#my character arc is becoming confident enough in my cringe to post writing

[bignostalgias]

Hi! If you still feel like it, maybe a 🌈 or an ☔ from the wip ask game?

Thank you, have a nice dayy 🙌🏼

(The translation au, just MWAH 👌🏼💓)

Thank you so much for the ask!! 💕

This is like. Semi-angsty-semi-fluffy? Hope you enjoy!

🌈 Share something soft/fluffy from your WIP

It was startling, after so long being intangible, how easy it was to be touched. A tap on his shoulder, a playful punch from Astrid, getting jostled in the mead hall, pulled in two different directions by the twins - it was all familiar. Even before, Jack had always felt solid, always felt real - it was the world he couldn’t grasp, couldn’t hold on to.

This was different. The reaching out to touch. That he could, if he wanted.

That he could ask for it.

Hiccup humored him, even if he didn’t understand what Jack was thinking. They hadn’t progressed that far with the Norse lessons yet. Jack would press his palm to Hiccup’s arm, keep it there, to confirm he wouldn’t fall through, and pull back. Then do it again, just to make sure. At first, Hiccup would raise an eyebrow at him and say something concerned or teasing in Norse, but didn’t move away.

(Hiccup wasn’t the sort to move away, Jack noticed. Get distracted, sure, go on spontaneous misadventures with Toothless - but he always returned. Even in arguments with his father - mostly about Jack, which he could tell despite the language barrier - Hiccup always stood his ground. Skinnier and more awkward than his Viking peers, but nevertheless a force.)

Hiccup leaned into Jack’s touches, now, and unnervingly could tell when Jack needed reassurance. In a particularly bold move that Jack couldn’t help but chuckle at when it happened, Hiccup took Jack’s hand from his shoulder and held it in his own. He looked embarrassed, and tried to slip away, but Jack didn’t let go. Then Hiccup smiled, in that goofy lopsided way that shows off the gap in his teeth, and Jack felt everything inside him twist up.

He realized - he wanted -

The first time Hiccup hugged him he was standing in a lake up to his knees and shivering. Was he sleepwalking? He didn’t remember closing his eyes -

Hiccup was talking in his ear in a breathy, panicked tone that made his words blur together and his voice more nasally than usual. Jack swayed a little and Hiccup swayed with him, still talking. Given Hiccup’s height, Jack’s face was crushed into his neck, which couldn’t have been comfortable, but Hiccup’s gangly arms were locked around his upper back and it was futile to move. Strangely, the first thing Jack registered as he awoke was that Hiccup wasn’t wearing his leather armor. The lake water bit at his calves, but Hiccup was warm through the rough fabric of his tunic. It was the kind of warmth Jack had been reveling in since becoming mortal again - comfortable and innnate.

“Jack - Jack?” Those words he recognized. Jack blinked, and Hiccup leaned back slightly to gauge his expression. He was frowning, eyebrows furrowed together, almost merging into one. His hands slid to clutch at Jack’s shoulders, never once breaking contact. Jack’s mouth was dry.

He had no memory of his dream, but he assumed it wasn’t good if this was where he ended up. He gave Hiccup a sleepy smile to tell him I’m fine, really. According to Hiccup’s immediate deadpan stare, it wasn’t very convincing.

Jack suddenly was very aware that his arms hung limply at his sides, and had been since he woke up. That wouldn’t do. He ducked his face into Hiccup’s neck again, at a better angle this time, and hugged him back. And he was solid, not made of motes of light or sand, but flesh and bone and lean muscle.

Every time Jack held Hiccup’s hand, he held it like it might dissipate. Jack imagined himself holding the pieces of Hiccup together in this embrace, to stop them from floating off, and maybe he wasn’t fully awake, maybe Hiccup’s everything made him reckless. Hiccup was warm, and held him just as recklessly, and Jack felt real.

☔Is there a fic concept you have that you'd like to just explain and share because you're not sure you'll ever write it? If so, what is it?

If anyone remembers the hijack Ghost!AU, you get a bignostalgias veterans discount (it’s only been a few months but it feels like so much has changed in that time fjdjdjd). It was my first real attempt at making comics after a year, so it was partly a way to prove to myself I could and I had a lot of fun posting on tumblr again. However, it wasn’t planned out at all, and I lost steam pretty quickly - one day I may return to it, but in the meantime, I’ll leave a snippet from the outlining I attempted lol!

- “You’re gonna help him…move on?” Astrid’s eyebrows furrow together and she casts Hiccup a side glance. “To Valhalla?”

- Hiccup nods. “That’s the idea.”

- Astrid keeps looking at him with an unreadable but undoubtedly concerned expression. “Is that what you want? I mean - that’s what he wants, and that is what’s most important -“

- “Astrid?”

- “Hiccup,” Astrid huffs. “When he leaves, will you be okay?”

- That throws Hiccup for a moment. An OH MOMENT. Maybe a brief montage sequence that ends with: “I’ll have to be,” he says, resigned.

[takeariskao3]

I've never found Pansy interesting and don't know why so much of the fandom like her. But since you'll be writing a Panville fic, I'm willing to give it a shot. I'm Genuinely curious about what you like about her. Could you give us some of the reason why you like her?

so, i'm going to get on a soapbox for a second (or a high horse)

first off, i don't think your message was combative or confrontational in any way! but i do get a little defensive when it comes to some of my preferred ships/characters (especially female characters) because i shouldn't have to justify why i like them or why i find a story arc with them as the central focus interesting. you know?

however, seeing as you do seem genuinely curious, i think it is two fold.

there is a quote from JKR about pansy and it goes something like this: "I loathe Pansy Parkinson. I don’t love Draco but I really dislike her. She’s every girl who ever teased me at school. She’s the Anti-Hermione. I loathe her." now on the surface this is a whatever statement right? how could we disagree with it? of course we loathe pansy, the narrative *wants* us to loathe pansy. she's mean! but when i think about it longer than thirty seconds i get a little cringed out. because when i was a teen, i was the anti-hermione. i liked fashion, and makeup, and traditionally feminine things, i had a large group of friends and i liked my boyfriend. i was popular in the traditional sense of the word. i don't think i was a mean girl but who hasn't ever, in their life, been mean? so does the narrative (author) loathe me as well? i feel similarly about pansy that i do about lavender, that they were written from a place of deep misogyny and by a person who bought into the YA trend that main female characters needed to *not be like other girls* to be interesting.

the other half of my enjoyment of pansy & panville is that i don't like caricatures, and i really like redemption stories. genuinely. and as a fic writer, and a person who enjoys complex characters, typically the worse a character can start out, the more i want to push every button they have until they start learning some life lessons. pansy is PERFECT for this type of story. she was awful. she was raised to be the most bigoted, vapid, vain, conniving, prejudiced bully imaginable. she tried to hand harry over to voldemort! she is every resentment and insecurity rowling had as a middle schooler personified. so, if i take all of that, and try to fit it into as realistic as a person as i can, wouldn't pansy's mindset post-war be fascinating?? does she double down on dogma and hatred, or does she start to see a life and a world without division and is desperate not to be left behind? does she remain selfish and superior? or does she maybe learn there is more than one way to be good and brave? there are facets to her personality that are very queen bee-esque and despite her many flaws and failures, she still has strengths. using subtext, and a little of my own personal experiences, we can deduce that she is: confident, driven, calculating, sometimes wildly ignorant, and not very nice. in terms of a romantic story she is exploding with potential for an opposites attract (hate to love) scenario. neville is humble, content, morally steadfast, and most of all he's kind. pansy can learn a lot from him, but at the same time, neville could benefit from someone who won't coddle his more... wallflower(?) tendencies.

now i won't go into my entire history with hp fanfiction (unless you have enough time to hear ten years worth of experiences) however, i've become pretty attached to this little corner of fic for the reasons stated above. it's no secret that i like redemption stories and enemies to lovers as a romance trope. that's just what *i* enjoy. you do not have to enjoy it. but i do think it is important to think critically about the source material before deciding whether something is worth exploring or not.

i'll leave it with this, rowling has stated on the record that: "Let my girls be Hermiones, rather than Pansy Parkinsons. Let them never be Stupid Girls." and this bothers the shit out of me. i don't think girls should be hermiones or pansys or ginnys or whatever the fuck. i think girls should be whoever they are and not get told that their interests, or their experiences, or their stories are unworthy of being told because they aren't the smartest person in the room. so not only is pansy an interesting character for me to explore, she also feels like a wrong that i can make right. however small of an imprint that leaves on the world. pansy feels like a representation of what femininity is when it is defined at its worst and i intend to tear it to fucking shreds.

TLDR; pansy reinforces girl on girl hate for no other reason than vilification of teenagers, redemption arcs are fucking fire, and the idea of one character's weaknesses being another character's strength is SUCH a good foundation for romance.

thanks for the question <3

[giantsreach]

part of having written carver since like. 2013/14 is that i can never remember which topics i’ve posted meta on but i’m pretty sure i haven’t discussed his banter with fenris in-depth on this blog yet.

i think something that rubs me the wrong way about the way carver and fenris often interact in fan work is that there tends to be an underlying and fundamental misunderstanding about why carver approaches fenris in the manner he does. i’ve seen a lot of carver talking out of his ass to fenris for no reason other than a ) he thinks he knows better, and/or b ) his overly critical eye wants to fault-find. + he’s annoying or smth to that effect. 🙄

these interpretations tend to neglect the actual driving force behind carver interacting with fenris in the first place, and that’s that carver has had little exposure to other warriors. apart from his time in king cailin’s army, he was peerless ( literally ) in his field, and only interacted with his fellow swordspeople when they passed through town via the imperial highway. 

now, there is aveline, of course, but the writing makes it clear that aveline takes on the role of yet another older sibling ( or family of a similar, authoritative position ) in his life, and as such, doesn’t quite qualify as a peer in the traditional sense.

this likely isn’t the most flattering way of phrasing it, but carver wants friends. people who he can relate to, who share his interests and background, who find him as compelling as he finds them. carver may seem prickly or sullen in act i ( and he certainly is at times ), but he’s also experiencing two-prongs of isolation:

     1 ) cultural, as a fereldan refugee in a city-state that doesn’t try to hide its hatred of foreign asylum-seekers, and      2 ) mundane, as a displaced young man who has never quite fit in at home nor in any village they've settled in, and who has recently lost the family member closest to him, and who watches his surviving sibling pick up new companions left and right as if it’s not at all difficult.

cut to fenris, who is a consummate swordsman. and while carver is initially on edge because he's under the impression fenris could pose a threat to hawke, once the tension is dispelled, he's far from opposed to fenris's presence. if anything, carver is eager for his approval. fenris is, aside from aveline, the only warrior carver gets to spend any considerable amount of time with, and he's singular in his skill and ability. it's plain to see why someone like carver, starved for peers, would want to establish some kind of rapport with someone as exemplary as fenris.

the problem is, naturally, that carver — nineteen and having never learned to read socialize properly, due in equal parts to growing up sheltered as well as having poor self-confidence — cannot stop himself from saying shit that is so mind-blowingly stupid, that it is a wonder fenris was as forbearing as he was. i'm talking about:

Carver: So... this master of yours wants your markings back? Skin and all? Fenris: So his hunters told me. Unwillingly. Carver: So why not cover them up? Wouldn't that make you harder to find? Fenris: Let them come. I am not one to hide. Carver: Still, if it were me— Fenris: It's not. ─────── Carver: So you've really never thought of hiding from those hunters? Fenris: To what end? Carver: So you could, I don't know, have a life? Fenris: What life do you have? There are no hunters after you at all.

i feel like it should be obvious why these banters are in bad taste, so i won’t go into detail to lambaste carver over his blatant ignorance. the dialogue is proof itself, especially considering how little of fenris’s experience carver ( or anyone else for that matter ) can truly comprehend. 

what i will do, true to form, is explain that no, carver did not just pull that suggestion, careless as it was, out of his ass. while hawke may or may not do their best to lay low as an apostate, potentially choosing to engage then-knight-captain cullen over the unjust treatment of mages depending on player discretion, carver has internalized how malcolm guided the family. his father taught them to keep their heads down and be prepared to hit the road in case the circle caught scent of them? then that must be the best way to approach it. emotional neglect unfortunately primed carver to idealize and adopt malcolm's choices and general philosophy. this carries over even to legacy, where, regardless of carver's current character arc, carver will agree that malcolm was correct to keep secrets.

so there's fenris, right, who carver believes is in a position similar to that which the hawkes have been in. carver, attempting to help ( as he is wont to do ), wants to share what had worked for them in attaining a semblance of normalcy, not realizing or considering that that is not fenris's foremost goal. hiding is not a one-size fix-all solution, but carver hasn't expanded his horizons well enough to grasp that fully yet.

then there's largest contributors to my secondhand embarrassment in da2:

Carver: You're very different from other elves. Fenris: Oh? You know them all? Carver: No. I just... you look different. There's no denying that. Fenris: It is what I am. And unlike the problems you claim to have, I really did have no choice. Carver: Do we know anyone who isn't brooding every hour of the day? Fenris: Like attracts like, it seems. ─────── Carver: You know, Fenris, I have a tattoo. Fenris: You have a what? Carver: A tattoo. A lot of us got them before Ostagar. It's a Mabari. For strength. Fenris: Does it curse you with the ability to reach into a man and tear out his insides? Carver: Uh. I can make it bark. Fenris: Please don't.

i’ll start with the second one first. at its heart, the tattoo banter hearkens back to the fact carver wants to feel like he has something in common with someone. yes, it is cringe. but it’s also misguidedly sweet, and on top of that, it’s something carver also tries to do with merrill, who carver arguably has the friendliest dynamic with out of hawke’s crew. 

Carver: Your people came a long way Merrill, but I like to think that we have Ferelden in common. Merrill: I never saw Lothering. Did you walk as much as we did? Probably more, you didn't start with halla. Our ship stunk. Carver: Your ship? Merrill: There was something foul in the hold. I can still smell it. Carver: Oh, well, that must have been unpleasant. Merrill: It was. Did I miss something dirty again? Carver: No.

speaking of parallels, the “you’re very different from other elves” dialogue mirrors this one with merrill:

Carver: So, you're not like a lot of other girls. Merrill: No, I'm an elf. Carver: Right. Alright then. Merrill: Oh, did I miss something dirty? Carver: What? No! It wasn't dirty. It wasn't anything.

yes, i took 42069 points of psychic damage from reading that too. but the main takeaway from this is that carver is trying, poorly, to make the two people he thinks he could be friends with feel like they’re special. ( you know, like how carver wishes he was. lol. ) to disastrous results. but i think it’s more than worth mentioning that the intent behind his conversation-making is never once condescending. 

and it’s not like carver lacks self-awareness, either. after he becomes a warden and returns to the party for mark of the assassin, he admits he lacked polish.

Aveline: I'm glad you found a place with the Wardens. Carver: Well, it's not the city guard, but it'll do. Aveline: Carver... it wasn't the place for you. Carver: No, it's all right. It is. It cost a lot, but I get it. I really was a bit of a tit those days, wasn't I?

Carver: So, we're lost. Varric: Just like old times. Carver: Maker, I hope not. I was an ass. Varric: (laughs) Fair comment, Junior. All right, let's get this done.

and specifically to fenris:

Carver: Orlesians. Can't build a hallway without turning it into a maze. Fenris: Keep going. I'm sure your training will kick in any moment. Carver: Still don't like me? I've tried to change. Fenris: You have. Now you're dangerous. Let's move.

i don’t know how to end this nearly 1.5k meta, so tl;dr i guess

[sueboohscorner]

#Bull - Season 5 Episode 7 "The Head of The Goat" - Review and Breakdown

The Review of Bull Season 5 Episode 7 - The Head of The Goat

Hello and Welcome Back, Bull Fans and Long-time viewers of my content; I hope you are well and healthy this week. As I have re-watched the latest episode that I base this review upon. I wanted to come into my review and write my thoughts on the episode and create a discussion about the show’s seventh installment at large. This review is going to cover Episode 7 of Season 5 of Bull. Season 5 Episode 7 of Bull gave more development in Benny, Bull, and Izzy's character arc. And we finally get some more information about Issy and what she has been doing in the past since we have met her again in Season 4.

 In this review, I will be tackling the character and relationship development that is happening in this episode. Towards the end of the review, I will give my final thoughts of the episode, and I think it could happen in the next couple of Bull episodes. As always, let me know in the comment section below. Or on Social Media @tvfanaticau (#ad) of all platforms. Hey Bull writers, can we have more scenes of Bull and Issy not in bed together? Because I feel like I have to start a drinking game and take a shot of when they are in bed together. (P.S. I don’t condone binge drinking alcohol just wanted to make this point.)

But anyway, enough about my drinking game for Bull and Issy, let’s dive into the seventh’s installment of Season 5 of Bull. “The Head of The Goat.” 

Episode 7 - Plot Overview

"Bull and Benny mount a difficult federal trial defense for a young mother accused of aiding and abetting her extremist husband in an act of domestic terrorism. When the controversial case makes news, Benny’s commitment to TAC complicates his burgeoning political career."  -- Show Junkies. 2021

Character Development of Episode 7 - “The Head of The Goat”

This week was a chance for the Bull writers to give meaning and context to the Benny running for the DA’s office and the relationship between Bull and Issy. And the relationship between Benny and Bull.

In the first two sections of my review, we will be looking at the character + the relationship development for this episode. What I think can happen in the next couple of episodes for Bull and The TAC Team in the future. 

1. Benny

As we move closer to Benny running for DA’s office, we can see that Benny is becoming more confident in his approach. In the courtroom. And for what he believes, everyone shows get a day in court. And so when his friend and his sister come to see him in his office. We get to see that confidence that we know and love from Benny. And with that ending scene for the episode, we get to see that all of Benny’s hard work has paid off. So I hope that in the next couple of Bull episodes, we get to see more of this storyline for the character arc as I am really enjoying this arc for Benny. 

2. Issy

As YM was brought on as a series regular for the show, I wondered what the Bull writers were going to be doing with this arc for Issy as we have to see her go through several things over the past with Bull and Her Brother. As so, I like this more relaxed version of Issy.

With Baby Bull's addition to the mix, I think that there is has been a chance to reconnect with her family. Because in the earlier seasons of the show, we see Issy is distant from her Brother and maybe other family members. Due to the trauma of her divorce and the miscarriage that she suffered.

But I hope we get to see more of the current version of Issy and that we have to see her becoming her own person again after having baby bull.  

3. Bull

As we have discussed, we have seen some reconnection as a family for the Bull and Colon Family. In Issy’s section. But I want to talk about how Bull feels about the changes in his company, what the writers and MW will achieve on the show.

Now I believe Bull is still was reluctant for Benny to take the job in the beginning. I think by the end of this week’s episode, we can see that Bull has seen that Benny is ready to take the next step forward in his career. Bull needs to step back and let Benny complete the task at the head. I hope for Bull in the next couple of episodes, and we get to see that change for Bull and Benny. 

The Relationship Development of Episode 7 - “The Head of The Goat “

As I have discussed the key character development in Season 5, Episode 7, let’s dive into more of the other side of the show, the relationships in Bull.

1. Bull and Issy

Season 5 for Bull and Issy has been a relaxed ride for this relationship in terms of the reconnecting and the communication they have. But we have not seen some of that witty banter that I know them for on the show. And in this episode, we get to see that again as we move through the show's season. I hope that the Bull writers will give the audience or fans of these relationships some more scenes outside of the bedroom. But I love this couple together, so I will take what scenes that they have together gladly. 

2. Bull and Benny

I know some people are in Benny's camp leaving the show; that is not the case at the moment. These two are, I think are on the same path for the promotion that Benny so deserves. But I still think that Bull will be more reserved still as if he is about to lose his friend to an important job. Again, I hope writers will pull it off as I have been liking the storyline surrounding Benny and Bull and the TAC Team. 

3. Benny and Issy

From Season 1, Episode 1 of the show, we have known that Benny’s sister married his best friend in Bull, and I think they were on the outs with each other as brother and sister, now fast forward a couple of seasons and a niece to the picture. I think that they have become more of a brother and sister again. When this episode came out, I loved the development of the relationship that they are going to work together to help Benny’s campaign. I love that relationship and interactions, so I hope that Bull writers and showrunners give us more future episodes. 

4. Bull and The Tac Team

During My Review last week, I look at the Bull and The TAC Team’s relationship, and from what I can gather that from this week’s episode, we got little to no development on the team; for instance, it was more focused on Benny, Bull, and Issy. But I expect that in the next couple of the coming episodes, I think we are going to explore this side of the relationship that Bull has with his employees. 

The Defense Strategy of Episode 7, “The Head of The Goat”

As we have a look at the relationships explored in this episode. I think we will see more in the future with some other established relationships on the show soon. I would look at the defense strategy used to move the case forward and get the trial's intended outcome. 

Defense Strategy.

This week’s defense strategy was not as laid out for the audience as normal, or I could not find it in my rewatching on the show’s episode. I think it’s an innocent to prove guilty strategy. Please let me know in the comment section below or on Social Media that I may have got it wrong and let me know the actual strategy. 

The Moments of The Head of The Goat

The Best Moments of The Episode.

The finest moment is shouting out to the pre and post-production team to produce the program to the crowd every moment it is on the broadcast. Freddy was the standout actor on the show’s seventh installment of the fifth season. In specific, the Benny that we know and love goes to town on a witness in question. Some of the minor moments that Bull and Issy shared through the episode, including the bedroom scene. A moment, Chuck being on the side in the courtroom and going to town on the witness. Also, I would like to mention that the new actor who played the wife stood her ground in the episode overall. 

Emotional Moments

I like to add the section in my reviews and show those tear-jerker moments on the show's sentimental side. During this week’s episode for me, anyhow, there were no emotional moments to talk about. Hopefully, we will get to see those moments in the coming episodes.

The Cringe moments

As the title suggests, there were moments on the show’s installment this week. Are the following, the awkward scene between Benny and his friend at the DA’s office. A cringe moment is the bedroom scene with Bull & Issy. I am seriously thinking of a drinking game for every time an identical scene comes on. 

As we leave those moments in the episode, lets' get into my final thoughts on the episode. I think to happen in the next couple of episodes concerning character & relationship arcs that have been established.

Overall Thoughts and Opinions on The Episode

Bull Season 5 Episode 7 was a perfect addition to the story canon of the show. For myself, it was one of the strongest episodes so far of the season. It provided an understanding of how some storylines are going to happen going forward in season 5.

In the next couple of episodes, we are to see further of these storylines shine through. I hope to see the development that they promised us in press interviews for season 5. Moving forward, I think we will see this story come to be a large one for Benny and Bull and Issy.

So going forward, I hope that the bull writers are going to give Danny a storyline that is true of her character. Has she been the one character that I have been waiting for that development since season 2 of the show? They have not developed the press release for Episode 8 of Season 5. We are to see things may wait on or taken by surprise.

I want to make a note to my viewers and The Bull production team that I have been enjoying this season more than previous seasons, as I feel like the show has returned to its roots in Season 1, that we have become to know and love about the show. And I believe that Season 5 of Bull has had more major character & relationship development so far. 

Overall Rating of the Episode: 7.5/10

Until Next Time, I will See you Later.

The Woman Who Writes TV Reviews.

[citialiin]

THE POSITIVE & NEGATIVE; Mun & Muse - Meme.

fill out & repost ♥ This meme definitely favors canons more, but I hope OC’s still can make it somehow work with their own lore, and lil’ fandom of friends & mutuals. Multi-Muses pick the muse you are the most invested in atm. tagged by: @forseenclade thank you ! man i am so bad at doing memes.  tagging: @blossomingbeelzebug @zhrets @lupichorous @dansiere yayayayayayayaya

My muse is:   canon / oc / au / canon-divergent / fandomless / complicated [ z/iggy stardust is DEFINITELY not my original character, but 683 is, and every single part of how i rp ziggy from his backstory to his personality was made up by me. that being said, ziggy is still a character that exists in media. ]

Is your character popular in the fandom?  YES / NO. [ im pretty sure ziggy is tied with the thin white duke as one of b*wie’s most famous fictional personas? ]

Is your character considered hot™ in the fandom?  YES ? / NO / IDK.

Is your character considered strong in the fandom?  YES / NO / IDK.

Are they underrated?  YES / NO / IDK. [ maybe a little overrated ]

Were they relevant for the main story?  YES / NO.

Were they relevant for the main character?  YES / NO / THEY’RE THE PROTAG.

Are they widely known in their world?  YES / NO.

How’s their reputation?  GOOD / BAD / NEUTRAL. [ celebrity rock god of limitless talent vs inevitable overrated washup. most celebrities are polarizing anyways ]

How strictly do you follow canon?  — there isnt much canon to go off of i think? the album barely even states if ziggy is an alien and b*wie himself got really wishy washy about it (sometimes saying z is a human who was contacted by aliens, he was an alien himself, etc). i dont think we know anything about him besides what he looks like (red hair / weird eyes / pale / “well hung” lmao) and he has a band called the spiders from mars, he plays the guitar left handed, he’s bisexual + androgynous, and he’s charming and popular with the teens but inevitably is a victim of his own ego. and he dies.  that too.  but that’s literally it! we know Nothing else about him.  so i filled in all the gaps because my brain has worms.  theres a little bit of the story that verges on fantasy (that he’s some sort of messiah messenger for “the infinites,” whatever the fuck THAT means, david) so i nix that because i prefer hard scifi.  and theres one BIG part that i just ... deleted out of his canon, in that the world is ending in 5 years in his timeline, and he’s like ... aware of this ?  but that’s dumb and confusing.  i legit dont care anymore. my OC now.

SELL YOUR MUSE! Aka try to list everything, which makes your muse interesting in your opinion to make them spicy for your mutuals.  —  im so embarrassed i know i could be genuine and actually try but i have brain blockajjolajlakala33lak33klak333ak3jka3akjj323j3 i guess it’s like ... ziggy is truly the ultimate expression OF humanity because he reveals everything both wrong and right about the human condition, he literally embodies the best of humanity and the worst at the same time, he’s a really interesting critique on the idea of genuineness/earnestness vs commercalism in art, the perils of fame, and also how humans are so inherently corrupting?  a lot of thematic stuff i like exploring is like what is innate to humans vs what is learned behavior, what are things that humans do naturally that ziggy mimics out of his desire to be like us?  i think he has a really good story arc -- he went from being a literal nameless CLONE in a society full of pragmatic forward thinking science-oriented people to a sell out rockstar celebrity in a society of people that value individualism and self expression and art, but in the process completely lost his mind and himself and gave into the worst that humanity has to offer like rampant selfishness, drug abuse, self destructive tendencies, etc. characters changing is always interesting and ziggy truly changes for the worse -- but he is never just black and white, he was never good and then suddenly evil, he just was always the same person putting on different facades and trying to be himself by constructing an identity that maybe was who he wanted to be versus who he actually is.  i dont know what im talking about. hes just an alien trying to be too hard to be human in all the wrong ways.   i just like how “gray” ziggy is. he isnt good or bad, he can be very nice and he can be very mean, he’s overtly showboating confident but at the same time deeply afflicted with self-consciousness (why tf else would anyone be So obsessed with how they present themselves?).  hes an icon of individualism but also commercialism.  he’s freakishly alien but is almost more human than humans themselves.  he struggles as lot in his head -- which makes for interesting writing, i guess !!  Im so emabrrased im not going to go back and read what i wrote so if i typoed dont look at me

Now the OPPOSITE, list everything why your muse could not be so interesting (even if you may not agree, what does the fandom perhaps think?).  —  i think ziggy comes across as really mean and nothing else.  his horrible bitchy rudeness comes across as hee hee hoo hoo sassy isnt he a rascal when it’s supposed to be more like ... he’s so far gone into the celebrity delusion he’s conflated aggressive rudeness with charmingness because no one told him otherwise and everyone worships him to the point where he’s just given into the delusion that he can do no wrong.  i think theres the general simplification problem that happens with a lot of fictional characters, it’s easy to see him as just a whacky sassy glittery quirky rockstar when i guess it avoids the inherent tragedy of like ... everything else about him. his totally fake and false sense of identity built up from superficial things like fame and labels and stardom.  maybe my version of ziggy is just too weirdly depressing and sad when i know his original iteration wasn’t quite so ... grim.  im not very sure tbh.  

What inspired you to rp your muse?  —  hmmm ... a lot of things! i just really got into b*wie stuff in early 2019, i’ve ALWAYS loved aliens and sci-fi, and i was really shocked that db sets up such great visual storytelling potential but does it through music.  i just really liked ziggys “story” and i like any chance to think about aliens so i just got invested into piecing together a little backstory for him using, like, the cumulative knowledge of literally every other piece of science fiction ive ever consumed in my life.  this was summer 2019 when i was making initial pitches for my thesis film, and so i just randomly decided to pitch “animated version of ziggy stardust” as one of the potential ideas.  shockingly everyone liked it a lot and so did my professor who thought it was really cool, and then i just ended up sticking with the character and working on him for an entire year.  ziggy became my hobby but also my homework.  he was such a fun character because everything about him was interesting to me and i had just enough source material to have a starting point but so much room to take him in any direction i wanted to.

What keeps your inspiration going?  —  honestly, yooooou guyssssss. i have some really amazing fwends that ive met thru here .... and some of our dumb stupid stories have literally become NOVEL length. it just self generates inspiration because you realize the limitless amount of stories you could tell with this one single character when your character enters his story or he enters their story and etc. etc.  ive drawn endless amounts of comics and stuff for him ... ziggy is just so endlessly interesting ...   cringe be cringed bro but recently (i know this sounds dumb bear with me or die.) ive kind of realized a lot of how i rp z comes as some metaphor for the experience of being an asian immigrant/being asian in the US -- his home “culture” is a lot stricter than the rampant selfish individualism of the usa (he only lives in the uk and usa, so he thinks the whole planet is like this), he’s dissuaded from standing out from his community and his selfishness becomes a community burden rather than a personal flaw, and when he does come to earth, he goes through such awful culture shock, literally nothing makes sense to him and everything is Different.  and while some things are different in a Nice way, something things are different in an Awful way, and he’s given the option between losing his true personal identity as an atominan and giving it up to be a human.  the allure of being a human is a little too much but losing yourself like this is traumatic, in a way.  obvs like ... a little silly and definitely not something that i actively intended to put into his story arc, its just something that fell into place cuz i guess i worked so closely with my own personal experiences and feelings of “alienation” (pun intended) to try to understand how he would feel being a literal alien an shid. its cathartic to write about him. but he also has a lot of my own personal interests just thrown in -- 70s fashion, scifi, science, tryhard implications about human nature, art history, whatever dumb nonsense i get into

Some more personal questions for the mun.

Give your mutuals some insight about the way you are in some matters, which could lead them to get more comfortable with you or perhaps not.

Do you think you give your character justice?  YES / NO / SOMETIMES?

Do you frequently write headcanons?  YES / NO  [ i would prefer information to spring up organically in the story but cuz threads always get dropped i end up just telling people outright. i didnt want anyone to know his home planet/his old name but barely anyone writes enough with ziggy to get to that point to reveal it (i legit managed to do it organically Once) so i just had to write it in a post lmao orz ]

Do you sometimes write drabbles?  YES / NO [ wrote a ton of drabbles ! drew a ton of comics! ]

Do you think a lot about your Muse during the day? YES / NO 

Are you confident in your portrayal?   YES / NO / I DUNNO?

Are you confident in your writing?  YES / HAHA NO.

Are you a sensitive person?  YES  / NO. / IDK ? 

Do you accept criticism well about your portrayal?  —  definitely!  like i said ... my version of ziggy ended up being the protag of my thesis film and for 1 yr straight his characterization, backstory, design, and even how i wanted to animate his fucking movements (ziggy stardust timing charts.) were beaten to death in a classroom environment, torn apart and rebuilt into something better.  had i stayed with what i originally wanted to go with, ziggy would be so different than how i write him 2day. amazingly my pre production professor is a literal two time emmy award winning storyboard artist and animator so he definitely helped me design him (my version of ziggy is meant for ... a cartoon, obviously, not real life) and give him a better backstory?  and my post production professor is a retired disney animator who worked on hercules and a bunch of old disney channel shows?  had i gone wah wah wah i dont want to hear ur critiques i wouldnt have made him better.  if you ever think ziggy seems inconsistent or poorly written ... tell me !! i literally major in ... animation. cartoons. entertainment.  my job is to entertain you. if you are not entertained, there is a problem.  ARE YOU NOT ENTERTAINED ????

Do you like questions, which help you explore your character?  —  I LOVE QUESTIONS? i love ... answering questions ... if you ask me something ill come kiss you.

If someone disagrees to a headcanon of yours, do you want to know why?  —  sure! i dont know why that would happen, though, because i mean ... he’s an OC. but i gues someone could be like “i feel like this is incongruous to things you’ve previously established in his character” or somethin

If someone disagrees with your portrayal, how would you take it?  —  i feel like a lot of b*wie stans would find my version of ziggy weird but i mean thats fine!  i guess my goal is to have a well written character, not necessarily an accurate version of ziggy

If someone really hates your character, how do you take it?  —  if you hate MY version of ziggy thats fine but if u hate ziggy stardust in general (like the bowie concept) then u need some taste what the fuck is cooler than a egomaniac genderless bisexual rockstar alien with red hair? nothing. go back to watching your CW shows you dirty filthy normie

Are you okay with people pointing out your grammatical errors?  —  yes! dm me though. dont clown me on the dash like that.  i usually write your replies 12 AM - 4 AM so it’s expected.

Do you think you are easy going as a mun?   —  hmmm ... maybe! i do like to talk to people and i am VERY nice, trust me, if youre ever sad ill do everything i can to make you feel better. but im quiet! i dont really reach out to people and i tend to just keep to myself.  im not very social or extroverted at all haha i barely can make ooc posts without feeling like god’s coming to beat my head in with a brick. im sitting here at 5:30 AM with this meme feeling like if i post it i will die (BUT I MUST)

[hyphypmic]

HypMic: BNHA

Anon asked: How about the characters being students/teachers in Boku no Hero Academia as a part of the universe? And please, take all the time you need, honey.

Well well well, let’s go

—

Let’s get one thing straight first, all TDD members (with the exception of Ramuda which I will explain later) are part of the top 10 heroes, Jakurai being the closest to number one followed by Samatoki and Ichiro interchanging every once in a while)

Ichiro

He wouldn’t be a teacher I can tell you that

But he would have his own agency

And honestly, he probably did graduate from UA, but one of the top of his class and is like really known

And he’s in line to being the youngest top pro hero

As for quirk… he’d basically have the hypnosis mic quirk where he would be able to summon speakers, hypnotise people n destroy their minds with music

The downside is though that

Anyway, yeah the Buster Bros Hero Agency is really out there booming you know

Omg the buster bros would be related to Present Mic because he’s Hizashi Yamada but he’s more of a cringe uncle than anything but he did take care of the bros when they were younger… but Ichiro was basically still had the whole Ichiro Yamada arc n all

Im pretty sure he became like an official pro hero after he graduated, but a young hero long before that

(Ok you know the buster bros + hizashi Yamada need a post of their own)

Jiro

Ah well, like in my past post, he would have the same quirk as Ichiro (summoning speakers, hypnosis with his voice, using hypmics as an extra tool to control his quirk etc etc)

Wants to become like his big bro obviously, but kind of on the reckless side

Would be a year above Midorya and the gang (so I guess 2nd Year), but he would be friends probably with Jirou because no doubt both having music quirks makes things interesting

Also a delinquent holy fuck like, troublemaker tm hahah

Anyway, he helps out with present mic and with his brothers sometimes take over the radio show because why not

But he and present mic get into the biggest shouting matches because why not

Ichiro is the strongest out of the three n doesn’t really need a microphone to amplify his voice (but of he does use his mic goodbye)

Jiro prefers to use the mic because he aint that confident yet, but he’s more skilled in like arts and stuff so his costume designs are lit

Saburo

Wants to be like Ichiro obviously and the quirk runs in the family

Except though that Saburo as a first year in the hero course in UA, is gifted also in gadgets

So even if he has friends in the hero course, you can probably find him hanging out with support course people because inventing and tinkering is his jam

And hella smart, with like midorya levels of strategising and Momo level intelligence

Also bumps heads with Bakugo a lot but has a good healthy respect for him

Anyway, he’s the most quiet out of the Yamadas and is most of the reason why Ichiro decided that when he was old enough (like what, 17-18?) he would get an apartment somewhere else away from Mic’s place so that Saburo would be able to be quiet in peace and what not

Likes using the fucking mic because he feels like he has more control and his mic is totally decked out so it’s awesome

Samatoki

I don’t think he would be a teacher like, he would be a pro hero and he has a squad (he refuses to call it agency but it really is

I think he would be more vigilante vibes and tbh his quirk would be some sort of fire quirk, not like an endeavour kinda thing but more of like a fire bending thing where there literally has to be flames (even the smallest spark) so he could make it more n stuff

Which is why he always has a lighter and cigarettes

Literally, do not piss him off while he’s smoking

And of course he and Ichiro are fighting for like a slot on the top hero ranking thing, but mostly they have this petty rivalry

But he and Ichiro are actually friends its just… well maybe not a Kacchan-Deku kinda level but something that used to resemble that and now is a p solid brotherhood

He protects the weak and all that, but he has that of course Samatoki attitude that just happens to go uwu sometimes

Jyuto

Would probably still be in the police force except with like a quirk

Which tbh I think he’s an invisibility guy but not like hagakure, kind of like the invisibility he can control

Because looking n basing this a bit on my past superpowers post, he would be invisible

But the catch has to be like he has to hold his breath so he could sneak around

And he would prefer to work with the police, but his go to call guy is Samatoki (because tbh, with all the trouble Samatoki personally goes searching for, jyuto won’t run out of a job)

Anyway yeah, invisibility is pretty fucking amazing because h can search for info (as long as he doesn’t run out of breath) and sneak where he needs to sneak

So covert operations always work out for him and what nit

Riou

I think he would like teaching, but he’s more of a combat training and strategy more than anything

I personally think he wouldn’t have like a super powerful quirk, like he wouldn’t have the explosion quirk or a sound quirk, he would just be kind of like Captain America where he just has an enhanced overall physique which helped him with like the army and what not

But the thing is, he’s honed his body to near perfection, enhancing the strength and speed that was enhanced with him to begin with

And he uses tools and support items to his advantage, like metal knuckles or weapons or guns or whatever honestly, he knows what to use and how to use it, which is what makes him very, very dangerous

Gets along with Aizawa because he’s very cool under pressure

But lord god, them sparring together is such a thing to watch

Ramuda

Okay he wouldn’t be part of the top 10 because he’s like not that interested in that kind of thing

He would probably be content doing his own thing, having a fashion line that rivals best jeanist

But, he would be really famous, but for some reason never on the top 10 pro heroes thing because I think he would love to take over and be known in a different way

Like yeah he would save people when he encounters it, but not necessarily like go on patrol and whatever, he would have his own agenda

But anyway, yeah his fashion line would be really hawt and whatever

As for his quirk though, he would be a shape shifter like really, I can see Ramuda just kinda designing clothes while being a talking cat and whatever

He’s limited only  moving objects, so he can’t do still objects but he can do for example cutting scissors

But they can never be completely motionless that’s the catch

Gentaro

He wouldn’t really be a pro hero or a teacher, im sure he’s content with being a writer

Because okay, his quirk which would be like writing where his imagination never runs out and he can even control the pen so that he just has to say what he wants to be written

Or even think of what wants to be written

Like he could close his eyes and imagine scenarios and the whole story unfold before him and the pen would be able to articulate those thoughts

The downside is that it depends on his vocabulary and knowledge, so gentaro has to study too

If he were to teach though, he would teach literature in any school or just a freelance class in which he would allow his students to imagine and write properly

Dice

Ah his quirk would be luck, except it never works when there’s money involved

And he unfortunately has a gambling addiction

Like he could just persuade people to give him items, but the dumbass really just loves money and this is why he can’t afford nice things

Anyway, his luck quirk makes him extremely safe, so for some reason he’s good at stunts and running and parkour

And why his shit (except his money) never gets stolen

He has gentaro as a friend because the author just so happened to be writing on the bench in the park where dice stays

Well, he would be a hero, but kind of a small time kind of guy where he helps out… but sometimes with incentive because he’s broke af

Literally nothing can hit him (unless it’s money or coins or gold… just anything valuable really) so he’s pretty fine

Jakurai

Telepathy I mean, fuck hypmics and amplifiers, his amplifier is his mind

Im sure he can also mind control and plant images that seem so real

Like yeah, his way of attacking is using words and rap, but literally it’s a silent fucking attack where you think you’re being overwhelmed with sound but it’s really just Jakurai

And he’s powerful enough that he can create hallucinations

And the scary thing about the doctor is that he’s good at close range combat or hand to hand without his quirk

Like he was an assassin or a hitman or whatever, so he knows that you cannot always rely on your quirk

The catch with him is that he has to be completely silent or at least stay out of the hearing range of the people he’s attacking so that he could use it

But once he uses it, he can get as fucking close as possible and stab you from the back (but remember, he don’t need his quirk to kill)

But right now, he’s happily teaching at UA and helping out recovery girl

But seriously, Jakurai in battle is such a wonderful thing to watch and you’re gonna learn so much from him

Oh yeah, and one of the top pro heroes obvs

Doppo

I see him having telekinesis, but like it gets amplified the calmer he gets

Which is hard because he’s always anxious, so when he’s anxious he loses control, but it’s weak

Its stronger when he’s calm

I think he would be a teacher, but like for a regular subject like accounting or whatever

And he would be bullied a lot for his you know being Doppo, but if you mess with him when he’s in a calm angry spell, good luck to you

He can though save lives because that’s what people with powers do, have certain responsibilities to save people who are weaker

Gets along with Jakurai because the doctor sometimes plays music in Doppo’s head to calm him down which is always cute

He actually gets a calming thing made so he can focus his telekinesis, but his anxiety sometimes overrides it

Hifumi

he can make people hallucinate… however the downside to this quirk isa that he has to drink alcohol beforehand

Like he would always have a flask with him and he has to be high tolerance because the amount of alcohol consumed correlates to how strong his hallucinations/illusions would be

Like it wouldn’t matter how well the person he’s attacking can hold their alcohol, it’s all up to him

He would teach with his best friend boyfriend doppo and would constantly smell of alcohol

Aizawa gets from him a lot

Anyway, yeah that’s hifumi’s quirk, but his part time is also running a club because that’s what he loves doing

But yes, still afraid of girls so he wears his fucking suit to UA and… it’s really chaos if you put Present Mic, All Might and Hifumi in the same room

[disneydreamlights]

Figured it'd be fun to ask about two different versions of Nicole (BAT2 and SC). [1 (very important question), 3, 7, 12, 15, 28 (BAT2 - World 7 Interlude) (SC - After events of CoH), 37, 43, 44, 50, 57, 73, 74, 91, 94, 96, 97, 100 (Biggest difference between them?).] That is 18 questions for two characters. Hopefully that's not too much.

As a note how I’m going to do this is write answers that are the same in both, and then specify for different.

Nicole:

1. What do they smell like?

Nicole as a light fruity smell. If I had to imagine a more exact fruit I always associated her with berries, so probably like berries.

3. What is their biggest motivator?

SC: Her biggest motivator in SC is the people she cares about. She wants to do her best to make them proud, and do what she can for them. 

BAT2: Her biggest motivator has become basically spite to prove her sister wrong. Her sister believes violence and the White Fang is the answer. Nicole believes there’s another way, and will find it and pull it off. As she forms more connections to more people, this gradually changes.

7. Which of their relationships have impacted them most positively?

SC: I’d have to say Ian. Ian has served as her support and honestly him being a Faunus helped her start to learn to put trust in people. I think if Ian hadn’t trusted her with his secret, she wouldn’t have started to open up to a lot of people, and as much as I cringe at the angst fest that was the scene, it also gave Nicole the motivation to open up, not to mention Ian isn’t afraid to call her out on her bullshit, and Nicole sometimes needs somebody to help her snap out of her anger.

BAT2: Honestly I don’t think there’s a single relationship that helped Nicole out more in growing as a person. Zoe helped her understand that she isn’t wrong in her opinions on her situation at home as well as open herself up, Daisy helped her out by giving her a person she could truly consider family and helping her realize family is not the people who you’re related to, but the people you choose, and Tip has helped her view shift less towards “I have to prove Autumn wrong” and more “I have to look out for those I care about.” and that’s a huge step in her development.

12. How do they like to dress?

More casual than formal, she prefers skirts and shirts to dresses or jeans since they allow a bit more variety. She also feels more comfortable with a hat on than without one, it’s become more of a security blanket than anything else.

15. What is their greatest achievement?

SC: Well I mean…she’s killed a god, started a widespread and positive movement for Faunus rights, and cheated death…all three are pretty good.

BAT2: The achievement she’s most proud of is getting into Beacon, especially since she’d been working her butt off for the rapid change in goals. Also beating a few enemies is a pretty good one.

28. Are they happy where they are currently?

SC: Yes. Nicole at that time is happiest when she has the people she loves around. She was missing Tip a lot in CoH so just having him around makes her happy. She could be happier, if Tip wasn’t so destroyed too, but she’s happy.

BAT2: She’s getting there. I don’t think I’ll include this in the rp but Nicole is very worried about the idea that she won’t be able to stay with everybody she cares about (Tip/Zoe/Daisy/Peach/Chirithy) but right now she’s trying to ignore that and the idea of how Beacon might go in favor of enjoying the time she has with her friends now. So it’s mixed, but more happy than not.

37. When was the last time they cried?

SC: I’m gonna go with post SE for this, so the last time she cried was when she got reunited with Tip. The idea that he’s there, and she can finally be with him after over a hundred years apart is very overwhelming, and so she broke down in tears.

BAT2: In the middle of world six when she was experiencing all of that pain, I’d imagine while she was cuddling Zigzagoon she was holding back as many tears as she could to avoid having a breakdown from the pain, but quite a few slipped out.

43. Why might someone dislike them?

Nicole is abrasive, quick to snap, quick to judge, overprotective, defensive, goal oriented, ruled by her emotions occasionally, and incredibly stubborn. I think those are all pretty good reasons to hate her.

44. Why might someone love them?

She’s loyal, honest, caring, overprotective, she’d be very doting to somebody she’s in a relationship with, intelligent, confident (not self confident, but confident in her decisions and convictions), and strong.

50. When is their birthday?

Story time, you all remember how Nicole is a former self insert? Well as it turns out Aries and Fire are both things I like zodiac and timewise associated with her. So I wanted to keep her in my zodiac range.

And sometimes it’s just easier not to change things from self insert roots. Nicole’s birthday is April 17th.

57. What D&D alignment are they?

True Neutral. She tries to do the right thing, but her emotions get in the way of that frequently and she may do something wrong if it’s for her benefit (i.e. Her willingness to murder if people hurt her friends is very obviously something not good but that she is willing to do.) She’s also got a flexible moral code, but not one she’d just throw out the window. As a note I do think BAT2 Nicole might have a slightly higher proclivity towards good, but not enough that I’d go for a different alliance.

73. Do they have a pet?

SC: I mean Celestia’s kinda a pet?

BAT2: A long time ago, Nicole in the original BATU had a dog. I kinda want to bring this back, so Nicole has a pupper that she’s terrified of but the thing is so dopey that she finds it hard to hate them. Also, does Peach count as a pet? *shot*

74. Are they quick to anger? What are they like when they loose their temper?

SC: Yes. Oh god yes. It’s mostly due to the fact that she’s incredibly angry at herself for breaking promises and perceived failures. Her goal oriented focus is not a good thing here, since she then dedicates herself towards taking out whatever and whoever hurt the people she cares about.

BAT2: I think BAT2 Nicole probably could have the same hair trigger temper, but hasn’t had as much of a cause to activate it since her position with her sister has made her a bit meeker and there hasn’t been a lot of people trying to murder Tip/Zoe/Daisy/Peach, so…

91. What is their sense of humor like?

Nicole has a sarcastic and dry sense of humor. That being said if she’s sleep drunk Ian doing something stupid would have her in stitches so hell if I know.

And yes this applies to both.

94. Outlook on life?

SC: Realist, leaning pessimist. She’s very good at hiding the fact that she thinks something is wrong, but good god does she not have a positive look on life. Fate made things worse and she became more pessimistic, but still tries to be realistic.

BAT2: Realist, leaning optimist. She still keeps a more realistic approach, but she tries to be positive and make the most of a situation when she can, though that’s not often given this journey.

96. What is their greatest weakness?

Her overprotective and reliant nature means that the fastest way to hurt somebody is to hurt the people she cares about. She doesn’t hide people like Tip or Ian or Zoe or Charles or Daisy away, so the end result you get is it’s really easy to hurt her by hurting others who might not be as good at defending herself. 

Also her temper is a really bad flaw since she doesn’t know how to control it when she’s upset with herself or worried for people. She doesn’t think clearly and takes a lot of unnecessary risks.

97. What is the greatest strength?

While her being very transparent about the people who you could hurt to hurt her, Nicole’s strength also comes from her love for her friends, and it’s those friends that give her her strength.

100. Biggest difference between them?

Aside from backstory (SC is one of the few rps where Nicole has a positive relationship with Autumn) the biggest difference between them is their temper. SC!Nicole by the end of SC is honestly a ticking time bomb that anybody could set off by offending Tip and/or Ian. BAT2! Nicole as of now, while still easy to set off if her friends get hurt, is a lot more chill and won’t jump down people’s throats just because they were mean to Tip/Zoe/Daisy. 

Also on that note the focal of her Faunus arc has changed as well from “I’m a Faunus and just want to escape racism” to “My sister is abusing me and I need to gtfo” also has had several impacts as well.