Round Table - H/C ... Why We Love It

[glennagirl.livejournal.com]

It is, perhaps, the most popular of genres within fanfiction, fandom and beyond.  It fuels fantasies, inspires scads of stories and makes our hearts ping a little.  Why is it such a draw?
In thinking about the series, I recall fewer incidents than we'd probably like to have seen, and most of them do involve the Russian.  The most notable, of course, comes in the Children's Day Affair, after Mother Earth (Wait, it's Mother Fear ;), lashes Illya with her strop.

Of course it is the elusiveness of that chest hidden in the shadows that compels us to keep looking, but the scene has the potential of being a very poignant moment for the partners: Napoleon wincing in sympathy at his friend's pain while Illya tries to emerge from his torment.  He has, by this time, been discovered because of some very loud moaning; I'm guessing it's a tactic and not a low pain threshhold ;)
Anyway, Hurt/Comfort.  Tell me more, why is it  so compelling? 

Comments

[jantojones.livejournal.com]

I think it has something to do with the emotions it gives to us. From h/c we get to experience fear, anxiety, sympathy, empathy, relief and joy in a controlled and safe manner. The more attached to a character we are, the stronger those emotions are. I may be missing the mark completely, but it's the only explanation I can think of for why I keep hurting Illya; and why I like reading other people's stories of Illya whump.

[glennagirl.livejournal.com]

I do agree with you; the opportunity to swathe these characters in love via the occasional 'whump' seems reasonable enough.

[mrua7.livejournal.com]

There was also that scene in the Shark Affair when Solo was lashed, and Illya gets trounced while trying to prevent it.

I agree with JantoJones, the emotions these things elicit ...fear, anxiety, sympathy, empathy, relief and joy pretty much cover it all. We run the emotional gamut in such tense situation.

In a way people have a morbid fascination with thinks like passing a fatal car accident and not be able to 'not' look. We know someone died, and we feel awful, but we also know there's nothing we could do about it. H/C gives us the opportunity to witness a hurtful sad event and to have a positive outcome and get that emotional high as the hero recovers with the help of his friend and goes on to save the day. It counter balances the sometimes harsh the realities of life.

We have an emotional connection to these characters and it's like getting an adrenalin rush when they're in danger and rescue each other. And of course like, Janto says, we keep doing that to these characters, definitely 'Illya wump', so we can experience (peripherally) being able to mother him and make him well.

It's all about having an emotional connection to the characters we write about.

[glennagirl.livejournal.com]

Definitely we get a connection through the hurting process, feel empowering during the healing. Perhaps we can use the old line... "This is going to hurt me worse than it hurts you."

[insaneladybug.livejournal.com]

Ah, a topic after my own heart. ;)

I love that scene in The Shark Affair where Illya is trying to stop the torture. Not a moment of hesitation, just rushes right in.

I love to write "fix fics" in many fandoms when certain characters die whom I would rather see live. If they died in canon, then h/c pretty much has to be there to revive them. And if I adore either them or the actor (or both), so much the better. It's so nice to be able to have the power to change an unnecessary or otherwise unwanted death, unlike being helpless to do so in real-life. I definitely agree that one of the enjoyments of h/c is being able to have things end happy.

I am definitely more likely to focus h/c on characters I like, or characters who are liked by the character I like. I like the vulnerability a bit, as others have said, but I think mainly I like seeing the friendship squee that results as the hurt one is taken care of. (And I sort of like living vicariously through the one trying to help.) I also like exploring the characters' reactions to what's happening. Since each character is different, the stories will always be different even if some scenarios get recycled between fandoms.

[glennagirl.livejournal.com]

Your response is comprehensive, and I like this:And I sort of like living vicariously through the one trying to help/
We do have that when we write, lending a helping hand to the one in need.

[st-crispins.livejournal.com]

Because it makes them vulnerable. I think women find vulnerable men sexy.

I have to say, not my fav genre. Nan and I used to have a joke between us: H/C for us: "Hurt...and leave me the fuck alone." :)

[glennagirl.livejournal.com]

Vulnerability is definitely key here. I also seem to recall that, when watching a show back during those childhood days, if the character sustained an injury of some sort it usually mean the focus would be on him. That seems to have created, for me, the formula of keeping 'my guy' in the forefront of the story by making him at once both a victim of evil and heroic for surviving and overcoming that evil.

[orockthro.livejournal.com]

Fttt, and compelling it is... gotta love Illya!whump.
I think, like Jantojones said, it's an opportunity for characters to express themselves in ways they might not be able to in other situations. An uneventful mission isn't the one where Napoleon realizes his friend and partner is actually someone he won't just mourn, but actively miss for the rest of his life. It's a catalyst for emotions, namely intimacy (romantic and platonic both!) to have a natural outlet on the page. Fear for others, the impending reality of mortality, these are things we get to read one character feel towards another, and at like, high octane levels. :D
Also it's just one of my kinks. XD

[glennagirl.livejournal.com]

We definitely need an expression of the friendship between our characters in order to fully understand the relationship. Comrades in arms, brothers, etc.. the occasional wound heightens the need for the dutiful and loyal friend to come to the aid of the one stricken down by the bad guys.

[lindafishes8.livejournal.com]

Having read all the comments here, I'm in agreement with Janto. She really hit the mark. She mentions empathy and that's a key point.

For me, the Hurt/comfort aspect of it has to do with women's 'mothering' instincts. The strong need to take care of anyone who is hurt and to nurse them back to health. (That's why I became a nurse). Of course it doesn't explain why we, as writers, keep beating them up. Maybe so we can make them all better (through their partners, of course).

[glennagirl.livejournal.com]

I imagine we all have the need to mend, or at least try to help. In any event, IK is certainly the recipient of a lot of love, however it arrives.

[metanewsmods.livejournal.com]

May we link this on metanews? We also post on DreamWidth and Tumblr.

[glennagirl.livejournal.com]

Yes, you appear harmless ;) Seriously, you are harmless, right?

[metanewsmods.livejournal.com]

We like to think so.

Most people who refuse permission for linking do so because they aren't prepared for the possible influx of new readers/commenters.

[glennagirl.livejournal.com]

We love new readers, and with the new Man from UNCLE movie on its way we expect some interest there. This comm has been three years in the making so it's nice to get a little outside attention.
Carry on.