It's 2021 so I don't need KH3 spoilers alert anymore, right? (saying this as if I had not written other spoilery fics before that one. ... did I ? Oh wow I checked and this is the first actual KH3-spoilers one! impressive! Although... blink and you'll miss the spoiler, truly.
Anyway, we can't have the author's note longer than the actual fic, so enjoy this drabble!
There was something common in alchemy and in bets: nothing was ever created, nor destroyed. For every loss, there was a win. For every win, there was a loss. At least this was what Luxord would tell anyone who would listen to him, were he drunk enough. He had followed this principle his whole life. For every bet, he had been ready to lose as much as he had been willing to win. And, gradually, he had become addicted to that, betting bigger and bigger every time. He was a lucky man, and most of the time, he won. He was no cheater, and would always win fair and square - and would punish anyone who did not. But there were things he lost… The bet had been too big. Too daring. Too risky. He lost things he would very likely never get back, and it kept him up at night. He used to have a peaceful life. A job he enjoyed. Some companions he cared about. When did it all go wrong? How did he manage to lose all of that, life included, in one bet he had been sure to win? He cursed the man in the black coat who had placed this bet. He cursed his own foolery to fall in such an easy trap. And he cursed Lady Luck, too, who had not been by his side the day it really mattered.
Maybe this was why Luxord would tell this story every time he was drunk. Maybe this was why he got drunk in the first place. It soothed his mind, making bets look like easy things where losing didn't matter that much. Making losses like insignificant memories. Making the guilt of betraying his Prince easier.
So Luxord drank, pretending he was fine. Pretending that bets were always fair. Pretending that winning and losing mattered just as much. It was easier that way.
Tomorrow is "Lemon Tea". Lemon teas are the best!