#tosdiscord

[sunshine-carlyle]

TGS Tag Game

Tagged by: @silverlynxx

1. When did you first watch TGS?

January 1st 2018! I remember being sort of hesitant, but the second it started I was hooked—I was sitting on the edge of my seat bouncing up and down for the whole of The Other Side and when the music stopped before the final chorus I was devastated because I thought it was over!

2. Who is your favourite character?

That’s actually really hard for me to answer! If I’d been asked a couple of months back, I would have undoubtedly said P.T.—everything he does in the film just makes me smile and makes my heart warm (it sounds cheesy but it’s true!). Now, though, I’m having a tough time choosing between him and Phillip—each time I see TGS, the urge to give Flip a hug gets a little stronger. I’d probably still say P.T., but sometimes Phillip, depending on what mood I’m in.

3. What are your canon and fanon ships?

I’m super in love with the canon ships, both of which I think are brilliant. Aside from that, though, I’m a hardcore Barlyle shipper. I actually only really started shipping them when I showed my friend the film—when they were in the bar, she turned to me and said they look like they want to...—but I’ve been head-over-heels for this pairing ever since! Another ship I like is Charity/Phin/Phil, but as long as Charity is treated well in my Barlyle I’m all over that shit.

4. What’s your favourite TGS song?

Honestly? They’re all incredible! TGS is one of the few musicals where I genuinely love every single song. Having said that, I will always have a MASSIVE soft spot for The Other Side! The guitar part is fantastically reminiscent of percussion, especially at the beginning, the harmonies between P.T. and Phillip are impeccable, and the way they’re so in sync, both with finishing each other’s sentences while singing and just the entire scene? YES YES YES A MILLION TIMES YES. Honestly though I could yell about all the songs for years DM me anytime!!

5. Are you a content creator?

Yup yup! My work is predominantly fic, although I very occasionally doodle pictures as well! My fic uploading is rather sporadic, because my motivation is best represented by tsunamis and calm seas, rather than a constantly-flowing river, but I’m still just gonna link my AO3 here: https://archiveofourown.org/users/jackpip

6. If General Tom Thumb and The Irish Giant got into a fight, who would win and how?

Probably Charles! I’m not sure how exactly, but he seems rather ruthless—I, for one, would be afraid around his pistol.

7. If you joined Barnum’s circus, what would your act be?

Hopefully something musical! I play a lot of instruments, and the opportunity to do something along those lines would be awesome. Failing that, I’m super loose-jointed and can do all sorts of weird things with my thumbs and wrists in particular that would definitely get a reaction from an audience!

8. Favourite fanfiction trope or AU?

I’m a sucker for modern AUs! Literally anything in a modern setting, and I’m sold—bonus points if it’s more subtle anachronisms that give the time period away than a direct statement. Also, I’m not sure if it’s a trope as such, but I adore hurt/comfort where one plays with the other’s hair to soothe them! We need more Phil comforting Phin in the world.

9. Do you have a non-TGS song that you associate with the film or a TGS character?

HOLY. SHIT. I have so many, especially for Barlyle! I literally made a playlist. Some highlights include:

Broadripple Is Burning (Margot & The Nuclear So and So’s): “And, darling, I’m lost, and everything that I have loved has turned to stone, so pack your bags and come back home.”

I Was Drunk (Margot & The Nuclear So and So’s): “And I sing to you, whisper the secrets you already knew, and I’m begging ‘Please reconsider and come back home to me’ ‘cause we’ll all be dead quite soon.”

3 Rounds and a Sound (Blind Pilot): “I was swimming; my eyes were dark ‘til you woke me and told me that opening is just the start. It was.”

And this one just makes me think of Phillip (even just from the title alone) and Phin comforting him so much:

Don’t Let Them See You Cry (Manchester Orchestra): “So breathe, while you’re alive. Let the big band play as you tap leather with your fingers. And I tried to write in style, but the words just come and I write them soon as I see them.”

I could talk about music and Barlyle songs forever, though! That’s literally two of my favourite things combined

10. What mythological creature would you add to the circus?

I’m not entirely sure! Probably a pegasus—I can imagine some impressive routines involving one of those and the elephants.

11. What’s one of your favourite TGS headcanons?

There are so many! One of my favourites is that Phillip is so particular with his hair because it was one of the few things he could still exercise control over when he was still living with his parents. As a result, whenever anyone messes it up, he feels off-kilter and rather panicky until he can fix it again—after years and years, it had become a coping mechanism of sorts. Having said that, Phineas thinks he looks positively adorable with ruffled bed hair, and Phillip is slowly growing more comfortable with not doing his hair until just before he leaves the house, as opposed to waking up early to do so before Phineas joins him.

Other headcanons I love include Phineas having ADHD, Bisexual!Phil having a lot of trouble coming to terms with his sexuality and occasionally wobbling I absolutely have to write about that one day (I’m absolutely not projecting whatsoever shsksj), and platonic soulmates Phin and Charity/Anne and Phil!

12. If you could ask any TGS character a question, who and what would it be?

That’s super tricky! I’d probably ask P.T. where he got the lamp he gave Caroline from, or how he made it, because I absolutely adore it! Failing that, I’d straight-up ask Phillip for a hug because 9 times out of 10 that would 100% cheer me up shsksj

BONUS: Link/share one of your favourite TGS fanfictions or pieces of fanart!

There are so many incredible artists and writers in this fandom, and I really, genuinely enjoy every piece of content I come across!

I think, in terms of fanart, my favourite piece is anything done by @themissingmask —he was my secret santa on the TOSdiscord server and did an absolutely phenomenal job! <3

Regarding fanfiction, I have three favourites: Just A Dead Man Walking by braille_upon_my_skin, Peanut Swells by @silverlynxx and And The Walls Are Closing In by @circus-playwright. All of them are hurt/comfort, but in different ways—I read Braille’s when I’m at my lowest, Lynxx’s makes me smile because of the interactions between P.T. and Caroline, and the last one is just some good, good Phin angst with Phillip comforting him (something I believe there should be a lot more of in the world!). <3<3<3

Links:

Just A Dead Man Walking (TW for attempted suicide and implied/referenced self-harm): https://archiveofourown.org/works/14070681

Peanut Swells: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17000595

And The Walls Are Closing In: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14488485

I tag: @circus-playwright @fandomingrandom and @rewrite-a-million-dreams

[sunshine-carlyle]

Some Barlyle Headcanons

bc i’m sick and bored

Phineas can’t stand the rain. Seriously, he abhors it. It reminds him of nights in the streets, cold and shaking and wet as he tried to sleep. The sound of it on the windows of their bedroom is enough to make him curl into a ball and move closer to Phillip—not that either of them mind. The rain is loud and overwhelming and doesn’t help how busy Phineas’ head already is—on another note, it means he can’t go outside so easily—so Phillip reads a book out loud and plays with the other man’s hair as they wait it out together.

Phillip is an incredibly skilled musician. At first, Phineas thought his talents ended with singing, maybe playing a couple of chords on a piano. In fact, it’s not until their anniversary, when Phillip hires a string quartet to play a piece Phineas has never heard before, that he realises. Once the other musicians have left, he asks eagerly what the music was, chattering about its beauty and his newfound adoration for romantic music until Phillip, turning red, admits it was his own composition. Phineas has never kissed him as tenderly as after his confession, and he implores him to play the violin sometime, just for him. Naturally, Phillip agrees.

When he’s stressed out, Phineas almost never leaves his hair alone, pulling at it and twisting it non-stop. Phillip begins to recognise when his partner is anxious about something from the bouncing in his knee and the hand constantly running through hair messier than usual; he always gives Phin a kiss on the forehead and makes sure he doesn’t get too caught up in his head, even if he can’t resolve whatever’s going on.

Someone (if you know who, please remind me so I can tag them!) talked about this on the Discord server and I haven’t been able to stop thinking about it Phillip is, and always has been, incredibly precise about his hair—it was one of the few things he could control when living with his parents. It gets to the point where a single strand being out of place causes him to feel out of place and, if it’s been a bad day, panic. After months of Phineas insisting he’s equally, if not more handsome with slightly messier hair, he slowly grows more comfortable with not styling it to the same degree in the house. Still, though, he has days where he wakes up and the only thing that seems to help the anxious constriction around his chest is styling his hair until every single strand is perfect; if waking up to the smell of hair product is the reason Phineas holds Phillip’s hand and makes copious volumes of tea, well—he’d never admit it.

Phillip loves learning languages and, whenever he starts a new one, Phineas makes an effort to learn to say “I love you” in it. Eventually, he begins leaving Phillip little notes around the apartment with simple phrases like “Have a good day!”—if Phillip takes them and keeps them all in a box somewhere safe, Phineas need never know. One morning, he mentions to Phineas in passing that his favourite language is French. After this, Phineas spends weeks and weeks writing, correcting and learning off by heart a page of French in secret, until he thinks he’s ready. There’s nothing grandiose or spectacular—really, nothing that would be expected of him; instead, they’re just walking through the woods side-by-side when Phineas drops onto one knee in front of Phillip. Before the other man can process the situation, Phineas starts reciting his speech. Badly. Voice shaking, he just about manages to get through the whole thing before Phillip near-yells “Sí!”. Before Phineas can react, he’s slapping his hand over his mouth and exclaiming “Ja— Ie— Yes! Fuck!”. Phineas starts laughing because goddamnit, he loves the man nodding frantically before him more than any language could express. “Even German,” he adds, winking as Phillip all but tackles him into a hug. They’re laughing and smiling and Phineas is beginning to think he’s going to suffocate if Phillip doesn’t let go soon, but he doesn’t care. Instead, he kisses his Phillip, slow and tender and as perfect as him.

Number 5 was written with the help of @silverlynxx, @nerdy-snowflake and Aulyk on the TOS discord!! <3<3<3