138 – Getting Up to Mischief

138 – Getting Up to Mischief

Sometimes sleep is so good you don't even want to open your eyes. That was how Brandy felt at that moment, heat radiating off Calcine's cape wrapped around her. Thanks to her mother's inheritance, she'd always been resistant to heat. The warmth felt like love now, both messy and pure. They must have gotten her to bed eventually. Her body had sunk into something much softer than the sofa they'd propped her on earlier.

Brandy gingerly tested some muscles and found the aches had gone. That was fast! All her work must have paid off to bump up her stamina but shaking off a day like she'd had shouldn't come so easily. Lixi had hinted Calcine needed to learn more about her fire. Maybe Calcine's cloak didn't just soothe muscles but helped repair them.

The fact it was still here meant she hadn't reverted to a Rolycoly yet. That was a conversation that Brandy didn't mind having; whatever way she decided, Brandy would be happy to support her.

Brandy tightened her grip on the cloak. It felt so good to laze right now, she could lay here forever and bask in how well things were going, and it'd be a well-spent day. Unfortunately for her, she wasn't alone in the bed, and her shuffling had woken them up, the weight of a body pressing to her side and an arm going around her chest to hug her. Cute.

Brandy nuzzled in to try to work out who it was, the firm muscle of Calcine. Morgan's soft feathers? The fuzzy fur of Sparky?

None of the above, just soft skin and a few hair strands.

Brandy opened her eyes in shock. "Maple?!"

It wasn't Maple. A woman with long black hair fanned out over the pillow, framing delicate features and an incredibly content smile. Her soft brown eyes sleepily blinked to look at Brandy, and she gave a warm, inviting smile.

"I don't think we have a Maple here, but for you, we could pretend."

Brandy felt hands press to her side as someone hauled their weight up onto her body, flopping her arm over Brandy and leaning into the conversation. She had no idea who this person was either, tanned skin with shaggy white hair and lovely golden eyes. She blew Brandy a kiss and then shook her hands, which were tied together with leather strips and held fast by a tiny silver lock.

"You look fit enough to make a lady say any names you want, Brandy. I'm Eclair. Been loving the stories about you."

Another stranger slid an arm under Eclair's, the light blue-green of her hair catching in the morning light as she leaned, sleeping on Eclair's back.

"She's up? Finally! I've been eying those legs all morning. I hear they can crush a watermelon."

Brandy's brain crashed into a wall, and a burning tire bounced away down the road.

She wanted to reply to Eclair and the other women, but they were all very pretty, very naked, and very close. A combination that just hammered any thoughts right out of Brandy's head.

"Hey there, what's wrong?" the one with the blue-green hair asked, lifting a hand and placing her palm on Brandy's cheek. "She's so warm. Is she ill?"

Brandy mumbled a no and shook her head, drawing smiles as the group all shuffled closer to her.

"What's wrong then? We'll fix it." Eclair said, her voice light and playful, as she traced a hand down Brandy's chest. Her fingernails scratched through Calcine's cloak, making Brandy's mouth go dry.

---

A shower put Brandy right. Morgan's feathers worked wonders to get a lady clean when soaped up. The only downside was still trying to shake the wet off when they entered the kitchen, little flecks of water splashing against Brandy's cheek. Her poking of Morgan didn't get her to stop for long. Her nose wrinkled in annoyance as she tried to get dry.

Brandy didn't mind the splashes, she was back to happily floating after the shower, and the smell of cooking food hit Brandy hard. She hadn't realized just how hungry she was. The scent of something frying made her instantly salivate. Calcine and another Pokémon were by the stove, though Calcine had been shuffled off to the side, away from the food.

The Pokémon with her back to her was curious, tall, and thin with short-cut, scruffy silver hair. She had a pair of key-shaped earrings on, and a few more keys were woven into her hair, small and shiny. They looked like little charms and jingled together as she bounced her hips while cooking. That had to be Trinket. She seemed so ordinary compared to the rest of her house.

Even this room was weird. Trinket's kitchen was like a diner and a bar had crashed into each other, her countertops sturdy wood things covered in bottles while the center tables had two curved red sofa's around them like a booth. Sparky was sitting on the sofa, a white blindfold around her eyes as she playfully banged her knife and fork on the tabletop. Calcine put a finger to her mouth in a shushing motion, then waved Brandy closer.

"Got something else for you, Sparky," Calcine called out as she took one of Brandy's hands and held it up. She'd been stirring a bowl of cream with golden swirls and ran the back of her spoon over Brandy's fingertips, dabbling it with the sweet-smelling mixture. A kiss to the back of her hand and a pat to Brandy's butt, and she pushed her back Sparky's way.

Brandy held up her hand, and Sparky gave it a sniff. "Smells sweet."

"The sweetest treat for the cutest bug," Calcine nodded and returned to stirring as Trinket laughed. Morgan had stolen a dishtowel and was trying to mop her chest dry, watching the show as she fluffed out her feathers.

"You're such a flirt now," Sparky grinned. "You going to stay a Carkol?"

"Keeping you guessing because it annoys you, try the food."

Brandy put her fingers to Sparky's lips, and Sparky opened her mouth, taking them in and giving them a gentle suck. She closed her eyes and gave a low hum as Brandy's heart fluttered. Sparky's tongue nimbly swirled around her fingers, her face one of utter bliss. Brandy wouldn't even need tea. She was fully awake now.

A gentle suck and a slow slide off her fingers left Sparky smiling. "Yup, that's a nice Brandy taste."

"How'd you know?" Brandy said.

"You're the only spicy thing I don't mind tasting."

Brandy lifted Sparky's blindfold and kissed her between the eyes before grabbing a seat beside her. "You're all in such a good mood. Last night went well?"

"Oh, it took a while," the silvery-haired Pokémon at the grill said as she turned to look at the new arrivals. She instantly reminded Brandy a little of Shay, that smooth spunky look of mischief in her eyes, the small steel ring lip piercing that gave her a cute lopsided smile, and a bright pink gem in her forehead that gleamed brightly as she flexed a hand. "But I take good care of my guests."

Towels flowed from a cupboard and swarmed Morgan, wrapping her up like a Dusclops as they ran over her tightly, binding her up so only her hat was visible. A second flex of her hand and the towels rushed to a laundry basket, neatly folding themselves. Morgan looked stunned, then shook her feathers which all puffed out and made her look like a black fuzzy ball.

"Not a word," Morgan said as she took a seat. "Not one word."

Sparky didn't need one. Her grin said it all.