fic: Immaculate Perception (1/3)
Dec. 28th, 2021 12:35 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
bonnefoisTitle: Immaculate Perception
Series: Ace Attorney
Character/pairing: Nahyuta/Ema
Rating: PG-13
Word Count: 4,757
Summary: Ema's got a crush on her boss, but she doesn't want to make a complete fool of herself and tries to subtly figure out if he's the type of monk who has taken a vow of celibacy, with varying results.
Author's note: according to an investigation late in 6-5, Amara's tomb took several billion dollars
to build and draws in quite a bit of tourists. So despite the country being like THAT, it had quite an amount of tourists even while being ruled by an authoritarian lawful/evil despot.
Janet Hsu actually mentioned that Khura'inese was based on Tibetan, which is one considered one of the hardest languages to learn in the entire world. (link here)
I think this whole thing happened because of the line in OblivionIsAtHand's pwp where she talked about questioning herself for wanting to seduce a monk. I legit have not been able to stop thinking about it until this was written.
Happy Holidays, Suzume. I couldn't quite finish it in time, but two chapters out of three is still fun, huh?
"Ugh, what am I even doing..." Ema muttered to herself. She had never been more grateful for a ten minute recess.
Honestly, her boss had no right being that alluring. How was she supposed to focus on work when he was--like that? Graceful and intelligent and worldly and fascinating and with a body she'd love to climb like a tree.
The strange thing, was, this wasn't even the first time Ema had to sit back and ask herself what am I doing with my life?
And this time, rock stars with a deep affinity for purple weren't involved.
Ema leaned against the all and nibbled a on a Snackoo. Really, Ema? A monk? She really was batting a thousand here. First she'd crushed on Chief Prosecutor Edgeworth for years (who turned out to not be into women) then she'd nearly destroyed her career due to her aggravation towards the last prosecutor she'd worked with, and now she was crushing on her new boss, who was a monk.
Did she mention that he was a monk? As in a member of the clergy? As in, people usually known for not doing the whole sex and dating thing because they'd given themselves to total devotion to their religion? And he she was being thirsty for him.
To be more accurate, she was beyond thirsty, and closer to absolutely parched.
"My luck is the worst...."
The thing was, when someone thought of monk, sexually active wasn't the first thing that came to mind. It wasn't even in the top ten. (Unless they were talking about Rasputin.)
Romantic or down to date science-obsessed forensic scientists also were nowhere to be seen under that definition.
Ema would've pushed down her foolish crush with a sugary layer of Snackoos, and maybe alcohol until she came to her senses. Except one thing made her give pause. Abbott Inmee had a wife, and they'd had a child together. And that didn't seem to be an exception, or something considered shameful.
Did that mean that monks had different definitions here? There was only one way to find out.
Okay, technically there were multiple ways to find out, but Ema was going the research road. The thought of going up to her boss and going so, are you down to fuck and date me? Because I'm down made her blush bright red at the very thought.
No, she had to for once keep her big mouth shut and go the (relatively) stealthy result. Then she could make up her mind when her reconnaissance was finished.
Really, it was still a long shot. He was her boss and the prince regent of a foreign country, which didn't mean great odds for Ema. But she wasn't about to give up without at least finding out if there was even a chance.
*
Her first stop was Google, and it only gave her a bare bones idea of the country. The Wikipedia article was practically a stub. (She'd have to update it when the internet cooperated.) There were a few other sites written in foreign languages. Google translate left her with more questions than when she started.
The sad truth was the lack of information was probably due to the multiple decades under a dictator. The less info out, the less likely Ga'ran's regime would be questioned. If the UN had any idea of the kinds of human-rights violations that had gone on here, there would've been hell to pay.
(Or at least, Ema wanted to believe something would've happened. Maybe it was idealistic.)
She mentally put it on a to-do list which was exhaustively long. Her inexperience with the Khura'inese wasn't helping things. Every task had the added difficulty of not just translating a language she was still learning, but understanding cultural nuance as well. Oh, and just to add even more challenge, people's lives hinged on her not messing up evidence. And when this complicated language, she was always one missed apostrophe from accidentally insulting Nahyuta's mother.
And while Prosecutor Sahdmadhi seemed quite happy to give his expertise, he was kind of busy running a country. Oh, and occasionally he would simply clam up when she asked a question, leaving Ema wondering what cultural faux pas she'd stumbled into this time.
Well, all that was left was asking people around. Which would be pretty embarrassing, how would she phrase 'is my boss the kind of monk who can date and do you think he's into me?' in a way which wasn't completely humiliating?
Ema would have to figure out a way, because for once, the internet had failed her.
*
Second stop was the archives. Scrolls, dating back to even ancient times were filled all the way up to the ceiling in the library just off the main court system. Ornate shelves held scrolls of all kinds. They had butterflies carved into the wood, among other religious figures and symbols Ema was only just learning. Saints adorned the walls, all enlightened priests. Nahyuta had promised to tell her the story of each one, except she hadn't the time yet.
It was a sprawling building, with a pretty impenetrable version of the Dewey Decimal System. It was made even more difficult due to the fact that at least to Ema, all the scrolls looked alike. It wasn't like browsing a library back home, and seeing a variety of colorful books and titles. There was no library catalog to search, no signs that listed the section on monks to see how dateable they are, or at least not in a way she thought.
Only to find them written in such an utterly complex form of Khura'inese that the words just blurred into a very lovely, but deeply incomprehensible kind of art. Ema let out a groan and let the scroll close. Each one she tried was in the same ornate, and completely unreadable (to her, at least) script.
Why did this language have to be so damn hard? She'd thought German was hard, but by comparison, German was a gentle grandma who baked her cookies and Khura'inese stole her wallet and kicked her down an alley and then keyed her car.
Still, she couldn't give up. Maybe there was a translation app that could help? She checked her phone. With just one bar, she managed to stagger into the app store on dinosaur dial-up speeds. When she scanned the general google translation app, it couldn't even read them.
"Same here," she muttered.
"Detective Skye, I did not expect to see you here."
Ema looked up from the scroll. It took a long time to meet his eyes, because damn he was tall. It was a good reminder on why she was on this wild goose chase in the first place.
"Well, I didn't expect to see you here either,," Ema said.
"It should be no surprise. I come here often to enjoy the archives during a rare moment off," Prosecutor Sahdmadhi said.
Of course you would, you nerd.
Never mind that she might as well be the picture underneath the term 'science nerd.' It was half an endearment, anyways.
"Oh, me too. I-I'm just um, learning a bit more about the country! I always feel like I'm rushing to catch up here. There's still so much to learn."
He tilted his head a bit. "Here? These are written in a very ancient form of Khura'inese. Though you are learning at an admirable speed, it would still be quite difficult, even for you."
It was a risk. The last thing she wanted to do was end up heartbroken. Still, Ema bit her lower lip and looked up into his deep green eyes. And she felt that same rush, and that same temptation all over again.
"...You could help me. M-maybe over lunch, because you usually don't take meetings then. We could eat together!" And it'd be just like a date. "And it'd be really efficient," she said instead.
He closed his eyes and nodded serenely. "Splendid idea. But of course, it is no surprise, given its you. I shall look forward to it."
As he bent down to retrieve the scrolls he had planned to read, she was left with only more questions. Was the constant compliments a monk thing? A Khura'inese thing? Or a want to date your detective thing?
She was hoping for the latter, but with her luck, it'd be just some Khura'inese custom and he'd be completely aghast that she would interpret his affectionate comments as anything but deep platonic respect of women.
*
Ema had finished an entire bag of snackoos just counting down the minutes until this lesson happened. She hadn't gotten a single thing done, because she'd been so distracted. Which of course meant she'd have to work twice as hard tomorrow.
It was just--she saw so little of Prosecutor Sahdmadhi. It was only now that she often had to go through his assistants to even speak to him, that she had to wait for meetings with world leaders and whatnot that Ema realized just how great it'd been to be just them in airports. Even if she got jetlag along the way.
"You're certainly punctual," he said.
"Are you implying that I'm usually late?" Ema said.
"Isn't the term 'fashionably late'? Or is it...fifteen minutes with Starbucks?"
Okay, the last one was pretty valid. She'd certainly showed up to her crime scene with Starbucks (and a muffin, usually topped with Snackoos) more than once.
"Maybe," she said.
Ema laid the scroll on his immaculately clean, large desk. He opened it up with a faint smile.
"You have such interesting choices. Or did you get mixed up by the system? This is a classification on orders of monks."
Ema smiled. "Nope, that's exactly the one I wanted."
"How curious."
Ema didn't elaborate, because, how could she? There was no way she could paint this as innocent and platonic.
Ema was trying to focus on the lesson, despite that it was harder than the math and organic chem which made her fail from her dreams for years. But his hands spread over the scroll, keeping it open kept making her rather distracted. She swallowed, and tried not to think about just what he could do to her with those long, graceful fingers. Oh, she had some suggestions where he could put them.
She licked her lips. His voice was deep, soft and yet melodious. How could she be turned on by him reading aloud a rather dry historical text about monks?! This was the exact opposite of sexy and yet he made it alluring.
Before she met him, she would've rated monks in the kind of unsexiness reserved for pond scum and vaginal yeast infections. But apparently they did it way different in Khura'in, because everything he did turned her on. Reading the opening statement? Check. Insulting the defense? Oh yeah, check. Complimenting her work and giving her a smile that warmed her through and through? God, just kiss her already.
Honestly, everything about him turned her on, and that was a big problem considering he was her boss. And prince regent. And a monk.
He lifted up the second scroll. His brow furrowed, and then, his expression suddenly became blank.
"You really wished to study this one...?"
"Yeah, I'm working my way through that section," Ema said.
His expression turned serene again.. "Ah...then, you did not know its contents?"
"What was it something misplaced? Because it's from the monk section," she said.
"Ah... you truly were unaware, an innocent to this...." He set the scroll aside, leaving Ema with even more questions.
"You're not going to read it?"
"No... it would be best not to read that one."
"What, is it some forbidden jutsu? Will I turn into a toad if I read it?"
He shook his head. "Some things about Khura'inese culture are best left until you have time to accustom."
"Really, you could fool me with the 18 hour prayer sessions."
He remained serene, even with her biting comments. But honestly, his reaction had been...weird. It was a scroll about the history of monk orders. It wasn't like she'd accidentally asked him to read porn...right? Well, Ema would have to just guess, because Prosecutor Sahdmadhi didn't elaborate. He never did. That Stupidly hot mysterious asshole.
As much as it pissed her off, it made her want to kiss him. Ugh, in the end, it only made him more appealing.
*
Prosecutor Sahdmadhi had left her a message noting that he'd be late this time. So, Ema took this chance to pick out the scrolls to work with. She gravitated back toward the 'forbidden place' which had elicited such a strange response in him. She grabbed a few at random, and with a handful of scrolls to read through with Prosecutor Sahdmadhi in hand, Ema headed off. It was only through the scrolls she caught sight of a flash of orange, a hat--she instantly drew back before she smacked right into Beh'leeb.
"Oh, sorry! Didn't see you!"
A scroll rolled out from her arms. Before Ema could bend down, Beh'leeb lifted it up.
"My, my, Detective Skye, that's quite a pile. And quite a choice, to..."
"Just a little light reading," Ema said flippantly.
"I see you in here so often. And always looking up info on Khura'inism, too. Are you converting and becoming part of the clergy?"
No, I want to date a member of the clergy. No one said I had smart tastes in men. My last crush was Chief Prosecutor Edgeworth, after all.
Well, maybe her taste was fine. Chief Prosecutor Edgeworth was still an amazing man. But their availability and potential interest in her? That was an issue. Chief Prosecutor Edgeworth was emphatically not into her, or any woman, really.
"Nope, I'm just learning more about the country while I'm here."
"Oh, good. Have you tried asking Ahlbi? He's always so eager to teach foreigners about our land."
Yeah, she was not going to ask a child about her certain burning question. Which all boiled down to am I going to just get embarrassed if I flirt with Prosecutor Sahdmadhi, who happens to be a monk? Is he going to give me an amused smile and go 'surely you know I've taken a vow of celibacy, I am a monk after all.' Is he down to date, or even more?
That was just not happening. She'd just have to find another way. Because Ema had to figure this out out before she fell any further. There was not enough 'I told you so' enough in the world if she went on and fell in love with a monk and he turned out to be celibate after all.
(Celibate after all would be a great band name, she thought. It'd probably catch on over here in monk land.)
"Uh--this isn't the kind of question I'd a-ask h-him," she said quickly.
Beh'leeb smiled. "Well, I am a high member of the clergy. Perhaps I can help."
Yes, Ema had some major questions. But she couldn't think of a way to phrase them that wasn't like... that. Oh, by the way. Did you and your late husband fuck, or was it just a one-time exception to have little Fai'tah there? Also while you're ate it, could you tell me if Prosecutor Sahdmadhi is willing to date and fuck? It'd be so helpful, because otherwise I'm going to faceplant right into my life and destroy everything I've worked so hard for.
Yeah, she wasn't going over there. Ever.
Ema cleared her throat. "Probably not, it's kind of...sensitive."
"Oh, is this something you need to speak in private with? I have comforted many people in dire times."
Her dark eyes spoke of an unsaid sadness. Ema could only imagine the hardships she'd seen.
"No, not like that, it's just--"
Maybe it was foolish, but this might be her only chance. And if she could keep herself from total heartbreak, she'd take a little embarrassment.
"I've been searching all over, but there's very little about orders of monks. I mean, there's classifications and history, but I'm having a hard time finding things like...day to day activities? And other...personal things??"
"Ah, Khura'in is a country that guards her secrets well. At first it was to protect us from our enemies, then to keep the mystery. While the country has been open to tourists, we must keep something to ourselves. You'd find those details within the temples themselves, only to be read by scholars and the orders of monks themselves. Some are quite tight-lipped about it too."
Dang, talk about running into a brick wall. So much for her plan to research up on him.
"I must say, that's a strange thing to ask. Are you writing a book?"
"A book? Oh no, not really," Ema said.
"Well, then. Was there something about monk orders you particularly needed to know? Perhaps I could help answer. Though I cannot guarantee I know the answer for every order."
Ema gripped the edge of one of the scrolls and held it tight to her chest. She couldn't quite look at Beh'leeb as she spoke. "Do you know anything about Prosecutor Sahdmadhi's order of monks? He mentioned something about being a different sect than the orange-robed ones I met. And I was....curious."
"Ah, yes. Prince Regent Prosecutor Sahdmadhi belongs to a very ancient order. They're called--" She spoke in Khura'inese then. Ema tried to translate it in her head, and thought she'd almost gotten the gist.
"Monks of the Golden Dawn, right? Pretty name."
"Yes, it's a lovely name for a lovely order of monks. He hasn't spoken to you about his clerical duties?"
Ema puffed out her cheeks. "He's always tight-lipped about himself. It drives me up the wall. I ask if he wants fries with his burger and he gives me a look like I was going to interrogate and waterboard him. Totally guarded and he just shuts down. I can't get anything out of him sometimes. It's so frustrating!"
Except, when it came to Prosecutor Sahdmadhi, there was always a sad oh moment. He very likely could've been waterboarded, even for something as innocuous as food choices. With Ga'ran, any kind of horrific thing had been possible. These reactions, as much as they irritated her were likely symptoms of PTSD from the years of abuse, gaslighting and control Ga'ran had not just held over him, but his entire family and country. When any wrong answer could get someone killed, no wonder he chose the fifth. (Though Khura'in had no such law. At least under Ga'ran, defendants could and would be tortured to provide compliance.)
"You seem to be very interested in Prosecutor Sahdmadhi's order."
Ema looked away, and let out a little sigh. As much as she enjoyed the times Prosecutor Sahdmadhi, it only made her want more and fall deeper for him. And she needed to find this out right now before she got hurt. Because she was so close to the point of no return. Every time he read to her from the scrolls it took literally all her self-control to not just kiss him. And something like that could ruin her entire life if he had taken a vow of celibacy. She was not going to have an awkward, miserable workplace again. She'd already survived it once. Never again, especially not when she was across the damn world.
"Well, the truth is...I would've given up immediately, because you know, a monk, but you made me wonder..."
"I must apologize, Detective Skye. I do not understand what you are asking."
Ema let out a sigh. "Sorry to bring up bad memories, but you and your late husband were both monks, and married. The monks where I am don't marry or anything. And it just--I'm trying to find out if Prosecutor Sahdmadhi's order is....like that too."
Ema's cheeks heated at that last admission.
Beh'leeb covered her mouth with her hand. She could just see the edge of her smile. "Oho, so you had those kind of intentions all along... I should've guessed."
Ema blushed more deeply. "I was trying not to be rude, but the scrolls wouldn't tell me and I keep trying to find out if I'm being a complete fool here--"
Behind her, someone cleared their throat behind her. "You could've simply asked me."
It wasn't. This wasn't happening. She had not been caught red-handed trying to fish out information on whether he could legally and morally date her monk boss or not.
But with her horrible luck, she should've known this would happen.
"P-Pros...."
Beh'leeb chuckled. "I'll leave you two be."
She said another phrase, but either Ema was messing up her translations again, or Khura'in really did call them 'love yaks' instead of 'love birds.'
Ema opened her bag of Snackoos, because she knew she was going to need it. She wanted to flee, but where even would she got? He was her boss and the ruler of the entire country? There was no escaping this embarrassment. Was it possible to die from embarrassment? She sure was going to find out. With the way her heart was hammering in her chest, it felt pretty likely.
On the bright side, if she died now, at least she wouldn't have to face going to work in an awkward situation tomorrow. See, there was always a silver lining.
A faint smile tugged at the corner of his lips. "All this time, I thought you were oh so interested in my country, when it seems you were actually interested in me."
"W-well, so what if I am? I mean, I had to scope it out. I came all the way out here, and you're my boss, and a monk no less. Where I come from, monks aren't exactly sex gods. In fact, they're completely celibate. I wasn't about to make a fool out of myself. More of a fool, anyways."
"This was quite a bit of research to simply find out if I am--how does your country put it, DTF?"
Ema nearly dropped her armful of scrolls. "W-what the hell! How could you have l-learned that?"
He made and 'okay' sign with his fingers. "I learned many things during my time working in the United States."
He smiled. "For your information: No, I have taken no vows of celibacy, nor do I plan to. The Monks of the Golden Dawn live to protect the law. But they are also an order one is born into, and keeping the bloodline alive and pass down our archives and protecting the law is imperative. So having children is very much encouraged."
He shifted his hands into the karuna position.
"That does not mean, however, sex for pleasure and intimacy is frowned upon. Far be from it. While Khura'inism encourages clearing your mind, adherence to the law and prayer, consensual sex is not denigrated within the religion. In fact, some sects view it as the path to enlightenment. In fact, you brought me some of their ecstatic writings. I was wondering if you were propositioning me, because reading those writings aloud would be quite a...sensual, even erotic experience. A good thing you did not open them as they are rather explicitly illustrated, to put it bluntly."
No wonder he'd behaved like she'd asked him to read porn aloud. Oh, her cheeks burned in shame at the memory. She'd basically brought him the Khura'inese version of the Kama Sutra.
"I-I had no idea. I mean, I wanted to um, date you, but I had no idea orders of monks could be like that, so..."
"Oho....Would you have liked hearing me speak the most sensual ecstatic erotic poetry Khura'in has ever produced?"
Actually, she would've liked that very much. But all she could do was blush and stammer, like a complete idiot.
"While I admire your thoroughness in research, you simply could've asked me out. Often the simplest answer is the correct one."
"W-well, do it! Go out with me already!" Ema burst out. She blushed even deeper. "I've wanted you to all along...Like, from first meeting. That probably sounds weird, but it's true."
"Ah, yes. Me too. Will tonight at 7 work?"
Ema puffed out her cheeks. "Of course it's fine. You're my boss. You know my schedule. You know I'm boring and have no social life these days."
Not that Khura'in would've offered a happening nightlife. This was the place of enlightenment, spirit-channeling and 18 hours of prayer a day. And she'd already seen the architecture and other sights, because people kept getting killed in them.
He leaned in close and whispered. "You're anything but boring. Yes, I am as your culture puts it 'down to fuck' but, I intend to court you so thoroughly to win your heart completely." He lifted her chin. Just the touch of his skin against hers was so electric that she gasped.
In that second she thought for sure he would kiss her.
"I am warning you of my intentions, because I plan to make you mine in every possible way."
Ema covered her mouth with her hand, but she didn't quite stifle the gasp.
"I look forward to seeing you tonight, Ema," he said softly. "And to say all the things I have been holding back...until then."
She could barely speak.
"Oh, and I came to tell you I could not do the lesson today. But, it was quite fortuitous...we could reschedule, yes?"
"Ah, anytime," Ema said.
"Good," he said. He gave her a smile so soft and tender it made her feel so warm inside. "Until then, Detective Ema Skye."
When he left, Ema leaned against that wall. She felt almost dizzy with relief. It really was that easy? I could've just skipped all these steps and asked him out and gotten a yes?
Okay, she learned a lot of things which might be handy if they ever had a serial killer who personally targeted monks, but still.
She couldn't believe that Prosecutor Sahdmadhi had said 'fuck' or how soft his voice had been as he said it. Hell, she couldn't believe that she'd gotten this turned on just from his proximity, his touch, his voice...
She wasn't sure she'd ever recover from his voice going low and sexy like that. If anybody could talk her into a spontaneous orgasm, it would be him.
Okay, she could believe that. So much of what he did turned her on. Things that had no right to be sexy still had her wanting to rub against him like a cat in heat.
"Ugh, what am I even doing? I have to get ready for my d-date..."
Ema let herself linger in the library a bit more. If anything, a library could only be beat by a cold shower or a place of worship as something to push down her libido. Except, she was a nerd. And now all she could think about was what would've happened if he'd come closer, and pushed her against one of those stacks, and put his fingers through her hair, his lips lowering...
At this rate, she'd have to dunk herself in a snowbank twice before her date just to calm down.
Series: Ace Attorney
Character/pairing: Nahyuta/Ema
Rating: PG-13
Word Count: 4,757
Summary: Ema's got a crush on her boss, but she doesn't want to make a complete fool of herself and tries to subtly figure out if he's the type of monk who has taken a vow of celibacy, with varying results.
Author's note: according to an investigation late in 6-5, Amara's tomb took several billion dollars
to build and draws in quite a bit of tourists. So despite the country being like THAT, it had quite an amount of tourists even while being ruled by an authoritarian lawful/evil despot.
Janet Hsu actually mentioned that Khura'inese was based on Tibetan, which is one considered one of the hardest languages to learn in the entire world. (link here)
I think this whole thing happened because of the line in OblivionIsAtHand's pwp where she talked about questioning herself for wanting to seduce a monk. I legit have not been able to stop thinking about it until this was written.
Happy Holidays, Suzume. I couldn't quite finish it in time, but two chapters out of three is still fun, huh?
"Ugh, what am I even doing..." Ema muttered to herself. She had never been more grateful for a ten minute recess.
Honestly, her boss had no right being that alluring. How was she supposed to focus on work when he was--like that? Graceful and intelligent and worldly and fascinating and with a body she'd love to climb like a tree.
The strange thing, was, this wasn't even the first time Ema had to sit back and ask herself what am I doing with my life?
And this time, rock stars with a deep affinity for purple weren't involved.
Ema leaned against the all and nibbled a on a Snackoo. Really, Ema? A monk? She really was batting a thousand here. First she'd crushed on Chief Prosecutor Edgeworth for years (who turned out to not be into women) then she'd nearly destroyed her career due to her aggravation towards the last prosecutor she'd worked with, and now she was crushing on her new boss, who was a monk.
Did she mention that he was a monk? As in a member of the clergy? As in, people usually known for not doing the whole sex and dating thing because they'd given themselves to total devotion to their religion? And he she was being thirsty for him.
To be more accurate, she was beyond thirsty, and closer to absolutely parched.
"My luck is the worst...."
The thing was, when someone thought of monk, sexually active wasn't the first thing that came to mind. It wasn't even in the top ten. (Unless they were talking about Rasputin.)
Romantic or down to date science-obsessed forensic scientists also were nowhere to be seen under that definition.
Ema would've pushed down her foolish crush with a sugary layer of Snackoos, and maybe alcohol until she came to her senses. Except one thing made her give pause. Abbott Inmee had a wife, and they'd had a child together. And that didn't seem to be an exception, or something considered shameful.
Did that mean that monks had different definitions here? There was only one way to find out.
Okay, technically there were multiple ways to find out, but Ema was going the research road. The thought of going up to her boss and going so, are you down to fuck and date me? Because I'm down made her blush bright red at the very thought.
No, she had to for once keep her big mouth shut and go the (relatively) stealthy result. Then she could make up her mind when her reconnaissance was finished.
Really, it was still a long shot. He was her boss and the prince regent of a foreign country, which didn't mean great odds for Ema. But she wasn't about to give up without at least finding out if there was even a chance.
*
Her first stop was Google, and it only gave her a bare bones idea of the country. The Wikipedia article was practically a stub. (She'd have to update it when the internet cooperated.) There were a few other sites written in foreign languages. Google translate left her with more questions than when she started.
The sad truth was the lack of information was probably due to the multiple decades under a dictator. The less info out, the less likely Ga'ran's regime would be questioned. If the UN had any idea of the kinds of human-rights violations that had gone on here, there would've been hell to pay.
(Or at least, Ema wanted to believe something would've happened. Maybe it was idealistic.)
She mentally put it on a to-do list which was exhaustively long. Her inexperience with the Khura'inese wasn't helping things. Every task had the added difficulty of not just translating a language she was still learning, but understanding cultural nuance as well. Oh, and just to add even more challenge, people's lives hinged on her not messing up evidence. And when this complicated language, she was always one missed apostrophe from accidentally insulting Nahyuta's mother.
And while Prosecutor Sahdmadhi seemed quite happy to give his expertise, he was kind of busy running a country. Oh, and occasionally he would simply clam up when she asked a question, leaving Ema wondering what cultural faux pas she'd stumbled into this time.
Well, all that was left was asking people around. Which would be pretty embarrassing, how would she phrase 'is my boss the kind of monk who can date and do you think he's into me?' in a way which wasn't completely humiliating?
Ema would have to figure out a way, because for once, the internet had failed her.
*
Second stop was the archives. Scrolls, dating back to even ancient times were filled all the way up to the ceiling in the library just off the main court system. Ornate shelves held scrolls of all kinds. They had butterflies carved into the wood, among other religious figures and symbols Ema was only just learning. Saints adorned the walls, all enlightened priests. Nahyuta had promised to tell her the story of each one, except she hadn't the time yet.
It was a sprawling building, with a pretty impenetrable version of the Dewey Decimal System. It was made even more difficult due to the fact that at least to Ema, all the scrolls looked alike. It wasn't like browsing a library back home, and seeing a variety of colorful books and titles. There was no library catalog to search, no signs that listed the section on monks to see how dateable they are, or at least not in a way she thought.
Only to find them written in such an utterly complex form of Khura'inese that the words just blurred into a very lovely, but deeply incomprehensible kind of art. Ema let out a groan and let the scroll close. Each one she tried was in the same ornate, and completely unreadable (to her, at least) script.
Why did this language have to be so damn hard? She'd thought German was hard, but by comparison, German was a gentle grandma who baked her cookies and Khura'inese stole her wallet and kicked her down an alley and then keyed her car.
Still, she couldn't give up. Maybe there was a translation app that could help? She checked her phone. With just one bar, she managed to stagger into the app store on dinosaur dial-up speeds. When she scanned the general google translation app, it couldn't even read them.
"Same here," she muttered.
"Detective Skye, I did not expect to see you here."
Ema looked up from the scroll. It took a long time to meet his eyes, because damn he was tall. It was a good reminder on why she was on this wild goose chase in the first place.
"Well, I didn't expect to see you here either,," Ema said.
"It should be no surprise. I come here often to enjoy the archives during a rare moment off," Prosecutor Sahdmadhi said.
Of course you would, you nerd.
Never mind that she might as well be the picture underneath the term 'science nerd.' It was half an endearment, anyways.
"Oh, me too. I-I'm just um, learning a bit more about the country! I always feel like I'm rushing to catch up here. There's still so much to learn."
He tilted his head a bit. "Here? These are written in a very ancient form of Khura'inese. Though you are learning at an admirable speed, it would still be quite difficult, even for you."
It was a risk. The last thing she wanted to do was end up heartbroken. Still, Ema bit her lower lip and looked up into his deep green eyes. And she felt that same rush, and that same temptation all over again.
"...You could help me. M-maybe over lunch, because you usually don't take meetings then. We could eat together!" And it'd be just like a date. "And it'd be really efficient," she said instead.
He closed his eyes and nodded serenely. "Splendid idea. But of course, it is no surprise, given its you. I shall look forward to it."
As he bent down to retrieve the scrolls he had planned to read, she was left with only more questions. Was the constant compliments a monk thing? A Khura'inese thing? Or a want to date your detective thing?
She was hoping for the latter, but with her luck, it'd be just some Khura'inese custom and he'd be completely aghast that she would interpret his affectionate comments as anything but deep platonic respect of women.
*
Ema had finished an entire bag of snackoos just counting down the minutes until this lesson happened. She hadn't gotten a single thing done, because she'd been so distracted. Which of course meant she'd have to work twice as hard tomorrow.
It was just--she saw so little of Prosecutor Sahdmadhi. It was only now that she often had to go through his assistants to even speak to him, that she had to wait for meetings with world leaders and whatnot that Ema realized just how great it'd been to be just them in airports. Even if she got jetlag along the way.
"You're certainly punctual," he said.
"Are you implying that I'm usually late?" Ema said.
"Isn't the term 'fashionably late'? Or is it...fifteen minutes with Starbucks?"
Okay, the last one was pretty valid. She'd certainly showed up to her crime scene with Starbucks (and a muffin, usually topped with Snackoos) more than once.
"Maybe," she said.
Ema laid the scroll on his immaculately clean, large desk. He opened it up with a faint smile.
"You have such interesting choices. Or did you get mixed up by the system? This is a classification on orders of monks."
Ema smiled. "Nope, that's exactly the one I wanted."
"How curious."
Ema didn't elaborate, because, how could she? There was no way she could paint this as innocent and platonic.
Ema was trying to focus on the lesson, despite that it was harder than the math and organic chem which made her fail from her dreams for years. But his hands spread over the scroll, keeping it open kept making her rather distracted. She swallowed, and tried not to think about just what he could do to her with those long, graceful fingers. Oh, she had some suggestions where he could put them.
She licked her lips. His voice was deep, soft and yet melodious. How could she be turned on by him reading aloud a rather dry historical text about monks?! This was the exact opposite of sexy and yet he made it alluring.
Before she met him, she would've rated monks in the kind of unsexiness reserved for pond scum and vaginal yeast infections. But apparently they did it way different in Khura'in, because everything he did turned her on. Reading the opening statement? Check. Insulting the defense? Oh yeah, check. Complimenting her work and giving her a smile that warmed her through and through? God, just kiss her already.
Honestly, everything about him turned her on, and that was a big problem considering he was her boss. And prince regent. And a monk.
He lifted up the second scroll. His brow furrowed, and then, his expression suddenly became blank.
"You really wished to study this one...?"
"Yeah, I'm working my way through that section," Ema said.
His expression turned serene again.. "Ah...then, you did not know its contents?"
"What was it something misplaced? Because it's from the monk section," she said.
"Ah... you truly were unaware, an innocent to this...." He set the scroll aside, leaving Ema with even more questions.
"You're not going to read it?"
"No... it would be best not to read that one."
"What, is it some forbidden jutsu? Will I turn into a toad if I read it?"
He shook his head. "Some things about Khura'inese culture are best left until you have time to accustom."
"Really, you could fool me with the 18 hour prayer sessions."
He remained serene, even with her biting comments. But honestly, his reaction had been...weird. It was a scroll about the history of monk orders. It wasn't like she'd accidentally asked him to read porn...right? Well, Ema would have to just guess, because Prosecutor Sahdmadhi didn't elaborate. He never did. That Stupidly hot mysterious asshole.
As much as it pissed her off, it made her want to kiss him. Ugh, in the end, it only made him more appealing.
*
Prosecutor Sahdmadhi had left her a message noting that he'd be late this time. So, Ema took this chance to pick out the scrolls to work with. She gravitated back toward the 'forbidden place' which had elicited such a strange response in him. She grabbed a few at random, and with a handful of scrolls to read through with Prosecutor Sahdmadhi in hand, Ema headed off. It was only through the scrolls she caught sight of a flash of orange, a hat--she instantly drew back before she smacked right into Beh'leeb.
"Oh, sorry! Didn't see you!"
A scroll rolled out from her arms. Before Ema could bend down, Beh'leeb lifted it up.
"My, my, Detective Skye, that's quite a pile. And quite a choice, to..."
"Just a little light reading," Ema said flippantly.
"I see you in here so often. And always looking up info on Khura'inism, too. Are you converting and becoming part of the clergy?"
No, I want to date a member of the clergy. No one said I had smart tastes in men. My last crush was Chief Prosecutor Edgeworth, after all.
Well, maybe her taste was fine. Chief Prosecutor Edgeworth was still an amazing man. But their availability and potential interest in her? That was an issue. Chief Prosecutor Edgeworth was emphatically not into her, or any woman, really.
"Nope, I'm just learning more about the country while I'm here."
"Oh, good. Have you tried asking Ahlbi? He's always so eager to teach foreigners about our land."
Yeah, she was not going to ask a child about her certain burning question. Which all boiled down to am I going to just get embarrassed if I flirt with Prosecutor Sahdmadhi, who happens to be a monk? Is he going to give me an amused smile and go 'surely you know I've taken a vow of celibacy, I am a monk after all.' Is he down to date, or even more?
That was just not happening. She'd just have to find another way. Because Ema had to figure this out out before she fell any further. There was not enough 'I told you so' enough in the world if she went on and fell in love with a monk and he turned out to be celibate after all.
(Celibate after all would be a great band name, she thought. It'd probably catch on over here in monk land.)
"Uh--this isn't the kind of question I'd a-ask h-him," she said quickly.
Beh'leeb smiled. "Well, I am a high member of the clergy. Perhaps I can help."
Yes, Ema had some major questions. But she couldn't think of a way to phrase them that wasn't like... that. Oh, by the way. Did you and your late husband fuck, or was it just a one-time exception to have little Fai'tah there? Also while you're ate it, could you tell me if Prosecutor Sahdmadhi is willing to date and fuck? It'd be so helpful, because otherwise I'm going to faceplant right into my life and destroy everything I've worked so hard for.
Yeah, she wasn't going over there. Ever.
Ema cleared her throat. "Probably not, it's kind of...sensitive."
"Oh, is this something you need to speak in private with? I have comforted many people in dire times."
Her dark eyes spoke of an unsaid sadness. Ema could only imagine the hardships she'd seen.
"No, not like that, it's just--"
Maybe it was foolish, but this might be her only chance. And if she could keep herself from total heartbreak, she'd take a little embarrassment.
"I've been searching all over, but there's very little about orders of monks. I mean, there's classifications and history, but I'm having a hard time finding things like...day to day activities? And other...personal things??"
"Ah, Khura'in is a country that guards her secrets well. At first it was to protect us from our enemies, then to keep the mystery. While the country has been open to tourists, we must keep something to ourselves. You'd find those details within the temples themselves, only to be read by scholars and the orders of monks themselves. Some are quite tight-lipped about it too."
Dang, talk about running into a brick wall. So much for her plan to research up on him.
"I must say, that's a strange thing to ask. Are you writing a book?"
"A book? Oh no, not really," Ema said.
"Well, then. Was there something about monk orders you particularly needed to know? Perhaps I could help answer. Though I cannot guarantee I know the answer for every order."
Ema gripped the edge of one of the scrolls and held it tight to her chest. She couldn't quite look at Beh'leeb as she spoke. "Do you know anything about Prosecutor Sahdmadhi's order of monks? He mentioned something about being a different sect than the orange-robed ones I met. And I was....curious."
"Ah, yes. Prince Regent Prosecutor Sahdmadhi belongs to a very ancient order. They're called--" She spoke in Khura'inese then. Ema tried to translate it in her head, and thought she'd almost gotten the gist.
"Monks of the Golden Dawn, right? Pretty name."
"Yes, it's a lovely name for a lovely order of monks. He hasn't spoken to you about his clerical duties?"
Ema puffed out her cheeks. "He's always tight-lipped about himself. It drives me up the wall. I ask if he wants fries with his burger and he gives me a look like I was going to interrogate and waterboard him. Totally guarded and he just shuts down. I can't get anything out of him sometimes. It's so frustrating!"
Except, when it came to Prosecutor Sahdmadhi, there was always a sad oh moment. He very likely could've been waterboarded, even for something as innocuous as food choices. With Ga'ran, any kind of horrific thing had been possible. These reactions, as much as they irritated her were likely symptoms of PTSD from the years of abuse, gaslighting and control Ga'ran had not just held over him, but his entire family and country. When any wrong answer could get someone killed, no wonder he chose the fifth. (Though Khura'in had no such law. At least under Ga'ran, defendants could and would be tortured to provide compliance.)
"You seem to be very interested in Prosecutor Sahdmadhi's order."
Ema looked away, and let out a little sigh. As much as she enjoyed the times Prosecutor Sahdmadhi, it only made her want more and fall deeper for him. And she needed to find this out right now before she got hurt. Because she was so close to the point of no return. Every time he read to her from the scrolls it took literally all her self-control to not just kiss him. And something like that could ruin her entire life if he had taken a vow of celibacy. She was not going to have an awkward, miserable workplace again. She'd already survived it once. Never again, especially not when she was across the damn world.
"Well, the truth is...I would've given up immediately, because you know, a monk, but you made me wonder..."
"I must apologize, Detective Skye. I do not understand what you are asking."
Ema let out a sigh. "Sorry to bring up bad memories, but you and your late husband were both monks, and married. The monks where I am don't marry or anything. And it just--I'm trying to find out if Prosecutor Sahdmadhi's order is....like that too."
Ema's cheeks heated at that last admission.
Beh'leeb covered her mouth with her hand. She could just see the edge of her smile. "Oho, so you had those kind of intentions all along... I should've guessed."
Ema blushed more deeply. "I was trying not to be rude, but the scrolls wouldn't tell me and I keep trying to find out if I'm being a complete fool here--"
Behind her, someone cleared their throat behind her. "You could've simply asked me."
It wasn't. This wasn't happening. She had not been caught red-handed trying to fish out information on whether he could legally and morally date her monk boss or not.
But with her horrible luck, she should've known this would happen.
"P-Pros...."
Beh'leeb chuckled. "I'll leave you two be."
She said another phrase, but either Ema was messing up her translations again, or Khura'in really did call them 'love yaks' instead of 'love birds.'
Ema opened her bag of Snackoos, because she knew she was going to need it. She wanted to flee, but where even would she got? He was her boss and the ruler of the entire country? There was no escaping this embarrassment. Was it possible to die from embarrassment? She sure was going to find out. With the way her heart was hammering in her chest, it felt pretty likely.
On the bright side, if she died now, at least she wouldn't have to face going to work in an awkward situation tomorrow. See, there was always a silver lining.
A faint smile tugged at the corner of his lips. "All this time, I thought you were oh so interested in my country, when it seems you were actually interested in me."
"W-well, so what if I am? I mean, I had to scope it out. I came all the way out here, and you're my boss, and a monk no less. Where I come from, monks aren't exactly sex gods. In fact, they're completely celibate. I wasn't about to make a fool out of myself. More of a fool, anyways."
"This was quite a bit of research to simply find out if I am--how does your country put it, DTF?"
Ema nearly dropped her armful of scrolls. "W-what the hell! How could you have l-learned that?"
He made and 'okay' sign with his fingers. "I learned many things during my time working in the United States."
He smiled. "For your information: No, I have taken no vows of celibacy, nor do I plan to. The Monks of the Golden Dawn live to protect the law. But they are also an order one is born into, and keeping the bloodline alive and pass down our archives and protecting the law is imperative. So having children is very much encouraged."
He shifted his hands into the karuna position.
"That does not mean, however, sex for pleasure and intimacy is frowned upon. Far be from it. While Khura'inism encourages clearing your mind, adherence to the law and prayer, consensual sex is not denigrated within the religion. In fact, some sects view it as the path to enlightenment. In fact, you brought me some of their ecstatic writings. I was wondering if you were propositioning me, because reading those writings aloud would be quite a...sensual, even erotic experience. A good thing you did not open them as they are rather explicitly illustrated, to put it bluntly."
No wonder he'd behaved like she'd asked him to read porn aloud. Oh, her cheeks burned in shame at the memory. She'd basically brought him the Khura'inese version of the Kama Sutra.
"I-I had no idea. I mean, I wanted to um, date you, but I had no idea orders of monks could be like that, so..."
"Oho....Would you have liked hearing me speak the most sensual ecstatic erotic poetry Khura'in has ever produced?"
Actually, she would've liked that very much. But all she could do was blush and stammer, like a complete idiot.
"While I admire your thoroughness in research, you simply could've asked me out. Often the simplest answer is the correct one."
"W-well, do it! Go out with me already!" Ema burst out. She blushed even deeper. "I've wanted you to all along...Like, from first meeting. That probably sounds weird, but it's true."
"Ah, yes. Me too. Will tonight at 7 work?"
Ema puffed out her cheeks. "Of course it's fine. You're my boss. You know my schedule. You know I'm boring and have no social life these days."
Not that Khura'in would've offered a happening nightlife. This was the place of enlightenment, spirit-channeling and 18 hours of prayer a day. And she'd already seen the architecture and other sights, because people kept getting killed in them.
He leaned in close and whispered. "You're anything but boring. Yes, I am as your culture puts it 'down to fuck' but, I intend to court you so thoroughly to win your heart completely." He lifted her chin. Just the touch of his skin against hers was so electric that she gasped.
In that second she thought for sure he would kiss her.
"I am warning you of my intentions, because I plan to make you mine in every possible way."
Ema covered her mouth with her hand, but she didn't quite stifle the gasp.
"I look forward to seeing you tonight, Ema," he said softly. "And to say all the things I have been holding back...until then."
She could barely speak.
"Oh, and I came to tell you I could not do the lesson today. But, it was quite fortuitous...we could reschedule, yes?"
"Ah, anytime," Ema said.
"Good," he said. He gave her a smile so soft and tender it made her feel so warm inside. "Until then, Detective Ema Skye."
When he left, Ema leaned against that wall. She felt almost dizzy with relief. It really was that easy? I could've just skipped all these steps and asked him out and gotten a yes?
Okay, she learned a lot of things which might be handy if they ever had a serial killer who personally targeted monks, but still.
She couldn't believe that Prosecutor Sahdmadhi had said 'fuck' or how soft his voice had been as he said it. Hell, she couldn't believe that she'd gotten this turned on just from his proximity, his touch, his voice...
She wasn't sure she'd ever recover from his voice going low and sexy like that. If anybody could talk her into a spontaneous orgasm, it would be him.
Okay, she could believe that. So much of what he did turned her on. Things that had no right to be sexy still had her wanting to rub against him like a cat in heat.
"Ugh, what am I even doing? I have to get ready for my d-date..."
Ema let herself linger in the library a bit more. If anything, a library could only be beat by a cold shower or a place of worship as something to push down her libido. Except, she was a nerd. And now all she could think about was what would've happened if he'd come closer, and pushed her against one of those stacks, and put his fingers through her hair, his lips lowering...
At this rate, she'd have to dunk herself in a snowbank twice before her date just to calm down.
