[ He's been stewing for a long time. He's already made his shrike listen to him whine and entertain his violent impulses when the need arose, and now he can't help but feel a little guilty about it. But it's a relief to know that he doesn't have to shout into the void.
When Stephen approaches him he drops to one knee, not out of sorrow but out of desire to return to those days long gone when he would get a pat on the head for doing well at his lessons or for making a good impression at some fancy event. A full-grown Cardinal who had just recently celebrated his hundredth birthday should be beyond the need for validation like that, but he wasn't.
And he was putty in the hands of whoever's approval he longed for most. ] You've always been my real father. [ Whoever gave him his genes had discarded him, after all.
He looks up at his father and smiles. It's a sharp smile, a little unhinged, but that's normal for John when he's not trying to hide it. ] I'll talk to you. And I promise I won't let you down.
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When Stephen approaches him he drops to one knee, not out of sorrow but out of desire to return to those days long gone when he would get a pat on the head for doing well at his lessons or for making a good impression at some fancy event. A full-grown Cardinal who had just recently celebrated his hundredth birthday should be beyond the need for validation like that, but he wasn't.
And he was putty in the hands of whoever's approval he longed for most. ] You've always been my real father. [ Whoever gave him his genes had discarded him, after all.
He looks up at his father and smiles. It's a sharp smile, a little unhinged, but that's normal for John when he's not trying to hide it. ] I'll talk to you. And I promise I won't let you down.