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shiraoyagi · 23 days ago

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how tf is Fuuta responsible for Haruka's death even remotely??? Do you just pin whatever on the dude? Please tell me your schizo-theories, you seem so delusional its amusing to read lol

i would appreciate it if you didn't insult my mental state for having an opinion you can't understand... regardless,

i say fuuta is partially responsible because of this conversation in the timeline (translation available here) and how haruka is uhm. gone after that (and he's only alive after that point if you believe muu is telling the truth about him being alive)

this was the last time we ever heard haruka speak, and the conversation obviously is talking about haruka killing himself. the only other person tmk who knew about haruka's plans to kill himself was kotoko, which you can read that interaction here, so it's not like it's entirely his fault (and i said it was something he was partially responsible for, not something wholly his fault)

basically, fuuta says pretty much some of the worst shit you could say to someone who's suicidal. having implied to have been fully indoctrinated by amane's cult atp according to hints in other timelines, it really comes across here— one of the main principles of amane's cult is that people shouldn't avoid their "trials" set up by them in their life by God. presumably, killing yourself would therefore be a sin, and it's reflected in how fuuta treats haruka here.

fuuta does care about haruka. it's really obvious he does because he flat out asks haruka if he can be saved with him— i.e. becoming a part of the cult and finding salvation instead of killing himself. he wouldn't do that if he didn't care about haruka's sake.

HOWEVER, when haruka refuses, fuuta calls him an idiot and says he "won't be saved" which is just a roundabout way of saying that haruka is going to go to hell (or whatever equivalent exists in the cult). he then does nothing to stop haruka later on despite knowing haruka is going to kill himself.

it shows just how far he's regressed; he went from understanding and realizing how fucked up his own actions were outside of milgram to actually just being worse than how he originally was because he was vulnerable and easily susceptible to joining a cult that would validate at least some of his past actions and give him a shot at "salvation" and being a good person (things fuuta seems to really want)— which would, in a sense, free him from his pain.

he's basically committed the same mistake of negligence through following an extreme ideology as he did before, except this time, he KNEW what was going to happen (and the ideology is obviously Different)

if you know someone is going to kill theirself and they tell you their plan to do it and you do nothing to really stop them (especially since a non-indoctrinated fuuta would've actually Done something given that he has literal trauma over that kind of thing) i feel like that makes you at least partially responsible for their death. that's just how i view it, so in my eyes, fuuta is partially responsible for what happened to haruka

thank you

#milgram #fuuta milgram #fuuta kajiyama #if fuuta actually Did something besides basically encouraging it i wouldnt be holding him responsible for ot #he is a cult victim though so i Generally prefer to say its moreso the cult's fault #but i think those kinds of things are muddy #and the point of this post and the last one wasnt really about things being his fault #its moreso about the actions hes taken and that i simply think he helped amane kill shidou based off how hes been acting #in the recent timelines #so like i dont mean fuuta is partially responsible in a sense of 'blame everything on him'#i mean that his actions (or rather lack of further action) makes him partially responsible for a death that was ENTIRELY preventable #kotoko though is definitely at fault and should be held responsible though too (more than fuuta) but this post isnt about her #also cant forget that a large majority of us voted muu guilty despite haruka saying he would khs if we did

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muninnhuginn · 11 months ago

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Thinking about "your weakness is how you always want to be the hero" and how the series returns to this at the end

Li Lianhua hated how he acted as Li Xiangyi and spent years trying to distance himself from it, but ultimately he still fell back into the similar patterns, for all his added experience

His main priority was always to "do the right thing" regardless of how that would impact on those around him. And it *did* impact those around him. From Qiao Wanmian and Shan Gudao as Li Xiangyi to Fang Duobing and Di Feisheng as Li Lianhua

Giving the Styx flower to the emperor so he could use it as leverage to guarantee Fang Duobing and his family's safety. Using the last of his power to save Yun Biqiu. Constantly putting others above himself whilst actively refusing to recognise that his self-sacrificial nature would hurt those he cared about most

And sure, he thinks he's going to die anyway. They're going to be hurt regardless and he can't do anything about that. His odds are low of the Styx flower even working. But ultimately, he refuses to even consider trying. Li Xiangyi has been dead a long time and Li Lianhua is just there to tide things over. What value is the life of a ghost

To the end, he lives and dies a hero. To the end, he refuses to live for himself.

#sth about how he almost managed to live for himself but his past and need to do right doomed him.#those missing years before canon starts were probably the closest he got but even then the knowledge he couldn't use martial arts #must have killed him (no pun intended). because he'd put so much stock in his identity as sigu sect leader + hero + prodigy #so to have such a massive part of his identity stripped from him... honestly it doesn't seem that he ever fully comes to terms with it #but he makes progress and he tries to do better. + that leads to him becoming a different type of 'hero' than the symbol he was originally #deep down he wants to help people with all he has but his capacity isn't infinite + at some point can only be taken from himself #mysterious lotus casebook #mlc spoilers #also to be clear I mention shan gudao not to say lxy should have realised earlier bc for a lot of the time he was too young to notice #and later on sgd did better at hiding his intentions. but more for how lxy tunnel visioned towards his idea of righteousness #and steamrolled over everyone else. both sgd and qwm were placed far below the importance of the sigu sect #and lxy's arrogance made it such that sigu became reliant on him alone as he shut others out (hence domino fall once he went).#idk if he could ever have 'fixed' what was btwn him and sgd bc it was so deep rooted but I do think that his actions #helped convince sgd that sgd was entirely in the right to choose his path #mlc #edit: just went and checked the exact wording of the TL and it's actually 'you like being a hero' rather than 'you want to be the hero'#which is different but still close enough in implications for my point to stand (I think)

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thelawsofdaylight · 1 year ago

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I'm sorry if this isn't approriate, but I don't really understand why you find Les Mis a good target for a climate protest? I get that the musical has themes that align with the protesters but like... what was the good outcome? Are there really People in that audience that don't know climate change is happening? How Will this change their mind? What action is meant to be brought on by trowing soup at paintings or disrupting a performance? Does that actually help the cause of combatting climate change at all? Does it help make people more aware, does it have an effect on the mechanisms of polluters? Isn't there anything more focused that these resources (both money and the incredible bravery and drive of the People themselves) could be better focused on. These protest feels so different from like, people chaining themselves to a private jet or the schoolchildren going up to parliaments by the thousand to demand policy chances to better their future. All of the JSO actions feels so performative, I just don't see how they are actually doing anything of even the mechanism by which they are meant to accomplish anything? Which doesn't mean that the people involved aren't great people or that the reaction of the Les Mis crowd wasn't fucked up. Just... what was even the goal?

Hey! I know it's been a while since I made that post supporting the JSO protestors but I've gotten a few asks like this in the time since (and am still getting them) so I'm responding to this as the most good-faith one in my inbox and hopefully it answers others that have been asked to me in the past couple weeks as well. Disclaimer: If I'm responding to things outside the remit of this ask, it's likely that it's because someone else sent an ask about it and I've been juggling them all in my head as I've been thinking on a response.

I think in order to answer the first part of the ask we have to tackle the second. 'What has this action achieved' only works as a comprehensive criticism if we look at it in isolation to all of JSO's other actions. What I mean by this is: JSO launched by blocking oil refineries for days on end. In the two years they've been active they've done similar actions, including but not limited to disrupting fuel distribution centres, petrol stations, interrupting fossil fuel conferences, and, most recently, trying to stop the relocation of asylum seekers to prison barges. Their actions go far beyond blocking roads and disruption of public events. I think this is important to establish as I don't know how much of a working knowledge anyone not in the UK Climate movement actually has about JSO and I think it's good we're all on the same page.

But if they do all that (effective, important) direct action, then why target Les Mis? What does a West End show have to do with fossil fuel companies and climate change? And in response to these questions I'll ask one of my own: were you aware of the fact that JSO tried to stop migrants from being deported until I mentioned it just now? A lot of these actions, the ones that actually target infrastructure and confront those directly responsible, get little to no media coverage. When news of the Les Mis action first broke out, I saw so many people on Twitter with the same reactionary takes: why target Les Mis when the Conservative Party Conference literally happened the same weekend? And that's a fair and valid point- if it wasn't for the fact that JSO were at the conference. I know this because I was there too. They had a huge bloc in the march and went on to do other actions in the city after the march had ended. The whole thing, the entire 10,000+ strong protest, got maybe 30 seconds coverage on the local news and not even a mention of JSO's presence (or of climate change in general for that matter.) JSO's previous actions directed at fossil fuel companied themselves get very little, if any, coverage compared to their big flashy sports/awards show/performance interruptions.

So yeah, some of JSOs actions are 'performative'. But I don't think it's unreasonable to suggest that even performative actions have their place within the wider struggle. I understand not liking public disruption as a tactic and I understand the issues with it, but I also think it's worth reflecting on why groups like JSO use it.

Editing my draft here to report that earlier today they smashed the frame of a painting that was previously vandalised by the Suffragette movement in 1914. That's a performative action, sure, but you have to admit it makes a point. Just like the tageting of Les Mis, a play about an unjust society and the people striving to change it, makes a point about hypocrisy. It gets the media coverage. We can debate all day about the usefulness of that coverage and if chasing media headlines should be our goal in the first place... but at the end of the day, it's been proven that JSOs membership grows every time they do something like this. It gets more people to join, which means next time it comes round to blocking key infrastructure, they'll be in a stronger position to succeed.

This isn't to say don't criticise them at all! I actually think criticisms like this one are a key part of organising and, done with care, can only make our movements stronger. I have my own issues with JSO- namely, the carelessness with which arrest is actively encouraged/promoted as the only valid form of resistance- but that's a whole other conversation and one that doesn't undermine my support and solidarity for the activists who are doing those actions (and sacrificing a whole lot in the process.) I think mass direct action movements are rarely ever perfect but I also think we need to show solidarity first and foremost when people are trying to do the right thing, especially if how they're doing it is in conjunction with or as a response to other tactics.

#les mis #just stop oil #i know this is old news now but this was in my drafts and i feel like i should probably still post it given that JSO are in the news again #also disclaimer: since my last post i found out that not only do i know one of the ppl who interrupted les mis #but turns out we've actually taken direct action together in the past #and i'm not about to announce details of my ongoing court case on tumblr dot com #BUT i think it's also worth keeping in mind that a lot of these activists aren't only doing the 'performative' stuff #sometimes they also [redacted]

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zeb-z · 1 year ago

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talking entirely character wise. do you think today was a bit of a wake up call for bad. do you think he heard red screaming out of their minds begging for toxic gas and thought about how they’ve lost their minds just a little bit. do you think that when he was given an immediate no when he asked where the red egg was to help them defend he understood how deep of a rift he created. do you think as he sat there silent while the rest of red cheered at killing the egg statue, he wondered if he could have pushed them a little too far. do you think that maybe, just maybe, with the red sun beating down on him in that desert, the gas mask team cheering and dancing, he felt for a single moment the consequences of his actions? that maybe, if he hadn’t started out so hostile with extreme tactics, if he hadn’t been so bloodthirsty and ruthless, if he had had just a little bit of hesitation, that his own attempts at diplomacy would have gone over better? that the rest of the teams would have listened? that red would have trusted his judgement on the egg statues, or at the very least respected him enough to honor an agreement? do you think he realizes that burning his bridges may have fucked him over?

#now again stressing here I’m talking about q!bad. character wise. I feel with how tense folks are getting this needs to be stressed #do you think he sees red and their tight knit unbreakable trust and their unwillingness to listen to a single thing he has to say #and considers that mayyybe he should have killed and tormented them a little less #he was told to not be afraid to run over the competition and took it to the extreme without hesitation or second thought and it’s biting him #in the ass now. because I do think that diplomatic call would have gone different between him and Cellbit had he not fucked them over so #terribly. if he hadn’t done what he had done to slime and to jaiden. if he wasn’t at their base 24/7. if he had a single ounce of tact #maybe there could have been a world where they agree to damage but not kill the eggs and honor it. but bad blew it long before that #disastrous call. he blew it day 2 when he just doubled down on his day 1 nonsense. which again that is the name of the game but yknow #consequences meet actions. and no he’s not the only one who didn’t want to kill the eggs but he’s a big reason why the deal fell through #specifically with red. in another world they could have been convinced. do damage but don’t kill. idk #again. qBBH. bless him but good god he has taken ‘whatever it takes’ to the extreme and he’s paying for it now #mcyt #qsmp #qsmp purgatory #q!bbh #z speaks

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grand-theft-carbohydrates · 2 months ago

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hmm liu bang being a verified member of the baby-tosser's club is not as cut and dried as i thought, apparently it's only mentioned in xiang yu's biography but is omitted in his. that's a conflict of interest if i've ever seen it. that being said, u gotta admit nothing about han gaozu make this seem at all out of character for him.

#chu han #note to self: don't live ur life in a way that if ur sworn enemy starts a rumour of u pushing ur kids out of a moving vehicle future #societies will go “no that's plausible actually”#i've seen multiple versions of this discussing the moral implications of his actions.#from a confucian standpoint this could actually be framed as a moral and selfless act 1) children are expected to sacrifice themselves #for their fathers. of course leaving two kids to be killed by enemy soldiers would have been unpalatable in any time period.#sacrifice goes down easier when it's “hua mulan does drag” and less “holy shit someone call CPS.”#b) it's similar to an anecdote of a woman being praised for abandoning her own baby to save her brother's baby. because she was #putting aside her personal needs for the “public” good.#which was why luo guanzhong made up that story about liu bei tossing a'dou and how much he praised cao cao for refusing to mourn his dead #son. it's about the personal vs public. you also get similar vibes from bai juyi's poem where the murder of the emperor's #favorite concubine is framed as a noble and selfless act. for HIM. yang guifei is an accessory and her feelings on the matter don't matter #what i don't see discussed is that Confucianism is based on the concept of benevolence; worth and hierarchy #it's top-down. king > duke > husband > wife +children. and it's a theme i keep bringing up. if kings can lose their heavenly mandates #so can dads. the father should be a benevolent individual that is worthy of sacrifice. he should fulfill his role as a protector and mentor #the whole concept taken to it's logical extreme and corrupted by the rigid patriarchal society becomes incredibly self-cannibalizing #...but then again the purpose of the machine is what it does

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youngpettyqueen · 17 days ago

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I keep seeing posts (thankfully not on my dashboard) where people aren't grasping this so lets make it very clear: allegations of abuse of any kind coming from women you dont like are still allegations that need to be taken seriously

#because im still seeing that 'the women making allegations about Gaiman are right wing!' shit #im not saying immediately assume the accused is guilty but I am saying that allegations need to be taken seriously #hiding it behind 'its a right wing smear campaign because he's LGBT positive' does not make it any better #ESPECIALLY not now when a lot of horrific information about his actions is out #you cannot pick and choose which women youre going to believe based on who you think 'deserves' to be believed #if youre going to take allegations seriously then it needs to extend to all women #and again- im not saying immediately go after the accused as a guilty person #innocent until proven guilty #and people do lie- not nearly as often as media will have you think they do but it does happen #but allegations should still be taken seriously #even if you dont like or agree with the people who make them #right wing women are not immune to being abused and assaulted #you have to remember that because if you see any woman as not 'deserving' to be believed then you are an asshole

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razzle-zazzle · 4 months ago

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Whumptober Day 26: Nightmares

"I'm haunted by the lies that I have loved, the actions that I have hated." -Poe, "Haunted"

2406 Words; Spiritshipping AU, takes place at various points during Possession and Tournament of Elements

TW for mentions of past death, past suicide

AO3 ver

Cole slid across the ice, unable to float on it like Morro could.

He cursed as he lost his footing, phasing into a wall before he came to a stop. He was a dancer! Balance was his thing! Why was this stupid ice giving him trouble!

At least the ninja were having similar troubles traversing the caves leading to the First Master’s tomb. Cole could take some comfort in that—which was strange, really, to not be the only one struggling. Since emerging from the Cursed Realm, he’d been behind in every way, not quite on par with the ninja. Not a part of their team, an incongruous piece that didn’t quite fit.

+=+=+=+=+

“Oh, screw this.” Cole walked through the wall, leaning against it as the ninja yelled and tried to avoid the beast inside. After a moment, he walked back to the door, grabbing at the lock.

“Hmm…” Cole wasn’t exactly an expert locksmith… “Guys, how do I open this?” He shouted, as the lock failed to give way under his strength.

It was Jay who reached the door first. “Wh—you’re a ghost!” He shouted. “Be the key!”

“Oh, right!” Cole kept forgetting he could possess things. Even though Morro was actively possessing Lloyd—Cole still wasn’t quite used to the idea that he could just… take over. Possession wasn’t something that was possible in the Cursed Realm.

Cole pressed his palm against the lock, and concentrated.

+=+=+=+=+

Sure, he’d been really helpful to them, putting his ghostly abilities to use to help them get the scroll of airjitsu and the Sword of Sanctuary, while doing everything he could to get the ninja out of scrapes along the way. He’d even thrown a rock at Morro once—though Morro had pretty easily slammed it down with a burst of wind.

But all of that was nothing against what the ninja had gone through together. Cole had heard the stories—Jay loved to talk off the ears of anyone near enough to listen. The Devourer, the Overlord, the Overlord Again, Chen’s cult—and Cole had been there for only the tail end of that last one, when Chen’s mage had summoned him from the Cursed Realm just to steal his power over earth. Cole just wasn’t a ninja.

He wasn’t truly part of the group.

+=+=+=+=+

Cole phased through another wall, trying not to panic.

Barely a few minutes ago, he’d been in the Cursed Realm, and now he was here, in some… underground maze? Completely bereft of his powers, thanks to that weird staff. Which wasn’t a huge deal, Cole had lived most of his life without any geokinesis whatsoever—

But he certainly wasn’t going to go back to the Cursed Realm empty-handed. It was an insult to his pride, really—and that everyone here was trying to send him back to the Cursed Realm was nerve-racking; what if the next wall he walked through led him straight to water? He had no way to know—

Cole stopped. This was different. It was a cell, if the chains were any indication. But the prisoner wasn’t quite like anything Cole had ever seen before; metal in place of the normal skin and flesh.

“Uhh…” Cole started. “Hi?” Should he leave? He should probably leave—

“Hello.” The automaton’s voice was pleasant, “You’re new.”

“Just got yanked out of the Cursed Realm.” Cole muttered, and then, “Who are you anyway? I thought robots were only in science fiction.”

“I am Zane; also, I am an nindroid, not a robot.” Zane answered. “What is your name?”

“Cole.” Cole offered, moving to sit down in front of Zane. “So you’ve been screwed over by these weirdos, too?” Something like sympathy twinged in Cole’s chest, even as Zane’s eyes widened at Cole’s statement.

“You…” Zane looked Cole up and down, expressive face showcasing a concern that made Cole uncomfortable. “Did Clouse kill you?” He sounded horrified by the mere thought.

Cole barked out a surprised laugh. “No! No, I was already dead when I got pulled here.” He reassured. “They just waved a stick in my face and stole—” He cut off, unsure if he should mention the whole “master of earth” thing. “A thing. From me.”

“Oh.” Zane’s concern vanished—something Cole was much more used to. “My own elemental powers were stolen as well.” He added, “I was not aware ghosts could retain their elemental powers.”

Morro had given Cole a crash course on elemental power and how it was inherited. “Well, I wasn’t aware nondroids could inherit elemental power, so I guess that makes us even.” He shrugged

Zane smiled. “I suppose it does.” He stared past Cole for a moment, apparently lost in thought or something.

Cole hmmed. He apparently had a lot in common with this guy. “Well, this is getting boring.” He stood, and walked over to the chains holding Zane’s wrists. “Whaddya say to breaking out of here and getting our powers back?”

Zane grinned. “That would be nice.”

+=+=+=+=+

But that was fine, wasn’t it? Cole was never going to be a ninja in the first place. He knew where his loyalties were. Who his loyalties were.

You are doing so well, little Geode.

Cole shuddered, then walked over to where the ninja were admiring their reflections. Apparently, the ice could show someone’s future, and Jay was crowing about how cool his eyepatch looked and how gorgeous Nya was.

Cole glanced at the ice, not really expecting much—he was dead, after all. He’d probably just see the Preeminent—

Cole froze in place.

+=+=+=+=+

“I got the scroll!” Cole exited the temple as easily as he’d entered it, scroll of airjitsu in hand. The sun was beginning to rise, bright golden light piercing through Cole’s translucent body. Of course, he’d been out of the Cursed Realm for a few days by now, so the sunlight piercing through him wasn’t anything new.

The three ninja cheered as Cole passed the scroll over to Zane, Jay slinging an arm over Cole’s shoulders. “You better slow down on showing us up, or Kai’ll get jealous!” He joked, as Zane read over the scroll.

Kai scoffed, then turned his attention to Cole. “You’re doing good, kid. We’ll make a ninja out of you yet.” He praised, making Cole duck his head, flustered.

+=+=+=+=+

That…

“Cole, what’s your reflection?” Zane asked.

Cole stared at his reflection. It was very green, he’d certainly expected that. And Morro was in it, which was a given. The Preeminent was a bit lacking, but maybe she was just too big to fit in the frame. Yeah. It was probably that.

“I don’t see anything different.” Cole lied, crossing his arms over his chest. “Just… me.” Even though the reflection looked older, and more sure of himself in a way that was making Cole feel distinctly uncomfortable—

A feeling in the rock beneath the ice made Cole turn away from the wall, looking down the tunnels they had come through. “...guys?” He started, sinking down into the ice to connect with the stone a little better. The moment he did, he knew—

Time was up.

Morro had arrived.

+=+=+=+=+

“Cole?”

Cole looked up at the sound of Nya’s voice, finding her standing in the doorway. “Hey.” he greeted, leaning back on the bed he was sitting on. The comforter wasn’t color-coded like the other beds, so it had been loosely assigned to him since his arrival.

“You doing okay?” Nya asked, crossing the distance between them to sit next to Cole on the bed. “Kai said you really helped in getting the scroll, but you’re not celebrating with everyone else.”

Cole shrugged. “I’m fine.” He responded, not really looking at her. “Just… thinking.”

“Penny for your thoughts?” Nya prompted, expression open. Trusting.

(Trust that Cole didn’t deserve.)

Cole leaned back. “It’s just… those three. They work well together, don’t they?” His eyes closed, the image of green-streaked dark hair and vicious smirk filling his mind’s eye. “They’re a team. And I’m…” He scoffed. “I’m just me.” He let himself fall back all the way until he was lying on the bed, legs hanging off of it as he stared at the ceiling. “I was attending a performing arts school when I died—I’m not—I can’t do the cool things they do.”

Nya chuckled. “But then you find out you’ve had an element all along, and suddenly you’re supposed to be a part of the group.” She finished the thought Cole was working up to, if not exactly in the terms he would have used. “I get it, Cole, believe me, I do.”

“I don’t doubt that.” Cole agreed. “But… I mean, look at you!” He gestured at Nya. “Even before this Master of Water stuff, you were Samurai X! You’ve always been cool, Nya.”

“But I’ve never been a ninja.” Nya pointed out. “And you’re pretty cool yourself, you know.” There was an emotion in her eyes that Cole couldn’t quite discern, something like concern in the twist of her lips that made him uncomfortable.

Cole snorted. “If you say so.” He could see the parallel, he really could. But—

They are not your family, Geode.

But Cole never would be a part of the team. Not really.

+=+=+=+=+

The tomb was chaos! Everyone slipping and sliding on the ice like a bunch of—had Jay grabbed an icicle to swordfight Morro with?

Oh, huh, so he had. Points for improvisation, Cole supposed—and Jay had proven to be very good at improvising. Almost scarily so—Cole didn’t look forward when that same improvisation would be turned against him.

Geode…

The Preeminent pricked at his mind, her presence clouding his perception. She was speaking to him, urging and crooning, and Cole let her cradle him. The fight had advanced while he was out of it—the ninja had found the Realm Crystal, and Morro was offering Lloyd in exchange for it. Cole moved to stand behind Kai and Zane as Kai offered up the Realm Crystal.

Cole wasn’t exactly keeping close track of things—how could he, when Morro was right there watching if Cole messed up? How could he, when the boy Morro had taken as host and anchor looked so… frail?

But… Cole’s eyes caught on dark hair and a vicious smirk. He knew where his loyalties lied. He would never truly be a ninja—but he could at least be loyal to his first real friend.

The ninja still had the Realm Crystal, though Jay was holding it now. Morro was starting to let go of Lloyd at Kai’s direction—

Cole lunged, a spike of rock knocking Zane aside as he phased through Jay to grab the crystal. Zane and Jay yelled, lightning and ice at their fingertips, but—

“Hey, Breezy!” Cole called out, “Catch!”

+=+=+=+=+

That had been easy. Startlingly so.

It was almost like they weren’t expecting the ghost from the Cursed Realm to stab them in the back. Which… probably said more about their willingness to trust Cole than it did about their intelligence.

Cole wasn’t sure how to feel about that.

“C’mon.” Morro urged, dragging Cole along. They had escaped into the Cursed Realm together, and were heading for the Preeminent, which was singing praises directly into Cole’s skull. Since Cole couldn’t really fly, Morro was sort of carrying him, holding Cole aloft by his shoulder as they flew along.

“What, no ‘thank you for getting me the Realm Crystal, Cole’?” Cole rattled off the barb and the impression easily, comfortably—and without any real energy.

Morro scoffed. “Thanks.” He offered, grip on Cole’s shoulder tightening. “I mean, I could have managed without you—” He cut himself off with a huff, and turned his attention back to flying along.

Cole sighed. The expressions on the ninja’ faces when he had betrayed them—

(Kai attempting to ruffle his hair after Chen’s apparent defeat—

The way Jay’s face would morph through expression after expression as he rambled, as though he was personally experiencing the stories he was telling—

Lloyd moving to try and shove him out of the way of a spilled cup of tea, laughing after phasing through Cole and falling flat on his face—

Zane explaining spinjitsu to Cole in a way that actually made sense—

Nya offering encouragement in that quiet moment in the bunks—)

It… stung. It wasn’t supposed to do that, to hurt. Cole was supposed to stick by the ninja until the time was right, and then return to Morro—

(Morro stumbling through an explanation of elemental powers—

Morro letting Cole rant about all the ways that his ballet instructor had sucked at his job—

Morro in Lloyd’s body, snarling in Wu’s face about all the ways that the sensei had failed him—

Morro laughing as he soared on the winds, moving through the skies like a dance—

Morro in Lloyd’s body, as vicious and cutthroat as ever, doing his best to throw the ninja off the mountain—)

“Hey, rocks-for-brains.” Morro poked Cole with his free hand. “Why’re you all mopey? We won.”

“We haven’t won yet.” Cole pointed out, reaching up to flick at Morro’s face. “And I’m not moping.”

“You’re definitely moping.” Morro refuted. “Is it because I wasn’t thankful enough? Or—” his expression turned serious, for a moment, “is the Mother giving you trouble?”

“It’s none of that.” Cole admitted. “I just… I almost can’t believe it.” He finally settled on his answer. “We got the Realm Crystal.” And they only had to commit so many atrocities to do it.

Morro’s eyebrow quirked, before he shrugged and started to descend. The Preeminent was still a ways away, but her presence was still very strong. They landed, Morro fishing through his bag to retrieve the Realm Crystal. He stared at it for a moment, that same vicious smirk that made Cole want to bite something and hold his hand simultaneously playing across his face.

Morro moved to walk to where the Preeminent could see them—

“Wait.” Cole grabbed his arm, making Morro pause. “I just… I’m…” He fumbled for the exact words, not quite able to express himself past the sudden knot in his chest. “Meeting you made killing myself worth it.” He said, painfully sincere. Immediately, he wanted to take the words back and bury himself in the ground.

Morro’s eyes widened for a fraction of a second. He recovered his aplomb, shrugging off Cole’s admission. “You’re not half bad yourself, Cole.”

That… Cole nodded. That settled it, then. Thinking about the ninja still hurt, but—

Cole knew exactly where his loyalties were.

#whumptober2024 #no.26 #''i'm haunted by the lies that i have loved‚ the actions that i have taken''#lego ninjago #zaz writes #death mention #suicide mention #cole ninjago #morro wu #zane julien #jay walker #kai ninjago #nya ninjago #spiritshipping au #ghost cole #WOOOOOOO GHOST TIME!!#idk how i'm getting this one out before 11 it feels like i spent the entire evening Not Writing #but hey!!! i got it out!!#was originally gonna have morro fail to get the realm crystal at the tomb #and then cole would steal it from the bounty when the ninja' guard was down #but then i realized that this would work better #even if it was a little harder to write #and ofc ofc the little flashbacks peppered throughout to add context and characterization #anyway. there are two more ninjago pieces for this year >:]]]]#tomorrrow's in particular should be fun >:]]]]]]#sandstormshipping #<- at the very end but like. cole's crush is present throughout

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