smoshling

[smoshling]

DAVID DND CHARACTER SHEET

In an effort to continue something I said I wanted to months ago...

So in a previous post long ago, I had put together what I thought would be the most accurate Dungeons and Dragons character classes for David, Asher, Milo, Sam and Vincent. Around the same time I had actually started inputting that data into World Anvil, a platform providing different tools to help writers plan and present their worlds, plots, character information etc. Using their character sheet toolset, I was now able to present what numbers best represent the 6 stats for David's build.

Stats in DND affect the chance involved in playing it, like when deciding if your attacks hit their mark, if you manage to shrug off effects meant to harm you or in whether or not performing a skill leads to success or not. DnD characters can have different skills, each corresponding to certain stats that encapsulate how well someone can perform those skills. David's skills were decided from options available from his class and character background, 2 from his Fighter class, one each from his Barbarian class and character race, and 2 more from his custom background of Dilettante taken from the work of Dylan Richards from GMBinder.

Athletics was an obvious choice being that a shifter's magic is channeled through physical prowess. Same thought with Perception, as heightened senses in reference to the animal they transform into is a pretty common headcannon.

Intimidation and Persuasion, the latter taken from his background, are befitting as David's status as pack alpha and the head of a security company nets him a good deal of authority and social standing.

History as a skill comes as a package deal with Persuasion and is regrettably a worse pick to have over other skills like Nature or Survival because David's interests in camping and gardening are more appropriate character choices.

Backgrounds in DnD are a mechanic meant to add flavor to characters. They're essentially a typical description about occupation, reputation or places of origin. I insist on Dilettante as David's background because I saw it as a great call back to the fact that David inherited his business and expanded it to be more than just substantially supporting his pack. By picking that background, I was able to reach for a connection that, even if only a little, ties things back to Gabe and I felt really good about it :3

[smoshling]

REDACTED BOIS DND CLASSES HEADCANON

Lengthy post ahead...

For an upcoming fanfic that I've been wanting to do, I've been planning how I could implement the DND tabletop system to capture as much of the established lore and descriptions of magic canon in the Redactedverse. I'd like to make this post as a way of attracting other people similarly knowledgeable or more experienced in DND as a way to get some feedback on things I may have missed. To the uninitiated, a Class in DND refers to an archetype of standard abilities that a character can do and also defines how they are meant to be played. Each Class also has a Subclass, which is a further categorization that gives specialization and unique flavor to a character. This aspect of character customization is something I hope people would enjoy :D To start, I gave 5 speaker characters what I think would be the best fitting class/classes to fully capture their skills and magical abilities. I've constructed them to be around Level 8 by the start of the DND fic.

David Classes: Barbarian 5, Fighter 3

Picking Barbarian as a base to capture the abilities granted by shifting such as strength, speed and durability was an easy template and standard to portray all the werewolves. Barbarians in DND are able to take a lot of hits, more so than other classes by raw health points but also be physically gifted, their main ability being that they can halve the damage of most incoming attacks and increase their odds at performing physical feats, so this is a great template to give all the wolf bois. As a Barbarian, the werewolves are also have access to the Path of the Beast Subclass, which gives the werewolf fanfare of transforming, having teeth, claws, and a tail as a weapon, etc.

To give David a more unique build, I opted to also give him the Fighter Class with the Rune Knight Subclass. Being a Fighter further complements David's physical prowess but it's in being a Rune Knight that really makes this build a perfect fit. Rune Knights are able to grow in size which is canon in the shifting process in the Redactedverse. The runes also attached to the Subclass can also grant a fitting boost to David's senses and perception without needing to cast a spell.

Strong, tanky, and able to reflect the humungous size that David is implied to be, this build is supported by the fact that shifters don't often rely on other kinds of magic to make their way in the world. I extrapolate on this build with the other werewolves.

2. Asher Classes: Barbarian 5, Fighter 3

Although Asher shares his Classes and one Subclass with David, also being a Path of the Beast Barbarian, I went in a more unorthodox route of theorizing how Asher could work having the Battlemaster Subclass as a Fighter. Battlemasters in DND are described as having superior martial techniques that they use in battle, such as being able to trip or push an opponent. But an often underused ability available to Battlemasters is the Rally maneuver. This maneuver is able to give allies a number of temporary health points equal to 1d8 (one roll of an 8 sided die) plus one's Charisma modifier, with Charisma being a character stat in DND that represents a character's charm, force of personality and pro-social behavior. Barbarians and Fighters focus on their Strength, Dexterity and Constitution stats (Power, Fine Motor Skills, and Health respectively) so the Rally maneuver is a sub-optimal addition to ones character.

Asher not only having an ability that uses his extrovert and fun-loving personality, but also investing in a stat not often used by Barbarians of Fighters, is something I find so perfectly him. This also aligns with something in the canon, being Asher's disappointment in himself for not knowing healing magic when he couldn't heal Baaabe whenever they're sick.

Ash is similarly built like a brute like David, but through his Battlemaster maneuvers is basically able to give a pep talk so good in a fight that he becomes a "we have healing at home" kinda character.

3. Milo Classes: Barbarian 7 Cleric 1

Milo I believe has the most canon details when comes to casting magic not related to shifting, albeit still being limited. He has offhandedly said that he could 'barely light a candle' with his magic to Sweetheart and along with his exposure to healing through his more magically adept mother Marie, I've opted to give him one level in the Cleric Class, the premiere healing Class in the game. Being able to light a candle is replicable with the low level magic spell (referred to as a Cantrip in DND) called Sacred Flame. But a more notable spell in Milo's arsenal that he gets through the Cleric Class is Ceremony. This spell grants a unique buff whenever it is cast during a particular event, and the event I'm thinking of is the Wedding option included in the spell. This is just a good decision from a roleplay position because, if I'm remembering right, David and Asher want Milo to officiate their double wedding!

Milo's build could certainly use some more work, as aside from a few spells, the only other thing differentiating him from the other werewolves is something unrelated to his Class, which lets him attack 4 times rather than the 3 David or Ash can do. Though some spells and a little bit more damage output is probably enough.

4. Sam Classes: Blood Hunter 3 Cleric 5

Vampires are similar to werewolves in that they focus more in their physical abilities as ones magical ability is weakened upon being turned. This made making Sam's build a little more restrictive as I can't overload him with all the healing options normally open to a Cleric. So I've decided to go a different route. Sam has few healing spells and all the rest are made to tailor to his history as a medical practitioner with spells like Detect Poison and Disease and Purify Food and Drink, which do exactly what their names are. His Cleric Subclass is known as the Order Domain, which along with the Command spell also covers Sam's inherent ability as a vampire maker to invoke certain actions. Since he was able to prevent the deaths of Lovely and Asher, giving him the Revivify spell is fine (a resurrection spell).

Where this build gets more unique is that I've opted to use Homebrew content. Homebrew in DND means the addition of content not present in the official game's rules which can include Classes and Subclasses. The Blood Hunter is a Subclass created by Matthew Mercer, Critical Role Dungeon Master and Voice Actor of Leon S. Kennedy from the Resident Evil Games. This was a choice also made to reflect his turning as its abilities fit the vampire vibe. His Homebrewed Subclass, Order of Hematology (by aisudesu on GM Binder), gives an alternate source for Sam's healing. Sam can basically heal at the cost of his own health points as a way of reflecting how his magic isn't what it used to be.

Sam is built to fill in the role of party healer while also staying as accurate to the drawbacks of his healing has as a vampire.

5. Vincent: Fighter 8

Finally we move on to Vincent, who is a pure Fighter with the Eldritch Knight Subclass. This is basically a Subclass specifically made for people who both want to deck someone in the face but also cast Fireball in the same turn. Being a Level 8 Eldritch Knight gives Vincent a lot of spells that can buff his physical prowess like Longstrider for more speed or Shield for more durability. The other spells that Vincent can know also fill in the role of portraying other vampire abilities such as being able to hypnotize humans through the Charm Person spell (I haven't listened to Vincent's audios in a while so I might be wrong about this one). Other additions to Vincent's spells are Arcane Lock and Alarm, which are similar to the wards that he put up in Lovely's home early in their relationship to protect them.

Vincent can also use some more work to optimize the concept of this build as "a martial character that can do a few spells". Giving Vincent a weapon could be a start as none of the other bois are built with weapons in mind. What do you think would be a perfect weapon for this prince :3

[smoshling]

When you're the butt of a joke of some heteros, remember you're now free to castraight them.

When you’re gay in your house with nobody else you’re homolone

[smoshling]

Cheers to upcoming ideas

[smoshling]

Fiesta

Author's note : I AM SO SORRY. This took longer than expected...Though it is a long chapter, so hopefully I'll be able to put up content much faster. Anyways, please enjoy :D

Ang Unang Araw

(The First Day)

"Para sa inyo po señora! Ginawa po ng mga magulang namin para sa pagpapasalamat sa inyong pamilya, na tinanggap at hindi tinalikuran ang iyong mga kapwa hanggang ngayon." Masayang sinabi ni Maya habang hinahawak ang mga kamay ng mga bunso.

Ngumiti si Maricela, alalang-alala ang totoong rason kung bakit niya kailangan manalo sa kanyang kaso, ngunit nalaglag ang puso niya sa ngiti ng tatlong bata.

English Translation:

"This is for you señora! Our parents made this to thank you and your family, who accepted us and never turned your back against your fellow people until now." Maya smiled brightly as she held the younger children's hands.

Maricela smiled, remembering the true reason why she needed to win the case, but her heart sank deeply at the innocent smiles of the 3 children.

----------------------------------------------------------

Maricela was just about to leave the house when a knock was heard. She opened the door to find the three youngest children of each of the families living on her land: Maya Dela Cruz, Theresa Santos and Ernesto Espiritu.

Maya has brought freshly picked fruit, Theresa has brought finely sown silk shawls and Ernesto brought cooked food, still warm from tender cooking to celebrate the fiesta week and to thank Maricela and her family for the kindness they have shown for the past decades. Maricela is grateful for the gifts but seeing the innocent children living a great life without knowing it might collapse should she fail, her heart sinks to depths too far down for light to reach it. She sends them off with gratitude and quickly meets up with with her friends.

Upon arriving, Maria Clara, Crisostomo and Enrique chat lightly amongst themselves. When Enrique catches a glimpse of her arriving, he can't take his mind off the fact that Maricela has glazed eyes.

He waits for her to join the group and he asks whats wrong almost immediately. Maria Clara and Crisostomo look at her and notice the look on her face as well. This catches her off guard.

"Ah este! I am just tired from not getting enough sleep last night. I was excited for the fiesta to start."

Enrique looks quizzically at her until Crisostomo speaks.

"Maricela, make sure to drink lots of water. I'm sure it will help you sleep better."

Maricela thanks him for the prescription and continues with the chattering.

Enrique did not buy the excuse however.

Ang Ikalawang Araw

(The Second Day)

Maricela took the previous night's cloudburst as a sign of misfortune. Morning however was blessed with golden gleaming sunlight, but it did nothing to calm our heroine's rattled heart as she painstakingly trekked to the town hall with Enrique to finally submit her proposal. Enrique was the only one to greet her as Maria Clara and Crisostomo went to shop at the market place. He had his leather suitcase with him that carried the proposal.

They continued with Maricela covering half of her face with her fan. Enrique followed behind her, knowing full well they are in public. A group of talebearers caught sight of the two, and insantly gossip shared among the women.

"Are they making their way to the town hall?"

"Who is the gentlemen following behind her?"

"Is he a bachelor? Such a refined mestizo that man!"

"From what I have heard, A new lawyer and Crisostomo's collegue"

"That man is at a loss, why would he take an impossible case as a first job?"

"A waste of time and resources that hellspawn the now departed possessor of the San Augustus conglomerate decided to keep around"

"How awful to make a man work aimlessly. Making the life of the man harder!"

"Desperada!"

Pondering how deafness would be a blessing in disguise at thay moment, Maricela could only sink her face further into the fan, the words playing again and again in her mind.

"Desperada?"

Enrique relayed back to the women having spun around, his mere status alone in the situation socially communicating for the group to challenge his look. They could only hide behind their fans and continue to gossip.

They arrived at the town hall and Maricela requested to wait outside. Enrique went in by himself and passed the proposal. The man at the reception looked at him questioningly, Enrique merely responding with an impatient look until the man finally placed the proposal in a neatly propped paper stack that will be passed to the mayor.

Enrique made his way out to find Maricela pacing until she saw Enrique come out of the office. She stopped and was about to approach him until a fast calesa zoomed past her, the wheels splashing her with sewage water. She tried to stumble back in shock but ended up leaning against a rickety food stall that flipped at her weight. The food went flying and landed everywhere on her. Her hand was bleeding with cuts and splinters from the stall.

The degrading sight of a woman sullied by the poor cleanliness of the community brought out only cackles and whispered affronts. The vendor of the food stall was outraged and started yelling at her to pay for the damages or she will tell the guardia civil to arrest her.

Enrique quickly put himself between the vendor and Maricela and told her he will be the one to pay for the damages. He handed the lady money from his suitcase and the vendor went on with her day contented.

He then helped the poor girl up, who was shaking from everything that had happened. Her face trained well to remain stoic but her tear ducts betrayed her, shedding enough droplets to let her eyes twinkle under the golden gleams of sunlight. Enrique quickly brought her to the side and removed the splinters from her hand. He cleaned her cuts and guided her to the market place.

They came to a humble tailor, looking for new garments among the designer clothing. Enrique chose a matching blue tapis and saya and paid for it. Maricela's eyes widened as he handed her the clothes and told her to change.

A few moments later she's changed and fresh, just having gotten out of an inn that Maricela compensated excessively, but her expression is still gloomy. They both walk out and Enrique thinks of a way to lighten her mood. An ensemble playing jovial music and a few street dancers dancing with ribbons livening an enitre crowd thickened, rather conveniently, so Enrique brings Maricela to watch. The crowd cheers on but Maricela is still emotionless. Enrique sighs and tries to leave to find something better when the street dancers come towards the both of them and drag them to the middle

"Ladies and Gentlemen! We now present the lucky two who will dance one round!" They passed their maracas adorned with ribbons to the two and the ensemble prepares their next piece.

Maricela gives a mortified face while Enrique smiles confused.

"I c-can't dance..."

Maricela lets out as the music starts.

They follow the street dancers and at first the music was calm and the two of them were surprisingly doing well with Maricela grinning little by little until the music suddenly changed to a fast speed and the street dancers were twirling and changing positions. Maricela started to lose composure until Enrique called her name.

She carefully followed his steps and it seemed that she was dancing proffesionally. In between spins and cycles of dance steps, Maricela could have sworn to have seen a familiar face next to the would be band leader smiling genuinely right at her. She started laughing and smiling and before she knew it the segment ended.

The street dancers thanked them for their participation and they both left with a smile.

Ang Ikatlong Araw

(The Third Day)

Maricela finds herself at a new spot she's frequented. Not the homes of the people on her properties, not the church she now prays to for the approval of her proposal. But at a quiet and cleaner community where her parents now lay resting.

Dead.

They were buried with memories of an unresolved argument. Their deaths couldn't have been more... inconvenient. Maricela remembers how she snapped and shot back at them, refusing to be married off so the San Augustus fortune may be passed to an inheritor chosen by her parents. She clearly recalls how she ended their final argument, shouting.

"Sana 'di na kayo bumalik!"

The process of the arranged marriage was going to be started the moment that Maricela's parents came back home from their business trip. They left the day Maricela uttered those words. Left for their business trip, and left this world leaving Maricela scrambling to secure what they couldn't bring with them.

"I wish you never come back."

She thinks a second time. Remembering those words and how empty they really were the moment they slipped out. Whoever granted that wish clearly couldn't understand. Coping with their deaths has brought out great anguish, as expected. So Maricela had them burried in this peaceful community further out from the toxicity of the town's hustle and bustle. She asked for comfort but what she really needed was to act fast, just like how she was told. Word has already got out that a large fortune is legally waiting to be claimed, many has been stammering to attain it.

Breathing in, Maricela scans the cemetary. Noticing graves of wooden crosses and tombs craved from stone. The former signifying a poor man's burial and the latter for those higher in social standings.

"Nice to see none of that matters around here." Maricela comments to herself. Did all cemetaries house the departed's graves of different backgrounds?

"I think it adds to the beauty of this resting place."

Maricela then turns to find, Enrique?

"Did you... have business here too?" Did Enrique have someone special to pay respects too? Why was he holding sampaguita garlands?

"Oh these are for you. To give to who you're here for." Enrique says handing the flowers.

"They're beautiful, thank you. But how did you know I was going to be here?" Seemed quite supspicious for him to know something quite personal.

"I-I asked around at that church. The one where we first met and I happened to actually find someone who knew you. Well apparently. They even knew I was helping you in your case." Enrique replies, assuring that he hadn't been following her.

"Oh, that's alright then. I think I have a pretty good idea of who told you." Surely it had to be Crisanto. Maricela thinks to herself.

"Did you have something to do that involves me, Enrique?"

"I wanted to check on you after yesterday's...events." Was that the right word? The first thing that came to mind was disaster but was it really?

"But I hadn't thought I would intruding on something like this. Hence the sampaguita." He says pointing at the garlands.

"Right, I should put them on then." Enrique stepped forward and offered a hand to show he wanted to help. Since he did bring the pure as white blooms, she figured she should let him. They crouched just low enough to decorate the stone graves of the San Augustus with the flowers. Their fragrance seemed to smell sweeter after.

They only stood there when the pair were done. Their silence made comfortable with the sounds of rustling leaves and shaking tree branches in the wind. Enrique tries to read Maricela's expression. She didn't seem upset but in deep thought. Looks like she still has plenty to reflect on. He decided to risk it.

"I'm sorry for your early loss, I genuinely hope you've been coping with as much support as needed"

"...You speak with experience?" Maricela breaches.

Enrique nodded, looking up towards the sky as if it held the words he was looking for. "My father was taken from me and my mother too early. The doctors say it was most likely by a heart attack...though it happened too fast infront of us. One second he was gasping in pain while clutching his chest...the next he was gone. Just like that. I was only 14 when that happened and what followed after was a mere blur in my life."

The blur he didn't want to remember vividly. The funeral, his mother grieving, and the years spent in isolation studying.

Maricela looked at Enrique, who was now staring down at the ground.

"I am...truly sorry for what has happened to your father..." Maricela slowly placed her hand on the lawyer's shoulder. Her touch snapped him out of his haze and he slowly lifted his head to meet her gaze.

"If I may...what took your parents away too soon?" Enrique asked lightly.

"It-" 'It was my fault' she truly thought.

"It...happened unexpectedly as well. They were on a business trip and along the way...they were ambushed by tulisanes...the guardia civil found them a day later. I received the news after the day they were founded..."

Enrique's eyes widened. He did not expect such grotesque deaths. He noticed the dates carved into the cold stone, both of them died on the same day. The lawyer thought it was more subtle than an assassination. Perhaps a disease or a fire. Anything but an ambush.

"I had no idea...I shouldn't have asked-"

"Oh it's alright señor," Maricela tried to smile. "It was something I had to accept..."

Enrique stayed silent. Maricela spoke up after a few minutes of quiet contemplation.

"Seems as though grief is what binds Filipinos together these days." Maricela eyebrows curved and drew closer to her eyes to show concern, despite how she initially came to the cemetary to wallow in her own grief.

"Bonding over what you would give condolences too, because somehow we can set it all aside to hear each other out."

"In our case it seems it's because we didn't have the leisure to mourn. Deprived of voicing what we want say and longing for what we want to be said to us. " Maricela shrugs.

"Well I should say my father's death wasn't as recent as your parents. But it was untimely too. My education wasn't going to wait for me to find comfort in something, and your proposal brought up from your parents' departure must have forced you to stop entertaining the same sentiment. So I suppose I'm... just reaching out to you as someone to... mutually find solace in... should anything still be unresolved, because someone like you... deserves as much" Being a lawyer Enriques' sure to be excellent in oral communication, but in that instance he faltered, at least from his usually firm and assuring tone.

"It... wasn't the most elegant of consulations. But somehow it felt like the most genuine anyone has been with me"

Her hands clasped together and a soft smile on her face were details that shouted a thanks she's been meaning to say and mean.

Ang Ika-apat na Araw

(The Fourth Day)

The return home was comfortingly silent for Maricela and Enrique after spending the fourth day of the fiesta together with Maria Clara and Crisostomo, or it was at least devoid of articulating any more bottled and unresolved heartstrings to proverbially pull and drag like a rag doll. They aired out enough of how abruptly destitute they were of their parents, confiding in each other to find the comforting finality. Disclosure to now feel closure.

The clopping of the horses' hooves and the colliding of the wheels with stray stones on the road filled in for the absence of chatter. The kalesa is ever so closely reaching Maricela's residence. It felt clingy for Enrique to "walk" Maricela home when he offered, but nonetheless here they were "walking" home this late into the night. Now that remembering that it was late, it made sense for him to have offered.

Enrique opened the door for Maricela when they stopped, the driver not leaving yet as he still needed to take Enrique back to Crisostomo's home. The pair walked closer to the San Augustus estate, and briefly resting on intricately carved benches before lighting any lanterns. The moon makes whatever attempt to illuminate the mansion, but Enrique finds himself appreciating the soft glow as the two lounge outside for a while.

"Your home is quite surreal under the weak moonlight, how much more under an actual full moon?"

A little thing to ponder over, but thinking it over it gives Maricela one more thing to repeatedly appreciate once she wins her case. The moon will shine luminously every month on HER home.

"Together, I'm sure we'll be able to ensure you may gaze on it under a bright moon whenever."

Funny how "together" will mean so much more in the end. Unknown by these two now of course.

"Together?" Enrique asks.

"Of course, or rather I hope you think of us doing this together." Maricela replies

"Pardon? O-of course I do, why would I think otherwise?" Where was this coming from all of a sudden? Enrique thinks.

"Because it always felt like our exchange has been one-sided. That I always need assurance from you for everything I seem to unload on you?" Maricela replies, her tone saddening at near the end of saying it.

"There are still notable people who I can be thankful to, less by 2 now... but nonetheless, and you've become the one I am most appreciative of. But I just can't seem to return the favor." Reclining lower on the bench she occupied, Maricela says so guiltily.

"Then what was yesterday?" Enrique only hears a questioning "hmm".

"I found comfort in you as you did to me at the cemetery right? Doesn't seem like I've shared that part of me to anyone, no?"

"I suppose not." Maricela smiles a bit. Maybe she could deepen that exchange further. "What was your father like?" She asks.

A reasonable pause passed for him to properly summarize his father.

"I like to think ideally he was far too ahead of his time, and that hopefully enough that what he was has been passed on to me." He answered quite happily.

"What do you mean?"

Another pause, ended by him saying that his father had a very rare perspective of progressiveness.

"Barriers exist between us Indios and the Spaniards but he always seemed to see pass that. He married the woman he wanted, a full blooded Indio, and from an early age he mentioned how I could do the same with his blessing. From that I figured he would never have had me engaged to anyone. So here I am left to choose who I suppose."

"I see, he was quite the man indeed." How Maricela wished it was like that for her before. "Had you ever entertained the thought of having that freedom before?"

"No, there was always something apparently. Have you?" Enrique replies.

"I like to think I would have, but another day I'll share the first time me and another mutually agreed that we mean to each other not as spouses." Maricela attempts to jest. They're opposites in that regard, the ability to choose their own partner, but both ended up as now having that choice be put aside. Enrique has seemed to distract himself all his life to avoid that part of adulthood, and Maricela has spent most of hers resisting her parents than actually socializing and paying attention to who she's interested in.

"Haha, seems like quite story. But really, has there ever been anyone you've been genuinely interested in?"

As each passing meeting with each other, Maricela's idea of an ideal man seems to shift, referring to her lawy-

"Some, but only one as of late." She's thankful she's said it so inconspicuously.

"Well I bid you and them the best of luck." Enrique then stands excusing himself to not keep the coachman any longer, and they exchange goodbyes under a brighter natural light from the sky.

[smoshling]

the wrong amazon is burning and the wrong ice is melting

[smoshling]

HOW TO SURVIVE A HEART ATTACK WHEN ALONE Let’s say it’s 6.15pm and you’re going home (alone of course), after an unusually hard day on the job. You’re really tired, upset and frustrated. Suddenly you start experiencing severe pain in your chest that starts to drag out into your arm and up into your jaw. You are only about five miles from the hospital nearest your home. Unfortunately you don’t know if you’ll be able to make it that far. You have been trained in CPR, but the guy that taught the course did not tell you how to perform it on yourself..!! NOW HOW TO SURVIVE A HEART ATTACK WHEN ALONE… Since many people are alone when they suffer a heart attack, without help, the person whose heart is beating improperly and who begins to feel faint, has only about 10 seconds left before losing consciousness. However, these victims can help themselves by coughing repeatedly and very vigorously. A deep breath should be taken before each cough, and the cough must be deep and prolonged, as when producing sputum from deep inside the chest. A breath and a cough must be repeated about every two seconds without let-up until help arrives, or until the heart is felt to be beating normally again. Deep breaths get oxygen into the lungs and coughing movements squeeze the heart and keep the blood circulating. The squeezing pressure on the heart also helps it regain normal rhythm. In this way, heart attack victims can perhaps buy precious time to get themselves to a phone and dial 911. Rather than sharing another joke please contribute by broadcasting this which can save a person’s life! Be prepared and become part of the solution. Get your free next-of-kin notification card today. Click here: https://www.InCaseOfEmergencyCard.com/

[smoshling]

Pagtakas

(Escaped)

"Theodore, unting hintay lang. Umayos ka na! Hindi naman ako magtatagal sa simbahan."

Mahigpit na hinawak ni Maricela ang kamay ng batang desperado para makatakas.

"Ayoko po! Ayoko po! Ayokong pumasok sa simbahan ngayon!"

English Translation:

"Theodore, just give me a minute. Behave yourself! I won't take long inside the church."

Maricela tightly gripped the desperate boy who was trying to escape.

"I don't want! I don't want! I don't want to go to church today!"

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Maricela sits at the dining table stacked with letters of invitations rubbing her temples in frustration. Another sleepless night full of haranas she is sick of hearing "Seems as though it's too much to ask these suitors to outperform even the most incapable of songbirds. An animal is more genuine with showcasing interest these days." She thought. Of course the only thing they cared about was her lands and the wealth they held. Both rich and poor have tried to "sway" her heart but so far none have gotten close.

Maricela ponders visiting the church when a knock is heard from the door. Maricela opens it to find her Tita Amelia with her 8 year old cousin Theodore. Tita Amelia asks Maricela if she could babysit Theodore while she runs to the next barrio to deliver some pamphlets. Maricela agrees and wishes her Tita a safe trip. She still wants to go to chruch so she brings Theodore with her.

Theodore has been openly against of going to church, and it isn't until they arrive that he attempts to run away. Maricela grips him tight and insists for just a little of his patience, she wouldn't take long anyways. The boy still tries to run away until Maricela calms him by promising to buy him a toy when she is done. With that they enter the church and Maricela briefly unhands Theodore to ask him to sit down on a bench before kneeling to pray. She prays that she still will find a way to save her lands and hopefully end having to put up with any more of her pesky bachelors. She finishes with a sigh and turns to Theodore who is no longer in the vacinity. Panicking, she runs out of the church and looks for him. She goes back inside the church and around the stalls near the church but there was no sign of him.

She tried the neighboring street to which she hears a boy call her name. She turns around to see Theodore running towards her while a man holds his hand. She hugs the crying boy and hushes him sweetly, saying that everything is fine and she's not mad. The man who was holding his hand offered a hankerchief to wipe his face. She thanks the man but insists to repay him for the kind gesture by cleaning and returning the cloth. The man declines the offer and says it is hers to keep. Before she could say no, the man excuses himself and sends a farewell. Maricela only smiles confusingly, grabbing Theodore and walking back home.

Editing help from @smoshling

[smoshling]

Left done by me, Right done by @smoshling

Don Crisanto Mateo Versoza y Basngi

A dear and close chilhood friend of Maricela, raised and literally whipped into shape by his father's strictly headed family of musicians, Crisanto grew up a functioning member of the Church as an organist fearful of any consequence due to disobeying authority. Crisanto often expresses inwardly an immediate reclusiveness to his father's side but still makes an effort to genuinenly be polite and helpful albeit with a rather quiet and sad demeanor. While he's grateful to be born and taken care of in a higher social standing, he still does take his some of his older relative's harsher teaching methods at face value so he's developed a habit of lying to his family to be left alone by them. The most notable of these instances was when he lied about wanting to become a prayle in order to be bound by abstinence not to marry, since his relatives wanted to him to wed Maricela inorder to access the riches and properties that she was left with by her deceased parents since once married, ownership of such would be transferred to the husband.

While he may have lied about wanting to be a prayle, it wasn't true that he didn't think he could gain a position to put himself at a higher social standing inorder to gain the same influence that the prayles and his pompous family would flaunt, and being the head musician and organist of the first church of the Philippines' holy land of Cebu, Basilica Minore del Santo Niño, was just the position he earned. Before long, he gained the favor of the Arsobispo, and became a sort of right man to him (kind of like how Simoun was to the Kapitan Heneral in El Fili). With this even higher standing, Crisanto felt more at ease as he now had a semblance of authority, one he would later on need to use inorder to help Maricela keep the riches and property that the prayles would end up wanting to get from her.

So...

This is @smoshling 's original character and last main oc for our own retold story of the Rizal novels. The next post will surely be the first scene of the series. Posts about Crisanto will be posted on my friend's page and I will reblog them here.

Til next time :P

[smoshling]

Tagalog is one of many dialects that influenced the Filipino language but informally speaking, is an accepted term to refer to the Filipino language. The national language of the Philippines is formally known as "Filipino". Thank you for taking an interest in our language and hope this helps.

hey yall i think i wanna learn tagalog, and i have a bit of (married) family who speaks it? and they all say tagalog but from what i can tell the rest of the internet says filipino so uhh which is it?

[smoshling]

Me🍪irl

[smoshling]

Watercolor (what I hope looks like a) Sakura Tree I'd appreciate any constructive criticisms

[smoshling]

If it doesn’t take up to much of your time I’d like to ask you send me a message regarding any thoughts about this passage. Thank you so much