Line #19 Headscratchers/Luminosity


1	* If [[spoiler:Elspeth]] specifically states that she can test the veracity of a statement by saying it, why should she have any doubt [[spoiler:Bella]]'s alive? Couldn't she just imagine saying it, and know that way?
2	** Remember how Maggie's power works and how Edward wouldn't have been able to tell her that [[spoiler:Bella got the scar on her hand by being bitten by a baby half vampire]], because while it was true, it was misleading? [[spoiler:Elspeth]] probably works the same way. If she believes something is true, it will register as true; if she believes something is false, it will register as false. It's a psychological thing, not a magical truth-detector.
3	** But then why would she even ''think'' she could figure out what's wrong with Cody that way? (see:Guesser) And, yes, Bella might have been dying/in danger/being tortured, but still.
4	** The thing with Cody was a bit more complicated than that. It wasn't a question of "I have a hypothesis, I will say out aloud and instantly know if it is true!" More like "I have a hypothesis about Cody. I will imagine explaining this related true thing about me to Cody in a way that references the hypothesis, and see if that feels like the right way to explain it. If it does, probably the hypothesis is true". Still magically extracting information from another person, but much more indirectly.
5	* Was there a point to Pera [[spoiler: being Bella's singer?]] It just seemed like a cheap way to add a cliffhanger. This troper wouldn't have minded it so much if it had led to something, but considering that [[spoiler: Pera's been forcibly changed into a vampire which means no more blood for Bella to be enchanted by]] this seems unlikely.
6	** I thought about it for a while, and came to two conclusions: One, without it happening, there was no way for Elspeth to get to [[spoiler:the Volturi]], so TheoryOfNarrativeCausality. ''Then'' I thought of a better one, though it belongs on the WMG page (for now): vampires are set up to kill competition. Pera was a strong witch. Given in more detail on [[WMG/{{Luminosity}} the WMG page]].
7	** What REALLY Bugged me was the paper cut, it was just a cheap way to make Bella smell blood (plus I never saw someone bleeding from a paper cut, but that is other story)
8	*** That was a call back to New Moon. Bella did the same thing and caused Jasper to flip out. It's canon.
9	* [[spoiler:Granted, it didn't matter, but]] Why did no one guess that Pera [[NoBisexuals might be bisexual]]?
10	** Someone did:
11	->"Are we sure Pera's straight, just as an obvious thing we could be missing?" my mother asked.\
12	"I guess she could have lied to Addy, but it doesn't seem likely," I said.
13	*** Ah. Put that together with the "in a relationship with Brady" so closely in my head I heard that all as "attracted to males." Thanks!
14	* It is really hard to get people to read this fanfic.
15	** It sounds like it's a radical departure from Twilight. For those who like the books they wouldn't want Bella changed that radicaly, after all they like her. For those who don't... well they don't like Twilight and aren't interested in reading about the characters of Twilight at all, changed dratimatically or not
16	*** I ''know'', it doesn't stop how frustrating it is to convince people that ''yes'' that is a good story, despite being a Twilight fic. =/
17	*** Given the condescending attitudes I've read from people who read Methods of Rationality and Luminosity, as well as those who edits tropes based around said fics, it's not surprising. If I was told "the original story was stupid, the fan fic is better because the author wrote it for smart people, J.K So-and-so Tolkien is stupid!" I'd be rather turned off from reading the fic at all. It'd be like somebody offering me a serum that makes me smarter - why should I cheat when others work to educate themselves, and why do you think I need it so badly? Besides that, you're dealing with a series that has a MASSIVE amount of HateDom.
18	* A bit of FridgeBrilliance implied by the first chapter; ''Literature/{{Twilight}}'' is what would happen if the Bella in ''Luminosity'' didn't record her thoughts. Hence, she would be less rational, easily delude herself, and likely carry an IdiotBall as a result.
19	** You mean if Bella were downright stupid and didn't care about understanding herself at all.

Context Headscratchers / Luminosity