"So Lucrecia Mux and Ford Cruller had a history?" I shrugged a little at Lili's question as we walked toward where she said the dock was after our interaction with Agent Cruller.

"I don't honestly know much about it."

Lies.

I swallowed dryly as I went about with what I was taught was the closest explanation to the truth that the world would understand.

"They worked together and they were friends before Lucrecia lost her way. Beyond that, I don't know much." I shrugged as I tried my best to make my answer seem authentic. "After the drowning incident with the great flood, Nona only remembers so much."

"Still amazing how she was able to survive everything." Lili seemed interested in the idea as a curious tone filled her voice. "Does she remember how her sister was before the war? Or is everything mangled?"

"Honestly?" I looked over toward Lili as I knew I was able, to tell her the full truth from here. "She had a fear of water for years. She still doesn't remember much at all from her mother country. All she remembers is folktales and tiny pieces of how her life was."

"I knew a lot of the comics were off about how they told things, but the story of Maligula was always one I was curious about." I gave Lili a curious look of my own as she continued. "I knew your family line was depicted as some kind of monstrous being and I knew for certain that was wrong, but there seems to be so much that the story is missing, you know?" I nodded along as she gave me a wide smile.

You have no clue, Zanotto. No clue at all.

"Yeah, you and a very few who actually use common sense there."

"I just understand how it is."

"Yeah," I shrugged a little as I looked down at the path we were taking. I watched as the dirt little pathway turned into the familiar wooden boards I saw on docks and piers over the years as I continued. "I bet the life of a Zanotto isn't any fun either."

"People just expect you to be like a living Disney Princess." She scuffed at the thought as I kept my eyes on the wooden pathway. "Everyone expects you to be perfect. The purest form of maturity even though you're a kid. I'm watched by the world and criticized for any action I take that's not something they approve of. I'm to speak, but only when they want me to. But when I do, it's not what they want me to say. It's basically the highest form of 'Sit and look pretty'."

"And you are by far the opposite." I couldn't help but smile as I looked over toward the girl. Her chest puffed up with pride as she shot me a wide toothy grin.

"I've been told I'm quite like my mother. She was the same from what I heard." My smile softened as it is evident from the look in her eyes that she was proud of the idea, but it stung just a bit to speak of her mom.

"I read a little bit about her in the comics," I spoke softly, unsure if it was a truly sensitive topic for her. "Agent Martindale, right?"

"Rue Martindale." Lili seemed to soften while saying her mother's name. "Named after tiny yellow flowers found in Greece. Little herb flowers specifically. It's why I was named Lilian, actually." She gave a small laugh before looking out before her. "My mom wanted to make a tradition out of it. She wanted to name each of her children after a flower. It worked with how she married a Zanotto of all people."

"Do you remember much of her?"

"I didn't get a chance to know her. She died when I was two."

"Sorry."

"Don't be." She shrugged a little at the idea before looking back at me. "I was still lucky enough to have my dad. It caused him to grow rather protective, but I don't blame him. I'm all he has of her."

"For someone upset that the world expects pure maturity out of her," I smirked as I tried my best to lighten the mood. "That's rather mature of you." She rolled her eyes at me as a smile graced her lips.

"Oh shut up."

"Honestly though, it really is." For the first time, I saw Lili become rather bashful as she just pulled her gaze away from me and shrugged a little.

"You just grow to be thankful for what you have at times. Even if it's not the best situation. I have a good life. It's not all that I want in life, but I can get those things figured out with time."

"What do you want? In life and all?"

"Well," She grew silent for a moment as she stopped in her tracks. I stopped along with her as it was obvious she was deep in thought. "When I was younger, I wanted nothing more than to be the best agent the Psychonauts ever saw. By the time I was eleven though, that spark kinda dimmed out. I hated everything there was with the Psychonauts. Even my dad."

"Really?" I quirked my eyebrow curiously as I decided to lean the majority of my weight on my right foot. "You didn't give that kind of vibe at first there."

"Well, I'm fourteen now." She laughed a little as she turned to gesture toward the camp behind us. "I found out the hard way that I was just bored of doing the exact same thing over and over again. I passed all the tests, and I was put through the intern program, but I wasn't getting any further than I was before. I felt like I was running in place."

"So what made that change?"

"Honestly? It only really started recently." She turned her attention toward me before dropping her arm to her side. "I know it's only been the first real day at camp, but a lot of this just seems so much different. I feel like that spark is starting to ignite itself again, ya know?" I smirked proudly as I placed a hand over my heart.

"Us Aquatos have that effect."

"I actually do think it has a lot to do with you, Raz." She smiled softly before turning her head to her left. The thought caused this soft ping in my chest that made me swallow hard in reply.

Well... That's a first.

I felt the corner of my mouth tug ever so slightly as I let myself embrace the moment between us.

I don't mind it, though.

"For an Aquato though," I noticed the teasing tone in her voice as she turned her attention toward me again. "You seem to haven't noticed that the lake is right there." She raised her hand to point toward where she was looking before, which caused me to snap my attention to my right.

"LAKE!" I smiled wide like a joyful smile as I ran the rest of the small pier toward the lakeside. "Oh water how I missed you so!" I ignored the laughter behind me as I stopped a few feet before the water to pull off my old boots.

"You're like a little kid in a candy store."

"I'm a fourteen-year-old water psychic who hasn't been near a large mass of water in days," I spoke in a matter-of-fact tone as I struggled to hop on one foot while taking my socks off. "I'm going to be excited."

"Noted for future reference." Lili laughed a little more as I figured the look of me with my tongue now stuck out in concentration while I rolled up my pant legs was rather humorous to her. "Huh," Her laughter suddenly stopped as I looked over toward her curiously. "What's that?" I looked over toward the water to see a familiar hand have itself toward me.

"Galochio!" I smiled wide as the hand waved at me. "It's what my Nona calls my water spirit! I named them after her maiden name."

"Water spirit?" I shrugged as I looked back over toward Lili.

"It's complicated. Basically, I imagined him from a young age and that's how my hydrokinesis originated."

"Huh." I looked back over toward the hand as I gestured for the hand to lower back into the water.

"You gotta leave for now, buddy. I'll be connected to you again soon, okay? Just not here." The hand gave me a little thumbs-up as lowering into the mass of water with a small wave at the very end. After it disappeared I turned my attention back toward Lili with a wide smile. "Wanna join me?"

"After seeing a hand raise from the water like it's some kind of cursed lagoon? No thanks." Lili laughed a little at herself as I pouted.

"Aw come on! Galochio meant no harm."

"Still freaky there, Raz."

"Please!" I pleaded with her slightly as I turned to walk into the water with a happy smile. "See!" I looked back toward her as I felt a lot more at ease with the lake water lapping at my ankles. "It's nice and cool too!"

"You really do like your water, huh?" She gave me a teasing smile as she walked just a little bit closer to the shoreline.

"It's a home away from home!" I gestured my arms out a little as I made the water make a tiny wave behind me before crashing into itself. "Man, I missed that sound." I felt bliss as I looked down toward the clear water that submerged my feet. "Wanna see something cool?"

"Sure." I looked up to Lili to see she gave me an encouraging smile. "Show me what you got, Razzy." I leaned down toward the water without skipping a beat and cupped my hands under it. Without much thought or struggle, I pulled my hands back out of the water to show a perfect little ball of water within my hands. I rolled it about within my hands before looking up toward Lili with pride.

"This was the first trick I was shown." I rolled the little ball of water over my left hand and let it dance across my fingertips. "I can keep it in a consistent shape without really thinking about it. I can even make it part into pieces or a walkway."

"Dude." I could tell Lili had a bright idea of her own as she watched me roll the little ball over toward my right hand with ease. "Can I have you help me water my plants by doing that? I bet it would be a lot more effective than saturating the soil."

"That's a lot more laid back than I thought you would suggest." I laughed a little at myself as Lili just shrugged.

"My first thought was balloonless water balloons but I didn't think it was that clever."

"That does sound really fun though," I smirked as Lili seemed to catch onto where I was going.

"Razputin Aquato, if you throw that at me, I will burn you to a crisp."

"Aw, here I thought I was your favorite here."

"You are, but I will still burn you like a log in a campfire." I placed my free hand on my chest in a dramatic way as held the water ball in place in the other.

"You hurt me so, Zanotto." She rolled her eyes at me as I just smirked in reply. "Maybe you just need to cool off." I flung the ball at her feet, which caused the girl to jump back just fast enough to not get wet.

"Raz!"

"Hey, I didn't throw it at you." My smirk grew as she narrowed her eyes at me.

"You're lucky I enjoy your company."

"You just agreed I'm your favorite if I remember correctly."

"I'm leaving." Lili turned on her heels and started making her way up toward the pier walk up as I decided to leave the water and grab my things quickly to follow her.

"Does this mean I get one of those friendship bracelets?"

"Nope fuck off."

"Wanna measure my wrist just in case?"

"I will burn you."

"Aw, I treasure you too, Lils. HEY! OW!"

"I warned you!"

"That was my ass!"

"Consider it a warning!" We laughed together as I felt that soft swell in my chest once more.

Maybe the curse isn't so bad.

I felt myself swallow dryly as I took in the joyful look on Lili's face as we made our way back toward the camp.

Since it brought me here, after all.