#efnisien

[gingersnaptaff]

Thinking about Manawydan, Bendigeidfran and Branwen today and how they all must've felt to have their lives upended by the carnage again Matholwch's steeds their half-brother - slighted, hot-tempered, bitter Efnisien - committed.

Do you think they realised when the grooms brought the news, or did they have an inkling before then? Did they hear the steeds' screams but just dismissed them as being the howls of the sea or an owl? Do you think Branwen knew Matholwch was an abusive man after she was greeted with cold silences from him once she'd awoken, or do you think she only found out after they returned to Ireland? Did she foresee the destruction her summons would cause lot before she made the plea?

Do you think Bendigeidfran had an inkling of his demise at the hands of a poisoned speartip? Did the ravens whisper it to him? Crowed it in his ear alongside visions of his head being cut off, being buried, being dug up in a hubristic fit by a King who'd perish in battle just as he'd done. Did he give Matholwch the Pair Dadeni as a gift without thinking about the consequences, or did he know of them - of the conflict that might ignite - because he was the son of the sea and the sea knows all?

And Manawydan. Do you think he knew he'd be the only one of his siblings left behind? That he'd have no home to go back to, no kingdom, no family? Did his perceptiveness fail him, his kingship now in tatters?

(Do you think he blamed himself for hailing Matholwch back once the Irish boats had crashed back into the tide, steadily sailing away without their bride? And yet... he still persuaded the Irish king to return because his older brother, his lord wanted to build a bridge?)

[suis0u]

Not quite happy with it yet but let’s see~..

It’s been far too long since I’ve made a fanart for one of your stories @not-poignant, ha.

[utb-art-dump]

Is it a possibility to see Polly appear in any of your artworks?? Anyway, love your stuff and keep doing what you’re doing <3

And behold:

[Insert montage of efnisien taking various pet photos, as he should]

Thanks for the request!

[not-poignant]

Have you been surprised by the popularity of any of your characters? Characters you weren’t sure would catch on but became loved?

Anon, I've been surprised by the popularity of nearly all of my characters.

Augus and Gwyn started out as side "throwaway" OCs in a fanfic because I needed an Unseelie and Seelie representative.

And like, *gestures to all of Fae Tales* - That wasn't a plan! That wasn't meant to be a thing!!

And then, Ash was meant to be a throwaway foil to his brother and *gestures wildly at Ash*

And then like, Efnisien literally gets killed before we even meet him in Game Theory and *gestures to all of everything re: Falling Falling Stars and Underline the Rainbow*

And then also Dr Gary wasn't even supposed to have proper chapters in Falling Falling Stars and *gestures so wildly at that story and Underline and then screeches like a dinosaur*

Seriously none of my original writing on AO3 would exist if it wasn't for two throwaway OCs in a fanfic gaining popularity and getting so many questions about them from the most wonderful anons and readers that eventually I had to take them more seriously to the point that I finally had enough to write a story.

And even THEN it was only supposed to be 3 chapters of hatefucking.

My original writing career can be defined by just saying 'OH OOPS' in more extreme ways each time.

It's gotten to the point where I'm truly tempted to introduce characters from new worlds upcoming as side characters in current worlds lmao, because I feel this is a bizarre skill I have and didn't know I had until one day I was like 'wait.'

[arkanacore]

Constellations era Efnisien ✨️ @not-poignant 's sillies have been living in my walls fr

[fluister]

A stormy night with Gary and Efnisien (and Polly) Happy birthday @not-poignant! Hope you had a wonderful day!

[eruscreaminginthedistance]

Category 5 autism moment in Caerdydd tonight as local Mabinogi fangirl explodes at Cymraeg production of Branwen, injuring hundreds

[charzea]

oops, more art.

This is fanart of ,,Underline the black’‘ by @not-poignant 

I was kind of planning to keep Dr gary faceless in my art, but i couldn’t help it. It was kind of fun to mess around with the design. I might keep him faceless if i do any other art after this. Efnisien will likely be the one to fall victim to my color studies more often because his curly hair is way too fun to play with :)

[mythoughtfulwindow]

Suuuper quick doodle of a scene from @not-poignant’s original story “Spoils of the Spoiled”!

[livingmeat]

Dr Gary & Efnisien having fun time

Feel free to color it yourself, I would love to see how it turns out

[gingersnaptaff]

I do think that in the Mabinogion the family of Llŷr is the chillest bunch, but Efnisien is just there lurking in the background with a steel chair to ruin everybody's day. Even when he's not slashing the Irish entourage's horses to ribbons he's just fuckin doing his best to stir the pot. He thrives on chaos. He and Gwydion would be buds but they'd also LOATHE each other, I feel.

Both are brothers who always feel like outsiders to me.

Efnisien because he is literally always on the periphery of his family unit and therefore is an unknown quantity in regards to things, and Gwydion because he is like a panther or lynx just stalking, stalking, stalking, wanting the best outcome to benefit himself, uncaring of those caught in the crossfire. I think they have very similar views of the world.

Unrepentant and unapologetic, that's how they are.

I don't think Efnisien would've apologised in such a drastic way if he hadn't thought 'fuck, I'll die too,' and thrown himself in the cauldron rather than face-off against an Irishman. And even then it's hardly an apology. He gets away scot-free with being the one who incited war. The Irish court's treatment of his half-sister was because of him.

And Gwydion?

He never apologises.

Not to Goewin. Not to Aranrhod. Not even to Pryderi's shade. Even Lleu - his son (ostensibly, yes, his nephew but Gwydion is his father. The text says as much although it's read between the lines) the literal ruler of Gwynedd after Math's death - is never seen as anything other than an extension by Gwydion of himself.

Also, both, I think, treat the women in their families as disposable or, certainly, nothing more than obstacles. Efnisien isn't cut up about Branwen's engagement. He's just angered that Brân and Manawydan, and presumably Nisien, didn't involve him in the negotiations. And when he chucks Gwern into the fire and sees his half-sister try to jump into the flames too he just let's her do so without a care.

And Gwydion? Well, his treatment of Goewin is startlingly horrid. And then Aranrhod? He raped her and humiliated her, just as he and Gilfaethwy did to Goewin. And then when she, rightfully, wants to be left alone and not be confronted with this son - who she, by the way, doesn't want to acknowledge - he forces her to break the tyngedau she set upon Lleu at great personal humiliation.

I just think there's a lot to be said for these two. Both are very much concerned with their places in the world and the pecking order.

Fuck everybody else.

[suis0u]

Cleaned all the lines (ignore the hand, please) and since it’s all still on transparent paper, next step will bevor copy everything on the actual drawing paper~.

Not quite happy with it yet but let’s see~..

It’s been far too long since I’ve made a fanart for one of your stories @not-poignant, ha.

[utb-art-dump]

Well needed rest

[not-poignant]

imagining Efnisien moodily lying in the rain outside, on the grass, while puddles form around him, and Arden's inside making comfort food or something.

And Efnisien's contemplating the world, and staring at the rain falling down around him, staring up at the clouds and the speckles of rain and feeling sad about something.

And suddenly he hears running footsteps and a 'yEAAARRRGHH!!!!' and Kadek appears and starts violently stomping into all the puddles around him with the energy of 4,000 people powered by gado gado or something, and Efnisien has no choice but to sit up and be like... annoyed and fond at the same time because it is pretty distracting from a down mood

[tearlessrain]

ah branch 2 of the mabinogion aka "god fucking damn it efnisien"

[wildbasil]

hahah this is how my cat looks at my partner