daisies!!

During the flashbacks in the Memory Lane, you can really see how playful he was. Taking photos and giggling when he knows he has a winning hand in a card game, teasing Sunny over his crush on Aubrey, not telling his friends his birthday wish, etc.

But he was also such a kind, nurturing boy. Basil would brush Aubrey's hair, remind Kel to wash his hands...as it's said SOMEWHERE in the game, Basil loves taking care of things. And he loved his friends.

Sure, Basil was definitely still a shy boy when he was little, but he'd come out of his shell to gently tease or scold the people close to him. He was genuinely happy and optimistic about life.

Comparing that to the Basil we see in the game, it's really just night and day. He's a nervous wreck who can barely make eye contact with anyone. There's not a single trace of any teasing behaviour he used to exhibit. If you think about it from the friends perspectives, that must be SUCH whiplash.

Another thing I want to point out is that in Headspace (which is less of a reliable source for how things used to be, but I think with how much it's brought up its safe to say it should be accurate) Basil is often noted as someone who always keeps a smile on his face, even when he's scared. An admirable trait. That's one of the only traits he keeps four years later, except now it's developed into a coping mechanism that hinders his ability to process anything around him.

Basil desperately needs to believe everything will be okay again. He desperately needs to believe "everything will go back to the way it was before".

It really makes me think about how long he's kept this attitude for. Probably his whole life.

Just imagine little Basil, whose parents left him, who only has his grandma to rely on, muttering desperately that he'll be okay. That one day he won't be lonely, that one day he'll have friends who want him around and need him, and not just his plants. Imagine him finally having said friends who he loves so much, who he wants to cherish and make happy. And imagine all of that falling apart in the most horrific way possible.

All he has left is just this desperate hope that one day his loneliness truly will end.