The Dresden Files > DF Spoilers

Elaine

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Darkest-Before-Dawn:
I think some people are reading a bit too much into this? I just dug out the quote and it seems she's just admiring another wizard's craftmanship:

'Complex' she replied 'Balanced, strong, sophisticated...it took real skill'

This to me simply reads 'Elaine sees new bracelet, recognises focus is quite complex, is probably impressed Harry (who is usually more of a brute force guy) made something quite so delicate.

Arjan:

--- Quote from: Yuillegan on June 09, 2020, 05:58:09 AM ---As I said above, it would have been very strange that she sees the bracelet in Summer Knight but doesn't mention it. Sensed it how? Telepathy? I don't think Dresden's ability to sense magic has ever allowed him to sense magical paraphanalia. Why would she be able to?

It is far more likely to be either a hint that she saw it somewhere between Summer Knight and White Night, or a mistake on Jim's part.

--- End quote ---
He was wearing it so she probably saw it. They were careful with each other in summer knight and had little time for calm discussions but of course she studied it as soon as she saw it and she probably recognized it as not too different as what he had in the past. She also studied it the same way as she did in White Night but without telling him for obvious reasons, their relationship in summer knight was problematic. And she probably wanted an idea about how dangerous he had become.

What I read in it is that a subtle wizard can say something about someone else’s focus by looking at it and using her senses. It is not just a bracelet, Harry’s magic touched it and that tells.

morriswalters:
She sees the old focus at the Mothers cottage when they take Harry's magical goodies away from him, prior to trying to drown him in mud.
--- Quote ---I shook my head and looked around until I spotted my bag, jewelry, staff, and rod on the ground several yards away from the muddy bog Aurora had created. I recovered all of them. "No," I said. "It isn't over."
--- End quote ---
And he uses the new focus when he breaks into the apartment and finds Elaine.
--- Quote ---A globe of green lightning sizzled over the apartment's threshold and abruptly expanded, buzzing arcs of verdant electricity interconnected in a diamond pattern like the weave of a fisherman's net.
The spell fell on my shield and the meeting of energies yielded a torrent of angry yellow sparks that rebounded from the shield, scattering over the hall, the doorway, and bouncing back into the apartment
--- End quote ---

Yuillegan:

--- Quote from: Darkest-Before-Dawn on June 09, 2020, 07:11:10 AM ---I think some people are reading a bit too much into this? I just dug out the quote and it seems she's just admiring another wizard's craftmanship:
'Complex' she replied 'Balanced, strong, sophisticated...it took real skill'
This to me simply reads 'Elaine sees new bracelet, recognises focus is quite complex, is probably impressed Harry (who is usually more of a brute force guy) made something quite so delicate.

--- End quote ---
By some people, you mean me. I am reading into it because I think it is a clue. You might read it and see nothing else. That's up to you. I am looking for more detail. On the surface you are correct. But as a buried clue... see where I am going? You have to read into things. Jim has done it consistently throughout the series. And don't think for a second that if it turns out the Elaine is Kumori that there won't have been hints. Or anyone else that we have met. There is a WOJ that we have enough information to work out her and Cowl's identity.

Arjan - But she makes no mention of the bracelet. Of course it is possible she didn't mention it. But it's a very glaring error in White Night. And Jim is both lazy and considered. He doesn't put some throw away small talk in a scene for no reason. It often comes back to bite.

And both of you forget that she isn't admiring the focus, what she specifically comments on is the quality of the shield itself, not the bracelet. She even says she isn't sure she could have made a focus for something that complex. Also, she doesn't see the bracelet in this scene. In fact, I am pretty sure she doesn't see it in any scene in White Night either. She only see's the shield. So your premise is wrong, Darkest-Before-Dawn.

Full quote:

--- Quote ---She glanced up at me. "Like the new shield, by the way."
"Yeah. Sexy, huh?"
"Complex," she replied. "Balanced. Strong. Sophisticated. I'm not sure I could have made a focus for something like that. It took real skill, Harry."
I felt myself actually blush, absurdly pleased by the compliment. "Well, it isn't perfect. It takes a lot more juice than the old shield did.
--- End quote ---

Nothing about the actual design of the focus. Nothing about her even noticing it.

Even in Morris' example she doesn't actually see the new focus explicitly. Seeing an old focus and seeing an old shield are different things Morris. And as I stated above - she is commenting on the quality of the shield itself not the focus.

Mira:

--- Quote ---
Even in Morris' example she doesn't actually see the new focus explicitly. Seeing an old focus and seeing an old shield are different things Morris. And as I stated above - she is commenting on the quality of the shield itself not the focus.
--- End quote ---

 Another thing to take into consideration is just because Harry and Elaine were close as young teenagers, lovers, even, doesn't mean they know each other very well now.  Back when Elaine knew Harry, by his own admission while he was very strong, but his magic wasn't subtle, he put minimal effort into study, all KABOOM and no refinement.  That was still mostly true as of Summer Knight when he meets up with her again, however after those events a lot of things happen to Harry, from his hand injury to being responsible for Molly and her training, he actually begins to seriously study the magic he practices.   All of that is reflected in the shield bracelet he now wears when he meets Elaine again in White Night.  She notices it because the Harry she grew up with, while perhaps capable of making such a bracelet wouldn't have bothered to put the research in to do so.  So she says;

--- Quote ---"Complex," she replied. "Balanced. Strong. Sophisticated. I'm not sure I could have made a focus for something like that. It took real skill, Harry."
--- End quote ---

That isn't the Harry she grew up with, so she is surprised and took notice.

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