❀ Kim Kitsuragi

[cranelike]

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[voltadomar]

[Well, there's not much he can do besides listen. He stands straight, facing forward with his eyes occasionally glancing at Tsurumaru.]

But...

[cranelike]

"Winter passed, spring came, the hunter became sick and they couldn't afford medicine. His wife told him not to worry. She said, "I will go to the second room tonight. Promise you won't look at me." He promised and when he awoke the next morning, she had made a beautiful robe. She took it to to the market and sold it to buy medicine.

But it wasn't enough. He would get better and become sick again. So she would go to the second room and work into the night. Every time, she would create a new robe and each time, she bought medicine.

Finally, the hunter couldn't bear it anymore. Curious, he opened the door to the second room one night. What he saw was not his wife but a crane that would pluck its feathers to create the silk for her robes. He recognized the crane as the one he saved the winter before and gasped.

It surprised her and she dropped the robe she had been working on. "I told you not to look at me!" She cried and took flight. He had seen her true nature and could no longer stay with him."

(And he finishes the story like. Yeah. It just ends like that.)

[voltadomar]

[The story ends, and he nods.]

Huh. Okay.

So what's the moral here?

[cranelike]

(Yes, of course there's a moral here and Tsurumaru smiles,)

Cranes are very hard and generous workers, of course.

(And he leans juuuuust a little closer to whisper,)

But if you wonder too much, it will fly away. A crane's secrets are precious.

[voltadomar]

Okay... Is there a more practical point you're trying to make?

[cranelike]

I have another gift to share.

Have you wondered about the last trial? How we only caught one?

[voltadomar]

Okay, you've got my attention.

Yes?

[cranelike]

(He'll finally let go of Kim! He'll take a step back to speak a little more comfortably,)

It's important to remember something else about the last trial. Do you remember when van Zieks told too many his secret and the Watchers were hurt? There are things that can't be known. Do you understand?

[voltadomar]

[A grim nod.]

Yes, I remember. Both what he said, and what the immediate result was.

[cranelike]

(He holds up three fingers and with each point he makes, he lowers one,)

You must not give my name.

If you must speak of me, you must be careful.

There are questions I will not answer.

If you agree, then I will share my work with you.

[voltadomar]

[Kim studies him...]

I see.

Yes, I can agree to that.

1/2

[cranelike]

(He smiles and claps his hands together lightly, pleased.)

Good. What do you think, Kiku?

[cranelike]

(From the hood of his robe, Kiku emerges in her magpie form and watches Kim.)

We can find things. Sometimes good, sometimes not, and sometimes a surprise.

(He reaches into his sleeve to take out his coin. He shows the side with the feathers to him.)

At the cost of changing one person's vote at random, I can correctly vote once.

[voltadomar]

[Kim's eyes widen just a little.]

Now that is an interesting ability.

I take it you used it last Saturday?

[cranelike]

(He shakes his head and frowns,)

No. It can only be used once and last time there was too much confusion until the end and too many possibilities. Something like this is best if we can narrow the list down more.

[voltadomar]

I see. That's good to know, still.

Have you told anyone else about this?

[cranelike]

Akira-kun.

He's the only other one who knows. I also gave him my reward for this week to share. Do you remember the clue I gave you before? If I'm always the one finding things, others will begin to wonder.

[voltadomar]

Not a bad plan.

By 'reward', do you mean more information? Or something else?

[cranelike]

(And Tsuru reaches into his sleeve to pull out... a folded sheet of paper!)

I gave the original to Akira-kun so it looks like he found it.

(Like Tsuru did a couple of weeks ago with Kim. He'll hold out the paper to Kim. )

You can keep this copy. For your scholar book.

(His nerd book. The word he wants is nerd. The note will be written in Tsurumaru's neat handwriting and say,)

Little of the angels can be understood by man, for most are born of Dust and few ascend to join their ranks. Fewer still choose to leave those ranks, and return to the world from whence they came, for they can only do so as long as that which ties them to humanity is kept safe.

This one was newer. There weren't any missing words! But it was quite short compared to the last.

[voltadomar]

[He takes it, looks it over, and offers a small smile in return.]

Thank you.

How do you receive these, exactly...?

[cranelike]

Each week, I'm given three items to choose from.

The week before, it was three flowers. This week, it was three sets of bones. I choose one and it changes into the gift.

(And here, he sort of just shrugs,)

I don't know what I'll receive until after I've chosen. No one can help me decide, either.

So far, I've received both notes I've shared with you and the coin.

[voltadomar]

You're given a choice... by what or whom? Did somebody tell you these things?

[cranelike]

Kiku finds them.

... My Watcher is there. (And before Kim can ask, Tsurumaru holds up one finger as if to remind him of a point,) I won't say who.

But they're very helpful.

[voltadomar]

[Kiku gets a look and a short, approving nod. Good bird.]

But it's always the same person?

Then there may be six of these "roles" as well...

[cranelike]

(Kiku chirps. Thank you. She knows she's a good magpie. )

I doubt the teams are sharing their special players. And even within the same teams, they're still limited by what they can say and do.

(He won't outright answer but you know. It's more logical for it to be one person.)

There is the one van Zieks mentioned and myself so far.

I was told about a "messenger" before... but they only knew the title. I don't know what they do. Whether it's the same person as van Zieks' source or something else entirely, we'll have to find out more.