This was insane! Jacob knew he wasn't Lady Coccinelle. He knew that this Rede Fleye was an ugly beetle.
But he also knew and Fleye smelled attractive. He was weirdly cute. Attractive even. Sexy...
No! His bug mind must be overriding his instincts. Or he was learning to fit in the tiny bug brain. Maybe pieces of his humanity were being ejected as useless information. They weren't needed for survival as a Ladybug. So they were being removed. This was her biggest fear.
She knew she needed to lay a clutch of eggs. And that she needed to find a male. Or a few. Ladybugs liked variety.
God! Jacob knew these things and knew she had to seek the coverage of a layer of bark soon if she was going to survive the winter.
There were more important things, she knew. But they were getting foggy.
Okay. Deep respiration. Jus tell Red Fleye that she wasn't Lady Coccinelle
She tried. She really did. But identity seemed to be tied to her pheromones. There Weren't words. Just her smells.
"I am Lady Coccinelle!"
That was all she could flow. And she did several times.
Rede Fleye seemed amused at the proclamations. He answered in kind and added, "and the Lady Coccinelle is a fine lady indeed..."
Jacob...swooned...
She sputtered. Then panicked. She flew. Not knowing to where. She...wait...she wasn't she! When had that started?
Distracted, the Lady Jacob...