The Greystone Bastard (naming lore query)

[Tenkuu]

Yes we do get support (mostly in the form of information) and yes we do (arguably) become friends with the Scions over time, but the only reason they brought you in is because Yda and Papalymo / Y'shtola / Thancred thought you would be a useful asset to the organization. Even they show little concern for your well-being, except a little bit from Minfilia here and there, but I think it should be remembered that she is the one leaning on us more often than it is the other way around. (That bit from her after Nabriales' defeat and Moenbryda's death, man, that kinda rustled my jimmies...)

On the Scions, check the link I posted in another response to you. There is no way that they do not show concern for you. And I feel the need to mention again that by the time they brought you in, you were not exactly much to look at. You had a few monsters and maybe two dungeons under your belt, hardly anything that in and of itself would catch their attention. However, because they had been watching you and bore witness to your righteous character, they knew that you were a good fit for their organization. You need only look at their organization to know this to be true: they are a non-profit secret organization (until the ending of 2.0 anyway) with access to knowledge that few others possess, and which many in the past have been shunned for (and technically speaking, the Garleans would very much still shun you for it). They use this information solely to save Eorzea from its many dangers. Also, with regards to Minfilia, considering that she is burdened with far more responsibilities than you are, it makes sense for her to be the one to lean on you rather than the opposite, and even so you can confide in her. Because you both have the Echo, she feels like she can speak to you in ways that the other Scions might not be able to understand as non-Echo users.

We were emotionally devastated in the wake of the Ul'dah incident, but the point is we were originally brought into the Scions because we were a cool and badass fighter who impressed the local Scion(s), if I recall correctly. That's the point I'm trying to make. (Not sure if valid but servers are down and too tired to wait 8 minutes to check...)

We were cool, but not in the way you mean it. What ultimately led your respective Scion(s) to approach you was your unflinching defense of an innocent woman. You may remember that the fight itself was a joke (just listen to the music that accompanies it); what impressed your respective Scion(s) was your bravery, determination, and willingness to risk yourself for another.

If we stopped doing every bit and errand for everyone who asks it of us, people in general might learn to solve their own problems and let us deal with the big issues that really need our attention, like Primals and Ascians, and we might be freed of Hydaelyn's yoke sooner.

But again, Primals and Ascians are forces we cannot deal with on our own no matter how some may like to say that the Scions don't do much. The simple truth is that they do their job, and you do yours.

While Fray does hold more credence as repressed personality traits, Ilberd also commenting on it hit way too close to home for me - kinda like the scene where Loki tells off Black Widow in the first Avengers movie. And, having soldiered through DRK 30-50 before really touching 3.0's story, it was still very fresh in my mind. (Better closure for 2.x than the MSQ delivered as well, IMO.)

Ilberd has zero credence, he's literally just a raging bull at this point. Since Fray is you, she is merely the negative aspects of you, the insecurities more than anything else. The you that is whole (ie that acknowledges Fray's existence but also has positive emotions) knows how to deal with those, and does so on a daily basis.

As for what we can do without the Scions - we proved in 3.0 that we don't really need them to accomplish great things. We're running with just Alphinaud (largely a diplomat), Tataru (secretary and odd jobs), Yugiri (who may or may not be an official Scion?), and Urianger (who doesn't even show up until the eleventh hour to hand us an Auracite). We do get Y'shtola back and she is helpful, but by that point we've downed two primals, traversed an entire nation and then some, and brought to light truths that had been kept in the dark for a millennium. We accomplished plenty without them, even if we did still have Alphinaud to point the way.

We did absolutely nothing special in 3.0, and most of my frustration with it stems precisely from that. The little we *did* do was uncoordinated and chaotic, and every move we made, whether you like it or not, was overseen by Alphinaud and the authorities in charge in Ishgard. You may call Alphinaud just a diplomat if you wish, but the simple truth is he is a Scion, and is beginning to truly be suited to the role of one. Either way, the chaotic pace of 3.0 alone proves that we are unsuited to not being with the Scions.

Now, what does this all have to do with Haurchefant? Well, when it comes down to it, Minfilia (and by extension, the rest of the Scions more likely than not) "sacrificed" herself so we could get away since we're "Eorzea's hope." Haurchefant's reason for doing so was just because he didn't want to see us get hurt, which puts him closer to a real friend than one made out of convenience in my book. Yes, we saved Francel for him, but the only reason he couldn't do that was because of his station, and he asks nothing further of us. Haurchefant even brings us cocoa to help cheer us up after the Ul'dah incident! (Cf. the Scions, who give you nothing but meager pay and the tools to tackle the Primal of the week on occasion.)

No offense to Haurchefant, but he literally does not have to deal with you on an everyday basis. The Scions, on the other hand, might offer you "meager pay", but their headquarters are your home as much as it is theirs. Since we've already disputed the whole "the Scions protected you because they care about you VS they just protected you because you're the hope of the world", I won't address it again. Also, I said it before, but the Scions' only actual obligations to you are contractual. They are quite literally your co-workers, yet they treat you like family.

People do get better about seeing the Warrior of Light as an actual person in 3.0, with Estinien chastising Alphinaud for knee-jerk deciding to throw us at Ravana. He's even worried when we get back, and admits that he's taken our successes for granted thus far, as if he's realizing for the first time we are people and we can die. After the Vault, the Warrior of Light is in almost a perpetual tranquil fury over Haurchefant's death and, even if you don't choose that dialogue option, vowed to avenge him - they're no longer just running on orders or considering what's best for everyone.

To be fair, what does Estinien know about Alphinaud? To be even fairer, all Estinien does throughout the story is take childish shots at Alphinaud. Estinien is quite literally more immature than Alphinaud, and quite frankly, I don't respect him or his opinion at all. Alphinaud is reasonable so he can take criticism especially when he sees some truth in it, but he also has the tendency to be too hard on himself as of 2.55. I'm pretty certain that it isn't at all the first time that Alphinaud realized that we are normal people, but at the same time, he knows that we are the only ones who can defeat the Primals, so it's not as much of a knee-jerk reaction as Estinien leads him to believe. It's not like I don't agree that we were upset over Haurchefant's death, but there is no way that we stopped considering what was good for everyone, and we certainly didn't stop concerning ourselves with our friends and innocents getting trampled by the Garleans.