Big Salmon Lake Stale air and dead parades

First post reserved for Takiyok

At last he was strong enough and bold enough to venture beyond the dark woods. He'd spent weeks in their sheltered, shadowy beyond, recuperating from an illness that had threatened to take his life. Takiyok had stood by him through it all, but she knew as well as anyone that he could not stay cooped up within those trees forever. Since leaving his homeland, he had always been prone to get itchy feet, wandering beyond to learn of the world.
Most recently, the sharp light in the distance and the odd silence that had followed it created an instinctive need to seek solace. He needed to know that Luna was okay. Taki had seen her once before, but since then he had heard nothing from the Glen. Valette too from Easthollow had not ventured to them, though he assumed she just hadn't the time to do so.
There was something that wasn't right about that light, but Taikon was distracted. @Takiyok had insisted on coming with him to see how Lunaria was doing. Despite his earlier treatment of Imaq, she seemed positively hellbent on making sure he didn't run off and die on her. Although he appreciated the concern, it felt a bit stifling.
Still, he was thankful for the company in the moment. The travel had taken many hours by the time they saw the big lake in the distance. The air was hazy and strange. It wasn't right, but he didn't know why.
Taikon was unusually quiet, striding forward with determination. He didn't know what they would find, but the closer they came, the more distant smells started to roll in. Taktuq was still missing. Zephyr was a mess. Rowan had let a dog into the pack. He sighed heavily.

There was absolutely no way she was going to let him make the trip on his own; she was still recovering from the last time he had done that. She knew she shouldn't worry so much or insist on going with him, but she hadn't been able to bear the thought of spending more time in those woods without him, waiting and wondering if he was going to come back this time. Did he really blame her? Could anyone? She had watched him almost die after weeks of fearing exactly that, and with how things tended to go for her, she couldn't help but feel like she was waiting for the other shoe to drop. 

She was also quiet, which meant she noticed his silence, as well. He seemed tense and stressed, and Taki wished she could do something to help. The silence between them continued on for some time, both seemingly lost in their own thoughts, but eventually, she couldn't ignore the urge to soothe him. There had been some space between them as they walked, and Taki shifted over so that their shoulders touched as they moved. Her nose brushed his jaw briefly and she rested her concerned gaze on his face. Are you okay? she asked softly. Maybe he would want to talk while they made their towards Lunaria's pack.

Takiyok touched him, but he did not respond beyond blinking. No, he answered. He didn't make eye contact with her, even though he knew she might think he was upset with her. None of it was about her. Looking down at the ground for a moment while they walked, he licked his lips anxiously.
For a long moment, he didn't say anything. It was hard to explain what he was feeling. Some of it, he was positive, was the rattling in his mind that had persisted since the fever had turned. It was as though someone had filled his head with static and jacked up the volume as far as it would go. The breathing through his nose was harsh, troubled. He kept his head low, trying his best to focus ahead of him. Something's not right. I can feel it.
The silence of the flash in the sky had bothered him since it happened. He didn't know why. He'd seen shooting stars before, but whatever that was just wasn't right. Something told him this wasn't going to be just another visit. It wasn't something he could even explain with logic. Gut reactions are bullshit but I can feel it, he repeated.

His reaction was cold and dismissive, not like him at all, at least not where she was concerned. She tightened her jaw and looked away towards their destination, pushing the hurt down in an attempt to keep it from finding purchase in her mind. She knew he was on edge, and she knew he had been struggling to fully heal from his sickness, so she didn't hold it against him. She was not a forgiving woman usually, but she tended to be far more so when those she loved were involved—something she had never been able to avoid.

He told her that he could feel that something was wrong, and she was inclined to believe him. The bright light certainly didn't bode well for his friend's pack, which was why she didn't argue with him wanting to go check things out. We'll be there soon, she offered, another attempt to comfort him, even if it would likely fall short too.

I'm sorry, he said suddenly, knowing that he should be grateful for her company and her caring nature of him. Taikon knew that her seeming hovering came from a place of good, not one that wished to control him. His mind buzzed, continuously, angrily, ringing, harsh, stale, high in his ears. Deep in the abscesses that had long scarred over in the mind, it burned harshly and without resolution.
But he kept on pushing. Thank you for coming with me, he offered slowly. I know I'm not great company, but I still appreciate it.
She still cared. Why did she care? She could have anyone who wasn't him. She was beautiful and strong. She deserved someone who wasn't sick and could love her. Properly. He was such a meagre prize. He wasn't good enough. She was better. They walked on. Buzzing. Frailty.
Fracture.

sorry for the wait!

Taki shook her head. You do not need to apologize, she assured him. She hadn't wanted him to feel bad—she knew he was worried and was still dealing with the after effects of his sickness. 

She brushed her head against his neck as he spoke again. I spent too long without your company and then worrying I might lose you despite you coming back, she started, sorrow working its way into the edges of her expression. You do not need to hide your suffering from me. They were a team now, and they should feel comfortable leaning on each other, even during the uglier side of life. 

She stopped walking as a familiar feeling swelled in her chest. It was scary and threatened to expose her most vulnerable side, but she couldn't force it down any longer. Taikon, she started, hesitation in her voice. I— she swallowed and drew in a deep breath. I love you, she finally said—something she had never told anyone but her family. He needed to know, though; it was long overdue, and if the last few months had taught her anything, it was that you never knew how much time you had to say the things you needed to say.

He did feel bad. He could tell that he wasn't in a good state of mind, that something in him had changed during his illness. He kept waking up expecting it to be gone, the way a headache would dissipate after you hit your head a little bit. This time though, it didn't seem to want to leave him. Like a demon plaguing him, drumming about in his head, it wreaked havoc.
If he was meant to be hiding his suffering from her, he was doing a damn poor job of it. He'd never been good at concealing the way he was feeling, he just got good for a while at not talking about it. Takiyok could read him like a book, and he knew it. There was no point in even trying to hide himself from her.
Her tone disarmed him, though. She wasn't being demanding, and she wasn't asking anything from him. The defensive feeling he felt from the anxiety of worrying over Lunaria cracked. Within its reaches, he pulled something soft and tender, something that echoed the warmth of Taki beside him.
She stopped. For a moment, he kept walking, but when he realized she hadn't paused to sniff at something or relieve herself, he stopped too and turned.
And then, so did the world.
Everything came to a standstill. The silence that had plagued the light in the sky was on the opposite side of the same coin. The chilling of Lunaria's absence contrasted darkly with something warm and fluttering upon Takiyok's essence. Taikon could not ignore it. The timing was abysmal, and for a selfish flicker he wished she had just waited to say something, but soon after her warmth flooded his senses and spirit with something soft and comforting. As he stepped forward, he found himself lost in her, until finally he pulled her to him and held her close.
He didn't have the right words. His mind wouldn't allow it. L-love you, he blathered, but it was a poor fit for the way he really felt.
Before he could correct it, a raven flew overhead and croaked. The sound reverberated in their pleasant silence. It did not bode well. Taikon looked up, his heart dropping even as he felt her warmth against him. Not good, he thought. We're almost there, he breathed, moving just slightly away from her so that she might follow along. Even though his words had been the understatement of the century, his demeanour seemed to change. Suddenly he seemed to need her at his side. Perhaps he had before, he'd just forgotten momentarily.