you should do a proper character proposal for book!! she's my favorite character <3
hi, same anon as the one who requested book!!! i was thinking about a way to do a little rewrite of the team bleh arc in bfb:
-book's the first one to spot taco being out of the jawbreaker. the other members of team bleh don't notice at all at first.
-her face sours. she doesn't accept taco trying to explain her absence after she herself has been abandoned for no good reason.
-afterwards, she vents to her teammates about taco. her wording paints taco as a bad person putting the team against her.
basically, team bleh doesn't immediately go straight to shittalking taco in her face once they first see her, but instead hears abt her from book, who is, at the time of late idfb-bfb, like a mentally unstable unreliable narrator. and then they distance themselves from taco. also book doesn't straight up harrass taco bc i personally think that's a bit ooc
taco doesn't know why she's being ignored by everyone
....until she hears book venting to icy.
events happen, taco's hurt, then we get to that heart-to-heart scene you mentioned in an earlier post!
hopefully i did this right im not a writer ^^;
ANON, YOU GENIUS!! I LOVE THAT.
SO!!! DRRRUMMMROOLLLLL!!!!
Cw; verbal, emotional, and mental abuse.
Redux!Book is the epitome of hurt people hurt people.
Going into BFDIA, Book is cooperative, friendly, passive, gullible, and insecure. She just wants friends man!
Book applies for BFDIA with support of friends and family.
Book approaches Pencil to be in an alliance because she watched BFDI and she saw Pencil with a strong team! They lasted so long!! Pencil seems glad to have Book on.
Pencil has strong leadership skills and her right hand, Match, is a great manager. Bubble, a season spectator, seems less than content to have Book and a second newbie on the team.
This second newbie is Ruby!! Book can tell Bubble's hesitation makes Ruby upset. Book doesn't have much of an opinion on it.
Ice Cube!! Book naturally gravitated towards her when they first met, even if Ice Cube's expression was off-putting. She's often quiet so Book finds it easy to hang around her. She's also strong-willed and supportive!!
While Pencil is in the game, she puts herself in control and isn't afraid to set boundaries. Apparently that includes snapping at Ruby. (And Book if Book tries to echo Ruby's hype)
Book is genuinely disturbed when Pencil uses prizes from her alliance members to disable Pin and remove her autonomy. Ice Cube tries speaking to Pencil about this and Pencil shoots her down HARD.
Pin is a threat. Pin is an opponent. If she can't win challenges, she'll surely get out and FreeSmart has a higher chance of winning. This isn't personal. This isn't personal. Book keeps telling herself that Pencil doing this is NOT personal.
Pencil also keeps Book distanced from others. Pencil expects total dedication from everyone to FreeSmart. This includes hanging out between challenges, supporting those in the game even if you're eliminated, and GETTING THE JOB DONE.
This social isolation is why Book develops DPD. She NEEDS direction and to be controlled by others or else she won't know what to do.
But Pencil has to be justified. She just HAS to! Nobody says anything about it and Ruby and Match hardcore enable Pencil.
Pencil lights a fuse whenever Book fails at challenges. Book isn't.. exactly the best at them. But she tries!! She does!! And the audience loves this!
Book doesn't always like what FreeSmart does-- but they have to. She can't bring herself to speak up-- she sees what happens when Ice Cube tries. So, Book can only look at Pencil and wish her thoughts and feelings would magically project to her.
When everyone in FreeSmart BUT Book is eliminated, Book searches for anything that will bring that dynamic back. She tries Tennis Ball, Fries, Needle...
Even PIN! Who brutally killed her. Just to announce the alliance as over after she got safety and kill Book again. She and Book will eventually talk about this
If Book wins BFDIA Pencil will definitely hold that over her head. She'd say that someone who struggles as much as Book did should be thankful for those who boosted her. Well Pencil will probably hold how far Book got over her head either way,,, fun.
Same old, same old. FreeSmart is more of a dysfunctional friend group now than ever before.
IDFB Book will get more focus towards the middle-end of the season. She spends almost all of her time with FreeSmart until then.
Same behavior from Pencil. Match is like her but softened. Ruby is an apologist. Bubble is there and has long since warmed up to Book.
Book still sticks by Ice Cube.
One day, Pencil is in a bad mood. It feels like whatever they do, Pencil finds a reason to snap at them.
The confrontation between them is harsh. Ice Cube calls Pencil's behavior out, then Match for enabling it, and stomps off, saying she's DONE with this friend group.
...leaving has been an option? It's that easy? Has it always been that easy? This whole time, the way out was just to walk away? Book can do that too, yeah?
Book goes to follow Ice Cube. Pencil shoves stops her.
Quoting directly from an older post here-- ...Book needs them. She's loyal to them-- that's her alliance. They got her to the final 5 of BFDIA. She owes them to be loyal. She owes Pencil to be loyal and if she can't be loyal, what use is she to FreeSmart? If she can't be loyal, she's abandoning her team and she's no better than...
And Pencil reinforces this mindset. She GOES OFF. She berates Book for even thinking of leaving. She tells Book that Book is abandoning everyone if she goes. You can find the direct quotes here.
Pencil then tells Book to leave.
It's no victory. Book follows Ice Cube in tears, feeling so guilty and horrible.
For the rest of IDFB, Book's mental health is shit. She breaks down multiple times. She's self-loathing.
Ice Cube defends Book when Pencil is there to bully her. And when Ice Cube isn't there, Book has to sit through ridicule. She barely fights back.
Ice Cube is there for Book. Book is there for Ice Cube. With Ice Cube's influence, Book starts to become braver.
Book decides she has to return the favor the best she can. She becomes more assertive, less quiet, and open.
Book's bravery skyrockets in BFB.
When Taco disappears for a challenge or two and then reappears out of nowhere, Book is the first to see her. Book feels bile in her throat. Taco tries to explain herself and Book refuses to listen.
She does indeed vent to her teammates, painting Taco in a bad light. The team distances themself-- except for Lollipop, who does go to Taco.
Taco decides to try to talk to Book. She finds Book venting to Ice Cube and Ice Cube being very quiet.
We eventually get Taco confronting Book. Bad at communicating #1(Book) and Bad at communicating #2(Taco) do not have a fun time.
Book does not relentlessly bully Taco, no. She instead lets her feelings accumulate until she can't keep them in and finally lets it all out. HURTFUL THINGS ARE SAID!!
"You abandoned us when we needed you! An alliance is supposed to work together! We all have a job we're supposed to do!! You're- you're useless if you can't pull your own weight. We valued you and you LEFT US! We-- you- you're useless if you can't be there. By- by abandoning us, you... You hurt this team. You suck, Taco. You... Suck.."
Yeah Book is definitely in tears by the end of that! And walking away. It's a rage-induced and impulsive state-- it's also Book pushing all of her own self-loathing onto Taco. Yah.
Book and Taco are no longer on speaking terms.
Near the end of BFB pre-split, Book's controlling behavior towards Ice Cube grows worse as she searches for anything to stabilize and distract herself. Ice Cube HATES it.
Ice Cube also won't sit there and tolerate it.
She confronts Book. The two start arguing and, in the heat of the moment, Ice Cube compares Book to Pencil. Whatever Book was going to say, she stops.
Ice Cube tells Book how she feels-- how Book's behavior hurts herself and her team, how she's acting like someone Ice Cube knows she's not, and how Ice Cube is done with it.
Ice Cube stomps off. Book is speechless and sits in silence for a long time before completely breaking down.
It took losing her best friend but Book is finally able to acknowledge how her actions have hurt others-- and how Pencil hurt her.
She vows to make an effort to be better.
Whether or not she talks to Taco by the time Two comes down,, I've been thinking about it but maybe yes!! This is how Taco also gets better at communicating.
With that being said, they won't become friends. But they will be on neutral terms.
When Two pulls up, Book really wants to switch shows. As she's going to switch, she spots a shy Cake looking lost and uncertain. Book goes up to him and offers a listening ear.
Book is happier than she's ever been. She's on a fresh new team with fresh new faces and they get along GREAT!! Most everyone on the team is supportive and friendly. Hi Just Not.
Book is the closest with Price Tag and Cake. Book lets Cake vent to her and enjoys his Goiky's Dragon campaign. He's a strong DM!
After Cake is eliminated, Book finds herself a best friend in Price Tag. Best. Friends!!!
When the team swap happens, Book is shocked to find herself on the same team as Ice Cube-- Team 2.
Book tries talking to Ice Cube. Ice Cube isn't interested. Okay!! Book'll just chill with Price Tag then. Price Tag asks about Ice Cube and Book's history and Book gives them the rundown.
Book is stunned when Pencil joins TPOT and takes Book and Ice Cube aside for a cross-team alliance.
It's Price Tag who comes in and pulls them apart. Book expects Pencil to have some strong words for Price Tag but she stares instead.
Book tries talking to Ice Cube about this too. It seems Icy is starting to open up to her again!!
Pencil tries with Book and Icy off and on-- until TPOT 15 when her own actions causes the world to almost end. Ice Cube, Book, and Price Tag all huddle together.
And the next episode, Ice Cube is eliminated. Not before confirming her friendship with Book is back. This is a good step.
Price Tag and Yellow Face are becoming close friends. Book talks to Winner about this and they're starting to become friends too.
As for Pencil? She pulls Book into a very makeshift version of TCOA and tries asking her to team again.
Book tells Pencil to shove off and walks away. She is genuinely scared of Pencil. 😁
THE FOURSE SCENE. PENCIL TRIES AGAIN. HEre's the redux version of their talk!! It's very similar :P
"I am not going to risk going up again!"
"There it is again, Pencil." Book deadpans.
"What?? What is that supposed to mean!?"
"You're still selfish! I thought that, by some miracle, maybe you'd have changed or gotten better, but you're worse than before! It's always 'me, me, me!' with you!"
"Then let me be a WE and JOIN MY ALLIANCE ALREADY!" Pencil takes Book by the arms and they both grapple to stay balanced on the fourse.
"No! I will never be on an alliance with you ever again!" Book grits her teeth.
"Because-" Book yelps as Pencil pushes her hand into Book's face "-because I HATE YOU!!"
"YES! You're controlling and selfish and obsessive and MEAN! You never let my achievements be my achievements. You made me scared of you!! Scared to go against you!! You bullied me for MONTHS and you NEVER LISTEN! I gave Ice Cube the space she needed! Why can't you give me the space I need!?"
"Because you're all I have here!! Book, Match is who knows where, Ice Cube is eliminated, and Bubble and Ruby are missing! I just want things to go back to the way they were. I was trapped in the EXIT- in Four- for years! YEARS! And this is how I'm welcomed back!?"
"You nearly destroyed the universe for your own selfish needs! You didn't come back asking to be friends or with an apology-- you wanted an alliance! To get you further in the game! That's all you want! That's all you've EVER wanted! And I will NEVER be used like that again!"
"Then what use are you?" Pencil throws Book off.
Book is left shaking. Yea,, she's scared of Pencil but that felt GOOD. She got her feelings out and now Pencil will finally leave her alone.
That's it! Thats the end!!!
