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Fran is not fond of strangers, and frankly would rather kneel on a row of nails before having to deal with anybody new. He is not the type to smile at passerbys in the street, or somebody who tries to mingle with unacquainted classmates; he would rather keep entirely to himself. To ensure nobody bothers him, he remains unapproachable, doesn't speak very often & when he does, he is curt and cutting. He wards off self-proclaimed 'fun' people with a strict, calculated aura; if there is somebody particularly persistent, he will not hesitate to look at them scathingly or treat them with contempt.
With the few Fran considers himself 'acquainted' with, he is less wary and tolerates more interaction. He may not be as bitter with them as he is with strangers, but he is still a grumpy guy and can give the impression he doesn't actually like you. With the even fewer he considers close enough to be friends, he shows his affection tolerance for them by offering to help with academic or logical problems - emotional matters aren't his strong suit. As one of the more mature members of the group, he offers a rational and sensible perspective. Those closer to him are also aware that his grumpiness doesn't equal hatefulness and will tease him for his 'old man' attitudes - something he surprisingly goes along with; sometimes even laughing!
When in his own company, Fran is incredibly studious, spending most of his free time studying or revisiting old material; there's a reason he's consistently in the top of his class (never the very top, he'd stand out too much for his liking). All his studytime isn't entirely positive, however, with him often neglecting personal needs to get the extra time in. He overworks himself very easily and isn't a stranger to levels of high stress, which can worsen the disdain he treats others with. When he remembers, or is reminded, to give himself a break, he relishes in time alone indulging in his interests. Whatever Fran is doing, he seems plagued with something terrible lurking nearby and can never truly escape his haunting.
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ISTJ
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ISFJ
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INFJ
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INTJ
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ISTP
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ISFP
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INFP
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INTP
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ESTP
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ESFP
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ENFP
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ENTP
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ESTJ
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ESFJ
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ENFJ
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ENTJ
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lawful good
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neutral good
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chaotic good
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lawful neutral
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true neutral
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chaotic neutral
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lawful evil
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neutral evil
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chaotic evil
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- Once the son of the pastor, now a baker's black sheep
- A new name, a new country, and yet he cannot escape the shadow of a crucifix
- There's buckets of trauma
- Like buckets.
There's a quaint - once unknown - little town in the German country, with humble buildings, devout inhabitants, a weathered but well-attended church, and a list of missing persons. The pastor and his wife are well-liked, important figures in the community, and the arrival of their only son is met with much joy. Members of the parish like to coo over him after service, comparing him to a porcelain doll for his manners and obedience - they wish their children behaved that well! The pastor always laughs, praising the lord for his good fortune, and walks his family home with a bruising grip on his son's hand.
Fran learns very young that he lives with four different people - a preacher, the preacher's wife, his father, and his mother. It terrifies him how quickly they can slip between forms, but many things scare him about his parents. The fearsome lies they spin about so-called sinners, the way they don't hesitate to burn, lacerate or bruise his young skin in the name of forgiveness and purification, the look in their eyes as they shut him in his small room for the 3rd time that week, demanding he pray while they can entertain friends. He hates praying. His room is too small, his hands feel wrong clasped together for so long and the bench he kneels on makes his knees ache unbearably. He'd rather focus on the pain though, it serves as a good distraction from the muffled commotion, begging and screaming escaping from the bowels of his house. And when his mother comes to wipe his tears, he hates the metallic smell on her skin that lingers even after so many handwashes. Fran learns to hate a lot of things, actually, particularly the man staring down at him from the cross - why would someone so wonderful ignore his cries and leave him to suffer? He is an intelligent boy though, and quickly memorises everything necessary to minimise the fallout.
One can never predict the future though, and as much as Fran follows every rule, attends every mass, says every prayer until he loses his voice, his damnation is eternal. The punishment never ceases, instead culminating in the mutilation of his hands to drain his sin & the removal of his left thumb as he was showing signs of left-handedness - 'the side of the devil'. Surely, Fran thinks, surely this will finally make people see what his existence has been and save him. A foolish thought honestly. With such influence on the town, his parents force a pair of gloves onto his hands, claim he's growing afraid of germs, and threaten him so that he lets nothing slip. And of course, not one person bats an eye.
Heidi - a woman with his father's nose but kind eyes - is how Fran discovers what 'saviour' really means. She is who Fran gets sent to whenever his parents need a babysitter, but not before an intimidating reminder to not reveal a thing to her, lest he be sent to hell. Fran abides every single time, deathly afraid of the look in his Father's eyes and acutely aware the danger he imposes. Despite this, some force out there listens to his begging and from one simple slip of a glove, everything tumbles into the light. Heidi almost explodes, instantly turning to the police, and from there his parents are uncovered & imprisoned as the sadistic religious extremists they are. Heidi fights tooth and nail to take in Fran as her own - no longer a nephew, but a son - after failing him for so many years, and upheaves her whole life to give Fran a fresh start; it isn't like she wants to stay either, the association to her brother too sickening to endure. So, with a new family and newfound freedom, Fran leaves his birthplace behind - never to return; as he leaves, he notices how many missing posters have been torn away, knowing exactly where they'd been found.
Despite no longer in the firm grip of his parents, Fran's life remains torturous. They may no longer be able to ever lay a hand on him, but the imprint left on his soul has their shadow following Fran wherever he goes. Unsurprisingly, he struggles with PTSD & psychosis, and develops intense fears that often are debilitating. Fran tends to shoulder it all alone too after years of saving face, raising up his already looming walls even higher to prevent anyone from getting close - he is tainted after all, others should save themselves while they still can. Heidi doesn't let him though, and she reassures him one day there will be plenty of other people who'll do the same. In the meantime, she makes sure he sees psychologists, fights to get him the medication and support he needs, and gives him the best childhood she could possibly provide him. His cousins, Finn and Elias, become more like brothers to him and with this new support system, he fits into his fresh start piece by piece.
But his history precedes him, and teenagers are cruel creatures. It never takes long for students to discover his graphic origins. Even though he quickly grows accustomed to the nastiness - gossiping whispers in the hallways, snide 'banter', loud remarks about his 'deformity' - he transfers schools a few times; each time becoming more bitter than before. Despite that, he argues this path is necessary, as it leads him to his second saviour. Lucien. A flamboyant, overbearing and beyond irritating classmate of his who - after hearing sounds of immense distress from a locked toilet - frees Fran from his imprisonment; the ugly fluorescent light catching on his blond hair like a halo. Fran doesn't want anything to do with someone so opposite to him, but after that encounter, they are undeniably connected. Lucien is persistent, which Fran grows to appreciate as time goes on, and their unlikely friendship blooms into a close bond.
Just as things are falling into place and the dust is finally settling (well, not everything), the world comes to a sudden end; maybe this is the reckoning his parents warned him about. A strain of previously secret, manmade virus somehow seeps out of the research facility it originates from and integrates into the public. Sure, a zombie apocalypse is only ever something you see in fiction, but with the very palpable fear of death right in front of him, Fran wastes no time trying to fight the situation with logic. He - alongside Lucien and a mismatched group of schoolmates - forms a group deadset on survival, and for months they thrive as much as you could in such conditions. He's faced with confronting his inner workings, queer repression, and endless emotional walls - but it is best to meet your end with no regrets, no? He never completes his list though, instead feeling teeth tear through flesh and muscle, blood blossom onto his clothes from his insides, and the overwhelming need to die on his own terms - at the hand of the person most dear to him.
Fran's demise is very real. He feels the bolt strike his heart; he even feels the life drain from his weary body. Until it is not. Until he is dragged back to reality by a sudden panicked awakening. Nothing of the past 6 months of his life were real yet Lucien sits in front of him sobbing hysterically, apologising repeatedly for being the one to take his life. He's not sure how to respond, how to process the new scar through his chest, or the bite-shaped crater scar on Lucien's shoulder, or how each member of their group shares the exact same shellshocked look as they pass strangers they watched die not even 6 hours ago. It's a phenomena Fran decides to rationalise another day, instead completing his list by revealing his affections for Lucien and accepting a part of himself he's been denying for so long.
Despite the horrors each person faced in this inexplicable scenario, every one of them maintains it was what they needed; it served as a turning point for a lot of them, bringing together new friends through their shared hardship. They tell newer friends later in life about the time the world ended and show them the scarring as proof, but of course they're never fully believed. Not that it bothers them really, often finding peoples reactions amusing. Knowing that those who did go through it are not alone in their ordeals brings enough comfort. They bond over such a vivid shared nightmare - something nobody predicts - and Fran finally finds proper companionship, much to his aunt's delight.
His survival, his existence has to this point only ever been out of spite. Hatred towards the people that brought him into the world - they weren't parents nor did they raise him, hatred towards a god that ignored his numerous pleas for help - he should've learnt his lesson the first time his cries were ignored, and hatred for those who persecute him for fun. And yet despite this, Fran finds himself softening. That's not to say he is rid of his plagues; he never will be - unnerving figures, cruel hands and the raw feeling of death will forever drag behind him, lurking in his peripherals ready to strike whenever opportunity presents itself. But he now knows goodness, feels it in the few people he allows to come close, and decides his rage is to be kept for the man he may finally face after passing. If he is indeed real, he will need to beg for Fran's mercy, and it'll fall on deaf ears.
- He's missing his left thumb entirely, and parts of left middle & right ring fingers.
- He's 5'5 / 165 cm
- No piercings anywhere
- He has thick, rectangular eyebrows
- He keeps most of his scarring hidden by clothing.
Fran is somehow both a sickly victorian child and bitter old man at the same time. He's just always quite tired and sickly looking; his fashion choices don't help either actually. His closest visual references are Tamino and Louis Garrel just more... malnourished.
Fran and Lucien are two polar opposites. One may argue two vastly different people would never be compatible, but Fran thinks they balance each other perfectly. The heart to his brains, Lucien is a force of nature that he is frankly honoured to stand beside, and hopes to remain there for the rest of his days. They have seen him at his worst yet their love never falters, holding out a hand to be his beacon in the dark. If soulmates do exist, Fran has found his in him.
Fran and Keita are two of the more sensible, pragmatic members of the group. Fran appreciates having someone around who shares similar viewpoints and behaviours to him amongst all the large personalities in their friendship group; it's comforting to have another old soul around. Her sunny disposition and nurturing kindness not only makes her easy to get along with, but also reminds him of Heidi.
As far as Fran's concerned, his aunt & cousins are the only people in his family. He never calls Heidi anything other than her name, 'aunt' isn't a close enough title for her impact on his life but 'mother' has been poisoned by his early childhood. He is forever grateful that she saved him and uprooted her entire life to protect him like a son; he works tirelessly to pay her back and make her proud. She took care of him in the past, and now it's up to him to return it.
