And now, a random memory from Hakuba’s past… 

Once upon a time, when Hakuba was just a little four year-old Ickleba, he lived in Japan with both his mother and his father. They were negotiating moving back to London at the time, and decided to get some of the more tourist-y activities out of the way first. After all, they were certain that they would never return to Japan, and wanted to give their little Saguru a chance to experience all that he could of the culture that would undoubtedly shun him if they stayed.

So off they went to a festival. OBON FESTIVAL! 

Hakuba Sr and Marion put little Saguru in the outfit and got him the traditional snacks and all of that good stuff, most of which he only vaguely remembers. This is because, as wonderful and exciting and colorful as everything was, the boy noticed a turtle in one of the ponds when they first arrived and… he kept wandering back to look for it, time and time again.

Slipping out of his parents’ hands was a skill that he had mastered by then, and made ample use when something caught his eye. You’d think that the Hakubas would have an easy time finding their OBVIOUSLY foreign son, but alas, he was too small and quick. Being pale and blonde did them no good when there were too many people in bulky, colorful attire, balloons, lanterns, and so on. 

They eventually did find him, though, standing in the middle of the pond barefoot, water up to his knees, searching in the dark for the turtle. Singing, of all things, for it to come and let him take it home. 

Fireworks were great and all, but had nothing on that turtle, which had long since hidden from the splashing, wild movements of the boy. Oops. 

…it was much relieved when he was unceremoniously dragged out and home over his father’s shoulder, as you might imagine.