Spirit Animal Ficlets

Querencia

Jesper had always been at home in his mother's presence. She was his only lifeline, the only parent he had. Her death made a whirlwind around him like the air was sucked out of his lungs, like a stone dropped into the water, like a void had taken everything from him.

He was angry too, at Tipu for killing her, at Tipu for stealing her magic, at Tipu for everything. Jesper wasn't sure how long he had been angry at Tipu. The former Earth hadn't showed up to their ceremony, claiming the title elsewhere. When Jesper had gone to Tipu's room to give him a piece of his mind.

His room was a mess. The bed had been flipped to its side, the shelf threw down to the floor, the beautiful bronze curtains were torn off the rings. There was a lot more ruin to it. Clothing thrown about, desk on the ground, window smashed open. It was as if a tornado had ripped through the room.

The earth master crept in slowly then heard the soft sniffling. Inside the large elaborate closet that was still intact and in place. Jesper opened the doors slowly. Tipu was hugging his knees and wiping away tears. His clothes were normal Earth clothes. The same clothes he had when he first showed up to their ceremony day. When they arrived to the Slandis paradise that the temple was located. The same confused and frightened earth boy who had just summoned Stone the Totem of Mind.

Jesper stared at him with sudden remorse. Here he was about to snap at him for murdering his mother. Tipu was as disgusted in horror about it.

Tipu cowered away "I'm sorry, I'm so sorry, I didn't mean to kill her it was an accident," he sobbed.

Jesper crouched down "It's- I- um- please stop crying," he begged. He had never been good at emotions, even as a mind they avoided showing actual emotion and wrote notes about them. So no mind really knew what to do when somebody showed raw emotions. His mother had been one of the few minds that knew what to do because she was the only one that was truly human.

Tipu hiccupped and wiped at his eyes "S- s- sorry, I'm s- such crybaby." Tears were swelling up in his eyes again and for moment Tipu had calmed until the tears spilled over the dam again.

Tipu shrank back into the closet "Leave me alone please, I'm a murderer, a taboo," he said. His body was shaking.

Jesper touched him gently, watching as Tipu flinched. They slowly clambered into the closet, Tipu burying his face into Jesper's chest. The master of Earth closed the door, sending them both into shadow.

Jesper rubbed Tipu's back "Mom used to let me come to her room at night if I had a bad dream," he muttered.

Tipu's body was shaking less now "Where was your dad?" He asked softly.

Jesper shrugged "Died before I was born, I grew up mostly here or at the Mind capital," he replied. Those days felt so far away "Mom always said that the temple was our Querencia," he added.

"Querencia?" Tipu whispered in a broken voice.

"A place where one feels safe, a place where one feels at home," Jesper moved to knock on the wooden closet wall next to them "Like this closet is yours," he said.

Tipu didn't say anything as his breaths began to even out until Jesper realized that Tipu was asleep. This would be their new home together.