Work Text:
case of ventus --
theres something funny about the situation, he thinks, though he wont fully understand until much later.
it starts with a meeting on a hill. luxu gets a moment where hes able to invite ventus to meet with him, away from the others.
not personally. minimal contact is best. (it's always been.)
he gives a rundown on the task; pass the keyblade on to someone else later, and to give them the same instructions.
"good luck, kid." he says, then walking away. and then.. he waits.
and finally, years later, it's time. he's watched from afar through the years, and seen his weapon change hands again and again and now it's finally time.
when xehanort tells him about his own plans, and mentions ventus, braig has to hide his surprise. (not that it's difficult. the old coot has no idea he's just a pawn in the grand scheme of things.)
case of brain --
his meeting with brain is far less planned than the others; he finds him alone near that building, near the scene of the crime.
his interaction with the boy is brief, but he cant shake the feeling that something is off about the whole thing. like something's wrong.
but maybe that will help him down the line, right? ultimately, the keyblade is going to end up in evil hands so.. what's the harm in getting it started now.
case of strelitzia --
a fractured worldline. things go according to the original plan, but.. the world cant continue like this.
and it's sad. shes a necessary sacrifice. her life cut tragically short by someone with a different plan. but for now.. he can pretend. he can pretend everything is ok and going along just as his master had planned.
he can pretend this is the right choice. he can pretend, right up until the darkness creeps closer and closer. right up until the world starts fading. right when everything comes to an end.
he's played this scenario out several times, but it always ends the same way.
case of lauriam --
when marluxia is sent to castle oblivion, xigbar cant help but feel a little sad. (not Sad, per-se, but something he cant quite explain.)
when he's re-recruited back into the organization, he feels a little more relieved. they weren't very close during the first run of things, and their only interaction before had been in another life, asking for a favor.
but despite that, its comforting. hes almost certain that the feeling isnt mutual, but thats ok. he feels some kind of actual connection to someone. (it's not the first time, but still noteworthy to him. anything akin to friendship is noteworthy.)
its funny. life is full of irony. they had both been keyblade wielders. they had both used the same keyblade, at different points in time. and now, here they were.
case of skuld --
he isn't sure what to feel when he meets skuld again. he hadn't really expected to see any of them again, but especially not his successor, and certainly not locked away here.
"for christ's sake, they're just people," he says to himself, shaking his head. he feels the same about the boy taken in by ansem, but theres nothing he can do about that. he can at least do something here.
she completed her task, and for what? to be locked up? gawked at by scientists? (kinda shitty reward, honestly.)
he didnt know what her journey from then to now had been like, but surely she didn't deserve this; no one would.