--- Hedera ---
Hedera was relaxing in the bath when she felt sothing odd pass over her. She was about to get up and look around when suddenly, she found herself upright and in the middle of nowhere. The first thing her hands did was twitch towards her weapons... but of course, she didn’t have any of them. She’d left them in her bedroom just outside the door. BECAUSE SHE WAS IN THE DAMN BATH.
The second thing Hedera did was cover her private areas as best as possible... before shaking her head and yelling, "I forfeit!". A blink later and she was in an infirmary with Thy in a nurse outfit, and a second Thy in a doctor’s coat looking over her. "What?"
Thy sighed. "These duels have honestly been a ss. So many of them are completely unsatisfying but I don’t have any manual way to stop them. We’ve had a few draws, but you’re not the first person to imdiately concede. Perhaps in other circumstances I would’ve complained about you not even trying but well..."
Thy gestured towards her, and Heder glared back. She was currently under a set of covers and Hedera was pretty sure Thy wasn’t interested in her... like that, but it was still a bit mortifying. "So... I’m stuck here until the tir runs out then?" asked Hedera.
"Yes indeed," agreed Thy.
"Can I ask anything?" queried Hedera.
"I likely can’t answer any of your questions," offered Thy.
"Didn’t you JUST complain about the duels being lacklustre?" asked Hedera.
Thy shrugged, "Indeed I did, and perhaps I shouldn’t have... but yes at this point I’m getting a touch annoyed."
"Can I ask why?" Hedera offered.
"Perhaps, perhaps not... but I can just answer. The reason is that I had what so would call ’overly complicated rules’ for this round. They were shot down be the committee that inserted themselves into the process. They were ant to keep things fair, despite the fact that this round really has not be anything close to fair.
"I also wanted to prevent issues like the current one we have with the duels. It is far too easy to simply forfeit if you think you’re not going to win, and far too easy to draw by simply not fighting your opponent. I had solutions, but I was not allowed to implent them," grumbled Thy.
"Why?" asked Hedera
"The rule book was too large. Though I actually wanted to make that part of the challenge. Originally, I was going to give the teams twenty-four hours with the rulebook to look over it. There was a bunch of rules, rules for changes to the rules, and rules for additional challenges like the duels. The idea, at least how I envisioned it, was that you could use the rules against your opponents and that finding and rember them all would be a major part of the task... but I wasn’t permitted. Perhaps I could’ve fought it... but I managed so other concessions. One of which, was additional paynt for my ti. I’m on track to bankrupt a LOT of people," Thy agreed with a grin.
"Wait, why would they agree to that?" asked Hedera. "Surely they’re not so stupid..."
"You’d think that, but you’d be wrong. They wanted to steal so revenue from anyone watching, as well as gambling on the outco. I wasn’t even planning to set up anything for either thing... but they tried to force it. In the end I ’reluctantly’ agreed as long as they also shouldered so of the costs... just a small amount really. Just one percent," Thy admitted with a grin.
"Oh..." Hedera intoned, as it hit her just how expensive this whole thing was to set up. Thy could cheat being so powerful and with ti magic on their side... plus friends to help out. But once there was money involved? Well, then there was proper accounting and it seed like Thy was making sure that everyone, themselves included were paid well.
There was one thing Hedera was curious about though... "Are you being paid as one actor... or like, however many people you’re playing?"
"Just one, but I’m getting extra for danger so it’s a lot more than it should be. So a little unfair but not quite so much you know?" offered Thy.
"I just... alright?" sighed Hedera. "Why are you telling all of this?"
"Well, one of the concessions I lobbied for is that nobody can peak into the dical rooms. A few other places to, though I still keep an ear out in any case. Though here? Nobody else can hear anything but the two of us so I can give away small hints if I want," explained Thy.
Hedera narrowed her eyes. "You’ve always been... exceptionally fair about things. I can’t see you wanting to give away hints. Did... did those dwarves manage to sneak sothing they probably shouldn’t have in?"
Thy shook their head. "Did or did not? Irrelevant. I might be willing to provide small hints and interesting little details but that sort of question is FAR too much for to answer. Regardless of the truth, I’m not giving you anything on your other competitors."
"Ah, sorry about that. I just sort of thought that’s what you were building up to as so sort of grand reveal so I felt the need to ask because it seed like that might be sothing you’d want to do so sorry about that I guess I should just not ask anything else then?" Hedera rattled off.
Thy shook their head. "Ask away, I’m not trying to say you should stop asking questions if you want to know. Just be aware that specific details on many things will remain hidden, and information about other competitors is the biggest thing I’ll be keeping close to my chest." As Thy said that, the nurse Thy placed two hands over their breasts, while the doctor Thy slapped his chest hard twice as if he was a warrior.
Hedera sucked in a deep breath of air and tried to force herself to calm down a bit. "Does... is this sort of like the fact you appeared to Kat for a bit?"
Thy shook their head again while holding up an ’X’ "Once again, can’t talk about other contestants. Not even your teammates, both current and officially. It doesn’t matter if Kat would allow you the information, or if you know for certain what did or did not happen. Kat could’ve been lying and I cannot confirm sothing like that. Well, technically I CAN but I won’t."
"But... Kat literally can’t lie..." mumbled Hedera.
Thy raised an eyebrow. "I feel as though you’re missing the point a touch..."
"Yeah sorry... it just seed like an easy thing to pick at. It’s... easy to talk to you for so reason," admitted Hedera.
"Could be the relaxation plants built into the ceiling," Thy comnted idly.
Hedera snapped her head upwards... but all she saw was a white substance that didn’t really look like a plant. Or well, it looked like treated wood. "Um..." began Hedera.
"The roof is quite porous and allows for the scent to drift downwards. It’s intended to help anyone here sleep and also ensure that they don’t freak out and hurt themselves in so silly way while I fix up their injuries," explained Thy.
"Can’t you fix anything instantly?" asked Hedera.
"Yes but that’s not optimal for the body," Thy stated. "I’d still do it if soone was seriously injured. Taking things slowly when, as an example, soone was missing their legs or had been cut in half lengthwise would be far worse then using my faster thods of healing people. Risking a bit of soul deviation and phantom pain is nothing compared to potentially starving the brain of oxygen while your flesh slowly nits back together,"
Hedera shivered. "Um... soul deviation sounds bad..."
Thy shrugged, "It’s basically just when your soul and your body don’t match up properly. In this case, I’d be turning back ti on the body but not the soul... and it can sort of tell? Of course because I’m just using it to heal the consequences tend to be minor. Slight issues with fine motor control and sotis the wounds I’ve healed still hurt because the soul hasn’t properly registered that they’ve healed but it can tell the brain hasn’t ’noticed’ them. Which of course it hasn’t, they’re gone."
Hedera sucked in a deep breath and sunk deeper into the bed. While it seed like Thy did want to share and even give her so hints... she wasn’t sure her heart could take it. Of course, sinking further under the covers reminded her of other bits of her anatomy that perhaps should be addressed. "Um... do you have any spare clothes?"
"Yes I do of course... but not that I’m allowed to give you. That might be considered armour after all," Thy explained.
Hedera frowned, "Can’t you let use them while I’m here at least? I don’t even want to leave with them."
"Hmmm... alright then," agreed Thy.
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