Profile
Mija Tsuru
Design Notes
4'5, very short. Wears platform sandals to look a little taller, but always under 5'0. White fabric is made of striped organza layers.
Nautical or water motifs for fashion, lots of waves. Earrings have emeralds and long, curling tassels that appear wave-like. Has moles.
Long, dark lashes and short wispy hair that curls at the tips. Wears a headband with cat-like frames on top. Headband has a long ribbon in the back.
Likes
Animals
Snow
String music
Othello
Cleaning
Dislikes
Humans
Mushrooms
Pink
Fights
Long stories
Greatest Strength
Mija is a calm person at first glance who doesn't cause trouble for others and cleans up after them willingly. She's knowledgable in what interests her and willing to learn new things on the spot. She's able to summon water and flood an area significantly, but she only uses her powers for cleaning.
Greatest Weakness
She's skittish and incompatible with humans, preferring to avoid them. She has some trust issues so she's very picky about opening up beyond being acquaintances except with Kemu and Marmoris. She can't eat mushrooms or she feels sick from the taste and texture.
Poetry
Her hobby is writing short poetry or reading compositions by others. She prefers short texts than long pieces of fiction, usually overwhelmed if she reads too much at once, forgetting everything afterwards.
Self defense
Aside from being able to use danmaku or her given water abilities, she wants to be able to protect herself physically. Supposedly she trains with the underground onis and youkai. She can't do much damage as a kid but can outmaneuver others. Marmoris finds it impossible to tickle her if she can dodge so well.
Danmaku
She would be a Stage 2 boss at most since she doesn't have much fighting ability, but she can put up a long fight. Her spells are mostly water, dragon, or snake themed in look/name.
Positive Traits
Mija is a very conscientious person who can read rooms too well even if the adults try to hide things from her. She's mature enough to hardly cry or appear childish, easily entrusted with difficult tasks. She can point out others' insecurities quick into meeting them and ensures she doesn't bring attention to it. She's kind for the most part.
Neutral Traits
She's somewhat of a reserved or shy person, appearing more introverted than Kemu in that regard. When there's guests, she peers at them curiously but runs off if noticed. She has seen many conversations like anyone else, but becomes at a loss of words when she's put on the spot or having a one on one with someone she isn't familiar with.
Negative Traits
She can be blunt but that's her honesty as a child showing. While she's wary of others' worries, if it's a stubborn person around her like Marmoris, she sets her boundaries and will always say if she's upset. For a kid she has an intimidating stare when she's displeased, like "😐".
Others' Perception
Loved Ones
Since she was taken in by Kemu, they're like family but perhaps in between a mother/sister dynamic. They appreciate each other's patience with the other.
Strangers
She may stand out because she's dressed well for an underground youkai, but Kemu insists it's nice to dress up even if there's nothing planned for the day.
Enemies
Some may wish she was more talkative or amiable at first glance. It's like the disappointment of a cat not immediately accepting you.
Mija's earliest memories were rooted in Gensokyo's underground, Former Hell where a plethora of youkai ran about and shared each others' company without restraints. Without any particular guardian or family, she felt drawn towards Kemu who lived by herself, an enenra who'd been around for many many years. Being far younger than most youkai, still under the age of an adult, she began living with Kemu with the intent of staying around for generations given their long lives. Through their shared living arrangements, the two shared a bond that could be considered that of a family's.
Like Kemu, Mija was a quiet and calm person, a child who listened to those older than her as she navigated the world around her. She was attentive, learning by seeing, but with Kemu she could see that she was particularly wary of the mess she'd leave behind. If Enenras were susceptible to being messy with the smoke and soot they emitted, Mija knew she'd have to adjust to it, and accepted that trait as it was. In fact, she liked cleaning enough she'd do it in Kemu's stead, having her back with that unpredictable nature of hers.
When her caretaker occasionally left to accompany a friend on the surface, naturally, Mija was interested as she'd never seen it in person. Once a couple trips went well, Mija was taken to the surface to see the landscape, and to meet Kemu's partner, Marmoris. While she was intimidated at first by the Tengu's tall appearance, the two grew close by having Kemu as their bridge, a person they both respected and cared for. Still, whenever they'd get to visit, Mija was more interested in seeing the surface than anyone in particular.
Gensokyo was vast with different climates and landscapes, always a surprise to Mija. It inspired her to write more poetry perhaps, but bringing her writing materials made her feel a bit embarrassed given that Marmoris was an exceptional writer herself, and she'd surely be nosy about her hobby. Even so, she doesn't feel that she wastes any opportunities for inspiration when she meets many of the surface youkai and beings, occasionally running into the Goddesses on Youkai Mountain or a couple fairies. Seeing how the world differs in the eyes of others, there's countless perspectives she can come across without having to read about it, instead being told stories by those she meets.
Nowadays she is used to Kemu and Marmoris planning to meet the other, occasionally seeing the Tengu stay with them for a couple days, or heading up herself with Kemu to visit the Tengu's home. With the noise from all the hectic Tengu, Mija certainly prefers staying in other areas like inns(especially if her cat can come), but getting to spend time with either Marmoris or Kemu is still as enjoyable as ever. As she becomes older, learning to hone the predetermined skills she has as a Namija, she hopes she can be a youkai that's deemed interesting. For those with long lives in their world, perhaps boredom is their greatest enemy. She doesn't feel unsatisfied right now, grateful for the interesting days ahead of her, so she'll keep doing what she's doing.
∙ Mija's name comes from the mija in Namija, but Mija also means daughter/darling in Spanish. She's practically Kemu and Marmoris' daughter. The last name Tsuru is based on Lt. Tsurumi from Golden Kamuy because I like him.
∙ There isn't a lot of information on Namijas, so it's debatable if they're more on the snake or dragon side. I'll stick to the dragon qualities out of preference.
∙ She was designed on 6/3/23, so that may as well be her birthday!
∙ I guess she could be considered a third wheel character, but she's very close with both Kemu and Marmoris that the overall dynamic is a bunch of silly youkai girls getting into trouble together, and she likes being involved in it for the laughs.
∙ Inspirations for her design come from the Namija illustration on the Youkai.com page as far as colors. Her curling white hair is because it reminds me of seafoam, and I like the coolness it gives to characters like Toutetsu Yuuma or Gabimaru the Hollow.
Close Box
We're still underground
Eve (music box)
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