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Jak & Daxter: Safety

Chapter 5

By Tempo & Sillyneko

Note: This is set after Jak X.

~ ~ ~

"I think you should know: I find your enthusiasm about this disturbing."

Jak just flashed a wolfish grin. He paced back and forth along the floor in front of the bar, gung-ho and ready to go. The fur along his spine stood on end in a neat, prickly row, attesting to how amped he was at the prospect of looming battle.

"Well, you can just hold yer leapers, pal." Daxter stroked a paw down Jak's back to smooth his hackles. "We're not goin' back in there yet." He folded his pants over his arm decisively. "There's nothin' useful we can do until Taryn hooks us up with some more bug spray, and Tessie's not done upgrading the sprayer pack yet." A small black nose wrinkled in distaste. "Plus, I'm not goin' nowhere without a shower first. And my pants are covered in bug slime!"

Though crestfallen at the delay, Jak stopped pacing a trench in the floorboards. "Yeah, I guess you're right." He looked at the splattered pants, then back to their equally decorated owner. "But, uh. While we're on the subject of pants... I think Taryn was right: the toga's not cutting it." He tugged at the hem demonstratively. "Is there any way I could get something else to wear? And maybe some, um..." His ears drooped. "Underwear?"

Daxter snickered. His buddy could get high on dark eco and tear metal heads apart with his bare claws, but he couldn't bring up underwear without getting ruffled. Adorable. "Feelin' my pain after all these years, Jakkie-boy?"

The greener ottsel rolled his eyes. "If I ever laughed at your underwear soliloquies, consider this my formal apology."

"Apology accepted." Dax laughed. "Don't worry, pal. We'll get ya hooked up soon enough. If we're goin' back in there with barrels blazin' you're gonna need some gloves, at the very least." He peered up at the bar. "Hey Tessie, what would you say to a shopping trip? Lunch is on me!"

No answer came from above but the clink of metal on metal.

With more than enough experience with his girlfriend in the zone, he scaled a stool and popped up beside her. "Earth to Tessie; come in, Tessie; do you copy?"

Elbow deep in the sprayer pack, she made a vaguely affirming noise and didn't look up. She sat cross-legged on the bar, at the center of an array of tools. A third the size of a regular gunsmith, she could do finer work on guns now and even crawl inside some of the bigger ones. Talk about getting consumed by your work.

He nosed a little closer. "Everything okay, sweet-cheeks?"

The blonde ottsel pulled out her arm, flicking off the clinging oil and goop. "No wonder you're not doing enough damage--you're barely using any explosives!" Standing abruptly, she strapped on the sprayer pack, grabbed the nozzle, and sparked the pilot light to flickering life. "With these upgrades, you should be able to shoot poison, fire, and regular ammo! Watch this." Aiming casually into the kitchen, she pulled the trigger.

"Whoa!" Daxter hit the deck as a massive spurt of flame erupted from the pack and shot into the adjoining room.

Below, startled by the whoosh of unexpected heat and light, Jak executed a flawless leap-and-dodge combo. He landed on all fours with a hiss, teeth bared and hackles at full salute.

As Daxter cautiously raised his head, the sprinkler system deployed.

With a bright smile, Tess turned back to see their reactions, too swept up in success to acknowledge the downpour soaking her pelt. "Now that's more like it!"

~ ~ ~

It took less time than Daxter would have expected to override the sprinklers, dispose of the charred remains of an unlucky blender, and call the insurance company. That accomplished, he headed upstairs for a much-anticipated shower while the floors downstairs began to dry.

Tess followed with a spring in her step, still dripping.

"Nothing dampens your spirits, does it, baby doll?" Dax grinned as he climbed into the tub.

She hopped to the sink and plugged in the hair dryer with a smile in return. "Not often, but right now the rest of me sure is."

They shared the bathroom in comfortable silence for several minutes. Daxter whistled as he shampooed the remnants of battle from his fur; Tess dried, fluffed, and combed until her pelt and hair were tidy once more.

When Daxter cut the water and climbed out of the tub, Tess was waiting with a towel and a brush. He surrendered to her capable hands with a willing purr. "So, am I correct in jumping to the conclusion that you showed Jakkie-boy how nice a brush can feel while I was out?"

She giggled and ran the bristles down his spine. "Caught me red-handed. He just looked so pitiful when you left him behind."

"How'd he take it?"

Blonde eyebrows gave a naughty wiggle. "About as well as you usually take it."

"Oooh. Sorry I missed it." He wrapped the towel around his waist and flicked excess water from his ears. "You think he's adjusting a little better to bein' an ottsel, then?"

She paused to ponder, twirling the brush in her fingers. "I think he is, whether or not he realizes it. Did you see him shake himself dry downstairs? He didn't even pause to think about it. He seems to be using his nose a lot more, too." Standing on tiptoe, she put the brush back on the sink. "Speaking of noses..."

Daxter shook shed orange fur off the towel before looping it back on the rack. "What about 'em?"

"This morning, when Taryn was here. You were sniffing Jak like he was a four course meal and you were starving to death." Her arms crossed playfully over her chest. "Anything you'd like to share?"

His ears shot vertical at the memory that had been pushed to the back of his mind by clusters of metal bugs. "Oh, baby, it was amazing! He smelled like us, Tessie! Us and him and sex!" He threw his arms around her and squeezed, head pillowed on her chest as his tail twitched in delight. "So, so amazing."

"Sounds like it!" She laughed, stroking his damp ears. "So you don't think it was too much too soon, making love right next to him last night?"

He snorted dismissively, this time reveling in the scent that was pure Tess. "Nah. He was so out of it last night I doubt he even knew we pulled it off. But scent-marking the bed'll definitely start puttin' ideas in his little green head, whether he knows it or not."

She petted his head indulgently. "Naughty and strategic; that's my Daxxie-waxxie."

"You know it, sweetheart." With one last hug he straightened, fluffing his fur into proper alignment. "Alrighty, let's get this show on the road. I promised our pal some gloves. Hate to leave the guy hangin'."

~ ~ ~

Amid a milling crowd that afternoon, a street vendor handed an ottsel three sizzling yakow kebabs.

"Perfect. And here's a little something extra for you..." Daxter tucked a folded bill into the vendor's shoe with a wink, then waddled back to the group and stuffed a wad of bills back into his side pocket.

Jak cocked an ear. "When did you get money? I thought the bar's profits were going to scrubbing all traces of Krew off of it."

The younger ottsel sighed, slumping just as he was about to bite into the treat. "And so it shall be for some time to come."

Tess, meanwhile, chomped at the barbecued meat, then gestured with the whole stick. "Some parts of the bar are actually a completely different color than they appear to be."

Dax placed a paw on his chest, raising the skewer like a sword. "The money's from lending a certain product my star power."

Arms crossed, Jak still managed to nibble at his kebab. "You got an endorsement deal?"

The bepanted ottsel threw an arm around his best friend. "Jak ol' buddy, we are now the proud spokescritters for Ottsel-brand wetsuits."

Tess nodded. "They also made a bunch of cute underwear for us. They're very supportive." She looked Jak up and down with a critical eye. "Speaking of which, we should find some pants for him if he's going with you next time you go bugging."

The shorter ottsel groaned. "Aww, d'we have to?"

"Hey, not all of us have access to super-advanced space pants." Jak wiped a bit of sauce from his clothes, which only reminded him it was really a glorified napkin.

After hitting up a few other shops, they came to the local fingerless glove emporium. A shopkeeper looked up from sewing sequins on a gaudy set. Racks of paired wares lined the walls, but the trio padded straight back to the kids' section, where the shelves were low and the prices not to scale.

Jak stretched his fingers in one of the smallest leather gloves in the joint. "I'm surprised they make these in our size."

"Yeah, they're off a Wastelander Wendy doll." Tess examined a more formal pair in pastel green.

The greenish ottsel cocked an eyebrow. "Wastelander Wendy doesn't believe in pants? Or was Daxter just too proud to wear them?"

The shorter ottsel laughed. "Doll pants are not made for the anatomically correct." He caressed the lap of his trousers. "And I am especially gifted in the anatomical correctness department."

"And he has a tail." She patted his rump.

He nodded at her patting paw. "That too."

"The shirts fit, though." She did a little spin and waved her tail at him. "And I cinched watch bands together to make this rockin' belt."

The hero of Haven City blinked at her butt. "Very... um, resourceful."

They made their purchases. The clerk at the counter cast a few extra glances their way as she counted out their change, but said nothing about the sudden increase in ottsel population.

At another business a few blocks down, they special-ordered pants and tunics that would fit a miniature hero's measurements. That the shop in question was an upscale children's clothing shop went gracefully uncommented upon.

"Thanks for the help." Jak placed a paw on either ottsel's shoulder. "I was afraid I'd have to be like Daxter and run around naked for years on end."

Tess giggled. "Yeah, Daxxie's a bit of a showoff like that. He should know by now clothes have their upsides." She threw an arm around either boy, then cast a scandalous glance down her lover. "Like, they're fun to take off!"

The greenish ottsel walked into a lamp post. With a sharp clunk. "Ow! By the Prec--" He staggered back, but once he shook off the shock he found himself strangely unharmed. "Okay, this body's more durable than I thought," he mused, running his paws up and down his chest calculatingly.

"You have no idea." She winked.

Jak lifted his ears, trying to recall if Tess had always been as much of a flirt as her boyfriend.

~ ~ ~

As the trio passed an arcade, Daxter popped up with a shout. "Whoa!" Before his companions could respond, the shorter ottsel vanished through the door with a patter of frantic paws.

After exchanging a shrug, Tess and Jak followed.

Inside, arcade machines lined the walls with blinking colors and blooping noises. A few patrons plinked away at low-res aliens or smashed through crates as some kind of marsupial.

Daxter caressed the cabinets with awe, staggering between the ones with for-sale signs. "The First of Us! Unmapped! We're talkin' modern classics here." He spun to face the woman behind the counter. "And you're just sellin' 'em?"

Blowing a bubble in her gum, she surrendered a shrug. "Power bill's getting expensive, so I put some of the worst energy-hogs up for sale."

The tittering ottsel spun with glee to his fellows. "Guys, we gotta buy these!"

Tess appraised the machines, then their seller. "How much?"

The gum snapped between her teeth. "Sixty orbs a piece."

Jak winced. "That's kind of a lot."

The female ottsel crossed her arms. "I'll give you a hundred for the pair."

The attendant offered another shrug. "Fine, but you haul them away."

Daxter grabbed the communicator off his belt and raised it in triumph. "I shall have Ximon's zoomer here within the hour!"

"Okay, but let him drive this time; we don't need bug poison on the new machines." Tess smiled at her lover's obvious delight.

Jak stroked claws through his little beard. "Don't we already have one? The whack-a-metal-head game?"

"Yeah, turns out customers don't like bein' zapped." He made a slight electrocuted pose, then continued: "We stick these babies in the corner, though, and watch the money roll in."

"And arcade machines imply it's the kind of establishment you won't get shot for drinking in, which we need."

"I guess you guys know what you're doing." Jak shrugged. "It's your bar, after all."

"Since you're officially a resident of Ottseltopia, you can have input too." Daxter bumped his friend on the arm. "We could give ya a little coffee station at the end of the bar."

Tess nodded. "Java Jak's, we'll call it."

"I don't know..." The greenish ottsel couldn't help but smile at the pair's enthusiasm. "I'm not big on customer service."

~ ~ ~

Ximon proved as punctual as Daxter had lauded him to be. Within half an hour of receiving the call, he arrived at the arcade with his dump zoomer to transport the newly acquired game cabinets. The vehicle shuddered to the street with a whirr and a roll of dust.

The gangly young man emerged, unfolding from the driver's seat. "Hey there, little furry dude and dudette! What's shakin'?" Grinning, he leaned down to give Daxter and Tess five, a gesture both dutifully returned.

"Just doing a little shopping while we wait for Taryn to reload our spray packs. As you can see, we scored some primo deals!" Daxter indicated the games he had chosen and preened. "You can be our first player! Coins on the house for moving 'em for us."

"Awesome, dude," Ximon agreed. Then he caught sight of Jak. "Whoa! Who's your new buddy, dude?"

Tess linked her arm with Jak's as he shifted uncomfortably. "This is our friend Jak. I think you two might have met once before? He did look a bit different then."

"Oh, yeah! I totally remember you. Dude, weren't you like...taller and stuff before?" He nodded sagely. "I remember that kind of stuff because one of my ancestors was a famous sculptor. It's where I inherited my eye for detail, you know."

"Whoa!" Daxter's eyes shot wide. "Jak, this explains so much..."

Jak closed his eyes with a suffering sigh. "This guy is going to be absolutely no help to us whatsoever..."

"Jak had a run-in with some Precursor tech and ended up joining the ottsel entourage," Tess explained. "He's sticking with us while we figure out what to do about it."

"Righteous." Ximon leaned down to pat Jak encouragingly on the back. "The more the merrier, I always say." He looked at the three of them thoughtfully. "Now, I've heard you're an action-packed kind of dude, so will you be giving Daxter a paw with the--" he wriggled his fingers and made a toothy face, "--creepy crawly problem?"

"Absolutely," Jak said firmly.

Daxter rolled his eyes with a grin. "Ximon, you couldn't keep him away from this funhouse if ya tried."

"Rock on, dude. My old man and I really appreciate you helping us out, especially when you're already dealing with some stuff of your own."

"Right now I'm not helping. I'm shopping," Jak grumped, ears lilting back. "While you're here, maybe we could talk about the situation. Approximately how many metal hea--"

Tess shooshed him gently. "Jak, sweetie, I know you're impatient. We're not downplaying how important the situation is, believe me. But the middle of the marketplace during the afternoon shopping rush isn't the best time or place to discuss delicate details. Anyone could overhear."

"She's right, pal." Daxter shrugged apologetically. "Right now it's 'hurry up and wait,' which is no fun for you, I realize. How about we all talk about it back at the bar while Ximon unloads the games?"

Jak seemed to deflate with a sigh. "Alright."

Tess watched his resignation sympathetically. Poor guy. She had specialized in watching and waiting at her post for the Underground, but she couldn't deny that she knew how it felt to be held back when there was action to be leapt into. "We're almost done here, anyway. Why don't we start heading back? We can window shop while we walk."

~ ~ ~

After seeing Ximon off with the machines, the trio waddled off through the rest of the market district. At some length, they passed a bedding shop. Colorful quilts and satiny sheets billowed on the breeze, hung on racks on either side of the door.

"Ooh! Pillows are on sale." Tess bounced on her fuzzy toes. "We can replace the ones we stole from around the bar."

Jak paused, contemplating if his crocodog would have enough space to run in the bar. Maybe not--he seemed pretty happy running around the old Sandover Village, bothering Samos.

"Awww, they have those little beds for crocodogs." She patted the foam-stuffed nest. "Just about ottsel-size."

"Oh no." Daxter flattened the idea with his hands. "Sleepin' in a pillow fort is a life-long dream. Sleepin' in a pet bed is just insulting."

As they debated the point, a passing preteen girl picked him up and shook him.

"Aaaaah!" The captured ottsel flailed.

With a look of wonder, the girl hoisted Daxter for inspection. "Mom! Mom! We totally need this!"

The Precursor tried in vain to escape the hands around his waist. "Put me down, ya brat!"

"Whoa!" She gave him a gleeful shake. "They talk when ya squeeze 'em!"

Mom looked down with concern. "I don't know, sweetie; it seems kind of dirty..."

"Hey!" Daxter squirmed, jabbing a finger at the parent. "Lady, I'll have you know I showered this morning! With soap!"

"Ack!" The adult jumped back. "Sweetie, put that down, we don't know if it's had its shots!"

"But Mom!" The girl clutched him to her chest. "He's so cute!"

Squeezed again, Daxter spat out a string of profanity.

The child's mother tsked. "No, dear; that's not suitable for kids." She dragged her offspring away, causing her to drop the struggling ottsel.

Dax landed with a squeak. He stood and shook his fist as they vanished into the crowd. "You come back here and I'll show you 'not suitable'!"

Jak laughed outright while Tess giggled.

With outright exasperation, Dax rounded on his companions: "What?"

"Nothing, whiskerpuss." The female Precursor shrugged. "Kids are cute."

"If by cute ya mean terrible!" He pointed a spindly arm after the long-gone pair. "What a little jerk!"

Jak leaned in and, without realizing what he was doing, gave him a nuzzle of consolation.

The shorter ottsel spun to Tess, whiskers sprung out. "Eeeee, Tessie, he nuzzled me!"

"Uh, I think that was just some sort of ottsel instinct." He rubbed the back of his neck.

Smiling wide, she clasped her paws with a bounce. "Wow, we have the most adorable instincts ever!"

~ ~ ~

Night fell and Jak climbed the access stairs to the roof of the Naughty Ottsel. He lay on the cool concrete of the zoomer pad, contemplating the Universe.

Even with the city light, the stars shone with eternal clarity against the great void of space. What would his life be like if he took the Precursors up on their offer to help reclaim the Universe? They might even be more excited about recruiting him if they knew about his current body.

To think, people who looked just like him were out there, fighting evil and reclaiming the stars. And they'd been doing so since the beginning of time. His people built the planet he'd spent his life saving. Becoming a hero was one thing: all he had to do was step up when no one else could. But how does somebody learn to live as a god?

He shook his head. Heavy stuff. But he'd have plenty of time to ponder it later, once he got turned back to normal. In the meantime, the night air had chilled. Time to head inside. He padded downstairs on silent yellow paws.

As he came to the landing on the second floor, he saw all the lights had been turned off. The pale glow of a streetlamp radiated from the open bedroom door, however. The distant sound of mattress springs and impassioned voices echoed down the hall.

He knew he shouldn't peek. Yet his quiet paws carried him closer and closer to the doorway.

"Yeah, you like that hot ottsel cock, don't ya?"

"Uh-huh!" A squeal of pleasure. "Oh Daxter!"

"Mmmm..." A grunt, followed by slick noises. "Oh yeah..."

Jak peered around the corner. Over the edge of the bed, his friends' tails draped, tensing and teasing in ecstatic twitches. Above, golden hair shimmering down her back in the street light, the sleek form of a female ottsel rode her lover. At the bottom of each bounce, she wiggled, rocking her hips to jostle his shaft inside her.

He should really leave. While they flirted with him, spying on them no doubt crossed a line. His constant presence in their lives and their very bed had to be taking a toll on their love life; they more than deserved the alone time. The tent at the front of his toga raised a point in favor of staying, however. Caught in the tension, he kept watching.

On the bed, his friends' lovemaking heated to a steamy pace. Daxter's hind paws stroked down her tail as his hands gripped her bouncing hips. Words became whispers, then breathless gasps in the dim room. Light as they were, their passion managed to not only creak the bed, but shake it.

At his cock's firm insistence, Jak's paw rubbed it through the loose cloth. Familiar blooms of pleasure tingled through alien flesh.

"Aaaahh! Here it comes!" Daxter's toes splayed, then curled tight. He rocked up on his ankles and buried himself over and over into Tess's welcoming folds.

"Daxxie! Oh! Ooooooooh!" Her ears tilted back, back, back... then shot to perfect stiffness in an instant. "Aaaaggggh!" She shivered atop him, supple body caught in the grips of euphoria.

They trembled together, clutching each other, then slumped together, tails spread just far enough to reveal glints of white on his sheath and sac, and along her delicate lips.

In the quiet of their afterglow, guilt caught up with Jak. He tiptoed toward a cold shower, though every downward glance at the spot of precum reminded him just how much he'd enjoyed the show. Closing the door, he turned on the cold water, then made the leap to the sink and flicked on the light. His reflection in the mirror avoided his gaze, though a quick glimpse confirmed his ears were blushing as bright as they felt. He pulled off his toga, let it flutter to the floor, then tugged down the clingy little underpants they'd given him. His erection sprung free and bobbed up for his attention. Jak cast it a dubious glance.

His dick as an ottsel was kind of adorable.

It shone in the bathroom light, pink and cheery above a pastel-yellow sac. Precum twinked at the sleek tip. The tapered length protruded from a soft-furred sheath. Curious, the green-blonde ottsel prodded it down. It bounced back up, ready for more.

Still very careful, he tugged the sheath a little further down the wider base, then shivered. Okay, that sensation he remembered. Though his dick had quite plainly come out to play, guilt tangled up in his guts at the memory of spying on his friends, even if it was an accident. They should've closed their door, but he shouldn't have peeked.

With a swallow and a deep breath, he balled up his little fists and marched off the edge of the sink to slide down the wall of the tub and into the cool spray. Erection shrinking back into its sheath and out of mind, he sprawled on the floor of the tub and watched the ceiling. The steady drip of a leaking tap kept time as his thoughts marched on.

~ ~ ~

Sorry about the delay here! I was whisked away to be guest of honor at Camp Feral. We now return you to your regularly scheduled ottsels.

Sketch: Slate

Cleanup & colors: Tempo321

Text: sillyneko345 & Tempo

Let me know what you think!

~Tempo