The smell of tea and honey wafted from the steaming mug in Brandy's hands, mingling with the smell of bacon and fried bread in the kitchen air. Grease, caffeine, and carbs. All the things needed for her to feel human again. Sparky watched her mug with rows of blue eyes, swaying gently in her seat to every slight movement of Brandy's hand.

"You want the honey, don't you?" Brandy ventured. Sparky took that as permission to lean in like a drinking bird and get her tongue in Brandy's tea.

Not a chance! Brandy pulled the mug out of reach, only for Sparky to put her hands on Brandy's shoulder and try to climb right over her to get at it.

"Get off, you pest! I'll make you a cup!" Brandy laughed and shoved her off.

"I just want to try a bit!" Sparky said as she let her body go limp and slid over Brandy's side. Her head lolled onto Brandy's shoulder as she hugged Brandy's free arm. Brandy could feel Sparky's feet tapping against her calves as the bug looked up at her with rows of big blue eyes. "Don't I deserve something sweet?"

Sparky squeaked, and a sugar lump bounced off the side of her head and up into the air. Sparky caught it in her mouth on the rebound, to a clap from Morgan, who'd been ready with the sugar bowl to fire more shots.

"See? Got your fix already," Brandy teased, putting her hand behind Sparky's head and getting a good grip on her shaggy yellow hair. Sparky let herself be pulled into Brandy's lap, where she curled up into a ball on the sofa with her legs up against her chest, her hands holding her knees. Her head rested on Brandy's thighs, mouth snapping for more sugar cubes. Brandy dipped her fingers in her tea and let Sparky suck on them before finally drinking.

Morgan bounced a sugar cube off Brandy's boob and into Sparky's cleavage. Brandy turned a squint on her, and she preened her feathers with a victorious smile.

"I will feed you that whole bowl if you throw another," Brandy said.

"Ooh! You're feisty when you're waking up." Morgan said, "Why don't you ask Trinket for a whip? I'm sure she could lend you one."

"What kind of whip?" Trinket said, as she held out the pan to Calcine, who was picking bacon out with a fork into bread rolls.

"There's more than one kind?"

"Oh, sweethearts," Trinket grinned. "Treasure your innocence."

"I'll treasure your bacon," Brandy said, looking hungrily at the bacon rolls Calcine was studiously assembling. "Trade you my innocence for it."

Calcine's fork scrapped over the pan as she turned her head slowly to stare at Brandy. Trinket shook back her silvery hair, her key charms jingling in her hair as she looked Brandy up and down and licked her lips.

"You'd love to join the collection, I'm sure, but you're taken," she said, after a long, awkward pause, the tip of her tongue dancing around the ring piercing on her lip. Brandy wasn't sure she found it sexy, but it made her look badass. "I can't fight all three of them. I saw what they did to my girls."

"I was very gentle," Calcine said as she plated up. "Morgan scratched."

"Only because they begged me to. And you nearly drove one of them through a wall."

"Thin walls here." Calcine sniffed, coming over to the table and offering Morgan her plate. The Murkrow took a bacon roll with a tip of her hat. "Feed Brandy. She's the only one of us who actually needs to eat food."

"Trinket likes seeing ladies squirm. Should be gracious to the hosts and let her enjoy the show."

Trinket's laugh was incredibly musical, like the clattering of distant chimes. She made odd noises sometimes when she moved, not human at all, but a far-off clinking like the rustling of steel chains. The lanky Pokémon might look like she could be blown over with a deep breath, but her willowy Fairy body was backed with Steel. If she did actually try to fight them all, Brandy felt she'd at least make a good showing of it. It certainly wouldn't be easy.

"Feed her, Calcine," Trinket leaned on the countertop, arms folded as she watched them all. "I like to see the humans under my roof happy first. The squirming comes later."

Brandy snatched a roll the moment the plate came her way, not even caring about the rudeness of it. She took a big bite out of it, her shoulders sagging, and a groan she hadn't even realized she'd been holding in rushed out of her chest. It was delicious, the bacon's saltiness, the toasted bun's crunch, and the warmth of food finally filling her belly. She didn't even care. They were all staring at her, this was her little slice of heaven today, and she would enjoy it.

"So, do you tie up your Partners for guests often?" Sparky asked. "I'd love to learn how to do that. The one who dangled off the ceiling with those metal ribbons was all wrapped up like a present, but with everything hanging out. It was so cool."

"You didn't have to get the locks off." Morgan huffed, "She couldn't stop giggling the fifth time I got the wrong key."

Brandy broke a bit off her bacon roll and offered it down to Sparky, who snapped it out of her hands in small bites, her bug fangs pricking Brandy's skin but not sinking in. She deserved the reward for getting the subject off her. Brandy hadn't missed that little bit of kindness.

"I'm a little disappointed I didn't see your webs."

"Brandy needed a hugging buddy." Sparky shrugged. "If we're still here tonight, I'll show off. Though I want to do it all nice like you did."

"Provide me a subject, and we'll see what we can do," Trinket said as she finally came over to join the table. Brandy had no illusions about who the subject would be. Did she want to get tied up tonight?

She would see how the day went. She could trick Sparky into tying herself up if it was another bruiser.

"I hope we can stay a little longer. We only just got here. When is the first round of the Wandering Whimscott tournament?" Morgan said as she sucked grease off her fingers. She didn't need the calories. She was just enjoying the taste of it. Morgan liked salty and meaty foods, noted. There was probably a joke in there, but Brandy had a bacon roll to eat.

"Two weeks," Sparky said, "I looked it up last night. Matches are blind draws, so we don't know who we'll fight. They will host it on a tournament ship off the coast of Hulbury for the first round. We have to be on the beach on the day, or we forfeit the match."

"Beach?" Calcine perked up at that.

"Beach." Sparky nodded.

"Ugh, I hate beaches. Feathers don't suit it." Morgan groaned.

"No, no, no." Sparky reached out under the table to poke Morgan's leg. "Think about it. Brandy on a beach."

Morgan thought about it. She thought about it quite intently.

"Beach," Morgan nodded.

"Whatever you're all imagining, I don't know if I can live up to it," Brandy mumbled. "But Maple will be there. On the beach. So .... beach."

There was a round of nodding. They were all on the same wavelength, if not the same page.

"I should come to watch that," Trinket said, "You seem a sweet bunch. I'd love to see you ruin some more women."

"I can't believe I missed it," Brandy wiped the grease from the side of her mouth as she finished off the bacon roll. She still had the tea to go and a lap Sparky to pet. The morning was still great. "But at least you had fun. Getting used to your new body yet, Calcine?"

Calcine flexed an arm, the firm muscles there a treat Brandy savored. She was a little thicker as a Carkol than a Rolycoly, more polished, and with a new butt everyone enjoyed sneaking looks at. Brandy couldn't wait to squeeze the muscles and enjoy her new abs. Calcine wasn't rippling with new muscle. She was just ... more. More Calcine. Brandy felt spoiled.

"It's still taking some getting used to," Calcine said, "The weight and the balance of everything. I'm still not used to how strong I am now. I have to be careful. But I can't remember ever feeling this good. It's like I was half-asleep. Now I'm fully stoked."

"You have a lot more Fire now. It isn't awkward?" Brandy said, "I don't want you to feel like you have to put up with messy feelings for me."

"Messy is good. It's all raw and on the top, but I don't mind them being there. You can all share them. I want you to feel my heat. Share my warmth. Feel the pressure I can give."

"There's a wall right there." Morgan said, "Maybe we can break right through it this time."

"Put your hands on it then." Calcine grinned.

"I meant Brandy! Really," Morgan blushed, tipping her hat down and sniffing. "Fire Types."

"You're all adorable," Trinket purred as she looked Calcine over. "How much longer are you staying? I'm starting to feel like a voyeur, which I don't mind, but I could break out a few ropes and make myself a better host."

"We have to meet Blaze," Brandy said quickly before she got too tied up. "Calcine needs to get her badge, and she said I've got a test today."

"Calcine has a badge?" Trinket raised an eyebrow.

Calcine thumped her newly enhanced chest and let her cape flutter behind her. "Won it myself. I'm kind of a big deal."

Brandy couldn't disagree. She really was now.

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Brandy with a whip would be too powerful. Or hurt herself immediately.