I can’t remember where I saw your fic but do you have a link for it I wanna re read it, it’s one of the best DarkJak fics I read out there ! ( if I’m remembering this right ?))
...we both have Dark Jak Fic as it turns out, so I'll go ahead and link both! hopefully one of these is the fic you're thinking of, or some fun reads regardless :D
Cascade (Duskglass): canon-divergent JakII fic where Jak is stuck in darkmode & events change accordingly; lots of worldbuilding exploration & character development (multichapter wip; 76k+ words)
Strain (Varethane): Jak absorbs too much dark eco & gets messed up; set sometime during JakII (complete oneshot, 8649 words)
(also for future reference, all our fic posts can be found under #dwp fic, and our AO3 account names are Duskglass & Varethane if you find it easier to search for us there!)
Hey how’s the vacation going, Torn? Good? Good. Glad to hear it.
So I finished my latest fanfiction! It took a bit of a turn, considering I was initially aiming for ‘light-hearted goofs’ and swerved hard into action territory, but eh. It was fun.
Read the last chapter of Torn’s Vacation here, or start from the beginning!
Where can I find your stories? I really want to read them but having a hard time finding them.
whoops I'm not sure how old this ask is (thanks tumblr); sorry for this probably-super-late reply!! we're both on AO3 and you can find us there at our usual URLs (duskglass & varethane) but for easy reference, here's all of our currently-posted JnD fics:
Cascade [multichapter/ongoing; 54k+] Jak gets stuck in his transformed (‘dark Jak’) state post-DWP; a gradual canon-divergence AU with plenty of action, and a special focus on character dynamics and extra worldbuilding.
Commander [one-shot/complete; 1608] Torn leaves the Krimzon Guard in disgrace shortly after the fall of ‘Dead Town’ (and this goes about as well as you'd expect); some canon-compliant backstory for Torn and the Underground!
Exile [one-shot/complete; 5373] Sig runs into Haven's recently-deposed king in the Wasteland (and Damas tries to fight metalheads unarmed); a canon-compliant backstory/origin fic set shortly after Praxis's coup.
Strain [one-shot/complete; 8609] Turns out too much dark eco can really mess Jak up, to the point of interfering with one of his missions for the Underground; takes place sometime during Renegade (sort of an ‘extra mission’).
Torn's Vacation [multichapter/hiatus; 4k+] Torn works himself sick & gets banned from operations while he recovers (and Shenanigans Ensue); set shortly after the end of Renegade (before 3 picks up) with light Ashe/Torn fluff.
Wayward Sons [multichapter/complete; 27k] After Jak gets captured by Marauders, it's up to Daxter & Damas to get him back; very slight AU (but mostly canon-compliant) with tons of badassery & suspense, and of course some quality dadmas!
PART 1 I have a few thoughts (this needs to be submitted it parts) , so first off what if Jak needs to become dark Jak in order to use up all that excess Eco? It certainly can't be healthy to accumulate endless amounts of Eco from killing metal heads. And if you think about it dark Eco is EVERY WHERE in the game. I feel like it'd get to a point where dark would force himself out ( Jak probably doesn't want to use dark, he thinks he's a monster ) or he would become super ill.
This is a theory we both ascribe to! In fact, Varethane wrote a fic where this happens; Jak absorbs too much dark eco and starts getting sick and transforming by accident. We're both suckers for characters struggling with unstable powers, so this headcanon appeals to us for obvious reasons. 8)
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PART 2 On the other hand, I saw this theory some where and what if after the war Jak ressorts to dark Eco injections because he's basically addicted to the stuff. He craves it and needs it to function. just like an addict would. I mean being pumped full of dark Eco for two years would most likely render you addicted to the stuff would it not? I feel like jinx would obviously be his supplier (krew had his perks) I also think jinx would be the only that knew, no one else would know.
PART 3 Jak also probably needs a lot because of how much Eco his body is used to. On top of it all of imagine that many doses of rare dark Eco would be very hard to obtain and very expensive. Would Jak get whithdrawl symptoms? It sounds very possible.
Neither of us has ever been into the addiction theory... going with that for a moment, though, I'm not sure why he would need injections or a supplier when dark eco is so abundant in the environment? Even if he did crave dark eco, he could easily obtain it without much effort; the stuff's all over the place during the games (even in TPL!) and it won't just evaporate as soon as the metalheads or darkmakers or whoever are defeated. And going to the trouble of injecting eco would be pretty pointless, as it's shown that Jak can easily absorb it just by standing nearby or touching it.((I also have to disagree with ‘no one else would know’; there's no way Daxter wouldn't notice if Jak was engaged in substance abuse, eco-related or otherwise. Jak is naturally very expressive; he'd be the worst liar, especially if he was trying to keep something from Dax, who knows him better than anyone.))
But idk, I just don't find anything in canon to support the addiction theory-- it's true that Jak was forcibly ‘injected’ with large quantities of eco, but he doesn't display any sign of dependence. I think the only semi-relevant line is when he says he ‘feels better’ after achieving balance with light eco, implying that the feeling he got from dark alone was never pleasurable for him. Keep in mind that addiction is also a mental health problem, not just caused by physical dependency; while there's nothing in canon to indicate whether or not Jak craves eco physically, he never shows the mentality or behaviour of an addict.
Generally speaking, I do think that people can become addicted to eco (any type, not just dark) but I don't see it affecting Jak in this way, at least not in canon. Being a strong channeler with a natural affinity for all ecos, I doubt Jak would be at high risk of developing an addiction to eco; if anything, the high levels of exposure he sustained in prison have made him more resistant.
(we've received a few questions about these topics so we figured we'd answer in one post! you're all welcome to reblog with your own answers as well)
What do you love most about the Jak and Daxter series? // What do you think it is about this series/characters that makes people still care so much after all this time?
I find the world in the games to be really special; the world building in Jak and Daxter is a unique blend of fantastical elements (eco in particular) and sci fi. The settings feel like real, lived-in places (at least atmospherically) despite the early tech available at the time the games were made. It makes them very fun to explore, even if there's no sidequests around; particularly Haven city.
The plot of the games may be minimal, and towards the end of 3 outright silly, but the characters are fun and the stakes are high, so it's easy to get attached. I came to genuinely care about the setting, so it really didn't take much to hook me, haha.
--thane
For me, it's the balance between a really cool and expansive setting, and all the things left underdeveloped. There's other series I love but haven't got into writing for because I feel like there's not as much I can add; the Jak and Daxter series is imperfect, full of weird holes and untapped character potential, but that leaves so many places to jump in and fill the gaps, or play with alternate outcomes and events. It's a fun sandbox to play in, a distinctive and unique world with a lot of room to explore, and that's what keeps me coming back to it.
--dusk
Who are your favourite characters and why do you love them so much?
Hmm.... it's a tossup depending on my mood. I tend to immediately like the main characters the best so I of course like Jak and Daxter... but I also have a huuuge weak spot for Torn. I don't know why but whenever there's a beleaguered commander stuck behind a desk trying to do his best, they will almost always be my favourite. (See also: Samuel Vimes, Chief Bogo, Lin Bei Fong)
--thane
If I had to pick one it would be Damas; he's a good dad and a huge fucking nerd with a stupid sense of humour (see: this post) and... he doesn't wear pants (I can't explain why this is so important to me, it just is). But I really love Battle Dad characters in general; it's one of my favourite character tropes. I also like the main Duo and Sig a lot (Jak and Dax because I love deep friendship dynamics; Sig for similar dad/mentor reasons and also because he just makes me happy).
Hey guys! So this isn’t precisely Jak and Daxter-related, by my (Varethane’s) webcomic is up on Kickstarter right now for a new print volume :D
It was at least partially inspired at its inception by the games, though, as I first conceived of it while I was deeply obsessed (and the pointy ears of the characters are a direct expression of that influence XD). I hope you guys check it out, you can read the whole story online and if you enjoy it, shares or pledges or kind words are always much appreciated. <3
(Also, if any follower of this blog DOES back the Kickstarter campaign, shoot me a message and I’ll throw in a free Jak sketch with your reward :U)
So I got a parallel pen and of course one of the first things I decided to test it on was the Precursor alphabet (as we had speculated a bit on whether they might have used something similar).
Verdict: omfg in order to replicate the tapers of this script with a parallel pen you would have to be constantly rotating it, which is hard as BALLS [sob] I need to practice with it a lot more in order to get there. So in the meantime all I can say is maybe.
I gotta say, some of the letters look really beautiful like this! A, B, D, F, W, and Z all came out pretty nice (though not necessarily super accurate). I’m kinda digging the little diamonds everywhere.
