death of a childhood / open, intro

[RHINESTONE.]

LEADER ❝ RHINE ❞ PALMCLAN

Dead parents. Shit. That certainly explained why this kid was so angry and bitter with the world. The only reason Rhine hadn't been a total mess when his parents died was because he had been an adult. Even then, the tom had seen more than a few warriors in the past succumb to grief and turn on those around them. However, it was difficult not to wince when the pup began to explode in rage, yelling at Toadwhisker and then the both of them. Even if Rhinestone wasn't particularly frightened, he couldn't help stepping back, just for the sake of his own ears. The kid seemed almost bipolar in his reactions, and Rhine honestly wasn't sure whether he wanted to hug him or turn tail and go back to the farthest reaches of the boardwalk. For the moment, he opted not to do either, saying in a reassuring voice, "I'm sorry about Toad... he didn't mean it that way. Obviously nothing is funny about... that..." He was sure that Toadwhisker wouldn't appreciate being apologized for, but he'd deal with the flack of that later. When things were calmer, and there wasn't a boy yelling straight at them.

Once Quasar had seemingly finally run out of rage-fueled energy, Rhinestone took a cautious step forward, thinking it might be time for comfort. The leader stretched one of his front legs out, offering the pup a silent choice of a hug. As he did so, he muttered softly, "I know what you're going through, you know. My parents passed away not all that long ago... and I can't even imagine how much it must hurt for you in particular." He glanced down briefly, teeth sinking into his cheek in thought before he continued, "You deserve comfort, and a family. But I promise you, eventually, the pain will fade. It might not go away entirely, but it'll fade, and you'll be able to see the good things in the world again. After all, wouldn't your parents have wanted that for you?" He desperately hoped that his words were getting through to Quasar, and he wasn't about to be headbutt in the chest.

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

— Reggan