What was the task again? Ah, right. Identify and collect comfrey root, chamomile blossoms, juniper, and burdock root. That is not too difficult of a task. Well, aside from the fact that Imperia is rather unfamiliar with the Ascendants territory. But she possesses a vague knowledge of what the herbs look like and where they grow, so Peri believes it should take no longer than a couple hours to find what she needs. Beautiful gunmetal grey fur shimmers like the night sky even beneath the glaring eye of the hot sun as the elegant she-wolf begins her search. While sagacious silver eyes the color of stardust sweep her surroundings for any of the telltale characteristic of the plants she is searching for, Imperia wonders if anyone else is partaking in the little challenge hosted by Warringkingdoms. She thinks it would be fun to sit down with other herb nerds and talk about plants, but for now she is content to go it alone. It's okay to be alone sometimes. "Peaches in the summertime, apples in the fall," she sings to herself, allowing her mind to drift to those early days spent with Marguerite as they searched for flowers and herbs together. "If I can't have the girl I love, I don't want none at all~"Her mother is the one who sparked Imperia's interest in the art of healing and encouraged her love for learning. It is in her mother's old journal that Peri now uses to record sketches and applications of useful fauna. it cannot be known whether Marguerite is dead or alive after she helped Peri escape that awful place, but the young female likes to think that by adding new entries to her mother's most precious item, Marguerite is with her in spirit.

"Shady Grove, my little love. Shady Grove, I know. Shady Grove, my little love. I'm bound for Shady Grove!" Her voice is soft and sweet. By no means can her skill be compared to that of an opera singer, but she can carry a tune and that is enough for her. Peri's mother used to sing this song to her and, being the romantic that she is, it stuck. Now she hums along to the tune whenever she is working.

For a creature with no opposable thumbs, Imperia now sits before four separate piles of herbs drawing very intricate pictures of each plant and making note of how they can be used both medically and recreationally. 'Chamomile is a small bush with small, daisy-like flowers with yellow centers and white petals. It has a large variety of uses, such as treating anxiety, burns, depression, ear infections, sleep issues, stress, sunburns and rashes, and digestive issues. It’s an anti-inflammatory, antidepressant, antiviral, sedative and aromatic plant. The flowers can be used in teas, as oils, or plain, with a mild taste that allows it to be used in combination with a large variety of other medicinals,' she writes after referencing both the actual plant and a book on herbalism. peri already knew most of that information, but writing it down means that anyone can access the information is necessary. Plus she just likes to draw. "Cheeks as red as the bloomin' rose, eyes of the prettiest brown. She is the darling of my heart—the prettiest girl in town." Anyone who might happen to walk by will see Imperia singing quietly to herself, completely immersed in her sketches.

Health was treated differently when it came to the aspect of humans. During the era that he was born in it wasn't hard for humans to survive serious injuries that they had managed to get in battle. They needed to think of better ways to treat their wounded considering how many wounded they would get all of the time during the Great War. Understandable, and this meant that there were quick solutions that would help heal a soldier in the middle of battle. But that also meant that the enemy was going to have to figure out ways to make sure that the soldiers didn't manage to heal themselves during the battle. As usual when it came to a war, killing the medics of the enemy was a surefire way to make sure that there would be more losses on the other side. It was strategic and true, especially since someone had to be trained to be the likes of a medic to help others. No one could just immediately replace another medic, especially not a regular marine. The health that they were given during his time in Project Freelancer probably could be considered the best of the best.

Those that worked there weren't on the same level as the likes of a crazed scientist that wanted to take part in the experimental procedure with the super soldiers. Instead, they wanted to help the program become the best that it could be, which was certainly a feat considering what the program was indeed trying to be in the end. The one that had been in the infirmary the most was probably Washington himself. Since he wasn't the greatest or the top contenders compared to the rest of his teammates he was prone to getting himself injured. He was never really sent on solo missions unless he was being scheduled to go to a simulation trooper base because the Project knew that he could mess up the mission if he was alone. Which there were very few Freelancers that were even sent on solo missions in the first place. There were too many variables that could end up in a failed mission by just sending one, so to negate that, they instead decided to at least have a pair go out on a mission, minimum. It made things a whole lot easier, but when Washington went on missions he usually went in a group of three.

He was always the lowest rank out of the group, so he was used to following orders that were given to him and really without argument. He had a job, and he planned on completing that job without fail if he could make the mission work in their favor. He had his life saved by others countless times during his stay in Project Freelancer, ironically it seemed like it was Agent Carolina that had ended up saving his ass a couple times here and there. The next Freelancer that probably got the most injured would be Agent New York. Or just York. He remembered the accident that had taken the locksmith's eye, and it was all because Agent Maine and Agent Wyoming wanted to show how strong they were. Of course, they ended up losing and Agent York got caught in the crossfire, a grenade going off right next to him, shattering his helmet. Maybe that had been the reason why York had been paired with a healing unit as some of his equipment that every Freelancer had. Agent Maine may have been the next, but that was probably because the rest of the team would push him to do the impossible. The guy was basically a walking talk in heavy armor, being the tallest and the heaviest of the Freelancers.

He did end up losing his ability to speak though when he was shot in the throat. Even if he wasn't much of a talker from basically the very beginning but still. Agent Maine had survived the terrible wounds thanks to the medics that they had on the Mother of Invention. Biofoam being their save and grace as it could seal wounds in a matter of seconds once it was applied to the body. It was good for stabilizing a unit, that would allow the medics to go in and cauterize a wound if it needed to be. The longest that he had ever been in an infirmary was probably almost a month. Physical therapy was certainly a bitch to be forced to go through. But they were always adamant on never giving anyone a medical discharge. If someone got hurt, no matter what, they were going to be out fighting again. No questions asked. After all, they were replaceable. If one of them died, the Director would just find anyone to replace them. So, he had yet to be able to figure out what the medical status of this place would end up being. Agent Washington had no knowledge of herbs whatsoever and what they were capable of doing.

He was smart enough to know not to go around eating random plants. That was because he had been to other alien planets when he was a Corporal in the military. He had heard a couple stories, whether they were weird or fake he didn't know, he just knew that he wasn't dumb enough to go down that route. If he figured out that the only way someone could heal him here wasn't through surgery or biofoam but instead herbs, he probably wouldn't even allow anyone to touch him. Or even trust that the herbs would actually help his body, as there would be a chance that they could just give him a poisonous plant that he wouldn't know about and kill him that way. Agent Washington was a soldier, he wasn't a medic. He knew some of the basics if he was ever injured alone in the field, but he could never mend a bone or patch up serious injuries. That wasn't in his pay grade. The armored smilodon had been walking around. This time was day was when he did his patrols around the perimeter of the outpost to see if he could find anyone that he could recognize that would end up dropping down here. After his interaction with Imperia, he honestly realized that he didn't hate the female, because she seemed to know a lot.

But in the back of his mind, he knew that he was only going to use her for information later. The smilodon was able to hear voices from where he was at, and since he couldn't use his nose to smell anything as the vents to his helmets were restricting to what air came in and out, a filter built into it when he breathed. This way if he was even in a poisonous gas he wouldn't breathe in the toxic air. As usual, he had no intention of taking off of his helmet anytime soon. The soldier made his way over, only seeing two familiar faces and one that he didn't know. He was bigger than all of those that were there, so he made sure to keep his distance like he usually did. What he was quick to notice was that Imperia had a pile of plants around her. Were they significant? Or were animals here capable of actually having a hobby? The tip of his short tail would twitch itself as he would think about that for a moment, stopping five feet from the group. "You.. collect plants?" Washington vaguely questioned like he usually did when he didn't understand something. What was the point? Were they important? Considering his question Imperia would probably explain to him what they were. If it was possible to see behind his visor, one would see that he had raised a nonexistent eyebrow when he spoke. This place just continued to get more confusing as the days went on. "speech"

There are a lot of luxuries in life to which Imperia was denied for much of her early life. Freedom to speak her thoughts. Freedom to sleep where she wanted, when she wanted. Freedom to express herself, even if it was a bit different from the status quo. Romping around the forests with other children her age was among the few privileges she was granted, though it was in hopes that child's play would toughen her up in a way that Pierre's "lessons" were unsuccessful. For a time, Imperia was happy. She loves to run—always have and always will. She ran and ran, laughing till her sides hurt because she loved being in a safe place with people she felt comfortable around. That all changed, however, when her best friend Katherine suddenly decided that she no longer liked Imperia. Kat was the unofficial ringleader of all the pups in the pack, so when the boss declared that Peri was unfriended, everyone else followed suit. And just like that, Imperia was denied the freedom to play as a child would. The bullying and the harassment eventually caused the young girl to remain within her family's home unit, but it was not much safer unless her father was not home. It was her mother, Marguerite, who made Imperia's life just a little sweeter. Marguerite taught her all about herbs and other fauna. About songs and how to read, too. Marguerite helped her learn how to not be so afraid, how to fight against the fear and anxiety that plagued her even when no one else was around. And, when the time came, Marguerite helped her escape the pack.

Imperia misses her mother horribly. It is terrifying being in this world all alone, trying to navigate without any guidance. Around every corner is a new unknown, a variable that could mean life or death depending on how the universe decides to play its cards. But the she-wolf is doing her best. She always keeps a smile on her face, is friendly to everyone she meets, and busies herself by doing things she loves. It just so happens that Marguerite could often be found in a similar state as Imperia: limber body arranged comfortably within the cozy shelter of low-hanging branches and dense foliage, ruddy brown fur reminiscent of iron-rich clay shining beautifully in the dappled sunshine spilling through the trees while sketching some plant or another; angelic voice humming one song or another. None of the Ascendants would be able to tell, but Imperia resembles her mother immensely.

Soft pawsteps draw the female's attention from her drawings—lovely silver eyes sweeping up from the ivory pages to observe the creature now approaching. Ah, Warringkingdoms! The one who is monitoring the collection of herbs. A friendly smile tugs at her lips. "The song is called Shady Grove," she replies, lean muscles rippling beneath a pelt of starshine and moondust as she pushing herself up into a seated position. It feels strange not to communicate with others while lying down. "My mother used to sing it to me when I was little." As she concludes her response, both Suiteheart and Washington arrive. Sterling eyes linger on the latter for a moment before focusing on the alabaster female. Upon the compliment of her abilities, Imperia immediately blanches, struggling for words before stammering an expression of gratitude. Evidently, the creature does not handle positive feedback very well. "Yes," Peri responds once she finally finds her words again. "I was never good at fighting so I was taught how to heal." What she does not say is that it was never in any official sense. Her pack never has much use for medics, as the general opinion encompassed a belief that anyone who could not survive of their own merit was not strong enough to be supported by the pack.

A delicate laugh rings from black lips in response to Washington's question. It is not a mocking laugh, simply one of genuine amusement. "In a way, I suppose," she says with a smile. A single paw beckons him closer. Just because he is physically larger than everyone else does not mean that he has to sit so far away. "I am learning how to be a healer, of sorts, so I like to record drawings and applications of the herbs I gather for future reference." In the rare event that she forgets something important, Imperia is comforted by the knowledge that all she has learned is stored safely within the leather bindings of her journal.

Half the time Washington wasn't even quite sure how military medics even were capable of working from planet to planet. Of course they would carry resources with themselves, but if they ran out of resources during the prolonged battle, it would mean on an alien planet they would probably have to find some sort of replies. That was guaranteed because everyone was bound to get wounded. Back then Washington didn't have the armor he had now, and only wore a bulletproof vest, a bulletproof helmet, and combat boots. That meant he would be capable of being shot in several different areas of his body. There had been instances that during a firefight that Washington had his helmet shot off by a sniper, the top of his helmet just peaking over the cover that he had been behind.  But he once remembered getting orders that they were going to raid what could be considered hospitals for aliens. Confusing yes but it was something that they can do in order to get more supplies. Most medics had to study what most of the tools and equipment that the aliens ended up using.

Such as taking a shield generator could mean that the super soldiers could have over shields over their body to protect them from a certain degree of fire. It was certainly helpful in that regard. Washington remembered the raid that they had been done. They thought that the place had originally been abandoned, and by this time he had been promoted to Corporal. It had been one of the first missions that he had been given at his rank. There were around ten men in his platoon when they walked through the different levels. Using standard procedure for clearing a building, making sure that they remained silent. They used hand signals to give off commands, meaning that they had to be within eyesight to be able to get their orders that they were going to need. It also helped them update what they saw and if they considered anything too suspicious. Not only did they have to raid the hospital, but they also had to protect the scientist that was coming with them on the mission. It had been a complete liability Washington knew, but he wasn't about to go against his direct order. They had told him that he was going to have to choose to protect the scientist over the rest of the Marines that were under his control.

A hard order to swallow, but he was a good soldier, and despite that, he was going to try his damn best to make sure that everyone made it out alive no matter what. Turns out, the 'hospital' hadn't been abandoned, but instead it had been set up as an ambush as one of the aliens had managed to see them setting up camp a good distance off and knew that they needed to supplies, the only place they could go would be to the building that they had under control. It was human in origin, meaning that they would have an upper hand of navigating a place like that, and the aliens themselves could go invisible if they wanted to, albeit for a short time. It was certainly stressful, but he had been trained again and again through stressful situations. A firefight brought out between the two factions, and he heard over the comms on which soldiers were hit and which were killed in the line of duty. Was what they were doing really worth it though? Washington had no idea, but he was going to complete the mission. He needed to. It was his JOB. He fought back hard, nearly running out of ammo by the end of everything. Once the firefight had died down, everyone stopped to collect themselves among the corpses.

Washington demanded a headcount over the comms. Several soldiers checked in, but four soldiers did not. He considered them to be KIA until found otherwise. While they were talking over the radio, there had been a bloodied Marine that was standing behind him. The poor boy didn't see it coming as a massive energy blade pierced his chest. The Marine managed to let out a scream that echoed through the entire building. There was no saving the Marine. He protected the scientist from the cloaked enemy and managed to take it out just in time. The energy sword was also something that could be used to help their research. Washington had walked over toward the Marine, making sure to grab his dog tags so he can give them to the soldier's next of kin. It was the procedure. It was always the procedure and protocol that he had to follow. He had been taught to do as such. They got all of the supplies that they needed, which there even seemed to be some human medical supplies that the enemy had gotten from a raid of their own that they managed to take back.

Agent Washington wouldn't have been able to help any of the injured soldiers that were under his command, as they weren't able to reach any of those in time that they thought they were alive. They were on their own, meaning they would not be given any sort of reinforcements. They got what they needed and left. The Corporal went in with ten men and only came out with five men. Something that would constantly stick with him because he knew he wasn't like that anymore and would make sure that his men would make it out alive and not split them up. But that thought had been during his time with Project Freelancer. Not anymore. If he had to he would willingly sacrifice Church and Caboose to get a job done. But he would never leave any of them left to die. He knew what it felt like and he didn't want a repeat of his past either. Washington both had a like for medics and scientists from where he was from, but there were parts of him that didn't like them. Maybe because all of them were basically the same when it came to regard to the life that they held in their hands. They just didn't care. They were running out of resources after all and he was pretty sure none of them ever got any sleep. He respected them for that but even his patience could run thin against them. The armored smilodon watched how relaxed and calm the canine seemed to be. Something that he hadn't felt in a very long time and probably wouldn't until he got out of here. He just wanted to get back to the Earth that he knew about.

The soldier flicked one of his ears as he heard her talking about how she was never a fighter, so he considered a civilian like the rest of those that were around. The Agent blinked his brown eyes when he heard the other's laugh, and he thought that he said something wrong and shuffled his dark grey paws with embarrassment. But he didn't lower his head to being able to see if he was embarrassed in the first place would be difficult to tell. The Freelancer noticed a movement with her paw, something that was familiar to him. Come over. His body seemed to react automatically to the unvoiced order. His head did turn in the direction of those that were with them as well as if to make sure they weren't going to try anything. Despite that, he kept some distance between him and Imperia. But he was close at least. His helmet turned in her direction as he leaned down to look at the plants and the drawings. They were pretty good he had to admit. Although what she said confused him even more. "You guys use plants... to heal others? Like wounds and other injuries?" There were many definitions of the term healing. Such as healing someone's mind by making them tea or something like that. But these were just plants. He would much rather be stuck in the infirmary for the rest of his life than to have plants used on him. He wasn't able to identify one single plant in the pile. There was obvious doubt in his voice when he spoke though. "speech"

Washington's experience with medics and scientists would disgust Imperia. How could one dedicate themselves to a profession of healing and innovation while possessing no empathy for the ones whose lives are in their hands? It is an abuse of their power and the sacred trust between doctor and patient. A doctor is selfless and loyal. A doctor is someone who can be trusted in the most dire of situations. At least, that is how it should be. The universe has rules, rules which are necessary for the preservation of life. Life cannot exist in a lawless place without ethics or morals. Bodies will pile up, more and more until there is a backup of souls on the Wheel. Rules exist to preserve the balance of the universe. And doctors nullify the imbalance of suffering. That is why Imperia possesses such an extreme interest in learning the art of healing. In her experience, she has witnessed many who threaten to throw the world into imbalance so she takes it upon herself to at least try to put some good back into the world.

Imperia makes note of Washington's confusion, and finds herself smiling in faint amusement. It's kind of adorable how uncomfortable he is with the world. It makes her wonder about where he comes from. A place without magic, without using plants to heal, a place where people wear armor and take orders from one another. What she imagines is a lawless place where people kill for a living. How paradoxical. But it is clear that wherever he comes from, it has damaged him in some way. And not just him, but Carolina and Caboose and Church. She wishes they would tell her what was wrong--perhaps she could help. But it is not any of her business, so she will not pry if they do not want her to know. One of these days, if she is lucky, perhaps she can convince them to trust her. "In a way, yes," she replies, smiling a bit as he shuffles a bit closer. It's small, but it's progress. "There are many plants which can be used to promote healing and stave off infections. Others help with headaches or anxiety. It's not magic." Imperia remembers him talking about the titanium alloy of which his armor is made. Washington made a comment that she would not understand, which makes the girl suspect that wherever he comes from, her world must be mindbogglingly backwards.