21.
Kadaj watched their guests through a haze of misery. First, Yazuu had thrown over their real Mother for this Martha person, who in turn threw them all over for a merger with Shinra. Second, Kadaj had been getting weird vibes for the past few hours, hints that Mother was somehow nearby – and yet he was no closer to finding her than learning how to juggle. And, as if all that weren't enough, he really had no idea what this whole "Christmas" thing was about, only that there were presents under the big dead tree and none of them had his name on it.
He shuffled aimlessly, not avoiding his brothers but not seeking them out, either. Yazuu, in an attempt to make the best of the situation, was plotting various ways to dispose of Rufus Shinra and restore Martha Stewart's sovereignty before the press found out. So far, he'd filled up a pad of post-it notes with details on the weaknesses of the Turks, most of which centered around Reno.
Loz, meanwhile, had retired to the back yard with a frisbee, three dogs, and Azul.
Kadaj dodged a handful of people wandering out of the kitchenette, then ducked inside to see what the attraction was. The buffet table looked like a war zone: empty coffee urns lolled on their sides, their usefulness at an end; crumb-crusted cookie trays lay as though in shock beneath the festive lights; shards of ribbon candy crunched underfoot like shop windows after a riot. Only the punch bowl seemed unaffected, its green cargo advertising by its mere existence that it was thoroughly unpalatable.
"You're all just remnants, too," Kadaj whispered, picking up a particularly wicked looking and diamond-sharp sliver of peppermint. He gnashed his teeth against a surge of emotion, unwilling to show weakness no matter how bad it hurt. His resolve was no match for the night's events, as betrayal after betrayal replayed itself in his childlike mind. He clutched at the buffet table for balance and struggled to hold back the tears. "All I wanted, all I ever wanted, was to meet our big brother!"
One rogue tear slipped past his defenses and fell into the punch bowl.
* * * * *
Merriam-Webster's Online Dictionary defines "meet" as follows:
transitive verb (with a subject, as in "I want to meet my big brother!")
1: a: to come into the presence of – FIND; b: to come together with, especially at a particular time or place; c: to come into contact or conjunction with – JOIN; d: to appear to the perception of
2: to encounter as antagonist or foe – OPPOSE
3: to enter into conference, argument, or personal dealings with
4: to conform to, especially with exactitude and precision
5: to pay fully – SETTLE
6: to cope with
7: to provide for
8: to become acquainted with
9: ENCOUNTER, EXPERIENCE
10: to receive or greet in an official capacity
intransitive verb
1: a: to come face-to-face; b: to come together for a common purpose – ASSEMBLE; c: to come together as contestants, opponents, or enemies
2: to form a junction or confluence
3: to occur together
There are other variations, but these are the most relevant to our story. Note how "become acquainted" and "come face-to-face" are quite far down on the list.
Kadaj has never read Merriam-Webster's Online Dictionary.
Carry on.
* * * * *
"It's never gonna happen," Kadaj murmured in resignation. He grabbed a handful of tasteful, holly-patterned napkins and wiped his nose.
A single crystal cup glimmered beside the punch bowl. The rest of the set had gone missing, with more than one most likely residing in Ms. Kisaragi's Hello, Kitty handbag. The paper cups, too, were gone, as though they had all taken flight on their little wing-like fold-out handles. Only this one cup remained, waiting to be filled.
Kadaj sighed and picked up the cup, marveling at its delicate, deep-cut designs. He had never seen anything so sparkly besides materia; for a moment he was tempted to emulate a certain young ninja and pocket the thing, but then he remembered: he didn't have any pockets.
Careful not to get any punch on his leathers, he dipped the cup into the ominous green, then drank.