For the nth time... Copying and pasting, because I can.

1. x

Gee, ya think? I'm an absolute sucker for this one! This is coming from someone whose computer crashed more than once when he was surfing through all 500+ Souryuu x Chihiro pictures he's got in a 20Mb folder. I've even gone so far as to add cosplay photos of these two in there, along with some... not-so-kid-friendly images. :/

I mean, it's pretty damn interesting to see how these two got along in GS3-4: Souryuu starts off as a cocky (Well, when has he ever NOT been cocky?) player obviously just wanting to get a shot of Chihiro's ass; yet for some reason, towards the end of the case, he becomes much more supportive. Now this baffles me to the point of replaying GS3 twice, trying to find out exactly how the hell these two became lovers... (My Japanese-comprehension skills are quite neophyte, so I didn't get everything during my first playthrough.) And I eventually turned into an absolute fanboy for this, thanks to a stray Yaminomi link I found.

In fact, I'm so damn hyped up about that ship that I even... er, "implemented" it into my own fic. :P

2. x

... I blame GS-CGP. A few months before GS4 came out, I was bored and decided to turn Odoroki and Akane into a messed-up romantic comedy pair for the PW Funnies thread. Yeah, it kinda got out of hand, and the pairing eventually grew on me. I was lucky enough to see at least one piece of fanart showcasing these two. No 20Mb folder yet.

Then again, having played through GS4, I still think this has a possibility of happening, despite some... flaws with the two's relationship. Unfortunately, I can't explain why because Croik said so and if I put spoilers in here I'll be sent to the internet fandom guillotine. :/

3. x

Again, I blame GS-CGP.

My reason for supporting this after my GS4 playthrough? Can't post it, unfortunately. Internet fandom guillotine, you know. -.-

4. x

You can't argue with CFTF on this one. Turn to his rant because that's pretty much taken the words right outta my mouth.

Others, in no particular order:

x
x
x
x

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Big big big Nr.1: / ♥

And the rest, in no order...

/
/
/ (yeah, shoot me.)
/ A match made in hell. Both plain stupid. >_<
/ Incest?! Who cares?

wow. how original.

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GJEIWAOGPJOEWPA CFTF I LOVE YOU @_@

...I need to write a proper pairing rant one of these days. As soon as I can think of a pairing of mine I could actually write a rant for >>; *cough*mostofmypairingsarecrack*cough*

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Thread invasion time!

I can't prioritize my list, since I love all my loves. So here we go ~

/ (THIS COMES FIRST, ALWAYS D:)
/ I admit I have to fanon-ize it a lot. BUT IT'S SO KUOT.
/ ...I honestly can't see them getting very serious, so they're my cute pairing.
/ I AM 100% SERIOUS ABOUT THIS ONE
Haven't played AA, but I can't find any obvious Urbish-smelling pairings. Maybe when I play it...
However, TAT screams at me to support
/
/ (Which I kinda do because their fanart is so sizzlin')

And for GS4 I kinda have / ...but I read somewhere that there's a reason why that pairing doesn't work...
So I ship it very, very carefully and hope that...either I find something that makes more sense or it turns out it's okay.

Yeah OK. I saved my essay-thing from the last board. Thank God. xD So i'll re-post it. =3

Okay. -takes deep breath- It’s time for...

The x = <3 essay :D

CONTAINS AA CASE 4 AND JFA SPOILERS <— Spoiler tags annoy me. If you don’t read this it’s not my problem if I spoil you. xP

Past (in a nutshell)

In my opinion, I found it really interesting that Maya and Edgeworth’s pasts both tie into DL-6.

Edgy was a happy little boy before DL-6, trying to follow in his father’s footsteps and become a defense attorney. But all of a sudden, his father, the person that he truly respected and cared about, was taken away from him. Then his life changed completely when Manfred von Karma adopted him. He was taken to a new country, got a new stepsister, and abandoned his goal to become a defense attorney. My speculation on the situation is that everything happened to him so fast that Edgeworth didn’t have time to cry and grieve. (Especially not in the ‘house of perfection,’ I’d imagine that chibi Edgy would get yelled at for crying.) So he lived his daily life feeling cold, sad, and abandoned inside and hid it with his smug, serious, and almost snobbish exterior. (Which we get to see through in case 4 of AA, and he becomes less ‘snobby’ in JFA.)

Let’s take a look at Maya, now. Her mother Misty Fey was supposed to make contact with the spirit of Gregory Edgeworth since the police were desperate for a lead. The channeling itself was successful — but Gregory, thinking that his son Miles had accidently shot and killed him, lied and said that Yanni Yogi was the real murderer. But Yogi was declared innocent, Redd White leaked to the press that the police used a medium, and Misty Fey having “tarnished the Fey name” left the public eye for 15 years. Mia left to become a defense attorney and find out the truth about what had happed to their mother. Now, I didn’t play GS3 yet (I don’t mind spoilers) so I don’t know anything about Maya’s past besides what was mentioned in AA and JFA, but in Turnabout Sisters Maya said that she is “finally used to having her own place” so it’s implied that she has been alone for a while. Aside from Mia and until she met Phoenix, I don’t think she was close to anyone. She says to Phoenix in the detention center that “I had to become independent or I would lose my ESP.” Now, I really dislike Maya, but I actually felt bad for her in that scene. Sure, she may not be the most serious person, but she had to “grow up” in the sense that she had to take care of herself and live on her own.

So, Edgeworth can turn to Maya and discuss things about his past that he wouldn’t talk about to just anyone (as in feelings, experiences, etc) because he knows that she will understand him, not just be like “It’s OK, it’s all over now.” and not have a clue what he actually went through. Maya can comfort him because she knows that some feelings of abandonment don’t go away, and she can actually say “I know how hard this is for you” and mean it. The same goes for Maya when she’s feeling down about how ‘useless’ she is (1010 will hold back her comments on this issue for the sake of the essay), Edgeworth can support her because he understands her and he understands the pain she’s been in. (Yes, I think that Maya has been in a lot of pain despite the way she acts. Her and Edgeworth just handle emotions very differently.)

Present (in a slightly larger nutshell)

Mmkay. At the start of AA, Maya probably thought Edgeworth was an asshole, which is a perfectly logical conclusion. Edgeworth probably didn’t care about her. But in case 4, I think they started to actually see something in one another. Maya believed in Edgeworth when he said he didn’t kill Richard Hammond, and Edgeworth believed in Phoenix and Maya to defend him in court. Well, in all fairness, Edgeworth probably mostly believed in Phoenix, but Maya is still a part of the defense. And, hey, all relationships start with trust.

It is also true that Edgeworth was touched by some of the things that Maya did. If Maya hadn’t thrown out that ‘OBJECTION’ (One of the only useful things she does for you... -cough-) you would have lost the case and Edgeworth would be found guilty for murder. Maya got herself thrown into jail for the sake of saving Edgeworth. And maybe it didn’t seem like such a big deal to her at the time, helping someone in need, but Edgeworth was really touched. I think it’s because of the fact that since he never really had someone close to him, he’s not used to people doing such nice things and taking huge risks for him. And as Gumshoe described, Edgeworth was “so moved that his lip was trembling.” And he isn’t very good at ‘small talk.’ He strikes me as an ‘actions speak louder than words person.’ That’s why instead of just thanking Maya, he paid her bail money. Even though he never said thank you, his actions showed how he felt. I was about to cry from the sweetness ^___^ That is part of what makes this relationship so damn cute — Maya’s carefree nature and willingness to do anything for someone she cares about, and Edgeworth’s serious, more calculated nature that isn’t used to people being nice to him without a reason. Think about how sweet that would be. A happy, bubbly Maya, doing things and giving little gifts to Edgeworth and trying to make him smile, and a flustered Edgeworth who isn’t quite sure how to respond to Maya’s acts of kindness.

Another scene to focus on is the end of the trial. Edgeworth isn’t sure how to thank Phoenix for defending him, so Maya helps him out. Heck, she even gets him to scream “Woooooooo ”
But he’s not the most enthusiastic person in the world so he apologizes for not being very good at the whole “thank you” thing. The way I interpreted this scene was that, maybe, Edgeworth was trying to change his personality a bit, maybe even using Maya as a model. Why? Because a heavy weight had just been lifted off his shoulders. He was innocent of murder, he didn’t shoot his father, and he could now sleep in peace without experiencing the same nightmare over and over. He was happy — but Edgeworth may not be very good at dealing with emotions, so he didn’t know how to express his happiness. So he followed Maya’s guidance because of the trust factor that they share. I mean, come on — if just anyone was like “Hey, Edgeworth, you shoul scream “Woooooo ” at the top of youe lungs ” do you think he’s listen? Hell no. But he listened to Maya. So, even though “Woooooo-ing” doesn’t work for him, I think it shows that he trusts in her.

Justice for All made my heart smile. (YES, MY HEART CAN SMILE ) What did Edgeworth do the second Phoenix told him about the situation with Maya? He put together a rescue team. He didn’t ask meaning questions like “OMG WHERE IS SHE? IS SHE OK? WHERE DID U SEE HER LAST? etc.” Remember the ‘actions speak louder than words’ thing? He didn’t say “I’m worried about Maya.” By putting together a search team, you know that he’s worried about her. Heck, he helps Phoenix break down a door just to get to her, and is obviously upset when you find out she’s gone already. Also, Maya makes a huge change on Edgeworth’s personality. He hates crime and criminals with a passion. He knows very well that Engarde is guilty. Yet he still works with Phoenix to prolong the trial until Maya is safe. Why? Because he cares about her and is willing to go against everything he’s been “all about,” so to speak, up to this point to save Maya.


Closing Thoughts

This is purely speculation, but I can see something like this happening. Now, Gregory Edgeworth lied to the police when Misty Fey channeled his spirit because he thought that Miles had shot him, correct? Not just because he didn’t know? If that’s true, I think one of the nicest things Maya could do for Edgeworth is to channel the spirit of his father so they can have a “father-son chat”, which I’m sure Edgeworth has desperately missed, and Gregory’s spirit can truly rest in peace because he now knows who really killed him and that his son is innocent. (He was unconscious when von Karma shot him so he never learned the truth)

Anyways, I hope I haven’t bored you too much. Maybe I’ve inspired some of you to give the Edgeworth x Maya pairing a try? ^^; It’s not a very common pairing, but if you look hard enough you can find some stuff on fanfiction.net.

I’m not saying this couple is better than any other pairing, you have to support this couple, I hate your couples, etc. I’m just writing this so maybe people can understand why I really think this relationship can work out and why I think it’s so damn sweet. It’s also OK if you think that Maya and Edgeworth just have the potential to be good friends, because that could be true. I just think that it has the potential to go beyond ‘just friends.’

Feel free to post any opinions, if I missed something, corrections, etc. I like constructive criticism, not flames.

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Okay, this is the last semi-spam "OMFGILOVEDURESSAY" post for me, honest >>; But "OMFGILOVEDURESSAY" EdgeworthxMaya is cuteness like woah. Not my type of thing, but still cuteness like woah.
AND NOW I'M WONDERING HOW PEARLS WOULD REACT TO THAT.

I'm debating writing an EdgeworthxLana rant >>;

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/

...

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Nah, jk. There's only one pairing that's my favourite and that is...

/ !

/ . Forever.

/ Wins my heart. The Airport scene kinda sealed it for me, I suppose. Heck, he might have been the only boy around her when she was growing up. *Raised by Von Karma, that's a possibility* Plus, he's the only who doesn't get whipped, I think. Perhaps I missed it.

/ Gumshoe obviously likes her, and, heck, He deserves a little bit of sympathy and love, for all the work he does, associating with Defense Lawyers. Although, for a while, I though Gumshoe had a thing for Edgeworth....

/ ...Oddly, I find no qualms with that. *Ties self to a treee* You may proceed to agree with me or shoot me with flaming arrows.

/ The two of them have a joined cause, and both may very well be on they're way to a nice relationship. It just appeals to me!

/ :Niel: Poor, Poor Neil...and Lana...

/ ...Nevermind, I never said anything. Just forget it.

/ ...Hey, maybe they're in the same max security prison together!

/ :penny: ...Well, she seems to like him, and, well, he seems like the type who would want a quiet woman...Heck, its a beauty and the Beast Story, right there! She's got the ...well, she isn't that beautiful, but she's kinda cute, and he's got the hair!

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Last edited by Mr. Manectric on Fri May 04, 2007 11:49 pm, edited 1 time in total.

Mr. Manectric, could we please leave the pairbashing for the "least favorite pairing" thread?

Besides, seeing people's squee over pairings does more to make me flirt with other possibilities than frothing at the mouth angrily. Try building up a better case for / instead. 1010 made a nice case for / , a pairing that would be on the top of my "least favorite" list if it weren't for Gregory/Manfred (which does give me great lulz, however). So let's quit with the bashing. It makes your side look bad.

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/

Yeah, I'm weird. XD

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Question:
I've noticed several people shipping LanaxNeil. I think that pairing sounds really cute to me, not to mention sexy, so to the people who ship it, I was wondering what pointed you to that pairing? Not that every pairing needs justification, I'm just curious because it sounds like a pairing I might like.

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I, like most fangirls, am a huge fan of / Yay! ^_^
And I'm really hoping that / will work. Because I know I'll like it.

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The first time I played through 1-5, I...assumed it was canon for some strange reason. Perhaps it's because I'm morbid and find the idea of Lana having to desecrate the body of the man she loved to save her sister horrible in a really powerful way?

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That might have been part of it for me, too. It really just started to grow on me. I found the reasons I liked it after I decided it was my OTP. It really just came across as interesting to me at first. It could've also contributed to a lot of things. What Lana lost in SL-9, hatred for Gant, etc.

Thanks. I try. EdgeyMaya is ABSOLUTE CUTENESS.
Pearls would probably be sad at first and be like 'ZOMGNUUUNICKANDMYSTICMAYAARETOGETHERRRRRRRRRR' but she'd probably get over it and move on to embarassing Maya and Edgey in public.
And please, write an EdgeyLana rant. Sounds like an interesting couple.



Really? When I played it I thought that Ema x Neil was cannon because of the way he protected her and how she talked about Neil. And Fanfare got me into shipping Jake and Lana. ^^;

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*pumps fist in the air*

I dabble in some Neil/Lana. In some of my Jake/Lana musings I figured Lana might have had a past relationship with Neil before he died. Which would cause conflict for both Jake AND Lana if they started dating after Rise from the Ashes. What?! Date my brother's girlfriend?! ANGST.

But then I replayed it and remembered that Ema dropped a giant bomb about Jake and Last possibly going out before Neil's death.

Neil/Lana's cute and angsty anyway. So is Jake/Lana, but yeah. DX

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OKAY. EDGEYXLANA RANT TIME.
..And I don't even KNOW why. It's not like it's my OTP or anything >>; I...think...
*cough*RAMBLING ASIDE, ~SPOILER WARNINGS FOR CASES 1-4 AND 1-5 AS WELL AS JFA~
First of all, as always, this is merely my opinion and I don't mind if you disagree with it. Also, although this is not baseless conjecture, a lot of it is conjecture nonetheless. There's also the problem with him prosecuting her in case 5, but from the sounds of it he was sort of forced into the position. Also, based on his stance in that case that the most important job of a lawyer was to find the truth, there's the possibility that he simply did not trust any other prosecutor with the case and wanted to find out the truth for himself. He also seemed to be feeling a little betrayed by her actions, so that would be another reason for him to want to personally figure out what had really happened.

In-game Interactions
The first scene that made me think of this pairing was when you first went to Edgeworth's office in case 5 and he was telling you about the case. I believe the scene went something like this: (paraphrasing on Ema's quote)
Until now, I'd always thought she was looking out for me. It appears I was mistaken.
Don't say that! I mean, I know she's not the warmest person...But I'm sure she felt some responsibility for you!
Then...why? Why did you she stab someone in the back of my car? Not only that...she stabbed him with my knife.

Now, the inital impression I got from this part, especially with all the previous comparisons of Lana and Mia, that Edgeworth was upset because he viewed Lana as a sort of mentor the way Mia was to Phoenix (which is just conjecture, but not entirely baseless, I think), that he just respected her (presumably) great talent and intelligence. But then when I thought about it more, the way he worded it was sort of strange for him. First of all, considering him you'd expect him to be emphasising the fact that someone he respected commited the crime of murder, especially since he has such a passionate hatred of crime. But he didn't say something along the lines of "I thought she was a good person, but it appears I was wrong." "...then why? Why did she kill someone?" Instead, the way he phrased it seemed more along the lines of "I thought she liked me, but she was framing me for murder." You can say that's reading into things a bit much, but either way it's undeniable that he was hurt that she would try to frame him for the crime.

Also, the phrasing of this statement (yes, I CAN write multiple paragraphs of a pairing rant based on TWO sentences of dialogue, I'm insane that way) gave me the idea that he not only respected her as a prosecutor, but respected her as a person as well. The reason being that in case 1-4 when Manfred, who, like Lana, was somebody he looked up to due to their talent and superior position, was trying to find him guilty of murder, he viewed it from his normal professional, detached standpoint. He didn't show any emotion about the fact that somebody he deeply respected was trying to hurt him personally. However, with Lana, this was not the case. Instead, he openly showed his hurt at her betrayal. Now, emotions are tricky things for him, and he normally only tries to express them when it involves someone close to him, otherwise he generally stays detached. Long story short, his showing emotion at her actions made me think he liked her not only professionally, but personally, too. (woahthereI'mramblywhat).

The second scene I noticed was at the very end of the case, when she was thanking him and Phoenix. Hmm...I don't remember the exact dialogue, but I think it was something along the lines of

You've suffered just as much as I have the last few days. Believe me, I know how much of an ordeal it's been to you. I thought you would crack under the weight of it all. Yet you've stayed strong and managed to guide Mr. Wright to victory. You've done well.
! Stop, please! I was only doing my job...

Okay, first, what I got out of that from Lana's side:
The way she thanked Edgeworth was, as far as I can remember, distinctly different from the way she thanked Phoenix. When she was thanking Phoenix, she basically said how grateful she was to him for basically saving her life as well as Ema's. But when she was thanking Edgeworth, she included more about him personally during that time. It's obvious she understands what he's been going through and it's obvious she cares about him in at least a mentor sort of way.
From Edgeworth's side, though his reaction was brief I thought it was particularly interesting, and here's why: Before that scene, there were two main situations that caused him to act flustered: Social situations ("WHOOOOOOP! ...Erm, I'm really not good at this sort of thing..."), and when he was angry or annoyed (like when his witnesses weren't cooperating--Angel, Redd, and Oldbag, for instance). This was one of the first times I noticed him being flustered due to being shown affection.

Third and last scene:
At the very end, when Edgeworth was angsting and wanting to give up, and Lana was encouraging him. ......I REALLY don't remember the dialogue for this though, since it was longer than the others posted.

For me, this scene showed me one thing very clearly: Lana is absolutely PERFECT at dealing with Edgeworth. First, at the very beginning of this scene, when he was being all "SOCIALSITUATIONNOD=*HIDES*" and she was like "GET OVER HERE NAO D<" it was very clear to me that she has no intention of coddling him--and that's a good thing, because at the same time that he's absolutely wonderful he's also very flawed and needs someone who's willing to tell him that.
But at the same time, she's also very compassionate with him, too, which is important considering his personality and everything he's been through. She understands him, and she understands how to get through to him. In this scene, she knew exactly why he was hurting, and she knew exactly what to tell him. (granted, he still left after that game anyway, but considering everything he's been through it's not like he's going to change his mind through one conversation--besides, he needed some time to get away and heal). One example of this is when he's talking about how he's afraid he might actually commit a crime, and he can't continue on because the possibility scares him. Lana immediately knows that, although he only mentions Gant, he's also thinking about von Karma too, and she also knows what the difference between Edgeworth and von Karma is so that she can reassure him of it.

Personality

I think that their characters complement each other perfectly, and I already talked about this above so I'll try to keep it brief, but I think having a compassionate yet honest person like Lana around is really good for Edgeworth, and I also think they have very similar personalities and intelligent levels so not many misunderstandings would arise between them. Based on them as characters, I can see this as developing as a very healthy relationship, with not many faults. She also seems to be much better at conveying her emotion and at her people skills than him, so she can help him with that.

One of the only flaws I see in this relationship is it's lopsidedness. Almost all of my points so far have been pertaining to Edgeworth. She would no doubt be very beneficial to him, but as she has no major faults (after she warms up because she's free of the blackmailing, I mean) there's not much for him to help her with. However, as he is a very intelligent and good person, I don't think it's out of the question for her to have affection for him, and I think it would still be somewhat of a healthy relationship.

Possibility

The possibility of this pairing existing basically lies between SL-9 to when she is arrested, and then again after she gets out of jail. Now, we have no idea what Lana has been up to after she was released. We also don't know exactly how much jailtime she got. Also, there's the gap of time where he was "dead," and since I haven't played GS3 there may be other gaps of time I'm not knowing about. Also, from what Ema said I'm fairly convinced that somewhere in there Lana was together with Jake, however I think they broke up either during or before SL-9 so that wouldn't interfere too much.

While she was working as the Chief Prosecutor especially, they had similar positions in financial and social standing as well as job, and they were of the opposite sex, so there would not have been many barriers socially for them to overcome were they to be a couple. She WAS five years older than him, but I don't think that was a large gap or a big deal.

In Summary...

I believe a relationship between Edgeworth and Lana would be possible timewise and socially, as well as personality-wise. The SL-9 connection is interesting, and considering their characters I believe a relationship between them would be healthy and not filled with too many problems. I also believe it would be very cute based on a few scenes in the game.

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Last edited by SilverZephyr on Thu May 17, 2007 12:05 am, edited 2 times in total.

That's one long essay... o_o convincing, but I'm sticking with canons and my personal favorites.

New favorite (I'm half serious.)
:D Pesu/ ! You know they're perfect for each other!

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AWWW.

They'll have puppies Edgeworth will be like "EEEEEEEEEPUPPIES".

*bricked*

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Yes, well, I have too much time on my hands >>;
And like I said, everyone is of course entitled to their own opinions on pairings ^^ It's all for fun and all that.

AND OMFG SOMEBODY BESIDES ME SHIPS PESUXMISSILE *SPAZGASM*
It would be totally cute if while Gummy was having his mancrush on Edgeworth, Gummy's puppy was fanboying over Edgey's puppy XD <3 And Pesu would be like "YOUARESUCHANUNSOPHISTICATEDDOG, DON'T YOU /EVER/ GET YOUR FUR GROOMED YOU LOOK LIKE A RAT'S NEST AND /WHY/ AREN'T YOU WEARING A CRAVAT?!" ...Wait...I just made Pesu sound like Oldbag...Creepy thought o.0
And of course, Edgeworth would be squeeing over the puppies. Because. Um. He's secretly cute that way >>

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x My number one OTP

Also
x They're not real brother and sister, so it could be more of a best friends, grow up and see more in each other kinda thing going on.

x Dude, he clearly has a crush on her. I'm not saying she may like him back, but it's still a possiblity. It's more a fluffy love I'm seeing :3

x Well...duh.

x Do I even have to explain?

x DON'T YOU GUYS KNOW THIS IS SO TOTALLY CANON? D<

Erm yeah...in case you couldn't tell, I'm a total het fan XD;
Though I don't mind x once in a while....

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Not being biologically related doesn't mean that they aren't brother and sister. Maybe less so on Edgey's end since he met her when he was 9, but... Fran was *2* when Edgey came to live with them. She's grown up with him. Are you saying that if I were adopted, my family would cease to be my family?

That's just why it still screams emotional incest to me.

But this is a post for the least favorite pairings thread, so... :P

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Guess I'd better call up my brother and inform him we aren't real siblings, we're just like close friends who grew up together!

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Er, I don't think LySs was trying to deny their close sibling bond or anything like that. For me, personally, the only problem I have with incest is when it's blood het--i.e. they can have children with birth defects. It's just not something that squicks me personally, which is why I can like that pairing. It's not that I deny that they consider each other siblings, it's just that it's not something that bothers me.

Of course, everyone is entitled to their own opinions and I'm certainly not trying to bash you for not liking incest, just presenting my point of view ^^;

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It's not that anyone likes Fran/Miles or doesn't have a problem with incest. That's fine.

But they're brother and sister. They see each other as brother and sister. Not as "best friends who grew up together". And if, as you said, you really like them as a ship while taking that into account, that's fantastic. But there's no reason to try to somehow neutralize that they're siblings to make it so it's "not incest".

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Ah, I see what you're saying now. Not minding incest is one thing, but denying that they view each other as siblings is another, correct? In which case, I agree with you entirely.

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It seems that SilverZephyr has sold me on / . (Not to the point where it displaces my lurv for Big Gay Lawyers, but anyway).

And now curse you, I must write smut for it.

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...IF YOU DO WRITE SMUT FOR IT, SHARE IT PLSKTHNX @_@

Ah, really glad I managed to convince somebody =D

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When I do, it'll probably end up linked @ the lj igiari community...

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A little late, but in Case 5 didn't they say that Jake/Lana were almost an item, until...the unfortunate happened, and Lana went cold and Jake went drunk?

Or was it really Neil/Lana? I should go ask Silverwind~~

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Jake/Lana was more strongly implied than Neil/Lana. (Even I can admit it! ::sob:: )

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I believe they did hint Lana/Jake because I remember the part where Ema asks Jake why he wasn't as friendly as he used to be back when he and Lana were close. That, and Ema was always so worried about Jake being one of Angel's (many many) boyfriends.

Yeah, JakexLana was more heavily hinted, especially in this scene:
*says something I don't remember about Lana being the murderer*
Mr. Marshall...How can you say that?! You and Lana, you were--
! ................
Sorry Bambina, something must have got to me for a moment.
Huh? Is there something between Jake and her sister that I don't know about?
And then later:
Ms. Starr...You and Mr. Marshall...are you...going out?
...Why do you want to know?
I just wanted to know what happened to him? He used to be so nice. He got along with my sister so well, it made me jealous.
(am I detecting a bit of Ema->Jake...?)

Actually, wasn't there an AngelxJake scene too? Wasn't there a part where Angel was talking to one of her "boyfriends" and Jake was there, and Angel said to Phoenix "Didn't I tell you? I have three boyfriends in criminal affairs." It wasn't really STATED that Jake was the boyfriend in that scene, but it was implied, wasn't it?

Gah. Case 5 has by far the most confusing web of semi-canon pairings ><;

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I agree. It WAS confusing. x__x

But... I don't remember seeing any Lana/Neil hints. I probably forgot if there were. oo; Could someone remind me?

On JakexAngel: This couple was implied a lot. What struck me as odd though is when she said she and Jake were "merely cooperating". If they were (or had been) dating, I see no reason for her to lie about it. I'm confused. >_>;

On JakexLana: The most interesting in my eyes. If they HAD been dating, their split would have been because of the whole SL-9 mess. After Phoenix cleared it up, I think it's possible they could get back together. I always thought them getting back together might be a bit rough. But in the end Jake said that Phoenix "gave bambina her smile back" (not exact, but whatever). It seemed like he was relieved that Lana was "back". So getting back together might not be so hard. I'm not sure if he was talking about Ema or Lana. Probably Lana.


...

Jake's just a pimp.

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This post contains spoilers for all three games

All right, I promised (threatened?) some people I would do this, so here it goes. My justification for liking Phoenix and Edgeworth as a couple. Please keep in mind that I am not trying to say that Phoenix and Edgeworth are officially a couple within in the game. They’re not. But I love them anyway~

PHOENIX:

Let’s start off with friendship. I notice a lot of people who don’t seem to understand the appeal of the couple say Phoenix and Edgeworth are “just friends”. Yes, friendship is a huge facet of their relationship. My issue is with the “just”.

Friendship is important to Phoenix. Take, for example, Larry. When Larry gets in a jam in 1-1, Phoenix is there for him without question. Even though he knows Larry is a spaz, and that he probably won’t even get paid for his efforts, Phoenix wouldn’t even dream of NOT defending him. Even if the situation was of Larry’s own making, it’s hard to imagine that Phoenix would ever abandon him. So it’s only natural he do the same for Edgeworth, right? Of course.

But…there is one large difference between Larry and Edgeworth. Phoenix has known Larry his entire life. How long did he know Edgeworth? A year. And, of that year, they were only really close friends for a portion of it. Yet in that single year, Edgeworth had enough impact on him that Phoenix was willing to change his entire chosen profession and enter the world of law…to save him. For someone he hadn’t even seen since he was NINE YEARS OLD.

Now, how many of us can say we would do the same for someone under similar circumstances? How many of us would change our majors in college because someone we’d only known for a year back in grade school had bad RUMORS about them printed in the paper? How can that be “just” friendship? Friendship is doing everything you can to help someone, but it doesn’t include making radically life altering decisions based on them.

Phoenix trying to get into contact with Edgeworth after hearing the rumors is natural. That is something a friend would do for another friend, even someone estranged from us. But changing majors? Deciding that you will save them from themselves? That’s above and beyond the call of “just friendship”. That’s not to say it’s romantic love, but trying to say it’s something “anyone would do for a friend” doesn’t cut it.

And that’s not all. It becomes even more amazing when you take Phoenix’s personality into consideration. Phoenix practically embodies the law of inertia. He takes maybe four cases a year on average. Of these cases, disregarding the ones not directly involved with his friends, there has been only one he’s taken of his own accord without Maya or outside forces pressing him to do so. (3-2) In other words, Phoenix isn’t exactly a go getter until you’ve actually gotten him moving.

So this guy, who has to be pressured into taking jobs, deliberately changed the entire course of his life to save Edgeworth.

Think about how huge that is.

No one was prompting him to save Edgeworth. No one told him that he should become a lawyer to save Edgeworth. No one told him Edgeworth needed his help. Phoenix SAW all those things based on a few articles in the news and reacted according, of his own volition. Edgeworth wasn’t even in mortal danger.

At the end of 3-1 he still makes it a point to tell Mia that he’s going to become a lawyer to save a friend. You would think that he would be too torn up by what happened to him, but even then Edgeworth is still on his mind. His focal point. His goal.

Phoenix can be surprisingly selfish when it comes to Edgeworth. “I'm the only one who knows the real Edgeworth.” Who is he talking to there? Well, one of them is Larry, the other boy that knew Edgeworth for the exact same amount of time that Phoenix did. Yet Phoenix is asserting that HE has a special bond with Edgeworth, that only Phoenix can understand Edgeworth’s pain. Phoenix has a special worth to Edgeworth that no one else has.

His faith in Edgeworth is such that he refuses to believe that Edgeworth could possibly kill someone even on accident. Even when that’s what the evidence points to, Phoenix holds firm. Going so far as to yell at Maya and Grossberg that he believes in Edgeworth no matter what, even at the cost of all common sense.

In the second game, after Edgeworth vanishes, Phoenix undergoes a subtle, but strong change. It’s most obvious when Maya mentions Edgeworth’s name and Phoenix snaps at her—even when she’s facing the death penalty! But it also pervades the way he thinks about things. Phoenix has nightmares about going into court. He dismisses all prosecutors as being hateful and selfish. He has flashbacks to Edgeworth and has to violently pull himself away from thinking about him.

Here’s the thing I think a lot of people miss. Phoenix knows, at this point, that Edgeworth isn’t dead. He isn’t reacting this way out of pain from a friend dying, his reaction stems from bitterness at feeling personally betrayed. He would rather think of Edgeworth as dead, THAT’S how strong his bitterness is. It’s a very personal reaction. In 3-3, we get a glimpse of how strongly Phoenix feels about betrayal, as well he should considering his past. But even his reaction there is subdued compared to the way he reacts to Edgeworth’s name in GS2. (Which does make sense, Edgeworth’s “betrayal” is more recent, but it’s still food for thought.)

Also, keep in mind GS2 took place over the course of a year. Yet his bitterness wasn’t fading with time, it was growing stronger. Another interesting bit that people seem to miss? Phoenix is deliberately paralleled with Franziska, by Acro. The game goes out of its way to say both of them are similar. What is Franziska’s focal point, what is her driving force in this game? It’s Miles Edgeworth.

And when Edgeworth returns, that bitterness comes flowing out with a vengeance. Phoenix can’t even set aside his pain even though Edgeworth is trying to help find Maya. He lashes out at him whenever they meet. He’s wary. He’s been hurt. He says as much at the end of the trial, that Edgeworth’s vanishing felt like a personal betrayal.

But they worked through it, and came out the stronger for it.

The Phoenix/Edgeworth relationship is complicated. Phoenix knows where he stands with Maya, he has defined her place in his life. That definition is “the person closest to me”, which is incredibly touching and sweet. It’s painfully obvious that he loves her so much. But with Edgeworth…words aren’t enough. He CAN’T describe his relationship to Edgeworth with words alone. It’s too complex. Not all of it is good, not all of it is perfect, but it’s huge and complex and it defies simple description.


EDGEWORTH:

If Phoenix had never shown up, it’s not as though Edgeworth would have died. He would have turned into von Karma, twisted, bitter, and hateful. Phoenix might not have saved his life, but he saved him from becoming a monster. And for a long time, Edgeworth couldn’t forgive him for even reappearing in his life.

Phoenix drove Edgeworth to distraction in the first game. It’s obvious that Edgeworth still had “unnecessary feelings” concerning Phoenix, even as far back as 1-2, when he felt obligated to warn him about what he was up against. In 1-3, he couldn’t stop himself from helping Phoenix, even at the cost of his win. Phoenix was a reminder of what Edgeworth used to be, and he couldn’t help but respond to that. And it drove him crazy. Gumshoe tells us as much. Walking around muttering “Wright, Wright, Wright”? Not exactly a confirmation of love, but it certainly shows Phoenix was on his mind. :p

Then, in 1-4, Edgeworth was brought the lowest he’s ever been. Accused of murder, without anyone willing to defend him. And then there is Phoenix Wright sitting across from him, chomping at the bit to “rescue” him. I believe Edgeworth pushing Phoenix away in this case was because he really didn’t want Phoenix to know how he had become what he did. Phoenix…made Edgeworth ashamed.

After all, it was Phoenix especially that he didn’t want defending him. It was Phoenix especially that he wanted to keep away from DL-6. He even admits later on that when he was being rude to Phoenix, he didn’t really mean it. He just wanted him to stay away no matter what.

But Phoenix unearthing these “feelings” had dramatic consequences for Edgeworth. By not being able to hide from his past any more, he found the strength to face up to what he thought had happened—it just turned out to be horrifically wrong. And Phoenix saved him and found out what really happened. It was hard for Edgeworth to deal with, especially in the next case, when he was confronted with what he could easily become if Phoenix hadn’t been there, if Phoenix had given up from all the times Edgeworth pushed him away.

It wasn’t fair to leave the way he did. I think Edgeworth realizes that in GS2 when he comes back. He accepts Phoenix’s bitterness and anger as his due. He even tells Phoenix that he doesn’t hate him. Edgeworth went on a soul-searching journey, and for most people it might be enough to find the answer for themselves.

But Edgeworth doesn’t feel that way. He comes back to share his answer even though he knows Phoenix will be angry. He knows that Phoenix has a RIGHT to be angry, but what’s more important is that he knows that Phoenix is also falling into a trap somewhat similar to the one he was in a year ago. It’s not enough to want to save people—even though Edgeworth was saved by Phoenix. What’s really important is being able to search for and face the truth. And to do that, you need two people willing to struggle for it.

That person, to Miles Edgeworth, is Phoenix Wright.

And, even though 1-5 planted the seed, GS2 is what allowed their partnership to bloom. 2-4 has Phoenix coming to the slow but sure realization that even though he felt betrayed by what Edgeworth did, he still trusts him. He trusts him with Maya’s life. He trusts that together, they can somehow find a way to put Matt behind bars, save Adrian, and rescue Maya, even with impossible odds.

I love how at the end of 2-4, Phoenix automatically knows what Edgeworth needs when he’s going to go off and talk to Franziska. He even knows where Edgeworth going. Neither of them had to say a single word. Between these two, words are often awkward, but sometimes they have these amazing moments where their awareness transcends the need for words at all. And they still understand.

In terms of how much Phoenix means to Edgeworth, you can’t go without mentioning 3-5. I’m sure many of you heard that Edgeworth chartered a jet to go help Phoenix, but that’s really just the tip of the iceberg. Edgeworth isn’t exactly thrilled to be back in town, especially considering the circumstances. He has mixed feelings about pretending to be a defense attorney, for quite a few reasons.

But one thing he NEVER wavers on is that he is there for Phoenix. When he talks about how Phoenix is suffering to Ayame, you can tell that he wants to ease Phoenix’s pain, even if it means telling Ayame outright that she WILL tell Phoenix what’s going on or he won’t take her case. And when he talks about how he knows Phoenix is the last person that she wanted to know her secret, I believe there is a tinge of recognition. How could there not be? It was only two years earlier that he was sitting in jail, trying to protect his own “dirty” past from the only person who, for some unfathomable reason, still wanted to help him.

He’s been in that situation.

And when he is in court, facing his sister, he draws on what he knows of Phoenix to keep him going. When Fran tells him he looks like Phoenix Wright when he’s cornered, and Edgeworth thinks to himself that it’s because he IS Phoenix Wright when he’s cornered…he knows Phoenix. He knows when he’s hurting, even if Phoenix refuses to tell him why. He knows that the badge Phoenix gave him is a symbol of the trust Phoenix is putting in him, and he won’t let that trust down.

Even though he can’t seem to stop himself from prying into what’s going on between Phoenix and Ayame, and he seems to be bitter when Phoenix won’t talk to him about Chinami, he still works towards what he thinks will allow Phoenix to free himself from whatever is causing him pain.

There is no one like Phoenix Wright for Miles Edgeworth. Phoenix is irreplaceable.


TOGETHER:

You know, I’ve talked about these two at length, so I’ll try to keep this short. I’d just like you to think back to a few moments.

Let’s think back to what happened after Edgeworth confessed in 1-4. Even Gumshoe was forced to admit that Edgeworth must be guilty! After all, he’d admitted it himself, right? Phoenix wouldn’t listen. When not even Edgeworth himself could believe any more, Phoenix still had unwavering faith.

Let’s think back to 2-4, when Phoenix was put in the position of throwing everything he believed in aside for the sake of Maya. Who was there standing across from him? Who was the one that made Phoenix believe that everything would be all right, simply because he was there? Miles Edgeworth, who coaxed, bullied and cajoled until he made Phoenix see the truth he’d struggled for the past year to find.

And, let’s think back to 1-5. Against impossible odds, not even quite understanding one another, these two worked together like a well oiled machine. It was something that came to them so naturally, so perfectly that even they weren’t quite aware of it.

Together, they can do anything.


FINAL THOUGHTS:

I’ve just spent more than five pages talking about Phoenix and Edgeworth’s relationship in the game. Why do you think I did that? It’s because people tend to want to downplay the importance they have to one another. Phoenix and Edgeworth are unique to one another in a way no other characters in the series can duplicate. Does this mean that they are in love with one another IN CANON? No.

But I get so tired of people dismissing the possibility outright, of mocking fangirls for being “shallow”, “misreading’, and just “liking it based on looks”. A Phoenix/Miles relationship has its share of problems, but that is what makes it fascinating and wonderful. I think an amazing relationship could form. All the ingredients are there. These two men have inspired, challenged, and protected one another throughout the games.

Phoenix and Edgeworth might not be “in love” with one another, but I don’t think anyone can honestly deny that they love one another, if they really take the chance to think about it.

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While I don't support the pairing in the romantic sense, I do really love their... what's the word? Dynamic?

It's just as you say. They work so well together. What one lacks, the other can compensate.

You are as articulate as ever, Musouka.

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Yay, the thread is back! And now, mini-essays from me.

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I first got into this pairing after seeing some cute artwork, some nice fics from Tsurikato, and all the fun exchanges the two have throughout the games. ("Roll over Nick!") But having spent some time in the fandom, it's become really obvious just how good these two are for each other.

If you think about it, Maya is one of the closest people Phoenix has. Sure there's Edgeworth, Larry and Gumshoe among others, but they tend to travel in different circles, (man why didn't Larry show up in PW2?) or regard Phoenix in a more professional manner. Save for her absences to train in Kurain, Maya's the one person who spends more time with Phoenix than anyone else.
Even though she really doesn't need to be there, she's willing to spend her time helping Nick out, and is always ready to be by his side in court. You have to admit, that's quite a bit of loyalty for someone.

And Phoenix really doesn't seem to mind having her around. Yes, he does comment along the lines of "Every case we work together is like walking on hot coals" sometimes, but if Maya really bothered him, wouldn't he just tell her to go home, or at least do something elsewhere?
I see Phoenix as the type who works better when he knows he's got someone to back him up. In the final court section of case 2-4, you could see he was a bit more confident knowing that Edgeworth was helping by countering his arguments. And even when all seems lost, Maya (or indeed, whoever's sitting with him at that time) will cheer him on or encourage him to try harder.

If nothing else, I think Phoenix and Maya have a great mix of personalities. Phoenix is the serious one (save from his snarky internal monologues, just about all of Phoenix's speech is formal) and Maya is the fun loving one. Phoenix helps Maya stay focused on the important matters, (plus makes sure she doesn't destroy anything with her curiosity.) and Maya gives Phoenix some much-needed lightness and humour when he needs it.

In short, the two have such good chemistry and a special bond with each other, both as friends, or something more.
Plus, Maya's fairly sexy, though in a more subtle matter than the other girls in the game. Even Nick's got to think of her like that sometimes...

And now... the rest of the het.

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Again, the fanart for these two is slowly attracting me to the pairing. They have a lot in common: shared love for the law and prosecution, both are incredibly smart and determined, shared a childhood together, both love 19th Century outfits.... it's a little hard to imagine them with someone else. I see Franziska as someone with REALLY high standards when it comes to men (if she ever feels the urge to share her life with one, of course) and other than Phoenix, who else does Miles consider really close to him?

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Hmm, loudmouthed, stubborn, flaky, prone to outbursts, single minded on some matters... these two are made for each other. I'm not sure if marriage would ever be on the cards though. Would Lotta really want to be known as 'Lotta Butz'?

/ :penny: I blame Kihanna for this one. The big guy needs a bit of love.

/ Like many have said before me... these two are hot together.

/ Having both been screwed over by Gant, and both been forced to do some questionable actions for their familes, I think these two have some common ground to bond over..

/ Fanbrats unite!

/ You have to admire a woman who's quite happy to put up with her husband's cosplay fetish. One wonders if Yuusaku ever wore that costume in the bedroom..

/ Capcom, do us a favour. Please at least hint that these two got together in the next Gyakusai game. For great justice!

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I LOVE YOU! Finally a person who likes those two together. I always thought I was the only one.

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Musouka, thank you sooo much. You have just said what I was thinking. ^_^

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