<div class="floatleft">(http://i1105.photobucket.com/albums/h357/daniellex28/evolved%20char%207_zpsvbxkwizk.png)</div><strong>Name:</strong>Julie Lancaster (https://elliquiy.com/forums/index.php?topic=250173.msg12381790er#msg12381790)<br/><strong>City | Date | Time:</strong>Lulekani Township near Phalaborwa, South Africa | March 17 2015 | 06:38 PM<br/><strong>Tagging | Mentioning:</strong>Elena/Nicole<br/><strong>Content:</strong>Packing up and getting ready to leave<br/><hr/><br/>The dark-skinned ranger handed the final crate over to Julianne; it was filled to the brim with mango's, causing the girl to stagger under the weight.<em>"Jy weet wel wat jy weg gee,"</em>she complained in heavily accented African. "And they say chivalry is dead!"  It only earned her a toothy smile from Beaunard though, and without a trace of shame he stacked a few more pieces of fruit on top.<br/><br/>"You had plenty of time to rest while we worked," he commented dryly. "You earn the same pay as us, so you can work just as hard as everyone else."<br/><br/>It was really something Julianne couldn't argue with, and rather than trying she merely shrugged - for as much as the heavy load allowed it - and turned away from the somewhat pitiably looking supermarket, back to the jeep. It had gotten significantly more crowded in the past hours on the sandstrewn streets of the modest township, and she had to weave her way through the people, all of which unabashedly watched the girl almost buckle under the weight. Of course, some of them did offer to help - plenty did - but Julie was a stubborn girl and she wasn't going to let one crate of food get the better of her. And besides, she didn't want to arrive at the jeep too early. It was the final crate of supplies; in a good fifteen minutes they'd be setting off and it would be a long time before they'd be heading back into town again. Julie found herself spying her surroundings, a subtle anxiety betraying that she wasn't as laidback about her trip as she usually would be. The locals were curious and friendly, but for once they could not keep her distracted; all Julie was doing was looking for the pale vision that she'd invited to tag along. Of course, she didn't actually<em>expect</em>Nicki to show up - that would be way too outrageous, right? - and yet she felt a frail hope that she would find her hidden in the crowd somewhere. That hope gradually dwindled as she neared the vehicle though, grunting none too gracefully as the weight of the box in her arms was starting to get the better of her.<br/><br/>"Oi, Raymond!" she panted, her eyes somewhat worriedly glancing at the man who stood at the back of the jeep, rearranging the contents. Returning would be a somewhat more cramped endeavour, although it was hardly the worst manner in which Julianne had ever travelled (for one, there weren't any chickens involved). She just about managed to get the crate shoved up on the side, and although the look of amusement at her expense was blatant, Ray did crouch down and relieved her from the cargo.<br/><br/>"You need to work up some muscle, little girl!" he grimaced. "Do you need me to lift you into the jeep as well, or will you manage?"<br/><br/>Julie did not dignify that with an answer; instead she pulled a face and wiped her sweaty hands clean onto her light coloured pants. "We're not leaving just yet," she said, which was only true because her clear dawdling. Despite their nonchalant behaviour the group was clearly ready to get going; considering the distance they'd still be travelling they couldn't afford to linger much longer.<br/><br/>"Ah, your new friend," Roy grinned. "Are you sure you didn't dream her up? The sun can be pretty hard on you Europeans."<br/><br/>"She's real," Julie replied softly, and she turned around, allowing her arms to rest in a more leisurely pose by her sides. "I just don't know if... er..." Her voice trailed off as her eyes caught sight of a golden-haired apparition, hidden in the crowd. Though she stood out like a snowman in the jungle, it took Julianne a moment to recognize Nicki for who she was. Her attire was drastically different; she looked every bit the part of a young backpacker that, in the grand scheme of things, made an awful lot more sense. Which didn't take away that Julie had thoroughly liked the way Nicole had been dressed before. This reminded her of home though, and not so much the estranged relatives, the materialistic tendencies or the conservative habits. She reminded her of the part of her adolescent life that had been<em>fun</em>, and if Nicole hadn't already managed to persuade Julie into wanting to take her along by presence alone, then this would have definitely done the trick.<br/><br/>Julianne couldn't help but light up at the sight; a grin that didn't go entirely unnoticed by her peers lit up her features as she waved, carefully at first but with increasing abundance. She didn't wait until Nicole had arrived at the vehicle; with a bounce in her step she skipped forward, stepping in beside her, taking one of the pieces of luggage she carried before the girl could even think of protesting. "You came!" she beamed, a fraction of a second before realizing she sounded a bit too excited about that fact. So much for seeming casual, but truth of the matter was that Julianne couldn't really bring herself to care. She wasn't even sure what she liked best about this; the fact that the girl had actually decided on a whim to jump ship and set off on a whole different sort of adventure, or that she had done so at Julianne's beckon, without a shred of doubt to her actions.<br/><br/>"Heh, I can't believe you actually came," she corrected herself. Julie suppressed the urge to hug the girl, realizing it was maybe a bit too forward. That hesitation lasted only a  moment though, then she decided she was just too friggin' happy to see her, and Julie grabbed the girl in a tight embrace, her harms wrapped around Nicki's shoulder for just a second. It didn't seem to unnerve her though; if anything, Nicole looked amused.<br/><br/><br/>"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?" It was all Julie needed in terms of encouragement, and she gladly jumped up onto the jeep before turning around to offer her hand to their newest volunteer. God, she really hoped that working at the sanctuary paid little more than food and a place to sleep. Perhaps she should have mentioned that beforehand.<br/><br/>"I won 't let you down,"  Julie promised. ""I couldn't if I tried." Julie's arm muscles tensed as Nicki hopped inside. Finding a spot to sit was tricky business; by no means could this journey be deemed safe or comfortable. Julianne figured Nicki wasn't one to easily complain though, and so they sat wedged between a wooden chest and a big bag of potatoes, hoping that the stacks of supplies wouldn't, at any given moment, collapse on top of them. "It's not exactly first class," Julie offered by manner of apology. "But it'll be worth it, promise.”<br/><br/>It wasn't long after that before the vehicle set in motion, causing the jeep to roar and shake almost violently. Julie cast Nicki an encouraging grin; it was all she could do, as the noise had instantly become too loud to talk over. Introductions - Raymond and his pal had joined them on opposite side of the back of the jeep - would have to wait for now, which was just as well; Julianne couldn't deny that she was quite content merely sitting here, shoulder by shoulder, the tactile sensation perhaps sharing more than words even could. It was reassuring, strangely familiar and yet making her a little nervous at the same time. Part of her wanted to apologize without knowing why; the other half to Julianne was quite happy to just stay there. And it wasn't altogether surprising that after several minutes she, in spite of the incessant drone (or because of it), nodded off, and the pluspart of the journey she was getting some much-needed shuteye.<br/><br/>It wasn't until they were nearing the care centre that Julianne startled back into awareness once more, and only because the jeep was crossing the dreaded bridge that allowed them to reach the other side of the wild river that flanked their rehabilitation centre. A little dazed Julie stared ahead, then to her right, at which point her eyes grew significantly wider. Her mind still had trouble accepting the presence of Nicole for truth, although there was no denying that a little jolt of happiness coursed through her at the realization that she was actually here.<br/><br/>"Looks like we're almost here," she murmured, then leaned in to Nicki in an attempt to actually make herself heard. "See the gates there? It's one mile left from here." Julie groaned as her limbs all seemed to protest to her moving, then pulled herself into an upright position all the same. This close to the centre the jeep had slowed down significantly; in part because of the animals, in part because sunset was upon them by now and the encroaching darkness made the road far more treacherous. It did have the wonderful advantage that the noise was significantly less overwhelming, and the breeze that rolled over the plains was surprisingly refreshing. Julie, whilst standing, briefly closed her eyes, welcoming the sounds, the smells and the atmosphere of the wilderness around them. "You have about a minute," she said, her voice now softer. "And if you don't love this place by then, you've made a big mistake coming here." Julie turned her head, her eyes fluttering open, the warmest of smiles on her lips. "I can't imagine how you wouldn't though."<br/><br/><br/><br/>