JENNA: * It's several hours into the night when Jo stirs, the call of nature propelling her to the bathroom. Still groggy after she's tended to business and washed up again, she shuffles back into the room, pausing for a moment before drifting in the direction of one of the beds -- and quite unaware it isn't hers. She lowers herself onto it with a yawn, dozing off again almost before her head strikes the pillow.

JUSTIN: * Shane's light sleep has since turned into full slumber, though he hasn't moved from his very comfortable position on his back. One arm is tucked under his pillow, the other lying stretched out at his side. He doesn't stir at the approach of the misguided woman, blissfully ignorant.

JENNA: * Perhaps it's the quiet rainfall, still pattering against the window, that suggests to Jo she might be a little bit cool, but whatever it might be, she curls up a little and slowly gravitates toward the nearest heat source. She continues to sleep even after she's made contact, giving a quiet murmur and relaxing -- as if she's finally gotten comfortable.

JUSTIN: * The bump of Jo's body contacting his doesn't do more than cause Shane to shift slightly, his outstretched arm half-curling around whatever new pillow has shown up next to him. He mumbles quietly, as if in answer to the Jo's sleepy musing, and continues his rest peacefully and content for the timebeing.

JENNA: * This new contact only causes Jo to nestle slightly closer, comfortable and content -- somewhere in her mind, she thinks they must visit this inn again sometime. Undisturbed by dreams, she sleeps that way the rest of the night, not even stirring when the sky starts to lighten through the window.

JUSTIN: * The morning sun eventually comes to rest directly on Shane's eyes, and it isn't long before this intrusion of brightness begins to wake him. He begins to stir, groaning quietly when his partly-opened eyes are assaulted by the sunlight. He shifts his arms, bringing one from under the pillow, and the other... curiously enough, his other arm is stuck against something warm and soft, but far too solid to be another pillow. He flexes his hand, moving it to investigate the nature of this trap. Fingers graze along cloth, and that cloth suddenly gives way to skin. He feels warm breath against his palm, and that just simply can't be right. He cranes his head, sitting up and noticing now that this thing is, in fact, resting against the entire length of his side. And then it becomes horrifyingly obvious that this thing is, in fact, Jo -- nestled against him and looking the picture of contentedness. He begins to shudder, eyes widening, and he struggles to get his arm from around her, all the while, far too shocked to even get out a startled gasp.

JENNA: * The gasp and his halting movements don't seem to bother Jo -- at least not enough to wake her. She does, however, notice the shift in heat, and she attempts to nuzzle closer to him, murmuring what amounts to a quiet protest. One hand reaches out as if to pull him closer, but she only manages to tangle her fingers in his shirt before the movement ceases and she settles again.

JUSTIN: * Shane squawks loudly, tearing his arm free and flapping around as if he's being chased by a swarm of bees. "What are you DOING?!" He finally manages to get out some words, his voice at least an octave higher than normal. In his hurry to skitter away from her, his shirt starts to tangle about him -- being anchored in her grasp -- and he falls on his face, writhing.

JENNA: * The sound of his voice finally propels her out of her contented sleep, and she sits up with a jolt, staring around in panicked bleariness before she realizes who's right in front of her. Her shoulders jerk, and she half shouts "What are --" before she notices the room looks different than she remembers. She glances back over her shoulder, a horrified expression flashing across her face, then she turns back to Shane, face turning a remarkable shade of crimson. "I -- you -- how -- when --" she manages to get out, then notices her fingers, still curled in the fabric of his shirt. She jerks her hand away as if burned, scooting sharply backward.

JUSTIN: * With his shirt released, Shane springs upward again, falling backwards off the end of the bed. It's only a second before he's on his feet, however, looking around to see if there's anything else out of the ordinary -- flying pigs, or perhaps aliens. "What are you asking /me/ for?!" He dances from foot to foot, completely unsure what to do with himself now. "Did... did we get drunk? I thought I swore off alcohol!"

JENNA: "We didn't get drunk!" Jo says snappishly, scooting the rest of the way off the bed and retreating halfway across the room, arms folded defensively across her chest. "I -- I don't remember. I just remember .. ..." She pauses, memory finally tripping back over her brief journey to the restroom, and her face burns anew. "I just .. got in the wrong bed is all." She turns her face away, nonchalant tone belied by the continued heat in her cheeks.

JUSTIN: "But..." Shane isn't consoled much by this revelation, and if anything, he only gets redder in the cheeks. "How do you explain being all over me like that?! Wouldn't you have noticed the bed was occupied?" He starts to feel nauseous, and he grips at his stomach as though he can stop the protesting.

JENNA: "I was only half awake!" Jo has graduated to full shouting now, fists clenching suddenly at her sides. "I wasn't /even/ half awake! I fell asleep again before I noticed!" She unclenches her hands carefully, folding her arms again and once more turning her face to the wall. "Not as if you didn't do the same to me, anyway," she shoots back sullenly.

JUSTIN: "I would never!" Shane counters, but he is afraid what will happen if he turns this into a full-blown argument. He has his own secrets, and it wouldn't do well to continue debating about things he has or hasn't done. "Oh, for Heaven's sake... it doesn't matter." It takes a little effort to actually say those last three words, but he feels slightly better after. Unfortunately, sitting heavily on the end of the bed and boring a hole in the floor, cheeks ablaze, certainly doesn't back up his statement.

JENNA: * Jo grits her teeth, feeling an instantaneous fury at his denial, but she scoots another few steps back instead of arguing. She almost bumps into her own bed, but turns the motion into a flop and seats herself, scowling. For several minutes, she says nothing, then she looks up at him, glaring. "I'm sorry, all right?" she snaps, though she certainly doesn't sound it.

JUSTIN: "I didn't say you had to apologize!" Shane snaps back, but he doesn't match her gaze. He fancies a spot halfway between their beds, brow knotted with the stress. "I was just surprised, all right? I mean, we don't... /do/ that sort of thing. It's... it's improper, you know?"

JENNA: "It was an accident," Jo growls. "So it doesn't matter if it's proper or not. It won't happen again." Wearying of the conversation, she flops backward on the bed, shifting until she can rest her head against a pillow. She wants to speak again, but she can't think of anything to say, so she settles for resting an arm across her forehead and glaring at the ceiling.

JUSTIN: * Shane looks almost cross, despite his attempts to hide it. "I was just saying, Jo... I was just saying why..." He pushes to his feet, moving toward a table near the corner of the large room, and falling into a chair. "I mean, how would you have reacted in my position? It's not my fault, either, you know!"

JENNA: * Jo shoots him an angry look from beneath her arm. "I didn't say anything!" she snaps, then rolls over to face away from him, clearly considering the discussion closed. For a moment, she wishes she could hide under the blankets, but not only would that be childish, it would take entirely too much effort, so she settles for burying her face against the pillow.

JUSTIN: * Shane doesn't bother to respond again, every effort getting the same hostile reaction. He slumps against the table, burying his face in his arms, up to his eyes. He sighs, he stares, and he wonders why nothing can ever go smoothly.

JENNA: * Jo curls up a little tighter, boiling far too much to get to sleep, though she dearly wishes that enveloping blackness would return, so she could pretend for a little while longer that nothing's wrong. She makes a frustrated noise, lifting her head and dropping it back down again, wishing for a hard surface to beat herself unconscious.

JUSTIN: * After a few minutes, Shane gets to his feet again and wanders toward the bathroom to get his boots from where they were left. Sitting on the edge of the bath, he tugs them on, tying the laces and then working on buttoning his shirt. He returns to the main room again, giving Jo a sideways look. "I'm going to go for a walk. I won't be too long."

JENNA: * Jo doesn't answer, shutting her eyes and burying her face again. Her mind continues racing, not paying any attention to whatever else he may do, though she processes enough of the statement to consider running away again. For a long, sickeningly upset moment, it seems like the perfect answer, and she almost shifts upright to go through with it before sinking harder into the bed.

JUSTIN: * Shane waits for a brief moment, but when she doesn't answer, he decides it shouldn't have been expected anyway. He walks over to the nightstand beside her bed and places the key on it -- perhaps in a motion of trust -- then quietly makes his way to the door and exits. Having gotten this far, he doesn't waste time exiting the building and heading straight for the main market square. He's brought only a little of his money (after Jo showed him how easy it is to slip something off of his belt without him noticing, he isn't taking any chances) and he hopes a little shopping distraction will take his mind off of things for a while.

JENNA: * Some time after he's gone, Jo stirs again, shambling wearily over to the windows and jerking the curtains shut to block the interfering sunlight. That completed, she finds she doesn't really want to go back to bed, and instead stalks to the bathroom dragging her pack and dirty clothes along. Before long, the water is running, and she's set to wash her things -- and have a long soak while she's at it.

JUSTIN: * Even this early in the morning, the crowds are already picking up. Shane guesses that's the daily routine for a city devoted to the marketplace. He wanders for at least an hour from shop to shop, never finding anything he can talk himself into parting with his money for. Eventually he happens upon a somewhat seedier looking shack, the inside purposely dim and stacked to the ceiling with all manner of gambling fair. It reminds him to no small extent of Morroc, and some stories he's heard from Jo. In fact, it's no surprise to see that the merchant behind the front counter has a Morrocan look about him. He fully intends to turn and leave immediately, but after getting sideswiped by a sales pitch, Shane finds himself back on the street no less than ten minutes later. Looking down at his hands, he finds he's managed to acquire a deck of cards, a box of betting chips, and a polished, ornate shot glass.

JENNA: * It's partway through her washing that Jo notices Shane's hat sitting abandoned in the room. She gives a faint, dismissive snort, looking back to her clothes, but something tugs her gaze back to it, and she stands in surprise, walking over to make sure she isn't seeing things. She reaches down to pluck at her weaving, wrapped loosely around it, then sets it down again hurriedly, returning to her work, if a little redder in the face. When she finishes, she leaves everything hanging in the room and wanders out again, pausing to scoop the hat up again as she goes. Expression weary, she seates herself on the edge of her bed and stares at it a while, occasionally twirling it on her finger as she thinks.

JUSTIN: * Shane spends at least another hour walking around and enjoying the fresh air, purchasing one or two more things. Eventually, however, the encumberance of his newly acquired goods begins to annoy him. He hasn't brought his pack, and if he piles any more items on top of his load, he'll lose it all to the pavement. This in mind, he heads back to the inn and up the stairs to their room. He takes a moment to juggle his items to one arm, and finding the door is still unlocked, he slowly opens it to peek inside.

JENNA: * Jo is still seated on the bed, lazily staring at the hat. She straightens slightly as the door opens, quickly flicking it across to land on his bed before slouching down again, expression as neutral as possible. She flicks her gaze over her shoulder, but she doesn't say anything.

JUSTIN: * Shane doesn't notice the hat in her possession, though he does briefly wonder how he forgot to take it with him when he sees it on the bed. He moves into the room, shutting the door behind himself and standing awkwardly just inside the room. He looks between his armful of small trinkets, and then up to Jo, blushing slightly. Thinking twice about trying to start a conversation, he moves quietly to his bed and seats himself, sorting his purchases on the blanket.

JENNA: * Jo shifts as he walks past her, pulling her legs up to rest her heels on the edge of the bed and wrapping her arms silently around her knees. She watches him for a few minutes, not particularly wanting to say anything -- especially as she hasn't much to say.

JUSTIN: * Shane stares down at his items, now all neatly arranged beside him, and begins to chew at his lip in thought. This turns into rubbing his arm, his brow beginning to furrow. After some minutes, and looking like he is about to implode from all this heavy internal debate, he scoops up the deck of cards and stands to his feet. He looks slowly, hesitantly, over to Jo, and walks over to her in the same manner. Then, once he's arrived at her bed, he holds his hand out to place the small, unopened box of cards beside her. Without a word, he turns toward his bed again and begins to retreat.

JENNA: * Jo manages to keep from flinching at his approach, not moving until he's gone away again, at which point she glances at whatever he left behind and slowly lets her legs down in order to free her arms to pick it up. Her expression becomes puzzled, and she opens it up, tugging the deck out and blinking before pushing it quietly back in. "Oh," she says after a moment, not entirely sure what to do about it.

JUSTIN: "You needed a new one, right?" Shane asks quietly, now that the silence has been broken. He sits down on the edge of his bed, fiddling around with the rest of his useless baubles.

JENNA: "I.. I guess." She sets it down, staring at it uneasily for a moment, then glances over at Shane. "Thanks." She's silent for another long moment, then she folds her arms, shifting uncomfortably. "I've got.. needle and thread," she says finally. "If you want to sew it on better." She makes a vague gesture toward his hat, though she doesn't look up at him.

JUSTIN: * Shane looks up at her with a slightly surprised look, then turns it to the hat. "Uh... s-sure. I'd like that." He blushes slightly, having forgotten about that. "I just... I thought it was as good a use for it as any, you know?" Among other things. He blushes further, and turns back to his things shyly.

JENNA: "Yeah," Jo mutters, reddening slightly, and makes her way over to her pack and sifting rapidly through it in search of said needle and thread. She finds both before too long, walking over to Shane and offering them silently, as she doesn't want to risk losing either to the blankets. She shifts uneasily from foot to foot, some guilt playing into her expression.

JUSTIN: * Shane glances at her hand, retrieving the needle and thread and then reaching to get his hat. He doesn't bother her with more idle banter, noting the obvious discomfort she seems to be suffering from. He works at the weaving until he gets it situated in the best position he can find, and then begins to sew it into the material of the hat.

JENNA: * Jo retreats immediately, scooping the cards off the bed and settling them in her pack before lying down again and watching him sew. She's feeling inordinately weary, even though she hasn't done anything strenuous at all today -- apart from the earlier argument. She gives a faint, low sigh.

JUSTIN: * It doesn't take Shane long to finish his work, and he takes a moment to inspect his handiwork when he's finished. Giving the new addition to his hat a slight tug to test its bond, he nods approvingly to himself and sets it aside. "We should probably think about getting some food. You must be starving, not having eaten since we arrived yesterday." He stands, moving to place the needle and remaining thread on the stand next to her bed.

JENNA: * Jo blinks, arms folding over her stomach as she considers this. "I.. hadn't noticed," she says, but she does find now that he's brought it up, she's pretty well starving. She sits up, pressing a hand to her forehead and frowning slightly. "You ate?" she asks, reaching to retrieve needle and thread and make her way over to her pack once again.

JUSTIN: * Shane shakes his head slightly, turning to wander back over to his bed. He stands by it, rubbing at his arm. "No... I wouldn't eat without you." He picks up a small, wrapped item from his bed, turning it over in his fingers a few times before holding it up for her to see over his shoulder. "I did buy this, though... the lady told me it was 'chocolate' or some sort, said it was rich and sweet. I thought we might try it later."

JENNA: * Jo tilts her head. "I've heard of that ... never had it, though." She glances back at the door. "So.. how will we get any food here ...? I guess there's a dining area." She doesn't seem terribly enthusiastic about that idea, however, looking back toward him. "She said something about room service.. I wonder if it works like Jawaii."

JUSTIN: * Shane shakes his head, turning back to look at her. "I'm not sure... I'll go ask." He sets his bar of chocolate down, gathering his items and placing them on the stand next to his bed. "Did you have anything in mind that you might want? In case I have to order while I'm down there."

JENNA: * Jo shakes her head. "Surprise me," she says with a faint smile, then turns her gaze back to the floor. "Just as long as there's plenty of it," she adds, stretching her legs out in front of her before dropping them with a grin.

JUSTIN: * Shane nods, taking a little comfort from her smile, and heads quickly to the door and down to the lobby. The process is apparently not quite the same as at Jawaii. Calling for room service -- as it is explained to him -- consists of opening a small panel near the door and tugging a lever inside. This, in turn, rings a bell for their room number at the front desk. Then, one of the inn's many workers would show up at their door to assist. Shane is suitably impressed by the system, but since he's already down here, he goes ahead and places his order for a very large meal before heading back to the room.

JENNA: * Jo hasn't moved, except to flop backward on the bed and rest her hands across her stomach, staring once again at the ceiling. For the moment, she's attempting to keep her mind away from her companion, instead going over the minimal information she has on the book that caused her so much trouble. She lets her mind chase that in circles for a while before she gives up on it with a sigh.

JUSTIN: * Shane pokes his head in the door, looking around to make sure Jo isn't asleep or or worse before he comes barging in. Seeing that she is still awake (though none too lively), he enters and shuts the door behind him. "There should be food on its way in about ten minutes. Good timing, too, they're just about finished with the first batch for breakfast. Guess it's earlier than I thought." He ambles over, the prospect of food apparently having cheered him up somewhat. "And you'll never guess how the room service works around here, it's pretty crazy... are you all right?"

JENNA: "Eh --" Jo sits up, rubbing one eye with a shrug, not particularly wanting to talk about it. "I was just thinking ... nothing important." She looks at him curiously, dropping her hands in her lap. "How does it work?" she asks, as much to divert his attention as anything.

JUSTIN: * Shane tilts his head, giving her a not-quite-believing look. He's polite enough not to press (for once), though she's not completely successful in distracting his mind from what might be a problem. "Oh, it's... this thing... with levers and bells." He rubs the back of his neck. It was more exciting when he wasn't worried. "I'll show you, I guess... next time we need it." He walks to his bed and sits down, staring off to the side at nothing in particular. "I, uh... tried to order what I remember you liking the last few times we've had breakfast together. I think I did all right."

JENNA: "All right." She sits up, eyeing him warily. "Are you all right?" she asks, puzzled at the sudden mood change and wondering vaguely if it's her fault again. She can't think of anything she's done in the past five minutes that would upset him.

JUSTIN: * Shane ruffles his hair, smiling thinly. "I'm fine. Just been a busy morning, that's all." Reminding himself of his shopping spree, he shuffles across the bed to pull a few of his items from the nightstand. "I'm never going shopping without you again. I'm not even sure what some of these things are."

JENNA: * Jo blinks, then follows him over, tutting quietly. "It is a merchanting city after all ... they will try to sell you things." She glances over his collection with some amusement. "Where did you go ...? I've never seen these kinds of things for sale." Then again, she stuck primarily to goods she could use in her travels.

JUSTIN: * Shane blushes with embarrassment, shrugging his shoulders innocently. "I just walked... I didn't know what I was looking for." He rubs the back of his neck, picking up the box of chips. "The man who sold me the deck of cards said I'd need these if I wanted to play 'for real'. I'm not sure what he meant by that..."

JENNA: * Jo takes the chips away from him with an amused sigh. "You use them when you're gambling for money ..." She shakes her head. "We probably won't have much use for them, but they're nice enough to look at." She seats herself nearby, opening the box to have a look. "They're not bad quality.. we could resell them for a fair price if you decide you don't want to keep them."

JUSTIN: "We'll see... it might be a fun addition, if we ever get so bored." He smiles a little, sifting through some more items. "A shot glass... I... I thought it looked kind of nice, and you don't need to use it for alcohol, you know?" That's not entirely true to how he was talked into buying it, but it's somewhat less embarrassing. "Look, it's in the shape of a... scorpion? I think that's what he called it... around the glas, here..."

JENNA: * Jo is hard pressed not to chuckle, but she manages to suppress it, nodding in confirmation. "Scorpion. Pretty common around Morroc .. probably where it came from." She decides the glasswork isn't bad, though her choice would also be to resell it. She doesn't bother sharing that part of her observation, however.

JUSTIN: * Shane sets the glass down, poking at the rest of his stash. Most of it is just as useless, and probably not even worth reselling. "How do you manage to get through the market without being hastled?" He scoops up a trio of bead necklaces, holding them out in front of him and framing Jo's face.

JENNA: * She gives a faint snort, reaching over to pluck the necklaces from his hands. "It helps to know exactly what you want when you go there. And don't try to be polite -- they don't take it too personally when you tell them to shove off." She thumbs over the beads thoughtfully, remembering being instructed that they could be incorporated into weaving, then hands them back. "Don't look interested, even if you are."

JUSTIN: * Shane doesn't look too happy about the suggestion of being impolite, and he sighs disheartenedly. "I suppose I'm not cut out for the big market, then." He takes the necklaces, slinging one over his head absently and setting the others aside. "I'll stick to haggling for apples and eggs."

JENNA: "Guess that leaves me to do the buying." She smiles drily, then stands and ambles back to her bed. "It isn't hard after the first few times, really. The object is to give them as little of your money as possible." She grins.

JUSTIN: * Shane nods, staring into space absently -- presumably envisioning himself telling a merchant what-for. "I guess I'll watch you at work the next time we're in the market." He sniffs, rubbing at his nose and blinking the last remnants of his imagination away. "Food should be here soon." He gets to his feet and stretches, picking at his shirt and giving it a scrutinizing look. "Hmm... maybe I should think about seeing a tailor for some new clothes. I can't wear the same outfit forever."

JENNA: * Jo nods. "Probably a good idea. Maybe not here, though. Prices." She shrugs, as this is really only part of her excuse -- the rest being she doesn't want to linger in the town for as long as it would take to prepare his clothes, if he wanted them fitted. She's about to continue when there's a polite rap at the door, announcing the arrival of their late breakfast.