Jul 19, 2024
A New Frontier in a nutshell
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A New Frontier in a nutshell
boy I'm back to my The Walking Dead Telltale era but the fandom it's been hibernating for years. Any fan still out here in Tumblr?
The Walking Dead Game
When You’re On Your Period
Characters Included: Luke, Nick, Kenny, Javier, David, Tripp
Luke:
Luke isn't used to traveling with women that have periods, so when you're distant and moody he assumes he messed up. It isn't until another girl in the group explains to him you're having a 'lady situation' that he softens with understanding. Hell talk softer to you, not to infantalize you but just to ensure you know that he's doing his best to be careful with your cycle. He does his best to find pads or tampons, anything to help you with your situation. Late at night he'll knock on your door. "Hey, brought you somethin'." He says as he carefully hands them to you. "Thought you might need 'em...uh, anyway," he brushes the back of his neck sheepishly. "I also scored you a chocolate bar if you want, I know back then a lot of women said they liked chocolate during that time of the month or in this case just time since we don't know what the months are anymore..." he rambles like an adorable dork until you shut him up with a kiss and cuddles.
Nick:
Nick also lacks experience with periods, but he tries to be as careful with your mood swings as possible. "Don't be mad...but I wasn't able to find any chocolate out there-" he'll take the pillow thrown at him, knowing you're just frustrated over candy and not genuinely hating him. "Don't worry, I found something else that's sweet." He pinches your cheek, finding your petulant pout adorable. He'll massage your shoulders and feet, whatever feels sore until you're relaxed. "Anything else I can help ya with? Just say the word." He'll always do what he can.
Kenny:
Kenny is pragmatic about it: "We need to find pads and cloths, anything to keep ya from making a mess on yerself. I'll look for painkillers on my next run, dontchu worry 'bout a thing. I'll go first thing in the mornin'." He checks in with you, making sure your cramps aren't bothering you too much. He'll playfully threaten your uterus for hurting you, just to see a smile on your face. "There's my girl." He says as he leans down to press a kiss to your forehead. "It'll be over soon, y'know I know one way to make it go away for a while- ow!" He'll take your hit in stride, chuckling with you. "Thought I'd give it a shot."
Javi:
Javier has snacks on deck, pulling one out of his bag for you every time you get a bit grouchy. He'll always follow it with the joke 'you're not you when you're hungry just to see you roll your eyes and pretend to not find it funny. If you bleed through, he'll take off his jersey to tie around your waist, at least until he's able to help you get fresh clothes or period care. He'll ease up on his teasing a little, but only until your period's done. He'll tell you every taunt he held back when you're better, just to laugh with you.
David:
David will mostly be focused on his scouting team, but if he notices something is off with you he puts the pieces together. He'll approach it pragmatically, assessing your cramps, flow, and will keep track as best as possible for when it comes next. He keeps his own makeshift calendar of the days, crossing them off to remind himself and you when it's coming. He'll sneak some extra snacks from the community pantry for your comfort. His vulnerablility is vague, but enough for you.
Tripp:
Tripp went out of his way to pick some flowers to make a bouquet for you. He brought it to you in the morning, having already known what time of the month it was because he saw your subtle wince earlier. "Got these for you, if you need anythin' I'm here darlin'." He'll take over all of your duties for the week, refusing to let you overexert yourself. "Ah ah, you're a valuable asset to Prescott, there's no way imma let my lady get dirty." He'll keep you company, letting you use him and his warmth as a pillow/heating pad.
“These fucking eyes that I'm staring at...”
(i'm dilf posting rn as advised by my trusted lawyer)
Do I think David is a major asshole? Yes I do.
Do I also want to see fics and fanart of him being a real big brother to Javi and just see them actually get along? Yes I do.
The Walking Dead Game What Ifs: What if Javi and Jesus were a couple?
[TWDG What Ifs Master List] [Volume 2]
[First] [Previous] [Next]
Jesus
What if Javi and Jesus were a couple? Prompt Submitted by The_Flash_Is_Cool on AO3
Requests are now closed
“So,” Javi looked up when he heard David, “what’d you do to get both Dad and Mama to not want anything to do with you?”
“It’s not part of that internal gambling scandal, is it?” Asked Kate, sitting down next to Javi.
“No,” Said Javi, glancing at Kate, “it’s something a bit more… personal.”
“What?” Scoffed David, crossing his arms, “Did you tell Mama that her pavlova was inedible?”
“No,” Answered Javi, glancing at David, before looking at the floor, “I told them about my boyfriend.”
Kate, who’d been drinking coffee, choked and spat it out, “What?!”
“Wait, you’re gay?” David straightened up.
“Bi.” Corrected Javi, glancing, “I like both sides.”
Kate and David stared at him, before Kate uneasily cleared her throat, “So, what’s his name?”
“Paul.” Answered Javi, relaxing slightly, “But, most people call him Jesus, since he kinda looks like him.”
“Huh.” David tried to find the words as he sat down, silently wondering how to proceed.
J
Javi was woken by his phone ringing next to his bed, reaching out for it, he checked who was calling, frowning when he saw it was David. Sighing, he answered it, “Hey.”
“It's time. Get over here.” David didn’t bother with a ‘hello’ or ‘how are you’.
“You sure that’s a good idea?” Asked Javi, frowning, “I mean, both he and Mama said they didn’t want to see me. Y’know, at all.”
“I know, it’s just…” Javi heard David sighed, “he’s asking for you, Javi. I know you’re not exactly close, but… please.”
“Alright.” Javi swallowed, before he reached for a pen and a piece of paper, I'll, uh... I'm gonna start packing up.”
“Now, Javi. You need to hurry.” Said David, “Look, I'm not giving you shit, okay? I'm just... You weren't here when Dad was sick, okay, I get it, but... you need to fuckin' be here when he goes.”
“I know, alright?” Snapped Javi, scrawling a note for Paul, “I'm just... I'm on my way.”
Hanging up, Javi grabbed a bag and stuffed some clothes in it, before running out of the apartment.
J
Javi’s car spluttered to a stop outside of the family home, where he saw David sitting on the steps with his head in his hands. A pit formed in his stomach; he was too late.
“D-David…?” Javi’s voice made David look up.
“He hasn’t passed yet,” Said David, before sighing, “Mama… found out I told you.”
“And…?” Javi swallowed, getting a sigh from David.
“She said you’re not to be anywhere near Dad when he dies.” Continued David, getting up, “Says you’d only cause him pain while he passes.”
“But… I…” Javi swallowed, not sure how to deal with his mother’s decision, “Can’t I—”
“No.” Said David, sighing again, “Hector’s already said that if you turned up, that he’d ‘remove’ you.”
Javi swallowed, not trusting his voice. Quickly composing himself, Javi took a deep breath, “R-right… I’m… I’m gonna move my car around the block… the… the freeways are completely blocked.”
David gave Javi a nod, before heading back into the house. He’d hoped that his Dad dying would make his mother look past her prejudices, unfortunately, he was wrong.
J
Javi often found himself wondering about Paul, did he make it out of Richmond? Was he looking for him? Did he still want to be with him? After the world ended, Kate had come to him, with Gabe and Mariana, and told him that after his Dad died, he got up, and tore a chunk out of Hector’s neck, before doing the same with his Mama’s cheek. David managed to stop him by getting his gun, before he told her to get the kids and to find Javi.
David had been gone when Javi finally managed to get his car to start and drive to the house, since he pushed it beyond its limits in the mad dash to get from Richmond to Baltimore. He, Kate, and the kids stayed for three months, before leaving.
He’d clung to the hope that Paul was still alive, despite the feelings he was developing for Kate. Part of him wished that he was just gay, instead of bi, then he wouldn’t have to deal with what he felt for Kate.
Javi then thought back to the past couple of days, he, Kate, and the kids, had come to a stop in a junk yard, hoping to find some gas, which they found. They also found some food, before a group of guys turned up outside, Javi barely had enough time to hide Kate and the kids before they came into the office they’d been in. He’d been knocked out and taken away from the junk yard in a truck, which was how he met Clementine, since she dropped a tree that totalled the truck, despite her trying to keep it intact.
Clementine took him to Prescott, where he met Tripp, Conrad, and Eleanor, there was an incident, and Clementine was told to leave in the morning. Javi snuck out of Prescott, after he told Eleanor his, rather pathetic, life story, taking Clementine with them to rescue Kate and the kids. It went well, at first, they found Mariana, and rescued Kate and Gabe, then, as they were leaving, Mariana had her head blown open by a bullet. There was a gun fight, where Kate was hit in the gut. He escaped with his family and Eleanor, while Clementine remained behind to hold them off.
Eleanor performed surgery on Kate almost as soon as they got back to Prescott, with Gabe and Javi helping her. Clementine came back and warned them about the junk yard group coming for them, which led to a shootout after one of people from the junk yard killed Conrad’s girlfriend, Francine. The fight was fairly short, considering that the junk yard group, Clementine called them the New Frontier, rammed the gates of Prescott open with a truck full of Walkers. Clementine, Tripp, Eleanor, Conrad, and his family were barely able to make it out alive, with Clementine suggesting that they try Richmond.
They were making steady progress, until they hit a roadblock. Javi managed to clear it, allowing Eleanor and Kate through, only for the rest of them to get ambushed by Walkers, which was why they were now standing on a roof, with some weirdo watching them from another building.
“Wait,” Gabe’s voice jerked Javi from his thoughts “was this all a trap?!”
“Keep your heads down.” Ordered Tripp, looking around them, “Guy could have a rifle. I don't know about the rest of you, but I'd like to keep my skull intact.”
“Show yourself!” Yelled Javi, leaving his hiding spot, only to find the guy had gone, “What the hell? He's gone. Everyone stay here and keep behind cover. I'm gonna see what I can find out.”
“Be careful.” Said Clementine, as Javi climbed onto a nearby roof.
Frowning, Javi saw the guy move, prompting the man to hide behind a corner, before peaking out when he didn’t hear any gunfire. Deciding to risk it, he crossed a set of planks that made a makeshift bridge, and snuck up on the guy, who had his back to Javi.
“I'm gonna need you to turn around for me, slowly. Did you hear me?” Said Javi, walking up to the guy, before noticing that it wasn’t a guy at all, it was a scarecrow, or decoy, or something, “The hell?”
He heard someone cocking a gun behind him, before a familiar voice spoke behind him, “That thing's not a toy. Drop it, or you might hurt yourself.”
“Paul?” Javi lowered his gun and turned around.
Paul stared at Javi, his mouth falling open in shock, before he closed it, swallowed and looked around. Javi thought he looked upset, maybe even guilty.
“Don’t move.” Clementine’s voice made Javi look over at the bridge, where the girl was standing, aiming her gun at Paul.
“I'm not gonna shoot,” Said Paul, looking the girl over, “not unless you make me. I just want to talk. You got me? Just want to have a word.”
“So talk.” Said Clementine, her voice flat.
“Okay, then.” Said Paul, before looking at Javi, “You, the two guys there, the kids, the women in the car--I saw you split up. I overheard that little argument just now.” He glanced at Clementine, “Your friends over there aren't gonna shoot me, right? You folks have your shit together? If you're some kind of broken tribe, then let me know now. 'Cause I've had my fill of people that can't agree on anything.”
“They're good people.” Said Javi, looking at Clementine, “They've lost... a lot.”
“Sure, We all have.” Countered Paul, looking around.
“Recently.” Said Clementine, scowling.
“Ah, fresh wounds. That makes sense.” Muttered Paul, looking around, “You're going to Richmond. That tells me you've got something to do with what's going on down there. Question is, whose side are you on?”
“Side?” Questioned Javi, confused, “Paul, I don't know what you're talking about.”
Behind them, someone whistled, making Paul turn around and look for the source of the noise, when Cnrad tackled him and started to wrestle over the gun, with the man successfully wrestling the gun away from Paul. Once disarmed, the man looked around the group that had appeared, and slowly raised his hands.
“Well,” Said Tripp, looking around, “is he one of them?”
“Hey, man, what do you mean by ‘them’?” Asked Paul, confused, “Who's ‘them’?”
“You know what I'm talking about.” Scoffed Tripp, making Paul frown, “The ‘New Frontier’.”
“What?” Asked Paul, incredulous, “No, I'm not with those guys. You've got this backwards.”
“Javi, this guy is full of donkey shit.” Scowled Tripp, glaring at Paul.
“Do you want to let me talk?” Asked Paul, looking at Tripp.
“What's the point?” Scoffed Trip, his glare intensifying, “How can we trust anything you say?”
“He's not with those guys.” Said Javi, firmly.
“Says you.” Countered Conrad, looking at Javi, “How do we know for sure?”
“It's the truth.” Said Paul, as Conrad checked him for the brand.
“Nothin'.” Said Conrad, when he didn’t find it.
“Look, I'm telling you,” Said Paul, looking at them, “I'm on my way to Richmond, just like you. I lost touch with some good people there when the New Frontier took over.”
“What did you say?” Asked Clementine, stunned.
“The New Frontier,” Said Paul, looking at them and frowning, “They took over Richmond. Don't tell me you didn't know that?”
“Fuck...” Swore Gabe, grabbing his head.
“Oh, God, Eleanor and Kate.” Realised Tripp, looking at Javi, “They're headed right into the middle of those assholes!”
“At least now we got an excuse to go after those motherfuckers.” Scowled Conrad, looking around them.
“What are we gonna do?” Asked Gabe, starting to panic.
“Everyone,” Said Javi, looking around them, “just calm down!”
“Calm down?” Asked Tripp, incredulous, “Calm down?! How the hell do you want us to be calm about this?! They're gonna fucking kill 'em!”
“Not if we get to them first!” Countered Javi, before glancing at Paul.
“There's an old train tunnel that runs under the James river.” Said Paul, looking around them, “From what I hear, it should be a straight shot into Richmond.”
“A train tunnel?” Said Tripp, suspiciously.
“I could lead you guys there...” Said Paul, before looking around them, “But since Javi said you're good people and all, maybe you could lower those guns first?”
“Lower them, my ass.” Scoffed Conrad, “We're gonna tie you up and make sure your story checks out.”
“That's really not necessary.” Assured Paul, glancing around.
“I don't know.” Said Tripp, tightening his grip on the gun, “We just met this guy.”
“We all just met.” Countered Clementine, frowning at Tripp.
“Lower your guns.” Said Javi, looking at them expectantly.
“Javi, man,” Tripp looked at him and shook his head, “don't.”
“I know him, we’re pretty close.” Said Javi, looking at Tripp, “Do you trust me or not?”
Tripp and Conrad frowned, but did as Javi said, while Clementine tucked her gun into the back of her waistband.
“Thank you.” Said Paul, sounding relieved, “Ready? This way.”
He’d started to walk away, before Tripp called out to him, “Hey, what do we call you?”
“His name’s Paul,” Said Javi, looking at Tripp, “but, most people call him Jesus.”
Paul got the strange look again, but Javi didn’t pay it any mind, instead watching Paul walk away as he led them to the tunnel to Richmond.
J
They’d ran into a herd of Walkers inside the tunnel, with them using an abandoned train to escape them. Once they were in the clear, Javi jogged ahead of the others, keeping pace with Paul, “I can’t believe you’re alive, I mean, I hoped you were, but I was starting to lose hope.”
“I thought you were dead too.” Said Paul, not looking at Javi, “Look, Javi, there’s something—”
“Let go of her!” Gabe’s voice made them turn around, where they saw Conrad manhandling Clementine.
“Conrad, what the fuck are you doing?” Demanded Tripp, as Conrad’s face curled into a snarl.
“She’s one of them!” Announced Conrad, shoving Clementine forwards, “Show ‘em!”
Sighing, Clementine pushed a sleeve up, revealing the New Frontier’s mark.
“What the fuck?!” Javi glared at Clementine, “You’re one of them?!”
“No!” Refuted Clementine, “I was kicked out!”
“Common theme with you.” Muttered Tripp, crossing his arms and glaring.
“This could be a good thing.” Said Paul, looking around them, “If Clementine’s one of them, maybe we’ll have some leverage to get us inside Richmond.”
Frowning, Javi nodded, with them tying Clementine wrists together. They reached the end of the tunnel, with them finding Kate in the car that Eleanor had been driving being abandoned in the streets. Deciding to go up to the community’s gates, Javi demanded that they be let in, after several minutes, the guard’s superior appeared, revealing themselves to be David.
David, after getting over the shock of seeing his family again, ordered his people to take Javi and his group into the quarantine area, where they reunited with Eleanor, and Tripp quickly filling her in on what happened.
Javi felt Paul grab his arm and guide him away from the group.
“Paul?” Asked Javi, frowning, “Is something wrong?”
Paul looked down and sighed, “I thought you were dead, I’d come to terms with it, and… and I moved on.”
“W-what?” Javi blinked, not sure if he was actually hearing Paul correctly.
“I met a guy, his name’s Aaron,” Confessed Paul, “we… we got married a few months ago.”
Javi felt his throat get tight, before he coughed and nodded, “Okay, so… not a thing then.”
“Yeah.” Paul guiltily nodded.
“R-right, we gotta focus on getting out of here.” Said Javi, walking away from Paul.
They questioned Clementine on the New Frontier and how they were going to do things, a moment after they’d finished talking, David came and collected Javi, leaving them alone.
J
A few hours, and a disastrous meeting with the community’s council, later, Javi found himself and his group, minus Kate, Gabe, and Eleanor, were being escorted out of the gates.
“Oh, what the fuck?” Demanded Conrad, glaring at the guard, “We didn't do anything!”
“I might do something here in a minute...” Growled Tripp, as Ava ran out.
“David packed this.” Said Ava, shortly, throwing a duffel bag on the ground.
“He did?” Asked Javi, confused, “They said—"
“Start walking.” Ordered Ava, glaring at them.
“What about Eleanor?” Demanded Tripp, glaring back at Ava.
“Walk!” Yelled Ava, shoving Tripp back.
“Eat shit, answer my fucking question.” Argued Tripp, as Javi started holding him back, “Goddamn it, Javi! Let go of me!”
“This isn't gonna help Eleanor!” Javi tried to reason, “Don't make it worse for her!”
Tripp responded by shoving Javi away, and stalking up to Ava, who punched him in the face, sending him down to the ground.
“Do not fuck this up.” Snarled Ava, glaring at them, “There's a settlement a few miles west of here. Don't come back.”
Sighing as the New Frontier went back inside, Javi offered a hand to Tripp as the gate closed, only for the man to smack it away.
“‘Get with the program’, he says...” Muttered Tripp, as he got up and glared at Javi, “We trusted you. What the hell, man?”
“Ay, dios mío.” Muttered Javi, before returning the glare, “Do you ever shut up?”
There was a moment of silence, before they heard some Walkers growling in the distance.
“Occasionally...” Muttered Tripp, as Javi sighed.
“Let's just see what they gave us.” Said Javi, crouching down to look through the duffel.
There were some weapons, not enough for everyone, a map wrapped around a baseball bat, and a flashlight. Sighing, Javi and his group discussed their next move, with them following the map David had left them. Arming themselves, they located the North Star and set off.
They ran into some Walkers in the forest. They dealt with them, with Clementine saving Javi’s life. Clementine also opened up on why she was kicked out of the New Frontier, and why she didn’t trust David. Javi listened to her in silent shock, having trouble trying to reconcile David’s actions towards Clementine with the man he knew.
Eventually, they reached a warehouse, the destination on David’s map, before they were set upon by Walkers. All of them barely made it inside the warehouse, with there being a near miss with a couple of them having Walker’s in their path. David turned up not long after, with Clementine not wanting him to be let in, but was disarmed by Paul.
Some Walkers got in through the door David used, and they were forced to block the door, which in turn led to the discovery of supplies and equipment from Prescott. Paul then pointed out supplies from other communities, some of which had been destroyed.
Then some of David’s people turned up and, upon being confronted by them, Max and Badger chose to attack the group, while Lonnie chose to run away, with Clementine and Paul chasing after him. Javi ended up brawling with Badger in an office, a brawl that ended with Badger being shot in the gut, before having his skull smashed to bits by Javi. After subduing Max, they took him hostage and went outside, where they reunited with Paul and Clementine.
“Where's Lonnie?” Asked David, looking for the man.
“He gave us the slip.” Said Paul, looking at him, “High-tailed it back towards Richmond.”
“Son of a bitch.” Muttered David, before looking around, “If he warns Joan...”
“Wasn't there one more?” Asked Clementine, before spotting Javi’s viscera covered bat, “Oh...”
“What?” Scoffed David, giving Clementine a look, “It's good riddance...that son of a bitch killed Mariana.”
“Did that make you feel better?” Asked Paul, looking at Javi like he didn’t know him.
“I wouldn't shed any tears if I were you.” Advised David, getting a flat look from Paul.
“Maybe I'm shedding them for your brother.” Countered Paul, “Because the man I knew, he wouldn’t have done that.”
“You're damn right it did!” Said Javi, angrily, “Bastard deserved everything he got.”
“Be careful, Javi...” Warned Paul, sadly, “Act like a beast, you risk what makes you human. Don't become the thing you hate.”
“That man shot his niece! Right in front of him. I would've done the same, Javi.” Said Clementine, backing Javi up, before she looked at Paul, “Sometimes there's just no other way to make things right. My friend took a crowbar to someone once.”
“My people need to know about what we found here.” Said Paul, deciding not to respond to the girl.
“What about your missing friends?” Asked Javi, frowning.
“I'm surprised you care. Human life isn't exactly high on your list of priorities.” Said Paul, flatly, “Don't have time to keep looking. They'd want me to get home and warn them. So that's what I'm gonna do. Sooner the better.”
“You sure you'll be okay on your own?” Asked Javi, deciding to ignore the slight.
“To be honest, I think my odds are better than yours.” Said Paul, before he looked at them, “I won't forget about you. You have my word.”
Javi watched Paul leave, before deciding to focus on what Tripp said, he didn’t have time to be distracted, not with Kate and Gabe in danger.
J
The next time Javi saw Paul, David had just ran off with Gabe, while Clementine had gone after them, Javi had decided to help Kate save Richmond. Paul had some other people with him, Javi wondered in any of them were Aaron.
“Well, there's a happy sight.” Said Paul, as Javi looked at him, “Can you help us get the gate open?”
“Almost didn't recognize you.” Said Javi, looking at the people with him.
“Once I got in contact with my people, I headed right back.” Said Paul, nodding at Javi and Kate, “Had to make sure you folks were safe.”
“I think I'm getting the hang of this!” Said Kate, looking at Javi.
“We'll keep the muertos away.” Said Javi, shooting at the Walkers, “Just get me to the gate so I can open it up.”
Javi decided not to think about how he’d decided to give things with Kate a try, or the fact that she was aware that this was the Paul he told her and David about before the world ended.
“We're almost there!” Yelled Kate, as she bulldozed the Walkers, “Javi, get in the busket and I'll lift you to the top of the gate!”
“Busket?” Asked Javi, looking at her.
“The thing in the front!” Kate pointed at the bucket, “The ‘scooper’ thing. Whatever! Get in it!”
After getting grabbed by, and kicking away, a Walker, Javi climbed into the ‘busket’, before getting on the platform and opening the gate.
“Let's get inside and wrangle the walkers together!” Yelled a soldier, “If we get them in one group, we can lead them right out!”
The group moved through the streets of Richmond, with them gathering up the Walkers and leading them to the square, with Javi changing to the other setting on the gun, before he fired at the Walkers piling into the bucket, and his gun ran out, leading to him and Kate switching places. The actual blocking of the hole wasn’t as nerve wracking as the journey to the hole, although that was probably because Javi was in the driver’s seat.
“Jesus! Over here!” Yelled a soldier, as Javi and Kate got off the bulldozer.
“We need to round up these walkers!” Yelled another, riding past.
“Head 'em towards the gate!” Ordered the first soldier, rounding up Walkers with the others.
“Welcome back.” Said Javi, looking up at Paul.
“I thought we were coming back to...” Paul trailed off, before shaking his head, “Well, not to this. Just a little surprising. That's all.”
“Yeah, we've had some... difficulties.” Said Javi, after a moment.
“Certainly one way to put it.” Said Paul, as Kate grabbed Javi’s arm.
“Javi, look!” Kate pointed towards the way they’d come, “It's Clem!”
Javi froze when he saw Clementine with an injured Gabe, before rushing over to the children, leaving Paul staring after them.
J
Javi walked away from the church, leaving Conrad to his book, Ava had limped up to them when he and Kate got back from burying David, and she told them that she knew where AJ was, and was going to go with Clementine to get him. Sighing, Javi saw Paul riding towards him on a horse.
“Heading out?” Asked Javi, not feeling particularly upset when he saw his ex.
“Yes, indeed.” Nodded Paul, looking at Javi, “We came here to put an end to the raiding. Looks like that's been done. Glad we got it settled. Gotta move on.”
“We lost a lot.” Said Javi, remembering Mariana, Tripp, Francine, and David, “We may have helped fix things, but... there was a cost to it all.”
“There usually is, unfortunately.” Said Paul, looking down at Javi, “I was worried about you, Javi, about who you are inside now. You helped save these people, though. That goes a long way for me. Second chances are in short supply these days. That's what this place can be, if you let it. Trust me, though, life within walls is a hell of a lot different than life on the road. Don't take shortcuts like Joan. You gotta do the right thing. Always. Good days, and especially bad.”
“Absolutely.” Sighed Javi, looking around them, “The right thing. No matter what.”
“Good to hear!” Smiled Paul, “I read people pretty well. Little gift of mine. You're a capable guy, Javi. Change is in the air here. You can lead that change, and I think you should. For the better. God knows this town could use it.”
“You know what?” Said Javi, looking Paul in the eyes, “I'm gonna step up. Lead this place in the right direction.”
“There’s the Javi I knew.” Said Paul, “Then as far as I'm concerned, Richmond's in much better hands than it was.”
“Hey, uh, Jesus?” Gabe’s voice made the pair look at the boy.
“Hey, uh, Gabe.” Mimicked Paul, looking at him.
“Thanks for... you know... not letting me get killed.” Said Gabe, nervously, “And for coming back to help us.”
“Yeah, thanks for that, man.” Agreed Javi, nodding.
“And I really sorry you’re not my other Uncle.” Added Gabe, getting a sigh from Javi.
“Spoke too soon.” Muttered Javi, pinching the bridge of his nose.
“It’s fine, not every relationship works out,” Said Paul, before adding, “As for the saving you, pay it forward. Be vigilant. Trouble never stays too far away.”
Javi and Gabe waved as Paul left, before Gabe walked away to find Kate, leaving Javi to talk to Clementine. Sighing, Javi focused on the girl, he supposed that he should start his leadership of Richmond by helping Clementine get ready to reclaim her boy.
Next Story: What if Luke didn’t die?
Was Javier Garcia "not bisexual enough" in ANF?
I feel like everyone reading the title of this essay is going to say, "Well, yeah? Obviously? Javi didn't show any interest in men outside of that one optional moment of flirting with Jesus and then he was confirmed bisexual by one of the writers after the season ended. If they wanted to make him bi, they should've done more with it because that's not enough."
That's a commonly expressed opinion no matter where you look, and it's not like it's unfounded, either.
On a surface level, I agree. While I understand the excitement of learning a character is canonically bi, in the case of Javier Garcia it still feels like celebrating crumbs tossed to us by Telltale after they had their cake and ate it, too. They snuck in some bisexual representation at the last minute for queer audiences without it being explicit so the homophobes wouldn't throw a tantrum.
Stuff like that happens. Sometimes the representation is subtle or implied in the subtext. Or, the queerness is condensed into something digestible and sanitized for straight audiences. Or, it's stated after the fact with little to no actual evidence to support it in canon.
Hell, even if it is obvious, like with Clementine being bisexual in TFS, you still have biphobes who will die on the hill of denial. Even now, in the year 2024, we have people insisting "Clem being bi came out of nowhere! They should've showed it in earlier seasons if they wanted it to make sense. I'm not homophobic but here's my essay PROVING that violentine is bad and forced and that Clem isn't bi!" Or, on the other extreme, "Clementine is a lesbian to me, bisexuality isn't real :)"
But I've already talked about Clementine and what her bisexuality means to me. I want to talk about Javier now.
He's an interesting case, both in the way his queerness was handled and portrayed in the game, and how audiences received it... as in, a lot of people said, "That's great and all, but is it really representation when it's not actually present? It's not enough."
That. That right there: "It's not enough." That's what I want to break down and examine.
Is Javier Garcia not valid as a queer character because he didn't reach this concept of "enough" in the eyes of the player? But what would have been "enough" then? Do people really understand what they're asking for when they discuss what they think Telltale should've done? Does it actually matter if Javier is queer when it comes to the plot and his journey as the protagonist, and if it doesn't matter, is that okay?
Should we just accept these crumbs sprinkled in our hands?
I want to make it clear that I'm but one bisexual examining a bisexual character and doing an analysis. I've climbed out of my bog to write this because I want to discuss Javier and the writing as it pertains to his queerness, or lack thereof. I'm also aware that I'm not providing any irrefutable, concrete evidence here one way or the other; I'm speculating about Javier through a queer lens. I encourage any other bi, pan, or other queer person to add to these discussion points, whether in agreement or not.
Prior to TFS, the queer representation in TWDG wasn't great...
Though the games do get progressively gayer as the seasons go on. And some even get to live! Progress!
S1 had... uh, none? Wait, is that right? ...Yeah, no, I'm tuning my gay radio and it isn't picking up any signals, Captain. Nothing gay in these waters.
S2 had Walter and Matthew, who both died shortly after being introduced. There's some homoerotic undertones between Luke and Nick but nothing was ever confirmed. Also, they both died, so... not great.
The Michonne mini-series had Jonas and Zachary, but Zachary will always die no matter what. Jonas can die, too, but it's determinant. Paige was confirmed to be queer by the writers, though. Uh, progress? Kind of? Not really, it's never talked about and you only pick up on her feelings for Sam if you squint and pay close attention. But hey, at least she got to live!
Then, in ANF we have Javier, our playable protagonist, and Paul "Jesus" Monroe, a gay character who also showed up in the comics and TV show. Would'ja look at that, they both got to live! I should also mention nothing was ever confirmed about Ava but... c'mon, y'know? Captain, there's a faint signal on my radio; when you know, you know. Except she died, to, so... still not great.
Then came TFS, who really said, "Screw you, here's all the gay!"
They gave us bisexual Clementine with both of her romance routes. Violet, Minerva, James, mentions of his past boyfriend, Charlie... Aasim was planned to be bisexual and I don't see why we can't reclaim that for him, and one day I'll crawl out of my bog to write my analysis on the queer-coding/subtext of Louis' character because if I read "lmao Louis is such a Straight" one more time, I'm going to let the gators take a bite out of me just so that I can feel something other than irritation for once.
Sigh. It's so hard being a "Louis ain't straight" truther out here, so few understand.
My plights aside, there's no avoiding the queerness of TFS. Even if your Clementine doesn't romance anyone, or romances Louis, you can't avoid the fact that Violet and Minerva were girlfriends at one point. It's determinant if James will tell you about Charlie, but that doesn't change the fact that James is gay.
But it runs deeper than that. This is a story about these troubled youth who were abandoned by their families and teachers, the ones who were supposed to love and help them, because "something was wrong with them, they did something bad... they need fixing."
These young people have to fight against an oppressive group of adults looking to steal their autonomy, change them, mold them into what's expected to survive. Their identities don't matter to the raiders. All the raiders care about is erasing such identities so that they fall in line and obey, and if they don't comply, they die... or worse.
Yes, it's a story about Clementine and AJ finally finding a home, but no matter how you play, it's also a narrative steeped in queer themes and subtext. You can tell that the people who made it not only cared about these things and wanted them weaved throughout the story, but that some of them were queer themselves.
But where does that leave us with Javier?
With everything TFS did, it's easy to look back at ANF with a critical eye and pinpoint its flaws in every aspect. While I don't believe it's the worst game Telltale ever made [I mean, Minecraft Story Mode exists], in my opinion, it's the messiest game in the main series. It's not bad, but I'd much rather play S1 or TFS.
For all the criticism it received, most players did like Javier as the playable protagonist. Well, they did once they got over the fact that Clementine wouldn't be taking on that role again, and was instead relegated to only being playable in flashbacks.
Javi's personality can vary depending on player choices, but for the most part, he's a charismatic man who loves his family. He used to be a professional baseball player before he was booted from the league for gambling. He can be cocky and sarcastic, and it usually lands him in trouble. He tends to cope and deflect using humor. He has a past of being irresponsible and selfish; he wasn't even there when his father died, despite knowing he was dying of cancer. His relationship with David is complicated, only made messier if he and Kate end up together. He's trying his best... for the most part. Javi even ends up being a father figure to Gabe and Mariana after they all thought David was dead, and he's very open about his grief following Mariana's death.
But given everything we learn about him while playing ANF, how do we know Javi isn't straight? After all, his main love interest is Kate, a woman. He also has opportunities to flirt with Eleanor, another woman. He doesn't show any signs of being attracted to any of the men who are around... until Paul "Jesus" Monroe.
At the end of ep5, Javi and Jesus have a conversation where one of the dialogue options is, "I like you, Jesus." Granted, that doesn't have to mean "like-like;" you can say you like someone without any romantic intentions. Plus, Jesus IS a cool character. Players who picked that option likely weren't thinking of it in a romantic sense.
It's the way that Jesus responds to this option, though: a flirtatious smile, lidded eyes, the deep dip of his voice.
Javier: I gotta admit, man. You're a fucking badass! Jesus: You're a real charmer... You know that? Through and through.
It's not difficult to see Jesus is being flirtatious, and Javi sees it, too. How does he react?
Forgive me, but I'm about to over-analyze this six-second gif. I love his reaction so much. That subtle jump of his shoulders as if a jolt just ran through his gut at the way Jesus lowers his voice. Surprised, and then the movement of the brows, the slide of the eyes, and the little upturn of the mouth says to me "Oh… oh." Caught off guard, perhaps a little bashful.
Option 1: Javier: Oh, you know what they say. Takes one to know one. Jesus: That they do. Option 2: Javier: Are you really sure you don't want to stay? There's room. Jesus: Oh, uh... I'm sure there is, but... we got other people depending on us, Javi. Just the way it is. Option 3: Javier: Meant to tell you... That, uh, armor you got is great. Jesus: Oh... Oh, uh... Hmm... Well, uh... Thanks, um... It gets the job done.
Javi knows what Jesus is getting at regardless of your choice. He understands this is flirtatious, but is startled since he likely didn't consider that Jesus likes men, too. We the audience have a better chance at knowing if, especially those familiar with the character from the comics and the TV show. Javi wouldn't because why would he? It's not like Jesus is obvious and flaunting with the fact that he's gay.
What's funny about that is, given our topic of discussion, we could also argue that Jesus wasn't gay enough, couldn't we? If we're going to pick on Javier for not being more open about his sexuality, then it's only fair that we pick on other characters, no? Did Jesus need to be gayer? Would that improve ANF?
In fact, now that I think about, was James gay enough in TFS? Was one moment where he talks about his boyfriend, a scene that's determinant so not every player got it, enough? What about Minerva? We know she and Violet were girlfriends before Marlon traded her away, that's information that's unavoidable, but did she actually reach this apparent high standard of "enough" in the eyes of the audience?
Are we entitled to unequivocal evidence of queerness, and the heaping amount we deem necessary, otherwise it's not good enough and shouldn't be bothered with at all? Are more casual displays of queerness bad?
I can already hear people jumping to defend James and Minerva, and likely Jesus, against this because "it's totally different!"
Sure. Javier's situation is different from James, Jesus, and Minerva's respective situations. James actually uses the word boyfriend and he keeps a picture of him and Charlie in his pocket. Jesus appears in The Walking Dead universe outside of the game with more evidence of queerness. Minerva's past relationship with Violet is made clear even when you don't pursue Violet's route, not to mention the underlying metaphor of conversion with her being changed/brainwashed/traumatized by the raiders to be just like them.
Javier is different because that scene with Jesus is the only in-game evidence of his queerness, right? Then he had to be confirmed as bisexual by one of the writers once ANF ended.
Surely, they could've brought up the fact that Javier's bi earlier, right? Made mentions of a past boyfriend, or had a flashback about Javi coming out to his family? Why only let him flirt with Kate and Eleanor? Why wasn't there an option to flirt with Tripp, or some other male character? What about a darker turn where David didn't accept Javi for it? David's portrayed as an antagonist, anyway, why not toss a little homophobia into the mix? Why not reveal it if Javi rejects Kate? What if Kate was so hurt by the rejection that she asked him, "It's true, David was right. It's because you like men, isn't it?"
It feels like they decided at the last minute to just toss it in, like someone walked into Telltale one day and said, "Y'all, I just thought of the funniest thing- Javi should be bi so that we can make jokes about him swinging both ways!" And then everyone clapped.
Here's the deal: Something about this sits differently with me, and that's probably thanks to one of ANF's writers, Adam Esquenazi Douglas.
He's the one that confirmed Javier as bisexual.
Adam had his hand in writing for 4/5 episodes, and he said he wrote the scene where Javi can flirt back with Jesus, but it's that last line of his: "After all, they always say write what you know."
I don't know how many of you who are reading this are writers, or creators in general, but I assume many of you are. It doesn't matter if you write fanfiction, create fanart, write essay posts or headcanons or whatever. I have a firm belief that creative people pour so much of themselves into their work that, if given enough material and studied enough, you can get a glimpse of their soul. Even if done unintentionally, we project ourselves into these works; the characters, themes, conclusions, everything.
Am I suggesting that Adam was secretly a bisexual mastermind who threaded queerness throughout the entirety of ANF and we were all too blind to see it? No, and if he did, then he needs to step forward and tell me so that I can study ANF frame by frame to compile the secret evidence into a new essay.
...Actually, on second thought, maybe don't do that to me, Adam.
My point is, yes, it's true that it's likely Javi being bi was added in at the last minute... but can we really dismiss Javier as "not bisexual enough" when Adam had influence over Javi's character throughout the whole season? And I ask again: is the casual queerness of Javier bad?
Time to speculate and answer some of those questions about Javier
Let's talk about Kate for a minute. She is Javier's main love interest, whether you choose to accept her feelings or not, so she can give us a good point of reference for what Javi looks for in a partner.
Kate and Javi share a similar sense of humor that bounces well between the two. Kate wants to travel, Javi's well traveled from his time as a profession baseball player. They both exist in this space of "we're kind of the family screw up." Granted, Javi's more in it than Kate is, but you can see parts of her that come through where she's a little rebellious, a little not good enough [ironically]. They both feel trapped in their situations; Kate in her marriage, Javi in a slow downward spiral of not knowing what to do with himself now that he's booted from his career. They have complicated relationships with David, and together, they've raised Gabe and Mariana through the years after they believed David was dead.
They're a lot alike in many ways, so this is hardly an opposites attract type of romance.
What's interesting is if you then look at Jesus, he has some similar qualities to Kate; a sense of humor even when things are looking bleak, they to help and protect people, are willing to throw themselves in danger to save Richmond. Then if you add Eleanor, the other person Javi has some flirtatious dialogue with, you can apply those qualities to her, as well... though the big difference with her is Eleanor sells the group out because she wants to stay.
With the little information we have, we can speculate on Javi's preferences. He prefers someone more similar to him. I know, I know, everyone loves a good opposites attract tale, they're so different but similar at their cores, they fill in each other's gaps, yada yada... except not everyone is like that, obviously.
My working theory is that a partner who would act as the opposite of Javi would be someone who acts like David... and does Javi really want to date someone like his brother? Though that then opens up a whole can of worms since if Javi and Kate are so similar, and David married Kate... this isn't an essay about David, but that's certainly a thing to chew on.
With that, I suppose we can answer the question, "But if Javi's bi, why didn't he flirt with any men prior to Jesus?"
What men?
No, seriously, where are all these men Javi's supposed to flirt with? Are they hiding? I know you hid them in the game, Adam, where are they?
Wait, do you mean Tripp?
I don't want to step on the toes of any Javi/Tripp shippers out there, but let's actually think about this. When we meet Tripp, Javi's just been separated from his family. He was knocked out and tied up by these assholes who caught him siphoning their gas, then this teenager cut down a tree which resulted in him getting into a car accident. Said teenager then tried to rob him before agreeing to escort him back to his family but first, they gotta go to Prescott. I wouldn't say Javier's in the flirtatious mood by the time he meets Tripp.
But he can flirt with Eleanor, right?
So, why not Tripp?
Because Tripp is a man and he has feelings for Eleanor. That's made quite clear from ep1. He told Javi that he and Eleanor had a thing once. Sure, Javi could still harmlessly flirt with him, but have we stopped to consider that Javi isn't as confident with openly flirting with men like he is women? After all, who initiated the actual flirting between him and Jesus in ep5? That would be Jesus, and it happens after the danger is over and Javi doesn't have to worry about dying for a little bit.
Listen, I understand that Tripp is big. He's built like the lumberjack of our dreams. He has a nice beard. He's not afraid to talk about his feelings even when he fumbles all over them. He's strong and caring and brave. He could easily toss me over his shoulder like I'm a sack of flour and then throw me across the room... what's not to love? Surely, if Javi actually liked men, he would've made a move on Tripp at some point.
Except, would he? Is Tripp even Javi's type? Because I'm pressing X to doubt.
Also, why does he need to?
This is where I question why some people think Javi has to flirt with a bunch of men to "prove" he's bisexual? I'm sorry, do you believe there's a quota all bisexuals have to meet to maintain their membership card? You have to flirt with this many genders a month otherwise they'll revoke your premium status?
Sometimes I wonder if people unintentionally lean into the "promiscuous bisexual" stereotype, or if they do genuinely believe that bisexuals have to express interest in multiple people of different genders in order to prove themselves queer enough.
Did we ever stop to think that Javi's just not like that? An open flirt, I mean. Yeah he's charismatic and funny and all that, but Kate, Eleanor, and Jesus all initiate the romantic dialogue with him first; Kate tells him she needs to get laid hint hint, Eleanor calls him pretty, and Jesus calls him a real charmer.
Tripp never gives him any indication that he's interested or that he even likes men, so why would Javi make a move?
As for any other man? Again, what men? Max? Dr. Lingard? Clint? Conrad? And forget adding a new character to ANF; it could barely handle the characters it already had and you want to add a new one just for Javier? Let's face it, Tripp was the best option and that's just it, he wasn't an option.
"But my Javi WOULD flirt with Tripp and the game didn't give me the option!"
And there it is.
Javier isn't your OC
ANF isn't a massive RPG where starting a new game brings you to a character creation menu, and you get to decide every factor about the character you want to play.
ANF is an episodic, point-and-click Telltale game, and Javier isn't your OC. Like with Lee and Clementine, there are some things you just don't get a say in, and I think that gets to the player sometimes.
When I sit down to play a Dragon Age game, I go into it knowing that my character is mine, I get to decide who they are and who they're interested in. DA as an RPG has the capacity to give me a bunch of romantic options both in and out of my party that shape who my character is.
When I sit down to play TWDG, I go into it knowing that while I have my own Lee, Clementine, and Javi, I didn't create them but I am influencing who they become. I know it's a Telltale game, and that means limitations.
These games have always had the "illusion of choice" criticism chucked at them from the beginning. Usually that pertains to the choices you make that affect the overall story, but ultimately don't matter in the end.
For example, it doesn't matter if you save Carley or Doug because no matter what, they both die. My counter-argument for this has always been that the choice does matter in the way that it shapes your playable character, and how if affects the characters around you. A Lee who saved Doug over Carley had reasons for making that choice, and in turn, has a different experience going forward than a player who chose to save Carley.
Does it matter who shoots Duck in the woods after he's bitten? Or if he's left to turn? No matter what, he's going to die, so is that the illusion of choice? I don't believe so, because it does matter. It affects player experience.
That being said, I believe players who become invested in this series, especially those who engage in fandom, develop a warped sense of what should've been, forgetting the nature of a Telltale game. I know this because that's the foundation my blog was built on.
Javier Garcia isn't a blank slate. You didn't create him. He had a life before the start of the game, he has a personality that you didn't choose for him, and there are things you have no control over. If anything, we act as an influence over the TWDG playable protagonists. Most every option given is something that could reasonably play into their character. I say "most" because we all remember that [GLASS HIM] moment where Javi tells David that Kate's going to leave him and we were all like "THAT'S NOT WHAT I THOUGHT THAT OPTION WAS!" and it felt out of character.
Anyway, you don't dictate who these characters are but you get sway over the direction they take.
Javi can be a real prick to everyone, but that plays into the selfish and entitled part established with his character from the beginning. You can play him as genuine, trying to step up and do better for the sake of his family, another thing brought up from the very beginning.
"But why couldn't I make Javi flirt with Trip!?"
Because it's not an option. I don't know what else to tell you. I don't know what you want me to tell you.
ANF is a Telltale game that centers about Javier Garcia. It's a story about a man who, prior to the outbreak, screwed up and was wasting his life away. His relationship to his family sat upon a rocky foundation, crumbled by his own hands. He wasn't even there when his father died. We follow this man through a story of a family trying to survive, we watch him reunite with his brother and risk losing everything that kept him grounded and going. He experiences grief and anger and sorrow and happiness. In the end, he comes out of it all a different man, for better or worse.
That man just also happened to be bisexual.
And that's the thing: This isn't a story about Javier's sexuality. He isn't going around making moves on these elusive men that mastermind Adam Esquenazi Douglas maybe hid in the game somewhere because the game isn't about Javi liking men.
It's a game about his complicated relationships with Kate and David made messy by Kate being in love with him, and whether or not Javi loves her, too.
It's about Javi helping Clementine back on her path after she's been alone and bitter for so long. It's about them fighting to take down a group of people doing really shitty things to other communities. It's about losing Mariana and avenging her by killing the man who shot her. It's about Gabe feeling conflicted about his father, a man he always wanted to be just like, after realizing that David isn't this idealized figure Gabe thought he was.
It's about the promise Javi made to his father.
The fact that Javi happens to be bi doesn't matter in the grand scheme of the plot. It's just something that's apart of who he is, but because it's a small detail we feel was added in at the last minute, we decide it's not enough.
But what if it is enough? Do we even truly know what this concept of "enough" is?
Throughout writing this piece, I've found myself in a loop.
I'm happy Javier is bisexual. -> But should I be? -> We shouldn't settle for crumbs, we deserve more explicit representation. -> But is there really anything wrong with casual representation where the story doesn't focus on sexuality? It doesn't take away from other stories that do. -> I'm happy Javier is bisexual. -> But should I be?
Lather, rinse, repeat.
Queer stories are important and our voices need to be heard. We need stories that don't shy away from experiences that are hard to stomach. We need queer stories told by queer people. We need stories that are unapologetic, that aren't afraid to face their audience with pride. Stories that don't say "yeah but we have to bend a little to the bigots to maximize our profits." We need these stories that inspire us, hurt us, make us cry and piss us off. We need queer stories with happy endings that give us hope, that push us to seek a better future so that new generations of queer people don't feel alone in their struggles. We need queer stories that make us feel heard, seen.
Do stories with casual representation of queer characters fit in there somewhere, too? I think they do, because TFS is a casual representation story.
Clementine is bi and it isn't a big deal; she never has a moment where she's openly questioning, she doesn't have this big coming-out scene, there's no tears shed or anything. She isn't stomping around with her bi pride flag and announcing who she is with a heartwarming speech.
She just is.
Same thing with Violet. She never comes out to Clementine as a lesbian, no one ever calls her that, she just is.
Clementine's romance with Violet is treated just as it is with Louis, sincere and normal. No one questions her or Violet because to the Ericson crew, it is normal. They knew Violet and Minerva were together before but no one has any quips about it, positive or negative.
If you romance Violet but then save Louis, he makes mention that Clementine and Violet are close so why save him? But Louis, for as much as people side eye him for making jokes and never taking anything seriously, doesn't say anything more. He could've made a joke, "Ah, you like girls, I guess I never stood a chance then, haha." He doesn't, because it's not something out of the ordinary for him and it's not something he feels the need to pry over.
If you go fishing with Violet and Brody, you find the carved heart with Violet and Minerva's initials and AJ asks what it means. Clementine can tell him they were girlfriends, and AJ doesn't go, "Oh, that's weird," or "Huh, I didn't know girls could like each other." He just goes, "Oh. Love." and moves on because he grew up differently, it isn't a big deal to.
Even the antagonists aren't out here spewing homophobia, at least that I recall.
The Ericson crew are a generation that understands and accepts. Where Clementine could end up with either Louis or Violet and no one will raise a brow, or even feel compelled to signal their alliance like, "Ah, yes, I am accepting of you and your choice, good for you, I am an ally, I'm making this about me."
The Final Season of TWDG is great, and it proves that the writers at Telltale at the time wanted to explore these topics earnestly. It wasn't pandering or trying to score "woke points" with the LGBTQ+ community like some bigots will insist. If it were, it would've been way more obvious about it, I think.
Casual queer stories or serious stories that tackle the hardships of being gay?
Like the bisexual I am, I like both and everything in between.
Clementine didn't need to prove her bisexuality as "enough" in TFS, but since the circumstances were different, did Javier?
I'm going to take the potentially controversial road and say no. I understand why we wish they did more, and I understand why people have frustrations over creators dropping that information without actually having to commit in their work... but I also have some appreciation for the casual reveal of Javi being bi, regardless of why it was dropped.
Javier is valid. He didn't need to "prove" anything.
In a way, I believe we do have some control over the portrayal of Javier, and that's by engaging in fandom. If you were disappointed that Javi's queerness wasn't explored in game, then find a fic that does explore that side of him, or write your own. Engage with other people and their work about it. Comment on fanart, fics, and thought pieces. Write brain dumps. Find other Javi/Tripp shippers and prove me wrong, prove that Tripp is indeed Javi's type and have fun while doing it.
Telltale gave us the crumbs, so let that inspire us to bake a cake.
I don't think this concept of "not enough" is the most productive way we could go about discussing topics like this. Not everyone has the same level or standard, and every work is a unique case. But I think it is fun and productive to share ideas of what we would've done differently so that it may inspire us.
ANF, for all of its flaws, could be a tool used to teach us where our priorities are in storytelling, and influence what we want to create ourselves.
In conclusion: Javier Garcia is enough to me.
Now, if you'll excuse me, I need to crawl back to my bog and begin research into the meaning and metaphors behind walkers and their existence.
But before that, I want to give a big thank you to @pi-creates for making the Javi gif used in this essay, as well as for listening to all my bullshit during the writing process.
ᴠɪᴅᴇᴏ ɢᴀᴍᴇs ɪ ʟᴏᴠᴇ
⎆ the walking dead game: a new frontier