#gwilingang

Oh you bet your bottom dollar there is. Or, I guess, 'are'? I preface my response here stating that this is all specifically regarding Farmboy Gwilin (of the FGCU).

Aicantar – He is well-read in history and archeology, like his uncle, which Gwilin loves, since his reading tastes are similarly inclined. Aicantar scratches a scholarly itch for Gwilin–he never the had the opportunity to participate in an academic setting himself, and isn’t even sure the experience would’ve been all that gratifying for him, but you just know he’d relish the chance to be able to live out that unrealized dream vicariously through Aicantar. Plus, think of all the steamy nights spent in that museum in Markarth, where you’re not sure which you like best: the heat coming off of your lover’s skin, or the heat being released from the steam of the Dwarven machinery turning all around you.

Urzoga gra-Shugurz – God I love her so much. And Gwilin would, too! He’d get into a tumultuous relationship with her after they bump into each other on the road while she’s transporting prisoners. “Outta my way, beanpole,” she’d say, and it would be love at first sight for him. Gwilin would learn that Urzoga isn’t as scathing as she seems, once you get to know her (she has a soft spot for theatre, and, like Gwilin, is a skilled woodworker). She’d propose after like three months of them seeing each other. Gwilin would say yes, but later realize they rushed into things, and they’d part ways. Later on, they’d bump into each other on the road again, and start in on that familiar, ill-advised script: “Why did we ever split up?” “How come it didn’t work out between us?” etc etc.

Lurbuk – They’d meet while Gwilin was staying at Moorside. Lurbuk would confess to him, after a few drinks, the deep insecurities he feels regarding his abilities as a bard, and Gwilin would assure him he’s heard worse, which would disarm him immediately. They’d totally hit it off because, despite having little musical talent, he’d discover Lurbuk is incredibly well-versed in musical theory, and really does possess the heart and soul of a poet. A few kisses later, and Gwilin and him would find themselves in a long-distance relationship carried out by courier. Lurbuk is a pillow princess and Gwilin is a sub vers, so the sex they’d have whenever they’d get to see each other isn’t explosive or whatever, but neither of them consider sex to be a focal point of their relationship and there’s a lot of love and trust, so it’s always fun for them, regardless.

More generally, Gwilin would have a FIELD DAY with the ladies in Riften. I’ve mentioned this before, but he often travels there with Temba to make deliveries and chummies up to the barkeeps of all the places he visits so they give him pointers for good spots to go to draw or people they think would be willing to act as models for him. I could totally see him chatting with Keerava at The Bee and Barb one night, and when he asks her who might be willing to be his muse, she's like “Well, it's just for art's sake, right? You ever draw an Argonian?"

Gwilin would go into it very professionally, but Keerava would come on to him halfway through the sitting and he'd fold like a lawn chair. He’d have similar trysts with Constance Michel, Marise Aravel, and Nivenor (who he’d later feel very gross for having slept with, because she’s an asshole). This happens for two main reasons: 1.) Gwilin’s got paramour energy out the wazoo and 2.) Riften is a city of corruption, greed, and paranoia where most folks spend their days either fretting over who might plunge a dagger into their back, or plotting who they’ll be plunging that very dagger into next. Gwilin is a sensitive artist who cares little for money or status and trusts easily. You can put two and two together here.

The two people from Riften he’d have more of an intimate relationship with are Threki and Valindor. He’d throw himself into Threki’s arms completely, falling head over heels for her and her commitment to speaking out against Ulfric even from within prison. He’d plan her escape with the help of Valindor, and end up falling in love with him as well, in the process–for many reasons, not the least of which is Valindor got to grow up in Valenwood, as Gwilin never did, and so being with him helps him feel connected to his culture. They would make a lovely throuple <3

Now in regards to Temba, Gwilin has a HUGE crush on her, which he would never ever try to materialize because he’s afraid of what would happen if they got together and then broke up. He doesn’t think Temba would be the kind to want to stay friends, so he’d probably lose his job and have to leave Ivarstead. He’d hate for that to happen. After all, Wilhelm and Lynly are his very best friends on Nirn :D

Final point insofar as NPCs: the College of Winterhold has an intricate polycule Gwilin has been trying to integrate himself into for years, but he never makes it past the initial screening process. Too intense for him. Doesn’t mean he’ll stop trying, though. hehe

In short, the personality traits which most meld with Gwilin are those that are reflections of, but at the same time extensions of himself. Humor is central to any relationship he maintains, romantic or otherwise, and he infuses it into the loudest, most exciting moments as easily as he does into the quietest, most intimate ones. He loathes affluence. He fits in best with people of an equally strong or stronger personality than his own. Any benign impulse he has, he absolutely must follow through on, though it's easy to talk him out of something that could get him hurt if you know him well enough. Finally, sexually speaking, he loves having his efforts to take the lead be frustrated (he enjoys being indulged in this regard).

Below you'll find some graphics I made to illustrate some of the personality traits/interests involved in the first three relationships I described, just to give an idea of how they'd bounce off of/complement each other.

can you tell i'm autistic

hey! name's Priafey :3

24

autistic

dialectical materialist

tbh creature incarnate

i'm an 'anti' aka a normal person

any pronouns

self-appointed president of the gwilin fanclub

on ao3, bluesky, artfight, blips, bitview and discord as priafey

feel free to repost, edit, meme on, or otherwise use my art for whatever you need

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Now just hold it right there...

Ever wanted to see Gwilin getting downright vampiric?

NOW YOU CAN! ⤵️

Among The Many Lost Souls

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If you'd like to ask me a question, clear up a concern about something I wrote in a review, have a general comment about the blog or about Gwilin, etc., this is the category for you! I'll tag asks or submissions of this kind under "hi1quastion".

(Pro tip: feel free to ask me literally anything you're curious about. You won't offend me or come off as weird if you're sincere, I promise.)

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These are the posts I'll make when my brain starts climbing up the walls at the thought of Gwilin. Basically it's just random thoughts and rambles about him. These'll be tagged under "rentfree".

This kind of post will feature drawings, pictures, crafts, memes, amvs, or other artworks that I've made, usually of Gwilin. Find them tagged under "depictions".

On this blog, we sincerely believe Gwilin stay winning. For that reason, I have put upon myself the task of rating all the possible Gwilins I can get my hands on. Now, what does that mean?

It means I will be scouring the net and posting my reviews of all the varied Gwilins that can be found on it, starting with the most obvious place to look for Gwilins: ao3. Currently, there are 19 fics (updated 03/11/2023) on ao3 tagged "gwilin", each (conveniently) containing one Gwilin (there are, unfortunately, no multi-verse fics with multiple Gwilins in them). I have already read through most of these, but will be re-reading them to write the reviews.

I've decided to separate the Gwilins into two general categories: long-form Gwilins and short-form Gwilins.

Any kind of fanfic featuring an appearance by Gwilin will count as a long-form Gwilin, basing myself on the presupposition that if someone chooses to include a character in their story, it is because they had some plan for that character to contribute to the grand scheme of it somehow, even if it's in a small way. I'm not saying Gwilin needs to be the star of the show. If you're using him, though, make it count, okay? My boy is special.

On the other hand, short-form Gwilins are basically all other blurbs or hints of Gwilin scattered about. Someone made a 10-second YouTube poop Gwilin is in? Mod for the game that affects/alters Gwilin up on Nexus? Doodles/fanart/edits of him? All short-form Gwilins. All contenders for a short review.

The following is a breakdown of the metrics I will be using to rate the long-form Gwilins:

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I. Compellingness

For judging compellingness, I ask myself "Do I want to know more about this Gwilin once I've finished the story?" or "Am I curious what he gets up to in the mundane, the day-to-day?" or "Do I want to live in his mind just to see those cogs turn?"

II. Swagger

Swagger is the most difficult category to judge precisely. Gwilin has some inherent swag, obviously, but I base this rating on how masterfully his swag is presented in the story. Needless to say, cockiness does not equal swag.

III. Talent

What talents are Gwilin imbued with in the story? Talent is the ink that tints the different flavors of Gwilin, so to speak, and illustrating how he expresses himself through his talents is crucial to doing a portrait of him justice.

IV. Backstory

No good Gwilin (although let's be real here, there are no truly "bad" Gwilins) is complete without a backstory that, more than just being riveting, is a reflection of the person he's become in the present. Is the backstory believable, and what does it tell us about why he is who he is, and why he wants what he wants?

IV. Horniness

Self-explanatory.

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Each metric will be rated out of ten, and then the final tally will tell if the Gwilin's up to snuff!

All suggestions for Gwilins of either form for me to review are welcome; if you stumble on any Gwilins, make sure to send them my way with an ask, a DM, or a submission. You can find all these posts tagged under "gotd".

Note: I won't be reviewing any fics tagged with "Rape" or "Non-con". Sensing Gwilin in distress is extremely upsetting for me, not to mention I have a general distaste for ao3's standards of moderation. So of the 19 fics up on ao3, there are three in total that I won't review.