What's in a Name?

Cason Hughes

Cason Hughes- English/Welsh ancestry; Cason Hughes is a kind and mild-mannered young man whom Mia Vasquez-Rivera first encounters and gradually falls in love with during her her college years. Contrary to Mia, whom often has a shyness and polite reserve about her demeanor, he is described as the type of person who "doesn't hold back in life", often diving headfirst into whatever lies before him. He is generally perceived as being logical, brave, patient and sensitive, often serving as the voice of reason to those around him. He also tends to have many admirers due to his likable personality, including the beautiful and charismatic Stacey Lambert and the edgy and sharp-witted Janice Shirley. Consciously aware of his emotions, Cason will not hesitate to be open about his true feelings, even when he is exposed to the prospect of possible rejection. He notices small things in the people around him and will be the first to flatter them in a nice way, whether it be in pointing out a new scent, a different shirt, or highlights in their hair. While the confident, redheaded Stacey's good looks were often tempting and he admitted to feeling amused by Janice's clever repartee, he was nevertheless drawn both to Mia's kindness and the mystical aura that she emitted. Her timidity initially made her difficult to get to know, yet he felt determined to break down that wall and bring her out of her shell. After abandoning his childhood dreams of being in the Space Force, Cason had decided to attend university later to pursue a creative field upon taking a leap year to figure out his true desires. He was raised in a cul-de-sac as a kid and had a close relationship with his sister, whom he considers his best friend and serves as an "Irish Twin" to him. He enjoyed certain aspects of city life, especially in areas that possessed a lot of independence and uniqueness, yet finding peace and quiet could be a bit challenging for him. 

He was a little older than Mia at 24 and radiated a maturity that both fascinated and intimidated her at once, pushing her boundaries and helping her open up through a few smuggled drinks. While aware that she was still slightly underage at 20, Cason quickly becomes aware of her inability to hold her liquor, which she claims always leaves a burning sensation in her mouth. He nonetheless loved her laugh and admitted he could tell jokes all day simply to incite a giggle from her and see her smile. Despite being apprehensive at first, she loosened up after they discreetly took some Mojitos at a karaoke bar and wrote dirty limericks together, leading them to humorously bond through their off-pitch singing. He was mostly attracted to Mia's unique, subtle beauty and appreciated the modesty in her appearance, which he found refreshing in an age of women who were often hypersexualized through social media. Cason proceeded to write his phone number on a napkin for Mia and spent the rest of the night anticipating her text message towards him. She came to happily accept his friendship, developing a bond of mutual emotional support with him as he tried to occasionally offer Mia, who was an English major double minoring in Psychology and Spanish, advice in her life and career ventures. The two quickly became close friends as Cason pursued his bachelor's in Industrial and Product Design at Syracuse University. She developed a tight bond with him that gave Mia the freedom to express herself as she gradually warmed up to Cason, who was charmed by her beautiful writing and subtle quirks. Cason is often seen as very personable and helpful, continuously wearing a smile on his face and ensuring his friends are pleased and comfortable. He is empathetic and considerate and has a significant amount of compassion for other people, happily showing he cares about his loved ones. 

Generally bright and cheerful, he would sometimes sit at the park in peaceful silence as he sketched the surrounding scenery and Mia lay down reading a book. He became one of the few people beyond her mother and lifelong best friend Hannah Quigley whom Mia had ever trusted with her stories, which remained a deeply personal part of her. Cason has an engaging, laidback temperament and genuinely enjoys befriending and taking his time to get to know others. He tends to gravitate towards quieter and more reserved types of people, as he likes the challenge of figuring people out and often treats them as a mysterious and enigmatic puzzle that is just waiting to be put together. Unlike Mia, whom is typically very guarded and shy, he doesn't have a hard time warming up to people and has a quiet confidence about his demeanor. He tends to make friends easily and can be very flexible and adaptable to change and new environments, often knowing just the right compliment to soften someone's heart. Cason is often very moral, as he was the only one at his old school who demonstrated a desire to stand up and help the whales and dolphins that were being slaughtered by the Japanese. Although sometimes quiet and introverted, he can be very talkative around others as well depending on the circumstances, during which he can appear relatively outgoing and sociable. Similarly to Mia however, he is a dreamer who has an insightful way of seeing the world and likes to challenge tradition and old ways of thinking. He was a self-described "strange, socially maladaptive kid", with an inquisitive and intelligent mind and slight awkwardness about his demeanor, with a tendency to passively resist and rebel against what he considered the many purposeless things his parents, teachers, and peers said or did.