Never Goes Smooth (Lay the Very Best - Chapter 442)

Morgan flared her wings wide and blew open the Casino doors with a gust of wind.

Five maid skirts swished sharply as the wind rippled back out, ruffles fluttering like battle standards in a storm. Morgan wasn't the only one going for a showy Move-powered entrance; Calcine's skin glowed beneath the fabric, in distinct lava-like rivulets. Sparky had electricity crackling along her fur and up through the gaps in her tights, showing off her plump thighs.

Dani didn't have a Move that could show off, but the excited blush on her face from being part of their entrance was enough to add some colour. Brandy slipped an arm around her and picked her up to twirl her, showing off the lovely Maid dress Rhona had made for her. A lot of eyes went to the figure-hugging red bodice that pushed Dani's tits to make a nice shelf, and a skirt so short it was more scandalous to wear than being naked.

The warm air swirling around them was thick with the scent of perfume and spilled drinks. The Casino's hum of noise slowly faltered under the sheer sensory assault they'd just dropped to displace all the stuffy air. Dealers stalled mid-shuffle, dice slipped between fingers, and conversations choked off as every head turned their way.

Brandy's skin prickled with sweat from being the center of attention. It wasn't the first time she'd had a lot of eyes on her, but it was the first time she'd done it so deliberately. Her mind was flicking rapidly between terror and exhilaration, the whole Casino watching to see what she'd do next.

"That's my girl!" Fenny said proudly, pointing at the group with both arms. "Cheer her!"

To Brandy's horror, everyone on the Casino floor actually did, a roar of applause breaking the spell of stunned silence. Morgan immediately dropped her wings with a sharp flick and shot Fenny an icy look. Scoria was curled around Fenny, looking over her shoulder, and the Volcarona smirked as she blew Morgan a playful kiss.

Morgan pressed two fingers to the bridge of her nose, feathers twitching with restrained irritation. "This family..." she muttered bitterly under her breath before smoothing her expression back into the smiling showmistress.

Brandy reached out to her, but Sparky intercepted, throwing herself into Brandy's arms with a wicked grin.

"Morgan's not fooling me, she's loving the attention," Sparky whispered, sparks tickling Brandy's shoulder as Sparky draped herself over Brandy's arms, one leg kicked up to show off her skirt.

Calcine folded her arms under her chest, the glow of her skin through the cloth giving them a soft underlight. "They should cheer. We look amazing."

Brandy swished her hips to make her skirt flick, and she enjoyed seeing one of the dealers briefly flicker, like a faulty screen. Brandy's team had to break that illusionist's concentration, and all of this was a great start.

They had her attention.

The cheer rolled on, echoing off the velvet walls and glittering chandeliers until a ripple of silence began to cut through it. A controlled hush, from the back, carving its way towards them.

A hush deepened as the crowd leaned away from the back of the room, heads turning toward the slow, rhythmic click of heels on marble. The sound grew closer, deliberate, each step slicing through the silence.

When the last few gamblers moved aside, Vivienne emerged from the parting crowd, and she'd come to impress.

She'd dressed up a lot since they'd last seen her. A deep navy tailcoat hugged her frankly huge bust, the buttons of it straining to keep her contained as her coat tails flicked over her tail with every sway of her hips. Gold accents traced her collar and cuffs, and it all shimmered like she'd rolled her clothes in glitter.

Red eyes glowed beneath a slick, swept‑back hat. Not the pointed witch's hat Morgan favored, but a modern, stylish piece straight out of one of Fenny's vintage posters of adventurous ladies had in their bedroom.

Brandy had avoided asking about those; she knew there were stories she didn't want to hear attached to them.

Fenny certainly approved of the hat, biting her bottom lip as she looked Vivienne up and down.

"Good evening, Ms. Joyce," Vivienne purred, her voice unfairly smooth on the ears. "I've been waiting for your daughter to make a disturbance in my establishment. She didn't disappoint."

Morgan's smile froze, and Brandy felt a chill go up her spine. Vivienne shouldn't know who Fenny was. Sure, Fenny did look an awful lot like Brandy, so it would have been a sensible guess, but Vivienne sounded really sure of it.

Had she been spying on them? Did she know the whole plan? There's no way she could have been around while they were discussing the plan in Elira's apartment, that Delphox had Future Sight and was a powerful Psychic.

Maybe Vivienne had just looked Brandy up, but Brandy had seen Morgan freeze up. If Morgan thought it was a problem, Brandy would too. Something was up.  

"Oh, you do all look sensational," Vivienne said, hand pressed to her chest. "My word. I should be charging everyone here admission for this view alone."

Sparky giggled, electricity crackling as she spun on the spot and let her dress swirl. "No way, we give this out for free."

Vivienne stepped up closer to the group, walking right up to Brandy. Close enough that Brandy could smell her perfume, something dangerously sweet.

"Your friends are late," Vivienne said as she reached out to flick her hand over the edge of Brandy's skirt. "Sure, you don't want to come back later."

Right then. This Honchkrow knew their plan for sure. How? It was hard to think anyone would have told her.

"Came to take a badge," Brandy replied, trying to sound confident. They couldn't just give up at the first issue, even if it was a big one. "You didn't get all dressed up for us to just walk out."

"I didn't dress up." Vivienne snapped, and her shoulders tensed. Her eyes had flicked to Morgan, so fast that if Brandy hadn't had special Compound Eyes, she would have missed it.

"Just knew it'd be an interesting day," she finished.

"Always was with us", Morgan said.

Vivienne turned to look at Morgan, but Morgan's expression had gone unreadable, eyes narrowed as she searched Vivienne's face for something.

They held each other's gaze until it started to get awkward. Sparky took a breath to break the tension, but Brandy grabbed her wrist to stop her. If Morgan needed something, she'd let her try to get it.

Vivienne broke first. "You look good in that. Never seen you in a dress before, you make it work for you."

"Thanks," Morgan smiled. "Your tits are fucking huge."

"Yeah, they are," Vivienne grinned, tilting her head with a teasing smirk. "Can't blame you for staring."

"Just wondering the last time you saw your dick."

Sparky snorted, drawing Vivienne's attention away from Morgan. She looked unflustered, but Brandy could see she was trying to fight off a smile.

"Hey, you want to show me it right now? I can describe it." Sparky grinned.

"You came to play", Vivienne said, brushing Sparky's comment off and regaining a little of her composure. "Steal my badges if you dare. I'm going to enjoy having everyone watch you fail. I'll decide on a punishment for Brandy after."

"Actually," Fenny said, raising her hand. "I'm going to steal a Dark Badge too."

"So you'll have to punish her too." Scoria added, "Only fair."

"No, I want Brandy and her team." Vivienne said, "I know one of my girls who'd love to take care of you two. She's got a taste for your kind."

Don't think about it, Brandy. Just blank it all out.

"You don't want the rest, you want me", Morgan said, flicking a gust of wind after Vivienne to make her coat tails swirl. "Admit it."

Vivienne just shook her head with a snort and walked off, heels clicking over the marble floor.

It was a shot that had landed. Morgan had been with Vivienne long before Brandy had met her. Their past relationship status was so tangled that Brandy couldn't decide if it was rivalry or something more. They clearly disliked each other, but also seemed moments from smashing each other through a bedframe.

Well, they were leaving Vivienne to Shay and Maple. So they'd never find out how that ended as long as everything went to plan.

The plan that Vivienne knew.

...

Brandy was going to end up sandwiched between these two blackbirds at some point. She just knew it.