Braxton Bureau was a five-story building that was primarily narrow. It was sandwiched between two others: a floral shop to the left and a bakery that was coincidentally very popular for its croissants and assorted breads. 

A plaque reading Braxton Bureau was placed on the front double door. Upon entering, one is welcomed to an open lobby space that leads through an inner botanical garden. It was not vast by any means, as it, too, was narrow—nothing more than a welcome peace of ambiance before finding themselves on the other side of the main lobby.

In one chair, the custodian sleeping of a much older age sat. In the other, a bright, wide-eyed youth eager to greet.

Retrieving from her pocket, the wavy-haired young lady pulled out a pure black titanium card. She waved it through before leading the two young men trailing her to a set of elevators that had exposed grates over them.

When the doors opened to welcome the party of three, Elias noticed Sebastian was acting weird again. He was checking his hair and adjusting his attire. He looked excited yet nervous.

“What’s got you in a tits?”

“Oh!” Sebastian jumped slightly, forgetting he was not alone. “You don’t know...I totally forgot. This place—”

*DING*

The elevator chimed, cutting his words short. The doors opened as they reached the top floor to be greeted with a vast bombardment of various sights for the eyes. 

Despite the building’s contemporary exterior, the interior was decorated with rustic and industrial styling. There were exposed support beams, brick walls, and hardwood floors. However, the design was quickly overshadowed by the pattering footsteps and clattering of individuals carrying out their jobs.

Papers whirled through the air, and the chalkboard was a frenzy of activity, with people scribbling down important information and highlighting key details. Clipboard-carrying messengers darted around, exchanging sporadic pieces of information. Meanwhile, phones rang incessantly in one corner as frantic conversations were cut short by the need to answer another call. It was a chaotic scene, with individuals furiously typing away on vintage brass-colored typewriters right in the middle.

Everyone was doing their best to beat the demons of what was required of them in a high-volume workload that required all hands on deck.

The floor had two identical pathways just slightly above the main floor. Despite their busy schedules, a few of the manysneaked glances upward on the perched walkway to the lot, trailing behind their colleague. 

The outfits of all the people, including the young woman leading them, had a similar dark plum color scheme. Whether they chose to wear a dress or slacks, loose or fitted, with or without a pattern, they all had this color in common, which tied them together as a cohesive group. While it wasn’t the only color they wore, it stood out as the defining element of their uniformity. The young woman leading them wore a dark grey combination that complemented the purple.

She continued to lead the way to the other side of the floor, arriving at the rear of the building. There, they were greeted by another set of double doors to what appeared to be a significant-sized office room with a unique insignia.

As it opened, two individuals were already in the room. The two were sporting the thematic violet-plum purple color despite varying tastes in their attire.

The woman stuck out first as she shot Elias a rather harsh glare. 

She had long brown hair braided only at its end with a very mature aura. Her attire consisted of a double-button dress and pristine white shirt free of wrinkles—only partly visible through her duo-tone vest. She was blessed with a curvy figure. It was easy to say she was a beautiful woman, but her cold stare was far sharper than any knife as it bore wholes into him for glancing in her direction.

Her unwelcoming demeanor was straightforward, forcing Elias to shift focus to the other individual in the room—a slender man leaning on the table with an aloof air. 

He had very curly, cotton candy, colored pink hair. He sported shades that hid away his eyes. The style of his attire was reasonably expensive in quality, but he wore it without a care in the world. His white shirt was surprisingly wrinkled compared to his prim female associate. He seemed more relaxed than proper while he had it tucked into a pair of trousers supported by suspenders. The trousers were loose as they tapered close to his ankles to show off his multi-colored socks. Something about him, whether the air or his posture, reminded Elias of Sebastian if Sebastian was christened with the grace of casual coolness. If he had to compare the two, Sebastian would have been more like the village fool, while this guy would have seemed more like the court’s Jester.

Speaking of the court, the man wore a cape that hung at his hip instead of his shoulders like a typical superhero. Upon it was the same insignia that was branded on the front door.

The pink curly-haired fellow smirked as he caught Elias catching a glance at its threads.

“Come in, come in. Don’t be shy. Have a seat and—”

“So this is the vermin who stuck his nose where it shouldn’t,” the woman snapped, cutting off her associate. She kept her nose up and glared down on Elias. Her tone was curt and irritated. “Cannot believe this. Peskott, I must wonder what is going on in that head of yours.”

The woman’s gaze shifted from Elias to the individual standing by the door. The one who had led the two young men here. She seemed to pay the words no mind, keeping her gaze forward to nothing in particular as if lost in thought. 

“Okay, let’s all just calm down, yeah. The boss-man doesn’t like it when we fight. Let’s get to business then.”

Elias raised his hand like a student with a question. Eager to take on the antics, the fellow called on him like a teacher.

“Yes, Elias, go!”

“Ummm...and what sort of business is this?”

“Hmmm, how about we get comfortable first?” He gestured toward their guests and pointed to two brown leather chairs for the young men to sit in. 

Elias preferred to stand, but Sebastian had taken to the seat without a moment’s thought, enjoying the snacks on the table. 

Seeing him taken to the hospitality didn’t invite Elias to join in. Rather, he wished to get straight to the point. He knew of Braxton and their business. They were the most prominent and really only multimedia company in charge of the news throughout the nation. They handled a great deal both in print through the newspapers and online postings. What that had to do with him was the main topic he wished to address.

“Can we please get to the point about why I am here? She said her employer wanted to talk to me.”

The man behind the shades lowered his gaze. His sights revealed a barely viewing of his pearlescent blue eyes.

“No... but since you are in a rush, I suppose we will leave the topic as to why you are here for the boss to explain.”

Suddenly, the oversized brown chair behind the desk spun around. Seated within was a toddler on three stacked books that acted as a makeshift booster seat. He had curly hair that hugged his scalp, visible ends from underneath his tiny hat. His attire was a custom-tailored suit that could fit a doll. He sported the matching colors, and a pin on his shirt had the same insignia as on the door.

The toddler was far too young to work, much less be the boss. He still had a pacifier in his mouth as he glanced back at the stunned visitors.

“Hello,” chimed his bright voice. It’s still early, so I suppose morning is due. We have quite a rambunctious group of individuals here.”

The two young men’s jaws dropped as they heard the toddler speak perfect, coherent words, much like a grown adult. 

“It’s a bit uncomfortable to stare, but I understand. It’s not common to see someone at a young age such as myself in charge of so many and of so much.” 

Despite not being potty trained, he carried himself quite eloquently in a manner befitting a seasoned politician. “Right, I suppose introductions are in need. You two have already met my subordinates. I am Bartholomew Briginton Junior. Chief of Staff here at Braxton Bureau.”