Welp @grapeautumn revived something in me, so let's talk about France in relation to HRE !
I'll say this first, I would consider France a gaul at first, that was romanised and survived the roman period. HRE would be related to the Franks.
So, the two would first meet after Syagrius' fall, where the Franks would finally reach Paris. Frank (I don't have a name for him, but I can't say the Franks because it refers to the population and not the personification, Frank he is called for now) took Francis in and gave him this name (François but I guess Francis for anglos). From then on, he was brought up the same way as HRE, like brothers. There was a little bit of rivalry between the two to see who their father loved the most. Francis found there his skills for sword-fighting, which he still practices to this day (he is a big fencing lover).
Frank died following the Verdun Treaty. The two boys got into a fight after that and both went their separate ways. Otto (that's what i headcanon as HRE's name) became East Frankia and Francis became West Frankia. It would have been a scary moment for both as this would have been the first time ever that they were "alone", as in without any nations watching over them. They became those nations watching over others. This period left a sour taste in both's mouths and they never reconciled.
When Francis was sent to kill Otto in 1805, he did so, as a "coup de grâce". Because Otto was meant to die anyway, Francis preferred he died quickly and not of a slow illness like Frank. I can imagine both having a conversation, maybe reminiscing over they frankish days, regretting those times, while HRE is dying, idk.
Francis then spent many years as the antagonist to the other germanic nations (just like they were the antagonist is his eyes). It only ended after WWII, where he is now very grateful to have a good relationship with the other german-speaking nations.
But sometimes he still wonders if, after all he's done, he actually deserves to have his personal and his country names derive from Frank's.
