Elou wasn't sure how to accurately describe Niff without using the word tree at least once. he had slight human curves; he probably had more curves than she did, with her being so skeletal. she'd never been attracted to another human, or even another Skelthian. Niff was a little bit stiff-looking, but the more Elou looked at him, the more she could see elegance in his geometry. and the tall structure atop his head made her burn with curiosity: was it actually a crown? was he in fact a king, but didn't yet know it? or was it an elongation of his skull? the other thing piquing her interest was that black substance all over him. she wanted to badly to see what it felt like, but she knew better than to go around touching people "just because."
Elou felt a burst of elation at Niff's apparent excitement about going with her. not many people were ever excited to travel with her. she usually preferred to travel alone, and to do her job with minimal interruptions. for this interruption, though, Elou was willing to make an exception. with a firm internal nod of her head, she decided that she liked Niff. as a friend, of course; she wasn't sure she could be attracted to Niff just yet. it wasn't his appearance (she wasn't one to talk, resembling a giraffe more than a woman), just that she didn't know if she could trust him. yet. she was hopeful. just give it time, and don't get your hopes up too high.
"oh, it's... it's okay. you're welcome." she didn't immediately reject his offer to pay her beck; under normal circumstances, Elou would trade her services for information, and the information she requested directly related to whichever client she was currently working for. but these were not normal circumstances, and it wasn't unusual for Elou to make exceptions for kind folk. just in case you were wondering, Niff, Elou thought to herself with a tiny smile, you're kind. you don't have to pay me back. kind people were hard to come by these days. Elou appreciated kindness more than she loved food (which is, if you're wondering, a hell of a lot!).
"that's quite a name," Elou remarked, pursing her lips in thought. she only had one name: Elou'era. she didn't know what it meant, or who gave it to her. she couldn't even remember when she'd first used it when introducing herself. she smiled widely at Niff, and felt an incredible happiness blooming in her chest. "no, you're not. not anymore." even if the sunlight hurt her eyes and made her sweaty, she was glad that Niff wasn't in the dark anymore. even if she'd only just met him, this strange, black creature from the Culmination, she was glad. it had been a long time since she'd felt joy this pure.
"uh, I'm an information broker. people pay me to find out information for them." she wore a wry smile and scratched the back of her head. "it's not a royal job, but I'm pretty damn good at it, hehee." well, she was. her memory was tip-top and she was an excellent eavesdropper, with hearing that could span hundreds of feet, through walls and other barriers. she didn't have the best eyesight, because they were a little damaged from so much sunlight exposure, so she had to rely to smell and hearing. also being able to squeeze into tight, narrow spaces meant that she could spy, too, and gain information first-hand. despite being a big, fat coward (so to speak) Elou put one hundred and twenty percent into her job to make her clients happy. she was beginning to make a name for herself: if you want information, find Elou'era.
"did you... have a job? in your world?"
as they walked, Elou slipped into a hazy, albeit sweaty, daze, smelling Niff's sweet fragrance and closing her eyes, letting her ears do the seeing for her. flowers were definitely her favorite scent, she decided.