The Sand Elf smirked at the man's choice and opted to make her order on her native language, a dialect with strong similarities to the language of Wood Elves, but distant enough to still stand pretty well on its own. Even with her short order, there was a strange quality to the syllables that would bring sand to mind - or maybe hat was just in mind because they were in the desert. The barmaid understood well enough, as was her job, but Kyra was willing to bet her friend here wouldn't know enough to make much of it. He just clearly wasn't well enough suited to the desert to have spent enough time around Sand Elves.

"Right, so I caught your eye for lookin' about normal, aye?" She jerked her head slightly to gesture at the same female he'd pointed out. "A' how d'ya know ain't like that or something under this nice little shell? Or particularly gifted with glamour? Hell, I could jus' be covering something with my clothes, and you'd never know unless you got 'em off."

A wide grin covered her face as she added, "Or maybe that's why you wanted to go for drinks."

Terba realized to late what he had ordered. Sighed and heard the sand elf speak in a strange language.

He couldn’t help but smile back knowing the comment was just a joke.

“To answer your question: first I know you don’t use glamour or any other magicks because, I have a few tricks myself to determine such things.
Secondly I have become great in spotting details because of my years as a field observant.” He inhaled for a second before unleashing his words. “For example you don’t have a tail otherwise you would sit different to make place for it. A tail also changes your balance and way of walking, even if you tried to hide that fact your movement would look restrained.”
Terba shifts his body and moves a bit to get some new air in his lungs before continuing, a lot slower this time. “that and I will need someone who knows this region and the desert, a guide of sorts. I would like to offer you a job, with a good income of course”

Kyra was somewhat impressed at the skill the man claimed to have, and she let it show. Even if his observational skills weren't so great as he made them out to be and he was actually running off mere assumptions, he at least sounded like he knew what he was talking about.

And then he mentioned something she could profit from. According to some, Sand Elves had a second native language, and that was it. "A guide, huh? Where're you wantin' t'go? Any place in particular, or just checkin' out the area?"

It was always good to leave some info out of an explanation, even if the credibility was hurt by it. Seeing someone run for their life tells a lot about their physique, though. But telling her would make me look like a stalker.

A bit surprised about her question Terba answers "I thought that would have been clear by my explanation. I am going to research areas in the desert with high frequency of exotic energy displacement. I found some reports with recurring explosions in roughly the same places in the desert.” While saying this the barmaid returns with their respective drinks, Terba takes the wine from the barmaid and drinks some before continuing “I have a map in my hotel room with the locations on them but no way of getting there, and that’s where you come in. If I am not mistaken a sand elf has some kind of night vision, at least enough to be able to travel in the night. And because this is your home turf you are bound to know more about it then me. But this is all the info I can give you right now, more would endanger my work. So I ask you: Are you in or are you out?”
Knowing this would be a hard decision for her, he gives her the time to contemplate and make her choice. So he waits quietly on her answer while surveying the crowd for a better drink, than this wine.

((what is the currency in this world?))

((Unfortunately, not much has been determined for currency. It's naturally have some variance. Coins and bills have been mentioned and work likely be quite acceptable here, but Nova Terra is supposed to run on a credit system.))

Kyra's own drink looked rather like someone had a bad case of diarrhea, but smelled faintly minty and rather sweet. She managed to take a swig and swallow before the Tuba-man mentioned night vision, the latter of which was good, or else he might have worn her drink thanks to a fit of laughter.

"Sand Elves, night vision? And you claim to be a researcher?" After some more chortling, she explained, "Moon Elves, they've got some crazy night vision or something. And yeah, the whole demon thing's helped me a bit with that. But Sand Elves in general rely on natural light, nighttime gadgets, and ears for night travel. Our eyes are better for blocking light."

After another gulp, she continued, "Anyway, d'you have any idea how big the d*** desert is? And the kinda stuff you're talking about goes a bit deep for jus' two people, even if both were Sand Elves. We find a clan for general survival, and I can make it even less likely that they'll kill you - how's that sound?"

that information is rather useful even it came out because of a slip up.
Terba shrugs when he hears her say it is to much work for 2 "Well that's why I am here I am putting a crew together and please cut me some slag, I just arrived here yesterday evening. I had just enough time to familiarise some parts of this city. But hearing you planning I assume you take me up on my offer." Terba places his hand above the table for a handshake and with a smile on his face he adds “I’ll even show you one of my secrets which will make the journey back a lot easier”

Her own hand rose, but rather than shaking his, she pushed his hand down to the table and leaned forward. "Not so fast, moonie. How much?"

No one with half a brain agreed to something without first settling on payment for it, and to try to skip over that with a Sand Elf could well be considered an insult. Still, Kyra's expression was pleasant enough. A job like what was being offered, even with payment going out towards others as well, should earn enough to make it worth putting up with the guy.

"Also, depending on what your li'l secret is, you might like t'let me know before anything is agreed. If it's anything dangerous or magic, price goes up - if it's really bad, might even cost your life." She leaned back and lifted her glass, sloshing the liquid around and watching it it swirl, saying before taking another drink, "I'd also appreciate you lettin' me know what got you lookin' for me, seein' as you got her yesterday, and I got here just a few hours ago, after... heh, I don't even know for sure how long I been away."

Well That was one mistake I shouldn't have made, luckily she didn't stab me or walked away. But I better not make any more mistakes.

“oh right, payment I am terribly sorry. How does 600 creds per week, with a payment right now of 500 creds sound? With an extra 300 as compensation for my insult. Then there is compensation fee for dangerous working environment and magic which will add another 100 per day. I hope this is fine.”

Shaking his head Terba thinks: I will need some blood soon, I am definitely getting distracted and sloppy.

“Don’t you trust me? Well ermm My li’l secret is a way of moving between places, but if you don’t like that or got some side-effects when you are near magic you might want to tell me. Simple A fellow demon is more trust worthy then a non-demon because you wont go and report another demon to a hunter. He would probably kill you first.
Beside that you are a sand-elf a native to this land. With at least some battle experience so you don’t need special protection when we get into some kind of trouble, like bandits or sand critters. ”


(( lets say that a 100 creds is enough to buy food for 2 days at least. Not a real clear description is it. Umm how about 15 creds is worth a portion of fries with mayo. ))

((I'll just go with something along the value you just gave for now at least.))

"Uh huh, well then..." Kyra downed the rest of her drink and stood. "Good luck with your research or whatever. And try gettin' a bit more money t'back yourself up before ya' talk t'anyone else. There's a reason why people keep outta the desert."

She turned to head for the door then, having no interest in helping the man out. Traveling alongside a clan on their own route, his offer, if made for each capable member, would have worked out well. But for a small group gathered just to head into some of the most dangerous parts of the desert? The only sort who might agree to that price were those who intended to rob him, rather than take him anywhere near where he wanted to go.

Besides the price, she didn't really like the man. Granted, his answer to her question about why he'd come for her was decent for its words, but it didn't quite answer her. He'd known about her, somehow, and the only way she could figure was from her fight earlier - and he'd been too sure of who she was right off the bat to have been going by description alone. She didn't care if he'd seen the fight, only that he seemed to be avoiding saying so. And magic? Unfamiliar magic at that! Not surprising, but... not something she could afford to trust, either.

No, better to just join up with someone heading to the next town and continue on her way.

To late Terba realizes his mistake and downs his own glass. Using his old values of money was the last straw and she didn't seem to like him either. He knew in another life he would have made her come with him by force and be his lab rat. But seeing how that life was cut short, it wouldn't be smart.

"*sigh* I can see you are not interested. And I can't blame you. I hope you will have a safe journey and will find that what you are looking for. But before you go just take this and spent it as you like." Throws a black pouch towards kyra with in it about 1000 creds "Just see it as a gift." Without saying a word Terba walks away into the toilets looking a bit dazed.

(( Terba won't come out of the toilets and will dissapear in about 4 minutes. the portal will close shortly after that. ))

Kyra's hand snapped out to catch the pouch, and she eyed the man a moment while fingering the fabric to get a sense of what might be inside. She peeked in then and made a slight pointed sniff. Grasping it shut again, she headed on out, figuring the man course pay for the drink he offered. Out the door, she mumbled to herself, "'Least I got somethin' outta it..."

She almost felt sorry for the man. He really didn't seem to have any idea what he was getting into. Then again, maybe he'd got a bit insane with whatever had made him... unnatural, as tended to happen to many. But, it was time to find a caravan and move on. Maybe she could make her way south, see how things were among her Sea Elf cousins. It'd been a long time since she'd been out of the desert, back when she'd first dared to wander beyond on her own.

The Sand Elf tucked the pouch away into her duffel bag and started off on a quick-paced walk.