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One detailed presentation and an hour later.

Janelle sighs, having forgotten a lunch again upon returning to her desk. Getting up again, she starts to head to the elevator, only to get stopped by another member of the staff and given some food. With a bit of grateful confusion, she accepts the very lovingly made bento box and prepares to head back to her desk when she spies the open balcony.

With a simple shrug, she heads out to take a seat and enjoy the view as she eats.

Moments later, the large orange dragon lands onto the other end of the balcony with surprising grace. She spots Janelle and gives a small smile.

"It is a great view, isn't it."

Janelle turns to watch Liseth land upon hearing the dragon's arrival. She stares a moment at the beauty of the giant's effortless movements, then nods, "Yes ma'am... I was already up from my desk to get lunch, and it seemed a nice change. Lived in this city my whole life and I never grow tired of this view."

The dragon walks closer, humming: "I did not technically give permission to use my balcony..." She hums, chuckling: "But I suppose I did not deny it either, and for all that you have already done for me, you deserve it."

Janelle has the decency to dip her head in a bit of shame, "Ahh, my apologies. You certainly didn't mention it as off-limits, but perhaps I shouldn't have assumed."

She also smiles at the praise, "But thank you, all the same. I've been pushing hard, and it is good to see results."

Liseth'erend'oreana walks next to Janelle, and then sits down with quite a bit of force just due to her size. Thankfully the balcony is sizable and built for her.

"It is." The dragon glances at the small human next to her, and doesn't entirely mind the idea of having such a companion of sorts.

Janelle continues to eat for a moment, certainly not minding the company either. "Your... staff made lunch for me. They're very kind you know, but they seem to think you're taking advantage of my time. I really think they're afraid you'll do something to them if they do anything wrong..."

Liseth considers this for a moment, then nods.

"I can see why that would be. It is in the perennial wisdom of dragons to cultivate... a kind of culture of fear. To be feared is to be respected and obeyed."

Janelle hums, frowning. "Well, human history doesn't exactly paint a lot of us too differently, I suppose." She hesitates, looking uncertain for the first time since she started working for Liseth. "...was your old world much different, then? Obviously, no humans..."

Liseth pauses, then looks over the park as she thinks. Eventually, she speaks.

"We had kobolds. These kind of small critters, smaller than human... ancient wisdom says they were with us because it was beneficial for them to be around our ancestors, the kobolds helping us to stay clean. And in turn, my ancestors would help them be safe. But I am uncertain how much that is true."

She sighs. "But anyway, they would be our helpers, servants of a kind, but it would be beneficial to them as well... not that every dragon had such a relationship with a kobold, but over time, a lot did. It is a bit muddy to me, and we obviously did not have any kobolds come with us in our..." She pauses, blinking. "Er... nevermind."

Janelle glances with a raised eyebrow, but doesn't press further. "And the views? Do you miss them?"

Liseth considers for a moment before speaking. "...yes. Things were a lot more... vertical. Humans have seemingly... flattened every mountain to then make their own." She motions at the balcony and building: "Case in point."

Janelle nods, turning back to look out over the city "Yeah, we... do that. Humans feel this need to make our own forms of beauty, I guess. But at the expense of more natural beauty. Not that we don't appreciate the natural beauty when we see it, of course." She glances at Liseth and hums slightly.

Liseth considers, then nods. "Yes. I am not certain I understand, but I have kind of grown to appreciate the cityscape anyway. Everything is pretty convenient."

Janelle chuckles, "Especially when one can fly, yes? Some days the city can feel daunting to get across."

Liseth hums with a small smirk: "I have heard what the subway is like. I am almost glad I can not fit in there."

Janelle nods. "Don't really love starting each day with some creeps ogling me in this suit, no." She sighs, "I'm not complaining, mind you. I know it probably just sounds like I'm sucking up, but I really do love this job."

Liseth glances at the woman next to her: "Well, you're certainly sucking up a lot less than some people I have met." She flashes her teeth, smirking: "Though granted, some degree of it is probably expected."

Janelle blinks up at Liseth, then smiles, "Noted, Ma'am. ...you're just so different than expectations. Yet, quite the same too. Compared to dragons of Earth mythology. It is strange to consider that I am here eating lunch with what was once considered a wholly mythical creature. Misidentified bones in a musuem."

Liseth hums: "I did hear about that. Curious, isn't it? That my kind matches what is depicted in your ancient histories. One wonders what might have happened all those years ago."

Janelle nods, "If anything happened at all. Perhaps dragons are just some universal constant that we've always been aware of. Or, even more likely, it is simply coincidence. Logic is hard to disprove, ma'am..."

She pauses, and sighs, "Though I do prefer the more romantic explanations in private, I suppose..."

Liseth considers for a moment, nodding along until the last point. She looks at Janelle with curiosity: "More romantic explanations, hmm? I'm afraid to say, if you are looking for those, most dragons aren't all that great at it."

Janelle chuckles, "Not exactly what I mean. I just... wish the bigger, more fantastic explanations were true. More often than not, it seems the mundane explanation is the correct one."

Liseth hums. "You may have a point." She looks over to the city, thinking. "What brought you to apply for this position? It can't have just been wanting to work for a dragon."

Janelle shakes her head. "Not entirely, no. I am... very good at many things, Ma'am. Despite this, it can still be hard for women on this world to find opportunities to demonstrate this. Human woman, I should specify. Things are changing, but not always fast enough."

She looks down into her lunch box almost embarrassed, "I'm sure you know the position I applied for is essentially a glorified secretary. I'm supposed to check your mail and only bring you important matters. I'm hardly supposed to rebuild your finances, but... I did feel something of a calling with this job. A chance, perhaps, to influence things. To help understand your perspective as a Dragon, and see if I could help you see a human perspective? It sounds lofty when said this way, but really, I just think people have been afraid to really talk to dragons. Closely talk, to learn from you. I don't think dragons have either had opportunity or desire to learn from us much either. Not about who we are to one another, and not just business partners."

"And... Maybe I could prove my own worth as well... Despite my degrees, my resume is not exactly 'padded', but... I can do a good job."

Liseth listens, and adopts a somewhat stunned look. She stares for a long moment after Janelle stops talking, before speaking.

"...learn from me? Understand... like, actually understand dragons, not just from the perspective of how to deal with one as a human lower on the food chain, hmm? I think I can respect that."

She pauses. "...and I suppose I would like to learn from someone who's not just licking my scaly ass, if you pardon my Spanish, what humans are like."

Janelle blushes slightly, but doesn't shrink away, "It seems such an obvious solution that surely someone besides me has thought of it, but... Humans have a hard enough time talking to each other."

Liseth nods, then smirks a bit: "So do some dragons I know. Solitary creatures and all that."

Janelle nods, "I hope to do all this without disturbingly overly much as well, of course."

The dragon hums, then eventually nods. "I suspect you can. You've been proficient and respectful so far."

Janelle chuckles, "I would say those two things have been my goals all along. But... Really, thank you for giving me the chance."

Liseth mm's, shifting her position. "I suppose it is not the worst thing to have someone with you whose job is pretty much telling one how to act around humans."

Janelle hums, "I can act as a translator, of sorts. In addition to my work with your files."

Liseth gives a small smile, then shifts to lightly touch her tail around Janelle's back: "You're okay, Janelle."

Janelle reaches a hand up to pat Liseth's tail in return, the touch feeling almost like a spark of electricity running through her, "O-Oh! Ah, well, yes. You are too, of course, ma'am. Liseth'erend'oreana."

Liseth smiles, then her tail leaves from near Janelle as she turns. "I will leave you to look through and prepare what needs my attention."

Janelle nods, her lunch nearly untouched. "Thank you, ma'am. I'll finish eating and head back to my office soon enough."

Liseth nods as she goes, walking into the building and soon to her own spaces. 'Maybe having one's own human around is not the worst thing indeed...'

Janelle turns her head to watch Liseth go, blinking a few times as the dragon's tail moves away from her side to follow. She idly wonders what this new feeling is... Pride in her work? Probably...? Probably.

She turns back to her box and starts into eating her lunch proper.

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