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psychonautscadre · 3 years
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Mind Honey: Health & Funding
What many people are unaware of is how, before and during the history of the psychonauts as an agency, honey has played a crucial role in keeping it functional. For the purposes of academic rigor (and the associated benefits of extolling a source of income for the agency) I wish to discuss this role. Agent Maloof Canola
Honey has long been known for its healing properties, thanks to its antiseptic nature. As a form of long term energy storage, this strongly benefits the bees that produce it, and many creatures, humans included have learned to harness this for their benefit.
What is less well known is the natural consequences of bees creating the honey from their environment. Different pollens produce markedly different honeys, from simply different tastes to some honeys being outright poisonous.
Even less well known is the influence psycho-reactive substances have on swarm animals like bees, and the unique survival strategies used by these swarms.
As first posited by Cassie O’Pia in the opening to her famous book Mind Swarm, swarm intelligence is readily observed in insects and other colonies of creatures that live in environments rich in psycho-reactive minerals. This swarm intelligence is usually extremely volatile, resulting in rapid decline in populations and the death of colonies due to intense infighting within the swarm intelligence whenever it gets disrupted.
Becoming an apiarist herself after she emigrated to the states, O’Pia discovered that bees were uniquely capable of cushioning this psychic feedback and on further investigation discovered that due to the filtering of psycho-active minerals through plants, the resulting pollen made into honey would produce an actively soothing and strengthening effect for its consumers. This meant that bee colonies were naturally buffered by their consumption and circulation of this psychic soother.
It was thanks to O’Pia’s discovery of this mind honey, as well as her excellent acumen for financial matters, that led to the Psychic 7 being able to fund their lifestyle and research before the Psychonauts officially became an international agency. With the assistance of Compton Boole, a potent zoo-ophonist and fellow member of the Psychic 7, she was able to harvest this honey for use in cooking. Entering into a deal with a nearby entrepreneur, Bucky Fierros, O’Pia and Boole made a lot of money providing food for sale through the entrepreneur’s roadside attraction. Actively soothing to the mind, even non-psychics would feel sated and comforted by foodstuffs made with the mind honey made by psychic bees.
This source of income was surprisingly successful. Even with only local and tourist customers, the Psychic 7 were able to fund all of their research off this source of funding. Were it not for the precipitating incident of the foundation of the Psychonauts, it is likely that the ‘Lumberstack’ brand would have made it into country-wide circulation. It is interesting to speculate as to what might have happened from there.
After the Deluge of Grulovia, things quickly changed. With the disappearance of Cassie O’Pia, and the new direction of the Psychonauts as an international agency dedicated to the protection of free thought, Otto Mentalis chose to use his own research as a source of funding. Fierros, bereft of Cassie O’Pia’s products and Compton Boole’s cooking, was swiftly overwhelmed with financial troubles and disappeared with most of the remaining profits of his enterprise.
Mind honey wasn’t completely removed from the Psychonauts, however. In a nod to his colleagues, Otto Mentalis did create two brand of sweets sweetened with trace amounts of mind honey, known to many as Psi-Pops and Dream Fluffs. Although production was limited by the lack of a dedicated farm for producing mind honey, these sweets are actively used by many agents as essential pick-me-ups even to this day.
One other trace of Cassie O’Pia’s early work still exists: Wildfree Honey Pepper Boar Bacon. Wildfree Ranch was a co-operative venture between Cassie O’Pia and Deborah and Sion Sweetwater in Canada. Founded in a region with limited psitanium deposits, the ranch uses free range boar, greenhouse grown peppercorn and weakly active mind honey to produce the popular product. Despite its popularity with psychics, due to the difficulties of expanding production, Wildfree Honey Pepper Boar Bacon is still a rare and expensive commodity.
Fortunately for the Psychonauts, this was not the last time mind honey would be relevant to its bottom line. Around the time of the Whispering Rock incident, the Psychonauts were facing financial difficulties, due to a decline of international funding at the lobbying of several interested parties. Fortunately, the reemergence of Cassie O’Pia came with the added benefit of a vast influx of cultivated mind honey. With a massive increase in production, and the publication of several articles promoting its health benefits, mind honey returned to being a staple breadwinner for the organisation.
Today the diversification of the Psychonauts financial portfolio has massively reduced the risks associated with losing funding from the international community, which in turn allows us more freedom in actively opposing government sponsored oppression. All thanks to mind honey.
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psychonautscadre · 7 years
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Elton grimaced and looked away. There wasn’t much you could say to that.
After a few minutes of just listening to the breeze in the sails, a door swung open with no visible person doing so before closing again. Instinctively, Elton turned his head to follow the invisible Milka’s movement as she unsteadily crossed the rolling deck.
"Excuse me, do you know any ships headed north-east from here?" A blue-haired man wearing a white hat with an anchor on it taps Raz on the shoulder. - psychonautscadre
Raz turned to look up at the man, “Multiple ships. Why do you ask, sir?”
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psychonautscadre · 7 years
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A thought struck Elton as he nodded at Milla’s words.
“Is it really that hard to find people who are willing to live with psychics here? I understand a cultural bias, but surely there are those who break the mold? I grew up by the dockside, I’ve seen the variety you can find amongst seafarers...”
"Excuse me, do you know any ships headed north-east from here?" A blue-haired man wearing a white hat with an anchor on it taps Raz on the shoulder. - psychonautscadre
Raz turned to look up at the man, “Multiple ships. Why do you ask, sir?”
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psychonautscadre · 7 years
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How’s the eccentric science going now?
It’s been put on hold, more’s the pity. We’re currently scrambling to try and pull ourselves back together after the latest mission. Several of the cadre had to make their escape from tight situations, and I’m about to suit up for a space walk to pick up Bobby from the International Space Station. Wish me luck!
- Chloe Barge
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psychonautscadre · 7 years
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Elton smiled at the sight, lost in memories for a moment. After he’d finished his little nostalgia trip, he wandered over to the edge of the boat and began walking around the edge of the deck.
After circling once around its edge, ducking a splash of water from one of Raz’s wilder swings, he walked over and sat down next to Milla.
“Hello again.”
He looked up at the tall woman and nodded a greeting.
“I met Sasha inside. Are there any crew I haven’t met yet? I know psychic abilities can make things easier, but I can’t help wonder how the ship would get through stormy weather with such a low number...”
"Excuse me, do you know any ships headed north-east from here?" A blue-haired man wearing a white hat with an anchor on it taps Raz on the shoulder. - psychonautscadre
Raz turned to look up at the man, “Multiple ships. Why do you ask, sir?”
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psychonautscadre · 7 years
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“That makes sense,” Elton said with a nod. “I’m heading up to get some fresh air. I’ll let you relax in peace.”
With a second nod, he turned and walked out onto the deck, raising a hand and blinking at the bright sunlight that streamed through the open door. A gust of wind caught his hat, and instinctually he held it to his head with a telekinetic hand. As his eyes adjusted to the light Elton took a moment to appreciate the view of the sea before he noticed what was actually going on on deck.
"Excuse me, do you know any ships headed north-east from here?" A blue-haired man wearing a white hat with an anchor on it taps Raz on the shoulder. - psychonautscadre
Raz turned to look up at the man, “Multiple ships. Why do you ask, sir?”
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psychonautscadre · 7 years
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Elton smiled.
“All at once? I imagine that takes some serious brain power,” he said, smiling at the thought. Another struck him a moment later.
“Isn’t a cigarette dangerous to have on board a wooden vessel?”
"Excuse me, do you know any ships headed north-east from here?" A blue-haired man wearing a white hat with an anchor on it taps Raz on the shoulder. - psychonautscadre
Raz turned to look up at the man, “Multiple ships. Why do you ask, sir?”
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psychonautscadre · 7 years
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Elton suppressed a surprised look on his face as he spotted the unmistakable shape of Sasha Nein, and instead walked over, feeling the soft sway of the ship as it plowed through the waves. His sea legs had appeared nearly as soon as they’d left, and there was something about the sensation that was putting him at ease.
“Hello.” Elton caught himself before he sounded too familiar. “I’m Elton Fir.” He proffered a hand.
"Excuse me, do you know any ships headed north-east from here?" A blue-haired man wearing a white hat with an anchor on it taps Raz on the shoulder. - psychonautscadre
Raz turned to look up at the man, “Multiple ships. Why do you ask, sir?”
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psychonautscadre · 7 years
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Once the door was closed, Milka returned to visibility, perching herself up on one of the hammocks. Elton joined her, wrapping one arm round her and leaning his head on her shoulder. They stayed like that for a while.
'Okay, let’s recap,' Elton thought to Milka. ‘Kitty’s had to jump universes to get out of a tight spot. Her device broke due to psychic backlash from her attacker. She finds herself on an island that corresponds to a volcano, so we can’t go in directly, so you and I agree to go fetch her.’
‘Right so far, Elton.’
‘But then it turns out that this world has wooden ships, pirates, and no Psychonauts. And we happen across the one ship that has not just the equivalent Raz, but Truman, Lili and Milla.’
‘Yes.’
‘Milka... why did I make that bet with Elka?’
‘Because you forgot she can see the future when Franke hit you with a confusion grenade that one time. Now shut up and kiss my headache away.’
---
A few hours later, once the ship was underway, Elton emerged from the cabin, looking to explore the ship and meet more of the crew.
"Excuse me, do you know any ships headed north-east from here?" A blue-haired man wearing a white hat with an anchor on it taps Raz on the shoulder. - psychonautscadre
Raz turned to look up at the man, “Multiple ships. Why do you ask, sir?”
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psychonautscadre · 7 years
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Elton’s smile saddened slightly, but he nodded nonetheless.
“We are.”
As he entered the cabin, Milla heard Milka whisper in her ear.
“I’d like to talk later. I’ve a proposal I think you’d like.”
With that, the movement of air indicated the invisible woman had passed into the cabin. After a few moments, Elton returned to the entrance.
“This is perfect. We’ll stay down here, out of the way of the crew, until we leave port.”
"Excuse me, do you know any ships headed north-east from here?" A blue-haired man wearing a white hat with an anchor on it taps Raz on the shoulder. - psychonautscadre
Raz turned to look up at the man, “Multiple ships. Why do you ask, sir?”
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psychonautscadre · 7 years
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Elton smiled at Milla as he ducked through a low doorway.
“We’ve been friends since we were kids, the lot of us. There was this camp, full of activities and psychic challenges, and we all went for one reason or another. Then there was a disaster, and one of us took point and saved the day. Everyone was inspired, one way or another, and since then we grew closer and trained harder. Now, we all work together.”
Milka hums and adds a name.
“White Rose Cadre.”
She returns to silently following them.
"Excuse me, do you know any ships headed north-east from here?" A blue-haired man wearing a white hat with an anchor on it taps Raz on the shoulder. - psychonautscadre
Raz turned to look up at the man, “Multiple ships. Why do you ask, sir?”
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psychonautscadre · 7 years
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“Her name’s Kitty. She’s a friend, but also a co-worker.”
Elton paused, working out in his head exactly how to continue.
“She was stranded after her... method of travel was damaged, and we need to go help her fix it.”
"Excuse me, do you know any ships headed north-east from here?" A blue-haired man wearing a white hat with an anchor on it taps Raz on the shoulder. - psychonautscadre
Raz turned to look up at the man, “Multiple ships. Why do you ask, sir?”
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psychonautscadre · 7 years
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Milka returned to her invisible state as the two followed Milla from the cabin.
Elton gave a low sigh of relief. Endeavoring to make small talk, he turned to face Milla.
“So how long have you been sailing under Captain Zanotto?”
"Excuse me, do you know any ships headed north-east from here?" A blue-haired man wearing a white hat with an anchor on it taps Raz on the shoulder. - psychonautscadre
Raz turned to look up at the man, “Multiple ships. Why do you ask, sir?”
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psychonautscadre · 7 years
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“Glad to hear it,” Elton said, looking over at Milka. “We had an inkling, but it is good to have it confirmed.”
Milka gave a nod. Elton leaned over the desk, withdrawing a bag of coin.
“It also means we can tell you that we’re on a rescue mission. A friend of ours ended up stranded, and we need passage to the island. Is this enough?”
"Excuse me, do you know any ships headed north-east from here?" A blue-haired man wearing a white hat with an anchor on it taps Raz on the shoulder. - psychonautscadre
Raz turned to look up at the man, “Multiple ships. Why do you ask, sir?”
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psychonautscadre · 7 years
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Elton nodded and seated himself on one of the chairs. There was a brief pause, a flash of emotion crossing his face, before he nodded at thin air. A young woman, dressed in black garments from head to toe with the exception of sports wraps around her hands, faded into view, pulling out the other seat and sitting down next to Elton.
“Good to meet you, Captain Zanotto, Miss Zanotto. My name is Elton John, and this is my companion Milka. We understand that your ship is not as unaccustomed to those with abilities. We’re looking for passage to an island north-east of here, five degrees north and three degrees east.”
Elton eyed the maps on the table, finding one that displayed the region and pointing.
“That one there.”
"Excuse me, do you know any ships headed north-east from here?" A blue-haired man wearing a white hat with an anchor on it taps Raz on the shoulder. - psychonautscadre
Raz turned to look up at the man, “Multiple ships. Why do you ask, sir?”
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psychonautscadre · 7 years
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Elton gave a smile and continued to follow Milla through the cabins.
“That’s good to hear. That you’re not superstitious, I mean.”
He followed her in silence, giving a few glances at thin air. The young man nearly ran into Milla when she knocked on a door.
“Why’d we stop?”
"Excuse me, do you know any ships headed north-east from here?" A blue-haired man wearing a white hat with an anchor on it taps Raz on the shoulder. - psychonautscadre
Raz turned to look up at the man, “Multiple ships. Why do you ask, sir?”
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psychonautscadre · 7 years
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Elton followed. An attentive listener might notice an extra set of footsteps as they walked.
“I don’t know exactly, but I can tell you exactly how far away it is and in what direction. I’ll need to point it out on a map.”
He paused as he passed through a cabin door, one hand resting on the latch, looking up at the tall woman in thought.
“This might be an odd question but... how superstitious are people in these parts?”
"Excuse me, do you know any ships headed north-east from here?" A blue-haired man wearing a white hat with an anchor on it taps Raz on the shoulder. - psychonautscadre
Raz turned to look up at the man, “Multiple ships. Why do you ask, sir?”
47 notes · View notes