If Not Mab, Could Nic Be Behind What Thomas Did?

[ClintACK]

Oh, I agree. But (as you point out with the hairdressing) Thomas can feed without much impact "as is". So while Thomas *could* change to a different emotion, I'm not sure there would be any point.

The point would be that he could touch the woman he loves. Their True Love wouldn't burn him, apparently, if he turned his Hunger to feeding on something other than lust.

[Mira]

The point would be that he could touch the woman he loves. Their True Love wouldn't burn him, apparently, if he turned his Hunger to feeding on something other than lust.

  It is a debate that has been on these boards for years, and frankly never made much sense to me.
That is, sex with another however casual or even supposedly rape cancels the true love protection.  Thomas and Justine are just as much in love as they ever were, but because she had sex with that woman and Thomas feeds on another[sex] the protection is kaput..  Which up until she found herself pregnant and the embryo Hunger inside her embryo child began to feed off of her Justine was perfectly fine with, as was Thomas.  Which is all ironic in the first place, because both were unfaithful so they could physically express the true love they have for one another without Thomas becoming a french fry..

Now, arguably, if he changed to something else he wouldn't accidentally feed on Justine via touch, but I don't know if that would work... I don't think he'd lose the ability to feed on lust, and Thomas says his Hunger is specifically attracted to Justine (he can touch other people with True Love protection without being burned, after all...)

No, he cannot as I understand it.  He cannot touch anyone with True Love protection.  However real True Love is rare I think.  It must have been awkward in the beauty parlor if one of his clients was protected by True Love, then a pair of gloves was in order and the lady benefited from his hair dressing skills.

[vultur]

No, he cannot as I understand it.  He cannot touch anyone with True Love protection.

He absolutely can... Harry had True Love protection in BR, DB, PG, and WN. Thomas could touch Harry just fine without burning.

In general, True Love only burns a Raith if they try to Feed on a protected person or if they touch a symbol/token of True Love.

It's made very clear in TC. Madeline is totally consumed by her Hunger so she's always burned. Thomas is specifically always burned by Justine because his Hunger is drawn to her; he subconsciously/automatically tries to feed whenever they touch.

At the end of WN (when Lara uses her emotion-powers to boost Harry's shield-spell) she only gets burned once she loses control a bit and starts feeding.

[Mira]

He absolutely can... Harry had True Love protection in BR, DB, PG, and WN. Thomas could touch Harry just fine without burning.

  However he wasn't trying to feed was he?  However Thomas could not touch Justine, and at the time he wasn't trying feed on her, but that kind of contradicts Blood Rites when Thomas was hurt so bad and Raith threw her in to feed him and he did, almost until death.

[ClintACK]

If I recall correctly, that feeding was when Thomas and Justine's relationship made the jump to True Love.

It was Justine being willing to die to save him, and Thomas being willing to die rather than kill her.

[Mira]

If I recall correctly, that feeding was when Thomas and Justine's relationship made the jump to True Love.

It was Justine being willing to die to save him, and Thomas being willing to die rather than kill her.

  After that is when she took to wearing a rubber jump suit so he could touch her.

[vultur]

  However he wasn't trying to feed was he?  However Thomas could not touch Justine, and at the time he wasn't trying feed on her,

Thomas' Hunger was trying to feed on Justine whenever they touched, even if Thomas (the human mind) didn't intend to.

This issue is specific to Thomas and Justine, he could touch other people with True Love protection, like Harry, since he wasn't trying to feed.

Similarly Lara only gets burned by Harry in WN once she loses control a bit and starts trying to feed.

[Mira]

Thomas' Hunger was trying to feed on Justine whenever they touched, even if Thomas (the human mind) didn't intend to.

This issue is specific to Thomas and Justine, he could touch other people with True Love protection, like Harry, since he wasn't trying to feed.

Similarly Lara only gets burned by Harry in WN once she loses control a bit and starts trying to feed.

Only none of that follows with a wedding ring or even a rose given in true love can burn a White Court vamp.  Face it, you might be able to eat a rose, but you cannot feed upon a wedding ring.

[Conspiracy Theorist]

  After that is when she took to wearing a rubber jump suit so he could touch her.

I know they were taking precautions against conception, but that was going too far.

[vultur]

Only none of that follows with a wedding ring or even a rose given in true love can burn a White Court vamp.  Face it, you might be able to eat a rose, but you cannot feed upon a wedding ring.

I think tokens of True Love are a different principle.

It's somewhat messy, but that seems to be the only way to reconcile Thomas being able to touch Harry (and anyway we're specifically told that's how it works).

I think it's kind of like how repelling a vampire with faith works differently from holy water. Harry can't repel vampires with a cross, but he can with his pentacle; it's about his personal belief. But holy water from Father Forthill can burn vampires and ghouls even when used by Harry, though he doesn't subscribe to any religion.

The holy water is inherently imbued with holiness/faith "energy"/divine power in a way that other things aren't; similarly, tokens of True Love presumably are inherently imbued with love in a less ephemeral way than people's (very changeable) auras.