seriously, a day is no wait at all! i frequently take a few days and sometimes longer to reply to threads... as you can see, lol. so, i don't mind waiting. :]
Sage was impressed right away by the girl's courtesies; she wasn't used to those anymore, living here. Apart from Valkyrie and one or two others, Sage rarely saw smiles or heard laughter. The coyote couldn't help but beam back, moving with familiar ease as she guided Inferni's newest recruit around her home. The Optio knew a lot about the building, having lived many months now in and around the lovely Mansion. At the girl's question she took a quick breath, pausing to search her memories for a moment. "I'm not certain," she said honestly, but shrugged, "but I'd guess it's just about nearing a century... But it's held up well." A creamy hand patted the cool wooden walls; the paint there was jagged and peeling, and several flakes fell to the floor at her touch. Brushing her hands off, the girl chuckled, moving on through the Mansion.
They paused in the kitchen, where Aysun expressed her concerns about her new life. Sage nodded sympathetically, brows lightly furrowed in friendly concern. "I know how you feel... but I wouldn't worry so much about it, love. It'll come easily with time," she encouraged. Sage hoped, for the girl's sake, that she would in fact fit in with the coyotes of Inferni. Many had, did, and would in the future, the Optio knew; but many had also since gone again. Clearing her throat, Sage placed a gentle hand on the girl's shoulder with an comforting smile. "You're still young, there's plenty of time to worry about perfecting your skills, love. You'll learn a lot, here, and fast; Inferni is home to some good teachers." It was true; Sage could not deny the cunning and expertise of her family. Ezekiel's lessons in self-defense lingered in the back of her mind at all times now when she wandered the quiet woods alone.
.sage-forest05 .ooc {font-style:italic; }
.sage-forest05 p {padding:2px 20px; margin:0px; text-indent:35px;}
.sage-forest05 b {color:#6e5e2e; text-shadow: 0px 1px 1px #fffff0; letter-spacing:-.2px; }
.sage-forest05 {background-color:#e9cd9b; background-image:url(http://img819.imageshack.us/img819/2228/sageforest.png); background-position:bottom center; background-repeat:no-repeat; border:2px solid #346a4c; font-family: georgia, serif; font-size:12px; color:#32491d; letter-spacing:.4px; word-spacing:.3px; line-height:16px; width:475px; text-align:justify; padding:10px 0px 180px 0px; }
.sage-forest05-border {width:479px; border:1px solid #FFFFFF; margin:0 auto;}
</style>