#where TC was thinking about his gang and being concerned for their well being

[sarroora]

I shall indulge in your request because I also ain't been feeling too hot so 💃

Sort of akin to what you just asked me, what do you think gets the boys feeling down and what do they do to console themselves/what do they do to console another member of the gang?

(also have you got any extra Fancy headcanons cos I feel like nobody talks about him)

(I know the feelin bruh, you’re not alone, my mental state is very bad these days but I’m trying. Hang in there)

Long post ahead -

*T.C.’s pretty well-attuned to what every member of the gang needs in terms of comfort. He knows Benny and Choo-Choo’s love language is physical touch and so that’s the kind of comfort he’ll provide, but it can’t be in public view of other gangs (more on that later).

Spook is normally chill, but sometimes even he gets overwhelmed by concerns over their state and that of the world around them, and so he and T.C. will talk deeply for hours and hours if need be, until the green cat has some clarity.

Brain gets the blues and goes through periods of silence, but isn’t always able to articulate why; it’s actually him remembering some pretty bad times from his childhood, which was pretty lonely. Brain’s fears are actually the ones T.C. relates to the most, and goes out of his way on days like those to affirm with Brain that the gang is forever and no cat gets left behind.

Fancy has a massive weakness when it comes to women - and has his own inner demons about keeping promises, and commitment. He’s terrified his vices might lead to one of the guys getting hurt one day (lol that sounds familiar), but T.C.’s the one who keeps reminding him of the lengths he went to in order to protect them when things got rough. The fact that Top Cat trusts him means everything to Fancy, and gives him a boost of self-confidence.

*Top Cat’s worst fear is loneliness, not poverty. And across all media T.C.‘s shown to be really at his most content when the gang is happy around him.

*If you think about it, a lot of T.C.’s decisions as a leader are fueled by emotion, not pragmatism. There’s this story that I never got around to writing and there’ll probably never be a chance in CGaL…but T.C. taking in Brain was a big deal when the news spread amongst the cat gangs in Manhattan.

Almost everyone thought he was crazy; cat leaders typically have to be very pragmatic about who they allow to join them - life on the streets is brutal, and a ‘gang is only as strong as its weakest link.’

Cats that live alone in Manhattan are much more likely to starve or perish (see tags), so it’s a matter of survival for cats to form groups to help each other get food. No one wants to take a risk on a cat with a disability in such a brutal city, because they’d be jeopardizing the well-being and chances of the entire group. But T.C. took him in and made it work and told everyone to shove it (and it was during these events btw that Chooch realized he absolutely adored and idolized him.)

*T.C. needs to keep a certain image as a cat gang leader in front of others but in reality he has no problem with physical touch at all, especially with the gang. They’re a tight-knit group, they love to catpile, cuddle, hug, everything. Humans, however, are a different story.

Very few people - namely Tony and Patrick - are Blessed(TM) and have Permission(TM) to hug and pet him..but with a few rules. Dibble’s a bit more complicated, because of what he represents and the power dynamic, but ultimately, he’s in the Accepted team. Then there are humans that aren’t allowed anywhere near the cats.

*Last HC: fr when Fancy first joined the gang everyone made fun of him for ‘smelling like a house cat’, after a short stint staying with some humans. He knew they meant well but the comment was still a bit mortifying for a street cat. Easy though - nothing a nice warm session of catpile won’t fix.