Mikayla’s “First” Imp

     Heart beating and feet pounding, Mikayla shot through the entrance of the shop and whirled around, a black ball of smoke passing behind her. She slammed the door and turned the lock just before the doll chasing her hit the glass and exhaled smoke, beating on the frame. “You bitch! I’ll fuckin’ kill you!”

     “Good luck breaking the door down dumbass!” Mikayla stuck out her tongue and gave a cheeky wink to the doll still slamming their fists against the glass, shaking the entire wall. Unbeknownst to them both, the door was constructed with nearly unbreakable glass, and after several minutes of violence and taunting, the doll outside gave up and abandoned their destructive goal. Mikayla laughed to herself and turned to the black ball of smoke, which when not flying at top speed, was a corvat with a long beak and wings to match. It had a shiny object clutched in its’ feet.

     “Good job Orni, but be careful next time! Flying into that sign would’ve ruined the whole operation.”

     The corvat gave an annoyed caw. “Since when are you the boss of me?”

     “Stupid imp, our next grab will be so much more difficult if you don’t listen to me…” Mikayla trailed off as she finally noticed what sort of shop the two had invaded.

     Cages and various nests lined the shelves of the meticulously organized wall on one side, where accessories, treats, toys, and all manner of imp training equipment were neatly arranged on the other. Behind the counter in the middle of the room was a maroon-haired doll whose glasses were fogged up from their own agape mouth, and another black ball with large ears flew out from a door behind the doll. Though it seemed to approach Orni the corvat with curiosity, Orni tried to puff out his chest and squawk menacingly. The other imp whimpered and returned to the doll behind the counter, who snapped out of their stupor and caressed the imp, before clearing their throat.

     “I’d ask what brought you to the Imporium but I suppose it was more out of necessity than interest.”

     Mikayla tried to sneakily grab the shiny trinket from the corvat, but he flew just out of her reach. A smile passed Mikayla’s face as she nervously chuckled. “Whatever gave you that impression?”

     The other doll returned her expression with one of annoyance. “I don’t know. Perhaps the doll chasing you, trying to retrieve whatever it was you stole from them.”

     Mikayla approached the counter and put one hand to her heart, the other to her forehead in a show of feigned injury. “My good bun! I would never do such a thing as to steal from others, you’re sorely mistaken! I’m a generous sort, and I often try to help those buns less fortunate. Why, in fact, this is my necklace that I was merely retrieving after a period of loan.”

     “Watch.” Orni cawed from an imp bed atop the accessory shelves. Mikayla dropped her act completely and turned to stare daggers at the corvat.

     “What?”

     “It’s a watch.” Orni dangled it from his talons before dropping it to the floor. Mikayla immediately rushed to and snatched up the trinket before inspecting it carefully for damage. The other doll stood up and placed their hands on the counter, the chirop perching on their shoulder cooing softly.

     “I should report you to the proper authorities.” Their tone was laced with indignation. “However, there’s a much greater grievance occurring that I simply cannot ignore.” Mikayla turned to them with one eyebrow raised, securing the trinket around her wrist.

     “Whuzzat?”

     “Your corvat, Orni, was it?” The doll gestured to the imp rustling around in their wares. “They aren’t properly trained, and if you’re going to be utilizing their skills in the future, it would benefit you to understand how to care for an imp properly.”

     Mikayla scoffed. “I know how to care for this dumbass, he just has a mind of his own.” Her confidence radiated around her as she walked to the counter, put one hand on it and leaned over to the other doll’s face. “Besides, what makes you an expert?”

     The doll blushed hard at Mikayla’s sudden dominance, which she did not ignore, leaning in closer to them. “I-I literally am the leading imp expert in Burrowgatory! If you know anything about imps then surely you’ve heard of me.”

     “Listen, we’re… new to town. Enlighten us about why we should give a shit about what you have to say.”

     The doll cleared their throat and leaned into Mikayla’s presence, the two’s faces now mere inches apart, their horns almost touching, the chirop on the doll’s shoulder fluttering. “I’m Hutch, and I know more about imps than you know about theft so clearly I’ve got the upper hand.”

     Mikayla’s face furrowed, and an uncomfortable silence hung in the air after Hutch’s words. Slowly, Mikayla’s eyes narrowed and her mouth curled into a smirk. “I like a bun who knows what they’re talking about.” She leaned away from the counter and Hutch let out a sigh, relieved for the tension passing. “Alright then. Teach us what we’re gonna need to know, Great Imp Expert.”

     Hutch smiled and crossed their arms. “Honestly, corvats are tricky for beginners to imp care. Like you said, they won’t really listen to their owners without a level of respect that you two don’t seem to have formed yet.”

     “Well, we only met like three days ago.”

     Hutch gasped. “Oh my my, you’ll really need a docile imp to take care of in that case.” They thought for a moment before perking up. “I know just the one, I’ve been holding onto them for just the right trainer and I think you two will make a great team! One moment please.” Hutch turned from the counter and went into the door behind them. Sounds of rustling, cage doors opening, a few exclamations, and chirping followed. Orni collected himself and flew down to perch on Mikayla’s grand pride horn. After a few more moments, Hutch returned from the back with a puffy black ball in their hands, and rounded the counter to stand in front of Mikayla.

     “This is a phloof! They’re very forgiving for new owners, requiring only basic maintenance to brush their fur and keep them clean.” The fuzzball in Hutch’s hands gave an excited chirp. “You can reward them with black sesame treats to train them when they perform good behavior, and they’re very loyal so you won’t have to worry about them running away like you would with a corvat.” Orni cawed angrily. Hutch held out their hands, along with the phloof to Mikayla. “Would you like to say hello to them?”

     Mikayla accepted the phloof into her arms and after a quick sniff, the phloof deemed her to be worthy as it snuggled into her chest. “Hey, little guy.” Her tone was soft and quiet, a departure from her normal demeanor. Hutch’s heart skipped a beat after seeing how gentle and kind this doll was with this imp, and their chirop also seemed happy as it flew around in circles above them both. “We’re gonna be great friends, okay?” Mikayla said, the phloof chirping in response. Orni paced atop Mikayla’s horn.

     “How’s this fuzz bucket supposed to help our next grab?”

     Mikayla swatted at Orni, knocking him off her head as he gracefully recovered and flew next to her. “Hey, we’ll think of something. Plus, maybe they won’t even wanna participate in our business affairs.” Mikayla caught a glint of something shiny from the phloof’s fur and then realized that during their snuggling, they had snatched the watch right off of her. “Seems like they’re a natural already.”

     Hutch cleared their throat again, and brought Mikayla’s attention back to them. “Well, I certainly cannot approve of one of my imps being an accomplice, but… I can’t control your actions outside of my shop.” They grabbed a small pamphlet titled “My First Imp” from the counter and handed it to Mikayla. “If you have any questions, you can refer to this booklet. Or, stop by here anytime and I’d be happy to assist you. Hopefully in caring for that phloof, you can learn some tips that will help you with Orni.” The corvat shrieked at this suggestion, which made Mikayla laugh.

     “Yeah, we’ll be sure to stop by again. This one’s a handful, and if… imps are as helpful as you say they are, well, I’ll be needing more anyway in the future. For… reasons.”

     Hutch rolled their eyes. “Normally a phloof would cost about seventy carats, but in this circumstance, I think I’ll waive my usual fee.” They put their hands behind their back. “J-just make sure to actually visit in the future, so I can check up on them.”

     Mikayla smiled and leaned into Hutch’s frame to give them a kiss on the cheek. Hutch’s face flushed bright red and they turned away. “Oh, we’ll be back cutie. You can count on that for sure.” Mikayla turned with Orni and her new phloof to head out the door, putting a little sway in her hips for good measure. When she reached the door, she turned and licked her lips. “Besides, I’m sure it gets lonely in this shop. You’ll need some company… eventually.” With a turn of her wrist to unlock the door, Mikayla and her imps were gone, leaving behind only the faintest whiff of smoke, and desire.

     Hutch looked around the now-empty Imporium and sighed, heaving their shoulders forward. A calm moment of silence settled in before Hutch jerked upright.

     “I didn’t even ask for her name.”