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fic: Blame It On Steel Samurai (part two)
Title: Blame It On Steel Samurai (part two)
Series: Ace Attorney
Character/pairing: Nahyuta/Ema
Rating: NC-17
Summary: A storm, canceled flights and a Steel Samurai convention means Ema and Nahyuta get stuck sharing a hotel room with a single bed.
Word count: 4,856
Author's note:
Imagine person A of your OTP is getting ready for a shower or bath. Person B, on the other hand, is lingering outside the bathroom door because they're unsure how to ask A if they can join them.
As Ema shifted, she felt his arm slide about her. She'd taken a risk, and damn if it hadn't paid off. Rain pelted down at the windows. Through the rivulets she could see dark clouds, promising even more rain.
Good. She'd take all the rain she could get. With any luck, their flights would be canceled for a full week, or more. Maybe they'd get a honeymoon's worth of a vacation right in this hotel room.
With quite a bit of regret, Ema slipped out of his arms and picked up her phone from the bedside table. She checked the time, and checked on the status of the flights. A glance outside would've told her as much.
Ema turned over enough to see if her boss was up yet. He had propped himself up, and quietly watched her.
She gave him the news of their tickets.
"Hmmm."
She couldn't tell if it was a happy 'hmm' or a disappointed one. But, what was new? She couldn't figure him out half the time. But she had new evidence to add to her case, like how he looked when he came, and the breathy way he said her name when he was turned on.
Honestly, she was tempted to go for another round. But it had to come later, because she was famished after that wild night. She could eat an entire pizza....which wasn't much different from usual, but still.
Ema pushed herself up out of the covers, because she knew if she stayed there, she was going to go for another round. Considering she had morning breath, and the bag containing the box of condoms was across the room, she needed to get away from him before she did something she regretted.
Sure, she'd taken the chance that she might fuck everything up, but she wasn't risking a pregnancy scare out of it, no matter how turned on she was.
"I'm going for a shower in a minute. You want to join me there?"
He nodded.
She was sticky in the fun kind of way, and smelled strongly of sex. Not surprising, considering that wild night they'd had.
"Well, since we've got nothing but time, and heading out of the hotel is pretty risky, do you want to head downstairs to SamuCon? They won't be cheap, but there's should still be same day passes." She glanced away.
"It'd be a date...our first, I guess."
"I have read many things, but I do not understand this 'Samucon.'"
"It's a convention for Steel Samurai," Ema said.
She took his blank expression to mean that her explanation didn't explain much.
"Steel Samurai is a show, a children's show to be precise. A convention is where people meet up about the show. They do cosplays, and sell stuff, and sometimes there's panels."
His expression still showed no understanding.
"Okay, you know Plumed Punisher? Imagine that, but with Samurai. Also, Steel Samurai came first, and Plumed Punisher was based on it. Before it was turned into blatant state propaganda, that is."
He still didn't exactly look enlightened by her explanation. Maybe she should've just gotten up fanlore.org on her phone and given him the pages to explain.
"You'll understand when you get down there," Ema said.
"You're a fan?"
"I've caught a few episodes. It's kind of cheesy, but fun. The fandom is wild, though. Some of the Wright Anything Agency are obsessed with it. You should hear Trucy and Maya and Athena debate sometime. Once, Chief Prosecutor Edgeworth even weighed in. I thought he'd tell them to pipe down, but he just told them their opinions were bad."
"How alike is this Steel Samurai to Plumed Punisher? Does it teach the ninety five holy traditions passed down from the Holy Mother, as Plumed Punisher does?"
"I don't know? I haven't really seen much Plumed Punisher. Somebody keeps making me busy with work. All I remember is that Chief Prosecutor Edgeworth really wasn't impressed with that show."
Nahyuta's lips pursed. "Truly, the era was made worse when it became propaganda for Ga'ran as supposed to teaching the ways and history of the Holy Mother to young minds through a children's action show."
*
The hotel may have not had order in, but there was plenty of food stalls up. Ema had already gotten a breakfast of various fried treats and coffee made with 'fandom flavors' like Steel Samurai Surprise and Pink Princess Unicorn Frappucino.
(She wasn't sure she wanted to know what the surprise was.)
Since they had just gotten in before the supplies ran out, they each got a free Steel Samurai tumbler out of it.
"There's a fan-skit at noon, a panel with Steel Samurai writer Sal Manella at two o'clock and a lot of different lectures going on."
"Lectures?"
"Well, fan lectures. There's How The Pink Princess Subverts Traditional Gender Norms In NeoTokyo: A Feminist Perspective."
"How fascinating," Prosecutor Sahdmadhi said.
"I mean, we can stop if you want?"
The artist's alley spanned so many aisles that it took up half the giant room. Even if they tried, Ema wasn't sure they could get to all the artists at once.
A trio of cosplayers appeared before them. They based surely on the three bandits from that one episode--a fan favorite, for their habits of making endless puns, and slapstick violence towards each other. In fact, they were so popular with the fans that they kept appearing. At this point the bandit Trio was like the Team Rocket of Steel Samurai.
"Wow, what are you cosplaying? Is it new characters we haven't seen yet? I hear some lucky fans got to be some of the reaction audience!"
"I am a prosecutor, and monk," he said.
"You left out the prince regent part," Ema said.
"Wow! Is that the new plot? I haven't heard anything about it, and I follow SamuGossip religiously! I'm psyched!"
"Whoa! What wig seller do you buy from? Your hair looks so real! And that scarf effect is amazing. Is it with fans? It's got to be fans! I tried a tutorial I saw online, but the fans all looked really lumpy underneath the coat."
One of them reached out to touch his braid. "It feels amazing. You've got to tell me where you're getting them."
"A wig? This is my hair," he said slowly, and began to back away.
"Wow! You grew your hair out that much for a role! I'm really impressed with how devoted you are to the show! I can't wait to see the new character."
Ema crossed her arms.
"Jeez, step back already! It's rude to just touch people's hair, even if you thought it was a wig. You could mess up a style that someone took ages to do."
"Sorry, his braid just looked so shiny."
Honestly, Ema could relate. She'd spent a lot of time wondering just how soft his hair would be. Even if she wasn't about to admit it to a few cosplayers who got waaay into character.
"And who are you?"
"I'm a forensic detective," she said.
"Are they doing time traveling again?"
"That episode that starred that one prosecutor guy was really something else! You could tell his devotion for the role."
Prosecutor guy? Probably they must've hired damned Prosecutor Gavin, since he could sing. Even the thought of him was a sour taste in her mouth.
"Nope, I'm not in costume. I'm just here for the ride," Ema said.
Which honestly summed up her life ever since she met Prosecutor Sahdmadhi.
A group of brightly ninjas ran through with their arms trailing behind them.
"Oh, that's Neon Ninja. It's this cartoon about this orange ninja kid who wants to be the supreme leader of his village," Ema said.
"Aren't Ninjas supposed to be stealthy? Wouldn't that be an oxymoron?"
Ema puffed out her cheeks. "Hey, I didn't create the design," Ema said.
"Is it related to this Steel Samurai?"
"No, it's a totally different thing," Ema said. "It's pretty popular. It's been big for over a decade. Those Shounen Jump titles really have staying power. I'm not sure why they showed up. Actually...I think some of the fans like to cross it over with Jammin' Ninja, so that might be why. They've been petitioning the showrunners for a real one."
She left out that the crossovers were mostly pairing one of Neon Ninja's teachers with Jammin' Ninja. Fandom was gonna fandom.
"Ema, what is this 'cosplay' they keep speaking of?"
"It's short for costume play. It's when you dress up as a character. Someone who cosplays is called a cosplayer."
"So...it is a sacred rite, like the Purification night? Will they be serving special dishes as well?"
"Nope, just overpriced con pizza. And it's not sacred. It's just for fun."
"Fun is...overpriced con pizza?"
"No, that's the least fun part of cons," Ema said. "Last time I admitted this, I got called a communist, but overpriced con pizza is should be a crime. If saying jacking up prices for pizza at cons to stick it to con goers should be panned makes me a communist, then just call me comrade," she said.
"I must speak with these sellers."
Oooh, somebody had a monk grade lecture coming their way. That'd be fun to watch.
She caught sight of a very familiar magenta suit. "Wait, is that Chief Prosecutor Edgeworth?"
As he turned around, Ema came face to face with ruffles which made her realize her Edgeworth Sense was right.
"Chief Prosecutor Edgeworth! Are you solving a case? I hadn't heard a thing about any murders here..."
"I am escorting a friend of Wright's to SamuCon. I owed him a favor," Chief Prosecutor Edgeworth said tightly.
"Are you on a case? I had heard nothing of the sort."
"Our flights were canceled and we're just waiting until the storm passes, so we're killing time in here because--there's not much to do upstairs." Ema cleared her throat at this.
Other than each other and as fun as that was, sometimes she just needed to take a break and eat some overpriced con pizza.
"Look what I found!"
Maya burst back, holding up an official set of limited edition Pink Princess and Steel Samurai figures. "I was able to get to the front faster when I channeled. I used your credit card, but--it's worth it. These are only being released this year."
Chief Prosecutor Edgeworth's gaze was fixated completely on the statues. "You managed to get those? Those are priceless!"
"They were pretty pricey, actually," Maya said.
"Oh, hello, Maya," Ema said.
Maya smiled.
"Hi there, Ema! Edgeworth and I are together, but not together," Maya said. She glanced over Ema, and smiled mischievously. "Which is less than I can say about you two. You might want to pull your scarf up a bit."
Ema blushed bright pink as she tried to fix her little pink scarf. It wasn't enough to be caught sleeping with her prosecutor, but to be caught by Chief Prosecutor Edgeworth was mortifying.
Look, he'd figure out eventually. Maybe when the wedding invites went out. But that didn't mean she wanted her old crush to see the hickies on her neck after a torrid night.
"Yes, the office pool will be pleased," Chief Prosecutor Edgeworth said absently.
"Somebody's going to win a lot of money. Who put in this year?" Maya said.
"Hmm. I believe Prosecutor Gavin put in the largest amount into the pool," he said.
"Oh, that's nothing! You should've seen the betting pools they had about Nick. That pool went on for decades."
"What? Prosecutor Gavin is betting on my love life! UGH, I hate him!"
"It sounded like he really wanted you to be happy," Maya said.
Ema puffed out her cheeks. "If he wants me happy then he can just fuck off forever." She covered her mouth with her hand. She tried to at least keep down the more rough parts of her personality around Chief Prosecutor Edgeworth.
None of them really were that shocked that Ema said fuck, however. Apparently they thought it was pretty characteristic.
"Despite the weather, it's really packed this year," Maya said.
"Yes, even more than last year--ahem. That I heard. I was not present, as Maya was studying to be a master of Kurain tradition. However I overheard someone saying that it was very--active."
As Maya and Chief Prosecutor Edgeworth walked further down towards artist's alley, she overheard one last thing from Maya:
"Y'know, Edgeworth, I always knew I'd be your beard someday. I just didn't think it'd be for Steel Samurai. Not that I'm complaining about a free trip. Ooh, they've got burgers down that way, let's get some food! Then we can get in line for more collectibles--or do you want to commission some art for your wall?"
All the while, Nahyuta had overlooked the booths with little interest. However, at the edge of Artist Alley, just before the rows of food vendors, there was an artist who had many pictures of the Pink Princess and Plumed Punisher. And not just as friends, either. She'd found a crossover shipper, and one who really liked girls dating girls, too.
"Ah, finally someone who knows the Plumed Punisher," he said.
Prosecutor Sahdmadhi glanced thoughtfully at the prices as Ema came to a startling realization.
"Um--"
"I would like to bring back a gift for Rayfa," he said.
The picture of the Plumed Punisher may have looked innocuous to the innocent, but Ema knew foot fetish hentai when she saw one. The ones in the back weren't even subtle, with Pink Princess kissing the Plumed Punisher's bare feet. The fact that the Plumed Punisher had about five-times the bust size she had in canon certainly helped her deduce this.
"Straight from the wonderful episode where she walked barefoot in the sacred pools from Mount Poni Poni to purify herself for her battle." He let out a long sigh. "There were so many beautiful shots of how the mud got between her toes."
And indeed, many of the art on sale featured the Plumed Punisher holding up her skirts to step in mud.
"Yes, that is a sacred rite," Prosecutor Sahdmadhi said.
"That back there, it is a joint picture of both Steel Samurai and Plumed Punisher?"
"Yep! Want me to get it?"
"There are not many Plumed Punisher fans here," he said.
"Yeah! Steel Samurai is great, but there's not enough girls for my tastes, so I gotta make do. But I asked around in the forums and someone suggested I give Plumed Punisher a try after the waterfall episode. It's a blast. I can't wait for the new season."
"...Ahem! We should move on, I think." Maybe let's not get your teenage sister softcorn foot fetish porn.
"I offer key chains, too!" the artist quickly said.
"That's a much better choice. It'd be a pain to get the prints on the plane without making them wrinkle or rip," Ema said quickly.
Also the key chains had a limit to how much breasts and butt they could show. Instead they were the super deformed chibi style.
"Yes, the key chain would be good. I'll take one of each," Nahyuta said.
"Good; they're meant to go together."
Prosecutor Sahdmadhi held the key chains in his palms and finally realized what Ema had seen all along. When put together were kissing each other.
"Ema... isn't the Pink Princess married to the Steel Samurai?"
"That's the fandom for you. They ignore all the relationships and do what they want, even if it doesn't make sense," Ema said.
"Is this one of those..." He spoke in Khura'inese then, and she didn't even begin to figure out what it meant. She still had a lot to work on.
"You'll have to say it again so I can translate it, because all I got out of that was 'love.' At least I think that's what it was."
"One that loves many. I do not know the English word, or if it translates directly. Lady Kee'ra was one such as this, though she only loved women."
"Oh, that'd be a 'polyamorous' person. Though in this case it'd be an 'open relationship.'"
He didn't respond. "....What? I worked for Prosecutor Gavin for almost five years. I picked up some of the lingo. Anyways, it's not like that. Fandom just pretends certain things didn't happen and replace it with their own whims."
"No...I wasn't thinking that. I merely had a thought that--It would be good for the Plumed Punisher to be based more upon Lady Kee'ra. She too wears the mask and wields the dagger but has no love. I should task the writers to first redeem Dhurke, then give her a love to make Lady Kee'ra proud," he said suddenly.
At least one fan was going to be very happy.
*
They headed out towards a bigger food stall, which had a choice of whatever junk food you wanted, if you were willing to pay twice as much.
Even if Ema had pushed aside all con trinkets in favor of filling her stomach, when lunch came around, she guided Nahyuta towards a newly made food court.
He took a bite of the burger.
"Not quite as sublime as the Jalapeno Southwestern Burger, but it still has its charms. There are--faint undertones of smokey char-broiled flavor, with a hint of--" he closed his eyes in thought then. "What is this red condiment again?"
"It's ketchup," Ema said.
Seriously, he'd pull this grand foodie thing even at McDonalds. It was kind of cute that Prosecutor Sahdmadhi had to savor the wondrous tastes of french fries with ketchup.
"Ema, do you think something like this for Plumed Punisher fans could be possible?"
"I didn't realize you were such a fan," Ema said.
"I watched it as a child. Slowly it became nothing more than propaganda for the queen. Her usual enemy was tossed aside, so she could cast Dhurke as the ultimate villain. I did not want to be forced to watch my father be demonized."
He stirred his coffee.
"She does not like to admit it, but Rayfa enjoys it very much. I thought perhaps if we marketed it as a show for everyone, she could finally begin to openly love it. Perhaps we could even watch it together."
"You're a good brother," Ema said.
"...She's lost a lot in a short time."
"Well, I can't see a lot of people flying in to Khura'in, and aren't most of your people more into prayer and religious holidays? But maybe if you took the Lady Kee'ra angle, it could work."
"Perhaps it would be good for them to take a break from prayer for a moment, and appreciate a television show."
"Now those are words I never thought I'd hear from your lips. I must be rubbing off on you."
He smiled. "Perhaps a little."
*
On the way back, she heard a familiar voice.
"These Samurai outfits are deeply ignorant. The details are all wrong."
"Simon! You don't have to nitpick every single one. They're just doing it for fun."
He let out an annoyed scoff. "They have no honor if they cannot even tell the difference between yukata and a kimono. And what is that hakama?"
Simon grimaced. "Horrible details."s
"I didn't know you two were fans."
Athena smiled. "Oh, hello, Ema! I am. He just likes to watch it and insult the plots and say they aren't historically accurate to how Samurais really were," Athena said conversationally.
"As usual, Cykes-dono, you're wrong. I also complained at the lack of birds," he said.
"You're just angry because they made you keep Taka in your hotel room. Really, we're lucky they let you keep him at all." Athena said.
"Luck has nothing to do with it. Any place which does not accommodate Taka is no place worth staying."
"Sounds like somebody's a hatewatcher," Ema said.
"Yes, that's basically it. He watches tons of period historical J-dramas just to complain about them later," Athena said.
"He should start a blog. It'd probably go viral," Ema said.
Simon smirked. "For once, I'll say that's a good idea, Skye-dono."
Huh, apparently he'd buried the hatchet. Or maybe he just was okay about talking media with her, and less about talking crime scenes.
"Come ooon, Simon. They're going to be spoiling the plot of the newest arcs! Sure I could get it online about ten seconds after the panel is done, but it isn't the same as actually being there. If we don't hurry, we'll miss Sal Manella's panel!"
"...This Sal Manella, he is the head writer on the show, yes? I need to speak to him. Perhaps cultures should meet," Prosecutor Sahdmadhi said.
"...Did that guy turn you into a crossover fan now?"
"It could be a good way to open the doors of Khura'in, to update, and yes, bring more fans."
Ema just hoped the whole foot fetish hentai had been completely gone over his head, and that Prosecutor Sahdmadhi didn't start suggesting that would be great for the plot, because that'd exactly the kind of thing Sal Manella would be into.
*
Honestly, she should've packed shoes that were more functional and less cute. But Ema always picked cuteness and the ability to add extra inches to her height over the ability to actually walk. The fact that Prosecutor Gavin used to chuckle and say she sounded like a hissing kitten and walk off laughing when she was in the middle of ranting at him certainly helped this decision to be as tall as possible along.
The hallway was empty. He had fallen silent, but not his usual contemplative sort. Or maybe he was just thinking about the future of the Plumed Punisher again.
Ema reached into her bag to dig out the key card, but it had gotten wedged down so far down there. She really should've just left it with him, but she'd been the one to grab it off of the nightstand.
"...Ema."
"Yeah, yeah, I know. I probably need to pull them out one by one. It's really deep down there."
"I can't wait any longer," he said softly.
He leaned in and brushed his hand against her cheek. Good thin she went low makeup today.
"Ema...My feelings for you are not merely carnal--In truth--" He gently stroked her cheek, and broke off into fast-paced and emotional Khura'inese. She could only understand a word here and there.
"You're going to have to say that again, when I've got my phone out. I mean sure I caught a few words, but you were going so fast--"
He stepped away from her. "...No, it is best if you did not understand that."
His face had gone back to unreadable again. Dammit!.
"Oh no you don't. No closing down and pushing me away."
"...We might as well go in," he said.
"Stop sounding like you're somebody on death row just because I'm making you express your feelings for once!"
She finally got the key card out and scanned it on the door.
As Prosecutor Sahdmadhi closed the hotel door behind them, she turned towards him. "Now, spill it."
"I have studied many things of your culture. Many of these--single girls in the big city, who do not want to commit. And I know this, and yet I cannot help myself."
So That explained why she'd walked in on him reading chick lit novels on more than one occasion, and why he had watched Sex and the City like it was a documentary, complete with taking notes.
"Those are just wish fulfillment fantasies. No woman could afford that many shoes on a journalism budget," Ema said.
"Things are different between our cultures, and that must always be a consideration."
"You still aren't telling me what you said back there."
"I shouldn't have spoken so frankly. Not so soon."
"So soon? It's been two years, and that was just since I moved to Khura'in. Look, I took a chance here. You know how many times I told myself I could ruin everything by making a move on you? But I did it, and now we're here. So, spill it."
For all her brave talk, it hurt. Was he breaking up with her already? Would she just have one amazing night and overpriced con pizza to remember their almost romance by?
"I adore you, and I do not want to be parted from you. What happened then...I was happy you had taken the step I had never made. Yet, going to that 'fan convention' only pointed out that I want more. I have had feelings for you for a long time, yet this came very suddenly. I want to spend a million and one days with you, a million and one lifetimes with you and you alone. ....but to ask this so suddenly, it must be a grave misstep."
"With the way you work me--both in and out of the bedroom--you think I have any time for anybody else?"
With your skills, I expect only the best. At this rate she was going to have to invent time travel just to keep her work life and sex life in check.
"Your research is lacking. Most girls love a guy who's willing to commit."
"It is not most girls who I wish to know the answer from, but you."
Ema puffed out her cheeks. "I just got you out on a date and seduced you last night. What do you think? Do I look uninterested in commitment?"
"I must declare my intentions. I fully intend to win you over completely."
"Already there," Ema said.
"You misunderstand. When I say completely, I mean that I fully intend to woo you until the mere thought of loving anyone as much as you love me is incomprehensible."
Her breath hitched as he ran his hand up her thigh.
"I'm looking forward to it," Ema said.
They always said marry your best friend but never marry your prosecutor. Maybe the old adage needed to be upgraded a bit? Ema'd have to get a sticker like that, to celebrate.
*
Epilogue:
Despite the rain delay, Nahyuta still got to his meeting, and Ema got to enjoy a whole weekend of Netflix, as much room service as she wished. But all too soon, they went back to Khura'in. And even though she didn't quite have him to herself as much as she wanted, things proceeded quite nicely.
A lot changed when they got back. Ema spent her lunches not just fantasizing about her boss, but enjoying great food and making out with him, too.
Nahyuta, always the workaholic threw himself into the ideas for the proposed changes in the Plumed Punisher. Though Ema only saw bites and pieces until one day he brought her the new character art and character bio of the latest love interest for the Plumed Punisher.
Something seemed off as she read the details, with the new character, Eam'ha. An intrepid foreign scientist, who the Plumed Punisher saved in the first episode of the new season. In an especially tender scene, Eam'ha. reached up to pull off her mask enough to kiss her.
But it was Eam'ha.'s habit of snacking when she was irritated that really gave it away.
"Um. Nahyuta. This love interest for the Plumed Punisher is just basically me," Ema said.
She flipped to the character sketches. "Scratch that, there's no 'basically' about it. This is just me. Are you trying to tell me something?"
He tilted his head thoughtfully.
"Perhaps so. However, this is not a surprise. You are always on my mind. Even before that night we were stranded, I would often mistakenly put your name upon paperwork when I meant to put details of the case."
He closed his eyes. "It was without even thinking. Even without meaning to, everything within me is drawn to you. So often I find myself thinking of you, even when I must focus on other things."
So that was why so much of his paperwork had so many crossed out sections. She'd never quite understood how somebody so put together had so many errors. She'd attributed it to his habit of pulling all nighters studying, or English being his second language but it turned out she was the reason for the sudden chaos showing through.
She leaned in to kiss his cheek. "I'll take it as a compliment."
"You free for lunch, hot stuff?"
"For you? Always."
Series: Ace Attorney
Character/pairing: Nahyuta/Ema
Rating: NC-17
Summary: A storm, canceled flights and a Steel Samurai convention means Ema and Nahyuta get stuck sharing a hotel room with a single bed.
Word count: 4,856
Author's note:
Imagine person A of your OTP is getting ready for a shower or bath. Person B, on the other hand, is lingering outside the bathroom door because they're unsure how to ask A if they can join them.
As Ema shifted, she felt his arm slide about her. She'd taken a risk, and damn if it hadn't paid off. Rain pelted down at the windows. Through the rivulets she could see dark clouds, promising even more rain.
Good. She'd take all the rain she could get. With any luck, their flights would be canceled for a full week, or more. Maybe they'd get a honeymoon's worth of a vacation right in this hotel room.
With quite a bit of regret, Ema slipped out of his arms and picked up her phone from the bedside table. She checked the time, and checked on the status of the flights. A glance outside would've told her as much.
Ema turned over enough to see if her boss was up yet. He had propped himself up, and quietly watched her.
She gave him the news of their tickets.
"Hmmm."
She couldn't tell if it was a happy 'hmm' or a disappointed one. But, what was new? She couldn't figure him out half the time. But she had new evidence to add to her case, like how he looked when he came, and the breathy way he said her name when he was turned on.
Honestly, she was tempted to go for another round. But it had to come later, because she was famished after that wild night. She could eat an entire pizza....which wasn't much different from usual, but still.
Ema pushed herself up out of the covers, because she knew if she stayed there, she was going to go for another round. Considering she had morning breath, and the bag containing the box of condoms was across the room, she needed to get away from him before she did something she regretted.
Sure, she'd taken the chance that she might fuck everything up, but she wasn't risking a pregnancy scare out of it, no matter how turned on she was.
"I'm going for a shower in a minute. You want to join me there?"
He nodded.
She was sticky in the fun kind of way, and smelled strongly of sex. Not surprising, considering that wild night they'd had.
"Well, since we've got nothing but time, and heading out of the hotel is pretty risky, do you want to head downstairs to SamuCon? They won't be cheap, but there's should still be same day passes." She glanced away.
"It'd be a date...our first, I guess."
"I have read many things, but I do not understand this 'Samucon.'"
"It's a convention for Steel Samurai," Ema said.
She took his blank expression to mean that her explanation didn't explain much.
"Steel Samurai is a show, a children's show to be precise. A convention is where people meet up about the show. They do cosplays, and sell stuff, and sometimes there's panels."
His expression still showed no understanding.
"Okay, you know Plumed Punisher? Imagine that, but with Samurai. Also, Steel Samurai came first, and Plumed Punisher was based on it. Before it was turned into blatant state propaganda, that is."
He still didn't exactly look enlightened by her explanation. Maybe she should've just gotten up fanlore.org on her phone and given him the pages to explain.
"You'll understand when you get down there," Ema said.
"You're a fan?"
"I've caught a few episodes. It's kind of cheesy, but fun. The fandom is wild, though. Some of the Wright Anything Agency are obsessed with it. You should hear Trucy and Maya and Athena debate sometime. Once, Chief Prosecutor Edgeworth even weighed in. I thought he'd tell them to pipe down, but he just told them their opinions were bad."
"How alike is this Steel Samurai to Plumed Punisher? Does it teach the ninety five holy traditions passed down from the Holy Mother, as Plumed Punisher does?"
"I don't know? I haven't really seen much Plumed Punisher. Somebody keeps making me busy with work. All I remember is that Chief Prosecutor Edgeworth really wasn't impressed with that show."
Nahyuta's lips pursed. "Truly, the era was made worse when it became propaganda for Ga'ran as supposed to teaching the ways and history of the Holy Mother to young minds through a children's action show."
*
The hotel may have not had order in, but there was plenty of food stalls up. Ema had already gotten a breakfast of various fried treats and coffee made with 'fandom flavors' like Steel Samurai Surprise and Pink Princess Unicorn Frappucino.
(She wasn't sure she wanted to know what the surprise was.)
Since they had just gotten in before the supplies ran out, they each got a free Steel Samurai tumbler out of it.
"There's a fan-skit at noon, a panel with Steel Samurai writer Sal Manella at two o'clock and a lot of different lectures going on."
"Lectures?"
"Well, fan lectures. There's How The Pink Princess Subverts Traditional Gender Norms In NeoTokyo: A Feminist Perspective."
"How fascinating," Prosecutor Sahdmadhi said.
"I mean, we can stop if you want?"
The artist's alley spanned so many aisles that it took up half the giant room. Even if they tried, Ema wasn't sure they could get to all the artists at once.
A trio of cosplayers appeared before them. They based surely on the three bandits from that one episode--a fan favorite, for their habits of making endless puns, and slapstick violence towards each other. In fact, they were so popular with the fans that they kept appearing. At this point the bandit Trio was like the Team Rocket of Steel Samurai.
"Wow, what are you cosplaying? Is it new characters we haven't seen yet? I hear some lucky fans got to be some of the reaction audience!"
"I am a prosecutor, and monk," he said.
"You left out the prince regent part," Ema said.
"Wow! Is that the new plot? I haven't heard anything about it, and I follow SamuGossip religiously! I'm psyched!"
"Whoa! What wig seller do you buy from? Your hair looks so real! And that scarf effect is amazing. Is it with fans? It's got to be fans! I tried a tutorial I saw online, but the fans all looked really lumpy underneath the coat."
One of them reached out to touch his braid. "It feels amazing. You've got to tell me where you're getting them."
"A wig? This is my hair," he said slowly, and began to back away.
"Wow! You grew your hair out that much for a role! I'm really impressed with how devoted you are to the show! I can't wait to see the new character."
Ema crossed her arms.
"Jeez, step back already! It's rude to just touch people's hair, even if you thought it was a wig. You could mess up a style that someone took ages to do."
"Sorry, his braid just looked so shiny."
Honestly, Ema could relate. She'd spent a lot of time wondering just how soft his hair would be. Even if she wasn't about to admit it to a few cosplayers who got waaay into character.
"And who are you?"
"I'm a forensic detective," she said.
"Are they doing time traveling again?"
"That episode that starred that one prosecutor guy was really something else! You could tell his devotion for the role."
Prosecutor guy? Probably they must've hired damned Prosecutor Gavin, since he could sing. Even the thought of him was a sour taste in her mouth.
"Nope, I'm not in costume. I'm just here for the ride," Ema said.
Which honestly summed up her life ever since she met Prosecutor Sahdmadhi.
A group of brightly ninjas ran through with their arms trailing behind them.
"Oh, that's Neon Ninja. It's this cartoon about this orange ninja kid who wants to be the supreme leader of his village," Ema said.
"Aren't Ninjas supposed to be stealthy? Wouldn't that be an oxymoron?"
Ema puffed out her cheeks. "Hey, I didn't create the design," Ema said.
"Is it related to this Steel Samurai?"
"No, it's a totally different thing," Ema said. "It's pretty popular. It's been big for over a decade. Those Shounen Jump titles really have staying power. I'm not sure why they showed up. Actually...I think some of the fans like to cross it over with Jammin' Ninja, so that might be why. They've been petitioning the showrunners for a real one."
She left out that the crossovers were mostly pairing one of Neon Ninja's teachers with Jammin' Ninja. Fandom was gonna fandom.
"Ema, what is this 'cosplay' they keep speaking of?"
"It's short for costume play. It's when you dress up as a character. Someone who cosplays is called a cosplayer."
"So...it is a sacred rite, like the Purification night? Will they be serving special dishes as well?"
"Nope, just overpriced con pizza. And it's not sacred. It's just for fun."
"Fun is...overpriced con pizza?"
"No, that's the least fun part of cons," Ema said. "Last time I admitted this, I got called a communist, but overpriced con pizza is should be a crime. If saying jacking up prices for pizza at cons to stick it to con goers should be panned makes me a communist, then just call me comrade," she said.
"I must speak with these sellers."
Oooh, somebody had a monk grade lecture coming their way. That'd be fun to watch.
She caught sight of a very familiar magenta suit. "Wait, is that Chief Prosecutor Edgeworth?"
As he turned around, Ema came face to face with ruffles which made her realize her Edgeworth Sense was right.
"Chief Prosecutor Edgeworth! Are you solving a case? I hadn't heard a thing about any murders here..."
"I am escorting a friend of Wright's to SamuCon. I owed him a favor," Chief Prosecutor Edgeworth said tightly.
"Are you on a case? I had heard nothing of the sort."
"Our flights were canceled and we're just waiting until the storm passes, so we're killing time in here because--there's not much to do upstairs." Ema cleared her throat at this.
Other than each other and as fun as that was, sometimes she just needed to take a break and eat some overpriced con pizza.
"Look what I found!"
Maya burst back, holding up an official set of limited edition Pink Princess and Steel Samurai figures. "I was able to get to the front faster when I channeled. I used your credit card, but--it's worth it. These are only being released this year."
Chief Prosecutor Edgeworth's gaze was fixated completely on the statues. "You managed to get those? Those are priceless!"
"They were pretty pricey, actually," Maya said.
"Oh, hello, Maya," Ema said.
Maya smiled.
"Hi there, Ema! Edgeworth and I are together, but not together," Maya said. She glanced over Ema, and smiled mischievously. "Which is less than I can say about you two. You might want to pull your scarf up a bit."
Ema blushed bright pink as she tried to fix her little pink scarf. It wasn't enough to be caught sleeping with her prosecutor, but to be caught by Chief Prosecutor Edgeworth was mortifying.
Look, he'd figure out eventually. Maybe when the wedding invites went out. But that didn't mean she wanted her old crush to see the hickies on her neck after a torrid night.
"Yes, the office pool will be pleased," Chief Prosecutor Edgeworth said absently.
"Somebody's going to win a lot of money. Who put in this year?" Maya said.
"Hmm. I believe Prosecutor Gavin put in the largest amount into the pool," he said.
"Oh, that's nothing! You should've seen the betting pools they had about Nick. That pool went on for decades."
"What? Prosecutor Gavin is betting on my love life! UGH, I hate him!"
"It sounded like he really wanted you to be happy," Maya said.
Ema puffed out her cheeks. "If he wants me happy then he can just fuck off forever." She covered her mouth with her hand. She tried to at least keep down the more rough parts of her personality around Chief Prosecutor Edgeworth.
None of them really were that shocked that Ema said fuck, however. Apparently they thought it was pretty characteristic.
"Despite the weather, it's really packed this year," Maya said.
"Yes, even more than last year--ahem. That I heard. I was not present, as Maya was studying to be a master of Kurain tradition. However I overheard someone saying that it was very--active."
As Maya and Chief Prosecutor Edgeworth walked further down towards artist's alley, she overheard one last thing from Maya:
"Y'know, Edgeworth, I always knew I'd be your beard someday. I just didn't think it'd be for Steel Samurai. Not that I'm complaining about a free trip. Ooh, they've got burgers down that way, let's get some food! Then we can get in line for more collectibles--or do you want to commission some art for your wall?"
All the while, Nahyuta had overlooked the booths with little interest. However, at the edge of Artist Alley, just before the rows of food vendors, there was an artist who had many pictures of the Pink Princess and Plumed Punisher. And not just as friends, either. She'd found a crossover shipper, and one who really liked girls dating girls, too.
"Ah, finally someone who knows the Plumed Punisher," he said.
Prosecutor Sahdmadhi glanced thoughtfully at the prices as Ema came to a startling realization.
"Um--"
"I would like to bring back a gift for Rayfa," he said.
The picture of the Plumed Punisher may have looked innocuous to the innocent, but Ema knew foot fetish hentai when she saw one. The ones in the back weren't even subtle, with Pink Princess kissing the Plumed Punisher's bare feet. The fact that the Plumed Punisher had about five-times the bust size she had in canon certainly helped her deduce this.
"Straight from the wonderful episode where she walked barefoot in the sacred pools from Mount Poni Poni to purify herself for her battle." He let out a long sigh. "There were so many beautiful shots of how the mud got between her toes."
And indeed, many of the art on sale featured the Plumed Punisher holding up her skirts to step in mud.
"Yes, that is a sacred rite," Prosecutor Sahdmadhi said.
"That back there, it is a joint picture of both Steel Samurai and Plumed Punisher?"
"Yep! Want me to get it?"
"There are not many Plumed Punisher fans here," he said.
"Yeah! Steel Samurai is great, but there's not enough girls for my tastes, so I gotta make do. But I asked around in the forums and someone suggested I give Plumed Punisher a try after the waterfall episode. It's a blast. I can't wait for the new season."
"...Ahem! We should move on, I think." Maybe let's not get your teenage sister softcorn foot fetish porn.
"I offer key chains, too!" the artist quickly said.
"That's a much better choice. It'd be a pain to get the prints on the plane without making them wrinkle or rip," Ema said quickly.
Also the key chains had a limit to how much breasts and butt they could show. Instead they were the super deformed chibi style.
"Yes, the key chain would be good. I'll take one of each," Nahyuta said.
"Good; they're meant to go together."
Prosecutor Sahdmadhi held the key chains in his palms and finally realized what Ema had seen all along. When put together were kissing each other.
"Ema... isn't the Pink Princess married to the Steel Samurai?"
"That's the fandom for you. They ignore all the relationships and do what they want, even if it doesn't make sense," Ema said.
"Is this one of those..." He spoke in Khura'inese then, and she didn't even begin to figure out what it meant. She still had a lot to work on.
"You'll have to say it again so I can translate it, because all I got out of that was 'love.' At least I think that's what it was."
"One that loves many. I do not know the English word, or if it translates directly. Lady Kee'ra was one such as this, though she only loved women."
"Oh, that'd be a 'polyamorous' person. Though in this case it'd be an 'open relationship.'"
He didn't respond. "....What? I worked for Prosecutor Gavin for almost five years. I picked up some of the lingo. Anyways, it's not like that. Fandom just pretends certain things didn't happen and replace it with their own whims."
"No...I wasn't thinking that. I merely had a thought that--It would be good for the Plumed Punisher to be based more upon Lady Kee'ra. She too wears the mask and wields the dagger but has no love. I should task the writers to first redeem Dhurke, then give her a love to make Lady Kee'ra proud," he said suddenly.
At least one fan was going to be very happy.
*
They headed out towards a bigger food stall, which had a choice of whatever junk food you wanted, if you were willing to pay twice as much.
Even if Ema had pushed aside all con trinkets in favor of filling her stomach, when lunch came around, she guided Nahyuta towards a newly made food court.
He took a bite of the burger.
"Not quite as sublime as the Jalapeno Southwestern Burger, but it still has its charms. There are--faint undertones of smokey char-broiled flavor, with a hint of--" he closed his eyes in thought then. "What is this red condiment again?"
"It's ketchup," Ema said.
Seriously, he'd pull this grand foodie thing even at McDonalds. It was kind of cute that Prosecutor Sahdmadhi had to savor the wondrous tastes of french fries with ketchup.
"Ema, do you think something like this for Plumed Punisher fans could be possible?"
"I didn't realize you were such a fan," Ema said.
"I watched it as a child. Slowly it became nothing more than propaganda for the queen. Her usual enemy was tossed aside, so she could cast Dhurke as the ultimate villain. I did not want to be forced to watch my father be demonized."
He stirred his coffee.
"She does not like to admit it, but Rayfa enjoys it very much. I thought perhaps if we marketed it as a show for everyone, she could finally begin to openly love it. Perhaps we could even watch it together."
"You're a good brother," Ema said.
"...She's lost a lot in a short time."
"Well, I can't see a lot of people flying in to Khura'in, and aren't most of your people more into prayer and religious holidays? But maybe if you took the Lady Kee'ra angle, it could work."
"Perhaps it would be good for them to take a break from prayer for a moment, and appreciate a television show."
"Now those are words I never thought I'd hear from your lips. I must be rubbing off on you."
He smiled. "Perhaps a little."
*
On the way back, she heard a familiar voice.
"These Samurai outfits are deeply ignorant. The details are all wrong."
"Simon! You don't have to nitpick every single one. They're just doing it for fun."
He let out an annoyed scoff. "They have no honor if they cannot even tell the difference between yukata and a kimono. And what is that hakama?"
Simon grimaced. "Horrible details."s
"I didn't know you two were fans."
Athena smiled. "Oh, hello, Ema! I am. He just likes to watch it and insult the plots and say they aren't historically accurate to how Samurais really were," Athena said conversationally.
"As usual, Cykes-dono, you're wrong. I also complained at the lack of birds," he said.
"You're just angry because they made you keep Taka in your hotel room. Really, we're lucky they let you keep him at all." Athena said.
"Luck has nothing to do with it. Any place which does not accommodate Taka is no place worth staying."
"Sounds like somebody's a hatewatcher," Ema said.
"Yes, that's basically it. He watches tons of period historical J-dramas just to complain about them later," Athena said.
"He should start a blog. It'd probably go viral," Ema said.
Simon smirked. "For once, I'll say that's a good idea, Skye-dono."
Huh, apparently he'd buried the hatchet. Or maybe he just was okay about talking media with her, and less about talking crime scenes.
"Come ooon, Simon. They're going to be spoiling the plot of the newest arcs! Sure I could get it online about ten seconds after the panel is done, but it isn't the same as actually being there. If we don't hurry, we'll miss Sal Manella's panel!"
"...This Sal Manella, he is the head writer on the show, yes? I need to speak to him. Perhaps cultures should meet," Prosecutor Sahdmadhi said.
"...Did that guy turn you into a crossover fan now?"
"It could be a good way to open the doors of Khura'in, to update, and yes, bring more fans."
Ema just hoped the whole foot fetish hentai had been completely gone over his head, and that Prosecutor Sahdmadhi didn't start suggesting that would be great for the plot, because that'd exactly the kind of thing Sal Manella would be into.
*
Honestly, she should've packed shoes that were more functional and less cute. But Ema always picked cuteness and the ability to add extra inches to her height over the ability to actually walk. The fact that Prosecutor Gavin used to chuckle and say she sounded like a hissing kitten and walk off laughing when she was in the middle of ranting at him certainly helped this decision to be as tall as possible along.
The hallway was empty. He had fallen silent, but not his usual contemplative sort. Or maybe he was just thinking about the future of the Plumed Punisher again.
Ema reached into her bag to dig out the key card, but it had gotten wedged down so far down there. She really should've just left it with him, but she'd been the one to grab it off of the nightstand.
"...Ema."
"Yeah, yeah, I know. I probably need to pull them out one by one. It's really deep down there."
"I can't wait any longer," he said softly.
He leaned in and brushed his hand against her cheek. Good thin she went low makeup today.
"Ema...My feelings for you are not merely carnal--In truth--" He gently stroked her cheek, and broke off into fast-paced and emotional Khura'inese. She could only understand a word here and there.
"You're going to have to say that again, when I've got my phone out. I mean sure I caught a few words, but you were going so fast--"
He stepped away from her. "...No, it is best if you did not understand that."
His face had gone back to unreadable again. Dammit!.
"Oh no you don't. No closing down and pushing me away."
"...We might as well go in," he said.
"Stop sounding like you're somebody on death row just because I'm making you express your feelings for once!"
She finally got the key card out and scanned it on the door.
As Prosecutor Sahdmadhi closed the hotel door behind them, she turned towards him. "Now, spill it."
"I have studied many things of your culture. Many of these--single girls in the big city, who do not want to commit. And I know this, and yet I cannot help myself."
So That explained why she'd walked in on him reading chick lit novels on more than one occasion, and why he had watched Sex and the City like it was a documentary, complete with taking notes.
"Those are just wish fulfillment fantasies. No woman could afford that many shoes on a journalism budget," Ema said.
"Things are different between our cultures, and that must always be a consideration."
"You still aren't telling me what you said back there."
"I shouldn't have spoken so frankly. Not so soon."
"So soon? It's been two years, and that was just since I moved to Khura'in. Look, I took a chance here. You know how many times I told myself I could ruin everything by making a move on you? But I did it, and now we're here. So, spill it."
For all her brave talk, it hurt. Was he breaking up with her already? Would she just have one amazing night and overpriced con pizza to remember their almost romance by?
"I adore you, and I do not want to be parted from you. What happened then...I was happy you had taken the step I had never made. Yet, going to that 'fan convention' only pointed out that I want more. I have had feelings for you for a long time, yet this came very suddenly. I want to spend a million and one days with you, a million and one lifetimes with you and you alone. ....but to ask this so suddenly, it must be a grave misstep."
"With the way you work me--both in and out of the bedroom--you think I have any time for anybody else?"
With your skills, I expect only the best. At this rate she was going to have to invent time travel just to keep her work life and sex life in check.
"Your research is lacking. Most girls love a guy who's willing to commit."
"It is not most girls who I wish to know the answer from, but you."
Ema puffed out her cheeks. "I just got you out on a date and seduced you last night. What do you think? Do I look uninterested in commitment?"
"I must declare my intentions. I fully intend to win you over completely."
"Already there," Ema said.
"You misunderstand. When I say completely, I mean that I fully intend to woo you until the mere thought of loving anyone as much as you love me is incomprehensible."
Her breath hitched as he ran his hand up her thigh.
"I'm looking forward to it," Ema said.
They always said marry your best friend but never marry your prosecutor. Maybe the old adage needed to be upgraded a bit? Ema'd have to get a sticker like that, to celebrate.
*
Epilogue:
Despite the rain delay, Nahyuta still got to his meeting, and Ema got to enjoy a whole weekend of Netflix, as much room service as she wished. But all too soon, they went back to Khura'in. And even though she didn't quite have him to herself as much as she wanted, things proceeded quite nicely.
A lot changed when they got back. Ema spent her lunches not just fantasizing about her boss, but enjoying great food and making out with him, too.
Nahyuta, always the workaholic threw himself into the ideas for the proposed changes in the Plumed Punisher. Though Ema only saw bites and pieces until one day he brought her the new character art and character bio of the latest love interest for the Plumed Punisher.
Something seemed off as she read the details, with the new character, Eam'ha. An intrepid foreign scientist, who the Plumed Punisher saved in the first episode of the new season. In an especially tender scene, Eam'ha. reached up to pull off her mask enough to kiss her.
But it was Eam'ha.'s habit of snacking when she was irritated that really gave it away.
"Um. Nahyuta. This love interest for the Plumed Punisher is just basically me," Ema said.
She flipped to the character sketches. "Scratch that, there's no 'basically' about it. This is just me. Are you trying to tell me something?"
He tilted his head thoughtfully.
"Perhaps so. However, this is not a surprise. You are always on my mind. Even before that night we were stranded, I would often mistakenly put your name upon paperwork when I meant to put details of the case."
He closed his eyes. "It was without even thinking. Even without meaning to, everything within me is drawn to you. So often I find myself thinking of you, even when I must focus on other things."
So that was why so much of his paperwork had so many crossed out sections. She'd never quite understood how somebody so put together had so many errors. She'd attributed it to his habit of pulling all nighters studying, or English being his second language but it turned out she was the reason for the sudden chaos showing through.
She leaned in to kiss his cheek. "I'll take it as a compliment."
"You free for lunch, hot stuff?"
"For you? Always."
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