#gwynweekprompt

[animezinglife]

What is it about Gwyneth Berdara that resonated with me?

@gwynweekofficial

My favorite characters are always those who maintain a degree of warmth even despite hardships they've endured, and Gwyn's no exception to this. Despite the evil she experienced, she continues to treat others with dignity, kindness, and that warmth. It's much more difficult to remain kind in a cruel world, and she offers it to others: Nesta, Emerie, Cassian, and Azriel to name a few.

I love too that while she does now fall into that "warrior" category, she leans into her intellect and resourcefulness to make up for physical (and even skill-based) disadvantages she has being smaller and newer to the type of survival the Illyrian warriors would be years ahead of her on. Yes, she's trained by two of the best, but the best trainers in the world can only take a person so far.

Gwyn faces her weaknesses head-on and adapts to them or overcomes them with hard work and determination.

She seems very self-aware and intentional in how she wants to live her life. She doesn't let past evil control her--even if it's something she'll continue to heal from and work through, she doesn't allow that power to go to someone else. She doesn't lash out at people who had nothing to do with it.

She keeps her control but not at the sacrifice of her fun personality. She's still a music nerd and bookworm at heart, and she has the confidence and playfulness to make little quips at Az and throw little comments over her shoulder.

Yet while she is confident in her own abilities, she's not arrogant. She observes and listens to Cassian and Azriel and puts what she learns to practice, even going as far as to train alone at night. She may have a competitive streak, but dedication, courage, and humility are the initial driving factors and the foundation of her decision to train.

As a female martial artist and bookworm myself, it's great to see a character who also has both sides and maintains her smiles and spunk. It's far more authentic representation than the stereotypical cold, stoic, unfeeling type.

She's a loyal friend and a great listener. We'd all be lucky to have a Gwyn in our lives!