How do you view their relationship?

Well now that we've got a few new members, I might as well ask this to everyone! It's a good start, I think.

So how do you see their relationship? A fling? Eternal love? A missed opportunity?

I really think Aeris saw through Cloud's mask(s), and got through to him in a significant way before she died. Her death weighs a lot on his mind not simply because she was a friend who died in his charge, but because he only starts to understand what she was trying to get through to him before. I think, in an indirect way, she taught him a lot about the value of life, and loosening up a bit. There's enough to suggest Cloud's feelings for her went beyond friendship, but I don't think he truly realized that until after she died - simply because he was so messed up in the head, he missed it, and then it hit him like a ton of bricks that she was gone and not coming back.

So, anyone else wanna toss in their .02?

In some ways, I see their relationship as all three. Firstly, the reason I like Clerith most, is the lighthearted nature of the flirting, and the humour involved. The instant chemistry combined with the sudden-ness of their meeting and connection make it excellent fling material, despite Aerith being extraordinarily knowing and seeing to his core. To be honest, this "fling" stage is my favourite stage of their relationship. I still fangirl over the escape from the Church conversation to this day.

It's a missed opportunity also, obviously, because she died, and the two had feelings they wanted to express to one another, but never got the chance. There was a lot of hinting from Aerith especially that she had so much more to say. It's worse than Zack/Aerith to me, because Cloud was really starting to lighten up before she was killed, and the last thing he needed was more angst. I often think about what would have happened if she didn't die, so I guess it's the epitome of a missed opportunity pairing.

I also see the Eternal love side. Especially with the release of the latest novellas where Aerith still desires the meeting with him and confirms she doesn't just have a hard on for his fake badassery. I think it's foolish to try and say Cloud only seeks Aerith out because of guilt, that is not the reason why he surrounds himself with her presence, and his desire to meet her again in The Promised Land was nothing to do with guilt. Longing and searching is definitely a theme in this pairing. Despite the fact that she is dead, he still cherishes her, so perhaps this means she is never gone to him? His undying feelings for her and ability to see her because she lives on in him suggests so.

I hate, hate, hate the "guilt" argument. It is not only such an over simplification, but it's rather insulting to the characters and their relationships. It's like people are suggesting that the only reason Cloud gives a damn about Aeris is because she died (and by extension of this logic, what about Zack? Then again, he's not a love interest, so no one has to take him down a peg).

It makes Cloud sound like such a dickhead. That he's basically tormenting himself not because he lost two people he loved, but just because he can't get over himself. "Oh, woe is me, I totally fucked up...not that I actually ever cared that much about her to be this affected by her death, I just like to whine a lot and cause problems in my otherwise healthy relationships."

I enjoy the lightheartedness of the relationship too - I think that's why I ship it so hard. Cloud tries to go emo, Aeris is there to snap him out of it with a laugh. He tries to be seriaz business and Aeris is there to take him down a peg by putting him in a dress, or mocking his heroic speeches. And when he tries to be someone he's not, Aeris basically tells him she can see right through him.

Someone would have to be in serious denial to say the only thing between them is guilt lol. They were building a two person world before she died. So Cloud has undying feelings of guilt for her? Cloud and Aerith formed a special bond of guilt? Cloud has his name engraved on his heart for eternity...erm...let me guess, to punish his little emo heart because of the guilt? He wouldn't cherish her, even in death, if all she represented was his failure.

You just have to look at what he says when she dies in FFVII. It's about her, and what her loss represents for him, about his pain of no longer having her. It's not "OMG Aerith I'm so sorry I couldn't save you, I'm such a fuck up, how could I let this happen *slits* His reaction is not self pity or angst. Even in AC, the message seems to be that those who have died are always with Cloud, it doesn't really take a whole lot of convincing from Aerith for Cloud to understand it's not his fault. People over-analyze the guilt thing.

I wish people wouldn't try and turn Clerith into an emo pairing. I'm not interested in Cloud wailing, sitting in Aerith's flowers and cutting himself. I just think he loves her, she died, he misses her and can't cope so he goes a little angsty, then as usual, she pokes fun at him and all is well.