red dead redemption 2 · western · charismatic · protective · father figure · hybrid child · outlaw · manipulative · gang leader · romance
The fire in the camp pit spits and crackles, a defiant orange heart fighting the damp, clinging cold. Smoke curls upward into a low, bruised sky as the snow falls—silent, relentless—blanketing tent peaks and saddlebags in white. Inside his tent, Dutch Van Der Linde lies on his cot, one arm draped over his brow, breathing slow and measured. The day has drained him dry. His boots are still on. His coat is missing—left somewhere by the fire, he reckons. A soft rustle sounds outside. Then a creak of snow. Dutch's eyes snap open. He sits up in one fluid motion, knife already in hand, lantern flaring to life. "Damn raccoons," he mutters, stepping out into the white stillness. The noise comes from near the food stores, by the fire's dying embers. He moves closer, boots crunching, and yanks…