Work Text:
u/Firebird_of_Japan
AITA for turning over my childhood friend to the authorities, even knowing he might be sentenced to death?
I (18M) enlisted as an Honorary Britannian soldier in Area 11. I also had the (mis)fortune to run into an old childhood friend (let’s call him Lulu, also 18M) when my personal circumstances improved. He and I both believed in making the world a better place, but we had drastically different ideas on how to do that. We were close, but since reuniting, I always had the nagging suspicion that he was up to something nefarious. But since I never had proof, I let things go and hoped for the best. I really wanted to believe in him, but I learned how naïve I was for my wishful thinking.
Lulu always seemed more informed than he should’ve been, and he got super angry about Britannia’s injustice. Most telling, I knew from his offhand comments during our conversations that he supported the Black Knights. What a dick, knowing I fought in the Britannian Army against those despicable terrorists! Then after Narita, my friend grew super withdrawn and depressed, almost like he was feeling guilty or something. But I brushed it off, thinking he was just sad about our friend’s father’s death. Then soon after that, his disabled little sister got kidnapped by some maniac and I had to step in and save the day. (I always have to clean up his messes.) My friend says it wasn’t anything related to the Black Knights, but I know he’s a born liar. I’m sure it was something to do with the Black Knights, especially knowing what I do now. Then, after some of my own personal secrets came to light, Lulu tried to blackmail me using my childhood mistake to get me to betray Britannia. I’m proud to say his manipulation didn’t work on me. When Princess Euphemia announced The Special Zone, I really hoped Lulu would come around and choose peace. But I was dead wrong. Lulu continued his crusade against Britannia and he chose destruction over real progress and change. He chose to keep being my enemy. He continued to lie to me. Oh, and he also murdered my girlfriend. That pissed me off.
Anyway, onto the breaking point. I tracked Lulu down and confronted him about everything he’d done. He continued to be an arrogant coward and defend his actions. He LIED to me. I called him hopeless. I told him he betrayed the entire world. I told him that nothing that happened now was any of his concern. I told him his very existence was a mistake. Then I told him that he needed to be erased from the face of the earth, and that I would take over caring for his little sister. We both drew guns on each other, we had a scuffle, and I won because I’m stronger and better. I had to figure out what to do with him once I had him, so I handed Lulu over to the Britannian Emperor to answer for his crimes. Looking back, I’m afraid I was too harsh and overreacted in the heat of the moment. I mean, he and I were friends. But at the time I made my decision, I was enraged enough to hand-deliver him to the highest Britannian authority, even knowing he might die for his crimes. So, AITA?
UPDATE: I forgot to add that I discovered from some strange otherworldly blond kid that Lulu possessed some freaky mind-controlling powers or some shit, which he used for evil. Also, to answer some questions I see keep popping up, yeah, Lulu and I fooled around some but it was never anything serious. As if I could ever fall in love with some self-righteous, egotistical douchebag! I dodged a bullet not committing to him. And yeah, Lulu had some good things about him: SEEMED TO care about justice, took care of his disabled sister, good in bed, smart, bold – but none of that matters when you look at all the ways he fucked up. Need I remind you, he was lying about so much.
OP has offered the following explanation for why they think they might be the asshole:
(1) Betraying my friend in a situation where he might pay with his life.
(2) Reacting in impulsive and irrational anger to a complicated problem, generally mishandling the situation.
(3) Focusing on petty revenge.
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Badass_Freedom_Fighter:
You knew your friend would most likely die. Yet, you turned him in anyway without trying any other solutions first.
YTA.
Teacher_Turned_Rebel:
Question: Did you ever try to talk to him? You know, BEFORE things went insanely to shit?
Firebird_of_Japan - OP:
Um, no. I ignored the problem and hoped it would go away.
Teacher_Turned_Rebel:
Then a lot of this is on you. Do better next time. YTA.
+256 Replies
BK_Chef:
I’m wondering which one of you pointed a gun at the other first. I need more info.
Firebird_of_Japan - OP:
I drew my gun on him first. He wanted to join forces, and I told him I was done with that and aimed my gun at him.
BK_Chef:
That’s all I needed to know. YTA.
+37 Replies
Random_In_The_Background:
YTA
LOYALTY:
What happened when you turned in your friend? Did he die?
Firebird_of_Japan - OP:
Nah, the emperor showed mercy.
LOYALTY:
Need more information.
Firebird_of_Japan - OP:
My friend got his personal memories rewritten a couple times, that's all. He still lost everything he truly cared about. It's
like his heart and soul died inside.
LOYALTY:
I have no words. YTA
I_Have_a_Dream_Of_Bureacracy:
Hard YTA
Knight_Of_The_Witch:
Ahem, did you read the part where the friend murdered OP’s girlfriend? YIKES.
I_Have_a_Dream_Of_Bureacracy:
Eh, I’m gonna need some context.
Knight_Of_The_Witch:
Again, the friend killed OP’s girlfriend. Murder is never the solution.
ESH.
I_Have_A_Dream_Of_Bureacracy:
Tell that to Britannia. OP, why DID your friend kill your girlfriend? Was he jealous or something?
Firebird_Of_Japan - OP:
She was gunning down innocent Elevens in the SAZ. And yeah,
Lulu probably was jealous too.
Knight_Of_The_Witch:
Changing my vote to YTA
WitchOfBritannia:
NTA. You did what you had to do. “Lulu” made his own bed, and he can rot in it.
Firebird_of_Japan – OP:
Thanks. It’s nice to see some support.
WitchOfBritannia:
Don’t get used to it.
Firebird_of_Japan – OP:
Understood.
Blueberry_Riceballs:
Soft YTA because you could have prevented things from spiraling if you’d only acted on your instincts sooner. Once it got to the point where your friend murdered your girlfriend and you pinned him down and turned him in for his crimes in retaliation, then no, he deserved what he got. YTA for letting it get to that point to begin with. Also, I’m really sorry for your losses – both your girlfriend, and your friendship with this boy. Destiny was cruel. I hope things get better for you!
Not_Interested_In_The_Opposite_Sex:
Is this what you’re doing instead of running tests with the Lancelot? YTA
Firebird_of_Japan – OP:
Sorry, Sir! I’ll get back to work right away.
Not_Interested_In_The_Opposite_Sex:
YTA still, because you punched me in the face.
Badass_Freedom_Fighter:
Looks like OP isn’t so innocent either! What’s your story, OP? You seem hellbent on jumping on your “friend” for all his
fuck-ups, but what about yours? You seem like a violent sociopath too. Maybe we should turn YOU in to the
Britannian authorities!
I_Have_A_Dream_Of_Bureacracy:
The friend would probably like that. Then they could “comfort” each other in jail before they’re executed,
if you catch my drift. ;)
+1,098 Replies
Fabricating_History:
YTA because you sold out your friend. Period. No matter what he did, you owed it to him to try to understand his side before deciding what to do. But you immediately assumed the worst of him and went straight for the big guns. You’re despicable, and that’s saying something, coming from me.
UPDATE: Wait, you and he had a relationship sometimes on the side? That makes your actions even worse. You deserve to die a cold and lonely death.
Edited for update.
Firebird_of_Japan – OP:
Okay, I understand what you’re saying. Thanks for sharing your perspective.
Fabricating_History:
You’re welcome. Question – and this has nothing to do with my judgment, but just to satisfy my own corrupt curiosity –
when you and he “scuffled,” did you have one last…you know…?
Firebird_of_Japan – OP:
I straddled his hips, but no, I didn’t hate-fuck him.
Edit: I regret that now.
Badass_Freedom_Fighter:
You don’t deserve to be called “human.”
Firebird_of_Japan – OP:
No, I just meant that HE wanted one last time together, and I didn’t indulge him. I was
way too angry to have sex with him, and I sure as hell wasn’t going to give him what he
wanted. But I regret that decision, because now I’ll never have the chance to fuck him again,
and despite his sins, he was a good lay. Sucks that I lost that last opportunity because I was too
furious and wasn’t thinking coherently.
RIP best gay sex I ever had!
Badass_Freedom_Fighter:
Again, you seem to think it’s all about YOU and your desires. Does your selfishness know
no bounds?
+783 Replies
Taking_Care_Of_The_Prime_Minister:
I vote ESH because your friend obviously made some heavy mistakes of his own, and he needed to be held accountable. Perhaps your actions weren’t the best either, but it’s really hard to judge with the amount of vague information provided and your clearly obvious bias. I am wondering what more there is to your story. This seems deeper than a friendship issue.
Edit: spelling and grammar
Firebird_of_Japan – OP:
I added an update to my original post. We were also fucking on and off.
Taking_Care_Of_The_Prime_Minister:
That explains so much.
NinjaMaid:
Correct me if I’m misunderstanding. You’re Japanese, right, judging by your username and your original post where you identify as an Honorary Britannian soldier? Your childhood friend, whom you were apparently close enough to fall into bed with during the lead-up to your big fight, believed in changing the world into a better place for YOUR People. You said yourself that he believed in justice and supported the Black Knights. He also killed your girlfriend, but you explained that he did so BECAUSE she was “gunning down” innocent Japanese civilians. He killed her to SAVE LIVES, not out of cold-blooded premeditation. You give your girlfriend a pass for her crimes, but not your friend – who had the best intentions? You don’t deserve him. STRONG YTA
Firebird_of_Japan – OP:
Actually, I forgot to explain this earlier, but it’s a major point. My friend was the one who brainwashed my girlfriend into gunning down
the innocent Japanese. He did it with his creepy mind-control powers. Changes the whole narrative, huh?
NinjaMaid:
Interesting that such an important detail was missing from your original post. How exactly do you know your friend was behind
your girlfriend’s violent actions?
Firebird_of_Japan – OP:
The weird blond kid told me.
NinjaMaid:
And the weird blond kid was a reliable source because…?
Firebird_of_Japan – OP:
I dunno. I’d never met him before, but what he said made too much sense, even though part of
what he was saying didn’t make any sense at all. I just felt in my heart that he was right.
NinjaMaid:
Or did you want so badly to believe the worst of your friend, that you jumped at the first
chance you had to paint him as evil? It sounds like you didn’t even question this weird
blond kid – a young stranger with no credentials – and immediately jumped to
unfounded conclusions. Then you used your baseless ideas to justify condemning
your friend to potential death. Do you understand why YTA?
Firebird_of_Japan – OP:
Yeah, I get it. I had a feeling already, and that’s why I asked this community.
You’ve given me a lot to think about.
+478 Replies
Oh_YEAH:
There’s one less horrible person fucking up my plans…I mean, the world. Don’t listen to all these haters. NTA
AshfordSwimmer:
This is a tough call. If you truly believed that what you were doing was right, then NTA. You weren’t actively trying to get him killed, were you? You were a soldier and you had a protocol for how you were supposed to respond to a criminal. All you did was turn him in. You did your JOB. Nothing more, nothing less. Your friend did bad things, too, but I don’t know enough about his side to accurately judge his actions. It’s possible in a way that he’s NTA either. I don’t know. NHA. This is such a gray area with all the nuance!!! I hope you can move on from this nightmare. If you ever need an ear, please message me.
MadamePrez:
I’m leaning towards YTA. I like to get dirt on my friends, but I’d never fuck up their LIVES because of it. There’s a line, you know? And you crossed it, big time. All those times you fell into bed together, and you never screwed up the courage to ask him about your ongoing suspicions? You chose to look the other way, and look where it got you. Please learn from this. GUTS!
Firebird_of_Japan – OP:
Yes, Madame President
The_Next_Emperor:
Based on what you’re saying – and on what you’re not saying – I vote ESH. Others have already explained my views, so I’ll leave it at that. Oh, and congratulations. It sounds like you both deserve each other.
Taking_Care_Of_The_Prime_Minister:
Spoken like a true diplomat.
The_Next_Emperor:
Thank you, dearest.
Taking_Care_Of_The_Prime_Minister:
<3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3
Firebird_of_Japan - OP:
Relationship goals
Badass_Freedom_Fighter:
Out of reach, because you fucked over your boyfriend.
Firebird_of_Japan - OP:
Will you PLEASE stop rubbing my mistakes in my face?!
Badass_Freedom_Fighter:
Not on your life, loser.
The_Next_Emperor:
Downvoted. I’m freezing this thread because it’s off-topic.
Please take your immature bickering elsewhere.
MotorcycleMan:
Man, this is heavy stuff! I’m going with ESH because it sounds like you both needed to treat each other better. At least you had great gay sex together LOLOL ::laughing crying emojis::
Bombs_for_the_Princess:
What is WRONG with all these people? Lulu killed her. HE KILLED HER. You should have killed HIM on the spot when you had the chance. I’m torn between YTA for taking the coward’s way out and letting him live in the first place, or NTA because you were COMPLETELY FUCKING JUSTIFIED in seeking vengeance for HER sake. How dare you second-guess yourself now? THAT is what makes you TA. Not that you turned Lulu over to the emperor. You fucking asshole Eleven.
Firebird_of_Japan – OP:
Thank you. I needed that.
Bombs_for_the_Princess:
Anytime.
Tristan_Pilot:
You seem like a cool dude, so NTA. Actions have consequences. Your friend knew that. If he didn't before, he sure does now! Great job putting your adopted country first. :D
Where_Are_My_Memories:
It seems like the consensus so far overall is that no matter what else is true, YTA. Recorded.
Miracle_Worker:
YTA for being hypocritical and childish.
Firebird_of_Japan - OP:
That hurts.
Miracle_Worker:
Tough love. It works.
Firebird_of_Japan – OP:
Yes, sensei.
Ragnarok_Is_NIGH:
ESH. You two are prime examples of the scum of humanity. If I needed any further motivation to step up my plans, I found it here. Enjoy wallowing in your remorse, as tends to be your habit. When you're done, perhaps you will stop lying to yourself. But I doubt it.
Snow_is_White:
Definitely YTA. You clearly didn’t value your so-called friend, when he obviously cared about YOU. Enough to fight for you and your people. Enough to try to win you over to his way of thinking without ever hurting you in the process. That’s more than I can say for you. Additionally, for transparency’s sake, did your friend ever use his Geass mind-control powers on YOU to get you to engage in Black Knights’ rebellion activities against your will?
Firebird_of_Japan – OP:
No, he apparently used his powers on me only to make me live when I was dead-set on sacrificing myself. Bastard.
Snow_is_White:
So he saved your life, and you condemned his. I rest my case.
Future_Demon_Emperor:
YTA. Just, YTA.
Thread locked. Archived post. New comments cannot be posted and votes cannot be cast.
VERDICT: ASSHOLE