Voice
Characters: Shachi, Penguin, Law, Bepo. Rating: K. Warnings: none
Overall, Shachi thought they were being very mature about the whole thing. Bepo seemed a bit confused, but the cub's reluctance to ask questions of them was, in this situation, useful, and while he admitted that both he and Penguin could sometimes be, well, not mature, they somehow didn't laugh the first time Law's voice cracked.
The speed at which a blotchy hand – the marks were fading but Law's skin still wasn't one smooth colour all over – clapped over his mouth almost drew laughter. For someone so determined to act way older than he was, the reaction was so refreshingly child-like that it put them at ease in a way they hadn't realised they'd needed until it happened.
Shachi received a glower that promised death and pain as he reached for the smaller boy's wrist, and refused to let it deter him from pulling the hand away from the mouth.
"Easy there," he said, as Law jerked his hand back furiously. "No need to hit yourself." The glower had increased in intensity – something Shachi hadn't realised was possible – before Law spun on his heel and left the room in what seemed suspiciously like a temper tantrum.
Or embarrassment.
Penguin and Shachi shared a look and shrugged before settling back down to the controls. There was no point in chasing their captain down. If he wanted to hide away in embarrassment, then, well… They'd both been there already. Were still there, really, although it wasn't often that their own voices cracked any more as their new pitches finished settling in.
"Is Captain okay?" Bepo finally found his voice, looking at the closed door in open concern.
"He's fine," Penguin reassured him with a grin, ruffling his fur. "It's a growing up thing." Bepo didn't seem convinced, but let it slide.
Law didn't reappear for several hours, finally materialising when Shachi went and pounded on his door to tell him dinner was ready. He was pleasantly surprised when the younger boy opened the door and silently headed up to the mess hall, where Penguin and Bepo were waiting.
"You're going to have to talk at some point," Penguin pointed out after Law swiped his serving without a word. "You can't spend a year or so not talking."
Watch me, Law's eyes seemed to say as he began to eat, pointedly ignoring their attempts at conversation.
"Seriously?" Shachi complained, flopping over the table and narrowly missing the crockery in the process. "You laugh at me and Penguin, but when it's your turn you just hide?"
"I don't laugh at you," Law protested, breaking his vow of silence, and Shachi wanted to correct him because he'd definitely seen some smirks when his voice had cracked, but he didn't know how well Law would take that. He was still sore from the last time Law had thrown him around, 'for training', never mind the memory that would probably never fade of being utterly defeated the first time they'd met.
So for once, Shachi swallowed a retort, seeing Penguin hold a presumably similar one back himself, and carried on eating.
Thanks for reading!
Tsari