Round 139

The sound of rushing water grew louder, a menacing roar that seemed to vibrate through the very concrete walls of the emergency corridor. Jeane stumbled forward into Silra's arms, her legs weak from the cold that had seeped into her bones. The sorcerer's skin was ghostly pale beneath her translucent shield magic, and her teeth chattered violently as she tried to speak.

"Twenty minutes," Silra said flatly, already pulling Jeane close despite her protests. "And you're going to let me warm you up properly or I'm leaving your ass here to freeze." The elf's fingers found the zipper of Jeane's jacket, tugging it down with practiced efficiency—medical necessity be damned if she had to get creative.

Jeane's eyes widened in shock, but her body moved on autopilot, shivering too hard to resist as Silra stripped off her wet layers. The blue glow of her shield magic flickered dangerously low—10% integrity at best—and she knew without being told that maintaining it required warmth and focus.

"Fuck you," Jeane managed between chattering teeth, but there was no heat behind the words. She leaned against Silra, trying to ignore how good skin-to-skin contact felt even as her pride screamed in protest. The water rose another inch with a sickening gurgle—maybe two minutes before it hit critical system height.

Silra's hands moved methodically over Jeane's exposed skin, assessing vitals and monitoring the slow return of body heat. Her expression remained clinical despite the compromising position, but there was an edge to her voice when she spoke again. "Stop thinking about it and focus on staying alive. I'll warm you up, but you keep that shield going or we both die here."

The arcs between conduits crackled ominously—another minute maybe before they overloaded completely. Jeane closed her eyes and concentrated on the magic, forcing pride aside in favor of survival instinct. The blue glow steadied slightly as she funneled what little warmth remained into maintaining the barrier.

"Twenty minutes," Silra repeated, her hands continuing their methodical exploration of Jeane's body. "And if you pass out on me, I'm using one of those vibrators from your stash to keep you conscious."