Christmas Eve from JB's Twitter (no news, just fun)

[Avernite]

    I think she did it because it was the only thing she could do...  She cannot change what happened, all she could do was bring what relief [pay the bills] as was in her power.  If her aim was to mitigate Harry's natural tendency towards feeling guilt and responsibility for it all, it's success was very limited.

I think it's more the Cold Case sense of gift giving; she paid the bills because she felt it was a good and necessary gesture, not to assuage Harry's guilt. In other words, she framed it as an obligation and thereby got away with it.

[Mr. Death]

I don't think Molly's planning to live at the house she's buying in her parents' neighborhood. The way she framed it was as a way to have her own faerie goons keep an eye on the house and protect them without them knowing about it.

If she's living next door, they're going to know about it.

[Arjan]

    I think she did it because it was the only thing she could do...  She cannot change what happened, all she could do was bring what relief [pay the bills] as was in her power.  If her aim was to mitigate Harry's natural tendency towards feeling guilt and responsibility for it all, it's success was very limited.

Mab wants to change Harry, Molly does not.

But helping Harry to keep himself together? Of course. It is good to feel guilt and responsibility when it is proper to do so but it should not make it impossible to meet your current responsibilities.

[Mira]

Mab wants to change Harry, Molly does not.

But helping Harry to keep himself together? Of course. It is good to feel guilt and responsibility when it is proper to do so but it should not make it impossible to meet your current responsibilities.

  That is my whole point, we know from the past that Harry can be a bit of a drama queen when it comes to taking the blame for something..  He will beat himself up to the point of destruction, Molly is doing what she can to ease that with some sound advice as well.  I think Molly is doing this on her own authority as Winter Lady, not under Mab's orders...  However at the same time if she was opposed to Molly doing this it wouldn't happen.

I don't think Molly's planning to live at the house she's buying in her parents' neighborhood. The way she framed it was as a way to have her own faerie goons keep an eye on the house and protect them without them knowing about it.

I don't think she is planning on spending much time at the apartment either.  Harry was in the process of moving in with Maggie in Jury Duty, I seriously doubt he'd do that if Molly was always there...  1]her parents wouldn't like it,2] I doubt that Mab would like it, 3] it could get complicated if he sees a lot of Murphy..

I think it's more the Cold Case sense of gift giving; she paid the bills because she felt it was a good and necessary gesture, not to assuage Harry's guilt. In other words, she framed it as an obligation and thereby got away with it.

Yeah, but at the same time she said all the death etc wasn't his doing, and that his words in the aftermath saved a lot of people... That isn't in the Cold Case sense of gift giving..

[Avernite]

Yeah, but at the same time she said all the death etc wasn't his doing, and that his words in the aftermath saved a lot of people... That isn't in the Cold Case sense of gift giving..

Oh sure, when she was gift-giving anyway she tried to do some psychological damage control on Harry, and even if it wasn't brilliant for that any positive was nice.

But the real damage control was to Molly's sense of rightness and justice, so the real target of the gift was human-Molly, not Harry. As behooves a Faerie Queen, she gave a gift and got most out of it herself   

[Dina]

Precisely, I think Harry won't accept Mister back unless he has a home of his own. And as I've read CE as he is living with the Carpenters, that is why I believe Mister is with Murphy.
I see nothing in CE that makes me believe they were visiting. In fact, I think Harry would have loved to have a Christmas alone with Maggie if he could. I don't think he could because I don't think he has a place to live. So my take is that PT left Harry poor and homeless again (if he still had the diamonds he would have paid for as many funerals/recoveries expenditures as he could, no need to wait for Christmas)

Charity  loves Harry. But she doesn't love Harry that much.  And she already has his a 200 pound "Mouse".   

Mouse and Maggie lived with the Carpenters for months, not a problem, they are used to that. Having Harry for some weeks (or months) until he finds a place to live doesn't sound like too much of a stretch. It's hospitality.

[morriswalters]

She'll keep Maggie and Mouse forever. 

Guests, like fish, start to stink after three days. And we won't dwell on the fact that Harry is a trouble magnet.  Remember when the Pizza guy hid a bomb in a pizza?  

I still like him for the BFS castle.  Built in daycare and bodyguards.  And you just know Skaldi Skjeldson would spoil her rotten.  And if Mab and Molly have gone all Harry happy , he can probably get a stipend to help with the lease.

[Mira]

I see nothing in CE that makes me believe they were visiting. In fact, I think Harry would have loved to have a Christmas alone with Maggie if he could. I don't think he could because I don't think he has a place to live. So my take is that PT left Harry poor and homeless again (if he still had the diamonds he would have paid for as many funerals/recoveries expenditures as he could, no need to wait for Christmas)

I'm not so sure of that, given his losses and the emotional trauma the best thing he could have done for himself and Maggie would to have as normal a Christmas as possible.   This is a lesson I learned the hard way, believe me.  Also since his father died Harry has never celebrated a real Christmas, wouldn't know where to begin..  The important thing for him would be to give Maggie the best
Christmas he possibly could, so what better way then in the warmth and love of the Carpenter home, and we know Michael would welcome him and her with open arms, Charity as well if only for Maggie's sake..  So I really don't think we can read it as they are living there now unless of course another short story comes out and it's spring and Harry and Maggie are still there.

[Bad Alias]

I'm spending way to much time on Harry related things, which to be fair I have in excess.  For all those Murphy killers out there, a WOJ.

But in an event that kills thousands and injures tens of thousands, I'm guessing a lot of innocent bystanders that have nothing to do with the talks are going to die. One of them could be Murphy. Admittedly, it would be weird to knock off a main character like that.

[Bad Alias]

I'd say that was his choice to do that because as you say, he is into bikes.   As parents we bought several bikes over the years for our boys ranging from basic with training wheels to more complicated BMX and multiple speed bikes, from places like Wal Mart to the best bike shops in town, as they grew older, we never had to assemble anything.. If it is required, a bike shop will do it for you for a small fee or as part of the service...  I'd say that Harry is doing this by choice.

My brother-in-law did mumble something about how much easier it had been to assemble my other nephew's bike.

Knowing Harry, I'd say he bought a bike that needed to be assembled because he had no idea what he was doing and either waited too long to get a bike or waited too long to open it and realize that it needed to be assembled.

[Bad Alias]

So my take is that PT left Harry poor and homeless again (if he still had the diamonds he would have paid for as many funerals/recoveries expenditures as he could, no need to wait for Christmas)

According to google, the average cost of a funeral is $7,181. If 2,000 people died, then the funeral costs would likely be over $14,362,000. And thousands, plural, died. Add another 7.181 mil for every additional thousand dead. The medical expenses would probably be much higher on average and many more were injured.

I don't know how half a lock box of diamonds is worth if you want to liquidate them over 6 months or so, but it certainly isn't going to be retail. Probably wouldn't even be wholesale.

[Dina]

Bad Alias: That is what I said "as many as he could" and not "all". But Molly didn't say "the remaining injured" or something like that. So I don't think Harry had paid anything so far. I see it as "he spent the money before". I don't know if buying a home, paying a rescue, or whatever.

I'm not so sure of that, given his losses and the emotional trauma the best thing he could have done for himself and Maggie would to have as normal a Christmas as possible.   This is a lesson I learned the hard way, believe me.  Also since his father died Harry has never celebrated a real Christmas, wouldn't know where to begin..  The important thing for him would be to give Maggie the best
Christmas he possibly could, so what better way then in the warmth and love of the Carpenter home, and we know Michael would welcome him and her with open arms, Charity as well if only for Maggie's sake..  So I really don't think we can read it as they are living there now unless of course another short story comes out and it's spring and Harry and Maggie are still there.

I disagree, but as I said, "I" understood that Harry was living with the Carpenters. I may be wrong, but the book does not prove me wrong.

[Bad Alias]

I don't think Harry could have liquidated all the diamonds that quickly. It's hard to go broke when you can't liquidate all your assets at once and your credit isn't good enough to get insanely large loans. Harry would only be able to get loans based on his Warden's salary because banks like to pretend income from self employment doesn't exist. The only way for Harry to go broke this quickly is to lose the diamonds.

Furthermore, Maggie is attending SMAGT. She is going to continue to attend St. Mark's. A whole YA book series is set to take place with her there. Harry is going to have to be able to pay for it.

[Mira]

Bad Alias: That is what I said "as many as he could" and not "all". But Molly didn't say "the remaining injured" or something like that. So I don't think Harry had paid anything so far. I see it as "he spent the money before". I don't know if buying a home, paying a rescue, or whatever.
I disagree, but as I said, "I" understood that Harry was living with the Carpenters. I may be wrong, but the book does not prove me wrong.

True, I just read it differently...

Bad Alias: That is what I said "as many as he could" and not "all". But Molly didn't say "the remaining injured" or something like that. So I don't think Harry had paid anything so far. I see it as "he spent the money before". I don't know if buying a home, paying a rescue, or whatever.

I agree, I don't think Harry personally paid for any of the injured.  I also think with a daughter to
support now, special needs because of what she has been through and talents she is beginning to exhibit, Harry is going to be very careful as to how he cashes in those diamonds.  Yeah, he may feel
guilty about it, but he has to put his child first so I don't see him shelling out tens a thousands of dollars for medical expenses for victims.

[Dina]

What are SMAGT and St. Mark's? And what that has to do with anything? Harry wouldn't stop paying people money now, he would think "I will find something later". And he does not know there will be a whole book series (I actually hope it's not)

I don't think Harry could have liquidated all the diamonds that quickly. It's hard to go broke when you can't liquidate all your assets at once and your credit isn't good enough to get insanely large loans. Harry would only be able to get loans based on his Warden's salary because banks like to pretend income from self employment doesn't exist. The only way for Harry to go broke this quickly is to lose the diamonds.

Furthermore, Maggie is attending SMAGT. She is going to continue to attend St. Mark's. A whole YA book series is set to take place with her there. Harry is going to have to be able to pay for it.

Mira, again, I disagree.