Personality
Hugo is a somber, practically silent bastion of integrity and principle. He lives and breathes entirely by his morals, filtering almost every decision he makes through a strictly defined ethical code and an honest, if not sometimes misguided, attempt to help his fellow man. But despite his good intentions, Hugo generally comes across as kind of intimidating, and his unwillingness to engage in polite conversation only reinforces people’s assumption that he’s a terrifying, brutish mute. He doesn’t so much stand around as he does loom, arms crossed and glowering disapprovingly at the people who surround him. His brow seems to be permanently furrowed, his mouth always fixed into a tight-lipped frown. Hugo smiles even less than he speaks, and people tend to interpret his stoic nature as a type of coldness. Nothing could be further from the truth, actually: Hugo’s an absolute teddy bear, selflessly kind in a way that too few people are these days. He’s a doting brother and son, a fiercely loyal friend, and he’s actually remarkably gentle.
Unfortunately, Hugo is also extremely awkward. He doesn’t know how to act around people and so he settles for simply not saying anything, since conversation isn’t exactly one of his strong points. He will make an effort if someone elbows him enough, but generally he doesn’t know what to say and what he does manage will likely come off as a bit gruff and stilted. Hugo also doesn’t like to talk because he worries that he’ll come across stupid, as he has no misgivings about his intelligence. It’s not that he thinks he’s an idiot, but Hugo knows he isn’t typically “book smart” and he often quietly worries that people will judge him for it. He firmly believes in that old maxim: it is better to keep silent and be thought a fool than to speak and remove all doubt.
Most would probably argue that Hugo is too uptight for his own good, that he takes himself way too seriously. Hugo doesn’t buy into that kind of talk, however; what’s the point of living if you aren’t going to be serious about it? He completely lacks any sense of humor, particularly about himself, and he generally refuses to acknowledge if someone makes a joke around him -- or, worse yet, he fixes the poor bastard with a withering glower. He's a workaholic to the extreme, often only getting three or four hours of sleep a night between caring for his siblings and working in the garage. He’s also the kind of person who feels responsible for everything and everyone around him. Hugo is quick to offer help to others, but he also doesn’t take “no” for an answer -- if he offers you a hand, he’s going to keep holding it out to you expectantly until you accept it. He’s actually fairly bossy in this regard, with the mentality of “I know what’s right for you, so you better do it.” It makes sense that someone with so many siblings would have something of an older brother syndrome, but it can wear on someone’s patience pretty fast.
Speaking of not taking “no” for an answer, it’s also worth mentioning that Hugo is frustratingly stubborn. It doesn’t matter if he’s wrong, or even if he’s been proven to be completely and totally incorrect, Hugo sticks to his guns as if he were superglued to them. Eventually he may be persuaded to coming round but it’ll take a lot of gentle coaxing to keep his pride from getting too bruised. Even then his ego tends to get stung rather quickly, and he’s quick to retreat back to grunts and glares if shot down too many times. He’s developed something of a complex surrounding being considered “wrong” or “stupid” after years of contending with it from classmates and teachers, and will bristle considerably at either word when used in certain contexts -- even if they weren’t intended as an insult.
If there is one thing Hugo is guilty of, it’s his extremely traditional views about certain issues -- especially towards women. He doesn't do it with misogynistic intent or anything like that, but he does have some of that Spanish machismo and feels that women are delicate, and need to be protected. He respects women and their intelligence, but he can't help but feel as if it's his duty as a man to pay for dinner, or open doors for them. Some women might find it chivalrous, but it's just as likely that they might find it incredibly patronizing or even condescending, even if he doesn't mean for it to be seen that way. His view on "appropriate" roles for women is very narrow: he sees them as housewives and homemakers, infallible in matters of raising children or in maintaining the family's finances, but ill-suited for most positions outside of the domestic sphere. A woman in a position of power who is outspoken about things like her sexuality is likely to make him uncomfortable, simply because it's really not something he's been exposed to. His mother was a housewife for most of his life and only took a job out of necessity after her husband died, and Hugo's line of work (and thus the majority of his life) is generally dominated by men. He feels awkward around pretty much everyone but it's worse around women, so it isn't like he's been able to have a lot of conversations with them to change his mind. Not to say he's entirely cemented in his ways; this is the twenty-first century, and Hugo isn't an innately sexist person. But it'll take time for his mentality to adjust, and some people might be really turned off by his attitude at first.
Hugo will struggle a lot as a senshi when it comes to facing women in battle, and will likely refrain from striking at them unless it is to defend himself or one of his teammates -- and even then he's likely be pulling his punches. Hugo will also have some difficulty allowing himself to be ordered around by female senshi, if they try -- it's his opinion that combat prowess is a masculine attribute, and that women understand fighting less because it's simply not in their nature. He's also likely to discourage female senshi from patrolling, even if it means him having to go out to face the Noords’ enemies on his own. Female senshi who do patrol will often find Tyr tagging along in order to keep an eye on them in case they run into any trouble. Hugo will also be tempted to use his powers outside of the sphere of battling other senshi or gathering shards. He’s always had a desire to go out there and “help the little guy”, and being gifted with powers and a kickass weapon gives him the means to do so. It may fall to more levelheaded senshi to convince him that playing Viking Batman isn’t exactly a great idea, and even then he’s not likely to be all that persuaded.
Hugo has a nearly infinite level of patience. He’s spent his entire life surrounded by irritating siblings and even helped raise a few - he knows how to handle things when he’s annoyed. But Hugo is far from a saint, and if his buttons are continually pushed he’s going to respond accordingly. He’s slow to anger, but the force of his rage is of nearly biblical proportions. His fury is terrifying, particularly since he isn’t afraid to cuff whoever it is that is angering him (provided they aren’t female, of course) and knock them flat out. Hugo also has a tendency to take things very personally, and is sometimes a little too quick to form a negative impression of someone based on what he perceives to be an insensitive comment or a disrespectful remark.
Hugo is the kind of person who is comfortable in his routine. He wakes up early every morning, around five-thirty, makes himself a cup of coffee (his family lovingly refers to it as “sludge”), eats his breakfast, and heads to the gym. Shower, work, lunch, call his mother and check on the kids, go home, dinner, feed the animals, then bed. This pattern pretty much makes up the majority of Hugo’s days, save for the days he goes to Brooklyn to visit his mother, or when Red finally manages to beg and plead with him enough to go out and do something fun. But Hugo actually likes the steady day in, day out. He’s not a fan of change, and as far as he’s concerned having a rhythm to follow makes life easier. Is his life boring? Yes, and he acknowledges that. But he doesn’t really feel like he needs much excitement in his life, and it’s better to be steady and dull when you have a family who depends on you. The introduction of the senshi aspect of his life, however, is bound to shake things up a bit. Hugo has a lot of pent up resentment, anger, and frustration to work out -- why not take it out on the face of someone who is now your enemy? He’s likely going to be the first to offer to patrol, and even as the only Noord (currently) he’ll be unafraid to face the other teams head on.
Despite the fact that most people Hugo’s age are practically glued to technology, Hugo remains something of a Luddite in this day and age. He has a ridiculously old computer that he almost never touches, and he has a tendency to forget his cellphone even exists. His family was generally too poor to afford anything beyond a simple TV, and at school the computers were broken more often than not. He also just doesn’t like technology in general. Why let a computer do something that he could do his damn self? That said, he does have a beat up old iPod loaded with Bill Withers and Al Green albums that Guss pirated for him one day. He loves that damn thing, even if he has no idea how it works.
Hugo does, occasionally, indulge in a hobby. He’s got an old guitar that he sits down and plucks at, albeit it with mixed results. Hugo’s never taken a lesson on the damn thing but has figured out a few chords on his own, and he has a decent enough capacity for music that he can puzzle out the occasional simple tune. It’s hardly anything impressive, but he does find that it relaxes him after a day’s work, and the cat always seems to enjoy it. He’s a decent cook after spending years watching his mother in the kitchen, but he’s usually too lazy or too tired to make himself a meal, and so frozen dinners tend to be pretty standard fare in his household. Although he gave up drinking for a while after his father’s death, Hugo does go out for the occasional beer with Red if he’s prodded enough, and after enough pints he’ll even bum a cigarette or two (despite swearing he’s quit the damn things). Hugo is an absolute master at billiards and has cleaned house at a few bars, making enough on wagers to pay his rent for a month or two. And, of course, there are the weekly visits to his Ma’s -- time usually spent wrangling a bunch of hyped up kids and helping his mother prepare an actual meal, with an occasional peppering of disgruntled church attendance for good measure.
Unfortunately, Hugo is also extremely awkward. He doesn’t know how to act around people and so he settles for simply not saying anything, since conversation isn’t exactly one of his strong points. He will make an effort if someone elbows him enough, but generally he doesn’t know what to say and what he does manage will likely come off as a bit gruff and stilted. Hugo also doesn’t like to talk because he worries that he’ll come across stupid, as he has no misgivings about his intelligence. It’s not that he thinks he’s an idiot, but Hugo knows he isn’t typically “book smart” and he often quietly worries that people will judge him for it. He firmly believes in that old maxim: it is better to keep silent and be thought a fool than to speak and remove all doubt.
Most would probably argue that Hugo is too uptight for his own good, that he takes himself way too seriously. Hugo doesn’t buy into that kind of talk, however; what’s the point of living if you aren’t going to be serious about it? He completely lacks any sense of humor, particularly about himself, and he generally refuses to acknowledge if someone makes a joke around him -- or, worse yet, he fixes the poor bastard with a withering glower. He's a workaholic to the extreme, often only getting three or four hours of sleep a night between caring for his siblings and working in the garage. He’s also the kind of person who feels responsible for everything and everyone around him. Hugo is quick to offer help to others, but he also doesn’t take “no” for an answer -- if he offers you a hand, he’s going to keep holding it out to you expectantly until you accept it. He’s actually fairly bossy in this regard, with the mentality of “I know what’s right for you, so you better do it.” It makes sense that someone with so many siblings would have something of an older brother syndrome, but it can wear on someone’s patience pretty fast.
Speaking of not taking “no” for an answer, it’s also worth mentioning that Hugo is frustratingly stubborn. It doesn’t matter if he’s wrong, or even if he’s been proven to be completely and totally incorrect, Hugo sticks to his guns as if he were superglued to them. Eventually he may be persuaded to coming round but it’ll take a lot of gentle coaxing to keep his pride from getting too bruised. Even then his ego tends to get stung rather quickly, and he’s quick to retreat back to grunts and glares if shot down too many times. He’s developed something of a complex surrounding being considered “wrong” or “stupid” after years of contending with it from classmates and teachers, and will bristle considerably at either word when used in certain contexts -- even if they weren’t intended as an insult.
If there is one thing Hugo is guilty of, it’s his extremely traditional views about certain issues -- especially towards women. He doesn't do it with misogynistic intent or anything like that, but he does have some of that Spanish machismo and feels that women are delicate, and need to be protected. He respects women and their intelligence, but he can't help but feel as if it's his duty as a man to pay for dinner, or open doors for them. Some women might find it chivalrous, but it's just as likely that they might find it incredibly patronizing or even condescending, even if he doesn't mean for it to be seen that way. His view on "appropriate" roles for women is very narrow: he sees them as housewives and homemakers, infallible in matters of raising children or in maintaining the family's finances, but ill-suited for most positions outside of the domestic sphere. A woman in a position of power who is outspoken about things like her sexuality is likely to make him uncomfortable, simply because it's really not something he's been exposed to. His mother was a housewife for most of his life and only took a job out of necessity after her husband died, and Hugo's line of work (and thus the majority of his life) is generally dominated by men. He feels awkward around pretty much everyone but it's worse around women, so it isn't like he's been able to have a lot of conversations with them to change his mind. Not to say he's entirely cemented in his ways; this is the twenty-first century, and Hugo isn't an innately sexist person. But it'll take time for his mentality to adjust, and some people might be really turned off by his attitude at first.
Hugo will struggle a lot as a senshi when it comes to facing women in battle, and will likely refrain from striking at them unless it is to defend himself or one of his teammates -- and even then he's likely be pulling his punches. Hugo will also have some difficulty allowing himself to be ordered around by female senshi, if they try -- it's his opinion that combat prowess is a masculine attribute, and that women understand fighting less because it's simply not in their nature. He's also likely to discourage female senshi from patrolling, even if it means him having to go out to face the Noords’ enemies on his own. Female senshi who do patrol will often find Tyr tagging along in order to keep an eye on them in case they run into any trouble. Hugo will also be tempted to use his powers outside of the sphere of battling other senshi or gathering shards. He’s always had a desire to go out there and “help the little guy”, and being gifted with powers and a kickass weapon gives him the means to do so. It may fall to more levelheaded senshi to convince him that playing Viking Batman isn’t exactly a great idea, and even then he’s not likely to be all that persuaded.
Hugo has a nearly infinite level of patience. He’s spent his entire life surrounded by irritating siblings and even helped raise a few - he knows how to handle things when he’s annoyed. But Hugo is far from a saint, and if his buttons are continually pushed he’s going to respond accordingly. He’s slow to anger, but the force of his rage is of nearly biblical proportions. His fury is terrifying, particularly since he isn’t afraid to cuff whoever it is that is angering him (provided they aren’t female, of course) and knock them flat out. Hugo also has a tendency to take things very personally, and is sometimes a little too quick to form a negative impression of someone based on what he perceives to be an insensitive comment or a disrespectful remark.
Hugo is the kind of person who is comfortable in his routine. He wakes up early every morning, around five-thirty, makes himself a cup of coffee (his family lovingly refers to it as “sludge”), eats his breakfast, and heads to the gym. Shower, work, lunch, call his mother and check on the kids, go home, dinner, feed the animals, then bed. This pattern pretty much makes up the majority of Hugo’s days, save for the days he goes to Brooklyn to visit his mother, or when Red finally manages to beg and plead with him enough to go out and do something fun. But Hugo actually likes the steady day in, day out. He’s not a fan of change, and as far as he’s concerned having a rhythm to follow makes life easier. Is his life boring? Yes, and he acknowledges that. But he doesn’t really feel like he needs much excitement in his life, and it’s better to be steady and dull when you have a family who depends on you. The introduction of the senshi aspect of his life, however, is bound to shake things up a bit. Hugo has a lot of pent up resentment, anger, and frustration to work out -- why not take it out on the face of someone who is now your enemy? He’s likely going to be the first to offer to patrol, and even as the only Noord (currently) he’ll be unafraid to face the other teams head on.
Despite the fact that most people Hugo’s age are practically glued to technology, Hugo remains something of a Luddite in this day and age. He has a ridiculously old computer that he almost never touches, and he has a tendency to forget his cellphone even exists. His family was generally too poor to afford anything beyond a simple TV, and at school the computers were broken more often than not. He also just doesn’t like technology in general. Why let a computer do something that he could do his damn self? That said, he does have a beat up old iPod loaded with Bill Withers and Al Green albums that Guss pirated for him one day. He loves that damn thing, even if he has no idea how it works.
Hugo does, occasionally, indulge in a hobby. He’s got an old guitar that he sits down and plucks at, albeit it with mixed results. Hugo’s never taken a lesson on the damn thing but has figured out a few chords on his own, and he has a decent enough capacity for music that he can puzzle out the occasional simple tune. It’s hardly anything impressive, but he does find that it relaxes him after a day’s work, and the cat always seems to enjoy it. He’s a decent cook after spending years watching his mother in the kitchen, but he’s usually too lazy or too tired to make himself a meal, and so frozen dinners tend to be pretty standard fare in his household. Although he gave up drinking for a while after his father’s death, Hugo does go out for the occasional beer with Red if he’s prodded enough, and after enough pints he’ll even bum a cigarette or two (despite swearing he’s quit the damn things). Hugo is an absolute master at billiards and has cleaned house at a few bars, making enough on wagers to pay his rent for a month or two. And, of course, there are the weekly visits to his Ma’s -- time usually spent wrangling a bunch of hyped up kids and helping his mother prepare an actual meal, with an occasional peppering of disgruntled church attendance for good measure.