#tlwl

[pwaise-hestia]

This

[cruulsummer]

An Archive of Our Own, a project of the Organization for Transformative Works

Hey divas!

Chapter 2 is LIVE

And it’s drama.

SUMMARY: Everyone knew Starfire and Robin would get together eventually. They just hadn’t had the time… at least, that’s what she’d told herself.

He just needed a break - a moment of peace to realize how blind he’d been all these years.

But in the aftermath of their victory against the Brotherhood of Evil, Starfire finds that forming a real relationship with Robin is more difficult than she ever could have expected.

*Post season 5 RobStar arc without Trouble in Tokyo*

[mandelene]

An Archive of Our Own, a project of the Organization for Transformative Works

Fanfiction.net: https://www.fanfiction.net/s/13079727/16/The-Lessons-We-Learn

Enjoy! 😊

[mandelene]

Just imagine Arthur and Francis in TLWL getting down to these iconic hits because these were totally their guilty pleasure jams at the club in the 90s lmao.

[mandelene]

Okay so don’t feel pressured to answer, because you’re still recovering, but I was re-reading TLWL (it’s my comfort fic now 🤣) and there’s one scene where fruk are bantering in the waiting room before Arthur gets called in, and it got me wondering - what are their views on PDA? Bc from dr. k’s reaction, it’s either really embarrassing for him, or it’s neutral but he’d rather it be in private. Hope you feel less tired soon 💕

No worries, and thank you! Feel free to send all of the asks you guys want! I’m gonna be recovering for months most likely lmfao, so I just have to go back to normal life and ignore it. I’m honored that TLWL is your comfort fic! 🥰 

I imagine Arthur isn’t really a fan of public displays of affection, especially when he’s indoors with Francis in a small-setting like that scene in the waiting room in TLWL. If they’re at the park or in the mall where there are crowds of people and they sort of just blend in, then he’s more willing to be neutral about it. Arthur absolutely hates making a scene or drawing attention to himself. He doesn’t want to be seen as improper or indecent because it’s a matter of pride. He’s a bit of a prude, but Francis finds it endearing. 

Francis, on the other hand, doesn’t mind PDA. He doesn’t see why anyone else should care, and he wants to be able to show his love for Arthur whenever he feels like it. If people stare, then so be it. He knows Arthur hates it, so he’ll tone it down for him. Still, he can’t help but tease Arthur every now and then -- it’s all too easy and tempting. 

[mandelene]

Oh, I’m so sorry to ask you about it, but will TLWL continue? One more time sorry

There's no need to apologize! 💕😘 It's okay!

TLWL will definitely continue. I have every intention of finishing it. It's just been taking a while because of things going on in my personal life. I haven't been in the right headspace to sit down and continue writing lately, but I'm getting back to my normal self now so it's on my to-do list. 😊

[mandelene]

Hi! I know that TLWL has been mostly focusing on Arthur's past and how he's developed throughout his life, but I was just wondering whether you had any headcanons about Francis' childhood/early adulthood? Thanks!

This is a fantastic question, and something that I have been ruminating over for ages since I started writing TLWL. Thinking about Francis’s family background/childhood and what the story is there has been much more difficult for me than figuring out Arthur’s family dynamics. I believe the only time I bring up Francis’s family is very briefly in chapter 11 of TLWL when Arthur and Francis are bickering about how Arthur should call his family and let them know his deteriorating health situation, at which point Arthur says, “Do I ring your mother on your behalf every time you feel slightly unwell?” 

So you guys know Francis’s mother is alive but that’s pretty much all I’ve given you lol. I imagine that Francis doesn’t stay in touch with his family, but it’s not because he wants things to be that way. Arthur wants to maintain distance between himself and his brothers. Francis, on the other hand, didn’t have a choice, and that’s why in TLWL, he’s very confused and can’t fathom why Arthur won’t give his brothers another chance. He’s envious of Arthur’s large family.  I imagine Francis grew up as an only child with all of the attention and scrutiny placed on him. He lived an upper-middle-class life. He attended private school and never had to worry that his family wouldn’t have enough money for his schoolbooks, clothes, etc. His family traveled across Europe often. All in all, he lived comfortably. However, his parents were conservative Catholics and were not fans of his lifestyle and sexuality, to say the least. Francis ended up being the exact opposite of who his parents pictured their darling son becoming. And once he reached adulthood, at a certain point, they could not accept who he was. Francis still loves his parents dearly, especially his mother, and wishes he could mend that relationship, but he doesn’t know how to approach it or whether it would just make matters worse to reach out again (and he has tried before). But in his heart, he wants to believe that if his parents saw the man he is now and the family he has, they would receive him with open arms. 

There’s your dose of angst for the day. You’re welcome. 😂

[mandelene]

Hey! I was re-reading TLWL, as you do, and I was wondering if you had a favourite UK brother? Other than Arthur, I mean. And, if it's not too much, where you got their characterisation from?

That’s an awesome question, so thanks so much for sending it! I love all of the UK bros, tbh. If I had to choose one though, I’d probably say Alistair because he’s a lot of fun to write. 

Here’s my essay on how I view the UK bros and why:

Patrick = the eldest one who feels like he has the responsibilities of the whole family on his shoulders, and when it gets to be too much, he runs away from it all. But then, he is filled with immense guilt and remorse for not being there as much as he feels he should have been. Idk if this comes across in TLWL, but even though the other brothers see him as a villain for much of the story, he’s really not -- that’s just the biased view his siblings have of him because they felt betrayed and abandoned. I’m not really sure where I got his characterization from. It’s a common trope that the eldest son becomes the “man of the house” when a father figure isn’t present, but I wanted to show that Patrick never wanted such a title. He’s really young and just a kid himself throughout most of TLWL. He’s not a bad person -- he’s just a person who didn’t know how to cope with all of the pressure on him. And as Arthur matures and becomes an adult himself, he begins to understand this and feels some sympathy for Patrick even though he’s obviously still upset. 

Alistair =  the gruff and tough middle child. He’s very independent and always asserts it. He’s very troubled, probably more than Arthur even, and because he has a rough time being emotional and letting his walls down, he doesn’t have a way to talk about it and cope with everything he’s experiencing. After Patrick leaves, suddenly he becomes the eldest sibling around, and he’s not exactly a great role model. He will, however, stand up for his brothers in a confrontation because he does love and care about them, even if he’s terrible at showing it and can’t always be relied on. He’s actually inspired by a childhood friend. One of the older boys I used to play with as a kid was very much like this in terms of his attitude toward things. (He’s now a grown man and engaged to a lovely young woman). So yeah, I know that’s really random. When I think of a stubborn tough guy, I’m reminded of that old friend for some reason, bahaha. Maybe because he always had me climbing fences and walls and scraping my knees lol. 

Dylan = also a middle child but far less gruff and tough. He’s still troubled and rebellious, but the way he looks at the world and makes sense of his circumstances aligns much closer with Arthur than with Alistair, that’s why Arthur gets along best with Dylan and has the best relationship with him out of all of his siblings even into adulthood. Dylan can be surprisingly thoughtful at times, and although he avoids family confrontation for the most part and wants to be left out of things, the older he gets, the more he feels the need to make sure his childhood doesn't dictate his adulthood. Even though he’ll never admit it, Dylan actually sees Arthur as a role model and is inspired by him. He’s inspired by Arthur’s drive to finish university and move and make something of himself. He also sees how Arthur starts taking on family troubles on his own and finds it admirable. It shatters the image he had of Arthur as “the baby” of the family. He starts to respect him, and Arthur feels that respect, for sure. Again, I’m not really sure where I got his characterization from. It just kinda happened lol. I wish I had a better explanation. Sometimes, you start writing and characters turn into whatever they want to turn into as you go. 😅

Of course, whenever I write sibling relationships, I’m also loosely inspired by my relationship with my older sister. That’s just a given. I know what it’s like to get into brutal fights with your sibling, hold grudges, and hate them one day but love them the next lol.