So apparently as a karmic bitch slap for mocking continuing's epic arachnid hunt, I got a visit of my own from a tiny little creature. Lucky me, this one had six legs instead of eight.

Of course, the only one that detail helped was little guy himself, who I ushered outside instead of instantly killing. I don't want to kill beetles. I won't squish them, because I would pass out at hearing/feeling the crunch, and I'm not going to waste good pesticide on a guy who's probably harmless.

...Which didn't help my pure terror any. The first time I ran into him (or his King, who knows) was out on the back porch. I felt something brush my foot and looked down to see something other than my own imagination, which of course involved me running into the house like my ass was on fire. I doubt he's the one who followed me in, but he must have sent a minion.

To which I discovered hours later while playing WoW, only thanks to Nala pawing at the blanket on my lap. Thank you, curious kitty, because that thing was halfway up my leg when I saw it. This also involved more freaking-of-the-out, and stupidly flinging my blanket away so I had no idea where he went after. I spent the next 30 minutes hunting all over my room with a flashlight, but to no avail.

Finally I saw him bravely crossing the carpet again a couple hours later - and coming straight for me. Convinced this was indeed the Beetle King's loyal-but-retarded assassin, I swiftly trapped him with a cup and a Matantei Loki shitajiki and hurried out the back door to fling up into the grass. I'm sure he'll tell his king that the attempt was a failure, and to never mess with the giant in the cave ever again.

Although I somehow got a battle wound from this whole ordeal. I didn't even notice my finger was bleeding until I saw blood all over the cup. He must have flung invisible beetle darts at me when I was preoccupied with capturing him.