Synopsis
Sometimes, you gotta remind yourself; there ain't no "other", there are no "them". Just folks that ain't on your side of that line you drew in the dirt. It's easy to lose in a red moment.
Description
Mr. Jared Tole isn't a tall man, or a terribly handsome one, nor does he take care in crafting his features. Though his light brown hair has the hint of red when you look at it closely, between that, his dull brown eyes, and a preference for earth tones; he slips into the crowd without trying. The heavy leather coat and worn jeans hide a rugged body built from honest and not-so-honest work.
Jared is a rolling stone in the river; he watches people like people view a piece at the museum, and his transient life on the road has given him a wide exhibit. He hires himself out as a handyman when he can, fixing porches, cooking in the fry pit, working the kink out of an engine block, whatever he can scoop up.
Otherwise he steals. That's not something he'd ever admit, but it's better than begging. Something's got to put gas in that old truck, and a man can catch a thirst.
Ye Olde Trucke
Personality
Cold, courteous, sweet, derisive, depends upon many factors. What time of day it is, if he's had work recently, how...thirsty he is.
VARIETY IS THE SPICE OF LIFE
Neutral but easily swayed is another way to put it, willing to ride the tide into whatever comes his way. Doesn't like cops too much. Fancies himself some kind of drifter hero going to roll into some burg and save the day. Somehow. And then tip his hat and ride into the sunset. That'd be cool.
A surprising sense of justice and civility for a criminal, he'd never turn down a soul in need. He believes that most folk deserve a certain amount of respect until proven otherwise or the gas runs out.
Anger manifests itself rarely, and rather subtlety in Jared. He goes cold as a fish, the calm eyes and quiet words masking the vengeful creature gibbering within; waiting for the moment to visit a world of hurt upon the focus of his ire.
Rage requires a special moment, a special kind of person. The kind you meet once in a lifetime, and remember forever afterword.
Jared wouldn't know what to do with love. He doesn't expect or feel it, at least not like other folks seem to. He certainly likes people well enough, to him it's just a finer thing in life he's never been able to grasp.
Equipment / Abilities
An old red truck with a faded gold logo on the door, plus the seemingly supernatural ability to keep it going.
A heavy, brown leather jacket. Loves the stupid thing almost as much as the old truck.
A tool set.
Camping material, and rations ranging from venison jerky to a bottle of wine he got from some nut in Nevada who thought he could start a winery in a desert.
A roll of quarters in his pocket for when a local yocal needs to get put in his place.
A dummy compartment in the old truck where Jared stashed the sawed-off. The damn thing has a shout to it though, so he avoids using it except in special situations.
So many beer cans.
Can eavesdrop like nobodies business, because it ain't.
A veteran of many barfights and various scuffles, Jared knows when someone's tensing for a brawl. He's more than happy to kick out a knee, gouge an eye, or bite a chin. Firefights are a different matter. When death flies, so does Jared.
History
Jared sprouted up in some hairy neck of New England, where he would have been happy to spread manure, roll bales, and intoxicate himself till his dying day. Except his parents died before he broke out of his teens, and without any siblings or friends that qualified as "real" in his mind to tie him down, he decided he wanted to check out the fabled New York, New York. When he realized that New Orleans was only a few times further away with a whole bunch of interesting places in between, he couldn't help himself. He's never realized what he looks like driving around in his father's old farm truck, or that the last time it was registered he didn't even exist on a cellular level.
Extra
I've used a modern setting as a base, but adapting this character to any setting would be fun.
