They exchanged a few polite head-nods with vaguely familiar faces, or just fellow red bands, but that wasn’t it. Blue bracelets winked from every corner, like drops of blood in a sea full of sharks.

They took their time circling around the room to inspect the herd, glass in hand, a few polite words here or there. Many of the blues seemed delectably nervous already; not like they knew, just like they weren’t the type to truly enjoy a party full of strangers. Not all of them, of course, but enough. The organizers knew what they were doing.

They had to remind themself they had to pick - it would be unbecoming to be greedy at an event like this, and anyway they only had two free cells at home right now. Well, one, if they discounted the one Pet was spending the night in. They wished they could have brought him along, but they certainly weren’t going to offer him up with a blue band - much less get him a red one.

It couldn’t be helped. He had to spend a night in the basement every once in a while anyway, just as a reminder.

They knew he hated it, and rightly so.

Focusing on their present options, Xerxes quickly went through several - too old. Ugly smile. Too thin. Gonna have spine issues with that posture. Grating voice.

Then they saw him. The young man’s purple-dyed hairtips were almost swallowed by the coloured lighting, and it was easy to imagine what he would look like robbed of silly expression of individuality like that. He held on to his glass like he would sink into the floor without it, the blue glow of his bracelet reflecting off of it.

“Hey handsome. Are you having a good time?”