[NRP] Frank & Melomar's Journal (211 views)

[Jirachi's Wish]

POKEMON CHILD

Name: Frank

Gender: Female

Pokemon: Onix

Stage: Child

Player: Melomar

Artist: Orpheus Solon

This journal belongs to Melomar, don't post without permission.

[melomar]

Please welcome Frank, my very feminine female onix. Yes I do like to play characters that are a little more than what they seem, but not all of them will be that way. And Frank really is a simple soul. I think you'll find that a lot of so-called complicated individuals actually are lacking in some very basic needs. They are hard to understand because their reactions come from a set of assumptions and "teachings" that the rest of us will never need to deal with.

Rules
- Please do not use this thread to chat.
- Follow Gaia ToS in my threads. PMs may be another story.
- No, you may not copy my layout. You may use it for inspiration in your own design, though.
- Be happy. Or leave! Or you could just leaf. *puts on leaf hat* :B
- Yes, these were copy-pasted from my other threads, why do you ask?
- I reserve the right to pun. Repeatedly and beyond the point of poor taste.
- I reserve the right to add more rules.

Notes
- Sometimes the sprites hide things.

Updates
- 01 Mar. 2020: Frank's journal is moved to Proboards!
- 11 Nov. 2013: Frank's new form takes shape, as an adorable rock-naga!
- 05 Nov. 2013: Frank finally, officially, finds her star.
- 13 Feb. 2013: Frank arrives!
- 07 Feb. 2013: A custom (and therefore Frank) is won in a raffle!

[melomar]

Page One
- Post 01: Introduction by Orphe
- Post 02: Rules, Notes, Updates
- Post 03: Table of Contents
- Post 04: Child's Personal Profile
- Post 05: Pokémon Basic Stats
- Post 06: Child's Learnset
- Post 07: Trainer and Sibling Pokémon
- Post 08: Relationships
- Post 09: Home
- Post 10: Photo Album and Art Gallery
- Post 11: Family and History
- Post 12: Growth and Forms
- Post 13: Reservation Post Limbo
- Post 14: Reservation Post Limbo
- Post 15: Disclaimers

Page Two
- It's time for Frank to be... frank.

[melomar]

Taken from her family at an extremely young age, Frank yearns desperately for a sense of belonging that she can only vaguely remember. Extremely timid to begin with, she seeks happiness in others in order to avoid conflict, and probably in search for that inclusion she always lacks. As she grows wiser to the world, she will learn that manipulation can get what which she thinks she wants, but not what she really needs.

Name
- Pronunciation(s): fraan sis kah
- Given: Portuguese, means "Frenchman"
- Surname: n/a
- Hidden Meaning(s): Francisca is a small, high-powered battle axe in the Final Fantasy series.
Nickname(s)
- At Home: Frank
- In Town: Frank
- Friends: Frank, Sis, Franka, etc.

Physical Stats
- Gender: Female
- Stature: A bit large and muscular ("big bon--" er, she has big ston--, ah, yes) for any onix of her age, male or female. As she is made of stone, she is also quite heavy.
- Stones/Skin: She is currently a medium-to-light grey in color.
- Optical Orifices: large sclera, tiny black pupils (no irises?)
- Other Features: On the crown of her head is a prominent, shark-like "fin" made of the same stone. Her segmented body is made up of what looks like a string of boulders or rough, faceted stones. Each segment, including her head, is capable of rotating 360 degrees!

Clothing
- Style: Currently homeless, or at least living in the woods, she is lucky enough to find some castoff clothing to cover her top half. She would love to wear pretty draping things, maybe with ruffly trim or jingles or tassles...

Personality:
- Nature: Lonely
- Summary: Frank is a pleaser: she seeks to make those around her happy. She does this because she thinks that peace in her environment will bring happiness, but she is starting to realize that happiness of others is something outside of herself. She can manipulate it to an extent but they do not always return that happiness in kind.

- Myers-Briggs Profile:
- - ISFP
- - Introverted Sensing Feeling Perceiving
- - The Artist: private and difficult to get to know, they are nevertheless easy to get along with because they are typically people-oriented and look to the needs of others. Prone to upset, they dislike drawing attention to themselves and are typically adaptable both to surroundings and trends. They live in the now and have a natural grace, a keen appreciation of aesthetics, and feel a need to physically express these senses.

- Likes: Cute accessories like flowers, pebbles, jewelry and shells; anything cute or "girly," anything delicate. Rocks, dark and safe places, feeling the subtle movements of underground. One-on-one interaction (likes it but not yet very good at it). Focusing on a project that requires concentration (keeps her from worrying or brooding).
- Strengths: Physically strong and fast (for her size). Able to assess a situation fairly quickly to make a decision. Calming and soothing others, even if she's a worrier herself; she places herself into another's place to see it from their perspective.
- Abilities: Digging tunnels through the ground at approximately 50mph/80kph. Can grow a segment (limb?) back if lost, such as in battle.

- Dislikes: HATES being yelled at. Strict rules and schedules. Sitting around and contemplating too much (it makes her nervous or antsy).
- Weaknesses: Rage issues. Has trouble speaking her mind when faced with aggression. In times of extreme distress, may go into a fit of rage or panic that is difficult to stop.
- Fears: Abandonment. Crowded places, places with breakable objects (including buildings).

[melomar]

Onix is well-known as looking like a string of stones held suspended over everyone's head. Admit you've wondered if there is a string holding it together. In the wild, onix travel in unruly groups. Do not anger or frighten them; you will not live to see the consequences.

Designation
- National Pokédex Number: 095
- Type: Rock/Ground
- Species: The Rock Snake Pokémon
- Habitat: Subterranean habitats such as abandoned mines, tunnels, caves, etc.
- Diet: Large rocks

Physiology
- Overview: Serpentine, made up of rocky segments, each of which can rotate 360-degrees (including the head), and which become smoother with age. Their snakelike head has a fin-like crest; each onix has a magnet in their head that serves like a compass.
- Height: up to 28 feet, 10 inches / 8.8 metres
- Weight: up to 463.0 pounds / 210.0 kilograms

Behavior: Groooorrrgh. Hot-headed and dangerous, wild onix are known to attack humans but are more docile when tamed. They can travel up to 50 mph / 80.5 kph underground while digging a tunnel (and eating the debris).

Breeding
- Egg Group: Mineral
- Gender Ratio: 50% male, 50% female
- Gender Differences: None-- poor Frank!
- Courtship: unknown

Abilities
- Rock Head
- Sturdy
- Weak Armor (hidden ability)
- Other: As mentioned, they are very fast and can rotate their segments; will not lose the sense of direction unless something interferes with the magnet

Base Stats:
- Hit Points: 35
- Attack: 45
- Defense: 160
- Special Attack: 30
- Special Defense: 45
- Speed: 70
- Total: 385

Type Effectiveness
- Damaged Normally By: Bug (1x), Ghost (1x), Psychic (1x), Dragon (1x), Dark (1x)
- Weak To: Fighting (2x), Ground (2x) Steel (2x), Ice (2x), Water (4x), Grass (4x)
- Immune To: Electric (0x)
- Resistant To: Normal (½x), Flying (½x) Poison (¼x), Rock (½x), Fire (½x)
- Notes: If given a Ring Target, Electric-type moves increases to 1x.

Base Learnset:
- Mud Sport: Ground-type, status attack
- Tackle: Normal-type, physical attack
- Harden: Normal-type, status move
- Bind: Normal-type, physical move

Lore:
- Japanese Name: イワーク, Iwark
- Pokémon Origin: Most likely based on snakes and earthworms, and possibly the limbless dragon called a wyrm, which tunnels like the onix.
- English Name: Onix, from the mineral, "onyx." Iwark possibly from 岩 iwa (rock) and スネーク snake, so, "rock snake?"
- Trivia:
- - Onix has the highest base defense of all pokémon that can evolve.
- - It is the largest pokémon that can hatch from an egg that also has no pre-evolution.

[melomar]

An incredibly long and serpentine pokémon, Steelix is renowned for its endurance, strength, and defense. However, as a reclusive creature, it is probably unsurprising that very little has been described about its temperament.
Note: the sprite below is an example of a female; the one in the banners is male.

Designation
- National Pokédex Number: 208
- Type: Steel/Ground
- Species: The Iron Snake Pokémon
- Habitat: Living as deep underground as .6 mi (.96 km or 3,168 ft.), they are usually discovered in caves and mountains.
- Diet: iron-rich soil and stones

Physiology
- Overview: Serpentine creatures, their bodies are comprised of revolving rocky segments. Their heads are massive, with strong jaws capable of crushing stone. Surprisingly, they have square-shaped teeth. Several distinctive ridges and spikes cover its body, including: the pointed tip of its tail, the opposing spikes on three of its body segments, the the blunted ridges under its jaw, and finally the dual blunted horn-like ridges on top of its head and perpendicular to its jaw.
- Height: 30 feet, 02 inches / 9.2 metres
- Weight: 881.8 pounds / 400 kilograms

Behavior: Well, how does a steelix behave? I suppose that depends on if it is a well-behaved steelix. What does steelix say?!

Breeding
- Egg Group: Mineral
- Gender Ratio: 50% male, 50% female
- Gender Differences: One difference. On the lower "lip" of the steelix jaw are steely ridges that appear to be shark-like teeth that jut up like an under-bite. On the male there are two on each side of the mouth; on the female there is only one set.
- Courtship: Unknown

Abilities
- Rock Head
- Sturdy
- Sheer Force (hidden ability)
- Other: They burrow deep underground and can withstand great pressure and heat. Their jaws are strong enough to break boulders. Excellent vision in the darkness.

Base Stats:
- Hit Points: 75
- Attack: 85
- Defense: 200
- Special Attack: 55
- Special Defense: 65
- Speed: 30
- Total: 510

Type Effectiveness
- Damaged Normally By: Ghost, Grass, Ice, Dark (1x)
- Weak To: Fighting, Ground, Fire, Water (2x)
- Immune To: Poison, Electric (0x)
- Resistant To: Normal, Flying, Bug, Steel, Psychic, Dragon, Fairy (½x), Rock (¼x)
- Notes:
- - Prior to Gen VI, Steelix was Resistant To Dark and Ghost types (½x).
- - If given a Ring Target, Poison and Electric type damage will increase to Normal Damage (0x).
Base Learnset:
- Thunder Fang: Electric-type, physical attack
- Ice Fang: Ice-type, physical attack
- Fire Fang: Fire-type, physical attack
- Mud Sport: Ground-type, status move
- Tackle: Normal-type, physical attack
- Harden: Normal-type, status move
- Bind: Normal-type, physical move

Lore:
- Japanese Name: ハガネール, haganeil; 鋼, hagane steel + either nail or tail
- Pokémon Origin: Its physiology and habits are probably a combination of snake, earthworm, and/or wyrm from mythology.
- English Name: Probably steel + onyx, possibly referencing helix, which refers to its spiraling tail.
- Trivia:
- - Steelix has the highest base stat of any other Ground-type pokemon, and the highest Defense base stat, period.
- - Though the hardness of their bodies is compared with diamonds, they are not composed of carbon, but rather iron. However, the hardening process is similar to that of diamond (extreme heat and pressure). Even so, they are known to bear scratches and other scars.

[melomar]

When a trainer catches a wild pokémon, it always knows at least one technique to try to win. Sometimes it is a great catch and knows more! As it levels up, a pokémon learns new skills, sometimes forgetting old ones in the process, which will be shown as Frank grows.

Ability:
- Name: Description.

Current Learnset:
- see Starting Learnset
- Rage; demonstrated in Rage Restriction RP with Moogz
- Rock Tomb; learned/demonstrated in To Catch A Fallen Star meta event

Level Breakdown:
- Name: ?-type, category (physical attack or status move) (if STAB bonus), describes how SHE does it

Starting Learnset:
- Name: ?-type, category (physical attack or status move) (if STAB bonus), describes how SHE does it
- Name: ?-type, category (physical attack or status move) (if STAB bonus), describes how SHE does it
- Name: ?-type, category (physical attack or status move) (if STAB bonus), describes how SHE does it
- Name: ?-type, category (physical attack or status move) (if STAB bonus), describes how SHE does it

[melomar]

Carlos Kardunn is a mechanic with a garage in the town down the mountain from Choco Rocco. For a living he repairs anything from carriage axles to steam and gas powered machines, but his passion is inventing new gadgets and building machines. He's promised to take on Rocco as an apprentice as she gets a little older.

Name
- Pronunciation(s): Carh-lohs Khar-doon
- Given: Language, masculine name. Meaning.
- Surname: Language, meaning
- Hidden Meaning(s): Carlos is a character of mine from a completely different genre. His hair color reflects a bit of this.
Nickname(s)
- At Home: .
- In Town: .
- Friends: .

Family
- Father: Jimi, musician (no, not that Jimi!)
- Mother: Keelin, child and pokémon care
- Siblings: He has a few, they may or may not show up. If they do, I'll list them:
- - Name (pronounced), relationship, personality.
- Extended Family:
- - It's a complicated mess.

Pokémon:
- Frank the Onix: Sadly, this will be brief, but they may be reunited later on, once she starts to find her way in the world.
- Oscillée the Reuniclus - Hand-raised from a solosis, she is one of the pokemon that helps him in his shop, and is especially helpful with heavy lifting.
- Yaima the Shiny Vaporeon: A gift to him from an ex on Valentine's Day, he nevertheless kept her when times got rough. She especially loves to play with the machines.

Physical Stats
- Stature: Short and wiry. Yes, he lifted that car's front end. Oh... you thought for a second that he did without help? Silly you.
- Hair: Pretty, long, blue. It's natural, and hidden underneath a bandana and hat or helmet.
- Eyes: Covered by goggles most of the time.
- Skin: Stained most of the time by machine grease.

Clothing
- Style: Brightly-colored (for visibility), heavy, flame-retardant, lots of pockets, belts with tools, smeared with mechanical grease, etc.

Personality
- Summary: it's a summary.
- Myers-Briggs Profile: .
- Likes: Mechanical things. Taking things apart.
- Strengths: He is a mechanical genius and has an animal magnetism that seems to attract all manner of stray and needy pokémon.
- Abilities: .
- Hobbies: When off the clock, he likes to pamper his pokémon and himself. He has been known to take long leaves of absence to check on his suppliers or to go off on some bizarre tangent of an adventure.
- Dislikes: .
- Weaknesses: A pokémon in need.
- Fears: .


History: ironing out the details; stay tuned

Timeline
- Age: What happened

[melomar]

Everyone has to wander out into the world and interact with it, some a little sooner than others. And some are shoved out into the cold without any idea how to act and react. Frank will encounter interesting people everywhere she goes. Some people will show her why one must always be on their guard. Some, why it's good to keep a few walls around one's heart. Others will become her lifelong friends and show her that it's okay to trust others. Some will show her that some encounters and trials can not be avoided. Life will never be dull, even if she'd rather curl up in a quiet little hole in the ground.

Friends
- Name: no interactions yet

Acquaintances
- Eli: meeting inside the mountain
- Kenley: destroyed his home in the woods and tried to help him rebuild
- Mycah: met in the woods

Enemies
- Name: no interactions yet

[melomar]

Currently, Frank has no home. She ran away from the first home she's had since she was taken from home.

[melomar]

Everyone has some baby photos they'd rather not share with friends, some dark times in their past they'd rather left buried. Secrets. Lopsided boulder days. Photos where the camera-derp didn't think to take two photos, one for the closed eyes and blur, and one for that gem that always makes you smile. Then there are some great memories thankfully immortalized in pictures. Eventually, Frank will have a little of all of these.

Photo Album
- Official art, by Orpheus Solon: Oh! She has one. Hang on while I dust it off...


(link to full-size art)

Art Gallery
- Artwork Name, by (name): no artwork yet

[melomar]

Ever wonder where a mixed-up kid like Frank came from? Did her parents tweak her brain, or did she fall on her head as a baby? Actually, all her troubles began with humans. All the worst things she ever learned came from humans. Will she ever learn all the good things that the human world has to offer, or will she be resigned to a secluded, pokémon-only life?

Family
- Father, whereabouts unknown.
- Mother, whereabouts unknown.
She knows and remembers very little about where she comes from. She believes her family was happy and that her parents were kind. She remembers many stone faces peering down at her with a variety of expressions including awe, curiosity, and love... but no malice. The only other thing she remembers is her mother saying that her father was "so shiny," but not that he was "a shiny." It perplexes her to this day.

History
From a very young age she was given as a gift by parents to their son. She cannot remember her own parents, but gets the feeling that they were wild onix. As the pokémon of a spoiled child that wanted to battle and breed her to get more pokémon, he did not want to go to the trouble to buy, trade, or catch any more. For all of his pomp and bluster, his knowledge was very limited and did not even know how to sex his own onix. As a result, he attempted to breed her with another female golem. When her true gender was discovered, he cast her out in a fit of rage. She now lives on her own, trying to discover a purpose in her life.

[melomar]

Here is a timeline of Frank's growth in a technical sense. If History is written like a story, why is Growth written like a shopping list? One possible answer is that it is a series of definite goals that will be reached within a journey of indefinite detail and measure. By the time Frank's future becomes her history, it will have become a story worth telling.

Pokémon to Child

SPOILER: Click to show

- Requirements:
☑ 2 Weeks Time - 13 Feb --> 27 Feb
☑ 1 Journal Set Up
☑ 1 Decision on Gender - female
☑ 1 Solo RP - I will have lots. First episode with first trainer is half written. Second episode with the garage is in the works.
- - Vignette, part one: Trainer
- - Vignette, part two: Training
- - Rage
- - Carlos
☑ 1 RP with another Pokémon -
- - A Forest Encounter - Ivory's Xellandros (started; incomplete)
- - In the Catacombs - Noonday Guile's Eli (started; incomplete)
- - Rage Restriction - Mooger's Mycah/Kenley (counts, but incomplete)
☑ 1 Receiving a Star from Jirachi
- - THUMBS.

- Form:
Name: Frank
Stage: Child
Pokémon Breed: Onix
Gender: Female
Hair Style:
- light grey in color
- one ponytail pulled tightly across her head and off to the side, but towards the the top of her head (I want her to have an onix crest so the pony would have to be on the side... if one pony is too weird looking, two ponytails are fine)
- kind of short, so it's kind of bristly or spiky-looking (usually little kids just don't have that much hair!)
Eyes:
- I can never decide because I always picture her looking down at her hands. D': <3 maybe... black?
Attitude/Nature:
- Lonely (maybe tearful or pouting?)
Clothing Style:
- Naga clothes...good question! She would want to wear pretty jewelry or flowers or something, but she's currently without a home so they would be findings more than anything, I think. Pretty but worn-out looking? or cute and pieced together like Punky Brewster. xP
Pokémon Features:
- I can't decide if she should have dusty-brown or grey colored skin ><
- Onix crest on top of her head
- Onix-tailed Naga! Yay! =D !!! (short, fat, naga-baby tail? x3 )
- disjointed/rocks like actual onixes? (You did an amazing job on the pokemon stage! But please don't feel like you have to put so much effort into detail. I felt kinda guilty after seeing how hard you worked on her <3 )
- Stones are light in color, probably same color as her pokemon stage. (Onixes start out light and get darker with age)

Child to Teen

- Requirements:
☑ 2 Months Time - - 11 Nov 2013 - 13 Jan-ish 2014
☑ 1 Response - to the growths/changes caused by the star they found.

☐ 4 PDs

- To catch a Fallen Star (meta II )

- - counts for two

- From Rubble and Destruction (meta aftermath)

- Dooma's Carwyn/Mariette (dancing job!)

- Manu's Embrez
- Mooger's Kenley (reconciliation?)
☐ 2 Solo RPs/Journal Entries
☐ 1 Skill Learned - or more. =D
☒ 1 Evolution - N/A

- Form:
Name: Frank
Stage: Teen
Pokémon Breed: Onix
Evolving: Maybe? If so, Steelix
Gender: Female
Hair Style: ...
Eyes: ...
Attitude/Nature: Lonely
Clothing Style:
Body Style: Maybe on the heavyset side? She'll be 'voluptuous' as an adult, so I picture her being heavyset as an 'awkward teen.' :3
Pokémon Features:
- still a naga
- stones are medium colored, darker than before (onixes get darker with age)

Teen to Adult

SPOILER: Click to show

- Requirements:
☐ 3 Months Time
☐ 1 Response to Growth
☐ 5 PDs
☐ 2 Solo RPs/Journal Entries
☐ 2 Skill Learned - there may be more
☐ 1 Evolution - to steelix?

- Form:
Name: Frank
Stage: Adult
Pokémon Breed: Onix
Evolving: (if she hasn't yet, then Yes)
Gender: Female
Hair Style: (if any)
Eyes: (if any)
Attitude/Nature: Lonely
Clothing Style: Delicate and intricate jewelry and such, dancer (like harem or belly dancer type, mixed with tribal).
Body Style: Voluptuous
Pokémon Features:
- also still a naga, but with metallic features of the steelix
- darrrk (onixes get darker with age; so steelix probably should too?)

[melomar]

All sprites and pokémon concept art obtained from Bulbapedia's Bulbagarden Archives; Bulbapedia (the unofficial, online pokémon encyclopedia) was the primary source for pokémon info. Character concept art was created expressly for Jirachi's Wish. Each piece is listed below, and owned by its respective artist. Any omissions from this list are unintentional; no infringement is ever intended. If anything seen here is in error, please let me know in a nice way, and I will do my best to correct it in a timely manner.[/align]

Characters and Content
- Pokémon (Pocket Monsters) © Nintendo, concept by Satoshi Tajiri.
- Pokémon Vortex (Pokemon Crater) created by Aaron.
- Jirachi's Wish concept (and star thumbnails) by Orpheus Solon.
- Character concepts for Frank the Onix, "Choco Rocco" Cotier, and Carlos Kardunn, by Melomar.
- All other character concepts (such as for the children and their trainers) by their respective owners.

Sprites and Concept Art
- Frank's pokémon concept art, and the art for her consecutive growth stages, by Orpheus Solon.
- Original onix pokémon concept art by Ken Sugimori.
- Large onix and male steelix sprites from banners come from Pokémon Conquest
- Large female steelix sprite (stand-alone) comes from Diamond/Pearl/Platinum.
- Animated onix sprite is the menu sprite from the games.
- Carlos Kardunn's large sprite is the male "Worker (Ice)" sprite from Black/White.
- Carlos's small sprite is the male "Cooltrainer" overworld sprite from FireRed/LeafGreen.

Layout Design
- Pokémon stats informational layout borrowed heavily from Bulbapedia.
- Some design layout ideas were borrowed from MoogerMint and used with permission.
- Banners by me (Melomar) for this journal only. Do not use!
- Banners use Chlorinar, a Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles inspired free font by Jesse Wilson AKA Caffeen.[/font]

[melomar]

Vignette: Memories Undone
Date: January - May 2013
Post count: 418
Her first recallable memory was a confused jumble, made literally so as she tumbled free of the pokéball and onto the floor like so many loose boulders, leaving scrapes behind with each crackling impact. The cool stone tiles were the only anchor the huge, snakelike pokémon had in the world as, slowly recovering from shock, she found herself at the feet of a diminutive child. Looking down at him by sheer size alone, she nevertheless felt cowed by his forceful presence. She had never seen this boy before, but she immediately felt his unshakable authority shrink her great mass down to that of a squirming and squealing worm. This was her new master, she realized with finality and foreboding.

Behind her, she heard two voices address the boy with what she could understand as weakness. Their nervousness was audible in their speech, and when she turned dizzily to regard the boy’s parents, in their subtly shaky gestures as well.

What child could dominate its parents so completely, at such a young age?

She did not understand their words. She had never seen humans except at a distance. Vaguely she remembered her own parents, whom could be counted among the large, dark and wise wild onix - the image of their looming faces imprinted on her mind already fading from her delicate, infantile mind. They had warned her many times about the tiny yet dangerous creatures known as humans, and once from the safety of an outcropping of rock showed her a group of hikers break camp for the day. They had seemed so harmless back then.

“But I didn’t want Onix! I wanted a strong fighting type like Lucario or Sawk or Hitmonlee!”

She saw their warning take shape in this little one as he slapped the bowing form of his mother, in response to which the young pokémon reared back in shock and dismay. Nevertheless the woman gestured at the pokémon, shook her head in apology and defeat. The father looked the same.

The boy’s face seemed to collapse in on itself as he straightened to his full height, pinning her in place with a piercing glare. After several interminably withering moments, he stomped over to his new acquisition and kicked at her pale, stony flank. He hopped backward on his other foot, screaming in rage and pain. Dumbfounded, the onix peered down at the place where he had but tickled her, leaving only a dusting of chalky residue behind.

He straightened again and roared a lion’s roar at her. Then he turned to his parents and spoke, each syllable rattling his throat harshly: “I guess I’ll name him Frank.”

The tension that had building in the room disappeared immediately. The infant onix, newly-named and completely drained, Frank nearly fainted.