Youko was a master at seeing patterns…and deception. He knew that the young miko had left out a lot of detail from her story, blending it together with anecdotes instead of facts, blurring the lines with a frightening story or an amusing quip. She artfully neglected to mention her companions by name, calling forth their feats by the most obvious facts of their persona and giving them monikers thusly, and similarly she skipped over any discerning features about the jewel she sought. She was willing to give him the story, without any notion of the specifics.
Youko, however, was also a pursuer of pleasure, and she certainly knew how to weave a tale, despite her self-imposed constraints.
"A lovely story," he opined, after she had closed the unfinished quest "but does it hold any truth?"
"It's all true…but it might not be all of the truth." She admitted.
"Trust is a fragile balance to keep."
She nodded. "And I'm trying to toe the line but…this is just the trial run."
Understanding at least this small phrase, he agreed. She could not commit to giving him more.
Words: 186
AN: I've had a few people point out an inconsistency – that Kagome said she was untrained in one of the first chapters, so why is Youko acting surprised about it now? The way I see it, there's the magnitude of someone mentioning in passing that they're untrained (particularly when they're trying to flee your presence) and the ramifications of seeing it firsthand. So while Youko certainly remembers what she had said, he hadn't been aware of the full effects of it.
(plus, just because Kagome had said she was untrained, it didn't mean he knew that she was completely unaware of how to use her powers)
(nevertheless I tweaked the chapter ever-so-slightly to reflect the clarity of the situation)
Anywho. That's my story, I'm sticking to it.
