113 – Caught in the Act

113 – Caught in the Act

Morgan didn't really wear clothes. Her feathers were clothing enough not to be constantly causing a scene, even if they did catch a lot of admiring looks from people who'd never seen a Murkrow before and were quite open with their admiration for her. She seemed to love the attention, and Brandy was all for letting her partners have their fun. The only piece of actual clothing Morgan wore was her fancy tri-pointed hat with a wide brim.

One article of clothing. So playing Strip Evolution against her had seemed almost like cheating. Just one win was all it'd take to finally see what Morgan was hiding under her hat. It was impossible not to be a little curious. Did she have scruffy hair? An embarrassing lick? Bunny ears? It could be all kinds of wonderful things.

Brandy just needed to win one hand, and she'd find out. It wasn't going very well.

A loud, crisp laugh erupted from Morgan as she spread her hand over the table. Goomy, Sliggoo, and Goodra, all with a Dragon Gem. Brandy sighed and threw in her assorted collection of Cats, she hadn't even settled on which line she was going for, and Morgan had beat her to it again.

"This is some ridiculous luck," Brandy sighed as she popped the buttons on her shirt. She'd already lost her boots and socks, it was that or her pants now, and she'd rather be topless than bottomless.

"I am enjoying how long you're taking to learn this," Morgan grinned as she gathered up the cards. She had a way with them, a quick shuffling action that rolled between her fingers and looked really fanciful. "Especially as I get to see the legs next."

"I might take off the bra," Brandy said, pushing her shirt apart. Morgan chewed her bottom lip as she watched Brandy worm her way out of the arms, Brandy's stomach tense and chest dipping forward. "Hold the legs off a bit longer."

"Then I'll be a winner either way." Morgan said, "Do it slower. I like the show."

Brandy wouldn't have been confident enough to strip in public, not quite yet. Thankfully the trains in Galar had separate cabins because the Galar Transport Network knew exactly what Pokémon and Humans got up to on long journeys together. She bit the end of a sleeve on one arm and tugged it off with a slight shaking of her head.

"Better, but you look at me while you do it. Stare at me like you wish you were sinking your teeth into my feathers, not the shirt fabric." Morgan said as she cut the deck between her hands, the colorful pictures flickering as they slid between her slender fingers.

Brandy did as she was told, staring Morgan down, admiring her bright red eyes, the gentle curve of her feathered chest, and the way her lips quirked up at the edge into a sly smile. Sparky and Calcine were pretty open with their feelings, Morgan had a little more mystery to her, and it was kind of hot not to be entirely sure if Morgan was enjoying the show or just enjoying making Brandy do something embarrassing. The intensity of being watched so intently made Brandy's heart thump harder, making her far more aware of the feeling of her shirt's fabric as it slid over her skin. Surprisingly, she got the shirt sleeves off quickly, considering she only used her teeth.

Morgan let out a held breath as she looked over Brandy's arms, spinning a Roserade card on the end of her finger. "I do appreciate a good show."

"I'm getting your hat," Brandy said as she stretched her arms out. Maybe she could distract Morgan? Play to her instinctive nature, so her game slipped.

"Let me squeeze your arms, and I'll give you a tip," Morgan said and didn't even wait for Brandy to agree to the offer. It was obvious she'd take it after all. Morgan just flowed across the table, black feathers fluttering around the cart as the cards fell to the table.

So she'd get a winning hand as soon as she began.

"You're cheating!" Brandy gasped. "Morgan!"

"Am I?" Morgan grinned. "That was a very fast shuffle. I don't think a human would be able to see much but a blur of pictures."

Brandy blinked. It'd all been easy for her. She couldn't remember the cards she'd seen, but watching the glide between Morgan's hands had never been an issue. "Sparky's inheritance, her eyes?"

"When I felt up your arms, I got a good look up close look of you. Your eyes have changed. The red color in your iris now has more of a pattern and a bit of a glittery glisten. It's quite pretty, and not just because I enjoy having matching eyes." Morgan tossed Brandy the cards. "Try to cheat yourself if you like. You can see things better. Let's see if you can keep track of a card shuffle."

"I never stood a chance of getting that hat," Brandy said as she took the deck, glaring at Morgan with her new eyes.

"You'd have known that if you thought about it, I wouldn't give it up to a game of chance." Morgan fingered her brim, tilting it up to give her a rakishly smug look. "Got a lot to learn before you can keep up with me."

"Well, I'm shuffling now, so you can't cheat." Brandy said, "And we're not stopping playing until one of us is naked."

"Oh, I wouldn't have it any other way."

Brandy finished shuffling and dealt out a hand for them both. Watching the cards float through the air didn't seem unusual, but now she knew she shouldn't be able to see them. It made such a simple action a little exciting. Keeping track of things easier would be so useful in the chaotic world of Pokémon battles. Brandy also never dropped a single card while getting fancy with them. It felt so easy. She must have some extra dexterity to go along with her new eyes, and there was so much she could do with that! Sparky had really given her something good, and she would spoil that bug rotten later.

Morgan looked over her cards, rearranging them as Brandy stared daggers at her, trying to catch the slightest bit of sneaky cheating. Morgan's nails flicked at her, teasing her with little wiggles as Morgan nodded and then set her hand down. "Full Dusknoir Evolution. What are the odds?"

"Incredibly unlikely," Brandy tried to growl, but she couldn't help the pop of a laugh sneaking in. "You incredible cheat."

"Thank you," Morgan said as she tapped her chin. "I look forward to pulling off all my tricks for you. But right now, I am excited to see those pants come off. Can you do it slow again?"

Brandy caught Morgan hiding cards away a few times, and once even using her Gust to steal from the deck and sneak a card under the table. But by the end of it, Brandy had plenty of practice taking her clothes off in a way that got Morgan smiling, and Morgan still had her hat.