Hot take, but I don't think Paimon was actually that bad of a father. It actually seems like he loves and cares about his children, but just genuinely doesn't know how to connect with them. To me, it feels like Paimon's own father was abusive or neglectful and now Paimon wants to connect with his kids because he doesn't want them to feel the way he did, but he struggles to connect with them because he never had an example.
I mean, does this really look like a terrible father? To me, it looks like a confused father who is trying. Sure he says his son's crying is an ugly noise and to cease the bitch crying, but maybe he is socially inept, or autistic, or maybe just uncomfortable and not good with children. But what most people brush over is he calls him his little, he uses a cheery babyish voice, he offers physical comfort to his crying son, he tries to cheer him up.
Sure, there is this quote, but hear me out. He's royalty; his schedule is BEYOND packed. He doesn't seem like an abusive or neglectful dad; he seems like an overworked dad. Not to mention, parents of multiple children AND overworked parents often forget their child's name momentarily, or may also call them by the wrong name. As royalty, mistakes are HEAVILY frowned upon so you really think Paimon is going to risk such a stupid mistake of calling his kid by the wrong name? I've also seen the take that Paimon doesn't even know Stolas, which could be the case, but that doesn't mean it's by choice. Many parents even in the real world barely know their children because they're so overworked trying to provide and build a name for their child, that they don't have the time to KNOW their child.
And let's not forget, while he may not have physically taken Stolas to the circus, he DID take the time out of his day to sit there and watch through the whole thing with his son and he DID keep his promise to his son.
Not to mention, he NOTICED EXACTLY what Stolas liked,. What made him happy. What cheered him up. He was PAYING ATTENTION. And, he CARED enough about his son's happiness (and probably knew his son was lonely as he mentions his son has no friends) enough that he tried to buy him whatever made him happy (even though it was a person 😑 but we're not hear to argue if he's a good person, we're hear to argue if he's a bad dad or not). Paimon knew he couldn't be there to fill the emptiness in his son's life, so he hired someone to do just that so his son wouldn't have to feel lonely and unloved.
And without Paimon taking Stolas to this circus and buying Blitz for him, Stolas and Blitz may have never met. Even as adults, the only reason Blitz tries to steal from Stolas is because he knows where Stolas lives and he knows he has this book and what it can do, all because Paimon bought him. And, had Blitz found out about the book through other means, do you really think Stolas would've been so chummy about it if he didn't already know Blitz?
I'm not saying Paimon deserves a World's Best Dad Award, far from it. But at least he tried, and that's more than Crimson, Cash, and a lot of other dads can say. Paimon may not be a stellar dad, but he's not a terrible dad either. And, while this doesn't excuse the pain he caused Stolas, I think it's important to remember just because we have hurt someone doesn't make us a terrible person; life is full of nuance. And I need a scene where Paimon and Stolas have a heart to heart and Paimon realizes his son is in love with an imp and reflects on his own behaviors and beliefs towards imps and apologizes for not being the father his children needed.
