i feel like grassy's parents bear immeasurable amounts of guilt due to their lack of supervision essentially leading to grassy getting traumatized

Oh man... Certainly.

Some contestants were not raised by their parents X-X and others I havent thought that deeply about

GRASSY!!

Grassy's parents were mortified. I'd dare say they were young and inexperienced with no support but each other. One at work, the other napping..

Grassy liked watching BFDI! The reruns were entertaining. He found out about BFB and applied. A few weeks later, he snuck out and took a bus to the show.

Both parents were MORTIFIED when they found out. There's so much guilt there, especially with the violent nature of BFB and TPOT. When the world fell into darkness, they fretted over Grassy's safety further.

FIREY JR

Dude...

So angry.

His parents had a lot of expectations but also weren't often present. When they were, Firey Jr felt like he had hawks eyeing him. Sometimes they say he can take care of himself, that he's a young man now, but other times they tell him he's still a kid.

He hates that.

He had a rebellious streak before BFB, it built up to him applying as a sort of means of running away.

His parents are not perfect people. I think, following Firey Jr first disappearing, there was anger. Ohhh, he's going to be in so much trouble when he comes back!! Then, panic-- oh god he actually ran away. And lastly, guilt-- because of us.

I do want some of Firey Jr's actions to feel irrational and others justified. He is flawed. He is a teenager. He builds up anger and resentment, especially in the EXIT because he never got to grow up and mature. Dora and 8-Ball were not perfect caretakers either.

If Firey Jr gets therapy and some time to mature, he could definitely reunite with his parents and talk his feelings out. His parents, during the 5 years Firey Jr has been gone, HAVE grown a lot. They feel that guilt and, if Firey Jr hadn't gone to BFB, probably would've tried to be more present in his life.

You can't change the past but you can make the future. There is still time for things to mend between them, if only Firey Jr is willing to.

CAKE

He loves his parents to death but GOD, why did they have to stay together??? Stubborn people.

His parents only stuck together because they wanted Cake to grow up with both of them. They didn't get along well, though nothing ever got physical between them, some shouting matches WOULD happen.

They fully split off when Cake turned 18. He wishes they did it sooner, it would've saved everyone a lot of stress.

PIN

LOVES her parents. All three of them have a strong relationship-- they're very encouraging people and no doubt are the reason why Pin was confident and refused to be knocked down.

She probably visited them between BFDIA and IDFB-- she seriously needed that break. I could open up IDFB with her coming back from that??

RUBY

She does not have a strong relationship with her parents. She cares about them but like... she had so many siblings that her parents were trying to divide their attention on, though Ruby is the youngest. I do Not want to get into object reproduction right now sorry

It's mostly her sisters that raised her.

FLOWER

Her parents endorsed everything Flower wanted. They cherished her and loved her deeply, though they were admittedly inconsistent while raising her, one often full of criticism while the other was not.

I'm toying with the idea of her dying at one point and one parent spiralling so bad they commissioned Robot Flower essentially to get their daughter back. This turned up pointless as Flower was recovered a year or two after.

Flower didn't find out about the commission until BFB. Safe to say she was NOT happy when she found out that was kept from her and it caused a serious strain between everyone involved.

I'll make a post exploring that storyline at some point. It's got a lot of potential to play into Robot Flower's character.

NICKEL

His parents owned an animal rescue sanctuary :D they have a positive relationship with him and vice versa. He calls them every weekend until he's eliminated in TPOT

TENNIS BALL

I think Tennis Ball lost her parents young. He revolved through a foster system for a long time and that ultimately played a roll in his separation anxiety.

She has some fond but distant memories of her parents, old as they are-- it makes her feel bittersweet when she thinks about them and he wishes he got to know them longer.

GELATIN

He has a distant relationship with his parents. He cares, they care-- but since the Steakhouse fell apart nothing has been the same. A part of him still feels like he failed his parents.

GOLF BALL

RUBY!! RUBY RUBY (I RUN AROUND IN CIRCLES) She's another BFDI character I associate heavily with ADHD. She's got so much spark to her I love her!

Redux!Ruby's Character Proposal:

Ruby is the youngest in a HUGE group of sisters. She's got so many. They're all greatly successful in their lines of work. Writers, doctors, inventors, scientists... The list could go on.

They don't all hate her for betraying and getting into BFDIA!! Her sisters are actually very supportive but because she has so many, Ruby isn't close to a lot of them.

Bubbly, curious, brilliant, and sensitive. She loves fun, harmless pranks, and making new friends. Not afraid to convey her emotions.

An aspiring actress. It came to me at 3 in the morning. She applied to BFDIA was to get her name out there.

ADHD friend!!

#2 Pencil apologist until BFB.

She meets Pencil and Match during BFDIA 1, where she goes right up to them and asks about an alliance. Pencil seems down to strengthen her team.

Match feels like an echo of Pencil. The two act so similar and so close it's no wonder that Match is Pencil's right hand.

Authority is authority. Ruby is LOYAL.

Bubble is a common spectator and eventually a temporary host for BFDIA. She seems hesitant about Ruby and that kinda hurts! Hopefully she'll come around.

Book!! She's agreeable and friendly-- a good team worker.

Ice Cube. Hmm. Pencil says she can be as stubborn as a bag of rocks. Honestly, though, Ruby doesn't mind.

There's times where Pencil snaps at Ruby for being "too much of x."(Her words!) Sometimes she says hurtful things and Ruby can't stop herself from crying.

Apparently that's the WRONG course of action because Pencil doesn't like that either. She'll berate Ruby for that too, call her a baby-- maybe it's better to walk on eggshells and watch Pencil's face.

Sometimes she's too distracted or too excited or too intense or too sensitive. Ruby sucks up and apologizes-- now she's being cringe. What???

Ruby is sure Pencil has a good reason to be that way. Surely. Don't ask her why, though. Ruby doesn't know.

Match is often the same but toned down, she doesn't scoff when Ruby apologizes and checks on Ruby after Pencil lights a fuse. That's nice.

IDFB... my favorite untouched territory

And where FreeSmart begins to fall apart.

Ruby and Bubble start to establish a stronger friendship.

Mid-late IDFB, Ice Cube leaves and Book follows. Ruby is out doing something during that time and comes back right as Pencil is telling Book to go.

Book looked so fucking hurt and Pencil looked pissed.

Ruby is sad to see Book go. Pencil is all "good riddance" about it and when Ruby asks, Pencil explains. Ruby now has Pencil's perspective.

Pencil also asks her to promise she won't be like Book. Ruby agrees.

Ruby does eventually come into contact with Book again. She hears Book's perspective and is quick to defend Pencil and after some back and forth Book tells her to just stop.

Ruby stammers and Book tells her to go. Ruby complies, feeling herself start to cry.

Push it down, don't make things worse. Ruby dries her tears before she returns to what's left of the alliance.

Ruby does get to see more of Pencil's meaner side throughout the end of IDFB-- the way she is with Book, the way she clings to control.

ALSO WITH FLOWER!! I want part of her character arc of being a better person to involve Ruby. Ruby is still nice to Flower even when Flower is being a jerk. Really, Ruby is still nice to everyone even when they're being a jerk.

BFB.

Getting invited to a new season of BFDI was not on Ruby's bingo.

She invites Flower to Iance by calling her pretty. Awh.

So, new teammates.

Fanny is negative about a lot of stuff. Ruby wonders why she hates and hates. Fanny is also mature-- she's able to recognize her own faults and for that, she has Ruby's respect.

Lightning has some problems to work out and Pencil treats him like a weapon. He also electrocutes anyone Pencil and Match asks him to soooo it's better to stay on it's good side!!

Snowball is an actual jerk. He's got this weird mindset about strength and it's going to take him a good minute to get out of it.

FLOWER!!! Pencil doesn't like her but Ruby does. She's learning to be better.

Pencil is the first BFB elimination. This leaves Match in charge.

To compensate, Match gets worse. She pushes the team to their limits and demotes Bubble twice. Is?? That even possible??

She insults Bubble too.

It gets to the point where Bubble snaps and calls her out. A small but loud argument starts-- in which Ruby tries to break it up and gets gently pulled aside by Fanny, who tells her to let it happen.

The results?

Bubble refuses to talk to Match. Ruby tries to comfort both of them.

Match eventually breaks down and apologized both to Bubble and Ruby. Bubble says she appreciates it and needs time.

Ruby tries to tell Match it's okay-- Bubble says it's not.

Match is eliminated.

Bubble and Ruby have a talk once the shock is over. Something about Bubble asking Ruby if she really thinks what Match and Pencil have done is okay. Like, she's never questioned them? Ever???

Ruby admits that she has but pushed it aside.

She was in denial. A part of her still doesn't want to believe it but...

The rest of BFB pre-split, Ruby is coming to her own conclusions and accepting that the way Pencil and Match behaved weren't okay.

Ruby could've gone to TPOT-- I think she and Two would've gotten a long real well!! But she stuck with Bubble and Flower.

My main goal with post-split Ruby is letting her be herself!! Nobody's scolding her for how she acts anymore, she can breathe.

Ruby is eliminated in BFB 20! She will cheer Flower and Bubble on.

HAHAHHAHA!!! BACKSTORY TIME! BACKSTORY TIME!! Kicking my feet.

Some characters have drafted backstories!! I'll go over every one I can remember/have planned. I'll count backstory as anything that happened pre-BFDI or before the character's debut in a gameshow season.

CAKE

Cake was raised by two parents who did NOT get along. The only reason they were together was to keep him happy(good job /s!) This meant a lot of conflict. Even over the smallest things-- they could not stand each other.

It's not even that they were bad people either. They just. DID NOT GET ALONG. And his school life wasn't much better: bullies and little friends are a shitty mix.

So, going into teenagehood, Cake drowned out his problems by popping in some earbuds and listening to music while working. His SMALL circle had huge Goiky's Dragons fans, so tabletop RPGs were a good way for him to stay distracted.

He also had his trans actualization when he started getting into Loser as a preteen. Cake was a DIEHARD Loser fan at the time and idolized the man. He dreamed of going to Loser's performances and meeting Loser in person.

I want to make an IDFB episode that focuses on Cake!! Tempted to call the episode "Cake Day"! It would be about Cake and his grandfathers on his mother's side taking him to a live Loser show for his 16th birthday. It'll introduce both characters!

LOSER AND WINNER

They met during highschool, in which Winner got some bullies to leave Loser alone.

They both started off as kids with big dreams. Loser wanted to make it far from the start and Winner was there to support him through it all.

In their early twenties, they got into a talent show and were met with praise, basking in the attention. Within a month, they became a viral sensation.

Loser loved it. Winner didn't. They felt pressured and stressed. So, when Loser came to them with a movie deal, Winner finally put a stop to their team-up. There wasn't a big fight. Loser tried to be understanding and was deeply hurt. He eventually broke contact with Winner and went off on his own.

Winner faded into obscurity-- no matter how hard they tried to get back into the spotlight, hoping to be seen by Loser again, it never worked out.

FLOWER

I don't have a strong idea but I do have the foundation for a backstory!!

Flower was brought up in a wealthy family, raised in values of status and fortune. Stereotypical rich highschool popular girl bully.

Her parents made it very clear to her that she would eventually be on her own and have to learn to fend for herself. To act like and be an adult. They gave her starter funds when she said she was ready to move out.

PIN

Raised by great people who encouraged her to express herself. To be herself no matter what stands in her way. We'll see how that turns out.

TWO

This algebralien has a streak of bad luck to their name!

Friendships rarely did work out for them. Despite being omnipotent, Two was pushed into doing what others wanted. Two wants others to like them. Others(One) took advantage of their power.

They had a best friend in One, or so they thought. When One was trapped away, they felt at fault and struggled with their self esteem for a long time.

Then they met Eight!! They and Eight would all. Become a QPP-- which ended after Two helped Fourteen. Right before Fourteen showed his true colors.

So, Two left the algebralien world behind in search of new adventures.

RUBY

The youngest of too many sisters to count!!

Ruby's sisters were all majorly successful in some form or another-- artists, scientists, doctors, CEOs... The list goes on! Ruby wanted to be successful too. In her childhood, Ruby explored several things to find what she liked. She tried cooking, photography, painting, and writing before landing on acting.

With the support of her closest sisters, Ruby pursued her goals and applied for BFDIA to get her name out there.

LEAFY

Leafy spent a lot of her life with her legal guardian, her uncle!! She probably had a forest in her backyard. In her childhood, she'd go to summer camps that taught her vital survival skills for the wilderness-- skills Leafy would put to use by going camping with her uncle in the fall.

GOLF BALL

Golf Ball grew up in a small town in Yoyleland and moved to Yoylecity for college. One day, perhaps a few years into her studies, something happens in Yoylecity that causes it to be abandoned-- and leave Golf Ball with some serious trauma.

I don't have enough clues from Canon!IDFB to tell you what exactly happened,, but as I start to piece together a solid timeline I should be able to.

GELATIN

Gelatin got into science during middle school. It started with biology, went into biochemistry, and finally landed permanently on chemistry.

After graduating highschool, Gelatin started college-- having to stop halfway through this parent's steakhouse business that he inherited and did not want.

FOUR, X, AND ROBOTY

The epitome of algebralien chaos and his polite best friend!!

So, I don't know how Four and X got their powers, but they have some!!

X and Four met at a young age! They stuck together through rough patches and as they began to discover their own power. Four easily learned to master theirs while X fell behind and began to show signs of struggling with their own self-worth.

Four frequented the Equation Playground because X spent a lot of their time there. Through X, they met a lot of other integers-- including Two, who set up doorways into personal domains for ease of access. X was on good terms (but not particularly close friends) with everyone.

However, due to boredom, Four began looking for other things to do and took X along with him. X eagerly complied. This included Four being inspired enough by Two making those gateways-- they tried making one of their own and made a lifeform with a gateway instead.

Roboty! Four gave him to X as a gift so X could go to Four's domain without Four being present. X took Roboty everywhere with them.

One day, Four had the idea for a new adventure. He had seen BFDI and BFDIA and wanted to try it for himself!! When you get this number obsessed with something, it's hard to get him to stop.

He made a physical copy of BFDI and then got X and Roboty to come with him, proposing an impulse season for BFDIA: BFB. X was ecstatic and Roboty did not want in.

A couple of much rougher ideas -

Snowball being raised around bigotry and toxicity, specifically idealizing strength.

one is my headcanon, aromantic (not necessarily fully aro, aro spec is fine) match, but she doesnt quite comprehend that. she mistakes everything for a crush (thinking someone is cute, cool, or just getting closer w her friends etc). i also like to think shes lowk obsessive with friends (cough cough pencil cough), so not seeing her friends for a while has the full effect of a breakup on her. i understand this not working with ur au because match is supposed to have feelings for pencil but itd mean a lot to me

this is more of a side note but im also a little disappointed about match not dying her hair different colors often. green looked great on her

the other is ruby does drugs, she has an obvious sugar addiction and pretty sure this is gonna have more mature themes than bfdi does. also the sugar stash #74 from the jingjing squisher short

sorry these arent as good as my agender leafy its all i got. i hope i dont sound too stupid

hi!! These are interesting ideas. You do not sound stupid!!

Yes to aspec Match. I think she may specifically be aroflux or grayromantic? She ends up with unreciprocated feelings for Pencil and then Never again. Caedromantic is another option, she undergoes trauma in BFB and is left with a SERIOUS identity crisis. Fellow arospecs I want to hear your opinions on this !!