Yesterday night.

DroopyDawg · Post by **DroopyDawg** » Thu Dec 20, 2007 10:39 am

Calamari Spec Ops? :lol:

Droopy

Kolya · Post by **Kolya** » Thu Dec 20, 2007 10:42 am

A few more notes from experience with this monster.

If you have to get hand to hand with this thing and you don't want to because once it's meter long without stretching tentacles get a hold of your head it's quite literally lights out.... anyway if you have to fight this thing hand to hand, you have to absolutely get behind, under or over it so you can strike its main body. The tentacles lash out fast as hell but it's a fairly slow mover itself.

Firearms work great but these monsters are small targets so they are both easy to miss and if you do, a large caliber isn't going to really notice and keep going with lethality for some more distance. As with any engagement you have to be aware of what's behind your target, because it doesn't matter if you hit or miss this thing, the bullet's going to keep on going.

Fire, magic, and psychic attacks have shorter ranges and work very well against this thing.

It's not a fighter. It's just a predator and there are plenty of people for it to grab without so much as a struggle.

Looks like Natasha forgot to add that discorporation flash of blue light that's almost ultraviolet; indeed there is ultraviolet radiation but some of falls in the visible spectrum of the human eyeball. This flash is accompanied by some sparkling dust that lasts about 1 second. It's sort of like a firework bursting.

Kolya · Post by **Kolya** » Thu Dec 20, 2007 10:46 am

DroopyDawg wrote:Calamari Spec Ops?

Droopy

Heh. But no. They're not very good at fighting at all, but if you come across one, don't underestimate it's ability to grab your head and suck your brain out in a matter of seconds.

They tend to float around in deep night taking bums passed out in an alley or city park.

The main body's no bigger than a basketball.

Ron Caliburn · Post by **Ron Caliburn** » Thu Dec 20, 2007 11:25 am

Sounds like a good candidate for a shotgun. Given how small it is, you could pronbably use one of those Saiga-20s or Saiga-410s for that added controllability and quick follow up.

So why did you end up having to fight flying mini-thulu?

Natasha · Post by **Natasha** » Thu Dec 20, 2007 11:37 am

I bet a shotgun would be very effective, too, especially a riot one which has really limited range.

Oi Ron I didn't even think about thulu at all. I was thinking Sputnik. This monster is just sort of a sphere with tentacles fishing out front.

Sigh. I didn't mean to do that again!
I'm not totally myself these last days.

And to answer your question, I don't know if it was directed or way or we just bumped into it. I pretty much never believe that we 'just bump into' anything.

That means I believe somebody directed this thing at us.

And if so it also means that each encounter I've had in the last week or whatever is getting more and more dangerous. We're being proactive but there's not much to go on still.

I never required a lot of sleep but when I get stressed and tired like this I need to sleep, and I'm not sleeping. I was keeping myself busy with work but I can't really go out on my own. I can't really be alone. I can't really do anything I want to do.

I just want this to be over. But it only seems to be getting worse.

Bert_the_Turtle · Post by **Bert_the_Turtle** » Thu Dec 20, 2007 11:47 am

I'm sorry to hear that koshka. Is thee anything I can do for you?

Ron Caliburn · Post by **Ron Caliburn** » Thu Dec 20, 2007 11:52 am

Well if this is connected to that flying thing, it danced around me undetected for more than a year.

This might not be over for a long time.

Natasha · Post by **Natasha** » Thu Dec 20, 2007 12:10 pm

Bert_the_Turtle wrote:I'm sorry to hear that koshka. Is thee anything I can do for you?

Just be careful. I know how these things that torture me love to go after anything close to me. I don't want to say stay away but it might be wise to.

I don't know..... I'm going crazy. Don't listen to me.

Natasha · Post by **Natasha** » Thu Dec 20, 2007 12:13 pm

Ron Caliburn wrote:Well if this is connected to that flying thing, it danced around me undetected for more than a year.

This might not be over for a long time.

You're correct of course. I'm having problems admitting it.

I'm not going to be locked down forever. I'll just go outside. I don't care. I'm not going to be a prisoner in my own life. I don't care what happens.

I been locked in closets and held in the dark too many times.

Bert_the_Turtle · Post by **Bert_the_Turtle** » Thu Dec 20, 2007 12:13 pm

Well, right now I'm securing a job at a HS for Susan and I. So, I'm fairly safe at the moment I think. If you decide to come over maybe I can get you a position as school counselor :wink:

Ron Caliburn · Post by **Ron Caliburn** » Thu Dec 20, 2007 12:16 pm

She'd need a green card.

Bert_the_Turtle · Post by **Bert_the_Turtle** » Thu Dec 20, 2007 12:21 pm

Ron, you give me no credit, I have full fledged fake identities for Concrete_Angel and I and can have one worked up for Natasha.

Kolya · Post by **Kolya** » Thu Dec 20, 2007 12:31 pm

If you have an SSN you can apply for permission to work while waiting for your green card. I don't remember the process exactly; I've had to go through it though, a long time ago.

Eilonwy Solstice · Post by **Eilonwy Solstice** » Thu Dec 20, 2007 2:17 pm

Ron Caliburn wrote:Well if this is connected to that flying thing, it danced around me undetected for more than a year.

This might not be over for a long time.

You didn’t have me back then, Ron. And you managed to pull through.

And so will you, Natasha. Just be careful, please. It might be a good idea to discuss things with Kolya and Sasha and Lyosha before making any snap decisions.

Natasha · Post by **Natasha** » Thu Dec 20, 2007 3:01 pm

I've got cabin fever.

And a plan...

Bert_the_Turtle · Post by **Bert_the_Turtle** » Thu Dec 20, 2007 3:29 pm

Oh Lord, save us from the Russian with a plan!

DroopyDawg · Post by **DroopyDawg** » Thu Dec 20, 2007 4:06 pm

Still Bert, I'm sure her plans will make a smaller crater than yours usually do.

Droopy

Kolya · Post by **Kolya** » Thu Dec 20, 2007 6:15 pm

Natasha wrote:I've got cabin fever.

And a plan...

You know what they say about plans...

You were a little chatty earlier this evening, but at least you didn't say you were bored.

Bert_the_Turtle · Post by **Bert_the_Turtle** » Thu Dec 20, 2007 10:43 pm

Saying that you're the "B Word" is like a kiss of death :cry:

Shadowstalker · Post by **Shadowstalker** » Fri Dec 21, 2007 12:59 am

Well maybe not death, but soon after you won't be board any more. :shock:

Ron Caliburn · Post by **Ron Caliburn** » Fri Dec 21, 2007 1:25 am

Twice in the same thread.

To your shelters, everyone.

Shadowstalker · Post by **Shadowstalker** » Fri Dec 21, 2007 1:42 am

Hey neither I or anyone else here has said they were the B word.

Ron Caliburn · Post by **Ron Caliburn** » Fri Dec 21, 2007 1:55 am

If it's to be beleived, it was enough to mention it.

Shadowstalker · Post by **Shadowstalker** » Fri Dec 21, 2007 2:02 am

Natasha · Post by **Natasha** » Fri Dec 21, 2007 11:39 am

I won't give security details but we went outside today. I required the fresh air and to stretch my legs. For the first hour, everything was fine. We wandered around in a park. Kolya's been growling at me about opsec and being chatty in my posts; well it's Kolya and if he's not growling then you better check his pulse. Anyway, we were walking along the Kremlin when Kolya's dog Neu ('nee-OO') gets a little crazy and starts running almost pulling me over.

"Let him go," Lyosha said, and I released the leash. Neu goes running down the street and we are chasing after him. As he is about to turn the corner we order him to stop, and he obeyed but waited very impatiently for us to catch up him. Whatever it was he 'saw', it was out of Lyosha's and Sasha's range of detection. I reattached the leash to Neu and we continue on our way, taking the long road back. It gave me a fright but my need to be outside outweighed the fear.

We cross over the Moscow River and walk towards the city center. Pretty soon we are in a sort of residential area of the city; there are apartment buildings everywhere. And as we are walking I hear in my head one more time, I'm watching you, girl. Neither Lyosh nor Sasha nor Leu noticed anything out of the ordinary. "Guys," I said. "I just heard a voice." A scan of the area revealed nothing.

"Maybe you're experiencing auditory illusions?" Sasha asked.

"How would I know?" I snapped.

Neu started tugging at the leash a bit. We all noticed his change in behaviour.

"Oh shit," Lyosha muttered.

"What? What oh shit!?" I blurted out.

Neu started barking his head off. I released his leash one more time and he go running down an alley into a yard of some apartment buildings, perhaps 100 meters square area, may be less. It seemed much bigger than it actually was I guess. As I went around the corner I see him leaping in the air as if he is trying to catch a bird, and sure enough something dark appears out of the air in his mouth. He drags it down but a flash of a claw or something swings out and Neu had to release the thing for to dodge the attack. Within a blink of the eye the thing is invisible again. Neu couldn't recover fast enough. He looked up as if to watch the thing fly straight upwards into the air. Sasha was right behind me and he tackled me to the ground, rolled and come up with his shotgun shooting at something just over a meter in front of where I was standing. I just see his head snap backwards and he stumble at the same time Lyosha gets between me and whatever it was with his shotgun. But he didn't shoot. After a few seconds he turned to me, "it's OK now," he said.

"I counted three," Sasha said, pulling himself up, wiping the thick flow of blood coming out of his nose and then pressed the back of his hand up against his nose.

"At least three, yea," Lyosha confirmed.

It was a lot for me. I was shivering; a bit from the cold, but mostly from the fear.

Sasha step to me and I can hardly understand him speaking because he's got his hand pressing against his bleeding nose. "Ptichka, you hear this one about Stirlitz? Stirlitz opened a door. The lights went on. Stirlitz closed the door. The lights went out. Stirlitz opened the door again. The light went back on. Stirlitz closed the door. The light went out again. 'It's a fridge,' he decided." He chuckled under his hand and I saw his eyes smiling, too. When he smiles it's more than just his lips that show it.

I chuckled nervously. But it did calm me down a bit. Neu walked to me and pushed his sides into my shins and looked up at me with the cutest face, also trying to calm me down. I looked at Lyosha. He always knows what to say. Actually, I think it doesn't matter what he says because no matter what he says it seems like the right thing to say at the time. He sort of scoffed and said with a chuckle, "I hate minions."

The walk back I was apologising for everything. It's ok to risk my life but not theirs and immediately they are shushing me and telling me to stop talking crazy. Even Neu was staying close to me, tripping me a bit at times when I would be bubbling about how miserable am I; it's his way of shushing me because I have say 'oi, oi, Neu watch out!" each time he tries to trip me.

Bert_the_Turtle · Post by **Bert_the_Turtle** » Fri Dec 21, 2007 11:50 am

Who knew a sweet story could also be terrifying :shock:

Eilonwy Solstice · Post by **Eilonwy Solstice** » Fri Dec 21, 2007 12:08 pm

Are you all right, Natasha? Is Sasha all right? Neu?

Oh, and don’t apologize, please. It’s the way of men to protect us. They think we need it and sometimes we do.

You know, I’ve often heard that there are two components for service to be rendered, and there are two services because of it: giving it, and receiving it. They want to help you by keeping you safe, and they have your best interests at heart. You would give them service by letting them do it.”

Natasha · Post by **Natasha** » Fri Dec 21, 2007 12:40 pm

I know. I'm just so tired of everyone around me getting hurt just because I've got cabin fever or just because some alter ego of mine knows something important or just because I enjoy someone's company or whatever. Trouble follows me around and if I wouldn't stay next to anyone, then they wouldn't have to deal with my trouble in addition to any of their own.

I know what you're going to say back. I'm not trying to be difficult. You're right. Lyosha's right. You're all right. It's just not that easy to do sometimes. You know they step between each other and danger without hesitation, either at the moment of truth or any other time--doubt never reaches into their mind that things should go any other way than that. I'm not there yet and I get down on myself because I want to be there, but I'm not. I only been with them a year; they live and fight together for many years. Maybe I'm just impatient.

See this is part of my problem. I have a monkey mind; it just jumps around and never settles.

Anyway yes I'm ok, Neu's fine (no blood and I'm sure he didn't get hit), and Sasha has a broken nose but it doesn't look deformed.

Sasha can't sing worth a damn. He knows it and he knows I can't stand it. I'm like a robot programmed. He starts singing and I have to stop him and show him how it's done. Next thing I know I'm singing already for a while and everything that was bothering me seems so far away. It's funny, I know what he's doing and I know it's going to work. That's not the funny part. The funny part is that we need to perform this ritual before getting the desired results.

I go stick a pillow in his mouth and show him how it's supposed to be done now.

I'm such a wreck!

Ron Caliburn · Post by **Ron Caliburn** » Fri Dec 21, 2007 1:26 pm

The pattern fits so far, it went after an ally of mine, forced me to come to it.

I wonder what it will do if that ally is unreachable?

Eilonwy Solstice · Post by **Eilonwy Solstice** » Fri Dec 21, 2007 1:45 pm

I wasn’t going to say you are being difficult, Natasha. I was going to say you try to keep them away because you love them. But if you do that, how will they be able to show their love for you? You love them, but you have to be careful, or else it will become a selfish love. Don’t turn them away, please. They love try to protect you because that’s how they show their love.

But I’m glad you enjoy this ritual. I would, too. It was fun singing a duet at Bert’s place. I would like to do that again, when you are safe and sleeping well again.

Yesterday night.

You didn’t have me back then, Ron . . .

Is everyone all right?

I was going to say you keep them away because you love them