JENNA: * Jo doesn't bother him further, settling in to weave and shifting only occasionally in the next several hours. She's practically run out of string when the dinner bell suddenly gongs, accompanied by shouts that the mess hall is only open for two hours, so get it while it's hot.

JUSTIN: * The loud noise rouses Shane easily enough from his catnap, and he sits up to stretch. His hat falls from his face, freeing him to rub the sleep from his eyes before placing it on the nearby end table. "What was that?"

JENNA: "Food," Jo says absently, releasing the weaving, which has become a fairly respectable length -- it looks much like something one might wear as an armband. "I'm bringing mine back in here. You do what you want."

JUSTIN: * Shane stands to his feet, repressing a yawn. After the feeling has passed, he straightens his hair and then, in afterthought, decides to leave his coat and gear behind in the room. "Considering I have no reason to be in here with you, I will enjoy the company of less grumpy individuals while I eat." He doesn't look at her as he steps out the door, turning to following the crowd toward the mess.

JENNA: * Jo shrugs, following him out. She notes a disturbing number of people watching the two of them as they walk and whispering to each other as they pass. She scowls at Shane, certain this is his fault. She pushes sharply past him, joining a line where people are waiting for their food -- it appears to be little better than a thick stew with a ration of water on the side.

JUSTIN: * Shane doesn't seem to be distracted by the looks, perhaps not noticing them in his attempt to look blissfully unconcerned about Jo. He certainly doesn't need her approval or company, that's for sure. He finds himself in line behind her, apparently everyone patiently waiting until after he's in line, and then filing in behind him.

JENNA: * Jo takes her food without comment, ignoring the very curious stare of the man serving it -- none other than the one who directed Shane to her room. When she's passed him by and is waiting to be served her drink, She hears him address Shane. "That's her? Man, I would have remembered if I'd seen her on shift."

JUSTIN: "Pardon me?" Shane gives the man a blank stare as he tries to figure out what the fellow is referring to. When he does remember, the stare quickly turns into a semi-panicked, embarrassed blush. "Oh. Yes. She's--" He glances quickly at the woman in question, then lowers his voice as he continues. "She certainly stands out in a crowd."

JENNA: "She does that." The man turns to grin admiringly at Jo, who stares straight ahead of her, expression becoming grim. The only indication of this from behind, however, is her back, which has gone very stiff. "Some guys have all the luck." And he serves Shane his food, gesturing for him to move on.

JUSTIN: * Shane completely ignores the comment, not wasting any time in following the gesture's suggestion. He steps briskly forward in line, almost walking into Jo from behind before he regains control of himself. He makes a point of not looking at her.

JENNA: * Jo continues down the line, snatching her drink with an abruptness that seems to offend the person serving, but she doesn't bother to apologize, turning and stalking past Shane with an air of extreme chill. When she reaches her quarters, she sets her food down on her cot and slams the door viciously before returning to eat.

JUSTIN: * Shane looks extremely guilty as he accepts his drink from the server, and feels the need to apologize for the woman -- even though he should probably care less if she makes herself look as inconsiderate as she generally is. "She doesn't like to travel by ship." He mutters, turning away before he has to talk any more about it, and seeks out a place to sit in the mess hall.

JENNA: * Several people glance up, seeing Shane hasn't chosen a spot, and it's clear by their expressions that they'd like him to join their tables. A few whispers are also exchanged. Alone in the room, Jo starts her meal in stony silence.

JUSTIN: * The many stares are now painfully obvious to the man, and he finds it all rather unnerving. Despite what they may want, he moves to a seat with relatively few people nearby, huddling over his food to try blocking out his surroundings.

JENNA: * The murmurs, however, continue, most of them too low to hear, but the nearest table contains a couple of women with more interest than sense. "Think she's still angry with him?" asks one, and the other responds with "Probably -- I mean, wouldn't you be?"

JUSTIN: * Shane's back goes rigid at the sound of gossip, and though he tells himself they could be talking about anyone, current events certainly point all fingers at him. He turns his head stiffly to look in their direction.

JENNA: * One of them squeaks, and the other gives a nervous titter, and they lower their voices at once, though they continue to glance surreptitiously in his direction.

JUSTIN: * Shane turns back to his food with a grim, weary frown. So much for more pleasant company. He scoops up his bowl and his mug, and makes for his room while hanging his head low. He isn't expecting a much better reception in the cabin.

JENNA: * The whispers and stares follow him from the mess hall, but the walk to his quarters is blessedly quiet -- even if the silence beyond the door is almost threatening.

JUSTIN: * Shane fidgets, shifting his weight a few times before he slowly cracks the door open. Afraid of immediate retaliation, he braces himself and peeks through the opening.

JENNA: * Jo is seated silently on the edge of her cot, next to where she planted her dagger, eating her food with slow, grim efficiency. If she hears the door open, she gives no sign, except perhaps to thrust the spoon a little harder into the stew.

JUSTIN: * Shane imagines his face clutched in her hands, and the spoon gouging out his eye. He shudders and shakes the image away, slinking into the room as quietly as he can, and shutting the door behind him. He makes for his chair, and hopes that perhaps she'll be content to ignore his presence.

JENNA: * For a moment, it seems she's done so, the only sound that of her continuing to eat. Then her spoon drops into her bowl with a wet sort of thunk, and she lifts her gaze eyes narrowed in a look of intense dislike. "What," she says grimly, "did you tell them?"

JUSTIN: "What, I didn't tell them anything!" Shane says almost too quickly, as if expecting the question. He shrinks into his chair, wishing he had his hat to cover his face as he stuffs more food into his mouth to excuse himself from saying more.

JENNA: * She's silent again, eating a few more bites of food she clearly has no appetite for. Then she looks at him again. "/What. Did. You. Tell. Them?/" Her voice carries no small hint of threat.

JUSTIN: * Shane sets his own bowl down on the end table with a reckless clatter, the half-empty contents sloshing within. He clutches at his mug of water protectively, however, trying to match Jo's look with indignity. "Well I had to tell them something to let me in the room! What does it matter to you?"

JENNA: "We have to spend a week and a half among these people," Jo says flatly. "I would like to know what lies you've told about me so that I can better adapt." She then turns back to her bowl, attempting not to be savage with her meal, as it's fairly sloppy.

JUSTIN: * Shane squirms in his chair uncomfortably, favoring his drink with a long sip before gaining the courage to relate the details. "Well, everyone kept assuming that... well, we were together. So I might have been inspired by that notion..." He takes another gulp of his water.

JENNA: * Jo seems to have frozen in place, staring at him with an intense, yet totally unreadable, expression. "/Really/," she says at last. "Do tell." She returns to her meal, but her gaze is still fixed on him.

JUSTIN: * Shane suddenly loses his appetite even for water, and his mug is soon deposited next to his bowl. "I was on the spot! I had to say something... so I told the man you were my wife." His face is utterly red, but he tries to look standoffish despite it.

JENNA: * Jo stares at him. Somehow, despite it being the obvious answer, she had not expected him to actually say it. "Perfect," she growls after a moment, then turns back to her bowl and starts eating rapidly, as if she wants to get it all down before she becomes ill.

JUSTIN: * Shane fidgets in his seat, trying not to look guilty. "And I'm sure you'd have come up with something better in that sort of situation? It's not like I had time to plan."

JENNA: * Jo avoids reiterating that he could have just left her the hell alone, instead eating her food even more rapidly, as if by doing so she can quell the urge. Once she's cleaned out her bowl, she reaches for her drink and drains it in one go. "I'm going to sleep."

JUSTIN: "You do that." Shane encourages, thinking he'll be able to relax once she's no longer giving him death looks. He warily reaches for his bowl, hunger overtaking again.

JENNA: * Jo sets her dishes on the floor, shoving them out of her way, then works her dagger out of the wood, sheathing it. That accomplished, she sets her knives nearby and snatches her pack up again. Tossing the rough pillow and blanket to the floor, she flops down and shoves the pack under her head, rolling to face the wall.

JUSTIN: * Shane tries his best to ignore her presence from this point on, poking at his food and eating it slowly and distractedly. Every once in a while, though, he slips a gaze her way, in spite of himself.

JENNA: * Jo has difficulty falling asleep, still angry and -- oddly -- conflicted about the entire situation. She curls up a little tighter, trying to think of other times and other places. It's still a long time before she goes to sleep, however.

JUSTIN: * Shane finishes his meal in silence, and eventually his water is all depleted as well. With nothing left to him but his thoughts, he tries to fall asleep, himself -- but it doesn't take. So instead he simply rests with his eyes closed, and tries to think of anything besides Jo and their situation.

JENNA: * The boat rocks slowly through the night, doing little to help Jo's fitful sleep. She tosses, and she turns, and once in a while she stirs into near wakefulness, but aside from her dreams, nothing disturbs her until morning, when the breakfast bell gongs, and her eyes snap open. To her distinct irritation, the first thing she sees is Shane, and she promptly jerks her gaze away.

JUSTIN: * Shane, for his part, looks utterly depressed, eyes half-closed and dark spots beneath them. Apparently he hasn't had much, or any sleep during the night. He doesn't react to her look, and it's hard to tell how aware he even is of his surroundings.

JENNA: * Jo sits up, staring silently at the floor before returning her attention to him. "Do you want me to get you something?" she asks flatly, seeing how he's not making much of an effort to move on his own.

JUSTIN: * This much seems to shake him out of whatever desolate hole his mind was in, enough, at least, to look up and frown. "If you want to." His lips twitch, as if in defiance of him speaking to her.

JENNA: * She shrugs. "Or you can go hungry. I don't care." Then she turns to leave the room, that threat hanging in the air. She pulls the door open to the sound of someone bellowing that the food's getting cold and walks into a surprisingly empty hall.

JUSTIN: * The thought of being at her mercy for the morning meal eventually manages to rouse Shane from his seat, and he stumbles tiredly into the hallway beyond. His eyes blink as he tries to see through the haze of sleeplessness, and he finds his way into the main hall behind Jo.

JENNA: * Happily, most of the other passengers haven't rousted themselves, deciding to miss a meal in favor of catching a little more sleep. The morning meal, when they arrive, appears to consist of very dry biscuits and gravy, as well as another portion of water. Jo takes hers without a sound, pausing as if to debate whether she wants to go back to the cabin.

JUSTIN: * Shane likewise accepts his meal without comment, mostly because he's too tired to speak, and for whatever reason he seems to follow after Jo instead of heading straight back.

JENNA: * Jo grimaces, but the last thing she really wants is to be stuck in a room full of prying eyes. Choosing, she feels, the lesser of two evils, she starts back to the cabin, hoping she can take some time to go up on deck later in the day. The stuffy room is driving her mad.

JUSTIN: * Shane hesitates for a moment before following after her, his face looking like a man walking death row. Despite his valiant efforts, he didn't manage to think of anything the entire night besides Jo. And the situation. And Jo. And the situation. He's half worried he'll fall asleep in his gravy.

JENNA: * Jo opens the door without ceremony, holding it until she's sure he's inside before closing it behind her. She then returns to the bed and concentrates on her meal, eyes weary. "Should have walked," she mutters, mostly to herself.

JUSTIN: * Shane collapses into his chair with a weary, aching grunt, before turning an eye to his food. "If you'd walked, I'd have had a hard time finding you." He prods at a biscuit with his fork.

JENNA: "Another bonus," she says sourly, dragging one of the biscuits through the gravy before taking a slow bite. "Would probably have gone faster, too." She grimaces, setting her food aside. As it is, she can't muster the appetite. Instead, she reaches for the note again, opening it and scanning the letters as if by staring long enough she can decipher their meaning.

JUSTIN: * Shane, with a remarkable show of selective memory -- or just luck -- catches sight of the note and immediately remembers what it is. "Must be important if you keep reading it over and over."

JENNA: * Jo doesn't answer, brow furrowing in annoyance less at his remark than her inability to respond to it. She folds the paper, but she doesn't tuck it away, thumb rubbing one edge of the note. "Never you mind," she says belatedly.

JUSTIN: "So you keep telling me." Shane picks at his food boredly, not much tasting it as he eats it. "You always look confused when you're looking at it, though."

JENNA: "I’m concentrating," she says tightly, hand curling defensively around the note. She turns her gaze to the floor, expression suddenly and unusually frustrated. Her gaze drifts momentarily to the meal, but she now feels even less inclined to eat it.

JUSTIN: * Shane's shoulders shrug lightly, and he places his half-finished breakfast on the table to concentrate on his water. "If you say so, miss." He sips at his drink and stares groggily ahead.

JENNA: * Jo finally tucks the note away, looking at once disgruntled and depressed. Then, after a moment more, she picks up her food and eats it steadily, much in the mode of one who does not wish to but knows she must.

JUSTIN: * Shane can't help but gaze longingly at the bed, his chair long since having lost its comfort. But ever the gentleman (as far as he's concerned), he will have to suffer for his lady's benefit. His lady? "Ugh." He clamps his mouth shut, pretending that didn't slip out.

JENNA: * Jo glances at him with some annoyance. "Food not good enough for you?" Then she returns to plodding through her own meal, not tasting a bite of it.

JUSTIN: "If you're enjoying it so much, feel free to have mine." Shane repositions himself in his chair, but is no less uncomfortable. "At least your roasted rabbits weren't stale." He sighs, closing his eyes and rubbing at his neck.

JENNA: "I'm fine, thanks," she replies flatly. She manages to finish her meal, washing it down with the water she was given, then pulls her legs up, resting her heels on the edge of the cot. "You can't really think this is a good idea."

JUSTIN: "Think what is a good idea?" He places his emptied glass on the table next to his unfinished biscuits, and drapes his arms over the sides of the chair.

JENNA: * Jo watches him for a moment, then shakes her head. "Never mind." She drops her legs to the floor and rises, looking weary. "I'm going up on deck. I need some air." She starts for the door, then glances back at him, expression dry. "You can use the bed if you want. I won't jump overboard."

JUSTIN: * Shane's eyes slide open, and he looks between her and the bed. "What if you wish to sleep in it later? I would be in the way."

JENNA: "I'll kick you out of it," she says shortly. "I won't want it 'til after dinner anyway." Then, after a moment's consideration, she trots back and snags her gear. "I'll be back later."

JUSTIN: * Shane once again finds himself staring at the bed -- the bed, even more enticing than ever. And all his for the taking. When was the last time he slept on a bed? Even a cot, it's better than the hard floor. "I will... consider the offer."

JENNA: * Jo, gear slung over her shoulder, makes for the deck as quickly as she can, passing by breakfast stragglers without so much as a glance. Once she's up above, she seems to relax completely, giving a long stretch and heading for the railing to stare out at the ocean for a while.

JUSTIN: * With Jo gone, Shane's weary soul begins to feel the pull of the bed. Despite all his words, and his better judgment, his legs move of their own accord, and it is only moments until he finds himself laid out on the cot. The bliss of comfort washes over him, and he sighs contentedly. Sleep overtakes him nearly instantly, just after he murmurs a guilty apology to no one in particular.