Angel asks for a Ride.
Daniel was suddenly made aware of a warmth and pressure against her shoulders, glancing her head to the side only to feel Angel’s skin brushing against the bare cheeks. Feeling a tiny hand read out to pat against her nose as the human couldn’t resist the allure of a boop. The sphinx puckered her lips and blue, sending Angels hair flying back in a flurry of giggles and muffled protests. The human ducked underneath a wing, gripped onto fur in one hand and feathers in the other. The wing lifts up. With feet dangling on the wind Angel is carried up with it, quick to take advantage and swing forward.
“What on earth are you doing?” the Lioness muttered. Looking back and forth between the Grinning Charley and the woman standing atop her back.
“You can’t talk to us if you aren’t in the same car with us, so how about I ride behind your thick mane fur a while.” Angel offers, ducking down into a crawl for stability. The area across Daniel’s flank was wide and flanked on either side by protruding wings, but the skin was soft and deformed to the touch while the fur was smooth and slippery on sandal clad feet. Daniel hardly noticed any pain, it was a bit like the feel of having a baby kitten crawl on top of you. Fine so long as they don’t make use of those claws.
“The problem with that is I don’t have a mane, see? I’m a girl lion.” Daniel huffed.
“So you admit it!” Angel instantly pounced with pointing fingers and a bold proclamation. Daniel was stammering.
“W-w-n-dtt … Lies! I look like a girl, but I’m not one.”
“Where’s you’re mane then? Hmm?”
“I never had one when I was human, Gaah! Lets get back to the topic of you not wanting to wear seat-belts before I break down and roar.” Flop. The instant reply was a pile of ropes thrown at Daniel’s face, notably the same ropes that secured all of the camper’s luggage.
Angel daintily crawled forward and started plucking strands off of the very annoyed looking Sphinx, clambering up the back of Daniel’s head and reaching between the ears.
“Jus like ridin a hoarse bareback gal, if’n a mite bigger and jus a tad smarter than da hoarses yer uses ta.” Charely Drawled out, settling into the driver’s seat.
“You sure this isn’t a suicide attempt, Angel? I don’t think she’s all that confident in her ability to keep you safe.” Keth inquired, walking slowly around to the passenger side.
For her part Angel settled in down by the base of the lioness’s neck, legs wrapped around either side. The rope was dangled down then looped around the face like a necklace, coming up under the chin for a tight hold. Angel knotting the ropes around her waist and Daniel’s throat with a practiced ease. Daniel could feel what was almost a hug at the back of her skull, save the fact Angel was too small to actually reach all the way around. At best it was scratching between the fuzzy lion ears.
“Fiiine. I will admit this is at least less boring than trying to follow you guys in silence.” Daniel gave in. In the corner of her eye she could see the human’s tiny palm reaching forward to point.
“It’s also more comfortable, this was my turn to sit in the back seat and I’ll do anything to get out of that.” Angel beamed.
“It’s not that bad!” Keth grumbled while sliding into the car. The windows were down on each side, the camping supplies were held and secure in the bed of that truck, and both Angel and Daniel seemed ready.
With a sigh the Sphinx stands up, a movement that was sudden to the point of almost throwing Angel. A rapid rise, lifting her off her seat only to bounce back down atop the tawny fur. She responded by holding tighter and squeezing her legs rather than admonish what had become her mount.
Daniel started to pad in a tight spin, smooth and casual at only a standard walking pace. Then suddenly turned the opposite way, glancing back to watch Angel’s leaning in and holding tight. She seemed to be just as casual about anticipating the slight shifts and the folding muscles, but this was nothing like riding a horse.
“You don’t bounce” Angel observed, noting the feline muscles were sleek and fit together well with the flexible bones and almost rubber spine. Everything designed for stealth and sure footing, this wasn’t a thick gallop but a sleek stalking. And it showed.
“I can try bouncing if you want?” Daniel grinned, spreading her wings in a sudden flair, coiling the back legs, and then kicking off. She got to see a brief, instant panic in Angel’s face before they were gliding down the dirt path. A short flight of maybe half an acre.
“W-WHOO!” Angel screamed as soon as the lioness touched dirt. “Do that again, but other way. We’re supposed to be fallowing the truck.”
“Haha, adventurous aren’t you? Okay okay I’m- … did you just pull my ear?”
“Yes, the one I want you turn toward.”
“Now I feel like spiting you.” Daniel turned the exact opposite direction, but still aimed toward the car and took off at a casual, gliding leap.
“Hmm, so that means I’m playing with inversed controls. I think I can get used to it.”
“Ahah, are my ears a control pad now? Going to look around for the ‘A’ and ‘B’ buttons?”
Daniel felt an intensely pleasurable scratching just near the top of her scalp, right at the base of those fuzzy lion ears. She felt them reflexively fold back, acting like a blanket that covers Angel’s arms and whaps just over her head.
“I think I found one of them, what’s this button do?” she scratched relentlessly.
“Ya two done playin around er wat?” Charley’s voice seemed to take just as much pleasure in breaking the play as Daniel was in getting scratched.
Written by Arbon on 16 September 2016