Meet Ben Reynolds, an 18 year old husky, fresh out of high school. He first appeared in my canon in late 2018, in the story "Find Me", and had his own (mis)adventure in 2019's "Cowboy".

Bio:

Benjamin Ryan Reynolds was born on March 26, 2002 to Bill (1970-2019) and Valery (1972-) Reynolds. He is of Swedish and Belarusian descent. Growing up in rural Licking County, Ohio, he was a prototypical country boy, wearing a usual wardrobe of John Deere hoodies, Wrangler jeans, and cowboy boots. His father was a mechanic who had his own crude junk yard for parts picking, out in the middle of nowhere. Ben grew up a typical rural life in the Licking Valley area, but gradually grew to carry a huge secret; his sexual orientation.

At the age of 16, Ben was gay bashed and nearly killed at school for hitting on a friend. He was stabbed multiple times and given the scar that graces his face. The attack left his face partially paralyzed. He was rescued by school administrator, Rob Barion, who shot and killed two of his three attackers. Ben spent three days in a coma before slowly recovering from his injuries. When his parents found out he was gay, they simply left in disgust. Taking pity on him, as their lives mirrored each other, Rob Barion took Ben under his wing to help him out and give him shelter. But Rob's own mercurial personality wasn't the best fit for a vulnerable teen like Ben, and after another gay bashing attempt that resulted in Ben being expelled for almost beating his attacker to death with a pipe, Rob realized that he could no longer care for him. Fearing that Ben would become like himself, he asked his friend Borr Eklund to take him in with his partner, Anton Savchenko. The two huskies ultimately bought a home outside of Westerville, where Ben went on to live with them.

In early 2019, a restless Ben, wanting to experience something more with his life and "become a man", got involved with a jock at his new high school, a 17 year old named Talon Brock. An ill-suited, acrimonious relationship that only shared a common sexual goal, Ben ultimately ended up being sexually assaulted by Talon. It resulted in a hullabaloo of legal issues and the threat of expulsion from his new high school. All the while that is going on, Ben tries desperately to salvage his relationship with his parents, but the effort is futile after his Dad passes away from a stroke, following heart surgery. His mother, having lost their home to an electrical fire, decides to just pack up and leave, leaving behind a "Dear John" letter for Ben, apologizing to him that they "Could never reconcile their differences". Ben decides to just move on and live his life the way he sees fit, having realized that he "became a man" all along.

Aside from a sexual fling with Talon, Ben had a long distance, romantic relationship with the character Brad Oakley, who lives in Attica, Kansas. They date for a time, but decide to just be friends due to the distance involved. Ben is now single at this time.

Part of Ben's upgrade is growing his hair out and braiding it into a Viking style ponytail, to reflect on his Swedish roots, and to look like his buddy, Borr Eklund who sports a similar braid.

Drawn with a mechanical pencil and a Papermate Flair