Chapter 2:
This Jiangshi Has a Sticky Note On Her Forehead
Alright, time for a status report. After thorough investigation on who this girl is and what I should do with her, I have reached a verifiably solid conclusion.
My conclusion is that I have no idea what to do with her.
She's not exactly nonverbal, but she only speaks in “blehs”, with slight intonation differences between them all. Despite her status as a partial transformation, her arms are outstretched and stiff like a regular jiangshi, which means communications with hand motions are immediately eliminated as an option. I've also asked her to minimize her head movements to preserve her talisman’s position. Regrettably, she doesn’t seem to want to listen to that, and still tries to shake it off.
Speaking of the talisman, what the heck is up with that? I'm still in disbelief. I didn't even know a sticky note was a candidate as a medium for a talisman. I've seen cloth and sturdy ritual paper as options, but a sticky note?
Those small little pieces of paper meant for quick reminders and quick note taking? The type of paper that can fly away in the wind and fall off a computer monitor if moved too quickly? The very epitome of something impermanent in a field where permanence is the most important thing? It's ridiculous in concept, and seeing it as a talisman, it's even more bewildering in execution.
Of course, I called Mivian, but all I got was a specially crafted voicemail that mocked me.
“Hello hello Ken!! Is my favorite human doing well?~ You're probably calling me to ask about that jiangshi girl, huh? Well, I have nothing! I'm on vacation and don't need to worry about anything for a while, so I hope you have fun thinking about me, your favorite monster girl! Thanks for the call!”
I really need to teach that woman a lesson one day. How did she end up like this? Even when I called the MGIC for further instructions, all I got was a blunt response.
“Well, it's Mivian. This is expected. Write reports as usual and handle it as you would any Type S case. Access Specialist resources as needed. Your appointments with other cases will be covered accordingly.”
Mivian must have some dirt on the higher ups if she's getting passes like this. When I find her next, she'll feel my compounded annoyance from all the inconveniences she's caused me! All I could do was help the jiangshi girl settle into her new home.
Throughout the entire time I was working with the girl, I kept looking at that phrase plastered on her forehead like it was some text from a sacred book.
“Please take care of me.”
It's my only clue to this girl's situation. With only that as the context to prepare my rehabilitation plan, what exactly am I supposed to do?
Well, that's easy. I'll talk. Even if it's currently bedtime, I'll talk. Jiangshi have remarkable vitality, so if she doesn't show any resistance, I plan to learn her habits and response cues through extended conversation. Even one sided conversation is fine. I've handled a few nonverbal cases before, so I've built up a bit of a polite tenacity in extracting the info I need.
We're sitting in her apartment, which is next door to mine. I've got us seated at the table, and she stares at me with a blank look.
“So, miss jiangshi, I can tell you're able to understand what I'm saying, so if you don't mind, I’d like to have a bit of a casual conversation, alright? This is a bit of an unfortunate situation for both of us, isn't it? To make things smoother on both ends, I’d like you to answer however you can.”
“Blehhh…”
“Indeed, indeed…”
I can at least get her acknowledgement on things. That's good. I should start with yes or no questions to streamline the flow of information, but there's something that should come first.
“Miss, it seems we need to introduce ourselves. I have a system that will work for you, but allow me to go first. My name is Yukihara Kenshin, representing the Rehabilitation Department of the MGIC. Our goal is to help monster girls like you become more comfortable with themselves and their daily lives. I hope that you can trust in us despite the mishap and rough start to your care.”
“Blehhh….?”
Hm. I can't quite tell if that was a good or bad sound, but I'll continue forward regardless.
“So then, miss, I'm going to only ask for your first name. I'll count upwards, and I want you to answer only when I reach the amount of letters in your name. From there, I'll proceed to try and structure your name verbally, each letter at a time, so only respond if what I'm saying is correct, alright?”
“Bleh!”
“Oh, it sounds like you're eager to start! I like the enthusiasm!”
After a very long and methodical process, I was able to retrieve her full name. I was only going to get her first name, but she started throwing herself on the table in a fit. It seems she wanted to fully introduce herself.
We also need a new table for her, since, she… uh, broke it. Jiangshi strength is truly terrifying.
Anyways, her name is Nagatoshi Lulu. I'll address her as Lulu with her vague permission. I've learned through this process that her “blehs” are distinctive. Depending on the tone, volume, and length of them, I can derive the mood of her response.
I suppose even babies babble with purpose, so this isn't too surprising, but it's great to even have that confirmed in the first place.
Lulu, as a half-Jiangshi, is a bit interesting. For one, she doesn't have the usual physical traits of an undead-type monster girl. There's no rotting stench, nor is there the discoloration of skin or guttural growls. Her trademark “blehs” are actually just her saying them in a cute voice. I have no idea how that works, but I suppose a talisman can hold many secrets.
Since she doesn't have any physical drawbacks, I don't need to prepare any special perfumes, and if I draw blood, I'll be fine. Well, her pale skin does make her look like a vampire if you squint hard enough, but that's besides the point.
Even with Lulu’s messy appearance, I can't help but notice her charming features. Extremely delicate pink hair that's such a light pink that it shines white in certain lighting. Unfocused, but deep silver eyes that emerge from an extremely pale face. A loose button up shirt that hides more battle power than one would initially expect. Even just the small physical contact from guiding her was stimulating. If she wasn't a client, I'd be charmed, confess, get rejected, and then probably rant about how pretty she was on those monster girl fan sites.
I mean, with her spacey attitude and frazzled look, it looks like she just rolled out of bed. Cue the sleepy drool, the cute bleh sounds, and the shirt she's wearing just slightly sliding off of one shoulder…
Is this not an extreme point blank attack of concentrated monster girl cuteness right before me?
…I'm getting a bit off track here.
The point is, with Lulu mostly settled down, I'll need to prepare a few things.
It's become clear to me that Lulu has no idea how to properly move her limbs. Going from a human to a jiangshi must be rough. All that freedom of movement in your limbs suddenly gets locked into place and stiffens up. Most jiangshi hop around, and some powerful ones fly. A new one like Lulu will clearly struggle with movement. I'll start working with her on that tomorrow.
Communication with Lulu will likewise be a continuous thing. Even with limited vocal flexibility, helping her communicate and hopefully retraining her how to manipulate her vocal muscles will help her reintegrate into society well.
“Blehblehblehhh!!”
“Ack!!”
Lulu suddenly jumped onto me with such force from behind that I was flung straight into the wall. Somehow, I’m used to occurrences like these.
“Miss Lulu, is there something wrong?”
“Blehhh…”
…Eh? Did she just fall asleep after tackling me? Don’t jiangshi need to sleep in particularly dark places to maintain their health? I guess I should prepare Lulu for bed, it is pretty late. After wiping off the drool that has trickled down my neck, I place her in her room and prepare blackout curtains to cut off any morning light that may dare enter.
Hmm… it’s nearly 3:00 AM… I guess I won’t sleep tonight. I’ll have to write a thorough report on what I’ve learned. I’ll also need to prepare a work order for an especially sturdy set of furniture for Lulu’s apartment.
…And I’ll need to go to the MGIC to get healed. I’m pretty sure Lulu broke a few ribs with that tackle. It’s a little hard to breathe right now.
Ouch.
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