| James D. Shaw |
 |
| Portrayed By: | Eddie Spears |
| Status: | Alive |
| Age: | 28 |
| Occupation: | Just fired. |
| Family: | Local. Parents and little brother. |
| Significant Other(s): | Right. |
| Freak Factor: | Totem Warrior |
Background
James' first job was at a convenience store. His last one was too, but he just was fired from that for creatively rearranging the goods in the store so that the prices were all wrong. His boss was distinctly unappreciative of the April Fool's prank, and so he's looking for a job again.
That's been the case before, though. Even as a kid on the reservation, he was a troublemaker. He was smart, but the definitive scholastic underachiever. Easily bored in classes, he had enough truancies to get him asked to leave school a couple times over, but he somehow managed to stick around and get the degree. He's not sure how, and neither are his past teachers.
His life seemed destined for low-wage jobs, and that hasn't changed. Having held a job since the age of fourteen implies hard work, perseverance, and dedication. Unless he tries or really cares, James has none of these things. Beyond the convenience store, he's worked as a cashier at a casino, a tourist guide, a spam E-mailer, an assistant at a car mechanics shop, a frybread cook in a roach coach, and so forth. None of these jobs have lasted beyond a year.
The only job that has really stuck is the slight criminal trouble he gets into from time to time. He's a sharp guy, and the wrong sort of people have realized that and suggested to him that maybe he should sell these brand new cellphones at the freeway tollbooth, or maybe he should lift a few things from the convenience store he's working at. James' morals are not so developed that he'd say no to that, and he's done some work as hired help for some wiseguys. He's cooled his heels in jail a few times, too, but has no serious record. He's glib enough to talk his way out of any real problems, and people like him and tend to believe what he's saying about being willing to reform.
Someone else likes him, too. Coyote has taken a shine to him, and given his slickness and penchant for chaos and trouble, that's not surprising. In some rare introspective moments, he has felt his totem's influence upon him, and he's started to meditate more seriously — not that he would ever admit that to anyone.
At twenty-eight, all he has to show for his efforts is a crummy studio apartment and a motorcycle. He's moved off the reservation, but he still sees his parents and his little brother, Tommy, from time to time. He's not given to deep connections with anyone, though, so his visits are more cursory than most. If he's had any lasting relationships, he doesn't talk about them. He's more interested in learning about the world around him than in knowing anyone very deeply, and his totem keeps on pushing him to fuck up everything he touches.
It's not a tough life, but it's quite a directionless one. He's started to wonder if maybe he should ground himself, but why bother? Las Vegas doesn't jive well with the settled life, and he's got too much to see before then. If he has to whack some bad guys before he gets settled, then that's just too bad for them. He hasn't yet, but he's been training to do so and keeping an eye out. Much to his disappointment, nothing interesting has happened yet on that front. Maybe soon!
Relationships (Perennially In Progress)
| Name | Relation | Notes |
| Jesse | Protégé | Jesse is friends with Tommy and plays in a band. Sometimes, James helps set up the band's equipment at gigs, as long as he gets a beer out of it. He's constantly trying to get the kid to break the law and bend the truth — but all for his own good, right? |
| Jonathan | Jiminy Cricket | Jonathan is Jesse's uncle. James tolerates him but is frustrated by his levelheadedness and the close watch he keeps on Jesse. |
| Rose | Next-Door Neighbor | Rose has lived next door to James since he moved in to his place. He still thinks of her as a nine-year-old kid, though a decade has passed since then. |
| Tommy | Little Brother | Tommy is James' younger brother. James treats Tommy like most older brothers treat younger brothers, with genuine affection tempered by exasperation and feigned annoyance. He feels guilty for not visiting the kid more since he left home. |
Powers and Abilities
- Acute Smell/Taste (2)
- Attractiveness (3)
- Criminal (2)
- Fast Reaction Time (2)
- Good Luck (3)
- Hard To Kill (5)
- Totem Warrior (12) (Coyote)
Logs
(Will open in new window. Will be updated soon; more logs available on forum!)
Employee of the Month — Humor, w/ Kumari.
