#I would love to do a Crozier looks post but maybe I would have to narrow it down to just ten looks or something

[oleworm]

Though unjustly reviewed as a film that one suffers through, or that is too brutal to watch, I enjoyed my experience of The Nightingale (2018) very much, especially the developing friendship between the characters of Billy Mangana, an Aboriginal tracker who has decided that he will no longer work with the British, and Clare, an Irish convict in unwilling service to the colonial forces—both of whom lost their families at the hands of the British and who can never go home, one because the land and his people have been destroyed through genocide and the other because she was transported with no means of return, as a consequence of the class system that drove her to commit theft. The music and the nature stand out, the sounds of Tasmanian birds and marsupials, the vegetation and the geological features—one of the most subtle horror details is the appearance of an English farming village near to the end of the film, the consolidation of British lifeways in a land that was not originally empty but that is being made so, to create scenes of country life that would not be out of place in an Austen film.

It’s interesting that though it came out the same year as The Terror (2018) and they deal with similar topics it appears to have appealed to a completely different audience. Perhaps because one work is more subtle in its criticism of imperialism, while also being an adventure story among other things, to the point where those who choose to ignore it can easily do so, while for the other it is a central theme, and the violence employed to enforce the structures of the empire is directly shown. The Nightingale has good acting and writing, proper costuming, beautiful landscapes and music, all the things that made The Terror great—maybe people never heard of it, or were put off by hypersensitive reviewers, but it does surprise me that not many have seen it. Myself included! I only watched it yesterday. But why I didn’t do so before is a subject to explore in a personal journal, not a blog post, though if I come to a conclusion I would like to share I will certainly do so.

One of the biggest contrasts between both works is how the hierarchies of the Navy and Army are treated. In The Terror, it is up to the viewer to decide how they feel about these structures and those at its head. I can’t think of any character at the top of the hierarchy who is portrayed with more negatives than positives, even Franklin—whose presence in Tasmania is alluded to, but not dug into, an Easter egg for those who have read about it—is portrayed more as a pompous fool than the overseer of a genocidal colonial government, and while Fitzjames’ exploits in China are explicitly described and he dies as a result of injuries received in the First Opium War his character is sympathetically portrayed, to the point that like with Franklin it is often treated as just a bit of historical flavour. Class and rank structures are deeply ingrained in both sets of characters, but where mutineers in The Terror were interpreted as villains for sabotaging and breaking away from the group, and imperfect leader Crozier becomes one of the best loved characters, in The Nightingale we have Lieutenant Hawkins, who while initially charming and played by a conventionally attractive actor—he even looks similar to Edward Little, a popular character in The Terror fandom—consistently brutalises not only the convicts and the Aboriginal people, but also his own men. They are both loyal and afraid, like dogs abandoned, threatened and killed when they have fulfilled their purpose or no longer perform to the level that their superior expects of them. One could say, they are in it for personal gain, but after a certain point in the film there is nothing that he can give them, and yet they persist. Why do they follow him? Why don’t they run away into the bush? When I was thinking about this question, I remembered the character of Thomas Hartnell, who after being lashed does everything he can to please Crozier, the one who gave the order, but except a few people (you know who you are!) many viewers saw this positively in contrast to Hickey who developed a hatred of Crozier and ceased to respect the hierarchical order.

There’s also the fact that we see what happened to the Tasmanians after the British arrive, but we only see the beginning of what will happen to the Inuit. At the time that The Terror ends, only a few of the many search-and-rescue expeditions have made it to the Arctic, whose explorations led to the establishment of a stronger European presence in the North, with all that it involved.

So what was it? 126 white men syndrome, which makes this show attractive to people with an especial interest in men? Are more realistic portrayals of imperialism and colonialism too uncomfortable? Since many fandom participants are women, is it too heavy to think that women can be—and regularly were—assaulted under such circumstances? Are we not too different from the Reddit men who love adventures and the friends we made along the way, to the detriment of other themes important to the story? You decide. For me it’s a little bit of everything.

[charlesdesvoeux]

top five tertiary characters from amc's the terror

WARNING: we're about to enter my mind palace aka The Terror That Exists In My Head bc some of these guys get like. 3 lines tops so a lot of my thoughts on them are informed by fics and whatnot but here it goes

1. Charles Des Voeux: my namesake, my sewer gremlin, my beloved. he doesn't get a whole lot of screen time but when he does it is DAMNING. he's bitchy, he's racist, he's weird he's a weirdo he doesn't fit in have you ever seen him without his stupid hat on. the dezza that exists in my head is indeed a very weird guy whose mind astounds me; he thinks he's doing a very good job at coming off as Normal but he is NOT everybody knows he's weird and they're either kind of scared or think he's pathetic. extremely classist (son of a baronet, after all) but also he was shipped off to the navy bc his own family found him a little unsettling so he resents them too. of course he also has a psychosexual fixation on Dr. Stanley and the stuff he is into sex-wise more generally would probably freak an average 21st century person out so you can imagine how his 19th century peers saw him.

2. Tommy Armitage: my darling tortured boy. i am SO fascinated by hickey's assessment of him just before carnivale (while he is delusional in many aspects he is great at reading people imo); why is he so fixated on the marines, why does he "long for it" in hickey's words? does he feel degraded by his work as a steward, essentially a servant? does he feel like he's a coward and wearing that red coat would give him courage, would mean that he's amounted to something in his life? he also feeds Heather at carnivale and I think that speaks volumes to the extent that tozer probably trusted him. his devotion to Sol- AND IT IS THERE IN CANON IMO, YOU HAVE TO LOOK FOR IT A LITTLE BIT BUT IT IS THERE- is also so interesting to me. He followed that man into mutiny, into ruin, saw him become a shadow of himself but continued to love him.

3. Henry Le Vesconte: yeah, I'm gonna call him tertiary. he doesn't have a lot of lines or screentime; I think he tends to be more prominent in fics due to his station as lieutenant (and bc from episode 3 onwards he was the only surviving lieutenant of erebus) and also because HE IS A CHARACTER WITH POTENTIAL. dandy-ish and charming, with just a touch of the rake. to see him broken and desperate and ultimately mutinous, abandoning crozier to the mutineers and the ill to their fate in a desperate attempt to prolong their survival when he started off sooooo different is very intriguing to me. also post-abandoning-captain-quiet-mutiny-starvation-march nedconte makes me feral.

4. William Pilkington: he went down but he went down swinging (he's the one who dies with a wilhelm scream). did you know he interacts with Armitage at least 3 times in the show??? considering how little time they get this is HUGE trust me #tommypilks is real. I see him as a guy who was probably pretty convivial and fun to be around before... everything that went down, maybe even a little cocky but in an endearing kind of way. to see the desperation in his face as him and Tommy try to talk tozer into going back to the ships and as they face tuunbaq for the final time and thinking about what he used to be.... Jesus Christ. There's also this image:

which I think about every day. "he has that sadness in his eyes" etc. and his expression as crozier is brought to mutineer camp. also interesting!!!!

5. Edmund Hoar: considering that he has like. 2 lines I think about him a lot. The fact that he rose to the post of captain's steward in his early 20s is really impressive imo but what really made me go "hey WHO is this guy" was the carnivale soup moment:

that's him on the left, Samuel Crispe from Terror on the right. like wait a minute what is going on here. a steward kind of has to maintain a level of "propriety" and "respectability" bc they work closely with command but fuck it- its carnivale, our id is showing, and hoar's id told him to get into the soup with this other guy nearly naked. two bros chilling in a big pot less than 5 feet apart cuz they are gay. also in my mind he's like the bratty teenage daughter to bridgens' impossibly patient dad and that dynamic is very dear to me.

bonus: my "canon OCs" (people that existed historically but were not mentioned in the show) William Elphinstone Malcolm (jirv's best friend who in my show!version is in love with him and jirv is also in love with him but won't admit it) and Eleanor Franklin (Franklin's daughter by his first wife who in my show!version is essentially "what if cornelius hickey was a Poor Little Rich Girl lesbian")

[cinemaocd]

Sophia Cracroft Looks, Rated

I’m hopping on the Terror Looks, Rated Meme bandwagon with @henrylevesconte​, @bomburjo, @radiojamming​, and @theiceandbones,  because ya girl can definitely bring the looks!

Here is Sophia the first time she appears in episode one. It’s a flashback to the theater. Crozier is about to propose. Trying to figure out when this is supposed to be because she is wearing totally different clothes here than she is in the dinner scene when she said “he proposed again” and different to the “does one not bring their habits to marriage” scene. So either she’s changing clothes three times in one night or Crozier has come to see her to propose on a different day. I’m so confused! ANYWAY this is my least favorite Sophia look. The dress is very fussy and I loath the sleeves. It is at least her signature color: blue. She gets an extra point for the floral detail at the shoulder which is kind of nice and I like that she often has flowers in her hair. Overall Sophia’s hairstyle isn’t super historically accurate. The center part is right, but it’s too soft and fluffy and modern, I think. Also the back ringlets definitely look like a hairpiece in this scene. 5/10.

Up next is the dinner scene, Franklin’s flashback in episode 2 after he says “strange to think of this place as home.” In the “habits to marriage” scene they are interrupted by Lady Jane who tells Sophia it’s time to change for dinner, so I think she changed from the patterned day dress (inset) to this evening blue/green silk evening dress with the low neck. She’s also changed her jewelry and hair ornaments which must have taken some time. To make things even weirder Crozier has changed as well, but then he decides not to stay for dinner and leaves after he overhears Franklin talkin shit about him. So. much. changing. Not. enough. eating! Anyway, this look is better than the fussy theater dress, but probably slightly less historically accurate (plain, long sleeves on an evening dress in the 1840s are rare) The floral ornaments and simple jewelry make a nice look. Sian Brooke really has killer collarbones as you can see here. 6/10

Sophia’s only appearance in episode 3 is this millisecond flashback of Sir John, just before he dies. This is literally his final thought. Why? My theory is that he felt guilty about the way he’d handled the whole situation, esp. since he reveals that he has witnessed a scene of great affection between them, when they don’t know he’s looking. For the longest time I thought this was the same day as the habits to marriage scene, but it’s not the same dress. This striped day dress is the least blue thing that Sophia wears, but maybe because it’s a flashback to happier times? I’ve headcanoned this as being in Francis’ rooms (which is why he is not wearing his coat and why Sophia knows how many drawers he uses...) Extra points for her accessory: handsome Irish sea captain in billowing white shirtsleeves. 8/10

This is one of my absolute favorite Sophia looks. I love a good bonnet and this is a stunner. The combination of teal and blue velvet over aubergine silk? Simply TDF. The flowers are very dark and the whole vibe is more sombre here with the deep navy velvet jacket with fur trim and paisley lining (I DIE). The blue/green silk dress with the black bone button closures is really sharp and almost military with the stripe and the pintucking. All of this is set off by that yellow ribbon (which probably has a symbolic significance). None of Sophia’s skirts are really full enough to be historically accurate, but both she and Lady J need to act next to one another and remain in the same post code, so I forgive it. 10/10

OK this is the ICONIC Sophia Cracroft lewk. This stunning graphic day dress with long sleeves, shows off her collar bones and that set of lapis beads. (My headcanon...Crozier bought her those in Van Dieman’s land). The details on this dress are so impressive: the pintucks that come to a V at the waist, the little accordian puff at the elbow, the blue piping. Sophia’s hair looks great in this scene and the the blue hair tie is such a nice touch. This is a dress in which to break a man’s heart and make a horrible mistake! 100/10

Another stunning graphic day dress, trimmed in blue piping, another amazing bonnet, this time with a powder blue ribbon. Minus one point because I prefer her in an open neckline. 9/10

Sophia’s final look is somewhere between a day and an evening look: a 3/4 length sleeve blue silk dress with a boat neck and lots of pintucking but no jewelry or decorations. The detailing on this bodice is absolutely masterful. Another beautiful neckline to show off her collarbones. Extra points for matching slippers, perfect for slipping off in the snow so that you can wallow in your shitty, shitty life choices.  -1,000,000/10

[hickeys-dickey]

Pls share your thoughts about the gays in THAT scene… I would love to read them!

Ahh you are too kind, I am but a little swiss cheese brain but I'll try my best to sum up my thoughts, I have too many! I wanted a chance to grab some screenshots too! I'm going to put a read more because this is a long one buckle up lads.

So obviously the whole punishment for Hickey is designed to humiliate him (I would imagine this is one of the reasons his punishment isn't explained to him, because if Hickey truly was a naval petty officer he would know, and I think it's another way for Crozier to essentially say "I see you" and not in a good way). The fact we're not shown the other whippings shows the importance lies in the scene with Hickey.

I've seen a bit of discussion about his charge of "dirtiness", which isn't listed initially when we see him being questioned by the Captains, and whether or not it alludes to homosexuality but on a quick cursory search it does seem to have been used as a euphemism where an outright accusation of sodomy would mean a death sentence. The way Crozier throws it out there, no doubt to heap the humiliation onto Hickey and add crimes to the list to cover the fact he added lashes on to the punishment essentially for a bruised ego (but that's another matter), suggests a whole lot of venom to the accusation. Hickey's pointed look at Irving and Irving's quick shift of his gaze down suggests they both know exactly why Crozier has listed this among Hickey's list of crimes, and Hickey looks furious for it.

But I think this is also ultimately where the panic begins to set in. Again, there are far greater minds than me who have made excellent posts about queer coded characters in the terror, and I think it's no surprise that most of them are the faces that are focused on in this scence. It is clear long before this moment that Crozier's leadership is lacking, and people have already begun to voice concerns fairly loudly. Tozer for one is livid in the wake of Heather being injured, and the marines have clearly started distancing themselves from both the officers and the men. I feel like this scene, for a lot of characters is a point of major shift in either allegiences or character.

Tozer and the Captains are the first faces that are panned to in this scene and I think the expressions speak for themselves.

Tozer is visibly upset/concerned after the first lash. I do think guilt probably has a part to play, in that is was him whole told Hickey where Silna was, and presumably approved enough of the plan to not rat him out to anyone. Again, very probably part of Tozer's anger at Heather being injured due to what he sees is Crozier's poor management. Fitzjames is stoney faced, but is also the only one looking. As a man who many have noted pushes himself to pick emotional scabs, I think it would make sense for someone who is also notably queer coded and stuggles with trauma to make himself look directly at someone being whipped for a crime he himself might commit. Crozier isn't even looking, whether out of suddenly doubting his harshness or simply triggering something in his own memory it's not clear. I think the end of this shot also speaks for itself.

(Fig 1. Three Concerned (very likely not straight) men contemplate)

The lads at the back behind Mr. Johnson are all looking Directly At the whipping as it is taking place. Interestingly none of the men at the front near the table are looking. This is the stewards, officers, and marines. Whether out of respect or also Concern at their own skins (I think every one of these characters has been addressed as being queer coded at some point, minus the marines who are all, except Tozer, fairly nameless characters).

I'm not a gifmaker which is unfortunate for this section, though this is what is gifed in the beautiful gifset by sashneeka I reblogged (x). Tommy is also visibly upset, whether because he knows Tozer was involved in the plot to kidnap Silna and is concerned for him and any of the rest of the crew who had assisted in someway or voiced support. Billy interestingly does look briefly, and sets his jaw after in a way that suggests he's trying to fight the guilt of being the one to tell Irving about the whole affair with Hickey to paint himself in a better light. It could just as easily be Billy there on that table being lashed, but he somehow rationalises it in his head (probably because Hickey is a little bastard) that he was right in what he did. He does look down fairly guiltily after this, so maybe he hasn't quite settled on an opinion. Jopson also looks incredibly concerned/unsettled, and interestingly looks at Hickey right up until the whip hits where he flinches, and not for the only time in this scene. From what we know about Jopson's past, though not at this point, it may well be he is remembering similar punishment/mistreatment and like Fitzjames looks enough to pick the scab open and flinch from his own trauma.

The closeup of Hickey shows the full extent of his rage and humiliation building, and as I think Adam himself said, they whipped something out of Hickey that day and let him reach this potential that lay inside him (to become an even bigger bastard). He's fully severed all ties and feelings of loyalty after this and it becomes full on train to manipulation station from this point. I have a lot of Thoughts about Hickey also (which I am sure you are all aware of) but I think there was some semblance of Hickey attempting to start afresh on this journey, or at the very least keep his head down and go unnoticed. The trouble is, he notices Crozier as a flawed man, and one not from the upper classes like himself, and his ego can't help but think we're not so different, that could be me with the right connections. Well surprise lads, its murder time now and he's gonna make this old man pay for not recognising initiative but punishing it. I do wonder if Crozier wasn't booze sick and rattled from losing even more men under his command, would he not have come down so harshly for someone clearly defying the Articles to do what he thinks is right and save the men (a la Crozier and his fuck you I'm directly contradicting an order and leading this rescue party myself).

Tozer gets another wee closeup here and again looks like he has resolved something in his head too. Most likely that he thinks Crozier an unfit leader, and admiring Hickey for having the balls to do what he did (Hickey also never reveals anyone else who came with him, and when he talks about Hartnell and Mason's part in taking Silna it highlights their skill and bravery and (he thinks) commends them to the Captain. It's probably the only time we see him building up and applauding others). He looks dead ahead here and seems to have a very steely gaze, like yep fuck it looks like I'm going it alone now. It is interesting that Tozer goes from this to notably disliking Hickey (both at the start and when they are packing up - "you've just given me an excuse to give a big shove". This might be anger at Hickey having caused all the issues with Silna after the fact when Heather gets killed at Carnivale), but still follows him in the end. Hickey has the ability to kill, manipulate, steal, basically do whatever needed for their group to get ahead, which means Tozer can be part of the group and not have to dirty his own hands. I think Tozer probably has a complicated relationship with Hickey, but he does fall for the charm hook, line, and sinker, and the fact he seems concerned for him here suggests how easily he is sympathetic to those he sees as being wronged.

Gibby getting Hickey's blood on his hand (ayy) seems to visibly make him blanch, and I do find it interesting that the shot then pans to Tommy as though they are looking at each other when they are stood side by side. The similarities between them maybe? (I've seen and reblogged a lot of discourse about Tommy loving Tozer, maybe another nod to no one being so different to the man on the table?) Irving doesn't get much of a close up in the rest of this scene but bless him he looks equal parts terrified and guilty (another man who has been noted as having a list of many things to distract from the Gay Thoughts like why do you need to distract from Gay Thoughts Irving?). He also has the Far Off Look of trauma about him, probably because he too could just as easily be on that table.

I have many many thoughts about the way Hickey turns to look (and fucking smile???) at Crozier next, which is when Crozier is looking directly at him and Fitzjames looks at him. Like if I were Crozier I think my fucking blood would chill, look at this man. Being humiliated and lashed still hasn't broken him, if anything he has just become fully unhinged and looks at Crozier as though to say "did you really think this would work?". I would also say, this man has fairly quite for someone who is at this stage something like 22 lashes in? Like what the actual fuck Hickey?? I fully belive Hickey to be a psycopath, and most of what he does in the beginning of the series is an attempt to stay hidden until they get to Hawaii and he can ditch the crew, but I think it is fairly safe to say he isn't hiding it any more.

And he knows this is going to make the men doubt Crozier - I can't do a proper search because I am using my work laptop atm, but I seem to remember reading that a punishment greater than 12 lashes required a court martial (probably why Little steps in to say so when Crozier orders his punishment as well as them technically being lost at sea), which would be another strike against him as a Captain. Not only that, but Crozier does seem to grant him some mercy in letting him only be lashed I think 23 or so times? Probably because the tension is fucking palpable in this whole scene and Crozier can either choose to claw back some sense of control on the matter, or deal with the consequences of many people admiring Hickey for what he has done for the crew and start a mutiny. I think this is the first time Fitzjames sees the damage Crozier is doing to himself with his choices as Captain, and is probably just as concerned at the look Hickey is giving him. He knows this has unleashed something in this tiny rat bastard too, and that he will become the physical manifestation of Crozier's self-destructive tendancies. Crozier perpetually comes to everything just a fraction too late to change anything - he never saves any of the men, only comforts them as they die, and a lot of this has to do with his own ego and bad decision making, and I think this is the first example here of the fact his actions are having an effect on others to the point it will be his downfall.

Anyway, to round it off, I think this scene really epitomises the notion that Hickey is a mirror to the rest of the men, and they see their flaws in him. Those who have questioned Crozier's captaincy look concernced knowing they too could be being lashed. They too would have tried to get Silna to stop the Tuunbaq hunting them. Those who are queer or queer coded know they too could be being lashed for it. Crozier himself sees his unwillingness to follow the Articles in him, sees his own insubordination, and feels what Sir John meant when he said his position afforded him deference. Hickey may as well be a metaphor for all the men being lashed, theres not one among them who haven't voiced wanting to do what he has done. Let them without sin and all that. This is make or break for who holds loyalty to the Captain, and the turning point for who is going where. I think everyone except Jopson, Irving and Fitzjames ends up in the mutineers camp, and Irving ends up killed and mutilated by Hickey and Fitzjames is scavanged by them. Theres not one of them that isn't haunted by what happened in this scene, and Hickey would end up being the death of every single one of them. The only one who remains loyal after this is Jopson, who thinks his care and duty to the Captain can outweigh his other sins. Fitzjames and Crozier have a stronger relationship once he recovers from his withdrawal, yes, but Fitzjames also keeps him in check now (I'm thinking of Edward Little being threatened with flogging again because of course I am), and it is another step too late for Crozier's self-destruction. I've seen a Hickey/Fitzjames Christ analogy on here before too, so I hope you'll forgive me in comparing them, but Hickey in this scene really does get punished for everyone else's crimes in this scene, and becomes a sort of Christ-like figure, reborn as a complete version of the worst of himself from the pain of being lashed. They whipped something out of him!! Anyway, that about sums it up!

[catilinas]

hey you're the girard-knower so i figured i'd ask: is there any actual mimesis in the terror or is it just "hickey wants mimesis but he doesnt have the juice"

oh there’s totally Actual Mimesis and my personal take that hickey is a guy who just really Gets how mimetic rivalries work is very much secondary to just. the whole plot. being a mimetic crisis. here’s a post on That from holy shit 2019 my Thots have probably developed since then! but overviews nice. 

but yea outside of the General Vibe Of Mimetic Crisis. hickey also does “want mimesis” @ crozier he’s like. we COULD be brothers francis. we could vibe. an imitative relationship is There (mostly hickey imitating crozier but also. crozier Does inadvertently imitate hickey via kidnapping plans / Connecting The Dots / sober descent into that which resembles the grave but isn’t) before they leave the ships, and hickey thinks they could maybe be ritual substitutes in a fun power sharing maybe gay way.  but crozier is like who the fuck are you. because he really does Not want to acknowledge that He Is A Potential Model For Imitation. thinking about the bit in violence and the sacred where girard says that when a person’s vibe is “imitate me!” the vibe is simultaneously “don’t imitate me!” which actually means hashtag “do not appropriate my object!” and how crozier is saying Do Not Imitate Me very hard to avoid having to admit that he Can be imitated. 

because the “object” he doesn’t want potential imitators to appropriate IS like. his status as scapegoatable. like early episodes crozier is kinda strangely attached to making himself miserable and distant and hard to love? like in the dinner party scene. he is very much Not a model there. even his own lieutenants are involved in the fitzjames appreciation club. and crozier plays into his own exclusion from that with the birdshit island joke!!! or when he volunteers to sacrifice himself lead the mutinous sledge party. he doesn’t want anyone else to do it because he’s weirdly protective over his own scapegoat status. (important but i think this changes after franklin dies because crozier realises that him Being In Charge means he really Really can’t be the scapegoat. he’s the sacred king now and it’s time to find his double in the fool). 

so while crozier is going Do Not Appropriate My Scapegoatiness the version of hickey he sees (pretending to be irish, Out Of Place and so scapegoatable) IS uncomfortably similar to Him. which is why the convo in ep2 Doesn’t have the significance hickey attaches to it. crozier doesn’t just Not See Him At All, he’s like actively looking away. then around episode 4 when hickey starts Actively developing their mimetic relationship crozier lashes out (haha) and reinscribes Difference (particularly in hierarchy) physically onto hickey’s body via the lashing because a) he doesn’t want hickey to be similar to him / doesn’t want to see himself as a model, and b) he doesn’t want himSelf to be similar to hickey, because now that he’s In Charge he can’t! be a scapegoat figure it would be very bad for everyone if that happened. and hickey is very clearly Taking That Role. so crozier pushes him Further into the scapegoat role but by being the one to Do the pushing he’s like. nope not me! no scapegoat here! 0/10 would not sacrifice!

idk where im going with this tbh i am procrastinating writing my essay on pliny :) but i do think it’s interesting that hickey kidnapping crozier near the end puts crozier in a similar position towards hickey’s authority as hickey was towards crozier for most of the show. like if crozier won’t actively Do Mimesis with hickey, hickey will put crozier in a situation that Makes their relationship mimetic just by reversing the earlier mimetic power dynamic. 

ok pliny time for real now. bye

[gaylord-fagaton]

How to Not Make Friends: A Guide by One George Henry Hodgson

Or alternatively titled: How George Hodgson’s Character Arc is Actually a Story about Trying to Fit in, and then Failing Miserably

Today I’ll be bringing you more Hodgson thoughts, specifically on the question of his place within the group, or rather his lack of place within the group. He exists at the fringes of the Terror’s command team, he’s a part of it of course that’s his job, but he really isn’t part of the group not like Little, nor Crozier, or finally Irving. This is what made him such a good target for Hickey, who is probably observant enough to notice this, his feelings of rejection coupled with the fact that apparently nobody ever taught him about stranger danger had him following Hickey into the tent.

The way Hodgson behaves is the primary reason for him being ostracized from the rest of the terror officers I believe. If you hadn’t noticed, Little is basically depression personified, Irving is well….the way he is, and their captain is an alcoholic angry at the entire world. There is no room for the happy go lucky Hodgson, who is just here to have a good time, not a long time. (Side Note: This doesn’t have much relevance when it comes to the terror as a show, but Hodgson was hand picked by Fitzjames. Can you imagine having your friend asking you to come work with them, only to find out you aren’t actually working with them at all, and are in fact working in one of the most stressful environments imaginable.) It also does not help that a great deal of Hodgson’s attempts of relating to others or bringing levity to situations are generally not particularly relevant or are downright inappropriate at times. I always go back to the “hear, hear” bit when Irving is listing their dwindling food supplies, because it’s one of the best examples, you’re going to starve to death Hodgson what is wrong with you? (Not to insert head cannons into my meta but, George Hodgson autistic). The sheer level of annoyance on the faces of his companions when he does his bullshit, is almost funny. In the aforementioned scene Irving looks about ready to kill him, so does Armitage when he goes on about the origin of the word diet in a later scene.

Not only does the way everybody behaves around Hodgson tell us about the way he is viewed, but so does everybody’s reactions, or rather lack thereof.  Nobody ever responds to him verbally at least; this is except for one notable exception in Hickey. I think this was perhaps a ploy on Hickey’s part at least at first, later it became mocking, he had no intention to really allow Hodgson into his group (more on this later).

I hadn’t really noticed this before, until @gildatheplant​ mentioned it on my newest gif-set, but we really don’t have any shots of the Lieutenants together. This to me, is seemingly done to create a further sense of separation between Hodgson and his fellow command members.

Here the camera pans away from Hodgson leaving only Little, Irving, Crozier, and Jopson in the shot. He was left out, even though he is standing right next to Little at the time.

In this scene, Little and Irving are standing right next to each other, but Hodgson is standing across the room by himself.

I don’t know how much those kinds of scenes really mean in the long run, I just think it’s really interesting to look at. Even without them, Hodgson is painted as quite the outcast from the rest of the terror command. There but not really There.

Here we come to his murder of the Netsilik family, now this is primarily motivated by racist fear. His go too wouldn’t have been fucking murder if he wasn’t a shithead racist, and as I’ve mentioned before his story to Little later when he realizes he might have fucked up on goes on to further illustrate how he feels about the Netsilik people. Beyond the racist fear fueled by a story that sounds like a chain email or a shitty Facebook post, another motivator for his haste in acting, I think is probably a want for some form of acceptance into the group. At this point he’d just been informed of the fact that a command meeting had occurred, and he wasn’t invited, instead he was sent out on the rather unlikable task of burying Morfin. They are sharing important information and promoting new officers, and they hadn’t thought about including him. If he didn’t feel like an outcast beforehand, he must certainly feel that way now, especially as hickey is shoving his rat like fingers into the hole in his heart where friends would go if he had any. So he acts, because if he does the right thing, perhaps this will be enough for him to get the recognition that he wants and craves, and he’ll maybe be a part of the group finally. It turns out, however, that he was wrong, really fucking wrong, and then everything proceeds to go to shit.

When it comes to his placement within the mutineer group, I wouldn’t call him a mutineer but he is also definitely not a hostage like Goodsir. He had a choice something which Goodsir who was forced at gun point to come with Hickey and co. did not, a shitty choice, but a choice none the less. (Side note: beyond referring to the fact that he is to much of a coward to do anything about hickey, I think his “I’m hungry and want to live” line could also describe the circumstances in which he joined up with Hickey. If he hadn’t joined he’d have certainly starved to death.) He is still on the fringes even here, treated like a spectacle, a joke, and has his live threatened by Hickey multiple times. He is neither a mutineer or a hostage, but kind of both at the same time. Hickey was a collector of those who he knew didn’t fit in, and that fits Hodgson.

Onwards to his monologue to Goodsir in the tent, who also doesn’t respond to him rip. In part beyond it being about a strange religious experience, which oof dude you were like 8, I think it is also a tale about fitting in. In church setting like that everybody is doing the same thing, you are a part of a collective in front of god. Which is why tiny Hodgson was so moved to participate because it finally meant he was a part of something. He labels it a “perfect moment in his imperfect life” because it’s what he always wanted, to fit in. Interestingly enough, (Thanks to @gobnaits​ for pointing this out) communion means “sharing in common” and is a sacrament of initiation. (Catholic facts that make you hmmm) He ultimately rejects this because he was taught this kind of community is wrong but also because, I believe that he thought he’d eventually be unable to function within this group. (*Cough* George Hodgson Autistic *Cough*) Ultimately I think George Hodgson’s story arch is about being an outcast and a want for acceptance, which along with his own ignorance is the reason for his downfall.

TL;DR: Hodgson is outcast and it makes me sad. Also I love him.

[meddow]

The Terror Plot Ideas

I love coming up with plot ideas but I never write them cos I don’t have the time and as I never have nice short ideas, they’re always 10,000 word + ideas. (I am writing something, but it’s 18,000 words already and if I finish it, it’ll be a miracle). 

So free to a good home. All Fitzier.

(I haven’t spotted any of these when scrolling through AO3, sorry if someone has written something similar and I’ve just missed it).

Terror plot bunny #1

Alien Quadrilogy AU: Our doomed artic explorers are now the staff of a new mining outpost owned by Weyland-Yutani corp on some far-off planet. On a survey to an explored area, they come across a crashed spaceship with a miraculously still working life support pod and a bunch of alien eggs. Poor Gore gets to be John Hurt, while the life support pod contains Silna. Inevitably they ignore Silna and end up with a xenomorph running around the mining outpost while having to deal with the company wanting them to bring back eggs for study/weaponisation vs doing the right thing of destroying the lot. Stanley is the synthetic that dooms their chance of blowing the eggs up from orbit and their best chance of escape. There’s Fitzier angst when James relevels his Weyland-Yutani brand artificial heart is on a subscription model and the company can terminate the contract (and shortly after that him) at any time. Hickey decides to try and become King of the xenomorphs or some such, cos he’s Hickey.

Terror plot bunny #2

The whole idea behind this is: what if the thing James did in Singapore for George Barrow was pay off a Chinese woman pregnant with Barrow’s illegitimate child.

Having spent a lot of time examining all his life choices while certain he was going to die, post rescue James heads from London to Singapore determined to try and make things right. Francis finds out and follows on the very next ship, certain things are going to turn out really badly and James will need his help. And maybe Sofia tags along with Francis (not in a ‘I want finally marry Francis way,’ but a ‘I want Francis to be happy, and so I’m going to help him help this dude he’s clearly in love with’ way) cos that would be fun.  

Terror plot bunny #3

Either Sir John dies a day later, or Crozier leaves on the rescue party a day earlier and suddenly James finds himself the sole Captain of the Franklin Expedition. Francis and his party makes it to help and return with a rescue party, having no clue Sir John died the day after he left and having missed everything that happened with Tuunbaq. Some things are better (Blanky has both legs, McDonald lives), others are much worse (James’ deteriorating health won a lot more people over to the mutineers’ side)

In my mind how this story would go is that what happens in the actic is told in flashbacks after the return to London and Francis and James are on trial by the Admiralty for what went down, which takes a turn and Francis finds he may be the one who gets off lightly while James is going to face the full wrath of the Admiralty. This is because James and Blanky never told anyone that Francis defied Sir John’s orders in order to keep up moral, and James can’t come up with a good defence for his own actions as saying ‘a vengeful spirit in the form of a giant Polar Bear wanted us all dead’ will probably only make things worse. So it’s looking like Francis is going to have to figure out how to save James, even though James completely loathes Francis and Francis isn’t sure if he believes the Tuunbaq story. 

[crozicrs]

hello it is june again, back at it with a demon son here to ruin everyones lives. if you’d like to plot with zeke -- please give this post a like && i’ll hit you up to plot. ilu all k thnks bye 

( kiowa gordon / male ) ZEKE CROZIER is 24 years old and is a SENIOR at thales university. HE is majoring in FINE ARTS and is known for being THE CYNIC as HE can be FORTHRIGHT and EXPRESSIVE as well as SARDONIC and BLUNT. every time i see HIM, HE reminds me of tattered leather jackets, trails of smoke and ash, paint stained clothing.. ( june / 24 / she&her / gmt+2)

BASICS.

✘ born and raised in arizona ✘ the most most cynical person you will ever meet ✘ always smoking. never catch him without a cigarette ✘ panromantic / pansexual  ✘ very shy when it comes to his art ✘ primarily a painter but dabbles a lot in graffiti bc #vandalism 

did they have a connection to steven or nana?

zeke can be difficult to get along with, and it tended to be the case when it came to nana. they could bicker a lot and zeke would go out of his way to be blunt and damn near hurtful. he never cared what he said or how it affected nana.

( trigger warnings: abandonment, violence, minor drug mentions)

ABOUT.

✘ zeke crozier grew up in a typical delinquent fashion. he rebelled against anything and everything he possibly could, an extreme problem with authority. his parents weren’t exactly attentive -- too busy with their own lives to really pay attention to their son. he was often left to his own company, seeking family in all the wrong crowds. perhaps his actions were a cry for help but his childhood showed him that nobody could possibly be kind and genuine. he’s seen to much selfishness in his lifetime to believe anything else.

✘ he got into many fights in highschool, one incident bad enough that the threat of expulsion and the potential to land up in juvi looming over his head. a compromise was made, and he was later shipped off to his grandparents who would then care for him -- and while it was the best thing to happen to him, far too much damage had been done. 

✘ while the physical violence in his life seemed to come to a standstill, he later learned that he didn’t need to use his fists to be cruel. his words were sharp enough to cut deep. with the exception of his grandparents, zeke is under the impression that everyone has an agenda and simply looking out for themselves. much like he is in a way. he doesn’t care for the company of others -- or rather he’s afraid to allow himself to become close to anyone. his trust issues are immense and he would rather have someone hate him from his own doing than risk the potential of getting himself hurt.

✘ zeke’s grandmother, in an attempts to bond and provide some sort of outlet to her grandson, got him into painting. they both soon discovered that he shared his grandmother’s talents it was the only thing he seemed to take an interest too, something that he was actually good at that wasn’t filled with detachment and resentment. he would lock himself away in his room for hours and hours, finally keeping out of trouble for once

✘ he managed to graduate his new highschool with fairly decent grades, his art clearly outshining the rest of his grades. he managed to score himself a partial scholarship to thales and he had every intention to decline but his grandparents constantly begging and pleading him to at least give it a shot. he took a few gap years before finally accepting the offer (which was still surprisingly still on the table) 

✘ even though he discovered he quite likes to party, zeke still tends to keep to himself. if booze or other recreational substances aren’t in the picture he isn’t exactly interested. it’s difficult for him to relax and let go. 

✘ his attitude towards most people is incredibly blunt and harsh, not caring how his words affect people. he knows pain and anguish the most so why not inflict what he feels on the inside onto others. he excepts everyone to stab him in the back anyways so why not beat them to it.

✘ he keeps his art and his major to himself mostly, most people really not knowing what the hell his studies. unless you’re somehow close to him, the only people who see his paintings are classmates and professors. he gets really shy and flustered about it and does not like to talk about it at all. 

✘ despite his general distain for people, he tends to mostly paint portraits. he’ll often sit with his sketchbook and draw people around in public. so odds are, he’s probably drawn most people at some point.

CONNECTIONS.

✘ softness -- please just someone he is weirdly soft with ?? like he just adores them and isn’t a complete asshole with them and is just a normal human just give him fluff ok cool bYE

✘ frenemies -- bc lets be real, he’s going to be an asshole to people he calls friends. he cannot help himself

✘ fwbs / hookups -- who am i to not just make my muses hoes. i cannot be stopped. a mans has needs.

✘ partners in crime / bad influence -- someone who just enables his shitty behaviour and just embraces the fact that they’re both horrible people and that it’s perfectly ok and fuck everyone else k bye

✘ good influence -- someone who is trying their hardest to put a bandaid on this poor boi and mend his broken heart ok and loves him despite all his defiance 

✘ enemies / exes / stuffs -- he is who he is and he’s pissed off a lot of people ok 

✘ muse -- maybe someone hes just sorta infatuated with and ends up drawing / painting a lot and wdym it’s an obssesion i have no idea what you’re talking about

uHHH IM DOWN FOR LITERALLY ANY AND EVERY CONNECTION MY BRAIN JUST CANT THINK RIGHT NOW PLS LOVE MY HORRIBLE TRASH SON

[caravaggiosbrushes]

99, joplittle? I can imagine Little saying that.

Hello!! This is my first ever joplittle, aaa I hope it will be good decent okay. thank you for the prompt, I love it! i also got the same one asked for a fitzier so this will be fun, i’ll try to go with two different vibes :}

also WHOOPS, this got out of hand and obviously isn’t a drabble anymore. I hope that’s alright. Hope you like it and thanks again! :*

99: "Don't look at me like that"

Once in a while, when Luck kisses him right in the centre of his forehead, HMS Terror’s Lieutenant Edward Little gets to experience something he values more than any golden treasure: being alone with HMS Terror’s steward Thomas Jopson.

Sometimes it happens in Terror’s great cabin, for just a mere few seconds, -after everyone else has already left and Edward has made sure to adjust his coat and hat very slowly so that he can steal one last glance at Jopson, before leaving all that beauty behind to venture into the freezing unknown,- but on some other memorable occasions they happened to be in the same room for more than just a couple of breaths, and well, that’s everything he hopes for and has been hoping for, every day for the greatest part of the past two years.

This morning, Fate and Luck both must have granted him with a kiss on each cheek, because he seems to keep crossing paths with Jopson whenever he goes: starting from that morning, when he caught a quick glimpse of him leaving Crozier’s cabin, -all precise motions and slightly furrowed eyebrows in concentration of whatever task he was dealing with,- up until now, when Jopson has found him in the pantry room, double checking the quantity of their supplies.

“Oh.” Comes the soft sound of surprise when the door opens, revealing his angelic face. Jopson’s eyes are big and wonderful in the dim light of the only lantern Edward has with him, and he wishes he could look at them from up close, see all the different shades of that icy light-blue, light-green incredible color.

It’s such a wonderful surprise that his mind goes blank for a moment before he can bring himself to greet him, “Jopson.”

“I’m sorry sir, I didn’t mean to disturb.” He’s already moving to close the door, “I will come back later.”

“I wouldn’t mind some company.” Edward hurries to says, maybe with a little too much force, but it makes him stop, and that’s everything he wanted. Jopson lifts his gaze up on him and this time it stays there and Edward is totally captured by it. He offers him a small, reassuring smile, praying it won’t look as eager as it is. “Please, you can stay.”

Jopson simply nods and thanks him with one of those sweet smiles of his, as if Edward had just paid him the greatest compliment (how he wishes he could do that. God only knows all the compliments and sweet and filthy things he has whispered to Thomas Jopson in the privacy of his own sick mind) and heads to one corner of the room, looking for something Edward doesn’t care in the slightest right now: the only thing he’d want Jopson to focus on his himself.

Which turns out to be a thought he immediately regrets, only a few minutes later, because Jopson keeps looking at him, and yes, yes, this is exactly what Edward wanted, that’s the issue: it makes it impossible to focus on anything else. Comparing the numbers on his list to the actual tins is now the hardest task ever; he keeps losing count of the veal tomato stew tins he has already counted three times; the list in his hands has became a blur of nonsense black scribbles.

He doesn’t even know what Jopson is doing here in the pantry room and he would like to ask, but he’s afraid that if he’d open his mouth now his sick thoughts concerning the stewart would come out as well.

Meanwhile Jopson keeps stealing quick glances at him and Edward is so weak when it comes to him, so weak, so he finds himself doing exactly the same thing: looking over his own shoulder to steal a glance at him, only to find him already looking in his direction. Jopson’s eyes are clear and calm and welcoming, every time they meet his own. Edward has never been good at making small talk and he knows he has no obligations toward a steward -but Jopson is so much more than that, isn’t he?- but he tries is best to say this and that, only to have an excuse to talk to him and look at him while he answers -always politely, in a soft but self-assured tone. Well-mannered, but not weak, he’s so far from being a weak man.

It feels like some kind of game they are playing and Edward loves it, would like to keep going forever.

Jopson seems to gain confidence by the minute and stops fleeting his gaze: instead he starts looking at him with a soft, sincere smile, making it even more unbearable to witness and not touch, and Edward can’t take this sweet torture any longer.

"Don't-" He has to lower his own gaze, running away like a coward from Jopson’s lovely stare, “Don’t look at me like that. Please.”

He doesn't immediately offer a reply and Edward silently chastises himself for speaking in the haste of the moment, not measuring his words better. He risks a look to the steward’s face and surprisingly find no anger or shame on it, just harmless curiosity and a sweet shadow of confusion, which makes him look a bit lost, like a child who has ventured a bit too far in the woods. Edward would gladly takes his hand to help him out of it.

There is also a trace of worry on his beautiful face, which is absurd, but Jopson is always ready to worry and care for everyone else, quietly and effectively, it’s literally his job after all (but is it just that? Edwards muses, or is it his kind soul, that he can see shining through his soft barely-there smiles and big, gleaming eyes?) so perhaps it makes sense, perhaps he’s used to always put everyone else before himself (Edward would change that: he would gladly be the one caring for him when Jopson forgets).

The stewart turns fully towards him, giving him his thorough attention. He straightens his back, lifts his chin up and tilts his head to the side, just a touch. His voice is full of respect for his superior, but has a hint of- playfulness when he says, “How am I looking at you, sir?”

“Like…” He thinks about the right way to say it. “Your eyes are just-” the most precious thing I’ve ever seen and being looked at by you feels like a constant blessing that I’m sure I’m not worthy of, and how could he say that? “You stare at me a lot.” He resign to say, trying his hardest not to sound annoyed by it.

Jopson parts his lips as to speak, but nothing comes out. There is a small, but meaningful crease of concern in between his eyebrows.

“I apologize, sir.” He says, offering a polite smile, regaining his composure, “I will make sure it won’t happen again.” He bows his head and turns his back to him, starting to apparently pick up everything he has collected.

Edward can’t have him leaving like this, not now.

“Wait.”

Jopson stops. He slowly turns around to face Edward again: his gaze goes to Edward’s face, but he quickly fixes it down somewhere on his chest, his face more troubled than what Edward would like.

“Yes, sir?”

He’s not smiling anymore and Edward feels that loss almost achingly.

“I didn’t say I mind it.” He tries to use a conversational tone that doesn’t betray the erratic beating of his heart. “Nor that you should stop.”

Even if Jopson is not looking at his face anymore Edward notices his eyes getting bigger and even more shinier, accompanied by the tiniest curl of a smile.

Jopson finally lifts his gaze on his face again. He looks straight into his eyes. “Are you sure, sir?”

“I am.” He will always be.

“Then I won’t stop." Those sweet dimples appear around his smile, "It will be a pleasure.”

Edward can feel his own heart skipping a beat as soon as the fear of having ruined this moment melts away. He’s about to say something, but Jopson takes a step towards the door, which accidentally also means towards Edward and says: “And it would be an even greater pleasure to have you looking at me, sir, if you don’t mind me saying so.”

Edward feels so warm under his- interested stare.

“I,” he has to clear his voice. Jopson’s eyes are crystal clear and so very bright. “I don’t mind, no. I will make sure to make the most out of it.”

Jopson’s voice is lower than how Edward has ever heard it when he says, holding his gaze: “Very good, sir.”

Edward, he thinks, Please, call me Edward.

(Send me a prompt from this list!) + (posted on ao3)

[arctic-north-star]

@rhavewellyarnbag

In response to this reply of yours from this thread:

Though, it’s mordantly amusing to imagine Stanley coming upon Goodsir intently watching Jacko eating from a can, all the while taking notes, and either deciding that he’d rather not know and walking away silently, or calling through the slats of the door to Goodsir, “Hey, asshole, we’re all dressing as clowns for Fitzjames’ shit-show; are you in?”  You know.  The cleaned-up nineteenth century version.

There’s always been some degree of ambiguity as to the timeline, regarding Stanley’s decision.  We don’t know exactly when he decided to do what he did, but both his agreeing to dress up for the carnival and his later looking at the drawing of his daughter suggest that either he didn’t finally make up his mind until Goodsir told him about the lead in the tins, or that, though he was resolved, he wasn’t yet ready to let go of everything.  I doubt wanting to throw off suspicion, MacDonald’s or anybody’s, entered into it.  Stanley, though he goes about setting the fire at the carnival with great care, obviously having planned it, doesn’t strike me as being all that calculating under normal circumstances.  Nor does MacDonald strike me as the type to think the worst of anyone.  At worst, I think that Stanley probably regards MacDonald as a fool with a high opinion of himself, and MacDonald, Stanley as a used-up old has-been.  A more moderated view probably just sees them mutually thinking of each other as “that douche bag I sometimes have to be in the same room with”.

Haha I love that! Now I want a modern day AU where that happens. Maybe they're on an ice breaker or a research vessel, and Goodsir sneaks off to Boaty McBoatface to conduct his Jacko experiment, and when Stanley finds him he can say those exact words to him.

But Stanley stumbling across nineteenth century Goodsir spoonfeeding Jacko out of a can and cooing softly to him is something Stanley would rather not have seen. He'll close his eyes, wish he was anywhere else in the world, and knock on the nearest piece of wood so sharply - or bark Goodsir's name so loudly - that Goodsir yelps and jumps and there's a scramble and Jacko bites his finger. The amusement this brings Stanley makes up for the fact that he has to talk to Goodsir about wearing a clown costume that he himself has already committed to wearing.

I’ve always thought that Stanley had a plan to relieve both crews of their suffering cooking away in his mind for a while before the events of A Mercy. He had it simmering, just in case it was ever needed. He knows from first hand experience how terrible death from starvation is, and he doesn’t want the crew to suffer through that (I love the section in the book where he talks to Goodsir about this).

And then Stanley learns about the dwindling food supplies and the lead that’s in what remains of them, and then he talks with Collins, and then Goodsir, and now it’s time to put this plan into action. Maybe Stanley wasn’t fully committed to the plan when he was talking with Collins (and immediately afterwards) and it was only his encounter with Goodsir that made up his mind. But I think it was made up a while ago, before Goodsir and before Collins.

When Stanley is talking with Collins, it’s like he’s having the equivalent of his final meal. He’s sitting down, is calm, is dressed all in white, and is transporting himself to a better place – one of love and goodness and the joy of not knowing. He draws his daughter. He fills himself up with the things he needs, but hasn’t had in many years. Then just before Goodsir rushes in he’s putting on his coat and buttoning himself up. He’s putting on an outer layer of control and order and protection. And the next time we see him he’s in his clown costume with a deathly white face.

I do wonder how Stanley had planned to get everyone all in one place before he set everything alight. Maybe he assumed that there would come a time when everyone would naturally congregate together (since he had no idea Crozier would gather them together). Maybe he assumed that Fitzjames would eventually gather them all for a speech. Maybe he’d have to suggest to Fitzjames to gather them all for a speech if one wasn’t forthcoming. Fitzjames is the only person we see Stanley actively asking after (I think. I could be wrong? If Fitzjames isn’t the only one, he’s one of only a few.) Stanley wouldn’t have stressed himself out with the fine details of corralling everyone into one space at the Carnivale. It was either going to happen or he would make it happen.

And thinking of MacDonald, I agree that he would think the best of people until proven otherwise. He’s the type to have a long fuse, and you’d have to go above and beyond to earn a place on his shit list (hello Stephan Goldner).

Ahah I love that MacDonald and Stanley would have a permanent low grade antagonism towards each other. They have surface tension, but they still respect each other. Because I love imagining that’s the case between them. MacDonald is open minded, compassionate and is captivated by the wonder of the human condition, all qualities Stanley either had but lost and wants back to a degree, or never had much of in the first place and wishes he did. Stanley doesn’t want to be MacDonald (unlike Goodsir) but he does want some of his qualities. Maybe he worries that MacDonald’s positive qualities will be bled dry just like his did, and he doesn’t want that for his colleague and so he steps forward to play the part of the cold uncaring doctor to preemptively speak the unspeakable and soak up any negativity before it can infect anyone else. This is all based on nothing more than my imagination when it turns towards MacDonald/Stanley, which it did just now. I could write essays on pairing all of the doctors together, so I’ll save all that for another post.

[zipegs]

i’ve been toying around with the idea of posting a fic rec list for a while, and finally decided that if i do, it might be nice to focus on newer and/or underrated fics in the fandom! some of my absolute favorites are on this list, and i highly suggest checking them out (and leaving the lovely authors some comments and kudos!)

this got pretty long, but it’s organized alphabetically by ship name (including gen) and then by length inside each ship!

blanky/little

Trysails by saltstreets  /  2k, t

“I know I can’t do much,” Blanky said, “but you can always talk to me. If you’re so inclined.”

A (very late!) offering for Tender Tuesday, "a friend in need".

okay!!!!!! okay!!!!! hear me out on this one!! this fic is wonderful. i’m a sucker for fics dealing with edward’s suffering during the worst of crozier’s captaincy, and this one is so good. blanky is so wonderful in this; i feel like his tender, kind side frequently gets overlooked in favor of his bigger, bolder attributes, and this fic truly delivers on everything i’ve been missing! it’s really gentle and sweet and i urge you to give it a read!!!!

bridglar

in the low lamplight by stelleri  /  338, g

It’s endless freezing rain outside, but the house is comfortably warm.

short and sweet! a really lovely little slice-of-life modern au

state of grace by aes3plex  /  860, m

He doesn’t mean to see it. He never does.

bridglar may be the most featured pairing, but this is told from irving’s pov and also contains irving/little and references to hickey/gibson. really sad, conflicted little peek into irving’s mind (and some nice, soft bridglar as well!)

passer iagoensis by greenery  /  3k, g

Night falls on the Beagle and Henry Peglar has just finished reading his very first novel.

Set in 1832.

this piece is so good!! it has some really beautiful (sad) foreshadowing of the franklin expedition, and is just... so soft, with some wonderful romantic tension!! and it’s funny! darwin and fitzroy are wonderful in this, and i’m always here for fic that deals with peglar learning to read (which this does!!!).

cracroft/crozier

the beggar’s opera by pyotr  /  990, e

for all of his usual anger and surliness it was almost fun to fluster francis, to rile him where he could not retaliate. sophia had spent all her life under the thumb of some man or another; she loved francis in part because she always had the upper hand.

sophia is my queen and that’s all i’ll say about that. seriously though, this piece is just... *chef’s kiss*

fitzconte

A Cheetah Never Changes His Spots by onstraysod  /  1.2k, m

Being the particular friend of James Fitzjames has its drawbacks, as Henry Le Vesconte learns during the expedition's first carnivale. But it also has its advantages, as Henry learns once the carnivale is over.

Written for Day 1 (A Special Disguise) of the 12 Days of Carnivale.

on beechey island, fitzjames reveals clio’s cheetah to the men. or... something like it! this piece is really a blast; fitzjames is in rare form, francis is glaring form the sidelines, and le vesconte is an absolute champ. and the ending is wonderfully witty and racy!

fitzier

wake me up, wake me up my darling by norvegiae  /  1.4k, g  /  mcd

James Fitzjames feels like a new man.

The old James Fitzjames lies on the cot in front of him, cradled by the man he wishes he could have had more time with.

set during 1.09, this fic is a really poignant, heartwrenching piece in which james comes to terms with the reality of his death, and of his life, as he watches francis grieve. very sad, and wonderfully written!

what the stars give us by WetSammyWinchester  /  1.7k, t  /  implied death

"They may know space, James, but you know what it means to truly fly."

70s scifi (space program!!!) au. really great translation of the terror; the mood in this is so good!!! and the little flashbacks are fantastic. it’s pretty sad, but it hurts in a good way.

fitzrossier

Take Your Turn, Take A Ride by courfairyac  /  7.5k, e

Francis agrees to accompany his friend to a masquerade, and stumbles onto something quite unexpected.

In short: Festivities! Voyeurism! James in a dress!

listen... fitzrossier is my new weakness, and this is a really fun, hot, canon-universe (pre-expedition) au.

gen

salvation by scribomania  /  250, t

The Concordia brings them survival, but not salvation.

featuring hodgson and little, and jopson. for a survival au, this little piece hurts!!! it’s so short, but it packs a punch. really, really good.

but no one remembers yet by disastermovie  / 885, t

“From the mutilated state of many of the corpses and the contents of the kettles, it is evident that our wretched countrymen had been driven to the last resource—cannibalism—as a means of prolonging existence.”

—excerpt from Dr. John Rae’s report on the fate of the Franklin Expedition to the Secretary of the Admiralty (written from Repulse Bay on July 29, 1854)

sad little epilogue concerning sophia and lady jane dealing with their grief

the weary world rejoices by disastermovie  /  1.3k, t

Fitzjames goes to his first Christmas party after the survivors are rescued. It doesn't go well.

this!!!! fic!!! i can’t even do it justice, it’s just so good. the slow build of james’s panic, the caroling and gaiety as a backdrop... it’s just so painful in the best way. i’m incoherent; pls just read it,

la belle dame sans merci by drowninglovers  /  1.7k, g

Nobody is quite sure who the first one to start making her clothing is, but one day she scampers over the shoulders of the ABs as they line up for lunch wearing a tiny shirt to match her pants. It’s nothing special, no fancy detail, navy blue like most everything else they wear. Whoever made it must have cared a great deal, to make sure it fit her perfectly.

this is incredibly fun!!! just some good, wholesome fic about boys dressing up their favorite lady. 10000/10 would recommend.

Come Here, Fellow Servant by whipstitch  /  1.9k, t

The sea is dangerous, but so too is the open sky. And in that case, Cornelius determines, a friend is an unexpected boon.

okay, i made a rule that i wasn’t going to include wips on this rec list,  but i had to put this guy on here. it could be read as a stand-alone, actually, which is what i used to convince myself to include it. peglar realizes that hickey has no fucking idea what he’s doing, and tries to help him, kind, caring sweetheart that he is. this is a really, really nice little piece—i love everything about it.

lie alone by greenery  /  2k, g

He turns the page. And maybe this is it. Maybe writing a letter to young Tom Hartnell is reason enough to leave the berth.

really nice oneshot featuring two good boys (hodgson & hartnell) and their wholesome status as pen pals

the crooked kind by darrenjolras  /  2.3k, m  /  non-consensual voyeurism

“You and I, Jopson,” Hickey says, and Jopson startles at those words alone, turns an affronted gaze his way. Hickey bathes in the glacial blue of it. Like being thrown overboard. “You and I aren’t so different, you know.”

Based on that Hickey/Jopson scene. You know the one.

the terror bingo fill: court martial

not totally gen, but also not really hickey/jopson? twisted, but very much in character; hickey is his delightful self in this, and his verbal sparring with jopson is very well done and quite fun to read!

gibson/hickey

Touch Her Not Scornfully by skazka  /  2k, e

Stolen moments down below.

this fic is just... really fucking good!!! it’s a fantastic look at the very early days of gibson & hickey’s relationship, and an intriguing little venture into billy’s head.

goodsir/mcdonald

And That is How it Starts by Intrepid_Inkweaver  /  1.2k, g

It starts with a handshake and a warm smile at their introduction at Greenhithe.

a really sweet, lovely canon-divergent piece. written in 2nd person pov. these two are just such a good, wholesome pairing and this fic really does them justice!!

hartving

let loss reveal it by disastermovie  /  1.6k, t  /  mcd

Tom could never quite see himself taking a wife.

this shit fucking hurts!!!!!!! it’s a beautiful glimpse at irving & hartnell’s relationship, told through hartnell’s introspection, and is written really, really well. also did i mention that it fucking hurts???

Lookout Blues by ClockworkCourier  /  2.1k, g

John and Tom Hartnell talk about the future while they wait on a new shipment.

hello??? 1920s au??????? the world-building is so tangible in this, even in such a relatively short piece. it’s a really lovely little conversation between the brothers, and i absolutely loved their little discussion of irving.

we’ll tak’ a cup o’ kindness yet by drowninglovers  /  6.3k, g

If this is to be the last time they interact (and it likely will), Tom wants it to be memorable.

survival au survival au!! tartnell runs into irving at john’s grave, and convinces him to stay with his family until new year’s. it’s kind of bittersweet, with some really great flashbacks (and discussions of said scenes!), and oh man is it soft!! just! really beautiful and tender, and the ending is just so cute!!!!!

hodgson/hickey

the chaos moves by itself by bluebacchus  /  1.3k, e  /  violence, mcd

Hodgson's mind cracks and the heavens flow in.

(Written for Day 7 of Halloween TerrorFest: A disquieting metamorphosis and posted separately because I don't want to taint my main post with borderline vore)

fair warning... this fic is fucked up, but in the best possible way! the religious imagery!!!! the philosophy!!!! just!! god.

hodgson/little

Allegro, B Flat Major by whalersandsailors  /  5.3k, g

George is freshly moved from his childhood home, ready to tackle the school year and his newfound independence all at once.

Too bad he's lonely, miserable, and homesick.

He turns to music when adulthood becomes unbearable, and when someone knocks at his door and leaves an anonymous note, George discovers another music lover not too far away.

have i mentioned i love george hodgson? because i love george hodgson. this fic is a beautiful modern au featuring our own georgie playing his way through his feelings (literally). the buildup to the reveal of george’s secret admirer is wonderful, and had me rooting for them from the start! really sweet, stunning fic for a pairing i’d never considered before!

joplittle

get out of the wind by Cicadaemon  /  1.6k, e

Edward Little is smitten with a certain bartender.

modern au. really lovely, wholesome, and happy; just what these boys deserve!

The Thylacine by Gigi_Sinclair  / 1.7k, t 

"Thylacines. That's what Sophia called them, all those years ago in Van Diemen's Land. Dogs with tiger stripes, cats with pouches. They stretch their jaws at him, as Francis struggles to sit. The movement makes his head spin. He pushes the discomfort aside. He has no time to entertain it; he must escape."

also features cracroft/crozier. this is a really clever, funny piece set during francis’s withdrawal; poor francis is a bit muddled in the throes of his fever, and gets caught up in a memory from van diemen’s land. i absolutely loved little and jopson’s reactions in this, and especially jopson and crozier’s conversation the next morning.

Prelude in D Major by scribomania  /  2.7k, t

Hodgson is very fond of the musical apparatus in Terror's great cabin; Edward is not.

For the Terror Bingo square "denial".

i’m a big big lover of terror lieutenant nonsense, and this fic absolutely delivers! just absolutely delightful.

When the Lights Go On Again by Gigi_Sinclair  /  4.1k, t

"Edward Little's ancestors were Naval officers, almost to a man. Nevertheless, from a young age, Edward's eyes turned to the sky rather than the sea.

He longed to fly, as high and as frequently as possible. In the Royal Air Force, he got his wish. He was happy there, thriving, rising in the ranks apace and doing what he always wanted to do. Then came the first of September, 1939."

wwii au. edward is a squadron leader in the royal air force, and jopson is a corporal working for group captain crozier. i’m weak for wwi and wwii aus to begin with, and this one is done beautifully. while it doesn’t hand-wave the trauma and heartbreak of war, it doesn’t hit you over the head with it either, and the result is a really soft, bittersweet, hopeful piece.

lozer

a lily for my love by whalersandsailors  /  3.7k, m

Solomon never thought that soul-signs were real, and the stories he heard about them made soulmates sound more like a prison sentence than any fairy tale romance. It is not until he finds a soul-sign on the skin of a very dear friend that he realizes their importance, as well as their undoing.

this piece is!!! beautiful!!! very poignant, and really had me feeling for solomon. i love what’s been done with the soulmark conceit—it’s not just a simple “we have soulmarks, we’re soulmates!!!’ au (which i’ll admit to enjoying too), but a really thoughtful take on the trope. the slow way tozer puzzles everything out is wonderful, and i love the glimpses we get into several of his friendships & relationships. 

morfin/weekes

to help you remember by whalersandsailors  /  1.2k, g

An anniversary, during which Weekes presents Morfin with a gift, and Morfin struggles to remember why.

do you ever just get clotheslined by a pairing you’d never even considered before? because that’s what this fic did to me

[charlesdesvoeux]

terror rewatch time!!! i'll be using this post to comment on ep. 8 "terror camp clear" block the tag terrorwatch2 if you'd like :-)

fitzier drinking out of the same canteen. closest they've come to kissing (so far)

id forgotten jfj calls francis "brother" first, as he starts to recount his family story. also how crozier counters him saying he's a fake by saying that biographers could tally up his acts of valor.... but it's not about that, it's not about the Official History, it's not about the things the great men write in the memoirs- it's about the truth, and the memoirs written by men like john ross are about performance and conforming to certain expectations, not about Truth. They're about spinning a narrative. James has been spinning a narrative about himself his entire adult life, and as he lies agonizing in the edge of life, in the edge of "civilization", he's tired of lies.

"james fitzjames. like a bad pun" I love you forever.

obviously they're suffering. like. a lot. but if they hadn't reached that distance from "civilization" perhaps jfj would never have confronted himself with the truth of his shame and vanity. we need all these trappings of "respectable" society to be washed away before we can reach a fundamental truth about ourselves. you know. "we have reached the end of vanity" "then you are free"

"irving and farr's bodies were put through something I can't even find English words for" so of course- the evil savages must be blamed. but no, lieutenant hodgson- this was a crime done by English hands.

hickey SPINNING A WHOLE YARN which he used to commit an act of unspeakable cruelty towards the inuit family...... man you should've been an actor. also the clear anger on his face when jopson interrupts him and the way he TRIES TO SPIN THE CAPTAIN'S SUMMONING as something he was already gonna do anyway..... you're so fucking terrible.

"they're going to build a proper perimeter with or without us" poor ned being caught between a rock and a hard place. "they ARE us edward" no they're not..... they've never been.... you've never acted like they were.... and sergeant tozer needs to keep his men safe....

bridglar :-(((( clinging desperately to the idea that each will be fine....

the scene with the netsilik party is so heartbreaking. nive nielsen is outstanding.

des voeux you are such an insane despicable little shithead. also easily my favorite terror tertiary character. transparent fucking liar.

sol's smile bc its just such a blatant lie and then "damn it all". yes sol you just did.

hodgson being like "well maybe I fucked it up. maybe I just helped to kill a bunch of innocent people" i mean yes hodge you did. also "all we have are our instincts and training" is imo a line that tells us a lot about ned. and then he relays the story about like his relative and the supposed attack by the "savage" comanche as a way to reassure himself.

and poor ned. they're already armed, they're not gonna fucking relinquish their weapons. all he can do is kinda sign off on it to preserve some sense of order- a SENSE of order, but no, not actual order- that was long gone.

when collins is high walking through the camp he reaches out to hug another guy.... I feel like he's so desperate for a chance to connect with another human being, to feel fully human again :-(

goodsir and silna.... goodsir desperately clinging the idea that this isn't who they are, this isn't what they are.....

billy is already looking half fucking dead here. "you'll have the entire rest of your long lives...." but I mean. do we think at this point billy was already aware that he wasn't long for this world? like. his symptoms were only really REALLY bad later but he was clearly already sick. and they hadn't planned on taking goodsir afaik. or were they already sure they'd kidnap him?

godddd hodge and little during irving's autopsy. and I must once again advance my idea that there's a parallel between "worst kind of sorry" and "worst kind of second"

"put one of the mates in charge of the armory" and jfj instantly going "des voeux" like. there was some trust there!!!! and oh boy it was entirely unearned. I mean. maybe not entirely but at that point charles was NOT IT.

HICKEY JUST LYING THERE WITH HIS HAND ALMOST REACHING INTO HIS PRICK AND HIS ARM CUSHIONING HIS HEAD LIKE HES SOME KIND OF PLAYBOY COVER GIRL. BEATIFIC SMILE AND FUCKY EYES. SORRY HE JUST SERVES TOO MUCH CUNT.

"He would have burned through you like fuel, lied to you and used you to your last muscle" and well. turns out crozier was right.

the expression on sol's face when they realize actually hickey killed irving. very interesting. but it's kind of a sunken cost fallacy right??? he's already invested too much on this damn mutiny to back off now. and besides- if he stays there, he'll be executed. so yeah this guy you trusted just killed two other guys in cold blood but you can't back out now so.

E.C'S SHITTY LITTLE IRISH ACCENT OH MY GOD. HE SAID I NEED TO SERVE CUNT IN MY EXECUTION AND HE DID.

"edward, that's your name, isn't it? edward" aaaaaaa this is so cool and so important. ranks don't matter anything now. not a goddamn thing. also tommy saving his love ❤️

the look of terror on sol's face as he watches collins' soul be consumed by tuunbaq. DAVID WALMSLEY THE ACTOR THAT YOU ARE

[gigi-sinclair]

5000th Post Ficstravaganza Part 2/5

Part 1 is here 

For @mimibelle76, who requested something about Edward in his spectacles before he meets with Le Vesconte to hear about Carnivale. 

“The World Stood Still, But Then He Just Smiled”, Joplittle, rated T (title from ABBA’s “When I Kissed The Teacher.”)

“You look very scholarly like that. It's quite handsome.”

Edward glances over his shoulder, peering at Thomas through his spectacles. “You would be the first to think it.”

“Good.” The ship is quiet this afternoon, even by its current standards. The captain, God bless him, is asleep at last, snoring fitfully against his pillow. “I want to be the first, and the only.” Thomas steps forward. He himself is exhausted. He can feel it in his aching bones, his pounding head, but he is not going to squander a few moments alone with Edward. Drawing nearer, he stands behind the acting captain, resting his hands on Edward's shoulders.

“I didn't go to school much,” Thomas says. It is a longstanding regret of his, but there wasn't time. He learned to read and write, barely, before he was forced to leave, first to take care of his mother, and then to go to sea. “But I always fancied kissing a schoolmaster.”

Edward turns in his chair, until his back is to the desk and the logbook atop it. Thomas knows what he's been writing. Lies, or as close to them as the unfailingly honest Edward can stand to get. Captain Crozier remains mysteriously ill. Doctor assures us it is not scurvy.

“Le Vesconte will be here soon,” Edward warns.

“That's fine.” As much as he would love to, Thomas isn't planning on submitting to a buggering right here in the wardroom. He does bend down until his lips are within reach of Edward's. He raises his hands to stroke Edward's increasingly bushy whiskers, the way he likes, and kisses him.

The rims of Edward's spectacles press into Thomas' cheeks. It's uncomfortable, and he is most certainly smearing Edward's lenses, but Thomas doesn't pull back. Instead, he savours the sensation.

Thomas is a man of imagination. He has always seen possibilities where other men may not; it is how he was able to reach this point in his affair with Edward. He hasn't indulged in pure fantasy much lately, it's too depressing, but now, he allows himself to concoct an elaborate scenario in his mind.

He is a student at Oxford. Thomas has only a vague idea of what that would entail, but he imagines the place having the same sort of camaraderie as a ship, where instead of scrubbing and sewing and serving, Thomas' days would be filled with learning. He would study all those fascinating topics he has heard of but knows nothing about: literature, history, science, mathematics.

In reality, Thomas has no great aptitude for any academic subject. The captain, as patient and kind as he is, occasionally tries to teach Thomas about navigation or magnetic readings, as if he thinks Thomas might be an officer one day, but Thomas is hopeless at it. In his fantasy, he suffers no such limitations. There, he is so incredibly brilliant, he attracts the attention of a handsome don, with dark whiskers and dark eyes and a smile so rare and so beautiful, it feels like a glimpse of Heaven whenever he bestows it upon Thomas.

Thomas doesn't know what Edward's specialty would be. He is so extraordinarily clever at everything. He loves music, so perhaps that. Or maybe astronomy. Now that the ship is mostly empty, Thomas goes on deck some nights when Edward is on duty and the captain is asleep, to gaze at the stars with him. Edward knows all of the constellations, all of the stories. On occasion, Edward daringly takes Thomas' gloved hand as he tells them, pressing it to his breast and, once, to his lips. Despite the frigid cold, Thomas thinks he's never been happier than during those stolen moments.

Astronomy it is, then. They could pore over texts, Edward in his spectacles and Thomas perched on his knee until he couldn't take it anymore and was forced—absolutely forced—to kiss Edward over and over again.

“Tommy.” Edward pulls away from the actual kiss.  As expected, Thomas can see his lenses are dirty. Thomas plucks them off Edward's nose and rubs them on the hem of his waistcoat.

When he returns the spectacles to Edward's face, Edward reaches out to touch Thomas' cheek, which he knows must be flaming red. “I do love you, darling.” The uncommon declaration sends a renewed wave of warmth through Thomas. “But Le Vesconte...”

“I know.” Thomas steps back. “I know. And I have work, as well.”

Edward frowns. “You should take your rest whilst you can.”

“I've no time for that.” Sadly. The captain's washing awaits, and the man himself will likely be awake sooner rather than later, in need of a cold compress and a friendly face. “You must be sure to tell me what news Lieutenant Le Vesconte brings from Captain Fitzjames.”

“Of course.”

Just as Thomas is more privy to Captain Crozier's inner thoughts and feelings than a typical steward would be, Edward leans on him, as well, for advice and support. Thomas is happy to offer it.

Edward clears his throat, as if he is about to say more. When nothing comes, Thomas gives him a smile and turns to go. He's nearly at the door when he hears Edward say, “Perhaps later, after Le Vesconte has gone, you and I might meet again, if you are free. We could read together. Or, or...” He flushes most fetchingly, his cheeks rosy pink beneath the rims of his spectacles. “Do some sums.”

Thomas cannot contain his grin. “I would like nothing more,” he confesses. Then, adds, far more saucily than he would have ever addressed a real schoolmaster, “Mr. Little, sir,” and winks.  

“Excellent. I, ah, I look forward to it, Jopson.” Edward smiles in return, a shy little thing that fills Thomas with so much love, he's not sure how one person can be expected to contain it all. “And don't be late,” Edward adds, looking at Thomas over the rims of his spectacles.

The unexpectedly stern tone does something surprising to Thomas' insides. Before he does anything stupid, he hurries away, leaving Edward to his duty and hoping, with greater fervour than ever, that Le Vesconte visits briefly and returns to Erebus with incredible haste.

[cinemaocd]

Victorian undergarments: a guide for Terror fans

AKA the truth about men’s corsets, leather gear, garters, over the knee stockings, drop front versus front fly trousers and More Terror Shit Shirt Posting

My hot mess of a shirt post continues to get notes. I continue to get lovely asks and pms, so I’m going to bring you more shirt information as well as more info about other articles of historic clothing worn in the Terror. My hope is that this will be useful for fic writers and artists as well as giving fans a deep dive into one of my favorite obsessions: historical dress.

The style of shirt that Francis wears was an all purpose undergarment. It was almost always white, or unbleached linen (though cotton was used for shirts at that point in the 19th century). It was cut with a very full sleeve (up to twenty inches) to allow ease of movement and long tails which were tucked under the groin to form a protective layer between the body and trousers. The shirt was not a button down as we know it, but had a pullover V-neck with two buttons at the throat as on this extant example:

One of the things that interesting about this shirt was how little it changed over the years. This cut of shirt had a 150+ year reign. It was a practical design that provided a washable layer next to the body. The generous sleeve allowed for a variety of clothing to be worn with it. It had the downside of requiring a lot of fabric (more than 3 yards of linen for each shirt) and as such patterns could be a complex patchwork of sewn together squares that helped avoid waste.

By the 1840s men’s shirts were changing. The front was often decorated with pintucking, the fabric was lighter weight cotton, rather than linen, but the full sleeves and long tails were still in evidence.

Those would gradually be lost over the next decades as the popularity of knitted drawers, union suits and other types of underwear came into being and as sewing machines made mass production of shirts possible.

But obviously our Francis cares nothing for these modern shirts and wears his old favorite that he has owned forever, possibly made by a family member, as was common in the period especially for officers in the military. Mind you, it doesn’t really matter most of the time that his shirt is very old as it was never meant to be seen. One of the worst costume fantasies that has been perpetrated in so many period films is the gentleman walking around in his shirt. At least Andrew Davies Mr. Darcy had the good sense to be embarrassed to be caught in his shirt. Joe Wright’s Darcy actually goes a courtin half dressed...but I digress. We only see Crozier in his shirt sleeves after they’ve left the ship, have been hauling for a few days and during the mutiny. I like to think that Crozier realizes that wearing his old shirt will help the men identify with him more. 

If you were an officer in the military you would be provided with a steward or valet to assist in your dressing. This man would also help to keep your uniform clean and and in good repair. (Honestly one of the best relationships in all of fiction is the one between Captain Jack Aubrey and his steward, Killick, who lives in a state of constant paranoia about Aubrey’s uniforms.) An officer would have several shirts so that they could have a clean one at all times and they would probably keep a best one for dress. (Maybe Francis has a cotton shirt with pintucking, folded away in a trunk somewhere, guarded feverishly by Jopson) The sailors who had no access to regular laundry would have a few as well, though they might be made of cheaper, rougher cloth, with ticking or striped patterns on them, like the one Hickey wears during his trail.

Again, Francis appearing hauling alongside the men in his shirt is his way of signaling to them that he is one of them. Mr. Goodsir, also appears in his shirtsleeves after the mutiny, a sign that his civilized veneer is scraped away along with his outer uniform.

Drops and drawers

Well into the 19th century both men and women had no such thing as drawers, pants, underpants, knickers etc. as a rule. For men, the long shirt tails were tucked under the groin, front and back and created a little, er..nest for their equipage. For women, the shift, just a long shirt really, provided a layer of protection between menstrual blood and valuable gowns and stays, as well as protecting less washable layers from sweat and grime.

But for the men of the Terror, there was layer of knitted wool underwear, that may have been either two pieces or one suit, with buttons running the length of the body. There are very few examples of these garments, but we do know they existed thanks to the Maritime Museum saving Lord Nelson’s stuff.:

Interesting that this shirt has the long tails for tucking. But by the time of Franklin expedition, knitted long drawers would have been available as well. The full long underwear suit wasn’t patented until the 1860s in America (where it’s use by soldiers in the Civil War earned it the moniker “union suit.”) However that doesn’t mean some kind of full suit of long underwear wasn’t available in England at the time of the expedition. My guess is that Francis has a separate shirt, the top of which is visible during the crisis over Mr. Morfin, and woolen or cotton “drawers” which he mentions to Jopson on the morning after Morfin’s death like these from 1840s made by John Smedley:

Hickey is shown in his underwear after Irving’s murder and then after the mutiny he adopts it as a sort of uniform (complete with stolen boots and great coat) of the new regime. It’s such a wonderful little detail that this BASE creature is wearing only a BASE layer.

Garters, Stockings, Corsets and other Kinkwear from Military history

Men’s and women’s stocking differed very little in the 19th century. Over the knee stockings of embroidered silk would have been kept for dress, but every day socks of cotton and wool with embroidery near the top or “clocking” (because the pattern was often of a clock) were worn by all.

Lord Nelson’s stockings had a crown insignia instead of a clock, which I just think is neat. (His undershirt has the same insignia at the neck...whether it was Emma Hamilton or Lady Nelson doing this embroidery, we’ll leave to Terrence Rattigan to decide...)

Officers would have had dress socks that were held up by sock garters (elastic garters for men and women were patented in the 1820s.) Given that their shirt tails were cut to mid thigh and their socks were over the knee, it’s fairly plausible that they used a double ended garter which clipped at one end to the shirt tail and the other to the top of the stocking. If all of this is sounding like some of the racier James Fitzjames fanart that is not my fault. Blame history!

Speaking of which, did you know that men sometimes wore corsets to make their uniforms fit better?  This 1830s Royal Marines uniform at the Maritime Museum is specified to have required a corset for proper fit. Sadly the corset didn’t survive! (If anyone wants to draw Tozier, Pilkington or Hedges in a corset, I would very much like to see that.)

As if all of that weren’t kinky enough, there is this leather and rope jock strap, which was attached to a corset, also from the very naughty nautical museum in slutty, slutty Greenwich. The less said about the white crust on the jock strap the better.

Waistcoat Discourse

Well this will probably be a bit pedestrian after that section, but I think it’s worth talking about waistcoats as well. In the flashback scenes Francis wears a fancy silk waistcoat that has the same cut as the other wool one he wears.

Again this is Francis’ practical nature. Navy uniform patterns were sent out in 1843 with changes to the uniform, including a different waistcoat, so he’s having his man make the waistcoat off the same pattern, saving him money. An interesting footnote was that the Lieutenants uniform in 1843 had a bunch of additional gold braiding and there were many complaints to the admiralty about the cost of these additions. There was also a thriving second hand market in used uniform jackets.

Fitzjames has a white waistcoat cut from the same pattern.

Which is based off of the portrait of real life Fitzjames.

Wool flannel would have been the fabric of choice for arctic explorers. It’s a nice little detail, that The Real Mr. Hickey had a plaid flannel waistcoat in the flashback scene:

That striped shirt looks familiar! I wonder if the imposter Hickey took his clothes after he dabbed him?!

And finally: STOCKS

In the 18th and 19th centuries men went so far as to cover the collar of the shirt with a stock (think of it as a cumberbund for the neck) so that their collar wasn’t peaking out from their tie. It also helped to make for the appearance of a long, graceful neck. I mean scroll back up and check out the giraffe neck on historical JFJ. Stocks have generally fallen into the vast pit of forgotten fashion and it’s the rare historical costume nerd that even knows what they are, yet for almost 200 years they were considered essential kit for men. Officers in the military HAD to wear a stock as part of their uniform, and it was often uncomfortable (the base of the stock was made of leather, horsehair or WOOD) and covered with fabric. It buckled in the back, requiring a servant to help put it on. Here is a 1845 silk and leather stock from the Maritime Museum:

Though it isn’t exactly undergear, trouser fronts were in flux during this period. Here is the 1843 uniform with the fall front trouser opening. But in the world outside the navy, fly front trousers are starting to pop up around 1840ish.You are welcome to my JFJ has newfangled fly front trousers head canon...

[thaliatimsh]

if its alright! wrt the 'directors commentary' asks, honestly anything /Anything/ for 'imperfect life', oof :0

ONE DVD COMMENTARY TRACK COMING UP BECAUSE HELL YES you may ask me about this one. GOD I HOPE THIS READ MORE WORKS OR I’M GONNA DIE OF SHAME. For those of you who’ve missed my pleas: imperfect life is on AO3 here. read it or i cry.

Okay I reblogged that post with not much of an idea about what I’d actually have to say but imperfect life is at least at the forefront of my mind lol

First things first I’d had an idea for a fic about Hodgson At Mutineer Camp that i wanted to write floating around my head for a while that was. I suppose centred on the sheer Betrayal of GIBSON YOU CHANGED MY SHEETS FOR THREE YEARS? WHAT THE FUCK? And as I did more research abt both of them and found that they’d been on ships together & that it was likely that either Hodgson or Peglar got Gibson his job? Fuckin wrote itself, especially seeing as in show-canon Bridgens is the Peglar Papers Steward.

Anyway I’ve said this before to everyone who’ll listen but I will say it again: I think Hodgson is misinterpreted & underappreciated by a lot of the fandom &  it makes me SAD and also ANGRY.

Like: I once saw someone say that he was “mad about Jopson’s promotion, so fuck that guy”? NO. He MISSED Jopson’s promotion! He would have gotten a KICK out of Jopson’s promotion! You BASTARDS! Hickey picks on him SPECIFICALLY because he’s out of the loop! I’ll kill you!

Ham jokes? I’m coming to your HOUSE. man’s as ‘obsessed with ham’ as any self-respecting naval officer starving to death in the arctic

Then there’s the “Who is this?” being taken as some kind of a-okay for cannibalism instead of a guy who saw someone shot dead just last night and then spent the morning burying said dead'un being literally scared out of his mind by a greasy lil rat with a knife and Tozer blocking the tent flap with a fuckign RIFLE. DAMN YOU ALL.

Do I think he’s a complete FOOL? YES. Do I think he ever had any kind of malicious intent? NO. Okay anyway I’m gonna talk a bit more abt that later so let me go back to the next part lmao

So Part 2 of the George Henry Hodgson Saga was then to figure out why he had to go stay with his aunts - this ALSO came pretty straight to me, for whatever reason. I think it might have started off as just his parents pleasure jaunt, but as I was thinking about later scenes with Jimmy Fitzjas I came up with a thing abt - Im not gonna find the reference now but in the battersby book there’s a bit abt William Coningham going to take the waters at bath or whatever for Weak Lungs which OBVIOUSLY made me think of my favourite comsumptive Of All Time Fryderyk Franciszek Chopin & the countryside retreats he & his sister Emilia took for their symptoms as teenagers (and unforch Emilia died of tuberculosis aged just 14… rip)

ANYWAY I had some VAGUE idea that George n Fitz could have some kind of Passing Discussion abt Brothers With Shite Lungs that obviously never came to fruition but. Lol whatever, it gave me a reason for why My Parents Sent Me To Stay With Two Aunts.

UH. Right, so then like the third leg for this to stand on was that Fitzjames and Hodgson had ALSO served together & Fitzjames had: 1. recommended Hodgson to the expedition 2: mentioned him TWICE in his Voyage of the Cornwallis 3. Mentioned him in his letters to the Coninghams from disko bay (one of the only Terrors mentioned - there’s a passage abt Fitzjames going to look at the icebergs with Fairholme and Hodgson. ANYWAY; show-canon Hodgson has a sense of humour and I really think he tried to make the men see him as approachable, at least compared to the other Terror officers and that reminds me a lot of how the historical Fitzjames seemed from mystery man! Seeing as they KNew each other I think it’s not unfair to suggest that he’s trying to emulate an older and more successful officer! He wants to succeed! He wants to have fun and to be loved by The Men!

My friend said something very Prescient abt this to me recently which was that THere are a lot of similarities between Hodgson & Fitzjames and it’s kinda like. Fitzjames is the Ideal, and Hodgson just misses the mark. He’s the average man’s James Fitzjames and because he doesn’t know about Fitzjames’ surplus of political luck that only makes him feel more of a failure. Fitzjames gets a bullet that gets him compared to Lord Nelson, Hodgson gets in the gazette as ‘slightly wounded’. Even their monologues! Fitzjames gives a soul-baring confessional he’s never talked about before to someone he respects and he gets! Affirmation! Gets told that he’s a good man and brave and loved! Hodgson gives a soul-baring confessional he’s never talked about before to someone he respects and gets! FUCK ALL! A MAN SITS IN SILENCE! He has to fucking! Walk out alone after all of that! FUCK!!!

Okay so this whole fic just sat in my brain for probably like six months until I literally sat up in bed because I worked out the last piece of the puzzle

(Drac has an epiphany, July 4th 2019, colourised)

Which was, of course, 'Hodgson went to boarding school’ - which is what all of this ends up hanging off of! Boarding school culture! The younger years are servants for the upper years, who in turn are responsible for the younger students!  including discipline etc so like… if a younger year brought something up to their “fag-master” it’d be sorted by them and maybe prefects, without getting schoolmasters etc involved.

WHICH is why George doesn’t tell the captains about what happens to Neptune, because he’s out here trying to be a good fag master and get it sorted himself! His own fag master fucked him over by getting the schoolmasters involved when they oughtn’t have been! He’s not about to be Archibald Harrington-Thurlowe! He’s not okaying the mutiny! He’s trying to minimise the damage *on his own* like a fuckin idiot!

IF YOU CALL HODGSON A MUTINEER I’LL COME TO YOUR HOUSE N MAKE YOU GET LOST AND ABANDONED AND END UP EATING YOUR BOOT BEFORE GETTING 'RESCUED’ BY THE SAME GREASY RAT WHO LITERALLY MURDERED YOUR PAL AND TRICKED YOU INTO SLAUGHTERING CIVILIANS! I’LL. I’M NOT HAPPY.

I’m just basically so upset about 'one perfect moment in a whole imperfect life’ being a childhood memory that he was taught to see as so shameful to compare it to cannibalism under duress? FUCK.

A whole imperfect life in GENERAL has me fucked up! He just kept trying and kept just missing what he was aiming for! I mean. That’s relateable. Not one part of a life turning out as you expected or planned? ME!!!! Your achievements add up to nothing and no matter how hard you try you end up a footnote! FUCK offfff

I had some difficulty with the religious angle for a while because. hm. okay. To start with the religious angle IN-CANON is just.... not correct. Catholics don't let you drink the blood. The church of england DOES... and that's what most of these men ARE. The Papist Speech as a whole was cobbled together from one of Crozier's ~Visions~ in the book - and it's important in that case that Crozier is IRISH... Poor analogy, writers! Putting aside that he was also... SEVEN... maybe he was an unusually tall seven-year old, people assumed he'd had first communion/been baptised & no one wanted to cause a fuss... I mean the guy has lead poisoning so it's fair to mis-remember but... YEAH. Messy, which is a shame because it's a powerful monologue very well-delivered, shame it's complete fucking nonsense 😂 (not to be like... SMH Americans but... smh Americans...)

Anyway, as I wrote it? that’s me. I wasn’t raised religious - my dad’s an old-school small-town Continental Catholic, my mum’s agnostic but raised CofE (but *her* dad was raised Jewish (also continental) during WW2), I think they couldn’t be fucked with the drama, I never went to church or anything and as a kid when we had prayers at school assembly I didn’t know what I was doing!!!! I felt bad because I couldn’t fathom God as a concept!!! I still can’t! But as a kid it’s like. I don’t understand and on account of that I’m afraid I’m going to Hell. tfw you write what you know.

ALSO there were definitely a couple of times where I wrote G H Hodgson as played by B W Wooster and I will not be taking constructive criticism on that.

ANYWAY My brain has kindof turned itself off now but I guess this is just. My own personal backstory to this jhsgfjhs. I actually probably have about 400x more to say but it’s fully evaporated. thank you SO MUCH for asking me though. i die.

[henrylevesconte]

fitzconte!

You my friend have truly blessed me with this ask (and also I love your fic post today)

When I started shipping them: It wasn’t until I really got into the history behind the terror, doing my own reading and research that I fell in love with the pairing. Just two rowdy boys who had so many adventures together and developed a bond over years of hardships and shenanigans 

My thoughts: Love them. Love the dynamic of them both together. Really wished the show illustrated them together more but lol what can you do (that’s what fanfiction is for)

What makes me happy about them: I just love them. The idea they both can be the one who gets into trouble/hurts themselves and the other be the one who’s mad and protective about it. I’m truly just a sucker for a pair of best friends who become lovers

What makes me sad about them: the inherent tragedy of dying together in the arctic and Dundy following James to the ends of the earth

Things done in fanfic that annoys me: For specifically fitzconte, there’s not a ton of fanfics out there (I get it, fitzier is popular). So I take everything I can get and truly love and cherish anyone who writes them. I’m not picky

Things I look for in fanfic: tenderness, friendship, just a capturing on their dynamic

My wishlist: More? 

Who I’d be comfortable them ending up with, if not each other: For James I tend to ship him with Crozier otherwise, and for Henry I like him with Des Voeux (even if he is a bastard, they have a dynamic don’t @ me), Jopson, and now Hodgson some

My happily ever after for them: I waiver back and forth on this. Part of me believes they would be happy to run off and adventure together for the rest of their lives and the other half of me thinks that James and Henry would want to settle down, perhaps in Canada along with Henry’s family. Just have a homestead, plot of land, maybe just do what they love until they grow old and die besides one another

Send me a pair, a character, or a fandom and I’ll answer these questions