Mission Imp-Possible

Andi was as prompt as she could be to the Imporium, as per Hutch’s request.  She was eager to see what such a renowned bun could teach her impup to do - and if she would be deemed worthy to adopt their imps!  Wave was less excited, having opted to snooze in the pocket of Andi’s hoodie.

Hutch was along just a few minutes later than planned, but the Loafki snuggled in their arms certainly explained why.  “Sorry I’m late,” they panted to Andi, clearly having been trying to jog a little to make up for the lost time they must have spent on coaxing the Loafki into their arms.  “I saw this little one slinking off under a dumpster as I was on my way, and I could hardly just leave them there…”

The little imp gently headbutted their arm, cuddling their face into their elbow.

“They seem like such a sweetheart,” Andi said.

“Right?  I think they must have had a careless owner - they’re not at all wild or skittish.  I just talked to them for a little bit and they came right to me, I didn’t need any dango like I might for a more wild imp, or even the collar and leash like I might for one who had gotten to be fully feral.”  Hutch scratched the loafki’s little ears.  “Considering the carelessness of whoever their previous owner was, I don’t think I’ll be adopting them out.  I always think it would be hard on the poor imps to jump from one bun to another, don’t you?”

Strictly speaking, Andi didn’t really think, but she just nodded along to Hutch’s question.  “It definitely would be sad.”

They sighed.  “Some buns just shouldn’t have imps.  I try to be very choosy with who I allow to buy my imps, but sadly, not every shop cares as much.”  Scowling, they hefted the Loafki a little higher in their arms so they could reach their pocket for the key.  “At least I got this one before anything bad could happen to them.  I’ll keep an eye out in that area in the future too…  Careless owners never seem to bother to learn to keep their imps supervised.”  They couldn’t quite get the key, and sighing, turned to Andi and doing their best to stick their hip out.  “Could you get my keys out of my pocket?  The door’s key has wings on it, can’t miss it.”

Andi nodded, reaching into the pocket on the offered hip.  Metal met her touch and she quickly drew the keys out - even without thinking, she could tell the Imporium’s key must be the most unique one.  Taking it, she carefully used it to unlock the door, and held it open for Hutch.

They hurried inside, letting Andi shut the door after them.  There were some lights on inside still - it looked to Andi like Hutch had done something with their lights to mimic the natural bioluminescent cycle of Burrowgatory, and she had to admit, it was pretty neat.  Wave even peeked her head out of Andi’s hoodie to look around, inquisitive about the place.

“Oh, you feed your imp colored dangos?”  Hutch didn’t sound exactly like they… approved of that, as they got the Loafki settled into their office, paused in grabbing an imp bed out of the supplies area.

“I’ve been learning how to make it, and she’s very insistent on helping with cleanup,” Andi said.  It wasn’t a lie or anything… but Wave had gotten that blue color well before then.

“Some imps just can’t leave well enough alone,” they sighed, reaching out a hand to scratch Wave’s head.

The little impup was more than willing, after a few seconds, to get out of the hoodie pocket that she had been so comfortable in, and even followed Hutch back into the office as they finished taking the imp bed back there.  The loafki, recognizing it, curled up in it happily, content in having their own spot.

“Well, I guess a very good first trick would be teaching her to sit, and then to leave it,” Hutch said, leading Wave back out to the main room.  “Do you find Wave pays more attention to hands or voices?”

Andi wasn’t sure, having never really paid much attention to it.  But…  “Probably hands?  She’s pretty fixated on opportunities to get stuff or pets.”

“If she were a bun, she’d have gluttony horns?” Hutch asked, grinning.

“Absolutely.”

“Well, if she’s more hand-focused, we’ll make sure we do hand gestures to go with the vocal commands, then,” Hutch said.

Andi watched with interest as Hutch sat on the floor, patiently teaching Wave to sit.  Each command, their hand curled in a motion that looked like taking a seat, while their other hand pressed lightly on Wave’s butt, until she would do it herself.

“Wow, you make it look so easy,” Andi marveled.

Hutch pushed their glasses up, looking as proud as their horns proclaimed them to be.  “I’ve worked at this a long time, so it is,” they said.  “But I’m sure you can get there too.  Your turn to try now!”

Andi struggled a little more with getting Wave to sit than Hutch had - in part because Wave was absolutely certain that Andi’s open hand must be hiding dango somewhere.  Eventually, though, she got used to sitting for Andi, and not just trying to search her hands.

“See, you’re making progress already!”  Hutch went over to one of their shelves, pulling out some of the black sesame dango they seemed to keep in a decent quantity.  “I’m assuming the raspberry is the flavor she goes after most?”

“Yeah, she’s not as interested in other flavors.”  She’d still stolen them a few times and turned herself into other colors, but admittedly, Andi had pretty much only been making raspberry dango around her…  At least Adi didn’t compulsively steal dango.

“Then this might be easier to teach her to ‘leave it’ with for now, so you can work your way up to it.  When I drop it, hold onto her until she quits trying to reach it, and we’ll keep repeating that as we go.”

It was significantly more difficult to teach Wave to leave the dango alone, but by the time Andi was beginning to long for lunch, Hutch seemed satisfied.

“In spite of her gluttony, you seem to be pretty good with her and care about her,” they said, giving Wave tummy rubs on the floor now.  “Just keep practicing with these commands and she’ll get a lot easier to manage and to teach new things to.”

“It’s been really interesting learning with you.”  Andi could feel her phone vibrate in her sweatpants, but left it alone for the moment - it was probably Kaili with her desired lunch.

“If you ever want more imps, you’re plenty welcome to come here for them,” Hutch said, finally standing up, scooping Wave off the floor to hand back to Andi.  “I need to get on with work - all the rest of these little ones need their training time and attention too, but it was nice to spend time working with you and Wave.”

“Likewise!  Thanks for the help, and I’ll definitely come back when we want more - and if you need more help rounding up remils!”  With that, Andi let Wave clamber back into her pocket, and headed out of the shop, checking her phone to see what Kaili wanted for her first meal of the day.  She’d drop by to eat lunch with her after picking it up, and then head over to the gym for work.  And maybe in a few months she could swing by the Imporium for a new imp for their little brood of imps…  She just… wouldn’t tell Hutch if they got into any dango.  Which they probably would, of course.