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#people ask me all the time why my francis isnt as deep or developed as my arthur
thathetaliablogg · 2 years
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I think Francis has issues with not wanting to look vulnerable or hurt in front of people, constantly covering up any and all of his trauma, exactly the same as Arthur, but he handles it totally differently. I think Arthur is one of, if not the only other nation that he will let his guard down around and truly relax and just be himself. Arthur knows that he's often quieter than people think he is, that he doesn't just look flawless naturally the way he makes out, that he has dark circles under his eyes and that he's smarter than most of their peers think too. Arthur gets to see him scrub off the concealer with a cotton pad and plait his hair to protect it, him wearing his glasses to read and him playing sudoku to relax before bed. Francis often talks of how he'd liked to have owned a farm had he been human, with chickens and horses and cows. He's as afraid and as traumatised as any other nation but he's exceptionally good at covering it up, because he seems to believe his outward image is all he has of value. Arthur watches him say goodbye to everyone in the meeting room with a gleaming smile and a chirp in his voice, and then watches the act drop immediately as soon as they're in the lift together. He hears Francis heavily sigh. He offers him a cig. He says "I love you", and Francis returns the gesture. He loves Arthur too.
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