Interesting! Loved the voice of the narrator.

I think you nailed it, THX. :) Kyle is the shield, and he is keeping to himself. My idea is that with practice he can shield more than only himself. I have not given my characters as much depth as I should, because they are new to me, and I think I may borrow Kyle’s perceptiveness. Thanks for the insight!

I think that your description of the characters is nice and rich, like a tasty cup of coffee. Now I need a little chocolate to go with it.

I love that you don’t really know what the two speakers’ relationship is to each other. This is very nicely written, and a very interesting perspective.