Next stop, updating the wiki.

[nonethefewer]

Two Dresden Files questions.  Possibly I'm just missing something obvious.

1) In book 3, Grave Peril, Bianca is pissed because Rachel died.

Who the fuck is Rachel?

I found online a place that had full-text reprints of all Dresden Files books 1-11.  I used these to do a search through all of the 1-11 books for this name.  Her name only appears in book 3.  I reread the pertinent portions of his interactions with Bianca in book 1.  The three people who died, who were related to Bianca (story-wise, not family-wise, I mean): Jennifer Stanton, Linda Randall, and Paula.

So, what?  What am I missing?  Who's Rachel?

2) In book... Blood Rites, book 6, I have a question.

* Lara gives Arturo Genosa, the film producer, social cheek kisses.
* Later, Thomas explains that love is anathema to White Court vampires.
* This is borne out by Inari getting blisters when she tries to kiss Harry while... what's a phrase... beginning to transform.
* Also by Thomas kissing Justine at the end of the book, and getting blisters.
* One reason Lord Raith was having an issue with Genosa was he couldn't touch him, because Genosa is in love.

So how the hell did Lara give Genosa social cheek kisses without blistering up?

--

I don't mind if it's a writing slip-up, I just hate not knowing.

Originally posted on Dreamwidth.  Number of comments so far:

Comments

[tisiphone.livejournal.com]

1) Rachel is one of Bianca's minions (possibly a lover, possibly a Plot Device), for whose death she blames Harry. I don't know that it's ever better explained than that.


2) She didn't love him - it's love that's anathema, not kissing.

[the-xtina.livejournal.com]

2) But, so... this goes into book 11, Turn Coat.

Justine leans over Madeline Raith and gives her a kiss, then trails her hair over Madeline.  She gets all kinds of burns.  She's burned because Justine is in love with Thomas, and so is protected.

Or in book 6 still, Thomas mentions that Lara still has a scar on her palm from picking up a wedding ring.

*still confused*

[tisiphone.livejournal.com]

It's my understanding that being in love (whether with the person or not) is what causes the physical damage. So, Justine can't kiss Thomas because she loves him, but that also places her off-limits to other white court vampires. If someone isn't in love (or a symbol or love, or w/e) then there's no harm.

[sinboy.livejournal.com]

Yep. Anyone who is in "True Love" can cause burns to a white court vamp by touching them, or even if a vamp touches something they treasure (like a wedding ring)

[dilletante.livejournal.com]

She didn't love him - it's love that's anathema, not kissing.

but it doesn't matter whether she loves him or not, if he's in love. if he's so in love that one white court vampire (lord raith) can't touch him without getting burned, why can another white court vampire (lara) touch him with impunity? i think that's what the_xtina is asking. (i don't know the answer-- i remember those scenes, but it's been a little too long for me to remember all the details of the exact context.)

[tisiphone.livejournal.com]

Yeah, true. I don't remember the details either. There were a fair number of continuity errors in the earlier books, though. I've always chalked it up to Butcher getting his sea legs.

[sinboy.livejournal.com]

Who the fuck is Rachel?

Because I've got the Dresden Files RPG, I can look that up:

Rachel
(AKA “Paula”)
An employee of Bianca St. Claire, Rachel worked at the (old) Velvet Room. She was a young, well-groomed woman with short straight hair. Unfortunately, in the course of events recorded in the Storm Front casefile, she was unintentionally sucked dry by Bianca after a tête-à-tête with Harry Dresden that left Bianca weakened. Rachel’s death sparked a deep enmity between vampiress and wizard, leading to the proximate

So that's the RPG's answer

Billy (in a sidebar): Harry, this person seems to be referred to as “Paula” in the SF casefile, and alternately “Paula” and “Rachel” in the GP casefile. What gives?

Harry: “Paula” was her stage-name at the Velvet Room; that’s how I was introduced to her at first, so that’s what I wrote. Later, I found out that her real name was “Rachel.”

Plus, with everything that was going on, Billy-boy, you’re lucky those notes are typed and not scrawled in crayon.

And that's a hint that the author just screwed it up.



So how the hell did Lara give Genosa social cheek kisses without blistering up?

Air kisses are not uncommon, socially but I'm betting Butcher just dropped the ball no that one.

[the-xtina.livejournal.com]

1) OH.  THANK YOU.  God, that was gonna bug me forever.

2) Yeah, that's what I figured.

Again yeah, I have no problem (aren't I generous!) with authorial flubs.  I have a big big problem with "this is actually perfectly explainable, you're just not understanding it".  So.