[ He knows. He does know. He's never been good at reading people, he's always felt a little distant. But this is France, this is someone different. This is someone he hates, but can't live without. This is his oldest friend and his most hated enemy. And child or not, he knows what he means when his brows pinch, when his lips purse just slightly, when silence filters in between them. ]
[ He just doesn't know how to answer. ]
[ For a few moments, he just, sits. Finds a place against a dirty wall and sits, finally coming to realise he hasn't slept in a few days, he hasn't eaten anything and he hasn't drinken anything either. He's tired, hungry, thirsty, and now slightly chilled, compounded with the fact he has the matter of Gallia's question hanging over his head. Arthur grunts, then rubs his eye, looking down, then away form the screen, then back up at it. ]
[ And finally, he speaks: ] Because everything changes.
But we stay the same, in a way. [ His head tilts back against the wall, and he pauses again, unsure of how to continue, or what to say really. A deep breath is pulled back, and he closes his eyes, sitting there. ]
[ And sitting. And dropping his head. It really blows to see France like this. It blows because it hurts. Reminds him of a different time, which sort of makes him think he was lying. Things weren't always like they are now, he didn't always hate him. And-- even when Gallia asks for him, is so protective of him, it's painful. It's painful to hear, he doesn't want to hear it. France hates him, wants to kill him, doesn't want a thing to do with him and that is that. Nothing more, nothing less, things stay the same, the status quo is maintained. ]
[ But that's not true. And that's the most frightening thing; when he thinks about it that way, it makes France's actions that would be soon to follow different. Because it means one of two things: one, France changed, became different, cruel and ruthless, megalomaniacal. That was acceptable. ]
[ The second option maintained France had a reason for what he did. A reason that was not necessarily malevolent. And Arthur really didn't know how to deal with that thought. ]
[ So he doesn't. ]
I need to see you. [ His eyes open, and he stands again, brushing himself down. ] Can you tell me where you are?
video;
[ He just doesn't know how to answer. ]
[ For a few moments, he just, sits. Finds a place against a dirty wall and sits, finally coming to realise he hasn't slept in a few days, he hasn't eaten anything and he hasn't drinken anything either. He's tired, hungry, thirsty, and now slightly chilled, compounded with the fact he has the matter of Gallia's question hanging over his head. Arthur grunts, then rubs his eye, looking down, then away form the screen, then back up at it. ]
[ And finally, he speaks: ] Because everything changes.
But we stay the same, in a way. [ His head tilts back against the wall, and he pauses again, unsure of how to continue, or what to say really. A deep breath is pulled back, and he closes his eyes, sitting there. ]
[ And sitting. And dropping his head. It really blows to see France like this. It blows because it hurts. Reminds him of a different time, which sort of makes him think he was lying. Things weren't always like they are now, he didn't always hate him. And-- even when Gallia asks for him, is so protective of him, it's painful. It's painful to hear, he doesn't want to hear it. France hates him, wants to kill him, doesn't want a thing to do with him and that is that. Nothing more, nothing less, things stay the same, the status quo is maintained. ]
[ But that's not true. And that's the most frightening thing; when he thinks about it that way, it makes France's actions that would be soon to follow different. Because it means one of two things: one, France changed, became different, cruel and ruthless, megalomaniacal. That was acceptable. ]
[ The second option maintained France had a reason for what he did. A reason that was not necessarily malevolent. And Arthur really didn't know how to deal with that thought. ]
[ So he doesn't. ]
I need to see you. [ His eyes open, and he stands again, brushing himself down. ] Can you tell me where you are?