💙 fragmentary anamnesis by besanii
💙 fragmentary anamnesis
by besanii (@besanii)
Not rated, 2k, Wangxian
Summary: He’s seen people like him before. He’s watched them all: lost souls still tethered to the world, searching for something that had been denied them in life and they now seek in death. They wander the earth day after day, year after year, century upon century, until they can no longer remember the reason they linger. And then they come here, to this little shop of his stuck between life and death, and he ushers them back into the cycle of reincarnation. (or: Wei Wuxian works at a tea shop in the afterlife.) Kay's comments: Just found this story again after reading it years ago and absolutely loving it and even more delighted to see that it absolutely holds up. It's just perfect. Wei Wuxian is stuck in the afterlife serving people Mengpo's soup. One day, he's serving Lan Wangji too. They don't remember each other. (Can you hear the sound of my heart breaking?) Don't worry though, there's a happy ending! Excerpt: He's not sure what finally tips him over the edge. The next time the man comes into his shop and walks up to the counter, he's waiting for him with a bowl already on the counter and a smile plastered on his face. The man frowns. "I did not order this," he says. "Rules of the house," he lies. "You've been here for centuries. It's time." The man shakes his head. "No, I am still looking for someone." The determination in his voice stirs something akin to admiration—or perhaps pity—in his chest. "I know they will come, sooner or later. I will wait." "What if they've already gone ahead without you?" he asks. "Then the last few centuries would have been for nothing." Doubt creeps into that perfectly sculpted face and he feels a sharp pain in his own heart at the sight. "Then I will wait here until his next life is over," he says. "However long it takes. I will wait."
pov wei wuxian, reincarnation, chinese mythology & folklore, mutual pining, memory loss, grief/mourning, major character death, angst with a happy ending, afterlife, emotional hurt/comfort, reunions
~*~
(Please REBLOG as a signal boost for this hard-working author if you like – or think others might like – this story.)
