Mission Imp-Possible Prompt

Tsubaki’s lip curled as she stepped into Hutch’s imporium. Why did she agree to this again? For as long as she could remember, imps were merely pests that Succubuns wanted to be rid of, herself included. In fact, she used to be somewhat of a pest exterminator in the past. But that was behind her, and times were changing. Now imps were becoming a common sight to see as pets, and Tsubaki needed to know what the deal was. Keep your friends close and your enemies closer, right? 

“Welcome, welcome!” Hutch greeted, a Chirop imp perched on their shoulder. “Are you ready to make some new friends?”

“Ready as I’ll ever be,” Tsubaki murmured, not looking forward to this.

“Is there a particular type of imp you wanted to see or learn about first?” Hutch asked as they pet the imp on their shoulder. 

“Not really.” Tsubaki answered flatly. “They all seem the same to me.”

Hutch chuckled, “Well perhaps you’ll change your mind after you’ve met some. Come,” They turned around and Tsubaki followed them to the next room that looked to be a giant room that was home to most of the imps. 

Tsubaki jumped as something touched her leg. Looking down, she found a Furdin imp rubbing against her leg affectionately. Curling her lip once more, Tsubaki quickly stepped away from the imp and followed Hutch further into the room.

Hutch showed her a variety of imps, all of which Tsubaki already knew the species of, but none that she really liked. The Inkaps were particularly distasteful to Tsubaki as they left gross black goo wherever they went. Why would anyone want them as pets?

Just as she was about to apologize for wasting Hutch’s time and leave, Tsubaki once more felt something rub against her leg. Looking down, she found the same Furdin imp as before rubbing against her affectionately. 

Tsubaki froze for a few seconds, unsure what to do, before finally letting out a sigh and kneeling herself on the floor to inspect the imp closer. “You really like me that much?” She murmured, slowly reaching out a finger towards the imp. The imp sniffed her finger, then bumped its head against it affectionately. 

A small smile spread across Tsubaki’s face. “Maybe you aren’t so bad. I could see you being a good pet.”

“Perfect,” Hutch interrupted with a smile, “Then we’ll teach you how to care for Furdin’s first. They make great companions due to their intelligence and sociability, as well as their even temper.”

Hutch rambled on and on about different types of imps, their traits and temperaments, their likes, dislikes, and how to handle them. They explained the most about Furdin’s though, so Tsubaki couldn’t really complain. After learning about each type of imp, Hutch helped her practice imp care with the Furdin who had begun following Tsubaki around. They let her feed it, brush it, and then made her scoop its litter box. The latter almost made her gag, but Tsubaki knew it would be worth it if she could keep the Furdin as a companion later down the line. 

Tsubaki hated to admit it, but now she could see why imp pets were so popular.