I Want To Lay the Very Best!

239 – Brandy Sitting

"You can't do this!" Morgan hissed, "I will destroy you both."

"You wanted more time with Brandy!" Sparky grinned, "You can have the whole rest of the day. She's completely at your mercy."

Morgan cradled Brandy to her chest. The sleepy redhead had stayed awake just long enough to watch Maple win. Now, she shuffled in her sleep, trying to get comfy in Morgan's feathers. A rather annoying nasally snore rumbled in her throat.

"You were with Cassidy for a good while. You know how to take care of humans, don't you?" Calcine said with a gentle smile. Morgan squinted at Calcine, trying to spot any malice in her eyes. Unfortunately, the triangle white-hot glow of Calcine's eyes wasn't exactly easy to read. She was probably being sincere.

"Of course, I can handle her," Morgan huffed. "But ... ugh, whatever, go on. Shoo."

"We can stay and help if you need it," Calcine said, "I'm serious."

"I'm fine! I don't need help." Morgan rolled her eyes and waved Brandy at them, one arm dangling out of her wings. "I can handle one sleepy human. You go have your date. It's my gift to you both for the win."

"It's genuinely cool you set this up for us," Sparky grinned, holding a hand in the air. Calcine took the hand and squeezed it, to Sparky's obvious squealing delight. "I want a bite of the Coalossal. I'm officially willing to tolerate you now."

"Your praise is as thin as you are short," Morgan said, shuffling her hold on Brandy's body so she could flip Sparky off. "I hope you break your jaw."

"Oooooh, degrade me more!"

"Calcine," Morgan sighed. "Take your trouble with you, please?" 

Calcine just hauled Sparky up off her feet. A surprised gasp from Sparky before she was tucked under Calcine's arm like a kitbag. She kicked her feet wildly, wearing the biggest grin Morgan had ever seen. 

"She'll be a lot quieter when I bring her back." Calcine rumbled, and she looked concerned at Brandy's sleeping face. "Don't be afraid to ask for help if Brandy wakes up feeling poorly, she overexerted. Lots of water and some heat packs should-"

"Okay! Okay, you big worrier," Morgan flicked a hand, and a small stirring puff of wind blew over Calcine. "She's just napping. It'll be fine. Have fun together. You've earned it."

Calcine's expression softened into a smile. "We'll be back tomorrow morning."

"Meet back up at the Poké-center. Don't rush; I may be late. I have plans for this redhead." Morgan smirked. "Evil plans."

"I trust you," Calcine nodded, "Make sure she enjoys it."

"If you get her a tattoo, it has to be a kissable one! Nothing weird!" Sparky cried as Cacline carried her off. "Take pictures if the tattooist is hot! Bonus points. Bonus poooooints!" 

Sparky's voice faded out as they disappeared into the crowds on the cruise ship, trying to dry themselves off after the last fight. Nova's Explosion had also sent the entire pool airborne and gifted everyone a free shower. Morgan looked down at the dozing Brandy in her wings, her spiky red hair still damp from her shower. Brandy mumbled and turned, burying her face into Morgan's warm feathers.

Cute. She couldn't wait for the date. She just had to keep her safe until then. Which she absolutely knew how to do. 

One hundred percent. 

Morgan tipped her head to listen for Calcine's heavy footsteps, but they'd faded away. Calcine and Sparky had to be out of earshot by now. Morgan darted for the couch, gingerly lowering Brandy onto it and digging through her backpack for her Pokédex. It took a few tries to turn it on. Morgan could never remember the button combo to do it, and once it fired up, she started cycling through Brandy's contacts. 

"Hot Bunny Maid. Leek Knight. Hot Surfer Mom." she read aloud and shot an evil glare at the couch. "The worst organization. Hot Zigzag Crew. Hot Hottie. Hot Hottie? Brandy!"

Morgan just got a snore in response. Downing a shot of left-over gin, which turned out to be a coffee-flavored one that really didn't work, Morgan swallowed it down and kept flicking rapidly through the messy list of people Brandy had met. She nearly threw the Pokédex across the room when she finally saw 'Hot Calcine Bird friend.' Perfect! 

It did its chirpy ringing tone three times, Morgan staring daggers at the blank screen before it finally popped to life, the screen full of white feathers. 

"Harper! Harper!" Morgan whispered, not wanting to wake Brandy up. "Harper, I need help."

The white feathers pulled back to reveal the Swanna with those beautiful silvery eyes and neatly clipped and layered white hair. She was lying on a pillow, but she shifted across the bed, hip jutted out and the very picture of elegance. 

"Fuck, you look good even with bed hair," Morgan whistled, "Did I wake you up?"

"Morgan!" Harper trilled, "I'd say I'm thrilled, but do you know what time it is?"

"I don't know," Morgan said, looking out the window at the sun still high in the sky. "... sometime after lunch?"

"Wait, really?" Harper snapped her head up. "Oh shit, Cassidy's going to pluck, cook, and eat my ass."

"Lucky you," Morgan said, "Well, since you're already in trouble with your boss, can you help me with mine?"

"Sure! Sure, I'd love to catch up, but let's make this quick. What's the matter with Brandy?"

Morgan turned to show Brandy sprawled out over the sofa, her snoring cheeks still wet from all the kisses.

"She's asleep? That's not a problem."

"They left me with her," Morgan replied in a whispered rush. "I barely ever took care of Cassidy! Basilah, and you did all that."

"Only because you always overthought it and went into a panic." Harper smiled, pushing up to sit in her bed. The camera showed the edge of someone in the bed with her, lying face down on a pillow, with long brown hair that came down to her waist and a few tufts of blonde poking up out between her forehead and the pillow. A brown feather or two peeked between the hair along her shoulder. "Do you really need help with Brandy? Or do you need someone to calm you down?"

"I'm alone with her!" Morgan whined, gripping the edge of her hat. "What if she chokes? Or she gets too hot and starts to feel feverish? Or wakes up with aches?"

"Then handle her. You're good at handling things." Harper said, "Make sure she gets water; don't let her run about if she's tired, and just cuddle up. If you're panicking, just ask for some help. People are good. They'll help."

"Water. Cuddles. People. Check." Morgan nodded. "Right. She's going to take me on a date later."

"You're such an odd Flying Type," Harper said with an amused chuckle as punctuation. "Don't you want her to yourself? You loved getting to steal Cassidy away."

"I do, but fuck. She's a lot, Harper," Morgan sighed. "I wanted to impress her today, but she didn't give me the chance."

"And you're furious?"

"No! I'm not," Morgan fidgeted with the brim of her hat. "It doesn't bother me much at all. Shouldn't it? I'm competitive. That's what I wanted to be. So why aren't I angry about it?"

"I'm not sure these are questions I can answer," Harper said, her hand drifting through the silky brown waves of her bed partner's hair. "The one who can is snoring beside you so loudly I can hear her. You're upset you didn't get to impress her?"

"Yes! No. Kind of?" Morgan bit her lip. "Her partners don't love me like you all do. I'm worried I won't fit in. Did I fuck up?"

"Morgan!" Harper gasped, "You're worrying? Holy shit. You featherbrain. You're so in love."

"What?" 

"So in love," Harper repeated. "You care what she thinks about you and what her partners think about you. L-O-V-E."

"I'm not in ..." Morgan waved a wing in the air. "That word, and even if I am, what if I can't fit in?"

"Morgan, you are a terrifyingly effective Murkrow when you want to be. I shared your head for a long time. I know you've got a sharp mind, and when you set your sights on something, you won't let anything stop you. You'll break any rule. You broke a bond with us."

Morgan guiltily shied her gaze from the camera. 

"Hey! No, I'm not mad, get your eyes back on my perfect neckline." Harper called out, "That took guts. I couldn't have done it, but you know you had to if you wanted to be happy. Morgan, you're ruthlessly effective when you set your mind to something. If you want this woman and her partners to love you, I know you can pull it off. Gather up all your sly Murkrow spells and steal her fucking heart."

"Sappy bitch." Morgan blushed. "But thanks."

"Send me some topless pictures of Calcine, and we're even." Harper sniffed. "You good?"

"I'm good." Morgan bit her lip. "Are you good? Who are you in bed with?"

Her partner's neck twisted a full one-eighty degrees to face up at the ceiling, her long golden eyebrows waggling as she smugly hooted. "Who? Who indeed?"

Harper screamed and then dropped the Pokédex with a thump. Morgan could hear someone getting mercilessly beaten with a pillow. "You're not getting on the team now! You bitch!"

"Worth it." the owl-woman cackled, "Does your friend have a spot for a Noctowl?"

"You can't handle what I have here!" Morgan called out, massaging Brandy's butt as she stirred in her sleep from the sound. "Thanks, Harper. Bite her feathers out for me!" 

"I will! Come here, you!"

Morgan looked down at the sleeping Brandy, tension bleeding out of her as she started to cook up a plan. 

"Ask for help," Morgan tutted. "I wonder..."

--- 

It was nice to get out of that stuffy viewing room and onto the ship's deck. Morgan was by the railing, her summoned help perched along it, craning their heads in to look at the redhead sleeping soundly in her arms.  

"We should feed her some chips." one of the Wingulls said, "That always makes me feel better."

The rest of the Wingulls nodded sagely at this. Harper was an elegant vision of perfectly kempt white feathers. The Wingulls all looked like they'd just been dragged out of bed by their feet and had a single-minded hunger for chips and women who could give them chips. They had a kind of scruffy charm to them. Morgan rather liked how simple they were to understand.  

"She's tuckered out; she can't eat anything right now," Morgan snorted. “I thought you might know a place for her to sleep this off. Somewhere cozy. She owes me a date, so we’ve got to take perfect care of her until then."

"We're all cozy. You look real cozy," another Wingull said, slinking an arm around Morgan and laying her head on Morgan's shoulder. Looking up at her with glistening black eyes. "One large portion of chips, and we'll take turns being a cuddle puddle for her when your wings get tired."

"Pick a good spot and don't feed her any chips, and we got a deal."

"Sick. Can you teach us how to flirt more?" a third asked hopefully. "I tried it on a tall lass with tattoos and a slinky tongue earlier, and she looked so shocked she said she needed to fix me."

"Did she?" Morgan asked suspiciously. A slinky tongue? Wasn't that Professor Joan?

"She gave me a chip cone. Fixed me right up. Flirting rules."

Morgan laughed. Even a Professor couldn't handle smooth Wingulls. She needed to pay that Professor back a bit for trying to bully her Trainer. 

"One feather bed for chips and flirting lessons is a deal. You can show that tall lady you met what you've learned after. I'll bet she'll buy you a whole packet."

"Fuckin' A. You're the best blackbird."

Morgan hugged Brandy to herself and took a deep breath of ocean air. 

"Trying to be." she smiled, "That'll have to do for now."