Round 194 Transcript

Halie steps forward, her voice firm but gentle. "I understand your frustration, Silra," she says, addressing the elf's impatience, "but we can't just... fix this mechanically. Jeane isn't broken machinery." Her eyes flick to where the succubus is visibly struggling against herself, dark wings half-spread despite her best efforts. "She needs help, not efficiency."

Turning back to Silra, Halie meets her gaze directly. "I won't ask you to accept a risk we can't manage yet. But I also won't abandon someone on our team because she's fighting something we all understand." Her hand moves to rest lightly on Jeane's shoulder—an offer of support rather than control. "Let me work with her. You help Abby and Hera reinforce the ceiling before it collapses entirely."

It's not a request. It's a plan that splits their immediate labor while keeping everyone functional, even if barely. Halie doesn't mention how terrified she is of what Jeane might actually do to someone if left unchecked—especially now that the building has given them forty minutes and made its expectations brutally clear. But she also won't sacrifice one member to save another. "This way," she tells Silra, "we all stay alive long enough to figure this out."