<div class="floatleft">(http://i1105.photobucket.com/albums/h357/daniellex28/evolved%20char%205_zpsbrxbzvhy.png)</div><strong>Name:</strong>Julie Lancaster (https://elliquiy.com/forums/index.php?topic=250173.msg12381790er#msg12381790)<br/><strong>City | Date | Time:</strong>Muir Woods National Monument, California | August 6, 2017 | 09.45 AM<br/><strong>Tagging | Mentioning:</strong>Closed<br/><strong>Content:</strong>Getting settled in<br/><hr/><br/>It was surprisingly cool under the canopy of extravagantly tall trees. Julie found that California, though definitely hot, carried a whole different sort of climate. Drier, and somehow making you yearn for A/C, mini skirts and bikini tops rather than the comfortable outdoor wear she had grown so accustomed to these past years. It was a bit of a culture shock to be on American soil, and not just because of the climate. Everything, from the people to the buildings to the very flora that surrounded her as she stood in the Muir Woods was vastly different from the life in South Africa that she had become so familiar with and that she loved with a ferocity she had never known anywhere else. But the wildlife reserve that held her heart was a place she had bid goodbye, at least for some time. She had to clear her head, to gather her thoughts. To figure out where she wanted to go after what had transpired. Julianne Lancaster had never thought of herself as a killer. She still wasn't, but her convictions that she only had it in herself to take care of others and to make the world a better place through healing and helping was wavering. She needed some time to clear her head, to gather her thoughts and to figure out who she was, especially now that the fact she was undeniably a part of the notorious Evolved had become something she could no longer deny.<br/><br/>And what better a place to clear her head than on the other side of the planet, right?<br/><br/><em>"I'm sorry Miss, I've been rambling on for too long, haven't I?" </em><br/><br/>The head warden of Muir Woods, a somewhat rotund man with a quirky moustache and a retreating mop of black hair on his head, apologetically smiled in the direction of the brownhaired girl, who was pressing the back of her hand to her lips in an attempt to stifle a yawn. His name was Felix... well, she couldn't recall his last name, and though it was embroidered into his tan coloured uniform he stood angled away from her in a fashion that didn't allow her to subtly remind herself just what her future colleague was called again.<br/><br/>Julianne shook her head, lazily stretching her arms over her head in an attempt to work the fatigue out of her muscles. She wasn't exactly looking the model employee right now, but when you'd been personally invited to come supervise a project here, you didn't really have to pretend. Julianne had received a number of requests in the past month to come oversee a carefully laid out attempt to reintroduce a number of black bears to the national park, a risky endeavour that required a lot of preparation, supervision and care. There weren't an awful lot of veterinarians in her field of expertise, even fewer with the amount of field experience that Julianne possessed despite her relatively young age. And while overseeing a small group of bears in a United States park was a far cry from rescuing trapped rhinos, caught in poachers' traps, for once Julianne welcomed the quiet. It allowed her to explore other aspects, like the fact that she could shoot a target the size of a Mexican bean from half a mile away, even in the dark. Or how she would utilize that skill, if she chose she wanted to. Her newfound abilities had been a wonderful asset out in the wilderness... But in the people's world, Julianne found herself strangely at a loss of what to do.<br/><br/>"It's just jet lag," she explained somewhat lethargically, which wasn't really like her. "I only arrived here last night."<br/><br/>Felix nodded in understanding. "We know," he replied, "And we didn't expect you to show up already. Really, miss Lancaster, we are very grateful to have you here but you are more than welcome to settle in first. There are still several weeks left before we can even begin considering introducing the animals to our forest, there is no need to --"<br/><br/>Julie dismissively shushed the man with a gesture of her hand, taking a few more steps forward. They had been following the longer hiking trail for a good hour and a half now, and she had been thoroughly enjoying the walk, albeit a little tame for her liking. Nothing made her quite as happy as being outdoors, away from the cities and surrounded by nothing but the untamed wilderness. Which was only true to an extent; the very paths and fences and manmade bridges lessened the illusion that she was alone here. You know, aside from Felix.<br/><br/>"My hotel room felt too small," she confessed, which was an understatement. Being a one-room apartment made Julie feel like she was suffocated and she had escaped the confinement of the four walls at daybreak. Already she had been out running - sitting still had never been her thing - and taken her breakfast in a small but quaint place right outside the reserve. The staff at the visitors centre had been pretty surprised when she had announced her arrival that morning, not a few minutes after eight, and they had hurriedly called in the help of one of the senior rangers, Felix Rodriguez (She knew she'd remember it eventually!)  who had been more than happy to show her around the area and tell Julianne all about the imposing Redwood forest.<br/><br/>Now, Julie had seen trees before, and she'd seen old trees before. But she'd never seen Redwood trees before, and the sight of these giants alone had made the twenty six hour trip worth it. She'd seen a lot of beauty in her life, but when you stood in front of a tree whose trunk was wider than most of the hovels in the township she'd spent so much of her time in, you could only gaze in awe at such an impressive feat of mother nature. More than once had she wandered away from the trail, curious to explore beyond the trodden path. It was only the presence of her current company that kept her from disregarding the rules all too badly, but it was clear that she was brimming with excitement.<br/><br/>"If you'd like, the institute can help you in finding suitable housing," Felix suggested, a little more carefully this time. But Julianne shook her head.<br/><br/>"I'll be fine," she assured him, and the woman turned fully towards the man, shaking his hand firmly. "And I want to thank you for your tour. It's been most insightful."  She paused meaningfully, indicating that, as far as she was concerned, this conversation was over. Julianne wasn't trying to be rude but the call of nature was becoming increasingly impossible to resist.<br/><br/>Felix looked a little uncertain. "Shall I... escort you back to the center, Miss?" he inquired, to which Julie shook her head.<br/><br/>"I've already  taken up so much of your time!" she assured him confidently. The girl practically pushed him along the path, only staying behind when good old Felix had caught on. "I'm just having a bit of a look around!" she nodded, waving merrily. Only when, with somewhat hesitant steps, he had bid her goodbye, then slowly disappeared along the trail that followed the Redwood creek did Julianne dare heave a sigh of relief.<em>Finally</em>.<br/><br/>Not a moment after she had lost sight of the friendly warden did Julianne, with a wicked grin on her face, nimbly hop across the fence that separated the trail from the woods proper. She'd been craving a bit of freedom and within seconds she was running rather than walking, weaving between the trees in a desperate need to get that restless energy out of her bones. Her new surroundings had her feeling rather giddy, and the absence of anyone around were so welcome after being cramped in several airplanes for the past two days. A wild outcry escaped her as she rushed along the loose soil, sprinting where few people ever wandered. She was dressed in her running shorts and a formfitting top, fingerless black gloves wrapped around her wrists and palms. She wasn't sure where she was running or for how long; Julianne knew that she could find her way back though. She just wasn't sure if she wanted to, here she felt much more in her element than she ever could in a big city like San Francisco. Here she was at home, and a euphoric feeling befell her, so when she, not even ten minutes in, discovered a rock formation that was just begging to be scaled, the girl did not hesitate for a single moment. It was at least fifty feet high, and Julianne had brought neither the right wear nor the required gear, but damn it, she was going to climb that wall if it was the last thing she would do. And the possibility that she could fail simply did not enter her mind.<br/>