#the polar boys

[now-notyet]

1, 10, 20, 30, 40, 50, 60, 70, 80, 90, and 100 :D

Wherever I Go - Jacob Collier ft. Lawrence & Michael McDonald - #1

I was very much anticipating the release of Djesse volume 3, and while I am one hundred percent sure this isn't my actual top song and Spotify messed with my stats this year, it's a solid listen. Experimental as all Jacob songs tend to be, it's a zany banger about remaining connected whenever you're apart, and the pain of missing someone is really well illustrated by three band kids screaming in three part harmony. Since this is my half alive blog, I'll link it to this; if you liked Brighton off of LP 2. Conditions of a Punk, you might like this.

Did I Make You Up? - Acoustic - half alive - #10

I love, love, love whenever we get an acoustic drop, and this one just happened to be on Spotify, so I got lucky and happened to listen to it at least 6 times a day. To be entirely honest, I was a little worried about it being a guitar acoustic set with this song as my favourite part of original DIMYU? was the little piano melody that runs through the chorus, but it translated super well into an addictive little guitar melody instead.

Call Back - half alive - #20

Just a fun, easy going, maybe slightly sad song that we don't need to talk about ramifications of. Everyone knows I love Josh Taylor, and they gave me 3 of him, in one song. At the same time. Certified cruising down the motorway banger - end of story.

Steppin' To The Bad Side - Deluxe Package Edition - Cast of Dreamgirls - #30

Past my secret little musical theatre sideblog, and the stuff I get up to when I'm not writing secret little theories about my favourite band on Tumblr dot com, I don't really talk about how much I love Dreamgirls and musical theatre as a whole. This is my favourite song from it, and though Jimmy Early isn't my dream broadway role (Effie is), this song is a genuine banger, especially the latter portion where they let Eddie Murphy take the role away. Far and away, his performance in this film is his best performance on screen, and it needs to be spoken about more. It is such a shame he didn't win any awards for this role, because he deserved them. Once again, this is my half alive blog, so if you like Automatic, of off LP. 3 Persona, you might like this.

Vanilla Curls - Teddy Hyde - #40

It is always such a treat when I am allowed to listen to a Teddy Hyde song; they are always so thick with imagery and he is a master on keys. Though I will gladly sit and talk about the man behind the song - and am thoroughly awaiting the newest album which appears to be releasing this Friday, I need to give this song its flowers. Vanilla Curls touches on the feeling of falling and being tangled in love with someone, but not a true, genuine love, more the puppy love of sitting barefoot on the grass and looking at the stars. It is a beautifully romantic ballad, with just a hint of something terribly, terribly wrong, and Teddy Hyde does an amazing job on the classical instrumentalisation of it. Everything is layered for a beautiful Sunday morning listening experience. If you liked Songs off of LP 3. Persona, you might like this one.

RUNAWAY - half alive - #50

Without going into too much detail, 2024 was a whirlwind and kept to the tempo of this song far too often. In those moments it was very useful to be reminded that I didn't need to rush into what I was trying to do, and that taking things at the pace they were being given to me was okay. Things didn't go to plan, but Now, Not Yet, did a fabulous job of keeping me right where I needed to be, and 5 years past its release is still as timely and relevant as the day it dropped.

When I Get There - Peter Cottontale w/ Jamila Woods, Grace Weber, Jack Red, Jamilah Woods, Jon Batiste, Maurice Brown, PJ Morton, Jeremih - #60

I am not a Christian, but I am black, and Gospel music is so firmly entrenched in our culture, so it's no surprise this ended up on my wrapped. It is meant as a celebration of life after death; the 'There' referenced is Heaven - and this is lovely imagery that I won't deny. Since I do not personally believe, it's not the imagery I ascribe to the song, and I just love the feeling of people singing and celebrating something together. And the fact it features so many incredible black artists I listen to independently isn't a bad thing either. I truly don't believe there's any equivalency for this one, but give it go! It's delightful.

Stronger Than You - Estelle - #70

Am I outing myself as a Steven Universe fan? Yes. Am I ashamed? Only a little a bit. Does this song still bang 4 years after the end of the show? Abso-fucking-lutely. It is a song about love, but the power of mutual love. The metaphor itself is more ham-fisted than the regular subtleties of half alive but it is a powerful reminder of both love for another person making you strong and lifting you up, as well as self love - 'I am Made of Love' is something I tend to forget, so the lyrical reminder that my love is stronger than hate really tends to resonate with me. There is no equivalency with a half alive song, but ok ok tend to project the same image or feeling.

Nothing Has Changed - The Polar Boys - #80

This song entered my rotation in October and hasn't left since. It's a delightful run of surf rock mixed with a disgustingly poignant depiction of nostalgia and missing someone. It's a song you can break down over and break dance to, and the bass is loud enough to be incredibly addictive without overpowering the mix. It's almost anthemic, especially with the building outro, and anyone who knows my musical tastes knows I love it when multiple people are singing at the same time. If you liked Lie, Lie off of LP 3. Persona, you'll love this.

So Damn Fast - Lawrence - #90

Lawrence got a LOT of hate this year, which sucked, because I was on TikTok for all of it. That being said, it doesn't take away from the listening experience of their first EP, Homesick. This, being my favourite song off of it, is a refreshing take on NYC Soulpop without being too poppy. I am outing myself as Lawrence fan (though the newest LP isn't my favourite). This song just gives great Randy Newman vibes, and is a good sing-along song to me. It's hard to describe, but it's just good.

Pocket - Louie Zong, Brian David Gilbert, Jeff Liu - #100

Finally, a little bluesy jazz moment from my two favourite internet microcelebs and an incredible instrumentalist. It's a great song to just lose yourself in and sing like you're in a hazy blues bar, and past the deeply metaphorical lyrics, the instrumental break in the middle is just a fun time.

I hope this is adequate enough description without being verbose! My only wish would be that there was more Persona on my wrapped but unfortunately that is the curse of dropping an album at the end of the year... :(

[beautiful-noises]

kids get summer spins

[listen here]

i. ain't it funny ft. kate bollinger good dog nigel/ ii. million little problems the walters/ iii. neat little box of chaos michael schneeweis/ iv. tossing and turning arlie/ v. see me on the outside! mmmonika/ vi. let go the polar boys/ vii. look alive yabadum/ viii. photo id remi wolf/ ix. vitamin e rubber & sam bekt/x. high dive shaed & lewis del mar/ xi. talk words bickle/ xii. sun beam morningsiders/ xiii. city kitty french cassettes/ xiv. love u like the sun in june ryan scott/ xv. strange american dream rayland baxter/ xvi. 90s american superstar wallice/ xvii. i don't have control sometimes sunflower bean/ xviii. lemon sun grady strange/ xix. the american dream is alive in mexico mood beach/ xx. nikes on healy/ xxi. harsh augmented reality strawberry mountain/ xxii. sunshine the velvet cab/ xxiii. if i could choose the shivas/ xxiv. blue tick good morning/ xxv. summer's over jordana & tv girl/

[hballegro]

folks whats your favourite christmas song. religious, non-religious, not even christmas and just winter holiday, idgaf. tell me the song. leave it in my comments or in tags. me wanna hear

[butcher--bird]

babygirl

[0vergrowngraveyard]

they’re talking about each other

(tangled tails belongs to @passionartx)

[benevolenterrancy]

pet fish revenge fantasy

[mab1905]

I crave more terror edits so I made one

Ft. Phoebe Bridgers and me being dyslexic and misspelling the word “mall”

[why-animals-do-the-thing]

Twin polar bear cubs Kallik and Kallu from the Toledo Zoo.

[naffeclipse]

How about Chapter 9?

[binary-bird]

that oc template again but with ollie this time! ☀️

[beautiful-noises]

when it swallowed years

pandemic time theft

[listen here]

i. halfway atta boy/ ii. kenny still woozy/ iii. where'd all the time go? dr. dog/ iv. after coffee joywave/ v. nothing has changed the polar boys/ vi. are we having any fun? sir sly/ vii. didn't get the invite dent may/ viii. wait for springtime kishi bashi/ ix. stealing (nightly) lewis del mar/ x. keep it good morning/

[theterrorfebruaryflash]

Happening now: The Terror February Flash 2025!

The Terror February Flash is an annual fest celebrating our cold boys via fic, art, vids, and other forms of fannish expression.

Why February? Because Something Something Valentine's Day. Why Flash? Because this is a low-pressure, almost-anything-goes prompt meme with a short creation period.

This is mostly a P!atC Server Event, where we will rejoice and squee about each work coming in during February, but anyone with an AO3 account can participate. We'll also post a masterlist to Tumblr at the end of the event.

Schedule for 2025:

Sign-ups and prompt posts: Jan 28 - Feb 6 Prompt claims and creation period: Feb 6 - Feb 28 Works can be posted to the collection any time during the creation period.

Prompts and fills can be posted anonymously if desired.

FAQ

Is this a fic exchange?

No. February Flash is a prompt meme, that means participants will not get matched one-on-one and assigned to a gift recipient as is the case in exchanges. So no one is guaranteed a "gift", but there's also much less pressure on participants. Members sign up and post prompts until the defined deadline (see the schedule). Prompts can be claimed by anyone who has an account on the AO3, and the resulting fanworks need to be posted to the collection any time during the creation phase according to schedule. If you need more detailed information on how a prompt meme works (e.g. how to edit your prompts, where to find your claimed prompts etc), please see this section in the AO3 FAQ.

Do I need to be signed up to claim & fill a prompt? What if I missed the sign-up phase?

Admittedly, the term "sign-up" is a tiny bit misleading. The "sign-up" form is for submitting your prompts; if you would like to claim & fill prompts without submitting a prompt yourself, then you do not need to go through the "sign-up" form. Just browse the list of prompts other fans submitted and use the "claim" button to pick whatever tickles your muse. When you claim a prompt it shows up under "My claims" on the collection profile and under "Claims" on your own dashboard. Use the "fulfil" button to post your work, please.

Is this an anonymous event? Will there be author reveals at any point?

Prompt submission happens anonymously by default; you can override this if you want. By default all works submitted to the collection will be anonymous. There won't be a big creator reveal at the end of the fest, but creators can choose individually whether they want a specific work to stay anonymous or not by letting the mod know.

Can I crosspost my fic/art/vid/etc. to Tumblr/Bluesky/Twitter?

Certainly, if you don't mind deanoning yourself! You can crosspost anywhere you want to (use the tag #theterrorfebruaryflash or ping @theterrorfebruaryflash on Tumblr), but in order for the work to be part of the collection, you need to also post it on the AO3 via the claim/fill button. Don't just link to your art, please, but embed it in the work page.

Rules

1. February Flash is an event for adults as some prompts or fanworks might be mature or explicit. By taking part you confirm that you are 18 or older.

2. The focus of your work must be on the show The Terror, season 1. AUs, RPF, and crossovers with other fandoms are allowed.

3. All ratings are welcome in this fest. Don't shy away from explicit stuff; prompt memes have a history of PWP works. However, when you fill a prompt please stick to the preferred rating of the prompter (if stated in the prompt).

4. All genres welcome, including darker subjects if the prompter asks for them (as long as DNWs are respected). Use the AO3 warnings if applicable.

5. All categories (slash, gen, femslash, multi, QPR etc.) and pairings welcome!

6. Prompts can be filled by more than one person. You can even fill the same prompt multiple times – the "fulfil" button will show up on the prompt you claimed even if you have already used it for posting a work before.

7. Participants can fill as many prompts as they want to. You can even fill your own prompt.

8. Please list your DNWs (Do-Not-Wants) in the prompt if you want to avoid certain types of content, e.g. rape or permanent character death or specific tropes. When you submit several prompts, please state your DNWs for each. We kindly ask you to not abuse the DNW system: keep it short and simple, and don't box in your creator. You cannot DNW a type of fanwork (e.g. art, podfic etc.) unless there is an honest reason for this (e.g. if vids make you dizzy or you cannot enjoy visual art due to medical restrictions, then it is of course important to mention this). When you fill a prompt, please respect the DNWs listed in the request.

9. All types of fanworks are welcome in this fest: fic, poetry, filks, art, vids, podfic, 3D-crafts, textile art etc. Embed your image/video/audio on the work page. Made a giant cake in the shape of the tuunbaq? Post the photos. Even if a prompt is phrased for fic, it can still be used as inspiration for all kinds of fanworks. The spirit of this fest is: pretty much anything goes as long as you respect the prompter's maximum rating, the chosen pairing(s) (if any), and the DNWs. A prompt is not a commission – artistic license is very welcome here, and our creators are encouraged to use the details given in the prompts as inspiration, not as a list of requirements.

10. Minimum word count for written fanworks is 100 words, with the exception of poetry (no minimum word count for poems). There is no maximum word count. Minimum for art: a doodle or clean sketch (on unlined paper, if you use traditional media); manips are permitted. No banner or icon art, please, unless it accompanies a work of fiction. Absolutely no AI-generated art or fic or vids allowed!!

11. Fanworks in languages other than English are allowed. As this is not a one-on-one gift exchange, but a prompt fest, fanworks in languages other than English are absolutely permitted and welcome! Each prompt can inspire a wide variety of fanworks, and as long as you respect the DNWs and the maximum rating of the chosen prompt, it’s all fine!

12. Works posted to the collection must be new (created for this fest and unpublished) and complete. No WIPs or placeholder uploads! If you post a work with more than one chapter, it must be completed before the end of March 2025. Podfics of older and published works are allowed, as the podfic itself counts as new work.

13. Last but not least: Be courteous to the other participants, act in good faith and assume good faith. For all questions, please contact the mod (here via Ask, or see the email address on the AO3 collection profile). We are happy to help!

[nopickls]

The heroic age of Antarctic exploration - after The Terror opening credits

[capn-twitchery]

i get my naval portraiture book. i skip straight to the 1815-1915 section. i am immediately met with an entire page about how hot polar exolorers were to women. featuring hits such as:

painting reviewed in "The Lady's Magazine" that said "the brave commander ought to be made a pet lion of by the ladies"

"the importance of women as an audience for Arctic celebrity"

real arctic clothes are unsexy so you get ""gala arctic dress"" (a normal uniform. but with a bearskin on top (a sexy bearskin))

to "combine the respectability of a gentleman with the glamorous, dangerous, and exotic allure of an outsider," of course

seeing his sideburns over his shirt collar counts as "intimate body details"

"In this way, the portrait secured his status as a polar pin-up."

i love it. i feel like i'm reading about photos of hollywood celebrities in gossip magazines

[worstjourney]

Quick heads up – Iron Circus (my wonderful North American publishers) are having a 50% off sale on their whole online shop on Friday 29 November. That means you can get the super sexy hardcover US edition of Worst Journey Vol.1 for a paltry US$10! Or the e-book for $5! What a steal!

Check out the rest of the shop, too – you may be able to knock a few people off your gift list with their varied selection ... and maybe one or to favoured libraries as well ...