Disclaimer: Legal obligation to state I hold no ownership over TWEWY.
She's not the same.
Of course he wasn't really expecting her to look the same, but just this small part of him couldn't help but hope that when he called her out of the pin, he'd see her with her beanie and blue eyes and warm smile, and everything would've been okay again.
So when he sees a tiny little squirrel thing with fuzzy pink fur and pointy-looking claws and tail, his heart kinda sinks. He can feel a little bit of disappointment and a lot of regrets filling up his head (sorry ya ended up like this because of me, sorry I couldn't save ya again, sorry sorry sorry), and his heart feels like someone is wringing it like a towel, twisting it tight so that it leaves nothing but his regrets and sorrows.
Rhyme twitches a little and her head is moving every which direction as she takes in her surroundings. The blue sky without any clouds, the view of Shibuya from the top of the 104 Building with all those tiny people way down there, before her eyes land on him.
Her eyes are all round and shiny, and he can't help but smile a little. He rubs the top of her head with his fingertips, thinks wow at how soft her fur is, like that old worn-out blanket she always slept with.
When he finally says something, his voice comes out weak and cracked through a pained smile, "Hey, Rhyme, how're ya?"
She seems to like being petted, and she rubs her head against his big palm. Her nose feels wet as she nuzzles his hand affectionately, and it feels ticklish and he lets himself grin and pets her some more.
"Rhyme, can ya speak?"
She stops to look up at him, her head is tilted a bit to the side as she stares at him. Her eyes blink twice in confusion, and she makes this soft chittering sound in response.
"Guess not," he says under his breath and sighs a little.
Her ears seem to droop, and he lets out a yelp of surprise when she suddenly scrambles up him. He feels her claws lightly prick his skin through his shirt as she climbs up before perching herself on his shoulder. She rubs her head against his cheek, and he smiles again and pats her head lightly.
"Dun worry, Rhyme, I'mma fix this... I'll fix this fo' sure this time... Hang in there, 'kay?"
She chitters again, and he finally stands up. His back feels sore, he can still feel a little bit of the pain from where his wings burst out of his back and tore up his skin. When he looks down at the streets from the edge of the building, he can spy Phones' carrot hair as he runs through the streets with some prissy skinny dude.
He takes a deep breath. "Go time, Rhyme." She hangs on tightly, her claws are poking him, but he doesn't mind it right now. Rhyme feels warm, and it feels comforting and familiar, and it reminds Beat that, under the pink fur, she's still Rhyme, and it makes things a little better, strengthens his resolve even more.
She's not the same, but she's close enough.