Please tell me that you have not tossed this aside! I really love this story, albeit I found this little treasure a little late. I need to know how it ends or I might just explode. I don't want to explode, but I may just do that if this story ends here. Stories that get really in-depth and have more than just a few chapters are hard to find, especially good ones.

Holy #@&%, this story is intense! I’ve probably said it before in my semi-coherent ramblings, and I’ll say it again (and again, and again) – you write on a professional level. Frankly speaking, your novel – and I must call it a novel, because THIS is so much more than just a fanfic – is worlds better than half of what’s stacking the bookstores’ shelves. I was giddy and having flashbacks about the story for days after I read it, and the effect the Prologue had on me was like an emotional equivalent of an electric shock, it was just so… powerful.

The best thing about IH is the characterization. As always, your work is perfect, every character has his distinct voice that unerringly distinguishes him from the rest of the cast. Even if you hadn’t been putting names to the introspections, I wouldn’t mix up Jak with Daxter or Damas with Torn. The way you’ve got all of the cast down is so good, it’s almost scary : ) And all of your OCs are also living, breathing and unique, not a faceless array of cardboard cut-outs.

The other best thing here is balance – you have plenty of action, wonderfully written dynamic scenes (both the physical and the emotional variety), and just as much time and effort is given to explore the inner world of the characters (your introspections ROCK!). This provides depth to the story on an expert level, and instantly sets it on the “above high-quality” shelf.

Yet another best thing is, the story feels real. Everything here is absolutely natural, not feeling forced or dragged-in somehow. The way the story is weaved together with the game is seamless.

(I swear, when I was replaying Jak3 yet again, I caught myself waiting for the “big bugger inside that bigass hole” Metalpede mission, because I was SO gonna kick Errol’s **!)

And because you were able to make it so natural, you’ve made J/D shounen-ai work. And when I say “work” I don’t mean just stick it into the plot for the hell of it, ‘cos I’ve seen tons of fics on FF net pulling THAT move, I mean – you’ve put emotional basis and reason behind it, not twisting what the games had but growing on it, and you’ve made it feel right. You’ve made it feel a lot more right than “canon” Jak/Keira Naughtydog’s been pushing starting from Jak and Daxter: TPL (and, apparently, pushed it through in JakX).

And these are just the chief jewels of the crown. I can recount the little treasures endlessly – Sig’s big brother attitude, frightening and insane Errol, Jak’s reaction to the mere mention of wumpbees, the scene with Torn at the bar, Jinx… And, of course, Jak and Daxter - Dax being taller than Jak (and about that – XD), how they talk without words and his clothes stash, and how Dax hugged him and their first kiss, and how they can’t even fall asleep without each other… Drama and humor, action and suspense, this story is a slice of pure heaven that I’m permanently hooked on.

First off, let me say that this is, by far, the best Jak story in the Jak & Daxter section of this site, even considering all the horrible sulfur-scented critic bile I am about to spew at you. I have yet to see another author grasp Jak's thoughts so vividly, even if I do think you are making a little too much of the "a man of few words" aspect of the character. It goes very well with the story, mind, but is he really that quiet in the games?

Anyway, it is a very minute complaint compared to the much more weighty complaint of the Jak/Daxter romantic tension.

Now, I know that it is a relatively big part of the plot, but frankly, I find it a bit unnecessary, like it was shoehorned in somewhere. I fail to see why one character cannot have an emotionally strong relationship with another without having to sink into romance. "Need" means many things, and while I think you pulled Jak's struggle with a one-sided crush off extremely well, it seems the story could go on perfectly well without it. It is like the idea was introduced, and then you had to adapt the story to fit with the new "sexuality struggle" angle, adding unneeded sexual tension and thought patterns completely alien to the characters (what happened to Jinx while I wasn't watching?).

Why not just stick with the "suffering warrior" angle? It worked perfectly well for you in the first and second chapters, which, I might add, is on my personal list of all-time favorite entries on this glorious site, and it is a recurring theme in the story alongside the "sexual struggle".

Making two such opposing themes mix smoothly together is an art in itself, though you pull it of rather well. It paints an interesting image of the main cluster of Jak & Daxter stories on this site, in which "Jak's dark side" and "homosexuality" are overwhelmingly popular themes. It feels like you made a story to rule them all, completely wiping the floor with any other attempts of either. And you certainly show more restraint than other stories that take up these themes, but that, I think, is less a matter of constructive criticism, and more a matter of personal taste.

Other then that, I want to compliment you, like so many others, it seems, on depth and characterization that are in league with MyAibou's Ghosts in the Closet, which is a compliment I do not give lightly (hard to say that without sounding like an arrogant turd). Incredibly well-written, almost essay-like environmental descriptions (your initial description of Spargus stands out in my mind here) and very, very deep understanding of the inner workings of the characters, almost to the point where you forget to utilize the social surroundings of said characters and just lay their emotions bare, come hell or high water (thank you Daxter). What stands out as an example is the intermezzo at the end of chapter 16, that ended up portraying Jak as just a little too toothless. It was moving, sure. Damas was great, definitely. But Jak was so tired and blunt, and your very well-written support characters seemed to grow just a little too sobby while bringing up their shared past, like they were much younger than they actually were. Zem was especially guilty of this.

While we are at your support characters: they are very, very good (I am running out of colorful ways to praise you here - bare with me). The ex-KG tension and fear blended seamlessly with the troubled thoughts of Jak, making for a nice cocktail of violent pasts, cold fear and brutal discrimination, not to mention loyalty issues. I clap my little hands at Lev, the wise-cracking clown who reminds me uncannily of a boss I had myself once (I swear, you quote him in some places). You manage to iceberg just enough of the inner workings of these characters so that deep emotional descriptions are not needed, which is an art many professional writers have yet to master.

You language is also excellent, especially when dealing with Daxter, the cheeky little rat. You captured him to complete perfection, and even managed to come up with some new cracks for him, which is more than so many other writers in the Jak & Daxter section seem to be capable of doing (Sir Dreadalocks was about to cream his pants in relief... perfect). He is, of course, adapted to your style of writing, but I think it is a significant improvement on the character itself, adding a little depth to a character that many would probably perceive as shallow.

So to sum up my little rant: there is no better Jak & Daxter story out there. I have checked. It certainly isn't perfect, but then what is, besides smug critics like myself? I may have to eat those words later, but for now, I give you my trumpet wails and high praises (use at your own discretion). Kudos.

Update please! I beg you! I want to see Daxter figure out that hes head over heels in love with Jak- just like he is with Daxter!! Please- dont leave us fangirls hanging too long! PLEASE! Update! =3

Teehee- i loved this chapter- were the lumps in his shoulders knots? I hate knots, they hurt like hell to kneed out -sigh- anyway, i loved the last few lines mainly-

"And I’m in love with my best friend. Who’s fuzzy, two feet tall and likes girls. Dainty, girly girls.

This… is not good."

I giggled at those three lines, anyway, on to the next chappie! Teehee

So, howya doin'? Been a while. Saw your profile page, and you've given me one more reason to wish I could travel through time to the day the Lost Frontier comes out (to be clear, the reasons most prominent are to 1: play it and 2: to wait eagerly for you to be INSPIRED and then WRITE MORE).

Anyway, I'm not just writing to heckle you. I've had an epiphany that must conveyed (to you, specifically). Said epiphany is that all good literature has a habit of MIND RAPING you. But not in a bad way. Maybe more like really unexpected fantastic sex. Seriously, the words just hover about your consciousness, deceptively simple (just collections of letters, right?), laying in wait until you really THINK about it then WHAM! They're ripping away at your SOUL, and you're left going, 'OMGWTF JUST HAPPENED!?' Then, for the next few days you're left listless, longing for some decent story to suddenly appear in front of your nose, which we all know doesn't happen. So you go on, live life, and hope it happens again (if you're me, you then stalk FF.N) (God, I should just read the classics)(j/k, they never seem to measure up ;D). Again, to be clear, I'm just saying this story is like getting fanstastic sex out of the blue.

Well, that's out of my system :D

OMG! *swoon* I love you!
Seriously! This has to be the most awesome Jak'n'Daxter story I've ever read! No, I'm SURE it is!
I'm so happy you wouldn't believe! I can't stop grinning like some sort of lunatic! And sitt still. I go bounsing around the house grinning like a loon and feeling like I'm soaring every now and then ( and makeing my parents give me weird looks... >.>)
This story is just so great! The characters, the story, the way it's written it's just so, so, GUH! I really can't describe it better than that. Unless there is some way you can copy/paste my grin in to this comment...
Now I must stop wrighting so Swooning can continue.
Lotta love 4 U <3<3<3<3<3<3

I love this story so much so far! I know it's been a awhile, but I really hope you get around to finishing it!

Well, the review system's back up again so here it is, minus the begging ;):

DAMN THIS FIC IS AMAZING! I thought I was blown away by Demyrie's Just Another Mission (and in all fairness that did blow me away quite terribly; I was unable to think straight for a couple of days), but Introspective Hero is undoubtedly the best Jak x Dax fanfic I've ever read.


1. Your characterization is completely out of this world. All of the characters were completely believable, even when it came to the original ones.

2. The clarity of your writing in depicting both the thoughts of the characters as well as the action is top rate indeed. There was no confusion when it came to what was going on both inside and outside of the characters' heads, and such clarity is definitely a necessity in writing. Bravo.

3. The plot is also very well developed, and wonderfully balanced; neither too much nor too little light and dark eco, so to speak. The scale does tip towards both sides at times, but is never overturned completely.

4. You are a genius. For what you might be wondering? Well, let me just say that having Daxter turn out to be taller than Jak was an incredibly brilliant move. Not only does it make your fic truly unique in the fandom (as far as I know), but it was a fresh change of pace that added some amusing pieces of humor to the fic.

5. Your genius also spreads rampant in the humor department. I think that bar scene with Torn could be nominated as one of the best pieces of comedy in a fanfic. I too managed to choke, and I'm still thankful that I wasn't drinking anything when I reached that scene.

Suffice it to say that your writing is an excellent piece of work. I hope that inspiration spaz you mentioned earlier helps, as I'm really looking forward to the next chapter of this story.

Happy writing!

Holy dairy cow, this is pretty freakin' awesome. Of all the Jak fics EVER, this has got to be number 1. I swear, there has yet to be a story with such good characterization, word choice, voice, action, and god knows what else because it is SO DAMN GOOD that I have to keep reading and rereading it until I've memorized it.

I know that it's probably a pain to get a lot of requests to continue your story, but dude. Believe me, this is a story worth continuing because there is NO WAY I could be the only one in love with this fic.

So, you know, um . . . update? So that I don't go crazy wondering what happened next?

So...this is pretty much the most amazing piece of fiction I have read in months upon months.

You are handling this with utter perfection and utmost quality. It's a perfect balance, and nothing moves too quickly (but not too slowly, either!). I don't feel well right now so I can't even think of proper adjectives to describe how wonderful this is, but trust me, it IS.

Please update whenever you can...I am simply in complete awe.

I’ve been gathering my courage for a while to post this, as you have so many great reviews already, I’m afraid it’s going to sound like more of the same. But still:
Best. Jak x Daxter fic. EVER. In fact, scratch that: best Jak fic ever, PERIOD. I’ve been shoveling through Jak contents on , and yours stands out like a diamond among sand. Your language, spelling (and unfortunately, good spelling is hard to come by here) plot, story pace - it’s all done on a professional level. And your grasp of the characters is so good, it sends shivers down my spine. You haven’t by any chance found some black magic way to bring the game to life and get inside the crew’s heads? Because when I read Dax’s introspections, it’s HIS voice that’s saying it, not someone extremely loud-mouthed/obnoxious/uncaring/shallow/any other OOC adjectives I can apply to Daxter in some of the other fics I’ve seen. You’ve done a great job with him, because from the games, Dax is so easy to take at face value, like nothing more than a walking pun generator… And Jak’s flashbacks on prison time are, for lack of a better word, perfect (it’s all perfect, actually). Not going overboard with elaborate sentences and graphic-to-the-point-of-plain-yuck details, yet each word is hitting a nerve like a bolt of electricity. Exactly how Jak should be talking, exactly how I imagined him talking about something like this. I hope you will continue with the insights into those two years.
And your OCs are great. Providing for a very rich texture and at the same time not stealing the limelight in a Mary-Sue kind of way. I hope we'll get insights into their stories, too, and the mystery of Junn.
And I bow to your aptitude at developing the demolition duo's relationship. It’s great the way you switch between their feelings - Jak’s need to be with the only one who never gave up on him, didn’t turn away from his darkest side, who’s keeping him from going off the deep end consumed by his own nightmares and memories, and Dax’s loyalty, caring and devotion, in my opinion going far above those even of best friends, even if he doesn’t realize it yet… “gotta get me somebody who can help me help him relax”, this kind of thing, the way he looks out for Jak says it all, I think. Oh, and him being taller than Jak and making buddy-buddy fun at him, waking Jak up after a nightmare and his thoughts about Misty Island, not being able to fall asleep when Jak goes to Spargus, it’s all just… pure genius. And touching, really touching without being sentimentally-mushy.
So to sum up this long-winded speech: an immense joy to read, wonderful fic with excellent plot and character work (both the canon and OC ones), all-around jewel that I’ll be coming back to time and time again. And my immense thanks to you for, firstly, creating such a masterpiece and sharing it with the world, and secondly, for being considerate and tactful enough to put up a post saying there will be updates and you plan to see this story through to the end. You have got yourself one utterly devoted fan, and I’ll be waiting for those updates for as long as it takes because, after all, you can’t rush perfection.

Oh dear, this is the fifth time I've reread this chapter. It's too bad I've never played world of warcraft, otherwise I would amuse myself with reading your other fics. Alas. Anyway, nothing hits the I-really-need-to-read-a-good-Jak-fic spot better than this. In my view, there is NO better Jak fic. There are some I'm very fond of, but this, my dear, is LOVE. There's nothing with better writing quality, style, or even organized plot than this. YOU ARE FANTASTIC and it's not even funny how often I check for an update. AND, I am a firm believer in your promise of updates! ILU! =3= ~

Yeah, this? This is the best Jak fic I've EVER read. It's very nicely written. And there seriously needs to be more of it. I'm loving the way that you're handling the relationship, slow and easy (or not so easy...), but now I'm DYING to know what's next.

omg!! it gold!! pure gold!

you get all the little details of every character so well, it makes it so believable! I love how you made Jak love Daxter, not in the mushy-gushy-get-me-flowers-on-valentines-day kind, but the you-saved-my-sanity-and-I-love-you kind. very nice

update, cus ur a god!!