JUSTIN: "Five /thousand/ zeny." Shane repeats again, as if Jo could have forgotten. "Each! W-what would we even do with that much money? I'm afraid I'll waste it! Maybe I should find a bank. Yes, yes a bank." He begins to pace around, looking left and right as if one will pop up right when he needs it.

JENNA: * Jo takes hold of his arm, laughing. "What good does money do in a bank? Just be quiet about it a minute." She pulls him to one side, shaking her head, but she doesn't seem to have any idea what to do with the money either. "It isn't good to carry it around, but ... what good is a bank going to do us if we're moving around all the time?" She scratches her cheek, seating herself on a nearby bench. "What was he thinking ..."

JUSTIN: * Shane lets himself get dragged off to the side, still not fully comprehending the situation or what's going on. He flops onto the bench beside her, his expression hinting that he doesn't even realize he's been moved. "We could... we could buy our own pecos! We'd save in the long run, right? We'll be on the road a lot. No rentals, no money taken out of our pay!" He hops up again, looking suddenly very motivated.

JENNA: "S-sit down," Jo says amidst a fit of giggles. "Don't .. don't let it go to your head." She glances around, relatively sure they're being ignored by the bulk of the people on the street. "That's not a bad thought, though ..." She shakes her head. "Whatever we do, we need to look for other work."

JUSTIN: * Shane immediately seats himself, though his expression is unchanged from its weird cross of determination and confusion. "You said there's lots of business in Alberta, right?" He arches his back in order to pull his pants up tighter without leaving the seat -- not wanting to be told for a third time to stay sitting -- and finally turns to Jo, acknowledging her presence with more than just his rambling. "What's so funny?"

JENNA: "Nothing," Jo responds weakly, shaking her head again. "Just.. put it away in your pack for now.. we'll look for work and then figure out what to do with it." She stands up, smiling faintly. "I don't like them much, but pecos are a good thought, since we'll be doing this for a while."

JUSTIN: * Shane scratches his head, eyeing her quizzically. Coming down from his burst of excitement, he apparently doesn't realize he was making a scene. "Well, all right..." He stands warily to his feet, brushing himself off and recomposing himself. "So, Jo... find work first, or supplies?"

JENNA: * Jo looks wearily thoughtful for a moment, then shrugs. "Supplies, I guess. If we need extra, we can shop again. Tent needs patching, at least ..." She shifts her gear, then starts up the street. "There's a shop here I really like ..." She stops to get her bearings and then starts walking again. "Yeah, there it is. They're really fair, not like a lot of merchants around here."

JUSTIN: * Shane, unfortunate for himself, doesn't seem to recognize anything in this town, so he follows after Jo with ignorant trust. "I can admire a fair merchant. That's the way to run a business. Honesty always pays off in the end, you know?" He fixes his hat on his head, straightens his shirt, and tries to make himself presentable again -- something he's neglected since Juno.

JENNA: * Jo glances back at him and shrugs. "They're better off than a lot of merchants, I'll grant them that." She stops in front of one of the stores, the very same where the girl with glasses is still sweeping. Spying them, she immediately straightens, then dips into a bow. "Welcome! Is there anything I can help you with?" A sunny smile lights her face as she brushes a be-ribboned ponytail of hair back over her shoulder.

JUSTIN: * Shane jumps in surprise when he sees the girl. "Jo! You didn't tell me we were going /here/!" He instinctively moves a hand to his gun, holding it tightly in its holster. "After what happened the last time we were here?! She tried to buy my gun!"

JENNA: * Jo gives him a mild look. "Only because I tried to sell it to her." The girl looks up, a strange expression flickering against her cheery smile. "I apologize for your previous inconvenience, sir --" She bows again. "I assure, it was a misunderstanding." She gestures toward the interior of the store, smiling. "Please, go right ahead."

JUSTIN: * Shane looks flustered, but rather than stand there and argue, he tugs his hat down in front of his eyes and stalks into the store with a quiet growl of reluctance. He quickly disappears among the various shelves of goods, before he can become the butt of any comments or lectures.

JENNA: * Oddly enough, the girl doesn't seem to react, following them in and setting the broom aside. An older man and woman are behind the counter, and they both give a cheerful greeting as the pair enters. Jo waves absently in response, ticking off items on her mental list as she browses among the shelves. The girl pauses briefly at Shane's elbow with a smiling "Is there anything I can help you find today?"

JUSTIN: "Go ask Jo." Shane says quickly, giving the girl a wary glance. "She's the one who wanted to shop here." He quickly rounds the nearest corner to investigate another shelf, paying little attention to what is actually there to look at.

JENNA: * The girl's eyes narrow briefly, but she leaves the aisle, walking past Shane and toward the counter. She pauses in midstep when there's a sudden, rumbling crash from above, expression flashing alarm -- and then something remarkably like hatred. That expression fades rapidly, however, as the pair behind the counter starts in alarm. "Natori, dear, mind the customers," the woman says hurriedly, and she and her husband retreat up the stairs. "Yes, Mama," the girl says almost inaudibly, then straightens, much of her servile manner vanishing all at once.

JUSTIN: * Shane eventually finds his way back to Jo's side, hoping that keeping close to her will make it easier to direct any further proddings to the woman directly. "I don't know what to look for." He tries as an excuse for following her around, arms tightly wrapped around his chest.

JENNA: "Don't worry about it," Jo replies absently. "I do." The girl, Natori, eventually makes her way over to them, leaning lazily against the shelf and watching them shop. "You two aren't gonna pull any crap like last time, are you?" she asks conversationally, and Jo glances at her with an acknowledging nod. "No. Just here to buy." Natori nods. "Good." Then she heaves a low sigh, reaching up to slap her cheeks. "God, smiling like that makes my face hurt." Then she turns to wander behind the counter.

JUSTIN: * Shane watches the girl walk away with a furrowed brow, turning his attention back to Jo when his previous target goes beyond the reach of his sight. "You consider /her/ a fair and honest merchant? She looks like she'd as soon carve your heart out with a rusty pike."

JENNA: "I'm sure she would have given you a more than fair price on your gun," Jo replies absently, plucking a few more things off the shelf. "She just didn't know it wasn't for sale. I've dealt with her parents more than her, and they're good enough people." She tilts her head. "Does it really bother you that much? She isn't going to ask again."

JUSTIN: * Shane blushes slightly, knowing well enough that he should be embarrassed by his behaviour. "She... she didn't have to /fawn/ over it like that... She said she was going to file my name off of it, for heaven's sake!" He turns with a sigh, glancing at the exit wistfully. "I don't have many treasured possessions, I have to be protective of the few I do."

JENNA: * Jo smiles at him faintly -- something almost like fondness in her expression -- and pats his arm. "Just let it go ... we won't be here long." She wanders over to the next aisle, taking stock of what she's already selected, then nods, taking a large bag of jerky from the shelf and heading for the counter. Natori, slouched lazily on her elbow, watching them, straightens as she approaches. "That'll be it?" Jo nods.

JUSTIN: * Shane sucks in a breath and stands straighter, fixing his hat yet again and trying to look like he's got everything under control. He looks distinctly tired, though, as the last of his earlier excitement seems to be retreating until something motivates it again. Slinking up to wait behind Jo, he avoids looking at Natori and instead focuses his attention on inspecting items he has no intention of purchasing.

JENNA: * As she finishes totaling their purchases, Natori fixes them both with a wary stare. "You two were guarding Brandt's wagon on the way in, weren't you?" she says, the question more a statement than anything. Jo arches an eyebrow and nods, and the girl continues. "So you're done with his job, right?" Jo nods again, and the girl turns back to her pad of paper, double-checking the amount.

JUSTIN: * Shane turns the girl an equally cautious look, setting down the incense stick he was sniffing at. "Why do you ask?" He inquires, hand creeping defensively to the fat, little pouch of money that's recently found a home on his belt.

JENNA: "Wondered." She looks up again, handing Jo the receipt and reading off the total. Jo nods and reaches for her money in order to pay, and the girl looks over at Shane. "If you two're free, I'd like you to run a job for me, if you can." Jo looks up at her again, surprised, and starts counting out the money. "What kind of job?" Natori watches her again, grimacing. "With them hanging over me, I can't get out of town lately ... there's a delivery I usually make around now that I won't be able to."

JUSTIN: * Shane gives a slight grimace, as well, though for obviously different reasons. Part of it is the lack of any desire to help this girl -- something that, under normal circumstances, he would probably be ashamed of, as helping people is almost a life goal to him. "A delivery to where, exactly?"

JENNA: "Izlude. There's a ship leaving this afternoon that's headed that way." She glances at Jo again, as the former thief appears to be considering the offer. Jo glances at Shane, smiling briefly. "It's a job, isn't it?" She turns back to Natori with a nod. "Of course. What are we delivering?"

JUSTIN: * Shane sighs wearily, knowing that any argument he could put up would just sound childish. Would be childish, for that matter. He ignores the urge to sit on the floor and pout, instead settling for looking somewhat disillusioned. "It better not be anything that will cause a fuss."

JENNA: "I'm not in the slave trade, if that's what you mean," Natori says flatly, then turns her attention back to Jo. "Some alchemical mixes and potions -- nothing dangerous, they're all pretty benign." She kneels down behind the counter, taking Jo's counted money with her, and returns with a pair of sturdy boxes. "They're packed pretty well, but there's glass in them, so." Jo nods, accepting one and gesturing for Shane to take the other. "They'll go to an old man in the market square -- name's Gherig. He's hard to miss. Has a fruit stand."

JUSTIN: * Shane reluctantly reaches up and grabs the second box, holding it in front of him and watching the exit again with some impatience. "What kind of payment can we expect for all this? We have to pay for transport on the ship both ways, after all."

JENNA: "A thousand, round trip, Prince Charming," Natori says acidly. "But I'm willing to drop it to five hundred if you don't shut your can." Jo shakes her head sharply, shoving the box under one arm and using the other to steer Shane toward the door in an attempt to head off further argument. "Whatever you can pay is fine. We'll bring back a receipt." She sighs wearily as they step outside.

JUSTIN: * Shane's about to make a reply to Natori, but changes his mind when he is suddenly moved out the door. "Well it was a perfectly normal thing to ask!" He claims in his own defense, nearly dropping the box when he moves to point back at the store. He catches it, however, and shifts it around under one arm similar to Jo. "I think if she wants to send us to Izlude, she should pay for the trip. It's only good business sense."

JENNA: * Jo gives him a weary look, but she doesn't bother arguing with him, instead starting for the harbor. "It's enough to have work again, don't you think? Passage to Izlude won't cost very much, as long as we split the room." She glances back at him, smiling briefly. "Besides, we have plenty, right?"

JUSTIN: * Shane huffs a sigh and hefts the crate, shaking his head disapprovingly at the situation. He has to give her the point, however. "I suppose that's true. But I hope we don't make a habit of taking the first offer on the table all the time!" He gives her an almost pleading look. "I mean, we don't want a reputation as being desperate, right? These types expect you to haggle! ...right?"

JENNA: "It's just a favor," Jo says quietly. "She may shave off part of the price of our goods the next time we're in if we do a good enough job. She was the desperate one." Jo pauses, glancing over the ships and finally spotting the one that looks most likely to cast off. "Come on -- we don't want to have last pick of what cabins they have."

JUSTIN: * Shane decides he'll have to trust in Jo's judgement for the time being, reminding himself that she knows more about it than he does. He looks up when she speaks next, looking around before finding what she's looking at. "Right..." He picks up the pace, making a mental note that he should stop worrying about little things so much.

JENNA: * Jo makes her way rapidly up the ramp, chattering quickly with the sailors, and after a brief exchange of money, she starts inside. "I got us a decent room," she says, "though we got lucky ... and it's near the mess hall." She shifts the box, wondering if they can find a better way to carry the packages into the city, but glad at least they're taking a boat.

JUSTIN: * Shane nods absently, having to fight back the usual nervousness associated with ships. Something almost always goes wrong when they travel by boat, and it is hard not to fear the worst. "At least we'll get good spots in the meal lines." He follows along after Jo, minding his box and minding his feet, otherwise letting her lead the way.

JENNA: * Jo weaves through the passengers as fast as she can, murmuring an occasional apology as she goes, and finally kicks the door to their room open with a weary sigh, settling her box in a corner before unslinging her pack and stretching. "Well, welcome home for about a week," she remarks.

JUSTIN: * Shane ambles into the room with a bit slower than his leader, giving a look around before placing his crate next to the first. "I dunno, I might get homesick for the tent..." He wastes no time in flopping backward onto the bed, spread out with a contented sigh.

JENNA: * Jo gives a faint snort, settling on the edge of the bed and folding her arms. "It was cozier, I'll grant it that." She stretches wearily, then scoots herself off the edge to sit on the floor. "Well.. hopefully this trip will go more smoothly than the last one."

JUSTIN: "Or the one before that." Shane points out with barely a mumble. "And if there was one before that, I doubt it went well either." He rolls onto his side and pokes her in the back of the head. "I could have spared some money for a separate room, you know. I don't want to crowd you."

JENNA: "I'll be fine." She glances back at him with a faint grin, then gets to her feet and ambles over to secure the crates. "I'll be just as comfortable on the floor, either way." Satisfied that the boxes won't go anywhere, she returns to her seat, stretching her legs out in front of her and waiting for the ship to get under way.

JUSTIN: * Shane sits upright, giving her a stern look. "You'll be sleeping in the bed, if I have anything to say about it." He flops backward again almost immediately. "At least, most of the time."

JENNA: "We can take turns," she says drily, tugging out her weaving again and toying with the loose strands. After a few minutes, she decides she's not satisfied with the pattern and goes about unraveling it. "The sailors said there was supposed to be fair weather, at least."

JUSTIN: "Well, I hope so. I've had as much rain as I can stomach for a while." Shane closes his eyes and attempts, half-heartedly, to kick off his boots. The first falls to the floor with a thump, the second getting caught on the edge of the bed. He lets out a brief yawn, holding a hand to his mouth in an effort to cover it. "And I'd rather not take anymore unplanned resort vacations."

JENNA: * Jo's mouth curves into an almost wicked smile, and she reaches back to drop the second boot to the floor. "I don't know, the bed was awfully comfortable." She then sets about removing her own boots and leggings, ambling over to retrieve her pack for use as a pillow.

JUSTIN: * Shane peeks his eyes open to look at her, smirking faintly. "Before or after it made you throw up in a fit of hysterics?" Satisfied with his counter-retort, he closes his eyes again and crosses his legs.

JENNA: * Jo makes a soft "tch" noise. "I didn't say it was attractive .. just comfortable. /You/ didn't seem to mind it, at least." She continues to unravel the weaving, pausing when she has it undone and looking at it for a moment, as if she isn't sure what to do with it.

JUSTIN: * Shane frowns a bit, shrugging his shoulders. "Well it was plenty big, and the floor wouldn't have done my injuries any good, now would it have?" He sniffs, cracking an eye open to watch her play with her weaving.

JENNA: "Mm," Jo replies absently, tugging her knife free and anchoring it in the floor before flipping the hoop over the handle and starting again. "Bed or no bed, I don't want to go back ... the bath was nicer anyway." She tucks a lock of hair behind her ear and begins weaving, fingers flicking rapidly through the strands.

JUSTIN: * Shane moves a hand up to flick his hat off his head, combing his fingers through his hair afterwards. "I have to be honest, I didn't realize how much I loved my own bath until I couldn't use it every day..." He sighs melodramatically, thinking back on the small tub in a bathroom that used to be his. "Or my kitchen. I wish I could have used it at least once before I sold my house. Who knows how long I'll have to wait for another chance."

JENNA: * Jo glances back over her shoulder, tilting her head. "You could get a job as a cook, if you like to work in the kitchen," she suggests half-heartedly before turning back to her weaving. The pattern doesn't seem to want to gel, however, so she unravels it and starts once more.

JUSTIN: "Oh, I wouldn't do that. Turning a hobby into work is a quick way to lose your passion for it, if you ask me." Shane chews on his lip. Well, he doesn't completely believe that, but it sounds better than his other excuse. "Besides, I... don't think I'd be nearly good enough to make a profitable business out of it."

JENNA: "I suppose ... I can't pass judgement until I've tasted something you've cooked, though." Her fingers work rapidly again, the pattern seeming clearer this time around. "I doubt I'm fit for anything besides the work I already do ... but at least it's a decent living in its own way."

JUSTIN: * Shane gives her a somewhat doubtful look, if only because he doesn't want to believe that could be the case. "I'm sure there are plenty of other things you'd be good at. But if this is what you want, I guess there are worse careers." He refrains from pointing out that it's at least better than her previous one. Whether for his sake or hers, he isn't so certain.

JENNA: * Jo smiles briefly. "I suppose I could join Nana and Milna." She chuckles at this thought and shakes her head. "No, I think I'd die of embarrassment." She falls silent again, pausing in her work. Then she glances up as the ship lurches into motion. "Ahh.. finally."

JUSTIN: * Shane's cheeks go rather red at the reminder of Jo's surprise dance number those weeks back, and he mutters some unintelligible reply before the ship begins its movement. He sits up partway, resting on his forearms, and looks around as the wood begins to creak. "Mm, I guess now we officially begin looking for ways to pass the time. Though you seem to be a step ahead of me."

JENNA: "It's something to do," she replies. "Though.. really.. I should have finished it and made another. It isn't meant to be unraveled over and over." She shrugs. "I never found a pattern I liked, though." She glances over her shoulder. "There are still cards, if you want to play."

JUSTIN: * Shane smiles a bit, scratching at his jaw. "Well, we don't need to exhaust every option all at once. I thought your weaving was just starting to get exciting." He grins smartly. "Not to say I'm against the idea."

JENNA: "Oh, yes. /Exciting./" Jo's hands continue to work as she directs a dry stare over her shoulder. "I don't mind weaving for your entertainment, if that's what it is." She turns her gaze back down, plucking at the pattern a little self-consciously. She really isn't used to being observed at it.

JUSTIN: "No, really -- it's interesting. I certainly can't do it." Shane rolls over to the edge of the bed, getting himself comfortable as he watches. He's only being half-sarcastic. "Come on, I want to see you finish one. I think it's about time, after all."

JENNA: * Jo's expression becomes distinctly embarrassed, and she's glad she has her back to him to cover the heat in her face. "I can never settle on a pattern.. as soon as I get done, I don't like it." She shakes her head. "We'll ... we'll see, anyway."

JUSTIN: "Here's an idea..." Shane scampers down off the bed, taking up residence on the floor nearby. "I'll tell you when I like a pattern, and then you can finish it." He stares at the half-woven threads with even more interest. "Come on, I'll even pay you for the trouble. I'm sure I can find some use for it." He sets his chin in his hands and grins.

JENNA: * Jo reddens further, gaze darting rapidly between him and the weaving. "Y-you don't have to pay," she stammers after a moment. "It's.. it's just string." She looks at what she's been weaving, feeling a sudden desire to sweep it away and hide it, and continues her work, squirming a little at the thought of being evaluated.

JUSTIN: * Shane laughs, tapping the toe of his boot against the floor while he watches. "My money is your money, anyway, Jo -- it's just a formality. Maybe in your old age you'll be a seamstress! Can't hurt to practice." He rolls onto his side to have a more comfortable vantage point. "Oh, do you have more blue string? I like blue."

JENNA: * Jo looks as if she isn't sure she'd make much of a seamstress, but she turns back to her pack, tugging out one or two more skeins of color. "This is all I have," she says, unraveling what she's worked so far. "Pick out what you like." A small part of her marvels that she's even agreeing to this, but the larger part -- confused by the interaction entirely -- drowns that voice out entirely.

JUSTIN: * Shane shuffles forward without needing anymore prompting, and sifts through the various colors of thread until he's got them all organized and separated by color and hue. "Hm." He spends a rather inordinate amount of time rearranging the various yarns and testing combinations until he has one he thinks is a winner. "How's that? I think the chartreuse gives a nice contrast, what about you?"

JENNA: * Jo shakes her head, unhooking the hoop and shedding the string already on it. "If you like it, that's fine." She starts rethreading it after a moment, careful to keep the colors in order. "I can show you how sometime.. if you want." She keeps her gaze firmly fixed on her work, dropping the hoop over her dagger hilt again and starting the process over.

JUSTIN: * Shane crosses his arms on the floor and settles his chin into them, hiding half his face, but letting his eyes watch with clear interest. "I think I'd like that." He says in muffled reply. "What do I give you in return?"

JENNA: * Jo shakes her head absently. "You don't have to.. it'll pass the time, either way." She works the threads rapidly, uncertain what she should be going for, or whether he'll accept any pattern, as long as she finishes. Shrugging faintly to herself, she keeps working, waiting for a response either way from her companion.

JUSTIN: "Oh, that's not a good way to barter, Jo." Shane watches the threads slowly forming together in a pattern as she weaves them, and so far he has no complaints. Though he is pretty sure he wouldn't complain anyway. "You give me something, I give you something. Fair is fair!"

JENNA: "It's not giving.. just sharing. If I gave it away, that would mean I didn't have it anymore.. I can still weave even after I show you how." She raises one hand to rub her forehead, finding herself surpisingly tense. She pauses, doubtful, wondering why she finds the task so difficult this time around.

JUSTIN: * Shane shifts his position, raising a hand to wave her words away. "Oh, now you're just mincing words. You still give to share." He resists an unusual urge to stick his tongue out at her, wondering where it came from before continuing. "But come on, there has to be something..." He scratches at his head in thought, then pushes himself into a sitting position. "Okay, okay. I admit there isn't much I could teach you. I don't have much in the way of talent... just things I pick up in books."

JENNA: * She glances at him with a faint smile. "I said it's okay." She pauses again, halfway through the threads now, and leans back to give a long, languid stretch. "Did you have to leave behind a lot of books?" she asks curiously, though she isn't sure about the wisdom of asking him about his lost home.

JUSTIN: * Shane leans back on his hands, staring down at the woven string absently. "Just about all of them... too much to carry, and books aren't exactly vital for survival..." He sighs a bit, shaking his head and shrugging. "I guess they'll be put to better use where they are."

JENNA: "Ahh ..." She returns to the weaving, easing her pace a little as she toys with the threads. "Well.. maybe they can be replaced someday ..." She isn't entirely sure how, as her plans keep them on the road most of the time. Of course, there is the possibility he'll find his own road and settle somewhere. She works a little faster.

JUSTIN: * Shane shrugs again, lightly, turning his vision aside for a moment while he settles back down again. "Mm. I'll find new ones, maybe. Just... not sure where I'll keep them, heh." He scratches his cheek, flopping onto his back and staring through the ceiling. "I guess it would be impractical to buy a wagon, huh?"

JENNA: "A little bit.. we'll have to travel light and fast." She glances over at him, now sure she shouldn't have brought it up. "There are libraries, at least.. I'm sure we can stop in sometime." She pauses again, looking tired, and wonders what time it is. She hasn't heard a dinner gong, so it can't have been too long.

JUSTIN: * Shane breaths a heavy sigh, stretching generously. "I'll make do. If you can travel light, I can learn to do it, too." He yawns quietly, rolling over to look up at her boredly. "You don't have to finish that right now if you don't want. I make a poor taskmaster, anyway."

JENNA: "I don't mind," she says quietly. "It's nearly done, anyhow.. unless you want something else." As spoken, she's nearly reached the end of her threads, and she pauses to let him survey the work, feeling unusually self-conscious. She attempts to quell the sensation by staring at the floor.

JUSTIN: * Shane edges his way over again, picking up the nearly completed weaving and inspecting how the colors he picked out have been crisscrossed into as pattern. "Aha -- see, I knew these would go well together. You wouldn't think so, normally, would you?" He sets it down, moving back to his spot again and getting comfortable. "Oh, the pattern looks fine, too. Don't worry, I won't make you start over."

JENNA: * Jo snorts faintly, as the pattern had really been what she was referring to. "I stop and start over all the time.. it's no big deal." She turns back to the weaving and continues it rapidly, however, pausing toward the end before crossing the threads together and tying it off. She pauses, then unlatches the hoop and does a similar job with the other end, pausing to inspect her handiwork before offering it to Shane.

JUSTIN: * Shane hops up to his knees to take the finished piece from her, holding it up to some imaginary lightsource to admire the product of her labor. "This is great, Jo -- thank you very much." He has no idea what he's going to use it for yet, but he is certain he'll figure something out. For the moment, he gets to his feet and goes to put it away in his pack.

JENNA: * Jo looks embarrassed again, looking from Shane back to the empty hoop. She reaches up to scratch her cheek, then quickly scoops hoop and skeins from the floor and tucks them away in her pack, also removing the dagger and putting it away. "You're welcome," she says belatedly.

JUSTIN: * Shane seats himself on the edge of the bed, clasping his hands between his knees and looking suddenly impatient for something. "Shouldn't it be meal time by now? Or... did we only just depart? I'm usually much better with the time than this..."

JENNA: * Jo shakes her head. "I don't know.." She gets to her feet and pokes her head out the door. It sounds much as if the kitchen is bustling, though it's hard to say whether anyone's in the dining room or not. "Should be soon ..."

JUSTIN: * Shane rocks a bit in place, realizing that if he's already this agitated this early in the trip, it's not a very good omen. He tries to keep his pessimism in check, however, and doesn't say anything about it. "Well, I'm only a little hungry, anyway. Just antsy, I guess."

JENNA: * Jo nods, then smiles briefly. "It's early in the trip ... maybe we should go up on deck later and get some air." She levers herself up to sit on the bed, then leans back until she falls, eyes half closing. "I like travel better when I'm doing the walking..."

JUSTIN: * Shane stares down at Jo for a moment before pulling his legs up and curling them under himself, continuing to rock slowly back and forth. "At least walking gives you something to do, I suppose. And you can see yourself making progress, instead of just... water everywhere you look."

JENNA: * Jo nods slowly. "Time on ships ... you might as well just sleep." She turns her half-lidded gaze to him, smiling wanly. "Or run circles around the deck.. but the sailors don't like that." Then she turns her face back to the ceiling. "I hope we have a good wind."

JUSTIN: * Shane nods his agreement, smiling a bit when he pictures the sailors chasing them in circles around the ship. "The sooner we get to Izlude, the better." He scratches at his cheek, half-frowning. "'Course, then we have to go back to Alberta again, huh?"

JENNA: "And look for work again," she says, smiling faintly. "Ah well.. I suppose we can relax a little.. that job paid so well." She reaches her arms above her head to brush her fingers against the wall, shaking her head. "They won't all go that nicely ... even counting the rain."

JUSTIN: "I guess that would be too much to hope for..." Shane flops onto his back, staring down his nose at the room. "If they were all that simple, we'd probably lose our touch, though, huh? Or at least, your touch." He laces his fingers under his head, feet dangling off the bed. "So what's your idea of relaxing, anyway?"

JENNA: "I.. don't know what you mean." She turns her head to look at him, expression curious. "I relax when I'm sleeping ... ... I guess weaving counts." She shrugs slightly, though the gesture is lost with her shoulders pinned against the bed. "I don't know."

JUSTIN: * Shane scratches his cheek, an eyebrow arching as he listens to her answer. "Well, that doesn't sound any different than what you do when you're not relaxing..." He turns her a suspicious look. "So how can we relax when we get back to Alberta, if you don't even really know?"

JENNA: * Jo's face goes a distinct shade of pink, and she scowls at him slightly. "So? What do you do to relax?" she demands defensively, drawing her arms down to fold across her stomach. Sleep is a perfectly reasonable answer to her mind, though she isn't sure what she'd do with herself if she had to stay in one place very long.

JUSTIN: * Shane lifts his hands, fingers at the ready, so as to more dramatically tick off the many wonderful things he can think of. "Read books, cook, write poetry, play music... though, I admit I'm not too good at the last two." He stretches, settling his hands beneath his head again. "And more, besides. Depends on what I can come up with at the time."

JENNA: * Jo looks somewhat affronted, turning her gaze to the ceiling and attempting to shrug again. "There's a limit to what you can do on the road," she mutters, feeling that this is a fairly poor excuse, in the end. "I just.. hadn't ever thought about it."

JUSTIN: * Shane turns his head to look at her, grinning a little in what he considers a victory -- minor as it is. "Well, that's because you can't be on the road constantly and relax at the same time. When you think of comfort, what do you think of? The back of a peco, or a big, comfy bed? An icy river, or a big, bubbling bath?" He sighs at the thought, wishing he had some of those right now -- and they've barely even gotten underway. "'Course, I suppose it isn't so black and white with you. You're an odd sort -- not that that's a bad thing."

JENNA: * Jo isn't sure what she thinks of being called odd, but she doesn't respond to the remark -- or to his questions, for a long moment. "It depends.." she says, echoing his comment about black and white. "After a journey ... a bed is good. But after a few days in town, I'd be more relaxed on a peco. And in the summer, a cold river is preferable to anything hot." She reaches one hand up to scratch her cheek. "I guess I was looking forward to sleeping in an inn after that trip ..."

JUSTIN: * Shane smirks, shifting around a bit before staring back at the ceiling. "To each their own, I s'pose. We can spend a day or two 'relaxing' when we get back to Alberta, and then head out again before you start to get antsy. Sound fair?"

JENNA: "That's fine." She wrinkles her nose at him, then turns her gaze to the ceiling, dropping nearly into a doze when a gong rings out, tremendously loud compared to the last time. She sits up with a jolt, alarmed, then realizes what it probably means. ".. Dinner."

JUSTIN: * Shane sits up with her, partly more startled by her sudden movement than the noise of the gong. He'd been secretly waiting for it. "Do you want to eat out there, or in the room? Either way is fine with me." He stands up to his feet, stretching, and then looks for his boots.

JENNA: * Jo leans back on her hands, thinking it over, then shakes her head, remembering the noisy crowds from the last two trips. "In here is fine." She searches for her own gear, pulling her boots back on half-heartedly. She's finding her appetite a little dulled by the confusing conversation.

JUSTIN: * Shane sits down again for the sole purpose of tying his boots, then stands again and moves to hold the door open. "After you." He motions for her to go ahead first, a gesture of politeness that he will probably never give up.

JENNA: * Jo steps outside the door and almost steps right back inside again, alarmed by the almost frantic bustle running from kitchen to dining room. "Maybe this wasn't such a good idea ..." she mutters, in reference to her room choice, but she steps into the hall again, trotting along until she reaches the open dining area.

JUSTIN: * Shane is less shocked by the bustle, perhaps because he isn't much thinking about it as he follows after her through the throng. The noise level does eventually catch his notice, though -- every small group of people is a pocket of chatter, which added together creates quite a racket in the corridor and messhall beyond. "And here I thought we'd be guaranteed a better place in line... ah well."

JENNA: "Maybe a lot of people were already out here ..." Jo waves cautiously around the other passengers, taking her place in line with a distinct feeling of unease. The food doesn't look any better than it did the last time, and it crosses her mind to wonder if there are any other survivors from the shipwreck.

JUSTIN: * Shane takes his place behind her silently, having little more to contribute to the conversation after that pair of assessments. He doesn't think much better of the food than Jo does, but if he's put up with it before, he can put up with it again. Getting the bare minimum portions and heading out of the line, he nudges around a few other passengers before craning his neck to look at Jo. "Ready when you are."

JENNA: * Jo nods, starting hurriedly back to their room with a faint, mental sigh. She nudges the door to their room open after near miss with a frantic server, then slips over to the chair and table, setting her food down and letting her spine relax. "It .. seems more crowded than the last one, somehow."

JUSTIN: * Shane pushes the door shut behind them, walking to the table to place his own dishes down. "More families, maybe? Not sure. The ship doesn't look like it has anymore rooms than the last one." He plops into his seat, eyeing his food scrutinizingly before poking at it. "At least it's only a rush at meal times."

JENNA: * Jo nods wearily, starting on her food without enthusiasm. "I don't think I much like travel by ship," she says, taking a bite.

JUSTIN: * Shane smiles faintly, then takes a couple cautious bites. "I'm surprised you do as well as you do when you're in Alberta... you don't seem like you enjoy crowds. I guess they had their uses in your... er..." He almost clears his throat, staring pointedly at his plate. "Your last job."

JENNA: * Jo nods, eating determinedly. "They did. But I still don't like them." She shrugs, continuing to eat, then pauses to puzzle over the flavor of a particular piece of meat. She decides not to worry about it after a moment. Some things are best left a mystery. "I guess I didn't mind as much when I was little."

JUSTIN: * Shane grins slightly, favoring his water over the food. "Children are much less inhibited. I'm grateful they don't stay that way, as cute as they can be." He leans back in his chair, staring at the wooden cup. "I'd probably be dead by now if I was as carefree as I was when I was a child."

JENNA: * Jo shrugs faintly, though she doesn't answer. She doesn't recall 'carefree' being the best way to describe her childhood. Though running Prontera's streets with her gang hadn't exactly been stressful, either. "You think so?" she asks finally, wondering if that's possible, Juno being as safe as it is.

JUSTIN: "Sure I do!" Shane smiles reminiscently. "I used to get into everything when I was a tyke. Never had any friends, but I found plenty of trouble on my own." He rubs at his neck a moment, shaking his head. "Surprised I didn't run my parents into an early grave. Needless to say, I had plenty to be ashamed of when I was older."

JENNA: * Jo glances at him for a moment, a smile twitching at her mouth. "You, a troublemaker? Imagine ..." Her gaze goes momentarily distant, and she suddenly grins. "Not to say my gang didn't run the streets ragged in our own right ... we were regular terrors."

JUSTIN: * Shane leans forward to rest his elbow on the table, resting his cheek in his hand. "I believe it. You've got a mean streak a mile wide." He smiles, though it's not completely amused. "You'll grow out of it, someday. Or at least, I can hope so."

JENNA: * Jo grins at him a moment longer, then turns back to her food. "I figured if being mean meant living longer I'd go for it. We were pretty cutthroat, for children." Her grin fades, only to return moments later. "They moved me to Prontera because I kept beating up the people who tried to bully me." Her expression becomes slightly sheepish, as if she knows this really isn't something she should necessarily be proud of.

JUSTIN: * Shane tuts her quietly before taking a sip of his water, and he smiles at her expression. "I suppose you taught them a lesson, as harsh as it may have been." He bites at a piece of food, chewing with an absent, thoughtful stare. "I was fairly good at discovering places nobody could find me. Never gave anyone the opportunity to try bullying me, I suppose. Still used a few of those hideaways from time to time, when I needed to." He smiles again.

JENNA: "Had a few of those, too ... usually to stay away from merchants and guards, though." She finishes her meal, setting dish and silverware aside and folding her hands in her lap. "Though I guess they never chased us too hard, in the end." She shakes her head.

JUSTIN: * Shane looks up to her again, smile tugging his lips a bit more. "One of the benefits of being young, I suppose. To an extent, nobody takes you seriously." He raises an eyebrow, giving her a stare of mock scrutiny. "If only they knew what they let get away."

JENNA: "I'm not much," is Jo's quiet retort. "A low-level member of a high-level guild who never tried to make much more than enough to get by." She arches an eyebrow. "Leader of a gang of unruly children that mostly grew up respectable in the end. If you can possibly call Avery respectable." She snorts, leaning back in her chair.

JUSTIN: * Shane clucks his tongue, staring down at his food with disinterest. "Enough to get you put away." He sneaks a small bites as he leans forward again, turning his eyes to watch her innocently. "Though I can say from personal experience, you're not easy to arrest." He points his fork at her, eyes narrowing. "And I'm never going to let that rest."

JENNA: "I have to say, your approach is much milder than most," she responds with a dry smile. "Most places they subdue by whatever means necessary." She gives a very faint shrug, resting her hands behind her head. "Not that I'm complaining." A grin twitches at her mouth.

JUSTIN: * Shane leans back, looking thoughtful with his brow furrowed. He puts a hand to his head, ruffling his hair. "Oh, is that so? Wish you'd have said something sooner." He sighs melodramatically and flops back onto the table, resting his chin in his arms. His eyes watch her with a surprisingly serious depth. "Maybe I was just worried I'd hurt you."

JENNA: * Jo brings one hand down to scratch her cheek, gaze darting away from his. "Don't see why you'd worry about hurting a filthy thief." She glances back at him sideways, as if wary of looking at him directly. "It comes with the territory, really. We all know there's a chance of getting caught and killed."

JUSTIN: * Shane makes a half-hearted attempt to shrug his shoulders, eventually giving up his position to lean back in the chair again. "Of course, maybe I'm just a bad guard." He smiles faintly, watching her. The smile is more sad than happy. "I guess that was evident from the moment I left the city limits, though, wasn't it?"

JENNA: "Different city," is Jo's response, though she is forced to agree his handling of her situation was not the most professional. "Things didn't go particularly well for either of us." She smiles briefly. "Doesn't matter now, anyway. There are plenty of caravans in the world, at least." She decides this probably isn't particularly encouraging, but she can't think of anything else to say.

JUSTIN: * Luckily for Jo, Shane isn't feeling up to sulking right now. He certainly isn't going to lament his troubles in front of her yet again, and make himself look even weaker. "You're right." He curls his fingers against the table, staring into his half-finished food distantly. "I guess I'm finished. This food isn't easy on the digestive system."

JENNA: "All right," Jo says quietly. "I guess we can just take it out tomorrow morning, unless you want to now." She arches an eyebrow at him, getting to her feet and reaching over to stack his dishes with hers. "Game of cards for who gets the bed first?"

JUSTIN: * A small grin slips onto Shane's face, and he quickly stands to fight for the task of cleaning up after themselves. "I suppose that's close enough to outright offering you the bed, which was my first choice. Might be more fun this way, though."

JENNA: * Jo lets him take the dishes, ambling over to her pack to find her battered deck of cards. "There's at least some element of chance to it," she says, finding them buried under the jerky. She straightens, then seats herself on one end of the bed, smoothing down the blankets to make a slightly better playing surface. It's more comfortable than the floor, at any rate.

JUSTIN: * Shane gathers the small amount of dishes and cups into a neat pile at the center of the table, then stares at them for a moment to test how much they bug him. Finding the sight tolerable, he decides to leave them for the morning, and moves to join Jo on the bed. He seats himself carefully across from her, moving until he's in a position that doesn't warp their playing field too badly with his weight. "A little chance, a little skill. Possibly a little cheating."

JENNA: * Jo sniffs, shuffling the cards, then setting them down to let Shane cut the deck. "Are you accusing me or warning me?" she asks mildly, lacing her fingers in front of her face and watching him with brows lifted.

JUSTIN: * Shane smiles impishly, and is clearly trying to fight a larger grin. He cuts the deck, taking his sweet time. "Just accounting for all possibilities, not pointing any fingers. Maybe the deck will cheat us both." He hands it back to her, face innocent and disarming.

JENNA: * Jo takes the deck and deals the cards, sniffing again. "Cheating's a good way to get your throat cut, where I come from." She finishes, then lays the rest of the cards out. "Well. Getting caught, anyway." She picks up her hand and orders it absently.

JUSTIN: * Shane scoops his cards up one by one as they're placed in front of him, arranging them as they come. "I guess it could get fairly violent if everyone were to assume the worst, huh?" He sets his cards down for a moment to work on removing his cloak, unhitching himself and tossing it to the floor. "Don't worry, I won't hit you if I spy a card up your sleeve."

JENNA: "I don't cheat," Jo insists, frowning at him. She looks over her hand silently for a moment, then lays a card down. "There's no fun in it if you cheat." She sits back, waiting for him to take his turn, and tries to quash a small yawn.

JUSTIN: * Shane reviews his cards quietly, then selects one to place down beside hers. "Well, that depends on how much you want the bed." He smiles a bit at her frown, and gives her an amused look. "I only said 'if', anyway. I certainly don't expect you to."

JENNA: * Jo wrinkles her nose at him in response, laying down another card and then scooping up the lot, setting it aside. "Just how bad do /you/ want the bed?" she asks mildly, watching him again. She drops one hand to drum her fingers absently against her leg.

JUSTIN: * Shane tilts his head, as if looking at his cards from a different angle might help him come up with a strategy better. "Is that a trick question?" He pulls a card and lays it down, peering over his hand at her. "I'm not going to throw the game, if that's what you're worried about." He grins.

JENNA: "Of course not," Jo lays down another card, on top of his, tapping her hand against her cheek. "Of course, at this rate, it won't even be a question." The game continues rapidly from there, though with enough time the victor is clear before the game is over. Jo scoops up the cards and grins once they've finished. "We'll take turns," she says. "I can survive every other night on the floor."

JUSTIN: * Shane sighs obnoxiously, slipping what's left of the cards on his side of the bed into the deck and rubbing at his arm. "Oh, if you /must/ insist. Don't let anyone ever say I don't try to be a gentleman, though."

JENNA: * Jo snorts, gathering the rest of the cards and ambling over to put them back in her pack. "Fair is fair. You need rest, too." She shoves the pack over closer to their cargo, then turns back to Shane, making a shooing motion. "Now get off my bed."

JUSTIN: * Shane gets up to his feet and gives a sweeping bow. "Wouldn't dream of keeping you, madam." He scoops up his hat and vacates the area, moving to the other side of the room. He looks around, attempting to decide where he'll settle for the evening. "You best appreciate that bed every time you lie down in it, you hear?" He turns her a squinting look over his shoulder.

JENNA: "Hah!" Jo scoops the blanket up and throws it at him. "Here, you can use that. I don't need it." She grins, settling on the edge of the bed to take off her boots and leggings. "The most I ever need is my cloak. I'll take the pillow, though." She gives a long stretch, then falls sideways, squirming until she's resting comfortably.

JUSTIN: * Shane gives up on pickiness, sitting down on the floor right where he is and working at his own boots. "Well, don't come calling if there's a sudden freeze in the middle of the night -- you'll get no more charity out of me." That statement is undeniably a lie, but he isn't going to advertise his weakness with generousity on every occassion that arises. He finishes with his boots and tosses them aside, leaning to snag his cloak and pull it over. "In any case -- sleep sweetly, Jo." Then he bunches the cloak beneath his head for a pillow, and settles down to sleep.