<div class="floatleft">(https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/236x/7f/36/ab/7f36ab980d4c3cee5e4de335571c10b5.jpg)</div><span class="bbc_font" style="font-family: times new roman;"><strong>Name:</strong> Elena Charlie Vandel (https://elliquiy.com/forums/index.php?topic=250173.msg12381845#msg12381845) - Clone #2, aka, Nicole.<br/><strong>City | Date | Time:</strong> Lulekani Township near Phalaborwa, South Africa | March 17 2015 | 6:30 PM<br/><strong>Tagging | Mentioning:</strong> Julie, Closed.<br/><strong>Content:</strong> Packing, meeting up. </span><br/><hr/><span class="bbc_size" style="font-size: 10pt;"><span class="bbc_font" style="font-family: times new roman;"><br/><br/>Nicole was at a loss when she learned that Julie had not touched either America, and it showed. Not that she was shocked, or totally flabberghasted, but she was mildly surprised, and she even chuckled at the woman's response as a whole. It was a unique situation and it made her honestly happy. It wasn't everyday you met someone who looked so similar who'd been to entirely different places than you had, especially when it seemed there may be so many similarities beyond that. Nicole shook off any feelings of awkwardness like a duck does water, all smiles, and totally showering Julie with her attention in those quiet moments after she'd confessed she'd go wherever Julie was willing to lead her. She'd sat there looking at the woman with a mix of expectations and hope in her eyes, as if she'd gambled confidently and was waiting for it to pay off, perhaps. There were no second-thoughts or immediate regrets, but she felt even more confident of her wager when that adorable smile tugged on Julie's features. It was cute, and as the woman straightened her back, Nicole knew it was <em>business time.</em> So she waited for the woman to speak - to spill some infalliable truth or story about where they would go, and how glorious it would be. Instead, all she got back was a simple <em>all right</em>, and while it was less than expected, Nicole found herself being just sort of looked at.<br/><br/>It was pleasant. She liked the attention, and perhaps her posture and otherwise even <em>perked up</em> a little extra, sweet smile still worn.<br/><br/>And then Julie stood, which left Nicole staring right at her mid-section for a lingering moment before her eyes roamed up to the woman's face. She was still filled with expectations, and the hope of adventure. It was slow to come, as if Nicole had to <em>earn</em> it by somehow playing it cool when all she wanted to was have her hand grabbed before being led off. Soon enough, Julie's lips parted - Nicole would know, she was staring - the invitation was offered. She thought, anyways, but... It wasn't exactly one, and it didn't dawn on her immediately it was just the <em>beginning</em> of the invitation. This was the part where Julie explained that she needed to go, and that left Nicole with her head cocked and eyes resting on Julie, still waiting.<br/><br/>Still expecting, too. Nicole didn't know why, but she sort of felt like it was some weird sort of fate, like she'd opted to eat here instead of where she'd been staying for once on just the right day at just the right time, like she'd come here for more of a reason than the fact Elena had read about South Africa extensively in college, and... Julie'd continued on, talking about how far a trip it was. Nicole didn't care. About any of it. Why would she? She had the means to escape any situation - or so she was convinced - no matter which type of escape was needed. Physical, monetarily, otherwise.. She was pretty confident everything would be okay. So she just sat there, akin to a loyal puppy waiting for the word <em>walk.</em> Thankfully she was eternally patient - well, to a point; she could never accept inaction - and before long, Julie asked.<br/><br/>Or pleaded? Regardless, the way the words came out made Nicole laugh, and instead of answering, she simply stood - slowly, leisurely, and without removing her eyes from the woman - all the while listening to Julie's instructions as her hands came to rest along her sides. When Julie gave her that last, pointed glance, Nicole had met her eyes, too. Gazed into them maybe, all smiles and as silent as Julie may have expected, then moments later, the woman was gone. It left her with a lot to think about, and some part of her mind found itself seeking out advice from <em>the others.</em> Not about if she should go, but what she should take with her. Should she pick up a few new things from the locals before going? Was it worth taking <em>everything?</em> Would Julie's clothes fit her? That last one made her giggle, and that brought her back to reality. She'd zoned out there - for lord knows how long - just totally lost in a complicated, totally mental conversation with herself, standing there with the backs of her legs against the bench. Blinking a few times to try to clear her head, Nicole set off back towards her quarters, the checklist in her mind forming quickly and being narrowed down far more slowly. It wasn't until she'd checked her watch that she began to hurry and fully set aside the daydreaming, which allowed her to get back, pack, and say some brief goodbyes before having to hurry back to the market.<br/><br/></span></span><hr/><span class="bbc_size" style="font-size: 10pt;"><span class="bbc_font" style="font-family: times new roman;"><br/>Packing had taken her much longer than expected - and so had the goodbyes. In the end, she'd ended up leaving quite a bit behind for those who'd been so kind to host, and feed her for many of her day's worth of staying. Trinkets and such mostly, her extra journal and pen, a scarf - as the woman's daughter had fallen in love with it, despite how the heat rendered it nearly non-essential, and surprisingly a pair of her socks had gone missing. She had no idea where, or why, but that was another one of those 'I don't care' categories for the woman. They could've taken far more without getting under her skin, and she was just honestly happy the essentials were there. Her laptop - a device that was <em>thoroughly</em> dead, as charging it reliably had been nigh impossible for her, for a variety of reasons - her main journal, her rough-and-rugged, rather simplistic cellphone that boasted impressive endurance, signal, and GPS but lacked in any luxury features beyond that. More importantly, deep down inside, it was her underthings she was most happy to find fully accounted for. Her host had four sons and a daughter - to say the least, she felt lucky.<br/><br/>What hadn't made it was any of the candy or other snacks. Those had all stayed, and so did her second backpack. It seemed like a sorely needed convenience item, and so she'd almost felt obligated to leave it behind.<br/><br/>That left her with the hiking backpack she had left, and her messenger bag, both of which were settled squarely on her little frame and made her look a little like a loaded down mule. By the time she arrived at the market proper, it was almost six-thirty squarely, and everything was alive. People around her conversed loudly, movement was so common everyone seemed ever-shifting, and Nicole felt like nearly everyone who lived in this place was in attendance - or atleast half. It still didn't take her long to meander through the crowd, her eyes scanning until she located a particular vehicle that stuck out: a jeep. Slowly she came to stand parallel to it, dressed now in a grungy looking band t-shirt, the soft cotton black and the screenprint so old it'd peeled off to hardly being recognizable. It looked like some 80's metal band shirt, judging by what was left of the graphic - which wasn't much - and the rest of her attire was pretty simple. Boots, jeans, and draped over her messenger bag seemed to be a lightweight, dark grey sweater.  <br/><br/>Nicole stuck out like a sore thumb, just as Julie did when she finally saw the woman enter her view among a screen of others. The blonde didn't rush over, or come sneaking up nonchalantly. Instead, she simply stood there, obviously prepared to leave and smiling like a big idiot. It didn't take her too many moments of standing still (and staring,) before she made her way through the market's crowd to approach the jeep, which helped close the distance between them considerably. Once standing next to the vehicle, she looked at Julie, her cheeks rosy from rushing over, and her body rocking on her heels ever so slightly. "Surprised to see me?" she asked playfully, eyes narrowing just a bit, "I truly hope not. How ever could I not show up after how sweetly you'd asked? <em>And</em> your promises?"<br/><br/>Nicole grinned - perhaps a little deviously - and it was all because she enjoyed how much Julie had done to convince her, even if it'd been unneeded. She even liked the woman's promise, though Nicole wasn't sure she'd be upset if it wasn't as great as expected overall. She had low expectations, and high hopes. Besides... Part of the enjoyment of it all was being spontaneous, and another large part was about connecting with another human-being who might share some interests, and, even if they didn't... Well, Nicole was well aware sometimes the differences were even more pleasing than the similarities. As Julie spoke, Nicole hooked her fingers in the straps of her bags, and then offered them one by one out to Julie, so that the woman could settle it all among the supplies and otherwise. Unsurprisingly, as the woman spoke, she had Nicole's undivided attention, and the petite blonde's posture was just as rigid as it'd been at the bench. Impeccable, to the point it may have been practiced, yet it seemed to require her no effort at all to maintain.</span></span>