#especially after the mage underground gets decimated between acts

[kirkwallfightclub]

I can’t stop thinking about the dynamic in act 3 between non-mage Hawke (newly family-less), Anders (an open-secret apostate only still free because of his relationship with one of the most untouchable people in Kirkwall) and Meredith (aware of all of this), because. Bethany is in the circle. In the Kirkwall Circle. In the fucking Gallows.

Like no wonder Anders didn’t tell Hawke — no matter how much love was there or how much their politics aligned. His biggest enemy has the ultimate trump card. Even without taking his self-esteem issues into account, there’s no world in which Anders thinks he’s coming out on top over the last remnant of Hawke’s family (and he could very well be right), but even then. If he cost Hawke the last family they had left, that’s hardly better is it? So no, he has to go it alone or he risks forcing a standoff that can only end in tragedy.

#anders #dragon age #da2 #feel weird about tagging this because. this is barely coherent but hey let’s see #also. sorry if this has been said before this game *is* twelve years old #and I’ve only just played it this last couple months #but fuck it’s making me insane #the (watsonian) reasons why Meredith doesn’t imo are: anders isn’t that important grand scheme #especially after the mage underground gets decimated between acts #(though I feel the fact that he’s blatant *and* in general makes mages sympathetic to everyday kirkwallers is hardly negligible) #but also she just isn’t ready to push Hawke that far. yet. (or give up Bethany as a buffer to discourage Hawke taking actions against her) #but thinking about it from anders’ (and hawke’s) (and Bethany’s for that fucking matter) perspective is. ruining my brain #the doyalist reason is because that would be too much variation for a potential 1/6 of the audience #and also because they uh. ran out of time and money and act 3 was a hot mess #(said as if the rest of the game was particularly smooth sailing) #hm. #anyway riches and wonders is the hawke anders act 3 song and I’m being so so brave about it.