Kankri learns to shut up

He's too silent

"Just shut the fuck up already!"

Kankri pulls back and chokes. Never, never had Cronus snapped at him like that. Cronus always listened when the others didn't. Cronus...didn't really take things in, but he at least appeared to be listening! Now though the seadweller flicks his fins in irritation and marches away without another word.

No one sees Kankri for a week. Even Porrim who marches over to his hive is not granted entrance and seems furious that Kankri won't even open the door to her. Apparently he doesn't care to see any of them.

For some reason this is a very big bother to all of them. Meenah is to no one's surprise the first to snap about it. "What the fuckin' shell is wrong
with that mouthy idiot? Hiding from us like a big wriggler."

"You're one of the ones who always told him to shut his mouth and go away," Aranea reminds her and turns the page. Meenah just huffs in reply. Aranea turns another page. It's bothering her too. Now everyone has gone back to thinking of her as the talky one. Where was Kankri so they'd stop making fun of her?

Horuss is the one who runs into Kankri in the first time in a whole week. He bumps right into him actually as he carrying the parts for his new project. Horuss smiles automatically. "Please excuse me. I did not see you there." He braces for the lecture, but Kankri simply shrugs.

"It's alright. I was not looking where I was going either. Excuse me Horuss." And the redblood moves on without even a full paragraph said. Horuss watches him go and wonders how to feel about this new development.

Meulin and Kurloz watch him walk past next, surprisingly silent, only nodding to them instead of stopping to tell them how glad he is that they've found a way to communicate despite their disabilities. They trade glances and wonder what exactly has happened now. Meulin suddenly grins, caught up in an idea and mimes to Kurloz about possible body snatchings. Kurloz grins.

Rufioh hears about it from Horuss and goes to ask Damara. The rustblood just blows a smoke ring in his face and asks if he knows if Kankri wants to...do certain things that Rufioh decided not to repeat. Latula and Mituna are two of the last one to see him. Latula waves and says hello while Mituna spews something or other. Instead of replying to either of them Kankri continues walking past. Mituna insults him and puts an arm around Latula's waist and asks if she's up for making out in the bushes and letting him grab her boobs.

Finally Kankri reaches Meenah, Aranea, Porrim, and Cronus. All four trolls turn and Porrim and Meenah are both moving to crowd his space and demand answers and he ignores them both. He steps around them without even engaging in their questions and walks toward the seatroll. Cronus smirks at him. "Ey chief. Long time no see. Looking for a proper welcome back are you?" Kankri tips his chin up, cocks his arm back, and swings. He's not strong enough to really hurt the seatroll, but the sting of being slammed is definitely surprising.

Shocked, Cronus puts a hand to his cheek, but before he can demand answers Kankri puts a finger in his face. "I understand I may speak a lot Cronus, but next time you offer critique mind your damn manners." With a huff, Kankri turns and walks away again. Aranea closes her book with a sigh and wonders if she has to learn to control how much she talks now too.