And We Come Together in Prayer

Ema Skye didn't know what she was doing. How did she even get to this point? At what point had she gone from being a perfectly content forensics investigator in good ol' California to "the dirt haired foreigner" who does weird, mystical things, halfway across the world, in a place where even their royalty has no regard for science?

Oh wait, the answer to that question was easy. It was all Prosecutor Sahdmadhi's fault. Soft spoken, snake tongued, smiling, over the top, hell-condemning… sparkly, goddess-blessed with gorgeous Nahyuta Sahdmadhi. One look into his eyes, and she was spellbound. Whenever he spoke to her, her brain just shut off. She was floating on the clouds... and then she'd wake up about an hour later and realize she condemned her friends to death. Or she was spending the next fifteen hours on a plane to FantasyLand. Or nearly got Mr. Wright murdered for doing his job.

Ema didn't know how he did it. She'd worked with the glimmerous fop for two years straight. She was resistant to the charmers of the world. Was he really magic? Had he put some sort of Khur'ainist spell on her, to make her more obedient?

Or was that really all it took to make her someone's puppet? Did she really need nothing more than pretty face to lose her head?

It was pitiful. Ema had seen firsthand how dangerous it was, to let someone pull your strings in the courtroom. Both as a teenager and an adult, she watched people around her get manipulated, trapped before they even realized it.

Ema had sworn that would never be her. She would keep her decisions to herself.

Well, look how that turned out.

And here she was again, being controlled by that monk. He hadn't been happy with her for not performing a test she'd never been given reason to do, and he got one upped in court because of it. Honestly, he was probably just mad about his reputation getting smeared on his home turf.

Ema was no stranger to being yelled at by prosecutors. She'd been transferred away from Gavin because of the sheer number of times he got upset with her for "accidentally" ruining his investigation. And her constant filing of sexual harassment suits, but that was a separate issue.

But… did he really expect this to take eight hours? Did he have to lecture her about a religion she didn't believe in? Was there any reason this sermon had to be completed in the dead of night, or was it more spiritual bullshit?

In case it wasn't obvious, Ema had never been one for the supernatural. Best she remembered, neither of her parents had been religious, and Lana sure wasn't. No, she believed this stuff was better left up to science to figure out.

But don't mention that in Khur'ain, or the priestesses pray around you in a circle. Standing up, hands joined, speaking in perfect unison. There is no escape, no matter how many times you ask. Ema thought they were pranking her at first, but no. They were seriously trying to, "open her soul to the Holy Mother". Whatever that meant.

Yes, Sahdmadhi had given her a room with the city's priestesses-in-training, most of which were teenagers. They'd all expressed their jealousy, when she said she had an eight hour session with the guy. They promised he would "exorcise the impurities of her soul" and "wash away her own shortcoming", and she should be honored he'd bless her so. Then they proceeded to giggle like schoolgirls and discuss the prosecutor in their native language. Probably laughing about how he would torture her.

And here she was, standing right outside his infamous prayer chamber. The door was ornately decorated, painted over in gold leaf of butterflies as they carried off the souls of those deceased. Below each mitamah was a set of three Khur'ainese symbols, different for each individual. Were they names, maybe? Of who?

Ema wasted time studying the decor, not wanting to go inside. She was still angry with him, and she wanted to cement her feelings before he blew them out like a candle.

Whatever religious torture he had ready for her, she would be ready. She would keep her wits about her, this time.

He wouldn't get the best of her.

Her hands shook as she knocked on the door, hitting the wood much harder than she meant to. The sound echoed down the empty hall.

"Prosecutor Sahdmadhi?"

Utter silence. She couldn't hear anything through the door.

Then the door slid open, seemingly on its own accord. Ema looked around as she stepped through, but she couldn't see anyone near the door.

The room inside was lovely, if a bit barren. There was an altar of the Holy Mother at the far end of the room, illuminated by the full moon shining through a window. Next to the altar on each side burned a single candle, the only sources of light to be found within the room. Their vague glow bounced of mirrors and metal alike, giving the room a large, open feel. It made her feel small, insignificant.

She looked around for Prosecutor Sahdmadhi, eyes landing in the center of the room where he sat, meditating. Strangely enough, his back was facing the altar, green eyes trained on her alone. When their gazes met, Ema felt frozen in place. It felt as though he could read her every thought, see every memory she'd ever stored away as if he were there, in her place. She could actively feel him combing through her head, passing over each memory as the water flows over rocks.

It was a strange feeling, to be sure. Half of her wanted to run, to flee the invasion of her consciousness. But the other just… relaxed. Like it was supposed to be comforting.

"Detective Skye."

"Prosecutor Sahdmadhi! I…" she closed her eyes, taking a breath to steel herself. She was mad at him. "Just start the sermon already. It's been a long day."

He smiled, in that slight, I-know-something-you-don't kind of way that always drove her nuts. Except when Mr. Edgeworth did it, of course. He was cool. Why hadn't she ever been assigned to one of his cases?

"Calm your tension, Detective. It is true I found disappointment in our trial today, but all was not without purpose. Now please," he gestured to the spot on the mat directly in front of him. "Sit."

Her feet moved before she could even think about it. Her feet fell beneath her on the hard floor covering, landing her mere inches from the prosecuting monk himself.

"Now, before we begin. I feel we have a need to make our intentions clear." His voice caressed her ears, slipping into her mind with little resistance. "I haven't called you here to express anger. I hold no resentment towards you, nor anyone on the side of the defense."

"Then why the heck am I here? Is this your way of apologizing, for trying to kill them?"

He sighed, shaking his head. "You know full well they would have never died. Your country would see the death of their citizens as an act of war. The powers that be in this country are... steadfast, to be sure, but never foolish."

"Then-"

"Enough, about the trial. It has left our grasp for now. Let it go, and move on."

"So why am I-"

"It is my desire to tend to you." his hands left the prayer position, long fingers combing through her hair. A single hand reached up, taking her pink glasses and undoing the top knot in her hair.

"What- hey!" she grabbed his hands, trying to ignore the heat that rushed to her cheeks. "What do you think you're doing?"

"When the fevers of stress cloud one's mind, their efforts risk constant error. I feel it is my duty, to clear your mind of shortcoming." Gently, his hands resumed their touch, cupping her face. She could feel his breathing. Was he trying to match hers?

Ema was so confused. Was he coming onto her? Was this allowed? Why wasn't she stopping this?

"I don't understand," she panted, lifting her hand to cover his. "What are you going to do to me?"

"The origin of this practice arises from the lands of India, but Khur'ain has long since adopted it. When one's soul becomes frayed by the trials of life, it is their duty to seek new depth. To find calm, within oneself. They must focus their attentions not on the fervor of body or mind, but on intensifying the sensation of a moment."

"I don't understand…" but it felt so nice. She felt her heart begin to race, even as he encouraged her pulse to slow.

She felt herself melting, and not for the first time. Her labcoat flew off into the space behind her, but she was no longer aware. She felt his hands wrap around her, pull her into his warm embrace. He was so soft.

"Sh… calm yourself, Ema. Slow your breathing. Feel the sensation well up, deep inside you. Let the warmth of your growing pleasure be all you see."

Well, someone's confident in their abilities. She thought, but didn't have time to linger on it. Not when she felt his touch all over her, stripping her.

She slowed her breathing, like he'd told her to. Her hands reached for his braid, tangling themselves in the pale threads that somehow felt better than his skin.

And he didn't even use products on himself. She'd asked him, that time they were on a plane for almost a day together. How did he look so good all the time?

And… ah… feel so good, too. His tongue entered her mouth, and she was hotwired with sensation on all sides. The roll of rosary beads traveled up her back, even as she felt her bra come undone. She whimpered, when she felt a finger slide down to her belt buckle.

She could feel Prosecutor Sahdmadhi's smile, as he released a low moan into her wet cavern. She wanted nothing more than to overtake him, to ravage that beautiful man once and for all.

But every time she tried to speed up the sex, he held firm, forcing her back down and stimulating her until she went limp in his arms. Her blood pooled in the pit of her stomach, even as every other muscle relaxed.

Ema would have said something, honest. Anything... maybe about how weird it was the guy's goddess was watching them make love before her very altar, if nothing else, but stuff just... stopped coming to mind after a while.

She wasn't gonna hide the fact that she'd had sex before. Not enough to make her a whore, maybe, but she'd been with plenty of guys before this one. And every time they'd been together, it always felt so… rushed. Heated. Like they had to get it out now or their feelings would disappear forever.

But now, she felt… calm. More content than she'd felt in a really, really long time. It was almost like she was in a dream, where everything was pleasant and she prayed to a force of magic that she'd never wake again.

His mouth was everywhere. His fingers were everywhere, though a couple seemed to have a special fondness for her clit. Then they were gone, and then he was there again... She couldn't keep track anymore.

"Oh holy… ah!" She couldn't hold it back anymore. She pulled out of his enveloping kiss and screamed, shaking as her body writhed in climax. It seemed to travel from her loins up through her toes to her head, sending stars and dizziness throughout her whole body. Even then, she did what she could to slow her pulse. It seemed to last forever.

She collapsed into him, vaguely noticing he was still mostly covered. "Sorry I… couldn't last… longer…"

"No need to feel shame for your eagerness, Ema. If anything, I find it flattering."

"You're… still clothed."

"Indeed. This sermon is centered around you. I am merely the deliverer of this holy message."

He sounded awfully pleased with herself. It really ought to upset her. But she felt so peaceful. Damn that orgasmic haze.

"You made me see God."

"Hm," his smile went wide at that. He may try to hide it, but she could feel a hardness poking through her clothes. See his eyes dilated, once hers were able to focus properly again. "That must please the Holy Mother greatly. Perhaps, through this night, you will see her a few times more?"

"Hold on…" she leaned forward, landing a peck on the side of his chin. Her fingers fumbled with his shirt, feeling useless.

"Are you trying to disrobe me?"

"We can go again, but only if you come with me. I'm sure you've got plenty of 'stress' as well, right?"

"You want to embark on this journey together?" he asked, eyes boring holes into her soul. She felt so safe, wrapped in his arms, her mind fully in his grasp. "I will accompany you."

Magic, indeed. Time seemed to pass without meaning as they were together, never moving faster than the sound of their shared breaths. She'd never felt so enveloped by another presence, but… it never felt threatening, to her. Or confusing, or rushed.

All she felt was peace.

A/N's: This the prompt I got on the kink meme. I may be cutting it close with the M/MA distinction, but this is a comfortable M on ao3, so I feel okay posting it here:

So right at the start, Ema speaks of Nahyuta as him being one of the nicest, kindest people she knows, though in court, he wastes no time getting to the insults. Hell, he supposedly "grew especially fond of [Ema]", as Edgeworth points out.

Given all that, and being a Khura'inese monk (and sexy AF), I imagine him being able his partner to earth shattering, long orgasms patiently, soothingly.

In case 3, he says something along the lines of an 8 hour sermon after the court. However, what he actually means by that is a long session of tantric sex, to clear her stress and mind from the shortcomings in court, and increase her work performance. Ema shows up expecting a mind numbing sermon, instead, Nahyuta takes her in an intimate journey.

For further reading on the practices used in this chapter, you can use the same link I did (remove spaces before use): :/ www . goodtoknow . co .uk /relationships/273020/tantric-sex

Also, if my use of SoJ characters hasn't clued you in yet, I'm finished with the game. And I NEED to talk about it SO BAD. Please PM me if you're done as well.

Oh, and one more thing: I'm posting the opening of AAI3's second episode either today or tomorrow. I want to have the rest written by (American) Thanksgiving Break, that way we can start Episode Three over the winter. Hope y'all are ready for a wild ride!

Thanks for reading, please review, PM me about SoJ if you wanna talk, and I'll see you on the far side!