Chapter Text
Once upon a time, Yae Miko had belonged to the mountains and called herself a sky kitsune.
Behind her had stood the Sacred Sakura, its pink petals falling around the Guuji as she performed her rituals, guided the shrine maidens and gave counsel to those who searched for it. In her spare time she would sit by the borders of the Grand Narukami Shrine that she was supposed to watch over, and stare at the land of Inazuma whenever she took breaks from her books, from the editor work she also kept on the sidelines.
Then night would come and she would slip away from the temple in search of something else to do. Perhaps she would walk through the streets of Inazuma, an activity that was also done after assuming a different shape, a different body while a decoy stayed at the shrine in her place. Perhaps she would visit Tenshukaku, stare at its gilded doors while wondering when her archon would return from that prolonged meditation.
One day, however, she changed courses on a whim and ended up at the beaches which surrounded Narukami Island, traded the land and the sky by the sands and the vast sea.
Novelty befit her, as did the fact that she had done so during daylight hours. Things at the temple had been hectic with the arrival of another festival, details she should have been fretting about but had already solved in her sleep. The other shrine maidens were busy gathering supplies, contacting chefs and making sure they understood what would and would not be served, all while trying to keep up with mediations, cleansing sessions and other activities that the temple was usually tasked with.
And sure, as the Guuji she should be aiding them. As Miko, she should be excited for the change of pace that preparations for a festival (that she would attend in disguise) often gave to her life. But somehow, that time around not even that was enough to make her smile.
Not even that was seen as fun, since she had done the same thing all over and over again for too long in order to consider it as such.
Thus with a sigh, a last glance towards the shrine and a wave of her hands she left it all behind, traded it for a day outdoors because she deserved to have fun no matter what.
Strolling around one of the many beaches in Narukami Island was freeing per se, even more so after she took out her shoes and felt the golden sand underneath her toes. Had she ever stepped close to a place like that, enjoyed it at its fullest instead of simply glancing at it from the top of a mountain, from a walk around the eternal City of Inazuma? She couldn’t recall it, and realizing that was so just made everything more exciting than before. Made her wonder which other places around the world she had missed exploring because of her duties, and how she could sneak around them in order to do so.
Regardless, what mattered was enjoying the sights in front of her, what she would be able to do on her self-proclaimed day off. How it felt like the shore was hers and hers alone, since no matter how far she looked on all sides there didn’t seem to be one living being around. The peace, the lack of voices and sounds other than the waves and the ocean breeze was already a novelty that made her smile, a welcome shift from the usual days spent among noisy people from beginning to end.
And thus she meandered, enjoyed the silence and the sun, the landscape that had been made for her, until something in the distance caught her attention.
The moment she noticed there was a speck of hue in the distance, a pink and blue dot amidst the gilded sands, Miko tilted her head to the side, watched and tried to make out what it could be no matter how far from the object she was. The whole time she did, it seemed that the thing failed to move, to change, or to be taken by the waves that gently lapped at it every few seconds to the point that the Guuji wondered if she wasn’t staring too much at a rather large stone the sea had brought to shore.
Yet her senses said something else altogether, the sudden noise of a strangled, choking sound making her rush instead of walk in peace.
The dot started shifting at the exact same time Miko began running. Colors became more distinct, the salmon pink spreading around a portion of it whereas the blue was in the opposite. Slowly but surely they respectively turned into… hair and body, or something long that perhaps was a body.
Then Miko’s eyes widened, the second she realized who that being could actually be.
Using all her strength, the head shrine maiden was able to shorten the distance between the two of them in no time. Her worries were confirmed as she bent down and took a better look at them, however, and as much as she had read pretty much every book in Teyvat plus heard some legends about said creatures, she couldn’t totally contain her surprise at what she found.
Lying more on the sand than in the ocean as they were supposed to be, was what many sea shanties and other books called… a mermaid.
Their chest was heaving with shallow breaths, the long, tangled pink hair covering most of their torso and a bit of the blue scales which started around their hips and went all the way down to their fins. Upon closer inspection and taking some of the hair out of the way, Miko found a deep gash around their waist. Blood seeped from it, a slow trickle that had probably begun once the mermaid was taken out of the cold waters.
The cold waters where they belonged, not the land where they were.
“What to do, what to do…” Miko thought while tearing part of her Guuji outfit and covering the wound with it. Never had she seen a creature like that, much less treated one, and all she could do was use some healing skills she had acquired over the years to help humans once they got hurt.
But she couldn’t just leave them in the sand, or drag them back into the ocean while asleep, could she? And what would some pirates say if they found such a beautiful creature like that?
Well, for the time being there was no one in sight, no danger of them staying there and being seen by a helpful villager or a playful child. With that in mind Miko focused on the task at hand, feeling for a pulse and exhaling in relief once she found one, slow as it was. Luckily the mermaid was small and rather light, so the Guuji was able to easily lift them into her arms and place them closer to the sea in hopes that the presence of water would help them heal.
That did mean the waves soaked her outfit to the torso or something, and given how cold it was she should have felt something.Yet with her attention completely focused on the mermaid who started to stir a few seconds after Miko did that, she was rather oblivious to the rest of the world. To the wind that blew her hair into disarray, and how she was probably easy to spot if one were to glance at the beach from the Grand Narukami Shrine.
How she would have to think up of excuses if someone, anyone, approached them for some reason or another, first for herself and then for—
The moment the mermaid’s eyes opened, all of such minor concerns were put to rest—or rather forgotten, due to the beauty that Miko saw in that gaze and how speechless it left her.
Their irises were of a soft indigo hue, dulled because of lethargy and confusion or the aftershocks of whatever had brought them there. It took a while for them to focus on Miko, to regain a bit of clarity and enchant the Guuji once more by how clever that creature seemed to be. How quickly they recovered, and started wriggling a bit in her arms in order to be set free.
“At ease,” Miko said in a gentle voice, wondering if any good would come out of her talking. It was impossible to say if they could understand her, even if most stories depicted mermaids as being actually close to the human realm in some way or the other. “You are safe with me, little one.”
All it took was the term of endearment for her to be assured that they could indeed comprehend what she was saying: in response to it they stopped moving, stared at the woman with wide, quizzical eyes, relaxing the slightest. Miko couldn’t help but think how cute she was, how… similar to someone that she was pretty sure she had read about in a few reports.
She was trying to figure out exactly what it was that she had found out, or why she had been quite taken with Kujou Sara’s documentation of a conflict or the like, when the mermaid took a deep breath and cleared her throat.
“W-what happened? Where am I?”
If Miko had been distracted and lost in memories before, then her thoughts completely stopped the second she heard that voice. It was sweet, melodious, enchanting in a way that was unique, that spoke to her heart. Was that the bewitching quality of a mermaid that she had read about and scoffed at before, thinking writers leaned too much into it?
Was she also falling prey to a simple sound, a small question that went unanswered for a few heartbeats as the Guuji tried to figure out how to rein in her mind?
“Oh, marvelous, so you do speak.” She tried to be cheeky, but even that sounded more hollow in her ears than it should have. “Ahem, I… don’t know the specifics, but I found you lying down on the sand, passed out.” A finger traced the gash on the mermaid’s waist so she could start making her point before saying anything. “Based on this and how you seem to be disoriented, I would say something attacked you out there, you lost consciousness and drifted ashore. This is Narukami Island, by the way.”
The creature turned to glance at the ocean, wincing once something came to mind. “I see.” They shifted in Miko’s arms, but made no motion to actually leave the Guuji’s lap. The contact didn’t seem to be unwanted, which was a novelty since the head priestess was pretty sure mermaids weren’t supposed to stand being that close to humans. Well, not that she was human, but even so. “Narukami Island, huh?”
“Is that far from your home?”
“In a way, yes. If the sea currents favor me, then it will be but a short, relaxing trip.” Somehow the prospect of making it, of letting go of that interesting stranger, seemed a bit too much for them. After sighing, they leaned against Miko’s chest and closed their eyes for a bit. “Thank you for rescuing me and being kind. Most people would have taken me somewhere else, or asked for others to see and so on, so forth.”
"Oh, I wouldn’t dream of it.” Miko winked, and for a few seconds let her true youkai nature shine in her irises, in the tails that materialized behind her back. A blink of an eye later and they were gone, but it didn’t fail to make the mermaid smile. “Beings like us should look after each other, I think. Now, if you would like to rest here for a while, completely gather your strength and all that, you’re more than welcome to. Provided you tell me your name, that is.”
The mermaid stiffened in Miko’s lap, the tension in her shoulders a noticeable shift. A stronger wave hit them, almost knocked the Guuji backwards, and the indigo eyes which had glittered with wonder at the sight of the priestess’s kitsune side became cold, guarded.
“Too much, too soon?” Miko queried, wondered why she was being so gentle with that creature. Why she wanted to tease them, but ended up hugging them closer instead, running light caresses on their ribs. “Your secret is safe with me, little mermaid. All of them. Come now, I have even shown you my deep, darkest secret, and if it helps to have a name then I am Yae Miko.”
If they had been weary before, their expression turned to one of utmost shock. “The uh, the Guuji of the Grand Narukami Shrine?! That Yae Miko?”
Now that was most interesting. “Yes? I am not aware that there is any other who would be fortunate enough to share my name. I am even more curious, though. How does someone like you know about the existence of someone like me?” One of the many things she had considered when first meeting the mermaid came to mind again, consolidating itself as more than just a theory. It had been tough to tell, as such creatures were usually nothing more than legends on pirates’ tales and shanties. But if they were indeed real, and the one in her arms seemed to know about her… “Unless of course, you do not spend most of your time underwater as I was inclined to believe.”
There was no need for a verbal answer when the blush that covered the creature’s cheeks was so strong, there was no way they could talk their way out of that one.
“Just who exactly are you?” Miko pressed again, grinning. Of all things she had thought she would find on her time outdoors, close to the sea, that certainly wasn’t one of it. Nor did she ever imagine she would find such a beautiful creature, that was made even more enchanting due to all of those mysteries. “Again, I know better than to spread this information to—”
"S-sangonomiyakokomi.” The name was said so fast it sounded like just one word. Since Miko did nothing more than widen her eyes and smile at her, almost encouragingly, she repeated again. “Sangonomiya Kokomi. I trust that you have heard of me in the same way I have of you?”
“But why, of course! Us head priestesses should be closer to each other, if you ask me.” Miko beamed, glad that her mind had been on the right track. Something about the mermaid’s appearance had reminded her of one of Sara’s extensive reports of a fight against the Resistance. One in which their leader had shown up and changed the tides of battle, no less. “And I have been wanting to meet you for the longest time, as well. My, you Divine Priestesses have indeed been getting cuter and cuter in every generation.”
Kokomi squirmed, averted her eyes. Her cheeks still burned a bright red and it was even worse that she had leaned against Miko’s chest beforehand; there was no way she could escape that, or the lighthearted giggle which left the Guuji’s throat afterwards. Yet no matter how embarrassed she was, she had to admit it was rather… nice to be held like that.
Amazing and wonderful, that someone had seen her true nature and not flinched at her, or said something hurtful as well.
But that didn’t mean she should be allowed to remain there forever, right?
"My wounds will heal by themselves soon enough. And I uh, do not want to interfere with your tasks for the day, Lady Guuji,” Kokomi whispered, her heart not quite there as she said it. The truth was, there was nothing more she wanted than to stay there for a while longer. “
You are not, as I took the day off for myself—in the same way that I presume you did, if you managed to drift all the way here even if by unfortunate circumstances. What did hurt you, though?”
To that the mermaid was silent, almost ashamed. It had perhaps been a minor thing, an animal or another that mistook her for a rather bright fish, Miko thought. Or maybe it had to do with Enkanomiya, the nation’s most well-preserved secret. She felt like pressing, but also understood that certain things required more time to be asked or to be answered.
And if nothing, she could end up scaring the poor siren away if she kept teasing her for too long.
“Alright, I will not pry. Just… focus on resting, and let me know if I can get you anything.”
"Thank you, Guuji Yae—”
“You can call me Miko, little mermaid.”
“Thank you, Miko. You can indeed be kind.”
They remained in silence for a few seconds, both closing their eyes and allowing each other some space to gather their thoughts, to decide on what they wanted to do. What they could call the emotions which fluttered in their chests, the peace which surrounded them.
The fact that although they were very busy people who tended to shrines (and to an entire island, in Kokomi’s case,) they had actually managed to find a few moments of quiet in which they could bond.
It was lucky that no one showed up at the shore and they knew it; what with summer being upon them and temperatures rising while the sun traveled through the sky, it wouldn’t be uncommon to find more humans at the beach. That also helped them cherish the circumstances of their first encounter even more than if they had met at a convention, one of the many events that Miko and the Grand Narukami Shrine hosted over the years. After all, it wouldn’t have been as intimate and precious if they had seen each other in such a scenario instead of that.
The Guuji could hardly believe how fortunate she was, how incredible that she had followed the plan to get out of the shrine and look at the sea instead of the sky and mountains for one of the first times in her life. As she opened her eyes and gazed at the small form almost slumbering against her chest, she beamed and shifted a bit so she could assess the wound which had seemed so terrible before, removing the fabric she had kept pressed against it.
“I see that the legends are true,” the head priestess commented, beaming to herself at the sight of an almost closed gash. Blood had stopped leaking from it a long while ago and skin had started closing at its extremities. “Doesn’t the salted water sting, though?”
Kokomi chuckled at that, glanced at the cut before turning to stare at Miko with a small smile on her face.” And here I thought you would know more about mermaids than that, Miss Miko.”
The cheeky grin on her face, the fact that her cheeks were returning to a healthier color and her eyes were less hazy were all so enchanting, the Guuji had actually no comeback at all to that. Rather she shook her head, pouted and glanced away, trying to recall every single piece of information she had read and heard about the beautiful creature in her arms.
And why everything about her seemed to be so alluring, the head priestess wasn’t sure she would even be able to let her go.
“Well, I do recall that you have faster regeneration, as well as a voice that can enchant all who hear it.” Miko’s own tone was alluring, low and rich. It was a tone she hadn’t used in forever, or in five hundred years to be exact. “And that you are supposed to drag sailors and captains to their ruin, plus really love shiny objects and… well, there are many such tales of what your kind has and hasn’t done. Who am I to say for sure? Though perhaps you could tell me more.”
“Me? I keep the secrets of my people very close to my heart, plus I do not know you well enough in order to trust you with them,” Kokomi replied, though there was a light in her irises that was more teasing than repelling.
Something that drew Miko in deeper and deeper, the ocean’s currents in a stormy night.
“What if you got to know me better?” It didn’t mean the Guuji was about to give up easily, to allow a siren’s song to seduce her like so. To let someone have the upper hand in the conversation, or in the direction it would lead. “Would you trust me then, little mermaid?”
“Would I?”
“Well then, why don’t we both find out? Go out to dinner or lunch with me, and we can also stop by the Yae Publishing House on our way around the city.” Miko beamed, though couldn’t help but wonder why Kokomi looked smug, as if everything was playing according to how she had wanted it to.
Sure, Miko had invited the leader of the Resistance out for a date, and rescued her from being discovered by someone else entirely, but it didn’t mean she was helpless against the mermaid’s charm. Did it?
“Guuji Yae, I believe you have forgotten yourself,” Kokomi whispered and even that was melodic. “You are the head priestess of the Grand Narukami Shrine. You answer to the Almighty Shogun and the Ogosho. You uphold eternity. I am the leader of the Sangonomiya Shrine, one that prays to the Orobashi—the same that was slain by your God. I am a voice for the people of the Resistance, those who fight against the Sakoku and the Vision Hunt Decrees. I vouch for change.” She sighed, shook her head and straightened her back, putting some distance between the two of them. “How could we go out together, if the ideals we uphold are so opposite?”
For a heartbeat Miko was silent, anger beating at her heart. That wasn’t how that conversation was supposed to go, or what she had envisioned it to begin with. No, she wanted to have a date with Kokomi, their traditions and beliefs be damned, and if the glint in the mermaid’s eyes was any sign then the sentiment was mutual.
All she needed was to apply a bit of logic… or a bit of bribery…
Or a bit of both.
“It is quite simple, really.” She could tell that the speed with which she recovered her composure astounded Kokomi, though the little Divine Priestess should have known better. “First, our shrines do not determine who we are, what we do and what we think, don’t you agree? Or else would you really be swimming close to Narukami Island or sitting in my lap for that long?” Kokomi bolting from her lap so she could sit on the sand was not the outcome Miko had wanted to see, but it was funny nonetheless. “If you truly believe in freedom then you shouldn’t judge me because of my position and beginnings.
“Second, I may or may not let it slip that I found a certain mermaid on the beach today… and she looked and sounded an awful lot like a certain leader of Watatsumi Island. Of course, whether people believe me or not is up to them, but I tend to be very, very persuasive or so I have been told.”
“Y-you wouldn’t—” Kokomi narrowed her eyes. “I could also tell everyone that the Guuji of the Grand Narukami Shrine is a kitsune, a youkai of the old.”
“Ah, that you could. Rather, do that. Perhaps it will help more people to come and visit the shrine—I am in dire need of some Mora in order to host the next festival the way I have envisioned it. The Yashiro Commission was too strict with funding this time around.”
Kokomi was flabbergasted, astounded beyond words. She had been convinced she had the upper hand in that conversation just as she usually did with other exchanges, with the many people she had enchanted to forget her mermaid nature. However, Miko proved to be the exception to the rule, to be immune to her usual charms to a degree. Because while the Divine Priestess didn’t doubt what the Guuji was saying, well, it didn’t mean that the taller woman had been staring at her and smiling from the moment she woke up.
And given her fame as someone with the sharpest tongue in all of Inazuma, it was perhaps safe for Kokomi to assume that she was going easy on her.
Regardless, the proposition wasn’t that terrible to begin with. The mermaid had mentioned those factors only as a distraction, in order to be coy and keep her companion in check. Sure, they hadn’t worked, but neither had she wanted them to work and dissuade Miko from her intentions to begin with.
After all, the mere thought of going on a date with her, of changing her routine in such an abrupt way, was too intriguing for the Divine Priestess to pass on.
“I suppose it would be indelicate as well as unadvisable for me to decline your offer, kind head priestess,” Kokomi said in a gentle voice, her heart soaring once she saw the look of happiness in Miko’s eyes. “So yes, I would really like to go out with you… at a further date, I am afraid.”
The mermaid glanced down at herself for emphasis; since she had left Watatsumi Island in order to go on a nice swim, she hadn’t packed any clothes. Other than the blue and pink tank top which covered her chest, the small pearls embroidered into them, there was nothing else that could make her dress decently once turned into a human.
"Oh, of course.” Miko shook her head, not entirely deflated but a bit sad with that. To think she had already decided on what they should do, where they could go for the day... “All in due time, and you should get some rest after that attack. Even if the wound is almost completely healed.”
“Precisely. And as you know, I am somewhat far from home. In fact, I should start making my way back—my generals presume that I would come back in the afternoon, yet I see that will not be true.”
Once Kokomi mentioned it Miko glanced at the sky above, the blue that still surrounded them. How fast had the sun moved, that it was past the middle of the sky already? Indeed noon was long gone, and the head shrine maiden had completely lost her sense of time because of that encounter.
Was that any indication of the power the mermaid held over her, or just an overall sense of meaninglessness that had come from all her years of life? Miko didn’t know, didn’t really want to answer since she was pretty positive it was more of the former than of the latter. And that per se was already a bit concerning.
“You should make haste if you would like to arrive there soon—though, are you sure you can make the trip back today? I can always arrange for shelter somewhere you will neither be seen nor bothered.”
She offered more out of formality than anything else; if the look in Kokomi’s eyes was any indication then she was determined to get out of that place which wasn’t her home.
If the feeling in her chest was any indication, then Miko wished the opposite could be true, and that they could share some more time together, too.
“Yes, I’m certain I have already regained most of my strength.” The Divine Priestess beamed, then widened her smile once her gaze fell on Miko again. “And it was all due to your efforts, too. So thank you, truly… from the bottom of my heart. It means a lot that you didn’t tell on me, or called on other people, or something of the sort.”
“I-it was the least I could do.” The response was automatic, as the Guuji’s mind was elsewhere. Then she shook her head and tried again, “say, do you think later this week could work for you? For the date? And I was uh, I was joking about telling others about you. You are not under any obligation to go out with me because of that.”
The chuckle that left Kokomi’s lips as she wiggled, started making her way back towards the sea, was more melodious than any sound had the right to be.
“Understood. But don’t you worry, I do want to go out with you.” By then the water covered most of her body, the tip of her blue tail glimmering under the intense sunlight. Nothing shone more than her eyes though, the beautiful, parting smile that she gave before fully submerging herself. “So yes, later this week sounds wonderful. Take care, Guuji Miko.”
And then she was gone, the only testament to her presence being the ripples she made on the ocean surface, a few bubbles which were left behind as she swam. The sense of novelty, of an adventure and the time of her life, pulling at Miko’s heart during the rest of the week.