It means nothing. Under the whole buying a round thing, the drinks aren't gifts, because everyone ends up paying the same. She's now under an obligation to stick to the rotation established - that is, whoever payed this time won't pay again until the others also have - but she doesn't suddenly become indebted to whoever paid that round.

 

I'm just skimming, so someone else might have already mentioned this, but familial love probably doesn't affect White vamps the same way as the other kind.

 

Its not the love between Harry and Thomas, but the love between Harry and Susan not affecting Thomas like it did Lara.

 

Ah, I see. Must have brain-farted that one. The obvious answer is that Thomas isn't trying to feed on Harry. Every example I can recall of a White getting burned by something lovey-dovey involved them using their powers in some way, either as an attractant, or actually feeding.

The classic example is Inari, who was able to touch and kiss Harry, no problem, but got burned when she tried to feed.

 

It's been said before but basically this.


As for the lemonade thing, besides the obvious parallels with Aurora giving Harry food and no favors being owed, the point is equal trade, an exchange. You don't borrow a toothpick and have your repayment being your firstborn child.

 

Not that a Sidhe wouldn't try to get you to agree to that though, if they thought they could.

I do think that's a little strange, but I'd say that 'Mac's pub is accorded neutral territory' isn't a sufficient answer, at the Bianca's party, everyone was supposedly assured hospitality. You would think then, that any gift given (like food, or shelter) wouldn't need a reciprocal gift in return, and we don't have any screen time of Leannsidhe repaying the gift of food.

 

Lol, very true. You'll both agree to your the service/payment but the Sidhe will get the better deal is a better way of putting it.

 

Raith White Court Vampires feed through lust, with actual reciprocated love being poison to them (and presumably all WC vampires). Until they are Inari's age (18-21) they are a normal humdrum human. At this magical age however the phage that attaches itself to the souls of WC vampires begins to awaken and the first tenuous 'merging' of their selves begin, and they presumably become they physically perfect specimens they are. Its at this time the need to feed begins. If said vampire feeds on Joe/Jane the plumber it is fatal, their self and the phage's becoming permanently intertwined. If the first feeding is with someone they truly love, and is loved in return, the phage is separated never to return.

The only thing I wonder about is that Inari's initial feeding was seemingly triggered by her attraction to Harry. So what happens with underage sex? Safe, or an early merging?

 

If popping the seal early would make them vampirised early, then Boss Raith would have tapped that as early as possible to get his psychic claws (and his penis) into her, the same way he did with his other daughters. So he's got to wait until her vampire side wakes up on it's own before slapping the dicking domination onto her.

Either that or Jim Butcher just wasn't going to go there, and you can't really blame him if that's the case.

 

Wedding rings aren't people in love, they're the very symbol of undying, life-long love between two people. Symbols are serious fucking business in the Dresdenverse.

And it wouldn't surprise me if, once upon a time, wedding rings were cripplingly agonising to White Court vamps, but the rising divorce rate has reduced them to merely painful.

 

Then why does the scarf that Justine gave Thomas burn him if he touched it? I think the symbol thing is correct however it matters if it a symbol of love to the couple not in general. remember it is not the symbol in the books that are important but rather the belief in the symbol. Justine giving Thomas clothes is the only way she can find to show her love and both of them believe in their love and see the scarf as a smybol, same with wedding rings, wedding rings and engagement rings are symbols of true love to the people who give them, and people believe they are proof that their love is eternal.

 

I think that while fairies are required to repay favors, circumstances and tradition due dictate what counts as a gift. Dresden invited Fix (and Lily included herself in the invite) to McAnally's, and therefore one might argue that it was therefore Dresden's responsibility to pay for the drinks; the payment made is that Fix bothered to show up. If I were to invite you to a party and then not specify any obligations concerning it, then I would not expect you to attempt to repay me for any food or drink consumed, as the fact that the guest came to the party is the payment rendered.