Tera:
"Umm. . . Verity?"

Verity:
*comes up behind him* "Yes?"

Tera:
"GAH! Where did you-?! Umm. . . Okay, that answers one question." *points* "But who is that?"

Verity:
"That is Thunderbug. The mascot of the Tampa Bay Lightning."

Tera:
"Okay, yes, uh, I did recognize him, and I'll get back to you on that. But I mean. . . If you're here, who's tails are those?"

Verity:
"That is also me." *ruffles his head feathers* "I can be in more than one place, remember? And, with his multiple demonstrations of good advocacy for his brand, Thunderbug has proven that he absolutely deserves to have a pet skitsune."

Tera:
"So. . . That's a clone?"

Verity:
"You could say that." *shrugs* "You could just as easily say that the real Verity is curling up inside her new master's belly and sent a clone out to explain all of this to that stupid bird." *smirks* "But 'clone' makes it sound like one is less, which is definitely not true. Thunderbug's new pet is just as real as I am."

Tera:
"Umm. . . So, uh. . . Why don't you just let that one do the talking?"

Verity:
"Because SHE is Thunderbug's new pet. All she cares about is her new owner."

Tera:
"So. . . You have no idea whatsoever what she's feeling, or how she feels?"

Verity:
"Not yet. One of these days, the rest of myself will check in on the two of them, and we'll share our memories. Then I'll feel. . . Well, the same way I feel about the many souls that merged into me when I was collecting my tails: Not like a fusion of beings, but like one being that just happened to be in multiple places at one time or another."

Tera:
"Like the Geth."

Verity:
"Also a good metaphor. And, if Thunderbug proves himself to be a responsible, fun and loving owner, I'll leave that one of myself with him, where she -- where I -- can feel like I'm finally done with all the insanity of the P.S.L. and the Special Associates and enjoy a nice peaceful retirement with my love bug."

Tera:
"And if he isn't? Like. . . If he digests you?"

Verity:
*shrugs* "If he's a lousy pet owner, I'll eventually escape, let the rest of myself know he's one of the creepy crawlies, and that'll be the end of it. And if he digests me, well, then I'll just enter my incorporeal state and be naturally drawn back to the rest of me. Memories intact, and, again, no more love bug for me."

Tera:
"Okay. . . Umm. . . I don't know if I understand, but I guess I can always reread the transcript. So, umm. . . Thunderbug?" *head tilts* "His head looks a lot smaller than I remember it being."

Verity:
"Yup. His skitsune challenged him with a very big meal."

Tera:
"Hm? Oh, I get it. So. . . Why Thunderbug?"

Verity:
*shrugs* "Never been inside an insect before." *grins* "Or had an insect inside me."

Tera:
"You mean-?"

Verity: "He's wearing pants, Tera. He COULD have genitalia."

Tera:
"Was that your only reason?"

Verity:
"Well. . . I know you don't want to publicly divulge where any portals may be found, but if there's a direct link between mascots and theme park characters as you imply, I'd say it's pretty obvious there must be at least one in Florida. So I figured the first skitsune pet should go to one of them." *shrugs* "He was the only one from Florida you were able to document being a good advocate, wasn't he?"

Tera:
"At first, yes. My first initial sweep only turned up seven candidates, but I've since been able to make much more thorough searches and. . . Well, now it would be easier to list the ones that didn't qualify."

Verity:
"But still only the one from Theme Park Central, right?"

Tera:
"Just him and DJ Kitty."

Verity:
"Who?"

Tera:
"DJ Kitty. From the Tampa Bay Rays?"

Verity:
"His name's not Raymond?"

Tera:
"No, that. . ." *sweatdrops* "Umm. . . That's their PRIMARY mascot. . . They have two. . ."

Verity:
"For real? Hang on." *turns on the computer*

A FEW MOMENTS LATER. . .

Verity:
"That. . . That's a mascot? And I missed him?!!" *shoves her head in Tera's beak and lets out a muffled scream that causes his pouch to flap*

Tera:
"Now now, there there." *pets her head* "This was the OTHER Verity's loss. You can still be the one that becomes the incredibly awesome kitty musician's pet."

Verity:
*sigh* "That's true. . . Going to be really awkward if they meet after both of them prove themselves worthy of having a pet skitsune."

Tera:
*nuzzles* "We'll cross that bridgework when we come to it."

Verity:
". . . . ."

Tera:
". . . . ."

Verity:
"Was that a dental pun?"

Tera:
"Was it? I don't have teeth, so I wouldn't know."

---

Verity Wallace is © myself.

Thunderbug is © the Tampa Bay Lightning & the NHL.

Commission from  LustBubbles.