Pablo Pestoso - Deceased

Pablo Pestoso
Age: 34
Skin: Antonio Xavier

Pablo has long struggled with an alcohol problem, stemming from feelings of guilt and confusion arising from a childhood trauma. He has never had a true friend, his childhood companion, a tame jackrabbit he caught and trained, being cooked for dinner one night by his father to teach him a lesson in priorities.

Young Pablo could not cope with this and his mind, (and his stomach), flipped. Since that day he has been on a one man mission to erase rabbits from the face of the earth so he can pretend they never existed, freeing him from the horror of that childhood moment. Unfortunately he also suffers from uncontrollable guilt over the behaviour towards a species that provided him with much needed companionship in his youth, manifesting itself in the spirit of his departed pet following him around like an ethereal conscience, chastising his genocidal behaviour.

To numb his mind from the constant see-sawing from obsessive compulsive rabbit hunter to guilt ridden depressive Pablo took to drink and wandering the wilds looking for drunken absolution. Rather than finding salvation though, he usually just ends up in a ditch somewhere. He can be gone for days with no one knowing where he is, least of all Pablo himself, only to turn back up as if nothing had happened, attempting to integrate himself back into village life until his next bout of mania descends, or he has saved enough money for more liquor. (On the upside, constantly killing rabbits does lead to a fairly steady source of income from meat, skins and lucky feet).

In an attempt to a) give his life more meaning and b) get rid of the crazy person, Pablo’s family read to him an advert pinned up on the village notice board for a cowboy for hire over the border, knowing that this was Pablo’s original childhood dream – to be a famous trailblazer - before he lost his senses and hoping it may help him find the person he was before.

Pablo embraced this chance for another… chance… and set off on his donkey for his new life in America as a Mail-order cowboy, with just his (t)rusty rifle and pistol – and his imaginary friend – for company, totally unaware that it wasn’t a cowboy that was being asked for, it was a latrine cleaner and no one in his family could actually read and had basically made something up on the spot.

And this is where Pablo’s story joins the world of RDR so, if you see a slightly chubby Mexican wandering about town smelling of toilets, take pity and help a man fulfil his dream. Or at least buy something rabbit related off him.

So Pablo made his way to America, and the town of Armadillo was his first stop. No one had heard of anyone wanting a mail-order cowboy so he tried to find alternative work. He was offered the job of Hardware store by the town Marshall, the previous owner being nowhere to be found. (Although there were some suspicious corpses in the street so maybe this should have tipped Pablo off that things were not all they seemed in this quiet town...)

Pablo promptly became bored and fell asleep behind the counter, the strains of his long journey and the after effects of his last drops of homebrew taking their toll. Waking up with quite a lot of his stock missing Pablo beat a hasty retreat from town and headed into the wilds to hunt himself up some food and to try his hand at hunting - the stresses and responsibilities of retail management proving too much for him, even in such a short space of time.

Finding a deserted campsite Pablo settled down for the night with the last of his food. After a good nights sleep he would head back into town, apologise for quitting his job and try to make it as a hunter, having spotted plentiful wildlife on his trek. Pablo suddenly realised he had spotted no rabbits at all and interpreted this in his simple way that they must not exist anymore - a great weight was lifted and he slipped into a peaceful slumber...

He was suddenly awakened by the town Sheriff, shaking him and demanding he return to town as it wasn't safe out in the wild. Scaring Pablo with tales of cougars and crazed wolf packs the lawman led the confused Mexican back into Armadillo. There they found a number of townsfolk on the roofs alleging that they were 'standing guard', the sheriff allowing this odd behaviour as the men became increasingly agitated when asked to come down; Pablo couldn't help but wonder, "What had got them so spooked?"

All of a sudden there were explosions and flames and shouts and screams - a crazed man was running around setting man and buildings alight and mauling the survivors! The townsfolk sprung into action - the man was soon shot down, only to reappear moments later the other side of town. This was not natural... This happened a number of times until the man was finally subdued and bound and tied. The townsfolk started shouting about Black Magic and the living dead and Pablo began to wish he had stayed at home where all he had to worry about was mental health disorders and hangovers. He soon began wishing harder as cries of "Get the Mexican!" and "It's the fault of the Mexican" and "What is that smell? Urgh, it's the Mexican!" rang out. Pablo ran - he didn't even have time to call for his trusty mount. He sprinted out of town, dodging and weaving the shots that rang out from the lynch mob. And then it all went black.

Pablo awoke, after dreams of his head being split in half by a tomahawk, to find himself in the centre of town in the protective custody of the Sheriff. The townsfolk had calmed down and, with the Sheriff's help, Pablo explained he was in town to follow the American Dream and knew nothing of Black Magic or the living dead. He was just a poor immigrant who wanted to be allowed to fit in.

The Sheriff told his deputy to keep an eye on Pablo, for his own safety - which was done none to soon as the crazed man/zombie/devil returned. Pablo then spent the most terrified time of his life hiding in barns, crouching in bushes, lurking in abandoned shacks and seeking shelter in a nearby farm - where he was gifted a horse by a local rancher. (Pablo got drunk and forgot he had the horse soon after and left it... somewhere). As daylight broke everyone returned to town but Pablo stayed in the wilderness - he was hungry and stressed and so hunted some birds for breakfast and to calm himself down by killing small animals.

Heading back to Armadillo Pablo was approached by an old man - who was also being treated like an undesirable by the towns folk. Pablo suddenly realised the man looked just like the devil from the night before! He was stunned into inaction and was expecting to perish at his hands when the man instead poured him a vodka and told him his sorry tale. He told Pablo he had no idea what happened when he became crazed - he didn't even know who he was or where he had come from. There was something about a cave or something but at this point Pablo's mind was pretty over-loaded with the last 24hrs events and the words were going in one ear and out the other. All Pablo gathered was that Old Man = safe, yet pathetic and Crazy Devil = run awaaaay!

With that in mind - and glad that at least he wasn't the only outcast in town - Pablo bid the town a temporary farewell and headed back out to the camp he had found to sleep for as long as possible, hoping things would settle down in his absence - the wolves and cougars seemed much safer than a bunch of trigger happy racists to a poor Mexican boy.

Stopping only to buy some beans and whiskey Pablo climbed on his donkey and headed into the desert....

After, well he wasn't sure how many days - (alcohol; it's a hell of a drug, kids) - Pablo headed back into town. He was refreshed by the desert air and the return to his simple life.

His first stop was the bar, to see what gossip he could find out about the devil man that had caused so much trouble on his last visit. The only person who would speak to him was the old man behind the bar, and he only had two things to say: 1) I don't know what is going on, and 2) I hate Mexicans.

Pablo downed his tequila and left, feeling very unwelcome. So far, things had not changed.
He went looking for the Sheriff to inquire about work, and as he had been the only one who had treated him well, but couldn't find him. Following some other townsfolk to the bar hoping they had some work Pablo followed some lawmen into a back room - they threw him out and started talking in whispers. He crept around to a side window to eavesdrop, hoping to hear about the demons, or at least get a clue to the townsfolk's attitudes towards him. Instead he heard a sorry tale of terminal illness that made him feel guilty for spying, and brought back memories of his own mother's death.

Depressed, Pablo only just noticed the man beckoning to him from the shadows, a man who introduced himself as Dan Wilson. He told Pablo he had some work for him, that would take him away from this town of bigots. Pablo followed, not really caring what the work was, just glad to be able to put Armadillo behind him.

Not far out of town Dan suddenly leapt from his horse, dragging another man from his own mount and shooting him dead! He offered the new horse to Pablo, saying he needed something better than a donkey if he was going to become a bandit....

Pablo was stunned; he had always tried to live the right side of the law. But then, this outlaw was the only person who had actually been nice to him - well, there was that rancher guy who gave him a horse without murdering anybody and actually because he seemed like a nice, charitable guy but he was gradually disappearing into alcohol related brain cell death memory loss so lets forget that guy for plot purposes. So.....

...Pablo agreed to give it a go. If it all failed he could just hightail it back to Mexico; his cowboy dream had failed before it began so maybe becoming a legendary Bandito could be his new dream!

Pablo promptly fell off his new horse which ran off so he was forced through necessity to commit his first crime and steal a new one. Dan held up the next rider to pass them and Pablo raised his gun, intending to scare the man into relinquishing his mount. Unfortunately he was so nervous his finger twitched, the rifle went off and the bullet hit the poor man in the face. Pablo's first ever kill was a headshot! Terrified, yet with adrenaline coursing through his system, Pablo leapt on his new horse and followed Dan at a gallop back into Armadillo - he was yelling about shooting up the town and hoping to pot the Marshal, spreading word that, without doubt, there were new bad asses in town!

Pablo was so busy clinging to the reins and not falling off that his shots were, literally, aimless. He hit the side of a cart and a box and then headed out the other side of town; Dan followed roaring that he had blown of a mans foot, or head, or something - the wind and the rush of blood had rendered Pablo almost deaf.

Dan lead Pablo to a secret hide out in the hills where they could make a stand against their pursuers. But no one followed. Disappointed they headed back to rile up the townsfolk some more and spent the rest of the day sniping horses, alerting enemies to the lawmen's presence in Pike's Basin and generally causing mischief.

In the excitement Pablo was yet again thrown from his horse, this time suffering a concussion. He stumbled into town, remembering that Dan wanted to meet him behind the theatre but, no matter how hard he tried, he couldn't think why.

Finding Dan, who was creeping through town and kept hushing him any time he tried to speak, Pablo became more and more confused as to what he was supposed to do - although it involved coughing and whistling for some reason. Suddenly, looking around, Pablo realised he was alone. Dan had gone. Pablo was then approached by some men in suits asking him what he was up to and getting agitated when he didn't answer. Pablo mumbled at them and, holstering his gun, wandered off looking dazed. Which he was anyway. They seemed to take this as a sign he was just drunk and let him go, heading back into the centre of town. Then, up ahead Pablo heard shouts. Dan appeared to be in hayloft surrounded by The Law.

Pablo was struck still. Did he run and leave his new friend to who knew what fate, or did he try to help. He knew that killing was wrong - and that although he had already killed a man he felt this was not a hobby he wanted, he was in the bandito business for the social side and the laughs - so instead he put his rifle to his shoulder and fired....at the ground. The lawmen jumped for cover and Pablo turned tail and ran as far as his fat frame would allow. (IE not very fast at all).

He headed for the wilderness, figuring Dan was the main target, and was just thinking he had got away when a shot rang out, hitting him in the leg. Pablo fell and was soon set upon and pistol whipped into unconsciousness. He woke up in a cell, his rein of mostly incompetent notreallycrime over before he had started. (The killing a guy bit was an accident and, to be honest, totally not what he had just been arrested for).

A few minutes later a trussed up Dan was thrown onto the cell to join Pablo for a night of blame throwing, punch throwing and failing to escaping. Pablo was subjected to a rain of abuse through the bars to rival that he had only heard, well, in this same town actually.
At least he was safe in jail from racist beating, and would be able to plead his case to a jury of his peers in the morning. Although there was a lot of talk about executing Dan, Pablo was sure he would be seen a s a victim on this - a poor immigrant who had been led astray by a hardened killer. He was sad that Dan would die but confident his sorry story would lead to his own freedom.

He slept in a corner until the sun rose and his jailers came to the cell to lead Dan to his death. But then... they dragged Pablo out too!
"Where is my trial?" he cried.
"Dirty Mexicans don't get no trial!" they cried back, "You're gonna die too, and we been wantin' to do this since you got to this town!"

Pablo was stunned... What had happened to his dreams? What has happened to the imaginary rabbit that had been such a large focus of his intro-story? What character model would his soul inhabit next?

He was led to the shooting gallery behind the town, his hands in cuffs and his hopes in tatters. He stood on the stage of his demise and looked at the townsfolk with sad eyes. Dan stood alongside him, glaring at those who would end his life with contempt. Pablo took heart from this; he would die as a man, like the man beside him. He would not let these bigots break him, even at the end. He puffed his chest out, thought of something incredibly witty and scathing to say, opened his mouth to spit out his last words....
....and the executioners opened fire.

Cacklad wrote:

The last moments of Pablo Pestoso - RIP Fat Mex.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mLsjCLF_CtM Those last 25...