Honeyberry

[Code Name] Honeyberry

[Gender] Female

[Combat Experience] None

[Place of Birth] Rim Billiton

[Date of Birth] Mar 20

[Race] Zalak

[Height] 155cm

[Infection Status]

Medical tests have confirmed that no infection is present.

[Physical Strength] Normal

[Mobility] Normal

[Physical Resilience] Normal

[Tactical Acumen] Normal

[Combat Skill] Normal

[Originium Arts Assimilation] Normal

Rim Billiton-born herbalist doctor, concurrently studying psychology. Employee of the Rhodes Island Medical Department. Makes use of rich herbal pharmaceutical knowledge to battle physiological malady, and is simultaneously striving to uphold every operator's mental well-being.

Imaging tests reveal clear, normal outlines of internal organs, and no abnormal shadows have been detected. Originium granules have not been detected in the circulatory system and there is no sign of infection. At this time, this operator is believed to be uninfected.

[Cell-Originium Assimilation] 0%

Operator Honeyberry shows no signs of Originium infection.

[Blood Originium-Crystal Density] 0.13u/L

Operator Honeyberry comes into minimal contact with Originium.

Everyday contact with Infected won't lead to Oripathy transmission, that's common sense; a majority of people don't believe this, which is also common sense.

—Warfarin

An energetic Zalak girl with a vivacious character befitting her age, as well as patience and insight into others' moods. Prefers the company of others.

Before being hired by Rhodes Island, Honeyberry lived with her mother in a forested zone of western Rim Billiton. She's familiar with the medicinal worth of flora common to Rim Billiton, and has a mastery of other knowledge and skills that come with forest life, such as building treehouses, identifying fruits, climbing trees, as well as... jumping down from high places.

It's hard to summarize in one word Operator Honeyberry's ability to 'jump down from up high'—it's difficult to even call it an ability, so much as it's a unique hobby of hers. She's never had physical or technical training, nor has she mastered any special Originium Arts; she simply stands up high where any normal person would be dizzy, recklessly estimates how far she is from the ground, and then extends all four limbs, and soars—

She can land safely without anyone catching her, but still, if she can drop into a friend's embrace, that's all the happier.

Honeyberry loves snacks, especially fruit and fruit products. This love led to a Medical Department coworker—to be specific, Hibiscus—kindly reminding her to watch her sugar intake.

'Sugar's my brain fuel second and my soul fuel first! Appropriate sugar intake promotes higher happiness, and happiness has even more sway over the body's whole health!' So she answered, ardently defending the dried berries she held.

Honeyberry gave nothing up after getting a taste of Hibiscus's stubbornness, instead she found several journals from Columbia, Victoria and the like, flipping to each noted page number, revealing each relationship between sugar intake and happiness, psychological health and physical health, etc. etc. before Hibiscus.

The resolve in her eyes was dazzling, paired with invincible psychosomatic medical theory, leaving even Hibiscus powerless to fight back; she couldn't even stave off a kind invitation from Honeyberry, and gingerly, cautiously, ate a dried berry she'd normally never think of touching.

'Is Honeyberry in? I wanna ask her to dinner, give her my proper thanks. Huh? Of course I'm not inviting her to eat my sis's health food. Even if it's barely more edible thanks to her, having her eat that stuff couldn't count as thanks in a million years.'

—Lava, on a rare proactive visit to the Medical Department

Honeyberry's knowledge of flora's medicinal value forms a complete base, and though it's not too easy to understand clearly from her explanations, when put into practice, Honeyberry's sensible blends of herbals and precise grasp of dosage frequently broaden her Medical Department colleagues' minds. She's never had any systematic medical education, nor has she been any folk herbalist doctor's apprentice. In her own words, her knowledge of theory primarily comes from an old edition of the Victorian-published 'Complete Guide to Medicinal Plants.'

Having such a deep understanding of herbology based on just a single reference book is of course unimaginable; however, once we saw every page was crammed full of notes in the margins, and especially when we discovered these annotations weren't just decoding and organizing the book's contents, but a vast amount were records, analysis, and even correcting the print on the practical effects of herbals, our astonishment became admiration, and we couldn't help but want to pat this girl on the head and tell her she really was incredible.

Neither Honeyberry nor her mother is Infected, nor do they have any other severe organic disease in particular; however, Honeyberry's mother has a minor chronic illness, bedridden at times due to a common cold or joint pain—plus living long-term in a forest rich with vegetation, this was what made Honeyberry delve so deeply into herbology.

However, though herbology can alleviate slight ailments, her mother's physical condition has stayed unwell, and is even declining. After a whole month with a cold, Honeyberry finally talked her mother over, used half their household savings, and went to find treatment in a nomadic city.

Luckily, they met a specialized doctor, and after carefully noting Honeyberry's oral account of the medical history, and completing a multitude of examinations, the doctor gave a precise verdict: what was overcoming Honeyberry's mother wasn't any organic pathology, but a lasting mental pressure. He recommended her mother stay away from any sources of stress, and ideally live somewhere different.

As a demand, it was far too excessive for the mother and daughter. Despite that, Honeyberry, now knowing the cause, immediately switched into studying psychology. At the same time, to bear some of her mother's economic pressure, she began delivering her own resume to every firm she could find, with her own self-written herbological thesis enclosed within.

Many companies were very quick to express interest in her. Summing consideration for work details, settling family, salary and all other various factors, Honeyberry chose Rhodes Island, and after confirming with HR, brought her mother with her.

Benefitting from better economic circumstances, higher medical standards and Honeyberry's untiring efforts, her mother's health has shown signs of improvement.

What moves us is that Honeyberry's life, by all rights, shouldn't be the way it is.

If we look back on the tracks she's walked until now, we can assemble the following chain of cause and effect: Her coming to work at Rhodes Island was due to her psychology skills and excellent achievement in herbology; her passion and effort for these two fields was so she could pin down her mother's health issues; her mother's weakness and susceptibility were due to being forced to live in a remote forest, earning a living and raising a daughter all on her own; the cause of both of these was Honeyberry's father, or differently worded, his status as an Oripathy patient.

Honeyberry's father was the first in the village to catch Oripathy, but no one could see, aside from his family, the Originium crystals appearing on his abdomen. With his attitude of responsibility to the village, and despite his wife and daughter being opposed, he informed the village people of this fact, but was immediately expelled, even his two family members forced into the forest with him.

Afterwards, knowing his days were numbered, he went to the village to negotiate, hoping at least his uninfected wife and girl could live there again, but was outright refused, the reason being that even if his family weren't now, they might become Infected in the future. In despair, the man came home and informed his wife and child of this, thereafter disappearing into the dark forest, never to return.

Perhaps we can imagine, supposing her father wasn't Infected, that with Honeyberry's bright mind, she could find work in some post at some mining firm's dispatch program, living a plain but stable life with her family, just like her mother once did.

But no matter the case, Honeyberry is here now at Rhodes Island, has proved her ability to the Medical Department, 'occupied' a tiny little conversation room, and occasionally even performs her jumping feats from high up on the deck, gracefully landing in a friend's arms—that friend is often Mint, and at times, the Doctor too.

When I was very, very young, my dream was to be an executive in a mining firm, giving my family the tastiest food to eat every day, and the prettiest clothes to wear.

Eventually, my dad passed away because of Oripathy, and my mum and I were shunted into a deserted forest... around that time, my dream was to be a huge doctor, with a cure for any Oripathy no matter how severe.

Later than that, my mum was trying to make ends meet and care for me at the same time, while I was still young, and had to face all that completely unjustified discrimination... 'filthy Infected family' and the like—her health got worse, and my dream got a little more practical: I wanted to become the best herbalist doctor in Rim Billiton, and let my mother be healthy.

Once I began studying psychology, I finally understood how my mum's illness came about. Even after psychological counseling techniques helped her, I just got more pessimistic.

If only my mum wasn't the family of an Infected, we wouldn't have to face all this harassment and discrimination. She wouldn't be flattened by life, and she wouldn't be as frail as she is now. But, you know, how brilliant a counselor do you have to get, before you can sweep the fear and prejudice out of people's minds?

After I came to Rhodes Island, I finally realized, people can't be changed by a couple hours of discussion. But the thing is, so long as you have the courage to take that first step towards somebody Infected, most prejudice can be resolved in time.

And helping people pluck up that courage, take that vital first step, that's my most important duty as a counselor.

—Oh, Doctor, don't get me wrong, no matter what the reason is, you can always book an appointment at my conversation room. No matter if it's mental pressure or everyday hassles, even if you just want to chat, you can come by! Right, and, I've gotten an approved qualification from the Medical Department, so there's even more I can handle! If you ever need help, Doctor, make sure you tell me!