Senbonzakura - Flowers in Full Bloom PV Foxes

T O P__

J E A N S

S H O E S

Summer Holidays had only just started when trunks already had to be packed again. Ruka had barely been able to empty his before needing to put together everything he wanted to take along for their two week trip to Tokyo. He still couldn't quite believe that they were actually going; Travelling to London to meet the Shimada family felt surreal somehow, like it was happening in some kind of obscure fantasy. He'd barely been able to talk the whole way, buzzing with excitement and completely unable to focus on anything but the trip ahead of them.

In a way he was vaguely disappointed that they hadn't been allowed to go by themselves, that their parents had insisted on coming along - Did they not trust that he and Jack were able to handle themselves? - but he supposed as far as parents went, theirs weren't the worst to bring along on vacation. Anyway, there were sure to be plenty of opportunities for him, Jack and Kazuo to spend time by themselves. The trip would be fun.

As they arrived at the Shimada's penthouse, Ruka couldn't help but take a moment to just take in his surroundings. They were high up enough to be able to get a good look at the river, the various sights of London. The city seemed calm from up here, which was a far cry from what it felt like when they were actually pulling their luggage through the crowd. He was glad, to say the least, to be able to let go of his trunk for the moment. the only weight he couldn't get rid of was that of his new owl, who was happily dozing on his shoulder, fluffy feathers pressed against his cheek. She had pulled quite some attention on the train by throwing a tantrum at being locked in her cage. Only when Ruka had stuck his hand through the bars to distract her with pets and treats had she calmed down and accepted the fact that she couldn't move freely while on public transport.

A familiar voice reigned in Ruka's attention, and he couldn't help but smile at the sight of Kazuo looking far more excited than he had ever seen him before. There was a radiance there that only heightened Ruka's own enthusiasm, and he found himself bouncing on the balls of his feet, causing his owl to hoot in discontent at the vibrations. He managed to calm himself down a bit in time to greet Kazuo's parents with a smile, mimicking the bow the other boy had just greeted the Burnett family with. "So nice to meet you," he said politely, and momentarily he wished he had studied up on some Japanese for this occasion.

Waiting for introductions to be out of the way, particularly between their parents, Ruka made sure to be last through the door as they were invited inside. He closed the door after himself and his trunk, then joined the rest of their families, slotting in next to Jack and giving his brother's wrist a slightly nervous squeeze. There was something vaguely intimidating in the way Kazuo's mother had looked at them as if judging whether they were worthy company for her son. Not even the smile she offered them afterwards was enough to put Ruka's nerves completely at ease.

It was a welcome distraction when Kazuo addressed them to ask about their experience with Portkeys, and Ruka immediately focused all of his attention on the other boy, let go of his brother's wrist to instead rub his hands together. "Never," he answered quickly as he shook his head. He'd read of Portkeys before, at least. He sure hoped that was enough to prepare him for the experience. His eyes followed Kazuo's gesture to the kamidana, a wooden sort of altar, he supposed. Something that wasn't usually touched. The thought immediately filled Ruka with reverence. "Kamidana," he repeated curiously, looking back at Kazuo with furrowed brows. "Does it house a kami?" The thought made him slightly uneasy. He remembered the conversations he had had with the other boy, about his beliefs, the spirits, the shrine close to his home, kitsune, Inari... If this was indeed a shrine, wouldn't it be upsetting to the spirits to disturb them for the sake of more convenient transport? "Are we okay to touch it?" He supposed the Shimadas would have arranged for a different way of transport if they weren't alright to touch it, but Ruka found himself worrying anyway.

He looked up at Kazuo's father with a grateful smile, nodding along to his words to show his understanding. "Almost like travelling through time," he pointed out, awe tinging his voice, as he thought of the fact that they would be leaving London in broad daylight and arrive in Tokyo at dinner time. Fascinating.

Idly lifting a hand to pat the side of his owl's head, Ruka looked back at Kazuo with a bright smile, instantly enthused by the other boy's obvious excitement. "Is there an itinerary?" he asked with a light chuckle. "What's top of our list?"

As ornery as Jack had come to be during the last few months of school, he had honestly been looking forward to the trip to Tokyo with his family and Kazuo's. A smirk curved his lips as he noticed the rare demeanor Kazuo exhibited and it was all he could do not to outright grin or laugh at the Japanese boy. His excitement seemed to be contagious, too. Ruka couldn't seem to so much as stand still and Jack beamed fondly at him.

"Hajimemashite (Nice to meet you)," Jack tried his best to repeat, bowing back. His parents followed his example and attempted to do the same, if a bit awkwardly. There were a few simple phrases Jack had tried to accustom himself to before and during the trip and he was proud to know that that had been one of them. Ruka might have been too busy pampering his new owl to be paying attention, but Jack was certain he'd pick up the terms quickly enough. With how polite the Japanese were, the same polite phrases and behaviors like bowing seemed to be repeated constantly in the animated Japanese shows Jack had watched.

"The honor is all ours," the Burnett boys' father told Shirou cheerfully, taking the offered hand and giving it a firm, delighted shake. He seemed almost as ecstatic as his sons. "I'm Todd and this is my wife, Ffion. We've heard so much about you and your son! Thank you so much for allowing us all to accompany you on this trip!"

"Yes, we're grateful enough that Kazuo has been keeping our boys company," Ffion added, eyeing Ruka and Jack when the pair slinked away to join their schoolmate. "He seems like such a responsible young man. I'm sure he's been keeping them out of trouble and being a good influence on them. I hope they can learn to be more like him."

"We can hear you, you know," Jack called over his shoulder with mock irritation, grinning. It was then that he caught sight of Kyouko's gaze and met it straight on before ducking his head respectfully and squeezing Ruka's hand that was placed in his own. She certainly seemed like a formidable woman, even as far as mothers went. He liked that about her, though, and thought he could tell how Kazuo resembled her in personality.

When Shirou explained about the portkey, Ffion's nervousness at the idea was betrayed by her uneasy smile, but she said nothing and only nodded. Todd tried to reassure her by putting an arm around her, rubbing her own, and reminding her that feeling disoriented or nauseous was often the feeling people got from flying by plane as well. How much worse could magic travel be, especially if it was going to be instantaneous?

"I think I'm having enough fun just watching you right now," Jack chuckled when Kazuo talked about showing them his house, gardens, and city of Tokyo. "Wait...if it's evening over there, does that mean we have to go to bed soon after we make the trip?"

He followed Kazuo's indication and Ruka's gaze to the kamidana which Jack could only assume was a kami's house of some kind. Ruka's question was a good one, but Jack tried to ease his older brother's fears.

"Silly. Why would it house a real kami if people have to actually touch the thing? The probably have a proper kamidana set up elsewhere for the actual kami."

@Kazuo Shimada & @Ruka Burnett-Tân

────────────────── July 3rd - 17th, 2021 London to Tokyo Family vacation @Jack Burnett @Ruka Burnett-Tân ──────────────────

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Kazuo’s gaze strayed toward Ruka’s fluffy companion and he grinned a bit at the owl who did not seem nearly as excited as her owner at being here. Ruka appeared to be just as excited as he was while Jack was… well, not gloomy so that was a bonus. He seemed almost happy to be there, which Kazuo took as a good sign. While Ruka greeted his parents in English, Jack attempted Japanese and that drew a snicker from Kazuo. Show off. As the Burnetts spoke to the Shimadas, Kazuo’s brows arched in surprise at Ffion’s words. His gaze turned pointedly toward Jack and Ruka, a clear question in his expression. Good influence. He snorted. Maybe he could exert some good influence on Ruka's wardrobe.

Kyouko's gaze shifted from the two Burnett boys to her own son at Ffion’s words, clearly amused by her description. "Perhaps a bit too responsible for his age," Kyouko replied. "It's nice to see that Kazuo has found some good friends. Moving here hasn't been easy for him." Unlike Jack, Kazuo didn't respond to his mother, just rolled his eyes at the other boys.

"It's not that bad." Shirou encouraged Ffion with a smile. "It's a lot like motion sickness. Some people get it, some people don't. But it's better than flying because it only lasts a short moment instead of being stuck on a plane for hours."

"Better than flying on a broom." Kazuo muttered, wrinkling his nose.

When his explanation of the kamidana brought up questions from Ruka, Kazuo grinned but it was Kyouko who responded to the boys. “Well, you’re both a bit right. This kamidana is dedicated to Jizo who is a protector of travellers. Even though this isn’t our proper house shrine, it’s still important to dedicate it so yes, it still houses a kami. We chose this item because most people wouldn’t touch it out of respect but there is no disrespect given to the kami if someone were to touch it. You have nothing to worry about.” Kyouko assured Ruka with a smile.

“As for the itinerary, it won’t be that late when we arrive.” Shirou answered Jack’s concerns with a grin. “And it is your summer holiday so I don’t think we need to be worrying too much about bedtimes.” He gave the boys a wink. “I’m sure you’ll have some time tonight to start exploring.”

Kazuo nodded in agreement to his Dad’s reassurance, pulling out his journal and flipping it to a page that would look familiar to Ruka. The short list he had made in the library had been expanded upon; clearly, Kazuo had been preoccupied with the idea of the trip since they’d first tentatively discussed it. “I could show you around Ikebukuro or we could go to a cafe or get dinner somewhere.” He suggested. “Sunshine will still be open if you want to see the arcade or the planetarium.”

“Let’s not get ahead of ourselves.” Kyouko interrupted before Kazuo could get too far into planning. “First things first, we should make the trip to Tokyo.” She turned her gaze to the Burnetts, giving them an encouraging smile as she explained what would happen next. “The magic is already set. All you will have to do is place your hand on the portkey to activate it. After a brief moment, you will be transported to our Tokyo residence. Make sure to keep your hand on the portkey for the entire trip. It will feel like you are being pulled very fast, like when a train picks up speed and the momentum pushes you back in your seat. Ruka…” Kyouko paused, eyeing Ruka’s owl. “It would be best to put your fluffy friend in her cage for safety. If everyone is prepared?” She prompted but waited patiently for everyone to gather their things and calm their nerves.

Reducio

The London Penthouse
The Tokyo House
The Kamidana