“As you can see here, we are implementing a tracking chip as a part of the students’ IDs.” A black-haired woman stood on a raised platform, holding up a small, rectangular plastic ID card with her picture on it, which also displayed a small list of information, and at the very bottom, a small, copper-colored electronic chip. “This card will not only directly connect to your student’s school balance, it will also be their key to get into their dormitories, to get into rooms they’ve reserved in our recreation center, and into private studies.”

She stepped down next to Aiden Walsh, the handsome presenter from before, and handed him her card. He ran the card over a sensor plugged into his laptop, and on the projected screen behind them both, a new entry appeared: Gre, Halona T. Sensor #3, 11:46.

Next to the entry was a computerized map of the convention center and the roads threading around it, and a small dot situated about where hall four was.

“With these features, your child will have ease of access throughout the campus.” Halona said with a wide smile towards the surrounding crowd. “And we will be able to make sure they are safe and sound wherever they are, whether it’s on campus or in PJ, or wherever they might be. Our staff is also able to assist them should the card end up misplaced.”

“I think this is your third card, Haley?” Aiden asked with a teasing grin.

“Shut up, Aiden.” Halona said without losing her smile, and the crowd around them chuckled.

Near the rear of the crowd, Anna crossed her arms under her bust and watched with an unwavering frown. She leaned down to Zi as Halona took questions, and whispered, “I’m unimpressed.”

Zi put on a big pout, giving Anna a stinking side-eye. “Girl, you’d better be a little impressed, I helped design that system.”

Anna winced, but stood straight, and spoke distrustfully under her breath. “Anybody who really wanted to could hack the system and gain all that information for their own use.”

“They’d have to give it one helluva try; PA’s on a specialized security grid designed by the folks who keep Swedish banks secure.”

“It also seems a little inept to be discussing this information out loud in front of everybody.” Anna sneered.

Zi glanced her way finally, shrugging her shoulders. “You know that the best deterrent against crime is effort? I know it sounds like we’re daring Brain Scythe or any other two-bit criminal with this display, but we’re showing them that if they want in, they’re gunna hafta work reeeaaal hard to do it, and they know we’d come down on them like the fist of God for messin’ with our kids.”

“I don’t like it.”

“Besides, they’re giving these out to our kids, not to the police; you think this crap’d stay off of social media? Hell, some kids tell their parents everything.”

Anna opened her mouth to argue, but then had to remind herself that Tasha wasn’t above casually admitting that she and Natalie had practiced kissing during a sleepover, and frequently traded underwear.

“Point.” Anna conceded. She idly reminded herself to talk to her daughter about boundaries before… the next semester happened...

She swallowed thickly, and Zi rested a hand on her shoulder, squeezing it. “C’mon Annie, they’re doing their best to make PA the safest place in the world for psychic kids. If you nitpick absolutely everything you’re going to fall apart.”

“I’m already falling apart…” Anna said under her breath.

“Annie, please listen to me.” Zi tugged her closer. “It’s not the end of the world. The house’ll be a little quieter, a little less messy, but you’ll have more you time, and you can get in contact with Tasha whenever you want. It’s a modern world, Annie, she’s never gonna be far. Hell, you can get to PA in less than six hours by car; one by plane.”

Anna took a few deep breaths. She couldn’t argue. She could if she tried, but she knew she was stubborn, and she hated devolving into illogical ramblings and circular games of playing the victim. Tasha was a dork, but she was smarter than that… or, at least, Melodica was.

Zi gave her a long, quiet look, and with a sigh of grievous annoyance, Anna hung her head.

The crowd parted as the presentation came to an end, and went to examine the different pieces of technology—gutted for the convention—strewn out on the tables, and Zi led her towards the front.

Aiden was cutting a dashing figure as he chatted amicably with a couple who was looking at an example student ID, and he turned to face the two approaching women with a handsome smile, which turned brighter when he realized who was coming.

“Zina Cole!” He said, his arms opening as wide as his smile. “I was really hoping to run into you soon! We have a few parents asking more technical questions about the chip system that I’m not exactly privy to.”

“Don’t you worry none, Aiden, I’ll answer whatever the agency allows me to.” Zi grinned, and he swept her hand up to his lips for a quick kiss.

“Always a pleasure, Zina. Who’s your—?” Aiden turned towards Anna, and his question abruptly halted as he stared at the blonde woman silently frowning at him. His eyes travelled Anna’s shape for a few wordless seconds too long, then glanced back at Zi with a dazed look. “Who’s your friend?”

Zi just smiled, and resisted the impulse to shake her head. “I’ve told you about Anna, Aiden.”

Aiden looked back at Anna, his eyes tracing her face carefully, the fingers on his left hand spasming. “So you did!” His voice was a tad strained. “Hi there, Miss Anna…?”

Up close, Aiden was an even more remarkable specimen of a man. He had a well-composed face, a bit ordinary beyond his high cheekbones and strong jaw, but he wore a light tan well, and his hair had a short, handsome, asymmetrical curl starting from the part that gave him a cute sense of flippancy.

He filled his suit out well; even with the multiple layers, he couldn’t hide his broad shoulders or the healthy swell of his biceps, nor thighs. He clearly exercised, clearly took care of himself, and he wore such a delightful smile...

… Except he was addressing Anna.

“I have questions about your security system.” Anna stated bluntly.

Zi went unnoticed as she rubbed her face, and Aiden blinked a few times. “Why… yeah! Of course, of course you do! You must have a psionic child, right?” He asked, suddenly presenting his hand. She took it reluctantly, and shook stiffly.

“I wouldn’t be asking otherwise.”

“Right, of course you wouldn’t. Sorry.” Aiden’s cheeks turned a little red, and he swallowed thickly. “Yeah, of course I can help you! What do you need to know?”

“Will you be able to see where these tracking chips are outside of PJ?” Anna asked, ignoring the way Aiden’s eyes dipped down towards her torso for a moment.

Aiden cleared his throat and glanced back up, and Anna further ignored the way Zi was nudging her. “Yes, they are global tracking devices; if, for any reason, a student makes an unscheduled trip outside of Phoenix Town, outside of Arizona, or even outside of America, and they have their ID? We’ll be able to see where they are.”

“And if their tracking chip is removed from their person?” Anna’s eyes darkened.

“... You have a lovely frown.” Aiden said softly; Anna didn’t so much as react. “Err, well, that would be better fielded towards Mrs. Cole…”

Zi answered before Anna could glower at her. “They’d work in conjunction with us to follow standard missing persons procedure involving GPS: find the GPS, walk it back, and figure it out from there. We can figure a lot out from the original crime scene.”

Anna breathed sharply out of her nose. “And how will PA handle visitors and intruders?”

Aiden held out his hands with a grin. “Non-registered visitors will be required to schedule appointments with the front office to even step onto campus. Registered visitors–and the parents of enrolled students are automatically registered–may visit with a phone call to the front office, and may only be in designated public areas; they can’t enter the dormitories or class buildings without their child or a staff member.”

“And intruders?” Anna snarled the slightest bit. To her annoyance, it only seemed to flush him with further color as he stared at her with a rare blink.

“PA is outfitted with sensors and cameras; the only places that have true privacy are in each student’s private dorm room, bathrooms, and washrooms. Anybody who gets past the gates will leave footprints for us to follow, no matter where they go.”

“And should trouble arise? Should somebody threaten the students?”

“We have a fully equipped emergency team on standby! The ESP–that’s the Emergency and Security Personnel–are outfitted with non-lethal threat-prevention gear, and are trained in emergency medical procedures should anything happen to the students.” Aiden turned and pointed at a mannequin standing to the rear left of the security presentation area, and strode over to it, Anna reluctantly following alongside Zi.

He gestured to the various gear the figure was wearing: a light blue polo with glow-in-the-dark strips around the shoulders, a badge clipped to the front identifying the mannequin as ESP officer #055. All around its hips were supplies to deal with medical emergencies and security threats, including an unloaded taser Anna examined and a one-size-fits-all privacy band with a locking mechanism for psionic threats.

Anna breathed out slowly, returning the taser to the mannequin’s holster as Aiden continued. “The ESP are also outfitted with watches similar to a FitBit, so if any of them suffer an emergency themselves, we’ll know right away. We’ll have both ESP footmen and ESP desk jockeys watching the cameras and preparing evacuation methods if need be.”

Zi walked up to Anna’s side, wrapping a hand around her arm to squeeze consolingly as Anna just stared blankly around at all the different security measures provided.

“I told you, Annie, we ain’t half-assing this. The moment rumors started, we started working.”

“And we’ll continue to work to protect our students as best we can.” Aiden stated with a friendly smile. He approached Anna with as much chill in his posture as he could manage, and she nearly jerked away as he took one of her hands to squeeze it calmingly. “And if you have any other questions or concerns, here.”

He let her hand go, leaving a business card with his name and number on it. She gave it, then him a quizzical look, and he cracked a grin.

“If you have more questions, feel free to call me. We can discuss them over dinner sometime!” He said with enthusiasm in his voice.

Anna stared at him in bemusement, and wordlessly passed the business card to Zi. She turned on her heels to walk away, and Zi gave Aiden an apologetic smile.

“She’s not real fond of psychics, Aiden, you didn’t do nothin’ wrong.” She tried to explain.

“I kinda pity her kid…” He scratched the back of his head, and Zi chuckled.

“Her baby girl’s well taken care of; it’s anybody outside of our families she takes issue with.” Zi held up his business card. “I’ll hang onto this for her in the meantime; she might change her mind.”

Aiden looked mildly relieved by that line of thought, watching Anna’s rear rock beneath her dress with every step she took, only for her to pause when a panicking couple suddenly pushed through the crowd to confront her.

“Anna!” Lindsey almost gasped her name, the blonde drawing herself up in alarm.

“Anna, have you seen Danielle or James?!” Michael all but pleaded the question, and Anna glanced between the two parents in worry.

“No, I haven’t; are they with Tasha?” She asked, but Lindsey shook her head.

“We haven’t seen Tasha, we thought you might know where she was! We looked all over for any sign of the three of them.”

Anna’s eyes widened, and her heart dropped into her stomach. She whirled around towards Zi, who was hustling over with a flat expression.

“None of y’all worry, we’re gunna find ‘em.” Zi turned to look over her shoulder. “Aiden!” She barked, but the man was already pulling a walkie-talkie out of his hip holster. “Three folk! Fifteen year old blonde girl with glasses! And…?” She glanced towards the Michaels.

“Twelve year old brunette girl with freckles, and an eight year old brunette boy with a privacy helmet, or a birthmark on his forehead!” Trevor answered quickly.

Aiden relayed the information quickly, and in an instant, Anna felt the energy of the convention change. The attendees were still distracted by the booths, unaware of what was happening, but the official looking folks with the equipment at the edges of the room suddenly perked up and started moving with purpose, communicating with each other and approaching the booths to ask the operators questions.

“I’m going to go look for them.” Anna told Zi with what felt like a fist around her lungs, and Zi shook her head.

“You’re just a civilian right now, Anna, let the right people do their job.” Zi told her, a deep frown on her face as she tugged at her jacket or pulled at her hair.

“Tasha is missing.” Anna growled, her hands balled so tightly that a few knuckles popped, but Zi kept her expression flat and composed.

“I know, Annie. I know.” Zi breathed heavily out through her nose.

“—many job opportunities for a diviner looking for a career—”

“Yes, yes, I know—”

“—and I just want to reiterate the opportunities available for you if you decide to join Berriger’s—”

Madeline tried to smile with enough teeth to shut him up. “Lots of room for promotion and structured vacation, I’ve heard—”

The little middle-aged white guy in the suit barreled on. “—and we can easily arrange for a tour, or an interview or—”

Madeline wanted to scream, but thankfully, she didn’t have to keep playing nice for the guy when one of the convention’s security officers stepped up to them, glanced at Madeline’s convention name tag, and gestured for her attention.

“Pardon me, miss?” The rotund officer asked.

Madeline flashed him a grateful smile and turned on her heel, though the scout quickly interjected. “Just a second sir, I’m almost—”

“What appears to be the problem, officer?” Madeline asked, making the portly man lose his words for a moment as he glanced at her face, but then he cleared his throat.

“Madeline, if I can just give you my business—”

“Sir,” the officer interrupted, “this is a matter of convention security, please step aside.” The man ordered, and the scout flinched, stared at Madeline for a moment, then scampered back a few steps. “Now then; miss Madeline, your professor tells me you’re familiar with a miss Natasha Cooper?” He asked.

Her face tightened a moment, her smile faltering as it creased with confusion, but after a moment’s worry, she nodded. “Yes, she should be right over—” She turned to face the chair she’d left Taz sitting in, only to see it empty, “—… there. Did something happen?” Madeline asked with a sudden pitch of worry. “I haven’t left her alone for five minutes!”

“That helps us a bit.” The officer stated. “A couple reported their two children missing and thought they might be with miss Cooper.”

“Taz didn’t come here with two children.” Madeline’s voice grew heavier with concern, and the man swished his beard as he thought it over.

“Well that makes this a bit harder; you don’t know where she went?”

“No, I left her there to recover from her projection.” Madeline shook her head, and turned to face Noelle, who was walking by with a clipboard and a curious look. “Nelly, did you see where Taz went?”

“Ah, oui, Taz all but jumped off of her chair to go looking for ‘Mel.’” Noelle quoted with her fingers, and Madeline just looked more confused.

“Look for Mel…?” She repeated to herself. “That doesn’t make any sense…” She turned to face the security officer. “Would we be allowed to use our psychic abilities to help? We’re diviners, after all.”

The officer opened his mouth to answer, then paused, then picked up his walkie. “Douglas here, the divination booth is offering to help find the missing children… I know what the law is, but we aren’t the police. They’re kids, Edna, we aren’t prosecuting them once we find them … … … Copy.” He swung the device down and nodded. “We’d appreciate the help.”

“I bet. Noelle?” Madeline strode over to the pair of chairs she’d shared with Taz, Noelle on her heels with a small frown.

“My apologies, Madeline; I could have chased after her, but…”

“It’s not your fault, Nelly, Taz is supposed to be a big girl.” Madeline sat down, Noelle sitting down across from her. “I’m hoping she’s just in the bathroom, but I’m worried about those two kids. Can I get their description, officer?”

The security officer rattled off ages and physical traits as Madeline and Noelle held hands, their eyes closing, their bodies relaxing.

Madeline’s consciousness reached out and found Noelle’s easily. The girl’s chill, coffee-shop-atmosphere-like presence met hers with ease, blending together to form a psionic bridge.

Compared to Taz's ease in leaving her body, Madeline had to coax Noelle’s mind to eject her consciousness. She imagined gentle hands clutching Noelle’s and pulling her from the ground and into the air, like she was teaching her to fly, and Noelle floated upwards like a brick, hanging onto Madeline until the demi-bridge formed, and the two hid in a private, silent space within the thought bubble, the numerous thoughts and ideas being tossed through the air little more than quiet whispers.

Some minds poked at the demi-bridge, wordless curiosities brushed aside by Madeline’s will, and she composed herself as she sent a resonating visual of Taz through the thought bubble. All at once, the people in the hall experienced a simultaneous memory of the girl, and Madeline sifted through the confusion to find the hints of familiarity.

{You make this look so easy, ma belle.} Noelle’s presence brushed against her calmingly, taking the form of a pair of hands running down her back encouragingly.

{It’s just a really advanced form of mind reading, Nelly.} Noelle’s mental touch was soothing, but Madeline sifted through the loose collection of memories of Taz, seeing her visiting various stalls, but some saw her in a hurry running towards the exit.

{Do not patronize me by making it sound simple, too.} Noelle thought in a huffy tone. {Shall I look for the two children, then?}

{Please do.}

{I will do my best.}

Taz had definitely left the room, which meant she was away from the densest pocket of psionic resonance. That didn’t mean she was unreachable, however; the building had plenty of people throughout the hallways, just fewer eyes for Madeline to look through, fewer minds to inquire with.

Madeline silently mused how many times she chased Taz throughout her life. Taz was usually the one following her. Madeline, being the older one, was supposed to be responsible, and give Taz some instruction, and a safe person to come talk to. Madeline liked providing those things to Taz; her little sister-by-bond was a consistent source of fun and affection since their childhood. She suppressed a giggle at the memory of her mother’s face when she helped Taz paint herself up with shoe polish so they could be ‘twins.’

Madeline was always ahead of Taz, though, thanks to the difference in their ages, so hunting for her little sister to keep her out of trouble wasn’t unusual.

What was unusual was Taz running off without telling anyone.

Noelle’s voice shook Madeline out of her thoughts. {There are many children who match the descriptions given… I doubt they are here anymore if nobody found them yet.}

{Alright. I’m going to stretch myself out a bit and look through other parts of the building. You should wake up and let them know.}

{I’ll keep a bridge between us so I can relay information!}

{Good idea.}

With that, Noelle’s consciousness left the demi-bridge, leaving Madeline alone to watch her sink like a rock back into her own body.

The girl was only barely competent at astral projection, if she’d just swallowed her pride and joined the telekinesis stand…

Madeline disrupted that train of thought and traveled beyond the fulminating cloud of thought filling the event hall. With less psychic resonance in the halls, it became harder to see; she was drawn to the small groups of people resting away from the crowds or moving to or from the room for their own reasons.

The smaller grouping of minds meant she had fewer viewpoints; fewer eyes, fewer memories, her vision filling with muddy blindspots at times as the resonance became too thin to see through.

Sight beyond sight… if only it were that easy.

The only person in the nearest bathroom was a woman changing her baby’s diaper, and the woman was too tunnel-visioned to have noticed anything else. Madeline was about to risk stretching herself further into the next hallway, but for a desperate moment, she bothered to check the baby’s mind.

There were no… comprehensible thoughts in the baby’s head; its mind was filled with impulses and instinct, focused on the feeling of its bottom being wiped, staring up at its mother, gumming its hand, strangely calm and less chaotic than most children’s minds thanks to the song it was listening to…

… but one its mother didn’t hear.

Madeline almost didn’t notice it at first because the baby wasn’t using its ears to listen, but its mind. Its developing psychic powers allowed it to receive the telepathic notes of a pair of guitars…

… and soft singing…

The baby didn’t recognize the words, they were just sounds to it; pretty little sounds that were the most interesting thing in the world to it.

{—looking back at the year I wasted with you.

Summer spent all smiles and singing,

And I knew I was in trouble when I asked myself:

‘Is this all there is?’}

That chipper guitar, that sorta playful tone of voice over mournful lyrics of a wasted love, it all sounded inspired by late-2000’s Taylor Swift and—

Taz.

Somebody was mentally broadcasting the song, and the baby was just close enough to hear it! Madeline perked up and tried to pinpoint the source, and follow that weak connection through the walls.

It didn’t take terribly long to find three minds huddled together in a utility closet somewhere.

One was very young, very anxious, focused on the song and soothing out thoughts tinged with purple. The next mind was a little older, relaxed, almost entirely taken by the song. It wasn’t broadcasting its thoughts like the younger one, so it was harder to feel… but the last mind there made Madeline sigh deeply in relief.

She tried to create a bridge between them, but she was too far from her body. Taz was too focused on her song to notice, so Madeline drew herself back to her body and woke up.

Noelle glanced at her curiously, and the police officer drew himself up as Madeline stood, took a moment to settle back into her physical body and shake off the phantom feeling of flight, and nodded.

“I think I found all three of them.” She said, and the officer looked pleased.

“Take us to ‘em, miss.” He ordered, lifting his walkie-talkie to inform the rest of the security team.

Madeline radiated an aura of ‘move aside’ as she walked towards the exit with purpose. Noelle followed her at her left, looking monumentally pleased as people watched her, Madeline, and the officer, though her satisfied smirk morphed into one of immense surprise when, a few steps from the door, they were joined by a few figures, some she recognized: a man and a woman that were probably the parents of the missing children, the head of ESP: Aiden Walsh, and Madeline’s mother…

… and a contender for one of the most ravishing women Noelle had ever laid her eyes on.

“You found Tasha?!” Anna asked Madeline with a sense of urgency, her hands anxiously squeezing Madeline’s shoulders.

Madeline gave a mild wince, but didn’t begrudge her aunt for her worried grip. “Yes, and if what I felt is right, she should be completely and totally fine.” She explained, and Anna’s face sagged in relief.

“And our children are with her?” Lindsey asked, antsy on her feet, pressing to Anna’s back in similar nervousness.

“Yes, I felt two more minds with her, both felt young.”

“Let’s not waste too much time, then.” Zi said, pulling Anna off of her daughter before patting her back. “Lead the way, honey.”

Madeline grinned, and continued forward with a small entourage behind her.

Eyes followed the group, wondering why they were bustling about so quickly, and Madeline opened her mind up as she passed by the bathroom. With a small smile, she still heard singing, devolving into some giggling.

It wasn’t as difficult to pinpoint as it wasn’t through the developing brain of an infant, and Madeline was pleased that her brush against Taz’s mind was instantly accepted.

{You are in so much trouble…}

{Eh?!} Taz’s thoughts were instantly muddled in confusion and worry.

{Stay still, I’m coming to find you.} Madeline ordered.

Madeline turned down a thinner hallway than the main walk path and walked until she passed by a door marked Janitor’s Supplies, the low, comforting sounds of guitar coming out of it.

With a twist of the door handle, the entourage gathered around at her back stare at the four figures in the room.

Taz was sitting on an upturned bucket, smiling sheepishly up at her family, Anna’s eyes locked firmly on her daughter and radiating both anger and relief. Danielle sat cross-legged on the floor, James head in her lap, her hand running through his short brown hair as clutched his stegosaurus to his chest like it was the only thing keeping him intact. His eyes were shut, his body language exhausted and tense.

And, standing next to Taz was a girl familiar to some, her silvery-hair contrasting Taz’s golden locks, her fish scale jacket swaying as she rocked back and forth, strumming an exact copy of the guitar in Taz’s hands, humming a familiar song that Madeline couldn’t quite remember, but she knew for certain it was an old rock song.

“Danielle, James…” Trevor whispered, staring down at his children. The group parted, and Taz stood to give both Trevor and Lindsey space as they knelt down with their children. James whimpered as he was lifted into his father’s grip, and both husband and wife kissed his head and examined him for injury, before Lindsey helped Danielle off the floor.

“Are you two okay?” She asked in a very gentle voice, keeping calm with her receding fear.

Danielle gave her mom an apologetic look, and mumbled below her breath.

“Speak up, honey.”

“W-we’re fine! Um… James took his helmet off so he could play with one of the toys at the telekinesis booth, and he was—”

“Danielle convinced him to take his helmet off.” Melodica interjected, and Danielle gasped a betrayed woman’s gasp.

“Tattletale!” Danielle accused, and Melodica snorted.

“Don’t lie to your mother!” Melodica snapped, and twisting on the toes of her seashell sandals, she spun over to Taz’s other side with a grin. “We felt them when we went into the thought bubble so I followed them to make sure they were okay.”

“Then she contacted me to come find them, and we’ve been playing for James so he wouldn’t have a meltdown.” Taz added, prompting a nod from Mel.

“And you very nearly gave me a heart attack.” Anna’s voice dipped to a low growl, storming into the closet. Taz stood, her expression melted into fear once more as her mother stood over her, then all but collapsed on her daughter in a tight embrace. “Good girl. Don’t you ever scare me like that again, however… but… good.” She sighed deeply, kissing the side of Taz’s head.

“Aaaannnnd?” Melodica leaned in with a cheeky smile, and Anna rolled her eyes.

“You as well, Mel.” Anna said with a hint of fondness in her voice.

“Well, I’m glad that’s that crisis averted.” Aiden said with a lop-sided grin, officer Douglas nodding by his side.

“I’ll handle the call.” Douglas said, and Aiden quickly held up a hand.

“Put out a call to look for a missing privacy helmet as well.”

“Yessir.”

The convention center conference building, situated to the west of the main north and south buildings, was a good deal quieter, both in the ears and in the mind.

The lobby was still fairly active; other than a few businessy types sitting around waiting for a meeting being held in the building, there were a handful of psychics relaxing.

Anna guessed some had some form of Mustafi Syndrome like James did. She stared at the boy, who was sitting with a small group of children that were gathered around Taz in front of the enormous mirror structure with the pretentious name Anna couldn’t quite remember.

It was hard to imagine what it was like hearing everyone’s thoughts unfiltered. Taz rarely felt mental exhaustion since she was required to wear her privacy band while out of the house and around school, but Anna remembered having to tend to her daughter’s forty-eight hour headache after the first PA convention they’d gone to, where Taz had spent almost the entire day sharing peoples’ thoughts.

Taz had kept her mind more restrained during the next convention they’d attended, and only spent a single night too mentally exhausted to do much more than eat and watch TV.

Anna turned her ear towards Taz and her guitar, Melodica by her side, either harmonizing with her or playing bass for the songs they’d practiced. They were playing one of Robbie’s favorite Green Day songs, a slow and melancholy rock melody that Anna once enjoyed before his ambitions soured it for her.

Tea and coffee had been passed around to anyone who wanted it–with juice for the kids–and Anna was currently savoring some chamomile. Zi was by her side, using one of the short tables provided to write up a report on her laptop.

Lindsey and Trevor were seated closer to Taz, watching James as Danielle imitated Taz’s hand motions to the best of her abilities, while Madeline and Noelle stood at the rear of the group of kids enjoying Taz’s playing.

Anna smiled to herself as she heard more than a few passing comments from some of the other parents sitting around about her daughter’s playing, one man lamenting that he’d sold his guitar too early in his life.

“Music doesn’t usually create a filter, does it?” Anna heard to her rear left. She looked over her shoulder at a pair of men in nice suits, watching Taz while speaking in low whispers to each other.

“Not usually, no.” The black-haired man said, watching curiously.

“So that girl’s music stops telepathy.”

“Actually, I think she might be creating a subconscious nullifying aura and is using her guitar as a sort of focus in order to calm—”

“Anti-psychic music!”

“Todd, no…”

…

Anna did note that all of the kids gathered around were bare-headed, even James, and none of them were fussing.

“She’s a natural…” Anna mumbled under her breath.

Zi glanced up at Anna’s voice, and reached over to squeeze her friend’s knee. Anna’s hand quickly took Zi’s, squeezing it for support as she watched her daughter with a pained smile. Zi squeezed the blonde’s fingers, and leaned her head over towards Anna.

“She’ll be incredible at PA, Anna. She’ll absolutely kill it.”

Anna didn’t answer for a while, her thumb running over Zi’s knuckles. “She deserves more.”

“Then make sure she gets it.” Zi said, Anna’s continued obstinance provoking an edge of impatience in Zi’s voice.

“Auntie?” Anna heard, looking up to see Madeline standing there with a concerned smile, Noelle by her side and eyeing Anna much in the same way a good number of men did. “You alright? I thought you were gunna have a heart attack on the way over to Taz.”

“I’m okay, Maddy, thank you.” Anna stood slowly, and threw her arms around the girl, holding her tight to try and transfer all the love and thankfulness she could without having to say any more.

Madeline hugged back, patting Anna’s shoulder after a moment so they could give one another some space.

“Tasha’s very lucky to have such a good older sister.” Anna smiled, and reached up to give Madeline’s cheek an affectionate pinch. “I am as well.”

“I gotta put these talents of mine to use somehow.” Madeline smiled proudly, which began to fade when Noelle cleared her throat and took a step closer, her eyes fixated on Anna with enough intensity to make the blonde’s cheer waver.

Noelle gave a well-practiced curtsy, and spoke with an amorous air to her words, “Bonjour, mon ange! Quel dommage que je doive te rencontrer dans des circonstances si sérieuses!" She then cleared her throat, straightened up, and smiled. “I am glad we’ve come to such a happy ending!”

Anna’s brow knit as she stared at the girl, her head tilting, her jaw cocking. "Ah, tu dois être Noelle. Madeline m'a dit de me méfier de toi." She answered.

Madeline’s head twisted in alarm towards Anna, and Noelle reared back, a loud, exaggerated gasp escaping her mouth as she held her hands over her breasts. "Eh?! Tu parles français?!” Noelle leaned closed to Anna with an excited grin. “AH! Mon coeur va exploser tant je suis excitée!"

Anna’s expression hardened for a moment. "Calmes toi. Même si les circonstances me le permettaient, je ne suis pas intéressée."

With all the swagger of a theater major, Noelle’s expression and posture sank, looking ready to faint. "Oh, et juste comme ça, je suis pleine de malheur..."

Madeline stared at her mother with a confused look, but Zi just shrugged, not looking surprised. However, before she could ask any questions, the door to the building opened, and Aiden walked in with a pair of security officers. Aiden was all smiles and pleased with himself as he walked straight over to the crowd of kids, one officer going to talk to Madeline and Noelle, the other going to speak to the Michaels.

“Miss Cooper?” Aiden asked, the guitar playing coming to a halt as Taz looked up at the blindingly handsome man with a look of surprise, Melodica still strumming away as she mouthed the lyrics to Boulevard of Broken Dreams. “And… you, miss…?”

Melodica paused in her jamming with a pout, and gestured to Taz. “I’m with her, she’ll do the talking.”

Aiden looked mildly surprised with the attitude, but kept a gentle tone of voice. “Well I still need to ask you questions since you were involved, miss…?” He fished again.

Melodica sighed with all the annoyance in the world, and stopped her strumming. “Melodica.”

“Melodica what?”

Melodica looked confused, and she and Taz shared an uncertain look. “Cooper, I guess?” She gave a little shrug.

“Sisters?” Aiden glanced between them, and Taz shook her head.

“Mel’s my tulpa!” She answered, and Aiden stared blankly as Taz’s hand disappeared into Melodica’s face, making the girl’s nostrils flare in an annoyed pout. Almost as one, the curious children surrounding the two stood to stick their hands out through Melodica’s body, and the silver-haired girl shrieked in indignity.

“Nope! No! This is weird!” She yelped, the kids giggling as she tried to hop away. “Back, gremlins! MOM!” Melodica raised her voice in terror, before, with the blink of an eye and the beat of a heart, she was gone.

Anna only looked mildly annoyed to have Melodica hiding behind her chair, whimpering. “Not a fan of crowds, Mel?” She asked dryly.

“Not a fan of people trying to stick their hands in me!” Melodica huffed.

Aiden watched the scene with disbelief written across every inch of his features before he turned to Taz. The little blonde suddenly seemed shy, watching the scene play out with her guitar clutched to her chest, though amused as the crowd of children suddenly moved to surround her nervous mother while Mel, despite possessing the power of intangibility, decided to express herself by climbing on top of the chair’s back as giggling hands raised towards her.

“Mel’s… a lot.” Taz explained with a nervous little smile.

“You said she’s a tulpa?” Aiden asked, tilting his head at the scene as Anna suddenly stood, and with a remarkable amount of control, calmly eased the herd of kids into not crowding her with the help of their parents.

“Yeah.” Taz answered with a quick nod.

“Melodica’s been part of the family since, I wanna say, she was six years old?” Madeline said, walking over on her long, long legs to sit down next to Taz and tussle her hair.

“She is so cuuuute…” Noelle purred, glancing between Taz and her tulpa.

Melodica, still crouched on top of Anna’s chair, huffed. “Mom, can I take off my feet?”

“You are only going to draw more attention with your tail.” Anna answered dryly, and Melodica made unhappy little fists.

“But I can’t swim without my fin! I’m not Superman, I can’t fly while I have feet!”

Anna’s eyebrow twitched, resisting the overwhelming impulse to argue with the thoughtform about how gravity and illusions worked, but rather than answer, she simply squeezed the bridge of her nose and Melodica whimpered and suffered under her own self-imposed rules.

Aiden’s expression was one of quiet wonder as he compartmentalized everything Taz had done in the past half hour, looking at the group of children who struggled to maintain a filter against telepathy, yet seemed calm and playful; then to the young girl shaking her long, scaled tail and giggling in delight as she swam around her facepalming ‘mother.’

“Well… Natasha?” Aiden looked down at the girl watching the scene with embarrassed amusement, and Taz met his eyes curiously. “I’ll keep this little Q&A short, if you don’t mind; I have an important phone call to make.”

“O-okay! I don’t mind.” Taz did her best to smile with confidence, and leaned into Madeline when she hugged her close.