Tick Tick Boom has started at Arx - Ward of the Crown - Grace Way.

3 Thrax Guards, 2 Thrax Elite Guards, Lady Teonia Redreef, Aryka Wyrmfang, Marquessa Pudding, a doughy dog arrive, following Sorrel.

"Noooo killing them." Saccharin basically shouts as she sprints across the square toward the embassy. "I need to secure the rest." And then she's gone.

"Only if the music's not the same as the last time we had excitement," Kastelon counters to Acacia, without a single hint of a smile finding his features. There's also a mindful nod to Marzio and Ivy as he's considering one of the ticks, the arrow still at the ready. Though there's a look at Saccharin when there's an insistence -not- to kill them, and the bushy brows descend over those eyes. "I don't see why we shouldn't. Seems too big a risk."

"You would think that the winter would have killed them..." Marzio agrees with Acacia, holding his spear in hand as he steps where he can hopefully jab at one tick without the thing leaping upon him and bleeding him dry. "Alright..." he says, pausing for just a moment for that person to come running through. "What the...?" he asks of Kastelon and Acacia. "Who was that?"

3 House Velenosa Guards arrives, following Silvio.

Ivy lifts a hand towards Kastelon, about to say something, only to pause to watch the racing Saccharin and her shouted words. She blinks, then looks to the others and shrugs, "I can help to herd them back towards the Embassy, but at request of the Nox'alfar, lets put the weapons away?" She turns towards the creatures, "Because they came from the Embassy." That last to Kastelon, as response. To Marzio, she offers, "One of the ressident Nox'alfar... but I thought the ambassador was male? Perhaps she's a new ambassador? In either case, we should do our best to not upset the Queen's people if we can."

A brow lofts as the figure rushes by asking them to not kill the beasties. "Who the hell was that and why the hell not?" Acacia asks bluntly, her temper bristling slightly. The woman nods to Marzio and shrugs. "Well, this is Avrum," she comments as if this explains everything. "Let me take a look to see what the hell is happening," the woman frowns to Kastelon and Ivy then heads off to find a higher perch.

3 Inquisition Confessors, 3 Thrax Guards, 1 Thrax Elite Guards, a silent, nondescript man, named Cato arrive, following Denica.

Jogging in from the direction of the Ward of the Compact, Sorrel looks like she is not particularly thrilled to be running //towards// rumors of giant bugs. She is accompanied by a big silly white dog as well as a trail of guards who are doing their best to keep up with her. "Are these Nox'Alfar ticks? Where is Lady Saccharin?" she calls as she approaches the group.

Acacia checks dexterity and athletics at hard. Acacia is successful.

Ivy checks command and animal ken at hard. Ivy is successful.

Silvio is arriving with Denica, ready for action, ready to stab some mothersucking ticks on this mothersucking street.

Marzio checks command and animal ken at hard. Marzio marginally fails.

A huff from Kastelon, but he's listening. The turn of his head to look to Sorrel at the shout as well, but she's already climbing the tree. "If they came from the embassy, after what's been happening about Arvum of late, I'm not sure that I worry as much about whether we upset them." It's a faint sense that this is -not- what he wants to be doing at the moment, but at least he's waiting on the loosing of arrows, easing all the tension from his bowstring. "Swear to the gods, fi this turns bad..."

Marzio frowns after the direction Saccharin went. "Why would they keep huge ticks?" he asks of no one in particular. He doesn't yet move to kill one of them, instead using the butt of his spear and striking the ground beside the nearest tick to see if it will scurry back toward the Embassy.

Denica arrives as she is adjusting a glove that she tugs on her hand, wearing a stoic expression on her face. She is walking with Silvio, and a gaggle of house guards and masked Inquisitors. The young woman seems to be navigating, speaking to Silvio with some unfamiliarity and there seems to be a frown on her face, no doubt the conversation being had on the way. There is some caution in her steps as she sees the commotion. Shoulders tense immediately and she is trying to get a better sense of things before she steps deeper in. As eyes take things in, she blinks a few times, trying to piece together the pieces. Glancing about, she murmurs to anyone that might be close enough to hear, "what is going on?," she asks, though doesn't exactly expect an answer. She does task the nondescript man she moves with, Cato, "try to see if you can get more information," she instructs him and he nods.

"They keep large spiders, I imagine they keep large anything that they choose to keep..." Ivy's response comes somewhat absently as she moves off to 'confront' one of the ticks. There's no aggressive or threatening postures or gestures and she gentles her voice as she approaches the creature, even smiling and murmuring, "Its okay... come with me, we can get you back to your home, hm? This way... lets follow the lovely Nox'alfar lady back into the Embassy, shall we?" Her arms are lifted, parallel to the ground, but in a more defensive position, indicating the way to NOT head, as she starts to gently shuffle towards the tick... and int he direction of the EMbassy.

"I have no idea what is happening," Acacia mutters to herself as she scales up the tree like the mast of a ship. Bracing herself, she takes a look out at the scenery. "Alright, there's a doze of the little buggers. They seem a little disoriented, if that a word when it comes to ticks. I suppose it would be wrong to carve up someone's pet, as interesting as it is. Maybe let's go easy not to fuss them and gather them up? Here, take my cloak," she calls down to the others.

Kastelon checks command and animal ken at hard. Kastelon is successful.

Silvio says quietly to Denica, leaning in, long hair bobbing, "I think the idea is to just...get them back inside. We could sort of net them." He gestures towards Acacia, "like she's suggesting." He'll try to catch the cloak...because he doesn't really want to get bug pee all over his and he's caught enough bugs that proceeded to pee on him in his youth to know that's gonna happen.

Another of those breaths. It's very clear that Kastelon would rather - much rather - go the 'shoot now and ask questions later' route, but... "Seriously hope we don't regret this." The arrow goes, reluctantly, back into the quiver before the Keaton huntsman's using his bow to tap on the ground, much like Marzio, to try to give them encouragement back towards the embassy. "Definitely keep calling out if you see something, Captain," he calls up to Acacia in the tree. "And if anything with rags and bones appears, shout louder."

Ten ticks down, happily floating toward the embassy, while the other sort of just floats near the entrance and starts bumping against the wall repeatedly. As though completely unable to find its bearings. The Iron Guard are on hand to handle the rest though they seem entirely keep to go the slashing route. Which leads to at least two unfortunate incidents of blood-splosions. Probably more than should be possible in a tick.

With one hand lightly on the sword that's still in its scabbard, Sorrel lifts her voice to sing a fairly loud rendition of the Freedom Song of the Lianhan, bright and designed to draw out the sort of bugs that don't like such songs.

Denica blinks, not the shy type, she speaks up, "...and we are completely sure these are someone's pets? Don't mind me... always the curious type you see...," she asks loud enough that people can hear her. Late to the game, she seems keen to confirm what is going on as people try to shepard bugs. There is a quick nod when Kastelon talks about not regretting this. "Right, exactly that," she points at him and then echoes as her eyes scan around and lips press together, scepticism in her eyes. Denica's hand rests on the pummel of one of her blades. Right hip, lips pressed together. "Because I am quite certain, if they are not their pets, no one is going to be too happy with a building full of big ticks," she points out, flashing an easy smile at the obvious.

"Be careful with that, it's the only one I've got," the Red Culler grins down from her perch to Silvio. To Kastelon a knowing grin. "Don't worry, love. I'll scream like a drunken banshee out of grog if that comes upon us," Acacia calls down to Lord Keaton. Honey brown eyes turning to the task at hand, she muses, "I've done a lot of weird things in my life, but this..." she sighs and shakes her head to smirk again. "You know, love, we really have to stop meeting this way. We're going to get a reputation, if we keep this up." Glancing to the others she asks, "If you fine and noble folk want to usher the little dears back in side, I'm happy to keep you appraised on where they are from up here?"

These bugs do seem inclined to float toward the song being sung rather than -away- from it though it is unclear why. Maybe they just really like the sound. The remaining seven ticks sort of just start swarming around Grace Way while poor confused Bobert just continues to slam against the wall.

Kastelon checks command and animal ken at hard. Kastelon is successful.

Ivy checks charm and performance at hard. Ivy is successful.

Sorrel checks charm and performance at hard. Sorrel fails.

Silvio checks dexterity and athletics at hard. Silvio is successful.

Kastelon cringes a bit at the blood-splosions. "This is why I'd suggested shooting them from a distance," he pronounces, even as he's trying to use his bow, the sound of it smacking against the ground as he looks from side to side, to see how Silvio and Ivy are doing with the herding. Though his head turns, the glance up towards Acacia only briefly - he's not risking taking his remaining eye off of things that are the size of HIS HEAD that are interested in blood as food. "-This- actually tops the list of weird things you've done?" He shoots back to Acacia with a hiss of his breath. "Clearly, you do not have as interesting a life as I thought, and I've -sailed- with you." On the other hand, he's looking far more skeptical about the singing...

Looking as the ticks seem to gravitate towards the singing, Ivy looks at the ones gathered and lets out a small, pained look. Drawing in a deep breath, she lets her arms fall and instead... sings.

"Golden slumbers kiss your eyes,
Smiles await you when you rise.
Sleep,
PRetty baby,
Do not cry,
And I will sing a lullaby..."

She keeps moving towards the Nox'alfar Embassy's doors as she sings, the melody simple enough, gentle and soft. Humming the melody between verses as she herds the ticks.

"Cares you know not,
Therefore sleep,
While over you a watch I'll keep.
Sleep,
Pretty darling,
Do not cry,
And I will sing a lullaby."

Ivy manages to sweet talk the confused tick through the doorway embraced by the Nox'alfar who start to hover near the doorway. Her song seems to help a few in the square feel entirely at ease, their movements a lot less aimless. Kastelon despite his reluctance manages to help with the hearing. Unfortunately one seems entirely too enamored with the song and quite literally explodes. Coating a not insignificant portion of Grace Way with gore, including some of the people attempting to herd. Woops. One is tackled pretty deftly by Silvio and ushered into the embassy. Soon it seems -most- of them have been taken care of. Rather than being entirely grateful for their help, the elves sort of give loud sighs. "Thiiiis is why you keep spiders on hand." One says with an exaggerated flick of his hands.

Sorrel does not sing a soothing melody. No. She sing something very brightly. Something very enthusiastic. Maybe too enthusiastic. She looks a bit grossed out by the gore, though. "Ugh. How do these things even fit that much //stuff// in themselves?!"

Clowder of the Nine, they have been fed don't let them trick you, Shekies, A black and white marbled cat with yellow eyes, Capt'n Waddles the small cock with a bell arrive, following Zakhar.

Clowder of the Nine, they have been fed don't let them trick you, Shekies, A black and white marbled cat with yellow eyes, Capt'n Waddles the small cock with a bell leave, following Zakhar.

Acacia's nose wrinkles as the ticks go <<<POP>>> and the white, white snow turns red, red red! "Gods, that is... Yeah, I'm going to need a drink after this," Acacia sighs and shakes her head as she offers help from above. Pausing, she gives Silvio a little look as he uses her cloak to heard them home again. With a suck of front teeth, she goes back to pointing out to the good folk below where the little multiple-legged dears may be bob-bob-bobbing along. "Gods, are they blood drunk or something? Just what in the Abyss did they eat?" she asks with a look of distaste that passes across the woman's face. As to spiders, she looks at the elves at the door and simply shakes her head.

Dark, thick eyebrows knit together as she watches the tick herders. Met with no response all she does is shrug and she presses her lips together and murmurs something to one of the masked me she surrounds herself with. Denica decides to do what she does best, and she stands guard, keeping an eye out as she observes some of the Iron Guard get blood splattered by ticks. Her nose wrinkles, though she seems more favourable for that approach. A glance at Silvio as he tries to maneuver the coat, "do let me know if you need help, your highness," she mutters seeming content to see him handle the bugs, resting a hand on her hilt as she watches the area around the group gathered. There is a curious glance given to the Nox'alfar that mentions the reasons for spiders. A bit of blood splatter doesn't bother her, though there is a moment when it hits her cloak, that she looks like she's just had some epiphany. Whatever it is, Denica shakes her head, tossing the thought out, and rather she takes in the sight of everything, committing details to memory.

Silvio checks luck at normal. Silvio is successful.

Once the ticks are through and into the Embassy, Ivy turns towards the Nox'alfar with a flicker of a smile, "I would be delighted to keep the same spiders that you do, but I don't think they respond as well to us as they do to you. Petrichor willing, perhaps I'll find a few wild ones roaming the world, though. In the meantime, should you need a break in the caring of or watching after the ticks or spiders, I'm more than happy to do so." She offers a sweeping bow towards the elves before turning, even the splatter of gore can't do more than cause a small 'tsk'. "Anyone not wearing a stain-resistant cloth, I have a mixture that can take that blood out, though we may need a much larger kettle...." She peers at Treb, likewise covered in gore, and completely aloof about the whole ordeal, and sighs, "And you get a bath with oatmeal and lemon juice."

Silvio spreads out Acacia's cloak after an innocent look up at her. He uses it like a gentle net, to capture and push one into the house towards Ivy and the NoxAlfar. And he coos ridiculous things, "There you go, niiiice horrifying insect that's sure to haunt my dreams...there you go...get into your home and stay there forever and ever...." He seems pretty quick about it though, and though his boots are surely quite gross...Acacia's cloak is amazingly NOT. When the deed is done, he flourishes it proudly for the Cullen in the tree. Excitedly, he chirps to Denica. "Well, it wasn't as terrible as I..." he catches sight of the gore-splattered way. "Nevermind."

Kastelon shudders himself as he's considering the state he's in, and that of those huntsmen of his that are following him about. A sigh slides from his throat. "Don't tell Kael," he says to them firmly, before he's making sure that his gear is in -some- reasonable state. This also has him glancing at the embassy with no small amount of -actual- annoyance that crosses his features, before he huffs out again. And a glance up at Acacia at the declaration about needing a drink, before he murmurs, "I need more than a drink after that." Though the hazel eye shifts back to Ivy as well, before he gives voice to what seems to be on his mind. "I don't think anyone could offer me enough to want to be around such things. I don't think I actually wanted to know such things are in the city."

This is why I wear dark colors. Just sayin'.