WAG.... Murphy has moved on

[groinkick]

Here is just a guess, but I think Murphy will have moved on from Harry.  She hasn't told him because the time wasn't right.  I'm thinking Harry's "death" resulted in her finding the comfort from another man who was there for her in her time of sadness.  Then his extended time on Demon Reach after his return gave more time for this relationship to unfold.  When she told Harry they would "talk about it later" when she found Harry fantasizing about her, I think it's going to be she tells him that she's engaged.  She will explain how she's getting older, and he's not going to.  That his life is too important to be risking on her, and that she just doesn't have any fight left.  That she wants to settle down, and live a semi normal life.  Not sure who this man will be but I just think (hope) this is how it's going to unfold.  She cannot possibly keep up with the dangerous path he's on.  Thomas at full strength would barely keep up let alone a middle aged woman with no powers.  Unless she takes up a Mantle.... 

[raidem]

Unless she takes up a Mantle....

I've long realized that .  I've even ventured a guess, but I guess there are other options to consider other than Mab.  I don't know but a series that begins with Harry and Murphy working cases together then ending together working together to save the Universe (Mab and her knight) screams symmetric to me.  And, I like it.  (There actually is a WOJ that Mab and Harry will save or attempt to save the Universe Mab style.  So that is what Mab is up to; she is working with Harry to save it her way.)

Others don't but who cares.

There is a WOJL that says people have figured things out, and the internet is working against him   I just don't know what the 'things' are.  IF Mab=Murphy at some point, (which I've not had the greatest track record but if so, I'd count myself as working hard to propagate that theory).  That said, Jim mentions there are like some far out theories but then they have nuggets of truth or in some small part touch too close to what is actually going on.  (Paraphrasing lots)

In the same WOJL, he mentions some far out theories that he joshes like:
Harry is Merlin living his life backwards in time.
a few others, can't think of them right now; none were specific to my theories though.  He didn't get to finish his thought though before he was asked about the Prisoner in Demonreach being Merlin to which he responded: No.

[Mr. Death]

They hooked up, enthusiastically, at the end of the last book. There's no way that Jim is going to spend the prior three books setting it up only to can the whole thing before the next book even comes out.

Haven't we had enough of these "Murphy can't keep up" threads? Haven't we had this argument enough times already? Haven't we all seen that the kind of nonsense that it brings out is one of the reasons Iago is shutting the whole place down?

Let it go.

[groinkick]

They hooked up, enthusiastically, at the end of the last book.

I haven't read the book in a while.  I remember Harry having a dream about hooking up, not that they actually did.  At the end of the book she was in a hospital bed with a horribly injured leg.

is one of the reasons Iago is shutting the whole place down?

For people being rude to each other. 

[Mr. Death]

I haven't read the book in a while.  I remember Harry having a dream about hooking up, not that they actually did.  At the end of the book she was in a hospital bed with a horribly injured leg.

Making out with Harry. Very, very happily. After professing her love to him. After risking her life for him explicitly out of her love for him. After promising to walk through hell with him.

Murphy, throughout Skin Game, makes it abundantly, absolutely clear that she is definitely into Harry and reciprocates his affections and love.

Cold Days and Ghost Story, her arcs were very specifically about how she very much did not move on from Harry.

For people being rude to each other.  My post wasn't rude.  Neither was Raidem's...  Yours?  yes I think it was.

None of the starting posts on any of the now-locked Murphy threads were rude. They all led to the same place.

This whole "Murphy can't keep up" discussion has happened dozens of times. None of them end well. Seeing another thread start up on the exact same discussion point that's led to flaming and locked threads dozens of times before is frustrating. You've been in some of those threads, so I can't imagine you don't see where this is going to go.

[Mr. Death]

From the book, the last bit that Murphy appears in:

“I want you to rest and get better, too,” I said. “We have some things to do.”
“Like what?” she asked.
I felt myself smile. There might have been something merrily wolfish in it. “Things I’ve only dreamed about.”
“Oh,” she breathed. Her blue eyes glittered. “That.” She tilted her head. “That was . . . was me?”
“That was you,” I said. “Seems fair. It was your bed.”
Her hand tightened on mine and her face broke into an open grin. I lifted her hand and kissed her fingers, one at a time.
“I am on so many drugs right now,” she said.
I grinned. She wasn’t really talking about her IV.
The nurse came in while we were kissing again. She cleared her throat pointedly.
Two or three times. I let her. The kiss wasn’t finished yet. The nurse went out in the hallway to complain to Rawlins, who appeared to listen politely.
Karrin ended the kiss with another little laugh.

So when I see a post that treads the same tired ground, the same ground that has led to so many pointless fights, and which appears to ignore a blatant and obvious fact of the most recent book of the series, can you understand my frustration?

[groinkick]

pointless fights

Hmm.............. 

[Mr. Death]

Yes. The fights that wouldn't happen if people didn't keep trying to shove Murphy into the fridge or under the bus or into the kitchen or otherwise get rid of her.

Here's the "let's talk" bit:

She regarded me for a second, her expression difficult to read. “Save it for fight night, big guy,” she
said. She started to turn and then paused. “But once we’re clear of this mess . . .”
She smiled, and looked back at the pillow. Her smile was an amazing thing, equal parts joy and wickedness.
“Once we’re clear, we should talk.”
I found myself blushing furiously.
She gave me that smile again, and said, “See you in the morning.”

[Wolfeyes]

Agree with Mr. Death. The signs there don't really point to Murphy having moved on for a couple of reasons.

One, in the meta context, we've had an arc from the end of Changes of 'Murphy and Harry are getting into a place to give it a go'. It would be a waste to anticlimactically go "welp, after FOUR books on this arc it's a dead end".

Second, when Harry fantasized about her, she reacted pleasantly and coy. If she'd moved on and had been planning on turning him down, that makes no sense as a reaction from what we know about Murphy. Likewise, as Mr. Death pointed out, her final scene being her making out with Harry enthusiastically makes no sense.

Third, the idea that Murphy would just give up everything to retire and get engaged is an uncharitable one for many reasons. The first is simply that it's well-established Murphy is gunshy about relationships and the idea of getting married after her failed marriage, and it's established it's a part of her hesitance to get into anything serious let alone with Harry. Second, the "Murphy can't keep up" debate is an old one but I'll repeat it: Murphy's in her forties. Michael was older than her and still active, even while married and having a family. Marcone is also older, iirc, and very involved in things despite not being the person always in the thick of things. Likewise, the presence of people like the Paranet group or even Forthill show there's more to be done than just fight.

And yet, it's always Murphy who gets the "she's too old" measurement.

EDIT:

I mean, do you believe any woman should retire from physically extensive activities or jobs the moment they hit forty? 

[SerScot]

I've long realized that .  I've even ventured a guess, but I guess there are other options to consider other than Mab.  I don't know but a series that begins with Harry and Murphy working cases together then ending together working together to save the Universe (Mab and her knight) screams symmetric to me.  And, I like it.  (There actually is a WOJ that Mab and Harry will save or attempt to save the Universe Mab style.  So that is what Mab is up to; she is working with Harry to save it her way.)

Others don't but who cares.

There is a WOJL that says people have figured things out, and the internet is working against him   I just don't know what the 'things' are.  IF Mab=Murphy at some point, (which I've not had the greatest track record but if so, I'd count myself as working hard to propagate that theory).  That said, Jim mentions there are like some far out theories but then they have nuggets of truth or in some small part touch too close to what is actually going on.  (Paraphrasing lots)

In the same WOJL, he mentions some far out theories that he joshes like:
Harry is Merlin living his life backwards in time.
a few others, can't think of them right now; none were specific to my theories though.  He didn't get to finish his thought though before he was asked about the Prisoner in Demonreach being Merlin to which he responded: No.

Mab is not Murphy.  Nor do I believe Mab will ever be Murphy. 

[Mr. Death]

(which I've not had the greatest track record but if so, I'd count myself as working hard to propagate that theory)

We know. Believe me. We know about your theory. Mission accomplished.

[Talby16]

Murphy will have to transition into a slightly different role given the degree of injury, but I don't see her moving on from Harry anytime soon.

[Mira]

Mab is not Murphy.  Nor do I believe Mab will ever be Murphy.

Agreed, she isn't Mab...  Hard to say if Harry and Murphy hooked up enthusiastically...  Harry gave her a sock full of diamonds and a passionate kiss...  Her eyes got big, so on his part, yes, her part?  Not so clear since that moment, the two short stories about Harry since, not a word about her...  Mainly Harry moving into Molly's old place, not a word about Murphy, then going to the zoo with Maggie, not a word about Murphy.... Yes, she might be in rehab, but that shouldn't keep her out of the picture if she and Harry were an item..

My guess is she may be staying distant so Harry and Maggie can bond, but then again one would think that Harry would want her to be a part of that... 

We have evidence of Murphy's extreme independence, especially when she is going though a hard patch.. After Nightmare had gotten hold of her, she turned to the bottle, which worried Harry, but she refused all help saying she had to work it out for herself, which she obviously did. 

This time around it is physical damage but there has to be a degree of emotional damage as well inflicted by Nic.  Yes, it all turned out well in the end, the Sword of Faith was remade and we have a new Knight, but it could have ended very badly because of her judgement.   She'd be the first I think to admit that she fucked up, and might want some space to work out the implications of that.  Given what Harry has to work out, she might have unselfishly insisted that his daughter comes first.   We don't know as of yet how her physical rehab is going, how quickly she is bouncing back, and how much of her former agile self will never come back..  If it is significant at all, Murphy isn't one who wants to be the object of pity, real or imagined so she might not want Harry around during her recovery...  She is unpredictable, she may even resent Harry's expensive gift given her situation and tell him to go fish with it...

Or they are still very enthusiastically passionate for each other, just off page for the two short stories where Harry was one of the principles since Skin Game...  However I still think it odd that if they were, her name wasn't mentioned once...

[Wolfeyes]

Or they are still very enthusiastically passionate for each other, just off page for the two short stories where Harry was one of the principles since Skin Game...  However I still think it odd that if they were, her name wasn't mentioned once...

Why would her name be? Murphy has no reason to be mentioned in Jury Duty or Zoo Day. Hell, Harry doesn't mention Thomas or Molly, iirc. Clearly, that means Harry's no longer keeping in contact with them. Likewise, Harry doesn't mention Butters despite Butters calling him right before the short story so whoops, guess their relationship is close to falling apart.

Likewise, Harry didn't mention Maggie in Jury Duty. Clearly he kept no contact or thought of her until Zoo Day.

[Dashkull]

The denouement of Skin Game effectively blows this theory up sorry Groinick. The Mighty Murph-den Power Ship is at full sail at the end of Skin Game. Remember they didn’t just kiss once they kiss until the Nurse comes to kick him out, and they say they agree they are going to act out what Harry has “only dreamed about” once she is better.