Hugo

[Personality]

Hugo is the type of guy you’d see at a convenience store and kinda flinch and look away from instinctively. He’s perpetually glaring, and holds everyone at an arms’ length. He’s aggressive, because he feels like the world is against him, and therefore everyone is out to get him specifically. He prefers to be alone - at least, that’s what he claims. In truth, he’s a desperately lonely person who feels perpetually abandoned. He’s callous and rude to cover this up - for example, if someone who he considers annoying starts talking to him, he automatically tunes them out. Prone to scoff and roll his eyes at overwhelming cheerfulness and optimism. He lashes out viciously when he’s in pain, and is always left regretting what he says. He prefers that everyone around him knows as little as possible about him. 

He’s a true repairman at heart and is constantly striving to fix anything that people bring to him. Even if he hates your guts, he’ll still help you install a new showerhead. He’ll never admit it, but it makes him happy to see people appreciate his hard work. He’s fiercely protective of the ones he loves, and would willingly sacrifice himself for them if it came down to it. He’s cold, but not completely heartless. He’s weak to anything that activates his parental instinct, but has an excellent poker face and an unwillingness to show weakness. It takes a lot of time and effort for him to trust someone. However, when you break down his walls, he’s a very devoted person and you’ll have a hard time getting rid of him. He’s incredibly efficient and goes into ‘work mode’ when in a crisis - he’s an expert on compartmentalizing fear or anger to get something done. He’s always willing to get his hands dirty, and loves a challenge.

[Backstory]

(CW: Parental death, suicide) 

Hugo was born in Gateon Port, Orre, into a troubled household. His mother died while he was young due to health complications, and his father never remarried. Instead, he sunk deeper into a rut, only for Hugo to frantically try to act as his lifeline as his only child. He barely had a chance to be a child; instead, he was thrust into the role of caretaker for his father who was constantly in and out of work and mental hospitals. He feels like his mother’s death was his fault somehow, and that he was the root of his father’s grief. Although he has mostly recovered from this kind of thinking, the guilt still haunts him sometimes. He has a deep seated jealousy towards people who had normal childhoods and decent parents.

He spread himself thin trying to balance grades, taking care of his father, and maintaining the house. Friends were few and far in between, because he simply didn’t have the time or energy for keeping up relationships. Luckily, his aunt on his mother’s side had moved to Orre a few years after her death. It didn’t take long until his aunt noticed his struggles, and lent him a hand. For once, not everything was on his shoulders. The world got a little wider, and he started being able to do reckless teenager things that he’d never been able to before. His aunt gave him guidance and set him straight a few times, and he respects her deeply for it. She’s still the only person outside of work who can actually make him obey anything she says. As far as he’s concerned, she was his only parent. He loves his father, but he still holds a piece of bitterness that he’d never be stable enough to act as an actual father. As a result of the stress he was under, he picked up smoking as a reprieve. He’s still addicted, although he’s had some years where he is able to quit and remain sober. No matter how much he tries, he always ends up relapsing. 

Feeling stifled by his hometown and his father, as soon as someone else in the family was able to take care of him he split off to Unova to start a new chapter in his life. Being an only child and having few relationships in his early life caused him to be a very lonely person. In order to feel wanted, he turned his ability of fixing things around the house into a career by going to a trade school to become a handyman. In his mind, being able to fix things for others gave them a reason to care about him or become his friend. Coworkers and bosses found him to be an incredibly diligent worker, but were a bit put off by his intimidating aura and social awkwardness.

After a while, he grew tired of his solitude and started going out to bars more frequently to get some form of human interaction outside of work. He sought out a lot of one night stands and flings, just to feel something besides emptiness. He’s not proud of it, but he doesn’t exactly regret it. It kept him alive. In his later years, he ended up meeting someone he grew to hold very dear. In a few years, they ended up becoming married, and quickly made a home together. He finally felt like he belonged somewhere, and they were happy together for a long time.

However, the sudden suicide of his father sent him into a spiral that his partner didn’t quite know how to react to. He’d always been a somewhat rough around the edges person, but he was overridden with pain and became even more unpredictable and easily irritated. In addition, due to his rocky upbringing, he was incredibly reluctant to have children because he was scared that he’d end being the same sorry excuse of a father his was to him. His partner, who had always deeply desired to raise a family, started holding bitterness towards him for holding them back. They still loved him, but his overwhelming grief and their conflict over children started planting the roots for more frequent spats and lost tempers. Resentment and unhappiness grew from lack of communication and their conflicting busy schedules. After one too many arguments, his partner decided that they shouldn’t do this anymore, and told him they were ready for a divorce.

Heartbroken and betrayed, he felt numb during the process and didn’t fully process it until it was over. Still feeling abandoned and alone, he began searching for a place to go to get away from his pain. The Sterling Hotel was mentioned a few times when he was asking around for good spots to visit in Unova. His curiosity was piqued, and he decided to make a reservation. It would be a good change of pace, and maybe help to bring peace to his life. Plus, he didn’t have to tell anyone about his previous life experiences; always a bonus!

[Trivia]

• He’s a big fan of Alolan shirts. 
• He’s a sucker for a good sitcom.
• Secretly very skilled at the guitar. 
• When he starts getting angry, his tail shakes and it causes the pods on it to rattle like a rattlesnake. Unbeknownst to most people, it also rattles when he’s extremely happy or excited about something (which is exceedingly rare)!
• Can eat almost anything without complaints, but really likes spicy foods. Giving him good spicy food will soften him up towards you.