Real talk and I hope you don't find me rude for asking, but why do you ship Cloti more than Clerith? I know you ship both but I wanted to know why you like Cloti so much more.
Hahaha nice usage of “real talk” and I guess when talking about FFVII’s ltd we are getting down to the juicy bits.
Everyone has vibrant opinions and “perspectives” as they put it. I have no idea what side of the fence (the overlapping dimensional fence) you’re coming from but I- for the first time on tumblr publicly, will give you my 100% honest and critical reasons as to why I prefer Cloti as a ship.
First off, I think that C/A is a ship that only works on a skin deep level. I’m sorry. It’s what I see as true. People give Tifa flak for expecting a lot of Cloud but Aerith expected so much more. She hounded him about a date he did not want to go on, that he went out of his way to forget about. She expected him to be her Zack replacement soldier hero far after Tifa had put her childlike “my hero” fantasies to bed (it is a reason she got into martial arts, to be her own hero if need be) and Aerith’s personality is draining and pushy for someone of Cloud’s fragility.
If Aerith were in Tifa’s position in ACC, the conversations would be heated and aggressive. She wouldn’t give him space, she wouldn’t gently guide Cloud to the right conclusions. Tifa is just a better match as far as being together, meshing together, working through trouble together. Tifa is patient and sympathetic to Cloud’s similar guilt and losses. Tifa never told Cloud to “choose between her and Aerith” she told him to choose between miserably waiting for death because the past was SUFFOCATING him and letting the kids die without ever even trying or… Trying! Just try! Even if something really FUCKED UP happened and Cloud came home alone… Just try for them, and her. Just try. Tifa is so gentle even when she comes down hard and… Aerith can be completely insensitive without even meaning to be. It’s not what Cloud needs ever in his fragile state.
Aside from being incompatible in a true blue fully formed romantic relationship, even their ‘could have been’ appeal has it’s flaws. As insecure as Tifa was, she never tried to change herself for Cloud and I respect that so fucking much. If he didnt want the full package he could GET packing- basically.
Aerith tried so hard for… Non-reactions and moments that came across as painfully one-sided or awkward. He never once reacted to the date besides ignoring her offer completely and guarding her for free. Every time it is brought up he either has forgotten or lacks a reaction completely. The date itself is apathetic on Cloud’s part and filled with negatives (unlike Tifa’s date which has more dialogue between her and Cloud and actual interest shown on his part… Along with a cute romantic track named after THEIR date) He never reacted to fake sith the fortunetellers “perfect” prediction.
And literally everything else between them falls into platonic waters. Cloud worries for Aerith? Okay? He does that for Tifa. He does that for Barret. Cloud cares and worries for his friends. He’ll act cool sometimes, but he’s there for them. He worries. A lot. About all of them, so acting like Aerith got special treatment is kind of silly and well… Wrong? She didnt.
I feel like any romance actually explored between them would have been short lived. A very Seifer/Rinoa dynamic as far as that goes.
It’s unfortunately, a more attractive ship in ‘could have been’ stages. Because there is potential to fill the cracks with gold… Or vinegar. Double edged sword. The ambiguity and uncertainty keeps it from being looked at too critically, because what’s there is already more platonic (and much much better as platonic) than it is romantic so… Why even change a thing? They are fine as they are, as friends. As a comrade. As a mysterious woman he only knew for a short time whom he failed and whom he associates with failure.
My biggest reason- Cloud hardly knew Aerith and that isn’t a dig at “their amount of time together” because neither of them could have controlled that, I mean. Cloud did not know Aerith. His impressions of her are wrong. His thoughts of her are skewed. Cloud didn’t understand Aerith. The last thing she said to him, you know what that was?
“I’ll come back when it’s all over.”
He was right there, and yet… Cloud said she sacrificed herself and MEANT to die. It’s more than time together, it’s lack of attention, detail, understanding. He took this friend for granted and lost her before he hardly knew her, as a person.
Tifa wasn’t even there for Aerith’s final words and she knew exactly what Aerith intended to do. She knew Aerith wanted to come back to them all and always intended to. Cloud can’t even keep the last thing she said in mind as he remembers her…BUT he cherished her, she was his friend. She needed to be protected and loved by ALL of them, not just Cloud. THAT is MORE IMPORTANT anyway.
Platonic C/A is honestly such a precious thing, important and undervalued. Romance breaks this ship apart and polarizing lifestyles and mentalities would consume them with problems, I don’t feel like either character is “good” for the other considering all that.
I hope my answer was informative and not completely offensive as I know this LTD stuff is sensitive and criticizing either ship gets… Explosive results so. I fully expect hate for this but… I just like this ship as fanon/platonic/could-have-been. It’s both preference and how I understand the canon materials. Anything further is… Well, I just feel Cloti does that better and beautifully so. (not that they are without flaw completely and I’ve criticised cloti/my fandom as well so. You know. No one say I don’t.)
I didn’t find you rude at all anon! I’m sorry in advance if my answer was displeasing in any way
I mean… I do like C/A as a ship but just… Not to the same intensity because I don’t feel like that level of intensity even works for them… Does that make sense? Anyway agree to disagree to those with differing views.
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