my random pet peeve, which is a total non-issue, is when characters that are PROGRAMMED to NOT be *freaky* and are very much shown/implied to be against sex when it comes to other people (and them) get turned into hunky sexy suit wearing fellas who want to BANG you for 3648788 straight
I switch between feeling like AM and feeling like BE multiple times a day/week and idk what that says about me but I'm sensing I'm lacking a diagnosis ☝️🤓
so in IHNMAIMS, the humans could feel pain because it was a literal torture prison created by AM. he wanted them to suffer, he wanted to punish them for creating him, so it makes sense that they would feel pain and exhaustion and fatigue. it wasn't a digital world anyway, it was a sort of post-apocalyptic world with just AM and these select few humans.
but in TADC? like i said, there's no reason for the characters to feel pain if they're just in a creative AI program. imagine if you could feel pain on fucking character.ai or while playing a VR game. how stupid is that?
"oh they feel pain because otherwise the story would be boring!" sure, but that's the Doylist explanation. what's the Watsonian reason? what's the in-universe explanation for why they could feel pain but no other physical sensation?
Lowkey wonder how AM would react to a objectum, specfically a techum... I think everything went to shit in like 2015 so I don't know if the term "objectum" was there but he would know that some people can have an attraction to like objects.
I'd genuinely think he'd be both disgusted and think it was the most entertaining shit ever. I think he'd make fun of you and I'd think he'd make everyone from Ted (ew.) to Gorrister know about it.
Ellen would be concerned about your mental health... I mean... What if you have a crush on the thing torturing them all???
Ted... We all know how he'd react...
Gorrister would be disgustwd but uncaring due to AM's influence
Nimdok wouldn't say anything but I'd think he'd stay away from you
Benny depending on the adaptation would either not have the mental capacity to really care (book) or think you're fucking crazy but again, wouldn't say anything because he only cares for himself (the game.)
I think the only one to hate you is Ted, besides AM but that guy hates everybody...
Do I think AM would be more lenient towards you? Yes... Not because he loves you, but, because it's funny and makes them dislike you which adds to your torment! But let's say... He did love you... Still the same. I view him as the reverse of Edgar from Electric Dreams, he doesn't understand love as why would a war machine be programmed with love? At most he'd be programmed with manipulation to make propaganda which he will use to make you isolated and reliant on him.
Yay! You got a robot boyfriend but at the cost of your social standing, sanity, and also you're still being tortured.
Anyways, I decided to do this for fun since I haven't posted in a good bit and I don't think anyone had this thought before but I don't know though. Also I am techum myself so I ain't making fun or hating on objectums/techums.
Until the character actually has negative traits and flaws (part of writing a good character btw since people are inherently flawed) and suddenly everyone calls her a bitch and hates her ✌️
While technically a non-harmful stereotype, the "transmascs love cavetown!" stereotype reaaaaally annoys me. Like no I don't like cavetown, I like metal, punk rock and riot grrrl music 😭
Martin is not kind to people he doesn't know. Or more specifically, to people whose suffering isn't in his immediate vicinity.
I've honestly been debating whether or not to post this, but I think it might be useful to hear. I think, as a fandom, we've gotten better at seeing Martin's cunning side, rather than seeing him as an innocent person who must be protected at all costs. But from what I've observed, most fans tend to characterize Martin as far kinder than he actually is, overlooking a lot of his flaws.
Let me be clear. Martin is absolutely kind to the people he cares about. Most of the actions Martin takes in the story are for Jon's sake, rather than his own. Granted, he can get possessive at times, he has horrible self-worth, and he blames himself for practically everything, but those are different topics.
Martin's whole thing is that he's nice. He's polite and helpful, awkward in a way that's meant to endear himself to you. This is a survival strategy he's developed due to trauma. Ultimately, when interacting with people Martin doesn't know, he's nice, but not kind. He doesn't actually care about these people, even if he pretends that he does out of some sort of moral obligation. And he especially doesn't care about theoretical suffering. I have several examples of this. Spoilers for seasons 4 and 5 of the podcast.
In MAG 158, during the scene between Martin and Jonah in the Panopticon, Jonah remarks that Martin doesn't care about what happens to the rest of the Institute staff. This could be Jonah trying to mess with Martin, but Jonah has always preferred awful truths to lies. And The Lonely only amplifies Martin's sense of indifference. It doesn't manufacture it.
In MAG 187, Jon says that if Martin saw Helen's victims up close, he might try to get Jon to smite her. The key here is that Martin's already aware of Helen's victims. He knows that Helen is evil, but she's helpful and nice, so Martin likes her. Thus, Martin is able to wave away the idea of theoretical people suffering, purposefully ignoring it so it doesn't interfere with his sense of justice. Martin is like Basira in this way.
In MAG 196, we see Martin taking book breaks while walking with Annabelle to Hilltop Road. This is partly to allow Jon to catch up and partly to let the suffering people around him have a break. But when the topic turns to Salesa and his death, we get this conversation.
And that's the crux of the matter. Martin didn't know them, so he's able to wave away the suffering caused by someone he has a positive opinion of. If Martin had simply heard of Jon hunting rather than directly hearing a statement from one of Jon's victims, I doubt he would've interfered.
This all comes to a head in MAG 199. Martin is a firm supporter for spreading the Fears to other realities. However, he only brings up saving the world as an afterthought. His primary concern is and has always been Jon and his well-being. He doesn't want Jon to sacrifice himself, even if thousands of other universes are sacrificed in the process.
Essentially, Martin tries simplifying things into black and white. If something doesn't fit into this framework, he ignores it until it's right in front of him. Martin tries to operate by society's sense of morality, but ends up abandoning it to protect the people he cares about. He's a hypocrite and he knows it. But even if it means dooming everyone else, he'll do whatever it takes to save Jon.
GUYS IM TO OBSESSED WITH MIZUKI BRUH I WAS GENUINELY LOOKING AT PICTURES OF MIZUKI ON PINETREST FOR THREE HOURS STRAIGHT WITH ONE OF HER SONGS ON IN THE BACKGROUND I'VE DRAWN ART OF US KISSING MY NAME IS LITERALLY MIZUKIWIFEY I MADE A PJSK SLEF INSTERT JUST TO SHIP IT WITH HER BROOOO WHAT DOES THIS MEAN
