Angel Arrives with a Fish.
While Daniel was moping into her paws the sudden jogging leaps of a woman in tight shorts, a loose muscle shirt, and noisy sandals came clopping under the trees with a fish held overhead. A bright and beaming smile adorns her lips and the sticking sand matted her clothing.
“Hey! We caught one!” Angel shouted before fully arriving, Daniel having time to smile back at her while a woman baring fish invaded into her personal space.
“Why are you holding it like a video game character who just finished looting a chest?” Daniel snickers.
“Because awesome! That’s why. You as the fantasy monster don’t have right to make fun of this.” Angel sticks her tongue out.
“You’re only saying that because you want to be the hero.”
“And you would get to be my pet, my noble steed, whom I shall ride into vicious combat and slay thine enemy on my floppy sword!” she wags the fish around, looking all but comically oversized in her thin pink hands. “Now open wide so I can toss it in.”
Daniel wondered if it was a bit heavy to be moving around on a whim, let alone just giving away. The thing was large enough to actually be a mouthful. At first she reflexively held up a paw and made motions as if to accept the small meal, but just as last time it dawned on her how useless a lion’s paws were at fine manipulation and holding onto small things. Trying not to sigh, she leans her head forward, opens her mouth wide, and feels the dull, mud-flavored taste of a raw fish being flopped onto her tongue.
It was nowhere near as good as the steak, but not so terrible she felt the need to spit. With no inclination to actually savor the taste she just swallows the fish whole and immediately, looking back down at Angel with a soft expression.
“Thank you, again.” The sphinx offered. “For everything really.”
“Heh, no problem girl. I’ll get back to catching more fish, we’re gonna be staying the night here so we have time.”
Daniel nodded and watched her leave, momentarily worried by the concept of time and how long it might be before she actually ends up back home. But she doesn’t have the chance to ponder long before four different people come up to interrupt. Bold but nervous this new gaggle of onlookers stepping close enough to reach a paw at all reeked of fish, and two of them were outright carrying what had to be some large freshwater fish.
“Uh, you’re Daniel right? That’s what everyone keeps calling you?” one of the four asks.
“I am, yes.”
“Right. Would you mind letting me pet your fur? I’ve got a fish for you. If you want it.”
At first the sphinx blinked in surprised, having not expected anything like this request. On the other hand her stomach was still complaining and it seemed rude to expect Angel and Keth to keep providing for her. Besides this wasn’t really begging or charity, it was payment for petting. Right? Her stomach had already cast it’s vote long before Daniel could rationalize.
“Sure thing, though I hope you don’t mind if I keep my wings folded.”
Each of the four cast varying glances at each other, while the first came up and offered his fish. A plop and a slurp, Daniel once more had the taste of grimy lake water on her tongue, and not long after felt a soft, timid caress against her shoulder. His fish offered as tribute he was now amusing himself by touching up and down the length of that lioness hair. In all honesty it felt comfortable, if a bit ticklish for how small the little man’s fingers were in comparison. Like being the focus of attention for a very tiny hairbrush, his fingers ran through hair strands.
But another came up with the offer of fish and a clear desire to get closer. An adorable young woman in a pink sweater leaned close, not so much tossing the fish or even holding it up, but rather extending her hand out a bit and expecting Daniel to lower herself far enough to slurp up the limp meat.
The moment she did, it was like a trap had been sprung. A fish tail poking from her lips as the Sphinx stared in rapt confusion, feeling the girl’s soft fingers rub up and down her nose and patting along the lips. The way someone might pet a horse this was just rubbing up and down the face, all but testing to see if this was actually real and genuine flesh.
There were giggles when the confused sphinx pulled her head away and gulped down the rest of that offering, a heavy snort that sends her hair flying back and ruffles the clothing. But that girl just bounds off to get another fish …
An idea that lots of people seemed to be having now that they’d seen it from Angel.
Another man walked up with the offer of seafood, Daniel graciously accepting as he closely inspects her wings. Running a finger down the length of various feathers and mumbling to himself about aerodynamics. Someone else wanted to swing around back and chase her tail, and so in the midst of being prodded she had an impromptu wrestling match pitting her tail against a fish baring challenger. One that soon became three, and her tail was still winning easily.
More came and offered samplings of their latest catch, and before long Daniel could feel tiny monkey crawling things climb over her back and scrample atop her shoulders. One trying to sit on her head and slide down the bridge of her nose, soon discovering a the Sphinx wasn’t quite big enough for that. At one point people ask if she actually can fly on those proportionately tiny wings, but as far as Daniel was concerned that wingspan was huge. A crowd was swift to form once any and all fear had been completely shoved aside, now people swarmed on all sides and a short line was forming up in front of her waiting jaws. Those who’ve gotten bored of petting walking away to give someone else a turn, then cycling back not ten minutes later with yet another offering of fish.
Petting and petting, but fish after fish , and with their size taken into account it was like trying to fill yourself up on weird tasting popcorn. No matter how many you eat it’s never enough.
“When did I transform from dangerous monster to playground equipment …” Daniel muttered to herself, just before eagerly accepting yet another fresh fish.
Written by Arbon on 22 December 2016