High School Theatre (Patreon)

How did everyone's favorite wholesome horse x rhino couple first meet?  They go way back--back to high school! 

Riley and her surly sloth companion Itzel were both stereotyped as nerds and homosexual freaks, but Riley had a natural confidence that allowed her to find acceptance and popularity via the theatre club.  Always too big and fat to play the female lead (regardless of a girl's talent, that do be how it goes), Riley invariably slayed as the villain, and audiences loved her.  Her ability to dance and act would translate well into her later role as a professional wrestler.

Ryleigh, meanwhile, was pretty and popular, and despite their silent crush on the bombastic rhino, had not yet accepted themself for who they really were.  They often played the ingenue soprano to Riley's villainous alto, so the two were affiliated...but Ry would let their opportunity to be with Ri slip away.  Happily, a later reunion would allow them a second chance.

In this pic, Ry and Ri are performing in my problematic fave, the Mikado.  I've already mentioned my love-hate relationship with Gilbert and Sullivan's proto-weeb opus.  Here Riley is playing the female villain, but why is she in male garb?  A few things might be happening here: A) The limited costuming department didn't have any ladies' kimonos that fit Riley; B) She was doing a sort of gender-bending Victor-Victoria interpretation, which would be a very Riley thing to do; or C) Americans in the 90s did not typically know much about kimonos (or Japanese culture in general, yet), and they just thought it looked cool.

Deep cuts of the 'verse: In theatre, non-clawed people sometimes wear false claws to make themselves look more powerful and/or menacing.  Claws on a rhino is kind of silly, but it's seen as a visual cue, like putting glasses on a smart character.  

When We Fly (c)Kae