shivi @shyve3 - Tumblr Blog

Wave is a character that I wish to dissect and analyze under a microscope. So I will. And no, I won’t be giving him anesthesia.

I wasn’t going to go this in depth originally. There’s been so much discussion and theories surrounding him that I didn’t want to repeat information. However, due to posts and other analyses made by other users (I’ll share those in a sec), I was inspired to delve deeper into Wave as a character to hopefully unearth his true identity, his real nature, and motives.

I made a pull a while back, asking the question, “Who is Wave?” And I loved everyone’s take. Each one was fun to read and think about. I made it to gage the fandom’s thoughts on him, since mine were mixed at the time. However, that was my only use for it, until I was hit in the face with a realization about Wave a little while after making it. Which only added to my initial desire to make an analysis. But it became a theory too. So I’m using that poll’s engagement to help with this analysis and theory. So thanks to everyone who engaged!

With that out of the way, *puts on a lab coat, gloves, and pulls out a scalpel with an innocent grin* let’s discuss Wave.

Wave has told the others quite a bit about himself:

He’s about to graduate college.

His family is in debt, and now he has college debt on top of that. So double debt.

He has a mom, a sister, a girlfriend and grandma.

He likes surfing.

He knows a guy named Devon who owes him money.

He’s Rose’s current Keyholder.

He doesn’t like frilly or pink stuff.

The old fart has been teaching him spells.

The old fart has been keeping him locked up so he doesn’t leave.

He’s only staying with the old fart in order to keep his family safe.

He doesn’t know what’s going on half the time.

He knows reverse psychology.

He’s clumsy.

He knows how to talk to kids.

His grandma has a bowl of seashells on her toilet.

He’s never used a bow before.

He had an old style camera from the 1990s once, and he knew how to use it in Absentee.

He didn’t watch the movie, Absentee. But he knew it existed.

He gets all his best ideas in the shower.

Third period biology class is his, “Greatest fear.”

He’s always wanted to be considered a genius.

Physically, Wave is the tallest out of the cast, possibly 6 foot or more. Buddy was stuck in the void before being saved by his sister. So he didn’t age at all, making Wave the oldest since he would be in his early to mid twenties if he’s about to graduate. He has hazel eyes, short strawberry blond hair, and a six pack. He seems as fit as Chase is, but I think Chase outranks him in terms of fitness. But he is physically capable and has a height and weight advantage. He’s also the most tan out of the cast. His favorite attire is a simple T-shirt, swim shorts, and flip flops.

This is the baseline of Wave’s characteristics that are physically present and known to the cast. Visually, he’s a good looking dude with a great sense of humor. His personality is just as good looking. His charisma is pretty high, he’s sweet with kids, and he listens to others but he’s a big oaf. He gained Deacon and Prunella’s trust with ease because of his personality. He seems pretty open about himself and his struggles.

However, we the audience know that Wave is a liar with ulterior motives. We know that he’s manipulative, so everything we’ve thought about him is now put into question. He may be pretty on the outside, but the inside is another story. Wave has been lying from the start, he didn’t just start in Stardust. He was always lying and playing dumb.

If I were to try and debunk every line of dialogue that Wave has said, we’d be here for a week. Instead, I’ll go over the important moments that showcased his character. Wave likes to talk, so there’s quite a bit to go over. But for once, he made my job easy. He immediately blurted out his tragic anime backstory once he was caught in Season 2, Episode 7, Party Crashers (VII). The meat of what we know about him came from that discussion. I’m not gonna use screenshots because I want to focus on the words.

Wave:

It started at the beginning of this summer. I was graduating college… And not looking forward to it, really. College was fun, but now I have all of these things to worry about.

My family had kinda gotten into really bad debt, and tuition just made it worse. So I had to figure out how to support my mom and sister. Anyway, my girlfriend saw a notice in her dorm that she showed me. Someone stuck it up on a board by the dorm rooms. It was some kind of internship program, or at least that’s what it sounded like. Like, it made it seem like it was just a job archiving old books for the summer, organizing them and cataloging them. Easy enough.

I thought the pay was too good to be true, especially since they didn’t require any special degree. I didn’t have any other options after school, besides maybe a retail job. And I really needed to start supporting my family. I applied and managed to get an interview with the guy who owned the whole estate. It was this really old guy, and he said I’d be handling a lot of valuable documents and old books from a ‘private estate’. He emphasizes security and privacy because of the value of them.

I got offered the job, and passed a million background checks and stuff. The contract arrived along with a cash bonus up-front for my family. They wanted me to move to the guy’s estate and start right away. I should have asked more questions. The cash should have been a red flag. But I barely read half the contract before returning it, just in case they changed their minds.

I moved out to the coast and set up at the estate right away. But as soon as I got there, I knew something was wrong. My ‘room’ was in the basement, in an unused storage room. I wasn’t allowed to go anywhere, actually. Not even several miles into town. On my first night there, I woke up to find my phone and laptop confiscated. The old man kept my phone, and anytime I want to call home now, he’s in the room with me to watch what I say. After that, the basement door’s been locked every night after I go to bed.

It was then that I found out what I’d really be doing. Going into books to farm Narratonin for him… And spying on you guys. If I try to quit, or tell my family anything, the old man said he’d sue us into the ground for breach of contract. He’s got the money and the papers to do it. And… He might do something worse. Rich guys like him can afford to make people disappear.

But if I just do what I’m told, he said he’d pay off all my family’s debts, plus more. I dunno what to do… We need the money badly… But I don’t want to spy on anyone.

Chase:

Why would he bring a stranger in to do this stuff? Why doesn’t the old guy just do it himself?

Wave:

He walks with a cane, and he’s like crazy old. He can barely put a sentence together without running out of breath. He’s got some people in and out of the house doing errands for him and running business outside of the estate, but no one else actually lives there, besides a small security staff, watching the grounds. If he’s got other people doing book stuff for him, which he might, I’ve never seen them. Feels like it’s just me and him trapped in the house.

I had to do some trial books to prove I could keep up with the stories. It’s been insane. I never really believed in magic before, but the stuff I’ve seen? It’s beyond belief.

*Sips tea* Let’s go over the highlighted sections one by one.

“It started at the beginning of this summer.”

Colleges in America start summer vacation in May. Meaning, that Wave was looking for a job around this time. This means that Wave was involved with Ex Libris as early as mid to late May, or early June. High schools in America start their summer vacations in late May or late June. But they’re typically in June. This moment heavily implies that he was involved before any of the main cast.

“Graduating college…”

Bro was about to graduate and wasn’t looking forward to it due to, “All of these things to worry about.” What did he study? How many years did he study? What degree was he getting? He doesn’t specify his major or anything. Yet I don’t think he was lying here. But I’ll get to that in a sec. Anyways, he was worried about what he was gonna do after college, which I don’t think is a lie, either. But I’ll share my thoughts on that later.

“My family had kinda gotten into really bad debt, and tuition just made it worse.”

Bro said he got hit with The Double Decker Debt, Chat. Like, he’s really trying to hammer home that he’s in debt.

“So I had to figure out how to support my mom and sister.”

He’s not only in debt, but he has to support his mom and sister. He has no dad. Wave is the breadwinner. Therefore, if something happens to him, his mom and sister will be in trouble.

“Anyway, my girlfriend saw a notice in her dorm that she showed me.”

It’s because of her that he found this job at all. This is why I think Wave is in college, it’s because we actually see what this girl looks like. This part of the story is given emphasis. He met this girl while in college and they started dating. She wanted to help him find a job, and she did.

“Supporting my family.”

Good job for having urgency.😑

“The contract arrived along with a cash bonus up-front for my family. They wanted me to move to the guy’s estate and start right away.”

Wave’s family wanted him to move and start this job right away because the money was good? Is that what he’s telling us???

“But I barely read half the contract before returning it, just in case they changed their minds.”

This decision makes Wave sound humble, but a bit dumb. All of which fits his character up until Stardust, where the mask finally slips enough to where it’s undeniable.

“The old man kept my phone, and anytime I want to call home now, he’s in the room with me to watch what I say.”

Yeah, that sounds like something the old fart would do.

“If I try to quit, or tell my family anything, the old man said he’d sue us into the ground for breach of contract.”

That also sounds like something he would do. But again with this emphasis on Wave saying he’s keeping his family safe.

“He might do something worse. Rich guys like him can afford to make people disappear.”

No shit, Sherlock. Also, keep this moment in your head. Remember what Wave said here.

“But if I just do what I’m told, he said he’d pay off all my family’s debts, plus more. I dunno what to do… We need the money badly… But I don’t want to spy on anyone.”

A-huh. So he admitted to Chase that the old fart gave him a good reason to stay outside of blackmail. But he’s conflicted, but not enough to just outright stop. He even robbed and tied someone up. Bro, is more than willing to do that unnecessary theft and bring a low level kidnapping kit into a book. I don’t think bro is truly as conflicted as he says he is. Also- also, what about not dying? Don’t you want to, like, live?

Lies are at their most convincing when truths are weaved into their roots. Everything he says about the old fart is consistent with what we know about him. The estate and how it works also fits with what we’ve heard from Violet and Buddy. How Wave got the job is a bit more up in the air, but I’m inclined to believe him due to seeing his girlfriend in his flashback. You know who we don’t see in his flashbacks? His mom and sister. We see the apartment Wave lives in. Yes, it’s a one bedroom apartment, not a dorm. It looks way too personalized to be a dorm room.

Wave lives alone. We don’t see family photos, or texts from his mom or sister like we see with Deacon’s parents. Instead, we have photos of his girlfriend, a cat, and a blacked out photo of a group of three, possibly four people. But only one looks feminine. Which they could be his girlfriend again. Due to the washing machine and desk placement, this apartment is pretty small. Dorms don’t allow washing machines, plus, the room is too big for it to be a dorm. This means that he’s financially stable enough to have an apartment, with no roommates, and go to college.

Furthermore, he has a Nintendo Switch, several monitors, a laptop and a phone. Those aren’t cheap. You can get them second hand at a much cheaper price, or you can make individual purchases over the years. But if he’s a college student who’s supporting his family, while living in an apartment and not a dorm, and paying for said college while simultaneously not having a job before hand— how did he get all that stuff? Did his grandma help? The one that he doesn’t mention until Episode 33 of Season 2? Is his family financially able to pay for video games, a new phone, two computer monitors and a laptop while he’s at college but living in a one bedroom apartment, with no roommates? Especially if your family is in, oh, how did he phrase it? “My family had kinda gotten into really bad debt, and tuition just made it worse.”

Chat, I don’t think Wave’s family is in kinda bad debt. :)

In fact, I may go as far to say that his mom, sister, and grandma don’t exist. He keeps bringing family up, saying how they need him, while also making them out to be really eager for money to the point that he and them are ignoring red flags. They pushed him to go through with the job. It’s almost like he’s putting the blame on his family that he’s in this situation at all. It feels like he’s simultaneously blaming, while playing off as the breadwinner son who wants to help and doesn’t blame them at all. Pick a side!

We don’t see their faces, we’re given no names, and we don’t see texts from them. There are no pictures of them in his apartment, either. We only see Wave’s girlfriend. Heck, Wave doesn’t even specifically if his sister is younger or older than him!

Wave only mentions his sister in his backstory. She isn’t brought up again. He does mention his mom in Episode 15 of Season 2. But it’s a quick one off about her being impressed by his backflips.

His girlfriend is also brought up twice. Once in the backstory, then again in Episode 26 of Season 2. But we haven’t gotten any other mentions of her.

Now, let’s delve deeper into his first interaction with Chase. In Episode 5 of Party Crashers, Chase chased (heh) Wave through the mall until Wave backflipped off a balcony, falling to the first floor but landing on a couch/cushioned seat. In Episode 6, Chase met Wave on the bottom floor where they started to talk. Well, Chase was asking question after question. Wave said he was dizzy, had a head injury, but was otherwise fine. He jumped so the recording device he had on him would break. This is where Wave brings up the old man. He didn’t want Wave tampering with evidence, so he attached an old recording device on him so he couldn’t turn it off or delete anything. Because of this, Wave didn’t want to be too close to the gang, but he still wanted to know who they were, so he kept his distance.

Chase continues his questioning while the two play some games in the arcade. He wanted to know if Wave was a part of the Ex Libris higher ups, a lackey, or if he was even a part of it at all. Wave was more focused on the game, however. But he does answer that he thought this gig as a summer job. Wave also said that he knew about old books and key magic, but wasn’t a part of EX Libris. He then says that he’s being forced to do the old fart’s dirty work, which included spying on the gang. He admits this with a “remorseful” expression. Chase retorts, “Why are you telling me this? You stayed in the job with them. You’re choosing to do their dirty work.”

“You don’t understand,” Wave adds. “I don’t want to do any of this. That’s why I need your help! I have a bad feeling that if I don’t escape from them soon, it’s gonna be—,” GAME OVER, Wave then points to the forgotten game they were playing. “Yeah. That.”

Then we move onto Episode 7, where Wave tells Chase his backstory.

I’m gonna be blunt, the buildup to the backstory and the backstory itself was a strategy. It wasn’t his intention to be seen, but the moment Chase caught up with him, Wave changed tactics and went into full blown manipulation mode. Heck, the clothes he was wearing was all in the act of seeming harmless in the event he did get caught. He had on his signature T-shirt, swim shorts, and flip-flops. Those don’t scream, evil cult at all. Chase thought bro looked like a guy who swam with dolphins.

I told the backstory first, because I wanted that to be fresh in everyone’s minds. What Wave did, the moment Chase caught him, was to try and manipulate him. He did that backflip in order to get Chase’s guard down. Chase is a caring guy. Wave had been spying on them for a hot minute, that would be one of the first things he’d pick up on. If Wave looked stupid, acted clumsy and clueless, but genuinely friendly by destroying a device that he didn’t destroy earlier— but got hurt in the process, Chase would be more focus on him being hurt then the spying part. Wave had that backstory in his back pocket (because most of it is based on true events), just in the event he did get caught so he could see how easy Chase would be to trick. Because let’s face it, bro was too eager to spill his woes to Chase of all people.

Wave brought up having a family and what’s going on with them ten times in that backstory. That’s a lot of times. He brought up having women in his life that would miss and need him if he didn’t escape Ex Libris, fast. But he can’t leave due to money, contracts, and negligence. He brought up money troubles, college debt, finding a job, getting a sucky job that ended up being not a job at all and now being stuck in a cult. It’s believable on the surface because a good chunk of it is true. Wave just sprinkled in more angst for the plot by adding that he has a single mom with a sister that need him. And the money stuff too.

But since we see more than what Chase sees, he doesn’t know about Wave’s apartment or what his girlfriend looks like, or any of that. He only has Wave’s word, which is why I took away the pictures and put them last so the words can shine. We’re reading what Chase heard without any pictures. With the amount of times Wave brings up the women in his life, his money troubles, and regrets he’s feeding Chase a friendly facade with some relatability.

“Chase is a young guy who might go to college soon. He’s gotta have a family, maybe a crush or romantic partner? It’s best to play it safe and go in on all fronts, but only slightly. Getting a job is scary, and this whole situation is crazy to those not use to it, let’s combine both and really hammer in that this whole thing is dangerous. Lives are at stake. This is a chance for him to play hero.” This line of thinking must have crossed Wave’s mind. Because his backstory plays into every insecurity, strength, weakness and want Chase has.

Chase is emphatic to a fault and wants to help others.

Chase is a guy. Societal norms affect everyone, no matter how queer or straight one can be. If a woman is in danger, the guy has to be the hero and protect her. The guy has to provide, and the guy has to be strong for his family. That’s what society expects and drills into people.

Growing up is scary and hard. Going to college and getting a job is no better. What would life be like after all that change? Chase is young and struggles enough with death as it is. He even struggles with money and wants to be rich so he can give it to others.

Chase doesn’t like death or seeing people in danger or hurt, or heck, even hearing about it.

The likelihood that Chase has a romantic partner would be high, in Wave’s eyes. Or at the very least, liked someone. Considering how much Chase kept on worrying about this “Buddy” guy while Deacon didn’t in Episode 2 of Party Crashers, Wave definitely heard it.

Chase has a sick mom who is also a single parent with money problems.

This backstory, with this context just became a test on how easy Chase would be to manipulate. How many questions would he ask? Would he believe this story? And would he feel empathy, or relate to him like Wave suspected? How would he react?

My question is how Wave was able to target such specific things, but if he’s been spying, then he’s been doing a good job getting intel.

However, for once, Chase failed a test that, in the long run would be his saving grace. Because this was the moment that Wave knew Chase wouldn’t be easy to manipulate. It wasn’t in Episode 17, in the arc, Little Shadows that he learned that, no. Chase had reservations as early as Party Crashers after hearing Wave’s anime backstory. Look at his reactions after hearing it. He’s never met this guy before. The guy has been nothing but dumb yet kind to him their entire meeting. Bro just spilt his guts out to this random guy, and asked for his help:

Now look at Chase’s reaction to figuring out that Buddy, a guy who’s been a jerk to him and Deacon the entire time, was locked up somewhere and was never given food:

Buddy never said a word. His reaction was enough. Chase didn’t need to ask any more questions. He’s known Buddy long enough to notice the shift in his demeanor at such a joke. But with Wave, he kept on asking and asking. That’s one of the things a manipulator doesn’t want their targets to do, is to ask too many questions. Asking questions is a sign that their targets won’t just listen and bend to their will without a bit more effort.

The things Wave was targeting in Chase were very specific. But the empathy thing worked, tho. Chase had a conflicted expression as Wave left. But that was enough for Wave to put his foot in the door. That tiny amount of uncertainty gave him enough room for doubt, because he fed into Chase’s desire to help others the most. The rest of the test, Chase failed. Wave knew he wouldn’t be so easily swayed, but he needed to be sure. So, he tested the waters again in Little Shadows. And when Chase kept asking questions and didn’t reveal his real name to him, Wave knew for certain he’d have to manipulate the others to get to Chase.

If he could find their weaknesses, he could manipulate them, and in tern, manipulate Chase externally. If we look at each arc with him being a manipulative sus muffin, then every action, joke, and additional detail about him gains a new layer of eeriness. The moment Wave saw Deacon, he immediately offered him a sandwich in Little Shadows, Episode 18 of Season 2. That was his first move. He was friendly with Deacon immediately. And in the next arc, Perfect Halo Wave amplified his stupidity, silliness, and friendly behavior with Deacon. That same arc, he also made a friendly gesture to Prunella by giving her a piggyback ride. That was his first move to gage her insecurities. He had already found some of Deacon’s: Being a third wheel, feeling inferior, and his lack of self worth and not knowing things. As long as Deacon thinks he knows something, he’s as confident as a cat catching a mouse.

All Wave needed to do was to be open about his struggles, reassure Deacon that he’s important— even as a third wheel, and give him compliments with a friendly face. As long as he makes Deacon think he knows who he is, then he’s got him. If he thinks he’s an ally or a friend, even better. With that logic, Deacon was the easiest to manipulate, he’s also the dad of the group, so Wave stuck around him the most.

Wave got quite a bit of intel on Prunella. Her insecurities were also easy to take advantage of. For one, she was the youngest. Therefore, she’d have insecurities about not being listened to. Also, she might not feel like part of the group due to how old everyone else is compared to her. And if that was his thought process, then he was proven right because of what happened in Perfect Halo. Deacon, Chase, and Buddy didn’t listen to her, and Chase and Buddy’s competitive flirting messed up the book her dad got her. Who she rarely sees. But it also revealed something else. That everyone in that group cares for Prunella a lot. They all worked to make up for their mistakes.

All Wave had to do was be super duper sweet and listen to Prunella in order to gain her trust. Be a playful guy to her, and she’d feel seen enough to trust him completely.

You know who didn’t fall for Wave’s shit? Yeah, Buddy. In Perfect Halo, Wave tried to do the same thing. He put on a friendly and dorky oaf demeanor, but since he didn’t know Buddy at all, he couldn’t target any specific insecurities. So, he had to guess. Since he heard from Chase that Buddy was supposedly stuck in Ex Libris, he made his discussion key based. He talked about being a Keyholder and how weird it was. We only got a chunk of that conversation, but this was what we got:

Wave: So then I was like, “Listen dude, we might be married in this book, but I kinda just wanna be friends.” Yeah, heaving The Lover Key is a little weird sometimes, for real. But that’s just sorta my thing now, and it’s not so bad. I mean, it’s way better when I have people to talk to—.

Buddy responded in kind by shielding Chase the moment he walked into the conversation. Then said to Wave, without breaking eye contact, “After you.” That moment told Wave this:

This Buddy guy is cold.

Buddy didn’t like what he said.

Buddy is protective in nature, especially with Chase.

He’s not very talkative. But he listens.

He didn’t fall for his friendly demeanor, nor was he all too empathetic. Therefore, he doesn’t trust him one bit.

If Buddy was in Ex Libris, he doesn’t act like it. He doesn’t act like a lackey or a higher up. He must be working on his own, or with a secret third party that knows the same tricks…

If Wave thought Buddy was protective and cared for Chase, then he’d be proven right. The entire book, they were competitively flirting. And with how Deacon mumbled and talked, they did stuff like this a lot. Deacon confirmed that he was basically third wheeling. Buddy even saved Chase later on in the book.

Wave did see that Buddy has a soft spot for the rest of the group, however. Even tho he treats Deacon as an annoyance, he wasn’t down right cold. The two have a begrudging tolerance for each other. But they’re willing to ask questions and help each other out. Later, when Buddy comforts Prunella, Wave saw that he cared for her as well. He went above and beyond to make her feel better.

In Perfect Halo, Wave got a good grasp of the group’s dynamic.

(He doesn’t know they’re names, probably, only code names, which I’ll be using in this section)

Dorken has The Helper Key. He acts the oldest, and looks the oldest. He is the begrudging dad of the group who doesn’t want to third wheel. He’s the prep guy, and is just as nosy as Chase. He was a bit standoffish at first, but quickly warmed up the moment he was given information. Act open around him, tell him things that he thinks he wants, but don’t tell him anything of value unless it serves a purpose later. He’ll stop asking questions, unlike Chase.

Buddy has The Villainess Key (whether he knows that is up in the air at this point in the story, but he knows now in Stardust). He is cold, judgmental, and not too keen on chatting and really secretive. He and Dorken don’t get along 100%. But they aren’t downright hostile. There is a baseline of trust, but they aren’t friends. He’s probably the second oldest. But he acts differently from everyone else. He acts all high and mighty, but he does have a soft spot for Chase and the kid. He is likely Chase’s boyfriend, or they’re at the very least dating. He knows about the magic and was supposedly involved with Ex Libris to some degree. But he didn’t like that conversation earlier. But he is good at stories and, “Has read every book ever.”

Chase has The Heroine Key and is the leader of the group. But he’s the third youngest, most definitely. He and Dorken are very familiar with each other, to the point they’re having private conversations and making jabs. They’re probably related, maybe brothers. But they look nothing alike. As for his connection with the kid, he’s either her babysitter, or older brother, it’s one of the two. But again, they look nothing alike. Chase asks too many questions, is hyper competitive, but is a compassionate guy who cares for the team. He tends to get in over his head, but the others will have his back. Buddy will swoop in to save him with no hesitation.

The kid has The Hero Key and is the youngest of the group. She is babied by Chase and Dorken, while Buddy mostly kept to himself until she ran off to hide and cry. Whatever he said made her feel comfortable enough to leave her hiding spot. She’s sassy, bossy, and doesn’t like being babied by the others. She likes to overshare and loves the Lady Lovealorn series. The kid is very familiar with Chase and Dorken. It’s unclear if she has that type of familiarity with Buddy. If she doesn’t know him all that well, then she’s pretty vocal around new people. Just be sweet and fun around her, unlike the rest, and she’ll be open to talk about anything.

Perfect Halo was the best thing to happen to Wave in terms of information gathering. Even though everyone was being careful not to reveal their names, that didn’t matter. Because discussions, dynamics, personalities and interests and more can tell a manipulator a lot. A manipulator doesn’t need your real name. What a manipulator needs to know is, “What troubles you? What do you want to hear? And how quickly do you let your guard down? What type of shame do you carry? How useful will you be? Are you a rational thinker, or are you quick to anger and judge others? What makes you vulnerable? Who do you trust or not? Who do you like or not? Who do you love?”

There’s more, but I think I’ve already painted a pretty grim picture.

Before Wave even entered the group chat, he was already assessing. The moment Wave was let into the group, they were being analyzed even further. Perfect Halo was an information hotspot. Everyone was in one place with all their flaws, insecurities, and desires on full display. Buddy and Chase are the hardest to manipulate, but they aren’t immune. Buddy has secret after secret tucked away from the others. Yet he loves this blond guy dearly. Chase is caring to a fault, but gets carried away by things far too quickly. He gets distracted just by being bored. They may not trust him 100%, but Wave doesn’t need their trust, he just needs the other half’s.

The next arc they met up in was Absentee. Wave did some notable things in that one. First, he wanted everyone to see that he had an outfit. He has a good partnership with Ro guys, truuuust. That was the first thing he established upon seeing the others, because for the last three books, he didn’t have an outfit. Heck, he didn’t have one in the Snow White book where they first caught wind of him. He stole someone else’s. So, for four books, he was swag-less.

I won’t go into detail on the outfit side of things, I’ve already done that, and we’d be here all day if I did it again. But note that they are not Rose’s style in the slightest. Only Wave speaks through the outfits. The only time Rose did speak through was in Plunderland. Heh, lyre. Great pun, 19/10. Also note that Wave wasn’t happy with that outfit at all. Remember, he hates frilly and pink stuff. Whimp.

For a guy that supposedly has a sister, a single mother, a grandmother, and a girlfriend one would think he’d be pretty chill with stereotypical feminine things. I’m not saying he has to like the color, or wear extra frills and stuff. But one would think he’d at least wear Rose’s outfits with little fuss. Like, how fragile is his masculinity where wearing pink hearts, ruffles, and tights cause him to run for the hills like he did in that flashback in Little Shadows? I hate to break it to him, (nah, actually, I’d kick him in the balls) but Prunella is more masculine than he is. She’d wear pink, even though she’d rather wear army camo 24/7. Because outfits are a form of expression that transcends gender norms. His masculinity is where Pluto is, and Prunella’s is the sun.

Okay, so in Absentee, Wave tried to get along with Buddy. But each advancement was met with a Buddy equivalent of, “You don’t get to know me, peasant.”😒💅✨

However, Buddy let some things…. Slip.

“This is such a waste of time. What kind of Narratonin can we get from a vague story that only provides sudden scares and has no solid ending? This won’t be the least bit enjoyable.”

“This is nothing but walking and empty halls. Is this what passes for entertainment these days?”

“This book is hastily written garbage.”

“What? I’m not afraid of this sorry specter! The only thing it’s killing is my time!”

Reeeaaaal slick, Buds. 😬

Wave left Chase alone. Prunella wasn’t there. So he mostly stuck around with Deacon. Wave reassured Deacon about being a third wheel again, asked him questions about the book and his theories on the movie it was from, and gave him compliments. This was where Wave truly gained his trust. He had so much alone time with him that roots started to form. The last few arcs were for planting seeds.

Plunderland happened next, and since that arc’s been talked to death, I’ll keep it short. The two people that Wave was specifically targeting, he was in a whole book with them, alone. Last book was Deacon centric, Prunella was next. He spent far too much time with her. Deacon trusted him with her safety, which….. Ouch. That won’t bite them in the butt later. Definitely not. Especially not with the fact Buddy doesn’t pick the books, definitely not.

I will add that Wave was literally mirroring Jakob Plunder. Remember when Wave told Prunella to leave the book, so she did, leaving the hero in her place? Yeah, bro literally dropped the hero (act) the moment no one was looking. Which was foreshadowing the now infamous Stardust Smirk. Not to get mixed up with the infamous Bite of 87.

Jokes hide lore. No one is safe.

This moment has also been talked about a lot. But I wanna go another layer deeper. So I’ll be skipping the Stardust arc.

There was a comment that got my attention when the Smirk Episode of Stardust dropped that made me look into this moment in Plunderland a bit more. @gravitykeith was apparently the one who made this comment. So props to them for posting it on here, because I completely missed it.

💬 3 🔁 11 ❤️ 111 · Now that the end of Stardust is free, Punko replied this to me regarding Wave which made me think... We know that the k

So, this begs an even bigger question:

If Wave is a liar, how deep do his lies go?

Then I got to asking, how much does his reflection mirror Plunder’s? And then the word, reflection reminded me of parallels. And then, I realized something, the reason for why this reveal was so shocking was because we were not given a motive. At least, not one that aligned with what we were seeing unfold.

My questions about Wave were as followed after the reveal:

How deep is Wave in Ex Libris?

How much of Wave’s backstory is a lie?

Does he know that Buddy is a Key?

What’s he gonna do? What’s his plan?

Why is Wave seemingly afraid of the old fart? Is he family? Or what?

What does Wave want?

Wave’s actions don’t align with his backstory. They don’t align with his seemingly innocent nature, and they don’t align with him being trapped. He is hiding his true nature far too well. He isn’t a morally gray hero like Plunder. He’s been toying with the gang since he was caught. Plus, he might not be a real blond. But why do any of this? What’s his goal?

Well, let’s answer that with a question. Who else does he parallel in the story?

Buddy.

Wave and Buddy have been narrative parallels since Wave’s introduction. He was also after Chase, but instead of being confronted, Buddy did the confronting and made his desires known. Buddy was a mystery since day one. But he wasn’t hiding his feelings about the group, he didn’t hide his goals, and he didn’t put on a friendly front. Also, his manipulation skills were absolute shit. His information gathering was mid at best, and he kept his mouth shut. Chase and Deacon don’t know much about him to this day, but they didn’t know jack all in the beginning. Chase didn’t even know his name back then.

He followed them into nearly every book besides one, unlike Wave, who was inconsistent. Buddy had an outfit when Chase met him, where Wave didn’t. Buddy has a great relationship with his sister, who is a key, where Wave’s relationship with his key is ass. Buddy knows what’s going on in every book where Wave is absolutely clueless. Buddy will be a begrudging guide, while Wave is happy to follow the leader. Buddy doesn’t get along with Deacon, where Wave does. Wave used his knowledge on the Backdoor Spell to manipulate Deacon. While Buddy wanted to tell Chase the full truth about the spell and himself. Wave tells lies and keeps secrets, while pretending to be an open book to Deacon, but won’t tell him that. Buddy keeps secrets, but he hates telling lies and wants to be an open book to Chase, but can’t.

One is playing the hero, while the other is playing the villain.

There’s more, but let’s focus on the similarities.

Buddy and Wave both use the Backdoor Spell to follow the gang. Wave follows Bronze, while Buddy follows Silver. They are both siphoning the Hollow cousins’s Narratonin because of that spell. They were both following orders from someone else while doing this. For Buddy, it was Violet. But for Wave, it’s the old man. They were both involved with the Magic before the main cast were. They both know more than what they let on about the cult’s spells, while hiding behind a disguise.

Now, what did Buddy say to Chase and Deacon at the start? What did he say he wanted? The keys.

That’s the motive. Wave is after the keys too. However, where Buddy wants to free the keys, Wave wants to keep them for himself. But why would I say that? How did I come to this conclusion? Two posts:

Firstly, my poll results:

💬 17 🔁 4 ❤️ 37 · Who do you think Wave truly is? Take your guesses now! Trust your gut! There are no wrong answers until proven otherwise!

There were many a theory in the comments and reblogs, and each one brought something new to the table. Each theory was unique, but they all had a few things in common:

Wave reminds everyone of someone.

The theme of family.

And then it hit me. Wave’s actions, don’t fit with the theme of family. In fact, his words don’t match his actions in the slightest.

Unlike Buddy, who was being a jerk, his every action was in the effort to free his family. Every thought, word, and action was to free them and fix Silver. His regrets and shame, at their core are about making amends for what he had done. His whole character and redemption arc has been building up to one specific moment, to apologize to Silver. Every apology he’s ever given has been building up to that one. From Beach Boys, to Perfect Halo, and then Stardust, they all had memorable and character revealing moments that involved a Buddy Apology (TM). Buddy grew as a person during and after each one. He got better at them over time, he gave less excuses, didn’t push or pass the blame, and didn’t ask for forgiveness.

Even though we, the readers know that Buddy was manipulated and don’t blame him for what had happened to Silver, to him that’s not the case. He realized far too late that he was being used, and that lead him to listening to the traitor’s words. This domino effect lead to the traitor taking six of his siblings, and dropping one of em, cracking her. Buddy feels responsible. That night haunts him. He’s not after her forgiveness. He doesn’t feel like he has a right to, for he betrayed her. He betrayed his whole family, just to be human again.

Buddy views himself as the villain, and that night sealed it for him. His “selfish wish” lead him to listen to an unknown man’s promise. He doesn’t feel deserving of forgiveness because he betrayed their trust in his eyes. He betrayed Silver’s trust. To him, he might as well have been the one to drop her at the highest level of the manor, letting her fall to the cobble road down below.

Buddy’s themes of family, love, belong and selflessness coincide with his actions in the story. Buddy views himself as a greedy villain who will only hurt the ones he cares about. He’s nothing but a common thief. When in truth, he’s a jerk, but he doesn’t have an evil bone in his body. He can play the role, he will cut off chunks of the stepsister’s feet if the plot demands it. But if given the opportunity, he wouldn’t. If Buddy is put into a position where he has to fight, cut off chunks of a person, or steal to survive, he will. But the minute he gets the choice to not hurt someone, especially in real life, he will take it. If he really wanted to hurt Chase and Deacon, he would have done so ages ago. Instead, we see him saving their lives over and over. Buddy doesn’t want to be the villain, but that’s what he’s been told to be. So, he plays it the best he can. However, Buddy is a morally gray hero. He’s not perfect, he ain’t no saint, but bro would rather cut off his own head than hurt a kid.

Buddy struggles to see how selfless he actually is. He isn’t greedy at all. He just wants to be loved and to have a place to belong. Heck, he only wants one wish, and that’s to be human again. Violet gave him the opportunity to have any wish he’d want, even the taboo ones! But he’s throwing that all away. He never wanted that to begin with. Bro only stole and fought to survive, so he was like this long before he met the keys. No one told him to return Chase’s Narritonin or red hoodie, he made those choices himself. You don’t just show acts of selfishness and heroism out of the blue and then be told that you’re going through a character arc where you learn how to be a selfless hero. Buddy already had those qualities, he just needs to learn to recognize them!

Buddy’s themes fit his actions in the story, because he embodies them. Wave’s actions don’t make sense if he’s supposed to embody the same ones. Which is why I don’t think he does. We’ve been reading Wave as just a parallel, but he’s not just a parallel, he’s a thematic opposite.

If Buddy’s themes are of family, love, belonging and selflessness, then Wave is the opposite to those. Specifically in the selflessness department. Because there is a factor to manipulation of the people variety that I haven’t touched on, yet.

Manipulators know exactly what they’re doing.

You don’t just accidentally manipulate someone. It’s an executive decision. Wave has been choosing to manipulate the others, and hasn’t and will not stop until they are of no use to him. Manipulation is the chosen action to make a person unknowingly give the manipulator what they want. There are many types of manipulation tactics, but each one has the soul purpose to make a person bend to their will enough to get something out of them. From gaslighting, guilt-tripping, to tactical charm and many more are all tools for such things. Manipulative behavior is greed at its finest, and it’s often subtle which makes it difficult to spot on occasions. It takes many forms, and no two manipulators will do the same stuff.

Wave wants something from the gang, and that something is the keys. Buddy has the same wants but for opposite reasons. Buddy and Violet may have been a team, but he was making decisions independently from her. Wave is doing the same with the old fart. He’s working with the old man, but for his own benefit. He gets something out of this, and that something isn’t a wish or money or his family’s safety, it’s the opportunity to steal the keys for himself once they’re all collected. He’s putting on a front on all sides. He acts friendly, a bit stupidly, but helpful with the gang. But with the old man, he acts scared, helpless, yet helpful just to backstab him later. Both of these fronts give off a friendly and helpless yet helpful facade.

But why would Wave want the keys if he’s a college student who just learned this stuff? This guy can’t just be a monster, that’s shallow. Well, that’s because he isn’t just a college student. In fact, like @squeer-el I think Wave is the traitor.

💬 19 🔁 8 ❤️ 77 · IS WAVE THE TRAITOR OF EX LIBRIS? · Disclaimer: I still haven't completely re-read the second season of Cinderella Boy, s

I didn’t originally, but their post combined with the realization of themes and parallels helped me spot a pattern that I can’t unsee. Squeer-el brought up some great points that I want to add on further.

Firstly, their manipulation tactics are eerily similar.

Lets look at what the traitor said to Buddy in Little Shadows:

The traitor: Shhh, be still! Not a word. Listen to me while he’s busy. I saw. He didn’t, but I did. I know you can break your keyring. You are not like the others. You are still partly human, I believe. And in being so, you have abilities far beyond theirs.

I know what you once were. It isn’t right, trapping a man like this. You must have people back in the city, looking for you. I know how you must feel about the order’s cruelty. I was promised a wish, long ago, only to be told I must “earn it.” But after years of diligent loyalty and hard work, I know the truth now. None but the high council ever gets their wishes granted, no matter how desperate or important the wish may be.

They make us work for nothing, the promise of a wish always dangling over our heads, yet never getting any closer. They want to string us along forever, with hope always just out of reach. It’s cruel, yet we cannot leave once we know their secret. Those who try are silenced. But I have a plan. That is… If you’re willing to help me.

*The guy then lays out a carefully detailed plan, yadda-yadda-yadda— I’ll wish for you to be human again after my wishes are done*

The traitor: I won’t lie, it is incredibly risky. If you are caught, they will discover your secret and likely lock you up in some worse way. As for me… I doubt I’ll ever be seen again.

But this is all I can think to do to free the both of us.

Nox: Let’s just… Wish Ex Libris gone! All of them! Then I can take the others with me!

The traitor: No… If it were only that easy, but the keys have orders built into their very creation. They cannot be used to wish against any of the order. Wishes cannot be turned against the masters. They cannot be used to wish themselves out of Ex Libris’ grasp. The old master thought of everything. I know you don’t want to leave the others. But perhaps when we are safely away, we can make a plan to steal them back? But there’s nothing you can do to help them while you’re this small, and trapped in this place.

They thought of everything… Except a key who can defeat them from the inside, then walk out. Will you do it?

This discussion targets different aspects of Buddy’s struggle. It’s also a lot shorter if I take out the plan segment. But like Chase, he deliberately targets Buddy’s humanity.

He confirms that Buddy isn’t like the other keys. Which is an insecurity that the traitor says is a strength in his eyes.

He goes after Buddy’s belief that he can’t do anything while being so small.

He feeds into family ties and human connections.

He adds that he’s a hardworking guy who was promised something that will never happen. No matter how hard he works, he’ll never get what he wants. No matter how hard Buddy tries, he’ll never be a key. But the guy adds that he understands, he knows how that feels. “We’re not so different, you and I.”

He brings up, “This is our only shot, otherwise I’m dead,” on multiple occasions.

“If you help me, I’ll help you.”

Buddy’s manipulation is a lot more blunt than Chase’s, but it’s almost beat for beat and bar for bar. Especially with the, “I’m gonna die/be made to disappear,” line being used more than once in both instances, especially near the end of the conversation. As well as the conversation being mostly traitor guy centric then Buddy centric. Which is interesting, because this moment happens in Episode 17 of Season 2 in Little Shadows (IV). Just before the flashback resumes, we see Chase and Wave talking.

The conversation is mostly Wave centric, as have all of Wave’s conversations been before, during, and after since joining the gang. But he mostly talks about the danger he’s in, and being unable to think of any other way to escape besides waiting it out until he’s saved or let out. If Wave is the traitor, this conversation foreshadowed Buddy’s manipulation. Because Wave is asking for Chase’s help to escape Ex Libris. He’s laying out all of Ex Libris’s security that he can’t outmatch, but maybe an outsider with an insider’s assistance can?

He brings up family, getting what he’s promised, escaping, the possibility of death and punishment, and asking for help (both directly and indirectly). It’s all him, him, him. Wave and the traitor both put up a friendly front, act helpless yet helpful, and seem more empathetic than they let on. They both overshare if it benefits them, they don’t ask for information from the cast, and they can change plans on the fly.

Their manipulation tactics are similar to King Candy’s in Wreck-It Ralph. No, I’m not joking. This video analysis became my biggest resource while looking into Wave as a character, and the similarities are staggering.

This is kinda off topic, but I do want to add how Wave and King Candy/Turbo are similar:

They both don’t like the color pink.

They’re both manipulative people who put on a friendly facade to get what they want.

If Wave is the traitor coming back for another round, then their greed knows no bounds.

They both gained the trust of and manipulated children.

Both Wave and KC used the bronze/brown wearing character as a tool.

If Wave is the traitor, then they came back from hiding and never died.

They have violent tendencies that they hide.

If Wave is the traitor, then they both hurt the heroine.

They’re both a little silly.

They both know more than what they let on.

They hide behind a sweet disguise that they got by manipulation.

Evil smirks.

Tricked the masses.

Knows a lot about tech.

As you can see, I’ve lost myself in the sauce.💀

Back on track, Wave and the traitor both use similar tactics to King Candy, but not bar for bar. Because Wave acts nicer then KC ever did:

Here are the ones that Wave has used throughout the series so far (I’ll add my own additions from other sources):

A friendly facade

I’m a good guy, too!

Mixing the facts

Cherry picking

Getting emotional

Feeding into insecurities

We aren’t so different

Praising targets

The threat of death or punishment

Lying

Changing the subject

Excessive apologies

Superficial charms

Selective attention

Rationalization

Foot-in-the-door

Target questions themselves

Shifting the blame

Feigning helplessness

Presenting a false narrative/dilemma

Now here is what the traitor used in the one incident we get:

A friendly facade

I’m a good guy, too!

Cherry picking

Getting emotional

We aren’t so different

Praising targets

The threat of death or punishment

Lying

Changing the subject

Selective attention

Foot-in-the-door

Feigning helplessness

Presenting a false narrative/dilemma

Rationalization

Shifting the blame

Manipulation tactics are powerful psychological tools used by emotional abusers to gain control over their victims. These tactics, such as g

Manipulation (psychology) - Wikipedia

Besides two things, they use the same tactics in the same fucking way. They just changed their script to fit different narratives for different targets. But if you look at how Wave tells his story, versus how the traitor does it, you’ll notice that his manipulation is a lot more subtle. With Buddy he was far more obvious, but that didn’t matter, because the situation was intense moments prior. Where with Chase, it’s more subtle. Even though the situation was a chase (heh) sequences not too long ago, his manipulation was better hidden. If Wave is the traitor, he’s had years to build up this skill.

But what other evidence do we have that could prove Wave is the traitor?

Well, remember how Wave might not be an actual blond?

Hmm, the traitor’s beard looks similar to Plunder’s. Odd. Also, Wave’s eyebrows don’t match his hair, like Plunder’s. If Plunder is an actual morally gray hero, then he’s an actual blond. Wave isn’t a morally gray hero, so that’s gotta mean he isn’t an actual blond. Plus, his eyebrows match the traitor’s hair more than his current hair.

If Wave is the traitor, then by proxy, we know what he wished for. With the newest arc, The Best Laid Plans, we’re told exactly what one of the taboo wishes were. While also implying another. The old fart was immortal, at some point he wish for it. Violet said that was against the rules. Violet’s Keyholder was one of the higher ups, but she never wished to be immortal or have eternal youth. Instead, we see she wished for money and junk. This means that two of the forbidden wishes were eternal youth and immortality.

We know one of the traitor’s wishes, a ladder to escape. The other two were left out. But we know he wished for more than that. I don’t think Violet bringing up immortality and youth was a coincidence. That arc could have foreshadowed what the traitor wished for. This also means that Buddy and Wave are truly narrative parallels, thematic opposites, and foils.

Buddy was given eternal youth, immortality, and endless wishes. But he only wants one wish, to be human with Chase, and to free his family from Ex Libris.

Wave took his immortality, eternal youth, and wants to steal the keys to have infinite wishes. He wants to keep the keys for himself and be their new prison. Because that was the traitor’s plan.

Is there evidence that Wave could have immortality? Actually, yeah. In Party Crashers, Wave backflipped off a balcony and landed face first on a couch or something. Sure, it cushioned his fall, but he should’ve been more hurt by that than just dizzy. He didn’t appear to have a head injury at all. He didn’t have a broken nose or bruised face, he looked completely uninjured. Also, he didn’t seem to have a lot of hesitation to jump. Maybe he had a little, but he still jumped and came out fine. To me, it looked like he was choosing his options of letting it slip that he’s not normal, or getting caught by Barbie’s missing brother right then and there. Clearly, he picked the second option and played off his fall. “Ooh geez, I’m sooo clumsy. Lol, I have a head injury, but I’m fine.”

In past episode, injuries have been pretty visible. From cuts to bruises, we’ve seen some blood at time, so Wave should have had a bruise at least. But we don’t even see that.

Buddy does get cuts and scrapes, but he isn’t naturally an immortal being. He’s still a normal human fused with a key’s body. That’s gotta affect how he appears in books or something.

The backflip is just a little thought, something to chew on, I’m not holding it up a true evidence. But in Absentee, we get some stuff. Buddy and Wave paralleled each other quite a bit in that arc:

Wave knew how to operate a camera while Buddy didn’t.

Wave knew that Absentee was a movie that existed while Buddy didn’t even know what a movie was.

Wave wasn’t complaining about the book, while Buddy was.

Wave understood the scare factor while Buddy didn’t.

Wave said he had an old style camera like the one used in Absentee. He called it, “So Vintage.” I don’t like how he’s look at the camera when he says it.

Furthermore, Buddy said this about the book, “This is nothing but walking and empty halls. Is this what passes for enlightenment these days?” To which Wave responded rather nonchalantly, “This is how these stories always start out… Super slow, then some weird jumpscares and noises, then the ghosts come at you.”

I smell a smell, and it’s not a good smell.

Lastly, this gem.

For those that don’t know, Highlander was a 1986 movie about immortal beings who have to fight to the death until there’s only one standing. “There can only be one.” The only way to kill these immortal humans is to cut off or destroy their heads. If Buddy, an immortal, is crushing Wave’s head, who might also be an immortal, then that is a good reference (and some neat foreshadowing).

Also-also, the song, Who Wants to Live Forever by Queen was made for this movie, sooooooooooooo.

The Best Laid Plans reminded me of this song quite a bit with all that talk about life, death, love and being human. Granted, I didn’t know this song was in Highlander. I only knew the movie existed because my grandpa told me about it for two hours straight during a long car ride back in 2022. Yes, he told me the plot of the entire movie and the others that proceeded it. Apparently, the first movie was superior.

Now you know that blabbing on and on is in my genes. 😑

But hey, I can finally put this random movie info to use, so thanks grandpa!

Anyways, the main character of Highlander, Connor Macleod, a Scottish Highlander from 1536, aka, an immortal confronts his ultimate rival in modern day New York.

Fraser Clan, his rival kills Connor in battle, but didn’t cut off his head like he had planned, so Connor was resurrected. But due to the magic system of this world, Connor learns from this death that he’s an immortal being called a Highlander. He is forever the age that he died at until someone cuts his head off. Connor was then mercifully exiled for witchcraft, and then wondered the world.

He’s had to change his name more than once. His original name was Connor, but in the modern day, he deals antiques and goes by the name, Russell Nash. But everyone calls him Nash. The other Highlanders call him Connor, however.

Connor/Nash’s whole deal with being immortal and changing names is eerily similar to Nox/Buddy’s whole deal. If this similarity is anything at all, that means Wave is Fraser Clan in this context. He’s an experienced immortal who is after the other immortal beings for his own gain. In the movie, if a Highlander beheads another Highlander, they gain their life essence (which is depicted as blue) and the others they have killed. Wave is after the power the other immortals posses, but not through death, but imprisonment.

Why am I so convinced Wave is the traitor besides all this other stuff? Because the traitor was never confirmed to have died, bro just vanished into the night. We only know one of the three wishes he wished for, and him making a return would make Wave’s actions make 1,000 times more sense then if he was just some dude who just got here.

Wave being the traitor wouldn’t ruin his character, it actually adds a layer of depth to both his current and past self. He has experienced an immortal existence, and learned from it. What did he learn?

How to better manipulate people.

How to fit into society and the people around him.

How to accumulate wealth in a subtle way to the point he can be financially stable and still go to college.

How to make a new identity.

How to disappear.

All the things he learned in college throughout the years.

How to surf and find love with technology.

And probably more that I can’t think of.

Here is where my theory comes in:

Near the beginning of this post, I brought up that Wave said, “ I was graduating college… And not looking forward to it, really. College was fun, but now I have all of these things to worry about.” I didn’t think he was lying, and I still don’t. Because if Wave is immortal, but he has to hide it, what are you gonna do with all that free time? He wouldn’t have infinite wishes, so what’s he gonna do?

He’d develop a cycle of “living” and pretend to have a normal life. He would repeat this cycle until he found a way to steal the keys again.

If he is eternally youthful, then his options are pretty limited. He’d have to get a retail, factory, or some kind of blue collar job that can keep him under the raider. But due to changing economics and ways to save money, it wouldn’t be too big of an issue to fudge some things and make multiple savings accounts under different names. Time is what’s important in saving’s accounts, not quantity. Bro probably has multiple life insurances, retirements, and savings stored away. He could pull from that whenever he wanted, especially if he needed to change his identity and move.

Yep, I’m saying Wave has committed fraud and other money related crimes, just because of his existence.

As school became more affordable over the years, Wave would start to take classes and increase his skills. This would add some verity in his life. He’d go to college every few decades or more, get a new job out of the area, and then dip. However, as technology advanced his disappearing act would become harder and harder to nail. So, he’d take an interest in technology to use it to his advantage. Know thy enemy and all.

After a century or more doing this, his current girlfriend would find the very thing to cure him of this normal existence.

Here is the timeline:

The traitor steals six of the twelve key. At some point, he realizes that he needs all twelve and scatters them about. He can’t go back to Ex Libris. If he can’t have them, then no one will.

He starts his “normal life” and gets a job. He does this until schools become more of an option and adds that to his routine.

He repeats this cycle for years and years. He finds hobbies, engages with life, commits fraud— ya know. But vanishing becomes harder and harder to do, for technologically has been advancing. So, he studies the enemy and takes an interest in it.

Then, modern day happens, and Wave’s girlfriend finds a listing about a payed internship. Wave recognizes it, but it can’t be, right? To his surprise, all the keys have been found. He can finally end this cycle of normalcy.

He starts the job and pretends to be frightened of the old fart. He starts gathering Narritonin and doing book stuff upon instruction. But he’s waiting for that last Key to be found before making his next move. But that annoying Villain Key is hard to track.

The Villain Key is finally located, all is going to pla— and the key escapes with four of the other keys the moment he returns. Shit.

Operation: Locate the missing keys is a go. Make flyers, and wait for a key to be used in a book.

The Helper Key gets used in a book, perfect! Now to be inconsistent with appearances and stay hidden so they don’t notice they’re being followed. But who knows, maybe they’ll be helpful…. Later…. Maybe. :)

He robs a dude so he can blend in better, but his real targets notice. Crap.

Oops, Wave got caught by Barbie’s long lost short himbo brother. Time to put his own plan into action! Sorry-not sorry, old man, it’s just business.

Wave then learns about a mysterious “Buddy” guy. Then meets Deacon and Prunella. Buddy may be someone to keep an eye on.

Wave gets more info from the group, unbeknownst to them. He connects the dots and realizes who Buddy is. He must act carefully, one wrong move and Buddy will blow his whole cover. But that doesn’t mean he can’t play a few games. He’ll get more info in the process, a confirmation of his assessment. And he gets one in Stardust. “A common thief,” you say?

And that’s what I’ve got so far. Honestly? The reason why I really focused on the college thing is because immortals in other comics have done similar things. Except they weren’t being evil or manipulative asses. They just wanted to go to college. The comic in question is called Novae, it’s long but a cute story if any if you are curious.

Novae is a historical romance with a touch magic and a dash of astronomy. It chronicles the romantic adventures of Sulvain, a sweet tempered

I hope this analysis makes a lick of sense. It’s a bit all over the place, but I did my best to put my thoughts together into a coherent…. Essay.

Thank you for reading this far, Chat! You’re real troopers!

I still hope Wave never makes it to the bathroom on time.

shyve3

i loved reading this, you guys are geniuses i swear

also i fear i've been on the wave-is-the-traitor theory since day 1, but looking back at this, violet DID say there were some wishes that just "weren't allowed" so now i'm considering that as well, hm.

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