Dresden Files II: Dealing Drugs To Tiny Faeries

[CarpeGuitarrem]

Not like it can't be for more then one reason.

Very true!

I feel the Rexus Mundus joke works despite its incorrectness.

Oh, absolutely. It's a riot, and a subtle touch. Or not-so-subtle, maybe I'm just bad at paying attention.

[Dragonus45]

I feel the Rexus Mundus joke works despite its incorrectness.

I felt like it worked even better because of it. Something about Harry's failures in latin makes everything better.

[CarpeGuitarrem]

I felt like it worked even better because of it. Something about Harry's failures in latin everything makes everything better.

Corrected. Because that's the real reason we read the books.

[Gnome Alone]

Ermagerd, guize, should I get the signed pre-order of Skin Game or just pre-order the e-book?
This thread must not expire!

I like how just buying the normal book is not even an option, apparently.

Here's a spoiler-ish thought for anyone who hasn't (for some reason) listened to Butcher's reading of the first four chapters of Skin Game: Who do y'all think Harry will choose as his "+ 1" on his job with the nickelheads? I will get the oblong ball clunkily rolling with my assessment of the likelihood of various companions.

Molly: pretty doubtful considering Mab's been keeping her away from Harry cuz she's the one who can probably fix his head-kersplodey thing, and I doubt that tension is going to be resolved in the--uh, first act? can novels be said to have acts?--of the book.

Murphy: she's been pretty consistently willing to help Harry out with whatever aspect of the world needs to be saved, but might balk at helping the freaking Denarians, even with the possibility of backstabbing them somethin' fierce - she's Catholic and has been offered (and I think soon will accept) a jorb as a Knight of the Cross. Also, she's been pretty suspicious of Harry-as-the-Winter-Knight. Still, it's conceivable, and would be pretty cool.

Thomas: I can't think of any reason it wouldn't be Thomas, actually.

Kincaid: Harry probably couldn't even start to pay him enough for this. Be nice to have the ol' Bolshevik Muppet on yer side though.

Butters: Tell me you don't want to see Butters as the smart computer-y guy in the heist movie. Kind of a left-field choice, but I wouldn't be too surprised to see this scenario. Added possibility of sneaking Bob in as a further assistant. Harry might not want to risk it, though. I mean, c'mon, he can only get so many of Andi's boyfriends killed before she gets the wrong idea.

I'm sure there're more possibilities. Anyone wanna join me in some wild speculation?

[Dragonus45]

Thomas: I can't think of any reason it wouldn't be Thomas, actually.

Your right, why would Harry want a blood relative who also happens to be a White Court vampire and master of subterfuge and manipulation to help you rip off two thousand year old master of subterfuge and manipulation.

[Gnome Alone]

Your right, why would Harry want a blood relative who also happens to be a White Court vampire and master of subterfuge and manipulation to help you rip off two thousand year old master of subterfuge and manipulation.

Um, I said "can't think of any reason it wouldn't be Thomas." As in, I think it's one of the most logical and likely choices.

[Mauve Shirt]

Yeah, with Murphy more distrustful of him, and Mab keeping Molly away (it's probably better for Molly to keep out of a Denarian experience anyway), I think Thomas is Harry's best choice. Relapsed White Court or not, both Harry and Thomas place a huge value on family, and still mostly trust each other. Though Harry did try to steal Thomas's boat.

Mab has a better health plan than Butters, and Butters would be easier to kill. Harry doesn't want Mab anywhere near Bob (neither does Bob for that matter). Perhaps Sanya, it'd be a perfect chance for Harry to get the third sword. () But having Sanya along would sow even more distrust from the Denarians, and we want to avoid as much backstabbing as possible.

Thomas is the best choice.

[Chen]

Hmm I thought there was some interview or something that confirmed the partner was going to be Murphy. Maybe I'm completely misremembering though...

[Lamech]

Options in Order of Correctness:

Spoiler

Show

1) Molly - not as backstabby as Mab, but still packs a bunch. Also you can probably equip her with a Sword of the Cross. Really, this should be three, but I ship Molly/Harry
2) Mister a.k.a. The White God - If we can't have shipping this is the correct choice as Mister can defeat all threats with great easy. However, this is Harry, when does he ever make the correct choice?
3) Butters - he's clearly a powergamer and he read the rules talked with Bob. If you bring him along he'll find a way to break the system and pull a Pun-pun.
4) Sanya - Knight of the cross. Ignoring infinite power and shipping, that's the next best thing Harry can choose.
5) Murphy properly equipped - this only works if she equips the sword. Not as experiences as Sanya, but still.
6) Elaine - she can raise the dead.
7) Mac - he probably won't come sadly.
8) Leia - he still has a super powerful fairy godmother. He should bring her.
9) Gramps - Member of the White Council and he has a Blackstaff for you to steal.
10) Mouse. He's a cheating bastard.

[lord_khaine]

Why.. do you think that Molly would be able to wield a sword of the cross?
Or for that matter that Elaine would be able to raise the dead?

[Lamech]

Molly is descended from a previous Knight.

Elaine has already raised the dead. (Okay, I just think she's Kumori.)

[The Glyphstone]

I'm still laying a dollar on 'every character in the book is a time-displaced and/or gender-bent Harry'.

[Gnome Alone]

I thought of Elaine as a viable candidate, after posting. I don't know, it could work. Two wizards and all. I like Elaine. Kind of another person who shouldn't get too near the Denarians though, not so much for the temptation angle as that they might really like torturing her. Ebenezar is conceivable, although that would mean a full book of his various accents and I don't think we can handle that kind of stress. Plus, another dude that might freak out about, "you wanna help the forces of darkness steal what from who?" Can't beat having the magical murderstaff suck out their life-forces for power and simplicity though.

I'm still laying a dollar on 'every character in the book is a time-displaced and/or gender-bent Harry'.

...huh.

EDIT (after eight seconds of Googling):

Hmm I thought there was some interview or something that confirmed the partner was going to be Murphy. Maybe I'm completely misremembering though...

Found this. Welp, unless this changes... man, I was really enjoying the quasi-baseless speculation there for a minute. Guess this is why people avoid spoilers.

[Soras Teva Gee]

Found this. Welp, unless this changes... man, I was really enjoying the quasi-baseless speculation there for a minute. Guess this is why people avoid spoilers.

You know I was just about to post a witty comment (which I think I've done before) about how all this was all just idle speculation on the off chance...

Spoiler

Show

it somehow wasn't Murphy

... because you know, duh.

[lt_murgen]

Hmm I thought there was some interview or something that confirmed the partner was going to be Murphy. Maybe I'm completely misremembering though...

Several things have been more or less confirmed:

Murphy will be going along with him.
They have to break into the most secure place in chicago because,
it links to the most secure part of hades vaults.
They are going after the holy grail.

Since they have to break into a location in Chicago, having a former CPD officer would be an enormous advantage.

I don't necesarily count that as a spoiler, since it is on the released jacket art already.

[lord_khaine]

Molly is descended from a previous Knight.

Elaine has already raised the dead. (Okay, I just think she's Kumori.)

Well.. i am pretty sure being descended from a Knight is just the entry level requirement before someone would be able to wield a sword.. and being the Winter Lady as about as solid a disqualification as i can find.

As for the other thing, im sorry but i think that theory is a bit crackpot.

Huge list of spoilers from It_murgen

Hmm.. i personally think people who gives out spoilers to a book thats not even published yet should be left to Mab, the fate of the previous Winter Knight is to merciful for them..

[Mauve Shirt]

It's not being descended from a Knight that's important, it's being descended from a King. Of course that's a given since Michael and she are descended from Charlemagne. Just clarifying.

Yeah, Murphy's a reasonable pick I suppose. And the obvious choice given her (not-a-)knighthood and ability to ex-cop her way out of situations.

At this point I'm on the Molly/Harry ship. Murphy made her feelings known in Cold Days, and I'm inclined to agree with her that the Winter Knight and the Winter Lady are going to end up together.

I'm hoping Molly can get Lash out of his head in time for Harry to defeat Lasciel's new bearer. Now THAT'S baseless speculation.

[Anderlith]

I just hope the book ends with Harry & Molly fixing Harry's brain & then it's just them staring deeply into each other's eyes as the camera slowly pans up right before they tear each other's clothes off.

(This is a lie. I hope the camera doesn't pan up)

[lord_khaine]

It's not being descended from a Knight that's important, it's being descended from a King. Of course that's a given since Michael and she are descended from Charlemagne. Just clarifying.

Correction, we think its being descended from a king thats important, though so far thats just Harry's specualtion.
And in the case of it being true, then please explain how you can be a descendant of a Knight without also being of a king

[datalaughing]

Correction, we think its being descended from a king thats important, though so far thats just Harry's specualtion.
And in the case of it being true, then please explain how you can be a descendant of a Knight without also being of a king

While it's true that, assuming Harry's theory is correct, being descended from a previous Knight would always mean you were descended from a king, it doesn't mean that your statement that, "being descended from a Knight is just the entry level requirement before someone would be able to wield a sword" is correct. Because then you're excluding the many people descended from kings who just never had an ancestor chosen as a Knight before.

[lord_khaine]

Fine.. if we a playing the nitpicking game then i should have said a instead of the, though it seems the message.. that being the daughter of a knight not automatically qualifying you for knighthood, got lost somewhere.

[Gnome Alone]

Fine.. if we a playing the nitpicking game

It will probably be simpler to indicate when we're not playing the nitpicking game.

[CarpeGuitarrem]

So I went to a barbershop and got my hair cut, and part of the haircut involved getting my hair shampooed.

It made me think of Thomas at the end of White Night.

And then my loathing and enfuried hatred of the naagloshii resurfaced. WHYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY

[Mauve Shirt]

I knoooooooow. That scene is one of the reasons White Night is probably my favorite book.

[Gnome Alone]

White Night also has Elaine! I dug how she had different magical foci than Harry. Shows that it doesn't have to be rod and staff all the time. And they start the Paranet! That's one of my favorite world-building elements. Speaking of "world-building," man, I would love to play the Dresden Files RPG some time; too bad none of my roleplaying compatriots have read any of the novels.

Dead Beat is probably my own favorite though. Just so damn much fun. Which reminds me, Dead Beat by and large does not have Murphy in it, so I think that maybe

... because you know, duh.

is not quite as compelling an argument for her automatic inclusion as Harry's partner in Skin Game as it might otherwise be.

[CarpeGuitarrem]

I knoooooooow. That scene is one of the reasons White Night is probably my favorite book.

Yeah, it was possibly (for me) the most satisfying ending to a book. Even though I don't identify it, I feel for Thomas a lot, and for the fight he puts up. So seeing all of that trashed by a villain was just...awful.

BUTCHERRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR!!! <shakes fist> (but, you know, in a good way)

[Avilan the Grey]

Fine.. if we a playing the nitpicking game then i should have said a instead of the, though it seems the message.. that being the daughter of a knight not automatically qualifying you for knighthood, got lost somewhere.

I still think Murphy's middle name has something to do with it.

[Dragonus45]

Um, I said "can't think of any reason it wouldn't be Thomas." As in, I think it's one of the most logical and likely choices.

My apologies, misread that,

[Mauve Shirt]

72 days.

[Gnome Alone]

72 days.

72 days?! That is not that many days. I mean, hey, all I gotta do is go on a 10 week bender and I'll be all, "oh holy crap what am I doing with my life OOH! new novel about wizards."