Day in the Life: Whipped

So yesterday, I was awakened from a nap by a phone call from Tracy:

No, no, my geeks - not this.

Meg: *answering phone in sleepiest half-awake voice* "Hello?"
Tracy: "Hey Meg! Wanna help me with a class project?"
Meg: "Yeah, sure. What are we making?"
Tracy: "A cat'o'nine tails!"
Meg: "Ooh!"

THIS.

See, one of Tracy's classes this semester is stagecraft. And apparently, for this project, Tracy's making a stage-worthy cat'o'nine tails - essentially, for those of you less versed in S&M terminology, a big, knotted and braided nine-tailed whip. Nasty/naughty times, depending on what you've made it out of or braided into it.

So after some research (some of which I might NEVER scrub from my brain), we set out in search of whip-worthy materials. We debated the merits of a proper historical approach (rope, cotton cord, metal spikes, etc.), but finally decided none of them would show up properly onstage or be totally safe for actors' use. At last, we picked up a sizable bag of scrap leather that seemed like it might be suitable, and some keyrings to make it look metal-studded without being dangerous.

Coming soon to a medieval
fair near you.

We got home and I taught Tracy a basic braid; shortly thereafter, Bordwine showed up and completely one-upped me by braiding a perfect, professional herringbone braid out of our cheap leather. Turns out that Bordwine is uncommonly skilled with braids - better than me, even. Apparently having little sisters does that to you.

The finished product looked good - remarkably good, for an afternoon's work. Now Tracy and Bordwine are, quite seriously, discussing the prospect of refining, creating and selling cat'o'nine tails at the medieval fair next year. Be on the lookout for Sirrrrrr Tracy's Naughty Shop, next year at the Norman Medieval Fair.

-Meg, the Token Girl