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stop-breaking-my-heart-telltale · 3 years

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Top 5 Reasons Javier Garcia’s Pretty Great

Of all the games in TWDG, A New Frontier seems to get the most shit. Stick around this fandom long enough and that’ll become apparently pretty quick, especially on other platforms such as reddit and instagram... and y’know, I get it. ANF is far from perfect, parts of the storyline go no where and characters don’t get the development they should have, a lot of people were upset that Clementine wasn’t the main playable protagonist, and certain character models look like... well, they look like potatoes.

Hell, I’ve talked to some people who flat out say they don’t even consider ANF as part of the canon and skip it when they replay the series, which.... harsh, but you do you. However, if you do skip over ANF for whatever personal reasons you have, you are missing out on what I would consider the best part of that game: Javier Garcia.

I love Javi, and I will stand by the fact that he’s a pretty damn good playable protagonist. I just wish more love and time was put into developing ANF to give him an even better story but y’know... Telltale was goin’ through shit, so we got this...

But, I still wanna talk about how great I think Javi is so c’mon, let’s take a walk.

5. Javi’s relationship with David

Now this might come off as a weird one, especially if your Javi has a more hostile relationship with David. Even so, I find the dynamic between Javi and David to be one of the more compelling aspects of ANF and I wish it was more front and center than it is but y’know.

So we got Javi, who is the younger, more irresponsible brother who became this hotshot baseball star only to lose it all by gambling. Then you got older brother David who is a military man with a couple kids and a second wife, and he’s always felt a little overshadowed by Javi. This creates this dynamic of brothers who do love each other, but don’t always know how to communicate and confide in one another and it can lead to a lot of tension or hostility.

The route I usually take with a Javier who tries his best with David, who wants this connection despite everything, who made the promise to their father to look out for David and be there for him, to stand with him when he needs it, y’know?

Some stand out moments for me is during the baseball flashback when David’s trying to open up about something, but struggles because Javi isn’t taking a hint about the serious nature, when they stand together on the roof, and the last conversation we see between them if David survives.

Oh, and ya can’t forget the “I love you”’s when David is two seconds away from murdering Javi... that’s the good shit.

And y’know, on the flip side where Javi is against David every step of the way, you can still argue that acts as a more tragic yet compelling story of two brothers who never saw eye to eye, never tried to, and it ended in tragedy... I personally don’t prefer this route, but to each their own.

Again, this is at #5 because it’s not handled the greatest and it’s a bit of an unpopular choice.... but I don’t care, Javi and his relationship with David is one of my favorites.

4. He’s pretty charming, isn’t he?

I’m sorry, I can’t help it.... if a charming character can make me laugh, then I almost always end up loving them. Javier Garcia is so damn funny and I love him for it.

Yeah, ANF is a mess but this dude makes it so much better with his dialogue, a great performance by Jeff Schine, great facial expressions, and just an overall charismatic air around him.

He’s just super likable, okay? Even when you play him as a total bastard, I have a hard time not enjoying his presence. I’ll be honest, if Javi wasn’t the playable protagonist or if he was this bland, watered down version of himself... I might be one of those people who skip over ANF.

He’s easily one of my favorite parts of this game and one of the few redeeming things about it.

3. His growth as a character

Like I mentioned in #5, when we first meet Javi he’s this irresponsible ex-professional baseball player who wasn’t around, even though his father was dying from cancer. After his father dies and he runs to try and make it home in time... he’s too late and David and their mother are pretty upset with him.

And then his father turns into a walker, and the apocalypse happens. Javi is now trying to survive with Kate, Gabe, and Mariana while everything goes to hell around them. But for someone known to not be around or to skip out when things get a little tough, Javi doesn’t abandon them. Nope, he stays with them for years, traveling around and surviving, making sure they have what they need.

By the end of the game? Javi’s proved to be a leader, proved that he’s better than he once was. Again, this is ANF so this growth isn’t super smooth or the greatest, but damn it, Javi makes it work.

He and his family, no matter the combo you got, are staying in Richmond and they’re going to try to start over and rebuild it, make it better than it was.... which I can only assume they succeeded because after that they were never heard from again.

Also, Javi is constantly having shit thrown his way and somehow he manages to pull through.

So good job, Javi, you did it.

2. Javi’s got a lot of force

Listen... Javi is so fun to play as. Like okay, I know that Telltale games don’t have the most complex combat system... you literally just push the buttons as they appear on screen. But I don’t care because Javi makes that fun.

Javi really puts all of his weight into each hit and you feel it. I don’t know how to explain it, but there’s something satisfying about the way Javi fights with a melee weapon, and it’s not something you feel when you play as Lee or Clementine. You do get it a few times when you place as Michonne in the mini-series, but even then, I would argue that Javi did it better.

It’s especially prominent towards the end of ep5 if you go after David and Gabe, and Javi’s on this motorcycle with his damn bat knocking over walker after walker until he finds them... then you get all this intense force when Javi is just gunning and beating down walker after walker to get to the vehicle Gabe and David are trapped in. I love it so much, it’s easily one of my favorite moments in ANF.

Don’t get me wrong, I have fun playing as Lee and Clementine, but Javier Garcia hits different, y’know?

1. He’s really trying his best to care for everyone, okay?

When we think of Lee as a playable protagonist, we tend to think about how wise he was, how he always seemed to know what he was doing and how much he was willing to sacrifice for Clementine... and when we think of Clem as a playable protagonist in S2, we’ve got this sad little girl who gets punished no matter what she does, she’s smart and often underestimated, but she makes plenty of mistakes which she learns from.

And then we have Javi who has a bit of both in him. He’s older and can have his moments of wisdom [like with Gabe and Clem] but he also has plenty of mistakes he’s gotta learn from and sometimes no matter what he does, everything goes to hell... but Javi does manage to stand out on his own among these two.

Javi does what he can, he tries his hardest to look after these kids even though he never planned to be a father figure, he works with Kate to make sure they’re safe. When he fucks up, he tries to make things right... even though it doesn’t always work out. He loves Gabe and Mariana, and you can see and feel his heartbreak when he’s the one to bury Mari after she’s killed.... and now he has Gabe, who’s hurting, and he does what he can to make sure he doesn’t meet the same fate which.... sometimes doesn’t work out depending on your ending.

I just-- he’s trying, okay? Javi is trying his best and I love him for it.

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Honorable Mentions

-Javi has some of the best deaths/fails moments... seriously, I could watch him confidently run right into those metal stairs and fall to his doom a hundred times. -He’s a literal disaster bi. -He fucking loves pudding and I mean, who doesn’t? Y’know? -His bromance with Tripp is pretty good until Tripp dies for death quota reasons.

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So what are your thoughts on Javier Garcia? Do you agree with these reasons, or do you have any to add? Lemme know, it’s always fun to have character discussions.

Have any suggestions for future T5F’s? Feel free to send ‘em in! :D

Next week’s T5F

#twdg t5f #twdg javi #twdg david #twdg gabe #twdg mariana #twdg kate #twdg clementine

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ericsonclan · 3 years

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Never Forgotten

Summary: Gabe visits Mariana's grave and decides to take Nurgul with him this time.

Word Count: 2203

Read on AO3:

Gabe stood in the chapel. The warm lights of the early afternoon pierced through the boards on the colored glass causing oranges, yellow and reds to dance upon the floor. The faint smell of wax filled the rooms as the light flickered on the white candles that lit the metal chandeliers and the different candle stands around the room. Fresh flowers were placed around the memorial of those who New Richmond had lost.

Gabe’s eyes glanced at his dad’s picture. David stood in the photo smiling by a grill, ready to celebrate a day with his family. A lump of sorrow filled Gabe’s throat and he looked away. His hands focused on taking out Mariana’s old cassette player. Slowly he placed the headphones on and pressed the play button. A happy, quiet tune began to play, one that Gabe must’ve listened to a thousand times since Mariana’s passing. Gabe took a deep breath that came out shaky as his eyes traveled up to find his sister’s picture.

He soon spotted her bright smile and her eyes that shimmered with life and hope. Extending his hand, his fingertips brushed against the picture as tears began to slip down Gabe’s face. The song swelled slightly and Gabe felt his heart sting just as sharply as the day he had lost her. After a moment of letting himself cry Gabe recomposed himself and closed his eyes. He listened to a song that Mariana had always said helped her sleep during the early days when the world had ended.

As he became lost in the song Gabe could feel his sister within the music: her hopefulness, her light, her kindness. Gabe felt his body tremble slightly with emotion as more tears slipped down his face. After a moment of focusing on his sister an old memory bubbled forth within him. Immediately Gabe reached into his jacket and pulled out a small journal. Moving his fingers to the spot where the pencil was used as a placeholder he started to jot down the memory. Gabe was so caught up in writing down all he could remember that when he felt a hand on his shoulder he jumped. Spinning around he saw Nurgul with an apologetic smile on her lips.

“Hey, Nuri,” Gabe paused the music and took off the headphones, resting them on his shoulders. Quickly he brushed away his tears.

“Sorry, I didn’t mean to scare you or interrupt your private moment,” Nurgul’s eyes moved beyond Gabe and looked at the wall of all the people lost to this cruel new world.

“It’s okay, it’s no big deal,” Gabe’s hands reached up and began to pull his beanie over his ears. Nurgul picked up on this simple action, one that Gabe tended to do whenever he lied.

“No, it was. I came to tell you that your watchduty is in an hour but I can leave now and give you your space,” Nurgul smiled at her boyfriend then turned to leave when Gabe spoke up.

“Wait,”

Nurgul stopped and glanced back at Gabe’s tear-stained face.

“I don’t mind the company,” Gabe’s hands gripped onto the journal in his hands, his eyes heavy with sadness but deep within them Nurgul could tell he genuinely wanted her here.

“Okay,” She walked back over and stood by Gabe. The two shared a small smile before Gabe resumed writing down the memory. Nurgul stared down at the journal for a moment then forced her eyes to look away. It was rude to stare and it was even ruder to be invasive.

Gabe caught her glance before she could look away though. He didn’t say anything at first and continued to write. After a few minutes he placed the pencil back in the journal, closed it then put it back in his pocket. The two stood in silence, their eyes focused on the memorial.

“I was writing down a memory. It was a stupid, silly one,” Gabe shook his head with a half-hearted laugh before sniffling. “Mari and I used to love watching Javi, my dad and Pipo, my grandpa, playing dominos. It always seemed like such a fun, competitive game even if it did make Yaya give my grandpa an earful,” Gabe smiled softly as he looked at the ground. “We used to want to play the game so badly but we were too impatient to learn the rules so we made our own. It got really competitive and silly. Mari kept making up ways for her to cheat and I would always get so grumpy whenever I lost but it was all in good fun,” Gabe inhaled sharply, trying to stop his emotions from overwhelming him once more. “I wanted to write down that since I’m the one that ended up living,” Gabe felt his throat tighten. He tried his best to not let tears slip down once more but soon they stained his face anew.

Gabe couldn’t stop the tears. He felt so alone in that moment until he felt a warmth take his hand. Glancing down, he saw Nurgul’s hand holding his. His eyes wandered up and he saw her kind, gentle smile. After taking a deep breath, Gabe continued. “Mari used to say that she wanted to write down anything and everything so she wouldn’t forget. She told me once that when she forgot a memory and it became gone, a small part of her disappeared too. So I want to honor her by writing down as many memories of her as I can.”

“I think that’s a beautiful way of honoring her,” Nurgul softly squeezed Gabe’s hand and he gave a short nod.

“I think she’d agree,” Gabe was quiet for a few seconds, waiting for the moment to pass before he asked Nurgul something. “Nuri? Would you like to come with me and visit Mari’s grave? I just think...” Gabe struggled to find the right words to express how much it would mean for Nurgul to visit his sister’s grave, even if it was just once.

“Of course, as long as you’re okay with that. I would like to pay respects to someone I’ve heard so many great stories about,”

Nurgul’s words made Gabe smile and he lifted up her hand, placing a warm kiss upon it.

“Thanks, I really appreciate it. We just have to find someone to drive us out there and grab some flowers,” Gabe placed away the cassette player and headphones and led the way out of the chapel.

“Okay,” Nurgul gently swayed their joined hands. She wanted Gabe to know she was right by his side as they stepped outside.

They were halfway through the courtyard when Gabe remembered he had watchduty. “Shit, I forgot I have watchduty in an hour. I don’t want to put pressure on this visit,” He swore under his breath and tried to shake away the frustration that was building up inside of him.

“It’s okay. I’ll ask Mia or Jimmy and see if they’re okay with switching shifts,”

“Really?” Gabe looked somewhat surprised by his girlfriend’s offer.

“Yeah, this is more important,” Nurgul got on her tiptoes and pressed a kiss to Gabe’s cheek then slipped her hand out of his. “I’ll meet you here in fifteen,”

“Okay,” Gabe gave a small wave, a happy smile on his face as he watched Nurgul run off to see if she could switch shifts for him. After waiting a moment longer Gabe walked off to find some flowers and a driver.

Fifteen minutes moved by quickly and soon Gabe was on his way back to the courtyard, two bouquets of purple and white hyacinths in his hands and Noah strolling beside him. Once he was in sight of the courtyard he noticed that Nurgul was already waiting for him. Her foot dragged absentmindedly across the ground as she patiently stood there until her gaze moved up and she spotted Gabe. Immediately a gentle warmth overtook her eyes and she gave a smile. Gabe walked forward and gave Nurgul a quick kiss.

“Any luck?”

“Yeah, Jimmy immediately said he had somewhere to be when I went to ask him but I got Mia to switch watchduty times with you.” Nurgul noticed the small flicker of annoyance in Gabe’s eyes at the news of Jimmy but it soon disappeared.

“Classic Jimmy. Glad Mia was willing to switch. I got the flowers and Noah,” Gabe held up the bouquets then motioned to Noah who gave a friendly wave.

“Hey there, just here to give you two a ride to C n C’s auto stop and make sure no crawlers get the jump on you,”

“Thank you,” Nurgul smiled at her friend and Gabe quickly added a thanks of his own.

“Heh, it's fine. Besides, isn't this the third thanks you’ve given, Gabe?” Noah teased Gabe lightly then started to lead the way to the cars. The two bantered for a while about this, both trying to get Nurgul on their side but Noah knew it was pointless to try soon enough. While Nurgul did stick by him and banter for a bit she always leaned more towards Gabe’s side.

The casual conversation lasted for a little while longer as they drove but as they approached the destination Gabe grew quiet. His hand held onto Nurgul the entire drive there, his grip slowly becoming tighter when Noah stopped the car.

“Let me just clear out those crawlers. Stay put,” Noah smiled back into the rearview mirror then got out of the car. Taking out his knife he made fast work of the living dead, their blood and brain matter soon slick on his blade and his shirt. After a few minutes he opened the car door. “Got some goop on my new shirt but besides that everything’s good. You ready?” His eyes met Gabe’s who gave a nod.

The three were shortly on their way to Mariana’s grave. A small wooden gravemarker that Javi and Gabe made stood in the pile on dirt.

As they approached the spot Gabe’s hand let go of Nurgul’s and he walked forward. “Hey there, Mari. Sorry I haven’t visited in a while. Javi gets worried whenever I come out here but don’t worry, I brought some people to watch my back. No muertos are gonna get me today,” Gabe smiled at the grave but the gesture didn’t reach his eyes. With a dry swallow he tried to find the right words, his lips parting for a moment before closing once more.

Gradually all of his walls were falling down, his emotions open and on display as he wore his heart on his sleeve. Kneeling down, he placed the bouquet of white and purple hyacinths on the grave. “I brought someone here with me today. Someone that I’ve been meaning to bring by for a while. I’ve told you a lot about her.” Gabe glanced back. “Nuri,”

Nurgul picked up on the subtle signal and walked forward. Slowly she knelt beside Gabe and placed down her own bouquet, paying respects for one that she admired deeply. “I’m glad I finally got to pay my respects. I’ve heard a lot about you. It would’ve been nice if we had gotten to meet,” Nurgul smiled at the gravemarker as tears began to trickle down her face. “I hope wherever you are you’re at peace.” She prayed that this small gesture honored the lost sister of the one she cared so much for. Nurgul stared at the grave for a moment longer before she heard sniffles beside her. Looking over, she saw Gabe blinking rapidly in a fruitless attempt at stopping his tears.

Gabe took a shaky breath when he felt Nurgul’s hand on top of his. “I think she would’ve really liked you. Probably tease me a lot about stupid shit. I wish she was here to tease me,” Gabe inhaled sharply, his voice becoming caught in his throat as copious tears fell from his eyes.

Nurgul turned to face Gabe and silently wrapped her arms around him. “Thank you for letting me visit your sister,”

Her words made Gabe’s eyes grow blurrier with tears and he grasped onto Nurgul, his emotions overtaking his body. Nurgul held onto her boyfriend tightly, letting him cry for as much time as he needed. Allowing him to show vulnerability in a world that did not always give you that luxury. Moments passed as Gabe continued to sob until he grew quiet but held onto Nurgul regardless. “Thank you for coming with me,” He whispered, his head tucked close to Nurgul’s ear.

“Of course, I’m here for you,” Nurgul held Gabe closer and he seemed to melt in her embrace.

“I’m here for you too. I’m gonna be strong,” Gabe’s words were muffled as he hid his face in her gray cardigan.

“You already are,” Nurgul whispered and soon the two of them grew quiet, enjoying the hug for as long as they could. Eventually Gabe drew back just a bit, enough to hold the gaze of Nurgul’s dark eyes in his own, and began to share more stories of Mariana while Nurgul listened, smiling softly at the tales and the fact that Gabe’s smile had finally returned to his eyes.

#twdg #twdg gabe #twdg mariana #twdg nurgul #twdg gabegul #fanfic

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kaywinette · 7 years

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Storytime

Clementine gets sick and has to stay in bed, and to make sure Clementine doesnt do anything stupid, Javi stays with her. @protectcabba2k requested some Javier and Clem bonding time and this is what I came up with! Its not the best but my excuse is that i got no sleep lastnight! Im really sorry if its not what you wanted, but I hope you enjoy it!

The last time Clementine was this sick, she had trudged through a blizzard for days, fallen into a frozen lake, then had to again trudge through the snow for who knows how much longer. Currently, she was freezing under a thick jacket and two blankets, and ultimately bedridden. Kate had Eleanor come over earlier to check up on Clem, and it turns out she just has a normal cold.

"It's really nothing to worry about. As long as she stays in bed she should be fine in a couple of days. Maybe even tomorrow if she gets enough rest." Eleanor shrugs in the doorway to Javis apartment.

"Thanks, Elle, we'll see what we can do," Kate smiles before waving goodbye to their friend. Once the door is closed she turns to Javi. "Okay, I think we both know that there no way Clementine will stay in her bed if she's here alone. Maybe I can skip my work for the day to stay with her?" Kate offers, but immediately Javi shakes his head.

"No...I can stay with her, I've taken responsibility for her, so I'll watch over her for the day." Javi smiles, and Kate just rolls her eyes.

"You're making it sound like she's a puppy you found on the streets." She laughs, "Okay fine. Just make sure to keep her fed and watered." Kate teases. She leans in to press her lips to Javis cheek. "I'll send Gabe up later to check in on you two. See you."

The apartment is silent for a few minutes after Kate leaves, and Javi thinks of what his parents use to do when he or David got the cold as kids. Recalling his Ma's soup recipe that was supposed to cure any illness in seconds, Javi moved to the kitchen. Meanwhile, Clementine was still suffering in her room. She eyed the book on the nightstand next to Gabes bed, which was across from hers. He read it every night and never seemed to get tired of it. Clementines curiosity was just about to burst at the seams. She had been wanting to ask him to read some of it to her for the longest time now, but could never build up the courage.

Slowly, she pushes herself out from all of her covers, suffling over to Gabes side of the room. She's about to pick up the book when Javi knocks on the door to her shared room. Not wanting to get scolded for being up, Clementine quickly retreats to her bed and under her covers again.

"Come in," She calls weakly to the man, who then slowly walks in.

"Heya Clem, how're you feeling?" He asks, giving the teen a smile as he walks over, holding a bowl and spoon in one hand.

"I dunno. Stuffy I guess?" Clementine shrugs, her voice a little nasally from her blocked nose.

"Yeah, you sound stuffy." Javi sends a grin, which gets a glare in response. "But hey, I made you some soup," He then holds out the bowl, and Clementine slowly takes hold of it, not wanting to spill it anywhere.

"Thanks," He actually gets a smile from the sick girl. He's about to leave the room again, but he's stopped. Clementine had reached out and grabbed him gently by his sleeve to get his attention. She opens her mouth, but seems to second guess herself. Javi watches her eyes dart between him and something on Gabes nightstand. Slowly, Javi looks over and sees Gabes book that he had carried around with him for years.

When Clementine notices that Javi figured out what she was looking at, she cringes. She has never been good at being subtle.

"Did you want to read this? I'm sure Gabe wouldn't mind, he's read this over and over again for years." Javi explains as he goes to pick up the book, flipping it over to read the title. He makes his way back over to Clems side of the room, holding the book out to her. The girl hesitates though, keeping her hands on the bowl in her lap.

"I...I want to, but I can't." The girl says with a sigh of defeat after a few moments. Javi cocks a brow at the teen, looking between her and the book like she had done moments ago.

"Clem, Gabe would gladly let you borrow the book. I'm sure he won't get upset if you read it without asking." Javi almost rolls his eyes at the girls apparent stubbornness. Clementine holds back a groan because of course Javi wouldn't get it.

"No... I mean... Javi I literally can't read it." Clementine basically whispers the end, and Javi faulters, his hand dropping to his side as he puts two and two together. The way Clem always asks someone else to read AJ his bedtime stories and the way Clem would stare at the posters for mandatory New Frontier meets for too long before turning away to find someone who knew what was going on.

"You never learned how to read?" Javi suddenly blurts out, and Clementines face flushes in embarrassment.

"I learned how to read a little!" The teen protests before faltering, "I just...kinda forgot? Its weird," She frowns, leaning back against a wall. "When I turned eleven, my old friend found a book for me, like for a birthday gift. And when I tried to read it, nothing made sense to me, like it was a different language. I guess because reading isn't exactly needed for survival, my brain just got rid of the ability." Clementine weakly explains.

Javi slowly sits next to the sick teen, who was clearly upset by the fact that she didnt knows how to read. A part of him felt warm and happy at her explanation, not because he's excited that she doesn't know how to read, obviously, but because she's sharing private information with him, which she rarely ever does. All he knows about her past is that shes been with multiple groups, and all have ended in sorrow. So the fact that she's opening up to him makes him feel like she's accepting the fact that she's a part of his family now, whether she likes it or not. Slowly he starts to turn the book over in his grip before he comes to an idea.

"I can read it to you if you want? And I can help you learn?" He offers, giving a cautious smile, which she slowly, but surely returns.

"Yeah...I'd like that," Clem responds, and Javi gets comfortable.

He moves to sit shoulder to shoulder with the teen, the book in his lap where they could both see the words, and he starts to read to her. He reads a whole chapter before its Clems turn to read aloud.

She struggles quite a bit at first, squinting at and trying to sound out words, and she often has to let Javi read them aloud to her. She then repeats a word multiple times to get used to it before moving on, only to repeat the system again on a new word. Shes surprised that Javi wasn't getting annoyed at her, in fact, he seemed to be enjoying it! Eventually, she finishes the page and leans back with exhaust.

"Cant you just read it all to me. I'm sick." She says, pulling a pout, and Javi can't believe his ears.

"Did you really just pull the sick card on me?" He asks in surprise, but she continues to pout at him, bringing a hand up to rub her neck.

"Also, can you go get me some water, my throat is dry. And an extra blanket, ooh and if we have any, some headache medicine, I think your voice is really starting to make my head hurt," She continues on, the pout fading into an amused grin at the adult's annoyance. "Please...I'm sick," She's trying to hold back a grin now as Javi stands up.

"You can be a real pain in the ass," He grumbles, taking the empty soup bowl from her lap. He goes to grab all the things Clementine asked for, but when he comes back, he's surprised to find the girl passed out and drooling on her pillow.He cants help but laugh, his annoyance fading as he sets the water bottle and pain pills down on her nightstand before covering her with the extra blanket he brought.

He makes sure to take her hat off for her, setting that on the pillow next to her head. And Javi can't help but brush some dirty hair out of her face.

"I hope you feel better soon Clem," The adult gives a smile at the sleeping teen before he makes his way to leave her room. He hears shuffling on the bed and turns to see that Clementine had turned to lay on her side, her back now facing him, but he can still hear what she has to say.

"You're a pretty good guardian Javi, thanks." She mumbles tiredly in her half asleep-half awake state.

"And you're a pretty good kid Clem," Javi responds, even though he's positive the girl's already asleep.

#Clementine twdg #Javier twdg #Javi twdg #the walking dead game #twdg #telltale the walking dead #the walking dead game fanfic #the walking dead game fanfiction #fanfiction

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altobrandy31-blog · 5 years

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Podcast: Scariest Cubs moments and the haunting of the championship window

It could be a winter of change for the Cubs, and not just on the roster.

This team may also change how it deploys the players on the roster — namely with a more set, consistent lineup in 2019.

It's something Theo Epstein addressed in his 2018 "eugoogly" presser, indicating some of the players expressed a desire for less shakeup in the daily lineup during the course of their exit interviews. Upon hearing that, a large portion of the Cubs fanbase jumped up, stood on their chairs and shouted "HEARD THAT!"

But does a set lineup even make sense in today's version of baseball?

In 2018, Joe Maddon wrote out 152 different lineups in 163 games (and that's not even factoring in the pitcher's spot). That's a bump up from 2017 (143 different lineups) and 2016 (130 lineups in the regular season of the championship year).

How does that relate to the top contenders around the league?

The last four World Series teams (2017 Astros, 2018 Red Sox and the 2017-18 Dodgers) averaged 145 different lineups per regular season. All 2018 MLB playoff teams (excluding Cubs) averaged 129.1 separate lineups throughout the regular season.

The Dodgers tallied 155 different lineups in 2018 and 147 in 2017 and they made it to the World Series both seasons. The Astros posted 144 new lineups each of the last two regular seasons while the Red Sox were at 134 lineups and the Brewers and Yankees sat at 137 lineups in 2018.

Point being: Everybody is mixing and matching nowadays. We're in a world of extreme platooning, bullpening and shifting. That means a lot of different lineups.

And it's not just a few teams doing it. The top contenders are all changing things up in terms of their lineup on a daily basis. Why would the Cubs be any different?

That being said, the Cubs were still high in 2018, even compared to the rest of that field (only the Dodgers were higher in terms of lineup tinkering). But how much of that would've changed had Kris Bryant started more than 99 games?

Maddon's most consistent lineup in 2018 (utilized 5 times) featured Bryant:

1. Albert Almora Jr. 2. Javy Baez 3. Kris Bryant 4. Anthony Rizzo 5. Willson Contreras 6. Kyle Schwarber 7. Addison Russell 8. Jason Heyward 9. Pitcher

But that lineup was never used after May 30, when Bryant's shoulder injury became an issue.

There are plenty of other factors that contributed to the lineup tinkering throughout the 2018 season, including Baez's ascension, playing time for Ben Zobrist and Ian Happ, the emergence of Heyward in the order, the addition of Daniel Murphy to the lineup late in the year and then the downturn of a slew of guys in the second half (Almora, Contreras, Russell, Happ).

It was easier for Maddon to write out a lineup in 2017 when the heart of the order was the same (Bryant-Rizzo-Contreras) for much of the season and even simpler yet in 2016 with a stable leadoff hitter (Dexter Fowler).

The 2018 Cubs roster was built like this by design — to have players like Zobrist and Happ rotate in and out based off necessity, playing different positions and capable of hitting anywhere in the lineup.

The main reason they even won 95 games and still held a share of first place after 162 regular season games was due to that incredible depth built to withstand injuries and only one off-day in the final 5-6 weeks of the season. So knocking the Cubs' lack of lineup stability is also knocking the exact depth that gave them one of the best records in the game.

"The fact that we have more than eight everyday-caliber players to throw out there and we have depth, first of all, it's a huge part of what's helped us win 95 games this year, what's helped us average 97 games the last four years — more than anyone in baseball," Epstein said. "Because when you lose Addison Russell, Javy Baez slides over [to shortstop] and Zobrist slides to second base. And when you lose Kris Bryant and David Bote's there to fill in and player after player.

"The alternative to that is overexposing a reserve or forcing a Triple-A or Four-A type player into that role and that hurts the team and that hurts your ultimate goal. That said, there is a price to pay sometimes with players not knowing they're in the lineup every day and not having that confidence where they can just go out and play and develop at their own pace, that they're sometimes wondering if they have to get that hit today to be in the lineup tomorrow. That's something that you wrestle with, so it's a cost-benefit analysis.

"Honestly, I think the right thing for the organization overall is to have too many good players instead of not enough or instead of eight guys for eight spots and then the second you suffer one or two injuries, your whole season's down the tubes. But I think it's fair to ask ourselves — can we handle it better? Do we need to communicate more? Do we need to spread the playing time around a little bit differently? Do we need to consider lineup issues differently? Is there a way we can get everyone on the same page with it more? So players don't have any questions or doubts so we get the benefit of certainty while still having a surplus. ... Looking at our team, it's the depth of really quality players we have that's kept us afloat at many times."

For years, Maddon's policy has been to let players know the day before what the lineup will be for the next game so they can prepare physically and mentally. He's always been focused on trying to develop the young position players while also trying to win on a consistent basis.

That doesn't mean Maddon or the Cubs can't learn from how 2018 played out and handle it better in the future, as Epstein admitted.

But it still comes down to the roster. Who on this team should play every single day and hit in a consistent spot in the batting order? Bryant, Rizzo and Baez are the only three that come to mind at the moment.

Zobrist will be 38 in 2019, Contreras needs time to rest as a catcher, Schwarber struggles against left-handed pitchers and Almora simply hasn't hit well enough in his career to warrant everyday playing time despite his stellar defense in center field.

The case for a stable lineup makes plenty of sense, especially with young players. But with the current roster construction and no discernible leadoff hitter, it's much harder to execute.

Before the Cubs can climb into the Cleveland Indians territory (they utilized only 105 different lineups in 2018 and just 101 in their World Series season of 2016), Epstein and Co. need to alter the roster, though that's exactly what may be happening this winter...

Source: https://www.nbcsports.com/chicago/cubs/podcast-scariest-cubs-moments-haunting-championship-window-bryant-heyward-schwarber-harper

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mollieflockka · 8 years

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TM2 RANT

Hi guys! I know its been a very long time since I’ve posted any TM or TM2 recaps or rants but I’ve decided to start again because who doesn’t love hearing my judgmental opinion on a bunch of people none of know personally!? That being said, also know this: I’m well aware this show was filmed last year and I’m also aware that these opinions are based off of what we see on the show/IG/twitter ect. None of us know Leah, Chelsea, Jenelle or Kailyn in real life (although if you’ve watched the show since day one, we might feel like we do) so our opinions and things we say really are invalid. However, these people put their lives on television so in that case, they are putting themselves out there for judgement. (some more than others…) so here we go!

s7ep18

Watching Jenelle constantly disrespect her mother is sometimes painful. Bab’s isn’t perfect but she deserves some respect. She is raising Jenelle’s child, which in my opinion, no grandparent should have to do. I give credit where it’s due and I think we can all agree Jenelle has come a long way and as far as we all know, she is no longer using but that doesn't change her mean spirited personality. Also, I think Nathan knows something we don’t and I’m staring to think that David might be a very controlling, angry person. He does show some signs of an abuser BUT I will not go as far as to call him one because as I stated above, none of us know what really goes on. The fact that these two have multiple baby mommas and daddies is a huge mess but I guess there are worse things in the world. Do I personally find it kinda nasty/irresponsible? Absolutely. Maybe she was embarrassed and that’s why she was trying to hide it. But either way, whats done is done. (Super done now because didn’t she just squeeze this baby out like last week?) Now on another note, someone needs to teach Jace some fucking table manners. He is beyond old enough to know how to eat like a human being. While I was grossed out by the scene in question, I was still paying attention. This little boy knows wayyy too much about the legal problems between Jenelle and Babs and they are both at fault here. Jenelle bad mouths Babs all the time right in front of Jace and we hear Babs say things like “Mommy and David don’t want me around.” I am 100% sure this confuses the shit out of the poor kid and you can always, always tell he would rather be with Barbara, which only makes sense because he has lived with his grandmother his whole life. That is the home he knows. Jenelle needs to understand that removing Jace from his environment now will proabably result in some mental trauma/confusion/behavioral problems and I think that a judge would feel the same way. Jenelle has turned her life around, we can all see how well she is doing but that doesn't excuse how selfish she was for the first seven years of Jace’s life. She will eventually have to find a way to make that up to him and popping out 93023954 more kids and trying to make him live like nothing bad ever happened is not it. I think Chelsea and Cole have absolutely made the right decision about putting off the wedding. Planning for a baby and a wedding at the same time sounds like some very stressful hell and I totally get what she means about wanting to pictures to look a certain way. I know for me personally, I’d wanna be at my smallest for my wedding so having a big ol baby belly probably isn’t her idea of perfection either. Aubree is adorable and Cole is great. I really never have anything bad to say about Chelsea (though I’m sure she’s not perfect and has her own issues) From what we are shown, things look great. All that being said, can someone please punch Adam in his dumb fucking face? He is a loser with nothing to show for anything except having a nice body. That’s literally it. Hes a complete douche sandwich with the personality of a stiff sock and his girlfriend looks like a huge bitch. Adam acts like MTV owes him something when they definitely don’t. I have never seen him doing or saying anything nice since Chelsea’s episode of 16 and pregnant. He acts as if the viewers would give a shit if he stopped filming and I think most people would agree with me that seeing less of Adam would not break our hearts in the least. How dare he bitch and moan about 900 dollars in child support when that’s literally all he does for Aubree is pay for material shit? That’s great and helpful, but it’s not being a dad. Leah is boring me this season, not gonna lie. But the girls seem much better behaved now that she has her life straightened out. (I wish she would clean her fucking car though...) But good for her, she seems to be okay for the most part. I think Cory is a great dad but I think he maybe be in a little bit of denial about Ali’s condition. Should he have faith in her and in her doing things on her own? Absolutely 100% but he should also probably be prepared for what could happen. However, everyone deals with that kind of situation differently and I think for now this is his defense mechanism. As far as uprooting the girls from their classmates, I’m on Cory’s side and I’m glad he held his ground so the girls wouldn't have to go to a whole new school with kids they don’t know. But props to Leah for not starting a fight over it. Seriously, she’s come a long way. I have no doubt that if that would have been up for debate a few years ago, Leah would have been a big crying, screaming mess over not getting her way. I am so rooting for her and for this family. I really think they’re great people and they, to me, are the most relatable out of the series. FUCKING Kailyn....what in the name of all that is holy has happened to this girl? I remember watching Kail’s episode of 16 and pregnant and feeling awful for her. Her mom was (is?) a horrible bitch who should have been there for her the whole time. Jo was acting like a total dick at the time, which, now, looking back I kind of get. He was a sixteen year old boy with a kid on the way. (And I don’t say the same of Adam because he, unlike Jo still hasn’t grown up.) We watched as Kail struggled more, in my opinion, than any of these other girls. As Teen Mom came out, I remember seeing Kail do every fucking thing on her own. Getting into her little, tiny, place. Getting a job. Going to school. Getting a car. I will ALWAYS give Kail credit because she literally started from the bottom and she did work for everything in her life, on her own. For a while she was one of my favorite Teen moms because I loved watching her blossom and grow as a person and keep her life on track with no support. FAST FORWARD to now (or last year, rather, since that's when all this was going down.) what a difference I see in her! And not a positive one. Plastic surgery and MTV money have very clearly gone to her head. We all know she cheated on Javi first and that’s not even the fucking point anymore. Forget all the drama between the two of them. NO ONE (other than Jo and Vee, obviously) is taking two seconds out of their life to worry about how this is all affecting Isaac. It’s not hard to tell that Isaac is a very sensitive, sweet little guy with a huge heart and I was honestly fighting back tears watching Jo try to explain this current situation to him. Thanks to Jo, I think Isaac has a shot at some sanity here but if this was all left up to Kail, I don’t think she’d know how to handle his emotions. AND the reason for that is this; Kail doesn’t handle her own emotions. She was said before that she is robot. In my opinion, Kail has endured so much trauma and abandonment herself that she probably needs a fair amount of therapy to learn how to feel the things that she needs to feel. It is so heartbreaking to watch this family fall apart, but it is even more heartbreaking to hear Isaac say out loud that he is not okay, that he is scared and he doesn’t understand. I don’t think anyone should stay married if they are unhappy. That’s not healthy for anyone. But I think everyone involved needs to put themselves in Isaac’s shoes. He was been waiting for what seems like years to him for Javi to come home. Javi gets home, and then leaves again. He comes and visits, takes the boys places and then leaves again. How can Kail honestly believe that Isaac is just going to be okay? She is setting this poor little boy up for so many issues and I don’t think she even notices. Kail is strong, yes. And she’s been though a lot but I think she needs to realize that Isaac may not be as strong emotionally as she is trying to force him to be. On a lighter note, Javi’s friend is ridiculously hot.

Until next time, guys. <33

#tm2 #teen mom 2 #leah messer #kailyn lowry #jenelle evans #chelsea deboer #chelsea houska #opinions #rant #recap

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bulbsanta06-blog · 6 years

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Does a consistent, stable lineup even make sense for the Cubs in 2019?