see a stairway and follow it down.

[quigonejinn]

1. Bush's family had not wanted him to go to sea. He was the only son of his father, after all, the only boy in a batch of girls, and he also had the makings of a fine blacksmith -- still small, true, but even if he never grew very tall, he would be solidly built. He was good with his hands, enormously diligent, took instruction well. Had an uncanny knack, in fact, for spotting simple ways in which things might be improved, but he nevertheless insisted and campaigned for it, quietly, steadily, with an intensity that his aunt and uncle hadn't particularly imagined that he had.
   
   Three months after his father finally died, his uncle was owed money by someone who knew a captain who set aside for William a spot as midshipman on a quiet Channel ship.
   
   
2. "That was Lizzy's flower garden, William, dear. She put the seeds in with the last prize money that you sent home."
   
   
3. "You don't have children, do you, Mr. Bush?"
   
   
4. Even Bush had to admit that there were certain palpable luxuries about life on land. The availability of water, for one thing -- the Renown had come back into port after having been half-rations for water for the better part of three weeks because they had run into a winter storm and smashed a quarter of their water kegs. After paying-off, the first thing that Bush had done, despite being a sailor down to his soul, had been to pour most of a gallon of water down his throat. It was an undoubted luxury to have as much as he wanted, wheneverhe wanted.
   
   It was a luxury too, to have hot water every day for shaving, to sleep as many hours as he could bear to lie in bed, to get completely dry for the first time in the better part of a year, and to watch storms bang and bluster outside his window and know that there would, nevertheless, be hot food that night.
   
   This time, the terrible, aching boredom did not, in fact, set in until he had been on shore for a full week.
   
   
5. Bush had not been with Hornblower when his children died -- he was still with the Hotspur doing convoy duty, and he heard about it only after they had put to sea for some days in the Lydia. There had been no time for talking while the Lydia was made ready to sail under the sealed orders and on short notice; Bush had been watching Hornblower watch the midshipmen with even more intensity than usual, but it had only come out after Bush inquired into the health of Maria.
   
   He asked the polite question, and instead of saying that she was well or something of that nature, Horatio had answered by speaking, instead, about his childre. It was a very brief speech, if two sentences strung together like that could be called a speech, and Bush was very glad, then, that he had not asked earlier because a great stillness came over his captain. Bush tried to express his sympathies, but for a very long time, the only sound in the cabin came from the slapping of waves against the stern and sides and of Horatio keeping a very hard grip on himself while, at the same time, denying that he was doing anything of the sort.
   
   

And for later personal reference, summary of major discussion points in the ficpost that kind of evolved into general book mutterings.

1. iansmomesq on Book!Bush v. Movie!Bush at wenching. Also, how Horatio would last in bed. XD
   
2. black_hound reveals that we don't get to hear hand-holding in the Gruffudd-read version of Flying Colours.
   
3. black_hound mentions the (new to me) fandom knoweldge of Forester's son confirming Bush/Hornblower subtext. And BH is like WTF DO YOU MEAN SUBTEXT?
   
4. nolivingman points out that Horatio did love Maria in his own CRAZY-ASS way and his subsequent love for Lady Barbara? Not as pure as driven snow. Further discussion on her LJ.
   
5. commodorified on Horatio's role in AKTM, Bujold, and Forester working against genres.
   
6. black_hound on how much Bush's life sucks while he's at Sheerness.

Comments

[iansmomesq.livejournal.com]

These notes have the potential for a lot of neat makings. Very neat. We need some of Bush!Sisters in our lives. I like the idea of Bush being given a midshipman's position as payment for a debt owed, because I'm not 100% certain that Bush's family could have afforded to pay for it on their own. Perhaps money owed for some work done...major work? Hmm. Likes. Also me likeie the image of Bush drinking water like a madman and having it slosh out of his mouth, down the sides of his face and get his coat, shirt and stock all lovely wet.

I also enjoy seeing my words repeated as a LJ Cut. ;) And yeah, Two. Minutes. Tops. *is hoping that doesn't become my new nickname*

[black-hound.livejournal.com]

And yeah, Two. Minutes. Tops. *is hoping that doesn't become my new nickname*

Toooooo late. *G*

[iansmomesq.livejournal.com]

The more I think on it the more I like it. *changed name on LJ to Two. Minutes. Tops.*

[quigonejinn.livejournal.com]

I bet that's the face he makes too.

[iansmomesq.livejournal.com]

*snort*

[nolivingman.livejournal.com]

That's okay, I'm seriously thinking of changing my LJ name to "She who cuts the thread of life" in honor of quigonejinn putting together what Hornblower and the Atropos means, and clueing me and black_hound in on it.

*had just assumed that it was like, you know, some random name. -_-*

[quigonejinn.livejournal.com]

*weeps* I hate CSF. I really do hate him. I WOULDN'T HAVE INVESTED SO DAMN MUCH IN BABY HORATIO AND BABY MARIA AND HORATIO THE FATHER IF I HAD KNOWN THAT THEY WERE GOING TO DIE. JESUS.

Re: *had just assumed that it was like, you know, some random name. -_-*

[nolivingman.livejournal.com]

Ah, I read them in the order they were written, so I knew those kids died, and having to watch young Horatio and Maria being with their kids and loving them so much had this bittersweet super-painful thing to it, cause I knew that Horatio and Maria's story was a tragedy, not just the story of an uptight-but-basically-decent bloke who's trying to get ahead in the Navy and his supportive and loving wife.

To use an example that your username makes me think of, it's like looking at cute little Anakin in TPM and thinking "how wee and adorable and precocious he is" except that you know he's going to become a murdering villain in just a few years. I enjoy non-linear storytelling sometimes, for just this reason.

[quigonejinn.livejournal.com]

the image of Bush drinking water like a madman and having it slosh out of his mouth, down the sides of his face and get his coat, shirt and stock all lovely wet

It's like a wet t-shirt contest! Only with hottie Naval officers instead of fake-boobed coeds! :D

(I still can't believe that CSF put the part with Horatio pouring water on himself and Bush watching "feeling consumed with thirst." O.o)

And yeah. I'm fascinated by the variance in social level between midshipman. On theone hand, you've got the nothing short of royalty in handsome uniforms on admiral's flagships, and you've got Horatio with his love of Gibbon and French tutor. And then you have Bush. It's something to behold, man. It really is.

[black-hound.livejournal.com]

*nods 5 times at least*

Have I mentioned that I daily light incense at the shrine of the Fangrrl Goddess who made you click the "post comment" button on ltbush that first time? Dude. Where have you been??!! XD

I'm still fucking nodding over this -- Horatio now thought that this was how one started to have sex with Bush. By touching some part of his uniform. That this was how one courted William Bush.

Christ. I've been sitting on my hands since I read that but I think I do have to pick up a charcoal stick and scribble or I will go ever more insane, and then hide the bloody thing under the sofa cushions and hope no one ever finds it.

[iansmomesq.livejournal.com]

Amen to all that. Except the drawing part. I can't draw. But Hound can. And she should. She definitely should. Coat touching. Hmm. Yes.