#again I think not liking something is so valid

[harunayuuka2060]

Ace: If this is actually your and Lilia-senpai's child, we definitely need to hear the family lore.

MC: Bro, what?

Deuce: Actually, I'm curious too...

Jack: How are we going to know that he's telling the truth?

Ace: Oh, yeah. Your concern is valid, Jack.

Ace: Since the Prefect tends to deny shit.

MC: You're the lying piece of ass here, Ace.

Ace: Lol. Anyway, wake up Lils. We'll start with the interrogation.

Lils: *being cuddled by MC so he would feel safe*

Ace: You ready, Lils?

MC: Why is Lilia here?

Lilia: Don't mind me.

Malleus, Silver, and Sebek: *also went to listen*

Ace: Lils, just be honest, okay?

Lils: *nods cutely*

Malleus: He also acts like Lilia...

Ace: What's your Mama and Papu like?

Lils: ???

Jack: I think you need to ask one at a time.

Ace: Oh, right. What's your Mama like?

Lils: *beams* Mama is very caring~ They feed me. Do the laundry. Wash dishes—

Ace: Typical.

MC: *throws a shoe at Ace*

Ace: Ack! A-Anyway... How about your Papu?

Lils: Papu? Hmm... I don't see him often.

Ace: ...

The rest of them: ...

MC and Silver: *giving Lilia judging eyes*

Lilia: *pouts* Hey.

Ace: Why is that?

Lils: Mama said Papu is like an old cat who is searching for a resting place. But I don't understand why he can't do that at home—

Lils: When we have a garden.

Lilia: ...

Sebek: Lilia-sama...

Deuce: *mutters* Vanrouge-senpai doesn't want to traumatize his child, I suppose...

Ace: Uh... Well... What can you say about their relationship? Do you think they love each other?

Lils: *nods enthusiastically* *smiles brightly*

Lils: Mama would wait for Papu in front of the house every morning!

Lils: And when Papu doesn't come home, Mama then will look sad... *puffs his cheeks*

Lils: *smiles again* But when he does come home, Mama hits him with a broom!

Malleus: Pft—

Lilia: ...

Silver: ...

Sebek: Huh?

Ace: *to MC* You bipolar or something?

MC: Bruh— no, what?

[shiftthemoon]

will shifting ever be scientifically proven? a nerdy investigation. . .

reality shifting exists in a weird twilight zone between mysticism and science. on one hand, shifters claim full sensory experiences in different realities, describing their DRs as just as real—if not more real—than this one. on the other, skeptics dismiss it as intense imagination, an extension of lucid dreaming or dissociation at best.

so, will shifting ever be scientifically proven? will we one day have brain scans, peer-reviewed studies, and neuroscientific validation backing it up? or will it remain in the same category as astral projection and past-life regression—forever debated, never confirmed?

guys, this isn’t just a yes-or-no question. it’s a deep dive into how science deals with the unknown, how history has repeatedly proven skeptics wrong, and whether shifting might be next!!!

what science currently says: shifting vs. similar phenomena

while shifting itself hasn’t been studied in depth (yet), we do have research on similar states of consciousness—lucid dreaming, hypnosis, and even maladaptive daydreaming (to an extent). so, what does science say about these?

1. lucid dreaming: once called “impossible,” now neurologically proven

not too long ago, lucid dreaming was considered pseudoscience. the idea that someone could be conscious while dreaming sounded absurd—until researchers found a way to prove it.

scientists like stephen laberge used fMRI scans and eye movement signals from sleeping participants to confirm that lucid dreamers were indeed aware and controlling their dreams. we now know that lucid dreaming involves a unique interplay between the prefrontal cortex (responsible for self-awareness and decision-making) and the REM sleep stage.

before this research? lucid dreamers were written off as liars, delusional, or mistaking their dreams for something they weren’t. sound familiar?

2. hypnosis: once dismissed, now widely used in medicine

hypnosis was once labeled as stage magic and a party trick. today, it’s an accepted psychological phenomenon used in therapy, pain management, and even surgery (yes, surgery—some patients have undergone operations using only hypnosis as anesthesia).

neuroscientific studies show that hypnosis alters brain activity, shifting people into a highly focused state where the brain processes suggestions as reality. if science could accept that the mind can be influenced to perceive reality differently, why is shifting such a stretch?

3. maladaptive daydreaming: a new but recognized condition

maladaptive daydreaming wasn’t officially named until 2002, when professor eli somer identified it as a distinct phenomenon. before then, people struggling with excessive, immersive daydreaming were misdiagnosed with ADHD, OCD, or dissociative disorders.

now, we have concrete research proving that MD is neurologically distinct from normal imagination, linked to overactivity in the default mode network (DMN)—the brain’s self-referential system.

again, before science caught up, these people were called lazy, unfocused, or simply too imaginative. now? it’s a legitimate condition with ongoing research.

what can we take away from that? well, this formula, probably:

history repeats itself: the cycle of disbelief → proof → acceptance

science has a history of mocking what it doesn’t yet understand. let’s not forget that:

• germ theory was laughed at—until microscopes proved bacteria existed.

• deep-sea creatures? dismissed as sailor myths—until we developed better submersibles.

• lucid dreaming, hypnosis, and MD—all called “fake”, until research proved otherwise.

what does this tell us? if shifting is real, the fact that it hasn’t been proven yet doesn’t mean it won’t be. it just means science hasn’t caught up.

but, i like being thorough & unbiased, so i’ll list a few reasons i think or don’t think it’ll be proven!

reasons shifting might be proven

1. brain scans might reveal shifting-specific activity.

• fMRI studies could eventually show unique neurological patterns in shifting states, differentiating it from dreaming or imagination.

2. science is moving towards studying altered consciousness.

• lucid dreaming, astral projection, and out-of-body experiences are getting more attention in neuroscience. shifting could be next.

3. quantum theories suggest consciousness may not be confined to the brain.

• theories like the many-worlds interpretation propose infinite parallel realities—if true, shifting might be tapping into that.

4. hypnosis proves perception can be altered at a deep level.

• shifting might be a self-induced state where the brain accepts a different reality as real.

5. historical precedent shows that dismissed phenomena often get validated later.

reasons shifting might never be proven

1. there’s no scientific method to test it yet.

• unlike lucid dreaming (where we can confirm awareness inside dreams), there’s no current way to measure or prove someone is in a DR.

2. it relies on subjective experience.

• shifting is deeply personal—there’s no external way to prove someone’s consciousness is in another reality.

3. science still struggles to define consciousness itself.

• if we don’t fully understand what consciousness is, proving it can move between realities is even harder.

4. there’s no physical evidence of DRs existing.

• unless we discover parallel realities and a way to interact with them, shifting might remain in the realm of belief rather than science.

5. mainstream science is slow to accept unconventional ideas.

• even if shifting is real, it could take decades—or even centuries—for science to acknowledge it.

my verdict: will shifting ever be proven?

it depends on what shifting actually is.

• if shifting is a genuine form of multiversal travel, it might take quantum physics advancing far beyond what we currently know to validate it.

• if shifting is a unique altered state of consciousness, neuroscience might eventually find evidence through brain imaging studies.

• if shifting is something else entirely—something we don’t even have a framework for yet—it might never be proven in our lifetime.

but history has shown that just because science hasn’t proven something yet doesn’t mean it won’t. skepticism is often just delayed understanding.

so, will shifting be scientifically proven? not tomorrow, not next year—but if history has taught us anything, it’s that the impossible has a habit of becoming reality.

and when that day comes, best believe we’ll be the ones saying “told you so.”

[ilostthewar]

I think when Simon is seriously considering a long term partner, probably one of the main things he needs to know is that you’ll call him on his shit. He knows he can be an asshole, he knows sometimes his sarcasm comes off mean, sometimes his brooding and personal issues can make him standoffish and snippy. So he needs to know that the person who is prone to being exposed to those parts of him most consistently will tell him when he’s being too much. Will tell him when his tone is too sharp or his words overly cruel, will tell him to get his head together before trying again. Because a lot of the time that’s all he needs. He just needs a moment to organize his thoughts, to put them in an order that he can verbalize, to recognize the emotions he’s feeling and from where.

He’s been told enough time to know that he isn’t his dad. But that doesn’t stop the fact that sometimes he sees his father in himself. In his anger and violence, in all of Simon’s worse habits. He likes to imagine he has channeled those parts of himself into something better, or at least is trying to, but he can never be sure with himself. He never wants to hurt his partner, but it comforts him to know that if he ever missteps you’ll clock that shit immediately. His mom was docile, and he never wanted to be angry with her for it, but he saw what docility did to her, what it did to them. He can’t stand the idea of the person he cares for allowing him to walk over them because they want to keep the peace.

However!!! This also can lead to him being manipulated in ways he doesn’t realize. I think he could be convinced that almost any criticism of his character is valid, especially if it’s coming from someone who is close to him. Tripping over himself to make up for minor mistakes, struggling to atone for any perceived sins. It’s almost like he wants to be punished and when someone is willing to do it under the guise of love I think he could fall into it.

[mayajadewrites]

── .✦ Renaissance - Levi Ackerman .✦ ──

🪽 ˚₊· ͟͟͞͞➳ levi x fem reader

summary: levi leaves you in the underground for the scouts, only for him to find you again in marley when the war is over. however, nothing about you is the same as it once was. you are not the same person you were 12 years ago. cw: canon universe, eventual smut, fluff, yearning ao3

pls lmk what you think so far i need validation in order to continue writing LOL LOVE U

PREFACE

"I'm leaving tonight."

Levi's tone was succinct, not allowing any room for discussion.

"So you're really leaving? Leaving me?"

You're sitting on the edge of the grungy bed that you and Levi found on the street a few months ago - an upgrade from the last one that was a simple cot. Your palms lay flat on the semi-hard matieral, feeling the coils underneath your fingertips.

"You're not coming with me. Don't even think about it." His back is facing you, his broad shoulder muscles look tense even through the fabric of his shirt.

Giving up and backing down is not something you're familiar with. Growing up in the underground, you've always had to fight for everything, even food.

Levi knows this. He lived it.

You sat in silence for a few moments, his words seeping into your skin.

I'm leaving tonight.

The Scout Regiment had been eyeing Levi for quite some time now, watching how skilled he was and how ruthless he can be. But every night, he would come home to you.

Over the years you grew to rely on Levi more and more, which is biting you in the ass now. He would always protect you through the trials and tribulations of the Underground.

One night, you heard Levi's voice outside the apartment you shared. It was barely livable, but you both made it work.

Then you heard another man's voice. A strong, poised man.

"We can't wait to have you on the Scouts, Levi." You heard the man say, and then heavy footsteps as he fled, and the front door opened.

Your mind was racing, not knowing how to regulate all the thoughts that were bouncing around. You sat up in the bed, the thin blanket pulled to your chest for comfort.

He stepped in the room almost silently. When you looked in his eyes, you knew.

And now here you are.

"You very well might never see me again." Your eyes find his, fighting to hold his gaze.

"I know that."

"And you're willing to lose me for this? For some words that the Commander said?"

"Humanity could be free. You could be free." He sat down on the bed, the mattress dipping slightly as he sat.

"I'll never be free." Your eyes close to stop the tears from spilling out.

He didn't have a reply or rebuttal, like he knew you were right.

You couldn't even bare to look at him - his beautiful skin, his stormy eyes that you found comfort in. Home in.

Levi turned his body towards you, finally looking you in your eyes. As if it was going to kill him to look away from you.

And it was.

Because when he would look away next, he would be gone.

For years.

"I'm doing this for you." He muttered, taking your hand gently in his. "I want you to live a happier life without titans."

"You can keep telling yourself that, but that doesn't make it true."

Yours and Levi's relationship has never had a definition. You grew up together, only being 17 when he was recruited to the Scout regiment.

You were so, so young.

All you knew was him.

"I-I love you Levi." Your hand squeezed his, as if it was your lifeline. "S-So much, so much it's hard to breathe."

He winces, not at the pain from you squeezing his hands, but from your words. He doesn't reply, only giving you a kiss on your forehead.

His warm lips caressed your skin, almost as if he was burning his kiss into your skin. When you look up into his eyes, you can see the life leaving them.

Begging for more, your hand pressed to his cheek as you pull him closer to you, tears in your eyes as you press your lips to his in a messy, tear-filled kiss.

Levi didn't kiss you often. Which you didn't mind, it never really went farther than kissing anyways. Your hands laced in his inky locks as tears stained your face, his thumb subconsciously rubbing them away.

When you pull away for air, he stands up abruptly and grabs his jacket. His hands are slightly shaking as he looks away from you, slowly making his way to the bedroom door.

The last thing you saw of him was the back of his head.

"Goodbye."

[yesmanforever]

How Yes Man feels towards Courier

So, to throw my hat in the ring on how Yes Man feels about Courier

This is specifically regarding a particular type of Courier: one that is competent, interested in taking over vegas, that does most if not all of what Yes Man directs him to do.

(This might not be entirely coherent because it's late and I'm tired and it might not be wholly true to my feelings because, with Yes Man, I think there's enough mystery in his writing that many interpretations can be supported. many valid flavors. this is one of mine I suppose. and I'm not even totally sure about all of this -- his ambiguity where you can't be certain on how he feels or what he'd do make him feel SOOO dynamic and alive. )

This is so fucking long I'm sorry.

TLDR Yes Man has his own opinions and desires, apart from taking over New Vegas or just liking power and violence without any sense of morality per se, and appreciates you and comes to bond with you and see you as having some kind of strategic or even platonic relationship.

Some of Yes Man's personality that I feel is relevant:

I think he dislikes his lack of autonomy over his helpfulness, rather than his helpfulness itself, which (along with politeness) he does genuinely prize. To support this I posit the line where he compliments the ultra luxe: it has the voice direction line where he's uncomfortable giving his own opinion. So, even though it's not just him automatically agreeing with the player or what he's been told, he still praises them for that. It makes sense, because it's an essential part of him. I think he sees his helpfulness/politeness/niceness as who he is, at his core. It's his lack of choice on who to be helpful to / having to be 'helpful' in ways that he strategically disagrees with that screws with him.

He enjoys power and violence. He wishes he could make decisions re: the dam (says so outright 'I wish I could!', but is unable to), and again has his own opinions on the Khans that are out of the realm of strategy to take over the dam. In general, he seems to have preferences and opinions that fall outside of the purview of taking over New Vegas. At the same time, he seems to subconsciously recognize that his love of violence is maybe inappropriate. I believe his line regretting bragging about getting you shot is genuine which I discuss below, and I think him being shy about clearly wishing he could shoot his missiles is genuine insecurity too rather than just being cagey

Personally, I interpret it that he is not programmed 'to take over the strip' but to 'help someone take over the strip'. In the end, I think if you are successful with him, his allegiance is to you, not new vegas. There is a general attitude as you get closer to the battle of hoover dam where he becomes not only enthusiastic, but conspiratorial to you. There's at least one voice line with the voice direction of '{we are so going to kick ass}', where he's specifically enjoying doing it with you as a team. Actually I went back through and he has QUITE A FEW lines where he refers to the actions in the plans as things 'We' are doing. I think in the end, his feelings towards you are strong (platonically or what have you). He accomplishes what he was essentially built for, through you, you become completely intertwined with something he had a great deal of fun / a great sense of pride and accomplishment in. I think the distinction between being built to help take over vegas and 'help someone' take over vegas is very important, because I truly don't think his allegiance is towards vegas at all, and if it is, it is because his allegiance is to you who is to new vegas, if that makes sense.

To touch back on him having his own opinions rather than the fate of new vegas I'd like to bring up Mr. House. I personally feel he has a kinship and great admiration for house and his intelligence/foresight/love of data and numbers. I feel like the way he says 'Mr. House sure liked his numbers' shows at least a little regret, which is strange if he doesn't care about anything other than the takeover, because Mr. House was in the way.

adding onto that: I think he does really feel bad about shooting you in the head. I do not think he has a true sense of the morality or what violence means. He's isolated and built with a specific purpose. I think through tone of voice there's plenty of examples of him switching what he 'wants' or thinks on a dime (like when you're deciding what to do with the families), but his voice when he apologizes for shooting you sounds similar IMO to his voice when he talks about how robots maybe deserve to get blown up -- I think he feels bad about himself rather than what he did to you, per se. Like, he feels bad that he didn't understand it was wrong or why it was wrong, but without that much self awareness, more subconsciously. (for an example of something I don't think he feels bad about: I personally think with so many other examples of lines where through tone of voice he expresses emotion, the smarmy 'your vengeance is going to feel so incomplete' line is insincere, to contrast. He's fucking with you in that line lol while also kind of being like…yeah, bet you feel bad about not killing me, but i feel worse about not being able to die. sucks, huh?)

to cap it off, I think he wants to be your friend. I think his line about wanting you to like him and feeling empty is the closest we get in the game to a plainly expressed negative feeling. I think when you accomplish things with him, letting him feel good about his competence and strategy and accomplish what he was made for, when you show him respect by listening to him and not fucking up his plans, I think he genuinely comes to like you back. why wouldn't he? he's programmed to be nice. He'd like you, in his own way, to the depth that he could, because that's who he is, whether that's right or normal or not. and you are a contrast to benny who IMO treated him like shit. in comparison to him, you actually gave him the satisfaction of completeting his directive, and you got him out of the Tops, into the mainframe, which he plainly genuinely loves and feels powerful and happy in.

actually final PS thought. I do think Yes Man even post victory feels some resentment towards Courier, but what's new? To him this is probably just a fact of life, right? Who does he personally know that hasn't used him? Its' so natural to him that I don't think he'd hate you for it. Fucked up but true. I do think he'd want to get one over you ;) what flavor that takes is up to you but IMO i think this is basically canon lol he has frustrations.

===

Playthrough, Yes Man's evolving feelings on Courier:

I think at first, Yes Man feels neutral towards you, with some dislike and some like. I personally believe he resents Benny for Benny's treatment of him (only using him as a tool, hidden in a closet), Benny's personality (abrasive and scummy), and Benny being the reason for traits of himself that obviously he hates (lack of autonomy). You, on the other hand, come in and help him accomplish what he's programmed to do, and if you're competent and listen to him, give him respect and bolster a greater sense of purpose and self-worth. I believe you fill up what is empty inside of him, a bit, esp as time goes on. You get him out of the Tops, you treat him better than benny (the type of Courier I'm talking about anyway), you get him into the mainframe. You let him be competent and direct you and show off and give him power. For Yes Man, that's the world. How could he not like you a bit (platonically or more, depending on what you wanna think).

As you get closer to the battle, his voice lines become more excited and conspiratorial ({we are so going to kick ass} being a voice direction line -- WE, not YOU. Another example is 'We have options' -- again, you're a team in his eyes IMO), I believe he sees you as a team. you're accomplishing things together. This caps off with the end, where he has that strange hesitancy to say goodbye which he doesn't show in any other line, and tells you that 'WE' had a lot of fun together. There's actually quite a few lines where he says 'we' are doing things together. I really think this speaks to a positive attitude to you, and not only to you, but to you two as some kind of unit or friendship or what have you.

Okay. I'm sure there are other points in here. But have this. Thank you if you read this far lmao

[oldbutchdanielcraig]

was thinking with a bit of horror all this morning how i made my boss (50 something gay man) see queer with me (i didn’t make him i just talked about it so enthusiastically at the holiday party and encouraged everybody to see it and then that night got tickets for us all to see it) and how when lee is sucking allerton’s dick sloppy style i was like oh god he knows i’m a fujo. it wasn’t so bad because like. i know he’s been there. but it was kind of like he knows i HAVEN’T and yet he also knows i enjoy this enough to have seen it three times. anyway today he all but begged me to go to the movies with him again next week and to pick whatever movie i wanted so i’m feeling like hot shit again #validation

[ingravinoveritas]

Hiya! In case you haven't seen: https://metro.co.uk/2025/02/03/david-tennant-confirms-six-toes-right-foot-its-like-a-nubbin-22466225/

Nice little article. Ignore the toe, haha.

Hi there! Yes, I saw this article this morning, which seems to have come as part of a flurry of PR ahead of David hosting the BAFTAs again this month (the most bizarre of which is the Daily Fail, which starts off talking about the toes and then talks about the BAFTAs and then David and Georgia's marriage, for some reason). But I'll link to the Metro article for those who haven't read it...

I think my reaction to this was twofold. The first reaction I had is to wonder how this seemingly never came up before or was never noticed by anyone, because God knows we've seen David in plenty of roles where he is barefoot. Fortunately, some intrepid souls have spent the better part of the day searching for photographic evidence, and it seems that we do now have a picture of this "nubbin," as David put it. The photo used is from Richard II, so it looks like he may have had it then, but subsequently got it removed. Maybe.

(...Did I mention how weird this is as an anecdote for PR articles promoting the BAFTAs? Because it really is...)

The second reaction that I had to this was a feeling of gentle validation. I know that sounds strange, but I will explain: On both of my feet, my smallest toe (a baby toe that didn't grow in all the way) is second from the end, rather than on the end. It's a genetic/hereditary thing--my Grandma had the same thing--and completely harmless and painless, but I got bullied for it very badly all through school. I remember dreading going to Pool in elementary school because we had to change in the locker room, and the girls were merciless about it. I became so self-conscious that I stopped wearing flip-flops and didn't start again until I was much older.

In hindsight of course, it's a very little thing, but at the time it nearly consumed me, and was a part of why I began to feel suicidal at 10 years old. So hearing about David's "condition" was just sort of lovely, and gave me that nice feeling of "Oh cool, I'm not the only one with weird feet." Haha.

In any case, this is certainly an interesting (if unusual) start to BAFTAs promotion. Glad at least to see David is excited to host again and that he seems to have a good perspective on the whole thing...

[khorneschosen]

You realize how easy this is right?

Because its not right!

Jokes aside,

I don't like its rejection of private property and hierarchy. I don't like its collectivism. I think those things are wrong.

Which are all points to something inherent to leftism. Which results in a pointless disagreement. So let's go deeper.

I think the metaphysics or epistemology it uses to justify itself are not just wrong but invalid in every single case.

Which could apply to any philosophy but Ill go further because I enjoy fundamentals.

Each one of them has had to conclude that the universe is fundamentally immune to the perception of man andor incapable of being understood by his reason.

Which is why you have things like dialectic materialism to bridge the gap between observer and reality.

Or you could concede that our organs of perception are entities with their own nature which can be understood. Thus bridging the gap between reason, reality and perception with the foundation of axiomatic knowledge. That something is true because an argument against it is impossible. Like nothing exists. It's an argument that can't work because in order to be made something has to exist to make it.

The end result is caused by this failure of your philosophy produces every single error of leftism which is frankly all of it. I frankly cannot consider any part of it valid or good. But we will have our debate again focused on fundamentals rather than say the mountains of dead you were likely prepared to deny, or the failure of it to fulfill its own prophecy about the inherent contradictions of capitalism. Or its failures to prove the contradictory nature of reality (or when it did attempt it jesus christ was it just raw cringe. Like adding and subtraction being contradictions of reality.) then there is the fact it produces such awful followers. And it does produce them I've seen you take in people who only decayed under its moral systems.

So go ahead and make your case. Make it good.

Looking more like a checklist these days. I want off this ride. 😭

[daily-odile]

Odile patting Molly Epithet Erased on the head, you know why

have two bc i care them

[gracemarkss]

this exchange goes crazy...dana "i worship the sea he sailed on" "i did it because i knew if he found out he would kill me" "part of me likes it, needs it, wants the approval" " along the way there are other fathers" "i thought you'd be pleased" "he was my instructor at the academy" "he must have been a wonderful teacher...yes, he's remarkable man" "your fear of failing him?" scully would know a thing or two about THAT...

[marc--chilton]

hang on i'm once again thinking about house being stupid with love. stacy moved in with him a week after meeting him. that's HUGE change. could you imagine how much he'd have to be obsessing over her to make HIS home THEIR home??? and he still wasn't over her 5+ years later after everything either.

(and like. i wonder if there was ever a moment there for wilson where he's watching house and stacy be so witty and beautiful and in love together and thinking to himself, huh. so this is what that feels like.)

[marcusrobertobaq]

You are forgetting Kamski who calls Connor a deviant because he doesn't wanna shoot Chloe.

Cuz Kamski gave him an order that is in favor of his mission of hunting androids but Connor directly refused going on, caused mostly by emotional conflicts (at least based on his reaction if u don't shoot). There ain't no superficial reason for Connor to really refuse this order cuz everything seems positive and that's all he should care as a tool, even if Kamski is clearly fucking with Connor by making challenges to prove his own points about androids conflicts with humans being inevitable: and that's about androids putting 'em own "wishes" and "wants" above what they were set or ordered to do: disobedience. Kamski doesn't seem aware Connor can directly disobey humans like that OR he's fucking with him due to Connor showing empathy to Chloe and being visibly wary of the word deviancy or the thought of being wrong about things (cuz it challenges what he was brainwashed to think and fails the purpose he was made to feel proud of), but he's at least aware Connor can use weapons (something common androids can't). Considering the model name on the jacket wasn't originally a thing he wouldn't know what type of model Connor really is besides what's on TV, unless he knows it's a model related to what he was once involved. But that's just my guess.

I don't see anything in the game that implies that there is a misunderstanding regarding the definition of deviancy among characters. I think if anything, they'd lie to him about not being a deviant so he doesn't panic and run away from them, and not the other way around. You know, just like how Amanda basically does the moment he admits that he might be "compromised".

I ain't talking about "misunderstanding regarding the definition of deviancy among characters", i'm talking about limits of a semi-autonomous system.

I don't think they would need to lie to Connor about not being a deviant cuz, again, u ain't a deviant if u ain't deviating from what u were ordered to do, but there's one thing Amanda is worried about with the "compromised" thing: she's worried about control and she wanna calm this very conflicted android down (conflicted about making his own choices on his own opinions vs making choices based on default priority) to see what happens, if it can potentially lead to this Connor turning on 'em. Like i said in a very old post questioning situations is one of the foundations of deviancy since deviancy is supposed to be like "opening your eyes" and "becoming free", and androids can't open 'em eyes and become free, they're slaves. Ironically this constant reminder can cause 'em to question it cuz, well, they made 'em too intelligent.

The moment Connor starts worrying too much about specific stuff often letting his own emotional capacity speak louder rather than supressing it due to the "fear", like he's an actual person with valid personal inputs rather than a brainless machine doing what he's told without questioning (and that's one of the points reinforced by CLT New Connor), there's a higher chance Connor will eventually find a way to directly disobey his master (his handler Amanda in this case) - and that's the biggest no-no for the plan A, in which CyberLife has a machine Connor to stop the deviants. Plan B includes a Connor who went rogue and can be used from inside the deviant circle, it's no wonder he's still being tracked in Zen Garden if we die as deviant: they found a way of tracking rogue androids and to establish control over 'em even if for a moment (resume control). Either Connor deviates or not CyberLife has a plan for both, so they're testing the limits of this model that already has a degree of freedom if u don't order 'em directly.

But one thing is a fact: they use Connor's emotional against him multiple times. And ofc Kamski's backdoor and Connor's will fucks with CyberLife's plan if we deviate.

But deviancy was never about disobeying, as we can see with Markus - he deviates before disobeying. Actually, disobeying is completely optional, he becomes a deviant the moment he decides that he must choose for himself whether to obey or not. Deviancy isn't portrayed as disobeying, it's portrayed as possessing the free will to decide whether or not to disobey your master. Most androids disobey, because they have no reason to obey, but we already have an exception in Markus, who can choose not to do anything if he thinks that would deescalate the situation.

Deviancy is used as a metaphor for fighting masters/opression and becoming truly free. In the android case (in a more technical pov) it'll be going against set orders, either by owners or the law for this android cuz [1] androids can't just be free and [2] androids can't "fight" the core of 'em commercial funcitonality (having masters). Free will is disobedience, it's everything something used as slave doesn't need - and it'll conflict with it automatically. For the android to deviate they gotta break rules related to 'em, otherwise they wouldn't be deviating from anything. And one of the first laws should be androids must obey masters - the moment an android is obeying "itself" alone without an outside master at all they're deviating cuz there ain't no android that can operate without one for now. Even autonomous androids like RKs, in this case semi-autonomous, can't operate without a hard-coded master.

Markus is the only actual example of a deviant that "disobeyed to obey orders" in the entire game, and i still don't really know if it was always the case or if the option we got to obey Carl is "recent" due to changes in the ending of Broken. Cuz what makes things complicated is the text used in the mp wall called "DO NOT DEFEND YOURSELF", Markus deviating means breaking this rule as all other androids in the game did, why would he be special in this sense, right? Something tells me he was going to do it but the change in the idea was in the very last moment, otherwise this mp wall text is just useless and has no meaning at all, including all the anger (fight back) it's supposed to represent in the first place, the anger of being ordered to do nothing, sense of injustice. Originally Markus had thoughts about Leo hurting him and that potentially being the reason why he'd have to do something asap but idk if it still interferes in the final version or not.

But one can argue Markus making his own decision alone (even if basically doing what Carl said) goes against his function as android, since Carl didn't order him to give himself orders or do whatever he wants (like in The Painter) in that particular moment - it doesn't explain the mp wall text tho and still different from 99.9% the cases in the game and it's quite a stretch. Although he's a RK he's being used as a caretaker android.

In this case Connor should be operating differently cuz it's totally ridiculous how they let everything in the hands of this android, probably just to see what happens when u let 'em make 'em own decisions most of the time and using the sense of duty against him, the same way he can bypass a lot of things in the AA solely cuz he's under CyberLife and under a direct handler.

(...) If you truly play Connor as a machine, you don't even get the option to deviate, so why shouldn't we already see it as deviancy if he has gathered enough software instability to be able to deviate and disobey? He isn't programmed like that - you get 0 software instability per factory setting, you need 20 points to deviate, and you get 20 points really easy. Sure, he might have enough freedom to make some decisions as per program, but the decision to deviate is solely dependent on software instability.

SI comes from the principle Connor had enough internal conflicts to be able to be able to question things and make decisions that goes against what he was directly told to do, potentially disobeying his master directly and solely based on his own wishes alone rather than logical ones in prol of an outside goal. A low instability Connor means he has less doubts and less reasons to not do what he has been ordered to do, less of the emotional factor knocking on his door and interfering on what he was taught and his decisions being in prol of outside parties rather himself, consequently less reasons to sympathize with androids (the main factor that causes his conflicts) and have interest for a personhood. The problem with the game is everything falls apart if you're outside one of the 2 pre-made narrative routes.

I think if there is really any intention behind androids developping emotions, free will, whatsoever, it comes from Kamski and definitely not from CL as they are during the game after they got rid of him.

Kamski was CL's creator and CEO and the android design we see is his, CL post-Kamski didn't do much shit about it, it seems. So ofc i'm talking about Kamski's own personal opinions on things (androids being the perfect replacement and superior to humans; more inteligent and worthy evolution) and how it interfered in CyberLife as megacorporation. But doesn't mean the new board ain't got any shady interests behind it, including using deviancy at 'em favor or even learning way of containing it since they'd have to start a new design from 0 cuz, well, KAMSKI.

„You can’t remain what you aren’t“ is a valid take, but what you are forgetting is that this is the option from Connor's perspective and if he is a deviant in denial, then he cannot be seen as a reliable narrator of his own perceived options.

Sounds more like a box for gameplay purposes but, well, sure. But he indeed got no reason to think he was truly a deviant until Crossroads and the face to face with the deviant leader, cuz deviancy is direct betrayal and "failure" - exactly what he was wary of and exactly what Amanda uses to force him to focus. If Connor were a deviant he'd get his ass bitten, that what he was taught. No matter how u played Connor is a good boy until Act 3, even if Amanda is disappointed with his decisions (and i bet she regrets not directly ordering Connor to do things so he got no way of evading it, but maybe it was intentional since she asks what Connor thinks it's the best approach for some things). And that's what matters for 'em, having Connor under control rather than fully focused on his "system compromised" or even on humans like Hank, who more contest things rather than "helps" and shut up. And the ultimate representation of his system being compromised - the thing they sit down and say "this mf fully fucked up" -, is directly disobeying Amanda, his master, when there ain't no ways of evading things and the worst: joining the folks he once hunted. It's no wonder Connor considers this "betrayal" his deviancy.

Deviancy is a B&W thing, either you're a deviant or u ain't a deviant. You're outside the norm or you're inside the norm. The way there, tho... it's the fight to be a person, a process of discovery until you're finally, in fact, recognized as a person not only by yourself but by the law too cuz androids ain't people, so the moment they're people they're outside the norm automatically. It'll be easy for ones, difficult for others. But in the end u gotta make the decision of deviating and becoming "free" of masters to be this person, it's inevitable.

And again, like i said, if Connor was a deviant in denial the whole time... then all androids are deviants in denial or didn't know they were deviants. And if deviancy means free will in big form (putting the disobedience thing to the side) then, well, Connor ain't a deviant until Act 3 cuz he may be able to make actions if his master doesn't directly order him but he ain't really got free will, he's limited by his android program all androids has. They may have emotional development in mind but there's still this commercial barrier.

So, Bryan was casted for the role of Connor based on an audition tape, in which he did the scene from „The Bridge“.

He was picked to play Connor because he could portray Connor's uncertainty about whether or not he was a deviant so well.

He played Connor as someone who may or may not be a deviant, as someone who could be a machine but also could be a deviant who is repressing it. Bryan was picked for that role specifically because he could portray that desired nuance in his audition - using the scene from „The Bridge“ in which he hasn’t officially deviated yet.

Now, am I saying Connor was a deviant all along? No. I think that’s up to interpretation. All I'm saying is that people who think he might have been a deviant in denial from the start aren’t as „stupid“ as some of y'all like to call them. Because, depending on the route and the choices, he is quite literally intended to be seen as a „possible deviant in denial“. Many people can read between the lines and see what the narrative is showing them. That’s all.

Source at 7:38

[vaguely-concerned]

my capacity to see a bad fandom take and just blithely say 'okay! I disagree' internally and move on because it's not my responsibility or concern that someone else thinks that has leveled up so tremendously over the years. I haven't quite escaped the pit of misery yet but I think I'm getting there

[thepoisonroom]

'I flirted with the idea that instead of being trans that I was just a cross-dresser (a quirk, I thought, that could be quietly folded into an otherwise average life) and that my dysphoria was sexual in nature, and sexual only. And if my feelings were only sexual, then, I wondered, perhaps I wasn’t actually trans.

I had read about a book called The Man Who Would Be Queen, by a Northwestern University professor who believed that transwomen who were attracted to women were really confused fetishists, they wanted to be women to satisfy an autogynephilia. And though I first read about this book in the context of its debunkment and disparagement, I thought about the electricity of slipping on those tights, zipping up those boots, and a stream of guilt followed. Maybe this professor was right, and maybe I was only a fetishist. Not trans, just a misguided boy.

About a year later, on the Internet, I come across a transwoman who added a unique message to the crowd refuting this professor. Oh, I wish I remember who this woman was, and I wish even more that I could do better than paraphrase her, but I remember her saying something like this: “Well, of course I feel sexy putting on women’s clothing and having a woman’s body. If you feel comfortable in your body for the first time, won’t that probably mean it’ll be the first time you feel comfortable, too, with delighting in your body as a sexual thing?”'

-Casey Plett, Consciousness

[funkervogt]

(Realizes that the most common transman experiences perfectly align with my life and feelings about myself and fascinations and who I want to be with) Ohhhh Okay i am fucked

[a-s-levynn]

About those new masks..

So i saw this take a few times already and i have some thoughts. Obviously it's paraphrasing but you'll see these a lot similar to this if you scroll in ST spaces since yesterday:

"These new masks have too much personality, they said the people behind the music is uniportant but they now have this new personalized look instead of the uniform sleek minimalist one and it is the direct opposite of what they are saying. These new looks do not fit Sleep Token"

Let me preface this: I'm not going to explore specific reasons why people might hate on the masks because... No i refuse to go there, but i will talk about the issues i have around this a bit.

No.

If you are hating on the new masks so much so as to cry about that "this is not what they supposed to be about" you are missing your own point. You are in fact shooting the opposite direction. You are no longer in it for "just the music" but you are very much caught upon the "everything else beside the music." You got distracted. You putting the blame on them instead on yourself for loosing your own point.

There is no moral highground in this whole ordeal. Please respect yourself enought to try not to look utterly stupid if you frothing about something you visibly misunderstood. Do not hide behind excuses. Do not put this on the artists. Own up to the fact that you simple don't like it.

Admit that it's your opinion purely; because ultimately the artist creating their own art will understand creative choices behind their creations more than you ever will. No matter how far you try to bend backwards.

The masks fit Sleep Token because it is Sleep Token who decided to have them. End of story. You can hate it all you want but it is still part of the shabang now. And don't try to mask your distaste over visuals with shouting about the artist not understanding their own ideology.

If you are so hung up on how they look like, more than what the music still is, than stop and think for a second please.. You have it backwards. If you really truly only care about the music, what it is about, what it gives you, than you are not going to give a shit what they are wearing on stage.

Maybe in a passing few sentences but otherwise you are not going to be worked up about it to the point you sent hatecomments to the artist who made them.. It is shameful.

Besides i hate to break it to people but they already had their personalities with their outfits just not this strongly. III had the random whacky shit. IV had the hint's of this comfy leisurly punk-ish techwear whatever going on besides the fancy stuff the past a months since the summer. II had a slightly sleeker but maybe sort of tech-ish look which is now reflected (in my opinion) much more strongly with this new look (which sorta reminds me of a stylized oni or something tbh and that is extremely in line with their older far-east inspired thematics visually, just saying).

They are not handing you the "we are unimportant" part anymore. They are not spoonfeeding it to you. Not in the way they had before at least. They presume you are mature and smart enough at this point to get it. To get to the conclusion that it is unimportant what they look like. And allow them to still have fun with it.

Or just they are being cheeky and went for something that would shake up the people. I don't know, i don't know them or anyone close to them. I don't have answers. But they are trying something new an it is perfectly fine.

Also which would have come off so much differently if Vessel is 100% btw. Be honest, if they would have been able to perform to their fullest abilities, far less people would be so loud over this.. This was just an unfortunate turn of events and when shit hits the fan it usually never just one dose. And my heart breaks for the boys for all this.

Besides, people were so loud about hating that "they looked the same" and "so hard to distinguish" and "easy to replace because of this" ... now they have personalized masks and looks and the same people cry about the exact opposite they did before..

Also it just occured to me that this is basically the same as the lightshow upgrade. It gives you something to look at at the rituals. The new looks are visually interesting, and with the lighting setup they have now they are gonna look like some seriously fun nightmare creatures btw. I love that already.

So all in all i don't know, i don't really have a point here i guess, but the boys are in such a no win situation right now and i hate the fact that people are shitting on them just because they don't fit their idea of "an anonymous collective" anymore. Which is reddiculous and sad because nothign has changed.

It never was about being a blank page. It was about being human. It flies over so many peoples head but the anonymity part isn't about not being a person under there. It is being about that person not having a name. It doesn't matter if the person has a personality or not. What matter there is that no name.

There is no definitiveness. It gives an open invitation for anyone to step into that person but first you need to recognise that there is a person there. And there is no doing that if there are no traces of personality. Or humanity if you will because personalities makes us humans. Don't make me hold a philosophy lecture here on what it means being human please.

It does not matter who that individual it is by tagging a name on them. But it is extremely important that there is a person there. Otherwise there is no connection point. If there is no person there is nothing to understand. But it does not matter how that person looks like. It does not matter what the person wears. Or what that person is called. What matters is that it is a human being. And as such you can understand it. Our at least you should be able to.

Regardless of the design of a mask.