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[dailyjevil]

Day 150 of posting Jevil every day

[marypsue]

20 questions for fic writers

Thank you @rocketnebulas for tagging me!

1. How many works do you have on AO3?

That would be 158!

2. What’s your total word count?

Uhhhhh 1,905,572. Ahah.

3. What fandoms do you write for?

Recently and actively, Stranger Things and The Lost Boys. I've also been reasonably prolific for Gravity Falls and Rise of the Guardians.

4. Top 5 fics by kudos

This actually surprised me! Duskfall (a Bella/Tanya Twilight AU) is top of this list. And then the rest are more in line with what I expected: Raising Stakes (Gravity Falls vampire!Stan AU), Return, Rewind, Rewrite (Gravity Falls Transcendence AU), Reincarnation Blues (also Gravity Falls Transcendence AU), and A Semi-Normal Life (ditto).

5. Do you respond to comments?

Most of 'em, eventually.

6. What’s the fic you wrote with the angstiest ending?

I think that's gotta go to this one, where everybody's dead but the main character, who thinks it's his fault. I don't write a lot of angsty non-ambiguous endings, but this one's pretty explicit that things Do Not Improve from here.

7. What’s the fic you wrote with the happiest ending?

Uhhhhhhh. Hm.

Actually, it might be Hive! Which is a weird thing to say about a horror story, and yet.

8. Do you get hate on fics?

Thankfully I haven't! Although I did once get a tumblr ask trying to gotcha me for writing Jack Frost/Pitch Black, which was extremely funny, because 1) that ship is between two several-hundred-year-old immortals who tried very hard to kill each other for the entire movie and this person was concerned because they thought there might be an age gap between them, and 2) I had written that ship exactly once, at least five years prior to receiving the ask, as a favour for a friend.

9. Do you write smut?

Verrrrrrry occasionally.

10. Do you write crossovers?

There's a reason my profile on AO3 includes the line "I was born with the gift of crossover femslash and I intend to make it everyone's problem."

11. Have you ever had a fic stolen?

Only, as far as I know, by the usual AO3-scraping suspects. Although someone did once rewrite a fairly unique AU of mine from a different character's perspective, using almost all the same plot points, and didn't breathe a word that it had been inspired by my fic or that my fic even existed, which, like. Man, I'm glad you wrote that thing and felt good enough about it to share it, but also a little bit what the fuck.

12. Have you ever had a fic translated?

A few times! It's always an honour.

13. Have you ever co-written a fic before?

Exactly once. Wouldn't do it again unless the stars aligned absolutely perfectly.

14. What’s your all-time favorite ship?

That's a trick question and one that I will not be answering at this time.

15. What’s a WIP you want to finish but doubt you will?

I am going to finish Something Borrowed, Something Blues, so I guess that doesn't count. Uhhhh it would have been nice to finish Imbalance, but I just didn't have as much of a plan for it as I thought I had, and the more time passes the poorer taste the plan I did have seems to be in.

16. What are your writing strengths?

Personally, I think that characterisation is the big one. I can pull together a plot that makes sense and has an emotionally satisfying conclusion. I'm very happy with the way I write suspense/tension. And I've had a couple people now tell me that I do a good job of being descriptive without the description getting in the way, which I'm very proud about.

17. What are your writing weaknesses?

Pacing! Action scenes! The Dreaded Middle! Not overusing italics!

18. Thoughts on writing dialogue in another language?

I've done it, like, twice and I had to use Google Translate because I didn't speak the language and I felt so dirty. For anything more than a word or two, I'd personally either describe the character talking without actually writing out what they're saying (if the POV character doesn't understand what they're saying) or write out/paraphrase the dialogue in English (if the POV character is the speaker/if the POV character does understand what the speaking character is saying).

19. First fandom you wrote for?

Wrote for was probably Pokemon, wayyyyyyyyy back in elementary school. Posted was the Hugh Jackman-Kate Beckinsale fever dream Van Helsing. Thankfully I think that one is lost amongst the ruins of ff.net.

20. Favorite fic you’ve ever written?

It's still the road goes ever on. It's gonna be the road goes ever on for, like, a while.

I'm going to tag @gretchensinister, @tejoxys, @amethystunarmed, @seiya234, @marzipanandminutiae, @bixxelated, @daddygrandpaandthebeaver, @enquiringangel, @astriiformes, @scribefindegil, @mickeymagpie, and anybody else who'd like to give this a shot!

[f0xfordcomma]

Hello!! Happy FFWF!! Is there anything in particular that you find hard to write? Are there any WIPs that you've just absolutely given up on cause you think it'll go nowhere?? (would you share a bit of it? :D)

Croisty! Happy ffw tuesday (which tbh is earlier than I thought I'd be able to do these, so be proud of me lol)

I wish I had more to go off of in my writing portfolio to answer this question, but I think the thing I have the hardest time writing/ have avoided writing in my wips is just unfettered angst or like horror/ violence. Like character death? Gore? Fight scenes? (ooooh baby I SUCK at fight scenes) all of /that/ is just not really my forte as a writer. Don't get me wrong, I am not opposed to hurting my characters, but hurt/comfort is more where its at for me. You've read my stuff, so you know how emotionally driven a lot of my writing is. I think I would have a hard time writing more graphic/ heartbreaking/ violent *stuff* in my style. Idk, it would probably be a good thing for me to practice.... but.... I don't wanna (hands on hips) sooooo I'm not planning to really do anything quite like that anytime soon.

As far as abandoned wips go, I've got plentyyyy (or just verrrrrrry dusty wips that are not quite abandoned but are sitting very patiently on the shelf waiting for me to have the time to get back to them) Violent/ angsty/ deathy/ fighty abandoned wips though? Not so much.

But for you, mon petit croissant, have a bit of a miraculous ladybug reveal fic that I wrote one night after having a little ~ouid~ and convincing my husband to put on a sheet face mask with me that I now have no intention of finishing (oops, rip me).

okaaaaayyy so this is actually pretty dang long lol but I'm going to share the whole thing with you because I just re-read it for the first time in months and its pretty funny ~if you ask me~ so anyway... under the cut <3

NIGHT OFF

Okay, so maybe it wasn’t a totally crazy idea to take a night off.

Besides, Shadowmoth’s akumatizations had slowed down considerably in the past few months, and he rarely ever sent out two akumas in one day. The battle that she and Chat had fought that morning was brutal, but they’d come out victorious against HoneyBadger. Still, the fight had left her exhausted and wound up. Shadowmoth was planning something, she was sure of it. She just couldn’t, for the life of her, figure out what it was.

Ladybug was stressed.

Add to that, the fact that end-of-term exams were starting up next week and she’d not had nearly enough time during dead week to actually cram. Something about black butterflies and cranky kwamis and a cheeky cat (who, in recent weeks, had been considerably less cheeky.) Not to mention, she had been receiving an awful lot of memes, seemingly without preamble, from Paris’ favorite male model. Nino thought it was hilarious. Alya thought it was suspicious. Marinette thought it was confusing.

Marinette was stressed.

All of it was stressful.

*

Alya knew when her best friend was stressed. She could usually gauge the amount of Marinette’s exasperation by the frequency with which her bangs went flying from her face, propelled by a huff and a heavy sigh. Right now, Marinette’s bangs were a mess.

“Okay, girl. You need a night off.”

“What? No, I’m fine! Really! Plus, I can’t really afford to take a night off right now, Alya… I don’t know what Shadowmoth ha—”

“Yeah, no. I’m stopping you right there. For the next twenty-four hours, this space is a Ladybug-talk free zone,” she gestured vaguely around her bedroom, which was scattered with printouts and pictures that Marinette had brought over to work on nailing down Hawkmoth’s possible location using Alya’s beloved akuma-map. “I know, I know. It pains me more than it pains you, truly. But I’m doing this for you. Tonight: you, me, drinks, distractions. You are taking a night off.”

“But Alya! What if—”

“Hush, you know that’s incredibly unlikely. And, in the event of this IF you are so set on, you know that cat boy and I will have your back. Even drunk ladybugs can purify akumas when they have the clawed crusaders on their side.”

“I can’t believe you gave in to his silly nickname.”

“It is a badass nickname and you are just jealous that we bonded.”

“I’m not jealous. I’m annoyed.”

“Mhmm… keep telling yourself that, girl. Now, back to the matter at hand: what kind of drunk do you want to get tonight? Classy or trashy? I still have that peach stuff from last month, but if we are thinking classy I might need to call in the reserves to get us some decent wine.”

“You won’t need to call in anybody, Al, because I am definitely not getting drunk tonight.”

“Night off, Marinette. Drunkenness is a prerequisite.”

“Can’t we just watch movies or something? I really don’t know if that’s too good of an idea…”

“Girl, we watch movies every night. This is a night off. Don’t think I don’t see you stressing all throughout movie night every week, anyway. You need to take your mind off Ladybug,” she gestured at the mess that had consumed her bedroom. “And get your mind back on Marinette. Superhero or no, you’re still a teenage girl who is supposed to be enjoying the last few months of college.”

Marinette pouted.

“Stop pouting. You know you deserve to have normal girl fun.”

“But Alya I—”

“No buts.” An unnervingly devious look crossed Alya’s face. “Unless it is your butt in that pair of skinny jeans that you and I both know you-know-who loves. Boys will be here in twenty. Get to it, girl.”

Marinette just gaped at her. She didn’t even notice that Alya had grabbed her phone, but alas, there was the tell-tale ping.

Alya Cesaire → Akuma class OGs chat

Alya: anyone down for a little last minute get together—my door is open and my bar is stocked

Nino: HELL YEAH babe!

NL: got a new mix i’ve been meaning to show you… so entertainments on me fam!

Alix: This thing got an itinerary or just drunkenness for drunkenness sake?

Alya: the latter, natch.

Alix: Sick! Count me in.

Kim: same!

Rose: Do you need us to bring anything?

Alya: anything you feel like sharing

Alya: otherwise, just yourselves!

Alya: Agreste~you better bring us some of that expensive shit that i know your pops keeps somewhere in that castle of yours

Alya: no fancy wine, no admittance

Alya: the rest of you peasants just bring wtvr

Adrien: uhhhhhhhhhh

Adrien: ALYA

Adrien: dang it! You know I feel obligated to steal wine from my dad’s cellar now

Adrien: do you know how scary my dad is!!!??

Nino: DUDEEEE

Nino: DO IT you wont!

Adrien: shuddup Nino

Marinette: Adrien you totally don’t have to! Alya is just being **extra** Alya today

Alya: i plan a night off for this girl

Alya: and this is the thanks i get??????

Alya: can ya’ll believe this?

Alya: ridiculous

Zoe: UTTERLY RIDICULOUS

Adrien: utterly ridic

Adrien: dangit

Zoe: lol first! sorry adrien

Marinette: ugh ty I guess Als xxxxx

Alya: awe she DOES care, youre welcome babe!

Alya: so sunshine… about that wine?

Adrien: yeah yeah yeah

Adrien: use my people pleasing against me why dontcha

Alya: gladly <3

“Alya, stop bullying Adrien.”

“No way, girl. Giving that boy a task is the only way to ensure he shows up. Speaking of which… butt, jeans, go, now!”

The doorbell rang. Nino had perfected the quickest route to Alya’s house from every part of Paris years ago. Yes, he was whipped; and yes, he was proud of it.

“ALYA! I have to clean all of this up and I have to go home to get those jeans that you’re so dead set on and…”

“No you don’t. Kaalki?”

“Right here, Ms. Rouge.”

“YOU USED VOYAGE TO BRING ME JEANS?”

“No way girl! Don’t be silly. Kaalki and Roaar just volunteered to be my errand kwamis.”

“You guys do realize that I am the guardian, right?”

“Of course, that’s why we worked so hard to get everything that you need for tonight.”

“I—you… wait is this my good bra? How did you—”

“Us kwamis pay attention, Marinette.” Tikki cuddled up to her cheek.

“Et tu, Tikki?”

The ladybug kwami just giggled and made her way to the pile of papers scattered across Alya’s bed, starting to organize them back into neat stacks.

“Night. Off.” Alya punctuated each word with a shove and a smack on the bum, directing Marinette toward the bathroom and shutting her in to get ready while she got the door for Nino.

[yesmooshoe]

Answer 21, tag 21 people you would like to get to know better

tagged by: @armoredsoftie! thank you! :)

1. Nickname: Amanda

2. Zodiac: Leo

3. Height: 5'10"

4. Hogwarts House: Hufflepuff!

5. The last thing you googled: "wolf trap lawn seating"...Wolf Trap is a Performing Arts Center where I'm seeing my boy Chris Thile & friends in June.

6. Favorite Musician/s: Coldplay & Oasis. And loads of other stuff. AJR is really great. I’m still on my twenty one pilots bullshit. Would also still die for Harry Styles.

7. Song stuck in my head: Old Time Road (Remix)

8. Following Now: 202 apparently.

9. Followers: 152. I uh. Might have. At one point in my life. Had a 1D blog with thousands of followers. Maybe.

10. Do I get asks: Nooo.

11. Amount of sleep: 7ish hours usually.

12. Lucky Number: Don't really have one.

13. What I’m wearing: Red shorts & a black t-shirt that says "You Never Sausage a Place"

14. Dream job: Disney Imagineer.

15. Dream trip: I would very much like to go to the UK.

16. Favorite food: Coffee Cake

17. Instruments: I play the alto saxophone! I play in a community band. Which is like...middle school band for adults.

18. Languages: English and a verrrrrrry small amount of French. Because I am an ugly American.

19. Favorite song: Oof. Well, my favorite Coldplay song is "Everything's Not Lost"

20. Random fact: I live and work at a Renaissance Faire.

21. Aesthetic: Lipstick Lesbian with a lot of soft purple mood lighting.

Tagging uhhh @frozenbanana00 @elphierix @shestillhashersoul @newnewyorker93 @dixiehellcat @kellyoes @pepperonys errrrr and anyone else who is reading this because you are all beautiful wonderful people.

[tinybeanhealing]

Hi, can I ask you what think of a pisces sun/mercury, taurus moon, aquarius venus, aries mars, and leo rising? Thanks so much, have a good day/night :)

Hi dear one ! Thank u for the well wishes ! 

Taurus moon bb !! Hi lil moon cow seem like u are so fragile n soft but yr softness is not a weakness or just a charm. U are incredibly powerful under the surface. U would rather have ppl underestimate u sometimes, tho, bc it means u get to be in control of how much ppl see the Real U. U are quite private altho u share yr emotions n thoughts enough with ppl that they think u are open. U tend to keep weird things secret not bc u want to hide them from anyone but u like to keep some stuff special, just for u. U are probably very generous n warm with yr friends, sometimes even ppl u don’t know too. U are incredibly loyal. It can be hard for u to let go or cut ties with ppl even when they’re being bad to u. When things are difficult u might turn to yr favorite escapes instead of dealing with the issue first. Stressful situations aren’t yr strong suit. U might not mind either way of being in the spotlight or not, but u probably are in some kind of spotlight most of the time. U might find yrself the center of attention even when u weren’t working that hard for it. Leo risings are known for temper tantrums but u might have learned to internalize those bc of yr pisces sun. Either way u get mad or upset quickly but it usually goes away quickly too. U might have issues with possessiveness but yr aqua venus will help with that. U are usually optimistic n smiley but u have deep pain that u might not share all the time. Pisces suns don’t like to weigh down on other ppl (altho i would say sharing yr feelings with others isn’t a burden !!). U are usually honest n blunt but u might soften things a lil. U have good initiating energy n good focus to complete a task. U are extremely loyal, it probably hurts u deeply when other ppl don’t show that same kind of loyalty to u. U are often enthusiastic abt things, can’t tell if u think it’s cool to care or if u have more of an “i’m over it” attitude. Where yr aries mars makes u feel impatient, unsympathetic, without self-control, yr taurus moon makes up for it. Yr aqua rising makes u charming, happy, with original thoughts n aesthetic. U are cool n calm on the surface n detached in a way that means u aren’t possessive. U enjoy yr freedom, esp in friendship n love n so u expect that ppl will give u freedom n u will give them freedom too. Yr emotions are filtered thru yr mind. Venus in Aqua can mean that u were born into a home where lovingness was not expressed. Learning warmth n understanding would be hard for u but u have a sweet pisces sun/leo rising combo that should help u out. In love, u only date yr friends. ALLLLL yr relationships begin as friendships probably, or at least the ones u don’t regret. U don’t like to be tied down too much, maybe non-monogamy is yr thing. But no matter what kind of relationship yr in, ppl shouldn’t try to tie u down. Yr mercury in pisces makes u impressionable, but not necessarily gullible. U tend to try and believe the best in ppl. Yr aqua venus might make u a lil suspicious of others but in general u tend not to be. U have strong imaginations of love. U tend to follow instinct rather than reason altho yr aqua venus makes me think u still filter everything thru yr reasoning skills. U might be moody or have a desire to withdraw from society n altho those aren’t bad traits at all, they might make things more difficult for u in the long run. U are resourceful, determined, persistent. U are always willing to give other ppl practical help. U can be verrrrrrry stubborn when u know what u want or yr comfort is being threatened. Comfort n security are extremely impt to u. U are slow to anger but when it happens, watch out !! U probably aren’t too keen on change. But u can handle it when it does happen. U work hard for yr ideals n for what u want. U might have issues with overindulgence, altho I think that’s probably only when yr stressed or something bad is happening. 

I hope that description means something for u ! let me know if u have other questions abt yr stars (: 

[spyrothetimelord]

50 things about meee

Tagged by @theempresskaizer​ @kakihoden​ @incorrectmidc​ @nijigendiaries​ Thanks guys!

Rules: fill this out and tag at least one person you’d like to know more about! Or just fill it out! Or don’t! Answer only some of them! Make up your own questions! “What kind of requirement is that”, you ask? A reasonable one! Who am I to tell you what to do? Anything goes!

1. What kind of food can’t you stand?: most foods tbh… I’m legit probably the pickiest eater you will ever meet. 2. If you could choose one minor inconvenience to never have to deal with again, what would you pick?: The way my ears smell when I need to clean my gauges lolololol 3. Have you got any useless talents?: I can lick my elbow. 4. If you could be really really good at one thing, what would it be?: art. and saying that specifically to encompass both my writing and drawing  5. Name a few people you think are extremely good-looking: there are so many but I’ve loved Keanu Reeves since I was really young lol, Reese Witherspoon, Kristen Bell, Arden Cho, Fan Bingbing…. uhhh I have a longish list if I think for too long so… 6. What was your favorite way to pass the time as a kid?: video games, cartoons/anime, playing with random toys and coming up with complex stories that can only be described now as soap operas xD 7. What is something you’re proud of?: my commitment to people, even if I resent it sometimes. 8. What’s one character flaw in people that you just can’t tolerate?: intolerance of other people 9. Do you consider yourself to be more of a leader or a follower?: I’d love to be a follower for once but most people I get stuck with are not driven enough to be leaders or literally don’t make decisions that are more efficient or better for the end result 10. What kind of student are/were you?: “I wish I had a whole class full of her”

11. Butterfly effect question! Has there ever been a seemingly minor decision you’ve made (at the time) that ended up having a profound influence on your life?: Yeah probably, but I couldn’t think back on what that might be.

12. Name your most irrational fear/aversion: water and open spaces. but worse than that, the out of bounds parts of video games. seriously, scares the heck out of me. 13. Are there any fictional characters you find especially relatable?: I used to relate to Zoey from Marked but haven’t read in a while so not sure anymore lol 14. If you drink, what kind of drunk are you? Alternatively, what sort of person are you at parties?: *has never been drunk* and uhhh I sit in one spot and talk to people I know only. Or people who make easy conversation 15. Do you fall in love easily? Or does it usually take a long time for you to trust someone?: I fall in love with looks easily lol, but it takes a while for me to trust people 16. Would you rather have one close friend or 100 casual friends?: depends why. one close friend is always great but having casual ones for many situations and areas I go to in my life would also be good. 17. Do you consider yourself to be more of a slob or a neat-freak?: I’m a neat-freak in my mind but life makes me a slob 18. Describe a place (imaginary or real) that you would find incredibly cozy: My old bed that I accidentally caught fire. The joke was that everyone wanted to sleep in my bed because it was the most comfortable one we had. 19. Do you have kids? If not, do you want them someday?: Nope, and not sure. I like picking out names though. 20. What was your favorite book as a child? Goodnight Moon and The Very Hungry Caterpillar are special to me 21. Name one thing you just don’t get what all the hype is about: uhhh??? fidget-spinners tbh 22. Name one thing that you think is tragically underrated: uhhh??? I’m not sure… normal friendships?  23. If you had to be glued to a person for a month, real or fictional (who you have never met), who would you choose?: y’all thought I’d say Rayvis but you’re wrong. I’d be glued to Ruby Rose from RWBY 24. What’s something you’d like the chance to do someday?: become fluent in each of my chosen languages 25. Do you typically speak your mind when you have a controversial opinion? Or do generally prefer to not rock the boat?: I try to when someone is not getting any other support or the offender is wrong, but sometimes I don’t care to do excess research to seem more “valid” to others 26. What’s the dumbest fad you’ve been caught up in?: I can’t think of anything lol.. does saying “hella” count? xD 27. What’s something you thought was cool as a kid/adolescent, but now cringe at yourself for?: literally just me as a child lol 28. What’s a trait you consider to be very admirable?: integrity 29. Is there a particular kind of item people always tend to give you as gifts? (For instance, people always get you things with ducks on them because you like ducks, etc.): ugh I was the crazy cat lady and everyone would get me various cat print things and most were verrrrrrry tacky lol 30. Do you speak multiple languages? Which ones?: Nope. English and lol pig latin xD Learning Japanese, with goals of French and Arabic sometime 31. Would you rather live in the big city or the countryside?: I definitely like city life more 32. Has there ever been something you were certain you’d hate, but ended up loving?: leggings. as. pants. 33. Do you mind being the center of attention, or do you prefer the spotlight to be on someone else?: let everyone look at someone else. I joke all the time with my mom about making everyone look away from me at my hypothetical wedding. 34. Favorite holiday?: don’t celebrate any 35. Are you a more go-with-the-flow type of person, or do you need to have things planned meticulously?: both, but which depends on the situation 36. Is there something you loved so much you wish you could forget it and experience it all over again? (A tv show, book, series–anything.): no, because I’m a firm believer that going back to something allows you to see new things while laughing/crying/etc the other things you already experienced before 37. What hobbies do you have?: video gaming lol, watching shows/YouTube/playthroughs, writing, drawing… I’m very boring 38. If you could have a superpower, but it was only mildly useful, what ability would you want to have?: access to the cheat codes of life (like you know how you can pause the game or open a menu and enter codes for various things? I wanna do that in real life) 39. Something people are always surprised to learn about you: I can be talkative 40. Something that took you way too long to figure out: ??? not sure. I had something and then forgot lol  41. Worst injury you’ve had?: I haven’t really been too injured but I’ve had major back injuries before and once my cat scratched me and I couldn’t move my arm lol 42. Any morbid fascinations?: I get easily grossed out so none really 43. Describe your sense of humor: sarcastic, can get dark, memes 44. If you had to be born in another era/place, which would you choose? skipping era I’d choose to live in Japan or maybe Europe

45. Something you are irredeemably bad at: staying motivated 46. Something that sucked but you’re glad you went through: um? not sure xD 47. Would you rather have a really godawful ugly tattoo in a place that is only slightly inconvenient to conceal with clothing (upper arm, thigh, etc.), or the coolest, most beautiful tattoo ever in the middle of your face? (Neither tattoo can be removed or concealed with makeup, and the ugly tattoo will deeply offend anyone who sees it.): I wouldn’t get a tattoo at all but of the two, the one on my face. I wouldn’t want something offending on my body. 48. Are you more of an optimist or a pessimist?: both, but maybe more pessimist? I don’t know lol 49. What would be the most flattering compliment someone could give you?: compliments make me shy so probably anything genuine 50. Something you feel people often misunderstand about you: that I’m mean or unkind all the time

Tagging! @passengersaraht @lustfullyleocrawford @emigotchi @princessdiarymdc @trixtzu @amagami-hime @leorysxi @juzbijou @cheekrubsu and any and all who’d like to!

[joannalannister]

do you have any ideas as to what myrish lace might look like, perhaps compared to a lace that we may have (in our world)? i never know what to visualize, and grrm does seem to mention it quite a lot so it has been bugging me! thank you so much!!!

Hi! It’s hard to say what Myrish lace might look like, because GRRM doesn’t describe it in detail, and there’s actually lots of different types of lace in our own world. Let’s see what the text says about Myrish lace, and maybe that will help us visualize it.

Myrish lace is made in a variety of colors. Ivory, white, black, gold, silver, pink, pale green, and pale buttery yellow are mentioned in the text. There are probably other colors too.

Myr seems to be the primary manufacturer of lace.

“lace from Lys” is mentioned in Tyrion’s pov. However, the passage is talking about Littlefinger buying low and selling high, so it may be the case that Lys imports Myrish lace and, when the Lyseni market is glutted, Myrish lace is effectively “on sale” and Littlefinger seizes the advantage. 

While domestic lacemaking is never discussed, I think southern Westeros must have knowledge of rudimentary lacemaking techniques, something descended from net making. 

While Cersei probably wears lace the most often in the text, even she considers Myrish lace to be “costly”. According to Maester Yandel, Myrish lace is said to be worth its “weight in gold and spice”.

It’s typically not something one character would passionately tear off another, even if you’re a Lannister. (What? Bodice-rippability is always an important factor to consider when planning your wardrobe with your drapers and dressmakers.) Note that Margaery changed out of her “ivory silk and Myrish lace” gown for the wedding feast and put on a dress without lace, so the lace dress wouldn’t have been ruined had the bedding actually taken place. (Of course Joffrey was never going to bed Margaery, but the Tyrells need to keep up appearances.)

Myrish lace is “delicate” and “intricate” and “filmy”. If you don’t layer it, you can see the wearer’s skin beneath it. It tears easily if you aren’t careful. 

You can get an entire gown of Myrish lace made in Westeros, although such a gown would be extremely expensive. A less expensive option that still displays your wealth and status is to make only the sleeves of your gown from Myrish lace, with the rest of the gown done in silk.

Lace is also used as trimming or accents, on hems, collars, cuffs, and bodices. Ladies’ veils might also be made of Myrish lace.

Myrish lace is also used to adorn handkerchiefs and dolls in Westeros. For example, Sansa had dolls dressed in “linen and lace”. 

Both men and women wear Myrish lace, but lace seems to be much more common among women. The only two men I was able to find wearing lace (at the “cuffs and collar”) were Daario Naharis and Glendon Ball. 

A lot of times lace seems to carry a feminine connotation in the text, or at least that was my impression. (Daario exhibits a lot of traditionally masculine traits and has a warrior physique, but he sort of reminds me of Liberace or some other boundary-breaking rockstar from GRRM’s younger days. Also Glendon Ball’s doublet is probably second-hand or something; it’s “old”.)

Myrish lace comes on bolts. 

A captain stopping at Lordsport has only a single bolt of Myrish lace aboard his ship, and he considers that single bolt to be worth advertising. (Obviously the Iron Islands are very poor and there isn’t much of a market for expensive lace there, but I also think that most merchants don’t get the chance to carry much lace.) 

A couple things:

From what I understand (and I might be wrong here, so hopefully someone will correct me if I am? paging @argelladurrandon, you are my costume expert), lace wasn’t super popular for the clothes worn by medieval lords and ladies, at least not until the verrrrrrry end of the medieval period. Medieval lace was more commonly used for ecclesiastical garments until the 16th century. Queen Elizabeth I wore lace, but I believe that was considered the start of the Renaissance / the Age of Discovery, rather than the medieval period? So it feels like GRRM isn’t being strictly historically accurate when he has so much lace incorporated into clothing. The popularity of lace in Westerosi clothing (at least “lace” as we understand the word) might be a bit of an anachronism. 

Also, I would think Myrish lace would be worth a lot more than its weight in gold, because in our own world, the finest laces historically took many years just to make a small piece. For example, this piece of a lady’s cap consists of ten thousand stitches per square inch and took five years to make. I have to assume Yandel doesn’t pay much attention to textile prices.

The big thing that stands out to me in the text is that Myrish lace comes on bolts. If you’re making enough lace to put it on bolts (which seems wildly anachronistic to me in a medieval-ish society but anyways), you’re making several continuous yards at least, and you’re probably not making something as fine as ten thousand stitches per inch. 

The kind of lace that is manufactured by the yard to go on bolts is probably some sort of decorated net, or maybe this type of cutwork to decorate cuffs (see the artwork in the sidebar). 

It might also be a type of bobbin lace, which is often used as trimming (like GRRM describes) and could be made by the yard. Look at the sleeves in the picture of the woman here, which seem similar to what GRRM is describing with ladies’ lace sleeves, though that seems more of a renaissance style to me. (However, GRRM has had characters like Joffrey wear more renaissance styles in official artwork, so maybe that is what he’s thinking.) If you look at this picture, you can see see some gold bobbin lace. 

However, I think there must be more than one type of lace manufactured in Myr. I think there have to be some very delicate individual pieces that are not made by the yard. The Free Cities are more economically advanced than Westeros, more similar to the Renaissance, which makes me think of cities like Venice, and Venetian lace, a very fine needlepoint lace like the collar this man is wearing.  So the more expensive and more intricate Myrish lace might be made in much more specific pieces (not yardage), like this Venetian collar from 1610:

I’m sure that Myrish lace makers get special orders from the wealthier great houses to make custom pieces, like lace with a rose pattern that will be shipped to Westeros for Marg’s wedding dress. Or something like a golden lace collar for a man’s wedding. Or whatever else they wanna use lace for. 

In terms of what to visualize … I was talking a while ago with @sansaregina and @bethwoodvilles and they suggested costumes more like those in Magnificent Century for ASOIAF. While the Magnificent Century costumes aren’t exactly historically accurate, they have a nice style that I agree would work really well in ASOIAF. And the women’s costumes use a lot of lace :)

What I imagine when I read is probably closest to a very delicate Venetian lace, like these Venetian lace cuffs:

Just add on lions or dragons or sunbursts or other appropriate patterns and embellishments. 

If you want to imagine some other type of lace, though, I don’t think GRRM would mind :) Like I said, I think the lacy fashions might be a bit anachronistic anyways, so I would just imagine something frothy, delicate, light, and intricate. Somewhat see-through for sleeves.

imo the most important things to be aware of with regards to lace in ASOIAF are (1) lace-making is primarily done in the more economically developed Free Cities rather than more primitive Westeros, (2) if a Westerosi character is wearing lace, he or she is very wealthy, with more lace meaning more wealth, because all that lace had to be imported on a ship, (3) the money-wealth correlation is slightly less true for Essosi characters, who have easier access to lace due to lower transportation costs, and (4) I think GRRM associates lace with traditional femininity, and sometimes uses lace to underscore characters that don’t conform to ideal Westerosi images of what people of different genders should look and act like (see: Samwell, Sweets, or Satin and their associations with lace in the text). How you imagine the lace specifically looks isn’t as important imo.

(Srsly tho those “bolts of lace” really throw me, friends, because I’ve been to lace museums and the really old lace I’ve never seen on a bolt??? It’s like … smaller???? If someone wants to explain more about “bolts of Myrish lace” to me that would be cool, because all I can imagine for that is … a whole lot of bobbin lace or decorated net.) 

(In the unaired HBO pilot, Aerys Targaryen was wearing something like an Elizabethan ruff in the background, and @bidonica drew me a really awesome Elizabethan style lace net ruff for Rhaella Targaryen, isn’t the world just the most wonderful place? I like to imagine the Targaryen court still retained a more Essosi-flavored style with big ruffs, it makes me so happy. I really like lace, ok)

[lair-of-books]

Happy February Bookworms! I come to you with my belated January Wrap-up & Book Haul. In December I had decided to separate these post & enjoyed the outcome however, something MOST unprecedented occurred & no one is more surprised than myself!…I only purchased 1 book!!! yea I know, never have I ever practiced self control in the book buying department & can honestly say it was intentional which is probably the only reason why it worked out that way. I’m not good at book buying bans but my pockets did thank me in January for the break. I also think my reading had a big role to play in my inactive book buying. I was enjoying mostly everything I was reading & so every minute I had to spare saw me nose deep in my current read. I’d love to come on here & say I had an exciting month overall but tbh, January saw me hunker down at home. There wasn’t anything really exciting in the theater and all of my favorite tv shows returned lol so I got nice & cozy on my couch with my favorite blanket and bonded with my DVR. I did discover 1 new tv show I’m pretty much obsessed with but more on that at the end of this post 😉

I buddy read Iron Gold with my hubby & although he’s not yet finished, we share a lot of the same feelings about this 4th installment in the Red Rising Saga. We’re very happy to see Pierce Brown continue on with our beloved characters & after THAT ending…I need the next book like I need air (good thing it’s out in September). I will be posting a mini non-spoilery review some time this week for Iron Gold. Overall I am very happy with my January reading & hope for the same in the verrrrrrry short month of February *fingers crossed* 🙂

Love Hate and Other Filters by Samira Ahmed ★★★★★ (5 STARS)

Meet Cute by various authors ★★★★ (4 STARS)

The Hazel Wood by Melissa Albert ★★1/2 (2.5 STARS)

The Dangerous Art of Blending In by Angelo Surmelis ★★★★ (4 STARS)

The Belles by Dhonielle Clayton ★★★★1/2 (4.5 STARS)

Iron Gold (Red Rising #4) by Pierce Brown ★★★★1/2 (4.5 STARS)

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Iron Gold (Red Rising #4) | Fantastic Beasts and Where To Find Them | Saga Vol. 8

*Iron Gold & Fantastic Beasts were gifts from the hubby

Ace Of Shades | Everything Here Is Beautiful | Love Hate & Other Filters | Whisper of The Tide (Song of the Current #2)

Circe | To Kill A Kingdom | Sky In The Deep

January FairyLoot

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The Cruel Prince (Folk of the Air #1) by Holly Black (My Spoiler-free review)

Book Of The Month

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As Bright As Heaven | A Gentleman In Moscow

ABOUT THE SERIES 

On Chicago’s south side, an average day finds kids prepping for school as their parents head off to work, young adults trying to make a living, and the elders keeping an eye on things from their front porches. But in this tough neighborhood, real dangers threaten daily to squelch dreams, and the simplest decisions can have life or death consequences. From Emmy® winner Lena Waithe, The Chi is a timely coming-of-age drama series centered on a group of residents who become linked by coincidence but bonded by the need for connection and redemption. –Showtime Official

Thoughts so far…

I stumbled across a subway advertisement for this show & knew I’d be checking it out that weekend. It’s only about 4 episodes in so far & I can already say this will be one of my fave new series for 2018. Powerful & often times sobering, The Chi doesn’t hold back. Many of the dangers faced by the residents in this small Chicago neighborhood are more common than not. We follow different characters in their every day lives, they all vary in age and all are linked in one way or another. My favorite character is Kevin played by Alex Hibbert who is just a kid trying to stay out of trouble but trouble seems to always find him. Kevin is in school & we see him with his friends doing normal kid things. It’s when school’s out & he goes back to his neighborhood that we see why Kevin has a #survivalofthefittest mentality. More thoughts to come at the end of this first season 🙂

Hello Bookworms! hope you’re already off to a fab start in February 🙂 & that you’re already reading your next favorite book…I’m currently reading YA Sci-Fi Honor Among Thieves & gahhhhh! so damn good haha! What are you all reading? Sound off in the comments below <3’s!

January Book Haul & Wrap-Up Happy February Bookworms! I come to you with my belated January Wrap-up & Book Haul. In December I had decided to separate these post & enjoyed the outcome however, something MOST unprecedented occurred & no one is more surprised than myself!...I only purchased 1 book!!!