>>sphinx knows of the prophecy surrounding Oedipus
>>experienced enough to know not to fuck with fate
>>gives ridiculously hard riddles to everyone else
>>even Layton would cry foul
>>jobs hard for Mister Prophecy
>>fucks off somewhere else, continues to eat poor sods trying to get in the new city

#>What if that's my fetish?
#>Sphinx gets a suspicious look on her face when you blurt out a blatantly wrong answer far, far too quickly
#>She studies you for a moment
#>Then tells you if that's how you are you'll need to answer at least 15 riddles correctly and take her on 3 nice dates before she'll even think of eating you

# https://i.imgur.com/PbxiRJx.png (guess-o-burger)
1
# Would a surprise kiss on the lips count as a correct guess?
1
>>Which pair of lips? Depending on answer and performance, you could get mauled, smothered with cat butt, a quick glimpse at the change when she moves her paw in surprise, or thrown out of the store.
1
#>smothered with cat butt
#While this is undoubtedly the best outcome, you'd have to be pretty fast to get around the counter before she realized what you're doing
1
#>Vault over the counter, hope she's surprised enough to falter, and swooce right in between those glorious, furry thighs.
#>You somehow get over the counter and slide between her thighs in less time than it takes her to say "What the hell?"
#>Before she can maul you or even get up another customer comes in and she has to take his order
#>To her dismay he's the start of the lunch rush and she can't get up till it's done and is left giving the customers her best poker face as you go to town
#>When it finally calms down she has another riddle for you, "Who better be down there again bright and early at 6 am when she starts her shift tomorrow unless he wants to be sphinx food?"
1
>>pros: she does let you use her employee discount when you're on her lunch break
>>cons: literally none
1
#>Implying you get a lunch break
#>Implying she gets a lunch break
#If she has to stay on her feet for a full shift, you're going to stay on your back for a full shift, be ready for catbutt on your face throughout the day from start to finish anon
1
>>catbutt on your face throughout the day from start to finish
>>"Oof, what a day. I think my paws were literally shaking that last half hour. Thanks in part to you, of course."
"I think it's all over my face and neck. Say, here's a riddle: what comes 12 times in a day but only comes in once?"
>>"Thirteen times, I woke up in a mood. Sally's cleaning out the customer restrooms, you can go wash up in the employee one. That way."
><"...say, did SHE get a break?"
>>"A short one. All my employees did. Manager's gotta watch her ship through a storm, though."
><"..."
>>"You've got excellent endurance. See you tomorrow~"
1
#>Good news, you got a new job
#>Bad news, no breaks, little pay and it's all under the table, and the hours are long
#>But it's a really fun job
1
><"...a pia- wait, a harpsichord!"
>>"Always nice to hear your tongue is useful for other things. And since I don't get to ask this type of riddle these days, you're nice mental stress relief as well as physical. Well, that and pretending these nuggets are the heads of customers who get angry at not getting change."
><"Wait, so my life wasn't on the line?"
>>"Athena, no! It was only- hm, say. A customer orders a riddle burger, large fries, and a cream soda. If you paid with a ten, what's your change?"
><"Uh-"
>>"Oop, break's up. Hey, bright side, you get hours and hours to think of the answer."
1
#I get the feeling you'd start to get a feel real quickly for how hard her day is by how forcefully she pins you down/grinds against you and/or how hard her riddles are throughout the day
1
>Stressful days has her press deep against you, seeking pleasure with you as more a toy than a person. Pleasant but busy days, she gives you a bit of reprieve, leaning forward more and getting a pleasant buzz from your tongue lightly against her lower lips. Slow days, she rocks back and forth, coaxing you into a rythym and seeking orgasm rather than just letting them come over her.
>Her riddles ironically get easier the worse her day is. It's just nice to hear someone not too stupid.
>And while I'm at it
>>"Here, I'll make your riddle more exciting. Get it right and earn a small raise. Wrong and I'll quote-unquote 'eat' you. You'll be fine either way."
v

#I wanna be inbetween those boobs.
2
#Keep answering the riddles right and maybe you'll get lucky and she'll cuddle up with you
2
#Here's a riddle, what's in my pants and guaranteed to ensure I get with her?
#My smartphone, here's hoping she laired up somewhere with 4g.
v

(1)
#>Her riddles ironically get easier the worse her day is. It's just nice to hear someone not too stupid.
#>Yes, unless they're insultingly easy.
#>Occasionally try to help her destress during slow periods by offering a few riddles of your own
#>Not too often, otherwise she'll get annoyed and remind you you were hired to do something else with your tongue
#>But one every now and then as she wiggles her hips atop you always seems to lift her mood
#>Truth be told you weren't too good at first though
#>But she appreciated the effort and you had plenty of practice solving her riddles
#>You do still sometimes mess up, giving her one that's easy or she's heard before
#>Her answer to those is always the full weight of her catbutt on your face for a minute or so
(2)
#Good news, she does
#Bad news, the first few websites full of riddles you find are ones she runs, and she keeps the good ones for offline

#Bigger is better for them I feel, all the better to play with their food. 
#Also, helps nail that imposing feeling one would get being stared down by them, as they focus their attention on you, waiting for you to fail their riddle so they can eat you. Or even better, "eat" you.
|
#>waiting for you to fail their riddle so they can eat you. Or even better, "eat" you.
#>WhyNotBoth.jpg?
#I mean, what's to stop a massive sphinx from staring down at you, having just given you her riddle and reminding you what's at stake if you fail, before she begins to languidly circle you, teasing and taunting your efforts as you try to think, an amused smirk on her face as your eyes keep drifting across her powerful and beautiful body, eyes twinkling in delight as her tongue runs across her lips in an almost seductive manner, yet despite the promise of pleasure it does nothing to hide the feral hunger in her gaze. 
#And then after, you've done your best to struggle through the distraction and the fear, you can tell the moment you answer it was wrong as she breaks out into a toothy grin and pounces. Instead of gobbling you up immediately, she starts toying with you like a cat does a mouse, effortlessly manhandling you, over powering you and leaving you defenseless as she samples you, again and again and again, not stopping until she's had her fun and you're too weak to struggle, too weak to even moan. Then she asks you the riddle one more time, giving you until her massive tongue finishes slowly making it's way across your naked body for your answer, her warm breath and sharp teeth grazing across your flesh reminding you the price of a wrong answer

#>are into smothering and breathplay
3
#Just when I thought they couldn't get any better
#Though seriously, having one lay atop you, pinning you under the lion part of her as her breasts half cover your face sounds pretty nice
v

#On that note, it makes me think of another idea for sphinx vore, though it's kinda late and I don't feel like writing more than a few lines right now, but I can just imagine some guy finding out the hard way about how his (roughly samesized) sphinx gf was serious about eating him if he failed a riddle of her's. Not that he realized it at first, sure her pinning him down and licking her lips before tearing off his clothes was scary, but when she began nibbling, licking, and sucking, tasting and savoring each and every inch of him as her lips made their way down his stomach, it's understandable how he might've thought she meant "eat" in another way. Of course that changed when right as he's basking in the afterglow, her jaws clamp around his head, and with several powerful gulps, and another round of her tongue exploring his body, she sends him down her hot, tight, slick throat, leaving him to stew in a mix of fear and arousal as her stomach ripples around him, stroking and rubbing his naked body as she gets up, and finds a sunny spot to lay down in before curling up and lazily kneading her stomach, lightly shushing his muffled questions as she works herself into a purr, relaxing with a full belly as she waits for him to calm down before mentioning she'll let him out if he can answer her next riddle correctly

(1)
>>you tried, one, giving her a riddle without an answer
>>just to see if she'd like a "hard" one
>>she did
>>she still grinded against you after a bad customer, but in the lulls...
>>you swear she started purring at one point
>>you made the mistake of coming clean after work
>>fangs bared, claws poking through your shirt
>>you've only ever seen her this angry when that one guy pulled a knife
>>if you thought you'd gotten over that counter fast... she sprang over with ease
>>fortunately, she didn't eat you
>>but, it might be a good idea to answer your change riddle soon
>>...wait, you didn't order a riddle burger, or a cream soda
>>though, she didn't say *you* did, you suppose
>>at least now you can choose right or wrong
(3)
>>sphinx asks a number-answer riddle
>>imposes a time limit of "until you pass out under my breasts"
>> she's got a terrible poker... body, though
>>tenses up when you start answering, relaxes when you hit the target
|
(1)
#>>at least now you can choose right or wrong
#>Choosing right might improve her mood, though she'd still probably be miffed at you
#>Choosing wrong might sooth her anger but runs the risk of giving her an excuse to take it out on you
#>Decisions, decisions
(3)
#>>tenses up when you start answering, relaxes when you hit the target
#>Not muffling your answer by pressing into you more when you're at the last syllable

>>a young sphinx runs up to the party mid-travel
>>"Hey! You guys look strong! Can you get me a book from a lost library?"
>>she's looking for riddles lost to time to use on her prey
>>it's in a dangerous part of the land
>>plus, she thinks there's ghosts, and she's scared of ghosts
>>There's no ghosts 
>>plenty of purring and rubbing up when they succeed, and a promise not to prey on them
>>she occasionally happens to be guarding a road later on
>>gives them some clues if they get a riddle right, but doesn't eat them if they get it wrong or don't answer
|
>>"Ha-ha! Yes! Now, let's see... What has two wheels and flies?"
><"Good question. What's the book say?"
>>"A garbage cart."
><"Ah. My answer is 'a garbage cart.'"
>>"That's right! How did yo- wait."
><"Look on the bright side, you don't lose a meal from me pulling these tricks."

#"short-stack" sphinx
4
>Just give them a magic surrounding their riddles. Even a housecat sphinx is threatening when she's strolling up your paralyzed body, licking her lips and casually talking about which parts of you she'll most savor. You're not entirely sure how she managed to eat you in one long, slow bite, let alone move around afterwards, but as the acids start to sting and your air grows short, it's hard to argue if this was a better fate than being bitten to death.
v
(3)
>Whatever made you think you can speak? She gives her prey a good shot; they can answer by tapping her back a certain number of times.
>I suppose, by all means try to speak up, but she can't or won't hear you and you're only exhausting your very limited life...

(1)
><"Hey Boss, I've got a quick question about that riddle."
>>"I'm not giving you a hint. Also, if you don't answer by lunch, I'm treating it as an incorrect answer."
><"Right. So, would you rather I give the right or wrong answer?"
>>"...hell of a question. Hmm, well, I like knowing my employees - even the unofficial one - are pretty bright. On the other paw, I'm still pissed at you for that stunt yesterday and would like little more than to finally devour someone for a wrong answer. Plus, weekend's coming up, so I've plenty of time to 'deal' with you."
>>you sigh, steeling yourself
><"In that case, I'll answer: riddle burger, large fries, and a cream soda out of a tenner? Nineteen cents change."
>>she looks caught between smug and disappointed
>>"...I see. Well, we'll meet in my office after work today."
><"That said, outside of my answer, if you ever wanted to give me the $3.79 for the order that started this whole shebang, it'd be nice."
>>a genuine smile, proud, hungry, impressed, and full of sharp teeth replaces her earlier look
>>"Given two options, you pick the more correct third. Clever, clever boy."
>>she places a paw on your shoulder, and her claws poke through a bit
>>"I'm still eating you, though. I trust you're not stupid enough to try running."
>>welp, time for an interesting shift and a potentially awkward lunch break

#The whole "consume knowledge" deal is pretty different, I agree. Threw it in for two reasons, the first being it's not common enough that fantasy races can have truly strange and fantastic abilities. 
#Number two was that sphinxes don't digest the one they eat until a new person fails the test, at which point they're replaced. 
#Until that point, guy can escape by devising a riddle sphinx can't crack, and/or aid new challengers so as to not be consumed completely.
5
v

(4)
#>Magic allows a sphinx to eat any being that fails her riddle
#>Same magic also prevents them from harming any sapient being that does not consent to her riddling challenge
#>Sphinxes go to great lenghts to hide the latter fact, usually acting as if though they're going to kill you unless you cna answer her riddle and hoping the potential victim is unaware that she can't actually harm them
#>Conversly, it also means smaller sphinxes are surprisingly dangerous, as more people are likely to humour tham and accept the challenge, assuming she can't hurt them
4
>>They're still pretty strong and cunning, being part lion with a penchant for riddles, so they *can* block off an area pretty well
>>Fools are easy to come by, so they rarely chase someone who retreats (and because of their affinity for intellect, they usually respect the wise decision to not get in over one's head)
>>Getting past a sphinx is thus a trial of intelligence or a much harsher trial of strength
>>If fighting one, do not answer any question she asks, lest you misjudge and lose your ability to resist her jaws
(5)
>>"(it's an owl! a thrice-damned owl!)"
>>"Shut the hell up in there and let me riddle! You, don't listen to him. He just wants to be let out."
>>"Uh... is it an owl?"
>>"Grrr... you may pass. This is your fault, asshole! I hope you like getting slept on!"
5
#a sphinx getting into an argument with someone she's already eaten
5
>>"What do you mean they look different?"
>>"One's red, one's green! They've only got shape in common!"
>>"Don't lie to me, they're the same color!"
>>"No, th- are you colorblind?"
>>"I'm not the one seeing nonexistent colors!"
>>"Oh my god I'm going to be digested by an idiot."

(1)
#>She doesn't move from her spot much during hours, but is quite active before and after.
#>YFW Sally and your...gf? boss? whatever, the sphinx that still hasn’t gotten off of you even though the shop closed half an hour ago have started trading riddles in between talking about their plans for the weekend
#>YFW you realize you’ll probably be stuck here for another hour, your requests for her to get off answered by a wiggle of her hips as shifts around to muffle you
#>YFW Sally finds it hilarious and tells the boss to not play with her food
|
><"Hey, can I get up now? We've been closed f-"
>>she settles her weight on you
>>warm, slimy, bit fuzzy against your cheeks and ears
>>a little bitter and salty, but remarkably sweet
>>the familiar scent of her steady, low arousal
>>brown, furry cheeks and the bit where her tail meets her butt
>>and the audible squish of her inner folds against your lips and tongue
>>a fully-sensed, incredibly effective pinning move
>>"Absolutely, Anon. Just push me off and you're free to go."
>>her tail flicks the top of your head
>>S: "Y'know, most folks mean something different when they say they got off from work."
>>"Yes, you've said that three times now. Didn't waste a second after clocking out, huh?"
>>you brace your hands against her soft thighs and push
>>your frantic struggles win you a shudder, and she even has to pause in her conversation now about rebuses
>>but the toned, muscular, feline body doesn't budge
>>hell, she might've settled deeper on you
>>well, doesn't hurt to keep trying
>>but wait...
>>you reach up instead
>>grab a few feathers
>>and-
>>"Oh fuck no, don't pull those."
>>-and she lets you up
>>huh
><"That's calmer than I feared. Kinda anticlimactic."
>>"Yeah, those sting like hell when torn. Take awhile to grow back, too."
><"Anticlimactic in two ways, now that I think about it."

#You know, one thing sphinxes can do that no one has mentioned yet is manipulate age, namely backwards.
|
>>"Mommy, where do babies come from?"
>>"I, uh, er, like this. Watch the human. Skedaddle skedoddler, you are now a toddler!"
>>*upset human toddler noises*

(1)
>>"Dull for a Friday."
><"You're biting your nuggets in half again."
>>"Mm-hm. Guess who."
><"The 'no, then YOUR manager' girl? No, you stayed pretty light on me for her. Gotta be... either drunk flirt guy or reaches-over-counter girl."
>>"Good enough. Both. Ah, to feel my jaws snap off a few fingers..."
><"One: creepy, and your damn lucky I'm used to you by now. Two, does getting that right exempt me from getting eaten?"
>>"You should be so lucky. I'll be gentle, though, and maybe let you choose which end I start from."
><"Ah, frabjous day. Can I at least ask that your belly is somewhat unoccupied by burgers and stuff?"
>>"Why ask? You can guess the answer. Nugget?"
><"Sure. ... here's a riddle: it dresses at dawn, changes clothes each evening, and strips at night."
>>"Well, me for one. Hmm, strips for ni- oh! A deciduous tree, very good."
><"Figured you'd appreciate a day analogy."
>>"I'm gonna regret telling you that the man riddle is my favorite, aren't I? Oh, wouldn't that make conifers those never-nude guys?"
><"Ha, shy cuz their seed pods look different."
>>"Heh. Oh, Sally's getting a bit swamped, let's head back up front. Well, you're still in back in a way."

(4)
#>Fuck up Sphinx riddle
#>Get swallowed by housecat sized hammerspace sphinx
#>Not even the slightest bulge in the sphinx's belly
#>"Luckily I have my trusty stomach splitter dagger."
#>Slice your way out...
#>Through an incision barely a cm across
#>You fucked with space magic, now you're less than bite sized
#>The now seemingly gigantic sphinx notices you and leans down
#>"So, want to guess again?"
4
#>Housecat sized sphinx
#>Tricks you into playing cat ant mouse with her
#>Uses magic to shrink you down so you can better play the role of the mouse
#>Licks her lips hungrily and reminds you what cats do to mice
4
><"A dagger."
>>"Nope, a hawk. I'm going to eat you now, please give me your foot."
>>a kitten with the wings of a pigeon and a two-inch-high woman's face stands at your feet, mouth expectantly open
>>with a smile, you decide to humor her
>>to your surprise, your entire shoe squeezes in, and you can feel her lips around your ankle
>>she bats at your other shoe with a small paw
>>you roll your eyes, smile condescendingly, and lift your other foot to her mouth, using a nearby ledge to balance
>>it slips in easily too, as she steps forward, completely under you
>>her throat squeezes your feet, and a few inches of your legs vanish
>>ambitious little thing, isn't she
>>several more gulps finds everything below your rear encased somehow in her tiny throat, squeezing your legs together and pressing your soaked pants against you
>>you grip the ledge, mildly concerned now
>>a toss of her head and a swallow pulls you from the ledge and squeezes your hips in
>>it's uncomfortable comfortable in her throat
>>you brace your hands against her face, set to push out
>>she licks, she flicks, and she gulps, and your hands and forearms are pinned to your sides
>>with you so trapped, it's only a couple more swallows before you stare into her far-too-human eyes one last time
>>and then you're in
>>the trip to her gut is uneventful
>>squeezing, kneading throat flesh on all sides
>>forcing you deeper, deeper, until you spill out into her belly
>>fortunately, you came prepared
>>several quick slices later, and you slide out of a gash in her side while she yowls in pain
>>you scramble to your feet, and then realize
>>you're... tiny
>>actually now bite-sized for a small sphinx
>>a feathery wing smacks you to the ground, and a big, furry paw pins you to the hard floor
>>"Tricky bastard. You'll not get another chance!"
>>with surprising deftness, she pulls off your jacket
>>your shirt
>>your shoes
>>your pants
>>even your socks
>>and of course, your underwear
>>"Accept your defeat gracefully, dammit..."
4
>>the sphinx lifts you over her head with one paw
>>to the side, you spot a fallen throwing knife from before
>>it's bigger than you are
>>the sphinx licks her lips and lowers you, slowly, teasing
>>and much bigger than what you're about to be if you can't-
>>you finally manage to pinch her paw between digits
>>she tosses you up and shakes the paw in pain
>>freedom!
>>now there's just...
>>oh yeah
>>the fall
>>you flail your limbs in some madcap way to discover human flight
>>to no avail
>>the sphinx's eyes widen in surprise, and she moves to get under you
>>she's going to save you from splattering!
>>she's...!
>>...opeming her mouth, with that same smug, confident smile she has before she ate you the first time
>>it's a soft, wet landing
>>dark, too
>>she swishes her tongue, tossing you from side to side
>>rolling you around
>>sucking on you, giggling when the sensations get you hard
>>occasionally, a moment of stillness, just long enough to get your bearings
>>and then it's back to tormenting you
>>you barely notice when she flicks her head back and gulps
>>her throat isn't as tight as it was the first time
>>shorter, too
>>you land with a splash this time, acid already pooling in her stomach
>>"Here's a riddle, my dear appetizer: when does a rogue's pack not smell like a rogue?"
><"When he's ajar!"
>>her laughter, it fits what you remember her face to be, but it's so... adult for such a small body
>>"No, silly. When he's traveling with other imminent sphinx victims! Let's see if any of them fare better against my riddles - and if not, if any resist my compulsion as you failed so miserably."
>>you scramble up against her stomach walls
>>trying vainly to get away from that caustic liquid
>>she sways her body as she walks
>>lack of balance, dread, or fear for your group
>>for some reason, you fall
>>and with her churning, moving belly...
>>you're not getting back up

#The following story is somewhat dramatised for retelling.
#>Travelling through dungeon crypt of some moon god to get magic maguffin
#>Party gets split by door trap, so it's just me (Sorcerer) and the Rogue, there is also a Barbarian and a Bard
#>My character is 18 (in hindsight, a mistake) the Rogue is 25
#>We're all playing females 
#>Come out to a large room with a "thicc cat lady, just chilling out on a raised platform in the middle of the room"
#>Sphinx: "Greetings travellers, would you like to play a game with me?"
#>Sphinx: "Know that time itself will look down on you for answering incorrectly."
#>Sphinx: "What is always old and sometimes new, never sad, sometimes blue, never empty, but sometimes full, never pushes, always pulls?"
#>Me (a dumbass): "Oh I know this one, it's man."
#>The sphinx chuckles as a pink light surrounds my character and she begins to shrink
#>DM: "Rogue, you see Sorcerer fall to her knees and seemingly disappear as her clothing falls into a pile."
#>The sphinx jumps down from her platform and paws through the clothing, revealing Sorcerer reduced to a 2 year old
#>Rogue: "Oh shit, okay, okay..."
#>Sphinx: "Sooo cute. Now would you like a turn, or are you cutting your losses?"
#>Rogue: "No, no... I'll take a guess."
#>Rogue is white as a sheet as she picks me up, but suddenly has a flash of inspiration
#>Rogue: "Is it... aging?"
#>Me (frantic): "When is aging blue?"
#>The sphinx chuckles again as a pink light envelops the Rogue and she starts shrinking 
#>Rogue is suddenly struggling to hold my weight as she is reduced to a 7 year old
#>Neither of us have the balls to make another guess
#>Sphinx: "Well, feel free to stay a while..."
#At which point we cut back to the other half of the party
|
#>Eventually they found their way to the sphinx room
#>Barbarian breaks down the door and comes into see 7 year old Rogue in just a shirt a 2 year old me with my elegant robes ripped up to form a cloth diaper, snuggled up and napping with the sphinx
#>Barbarian: "What the hell is this!"
#>Bard barely holding back laughter since she was usually the victim of some lighthearted teasing from me and Rogue
#>The sphinx gives it's riddle again
#>Bard (thinking): "Oh duh, it's the moon."
#>Sphinx: "Damn, that's correct."
#>Door behind her opens
#>Barbarian: "Are you going to turn them back into adults?"
#>Sphinx: "No, why would I?"
#>Barbarian lets out a sigh, picks me up and ties me to her chest
#>Sphinx: "Take care little ones. The dungeon is a dangerous place for children."
#>It is ruled that I still have all of my mental abilities, and enough to dexterity and vocal ability to cast spells without much issue and the Rogue was never using much strength to begin with
#>I spend the rest of the dungeon (and will potentially spend the rest of the campaign) in a papoose, either getting into the melee with the Barbarian casting buffs or hanging back with the Bard
#>Rogue goes pantsless for the rest of the adventure and gets fitted for new gear when we get back to town
#>Bard makes a crack about not getting me any new clothing until I'm potty trained again