A/N: Heeeey look, the inspiration train's back! Writing this chapter was soooo much fun... Frazie's sheer joy over learning Levitation is super contagious. Hopefully, you'll all feel it too!

This'll be a mostly chill chapter, a little cooldown after all the nonstop adventure Frazie's had all morning. So kick back, get comfy, and get ready for some cozy camp interactions.

Big thanks to SandrC and DeLithiumDragon for betaing!


"WOOOOOHOOOOOO!"

When Frazie had been on her way to Whispering Rock, she'd figured psychic training would be boring. Just sitting around, chanting, thinking hard and junk.

That was before she'd learned Levitation.

Like a paper bag on the wind, Frazie flew around the ceiling on the updrafts Milla had provided. With a solid orange balloon keeping her aloft, she could see the entire course from here. Censors angrily waved their stamps at her from down below, but they were just ants raging at the bird soaring above them.

Pop! She let her bubble explode over a trampoline and hit it, flipping forward onto a platform that housed a chugging machine. As if knowing it needed to protect itself, it coughed, spitting out a few little men much, much closer.

Pew! It might not make her giggle with childlike glee, but Marksmanship was pretty dang cool as well. Hot lasers sprung from her mind and roasted the censors with ease, a far easier alternative to trying to set them on fire. Frazie already had some great aiming skills from her headlining act back home, flinging knives at her father as he spun on a dart board. All Sasha had had to do was show her how to create psi blasts and she was already good to go.

Defenseless now, the machine hummed fearfully as Frazie casually leaned against it, raised a fist, and swung it downwards like it was a malfunctioning jukebox. Her fist wrapped in an energetic glow, the device dented inward and sputtered as it broke down.

At the very bottom of the course, her counselors watched, talking amongst themselves. There wasn't a chance of hearing them from this high up, but she hoped they were saying good things.

Eager to impress, she hopped down and inflated another thought bubble, targeting various cut-outs as she descended. Spinning slowly, she fired blast after blast, punching right through cardboard heads like the world's most graceful turret. If she focused extra hard, she noticed her lasers would taper down, growing extra sharp as they sliced right through wood. Now that'd come in handy.

One unfortunate censor made the mistake of shouting up at her from directly below, and she made it her springboard. Popping her balloon, she squashed the poor thing flat, bouncing off towards the course's main ramp.

She landed smoothly on her levitation ball and rolled it downhill rapidly. Keeping balance on balls was one of her family's most basic tricks, and she'd adapted to the mental version with ease. Where other rookies might slip off or be unable to stop, she brought herself to a screeching halt right before her instructors with arms held high.

"So..." she panted, chest rising and falling with a silly grin on her face. "How'd I do?"

The two shared a look - and then applauded, approval on their faces. "Wonderful work, darling," Milla praised. "You're a levitation natural!"

"And not a bad shot either," Sasha added. "Thirty-three targets and nineteen censors destroyed without missing... remarkable." With a flick, a small patch appeared in his hand. "The benchmark for successful course completion is in the hundreds... but we can work on that in the coming days. For now, I'd say it's a safe assumption you've got a grasp on the material."

"And you've passed my course with flying colors!" Milla chimed, conjuring her own merit badge. "No pun intended. I've never seen someone take on the course so fearlessly, baby... and with such flair! If that's how your family's shows work, I'll need to stop by for a performance some day."

"Awwww..." Milla had a way of making you feel even lighter than levitation did, Frazie realized while she shifted sheepishly. "I guess I'm just in my element."

Orange and red, light blue and indigo. Two more patches to add to the shawl, one bearing a targeting symbol and the other a little floating figure. Beaming with pride, Frazie arranged them with the rest to form a little diamond, one that'd only grow as she kept adding onto it.

It was hard to believe she'd come so far already. From an almost complete know-nothing to having a rudimentary grasp on five abilities and one obstacle course from hell. And now that she'd accomplished so much, she was invested. She wanted to see how much she could learn before her folks arrived - and with luck, by that time, she'd be skilled enough to show them all the good her powers could do.

"Mmhmm." Sasha finally drew her out of her reverie when he cleared his throat. "Of course, further training will be required. But for now... you've had an exhausting day, Ms. Aquato. Why not step out and go see Lili, as you said?"

Frazie's giddiness picked back up again when she realized she could ride up on Lili showing off her awesome new psychic orb. Forcing herself to chill a bit, she nodded. "Good idea. And thanks for the lessons!"

"It was our pleasure, darling." Waggling her fingers, Milla bid farewell and Frazie returned it as Sasha lifted her up and out of his mind.

Once she was gone, Sasha shot a glance to his partner. "Have you picked up their brainwaves yet?" he murmured.

Milla nodded. "Yes, but it's strange... it feels like they're coming from across the lake."

"They must've headed that direction when no one was looking. Which one of us should set out to retrieve them?"

Milla chuckled into her fingers. "Now, Sasha, you know we agreed you'd be the next to go round up any loose camp-" She halted mid-sentence, pushing a finger to her temple. "Oh! Never mind. Morry just said he's got it handled."

"Convenient." Sasha looked up, hands in his pockets. "We'll leave it to him, then."


Colorful and casual unraveled themselves from each other as Frazie flew out of the aether and back into her own body.

Frazie half-expected to see Milla waiting for her out there, but it was true, she didn't need to be anywhere nearby for the two counselors to interact. There was only Nein, right where she'd left him.

It didn't seem like Sasha had even felt her stepping inside, the counselor still toying with his machine. He didn't even look away from it as the Psy Portal shut and popped off his forehead. He caught it off-handedly and held it behind him for her to take. "A productive session, I'd say."

So would she. Her new badges fitting snug on her shawl, she accepted it from him and pocketed it.

"Now then," Sasha interjected, "I hope you were planning on taking a breather. Like the body, the mind needs time to recuperate as well. The last thing you need is to overload yourself any more than you already have. Take it easy the rest of the day. Milla and I will have activities back up and running momentarily... why not come try some telekinetic arts and crafts?"

After all she'd done today, it was almost embarrassing to even consider something that mundane... buuuuut on the other hand, being able to just relax and glue macaroni to stuff with her mind sounded like just what she needed right now.

"I just might. But first, I gotta go find someone."

"Ah, yes. Ms. Zanotto."

"Right!" Waving goodbye, Frazie hopped up onto the first step of the stairwell.

"Ah, Frazie, before you go."

She paused. Peering back, she saw Sasha glance up from his console. "If you wish to repay us for the training, I could use a little help with an experiment." He left it and paced over to the giant device dangling off the floor, giving it a pat. "If you'd be so kind, you can stop by tomorrow and help me run a test."

Frazie tilted her head. "...You want to style my hair?"

"...?" The man looked his machine over, then huffed. "Mein gott, why does everyone...? No, Frazie. It's not a hair dryer. This... is the Brain Tumbler. I'll explain it more thoroughly when you return."

Good. She liked her hair just the way it was. "I'll see you later, then!" she called, running up the stairs on her way back to the surface. She was eager to try out her new power in the real world.

Bump. Bump. Bump. No matter what little pebble or hole Frazie hit, she kept her balancing act rock-steady as she rolled back to the main lodge.

There, sitting on the main steps with her head in her hands, was Lili. Conversing with a small patch of dandelions. For some reason.

Frazie jumped up and stomped down, compressing the ball into the dirt and grinding it to a halt. "I let the counselors know," she called out to her. "And check this out!"

The kid perked up, hearing her voice - and her eyes trailed up in awe, her friend even taller than she was before. Frazie pirouetted atop her sphere, turning fluidly on tiptoe and bowing down atop her ride. "Weeeell?"

Lili gaped. "I swear, every time I turn around you've got another badge. If this keeps up, I'm going to call shenanigans!" Squinting, she suddenly whipped her gaze back and forth. Fortunately, Frazie's badges hadn't managed to multiply in that split second. "It's like Ford all over again. They're just popping out of nowhere!"

Not her favorite comparison, but it made Frazie chuckle nonetheless. "I guess I've just been working really hard."

Still looking her in the eye, Lili leaned down to whisper to the little weed. "She's cheeeeating."

"No I'm not!" Frazie protested. "And why are you talking to that, anyway?"

Clearly amused by messing with her, Lili sat back up. "Because they're better company than most of the people here. My family's renowned for its herbaphony."

"Your herb phones?"

Lili rolled her eyes. "It means we can hear what plants think. Like this one thinks you're a dork."

Frazie stuck her tongue out at the little white puffs. "I'll take your word for it." She'd never really considered the world around her living and breathing before, true as it was. She was kinda glad she didn't have Lili's power, honestly, if it meant she didn't have to hear the grass cry out when she stepped on it.

"You're gonna have to. It's a pretty rare power. I'd teach you if I could, but we'd probably be wasting each other's time. Besides... it's your turn to teach me something, remember?"

That was right - she'd promised her another lesson back on the beach. Frazie shook her hands. "Don't worry, I didn't forget! Come on, I know just what to work on." It'd be a nice break to trade out the mental for the physical for awhile, anyhow. With a mischievous grin, she pushed forward and got her ball rolling again. "Race you to the back!"

"Hey!" Popping up on her own green levitation ball, Lili gave pursuit as Frazie made the most of her head start. "You ARE a cheater!"


"I know it's a bit harder than a handstand, but I've got you. C'mon, deep breath..."

"I'm not scared!" Lili was facing the cabin wall head on, Frazie holding her steady with both hands on her back. "I'm just sensible enough to not run right into a building."

"No one just nails an unassisted backflip without practice. Now come on... feet up!"

Lili huffed, but braced herself. Knees bent, body poised, she kicked her legs forward and pushed her soles off the wall. With Frazie keeping her steady, she rolled backwards across Frazie's arm, landing wobblily on both feet.

Once she was sure she hadn't slipped and cracked her head open, she gasped and pumped her fists. "Holy crap! I did it! Frazie, I did it!"

Snickering, Frazie nodded her approval. "Twelfth time's the charm. A few dozen more tries and maybe you'll be able to do one without me."

They continued their practice, talking as they did. Frazie urged Lili on with tips and praise, comforting her if her heel slipped or she couldn't get enough momentum. She'd gone through the same thing with her younger siblings and had been trained the same way herself - comfortable nostalgia washed over her watching Lili make stable improvement.

Eventually, Lili started clearing her hands entirely when she leapt. So, sticking close enough to intervene if necessary, Frazie kept back and watched her kick off for her first solo backflip.

Frazie was feeling a little prideful herself when Lili threw her arms up, much like she did. A second later, the girl looked over to see her instructor grinning with her hands behind her back. Realization kicked in, and her eyes went wide.

"Maybe you can start a circus of your own at this rate," Frazie teased, motioning for her to follow her to the ledge at the far end of the cabin. "Come on, let's take a breather. If we keep it up, you might not even need the wall anymore," she explained as she sat down and let her legs hang loose.

Lili shook off her surprise and joined her, still beaming with success, and for a moment, the two girls just kicked back and enjoyed a little rest.

Finally, Lili broke the silence, looking up at her friend. "What's it like living in a circus, anyway? Do you live with clowns or something?"

Laughing, Frazie shook her head. "Well, they act like clowns sometimes. But no - we're all acrobats. Me, mom, dad, my grandma, and my siblings. There's Dion, my older brother, and then Queepie, Mirtala, and Razputin. Youngest, second youngest, and the middle child, respectively. Heck, I think you're around his age." She looked down over the edge, her mind wandering off. "He's psychic, too. He would've loved this place... but I figured if anyone was going to take the brunt of our parents' wrath, it should be me." She folded her hands and sighed, face falling for a moment. "I hope he's okay."

"...Is he cute?"

Frazie gagged. "Ew! How would I know? He's my little brother!"

Realizing how stupid the question had been, Lili dialed it back a bit. "Sorry, sorry... it's just, it's hard to imagine there's other people that might be as cool as you. Psychic kicks and sick tricks!"

"And in your dating range?"

Lili socked her arm. Frazie had to admit, she had a pretty good punch for her age, laughing as she rubbed the sore spot. "Look... if you never ask anything like that again, I'll put in a good word for you."

"You'd better!"

The two shared a chuckle, and Frazie let her worries fall away for now. Her family was a problem for later. Right now, she was going to improve as much as she could, to show them that psychics could be not just good, but useful. It made her gut twist whenever she thought of all the ways it could go wrong... but Milla had been right. She loved them, and they loved her. So she held onto hope.

It was all she had.

Eventually, the camp speakers crackled to life, startling the two. "Attention, campers!" Milla's voice rang out. "We're rested, refreshed, and ready to rock! Activities will be resuming momentarily, starting with telekinetic bracelet weaving. If you're interested, head on down to the campfire. Hope to see you there, darlings!"

The message cut out, and Frazie looked down at Lili with a smirk. "Friendship bracelets?"

"Blegh, do I look like Kitty and Franke?" The girl hopped up, tugging at her arm. "Come on! I'll show you how to weave a punching bag!"

Frazie chuckled, letting Lili pull her up. She liked this kid.


The sky gleamed a dim orange as the sun made its way downwards, making way for night to fall soon. Frazie was feeling content, after a humble evening of telekinetic weaving, pyrokinetic firestarting, and levitation ball bowling. She was feeling an almost shameful enjoyment of the kiddy activities, given they were a welcome break from risking her neck the entire morning.

It was finally dinnertime, and since they'd spent all those activities together, Lili and Frazie didn't see much reason to split up now. So the older girl pushed open the front door of the lodge to let them in to the bustling hall.

The first thing she noted, regretfully, was that Milka and Elton were still gone. Their conspicuous absence didn't seem to bother any of the kids, though - a little cowboy was barely keeping awake while his blonde girlfriend prattled on and on, all whilst another kid with an afro kept an eye on them. Maloof was deep in conversation with some kid with a hat so tall it'd make Dogen jealous. Strange... Frazie had figured the kid wasn't all that popular.

Their continued disappearance left an uneasy feeling in her stomach, but she trusted the counselors to handle it. Deciding to stamp out those butterflies, she and Lili got in line to get some food instead, and Frazie managed to get some without freaking out about Ford this time. She really was becoming a proper camper.

Frazie couldn't help but beam as she stepped away, seeing Phoebe and Quentin jamming up onstage like normal. If anything, the girl was playing harder than before, no doubt elated to have a second lease on her drumming. Now, Frazie and Lili just needed somewhere to sit...

"Ooo, there's a spot!" Lili pointed out, a nice chunk of table with no one else there to bug them. But as Frazie's eyes swept the room, she saw another possibility.

"How about there?" At the far end of the room, Dogen sat with Clem and Crystal, one of them on each side.

Lili frowned. "I dunno..."

"Please?"

Her lips quirked, but she finally sighed. "Fiiiiiine."

True friendship was being willing to put up with dummies for each other. "You rock," Frazie said, guiding them over.

She could make out snippets of their (one-sided) conversation as they approached. "You look so nice without your cap!" Crystal praised, playing with his little hair tuft. "It's like mine! But small!"

"Yeah! SUPER nice!" Clem agreed. "But if you ever wanted something new, you should try a headband. It's comfy, fuzzy, and sweat-absorbing! Tooootally recommend."

"That's not a hat," Dogen mumbled to his food as he picked at it, lost in his own little world.

"Well, maybe not technically..."

Their conversation dried up as Frazie and Lili slid in, the teen greeting them all with a smile. "Hey! I just thought I'd check in on you guys."

"Frazie!" Clem and Crystal cheered, as energetic as ever - perhaps even more genuinely than before. Even Dogen seemed a bit more attentive when she sat down.

"Oh, hi," the little green child greeted. "I'm doing great! I only blew up one squirrel today."

Frazie grimaced. "That's... uh... great!" she murmured, poking at her steak. That was an improvement, right? She hoped. It seemed he still had a ways to go... but he was already doing a lot better.

"Frazie! FrazieFrazieFrazieFrazie!" Clem was leaning on his hands, practically bouncing in place as he demanded her attention. "Guess what!"

Chewing, Frazie raised a brow. "You thought up a new cheer?" God, please, don't let it be that.

"No! But I can if you want."

"No, no," Frazie cut off abruptly. "What is it?"

Crystal took over. "Milla pulled us aside while we were all bowling and told us she had a special vacation for us! She said once camp is over for the summer, we can go visit the Motherlobe for awhile!"

"That's where all the Psychonauts stay!" Clem explained, hands clasped with glee. "We'll get to see where real agents live! Isn't that cool?!"

Almost as cool as escaping their parents. Frazie breathed a silent sigh of relief, sending quiet thanks Milla's way, wherever she was. "That's amazing. You'll keep in touch to tell me what it's like, right?"

"Of course! We'll send letters every month!" Crystal claimed.

"Every week!"

"EVERY DAY!"

"Alright, maybe not that often," Frazie murmured and motioned for them to calm down. "But I'm really happy for you guys."

Thwack.

What the...? Feeling something wet sticking to the back of her ear, Frazie remembered there was someone here she was less happy with.

Discretely peering over her shoulder, she caught Bobby and Benny sharing a high five over his spitball sniping. Instead of getting mad... Frazie grinned to herself. She'd picked up a few tricks since their last meeting.

Looking back ahead, she directed her mental energy backward, feeling out Bobby's plate of food and letting her simmering annoyance build up. The bully's cackling died down as he looked to see his mashed potatoes wobbling around. "Eh?"

A second later, they exploded, splattering his face in creamy goop. He spat and sputtered as all the other kids at his table laughed. "Alright, you turdburgers! Which one of you did it?! I'll make sure Ford is serving you up on the grill next!"

Plucking the projectile from the back of her head, Lili and Frazie shared a sly snicker. Oh, that felt good.

Good food. Good laughs. Good talks. Good friends. As dinner went on, Frazie couldn't help but feel satisfied with her humble little evening.

The day had been a lot of things. Exciting, exhausting, terrifying, even painful sometimes. But sitting here, seeing all she'd accomplished and sharing a meal with her new friends...

She knew it'd all been worth it.


"Been a good girl?" Frazie cooed, stroking her tiny horse's head in her hands. "Yeeeeah you have. Here, I got you some carrots from the camp cook. Yes, I know they smell like bacon."

Crickets chirped and kids yelled to each other as they headed to their cabins for the night. It was bedtime, and Frazie made sure to check in with Sugarcube first. The little pony whinnied happily as it took a treat from her, chewing away whilst she petted it.

Gently kissing its snout, she left another couple vegetables by it and stood. "Good niiiight," she sing-songed, heading over to the girl's cabin.

Inside, it was already lights out, though of course, the room was still atitter with chit-chat and giggling as kids refused to sleep. Feeling around, Frazie located her own bunk and hopped up, lifting herself into bed.

Only once Frazie's head hit the pillow did she realize just how tired she was - mentally and physically. Running up and down people's minds half the day, all while honing her long ignored powers. Was this what being a Psychonaut was like? Was it really for her? It was scary, draining... but also thrilling, eye-opening. And underneath it all, another feeling nagged at her.

She wasn't just tired... she was lonely. Every night for years, she'd shared her bedroom with her whole family, and while that'd had its share of problems, it meant she'd never wake up alone. It was at least somewhat comforting she was still sharing a room with a bunch of people, familiar even... but it wasn't anything like being with family. Sighing, Frazie rolled over, finding it impossible to get comfy.

It didn't help that her pillow rustled every time she shifted.

Grumbling, she picked it up, intending to fluff it. In the dark, though, she could barely make out a slip of paper under where it'd been. "Hm?"

Curious, she held it up to the wall, trying to catch some moonlight through the windows. Her eyes narrowed as she scanned it in the dim glow.

Frazie,

Milka and Elton didn't wander off. They were taken.

Her heart thudded in her throat. Who'd written this? A counselor? A camper? Did they know what they were talking about? It wasn't signed, but she kept reading.

I might have a lead as to WHO (or what) took them, but I need your help. Head to one of the big stumps littered around camp. Any will do. There's even one near the cabin bridge. Come alone, and come quiet. I'll fill you in when you get here.

That was a... really indirect and weird request. Any stump? Was this a prank?

Well, if it was, someone was getting TKed into the lake. But if there was a chance it was legit... the missing campers could be in danger.

Was this really her business? Why didn't they reach out to the counselors? There must've been a reason they chose her. And while she felt it was a bad idea deep down... she wanted to find out why.

Frazie feigned sleep, but her pulse and mind raced the whole time. Eventually, the gossiping and giggling died down, and when she was sure it was safe, she swung her legs off the bed. Quietly lowering herself to the floor, she pulled the cabin door open and stepped out into the cool night air.

As promised, there was a stump over near the bridge. Still feeling silly about it, Frazie started to head over.

Alone in the dark, grass crunching underfoot, Frazie hoped the author knew what they were talking about. Whoever was summoning her, she was about to find out.


I did say the chapter was MOSTLY chill, didn't I?