datadiving | this is fun and we have fun here

Someone probably switched around the salt and sugar when they were making cookies. Or unscrewed the cap on the salt shaker so when they went to salt their food they got a whole pile of it.

I'd hate it too if it happened to me.

I guess. But we use salt all the time for purifying stuff, so maybe only some daemons hate it cos of cooking...?

[ Look at this itty bitty brains trust going on here. ]

Oh. Right.

[That makes way more sense, actually.]

So does that mean you could purify a daemon with a salty cookie?

[gasp!]

We should totally try that! It'd be awesome!

Um, maybe... [ His common sense is kicking in here and he's starting to go 'wait', which will be a familiar sensation in days to come. ]

Are we allowed to do that? I don't think we're supposed to summon daemons...

We aren't supposed to do a lot of things. But that's just because grownups are boring. I bet they wouldn't think of defeating daemons with cookies.

[He doesn't stop to think there might be a reason for that.]

Think about what'll happen if we do! We'll be heroes!

[He throws his arms up in the air for emphasis]

But what if it doesn't work? We'd need a way to send it back, right? [ Ekkehardt has enough responsibility for forward planning, at least.

...Not enough to give a hard no to the plan, but. It's something. ] If we're going to summon a daemon, we should be really prepared.

Oh, right. It could dodge it, huh?

[He frowns.]

And I left my sword at home.

[His wooden sword. That wouldn't do anything to a daemon.

Also, he has no idea how to summon a daemon.]

Well... We'll do it next time! You pick out the daemon and I'll get everything together. I can try and get you a sword, too.

[ Ekkehardt could definitely just not agree to this plan at all and- ]

Sure. I'll ask my father. [ His dad knows everything and taught him basically all he knows about spiritual stuff so clearly, summoning a demon is within his knowledge base!! ] I've got a weapon, too! I didn't bring it with me, though.

[ spoilers it's a knife ] But I'll bring it next time.

[ And Ekkehardt has no idea when he'll see this kid again or even if he'll see him at all?? But this sure is happening. Demon summoning plans.

And he still has no idea he's talking to the prince of the kingdom. It's fine. ]

[It's another week before Avery shows up again, and when he slinks away from his servants anf finds Ekkehardt, it's easy to tell that he's sulking, even with his mask fully covering his face.]

They wouldn't let me help with the cookies. But I managed to steal a couple salt shakers.

Oh, you came back! [ He didn't actually expect it to happen, but he's clearly pleased to see Avery. He has some books and a knife in a fancy sheath that he's carefully holding. He is Responsible Enough For Knives Without Supervision, which is a sacred parent-child trust bond.

For him, anyway. ]

Salt shakers are good. That should definitely be enough. You brought your sword too, right?

Edited 2019-03-20 16:12 (UTC)

Y, Yeah!

[He turns around and jerks his thumb in the direction of the toy sword strapped to his back and suddenly he can't help but feel a bit inadequately prepared.

He didn't think Ekkehardt would have a real knife on him, especially when his own parents don't trust him around many sharp objects for some reason.

Honestly he's a little jealous.]

[ For better or worse Ekkehardt either sees the nervousness and decides not to mention it, or genuinely doesn't notice, or interprets it as excitement. It's hard to tell. ]

My father said it's okay to summon small ones, so we should be fine. [ Famous last words.

He uses the knife to carve an array into the ground, etching it in hard and making sure there's no gaps.

He looks at the books, and then at Avery. ] Do you wanna pick one?

[Small ones. That makes some sense he guesses. Though it seems to him they'd be harder to hit.

He takes a moment to page through the book, eyes narrowed and lips turned downward into a thoughtful frown. After a moment, he nods and turns the book around to show Ekkehardt.]

This guy looks good.

[The daemon in question looks rather vicious, maybe a little too much so, but it looked like the biggest small guy out there.]

This one should be easy to hit.

[ He glances at it for a moment, and then nods. This is a plan with no possible chance of flaw or error! ] He looks like a pretty big target. That's good!

[ Is it good?? Probably not, but THE ARRAY IS ALREADY CARVED, THEY'RE GONNA DO IT. ]

Oh, you need some blood for him... That's okay, though, I can do it. [ He cuts his finger on the knife with an alarming amount of no hesitation whatsoever because that's his idea of being responsible - he's the one who brought the books so any potential repercussions with the summoning will be on him instead.

He lets it drip into the array. ] Okay, all ready. We can summon him now!

[Avery nods and carefully balances the book open in one hand, holding his other one out towards the array. Whether or not it actually will improve the incantation he doesn't know, but mages in stories and real life seem to do it from time to time, so surely there has to be more to the action than being overdramatic, right?

The wind slowly begins to pick up as he reads through the incantation, the blood that Ekkehardt freely gave somehow managing to spread and fill every line of the carved sigil despite how little had spilled, glowing brighter and brighter until--]

AH--! HEY!

[The book tumbles from his hands as one of his attendants runs over to Avery at top speed and tucks him under his arm]

Your Highness! What in the world were you doing?!

N, Nothing! We had it covered! Promise!

[He wiggles around in the poor, beleaguered attendant's grip to no avail, only managing to knock his mask loose to hang around his neck.]

We were just fine! Right, Ekkehardt?

[ He blinks, kind of processing that oh this is the prince for possibly the first time since they've met.

He'll probably get in trouble for this. But Ekkehardt knows his father will understand, and he doesn't know how Avery's parents will react, so he makes a quick decision. ]

Yeah.

It was my fault, though. I encouraged him and brought the books and everything.

[ He glances down at the array and scuffs it out quickly, breaking the circle. The light goes out. ]

So don't be mad at him.

[Avery stops struggling and stares at Ekkehardt, eyes wide behind the curtain of his long bangs.]

Huh? Wait...

[His caretaker shakes his head.]

I see... Please refrain from doing so again, young man. And if I were you, I would seriously reconsider any future summoning hobbies.

[Avery knows that tone. It's the sort of disapproval that tells him he might not be allowed to see his new friend again.

It sets him struggling and screaming with enough fury that the poor, long-suffering caretaker ends up dropping him, and Avery rushes to stand in front of Ekkehardt.]

I said it was my idea! So leave him alone!

[ He just bows his head, entirely accepting (at least for now). ]

Yes, sir. I'll make sure to follow your advice, now and in the future.

[ He doesn't expect Avery to defend him, but he not-so-gently elbows him and shakes his head. It's okay, you don't need to.

He's trying to convey that general sentiment without words, but how well that's getting across is..debatable. ]

[Avery frowns and elbows him back]

So it's fine! We can still hang out!

[The man sighs heavily]

Your Highness...

And... And if we can't, I'll run away into the woods!

[And now the poor caretaker is putting his head in his hands, letting out a muffled groan]

[ He feels kind of sorry for this poor guy, actually...but Avery's proclamation distracts him. ]

You shouldn't run into the woods! It's too dangerous by yourself. [ This will probably happen anyway in the future though.

Also yes he is kind of implying he's been in there enough to say that it's dangerous but by yourself. ] If something weird gets you then we're never going to get to hang out again!

this is fun and we have fun here

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if you want to timeskip ahead feel free to btw

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