how do they cry? heaving? silently? sobbing? :)
things to think about for characters
michael doesn't often let himself cry, so when he DOES... it's uncontrollable— this is something that was instilled within him even before the tragedies, though it definitely worsened afterwards. in his desperate attempt to try and seek out his father's attention and approval, he took note of all the ways that william commanded power and the clear lack of emotional vulnerability, internalizing the thought that if he's going to be worthy of acknowledgement, he needs to do the same. or, much more simply put in a younger michael's mind, he needed to be TOUGH, he needed to be a man. it's why evan's tendency to cry so often set him off so much, why he bullied him for being a crybaby. he was both trying to prove himself and angry that evan could do that and still be favored. after evan's death is when his intense fear of vulnerability and deep-seated guilt really began to set in too. it became something more than dignity: he rarely, if ever, felt safe or deserving enough to cry in front of anyone.
he'll usually push it down from the warning signs. he grew skilled at forcing himself through a tight chest and burning eyes until it just went away or channeling it into displays of anger/substance use/escape. but when he reaches the breaking point where he absolutely cannot control it anymore... it's only natural that his crying would be volatile, unfiltered, raw. it's sobbing, it's ugly, it's crying so hard he can't breathe. crying is, at its core, a form of emotional release, aka something his constant guilt never allows him to have, it's going to be catharsis to the point of exhaustion!
whether he's alone or not, the outcome will be similar due to how infrequently this happens: with that said, it's going to HAVE to be that sudden and overwhelming breaking point when he's in front of anyone. it's much easier to force back when he isn't alone and if he can't control it then he'll try and get himself out before anyone sees.
