[COMPLETE] ??? ???? ?? ??? ??????「Sherlock」

032; You Call Yourself A Free Spirit

The mesmerising blur continuously churned and changed outside, trees and patches of snow becoming one immaculate composition of alabaster and sandalwood. Sherlock's brilliant gaze returned from the depths of her memory and she looked away, trying to distract herself somehow. Julia studied her surroundings: there were a few scratches upon the table in front of her, the IPod's glowing screen, and then directly in front of her, the young woman who had shown such concern for her well-being. It must have been rather distressing to see her seat-mate in tears. She only hoped that she didn't see her as anything less than human for being in ruins after parting with the man she loved. It was no secret, surely, to those who had been nosy enough to watch.

"So, um... what's your name?" Julia asked softly, admittedly hesitant.

The woman did not look up and answered rather quickly, as if their conversation were the last thing upon her mind. "Anthea." There was a brief pause before the brunette finally looked up at her, an innocent grin twitching at her glossy lips. Gosh, her eyelashes were so dark and full. The rosette almost felt compelled to ask her what her secret was, given that her own were so pale and rather short in comparison. Silence progressed and began to slowly swallow them whole, and suddenly Julia felt like an idiot for trying to even converse with this stranger. For such a horribly attractive woman, she seemed a bit narrow-minded and inattentive. Julia mentally scorned herself for judging the woman by her cover. I've spent too much time around Sherlock. Finally, after what had felt like days, Anthea returned with her own inquiry. "And you?"

"Julia Fuller," she responded, nodding. Anthea seemed to grow a bit more interested. "What brings you to Glasgow?"

With a shrug, the woman quirked up the corner of her mouth. "Business trip, actually."

"Ah," the rosette peeped. Her eyes fell and she suddenly felt a bit ashamed, yet proceeded to try and make small-talk. As much as she wanted to tell the truth -she was turning tail and hoping to return to her small, dreary home in order to avoid Sherlock Holmes and the pain of a broken heart- Julia lied through her teeth. Anthea was a stranger... there was no reason to feel guilty for doing so. Clearing her throat, Julia tucked some hair behind her ear, suddenly self-conscious. "I'm... heading back to see how my family is doing. I don't know how long I'll be staying, though."

"That's nice. I miss my family... I'm always too busy to even talk to them," Anthea related.

"I'm never too busy for family, fortunate enough for me."

The cabin rattled again and the brunette across from her looked up at a gentleman coming down the isle. "How nice," she commented.

"Yeah," Julia agreed. "Besides, I'm not much of a fan of London. Too many people."

Anthea let out a soft huff of amusement. "You don't seem the Londoner type anyway..."

"You could say that again," the rosette hummed, shrugging a shoulder. "We were practically swimming through the crowds. Nearly got myself lost quite a few times while in the Underground." She smirked faintly, shaking her head as she recalled how James had found her, stranded, and if not for him, she wouldn't have been found by John nor Sherlock. Not in that suffocating throng of people, at least.

"Lord, christmas must have been hectic for you."

The rosette replied with a gentle scoff and a roll of her eyes. "Always is up there, apparently."

Anthea chuckled softly. "According to?"

"Sherl- er," Julia faltered. "My aunt, a few friends. It was fun, though, experiencing London for the first time since I was a child. Never visited much. I was always too busy at school or working to even try..."