Gideon's Links
Like many teenagers, Gideon is torn between his desire to impress his parent and to forge his own path. He doesn't know if he'll ever think or act the same way as the other members of his race, and he doesn't know if he wants that- or whether WK wants that. WK is a very difficult person to read, even for Gideon. This lack of clear communication increases Gideon's yearning for approval.
The two often come into conflict due to conflicting priorities. WK does not care about individual lives, while Gideon may be the only mind flayer ever to boast having developed a sense of empathy. WK is studious, desperate for explanations behind answers, cold hard facts to log into notes, while Gideon wants to know about emotion and feeling.
WK is currently mad at Gideon for blowing their cover in a delicate espionage mission, costing the two a serious tactical advantage. This fresh wound, combined with the fact that mind flayers do not make for very emotionally available parents, means WK doesn't feel a lot of warmth for his offspring. Yet he finds Gideon to be absolutely fascinating, and he is very motivated to cultivate Gideon's unique nature. A mind flayer entirely untouched by the Elder Brain's hivemind, reared in secret by a single parent. Gideon is special and there's nothing more endearing to the inquisitive mind than special.
WK thinks very highly of himself and expects his spawn to conform to the same standards that he holds to his own actions. He only hopes that over time Gideon will exhibit the same cunning and intellectual curiosity that WK prides himself upon.