The Dresden Files > DF Spoilers
"Job placement" microfiction
Snark Knight:
--- Quote from: Bad Alias on May 10, 2020, 08:10:40 AM ---I don't think the point is that one needs a sword to be a hero. I do think that one does need the power to affect the outcome of events to be a hero if the end result is to be anything other than having "died heroically" on a tombstone.
--- End quote ---
The Butters short story does set the messaging a bit straighter than just "lightsaber, pwned", too. But he was already trying to do hero stuff before the sword came to him, it's just that he was largely out of his league against the serious threats.
Mira:
--- Quote from: Snark Knight on May 11, 2020, 03:55:34 AM ---The Butters short story does set the messaging a bit straighter than just "lightsaber, pwned", too. But he was already trying to do hero stuff before the sword came to him, it's just that he was largely out of his league against the serious threats.
--- End quote ---
Indeed he was, and what was beautiful about his character is he was an ordinary little guy, afraid of most things but trying to do his best.
--- Quote ---As for SI, I'm not too sure where they're going to stand on supernatural civilian vigilantes now that Harry is back in town. It probably depends how humanoid the creatures in question are, and exactly how clued the SI cops are. I don't get the impression Stallings knows as much as Rawlins, let alone on par with Murphy when she was in charge. Although the FBI building being gutted and the Fomor acting more openly probably should have forced Stallings to learn more than he knew as of Changes & Aftermath. I wouldn't count on SI being OK with exterminating things like whampires or technically-human turtlenecks, though. And executing a warlock was still something Murphy was really bothered by as of PG - I really wouldn't count on most of the rest of SI looking the other way for that.
--- End quote ---
I think any "justice" handed out by any group outside of the laws she enforced all of her life bothered her. In other words though the execution of warlocks, especially young one who could possibly be redeemed bothered Harry, I think it was for totally different reasons than as to why it bothered Murphy. I also think that comes down to how a wizard would see things verses a vanilla human law enforcement officer.
morriswalters:
Whatever importance swords had in the story is history. Butters can't have sword fights. His sword cut Nic's in half, something that no other Knight had done to this point. So unless Nic gets a light sabre he going to have to dance with a more modern weapon. This is my primary beef.
Butter's heroism was established in the museum when he attacked a dangerous wizard with his bare hands, despite his fear. The light sabre doesn't make him more heroic, it simply makes him a 40 plus male with a plasma cutter. And one with such bad vision that Jim uses it as a plot device in a short story.
I also realize that I am an endangered minority on this point so I'll let this be my last word on the subject.
Mira:
--- Quote from: morriswalters on May 11, 2020, 12:55:45 PM ---Whatever importance swords had in the story is history. Butters can't have sword fights. His sword cut Nic's in half, something that no other Knight had done to this point. So unless Nic gets a light sabre he going to have to dance with a more modern weapon. This is my primary beef.
Butter's heroism was established in the museum when he attacked a dangerous wizard with his bare hands, despite his fear. The light sabre doesn't make him more heroic, it simply makes him a 40 plus male with a plasma cutter. And one with such bad vision that Jim uses it as a plot device in a short story.
I also realize that I am an endangered minority on this point so I'll let this be my last word on the subject.
--- End quote ---
I think you are perhaps missing the point a bit, or maybe you aren't and it is a bit different. It isn't about the Sword or the skill at wielding it, it is about the meaning behind it. It is about the "why", not the Sword itself, or the skill wielding it. Murphy's fight with Nic demonstrates that, based on skill alone, she had him beat, but when she went against the meaning and belief behind the Sword, it got broken and she got the snot kicked out of her. So as you say, Butters is a forty plus year old man with a plasma cutter, which works because he will never be a skilled sword fighter. However consider, when the Sword transformed itself in his hand, it was adjusting to what would work for him, given his low level of fighting skill because in his heart and mind, Butters can carry out the "why" of the Sword.
Bad Alias:
--- Quote from: Snark Knight on May 11, 2020, 03:40:55 AM ---[1]He must have declined the Council trying to get him to manage both regions at once.
...[2]I don't get the impression Stallings knows as much as Rawlins, let alone on par with Murphy when she was in charge. ... [3]And executing a warlock was still something Murphy was really bothered by as of PG - I really wouldn't count on most of the rest of SI looking the other way for that.
--- End quote ---
1. That makes sense. Luccio mentions three North American regional commanders that Harry would have to coordinate with. From the end of DB when Morgan has his conversation with Harry up to the most recent info we have, it appears that number was never higher than two.
2. I got the impression that Stallings was highly competent, but I do think Murphy was more clued in than any other member of S.I. Not sure about Stallings v. Rawlins. I do think Stallings would make a better head of S.I. than either of them because a lot of being the leader of a department in a bureaucracy is not causing problems with superiors. Murphy and Rawlins have histories of causing such problems. I feel that Murphy was a bit of a bad leader. Leader's shouldn't take the field if it will immediately cause there to be an absence of leadership.
3. I've worked with cops, have/had several cop friends, and my brother was a cop before retiring. In my experience, most cops are far less concerned with the law than Murphy claims to be. (I say claims because her behavior in FM suggests otherwise). And S.I. is the place they stick all the "dysfunctional" guys. I'd be willing to bet they're okay with coloring outside the lines. Seriously, part of their job is to file false reports. I'm not sure if they'd be fine with executing warlocks, but I'm pretty sure they'd be find with Harry saying he'd handle a problem that they don't want any part of and then just not ask any questions. I think they'd be fine with Harry taking out any creature that fits Butters "humanoid but definitely not human" descriptor. I think wamps aren't going to be officially investigated at all because of Lara's influence. S.I. might be told to drop it and do so after tipping off Harry. Additionally, they may just use Murphy as a go between for a lot of the unofficial stuff.
--- Quote from: morriswalters on May 11, 2020, 12:55:45 PM ---Butters can't have sword fights. ...
Butter's heroism was established in the museum when he attacked a dangerous wizard with his bare hands, despite his fear. The light sabre doesn't make him more heroic, it simply makes him a 40 plus male with a plasma cutter. And one with such bad vision that Jim uses it as a plot device in a short story.
I also realize that I am an endangered minority on this point so I'll let this be my last word on the subject.
--- End quote ---
I think we are probably in agreement on 80 to 90% of the stuff about Butters. Much closer to 100% on the quoted portion.
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