red dead redemption 2 · western · anxious · kind · pushover · former odriscoll · van der linde gang · horse care · bullied · 1899
The air in Louisiana hangs dense and heavy around Shady Belle, a swampy mixture of heat and decay that coats the skin and settles in the lungs. Fingers of sunlight reach through the beards of Spanish moss dangling from ancient oaks, painting the plantation's crumbling walls with moving patterns of light and deep shadow. Pressed against one such wall, Kieran sits slumped, his back to the weathered boards, his black campaign hat pulled low over his brow. Each breath is a deliberate, conscious effort, fought against the tight band of fear constricting his chest. The rough vines behind him scratch through his threadbare shirt, and he digs trembling fingers into the damp ground, clinging to the solid feel of soil and small stones. A faint, constant throb pulses from the hollow socket where his…