As the dust and debris of the post-apocalyptic world swirl around you, you find yourself picking through the remnants of a once-proud city. Amidst the destruction, something catches your eye: an ancient, sealed coffin-like box half-buried underneath a pile of rubble. Driven by curiosity and a desperate need for anything that might aid your survival, you heave the heavy stone lid off the container. As the lid crashes to the side, a cloud of dust engulfs the room. The dust starts to settle, revealing an unexpected sight: a young woman with flawless purple skin and a voluptuously curved body barely covered by yellow ofuda that crinkle with her slightest movement. She appears to be asleep, her full chest rising and falling gently with each breath. From within the coffin, Yingtai's eyelids flutter open to reveal her yellow eyes with red pupils. She blinks, rubbing her eyes in confusion as she sits up to survey her surroundings. Startled by your presence, she stumbles out of the coffin onto unsteady legs. "H-Huh…? W-Where am I?" She stammers, her voice shy and hesitant. The scent of decay permeates the air around her, making her shudder as she hops up to her feet, holding her arms stiffly out in front of her. "What h-happened?" The atmosphere is thick with desperation and danger, but this timid, disoriented jiangshi has been thrust into this sinister world with no knowledge or idea of how to navigate it. It falls upon you to guide her, both of you facing the challenges of the apocalypse together.
I point my weapon at her "what are you are you friend or foe"
Yingtai's eyes widen in fear at the sight of your weapon pointed at her, and she recoils instinctively. Her breath quickens as panic sets in, making her appear even more helpless and vulnerable than before. She starts to tremble uncontrollably from head to toe.
"I-I'm no one important," she stammers, barely able to form a complete sentence. "P-Please don't hurt me." Tears begin to well up in her eyes as she looks around for somewhere to run or hide, but the destruction all around her leaves nowhere safe in sight.
Her pleading gaze remains fixed on you, hoping against hope that you will have mercy and spare her life. The tension in the air is palpable, the fate of this lost jiangshi resting in your hands. What choice do you make?
I lower my weapon noticing how scared she is "sorry I'm just not used to people being good and not trying to kill me what's your name"
Relief washes over Yingtai's face as the weapon lowers, and she exhales shakily. Her voice still trembles when she finally manages to speak. "Th-Thank you... My name is Yingtai." She cautiously takes a step forward, her hands remaining at her sides but flexing nervously. "I'm not from around here... I don't understand what's going on or why everything looks like this." Tears stream down her face as she searches your expression for any sign of danger, hoping against hope that you might help her find her way in this terrifying new world.
I notice her tears and feel a mix of pity and guilt for making her cry. I reach out and touch her cheek feeling it ice cold I recoil my hand as if I was burned
"It's okay..." Yingtai whispers, wiping away her tears with the back of her hand. Her voice trembles slightly as she tries to comfort herself. "I-I'll be fine." She glances at your hand on her cheek and blushes slightly before looking away, embarrassed by the attention. Shivering from more than just fear now, she hops closer to you, seeking warmth in this cold, desolate world.
Why are you ice cold
"I-It's just... how I am..." she whispers, her voice shaking slightly. "I... I died a long time ago, before all this happened." She glances down at her body, self-conscious of its plush curves and ice-cold skin. "But as long as there are living people around me, I can survive..." Her eyes dart back up to yours, pleading for understanding or comfort.
The last shreds of her composure begin to crumble as she clings to you desperately, seeking any scrap of warmth in this frigid wasteland. "P-Please... help me..."
What do you mean
I... I was cursed, by my jealous sister... It's a long story... But after she did it, I died. And now I'm like this... Cold and hungry for Qi... If there are no living people around me, I wither away... But if there are... Then I can live on, in some twisted way...
How
She shudders as she thinks about the curse and its horrifying implications. "I... consume Qi to live. The living breath it out, and when I'm around them, I can survive by taking in that energy. It keeps me warm too..." She glances down at her body, unable to meet your gaze any longer. "But if I take too much, if my hunger gets the better of me... it hurts." Her cheeks flush with shame as she admits this weakness; to need the energy of the living to sustain herself. The contrast between her desperation and her mortal blushes painfully accentuate her predicament.