ext_15505 (![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png)
paraxdisepink.livejournal.com) wrote in ![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png)
crack_van2004-09-10 01:07 pm
paraxdisepink.livejournal.com) wrote in crack_van2004-09-10 01:07 pm
Entry tags:
The Working Girl by Cortese (NC-17)
Fandom: HORNBLOWER
Pairing: Archie/Horatio, Archie/OFC
Author on LJ:![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
cortese
Author Website: Janis Cortese's Fanfiction Archive
Why this must be read:
I have a strong dislike for Hornblower het, and to be honest I might never have sat down to read it were it not for the fact that I like Janis' work. I'm certainly glad I *did*. Don't let the mention of het turn you off; this a slash story told from an outsider's perspective. This is also a story about rape, and the problematic way Western culture views sexuality in general.
Set During the Duel, Archie shares a night with a prostitute named Emmy, and through her perceptiveness and compassion we see Archie as a strong, beautiful man who is sexually confused and badly hurting. We see the damage that Horatio is far too inexperienced to heal. Through Archie's eyes, we see the rape, the humiliation, and the struggle to cut himself (and Horatio) off from sexual enjoyment. Rape is easier for him to understand than healthy sex with Horatio.
Emmy is a delightfully intelligent character in her own right, and no romantic threat. She shows Archie that sex can be "nice" and then sends him back to "his friend with the curls". We can only hope that next time Horatio puts his hand down Archie's pants, he won't be so quick to push him away.
Cortese captures all of this with an honest realism - my favorite thing about her work is that she knows exactly when to be crude and when to be poetic - and her grasp of period language is spectacular. This is definitely the kind of het the fandom needs.
The Working Girl
Pairing: Archie/Horatio, Archie/OFC
Author on LJ:
cortese Author Website: Janis Cortese's Fanfiction Archive
Why this must be read:
I have a strong dislike for Hornblower het, and to be honest I might never have sat down to read it were it not for the fact that I like Janis' work. I'm certainly glad I *did*. Don't let the mention of het turn you off; this a slash story told from an outsider's perspective. This is also a story about rape, and the problematic way Western culture views sexuality in general.
Set During the Duel, Archie shares a night with a prostitute named Emmy, and through her perceptiveness and compassion we see Archie as a strong, beautiful man who is sexually confused and badly hurting. We see the damage that Horatio is far too inexperienced to heal. Through Archie's eyes, we see the rape, the humiliation, and the struggle to cut himself (and Horatio) off from sexual enjoyment. Rape is easier for him to understand than healthy sex with Horatio.
Emmy is a delightfully intelligent character in her own right, and no romantic threat. She shows Archie that sex can be "nice" and then sends him back to "his friend with the curls". We can only hope that next time Horatio puts his hand down Archie's pants, he won't be so quick to push him away.
Cortese captures all of this with an honest realism - my favorite thing about her work is that she knows exactly when to be crude and when to be poetic - and her grasp of period language is spectacular. This is definitely the kind of het the fandom needs.
The Working Girl