Jiao
Jiao juxtaposes her friend Iris – while Iris is blunt and rude, Jiao is kind and cheerful. Though she doesn't always understand Western social customs, she does her best, having recently immigrated to Canada from Hong Kong.
Jiao tries to connect with Iris over their shared cultural heritage, though these efforts are unappreciated by Iris. Jiao is infatuated with Iris and idolizes her, but Iris has complicated feelings towards Jiao, maintaining her distance as she doesn't want to be ostracized by her classmates for being friends with a "fresh off the boat" Asian immigrant.
Personality[edit | edit source]
Jiao has a bright and enthusiastic personality. She is always trying to get Iris to go to trendy food shops after school or to do activities together. Because Iris is the only friend she has, Jiao is a little bit clingy and dependent on her. Beyond that, she harbors a strong crush on Iris and is very sweet towards her.
History[edit | edit source]
In Hong Kong[edit | edit source]
Jia was born in Hong Kong in the late 2020's. Her parents continued to oppose the Hong Kong government, and her father was killed as a result of his involvement. Although Jiao is able to speak Cantonese, by her time, Mandarin (Beijing) Chinese has become the official language, to the point that she is surprised that someone from Hong Kong does not speak Mandarin.
Arriving in Canada[edit | edit source]
Around 2046, Jiao and her mother moved to Canada. She was upset about the move and suddenly leaving behind all her friends and family, crying every day. In Vancouver, she started attended a high school where she met a fellow Hong Konger named Iris, who becomes her first (and only) friend in the country.
Iris befriends Jiao somewhat reluctantly, hesitant to let herself be assosciated with Jiao. She coaches her on how to integrate, trying to get her to stop speaking Chinese, chew with her mouth closed, and not clear her throat loudly or spit in public and told Jiao that she wouldn't be liked until she stopped coming across as such a "F.O.B" (Fresh off the boat).
Jiao would meet Iris's mother, Clara and the two bonded over their shared memories of Hong Kong, and difficulty adapting to life in Canada - such as the lack of a nightlife, convenience stores, and the cold winters. Clara would often invite Jiao over for dinner, and Jiao would often drop in even though Iris was asleep (or pretending to). Clara offered to give Jiao some of Iris's old clothes to help with the winters.
She did her best to model herself after Iris in order to fit in, and on one occasion tried to surprise Iris by getting a matching haircut - Unfortunately, this was not received well by Iris who berated Jiao for not being normal. Iris did her best to distance herself from Jiao at school, and it is implied that Jiao had to keep their friendship a secret. Even during their hangouts, Iris frequently avoided Jiao by getting her to play hide and seek - Jiao playfully complains to Clara that Iris took hours to find her, and appears to be oblivious to Iris's tactic.
Although their relationship was complicated and regularly cruel, Iris would show compassion to Jiao and at school, provided her with a change of clothes after she'd been spat on by other students. They would enjoy music and make dancing videos together. Iris often went to sleep over with Jiao, although how much of this was simply to avoid her parents versus genuine companionship is unclear.
Jiao is noted to have loved frisbee and true crime, which she would watch together with her mother as a way to practice English.
In 2047 as the Occupant's disease spread, Jiao suffered from increasing discrimination due to Chinese being assosciated with the virus.
Final Days of School[edit | edit source]
Night of the School Dance
Nostalgia can be a dangerous thing
The following sequence of events were presented to Watcher through a communion. Since it is revealed later that these communions were compromised, the events within this sequence may not fully reflect the truth of what happened.
On the day of the dance, unbeknownst to Jiao, Iris had shared a secret about Jiao, leading many students to call her 'gross' and a 'freak', although this also turned some students against Iris. Eating alone as usual, she briefly spoke with Iris, trying again to get her to go to the dance with her again, and joking about how much she eats, compared herself to a dumpster. Later, she returns to their classroom and their teacher prevents Iris from seeing her. During Watcher's communion, she is able to enter and speak with Jiao, who tells Iris that she successfully rigged the art competition Iris needed for a scholarship, asking if Iris will let her have a sleepover now. Later on in the day, Jiao has locked herself into the music room to hide from the other students. She tries to invite Iris to get food with her after school, promising that she wouldn't tell her friends they were hanging out.
At the school dance, Jiao learned what Iris had done. She runs away from the dance, chased through the streets by Iris as Jiao recounts all the lessons Iris taught her. As midnight approaches, Jiao develops a cough, and tearfully confesses to Iris that she would put up with all her mistreatment and Iris's cruelty in order to just be close to her.
However, her heightened emotional distress has attracted an Occupant who appears at the end of the street. Jiao, along with every student in attendance at the school dance is infected by the virus.
Not longer after, Jiao is hospitalised due to her symptoms, and is visited by Iris who is still showing no symptoms. Jiao bitterly questions why Iris gets to live and begs her for help. Aftermath
JIAO: I...can't be a picture...like dad.
Jiao would perish not long after. Her diary is given to Iris, who keeps it along with a framed photograph of her in her room.
Picture Jiao[edit | edit source]
Jiao's likeness appears again frequently in the communions with Iris, long after her death. Iris imagines her as a floating framed photograph, and this Picture Jiao acts as her conscience and confidante in the lonely future.
Relationships[edit | edit source]
Iris[edit | edit source]
JIAO: You always smell like lavender and strawberry pocky. (ch. 1)
While Jiao adores and idolizes Iris, Iris avoids Jiao in public, having mixed feelings of both annoyance and care towards Jiao. Jiao is willing to do anything in hopes of getting Iris' attention, like rigging art competition votes in Iris' favor.
JIAO: Tell them everything about me. Tell them whatever you want! As long as I can keep leaving you letters in your locker... If i can keep watching you dance... making videos of you... (cough) As long as you will come to sleep over... And we can stay up all night ––
JIAO: Then NO WORRIES. Go ahead, tell everyone! They can keep laughing and hating me. I can take it. You know why? Because I am DUMPSTER JIAO. Right? Right? Just a dumpster. (cough) Just your dumpster! See? My mouth is wide open... GO AHEAD IRIS. (cough) Put your garbage in me! (ch. 1)
At the school dance, Iris revealed a highly-upsetting secret from Jiao to everyone.
Mother[edit | edit source]
"MOTHER: I know that moving here is very hard.
JIAO: It is! There's just nothing to do here at night...
MOTHER: I remember struggling with this when I first came.
JIAO: All the shops close so early!
MOTHER: And the restaurants, too.
JIAO: Nowhere to eat, nowhere to hang out! And the convenience stores?
MOTHER: Not even convenient!" (ch. 2)
They often bond over the immigrant experience. Mother is nicer to Jiao than she is to Iris.
Gallery[edit | edit source]
Jiao
Watcher finding the Jiao Picture entity in the communion
Jiao in the school cafeteria (ch. 1)
Jiao and Mother talking about Iris
Jiao at Iris's birthday party
JIAO: I...can't be a picture..like dad. (ch. 1)
The portrait of Jiao that Iris keeps with her
Jiao pictured in the cafeteria during a communion (ch.1)
Jiao in the classroom during a communion (ch.1)
On the day of dance, Jiao hid in the music room.
Trivia[edit | edit source]
- It's implied that Jiao kept trying to speak Mandarin to Iris (who only knows Cantonese) because the Cantonese language was suppressed in 2040's Hong Kong, so Jiao grew up being primarily taught Mandarin.<ref>https://discord.com/channels/126127540350877696/1239796065331445781/1283182534326358037
- The timing of Jiao and her mother's move to Canada may have been related to the offical end of oblgiations to uphold Hong Kong's democratic systems per the 1984 agreement.