Chapter 35.

Virgil hated ties.

They were fiddly, pointless, and came in a ridiculous choice of colours and patterns.

"Keep still!" John snapped as he tried to secure a red tie around Alan's neck, "Why you couldn't do this yourself is beyond me."

Alan pouted and elevated his chin so that John had better access to his neck, "I've never had to wear one before. All my classes are online, so I don't have to wear a school uniform, and pretty much everything else I do involves my iR suit."

John sighed through his nose as he fastened the top button of Alan's shirt and moved the tie knot so that it was sitting between the collar points, "Still, you could have at least tried to do it yourself before screaming for help."

"I almost choked!" Alan exclaimed, gesturing dramatically with his hands, "I pulled the knot too tight and panicked."

"Cut him some slack, John," Virgil instructed, striding past while adjusting his own green tie, "It's not like any of us are authorities on formalwear."

As if on cue, Gordon swaggered down the staircase, his white shirt half unbuttoned and a yellow tie slung casually around his neck like a scarf.

"I'm adding a modern flair to what is essentially a very boring ensemble," Gordon announced upon catching John's eyeroll, "Seriously though, why do we have to wear suits again?"

"Lady Penelope has reservations at one of the world's most exclusive sushi restaurants," Scott replied as he knelt to adjust his sock, a blue tie swinging from his hand, "Formal attire is mandatory."

Gordon scowled and pushed the sleeves of his shirt up, "Wouldn't smart trousers and a sweater vest suffice? Why have we got to mess around with ties, jackets, and cufflinks? Surely nobody's going to be paying that much attention to what we're wearing? I hardly notice what I'm wearing half the time, let alone what anyone else is wearing."

"Except for Lady Penelope," Alan muttered under his breath, eliciting a snicker from John who was busy securing an orange tie around his own neck.

It was at that moment that Sally materialised at the top of the stairs. The Tracy matriarch's face broke into a huge grin when her eyes latched onto her grandsons, "Oh my! Don't you boys look handsome!"

"Thanks, Grandma," Scott smiled as Sally scurried up to him and began unnecessarily dusting him off, "It feels nice to dress up for once."

"Speak for yourself," Gordon muttered, swinging his tie like a gymnastics ribbon and making no move to put it on, "My belt feels like its cutting me in half, and I swear I'm allergic to whatever fabric these trousers are made from."

"Careful, kid," Sally warned as she started to needlessly smooth Virgil's hair, "Those suits were custom commissioned from Brioni and are made from the finest Italian cashmere. You wreak 'em, you answer to me."

Gordon visibly gulped and hastily rolled down the sleeves of his shirt before throwing his jacket on and wrestling with his tie.

"I swear it feels like just yesterday you were all in diapers," Sally reminisced as she stood on tip-toe to yank John's tie into place, "Where did all those years go?"

"We'll always be your little boys," Alan affirmed, beaming when Sally transferred her fussing onto him.

"You're right there, little man," she confirmed, licking her finger and scrubbing at a non-existent smudge on Alan's cheek. Gordon barked a laugh when the youngest shrieked and leapt away.

"This feels far too restrictive," John complained, flexing his shoulders and cringing when his jacket cut into his arms, "At this rate, I'll asphyxiate myself just by sitting down."

"You can always take the jacket off and sling it over your shoulder," Scott suggested, removing his own to demonstrate, "Like this."

Gordon gave a quiet snort as his eldest brother paraded around the kitchen like an Armani model, "Good thing Kayo isn't here, or else she'd be drowning in drool."

"Better pack your uniform then, Gordo," Scott replied with a wink, "Just in case."

-x-

Penelope smiled broadly when she caught sight of five familiar faces weaving their way through Tokyo's rush hour crowd.

The restaurant she'd selected was located in the Ginza district of the city, which was renowned for being one of the most expensive and luxurious streets in all of Japan (and quite possibly the world). She'd been courting a little a bit of concern over how her request for formal attire would go down, however a quick visual scan of the boys revealed that she needn't have worried.

Scott looked effortlessly handsome and quite at home in a soft grey two-piece suit, a blue tie fastened around his neck which highlighted the sapphire hue of his eyes.

Virgil, as usual, was right behind his big brother, his muscular physique contained in a black suit that complimented his dark hair and caramel eyes perfectly. A green tie hung about his neck, no doubt in representation of Thunderbird Two.

John looked dashing in a navy suit that somehow managed to make his red hair and turquoise eyes pop even more. The orange tie knotted about his throat was an added bonus.

Gordon somehow managed to emit his usual quota of sunshine, even from within the confines of a dark grey suit that did his swimmer's physique no disservice. Like his brother, he seemed particularly proud in his choice of a yellow tie, no doubt fuelled by his love for a certain little yellow submarine.

Alan looked adorable. Bundled inside a two-piece suit that was the same shade of navy as John's and with a red tie to boot, he looked as ready to take on the world as was physically possible for a sixteen year old.

Kayo, who was donning a strapless maxi dress in a rather lovely shade of olive, clapped her eyes onto Scott and looked set to faint.

Much to Penelope's relief, she didn't.

John, ever the observant one, caught sight of Penelope in her immaculate white pantsuit and gave a friendly wave, "We're here, early as requested!"

"Much obliged," Penelope replied with a smile, "You all look fantastic."

"Thanks" Scott smiled broadly as he smoothed down the lapels of his suit, "We had to pass Grandma's inspection before we left the house. I felt like an animal at auction when she started inspecting my teeth and smacking my backside."

Penelope tittered behind her hand while Kayo openly laughed, "Well, she did a good job. Now, I do hope you're all hungry?"

Gordon and Alan nodded enthusiastically.

"Right this way," Penelope sang, breezing off up the street with the confidence of an experienced hostess.

Kayo dropped back to bring up the rear, sniffing the air curiously when she caught scent of the various colognes the boys had on. Shadow's pilot gave a nod of approval. They obviously wanted to be taken seriously.

Kayo adjusted her course slightly so that she was walking parallel to Gordon and directly behind Scott. A quick whiff of the eldest Tracy's citrusy fragrance was enough to almost make her faint.

Again.

"As I'm sure you're all aware, it's custom in Japan for one to remove one's shoes upon entering an indoor establishment," Penelope instructed, stopping outside a small restaurant with a traditional sliding door before removing her heels.

The Tracys and Kayo did as instructed. There was a brief moment of panic when Alan's sock came off with his shoe, but a quick intervention from Virgil soothed the disapproving expression on the face of the man who'd come out to greet them.

"Miss Crieghton-Ward?" the man asked, his bald head dipping as he bowed respectfully, "It is an honour to have you here this evening. Please, follow me inside and I will explain what is fresh on the menu."

"Thank you, Mr Tanaka," Penelope replied, turning to gesture to the other six, "I've brought along some dear friends of mine to share in the enjoyment of your food. I humbly ask that you extend the care you have always shown me to them."

Mr Tanaka took in the expensive suits, real gold cufflinks, and silk ties before nodding in approval, "It would be my honour. Please, follow me inside."

The Tracys and Kayo fell into a single file line as they followed Penelope into an exquisitely clean room with authentic Japanese tatami mats. Apart from a seasonal flower arrangement and hanging scroll in an alcove on the wall, the room was completely bare. Interestingly, it still managed to exude a cosy, homely feel.

"This place is so fancy!" Gordon whispered as he lowered himself to his knees in front of the low table Mr Tanaka had led them to, "I feel as if we've stepped back in time."

"It's certainly a bit different from what we're used to," Virgil agreed, poking Alan in the ribs when the youngest made to cross his legs, "You have to kneel, Alan. It's respectful."

"And painful," John muttered, rearranging his limbs so that his circulation wasn't cut off.

"Here are the menus for tonight," Mr Tanaka announced, handing around some small booklets that were bound with silk ribbon, "Please be aware that we prepare everything fresh and to order, so you are unlikely to receive all of your dishes at the same time."

"That's quite alright," Penelope replied, her palms sweating slightly when she realised the entire menu was written in Japanese kanji, "Could we kindly have seven glasses of sparkling water, please?"

Mr Tanaka bowed and retreated towards the kitchen.

John frowned in visible discomfort as he discreetly tugged at the collar of his shirt. On the other side of the table, Gordon wrenched off his tie and threw it aside like a discarded dog collar.

Both actions didn't go unnoticed by their hostess.

Penelope knew the Tracys disliked formality. Unlike herself, they weren't aristocrats by blood. Their father had come from a family of surgeons and their mother had been the last of a long line of ranchers. Jeff Tracy had earned his fortune through his pioneering work as an astronaut, and had constructed the Thunderbirds and Tracy Island over the course of his son's lives. None of them had been born into the wealth they now possessed.

"Uh…I can't read a word on here," Gordon mumbled, his brown eyes desperately scanning the page in front of him, "And I estimate that I've only got four minutes before my stomach starts eating itself."

Virgil groaned when he saw that the menus had all been painstakingly handwritten in old-fashioned ink, meaning that there were no images to compliment the barrage of symbols assaulting his eyes.

"How about this one?" Alan suggested, pointing to a listing that only contained three kanji characters, "It looks relatively simple."

John, who was the only one capable of reading Japanese, leant over Alan's shoulder and sighed when he saw what the youngest was pointing at, "Alan, that's shirako. Trust me, you won't like it."

Alan scowled in irritation, his urge to rebel intensifying, "What makes you say that? I might love it!"

John's face didn't twitch, "It's cod sperm."

Scott, who was in the middle of re-aligning his floor cushion, glanced up and waved goodbye to his composure after catching sight of Alan's horrified face.

"Right, you're translating everything for me from now on," the youngest instructed, his face the same colour as his tie.

"I think I'll go for the special," Penelope announced, adjusting her knees so that her back was ramrod straight, "Kayo, what will you be having?"

"I'll join you," Kayo replied, cringing slightly when Gordon began to roll up his sleeves, "Gordon! For goodness sake, behave yourself for once."

"I'm hot!" the aquanaut complained, fanning himself with his menu, "You'd think a place like this could afford to install an air conditioner."

"John, what's this one?" Virgil asked, pointing at a listing near the bottom of his menu.

"Wait your turn!" the redhead snapped, leaning over to gaze at what Scott had selected, "Uh, are you a fan of scallops?"

Scott thought for a moment before shaking his head.

"Then you won't like half of what's in the left-hand column," John announced, an enigmatic expression briefly flitting across his face, "Maybe try the fourth option from the top. I reckon that will be a safe bet for you."

Scott rubbed his eyes as the kanji characters danced before him, "F.A.B. It's not like I can read a single word on here anyway."

"Uh, John?" Virgil clicked his fingers impatiently, "My turn."

The redhead sighed dramatically and twisted his head to peer at what Virgil was pointing at, "Anago, which is conger eel. Are you feeling daring? It's supposed to taste just like pork."

"I'm so starving right now that I'll eat anything," Virgil replied, "How long does the food here take to arrive?"

"Anywhere from ten minutes to an hour, depending on the complexity of the dish," Penelope replied, smiling when Mr Tanaka returned with their drinks and some warm hand towels.

"An hour?" Virgil looked aghast, "In one hour I'll have eaten Alan!"

"Relax," John soothed, "Only the really large dishes take forever to make."

"Two specials please, Mr Tanaka," Penelope requested, motioning towards Virgil and Scott, "I believe these two are ready to order as well."

"How about this one?" Alan asked, pointing at something that contained a series of very elaborate characters, "Does this one have any fish sperm in it?"

John gave a sigh of despair, "Alan, that's basashi."

A blank stare was the redhead's only answer, "Yes, and?"

"Horse meat," John clarified, rubbing his forehead in irritation. Maybe in a minute he'd actually get to study the menu for himself.

Both Gordon and Virgil gasped in outrage, memories of their mother's ranch and long evenings spent horseback riding flashing across their minds.

Alan looked crestfallen.

"This is ridiculous," John hissed, swivelling to face Mr Tanaka and nearly knocking Alan's drink over in the process, "Can you just get him some fries?"

"Hey!" Alan snapped, his helium tone making it difficult for John or anyone else around the table to take him seriously, "I don't want fries! I want to try authentic Japanese food!"

"Just fries for him," John overrode the youngest's squawks of protest with a smile and a polite head bow, "I'll take whatever Lady P and Kayo are having. Just nothing with shellfish please. I'm allergic."

Seven pairs of eyes swivelled towards Gordon, who was continuing to study the menu like a man possessed.

"Gordon, I believe your four minutes is almost up," Penelope informed in a discreet attempt to hurry the aquanaut along.

"One more minute!" Gordon snapped, his brown eyes flitting from left to right as he tried desperately to make it look like he could understand what he was reading.

John sighed and motioned for Gordon to hand over his menu, "Give it here. I'll talk you through a few dishes you might like."

"No!" Gordon spat, holding the menu out of John's reach and scowling ferociously, "I don't need your help. I'm quite capable of ordering my own food, thank you very much."

John rocked back on his heels with an arrogant sniff as Kayo and Penelope shared a poorly masked look of amusement.

"That one," Gordon announced, stabbing his finger at a random listing slap bang in the middle of the page, "I'll have that one, please."

Mr Tanaka bowed before retrieving both the menus and hand towels. With an undeniable air of grace, he glided back in the direction of the kitchen.

"What did you pick?" Alan asked, fidgeting with the sleeves of his jacket.

Gordon shrugged, "No idea. I'm so hungry I'll happily fight Virgil to eat you if it doesn't get here soon though."

John pursed his mouth as a smile threatened to engulf his face.

"Whatever it is, I'm sure you'll love it."