History Literature / BriefCases

** In "Even Hand", Justine forces this card with Marcone by coming to him for protection when guarding a child from her monsters who enslaved the girl.

* MustMakeAmends: After the CruelTwistEnding of "Cold Case", Molly vows to find a viable alternative so that [[spoiler:{{Child Soldier}}s don’t need to be drafted in service of the Winter Court to defend the Outer Gates]].

** Warden Anastasia Luccio must team up with the famous gunslinger Wyatt Earp to deal with a band of powerful necromancers. Understandably, takes place way, way, ''way'' before ''Literature/StormFront''.

* ArtisticLicenseLaw: There is almost no way that Harry would have gotten on the jury for a trial in which the prosecutor is in the pocket of the White Court. The lawyers for a case have the right to reject any candidates from the juror pool they please, and do not have to state their reasons for doing so.

** In order to help teach several younger Wardens how to do their job, Dresden recounts one of his adventures in dealing with a monster that invaded an innocent family's home. Takes place after ''Literature/WhiteNight''. (Butcher's intro places it, "...after the events, '''''I believe''''', of ''Literature/ProvenGuilty''" [emphasis added], but that's clearly incorrect, as Harry mentions the Paranet, which was created in the aftermath of the later book.

** In order to help teach several younger Wardens how to do their job, Dresden recounts one of his adventures in dealing with a monster that invaded an innocent family's home. Takes place after ''Literature/WhiteNight''. (Butcher's intro places it, "...after the events, ''I believe'', of ''Literature/ProvenGuilty''" [emphasis added], but that's clearly incorrect, as Harry mentions the Paranet, which was created in the aftermath of the later book.

** In order to help teach several younger Wardens how to do their job, Dresden recounts one of his adventures in dealing with a monster that invaded an innocent family's home. Takes place after ''Literature/WhiteNight. (Butcher's intro places it, "...after the events, ''I believe'', of ''Literature/ProvenGuilty''" [emphasis added], but that's clearly incorrect, as Harry mentions the Paranet, which was created in the aftermath of the later book.

** In order to help teach several younger Wardens how to do their job, Dresden recounts one of his adventures in dealing with a monster that invaded an innocent family's home. Takes place after ''Literature/ProvenGuilty'' and before ''Literature/WhiteNight''.

* GreaterScopeVillain: [[spoiler:"Zoo Day" heavily implies that Cowl, Harry's EvilCounterpart, is the owner of Mouse's Shadow]].

** Bigfoot hires Dresden to protect his son for the third time, this time from his girlfriend - a White Court vampire - and her monstrously evil father at the University of Oklahoma. Takes place between ''Turn Coat'' and ''Changes''.

** "A Fistful of Warlocks" - Anastasia Luccio.
** "Even Hand" - John Marcone.
** "Bombshells" and "Cold Case" - Molly Carpenter.
** "Day One" - Waldo Butters.
** "Zoo Day" - Maggie Dresden and Mouse.

* TakeThat: In "Bigfoot on Campus", after learning that she's a White Court vampire, Connie Barrowill nervously asks Irwin and Harry if [[Literature/{{Twilight}} "she'll sparkle."]] Their response? ''"God no."''

* UglyGuyHotWife: Downplayed in "Bigfoot on Campus"; Connie Barrowill is a White Court vampire and so is inhumanly beautiful, but is mentioned to actually look [[PlainJane relatively plain]] when she's not using her power. Meanwhile, Irwin Pounder - a scion of the Forest People - isn't described as particularly attractive, but his HeroicBuild is mentioned as being one of his most attractive features to Connie and also [[SheCleansUpNicely cleans up nicely]]. And of course, the two of them deeply love each other regardless of their appearances.

* AnythingThatMoves: Depressingly deconstructed; the Fae (or at least, the Winter Fae) are incredibly lustful and bang like rabbits... so they can have more children to send to the Outer Gates to fight the Outsiders.

* SophisticatedAsHell: In "Bombshells", Lea peppers her usual Shakespearean dialect with a few choice modern phrases, such as pointing out that Molly should be able to get in with the Svartalves because she’s "smoking hot", and pointing out the {{Bowdleriz|e}}ation of a Norse myth that said Freya had to ''kiss'' all of them to get the necklace of the Brisings back, scoffing that the Svartalves would not have given up such a treasure for "a society-wide trip to first base".

* HoldingOutForAHero: This is discussed by Harry with Butters in "Day One" when Butters is terrified of the monster he’s facing and needs help. Harry gives him words of advice but refuses to physically come and provide aid. This trial is for Butters to overcome; Butters is now a Knight and cannot trust on Harry to be TheCavalry he has been so often before. Eventually, Butters is able to tap into his inner courage and confront the monster, saving the day.

* YouAreFat: This is one of the insults Mouse's LeanAndMean EvilCounterpart throws at him. When Mouse falls behind in the chase, he first defensively points out that he is a Good Dog and that means lots of treats, [[VillainHasAPoint before admitting maybe he should exercise a little more.]]

* SophisticatedAsHell: In "Bombshells", Lea peppers her usual Shakespearean dialect with a few choice modern phrases, such as pointing out that Molly should be able to get in with the Svartalves because she is "smoking hot", and pointing out the {{Bowdleriz|e}}ation of a Norse myth that said Freya had to ''kiss'' all of them to get the necklace of the Brisings back, scoffing that the Svartalves would not have given up such a treasure for "a society-wide trip to first base".

** Butters knows perfectly well that hospital staff are forbidden by HIPAA from disclosing information about patients without the patients' consent, but he is also willing to exploit the fact that EveryManHasHisPrice.

* ThePromise: In "Cold Case", when Molly swears to some distraught parents whose children were kidnapped she will get them back, she feels the force of her words.

* TheManBehindTheMan: In "Zoo Day", [[spoiler:Mouse's 'Shadow,' a corrupted holy dog]] is the cause of both Harry and Maggie's problems, using his dark powers to increase the threat level of both dangers. He is also using his power to increase the anxiety of Harry and Maggie's relationship. [[spoiler:And he's still only just the servant of Cowl, Harry's ArchEnemy on the Black Council]].
* MuggingTheMonster: A childhood monster once moved under Maggie and Mouse's bed. It ended poorly for the creature when faced against a holy dog whose duty is to protect the home.

** In "Cold Case", Molly teams up with Carlos but cannot talk about her mission at first. She uses sexual innuendos and provocative statements instead. It isn't until a deal is made where they help each other can she speak more freely.

** A White Court vampire will kill their first sexual partner unless they are in love with them. This apparently turns out to not be the case if they have too much life energy to absorb, like the child of a Bigfoot with a human.

* MustMakeAmends: After the CruelTwistEnding of "Cold Case", Molly vows to find a viable alternative so that [[spoiler:{{Child Soldier}}s do not need to be drafted in service of the Winter Court to defend the Outer Gates]].

* HoldingOutForAHero: This is discussed by Harry with Butters in "Day One" when Butters is terrified of the monster he is facing and needs help. Harry gives him words of advice but refuses to physically come and provide aid. This trial is for Butters to overcome; Butters is now a Knight and cannot trust on Harry to be TheCavalry he has been so often before. Eventually, Butters is able to tap into his inner courage and confront the monster, saving the day.

* HalfHumanHybrid: Irwin Pounder in the three Bigfoot stories. He is half-human and half-Bigfoot, also called a Forest Person. He gains much of his father's size, protection from common illnesses, and a powerful natural energy inside, which as a college student Harry compares to being on par with himself. The latter is also how he survives sex with his girlfriend, who was becoming a White Court vampire. He had enough to allow her inner demon to gorge and he is fine afterwards.
* HeroicSacrifice: This is discussed by Mouse to his evil older brother. Mouse is wounded, the younger of the two, and weaker. But if his brother continues attacking Maggie and Harry, Mouse will come at him with everything he has to take down his brother. Mouse will probably die but if it means taking down his evil brother, it is fine by Mouse. He loves Harry and Maggie that much.

* GodsHandsAreTied: The "haunts" that possess children and cause them to become little bullies are part of the natural order. They are there for children to confront and overcome. So long as they keep their actions to the non-physical in those they possess, not even Mouse is allowed to help fight them.

* EvilCannotComprehendGood: Mouse's Shadow loses in "Zoo Day" and is forced to flee because he's completely unable to comprehend that Mouse has UndyingLoyalty to Maggie, and is perfectly willing to perform a HeroicSacrifice to [[TakingYouWithMe take his Shadow with him]] if it is what is necessary to save Maggie.

* CerebusCallBack: Inverted. Back in ''Changes'', Harry said, “I will make Maggie safe. If the world burns because of that, then so be it. Me and the kid will roast some marshmallows,” and it was one of the signs of him becoming TheUnfettered. In "Zoo Day", Maggie asks, “What if I set something on fire?”, and Harry replies, “Maybe we’ll roast some marshmallows,” but this time it's a lighthearted joke meant to reassure Maggie that he is with her and nothing bad is going to happen.

** In "Day One", when Butters feels like he is getting in over his head against the threat his Mission has brought him against, he calls Harry for help. Harry not only reminds him, "Polka will never die" but also things Michael told him about being a Knight. The primary thing is God/Aliens/Whatever wouldn't give the Knight a quest that's too much for them.