Time to go swimming
“I can put on Star hike if you want.” Keth suggests with a grin.
“Ugh that show is such a rip-off.” Angel drops to the sand and folds her arms, sauntering boldly toward the front of Daniel’s padded feet. The sphinx looks down to see her visage framed by the late afternoon sun and the glistening waters behind her.
“What show are you talking about?” Daniel frowns, stepping forward and pawing at the thin waves. This was nothing like an ocean where the mass of cold broth would surge onto a sandy beach, coloring the sands brown and drifting back into the white and blue. These waters were calm, they were clear, and to a certain extent they felt stale.
“Never heard of Star Hike?” Keth sticks his tongue out. “I guess you were bluffing about that TV back home.”
“I can throw you into the lake you know.” The lioness huffs.
“And I can splash you once I’m in.” he counters instantly, as if Angel’s bravado was rubbing off.
“Come on Daniel, are you telling me you’ve honestly never heard of the classics? Cretaceous Garden. Supernova Wars. Snakes on a Train. Nothing at all? Jeeze its almost as if you’ve been completely cut off from mass media and are lying about it to save face.” The dainty looking woman kicks off her sandals and backs into the water, watching the six inch high waves lap gently over her ankles.
The Sphinx did her absolute best to look annoyed instead of embarrassed.
“You two are just playing with me now and I’m not going to fall for it. Whatever nerdy science fiction things you guys are bringing up is either not mainstream at all, or entirely fake.”
“It’s from Hollywood, of course it’s fake.” Keth trying to be helpful.
Daniel leaned forward and slammed her face into her own paws, a resounding thunk causes the waters to ripple and sand to splash outward.
“Don’t worry Sphinxypoo, you’re little secret is safe with us. We won’t tell anyone about your embarrassing lack of class.” Angel teases, her fishing rod set by the water’s edge as she backs deeper and deeper into the pool. Lapping waves splashed over her hips, soaking the woman’s fabric.
“I’m not going to stoop to this level, I won’t.” Daniel affirms.
“Then I guess you’d better stay out of the water, cause if you don’t catch a big fish then you’re going to be flying instead.” Keth informs, though notably the boy was staying back. Far enough away that his bare feet weren’t at risk of getting dripped on.
“Oh. Right.” The sphinx stands. She strides forward. Everyone in the vicinity, from the two closest humans to a small collection of onlookers was instantly reminded of why large creatures were intimidating.
Bold, aggressive strides. Claws extended to grasp at the waves, sending massive swells that cleared over angel’s head and sprinkled higher up the beach with a fine mist. It was like stepping in a puddle or stomping inside a small pool, the water barely went up to her ankles. So she went deeper, walking right past Angel and leaving a trailing wake to flow behind her legs.
The woman spluttering, falling back into this water’s surface and letting the swells lift her off her feet. Her eyes close and her hands wipe the face. She left kicking to regain balance until drifting down enough that she could touch the floor.
Daniel could feel it, the slimy rocks she passed over and the wriggling green clumps that stuck to her fur. These waters weren’t blue or white, neither vibrant nor dark, but rather a mossy green that clearly marked this lake as home to algae and a place where leaves decay. Up to her belly. She could smell the earthen tones and plantlike aura, the damp air and chilled waters forming a strange shock in how she expected things to feel. The unfamiliar sensation of water on fur, like taking a bath while draped in thick blankets. The tickly numbness whenever currents brushed the hairs aside or her movements were met with a ridiculously strong wind. At this size she powered through until her chest was beneath the surface, until only her head and her wings were draped above, and those wings spread out reflexively at the first touch of water.
“You know, I just realized.” Keth brings up idly from half a football field away, Daniel straining to hear past the rushing splashes and the hum of her own breath. “Aren’t you supposed to wait until before swimming if you’ve eaten something? Has to be a half hour otherwise you end up with cramps.”
Daniel flicked her tail in his direction, but the only way she could be beneath the surface involved moving much too far out to reach him effectively.
“You’re just jealous because you don’t have wings.” She counters back. A glance toward Angel whom seemed to be regaining her posture.
“oooohh, sick burns for a kitty cat diving into water.” The women snickers.
“A lion I’ll have you know.” Daniel sticks her head up with pride, only to feel this niggling fear at just how readily she defined as a feline instead of a human. It left her wondering if she might push harder.
“Do lions even swim in water?” Angel balked, leaning forward and swiping at the waves in a lazy drift. Her swim was slow yet controlled, heading further out to match Daniel’s depth.
“I know Tigers love water.” Keth answers unhelpfully, patting himself down only to realize he did not have a phone immediately on-hand.
“But I don’t have stripes.”
“We could paint some on?” Angel deciding to be just as unhelpful.
“If she isn’t a water loving cat then she could end up with some weird deep seated phobia.” Keth nods.
“Hey Daniel, have you started to freak out at all? If you do I’m here for you girl.”
“I’m not a … uuugh.”
Written by Arbon on 04 February 2017