Scarlet Sky

A Moment of Courtesy

A light aroma filled the dark room. Soft singing played in the background and the air was filled with a stiff stench. A man was hunched over a polished wooden counter. His bangs stalked over his face as he stared into the spherical ice in his drink. Light reflected off his glasses. There was complete silence except for the almost vexing singing in the background ruining the man's thoughts. There was a sudden creaking from the stairs behind him.

"And I arrive," A tall man emerged with his hands dramatically in the air expecting an audience. His blond locks oozed out from his hat and he smiled for an applause. Only to only realize the bar was dead, minus a soulless figure."One loner today huh?" He sighed. Taking off his hat, he casually placed it on the silver haired man who was still looking at his auburn drink; absorbed in its unironic capacity.

"Says the emptiest of us all". The silver haired man snorted and threw his head back making the hat drop to the floor. As his hair tangled, he swiped it away from his eyes. A nearby cat got up and took the hat to a corner.

"Heeey how can you treat a stranger like that!" He pouted his face. The singing lady from the radio was heard once again.

"Didn't expect an idiot like you to show up." He slowly took a sip of his drink ignoring the past retort.

"I came running because your car got caught up in a fire, she put on a great sho-"

"-phshhWHAAT". Choking on his drink he got up fuming with anger holding a fist to the jester's face.

"Just kidding." An innocent smile erupted.

"Go die," The silver haired man didn't bother to say more. He kept his cool, clearly used to rouses like these. Swiftly taking his jacket from the stool, he headed towards the stairs with a blank stare ignoring the visitor. "See you in hell "stranger.""

The visitor twisted around like a dancer into a nearby seat swiping up his hat from the cat. He put an elbow on the counter, took the empty glass and lifted it up into the light. "But it is I..the Xander! Bestest of comrades!" He lifted one eyebrow and lowered into a dramatic voice. " Why would he come....thought little Elliot". He smirked as he saw the white haired man named Elliot stop in his tracks. The stairs creaked as he turned around, casually walked up to the chair and softly placed his jacket down. He put his hand over his head and made a deep sigh.

"What do you want?"

"Nothing." He joked.

"Idiot. First you don't use our code names and now you are just a straight up waste of space."

"Should you really be talking to your superior like that?" Xander joked as he shut an eye and gestured the glass towards Elliot's face. Covering him enough to make the face a blurr.

"What the others think doesn't matter, you already know the degraded don't go below the fish tank." Elliot snatched his glass from Xander. "They stay, rotting in hell."

"Why the serious look?" Xander changed the subject and winked at him. "Girl shut you down?" He nudged an arm.

"Listen, if you want to talk take a hint for once and don't "assume"." It makes an ass out of "u" and me."

Xander made a whistling sound. "Cold words." He spun in his chair and lifted his legs to the counter making a loud clack sound when the heels of his boots made contact. "There must be a reason a man like you would be in this rusty o' pit huh?" He put his hands behind his head. "A king's lapdog in a tarnished bar filled with strays...heh almost fitting." He straightened back up and started petting the cat that was nudging his boot. " Ya know, the organization is coming up to make you a real big shot..."