“ | It's easy to be bold when you're immune to most harm. It's our meat troops who are the brave ones. They're so damned easy to hurt. | „ |
~ Rodney to June, Fables #46 — "The Ballad of Rodney and June (Part 1 of 2)" |
Rodney, known as Rodney Greenwood in the mundane world, is a Fable in the form of a wooden puppet who has been transformed into a human. He first appears in Fables #46 — "The Ballad of Rodney and June (Part 1 of 2)." Rodney was a wooden soldier who served in the Adversary's army. During his service, he met a fellow wooden puppet, June, and the two fell in love. Wishing to express their love in carnal ways, they were made flesh and blood, but in return, they had to serve the Adversary by spying and carrying out secret killings of Fabletown residents.
History
Falling in love
Spies for the Adversary, Rodney and June started out as two of Geppetto's wooden children, Rodney a highly decorated junior officer in the forces assaulting the Arabian Fable lands and June a medic assigned temporarily to his unit. Meeting when Rodney was injured, the pair swiftly grew to enjoy each other's company and began to court each other, despite not really having much of a clue how to go about it. Eventually, Rodney wrote a letter to Geppetto, asking that they be made flesh, so that they could marry and be together properly. The letter was read before dispatch by Rodney's superior officer, who was shocked by the content, as it revealed a number of facts about Geppetto's true position within the Empire that would cause immense problems should they get out. He initially locked Rodney up, unsure how to proceed, then ultimately relented. Destroying the letter, he announced that Geppetto should be reassured that there had been no letter and that the situation was under control and dispatched Rodney to do so, with June accompanying him to provide additional witness, observing quietly to the pair that had somebody wanted to ask Geppetto what had supposedly been in the non-existent letter, then it would make much more sense to ask him in person.
Becoming human
Reaching Geppetto after months of travel, Rodney and June made their request. Geppetto talked with them for some hours, then told them that such a great gift would always come with a price and asked them to think about whether they'd be willing to pay it. Rodney and June accepted, were made flesh, and were married in a grand ceremony presided over by the Emperor himself. They settled down happily and swiftly conceived a child. Shortly thereafter, they were visited by the Snow Queen, who explained the service that was required of them. They were briefed on life in America, then were sent through and were installed in a small apartment in New York under the name Greenwood, only a couple of blocks from Fabletown, with orders to spy on the Fables there and to study up on sabotage and murder techniques in case they're required to take a more active role. They write their reports in a journal which is magically linked to an identical volume in the Homelands. Orders are passed to them in the same way; occasionally they are provided with specific instructions detailing tasks to be carried out, sometimes involving violent acts. Though both appear to be highly ambivalent about what they do, Rodney does share his own doubts. Nevertheless, they remain loyal to the Empire; mostly due to the magic that changed them to flesh ensures it.
Rodney was one of the attendees at the Imperial conference called after Bigby's's destruction of the magic grove. He was apparently horrified by the genocidal plan suggested for the mundane world by the Snow Queen, and consulted with Pinocchio about how this could be prevented.
Surrendering
In recent events, Pinocchio convinced Rodney and June to surrender to Fabletown authorities. He also gave them the ability to defy the loyalty magic of Geppetto by explaining that although they need to do what is best for him, they don't need to do what he orders since Geppetto may indeed be mentally unsound, and thus defying the Empire might in fact be the best thing for Geppetto, since he is acting in a way that harms himself.
He and June, along with their daughter Junebug, are seen briefly during the "Super Team" story arc. They are seen taking refuge at the Farm along with the rest of the Fables to escape Mister Dark.
Appearances
Fables
See also
Fabletown | |
---|---|
Governing body | King Cole • Snow White (formerly) • Prince Charming (formerly) • Beauty • Ichabod Crane (formerly) |
Inhabitants | Beast • Bigby Wolf (formerly) • Flycatcher (formerly) • Trusty John • Grimble • Bufkin • Cinderella • Mowgli • Hobbes • Pinocchio • Briar Rose • Doctor Swineheart • Rapunzel • Kay • Edmond Dantès • Crispin Cordwainer • Thrushbeard • Fairy Witch • Frau Totenkinder • Ozma • Fairy Witch • Morgan le Fay |
Places | Grand Green Florist Shop • Chateau d'If Fencing Academy • Edward Bear's Candies • Ford Laundry • Nod's Books • Lewis Antiques • I Am the Eggman Diner • Yellowbrick Roadhouse • Web 'n' Muffet Market • The Woodland Luxury Apartments • The Glass Slipper Shoes • Branstock Tavern |
Unique items | Magic Mirror |