Second Time Around

Extras 6: 1987, Part I

Lan WangJi was mulling over which mangos to buy when he heard a man muttering under his breath. "Pervert," was crystal clear, though the rest was as clear as mud. He looked over to see a blond cheerleader from Wei Ying's high school, looking hopelessly resigned and sheepish. "I'm sorry," was mouthed over at him. Lan WangJi supposed that the two were Tiffany Waters and her father. Although why was Mr. Waters calling him a pervert when he'd never interacted with young Tiffany at all? Unless the other man somehow figured out that he was gay? Lan WangJi immediately dismissed that thought. Mr. Waters didn't seem to be the kind of man who would look beyond stereotypes. And Lan WangJi did not fit the current stereotype of 'gay man'.

Along the way home, he thought about this Tiffany Waters child and her appearance in Wei Ying's first life. Death. Which made him think about Ava. One died in a bar fight and one died from a heart attack.

But the spirit who visited to tell him to pay attention... didn't die of either of those causes. The qin language didn't have words for modern items. Or foreign names. He could extrapolate that she died in a car accident where there was a drunk driver involved. But whether she was the driver or a passenger or a bystander, he had no idea.

So who was this spirit? And could they save her life, too?

Wei WuXian was hopeless at remembering such things. He remembered talking to Tiffany Waters for a bit. And to Ava for another bit. And there was a group of people he talked with who made him feel uncomfortable. So many people who died in the 1980s were in tees and shorts or swimsuits or see through dresses that concealed nothing. It was extremely embarrassing for the young cultivator to see half naked people casually milling around.

Exposure to such clothing over the last few decades seemed to have eroded the immortals' embarrassment; Lan WangJi walked around a girl who's mini skirt barely covered her ass and who's cut off top showed the bottom of her braless breasts with barely a thought for her clothing choices.

"I don't remember talking to anyone else," Wei WuXian repeated once Lan WangJi arrived home and asked about his spirit again. "My memory is shit for people. You know that."

"Empathy," Lan WangJi offered and handed over a bowl of cut mango.

"Might work," Wei WuXian agreed around a bite of the sweet fruit. "QingJie will have a fit if we ask her to monitor. Maybe we can do it on a night when she's working? Maybe we can get A'Jue to keep a secret?"

As neither of them thought that had a chance in the Christian Hell of happening, Lan WangJi offered another try, "Hypnotism."

Wei WuXian pondered that over a few more bites of fruit. He hopped onto the kitchen counter ignoring the "Wei Ying!" admonishment which followed the move. "Hypnotism might actually work. You've put me under more than a few times to help jog my memory. It's not as good as Empathy, of course."

"Wei Ying, get your butt off the counter!" called out an exasperated voice. "You are not doing Empathy."

"QingJie!" Wei WuXian smiled his most innocent smile and slid down off the counter. "Lan Zhan wants to find his spirit. You know as well as I that Empathy is the best way to see into my memories."

"Absolutely not," she frowned. "Empathy is dangerous, and I don't care how many times you've successfully performed it."

Hypnotism was nowhere as reliable or accurate as Empathy. Later that night, when the ambient neighborhood noises died down, Wei WuXian slipped into a meditative state easily. And from there, Lan WangJi guided him deeper and deeper into stillness. And back into the recesses of his memories.

* * *

Tiffany Waters was off retrieving another new dead from a waiting room. Ava was preparing for the return to his seventeen year old self. He tried talking to the other dead, but looking at them made him blush. So much skin showing!