Spot an Angel with a fishing pole.
A solid ten minutes passed before Daniel was actually free to leave, when the first person asked for a few moments to say their farewell it slowly became apparent that yes was not the correct answer. Because immediately the next person wished for the same, and the one after that, and the small family after that. She was adamant about not giving any more rides with the splotches of spilled juice as a good reason why, but this did not stop onlookers from trying to rub her paws one last time or stoke down her shoulders.
It left this new sphinx thankful she didn’t end up transformed into a dog or a housecat, having petting’s forced on you by a stranger was a bit like watching passengers at a bus stop randomly offer you back rubs. On occasion they’d even have the skill of a professional masseuse. By the time Daniel had broken away towards the beach and her crowd had nosily dispersed the rest of the way, that spilled drink had dried onto her fur and feathers.
“Looks like you’ve got a fanbase Danny.” Keth offers, walking side by side with the towering lioness.
“I’m not a girl, if you’re going to make a nickname then why not Dan?” the sphinx huffs.
“Daniel is totally a girls name and you know it.”
“Is not!” Daniel pouts, one wing flicking out to buffet against the diminutive human at her side.
“What are you two on about?” The feminine shout elicited a sharp turn from Daniel, nose pointed toward the waters until she could spy Angel fast approaching. A fishing rod still in hand and a large plastic bag with her catch tucked inside. “If you’re trying to convince us you’re a boy somehow then give it up kittycat, everything about you looks and sounds womanly.”
“How about the fact I’m a lion?” She sits down abruptly, puffing out her chest and trying very deliberately to look down at the two puny humans at her feet.
“A lion without a mane you mean, who obviously has a slender build.” Angel was, for better or worse, undaunted by any display of intimidation.
“Showing us your chest isn’t going to help you girl.” Keth snickers.
“Shapeshifter. Say it with me guys …” Daniel raises her two front paws, holding them a foot apart and bouncing from syllable to syllable as if spelling out a word. “Trans. For. May. Shon.”
“I guess Trans is the appropriate word.” Keth did a marvelous job in hiding his smirk.
“You two are hopeless.” Daniel thuds back onto four legs, dirt flying forward and a forceful impact shaking the ground. Angel was nothing but smiles and giggles as she held a hand up to block the incoming splash of dirt while Keth was sputtering and complaining.
“And you still have a long trip ahead of you, got enough fish?” Tactfully changing the subject, that Angel with a fishing rod simply would not be swayed.
“I don’t know, did you?” The lioness leans her head down and noses at the tiny plastic bag.
“Enough for me you greedy little housecat, caught about all we’re going to manage tonight.” The teenager shrugs, not bothering to help Keth flick the sand out of his hair.
“I’m not asking for them, just seems a bit on the small side.”
“Think you can catch a bigger one?”
“If they aren’t scared away the moment I dip under the surface, maybe. Pretty sure they don’t make fishing rods in my size.”
“It’s a bet then, if by nightfall tomorrow you haven’t caught a bigger fish than this one here.” Angel holds up the bag and waggles it for emphasis. “You owe me another joyride. Above the clouds this time.”
“H-hey, she’s a wild animal not a flying car.” Keth complains. Daniel is given the distinct impression it’s more from jealousy than any particular care toward her feelings.
“And if I win this ‘little’ bet?” the sphinx makes sure to step a little closer as they walk, emphasizing the size difference as deliberately as possible.
“If you manage to catch a bigger fish, and not just demand offerings from a better fisherman, I’ll show you the wondrous human magic known as … television!” It didn’t take long at all for the girl to be ducking and weaving to avoid slaps from a fuzzy lion tail. “H-hey! Stop, stopit!”
“Everyone knows was a TV is and they aren’t magic.” Daniel didn’t let up, forced to run in front of the woman so she could waggle her tail behind her.
“Are you able to get any reception from inside a pyramid?” Keth asks as soon as he’s finished wiping specks of sand away.
“No, I’m serious, it’s a magic box of light that displays –eeepmhh!” she leaps directly into a particularly aggressive swipe, glomping her arms around the tail and latching tightly to the end. Now when it swings the girl dangles through the air like a streamer.
“It wasn’t even this morning when you tried to tell me you were some magical princess from fairy land or whatever, nice try but for the last time I am totally a human. I’ve got a TV back home even! The place I’m trying to get to, remember?”
“Eeeeeeehhh!” she squeals. Whether from glee or barely hidden terror it’s difficult to find out. Her speech returning to normal as the Sphinx settles down her movement and just lets Angel hang there. “H-huff. Okay fine, but can you actually use your television?”
Daniel balked at the question.
“E-erm, well I …”
“Look at your paws. Do you have some giant remote you can press the buttons with?”
“Well no …”
“Do you have a paid butler or some thralls of servants you can command to push buttons for you?”
“That would just be silly, no.” the lioness huffs.
“Well then that’s my offer if you win this bet, actually getting to watch a movie or something instead of just staring at a blank screen. You get yourself a massive fish before midnight and I’ll set up the box for you, pop a disk in, and play something for you to watch. Deal?”
Daniel pauses a long moment, stopping a handful of strides away from the water’s edge and turning to stare at the small human hanging from her tail. The massive eyes narrow.
“Only if the film has nothing to do with Egypt.” She concludes with an assertive tone.
Angel pouts.
Written by Arbon on 01 February 2017