Todd Bronson

— Samuel Ayers

**Todd Bronson** is a side character in The Smoke Room. He is the deputy to Sheriff William Adler, and performs his duties diligently.

## Appearance

Todd is a lanky, broad-shouldered river otter. He wears a black and gray patterned neckerchief and a white dress shirt underneath an unbuttoned olive drab vest, along with black slacks. He also sports a gun holster, containing what appears to be a revolver.

## Personality

Todd is laid-back and amicable but has a strong sense of duty. He takes great pride in his job, and claims he can act seriously 'when it comes to things that matter.' Todd is religious, and according to William he believes in a loving God.

He also seems to be somewhat naïve and literal-minded, as he fails to understand figurative speech from both Murdoch and Cliff.

Todd's faith has left him reluctant to engage in sexual activity, and as a result he is very uninformed about intimacy and still discovering his sexuality. He is curious about Samuel's experiences with men as well as women, and is confused but intrigued by possible same-sex attractions he comes to feel over the course of the story.

## Story

### Prior to The Smoke Room

Todd grew up in Echo in a presumably Mormon household, and seems to live with his parents. He mentions his mother instilling him with fairly traditional values about the roles of men and women.

Todd's extended family is quite large: he has around seven uncles and many cousins spread across Echo and nearby Camp Rosa, who all come together for periodic reunions. One of Todd's uncles works for Echo's bank alongside Huxley Greene, and Todd's family has been close with Huxley and his wife Marcy throughout his life. Another uncle, Amos, works as Echo's barber.

It is unknown how Todd first came to be Echo's deputy, but he served under McKinney, the sheriff who preceded William. After McKinney was killed, William was elected to take over the job and allowed Todd to keep his position. Todd has evidently been in law enforcement long enough that violence no longer visibly distresses him, as seen when William shoots and kills a young man and Todd is outwardly unfazed.

### William's Route

#### Chapter 1

William mentions that Todd has handled the miners' riot outside of Saguaro's Hip, presumably by firing his revolver as a warning shot, which explains the single gunshot heard not long after the crisis began. William and Samuel later encounter Todd on his patrol in the vicinity of the mine. Todd tells William that he saw three dancing ladies with picnic baskets enter the mines, although he has been 'feeling funny' and so is not sure if they were real. He is bashful when Will scolds him for his apparent delusion, and then accepts his orders to wait back at the station and to put out a warrant for Sam's arrest if Will fails to return by dawn.

Todd waits at the station until William and Sam return at around three-thirty in the morning, at which point William sends him home to his family.

The following morning, Todd runs into Sam, who is leaving the sheriff's station after having stayed the night. Todd assumes that Sam and Will slept together but Sam corrects him, and Todd mentions that his normal morning patrol has been interrupted by the recent disappearance of Huxley Greene. Huxley's wife Marcy is distraught, and Todd feels particular sympathy for her.

That evening, Todd plays poker with Sam, Will, Nikolai, Murdoch, and Cliff. Todd begins explaining the rules, only to be derailed by the group’s playful heckling. During the game, Todd seems to gradually lose his confidence, eventually claiming that he just isn't suited for a game like poker, and he never wins a hand. At one point, he blushes during a suggestive interaction with Cliff, causing Sam to speculate that Todd has a crush.

When a gunshot suddenly throws the game into chaos, Todd springs into action, grabbing gauze to treat Murdoch's superficial bullet wound. Will's return fire kills the assailant, a delinquent for hire named Jimmy Fisher, and Todd dutifully helps move the body into a jail cell until he and Will can bring it to the coroner in the morning. Todd then escorts Murdoch and a badly shaken Cliff back home, along with Nik, and boards up the window shattered by the bullet.

#### Chapter 2

Todd welcomes Sam to the sheriff's station the next morning, and sheepishly explains that he spent nearly the whole night working on the window and tidying the office. Sam asks Todd about the way he reacted to Cliff during the poker game, and Todd admits that he is confused but fascinated by what he perceives as Cliff's contrasting masculine appearance and feminine behavior. He is also very inquisitive about Sam's profession, and Sam's frank talk about his sexual expertise gives Todd 'a lot to think about.' He disappears upstairs for a while, and lights incense in the office when he returns. Todd later admits to masturbating while thinking of Sam.

Todd goes with Sam and Will to ask Marcy Greene about her husband’s disappearance. Marcy suggests that Huxley often spoke about riding the railroad out of Echo, and Will considers it a weak but plausible lead. Afterward, Todd defends Marcy when Sam says her odd behavior during their visit made him feel uneasy. Todd offers to search near the train tracks while Sam and Will stay back to exchange information with James Hendricks, but Will dismisses him.

#### Chapter 3

At some point offscreen, Todd discovers the headless body of Huxley Greene partially frozen in a ditch on the side of the road, and drags the corpse in a pillowcase back to the sheriff's office. He arrives early in the morning and, having apparently forgotten the location of the spare key, bangs on the door until Will wakes up and lets him in. Since the apparent timeline of Huxley's disappearance and death means he is unlikely to have hired Jimmy Fisher, Will decides to interview Cliff again and Todd accompanies him. On the way, Todd muses aloud about what exactly Sam's job must entail, but abruptly goes quiet once Will asks if he thinks about such things often.

Cliff is snide and defensive during the interrogation and William takes the lead, observing that Todd would be unable to 'handle' Cliff on his own. Todd remains silent for much of the conversation, but snaps at Cliff at one point for acting so rudely. Ultimately, Cliff agrees to stay under police protection at the station, and he and Todd spend time together with Sam while Will leaves to continue investigating. As Will leaves to visit City Hall, he feels pity for Todd after hearing his naively optimistic view of Echo's mayor. When Cynthia appears at the sheriff's office and asks for a moment of privacy with Sam, Todd nearly tackles Cliff out of the room to accommodate her.

Later, while Todd and Cliff are alone, Cliff coaxes Todd into letting him clean and organize William's office. Todd then begins feeling guilty about making Cliff stay at the station and allows him to leave, despite Will's order to keep an eye on him. When Will returns that night, an exhausted Todd reports where he found Huxley's body, then departs. Afterward, Will remarks that Todd has been noticeably clumsier and more distracted over the past few days.

Having apparently once again forgotten about the spare key to the station, Todd is already banging at the door when Will and Sam wake up the next morning. Will has learned that the gun fired at Cliff originally belonged to Huxley Greene, and so Todd accompanies Will and Sam back to Marcy's house in order to learn whether the weapon left his possession before he disappeared. When the questioning begins Marcy demands to know whether Huxley is ever coming back and Todd is once again defensive of her, blurting out that her husband is gone even though it complicates the investigation. Marcy breaks down and stops responding to their questions.

Outside, Will berates Todd for forgetting that Marcy herself could be a suspect, but Todd insists that they shouldn't lie to her. Will then directs him to take Sam and investigate the toolshed on the Greenes' property. The door to the shed is padlocked and Todd intends to try and pick it, but Sam simply pulls it out of the fragile wood. Todd takes a straightforward approach to their investigation: he tells Sam to 'enjoy himself' and has to be urged by Sam to take more than a cursory glance at the shed's contents. Sam considers that Todd isn't searching thoroughly because he knows the Greene family so well.

After finishing their investigation, Todd and Sam discuss their respective views on family. When he learns that Sam's unhappy upbringing means he is content to be completely cut off from his relatives, Todd is shocked and saddened, and expresses his belief that family members should mutually respect and support one another.

Sam then points out that Todd is tense around women, which he immediately tries to deny. Todd asserts that respecting women is important because so many bad people try to 'dishonor' them, and begrudgingly admits that Huxley was one such person. Sam also observes that Todd interacts more easily with men, and despite initially bristling at the implication, Todd admits he is attracted to Sam, although his religious beliefs leave him guilty about the impulse.

Sam encourages Todd to relax his definition of chastity and, after Todd suggests that he would feel better doing it outdoors, Sam guides him into an intimate encounter behind the shed. Suddenly, however, a snapping twig alerts them to Marcy Greene's presence close by. Marcy is bleeding from between her legs and wailing, and Will reappears as it becomes clear that she has gone into labor. Todd treats Marcy delicately, asking her permission to remove her bloodied underwear even in the midst of the crisis. He acts cheerfully about the birth, seemingly oblivious that the delivery has clearly gone very wrong until the infant is delivered small and stillborn.

Todd fetches water for Marcy, then helps Sam move her inside and onto her couch. At Marcy's request, Todd takes the remains of the child into her bedroom to be placed with "the others," and returns shortly after looking queasy.

While searching for ice, Todd and the others find a padlocked trapdoor in Marcy's kitchen that leads down into a room containing an icebox, a crib, and an expensive-looking doll. Alone with Todd and Sam, Will surmises that the two had a brief fling from the way they smell, although they deny it. Todd then brings the doll upstairs and Marcy is delighted to see it again. As her condition worsens, Will dispatches Sam to find a doctor and instructs Todd to stay with Marcy, before leaving to follow up on a lead that Marcy's testimony has produced. Later, Todd presumably assists as Marcy is moved to the Hip so she can be treated by Avery.

## Relationships

### William

Todd is William's direct subordinate, and the two get along well. Todd is extremely loyal and dutiful towards William, and considers him something like a surrogate father. In professional matters, Todd often refers to the sheriff as "sir" and works himself to exhaustion to carry out his orders.

Todd supports Will's relationship with Sam, although because of the fatherly role Will plays in his life Todd finds it awkward and uncomfortable to imagine him in sexual situations.

### Samuel

Todd is aware of Samuel's sexuality and accepting of his closeness with William. He feels comfortable approaching Sam with questions about sex, and demonstrates a bashful curiosity about Sam's profession and the kinds of experiences he gets to have. Todd gradually admits a level of exploratory attraction towards Sam, and despite some hesitation quickly accepts the opportunity to become physically intimate with him.

Todd and Samuel have substantially different conceptions of God, which frustrates Sam when the two spend time together. Will surmises that Todd's loving God is incompatible with Sam's idea of a wrathful one.

### Cliff

Todd is visibly flustered by Cliff, who he finds confusing but fascinating because of the way he combines an outwardly masculine appearance with effeminate mannerisms. Sam at one point assumes that Todd is harboring an attraction for Cliff, but Todd eventually reveals that he is more interested in Sam himself.

### Marcy

Todd is a lifelong family friend of the Greenes; he frequently visited their home growing up and often helped Marcy with chores. He seems to hold a particular sensitivity for Marcy, and stands up for her when Sam comments on her odd behavior. Todd also refuses to withhold from Marcy the news that her husband is dead, even though Will warns him that telling her could compromise their investigation.

He is also very skeptical of the notion that Marcy could have anything to do with her husband's death, even though he appears to have been aware of the strife he put her through.

### Huxley

Todd has known Huxley his entire life and maintains an outwardly neighborly relationship with him, but seems to understand that behind closed doors Huxley is abusive and controlling, although he 'doesn’t like to think about it.' While investigating his murder, Todd admits to feeling no grief about Huxley's death because he was a bad person.

## Trivia

* Todd is a backer character added to The Smoke Room as a result of his creator's support for the Echo Project. He shares this distinction with Yao and Jebediah.
* Todd is the relative of Sydney Bronson, a character from Echo.
* Todd was the first character outside of the main cast of The Smoke Room to appear with a sprite in a spinoff short story. He appears in the 2022 Summer Special set in a modern-day alternate universe.

## Gallery

DefaultTalkingHappyHappy, with arms upAngryAnnoyedSadSighingSurprisedYellingTodd without his vestTodd's default outfit in the modern-day summer special.Concept art for Todd. Drawn by 0rang3.
## References

1. ↑ GeorgeSquares' CuriousCat
2. ↑ GeorgeSquares' CuriousCat