<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 | 04:35 PM<br/><strong>Tagging | Mentioning:</strong>Elena/Nicole<br/><strong>Content:</strong><em>I can show you the world</em><br/><hr/><br/>To hear that Nicole -<em>Nicki</em>- was a teacher didn't come as too much of a surprise. In fact, Julianne found that she had made the assumption before the girl had even offered her response, although it gladdened her that apparently, Nicole's exterior and interior matched so seamlessly. Julie could only wonder if she was as in sync with her own heart's desires. "Canada, huh," she responded, although it was a rather hollow response. Julianne had never visited Canada before, although the beautiful wilderness and vast mountains carried an attraction that didn't deviate too much from the way she was so wholly drawn in by the South African savanna. "I've never been to America, north or south," she said, and it almost sounded like an apology. "So I'm afraid your accent is rather unfamiliar to me. If you'd said you live in California I would have believed it, too." Julie turned her eyes skyward for a moment, pretending to be pondering her own words. "In fact, I'm pretty confident that if you told me you were Mexican I'd just be wondering why you look so pale. I can be pretty gullible."<br/><br/>Her posture breathed an air of nonchalance, although it was more accurately a sense of feeling at home. Julie smiled absently, a subconscious mimicking of the one that Nicole had offered her first. It distracted her to the point where Julianne failed to absorb the explanation of just what Nicole had been up to these past few months, and she simply gazed, finding the girl's appearance an all too pleasant sort of mesmerizing. There was a wisdom in the way the girl held herself;  a strange contrast between childlike inquisitiveness and knowing the intricate workings of the world around her. It made Julianne both want to reach for the girl's hand and show her the wonders of the South African wilderness, whilst simultaneously musing if the roles should not be reversed. There was a careful notion that this sweet looking dame could teach her a myriad things that Julianne could barely fathom. She liked that thought, almost so much that her mind failed to listen at<em>all</em>anymore. She nodded, lost in thought as Nicole coyly used having to fill in papers as an excuse to move on. "Way too much effort..." Julianne murmured, plucking at the loose creases of her combat trousers.<br/><br/>But then Nicole finished her playful monologue with a single phrase that reeled Julie right back into the here and now, and her dark blue eyes widened slightly, her pupils dilating as a subtle betrayal that the words did not leave her unaffected.<br/><br/>"I'd love to go wherever you'll take me, though," she had said, and no doubt was it intended far more innocently than Julianne was prone to interpret it as. Julianne found it nothing short of heartwarming to be given such faith, to find such unconditional willingness in someone she had only met minutes ago. It was in her nature to quip smartly about Nicole being awfully accommodating, or wonder out loud how on Earth she had made it this long if she so freely went along with strangers. But she just didn't have it in her; there was an innate feeling that assured her that, no matter who this girl turned out to be deep inside, she could never bring herself to betray the trust that Nicole had just given her.<br/><br/>A one-sided, quirky smile tugged at Julianne's rosy lips. It was faint at best but all the more sincere for it, and it was at this point that she slowly straightened her back, her hands retreating from their slack positions on the rough wooden table. "All right," she answered quite simply, never quite able to avert her eyes. More words were supposed to be forthcoming, but where ordinarily, Julianne was pretty eloquent - or chatty, rather - she was losing herself in more uninhibited staring to the point where the awareness of this becoming awkward rather quickly started to creep up on her. She shook her head in a barely noticeable gesture, creasing her nose like she was prone to before rather abruptly standing from her seat.<br/><br/>Julianne scraped her throat, glancing briefly to the side. The jeep still stood a street-and-a-half away, just out of sight. Surely they'd be loading up their supplies soon, and once they'd returned to the centre it would be several weeks before they'd venture this far out again. Likely Julianne would have returned to the wild park by then, but to pose the question that she knew she was about to felt far too bold. And yet, she had an inkling that she needed but ask for Nicole to come and she would follow. Just like she had said she would.<br/><br/>"Look, I need to go help with loading the food into the jeep." Julie leisurely swung her leg over the wooden bench, stepping further away from the table. "We'll be heading back to the sanctuary soon."<br/><br/>Her eyes flitted in brief anxiety to the street ahead, the general direction into which she would be heading soon. Julie reached for her backpack without looking, zipping it up slowly. "It will be a while before we return. It's a few hours drive back there and..." Julianne puffed up her cheeks. Was she really running scared? It wasn't like her to be afraid, let alone of someone who had shown herself to be nothing but friendly, kind and surprisingly eager to humour Julianne in her invitation. Perhaps that was the thing, though; somewhere Julianne couldn't quite believe that there was anyone else walking the planet quite so eager to just jump into the fray without worrying whether it was a good idea or not.<br/><br/>"I want you to come," she finally continued, and her voice had gained an adamant sort of plea. "Come with us to the sanctuary and I promise you will not regret it."<br/><br/>Julianne slung her bag over her shoulder, making it abundantly clear that she was about to leave. "I will be back in two hours. If you want to tag along then come meet me at the market before then, and make sure to bring your belongings.If you're not here then that's okay too, and I'll understand, I will!" Briefly she dipped her head, her straight strands of dark brown hair brushing along her cheeks. Julianne glanced up once more, purposely meeting eyes with Nicole then. "But I'd really like it if you came."<br/><br/>She didn't wait for an answer; Julianne spun around on her heels and paced off, the casual way in which she sauntered away from the girl belying how she truly felt. She really did hope Nicole would be insane enough to take her up on her offer. She could use a friend - a real friend.<br/>