BRAND NEW BEGINNING ☆ o, nightmare

[RHINESTONE.]

LEADER ❝ RHINE ❞ PALMCLAN

In no way would Rhinestone have ever considered himself to be a savior. Of anyone, really. Despite taking the reigns of Palmclan after the hurricane's destruction, the tom had always just thought of his leadership as a matter of circumstance. His clan had recovered because of how strong they were as a whole, not because of him. He felt a similar way about Vaas, and the boardwalk tribe that had come along with him. Many had expressed their gratitude to him since the merger, infinitely grateful for him giving them new friends, new family, and a sense of purpose. However, he had never really considered himself to be the reason all of that had happened. Vaas, and those at the boardwalk, had been in complete control of their fate. They easily could've refused his offer, and continued on with their lives, but they chose not to. That wasn't because of him. He had just been the messenger, meant to carry the news and speak his offer with a silver tongue. Of course, this was partially because Rhine had never been the one to boast within his family. He hadn't been the flamboyant personality, nor the adventurer, like Toadwhisker had been. He had always been quiet, and contemplative, and had thought of himself as lesser. Many, who weren't him, had known this to not be the truth.

If Rhine dug down, and truly tried to understand the relationships between he and the rest of his group, he probably would've just been left confused, and pondering. Some of them were easier to understand, such as his relationship to Quasar and Tree. They were his adopted children, and he had sworn to care for them after their parents' deaths. Medusa and Suga were similarly easy – they were his friends, and people who he trusted. His relationship with Vaas was much harder to categorize, especially since the tom didn't truly knew where they stood. He trusted Vaas – trusted him enough to follow after him when he started towards his own home – but was he considered a friend? A confidant? Thinking about it for too long often left him with more questions than answers, so he instead focused on the motion of his paws beneath him, carrying him after the tiger alongside Quasar. A brief and grateful noise left his throat as he walked, glad that there was something that could help him rest.

He then listened intently to what Vaas had to say, his pale blue gaze lingering on the walls for a moment before flicking to what the other was offering. Rhinestone slowly nodded his head before he spoke, his tail twitching behind him, "I probably should get some more sleep than usual anyways... I've been lagging behind a bit as of late. I need to make sure I'm prepared, in case anything happens." This time his little noise was accompanied by a grateful smile, directed solely at Vaas. As Quasar spoke, Rhine nodded again, thoughtfully. If his son trusted in what Vaas had, then he could as well, right?

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

— Reggan