Get Along, Little Mamoo!

Ever since her first visit, Robertus had found the Imporium’s approach to imp-handling downright weird in comparison to how she learned to do it back in the rural area she moved in from.

Of course, her opinion on the matter was greatly outnumbered by the city slickers who startle whenever she uses her lasso to control one of her Mamoo when they run amok. Certainly, most everyone was aware that she wasn't hurting the little things, but their reactions show plain as day that her methods were not commonplace among cityfolk.

All that aside, she still frequented the Imporium, and she never adapted herself to other people's way of doing things.

One day, she was practicing her lassoing on some unused imp-catching equipment with her impup, Brewski, which caught the attention of Hutch.

“Oh! A lasso!” they remarked, curiously but cautiously coming closer, “I-I’ve seen some people here and there use those for imp-wrangling, but I’ve never tried it. Do you use that for your impup?”

Delighted that someone was actually inquiring about it instead of gawking at the weirdo twirling rope around, Robertus grinned at the other bun. “Nah, Brewski here knows his manners. He don't misbehave none. This is for my mamoos.” Careful not to smack Hutch with the rope, she began winding up for another throw. “If any start actin’ unruly, I just-” With a grunt, she threw the lasso and snagged a bag of imp bait. “Like that! If they don't get the message that it's time to circle back, Brewski goes and herds them back to me.”

“Huh…” Hutch placed a hand to their chin. “That sounds like it might be good for imp-catching, too!”

“Yup!” Robertus replied as she walked over to remove her lasso from the bait bag. “That's how we do it out where I’m from. Mostly just for mamoo and other imps you can train to clear weeds.” Wrapping up her lasso into a loose circle, she looked over the imp-catching equipment in the room. “Don't see a lot of what we use in here.”

Humming in thought, Hutch looked around as well. “I guess different parts of Burrowgatory have different ideas about how imp-catching should go.” They absentmindedly patted a cage next to them before an idea filled the empty space. “Y’know! I'm running a bit low on mamoos. If you have time, would you like to catch some with me in a few?”

Robertus beamed. “Why, I would LOVE that! S’been a while since I’ve rounded up some lil’ wild fellers. Thank you!”

While it took Hutch quite a bit of time to get all the supplies they needed to catch imps, Robertus just needed to strap her lasso back to her hip and she was good to go. She would never say it out loud, she was basically a guest in someone else's home, but she did think it silly that cityfolk needed a heaping wagon of equipment just to nab a few imps.

After preparations were done, they headed off to a place where mamoos are likely to be found. Luckily, not too far away was a clear, flat area with hardly any buildings around. A variety of grasses and small shrubs blanketed the ground, ready to be munched on by grazing imps. None were in sight, however.

Robertus was still walking along, looking for a good hunting spot, when Hutch stopped and began setting something up.

Utterly puzzled, Robertus stopped and turned around. “Why d’ya stop walkin’? Feet tired?”

“Huh? Oh! No, I'm fine!” Hutch lifted up a piece of the elaborate setup they were working on. “I'm setting up the trap! This seems like a prime spot, don't you think?”

Cocking a brow, Robertus scanned the surroundings. “Not… really? Pardon if I'm wrong, but I don't see any mamoos out here.”

“Pfft!” A little laugh puffed out of Hutch. “Well, yeah! You have to lure them out!”

Right… cityfolk like their traps that get dirty for them. “Always made more sense to me to just keep moving ‘til you see one, and then ya corral it into the cage.” Robertus sat down next to Hutch and watched as they worked. “I ain't sayin’ y’all’s way is wrong, I know them newfangled virtues like patience are getting popular here, but farm folk got too many things to do. Back there, we can't sit around and wait for imps to come around and wander into a trap.”

Hutch’s working hands slowed as they thought. “Hmm… I can understand your viewpoint. Though, I do think our methods are less out of patience and more out of not wanting to run around and accidentally spook the imps away.”

“Fair enough, I s’pose,” Robertus responded with a shrug.

After a few more tweaks, Hutch's trap was set and ready. The two buns and the impup hid behind a particularly large shrub a little ways away to watch from afar.

It didn't take nearly as long as Robertus was dreading for a mamoo to show up. Seemed like luring out the critters instead of chasing them out of hiding was a good tactic after all.

The mamoo sniffed the air, having definitely noticed the scent of the bait. Curiously, it approached the trap as if the sweet aroma was pulling it on a leash.

Then… it stopped. It was just outside of the trap’s range. Hutch and Robertus both looked on, holding their breaths.

Suddenly, the mamoo turned around and started running away!

“Damn! It must've recognized the trap!” Hutch said through gritted teeth. “I guess we gotta let that one go…”

Robertus didn't hear their words, though. The moment the mamoo took off, she was dashing after it, lasso swinging at her right side while Brewski charged on her left.

Swift as they were, the mamoo was starting to get away from them, and it would soon be out of lassoing range. It was now or never.

With a huge swing, Robertus threw the lasso and managed to get it to hug around its tiny midsection. Not wanting to hurt the little thing, Robertus held tight but didn't pull the mamoo in. Instead, she let Brewski go forward and herd the other imp back to her. Once it was close, she quickly grabbed it with her hands and held it close to her chest, cradling it.

“Now, now, you're alright,” she cooed at it, “Simmer on down, we won't hurt ya.”

Soon after, Hutch caught up, a little out of breath. “That was incredible! I thought we’d lost that one! I’m glad you came along with me!” They looked at the mamoo and gently petted its head. “Poor thing looks really stressed, though. I guess we have to make it up to it by feeding it a bunch of treats when we get back, huh?”

Smiling wide, Robertus gently rubbed the mamoo’s cheek with her thumb as she continued holding it close. “I reckon so!”

Carefully, the two succubuns guided the newly-caught imp into a cage. Of course, they gave it a little bit of the bait that it wanted to hold it over until the pampering session it would receive at the Imporium.

On the way back, Hutch and Robertus had a nice discussion about what combination of their imp-catching tricks would be the best to use the next time they do this.

Maybe cityfolk ways of doing things really weren't as weird and pointless as Robertus had thought.