From Knightquest and what little bits we get from Az ā95 and Year One I feel that it is to be inferred he was not exactly very present or emotional felt available. In Year One, he admits to not holding a child before, so I would think Jean Paul was developmentally delayed and pretty antisocial due to not really being socialized in his earlier years. I would imagine him learning to talk was a bit slow as well. Ludovic would do what was necessary to keep a baby alive, he would care for it in his own repressed way, but he would be unable to express that. I think sort of the beauty of Azrael Year One and Batman Sword of Azrael is that it is in Ludovicās last moments that he really experienced humanity and love. He uses the last bit of breath to try and warn Jean Paul, musters up all the strength he can to crawl to his door and see him one last time. After living a life of emotional immaturity and disconnection due to his programming and loyalty to the order, he experienced kindness and affection from that woman and it was so overwhelming to him it made him break his programming and do everything he could to find Jean Paul. He knew he was going to die, he did nothing to save himself, HE IMMEDIATELY WENT TO HIS SONNNN. š Butā¦. going back to baby Paul Valley. I think he developed a habit of mumbling because Ludovic was a bit intimidating, not that Ludovic meant to be, thatās just how he carries himself. I also donāt think Ludovic himself was particularly loud, he just had a naturally flat voice and scary demeanor. Young Jean Paul I think did not have very many friends.. he was a bit reserved, and of course Ludovic hadnāt necessarily taught him any social skills. This is why when we see Jean Paul interact with people heās very.. inept. He gets excited and talks too much and feels guilty for talking someoneās ear off because no oneās really indulged him before.. (think when heās talking to Cass in the NML). Whenever heās embarrassed or shy he doesnāt really know what to do. As a kid, he just didnāt talk.. teachers found him pretty unremarkable, but he performed well in school. I am operating under the assumption he went to public school because he talks about High School chemistry in Angel at War. He was one of those kids people would occasionally try to talk to out of pity but heād be so awkward he was kind of hard to make fun of, if that makes sense. He really and truly was overly plain and a bit unsociable. One must imagine him swinging alone but eagerly perking up when someone sat on the swing next to him, only to mumble and leave when he struggles to navigate a conversation. As he gets older, he gets a bit more social. Not so much that he necessarily has any close friends, but by the same heās in middle school-high school he has a few classmates who at least know his name and he can hold discussions without completely floundering and feeling horrible afterwards. Around this time I think Ludovic would be especially absent, Jean Paul is at the age where he doesnāt necessarily need 24/7 surveillance and caretaking, but when Ludovic is home sometimes JPV will try to nervously break the silence of their tense meal of cold food that Ludovic doesnāt touch at all and tell Ludovic about a book heās read at the library or about how heās playing around with coding and thinking about majoring in computer science. Ludovic isnāt exactly responsive, but he does listen. absorbs it. Remembers if. Sometimes when he sees an especially interesting looking book or sees someone hunched over the computer, he is reminded of Jean Paul. It brings an odd warmness and familiarity that he canāt really process yet. I do think Ludovic would try to do more ābondingā activities (ST DUMAS DAYY) and get close to Jean Paul but mostly out of a sense of duty like.. āthis is what a dad is supposed to do so I will do it as well š«”ā Sometimes Jean Paul doesnāt always respond how he wants and Ludovic just sits there and frowns. Itās disappointing and heās not sure if itās because his expectations werenāt being met or if it (THIS WILL BE TWO PARTS. I HAVE MORE.)
