It had now been nearly a year since Baker Morty first came to the Citadel. And six months since his visit to his home dimension. He could hardly believe that it had been so long already and he was amazed at how much had changed in that time. Servant Morty returned to full health and is now working at the clinic with Nurse Morty and Doctor Rick. Smooth Morty and Catalina were expecting their first child. And as for him, he had worked hard and finally saved enough money to rent his own apartment. He currently lives in The Morty Paradise in Mortyburg at the request of Floor Manager Morty. And his fifteenth birthday is tomorrow. But for today, he was joining Cash Morty on his quest to find a ring for Rosie. He, Smooth Morty and Cash Morty were on their way to Bling Bling Morty's jewelry shop.
Instead of using the portal gun, Cash Morty hired a limo class spaceship so they could travel in style. They were lounging on velvet chairs with alien servants tending to them. Cash Morty was laying on a gold velvet chaise, with two pink skinned female aliens standing on either side. One was fanning him and the other was feeding him fancy chocolates. Another one brought him a glass of sparkling apple cider. He was wearing gold shades even though they were inside.
"Cash Morty, you look so stupid right now, why are you wearing shades? We are inside" Smooth Morty shook his head fondly.
"Number one, I look hot in them, number two, what's it to ya" Cash Morty sat up and lifted his shades.
"H-have you thought about the kind of ring you are going to get?" Baker Morty asked.
"I have actually, I have a general idea, but I need Bling Bling Morty's expertise to put into words exactly what I'm looking for" Cash Morty said.
"Let me guess, it's going to be really flashy and expensive" Smooth Morty said.
"Of course, this ring will be seven figures" Cash Morty said.
"And what if the ring you want doesn't cost seven figures?" Smooth Morty asked.
"Oh it will, everything at Bling Bling Morty's is at least seven figures, this isn't Blair's with the cheap two dollar jewelry, Bling Bling Morty is the real deal selling only the highest quality handcrafted jewelry" Cash Morty said. Baker Morty was curious to see what seven figure jewelry looked like.
"Trust me you'll be impressed, now if you don't mind" Cash Morty put his shades back on and laid back on the chaise. The aliens resumed fanning him and feeding him chocolates.
After a while they arrive at their destination. A blue skinned alien opened the door for them. And they disembarked. Cash Morty gave the alien some cash as a tip. It said something in a foreign language before leaving. Before them lay a big brick building with a yellow awning hanging off the front of it. Above that awning were the words The Jewelry King. They walked through the fancy french country double doors. The inside was even more impressive. There were white marble floors and gold wall tiles and chandeliers. There were display cases as far as the eye could see.
"Ah Cash Morty, there you are, welcome" Bling Bling Morty came over and they hugged.
"I heard you're settling down and getting married, never thought I'd see the day" Bling Bling Morty said.
"Says the guy who is still single" Cash Morty teased him.
"Ok I walked into that one, so whatcha looking for?" Bling Bling Morty asked.
"All you need to know is it's going to be flashy and expensive" Cash Morty said.
"Flashy and expensive huh? Well you've named pretty much everything in here, so let's take a look at my bridal collection" Bling Bling Morty said. He led them down the hallway and through some white velvet curtains. There were more display cases.
"Here are the brand new pieces I just made, they haven't been released yet, so I'm letting you have early access, take a look" Bling Bling Morty said. Cash Morty began perusing the selection.
"If none of these are what you're looking for, there's plenty more to see" Bling Bling Morty said.
"Smooth Morty, don't you want to buy your wife a new ring, how about a vow renewal" Bling Bling Morty said.
"Actually he does have something to celebrate, he's going to be a father in about six months" Cash Morty punched his brother's arm.
"Ain't that something, congratulations, how about a nice new necklace for the lady as a congratulations for the mother to be" Bling Bling Morty said.
"This is Cash Morty's moment, we are here for him" Smooth Morty said.
"Nonsense brother, you deserve to share this moment, it really is great that you are going to be a dad, however, you should know that your children will love their Uncle Cash more than their parents" Cash Morty joked.
"You know I don't doubt that Cash, now let's focus on the task of finding a ring for your hon" Smooth Morty said.
Baker Morty was looking at all the rings, they were really pretty. He had to hand it to Bling Bling Morty, he is really good at what he does. Baker Morty felt a strange pang in his chest. Will this ever be him? Will he ever be looking for a ring for his wife to be? He shook his head, this isn't about him. It's about Cash Morty. There were so many beautiful rings. How was Cash Morty going to pick?
"This is the one" Cash Morty said. Ok he stood corrected. He picked a rose gold ring, with a white and pink diamond halo setting, and an oval cut pink diamond in the middle.
"Beautiful choice, she's going to love it" Bling Bling Morty said.
They went back up front so Cash Morty could pay for the ring, Bling Bling Morty put the ring in a stunning decorative box.
"Alright, here you go, congratulations" Bling Bling Morty handed him the box.
"Ok got that done, now all I have to do is plan the perfect proposal" Cash Morty said.
"Yea about that, don't overdo it ok? Last thing you would want to do is make her feel embarrassed or awkward on what's supposed to be a joyous occasion" Smooth Morty said.
"Overdo it? Please, your brother here is a master when it comes to impressing babes" Cash Morty said.
"Ok you're right, I have a tendency to overdo it, uh…..Baker Morty you're a sweet guy, what would you do in this situation?" Cash Morty asked.
"Me? I-I would do something sweet, like take her to the place that we met, or t-the place that we had our first date, something like that, i-if all else fails beachfront proposals at sunset are always nice" Baker Morty said.
"Those are some really good suggestions, you know what Baker Morty, you're going to make a woman very happy someday" Cash Morty said.
"I-I hope so" Baker Morty said.
"What about you Smooth Morty, Catalina said yes so your proposal couldn't have been too lame" Cash Mortya said.
"You were there you moron, remember me, you, her and Rosie all went out to dinner, and I got up on the stage and sang to her, and that's when I proposed" Smooth Morty said.
"Oh yea, I remember that now, I thought you were going to puke, you were so nervous" Cash Morty said,
"Imagine how bad it would have been if she said no in front of the whole restaurant" Smooth Morty said.
"That would have been pretty bad, but you never had to worry about that, it was obvious she loved you and was totally going to say yes" Cash Morty said.
"Yea, but still it's a fear that lingers in the corners of your mind, you'll understand when you propose" Smooth Morty said.
Just then a masked man burst through the front door. He was armed with a weird looking gun, it looked alien in origin.
"Give me all the jewelry! Don't be stupid and play the hero! Just hand over the jewels and no one has to get hurt!" he pointed the strange looking weapon at them.
Bling Bling Morty just looked unamused as he pushed a button. A big golem-like robot came from the back of the store. It was wielding a staff.
"Robbery will not be tolerated" it said in a robotic voice. As it slammed the staff down on the burglar, he screamed in pain as electricity flowed through his body. He fell unconscious.
Baker Morty watched eyes wide, the robbery had begun and ended so quickly it was hard to process what had just taken place. The robot drug the unconscious would be thief out of the building. Bling Bling Morty just shook his head and continued chatting like it never happened.
"Are you guys ok?" Bling Bling Morty seemed to notice that they looked stunned.
"A-are you ok? Someone just tried to rob your store" Baker Morty asked.
"Oh, pfft, please, that happens on a weekly basis, do you know how much money is in this place" Bling Bling Morty brushed it off.
"Really Bling Bling? People try to rob you that often?" Cash Morty looked genuinely concerned for his friend.
"Yea, but don't worry I'm well protected, I have my golembot, he keeps me safe" Bling Bling Morty reassured him.
"What about when you are away? What if you someone attacks you at your house?" Cash Morty fretted.
"When I leave at night, I have a state-of-the-art alien security system to keep robbers out, and at my house I have the same security system plus I have a Hornhunter to keep me safe as well, I promise you Cash, everything is fine, nobody has been able rob or hurt me yet" Bling Bling Morty promised him.
"W-what is a Hornhunter?" Baker Morty asked.
"They are big carnivorous alien creatures, with big goring horns protruding from their head, and sharp teeth and claws that could slice anything wide open, mine is named Galacia, they make great pets as long as you aren't on their bad side" Bling Bling Morty said.
"What if you forget to feed it and it decides to make you its meal?" Cash Morty asked.
"Run along now Cash Morty, don't you have a proposal to plan, thanks for shopping, see you later, love you" Bling Bling Morty pushed them out of the door.
They traveled back to Cash Morty's mansion. Cash Morty was brainstorming ideas for a good proposal setting.
"You know I was thinking, Baker Morty is right, a beachy proposal would be the best, so I was thinking that we'll all go to the beach, me, you, Catalina, Rosie and all my Morty buddies, she'll think it's just a fun day at the beach, then I'll spring it on her, I know it's your birthday tomorrow Baker Morty, so what about Friday? Will that work for you?" Cash Morty asked.
"Y-yea that works for me, T-thank you for letting me be a part of it" Baker Morty said.
"Of course, the beachfront proposal was your idea, and I've come to regard you as a dear friend, so what are you doing for your birthday? You're going all out aren't you?" Cash Morty asked.
"Haha I-I think lavish parties are more your thing Cash Morty, I-I was just going to hang out with some friends, n-nothing too crazy, I-I mean all of the Morties are turning fifteen it's nothing special really" Baker Morty said.
"Lavish parties? So I had a five hundred person birthday party for me and Smooth Morty, I would hardly call that lavish" Cash Morty said.
"It was lavish Cash Morty, admit it" Smooth Morty laughed.
"Ok fine it was lavish, just because there are millions of other Morties turning fifteen doesn't make it any less special for you, you have a right to celebrate the fact that you didn't die this year" Cash Morty said.
"Hehe, n-not a fan of huge parties or events, speaking of, I-I can't imagine what your wedding is going to be like" Baker Morty said.
"Hey it's about what she wants, I'm just paying" Cash Morty said.
"Really? Y-you don't want any say?" Baker Morty asked.
"Everyone knows that the wedding is the bride's time to shine, most women have thought about their wedding for years, I wouldn't want to interfere with her vision, I'm just there to get married she can plan the party, of course I'll help her if she wants or needs me to, but mostly I'll just be busting my wallet out" Cash Morty said.
"Well this has been fun, but I got to get back to my wife" Smooth Morty said.
"Yea, I-I got to work in the morning, I-I better get home and get ready for work tomorrow" Baker Morty said.
And with that, he headed home. It was evening and the Citadel seemed more bustling than usual. He wondered if something had happened while he was gone. Morties and Ricks were talking in loud disbelieving voices. And everyone he passed seemed to be talking about the same thing, so clearly something had happened, he wondered what it was. Maybe he could ask Floor Manager Morty.
As he continued his stroll back to his apartment. A particular Morty caught his eye. He was a typical yellow shirt Morty. The thing that stuck out about him was he was walking a white and orange dog on a leash. Baker Morty felt a pang of envy. Where did he get that dog? Was there a pet store that he didn't know about on the Citadel after all? One thing was certain he had to talk to this Morty and pet his dog. He approached the Morty, but he was too fascinated with the dog at his side. He realized that he had approached this Morty but hadn't said anything he must be weirded out.
"Oh hi, I-I'm Baker Morty, that's a really cool dog" Baker Morty greeted.
"Hi, I-I'm Soft Morty, and thank you" Soft Morty said in a really soft spoken voice. He guessed that's where his name comes from.
"W-what's its name? What kind of dog is it? W-where did you get it?" Baker Morty bombarded Soft Morty with questions.
"Her name is Missy, she's a Collie, and I-I got her from a breeder in my home dimension" Soft Morty said.
"I-I'm so jealous, I've always wanted a pet, y-you're so lucky" Baker Morty said.
"I-I sure am, we used to participate in talent shows together, she's a really good dog" Soft Morty said.
"Wow, s-she must be really smart" Baker Morty said.
"She really is, I-I wish we were back at my apartment, then I-I could show you some of her award winning tricks" Soft Morty said.
"C-can I pet her?" Baker Morty asked.
"Of course" Soft Morty responded.
Baker Morty knelt down and ran his hand across Missy's silky fur. Her tongue lolled out happily as her tail thumped the ground. He scratched behind her ears.
"Well, s-sorry to interrupt your walk, and thanks for letting me pet your dog" Baker Morty said.
"Y-you're welcome, and it's ok we were heading home anyways, i-it's Missy's dinner time" Soft Morty said.
"Where do you stay? I-is it far from here?" Baker Morty asked.
"N-no it's not far, I-I live in The Morty Paradise, it's only a couple of blocks away" Soft Morty said.
"I-I live there too, we can walk back together" Baker Morty said. They began the walk back to the apartment building and were chatting along the way.
"Did y-you hear? Candidate Morty got shot during his speech this morning" Soft Morty asked.
"Oh no, i-is he ok?" Baker Morty asked.
"Y-yea, he's recovering" Soft Morty said.
"Do they know who did it? A-and why?" Baker Morty asked.
"I-it was his campaign manager, i-it can only be assumed to be an attempt to get revenge because Candidate Morty fired him, however there were rumors that he set it up to get sympathy votes" Soft Morty responded.
"Really? T-that seems like a lot to go through to get a few extra votes, I-I mean you couldn't guarantee that you wouldn't be killed in the process" Baker Morty said.
"So, h-how did you come to live on the Citadel?" Baker Morty asked. A haunted look appeared on his face, Baker Morty felt guilty for asking.
"One night, I-I woke up in the middle of the night to my mom screaming, I-I was terrified, I had no idea what was going on, t-then my grandpa rushed into my room and told me we had to leave immediately, I-I asked him what was happening but he wouldn't respond he just hurried me through the portal, thankfully I had my dog with me, to this day I still have no idea what happened that night my grandpa refuses to talk about it, but I-I'm guessing my family is dead since we haven't returned" Soft Morty explained. There was great sadness in his eyes.
"I-I'm sorry, that must have been so hard" Baker Morty said.
"W-what about you?" Soft Morty asked.
"My grandpa abandoned me here, h-he said I wasn't a good enough Morty to him, so I-I'm Rickless" Baker Morty said.
"Oh, I-I'm sorry, sometimes Ricks view us Morties as their slaves rather than living beings" Soft Morty said.
"T-that's why I'm glad to be Rickless, i-it's so nice to live my life not dictated by a Rick, I-I am free to do and be what I want, not to insult you for having a Rick" Baker Morty said.
"Trust me i-its not by choice, I-I envy you Rickless Morties" Soft Morty said.
They made it back to The Morty Paradise and said their goodbyes before heading to their apartments. He hoped to see Soft Morty again, and no it wasn't just because he had a dog. He hopes he made a new friend.
Baker Morty made some grilled cheese sandwiches and tomato soup for dinner. Then he got his clothes out for work. He climbed into bed and had a beautiful view of Mortyburg. He made sure his bed faced the huge window so he could lie in bed and enjoy the view. Even though it was nighttime the city was still busy, the Citadel really never slept. There wasn't a time it wasn't lively. As he lay in bed he couldn't help but be grateful, he was in his apartment that he rented with his money. He had friends, he had a job.
If he was back in his home dimension. He would be living with his parents. With no money or freedom, he'd be without friends or people who genuinely loved him. He'd still be under the control of his grandpa. His life wouldn't be his own. So he was grateful to his grandpa for abandoning him here. It could only get better and better from here on out. Who knows he may even get a pet or wife or both. He slipped under the covers and smiled and sighed in content as he fell asleep.
The next morning he woke up as a fifteen year old. He got out of bed and popped some Feggos waffles in the toaster. He grabbed his bottle of Mr Butterworth's syrup out of the pantry. The toaster popped telling him his waffles were done. As he grabbed the waffles out of the toaster he laughed. He remembered when he was little how much the toaster popping used to scare him. He used to be such a little wimp.
He ate breakfast and got dressed in his blue button up shirt and blue slacks. He went into the bathroom to brush his teeth. As he was looking in the mirror he noticed he was getting some peach fuzz on his lip. It was a sign of his transition from boyhood to manhood. He was definitely getting taller. He wondered how tall he would end up being. He had lots of tall people in his family, his parents were tall and his grandpa was tall. He often wondered what he would look like as an adult, and now he was a year closer to becoming one. He finished freshening up, grabbed his briefcase and headed out the door.
He got to work and entered the office. He wasn't surprised to see that Floor Manager Morty was already there. He liked to get to work early.
"Happy birthday Baker Morty" Floor Manager Morty spun around in his swivel chair and smiled.
"T-thank you" Baker Morty returned his smile as he took his seat.
Baker Morty booted up his computer and logged into the inventory system. He was looking over everything the system said they had and was logging it into his datapad. Now he was going to go do a visual check of everything they had to make sure it matched. With his datapad in hand he headed to the warehouse. He was back in the dry storage area logging the inventory they had. He heard two Ricks talking outside.
"Why do we have to listen to these stupid Morties? We are stronger and smarter than them, we should demand better treatment" one Rick said.
"Yea, I'm sick of that Floor Manager Morty bossing us around, disrespecting us, treating us like dirt, and don't get me started on that pathetic Baker Morty, how is the likes of him above us? He's so weak it's ridiculous that he's in a higher up position" the other Rick said. Baker Morty was stunned at what he was hearing.
"We should demand better treatment, think about it, there are only three of them and dozens of us, if we all revolt they couldn't stop us, we could hold them hostage and demand that Cash Morty give us more money and more power, if he doesn't comply then his precious Morty managers will be executed, he'd be forced to give us whatever we want" the first Rick said.
Baker Morty covered his mouth to stifle a gasp. He had to warn Floor Manager Morty and Plant Manager Morty about the plot. But he didn't want the Ricks to know that he had overheard them. Who knows what they would do to him to silence him. He slid open the heavy metal door to the dry storage area. The two Ricks immediately turned to look at him. He looked down at his datapad to make it seem like he was too absorbed in his work to have noticed them as he tried to walk past them they stepped in front of him.
"Where do you think you're going?" one of the Ricks said.
"Hmm me? I-I'm going to the cold storage area to take inventory" Baker Morty tried to keep up the ruse. But the Ricks weren't falling for it.
"You can drop the act Faker Morty, we know you heard our plan" the other Rick said.
Baker Morty had no choice but to run, he sidestepped the two Ricks and took off running. The Ricks were in hot pursuit of him. They quickly ate up the ground with their long legs. He didn't even make it out of the warehouse before one of them tackled him to the ground, smashing his face into the concrete floor so hard he couldn't breathe. His datapad flew out of his hands and hit the ground hard cracking the screen.
"You're not going anywhere, we've got one! Let the insurrection begin!" the Rick called to the others.
The Rick stood him up and shoved him forward as the other Ricks in the insurrection ran out of the warehouse. He was led to the office and shoved inside where Floor Manager Morty was being held at gunpoint by Scrubbin Rick. Baker Morty was pushed down next to Floor Manager Morty and he too was held at gunpoint. A few moments later some Ricks shoved Plant Manager Morty into the office and now all three of them were being held at gunpoint.
"What is the meaning of this!?" Plant Manager Morty demanded.
"Consider this a hostile takeover, we're sick and tired of being treated like crap, we're sick and tired of getting paid pennies compared to what you lesser Morties make, we are going to make our voices heard" Forklift Operator Rick said.
"You! Call Cash Morty or I'll splatter your brains all over the walls!" Scrubbin Rick pointed the gun right in Floor Manager Morty's face. Floor Manager Morty raised Cash Morty on the com device.
"Hey Floor Manager Morty, how's it going?" Cash Morty asked.
"Um, we have a situation-
"Move out of the way!" Forklift Operator Rick pushed Floor Manager Morty out of the way. He glared defiantly at Forklift Operator Rick.
"Cash Morty it's Forklift Operator Rick, we have your precious Morty managers held at gunpoint in the main office, we demand better treatment and better pay, if you do not comply we will execute your Morty managers one by one, so what will it be Cash Morty" Forklift Operator Rick said.
"How dare you! I'm very busy! I don't have time for this! I'm coming down there!" Cash Morty shouted angrily.
"You better hurry or your precious Morties won't be alive when you get here" Forklift Operator Rick cut off the call.
Floor Manager Morty and Plant Manager Morty were giving them defiant looks. Baker Morty wished he could do the same. But he was terrified, this was not how he envisioned his birthday going. And he certainly didn't want this to be his last birthday. He fought back the tears that threatened to fall. The Ricks were right he was weak, he was pathetic.
"We're not scared of you pinheads!" Floor Manager Morty shouted at the Ricks.
"Yea, whatever you're hoping is going to happen isn't going to happen, you're wasting your and our time, I was in the middle of a very spicy conversation with my wife" Plant Manager Morty huffed in annoyance. Just then Cash Morty appeared.
"Ok what do you morons want? Hurry up I haven't got all day" Cash Morty rubbed his temples.
"We want more money, better treatment and the positions we deserve" Forklift Operator Rick said.
"Allow me to offer this as a rebuttal, you're all fired" Cash Morty said.
"Wrong answer, I've been waiting a long time for a chance to kill this sorry excuse for a Morty" Forklift Operator Morty pointed his gun at Floor Manager Morty. But before he could pull the trigger portals started opening and sucking the Ricks into them.
"Those portals lead to Virosios III, it's a planet where aliens hunt humans for sport, they catch them and eat them alive, does anyone want to continue this foolish endeavor?" Cash Morty glared balefully at the remaining Ricks.
"No Cash Morty, we don't" the remaining Ricks surrendered.
"Good, that matter is settled then, you're still fired though, get out" Cash Morty said. And the Ricks hung their heads and sulked out.
"Are you guys ok?" Cash Morty asked.
"Yea were fine, we're not going to let a band of clowns, get us down, right guys" Floor Manager Morty said.
"Certainly not, idiots, they interrupted my conversation with my wife" Plant Manager Morty walked out grumbling.
"T-that was so scary, I-I can't do this anymore, I-I quit" Baker Morty left the office. He couldn't hold them back anymore, tears were sliding down his cheeks.
"Baker Morty wait!" Floor Manager Morty ran after him.
"Hey, I-I know that was scary, but please don't quit, that won't happen again I promise, here Cash Morty gave us the rest of the day off, why don't we go out and celebrate your birthday like we said we would" Floor Manager Morty suggested.
"I-I don't want to celebrate anymore, I-I just want to go home" Baker Morty left leaving no room for further discussion.
Baker Morty went back to The Morty Paradise and hurried into the safety of his apartment. He removed his work clothes and changed into some casual clothes. He looked in the mirror, he was bruised and had a busted lip from when Forklift Operator Rick tackled him onto the ground. He could have been killed. He sat on his couch and cried, why did he always get caught in the middle. He was never mean to the Rick employees. He never disrespected them. He understood them being mad at Floor Manager Morty, Plant Manager Morty and Cash Morty. But he never did anything to them. They just attacked him because he was a Morty. He heard a knock on the door. He knew who it was and he did not want to talk to him right now.
"Baker Morty?" Floor Manager Morty called.
"It's me and Cash Morty, I can't help but notice that you seem to be mad at me, can't we talk about it?" Floor Manager Morty said through the door.
"Are you mad at me too Baker Morty?" Cash Morty asked him. He sighed fine they asked for it. He opened the door.
"Yes I-I'm mad, y-you know the Ricks weren't wrong, you guys do treat them like trash, I-I know that Ricks can be mean and cruel, but being just as mean and cruel as them makes you no better than them, I-I was terrorized on my birthday because of what you two did" Baker Morty told them.
"I'm sorry Baker Morty, I promise I'll be nicer to the Ricks if that will make you happy" Cash Morty said.
"Me too, I promise too, just please don't quit, please come back" Floor Manager Morty said.
"T-thanks, but I need some more time to process" Baker Morty said.
"I know you're still mad at me, but you're still coming tomorrow right? I really want you there" Cash Morty asked.
"Y-yea I'll still be there" Baker Morty said.
"Ok, then we'll leave you alone" Cash Morty said. Before leaving.
"Yea, I-I guess I'll leave you alone too" Floor Manager Morty shot him a sad look before heading to his own apartment.
Baker Morty would bake to settle his nerves. He was going to make classic yellow cake and chocolate frosting. First he put on his Sexy Baker apron. He preheated his oven to three fifty. In a medium bowl he whisked together, two and a half cups of flour, one fourth cup of cornstarch, a half teaspoon of baking soda, and one teaspoon of baking powder as his dry ingredients.
In a separate bowl he mixed a half cup of softened butter, a half cup of vegetable oil, two eggs, one and one fourth tablespoon of vanilla, one and two thirds cup of sugar, and one and one fourth cup of buttermilk as his wet ingredients. He combined his dry and wet ingredients. He greased two eight inch round cake pans. And poured the batter into the pans. Then he put them in the oven and set the timer for thirty eight minutes.
Whilst his cakes baked he would make the chocolate frosting. He broke a bar of semi-sweet baking chocolate into pieces and then melted it in the microwave, careful not to burn it. Then he whisked in three cups of powdered sugar, two teaspoons of vanilla, one third cup of heavy cream, and a half cup of cocoa powder. He whisked until it was nice and smooth. Once his cakes finished he set them out to cool. When they were cooled. He spread frosting on one of the cakes then he stacked the other on top and frosted them both until they were covered in a nice layer of frosting.
He sighed, baking always made him happy. Now he just wished he could make other people happy with his baking. He loved his life here on the Citadel, but his dream of being a pastry chef seemed to be getting farther away. He didn't really want to open his own bakery, but that seemed to be his only way here on the Citadel to share his creations. There wasn't one already open that he could work at. He was afraid of his bakery failing as restaurants or any business of that type were really hard to maintain. Most fail in their first year. That's why he never wanted to open one. He would be in massive debt. Plus who wants the disappointment of having their dreams dashed. But then again, he knew a lot of successful Morty business owners. Surely they could give him some pointers.
He was about to see Cash Morty's business owner friends tomorrow. However, it's supposed to be a nice relaxing day at the beach. They probably wouldn't want to talk business. Starting up a business was a money pit. You have to buy a building, do whatever repairs or work needs to be done to get it ready for the type of business it's going to be. Get all the necessary supplies you would need. At some point hire staff. He shook his head.
Opening a bakery just wasn't feasible. He knew he never wanted the headache of managing a business. Then how would he become a pastry chef? Maybe one of the restaurants was looking to expand their dessert menu. Maybe he was worrying for no reason. After all he was only fifteen, he still had plenty of time to make his dreams a reality. Yes, he'll enjoy this for now. And then when he is officially an adult, he'll worry about his dream of being a pastry chef. Even as he thought that there was a pit in his stomach. It was only three more years, what was three years in the grand scheme of things he reminded himself.
He knew he told Floor Manager Morty that he didn't want to celebrate anymore. But he was supposed to hang out with Nurse Morty and Servant Morty too. It seemed wrong to cancel on them just because he was mad at Floor Manager Morty. But then again just going out with Nurse Morty and Servant Morty seemed like a really mean thing to do to Floor Manager Morty. He supposed he'd better go talk to Floor Manager Morty after all he was sorry about what happened. He left his apartment and took the elevator to the next floor. He rang the doorbell at Floor Manager Morty's apartment. A couple moments later he opened the door.
"Oh hi Baker Morty" Floor Manager Morty smiled at him.
"Hi, I-I just wanted to say that I'm sorry for the way I acted early, I-I was just shaken" Baker Morty explained.
"You don't have anything to apologize for, you're right me, Cash Morty and Plant Manager Morty totally caused that situation, it could've ended really badly, thankfully it didn't, I'm so sorry that you got caught in the middle of it all, and I'm serious, I promise to be nicer to the Ricks to prevent anything like that from happening ever again, please don't quit I'd be so lonely up there in the office by myself" Floor Manager Morty pleaded with him.
"Y-you don't have to apologize anymore, I-I forgive you, and thanks for talking me out of making a big mistake, I-I know I would have come to regret it" Baker Morty said.
"So does this mean you want to hang out again?" Floor Manager Morty asked hopefully.
"Yes, w-we're back on for hanging out later" Baker Morty said.
"Good, I'm glad we could settle things, see you later?" Floor Manager Morty said.
"Yep" Baker Morty responded.
Baker Morty went down to the lobby of the apartment complex. It was lively with Morties, sometimes it was still strange to look around and see his own face everywhere. He recognized some of the Morties. There was Red Shirt Morty, Green Shirt Morty, and Orange Shirt Morty. The triplet Morty brothers that lived right across from him. He saw Crazy Cat Morty, a Morty that Cash Morty had introduced him to. There was Bartender Morty, he worked at a bar and grill here in Mortyburg. There was Handy Man Morty, he did the maintenance here at the apartment complex. Mostly Morties got along with each other, but there did seem to be a growing divide between Rickless Morties and Ricked Morties. Rickless Morties often viewed Ricked Morties as freaks and something to be laughed at. Here at The Morty Paradise, there were many restaurants and lounges, many of which Ricked Morties were not welcome in.
Baker Morty decided to go ahead and go to The Chill Morty and hang out. His friends would meet him there later. As he was walking to The Chill Morty he noticed that there seemed to be a commotion going on. There were five Morties arguing with each other. It was most likely about who was and wasn't Ricked. Morties often fought about it, usually because the Ricked Morties were being made fun of.
It made him worry about the kind of place the Citadel was going to be for Ricked Morties like Nurse Morty and Soft Morty. He would never want them to have to live in a place where people were hostile towards them. Nurse Morty was so kind and did nothing but help the Citadel the best he could with his medical practice. Surely Morties would remember his kindness and be kind to him in return. He made it to The Chill Morty and went and got a table big enough for everyone.
"Hey, happy birthday man" Chill Morty came over.
"T-thanks Chill Morty, h-hey, what is your opinion on Ricked Morties?" Baker Morty asked.
"Hey man, Ricked, Rickless, we're all Morties at the end of the day, all Morties are welcome here man" Chill Morty responded. He smiled satisfied with Chill Morty's response.
Baker Morty saw Bowler Morty walk into the lounge. He was wearing his usual, yellow striped bowling shirt, bowling gloves, blue jeans and white bowler shoes. Baker Morty had talked to Bowler Morty a few times and had learned that he was a professional bowler who had broken the record for the most perfect games bowled in his dimension. After he got a career ending hand injury in what was believed to be a deliberate car accident he was abandoned here on the Citadel by his family. Baker Morty felt a pang of sadness, Morties really are expendable to their families. A while later his friends joined him and it lifted his spirits. At least Morties loved and cared for each other even if no one else did.
"T-the clinic was so busy today, t-there was a mishap at one of the factories, lots of injuries" Nurse Morty said.
"Speaking of, t-there was a mishap at work earlier, wasn't there Floor Manager Morty" Baker Morty said.
"Yes there was, the Ricks got tired of the way they were being treated and snapped, they held me, Baker Morty, and Plant Manager Morty hostage and demanded better pay and better treatment from Cash Morty" Floor Manager Morty explained.
"Oh my goodness, g-good thing you guys are ok, that must have been so scary, I-I would have peed my pants" Servant Morty said.
"I-I think I did pee my pants" Baker Morty laughed.
"Floor Manager Morty a-and Plant Manager Morty were so brave, but I-I was scared crapless" Baker Morty said.
"I think it was more stupidity than bravery" Floor Manager Morty laughed.
"Well, I-I'm glad you both are ok, it would have sucked if you got blasted on your birthday" Nurse Morty said.
"Yea, I-I don't want to get blasted anytime let alone my birthday" Baker Morty said.
They laughed and joked and had a good time well into the night. He figured he'd better head home, since he was going to the beach tomorrow. He was excited, he hadn't been to the beach since he was nine. A day of just fun in the sun and relaxation sounded really nice. And he was excited for Cash Morty. He would hopefully be getting engaged tomorrow. Baker Morty realized he had no beach attire. Well he was going to the beach. Surely they would have shops that sold beach clothes. He went to bed a little early so he could be rested for the beach day.
The next morning at about nine o clock, Cash Morty came and got him. He really should invest in his own portal gun. He stopped by a surf shop and got some blue swim trunks and sandals. He was more self conscious than the other Morties so he also got a blue rash guard. The others were fine being shirtless, but he didn't want to show off his scrawny body. He joined the others. Cash Morty had rented a private beach that had a cabana and smoothie bar. It looks like he took Smooth Morty's advice on not making her feel put on the spot in front of a bunch of strangers.
Cash Morty was locked into a game of volleyball with his brother, business buddies and Rosie. Catalina was resting on a towel under an umbrella. She wasn't joining in the game for obvious reasons. There was a girl who had purple scales, webbed hands and feet, pink hair with blue highlights, and a tail with a fin at the end sipping a smoothie whilst relaxing under the umbrella with Catalina. He believed she was Beachy Morty's wife. There were two girls playing in the water. Again he assumed they were spouses of Cash Morty's friends. Richard was in the cabana cooking by the smell of it. He took a moment to apply sunscreen as he didn't want to get sunburned.
He was going to go in the water. There were waves but thankfully they weren't too big. He waded into the water and he was surprised that it wasn't really cold, it was actually pleasantly warm. He could see fish swimming in the water. He sank up to his neck and sighed in delight. The beach was so nice and relaxing. He figured he'd better be social. He swam over to the two girls who were talking.
"H-hello, my name is Baker Morty" he introduced himself.
"Hello, my name is Gala, Casino Tycoon Morty is my husband" Gala the girl with long brown hair and green eyes greeted.
"Nice to meet y'all, I'm Clairabelle, and my fellow is Psychic Morty" said Clairabelle, a girl with blonde hair in pigtails with pink ribbons in each pigtail. He saw that she had brown canine ears but as far as how the rest of her looked he wasn't sure because she was under the water.
"I-I'm friends with Cash Morty" Baker Morty said.
"Ah, the fella gettin engaged today, Rosie is goin to be so happy" Clairabella said.
"She's going to cry tears of joy, it will be so sweet to watch" Gala added.
"I wonder if Mayrina is going to join us, it's strange that she's an Aquarian and she isn't in the water" Gala giggled.
"Oh you know her, she's just concerned about Catalina, seein as she's pregnant and all" Clairabelle said.
"You don't have a little lady, that you wanted to bring here today?" Clairabelle asked Baker Morty.
"N-no, no little ladies for me unfortunately" Baker Morty responded. Just then a wave crashed down on them. Knocking them off their feet. Baker Morty resurfaced and sneezed as salt water went up his nose. Clairabelle and Gala resurfaced laughing.
"Well shucks, my ears are wet now" Clairabelle giggled.
"There goes my dry hair" Gala laughed.
Baker Morty chatted with Gala and Clairabelle for a while longer, then he got out of the water to reapply sunscreen. The volleyball game had concluded by now it was noon. Smooth Morty went to check on Catalina. Casino Tycoon Morty and Psychic Morty joined their wives in the water. Richard had grilled up some burgers and hot dogs for lunch. Baker Morty was sitting on a lounge chair munching on a delicious burger and sipping on a strawberry banana smoothie. He wished he could live like this everyday. He worked his toes into the warm sand. There was a gentle pleasant breeze. He saw Cash Morty and Rosie building a sand castle together. It was a metaphor of the life they were about to build together.
People were settling in and relaxing after lunch. Smooth Morty was rubbing Catalina's slightly swollen belly. Beachy Morty and Mayrina were lounging in the sun together. Casino Tycoon Morty and Gala were still in the water. Clairabelle was burying Psychic Morty in the sand. Cool Morty, Bling Bling Morty and Five Star Morty were throwing sand at each other. Well at least he wasn't the only single Morty here. He laid back on the lounge chair and put a towel over himself to minimize his chances of getting burned whilst he sunbathed. He closed his eyes and let the peaceful sound of the ocean wash over him.
He opened his eyes and realized he had dozed off for a bit. He could smell something delicious. Clearly Richard was cooking again. He got up and stretched, mostly everyone was still lazily lounging in the sun. He went to the smoothie bar and got a mango smoothie. Then he joined Smooth Morty and Catalina under the umbrella. He'd better take a break from the sun.
"Hey Baker Morty, enjoying your time at the beach so far?" Catalina asked.
"Y-yes, I am, it's been really relaxing, h-how about you?" Baker Morty asked.
"Oh yea, it's been really nice, I wish I could join in on the festivities, but I have to be mindful of the two lives growing in me" Catalina rubbed her belly.
"Oh, twins?" Baker Morty asked.
"Well, us Maus can have one to five babies each litter, with two being the average, so I'm having an average litter" Catalina said.
"Wow, w-well congratulations" Baker Morty said.
"Thank you" Catalina purred.
"Smooth Morty, I think I want to go dip in the water for a bit" Catalina said. Smooth Morty went with his wife to the water.
Baker Morty admired Smooth Morty's calmness, he would most likely be freaking out if he had a pregnant wife. His future wife is going to be so annoyed with him. He laid back and enjoyed watching everyone enjoy the beach day, laughter filled the air. After a while of relaxing he joined the Morties in a game of volleyball. The women were sitting and chatting in the water. Finally the sun was sinking towards the horizon.
Richard had a nice spread of food for dinner. There were ribs and grilled chicken and potato salad, baked beans and corn. Baker Morty filled his plate and began chowing down. Everyone was eating and laughing. Baker Morty wondered how Cash Morty was going to propose. The sun sank lower, painting the sky in hues of pink and orange, yellow and red. It was beautiful, a perfect setting for a proposal. He glanced at Cash Morty. As if he read his mind Cash Morty stood up.
"Hey Rosie, we should get a picture in this stunning sunset" Cash Morty said.
"Yea, that'll be nice" she stood up and grabbed Cash Morty's hand. They walked to the edge of the water. Everyone was watching in anticipation. Everyone but Rosie knew what was about to happen.
"Is this a good spot?" Rosie turned and asked Cash Morty.
"It's perfect" Cash Morty said as he got down on one knee. Rosie gasped and placed a hand over her mouth. Then she inevitably began crying.
"Rosie, will you marry me?" he presented the stunning ring he had bought.
"Yes, oh yes!" she sobbed. Cash Morty placed the ring on her finger and she jumped into his arms. Everyone began cheering and applauding and congratulating the newly engaged couple.
"You are about to join the young wives club" Gala gave Rosie a hug.
"Congratulations brother, be prepared to spend many nights on the couch" Smooth Morty clapped him on the back.
"Hey! I'm never going to sleep on the couch" Cash Morty punched his arm. His Morty friends surrounded him and congratulated him.
As the sun slipped below the horizon they started a bonfire and roasted marshmallows. Baker Morty was ready to head home and wash the sand out of the many uncomfortable places that it had gotten. But for now he would enjoy this celebration with Cash Morty.