Her sleep was muddled and fractured under the gentle warmth of Gigatsuhali. Time was a muddied thing - the last she knew, she'd been talking happily to the older gem, and suddenly there was pain and a fevered rush that stole part of her consciousness away from her. The pain seemed to persist in the warped purgatory she had fallen into, for the venom that flushed through her veins gave her a muted perception of life while her body tried to shut down. She felt the pain and the heat as they both passed through her veins, and she heard the frightened cries of the other gem as if through a wall, and she felt the talons enclose her tiny frame as she was pulled into the open air.

It all hurt so much, but it was starting to fade away in exchange for a truer sleep. She was swaddled in an honest warmth and the fever began to leave her soon enough, allowing her to relax and breath easier while the venom made its way out of her system.

When she finally woke up, she was drowsy, befuddled, and she ached with a ferocity she'd never felt before. She only half-registered the puncture wounds on her breast, as they took a backseat to the overall pain she felt. She nuzzled into the bigger gem's soft and slightly musty smelling feathers, smiling a little.

"Speech."

Helle crawled her way to full consciousness by stretching her little limbs, being sure to not elbow her savior in the process. She stretched to try and fight the persistent ache, pulling her shoulders back with a small, 'mmn' sound and a shivering as she did so. Then she fell back into the warmth with a soft 'pluff'.

"Y' saved me," She whispered, still with that faint, sleepy smile. Her voice was thready and weak, but there. "M' Helle."

What Seven and Zeno had said about those out to harm....made sense to her now. There were kind people in the world, and there were those with murderous intent. There were those that harmed and those that saved, and she wanted to be one that saved. "How," she croaked quietly, "How did you...?"

She wanted, needed to know, needed to learn.

"Speech."

She listened with a definitive intent, for she could already feel the warm pull of sleep trying to take her back down. This was more important though, she needed to hear this.

She felt a small stirring of surprise at the title of witch-doctor, and that her mentor was of the plant affinity like her. So that meant, like Tuk, she could become strong and help others and....and she felt the tiny, closed petals of a flower kiss her cheek, brushing against her feathers, and she opened her eyes to try and see it in the dark. She could feel the older gem move and place it on the ground, and she could smell the small amount of perfume dot the air. The comment that praised her made her wiggle more into the gem's fluff, her cheeks warming.

"I want to be like you," She whispered. her breathing evening out. Her eyes fluttered closed again. "I want to help like you. Be...just as....amazing..."

And with that, she was sound asleep again, with a tiny little smile on her face.

[exit thread]

"Speech."