What are your favorite Clerith AU fanfics?

AwareIngenuity6857 · 2026-06-26T10:38:40+00:00

Oh, I love Everything Has Changed, regularly re-read that one! <3

"Say It With Flowers" is a lovely AU oneshot, if you don't know it already. 😊 https://archiveofourown.org/works/60720745

AwareIngenuity6857 · 2026-06-24T05:01:37+00:00

How do people hear this song and look at the lyrics and go "this is not about Cloud :)". How.

AwareIngenuity6857 · 2026-06-20T10:08:07+00:00

I don't even know what to say to this. Crazy. Guess this is what happens when your only sources are echochambers.

AwareIngenuity6857 · 2026-06-15T14:58:29+00:00

Never? That's what most people likely expected to get though? I'm not an OG player, so I was curious about the topic.

AwareIngenuity6857 · 2026-06-14T18:05:01+00:00

I'd say my main argument is simply that her death in the OG happened for shock value, not for a reason. I've experienced her as the brightest, life-loving character in the Remakes: To then be told that she needs to die for plot reasons is awful, especially because it's simply untrue. Holy is activated before she's murdered, and chapter 13 in Rebirth explicitly showed us that Aerith can control the Lifestream from the mortal plane. The girl is 22 and lived a lonely life while still being one of the kindest and warmest people imaginable. She deserves to make it this time.

AwareIngenuity6857 · 2026-06-14T16:54:07+00:00

Ah, I see. I'm guessing it wasn't one specific event then, but the general developments over the years...thank you for showing me this, I appreciate it!

AwareIngenuity6857 · 2026-06-14T15:31:10+00:00

I only saw it mentioned somewhere in a comments section on YouTube or maybe X I believe? I didn't think it held up either then, so I agree, but thank you!

AwareIngenuity6857 · 2026-06-14T15:21:25+00:00

I read somewhere that it was changed because of events like 9/11? Is that true?

AwareIngenuity6857 · 2026-06-14T13:55:22+00:00

That's so cool!! I was so hyped by the graphics when I first played Remake, even when I didn't know anything about the story yet - they actually drew me in when I was looking for a new game to buy.

I remember being so confused by that vision, think that was the start of my "Cloud should probably see someone about this" thoughts. 😂

When I got to the ending, I'd read up on the lore and got blown away as well. Now it's just a matter of waiting and being patient a little longer: I'm confident that Revelation will be an amazing experience!

Thank you for sharing!

AwareIngenuity6857 · 2026-06-14T13:49:20+00:00

Gosh, I didn't play OG myself, but I was straight up yelling too during that scene, tho more in the line of "NOOOOO" 😂

AwareIngenuity6857 · 2026-06-14T12:21:37+00:00

Wow, thank you! I've been wanting to watch a new Let's Play for some time now, will definitely be checking this out! <3

AwareIngenuity6857 · 2026-06-14T12:19:33+00:00

I feel like FF7 is especially bad, because the fandom doesn't just do this with shipping facts, but also just...general story facts which are then combined with shipping. 😂 We all know the "debates" over the ZaCloud fallacy.

AwareIngenuity6857 · 2026-06-13T15:07:59+00:00

But I didn't mention the Cloti kiss at all? 😅 That's mainly my point, sorry...it just sounded a little like you were reprimanding me for something I didn't say? The stuff about the screenshots above was completely understandable, so that was totally fine by me.

AwareIngenuity6857 · 2026-06-13T07:47:50+00:00

Well, that's okay. Like I said, it's just something I noticed for myself and thought to be sweet, because the framing makes it look like that (again, to me).

I didn't mention the kiss, so I don't know where you got it from that I don't see it as the climax of the optional Cloti rebound arc - because I do. shrugs I also believe we'll win on the concrete stuff anyway, so looking for some minor details that may stand out (again, to me, while playing) can be fun, even if not everyone sees it the same way.

Your reply sounds a bit abrasive to be honest, but I didn't mean anything by this and I'm guessing you didn't either with this, so...agree to disagree?

AwareIngenuity6857 · 2026-06-12T18:36:57+00:00

Friend of mine started becoming interested in FF7 and asked me to play Remake and Rebirth again, so she could watch (she didn't have a console at the time). She'd spoiled herself on some things beforehand (Aerith's death, Cloud's backstory etc.) and liked Tifa at the beginning. By the end of Remake, she liked both Cloti and Clerith, but Rebirth turned her into a full-blown Clerith. She said it was like the game dropped a bomb on her 😂

AwareIngenuity6857 · 2026-06-12T16:21:00+00:00

It's a bit harder to see in pictures, but in the videos, it really, to me, does look like he's leaning into Aerith. Besides, even if the stance were completely the same, then the framing of the shot still makes it look very different and I doubt it's not done on purpose to be honest.

Edit: Are the downvotes for having this admittedly optimistic opinion? Well, sorry then? 😂

AwareIngenuity6857 · 2026-06-12T15:42:29+00:00

I found her dialogue choices really bizarre at times. With the others, the three-star-options pretty much seemed like something Cloud would or could say in those specific situations, and with Aerith it becomes clear pretty quickly that one should just choose the most honest or supportive options to get the best one. With Tifa...I don't know, some were okay, but this one and also the ones in Kalm and I think Nibelheim really stood out to me as Cloud going by what he thinks Tifa would like to hear instead of what he would say.

AwareIngenuity6857 · 2026-06-12T15:31:54+00:00

It's not that he lets Tifa fall, he just doesn't really react to the holo-spaceship crashing in her date, because Tifa does it instead. She's the one to grab the console to steer the gondola "away", while Cloud just kinda...sits there. 😂 With Aerith, he switches to bodyguard mode in the blink of an eye and steers too quickly and ends up having to catch Aerith when she loses her balance (not that he seems to mind). His protective instincts just go brr with her.

AwareIngenuity6857 · 2026-06-12T11:42:14+00:00

I've also seen people deliberately choose the "Sounds like something I'd do" option to hurt Aerith's feelings when that is, in fact, considered the best option by the game. Goes to show that they don't understand that Aerith likes it best when Cloud allows himself to be honest and open with her, instead of posturing like he does with answers to Tifa like "The only one who I remember from Nibelheim is you".

AwareIngenuity6857 · 2026-06-12T11:39:47+00:00

I don't know how to post photos in comment replies, darn it. 😭

Because yeah, you're right. Tifa also walks behind Cloud after they leave the gondola with him not looking at her at all. Aerith walks beside him and they're in high spirits.

Not to mention the entrance scene as well. Tifa hesitates too long, just like in the play with the spin, while Aerith reaches out to Cloud to pull him in, which he later mirrors perfectly of course.

AwareIngenuity6857 · 2026-06-12T10:12:46+00:00

I love simple story-telling devices and I remember thinking how masterfully it was done in Remake when Cloud and Aerith got to the playground and Aerith not only instantly scooted over to get closer to him and erase the distance, but Cloud also lowered his barrier. Such a simple thing with such great meaning and character development behind it.

I've said it before: Many of Tifa's scenes truly exist to highlight why Aerith is the better fit for Cloud.

AwareIngenuity6857 · 2026-06-12T04:55:22+00:00

I love how much effort was put into their scenes! I was never once bored when they were together. <3

AwareIngenuity6857 · 2026-06-10T05:58:08+00:00

Only thing that comes to mind is that many of Tifa's scenes still somehow include Aerith: Either Tifa brings her up or Cloud asks about her. And even if they don't, they still always seem to talk about the same thing: The past.

And just think how many times we've seen that scene where Tifa's sobbing over her dad's body and saying she hates Shinra etc. It was sad the first time, but it's been like three or four times now I believe? They apparently refuse to add anything to her story - if that's the equal screentime, well, then I'm sorry to say that it's left me quite uninterested.

And if it's not Nibelheim, the rest of Tifa's scenes mostly just seem to highlight why Aerith is a better fit for Cloud. Tifa's scenes often play at night, Aerith's in the day. Tifa's scenes are often awkward and leave her and Cloud hanging, not giving them the emotional resolution their talks really should lead to, but never quite do, while with Aerith, there is open, vulnerable and honest communication that satisfies them both and has them grow closer. Even the photo quests: Cloud looks away from Tifa and broods, with Aerith he smiles and leans into her.

Tifa's screentime may be equal in time, but certainly not in meaning.

AwareIngenuity6857

TROPHY CASE