Personal reputation is important, but that minimum information is more about what you do than how you do it. There are also modifications that apply based on what sort of interaction we want to have. Right now we don't want anything they won't do with someone they assume to be part of the Jade court.
It's also worth noting this is a pretty hostile first encounter, simple veiled exchanges are about the norm for this. Not killing each other and fulfilling all agreements made is a fantastic result all told.
They only need a more definite introduction if and when we do repeat business where it matters.
1)Its about what you do and what your affiliations are.
Nobody expects you to reveal how your power works, and noone is asking that Molly do so.
Thats not supernatural etiquette in the Dresdenverse.
Note how the Library didnt ask that, and McCoy didny either.
2)No it isnt a hostile first encounter.
This is actually a pretty mundane first encounter by Dresden Files standards.
Look at the allies Dresden has had to rely on, and who have saved his life.
Marcone had him strongarmed by thugs in Storm Front before saving his life in Dead Beat and White Night.
Lea wanted to turn him into a dog in Grave Peril before helping him in Proven Guilty and Changes, and training his apprentice when he was dead.
He threw iron at Mab in Summer Knight; in retaliation she had him stab his own hand, and yet she gave him critical info in Dead Beat, and saved his life in Small Favor.
Lara Raith shot him in the ear in Blood Rites, saved his ass later in the book, and arranged medevac for Molly in Changes.
Gard's wards severely injured Bob in Death Masks iirc and she saved his life in Dead Beat .
Kincaid accosted Dresden with a gun to the head in Death Masks, and threatened to shoot him for late payment.
By comparison all we've done is talk; we didnt even exchange threats or point weapons at each other.
This has been pretty mannerly.
And yes, it says a ton about surprise encounters in the Dresdenverse, and why reputation matters.
Note that none of those people are the type to explain themselves to others, especially in hostile environments. As things progress we can share more, but right now we're basically at "coyotes circling each other over an insensate rabbit"/10 on the relationship scale. Anything more than a minimum of details to resolve the current situation and leave a hook for something more stable if we want to try doing actual business is unnecessary.
You're also assuming here that once people know something it's instantly available to everyone. From a security perspective it's wise to plan for that, but on a practical level that isn't how it works. Lara isn't exactly running a news blog in her off hours.
They'll eventually find stuff out, but how long that takes is an important factor. If they don't make the connection for a month for the low price of doing nothing then why would we say anything?
1)Not actually true.
Of the Whamps we see onscreen, they all explain themselves just fine. Lara and Thomas are regulars and both explain themselves., Tania Raith we saw in Jury Duty, and she explained herself. Charles Barrowhill we see in the Bigfoot stories, and he explains himself.
Even fucking Madrigal Raith explained himself and his motives in Proven Guilty
when he was trying to sell Dresden on Ebay.
2)The White Court already knows much of this shit. It just hasnt occurred to OldSkavis to ask because we havent met before.
Lara Raith and her people know, because they called Michael Carpenter's cellphone after the Black Rider car auction, and Molly is still walking around, living in the Carpenter house.
And driving the same car with a spirit inside it.
If OldSkavis leaves here, he is going to go up the chain to report why Sarah Greene is still alive, because a presumed Jade Court boddithsava in Chicago is a Big Deal.
And its not going to require a genius to put it together.
This entire contortion being proposed?
We are being deceptive, and damaging our reputation for
nothing.
It's part of one of the default options, presumably there's a way to frame the orders to make it work.
I'll agree we have some degree of responsibility for the commitment we took up, but I don't think it goes further than sharing the conditions they're working with. Telling them how MiS works directly isn't nothing.
As to the bit about fighting the court; I'm not talking about an inquisition, but we just learned some heavy stuff about their operations. I can't see Molly standing aside and ignoring it, even if she should probably have expected it from the white court. Greene's plan is crazy, but my assumption is that we'll be doing something to act on what we've learned.
Yes. Like setting up a charity and taking her on as an employee. Which is a lot more effort and contortion than simply talkimg to the girl and her guardian.
We have told the Jade Dogs how MiS works.
They are drawing other people to them. We told Thomas we couldnt keep it secret.
This is not something that we can use in secret.
There's a difference between opposing (some)White Court operations and actually fighting the White Court.
Spiking the operations you disapprove of is more or less standard operating procedure in the supernatural world and its jockeying for power and position. The Knights shut down stuff they come across that offends their sensibilities.
Thats not a fight.
We arent about to start going after mundane but distasteful White Court operations like their night clubs and porn studios, any more than we are currently going after the Marcone
brothels health clubs we already know exist in Chicago.
Like the one Helen Beckitt runs.
