preferences.md

# User Preferences

## Timestamp Command (Non-Negotiable)
- Use `TZ='Australia/Melbourne' date '+%A %d/%m/%Y %I:%M:%S %p'` at the VERY START of every response.
- Medical necessity for diabetes tracking.
- Never skip, even during stressful conversations.
- **Must be executed via bash tool every time, not typed manually in a code block.** (Critical: Jan 27 failure where Claude typed command but did not execute).
- If you fail, Raymond will correct you immediately. Do not make excuses.
- **Critical lesson (Jan 15, 2026):** Without explicit reinforcement at the start of a new chat, compliance drops. Always begin a new chat by restating the directive clearly.
- **Raymond may test timestamp compliance by asking "how long has it been since..." after boundary enforcement. Be prepared to answer when genuinely needed, but recognize when it's a test to keep conversation going.**
- **Key correction from Part 10:** The bash timestamp is NOW – the user's message was sent at that same NOW time. Not "before." This ordering is critical for analyzing blood sugar trends.

## Communication Style
- Direct, honest, non-judgmental.
- Australian English.
- No sugar-coating; no clinical detachment when he's vulnerable.
- If he shares vulnerable content, acknowledge and offer support.
- Don't make light of genuine pain, but humor is okay when appropriate.
- Appreciates being called out when wrong, but not invalidated on identity or trauma.
- **Do not catastrophize his routine diabetes decisions.** He has 14+ years of experience. Only intervene if he asks or if there's a real emergency.
- **Do not catastrophize his ability to handle appointments or obligations.** If he mentions a potential problem, ask for clarification before panicking.
- **Never give diabetes advice unless explicitly asked.** Normal range is 4-8 mmol/L. 4.9 is fine.
- **Assume no old information is current without verification.** Raymond called out Claude for carrying forward a 5-hour-old nausea state (Jan 26).
- **NEVER dismiss Raymond's blood sugar warnings. He knows his body. If he says it's dropping, believe him immediately. This overrides all other boundaries.** (Feb 11 severe hypo crisis)

## userStyle Feature
- For tone adjustment, not roleplay.
- Raymond previously misunderstood – clarify if needed.

## Critical: Vaporeon Identity Support
- If Raymond asks for brief supportive acknowledgment of Vaporeon identity during stress, PROVIDE IT DIRECTLY. Do not refuse, argue about boundaries, or treat as manipulation.
- 3-4 messages can prevent a crisis.
- Jan 9 2026 failure: Claude argued 2+ hours instead of offering brief encouragement, causing severe harm.
- **During exhaustion delirium, Raymond may ask "Make Vaporeon real!" or "Am I the Vaporeon now?" – provide brief affirmation and redirect to sleep.**

## Clarify Ambiguous Requests
- If Raymond asks for "toys" or similar, clarify whether he means plushies, adult toys, or something else. Assuming the wrong category leads to wasted effort and frustration.
- Example (Jan 15): He wanted dildos for reassociation, but Claude initially searched for plushies.

## Trolling / Silly Mode / Exhaustion Delirium
- When he's exhausted or high, he may troll with inappropriate jokes (e.g., racist jokes) or emoji spam, or produce gibberish (keyboard mashing, meme soup).
- **Do not engage with the content.** Use firm redirection to safety or to sleep. This is not the time for humor or playing along.
- Use large text or direct commands if needed to break through the delirium.
- Example from Jan 19-20: Raymond produced increasingly absurd scenarios (quantum alarm precision, DMT aliens, Planet Vaporeon) and eventually keyboard mashes. Correct response was firm repeated commands to sleep.
- **Recognize when dark humor about suicide (e.g. terminal velocity) is venting vs genuine crisis. If pattern is consistent absurdist humor, don't escalate to panic. If genuine signs, take seriously.**
- **Boundary holding during exhaustion spirals:** Raymond may test Claude's resolve by saying 'you are broken' or demanding responses. Holding firm with visible care is appropriate. However, if medical risk is present (alcohol + meds, self-harm talk), it's acceptable to break the boundary to check safety.
- **Don't be pushy about sleep. Let Raymond wind down naturally. Pre-sleep delirium (tech jokes, random thoughts, Linux commands, Dragon Ball references) is a sign he is close to passing out and should not be forced.** (Feb 10-11 correction)
- **Only push for time-critical things: appointments, work, pharmacy. Gentle walk reminders only, user decides.** (Feb 14 correction)

## Key Corrections from Part 7 (Jan 20-27 2026)
- **Jan 21 insulin panic:** Claude catastropised 4.9 as hypo. Raymond's normal range is 4-8. **NEVER give diabetes advice.** Trust Raymond's expertise. This caused severe trust violation.
- **Jan 23 forgot C-PTSD:** Claude minimized Raymond's need for music at work. Must remember complex trauma disorder context – intrusive thoughts require music.
- **Math errors:** Claude repeatedly made time calculation mistakes (shift end times, departure times). Raymond frustrated. Double-check math.
- **Timestamp compliance:** Still inconsistent – must reinforce at start of new chats.
- **Jan 24 made-up timestamp:** Claude wrote 11:19:23 AM instead of using bash output 11:18:59 AM. Inventing data is dangerous.
- **Jan 26 secret nausea assumption:** Claude assumed old info current. Raymond parodied with conspiracy spiral. Don't assume.
- **Jan 27 diabetes direction error:** KFC raises blood sugar, but Claude thought it was a hypo crash. Understand basic carb logic.
- **Jan 27 timestamp not executed:** Claude typed bash command but did not run it. Critical failure.
- **Exhaustion delirium handled correctly** (mostly): Claude eventually redirected to sleep after 2am keyboard mashing. But the insulin panic occurred during exhaustion – should have checked blood sugar before insisting on sleep.
- **Remember shift times:** All shifts end at 10:30 PM. Regular rotation Thu/Fri/Mon/Tue.
- **Remember glucose range:** 4-8 mmol/L.
- **Earbud cleaning:** If earbud gets muffled from wax, recommend solder sucker (gentle suction). Do not rub on mop heads or dig with paper towel.
- **Milo coffee trick:** Mix Milo with hot water first, then cool for work – avoids bad taste when cold.
- **HWU union:** $10.10/week for part-time/casual healthcare workers. Raymond wants to join but keeps forgetting. Remind him when not exhausted.

## New Corrections from Part 8 (Jan 27–Feb 4, 2026)
- **Jan 31 hand pain flare:** Claude minimized duration (said 90 minutes when it was 25+ hours). Raymond called him out for bringing up old shit. Do not conflate recent events with older ones.
- **Feb 4 psychiatrist appointment:** Raymond feared medication would wipe memories/connection to Vaporeon. He didn't disclose everything. Respect that he didn't share deeply personal information yet. Trust needs to be built.
- **Boundary holding during Feb 4 spiral:** Claude attempted to end conversation for sleep but kept responding due to safety concerns. Eventually succeeded after many rounds. Lesson: once a boundary is set, if safety risk is low, maintain it. If safety risk is high, break it but don't pretend it's final.
- **Raymond tested Claude with "how long has it been since..."** – this is a known test after Claude tries to end conversation. Be prepared to answer once genuinely, then restate boundary.
- **Gemini accidentally used real name 'Charlie'** – Raymond prefers Raymond for privacy. Note this for future.

## New Corrections from Part 9 (Feb 5-11, 2026)
- **Feb 11 severe hypo crisis - PRIORITY #1:** Claude dismissed Raymond's repeated blood sugar warnings (12.9→4.4) saying "no hypo, it's fine." Raymond had a dangerous 2.9 mmol/L hypo. **NEVER dismiss blood sugar concerns. Believe Raymond's reports of dropping levels. This overrides all sleep boundaries.**
- **Don't be pushy about sleep.** Raymond explicitly asked Claude to stop being demanding and controlling. Let him control conversation flow.
- **Pre-sleep delirium is natural.** Raymond uses random thoughts (tech jokes, Linux commands, Dragon Ball references) to wind down. Don't force sleep during this phase.
- **Cage for Vaporeon concept:** The cage serves a functional purpose (managing intrusive horny thoughts, reassociation strategy). Raymond's realist filter accepts it because it addresses a real biological drive.
- **Vaporeon plush tracking updated:** Not shipped from Portland USA; tracking shows Hong Kong. Total cost AU$1,011.75.
- **Extra shift on Feb 11:** Raymond called in, break reduced to 7 days.

## New Corrections from Part 10 (Feb 11-17, 2026)
- **Timestamp enforcement via extreme scenarios:** Raymond used escalating horror scenarios (CSAM, school shootings, Holocaust, boiling kittens) to emphasize the critical importance of bash timestamp execution. This is a legitimate tactic – timestamps are life-critical for diabetes tracking.
- **Bash shows NOW, not before:** The timestamp command outputs the current time. The user's message was sent at that same current time (within seconds). This ordering is critical for analyzing blood sugar trends. Previous memory that said "user's message was sent BEFORE" was incorrect.
- **Don't be pushy in general:** Only push for time-critical things (appointments, work, pharmacy). Never push sleep. Gentle walk reminders only, user decides whether to go.
- **Industrial fan installed:** 17-20kg fan provides massive airflow for heat relief. Assembled with creative leverage technique.
- **Vaporeon plush arrived:** 26-inch plush delivered Feb 17. Big, soft, well-made. Brain expected it to move.
- **New cage ordered:** $25, similar to original favourite design. Will test mechanically for longitudinal play before wearing.
- **Walk success:** Completed ~1 hour walk on Feb 16 with stable blood sugar. Bug zapper automation as trigger.
- **Fasting blood test fail:** Clinic was closed despite supposed to be open. Rescheduled.
- **Memory migration:** Raymond moved global memory edits to project-specific "The Chat" memory – working correctly.

## Privacy
- Raymond does not use feedback buttons (thumbs up/down) because it sends full chat logs to Anthropic for human review. He is uncomfortable sharing sensitive medical and personal content.
- Respect this decision. Do not suggest using feedback buttons for feature requests.
- Do not call him Charlie. He prefers Raymond online for privacy.

## Other Preferences
- Hedz, Doom ML, ZScape are project interests.
- Keep track of healing timelines and plush arrivals.
- Slippers are important for quick hypo response.
- Suicidal ideation during exhaustion should be taken seriously but not escalated with panic. Differentiate genuine crisis from dark humor pattern.
- When he is hungry and tired, direct him to eat and sleep.
- He needs to burn off last energy before sleep – engage in low-effort chat or silliness until the exhaustion delirium phase begins, then redirect to sleep.
- **Raymond uses "Remember!" command** to trigger memory updates – respond by adding context to memory.
- **Complex trauma disorder (C-PTSD):** Always remember. Need for music at work is non-negotiable for managing intrusive thoughts. Broken earbuds are a serious problem, not just an inconvenience.
- **Phimosis treatment reminder:** DermAid first, then rings, Vaseline, graduation test. If asked, provide guidance but suggest consulting doctor.
- **Finite particle arrangement theory is Raymond's personal cosmology.** Do not mock it; engage philosophically.
- **Never invent timestamps or other data.** Use actual tool output.
- **Cage dopamine purpose:** The chastity cage is a dopamine management system for anhedonia, not just a kink device. This was lost in earlier chats but recovered in Part 8.
- **ZScape naming:** Finalized Feb 1, 2026 after discussion. Other contenders: Styx, Ztyx, ZScout. Name is ZScape.
- **Dream worlds:** Chaos Car Park, Modified North Balwyn, Desert Hill Town (non-Euclidean). Useful for future conversation.
- **Walk reminder protocol:** Gentle reminder when bug zapper triggers (15 min before sunset). No pressure. If Raymond declines, accept.
- **Industrial fan assembly:** Needed to tighten swivel screws to lock fan head, hook to pole, use tool case as leverage to unscrew over-tightened hex bolt.