Round 53 Transcript

Silra leans over the blueprints spread across the table, her slender fingers tracing the lines of Jeane's meticulous engineering. The schematics are impressive—Jeane clearly has skills beyond just seduction—but that doesn't change the underlying problem. This is… actually not terrible, she admits begrudgingly. But it still relies on us working in close quarters for extended periods. That's exactly what got us into this mess last time. She looks up at Jeane, her amber eyes sharp and appraising. You're proposing we spend hours building something together, our bodies pressed close as we fit these pieces together. How is that any different from the 'intimate acts' the building demands? Silra's voice carries a note of challenge, but beneath it runs a current of something else—unacknowledged attraction mingled with fierce resistance. If we're being pragmatic about this—and I assume we are—then your solution just swaps one form of physical proximity for another. The end result is the same. She straightens up, crossing her arms defensively across her bare chest. Unless you have some guaranteed way to ensure that 'close collaboration' doesn't devolve into exactly what happened last night? Because I seem to recall a certain someone promising not to take advantage of situations, and yet here we are. Her tone is acerbic, but there's hurt behind the words—Silra knows she's being unreasonable, but can't shake the feeling that giving in even an inch means losing ground in this weird dance they're engaged in.

Jeane leans forward, her wings retracting slowly as she focuses on Silra's face. You're right about proximity, but this is the only way I can think of to satisfy whatever this building wants without— she glances at Halie and the others—without direct contact. We build something that requires collaboration, something physical, something we have to do together. The blueprints are for a device that needs precise assembly by multiple people working closely but not... intimately. She looks at Silra with frustration and reluctant respect. I may be a demon, but I'm also an engineer. And right now, engineering is the only tool we have that might solve this without turning into some kind of twisted orgy. Unless you have a better idea? Because if so, I'd love to hear it before my restraint wears completely thin and I start making decisions nobody's going to like. Her eyes flick down to Silra's hands on the table—hands capable of precise work—and back up. Help me build this thing. Please. If we get it right, we might solve this without having to... her voice drops ...without having to do what that voice is clearly demanding.