part of the reason i like bethany so much is that in-game she is a deeply unhappy, v frightened young woman who has no narrative choice but to be forced into a situation that completely fucks her over. but more agency makes her more resentful. there is smth peaceful to her abt accepting what the world says abt ppl like her and accepting life in the circle in a way it is NOT possible for her to do as a warden, even as being a warden allows her to use her magic as she pleases, to take an active role in her own life, to not rely on others for her safety and comfort, the latter being smth she hates.
but she gets slotted into a fandom role of sweet baby sister who's this forgiving, nurturing force for good, perpetual tragic victim, and that's if she's not a total afterthought. she's the good, palatable mage to anders' erratic aggressor. HE'S canonically The Healer. and yet somehow, even tho her skill tree reflects a much more vested interest in elemental magic like fire and ice, i see a lot of her being typecast as an archetypal healer.
the majority of anders' skill tree is abt healing in some form or fashion!! bethany's skill tree expands into force magic! violence!!!
and so bethany should be all in on anders' whole deal, but in the dlcs, if you play them post-circle/warden bethany, she's so impatient w him — they don't have the same ease they do in act 1. anders is fighting an uphill battle even w ppl who are ostensibly his allies to just fucking believe him. bethany, like a lot of mages i would bet, sees no future where she just gets to exist, and she's trying to live her life w as little damage as possible while accepting that who she is means she has to accept some level of damage.
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