”Seconded.” Dominique groaned as she got herself up and opened the passenger side door on Elisa’s car. She got to her feet, but she realized her body was stiff and ached all over. Being human, compared to the raw power, energy, and vitality she’d always felt as a gargoyle, was always something of a letdown to her – Now, more so than usual, obviously. But Elisa had been right of course, leaving by taking flight as a gargoyle was a risk that, as it turned out, was unnecessary. Of course, this could all be a trap, a web of lies Elisa was spinning, she knew that. But if it was, it obviously wasn’t to capture her. She hated to admit it, but Xanatos’s mercenaries would probably have gotten the better of her. They’d caught her by surprise and had been very efficient hunters. No, if Elisa were working a deception, it was to gain information or to gain her trust for something longer term. Which meant, she was almost certainly safe with her for tonight at least, whether Elisa’s intentions where as honorable as they very much appeared to be or whether they were not.

She took a few steps, but found herself feeling dizzy and using the car to steady herself. Elisa was there though. ”Here, let me help you.” She offered.

Dominique regarded her thoughtfully, the sound of Elisa’s voice strangely comforting somehow. ”If you must.” She quietly acquiesced, letting Elisa put her arm around her and, in turn, leaning against the other woman for support as they walked in the building proper and went to a stairwell.

”Sorry. No elevator. We’re in for little of a climb.” Elisa explained. It was an old building (if well maintained), so it didn’t have things like elevators – That was one of the reasons she could afford the rent on her salary. That, and it was rent controlled.

”I think I can manage.” Dominique replied with a little of a rueful smile, thinking to herself how easy it would be to climb these stairs as her real self. She could do it in less than thirty seconds, without a doubt. As it was, it seemed to take an interminable length of time, and she had to fight to stay conscious all the way there. She didn’t complain or even groan once though, willing herself to maintain at least that much dignity in front of her new… ally, protector, she supposed. A strange feeling, she considered. It had been… a very long time since anyone had played that role in regards to her …It was nice, even allowing that she couldn’t bring herself to completely trust the feeling quite yet, or the person who’d evoked it in her.