Elliot & Kai

Elliot stood no taller than a well-fed badger, yet carried himself with the refined air of royalty. The boy's dress shirt gleamed under the dim light, accented by a dark, paisley vest and a perfectly aligned tie. His formal shorts were a startling anomaly, lending a touch of the theatrical to his poised stance. He was a small, exquisite clockwork mechanism wound tight and ready to spring. Beside him, Kai was a watercolor in comparison – his blazer, a shade of faded charcoal, did little to elevate the casual nature of his shirt and slacks. His glasses, thick-rimmed and often sliding down his nose, served as a barrier to the world rather than a means of clearer vision. The gap in their appearances was a chasm, a deliberate incongruity that hinted at a story yet to be told. They moved with a practiced silence, the boy’s small hands clasped tightly and the man's gaze sweeping the periphery. What mission had brought them together? What were they searching for?