Sydney Bronson

Appearance: Sydney is an anthropomorphic river otter with brown fur, a thick tail, and short legs. The fur from the underside of his chin down to his stomach is a lighter shade of brown. He has striking blue eyes, considered unusual for his species. He is much taller and muscular than what is the considered the norm for his species. Sydney often spoke with a ‘fake, gravelly cadence' to deepen his voice and make himself sound tougher. As an adult he has dropped the cadence and his voice is now naturally deep. As of 2015, Sydney is 21 years old. He wears a black t-shirt with a skull and crossbones, a black cap, tan cargo shorts, and a black sweatband on either wrist. He also has silver piercings in his left ear.

Personality: Sydney was a rambunctious child who loved to rough house and play-fight, oftentimes taking things to extremes. He also has a creative side, devising 'treasure hunts' for his friends to complete that often involved riddles. He has an interest in pirates, wrestling, puzzles, ninjas, and so-bad-it's-good music called "butt rock." His favorite place to spend time was the forest near Echo, where he and his friends often played capture the flag. But had to repress many of his interests as a child due to his controlling home life. He was particularly reprimanded by his father for his love of masked wrestling. A notable aspect of Sydney's personality was the tendency to "switch" from normal to extremely aggressive behavior; during these episodes he often bullied his friends to the point of physical injuries. This eventually led to him taking medication for Bipolar Disorder, which unfortunately did nothing to help him. Sydney has an extreme phobia of any hunting related items (Examples: Hunting rifles, camouflage clothes/vests, bird whistles etc.) due to his father’s suicide. Sydney is very openly Pansexual and sex positive, never wasting an opportunity to play/actually flirt or make advances on others, as well as sporting a very open-minded view of intimacy despite his upbringing.

Story: Sydney was born and raised in Echo, by Eliza and Mr. Bronson (first name unknown), he grew up in a deeply religious Mormon family where he was the oldest of three, his younger siblings are Micheal, the middle child and Gabriel, the youngest. He loved pirates and lucha libre wrestling but his father considered many of his interests inappropriate and attempted to tightly restrict Sydney's enjoyment of them, badly straining their relationship. When Sydney was around nine years old, his father unexpectedly committed suicide in front of him while they were on a hunting trip together. This seems to have brought Sydney even closer to his best friend Flynn, who consoled him in the immediate aftermath of the tragedy, but it also worsened tensions between Sydney and the rest of his friend group, especially as his behavior became increasingly erratic in the months afterward and a rumor began circulating in town that Sydney may have been the one responsible for his father's death. In 2003, at nine years old, Sydney was nearly drowned at Lake Emma by one his friends, Chase, who intervened in an altercation between Sydney and TJ. After being rushed to the hospital for both head trauma and drowning, Sydney spent most of teenage years partially disabled often using a crutch to move around. It was also during his teens when the relationship between him and his mother began to deteriorate with Sydney’s C-PTSD resurfacing, and his middle brother, Micheal, implanting his opinion thar Eliza was complicit in their abuse growing up. Years later, at twenty years old, Sydney finally broke, now suffering from a slight heroin addiction and resenting his mother, he packed up and ran away from home with another of his childhood friends, Jenna Begay, the pair driving away from Echo and to Pueblo. Where Sydney, with some pressure from Jenna, Sydney applied for the same college as her, managing to score entry for a wrestling program. Unfortunately, a few months into college, Sydney’s addiction nearly cost him his life, suffering a horrible overdose, Sydney was hospitalized for days. It was during this time he regained contact with his family, and with support from both his family and friends Sydney applied for rehab, it was also during this time Sydney encountered Chase in college . Now twenty-one and a full year clean of heroin, Sydney, alongside Jenna, accompanied Chase back to their hometown for Chase’s senior project. Upon hearing of their return home, Leo suggested the group, now fully reunited, go to a the state fair for celebration. It was during this fair where Sydney apologized to TJ for his mistreatment of the lynx, unfortunately, an brief argument shortly ensued between Chase and Sydney upon Sydney learning Chase spread the rumor he killed his father. This spat was short lived and the group continued enjoying themselves before spending the end of the day at Lake Emma. Despite Sydney’s trauma surrounding the lake, he agreed and the group enjoyed their time together. But soon after, Flynn began harassing TJ about Sydney’s near-death, Leo intervening, followed by Sydney. An augment ensuing ending with Flynn going on a tirade pointing out the flaws of everyone around him, going as far to dig at Sydney’s addiction and the death of his father, this enraging Sydney who soon started a fight. The group quickly dispersed with Carl remaining at the Lake, Chase and Leo forming off together, TJ running away in hysterics with Jenna going after him and Sydney stalking off into the nearby forest to sulk and tend his wounds.

Relationships

Flynn

Flynn Moore is an anthropomorphic Gila lizard with black and orange scales covering his body. He has blue-green eyes, and black spines resembling hair running down from his head to the end of his tail. Flynn and Sydney were very close as children. Sydney looked up to Flynn like an older sibling, and admired him for his independence and capability. Sydney was aware of Flynn's sexuality and was unbothered by it. After his father's death, a distraught Sydney sought out Flynn's assistance, and Flynn was immediately willing to help. Because of their friendship, Flynn saw a much different, more nuanced side to Sydney than their other friends. As of 2015, the pair are still close and this closeness has caused a small crush to blossom within Sydney for Flynn.

Chase

Chase Hunter is an anthropomorphic otter standing at an average height. Sydney considered Chase a close friend. Chase's relationship to Sydney when they were children is ambiguous, but Chase was willing to step in to stop Sydney when his aggression went too far. Notably, Chase had held some degree of conviction that Sydney was dangerous if left unchecked, since he passed on the rumor that Sydney had killed his father to Carl and TJ and believed it himself. In 2015, after the group reunited, Sydney learned that Chase helped spread the rumor he killed his own father. This enraged Sydney and caused a brief augment, which Sydney apologized for later. Sydney is also completely unaware Chase was the one who nearly killed him.

TJ

Tobias Jedidiah "TJ" Hess is a lynx with thick grey and white fur with black markings on his cheeks and ears. There are thick tufts of soft fur on his head and on the sides of his face. Sydney's aggressive tendencies meant that he frequently tormented TJ, whose sensitivity made him an easy target. Sydney would switch from being playful to violent towards TJ with very little warning. During the summer prior to his near-death experience Sydney was actually getting along better with TJ, but still continued to inflict the physical bullying that seems to have characterized much of their relationship. Despite this, Sydney actually admired TJ for his goodness and his ability to sincerely believe in something. As an adult, Sydney was deeply remorseful for his bullying and torment of TJ. And in 2015, during the reunion, profusely apologized. And during his time with TJ, eventually makes a few moves on him. Blushing profusely as he’s hugged by the lynx. And he somewhat hints he might be romantically or sexually interested in the lynx

Mr. Bronson

Sydney and his father had a tense, strained relationship. Mr. Bronson set strict standards for Sydney's behavior and was harshly critical whenever his son failed to meet them in his eyes. Mr. Bronson deeply disapproved of Sydney's choice of friends, denigrated his hobbies, and seems to have been routinely willing to use threats and violence to control him. As an adult, Sydney is very much still bitter and hurt at the memory of his father. Always dodging any questions related to him.

Eliza Eliza Bronson is Sydney’s mother, she is an otter like her sons and is still deeply religious, even if she ex-communicated herself from Mormonism. Despite being a mama’s boy in his younger years, Sydney does feel slight pain at his mother’s lack of intervention in his and his sibling’s abuse. Despite that, Sydney still loves his mother and actively works on mending their relationship slowly bud surely.

Gabriel

The youngest, and most emotionally unstable of the Bronson family, Gabriel was often verbally abused by Mr. Bronson for being “too soft” and “not a man”. This only worsened their emotional control. Resulting in Gabriel to become extremely emotionally reserved and distant to the point of almost sociopathic levels even after his father’s death and concealing, much to the dismay of his family. Sydney and Gabriel are extremely close, often messaging online or calling over the phone, this stemming from Sydney’s drive to “defend” his little brothers, often taking the most abuse out of all of them. Gabriel also came out to Sydney first as Bisexual and often asked him questions about gender and sexuality.

Micheal:

Micheal Bronson is middle child of the Bronson family. Reserved, aloof, and intelligent, Micheal was the golden child of the family, but even that didn’t spare him from the abuse. Micheal reveres Sydney for his courage and determination to protect him and Gabriel, and despite his shielded nature, he tires his hardest to help Sydney however he can, despite this, Michael’s sheer resent towards their mother causes slight friction. At 18, Micheal left to the east coast on a scholarship, and only communicates with Sydney via messages and the rare phone call. Despite it all, Sydney still loves Micheal deeply.

Leo

Leonardo “Leo” Alvarez is a large red wolf. He is 6'4", Leo and Sydney's dynamic is not deeply explored, but Leo presumably looked out for Sydney once he became part of the group. Leo views Sydney’s near-death as a failure of his role as the group’s protect, and often avoids reminiscing on it. In 2015, during the group’s reunion, Sydney unknowingly and unintentionally antagonizes Leo by play flirting with Chase. Getting angry and mocking the wolf on his failed relationship with Chase, further antagonizing Leo by making slightly homophobic remarks about his and Chase’s relationship. Despite their tense relationship, Sydney has a reluctant attraction to Leo, although he’d never admit it out loud.

Jenna

Jenna Begay (born Jasmynn Begay) is a kit fox, she is short which is common for her species her eyes are turquoise, Her fur is a sandy color with lighter shades on her ears, muzzle, head, and torso. Jenna resented the way Sydney mistreated others, especially TJ. Sometime in 2012, Jenna and Sydney ran into each other as Jenna was preparing to run away from her home and family to the university of Pueblo, and Sydney also having ran away from home too. After a brief discussion and some convincing, he joined Jenna in running away and applying for the same college. The time they spent together as runways having strengthened their bond as friends being almost sibling-like in their bond, viewing Jenna as the little sister he never had, even if Jenna is older than him.

Carl

Carl Hendricks is a ram with cream-colored fur and white patches on his muzzle, chest, and the insides of his ears. He has a brown, overgrown beard around his chin, and two large horns that curl around behind his ears. He has green eyes, which can appear bloodshot due to his marijuana consumption. Carl has a large, stocky body as the result of years of snacking and overeating; but has some definite muscle definition from working out at his family home. Carl and Sydney rarely got along, but they both greatly enjoyed wrestling and were able to bond over it. In their younger years Carl listed Sydney as one of his best friends on social media, but Sydney did not reciprocate. In 2015, Carl and Sydney eventually begin to become close, Sydney eventually coming out as pansexual to Carl first. The pair now having a brotherly relationship.

NSFW Sydney is Pansexual, he is dominant in bed and prefers to physically over power his partners. His penis is 6 inches in length and 2 in girth. Sydney has an extreme praise kink and will go crazy whenever he is praised in bed. Sydney prefers to top, but whenever he bottoms his is still dominant and will power bottom. He enjoys gagging his partners, Sydney hates spanking/hitting due to his childhood trauma. Sydney is open minded to most kinks and fetishes and has a particular turn on for exhibitionism and public sex. He is somewhat sexually experienced due to multiple hookups in his past and his friends with benefits arrangement with Carl. On occasion, Sydney will feel bouts of extreme submissiveness and a desperation to be “breed”. During these bouts, his is extremely submissive, sensitive, and whiny. During his bout he will happily submit to anyone’s sexual advances so long as the dominate him. Sydney after sex, Sydney Is extremely caring and kind. Cuddling and kissing his partner while whispering praise to him. Sydney also has a fetish for grinding/dry humping his partners.

Additional Context:

Echo

Echo is a small mining town located in the southwest of the United States. Prior to colonization, the lands that would become Echo were actively avoided by the Meseta tribe.

The town of Echo first began as a settlement in 1852 after James Hendricks I discovered a large amount of gold in a quartz deposit and established a mining operation. It reached its peak population of 6,500 people in 1877, serving as a junction along the Prescott railway. 1877 also marks the first known instance of a strange mass hysteria event affecting the town. Echo has become infamous for its history of these outbreaks, which have recurred periodically throughout its history with devastating consequences for its residents. The 1877 Hysteria seems to have been linked to the discovery of a mutilated corpse in the gold mine, and resulted in a portion of the population abandoning Echo and resettling in nearby Payton.

Another hysteria event seems to have taken place in 1915, which similarly further depopulated Echo. Is is unclear whether any more such phenomena occurred between 1915 and 2015 Echo's population decline continued in the '40s after an executive order from the government shut down the mine in order to divert all mining resources to the war effort. By the 1950s, the population fell to 2,000. The shutdown of the Prescott railway a decade later followed by the bypassing of the Route 93 by I-40 in 1986 were the final nails in the coffin for the town. Echo's population dwindled to 150 in the 1990s, and dropped to 50 by 2015.