There is no third state. The line between as and not_as is the seam — the only honest line.
One primitive, two halves. A value counts as something — and absolutely does not count as something else. That's the entire language.
Move across the field. The three states always sum to unity — one thing, three arrangements.
A small language with one primitive. Every judgment is a frame with a positive edge and a negative edge. The space between is the seam.