Chapter Text
Somehow, soft snoring was now the most terrifying thing Frazie had ever heard. Why? Because if she made one wrong misstep, the snoring would stop, and she’d be caught red-handed.
She tiptoed across the wagon they all shared as a bedroom. Cramped, yes, but cozy, not too unlike the cabins the camp pamphlet had told her about. Problem was, it made slipping out undetected pretty dang hard... especially since this thing was old enough that every step threatened to emit an ear-splitting creak.
She’d have no chance to come up with an excuse, either. She’d changed into one of her few decent outfits - she kept her trademark shawl and feathers, but she’d traded out her tattered and raggedy acrobat’s clothes for something fresh. Orange and burgundy tights, a short layered orange skirt, and a brown top, all with minimal tearing. A small satchel sat on her back to carry her few belongings. It was an outfit for special occasions... and what was more special than abandoning your family?
If they saw her in this, they’d know she was leaving. Naturally, she planned on not getting caught.
The wagon was doing its best to hinder that, though. Years of training had left her graceful and light, but that was just a testament to how freakin’ old the thing was when every step took a good dozen seconds if you wanted to avoid creaking.
The door was right up ahead by now. Just a couple more steps and she was free to sprint out into the night. Just a couple more steps...
Creeeeeeeeeak.
Her heart stopped when she felt her foot hit a loose board right before the door. Time froze and so did she, not even daring to breathe. The snoring continued on behind her. She let out a silent sigh of relief.
And then she heard shuffling.
A quick glance behind her showed her little sister Mirtala sitting up from her hammock with eyes half-shut. The girl looked straight at her, and Frazie was already preparing her final prayers.
“...Spicy pretzel mustard,” Mirtala murmured, sleepy eyes seeing nothing as she rolled back over. “Know we can’t afford it, papa... but it’s soooo gooooood...”
That little heart attack was enough to convince Frazie to get out of there now. Taking the risk, she jumped forward the rest of the way, landing outside without a sound.
The night air had never felt so good. Catching her breath, she looked back into the wagon, making sure they were all still asleep.
She couldn’t help but frown to herself. Her family was a bunch of goofs, yet she loved them all dearly. But could she ever really fit in with them if they hated a part of who she was? She didn’t know if she was making the right choice, but she at least knew that by the end of it, she could either show them she wasn’t like other psychics... or realize it’s a lost cause and close off that bit of her forever.
The only one of them that understood her plight was Razputin, and she felt extra guilty watching him shuffle in his sleep. Leaving him alone in this psychic-hating family felt dirty, but hey, she wouldn’t be gone too long. Just long enough to hone her powers and show how useful they could be to the Aquatos... and then things would be better for the both of them, right? At least, that’s what she told herself. If she failed, at least she wouldn’t be taking him down with her.
There was no turning back. “Sorry, guys,” Frazie murmured, the grass crunching under her as she ran off to the stables.
~~~~~~~~~~~~
Some time after she’d escaped, Frazie only just realized how much she’d been around her family all her life, how little she ever really left their fairgrounds. This was perhaps her first time ever really setting out alone.
Part of her wanted to embrace it - climb a tree, find a good vantage point and take it all in. She knew she was on a time limit, though. When morning came and her family woke up, they’d be in a panic.
She needed to get to camp.
Thankfully, her tiny trustworthy pony Sugarcube was always willing to ferry her at any time of day. It just... hadn’t expected such a long trip. The small critter wheezed under her as she stroked its mane, encouraging it on. “Allllmost there, buddy, almost...”
And there it was. Up ahead, the gates to the camp loomed over them. She pressed her heels into Sugarcube’s sides and brought it to a stop, the horse letting out a thankful whinny.
Now was a reeeeeally poor time to be getting cold feet. “Am I really doing this...?” Frazie whispered to herself, glancing back into the forest. But even if she turned back, there was no way she’d be back in time before her family noticed her missing. Plus, her pony might actually die from exhaustion. There was no way to go but forward. “Heck yeah, I am.”
She dismounted, Sugarcube collapsing in relief while she tied its reins to a post. “Eat up,” she told it, and the horse tiredly munched on some grass as she headed inside.
Or at least, tried to. A large metal gate kept the place locked tight. She stepped up to it and tugged - no luck.
She tilted her head, then escoffed. “Reeeeal good security.” And it would be... for anyone but an Aquato.
“Alley-oop!” Setting her hands on one of its bars, she flipped herself up, putting her legs on the next set. Tumbling upwards over and over, she finally reached the top and sat atop the camp sign as she surveyed.
Sure, it was nighttime, but she’d expected more activity than the eerie emptiness of the parking lot. “Hello?” she called, and no one responded. Shivering, she jumped down and pressed on.
She delved deep into the camp, passing by cabins and tables before finally finding signs of life. The glow of a campfire illuminated a clearing up ahead, and she crouched in the bushes to see what was going on. Rows of campers sat watching a stout little man march back and forth ranting and raving about psychic warfare. It looked more like a military debriefing than a relaxing night by the fire.
She leaned in a bit more, pondering the best course of action. Should she burst in and make herself known? Nah, that’d freak them out. Slip in and pretend she was always there? She was agile and lithe, but she wasn’t a ninja. Maybe just call out to them...?
Or maybe get suddenly yanked out of the bushes by an unseen force.
“Ack!” she cried. Campers panicked and ran around below her, screaming about monsters and invaders as she was pulled up onstage.
“Settle down, children, settle down!” a tall woman called, her tanned skin gleaming in the firelight. “It’s just a girl.”
The screaming died down, but the other counselors didn’t seem very relieved. “That’s not much less concerning,” said a greenish man. “This is supposed to be a highly classified remote government training facility. No one should be able to just waltz in.”
Slowly, they lowered her to the ground as they lowered their fingers from their temples. The stout man marched up to her, having to glare up at her as she leaned back. “State your name and purpose, soldier!”
“Uh...” She drummed her fingers together, put on the spot. “My name’s Frazie. Annnnnd... I’m here to join the program?”
“Fat chance!” The orange man spun around, waving a finger as he returned to the other adults. “We triple checked the roster, and you’re not on it! This is a training ground for Psychonauts, future fighters on the frontier of the frontal lobe!” He snorted. “Pfah! Frazie... sounds like a spy’s codename.”
Insulted, Frazie leaned back in and jabbed a finger towards him. “I know I’m not on it, but I still want in! Do you know how far and how fast I had to ride my horse to get here day one?!” She crossed her arms. “I may be late, but I’m still a psychic that needs training!”
The other two counselors glanced at each other, muttering ‘horse?’ to each other before the green one addressed her. “Be that as it may, we couldn’t train you even if we took in such an unconventional arrival. We’d need your parents’ permission. And on that note, we’ll have to call them and report this.”
Frazie’s eyes went wide, and she quickly clasped her hands together, pleading. “Please, don’t! They can’t know I’m here. They can’t!”
The woman looked sympathetic, but she shook her head. “Well, it doesn’t sound like we’d have their permission, darling. We have no choice.”
“Please.” Frazie wasn’t going to give up. She didn’t take such a huge risk for it all to blow up in her face before she’d accomplished a thing. “Please, think it over. I know I never signed up, but I never could! I didn’t know this place existed before yesterday!” She slumped, speaking honestly, knowing there wasn’t any point to withholding information. “You’re right, my parents wouldn’t approve because... they hate psychics. And I am one, just like all of you.”
“That’s why I came here. I want to prove them wrong, that not all psychics are monsters. If you just send me back without a chance to improve myself... well, you’re proving them right. Their psychic daughter’s a monster who abandoned them for nothing. I need to show them I was born with a gift, not a curse. Isn’t that what you said in your pamphlet?”
Frazie reached back into her sack and withdrew the crumpled paper that brought her here, waving it in their faces. “Your mother is afraid of you, and your father looks at you with shame in his eyes! Come to Whispering Rock Summer Camp and you can show them all! Back home your powers make you a loner, an outcast, a circus freak...” That last one wasn’t too far off. “But in this psychic dojo, they make you a hero.”She dropped her arm. “Give me a chance to improve, to change their minds! Just... give me a chance.”
Once more, the taller adults shared a look. But judging from the quivering lip of the short one, her speech hadn’t been for nothing. Finally, he pointed. “Get that soldier a bunk.”
Relief flooded Frazie... for about three seconds, before the woman gave her input. “Alright... we can let you stay for a few days, but we still need to call your parents, and we can’t train you without your their consent. You can join the campers until they come to pick you up, at least. Okay?”
Frazie slumped. But despite the setback, she stood straight again after a moment. So long as she was allowed to stay, maybe she could pick up something that’d help her. “Okay. Thank you! I won’t let you regret it.”
Peace finally seemed to return to the campsite. “Please take a seat,” the green man instructed with a wave of his hand. “I am agent Sasha Nein. Him, Coach Oleander. Her, Milla Vodello. Now if we could get back to where we were...”
Nodding, Frazie jumped offstage and ran to the logs, dropping into an open seat near the front.
She paused. It wasright around this time she finally noticed all the other campers were half her size. “Wait a sec...” She whipped her head back and forth, and all the others stared back at her. “Why are all the campers, like, ten?!”
“Because this is a kid’s summer camp, not a teen’s summer camp, missy!” Oleander barked. “You’re the one who wanted to hop aboard, so you don’t get to complain about your fellow cadets.”
The children snickered and giggled at her, and she groaned. Great. Just great.