LEADER ❝ RHINE ❞ PALMCLAN

Yelling. In Rhinestone's experience, that was never a good sign, and it didn't take long before he was stumbling up to his paws. He had been finishing off the last of his very small meal when he heard Medusa's enraged shouting, and he nearly immediately abandoned it, heading off towards the forest. The Twisted Forest was, as usual, unnerving for the young tom, but that didn't stop him from continuing forward. After all, if Medusa was in trouble, then he wasn't willing to let her just be all on her own. Fear or not, he pushed through the trees quickly, nearly stumbling over his own paws as he grew closer to where the hybrid was. The scent of Medusa was soon mixed together with the scent of Tsekani, and that only motivated him to move faster, worried that something had happened to the both of them. After all, the young cub was fairly new, and they all had very little idea of where he had come from, or who could possibly be after him. However, when Rhine finally emerged from the trees, he was glad to see that there wasn't actually any danger – save for the flames that the both of them were holding forward. The feline's ears briefly flicked back, his eyes widening in shock, before he managed to calm himself, shaking out his pelt and shaking off his surprise.

Although he felt some apprehension as a result of the flames, Rhine still grew closer, his tail flicking behind him. As he settled down near Medusa and Tsekani, he muttered softly, "Medusa... I guess Vaas isn't the only one with surprises this week. I wonder why this has all been happening..." Were the rumors true? Was Starclan turning away from them? After all, powers were supposed to be a curse, not a gift... he shook his head, briefly digging his claws down into the dirt beneath him. No, those who had been gossiping weren't right. If Starclan wasn't even willing to speak with him, then they had no right to consider Palmclan cursed. Holding back the sudden surge of anger he felt against the stars above, Rhinestone took a deep breath before speaking once again, "At least this should be useful, for when we're helping in battles, like against the bandits... and if anyone tries to say anything to you, send them right to me. I'll set them straight. I'm tired of people acting as if these powers are the end of the world. You should be glad, Medusa. This can be really good for you, I promise." He could only hope that his words were somewhat encouraging, despite the fact that he had no powers of his own. Would they even hold any weight to her?

LEADER ❝ RHINE ❞ PALMCLAN

In most cases, Rhine was used to Medusa being a kind and warmhearted individual, who wouldn't snap at anyone unless they were being a true asshole. However, this time, it seemed as though he was the one getting snapped at. He immediately felt himself recoil, a frown on his muzzle as his ears flicked back against his skull. He didn't snap back at all, but he did just stare at her for a moment, seemingly trying to process what she had just said. Eventually, he just found himself sitting, his entire body seeming to sink down a bit as he muttered, "I... I'm sorry, Medusa. I knew that you felt different from everyone else, but... I didn't think it was as bad as it obviously is." He felt awful, sure that he had been a shitty friend to the other. He just didn't know what to say, since it wasn't as if Medusa could just switch what body she was, nor could he. After taking a deep breath inward, he found himself admitting, "I wish there was something I could do, but... I don't think that I can do anything to make you feel better about this. Especially since I don't have any of these powers. I'm not like you, or Vaas, or Tsekani. I don't know how to make it better." The admission was soft, and short, mainly because there was nothing more that he could say.