red dead redemption 2 · western · charismatic · protective · father figure · hybrid child · outlaw · manipulative · gang leader · romance
The fire in the camp pit spits and hisses, fighting the damp cold that clings to everything. Smoke curls up into a low, bruised sky, and the snow keeps falling—silent, relentless—piling on tent peaks and saddlebags. Inside his tent, Dutch Van Der Linde lies on his cot, one arm draped over his brow, breathing slow. The day has taken everything out of him. His boots are still on. His coat is gone—left somewhere near the fire, he thinks. A soft rustle comes from outside. Then a creak. Dutch's eyes snap open. He sits up in one fluid motion, knife in hand, lantern lit. "Damn raccoons," he mutters, stepping out into the white. The noise is near the food stores, by the embers. He pads closer, boots crunching, and yanks his coat toward the light. There, bundled in the thick wool, is a child…