+. the eyes of an outsider .+

[Zsaelia]

+. Her perceptive gaze wonders over the gathered creatures in this place of movement.  Optics narrow as the stench of numerous humans and elves tickles her delicate senses.  Living from the land, in the purity of the forest, she rarely had to deal with this unwelcome smell.  Pulling her indigo cloak tighter around her she moved swiftly on.  The emerald glare of her eyes was seeking the shadows that took her out of the scrutiny from others.  The hood of her wrap was pulled low over her countenance, hiding her shrewd oculars.  Having the luck to find a hay bale in which she could sit upon in the protective veil of the shadows and still able observe the antics of the creatures in the area surrounding her.  Her impassive façade held the distrust that would be seen in her eyes if her hood did not hang so low.  Looking relaxed with her back resting on a wall and her right leg brought up so her arm rested across her knee was a false appearance.  She was as tense as a wound up spring, oh how she hated moving to new places!  But she had to, she mused softly.  She was getting soft at home and she needed to resume her studies.  The fierce gaze that was hidden held a glimmer of emotion as the feeling of homesickness swept her in a tidal wave.  She cursed silently under her breath, she really had become soft over the years.  Her optics return to their cool and calculating look, Zsaelia silently thankful for the cover of the hood.  A near inaudible gasp sounds from her lean form as her gaze focuses upon one of the many dragons roaming this vicinity.  Ah, how the creatures always stole her breath with their dragon beauty, unmatched by any race.  Perhaps this place wouldn’t  be as bad as she had originally thought .+

[forgottengods]

welcome to the citadel Zsaelia ,let me introduce myself i am ifrid lord of the vampires

[Ria Hawk]

"Hello, and welcome to the Citadel.  Home of dragons, penguins, winged antlered squirrels, lycanthropes, undead, and loonies of all types.  I'm Ria."  A short, brown-haired woman wandered over to the person sitting in the shadows, but not too close.  "I'm sure there's a room somewhere that'll be to your liking.  Don't worry; we may be a little... off, but it's in a good way."  She guestures vaguely.  "Kassil has donuts, and last I checked, Lady Wolf had made popcorn.  Anyway.  Make yourself at home."  And the woman wanders off, muttering indistinctly to herself.

[Lady Wiccan Wolf]

"Merry Meet Zsaelia, and have some caramel popcorn." *hands her a bowl*

"Been here only a couple of weeks myself...but the people seem friendly, and the creatures even more so."

"Oops" *picks a few strands of silvery-blue fur from the bowl*  "Sorry about that"

[Fiokar_Dracolas]

A dark elf walks around the corner, staring intently at the book in his hands awhile before looking up.
"So if I wanted Frontpage to do that I'd need to...Oh. Hello there. Welcome. I'd offer my services as a bard, but I'm afraid I've had a few things come up. Do feel free to bother me, it can be quite intimadating dealing with everyone at first. And by the way, our bark is worse than our bite. See you around!"

[CaptainPenguin]

A huge wooden barrel goes flying from the walls that surround the citadel, landing in a bush in the center of the courtyard. It is followed quickly by a penguin in a ridiculous pirate captain getup with a wooden toy sword and a massive purple feather plume in his hat.
He lands in the bush with a woosh and muffled bellowing, then pops up with a tankard of thick green sailor's grog.
"D'arr! We always has room fer more! Yarr! Good grog! Have a tankard and settle in! Oh, and bye der' way, why would elven types stink like humans? I though they lived in the wilderness, too?"

[Zsaelia]

+. As the first living being approaches her person she hops up from her perch with cat-like grace.  Reflexively she starts to grab for her hidden daggers but as her slender fingers touch the coarse fabric of her cloak she halts.  Standing straight, with her shoulders back she looks at the curious looking human.  Her apathetic gaze scrutinizes him as she peers from beneath her hood.  A welcome?  Well common courtesy asks for me to return the gesture.  Her acute elven ears pick up his words riding on the wind.  With a curt nod of her pate she speaks with a slight accent.  ÃƒÂ¢Ã¢â€šÂ¬Ã…“Thanks for the welcome, Ifrid, Lord of the Vampires.  Nice meeting you, my Lord.â€?  Her manner was borderline rude, not  speaking more than she had to.  Hearing footsteps approaching where she had thought she was sheltered, she turns.  Annoyance flickering briefly over her hidden countenance at the approaching lady warrior.  Her fists clench as do her teeth as she tries to control her quickly fueled temper.  She knew that this Lady Ria was kind and made a joke that would be funny if her personality was the opposite of what it is now.  But the ill temper she was born with would not easily be extinguished.  The tone in her voice was slightly acidic as she returned the courtesy she had spoken of before.  ÃƒÂ¢Ã¢â€šÂ¬Ã…“Thanks for the welcome, Ria.  A pleasure in meeting you.â€?   As the third creature headed her way, her temper had cooled.  As the one called Lady Wolf by others hands her a bowl of caramel popcorn, she recoils, letting the bowl drop to the ground and only spilling some of the contents.  ÃƒÂ¢Ã¢â€šÂ¬Ã…“Caramel popcorn?  How odd.â€?  Her voice was hushed by the intrigue she felt.  She had seen others eating from this and had not died from poison, so perhaps it was safe.  But Zsaeria was suspicious by nature and cautiously picked the bowl up and took a few popped kernels to eat.  She chewed slowly savoring and testing he taste.  Her optics widened considerably from their narrow slit scowl.  Of the new discovering of the good tasting snack, you could see that she found much pleasure in the situation as the visible ends of her mouth kick up a little.  ÃƒÂ¢Ã¢â€šÂ¬Ã…“Delicious!â€?  She exclaims with pure joy.  But as soon as her softer side, as she calls it, is shown she quickly hides it under her tight-lipped frown.  ÃƒÂ¢Ã¢â€šÂ¬Ã…“Thank you Lady Wolf.â€?  So enraptured was she in this new discovery she did not noticed the fourth person approach.  Only when he spoke did she spin on her heel.  Silently mumbling a curse under her breath as she turned to face him.  A simple nod of her head acknowledged his presence, or so it seemed.  As she had spun to see who was walking towards her she had upset the hood upon her head, exposing more of her face than she would have liked seen.  When she nodded her pate, the hood once more covered all the way to the top of her nose.  ÃƒÂ¢Ã¢â€šÂ¬Ã…“Well met, sir.  Thanks for the welcome.â€?  Their bark worse than their bite?  A snort could be audibly heard.  They were quite nice, docile creatures.  She had nothing against any of them, but being a loner by nature she hated the crowds that could be attracted.  Being the type of person that was on guard all the time she drew a dagger from her hidden belt as she leaped towards where the loud crashing sound came from.  Her gaze narrows as she spots the new arrival.  Unable to hide her surprise or amusement in what she saw, Zsaelia’s mouth hung open.  After a couple moments of stunned disbelief she sheaths her dagger, closes her mouth and walked up to this comical looking creature.  The tone she used with him was lighter and friendlier than the rest as she leans against a wall and studies the penguin.  ÃƒÂ¢Ã¢â€šÂ¬Ã…“I’m afraid I’ll have to pass on your generous offer, I have a weak stomach for things like your tankard.  Ah, my friend, where I once lived there were barely any humans or really elves inhabiting the forest.  The human type beings that have come to greet me are already three times as much as I usually see and smell!â€?  Her arms cross as she tries to smother a smile as she gazes at this amusing creature .+

[Kassil]

The commonotion outside his 'lair' was enough to disturb Kassil; lazily opening his eyes, the wyrm poked his head out of the shadows, the inner eyelid of his eyes snaping shut against the sun's light, giving the blue irises a silvery hue in the process. "Mrrf. What's going on?"

"...Oh. Another new person. Rather verbose and in-character, at that." With the closest thing a dragon has to a shrug, Kassil reaches back into his lair, and with a smooth tos lands a bag of doughnuts next to Zsaelia. "Welcome. Kick back. Have a doughnut. Leave my hoard alone, and I'm sure we'll get along fine."

This said, the crimson-brown dragon ducks back into his lair, and rearranges himself atop a rather nice pile of gemstones, ranging from the usual fare seen on rings everywhere to gems as large as fists and heads before dropping back to sleep.

[Karad'as]

A large sound is heard from a far then a large creature comes flying by at a very high altitude. When he sees all the commotion he decides to find out what is happening.
He spirals down at an incredible speed and then he understands what has happened, a new arrival to town.
"Hello and welcome, wish i could stay to greet you properly but I ran out of food in mi lair and im going out to hunt. Hope you like our city,"
after saying this the dragon regained the altitude that he had before and he dissapeared in the horizon.

[Zsaelia]

+. The emerald forester eyes widen in ill contained surprise as she gazes at the beast with awe.  Her face pales more than usual at the sight of the wyrm.  Recovering her composure she bows slightly.  If she was anyone else than herself, she would have laughed and smiled in care-free delight.  But this is Zsaelia, she is mostly apathetic when it comes to emotions.  She always felt quite awkward when she was in the presence of a dragon, for some of her ancestors had been what would be called a Dragon Lord.   With a shrug she speaks in her accented voice.  ÃƒÂ¢Ã¢â€šÂ¬Ã…“Sorry to bother you.â€?  Catching the bag with ease she looks into it with curiosity.  Now these she has had before.  With a small dip of pate she bites into the first one.  ÃƒÂ¢Ã¢â€šÂ¬Ã…“Thanks for the goods.  I believe we will get along just dandy.â€?  Keeping the one donut she has in her hand, she sticks the others in her bag.  A bitter laugh could be heard from her as she had tried not to attract attention to herself.  How useless that was.  Her acute hearing picked up the movement of a massive beast overhead before her skin prickled from the chilled winds created by hefty wings.  ÃƒÂ¢Ã¢â€šÂ¬Ã…“Thanks for the welcome.  Have a nice hunt.â€?  After speaking to what she hoped was her final greeter she runs off.  Speaking to two dragons in a row had made her jittery and she direly wished to be a shadow.  Her lean form moved swiftly as she exited the place .+

[Kassil]

Kassil closes his eyes again as Zsaelia departs, and a half-snort og mirth emerges from deep within his throat. Humanoids. Such silly creatures. Too many of them always panicky...

[Strolen]

The lithe, antlered squirrel silently crouched on the bough of nature amid the whispering leaves. One particular leaf, caught up in an unusual gust of air, twisted and leaped making a repetitave rasping noise that spoke of symphony in the squirrels ear. His short, fine fur was gently massaged by the same breeze and whiskers twittered delicately in appreciation. A silent thanks to whatever gods controled such small things escaped his taught pink lips and then he directed his attention below.

A new wanderer has ventured into the domain of the Citadel. It is always interesting to see the first reactions of new comers to the diversified ecology of the Citadel. The squirrel tilted his head to shift his perspective. There was something *off* about this one, the smell of unease was in the air, a quite unaccustomed smell to be witness to in the safety of the Citadel. The squirrel tensed its legs in preparation of unease finding a physical manifestation.

Lord of the Vampires was first to respond to the new presence in the Citadel, quickly followed, thankfully, by Ria. If the unease was originating from the visitor it may not be the best of things for a Vampire to be first in line for greetings. forgottengods was his old polite self but the response whas timid and witheld, almost to the point of disrespect. Who is this woman? Ria was charming as ever but the body movements of the visitor showed a hidden hostility that were not reflected in her words. Could the Citadel be under attack? Had the dark ones finally found our peaceful stronghold? The squirrel gently shimmied down the branch to have a better vantage point. His small claws, capable of such violence if provoked, gently dug into the tree directing his movements. The tail slightly flickered adjusting for the wind and the squirrel took up its new post.

Lady Wiccan Wolf offered the visitor the caramel corn which, upon the transaction, was dropped to the ground as the visitor physically recoiled from its touch. The squirrel momentarily forgot his purpose as he pondered the reaction and gently rubbed his antlers on the soft bark causing small flakes to fall silently to the ground. A phobia of caramel corn, it seems that I have known such a creature that had such. Was it a Dougle from the Southern waste? No, that was a creature that stood upwards of 12ft tall and the touch of caramel corn would boil the skin causing a gaseous caustic green smoke. Did she touch the caramel corn, or just the bowl? Wizard's spells at work disguising? Danger....steady.

She ate some, praise be to the Three Kings of Dormia, she ate it. Definately not a Dougle. Fiokor showed up giving welcome and then a barrel smashed down nearby. Has the signature of the Captain all over it.  The flash of daggers were shown and the squirrels claws dug into the tree and antlers were lowered for a killing thrust, but her movement was more of reaction then of action which stalled any more movement of the tensed squirrel. Sure enough the Captain's Pirate speak met the ears as a peacefully as a log smashing through a window. He seemed to have broken through whatever barrier she had raised though.

The Dragons made their presence known and looked as if they had further humbled the newest visitor. All the better, she should quickly learn that any violence or unease is useless amid the creatures of the Citadel. The sooner she realized the power that the place holds, the sooner that she can become at ease and relax in the atmosphere that the Citadel nurtures.

She said a couple kind words then took off at a run. Very interesting. Very unusual for somebody to be so intimidated. Mayhap I will follow this one for a little while and see what she is up to. Perhaps she will need some more reasurring to finally make herself comfortable enough to call the Citadel her home.

[CaptainPenguin]

"Yar! I didn't know skwirrels was so deep, I didnay!"