We all be talking about Buddy's outfit (with reason of course he be serving) but Chase is super cute in this arc too!!!
Lil sketch of him because I love Chase <3

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We all be talking about Buddy's outfit (with reason of course he be serving) but Chase is super cute in this arc too!!!
Lil sketch of him because I love Chase <3
I just realized I never actually posted this here-
I did on my TikTok but somehow missed here... I'm so good at social media, guys 😭
Anyway, enjoy my Dragon Nox
I am BACK with MORE DRAGON NOX. You cannot stop me. This episode hit me right in the feels, but it gave us this great panel so I suppose I forgive you Punko.
Frankly I’m not sure how his outfit would actually work in dragon form but since this was just from the shoulders up I decide to not think about that. Version without words is below the cut!
Panel redraw for @jollyhauntings who gifted me fastpass 😚💖💕💕💕💕
Thank you again so so muchh 🥹💖💖💕💕💕
Speedpaint and panel below ⬇️
He fancies him 😚
Reference and modified version which is kinda better below ⬇️
I half-read a fic on ao3 and the plot was something similar to this LMAO so i couldn't help myself. Don't question the logistics of this AND GAWD PLEASE DONT LOOK TOO MUCH INTO THESE OUTFITS, I'M THE WORLDS WORST DESIGNER i just tried to recreate cinderella boy fashion💔
Everyday i yearn for the key reveal. Give me the reveal. I need the reveal. Make it super angsty and dramatic. Or super silly and comedic. Just give me the reveal. (I need more fics about this kind of stuff)
He was no Onyx, but he was also no human. He was not what they were expecting. They had no idea how this even happened. But he was here.
He was here looking up at her. He spoke with the words she had taught him. He moved with grace she had let him borrow. He was their brother now. The others were pleased to meet him. But he would always be her little brother first. She was responsible for him.
He would follow her around, he would sit at her feet, he would listen to her stories. He would fix her crown and she would teach him how to hold his head high. She would run around hurling huge chocolate bars for him, she would dress him up, she would listen when he says he has a wish.
She doesn't understand why he wants to be human. But it's her little brother's wish, and she's responsible for him. She comes up with a strategy to fit his wish with her desire of a family. The rest of her siblings will understand one day, this is for the family, it has to be done, none of them know her little brother like she does.
Somewhere along the line, his wish turns into her plan and he thinks she would kill him for failing her. When he rejects her plan, she cries and he doesn't understand why. And it makes sense he doesn't, for all he had known was anger and resentment. All he had done was sit in the corner feeling sorry for himself, until she had walked up to him. He who had never known tenderness, couldn't have possibly looked beyond his sister's steely exterior, couldn't fathom that the real reason her sister wanted to reverse time itself was to keep someone like him forevermore.
She doesn't understand how he can think of leaving her when she loves him so. Leaving her family behind was the hardest thing Violet ever did. But if her little brother really wishes so, she'll let him go. Violet's little hands can't do much, but they'll work hard to free Nox, the brother who is so much younger than all of them, from his cage.
The dark figure sitting at the corner of the table is no Onyx, and no human, and one day he might not even be a key. But from here onwards, he'll always be her little brother, her little mister, her Noxy, the villian to her villianess, her family. And she'll watch over him.
"Do you have no home, no family?" "No"
"Well, would you like one?"
I CAN FINALLY POST THIS DRAW AFTER A MONTH 🎉
tagged by @gingerpeachtea to share 13 songs i've had in heavy rotation rn !!!!!!!!!!
pool by paramore
you oughta know by alanis morisette
slow cheetah by the rhcp
(one of those) crazy girls by paramore
scar tissue by the rhcp
sick love........ by the rhcp
charlie by the rhcp
one for the road by the arctic monkeys
knuckle velvet by ethel cain
everything is embarrassing by sky ferreira
bags by clairo
paul by big thief
dani california by the rhcp
no pressure tagging @whore4deetress @morgangillorybrainrotted @fawnvadi @macmcdyke @avapilled @theswiftbolter
1. Terrible Lie - Nine Inch Nails
2. Down In It - Nine Inch Nails
3. Sin - Nine Inch Nails
4. The Only Time - Nine Inch Nails
5. Capital G - Nine Inch Nails
6. Meet Your Master - Nine Inch Nails
7. Less Than - Nine Inch Nails
8. The Lovers - Nine Inch Nails
9. Jesus Built My Hotrod - Ministry
10. Black - Pearl Jam
11. Would - Alice In Chains
12. Nutshell - Alice In Chains
13. 18 and Life - Skid Row
Idk I think Nine Inch Nails is alright
@infinite-dragon-loop @bedheadreblogs @novaiswithering @winstonartofficial @tchtra @kaeruutv @fatherfigurefusion @buttsauced
Thanks for the tagging, son!
1- Still Into You - Paramore
2- Ancient Dreams in a Modern Land - MARINA
3- Never Ever Getting Rid of Me - Waitress
4- Top of My School - Katherine Lynn-Rose
5- After the Storm - Kali Uchis and Tyler the Creator
6- Rather be Me (Than With You) - Mean Girls
7- Nerdy Prudes Must Die - Nerdy Prudes Must Die
8- Bonfire - Childish Gambino
9- Who's That Chick? - Rihanna
10- Camouflage - MILGRAM
11- The One Who's Running the Show - The Amazing Digital Circus
12- IRIS OUT - Kenshi Yonezu
13- Nancy Mulligan - Ed Sheeran
Tagging the following: @mythgirlimagines @peckforlovingheck @jiducks-semitoness @rachelcommitscrimes @elithebi @lordcryosrealmoftrash @wolfshystuff @starlightscarsyt @biggestlen @star3synth @mystiqmemory @chikainowingbeat @harrowharr0w @runawaysfromthepride @utsukurou @deersgutss @lostmotivation2draw @finleyforevermore @magical-sweet-kitty @scootoot @frankensteinsayo @rickypottsirl
thanks for the tag!
Farewell -- Lena Raine
Scattered and Lost -- Lena Raine
Reach for the Summit -- Lena Raine
Feedback -- MonochroMenace
Lost Media -- MonochroMenace
Death in Paradise -- Duck with a knife
Human -- Flavour Foley
Worried about Ray -- The Hoosiers
Against the Kitchen Floor -- Will Wood
Kill you all in a hip-hop rage -- Mindless Self Indulgence
Fly Away -- Teddyloid (Panty & Stocking)
over x dosage -- Ponkansoup
It wasn't me -- Shaggy
A lotta vocaloid recently as well as the Celeste OST that i've gotten obsessedddd with after beating the game, but also some other things. Had quite a few long car rides lately... anyways, tagging time!! -> @ashemellow @cosmic-giraffe @schrodingerscat-girl @anonyymoose @dysmei @shin-tsucommunist @strwberrymist @king-of-anxiety @mainteddybearty @mushromix3 @sirshelf @angiebiite and any other moots I might've missed when hastily typing this up -- or anyone who sees this post if they want :3
ty for the tag :3 aaa i like a few from ur list hehe (8-11) and like half from the person before too
man in the mirror - riproducer
2. beautiful is boring - bones uk
3. parts and pieces - the blake robinson synthetic orchestra & gloom darkheart
4. the bad guy - the blake robinson synthetic orchestra
5. ikelenka - lelelep
6. bite me - creep-p & ayesha erotica
7. helpless - neon trees
8. almost perfect - sushi soucy
9. ugly - violent femmes
10. maybe later dance - jariah
11. sayonara - panthyr xx
12. nakakapagpabagabag - dasu
13. marshmallow - deco*27 (+ yukimi cover)
idk who to tag as always umm @giselles-dumping-hat @winter-wondering (i wonderrrr where i got some of these songs from) @thephantomthiefofnagoya /nf >_<
Tagged by @ashemellow (Thanks for the tag!)
1- Here's to the fourth time - Los campesinos!
2- Zekyoo mob B - Nashimoto P
3- Rabbit - John
4- Dog days are over - clarence + the machines
5- All the same - TekSoda
6- HannahMontana - Kyoresu
7- Vienna, In memorian - The army, the navy
8- Allies or enemies - The crane wives
9- It smells like teen spirit - Nirvana
10- Vampire - Niigo at 25 cover
11- Dead girl waking - Heathers the musical
12- Koufuku Kei - Niigo at 25
13- there is no place in heaven for people like us - Hush, darling
TAGS YEY: @benthroughit @zy-812 @l0vec0mputerfantasy @mentallyillhasegawa @esezinha @t0as1y /nf
its been three days MY BAD
hi hi thank you!! for the tag!!
also im sorry for the. kind of basic music taste dont cook me
1. UNDEAD - Yoasobi
2. GIMMICK GIRL - MonochroMenace
3. Ego Renegade Boy - Flavor Foley
4. Rug! Burn! Dash! - toastcrumch
5. I hate it! - Ferry
6. WATCHACALLITSNAME - decoyman1200
7. The Notes of a Self-Loathing Misanthrope - naphillow
8. KNOCK IT OFF!! - riproducer
9. Cadmium Colours - Jamie Paige
10. Hypnotic - QueenPb
11. I wanna shower feat. Adachi Rei - thomascoolkid
12. Love, Yours Truly! - naphillow
13. Redmageddon - Sodikken
tags!!!! : @totallyjapanese @hyperfixatedmythosgirl @yuzuki2shimaru @babyapplechud @stxrfiish @ghostlyalenius and uh open tagd aha
hm... 13 songs... hm...
Planet Loop (wxs cover)
Class of 2013 (mitski)
Mark On You (the mountain goats)
Heat Abnormal (iyowa)
November's Letters (walking blue)
Sono Oto ga Narunara (l/n)
D/N/A (niigo)
Koufukukei (niigo)
Up The Wolves (the mountain goats)
The Best Ever Death Metal Band in Denton (the mountain goats)
Ego Renegade Boy (flavor foley)
Paper Man (walking blue)
Bodies (walking blue)
tags... hm... @risulin @yarnaclaws @eqv1noxx @zannaaaaaaahh
Woah 13 is a lot of song to have in one’s head at the same time! Mhm
Wonderful (Jeff Goldblum)
What Is This Feeling (Jeff Goldblum)
Meet The Plastics (Grey Henson)
Wacky World (ZAMination)
Happy Place (ZAMination)
What the World Needs (Tiffany Tatreau)
Just My Type (The Vamps)
Beaches (beabadoobee)
Jax Toy (Jakeneutron) get him out of my head pls 😭
Static (FLAVOR FOLEY)
Ego Renegate Boy (FLAVOR FOLEY) ya me too 😛
Grizzly ni Osewaretara (kamiyado)
Uhh les tagggg @doubl3thetr0uble 😛 anddd @normalradioname @void1ng
Have fun 💕
Oooo fun
1. Not allowed- tv girl
2. Obsessions- MARINA
3. I <3 you- MARINA
4. Do the act like you never met me- tv girl
5. Do you miss me- pinkpantheress
6. Darren- jack stauber
7. Super trooper- ABBA
8. Smoke it off mega mix- Lumi Athena
9. Abstraction big band version- kittensneeze (unpopular opinion apparently but I don't mind that pomnis voice isn't her voice actor)
10.Baby one more time- Britney spears
11. Why didn't you stop me?- mitski
12. Impacto- enjambre
13. Getting my mom on- jack stauber
Join in if ya want @keisiey @epiphanyepica @tr4ins @anonymaxspeed @sour1201 @nemizeiya
I’ll raise you an unpopular opinion: I prefer the original abstraction over the big band version (but both are great)!
1.) Split Dance — Eipu
2.) Rabbit Hole — DECO*27
3.) best friEND — Hya
4.) Therefore I Am — Billie Eilish
5.) bite marks — Logan Levi
6.) Angra Theater — FAKE TYPE.
7.) Bad Puppy! — Junie & TheHutFriends
8.) Flash Fire Fever — Gooseworx
9.) Hollywood Baby — 100 gecs
10.) Rhinestone Eyes — Gorillaz
11.) FIRE4FUN — Jhariah
12.) Incubator — Chogakusei
13.) Alice (red queen version) — PEGGY & Ella Red
Uhhh who do I know on here… @jaywired @untitled-draws
Okay, so the newest free episode made me think of how in the Little Shadows arc Buddy reflects on his actions and how his decision got them all separated in the first place, and he understood why the villain key had chosen him.
And like, I get it, his decision was ultimately from a place of selfishness and did get Silver cracked. However, on the flip side…
…Ex Libris *did* actually have all the keys together. We don’t know how many of the keys were woken up in that timeframe, but supposedly a lot of them weren’t even aware of what happened and wouldn’t have felt the loneliness from their family being separated. Other than cracking Silver (who can’t even feel pain and, I assume, would’ve been fixed when she was used again), Buddy’s decision didn’t permanently keep them from each other.
Instead, what did it do? It burnt down Ex Libris’s facility and kept them from making wishes for like 100+ years. He basically gave them a giant middle finger AND unknowingly gave the chance for his family to have a way better life. Violet just capitalized on the situation, but even if she hadn’t, Buddy still did quite a bit of damage to EL
You could argue that EL probably would’ve been way stricter with the keys/not let them off their keyrings which, yeah, I wouldn’t be surprised, but still!
Bottom line of this is: I hope we get a moment in the comic where the others are reframing what Buddy did and looking at the positives of it as opposed to as an act of betrayal/villainous act. Obviously not ignoring what he did, but alleviating some of the guilt he feels over his actions. After all, if it wasn’t for him, they never would’ve met the Hollows and had the chance at a better life!
Whatttt for once I'm actually drawing all the keyholders 😱😱😱🤯🤯🤯
I can't wait for the upcoming fastpass arc to be released for everyone. It's like one of my favs for sure now. 🥹
*Inhales*
Since The Wave reveal, something has been bugging me. Specifically the moment when Wave talks to Prunella in Plunderland. You know the panel I’m referring to. So I’ll save Tumblr’s ten pictures per post for when I need it, because this one is a doozy.
I’ll do my best to keep this post on the lighter side, but since I’m gonna be talking about Buddy’s life as an orphan, it’s not gonna be easy. I promise, I wouldn’t bring it up unless it’s important. But I think we’ve been reading Buddy’s character interactions with Prunella completely wrong. I don’t think he started off hating her, in fact, I think it’s 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 doesn’t acknowledge Goldie once. He doesn’t 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 doesn’t scold or fight with Chase about Goldie, it’s about Prunella and the lack of trust between them. That’s 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 don’t need to speculate, because he says so!
When Buddy officially meets Prunella in Episode 6 of S2 in the arc, Party Crashers, he’s immediately awkward around her. He pauses between words at times, he keeps sentences short, and he keeps his distance from her. He doesn’t correct her about his name, and he actively avoids any argument with her. When she introduces herself, he responds with, “O- oh? Um… Well done.” 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 doesn’t 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 doesn’t 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 he’s not just searching for Chase (he is tho). but he doesn’t push her aside like he does with Deacon later. Nope. Buddy keeps himself away from her, talks awkwardly and doesn’t argue much, and gave her a, “Job well done” for saying her name.
I don’t think it’s a stretch to say that, that interaction was odder than an odd number. We don’t see him interacting with other kids in the comic. But from this interaction alone, I think it’s safe to say that this is how he reacts around all kids. He’s awkward, stif, stutters and keeps some space. But it’s definitely not out of hate, he doesn’t 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 hadn’t seen before.
He’s awkward around Prunella, but he doesn’t hate her. She’s just annoying to him at that moment for getting in the way of finding Chase. Which he calls her out on. But that’s all he does. He doesn’t 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 doesn’t 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. “That was surprisingly effective,” is high praise coming from him. Especially since he only met her, like, the day before. He’s never given Deacon that type of praise, and he didn’t 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, he’s 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 don’t think he’s lying when he says he didn’t want to do it. I think back to Still Waters when he says that. The way the, “Not,” is italicized shows emphasis on his mindset, but resolve to save Chase. He knows that Prunella wouldn’t be mad at him for it, since this oversized turkey is getting in the way of both of their goals. He also knows Althor won’t 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 doesn’t want to talk to him, or anyone, really. Chase knows that, so he stays back to clean up until she’s ready to come out. But Buddy does something we’ve 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 he’s in the wrong. For the first time, he approaches her, gets somewhat close, gets down to her level and says he’s sorry. He lets her speak, no matter how harsh. Only after does he speak. He does so calmly, and doesn’t raise his voice, and relates her book’s moral with what he and Chase have learned. He speaks honestly, maturely, and doesn’t downplay her feelings because he and Chase, two adults, ruined her book.
After, he lets her take the lead by saying that the book isn’t 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 other’s 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 she’s 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 doesn’t like looking like a fool, so the fact that he chose to do so for Prunella is pretty telling.
Now, they didn’t 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 that’s because the book was fucked. But Buddy only corrected her on the outfit part, because nobody is allowed to insult Violet’s work. Not in his mind. But immediately after correcting her, he calls her an adorable little rodent.
Again, he’s 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 didn’t 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 doesn’t 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 he’s done so was back in Party Crashers. After the Narration reveal, if Chase didn’t tell Buddy that he didn’t need help finding Prunella, he would have gone with him to help.
Throughout all their interactions, Buddy has never called Prunella a brat. He’s called her a child, annoying, a cute little rodent and bossy but never a brat. He mostly calls her what she is, a child. He’s given Chase the nickname, Brat, but he’s mostly, Little Idiot. Those names are now endearments despite how they were used originally. Deacon is Freckles. He doesn’t give Wave a nickname, that’s how much he despises him. He’s 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 Chase’s 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. He’s had plenty of chances too. Way too many. But he never does what Wave did. He’s mostly around Deacon. But the moment he has some alone time with Prunella after establishing he’s not a threat, he asks her.
Like, that was quick, right? He’s only seen her in two other books prior and he’s 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 that’s a cheap way to form a bond with someone. He did save her from The Plot Hole, but everyone would have done that. There’s nothing unique about their interactions other than him asking her questions that seem innocent on the surface, but it’s all to gain trust and intel, all while being super duper sweet. He gets close to her and isn’t afraid to pick her up.
Wave goes to her for intel, specifically because she’s a kid. She doesn’t have a proper filter or frontal lobe yet. If he were to ask questions like, “Buddy chooses good books too, right?” 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:
“What did you think I was going to do to that poor child? Interrogate her? Kidnap her? Tell me!”
Buddy cares for children, plain and simple. He may not know how to be around children, but he doesn’t want to hurt them. We see that with how he interacts with Prunella. He’s 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 (that’s the easiest way to describe Buddy around Prunella, awkward. I’m sorry, that word just fits him too well). There’s respect with how he talks to her, in his own Buddy way too. He will get down to her level, but he doesn’t have to because when she and Buddy speak, it’s as equals. It may seem like he’s talking down to her, but he’s really not. He was giving her praise at their first official meeting. He listens to her, and doesn’t 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 he’s ever loud with her is when she’s 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 Buddy’s plan to steal the Keys, hiding Goldie, all that junk but Buddy focused on Prunella’s 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 he’s in his antagonist era. But Buddy holds adulthood to a different standard compared to the rest. His and Chase’s 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 he’s eighteen (he wasn’t, he was seventeen, but his birthday was around the corner, so he was rounding up), Buddy says, “That’s a lot of months, well done.” Again with the, “Well done.” He stays consistent, Chat. But he didn’t stutter, interesting. The point is, he didn’t 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 wasn’t 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 wasn’t until Beach Boys that their dynamic truly began to shift. But in Episode 30, he says this line, “At least I’ve been to Adulthood, a place you’ll never go.” 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 doesn’t 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 didn’t 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 he’s like, nineteen, he’s 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 you’re 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 wouldn’t have to make, all of which were survival based. That’s 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 didn’t 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 sleep— everything.
I’m saying this with every insult, the adults in Buddy’s 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 didn’t 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 didn’t have a childhood, he was forced to practice adulthood far too young. That’s why he treats it as something far more important than the rest of the cast. It’s not a game or just a title, it’s a role that anyone who says they’re an adult, must take on. It’s a responsibility. If they don’t, he gets mad. That’s why he feels so much guilt, he has a heighten sense of responsibility.
Throughout the series, so far, he’s 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 doesn’t bring up Violet’s involvement, he takes all the blame. He then gives a reason, but doesn’t use it as an excuse. His Stardust apology is the best one he’s ever made. This was his most adult action we’ve seen yet. The other times, he fumbled a bit, but he did his best with what he had. He’s 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 doesn’t want to hurt her. That’s the one thing he actively avoids. Buddy lacked words of encouragement, praise, compliments and respect growing up. He didn’t 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 doesn’t belittle her or downplay the books she likes, he engages instead. He will adopt the dumb puns and silly banter. Not only that, he doesn’t use her honestly and lack of a filter to his advantage. He will correct her and add to her comments, but won’t ask personal questions. Buddy listens and acts to make things right when she’s hurt.
My suspicion is that Buddy acts all stiff and odd around her is because he’s an adult. He understands adults have a level of authority, power, responsibility and freedom that children do not. He’s also physically bigger and stronger than her, and that’s why he keeps his distance. He doesn’t want to hurt a kid. I also suspect that he knows that kids trust adults naturally. They are their guid. With that in mind, I’m not surprised that he wouldn’t ask Prunella about where she and the others live, or what books they pick. He goes to the adults instead. He doesn’t want to use her trust because he knows it’s 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 couldn’t 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 didn’t. 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 couldn’t be sure. So he asked Prunella. Wave conveniently left that part out.
He doesn’t 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, they’re 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 Chase’s wish, he tries to get Violet to let him give it back. When that doesn’t 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 Chase’s mom. Wave was in the same room, this entire thing was semi public. But we don’t get Wave’s thoughts on the matter. Instead, it’s business as usual. Time to smirk evilly at the camera.
If Wave truly cared, he would’ve put up more of a fight with The Old Man to stop this madness. Buddy is doing so with Violet, he’s done with this scheme. But Wave isn’t 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 Wave’s 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 didn’t come clean and used his knowledge to his advantage to gather intel to make a devastating blow in the group’s 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 wouldn’t have gotten this far if he hadn’t 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 doesn’t bring them back up again when Chase talks about Buddy. He definitely suspected which spell Buddy was using, but he doesn’t say a word. In fact, he plays dumb and talks about his family and his problems. That’s 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 doesn’t. 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 doesn’t like Buddy much.
Wave played into all of the crew’s 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 can’t say he doesn’t 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 wouldn’t be so easy to fool. Chase didn’t 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 isn’t 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 Buddy’s dynamic. Because he knows that Chase is the defacto leader. But why he’s 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. I’ve had time to adjust and analyze a bit better, now that the initial shock, anger, and concern has settled. So I don’t 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 don’t think the old fart promised him a wish, I think he’s 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. He’s 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. He’s 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 doesn’t comply.
None of that excuses his actions, let’s make that blatantly clear. Let’s 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 doesn’t want to hurt the others to do it. He’s 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 he’s doing the exact opposite and only thinking about his survival and no one else’s. 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 didn’t have a Keyring on? Even in Wave’s flashback? Well, that’s 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. He’s been stalking Chase and Deacon for who knows how long. But he didn’t know about Buddy or Prunella, it seems like, meaning that it wasn’t 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 can’t find em. Either way, he was lying right from the start. He continues to lie and act all nice, but Buddy ain’t 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 I’m just repeating what we already know. I will say this, tho…
Buddy cares for Prunella, and if he ever catches wind of want Wave did, then he’s 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 child’s 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 lady’s house where she knits scarves and sweaters.
He would also be furious about what he did to Deacon and Chase, that’s a fact. But everyone wants to keep Prunella safe, that’s the one thing they all silently agreed on. They are the adults, they are responsible. And with Buddy’s heightened sense of responsibility and past, his reaction would be the most visceral. Even if Wave isn’t intending on hurting her, he’s 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 he’ll 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 Deacon’s reactions would be pretty bad, but Buddy’s…?
Well, we should probably prepare for a funeral… Just in case. /j
But seriously, tho, I hope Wave never makes it to the bathroom on time.
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Get your very own little key Buddy! Comes with the keychain he wants to give to his beloved >‿<
I don't think Wave made this expression only because he managed to create a mess between the cast, but because so SO much was just revealed to him.
Deacon doesn't realize it, but this was a massive, major and COMPLETELY non-reversible mistake on his part. Yes, he was being protective of Chase and angry at the unfairness of the situation, but at the same time he fucked up the way nobody else in the story has so far. And that's because he confirmed things he's not even aware of about Buddy's identity.
I feel like Wave's approach in todays episode was directly motivated by Prunella's words in the Alice in Plunderland arc:
"Buddy doesn't pick books, he just shows up later and talks about how bad they are."
This likely made Wave suspicious. How could Buddy use a method that only Ex Libris has knowledge on how to perform? I'm pretty sure he knew about the backdoor spell already, but decided that now was the right moment to mention it, because he has already gained Deacon and Prunella's trust. And unfortunately Deacon fell for his manipulation.
With his outburst he pretty much confirmed that, yes, Buddy is entering the books with the backdoor spell, which is something only the Ex Libris have in their possession, supposedly. Therefore, if Buddy isn't a novice within the Ex Libris, he's someone that recently had access to the book that contained the spell page and then disappeared. Which, as far as we know, could only be Nox and Violet right now. And since Wave saw Nox getting Violet out of his shirt in today's episode, then his identity was just revealed to him.
Nox managed to protect himself and Violet so far by presenting himself as a possible threat, someone the boys would want to avoid. But after everything that was said, he is now in a vulnerable position in Wave's eyes. In his attempt to protect Chase from being tricked, Deacon put the key family, along with the Hollows in danger and now all of them are at the risk to be found
Omg I absolutely gave up on the background because I wanted to be DONE and get this finished before the new ep comes out tomorrow. I’m not a fast passer and I’m not ready for it gahh
Anyway. Dragon Stargoth <3
So apparently instead of just making regular WoF au Stargoth art I decided to just make some to an animation trend on TikTok and it is taking FOREVER. I’ve already colored Buddy but I’m posting the lineart for now
I’ll upload the actual one when I finish coloring and add a background this is kinda just a throwaway post. And also to complain at HOW LONG FBF TAKES