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regreports · 1 year

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Garbage galore in a barangay that advocates for environmental cleanliness

By: Regine Dayao

Every morning, Aling Emilia wakes up to all sorts of rubbish on the street in front of her house - from candy wrappers to cigarette butts, plus the prevalent plastic bottles - which fill up her dustpan upon cleaning up.

For the 73 year old senior, it would’ve been fine by her if this were the case in her daily life but she voiced out the struggle, knowing her limits due to physical ailments.

“Kaya naglagay ako ng nakapaskil diyan dahil ako na ang nahihirapan. Ayoko ng makalat kasi. May diperensya ako, nahihirapan ako magwalis.”

(That’s why I put a signboard there because I am the one who struggles. I just do not like mess. I have an ailment, I struggle to clean. )

What Aling Emilia also couldn’t tolerate is the persistent predicament of pollution, whom other residents of Barangay Malis concede with.

Known for the slogan, “Basta Malis, Dapat Malinis,” the said barangay is one of the many communities in the Philippines that still deals with improper waste disposal.

Just like the residents, Barangay Councilor on the Committee of Health and Environment Jay Baña, nodded that this has been a long withstanding problem, even before his position in office.

His main concern is the lack of proper waste segregation within households led to jumbled bio-degradable and non-biodegradable waste in a singular trash bag.

He also believes that the issue points out to the citizens themselves who are responsible and contributors of the issue at hand.

As for Aling Emilia, she is aware of the lack of discipline among Filipinos but she strongly protested when asked if the current administration did anything to address the matter at hand.

“Wala pa! Yung mga nakaupo ngayon, kahit yung mga pangulo ng tricycle eh. Sabi ko noon, dalhan niyo ako ng sako para pag nagwawalis ako diyan. Noong una meron, binibigyan ako ng sako. Pero kalaunan, nawala na.”

(Nothing yet! From the ones in position, or even the president of the tricycle drivers. I said previously for them to give me sack bags so I will clean the area there. At first, they did provide sack bags. But eventually it stopped.)

As conflict among the citizens and officials arise, district three and four of the said barangay, remains with an unfortunate reality of rubbish all around.

THE PEOPLE’S VENT OF ACCOUNTABILITY

When it comes to litter, the elders, such as Aling Emilia, have the most to say about the issue.

Located from a walking distance near the barangay itself, sari-sari store owner Tetet Cruz denied how garbage collectors from the barangay pick up their trash.

She owed to having the need to take it home back to a nearby barangay, where she does proper waste segregation and disposes of it through their own waste collecting system.

Councilor Jay responded to this concern about how there is a delay of collection, due to the barangay’s segregation site overflowing with garbage.

“May time po kasi pag di po nakukuha yung basura, minsan, puno na po yung Eco namin. Kasi schedule po yung hakot ng basura natin. Pag di po nakuha, puno na po ‘yun. Saka naman po, minsan, nag-uupdate naman po sila dito. Tapos kinukuha naman po. Kumbaga, nadedelay lang.”

(There are times that if trash is not collected, sometimes, our Eco is already full. Because there is a schedule for the collection of our trash. If it is not collected, it is already full. Also, sometimes, they give us updates here. They still collect it. In other words, it just gets delayed.)

The concern is common to former probinsyana Mylene, who complained about the inconsistent and shunned schedule of collection which causes the garbage she’s left outdoors to be rummaged by stray dogs.

This occurs, even if she admitted to segregating their waste, by turning biodegradable waste such as banana peels and eggshells into plant fertilizers.

Mylene compared her situation, who has been a resident of the barangay for five months, back in the province where segregation is routinely practiced.

“Sanay kami sa probinsya, ganoon ginagawa namin, na hiwalay. Yung nabubulok naman eh minsan, nilalagay namin sa mga halaman, ginagawa naming pataba.”

(We are used in the province that that is how we do it, segregation. The biodegradable trash sometimes, we put it in out plans, using it as fertilizer.)

Loosely tied trash bags is what Councilor Jay points out as the root cause of the canines’ cluttering of trash.

“Yung aso, ‘pag sa gabi, kasi siguro yung basura hindi nila natatali. Eh yung ibang aso po kasi ‘pag gabi ‘pag nakita, talagang kinakalat talaga nila.”

(The dos at night, because perhaps their trash is not tightly tied. Other dogs at night when they see these, they will really mess it up.)

He pointed out that an ordinance by the barangay was released that trash must be put into sack bags and that segregation must be observed.

He also attested that the barangay still collects garbage that is not segregated, but resident Regine claims this as inexact.

“Nasososlusyonan naman (the issue), kasi hindi naman kinukuha yung basura kung hindi maayos eh. Halimbawa, hindi nakasako, hindi nila kukuhanin yan.”

(It somehow becomes resolved, because they do not collect the trash if it is not orderly. Example, it’s not in a sack bag, they will not collect that)

DEPRIVATION OF DISCIPLINE ACROSS ALL DEMOGRAPHICS

Housed near the annex branch of the Guiguinto National Vocational High School and owning a sari-sari store, senior Rolando lamented that the students, who are expected to be taught proper waste disposal in school, are the perpetrators themselves for the litter surrounding the area.

Like Aling Emilia, he finds himself cleaning up the mess but expects more trash to come during dismissal time of the youngsters.

“Lagi kong nililinis yung lugar na ‘yun (pointing out to the space where litter compiles). Pag labas ng mga estudyante, nandyan na yung kalat.”

(I always clean that particular spot. When students are dismissed, there’s the litter again.)

He even scoffed how the particular spot was somehow clean at the time, all sorts of plastics always end up scattered on the streets.

As for the barangay’s action, Councilor Jay mentioned the Municipal Environment and Natural Resources Office or MENRO which reaches out to teachers of the said school on seminars for proper waste disposal.

“Nag-iikot rin po ang MENRO. Inaano po nila yung mga teacher at iniikutan yung lugar nila kung ano yung mga mga tamang paraan para maano yung mga nabubulok. Ano rin po sila, sine-seminar din po.”

(The MENRO does go around. They talk to the teachers and go around the area on what are the correct ways to manage biodegradable trash. They also conduct seminars.)

Regardless, talks seemed insufficient enough as there is still prevalent litter on the side of the school itself and trash piles nearby.

As it may, the youth is not the only age group responsible for the scattered scraps

Meylene voiced how it’s unpredictable to point fingers who is certainly responsible.

“Lahat ng tao naman, hindi natin alam kung sino. Kung may hawak sila, tapon dito, tapon doon.”

(In general all people, because we do not know who for certain. When they have trash at hand, they throw it here, throw it there).

It just leads to one common denominator, the lack of discipline among not only the residents themselves, but even passersby on the streets.

Going back to Aling Emilia, she is in no doubt how negligent on environmental practices Filipino culture in general is.

“Eh alam mo naman ang Pilipino, basta kapipiraso diyan nalang. Kahit na maglagay ka ng basurahan, hindi naman nila nilalagay sa basurahan.”

(Well, you know the Filipino, if there little litter, they put it anywhere. Even if you put a trash bin, they won’t even use it).

And her sentiments go far beyond the locals’ habits as this concern affects her other aspects in life.

FLOODING PROCEEDING THE POLLUTION PROBLEM

As a result of the pollution, it also leads to flooding in times of rain, wherein rainwater is expected to drain through the canals, often open, in the area.

Instead of having a sound sewerage system, residents like Aling Emilia have to deal with flood water pouring into her home, always along with waste originating from the streets and open lot areas.

This left the barely standing still elderly enraged, as she was caught up in the dilemma of not only scooping out the water but also disposing of the wet and tarnished trash.

“Nako kagabi, noong umulan, Diyos ko, alas-onse naglilimas pa ako ng bahay. Pumasok sa akin lahat ng basura. Kaya galit na galit ako.”

(Goodness last night, whein it rained, My God, at one in the morning I was scooping out flood water from home. All the trash poured inside. Which is why I’m really angry.)

Pollution doesn’t isn’t only a sight for sore eyes to see, but it is also an aching chore knowing how clogged canals are to blame for floods to surge on the streets.

Councilor Jay’s take on the rising problem is how the barangay cleans the surrounding creeks one to three times a week and the trash also goes to the Eco segregation area.

He also added an upcoming plan of his to put steel matting on the drainages of each district to pinpoint which section does not follow proper waste disposal practices.

“Saka doon sa may drainage, yung maharang, lagyan ng steel matting yung bawat tulay. Para makita po nating kung anong block dumadami yung basura. Kasi po, pag wala po kasing steel matting, napupunta po lahat sa dulo.”

(Also on the drainage area, to put a barrier, such as steel matting for every bridge. This is to identify which block has the most trash that piles up. Because without the steel matting, all the trash goes at the end of the canal)

Plans for building a pumping station and dike to decongest the drainage issue, but the updates on this are still underway.

ALING EMILIA AS THE ROLE MODEL CITIZEN

Unquestionably as the citizen with the gravest concern on improper waste disposal, Aling Emilia has witnessed, experienced and enacted on the ballooning problem.

She herself would segregate garbage, stuff it separately in sack bags, and then put it out home when garbage collectors arrive.

Which is why the elder was deemed as a perfect role model, who was also encouraged by her husband to follow orders of the barangay.

“Kaya sabi nila, sana nanay kamukha nilang lahat yung tao ng purok quatro. Kasi yung asawa ko, ayaw ng ganon. Kung hindi mo sinunod, kapag binigyan ka ng papel, kailangan sundin yun. Kasi nai-stroke siya eh.”

(Why is why they say that, we hope people of district four become like you. Because my husband, he doesn’t like it that way. If you do not follow, if you are given an order, you must follow it. Because he previously had a stroke.)

Aling Emilia even tried to reach out her concerns to those who do litter, by calling them out but is left conscious in doing so, but she remains unafraid of taking in anger from them, if she ever reaches the concern to the barangay.

“Manita ka naman, nakakahiya. Baka mamaya sasabihin pa eh, mas marunong pa ako, eh hindi naman ako tauhan ng barangay eh. Naninita ako. Pinababayaan ko nalang. Pag may nakita ako talaga ang sabi ko, kako, pag-inano ko kayo sa barangay, huwag kayo magagalit sa akin. Kasi ako napeperwisyo. Sabi ko, buti nalang kaya kung wala akong diperensya. Pwede akong magwalis ng magwalis.”

(Even if you tell on them, it’s conscientious. They might even say that I’m better, and I’m not even an official of the barangay. I scold. I ignore it anyways. When I see someone litter I really tell them that if I bring this to the barangay they shouldn’t get angy on me. Because I’m the one who struggles. I tell them, it would’ve been fine if I didn’t have an ailment. I can keep on cleaning.)

Aside from this, she did acknowledge how the barangay’s program of waste segregation, which was implemented through distributing leaflets from MENRO to the residents, is never followed by the residents.

“Programa nila, hindi rin natutupad. Nagagalit nga yung kumukuha ng basura. Kasi binigyan na kami ng barangay ng papel noon eh na iba yung nabubulok, iba yung plastic, iba yung papel.”

(Their program doesn’t come to fruition. Even the garbage collectors get mad. Because the barangay gave us an order before that biodegradable, plastics, and paper are different trashes.)

Other residents, young or old, claim to forget or are lazy to segregate their trash, and end up compiling these into one bag.

THE SHAKY SOLUTION

While most of the citizens of district three and four do agree that the barangay does take actions to resolve the issue by doing a weekly Saturday clean-up, which is widely observed throughout the 14 communities in Municipality of Guiguinto.

In line with City Ordinance No. 39 S. 2003 "Bawal Magkalat" which is supported by the Barangay Ordinance No. 2 S. 2018 "Tapat ko, Linis ko," this program has been a consistent practice, and for Barangay Malis, its volunteers from various organizations focuses on a different district per week.

As the idea itself is ideal and a small step towards solving the pollution situation, both Aling Emilia and Councilor Jay blame the residents who disregard the efforts of the cleaners and dirty the barangay once more.

“Pinawawalis naman nila yan. Kaya lang siyempre ang tao nga may katigasan ng ulo. Isang araw lang sila nagwalis. Edi may basura na naman,” said Aling Emilia.

(They do clean it up. But of course, people are stubborn. They clean for one day. But there’s trash again.)

“Kasi yung iba nakikita namin yung mga bakanteng lote, tinatambakan nila. Linis ng linis naman kami, maya maya inaaraw. Siguro nakikita nila ‘eh may naglilinis diba’. Maganda nga po sana kung makiki-cooperate po silang lahat eh. Para naman masolusyonan naman namin yung mga problema sa basura,” said Councilor Jay.

(Because others see the open lots, and pile it up with trash. We clean it up, then later on it becomes sunny. Perhaps they think ‘there’s cleaners anyways.’ It’s better if the people would cooperate. So that we can resolve the issue of trash.)

When questioned on a feasible course of action to promote discipline among citizens, Councilor Jay eyed on conducting seminars within each district.

“Seminar ng bawat purok para malaman po nila talaga kung ano yung proyekto ng barangay at proyekto ng munisipyo, para masolusyonan po ang basura dito po sa ating barangay.”

(A seminar for each district so they can realize what truly is the project of the barangay and project of the municipality, to resolve the problem of trash in our barangay.)

As of writing, the barangay is yet to pursue this plan, since the handing out of leaflets and internal seminars within officials have been conducted so far.

BASTA MALIS, DAPAT MALINIS - OR IS IT?

After the shortcomings of the barangays and the disobedient ways of the citizens, the end of pollution in Barangay Malis has a long way to go.

Having held a position for –, Councilor Jay just leaves it up to God, knowing that by the end of his term, the problem of pollution may not be fully resolved.

“Di po natin masasabi, kung sa pagtatapos ng termino ko ay matatapos din ang problema sa basura. Kumbaga ang Panginoon nalang diyan ang mag-aano diyan, at tayong tayo ang magsosolusyon ng basura.”

(We cannot say for sure, if by the end of my term the problem of trash will also end. In a way, God only knows about that and we are the responsible for resolving the problem of trash.)

For now, he has plans to continue the weekly barangay cleanup drive and work on the steel matting project, along with placing shootable plastic bottle bins and waste disposal cans across the barangay.

His idea has become somehow a fix to Aling Emilia’s demand of the barangay to finally provide waste disposal bins all around.

“Sana kapag naupo na kayo, basurahan na ang ilagay niyo sa purok quatro. Magwalis ka naman, may basurahan kang mapaglalagyan. Hindi ikaw yung magwawalis, ikaw pa yung bibili ng sako panggagastusan. Kamukha namin wala naman kaming income. Ako pa bibili ng sako, ako na nga kako nahihirapan magwalis.”

(I hope that when you’re in position, you would put trash bins in district four. In that way, even if you clean, there’s a trash bin to use. Not in the case that you’re the one to clean and you’re also the one to purchase a sack bag. Just like us who do not have any income. I myself have to buy a sack bag, and I myself also struggle to clean up.)

Altercations in statements arose from the residents and barangay officials, but a crucial key point stands - that everyone must fulfill their duty as the only accountable beings for the environment’s state and well-being.

Photos with Citizens and Barangay Official:

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muhammad-ubaidullah-khan · 2 years

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"On Destroying Books" By Sir John Collings Squire

"It says in the paper" that over two million volumes have been presented to the troops by the public. It would be interesting to inspect them. Most of them, no doubt, are quite ordinary and suitable; but it was publicly stated the other day that some people were sending the oddest things, such as magazines twenty years old, guides to the Lake District, Bradshaws, and back numbers of Whitaker's Almanack. It some cases, one imagines, such indigestibles get into the parcels by accident; but it is likely that there are those who jump at the opportunity of getting rid of books they don't want. Why have they kept them if they don't want them? But most people, especially non-bookish people, are very reluctant to throw away anything that looks like a book. In the most illiterate houses that one knows every worthless or ephemeral volume that is bought finds it way to a shelf and stays there. In reality it is not merely absurd to keep rubbish merely because it is printed: it is positively a public duty to destroy it. Destruction not merely makes more room for new books and saves one's heirs the trouble of sorting out the rubbish or storing it: it may also prevent posterity from making a fool of itself. We may be sure that if we do not burn, sink, or blast all the superseded editions of Bradshaw, two hundred years hence some collector will be specialising in old railway time-tables, gathering, at immense cost, a complete series, and ultimately leaving his "treasures" (as the Press will call them) to a Public Institution.

But it is not always easy to destroy books. They may not have as many lives as a cat, but they certainly die hard; and it is sometimes difficult to find a scaffold for them. This difficulty once brought me almost within the Shadow of the Rope. I was living in a small and (as Shakespeare would say) heaven-kissing flat in Chelsea, and books of inferior minor verse gradually accumulated there until at last I was faced with the alternative of either evicting the books or else leaving them in sole, undisturbed tenancy and taking rooms elsewhere for myself. Now, no one would have bought these books. I therefore had to throw them away or wipe them off the map altogether. But how? There were scores of them. I had no kitchen range, and I could not toast them on the gas-cooker or consume them leaf by leaf in my small study fire - for it is almost as hopeless to try to burn a book without opening it as to try to burn a piece of granite. I had no dust-bin; my debris went down a kind of flue behind the staircase, with small trap-doors opening to the landings. The difficulty with this was that the larger books might choke it; the authorities, in fact, had labelled it "Dust and Ashes Only"; and in any case I did not want to leave the books intact, and some dustman's unfortunate family to get a false idea of English poetry from them. So in the end I determined to do to them what so many people do to the kittens: tie them up and consign them to the river. I improvised a sack, stuffed the books into it, put it over my shoulder, and went down the stairs into the darkness.

It was nearly midnight as I stepped into the street. There was a cold nip in the air; the sky was full of stars; and the greenish-yellow lamps threw long gleams across the smooth, hard road. Few people were about; under the trees at the corner a Guardsman was bidding a robust goodnight to his girl, and here and there rang out the steps of solitary travellers making their way home across the bridge to Battersea. I turned up my overcoat collar, settled my sack comfortably across my shoulders, and strode off towards the little square glow of the coffee-stall which marked the near end of the bridge, whose sweeping iron girders were just visible against the dark sky behind. A few doors down I passed a policeman who was flashing his lantern on the catches of basement windows. He turned. I fancied he looked suspicious, and I trembled slightly. The thought occurred to me: "Perhaps he suspect I have swag in this sack." I was not seriously disturbed, as I knew that I could bear investigation, and that nobody would be suspected of having stolen such goods (though they were all first editions) as I was carrying. Nevertheless I could not help the slight unease which comes to all who are eyed suspiciously by the police, and to all who are detected in any deliberately furtive act, however harmless. He acquitted me, apparently; and, with a step that, making an effort, I prevented from growing more rapid, I walked on until I reached the Embankment.

I was then that all the implications of my act revealed themselves. I leaned against the parapet and looked down into the faintly luminous swirls of the river. Suddenly I heard a step near me; quite automatically I sprang back from the wall and began walking on with, I fervently hoped, an air of rumination and unconcern. The pedestrian came by me without looking at me. I was a tramp, who had other things to think about; and, calling myself an ass, I stopped again. "Now's for it," I thought; but just as I was preparing to cast my books upon the waters I heard another step - a slow and measured one. The next thought came like a blaze of terrible blue lightning across my brain: "What about the splash?" A man leaning at midnight over the Embankment wall: a sudden fling of his arms: a great splash in the water. Surely, and not without reason, whoever was within sight and hearing (and there always seemed to be some one near) would at once rush to me and seize me. In all probability they would think it was a baby. What on earth would be the good of telling a London constable that I had come out into the cold and stolen down alone to the river to get rid of a pack of poetry? I could almost hear his gruff, sneering laugh: "You tell that to the Marines, my son!"

So for I do not know how long I strayed up and down, increasingly fearful of being watched, summoning up my courage to take the plunge and quailing from it at the last moment. At last I did it. In the middle of Chelsea Bridge there are projecting circular bays with seats in them. In an agony of decision I left the Embankment and hastened straight for the first of these. When I reached it I knelt on the seat. Looking over, I hesitated again. But I had reached the turning-point. "What!" I thought savagely, "under the resolute mask that you show your friends is there really a shrinking and contemptible coward? If you fail now, you must never hold your head up again. Anyhow, what is you are hanged for it? Good God! You worm, better men than you have gone to the gallows!" With the courage of despair I took a heave. The sack dropped sheer. A vast splash. Then silence fell again. No one came. I turned home; and as I walked I thought a little sadly of all those books falling into that old torrent, settling slowly down through the pitchy dark, and subsiding at last on the ooze of the bottom, there to lie forlorn and forgotten whilst the unconscious world of men went on.

Horrible bad books, poor innocent books, you are lying there still; covered, perhaps, with mud by this time, with only a stray rag of your sacking sticking out of the slime into the opaque brown tides. Odes to Diana, Sonnets to Ethel, Dramas on the Love of Lancelot, Stanzas on a First Glimpse of Venice, you lie there in a living death, and your fate is perhaps worse than you deserved. I was harsh with you. I am sorry I did it. But even if I had kept you, I will certainly say this: I should not have sent you to the soldiers.

#On Destroying Books By Sir John Collings Squire #On Destroying Books #Sir John Collings Squire #humorous #humor #Funny #satire

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whatdoesshedotothem · 2 years

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Thursday 29 May 1834

6 ½

12 5

kiss last night fine F56° at 7 ½ - breakfast at 7 50 – off at 8 55 at Aldborough, the old Isurium, in 7 minutes - ¾ hour there – saw 2 pieces of old roman mosaic each perhaps about 3 yards square and in a garden - the first chez Pybus covered over and descended 2 or 3 steps into the room built over it - the mosaic much sunk in the middle - covered with damp - no visible device - the other mosaic chez Charles Inchbald, at the other end of the town, very nicely kept - a lion in the middle but only the head and neck remaining - could merely trace where the rest had been - then in 2 or 3 minutes at the Devil’s arrows and 25 minutes there till 10 18 – 3 of them of the same coarse sandstone grit as the rocks at Plumpton near Harrogate and probably brought from there - the top a good deal furrowed and water worn - they were druid deities (phalli)? merely my own idea - at 11 ½ alighted at the dropping well at Knaresborough – merely went to the well (did not walk thro’ the wood along the river Ure) to the Harrogate entrance – the dropping of the water artificial, tho’ the woman of the Inn who shewed it and a collector of petrifactions in the house would gladly have persuaded us all was nature - she has seals, crucifixes, or rather crosses, at 6/. and 8/. etc cut out of the stalactite –

SH:7/ML/E/17/0039

wigs, birds, nest all sorts of things that had taken about a year petrifying hung up under the drip of the well - about ½ hour seeing the well and things in the house none of the latter worth much - then across the way up the opposite hill enveloped in smoke from lime kiln just below to Saint Robert’s (Flower by name) chapel - cut out of the rock – 2 women squabbled for us – one for us to go to the chapel, the other to Fort Montague, a cottage cut out the rock – we went from the one to the other – the little terraces of soil carried up the rock in baskets and turned into a garden more interesting than chapel or cottage - then to the castle – little remaining but a considerable part of the Keep tower of which we read on the spot in our guide book King’s interesting mention in his munimenta antique - off from the castle at 1 ¾ - the keep is curious - the grand portal highly enriched and of singular form, the upper part of the arch having the appearance of the tracery of a window - but it really was the grand entrance as appears from the remains of the foundation of steps leading up to it, and of an arch originally concealed beneath the steps and platform of entrance, and leading to the vaults below - about a mile from K- on our road to York, turned down to the river at a short distance, to St Robert’s cave where the body of Daniel Clark was found - the cave when I saw it 2 years ago was nearly made up with soil and rubbish - I could only just have crept into it - not it was under lock and key, all cleared out and the foundation of a building, his usual residence, laid bare close alongside the natural? cave - this detained us about ¼ hour - fine country about K- read a little slept a good deal before reaching Heworth Grange, York, at 4 25 - left Miss W- to pack for tomorrow - went back with the carriage to Myers’s and thence walked to the Duffins there at 5 ½ to dinner at 6 – staid till 8 – then sat 3/4 hour with Mrs Anne and Miss Gage, called to inquire at the door after Miss Yorke, ill in the measles – called too on Mrs Best but not well enough to see me - home at 9 ¼, found Miss W- in bed with a sick headache from all the good cream and preserved winesours etc she had eaten this morning at breakfast - dawdling over 1 thing or other - very fine day F62° now at 11 40 in my dressing room

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buildingcompaniesinhampstead · 11 months

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streetlamphalo · 3 years

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Certain Dark Things by Silvia Moreno-Garcia

Rating: ★★★★

Many thanks to Jo Fletcher Books, Quercus Books and NetGalley for the copy of this book.

I swear that Silvia Moreno-Garcia's ability to switch genres and deliver great novels each time is damn near unparalleled. And even if the last couple of them haven't 100% hit the right spot for me, she is certainly back to full form with Certain Dark Things, a novel she herself has called "neon-noir". It was originally released in 2015 and went out of print before coming back with a vengeance this year and if anyone tells you that vampires are going out of style, know that person is lying to you and you should immediately get yourself a copy of this book to see why.

The story follows Domingo, a street kid and rubbish collector living in Mexico City, one of the last oases in the country to be free of vampires. He's simply trying to make a living and hide from the authorities, when Atl, descendant of Aztec blood drinkers and very much a vampire, walks into his life. Domingo is mesmerised, but Atl is on the run and soon the two of them are running not just from the vampires chasing Atl, but also from Mexico City police and gangs, wanting to keep the city free from the blood drinkers. Can they make it out alive, or will this be their final resting place?

I can't understand every person who listed this as a young adult book. Yes, Domingo is 17, but this is in no way, shape or form a YA book. It's a violent neo-noir (or neon-noir and I mean just look at that cover!) and it doesn't deal with traditional YA themes. This is a story of revenge, of death and of one woman's hope that she can survive the onslaught that killed her family. It's also got a lot of lore behind it, with many different types of vampire, with different abilities and powers. It's great to watch Moreno-Garcia at work here, effortlessly going between the points of view of Domingo, Atl herself and three additional characters trying to find her (including a vampire hunter who moved to Mexico City to escape them and finds herself caught up in basically all this nonsense). But beyond this, there is a whole world that I wanted to lose myself in time after time.

The way the vampire lore is explored is brilliant, from the ideas of vampires migrating into different lands to the varying types of control they exert on humans. It's cool to see how much of it lines up with traditional views of vampires (sunlight, silver, garlic) and how much is different or completely non-existent. It made the world so much more alive and I was constantly eager for more and more details, more encounters, more everything. It's the kind of world where if she announced she would be writing another book following a different set of characters, I would immediately preorder it, because I don't think I could get enough. As some species of vampires don't get much space on the page at all, it means there is so much more we could explore. I know she's really not in the business of revisiting previous locations but if she ever made an exception, omg I would take it up in a heartbeat.

I also really liked how deliciously morally grey everyone is. I would say Domingo is probably the most innocent of the lot, but even he has his dark side and there is this well of anger in him that I actually appreciated seeing. He comes across as naive to some like Atl, who have lived a life steeped in violence, but he's also capable of a lot of things, even if he does choose to be kind first and foremost. He trusts Atl, he trusts Bernardino and he keeps thinking that if he could just do the right thing, he would easily be able to fix everything, to make everything better and have a form of happily ever after for them both. It's a bitter pill to swallow when things go wrong (and boy do they go wrong), but I found it interesting to contrast his approach to Atl's, who is constantly torn between vengeance for what happened to her family and her own fear for her life.

Overall, I feel that Certain Dark Things manages to breathe new life into a genre that seems at times quite stale, while maintaining the dark and dangerous vampires that we all love. Solid recommendation from an author whose works I'm always excited to pick up (and who has now become an instant buy for me!).

Have a look below at what others thought of the book!

#Certain Dark Things #Silvia Moreno-Garcia #vampires #horror #urban fantasy #book reviews #book recommendations

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bylaude · 5 years

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Byleth headcanons pt. 4

Byleth as the mentor of the Golden Deer + Claude getting a wyvern

- Doesn't think highly of nobles because a lot of dumb requests and missions come from spoiled nobles. She doesn't hate them, save for the corrupt ones, but she does think many highborn are ignorant of what the common people need or want

- She chooses Golden Deer partly because they look like they'd stress her out the least. The chivalrous Faerghians of the Blue Lions may find issue with her unconventional morals and values that she got from being a mercenary, and a commoner like her might not really connect with the Adrestrians nobles

- The other half of the reason is that she can tell Claude is a bit of the dishonest sort and he looks like he might know something about the church...

- Gives them all nicknames when they get close enough (Lee, Ralph, Igz, Lys, Mari, Ren). Only Hilda and Claude don't have nicknames because Hilda's name already ends in a vowel and is perfect if she wants to yell it like an exasperated parent (and she never knows if she's truly close to Claude)

- Gets really offended every time Leonie says something about Jeralt, like being his best apprentice or whatnot

- "That's MY dad, get your own!" or "You gotta beat me first before you can make a claim like that scrub"

- But in spite of the comical possessiveness, Byleth does take Leonie under her wing and trains her to be a proper mercenary. She admires that Leonie is motivated to help her folks back home, since family is one of the things Byleth really values

- Also gets along well with Raphael, who is easygoing enough to go with the flow when Byleth is up to her antics

- There's always a commotion and a betting ring when Raphael and Byleth get into a wrestling match Leonie is the collector lmao

- He does not mind being treated like a little brother by her, despite towering over her in height

- Lysithea, on the other hand, finds great offense!

- "Patting me on the head like a child does not make me happy!" "Lol too bad it makes ME happy. You're cute when you try to act scary lmao"

- Oddly, it's not Byleth teaching Lysithea a skill, but the other way around. Lysithea is baffled when she realises Byleth has some talent in magic but doesn't use it for anything but warming up her tea Byleth is a bit of a meathead and prefers weaponry

- So she insists on Byleth to learn more. It may save her life someday. Byleth humours her because she finds it quite funny to be bossed around by a tiny girl

- Ignatz gets daily stress from interacting with his mentor

- He gets really baffled and intimidated by her, honestly

- Byleth is map-blind and delegates Ignatz to map reading duty. He agrees out of sheer confusion that she survived on the road without being able to read maps

- "Any idiot would know how to read a path, but maps??? Utter rubbish. We had a navigator, what else would we need one for if I knew how to read maps?" "What's a navigator…?! This is the land, not the sea???"

- She annoys him on purpose to get him to speak up more and be more assertive. Only Claude notices.

- Lorenz gets absolutely destroyed the first time he tries to hit on her, after mistaking her for a fellow student. She plays along

- He preens proudly and only realises when she's introduced as a new professor, before promptly apologising for disrespect

- "Oh, don't bother, it was quite amusing," she says, absolutely murdering his pride by essentially calling his flirting entertainment

- She talks about his hair almost every time they meet

- "Lorenz, my boy… How about I style your hair for you?" "My hair? What's wrong with my hair? That aside, have you ever styled hair before?" "I cut my own hair and I help dad with his, too!" "Your hair? Oh, heavens, no…" "What's with that reaction? Rude! You wanna fight, punk?"

- they're both hypocritical when they roast each other and it's comical to watch as an outsider. The Golden Deer gets very tired of it though

- Hilda is one of the students whom she personally mentors. Her puppy eyes and whining does not work on Byleth

- Byleth needles Hilda a lot and laughs at all her attempts to weasel out of work, but despite that, Hilda is actually one of her favourites. This surprises even herself, since she's not usually fond of coddled nobles

- Hilda becomes an absolute monster with an axe under Byleth's tutelage but still pretends to be a defenseless damsel

- "I'd trade my brother for a sister like you. Hey, how about we adopt you? I bet Father would agree to it!" -Hilda, probably

- Is a lot gentler to Marianne than she is to the others. Basically bribes for Marianne's friendship by giving her fish to feed the monastary cats and gives her calming tea when she's anxious or can't sleep

- Marianne is most likely to take up Byleth's "old people hobbies" because they're soothing

- She takes the longest to open up and requires lots of patience, but Marianne will eventually gravitate towards Byleth if she needs help or advice

- Will 100% give a stolen key to the stables to Marianne if she gets overwhelmed and needs to hide away

- Claude is friendly and open with her...seemingly. He's less inclined to be so with her, after he realised she can see through his mask

- Makes a habit of making a nuisance out of himself to her, but isn't malicious. Claude thinks she's too straightforward and tactless, while she criticises him for his tendency to pretend too much and mistrust people

- "But it's fine. Nothing like a few near-death experiences to really bond people together. At least then it'll be authentic and not a shallow exchange of pleasantries" -Byleth, roasting Claude and doing absolutely nothing to help him make genuine connections. He'll have to learn himself

- He has to play nice and be political, however, due to the political climate of the Leicester Alliance and his contested claim as heir

- Claude is more frank with her when it's just them. He regularly makes digs at how she phrases things.

- "Your stance isn't wide enough. You need to be stable. Spread your legs more." "Oh. Pfft." "…5 laps around the field." "What? No! You have to know what you sounded like!" "All I heard is you being a little shit."

- At one point, he finds a wyvern egg and insists on keeping it. Byleth has to talk with the administration and Rhea for permission, on his behalf

- "Maybe we should just cook it. Honestly, you're way too much trouble." "Teach! We're not eating it!"

- She's forced to raise the wyvern herself when she lets it slip to Rhea that she's tamed wyverns before.

- Claude tries to name the wyvern Milady (Melady), which annoys Byleth because it's a dig at her dislike of being called a lady. They settle on Michaela (Michalis)

- Michaela is primarily taken care of and trained by Byleth, though Claude often involves himself to familiarise them. Michaela has imprinted on Byleth and thinks she's her mother

- Claude would try to do trick shots and flips when he begins training with Michaela. Byleth loudly proclaims him "Most Likely To Die Off The Battlefield"

- Claude still has Michaela as his mount 5 years later and the wyvern recognising her is what convinces him that she's truly come back

#fire emblem three houses #fire emblem #fire emblem byleth #byleth #fe3h #feth #claude von riegan #hilda valentin goneril #lorenz hermann gloucester #lysithea von cordelia #marianne von edmund #ignatz victor #raphael kirsten #leonie pinelli #golden deer #mine #fe3h headcanons

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orthodoxydaily · 4 years

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Saint&Reading: Fri. Oct., 23,2020

Celebrated on October 10_Julian Calendar

Saint Ambrose of Optina (1891)

Alexander Michailovich Grenkov was born Nov. 23, 1812 in the Russian province of Tambov. His parents raised him strictly and with fervent piety. Since he was of a priestly family, it was no surprise when he entered the Tambov theological seminary in 1830. He did well in his studies and was ranked among the top students.

About a year before graduation Alexander became seriously ill. He promised that if God healed him, he would become a monk. Although his prayer was answered, Alexander seemed to forget his promise.

After graduation from the seminary he took a position as tutor to the children of a certain landowner and remained with this family for a year and a half. After this he became a teacher at the local parochial school.

One day in 1839 Alexander and a friend visited the famous hermit Father Hilarion to ask him what they should do with their lives. Alexander was surprised when he was told to go to the monastery of Optina Pustin, where they had great need of him. In September of that same year, however, he seemed to be prepared to continue with his teaching career.

One night he was invited to spend a pleasant evening with some friends. His conversation was witty and brilliant, and all his jokes and puns were on the mark. Although his hosts were amused and impressed by him, Alexander was disgusted by his own frivolity. Perhaps his unfulfilled promise to become a monk weighed on his conscience.

The next morning he quit his job and arrived at Optina in October of 1839. After a trial period he decided to remain in the monastery and dedicate his life to God. He received the monastic tonsure in 1842, and was given the name Ambrose in honor of Saint Ambrose of Milan (December 7). Ambrose knew the famous spiritual directors Elder Leonid and Elder Macarius. He was the cell attendant of Elder Macarius, who undoubtedly influenced the young monk’s spiritual development.

Ordained as a priest in 1845, Father Ambrose’s reverence and piety in celebrating the divine services were noticed by the other monks. His health began to decline shortly afterward, and he had to ask to be relieved of all duties. In 1846 he was so ill that the Mystery of Holy Unction was administered to him. He bore his illness without complaint and slowly regained his strength. By 1848 he was able to walk with the aid of a cane.

Father Ambrose began to help Elder Macarius with his correspondence and in preparing the Russian edition of Saint John Climacus’s LADDER OF DIVINE ASCENT, which was published by the monastery.

When Father Macarius had to go to Moscow in 1852, he designated Father Ambrose to take his place until his return. Father Ambrose never gave his personal opinions when he was asked for advice, but always referred people to the writings of the Fathers. If someone did not understand the text he was given to read, Father Ambrose would explain it in simple terms.

Father Macarius died in 1860 without naming anyone to succeed him as Elder. By divine providence, all the other possible candidates either died or were appointed as abbots of other monasteries. This left Father Ambrose as the undisputed spiritual director of the monastery. In his role as Elder, Father Ambrose had to receive many people each day to hear confessions and give advice. He used to say, “The Lord has arranged it so that I would have to talk to people all my life. Now I would be happy to remain silent, but I cannot.”

An average day in Saint Ambrose’s life began at 4 A.M. when his cell attendant came into his cell to read the morning Rule of prayer for him. After this he would wash and have some tea, then he would dictate replies to the many letters he received every day. Visitors would be lining up even as he was having breakfast. Sometimes he would take a break after two hours, but more often he would continue seeing people until noon when he had his lunch.

After lunch he would go out into the next room and greet more visitors. People would call out questions and he would give an appropriate response. He took a short rest at 3 P.M. then talked to people until the evening. At 8 P.M. he had dinner then received more visitors until 11 P.M. At that hour the evening Rule of prayer was read, and Father Ambrose begged forgiveness of the brethren whom he may have offended by thought, word, or deed. After three or four hours of sleep it would all begin again. This routine would fatigue a strong man. It is remarkable that Saint Ambrose, who was often in poor health, was able to keep it up for so many years.

From all over Russia, people flocked to the venerable Elder. The writer Tolstoy visited him on at least three occasions, and left impressed by the wisdom of the holy monk. Fyodor Dostoevsky came to Optina in 1878 after the death of his son Alyosha and was profoundly affected by his meeting with Saint Ambrose. The novelist used Father Ambrose as a model for Starets Zosima in The Brothers Karamazov.

The saint founded Shamordino convent in 1884. This convent, which was near Optina, opened its doors to women who were poor, sickly, or even blind. Most convents were very poor and had to rely on the incomes of women who had a certain personal wealth in order to remain open. Saint Ambrose made it possible for any woman who wished to become a nun to follow this path of salvation.

Shamordino began to decline after the death of the first abbess, Mother Sophia. Saint Ambrose went there in June 1890 to straighten out the convent’s affairs. He was unable to return to Optina due to illness, then winter made it impossible for him to travel. Father Ambrose continued to see visitors at Shamordino, even though his health continued to deteriorate in 1891.

By September, it was clear that he had not long to live. He fell asleep in the Lord at 11:30 A.M. on the morning of October 10 1891. Throngs of people attended his funeral and also his burial at Optina. Fathers Joseph, Anthony, Benedict, and Anatole succeeded him as Elder until the monastery was closed after the Russian Revolution.

The Moscow Patriarchate authorized local veneration of the Optina Elders on June 13,1996. The work of uncovering the relics of Saints Leonid, Macarius, Hilarion, Ambrose, Anatole I, Barsanuphius and Anatole II began on June 24/July 7, 1998 and was concluded the next day. However, because of the church Feasts (Nativity of Saint John the Baptist, etc.) associated with the actual dates of the uncovering of the relics, Patriarch Alexey II designated June 27/July 10 as the date for commemorating this event. The relics of the holy Elders now rest in the new church of the Vladimir Icon of the Mother of God.

The Optina Elders were glorified by the Moscow Patriarchate for universal veneration on August 7, 2000.

Saint Ambrose was glorified in 1988 by the Patriarchate of Moscow as part of the Millennium celebration of the Baptism of Rus.

Source Orthodox Church of America

Synaxis of the Elders of Optina

Hieroschemamonk Leo (Nagolkin), 1768-October 11, 1841

Hieroschemamonk Macarius (Ivanov), 1788-September 7, 1860

Archimandrite Moses (Putilov), 1772-June, 1862

Abbot Anthony ( Putilov) 1795- August 7, 1865

Hieroschemamonk Hilarion ( Ponamarov) 1805-September 18, 1873

Hieroschemamonk Ambrose (Grenkov) , 1812- October 10, 1891

Hieroschemamonk Anatolius I ( Zertsalov) 1824-January 25, 1894

Isaacius I (Antimonov) 1810-August 22, 1894

Hieroschemamonk Joseph (Litovkin), 1837-May 9 1911

Archimandrite Barsanuphius (Plikanov), 1845-April 1, 1913

Archimandrite Anatolius II (Potapov) July 30, 1922

Nectarius (Tikhonov) 1857 - April 29 1928

New Hiero-confessor Nikon 1888- June, 1931

New Hieromartyr Archimandrite Isaacius II ( Bobrakov) 1865-January 8, 1938

Luke 7:31-35

31And the Lord said, "To what then shall I liken the men of this generation, and what are they like?32 They are like children sitting in the marketplace and calling to one another, saying:'We played the flute for you, And you did not dance; We mourned to you, And you did not weep.'33 For John the Baptist came neither eating bread nor drinking wine, and you say, 'He has a demon. 34The Son of Man has come eating and drinking, and you say, 'Look, a glutton and a winebibber, a friend of tax collectors and sinners!'35 But wisdom is justified by all her children.

Philippians 3:8-19

8Yet indeed I also count all things loss for the excellence of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them as rubbish, that I may gain Christ9and be found in Him, not having my own righteousness, which is from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which is from God by faith;10that I may know Him and the power of His resurrection, and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death,11if, by any means, I may attain to the resurrection from the dead.12Not that I have already attained, or am already perfected; but I press on, that I may lay hold of that for which Christ Jesus has also laid hold of me.13Brethren, I do not count myself to have apprehended; but one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead,14I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.15Therefore let us, as many as are mature, have this mind; and if in anything you think otherwise, God will reveal even this to you.16Nevertheless, to the degree that we have already attained, let us walk by the same rule, let us be of the same mind.17Brethren, join in following my example, and note those who so walk, as you have us for a pattern.18For many walk, of whom I have told you often, and now tell you even weeping, that they are the enemies of the cross of Christ:19whose end is destruction, whose god is their belly, and whose glory is in their shame-who set their mind on earthly things.

#orthodoxy #orthodoxchristian #ancientfaith #originofchristianity #holyscriptures #gospel #sacred texts #spirituality #wisdom

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xsugahoneyicedtaex · 4 years

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Namjoon/RM Imagine: The Key Situation

DESCRIPTION: In which Namjoon loses his keys and has to search the trash

Namjoon searched every corner of the apartment but to no avail. He checked the cupboards, dresser, under the couch, the bed. He even checked his bag that he took to the studio with him.

But the keys were not there.

Namjoon sighed and ran a hand through his hair in frustration. Out of all people, this always had to happen to him. Why? He didn't exactly know. But it did. It didn't happen to his sleeping beauty of a girlfriend, mainly because she had a huge, fluffy, bright yellow bunny keyring on the end of her keys so she didn't lose them. But Namjoon had never found the time to buy himself a keyring like that. And even when he did find the time he would always forget.

By 7am he had turned the whole apartment upside down. The keys were gone. So now he only had one last option: search the trash.

He emptied the contents of their trash can onto the floor and sorted through every single piece of rubbish he could find, sorting different types of empty packaging into categories and throwing them around the room.

His girlfriend stubbled into the room, groaning and rubbing her eyes to see. She stopped and froze, staring down at him frantically searching and sorting out the trash on the floor. "What are you doing?" she asked him, confused, "Aren't we supposed to be emptying this soon and taking it outside for the trash collectors?"

"Y/N, I've lost my keys and I can't find them anywhere," he told her, "I've checked everywhere and I just can't find them."

"Maybe you left them at the studio again?" she suggested, "You leave everything at the studio and one of the boys always find them."

"No...no, I brought my keys home with me last night and I put them in my pocket before I left. But I put a lot of empty candy wrappers in the bin last night from my pocket so I might have thrown the keys with them? I don't know..."

"Have you checked your pockets?"

"Yes! And they're not there!"

"Surely you would have found the keys by now? Or you would have at least felt the keys in your hand along with what you threw away?"

"Y/N, I don't know...can you help me, please? I'm really panicking right now."

She sighed and agreed, going to grab her phone and glasses from their shared bedroom. She decided to text the boys to see if they had seen the keys laying around the studio after Joonie had left. After that, she went to sort through the trash with her boyfriend on the floor.

They took about 10 minutes searching through everything. Once everything was in different piles on the floor, and they realised Namjoon's keys were nowhere to be found, Namjoon, yet again, sighed in frustration.

"They're gone!" he whined, "I lost the keys. What if I dropped them in the middle of the street? Do you think someone would find out where we live and break in?"

"No, Joon, I don't think that'll happen," she insisted, "That's a bit absurd."

"Yeah...yeah, it is."

He calmed himself down and fixed his hair a little. "You're right, Y/N, the keys probably are at the studio. I probably left them on my desk or something."

"Maybe," she agreed, "I texted the guys to ask them if they had seen them. For all you know they could be absolutely anywhere."

"Ok...well, are you ok to just lock the door when you leave for work and leave the keys under the doormat? Or is that too unsafe?"

"How about we just leave at the same time?" She said, "We can go to the restaurant down the road for breakfast quick and we can cycle down together?"

A morning cycle? Hell yeah!

Namjoon called PD-nim and told him he would be late to the studio that morning. There had been an issue with the keys. And the couple went for their morning cycle together through the park, parting ways once they got to the University campus.

******************** ********************

The first thing Namjoon did when he arrived to his office was check in every single drawer, cabinet, and coat pocket in the room for his keys. They weren't anywhere. Again, he began to panic. He left his room and knocked on Hoseok's to have a look in there.

"Namjoon, I don't know if Y/N saw my message, but I definitely haven't seen your keys anywhere near here," Hobi insisted, "Have you checked your office?"

"Literally, I just did. And they aren't there!"

"Have you checked the rec room?"

Hoseok followed his friend to the rec room, where Kai and Soobin from TXT, and Jungkook and Yoongi sat eating cereal together. The four watched as Hobi and Joon lifted pillows and felt between the spaces of the sofa cushions for the keys. They even disconnected the Xbox to check underneath and then reconnected it when they realised it wasn't there. They checked the cupboards in the kitchen area. No keys.

"Check the lost property box at the reception desk," Kai suggested, "I'm pretty sure Taehyun found keys on the ground in the hallway and handed them in thinking they were staff keys."

Namjoon headed straight down there to have a look. Again, Hoseok followed, agreeing to help his friend look through the big box of lost items to find them.

And indeed, they found some keys. But they weren't his.

"How do you know?" Hoseok asked him, "All keys look the same, don't they?"

"No," Joon insisted, "My Key is circle shaped at the top. This one is square."

"Shouldn't you double check with your girlfriend to make sure you're not wrong?"

He did. He texted her with a picture of the keys, asking if those are like hers. She said no.

"She says it's different. These aren't it."

"Oh shit...well, what are you going to do if she's in bed by the time you get home?"

"I don't know...go home early? Sleep outside the door? I don't know."

He ended up going home early. He stayed for dance practice and stayed to finish off the album. Then once his girlfriend finished at university, he met her at the park across from their apartment. Once they were home, he spent a while trying to put the bikes away, but he realised that he didn't have the key. The bikes had been left unchained the night before because he was too tired to sort them.

And just as he was about to call for her-

"Namjoonie, look what I found in your jacket pocket!"

His set of keys.

Needless to say, he was embarrassed. His face glowed a bright, rosey, pink colour as he smiled and stared down at the floor, grabbing his set of keys. "I-I checked," he insisted, speaking quietly, "I checked every pocket, I swear."

She laughed. "Well, clearly not," she said. She then brought him in for a reassuring hug, seeing how embarrassed he was getting. "Don't worry, babe," she told him, "At least you didn't drop them in the street."

"What a relief," he agreed, "I was literally about to call for you because I couldn't find the key for the bike lock."

"You should have it there."

He checked every key that he had. It wasn't there.

And the cycle continued.

#imagines #scenarios #kpop #reading #bts #bts fic #bts namjoon #bts x reader #bts rm #bts rm fanfic

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