[YOTB] The Hand That Feeds

“Shibani, I got the matcha powder from Angora! Were you–”

Klaude did not expect to see an almost drunk (or maybe he already was drunk) bun sitting on the counter, and in front of him being many, many colorful cocktails and drinks. The bartender glanced at him apologetically before trying to get Shibani to drink a glass of water. Ah, was this the friend that he was talking about? He didn’t think he’d just spend the time drinking…

“Oh! Is that the other ingredient Shibani was talking about?”

The bartender noticed Klaude’s confusion and was quick to explain what happened, though she was hoping that it wouldn’t lead to the pale bun getting somewhat incapacitated. The pink bun was happy to hear that they were able to secure another ingredient, but Shibani was able to somewhat coherently say that there was one more place he wanted to go to in order to make the perfect mochi.

Frankly, Klaude couldn’t imagine him getting there in one piece. “Hops, was it? Can you get a Grabun for him? I can be the one to get that last ingredient.”

“Guess there’s no choice with him in this state. You must really want this mochi, huh?”

“I put too much work into it to give up half-way.”

Hops nodded, though to say that she echoed the sentiment was a stretch. “Do you know where the Imporium is?”

“I can search it up via Booble Maps.”

“Don’t get lost then.”

“Oh ye of little faith.”

✲

Thing is, Klaude was never really one for Imps. By the time he had recently matured into a freshly adult bun, Imps were already becoming rather popular amongst the folk of Burrowgatory. To have a little thing running amok in his apartment while he was away did not sound ideal in the slightest, and there was the matter of figuring out how to care for it.

In other words, there was no real reason for Klaude to visit the Imporium, though according to the reviews, this place was one of the most recommended stores to go to for buns looking to adopt their first Imp. He supposed that would put him under the target demographic if he was actually seriously thinking about getting one, but he wasn’t. Supposedly.

His luck seemed to have run out with his bout with Angora, though, as the shop seemed to be closed. Or at least there was a sign indicating that it was not taking any customers, but he could clearly see someone moving around inside. Running? Chasing after something? He could feel something sink in his stomach, but he did promise Shibani…

Thankfully, the door was still unlocked, so it was really a matter of pushing the glass frame and stepping into the shop. Already his ears prickle at the noise of chittering Imps. While not overbearingly loud, it was a new sensation that differed from the hustle and bustle of the city. However, there was a sudden crash that would burst in uninvited and then a yell from an exasperated shopkeeper.

The next few moments were a blur: suddenly, something flying was zipping straight to where Klaude was, but it didn’t swerve fast enough, colliding onto the bun’s face. There wasn’t much weight behind that body, but it still startled him and prompted him to grab the Imp and pull it from his face.

“Wait, don’t let it go!”

The little thing was squirming to free itself from his grip, but Klaude did as told and tightened his hold until the shopkeeper found his footing and approached him with a leash. Well, a bundle of leashes. He had them all on one hand and one of them on the other (and one around his neck, but Klaude decided that he was not going to comment on that for the meantime). He watched the bun gently but firmly place the collar on the runaway Imp, to which it looked a little more subdued. Just a little.

The bun let out a heavy exhale. “Well, that’s one, at least.” he muttered with an exhausted, downcast expression. “But hey, thanks for helping me out there, though I do remember putting up a closed sign…”

“Yeah, uh, well, actually I was asked by Shibani to ask you a favor.”

“Shibani?” the shopkeeper would think about it for a moment while putting the Imp back into a nearby crate. “Yes, I think I remember a bun like that. Helped me with some Imp training in the past. What about?”

“He actually asked me if I could get some…what was it, black sesame seeds, I think? For the mochi he was making.”

“Ah, I see why. I actually use black sesame seeds to train the Imps since they’re one of the few foods that aren’t poisonous to them. I guess I do have some to spare, but–oy!”

One of the Imps, similar to the one that Klaude managed to catch earlier, whizzed by frantically, as if desperate to leave the room. He couldn’t help but notice the crescent shape on top of its head, though it looked a little sunken and melded with the rest of its inky frame. “Gah, they always get so antsy around this time of year for some reason…”

That got the bun’s thoughts whirring for a moment. “Say, if I help you catch these Imps, can I have some of the black sesame seeds?”

“Huh? Oh, yeah! That sounds like a deal to me.” the shopkeeper handed Klaude a net. “My name’s Hutch, by the way. Be gentle with them! They don’t mean any harm.”

No promises, the bun had thought as he tried to follow the movements of one of the Imps nearby. Steadying the net with both of his hands, he thought it similar to a story he remembered reading in one of his books. A scene of a boy catching little creatures with their net…

“I said be gentle!”

“I swear, the noise was just me hitting the shelf!”

So much for a sense of fake nostalgia; it didn’t help that there were quite a few more Imps that they still needed to catch.

✲

After plenty of misses, near trips, actual trips, and shouts, all of the Lunells were finally back in their crates (he eventually learned that the Imps had different names based on their shape). They didn’t look too happy about it, but they were mostly floating around; not as crazy as earlier. Hutch breathed a sigh of relief and wiped the sweat off his brow, but he also made sure to triple check the latches.

“Thanks, Klaude. Not exactly the most elegant solution, but you did manage to catch them.”

“If persistence isn’t elegance, then I don’t know what is.” though, one would have to imagine the bun saying it with constant panting in between. He wasn’t exactly an athlete, which showed at how he was losing quite a bit of steam just running around the shop. “So…the sesame seeds?”

“Right, I’ll just bring you to the backroom and hand you a bag.” Hutch had checked the latches for a fourth time before deciding that they were secure for real. “By the way, any chance you’d be interested in adopting an Imp?”

Klaude grimaced. “After this?” he paused for a moment as a few other Imps seemed to be looking at him inquisitively. “I’ll think about it.”

✲

Once he had secured the black sesame seeds, the bun figured that since he had no idea where Shibani’s place actually was, it might be easier to just drop them off at Dan’s shop. It would also make it potentially easier to ask for a piece of the mochi tomorrow. Maybe. It was a hope. Luckily, the bartender seemed to have sent Shibani here, as the pale bun was already waiting by the door when Klaude had arrived.

Unfortunately, he still looked like he was semi-drunk. Was that an improvement from earlier? The bun explained that he managed to get the sesame seeds, to which the pale bun gave a slurred but grateful thank you. They also exchanged numbers so that he could pick up his prize tomorrow (exciting!), and with that, it seemed like a good time to relax for the rest of the day. With his curiosity piqued, however, Klaude couldn’t resist searching up about Imps on his phone, specifically the Lunells they had to wrangle today. As much as he dreaded the idea of them going crazy around this time of year, they were pretty cute…and a fitting reminder of a possibly more memorable Mochi Moon.

He grumbled as he thought of his carat bag, just recently emptied after a splurge of some online shopping the other day. It appeared that one of his late new years’ resolutions would be to save carats rather than spend them so quickly, but of course that was easier said than done. Letting out a sigh, he decided that perhaps the Lunell purchase would have to be for another day, or maybe it would just be a passing fancy that he would soon forget.