#clem and her story are even more important to me now after how badly i was burned by naughty dog | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

spacedlexi · 4 years

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Hello! I like your TWDG art and I'm curious if the Final Season was your first exposure to TWDG series? What do you think of the series overall, if you've played them? Any favourite characters outside of S4? I personally stopped playing the games after S2 left me severely disappointed, I think S1 will always be the best of them.

oooo cool questions. and thank you!!

my first exposure to twdg was actually when the demo dropped for the first season!! yea ive secretly been here the Whole Time lmao i didnt play it myself tho i watched my friend play. it was the first time i had been exposed to the telltale choice game kind of format and i didnt really know how to feel about it so i didnt pick it up for myself i just watched others play. it took me a while to catch up and i didnt finish the first season until after s2 ended

the end of season one, like with most people, left me like.....really super heart broken and emotional like man i was Empty inside ahah that ending still and always will get me just Right in the fuckin heart meat. so, feeling as empty as i did and wanting to know where clems story went i jumped Right into season 2 ............ and that left me even More fuckin empty and sad than season 1 lmao fuckin season 2 is probably The most depressing season imo i didnt think i could feel worse than the end of s1 but s2 took it as a challenge

i Hated s2 and was really suffering through it but when kenny showed up i was like OH THANK GOD a familiar face (even tho he really tested my patience in S1) because i capital H Hated the new cast. sarah was fine and luke was Generally ok for the most part but the adults pissed me the Fuck off and still do for how they treated clem (an 11 year old!!) like a whole ass adult and personal therapist. but then kenny got Real scary after the whole sarita thing and jane was pissin me off for not only constantly pushing kenny (a man who was desperately holding onto a very thin thread) but for trying to convince clem that she didnt need anyone and that she’d be better off on her own (AN 11 YEAR OLD!! in the zombie apocalypse!! even tho yea the s2 cast were shit to be around). looking at s2 in hindsight the only good thing about it was AJ..bby boy...

and then about a year or so later the trailer for s3 dropped and i was like YES look at clem fuckin badass fuckin shotgun fuckin take no shit Yes but then i was soooooooooo so disappointed when i found out you were gonna be playing as some fuckin Nobody new character i was like fuck off i just want clem back. season 3 was just....pretty boring in my opinion and the only saving grace was whenever clem was around and the whole “wheres aj” plot that i wish the game focused on instead. out of the s3 cast (minus clem/aj) i only really cared for javi and mari...and well.....we all kno what happens to mari and how fast l o l rip. eps 1-3 (generously) were ok and interesting but the final eps just... ehhh. also jesus was ok but hes also a part of the comics/show whatever so he doesnt rack up points for telltale. javi flirting with him was pretty cool tho. both protags are bisexual you love to see it. bi rights hell yeah

AND THEN....SEASON 4. i immediately fell in love with the entire cast (even when vi was mean to her when they first spoke cuz i was like “yeah yeah i know you dont mean it i saw the way you were lookin at her from the wall i KNOW youre gonna be a romance option”). the whole troubled youth boarding school was such a great choice finally clem was around people her fuckin age no more adults looking to her for guidance or to parent. and she was Top Dog these kids had no real experience and i knew it was only a matter of time before she slipped into the role as their leader. i was NOT expecting it to be because of how ep 1 ends like omfg the end of the 1st ep is just.....Real Good. the ep itself was pretty slow getting you introduced to everyone but my god shit gets Real the moment clem walks into that basement and from then on out the ep is just Wild and ends with a (literal) bang.

E2 started testing my patience with a few characters (lookin at you louis specifically (even tho i still like you) because i will never get over how now AJ was the one being treated like an adult (A 5 YEAR OLD WHO ONLY KNOWS KILL MONSTERS TO SURVIVE and has never been in a group setting that he can remember))(its why my clem could never romance louis sorry dude) but violet was 💕💕 amazing standing up for clem and aj against the whole group and she takes on the role as leader cuz “no one else stepped the fuck up” i love her.... and then lily shows up and the whole drama with the raiders AGH love it

up until this point i was still just watching others play since the seasons were either too depressing or boring for me to want to pick it up for myself

but then telltale shut down. and i was like.....oh my god....clems story is gonna get cut right at the end?? i loved this new cast and i dont get to see how it ends??? im not gonna get to play it for myself!??!?! so when skybound stepped in and saved it i bought it up IMMEDIATELY i was like “that was TOO CLOSE im gonna finish this series for myself Dammit” and i did and it was great i played eps 3 and 4 when they dropped at midnight im so glad i got to experience the ending for myself on my own. i cried ahhaha so fuckin hard and i still do CLEEEEMMMM you did it bitch i love you

season 1 and 4 are really the only ones i like. and for me s4 ranks higher than s1 because of the cast and the found family trope and how its just..not as fuckin desperate and depressing and hopeless. it really just comes down to preference but s4 wins for me with s1 close second. i only ever go through seasons 2 and 3 for the sake of setting up s4 like its just formality aha. plus getting ajs plot established makes it worth it. and knowing how clems story ends makes the depressing parts easier to get through

SO YEAH OOF SORRY for the long answer i talk way too much ahah but i do really love this game. seasons 1 and 4 now reside snugly in a little corner of my heart where they will stay until i die lmao. if you havent i definitely recommend at least going through s4!!

#clem and her story are even more important to me now after how badly i was burned by naughty dog #when i finally got around to replaying twdg after lou2 came out it really hit me like a tonne of bricks #i cried like just as hard as i did when it originally dropped #clem got the ending that ellie threw away #clem im so happy for you ellie im so sorry for you #replies with lexi #long post #duela-quinzel

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ericsonclan · 4 years

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The Graveyard

Summary: Prisha meets Willy and learns a bit about the backstory of the Ericson kids.

Read on A03:

It was her first time out this early in the morning. Prisha stood in the front yard of Ericson’s School for Troubled Youth, surveying the grounds. Ever since she’d gotten here, she’d only spent a few moments at a time outside, dropping by to pick up food and then withdrawing back to her room. It was strange spending so much of each day indoors. She didn’t like it.

She didn’t like a lot of things these days. Prisha glance down, looking at the sling that cradled her left arm. She still couldn’t wrap her mind around the fact that despite the bandages it would never truly heal. It was useless now, a growth that would flap against her side as she tried to make her way through life one-handed. Part of her was terrified she couldn’t do it, couldn’t survive if that was her new lot in life. A bigger part of her pushed down those thoughts, since there wasn’t space for them. She was too busy surviving. In that sense, nothing had changed. As ever, she took things one day at a time. That was the only way to keep living.

Prisha made her way across the yard, looking over all the different aspects of the school. It certainly was a well-fortified place. The walls were strong, the gates reinforced, and they always had someone on watch. Louis waved to her from the watch tower as she strolled by. Prisha raised her arm in greeting, feeling odd making the gesture. When she’d fist met Louis, Clementine and Violet, she’d assumed she’d never see them again. That was the way with things these days. Every interaction with a stranger could be your last. The only constant if you were lucky enough was your group. She’d expected to stay with Ed, Rita and the others for the long haul. Now they were all dead and she was here. Living with a group she couldn’t make sense of.

Why did they take her in? She’d already proven herself to be utterly useless, needing help with even the simplest tasks. These people already had their hands full too, with children and Violet being badly injured as well. It made no sense to bring her here. She was just another mouth to feed in a world where liabilities could be fatal. Maybe they’d come to their senses and kick her out soon, now that her injuries hadn’t proved fatal. She wouldn’t blame them for it. She already owed them her life; how could she demand more? If that happened, she’d simply have to find a way to make it on her own. Again. Somehow.

As she made her way through the front yard, Prisha noticed a burnt section of the school. She drew closer, examining the structure of the ruins. Whatever had happened here must have resulted in a huge fire. An entire section of the school had burnt down, bricks scattered across the yard. To salvage the area was clearly beyond anyone’s current capabilities. They’d need to lay the bricks by hand, and there was no need for that given the multitude of available buildings on the campus. This place was truly immense.

Rounding the corner, something new caught Prisha’s eye. Grave markers. To be able to do such a thing, burying your dead… Prisha envied them. But at the same time, she recognized the immeasurable loss that each of those markers represented. There were eight in total, a far smaller number than the children this school must have initially held. Prisha wondered which death had led them to lay the first marker, and when the last one had been made. There was a boy standing by the graves. He looked to be in his early teens. From what she’d been told, this must be Willy, the other kid who had helped carry her back to the school. She should thank him. Now didn’t seem like the appropriate time though. He was crouching in front of one of the graves, speaking animatedly as he held up some sort of contraption. She should probably just go.

As she turned to leave though, Prisha tripped over one of the loose bricks.

The boy spun around, looking at her with wide eyes.

Prisha froze in place, an apologetic wince on her face. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to interrupt anything,”

“No, that’s OK,” the boy responded, tucking the item he’d been displaying at the grave behind his back. “You’re Prisha, right?”

“Yes. And you’re Willy?”

The boy nodded.

“I heard you were one of the people who saved my life. Thank you,”

Willy shrugged. “I didn’t really do much. Violet carried you most of the way back herself. I just made sure she didn’t drop you and that your arms and legs didn’t get caught on stuff,”

“Still, it was an important contribution. I appreciate it,” Prisha looked towards the graves. “May I ask who’d buried here? You don’t have to tell me if you don’t want to,”

“No, it’s OK,” Willy scooted around so he was facing the markers once more. “Those two are for Minnie and Sophie. They were twins, Tenn’s sisters. He died too, but only after we figured out that Minnie was actually alive and killed Sophie. But then she died for real and so did Tenn. Brody’s over there, and Marlon. He killed her because she told Clem about what really happened with the twins, then A.J. shot him ‘cause he thought he was a monster. That one was made years ago when a bunch of kids died all at once. And that one’s for Miss Martin, the old school nurse. She’s actually buried over by the greenhouse, but we made this one for her after we found her body,”

“Wow, that’s… a lot. It must have been hard, losing them over the years,”

“Well, Ms. Martin’s and the group graves have been here, a while, but the rest was made…’ Willy thought for a minute. “A year and a half ago. The twins’ ones we made two and a half years ago, but a year and a half ago is when Minnie actually died,”

God. All those graves at the same time? Prisha looked at them, examining the lettering of each marker. They all looked fresh. The group must maintain them well. That meant most of this graveyard was formed years after the world fell apart, after the kids had known each other a long time. These wounds were far fresher than she thought. Wounds… what if… Prisha looked up. “Violet’s eyes, they were…”

“Damaged in the explosion,” Willy looked down at the ground. “I didn’t think any of us would be inside when it went off,”

“You rigged the explosion?”

Willy nodded. “To get rid of the Delta. They were trying to kidnap everybody. They got Omar, Aasim and Violet. But we got them back. I wanted to make sure they could never ever come back again. So I made a bomb and we put it in the boiler of their ship. We planned to get everyone off before they started the engine, but Violet was trying to help Minnie and-” Willy’s voice cracked a bit as he recalled the memory. “It went off with them still inside,”

Prisha noticed the change in his voice. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to cause you to dredge up so many painful memories,”

“Naw, it’s OK. It’s good to know who you’re staying with, right?”

Prisha gave a wry smile. “I suppose so,” She paused. “Wait, you said that Minnie turned out to be the one who killed Sophie. Did Violet know that when she stayed onboard to help her? Is that when she died?”

“No, she died later, on the bridge. And Violet knew then, but…” Willy’s sentence lapsed as he tried to find the right words. “Minnie used to be Violet’s girlfriend. So she didn’t want to give up on her, no matter what,”

This story had so many twists and turns to it. Prisha didn’t feel like she had a grasp on it at all, but she was sure of one thing: these kids had been to hell and back. They were survivors in the purest sense of the word. There was one more question that was nagging at Prisha. She wasn’t sure if she should press any further. Still, nothing ventured, nothing gained. “I noticed you left one of the graves out. It was the one you were talking to a minute ago. If it’s not too much, could you tell me who it belongs to?”

Willy’s eyes fell. With that one question, she’d made him sadder than he was recounting any of the horrors he’d already mentioned. But he didn’t stay silent. “That one belongs to Mitch,”

“Was he… your brother?”

“Might as well have been,” Willy sniffed, and Prisha could tell the tears wouldn’t be held back much longer. “He got killed protecting us when the Delta came here. He wouldn’t have let them take anyone, not while he was alive to fight,”

“He sounds incredibly brave,”

“He was. He taught me everything: how to hunt, how to carve weapons… everything about bombs too. How to make ‘em and how to set ‘em off. He made a bomb to scare off the raiders. Without it, we probably all would’ve been taken that night,”

“Is that what you have there?” Prisha gestured behind his back. “A bomb?”

Willy nodded, bringing it forward. “I wanted to show him my latest design. I’ve been practicing making them in case we need them again if anybody else attacks. It’s not as fun making them anymore without him around though… and I don’t want to have too many around. I can’t have anyone else get hurt by one,”

“Can I see?” Prisha asked, crouching down in front of him.

Willy nodded, pushing it forward.

Prisha examined it thoughtfully. A crude design, but very effective. “I notice you’ve compartmentalized the different elements to keep them all separate until activation. That’s smart. They’ll be perfectly stable in storage,”

“You know about making bombs?” Willy asked, eyes wide.

“I know the theory, though I’ve never had practical experience in making one. It’s an important skill though, crucial when it comes to defending a place as large as this school,”

“Exactly! I figure if I make enough of them, then if we ever have anyone else lurking around the school, bang! We take ‘em out before they even get inside!” He looked up at Prisha, suddenly growing somewhat shy. “Do you wanna… see the rest of them? I have lots of different designs. They’re in one of the empty classrooms of the old school buildings,”

“I’d love that,” Prisha smiled warmly. “I’m sure I could learn a lot from you,”

“Then follow me!” Willy exclaimed, jumping up and beginning to run back towards the front yard. “It’s right around that corner!”

“I’ll be right there!” Prisha called after him. He’d already disappeared from her line of sight. She looked back toward the markers. To have lost so many of their own to outsiders and yet to open their home to one? These kids were odd. Her last group had been open and caring, but they’d had nothing to lose but each other. They had to band together to survive, to find food and shelter each and every night. This group had everything: food, water, medicine, a safe location… and they shared it so openly with her. It left her flabbergasted.

Talking with Willy though, seeing how open he was to share his story with her and how ready he was to let her further into his life… maybe that’s just how they were. She’d thought that her last group had been the only good people left in the world, but this group’s kindness was unparalleled. Even though it’d be ridiculous to expect it, she hoped she could stay. Maybe with time she’d adapt to this new life with one arm and prove herself useful again. She really hoped that could be the case.

“You coming?” Willy’s voice rang out from the yard.

“Yes, sorry! I’m right behind you!” Prisha rose to her feet, brushing the dead grass of her legs with her good hand. She liked it here. She hoped she could stay. One day at a time though. One day at a time.

#prisha twdg #wily twdg #twdg #telltale the walking dead #twdgs4 #grief #loss #fanfic

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rosetintedbeanie · 5 years

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My Review on TWDG: The Final Season

Buckle up folks because it’s going to be a bumpy ride with some unpopular opinions added. This is a little overdue.

So before I start, I want to say that I didn’t want to put this into the tags because we all know how this fandom can be.

I’ll start off with the good. The season started off really, really strong, and it was a good way to introduce all the new characters. I didn’t necessarily like Marlon at first, but after looking back, he’s grown on me a little bit. His voice actor did an incredible job. I’ll admit, after two seasons of disappointment and annoyance, I had low expectations for the first episode and the season as a whole, but I was pleasantly surprised. The ending to episode one, atmosphere and all, was one of the best final scenes in the game’s history, and it genuinely gave me chills all the way up until the last minute. THAT was some good shit, and it felt like the writers were finally realizing what they were doing.

The season had likable enough characters, and although there are a few that I’m indifferent with, there wasn’t anyone that I totally didn’t like. The bisexual representation made me incredibly happy, and partially helped me a bit more with my own sexuality. Before anyone asks, I personally went with Louisentine, but Violentine is pretty damn adorable and both ships are totally valid. And I know it wasn’t a shipping option, but in my opinion, Clem would have been cute with Ruby, too.

Minerva’s downfall was really well done. I didn’t necessarily like her, but I did feel sorry for her. She was a victim of brainwashing and bad leadership and she and Sophie didn’t deserve that. You could even see her trying to come out of it at times in the third episode, when she mentions Tenn to one of the guards (Dorian I think her name is?). The scene on the bridge was probably one of the best, if not the best scene of the last episode in my opinion. There was a lot of tension, and Minnie singing to draw walkers to her brother really added to that. If anything I actually forgot about her up until that point and thought she’d just died. Also, can we get a cover of her VA singing the entire song? I have a new need.

Now before I dive into what I didn’t like and my unpopular opinions, a disclaimer: These are just my personal opinions. I tend to be nitpicky at these things, and I didn’t hate the season at all whatsoever.

I...couldn’t get attached to AJ in any episode. I tried to, I really did. I didn’t hate him by any means, and I even defended him when people were wishing death and hating him for killing Marlon. But there were times that I felt that he was just too much, even for a hardened survivor. I get that he was born into an apocalyptic world, but I didn’t exactly like how he turned into the same temperamental, edgy kid no matter what Clem taught him. I wasn’t a huge fan of the many parallels, either. Some were fine, but after a while they started to get a bit old.

Alright, here’s the biggie that y’all probably expected: the way they handled Lilly this season. If you’ve been following me for a while then you’re probably aware that I love Lilly and have defended her for years now. So naturally I was extremely excited to see that she was returning after years of being right about her fate (because come on, there’s no way she just died). And I just want to say that as much as I wanted a redemption arc for her, I wouldn’t have minded her being a villain so much had she gotten more screen time, a better explanation, and a more meaningful way to go out on both parts. I really didn’t like how she still appeared to have humanity in her first appearance, totally hesitating to kill Clementine and damn near CRYING if she’s told that you were family once, and then pretty much tossing all that out the window when she (determinately) orders a kid’s tongue cut out. Then in the finale she gets two minutes tops of screen time and can suddenly feel remorseful again? Ooookay. We also got pretty much no explanation on why she’s this way except for “my dad melted my ice cream so I kidnap kids now lol.” I just feel like we were robbed of something more involving Lilly, and no matter how you feel about her, she deserved better than to become what she did, better than to be handled the way she was. I’ll always stand by my word that she was not bad from day one, and no one can convince me otherwise.

Something else that felt weird to me was that there was no mention of Kenny outside of a determinant choice in the first episode??? Like no matter how you felt about him, he was important in Clem’s life and it’s especially strange how he wasn’t even talked about during Clem and Lilly’s chat. You’d think Lilly would bring up the guy who killed her dad.

The way that the deaths were handled in the finale bothered me. Like, really bothered me. There’s maybe a couple minutes of grief (which I get that in the moment you had to get away, but there was time for that later), and basically no other mention. Louis was the one who died in my game, but I’ve seen playthroughs and I couldn’t stand how Violet can pretty much justify Tenn’s death if it happens. The way she said, “He was always getting into trouble and messing up,” brought me back to Season 2 and the way Sarah was treated, and it was even worse because Tenn reminded me a little of her and to hear that again made me feel ill. Like girl...did Jane possess you there for a minute???

I uhhh might be in quite the minority here, but I was unsatisfied with the overall ending. The big thing was Clem getting bit and her leg amputated; okay, yeah, sure. But let’s look at what happened before: her foot was cut pretty badly, and I’ll even give that the infection could have taken the spread of the bite out of her. But people really seem to ignore that she still lost a lot of blood on the way to the barn??? Like, I’m not a doctor or anything, but losing blood even after a short period of time can still be very dangerous. Even with the explanation given by one of the writers, there’s no realistic way that Clem would have survived that amputation with the amount of blood already gone. I’m sorry, but it really felt like plot armor. I would have been happy with her being determinant, with the ending we got being the “alive” ending. But I feel like there should have been multiple endings, considering the last two seasons were known for that. I don’t know, I just wasn’t feeling it like most everyone else was. There was a lot I just wasn’t feeling.

One last quick thing about the ending: we never did see the Delta. The Delta’s leader, who is NOT Lilly as confirmed by Kent Mudle, would wonder why their people didn’t come back. They’d probably send out to find whoever was responsible, especially if they knew about the school beforehand. You’d think the school would prepare itself for future attacks, because it’s kind of a new potential threat. It’s something I figured out kind of recently, and it’s weird that no one would question it.

My overall opinion of the season was that it was good, but not great. In terms of writing, it blows A New Frontier and the last half of Season 2 out of the water. The story itself is an interesting idea, but there are a few directions that I wish had been taken differently. The season, as I said, started out strong, and there were moments in every episode that I genuinely liked. I just wish there had been multiple ways to conclude Clementine’s story. The ending we got just felt...a bit off. To conclude this essay-length review, I in no way disliked this season and I have to give credit to the writers for putting more of an effort since A House Divided. If you’ve read this far down, thanks! This was fun to write.

**MIC DROP**

#So yeaaaah I wanted to get this out #I know not everyone will agree with me but I hope it puts something into perspective #Ask to tag

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yellowsugarwords · 5 years

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Walking Dead Game FanFiction - “Protected”

Title: Protected Characters: Clementine, Marlon, Violet, Louis, Mitch, Rosie Summary: After Rosie backs Clem into a corner, growling and snarling, Marlon is the only one that can pull her away and calm the jittery teen down again. Inspired By: Shielding Author's Note: I altered a little bit the way Clementine explained the dog bite for the sake of the story, just for clarity’s sake :) Requested By: ebimanami support me with ko-fi ♡ ---------♥️♥️♥️----------

The breath hitched in Clementine’s throat. Her body went rigid, the action she was in the middle of was abandoned, and everything that she’d ever prepared on the off chance she was caught in this situation went out the window.

She was drawing a blank. She was terrified.

Since her run in with Sam — the dog that gave her the infamous scar on her left arm — she’d prepared plans for what to do if she ever encountered a dog again — how to test the waters to see if they were peaceful, where to kick if they ever leapt at her, and how to prioritize AJ’s safety.

Now, face-to-face with Rosie, she was drawing a blank. As her snarling, drooling, vicious face sneered at her, and all Clem could see were the grimy, cleaning teeth. They were so sharp. They were so capable of ripping her to shreds.

Everyone in earshot tensed immediately. Marlon and Violet, who’d been discussing hunting strategy outside the front doors, cast their gaze inward. Louis, in the music room, snapped to attention. Mitch, who’d been lingering outside sharpening a stick out of boredom, tensed.

In sync, they darted toward the source. They all recognized the voice. They all knew it was Clementine. Louis was the first one to the office, but Marlon and Violet were right on his heels.

“Clem?” Louis called, his fingers rapping on the door.

He was met with a strangled cry, and the distant sound of a jaw thrashing. Marlon, hearing both, tensed instantly.

He remembered how Clementine had confessed to him on their first night that she was terrified of dogs thanks to a previous encounter. Marlon hadn’t asked for details, but vowed that he would try his best to demonstrate Rosie’s kindness and loyalty.

It wasn’t until a day or two later, with Clementine feverishly avoiding Rosie at all costs, had she told the full story to Marlon. She watched his fists open and close — clench and unclench — as she confessed everything. She’d decided it was only fair seeing as she was terrified of something so important to Marlon.

Hearing Rosie’s snarl, and hearing Clementine’s wail, Marlon knew exactly what was happening, and he hated that he’d let it happen.

All Rosie needed was time to gain Clem’s trust, and Marlon had told Clementine he would ensure of it. “She just needs time with the two of us one-on-one,” he’d said. “She needs to know we trust you. Then she will too.”

But he never got around to it.

“Louis, stand back.” Marlon said, darting for the door. “I’ll handle this.”

“What?” Violet scoffed, leering in closer. “Marlon, let us help. Let us see if she’s okay.”

“Let me go in first.” He said, his stance firmer than before — angrier. The last thing he wanted was for everyone to see how dishevelled he knew Clementine was going to be. If Clementine has trusted him with the knowledge of one of her deepest fears, one she was so ashamed of, he didn’t want any of them to see how badly it would affect her. Especially not if he was the one that had caused her reaction.

“Marlon, are you sure?”

His fist tensed against the door. They knew of her fear, but they didn’t know the details. He knew they cared, he even knew that Clementine would appreciate it, but it didn’t take away from the fact that he’d caused this. He didn’t need them to see the damage he’d caused. He didn’t want them to see even more damage he’d caused.

“Check on AJ,” he said firmly, dismissing Louis’ question. “Make sure he stays out of here. He doesn’t need to see her like this.”

Violet’s gaze softened momentarily, and a wave of irritated understanding passed over her. For Clementine’s sake, she’d listen. If AJ was important to Clementine, that was enough of a reason for her to see him as such too. “Let us check in later, then.”

Marlon didn’t debate that. That wasn’t up for him to decide. That was Clementine’s.

Just as he requested, the group slowly began to creep away. Not wanting to waste any time, Marlon ripped the door open and threw himself inside.

Clementine was curled into herself on his desk, her hands clasped to either side of her head, staring in sheer terror at the dog clambering at the foot of the desk. Rosie was baring her teeth, snarling, gracing the very edge of the wood keeping Clem safe. Even through her desperate attempt to shield herself, Marlon could see the tears glistening behind her arms.

He’d never seen her so terrified, and knowing he’d done it to her broke his heart in every way possible.

“Clementine--”

The word had barely left his lips before Rosie barked, and Clementine’s whimpers snapped to panicked wails. Each snarl from the dog caused another spike of fear to rip through her, forcing out the cries unintentionally.

“Rosie,” as Marlon called her name, snapping his fingers for the door to come closer, his gaze didn’t leave Clementine. Rosie, hesitantly, took a few steps back from the desk before turning to face Marlon. For the last time, he tore his gaze from Clementine to whistle for Rosie to leave. He didn’t want to take his eyes off Clem if he didn’t need to. He wanted to study her so he knew how to care for her. He wanted to go to her so he knew how to help her.

He wandered after his dog in reverse, his gaze reattaching to the terrified girl on the desk as he closed the door behind Rosie. “Clem?” He cooed, slowly clicking the door shut and making his way to her. He moved slowly, not wanting to startle the girl while still wanting to be close to her as quickly as possible. She was terrified, and his desire to be near her, to reassure her, to be there, was urgent.

At first, she didn’t move, and Marlon debated if she’d even heard him. His lips parted, ready to coo her name once more, as he settled his fingers against her arm.

She wailed, flinching violently at the touch. She’d been too drowned in terror to realize he’d entered the room. She’d been so lost in her head, too succumbed to panic, that she hadn’t heard him. Faintly, terrified as to who — or what — was before her, her arm began to slink down.

Then, Marlon finally got a look at her.

The brave girl he knew, the one he cared so deeply for, was breaking. Her eyes were swollen and puffy, but quivering at the what-ifs coursing through her. Her body carried a steady tremor, one so large and deeply-rooted that Marlon knew he’d be able to spot it from the door. It was violent and painful to witness up close. It had only escalated upon his touch — upon Clem realizing someone was witnessing her distress.

“Clem,” he breathed, feeling his heart in his throat — it being what pushed the words out of him.

Her expression didn’t change as she settled her sights on him. Rather, her arm continued to lower, albeit shaking madly the entire way.

“Clem, I’m,” he paused, too many words swirling on his tongue for him to find which best fit. He had so much he wanted to say, so much he wanted to do, that his body lagged. He wanted to hold her, to reassure her, to vow that she was safe, that he would train Rosie to leave her alone, but couldn’t. He didn’t want to terrify her more than she already was. He didn’t want to overstep her boundaries and rattle her even more. “I’m so, so sorry.” He finally managed.

Clementine’s gaze rested. She drank him in cautiously, as if he was cohorts with the being snarling at her moments previous. Her gaze was so non-trusting it pained him.

“It won’t happen again. I’ll work with her. I’ll do whatever it takes to make sure you’re safe and feel safe.” He rambled, the words smashed together as they rolled off his tongue, his thoughts too cluttered and urgent for him to take his time with speaking.

Clementine only stared, her gaze hovering above his own, scared to venture deeper than surface level.

“Nothing’s gonna hurt you, Clem.” He said gently, his palms opening to her. It was the kindest gesture he could think to offer — one that she could decline, but one that showed how badly he wished to hold her. “I’d never let that happen.”

Clementine stared at him, her jittery stare averting to his palms and back again. Then, tumbling all at once, she collapsed into him. She slipped past his palms, rolled into his arms, and tucked herself into his chest.

Immediately, as if accepting a prayer, Marlon wrapped his arms around her and held tight. “I’m so sorry,” he breathed into the side of her cap, finally able to hush the words to her closely. His hands settled on her back and arm, and he could feel the bones rattling under her skin. He could practically hear them from how horribly her body shook under his palms. The sensation only made him hold her tighter.

She was still seated on the desk, pulling the male closer as he accepted her into his hold. Her face tucked itself into his neck, her cheek pressing to his collarbone and her eyes — squeezed closed — hidden from him. She could feel his grip grow tighter, and could feel his hands cling to her as desperately as she clung to him.

It was as if he was matching her desperation — he was showing her he needed her safe just as much as she needed him in order to feel safe.

“I’ll keep you safe, Clem.” He hushed, his hands running over her shaking surface, hoping to calm the paranoia coiled beneath it.

Clementine's eyes opened, enough for a tear to slip past and press itself into his shirt. “I know.” She breathed.

Because silently, the entire time she’d been face-to-face with her deepest fear, Marlon was the only one she’d wanted to see. The strength in his arms when he held her, the tender, terrified look in his eyes when she said something that concerning him. The way he smiled ever so faintly when she was lost in conversation, or the way he listened to her, understood her, and accepted her fear more than anyone previous.

She felt safest with him because she knew he cared, and she knew he would do anything and everything in his power to keep her safe.

Because then, right there, he had.

He’d run into the room when no one else had, he’d rushed everyone else away to give her peace, and had torn a pet he adored out of the room for her own comfort. Now, so patiently and kindly, he held her, and waited for the earthquakes in her skin to simmer.

Clementine pulled away, her fingers wrapped around his jacket sleeves, clinging to her lifeline.

His stare met hers with sincerity and warmth. His brows were furrowed, scouring every piece of her stare, looking for a sign of what he could do to ease her pain. “I’m so sorry,” he breathed. “It won’t happen again.”

Their stares meshed deeper, and for a moment all they did was look, arms clinging to each other, drinking in the desperation, the need, and the care in the gaze of the other.

Marlon could feel her shaking begin to fade. “I’ll keep you safe.” He said, feeling his heart slow. He calmed knowing that under his palms, she’d found peace.

She’d found more than peace in him. She trusted him, and she knew that he would forever keep her trust.

Because nobody made her feel safer than Marlon. ---------♥️♥️♥️----------

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emmiewlw · 5 years

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Do u like season 4? Some of ur posts about it make it seem like u have a lot of dislikes about the storyline and characters etc so I was curious what ur full thoughts on it are :) (Also ty for keeping the gabe fans happy we all love you)

ahjdha i do like season 4, but as you’ve noticed i’m kinda disappointed by some aspects of it.

To start on a more positive note, this season does have a really strong cast and majority of the Ericson kids are really interesting and likable. That being said, i’m frustrated that the season isn’t really focusing on them and more specifically, how a group of kids navigates the apocalypse. Also two of the kids who were the most interesting to me, Marlon and Mitch, were killed off early on and were non determinant which bothered me. With it being the final season i was expecting our choices to be more consequential and for there to be more varying plot lines but until episode three, everything basically stayed constant despite your choices.

I also feel like this season is catering mainly to people who only really cared season 1 or who haven’t played past seasons? We have Clem and AJ weakly paralleling Lee and Clem and they even brought back Lilly. I wasn’t a fan of Lilly in season 1 and would have been perfectly content never seeing her again but now she’s basically the main focus of the season, and its not how kids take on the apocalypse, it’s more how kids handle adults. And then the events of season 2 and ANF are barely referenced. I know a lot of people had issues with these seasons, but at the end of the day they were still important parts of Clementine’s story and deserve more than just a brief reference—and yeah, i’m still really bitter that the Garcias were shoved aside after the end of ANF made it seem like Clementine would go back, and in AMAs they stated that our choices would impact season 4 and that determinant characters wouldn’t be treated as badly as they had in past seasons.

Back on the topic of Clem and AJ, it’s really clear that they want similarities between them and Clem and Lee, but it just falls kinda flat. AJ isn’t as well developed as Clementine was in season 1 and idk if it’s just me, but whenever he’s off screen i almost forget about him. The main focus of the season is supposed to be on Clementine and AJ’s bond but i’m just not really feeling it? They keep telling us that Clem cares about AJ more than anything else but it doesn’t really show like it did with Clem and Lee. Back in season 1 Clementine’s safety and feelings were always my number 1 priority, but for lack of better words, AJ is kind of expendable to me? In episode 3 when they threatened to cut off Louis’s finger i sent AJ in without hesitation, and then at the end, the only reason i originally was going to have him lower the gun was to make James happy, not to preserve his morality. Season 1 did a really good job of making the choices revolve around Clementine without it seeming forced but AJ just seems to get in the way of what could have been more interesting plot lines.

Anyways, I really liked episode 1 (until learning that Marlon wasn’t determinate). Episode 2′s pacing seemed all over the place and the romantic subplots felt rushed to me (also the fact that the walker fight at the end took me like 3 days to get past really put a damper on the episode sfjkhk). I think episode 3 was the strongest of the season and introduced a lot of interesting concepts, with James’s take on walkers and the varying Louis/Violet routes. Hopefully they manage to wrap everything up in one episode and go all out with different endings but i guess we’ll have to wait and see!!

and yeah!! you can count on me being the source for Gabe and other Garcia content i love him very much and am glad other people are enjoying my attempts to keep ANF alive :)

#lmk if there's any more specific things you want my take one:)#this just ended up as a more general rantish thing fjhkjsh #or if you disagree with me im open to hear people's opinions #emmask

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treeplays · 6 years

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OK so Telltale's Game of Thrones!

I get the impression that a lot of people didn't like this game bc it's impossible to win (blah blah "You win or you die" blah blah), but what bothers me the most is that there was no wrap up to the season, and now with Telltale's shutdown we'll never be seeing the end of the Forrester story at all :C It really sucks and I honestly don't even know why they would've done the story this way. Why not bring the characters to a conclusion all in one season? It's already difficult for them to balance branching storylines from one episode to the next, how could they possibly expect to carry it over to an entire new season?!! Branches are not Telltale's strength; just look at The Walking Dead game. Season 2 was just as on rails as the rest of their games but the ending has several different variations and Telltale themselves hyped this up with "#MyClementine". Aaaaaaand then Season 3 gives you a five-minute cutscene for every single one of them. What you care about are these characters and their individual stories you've made. What's the point of milking it out to a sequel when we know that the most important decisions CAN'T actually matter? It could've worked better in TWDG with the emphasis on who Clem became rather than the choices themselves but with TTGOT it's really frustrating bc I don't possibly see how they could've continued the story in a meaningful way without abandoning these characters. It's not just because of determinant deaths; it's because their story is not done, and yet you just know how impossible it would've been to expect Telltale to pull off a satisfying conclusion of the determinant characters in a sequel. And I want a conclusion to these characters so bad!!! I cared alot and I got really invested in the Forrester family.

What I didn't really care at all about were the actual Game of Thrones characters lmao... I mean, it was fun to see and I was very surprised that they actually got all the real actors. I guess that's why Telltale went bankrupt. LOL ok so maybe not but it really wasn't worth it. And the design difference between original characters and the tv show counterparts rlly bothered me. They just didn't look right together. Ramsay Bolton was the only one who actually seemed to almost fit in with the other models but maybe that's just bc cartoonishly evil lol. Ramsay's Episode 1 plot was great (yeah that ending got me too) but after that it's either a plothole and/or annoying. You know you can't actually do anything so why even bother? It lowers the stakes massively. Cersei and Tyrion, meh. Their performances were great but I was so distracted by wtf they would give a shit about me for lol. Same goes for Jon Snow and Daenerys for that matter. It just feels awkward for the plot to so heavily involve characters who on screen clearly had nothing to do with your characters in the game. It's fun to maneuver with Cersei & Tyrion & Margaery in the throne room, it's cool to hang out with Jon at the wall, but anything beyond those initial chats just felt cringey and awkward in that fan-service way. Spoilers ahead for the rest of the post!

I was pretty impressed with how they pulled off Rodrik and Asher in the final episode. For once a determinant character has a meaningful part to play! What annoys me tho is that that your endings are limited by who your survivor is. It's kindof funny that the sneaky strategic endgame of false surrender is only given to Asher, who I would expect would be much more inclined to Rodrik's encampment ambush. It would have been amazing if instead your options (and success!) were determined by your prior strategies and not just your survivor. Instead you could have the option to try either tactic, and how well it turns out depends on not only on how well you play to Asher or Rodrik's strengths, but also your decisions as Mira and Gared. I know what a massive amount of work that would be, but just imagine!!! And not that I wasn't happy about it but HOW IN SEVEN HELLS did Asher/Rodrik survive the Battle of Ironrath??? I mean.. I was THRILLED (one of my favorite Telltale moments yet!) but holy hell, man. This is Game of Thrones after all, as they like to say. Tell me how anyone could survive a HUGE ASS SWORD being shoved right through your entire body and then wiggled around some more and then bleeding out all over the road trotting along ko'd on a horse for hours afterwards? Like... Holy hell. The battle was such a great moment but at the same time it would've been so much more meaningful if your strategic choices actually determined the outcome.

Asher's story could've been better with stronger choices; if there was less about pleasing Dany (ugh) and more about his feelings of honor and his family. I mean.. good for him but his loyalty wasn’t even a question! Seeing his codex I thought he was going to be an antagonist. Even so, I was pretty satisfied with Asher and Rodrik's storylines. What bothers me alot tho is Mira and Gared.

No matter how carefully you played King's Landing, it doesn't matter because Mira gets a bad ending either way. I understand that the odds are stacked against her but at least give the option to feel like anything you did matters at all :/ Mira's contributions amount to a throwaway line or two "Thanks to Mira, this happened. Thanks to Mira, this didn't happen!" It's so pointless and extremely depressing.

As for Gared, I had so much fun with his story, I'm weak for the farmboy zero to hero tropes, but HE DIDN'T FREAKING DO ANYTHING!!!! We still don't even know what the North Grove is!! Besides "uhhh it's important somehow and mysterious". But we already knew that from the beginning!!! Ggghhhhh. I don't mind that it's never rlly explained, I mind that Gared takes the entire season to get there and then when he does, his final choices don't matter because the episode ends before we can even see what the consequences are. It could have easily worked if we didn't totally miss the Battle of Ironrath anyway whether he chooses to abandon the North Grove or not. But I can just see greedy CEOs rubbing their hands together like Wellllll we could actually conclude the story buuuuuut how about sequel bait instead??? GGGHHHHHHGGGGG infuriating. No matter what you did, no matter how well you strategize or how badly you messed up, you always lose Ironrath and yet are assured that this is just "the battle and not the war". But I guess now we'll never know how it turns out :(((

#telltale game of thrones #ttgot #telltale game of thrones spoilers #ttgot spoilers #telltale games

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