[Comm] Treats Solve Many Problems

Astro smiled as he watched his two tiny Uniqors romping in front of him and Hutch as they knelt together. Hutch, he'd first discovered when he'd come to the succubun's shop for help, had a little fenced area specifically for training imps . The other bun had gestured Astro over to it eagerly once he'd explained his issue, and there they were, with what felt like a small mountain of treats nearby.

As he watched, Meteor tossed his head, running headlong at Comet and nearly bowling the other little imp over. Comet recovered quickly enough, though, twisting himself back to all four feet with a smooth motion and bucking his tiny hooves at Meteor, who wheeled out of the way just before the feet made contact with his face. Astro barely managed to restrain himself from blurting out a distressed shout, remembering what Hutch had just been saying - "You can't make sudden loud noises around them, Astro, they'll just get startled themselves! So, try your best to control that instinct, okay?" about how best to communicate with the imps. He envied their calm demeanor, he thought to himself wistfully, and how easily and effortlessly they seemed to interact with all the imps.

"Here, Astro," Hutch was saying, and he snapped back to himself, looking over at them as they held out a steadying hand to the Uniqors. "Take a treat and show it to them-" Astro did as instructed, holding out the little biscuit, which Comet noticed first and began to gallop over.
"- and now," the pride succubun was saying, "wait for them to calm down first before letting them eat it! You want the imps to associate you with treats and good things, but you also want them to learn something from the experience - they have to act nicely and calmly to get what they want."

Astro studied the little Uniqor in front of him with great focus, holding the imp treat just out of reach and murmuring soothingly and softly, "Good Comet…that's it, calm for me…" Comet did a couple quick spins and leaps at first, trying to reach the treat, then looked between Astro's face and the little biscuit he held. Finally, they settled down, standing still and looking up at their owner almost expectantly. Astro grinned, glancing quickly over at his companion and then back to Comet, before giving the little imp their treat with added praise. "Exactly! See, I knew you could do it!" He encouraged, watching fondly as the treat seemed to disappear in mid-air as it was consumed. He'd never grow tired of wondering exactly how they ate those treats with no mouths.

"Yes, that's it! Alright!" Hutch cheered too, and Astro felt some pride swell within him. Hutch patted his shoulder, handing him another treat for Meteor this time. "Okay, you practice that with them for a few minutes, and I'm going to get our resident Impup…we have one who's very well-mannered, so I like to use them to get imps used to others. Carry on!" Astro nodded, his focus back on his imps as they jostled for a proper position in front of him.

A short time and what seemed like a couple dozen treats (but was, in all actuality, much fewer) later, the two Uniqors were sitting patiently in front of him as he heard Hutch return from the back of the Imporium. The small bun announced his presence quietly enough, and as Astro glanced up, he saw they carried an Impup in their arms, the little tail curled around Hutch's wrist and their ears drooping slightly over their face. He glanced nervously at the pair in front of him, who stood up again as they smelled - or sensed, perhaps, he wondered - the new arrival. Comet lowered his head and widened his stance, while Meteor nervously trotted back a few steps. Astro shifted closer to his companions, offering them more imp treats, as Hutch came closer and knelt again.

"Alright - this is Daisy! Oh, I see - they're a little scared, huh?" Hutch observed, as they shifted the lazy Impup in their arms. "Well, don't worry, Daisy has a really awesome disposition, calm and gentle and the nicest little Impup you could hope for. That's why I introduce other imps to them for the first time, see - she has a way of getting them to calm down." They lowered Daisy to the floor, even as Comet stamped a hoof in warning. Astro scrambled to feed them a few treats in a row, making soothing noises as he did so, until their attention was on him instead of the offending Impup.

Astro was so absorbed in tending to Comet and Meteor, coaxing the latter out with some extra special treats he'd hidden up his sleeve - a pair of black sesame dango - that he barely noticed Hutch at his shoulder until the other bun nudged him gently with an elbow. "You're doing great," the shop owner told him with an encouraging smile. "You know, I don't usually approve of feeding imps dango in these situations, but that one made out of sesame seeds? That one I don't mind." Astro grinned in relief as the shy Meteor tottered forward, nibbling away at the proffered dango.

Before long, he and Hutch were sitting criss-cross in the middle of the training area, with two slightly wary but much, much calmer Uniqor and a sleepy Impup between them. Daisy perked up at the treat Hutch dangled in front of her and took a few steps closer, stopping and cocking her head at Hutch as they gave the bow command. She dipped elegantly into a bow, head lowering before straightening up again and sitting politely, and the treat vanished as soon as it was offered. Astro watched his Uniqors closely, and in turn they seemed to be studying the other imp just as closely as well.

***

He never would've believed it, given the hostility and fear his imps had come into the Imporium with towards Impups, but Hutch worked wonders, Astro thought in amazement. Well, Hutch, a boatload of imp treats, and one very patient Impup, that was.

Comet was nuzzling the inky black Impup with gentle motions, making a soft little snuffling noise, and Meteor was curled up next to them, his long nose resting against his back hooves. Daisy stood up, stretching her paws, and Hutch raised up a hand as if they'd just had a thought. "Oh, I know- before you go, let's try this!" They produced another imp treat and gestured to Daisy, then to Comet. "Okay - bow, Daisy! Now," another treat in their other hand, held out towards Comet, and Hutch added, "Comet - bow for us!"As Astro watched, the two imps, facing each other now thanks to Hutch's skillful maneuvering, bowed to each other, then gobbled up their treats as Astro laughed in delight. "Look at that! They learn so quickly," he marveled, leaning over and scooping Comet up into his arms as the Uniqor squeaked and whinnied happily.