strayed from the path - open; return

[RHINESTONE.]

RHINESTONESTAR ❝ RHINE ❞ LEGATE
"TALKING" || "TELEPATHY"

Sorbet's death had hit the Glades as a whole particularly hard, as every death in the past had hit them with full force. Sorbet's death, however, had been a special case. It had been so sudden, and violent, and he had made a connection so strong with Medusa by that point... she had fallen apart. In fact, his death had led to her own sort of "death," in the end, although she had returned much more quickly. Albeit, not exactly in a great state.  She seemed so disoriented, as if she was barely able to remember where she had come from, or who her friends were. In fact, he had to wonder if Medusa even remembered who Sorbet was. He desperately hoped that she did, considering how close the two of them had been. He couldn't imagine Sorbet triumphantly – or rather, confusedly – returning, only to find out that the woman he had seen as a mother no longer remembered him. Hopefully, though, by the time she showed up on the scene, her head would be in a bit of a better place... Rhinestone could wish, anyways. If not, that meant he would have yet another person whose mental wellbeing he'd have to put on his own shoulders. Not that he ever regretted caring for all those around him, it just... weighed heavily on him, at times. He hoped that he didn't show it too much, considering he didn't want anyone else feeling guilty about putting their baggage onto him.

The sound of Sorbet's voice was what immediately drew Rhinestone excitedly over, relieved and overjoyed that the other had indeed returned. However, the slightly strange lilt to the other's words caused Rhine to move even faster, worried that the gladiator was still in an injured state. When the serval reached the place on the beach where Sorbet was, he found himself at a loss for words. Medusa had recently had a similar form change, but... at least she had shifted into something that was vaguely like her own body. In the case of Sorbet... it was just so wildly different that the legate couldn't help but just stare for a couple of seconds. Once he was able to speak once again, Rhinestone moved in a bit closer, questioning in a breathless tone, "You... Sorbet, that's you? You look so... different. I'm so glad to have you back, though. I'm sure Quasar and Medusa and everybody else will be so glad, I'm just... wow. Medusa recently changed forms too, but nothing quite so... drastic." Not that Rhine really thought that Sorbet's new form had been an intentional choice on the other male's part. After all, the feline himself hadn't had any input on what he came back as when he had died and taken up a new form. If he had, he certainly wouldn't have chosen his current blue serval body – not that he disliked it, the messed up eyes were just a bit of an inconvenience for daily life.

tags + roleplayed by stilly + the palm glades