Question 1 - If Remake part 3 does the Lifestream and Highwind scenes justice, what kind of backlash will there be from people not into the CT pairing? We've already seen the backlash in response to the CT kiss. If SE does the bare minimum of following the OG story, it seems like a large part of the fandom will just give up or leave. I don't think there will be any more room to cope. I'm curious what the devs have thought about this, how they're preparing for it, or if it's even necessary. The writers have already received death threats for the most minor takes. I wonder how they're handling this, if there's going to be 3/4 more years of this until part 3 is released. I do not envy Nojima, Nomura, and co.
You have to understand that the CT fandom is way, WAY larger than the CA fandom which is LOUD essentially. Look at the numbers on YT, it's no competition. And both are really SMALL compared to the rest of the fandom.
CT has always been crafted in the story; it's going to be even more obvious. I have said it, but I expect at least 2 kisses between them, none optional. They won't be able to run away from the reality. Especially since
I been lurking in a lot of CA spaces, and many seem utterly conviced that C and A will kiss in part 3 because "They're saving it for the next one" and because they think SE is going to balance out Tifa's kiss in some way. Others are banking on some kind of multiple ending scheme. It's a long shot they'll do multiple endings because that means more budget put towards content you needs multiple playthroughs to experience. And each individual ending would be less satisfying than one long, cohesive ending that ties everything together.
Oh, I'm half-convinced Aerith WILL get a kiss, but with Zack instead. They are pushing CT and ZA a LOT in both Remake and Rebirth, there's no way they're going to change at last minute what they're doing.
There won't be multiple endings; and even then, in another world with no Tifa, Cloud still rejected Aerith. There are no alternate realities as we usually imagine them, there are pockets of realities within the Lifestream which represent hopes, dreams and feelings of people (oh look... it's exactly the OG LS scene, and it will be there again in p3). Aerith's world was her world of hope, dreams and feelings, but it got crushed as Cloud rejected her and she got killed by Sephiroth. Her Promised Land is, I'm pretty sure, the church where Zack stands, maybe even Zack himself (since Tifa and the kids represent Cloud's Promised Land, we can conclude that Zack himself can also be Aerith's Promised Land).
Question 2 - If C and A have some interaction in part 3, what do you think it will entail? Will there be somekind of backlash if it is ambiguously romantic? I can see C and A meeting after Aerith's "Hand of God" moment at the end of the OG. I'm thinking Cloud will feel guilty, Aerith will comfort him. There'll be some reference to the dream-date church scene or Remake resolution. Aerith will tell him to "live his life". There will definitely be some kind of intervention from Aerith in the final battle. The party will have to unlock Holy from the bowels of the planet.
I think they will only meet at the very end, like the OG, or it won't make any sense for ACC to exist - and yes I do believe it will exist too, it is canon to the Re-trilogy. I do not think it will be romantic in any way or shape.
So that means, no interaction between Aerith and the rest of the party: we're going to have to
feel her loss, from their POV.
I think it would be really cute if, before the Highwind scene, Aerith appears to Tifa as a ghost and they have a bonding moment. Aerith encourages Tifa to go after Cloud. I think it would be a hilarious end to their "rivalry". Just a thought.
As I said prior, I would love an Aerti interaction, but I don't think that's possible.