This is unrelated to the topics being discussed right now, so I'm sorry in advance, but I just feel the need to talk about it since I saw a post about it on my Twitter timeline.
When will the notion that Tifa was lying to Cloud/gaslighting him ever fade away?
It's an even worse argument nowadays though, because if anything, the only person lying/lying by omission in the re;trilogy is Aerith. Forgive me if I get this wrong, but didn't Aerith know she was going to die during Remake? That Cloud is living a lie? That Cloud will be manipulated into giving Sephiroth planet destroying materia? and all she left were ominous, vague warnings? That's probably something you should tell a trusted adult but she only ever told Red XIII and MARLENE, a four year old girl over the people who would actually benefit from this information.
Not to mention Aerith herself is (I think) in cahoots with Tifa about Cloud's mental state and how Tifa's recollection of the Nibelheim incident is different, that Cloud wasn't present. So Aerith is also technically "lying by omission" in the exact same way Tifa is supposedly "lying by omission" to Cloud during the re;trilogy.
and it paints Aerith in an even worse light when you add that on top of the fact that she showed visions to a four year old girl as opposed to the guy who actually needs to hear about his delusions, supposedly. According to Cleriths, Tifa is some kind of "bitch" who doesn't deserve or isn't suited to Cloud for not telling him about his incorrect memories when Tifa herself didn't know the full truth. I mean, if someone from my past showed up with a different recollection of a past traumatic experience I had in which that person was not present, but were claiming they were and retelling the incident with scary levels of accuracy, I would start doubting myself as well.
Aerith is guilty of everything Cleriths accuse Tifa of in regards to "lying" and then some. So if Tifa doesn't deserve Cloud because she was "lying" to him, then Aerith definitely doesn't.
This kind of miscommunication and angst is a huge part of the emotional conflict surrounding the sub-plot of ff7; Clouds identity, and it has to be this way for the story to be compelling, so that you can be invested in it, because bare in mind, the player is ALSO supposed to be in the dark about the truth. Cloud is an unreliable narrator, after all.
That's why it's not fair to judge either woman for "lying" to Cloud, and why neither are "lying bitches" . Tifa doesn't withhold her own recollection from Cloud in bad faith like Cleriths claim she does, and Aerith doesn't withhold information in bad faith either.
Those are my thoughts on this tired, entirely self-defeating argument, so I'm sorry if this felt more like a rant than a "debunking".
and also, If you feel like any of this was inaccurate, please feel free correct me or take me up on it.
Maybe this is how angst works in stories like this, I don't know. But reconciling her feelings for Cloud when she presumably meets back up with Zack is going to be sticky and we can't write it off as delusion on her part anymore. All this means is that Zack might be shortchanged once again as a rebound for a rebound while being dead (bloody hell).
Use their own arguments against them, if Cloud is allowed to love two women equally that he's "conflicted" between (not btw), then Aerith is also allowed to love two men equally that she's "conflicted" between.
Eh, I don't really know about my own argument that I've just made, but I'm putting it out there anyways.
Or having a post DoC scene would be good for the same reason. It'd fit with having red's 500 year later scene from the OG
I think I'd much prefer this to be honest. We already have some idea as to what happened after Advent Children, but, forgive me if I'm wrong, the same is not true for Dirge of Cerberus.
I think maybe a short epilogue for both might be appreciated? Might feel a bit unnecessary but it would be nice.
