[ SECRET POST #258 ]

[shahni.livejournal.com]

⌈ Secret Post #258 ⌋

Warning: Some secrets are NOT worksafe and may contain SPOILERS.

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Notes:
- Sorry for the late, people!
- Also... guys. Make the secrets sound like something you'd be secretive about? Just bashing things isn't a secret, it's wank. D: Thanks!

Secrets Left to Post: 01 page, 035 secrets from Secret Submission Post #037.
Secrets Not Posted: 0 broken links, [1] not!secrets, 0 not!fandom, [1] broken link
Next Secret Post: Tomorrow, Friday, September 21st, 2007.
Current Secret Submission Post: here.
Suggestions, comments, and concerns should go here.

Comments

from 11

[(Anonymous)]

To a degree I can understand that, but for me, Phoenix and Maya's response (or lack thereof) to Pearl's badgering--particularly in the third game--demonstrated to me further that it just wasn't about romance. I thought it was a clever device, actually, to further reinforce that their bond was about family.

Re: from 11

[mint-eclair.livejournal.com]

Considering I haven't played the third game, I can't say much to that without having a foot-in-mouth moment. Pearl did manage to get a response out of Phoenix and Maya in the second, humorous it was. *laugh* Maya must've told some impressive stories to get Pearl that excited. Then again, American translation, the original might not have had it, etcetera.

Saying Maya and Phoenix is purely romance would have to come from someone who'd never even seen the two together. I'm not going to say that it's purely romantical, the two had fantastic escapades and share a beautiful loyalty and trust. They have a wonderful friendship; I loved how Phoenix went along with Maya's episodes. While I certainly understand how that could be family, the depth of the relationship the two formed (it had no mysteries or underlying secrets) and just how much they cared for each other dazzled me.

I just felt something more with them, at least from Maya. (Fanbook and manga is leading me astray!) I'm not saying I'll deny that they could be family and friends, I just happen to like the fluffy idea of subtle romance.

Re: from 11

[(Anonymous)]

Hmm, well, I can't really reasonably discuss this without bringing the third game into it, but I will say that the third game pretty much unambiguously labels their relationship as "family, not lovers". Which doesn't mean you still can't enjoy the idea, of course, I'm... just at a little bit of a loss why, because the idea of the hero-heroine dynamic being so deep and powerful in a platonic sense is so unique and appealing to me, and I just don't see what romance would add to it--especially at the expense of what I feel it would take away.

Re: from 11

[mint-eclair.livejournal.com]

Well, I don't exactly see them as a confirmed couple in the game, so no need to say otherwise. It's a waste of time to say that they are. I fancy the idea as a fanonical thing. I'm not saying I don't enjoy the hero-heroine dynamic in a platonic sense. Romance is a side-dish, it's not as if I can only see the relationship as romantic; far from it. I don't like Phoenix/Maya because it can be romantic and I most certainly don't view it as a love-pairing in canon. I enjoy and adore the friendship they have (and the hintings I could laugh at) and in an innocent sense, like the idea of love between them. It certainly doesn't benefit the pairing anymore, but it's an element I like far more than pure sexual tension relationships. Phoenix and Maya's relationship is no lesser in my eyes because it's not romantic.

People can enjoy the platonic sense of the relationship without spoiling it by thinking of romance. I don't think that the reason Phoenix saves and worries over Maya because he secretly loves her; but because she's arguably his best friend. Yet fanonically, I play with the idea of love in fluff. I understand where you come from though, there are several friendships that I love that are ravaged by yaoi or yuri or even vicious het fans.

I'm just sickly tired of fandom automatically assuming that hero-heroine supporters are either doing it in denial of the obvious rival-love or because they can't value friendship and must make everything into romance. I treasure the idea of friendship as much as I like the idea of them having a small romantic relationship. However, the latter is more so because I don't think of romance as just sex.