Thank you so much again for having me!! ๐ญ๐ It's incredible to not only be part of such a magical project, but also to write about my favorite character of all time for it!! ๐๐
โจ CONTRIBUTOR SPOTLIGHT ๐
๐๐ We're overjoyed to welcome
@_lunardrop
as one of our writers!
Lunardrop's writing is pure magic ๐ We're very excited to have them on board ๐ฅฐ Stay tuned for a preview of their piece featuring Aerith. We're sure you'll love it! ๐
FFVII OG: A morally gray and complex story that allows its characters to make mistakes and act selfishly, raises questions with no easy answers, ruminates on the idea that hey! Maybe corporate-run military hurts everything it touches!
FFVII CC: H O N O R A N D D R E A M S
Something I appreciate about Cloud and Aerith's relationship is how they're like... willing to engage in play with one another?? And how that's a reoccurring motif in their relationship
Genuinely not trying to start shit or be toxic as I say this, but it's always been like Cloud and Aerith sfsd their relationship, whether if you view it as platonic or romantic, is the heartbeat of FFVII's narrative
Clerith is the most insane ship of all time like the way they so mirror and compliment each other down to their vulnerabilities uuoogghhhoooo
-reaching out for normalcy but never reaching it
-the shared history of the same abuser
-a history of being outcasted and the spaces they
Cloud and Aerith are both deeply lonely individuals; loneliness is a major point of insecurity and root of past sorrow for them. What really gets me about clerith the ship is how they're both able to recognize quality in one another and use it as a point of connection
I literally cannot imagining commenting under someone's art that they like or prefer the other character, or think that the ship itself is wrong... like who raised you.........
An aspect that drives me crazy about Cloud and Aerith's relationship is that one of the threads that ties them together is they share is having the same abuser. Their trauma parallels one another by the powers that be in their lives only view them as a resources to exploit
The fixation with a ship being "canon" is genuinely baffling to me, especially if it's something that doesn't do much to change the already existing story
It's way more fun to celebrate a ship on its own terms, to play with and explore a dynamic
Toxic clerith is like Cloud getting super obsessive and protective with her causing her to feel stifled which only makes him double down on his behavior and-- (I'm taken out back)
This probably a hot take in only certain circles but the OG FFVII is, as is, a complete narrative. The Compilation titles are (contradictory) spinoffs, not parts of a grand, intentional story. There are also weird, ahistorical interpretations that allude to the OG--
Okay but. That one part of FF7R where Cloud's at Tifa's bar and he's like "give me something hard and bitter"... don't believe for a second he actually like strong drinks!! This man clearly has a complex around anything "fruity!!" The way Cloud grimaces he hates alcohol!!
The notion of wanting to "meet" someone and "find them" like. Drives me utterly insane. To be surrounded by a million souls and then to find that one (1) person where you're want to gaze into their eye and know them down to the core. Like it doesn't et more romantic than that!!
It's not incidental that their first "date"/a turning point in their relationship takes place in a playground. They were both lonely and isolated as children, which in-turn affects their behavior as adults. Having this moment set at the park represents what they provide and--
A large part of CA's appeal is how the ship plays with expectations surrounding gender roles and how like, the woman is the experienced one (experienced in multiple facets mind you) taking the lead in the relationship, and it's sad how that gets erased in certain depictions tbh
Also while I'm feeling spicy, if YOU'RE the one who gets on people's cases for calling her "Aeris" instead of Aerith, using that as some sort of "gotcha!" for not understanding her character, then I cannot take you seriously at all, I'm so sorry
The part of OG FFVII when Aerith catches Cloud sneaking back to Sector 7, and he's babbling on about how he didn't want to put her in danger or disturb or anything and she's just like. "Are you done yet?"
The queer experience: realizing you're bi by having a crush on your military propaganda hero and then you meet him and then he burns down your hometown and kills everyone you ever knew
I can't believe that Cloud had to witness his girlfriend be murdered in front of him AND THEN HE WAS THE RESPONSIBLE FOR CARRYING HER BODY AND RESTING HER IN A LAKE LIKE...... that level of tragedy and grief would make anyone crack!!!
I'm running on like two hours of sleep and hopes and dreams right now and I've rambled to like four or five different people about Clerith today it's just the Theme
All Aerith wanted was to be normal due to the exceptionality of her Cetran heritage since that was defined her in the eyes of many people and made her a target, while on the other hand Cloud wanted to be anything BUT normal, which inadvertently led to years of trauma and I'm just
Obv we associate playgrounds with things like children and connections. To have Cloud and Aerith reach and interact with one another more deeply at a deserted one, something they both lacked when they were young, is very bittersweet to me
The search for a drink Cloud and Aerith need to trade for a certain tiara takes longer than expected.
Cloud/Aerith, E, 7485 words
#FFVII
#FF7
#aerikura
#clerith
#ใฏใฉใจใข
If we're being real right now, I highly doubt the LTD will be resolved in the way that certain cl*rith and cl*ti camps wants, it's likely to remain ambiguous as it was... in the OG......
As much as I love Remake's Aerith outfit and how it feels like something she would pick out and wear, it doesn't have the same sensuality as her OG one, which conveys an important part of her character imo
Losing my fucking mind at 11:00 AM over Cloud pursuing Aerith at the Forgotten City despite her originally wanting to go alone, likely because retreating in solitude is all she's ever done and is an ingrained defense mechanism, and that's why she smiles at the very end, he CARES,
call me old-fashioned, but I think if you're writing a fic and dislike a character from the source material, then you should at least try to be subtle or hide your contempt
I don't know how to best put this into words, but I really like/miss OG Aeris' Wall Market dress. It really feels something you'd find in a rambly clothing shop, and something that she'd pick out and wear. Especially given the context, it speaks a ton about her character!!
Broke: Sephiroth killed Aerith to make Cloud sad :(
Bespoke: Sephiroth targets Cloud and people important to Aerith, using them in psychological warfare to make HER sad
Aerith, Sephiroth, and a reimagining of everything that was and could be. Based on the unused game premise where Sephiroth was Aerithโs ex-boyfriend instead of Zack. Written for the lovely
@aerisephzine
๐ธโ๏ธ๐
#FFVII
#FF7
#aeriseph
#Aerith
#Cloud
Aerith and Sephiroth are the culmination of the conflict between the Cetra and the Jenova, but what's fascinating is how you see that conflict extend and play out between their fathers (Gast and Hojo) like it runs DEEP
The more I see of EC the more I wish that SE would do an actual remake of FFVII in that style, but not locked behind gacha mechanics, and with all the original gameplay intact
The way that people will post screencaps of Cl*ud like. Briefly glancing over at Aer*th or T*fa and then look away, and people will be like "omg he loves her so much ๐" and I'm like Let The Man Think About What He's Gonna Have For Dinner
Their first conversation at the park grazes the surface, but the environment, mood, and staging of the scene deepens this theme of isolation. It's not lost on me that they're sitting on playground equipment surrounded by trash beneath an oppressive metal plate.
AHHHH HELLO YES!! It's a privilege to announce that I'm a contributing a piece for this zine! There are many fantastic creators working on this, and I'm sooo excited to share this with them and to work together to make some magic!! ๐๐ธโ๏ธ
โจ๐ธ๐๐จ๐ง๐ญ๐ซ๐ข๐๐ฎ๐ญ๐จ๐ซ ๐๐ฉ๐จ๐ญ๐ฅ๐ข๐ ๐ก๐ญโ๏ธโจ
Our next contributor is none other than
@_lunardrop
! Lunardrop will be joining us as a Writer. We're thrilled to have her participation!
Howl's Moving Castle AU except it's Aerith as an eccentric witch who lives in the Hell House and Cloud's like this crotchety old man who latches on to it
Broke: Sephiroth killed Aerith to make Cloud sad :(
Woke: Sephiroth puppeteered Cloud to attack Aerith at the Temple of the Ancients because 1. She was a threat to Seph's plans and 2. There's a recognition that Cloud and Aerith have a close beyond
Her birthday, Aerith tells him, is a good time as ever to try the dandelion wine they had fermented. Clerith fluff for the people's princess on her birthday!! ๐๐
Cloud/Aerith, T, 874 words
#AerithWeek2024
#FF7
#FF7Rebirth
#clerith
#aerikura
#ใฏใฉใจใข
@PRlNCEKYO
Aeriseph are narrative foils. Their relationship is the culmination of the conflict between Jenova and the Cetra. They mirror one another but the tragedy is that their ideologies oppose and separate the other. She's the only one that he's afraid of as well which is appealing
IT'S PREVIEW DAY FOR THE
@StrifeZine
, FRIENDS!! ๐โ๏ธ I am SO excited to share an excerpt for the fic I wrote for it, "Monstrous." Participating in this zine has been a fantastic experience, with each piece being full of love and care! Please enjoy it!! ๐๐๐
Shinra dehumanizes everyone, but what stands out about Cloud and Aerith's treatment is how the company wants to manufacture their identities around what they can provide. This is furthered by Aerith's heritage as a Cetra and Cloud engineered with alien genetics, isolating them
All I care about is Aerith looking directly at Cloud and winking when she says "No peeking!" as she goes to change into her dress during the OG Wall Market sequence
How beautiful is it that what allows Cloud to shake off Sephiroth's influence throughout various points of the game and finally for once and for all is a willingness to be vulnerable, earnest, and gentle with his loved ones and himself--traits you wouldn't typically expect
For the
@ffladieszine
, I was lucky enough to write a story focused on my favorite character of all time, Aerith Gainsborough! Here's an excerpt of it ๐๐
There's still time to purchase a copy before preorders close tomorrow, so please check it out!! ๐