By request-ish
Disclaimer: Jak and Daxter and all related incidentals belong solely to Naughty Dog Inc. I’m just playing with them.
“I was right.”
“Shut up.”
“He was right.”
“Can it!” Jinx quickened his pace even further.
“Admit it, I was right.”
“Mog. Shut. The fuck. Up.”
“But he was right.” Grim turned to the other man. “You were right.”
“Mar’s left nut!” Jinx exclaimed. “Will the two of you stop yer damn yammerin’?” None too soon, the trio reached the door of the Hip Hog. “Siggy!” Jinx called gratefully when he spotted the man. “We’ve got the boss-man’s pretty red rock all packed up nice for ‘im.”
“Glad to hear it, boom boy. Krew’s been real anxious about it.” Sig accepted the bundle and doled out payment for each of them. “How’d the cherry do for you?” he asked when business was done.
“Did you know he’s a demon?” Mog spoke up before Jinx could, leaving the latter rolling his eyes in exasperation.
Sig’s deep laugh took them all by surprise. “Golden Boy’s no demon.”
“But we saw him change,” Grim whined. “That’s not human.”
His expression darkening, Sig merely said, “That boy’s been rode hard and put away wet, and he’s got a nasty temper, but he’s human, no question.”
“You heard the man,” Jinx broke in before either of the others could respond. “Pretty Boy is a real boy. Now get outta here.”
Grumbling the whole way, Mog and Grim did as ordered. Jinx waited until Mog’s final, “Demon or not, Jak’s my hero,” faded away before sitting at the bar and gulping down most of the beer set before him by a smiling Tess. He released a pent-up shudder and looked up at Sig, who’d taken a seat beside him. “Did you know? That he changes like that, did you know?”
“I’ve seen it,” Sig allowed. “Pretty freaky, but damn effective.”
“You can say that again.” Jinx drained the rest of his mug and signaled for another. “What happened to him?”
“Can’t really say. It’s none of my business, so I never asked, but I don’t think he hates Praxis like that for shits and giggles.” Sig took a swig of his own drink when Jinx’s refill arrived.
They drank in amicable silence for a while. Eventually, Jinx broke the peace. “Krew was right about him. He’s the deadliest, most arrogant little shit I’ve ever seen. Didn’t say two words to us the whole time we was down there. When he did talk it was just to bitch about blowin’ up that big damn statue.” He drew in a breath and held it for a moment before letting it out in a rush. “Did he really kill a hundred KG in the water slums?”
“Dunno.” Sig shrugged, inclined his head, and rose to leave. “Ask him yourself,” he said.
“Ask me what?”
The low tone behind him made Jinx freeze. Act natural, he ordered himself. Don’t panic, just relax. What’s the worst that could happen if he doesn’t like the question? Other than guttin’ me like a fish? Laughing quietly at himself, Jinx swiveled around to face the hard-eyed young man who had somehow come in without Jinx noticing.
He affected a casual attitude. “I was just wonderin’ if it’s true that you killed a hundred KG in the water slums.” He tensed a little, tried to hide it.
The corners of his mouth turned down, but all Jak said was, “I doubt it. Probably fifty or so. Sixty at the outside.”
Jinx wasn’t sure what kind of answer he’d been expecting, but it definitely wasn’t that. “…Why?” he managed.
“Why d’ya think?” A new voice cut in. “Yer smart enough to make bombs but y’can’t figger that out? Sheesh, Jak, this guy’s dumber’n you!”
A green eyebrow lifted but there was no other reaction as the lanky orange rat warming Jak’s shoulder hopped down to the bar. “Tess, baby! Gimme a drink wouldja, sweetcheeks?” Giggling, she complied.
Seeing that no one else was alarmed, or even startled, by the talking rodent, Jinx looked back at Jak. “So,” he drawled, “why?”
Jak stared at him for a moment, shrugged, sniffed at then took a cautious sip from the mug Tess had placed in front of him, and finally said, “It was them or me.”
“Why do they want you so bad?”
“For my sparkling wit and mean ballroom dancing skills. Obviously.”
Jinx snorted a laugh, ignoring a fuzzy cry of, “Jaaaaaaaaaaaaaak! That’s my line! Don’t steal my lines!”
“Yer alright, Jak. I was right, I definitely like you.” Grinning, Jinx clinked his mug against Jak's, where it still rested on the bar. “You’re more than just a pretty face, although,” he leered, “it doesn’t hurt.”
Both eyebrows shot up this time, but Jak said nothing.
“Y’know, with Grim and Mog out there, the rumors ‘bout you are gonna double overnight.”
“Rumors?” Jak frowned. “What rumors?”
“You haven’t heard? Well, for starters, didja know that you’re a bloodsucking demon?”
“I, uh, what?”
“Oh yeah, by now you probably eat babies or somethin’.”
“You’re kidding, right?”
“’Fraid not, Pretty Boy.” Looking at Jak’s expression, caught somewhere between amused, incredulous, and hurt, Jinx laughed. “Cheer up, kid. People love a monster.” He saw the flash of emotion and kept talking. “Grim keeps goin’ on about you bein’ his hero.”
After a long moment Jak asked, “What else do they say about me?”
Signalling for another beer, Jinx leaned back on his seat and filled the kid in on public “knowledge” of his life.
Sig was right. The boy was no demon. But he was damn pretty.
“I was right.”
“Shut up.”
“He was right.”
“Can it!” Jinx quickened his pace even further.
“Admit it, I was right.”
“Mog. Shut. The fuck. Up.”
“But he was right.” Grim turned to the other man. “You were right.”
“Mar’s left nut!” Jinx exclaimed. “Will the two of you stop yer damn yammerin’?” None too soon, the trio reached the door of the Hip Hog. “Siggy!” Jinx called gratefully when he spotted the man. “We’ve got the boss-man’s pretty red rock all packed up nice for ‘im.”
“Glad to hear it, boom boy. Krew’s been real anxious about it.” Sig accepted the bundle and doled out payment for each of them. “How’d the cherry do for you?” he asked when business was done.
“Did you know he’s a demon?” Mog spoke up before Jinx could, leaving the latter rolling his eyes in exasperation.
Sig’s deep laugh took them all by surprise. “Golden Boy’s no demon.”
“But we saw him change,” Grim whined. “That’s not human.”
His expression darkening, Sig merely said, “That boy’s been rode hard and put away wet, and he’s got a nasty temper, but he’s human, no question.”
“You heard the man,” Jinx broke in before either of the others could respond. “Pretty Boy is a real boy. Now get outta here.”
Grumbling the whole way, Mog and Grim did as ordered. Jinx waited until Mog’s final, “Demon or not, Jak’s my hero,” faded away before sitting at the bar and gulping down most of the beer set before him by a smiling Tess. He released a pent-up shudder and looked up at Sig, who’d taken a seat beside him. “Did you know? That he changes like that, did you know?”
“I’ve seen it,” Sig allowed. “Pretty freaky, but damn effective.”
“You can say that again.” Jinx drained the rest of his mug and signaled for another. “What happened to him?”
“Can’t really say. It’s none of my business, so I never asked, but I don’t think he hates Praxis like that for shits and giggles.” Sig took a swig of his own drink when Jinx’s refill arrived.
They drank in amicable silence for a while. Eventually, Jinx broke the peace. “Krew was right about him. He’s the deadliest, most arrogant little shit I’ve ever seen. Didn’t say two words to us the whole time we was down there. When he did talk it was just to bitch about blowin’ up that big damn statue.” He drew in a breath and held it for a moment before letting it out in a rush. “Did he really kill a hundred KG in the water slums?”
“Dunno.” Sig shrugged, inclined his head, and rose to leave. “Ask him yourself,” he said.
“Ask me what?”
The low tone behind him made Jinx freeze. Act natural, he ordered himself. Don’t panic, just relax. What’s the worst that could happen if he doesn’t like the question? Other than guttin’ me like a fish? Laughing quietly at himself, Jinx swiveled around to face the hard-eyed young man who had somehow come in without Jinx noticing.
He affected a casual attitude. “I was just wonderin’ if it’s true that you killed a hundred KG in the water slums.” He tensed a little, tried to hide it.
The corners of his mouth turned down, but all Jak said was, “I doubt it. Probably fifty or so. Sixty at the outside.”
Jinx wasn’t sure what kind of answer he’d been expecting, but it definitely wasn’t that. “…Why?” he managed.
“Why d’ya think?” A new voice cut in. “Yer smart enough to make bombs but y’can’t figger that out? Sheesh, Jak, this guy’s dumber’n you!”
A green eyebrow lifted but there was no other reaction as the lanky orange rat warming Jak’s shoulder hopped down to the bar. “Tess, baby! Gimme a drink wouldja, sweetcheeks?” Giggling, she complied.
Seeing that no one else was alarmed, or even startled, by the talking rodent, Jinx looked back at Jak. “So,” he drawled, “why?”
Jak stared at him for a moment, shrugged, sniffed at then took a cautious sip from the mug Tess had placed in front of him, and finally said, “It was them or me.”
“Why do they want you so bad?”
“For my sparkling wit and mean ballroom dancing skills. Obviously.”
Jinx snorted a laugh, ignoring a fuzzy cry of, “Jaaaaaaaaaaaaaak! That’s my line! Don’t steal my lines!”
“Yer alright, Jak. I was right, I definitely like you.” Grinning, Jinx clinked his mug against Jak's, where it still rested on the bar. “You’re more than just a pretty face, although,” he leered, “it doesn’t hurt.”
Both eyebrows shot up this time, but Jak said nothing.
“Y’know, with Grim and Mog out there, the rumors ‘bout you are gonna double overnight.”
“Rumors?” Jak frowned. “What rumors?”
“You haven’t heard? Well, for starters, didja know that you’re a bloodsucking demon?”
“I, uh, what?”
“Oh yeah, by now you probably eat babies or somethin’.”
“You’re kidding, right?”
“’Fraid not, Pretty Boy.” Looking at Jak’s expression, caught somewhere between amused, incredulous, and hurt, Jinx laughed. “Cheer up, kid. People love a monster.” He saw the flash of emotion and kept talking. “Grim keeps goin’ on about you bein’ his hero.”
After a long moment Jak asked, “What else do they say about me?”
Signalling for another beer, Jinx leaned back on his seat and filled the kid in on public “knowledge” of his life.
Sig was right. The boy was no demon. But he was damn pretty.