Situational permission is when a character image changes the social cost and subjective meaning of certain behaviors: interactions one would shy away from in everyday appearance can become something to look forward to in character.
One long-term player described the contrast. Being called cute, patted on the head, holding hands, cuddling — in his everyday male appearance these made him embarrassed, even wanting the other person to stop; in character, they became interactions he looks forward to. The contrast is one of the most concrete behavioral changes in Second Self.
The people interacting know who is under the head, and the experience still holds. What changes the rules is the image itself: within this image, expressing this way is appropriate.
Permission should run both ways. Boundaries stay in character; “allowed within this image” presumes the other person’s consent.