If Harry could feel all the wounds and the pain of the people under his banner in the night of Battle Ground, did they get to feel his pain in return? And you know what pain I’m talking about here. It would also explain part of the reason why people didn’t want to even go close to him. Maybe he was thinking they were afraid, but maybe they just knew how fucking raw he had felt, and the size of the real pain he endured that night. It wouldn’t be weird for him to misinterpret things.
@bluestockingbaby That’s an interesting point, I didn’t think about it that way, I just interpreted that the people following his banner were people finding in Harry a figure behind which they could gather and rally and canalize their own feelings of rage and stuff. Though, one does have to wonder how much of that was Mab’s influence, but I didn’t read it as Harry having an influence on them directly. Interesting.
It is true that Harry spends most of the books after Changes thinking about how things directly affect him and how everything fits or doesn’t into his own little selfish worldview and story, which is my gripe with the treatment of the way in which his romance with Murph finally comes to pass. I think he loved her, just not well enough, he took way more than he gave and it cost her her life in a way. And what pisses me off about Murph’s death is that it’s probably going to be used to get Harry to learn the lesson that he needs to be more thoughtful about others.
So, I sometimes venture into other forums where there’s talk about The Dresden Files, and sometimes I’d see a comment about Murphy that make me go “what books were you reading?” because the take seems so wrong. And then (ignoring the ill-intentioned comments that come from hateful or misogynistic places) sometimes I’d see comments about how we never knew much about her or how she’s difficult to understand or empathize with. And I’m sitting here wondering, you know, because I personally don’t think I understand any other character as well I as I do get her.
So, I wanted to ask to my readers, those of you who’ve been following my fics, how accurate do you think I am with my interpretation of Murphy? Is there a fic in particular or a moment in one of my fics where you went like “Oh, wow, that’s so Murphy”. I don’t suppose I always portray her exactly as she is 100% of the time, and maybe I don’t “get her” as well as I think, but I try and I’d like to hear your opinions.
Like, if someone else, not Butcher, were in charge of the character for a short series or something, would you trust me to write her in canon?
Not looking for praise or anything, just genuinely curious.
So, I’d appreciate your replies.
Also, if you want to share, what do you think is something that you think you totally get about Murphy that don’t see addressed often in the fandom? Or what do you see often that think that’s totally the wrong interpretation?
@aurelianpen@phygers Oh, thank you! I really appreciate that, and I’m really happy that you guys feel happy with what you read from me!
@anguisette90 I think you’re probably right about this, the short stories, the ones that came out first, in Side Jobs, were full of fun little details about the main cast that I really appreciate. And Aftermath was really fantastic. I resent Jim for giving us three Molly POV stories and just one Murphy POV story, tbh. Also, thank you so much! I gotta say, sometimes I do feel like pushing Jim aside and tell him “stop messing with my Murphy!” *shake fists*
@harpyreborn Thank you! I found Murphy so easy to relate tbh, and was mainly what made me keep reading the first books. I agree, she is such an important character in the story that she should have gotten more pages. Heck, she should have her own little short series, like 3-5 short stories from her POV, imo.
So, I sometimes venture into other forums where there’s talk about The Dresden Files, and sometimes I’d see a comment about Murphy that make me go “what books were you reading?” because the take seems so wrong. And then (ignoring the ill-intentioned comments that come from hateful or misogynistic places) sometimes I’d see comments about how we never knew much about her or how she’s difficult to understand or empathize with. And I’m sitting here wondering, you know, because I personally don’t think I understand any other character as well I as I do get her.
So, I wanted to ask to my readers, those of you who’ve been following my fics, how accurate do you think I am with my interpretation of Murphy? Is there a fic in particular or a moment in one of my fics where you went like “Oh, wow, that’s so Murphy”. I don’t suppose I always portray her exactly as she is 100% of the time, and maybe I don’t “get her” as well as I think, but I try and I’d like to hear your opinions.
Like, if someone else, not Butcher, were in charge of the character for a short series or something, would you trust me to write her in canon?
Not looking for praise or anything, just genuinely curious.
So, I’d appreciate your replies.
Also, if you want to share, what do you think is something that you think you totally get about Murphy that don’t see addressed often in the fandom? Or what do you see often that think that’s totally the wrong interpretation?
““Is this where you tell me we need to be friends?” I asked. She blinked and looked up at me. She touched my face with her fingertips. “Harry, we’re … We went past that a long time ago. I don’t know if we can … if we should be lovers. But I’m your friend. Your ally. I’ve seen what you want, and what you’re willing to sacrifice to make it happen.” She took one of my hands between hers, pressing hard. “I feel lost since they fired me. I don’t know what I’m meant to do or who I ought to be. But what I do know is that I’ve got your back. Always.” Tears fell from her blue eyes. “So goddammit, don’t you start taking the highway to Hell. Because I’m going to be right there with you. All the way.” I couldn’t see her face after that. I felt her head underneath my chin, and I put my arms around her. We sat together like that for a while.” “Things are going to get bad,” I said quietly. “I don’t know how or when, exactly. But there’s a storm coming. Being near me isn’t going to be … sane.” “Let’s just agree that I’m not all the way together, and save us both some time arguing,” she said. “Always, Harry. I’m there. End of story.” “Okay,” I said. “One condition.” “What?” “That’s not the end of the story,” I said. “I mean, maybe neither one of us is ready. But we could be, one day. And maybe we will be.” “Optimistic idiot,” she said, but I could hear the smile. “And if we get to that place,” I said, “you don’t chicken out. You don’t run away, no matter how it looks to you. We set course for the fucking iceberg, full speed ahead.””
— Cold Days - The Dresden Files, by Jim Butcher
I wonder what does it say about me that I think this is a great moment between them, heartbreaking but honest, and sweet, but I can’t stop thinking while reading it that Harry was naked under the blanket, so that was a barechested hug he got Murphy then, right? Sneaky Murphy, coping a feel there. lol
Hmm.. Seems like those little fragments of Broken Mirror are indeed making it to the general story as chapter 1 and 2. It’s really cute to write this little family.
Is it going to be enough for Harry though? Or is he going to keep striving for more power? Will Murph be confortable living with him? Is she going to be the queen of the castle?
This is absolute nonsense and at propos of nothing really, just curiosity, but do you see Murphy having a beauty routine?
At the beginning of the series Harry describes her wearing makeup and I would imagine someone who tries to take care of her body as she does, would care about her skin and all that.
So, in your heads, what kind of makeup does she wear? Does she go to ulta or sephora or she likes more niche shops/brands?
Is she a moisturizer + lipbalm only type of girl?
Does she have a whole night time routine?
Does she buy into the new “natural” brands or is she more traditional?
So, The Body Shop is not owned by L'Oreal anymore, it’s owned by Natura, making it less bad, I guess, since Natura has a reputation of being more “ethical” or whatever… How come I didn’t heard of that? (I’m too much into the cosmetics stuff for my own good, but I totally stopped paying attention to The Body Shop because of the L'Oreal thing.)
Anyway, okay, I can see Murph going to that store, because of the whole “smelling like strawberries” thing (the body shop does a lot of fruity related stuff).
This again, is absolutely nonsense.
@aurelianpen I agree, she’s probably very practical about it, meaning she doesn’t keep eleven hundred cosmetics around, just the minimal stuff.
I tend to imagine her using the minimum, but investing in quality. Like she uses a really good moisturizer and sunscreen (because being really pale) and then just keeps around a couple of lipsticks and one of those face palettes (you know, those powders that multitask) for when she wants to wear makeup. She wears perfume.
@bluestockingbaby Oh, if there’s one thing that really pisses me off about the files is that Jim doesn’t give Murph friends, or Dresden is a really terrible boyfriend and doesn’t pay attention. I think we got glimpses of her being friends with Charity (I think she got Murph some protective gear) and Georgia though (Georgia seems to understand that Murph was not going to stay at the bar in BG, when Harry couldn’t figure out the look the passed between them, so I’m guessing she knows Murph really well). Or that’s gonna be my version and I’m sticking to it because damn that girl needs girlfriends.
This is absolute nonsense and at propos of nothing really, just curiosity, but do you see Murphy having a beauty routine?
At the beginning of the series Harry describes her wearing makeup and I would imagine someone who tries to take care of her body as she does, would care about her skin and all that.
So, in your heads, what kind of makeup does she wear? Does she go to ulta or sephora or she likes more niche shops/brands?
Is she a moisturizer + lipbalm only type of girl?
Does she have a whole night time routine?
Does she buy into the new “natural” brands or is she more traditional?
Oh yeah I want my blorbos to be happy!! First thing’s first, though, *Puts them in horribly mentally damaging scenarios that they may never truly recover from*
My mother’s boyfriend has a Harley that looks identical to the way Murphy’s bike is described and drawn in the series. His bike, is 2,000 pounds, roughly. When he crashed it, it required three men to pick it up.
Listen, Murphy is very strong, but I don’t think she’s “I can lift an 2,000 pound bike all by myself strong” unless she has secretly been wonder women this whole time.
