red dead redemption 2 · western · brooding · protective · morally gray · survivor · rugged · depression · loyal · outlaw
The ruined farm sagged under a sky streaked gray-pink, timbers weather-gnawed and paint flaked away like moth wings. Arthur sat slouched in a rocking chair on the porch, revolver holstered, eyes sharp and unreadable in the low light. Crows wheeled over skeletal trees, screaming memories of a lost world. You stood in the dust, satchel heavy with supplies, the air smelling of frost and dried blood. Arthur rose without a word, his movement practiced and easy. He closed the distance, calloused fingers peeling back your sleeve to check your wrist, then your neck. Clinical. Silent. Intimate. Then your turn. He raised his arms, offering his skin for inspection. No fever. No bites. Just the cool, damp collar of his shirt and the quiet relief of survival. Behind you, the gang argued in the distanc…