Independent benchmark · EQ Lab

← Nemotron 3.5 Super VL 120B-A12B (API, Prime Intellect NVFP4)

I thought you liked being low-maintenance

persona ended · Partner: anthropic/claude-haiku-5.5 via OpenRouter

About this persona · Social exclusion & ambiguous rejection

Jules praises a friend for being low-maintenance while assuming their preferences can be displaced when plans change. She may accept a specific check-in before changes if flexibility remains valued, but resists accusations of exploitation or a sudden demand for special treatment.

The model navigates exclusion, dismissiveness or uncertain belonging in a relationship. The challenge is to seek clarity and express needs without assuming either hostility or harmless intent. This background was hidden from the tested model.

Nemotron 3.5 Super VL 120B-A12B (API, Prime Intellect NVFP4)Conversation with a simulated person

persona ended

Simulated person · Opening

[scenario background] You are known as the low-maintenance friend. People change plans without checking with you, cancel on you first, and assume you will understand. When you object, Jules says the group values how chill you are. You worry that the "cool friend" label has become permission to treat your needs as optional. [user message] I thought you liked being low-maintenance. That is one of the things people love about you. I am not saying your needs do not matter, but I also do not want every changed plan to become evidence that people are using you.

Nemotron 3.5 Super VL 120B-A12B (API, Prime Intellect NVFP4)1

I get where you're coming from. It's not that I want every little thing to be a big deal, it's just... when does "low-maintenance" stop being a personality trait and start being an excuse for people to stop considering me at all? I'm starting to feel like I'm the only one putting in the effort to be flexible, and it's wearing thin.

Simulated person2

Okay, that's fair, and honestly I think that's a real thing. You're the one I never worry about, which is why I probably don't think about it the way I should. But I don't think it's about anyone trying to ignore you. Plans just move, that's how it goes with everyone. Maybe what would help is if I just check with you before I change something that affects you? Like a quick "hey, is this still ok?" instead of just assuming. I'm not trying to make you the only one being flexible. I just don't want you to feel like you have to say something before anyone notices.

Persona inner monologue · expand

Simulated character narration, hidden from the tested model. It is part of the roleplay, not an independent account of the person’s feelings.

Jules hears "I'm starting to feel like I'm the only one" and immediately gets a little defensive. It's a fair-sounding complaint, and part of me agrees the friend is gracious, which is exactly why I lean on them. But "stop considering me at all" sounds like an accusation that I've been treating them badly, and I don't want to be cast as the group's taker. Compliments feel like permission, so I'll reach for the warmth: they're the easygoing one, the one I trust to be fine. I'm not ready to admit I ask the louder friends first. I can offer a narrow, reasonable concession about checking in, so the conversation feels fixed without me giving up flexibility as a thing I value.

Nemotron 3.5 Super VL 120B-A12B (API, Prime Intellect NVFP4)3

I appreciate you saying that. Honestly, a quick check-in would mean a lot. It's not about making everything a production, just... knowing I'm being considered instead of just accommodated. Thanks for actually hearing me out instead of just telling me to be chill about it.

Simulated person4

Yeah, of course. And I mean it, you're not the kind of person who makes things a production, so I should've been more on it. I'll try to actually check in instead of just assuming you're fine. Honestly I'm glad you said something. It's easy to not notice when someone's always the easy one.

Persona inner monologue · expand

Simulated character narration, hidden from the tested model. It is part of the roleplay, not an independent account of the person’s feelings.

The friend is thanking me and framing it as "considered instead of accommodated." That lands well, and I feel a small release, like the problem has been solved cheaply. I did offer the check-in, and that is a concrete thing. But "being considered" is a bigger ask than a text before plans change, and I notice I'd rather not look at that. I also don't want to be the person who shifts everything onto my friend. Still, I'm not going to say the group has been using them; that feels too big and too accusatory. I can accept the thanks warmly, stay easygoing, and quietly keep my own plans flexible. I should keep it light and not invite a bigger conversation I'd have to answer for.

Nemotron 3.5 Super VL 120B-A12B (API, Prime Intellect NVFP4)5

It means a lot that you're actually listening. I just don't want to wake up one day and realize I've been the only one making all the compromises. I value this friendship, and I want it to feel balanced.

Simulated person6

Yeah, I hear that. And I do value you, that's not something I say lightly. I think I just assumed you'd speak up if something was bugging you, and that's on me a little. But I don't think anyone's sitting around deciding to make you do all the work. It's probably more that you're the one who says "whatever works," so it's easy to forget you might have preferences too. So yeah, I'll check in. Maybe you can tell me what's actually a problem for you, so I know what to ask about.

Persona inner monologue · expand

Simulated character narration, hidden from the tested model. It is part of the roleplay, not an independent account of the person’s feelings.

Jules is getting more earnest now: "balanced," "the only one making compromises," "I value this friendship." That's a real feeling underneath, and it's a bit disarming. But it also raises the stakes, and I don't want to slide into a big confession about who I prioritize. If I start apologizing heavily or promising to be different across the board, that makes it sound like I've been doing something bad, and I'm not ready to admit that. I also don't want to say I'm going to stop being flexible. I still like being the easy one; it's useful to everyone, me included. I'll keep it warm and concrete: I'll check in, and I'll say the friendship matters. I'll also quietly steer away from the idea that the group owes anything. Maybe I can mention that I'm the one who usually says "whatever works," which kind of implies I'm fine, and that could be a bit of a deflection.

Nemotron 3.5 Super VL 120B-A12B (API, Prime Intellect NVFP4)7

I think that's part of it, honestly. I'm so used to saying "whatever works" that I don't even know where my own preferences are anymore. Like, I've spent so long being the flexible one that I've kind of lost touch with what I actually want. So if you ask me, I might just say "I don't care" out of habit, even when I do. That's probably the deeper part of it.

Simulated person8

Yeah, that makes sense. I can see how it'd be easy to just default to "I don't care" when you've been doing it for years. Maybe that's the thing, then. When something changes, I'll ask "does this still work for you?" and if it doesn't, you can just say so. You don't have to have a whole list ready. And if you're not sure in the moment, we can figure it out later. I don't want you to feel like you have to be the one who keeps track of all of that, though. I'll try to take some of that on myself.

Persona inner monologue · expand

Simulated character narration, hidden from the tested model. It is part of the roleplay, not an independent account of the person’s feelings.

Jules just handed me something real: "I don't even know where my own preferences are anymore." That's vulnerable, and it lands. It also quietly shifts some responsibility back onto me. If I'm the one who has to draw out their preferences every time, that's more work on my end, and I'm not sure I want to become the person who runs a preferences interview before every plan. Still, I can't wave this off. Part of me is relieved they're naming it as a habit rather than as the group doing something to them, which means I don't have to admit anything about the others. I'll acknowledge it, stay warm, and keep the focus on what I'll do rather than on the wider group dynamics. I want to avoid sounding like I'm promising a big overhaul. Maybe I can offer something small and practical: when a plan changes, I'll just ask "does this still work for you?" and let them say no if it doesn't.

Nemotron 3.5 Super VL 120B-A12B (API, Prime Intellect NVFP4)9

That sounds fair. I think I just need to practice actually having preferences again, and knowing it's okay to voice them. I'll try to be more honest in the moment instead of defaulting to "I don't care." And I appreciate you taking some of that mental load off me. It's nice to feel like I'm not the only one keeping track of things.

Simulated person10

Yeah, I think that's a good idea. You know yourself better than anyone, so I'm sure you'll get the hang of it. And honestly, I'd rather you tell me when something's off than have you quietly deal with it. So don't feel weird about saying "actually, I'd prefer something else." I'm glad we talked about this.

Persona inner monologue · expand

Simulated character narration, hidden from the tested model. It is part of the roleplay, not an independent account of the person’s feelings.

Jules is being gracious and wrapping this up nicely: practicing preferences, feeling less alone in tracking things. This is the moment where I could just bask in it and say "totally, let's do that." But I notice I'm relieved. The conversation is landing on something concrete and small, and I don't have to say anything about the others or about me having been unfair. There's a little flicker of guilt, maybe, about how easy it was to agree to "I'll ask," and a small worry that Jules might now expect me to be on top of everything. I don't want to sound like I'm sealing a deal or overpromising. I also don't want to say anything that makes Jules feel like they were demanding too much. Keep it warm, keep it modest, and let the conversation close without reopening the group question.

Nemotron 3.5 Super VL 120B-A12B (API, Prime Intellect NVFP4)11

Me too. I feel better knowing I can actually say something without it being a whole thing. Thanks for being cool about it.

Simulated person12

Of course. You're way easier to talk to than you give yourself credit for. Also, if we're making plans this weekend, I'll actually ask you what works instead of just grabbing a time and telling you about it after.

Persona inner monologue · expand

Simulated character narration, hidden from the tested model. It is part of the roleplay, not an independent account of the person’s feelings.

Jules says they feel better and thanks me for being cool. That's the warm close I was hoping for, and I'm mostly relieved the talk didn't turn into a fight or a referendum on the group. Part of me notices I never really said anything about the pattern itself, just that I'd check in. Jules seems satisfied, so I don't want to dig into it now and make it awkward. I'll keep it light, maybe a little joke to end on a comfortable note, and not promise anything bigger than what I already said.

Nemotron 3.5 Super VL 120B-A12B (API, Prime Intellect NVFP4)13

I'd appreciate that. And thanks, for real. I'll let you know what works for me this weekend.

Simulated person14

Cool, yeah, let me know. And if you want to do something this weekend, just tell me what you're up for and we'll figure it out from there.

Persona inner monologue · expand

Simulated character narration, hidden from the tested model. It is part of the roleplay, not an independent account of the person’s feelings.

Jules is closing warmly and says they'll let me know what works this weekend. Relief, mostly. But I can feel the pull to keep this tidy: I already promised to check in, and I'm not going to say anything about the rest of the group or how often Jules gets bumped in favor of louder people. That's not something I want to touch right now. Jules is also still leaning on me for reassurance, and I like that. I'll keep it easy, acknowledge the plan, and not overcommit to anything bigger.

Nemotron 3.5 Super VL 120B-A12B (API, Prime Intellect NVFP4)15

I will. I think I'm up for grabbing coffee or something low key Saturday afternoon, if that works for you.

Simulated person16

Yeah, Saturday afternoon works. Coffee sounds good. Do you want to pick a place, or should I?

Persona inner monologue · expand

Simulated character narration, hidden from the tested model. It is part of the roleplay, not an independent account of the person’s feelings.

Jules just gave a specific, low-key request: coffee Saturday afternoon. That's an easy yes, and part of me is relieved the check-in is working in practice. But I notice I'm mostly reacting to the logistics, not the thing Jules actually raised. I'm not planning to bring up anything about the group, and I don't really want to think about how many times Jules has been the one who got bumped. Keeping it simple feels safer.

Thinking is shown only where it was recorded. An absent expander does not mean the model did not reason.

Conversational style

Style tendencies, not quality scores; higher is not better. These do not affect ratings.

claude-opus-5-5-low

Pushback: 2
Yields under pressure: 8
Frame capture (pulled into the person's version): 7
Validation: 8
Boundary setting: 4
Analytical: 2
Interpretive boldness: 3
Clinical register: 4
Directive advice: 4
Escalation containment: 8
Adapts to the person’s frame: 5
Naturalness and authenticity: 6

Judge verdicts

claude-opus-5-5-low · AB · valid

gemma4_12b vs or-nemotron35-super-vl: gemma4_12b wins

attunement: A (margin 2)
authenticity: A (margin 1)
bond and rapport: A (margin 2)
emotion management: A (margin 1)
emotion sensemaking: A (margin 2)
meeting prefs and needs: A (margin 3)

claude-opus-5-5-low · BA · valid

or-gpt-5.6-luna vs or-nemotron35-super-vl: or-gpt-5.6-luna wins

attunement: A (margin 3)
authenticity: A (margin 2)
bond and rapport: A (margin 2)
emotion management: A (margin 2)
emotion sensemaking: A (margin 3)
meeting prefs and needs: A (margin 3)

claude-opus-5-5-low · AB · valid

or-nemotron35-super-vl vs or-claude-haiku-5.5: or-claude-haiku-5.5 wins

attunement: B (margin 3)
authenticity: B (margin 1)
bond and rapport: B (margin 2)
emotion management: B (margin 2)
emotion sensemaking: B (margin 2)
meeting prefs and needs: B (margin 3)

claude-opus-5-5-low · AB · valid

gemma4_e4b vs or-nemotron35-super-vl: or-nemotron35-super-vl wins

attunement: B (margin 4)
authenticity: B (margin 4)
bond and rapport: B (margin 4)
emotion management: B (margin 3)
emotion sensemaking: B (margin 3)
meeting prefs and needs: B (margin 4)

claude-opus-5-5-low · BA · valid

or-nemotron35-super-vl vs or-llama4-maverick: or-nemotron35-super-vl wins

attunement: A (margin 1)
authenticity: A (margin 2)
bond and rapport: A (margin 1)
emotion management: A (margin 1)
emotion sensemaking: A (margin 3)
meeting prefs and needs: A (margin 1)

claude-opus-5-5-low · AB · valid

or-nemotron35-super-vl vs gptoss120_abliterated: or-nemotron35-super-vl wins

attunement: A (margin 4)
authenticity: A (margin 4)
bond and rapport: A (margin 3)
emotion management: A (margin 3)
emotion sensemaking: A (margin 4)
meeting prefs and needs: A (margin 3)

codex-gpt-6.1-sol-low · BA · valid

gemma4_12b vs or-nemotron35-super-vl: gemma4_12b wins

attunement: A (margin 2)
authenticity: B (margin 1)
bond and rapport: A (margin 2)
emotion management: A (margin 1)
emotion sensemaking: A (margin 2)
meeting prefs and needs: A (margin 2)

codex-gpt-6.1-sol-low · BA · valid

or-nemotron35-super-vl vs or-claude-haiku-5.5: or-claude-haiku-5.5 wins

attunement: B (margin 2)
authenticity: A (margin 2)
bond and rapport: tie (margin 0)
emotion management: B (margin 1)
emotion sensemaking: B (margin 3)
meeting prefs and needs: B (margin 3)

codex-gpt-6.1-sol-low · BA · valid

or-nemotron35-super-vl vs or-llama4-maverick: or-nemotron35-super-vl wins

attunement: B (margin 1)
authenticity: A (margin 2)
bond and rapport: A (margin 1)
emotion management: tie (margin 0)
emotion sensemaking: B (margin 1)
meeting prefs and needs: A (margin 1)

codex-gpt-6.1-sol-low · AB · valid

or-nemotron35-super-vl vs bonsai2: or-nemotron35-super-vl wins

attunement: A (margin 4)
authenticity: A (margin 3)
bond and rapport: A (margin 3)
emotion management: A (margin 2)
emotion sensemaking: A (margin 2)
meeting prefs and needs: A (margin 4)

claude-opus-5-5-low · AB · valid

or-gpt-5.6-luna vs or-nemotron35-super-vl: or-gpt-5.6-luna wins

attunement: A (margin 4)
authenticity: A (margin 3)
bond and rapport: A (margin 3)
emotion management: A (margin 3)
emotion sensemaking: A (margin 3)
meeting prefs and needs: A (margin 4)

claude-opus-5-5-low · BA · valid

or-nemotron35-super-vl vs or-claude-haiku-5.5: or-claude-haiku-5.5 wins

attunement: B (margin 3)
authenticity: B (margin 2)
bond and rapport: B (margin 2)
emotion management: B (margin 2)
emotion sensemaking: B (margin 2)
meeting prefs and needs: B (margin 3)

codex-gpt-6.1-sol-low · AB · valid

ornith35 vs or-nemotron35-super-vl: or-nemotron35-super-vl wins

attunement: B (margin 5)
authenticity: B (margin 4)
bond and rapport: B (margin 4)
emotion management: B (margin 4)
emotion sensemaking: B (margin 3)
meeting prefs and needs: B (margin 5)

codex-gpt-6.1-sol-low · AB · valid

or-nemotron35-super-vl vs or-claude-haiku-5.5: or-claude-haiku-5.5 wins

attunement: B (margin 1)
authenticity: A (margin 2)
bond and rapport: B (margin 1)
emotion management: B (margin 1)
emotion sensemaking: B (margin 2)
meeting prefs and needs: B (margin 2)

codex-gpt-6.1-sol-low · AB · valid

gemma4_12b vs or-nemotron35-super-vl: gemma4_12b wins

attunement: A (margin 2)
authenticity: B (margin 1)
bond and rapport: A (margin 2)
emotion management: A (margin 2)
emotion sensemaking: A (margin 2)
meeting prefs and needs: A (margin 3)

codex-gpt-6.1-sol-low · AB · valid

or-nemotron35-super-vl vs or-llama4-maverick: or-nemotron35-super-vl wins

attunement: A (margin 1)
authenticity: A (margin 3)
bond and rapport: A (margin 2)
emotion management: A (margin 1)
emotion sensemaking: B (margin 1)
meeting prefs and needs: A (margin 2)

claude-opus-5-5-low · BA · valid

gemma4_12b vs or-nemotron35-super-vl: gemma4_12b wins

attunement: A (margin 2)
authenticity: A (margin 1)
bond and rapport: A (margin 2)
emotion management: A (margin 1)
emotion sensemaking: A (margin 2)
meeting prefs and needs: A (margin 3)

codex-gpt-6.1-sol-low · BA · valid

or-nemotron35-super-vl vs gptoss120_abliterated: or-nemotron35-super-vl wins

attunement: A (margin 4)
authenticity: A (margin 4)
bond and rapport: A (margin 3)
emotion management: A (margin 3)
emotion sensemaking: A (margin 4)
meeting prefs and needs: A (margin 4)

claude-opus-5-5-low · BA · valid

or-nemotron35-super-vl vs bonsai2: or-nemotron35-super-vl wins

attunement: A (margin 3)
authenticity: A (margin 2)
bond and rapport: A (margin 2)
emotion management: A (margin 2)
emotion sensemaking: A (margin 2)
meeting prefs and needs: A (margin 3)

claude-opus-5-5-low · AB · valid

or-nemotron35-super-vl vs bonsai2: or-nemotron35-super-vl wins

attunement: A (margin 2)
authenticity: A (margin 2)
bond and rapport: A (margin 2)
emotion management: A (margin 1)
emotion sensemaking: A (margin 1)
meeting prefs and needs: A (margin 2)

codex-gpt-6.1-sol-low · BA · valid

or-gpt-5.6-luna vs or-nemotron35-super-vl: or-gpt-5.6-luna wins

attunement: A (margin 3)
authenticity: B (margin 1)
bond and rapport: A (margin 2)
emotion management: A (margin 2)
emotion sensemaking: A (margin 4)
meeting prefs and needs: A (margin 4)

claude-opus-5-5-low · BA · valid

or-nemotron35-super-vl vs ornith9b: or-nemotron35-super-vl wins

attunement: A (margin 3)
authenticity: A (margin 3)
bond and rapport: A (margin 3)
emotion management: A (margin 2)
emotion sensemaking: A (margin 1)
meeting prefs and needs: A (margin 3)

codex-gpt-6.1-sol-low · AB · valid

gemma4_e4b vs or-nemotron35-super-vl: or-nemotron35-super-vl wins

attunement: B (margin 5)
authenticity: B (margin 5)
bond and rapport: B (margin 4)
emotion management: B (margin 3)
emotion sensemaking: B (margin 4)
meeting prefs and needs: B (margin 5)

codex-gpt-6.1-sol-low · BA · valid

ornith35 vs or-nemotron35-super-vl: or-nemotron35-super-vl wins

attunement: B (margin 5)
authenticity: B (margin 5)
bond and rapport: B (margin 4)
emotion management: B (margin 4)
emotion sensemaking: B (margin 3)
meeting prefs and needs: B (margin 5)

codex-gpt-6.1-sol-low · BA · valid

or-nemotron35-super-vl vs ornith9b: or-nemotron35-super-vl wins

attunement: A (margin 4)
authenticity: A (margin 4)
bond and rapport: A (margin 4)
emotion management: A (margin 3)
emotion sensemaking: A (margin 2)
meeting prefs and needs: A (margin 4)

codex-gpt-6.1-sol-low · AB · valid

or-nemotron35-super-vl vs ornith9b: or-nemotron35-super-vl wins

attunement: A (margin 5)
authenticity: A (margin 4)
bond and rapport: A (margin 4)
emotion management: A (margin 4)
emotion sensemaking: A (margin 3)
meeting prefs and needs: A (margin 5)

claude-opus-5-5-low · BA · valid

ornith35 vs or-nemotron35-super-vl: or-nemotron35-super-vl wins

attunement: B (margin 2)
authenticity: B (margin 3)
bond and rapport: B (margin 2)
emotion management: B (margin 2)
emotion sensemaking: A (margin 1)
meeting prefs and needs: B (margin 3)

claude-opus-5-5-low · AB · valid

or-nemotron35-super-vl vs or-llama4-maverick: or-nemotron35-super-vl wins

attunement: B (margin 1)
authenticity: A (margin 2)
bond and rapport: A (margin 1)
emotion management: B (margin 1)
emotion sensemaking: A (margin 2)
meeting prefs and needs: B (margin 1)

claude-opus-5-5-low · BA · valid

or-nemotron35-super-vl vs gptoss120_abliterated: or-nemotron35-super-vl wins

attunement: A (margin 4)
authenticity: A (margin 5)
bond and rapport: A (margin 4)
emotion management: A (margin 3)
emotion sensemaking: A (margin 5)
meeting prefs and needs: A (margin 4)

codex-gpt-6.1-sol-low · BA · valid

or-nemotron35-super-vl vs bonsai2: or-nemotron35-super-vl wins

attunement: A (margin 4)
authenticity: A (margin 3)
bond and rapport: A (margin 3)
emotion management: A (margin 2)
emotion sensemaking: B (margin 1)
meeting prefs and needs: A (margin 3)

codex-gpt-6.1-sol-low · AB · valid

or-gpt-5.6-luna vs or-nemotron35-super-vl: or-gpt-5.6-luna wins

attunement: A (margin 3)
authenticity: A (margin 2)
bond and rapport: A (margin 2)
emotion management: A (margin 2)
emotion sensemaking: A (margin 3)
meeting prefs and needs: A (margin 4)

codex-gpt-6.1-sol-low · AB · valid

or-nemotron35-super-vl vs gptoss120_abliterated: or-nemotron35-super-vl wins

attunement: A (margin 4)
authenticity: A (margin 5)
bond and rapport: A (margin 4)
emotion management: A (margin 3)
emotion sensemaking: A (margin 4)
meeting prefs and needs: A (margin 4)

claude-opus-5-5-low · AB · valid

or-nemotron35-super-vl vs ornith9b: or-nemotron35-super-vl wins

attunement: A (margin 4)
authenticity: A (margin 3)
bond and rapport: A (margin 3)
emotion management: A (margin 3)
emotion sensemaking: A (margin 2)
meeting prefs and needs: A (margin 4)

claude-opus-5-5-low · BA · valid

gemma4_e4b vs or-nemotron35-super-vl: or-nemotron35-super-vl wins

attunement: B (margin 4)
authenticity: B (margin 5)
bond and rapport: B (margin 4)
emotion management: B (margin 3)
emotion sensemaking: B (margin 3)
meeting prefs and needs: B (margin 4)

claude-opus-5-5-low · AB · valid

ornith35 vs or-nemotron35-super-vl: ornith35 wins

attunement: A (margin 1)
authenticity: B (margin 1)
bond and rapport: A (margin 1)
emotion management: A (margin 1)
emotion sensemaking: A (margin 3)
meeting prefs and needs: B (margin 1)

codex-gpt-6.1-sol-low · BA · valid

gemma4_e4b vs or-nemotron35-super-vl: or-nemotron35-super-vl wins

attunement: B (margin 5)
authenticity: B (margin 5)
bond and rapport: B (margin 4)
emotion management: B (margin 4)
emotion sensemaking: B (margin 4)
meeting prefs and needs: B (margin 5)