Since The Wave reveal, something has been bugging me. Specifically the moment when Wave talks to Prunella in Plunderland. You know the panel Iām referring to. So Iāll save Tumblrās ten pictures per post for when I need it, because this one is a doozy.
Iāll do my best to keep this post on the lighter side, but since Iām gonna be talking about Buddyās life as an orphan, itās not gonna be easy. I promise, I wouldnāt bring it up unless itās important. But I think weāve been reading Buddyās character interactions with Prunella completely wrong. I donāt think he started off hating her, in fact, I think itās quite the opposite.
Deacon and Buddy first meet in Toffee Break, Episode 19 of S1. In that interaction, he is mad at Chase for finding another Key. He barely acknowledged Deacon at all, he mostly viewed him as a nuisance. Buddy only focused on the fact that they found Bronze. But when he learned about Prunella in Episode 55, his reaction was completely different.
When he and Chase meet up again in the arc, Still Waters, Episode 58, he doesnāt acknowledge Goldie once. He doesnāt bring up a Key, he only talks about Prunella. Yes, Chase lied and hid her from him for a bit. But that seems to hurt him more than the fact that he hid Goldie, his brother from him as well. He doesnāt scold or fight with Chase about Goldie, itās about Prunella and the lack of trust between them. Thatās the core of the fight in Still Waters. It was never about Goldie, or hiding another Key or a Keyholder, not once. It feels like he was upset about Chase hiding a kid from him, and the reasons for why. Actually, I donāt need to speculate, because he says so!
When Buddy officially meets Prunella in Episode 6 of S2 in the arc, Party Crashers, heās immediately awkward around her. He pauses between words at times, he keeps sentences short, and he keeps his distance from her. He doesnāt correct her about his name, and he actively avoids any argument with her. When she introduces herself, he responds with, āO- oh? Umā¦ Well done.ā Wtf is that response, bro? He tries to walk away from her multiple times, but of course, she stops him. He never threatens to fight her, he just tries to tell her he doesnāt want to play any games. When Buddy promises that she would lose to him if they play, she tells him she never loses, but chooses not to win. He doesnāt refute her, or fight back, he just stands there then walks off. He does tell her to go away, then raises his voice to explain heās not just searching for Chase (he is tho). but he doesnāt push her aside like he does with Deacon later. Nope. Buddy keeps himself away from her, talks awkwardly and doesnāt argue much, and gave her a, āJob well doneā for saying her name.
I donāt think itās a stretch to say that, that interaction was odder than an odd number. We donāt see him interacting with other kids in the comic. But from this interaction alone, I think itās safe to say that this is how he reacts around all kids. Heās awkward, stif, stutters and keeps some space. But itās definitely not out of hate, he doesnāt carry any heat in his words. In fact, he gave her words of encouragement, no matter how awkward it was. That was their first time interacting and sharing names, and it reveals a side of Buddy that we hadnāt seen before.
Heās awkward around Prunella, but he doesnāt hate her. Sheās just annoying to him at that moment for getting in the way of finding Chase. Which he calls her out on. But thatās all he does. He doesnāt make an effort to move her, he moves around her.
The next time they interact is in the arc, Mister Mischief, Episode 13 of S2.
In the heat of battle *cough cough* saving Chase *cough cough*, Buddy listens to Prunella and doesnāt tell her to go away. He takes her words seriously and they help each other out to complete a common goal. Buddy holds his arms out to catch her with a stressed face when Althor flings her off of him, which he then compliments her ingenuity and quick thinking in the most Buddy way imaginable. āThat was surprisingly effective,ā is high praise coming from him. Especially since he only met her, like, the day before. Heās never given Deacon that type of praise, and he didnāt give Chase any until way later in S1. Specifically in the arc, Honor Among Thieves, or in the last episode of Beach Boys. If my memory serves me. My point is, heās given her more words of encouragement and praise within the two days of knowing her than he did for Chase and Deacon combined their first few weeks of knowing him. Possibly half a month.
When Buddy feels like he has to resort to use Prunella as a shield, I donāt think heās lying when he says he didnāt want to do it. I think back to Still Waters when he says that. The way the, āNot,ā is italicized shows emphasis on his mindset, but resolve to save Chase. He knows that Prunella wouldnāt be mad at him for it, since this oversized turkey is getting in the way of both of their goals. He also knows Althor wonāt hurt her, so he uses her as a shield, which works. Contrast that with this fake turkey prophet, who was using her the entire book, without thinking who got hurt. He did throw elementary schoolers into a war zone.
Now, their fourth/third interaction is in the last episode of Perfect Halo. Prunella gets mad at both Chase and Buddy for ruining the book her dad got her. She runs off to cry while the adults clean up the mess. All but Buddy.
Prunella doesnāt want to talk to him, or anyone, really. Chase knows that, so he stays back to clean up until sheās ready to come out. But Buddy does something weāve only ever seen him do one other time, he sat down and apologied. Just like Beach Boys, he is silent and contemplative. Then, he acts and admits heās in the wrong. For the first time, he approaches her, gets somewhat close, gets down to her level and says heās sorry. He lets her speak, no matter how harsh. Only after does he speak. He does so calmly, and doesnāt raise his voice, and relates her bookās moral with what he and Chase have learned. He speaks honestly, maturely, and doesnāt downplay her feelings because he and Chase, two adults, ruined her book.
After, he lets her take the lead by saying that the book isnāt over until she says so, implying that there is still time to fix everything and make it right. He bows to her while saying so. Once Chase sees him and Prunella together, hand in hand, Chase immediately starts to apologize. But he gets cut off by Buddy, who starts a whole dramatic monologue about friendship, winning and losing, and how ignoring otherās feelings is bad. Chase joins in, making it even more cheesy. Then, Buddy holds Prunella up like Simba from the Lion King and declares that friendship was the true prize all along. While Chase declares that sheās the true hero.
Nobody told Buddy to do that. That was all him. He chose to act foolish and cheesy to help her feel better to fix the book. Buddy doesnāt like looking like a fool, so the fact that he chose to do so for Prunella is pretty telling.
Now, they didnāt interact in Plunderland all that much. In fact, they only really interacted in Episode 32. There, Prunella attempted to correct him rather rudely for acting and dressing up as the wrong character. She was in the wrong, yet also right. But thatās because the book was fucked. But Buddy only corrected her on the outfit part, because nobody is allowed to insult Violetās work. Not in his mind. But immediately after correcting her, he calls her an adorable little rodent.
Again, heās giving her Buddy Themed compliments, and he did so after lecturing her. The only other person he freely gives such words to is Chase.
In Stardust, they were together for a majority of the story. Because of this, Chase told him to watch over her. But the roles ended up being reversed, and Prunella ended up being the one in charge. She comforts Buddy on multiple occasions about his lack of singing skills. She gets him ice cream because of that. There, she reassures him that Chase would still like him. In fact, she revealed to him that Chase like-likes him. Which he knew that, but didnāt tell her. He later tries to stop her from getting into a fish take, but sadly drops her out of shock at seeing an octopus.
Buddy doesnāt downplay what she says, even if he knows something already. He takes her words seriously and lets her lead. Even when he has doubts, he still tries to listen to her. He even tries to reassure her that the concert and finale will be fine. Buddy only raises his voice to stop her from getting into a fish tank. The only other time heās done so was back in Party Crashers. After the Narration reveal, if Chase didnāt tell Buddy that he didnāt need help finding Prunella, he would have gone with him to help.
Throughout all their interactions, Buddy has never called Prunella a brat. Heās called her a child, annoying, a cute little rodent and bossy but never a brat. He mostly calls her what she is, a child. Heās given Chase the nickname, Brat, but heās mostly, Little Idiot. Those names are now endearments despite how they were used originally. Deacon is Freckles. He doesnāt give Wave a nickname, thatās how much he despises him. Heās given Prunella a good number of nicknames out of the whole cast, besides Chase. Actually, those two might be tied for the most nicknames Buddy has given someone. But he pretty much just calls her, Child. Which is mirrored by Chaseās nickname for her, Kid.
On top of that, Buddy has never asked Prunella about herself or the others that would be dangerous in the long term. Not once. Heās had plenty of chances too. Way too many. But he never does what Wave did. Heās mostly around Deacon. But the moment he has some alone time with Prunella after establishing heās not a threat, he asks her.
Like, that was quick, right? Heās only seen her in two other books prior and heās immediately getting intel.
The contrast with Buddy and Wave with their interactions with Prunella is like medicine and sugar. Wave is all sweet around her, calls her kiddo and pumpkin, and usually gets down to her level. That all sounds good on the surface, but thatās a cheap way to form a bond with someone. He did save her from The Plot Hole, but everyone would have done that. Thereās nothing unique about their interactions other than him asking her questions that seem innocent on the surface, but itās all to gain trust and intel, all while being super duper sweet. He gets close to her and isnāt afraid to pick her up.
Wave goes to her for intel, specifically because sheās a kid. She doesnāt have a proper filter or frontal lobe yet. If he were to ask questions like, āBuddy chooses good books too, right?ā To the others, I can see some hesitation to answer. But Prunella will answer a question immediately. He could have asked in a slyer way to the adults. But no, he went to the kid. Because kids are more honest than most adults, Prunella especially.
I will now quote what Buddy said back in Still Waters:
āWhat did you think I was going to do to that poor child? Interrogate her? Kidnap her? Tell me!ā
Buddy cares for children, plain and simple. He may not know how to be around children, but he doesnāt want to hurt them. We see that with how he interacts with Prunella. Heās careful around her. He talks to her simply, calmly, yet bluntly and awkwardly but rarely yells. He gives her genuine praise and reassurance, in his awkward Buddy way (thatās the easiest way to describe Buddy around Prunella, awkward. Iām sorry, that word just fits him too well). Thereās respect with how he talks to her, in his own Buddy way too. He will get down to her level, but he doesnāt have to because when she and Buddy speak, itās as equals. It may seem like heās talking down to her, but heās really not. He was giving her praise at their first official meeting. He listens to her, and doesnāt berate or physically push her aside. No, he teams up with her and lets her show off her capabilities. He even lets her lead him around. The only times heās ever loud with her is when sheās doing something dangerous, or she calls him out on something Chase related.
That comment he said to Chase felt personal. Like, the idea of him hurting a kid like that genuinely hurt him. Chase brought up Buddyās plan to steal the Keys, hiding Goldie, all that junk but Buddy focused on Prunellaās involvement. More Keys were gonna appear, that was just a fact. He seemed ready for Bronze to make an appearance with a Keyholder. But not Prunella. The fact that Prunella was a kid, and Chase hid her from him hurt more than anything else. Unintentionally, it became personal.
Throughout this series, the theme of adulthood is a constant. Everyone besides Prunella is eighteen or over now, so each character talks about adulthood differently. Deacon is more chill about it. Chase is excited to be eighteen. Wave is in college, supposedly struggling with that, so heās in his antagonist era. But Buddy holds adulthood to a different standard compared to the rest. His and Chaseās idea of adulthood are kinda similar if you squint. They both see it as something to be proud of, an achievement. But Buddy takes it one step further with how he talks about it.
In S1, Episode 1, A Beautiful Maiden, Buddy calls Chase an ill-behaved child. When Chase corrects him, saying that heās eighteen (he wasnāt, he was seventeen, but his birthday was around the corner, so he was rounding up), Buddy says, āThatās a lot of months, well done.ā Again with the, āWell done.ā He stays consistent, Chat. But he didnāt stutter, interesting. The point is, he didnāt view Chase as an adult or a teenager, like how Chase wanted. He continues to call him a brat, or a child in a condescending way for a good chunk of the season. To go even further, Buddy talked to Chase as though he wasnāt on the same level of maturity as him. He viewed Chase as a Man Child, immature, and a spoiled brat. So, he talked down to him a ton.
It wasnāt until Beach Boys that their dynamic truly began to shift. But in Episode 30, he says this line, āAt least Iāve been to Adulthood, a place youāll never go.ā This line has struck me as odd because of how matter a factually he says it. He says it as though there is another element to adulthood that Chase just doesnāt get. Not in his eyes in that moment. Because no matter how old Chase says he is, whether he be eighteen or 100, he would never be an adult. Not truly. We as the readers know that Chase definitely understands adulthood and the responsibility that comes with it. But he prefers to be playful and more free with it than the rest of the cast. How he acts gave Buddy the wrong impression of him, which started to fade during this arc.
With Deacon, he views him as useless, an annoyance, whiny and irresponsible. Especially in S1, Buddy really didnāt vibe with him. A good chunk of why was because he was jealous of Deacon and his connection with Chase (Buddy was totes oblivious /kj). But another reason was because of his constant desire to be more than a helper. Buddy has given Deacon the most lectures out of every character about character archetypes and their importance to the narrative. Actually, Deacon is the only character he does this to. But the main points he brought up in both instances, that being in the arcs Sick Day and Mister Mischief, was responsibility and freedom.
Buddy, at nineteen to twenty years old (I think heās like, nineteen, heās giving nineteen vibes) understands the core elements of being an adult, responsibility and the freedom that comes with it. Yet, he also knows that they go hand in hand. If you did something wrong, you take responsibility. If you want to do something, then youāre free to do so. He understands actions and consequences, plain and simple. He holds himself accountable and does whatever he can to make things right through actions and words.
Due to being on the streets, he had to learn how to be responsible for himself. He most definitely had to learn that very early on in life. Buddy had to make decisions that most wouldnāt have to make, all of which were survival based. Thatās where he learned the power of freedom and responsibility. He had no parents or guardians. So, he was free to go to sleep when he wanted, walk around wherever, and speak how he please. But, because he didnāt have any adults in his life, all responsibility fell onto him. He had to find ways to feed himself, clothe himself, and find a place to sleepā everything.
Iām saying this with every insult, the adults in Buddyās life had failed him in every way imaginable for him to live on the streets and survive as a thief. Somehow, he got there! He didnāt pop out from the gravel roads like Punxsutawney Phil to predict the arrival of spring! No! He either ran away or was left there! Bro didnāt have a childhood, he was forced to practice adulthood far too young. Thatās why he treats it as something far more important than the rest of the cast. Itās not a game or just a title, itās a role that anyone who says theyāre an adult, must take on. Itās a responsibility. If they donāt, he gets mad. Thatās why he feels so much guilt, he has a heighten sense of responsibility.
Throughout the series, so far, heās apologized three times. Once to Chase in Beach Boys, once to Prunella in Perfect Halo, then to both Chase and Deacon in Stardust. Each time, he takes the initiative to apologize, no one tells him too, and he gets better at doing so each time. In Stardust, he takes full responsibility. He doesnāt bring up Violetās involvement, he takes all the blame. He then gives a reason, but doesnāt use it as an excuse. His Stardust apology is the best one heās ever made. This was his most adult action weāve seen yet. The other times, he fumbled a bit, but he did his best with what he had. Heās gotten better and we see it in Stardust, no matter how painful it was to read. Personally, it took me an hour to read that section.
Buddy may not know how to talk to Prunella, but he doesnāt want to hurt her. Thatās the one thing he actively avoids. Buddy lacked words of encouragement, praise, compliments and respect growing up. He didnāt give Chase or Deacon respect or spoke to them as though they were equals, not for a good while. But he did with Prunella. He doesnāt belittle her or downplay the books she likes, he engages instead. He will adopt the dumb puns and silly banter. Not only that, he doesnāt use her honestly and lack of a filter to his advantage. He will correct her and add to her comments, but wonāt ask personal questions. Buddy listens and acts to make things right when sheās hurt.
My suspicion is that Buddy acts all stiff and odd around her is because heās an adult. He understands adults have a level of authority, power, responsibility and freedom that children do not. Heās also physically bigger and stronger than her, and thatās why he keeps his distance. He doesnāt want to hurt a kid. I also suspect that he knows that kids trust adults naturally. They are their guid. With that in mind, Iām not surprised that he wouldnāt ask Prunella about where she and the others live, or what books they pick. He goes to the adults instead. He doesnāt want to use her trust because he knows itās not right.
I re read the last episode of Stardust, Chat and when Wave told Deacon about the Backdoor Spell, he made it about the book itself. He focused on the fact that Narration couldnāt be collected in books that you wrote yourself. He said that was how he realized why he was getting so much Narration. He made it about those two things, leaving Buddy out of the equation and let Deacon fill in the blanks himself. He fully manipulated Deacon into the realization that Buddy was using the same spell as him. He even offered to give Deacon his Narration back, like how Buddy was wanting to with Chase. Buddy was fully planning on telling Chase the truth in Plunderland, but didnāt. This book, he told himself, he was gonna do it. He was gonna come clean. But because of Wave, that was taken away from him.
You know what Wave left out of his discussion with Deacon? That he gathered intel about how Buddy is never the one to pick the books himself, but follows them inside. Wave knew about this spell before hand in Plunderland. He knew how it worked. How could he not? The Old Man had him learning spells. He was genuinely surprised about the lack of Narration bit when entering a book you wrote, but not about the spell itself. He must have suspected that Buddy had the same spell, but couldnāt be sure. So he asked Prunella. Wave conveniently left that part out.
He doesnāt mention that little question he asked her, because that would imply that he knew about the spell and never told them. It would also reveal that he gathered intel through an eight year old.
The duality between Buddy and Wave is quite something to behold. On one hand, theyāre using the same spell and stealing Narration from both Chase and Deacon. However, what they do after that is where the differences start to form. After Buddy learns the truth about Chaseās wish, he tries to get Violet to let him give it back. When that doesnāt work, he decides to go behind her back and reveal the scheme just to make things right. He wants to give Chase his Narration back.
Wave heard Chase say to Buddy after the reveal that he was shocked Buddy was stealing Narration, even after learning about his mom. This heavily implied that what the gang are trying to wish for is related to Chaseās mom. Wave was in the same room, this entire thing was semi public. But we donāt get Waveās thoughts on the matter. Instead, itās business as usual. Time to smirk evilly at the camera.
If Wave truly cared, he wouldāve put up more of a fight with The Old Man to stop this madness. Buddy is doing so with Violet, heās done with this scheme. But Wave isnāt putting up a fight. Instead, he knew about the spell, used his knowledge on said spell to pinpoint who in the group was also using it, then confirmed his suspicions by asking an eight year old girl all sweet and innocently. To which he then omitted from and made himself seem just as oblivious and innocent and told a half truth. After, he said he would return all the Narration that he stole from Deacon. But will he, tho? Will he return it, or will he pay in on the fact that Deacon forgot he mentioned it?
Plunderland was a showcase of Buddy and Waveās dual roles in the story. Buddy knew about the spell, and wanted to come clean in that book, but got scared and stuttered too much. Wave also knew about that spell, but didnāt come clean and used his knowledge to his advantage to gather intel to make a devastating blow in the groupās moral. Stardust was the result of both of their actions. If Buddy had pulled through and told Chase in Plunderland, then this reveal would have been completely different. Instead, it blew up in his face. Wave got away with it, and the gang now have this hovering over their heads. But, he wouldnāt have gotten this far if he hadnāt asked Prunella such a simple, and innocent question.
Another arc I took a look at was Little Shadows. Chase was telling Wave about Buddy and his concerns about Ex Libris. Though he was still vague about it, he was heavily implying that Buddy might be stuck there too. Wave brings up spells in an earlier conversation, but doesnāt bring them back up again when Chase talks about Buddy. He definitely suspected which spell Buddy was using, but he doesnāt say a word. In fact, he plays dumb and talks about his family and his problems. Thatās most of what Wave talks about with Chase in that arc, his concerns about his family and himself in Ex Libris. He never gave Chase any solid intel on the cult itself. If he cared at all, he would have said something about the spell he was using to follow Chase and Co, then voice his theory on Buddy. But he doesnāt. He stays quiet. Then used the information that he gathered from Chase and Prunella and retold it to fit the narrative that Buddy is The Bad Guy in a subtle manner to Deacon, who doesnāt like Buddy much.
Wave played into all of the crewās strengths and used them for his own purposes. Chase cares so, so much about the people around him, and Wave used it. Prunella is brutally honest, and Wave used it. Deacon may not have a lot of strong suits, but you canāt say he doesnāt love his cousin, or the kid, so he tells them to be careful around Buddy. Wave used Deacon the most due to this fact. He got on his good side the moment he could, because Chase did something during Little Shadows that told him Chase wouldnāt be so easy to fool. Chase didnāt reveal his birth name. He almost did, but he stopped himself. Wave totally caught that, then decided to switch gears to Deacon and Prunella. Other posters have spotted this, and I agree with that analysis. Chase wants to trust Wave, but he isnāt going to, something is telling him not to just yet. With Buddy, he does trust him completely. Deacon confirmed it in Little Shadows, and Stardust put a gold seal on it.
Wave is only now starting to butt into Chase and Buddyās dynamic. Because he knows that Chase is the defacto leader. But why heās targeting Buddy is a mystery, which is concerning. To quote the meme (you know the one): Does he know?
What does Wave know? I posted my theory on the matter, but I wrote that weeks ago. Iāve had time to adjust and analyze a bit better, now that the initial shock, anger, and concern has settled. So I donāt 100% agree with my original take. I do still think Ro is gonna expose his lies (heh, lyre), and that Buddy will spot it. But I donāt think the old fart promised him a wish, I think heās done with stuff like that. No, I think what Wave told Chase in Party Crashers is somewhat true, he is being held against his will via blackmail. Heās been kidnapped, essentially. How he looks down and holds himself around the old ash tray tells me that Wave is afraid of this man. Which is bullshit because Wave is jacked up. Heās also younger and more abled bodied, but the King of Bald Spots has money and magic. He can put Wave and his family into financial ruin if he doesnāt comply.
None of that excuses his actions, letās make that blatantly clear. Letās say his motive is to escape this crazy cult, that should never be an excuse to hurt others. Buddy and Violet are trying to do the same and save their family, but Buddy doesnāt want to hurt the others to do it. Heās grown to care for them, especially Chase. He liked Prunella almost immediately, and he trusts Deacon. After meeting them, he became a changed person and wants to help them from the bottom of his heart. Wave is in a similar situation, but heās doing the exact opposite and only thinking about his survival and no one elseās. The ends do not justify the means when another option is literally right over there.
Wave has lied to their faces on multiple fronts. Remember in Party Crashers how Ro didnāt have a Keyring on? Even in Waveās flashback? Well, thatās because he knew Ro was alive before meeting the gang. Meaning that the pink outfit we saw in Little Shadows was something he was given before getting caught. Heās been stalking Chase and Deacon for who knows how long. But he didnāt know about Buddy or Prunella, it seems like, meaning that it wasnāt too long ago. Or, his visits into books were very infrequent before he got caught and was essentially invited into the crew. To every poster that pointed this fact out, props. Also props to those that pointed out his actions in that flashback in Little Shadows being Sus. Those posts were eye openers, and I sadly canāt find em. Either way, he was lying right from the start. He continues to lie and act all nice, but Buddy aināt buying his bull.
Wave is what everyone thought Buddy was at the start, while Buddy is what everyone thought Wave was at the start. But now Iām just repeating what we already know. I will say this, thoā¦
Buddy cares for Prunella, and if he ever catches wind of want Wave did, then heās cooked. He would make what Wave did to her the entire focus. Forget the lying, deceitfulness, manipulation and stuff around the adults. Ignore the fact that it was a targeted attack on him. What Wave did to Prunella would make Buddy a million times more furious than a mother bear trying to protect her cubs. He used a childās trust. Wave built it up with sweetness, playful banter, piggyback rides and a constant smile, only to cash in on it when the time was right. Buddy would not let that slide if he finds out. If we thought he was mad about Chase hiding her from him, well, this would make that fight look like a sweet little painting of a cat wearing a bow in some old ladyās house where she knits scarves and sweaters.
He would also be furious about what he did to Deacon and Chase, thatās a fact. But everyone wants to keep Prunella safe, thatās the one thing they all silently agreed on. They are the adults, they are responsible. And with Buddyās heightened sense of responsibility and past, his reaction would be the most visceral. Even if Wave isnāt intending on hurting her, heās still putting her in danger by being close to that mummy. He also built up her trust and used it to later hurt Chase and Deacon with his actions, just to out Buddy for who knows why! Who knows what heāll do next! One thing is for sure, however, Prunella would feel hurt by this betrayal. She trusted Wave, and he knew it, so he used it to hurt the others. That would break her heart.
No one wants to see Prunella upset, making her cry is against the law! If she starts crying, someone fucked up. Chase and Deaconās reactions would be pretty bad, but Buddyāsā¦?
Well, we should probably prepare for a funeralā¦ Just in case. /j
But seriously, tho, I hope Wave never makes it to the bathroom on time.
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