Hornblower Fic: The Model of an Officer

[lady_branwyn]

Rating: G
Characters: OC, William Bush
Disclaimer: It all belongs to the Forester Estate.
Note: Mr. Midshipman Abbott has a few lines in one of the books (I can't remember which one). He sounds like a bit of a screw-up, so I have rehabilitated him for this fic. [And changed the year of his birth.]
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Comments

[black_hound]

*runs around in a circle flapping arms*

This is just awesome. REALLY.

THE MODEL OF AN OFFICER. SHOULDERS LIKE A BULL. DEATH DOES NOT INTERFERE WITH HIS DUTY.

Dude. You so nailed it. it really reminded me of my FAVORITE battle moment in all of the books. In BtQ where HH is frantically sawing away at a piece of the mizzen's rigging to separate the fallen mast from the ship, and all of sudden it breaks free, and he looks around and sees BUSH high up in the rigging, where he separated the mizzen's standing rigging with a blow with ONE STRONG ARM even after he had been hit in the head by a block and tackle.

This has ALL of that feeling. Man. Thank you for writing.

*wonder why she does not have a ONE STRONG ARM icon*

[lady_branwyn]

LOL, Bush is all like "Pirates? No problem." BAM
But for someone of such physical strength and athleticism, it must have been especially difficult to become disabled, so I decided that his ghostly form isn't crippled. Because the poor guy deserves a break.
Thanks for commenting!

[black_hound]

Thank YOU for writing. I sure as hell hope there is more HH fic on the horizon.

[lady_branwyn]

That was very kind of you to put a rec for this fic in your journal. Thanks!

[just_ann_now]

*stops to breathe*

First of all, your opening paragraph is amazing: you've given this practically-an-OC a whole life, a whole history of his very own in just a few words. Nothing had prepared him for this hell, not even a childhood of Baptist sermons. The deck was scoured by an iron hail, while the wounded screamed like the damned and the air reeked of brimstone. Yowie - that's like a little movie right there, engaging all the senses as you do so wonderfully well always.

When the midshipman was beset by two pirates and driven back against the rail, the captain strode forward and cut them down. Over their mangled bodies, he gave Mr. Abbott a startling grin.

Aiyee, that reminds me so much of the grin Aragorn gives Boromir after saving him from the cave troll *grinning like a crazy woman myself*

This whole thing puts me very much in mind of another one of your stories, my particular favorite, of devotion that transcends death. Lovely, lovely stuff. *happy sigh*

[lady_branwyn]

Hee, I warned you that I thought Mr. Midshipman Abbott needed some fanfic of his own! Though I've changed his age because otherwise he would be a very old midshipman, even older than that loser in "The Even Chance." Not sure where they are sailing. Since the war with Napoleon is over, the pirates are pobably free-lancers and not actually privateers.
But I am such a liar about not writing anymore HH fic, aren't I?
Thanks for commenting!

[iansmomesq]

OMG You made me cry. Can I just tell you that, you made me cry. Cry because of my burning love for Bush and cry because I know that if this story were real this totally would have happened and I don't even believe in ghosts. No matter what Bush would have fought Heaven and God to stay behind with Hornblower.

*loves*

[lady_branwyn]

Devotion is what Bush is about--devotion to Hornblower, devotion to his ship, devotion to his family. On an intellectual level, I don't believe in ghosts either, but I like the idea that the ties that bind us in life are sometimes so strong that even death cannot sever them.
Thank you for the kind comments!

[thehappyreturn]

Oh gosh I hope you are going to write more, this is wonderful. Here via black_hound's rec, and I'm so glad I did.

Mind if I friend you?

[lady_branwyn]

I would be honored to be friended, though I do have to warn you that this journal is a collection of odds and ends, only some of which are related to HH or AOS.
I am glad you liked this and thanks for commenting!

[pamdram]

Fabulous! Kudos to you, and thanks to black_hound for reccing!

[lady_branwyn]

Glad you liked this and thanks for commenting!