#twdg motor inn

[mischievouslittlewriter]

hi!

do you write for Ben and Aasim?

I’d like to request them with an S/O who’s normally tired. Sometimes, even falling asleep against them or something

Hi there, I'll give writing as them a shot, I'm so sorry if it's OOC.

Ben and Aasim with an S/O who’s normally tired (even falling asleep against them!)

Ben

"Yeah, I don't blame you.."

I mean, surviving and fighting for your life everyday isn't easy.

He had to admit, sometimes he was worried you were sick, or something.

You weren't.

Just really bloody tired.

If you've ever got lookout duty, but you're feeling exhausted,

He'll take it for ya.

He'd sit in those freezing temperatures, nipping at his skin in the dead of night.

Just to make sure you don't pass out, or get sick.

God knows how tired you'd be if you got sick.

"It's so they don't go to sleep on watch. I don't want walkers creeping up."

That's what he says.

Whenever he's questioned, anyway.

He's a naturally jumpy lad.

And especially these days,

When anything could be the rotting, decomposing hand of an ugly ass walker,

He rarely took any chances.

The poor boy jumped out of his skin when he felt a pressure against him.

Was it a walker?

Did he break something?

Is someone attacking him?

He'd look over, hesitating.

Oh.

It was you, asleep.

You'd leant into his shoulder.

He didn't understand how it was comfortable, honestly.

But as long as you were fine, he was too.

Ben grabbed the nearest blanket, slightly worn from use.

Wrapping it around your figure.

He put his arm around you.

"Making sure they won't fall. that's all.."

He'd tell himself.

Sure, Ben. Sure.

He resumed watch, keeping an eye out.

Tapping his fingers on his knees,

Hoping the darkness would disguise the definite blush. 

It wasn't just that.

You trusted him.

HIM.

The screw up, the new guy.

He didn't understand. 

Nobody understood a lot these days, he supposed.

But for the first time,

In what felt like a while..

He smiled.

..................................

Aasim

"Are they gonna fall asleep during hunting, or something?"

That'd be what he'd first think,

But he'd shake that thought out of his head.

You weren't irresponsible.

Just more tired than the others.

And hey, who was he to judge?

This world could be hard.

There's not always time for a nap. 

He'd find himself unconsciously keeping an eye on you,

Whenever you were asleep, that is.

He's not a creep.

He's making sure nobody disturbs you.

That's one of the first things that set of alarm bells.

When someone else fell asleep, he was never that interested in making sure they weren't woken up.

What was so different with you?

"They've been working extra hard. They deserve the rest."

That's what he'd say to himself, every time.

An affirmation.

Quit the bullshit, Aasim.

He was writing in his journal,

When he felt a pressure against him.

He knew you were next to him before.

Were you peeking into his book?

Nah.

You wouldn't do that.

He was correct, you weren't.

You'd fallen asleep.

Leaning against HIM.

"Oh.."

Never fear, reader.

This wasn't a disappointed "oh".

He took a moment to pause.

Breathing in sharply,

Looking around.

The others would tease him endlessly if they saw.

But when it came to you,

He didn't necessarily mind.

Plus, the others were busy themselves.

Mostly playing card games, but eh.

He grabbed one of the blankets,

Which was abandoned on the nearby step.

Slowly putting it over you.

He didn't want to wake you.

And, with another furtive glance to the surroundings, 

He put his arm around you.

You looked so peaceful in your sleep.

Not stressed at all.

It was a nice change.

He glanced up at the sky above Ericsons,

The stars lining the sky.

He wasn't Violet, star gazing on a rooftop, 

But it was pretty.

And, adding to the already present blush on his face,

He couldve sworn a group of stars lined up,

Creating a small image.

A heart.

[dostarve]

Ever since I finished TWDG season 1 two days ago I can’t stop thinking about it. There is something wrong with me. I need to lay on the ground and stare at the ceiling for a while or something

[terrak0]

Why do the telltale characters in the road to survival game have such badass outfits

[badgersighted]

been playing through TWDG after like 10 years and I decided to draw a really self-serving idea of "what if every child throughout the series made it to Ericsons with Clem"

Duck is not a smart man but he's exceptionally loyal. His lack of wit is countered by his raw strength, despite losing a hand all the way back at the motor inn. At Ericson's he'd probably hang around with the likes of Mitch and Willy. Totally has his dad's hat somewhere.

Becca is the local pain in the ass. Constantly breaching the safe zone and acting primarily in her own interests, few people actually like her but can't deny her capability; she's good to have around in a fight. She's come to respect Clementine's resourcefulness but would never admit it.

Sarah stays firmly within the walls of the school, but that doesn't mean she doesn't pull her own weight. Following in her father's footsteps she's the closest the school has to a doctor now. She'll hang close to Clementine but also gets along with Ruby and Aasim.

Gabe Garcia is the local sadboy. He's not as moody as he was in Richmond, but he's still a little mopey and insists on stepping up. Despite her protests he's very protective of his sister, and still harbors a soft spot for Clementine - so naturally doesn't get along with Louis/Violet.

Mariana Garcia is young but capable, and weirdly well adjusted and mature for her age - she's younger than Gabe but feels like the older sister. After the New Frontier shot her eye out she hasn't been as active in a fight but she'll still insist on pulling her weight while knowing her limits. Gets on with everyone.

James Fairbanks is the oldest known surviving member of his family (unless Sam is still out there) and is brutally protective of his younger brother, Alex. Has a mutual respect with Clem and is very good at setting traps outside the school.

Alex Fairbanks would probably like to fight walkers more but James prefers he'd stick to supply runs and stay on watch. He feels stuck at the kids' table and wants to do more to help, but is at a loss on how to do so.

[defenitelydiscord]

The fact that in the twdg timeline when Clementine was at the motor inn with Lee, cannibal mess and all, Javi and his family were leaving their home😭😭

[connorswhisk]

doodlebug - autistic!clementine, seasons 1&2

for @lonlonmilck - i hope you enjoy! i absolutely LOVED writing this one :)

if you'd like to request a twdg fic, shoot me an ask!

also on my ao3

After they leave Lilly behind, Clementine sort of…shuts down, for a minute. Kenny, Katjaa, and Duck all stay up front in the RV, and Lee goes to speak with them. While he’s gone, Clem considers joining Ben at the table and seeing how he is, but something tells her Ben doesn’t want to talk to anyone right now.

She wishes Carley were still here. Carley was always nice to hang around, she used to find leaves around the motor inn for Clementine to do her rubbings with. Clem longs to feel a pencil beneath her fingers again, a piece of powdery pink chalk in her hands, but her body doesn’t seem to want to cooperate on that front.

She’s scared. She’s been scared this whole time. But right now, she feels the most terrified she’s ever been. Worse than Sandra, and the walkers at the drugstore, and even worse than when she’d crawled out of the vent in the St. Johns’ barn and seen the horrible room full of blood and blades waiting for her. This, somehow, is so much worse than any of that.

When Lee tells her Duck’s been bitten, Clem gets angry.

“I thought he was just tired, and that’s why he didn’t want to talk to me today.” She scowls. “I didn’t know he was stupid enough to get bit. ”

“Clem,” Lee says. Concern laces his tone. “You know it isn’t anyone’s fault. These things…they happen, now. It’s how the world is.”

“But he’s my friend, ” says Clem, and suddenly she’s crying just like the whiny little baby she is, hot tears splashing out and down her cheeks. “I don’t want him to go…”

“We don’t know everything about these yet,” Lee reassures her, a hand on her shoulder. If it were anyone other than Lee touching her, Clem would recoil; but it is Lee, so she leans into it, not away. “Duck could bounce back. We could still find a way to help him.”

But the way he talks makes it sound like Duck is already dead.

I wouldn’t have let your friend get bit, says the stranger on the walkie talkie. If I were there, he’d still be alive and playing with you.

The worst part is that Clem has no idea whether or not to believe him.

– – –

Lee dies, and Clementine nearly doesn’t make it out of Savannah. Not after him, not after the stranger and his bowling bag, not after her Mom and Dad - she leaves Lee, because she has to, but she gets stuck at the door and can’t bring herself to open it.

Because if she opens it, he’s really gone. And all the walkers outside - they’re loud, moaning and groaning and wailing all over the place, the swarm they brought down with them when they took the train. Before it had been easier; Lee had smeared the guts on her, Lee had held her hand and kept her close as they moved through the crowded, jostling pack. Now, she’s alone. She has to freshen the entrails herself, and the smell and the feeling of them all slippery and warm beneath Clem’s fingers nearly makes her puke. She has no hand to hold, and for one fleeting moment, she thinks it might be easier to just stay here. With him.

But that’s not what Lee would have wanted. And Christa and Omid are out there somewhere, waiting for her. She has to find them.

She has to find them.

So she opens the door, and she holds her palms against her ears.

– – – 

“Do you blame me?” Clem asks. “It’s my fault he’s gone.”

“I don’t blame you,” Christa tells her, and Clem knows that she lies.

– – – 

“I think you’ll get along well with Sarah,” Pete tells her, even though they’re still convinced it’s a walker bite and Luke refuses to carry her any longer.

“Who’s Sarah,” asks Clem, rather dully. Her arm hurts like a motherfucker; she can still hear Sam’s dying whine from when she slid the knife beneath his matted yellow fur.

“She’s another girl,” Luke tells her. “Bit older than you, but sweet. You guys might have some things in common.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?” Clementine demands, and Luke blanches. 

“I didn’t mean - only that - “

Pete saves him. “She could just really use a friend closer to her own age,” he says kindly. “I bet you could, too.”

The last age-appropriate friend Clem had was Duck, and Duck got bit. She doesn’t exactly have high hopes for this Sarah kid, either. Really, she shouldn’t be making any friends, because they’ll all just leave her eventually, and then she’ll be alone again. 

Maybe she’s the common denominator. Maybe, if she lets people be, no one else will have to die. 

But she knows on her own, she wouldn’t survive.

Sarah is sweet, it’s true, and nice enough, but she doesn’t get it. She’s never killed a walker and when Clem tries to teach her how to use a gun, Sarah nearly shoots her right between the eyes.

“Don’t point that at me!” Clementine exclaims. “You never, ever point a gun at someone, even if you know it’s not loaded! If you keep doing that, you’re going to get someone killed.”

Sarah shrinks in on herself. She lowers the pistol, embarrassed. “Ok,” she whispers, the grimy lenses of her crimson glasses fogging up with unshed tears. “I’m sorry. Just…please don’t shout at me.”

Clem hadn’t even realized she’d been yelling. She hadn’t meant to hurt Sarah’s feelings, it’s only that she has to know these things. If Lee hadn’t taught Clem everything he had, she wouldn’t still be alive. She knows that.

And Sarah is sweet, even if she’s naive. Clementine doesn’t want her to die. “Why can’t you tell me who that guy at the door was?!” Clem demands, and Sarah wilts and bites her fingernails and says, “I’m sorry I’m sorry I just - I can’t remember!”

Clem sighs; she pulls Sarah into a hug and holds her there until she calms down again.

Jane is blunt, like her. Jane knows how hard it is to lose the ones you care about, to be left all by your lonesome. Clem likes her, likes that she’s smart enough to use the guts as a disguise and flirt with Troy ‘til the walkers get him. She admires Jane’s poker face, and her short-chopped hair, and how she teaches Clem to take them out at the knee so it’s easier to reach their skulls.

But then Jane wants to leave Sarah in the trailer home. And Clem understands - more than anyone bar Carlos, and Carlos is gone - that Sarah can be difficult, but Jane’s so quick to abandon her for dead that Clementine starts to worry, and not just for her friend.

If Jane hates Sarah, and Sarah and Clementine are alike, at least a little bit…does that mean Jane hates Clementine, too?

“I’m sorry,” Jane tells her, after Sarah’s screams stop and all Clem can hear from below is the wet sounds of feasting on flesh. “I tried to save her, I really did, I know she was your friend…I tried to save her, Clementine.”

And Clem knows that she lies.

– – – 

The first time she ever holds AJ in her arms, he stops his fussing and stares up at her with such innocent, big brown eyes that Clem nearly chokes on her own tongue right then and there. She passes him back to Rebecca and wonders what the hell a look like that is supposed to mean, from a new-born baby who’ll never know the way things used to be before the dead started walking.

At Wellington, alone in their room, he is all she has. Jane is dead, Kenny left them behind to stay safe. AJ doesn’t talk yet. He barely even gurgles. All he seems to do is cry - when he’s hungry, when he needs his diaper changed, when he’s tired and he can’t fall asleep. Clem stays up with him in the night, loses her own sleep to make sure he gets his. She shushes him and rocks him in her arms and hums him little songs until those brown eyes flutter shut and he finally drifts off to bed.

She’s exhausted, and she’s almost as lonely as she was before. She looks down at the baby in her arms and feels…nothing. Nothing except for the guilt, and that she can’t do anything about.

Then one night, AJ hands her a doodle, balled up and crumpled in his meaty little fist. It’s nothing more than a few scribbles, mixtures of yellow and green crayon that blend to make a muddy brown. The colors of the leaves right at the end of summertime. He doesn’t make a sound as he gives it to her, but when she takes it in her hands, she knows it’s hers and hers alone.

“Thank you,” she tells him, softly, feeling more vulnerable than she has in months, and her tears catch in his tiny curls as she presses the first of many, many kisses to her goofball’s forehead.

[thecrusadercomrade]

Was just playing S1 E3 when I thought of this, and I've decided to make this an open question to TWDG fans: what location do you associate most with each season? My list goes something like this:

Season 1: The motor inn. We actually spend very little time here (on-screen, not chronologically), but to me the motor inn has always been THE location of the first season. It's our base of operations, the only real one we ever have during the season, and it's something the characters are clearly invested in, which makes me invested as well. Often I think of ways they could've made the motor inn work more long-term, or at least have had an easier time while they were there.

Season 2: Howe's, definitely. We only get it for one episode, but it feels like a much bigger part of the season than it is. There's a lot of character to the location, from the pen to the armory to the flimsy-looking expansion, as well as the announcements Carver makes using the loudspeakers. This is where the season is at the peak of its story in my opinion, with one of the best villains in the series and a lot of interesting things going on. I wouldn't have minded spending a lot more time here, getting to learn more about the community outside of Carver and a few guards.

A New Frontier: Prescott. It's one of the few non-villainous communities we get to really see in the series, which automatically makes it pretty interesting. It reminds me of something from Fallout, the way it's built around an old airstrip with junky-but-functional walls. It even has a functioning bar, as well as an (admittedly shady) bartering system. I wish we could've seen more things like this as the series progressed, the world slowly putting itself back together the best it can. Shame it got destroyed.

The Final Season: Ericson's. This one is pretty obvious, since we spend the vast majority of the season there. To make it more specific, I'll say that the courtyard is what I associate most with the season. It's pretty much the hub area anytime we're there, providing a nice chance to interact with everyone. It would've been so cool if the development team had been able to do their original idea of reclaiming parts of the school over time, but I'm happy with what we ended up getting.

What about you all? I'd love to hear some other peoples' opinions on this.

[ericsonclan]

Y’know playing through the first episode of the first season of TWDG made us realize something. They really missed out on giving Doug another good moment by not having him be part of the group that tries to save the girl in the Motor Inn. We love having Glenn in the episode and he’s great but it would’ve been cool to have Doug show off some more of his smarts and have a moment where Lee, Carley and Doug were a trio. 

Idk we just think it could’ve been cool

[akiakianna]

The Walking Dead Game OneShot: That Little Girl

Hello! A new one shot of the first season of TWDG, based on a minor line Larry says at the end of the first episode that is never really explored, which sucks! Soooo Enjoy!

Main Characters: Lilly, Larry, Clementine.

Minor Character: Katjaa, Duck.

Mentioned Characters: Lee, Kenny, Carley, Lilly’s Mother.

Setting: Motor Inn, Season 1, a few weeks after episode

It was a quiet day at the Motor Inn, as Lee, Kenny and Carley were on a scavenging trip and Katjaa was playing with Duck in their room. Lilly was on top of the RV with her gun resting on her lap, on the lookout. Larry was on the far end of the Motor Inn, helping fortify the wall and little Clementine was playing around with a ball quietly. Lilly looks down at Clem and smiles seeing her before she looks over at Larry. He was grunting as he struggles to hold up a wall against the fence. Lilly sighs and looks back at Clem.

“Hey, Clem?” Lilly calls down.

Clementine looks up at Lilly “Yeah, Lilly?”

“Can you do me a favor and keep an eye out in case something wrong? I’m gonna help my dad with the wall.” Lilly tells her.

Clementine smiles more “Yeah, I will! Don’t worry!”

Lilly nods gratefully and jumps off the RV and walks over to her father, grabs the board, and starts helping, much to Larry’s surprise, and he looks over at Lilly.

“Lilly? What are you doing?” He asks her.

“Helping. Saw you had trouble with the wall.” Lilly smiles.

Larry sighs “I can handle this Lilly.”

“I know, I know, but it doesn't hurt to have some extra hands,” Lilly assures him.

Larry huffed “Oh, alright.”

Clementine was still kicking the ball, smiling as she got some air with it. She walks backward a little and readies a kick, before rushing toward the ball and slamming her leg against it, causing the soccer ball to fly upwards and lands over the fence, and Clementine looks upset.

“Oh, shoot!” Clementine frowns.

She looks over to Lilly and Larry, who was helping with the wall a fair bit away from them. Clementine starts walking over to the gate, trying not to make noise.

“I'll just slip out and grab my ball. They won't notice.” Clementine says to herself.

She pushes the gate ever so open so she can slip out of the gate, looking around and she sees the ball on the other side of the road. She smiles and walks over quickly, grabbing the ball and lifting it up. She looks down and wipes away some dirt, before she hears something that makes her look up. She screams. A walker bursts out of the tree line and rushes towards Clem.

“AHHH!” Clem runs towards the gate with the walker approaching fast.

Clementine gets to the gate and pops onto the other side before she suddenly gets grabbed by the hair from a claw. The walker was partially past the gate, grabbing onto Clem’s hair and tries pulling her towards it. She screams more as she tries to get out of its gasp. Suddenly, a hand grabs her by the side, pulling her ahead and out of the grasp of the walker. She falls onto the ground and looks up, seeing Lilly helped her.

Larry was already beside the walker ad shoved an axe straight down onto the walker’s head, ending the attack. Clementine breathes heavily, looking at the corpse as Lilly comforts her and Katjaa rushes out of the apartment and goes over as Larry yanks the axe out.

“Clem, are you ok?!” Katjaa asks, kneeling at her side.

Clementine nods “Y-Yeah! I’m okay! Really!”

“WHAT THE HELL WERE YOU THINKING?!” Larry yells at her immediately.

The three girls jump back from Larry’s booming voice as Clementine looks scared “I-I-!”

“YOU COULD HAVE GOTTEN YOURSELF KILLED! DON’T YOU KNOW THAT?!” Larry shouts.

“I-I’m sorry!” Clementine apologies tearfully “I-I just wanted to get my ball!”

“YOU COULDN’T HAVE TOLD ME OR LILLY TO GET IT?!”

“Stop it, Larry, you’re upsetting her!” Katjaa sternly tells him.

“Dad. Please. It was an accident and Clem didn’t know better,” Lilly stands up “Please…calm down.”

Larry looks angered more and then sigh, shaking his head “You’re not hurt kid?”

“N-No.” Clementine shakes her head.

He sighs again “Okay. Go and color with Kenny’s kid or something, and stay away from the wall.”

Clementine nods and stands up, walking away quietly with Katjaa, was was comforting her. Lilly stares at her dad as Larry growls, gripping the bridge of his nose.

“That girl is gonna lose a leg if she keeps wandering around.” Larry sighs. Lilly crosses her arms “Did you have to do that dad? It’s just a little girl.”

“That little girl almost let a dead thing into the place. It could have killed someone!” Larry defends.

“It could have! But it didn’t! And she didn’t know.” Lilly sighs.

Larry crosses his arms “She could have gotten killed, or…bitten.”

“God forbid.” Lilly mutters to herself.

“Well, I’m not suppose to be responsible for the kid, it’s not my fault Lee goes on so many trips and leaves her behind! Some guardian I’d say!” Larry rolls his eyes.

Lilly frowns “Don’t be like that. Lee is doing just as hard as all of us to keep this place running. He’s trying to protect her. He’s a good person.”

Larry chuckles under his breath “You would think.”

Lilly sighs, crossing her arms as she leans against the gate “Raising a kid is hard dad. I think you would know that.”

Larry stays silent, before he sighs, shutting his eyes “I know, Lilly…”

Lilly pats Larry’s back, smiling “I know you just want to protect her, we all do. She’s the youngest kid here and, I gotta admit, she’s a joy to be around.”

Larry chuckles, his face softening “Yeah, you got me there.”

Lilly looks at Larry with a small expression “Just take it easier, ok? Don’t be yelling at the kid, ok?”

Larry nods “Ok, Lilly. I won’t. I promise.”

Lilly pats his back “I’m gonna go back to lookout.”

Larry nods back, smiling “I’m gonna get back to work.”

“Don’t strain yourself too much.” Lilly warns.

“Stop worrin’ about me so much.” Larry waves off as he walks away back to the end of the Motor Inn.

Lilly sighs as she watches Larry before she glances back at the door of Katjaa’s room. She looks around before she walks over to it, knocking on the door. “Come in,” Katjaa calls from the door.

Lilly enters the room and sees Katjaa on the bed as Duck and Clem were on their knees, coloring with some crayons and paper. Clementine looks over at Lilly and smiles as Duck didn't look up from his paper.

“Hey Lilly.” Clementine gives a small smile, although she still looked fast.

“Hey there Clem. How are you feeling?” Lilly walks over and kneels down.

Clementine frowns a bit “I uh, I’m feeling ok.”

”I’m so sorry for what happened with uh, my dad,” Lilly apologizes “He didn’t mean to fly off the handle at that, y'know?”

Clem nods “I know, but, he can be really scary.”

Lilly chuckles “Yeah. Very. But he’s….he cares for you. He wants you to be safe, like…like Lee.”

She smiles and then frowns “But….your dad hates Lee.”

Lilly nods a little, looking down, before sighing “Yeah, he does…but...y’know, it’s just…pettiness. Like with uh…high school drama. Y’know what that means, right?”

She giggles “Yeah, I guess. So, he does care?”

“Yeah, he does care. He just uh..he has his way of showing love to people. He’s protective. He was always protective of me when I was your age. He never let me talk to boys until I was 15 and even then he was a firm eye.” Lilly chuckles.

Clementine smiles more “How about your mom? Why isn’t she with you and Larry?

Lilly pauses, and she felt a small prick in her heart as she stayed silent, thinking. Clementine frowns.

“O-Oh. I’m sorry, I don’t wanna upset you-”

“No, no. It’s fine. Really…” Lilly sighs “My mother passed when I was 12. She had cancer, late stage, so doctors didn’t find anything until it was too late.”

“Oh, I-I am so sorry to hear,” Clementine frowns “Was…she a good mom?”

Lilly groans happily “Oh, she was a super mom! The kindest, warming, cheery woman I’ve ever met. My dad took her passing the hardest. But he’s….he’s trying. So if he gets angry, don’t blame him, ok?”

Clementine smiles “Ok, Lilly. Thank you.”

Lilly pats Clementine’s head and stands up as Katjaa gives a small smile and nods at Lilly who goes over to the door and exits out. She shuts the door and stays silent, looking around in case anyone sees her. When she sees that the coast is clear she cracks and starts crying, unable to contain her tears as she quietly sobs for herself. She falls on one knee for a moment before, in a couple of seconds, she regains her composure, standing back up and wiping away the tears.

“Stay strong Lilly. Do it for all of them.”

[incorrect-twdg-because-i-can]

Lee: [holding up a picture of Clementine] Have you seen my daughter?

Carley: Come to think about it, not since the morning. Is she missing?

Lee: Oh, no, she’s fine. She’s playing with Duck right now, but I just want people to look at her. Isn’t she perfect?

[angeltannis]

I think it’s interesting how they’re framing the kids vs. the adults in this season. The kids are clearly meant to be the new hope for the world (especially factoring in Tenn’s speech about the world going in cycles). They’re forming a collective and trying to work together and resolve things without “acting like adults”. Meanwhile the adults, symbolically spearheaded by a character from Clementine’s distant past, are stuck in the past and trying to bring back the old world with its wars and imperialism and violence to solve all its problems. The U.S flag on Lilly’s jacket sticks out to me as a symbol, too. There’s no real United States anymore. She’s living in the past. 

I think this season is going to show that the children of the apocalypse will inherit this new world and thrive in it, while the adults who don’t adapt will keep killing each other until they’ve all died off. 

[mischievouslittlewriter]

The temptation to start a blog like an "ask the twdg characters!" because there's like one in existence and they haven't posted in ages and I need to do something to motivate me to draw. Would yall be interested? I'll probably focus on season 1 motor inn but i could try season 4 things too.

[stop-breaking-my-heart-telltale]

Top 5 Best Executed Deaths

A few weeks ago, I did a list talking about the Top 5 Character Deaths That Made Me Side-Eye the Writers and I thought it was only fair that I talk about some of the character deaths that I thought were actually done well. So consider this like a companion to that list. 

Like I said in that T5F, this is TWDG, a game series all about people surviving in a world overrun by zombies. Naturally, characters are going to die. Some of these characters get pretty shitty deaths that only happened to fill a quota, some had effort and thought put into them and how they were going to effect the story and remaining characters. These are deaths that served their purpose, progressed the story, or are an understandable conclusion to a character’s arc. 

Do keep in mind that when I say that I enjoy the way these were done/handled/portrayed/whatever, this isn’t me taking joy outta watching these deaths play out. Hell, I kinda hate most of the deaths on this list, but just because I don’t want this character to die or I wish they stuck around longer doesn’t mean I can’t recognize when it’s executed well, y’know? 

5. Larry and the meat locker incident

So.... Larry’s an asshole, y’know? He made it on another T5F because he sucks. No one likes Larry. 

He treats Lee like garbage, treats his own daughter terribly, and is overall just a piece of shit. That being said, he played his role well. He did what he needed to do which was be a antagonistic character within the group who posed a threat to Lee by threatening to expose his past. He creates a lot of tension within the group, he puts all this pressure on Lilly, you can’t even attempt to show any kindness to him because he doesn’t care about anyone but himself and Lilly. 

That being said.... his death scene is pretty good. Y’know, you play through ep2 for the first time and you’ve just discovered that these people are cannibals and they have you locked in a fucking meat locker so they can butcher you later, and Larry is freakin’ the fuck out because he’s pissed. Lilly is sick in the corner, Kenny is desperately trying to find a way out because they have his family, and Clementine is terrified, and Lee is just waking up. 

You go over and try to calm Larry down because he’s pounding at the door and this dude.... this bastard has the gall to be like “Fuck you, you must really hate me! I’m plannin’ on bein’ around waaaaaay after you’re dead! I’ll be the one to put you down!”

Then he has a heart attack. 

And you’re stuck in this meat locker with him. You don’t know if he’s alive or not-- Kenny immediately deems him dead, Lilly is desperately trying to resuscitate him, and they’re both yelling at you. You gotta decide if you’re gonna help Lilly try to bring him back, or if you’re gonna help Kenny make sure he doesn’t turn. 

Not matter what you do, Kenny smashes Larry’s head in with a damn saltlick because I guess he missed the opening of the episode where they remind you that your actions have consequences. 

Larry’s death has lasting effects on your relationships with both Lilly and Kenny, though more so Kenny since no matter what, Lilly loses it a little and ends up murdering Carley/Doug and leaving the group. But boy, Kenny will never forget the time you didn’t wanna play hero with him and smash a guys head in right in front of his daughter. 

It’s a damn good scene, I gotta hand it to ‘em. I hate Larry and I can’t say I miss him, but I can definitely see both sides of the argument on what to do there. Plus it’s... I dunno, a creative death? and I kinda like that? No one else is out here getting their heads done in with a saltlick, y’know? 

Anyway, Larry sucks but his death? Well done. 

4.  Minerva and the tragic showdown on the bridge

Oh man, I really am digging my own grave with the Minnie crowd lately, huh? Ah well, I’m sure it’s fine. 

Listen...okay, look. I have a lot of feelings about the bridge scene. On one hand, I hate it. On the other hand, I kind of love it? 

Like, does it piss me off that Tenn dies here because I trust AJ? Yep. Do I still wish they had maybe put Lilly here so that she could actually do her job as a villain? Sure. Does it upset me that AJ ends up shooting his best friend in order to save Louis? Totally. Does it annoy me that Minerva just won’t fucking die even though I shot her and the walkers keep nom noming her? Absolutely. 

That being said, I can’t pretend that Minerva’s death isn’t pretty great.... which I know will upset the Minnie crowd who always talk about how it’s bullshit she died here and she deserved a redemption arc... but lemme explain. 

Looking at the game itself, the text and story progression, Minerva was never going to get that. She was never set up as someone we were gonna “fix” or as someone who would have a change of heart and switch to our side. From the moment we meet her, she’s too far gone. The delta have their claws sunk deep within her, they brainwashed her, forced her to murder her own sister, and she has completely given up. She never expresses any desire to go back to the school. Nope, the delta is her home now. Her family. And it’s tragic. She and Sophie proof of what would happen to the Ericson crew if the delta go ahold of them-- “which twin will you be?” y’know? 

She fucks us over instead of actually helping us, we escape, the boat explodes, but Minerva doesn’t go down with the boat. Nope, she makes it to land and well... she fucking loses it. She sees her delta family get taken out by walkers and she goes nuts with her gun and gets half of her face chewed off by a walker.

So yeah..... she’s dead. Almost. They try to act like we’re supposed to believe that she’s really dead after she gets surrounded by walkers and throws the grenade at Clementine and all that but c’mon.... unless I see a body or a walker version, I don’t believe shit. 

Which brings me to the bridge.... there’s a lot of dread building up to Minerva’s final appearance, and you just hear her singing the damn song and bringing a bunch of walkers with her. Not to mention that she already looks dead. She looks like a walker who can talk, and not gonna lie, I like it. It’s freaky and sad and fucked up and adds so much to her character at this point. I mean, she’s here to kill Tenn so that they can all be a family again. She’s smiling and relieved that she’s dying and boy she just can’t wait to take Tenn with her and it’s not great.

She’s here to die and to take someone down with her, and she’s not leaving until she does. Hell, if she can take Clementine out, that’s just a bonus at this point. 

ALSO can’t forget that if AJ does shoot and kill Tenn, Minerva is still alive as she’s being eaten by walkers and she looks so damn happy as she reaches out and says, “Yes, come with me...” 

Like..... it’s so fucked, and I hate that I love it. From a storytelling standpoint, it’s a fitting death to conclude Minerva’s character and it impacts everyone there in more ways than one. 

3. Duck and incredible emotional impact

Oh, Duck... poor, poor Duck. 

This one has stuck with me and I hate it. I was never one of those players who hated Duck from the beginning. It’s interesting to go back and see how people reacted to him in the first couple episodes because a lot of them didn’t like him. They found Duck to be annoying, loud, stupid, and would even wonder “yeesh, when can I kill this kid?” 

Which is yikes but not gonna get into that right now. 

But from my understanding, Telltale got wind of this and knowing they were gonna kill him off, were like “Okay, y’all dumb, so here--” and they added in that little segment with Detective Duck where he helps Lee figure out what’s been going on with the stole meds. It’s a cute scene where we get to hang out with Duck and he proves that he’s not stupid, he’s just... y’know, a child. 

Then the motor inn gets attacked, shit goes down after they escape, and it’s revealed that Duck was bitten. 

Oh man, let me tell you about emotional impact both on the characters and the player because wow. 

Duck’s death is slow, drawn out...and since it’s early in the series, there’s a lot of denial, mostly from Kenny. They find the train and Kenny fixates on it because to him, if he gets it working and they can just get away, Duck can recover. Duck isn’t like the others, he’s just a little sick and everyone is making a big fuss about it. 

Then you have Katjaa, who starts out in that denial stage but she moves into acceptance a lot quicker than Kenny does and well.... that might be because she made up her mind about what she was going to do, which that is a whole other layer of fucking despair to this situation. 

They also do something that I like with Kenny by adding that depth of him believing he had something like this coming after what happened at Hershel’s farm. Y’know, when he grabbed Duck and took off, leaving Shawn to die? Yeah that. 

He’s been so adamant about protecting his family to the point where he doesn’t have anything for the rest of the group, aside from Lee if he helps kill Larry. He did what he could to keep his wife and child safe and in the end, it didn’t matter. Duck still got bit, and now everything is shit. 

Then when you thought it couldn’t hurt even more, you find Katjaa dead in the woods and you still have to take care of Duck, whether you have Lee shoot him or have Kenny do it, or even just leave him to turn. Either way.... Duck’s death is just one big ol’ despairing oof.

It’s really good, guys. The music, dialogue, scenery, the pain....They really nailed Duck’s death in such an emotional way and it doesn’t just end there. This sticks with Kenny all the way through S2 and changes him as a character. It impacted Clementine and Lee greatly because this kickstarted Chuck telling them that Clem would end up just like Duck if things didn’t change. 

S1 just... knew how to kill off its characters... well, for the most part. 

2. Marlon and the death that had to happen whether we like it or not

Sigh.... okay. 

So... Marlon. Lemme tell you some things about Marlon’s death. 

First, I hate it. Nothing new there. If you know anything about me, you know that I am vocal in my desire for the Marlon redemption arc, for the “Marlon lives” AU’s and the “Marlon lives longer but dies differently” AU’s. I like Marlon as a character, I find him to be a fascinating character study. Ray Chase’s performance as Marlon brings so much personality and I love it.  So naturally, I wanted more of him in TFS. 

Here’s the thing. I may want all of those things, I may take a lot of joy from discussing these ideas with you guys and coming up with different scenarios,  theories, AU’s about him, and I’ll always be the first one to be like “I hate that Marlon dies in ep1, I wish AJ hadn’t shot him! Woulda liked for him to stick around longer!” 

But with the story TFS is trying to tell, Marlon has to die. AJ has to shoot him. I don’t like it, you don’t like it, no one likes it.... but that’s just how it is. 

Marlon is presented to us as this chill and genuine guy trying to keep his group safe and together. He feels the pressure of being responsible for all the lives in this school and that’s a lot to put on a teen growing up in the apocalypse. 

Then we learn that hey, the twins didn’t die. No, last year they ran into Abel and Marlon made a deal with him where he traded the twins in order to save himself, Brody, and the rest of the school. He wanted to plan a rescue mission, but he was too scared, so he and Brody kept it to themselves. They made up a story about the twins dying and moved on, but that continued to weigh down on them. 

Then Abel comes back, Brody freaks out, tells Clementine the truth, and Marlon hits her so hard that it kills her. 

And it gets worse. 

You go through the whole confrontation with Marlon trying to cover his ass and blame Clementine for Brody’s murder, he’s waving AJ’s gun around and threatening to shoot Clem while everyone is gathered around watching. It’s raining, it’s super dramatic and tense and I love it. 

In the end, Marlon gives up and he just wants to leave. Let him become a bad memory, he’ll never come back, just let him go. 

Then AJ shoots him in the head unprompted. He just.... he just does it and then wonders why everyone is looking at him like he’s a murder baby. 

Marlon’s death is crucial, not just to kickstart the plot but also for AJ’s character arc. His death affects everyone in that school. It makes Clementine question herself and if she’s raising AJ right, it breaks Louis’ heart, it pisses off Mitch, it sets Violet off on her bullshit. Everyone is hurting and confused because they don’t know what to do. Marlon is dead and AJ, this tiny toddler, was the one who pulled the trigger. 

From the beginning, we’re told that AJ is always listening, watching, and what we do will affect him for better or worse.... and maybe you don’t think much when you tell him to always aim for them head, but when he says exactly what you taught him after murdering Marlon...? Yeah, you’re sitting there like “Well, fuck.” 

But if this didn’t happen, if AJ didn’t kill Marlon, then.... there’s not a lot left. Sure the raiders are still coming, but AJ no longer has to go through what he has to or realize how much he hurt everyone. He’s no longer on that path that made him such an interesting and layered character. 

Sure, you coulda made him shoot someone else, but the fact that it was Marlon is what made it impactful.

Ugh, it’s good and I hate it. I hate it so much. 

1. Lee and the death that broke all our hearts

.......Just-

-y’know?

What else is there to say?

Well, alright, I’ll explain. 

We play as Lee in S1, we go on this whole journey with him and develop him as a character, establish relationships, and care for Clementine. He’s a great character. I did a list on why he’s great, too, if you wanna check that out but all you really need to know is that we all loved Lee.

Lee’s got a lot of baggage, given that he was on his way to prison for murdering the dude who was sleeping with his wife. But then the apocalypse happened and he got a second chance to do some good... or I guess bad? if you do a scumbag Lee run? 

Anyway-- no matter what, he cares for Clementine and it’s nice to see them bond over the course of the season... so when shit hits the fan and Clementine gets kidnapped by the Stranger, we’re just as upset as Lee is.

Then Lee gets bit.... and we realize that even though he’s our playable protagonist, he was never safe either. He gets bit and I can still remember the feeling of like... a bowling ball dropping in my stomach and my heart hurting because no... no, no, not Lee. I basically became Kenny like “No, he’s different! Lee isn’t gonna die! Being bit doesn’t mean death!” and while that is technically true.... had to face it: Lee’s going to die by the end of the season. 

Ep5 of S1 is a whole journey... We’re dealing with trying to save Clementine while seeing Lee get worse and worse-- he’s passing out, he’s growing paler and slower and it’s hard to watch. You maybe get a little bit of hope if you decide to cut his arm off, but that’s just... it’s too late for that. 

Not only is he fighting this, but then you got Ben who gets impaled and Kenny “dies” putting him outta his misery and Lee’s powerless to do anything. So great, that sucks. 

But at least he’s got Christa and Omid.... until they get separated at the Marsh House and Lee’s gotta get through a herd of them by himself. 

This slow burn is so good. His condition gets progressively worse but he’s so determined to get to Clem that it doesn’t matter. He doesn’t have time to think about what is inevitably going to happen to him, even if the player does. 

And just.... the final scene... y’know, the actual death scene? 

It’s so good. It’s a beautiful, emotional punch in the face. Like, way to end your game like this... Lee is trapped her with Clementine and he can’t walk, he can’t get up no matter how much Clementine begs him to try, he just- he can’t. He knows it’s all over for him and so he has her handcuff him to this heater so that no matter what, he can’t hurt her and just.... their final moments together where Lee is minutes away from death but is struggling to tell her as much as he can and I’m crying.

Then of course, the final choice-- Do you shoot Lee, or do you leave him to turn?

Both ending hurt my soul, but they’re both great in different ways. Shooting him is so heartbreaking... seeing little Clem sobbing as she points the gun at him and closes her eyes, then it cuts to black as the shot rings out and you hear Lee’s final breath....

BUT THEN YOU HAVE THE LEAVE HIM ENDING WHICH-

Lee manages to tell her more when you choose not to shoot him, but just watching Clementine get to the door and her little “don’t go” before Lee closes his eyes and falls over limp... falls over dead, I just--

Ouch... I am applauding this through my ugly sobs. 

It’s the best death in the series. It has everything and then some- emotional impact, works to progress the story and characters, amazing dialogue and performances.... It still gets me to this day. 

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Honorable Mentions

-Mark’s death technically happens off screen, but I mean, c’mon... Mark wasn’t the most compelling character, but everyone remembers what happened to him. Everyone remembers walker Mark. What happened to him showed us just how fucked the St Johns were and it’s excellent.  -Brody’s death is pretty good, too.  -Abel’s death is an interesting one. He’s a garbage can, but they managed to humanize him just a bit by the way he hands his soon-to-be demise.  -Badger when Conrad kills him. It’s super good.  -I’m looking over this list now and it’s kinda funny that not a single S2 death made it here... it’s almost like all the character death that happened there was because a quota needed to be filled and who cares about complex character development when you got Kenny and nothing really matters I guess... ugh. The best deaths would probably be Carver, and Kenny when you shoot him but they’re not good enough to be in a top 5 so.... good job.

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So... that was fun. What do you guys think? Do you agree with my choices or nah? Do you have a favorite death I didn’t list that you thought was well executed? Let me know, I’m curious. 

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

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Next week’s T5F

[terrak0]

Had a random thought where twdg characters go to freddy fazbears pizza lmao. They find it instead of the Motor Inn

Kenny: this pizzeria is pretty damn defendable. With all the cameras and security doors, it should be a good place to hunker down to wait until the military rolls through and this all blows over.

Lilly: I actually agree with that plan

Lee: yeah. those robots over there are creepy as hell though.

*5 minutes later*

Lee: why are they moving

[the-walking-memelords]

Since TWD is canon to TWDG; When Glenn leaves Lee and Clementine’s group in season 1 to help his friends, is he on his way to find his friends that we see in episode 2 of TWD tv show?

Technically speaking, twdg is canon with the comics, not the TV show (meaning the first season takes place in 2003 iirc, not 2010 like the show)

But yes! When Lee is talking to Glenn at the end of the episode, Glenn stops him as the radio starts talking about Atlanta, before telling him that he needs to leave to find his friends in the city

I don't know what happened between him leaving the Motor Inn and meeting Rick (two months?) but I don't think he found them :(

luckily he met up with those survivors (and coincidentally Rick's family)

I dont remember if any of them were the friends he was looking for but oh well

[alfairy]

I still think that the motor inn group from S1 is still one of the best groups in twdg series honestly