mafief

Questions from smallhobbit
15: What kind of character do you wish you saw portrayed more often?
A mother who hasn’t royally screwed up their child or isn’t a total f-up. But that removes a whole dramatic thing that would make the story more interesting, so blah.

16: What’s more frustrating: plotholes or OOC characters?
Characters going OOC. I’m reading the fic because I like the characters, so when they stop sounding like the characters it’s disappointing and I stop reading the fic (and used the back button and go somewhere else).

19: Do you think major character deaths are ever necessary?
If it’s a bad guy who you’ve been waiting the whole time to have killed off, then I have no problem with it and might actually cheer (and I’m not going to examine that too closely).

If it’s exploring that part of the human experience, then sure I’ll read it if I’m in the mood and want to cry. I’ll also spend the rest of the day recovering from it. I’m in my mid-thirties and haven’t had a lot of friends or relatives die, so I’m still uncomfortable with the whole thought.

If my favorite character is killed off for shock effect, I’m not happy about that. I was mad when they killed off Daniel Jackson because the actor wanted to do other things. But, he came back because you can’t really kill someone off in sci-fi.


Questions from scfrankles
20: If you could ‘unkill’ any character from any story, who would it be?
Any of the times Hobbit has killed off Watson. ;)
Besides me being silly, I will say one is Commador Norrington from Pirates of the Caribbean. They were not nice to him at all and he didn’t deserve any of that treatment. :(

8: Favorite quotes?
I think I’m supposed to have some super serious or philosophical one or something from a famous person, like “The most exciting phrase to hear in science, the one that heralds new discoveries, is not, 'Eureka! I've found it,' but, 'That's funny!'” or “do or do not! There is no try.”

I don’t. Mine is the punchline from A Bug’s Life where they loose the walking stick character in a bunch of twigs.
“I'm the only stick with eyeballs!”
It’s not serious and I remember a very happy memory of me, my sister and mom quoting that line randomly.

13: Are there any tropes you’re embarrassed for enjoying?
I still find it uncomfortable to be associated with liking a typical girly thing of a novel focusing on love and romance (which I realize is like 80-90% of fic). The persona I’ve been very comfortable with for decades would have never read it and would prefer the hardcore sci-fi or fantasy or non-fiction (exception: I’ve tried for years to get through The Glass Bead Game and I just can’t.) I just recently told my mom I was looking for decent novels with the plot focusing around love and romance. I’m pretty sure I blushed like crazy. She was a little shocked but really excited to share some of her findings.

Now I know this means I have a case of cognitive dissonance considering it’s some of my favorite parts of fic. But even saying I like it is a step for me. So part of my journey with fanfics is becoming comfortable with the knowledge that I do like things I had attributed as a girly thing I avoided at all cost.

I’ve said I’m an omnivorous reader, but it hasn’t been like that until sort of recently. It’s been fun reevaluating my likes and dislikes and I’m enjoying exploring all the things. :)

My turn!

17, 18, and 31 from stonepicnicking_okapi
17: What’s more draining: writing smut, fluff or angst?
I have a hard time keeping fluff fluffy; the angst just wants to creep in. I end up rewriting a piece multiple times to keep the fluff fluff-ified. Keeping myself in a light and spry mood takes a lot of energy.

18: Are you a ‘neatly designed outline’ writer or a ‘fuck it i’ll figure it out as i go’ writer?
I want to be the neatly designed outline writer with the detailed outline, and I need to improve my organization. However, I didn’t have a detailed outline for my thesis or dissertation, so there isn’t much hope for me.
I have a vague plot in my head of where I want to go and then I bounce around the fic and drill down to specific moments and dialogue. One day I’m writing the beginning and the other I’ll write something near the end. This is how I have two ~15k fics that I can’t show anyone because I only have unconnected snippets.
I need another way to organize and keep track of my thoughts because keeping it in short term memory means I forget things. Another writer on tumblr makes a list of cool things that could be added to a fic, prints them out and organizes the pieces to form the most compelling story. I want to try this when I have time to complete a thought.

31: mythological creature AU or superhero AU?
I’m choosing whatever side has dragons.


Another set from luthienberen
7: Do you listen to music while you write/read?
I need silence. Any music with lyrics distracts me and I end up either mentally shouting over it or paying more attention to the lyrics than my thoughts. It’s mentally exhausting to fight through it in my head. TV or kid noises are equally distracting. So, working in a coffee shop or when my family is awake and around doesn’t work and I end up doing nothing and getting frustrated.
If my thoughts are spinning and I can’t settle, I’ll listen to something classical until my thoughts calm and the music becomes too much noise.

10: What’s your favorite trope?
I like a lot of them, and don’t think I have a favorite.
- H/C heavy on the C is great
- A slow burn fic with lots of mutually unrequited pinning that had better become required unless there is a very good reason to rip my heart apart
- Eventually getting together and them learning to work out their relationship is even better
- A/B/O with intense and interesting world building that analyses some inequality means I’m going to be reading instead of sleeping.
- Domestic stuff and kid fics
- Random AU I know nothing about
- Random AU I know way too much about
- Fluff when I don’t have to write it

And so ends my vague answer.

24: fantasy or sci-fi?
Yes. I like them both and have equally enjoyed and disliked books from both categories.

Questions below the cut in case anyone wants to play.
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The mug survived the firing and I haven’t broken it yet! Go me. :)





I am beyond pleased. One of my favorite parts is getting the pieces back. I have an idea of what I want, but clay and glazes does whatever it wants and the outcome is a surprise. My mom stained the outside in a dark chocolate and the inside glaze is a really light tan with darker tones throughout. The pics do not do the inside glaze justice. It is really subtitle. The bee body on the handle could have been a touch darker, but I’m still liking it.

Drinking from a hexagon is an adventure. I just need to drink from one of the points and I don’t get covered in liquid. Drinking from a point doesn’t bother me at all, so I’m still happy. We’ve made squareish ones before, so it’s sort of like that. It’s a little on the small end and fits just about 6 oz; it could have been a touch bigger. The handle feels great and I’m very happy I spent the extra time to smooth the edges. The etching on the mug feels perfect when I rub my fingers over it.


Another glamour shot, because why not?


So here is my writing tribute mug series thus far. I haven’t decided if I like the black or brown stain better for writing. I don’t think black would have been right for the honeycomb mug, and I don’t think brown would have worked for the parchment mug.


There will be more in this series as well as me trying out sgraffito mushroom design (similar to this). My mom and I are working on another mug design and it needs help.

These were our first attempts and they just are wonky and aren’t right for the carving I want to do. More fun to figure out!

My mom and I are collaborating on mugs again. She is done with her ski season and has time to think about pottery. I have three mugs planned thus far. First is a honeycomb inspired which I have pics of below. The second and third will be of a new mug design and more info on that later.


The base mug before I carved. I spent about an hour smoothing the sides and making it square. For her first constructed hexagon ever, she did really well. (Note the clay smear on my mom's table. She's a very understanding mother of her child's creative messes. ;))


Beginning the carving around the handle. I like honeycombs and how regular they are. I was inspired by a partially filled hive frame and how they hexagons are formed around things. Carving was fun this time around. I had too much coffee that morning and was shaking more than I would have liked. Some rows of the combs are a little elongated, but oh well. The combs maybe look a little bit like snake skin, but I’m still pleased with the overall look.


Next are the words. I took a passage from LAST about Holmes and his beekeeping. I let the words flow over the edges so it’s a continuous passage. The writing on this one is larger than my other mug. I didn’t have as much text and it didn’t seem as appropriate to be so small. My favorite spots are the where the edge of the honeycomb and words meet. I like how flowy it is.


And I carved a bee. Of course, how can you have a honeycomb mug without a bee? It’s on the top part of the handle where the thumb would go.


I may have gone a little overboard with honeycomb inspiration, but I think the overall mug looks nice together. I generally like art that has lots of details, so this appeals to me.

The mug is currently drying and will need to survive its first firing. The outside will be stained a chocolate brown and the inside will have a brownish-yellowish glaze. I need to stop by the studio and see the glaze to make sure it’s what I’m picturing since I haven’t seen it in person yet.

How old are you? almost 34!

Tattoos? One. It’s two intertwined trinity knots located on my ankle. I want to get another on the other side of that leg of my grad school study organism and DNA, but I need to compose the right image.

Ever hit a deer? Not me, but my husband totaled our car after hitting one.

Ridden in an ambulance? Nope.

Sang karaoke? Not at a bar. I sing along to music often in the car or with the kids.

Ice skated? Just started trying more seriously. I sprained my wrist in a fall roller blading, thus I’ve been wicked tentative about ice skating. But, I’m enjoying it and it’s another relatively cheap thing to do in the winter with the kids.

Ridden a motorcycle? Yes. I owned one (Kawasaki Vulcan 500) and my husband owned an identical bike. I refused to be a passenger and wanted to ride my own, thus why I got one. I would commute with it to college and we did a couple of road trips. Eventually sold it because kids.

I would like to get another, but would go up to a 700. It’s a beautiful way to get around for fun. But riding in hot days, rain and cold totally suck. There is a community around the bikes and there is seriously a secret hand gesture whenever you pass another biker.

Stayed in hospital? Steven Johnson issues, eye lid surgery, severe allergic reaction to bee stings, and two births 

Skipped school? As much as I could. I disliked k-12 and wanted to do something else. My mom even took us out one day to go skiing since it just snowed. That day was awesome.
I did a lot better in college and grad school.

Last phone call? To payroll department trying to figure out when payroll begins.

Last text from? My mom. We are discussing The Tea Girl of Hummingbird Lane since she suggested that I read the book.

Watched someone die? Not human. I was around when we put down my childhood cat, and that was umm... yah... 

Pepsi or Coke? I prefer not to drink sodas. If forced, I have no preference.

Favorite Pie? Apple, blueberry, blackberry, and chicken pot pie. I dislike pumpkin because of the texture.

Favorite pizza? White. NO tomatoes.

Despite having limited taste, I will not eat tomatoes. There is something in them which I can detect which is very off-putting and makes me nauseous. I do not eat food that has tomatoes in it. If tomatoes are in a salad, I will pick around them. I’ve done an extensive experiment to determine why I don’t like them and find ways to eat them (this involved a community garden plot and growing 20 different types of tomatoes). I can tolerate black, white and yellow tomatoes, but they aren't something I enjoy. Each year I retry the foods I usually avoid to see if I still don’t like it, and the results are pretty much the same.

Favorite season? Winter followed by fall

Broken bones? None.

Received a ticket? I just got a parking ticket from the university because the lot I parked in before is apparently not available on the weekends for free. Still very much annoyed about this.

Favorite color? Orange

Sunset or sunrise? I’ve been a night owl before kids, but I’m beginning to appreciate the sunrise. To me, the light is bluer and happier.

Finally, I’ve gotten this posted!

What I’ve read:
The Dry – Jane Harper
Force of Nature – Jane Harper
The Raven Cycle Series (Books #1-4) – Maggie Stiefvater
I’ll Give You the Sun – Jandy Nelson
We are Legion – We are Bob (Bobiverse, #1) – Dennis E Taylor
A Wrinkle in Time (Time Quintet, #1) – Madeleine L’Engle
The Long way to a Small, Angry Planet (Wayfayer, #1) – Becky Chambers
The Hate U Give – Angie Thomas
Lady Sherlock Series (#1 and #2) – Sherry Thomas
Murder on the Orient Express – Agatha Christie
Circe – Madeline Miller

Thoughts are behind the cut.

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It meaning my first scientific manuscript.

Out meaning published. Actually published in a journal where it can be read and references. Anyone decades from now (assuming no apocalypse) can access it. It's so strange to be able to download my own scientific work in a pretty formated version from a journal. I've (finally) added to the scientific knowledge out there.

I have been waiting for this day to happen for years. YEARS. To put this in perspective, this is the first paper my advisor has published in 5 years (she rarely publishes, which is the worst). I still need to push her to published the BIG manuscript that has more academic street cred, but whatever. At this point I'm wicked excited and going to take time and celebrate.


(p.s. I didn't include the link here for reasons. If you really want to read it [really? are you sure? it is a dry, scientific techniques paper with two non-pretty pictures], you can message me and I'll send the link over.)

Nickname: Mafief

Zodiac: Aquarius

Height: 5′5″  Until recently, I thought I was 5’4”. I’ve been jibbing myself an inch!

Time: 12:07 am

Favourite band/artist: I don’t have a favorite. like bands similar to Florence + the machine, mumford and sons, Phillip Phillips, Toad the Wet Sprocket, Imagine Dragons, etc. 

Song stuck in my head: Geronimo by Sheppards because Mr Three has been singing “say Geronimo” as “say the Geronimo” non-stop. 
Last movie I saw: That I picked (this distinction is important): Infinity Wars  

Last thing I googled: popular waltz songs, gramophone records, 1920 

Other blogs: I’m on Tumblr as Mafief and I was crossposting to LJ.  

Why did I choose this username: It was a childhood nickname given to me because a classmate asked me if wanted fishy crackers (goldfish) and my real name and fish got smushed together somehow. But, really it’s usually available on most platforms I want to use, which I find surprising since it is only six letters.

Average amount of sleep: 7ish hours unless I get pounced on in the early morning hours

Lucky number: none 

What am I wearing: brown shorts and a white tank top with tiny grey butterflies.

Dream job: Errr… I can complicate this one... How about something vague like something sciencey that involves plants.

Dream trip: I want to travel again. 1) New Zealand. So I can see the other side of the Nothofagus forest (I saw one side in Chile). 2) UK. I already have a list of places and peeps I want to see.

Fave food:  Right now, it’s blueberries from a PYO place.

Play any instruments: Piano but only at the beginner level. I can’t read music and I have a hard time with written notes with tones. Beats are also confusing. So, I wouldn’t trust myself with a tambourine.   

Eye colour: Brown

Hair colour: Dirty blond (what an awful color name…) and I’m finding a few grey hairs in there. 

Describe yourself as aesthetic things: Since I found this on tumblr, this must be a tumblr thing that I don’t understand. Umm… A tree in winter in a field of white snow.

Languages you speak: English (americanized). I have taken years of Spanish and none of it stuck.

Most iconic song: Just pick one in general?  Alphabet song or American Pie

Favorite book: Nope, not gonna pick.

Random fact: You have mites (all humans do) that live on your forehead and they were given to you by your parents. We can trace your lineage by it.