“—recommended settings will do fine for now, but if you plan to use this laptop for really sensitive things, you’ll want to use the more hardball settings.” Randy pat Taz’s back as she stared at her laptop screen, now running a start-up anti-virus scanner she’d just downloaded with her nominal-uncle’s help.

“Oookaaaayyy… aaannnd, now to dooowwwnloooaaad…” Taz spoke… very slowly as she learned her way around her new computer. “Ah! Stupid capslock…”

“Taz!” Madeline called through the kitchen doorway, wearing a big, green sweater with sewn-in patterns in the shape of ornaments and reindeer. “Lemme know when you’ve downloaded ChitChat!”

“Okay!” Taz called back, quickly opening up a new window in her current browser as Madeline ducked back into the kitchen.

Randy noted she already had cat videos opened up in a few tabs…

“Oh, let’s download you a new browser first.”

“Huh, why?” Taz glanced at her uncle as he leaned forward to take over the keyboard.

“Because Internet Explorer is…” Randy just made a face as he silently wondered if Taz would go for Firefox over Chrome strictly because of the word ‘fox’ in the name.

In the kitchen, Teddy sat in a booster seat, cackling and swinging his arms at a small bushel of cheap metal bells that jangled and clattered as they flew around through the air.

Mr. Cole smiled a toothless smile in his big mechanical chair, an oxygen tank helping him breathe as he played with his grandson. He was still wearing simple, breezy white clothing that wasn't difficult to get into or out of with assistance, but he compensated for his outfit’s plainness with a big ol’ Christmas quilt made by his late wife.

The bells stopped above Teddy’s head, the young boy whacking at them like a cat when Anna stepped up to Mr. Cole with mashed potatoes piled onto a large spoon.

“What do you think, Jebediah?” Anna asked as he took the offered bite, working it around in his mouth for a moment.

{Delicious, Annabelle. Maybe a pinch more salt?} He thought at her, and Anna stood straightened up with a nod, before sneaking a quick bite over to Teddy.

“Do you think it needs more salt too, Teddy Bear?” Anna grinned, scooping some mashed potatoes off the tip of his nose as he smacked the potatoes around in his mouth, then reached out with a small hand to grab the spoon and guide it back to his mouth. “Ah, such discerning tastes.” Anna giggled to herself.

“Just a pinch, Annie!” Zi called over her shoulder before bending down to open the oven door, checking the beef wellington with a meat thermometer. A locket was around her neck, remarkably similar to Anna’s, except it was silver colored to Anna’s gold. “Maddy, baby, how’re the salads coming along?”

“Sprouts salad is almost done, macaroni salad’s in the fridge!” Madeline called back, grabbing the last few garnishings to complete her final Christmas meal assignment before moving it to the fridge. “Anything else you need from me, mom?”

“Ask your aunt!”

“Anything else, auntie?”

“Not at the moment, love.”

Madeline lifted Teddy out of his seat and held her brother in the air for a moment, and Mr. Cole sent out a notion of amusement as his chair started moving of his granddaughter’s volition.

She led non-cooking members of her family over to the couch, Teddy foisted over to their father as she collapsed on the couch next to Taz to watch her downloading and browsing.

“I’m still just wowed that all of this is happening at once.” Madeline said, watching Melodica float in the air above the table, her fin flapping at Teddy to distract the boy from his father’s moustache so he could focus on setting up Taz’s new phone.

“I know!” Melodica said almost breathlessly, holding Taz’s new tablet up to her creator so Taz could, without looking, reach over and tap for the next video in a series on Christmas piano music. “We’re gunna get to go to PA with you, Maddy!” Melodica squeaked, swimming over to the Cole family’s larger Christmas tree, resting in the air next to the angel topper.

“Finally!” Madeline giggled excitedly, hugging Taz to her side as the little blonde blushed, beamed, and leaned against her sister with a happy squirm. “You are going to love it. If you have any trouble with the classwork, you come straight to me, understand?” Madeline asked with a cheeky smirk.

Taz puttered her lips, but nodded. “I will! I’m just trying to not think about it too much right now or else I’m gunna scream again!” Almost on cue, Taz started to vibrate in place, her smile threatening to split her face in half as Madeline snickered.

“What electives are you taking?”

“Well, I mean, I started kinda obvious; music and stuff.” Taz answered nonchalantly, and Madeline gave a quick nod.

“Well you should perform out of that pretty quickly. The beginner class offered to first-time enrollments is pretty much just a formality for musicians like you; it’s otherwise just a burner for people shopping around for easy school credits. You should be able to get yourself into orchestra, choir, or modern music pretty easily.”

Taz nodded at Madeline’s words, but a small pout crossed her face. “Am I only allowed to take one of those?” She asked, turning to face Madeline.

“As far as I’m aware, you can take them all as long as you don’t go over your elective limit.”

“Which is… two for starters.” Taz recalled, drawing a nod from her sister.

“Yup. What did you pick for your second?”

“French language.” Taz answered. She stared at her laptop for a few quiet seconds until Madeline leaned into Taz’s view and gave her a look.

“Should I even bother asking why you chose French?”

“... No.” Taz answered in a small, dismissive tone; it certainly had nothing to do with a certain brunette who’d be on campus, strutting around with that perfectly tended hair, that lovely, heart-breaking smile, that absolutely salivating butt…

Taz blinked to herself; was she gay?

“Girl…” Madeline shook her head, and tousled Taz’s long hair. “I’m gunna need to keep a close eye on you.”

{I’m proud of you, baby girl.} A gentle male voice tickled their minds, and Taz smiled up at Mr. Cole, his aged features wrinkled in just the right ways to imply a big smile. {No matter the reason you’re going, I know you’re gunna do great things.}

{I’m going to try my best, Mr. Cole.} Taz winked his way, and in an almost psionic kiss, sent him a thoughtful little message of love that he returned.

{On the subject of music…} His thoughts trailed off into the gentle chimes of holiday bells and jaunty melodies.

{Sure!} Taz stood up, and Melodica dropped her tablet onto an empty seat to join Taz’s side, the two girls quickly going through little vocal exercises and stretching their piano fingers. {Any special requests from anyone?}

Uncle Randy’s voice suddenly filled their heads as he gave his daughters a sneaky grin. {How about something Maddy can join in on?}

Madeline sat up in alarm, forming a great big pout. “Daaaad…”

Randy just smiled wider. {All I want for Christmas—}

“—is you~!” Taz and Melodica finished out loud with a matching flourish to their voices, leaning against one another like Melodica was solid.

Madeline stood up with a sigh, dusting off her lap and joining Taz and Melodica on the other side of the coffee table, looking annoyed, but at least wearing a smile. “Alright, just this once, but I ain’t doing the dance.”

She suddenly yelped when Taz slapped the side of her sister’s tit with the back of her hand and snorted. “Yeah, I don’t want you taking off my head with those things, Maddy.”

“Bitch…” Madeline pouted, joining the girls in their little warm-up.

“You wanna take the drums?” Taz asked, and with the most guilty look Taz had ever seen on her face, Madeline held up her hands in defeat.

“I’d love to, but I’d just embarrass myself next to you. Can we go without drums?” She asked, side-eyeing Melodica as the mermaid’s fingers ran up and down piano scales with practiced ease in the empty air.

“Naaaah, I can get it.” Melodica nodded confidently, her tail wriggling, the sharp ‘da-dum’ of a drum accompanying her piano playing as Taz nodded, stretched her arms out, and beamed.

“Ahem…” She began, her mind stretching through the house and touching everyone’s thoughts, causing Teddy to settle down for a moment out of curiosity, intermingling with Mr. Cole’s and Randy’s anticipation, piquing the curiosity of her mother and aunt… “I don’t want a lot for Christmas~,”

“There is just one thing I need~,” Melodica picked up in her higher tone, her fingers still as they opened the song with their voices alone.

“I don’t care about the presents~,” Madeline’s huskier voice rose, better matching Mariah Carey than the other girls.

“Underneath the Christmas tree~!” All three girls’ voices joined together, Taz’s mind bridging with Madeline’s, sharing her confidence and knowledge of the song’s structure and her plans to ‘jazz it up’, and with Taz guiding her, Madeline’s voice grew bolder as they shimmied together as almost a single entity, grinning and just barely keeping themselves from laughing as Teddy began to squeal in joy.

Bells, piano, bouncing drums, a cozy bass backing it all up filled the house in both ears and mind, Madeline singing back-up when the time came while Taz and Melodica lead the way with the lyrics.

It wasn’t perfect, but it drew smiles, it brought the two mothers out of the kitchen to watch with tapping feet and nodding heads, and Zi danced her way over to her husband to drag him to his feet, the two holding Teddy as they awkwardly, but happily danced to the song together.

The song came to an end with Melodica adding her own musical touch with an improvised piano bit that matched the tone, but wasn’t anywhere close to as well-structured as the main melody.

Clapping filled the living room, and Taz and Melodica bowed low, Madeline joining in after a curious glance, and Mr. Cole simply radiated pride in his granddaughters as Zi ushered her husband to set the table.

Anna leaned against the doorframe and watched with another long, difficult sigh, and whispered to herself: “Prove me wrong, hon.”

Taz had to restrain herself from licking her plate clean after their late lunch. Aunt Zi’s cooking had no equal, but she had to withhold her appetite so a helping of thirds wouldn’t spoil dessert.

Pies galore, puddings all around, cookies piled high on the counters! Taz’s sweet tooth was in heaven as she sat at the Coles’ big dinner table surrounded by plates and bowls of her sugary haul, munching away as Melodica whimpered happily next to her.

Teddy was passed out on top of Mr. Cole’s lap, the old psychic snoring fitfully to himself. Anna and Zi were in deep conversation on their end of the table, while Randy finished setting up Taz’s phone and tablet specs, passing them over between the blonde’s furious bouts of feasting, and when freed up, began to carefully take the sleeping members of the family upstairs to rest.

Madeline was taking bites out of Taz’s hoard, talking her through what apps to download on her new devices.

“You wanna see somethin’ cool?” Madeline asked with a sudden grin, and after a moment of hesitation, Taz nodded.

Taking a deep breath, Madeline focused her thoughts on Taz’s tablet, and with subtle wiggles of her finger, selected her notepad app and, to Taz’s gasping surprise, typed a quick message with nothing but her mind: ‘What do you think?’

“How’d you do that?!” Melodica demanded, glancing between her tablet and Madeline’s grin.

Taz lifted the device up to stare. “I thought telekinesis didn’t work on touch screens!”

“It doesn’t!” Madeline snickered. “It’s some minor, applied electrokinesis. When I was working through the flu while at PA, I’d use it to answer messages on my phone so I wouldn’t have to sit up or anything.”

Melodica snagged the tablet out of Taz’s hands and shoved her face into her creator’s. “We have to learn to do that.”

“Yeah, then you wouldn’t need me to change the video for you!” Taz nodded, and Melodica wiggled in place.

Madeline watched the two with a small, curious smile. It was easy to forget Melodica had limitations sometimes. Learning more psionics wouldn’t just benefit Taz, but make Melodica so much more… independent.

“Girls?” Zi spoke up from the other side of the table, drawing their eyes. “Not to interrupt the holiday cheer, but Annie and I want to discuss some plans with you.”

“Plans?” Madeline asked curiously, and Taz straightened up.

“About PA?”

“Mhmm!” Zi smiled, and it didn’t take more than that for Taz to scramble out of her chair and go sit down with the women, Madeline following. “So, Taz, on the 30th, I’m going to pick you up from your house early in the morning, and we’re going to fly into PJ so we can get you through the PA initiation and tour—”

Taz slammed her hand over her own mouth to cut her excited shriek short, a blush filling her face as she nodded in embarrassed delight.

“I’ll be going too?” Madeline asked with a grin, only for her aunt to gently wave with a smile.

“Actually, Madeline, if you don’t mind, I was hoping to get your help doing some shopping that day. Your mother and I were talking that I’d be kind of lonely without Taz, and I thought I could get some exercise equipment to keep myself active, and maybe a puppy.”

“Puppy?!” Taz and Melodica gasped as one, and Anna nodded.

“Sorry dear, I know I said no before, but I need something small and excitable in the house or it just won’t be the same.” She grinned, and Taz gave a big pout.

“I want pictures every day I’m gone! And I will come back a bunch!”

“That’s what I’m hoping for.” Anna teased.

“I’d be happy to, auntie!” Madeline smiled at the thought. “Maybe help you update your wardrobe, too? I mean, you still look jaw-dropping–and frankly, I have no idea why you think you need to exercise… but hey, you might meet a guy while Taz is out!” Madeline winked.

Anna gave a small, encouraged blush and nodded, while Taz just gagged.

“That’ll be nice. It’s been far too long since I spent time with my favorite niece anyways.” Anna squeezed Madeline’s shoulder, and the two beamed at one another.

“And I’ll get a whole day showing mine around her dream school.” Zi gathered Taz into a tight hug, earning a little giggle. “I’ll even get to introduce you to some of the school’s top folk! Dean Davis is a great guy. If he has the time, he loves to meet new students.”

“That sounds really fun! Ugh, I can’t wait! Why do we have to wait?!” Taz huffed and shimmied in place, earning snickers all around.

“Well, ya gotta give them time to enjoy the holidays too.” Zi pat her shoulder comfortingly, but Taz still squirmed in impatience. “C’mon, let’s throw on a movie, maybe manage to grab me a nap…”

Taz straightened up immediately. “I can clean up the dining room!”

“Oh wouldja, honey? I’d appreciate that.” Zi kissed Taz’s forehead, and Taz simply beamed as Anna smirked; her daughter was so terribly helpful when she was getting showered in presents...

“Madeline?” Anna said with a sneaky grin, and Madeline gave a low groan.

“Yeah yeah, I’ll help her. Alright squirt, let’s make clean.” Madeline rubbed her hands together, and the two mothers moved into the living room to turn on the television.

“Subject #44; male. Name: Armando Garcia, age fourteen.”

“Subject #44 is a normal psychic; mother is psychic, father is human, both Mexican.”

He opened his eyes, suddenly and in shock when a light turned on overhead. The blinding light made the throbbing sensation in his temples worse, tears collecting between his eyelids as adrenaline pounded through his body.

“A—… ayuda!” He called in a youthful, boyish voice, and sucked in deep breaths as he tried to lift his arms, but they were strapped down at his sides.

“Subject is conscious at seventeen-hundred hours.”

Armando twisted his limbs around as much as he could, but at best he managed to shake in the straps keeping his back to the surface he was raised up on. Even his head was strapped down by a thick, metal band, and despite his best efforts to project his mind at that blinding light glaring down at him, he couldn’t turn it away, or even off.

“¿Oye?!” He shouted as best he could. “¿Hola?! ¿Hello?! ¿Anyone?! Ayuda!” He tried to thrust his hips up to try and get some leverage, but even his torso was tightly bound. Looking around, he could barely see through the blur his headache was leaving him with, but he saw two figures in white outfits standing at the edges of the rooms. “Hey!” He shouted at them, but the two spoke in calm, monotone, male voices.

“Subject is alarmed and showing signs of panic. Administering calm via telepathy.” One of them said, the other approaching Armando as he jerked himself as best he could away from the man, his face covered by a simple white mask and goggles, his white outfit some form of doctor’s robe, and gloved hands reached up towards his forehead, and the privacy band restraining the boy clicked open.

As soon as the man pulled the band off his forehead, Armando tried to summon up every ounce of his mental energy he could to do something, anything to the strange doctor, but the mass of negativity he tried to throw into the man’s brain dissipated against a mental murk shielding the doctor-man’s mind.

Armando gasped, trying to turn and bite at the hands bracing his face, the man pressing two fingers to his temples, and a strange calm was forced into his body. Armando tried to hang onto those feelings of panic, trying to thrash and scream as best he could, reaching out with his mind to knock over small objects surrounding the room and show his pain to anyone who might be able to help him, but as the calmness crept into his mental state and colored his emotions, his fear and fury slipped away, replaced only by a strange sense of distant worry, a touch of ennui, and an overly relaxed sensation that made his body feel heavy.

“¿Qué me estás haciendo…?” He asked tiredly. Where were his parents? He’d just been out on a walk to get away from his family for half an hour or so, and now he was here, seemingly in the blink of an eye.

“Subject has been calmed. We are now preparing him for step one of the Gestalt Procedure.”

The man leaning over Armando stared him in the eye, Armando barely able to return the gaze without his eyes misting over from the light.

“Armando, do you hear me?” The man asked, and after a moment of hesitation, Armando nodded.

“Sí—yes… I hear you…” Armando answered tiredly.

“Good. You are about to be a part of something very important.” The man said slowly, clearly, every word enunciated and projected into Armando’s mind, so he heard it both audibly and mentally. “We are going to put you in isolation. I want you to try to remain relaxed, understand?”

“Wh-what will happen?” Armando asked. He was breathing heavily, despite how relaxed he felt, and the man turned to face the other as the other walked out of Armando’s vision, and he could barely feel the other’s mind tingling with thought behind him.

“You’re going to hear a lot of thinking. We want you to try and talk to everyone, okay?”

Talk to thinking…?

“Okay…”

His eyes rolled around the room as the table beneath him moved, the doctor wheeling him away from that blinding light until he was staring at the edge of some metal machine, with a big, donut-shaped entry port.

The doctors lifted his head and put some sort of metal helmet thing over him, which pinched his cranium and pulled his hair awkwardly, but the best he could do was utter a whimper as it was strapped in place under his chin, and he was carefully slid inside of the machine.

“Will this be like an MRI?” He asked in a relaxed tone of voice, still breathing heavily, his eyes almost spinning in his head as he was slowly, carefully slid inside of the machine, the white light of the room replaced by an oppressive darkness.

“Yes, Armando. Now remember, remain calm, and try to talk to them.” He heard, muffled through the machine.

He lay still, pinned down in darkness, but unable to feel much more than a hint of worry as the machine around him whirred to life, and the helmet around his head shifted and shook as something clicked into place.

A muffled voice sounded from outside the machine: “Starting procedure in three, two, one…”

He just… had to remain calm, and talk to them.

And they, the thoughts, the voices, whoever they were… screamed.

Screamed, loudly, deafeningly, filling his mind with so much noise and torment that that strange cloud of relaxation vanished in an instant, and his throat hurt as his cries of pain rose to join them, until the entire world was white with pain and terror, and he shook uselessly against his restraints as a mental agony unlike any other ceaselessly poured into every thought and feeling throughout his body.

Outside the machine, the two men listened to his crying and shrieking, and one clicked his recorder.

“Subject #44 is a failure. Moving to disposal procedures.”