Obstacle 1: Mistrust (open)

[Inu]

Inu's family isn't quite adjusting to GJO as well as they ought to be. The pair of councilmembers that recruited him don't trust him one lick, and so Inu and his family are left with guest quarters apart from the main living complex. This doesn't stop them from enjoying the garden, which his four children are currently digging up with great fervor, but sitting in the shadow of a living quarters that he can't enter is alienating. It makes him feel as if he doesn't belong...as if it was a mistake to entrust the Jedi with his future.

"...sucks..." he mumbles, skipping a stone across the surface of a nearby pond. This draws the attention of his cubs and a hail of babble, all of it meaning the same thing.

Do it again!

Inu picks up another flat stone and throws it, counting the number of skips aloud to his children as they follow its pattern of arcs. The fun is soon spoiled, however, by an unknown shadow that eclipses the family. It doesn't belong to Sorr...she's napping in their "guest quarters".

"...did you want something?" he asks the Jedi looming over him.

[Quay'Na Rakai]

Quay'Na Rakai, symbiont with nature and strong animal senses, strolled up to the family, who seemed to be really enjoying the garden almost as much as she did.

With her ferret perched across her shoulders, she greeted the eldest of the famly of five.

"I didn't mean to intrude, Sir." She spoke kindly as she looked over the four cubs, who had suddenly stopped what they were doing to stare at her.

She gave them a kind smile. They were cute, seemingly full of energy, but cute.

"My Jedi traits sensed your family with great favor, so I could not ignore it. Although, I've not seen you around, have you just recently joined the GJO?"

[Inu]

"Yes. My name is Inu...a Padawan invited into this Order only yesterday. These are my children; Anu, Kalia, Nef, and Hiro."

He gestures to each of them. Anu is the eldest with silver hair to match his fathers; Kalia is second, with green hair matching her mother's; Nef and Hiro, the fraternal twins, are last. Hiro's black hair makes him stand out from the others.

"Your animal has their attention. They've never seen a...one of those before. Come to think of it, neither have I."

[Quay'Na Rakai]

"This is Jax, he's my ferret. They are welcome to pet him if they'd like." She offered as Jax poked his head up and sniffed the air.

"He's very tame and is always up to meeting new friends, just as I am." She suddenly remembered her manners. "I'm Quay'Na Rakai, it's nice to meet you, Inu and your family."

[Inu]

The babies are all reaching for the ferret; in their old village their daddy had allowed him to pet the animals kept by their neighbors, so they know what that is. However, the father gathers his children into his lap and expertly diverts their attention with a stone skipped six times.

"Likewise. So...you live in there?" he asks, indicating the living quarters.

[Sorreessa Tarrineezi]

Sorr rolled over in her sleep, startling awake when she noticed no warmth of her husband or the cubs beside her. Her eyes searched the room before falling across a note on the bedstand.

Didn't want to wake you, outside with the cubs-Inu

She smiled softly before stretching and flipping her waist length hair over her shoulders. She wandered out into the garden to find Inu playing with the cubs while talking to what she assumed was a Jedi woman. She walks softly so not to make a sound then hugs her husband from the side since his arms are full with the cubs.

"Havjing fun dearrr?"

[Quay'Na Rakai]

Quay'Na allowed the cubs to pet Jax, but stepped back when Sorreessa entered. "Greetings, Ma'am." She acknowledged with a proper Jedi bow. "I am Quay'Na Rakai, Jedi Padawan."

[Sorreessa Tarrineezi]

Sorreessa raised an eyebrow a little bit, she still wasn't used to being treated as an equal with strangers because of her half-breed status.

"Sorrrrrrreessa, wjife to jInu and motherrr to these ljittle darrrljings."

She nuzzled the closest one, Anuberis, who was trying to get her attention by batting at her and fluttering his ears.

[Quay'Na Rakai]

"They are charming to say the least, Ma'am." Quay'Na smiled gently as she looked back at Inu.

"Yes, Inu. I live in the Jedi Living quarters. Do you live in there as well?"

[Inu]

"No. We've been handed a spare set of rooms that are far out of the way for us."

[Quay'Na Rakai]

Quay'Na looked rather surprised. "Really? That sounds strange. I wonder why they would that."

[Sorreessa Tarrineezi]

Sorr sighed, wondering if they would have to explain this every time with new people. Her attention drifted as Anuberis continued to try and get her to pick him up. She did so and took him to the water's edge to let him play, the cubs enjoyed water as long as it didn't involve the dreaded "bath." The cub played in it for a bit before splashing his mother in the face. She winced before nuzzling the little rascal and blinking away any water that dripped towards her eyes.

[Inu]

"I was a Sith Knight once," Inu says, lying on his side and letting the other three kick their tiny feet in the cool water. "I've learned better, but it seems I'm not to be trusted."

[Quay'Na Rakai]

Quay'Na straightened up a bit. "A Sith? Wow, I can understand why perhaps the council would want to be a little cautious." She shrugged. "But, you're here now, so that's a start. A good one at that."

[Inu]

"Yeah...a start."

He skips another stone, managing a mere three bounces before it sinks.

"So...what about you? You ever encounter a darksider?"

[Quay'Na Rakai]

Quay'Na shook her head. "Not yet, but how many darksiders can you manage to run into when you're out in the depths of the wilderness on system after system..." She smiled kindly at he and his family. He was a very interesting fellow.

[Sorreessa Tarrineezi]

"You'd never know he's a sjith when you see hjim like thjis, then agajin jI and the cubs have to do wjith that."

She yawned before getting wet again by a splash from her son, the cub giggled loudly, pointing as well.

[Quay'Na Rakai]

"Well, you all seem to be on the right track, Sorreessa. Are you training to be a Jedi as well?" Quay'Na asked.

[Sorreessa Tarrineezi]

"No, Cjizerrrack lack the forrrce, Tanos jI don't rrreally know but jI'm not much of a fjighterrr."

She could fight if need be but as far as she knew, she lacked the force to be a Jedi.

[Quay'Na Rakai]

"Oh." Quay'Na replied. "That's too bad, we could always use Jedi."

[Sorreessa Tarrineezi]

'You mjight have some morrre jin a few yearrrs, all of the cubs can use the forrrce, though they mostly use jit jin mjinorrr cub battles overrr toys."

[Quay'Na Rakai]

"I bet that is quite a riot." Quay'Na added with a grin towards the cubs.

[Sorreessa Tarrineezi]

"Can be, forrrtunately they haven't fjigurrred out to use jit on us, jInu can stop them but jI can't."

[Quay'Na Rakai]

Quay'Na eyed the full-of-energy cubs. "That's not good. Hope Inu's around when they do figure it out."

[Sorreessa Tarrineezi]

"He betterrr be."

She faked an angry glare before winking at her husband to show she wasn't really angry.

[Quay'Na Rakai]

Quay'Na smiled towards the two of them. She admired their family unity. It was something that she would probably never have and that brought a new sadness to her eyes as she sighed heavily.

[Sorreessa Tarrineezi]

Sorr noticed a bit of sadness in the smile Quay'na gave though she didn't understand why. She smiled back in a friendly way before scooping up Anu was starting to fall asleep then laying down in front of her husband, her back to him but still close.

"Do you ljike jit herrre, Quay'na?"

She asked curiously, trying to get her thoughts away from whatever was making her smile like that.

[Quay'Na Rakai]

The question brought Quay'Na back out of the sadness that she had just felt, she pushed it aside.

"Yes," she nodded. "I like it here very much so. But, I've not been back for very long."

[Inu]

"Where were ya before?" Inu asks, scooping up another stone to skip for the babies. "One...two...three...four..."

[Quay'Na Rakai]

"I've been all over, Inu. Several different systems to study animal life. It's been nearly five years now and I'm back to stay for a while with my new Master." She answered as she watched the cubs play.

[Sorreessa Tarrineezi]

Seeing their mother on the ground as well, the cubs toddle over and curl up with her. But they don't seem at all tired as they send a hail of babble at their father, the meaning is clear.

Do it again!

They seem to say as they peek over their mother's side to yell it towards Inu.

[Quay'Na Rakai]

Quay'Na smiled as she understood what the cubs were saying as if they had spoken plain Basic. She loved to be able to understand the animal kingdom's united language, she always had.

She glanced at Inu. "How long do you think you and your family will have to stay in the other rooms that you mentioned?"

[Inu]

"I guess until they decide I'm telling the truth. One, two, three, four, five..." he says, skipping another stone. "Do they always give turned darksiders this much hell?"

[Quay'Na Rakai]

Quay'Na shrugged. "I'm not sure, Inu." She wished she had a better answer, but she didn't.

[Sorreessa Tarrineezi]

Sorr yawned softly, flipping her tail lightly over her mate's side before looping it around in a hugging motion before just swishing it idly back and forth. Words were failing her for the moment so it was a silent gesture of "things will get better dear."

[Inu]

Inu throws another rock, skipping it twice and bringing another round of disappointed babble from the kids. He scoops them close and rolls on his back, gathering them to lie against his left side and hugging his wife close on his right.

"Has there been any darksiders that have converted other than me? Ever?" he asks with a sigh.

[Quay'Na Rakai]

Quay'Na shrugged helplessly. "I'm sure there has been, I just don't know of any. As I said, I've not been around the Temple grounds enough to know. I'm sorry, Inu, I wish I could be of more help."

[Inu]

"I wonder about that..." Inu says idly. "Say, do you have a teacher?"

[Quay'Na Rakai]

I wonder about that.... Did he not believe her?

Did he just insult her? "Excuse me?" She asked rather bluntly.

[Sorreessa Tarrineezi]

Sorr pricked her ears towards Quay'Na, wondering if they had said something wrong.

"Somethjing the matterrr?"

[Quay'Na Rakai]

Quay'na would have any other day allowed it to pass, but not today. "Are you referring that I'm lying on the part of not being able to help you, Inu?" She questioned, her eyebrow raised a slight bit.

[Inu]

"Huh?" Inu raises his head and blinks at her, processing what she's said, then rests it back where it was. "I meant I wonder about any other turned darksiders, and how it was with them. If you say you can't help, then it's no big deal. Sorry to have offended you."

[Quay'Na Rakai]

A misunderstanding was all it was. Quay'Na nodded towards Inu. "My mistake, Inu...I'm sorry." She was tired and it was beginning to get to her.

[Sorreessa Tarrineezi]

Sorr yawned and rubbed one of Inu's ears gently.

"jIf they had someone to keep them on trrrack jI wouldn't thjink jit'd be a prrroblem dearrr."

Her eyes closed a little bit as she rested her head back on his shoulder, still rubbing gently. She really hoped this would be the end of her mate's berserk tendencies, she too hoped the cubs and herself were enough to keep him on the level for good.

[Inu]

"Don't sweat it," Inu says to Quayna. "Thanks anyways. I'll find a Knight or someone and ask them."

His wife's comment goes unanswered, mostly because Inu doesn't think the Jedi trust his family to keep him "on track". He sighs.

"There's some class thing coming up soon, and there oughtta be knights and masters there. I can find out then."

[Quay'Na Rakai]

"Yes, I've heard about the classes, my master is involved. They should be somewhat interesting, I'm sure you'll be able to gain the knowledge that you need."

[Inu]

"I'll make sure to find out. Who's your master, if you don't mind my asking?"

[Quay'Na Rakai]

"No, I don't mind at all, it's Sage Hazzard. He's an awesome master." Her gentle smile returned.