#china sheet metal parts

[mxmparts]

China metal stamping parts manufacturer Custom sheet metal strips.

[innerfare]

Random Mihawk Headcanons

Summary: a random collection of Mihawk headcanons

CW: None // SFW

———

Can’t stop adopting strays to save his life. He’s a sucker for a mangy cat or unwashed pirate. Perona was quite literally the only hygienic guest he’d ever had at his castle. Zoro’s bathhouse allergy only further endeared him to Mihawk. 

Also such a cat person in general. He’s introverted, too. Prefers the peace and quiet, enjoys sitting with a glass of wine, a good book, and a purring cat in his lap. That being said, for whatever reason, he just can’t help but gravitate toward rambunctious dogs who get mud on the carpet (i.e., Shanks). 

In general, has a magnet pull toward things he disdains and even outright despises. In relationship terms, this means he claims to want someone who will make him better, but he will really only go for someone who will make him worse. King of guilty pleasures.

Suffered the loss of someone he loved dearly when he was quite young. Shanks knew the person, too, thus their bond. The person died at the hands of a marine who saw no consequences, thus beginning Mihawk's reign as the dreaded Marine Hunter.

Is actually a horrible shot. Can't fire a gun or bow and arrow to save his life. Claims to dislike these weapons and refuses to fire them because an honorable fight can only take place in close quarters (or something like that) in order to save face. Only Shanks, Beckman, and Zoro know he can't shoot.

Smells so good. Has a fondness for jewels and shiny metal, fine wine, and other such luxuries, but expensive perfume has always been his weakness. A bottle was the first thing he purchased after his first big score as a pirate. 

Complains incessantly about being bored but is such a creature of habit that it’s a cage of his own making, low key. He wants excitement, but he also doesn’t like sleeping in a bed that isn’t his own or sipping wine he doesn’t like from a glass he did not hand select. He’s only grown more particular with age. 

Has a sentimental side. The type to keep small mementos to remind him of various events and people. Sometimes goes back through these mementos when he'd had a bit too much wine to drink. These include everything from his first sword to a copy of Shanks' first wanted poster.

Hates how people act around him- the infamous Mihawk. Be it kissing his ass or tripping over their words because they’re scared, he hates being ogled. Actually bonded with Crocodile over how annoying the masses, as he calls them, are in that regard. 

Claims to hate it when the Red Hair pirates come to stay because they always make a mess of things, but smiles to himself every time he passes the tapestry a drunk Lucky Roux somehow managed to rip a hole in despite its place so high on his wall. 

Though he had a perfectly logical reason for telling Crocodile to spare Buggy, he would have gone to bat for the Clown regardless due to his connection to Shanks, not that he would ever admit to this. Why Shanks is soft on Buggy is completely lost on Mihawk. 

Doesn’t do anything half-assed, and part of that means reading up on everything he does. Gardening? Stack of books. Cooking? Another stack of books. Interior design? More books. 

Total wine snob (obviously). Likes his wine as red as blood and dry as Alabasta. If it’s sweet, he doesn’t consider it to be a wine and scoffs at it. Only respects wine drinkers who share his particular taste. Nearly died when he found Buggy’s cellar full of rosé. 

Has repaired roofs and walls, but is a bit lost on how to decorate his castle beyond high-quality basics (silk sheets, fine glassware, etc.). Would appreciate someone’s thoughts on wall art, fine china, and furniture. 

If Beckman were not in the picture, would take his place as Shanks’ first mate in a heartbeat. Would also never admit this, pretends to hate the idea of being on a crew. Also has sexual tension with Beckman that has never been addressed, probably never will be.  

———

Hope you enjoyed it! If you want more, you can check out my masterlist here!

[uwmspeccoll]

Chinese Ceremonial Papers

Many hundreds of varieties of prayer sheets used to be produced by specialist ma-chang printers all over China. Many of the limited range made today are the cheapest offset-litho jobs on the cheapest machine-made papers, but the designs still imitate the original woodblock prints.

Modern Taiwanese sheets of cash, made from recycled paper, sold very cheaply by weight in Taipei.

Mock money and other ceremonial papers for religious ceremonies will be gathered in "bowls" of crude papers, usually made of a mixture of rice-straw and bamboo fibers.

The simplest form of mock money is made traditionally with thin layers of tinfoil affixed to the center of a small piece of bamboo paper, although in contemporary production the cheapest grades of machine-made paper will be used instead, and in Taiwan and Malaysia metallic inks may be used instead of tinfoil.

Here's a piece of mock money in traditional colors with auspicious designs, and tinfoil brushed over with a dye from the pagoda tree to make it resemble gold.

Contemporary Taiwanese ceremonial paper.

Another variety of gold mock money, with inscriptions and symbols for good fortune building up the design, usually still quite well printed from woodblocks on fairly good quality paper, but sometimes now mass-produced by offset lithography.

Contemporary ceremonial paper printed letterpress on a stout machine-made paper in Hong Kong. The yellow coloring might have been brushed on by hand, but otherwise production of these attractive sheets has been mechanized completely.

At the Feast of Hungry Ghosts many large sheets of paper with pictures of all the clothes one's ancestor could need are burned. Although images of the paraphernalia of modern life like cell phones and computers might be printed on these papers, the clothing is always of traditional style.

Red paper envelopes with good luck symbols have been used for many years to enclose gifts of money made at New Year. They may be found wherever any ceremonial papers are sold; today usually with elaborate and eye-catching gold-stamping.

Decorative Sunday

The examples shown here are original paper samples included in Roderick Cave's (1935-2019) two-part article on "Ceremonial Papers of the Chinese" published in Matrix 12 (Winter 1992, pp. 51-66) and Matrix 13 (Winter 1993, pp. 161-177), printed at the John and Rosalind Randle’s Whittington Press in Risbury, Herefordshire, England.

In these articles, Cave, a noted print historian, librarian, and educator, discusses the history, manufacturing, printing, distribution, and uses of Chinese ceremonial papers used in rituals, celebrations, and festivals associated with the gods and the ancestors.

Our copies of Matrix are a donation from our friend Jerry Buff.

View more posts on Chinese papers.

View other posts associated with Roderick Cave.

View more Decorative Sunday posts.

[uwupaige]

the nanny [paige bueckers] part six

[chapters 9 & 10]

read part five here!

chapter nine: thanks china man!

warnings: dialogue heavy, straight men.

walking into the large children's gym for the third time this week, catherine appreciated the slight change in temperature, the november storrs breeze bothering her more than when she assumed this morning, the thin black zip up she sported doing almost nothing. she was just glad she bundled up the little girl currently holding her hand in a long sleeve and a jacket before they left the house.

madison was attending her third 'practice' for the sports program paige had signed her up for the week prior at catherine's request. catherine wondered what sport she wanted to play today. on monday, she opted for soccer, still not over the ball game her nanny showed her. however, that wednesday, paige convinced her to try out basketball. and she liked it way too much, relishing how she could be just like her mom.

the pair wandered about the building, looking for the sign in sheet, discussing which sport she decided on today. to no one's surprise, she wanted to play basketball again.

after signing both of their names on the near full stack of papers, catherine let go of madison's hand momentarily.

"can i write my name?" the small girl asks, hands coming to rest on the white folding table that was chest level with her.

catherine chuckled at the curly headed girl, handing her the black ball point pen. "have at it."

madison excitedly stole the pen from catherine's grasp, peering over the sheet on her tip toes as she wrote her name, having practiced it for nearly two months at school. "m.. a.. d.. d.. i.. e.." she sounded out the letters of her name, taking her time. catherine appreciated how spread out each letter was, taking up way too much space on the provided line.

laughing lightly at the girl, she took hold of her hand once more, leading her down the long hallway of small gyms, each full of sounds of sneakers squeaking, children laughing, and parents making small talk.

finding the basketball gym they had been in just a couple of days prior, madison excitedly tried to free her hand of catherine's stronger grip. the woman just held onto her small hand until she stopped trying to run away. "hey, wait up, mama."

huffing, madison found herself at eye level with a crouched catherine. the woman eyed the girl, madison already knowing what the look was for. "sorry for huffing." she muttered.

"that's okay." the brunette assures, "i just wanted to tell you that i'm gonna go sit on the bleachers and watch you until your mom gets here. she's picking you up, so don't go looking for me. okay?" she explained to the small girl as easily as she could.

madison nodded, excited to finally go play her sport. catherine stood up, releasing the girls hand, madison taking that as her sign to go.

the woman watched the excited girl run up to some friends she made on monday, saying hi to the older woman as she coached the group of children.

catherine made her way up the creaky bleachers of the small and simple basketball court, finding a seat off to the side from majority of the other parents and gaurdians there.

plopping down onto the uncomfortable metal seats, she reached into her purse, hand searching around for both her phone and earbuds. snapping the earbuds into her cellphone, the girl scrolled through it momentarily before she found her lesson notes for that week. placing the earbuds comfortably in her ears, catherine clicked the first part of the lesson, getting ready for a boring hour until paige arrived to relieve her.

a mere twenty minutes went by before catherine felt someone plop down on to the empty space beside her. looking up, she caught the side profile of the blonde she grew so comfortable with. she noticed she was trying to make conversation with her, maybe not realizing the earbuds blocking her words out. the pair barely had time to talk this past week, their last real conversation being that fateful halloween night.

paige began to worry that her slight forwardness that night had began to push catherine away. and she wanted to do all but that.

the pair fell asleep exactly how they initially wound up together: heads resting on shoulders and hands on exposed thighs, paige subconsciously drawing soft scratches to the tan skin, lulling catherine to sleep in her half drunken state. the blonde was soon aware of her friend sleepiness, unable to see her face, but not wanting to move and possibly wake her up. little did she realize, the sounds of catherine's gentle breathing were soon putting her to sleep, her eyes heavy until they were outweighed, falling asleep. somehow the most comfortable in an uncomfortable position.

she tried desperately not to overthink catherine's missing person next to her the morning after, having been woken up by a very hungry madison.

"whatchu listenin' to?" paige asked the brunette to the right of her, feet resting on the bleachers in front of her. catherine definitely didn't miss her appearance, her practice shirt with the letters 'uconn' written straight across wrinkled in various places. she had just gotten back from practice.

"the harmonic melodies of.. chapter eleven: the red badge." the woman joked in reference to her homework, paige giving her a polite chuckle at that.

"she's doing really well," the blonde commented out of nowhere, the first to break the short silence.

catherine yanked for her earbuds, the headphones falling swiftly from her ears as she paused the ongoing lecture on her phone. looking back up to catch paige watching intently at a small children running around, catherine let out a small laugh. "how can you tell?"

"she's really focused." paige explained, the brunette to the side of her just nodding. "wish i knew she was into basketball like that."

"to be fair, i'm sure she didn't know she was into it either." catherine spoke matter of factly, not immediately recognizing the sort of sad tone to paige's words.

"true.. i mean, she's never even been to one of my games."

the brunette just shrugged, unsure of why paige was acting the way she was. "then take her to one."

paige shakes her head slightly and catherine's brows furrowed. this was not how paige normally was. typically more confident in her words and how she felt about things. "i don't know, she's never asked."

"oh, my god." catherine rolled her eyes affectionately to the woman beside her, "wake up, paige. she's five. stop beating yourself up thinking she hates you or something."

paige appreciated her tough forwardness, knowing it was coming from a place of care. however, nothing would make her feel okay about the immense guilt that would overtake her sometimes. "i've just missed so much of her life, it's hard not to think like that."

catherine sighs, "do you know how much she talks about you?" she asks, her question rhetorical but her voice soft. before paige could answer, the woman continued. "she loves you, a lot. you're her mom."

paige lets her words hang, lingering in the air that's somehow become stuffy in a matter of seconds. after a few moments of silence, she speaks. "how'd you get her to call me mom?.. i mean, like, how did you get her to talk about it?"

catherine was stumped. she didn't know how to answer the question when it happened, and still didn't know now. "i-i don't know.. i just asked?" she shrugged, hoping it didn't come off as her not caring. she just truly didn't know. it all just happened. "well, she asked me why i called you her mom, and then she told me 'grandma' would tell her that she shouldn't call you mom 'because you didn't act like one.'"

paige scoffed, almost knowing that's what was going to leave the brunettes mouth. "course she did."

catherine cocked an eyebrow, "yeah? what's going on with that?"

paige just tilted her head like she was looking for the right words. "my mom, uh, was mad that my dad and stepmom took in maddie and let me go away to college.. she thinks i should've stayed."

"do you think that?"

"at the time, i was thinking more for the future. y'know, i could have a very successful career after going to uconn.. i dunno, i guess i was just thinking that if i just spent a few years getting my shit together, i could give her a really good life—one i never had."

"and that's all that matters right now." catherine spoke, confidently and wisely. "your intentions are nothing but good. there is nothing to feel guilty about." catherine comforts the woman beside her.

she could see paige wasn't much for agreeing with her. she felt there was everything to feel guilty about. catherine sighs, taking her eyes off of the saddened blonde, looking straight ahead. "look," she starts. "maddie loves you. okay? she loves having you here. don't harp on the old stuff. you're just gonna end up projecting your feelings and guilt onto her." catherine explains. "and that's not fair to her.. she needs you as your best version of yourself.. and she'll understand when she's older. why you did what you did." catherine pauses.

paige swoops in, almost wanting to end the conversation where it was at to avoid her going down an even deeper rabbit hole of emotions. "thanks, cat." paige said, genuinely.

catherine shrugs, a humble face giving paige a small smile. "anytime.." she trails off, watching as paige's smile replicated hers, now turning to look out into the crowd. "so.. do i get a raise for being your part time therapist?"

paige lets out a laugh at that, "you wish."

walking down the stands, paige and catherine mindlessly conversed, throwing around a random topic that peaked their interest when they were on the bleachers.

soon, an excited madison was running up to the pair, throwing her arms around paige. pulling away momentarily, a smile plastered on both of their faces as they spoke their greetings, madison turns to see catherine, another wave of excitement taking over, soon throwing her arms around the brunette.

"i thought you were going home!" her small voice spoke loud over the noise of the other children reuniting with their families.

"your mom kept me talking." catherine says, nudging paige with a smile.

paige rolled her eyes playfully, looking down at the curly head before her. "whatever." she sasses, "what do you wanna get for diners?"

"hmm.." the small girl thought out loud, a finger coming to rest on her lips as she contemplated. "oo, chinese!"

"mm, i'm down." paige agrees, a hand coming up to her rumbling stomach. she then bends down to whispers something into her daughters ear, hand coming up to hide her words, eyeing catherine in the process. all the brunette could do was chuckle.

madison jumps when paige is finished relaying her secret, agreeing enthusiastically before she turns to her nanny. "cat, do you wanna have dinner with us?" her small and excited voice asked, trying to seem like she had came up with the idea all on her own.

catherine's heart warmed immediately at her invite, a pout wanting desperately to play on her lips. looking between the two, she felt a rush of peace course through her. however, she also felt a rush of anxiety. she wasn't sure why. it had been that way since halloween. something about being in a casual friend setting with paige started to make her nervous. "uh.." she sighed, "i'm sorry, mama. i have to go." she spoke, hesitation in her words.

paige spoke before she thought, "what? why?"

"gotta get to the laundromat before they close. i desperately need my everyday clothes back."

"wash it at my place." paige said simply, almost always confident in her words. more confident than she was just moments prior. paige watched the woman's hesitation, her mind too trailing to the night of halloween. though nothing happened, things took a change. and neither of them could quite place it.

luckily, paige had the charm of her five year old daughter.

"please, cat?" madison pleaded, dragging out her words and pulling out her very convincing doe eyes on the taller woman.

how could catherine say no?

˚✧.*

the sound of practiced knocking at the buecker's front door immediately had madison perching up in her spot on paige's lap.

the three of them had been hanging out on the couch, a kid's show madison liked to call 'ladybug' playing. paige had either been starring off into space or trying to chat with catherine. however, catherine was finding herself seriously invested in the super hero show.

"is that it?" the small girl asked, in reference to their dinner being delivered. looking back at paige, she watched as her mom simply nodded.

catherine sits up from her spot on the dark grey couch, seated directly next to paige, their positions mimicking how they once sat on this very couch only a week ago. "i'll go get it."

"wait, wait, can i come too?" an excited madison asked, hopping off of paige's lap before either of the women could grant her wish.

both chuckling at the girl as she ran past catherine, desperate to make it to the door first, paige just looks past her shoulder at the brunette. "my wallets on the counter."

catherine walked past, grabbing the lavender leather smoothly and holding it up to show paige she retrieved said wallet, going to meet madison as she fumbled with the lock.

with the assistance of her nanny, she swung the front door open, quick to greet the young man before her. "hello!"

the man smiled, a small chuckle leaving his lips. "hey," he greeted back just as enthusiastically. he then looked up to find catherine's eyes, "hi." he greeted politely at the woman in front of him.

"hi, how are you?" catherine spoke in casualties.

"not too bad." the man responded, looking down at madison once again. "this for you?" he asks, slightly nudging the brown paper bag full of food towards the small girl.

madison simply nodded. "yeah." she spoke, grabbing the bag from him confidently. "thanks, china man!" the girl spoke before walking back inside.

the young man couldn't help but laugh at that, catherine's jaw dropping momentarily before a small laugh left her lips as well. "oh, god. sorry about her."

"nah, nah." he deflected her words, assuring her it was okay. "she yours?"

catherine shook her head, her hands finding paige's wallet that she had stuffed into her pockets not too long ago. "not exactly." she answered, pulling out the wallet. "sorry, how much did you say it was?"

though he had never told her, he decided to be polite and not correct her. "uh, $39." the man watched as catherine dug through the small light purple wallet, pulling out a few bills. "but, honestly, don't worry about it."

catherine looked up, money prepared in hand, confusion playing on her face. "oh, no—you don't have to do that. it's a lot of food." she explained, declining his generous offer.

reluctantly, the man accepts her money, digging in his own work pouch for her change. "keep the change." catherine says before he could pull anything out, considering the extra cash to be his tip. he began to protest, catherine picking up on these as casualties. "seriously, i insist."

the man nodded, still searching for the woman's change. "honestly, a better tip would be your number." he spoke, his words smooth, catching catherine off gaurd.

"my number?" catherine asked. not even flattered, just straight up confused.

"mhm. i think you're gorgeous." the man spoke, his words as smooth as before. and now the small smile he was giving her allowed for hundreds of butterflies to infiltrate her stomach.

laughing nervously with an appreciative smile, the woman tries to respond. "oh, um, thank you—"

however, she wouldn't even be able to get all of her words out before she was interrupted by paige's overwhelming presence, feeling her friend behind her in a matter of seconds.

"sup," paige starts, looking like she's trying to shimmy her way in between the man and the woman. catherine wasn't one to stand down, never losing eye contact with the man as she stayed firm in her spot, paige having to opt to be next to her. "did we not give you enough?" the woman asks, in reference to how much they owed the man for their dinner.

it took the man a second to snap out of his flirting ways when he saw paige walking up, about to try and smooth talk her as well until he realized she probably wasn't the one to be doing all of that with. "uh, nah." he started, a nervous hand coming to rub and squeeze the back of his neck. "just tryna give her, her change back."

paige simply just shook her head, briefly stepping past catherine to grab the front door. "keep it. have a good night." the woman assured before closing the door on the man.

locking the door, she walks past catherine right back down the small hall she was once listening into their conversation in. "weirdo."

hearing those words leave paige's lips, catherine scoffed quietly, turning on her heel to follow the woman down the corridor. "i thought he was nice."

catherine watched the back of paige's shoulder go up and down, shrugging in disagreement, her blonde hair fanned across her back and shoulders. walking into the kitchen, they both continued their conversation.

"asking a girl for her number at her front door as a stranger is weird." paige said matter of factly, as she unloaded the large brown paper bag she just had to help madison bring in.

the brunette shrugs, walking up to the cabinet where paige kept all of her plates. grabbing three plastic ones, she walks them back to the island counter where paige began lining up each container of food. "to be fair, it's not my house."

paige barely had to think of her answer, a thumb coming up to her lips to wipe away whatever food she got on it. "might as well be the way you cook and clean."

"because no one else will," the woman spoke as confidently as paige did, a few head nods to follow. "plus, i get paid for it."

paige turns to face catherine completely, a hip leaning against the granite counter top, her arms crossing over her chest. she tried to read the woman, wondering what she had been trying to get at. was she seriously trying to get the man's number? "well, right now i'm paying you to eat dinner with us." paige spoke, dipping her head ever so slightly to the woman.

looking up from her not yet filled plate, catherine catches paige's eyes. "well, that sounds pathetic."

standing back up straight, paige shrugs, going back to filling her plate. "aight, go get his number. maybe he'll give you more free food since imma eat yours."

catherine laughs at that, a fake pout on her lip. "aww, scared i'll find a new best friend?"

it's paige's turn to laugh, watching as catherine fills the plastic plate with small portions of food. "oh, we're best friends now?"

placing the plate in front of madison, who was patiently waiting for her food since the women walked back into the kitchen moments prior, catherine shrugs. "might as well be, the way you be asking me to hang out all the time."

"ah, sorry. 'scuse me for saving your social life."

"fuck off." catherine joked back, madison looking up from her plate frantically at that.

"fuck is a bad word, cat."

it took everything for the two of them to not laugh at the girl.

"yes, you're right." catherine agreed, small laughs escaping through her words. "so, don't say it again."

catherine wanted to sit there and think about why paige was adamant enough to make sure she didn't talk to that guy. why she was so eager to have dinner together. why she kept having catherine around more than she needed her. was she just being a good friend? looking out for her?

"oh, i got you somethin'." paige spoke out of no where, finishing up a bite of her food.

catherine watched as she walked over to the high up cabinet that rested over her refrigerator, opening it. she heard the sounds of bottles clinking together, a curious smile on her face.

that was until paige pulled back—a tall, dark bottle in her hands. before the blonde could even speak, catherine was immediately laughing. "stop. you didn't."

the blonde smugly walked over to the woman, nodding and shrugging as nonchalant as possible. "i did."

rolling her eyes playfully at those words, catherine takes the bottle from paige's hands gently, turning it a few times in her hands to read the label. it was an aged wine, possibly one of catherine's favorites. one she normally only bought on special occasions. "why?"

paige shrugged again, not really knowing the answer to her question. she had just thought to do it. "dunno.. if you're staying here late, or overnight.. y'know."

once again that evening, the brunette's heart felt full, and she was warm throughout her body, a sense of comfort she only really felt when she was with paige and madison. "that's.. so sweet, thank you." catherine says, genuinely.

paige had already went back to eating her food, just giving catherine a simple nod. "for sure."

catherine too picked up her plate once again, though she wouldn't be able to focus on it. her eyes kept wandering over to the blonde, who had started to become more and more intriguing the more time she spent with her.

paige was unlike any friend she had ever had. and she loved everything about that.

"what is that?" a small voice interrupted catherine's thoughts, finding it to be madison's curious one.

"mom juice." paige answered quickly and casually, as to convince the girl as much as possible.

however, that's was nearly impossible now at the sounds of catherine laughing at that.

chapter ten: take my breath away.

catherine's feet ached as she quickly roamed the small but overwhelming florist section of the grocery store closest to vinyl. the woman picked up an early shift at the club, which was actually just a bar during the day, hoping to take home a few extra dollars in tips. what she didn't expect was a rush that kept her almost an hour past her scheduled time.

looking down at the time displayed on her phone screen, catherine's eyes bulged. the digital clock read 5:06, and she was definitely wasn't going to make it to paige's apartment by the time she had promised.

today was paige's first game of the season, and though she wouldn't admit it to many, catherine could tell she was extremely nervous. and, she wanted to get her flowers..

as a good luck charm! of course.

the woman's eyes wandered the selection of flowers, ranging from bright, red roses to soft, white lillie's. catherine wondered if she was overthinking the whole flower idea, but tried to silence her thoughts in the soft pink tulips she had been deciding on.

she loved the delicacy of them, feeling a sense of calm rush over her when she first laid eyes on them. she wanted paige to feel calm, she wanted something to ease her nerves. being friends and all, catherine and paige started to be able to read the other more than other people could.

looking down at the time on her phone once more, she made a rush decision and picked the tulips, her tired feet carrying her to the checkout stand as fast as they could.

˚✧.*

madison sat comfortably on the carpeted part of her living room floor, a toy truck in hand. the girl had spent the last few minutes ramming the truck relentlessly into the t.v. stand in front of her, which was also playing a show of her choice. the 'ladybug' superhero show, as she called it.

paige had been sat in her pregame outfit on the couch with her laptop seated comfortably with her as she clicked away at the homework on her screen. the woman spent the past twenty minutes telling her daughter to keep the noise down and to stop attacking her furniture, and though the girl would listen at first, she was right back at it only minutes later.

the blonde wondered how catherine did this everyday, already exhausted at the constant back and forth between her and the five year old. sometimes she wished she could just call her to come over. sometimes for madison, sometimes for herself. something about catherine's presence was, at times, eerily calming. how she could stay composed in a lot of situations paige would absolutely crumble under. how she somehow managed to hold the answer and solution to every worry or every problem the bueckers ever faced.

paige thought about her often, her mind wandering to the woman in any given situations. she'd wonder what catherine did with her spare time, normally assuming she was nose deep in an assignment or deep cleaning her apartment.

or maybe she was doing something new to her hair. the blonde could have sworn catherine wore a different hair style everyday. she thought it was cute, the styles always fitting her so well. the were simple, but cute and complimenting to her soft locks. oh, her hair looked so soft and so healthy. paige would imagine the day she could run her fingers through the chocolate brown strands, the feeling soothing her calloused finger tips.

or maybe she was doing her nails. paige always noticed the woman's seemingly fresh manicure, and how it would feel when catherine ran her hand down her arm whenever she tried to comfort her, the soft scratches leaving a trail of fire down her smooth skin. she liked the contrast of the dark red polish that made her seem mature to the light pink polish a week later that made her seem vibrant.

or maybe she was simply just relaxing, stretched out on her cream colored couch, history book in hand. paige always loved the small moments they had to relax together. the pair sat on the couch, a shared blanket sitting across their laps (mainly catherine's because she always stole it), madison curled up by her side with a show playing quietly in the background as they talked about their days, homework they were stressed about, or whatever else was on their minds. the woman always relished those moments, and she sort of missed them.

she felt like catherine had been away more in recent weeks, leaving shortly after the woman returned home instead of staying to have dinner with her, and dismissing her invitations to hang out, whether alone or with the team. she tried her best to avoid the thoughts, but they were frequent.

however, paige could always rely on her daughter to keep her from her own mind by her loud ass toys.

"ah!" the small girl screamed, whatever game she was playing in her mind clearly getting intense.

closing her eyes at the sound of madison, yet again, slamming her blue, toy truck into paige's nearly brand new t.v. stand, paige sighed. "madison.."

madison could hear the seriousness of her mothers tone, the blue truck coming to a complete halt in her hand. "yes?" she responded, hesitantly looking up to catch the scary blue eyes that said everything paige needed to.

"i'm not playin' witchu," paige started, madison sighing to herself before she backed away from the t.v. stand.

pouting, the girl eventually put her toys away, a habit catherine stowed upon her, eventually making her way towards her mom. climbing up the couch paige was still resting on, madison fell to the woman's side. wiggling beside the woman to get herself comfortable against her, madison watched as paige clicked random keys on her device. naturally, paige let an arm fall over her daughters body, hugging the girl into her side as her eyes stayed glued to the screen.

the girl opted to watch her cartoon quietly for a few minutes before, again, interrupting the silence.

"mom?" madison speaks out of nowhere, eyes looking down at the small uconn jersey she was sporting, matching paige's almost identically, as she picked relentlessly at the printed '5'.

paige looks down slightly at the small girl with curiosity. "wassup?"

"i'm bored." the girl dragged out, dramatizing her feelings greatly.

paige nodded, "i know, babe. just a little longer."

madison sighed again, the boredom absolutely overwhelming in her mind. "when're we leaving?"

the pair were waiting for catherine to arrive, eagerly awaiting paige's first game of the season. catherine insisted on bringing madison, which, in turn, meant she too was attending.

paige wouldn't lie and say she wasn't nervous about bringing madison. no one really knew paige had a kid, and she knew that after tonight, there was a big chance of it coming out. she wasn't embarrassed or shy about the fact by any means, she just wasn't sure what to do. how to respond to the overwhelming questions she expected would come, and the invading ones. madison's safety was one of her biggest priorities, and possibly jeopardizing that made her nervous.

"whenever cat gets here." the blonde answers. "which better be soon, because i need warm up."

"i can help you!" madison offers, nothing but the excitement from her amazing idea coating her words.

paige smiles down at the girl once again, a shocked expression on her face to appeal to the five year old. "you can?"

"mhm." madison hummed confidently, "i know how to play basketball like you now, too!"

paige let out a soft laugh before closing her laptop screen. she was studied out for the day, deciding maybe she should give it a break and hang with her daughter. "bet, aight." she spoke before getting up and trucking over to the basket madison had just 'neatly' put back together minutes prior.

digging around in the basket of toys that laid neatly in the corner of the living room, paige found a small, light, pink basketball, practically waiting for them. since madison has started playing sports, some of her stuffed animals were quickly replaced by a variety of balls that correlated with different sports, the small girl absolutely adoring each and every sport she tried out.

taking the pink ball in hand, paige quickly tossed it over to daughter as she nudged the small coffee table to the same corner the toy filled basket resided with her shin, allowing more space for their roughhousing.

the pair let the ball bounce between them. paige obviously went easy on the girl, letting her make shots into the basket of toys they declared would be the net. though, she did relish the few times she would block madison with ease. or how the girl would fume when paige would steal the ball, and all paige could imagine was steam leaving her red ears.

they were absolutely disturbing their neighbors below them.

"see, mom? now you are playing with me!" the girl spoke, paige laughing as the saying she spoke earlier completely went over madison's head.

it wasn't long into their small and crammed scrimmage that catherine arrived, the pair almost dismissing the sound of her keys jiggling out of the lock and the wrapped up pink flowers in her free hand.

"sorry, sorry, i got stuck at the club." the woman spoke before noticing the sight, absolutely adoring it. "that's all the jumping around i heard." catherine spoke, a small laugh in her words and she walked in further, not bothering to lock the door behind her.

looking up the second her words registered in her head, paige's brows furrowed, dismissing everything else. "the club?" in a quick move, madison was stealing the ball from paige's hands and 'dunking' the pink basketball into her net, a satisfied 'yes!' leaving her lips.

the brunette's face mimicked paige's confusion, brows furrowing as well. "yeah?"

"you still work there?"

a small laugh left her lips, the feeling of madison clinging harshly to her leg eliciting it out of her. her hand reached down to rub the girls back as she spoke, "yeah, i never quit." catherine responded before continuing with her explanation, "i just pick up a few shifts here and there."

guess that's what she does in her free time, the woman concluded to herself.

paige wondered as she turned off the t.v. before she walked around the room for her bags and car keys, ready to leave as soon as possible, not even noticing the flowers in catherine's hands.

after grabbing her necessities, the blonde turned to find catherine eyeing her expectantly. paige couldn't help but furrow her brows once again, wondering what catherine was trying to remind her of. taking a step back to take in her appearance, she caught the soft pink flowers that laid in the woman's arms.

"what're those for?" paige spoke softly, though her face didn't represent her words fairly. she already knew what and who they were for, and she could immediately feel herself falling.

"these—" catherine started, already tripping over her words as she pushed the bouquet to paige. "they're for you." she said simply, completely oblivious to paige's tender thoughts, her stomach sinking slightly at paige's lack of a reaction.

the blonde felt her heart swarm. she didn't normally receive flowers. the gesture was so sweet, something she wasn't expecting at all. she was soon lost, eyes fluttering between the woman and the rosy pink flowers in her hands. she saw catherine's genuine smile and eager face, her eyes lit. taking the bouquet out of the woman's hands, she spoke softly. "thank you."

she couldn't even smile, she was just so taken back. "i really appreciate it."

catherine wasn't expecting a big reaction or an overwhelming hug by any means. but she definitely was looking for a little more than paige's calm reaction. maybe she overthought the flowers, maybe they weren't a good idea. "if you—" the woman, started, cutting herself off by trying to correct her over-caring tone. "if you don't like them, i can take them." she spoke, her head shaking with her words.

paige looked up from the bouquet, "what?" she asked, confused once again, her voice soft and almost breathless. her breathing had stopped momentarily as she lost herself in thought. "no, no," she realized she must've looked like she didn't like them, shaking her head slightly. "i love them." she assured, her crystal eyes locking with catherine's unsure ones. "i promise. don't worry."

catherine nodded, her face softening with less stress than moments before. "just a.. good luck wish on your first game!" she explained, though it wasn't needed. "from me.. and maddie!"

paige finally let her smile show, nodding. though it was more of a smirk mixed with a grin, her face a mix of shyness and adoration. she wasn't sure how to feel. though they were all good things, she didn't know what to think.

"can we go now?" a small voice interrupted the pair, something that happened quite often between them.

looking down at madison, catherine nodded eagerly. "oh—yes! we need to go, like, now."

˚✧.*

paige took it upon herself to explain spectator ediquite to madison on their drive there—explaining when to clap, how to send good luck to free throwers, and when to throw up the number three with her fingers.

they arrived with only moments to spare before paige's head coach, geno, would have a heart attack at how late she was.

walking down the hall that lead to the court, paige explained to the brunette where she and madison were seated before crouching down to madison. "don't wander off, always stay with cat.. and send me lots of luck, aight?"

madison nodded enthusiastically, hands flying in the air to wiggle her fingers the way paige had showed her on their way over.

laughing, paige pulled the small girl into a tight hug. "m'kay, i love you." she spoke as she pulled away, madison's response almost identical to paige's.

eventually, they all go their separate ways on opposite sides of the hall, paige turning the corner that led to the locker rooms and catherine walking madison to the huge double doors that entered them into the court.

upon entering, the woman could immediately feel the good energy that radiated the stands. and it wasn't even fully packed yet. though, catherine was glad they got there when they did, wanting to sit as close to the floor as they possibly could.

definitely not court side, but still super close. and close to where paige and the team would be sat.

the pair sat comfortably as they stands filled quickly and the noise getting louder by the minute. catherine was already digging into her purse for snack number two for madison when the lights finally dimmed, listening to the commentators call out the names of the starting players for each team.

to say the stands went crazy when they called paige's name was an understatement. though, they had the buzzing energy of madison to thank for that, the girl never jumping and cheering so loudly in her life.

˚✧.*

the pair watched the ball game intently. and though uconn held a pretty good lead on the opposing team into their fourth and final quarter, they were still watching as if it was a neck-and-neck game.

catherine's eyes were fixed on paige, watching as she dribbled the orange basketball down the court slowly, dragging out their shot clock as much as she could. paige looked to the crowd, not even worried about the point guard hovering just feet away from her, searching for the faces she'd been playing for all night.

finally she caught madison's lit up face, smiling happily at the mere fact that her daughter was finally here, watching her play, cheering her on and loving her unconditionally.

then, she found catherine's face, shooting her a nod and a smile.

luckily, the blonde was so far away, because she would've instantly seen the sheer, red blush that instantly flooded catherine cheeks.

the woman sat back in her seat at this, flustered and confused at how such a simple gesture left her head spinning and her mind fuzzy.

she wasn't allowing her thoughts to travel where they so desperately wanted to go, and where she so desperately wanted to avoid. she didn't understand the things she was feeling, and she wasn't sure why. paige was just her friend, a great friend. why were things suddenly feeling so complicated? so uneasy? so.. intimidating?

unfortunately, though, her thoughts were just too loud. the small voice in the back of her mind asking the inevitable question she's been pondering on since that halloween night. did her feelings for paige run deeper than she originally thought? was paige feeling it too?

sighing at how fast her mind was moving, her face dropped. catherine was soon filled with regret. she regretted being as close to paige as she was. she regretted the flowers she bought her earlier. she regretted the innocent, lingering touches they shared.

she couldn't allow herself to feel the way she did, and she hoped desperately paige wasn't taking catherine's actions the way her subconscious had been praying for. the woman hoped, and she wished, and she prayed that things weren't the way they seemed.

but for some reason.. even she could not convince herself that what she was feeling wasn't true.

"cat, look at mom!" the small girl beside the flustered woman cheers, her clapping bringing catherine back down from her clouded mind.

the brunette simply smiles down at the girl, "she's amazing." she nodded and genuinely,  agreeing with madison beyond tonight.

paige simply and truly was amazing to her.

part seven!!!

authors note!

i am SO happy to hear you're all enjoying this silly story as much as i enjoy writing it. of course, tell me all of your thoughts! reading your comments might be my favorite thing in the world. i'm sorry this chapter is so dialogue heavy, but i had so much dialogue inspo and i normally struggle with it so i'm trying to take it as a win haha.

and omg a little protective paige?? i'm already obsessed. AND cat lowk confessing her feelings abt paige to herself?? im so excited.

also, just noticed i hit 100 followers?? ugh you’re all so sweet. i promise, your support does not go unnoticed, and it really does help motivate me!! thank you thank you thank you!!!

as always, let me know your thoughts!!

(and don’t forget, there are more frequent updates on my wattpad @money4marin)

thanks for reading!🩷

- mari 🫧

6.7k words.

[sprnklersplashes]

(ao3) based on this post

Waking up is a slow process.

The last fragments of sleep slip from her, falling away like dust falls from an old book. Inej rolls and stretches, the sheets coarse against her limbs, before sinking back into the mattress, a heavy sigh escaping her parted lips. For a time, she just floats, half-awake and half-asleep, gently warmed by the blanket encasing her body. 

When she does open her eyes, she doesn’t think about how long it’s been since she’s slept so soundly, nor does she remember what happened last time she slept in. Because she opens her eyes to weak and watery sunlight streaming through the window, and a sight so lovely she thinks for a moment she is still dreaming.

Kaz is curled up on his side, his little bed a twin to hers. His hand is curled loosely in front of him, his mouth half open. In the quiet of the morning, Inej can hear the quiet snores filling the room, and she almost laughs. The Bastard of the Barrel, the deadliest boy in all of Ketterdam, snores. And it’s the sweetest sound Inej has ever heard.

The twin beds were Kaz’s idea. They’d had to let out her room, he’d explained when she docked. They couldn’t justify keeping a room empty. So he moved an extra bed into his room.

“You don’t have to take it,” he’d told her, head bowed to disguise the red in his cheeks. “Jesper and Wylan have a room at the mansion. It’s probably nicer.”

Inej nodded and then dropped her bag ceremoniously on her bed. She turned around just in time to see Kaz smile.

In the present, Inej watches as Kaz in his sleep, the slow rise and fall of his chest, the subtle movement behind his eyelids. There’s a sort of relief in these moments, one that she wouldn’t be able to explain to anyone else. She hears his breathing, sees his small movements, and she’s reminded that he’s still here. They both are, and they’re fine. 

Ka moves then, a twitch in his hand, a tremor in his face. His inhale is slow, deep, the sheets rustle as he turns. When he blinks, it's slow, his eyelids heavy, and accompanied by a smile spreading over his face. Dark hair falls haphazardly into his face, the locks criss-crossing over each other.

“Hello Inej,” he whispers, eyes clouded with sleep. He moves as if to get up, only to then fall back into the mattress, cheek pressed into the pillow. Murmuring something she can’t hear, he wraps the blanket stubbornly around his body, declaring his intention to remain in bed as long as possible. Inej laughs, and the sound verberates in her chest like a summer wind through the fields. 

“Coffee?” she asks. Kaz nods, and mumbles something that sounds like a thanks. When Inej smiles, she feels it in every part of her body. After a quick brush against his knuckles, Inej pulls herself from her bed and feels the cold air on her skin; she grabs a shirt and slips it on over her vest before heading out. 

(She doesn’t need to wonder. The black fabric is rough and warm, the Kaz-scent of coffee and ink lingers on the collar)

This early in the morning, the Slat is mostly quiet, everyone likely sleeping off the previous night’s hangover. The silence is welcome though, calming, soothing, so much so that Inej finds herself yawning as she pads down the hall. Really, the presence of Kaz’s shirt around her shoulders isn’t helping. It’s almost as good as Kaz himself, nuzzling her neck or curling his fingers carefully around her wrist. 

Inej blinks heavily, and rubs the sleep from her eyes as she crosses the threshold to the kitchen. There, she grabs two mugs from the cupboard and lifts the still-warm coffee pot from the fire. She rubs her eyes, stretches her shoulders, grabs a spoon from the open drawer. 

Behind her, something falls, the uneven tinkling of metal on metal. Inej is jerked into awareness and turns around, her cheeks already crimson.

Six or seven of the Dregs cluster around the rickety table. Half-finished meals of eggs and bacon sit on the faded plates, cutlery lays forgotten on the china. Anika, Dirix, and a few others whom she has known for years all gaze at her now with open mouths and bulging eyes. Silent words pass between them as they look at each other and then back to Inej. There’s nothing malicious in their gaze, there could never be, but a shiver runs up Inej’s spine all the same.

With twitching fingers, Inej pulls Kaz’s shirt tighter around her and-

Kaz’s shirt.

Oh. Oh.

Now she gets it. She’s walking around the Slat, in full view of the Dregs, wearing Kaz Brekker’s shirt. No wonder they’re all looking at her like that. Saints, the Ice Court heist was probably a more believable story than this. 

Inej isn’t sure what she’s to do next; explain or joke or run, when another element is added. A cane thumps outside and in comes Kaz Brekker, messy bedhead and sleep-heavy eyes and all. With tender tiredness, Kaz taps her wrist and rubs his nose in her hair, a “good morning” rasped in her ear. If she were alone, this would make her toes curl and she would thank her Saints for this moment with him. 

As it is, her face is positively scarlet, and she responds to Kaz’s caress with a sharp dig in his ribs that shocks him into wakefulness. For a moment, Kaz can only gape at the sight before him; the gaping Dregs, his shirt around her body, her hair still tickling his cheek.

It’s in that moment, pressed into his side, that she hears the hitch in his breath, sees his face change as he registers, then thinks, then reacts all in the span of a second.

“Don’t you all have places to be?” he barks. “Anika, Dirix, Fifth Harbour, there’s a shipment coming and I want eyes on it. The rest of you, find something to occupy your time.” 

And he doesn’t need to say any more; they are already scrambling from the table and making a hasty exit down the hall, breakfasts discarded on the table. Kaz rolls his eyes and gathers the plates. Quiet, gossiping voices can still be heard outside, and Inej can only assume trouble is coming. 

Kaz turns to her, a small grin on his face.

“Everything all right?” he asks. Inej shrugs and runs her hand over the fabric of his shirt.

“They know now,” she says. “Everyone’s going to know.” 

Kaz nods and scrapes leftover eggs onto a clean plate. If she’s honest, Inej is a little surprised at how calm she is about this. Even more surprising is the giggle that emerges in her throat, fluttering like a butterfly against her windowsill.

“Not a bad thing though,” she says. “Right?”

Kaz’s eyes lift to meet hers, peeking out from his dark hair. They’re still a little tired, but what Inej really notices is the way they crinkle at the sides; the sparkle in them reminds her of the rising sun dancing on the waves. 

“Not really,” he whispers. Then, he hands her a plate and adds, “Especially if it gets us free breakfast.”

Incredible. Inej looks at the plate, laden with eggs and bacon and half a smoked salmon, all pinched from the abandoned plates, and does her best to look disapproving. 

“Bastard,” she tells him pointedly. Kaz only shrugs, and then there’s a sight so astonishing even she struggles to believe it.

He winks.

“Your bastard though,” he says, and well, Inej can’t deny it.

[mysynthfetish]

R-8 backlight DIY

I picked this up off the Yahoo Flea Market app. It's seen better days but works fine. I had a Mk II aaaaaaaaaaages ago. I forgot how goddam huge these things are. I was killing time on YouTube and saw someone doing Autechre style stuff with an R-8 and was like OH YEAH! That was right around when I had one and I was doing similar stuff, though I was shit at putting actual tracks together. Oh well. Anyway so yeah tharr she blows! As I mentioned, I had the Mk II version and that one has a backlit screen, which the first version does not have, so I thought hmmmm inverters are probably super small to drive that tiny of an EL sheet, and a step-up power converter probably won't be too big, and I can probably find an el-cheapo made in china deal for peanuts on Jamazon or AliExpress, so let's do this! I got the step up converter from Jamazon. I think I had to buy a set of 8 and it was like ten bucks. I tapped the legs of the 7805 +5V regulator for the power source and ground. Set the pot on the step up thing to output +12V, ran that out to the inverter for the EL sheet, cut the sheet to size, wired it all up, plugged it in, turned it on and hoped for the best. Worked fine first time.

Went with "red" for no real reason. If I get sick of it I'll just buy a blue or blue-green sheet. They're like ten bucks for a sheet. The inverter was about fifteen bucks? I got those from Kyohritsu, a major electronics parts supplier in Osaka. I always use them or Akidzuki. In this case it was Kyohritsu because they make the backlight screen kits themselves, and I've always used them for EL sheets. Here's what the business end looked like when done.

I used double-sided tape to secure the step-up converter there on the right, but because of me forgetting to trim the legs off the inverter components (not done at the factory, tsk tsk) I used a set of clippers but that didn't work 100% so I hot glued the inverter pcb there on the left. LOTS of free space on that PCB in the R-8. I had to cut a small hole in the metal noise shielding sheet that goes between the main PCBs and the keypad/drumpad PCBs to feed the EL sheet power wires through, but yeah no big deal. I also checked the voltage on the battery while I was in there. It's still fine. Something that surprised me was that there is NO whine at all with this inverter. Super easy job. Yay!

[valpoupdates]

FEBRUARY CALENDAR POSTING...

So much to see, so much to do, so little time ! Lucky for you, here in the Valparaíso Region, we keep track of it just for you ! Unless stated otherwise, these activities are optional. Residents do not have to take part in these if they don't wish to ! These can be used for threads throughout the month but new threads can't be started for these activities once the month is up. Please track the valpocalendar tag to stay updated month to month ( ©️ )

Casablanca Activities:

February 3rd-4th: Aire Libre will be hosting two romance-a-thon nights, one in Spanish and one in English (with Spanish closed captioning).  There will be a Valentine’s Day themed snack box consisting of a metal heart popcorn bowl, pink popcorn, a variety of candy, and heart-shaped alfajores provided by Dulce Sueño’s Sweets and Treats.

February 3rd 5 PM: La vida de los peces: Andrés se reencuentra con su antiguo amor. 7 PM: Play: Dos personas buscan amor, pero nunca se encuentran. 10:00 PM: Los Fuertes: Lucas y Antonio empiezan un gran amor. February 4th 5 PM: Shrek: Un ogro y un burro tienen una aventura. 7 PM: Crazy Rich Asians: El novio de Rachel Chu, una profesora de economía, tiene un gran secreto. 10 PM: The Notebook: Duke lee una historia romántica a una paciente.

February 8th: Casablanca Blooms and Coffee will be hosting two Valentine’s Day-themed events: from 5 PM - 6 PM will be a bouquet-making class where you can create a beautiful bouquet for a loved one, and from 6 PM - 7 PM will be a coffee blending class where you can create your own sweet blend.

February 14th: Dulce Sueño’s Sweets and Treats is hosting a Valentine’s Day dessert decorating session from 12 PM - 2 PM.  Come decorate cookies, brownies, and mini-cakes; then take home your goodies and share them with your loved ones.

Quilpué Activities:

February 9th: Caos Tattoos is hosting the Anti-Romance Tattoo Sale.  There will be affordable flash sheets around themes of anti-love and heartbreak.

February 18th: The Annual Beastly Brunch is happening again at the Quilpué Zoo from 11 PM - 1 PM.  Feast on delicious bites and sip brunch cocktails while learning and celebrating the feathered friends you have in your own backyard!  Brunch will be served.

February 22nd: Plantas Altas is having their Customer Appreciation Day. Plants will be up to 40% off, and there will be complimentary food and a DJ.  First 40 customers get a free t-shirt or tote bag with the store logo.

Valparaíso Activities:

February 1st: A Santa Moneda resident has some dozen leftover tickets for Carnival in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, and has offered to fly people out to Carnival for a small fee. Carnival takes place February 9th-17th, and it is one of the largest yearly festivals in Brazil that celebrates their history, culture, and traditions. The itinerary is already made, hotel rooms have been booked, and VIP events have been reserved; all you need to do is reach out to Santa Moneda Front Desk and we can get you in touch with the resident. Serious inquiries only!

February 10th: Parque Cultural de Valparaíso is hosting a Lunar New Year Festival from 12 PM - 9 PM, celebrating the Year of the Wood Dragon. There will be foods from many different countries that celebrate the holiday, including China, Singapore, South Korea, Vietnam, and Malaysia, stalls that sell clothes, art, and knick-knacks, lion dancing, and presentations and reading corners for people of all ages to learn more about the history, culture, and traditions behind the holiday from each country. The festival will close out with fireworks.

February 23rd: The Universidad de Bellas Artes Poets play against the Pontifical Catholic University Pumas at 6 PM. Come show your school spirit or come support your local fútbol team.

February 24th: Biblioteca Santiago Severín is hosting a community shred day from 8 AM - 8 PM. With a small donation, you can bring any personal papers and documents to be shredded.  Volunteers are still needed; if interested, please sign up on our website, <santiagoseverin.cl>. 

Viña del Mar Activities:

February 11th-24th: The Ballet de Valparaíso will be performing Cinderella at The Teatro Municipal. Come laugh, be surprised, and fall in love with a new interpretation of an age-old fairytale.

February 14th: There will be speed dating in the Jardín Botánico Nacional from 2 PM - 4 PM, with complimentary coffee provided by Combi Coffee. Casual attire; no sign ups necessary.

February 17th: There is free admission for all tours, all day, at Castillo Wulff. If you and your kids or friends are looking for a fun way to pass the time, come learn about the beautiful, historic castle overlooking the sea.

February 25th - March 1st: The Quinta Vergara Amphitheater is hosting the LXII Festival Internacional de la Canción de Viña. It is the oldest and largest music festival in Latin America; the 6-day festival is broadcasted on the radio, television, and online streaming platforms. This year’s headlines include Maná, Peso Pluma, Allison Mandel, Andrea Bocelli with special guest Matteo Bocelli, Maria Becerra, and more!

February 29th: The restaurant inside the Casino de Viña del Mar is a popular place for people to get proposed to, and on Leap Year, that popularity dramatically increases as women will propose to their significant others.  No one knows when this tradition started, but it’s been going on for years; the restaurant even has a special menu for this day. Come grab a table and watch some potential impromptu proposals! Who cares if the rumors say most of them are staged!

[theabstruseone]

Okay, this bugs me because it's only half true. Yes, the Chinese had printing presses long before Gutenberg. But so did Europe.

What Johannes Gutenberg innovated was the movable type printing press.

Instead of engraving an entire sheet of paper all at once then making copies of it, Gutenberg made individual metal pieces for each letter of the alphabet so they could be arranged and rearranged without having to hand-carve a new plate every single time.

The Chinese (specifically Bi Sheng during the Song Dynasty) invented movable type as well but they only used it to print money and similar government documents with only a few parts of the document that changed because movable type doesn't work with written Chinese as there are thousands of characters. It didn't save time or energy so they didn't do it much.

Not to mention movable type in China used wood and ceramic to make the characters, which is much more fragile than metal and cannot be used for mass printing the way metal movable type presses can. The characters either break or become so worn that they're no longer legible.

Meanwhile, it took until the Late Medieval period in Europe for advancements in metalworking to get to the point they could create small enough metal type pieces. And it took someone - specifically a goldsmith - with the ability to take advantage of those advancements and have the idea to use them to replace woodblock printing for movable type to become widespread. There's also no evidence whatsoever that Gutenberg was or even could have been aware of movable type in China when he came up with the idea.

Oh, and the device that makes it possible to cast metal in fine enough detail but still strong enough to withstand mass printing? It's called the Hand Mould and wasn't invented until the early 1800s. By two people. Separately. John Peek invented a version using a compressed spring in England in 1809 while Archibald Binny invented a version using a wooden bow in the United States in 1811 with no knowledge of what John Peek had done. Gutenberg modified the hand mould to work with type pieces, which allowed him to make enough letters to print an entire page.

[mmadditional787]

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[additionalblogss]

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