Buson hears that voice and has difficulty placing it. It sounds almost familiar, but who does he know who talks like that?
It's unerringly polite, it's not overbearing, everything sounds like a suggestion, it's not as aggressively insistent as, say, the fishermen... but there's a cheerfulness to it, and the lighter tone makes the usually low and quiet voice sound higher, perkier, in a way he can't really place.
He has to actually see Bashou, chatting up strangers, to recognize him, and his expression's one of shock and alarm.
Since when is Bashou ever chatty? Free cookies? What, the same ones he ate earlier...? Damn, he knew there was something wrong with those cookies...!
He charged forward, shoving and shouldering anyone in his way, to get to Bashou, gaze narrowed. He caught him by the wrist, even though he normally wouldn't have grabbed at him instead of speaking to him first. He hadn't the time to think about it. In retrospect, he shouldn't have shoved all those people, either, but in the moment, once again, he just acted completely thoughtlessly.
What do they have on him to make him do this? He doesn't even like eating stuff prepared by strangers... or did they have a strange effect on him too?
"... Hun! You're as cheerful as ever, I see! No reason to worry!"
That... absolutely wasn't what he wanted to say! That's the exact opposite! It doesn't even match his worried tone or expression, this is a mess... should he try to say the opposite? Is it like an opposite game where he only says the opposite of what he means? Maybe he can overcome it that way...
[good God, that's jarring]
It's unerringly polite, it's not overbearing, everything sounds like a suggestion, it's not as aggressively insistent as, say, the fishermen... but there's a cheerfulness to it, and the lighter tone makes the usually low and quiet voice sound higher, perkier, in a way he can't really place.
He has to actually see Bashou, chatting up strangers, to recognize him, and his expression's one of shock and alarm.
Since when is Bashou ever chatty? Free cookies? What, the same ones he ate earlier...? Damn, he knew there was something wrong with those cookies...!
He charged forward, shoving and shouldering anyone in his way, to get to Bashou, gaze narrowed. He caught him by the wrist, even though he normally wouldn't have grabbed at him instead of speaking to him first. He hadn't the time to think about it. In retrospect, he shouldn't have shoved all those people, either, but in the moment, once again, he just acted completely thoughtlessly.
What do they have on him to make him do this? He doesn't even like eating stuff prepared by strangers... or did they have a strange effect on him too?
"... Hun! You're as cheerful as ever, I see! No reason to worry!"
That... absolutely wasn't what he wanted to say! That's the exact opposite! It doesn't even match his worried tone or expression, this is a mess... should he try to say the opposite? Is it like an opposite game where he only says the opposite of what he means? Maybe he can overcome it that way...