As I’ve been playing Rebirth*spoilers read at own risk*

I’ve noticed a few posts whom are really just nestled into anxiety and unrest because of how things might be going for Rev and Aerith’s fate. I will be making a post of “things I’m shocked fellow Clerith’s never mention” post once I’m done with the game.

I haven’t completely finished the game Rebirth yet; but I did get far enough to talk about some things.

Hopefully to lift spirits.

Part 1: the kiss oh no oohhh hhhooo

We got teased twice with Aerith.

Tifa got a simulation kiss

Aerith got the OG gondola cut scene with an almost kiss

Guys

They almost ALMOST kissed twice in chapter 12.

This sounds really sad but let me cook

Based on where I’m at in Rebirth, it’s common knowledge Aerith is going to be a massive presence on and off screen.

Even if she’s not a main player in the party it’s OK

I love playing as Aerith, she’s my main, but for this story to work out; it might be better that she isn’t.

Why? Good writing is banking everything on her. It’s been stated Aerith IS the main female protagonist. Did you know NPT wasn’t only inspired by The Greatest Showman, they got the actual singer who sang Never Enough to do it. I read what the music director and Allren said. It was about everyone who touched Aerith’s life and her confession to Cloud.

I was reading a Q and A from Loren Allred and that’s what she was saying.

That’s a protagonist right there. A date with everyone else, Aerith still is the spotlight.

That’s crazy massive. Aerith got a huge spotlight in Remake and Rebirth. Tifa had her Lifestream moment. That pales in comparison to all the other spotlights Aerith had comparatively. Literally they benched Tifa during the entire performance in Aerith’s route. (More on that in said coming post)

During chapter 12: let me remind you Cloud was becoming more “enthralled” via Jenova at this point.

In Aerith’s route she calls this out multiple times.

That means Tifa got enthralled full on Soldier, fake Cloud during their date and essentially kissed him in his worst headspace. (Let me reiterate, in the simulation date with Tifa she got simulation Cloud)

I have seen Clotis even comment that they preferred Aerith’s date over theirs.

Why? Because real Cloud came out a little more.

So key here: if there’s going to be deep physical affection beyond what we’ve seen between CA(whew even enthralled cloud is heavy with Aerith in a weird almost seduced tension way, which will be part of my post for when I finish the game) it HAS to be the REAL him.

This isn’t going to be a simple, puny, reunion story wise.

Part 2- Consistency, patterns and objectively watching everything unfold like a depressing train wreck in OG to something else entirely in the Re series :

I’ve been seeing a pattern during Cloud’s appearances in different franchises. Why do you think he ended up in Smash Bros?

It’s canonical he’s looking for Aerith. OG cloud somehow broke reality to traverse in different worlds sometime after AC. (My theory is that’s why Square was okay lending him and Sephiroth out)

Cloud has to face Aerith as fully himself. The one whom she’s been trying to find.

Objectively: Cloud in Aerith’s play through is heavy with her.

In OG it’s his yearning. His yearning through grief time and space that canonically spread through these multiple universes.

They had way more experiences this time around in Remake and Rebirth. He already fell in love with her as she was HIS Resolve. His flashbacks from Remake….had been MOSTLY METEOR and her.

Following up on this in Rebirth Ch 8 when Cait Sith gave the famous fortune; I clocked Cloud’s face.

Something resonated in that moment the same way he suddenly cried in Remake when Aerith walked away from him.

He was much much better to her in these games this time around because of those flashbacks.

In Remake when he saw her in that red dress he immediately went into attack dog mode and became a drag queen for a night. He was ready to call the whole thing off. RIP Tifa 😭

In Rebirth it also didn’t matter what play through, Tifa or Aerith….he still chases Aerith for the black materia like an unwanted ex boyfriend and the way he says her name shudders

Safe to say in Rev her loss would be WORSE on him than last time if he actually did lose her.

Now he has the awareness of OG cloud from those flashbacks, deeper grief, and himself SOONER. They had way more intimacy and connection. She also kept him grounded more than Tifa.

Dudes….Sephiroth as he’s written, is gonna manipulate the crap out of that intimacy before real Cloud makes an appearance for the rest of the game.

Mark my words.

I’m excited for you CxS shippers ( I can’t fathom the pairing myself but I’m still excited for you and us)

Cloud will have, not just the determination and righteous anger over Aerith, but the drive that is going to be arguably deeper than OG.

I feel so bad for Clotis playing with their eyes wide shut.

Watching them they gave off husband wife vibes in some scenes that Clerith’s never mention.

Now it doesn’t have to be said, how fruggin deep Cloud’s affection is since developers stated they’re koibito.

Only to then watch, his basically wife, die in front of him ….before they even had a chance to get there.

There’s tons of little moments of touches from Cloud’s side that my own husband does.

I’m like why does Cloud….remind me of my own husband, when Cloud’s with Aerith?? Bias aside, this is objectively pattern recognition. In Tifa’s Gongaga cutscene in Rebirth….Cloud wasn’t the one to catch her. Barret was as Aerith sat back with Cloud.

Ya’ll for this alone I’m excited. Will Cloti have their moments? YES. Gotta give the simulation a bone.

We’re playing the actual story not the niggling bohangaloo fandom. Expect it, brace for it, not gonna change the story in the long run. People want a dating sim with self insert, which is always dreadful writing.

Canon works:

On the Way to a Smile? Clerith

The Lifestream: Clerith

Any following franchise with them in it: Clerith

Part 3: the well springs

Remember what Chadley had us do in Rebirth.

Scan. Track. Analyze. Fight rare monsters via life spring wells.

Chadley didn’t have us track those down for no stupid reason.

Let me reiterate: the developers didn’t create Chadley, for us to track down those wells …for no stupid reason. Chadley is key. Remember the protorelics being stored in basically space and time

Aerith is split inbetween worlds. We can’t treat it as a guess. After nearly 7 years of being gaslit by Clotis this is what the story is objectively telling us.

Cloud in Rebirth was seeing himself in a coma next to Aerith who was pale as a ghost. Now the scenes with Zack right before Ch. 12 I’m suspicious cloud overheard everything in that moment then she shows up in front of him.

Chadley might be the one to get Aerith out of the Lifestream or help Real Cloud get to her. I bet you anything Chadley is gonna be a GOAT here.

I smell Chadley haters taking back that ire.

TLDR; RIP Cloti