There were very few times, since he had met the man, that Suho was happy about and appreciated Lay’s strong presence. This was one of those times, as the entire room seemed to be more transfixed on his aura than the probably-vulgarity that had come out of his mouth. There were quite a few uptight members of the Upper Council, after all, and it didn’t matter whether they understood what was being said: anything that sounded even slightly like it could be a swear wouldn’t bode well with them.

            “I… see what you two meant,” Taeng spoke up after a painfully long silence. Everyone looked at her, and she gulped slightly before continuing. “Disregarding the strangeness of an Earth denizen having magic at all, he’s still a bit… strange. His magic… it’s unlike anything I’ve felt for centuries now. I can’t exactly place what it is… but it’s there…”

            “It’s a pure sort of magic, something I can’t necessarily comprehend entirely, something above my head all together,” Leeteuk added in agreement, looking around at the rest, his eyes stopping on Suho and Kris. “This is what you were talking about, no?” Suho nodded, but it was Kris who spoke first.

            “We were hesitant to do anything about the situation until we knew exactly what was going on, so we were hoping you could give your insight,” Kris explain, and Leeteuk nodded in understanding.

            Those in the room started breaking out into their own conversations, trying to figure out what was so special about their newest prisoner. Suho simply watched, trying to listen in, but with nearly ten conversations going at once, it was nearly impossible to do so. He started thinking of what the Lower Council had told them, but to be honest, it wasn’t very intriguing or insightful at all. They were entirely unsure themselves, and perhaps they would have been more helpful if Lay had been presented to them, but as it was, it didn’t seem like any new ideas were coming out of these discussions.

            Minutes later, and the smaller discussions started fading away, as everyone came to the same, inconclusive results. It wasn’t until Heenim, who hadn’t spoken up until then, gave his thoughts that the entire room quieted down.

            “He’s not a fighter either, it seems,” Heenim mused, staring down at Lay with narrowed eyes, as he tried to figure this enigma out. “It’s not even like he simply has weak offensive power—none of it is offensive. If anything, it’s the opposite; protective, shielding, defensive… and, to a point… soothing, almost.”

            The next minute moved slowly for Suho. One second, they were calmly staring and speculating, trying to figure out what was going on, who Lay was, what it was about him that made him so special, and the next…

            “Tao!”

----------

            Lay absolutely despised the way they were talking about him, staring at him and observing him, as though he was a thing to be commented on blatantly. They gave no regard for his existence as a person, instead commenting on his magic, as though that was the only thing about him that was worth notice. And perhaps that was the case for them, but they could at least pretend to give a about him. Though, really, what was he supposed to expect, when he was the prisoner here. Special treatment or not, he was just another captive leader in the clutches of a supposedly “fair” Kingdom.

            At least it seemed like Tao’s warning about crude language didn’t seem to be needed, seeing as the Council members didn’t even bat an eyelash to it. Though, that could be because it was said in Mandarin, but who knew with these official types? One minute they could be threatening to kill your comrades and destroy your home if you don’t answer their questions, and the next they could be showing concern for you over the fact that you weren’t eating breakfast. Honestly, all these royals and politicians and whatnot were just a bunch of bewildering, careless, two-faced scumbags who could go die in a well, for all he cared.

            He glanced over at Tao, only to see the boy staring straight ahead, watching on as the Council members, Kings, and rest spoke and discussed. He couldn’t help but feel slightly proud that he was the one causing the Upper Council, some of the supposedly wisest people to ever live, such confusion, such frustration. He was confusing not just the y neighbors down the street of his grandparents’ home, not just the police officers who try again and again to catch him, not just to his teammates, but to everyone. What exactly was confusing them, what they were all trying so desperately to figure out, Lay wasn’t sure himself, but to know it was still happening was one of the best feelings he could have right now, he supposed.

            “…none of it is offensive,” a voice made him snap out of his thoughts and zone back into the situation at hand. He noticed it was a feminine-looking man who spoke, glaring at Lay relentlessly and tapping his fingers together as though he was contemplating something. “If anything, it’s the opposite; protective, shielding, defensive… and, to a point… soothing, almost.”

            Besides him, he saw Tao barely—barely—flinch, and that was the last motion he saw from the boy before the Head Guard went flying backwards.

            Lay didn’t have time to be shocked, to jump in surprise, to think, as he saw the man he had, begrudgingly and unintentionally, become fond of and took solace in, forcibly and harshly swung into the wall with a powerful deal of magic. And Lay knew that later, when asking himself what the he was doing, he would justify himself by saying that he had given into reflex, into instinct—

            “Tao!” he yelled, quickly running over to the man, who released a soft, barely audible groan of pain at the direct impact to his spine. Tao remained standing, though he was hunching over slightly and clutching his sides with one hand, letting the other arm go limp by his side. Lay held the man lightly by his hip and shoulder, helping him stay up, and he notice how Tao kept his head hung low and bit his lip, as though in shame. What…?

            Lay snapped his head up, trying to find some familiar faces. The Council members didn’t even looked fazed, as though this was entirely regular behavior, and finally, after scanning the room repeatedly with his eyes, he found the Kings’ lot. Though, they didn’t seem to be much help, as they all simply wore faces of shock, anger, confusion, and more, rather than actually saying or doing something about it. Well, except for the Sun King, that is.

            “And what exactly do you think you’re doing, Council member Hankyung?” Kris spat, standing up and walking towards the man who had attacked Tao.

            “That boy you call your Guard—he knows something,” the man, Hankyung, said coolly, raising an eyebrow as Kris faced him from his side.

            “You accuse my Head Guard?” the Sun King tested, and Lay could see the anger dripping off him. Still, Hankyung kept his cool and held his ground, and nodded.

            “It was obvious by his body language, in his signature; there’s something he’s not telling us, and I want to know what it is,” he said simply, before turning back to face Lay and Tao once more—well, more just Tao. “Stand straight, boy, and explain yourself.”

            Lay wanted to roll his eyes at the words. Stand straight? Tao was lucky he could even stand— such a direct blow to the back like could cripple, or even kill many. Even Tao, who was no doubt strong and worthy of his title as a Head Guard, was susceptible to pain, and right now, the boy just needed medical care. Yet, before he could say anything, Tao was moving, trying to stand up tall, keeping his head down to hide his pained facial expressions. Bewildered, Lay pressed onto his shoulder, keeping him down.

            “Are you crazy? You need treatment, now,” Lay hissed, sliding his hand down to Tao’s back and getting ready to—

            “Don’t,” Tao huffed abruptly, surprisingly in Mandarin. “Just… don’t.”

            “What are you talking about? You—“ Lay didn’t get to finish, as Tao brushed off his hands, standing up and lifting his head to face the room, his posture and face as stiff and composed as always, though Lay could see the signs of pain still there.

            “I apologize, Sir, for my actions,” Tao spoke, louder than Lay had ever heard him,