My absolute favorite Clancy and Torchbearer headcanon is that Clancy sings to Torch when they’re alone, often to help him fall asleep.

Torchbearer has a hard time sleeping whenever Clancy is taken back to Dema. When he’s finally safe in camp, Torch still can’t sleep unless Clancy is right there with him, too afraid that if he lets his guard down Clancy will be snatched away again.

Or he’s just too anxious, too stressed, overworking himself until Clancy has to drag him back to their tent and insist he lay down, just for a few minutes. And Torch grumbles that he’s only doing it to humor Clancy and he has more work to do but he’s clearly exhausted.

So Clancy holds him and sings quietly until he falls asleep.

so is it only Clancy or does the cycle restart if Torchbearer dies instead

I’ve seen fanart of Jason the cheetah being Clancy’s pet but personally I think it’s better if he’s actually Torchbearer’s and just fell in love with Clancy like when your pet has a favorite friend/family member and gets super excited when they come over.

Like imagine Clancy hanging out in the Bandito camp writing or something and Jason’s just snuggled up to him purring like crazy and Torchbearer’s fuming in the back like “WHY DOES MY CAT LIKE YOU MORE THAN ME”

What we didn’t see at the end of the Navigating video was, after returning to the Bandito camp, Clancy collapsing from exhaustion and Torchbearer covering him with as many blankets as he could find.

I like Vignette because it works out of context in the same way is does in context. For someone unfamiliar with the Clancy story, it’s a song about feeling lost and helpless, struggling in a battle with addiction and mental health problems. Which of course it is.

But then IN context, it can also be about Clancy being alone in Voldsøy, trying to get back to Trench, to the real Torchbearer, even if he doesn’t realize the one with him isn’t real. He was probably in bad shape before he even washed up on Voldsøy in the first place, but wandering around in the woods for however long definitely wouldn’t help.

“Clinging to promises” Imagine the Torchbearer’s projection urging Clancy on. I know you’re tired, cold, and hungry, but we’re almost there. You’re so close and soon you’ll be safe with me. Just keep going a little longer, a little further.

“Fighting off the vignette / Tunnels cave, visions fade / Swallowed by the vignette” sounds like someone trying not to pass out.

Also the lines “Now he can’t hold out his hand without it shaking /
Hounded by a bunch of dead when the search party found him”. The search party could be the banditos who came and got Clancy in the Navigating video and led him back to Torchbearer.

THIS SEPTEMBER??? NEXT MONTH????

So kind of slightly inspired by this headcanon but what if the Banditos have like, witchcraft?

They have to be really familiar with natural remedies. I’d imagine it’s kind of hard to get real medicine in Trench, so they probably rely on herbs a lot. They’d probably even find ways to make gardens to have more.

Additionally, they’ve probably made their own folklore. People always make stories for their home. Campfire stories. Holidays to celebrate the change of seasons. Ways to thank Trench for caring for them. Simple rituals to bring luck and protection.

And then there’s Torch’s projection ability. Do any other banditos (other than Clancy) have powers? Is there a reason Torch has his?

Also imagining Torch making Clancy tea whenever he returns to camp after being dragged back to Dema. Especially right after Navigating, when he’s cold and sore and tired and hasn’t had a real meal in probably years.

I love how the Torchbearer is always presented (in canon and fanon) as this really cool and badass guy who always has a plan, always knows what he’s doing, but at the same time he’s just a guy in an oversize hoodie that goes almost to his knees. He looks like a middle school boy.