#vi having the courage to stand up to her group for aj........... yeah she had me in a vice grip after that. she fought for them so hard

[spacedlexi]

it honestly frustrates me when i see people reduce the ericsons cast down to "just some teens in the woods" acting like theyre no different than any other group of lone teenagers from other existing properties and treating them like an overused trope

it is sooo important to acknowledge the "troubled youth" aspect of the whole equation. theyre not just some random teens in the woods clem stumbles across. these kids were abandoned by their families for their various "difficulties" and fucked up by The System before the outbreak even began. and then once zombies started roaming the streets their familes never came back for them and the adults that were in charge of taking care of them just left them there to rot in that old boarding school (except for ms martin who was like their lee 🥺 the only person who ever saw them as the scared traumatized kids they were and died protecting them)

the whole aspect of them already being fucked up by the adults that controlled their lives is like.....kind of important when discussing the whole "delta is stealing kids to force them to fight in a war they have no real part in and want nothing to do with" aspect of the season. and its important when comparing them to clem and her journey of also suffering at the hands of the adults around her forcing her to become self reliant. AND its important when discussing the "just trying to build a safe home (and future) worth fighting for in this world that wants them dead" aspect of the season as well

these kids were forced to come together to survive. and a Lot of them didnt... theyre the only family they have left and you can tell that even when they argue with each other theyre still a close knit group who looks out for each other. theyre a Real family before clem even gets there (and its why what really happened with the twins and brody and marlon hits them all so especially hard)

all of this is what REALLY makes ericsons such a perfect home for clem. its a Real community of her True peers. theyre not Just teens. they mightve had a layer of safety clem never had by at least having walls to keep them safe. and having the benefit of the school being hard to find. its the only reason theyre still alive when clem shows up. but theyre also some of the only people who can Truly understand where clem and aj are coming from. and its why it hurts so much when they vote to kick them out. but its also partially why she merges back into the fold so easily when she returns. plus the fact that shes Really the only one who has any idea what shes doing. shes their rock and she makes them feel safe because underneath it all theyre still just those scared traumatized kids ("EVERYONE is scared, clem..." vi was Definitely including herself in that 'everyone'), and on some level, so is clem

they saved clementines life. and she saved theirs. "the school was supposed to help them with their trauma, now they help each other" its about the LOVE the COMMUNITY the SUPPORT!!!! and thats the shit that makes good zombie media honestly 👌

[littlesugarwords]

Louis and Clem get into a big fight plsss

enjoy!!

“Oh back off, Louis.”

“No, Clem.” Louis spat. “I’m acting this way because I care.”

“Can you care a little less?” She scoffed. “You’re being ridiculous.”

Louis hesitated, flinching in offence. “What?”

“It’s just hunting, Louis.” Clem snapped back. “I’m more than capable of doing it on my own. You don’t need to keep going to Marlon behind my back to convince him I can’t.”

“Clem, come on.” Louis’ brows curled in, irritated by her anger. “We both know it’s not a good idea to go alone.”

“But we needed to and you didn’t let me.”

The two stood still, each defensive. Clem had her hands balled into fists, and Louis had his crossed over his chest.

“I can’t believe I felt more capable when AJ and I were on the run without a roof over our heads than how I feel here with you.”

Louis’s eyes bulged as his eyebrows raised, challenged by such a claim. “Oh really?”

“Yeah! Because when we were out there, I knew I could fight to keep us both alive. Here, I’m not even given the chance.”

“Then why didn’t you stay out there, huh?” He snapped. “If you hate it so much, why are you still here?”

They both grew silent.

They both reeled in the knowledge of what they had said.

The courtyard went dead silent.

They both left.

Alone.

In separate directions.

“What the hell was all that about yesterday?” Violet asked the next morning.

Clem scoffed, chucking her dirty dish into the ‘to be washed’ basin. “What do you mean?”

“I’m not dumb,” Violet scoffed. “I heard your fight with Louis. We all did.”

Clementine stood, hands on her hips, overlooking the courtyard.

She couldn’t see Louis.

“He wasn’t letting me go hunting alone.”

Violet said nothing, waiting for Clem to continue. When she didn’t, Vi scoffed. “That’s it?”

Clem rolled her eyes. “Yes that’s it. It’s unfair.”

“It’s protocol, Clem.”

“What?”

Violet sighed, pushign herself upright. “Marlon refuses to let anyone do anything outside of Ericson alone. It’s dangerous. It’s protocol.”

Clementine said nothing.

Louis didn’t really talk to anybody that day.

Aasim and Marlon tried to ask what had happened the night before.

He brushed them off.

Clementine, from the other side of the courtyard, could see.

She could tell what was happening.

She knew how Louis got when he was upset.

She felt a wave of guilt, and left.

Clementine didn’t show up at dinner that night.

“Where’s Clem?” Violet asked, popping down beside Louis.

Louis was setting AJ down beside him, passing him a bowl. “Don’t know.”

“You don’t?”

“No,” Louis said. “She isn’t really talking to me right now.”

Clementine was standing inside Ericson’s front doors.

Watching.

“I think I was out of line.”

Violet, ears perking, went to sit down on the other end of the dining table with Louis.

Dinner had just finished and everyone had dispersed, but just as Violet was standing to leave, Louis’ comment brought her back.

“Why do you think that?” She asked.

Louis sighed. “I get that it’s protocol, but that wasn’t why I was telling Clem she couldn’t go.” He shifted in his seat. “It’s because I was worried she would get hurt.”

Vi gave a small smile. “Don’t beat yourself up for caring.”

“But she’s right. I wasn’t giving her the freedom to choose.”

Vi shrugged. “So tell her that.”

Louis turned to her, confused.

She raised a brow. Boys.

“Just tell her how you feel, Louis. Tell her you’re sorry and explain. She’ll appreciate it.”

Louis debated it for a minute, then vanished.

Not even with a goodbye.

He went for the music room.

He knew she would be there.

She always was when she was upset.

He burst through the doors.

She was sitting at the piano.

Not playing, just sitting there.

Their stares snapped to each other, and she stood.

“Clem,”

“Louis,”

They both stood, staring at each other, waiting for the other to say what they needed to.

Louis gulped, taking a step deeper into the room. “I’m sorry,” he said, fumbling his hands out of his pockets and waving them.

Clem squeezed her forehead. “What?”

Louis paused, jaw hanging open.

It wasn’t the response he was expecting.

“Uh,” he fumbled. “I’m sorry?”

“No, no,” Clem started again, waving her hands to stop him. “Why are you apologizing? It should be me.”

“You?”

“Yes, me!” She scoffed. Boys were impossible. “I got mad at you for something that wasn’t your fault. That’s on me.”

“I was out of line in holding you back,” he said.

Clementine knew he wasn’t, but felt as if he was saying it to ease her pain.

“Protocol wasn’t the reason I told you that you couldn’t go,” Louis said, his lungs tightening.

Clementine blinked, confused.

Louis gulped and clenched his fists.

He was building up the courage.

“It’s because I wouldn’t be able to live with myself if you got hurt.”

Clementine blinked and her jaw dropped.

They stared silently at one another.

Louis’ gaze dropped, worried he had freaked her out.

Worried he had said what he wanted to too soon.

“I know why I stayed,” Clem said, shrugging impishly, cutting the silence short.

Louis blinked and melted, remembering what she was referring to.

“I know why I stayed all this time,” she continued. “And it doesn’t have anything to do with having a roof over our heads.”

“Not even a little?”

Clementine smiled.

Louis loved that.

“It was because of you.” She said, hands stuffed into her pockets, balling into fists.

Louis blinked, his eyes widening.

“I’ve always wanted to find a group to call family again,” Clem continued. “I found it. And it’s with you.”

Louis smiled, letting the form melt over his dimples. “I’m glad you stayed.”

Clementine smiled back. “I don’t think I’d wanna be anywhere else.”