Work Text:
✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:* *:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧
Rejoice opened his eyes to find himself sitting in a flower field.
Strange.
How did he get here?
He couldnt remember.
He gazed down at the flowers beside him. Shades of yellow, pink, and orange consumed his vision as he pinched a small daisy by its stem and placed the flower in his hand.
He looked around, and he saw Tai, his best friend, sitting beside him. Their eyes met eachother, and Tai smiled softly at Rejoice, his hands gesturing for Rejoice to come closer.
Tai shifted his position so he would be leaning on Rejoice, not wanting to let go of him.
Rejoice giggled as he slowly combed through Tai's soft hair. He placed the daisy from earlier in Tai's hair as he drifted off into sleep.
The sky was a dazzling shade of pink and orange as the sun was almost setting. But just for a moment, it was just him and Tai, laying in a flower field. And nobody could ever take them away from eachother.
Rejoice smiled at that.
"Tai, i-"
✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:* *:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧
Tai?
Rejoice woke up from his dream, alone in his bed. He took a moment to take in his surroundings. The atmosphere in his room felt so contradictory. His room was painted yellow with a cheerful tone, but his mind was stuck in aporia.
There was no one else with him. No daisys, no flower field, and especially no Tai.
But the dream felt so real- it was like he was just right here, and then he just-
Oh.
Tai wasnt here anymore.
Rejoice hadnt seen him for four weeks. Nobody had.
Four. Whole. Weeks.
Four weeks with no trace of Tai. His gear had vanished from Rejoice's base overnight, and he hadnt been seen on the server ever since. All that was left of him was distant memories. It was like he never even existed in the first place.
Did Rejoice say something wrong? Did Tai think he was too annoying? Did he mess up so bad that Tai never wanted to speak to him again?
Rejoice's arms wrapped around his pillow as tears started to sting his eyes. He had to go back to sleep. His mind ached like hell, and he was about to start sobbing at 4:46 am.
But there was no way he was going to be able to go back to sleep now. Rejoice took a deep breath as he wiped away his tears. Not any use crying over spilt milk, right?
He sighed and closed his eyes. Images flickered through his mind like a broken lightbulb.
Wasnt there.. a place he showed Tai?
✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:* *:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧
[Four weeks before Tai went missing]
✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:* *:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧
"Dude, are you sure we have to do this??" Tai begged. "We could stay at our base and like- make potions or something."
"Bro- yes. I promise its worth it." Rejoice said, skipping ahead of Tai.
"Okay , fine. But we have to go back to grinding right after." Tai sighed, running after Rejoice.
Rejoice knew of a nice place in the forest right beside a small river with daisys and other wildflowers. When the sun was about to set, it hit that spot at just the right angle which made it look so majestic. He would always come to this area when he was feeling bored on the server.
"Okay, now close your eyes, and..." Rejoice paused, dragging Tai over to the edge of the river. "We're here!"
Rejoice sat down on the grass beneath him, and Tai did the same.
Tai paused, fully immersed into the sheer beauty of the- well, everything. From the nature, to the animals, to the sun. Everything. For a few minutes, Tai just stared and stared.
"Its nice, isnt it?" Rejoice asked him all of a sudden. How long Tai been staring up at the sky?
"..Yeah. Its really nice." Tai said, feeling a bit embarrased about zoning out in front of his teammate, but he still couldnt bring himself to look away.
Rejoice had seen this place a thousand times. He had seen the sky, the clouds, the animals and the nature.
He had also seen Tai's face a thousand times. When he was sad, mad, angry, or happy.
But this time, he couldnt take his eyes off of him.
"i found this place while looking for flowers." Rejoice said, knowing that Tai wasnt paying attention to the comversation. He just needed some way to fill the silence.
Tai replied with a faint "mhm hm."
"Sometimes i go here when i dont want to deal with the rest of the server." Rejoice said, just to keep the conversation going. I mean, as long as it was truthful, he could technically say it.
"I can see why." Tai remarked, then realized what he just said. "WAIT NO, i mean like, because this place is peaceful and stuff- i swear i didnt mean it like that." he begged.
Rejoice giggled. "Relax dude. I know what you meant."
"I would do the same." Tai quietly admitted after a moment had passed.
✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:* *:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧
"i would do the same."
Theres no way, right? Tai wouldnt be there. But, come to think of it, Rejoice hadnt checked there..
His mind buzzed with so many new possibilities. He wanted to go there right now, but it was now 4:52, and it was the least logical thing to do.
But Rejoice had never been much of a logical person.
✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:* *:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧