Phloof Attack

Imps weren’t his first choice of companion for a spring hike. It seemed that they didn’t care about that, though. 

When Unknown knocked so timidly on Hutch’s door, the trainer thought it was just another customer looking to get another Mamoo or Impup. When they opened the door, however, the rest of his plans for the day suddenly changed.

“They won’t get off,” Unknown said, covered from head to toe in Phloofs. His voice was slightly muffled by the one snuggling up against his jaw. There was one hanging off of each nub horn, on a shoulder and under an arm, piled up on his back making him hunch forward slightly, and several clinging around his ankles.

The look of bewilderment that Hutch had must have been visible even through the thick walls of the burrow. “How, er… did you manage that?” they asked, motioning to all of Unknown. One of the imps jumped from his hair into Hutch’s arms, catching the doll by surprise.

“They ambushed me,” Unknown said, with a bit of drama as he pulled the one nestled under his chin away, holding it at an arm’s length. “I was walking through one of the gardens- just listening to music and singing along- and suddenly all I saw was darkness.”

Even though his voice was clearer without the phloof under his jaw, Hutch was still having a hard time understanding quite what he actually said. “Where, exactly, in the garden? And which garden?”

Unknown let out a small groan as the phloof wriggled out of his hands, bolting back up to snuggle in. “I don’t know… I just… was wandering. It took me almost an hour to walk back here with all of these on me.” 

Hutch reached out, shooing the ones on his head away. While they scampered off, they went about removing all the others from the different holds on the doll’s clothes that they had. 

“I think this one likes you,” Hutch commented with a little laugh as the phloof backed away from their hand further into Unknown’s neck and now hair. “Have you ever considered adopting one?”

“Adopting one?” Unknown asked, slightly puzzled. He tried to look at the one that had seemingly claimed him, but at the angle, it wasn’t really possible. 

“Yeah- a lot of buns have their very own imps!” Hutch’s eyes lit up at the prospect of introducing someone new to the world of imp-owning. “It took years to figure out what these little guys actually want, but once you know, they’ll stick with you for life.” A chirop sleeping on Hutch’s desk made a little sound of approval, before rolling over to continue its nap. 

“I, uhm, I guess so… I don’t think she’s leaving me any time soon.” Unknown gave a slight smile, still confused, but willing to learn. “What do I have to do?”

"Well, to begin... You need to know how to pet an imp." Hutch offered their hand out to one of the other imps roaming the Imperium, waiting for it to accept the pet. "See? Consent. It's not just for us," with a wink, they gently pet the top of the imp's head. "Each one will want to be given affection in different ways. Knowing which way your imp prefers is one of the biggest parts of imp ownership."

Unknown watched the display, paying close attention to how the imp had relaxed before Hutch initiated the petting. He raised a hand up to the one on his shoulder, earning a quick nuzzle into it. It sparkled a little smile on the doll's face as he began to gently pet her, carefully monitoring body language. 

"That's wonderful," Hutch said enthusiasticly, beaming. "You really have a way with her. It seems she's already fairly tame, but it's important to keep in mind that she is still technically a wild imp. Keep paying close attention to her body language and noises. They can tell you a lot."

He gave a glance to Hutch, nodding briefly before refocusing on the imp. Body language... He wasn't great with it for buns or dolls, but maybe he could get the hang of imps! 

"I can send you home with a little booklet I put together if you'd like. It has some of the most common issues and how to fix them in it."

"Yes please," he said quickly, looking back at Hutch. The imp settled down fully, closing her eyes while Unknown slowly pet her. The imp looked truly at peace. 

“It looks like she already trusts you,” Hutch said with a smile, relaxing a bit at the sight. “You’re going to be great with her.”

“Are you sure?” the other asked, a bit of worry in his features. “What if she ends up being the first imp to poop? How would I clean that up? What would it be made of?”

Hutch couldn’t help a giggle at the absurd comments and questions, and just shook their head. “I promise, that won’t happen. Like I said. You’ll do great. If you have any questions or concerns, I'm here too.”

Unknown took a deep breath, closing his eyes a moment before letting it out. He raised his hand to gently pet the phloof, careful not to wake her up. “Okay,” he said finally, softly. 

“What are you going to name her?”

Unknown took a moment to think. What would suit her....

“I think… Cloud 9.”