In the past, I...

[Inu]

Inu tosses and turns in his sleep, with his brow furrowed in pain, anger, and frustration. His head feels like it's being beaten with a large durracrete brick as his dreams fade in and out, giving him images and snatches of sound from events unknown to him. It's like looking through someone else's eyes. He sees a carefree couple snuggling on a sofa, making sure to be as sweet and lovey as they can get. A child is complaining, and it becomes clear that they're trying to get his dander up.

"MOM! DAD! Stop that, it's annoying!"

He barks the child's words, turning on his left side before rolling all the way in the other direction to lie on his stomach.

"You're not FUNNY!"

[Sorreessa Tarrineezi]

Sorr's ears twitch at her mate's tossing and turning, waking her a little. Her tail starts to swish as she wakes up as it usually always moves unless she's dead asleep. She mews softly at being woken before rolling over and hugging her mate, trying to soothe him and nibbles ever so softly at one of his ears which usually works.

[Inu]

He flinches, turning onto his back with a snarl.

"LEAVE ME ALONE!"

In his dreams, the child runs away upstairs to a room full of video games and cartoon series and flops down on his bed, squeezing a pillow almost as big as he is and burying his face in it. Inu rolls toward Sorr and does the same to her.

[Sorreessa Tarrineezi]

Sorr's eyes open in confusion before finding herself glomped seconds later. She mews softly wondering what was going on, she knew by now he was dreaming but about what she wondered.

[Inu]

He buries his face against her as the image of the child pauses, giving a slight growl as his ears ring strangely. The image disappears suddenly and he shouts, snapping awake with a shudder and a splitting headache. Inu's sweating bullets by now, and his breathing is rapid and shallow.

[Sorreessa Tarrineezi]

Sorr jumps a little at the shout, her ears going back in typical surprise and pain. She recovers soon though and hugs him again, her tail running slowly up and down his back in a soothing gesture.

"What happened, jInu?"

She asks quietly, her mother had always done this when she was younger so Sorr naturally did it to out of habit.

[Inu]

He tries to speak, but his throat is dry. He swallows hard, rubbing his forehead against her shoulder, and manages a hoarse answer.

"It was...it..."

The dream is fading fast in his mind, but he clings to the last image he saw.

"A boy," he blurts in a harsh whisper. "He had a big pillow..."

[Sorreessa Tarrineezi]

"A boy? What do you rrrememberrr about hjim?"

This was another thing her mother had done, see what you could remember while it was still vaguely there to see what it may have been about.

[Inu]

"He was mad," Inu whispers hoarsely. "His room was full of stuff from video games and animated holo-vision programs."

[Sorreessa Tarrineezi]

"Hmm, what djid he look ljike?"

She purrs softly for now to soothe him while rubbing one of his ears gently.

[Inu]

"He had...oh, he had..."

Inu buries his face on her shoulder, hiding his eyes and wishing for his headache to fade. Her attempts to soothe him are working; he's feeling a little better, but it still hurts him to think of the dream.

"He had very shaggy hair. His clothes looked like they were too big for him. He was very snappish and short-tempered..."

[Sorreessa Tarrineezi]

Sorr watches him carefully, pondering a little before she speaks again, a question has formed based on his actions.

"Could jit have been...you?"

[Inu]

"I...I don't know," he mumurs, feeling suddenly cold. "I don't know what that was. It may have just been a dream."

[Sorreessa Tarrineezi]

"Wjish jI knew how to help, jInu dearrr..."

She hugs him close and rests her chin on his shoulder then kisses his neck gently to try and soothe him some more.

[Inu]

He sighs.

"I certainly hope that was part of my past. It'd be so great to know who I was, what I did, where I lived...y'know? Maybe I'd even remember my name..."

[Sorreessa Tarrineezi]

"You should someday, jI've neverrr hearrrd of anyone forrrgetjing somethjing completely..."

She sighed softly, wishing her mate could remember too, there was so much neither of them knew about him.

[Inu]

"I doubt if you've ever heard of someone going through what I went through," he mumbles.

[Sorreessa Tarrineezi]

"Same? No. Sjimjiljiarrr? Yes. The KARRR had somewhat the same torrrturrre technjiques though alterrrjing wasn't standarrrd. The mjind jis not a safe thjing wjith Cjizerrracks but despjite jit, some vjictjims have been known to rrremember but then have jit djimmed agajin but therrre's no one herrre to turrrn the memorrrjies back off forrr you dearrr...."

She shuddered a little remembering the blank, lifeless look in the eyes of one she had come in contact with before hugging Inu tighter, no she wouldn't allow that to happen.

[Inu]

"It's not as simple as flicking a switch..." Inu sighs. "Though maybe having that simple mentality about it would help. Have you ever heard of or met a person who recovered lost memory?"

[Sorreessa Tarrineezi]

"Yes, my brrrotherrr...."

She makes a little whimper when she remembers the look on his face, afterall she still felt guilty about it.

[Inu]

"Your brother?"

Sorr had never mentioned a brother before, not even when her parents visited. This is news to Inu, very bad news, and it makes his own troubles fade in the light of this new problem she has.

[Sorreessa Tarrineezi]

She nods, not moving from her close hug of her mate.

"Yes, KARRR took hjim when he came a few days laterrr to check on me afterrr jI went to see my grrrandmotherrr. jIt's all my fault, jI should done somethjing, warrrned hjim somehow but jI didn't know what ourrr blood held...jI had no way of knowjing jit beforrre jit was too late..."

[Inu]

"What'd they do? Just mess up his mind, or did they do something else?"

[Sorreessa Tarrineezi]

"We djidn't know what we had, jI made the mjistake of rrreaveljing jit when the KARRR grabbed me. jI could only use jit to shock whjich they turrrned off somehow, hjis was strrrongerrr so he became the gujinea pjig."

She shivers softly, remembering, not intending to be vague but her memories were the cause of it.

[Inu]

"What did they do?"

He hates to be a pest and uproot buried, unwanted memories, but his curiosity is getting the better of him. He has to know! It could help him a great deal, and he may even be able to help her in return.

[Sorreessa Tarrineezi]

"Tests mostly and jin the end they....they made hjim ljike a zombjie, hjis eyes werrre so ljifeless, so dead..."

[Inu]

"What kind of tests? Do you know what they did to give him those dead eyes?"

The urgency in his voice is unmistakable. He sits up, holding her by the shoulders and staring hard into her eyes, feeling a swell rise in his soul. This could be it! His wife has the answer to solve his suffering!

[Sorreessa Tarrineezi]

"jI was out forrr most of jit....that would be a questjion to ask hjim..."

She can see the difference in his eyes that he wants to know but that's something only her brother knows.

[Inu]

"Well, where is he then? We gotta go find this out!"

Further speech is halted by a quiet mewling; all four of his children are awake, standing in a row and peering through the bars of their crib at daddy.

[Sorreessa Tarrineezi]

"Back home, he's why jI was jin the KARRR, my ljife was exchanged forrr hjis..."

She leans back and makes a face for the cubs which earns giggles and babbling before speaking again.

"We could go vjisjit hjim jif you wjish..."

[Inu]

"Yes! In the morning, we'll go to visit him! We can't waste any time, we have to go visit your family as soon as possible..." he mumbles, getting up and pacing to the dresser. "Yeah, as soon as it's light, we'll go..."

[Sorreessa Tarrineezi]

She rolls over on to her stomach and watches him, tail swishing back and forth before sniffing the air.

"Shouldn't be long untjil morrrnjing, sjit down dearrr, you'rrre makjing me nerrrvous..."

She says quietly before yawning and stretching out her back, her Tano and Cizerack combo made her act cat-ich at times like it was now.

[Inu]

He sits down right in front of the dresser, yanking open the bottom drawer and tossing clothing aside, counting out how much of everything he'll need for a trip lasting a week or more. The babies all hurry to that side of the crib and squeal delightedly. Daddy's throwing things! Four pairs of socks bonk them each in the forehead, thrown idly by the daddy to appease them. His focus is still on preparing for this trip.

[Sorreessa Tarrineezi]

Sorr watched him idly, she knew once Inu made up his mind, there was no changing it nor would he calm until he got it, she only hoped her brother had the answers Inu needed. She yawns softly before getting up to get the suitcase then starting to put what he had taken out into it.

[Inu]

He finishes with his stuff and almost raids Sorr's drawers before catching himself and pacing over to the cubs' dresser. He gets their clothing ready faster than he did his own, dumping it idly into the suitcase and wandering off to prepare diapers, bottles, and various other baby things.

[Sorreessa Tarrineezi]

She watches while her thoughts wander, she wonders about her brother, he had mentioned a dead zone the one time he had spoken to her on the holo since the incident but what that was, she wasn't sure of. She shakes her head a little as she moves out of her thoughts, moving her clothes into the suitcase.

[Inu]

The preparations are hurried, but passable. He fills every bottle they have with the babies' formula, and packs more than enough diapers. He carries it all into the bedroom and moves to the crib, lifting up Hiro before setting him down and pointing determinedly at him.

"No, not time to dress you yet..." he mumbles, having finally managed to let his brain catch up to his actions. Hiro takes his daddy's finger and bites it. Seems the little boy is teething.

[Sorreessa Tarrineezi]

Sorr reaches over and shooes her son off before waggling a finger at him. The cub giggles softly and makes a few faces. Sorr returns with a few of her own before looking to Inu.

"We could go now jif you want you know..."

[Inu]

"This late? Its not fair to you or the cubs..." he mumbles, hugging her close to him. "I really shouldn't have started packing so suddenly, but...agh, I just wanna know if this can be fixed...if I can be a normal guy again..."

[Sorreessa Tarrineezi]

She kisses his neck lightly before sighing. "We'rrre all up so not ljike jit would make a djifferrrence besjides jit's jimporrrtant to you so jimporrrtant to all of us.."

[Inu]

"Yeah, but how would we reach the spaceport? I don't know of any public shuttles that run this early in the morning. Let's try and get a few more hours sleep, then we can take a public transport to the spaceport and get a ship back to your parent's place."

[Sorreessa Tarrineezi]

"As you wjish but the ljittle rrrascals arrre all awake now...."

She says quietly so she won't make the babies want her attention upon hearing her voice some more.

[Inu]

"True..." he murmurs, casing a glance at his kids. They're all staring over the top of their crib's bars, eyes wide and ears straining to hear what mommy and daddy are saying. "They'll just have to be awake, I guess...they don't look like they're going to sleep anytime soon."

Inu flops down on the bed with a heavy sigh.

"I don't think I am, either."

[Sorreessa Tarrineezi]

"jI'm wjide awake now..."

She says quietly before flopping on the bed as well, tail swishing about in her general mood. The cubs watch the movement of her tail, swiping at it seems close enough while Kalia sings softly to herself.

[Inu]

He sighs.

"Well...let's just lie here awake for a while then..."

He rolls onto his side, then onto his stomach, then sighs and picks up his children.

"Or not. Let's get dressed. We're going on a trip."

[Sorreessa Tarrineezi]

Sorr yawns and stretches out her back as she gets up before wandering over to their closet. She picks out a dress, drops her robe then slips it on. Once done, she rummages through the cubs' clothes to get their clothes for the day.

"jI'll take the gjirrrls thjis morrrnjing, dearrr.."

She says quietly before taking Kalia and Nef to get them dressed while Inu would be dressing the boys. The cubs had all stretched out their arms to mommy but of course the girls were the only ones she picked up so the boys pouted and flitted their ears about in annoyance. The girls glomped onto her dress as she settled one of each hip before walking over and trying to set them on the bed. But neither cub wanted to let go, keeping their handfuls of her dress held tight. Their mother has ways though, she nips at each hand to which the cubs giggle and let go and then she works on dressing them.

[Inu]

The boys pout as their daddy shucks their shirts off over their little heads, fitting a clean one over each of them before settling them onto their backs and putting them into their pants. Little sneakers go over tiny feet and the boys are ready to go, scooped up into their daddy's arms as they wait on the sisters and mommy.

[Sorreessa Tarrineezi]

The girls squirm a bit but really don't give their mother much trouble, they spend most of their time making funny faces at her instead. Sorr finishes with them and kisses their little noses which makes them giggle before she scoops them up while the cubs try to reach her ears.

[Inu]

Inu takes the cubs out to the living room, where a pair of fold-out strollers is leaning beside the door. He sets one up and puts his sons into it, buckling them in and getting the single suitcase. He unfolds the other and takes his daughters from Sorr, strapping them in and opening the door.

"Here we go..." he says nervously. He's never felt such a mix of excitement and dread before. Now that he's looking out into the main corridor of the apartment building, he's not sure he wants to go. He's not sure he wants to find out.

[Sorreessa Tarrineezi]

She's with him in a moment, holding him close in a side hug before looking up at him. "jIt'll be fjine dearrr, don't worrrrry...."

The cubs all look back at mommy and daddy and babble, wondering what's up and where they were going.

[Inu]

He sighs, pushing away his reluctance and gathering some courage, stepping out into the hall. It's so cold out here, and empty. The only sound is the low murmur of the cubs and the sound of the suitcase rolling along behind him. Inu pushes down on the stroller, putting the front wheels into the air in order to clear the slight rise beneath the door and push it open. Once outside he holds it for Sorr, then heads down the handicapped ramp rather than ease the stroller down the stairs.

[Sorreessa Tarrineezi]

She follows quietly, sensing Inu seemed to want to be alone with his thoughts. When she passes him to get out the door, her eyes look to his, searching them a little before continuing to walk with him. She's unsure of what this all will bring but she hopes it provides him the answers he so yearns to know.

[Inu]

The trip to the spaceport is long. The busses aren't running, but Inu doesn't care. He walks the entire way, moving with such purpose that no one dares to mess with him or his wife. The woman selling tickets off-planet is so intimidated that the nearby security officers were forced to approach and disarm the situation. After a bit of arguing and explaining, Inu wanders away to look over the flight schedule, leaving Sorr to negotiate their tickets.

[Sorreessa Tarrineezi]

Sorr watches, ears going back a little in embarrassment and annoyance for how her husband gets treated. But the fuss is soon over as Inu wanders off a little, leaving her to the tickets. She pays for them, they weren't expensive but higher than she remembered. Once done, she walks over to Inu and hugs him from behind and stands on her tiptoes so she can nip his ear, a playful kind of gesture she had done whenever her mate was stressed to ease him out of it a little.

[Inu]

He sighs.

"It's all the same...afraid to the point of locking up, like that girl, or to the point of rioting..." He shakes his head slightly. "They see only the ears, fangs, claws..."

He shakes his head again, looking to his wife with a light smile.

"Where do we go to catch the flight, honey?"

[Sorreessa Tarrineezi]

"Um, E Gate 17 so that way..."

She points off to the their right, tail swishing and ears fluttering, she was excited to be going to see home again.

[Inu]

He pushes the cubs off to the right, swinging the stroller around smoothly and slowly so they can see everything. This is their first time being awake in a spaceport. They slept through the move from Corellia to Coruscant, so this is all very new to them. They have time before they're supposed to be at their gate, so he sees no problem in taking his time and letting them see the massive building.

"So...um...what's it like? Your homeworld, that is."

Sorr never talked much about her home planet. She has mentioned her family from time to time, and they even met her parents once, but as for the world itself he's clueless.

[Sorreessa Tarrineezi]

"Varrrjies, some places, grrrasslands, otherrrs, mountajins, some ocean whjich we don't trrravel acrrross but mostly we just follow the herrrds as the seasons change. Therrre's many prrrjides as well, some hunt the larrrge grrrasseaterrrs, some prrreferrr the small and the ones by the ocean eat the fjish. But all jin all, most consjiderrr jit prrrjimatjive sjince technology is stjill rrrarrre therrre and we ljive by the old ways..."

She giggled softly, remembering the looks the Cizeracks had given her over her native clothing when she had went to visit her grandmother.

[Inu]

"Primitive is good," Inu says with genuine relief. "At least there I won't stick out like a sore thumb."

He does stick out, truth be told. With his normal clothes he looks like some form of primitive peasant. Wearing his street clothes and sneakers, he blends in better, but is far less comfortable. It'll be good not to have to blend in.

[Sorreessa Tarrineezi]

"Gjiven the tjime of yearrr, you wjill dearrr, sprrrjng and summerrr makes forrr scant clothjing due to the heat...."

She chuckles softly, pondering how Inu would look in the usual animal hide loincloth-like male garment. Though she did know he would most likely like what she looked like in the female version.

[Inu]

"Ooh," he says with a joking tone. "Sounds verra nice."

They soon find themselves at their gate, and after only a few minutes of waiting, are ushered onto the shuttle. A few minutes more of preparation, and they're blasting out of the atmosphere, on their way to Sorr's home.

[Sorreessa Tarrineezi]

Sorr giggles before following her husband onto the ship. Once settled in, the cubs are babbling away, asking in their own way about the whooshing feeling of takeoff and about the ship. The last time, they had traveled with the cubs, they had been asleep so they were asking about anything and everything. Unfortunately for them all it was was baby talk so all their mother was smile and nod and say.

"Oh rrreally?"

To which the cubs would babble more and try to get daddy to answer them. Ears fluttering, tails swishing and happy little shreaks were there as they tried to get their little points across.

[Inu]

"We're in a shuttle," Inu says, trying to quell the curious babble. "It takes up waaay up in the air, which makes your ears pop, and then we get out into space and fly a long long way to a new planet. After that, we go down to the ground and our ears pop again, then we'll be at your mommy's homeworld, and see your grandparents."

[Sorreessa Tarrineezi]

Hiro and Kalia know about the grandparents people but Nef and Anu are canting their heads, what was this word? They of course had not been present when their grandparents had visited so had no idea who they were. Sorr bit her lip lightly at the mention of grandparents as well, there would have to be a telling of the story of the two cubs she knew.

[Inu]

"You have two nice grandparents," Inu continues, just in case they forgot. "They get to spoil you rotten."

He kisses each of his children on the forehead, wishing he could show them a picture.

"Dear, you wouldn't happen to have a picture of your parents, would you? Just to show the cubs?"

[Sorreessa Tarrineezi]

"Nope, djidn't have much tjime to grrrab much the last tjime we vjisjited my aparrrtment."

The last time had been a brief visit just before her faked death and after that, she couldn't go back and accidentally show the KAR she wasn't really dead. Pretty much all she had grabbed was a few dresses and her mini computer, she hadn't of course known what was to happen that day.

"Too bad we djidn't take one when they vjisjited but jit was a shorrrt vjisjit..."

[Inu]

"Yeah...well, let's try this."

He gathers the children in his lap and leans his head down, resting his forehead against all of theirs. They murmur a bit, wondering what's going on as their father shuts his eyes. He thinks on the time when the whole family fell asleep on the sofa back in the apartment, and how happy it was, then reaches out to his children. Slight nausea rises in his stomach, but he clamps down on it, bringing into their minds the image of their grandparents.

"That's your grandma and grampa..." he whispers, shivering slightly. "We're going to see them."

He leans back from them and sinks into the seat, breathing heavily and shaking his head.

"Ugh."

[Sorreessa Tarrineezi]

Sorr brushes back the hair over his forehead and kisses it.

"jI wjish we knew why you get sjick wjith the forrrce..."

She sighs softly before resting her head on his shoulder, thoughts wandering while she thought a million different things.

[Inu]

The babies start to yell, shaking their daddy's clothing and demanding that he explain. How did he make that picture in their heads? But Inu simply calms them down, coaxing them to be quiet.

"Daddy used the Force, sweethearts," he murmurs. "It hurts him to do it sometimes." From here, he directs his speech to his wife. "It's that bastard's fault...he did it when he he was altering me. Injected a fluid to change the way the living organisms that control the Force in people act. Mine are, as he put it, allergic to the light side."

[Sorreessa Tarrineezi]

Sorr sighs softly, still thinking away.

"Hmm, thought of everrrrythjing he could now djidn't he? Bastard..."

She mumbles the last word not wanting the cubs to hear the word again and repeat it, Anu had been doing that for the last few days, a Tano curse-word she had uttered had been his favorite since yesterday.

[Inu]

"Yeah.." he murmurs, hugging the kids to him. "Let's get some rest. It'll pass the trip faster."

He rubs the cubs' backs and their eyelids begin to droop. Ever since they were newborns he's done this. It's a soothing gesture, one that makes them drowsy regardless of how much energy they seem to have.

[Sorreessa Tarrineezi]

"Sounds good to me...."

Sorr yawns softly before taking the girls to ease the weight in Inu's lap a little so he could sleep too. Nef and Kalia take little handfuls of her shirt before resting their heads against her chest, mommy had the pillows to sleep on unlike daddy. It doesn't take long before they're both dreaming away. Sorr yawns again before shifting a little and resting her head back on Inu's shoulder. She shuts her eyes and purrs ever so softly as she tries to nod off as well.

[Inu]

The boys sit down on their father's legs, lean back against him, and idly watch the screen above their seats. It shows a map and a time for arrival on Sorr's homeworld; the steady countdown and movement of the shuttle icon couples with the hum of the shuttle, and slowly, gently puts them to sleep. Inu wraps his arm around his wife and leans his head against hers. Soon, the whole family is sleeping soundly.

[Sorreessa Tarrineezi]

Sorr's ears twitch a few hours later, the sounds of activity stirring her ever so slightly. She yawns softly before opening her eyes and looking to the countdown screen, seemed they would be landing in a few minutes. She sighed a little, trying not to think of the explaining she'll have to do again and thinking instead of what had been happening with her brother. She shook her head a little after awhile and leaned her head back to nibble on Inu's ear gently to wake him.

"Almost therrre, dearrr..."

She whispered, trying not to wake the cubs.

[Inu]

He stirs, leaning over to kiss her softly.

"Ok. The babies are still out..." he murmurs, looking down at his sleeping children. "Good. They need it."

Landing and baggage claim occurs without fuss. The cubs begin to mewl a little as they exit the spaceport, rubbing their little eyes with their fists and asking questions. Inu kneels before the twin strollers and gives them each a bottle.

"We're at mommy's home planet," he explains. "We're going to see your grandma and grandpa."

[Sorreessa Tarrineezi]

"The summerrr grrrounds arrre a bjit away frrrom herrre, we'll need to rrrent a speederrr..."

She said upon remembering, summer grounds put the pride right by the dead zone where her brother resided now. She stands and muses for a moment, pondering and remembering the last time she had seen her brother, those dead looking eyes had been haunting. She of course still blamed herself so there was a bit of a rock in her stomach about going to see him.

[Inu]

The babies begin to drink greedily from the offered bottles as Inu pushes them away down the street, towards a large sign declaring the site of a speeder rental. He leaves the cubs and wife outside and goes in to do business.

"I need a small speeder. It only has to be big enough for two adults and four toddlers."

"Trunk space?" mumbles the old man behind the counter.

"None. Our bags will fit in the floorboards."

The old Tano runs through his list of vehicles, making small talk while he searches.

"You back from some other planet? Ya look like you fit in, 'cept the clothes. Ah, here." Inu doesn't get a reply as the old man shoves a sheet of paper across the desk at him. "It's the smallest we got. Never been rented once. I'll rent it to ya for 200 creds."

Inu knows that's less than it really should be, but he doesn't speak up. He signs the agreement form to turn it in with the same or better condition and hands it back. The old man grabs a key off the rack behind him and tosses it to Inu, leaving him to go out and wander the lot for his car.

[Sorreessa Tarrineezi]

Sorr watches the cubs while Inu takes care of getting the rental. For now, she's letting Hiro play with her hair and ears since the boy had been getting antsy. Hiro is giggling and babbling away at her while she answers with "Oh?" or "Really?" every once and awhile. The other cubs watch but seem fine for now, they're full so content for the moment.

[Inu]

Inu wanders outside, spinning the keys around his finger on their keyring. "Just a sec, honey. I'll pull around with the car and we can get the kids loaded up."

He heads into the lot, seeking the car that matches the number on the key. He finds it far, far in the back, away from everything else, and sees why it was so cheap to rent. It really is the smallest speeder he's ever seen, dusty and worn and generally unreliable-looking. But it starts when he puts the key in, and it has a roof and air conditioning to keep them cool. He pulls it around and opens the doors, tossing their stuff into the floor at the back. With a bit of folding the strollers convert into useable car seats. He buckles the kids in and turns to his wife.

"Who drives?"

[Sorreessa Tarrineezi]

"jI suppose me sjince you don't know wherrre to go, the prrrjide should be about an hourrr frrrom herrre...."

Her thoughts wander, hoping this will work for Inu. She looks back up at him, gives him a quick kiss before taking the keys. She hops in and buckles up before looking to him, smiling softly trying to look calm though she's worried her brother may not have the answers they seek.

[Inu]

Inu is settled into the seat beside her quickly, fingers counting idly as he looks over at her.

"Well...whenever you're ready, I guess."

Really he wants to get going now; the sooner they get there, the more relaxed he'll feel.

[Sorreessa Tarrineezi]

She knows by now what the counting means so after checking that the cubs are taken care of, she turns the key and starts the car, driving faster than he was probably used to her doing. But this was important so a little speed couldn't hurt. Soon town drifted out of sight making way for grassy hills. The cubs trilled from the backseat, talking to the animals that occationally jumped out at the sound of the speeder, they had never seen such things so they naturally babbled about and at them as babies do. After a bit, she glances over to her mate.

"Should be seejing the camp jin a mjinute orrr two.."

[Inu]

Inu isn't bothered by the speed and recklessness of her driving. In fact, he finds this preferable to her usual driving, given the situation. The babies don't seem much bothered either. Either they're too distracted with the things flashing by the windows or thrilled with mommy's new driving.

"Any minute..." he mutters anxiously.

[Sorreessa Tarrineezi]

Finally the tops of teepee like huts come into view over the top of a hill. After she goes over it, the rest of the town comes into view. Heads perk up from the outskirts of the village along with high set ears like Sorr's. But there's several differences, instead of pale skin like Sorr's, their jet black skin was covered in white tattoos that appeared stark againt their dark hides. Their clothing was quite minimal, consisting of strips of animal hide covering the approriate areas while small beads were braided into their hair.

When Sorr stopped the speeder, it seemed all eyes were on them, coming out of the settlement to see what was up. A few heads canted in faint recognition of Sorr but that was a dim memory.

A frail looking old man came from behind the crowd as they parted for him, obviously the elder of the pride. Unlike the others, his hair was no longer raven but greyed with age. The tail that flicked behind him was about a foot too short, some sort of accident in the old days. He leaned his weight on an ornately carved staff as he walked before stopping in the front of the crowd.

Sorr jumped out, this was a face she knew well and hugged.

"Grrrandfatherrr! jIt's been ages."

[Inu]

Inu lurks by the speeder, pretending to be having trouble with the babies' seats, but in actuality he's nervous to be here. He hadn't expected this big crowd to come gawking at them when they arrived. He also can't help but notice that even here he stands out like a sore thumb. His skin is paler than theirs, his hair is a dull silver, his clothing is brightly colored, and his ears sit atop his head differently from theirs. The babies are squirming and yelling, wanting to go see the new people, so at last Inu lets them out and scoops up the lot of them in his arms, carrying them slowly over to where Sorr is hugging the old man.

[Sorreessa Tarrineezi]

"Good to see you again, Sorr, who might these people be?"

The elder asked while a few perked up their ears at the mention of Sorr's name but still the memory wasn't quite there since she didn't look as she had before. Sorr lets him go and walks over to Inu and hugs him from the side, leaning in close to his ear before speaking first to him in a quiet whisper.

"jIt'll be fjine dearrr, nothjing to worrrry about wjith thjis grrroup..."


Then she returned her attention to her grandfather's question.

"Thjis jis my husband, jInu and ourrr chjildrrren, Hjirrro, Nef, Anu and Kaljia....wherrre jis Kalanji? We came to talk to hjim about somethjing..."


"Same place as ever, child, he doesn't really leave there but his mate keeps him company now..."

Her grandfather winked and made Sorr giggle softly.

[Inu]

Inu squirms on the spot, a nervous action mostly hidden by his struggles to retain the children.

"Where's the same place as ever?" he asks, trying not to sound insolent or disrespectful.

[Sorreessa Tarrineezi]

"Only place he feels safe since he fears a relapse into that again...basically the place that made him and his sister feel odd when they wandered into it, Sorr should know where it is.."

The old leader said quietly, beginning to wonder about the purpose of their visit, Sorr had been gone awhile afterall.

[Inu]

Inu's got a plainly confused look on his face.

"Well, thanks for your cryptic help," Inu mumbles to himself, wandering back up to sit in the car. The babies are all still trying to see outside, but he's busy with sunblock for all of them. Like it's going to help much...but the activity is a nice distraction, despite it's futility.

[Sorreessa Tarrineezi]

Sorr watches him for a moment, knowing he hated the crowds just as much as she did. She hopped back into the speeder.

"Thanks, tell mom and dad jI sajid hji..."

She tells her grandfather before starting the speeder again and speeding away. The place her grandfather said was not far, she knew it as the place that made her and her brother weak when they traveled over it with the pride.

[Inu]

He sighs as she begins to drive, rubbing the cubs' little hands with sunblock as he bats them away from his face.

"Is this stuff even gonna help out here?" he grumbles, finally finishing with a little of it on their ears. "And where is this place your grandfather keeps mentioning? He wasn't exactly specific or anything."

[Sorreessa Tarrineezi]

"The prrroblem jis the sjite only effects me and my brrrotherrr so rrreally he doesn't exactly know. As farrr as what jit does, jI'm not rrrjightly surrre but jit helped my brrrotherrr so maybe jit can help you."

She said quietly, eyes watching where she was going but she reaches up and lightly rubs one of Inu's ears, seeking to soothe him a bit.

[Inu]

He tilts his head towards her to let her continue.

"How does it affect you?"

[Sorreessa Tarrineezi]

She continues the gentle ear rubbing while she tries to remember what it had done, ears fluttering back and forth while she thinks.

"Made me feel tjirrred, not just norrrmal tjirrred but as though jI had no enerrrgy at all....scarrred mom qujite a bjit that fjirrrst tjime...."

She giggles softly remembering her mother's face when it had happened, tail swishing about.

[Inu]

"So it made you incredibly tired? Like you were very drowsy, or like you didn't have energy even to move?"

He breaks away from her touch to haphazrdly put the kids back in their carseats, then turns back around. and puts her hand back on his ear, resting his head on his palm.

"And this place might help me somehow?"

[Sorreessa Tarrineezi]

"Therrre's some thjings you don't know about me, thjis jis one, but you'll see....jI'm hopjing what jit does wjill worrrk agajinst what that monsterrr of a man djid to you...."

She whispers while going back to rubbing his ear.

[Inu]

He leans into it a little more, staring pensively out through the windshield with a heavy sigh. "You think it'll reverse all the physical stuff, or just the rest?"

[Sorreessa Tarrineezi]

"No jidea, we'll just have to see...."

She wasn't quite sure even what it had done for her brother other than revert the mind block. She just hoped it could help Inu as well but only time would tell.