Timeline for Justine

[peterwiggin94]

I listened to an interview with Jim that was mostly just writer-talk and his history (linked below). It did have some lore questions and someone asked about why Justine didn't mess with the island in Cold Days. His answer was "She wasn't possessed by Nemesis them". It was fascinating and out of left field. In Battle Ground, when Harry asked how long she had been Nemfected, she said "Mortal time is such a limited concept. A few years. Ever since she became close to Lara". That heavily implied to me that she was Nemfected all the way back in White Night because that's when she became Lara's assistant. With this WOJ, her statement almost certainly means an emotional closeness. Maybe Lara found out about Thomas and Justine resuming their physical relationship and it led to Justine and Lara becoming sisterly? I don't know but that's my best guess. We better get answers in the next book though.

Interview: https://www.youtube.com/live/NaAjmJWxnBo?si=t4GTFBqNV_KzInp4

[g33k]

I listened to an interview with Jim that was mostly just writer-talk and his history (linked below). It did have some lore questions and someone asked about why Justine didn't mess with the island in Cold Days. His answer was "She wasn't possessed by Nemesis them". It was fascinating and out of left field. In Battle Ground, when Harry asked how long she had been Nemfected, she said "Mortal time is such a limited concept. A few years. Ever since she became close to Lara". That heavily implied to me that she was Nemfected all the way back in White Night because that's when she became Lara's assistant. With this WOJ, her statement almost certainly means an emotional closeness. Maybe Lara found out about Thomas and Justine resuming their physical relationship and it led to Justine and Lara becoming sisterly? I don't know but that's my best guess. We better get answers in the next book though.

Interview: https://www.youtube.com/live/NaAjmJWxnBo?si=t4GTFBqNV_KzInp4

The other issue, IMHO, is that "unreliable narrator" doesn't begin to describe how dubious I find any testimony from Nemesis!  That was the only statement we had on the matter, so many of us have been WAG'ing based upon that; but there's an implied "but..." at the foundation of all such WAGs!

[Mira]

  Actually it fits with a theory I've had and wrote and debated about some time ago.  That Justine was infested or possessed by Nemesis at least as far back as White Night, but very possibly before..  Not saying she and Thomas didn't love one another, I have to do some rereading of Grave Peril, but I seem to remember that Lord Raith set her up as food for Thomas, and it just so happened that with her he was able to control himself and not kill her, and the feeding seemed to control her insanity?  Or in Blood Rights when he was dying, he fed upon her to the point of her death and then stopped, and both survived?  All a beautiful love story, but maybe a little too perfect.. Maybe she was possessed by Nemesis all along and this was a why she survived the feedings, maybe she was actually controlling Thomas from the first.  Then in Peace Talks after she successfully manipulated him into murder for her sake triggering a war, she  discarded him.

[Dina]

  Actually it fits with a theory I've had and wrote and debated about some time ago.  That Justine was infested or possessed by Nemesis at least as far back as White Night, but very possibly before..  Not saying she and Thomas didn't love one another, I have to do some rereading of Grave Peril, but I seem to remember that Lord Raith set her up as food for Thomas, and it just so happened that with her he was able to control himself and not kill her, and the feeding seemed to control her insanity?  Or in Blood Rights when he was dying, he fed upon her to the point of her death and then stopped, and both survived?  All a beautiful love story, but maybe a little too perfect.. Maybe she was possessed by Nemesis all along and this was a why she survived the feedings, maybe she was actually controlling Thomas from the first.  Then in Peace Talks after she successfully manipulated him into murder for her sake triggering a war, she  discarded him.

Hi Mira! I do not know if you are right about this, but one thing about Justine being Thomas "ideal" food is something about her emotions. Something about Justine feeling too much or something like that. I always found it weird and it was something overshadowed in the series. Perhaps she was already infested, perhaps is the contrary and it is something that will help her to fight Nemesis.

On a related note, it drives me crazy to know that Harry's nephew or niece is going to be born in the duration of 12 months, and we do not know if Harry is going to found them. IIRC, we had estimated that the baby will arrive before Christmas, and by Christmas Harry is not even thinking in that baby (in the short fic).

[Mira]

Hi Mira! I do not know if you are right about this, but one thing about Justine being Thomas "ideal" food is something about her emotions. Something about Justine feeling too much or something like that. I always found it weird and it was something overshadowed in the series. Perhaps she was already infested, perhaps is the contrary and it is something that will help her to fight Nemesis.

On a related note, it drives me crazy to know that Harry's nephew or niece is going to be born in the duration of 12 months, and we do not know if Harry is going to found them. IIRC, we had estimated that the baby will arrive before Christmas, and by Christmas Harry is not even thinking in that baby (in the short fic).

Hi Dina! Only Harry's nephew or niece if Thomas is the father.  I think all of that including if she is actually pregnant comes into question now.