"It's beautiful out" Jecra mused. Meta looked out over the field of flowers that surrounded him, bright petals waving gently in the warm breeze.
"It is" he agreed. Meta retrieved an object from his cape. "I brought something for you." Jecra looked at the potted plant he was being offered.
"Why are you giving me a flower?" he chuckled.
"It's a cactus. It just happens to be flowering at the moment" Meta snapped. Jecra only laughed harder at his friend's irritation.
"It's fine, dude. I like it" he said. He studied the plant for a moment. "It reminds me of you." Meta looked at him with a blank expression.
"Because I'm prickly, right?" he deadpanned. Jecra nodded.
"Yup." Meta shook his head at him, smiling slightly. He suddenly paused, and gazed upwards.
"You know, it's odd" he muttered. Jecra raised an eyebrow.
"What is?" he asked.
"Sometimes, when you know someone very well, and you're familiar with their mannerisms, and how they speak, it sometimes seems like there's a miniature version of them in your head" he rambled. Jecra chuckled.
"Pretty sure it isn't good to be hearing things" he said. Meta looked at him reproachfully.
"That isn't what I mean. It's more like… you can imagine how they'd react to things and what they would be enjoying." Jecra scratched his chin thoughtfully.
"Yeah, I think I understand that" he said.
"You know, it can be oddly comforting at times. Like having a friend with you" Meta said.
"What if your friend just complains all the time?" Jecra snickered. Meta gave him a half-hearted glare, and glanced out over the field.
"Sometimes" he said "It's almost like…" His smile faded entirely, and he turned back to face his friend. "It's almost like they're still there."
The headstone that stood before him offered no response.