An Annoying Thing

[beccastareyes]

Spoilers for the Dresden Files. All of it. Even Ghost Story. I'll put up a cut past which the spoilers come.

So, we have the vampires of the White Court. They're emotional vampires -- they both incite and feed on strong emotions. They also specialize by family -- House Raith, the family we see the most of, feeds on lust. Unlike the other two houses shown (which feed on fear and despair), they can indulge in long-term feedings which slowly wear down the depth of emotions and free will of the victims.

Also, they're hurt by the Power of (Romantic) Love. No, really. It's mentioned that a wedding ring burned and scarred one, the scent of a bouquet of flowers someone was delivering to a boyfriend/girlfriend gave one the equivalent of a headcold, and they cannot feed on -- or incite emotions in -- anyone in love. Heck, the touch of someone in love will burn them if they even tried.

Now, where my problem comes in, is that the text seems to endorse that:

1. You can only romantically love one person at a time.
2. Any sign of sexual infidelity counters that love.
(3. Also virginity fetish, but...)

Now, my own fanon when I first read about House Raith was that it was the pairing of altruism to the emotion they were linked to (lust) that was so deadly. Other forms of love couldn't hurt them because they weren't trying to feed on something tied to those relationships.

But canon doesn't seem to support this.

The RPG (which I don't know how much Jim Butcher worked on, besides handing in a short story for it) suggests that the protections against the other houses would be courage against fear and hope against despair. Which... well, the first I can see, because I can define courage as different than fearlessness, since courage means being afraid but doing it anyway. Not so sure on hope versus despair. And they kind of are much more opposed than romantic love against lust.

Since, I mean, yes, a romantic love might act to control one's lust. So might a vow of chastity, taken out of love for God or something. And, if you and the person you're in love with have an open relationship, then it shouldn't affect it at all.

Also, well, there are two canon examples.

First, Harry Dresden! He was in love with Susan -- hell, he asks her to marry him (or was gonna -- I need to check). Then Susan got bit and partially turned into a Red Court vampire and left to go learn to control her urges and fight the Red Court. Harry blames himself and goes into Mourning Lost Love Mode. Even years later, he doesn't date because he's still totally in love with Susan and the one time she shows up again (pre-Changes), he has a fling with her despite the fact she has problems controlling her bloodlust when in a heightened emotional state. The two agree that while they love each other, they can't be together while in the middle of a war with duties and all and the whole vampire thing.

So, he's immune to House Raith, even when he comes out of Epic Sulk Mode. Fair enough.

Then he starts a relationship with Warden Anastasia Luccio. Which we later find out is because Luccio was magically influenced to seduce him so that a mole could keep an eye on him, since it's not like Harry hangs out with other wizards. Harry likes her, but doesn't love her, because... well, sometimes that happens, ya know?

And somehow, despite the fact that he goes years protected by his relationship with Susan, the act of sleeping with another woman removes his immunity to the White Court from his love for Susan. Despite the fact he's still full of Complicated Emotions for Susan, as seen in Changes.

Now, some of that I can see as Harry. He's kind of old-fashioned, you know? A bit of a romantic about relationships. In his mind, he might justify his thing with Luccio as proof he had 'gotten over' Susan, even if that doesn't change that he loved her and still might.

So, let's talk about Thomas Raith. He meets a girl named Justine, and they have a mutually beneficial relationship: he's fed and she uses the effect of feeding as a mood-management source*. Then he falls for her and she falls for him, and even though her love is for him, he can't touch her any more. Also, Thomas's older sister (possibly because she was being manipulated by Thomas's dad) tried to kill her by dragging her in while Thomas is nearly dead and out of his mind. Awkward.

At the end of Ghost Story, after Thomas has gone into Depression Since Changes and stopped eating, Justine, after seeing that nagging and emotional counseling won't work, drags one of House Raith's servants into Thomas's room and pretty much says 'She and I are going to fuck while you watch, then you and I are going to fuck, and you are going to eat up and like it, mister'.

Now, AFAIK, Justine's emotional state hasn't changed. Hell, she's having a fling while her boyfriend watches because she loves him and is doing the vampire equivalent of making him his favorite food when he's sick. Pretty much the only thing that's changed is that the last person she had sex with wasn't someone she loved (unless you consider that Thomas is in the room and is at least watching the sex act).

Again -- this could be cultural. If you ingrain the idea that romantic love = sexual exclusivity, then maybe it acts as a barrier. And the White Court kind of prides itself on shaping human emotion for their convenience -- I can see them setting up a very idealized image of romantic love so that when people fall short (and they will), they become edible again.

But it bugs me because, well, I know polyamorous people. Hell, folks who are monogamous still could love their previous partners -- if Mary's husband dies and she remarries, it shouldn't mean she never loved him.

* What Justine has is never mentioned, but she says she has problems with strong emotions -- bipolar disorder, maybe? Having someone 'bleed' it off helps her concentrate without drugs.