AT ONE MOMENT, A MANIAC

1 / life was simple for little hugo stark. the world was quiet and he liked to dance. that was all that mattered. he had his family, and even though for the first four years of his life they seemed to be frustrated with him for a while, he felt very loved and very safe. things were good. at four, of course, things changed when his parents took him to a funny doctor. as strange as the man had seemed at the time, prodding at his ears and putting great big headphones on his little head, it lead to the discovery that hugo was severely deaf in both ears. although he was given hearing aids, the budding genius was quick to catch onto asl and deaf culture. his world had become brighter, clearer, and much more interesting. he even attends schools for the deaf, which he does exceedingly well in.

2 / a year later at age 5, dancing around in his bedroom and with his aunt nat at christmas becomes formal ballet lessons was easy. despite being clumsy in his day-to-day life, especially for a five year old, hugo showed great talent from an early age. it’s a passion that will stay with him until he’s physically unable to dance anymore. it won’t be a career for him, but it will be something he uses as a distraction, as stress relief, and as a way to express himself. at 9, he even picks up fencing – the two feel closely linked, and he enjoys it immensely.

3 / at 12, hugo started to realise all his friends around him were starting to have little relationships. at 13, he asks out a girl, a lovely thing who he thinks is very pretty and kind and intelligent. the two date for three years – it is a long time for young people to date, and it hurts even more when she leaves him for another friend of hers. someone who’s tall and strong and everything hugo isn’t, at least physically; the boy never grew any taller than five-foot-two, and though she’s always been a little taller than him, this stings a little.

4 / soon after they break up, the whole world crumbles away. it’s the first time hugo really struggles in his life, the first time he really feels terrible. the young man has always been so positive, and it becomes too much to handle at once: it begins with the break up, and watching the girl and her new boyfriend be happy; next comes his diagnosis of bipolar disorder, which comes with new rules about medication; then he starts to realise the flustered feelings that stir in him around some of his friends – his male friends – and that’s totally weird; and then, one day, his ex-girlfriend dies, and hugo doesn’t know what to do with himself.

AT ANOTHER, A KING

5 / and even though he graduates high school and movies into a master’s degree in social work at 18, younger than his peers and much, much smarter, hugo isn’t happy. he’s getting worse with his mental health, he’s dancing less, stopped fencing altogether, and he’s so far in the closet that he’s avoiding anything he used to enjoy for fear of outing himself. however, that does mean the little genius finishes the two-year-long master’s in one year, because overworking himself is the only way to cope. a year later, he starts attending paragon’s law school.

6 / time passes, and he goes to parties, meets new people, and one night meets a very handsome man at a party at some mutual friend’s vineyard house. it doesn’t really matter what they get up to that night when they’re alone, but it doesn’t take long after their time together for hugo to come out. and sure, he’s never going to see the other man again, and that kind of stings, because all he wants to do is thank that man, wherever he is.

7 /  … and now, things are looking up for him. really up. nothing can go wrong, right? not when he’s studying and healthy(-ish) and happy. things are good. things are good and things cannot fall apart. they can’t. they can’t fall apart, because if they do, he will.

8 / hugo is a delightful but exhausting little heir, who uses his platform and fame and money for good, giving exposure to deaf culture, artists, teachers, etc., and doing whatever he can for a community that has given him so much. hugo genuinely enjoys the company of every kind of person, and if you can catch him on a rare day he’s not working, he’ll likely bother you for the whole day if you let him.

SPIRA, SPERA; BREATHE, HOPE