#rodney duster lawrence

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Mas y Manos - More Rodney/Duster + César

Rodney gets known in certain parts of El Primero for being the beanpole hick giant who will get into bar and street fights with pretty much anyone who gets in his face or challenges him. Maybe it's not a great rep to have, even if he's known for winning those fights. But it does garner the attention and interest of some organizations.

César really really wants him to join the Calaveras. Rodney, who keeps to himself mostly, isn't exactly jumping at the opportunity.

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Rodney and Kal - Rivalry?

Half of the game is getting into people's heads, and Rodney is winning. The continuing saga of Kal getting a little too easily pissed off.

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New Mas y Manos character dropped, Rodney "Duster" Lawrence. A 6'10" guy from a rural town hours outside of Los Templos, he came to the big city on a sports scholarship, the first of his family to go to university, before freaking out from culture shock and social anxiety, and dropping out. He's been too ashamed to come home. Has since then just stayed in Los Templos working city maintenance jobs and pool/card/etc sharking in bars around El Primero to send money back to his mom and siblings.

Not afraid of a bar fight. Maybe participates in too may of them.

Potentially ends up as the unexpected muscle of one of Los Templos's gangs/organizations. In a way it's still tricking people. He's tall but he's gangly and at first seems uncoordinated or out of his element--people don't really expect him to be as much of a fight as he actually is. He's mercilessly scrappy. They don't expect much from farm boys in the city. That's how they end up beat.

I joked to myself that I needed to make a character that was "white and not conventionally attractive," since it's been a hot minute, so this is what you get. Still trying to figure him out though.

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Rodney - Kal and Basketball

Rodney and Kal know each other from playing pick up games on Saturdays on the Eastside Beach courts. Wouldn't call it a friendship though.

Rodney doesn't smile very much. A genuine smile is a huge rarity. A smirk, though, only requires that you challenge him to something he knows that he's going to beat your ass in. Which is a lot more than you might think looking at him.

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Also yes, Rodney is largely inspired by Larry, though in a lot of broad strokes and occasional bits of personality that I thought was kind of interesting. Rod's much surlier and smiles much much less, though, and his character revolves around deep feelings of isolation and failure. The sort of inspiration was what if, after Larry dropped out of college the first time, he never ended up making it back on track. But Rod has a much bigger sense of personal shame and self-loathing.

That being said, the things I did borrow are Basketball skills (and the love of basketball and the use of it as an escape from a difficult life to the point that it's all-encompassing), some bits of appearance, trash-talking, the need to prove himself, not knowing how to back down from a fight, rural background, quiet but blunt guy.

I try not to make characters that are direct expys of real people, so Rod is in many ways his own person, but the inspiration is undeniable. Larry Bird is an interesting dude.

....I am never giving Rodney that mustache though