"Umpisa"

"Umpisa"

ni:

Virgilio F. De leon Jr.MD

I

Tingnan Tingnan

Unang kasalanan 

Tingnan Tingnan

Tayo na sa Umpisa

II

At Baka di na nangyari ang ganito

Labis na galit sa mga mata mo

Mga salita na di mababawi

Mga daang di na tatahakin

III

Dun sa umpisa

sa mga ngiti mong kay ganda

Ang boses mong naglalambing

sadyang nagpapasigla

IV

Mga oras na di natin gustong matapos

Mga sandaling atin pang naaayos.

Wala na at di na matingnan

Sa dulo ang tama wala sa umpisa.

Eton Centris, Quezon City. February 28, 2019. 11:15pm

"Room 608"

"Room 608"

by:

Virgilio F. De leon Jr.MD

It was cold and everyone around him was either sniffling or coughing like they were in some sort of competition to out  cough the others. He checked the mask he wore to make sure that it was firmly in place and he scanned the room.

She was not there.

He was silently thankful she had one one of those weird immune systems where a simple cold could knock her out but she  could be exposed to the most toxic of chemicals for weeks without getting sick. She has him to thank for that last part, the former probably is some quirk in her human DNA. Dragon  cell integration was always tricky and there were only a few who tried it so he was walking on  very thin ice.

 He went ahead with the experiments anyway because there was no way that she could have lasted this long without them. Oh well the test subjects in this room were all failures. He took his dragon form, his human flesh giving way to brilliant orange scales that reflected the light in the room. The humans in it were surprised but previous encounters have taught them what to expect.

It was the flames. And so with one massive breathe the room was immolated. The sniffles and coughing were gone. Here and there an ember snaps. All that remained of experiment room 608.

"Negative"

"Negative"

by:

Virgilio F. De leon Jr.MD

I

It was the same today

As I remembered yesterday

You holding my hand

And I letting go of yours

II

When did this happen

This cold unending war

You try to explain

And I turn back in disgust

III

Day by day

My soul is being crushed

Though I know you suffer more

I am happy with the thought.

Eton Centris , Quezon City. February 28 , 2019 . 11:00pm

"Doc In , Doc out: Sipon"

"Doc In , Doc out: Sipon"

by:

Virgilio F. De leon Jr.MD

Patient rushing in through the door...


Patient:Doc may Sipon po ba kayo?
Doc: Ako? Wala. Bakit?"
Patient: Ako po meron eh.
Doc: Ok. So gusto mo ng gamot sa sipon?
Patient: Opo.
Doc: Ok.

Naghahanap ka kasi ng sipon sa wala naman eh.

"Doc In , Doc out: Metformalin"

"Doc In , Doc out: Metformalin"

by:

Virgilio F. De leon Jr.MD

Overheard through the thin wall earlier today:

Doc: Ano po ang gamot ninyo sa Diabetes?
Patient: Yung Metformalin 500 po?
Doc: Formalin? Para sa patay yun!

"Doc In , Doc out: Gusto Niyo?"

"Doc In , Doc out: Gusto Niyo?"

by:

Virgilio F. De leon Jr.MD

Overheard one of my Nurses talking to a patient calling over the Phone:

Caller: May Measles outbreak na po ba tayo?
Nurse: Ah eh. Wala po eh. Gusto niyo po ba?"
Caller: Di naman. Nagtatanong lang.
Nurse: Ok

Parang order lang ng sapatos pinaguusapan ano?

"Doc In , Doc out: Trolleum Jelly"

"Doc In , Doc out: Trolleum Jelly"

by:

Virgilio F. De leon Jr.MD

Overheard:
"May trolleum jelly po ba kayo?"

Me: (Jelly ng troll? Troll na gawa sa jelly? )

"Yung pinapahid po"

Me: hmmmm

"Doc In , Doc out: Doc Meron ba kayong Pukpok?"

"Doc In , Doc out: Doc Meron ba kayong Pukpok?"

by:

Virgilio F. De leon Jr.MD

A recent DOST post said that Pukpuklo Seaweed might be able to cure cancer. And so it will just be a matter of time before it can become a drug. I do hope that they have a good brand name for it.

Here are 3 things I imagine may patients asking me in the future.

Q1:

Patient: Doc meron po ba kayo nung pukpok?

Me: Not the right person to ask for that.



Q2:

Patient: May stock pa po kayo nung pukpok?

Me: Mahirap ata mag stock nun.



Q3:

Patient: ano po ba benefits ng pukpok?

Me: Tanong mo na lang sa kanya directly.

"The Tiger Clan Proposition"

"The Tiger Clan Proposition"

by:

Virgilio F. De leon Jr.MD

"I apologize for my sudden appearance my Lord." Yejin had told him earlier that day.

V took it as a sign that the Tiger Clan was willing to work themselves back into the fold of Dragon kind after they have gone missing for a hundred years. It was not every day that you received a visit from their would be Queen.

Yejin was now a woman grown or should he say a full grown She-dragon in an attractive young womans body. Everything about her was sharp , from the way her eyes looked at you to her smile to her sudden disappointments.

"How are your brothers Yejin?" There are 4 other Princes above Yejin in the Tiger Clan succession. 

"All calling for your blood my lord."

"I see. And what about you?"

"I came here to offer myself once more for a chance of peace between our clans and the opportunity to restore my family into the Magistrate lines."

"I think that would still be up to the Magistrates once reparations have been made."

"I agree my Lord but with the support of the Black Fire Clan and the last remaning Creation Dragon our house can be on the fast track of that restoration."

"You are mistaking me for the head of my clan. One of my brothers should suffice for your purposes. I am a wanted War Criminal not one who runs clans."

"Most people do not see you as that my Lord. It is with your will that my clan has been saved and many more."

"Yes.30% of Dragon kind had to fall before I was stopped. Do you really wish for someone like me to endorse you?"

"No my Lord , I want to stand beside you and my entire clan as you are crowned King."

"I see. And who whispered all this nonsense into your ear Yejin?"

"Non sense? I am a would be Dragon Queen and my clan can aid you in more ways than the others could not."

"You mean in slaughtering other Dragons as effectively as possible? I could marry Jisun and have the Death Dragons or Jinsoul to have the long distance fire power of the Light Dragons."

"Yes you might have those houses. But Death Dragons are few and Light Dragons are known to wipe out other houses on a whim. All of the others will revolt if you chose either. As for Tigers , we can take care of all the others for you. None are immune to our poisons."

"You would have me seize power by dishonorably killing all who stand in my way then?"

"Only the end results matter my lord. We are already killing each other on the Fields to Ascend."

"Then the Tiger Clan has already lost all sense of purpose. You were once the fiercest of those who arrived in this plane. Your prowess was admired. Your honor in battle unquestioned but in the last hundred years you have relied on using Methods that even the Dark Clans would not even use."

"Times change my Lord and so should you if you want to see the world ran by Dragons again."

V laughed. 

"I have feared that you have not matured since the last time I saw you. You do not understand. The world is not ran by dragons. It is protected by Dragons. All who inhabit here are under the protection of the King. Both Humans and Dragons and others who are stuck here."

"But it is we who should rule."

"And that is the blindness of the Tiger Clan. Tell your brothers that I will not work with them in this manner. You may make a great queen some day but not mine."

Yejin frowned at his words.

"I do hope that you change your mind my lord. There will be a time when you will regret this moment."

"I will no longer have anyone's blood on my hands for the Ascension. You and your brothers can fight for it if you want. I have withdrawn. Time seems so short of be in that pursuit."

"You are such a waste."

"My time and my being is mine to waste as I please. Thank you for your visit."

V turned his back on Yejin and returned to work carving an obsidian Rabbit. 

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

"Midweek Magic 2019 #10: The Battle of the Greens"

"Midweek Magic 2019 #10: The Battle of the Greens"

by:

Virgilio F. De leon Jr.MD

Finally Jus and I were able to cross paths again and it was a Green night to remember. It was Yisan Vs. Azusa. Jus was preparing for an EDH tournament and so I was facing a much improved Yisan that sprouted out a Priests of Titania and Temur Sabre tooth that along with a Lightning Greaves gave Jus unlimited Mana for days until he would Yisan into a Craterhoof Behemoth.

My Azusa on the other hand was a watered down version of the deck that I faced in Optum which was piloted by Dra. Paula. I guess I just wanted to use my Gigantosaurus hahahaha.

My lone win against Yisan was when I was able to have a Multani out on the field along with an Azusa who was beefed up by a Blanchwood armor. (It made me question why I did not put my Dungrove Elder in this deck).

Since my lone removal for Yisan was a Beast Within. I often found Yisan using his ability and beating out my poor Azusa.Still in this battle of the greens I was lucky to have come up with a somewhat exciting win(at least for me). The last time I won with a Blanchwood Armor was at least a decade ago.

Pa Void!

"Pa Void!"

by:

Virgilio F. De leon Jr.MD

Sa isang Magic Store near you:

Cashier: Sir Pa Void!!!!
Lord of the Void: "Tabi diyan I-void ko na!!!!

"The Tiger Clan Princess"

"The Tiger Clan Princess"

by:

Virgilio F. De leon Jr.MD

It has been awhile  , V thought. There were always things to do. Monsters to be slain , political intrigues to be smashed , Maidens to be rescued. Just once he wanted the day to go as peacefully as this one. The sound of the ocean waves carrying him over the clear waters. The sun was still rising on the horizon and it looked as if he was going to get his wish. Until he felt the first ripple of another dragons energy in the water. He sighed despite himself. V stood on the water , his wiry frame not betraying his true strength , the scars that ranged from his neck to his hips were dripping with water.

"I wish you won't bother me on the rare days that I am on a break." V shouted at the unseen Dragon.

"If only I could do this some other time but that is something that I cannot do. I am Yejin of the Tiger Clan." The she dragon manifested in a lithe human form that V can only describe as Sharp , from her eyes that looked fiercely at him to the smile that was wide and rapidly spreading across her face. The smile was beautiful but seemed weird to V who was not accustomed to having Tiger Clan warriors smile. They only smiled like that when they have caught up to a prey and was about to sink their long claws into it. Oddly enough V did not feel like prey at the moment. Though with the Tiger Clan one can never tell if they were befriending you or stalking you for the kill.

The last time V had seen Yejin was when she was a small whelp chasing after her brothers on the fields , too young to join the fray but not too young to kill a few dragons that mistook her as fair game. That was a couple of hundred years ago. Today she stood before him as a bright . lovely girl and V cannot help but wonder what her brothers have sent her to do.

"My brothers lay dying Creation Dragon. They are with the king in the portals beneath Egypt.Would you not help them?"

The Tiger clan has been one of the families that have been vying for control of the throne for millenia and not with honorable means as well. Recently they have pledged loyalty to the king and laid down any claim to the throne by joining the king in guarding the portals all around the world. This was the most dangerous job a dragon could have and why the normally selfish Tiger Clan would have this change of heart no one can ascertain but this request by Yejin came as a surprise.

"Tell me Pretty Yejin why I would grant your request?"

"Because the Tiger Clan acknowledges that you are our would be king all but in name. That and I offer myself as your bride."

V laughed long and hard.

Yejin's sharp features crumpled and her anger replaced the somewhat pleasant face she was showing just moments ago.

"I did not mean to offend you little one. I have had many brides and cannot think of any use for one more. I prefer to be alone."

Another expression showed on the girls smooth face , that of Dejection.

"I apologize. I am not rejecting you nor your request for assistance. I will aid your clan. You do not need to pay me with yourself for that. Shikao will have to pay me with a lot of stories after ward. All dragons are my kin no matter how bad they were in the past."

The girl bowed before V. 

"No more bowing. Let us go before more die." When Yejin looked up V was dressed in the light armor that he usually wears in human form. "I like the challenge beating up dragons in human form."

Yejin nodded her head and flew upward. V followed.

"Midweek Magic 2019 #8 :The Simic Rises"

"Midweek Magic 2019 #8 :The Simic Rises"

by:

Virgilio F. De leon Jr. MD

There are times when you just want to win with something different and for me that something different was Simic Ascendancy. One look at the card and I said. I could really abuse this. With a lot of counters of course.

I already had an existing Vorel of the Hull Clade deck but I just had to build a new Simic deck and this time it was built around the Battle Bond pair of Pyr and Toothy. All the better to put counters on things with.

It was a Thursday and it meant Yo and Pao would be in the office for some Magic. It was also our first pantry magic for the year. Pao was not able to bring his own deck and so borrowed Yo's Slimefoot Saproling heavy EDH deck. Yo would play a Jhoira deck. 

I was able to bring out a Simic Ascendancy and then Pyr. Basically when Pyr gets a counter from the Ascendancy , The Ascendancy gets two of counters of it's own. It was not long before I had 20 counters on it and waiting for my upkeep for the win.

Yo had no way of responding to this and Pao made a crucial mistake since he was unfamiliar with the deck Yo often used to frustrate fast attackers. He was not able to cast a Rescue from the Underworld on my turn. If he realized it , he would have had an Acidic Slime from my own graveyard coming into the battlefield to spoil my fun.

And so the Simic rose to victory. It was a thrilling one.

"3 things I have seen this week: Scars"

"3 things I have seen this week: Scars"

by:

Virgilio F. De leon Jr.MD

Scars remind us that the past is real , a song once told me. And it was all too real when I saw all those scars this week.

1) Our Guest

Birthdays are usually happy events. My Aven spent time with her friends and there was one guest that I saw who had scars on her left forearm. This person was depressed as Aven once told me and as I talked to them this night one thing was apparent despite smiling and highly functioning there was something off. I was not able to pry what the reason for those cuts were but I hope that they are working it out.

2) The Taxi Driver.

Since my car broke down on me I rode a cab going to my last duty of the week. I usually talk to my cabbies since I want them to be awake and not hitting anything that they should not. My driver was young , late 20's to early 30's. He had a need for speed and one can say a suicidal way of driving as he would weave in and out of traffic , stop way too close for comfort to the cars in front of him and impatiently criss crossed lanes. I told myself a joke. I hope he did not have scars but as I looked as his left forearm there were dozens of them there. So when we arrived at our destination I was so grateful that I even gave him a tip. 

3) The Man in the mirror

I wanted to laugh at what happened to me last Saturday , there were times that I can use my laughter for it but the fact remains that it left something inside of me. I am glad that it was just over and that I am safe. 

"Dreamcatcher:Piri MV reaction - Abducted by Ghosts"

"Dreamcatcher:Piri MV reaction - Abducted by Ghosts"

by:

The Vole

Dreamcatcher is a unique act in Kpop because they sound like their music belongs to some horror animes opening theme.Their MV's often focuses on horror aspects like Ghosts or Covens and this unique imagery sets them apart.

Piri is by far their most refined song of this certain style.The opening whistle is addictive and gives instant recall. Dami and her rap parts here are fire as well and you probably would not expect a better rap part in this kind of song.

While there can be nothing said about Dreamcatchers dancing abilities. What stands out here are their stylish clothes. The most attractive as I have seen them wear.

In this MV all of the members disappear one by one in a huge house as they are stalked by a spirit , A doppelganger that takes them away. And as we can see at the end of the MV all of them have Doppelgangers that have taken their place. 

I have a feeling that this might win this something but those dreams were dashed with the appearance of Itzy and even Hwasa and Monsta X on the scene. Dreamcatcher continues to improve with every comeback but this might not be the one making a mark for them.

"Kayz and V:A Different Path"

"Kayz and V:A Different Path"

by:

Virgilio F. De leon Jr.MD

V sat down at the end of the stage where Oh my Doll was performing and he could see her move so gracefully. He did not want them to know that he was here but someone always pays attention when he is around.

"You miss her don't you?" This was Kayz , his on and off and on again Dragon Bride that was the main attraction for the girl group Prettyz. 

V remained silent not rising to the Kayz and her bait of a conversation. He merely looked on as the practice stage for Oh my Doll was about to finish. He had seen this song being practiced before he left them so abruptly.

"You know that there is no rule for you not to talk to her right?"

"Aren't you supposed to be preparing for you own stage right now?" V answered with another question.

"Oh I think they can manage without me for another minute or so while I bother you with my inane questions." Kayz smiled to brandish her sharp teeth that only other dragons could see. 

"Unnie! We are about to start!" This was Yeni their maknae who was calling her. 

"I guess that is my cue to fly out of here."

"And here I thought that you flew all the way here to see me. I'm hurt."

"You don't have to be." You know where to find me." V gave Kayz a kiss on her cheek. 

"See you at home."

V nodded.

"Midweek Magic 2019 #7 : Azusa and her crippling cruelty"

"Midweek Magic 2019 #7 : Azusa and her crippling cruelty"

by:

Virgilio F. De leon Jr.MD

It was week without a single match against my usually always present playmates in Eton Centris. I consoled myself by making decks and one of the things that I wanted to show off was my Azusa Mono Green Deck. 

It was a Wednesday and Yo was up to the challenge. It was Azusa vs. Jhoira and I was dreading the possibility of being controlled and countered or run over by creatures that come in after being suspended.

I did not foresee the events but I enjoyed them nonetheless. Azusa is a powerhouse when it comes to dropping lands and I joked to Yo that the goal of this deck is to spew out as much land as fast as it possibly could. Since green usually has a problem in the card drawing department I made sure that I had cards like Horn of Greed and Guardian Project from Ravnica Allegiance.

One of the things that I wanted to play was my Gigantosaurus. It's cost was prohibitive and belonged to a mono green EDH deck. Lucky for me that I happen to have one just for it.Unlucky for me that even before I could attack with it. Yo plopped down a Fogbank. Ah Fogbank how I hate you. So my 10/10 Dinosaur had to wait for it's chance to do some harm. It would not wait long.

It was not long before I was drawing into more and more lands and got Ramunap Excavator into play.Where I draw into my single Strip mine and was able to blow up 4 lands per turn because of an Into the Wilds and Azusa. I first disabled Yo counters by destroying his Island and dual lands that could produce Blue as well.

I was then able to draw an Eldrazi with Annihilator 3 and my Japanese Lightning Greaves. Yo was quickly running out of permanents. And despite several creatures coming in from the Exiled Zone I was able to win in the next couple of turns. Sick.

My Dinosaur went on a Rampage. Azusa and Strip mine is just cruel.

"Love yourself"

"Love yourself"

by:

Virgilio F. De leon Jr.MD

I

You say you love yourself

but why do I see you punish yourself?

You say you care about what happens

Why do you keep lying to your face?

II

You abuse yourself

Losing sleep over something you should not

Worrying about things you cannot control

and destroying hope that you need the most.

III

Too much , Too little

Is not loving yourself eternal

Too early , Too late

is not enough of a trial.

IV

You say you love yourself

but you are thin and weak

You hang on by a thread all the time

So where is all the loving coming from?

Optum , Bldg. N , Quezon City. Feb 26 2019 , 1:18am

"3 things I have seen: Celebrating , Cursing , Cuteness"

"3 things I have seen this week : Celebrating , Cursing , Cuteness"

by:

The Vole

There are things in this world that you can only see on youtube. And only if you are looking for it. This week I have seen three things that gave me pause. And all from the Kpop world too.

1) CLC First win! 

Watching CLC thank their fans in English  , Korean , Thai and Chinese was such a treat. It has been 4 long years but they finally got their first win. And I must say that I a really am proud of them for finally getting the win. Finally. 

I don't even want to bring up the La Vien Rose issue anymore because they have proven that they could finally win. And the time was ripe for them. Congratulations CLC.

2) Cursing Off Cam

On a Recent Lovelyz V-live. Mijoo was reading messages that can be considered as Sexual harassment. A guy wanted her to show her feet , probably in an attempt to see something else. Perverse. 

Yein the groups Maknae upon reading the comments said something along the lines of what the hell is this guy saying.

Their company apologized for this as it was not an image that was becoming of an idol.

Yes there are so called fans out there that will see an idol as more or less a product for them to consume while forgetting that these are people too who have their own struggles and frustrations. Many have said that what Yein said was not actually all that bad but it does send a message that hey , we can talk back too. And I guess in certain situations they out to.

3) Cuteness from the girl crush.

JYP's latest girl group might be going for an all out girl-crush concept but there is no denying it that leader Yeji and maknae Lia exude a certain kind of cuteness that is more natural that something that has been trained out of them. If you don't believe me. You might want to check out that first interview they had on Music bank. At least JYP has another piece on the board to continue their dominance in the Kpop Scene.

"Itzy: Dalla Dalla MV Reaction - Different but the Same"

"Itzy: Dalla Dalla MV Reaction - Different but the Same"

by:

The Vole

There was much buzz about JYP and his new girl group Itzy. I knew about Ryujin from Mixnine and Chaeryoung who is sister to Chaeyeon of Izone/WM. 

The groups leader Yeji took me by surprise the most. Ever since her first slide on the MV she has slid to my heart like a dagger and stayed there. 

Lia and the Maknae Yuna quickly gained popularity as well. And why shouldn't they right?

Before I go on any further. Dalla means different as much as they song tries to say that they are different Itzy still follows more or less the formula of Kpop girl groups. All probably for the exception that they are all Visuals.

Speaking of Visuals , we all love how they look because they appear to be younger versions of other idols that we probably also considered our biases at one point or another. Chaeryoung looks like her sister. If you loved her sister there is no doubt you would love her too. Yuna looks like a younger Kyulkyung. And my dear Yeji looks like a younger Solbin. Ryunjin in my opinion stands out as the most unique here. Lia , I can't put a name as to who she looks like but I have seen her before as well.

On to the MV. I listened to the beat of this song and it is addictive. My initial complaint is that they seem to have chosen a key and just had everyone sing in that key without noticing the variations. I was surprised at Chaeryoungs rap parts expecting that it was Ryujin who would do this. 

The dance moves were sharp here as well but there was a lot of awkward moves that did not seem graceful at all. All in all as much as Itzy says they are different they are still the same. And in that regard I don't think that it is bad at all. With their first Music show win in just 9 days after debuting they at least proved that they are the first in their category. Winners from the start.

"When Hunger Strikes"

"When Hunger Strikes"

by:

Virgilio F. De leon Jr.MD

YuuA plopped down on the bed and stretched her whole body then promptly curved into a ball to sleep. She had stripped down to a white boyleg and white spaghetti strap as she entered their home. The flight was long and exhausting. All the while she had to smile and wave and be her best self even if she no longer felt like it. 

V thought about how bad her eyes looked , he had seen her in her appearances , the eye bags were concealed but that simply could not fool someone who has seen her without those. She had not been getting enough sleep and it was a simple enough thing for him to teleport there in Brazil , whisk her away and force her to rest. Then again she would fight him over that. She loved what she did and love or not she would chose that over him. He knew that.

V sighed and as YuuA began to shiver a bit at the cold air he began to cover her with her favorite blankets. Too tired to even cover herself properly he noted. Well , that was why he was here for and not killing some inter dimensional beings who were trying to invade this plane of existence. The Magistrates thought taking care of this lone human was a waste of his talents. What V thought was that it was a waste that he was not able to find her soon enough.

YuuA opened her eyes to look at V. His black shirt with the Yuu Clans sigil on it made the girl flinch a little. "Ah. Must you were that shirt in our house?". He enjoyed getting these little reactions from her. YuuA tried to stand to go the bathroom, V offered his arm as he always did. He knew that her legs would still be tender from all the dancing and falling. He would have wanted nothing but to carry her but she once commented that she had to walk through the pain to remind her why she does what she does and so he simply limped with her.

"I'm hungry."

"Do you want me to make you something or do you want me to order at the usual place?" When it came to YuuA there was a usual toss up of these things. 

"I want to fly to Jeju and eat at the barbecue stand."

"You just got home. Are you sure you are up to it?"

YuuA waved a hand over head as if drunk."Zap me with your power thing and I'd be good as new."

"I think you ought to rest and we can fly first thing tomorrow."

"I want to eat there now." YuuA gave him that look.

"Scary! Ok Ok. Get some clothes on then. We can't have you appear almost naked in Jeju.The Father stones would revolt!"

"I'd eat them all if they do."

V knew better than to argue with a hungry YuuA. He looked at their closet and found a sturdy trench coat that he wrapped around her , closing the belt tight. YuuA smiled at him knowing how much of a pushover he was when it came to her.

A few moments later they were on the patio and with a touch of her forehead she was enabled to fly and off they went to that favorite Barbecue stand that may or may not be open at this time of night.

"The Persistent Petitioners and Me."

"The Persistent Petitioners and Me."

by:

Virgilio F. De leon Jr.MD

I smiled the other day when I realized why I liked Persistent Petitioners so much. It's effect is cool and warrants my attention for my next project but that is not the reason why I smiled. These guys reminded me of my daily life as a Company Physician.

There is an endless stream of patients who demand my attention. May it be from a simple cough and cold to an uncontrolled BP that warrants a trip of the ER. They come to me , petitioning for my help , asking me to send them home , give them rest or simply treat them. The stream can be a little bit too much since there seems to be no end of them like today for example. We manage though.

In the end I win over the Persistent Petitioners my mind still intact. I might have granted a few of their petitions but some I have flat out denied. 

"Midweek Magic 2019 #6:Harvesting from the Lands"

"Midweek Magic 2019 #6:Harvesting from the Lands"

by:

Virgilio F. De leon Jr.MD

The week went and gone and I found myself Alone. Not a single game was played and so I did the next best thing. I brewed decks. Since my wife bought me an Azusa as a belated gift I felt that I had enough green cards to finally make the deck. It warms my heart that I went through a couple of boxes and voila I was able to make the deck in under an hour. 

I once played with an Azusa decked. A very fine tuned Azusa deck that spewed out Eldrazi titans on turn 3 or 4 and I felt really overwhelmed by it. (Thanks Dr. Pau for that game). For the deck I was making I just wanted to play a lot of extra lands and not really overwhelm anyone. Well unless they want to be.

One of the things interactions that I wanted to see happen in a battlefield situation was the drawing cards with your lands. I was able to do this with the Ultimate ability of Nissa or a horn of plenty. It was quite insane really. I did not expect to draw so much land in a Mono green deck so how did I do it?

Azusa + Crucible of Worlds+ Nissa's ultimate ability + 1 Evolving wilds.

I would play the evolving wilds from the graveyard , netting me 1 card draw , sac the Evolving wild plopping down a forest , allowing me to draw 1 more card. I could repeat this process 2 more times because of Azusa netting me a total of 6 cards! It went even wild with an Into the Wilds since I can draw 8 cards on a single Evolving Wilds or Terramorphic expanse. 

I am not quite sure if I can win with Azusa since I did not put any monsters yet but safe to say if I can pull this land drawing engine to good use I will be happy.

"Almost Midnight"

"Almost Midnight"

by:

Virgilio F. De leon Jr.MD

I

A Quarter before midnight

And still sleep eludes me

It was the sweet sound of your voice

It was you who was robbing me of choice

II

Staring at the ceiling

Seeing nothing but you

The silence was loud

and it was just your voice

III

Crazy , insane , Mad

Things I am a afraid that I am

And maybe just a little before midnight

I am glad that I am.

Optum , Bldg.N Quezon City , 02/05/ 2019 3:36am

"3 things I have seen this week: 3 people on the phone"

"3 things I have seen this week: 3 people on the phone"

by:

Virgilio F. De leon Jr.MD

While I was buying dinner in Eton Centris one night I happened to see 3 people in the middle square talking on their phone and the contrast on how they talked piqued my interest.

1) Animated Fat Man

The first person was a fat man who was the loudest of the 3. It was not clear to me if he was explaining or berating the person on the other line or maybe both. His hand gestures were wild as he paced in the square. I do hope that he did not lose quite a lot of money or learn something that made him this angry.

2) Nervous thin man

It was tall thin man that I noticed next. He was holding his phone right next to his ear. He did not move about like the fat man. He walked slowly , he talked slowly as if he did not want anyone to hear what he was saying but I could read his lips. Sino ba may sabi sa iyo...basta wag mong sabihin....ano ka ba....Seems like another secret that I don't want to know.

3) Crying girl

And the last one was a girl that I saw while I was going back to the clinic. She sat down on the ground , she clutched her knees as she silently cried listening to the person on the other end of the line. I hope it is not a breakup call as it would suck this close of Valentines but with the way the tears were streaming down her face it might be an interesting time for her.

"Loona - Butterfly MV reaction:A Bad Move"

"Loona - Butterfly MV reaction:A Bad Move"

by:

The Vole

After watching the teasers for Butterfly where Gowon struggled to reach Haseul in the old plane and seeing Yves and Chu in the streets of Hongkong dancing I was eagerly awaiting for Loona's comeback like a good Orbit would.

When the MV started and I noticed all the foreigners that were sporting Loona iconic items like or in the scenes where LoonA members first appeared I knew this was a fan service to all Orbits. I smiled.

And then the choreography started and I noticed something that bothered me. LoonA started off with a move that had them lying on their backs and opening their legs wide as if to give birth. I had to pause the MV there. I was thinking that they would probably change this risky move like they changed that part in Favorite for their Music Show appearances.

So I looked at their first Music Show appearance and they did not change it! I found this problematic since Loona has been suffering from a spell of drabness since their debut. I loved their school girl uniforms in Favorite but I liked their Hi High outfits more since it showed off more styles.

With this "Lithotomy" Choreo Loona would now be confined to wearing Black Tight pants for the rest of their promotions. With Kpop styles always improving and changing Loona will be stuck with an outfit that would make the look like a dance team rather than a kpop group. They could only change their tops and so far that is all that has changed.

From White to Purple to All black. Sigh.

Vocal wise Loona is there. The rest of the song featured sharp , well coordinated moves. Yves opening with her sexy , husky voice was a treat. Seeing Choerry sporting her new purple hair was a treat. Haseuls short hair. Yeojins maturing look.Jinsoul and Heejin appear less but their short appearances make this MV sweet at least.

It is quite obvious that YYxY is taking point in this song. Notice the abundance of Apples being eaten here as they point to the Butterfly effect where LoonA and their existence creates other LoonA's I just really wish that the original Loona could wear more stylist clothes. The Loona's they created were not lacking in color and style. 

I still like this song but I feel that this might not be enough to push them to #1 for this comeback.

"A Little Dragon Magic"

"A Little Dragon Magic"

by:

Virgilio F. De leon Jr.MD

Oh my Doll were going to be guests on a Magic show in Brazil. YuuA was very excited as she had never seen a real Magician up close. She tried to remember if she ever saw someone who does these kind of tricks but come up real short on that part.Except for something V did.Was that even Magic though?

V told her in advance that he knew this particular Magician and that her and her members would like his work. By now YuuA had gotten so used to V knowing people that she did not even question how he met the magician. She knew by now that asking that question leads to even more questions. 

On the set Oh My Dolls were all arranged in a row and faced the camera. Binmi the Maknae was right next to the magician , Seunsee , Jinyo , Hyosung , Linnie , YuuA and Bee. V wore a face mask and sat down comfortably on a sofa behind the cameras. Blue was lurking somewhere unsee. All the Oh my Doll members were mesmerized by the tricks that the Magician performed such as transferring a card from the closed palms of Binmi into the of Bee who was on the other end of the row. Seunsee who was the groups Queen of reactions were blowing up the screen. YuuA was amused at the tricks and Binmi was squealing every time a new trick was revealed. 

The how was about to be over when YuuA pointed out that their manager knew a little bit of Magic too. It was then that the Magician noticed the tall , wiry man with the face mask on the sofa and felt something he had not felt in over 60 years. The man was waving the attention from YuuA away but she was asking for him to appear. The members joined in with the chant for the manager to join the screen. V stood up and took his mask to appear. He stood next to Bee at the other end. YuuA exchanged places to be near him and tugged at this jacket , "show them your tricks please."

V tried to wave the request away. "This is his show. I don't think that this is appropriate." 

The Magician was looking at V and recognized him after all these years. He had bent to one knee. "Please Master , show us."

YuuA looked at the Magician in disbelief. "Master?"

"Yes. He was my master. He taught me everything I knew all those years ago."

"You are mistaken. I do not know you." V denied on air and hoping that Yellow would be able to erase this footage before it comes out on air all over the world.

"Fine. You don't know him. At least show them one trick." YuuA began to pout and if there was one thing V cannot resist it is that pout.

"Fine." V echoed. YuuA began to clap excitedly. 

"Show them the Rose trick."

V knew exactly what that was. It was the same thing he had shown her during their first date together. He tried to explain that it was matter manipulation rather than magic. YuuA dismissed it as such. She still did not remember what he could fully do though.

V took off his camouflage jacket to reveal a plain black shirt underneath. He had turned to the side and with a quick flick of his wrist he had produced a Black Rose.

"That does not look like a trick" Bee whispered to YuuA.

"This is where it gets interesting." YuuA whispered back. 

V ran his hand smoothly over the Black Rose and now it was Blue. Oh My Doll let out a collective Ooooooh. V ran over the rose again and again until it was Green , White , Yellow , Red and back to Black. And to end it he snapped his fingers at the flower and it burst into flame. YuuA was grinning from ear to ear knowing that V was able to show her favorite trick.

The magician could not help but be amazed. He was looking at all the ways he could pull it off but he was not able to see anything. 

V stared at the burned rose and the flame stopped. He ran his hand ever so slightly and the rose reformed and turned into a Peach colored one , YuuA's favorite color. He handed it to the girl and bowed.

"Are you satisfied now?" V said.

YuuA kissed the flower and answered. "Yes."

V turned to the Magician. "I am so sorry about this. She always puts me in spots like this."

"It is quite ok. It was awhile since I had seen that particular Magic."

"I better sit down before she asks me to Levitate them out of here."

The Magician looked relieved. There will be a lot of questions if this footage ever comes out. V made sure that his segment never came to light much to YuuA's dismay and the Magicians understandable relief. His master still looks after him after all this time.

"The Weighing Scale 3"

"The Weighing Scale 3"

by:

Virgilio F. De leon Jr.MD

Here we go again. If this is the first time you are reading about the Weighing scale then let me welcome you. This is the same scale that talks by itself despite not having anyone near it. While it is frightening with the light imagine it without the light.

So the other day I was left in the clinic at 3am. Since I was waiting for 3:45am to go to my next clinic I closed the lights on the clinic since I was technically now off-duty. I kept the door to the Doctors office open where I could see the weighing scale that was a few feet away from me in the darkness.

I was listening to music with my headphones on when I watched as the scale lit up in the darkness. I took my headphones off to catch the all to familiar phrase " We will begin  please stand still" of the scale. Something is really in the clinic and maybe it thought that I already left since it was too shy to weigh itself earlier.

Needless to say I opened the lights in the clinic. And when I locked the doors on my way out. I kept the light on. The scale was thankfully silent.