The Naughty List Tag: Myth and Science

It's time for something fun, so I've decided to do The Naughty List tag, created by Jenna Moreci. 

I had a really difficult time trying to decide between doing this tag for The Icarus Project and the Myth and Science universe, since I am working on a short story anthology for that one. So I decided to do them both! I did a version for The Icarus Project last week, so make sure to go check that one out if you missed it.

​Here's the one for the Myth and Science universe today.

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Before we get started, here are the rules for the tag, as given over on Moreci's blog.

1) Provide a brief description of your novel before beginning. NO MORE THAN 5 SENTENCES.

2) If your cast is fewer than 15 characters, you can’t use the same name more than twice. If your cast is larger than 15 characters, you can’t use the same name more than once.

While working on this post, I discovered some of the flash fictions have been mislabeled, so my count might be off. But I believe there are around twenty named characters in the Myth and Science universe so far, so any given character will show up only once. I have ideas for more. However, those stories and their characters are still so far in the nebulous stage they're not even named yet, so I don't count them.

Isaac knew there was a legend connecting the old abandoned well on his family's land to the Seelie kingdom, but he didn't believe until an ill thought out dare resulted in him and his entire household being pressed into the service of Queen Mab and the Seelie court. Three years later, he attempts escape only to find out a thousand years have passed in the human realm, and humanity has died out only to be replaced by a shapeshifting alien race oddly reminiscent of Earth's cuttlefish, only in humanoid form. As it turns out, more of the old fables are distorted versions of the truth, and poor Isaac is forced to return to the Fae realm or die of hunger and thirst while surrounded by food and water.

1. Which character is SO into the holidays, they nearly cause a street-wide power outage from all their Christmas lights?

This would be Lily and her family, but come on, it'd be their first Christmas ever. They should get a pass on being super excited, right?

2. Which character attends the office new years party with ONE date…and goes home with someone else?

I can see Bristle doing this, not because he's that rude, but he's a rather flighty and easily distracted pixie. I can see him getting distracted by a conversation and just flat out forgetting he arrived with a date before finding someone interesting.

3. Which character is more than happy to steal Hanukkah gelt from poor, unsuspecting children? [Note: Hanukkah gelt = chocolate coins]

Miss Rose loves both gold and sweets, so she'd be all about the Hanukkah gelt, no matter how she got her hands on some.

4. Fill in the blanks: I saw ____[character]____ doing a whole lot more than ____[verb]____-ing Santa Claus. They were full on ____[action]____. 

I saw Aishling doing a whole lot more than talking to Santa Claus. They were full on conspiring.

Both of these elves have a vested interest in keeping humanity alive and thriving, so you'd better bet they'd find some way to prevent their annihilation if they ever met up.

5. One of your characters decides to pregame before church and passes out in the middle of the Christmas service. Which character is it?

He's massively underage, but if any of the characters were to overindulge at such a bad time, it would be Isaac. The boy's not very good at thinking things through.

6. Which character hasn’t been seen since winter began because they refuse to deal with the snow?

I feel like this one fits Eralee. You can't really bundle up wings without damaging them, after all, and I seriously doubt snow and a pixie's delicate wings would mix all that well. Plus, the little healer just seems the type to stay at home, curled up under a blanket with a mug of cocoa when it's cold out.

​7. Which character completely forgot about the holidays and ends up regifting to everyone?

Jenn's head would be in too much of a whirl trying to keep everything going on with her two weirdo best friends to remember something as "mundane" as the holidays. Then she'd completely panic when she's reminded about it by Penelope's million questions about the tree when Jenn's parents finally put it up on Christmas Eve.

8. Which character has such crappy luck, they only discover their potato allergy after pigging out on latkes?

This is Thaddeus Brown all over. I mean, the dude ended up on the bad side of a very dangerous, very grumpy Mab just by deciding to dig a well in the wrong spot.

9. The Krampus has arrived to punish your very bad characters. Which character is kinda into it? 

Are you kidding? Mab would probably take the whole kidnapping and punishment thing as the Krampus making a clumsy attempt at hitting on her.

10. One of your characters should be on the naughty list, but has convinced Santa to clear their name. Which character is it, and what was their means of persuasion?

Actively culling both the brightest and the most challenged of the surviving humans on a yearly basis ought to put Master Ivan squarely on the Naughty List, but at the same time, he is technically preserving the species as a whole. Ivan's crafty enough to convince Santa  that even though they're nothing more than kinda pampered livestock there to serve vampires and other Fae species that prey on them, his role in humanity's continued survival is worth being bumped off the Naughty List at least.

That's the Naughty List tag for the Myth and Science universe. Please feel free to consider yourselves tagged in this one if you're a writer as well and come back to post a link to your tag in the comments. I'd love to see them.