On the day of February 19th, 1968, Minister Fred Rogers’ educational children’s program Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood aired on national television, and immediately was embroiled in controversy for Mr. Rogers’ usage of a large number of tulpas in the eponymous neighborhood, encouraging psionic children—during a tumultuous time for psychics—to create tulpas of their own, leading to multiple reported cases of disrupted classrooms and homelives by thoughtforms.

While he is now remembered fondly by multiple generations, later studies focused on Rogers’ incredible ability to create extraordinarily lifelike tulpas, who the minister playfully admitted he had no control of. The thoughtforms seemingly had wills of their own, and frequently engaged in elaborate conversations with each other independent of Rogers; notably, while these thoughtforms could be disruptive, they retained many of the more positive traits Rogers had created them with.

Historically, tulpas are mythological and spiritual beings that are actualized via the power of belief and collective thought. Though the word has been co-opted for modern use, the base idea remains the same. Through the power of modern-day psionics and elaborate make-believe, tulpamancy has become a small, but important niche discipline.

By her side, Tasha was practically buzzing with excitement. Anna could feel her daughter’s energy through walls and floors, it was no more obvious to her than her own consternations and carefully suppressed worry. It felt like ants were squirming in her stomach; she was glad she’d decided to save the burrito Zi had bought her.

She slid a hand over Tasha’s shoulder as she tried to get comfortable in the metal chairs provided for seating, facing a stage with a tall, blank wall where a projector displayed the PA logo on pictures of the PA campus and students, fading from one image to another. She was right up near the front, in the second row, so she could hardly pull her eyes off of the erected stage.

She would have rather been in the crowd, which stretched from wall to wall in the tightly packed conference room, where hundreds and hundreds of folks sat and waited for the first presentation to start.

Anna couldn’t help but feel like she was being mocked. She knew her feelings on the institution had no bearing on its proceedings, but she still had to remind herself this day wasn’t hers to rue, it was her daughter’s to enjoy.

She breathed deep, letting the cool air, stained with the smell of hundreds of attendees packed around her, fill her lungs, but it was only when Tasha squeezed her wrist did she relax.

Zi, sitting on the opposite side of Tasha, was texting one handed, looking in deep concentration, and Anna could only guess it was work she was having to contend with. Zi’s presence eased Anna more than she was willing to admit; she wanted to be strong enough to keep her daughter safe on her own, but having her best friend there meant there was an extra layer of security.

The lights aimed at the stage brightened, and a low clap started through the attending crowd as a man walked up the steps of the stage, smiling brightly at everyone. Brown-haired, white-skinned, with strong, masculine features, he was an admittedly handsome individual with a prominent jaw and piercing eyes, his fitted suit making him look strong underneath his jacket.

The man strode towards the front of the stage with a microphone hanging from his ear, and spoke in a deep, clear voice. “Welcome, everyone, to the Phoenix Academy Psionic Convention, as hosted by the Phoenix City Convention Center.” He raised his hands to clap, the crowd joining him with mixed enthusiasm as he grinned. “I am Aiden Walsh, Phoenix-Paiute Academy alumni. In fact, I was attending Phoenix-Paiute Academy when it first started up sixteen years ago.”

He strode around the stage, his hand movements smooth and attention-grabbing, never too anxious or intimidated. “And when I first started as a student, I had the pleasure of meeting our academy’s founder, and tutoring under one of the greatest psychics to ever live, Zhou Ping.”

The projection behind Aiden changed from a pleasant blue to show a colored picture of a grinning Chinese-American man, with short, thin black hair and wrinkles across his face, wearing a pair of big glasses over that endearing smile. He was small all around, with a round head sticking out of a shirt and jacket that looked way too big, but he was instantly recognizable. The picture faded to show Ping smiling with all his teeth as he shook the hand of an official looking man surrounded by bodyguards in Russia, then faded again to show Ping being held up by American military psychics, the group cheering and laughing together.

“Zhou Ping had an ambitious dream.” Aiden began again as the pictures changed, again and again, showing Ping with politicians and celebrities, showing students how to levitate blocks, or squeezing the wrists of psychics that had suffered for or from their powers. Anna glowered to herself in silence. “He dreamed that, in the age following the psionic strife of the 20th century, he could restore the reputation of psychic powers through rehabilitation and public education. Taking inspiration from leaders like Martin Luther King Jr., Ronald Reagan, and Mikhail Gorbachev, he sought to create an era where psychic powers weren’t used for destruction, or spying, or punishment; rather, he wanted a world where people could rely on psychics to assist peoples’ livelihoods, and a new future that prioritizes community, equity, and health.”

Aiden stepped off to the side of the projection and held up a small remote, clicking a button. The projection changed to show Zhou Ping sitting behind a desk in front of a congressional assembly of politicians, and a soft, sweet, lightly accented voice filled the room.

“Phoenix Academy is more than just my dream, it is the beginning of a future where I envision psychics joining arms with non-psychics for specialist jobs. Doctors and biokinetics working together to fix physical and mental disorders, firemen and telekinetics working together to save lives, CEOs and diviners working together to create a product that everyone will want. I do not want to push humanity down. We are kin; some of us have powers, but those of us gifted with psionics have not gone to the moon, or built the internet. Psychics need non-psychics; non-psychics will survive with or without us, so I would like to prove that it is better together than apart.”

Aiden took over with a smile. “He carried this sentiment with him wherever he went, with whomever he talked to. His earnesty and kindness won him allies globally, and with the financial backing of the great city of Phoenix, Arizona, along with a number of nations represented in our Hall of Honors, he achieved his dream. A multinational effort, segregated from global politics and power plays, dedicated to the betterment of humanity!”

The next picture projected behind Aiden displayed him standing on the stage of Phoenix Academy’s assembly hall, handing diplomas out to its first graduates, dressed in traditional graduation caps and gowns, his smile radiating with the students’ visible gratitude and pride.

Then the final picture, of him sitting behind a desk–a familiar desk, the same desk Dean Nathanial Davis sat at in the commercials–grinning in his freshly built office. Then, the text came up.

‘Rest In Peace, 1958-2005.’

“Tragically, his life was cut short.” Aiden Walsh spoke more gravely, the room silent as Aiden approached the center stage again. “But, as with King before him, Zhou Ping’s beliefs did not die with him. Each faculty member at Phoenix Academy has dedicated their lives to bringing his ideal future to life; myself, our teachers, and our dean, the personal pupil and successor to Ping, Dean Nathanial Davis.”

The picture switched to that of the Academy’s staff posing in front of the school, Aiden stirring the room to clapping again, but after a moment of silence following, he gave an awkward chuckle.

“Normally, Mr. Davis would be here to introduce himself and tell you more, but unfortunately, recent events have forced him to prioritize the safety of our students and staff. As I’m sure many of you have heard, an organization by the name Brain Scythe is threatening psychics across Arizona.” The silence that followed was heavy enough that Anna almost felt herself being pressed into her seat. “Well, I want to reassure you, we have been ahead of the game, as state authorities have worked with us ahead of yesterday’s announcement to secure Phoenix-Paiute Academy and the town that supports it. Students will be safe attending PA; they will be monitored, protected, and cared for by our personal security, and the security provided by the state.”

“I also want to reassure you that this won’t put them in a police state; they will have all the freedoms expected of boarding school children, and you will be able to visit and send them gifts and goods as you see fit. If you still have any concerns about our ability to protect your children, our staff has been trained to provide you with information regarding how we will personally see to their safety.”

With that, he clicked the remote again, and it changed to a view of one Phoenix Academy's many buildings. A tall, grand, white structure with large, open wooden doors framed by glass panes that revealed an immaculate entrance lobby, through which dozens of students passed through with backpacks and books, the PA logo front and center above the door.

“I apologize for bringing down the mood, but I knew the question was on everyone’s mind! Switching back to something more normal, how about a tour of campus grounds and the many classes and activities we offer to psychics of all ages?”

Aiden’s smile and practiced voice led the rest of the presentation, and Anna resisted the urge to squirm in her seat, or pick herself up and leave before the end.

Her eyes flicked over at Tasha, who sat there, watching the campus tour with a dreamy look in her eyes, utterly enraptured by information and pictures she must have seen a dozen times before.

The energy in the room was sickeningly joyous. Anna didn’t like crowds, she didn’t like too much excitement, or too much… happiness in one place; it felt intrusive, and there was enough psychic resonance in the room that she could feel the crowd vibrating in her skull.

She twisted her dress up between her fingers and tried to relax herself, taking Tasha’s hand to squeeze as she did. She wasn’t ready. Neither of them were, but Anna was less ready than she expected, less ready than she suspected Tasha was.

Aiden lead them through the halls of the learning facilities, from the psience dedicated buildings that lead the so-called ‘left-brain disciplines’ that focused on directly manipulating reality or required a strong degree of the more classical sciences, to the artistic programs that explored the ’right-brain disciplines’, supplemented by the liberal arts and other forms of creative brain stimuli to manipulate emotions, thoughts, and imagery.

The numerous dorms that housed the student body and faculty were shown, and he even showed some of the security measures that were being taken to keep these buildings particularly secure.

PA’s campus consisted of just a few more than two dozen buildings with open yards and roads allowing for good, out-doorsy activity and transportation around campus, and Aiden made sure the attendees got to see as much of it as he could legally show.

“That about concludes my presentation on the tour for Phoenix Academy; we didn’t want to keep you for long, we have plenty of booths set up to show you the kinds of classes and facilities we offer. I will personally be heading the booth on campus security in between these presentations; please feel free to come by and ask me any questions you have. Thank you for coming, everyone, and have a great rest of your day! And remember: stay safe!”

The lights in the room lit everything up, and people stood from their seats, an excited murmur filling the room as the doors opened so crowds could filter out towards the convention’s booths.

Anna felt lethargic more than anything, but forced herself to rise, taking Tasha’s hand as her daughter sprang to her feet and grinned up at her.

“Can we go to the div booth first?! Maddy should be there!” Tasha said, and Anna gave a quick, curt nod.

It was too easy to imagine something going wrong. The massive number of people; surely they weren’t all properly screened? How easy would it be for somebody to go missing and nobody notice?

Anna couldn’t stop asking herself that as they walked shoulder-to-shoulder with a crowd of people heading towards the main event in hall four. It was entirely possible she was thinking too much, but she liked to think that she was the only one doing any thinking at all. Confidence in the face of a clandestine enemy usually begets a sudden and harsh fall… and she wasn’t going to let her family suffer.

She had one hand on Tasha’s shoulder the entire time they walked, her eyes flicking from her daughter to Zi, to the people around them, to the people monitoring the halls…

The event floor was even worse. People separated and spread out to fill the hall to look at the various booths set up; booths advertising everything from academy merchandise, to information booths, to display booths that had the psychics showing off and explaining their powers to visitors.

Tasha stopped to watch a group of grade school children at the massive telekinesis booth, so young and inexperienced, their powers underdeveloped but ambitious. They played games like Danielle did with the little ball on the string, or tried to spin the sides on a rubik’s cube.

An older, teenage boy helping run the booth knelt down in front of a little girl struggling to open the petals of a plastic flower with just her mind and carefully talked her through it, giving her the… mentality and visuals a child would need to grasp the world with her thoughts alone.

The father of all psionic disciplines… Anna could certainly understand peoples’ interests in telekinesis, she would have liked to use it around the house, though she could imagine how lazy she’d get if she could just grab a beer from the fridge without leaving the couch.

Thermokinesis and electrokinesis, though…

She watched a girl a booth over create a stable current between two frayed wires using nothing more than her sheer focus as a bridge, allowing a small generator to light up a lamp to the crowd’s appreciation. A young man, either a graduate or near graduating, held a lightbulb in between his fingers, and generated enough electricity for the bulb to glow without any assistance.

Maybe during a power outage she’d find some use for electrokinesis, but the only things she could imagine it being extensively used for were things electricians could already do, or… more subversive purposes.

Tasha, of course, was utterly taken by the display and clapped with the crowd as the boy showed them the tiny tendrils of electricity leaping out of his palm, and it took Zi touching Anna’s hand to make her stop looking so grumpy.

“C’mon Annie, at least try and look a little happy.” Zi smiled, and Anna let out a low, unhappy groan. “I know you don’t like being around psychics, but could you give us a smile? For Taz’s sake?”

Anna didn’t answer Zi, but slowly her lips crept upwards into a disjointed u-shape, and Zi tried to give her a friendly smile.

“I’ll just let you be unhappy.” And with that, Anna’s smile fell back to its resting bitch-position, masking her discomfort. “The registration packets are being handed out at the far end of the hall.”

“I know.” Anna mumbled, glancing up at her daughter, her distaste turning to sadness. “Let’s… just explore a bit more. I don’t know if I’m ready.”

“Ready?” Zi repeated, squeezing Anna’s fingers.

“She’s been my life for fifteen years, Zina…” Anna sighed, watching her daughter focus on a lamp sitting on the table, trying to disrupt the light it was giving off and darken the bulb, but Tasha wasn’t even close to having the experience needed to manipulate electricity. “... I’m not ready.”

“A good mother never is.” Zi wrapped her arm around Anna’s shoulder and pulled her close. “Sending Maddy off was the hardest thing I ever did. You remember that?”

“You spent three hours drenching my shoulder.” Anna smiled half-heartedly, and Zi nodded at her.

“You’ll still have me, Randy, Teddy, and Jebediah.”

“No offense, Zi, but… that’s not entirely reassuring.” Anna was all sighs and sad looks, and Zi shook her head. “I know you’re trying, and I appreciate it, but… I’m not ready.”

“Then let's put your mind at ease. Let’s let Taz explore the floor a bit, and let’s go check in with the security booth. Aiden’s there.” Zi pointed at the booth off in the distance, where the handsome man that presented the school to them earlier was chatting with a number of parents and showing them a series of pictures and pamphlets.

Anna looked alarmed by the offer, glancing up at her daughter in worry as she played with a tuning fork, but Zi took her chin and made her look back at her.

“She’s a big girl now, Annie; give her some freedom. She’s perfectly safe around all these people, she knows better than to wander off with somebody she doesn’t know. If we’re doing this—and for god’s sake Annie, I am sending my goddaughter to safety—then we need to trust her to be on her own.”

The sinking, sickly feeling in Anna’s gut glued her to the spot, unable to speak. She knew Zi was right, she knew arguing now was just her own damned stubbornness and that, deep down, Tasha’s safety was paramount. But, on the other hand, every instinct in her told her to deny, deny, deny.

“... Fine.”

“I’ll take responsibility for anything that happens to her while we’re over there.”

“Do not make that promise to me, Zina.” Anna hissed, and then wordlessly stormed past her best friend. She missed the sudden look of worry on Zi’s face, but heard her call out.

“Taz, honey, your mom and I are going to go look at another booth real quick! Take care of yourself, baby!”

“OKAY!”