”Is that the same principal as not having names for things?” Elisa asked.

Dominique opened her eyes. ”…I suppose so.” She agreed, never having thought about it that way. Surprised Elisa had. ”…my turn?” She asked, a small smile on her lips.

”I’m an open book.” Elisa offered.

”…Yesterday, at the office building… why did you take my side? I heard what the human said to you while you were struggling with him. Why did you trust in me, and not in them?” She asked with simple curiosity, wanting to hear Elisa’s reasons in her own words.

Elisa closed her eyes a moment, shook her head, and smiled a little. ”I told you, it’s my job.” She said, taking another bite of food.

”Is it really?” She asked.

”Standard operating procedure. If a police officer comes across someone being attacked, you help them and ask questions later. There’s really no great mystery to it.” She explained, leaning her chin on her left hand and watching Dominique’s eyes with open interest.

”I very much doubt most other humans would have seen it that way.” Dominique replied.

”Well, I do.” Elisa told her simply.

”…Why?” Dominique asked.

”…I suppose just because it makes sense to me? I don’t believe that one being’s soul is of any more value or of any different quality than another’s… That’s one reason why I don’t eat animals I guess.” She explained softly.

”Not that you’re comparing me to an animal, I hope.”

”Actually, I was comparing both of us to them.” Elisa pointed out.

”As long as you’re being fair minded about it.” Dominique replied back, looking down at her plate and moving some food around a little. ”No, that’s… that’s quite a good way to look at the world, I suppose.” She said thoughtfully, looking up into Elisa’s eyes and getting a little lost in them again somehow. ”It’s… very beautiful, in fact.” She complemented her, swallowing reflexively because she felt her throat a little dry somehow.

”Thanks.” Elisa replied simply, still holding Dominique’s gaze as though there were nothing else she’d rather be doing in the entire world.

Dominique looked down at her food again and then took a bite and realized that her heart was beating a little faster than it should and she looked at Elisa again who was watching her curiously. Suddenly she felt a little warm. It was a little of a shock for her to realize why. That she was actually attracted to the woman across from her. She shook her head and made herself clamp down on the unexpected feelings. Right now wasn’t the time to even consider anything about why she was feeling this way. They were having a perfectly pleasant conversation; there was no reason for that to stop.