Author Topic: New Relations and Kumori  (Read 4270 times)

Offline dspringer1

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New Relations and Kumori
« on: February 14, 2018, 12:34:48 AM »
Coincidence is one of the classics of fiction.  And a common coincidence is that person X is really an unknown blood relation of Y (someone very different) -- with that connection discovered at some dramatic moment. 

Of course, JB has used this already with Thomas, but I think there is another good prospect that has not been explored: Kumori.    All the speculation around Kumori is around "which female character introduced in the series is really Kumori".   I have to admit that none of the theories seemed very probable to me.  I agree that there is some connection there, but I think we are asking the wrong question.   I want to change the question to:  "Who among the people Harry knows is Kumori related to? "

When you ask the question that way, you get an easy answer loaded with all sorts of strong emotional connections with Dresden and many of Dresden's allies.      Well you get two answers.

1) Dresden's older sister would obviously have the most powerful effect on Dresden himself.   We also have had some foreshadowing that other siblings might exist.   This is not my favorite simply because it was done before with Thomas.  JB does not repeat things often. 

2) Charity has a powerful magical bloodline.   If she had a sister or close cousin who did receive magical training (aka - Kumori), that would also create a very powerful connection to Harry, Michael, Charity, Molly/Winter Lady, and indirectly to all the other human allies of Dresden.  It is a connection that the Outsiders would have every incentive to leverage against Dresden.  It is also a connection that is likely to blindside Harry simply because he trusts the Carpenters so much.   This idea has possibilities!  :) 




Offline groinkick

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Re: New Relations and Kumori
« Reply #1 on: February 14, 2018, 06:41:30 AM »
I like where your theory is going, just not the two people you think it could be. 

Marcone's sister would be interesting... 

I could see Kumori being Maggie's twin sister.  Would throw Harry for a loop when he see's a woman who looks exactly like his mom, and also piss him off that he was never told about her from Eb, who had been protecting the one daughter he had left. 

Harry's grandmother from his father's side.  Maggie and her were friends, and that's how she met Malcolm, who had no magical talent.
Stole this from Reginald because it was so well put, and is true for me as well.

"I love this place. It was a beacon in the dark and I couldn't have made it through some of the most maddening years of my life without some great people here."  Thank you Griff and others who took up the torch.

Offline dspringer1

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Re: New Relations and Kumori
« Reply #2 on: February 14, 2018, 05:27:08 PM »
Quote
Marcone's sister would be interesting... 

It is a connection, but not sure why it would be interesting.  Harry would have no emotional connection to Marcone's sister, so not sure why that connection would add anything.   Yes maybe it puts Marcone in the position of supporting Kumori, but that is easy enough to do in a hundred different ways.  Finally, Marcone has no history of magical ability. 



Quote
I could see Kumori being Maggie's twin sister.  Would throw Harry for a loop when he see's a woman who looks exactly like his mom, and also piss him off that he was never told about her from Eb, who had been protecting the one daughter he had left. 

Possible - but it is more of a physical connection than an emotional one.  It is a blood relative (which is important to Harry) and the appearance might throw him for a loop briefly, but that is it.  But it is hard to argue that the connection would really throw Harry off his game in any significant way.  Also, Kumori is an apprentice while Maggie was a full wizard when harry was born.  Very unlikely Maggie's twin sister would still be an apprentice at age 60+. 



The only reason to create a connection is because that connection has some important meaning to someone critical to the story.  Otherwise it is a distraction from the story.  And since any connection (even the ones I proposed) are pretty unlikely, that connection has to be really important to the story JB wants to tell.   It creates a high bar.   

Offline Snark Knight

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Re: New Relations and Kumori
« Reply #3 on: February 18, 2018, 09:07:43 PM »
I could see Kumori being Maggie's twin sister.  Would throw Harry for a loop when he see's a woman who looks exactly like his mom, and also piss him off that he was never told about her from Eb, who had been protecting the one daughter he had left. 
Harry's grandmother from his father's side.  Maggie and her were friends, and that's how she met Malcolm, who had no magical talent.

The Harry's aunt theory in particular is getting pretty old for Kumori, but even the paternal grandmother version would just about have to be into her fifties by DB. It's possible someone with considerable experience might do a second apprenticeship under someone as impressive as Cowl, but I think it makes more sense that she be genuinely young.

Even speaking as a proponent of the Cowl = Simon & Kumori = Elaine theory, even Elaine is arguably pushing it in terms of young enough to fit Kumori's mistaken idealism.

Offline YoungestGruff

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Re: New Relations and Kumori
« Reply #4 on: February 25, 2018, 11:59:48 PM »
OK, bizarro guess on Kumori's relation:

None whatsoever.

She's just a girl, and she'll probably end up dying without Dresden knowing anything for real about her. Probably (given the way things tend to go. . .) at Dresden's hands.

I just can't think of who would be more of an emotional sucker-punch than someone who just wanted to do good and made the wrong move.

Offline Teslas Shadow

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Re: New Relations and Kumori
« Reply #5 on: February 28, 2018, 05:44:43 PM »
With the NN time twistiness Kumori *could* be chronologically older than Harry while still being physically younger while keeping well within the established rules.

That said, I think Kumori being one of the Murphy clan would be intriguing.

Offline exartiem

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Re: New Relations and Kumori
« Reply #6 on: March 01, 2018, 01:00:34 AM »
Has anyone ever suggested Kim Delaney as Kumori?

IIRC she was Harry's first apprentice and she died.  What if Cowl brought her back or somehow saved her.  She is a good guy, but owned/controlled by Cowl.

Offline Griffyn612

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Re: New Relations and Kumori
« Reply #7 on: March 01, 2018, 01:48:55 AM »
Has anyone ever suggested Kim Delaney as Kumori?

IIRC she was Harry's first apprentice and she died.  What if Cowl brought her back or somehow saved her.  She is a good guy, but owned/controlled by Cowl.
Yeah, it's been proposed.

Offline groinkick

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Re: New Relations and Kumori
« Reply #8 on: March 01, 2018, 05:25:19 AM »
Has anyone ever suggested Kim Delaney as Kumori?

IIRC she was Harry's first apprentice and she died.  What if Cowl brought her back or somehow saved her.  She is a good guy, but owned/controlled by Cowl.

Cowl seems more controlled by her.  She calms him down....  He has genuine affection for her I think.  I'd guess it's a daughterly kind of connection.
Stole this from Reginald because it was so well put, and is true for me as well.

"I love this place. It was a beacon in the dark and I couldn't have made it through some of the most maddening years of my life without some great people here."  Thank you Griff and others who took up the torch.

Offline Kindler

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Re: New Relations and Kumori
« Reply #9 on: March 01, 2018, 03:23:32 PM »
Cowl seems more controlled by her.  She calms him down....  He has genuine affection for her I think.  I'd guess it's a daughterly kind of connection.

Actually, yeah. Their relationship doesn't really fit a typical Master/Slave dynamic very much. Cowl seems to value Kumori, and Kumori seems to be working alongside Cowl rather than for him, and because she sees the goal as worthwhile. That's my reading of things.

Offline WereElephant

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Re: New Relations and Kumori
« Reply #10 on: March 01, 2018, 03:29:35 PM »
Cowl seems more controlled by her.  She calms him down....  He has genuine affection for her I think.  I'd guess it's a daughterly kind of connection.

She doesn't seem to think so. When Harry offered her a chance to stand down in Dead Beat, her response wasn't that she didn't want to - she said Cowl would kill her for doing it.