[Grysar]

(encrypted e-mail)

From: Haruko Kinsha, 
Date: Evening Wednesday March 10, 2004 (Japan) 
Subject: Report on meeting with Kyoko-san
To: Satoshi Watanabe

Satoshi,
You may have already heard from Kaede-san or Wataru-san, but I was too 
exhausted to write last night.

We have Kyoko-san's acquiescence to proceed. The meeting had gotten fairly 
heated in her own particular idiom. Wataru-san had revealed that he'd been 
closer to Reiji than he'd originally let on and discovered and sat on some 
information about his disappearance. Reiji may even recognize him as an 
Arcana, hard to say. Regardless, it does makes sense, they were classmates 
and Wataru's abilities do allow for that sort of thing. We should talk to him 
to get more details on both abilities and what he found out back then as it 
may help with the ritual. 

Kyoko-san has had a real rough time of it. She's had some help., but has 
borne an onerous duty for about two years now including multiple jobs. I can 
see why she might resent us coming in now. Our praise of his heroism might 
only make things worse as it emphasized her obligation and, to be frank, in 
my memory he wasn't always a good brother to her. He had his reasons of 
course, but I need to approach this as providing healing to both of them, and 
both are worthy in their own right.

We'd talked Wataru-san down from use of sorcery that would have held her but 
not harmed her. I know he'd been having and awful day and he went into this 
still a bit green. I probably could have prepared him better but I let myself 
be distracted these past weeks. We had coached once earlier, but I confess 
that I was focusing on trying to prepare him for a variety of problems rather 
than to plan away risks in this specific case. Whatever we have to do next 
we'll specifically train for, but there will be more uncertainty and likely 
more danger than even a known volatile quantity like Kyoko-san.

We had a good talk afterwards. I think I've been trying too hard with him and 
that we'd do better trying to enjoy common interests and friends than to 
force a connection.

I don't think he holds some of my past choices and present attempts at 
diplomacy in high regard, which is fine I suppose. But I've also realized 
that when I am hard on myself and the sometimes literal damage I've done to 
others, I risk being seen as an anorexic that constantly laments what fat I 
have remaining.

I don't know what to do about that. I'm getting better at protecting people. 
Kaede and I descalated the threat as a team! But I also need to find ways to 
work towards fulfilling my own code without spreading secondhand judgment.

That's enough from me. Please know that I've hung a ema at the family shrine 
wishing for an injury-free play off season. I figure that's not asking for an 
unfair advantage and as I understand it asking for fight-free hockey may be 
beyond the power of the Kami and against the wishes of the fans. ^^ But I 
certainly wish you could luck and look forward to hearing more of your 
stories.

Fondly,

Haruko 

---

[Ciara]

(Encrypted e-mail)

From: Satoshi Watanabe
Date: Evening of Wednesday, March 10, 2004 (Tokyo) / Morning of Wednesday, 
March 10, 2004 (Orono)
Subject: Re: Report on meeting with Kyoko-san
To: Haruko Kinsha


Haruko,

Thanks for contacting me post-meeting.  You're actually the first one who 
has.  I appreciate you letting me know what happened.  I'm glad you've gotten 
Kyoko's permission to proceed, grudging though it might be.  It's important 
to respect her decisions.

I didn't know Wataru could cast spells like that.  I almost wonder if *he* 
knew before he tried doing it, or if it was some sort of danger response 
instinct.  Whichever it was, it was good that you were able to talk him down 
from it.  It sounds like he's been having a rough time lately, and I'll try 
to contact him soon.

It's kind of impossible to prepare for *everything*, Arcana-wise.  Reiji 
himself tends to vary anywhere from fairly lucid to... very much not so.  
That having been said, I sometimes worry that I'm not giving Wataru enough 
help or information.  The problem is that first off, there's just so much 
that happened that it can be really hard to tell him things without being 
completely overwhelming, and second, there's a fair amount of things that I 
feel aren't my place to talk about.  Plus I want to keep encouraging him to 
interact with you guys.  Thanks for talking with him afterwards, by the way.

Honestly, I think you're too hard on yourself sometimes, and this is coming 
from me. ^_~  But it is a really difficult balance.  I'm finding that for 
some of my relationships I have to... I think the work here you'd use would 
be "recalibrate."  Recalibrate things.  I feel like I'm continuing to get 
better from the old days, but I also worry that I'm not doing it fast enough.  
Sometimes I feel myself backsliding a little, even.  Anyhow, what I'm trying 
to say here is that I think I understand.

Thank you for the good wishes!  We're having a team trip to Acadia today and 
overnight into tomorrow.  It's been a cold winter so there will still be lots 
of snow and we might even do some snowshoe hiking.  The spring that I got 
your water from is probably frozen over, but I'll see if I can find anything 
else interesting.  Our first games are this weekend against Merrimack. The 
first round is a best two out of three, so if we win our games Friday and 
Saturday, we don't have to play Sunday.  We're at home, so that gives us the 
advantage of not having to travel and having lots of our fans there.

Take care,

Satoshi

*****

(Encrypted e-mail)

From: Satoshi Watanabe
Date: Evening of Wednesday, March 10, 2004 (Tokyo) / Morning of Wednesday, 
March 10, 2004 (Orono)
Subject: You Okay?
To: Wataru Yamada

Wataru,

I talked with Katie yesterday and she said some weird stuff had happened to 
you, and then Haruko talked to me about the meeting with Kyoko and said that 
you'd been having a bad day.  Are you all right?  Do you want me to call or 
anything?  I'm going on this team trip to Acadia today and tomorrow but I can 
slip out and call you this evening (Eastern Time) if you want.  I don't want 
to pressure you into talking if you're not ready for it, but I am worried 
about you.  At least you have Katie and Haruko there and it sounds like 
they've been helping you, which makes me feel better.


Satoshi

*****

After sending the e-mail to Wataru, Satoshi thinks about writing one to 
Kaede, but just then there's a knock on his door and a "Sato, you ready?" 
from Liam, and so said e-mail will have to wait.

---

[Jihatsu]

(Encrypted e-mail)

From: Wataru Yamada
Date: late afternoon of Thursday, March 11 (Japan) / Very early morning of 
Thursday, March 11 (Maine)
Subject: Re: You Okay?
To: Satoshi Watanabe

Hey Satoshi,

Sorry, just saw this now. Yeah, I've been having a bad couple of days. We 
should talk. Don't worry about it for now, it's nothing urgent, but there's 
been a lot going on. 

Maybe we can do a video chat when you come back from your triumphant field 
trip?

Take care, and sorry for worrying you,

Wataru

---

[Ciara]

Encrypted e-mail)

From: Satoshi Watanabe
Date: Evening of Thursday, March 11 (Japan) / Early Morning of Thursday, 
March 11 (Maine)
Subject: Re: Re: You Okay?
To: Wataru Yamada

I hope today goes better for you.  I'll check back in with you when I get 
back to the dorms this evening, and we can figure out the details then.


Satoshi

---

[Grysar]

(encrypted email)
From: Haruko Kinsha, 
Date: Not long after midnight, Saturday March 13, 2004 
Subject: Report on meeting with Kyoko-san
To: Kyon Sorata

Kyon,

I apologize for the inconveniences of this length message. I write to update 
you on our attempt to find healing for the Ozora siblings. On March 9th, 
Kaede-san and Wataru-san met with Kyoko-san. 

Exec summary:
1- Bad penny turns up, but no signs of immediate threat
2-Wataru-san had more history with Reiji-san than he let on, but we managed 
the confrontation.
3-I still think this can work, and I'd like to earn your blessing.
4-Further imposition relating to my fear of fire.

1) Before I get to the some bad news for Katie that I'd prefer to deliver in 
person, although Takeuchi probably beat me too it. It turns out that 
Nishizaka Taro is a coworker of Kyoko-san. You may not remember him, but he'd 
shown an interest in Katie which seemed benign at first until it became 
obvious that he saw himself as a savior against Hibiki and ran roughshod over 
what she actually wanted. 

Unfortunately, he was still actively interested in news about her and is 
going to Kurobane as a first year history student and is still active in 
kendo. I have his info, though Hibiki asked that I burn it. We didn't give 
him any info on Katie of course. If Katie wishes it, I would be honored to be 
the one to tell him that his interest in reconnecting wasn't shared in high 
school and nothing has changed.

2) Turning to the Ozoras, Kyoko-san has now agreed to accept the help of our 
card-called triumvirate, though she's skeptical and she has every right to 
be. Wataru-san did tell more of his connection with Reiji-san. Reiji-san had 
spotted him as a possible Arcana and got him out of a confrontation with Sho, 
but Wataru-san had willed himself to draw different card when prompted and 
Reiji-san accepted that despite suspicions of his Arcana nature. 

Later on, when Reiji-san disappeared went searching for the Pentacle, Wataru-
san was able to divine that he was in trouble but wasn't able to figure out 
what to do with that. Kyoko-san was rather angered by that news, 
understandably. However, I'll say in his defense that given the power and 
uncontrollability of the artifacts, the best Wataru probably could have done 
would be to make sure he was less alone during the worst of it and to get the 
recovery off to a better start. At worst he would have ended up as another 
dead fledgling and helped noone. Now that he actually has the support he 
needs to succeed I believe he's acting out of a motivation to help those he 
earlier neglected. I may also be projecting my own feelings in those regards.

Kyoko-san drew her spear and Wataru overreacted, though Kaede and I acted as 
a team for once and de-escalated. Wataru-san apparently has some sorcery at 
his command beyond telekinesis and divination. He said he was calling up a 
non-lethal restraint of some sort and was speaking in a language I don't 
recognize, but that is consistent with some of the approaches to magic 
described in your books. We interrupted him before he finished his 
incantation. With your permission, I'd like to read some passages again.

3) Ultimately, while Kyoko-san is still stretched thin before her two jobs, 
she rightly critiqued us as late starting line. You're the one that has been 
the patron to their family during and since the war. I would like the chance 
to earn your blessing on this endeavor. While I've been cooperating more 
effectively with Takeuchi, the three of us are still hardly a tightly knit 
team. But Major Arcana do break rules and based on the reading [Haruko 
includes an attachment of a further annotated copy of the card spread], we 
have a real chance if we persevere. If you feel comfortable sharing them, I'd 
also like to hear stories of your adventures with Kyoko-san in China. I 
confess that I've been approaching this out of sympathy for Reiji and 
indirectly for her, but based on the small amount you have said she should be 
treated as an important ally and comrade in her own right.

4) As you've likely already read, the Second Council of Mysteries book 
included a fight in the midst of a conflagration. While my fear of flames is 
not what it once was, I just keep flipping ahead through that chapter and 
even now can only force myself to ineffectually skim. It's left me exhausted 
to even write this. I don't know if Aka knows about my weakness but even if 
he did not others might now guess it easily enough. Based on what I learned 
in university last semester, I think that over time, if I face what frightens 
me with someone I trust in a controlled environment, I can learn to better 
manage the terror even if it never go away. Do you have some time over the 
coming year to train me? I do not expect the results to be fast and the 
effort must come primarily from my end. But even setting aside overcoming my 
vulnerability, I believe this will aid me in better supporting you should 
future crises arise.

I know I ask too much, and even if some of it is granted it may not come 
soon. Please tell me what I could do to ease the burdens I am suggesting.

Haruko