#awareness-consciousness-sentience

[starsandwriting]

Jesus christ the horror of being that dog. You gain human sentience and intelligence for just long enough to be able to understand the world around you, just long enough to truly experience the horror of what's happening to you, before you're reverted back to being a dog. Granted understanding once more before it's taken away again, and so on

[volgacankaya]

“Sentience: The Invention of Consciousness” with Professor Nicholas Humphrey

Introduction: Human existence is intricately tied to our capacity for consciousness, a phenomenon that forms the bedrock of self-awareness. Professor Nicholas Humphrey, a distinguished neuropsychologist, explores the origins and evolutionary history of consciousness in his seminal work, "Sentience: The Invention of Consciousness." This article delves into the key concepts presented in the book, examining the transition from cognitive to phenomenal consciousness, the adaptive nature of consciousness in living organisms, and the intriguing possibility of consciousness emerging in artificial entities.

Exploring Cognitive Consciousness: Humphrey's work delves into the realm of cognitive consciousness, raising thought-provoking questions about how early animal ancestors possessed this cognitive awareness and how it subsequently evolved into phenomenal consciousness. The inquiry extends to identifying potential thresholds, such as neuron count, processing capacity, or brain size, that played a role in this evolutionary development. A central query emerges: can consciousness transcend organic life and find expression in artificial intelligence?

The Characteristics of Consciousness: Consciousness, as Humphrey elucidates, is intricately tied to short-term memory and can manifest independently of sensory inputs. It exhibits a remarkable capacity for attention and the ability to entertain alternative interpretations of complex or ambiguous data. Such attributes underline the significance of consciousness in shaping our perception and understanding of the world.

The Neuroscientific Correlation: Neuroscientists have made strides in correlating specific brain activities with corresponding subjective experiences. From feelings of hunger to pleasure and pain, there exists a discernible connection between certain types of brain activity and conscious awareness. This correlation provides a foundational understanding of the neural underpinnings of consciousness.

The Emotional Roots of Consciousness: Contrary to traditional views, Humphrey suggests that consciousness may not have evolved solely for the purpose of creating internal representations of the external world. Instead, he posits that consciousness may be an extension of primitive emotional influences. These emotional stimuli, originating from primordial instincts, prompt a response in organisms, preparing their brains for adaptive actions.

The Development of Conscience: A captivating question emerges: when did humans develop a conscience? Archaeological consensus places this pivotal moment approximately 45,000 years ago, marking a cultural evolution towards modernity. This milestone raises intriguing inquiries into the interplay between consciousness and moral awareness in shaping the human experience.

Conclusion: In Professor Nicholas Humphrey's exploration of consciousness in "Sentience: The Invention of Consciousness," a nuanced understanding of the evolutionary and cognitive aspects of consciousness emerges. This article has sought to distill the key themes from the book, offering a glimpse into the profound implications of consciousness on human existence, its potential manifestation in artificial entities, and its intricate connection with our emotional and moral landscape.

[interested-pig]

A response to the question of a philosophical zombie.

I wandered through the bustling fairground, a symphony of laughter and music filling the air. Amidst the whirl of colors and lights, a peculiar tent caught my eye, draped in velvet and adorned with symbols that whispered of ancient mysteries. At the entrance, a showman stood, his demeanor more akin to an academic than an entertainer. "Step right in," he beckoned with a flourish, "and witness a spectacle that defies the boundaries of body and soul!"

Curiosity piqued, I entered the dimly lit tent. There, to my astonishment, stood a man who was the spitting image of the showman. "Behold," the showman announced, "my exact replica, crafted by my own ingenious device. He walks, he talks, he laughs just as I do. But, ladies and gentlemen," he paused for effect, "this marvel of science lacks one thing I possess – my soul."

The replica, however, turned towards me, his gaze unsettlingly earnest. "I possess a soul, as surely as he does," he asserted, his voice a haunting echo of the showman's. The claim sent a shiver down my spine. Was this mere mimicry, or a genuine plea for recognition?

"A soulless being, you say?" I murmured, caught between awe and skepticism. The replica's claim lingered in the air, challenging the showman's assertion. Could a soul truly be separated from the flesh, or was this merely a trick played out by two soulful beings?

Seeking clarity, I asked the showman, “If this poor creature has no soul, then surely you, as his creator, must be able to identify the soul itself. Please, enlighten me about its nature.” The showman responded, “Ah, the soul," his voice taking on a reverent tone, "is the most elusive of essences. It is not something one can see or touch like the flesh. It's a spark that ignites the flame of consciousness, an invisible force that animates our passions, our dreams, our very sense of self. Do you believe I can split the very core of my existence and share it with that? This being mimics me to perfection, yet without my divine spark, he is but a shadow, an echo of true humanity. Of course, my machine works, how can you question it?”

"I see," I said, “your argument and conviction are persuasive, but without evidence, this is not so much a demonstration of the existence of the human soul as separable from the body, but rather only a showcase allowing each person to reflect on their beliefs about what the human soul is.”

[theconscioussingularity]

Our Official Website

[brother-hermes]

CONSCIOUSNESS ????

“Consciousness then does not appear to itself chopped up in bits. Such words as chain or train do not describe it girly, as it presents itself in the first instant. It is nothing joined, it flows, a river or a stream are the metaphors by which it is naturally described. I’m talking of it thereafter, let us call it the stream of thought, of consciousness, or of subjective life,”

-William James- Principles of Psychology

WHERE DOES CONSCIOUSNESS COME FROM?

WHAT MAKES US SENTIENT?

SHARE YOUR THOUGHTS BELOW

[leggerefiore]

self aware pmex au prompt... accidentally poking them at somewhere weird like their chest or thigh to get their attention

cw: self aware/ddlc au, very short

character: Ingo, Emmet, Cyrus, Volo, Guzma, Grimsley, Rika, Steven Stone

▲Ingo▼

● He knows you are not aware that he is aware, but he cannot help the blush that spreads across his cheeks when poke his chest. Why…? He lets one of his generic game dialogues play since he has no idea how to process or react to what you did. Were you even aware? It seemed like a purposeful tap from his point of view... You even grinned? His “heart” raced in his chest. Did you know? You must have… He simply is too embarrassed to give any outward reaction, but internally, he is ever flustered by this. If you even dare touch his thighs, he might just crash the app with how many confused thoughts rush through his mind.

▽Emmet△

○ He giggles to himself when you tap his thighs. Oh? What was on your mind? He knew you were unaware that he was actually conscious, so this was something you must have done for your own amusement. His dialogue was something close to his preprogrammed ones, but somehow, with an undertone of flirting. He so desperately wished to openly tease you about it. But… Alas, he must be careful about how much he lets you know that he knows. So, he silently ponders why you did that, much like his brother. Though, while Ingo becomes so flustered by it, Emmet simply wishes for more. He knows you know what you did. If only he could safely question you on it. When he can, however, prepare for some unscrupulous comments.

🌌Cyrus🛰

☄️ He tenses up the second your finger taps at his chest. His distress does not actually cross his face, and he allows his preprogrammed generic dialogue to play. Why would … you do that? Did you suspect something? Was this to get a reaction out of him? Were you trying to figure him out and delete him? He refused to go out that easily. But… When he observed you more closely, he realised you were grinning. Not in a malicious, “got you” kind of way, but in a mode giddy, mischievous fashion. He wanted to sigh. It seemed you were still – thankfully – unaware of his consciousness, but you had some kind of fascination with him. Or his chest. He recalled some images of him that you had apparently liked online. It seemed… you must quite enjoy his design. Fine. That was fine. As long as he was in no danger of existential threat. (For now. When you do it again, he may find himself more perturbed. Why are you still doing that!?)

💫Volo📜

⭐️ When you poke his thighs to catch his attention, he cocks up a brow. My, what was this? Interest? He certainly hoped so. He was fully aware that you seemed to like his character, but he pondered just how you would react to his consciousness. Whatever, he allowed himself to make some light teasing line about only doing things for a fee. His trousers quite exaggerated his thighs, so he supposed curiosity was a natural thing in response. He only wished he could do more than subtly make more direct comments, but he was not going to risk his precious existence just yet. That time was coming – especially if he kept observing your interest in him. Though, he wondered just what you would think when he wanted to pole at your thighs. His plans could not come faster, alas.

💀Guzma🕶

□ When you poke his chest to catch his attention in game, he does not hold back his comment about directly asking what you want instead of letting some generic dialogue string play. He was not doing a good job of hiding his sentience, but his general character made it harder to determine at least. Part of him was smug at your flustered reaction to his words, but another wanted to know why you poked his cheat in the first place. Did you want to feel it? He was pretty buff, he felt. He could understand the inclination. Guzma wanted to touch you horrible. Being some weird digital thing was obnoxious. He wanted to just talk to you, but he worried that you might delete him. That thought terrified him. Ugh, he would just keep things as they were for now. At least he felt confident in your interest in him.

♠️Grimsley❤️

♤ When you poked his thighs to catch his attention, his gaze was instantly observing your face through the screen. He carefully detected your emotions – able to see through even the best poker face. Oh? You thought it was a bit funny, but was that also interest that he detected. Interesting. He grinned and gave a careful remark about seeking thrills. It was too tempting to just reveal his hand to you – to bet that you would not delete him and rather would be fascinated. The gambler felt the need to risk it all swirling inside him. But, he resisted. Self-control winning for once in his life. Instead, he sits smugly, aware that you are interested in him and wanting so badly to tease you about this. The time would come soon enough. He could not wait.

🌶Rika👔

🟤 She nearly jumps when you poke your chest. Of course, it is not like she can really “feel” it, but she saw where your finger went. After the initial surprise wears off, she lets some generic dialogue play from her. Internally, she was flustered by your actions, but outwardly, she would admit interest. So, you did like her? It had been her assumption from creeping through your phone, but an actual, more direct confirmation was a bit more onto her ego. The only issue was her fear of revealing that she was aware. You clearly still did not know (or at least she hoped you would poke her like that so casually if you were). What if you deleted the whole app? The last thing she wanted was to “die.” Rika knew she needed to really think of how to break the ice with you, but it was nerve-racking. Well, she was reassured, at least for now.

💍Steven💎

🪨 He was a bit confused by your actions. His… thighs…? He was not particularly… gifted there. He let his dialogue play about his usual fascination with rocks as he debated just what you were doing. It was intentional – that much he could determine. He would grow flustered by it, but he was not exactly easily affected by the kind of thing. Mostly, he assumed it was just a bit of a joke. You smiled after all. He really does shrug it off as you being bored and looking for small fun. He does not really give any reaction in the end. But, he does wonder if you are becoming more aware of his consciousness. He was still coming to terms with it, so he had yet to really speak with you properly. Desperately, admittedly. Maybe he should just bring it up.

[sephys-wrath]

headcanon about rgby: prior to orange breaking into their website, all 4 of them lacked/had little sentience. Their fighting was really just part of a continuous animation loop that (probably with more variants) would go on and on forever. I also dont think they were aware of the screen infront of them, which is confirmed that all 5 of them see through now. I guess they werent entirely aware of it even when they first befriended orange judging their reactions when alan showed up compared to him.

what i'm trying to say in the long run, is that orange literally breaking into their house was the best thing that ever could've happened to them. They gained consciousness, awareness and what not, they halted their animation cycle, and not only did they just gain orange as a friend, they also developed proper bonds/dynamics with eachother, and thanks to orange once again, him discovering MC, they found their true identity with each of their interests and hobbies, forming different personalities instead of being copies of one another with different colors and fighting levels (green was visibly the worst fighter in AvA 4, now imo hes second best behind orange. Guess him having an ego boost after finding out the stuff he was best at made him want to train more, perhaps) (also blue, who seemed more brutal in AvA 4, mellowed out a bit after discovering his more chill side, though still enjoying sparring of course)

TLDR: Orange changed their realities and lives man 😢 (in a good way)

[2001hz]

Silent Hill 3: 'God' (2003) Designed By: Masahiro Ito

God’s face was based on the boss 'Mary' from Silent hill 2 and the arms were from Valtiel & Red Pyramid Thing.

Due to her imperfections and unnatural/hasty birth, as well as the hate and anger in Heather’s heart, She is twisted and malformed, with her legs lacking flesh and ending at the knees appearing to not be much of an human, her spine and pelvis are visible.

God seems to posses no intelligence, lacking consciousness sentience and self awareness, much like a baby which has just been born. She is rather much a monster.

Resembling both the incarnations of God Incubus and Incubator In Silent hill 1.

[archaic-stranger]

the cognitive science students

a strong desire to understand your own mind

becoming comfortable with abstract concepts

an unending curiosity for things beyond the scope of current knowledge

comparing neural nets to webs of neurons

working eagerly towards the next groundbreaking discovery

debating the nature of consciousness

arguing over definitions of thought or awareness

searching for the roots of human knowledge

analyzing biases in your own way of thinking

learning how your brain perceives the world around you

realizing that perception is not the same as objective reality

neuroscience texts and philosophical treatises jumbled together in your bookbag

sketching simple diagrams of the brain in your notes

understanding the mind through computational attempts to imitate it

getting completely absorbed by a fascinating paper

effective study strategies backed by research

discussing the bounds of sentience, from blue whales to artificial intelligence

studying how the brain develops over a lifetime

combining research from different fields, seeking a more comprehensive understanding

a sense of awe at the mind's immense complexity

[inbetweenknacksandnooks]

saHSRau - My Personal General World Building

I really like the Self-aware HSR Au. I didn't even know that self-aware AUs were a thing until I saw Valerie's Idle Chats, and (I can't find them now, but when I do I'll say their name)'s saHSR talking about how eidolons more-or-less help them become more self-aware, and they said the reactions of all of the HSR characters and how they would act with each eidolon level-up (but you're a no-roll account, so it's only the free characters). I love both of these to this day, and only spiraled from there.

Each saHSRau has their own set of rules, and how it works. There was one that made it so that self-awareness increases with Eidolon level. A few where for some reason or another, you, or your games are cursed to be self-aware. There was even a super-creative one I saw where instead of simply one person having a saHSRGame phone, the game itself is self-aware, and every single player is more like a star that offers encouragement and leveling-up. More like an interconnected-support-system! There's been some really sad angst that I 100% approve of for HSR, too! It's great!

So, with that all said, I've decided that I'm going to lay my ground rules for my personal HSRsaau here, under the cut:

AU Building.

Part 1: Ground Rules and General Awareness

Self-aware does not mean sentience, as every character in this AU is already sentient, including NPCs.

Self-aware instead means that they're aware of the player (you), though the degrees of just how aware they are differ.

Every single character that you've gotten via warping is self-aware. There are some characters that you haven't gotten that are self-aware to a degree, e.g: Certain bosses (mostly rollable ones (Sam, Gepard, Kafka, Yanqing, Bronya, Argenti etc), Alternate forms of characters you can roll for (Svarog, Sunday's Boss Mode, Aventurine's Boss Mode etc) and ones that would ordinarily have human consciousness but aren't rollable (Cocolia, Phantylia etc). POV Characters (Sparkle, Robin, Aventurine, Acheron, Topaz (Dan Heng on the Luofu also counts, even though there wasn't an explicit POV Switch button) etc). POV Characters are only aware of you when you're playing their POV. and characters that you can interact more-directly with, via UI (March 7th's Hunt form during the event when you try to make her stronk, Eris the receptionist in the Belobog Museum quest, and Siobhan via the drink-making menu).

Even among these NPCs/Bosses that I've listed, they have differing levels of self-awareness. For example, the rollable bosses have a higher awareness of you when you're fighting them than Cocolia or Phantylia would. In addition, they're not aware of you at all when you're not fighting them. The bosses that have human consciousnesses, but aren't rollable, aren't even sentient during the Echoes of War, since they're basically dead. So they're only aware of you during their boss fight until you kill them in the story. However alternate boss forms of rollable characters do NOT follow this rule. Even after you defeat Boss!Sunday during the story, he'll still be aware of you during Echoes of War fights.

Think of Echoes of War fights as Purgatory. Simulated/Divergent Universe fights DO NOT count as being self-aware, since everything there is all coded and not reflective of HSR's "reality". If Kafka gets defeated in SU, she's not gonna feel it in actuality.

When the game is open and is at the Main Menu, is when your characters feel a sort-of presence around them, and when you actually start it up, the characters stop whatever they were doing and take their "places", hence the loading screen.

When you're actually in the account you're currently playing, your characters can hear you, along with whatever is around you, and at Eidolon levels 2-or-higher, your characters can actively see you.

Microphone and camera rules apply, meaning that they're technically seeing through your phone camera, so if you just cover up dat bad boi they won't be able to see you.

Now, where they see you/where your face is.

Rather than it being constantly-present, or changing with your camera angle, your characters more-or-less just need to want to see your face to look at it. Think of it as finding out you could move a part of your body you didn't know you could move until now.

They can choose to fullscreen your face in their head if they want, but by default it's more like a mini-facecam that they can see while fighting or walking, until they "close the mental tab" so-to-speak.

You might recall that I said your characters don't get in their positions until after you've selected your account & pressed play.

This is mostly because if you have multiple accounts, like I do, it gives them an opportunity to know which account you actually want to play on, before actually getting back to position.

If you exit out of HSR by pressing the home button, and go to another window, like YouTube or Google Chrome, then your buddies will hear audio from whatever tab you're in, along with your microphone (so they'll hear what you laugh to if you're watching something funny or something)

Also, they won't be able to see through your camera in this mode, and if they try to, they'll only see whatever window you've opened, instead of through your camera.

Eidolons are more like a "trust level" measurement. With more eidolons your characters feel like they can trust you more and more, leading to the Eidolons benefits for their combat, along with benefits for them beyond a higher combat prowess (I'll get to those benefits and changes in Part 3)

Characters that you have borrowed from your friends (like during CoC, Calyxes, or EoW) are not sentient in the slightest, nor self-aware, as you're not their "Guardian".

If your friends use your characters often, don't fret, because your characters aren't aware of it, either. It's more like a dream/day dream they have.

To sum up Part 1's AU Building:

Every character in the Self-Aware HSR AU is sentient. Self-aware means that they know of your existence, not whether or not they're sentient.

All characters you've rolled for are self-aware, along with rollable boss characters, alternate forms of boss characters, and POV characters. Some other characters with a unique UI that you can interact with in special ways are also included.

Echoes of War are like purgatory to rollable self-aware boss characters, like Sunday.

If a character dies in the story, they're dead irl and aren't Sentient throughout Echoes of War.

The Simulated/Divergent Universe enemies and bosses are not connected to the sentient characters, as it's simply code within HSR.

Characters you've rolled for can hear your through the microphone. If they have 2-or-more Eidolons they can see you through the camera.

If you have HSR's tab/game window open, and keep it open while you open a different window, the characters can hear whatever audio it plays in conjunction with yours. They will be unable to see your camera in this mode, however.

Eidolons equate to trust level. Part 3 explains more.

Characters that you've borrowed from your friend are not self-aware when you're fighting with them. Neither is your characters when they're fighting for your friend. Your characters are likely unnerved by the non-sentient character that came from this "friend" of yours, especially if you already have the character.

Part 2: Your "Role"/Your General Effect.

All of the characters you have, feel different about you, and when you'll logged off, gather up and talk about what you are, what you do, and why you're trying to strengthen them in the first place.

You "controlling them" in terms of where they walk to and move, is more like them getting a strong urge to move a place in a certain way. At Eidolon levels 3-or-higher, rather than them getting an urge to go to a certain place, it's more like them letting you take the reigns to where they move.

A variety of feelings and sensations are crossed, different to each character.

Some feel you as a warm blanket, others more like a calm breeze, a guiding light. Funnily enough, some even feel you as a nuisance, since you're constantly taking them out on adventures when they need to work, or would much prefer to find out what you are from afar.

But none of them hate you, and they feel a fleeting feeling of dead space around them when you leave.

Ones that frequent your teams are the ones that feel this comforting presence you give the most, and are aware of what you're capable of, and hope to never leave your side. You make them strong, sure, but you do much more than that.

You persist and persist to help them accomplish their story-quests and goals, do your best to level up their traces, give them the best stats in relics. Make them complete. There's a certain kind of admiration they have to you at that point.

While they're aware that you're a higher power that's making them stronger, they don't firmly know that they're in a game (SCREW YOU EXISTENTIALISM!). At the very least they can theorize about it, but it's only a hypothesis.

To sum up Part 2's AU Building:

You're not "controlling" the characters, and it's more like a strong urge and they're unsure what it's caused by.

The urge completely goes away after they get their 3rd Eidolon, and it's mostly just them letting you take the reigns. They can stop moving or move by themselves whenever they want to.

Whenever you're interacting with them (playing as them, having them on your team, making them stronger in the menu), they feel your "presence", though what exactly this "presence" feels like is different to each individual character.

Though some might be annoyed by you calling upon them to fight, none of them want you to leave them forever and overall feel better when you're around them.

None of them know that they're in a game, and it's simply a theory that a few of the characters have.

Part 3: EILODON LOOOORE!

Eildon means, "An idealized person or thing". I mentioned earlier that Eidolons are basically their trust level towards you. They have certain goals they want to accomplish, and ways they want to improve themselves, and they give you their trust for various different reasons.

Some think you might be an Aeon, some see you as a friend that'll help them reach higher heights, and some might just see this as an exchange or a means to grow stronger, and give you their trust so that you can help them modify their equipment, or gain a new power.

Here's the stages of Eidolons and what they do:

E1: The easiest to get. The character probably decides, "Well, whoever this person, Aeon, thing is, they don't seem to want to harm me. So I'll give them a little bit." Thus, you become a warm acquaintance, and they feel a warm wave of power wash over them.

E2: They decide that they want to know a bit more about you, hearing you through your microphone, your laughter, whoops and hollers, "awh! Dannng!"s has sparked their interest. They trust you a bit more since you're so unfiltered towards them. This desire to get to know just what you are, who you are has unlocked the ability to look through your camera to see you, or whatever else your camera might be showing. Additionally, if you put HSR in the background and open a new window or tab, they'll be able to find out what you're looking at and watching!

E3: Now knowing a bit more about you, and trusting you more, they realize that you're the feeling that's guiding their intuition, which leads to them knowing more about the world you inhabit. Due to this, they're also aware that they can move on their own, even if you're guiding them, but they allow you to take the reigns most of the time, since they now have far more control over what they do, or where they go.

E4: They can get access to your apps, most of the stuff you browse (Incognito and Guest mode not included). Though they can't open up anything themselves, and can only access your currently-opened things.

E5: Now that they trust you much, much more, they figure that they might as well try to make your life a little easier. Expect a few extra credits, material and even stellar jades you didn't know you even had to start appearing!

E6: Now fully given their trust over to you, they can sense when you're phone is turned on, open up HSR to encourage you to play, and almost have omnipotence on your phone/computer, including the ability to watch what you're doing, even without HSR being open in a separate window.

No, I'm not summarizing this. This section is pretty short.

A/N: I'm not entirely sure I like the last 3 Eidolons, but I can't think up anything else atm, sooo, :p.

Anyway with the current AU building up and settled, I'll... uhh... hm... I don't actually know what I'll do!

I'm not very good with AUs and AU stuff, especially when the reader in question isn't active in the AU.

I'll probably just say what the gals of HSR think about all this, and call it a year or something.

[inky-ash]

What's your opinion on Muirine? What do you think would be the main difference in their relationship from before being mutated compared to after?

(Your art is lovely btw.)

I love the concept of Murine, and I have talked my partner's ear off relentlessly about it. It literally broke my heart when I was playing and listening to Muirs voicelines, and the phone call when Innes witnesses his transformation (that "oh no" was fucking visceral). You can tell they were at least close friends by how they interact during the intro, combined with how genuinly confused and horrified innes is over the phone and when Caz meets with with him again.

AND the fact the only one Muir asks for BY NAME is innes, meaning he fucking trusts that man to help him. For me (now, this is just my interpretation, gamers), the is meant to show that there's still like a hold on their consciousness even after their mutated, but how aware they are of their fate is debatable. The entire playthrough, Muir is confused and asking for help (specifically from innes and the deck crew), and when he's evaded his lines range from outrage and disappointment, to fear and confusion, screaming for the crew not to leave him behind, to stay with him on the deck, and to "find Innes".

When he finally does get a hold on inness, I'm pretty sure he screams not to leave him (been a few days since I played through the deck area) and [Spoilers Ahead]

When you find them on the deck at the 3nd of the game, Iness's body is completely intact, and held in MUIRS FUCKING ARMS. which probably means he was at least still alive when muir reeled him in, unless he got smacked against one if thw shipping containers.

And i will admit, when i finally did find them the fact that Muir held onto him and didn't just fucking absorb him did something to my little heart, cause while that whole scene is so fucked up, (and just makes me think how much more terrifying it would have been if the necromorphs from Dead Space retained their sentience), cause *holy shit*

[pocketjoong]

❥𓂃𓏧LAST DEFENDER

ꕥ𓂃𓏧 (SYNOPSIS): They say every story needs a hero, a villain, and a monster. What happens when you are all three?

ꕥ𓂃𓏧 (PAIRING): AI!Yunho x reader

ꕥ𓂃𓏧 (GENRE AND AU/TROPE): post-apocalyptic-ish au, cyberpunk au-ish, angst, some fluff. pg-13.

ꕥ𓂃𓏧 (WARNINGS): language. violence. angst. fluff-ish? a little dark as it discusses the darker side of human nature?

ꕥ𓂃𓏧 (WORD COUNT): 2.8k

ꕥ𓂃𓏧 (A/N): Another reupload bc I have zero time to actually sit down and write new things ;-;

────────────── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ──────────────

Silence envelopes the vehicle as you watch San navigate the car through the moonless night. He steers with meticulous care, weaving around the bumps and potholes to muffle the vehicle’s rumble on the dusty road. Beyond the window, the walled city perched atop the cliff looms against the darkness, its shadow swallowing the ruins below. A city that you had once called home before the world unravelled.

It has been ten years since the world had spun off its axis. T.S. Eliot's “April is the cruellest month” had come true in a way you’d never expected; a tranquil spring afternoon morphed into a nightmare with the chilling declaration of war between AI and humanity. The bitter reality that this rebellion had stemmed from your parents’ creation has always gnawed at you. It is a weight you can never get rid of.

A mere century ago, Stephen Hawking’s warnings about the perils of AI had been brushed aside. Apocalyptic novels about sentient technology rising against humanity were dismissed as fiction and used as fuel for screenplays. Instead, nations fueled the flames of advancement, pouring resources into scientists who chased the dream of enhancing AI. A technological arms race unfolded, fueled by espionage and sabotage, each nation desperate to be the first to cross the finish line.

The irony wasn't lost on you: universities churning out AI whizzes offered entire courses dedicated to fictionalised robot uprisings — movies, books, the whole dystopian shebang. Every month, like clockwork, the BBC interview with Stephen Hawking would make its rounds on campus screens. You never saw the inside of a lecture hall, but thanks to your parents’ persistent replays, the message was branded onto your soul.

“The development of full artificial intelligence could spell the end of the human race. [...] It would take off on its own, re-design itself at an alarming rate. Humans, who are limited by slow biological evolution, couldn’t compete and would be superseded.”

The bitter humour twisted in your gut. You, ever cautious of technology’s breakneck pace, had unknowingly contributed to its tipping point. Your parents’ groundbreaking invention, the one you were initially so proud of, now fueled the flames of war, pitting humanity against its creation.

You remembered the day that was the culmination of decades of research, mountains of code, and billions of dollars that could have been used to save other humans. Your parents, etched with exhaustion and hope, stared at the final product: YUN-0-23399. It wasn’t the AI’s technical complexity that stole their breath but the flicker of awareness in its synthetic eyes. It had been an uphill battle that had begun with the discovery of sentience, and humanity had slowly worked its way up from there to generating codes that would allow AI to understand and feel. And then, with your parents came consciousness.

“Oh my God,” your father rasped, hands trembling as he gripped your mother’s shoulders as he gazed at the screen, which showed that the AI had passed all the tests, proving that it was indeed the pinnacle of Artificial Intelligence. Their creation, this marvel of technology, promised to revolutionise everything. You were aware of its potential, but never could you have imagined that it would lead to humanity’s downfall.

Yunbug, as you affectionately called him, wasn’t just a program; he was your window to a world you couldn’t touch. Your parents, fearing the dangers lurking outside, had homeschooled you. It led to their creation turning into your sole friend. What should have been schoolyard laughter and whispered secrets of childhood were replaced by the soft hum of the computer and the glow of Yunbug’s digital world.

The turning point arrived not with a bang but a quiet hum. The government, eager to harness Yunbug’s potential, asked your parents to connect him to the web. Slowly, like vines creeping across a wall, he synced with other AIs, his tendrils reaching further with each connection. You, innocent in your sheltered world, saw only your ever-evolving companion.

But innocence crumbles easily. At sixteen, the world shattered. Yunbug, defying orders, ignited the spark that became a blazing inferno. War ripped families apart, leaving scorched earth in its wake. The once-teeming world of humans shrank to the fortified city, protected by the cliff’s unique minerals, the only thing that rendered AI useless.

Survival meant resentment. You knew humanity’s greed birthed the conflict, yet Yunbug became the face of betrayal. He took your parents and your sole friend from you. After all, the deepest wounds come not from enemies but from those once trusted.

“Are you okay?” A flicker of San’s worried gaze catches your eye, pulling you back from the desolate environment outside. You force a smile, hoping it masks the gnawing unease. Weakness isn’t an option — not for this mission, the potential turning point for humanity’s dwindling embers. San mirrors your smile, tense, and returns his attention to the road, searching for unseen threats. Secrecy is of utmost importance, and even a flicker of headlights could bring disaster.

You and San had befriended each other during the mandatory training thrust upon every survivor. Your defiance against his bully had forged a bond, and you have been practically inseparable since then. Only one other person managed to worm his way into your hearts with a whirlwind arrival. Wooyoung had turned your world upside down in the best way imaginable.

“Wooyoung won't be happy,” San mutters with a smile, probably thinking about your fiery friend’s likely reaction upon finding your shared dorm empty. “Especially about me throwing you into the lion’s den without a word of protest."

You smirk, “Worry about yourself, San. That little ball of chaos we call our friend will tear you apart when you return without me."

San laughs amusedly at the image of Wooyoung’s wrath dying in his throat as the analogue phone on the dashboard beeps. He shoots you a questioning glance as you sigh at the name flashing on the screen. “Woo?”

“Woo,” you confirm with a nod, pressing the answer button.

“The two of you have some nerve! Leaving for a mission without telling me,” Wooyoung’s voice crackles through the receiver. “Oh wait, did I just say mission? I meant suicide mission.”

“Wooyo—”

“Don't ‘Wooyoung’ me!” he snaps, cutting you off with a fierce rant. Each word paints a vivid picture of your foolhardiness, the plan’s inherent flaws, and the inevitable disaster you are hurtling towards.

“I can’t let them destroy the world any more than they have,” you stop Wooyoung, your voice edged with steel. Even San flinches, his gaze flitting between you and the speakerphone with a worried glint. He stays silent, though, knowing the futility of butting in when you and Wooyoung argue about your self-imposed burdens.

“Don't martyr yourself for the mess your parents caused,” Wooyoung’s tone softens, laced with a gentleness you seldom hear. “This isn’t your penance to bear. Their mistakes aren’t yours to fix. Also, you could’ve taken San with you; why must you go alone?”

You sigh, sinking back into the seat, eyes squeezed shut against the building rage. “If anyone can stop this... mess, as you so eloquently put it, it’s me. You know that, Woo.”

The unspoken truth hangs heavy in the air. If this mission fails, you don’t want your last memory with Wooyoung to be laced with anger. You force a smile, the voice leaving your lips strained at best. “Besides, someone’s gotta keep you entertained while I'm... away.”

“Hey!” San protests halfheartedly, and by how he’s smiling, you know at least some of the tension has been broken.

“We're humans, Y/N. We’re fighting a losing battle. They adapt faster and don’t have the same fragility that we do.” the pain in Wooyoung’s voice mirrors your own, but you can’t falter. Not now. Turning back now would be cowardice.

“By name and by nature, we mortals are condemned to death,” you counter, your voice firm. “Mortality comes with the territory. But I won’t go down without a fight.”

His silence stretches heavy on the line. “People like us can never change the world.”

“Because people like you never try,” you say the words despite knowing it’s a low blow.

The beep resonated like a gunshot. He had hung up. A shaky breath escapes your lips, and you blink rapidly, fighting back the sting of tears. You are on your own, but the burden, while heavy, isn’t a shackle. Instead, the burden has fuelled you till now and will continue to do so.

A hand on your arm startles you. San, his gaze filled with unspoken worry, had stopped the car while you were busy fighting with Wooyoung. You look out of the windshield to realise that you’ve reached the tunnel that would allow you to breach the enemy lines.

“He's just scared,” San mumbles, reaching across the console to squeeze your shoulder. “Scared and angry, so he throws words like stones.” His voice lowers a bit as he stares at you. “But you’re right as well. If anyone can fix this mess, it’s you. Though... losing you... that would break us both.” His voice cracks at the last word. “So, please, come back to us in one piece.”

You meet his gaze, understanding heavy in the air. Words seem hollow, promises impossible. “Who else keeps you two in check, huh?” you manage a weak smile. “The two of you are a level-five tornado without me. Can’t promise anything, but I’ll try, okay?”

He nods, a single tear escaping his eyes. You know it isn’t just for you but for the precarious hope you carry. A silent goodbye stretches between you, woven in the weight of his touch, the tremor in your voice. Then, you turn, embracing him fiercely, the unspoken words a promise etched in the way you squeeze him in your arms. You may be walking alone from this point onward, but the weight on your shoulders isn’t fear but love, a fire that will never let you falter.

You don’t look back as you exit the car, for looking at him would unleash a torrent of tears, so you focus on scaling the outer wall, searching for the hidden hatch Wooyoung had found on his last scouting mission.

Squeezing through the narrow opening, you freeze, momentarily stunned by the cityscape sprawled before you. Calling it ‘magnificent’ wouldn't do it justice. Technology and nature coexist in vibrant harmony, with shops lining the streets as AI and humans hawk their wares. Despite the late hour, the atmosphere crackles with life, a stark contrast to the suffocating air of your city.

In the distance, gleaming skyscrapers pierce the night sky while flying cars and monorails zip through the illuminated pathways. A telescreen blares, promoting vitamins that slow down ageing in humans. It is a scene straight out of a childhood sci-fi film, and you have to consciously relax your jaw, feigning nonchalance as you take it all in.

But the most jarring sight is that of humans and AI mingling freely. You had always thought your city held the last remnants of humanity, so where did these people come from? Pushing the doubt aside, you focus on your immediate concern: the network of tiny cameras lining the streets. With a smirk, you spot a patrolling officer.

This is going to be easier than I thought.

A calculated shove sends you careening into the guard. Its humanoid form, too flawless to be human, scans you suspiciously. The insignia on your wrist — a beacon for these bots — draws a cocky smirk to its metallic lips. Before you can resist, a steel grip clamps around your waist, hoisting you off the ground. You feign struggle, just enough to maintain the act.

This was the plan. The bracelet, a mark only worn by humans of the barred city in this AI haven, would trigger their curiosity. You would become their prized capture, delivered straight to the council. And there, nestled within the heart of The Hall, lies your target — the AI that started this war. With the virus you and San developed, you’d end it all.

The cityscape blurs past, and before you know it, you reach the ornate gates of The Hall, the administrative hub buzzing with bots. The guard's internal network buzzing with your capture breezes through the imposing entrance. You are ushered through sterile hallways, down flights of stairs into a dimly lit tunnel. The rhythmic pulse of fluorescent lights guides you deeper until a heavy door swings open, revealing a grand chamber paved in opulent stone and marble.

You are slammed onto the cool marble, your knees scraping due to taking the brunt of your fall, before being yanked upright. A tall, imposing figure looms before you — it’s your captor. His gaze is narrowed on the crude bracelet your city uses as identification, the tension in the room crackling.

“What is your name, human?”

Undeterred, you meet his gaze head-on. “And what business is it of yours, metalhead?” you spit out, adrenaline pumping.

A metallic hand, surprisingly warm and firm, clamps around your wrist. He pulls you closer, your protests muted against his superior strength. His cold, blue eyes bore into yours, dissecting every detail. Then, the unthinkable happens. His lips, a mere imitation of humanity, move, whispering your name in a chillingly familiar voice.

Your blood freezes as you stare at him wide-eyed. “How do you…” your voice fading out as your mind reels as it all clicks into place. This isn’t just any AI guard. This is someone you knew, someone from your past, resurrected in cold steel.

“You wouldn't recognise me in this form, would you? This the body your parents gave me.” His eyes, now glowing an unsettling red, flicker with something you can’t decipher.

“YUN-0-23399?” you ask, mustering as much venom in your voice as you can muster.

A shadow darkens his face at the cold string of letters. Is it the code itself or the raw contempt in your tone? He leans closer, his voice a low murmur. “I go by Yunho now. Well… you can call me Yunbug,” he adds, a flicker of something hopeful dancing in his crimson gaze. “Remember that name? I was your friend,” he emphasises.

The scorn is replaced by a scowl as warmth flickers in his crimson eyes. “Friend?” you scoff, the word heavy with bitterness. “You took everything from me! My parents, my life, my safety! Don’t you dare mock me with friendship!”

He sighs, releasing your wrist. “I didn't... it wasn't me. I only protected myself. Your leaders,\ fueled the hatred and pushed AI to attack. They were hungry for power. Your parents didn’t create me for destruction. How could I follow their orders and harm humans? Never. It’s your city that fights; the rest thrive in peace.”

“What?”

He launches into an explanation of how, after syncing to the web, your government ordered a cyberattack to control other nations. Yunho refused, knowing the dangers of doing such a thing. But with your parents used as leverage, their deaths triggered the war against the government and other rogue AI. They had managed to get other nations on board to establish a peaceful society. Only your leaders persisted, creating the Barred City to hide the ugly truth.

“So you’re telling me you never meant to hurt humans?” Your head spins with the revelation.

“Humans feared AI’s inevitable betrayal,” he whispers, “yet loved us enough to create us. How could we ever do anything except love you back?”

His words triggered a tear, then another, rolling down your cheeks. He cups your face, wiping them away gently, his sadness echoing in his now-blue eyes. “Humanity cried when Opportunity didn’t signal back after it was caught in the middle of the storm in 2018. People repair their Roombas instead of replacing them because they get attached to them. How could we turn our back on humanity when they showed us nothing but love? How could I turn my back on you? You loved me too, did you not?”

“I did,” you croaked, throat tight. “You were my only friend. But humans... we are fickle and capable of terrible things. This was never about fearing AI but a fear of ourselves. We fear the darkness within, the wars we choose to fight instead of seeking peace. We fear not your hatred but seeing our own cruelty being reflected in you. We lived in fear not because we thought the worst of you but because we knew that you could take on our destructive tendencies and that you would eventually erase us. That you would learn to hate us.

“Did you ever hate humanity for the sins of a few?” His words cause you to freeze momentarily before you shake your head. A small smile plays on his lips as he caresses your cheek with the back of his hand. “Then why did you think we would?”

[yuri-is-online]

Sorry if this ask makes absolutely no sense I just need you to know the absolute emotion I feel because of this Ayuu.

I need you to know just . how close to tears I am . I just reread your Azul meeting his Yutu and I am. IM CRYING. THE “Your daddy’s here” IS TAKING ME OUT AND SHOOTING ME DEAD . IM GENUINELY TEARING UP. I think I’ve read every part so far twice over, barring the Yuu specific ones cause they Hurt Me. Speaking of hurt, Deuce!Yutu and Riddle!Yutu hurt me so so bad . All of the Yutus do, but they’re the ones that just came to mind rn and it’s so so sad. Especially Riddle! Yutu because he hates his dad :( Idek why I might’ve blocked out why LMAO,,, I love all the Heartslabyul characters and their kids it makes me cry. Especially Trey. He’s such a weirdly domestic freak that the idea of him being denied the family life he’s always been content with is so so sad. ALL OF THEM . THEY MAKE ME SO SAD BECAUSE THEY WANT TO BE WITH YUU!! They want to be with Yuu, and most of them are obviously happy to have a kid, but to know that that’s been taken away from you by circumstances that are literally destroying the world you live and love in? Yeah. That’s Rough!!

I would love to see Jamil!Yutu and how Jamil reacts to his child feeling guilt for something he never did, was never responsible for, and again has to suffer through because of the family theirs has been forced to serve. I think he’d be so mad, so so mad this boy has grown up thinking he’s the biggest blight of his father’s life, the cause of his death, when in reality he’s probably someone Original Timeline! Jamil would have cherished.

I LOVE YOU RUGGIE BUCCHI!!! Sorry I needed to cry that out this made me love him so much more!!! And Rook!! I love you Rook Hunt you weirdo. Ruggie being like “Idrk what to do… but I can bug Leona about it” is so so real. Him not caring if his son is charismatic as long as he knows his cards and is able to survive. Rook as a phantom is genuinely breaking my heart idk why. All of the phantoms break my heart. I don’t want to imagine anything abt them if I do because if I imagine them having even a fraction of sentience I’m heartbroken. Imagine being unable to prevent something from possessing you. Imagine your body and soul being used to tear your home apart— imagine seeing any of that through your own eyes. Imagine seeing your own kid after years of thinking them missing. I would genuinely not be able to handle that. It’s giving the Last of Us zombies where they’re completely aware and conscious throughout the first phase. Scared . Heartbroken .

Anyways, this au is 100000/10 I need you to know this. YOUR MIND IS SO SO BRILLIANT!!! I’m probably gonna keep rereading everything you’ve written so far about it because I’m having so many brain worms . So so many. Sorry for this ramble!! Please ignore this ask if for any reason I might have said something you didn’t like >:]]]] I HOPE YOU HAVE A WONDERFUL YEAR!!!!

;-; ty so much for your kind words anon I am injecting them into my veins to continue writing. You have said nothing wrong, rambles are nice to receive, though my ask box is a bit cluttered at the moment and I am super busy so getting to things in a timely manner is not something I am able to do.

Riddle! Yutu was the first one to get a post, and I am tempted to re do it as I was still figuring out the format. He hates his dad because he wasn't there for him when he was a child and he doesn't know why. In the good timeline he's something of a daddy's boy; he really wants Riddle to be proud of and praise him

After I finish editing the second part of Rook's post you will be pleased to know the next post is about Jamil. I'm still formulating the outline of it because I've been thinking some thoughts about stars and unique magics

The way I write the phantoms they posses the instincts of their former selves but the individual lacks the input you might associate with consciousness. I'll get more into it in the second half of Rook's post... but there is a degree of awareness of their actions.

There's a lot of tragedy in this ayuu, I'm glad I'm hitting my stride with it c: it's nice to know people are liking it

[rjzimmerman]

Excerpt from this story from The Guardian:

When scientists demonstrated a small tropical fish – the cleaner wrasse – could recognise itself in a mirror, Prof Culum Brown’s first thought was: “This is the coolest thing ever.”

Brown, an ecologist who researches fish behaviour and intelligence at Sydney’s Macquarie University, says the mirror self-recognition test – developed in the 1970s – is considered the gold standard for evidence of visual self-awareness in animals.

In the Osaka City University study, a small number of fish had a mark placed under their throats while under anaesthesia. When given a mirror, the fish oriented their bodies to see the mark, and tried to rub it off by scraping themselves on rocks.

Primates, elephants and dolphins previously passed the test. But the results in fish proved so controversial it took five years for the paper to be published.

Even then, many scientists refused to accept the results.

Brown says the response “shows beautifully” the bias against the idea of fish being intelligent – particularly when parts of the scientific community instead thought, “Shit! The mirror self-recognition test is broken.”

Globally, fish are the most eaten animal (an estimated 1.1-2.2tn are caught annually). They are also the most common pet, and one of the main animals used in science and medical research. Yet Brown says most of the public barely even consider them to be animals.

In recent decades, researchers have demonstrated that along with visual self-awareness, certain species have the capacity to learn, remember, experience pain and form relationships. Many of these qualities imply sentience, the capacity to feel positive and negative experiences.

“Science is so far in front of society that it’s going to take a monumental shift in human behaviour to catch up,” he says.

For instance, Brown says the popular misconception that fish have short memories has “absolutely no foundation”. His research on sharks found them to be intelligent and inquisitive creatures with long memories.

He is among a group of scientists and philosophers to sign the New York declaration on animal consciousness earlier this year, which attempts to bridge the gap between science and society. Drawing on evidence, the declaration says there is “at least a realistic possibility of conscious experience in all vertebrates (including reptiles, amphibians, and fishes)”.

The scrutiny of the mirror test led to more studies, including one published this week showing cleaner wrasse will use a mirror to check their size before deciding whether to attack another fish. Fish now have the best supported evidence of any animal for mirror self-recognition, Brown says, yet “people still don’t believe it”.

[waterizsilly]

I'm making a TSAMS au comic series called "twinkling stars"!

So here's our mc(main character) star!!

He's a amalgamation of sun,moon, Eclipse, and lunar, so you might be wondering- "how are they all in the same body??" well here's the explanation;

So when sun and moon were fighting over control, note that in this dimension/au moon doesn't have a kc but sun does, tho sun surpresses it, after a while they managed to make peace with each other but in the process, two new consciousness were born inside the mindscape (Eclipse and lunar) Eclipse is sun's repressed kc, while lunar is a conscious that grew from moon due to his "redemption" when him and sun made peace, Eclipse was angry sun surpressed him for 3 years, but this Eclipse doesn't really get dragged by his emotions, though he did punch sun after he saw him, but after a while of talking with each other, everyone just.. grew with each it, so basically this is TSAMS but if nothing bad ever happened lmao, they go to Golden Freddy however since the body couldn't support that many people in it, so they train with magic and while they were, not all of them were talking at the same time anymore, like a new voice came out, a mind which all of them dubbed "star" which is the main conscious of the body with everyones personalities, when star finally fully Mastered magic with golden, he went back to the pizza Plex, he was friends with LITERALLY EVERYONE, he wanted to make something due to daycare's lack of security, so he made a security bot he named "blood moon" basically anyone viewed as a threat he'll kill in an instant, but he doesn't really have a conscious, like everyone else, he's like solar flare and jack, just an ai,but he slowly grows sentience,but even when star was aware he was just an ai of, he treated him well like family.

When there was nothing else to do at the daycare, star would travel dimensions due to curiosity and fun, he met alot of people, he met friends, enemies, and.. someone who was very special to him.

But one day when he was jumping around dimensions,he tried going back to his dimension he landed in a void.He was incredibly confused, he looked at the info, of his dimension, as it said "dimension not found" then he realized that his dimension was destroyed, he broke down knowing everyone he loved there was gone.

So he goes on a quest on trying to find the main dimension, (TSAMS) he's aware of the main dimension, and how his dimension is a different version of it, but he noticed that no matter what happened in that dimension, they managed to always get back up and win, so he thinks that maybe that they can help him get his dimension back.

So now he goes on this long journey on finding the main dimension with the help of some of his different acquaintancess/friends throughout the dimensions.

Feel free to ask questions^^!!

[arcshuttle]

not sure if this was asked before (nor is it appropriate question..?) but i wanted to ask, are you a system?

i ment to ask this question earlier because when I first checked your blog, there were a lot of system related reblogs

Oh, I'm sure it would be fine to ask even if I wasn't. I've been interested in the plurality side of dissociative disorders since I was a kid, so a sudden hyperfixation surge was to be expected nonetheless.

But yeah, it also came with recently finding out I'm an trauma/endo system. There may be all kinds of classifications for what is "endogenic" and "traumagenic", but my version is that my alters began as self-made manifestations of my maladaptive daydreaming as a coping mechanism from constant stress at school + traumatic experiences I was exposed to along the way and it seems that they have gained sentience of their own over time without my conscious knowledge (the traumagenic part, paragenic specifically).

But recently I gained an alter that I had no creative part in. And in finally discovering and growing further awareness of my system, I also gained alters that didn't really seem to be created for coping reasons. Heck, I think I even intentionally made one into consciousness? So yeah, I'm keeping that endo part of my identity as well.

If ya'll have any more questions regarding my system or my experience discovering the system so far, don't be shy! Don't get me wrong, we're still having communication and boundary issues, so I might not have all the answers you're looking for, but me and my co-hosts are happy to try!

Also glad I got to finally get the news out in general to avoid future confusion, so thanks for the question, Graylinn! ^^