Who does Cloud love? Aerith or Tifa?
Both can be true. You can be in love with/ have feelings for two people at once. Does Cloud love Zack? It’s possible he did, still does. You can love someone, they unfortunately die, go to love someone else, but still love the former.
I think its reductive to think that Cloud only ever loved one person romantically because that is not how things work. He could have had feelings for both Aerith and Tifa. He could end up with Tifa but still love Aerith. Maybe he only loves both platonically. (If you make Cloud an ass to both of them in the original game I sure hope they both would ditch him!) Maybe Cloud is gay and is still hung up on Zack. Maybe Barrett caught his eye.
I don’t want a love triangle debate. I just find it odd that people insist that Cloud could only have ever had feelings for one person or else his love for that person wasn’t real. I guess people want to know who Cloud would have chose? I think the question is better left not answered because it can’t be because Aerith died. But, considering how Aerith and Tifa are with each other in the remake, I would have been perfectly happy if they ended up in an OT3 had Aerith not died.
Same goes for Aerith. She could have loved Zack, mourned him after he died, and then wanted to move on with Cloud or Tifa (Or both! Come on this girl would have been totally down with polyamory. She’d be the one to suggest it!)
They can also be an OT4 where Zack, Cloud, Tifa, and Aerith have all loved each other at some point in their life. (Tifa and Zack when Zack visited her hometown) It’s kind of a cool concept.
I’ve seen ugliness thrown at both girls, the most common, calling one girl a slut. Tifa because of her outfit and Aerith because she offered a date in return for protection. Like... the girls having multiple partners does not diminish their worth and now I want a fanfic where Aerith and Tifa brag to each other on how many men they slept with.
Back in the day there was also some gross transphobia by saying one of the girls was a t-slur. Life fuck off with that if it is still around. Aerith and Tifa are women whether or not they are trans. (unless you headcanon either realizing that they are men!) And I will accept all trans headcanons for Aerith, Tifa and Cloud. (And people have them for all three characters!)
Anyway, Cloud could have loved both girls. He can love Aerith before and after her death and still love her after moving on with Tifa. (Same with Zack and Same with Tifa to Aerith) If Aerith were to not die and Cloud were to choose one over the other, the girl not chosen would be sad but she would move on with someone else. Neither Aerith or Tifa are so pathetic that Cloud not loving them romantically would break them. Their lives don’t revolve around a man.
Also, absolutely no one should be racists about anyone wanting to ship Tifa with Barrett. (Or if this even exists, Aerith with Barrett) Barrett is a good man and the leader of our group. Well no one should she be racist towards any ships but that goes without saying.
