Allow me to get a little self-indulgent and talk about my original characters here for a bit. I wanted to make something that would serve as a simple enough reference for anyone who stumbles upon my gallery and finds themselves wondering who are these funny-looking furries I like to draw. I really want to post some of my original stuff here again and I feel like character introductions are a good place to start. I realized that back in the day I used to have a bad habit of posting drawings of my OCs but I'd never write any proper bios or anything where I'd explain who they are, what are their backgrounds and and their roles in the story and the setting I've created for them over the years. And most importantly, what are all their the relationships with each other, in that how do each one of them know one another and how do they all connect in the story.

I went through some pencil sketches I have done throughout the years (the ones you see here are from anywhere between 2013-2019), and picked a random decent enough head shot sketch (where the character would look as much as themselves as possible) representing each of, what I would call the main six most central and relevant characters in this story, and slapped some flat colors on them. I wanted to see them all together in color like this since I very rarely color anything I draw, to be completely honest. I think if you're anything like me, it's a good idea to check how your characters look in color side by side to see if they either complement or clash with each other and make adjustments accordingly.
The story they belong to doesn't have any specific title and I'm not too concerned about that yet, it's basically the story that follows Elian's and Damien's life during their high-school and college years (with some possible flashbacks to their childhood whenever it's relevant). I'll definitely post more characters at some point, maybe I'll make more headshots like these for the side characters (mainly Eli's and Damien's relatives and some more friends and acquaintances at their schools) I tried my best to keep each characters description as short and concise as possible, only focusing on the key things I think you need to know in order to get what the character is about. (writing a little more for the main characters of course)

The songs I added there are just for fun. I picked them based on what character comes to mind when I listen to that song. Some have song lyrics that match with them, some have a similar singing voice I imagine the character could have (even if the age didn't match perfectly) and some songs just have a certain sound/energy/feel to it that fits the characters personality. There are honestly so many more songs I could've picked but I tried to go with just one for each (and two for the main boys). Anyway, he's my wall of text, should anyone curious enough care to read about my characters.
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Elian "Eli" Gibel
19 / ♂ / Corsac fox
- Main character. Close friends with Damien, Nana and Jason. Song: 30 secondes / Underwater
Personality: Eli is not the most talkative person in a group but when he's alone with someone he's close to he opens up a lot easier. He's very philosophical and book smart, a "nerd" if you will, and if you ask him a question about a subject that happens to fall into one of his many areas of interest, he will most likely give you a well informed and insightful answer to that question. Around his friends he tends to be very sarcastic, he's earned the nickname "smartass" for that. Eli is very study- and work-oriented and he tries his best to do well in school and get good grades. Eli comes off as somewhat of a reserved little bookworm who doesn't like to go to parties with all the cool dudes, not that he would ever be invited to one anyway. He has a hard time trying to make friends with his peers and he often gets left out from the group by all the other guys. He doesn't bother his mind too much with trying to fit in with everyone else though, as he's somewhat of an introvert and likes to spend time by himself. He enjoys the peace and quiet he gets from removing himself from all the rush and noise of the society. He needs to take some time alone for himself on a regular basis to reflect on his thoughts and sort out his own complex feelings and emotions. He's is very sensitive and suffers social anxiety in situations where he is being put into spotlight. Elian find peace and comfort in creative outlets like literature and music. He expresses his own thought best through writing and he takes time to write something daily. He loves reading and writing poetry, but he likes to write journal entries as well. Eli has been playing piano since very young age and picked up a violin in his early teens. He takes violin lessons and tries to practice as often as he can in the free time between his studies. Out of everyone he knows, Elian is most at ease hanging out with his best friend Damien and he feels when they're together they could talk about almost anything. Over time Eli notices he has developed some strange, confusing, stomach turning feelings towards his best friend that he can't quite compare to anything he's ever felt before with anyone else. He soon finds himself thinking about Damien most of the time, to the point where it can get hard for him to focus on anything else. Eli feels uncomfortable discovering he prefers to spend time around Damien over his own solitude, for this is not like him at all.
Physique: Elian is rather dainty and very short for his age and gender. He is often subject to ridicule because of this. His nose is small and face relatively short (which are typical female characteristics in their world). His voice is quite soft and high pitched for a guy and he tends to let his hair grow longer than what most other guys would prefer to have, which doesn't help his case at all. Despite being male he just doesn't seem to physically "man-up" to catch up with his peers going through puberty and it's unknown as to why this is. It might be caused by low testosterone levels, or it might simply have something to do with his species. Who knows. Elian wears golden earrings, two hoops on his left ear and one piercing on the right.

Damien McCoy
20 / ♂ / Wolf
- Main character. Younger brother of Morgan. Close friend of Elian and Andrew. Later befriends Nana and Jason as well. Song: Eye to Eye / I Want It That Way
Personality: Damien is a highly energetic, happy and fun-loving young guy with a positive outlook on life. He loves adventure and never seems to run out of energy. Damien hates boredom more than anything and his constant need to move around and do something gets on the nerves of some people who have to deal with him, especially his parents and the teachers at school. Damien has developed a major crush on his best friend Elian and he doesn't quite know how to deal with it. He tries his best to hide his feelings for his friend and keep it a secret but as time goes on it get harder for him to keep all of his bottled up emotions hidden. Despite many people at school seeing Damien as a confident and tough guy, he's actually a deep, emotional and romantic person on the inside. Damien has gained a fair amount of popularity among his classmates and the whole school in general, especially for doing well in sports. Damien enjoys all the positive attention he gets, and he's confident things will stay that way as long as no one in his school finds out he's gay. He fears of being outed to everyone against his will, destroying his good image. The rumors in his school tend to spread like a disease, and even one gossip could cost him to lose his face and turn him from one of the jocks into nothing but a punching bag and a joke for everyone to laugh at. Damien is more concerned about the safety of Elian though. He knows Eli is already being pushed around by all the bigger guys and he can't bare the thought of his best friend being targeted by a bunch of homophobic brutes. Damien feels very protective towards Elian and has a strong sense of responsibility in making sure that neither of them gets found out about having feelings for each other.
Physique: Damien likes to take care of his appearance and wants to look good at all times. He doesn't work out like crazy but he tries to stay toned. He loves sports, especially soccer, which helps him stay fit despite not always eating that healthy. Damien likes to do small things to improve his looks, making sure his fur is always clean and well brushed and his teeth stay white. He likes to dye and stylize his hair occasionally. Nothing too dramatic, he dyes his naturally brown hair partially black and likes to use hair gel or spray to make it look spikier. (in the picture above it's more relaxed though) He also wants to make sure he smells nice, using deodorants and cologne regularly. Sometimes he might even use a tiny bit of eyeliner but makes sure it's not too noticeable so he doesn't get in trouble with his parents over it. He likes wearing accessories as well, silvery ear piercings, a bunch of his favorite bracelets and sometimes necklaces too. Damien is the only member of his family who has a white fur and nobody seems to be sure as to why this is. It is most likely caused by recessive genes passed down in his family tree.

Morgan McCoy
24 / ♂ / Wolf
- Supportive character. Older brother of Damien. Song: Breathe
Personality: Morgan comes off as somewhat stoic and often overly serious but deep down he's very emotionally intelligent and cares a great deal for his loved ones. The hard outer shell around him is a coping mechanism he had to build up from a very early age to protect himself and his little brother in living in their household with a dysfunctional family. He fears and respects his parents more than his younger brother does due to Damien being too young to always be aware of what was going on around him in his family at the time. Damien thinks Morgan is a boring "no fun allowed" party pooper who nags about every little thing he disapproves of. In truth Morgan is simply trying his best to keep his younger brother out of trouble, for Damien is very good at getting himself into them, especially with his parents. The two brothers love to tease each other with snarky jokes, to which the other is often prepared with a clever comeback of some short.

Jason Cole
20 / ♂ / Red Wolf
- Supportive character. Friend of Eli and Nana, later befriends Damien as well but doesn't seem to like him very much at first. Song: All The Small Things
Personality: Jason is a chill dude with a good sense of humor and he's very easy to be around without having to worry about making yourself look stupid in his eyes. He doesn't like overly smart people and couldn't care less about what your grades are, as long as you know how to relax and have a good time. Jason is like an open book and doesn't hesitate to say what he thinks about anything. His mouth doesn't have a filter and his jokes and honest remarks might sometimes be a little too much for the most sensitive. Jay's not a raging homophobe but he finds gay people rather weird and obnoxious. Being the loud mouth he is, he likes to poke fun at Damien for his sexuality on occasion. Overall Jason means well and doesn't intentionally try to hurt anyone or make them feel down, especially his friends. His brute way of articulating and expressing himself might sometimes make him appear like an ill-intentioned jerk but anyone who knows him personally knows that this isn't the case. Jason loves ladies, but is having a hard time trying to make them like him in return. He gets turned down often and tries to ask for tips on how to approach girls from Eli and Nana every now and then, but their (usually good and valid) advice often tends to fly right over his head.

Nana Kasyanova
20 / ♀ / Arctic fox
- Supportive character. Close friend of Eli and Jason, later befriends Damien as well. Elian's first and only girlfriend. Song: At The Beginning
Personality: Nana is a born leader who doesn't let herself bend or break in front of people. Her persistence and hardheadedness might intimidate some people when dealing with her. However, Nana is very mature for her age and she's a wise, caring and guiding force in her friend circles. A group of her closest friends tend to agree that they wouldn't know where they would be without her. Nana is rather competitive and when she gets challenged to a game of any kind she won't go easy on anyone. She plays to win, and thanks to her quick reflexes she often does, especially when it comes to challenges that require accuracy and fast reaction time. A lot of that is thanks to Nana's most beloved hobby and passion, archery, in which she excels at due to regular practice since her childhood. Despite Nana's strong willed nature and clear visions of what she wants from herself and others around her, she can't quite figure out why her romantic relationship feels feeble and not as passionate as she would like. Nana adores Elian and she knows he loves her as well, but she can't shake the feeling that their relationship is stagnating and based purely on platonic attraction and close friendship, while the romance and intimacy seem lackluster. She can sense that there is something bothering Eli, but he seems to be having a hard time trying to open up about it.

Andrew Jeanes
21 / ♂ / Red wolf
- Supportive/side character. A close friend of Damien. Later befriends Elian as well. Song: Perfect (cover)
Personality: Andrew is a musician and he was the first, and for the time, only other queer person Damien got to know in his school. Andrew is bisexual and he's open about his identity in his group of bros, including Damien. They met each other at a band club held at their school and Damien was greatly impressed by Andrew's singing voice and guitar playing. Andrew is very artistic and compassionate person who often gives deep and profound life advice for people going through rough times. He's very supportive towards the LGBTQ+ community and wants to help out those who have been bullied at school for being different or faced rejection and hatred at home. For Damien Andrew is like the loving, guiding and supporting big brother figure he always wished he had. It is because of Andrew that Damien finally found the courage to come out of the closet and accept himself just the way he is.

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Characters and art belong to me