JUSTIN: * Shane follows her example, using his own crate as a convenient bench. "How do you plan to pass the time?" He asks cautiously, for some reason worried about what the answer might be. "Not that I'm impatient..."

JENNA: "I am," Jo says sourly. "Though I'm not looking forward to getting off the boat only to turn around and get back on it." She drums her fingers on the railing. "I guess I'll just watch the water, unless you want to go a round of cards or something."

JUSTIN: * Shane smiles weakly, grasping his hands between his knees. "If you want to risk losing them to the wind, then I wouldn't mind the distraction."

JENNA: "We won't if we're careful," Jo shrugs, turning to unsling her pack and fishing around in it until she finds the deck. She then scoots off the crate, dropping lower to give them a little more protection from the wind.

JUSTIN: * Shane slips down to sit crosslegged across from her, leaning against the crate for a suitable, if not completely comfortable backrest. "You know how clumsy I am." He flexes his fingers, working out some stiffness.

JENNA: "Then you'll just have to be /extra/ careful," Jo remarks, shuffling the deck as usual and letting Shane cut it. "Not to imply I couldn't use a new set of cards anyway." She glances sideways at a couple of sailors, pausing in their work to watch. They hurry back to what they were doing.

JUSTIN: * Shane makes a muted expression that might be a smirk, or might be a wince. Or maybe a little of both. "I'll try my best." He cuts the deck without any ceremony, making a show of being extra cautious with the breeze. "If you drop your cards first, though, I want to know I can make fun without fearing retribution."

JENNA: * Jo snorts. "I promise I won't hit you for the first five minutes." She scoops the cards up again and deals, quickly but with a little more causion than usual -- missing cards make a game hard to complete. Ordering her hand, she peeks above the cards at him. "But after that, I reserve the right."

JUSTIN: * Shane arranges his cards, peeking around them at her with a slim smile. "At least I'll have time to prepare myself." He turns his attention back to his cards and rotates his head, stretch his neck muscles. "Mmm. I won't lose this time. Can't let you get a big head." He pulls out a card and sets it down on the deck, holding it steady for a moment until he's sure the breeze isn't going to take it.

JENNA: * Jo makes a soft 'tch' noise, dealing her next card. The game continues for quite a while, and it's followed by another when they haven't killed enough time to reach the port. When the sailors finally start moving more rapidly around the deck, shouting at each other, and a bell finally rings, Jo looks up. "We must be there."

JUSTIN: * Shane quickly gathers the cards together, standing to look over the railing. Sure enough, the port of Izlude is a mere stone throw away, the sailors already preparing to cast lines and guide the ship into dock. "It just snuck up on us, didn't it? I didn't think the game was /that/ intense." He smiles, handing the deck to Jo and turning to double-check his pack.

JENNA: "Time flies," she replies drily, tucking the deck away and hauling her pack back over her shoulder. "Hopefully we won't have to carry these far." She rests one foot on the edge of her crate, watching the approaching dock. "And hopefully none of them broke ..." She glances down, finding the possibility unlikely, but she is concerned.

JUSTIN: * Shane looks down at his crate with a slight furrow in his brow. "Well, it would leak, wouldn't it? I mean... unless it isn't liquid..." He rubs his jaw, then shakes his head briskly. "Oh, it wouldn't be our fault, anyway. All they've done is sit in a corner for a week." He stoops down to pick up the crate, listening carefully as he tilts it slowly back and forth. "I don't hear anything..."

JENNA: * Jo shrugs. "Guess we'll find out when we get there." She grins, watching the sailors working on the ramp, as the ship has finally pulled in. Other passengers are starting to mill around, and Jo takes the opportunity to snag her box and amble closer to the soon-to-be exit.

JUSTIN: * Shane follows after her quickly, not wanting to be separated in the forming crowd. Holding himself upright, trying to look as professional as he can (for whatever reason), he suddenly looks worried. "Oh, my hat. Did I pack it?" He forgets his posture, settling the box down behind Jo and quickly digging into his pack.

JENNA: * Jo blinks at him, then she starts laughing. "Why aren't you wearing it?" she asks finally, watching him with amusement. She glances toward the ramp, inching a touch closer as the sailors finally begin moving away from it.

JUSTIN: "I'm not sure, I guess... I guess it slipped my mind." Shane bites on his lip, finally uncovering the missing part buried deep in the travel pack. "Ah..." He pulls it out, and the weaving Jo had given him tumbles from inside the cap onto the deck. A startled gasp comes out when the wind begins to take it, and he nearly dives to snag it before it can sail away. He sighs with relief, climbing back to his feet and tucking it away again. "I found it!" He tugs the hat down onto his head, smiling contentedly.

JENNA: "Nice to know you're in one piece again," Jo chuckles, then starts down the ramp when the sailors call for passengers to disembark. She walks at a clipped pace, peering through the crowds milling below for the central market. She pauses once she reaches the bottom, waiting for Shane. "Guess 'central' would imply toward the middle."

JUSTIN: * Shane shuffles down the ramp hurriedly, eager to get on solid land again. "I think that would be a logical place to start." He adjusts his grip on the crate, shifting his feet. "If we hurry, we'll have more time to relax before we're back on ship again."

JENNA: "If by that you mean dodge the crowd ..." Jo takes a deep breath and plunges in, resisting the impulse to whallop people with the crate to make them move out of her way. She makes fairly good time to the center of town, however, and pauses in surprise when she sees that the central market is not only there but it's circular, a group of stalls radiating out.

JUSTIN: * Shane stays as close to her tail as he can, lest some random person step between them and cause a crash. He almost plows through her when she suddenly stops, managing to spin to a halt beside her. He readjusts his hat and looks over the collection of stalls laid out in front of him. "Well, I guess we've found it after all. See our man anywhere?"

JENNA: * Jo looks over the vendors, gaze finally coming to rest (with significant unease) on an older man dressed bright green and yellow -- and wearing an imposing mustache. Hoping against hope, she glance at his stall, and is dismayed to find that he is in fact vending fruit. "Guess that's him," she says, keeping her tone as neutral as possible, and starts toward him.

JUSTIN: * Shane follows her, again, his eyes finally finding the person she's referring to. "What, /him/?" He arches an eyebrow. It would be incredibly impolite to say any of the things that come immediately to mind, so he bites his tongue. "Uh... sure, okay."

JENNA: * She glances back at him with a tired smile, then picks up her pace, pausing in front of the man with a smile. "Delivery from Natori in Alberta?" The man turns to her with an expression of delight and surprise, though that fades when he sees the girl herself isn't with them. "My supplies? Oh.. why didn't she come herself? It's been so long, I was looking forward to seeing her again." Jo blinks at him with a wan smile. "Unavoidably detained ... she sent us instead."

JUSTIN: * Shane ambles up beside her after a brief, hesitant pause, and sets his crate down on the floor with a quiet groan. "So is this the fellow?" He stands straight again, rubbing at his arm and avoiding looking directly at the odd man in question.

JENNA: * Jo nods, keeping her smile fixed as the man sighs, looking over the crates. "Pity, pity ... I miss the little firecracker ... she makes me feel young again." He pauses to heave Jo's box onto the edge of his stand with surprising ease, and he shortly pries it open with a knife in his belt. "Good, good," he says mostly to himself, then glances at Jo again. "There's another, yes?"

JUSTIN: * Shane snaps back from his idle staring at the booth nextdoor, looking down at his crate. "Of course..." He crouches down, snagging the crate and hefting it up again. "Right here." He hands it to the man, forcing an overly cheery smile.

JENNA: "Excellent, excellent!" He smiles brightly, also prying Shane's open to have a look at what's inside. "Well, everything seems to be in order -- she'll be wanting a receipt?" Jo nods, and the man shuffles around behind the stall, taking one of the boxes with him and humming merrily to himself. Jo glances at Shane and gives a shrug. "To each his own, I guess>"

JUSTIN: * Shane leans against one of the wooden supports for the stall, obviously still antsy about getting the job over and done with. "I suppose so. At least he's a friendly sort." He plays with the straps to his pack, fighting the urge to start whistling.

JENNA: "What were you wanting to do here?" Jo asks, having no particular plan of her own but willing to delay getting back on the ship. The man returns shortly with a scrap of paper, little more than a note, with a signature scrawled at the bottom. "You make sure she gets that, see?" he says. "And tell her to come herself next time." Jo arches a brow and nods. "Of course."

JUSTIN: * Shane pushes away from the post, holding his arms loosely over his chest, and loiters behind Jo, staring pointedly away from the stall. "Come on, let's not waste the man's time." He calls happily over his shoulder, and begins to inch away. "What say we get a nice, cold drink, Jo? In the shade?"

JENNA: * Jo glances at him, puzzled, then nods. "I could do with some food, too," she adds, remembering her skipped breakfast. "I.. don't know of any cafes or anything in Izlude, though." She looks around, edging away from the market stalls in search of somewhere they might find some food.

JUSTIN: * Shane rubs the back of his head a bit, standing up on his toes to get a better look over the crowd. "I suppose if we go from building to building, we'll have to find something eventually. Right?" He walks along beside her, attempting to make a mental map of the area as they go, for future reference. "Anything is better than nothing, anyway..."

JENNA: * Jo nods, peering absently along the route as they go. The shops appear to be mostly supply, armor, and weaponry, but toward the edge of the area, farther from the training grounds, a few lean toward less martial pursuits. Jo finally pauses in front of one, a building with what appears to be an outdoor dining area, covered with a colorful tarp to block the sun and let the sea breeze in.

JUSTIN: * Shane takes a deep breath and lets it out audibly. "Well, this doesn't seem like such a bad spot." He uncrosses his arms, moving his hands to lace them behind his back. "Let's see what they've got, Jo." He begins wandering toward the front entrance of the building, attempting to get a peek through the windows as he goes.

JENNA: * Jo follows him without comment, fairly certain that under present circumstances they haven't got many options. She steps inside after him, where it's slightly cooler, and a girl standing near the entrance trots up to them with a smile. "Inside or out?" she asks brightly, indicating the pavilioned area as one of their options.

JUSTIN: "Uhhh..." Shane turns to Jo for help, rubbing the back of his neck and looking particularly indecisive. "Jo...?"

JENNA: "Outside." Jo gives him an impatient look. After all, this was /his/ idea. "I like the breeze," she adds. The girl nods and leads them out to patio area, seating them near the edge of the raised platform. "What would you like to drink?" she asks, setting out menus for them both.

JUSTIN: * Shane removes his hat, setting it down on the table next to his menu. "Cold milk, if you have it." He smiles, thinking about finally getting something other than water.

JENNA: * Jo scratches her cheek and gives a faint shrug. "Juice," she says after a moment, and the serving girl bows and slips away. Jo turns her gaze back to Shane, arching a brow. "Well, halfway done, I guess."

JUSTIN: * Shane picks up his menu and opens it, giving it a scholarly inspection as he skims over the listed items. "Can't say it feels like it. As much as I appreciate a break, I swear that those trips by boat seem longer every time..."

JENNA: "Then maybe we should give real consideration to purchasing a couple of birds ..." Jo doesn't look at the menu, aside from a cursory glance at the front of it, instead watching Shane read his. "Do they have any beef?" she asks after a moment, watching for the girl's return. me and sis to stop playing footsie when we were pissed and kicking each other under the table.)

JUSTIN: * Shane nods his head a bit, still reading. "A few dishes... do you want something heavy, or something light?" He lays the menu down, rubbing at his arms as he leans them on the table. "Want any greens on the side, or are you all about the meat?" He manages a tight grin.

JENNA: "I'm hungry," Jo says, not really interested in the delicate aspects of ordering a meal. "I guess I'll take some vegetables. Don't really like them." She watches the waitress weave her way back through the tables toward them. "Plenty of meat, and I don't want it cooked dry is all."

JUSTIN: * Shane gives her a stern look. "If you want to stay healthy, you'll need more than just meat." He tilts his head to the side, eyeing her down his nose. "Didn't anyone ever tell you that? Always eat your greens, whether you like them or not." He taps at the menu, turning his attention to it again. "I'll order a large side, we can share it. And I suppose we can split a large steak, too. I don't want to overdo it..."

JENNA: * Jo's expression becomes slightly irritated, and she feels a momentary impulse to snatch his hat and smack him with it, but she shrugs instead. "Whatever you want. We have plenty of money." The serving girl sets their drinks down, still smiling. Jo is beginning to find it unnerving. "Are you ready to order?" she asks, glancing between the two of them.

JUSTIN: "Well, we won't have plenty of money for long if we don't manage it properly." Shane reminds her, and he clears his throat when the waitress arrives again. "Yes, miss." He holds up his menu, to indicate what he wants as he lists it. "We'll split a double portion of the grilled steak, one well done and one medium rare." He slides Jo a quick look. "For variety's sake." His gaze comes back to the waitress, finger moving to his next selection. "And a large platter of vegetables. Mm... a little of everything, I suppose."

JENNA: * Jo shrugs, taking her drink and sipping it boredly. The waitress bobs her head, taking the order down, and disappears toward the kitchens. "Birds shouldn't cost too much," she muses after a moment. "Depending on where we get them from.. battle-trained would probably run a lot more expensive." She takes another sip, finding herself pleased with her selection.

JUSTIN: * Shane takes a long sip of his milk, satisfied that it is properly chilled, and sets the glass down with a quiet sigh. "Well, optimistically we won't need battle-trained pecos... but then again, it is usually better to be safe than sorry. In the long run, it could save us."

JENNA: * Jo nods. "Of course, if we go for that, we'll likely have to buy them here or in Prontera." She watches the market quietly for a moment. "It would cost to board them on the ship back, but it might be worth it." She falls silent again, letting her drink sit and waiting for the food.

JUSTIN: * Shane scratches at his cheek, looking a bit torn. "I'd suggest riding back to Alberta, but then we'd need extra supplies... and I doubt that witch back at the store would appreciate the additional waiting."

JENNA: "She isn't that bad," Jo replies absently, rolling her eyes. "But no, it's better if we're prompt. I don't know that it would be too much extra to board them, but it we might miss the boat if we take the time." This thought prompts her to look back toward the building, where their food is so far not forthcoming.

JUSTIN: * Shane shrugs lightly, ignoring the defense of Natori and sipping at his milk again. "If we have to wait, we have to wait. I'm sure we'll be in the area again sometime. Until then, we'll make due with rentals, I guess." He leans back in his chair, stretching languidly. "Best not to worry about anything for the time being. Don't want to get back on that boat with sour thoughts, right?"

JENNA: "All right." Jo gazes idly across the table at him, feeling a bite of hunger now that she hasn't been moving around for a while. "I wonder if ..." She falls silent, deciding that she really doesn't want to test Shane's nobility on the matter of the pecos they rented before.

JUSTIN: * Shane sits up a bit straighter, turning Jo a curious look. "You wonder what?" Before there's chance for a reply, however, the waitress comes back bearing two extra large plates, one stacked with meat, the other stacked with all mannery of vegetables. The plates get set down in the middle of the table, followed by two smaller ones places in front of each of them. "There you are, and if there's anything else, be sure to let me know. Enjoy your meals." She curtsies, shines a sunny smile, and turns back toward the front door.

JENNA: * Jo reaches for the meat without replying, then glances up at him to force a semi-plausible lie. "I was wondering about the food, that's all." She starts eating quickly, gaze darting over to the dock as if she's worried the ship will be gone. Her plan, it seems, is to ignore the vegetables until ordered to make something of them.

JUSTIN: * Shane doesn't make her wait long, taking the initiative and serving a selection of veggies onto her plate without comment. "Well, I guess your question has already been answered, then." He sits back, getting himself served next and immediately digging into some broccoli in an effort to set example.

JENNA: * Jo gives him an extremely harassed look, but she partakes of the vegetables grudgingly, clearly not thinking much of this arrangements. "So it has," she says, mostly glad he didn't press her further. "I hope the trip back goes as smoothly ..." she mutters, mind flicking once again to the strouf attack. "And we find another job as easily ..."

JUSTIN: * Shane's mind teases him with glimpses of Jo's early morning strip show, and he shudders involuntarily, refusing to look up. "More smoothly, I hope... more smoothly." He doesn't elaborate, instead stuffing his face with meat.

JENNA: "Mmm.. we should probably get a room farther from the kitchen this time," she agrees, not really aware that they are agreeing to the exact same thing. "Maybe one of the better rooms, too .. not that the one we had was all that bad."

JUSTIN: "Do you suppose they have rooms with more than one cot? It would make things a bit more comfortable all around." He is glad his comment wasn't challenged, as he'd hate to try skirting around the questions yet again. "Not that I want to get in the habit of expecting excess."

JENNA: * Jo shakes her head. "As far as I know, they just have a few with larger beds for the rich or married folk." She shrugs. "I guess we could always ask. Hate to do anything that would cost extra, though." She turns back to her meat, continuing to eat it rapidly.

JUSTIN: * Shane doesn't much like that as an alternative. "If it's too much more, we don't need to bother. I'm certainly used to floorboards and dirt by now." He smiles a sour smile, knowing it certainly wasn't by choice. The expression is hidden by a long sip of his milk, and subsequent stuffing of his face.

JENNA: * Jo watches him for a moment, then continues her meal, not looking up again until she's quite finished. "If the wind's with us, it shouldn't be a problem getting back. We can stay at an inn then, if you want." She pauses to finish her drink, setting the glass down and leaning back in her chair lazily.

JUSTIN: * Shane takes a little longer to finish, despite his pace, as he begins to slow toward the end. "I'll be plenty happy to be through with the job. But it would be nice to have a place to bunk up properly for a few nights and rest." He finally pushes his dishes away and flops against the back of his chair, sighing.

JENNA: "A bath would be nice," Jo is forced to agree, thinking of the several days it's been since she had one. She stands, laying a few bills and coins on the table. "Guess we should go check on the ship, in any case."

JUSTIN: * Shane stands up as well, pulling his hat back on in the process. "Of course..." He gives the money on the table a bitter look, sniffing as he steps around by Jo. "Are you ever going to let me pay for anything?" He asks in a pouty tone, walking past her to start in the direction of the ship.

JENNA: * She gives him a slightly puzzled look, recalling his earlier statement about his and her money being a formality. "It's all the same to me ..." She ambles behind him, watching the crowd go by with a quiet sigh.

JUSTIN: * Shane shakes his head, sighing quietly. "Nevermind it... I'll just have to be quicker on the draw from now on." He crosses his arms over his chest again, steering through the crowd -- half of which seems to be gravitating in the same direction as he and Jo are.

JENNA: * Jo finally manages a shrug, quickening her pace through the crowd, as she doesn't want last choice of rooms this time. When they reach the ship, she finds passengers already headed inside, and she lopes up the ramp, haggling quickly with one of the sailors for a better room. Her expression becomes satisfied after a moment, and she glances back at Shane with a nod.

JUSTIN: * Shane perks up a bit at this sign, and he hurries to join her in getting below deck. "I take it we'll have a better location this time?" He hopes this means no more soup incidents. "That should keep the trip a little more manageable."

JENNA: * Jo nods. "I got a good price on one of the better rooms. It's on the other side.. nowhere near the kitchen." She grins faintly, starting for the stairs to go below. "Longer trip to the food, but less staff running around." She stretches once before starting down the stairs.

JUSTIN: "Sounds perfect to me." Shane says, his face lightening at the good news. He quickly skips down the steps behind Jo, eager to see just how far from the activity they'll be residing. "I guess we'll still have to fight over the bed, though. Unless you want to share the floor -- plenty big enough, right?"

JENNA: * Jo leads the way left and through the dining area, trotting into the hall and pushing almost to the very end of it. She pokes her head in the door and gives a faint nod. "That should do." She ambles in, shoving her pack in the corner and stretching again. "And we still have jerky if we don't want to go out there at all. Though we'd need water."

JUSTIN: * Shane shuts the door behind him and wastes no time in setting his pack aside. "Well, the less time we have to spend out there, the better. I could fill our canteens and be done with it, if you want." He stretches with a loud groan and falls onto the bed, regardless of what he just suggested.

JENNA: "No thanks. We don't want them starting any weird rumors again." She seats herself on the edge of the bed, poking at him. "And besides, you'd lie in bed all the time if we did." She grins suddenly. "Or I would. Cards to see who gets it first?"

JUSTIN: * Shane rolls to look up at her, smirking coyly. "Fine then." He slides over to give her more room, and stretches once more. "I really mean it this time, though. You're not gonna win again. Your luck can't last forever."

JENNA: * Jo laughs, standing to retrieve her pack and the cards contained therein, and before long they are engrossed in another long card game. The journey back takes a day or two longer, as the favorable winds seem reluctant to up and change direction, but the voyage is uneventful, aside from a minor mishap regarding whose turn it is to use the bed. Before a week is out, the ship docks in Alberta once again, to the weary relief of at least two of its passengers.