HeRa's+DEJ

They laid the “tender, down-ruffled little bird onto the platter”, Examining the “vulnerable, Easily frightened, and all unknowing” creature From head to toe.

In this passage from The Sailor who Fell from Grace with the Sea, Fusako and Ryuji's mistaken perception of Noboru's complete disguise as an innocent and pure child reveals Noboru's inhumanly heinous and detestable quality. When Fusako and Ryuji cautiously informs Noboru with the news about their marriage in order to protect Noboru from getting shocked at the relatively unusual news, Noboru conceals that he in fact is already aware of the news, and acts like an innocent, pure child in front of them. Fusako and Ryuji compares Noboru to a "tender, down-ruffled little bird", implying that to them, Noboru appears to be only small and powerless, and sensitive that he may not quite be ready to accept the news. Noboru conceals himself so completely as even when he entire body is carefully "[examined]" "from head to toe", he is still perceived as a "vulnerable, easily frightened, and all unknowing" child. The faulty perception of Noboru as a weak innocent boy even after careful inspection underscores Noboru's perfect pretence and conveys his viciousness as he conceals himself so perfectly in front of the others. Moreover, the description of Noboru as a "creature", further renders a sense of inhumanness with its connotation, a quality that Noboru strives to achieve, but is an extremely unlike characteristic of a young boy. While inhuman in nature, Noboru disguises himself completely, thus reinforcing his image as a heinous character.