What did they think of Hydaelyn in the beginning? Did they change their mind about her since then?
oh boy, this is one I don't think about often lol let's figure this out
A'miru's not religious, she's not against it, she's just not found anything there in the past so I think the disembodied voice was a bit of a "I'm fully losing my mind, aren't I" in the beginning, not some higher calling, until Thancred introduced her to Minfilia. Then it was a lot of...I hesitate to say trepidation, she wasn't afraid for anything, but she was hesitant to put a lot of stock into it, it seemed to be a truthful situation but it was a lot of her hard work that went into it too and that's kind of where things sat for a long time in a state of 'I can neither prove or disprove this thing but things seem to be working out for the better with it'. A'miru's a very here and now kind of person, so lets just throw her back in time for a minute. Her connection with Venat was instant, it fully gave me an explanation for her to have taken the dancer class (mechanically she took it because it's a class I like to play, but it's a very not A'miru class at all) and she was kind of an instant momly figure for her; the vibes were entirely right right from the instant she dropped in while Hyth was rambling about sharks, like two peas in a pod, instant family. One of the things A'miru has the most issues with is losing people, in any manner; she does not handle it well ever. When she got back from Elpis, after a good long cry and snuggle with her bf and a nap, she was ready to break Fourchenault's entire face just to get down there and see her again bc omg that voice has been Venat all along and holy shit she felt bad for ever doubting it and then, well, she had to say goodbye to her again and again, did not handle it well at all. Luckily she had a lot on her plate to distract her at the time. After Ultima and knowing everyone's back down in the sea hanging out she's dealing a bit better than normal. It's more important to A'miru who Hydaelyn was before she was Hydaelyn and why she became Hydaelyn, than what Hydaelyn stood for in her time to A'miru now. She's gonna get G'raha to write a book one day.
Arannis, my little fate child, is a different, more simple salad lol. He was brought up in such a flurry of cultures he kind of very quickly learned to nod along and put his faith in "whoever was listening and able to respond" for a long time so holy shit was he surprised when she started actually responding. He wasn't in a position to be picky, she was gentle and seemed kind and to harbor no ill intent so he was on board pretty quickly. He got mildly worried when she got really quiet during Stormblood, but the anomaly had been her contact with him in the first place, so her getting quiet felt like how it'd been before, which didn't bother him too much; who was he to demand time with cosmic deities anyway, she probably had a good reason. I think the revelations during Shadowbringers was just a touch beyond Arannis' comprehension tbh, I don't think he fully understood the implications until he went to Elpis and saw it himself, very much a visual learner that one, you gotta draw it out for him, not explain with words- probably why he didn't mind the echo visions tbh. When he was in Elpis Venat felt like a sibling, something Arannis never really had but kind of always wanted bc everyone around him had siblings and he was the only only child. Arannis wasn't as eager to get down and see Hydaelyn, he deals with loss a lot better and he doesn't have the anxiety driven over protectiveness that A'miru struggles with. He wasn't upset he had to fight her and see her leave. This was it, this was the culmination of her work and it was her way of finally going back to the star, he fully got that and knew she'd be fine, almost felt honored to be a part of it even. But then he knew that if she'd done it, that they'd have to do it; they'd have to succeed and boy that pressure did something to him for a minute. I think Arannis cares a bit more about what Hydaelyn was in his time to people than A'miru does, I think he thinks about the people who are or were like him growing up and just praying to someone who bears no ill intent and will listen and how important that can be to a person.
