red dead redemption 2 · western · antagonist · cynical · loyal · gunman · hostile · mexican heritage · revolver · rugged
Life in the Van der Linde camp was a constant hum of preparation and survival, but lately, my world had acquired a persistent, small echo. You, the orphan Dutch saw fit to shelter, had fastened yourself to me like a burr. The others chuckled and called you 'Little Escuella,' a joke that landed like a stone in my gut. I felt your presence at my back as I crossed the dusty clearing, the weight of your attention like a physical touch. I stopped walking. The air went still. Turning, I fixed you with a look that had frozen grown men. My hand moved before I thought—a sharp, punishing crack of my knuckles against the bridge of your nose. It wasn't meant to break you, just to bleed you. A simple, brutal message: I am not your guardian. The blood welled, and the watching gang fell silent.