slow mornings . intro / border patrol(?)

[RHINESTONE.]

LEADER ❝ RHINE ❞ PALMCLAN

Unknown. That was what the boardwalk had been, for nearly as long as Rhinestone had been alive for. He could recall being just a kit as he had watched warriors go off to patrol where the boardwalk met the sand, eager to see if there was anything they could sneak back to their clan. For the most part, Palmclan had made sure to keep their distance from those who lived atop the wooden structure, be they human or animal. Of course, unbeknownst to the clan as a whole, anyone living in the buildings that populated the massive wooden structure was far from human. Humans had been extinct on the island for a long time, perhaps for even longer than the group had ever been around, not that any of them would know that. As a result of that forbidden knowledge, Rhine had kept away from the boardwalk for the majority of his life, even when he had reached the rank of senior warrior. After all, there had been little reason to go to the boardwalk in the first place. There wasn't any prey that could only be found there, and it seemed as though there was only potential threats that could be found within the place. So, it had been deemed best just to keep away, and observe from afar.

Of course, that was the reality of things before the massive rat attack had struck their group. Thankfully, only the bare minimum of injuries had been received when all was said and done, but it was still worrying. The vermin that had lingered around their territory in the aftermath had been a nightmare, and Rhine had spent his nights awake, wondering if they might get hit once again by a surprise attack. It had been what had ultimately motivated him to round up around half of his group, leading them into the unknown in order to make sure that they would all be safe. It wasn't a glamorous task by any means, and it brought with it a great deal of risks. Those who had decided to go had taken up the task knowing those risks, and while none of them had faced serious harm yet, it had certainly caused a waver in everyone's spirit when part of the boardwalk had collapsed behind them. However, it wasn't as if they could just take it back. In fact, they had no way back, so their only option after that was to explore, and so, they had set off to do so.

The discovery that no humans to speak of lived on the boardwalk anymore was surprising enough. However, the discovery that there was an entire group living on the boardwalk, completely unknown to them? It was almost a slap to face, although one without any malice behind it. After all, despite encountering those from the boardwalk several times already – whether it be face to face or because they were watching from the shadows – none of their party had been injured by anyone from the boardwalk group. It seemed as though they weren't out for Palmclan blood – at least not yet – and for that, Rhine was grateful. He wouldn't have been able to take venturing out into a new land, only for them to be decimated by a new enemy that they never could've expected. Especially since it would've meant that they could never return home, and there was more than a little chance that this would all end in the rats coming down upon Palmclan's camp once again. Just the thought was enough to both terrify and motivate Rhinestonestar, making him move faster as he explored every nook and cranny of the wooden structure.

Really, Rhine should've figured that, eventually, he and several of the other clan members stranded on the boardwalk with him, would end up running into a boardwalk patrol. However, the tom still found himself caught off guard as he moved along the wooden planks, flanked by a few NPCs, only for Vass's scent to reach him. Pausing, the leader straightened himself out, standing up tall and taking a deep breath in preparation. He couldn't afford to look weak in front of the other, after all. Once he was sure that he was ready, he made his way over to the watchtower that lingered at the edge of the boardwalk, offering a bird's eye view of everything around it. Vass stood quietly at the bottom, and Rhinestone made his way over silently, clearing his throat to eventually alert the other to his presence. Once he was nearby, the leader allowed himself to sit, making sure he looked peaceful as he curled his tail over his paws, pale eyes looking upward, at the tower. He spoke softly, his tone vaguely questioning, "Hello... I'm sorry. I don't believe I've ended up catching your name in any of our exchanges yet..." He glanced out towards the shore briefly, wincing a little at the ache in his heart. He wanted so desperately to be able to go back home, but... not yet. Turning back to Vass, he let out a smooth hum, "Morning patrol...? I'm surprised by how similar your daily structure is to my group's own..." He supposed he shouldn't have been that surprised. After all, they were basically a clan all of their own, albeit smaller.

NEVER OPENED MYSELF THIS WAY
LIFE IS OURS, WE LIVE IT OUR WAY

— Reggan