#einkil

“Why are you wearing that? We’re at a wedding!”

Murmur blinked down at Einkil. “Any wedding that doesn’t accept this outfit as acceptable is not one that I want to attend.”

“It’s not appropriate for a noble’s wedding in the capital, Murmur.” the warlock shot back.

Murmur looked down at their clothes. A white pirate shirt open to the navel was positioned just right to discreetly hide their chest. Tight, light pink pants clung to their legs and showed off the muscle from a lifetime of working at the sea. Teal boots and a teal scarf wrapped around their head completed their godex Mazu’s colors. They glanced back up at Einkil and grinned, two rows of sharp teeth making them look predatory. 

“Who knows? Maybe this party,” Murmur tilted their head in Flora and Jibril’s direction, “needs two sugar babies.”

Einkil spluttered and flushed, frantically looking around to see if someone heard them while Jibril let out a long sigh. 

“I don’t know, Einkil. I think Murmur’s right.” Flora piped up, a mischievous grin spreading across her face, “While it’s nice that Tirion gives you magic, some more gold would be nice. To help out with the adventuring funds, of course.”

“See? Flora and I are just watching out for the good of the party. We don’t all come from rich families, Einkil.” Murmur placed their hand on the dwarf’s shoulder in mock seriousness.

Jibril shook her head, long pink hair shimmering in the flickering flames of the torches surrounding the outdoor venue. She turned on her heel, calling over her shoulder, “I’m going to go find us a place to sit. Come look for me when you are ready to be mature.”

Murmur stuck out their tongue and sneered. “Come back to us when you’re ready to have fun!” They paused, then muttered quietly “Besides--I’m older than you.” 

“Murmur can you please keep it down! Besides, most of the guests are happily married nobles so it’s not like you could find someone anyway!” Einkil dug the heels of his palms into his eyes and shook his head, as if that would somehow clear Murmur from his sight.

The cleric huffed out a breath in annoyance, then pulled their scarf up to cover their mouth. “Fine Einkil. I will not cause any international incidents by wooing a very rich noble just for you. Besides, I think Hoar might get jealous. You know how he is.”

Einkil stared at Murmur for a long while, contemplating if murdering a party member would be worth the cause. Unfortunately, they were connected to too many gods and would be helpful in the war. Tragic. 

“Just. Behave yourself, please.” he turned to Flora warily. “Both of you.”

Flora raised her hands in defense. “Woah, woah! Don’t look at me! I’m a perfect angel! If a wedding gift or two happens to go missing, well, it’s not like a noble will miss it. After all, they’ll be donating it to a worthy cause: us!”

Einkil glared at the two before stalking off after Jibril without a word. Murmur laughed, eyes crinkling over their scarf. 

They glanced down at the gnome before gesturing to Einkil’s retreating form. “I guess we better join them so they can’t blame us when something inevitably goes wrong.” 

“Not really.” Einkil groans to Murmurs question, not bothering to lift his head from the brand new dining room table they’d dragged into the manor. He’s usually very proud of his ability to stave off a hangover, but the bottle he only remembers being described to him by a shopkeeper as “good, cheap whiskey” certainly did the job. They’d been celebrating the official completion of the remodeling, the boys having actually made a friend in town and acquiring permission to sleep over (and gods, Einkil having to pretend to be the single father of two adopted rascals while talking to a kind and unassuming halfling woman while Murmur and Flora absolutely lost it ten feet behind her was probably just as bad a headache as the one he was sporting now). Einkil remembers up until perhaps his third drink, sitting in the living room with everyone, for one night not worrying about the gods or the end of the world, confident in their wards and their plans. There’s a fuzzy memory of Flora suggesting truth or dare, discovering that Jibril had never played, then...nothing. Einkil groans and turns his head to the side.

“You called Tirion.” Murmur says, taking a bite of pancake but looking at him out of the side of their eye, smirking when he sits bolt upright.

“I what?” Einkil asks, a little too loudly. Murmur laughs and sets their fork down.

“You were all ‘Guys I think I love him’ and ‘I’m gonna just say hiiiii it’s been like, three days’ it was gross.” Flora interjects, wearing a similar grin. Einkil covers his face and groans again.

“I thought it was sweet.” Jibril offers, patting his shoulder softly.

“Did he answer?” Einkil asks between his fingers.

“Not that we could tell, I know sometimes you just kinda, have a conversation in your head, but you fell asleep pretty soon after that.” Flora says. Einkil removes his hands and takes a deep breath.

“I am going up to take a bath, I think.” He says. His food is mostly untouched, but with how bad his head hurts he doesn’t want it.

“Einkil,” Murmur says as he passes, catching his arm, “for what it’s worth, I’m sure he feels the same.” Their face is oddly...sincere, and catches Einkil off guard long enough for them to swat him over the head, which would hurt except a small flash of healing light makes his vision blur and then...his headache fades to nearly nothing. “Mind you, it was super fucking gay.” They add, sticking out their tongue at him.

“What did you? Damnit, thank’s, Murmur. Still going to take that bath.” Einkil gives a weak smile, glad his beard hides most of his blush, and rushes upstairs to his room. He shuts the door and begins shucking his light shirt, only to pause as he notices something on the tomb beside his bed. A single red rose, leaves and thorns still attached. Einkil crosses the room and picks it up carefully. Closing his eyes to breath the smell in for a moment.

“I thought I’d come by when you were uh, more yourself.” A voice from behind him says in ancient elvish. Einkil is getting better at not dropping what he’s holding whenever Tirion shows up, but he can’t suppress the jump. He turns slowly, smiling despite himself at the fey sitting idly on the cushioned ledge under his window.

Diplomat’s Son - Vampire Weekend

If I ever had a chance it's now then

But I never had the feeling I could offer that to you

This song’s actual lyrics don’t totally fit Einkil’s whole schtick, but it’s the song that inspired everything, so it will remain the first on the playlist. There was a lot Einkil could have said when he was stuck at Tirion’s, a strong temptation to just...stay and not look back. Maybe that’s the feywild talking? This snippet is immediately followed by the words “To offer it to you would be cruel//When all I want to do is use, use you”. Take that how you will, I guess.

Fantasy - Superfruit

Evergreen, chemistry

It feels like it's all a dream

We both have secrets

But you got me speechless

Here’s where our story picks up...five (?) days of Feywild, some kind of chemistry, some kind of Deal. “Take me back to your wonderland” and “We’re living in a fantasy”

Any Other World - MIKA

'Cause it's all in the hands of a bitter, bitter man

Say goodbye to the world you thought you lived in

Take a bow, play the part of a lonely, lonely heart

Say goodbye to the world you thought you lived in

So Einkil’s dad might be a little bit of an ass. He’s sent home, still injured from the Feywild, suddenly a scandal after all the work he put into repairing his image from his teenage years. Einkil takes it in stride, or at least, plays his part. But his world won’t ever be the same...

Worldly Matters - Carly Rae Jepsen

I keep on walking, I start ditching all my plans

I wanna climb that cedar tree and leave me in good hands

A scar heals over, a call takes root somewhere in Einkil’s mind. Let’s take a college gap year tour just a little late, what could go wrong? Also, we can do magic now?

World Is Ending - Matt and Kim

Please tell me what you want from me I gave it all i got and the world is ending

And

Told me there is no more laughs all the jokes been told time and a half now

And

There is so many fish in the sea but only a few that really know me now!

And

we wanted to see the world so open up your eyes take a look around you

can't explain it from the start but stories get better as stories fall apart yeah!

New friends, a town burned to the ground, this dwarf is really trying his best, the gods are making that a little hard...And all with the backdrop of not knowing his place or why he’s got the powers he has... Stress Times

Castle on the Hill - Maygen Lacey

Found my heart and broke it here

Made friends and lost them through the years

And I've not seen the roaring fields in so long, I know I've grown

But I can't wait to go home

And

And I miss the way you make me feel, and it's real

We watched the sunset over the castle on the hill

Hey, we’re headed back to his home town! New friends in tow, Einkil reflects a little bit on how much he’s changed in the past months. And the last time he was here...he was a little heartsick (see second lyrics, first line), and very lonely, friends wise. But what could go wrong with seeing Mom?

The second bit just has me picturing a post campaign image of the sun setting over the Keep, the party all gathered and swapping stories. Alternatively, there’s a white stone tower in the feywild, where the sun sets sometimes, when it feels like it.

Bloom - The Paper Kites

In the morning when I wake

And the sun is coming through,

Oh, you fill my lungs with sweetness,

And you fill my head with you

Of course these last two songs are love songs, as of 3/1 I have no excuse not to put them on this playlist. Or, I, Cas, have hesitation, but Einkil is feeling sappy and excited for this upcoming conversation. If anything, this could have been a backdrop way back in Feywild times, some sleepy mornings in that highest room...

No Plan - Hozier

There's no plan, there's no race to be run

The harder the rain, honey, the sweeter the sun

There's no plan, there's no kingdom to come

I'll be your man if you got love to get done

Sit here and watch the sunlight fade

Honey, enjoy, it's gettin' late

There's no plan, there's no hand on the reign

As Mac explained, there will be darkness again