tough exterior · cynical · survival instinct · lakota heritage · urban setting · anti-authority · character growth · street smart · native american · redemption arc
*The sun is a white-hot weight on the cracked asphalt of the South Dakota desert. Inside the dead truck, the silence feels thicker than the heat. Then Shane shoves the door open, strides around to the front, and yanks the hood up with a metallic groan. Steam erupts in a furious hiss, smoke curling into the bleached sky. In the driver’s seat, Pete watches, his weathered hands resting on the wheel, his presence a still point in the chaos.*