd left open and hopped down into a bland, but clean, hotel room. Stashed just under the bed was his satchel, with a series of small bottles he kept well insulated from impacts. He pulled out one of the blue ones and uncorked it, grimacing at the rush of power that flew out. The eco sloshed around the bottom of the vial like a living thing, bright and beautiful and completely unappetizing.

With a sigh, Daxter held his nose and tossed the contents of the bottle into his mouth before he could chicken out.

Light eco transformations always itched. Any little cut or scrape sustained while in ottsel form would rapidly heal, along with the expected growing pains of gaining an extra three and a half feet in height. Daxter was surprised that he only had a few stretch marks to show for his many transformations at this point. At least he didn't shed.

A quick check in the dusty mirror reassured Daxter that all his human features were still in place -- with a disappointing lack of substantial facial hair still prominently on display. Daxter didn't bother doing anything with the wild spray of red hair his goggles were barely holding down. A year hadn't been time enough to teach him to braid properly, and he preferred to let Jak do it. But Jak's ship wasn't supposed to be due until the next morning, and Daxter could survive twelve hours looking like a flut-flut.

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This was not the Jak they remembered from their Underground days, or even from the fight against the Dark Makers. The sullen, angry, boy who had reluctantly saved the world had been traded for a confident young man who seemed to have finally found his place in it.

As he set a handful of skull gems down on the desk counter to exchange for local currency, it became obvious to the others that Jak had grown at least an inch taller. He probably stood eye to eye with Torn now; his shoulders were certainly as broad as the commander's. He wasn't wearing the ancient armor or amulet of Mar -- or if he was, they were well hidden beneath his clothes -- but Precursor metal still glinted off of his wrists and biceps, twined around his hair and throat. Jak might have been hiding his status as the Heir of Mar, but he'd made no effort whatsoever to pretend he was anything other than a prince of Spargus.

As the primary trading partner of Spargus, the merchants of Kras had at least a rudimentary understanding of Wastelander society. It was not uncommon, after all, for Wastelanders and Marauders alike to join the occasional racing team in Kras -- though Blitz had yet to convince either people group to host races on their own turf.

The clerk was familiar enough with the clothing of Spargan visitors to have a general idea that Jak was a warrior of higher rank than most. He wasn't wrong. In the ongoing aftermath of the Dark Maker invasion, Jak had earned the rank of Elite Scout -- one of only twenty in the entire city. He held a position on their team that had since come to be colloquially known as "the Warhawk".

If the Scouts absolutely, positively, had to have something wiped out, shaken up, or discovered by sunrise, they sent in their Warhawk. It was a prestigious rank to obtain, especially for someone not even out of his teens, and Jak wore the banded necklace to prove it.

Jak was too proud of how far he'd come from the Dark Warrior Program not to wear it in public.

Keira thought he seemed...lighter. It was like there had always been a great burden lashed to his shoulders, for as long as she'd known him, and now he was free of it. Though he was as blunt as ever, Jak was actually making small talk with the desk clerk -- something she had never seen Jak do -- and even laughing at something the man said. Not even the silent, stifled laughter that had been so common in their childhood; Jak tipped his head back and laughed aloud, light catching on the bronzed rings around his neck. He turned slightly and glanced in their direction. Stibnite paste painted around his eyes served to intensify that look somewhat.

Despite herself, Keira flushed.

The clerk handed Jak a room key, and he pocketed it with a nod of thanks. Then, hefting his bag onto his shoulder again, he strode over to the gathered beneficiaries.

"Hey," was all he said.

Daxter seemed to be the only one who was in no way tongue-tied. He reached out to punch Jak lightly on the shoulder.

"You, sir, are rude. Rude! Letting me think you weren't even going to get here until tomorrow morning!"

Jak just grinned at him. "The tide was with us, according to the first mate. We made good time."

Daxter rolled his eyes. "So you say," he grumbled, then threw an arm around his brother's shoulders. "And here I've been, dying of boredom. At least tell me you brought back souvenirs from the mountains."

[shenzuul]

i have been trying to write a crack ship fic about kleiver and jak, because i enjoy the idea that kleiver's assholery is 90% theatrical, and he seems like the kind of guy that would get off on dominating someone who is shaped like a twink but is actually the most physically powerful person in the known city states (and because something something fat characters getting to be interesting and have sex), but instead of writing any actual scenes, i keep wanting to spiral off into a longer and longer essay speculating why damas would trust kleiver with responsibility of any kind in spargus

[sonicasura]

A ramble on one of @radioactivepeasant 's post comments here.

I haven't seen many people do this but the Kid having a different guardian instead of Kor. Sometimes I portray Jak finding him first or taking the tyke from Kor/Underground under a hunch that they can't be trusted with his safety. Considering they try to shove him into a death trap rite of manhood and put him on the THRONE, that judgment is very sound.

Well, I rambled about a different guardian: Link. Specifically post Majora's Mask iteration as I'm still on a Legend of Zelda kick. He ends up in Haven Forest through the Lost Woods side of Termina and got into Haven City albeit pissing off the Krimzon Guard in the process.

Link uses the Deku Mask to evade the guards only to bump into the Kid alongside his little Crocadog who I'll call Cujo(Danny Phantom reference). Now we all know our Hylian hero couldn't leave a kid on his own especially when it becomes clear the tyke is wanted. Thus Link decides he would watch out for the two.

Now, our hero mostly stays in Deku Scrub form as he not have this form be linked to him. Plus his small stature makes it easier to avoid being caught while they try to survive in Haven. Thus only the Kid and Cujo knows what Link really looks like.

Cue Daxter breaking Jak out of prison as the trio run into our reunited Demolition Duo. From here, Link and Mar decide to be little gremlins by making a game. They want to see how long it takes for everyone to realize that the 'strange wooden puppet' isn't actually one.

If Link has to use his other masks or items, then he switches when no one is looking like Superman. This change of guardians does lead to plot points such as Spargus being introduced earlier than in canon. Link knows there's something about the Kid that has everyone after him.

He WILL gather information which leads to seeking Sig's help and the huge chain reaction. Although Link is definitely getting adopted by Damas as the king clearly has the Batman instinct. Plus I love the idea of Dadmas on the same level as Fierce Dadity.

Everyone thinks Jak gets into the most trouble but they're about to learn the hard way that he has some serious competition.

If Linked Universe gets involved then this Link's nickname will be Mask just like in Hyrule Warriors. Jak and Daxter are definitely joining since they aren't letting their new little brother get dragged into an insane quest such as this alone. Damas will be pissed of course, no doubt ready to throw hands with Dink. Hylia too since every hero that has to save this particular world is always an incarnation of his newly adopted son.

Everyone is pretty much done with the whole destiny/prophecy trope. Plus the absolute awkwardness when Time ends up meeting a younger version of him. One who clearly had a much better time than he gotten at that age.

Warriors is probably gonna want a drink as he now has to deal with shenanigans on the same level as the War of Eras but cubed. Then again, every responsible Link might be joining him as the gremlin members add onto the chaos like gasoline on a fire.

That's all I have for now! Until next time folks, I'll see you at the crossroads between Spargus and Hyrule.

[cantolopejeevas]

I've been replaying the Jak and Daxter series, so here's an obligatory OC, lol. His name is Zephyr, he's trans, and he's my answer to the question, "Why don't we ever see a Light Eco Sage?" There's basically two main stages to him as a character, which will be under the cut~

Jak 2-

Raised in Haven City after having been adopted by Count Veger, Zephyr is a teenage prodigy put on the fast-track for becoming one of the Baron's finest medics. At the behest of his father, he even trains to hone the rare and mysterious Light Eco, which he himself has an intense interest in the history of. Both of these facts make him the perfect candidate to take care of anyone with Dark Eco related injuries-- even those chosen for the Dark Warrior Project. While he enjoys helping people, he feels that he can do more if only he were allowed to do so. But Veger keeps him under a tight watch with the claim that it's for too dangerous for him to leave the finer parts of the city.

Unknown to Zephyr, he becomes a target of interest for the Underground. Veger catches wind of this and, wanting to get his hands on the Heir of Mar, arranges for the perfection time for Zephyr to be captured so he may have a means to do so without risking his own hide.

Thus, Zephyr meets the low-ranking schmucks sent to kidnap him: Jak and Daxter. The former being one of his very patients that he knows has been touched by Dark Eco. Uh-oh! But it's not all bad-- while with the Undergound, he gets to meet some more friendly faces and forges bonds that he never would have while under his father's lock and key.

At this point of his life, Zephyr's most distinguishing traits are his empathy, his intelligence, and his rigidity in his own sense of self. He's a little obsessive about emulating all that Light Eco represents. Goodness, purity, all that jazz. Having Veger as his father certainly didn't help, and it's so intense at times that he even polices his own thoughts and double, triple, quadruple checks what he does every second of everyday. If he doesn't, then he can't be good enough to master the powers of Light Eco like his father wants him to, like he was destined to.

Also of note: Zephyr is pre-transition during this time.

Jak 3-

Due to his role during the Metal Head War and his expertise in Light Eco, Zephyr is granted a place on the Council, under Governor Ashelin Praxis. When approached by his father to consider voting to banish Jak for being a danger and letting Metal Heads into the city, he adamantly refuses, showing more loyalty exactly where Veger doesn't want it. Infuriated, Veger concocts another plan behind Zephyr's back to have him 'disappear' without a trace, hiring an old worker of some dead crime boss to deal with him in the best way a Wastelander can.

Lucky for Zephyr, Sig has a heart of gold, and instead takes him to Spargus. Being a complete non-combatant made earning his place hard, but all warriors need one thing: someone who can take care of them should they survive the battle. And hey, nobody here had any expectations! As long as he can keep people alive, nobody cares who he is.

So, for what feels like the first time, he can just be. And one of the first things he does is chop off all his hair. Next thing you know, he's a fully realized guy with independence, a sense of community, and pride in the position that he's earned.

When familiar faces show up in his slice of paradise, he's more than excited to help them get used to their new home, while showing off all that he's discovered about Light Eco from organic research and contact with the local sect of Precursor Monks. And when the rumblings of the Day Star make themselves known, he's the first one to want to go investigate and see what can be done.

At this point in his life, Zephyr is rocking a ton more confidence. He knows who he is and isn't afraid to show it. The Light Eco has changed his appearance a little, but he takes that as a point of pride. A lot of his old habits remain-- he'll always be a chronic double-checker. But he handles those dark, intrusive thoughts with a lot more dignity and grace, choosing to put them to good use as motivation instead of punishing himself for things beyond his control.

Thus he achieves a balance of Light and Dark, and the wisdom he needs to be a Sage. Yay!