Just curious...

[trusea]

I was reading stories by mylodon, and I started wondering. When you read (and/or write) Hornblower fic, especially H/A slash fic, do you identify with Archie or Horatio more? Or do you *not* identify with any character

Comments

[mylodon]

Wow - such food for thought. I identify more with Archie (even though the thought of kissing Horatio makes me feel quite icky) - he's much more like me, I guess and I do write about him doing things that I do. (Like the rolling down the hill adventure).

Generally I suppose in the things that I read/watch I don't tend to identify with characters that much.

I feel rather maternal towards Horatio...

(and that was a stream of non-sequiteurs!)

[trusea]

the thought of kissing Horatio makes me feel quite icky

Hee! I assume that's because you feel maternal towards him? Or is there any other reason?

I'd like to be more like Archie. Sometimes I feel like I'm a young, pre-Even Chance Horatio trying hard to pretend to be someone Archie-like, if you know what I mean.

...I don't really know what I'm talking about! :P

[mylodon]

The icky bit is because I do not fancy Horry/IG at all. (I had this dream once; he came up in a red Ferrari - I kid you not - and took me out and snogged me. It was gross. he'd obviously got into the wrong dream.) So the best I can do is maternal.

The feelings i have towards Archie (and indeed John B) are quite different and not suited to a lady of mature years and standing in the community. :P

[trusea]

It's unfair! At least he should snog someone who fancies him! Come to *my* dream, Horry/Ioan!

No beautiful/cute/sexy men (or women) ever come and snog me in my dreams. Sigh.

[hafren]

If you're in Horry's place, you can cuddle Archie. QED.

[trusea]

Yes, cuddling Archie does seem a much more comfortable pastime than cuddling Horry, if you ask me ;)

[melian_eresseie]

That's interesting... I think there's a difference between reading and writing. While reading a fic I try to identify with both characters, but it doesn't depend entirely on me. The writer could have put more passion in writing about one character rather than the other one, so I identify mostly with that character. That's why when I write I need to identify myself with both of them, trying to think like them and feel their feelings.
I definitely have a favourite one, as you know Archie is my "real love", but I try not to be influenced by this and I always put the same passion in writing about Horatio. Because they are complementary characters, the one completes the other, and the other way round.
In conclusion we can state that: there's no Archie without Horatio, and no Horatio without Archie! And Archie & Horatio are true love! ♥

[trusea]

Because they are complementary characters, the one completes the other, and the other way round.

Definitely. That's why I love them so much :)

I think it's quite interesting, the way my mind works. Though I love Horatio too, my one favourite character is Archie. Having fantasies about cuddling Archie is nicer than cuddling Horatio, so I identify with Horatio more, because he's the one cuddling Archie :) But somehow, as I do that, I start to understand Horatio more, and I love him more for that. And at the same time, cos I'm in Horry's role, I feel even more love for Archie (if that's possible) - and I'm in a happy, virtuous circle of love!

Therefore, Archie/Horatio/Me = true love :)

[calavarna]

I don't tend to identify with either that much when I'm reading - I feel more for Archie, act more like Horatio but I don't assign myself a role so to speak.

Writing wise, I keep wanting to give Archie the best lines because I like him better and occasionally want him to be one up on Horry but in the end they are who they are and I don't identify with one over the other because they are very much a pair which can't be separated.

Now Ianto, on the other hand, I identify with so much it's spooky...(and snogging Jack sounds like fun *g*)

[trusea]

It's no coincidence that the two (2) fics I've ever written both have Horatio as the POV character. It just comes more easily to me. Maybe it's just that using Horatio as the POV character makes it easier for me to express my love towards Archie :)

Seems like everyone else doesn't identify with either Archie or Horry. Makes me feel a bit odd :P

I don't think I identify with anyone from Torchwood... if asked to choose one, I may say Tosh. But snogging and shaggingJack does sound like fun... :9

[sibilantwretch]

Ooh, I was just thinking about this, actually! I don't know if everyone's like this, but for me, it tends to depend on the way I'm feeling and the subject matter of the fic. Like, if I'm feeling kind of lonely and vulnerable, and the fic I'm reading is a Ferrol fic, then I'll identify more with Archie. And if I'm feeling really, really good about everything, I'll probably ID more with Horatio (at least, in the Ferrol context).
I think there's some merit to you thinking that you identify with Horatio because you love Archie so much. The subconscious is funny like that.
Hey, what do you know, I posted a long comment too! Ha. :)

[trusea]

Long comment! Squee! :D

I used to think that Archie is more vulnerable, but now I consider Horatio to be the fragile one. He's quite good at hiding that side of himself, but he *is* vulnerable, while Archie becomes stronger after Ferrol. Horatio does lot of heroic stuff in HH2, but the true hero of HH2 is, for me, definitely Archie. I like to think of myself as a Horatio (sans the Mary Sue-ness) waiting for a Archie :)

[sibilantwretch]

I know what you mean. I also think that Horatio is the more fragile one overall. That's why I love reading different fics, 'cause they allow both of them to be the vulnerable one, depending on the time period and the subject matter. That doesn't really happen with a lot of story couples.

We're all waiting for an Archie :) Who wouldn't be? :D