Yae Miko

<> Personal History <>

• The head shrine maiden of the Grand Narukami Shrine, descendant of Hakushin's lineage, Eternity's servant and friend, and the intimidating editor-in-chief of Yae Publishing House, a publisher of light novels... Come to think of it, Yae Miko's nicknames are as myriad as her changeable moods. The number of people who have tried to "figure her out" for various reasons could fill the streets from the Tenryou Commission estate to Yae Publishing House if you were to line them all up, but to this day, very few indeed have succeeded. Not that Miko has ever intended to conceal anything, of course. Any capriciousness is but the result of doing as she wills and pleases. A riddle with no solution is no riddle at all, in any case! You just need to remember that she will always be none other than the wise and beautiful Yae Miko.
• Yae Publishing House's editors once submitted a certain manuscript to the editor-in-chief. This work was well-written, clearly thought out, and the themes were romance with a side of comedy — a prime slice of the zeitgeist. Such a gem would surely require but a thin coat of polish and a few beautiful illustrations to sell well! But unexpectedly, Yae Miko did not seem pleased with this, instead heaving a deep sigh before calling for the various head editors. One of them asked hesitantly, "Lady Yae, I... Well, I did ask him to write on this topic, yes, but isn't this the hot genre of the day?" Faced with the editor's doubtful gaze, Miko gave her opinion forthrightly: that a book that should have been interesting yet was shackled at every turn by the topic was, simply put, "not free enough." Things like "top sellers," "genre fiction," these were naught but fads that would come and go every decade. Getting with the times was a shortcut, yes, but if a work had the quality that could surmount this tide, why go with the flow nonetheless? "Pass this message to this new author of ours: tell him that there's no need to bother about genre. He just needs to write his story and write it well." Upon hearing this, the author stopped writing for a time, as if suddenly having an epiphany. Several months later, a new manuscript was sent to Miko and her editors. The latter were stunned, and even Yae Miko, who cared little about taboos, furrowed her brows slightly — a rare sight indeed. "Um... What do we do? This isn't good..." "Exactly! I mean, there's 'not being concerned about genre, and then there's something like 'Shogun Almighty: Reborn as Raiden'... This is just too much!" "Hmm? Genre? No, no, there's no problem with that — it's his pen name I'm worried about. It's too normal for a book like this." "Huh, so that was what you were concerned about... No, uh, never mind. As long as you're happy, Lady Yae." Not long after, the author of this book would take to the literary stage with the Yae Miko-approved (and overly long) pen name "Kadenokouji Kenzaburou." As to how the editor-in-chief got the idea to start a "Reborn as Guuji Yae" writing submission event, that would be a tale for another day.
• If there was something inconvenient about being the Guuji, it is that she must attend every shrine ceremony, dressed up to the nines and in her proper place in the sanctuary. The fireworks paint the night skies as they blossom, and the sounds of human merriment fill the shrine, and yet she must sit, a solemn smile on her face... Such tragedies are even more frightful to Miko than the disappearance of Fried Tofu from Teyvat. With the somewhat longer span of years that the Electro Archon's servants have, a hundred years pass in the blink of an eye. As the years fly by, boredom becomes the greatest foe. And if even she were to accept sitting quietly still, would the world now sorely lack for another clever person adept at discovering fun and grasping opportunity? As such, looking for fun things to do in every nook and cranny can only be the most reasonable and necessary course. And if she were to, say, utilize her authority as Guuji in making fun things happen — why, some things are unavoidable, are they not? On the day of the festival, Guuji Yae would nod in satisfaction as she received a delivery of fireworks from the Yashiro Commission — of Naganohara construction and specially-made to boot. That night's ceremony was, of course, performed with perfect respect to all etiquette and rites. The sight of the "Lady Guuji" kneeling gracefully the whole night through would be the object of awe for all the other shrine maidens. In the meantime, she would sit beneath the meteor shower of light adorning the skies, watching the festival-goers as they came and went. And the din of the fireworks covered the mumbling that came between teeth chewing on a candy apple. "You know, when you asked me to become Guuji, you never mentioned that I'd only ever be able to sneak outside to watch the festivities from then on."
• Pursuing fun and finding happiness is how Miko lives her everyday life. For someone who enjoys studying humanity like her, "perspectives" and "virtue" play second fiddles to "fun." Even a great shrine maiden of a different faith or an enemy general might pique her interest. That said, this appreciation can sometimes lead to innocuous trouble. Miko's favorite person at the shrine is a shrine maiden named Kano Nana. Kano Nana, the novel enthusiast (just like Miko) who constantly frets over Sayu. While laying about indoors, Miko would often see Sayu flash past the window, followed not long after by a hurried and angry Kano Nana. Like lightning and thunder, which caught Miko's attention, to the point where she would even sometimes give wrong directions just to let the ruckus go on for a little longer. There was another time when Sayu told Miko that the afternoon sun was the most pleasant after the latter had helped her steal some time for napping. Encouraged by these words, Miko would transform into an ordinary Inazuman lady on a wonderfully sunny afternoon, descend from the mountain and have a day out. The Aisa Bathhouse in the city, Hanamizaka's Kiminami Restaurant, Ogura Textiles and Kimonos by the streetside... she did not miss a single store, and every one was an enjoyable experience. And in the evening, she was at Bantan Sango Detective Agency to tell them of a missing animals case that she had heard about on the way. "But you really must help, good detectives. I mean, one can barely stand to watch those owners cry their eyes out as it is..." Having done all this, the lady could not help but let slip a pleased smile. Taking part in Inazuma's daily life in such an identity really was fun. Well, except that part where Kujou Sara shot her a suspicious glance as they passed each other by.

<> Personality <>

• The Grand Narukami Shrine's head shrine maiden and a descendant of Kitsune lineage, Eternity's servant and friend and the intimidating editor-in-chief of Yae Publishing House, a publisher of light novels. There's no need to uncover her every facet, as they are all reflective of Yae Miko. Yet, all the same, they are not revealing of her true nature.
• Like fragments of a mirror, each attitude reflects a different version of her. By being enveloped in many identities, she has become a brilliant diamond surrounded by countless mirrors. There are hundreds of facets: solemn or cheerful, sympathetic or aloof. No one knows the truth, just as how no one can easily spot a kitsune brushing past passers-by in the mystic woods.
• But if the kitsune watches humans, where will her destiny lead?

<> Appearance <>

• Miko wears a unique and stylized variation of clothing inspired by the colors of a shrine priestess' traditional outfit, including a sleeveless hakui robe and sandals. She wears a golden head accessory accompanied by matching golden earrings. The right earring contains an Electro Inazuman Vision wrapped in a complex drop-shaped piece and decorated by a small fan-shaped accessory at the bottom. The earrings are attached to her ears by diamond-shaped studs.
• Yae Miko is about 5'3 or 5'5. She has fair skin, purple eyes, and thigh-length pink hair. In her regular form, Miko has purple eyes, and prominent red makeup painted at the corners of her eyes. Miko has long, muted pink hair that is tied at the bottom. She also has pink fox ears that point downward. While she lacks a tail in this form, they briefly appear as a set of five translucent tails when she uses Great Secret Art: Tenko Kenshin, or as one tail when she uses Yakan Evocation: Sesshou Sakura or when performing a Plunging Attack. Being a kitsune, Miko also has a fox form, although she refuses to reveal it to the Traveler.