#paper hexagonal box

[art-of-mathematics]

Hexagon-shaped box made with basic materials

Today I wanted a solution for an easy-to-carry box for my pencils that I can nest into each other (like russian dolls (those wooden box dolls you can insert into each other)).

My solution turned towards this hexagon-shaped box which uses basic Steckverbindungen, cuts and folds.

In the sketch you see solid lines - these need to be cut.

The dashed lines need to be folded.

I reduced the size of my blueprint sketch by 5% and by 10% to have smaller grids.

Then I transferred the three differently sized grids on foil and assembled them:

The first attempt:

This 3-box-assemble is not stable enough, because the foil I used is very thin and too instable. And I made lots of mistakes and was overally very sloppy with crafting.

Yet, overally this works ok. If I improve the previously mentioned aspects this box assemble will work fine.

I might:

- use thicker material

- be more exact with crafting each box

- consider using 3 clamps for additional stability

- improve the Steckverbingungen between the three boxes

I can insert the three foil boxes into each other.

(I might make photos later. but right now I am very sleepy and want to "laze around". )

Perhaps I might write a better-structured post later as well. (once I crafted the improved model)

after all I enjoy the hexagon design - and how well I could use isometric grid paper to draw the pattern for that box.

[aklimacraftsandjournals]

Origami Hexagonal Jewelry Box | How To Make DIY Jewelry Box || Aklima Crafts And Journals

#origamijewelrybox #aklimacraftsandjournals #diyjewelrybox #aklimacrafts #aklima #aklimajournals #origamibox #hexagonbox #painterly #tiktok #tiktokvideo #love #easytutorial #craftingmagic #diyinspiration #handmadecrafts #paperartistry #jewelryboxdiy #origamimagic #creativecrafting #paperfoldingfun #diygiftideas #craftingcommunity #papercrafts #handmadegifts #easycrafts #craftsforteens #giftideas #papergifts #upcycledcrafts #ecofriendlycrafts #diyproject #creativecrafts #handmadelove #jewelryorganizer #handmade #diy #art #satisfyingvideo #satisfyingart #subscribe #subscribetomychannel #thanksforwatching

[pinkrelish]

𝐭𝐡𝐞 "𝐲𝐞𝐬" 𝐩𝐨𝐥𝐢𝐜𝐲 | 𝐞𝐱𝐭𝐫𝐚

singledad!mechanic!eddie x fem!reader

✶A deleted scene from chapter twelve where receptionist!reader acts like a bimbo in front of Eddie just to rile him up. Written very tongue-in-cheek at the beginning.✶

NSFW — sexual themes, handjob, unresolved sexual tension, 18+

↳ start the story here to catch up!

[wc: 2.1k]

Heeding your checklist of chores, you idled at the workbench against the far corner of the wall. There were a few of the usual things you organized: placing nuts and bolts in drawers, facing products with their labels out, tidying small boxes, folding the end of the paper towel roll so it didn’t unfurl itself in the turbulent path of the oscillating fan. You bent over to toss cellophane wrappers into the waste paper bin, and took your time musing if the liner should be changed despite the little amount of balled up paper weighing down the bottom. Standing, you swept off the unsanded tabletop with your hands, and worked a crusty rag over an oil streak, making a mental note to call the laundry service to swing by a day early.

As you stepped away, you knocked a pencil to the floor. Its bright yellow body was impossible to miss, along with its excruciatingly long hexagonal roll carried by your elbow to the very edge, but you managed. You knelt to your hands and knees to retrieve the writing utensil, inspecting its broken tip. The graphite was missing completely, leaving behind an empty hole where it once was. An unfortunate accident. You rotated it a few times looking for other flaws—an honorable way to spend your time.

“You doin’ this on purpose?” gruffed out an annoyed voice behind you.

No need to check, you heard the amused twist at the corner of his lips. His left canine was probably on show, too. Not in a hurry to confirm, you gripped the pencil in your fist, and leaned forward, stretching in search of the missing lead before it was stomped into dust and potentially transferred from someone’s boot sole into a wealthy client’s car. You were thinking of them, really.

The floor was a rewarding oasis in the noonday sun baking through the warehouse windows. Your flat splayed hands and knuckles worked over the grit of dirt to inch your pursuit closer to the wall, drinking in the chill of the epoxy coated concrete cooling you down better than a 50 cent clear plastic cup of Kool Aid at a kid’s misspelled lemonaide stand. Though, the unforgiving flooring bit into your joints, and indented your knees with the netting of your pantyhose. But Eddie’s study did not sway to your shoe slipping off your heel. No, he was a gentleman. And as a gentleman, he praised the wealth of curves you put on display.

He used the heels of his heavy boots to drag himself from under a Mustang, thumping up beside you, wheels on the creeper rolling along the slick floor.

The lower you dipped your chest, the higher your skirt hem tickled the back of your thighs. In total innocence—truly giving your best effort to find the missing pencil tip—you tilted your hips to unimaginable degrees, presenting your ass to the point even your lower back side-eyed your act.

Smooth backs of fingers lifted the hem more. Eddie curled his index under your skirt, and assisted it to the crease of your cheek, following the change in nylon with his rough thumbprint as it wove denser around your thighs to hold you in. Tummy Control, it was advertised as. To a man who had seldom encounters with women, this meant very little to him, as did the change in texture. Though, curiously, he rubbed at it with interest.

“You’re something else, you know that?” But his voice was too playful to shame you, hardly traipsing through his throat to chastise. “I’m out here working my ass off, and you’re struttin’ around the garage in this lil’ piece.” The little piece in question was your corporate approved pencil skirt from a long forgotten temp job when your apartment lost two roommates in a breakup, and rent was past due.

Pandering to your audience of one, you shuffled two of the tiniest inches backwards, and steadied your hand on his outstretched leg. You bent at the hips, filling his large palm with a handful of your ass, and he admired you in a brush of fingertips near the innermost valley of your thigh, licking a divine chill up your spine. Playing along, you pretended to just notice him, assuming a sinless gasp, and following it with many airheaded inflections, “Oh! Didn’t see you there, handsome. Am I distracting you?”

The standing fan swung its head in your direction, sweeping Eddie’s bangs off his forehead in a brief burst.

You’d been on hundreds of dates, and not once had you been so deeply complimented by someone’s gaze.

Eddie dwelled in the distraction. He stroked his thumb over the fat, and traced his pinky along the hypersensitive crease before the swell which had your muscles tightening in a squirm. He was so close to the middle seam of the pantyhose. Perhaps he knew this as well, but didn’t care—he was just happy to be touching you. Laid out in the neon orange creeper, sun glancing off the packed garage, casting a glow across his puffy face. Sleepy eyes, messy hair, unbearably adorable grin—the type of candid expression showing how honored he was to look at you, so forthcoming and open. A trap, if there ever was one, luring you into picturing him twisted amongst your bedding on a late morning.

As he tracked his gaze over your backside, an aching reminder moseyed its way into his consciousness. Setting into a glare, he forced his way through any pleasantness lingering in his chest to tell you plainly, “Sweetheart, you’re fucking torturing me here.” You giggled, and he broke, falling victim to the squinch at his crow’s feet.

“You think I’m not torturing myself, too?”

“Dunno.” He craned his head back to check underneath the car for where each pair of boots were moving, and you peeped through the driver’s side window to keep tabs on the seated customers in the lobby. Once you both ensured there was no danger of being caught, he turned his attention to you fully. “You’re not wearing my favorite pair, so I couldn’t tell.” In case you weren’t sure, he wrung his hand around your leg, and drummed his fingers where there should be an easily accessible hole in your tights, where he could drag his fingers through your slick truth. His sorry features were tainted with remorse when your plush thighs weren't spilling out from the nylon; however, he drew his eyebrows in mock sympathy, and traced the area. “Could make these my new favorite pair, though.”

You about melted into a puddle of dumbstruck glee at his first foray into initiating dirty talk. “Yeah?” you stressed the word like he would—big smile and all. You raised the placement of your grip on his leg up, further, still going until the inside of your thumb threatened to assist what laid fat and heavy towards his hip. Car exhaust, pungent motor oil, and fumes swam in your head. Mind dizzy, you skimmed your nails over his heavy sack pressed tight against the seam of his coveralls. An implied line was drawn along your heat by his featherlight touch. You leaned over him, real close, chest over chest, knees spread because his hand encouraged you to do so. Mouth to mouth, considering kissing the dirt from his lips. “Wanna rip ‘em, and have me on top while you’re on this thing?”

Eddie moaned, and it wasn’t shy in the loud garage. “Want it so fucking bad, baby.”

A single ding from the bell atop your desk drew your attention.

Bodies paused, you both existed in the indecision of what to do. Eddie’s forehead wrinkled from his high brows driving his attention backwards, peering under the car again. The other employees of David’s Auto Repair shuffled around a Studebaker. There was no one inside to help the customer. What a shame.

Eddie lowered his chin in long clockticks, seeking you behind his heavy lashes and heavier gaze. His nose met the side of yours in an unrefined graze, dragging his chapped lips wherever he felt your smile. He kissed you hungry. Needy, desperate to fit the magnitude of his palm at the back of your head, and dirty your mouth with noses mashed together. He wanted you messy, he wanted you catching your balance on the creeper for the same reason his held sigh became your next breath, taking a pinch of your pantyhose over your pussy and twisting it around his fist to demonstrate his annoyance, as if the dull ache of your bottom lip against his teeth wasn’t illustrative enough. The peak of your whine and his approving hum tethered the snap of your tights and the squeeze he left on your thigh. Filthy warmth blanketed the top of your hand. Stifling hot, calluses running rough over your knuckles as he cupped your palm over his hard length, and curled your fingers around himself, kicking his hips up to really stretch the limits of your grip. Together, he guided you in a few teasing pumps along the base, ego growing at the pretty sound hitched in your throat.

“Hey, Ed!” Mr. Moore’s yell burst the bubble you two surrounded yourselves in. “C’mere, ‘nd look at this.”

It wasn’t an emergency. It could wait. There were enough mechanics on duty, they could figure out what they were gawking at, or admiring, or whatever it was they were doing. That was the justification behind your shared look with Eddie, and the tension holding you two apart faded within seconds. If anything it spurred you on. You raked your fingers through his hair, mussing the roots at the crown of his head, covering the side of his body with yours, stroking his cock. The consequences didn’t matter. He increased the pressure and showed you how he liked it when you looped your thumb and index around the edge of his fat tip and pumped him faster—

Ding, ding, ding.

The kiss slowed from the distraction, but you tried to keep going, staying in the moment with Eddie’s praise burning your cheeks. He was eager, he was close. He was whispering, “Feels fucking good when you—yeah—like that,” when you added the twist of your wrist to the end of motion.

“Ed!” Mr. Moore’s voice ruined the moment. “Where’d he… And wasn’t she at her desk a second ago?”

Ding, ding ding!

Your foreheads crashed together in a defeated groan.

Eddie sagged completely limp on the creeper. “Why do you do this to me?” He dropped his arms in a big shrug, kicking his legs out flat, throbbing hard in your palm. You curbed the urge to keep going and dragged your fingers away.

“Hey, you’re the one who started this,” you sniffed, sitting back to fan your face in effort to make yourself presentable while he considered rolling under the car for the next eternity to hide his blazing red cheeks.

“I was a good worker before you came along,” he argued, pointing at you with a nail outlined in grime. He did it with such vigor his shoulders curled off the creeper, sitting up to give you a real good talkin’ to. “I never did this sorta shit with anyone before you showed up. You’re bad for me. You drive me crazy.” Not an ounce of anger dared enter his tone, not even having strength to control his smile from going lopsided, dimpling, nose scrunching in a badly contained laugh. Never would he want you to think he was mad at you, even as a joke. He was soft like that.

Eddie broke first, and that’s all you needed to kiss him against the black Mustang door, thud on the metal deadened by his nervous hand coming up to brush his curls flat.

“You drive me crazy too,” you promised against his lips. “Now, try not to cum your pants when I bend over to get this trash, and have fun explaining to the guys why you can’t stand up for the next few minutes.” You cocked your head, and smacked your tongue in a hard, “‘Kay?”

He glared at your smugness. Glared at your backside, too. Scowled at his grip formed around the swollen length rising so obvious no matter how he fixed his legs, and surrendered to the humiliation of laying back on the creeper, summoning enough dignity to roll himself to the other side where a gaggle of boots scuffed the ground in search for him, and give some excuse that he was very busy fixing something and wouldn’t be available for the foreseeable future.

originally thursday's section in chapter twelve was split into three separate scenes. i was almost finished writing the first two when i took the section in a different direction and mashed all the important elements into the scene in the breakroom which did make the cut. truthfully i had only written to eddie's line of "wanting it so badly" and they would've gotten interrupted at that point (before any touching), but since this isn't exactly canon, i went ahead and had fun and made it a little spicier.

you might also recognize some imagery, lines of prose, or descriptions i salvaged from this piece and put into the final one!

[savethegrishaverse]

PIÑATA PARTY TIME!

Our latest exciting project is to deliver a piñata to Netflix HQ! The sunny piñata, representing our Sun Summoner herself Alina Starkov, will contain messages and goodies from the fandom telling Netflix why they should renew Shadow and Bone and greenlight Six of Crows spinoff.

There are two ways to contribute:

1. In person:

Coming to ASOCAS in Paris? We will be writing some cards and making origami there, so keep an eye out for our hexagonal Third Army badges and name tags or look for people busying themselves making origami shapes! We will have spare paper and card for anyone who’d like to join us or bring your contributions to give to us in Paris.

2. By post/mail

Send your contributions to:

Letters

PO Box 308

Rio Linda

CA 95673

USA

Parcels

801 M Street #308

Rio Linda

CA 95673

USA

We are collecting from now until the 25th of May, so make sure you leave plenty of time for your items to reach the USA!

[minhio22]

White Day Surprise

Ando shiki x reader

You found it weird , finding a box of chocolates under your desk. I mean sure, every other girl is finding either chocolate or disappointment but you didn't expect for you to be in the former considering it was White Day. No name, no signature, no thing to go off of just a nearly written note that wrote 'thanks'.

You held the piece of paper up and examined it. It wasn't anything out of the ordinary, just some hard paper that you could get from a craft store. You moved it to the ceiling light as if it could reveal some sort of secret but nope. You couldn't stop admiring the penmanship though, it was prettier than yours. You just wished you had a clue at whose handwriting it was. You then placed the card back down on your desk and your eyes wandered back 5o the box.

A hexagon shaped white box neatly tied with a purple ribbon. You haven't opened it yet. You were too busy trying to figure kut what you did to get this gift. Usually a girl who gets chocolate on this day is basically getting a returning gift from the on that they give on valentine's, however you didn't recall ever giving one.

You hadn't finished accessing the situation when the ball rang, signaling the start of class. You supposed you could continue pondering about it later as you slide the box under your desk. Unbeknownst to you the whole time you did your antics of checking the gift a pair of eyes were following your every move.

You went to the rooftop during recess, bringing the small box of chocolates with you. You don't know why but no one ever really comes here so it's a really nice place for a getaway alone.

You were walking to the edge but it turns out you weren't alone. He didn't seem to notice you until you got closer, your footsteps the only noise that signaled your presence.

“Ah, Y/n, what are you doing here?” Shiki asked timidly.

You looked at him, soft fluffy brown hair that always made you tempted to run your hand through it, pinchable round cheeks and those eyes that sometimes seem to waiver but always sparkle when he's rapping. If you were asked to name a cute boy at school it would be him albeit the little bundle of nerves he is.

You got lost in your thoughts until you snapped out of it. “Oh? Hmm? Oh… just needed some quiet time to think about something.” You answered.

Shiki seemed to have caught on as his eyes were on the box in your hand. He blushed faintly but it went unnoticed by you. You walked past him to the edge of the roof which was fenced off.

“You know Shiki? I'm surprised to see you here. You never seem keen on this place.” You told him, still looking at the horizon. You sat down and patted the floor beside you. “Care to join me?”

Shiki sat down although he looked pale and his breath had quickened a bit. “Hey, you don't need to force yourself to join me. As I thought you don't really like this place, Shiki.”

Shiki shook his head. “N-no it's fine. I-i wanted to be here.” Truth be told he was there because he knew you frequented the roof a lot. It took him a lot of courage to get there but it'll be worth it in the end.

You hummed thoughtfully as you examined the box that you had placed in front of you. You had finally opened it, the ribbon now in your hand. “What do you reckon Shiki?” You picked up a chocolate and examined it. It seemed handmade and seemed delectable.

“It looks good. Handmade.” Shiki noted.

“Yeah, I still have no idea who gave it to me although I have to give it to them. It looks delicious.” You took a bite. “And tastes delicious too.” You were lost in thought which made you miss Shiki’s expression, flashing from surprise and returning to normal again. It caught it off guard that you didn't know who gave it to you when it should've been obvious.

“Hmm? Wouldn't that mean you gave someone a valentine?” Shiki asked.

You did plan to give it to the boy beside you but you caught cold feet at the last moment and left the box of chocolates somewhere. You worked really hard on them however you didn't manage to give it to him when you saw his smiling face. He just felt out of reach to you. “Did you get any? Valentine chocolate I mean.” You asked.

Shiki blushed. “Ah yeah, one.”

That made your stomach drop and maybe got you a bit jealous but it's your fault that you ran away at the last moment. Anyways it was you to blame. “Ah I see….” You went quiet.

“Say-” Shiki started.

“I'm going to take my leave now, Shiki. Thanks for the company.” You left the rooftop before Shiki could even speak.

He sighed frustrated at the lost chance. He stared at the box of chocolates that you had forgotten and picked it up. He was ecstatic that you liked it but he wished he would man up and tell you his feelings just like Yohei and Saimon had advised him to. He had hoped to tell you that he had received that box of chocolates. Someone had found them with his name and your signature on it and passed it on to him. He was a blushing mess at that time. To think someone like him to have his feelings returned even though you were unaware of it was absolute heaven. The little animal shaped chocolates you had taken so much care into making almost made him tear up and the short but simple note that you wrote got his heart fluttering. ‘You might not think much of yourself but I think a lot about you.’ was what you wrote. You didn't have the neatest handwriting but he could tell you tried to make it as neat and pretty as possible for him which touched him. He had got back to the bar in such a chipper mood that day even when Ryu came to pick him up he was curious. Saimon and Yohei too but they seemed happy to see him in such a good mood. The box of chocolate you had forgotten would eventually be returned to your desk with a new note hidden in the crevasse of the box. Only when you finished the chocolates would you find it. It would eventually end up going home with you. And that night, you would eventually lie on your bed with the ‘thanks’ note in hand, staring at it. Wondering who it could be and you being full of regrets about missed opportunities with Shiki, things left unsaid. Someday these things will be said but maybe today wasn't the day.

[peach-artblog]

flashback to 98 I wanted a furby when I was a kid for Christmas since we were poor I was sad that I knew I wasn't going to get one till I saw a hexagon box wrapped in the nicest paper from my mom and step dad and I didn't think it would be a rare snowball furby that was the last remaining one at the toys r us that my step dad managed to get from a guy who worked there for 200$ since he had some hidden in the back, and I still have this furby to this day!

[pianocat939]

Boring Maiden Whom I Love

Hi have this shitty late Valentine's Special I spent almost an entire week mauling over. I love shrine maiden Leo so much-

Synopsis: While visiting a shrine on the outskirts of the city, you encounter a shrine maiden who seems to not enjoy your presence, to say the least. Despite his bitter self, you can't help but be enamoured by his beauty.

Word Count: 2.7K+

Based off this post and this post.

Tw: anxiety (Leo-), mentions of past isolation, angst but fluff ending

After a never-ending barrage of suggestions from your co-workers and friends, you've finally decided to visit the shrine at the edge of the city. When you arrived, already the place was intriguing, to say the least. You see a few small statues leading up the path of the entrance, all of the statues being adorable animals. Towards the end of the path, you notice a shrine maiden cleaning off dust and dirt with a broom, seemingly occupied with his thoughts.

Wow, he's pretty.

You silently slip past the shrine maiden, not wanting to disturb his job. But you stop by a disgruntled mumble from the shrine maiden himself, “Why is someone here this early in the morning? Please don’t tell me it’s another tourist…” He pauses his brooming to swiftly walk before you; seemingly getting ready for customers. You stare at his fading form, admiring the gentle flow of his cobalt-coloured skirt. He was sassy but gloriously ethereal. You wondered how someone so beautiful is doing such a job as a shrine maiden. Surely people should be crowding around him, wanting to engorge themselves on his appearance. But then again, you kind of liked having this secret, knowing that he’s not constantly focused on by the public. And maybe, if you’re lucky, you can catch his interest.

You drag along, finally ascending the stairs of the entryway. You freeze, stunned by the intricacy of all the statues, buildings, and gates of the shrine. Waves, divots, and several patterns are covered in the structures, enhancing their decoration. “Well did you come here to stare at things? Because if you are, I would love to get back to my reading.” You turn to the shrine maiden whose leaning on furniture filled with stacks of small drawers. The same frown graces his face, obviously expressing his annoyance. Quickly, you scramble a response, “Uh no, I um, I guess it’s my first time visiting any Shinto shrine so I don’t really know what you do…?” A silent moment hangs down on the conversation, quite awkward. The shrine maiden smirks before explaining, “Shrine maidens do all sorts of things: exorcisms, cleansing if you want to call it that, and fortune drawing…Oh and cleaning this place.”

“Fortune drawing? Shouldn’t it be fortune telling?” You question, skeptical of his choice of words. He shakes his head, “No, unlike fortune telling, we don’t tell you the fortune rather we help you draw it. Then you read it for yourself.” He opens the bottom drawer of the furniture, its size much larger than the ones above. He reveals a hexagonal wooden cylinder, a small slit apparent at the top. “Wanna try?” He jiggles the box a little, a sound of jingling items within resounding. “Sure.”

In an instant, you notice his demeanour change, now much more serious and intent. He shakes the box, shuffling it to ensure randomness. He tips the box down, holding his hand out over the slit, ready for the fortune to slip through. A thin stick pops out, and Leo flips the box over once more after he grabs the fortune. “25…” He mutters, heading over to the tiny drawers to take out a piece of paper. He hands you the parchment, now back to his laid-back personality.

You read the paper, frowning slightly when it says 'tremendously bad fortune'. "What does it say?" He inquires, acknowledging your change in expression. You look up at him, displaying the paper, "Bad fortune." He stills and blanks out for a second before sauntering over to a metal rack. "Unlike bitchy fortune tellers who say you're at doom's doorstep, you can tie your bad fortune to dispel it. Which then turns into good fortune.” You notice a number of small papers knotted onto the metal bars: some neat, others not so much.

You step over next to him and fold the fortune, trying to transform it into a line-like form. Curling one end under the bar, you encircle the material over the freezing metallic medium. You struggle to tie it into a knot, unused to such a method of tying. The shrine maiden notices your unskilled attempt at knotting and interjects, “Here, let me do it.” 

He gracefully slips the paper from underneath your hands and effortlessly weaves it into a tie. He was so close to you, you could even see the stain of his teeth. There’s no denying, he was charming, and you were falling for it. Yet you’ve just barely met him…Which was odd, to say the least.

“There, you should have good fortune now.” He stands back to glance at you, a bit of amusement swirling in his eyes. “Too impressive for you?” He remarks, a cocky grin forming on his face. You looked so silly staring blankly at the rack before you; even a child would laugh.

“Huh? Oh yeah, sure.” You respond voice monotone. He chuckles a little, head cocking to the side slightly. “Well, I’ve been doing knotting since I was a kid.” He proudly swishes his skirt, the fabric fluttering like a bird’s wings. If only he knew, you weren’t impressed by the knotting; rather the one who knotted the paper. 

He gives you a small tour of the shrine after that, a little less bitter as time goes on. Yet at certain moments, you notice he avoids answering questions. As if he’s embarrassed to reveal the truth. But soon enough the wandering comes to an end. The shrine maiden stands at the gate of the shrine, clutching the folds of his skirt gently.

“Now you’re more cultured with Shinto shrines.” He declares in a smug tone, trying to irk you. You smile and stare back at him, admiring the sunlight on his green skin. How you wish you could be closer to him: not a stranger, but rather a friend, and maybe even a lover. 

“Bye.” You give a blunt greeting, waving to him. He only gives a nod and turns back to head to the shrine. You copy his action, only to stop in place. You never asked what his name was. You whip around and call out to him, “Hey! I never asked your name!” He looks over his shoulder in surprise, mouth slightly agape.

“Leonardo.”

——————————————————

As the season turns from spring to summer, you’ve become much more acquainted with him; spending at least two days a week at the shrine whenever he’s working his weekly shifts. The unfamiliarity and coldness of your relationship washed away; replaced with a kinder tone.

He smiles a bit more and doesn’t try to hit you with his broom every three seconds. His gaze wasn’t so dark and empty, it was now with a glimmer that was warm, serene. On some days you notice he seems almost excited to see you like he was patiently waiting for you to arrive. But maybe it’s your imagination, because why would he want to talk to some random person who almost creepily visits the days he’s on shift?

The summer morning was hot, your skin feeling like burning away. Yet you trudged up the stairs, finding more importance in meeting your crush. When you arrived at the shrine area you notice he’s nowhere to be seen; in fact, no one’s here as usual, and he’s the only one here often. You then hear faint laughter, muffled by the walls of the buildings. You approach the source of the noise, wondering who it might be.

“I guess the fish that end up on land are…washed up!” The laugh belonged to no other than Leonardo himself, and it was adorable in a peculiar way. You stand behind a wall, listening to him make jokes and puns. He’s never laughed in front of you before; sure, he’s chuckled a few times but nothing too expressive. You liked it. You liked the sound of his giggles; perhaps even love. A few minutes later, you reveal yourself and walk up to him. He instantly freezes and stares at you, his eyes wide in embarrassment. “You didn’t hear anything.” You smile and raise an eyebrow, finding his shyness amusing. “No of course I didn’t, I sincerely did not hear you laugh at your own jokes.” He rests his elbows on the table he sits at, covering his face. “Leave me alone…I just can’t share them with anybody.”

Can’t? What does he mean by can’t? They weren’t too bad when you heard them earlier. “What do you mean can’t?” You sit down across from him, glancing at his face occasionally. He pauses and looks away, propping his face into his hand. You can tell it’s something sensitive. You should tell him he doesn’t have to- “Well, I don’t have any friends.” 

You blink, processing the information. Have no friends? He’s so pretty how could he not have friends? Nonetheless a significant other. Your thoughts race through your mind, creating question after question. “Can I ask…why?”

He looks back at you, his eyes now blackened with something grim, horrifyingly dark. “All my life, my dad never really let us leave the house or shrine that much. Me and my brothers always felt isolated, hidden away. So even now I rarely talk to anyone outside my family: I’m just not used to it.”

That’s why. That’s why he isn’t a famous model or dating a celebrity—he was alone. Is that why he seemed to be excitedly talking to you? Why his smile seemed to dampen when you left? It hurt your heart a little, knowing someone so majestic feels such a negative feeling like loneliness. “I can be your friend if you want.” You impulsively blurt, your brain betraying your dignity.

He pauses, surprised by your offer. He leans his cheek on his fingers and smiles. “Sure, if it means I get to annoy you with the jokes I’ve stored all these years.” You frown-smile and shake your head, a little scared about what’s going to come next. “I’m gonna hope they aren’t too bad.” His warm smile turns into a devious smirk. He’s definitely thinking of something bad…Really bad.

“Well I think my jokes are pretty shelly~” He chirps, eyes narrowing in amusement. You laugh a little, finding his pun cute. “Whatever you say, Leonardo.” He stills for a moment, staring deeply into your eyes.

“Call me Leo.” He turns his head away, a touch of scarlet burning on his crescent stripes. He seems to not know what else to say. You blink, realizing the meaning of this statement. He officially thinks you're friends.

"Of course, Leo."

——————————————————

 Fuck, why did it have to be today that you have all these errands to do? Instead of planning for the feared Valentine's Day, you have to run around doing dull tasks. It frustrates you, knowing that your patience of a year is ripped apart.

You've waited so long to ask Leo out, pondering days upon days whether or not the time was right. Yet to your best luck, Valentine's Day came around: the perfect and most romantic time to invite him to an outing. And perhaps the highest chances of acceptance it'll ever be.

Oh, but the nature of society has damned you into activities you wanted to burn. You want to run away and hug Leo so tightly; aggression for adorableness activating. You want to see his flustered face and loss for words. He was cute when he didn't know how to respond.

If you're quick enough, you can catch him right before he goes home...

——————————————————

Where are you? Those thoughts rang in Leo's mind as he polishes the wood of the offering table. There hasn't been a single day where you haven't visited him. And if you did, you texted or told him the day before. So what happened now? Were you sick? Hurt? His anxiety claws at him, shredding his heart.

He wanted to cry, he wanted to scream, he wanted to stab his heart. Why was he feeling like this? He shouldn't think such thoughts for a friend! Especially one who obviously has no interest in him. They would never have an interest in such a boring shrine maiden like him.

He needs to swallow his feelings and let them rest in his icy heart. It should never come out ever again. His love and admiration shall be buried in a pit of darkness. He's fine with standing there, watching from afar, knowing he'll never be able to kiss them good morning or good night. He'll never be able to tell all those romance jokes he's thought of since he was a child.

As the sun slowly sets, his fears grow more vigorous, encompassing his entire being. He's already ready to go home, deciding he shouldn't wait for someone who won't show up. Hopefully, by the next time he works, they'll be there, waiting for him; with a bright smile and arms wide open. He takes his small bag and walks down the steps, heading for his house not too far away from the shrine.

He then hears a thunder of footsteps, approaching his direction. Someone was coming. And before he can react it's his beloved, holding a box of some sort. He freezes, eyes wide; he can't believe it, they appeared right as he was about to leave. Why were they so desperate to see him? Was something wrong? He moves to them, a worried stare tracing over their features.

"Why are you here? Shouldn't you be home by now?" Leo cocks his head to the side slightly, confused why they would be here so late. They smile, gripping the box that rests in their hands. "Do you know what day it is?" Leo crosses his arms and bluntly answers, "Tuesday." They proceed to ask another question, "What's the date?" The turtle frowns slightly and raises an eyebrow muscle, "February 14." Their smile grows into a grin, their teeth gleaming in the moonlight. "What happens on February 14?" He pauses to think, not knowing what could be special today; it's not a birthday, nor a political holiday either.

Then it hit him. It's Valentine's Day.

"No...You possibly couldn't be-" He's cut off by them, "I am. Leonardo Hamato, I am asking you out." There's an odd boldness radiating from them as they've prepared for ages for this. Leo can't help but blush, his eyes darting around, not knowing how to respond. "I- uh, well um, I don't think..." He pauses, turning his head away. "I don't think you should be asking a boring shrine maiden out; especially for Valentine's Day."

A moment of silence stabs the conversation, an awkward tension. Leo's face is taken into someone's hand and turned to face them once more. "Boring? You think you're boring? Weird, because I see you as one of the funniest people I've met, with stories sad enough to make a serial killer cry." Their smile instantly turns into a worried expression. Is there something wrong? Oh, wait...

He's crying.

The feeling feels unfamiliar but pleasing. Being adored is a feeling he never wishes to fade away. He wants to stay with them forever, so his loneliness from years of isolation can drip down into an abyss he shall never see.

"If you don't think I'm so boring, then I guess I'll accept your offer." The curve of his mouth peaks upwards, copying the action they committed earlier. Within seconds he's hugged, gentle but firm arms wrapped around his sides. "You know, you're really cute when you're flustered. Did you know that?" The sudden comment forces Leo to splutter completely off guard. "WHA- Excuse me?" They laugh, releasing their hold off of them.

"You heard me. Now meet me here at noon tomorrow." As soon as they finish their statement, lips brush across their cheek, soft and a slight chill to it. The peck was quick to come and quick to leave; not enough time for them to react.

They turn around to find Leo running down the steps, clearly too flustered with the situation to continue for the day: how adorable. He was so bitter at their meeting, but look at him now; too shy to do anything but run away with a multitude of shades of blush coating his face. Looks like he had a change of mind over the past year.

Their boring shrine maiden: who held a past so grim, yet maintained a brightness locked away to only those who were worthy. Those who visited him every day, those who were willing to put in the effort of getting to know him. They were ecstatic, knowing that Leo has similar thoughts: love and admiration one cannot possibly fathom with words.

Like the day of their first meeting, if you tie your bad fortune upon the rack, it will become an excellent fortune.

Wait a second, they never got to give the box of sweets.

——————————————————

I KINDA HALF ASSED THIS AT SOME POINT FROM EXHAUSTION DON'T MIND IT IF THERE'S MISTAKES EVERYWHERE.

Well anyway, I hope you like this fic-

[uwmspeccoll]

It's Fine Press Friday!

For this fine-press end of the week we present an artists-book rendition of Edna St. Vincent Millay's 1921 poem Low Tide by our very own Melissa Wagner-Lawler. Melissa is an Associate Lecturer in the UW-Milwaukee Department of Art & Design where she teaches 2D Concepts, Printmaking, and the Book Arts.

Low Tide was produced in Milwaukee in 2022 in an signed edition of ten copies. The type is Charter Roman and Italic and the pages were printed letterpress using photopolymer plates on Rives BFK heavyweight and lokta papers. The triangular book is bound using a wire-edge method invented by Massachusetts binder and structuralist Daniel Kelm. This type of binding allows for maximum flexibility where each page may be turned in opposite directions and allows the entire book to be opened and laid flat.

The first half of the poem is printed twice on both sides. On the exterior side, the poem is easily read, with each line or stanza flowing across the shoreline. On the interior side, the tide has receded and has washed the poem away. This half of the poem reads:

These wet rocks where the tide has been,    Barnacled white and weeded brown And slimed beneath to a beautiful green,    These wet rocks where the tide went down Will show again when the tide is high    Faint and perilous, far from shore, No place to dream, but a place to die,—    The bottom of the sea once more.

The book rests in a triangular cavity that is inset into a tray housed in a custom box. Removing the tray reveals an hexagonal trough where the book may placed as an hexagonal pyramid. Inside the trough is the remainder of the poem, which reads:

There was a child that wandered through    A giant's empty house all day,— House full of wonderful things and new,    But no fit place for a child to play.

View more posts related to Melissa Wagner-Lawler.

View more posts on artists books.

View more Fine Press Friday posts.

[popculturebuffet]

Sam and Max Beyond Time and Space Retrospective: Moai Better Blues (Patreon Review for WeirdKev27)

Hello all you happy freelance police and welcome back to my look at the sam and max telltale games! We're onto season 2 episode 2. After a little christmas in august we're having a science fiction double feature for halloween as this review ended up behind due to a new member of the family.

This is Maddie. She's 5, she's precious, she's very loud , and she's very attached to me.

But even new fluffy good girls with spangly collars can't stop the march of sam and max.

Following up from our heroes adventures in the north pole, this ep finds our heroes dealing with an adventure that's weird even by sam and max standards. And I want to let that sink in because we spent last season stopping a child star hynosis crime ring, starring in a one episode sitcom with a british chicken don knotts, inflitrating a mafia chuck e cheese, running for president against a horny lincoln memorial, murdering the internet and finally facing down with a sentient plankton colony via psychic powers and magic tricks on the moon. And that's not even getting into that guy who would never put his hands down. What was his deal?

So what lies in the greatest mountain of sam and max madness? Stoned Moai, triangular portals, sea monkeys, ghost godlfish, baby jimmy hoffa and horny statue love triangles. So join me under the cut for the madness.

We open with our heroes returning from the North Pole a month after the previous game, with it now snowing, providing a nice atmosphere to things. Before they can get back to the usual banter some fresh nonsense comes in: A triangle chasing their beloved friend Sybil.

It has a neat design too, red, pulsating with lines... it's an excellent triangle all things considered. B+

At any rate we need to stop it, so we go to the wisest sage for weird shit there is: Bosco. It's a nice way to keep him still useful while not having him be one of your item guys. Bosco is getting ready to bunker down from T.H.E.M.

But tells our hero their new foe is a bermuda triangle, an eldtirch shape that sucks people up to another place, and can only be stopped with most of the shapes. Most.. never come into play and are just for a good joke, like blue polyheadrons making them really want to roll them dice and maybe start a live play with a dungeon master with long hair and the voice of god.

The important one is red hexagons stop them.. and the game was REALLY unhelpful with this one. I did have my hints flavor blasted up to the maximum max could do without bursting a kidney.. but he just kept saying the shape and outright told me to go back to the office.. where it entirely wasn't. WE do have a new trophy though, boxing betty. So.. that's nice?

The solution lies in Stinky's diner, where i'd gone earlier since the Cops can't do buisness over the sound of screaming. Amateurs. Stinky can though even with the racket outisde and gives us a granite sandwitch that i'm pretty sure just.. sat in my inventory all chapter. Seriously you don't relaly use it for anything even when you think it'd be obvious like replacing a stone max's ear, and it's more just to set up getting a basalt sandwich from her later. It's on the kid's menu only though.

She is useful in that she has a stop sign for you and with some spray paint from your headquaters, you can make it deep red. Before we go though another beloved supporting character makes a cameo: Flint Paper. I just love how despite being grizzly and willing to beat up random strangers for money, as are we, Flint just.. cheerfully greets our heroes with a hey fellas every time. He's just so happy to see our heroes and they have a deep genuine admiration for him. Like with Sybil in the first episodes, it's nice to see someone our heroes actually like and unlike Sybil, it's nice to see there's at least one person they haven't traumtized. Yet. He's watching Bosco for Bosco's Mom who'se understandably worried about her son because you know, his whole deal.

For now though we go to stop the triangle in the name of love... only for hilariously this all to be mostly pointless as once Sybil stops, Abe shows up , gets sucked in and she goes after him. It's off to Easter Island!

Turns out Sybil and Lincoln are fine and are just enjoying the nice weather. Once again.. this is a dead end puzzle wise as the two are just there to move their subplot along. Unlike the sandwich though, it's at least entertaning.. and mildly creepy as Abe perves on one of the moai present.

Why the bermuda triangle lead to easter island.. is not something we'll be getting into here. What matters is the moai see sam and max as their savior. Well the middle one, a kindly lady moai abe's creeping ion, is. The left one has half his face buried and is contstantly upset, projecting storm clouds when pissed off that are naturally useful, and the right one is

And is largely useless, mostly just sniping at you.

Each has a power of the elements: Rain for the buried one, wind for the nice one and earth for the pedantic douchebag. The fire one was sadly was scattered to the winds long ago, but he did leave behind a son at least to carry on his legacy

At any rate before we can use the powers of nature itself for fun and profit, we have some problems: As it turns out the nearbye volcano is about to erupt and murder them all due to some understandable but tragic errors

Problem is someone's guarding his lair... and if you haven't played the game yourself, I warn you: You are not remotely ready. I sure wasn't. So whose in our heroes way? Why it's Jimmy HOffa in the body of a baby!

Yeah... look I love Sam and Max for being so gloriously weird. Weird as hell is one of my faviorite kinds of humor as long as their's direction behind the chaos. But It's still easily the biggest what the fuck moment the franchise has thrown me so far and that's with this happening last chapter

Granted I got spoiled there is some sort of payoff to the Mariachis via a thumbnail, and there is some actual logic behind this.. but even for this franchise "Jimmy Hoffa whose in the body of an infant because he drank too much from the fountain of youth pointing a gun at yoU" is a bit much. And more to the point they NEVER explain why he's working for the episodes big bad.

I.. can't help but love it though BECAUSE it's such a uniquely stupid swing: they had this idea, found a way to have it logically make sense and then put it in the game in full, all while giving us a ton of great jokes as Sam cannot ressit teasing him on the fact he's a baby.

We'll deal with this teamster later, for now we meet the other rugrats on this island: Amelia Earheart, DB Cooper, and The LIndburgh Baby... .

Their mostly here to set up a surfboarding mini game which frustrated me. It's not the game itself, it's a fun enough little distraction if fairly hard to get the analogue controls down on my switch version. It felt like the kind of browser game i'd play as a kid.

My annoyance.. is that the game dosne't tell you that you get nothing for it until you've triggered the right story event. So I went through the whole thing for nothing. Thankfully I also enabled mini game skipping.... I still will TRY not to use it often as these are part of the game and thus need to be evaluated as much as the point and click parts, but in this case i'd already done the actual task so when it asked me to again. As for why again, the trick to getting rid of our little friend involves serving him a drink, using a tiki glass you can pick up at the bar those dumb babies are at. But he'll only take union waitstaff, so you have to play the game to get cerfitied by him. IT makes about as much sense as it sounds. Ah back to normal for this franchise.

To actually do anything though we need some fountain of youth water unfortunately there's something in it

So to take care of them we have to complete a few other tasks

First is the COPS. As i'm guessing is standard for every chapter,we have another driving VR Game from them, this time a fun rythum based one with the beats going as you drive on them. THey thought it'd change the world.. those poor dumb bastards. It's clearly a jab at guitar hero, but it's a decent challenge while still being a lot of fun.

With that we get a car horn and that's the key to our next puzzle: We need to help Glenn Miller, a wwII era band leader whose also now a baby, stage his comback by giving him that new sound he's been looking for. Since the horn plays i've been workin on the railroad, it's just the ticket. He just needs a whistle sound, which you easily get by dumping some gasoline disguised as a drink into a nearbye fire, setting off a tea kettle. He gives you a conch with the single recorded on it. Apparently The Bermuda Triangles also visited skypeia.

Using the dial, we can finally solve our pirahana puzzle.. in theory. In practice it's utterly frustrating if you can't figure out the trick, not helped by Max CONSITENTLY telling me to use the thunder storm moai.

Breaking it down: using the glen miller dial conch, you play it for the nice moai, which gets her whistling. Now when you tick off her half buried friend next to you, which naturally max does with ease and maybe too much glee.. in fact i'm starting a " Going to Hell For This" counter, for each time we ruin someone's life, torture them or what have you to progress, or just for funzies, as we did it a LOT last season and so far have done it a lot. Now I"ll make acceptions for say outright villians or people who deserve it. And even then it'/s about proportions. For example, pelting the soda poppers with urine and bleach? Acceptable, their the soda poppers. Need I say more. But even if Jimmy Two Teeth sucks a LOTTT, nearly driving him to unalive himself is a bit much, not helped by Max's reaction essentially being

He certainly thought it hard enough. So we'll count that one, still keeping leonard hostage after almost a year, sending santa to hell (even if he was possesed), and not bothering to actually help save christmas. So going into this episode we have

Things We're Going To To Hell For: 4 And we can add from this episode taunting that poor moai.

Things We're Going to Hell Fort: 5

So I assumed both from the hint ONLY mentoing the moai , who creates a little storm cloud when uspet and the wind we were supposed to blow it at jimmy hoffa. Instead... it does nothing. It just dissipates if blown too far and never gets near him. Instead we use the portals, which are frustrating as the game makes it clear the two near the entrance are connected.. but dosen't make it clear EVERY portal is connected this way.

The solution is to open one by the fountain of youth, then open another next to the underground moai, have the good moai blow the cloud and boom, a LOT of dead pirhanas and a free fountain of youth. Also

Things We're Going To Hell For: 6

And with that we can use the glass to scoop some up, give it to hoffa... and blink him out of existance. THings We're Going To Hell For: Still 6 (He Deserved It Yo) It's REALLY sad when killing someone by making them age themselves out of existance isn't the worst thing we've done today. Or even this month.

This event also moves along Sybil's subplot for the season and who boy. Strap yourselves in because I haven't seen a character nosedive this fast in many moons. So the whole episode, Abe and Sybil have been picnicking, only doing that on Abe's suggestion.. and only so he can oggle the middle good moai. Yeah after several episodes of at worst being out of touch and mildly annoying.. abe's somehow lept straight to the bottom and is perving on someone right in front of his girlfriend and THEN asks her to have plastic surgery to look more like the moai.

Sybil runs off in tears.. and SOMEHOW, SOMEHOW, this gets worse... as Abe THEN tries to hit on the moai. To her credit she shoots him down fast and we get a great response out of him, a casual "that's fair". So he's still funny he's just WAY more of an asshat. I mean granted we just committed two murders in a row, so i'd SAY we can't judge.. but those murders were to save a LOT of lives from death and were of a bunch of fish and a murderous infant man.

Anyways with this we enter our final puzzle set, continuing from the formula laid out last time. Sadly.. they also fall into a fairly trite, terrible stereotype. It's forgivable enough for the time.. but it's still pretty tone deaf. I can't blame them for fixing it as unlike the various lines corrected for save the world, this is a large part of the plot and thus really coudn't be futzed with.. but it's still not great.

Okay so for our final stretch our heroes run into your standard tone deaf "the natives are stupid and belivie anything is their god" plot only this time it's sea monkeys.

Yeah.. they.. really coudl've thought this one out a bit more. We have to convince them max is their god/chosen one/whatever instead, in order to replace an old advesary: Mr. Spatula, sam and max's goldfish whose mad he's died and thus is willing to take an island with him. Now you may recall, even if I didn't name him last time, he died. And he did. THIS IS HIS GHOST.

So to prove ourselves we have to do three tasks. The first is easy and I stumbled into accidently: We have to make the water into BANANG!, an energy drink powder bosco happens to have a lot of.

To get it away from him, we have to torment him.. again. This time we simply radio in, claim to be THEM

And Bosco goes deeper underground, there's too much panic in this town. So we got the powder.. but we also traumtized a friend for life so

Things We're Going To Hell For: 7

Next is adding an ear to a rock formation that looks like max. Once again the sandwitch is useless.. except as a clue. We finally need that basalt sandwitch for kidz, so it's time to use the fountain of youth water on ourselves.. and ONCE AGAIN the game gets frustrating as you transform back very fast from drinking it. The trick is to use a gong I honestly forgot about in Stinky's diner max reminded me of. I can't tell if I just suck at adventure games or this is poor level design.

Anyways we get the Basalt and get a really funnys equence with douchecanoe moai as it turns out dude just needed to blaze it and basalt gets moai REALLY good and fucked up. With that he casually laughs and dislodges a stalctite we use to finish the max.

We then finish this section. The stone feet of the buried moai are needed to anoit us. Also yes they have hands and arms stuck in there. We simply use the shell again, this time on a portal next to the best moai , she whistles, he taps his toes and we win. Kinda.

Problem is the island's still errupting with Mr Spatula planning to take us with it. The only way to stop it? Some clever puzzlery. We get a high preist medallion from the Sea Monkeys, dip it in some red slime, then shoot the triangle, using the portals to send the red triangle through it , eating the lava.. and presumibly murdering someone but we won't worry about that. Our ride home is gone though but Abe offers a lift while the moai celebrate.. before being sad they can't move. Then their abducted by what seems to be aliens!

Moai Better Blues... is a very mixed bag. The writing as usual is hilarious, and while it's a very

Sort of chapter, it's a FUNNY sort of what the fuck is this, from the various babies, to the black comedy shenanigans as usual, to our heroes riding out on Lincoln's head. It continues episode 1's mean streak, but the weirder setting and more over the top weird black comedy bits like unexistinsing hoffa help it feel far less opressive than last time. The deaths and what we do to bosco are way more over the top. Even abe and sybil's breakup, acompained by the mysterious maraichi's, is more funny than genuinely sad. I DO feel bad for Sybil, but abe is such a dick and he gets karmically punished for it as the moai lady SHARPLY rejects him, multiple times if you want, and he looses Sybil.

Gameplay wise.. it's a lot more obtuse. A lot more relying either on memory (Which isn't good for me but is at least fair) or hoping you figure it out and with most of the max clues being way less helpful. It's a pretty meh chapter all things considered and hopefully as we get spooky next time, we also get back to our quality. Speaking of which

Next Time: VAMPIRES! Just in time for the season. And since it's the 2000's their angsty emo eurotrash vampires! Oh BoY! Thanks for reading!

[mgufm]

7 PM  —  SEPTEMBER 1, 2022 the red and green club meeting @ the green

all seven members of the red and green club gather in the greenhouse to discuss the matter of their commemorative piece. the air is thick with melancholy and inspiration. jiyeon leads the meeting and most members pitch in. fifteen minutes in, mina, who hadn't said anything since she arrived, leaves without a word. the meeting concludes soon after mina leaves. 

in her room that night, jiyeon taps away at her phone, sending invitations to miyoung, minjun, yua, mina, mingze, nika and siyeon for an intimate dinner at her family home on september 12.

2 PM  —  SEPTEMBER 2, 2022 the red and green club meeting @ the green

the room fills with soft chatter and penciled sketches. mina arrives late, eyes white from a sleepless night. she places a pile of charcoal sketches down on the table. a layout for the group's art piece. and she says, "what do you think?" jiyeon lifts a picture. "no," she shakes her head. "simply unbelievable," she says. minjun lifts another sketch and says, "what program did you use?"

"my pencil?" mina answers.

"no, silly," he says, "on your computer, for the drafting. you can’t be doing this with hand tools." minjun taps his finger on a figure in one sketch, then taps on a line in another.

"hand tools?" mina asks.

"yeah, like a straightedge and a compass?" jiyeon says. "and a protractor?" she pauses. "your angles are identical, perfect. you’re using a stencil or a template, right?"

mina shakes her head.

eyes still fixed on the sketch, unblinking as if he were dazed, minjun says, "i could look at this one forever." he looks at mina. "i'll give you five-hundred thousand won for it."

"what?" mina takes a step back.

"a million," minjun says, "i'll give you a million won for this one."

from across the room, siyeon rolls her eyes, "you don't have a million won."

"what? no," mina says, "what are you talking about? this is for our piece for jisoo. why are you offering me money?" she regards minjun suspiciously, "is this some kind of test?"

miyoung takes out some shiny metal tools from her bag and hands them to jiyeon. a compass, two rods forming a letter V, and a protractor, a half-circle marked with inches. jiyeon takes a sketch from the pile and holds the protractor flat against it. all the lines match perfectly. "your angles are all perfect," she moves the protractor around. perfect ninety-degree angles. perfect forty-five degree angles. she measures curves and circles with a compass. every bend and turn perfect.

"you're drafting perfect figures," miyoung says. "it isn't possible."

"were you tracing something?" jiyeon asks gently, "what were you using? opaque projector? camera obscura?"

"i study art," mina says, "i'm taught how to draw."

miyoung takes a felt-tipped pen and shoves it in mina's hand. she flips a sketch over onto its blank side and places it in front of mina. "there," she says, "draw us a circle."

with the pen, without even looking, mina draws a circle. jiyeon sets the straight edge of the compass, and its a perfect circle. draw me a thirty-nine-degree angle. slash, slash. mingze sets on the protractor and its a perfect angle. draw me a twelve-inch circle, a six-inch line, an equilateral line, a hexagon, a pentagram. a perfect spiral. every member of the club takes turns setting the compass and the protractor, and every line and curve comes out perfect.

the room is tense and excited. jiyeon thanks mina for the draft, and they continue on planning—building on mina's pile of perfect sketches.

11 PM  —  SEPTEMBER 2, 2022 two long shadows @ the fire exit of the mugunghwa building

"she can do it, minhyuk," jiyeon says in quiet awe. she sighs, relieved. "we all saw it. she didn't even have to look at the paper."

8 PM  —  SEPTEMBER 5, 2022 a school day @ the library

minhyuk puts down the paper box under his arm and places a coffee on mina's table. mina looks up. "shh," minhyuk presses a finger to his lips. mina mouths a thanks, looking around before taking a quiet sip. no food or drinks allowed sign on the wall in front of her disregarded.

sometimes, all it takes is a kind gesture and some caring words. a pulled chair, a lended shoulder, a quiet conversation.

"i can draw perfect circles now, apparently," mina divulges, "i haven't been able to stop drawing since that night. every time i close my eyes, he's right there. and my hands hurt and they shake like i'm back in that room. the only time they stop shaking is when i have something in my hand. a pencil, a brush... something."

"my great great grandmother could do that," minhyuk says.

"really? i heard stories about that. i never believed them," she admits, "until now, i guess."

"everyone says she was the last great artist this school had," minhyuk says. he stands up and picks up his boxes. "maybe this isn't all bad. maybe it's your turn. take care of yourself, mina, alright? we're all better off with you here."

ooc info . a different plot drop about the dinner will be posted later on, either on the second or third week of the month. try not to plot too far ahead and finish any threads about this plot drop before the next is posted. if you have any questions about the events that transpired in this plot drop, just ask!

members of the red and green club can decide amongst themselves what exactly the art piece that they’ll be presenting is. if you would like the main to assign this headcanon, send a message.

jiyeon’s mun may send out dinner invitations (text or e-mail) to concerned characters through an ask or submit, if they would like to. this is optional.

disclaimer: some portions of this text were lifted from the rp’s source material.

[art-of-mathematics]

Hexagon-shaped box complex made with toilet paper rolls.

... to sort colorful paper clips.

This is a very practical low-effort and low-cost project.

[wright21love]

Check out this listing I just added to my Poshmark closet: Gucci Diamond Blue / Black Working Perfectly Quartz Watch 5 Diamonds Size 7.

[sofiaalice]

Best Cookie Packaging Ideas for Your Bakery in Canada

When it comes to running a successful bakery, presentation is just as important as taste. For Canadian bakeries, standout cookie packaging in Canada can elevate your brand and attract more customers. With the right packaging, you not only ensure the freshness of your cookies but also create a memorable impression. If you’re looking for innovative cookie packaging ideas, here are some top options to consider for your bakery.

1. Eco-Friendly Packaging Solutions

Sustainability is a growing concern for consumers, and opting for eco-friendly packaging can set your bakery apart. Consider using compostable bags, recyclable paper boxes, or biodegradable containers. Materials such as kraft paper and bamboo can give your cookies a rustic, artisanal look while appealing to eco-conscious customers. Additionally, integrating a green message on your packaging can strengthen your brand’s commitment to sustainability.

2. Custom-Branded Cookie Boxes

Custom-branded cookie boxes are a great way to enhance your bakery's identity. Opt for high-quality, branded boxes that feature your logo, colors, and a unique design that reflects the essence of your bakery. You can choose from various styles, including tuck-top boxes, sleeve boxes, or gable boxes. Custom packaging not only protects your cookies but also acts as a marketing tool, increasing brand visibility with every purchase.

3. Clear Plastic Containers

For those who want customers to see their delicious cookies right away, clear plastic containers are an excellent choice. These containers come in various shapes and sizes, from simple round tubs to elegant clear boxes. They’re perfect for showcasing your cookies’ vibrant colors and intricate designs. Additionally, you can easily label these containers with stickers or tags for a personal touch.

4. Personalized Cookie Bags

Personalized cookie bags are ideal for individual cookie sales or small batches. You can choose from paper or plastic bags and add custom prints or stickers with your bakery’s logo. Personalized bags not only make your cookies more appealing but also serve as a convenient option for customers on the go. Consider offering themed bags for holidays or special occasions to enhance their appeal.

5. Gift-Wrapped Cookie Sets

Gift-wrapped cookie sets are perfect for special occasions, holidays, or corporate gifts. Use decorative wrapping paper, ribbons, and tags to create a premium presentation. You can also offer themed sets, such as holiday cookie assortments or seasonal flavors, to attract gift-givers. This type of packaging adds a personal touch and makes your cookies stand out as thoughtful gifts.

6. Innovative Cookie Tins

Cookie tins are a classic choice that adds a touch of elegance and nostalgia. Available in various shapes and sizes, tins are perfect for preserving freshness and can be reused by customers. You can opt for custom-designed tins featuring your bakery’s branding or seasonal designs. Tins also make an excellent option for bulk sales or holiday packaging.

7. Rustic Kraft Paper Wraps

For a more down-to-earth, handcrafted look, consider using rustic kraft paper wraps. This style of packaging works well for artisanal bakeries and can be complemented with twine or ribbon for an added touch. Kraft paper wraps are versatile and can be customized with stamps or stickers for branding. This packaging option is both eco-friendly and stylish, appealing to customers who appreciate a homemade feel.

8. Innovative Box Shapes

Think outside the box with innovative packaging shapes. Consider hexagonal boxes, pyramid containers, or heart-shaped packaging for special occasions. Unique box shapes can make your cookies more memorable and stand out on store shelves. Creative packaging can also create a fun unboxing experience for customers, adding to the overall appeal of your product.

9. Sealed Pouches for Freshness

Sealed pouches are an excellent choice for maintaining the freshness of your cookies while offering a modern look. These pouches come in various sizes and can be customized with your bakery’s branding. They’re perfect for single-serving cookies or small batches and are also convenient for customers who want a quick snack.

Conclusion

Effective cookie packaging not only protects your products but also enhances your brand image and attracts more customers in shipping baked goods. By choosing the right packaging solutions, such as eco-friendly materials, custom-branded boxes, or innovative designs, you can make a lasting impression and stand out in the competitive bakery market in Canada. Invest in quality packaging that reflects your bakery’s values and delights your customers with every purchase.

[benzpackaging]

⁠6 ways to use Honeycomb Paper to Ship your products

In industries where packaging materials are often discarded after a single use, honeycomb paper stands out for its potential reusability. Consider integrating honeycomb paper dunnage systems that can be easily repositioned and reused across multiple shipments. Its flexibility and durability allow for extended service life, minimizing waste generation and supporting sustainable packaging practices.

5. Branding and Customer Experience

Beyond its practical benefits, honeycomb paper offers opportunities for enhancing brand perception and customer experience. Customizable printing options enable you to incorporate brand logos, product information, or promotional messages directly onto packaging inserts or outer boxes. This not only reinforces brand identity but also communicates a commitment to sustainability, appealing to eco-conscious consumers who prioritize environmentally friendly packaging solutions.

Types of honeycomb paper

Honeycomb paper is a versatile and eco-friendly material used in various packaging applications due to its unique structural properties. Here are some common types of honeycomb paper based on their configurations and applications:

1. Standard Honeycomb Paper Panels

Standard honeycomb paper panels consist of layers of kraft paper that are glued together in a hexagonal cell structure. These panels are lightweight yet strong, providing excellent cushioning and shock absorption properties. They are commonly used for packaging fragile items such as glassware, ceramics, and electronics.

2. Expanded Honeycomb Paper

Expanded honeycomb paper involves a process where the honeycomb structure is stretched and expanded, creating larger cells. This type of honeycomb paper offers enhanced strength and rigidity, making it suitable for applications requiring heavy-duty packaging solutions. It is often used in industrial packaging, furniture manufacturing, and construction industries.

3. Edge Protectors

Honeycomb paper can be shaped into edge protectors or corner guards, which are used to reinforce the edges and corners of packaging boxes. Edge protectors prevent damage caused by stacking, handling, and transportation, ensuring the integrity of packaged goods during transit.

4. Die-cut inserts and Partitions

Die-cut honeycomb paper inserts and partitions are custom-designed to fit specific product dimensions and configurations. They serve as internal dividers within packaging boxes, providing individual compartments for different items. These inserts offer excellent protection against movement and impact during shipping.

[logipack]

Ditch the Thermocol, Embrace the Future: Sustainable Packaging with Paper Honeycomb

Thermocol (polystyrene) and EPS (expanded polystyrene) have long been the go-to materials for protective packaging. But these plastics are causing a major environmental headache. They're not easily biodegradable, and often end up in landfills or polluting our oceans.

Thankfully, there's a greener alternative: paper honeycomb. This innovative packaging material is:

Eco-friendly: Made from recycled paper, it's biodegradable and recyclable.

Highly protective: The honeycomb core structure provides excellent shock absorption.

Lightweight: Reduces shipping costs and fuel consumption.

Versatile: Can be customized to fit various products and applications.

Paper honeycomb is the sustainable choice for businesses that want to:

Reduce their environmental impact

Comply with stricter packaging regulations

Enhance their brand image as eco-conscious

But how do you design and implement paper honeycomb packaging into your supply chain?

That's where Logipack steps in. Our packaging specialists can help you:

Evaluate your current packaging needs.

Design custom paper honeycomb solutions that optimize protection and efficiency.

Source high-quality, sustainable paper honeycomb materials.

Integrate paper honeycomb packaging into your production line.

Logipack is your one-stop shop for transitioning from thermocol and EPS to eco-friendly paper honeycomb packaging. Together, we can create a more sustainable future for our planet.

Contact Logipack today and take the first step towards a greener supply chain!

Honeycomb Hues: Why Paper Honeycomb Boards Are Buzzing in the Packaging World

Ever wondered how delicate electronics or furniture get shipped safely? The secret might lie in the humble honeycomb. Yes, you read that right! Paper honeycomb boards are revolutionizing the packaging industry with their unique properties and eco-friendly credentials.

But what exactly are paper honeycomb boards?

Imagine a sheet of cardboard filled with a hexagonal web, similar to a beehive. That's the basic structure of a paper honeycomb board. The core is made from recycled paper, bonded together to create a strong, lightweight structure. This is then sandwiched between two flat sheets of cardboard or other facing materials, resulting in a remarkably sturdy and versatile board.

So, why is everyone buzzing about paper honeycomb boards?

Lightweight Champions: Paper honeycomb boards are significantly lighter than traditional solid wood or plywood panels. This translates to lower shipping costs and reduced environmental impact during transportation.

Strength Doesn't Weigh You Down: Don't be fooled by the light weight. The honeycomb core provides exceptional strength and rigidity, offering superior protection against crushing, impact, and vibration.

Eco-Friendly Alternative: Unlike plastic packaging materials like thermocol, paper honeycomb boards are made from recycled paper and are fully recyclable themselves. This makes them a sustainable choice for businesses that want to minimize their environmental footprint.

The Green Chameleon: Paper honeycomb boards can be customized with different facing materials and core densities to suit various applications. They can be moisture-resistant, fire-retardant, or even decorative, depending on your needs.

Beyond Packaging: The applications of paper honeycomb boards extend far beyond just boxes. They can be used for furniture components, display stands, partitions, doors, and even lightweight building materials.

Looking to incorporate paper honeycomb boards into your business?

The benefits are clear, but navigating the world of packaging solutions can be tricky. That's where companies like Logipack can help! We offer expert advice on:

Selecting the right paper honeycomb board for your specific needs.

Designing custom packaging solutions that optimize protection and efficiency.

Integrating paper honeycomb boards seamlessly into your production process.

By switching to paper honeycomb boards, you're not just choosing a better packaging material, you're choosing a more sustainable future. So, ditch the old ways and embrace the honeycomb revolution!

Visit this website for complete details...

Logipack.in

[jasonp01]

6 quick tips to help children learn writing

The first mark your child makes on paper is a great surprise. Interesting and visually appealing things excite children who then want to follow, capture or copy those things. Also, every child takes his/her own time to develop a skill. So, there’s  no need to rush or panic about their speed or progress.

Let’s understand the various stages that children pass through to become” good writers”.

6 steps to train kids to write

1. Round objects:

Children love crawling after balls, small pet animals or other toys. This is the first instance of an eye-body coordination where the sight of an object excites children enough to follow it. Squishing soft toys builds strength in the hands of children. These prepare them for their first crayon ‘stance’.

2. Chalks to crayons: 

The bigger muscles get adapted to movements faster than the smaller muscles throughout the human body. So give children fat chalks that they can hold by making a fist-like grip with their fingers. Ask them to make any sort of marks they want to, on flat surfaces such as  clean slates. 

Children who are just over a year old will make random scribbles and in this way, accustom their arm muscles to the pressure they apply on the surface with chalk. Once they get a hang of it, give them a box of colorful crayons to start with.

3. Coloring books: 

Give children an art book with blank shapes and ask them to fill these shapes up with crayon colors of their choice. This process gives them an idea of outline. The more precisely they color and the cleaner they keep the outline, the better  they advance towards writing their first alphabet.

4. Pencil grip: 

The broader base of crayons is easier to get a grip over when compared to  a pencil. So, one has to train his/her fingertips to be able to hold a pencil firmly. Since children have soft fingertips that need to get habituated to hard surfaces of a pencil, you can wrap a cotton cloth or clay around a pencil and help children get  a grip over the pencils with their fingers easily.

Don’t bother about the way children hold the pencils. Children explore various options with their thumb, index and middle fingers for utmost comfort. Let your children choose their grip on pencils. Use triangular, hexagonal and round pencils to test the grip.

5. Tracing: 

After children are comfortable with the pencil grip, introduce them to tracing alphabets. Start with bigger tracing so as to allow free movement of children’s wrists and fingers. Gradually, reduce the size of the alphabets for advanced hand movement.

Progress in tracing alphabets should be fast enough for your children to get on with more of alphabets in the same semester. Check the spacing between multiple letters that they trace. Once they can keep a uniform space between letters, introduce the concepts of words. 

6. Words and sentences: 

Instead of making children write, read the words aloud. Help them identify the words by hearing them and writing them down without you helping with the spelling. Their effort to write the correct word as per their understanding of the sound, helps them develop a sense of spelling.

Be patient as it takes 5-6 years for children to begin to write words and graduate to scribbling a few sentences. Enjoy the process of teaching writing. Your child needs to love writing. Only then, would they write their masterpieces someday!