Ah, Spike. I can’t remember what I thought of him when I first watched the series, but after rewatching several times in the past year or so, I gained a great appreciation for him. He’s one of my favorite characters. He doesn’t speak and shows little shame in his appetite, often wandering off to explore what interests him in ways that mark him off as odd. He occasionally licks people out of affection, and that does mark him as odd (Even if in an animal world like LBT, it shouldn’t be that odd, but whatever). Yet he shows little shame for who he is and his friends generally treat him well. The most they do is laugh fondly at his antics.
He is rather laidback and friendly, wanting to appreciate the extraordinary in the simple in life. From that TV episode where we get a peek into his thoughts, he does wish his friends would kick back and take a page out of his book. He seems a bit exasperated about the often dangerous adventures they find themselves in, as seen in the song he sings to himself in that episode. However, as shown in other episodes and movies, he does have a genuine interest in exploring and learning. In that same episode, he even smiles fondly to them. Whatever his complaints, he really enjoys being in their company.
As for if he understands…I’m kind of under the impression he does, he just tunes some talk out, like the arguing and the insistence that he follow them. In that same episode, there are times where he responds to specific things his friends say. When Littlefoot and Cera argue about the existence of Hard Water Sweets after surviving an avalanche, Spike thinks in frustration “But I know where they are!” This indicates that Spike finds speaking much harder than thought. It takes a life or death scenario like his sister on the verge of being eaten or him drowning for him to talk. Clearly, there’s more to his nonverbal nature than a disinclination to speak.
I’ve read of nonverbal people learning to be verbal when they grow up and that’s displayed in a few fics, but I’m interested in what happens if he can’t do anything more than be nonverbal or minimally verbal as an adult. Would he remain content with who he was or would this might be an issue or frustration to him? He’s been treated rather well by his friends and most people, but there’s always the chance they’ll meet someone who can’t understand or is a jerk and those who might expect him to talk when he grows up. That could affect him, especially if there are things he wants to say but are difficult to get across if you can’t use words. That might be a struggle awaiting him but hopefully his friends will support him into accepting himself.
I do like Ducky and Spike’s relationship. There’s obvious mutual affection. Though he can be at times exasperated with Ducky, he cheerfully plays along with her just as much. He appears to enjoy her cheerful spirit and he must be appreciative she looks after him so much. For the first days (and weeks?) of his life, she was his guardian and the gang the first family he knew. That’s got to color how he views them. I do like the glimpses of how he relates to the others. He’s given Littlefoot a few licks, appreciating his kindness and how he looks after everyone. That episode about Spike and Chomper was pretty sweet, since they’re both the youngest and with the best noses, so I wouldn’t be surprised if they bonded. Cera mightn’t be always the easiest to get along with, but I could see him liking her wit and occasions for mischief. I can see them becoming closer when they take mud baths with Tria and Ruby, in turns relaxing and maybe lobbing mud at one another. Spike and Ruby would get along, since the latter’s calm and thoughtful, which the former’s laidback nature would agree with. Spike does seem to get along with Petrie. He can relate to Petrie’s occasional fear of adventure and danger, and seems to find Petrie’s idiosyncrasies whether in fear or play fondly amusing. As someone small like Ducky, Spike seems protective of Petrie. I’m fond of his bond with the others and I’d like to see that more explored.
