JENNA: * Jo's recovery proceeds pretty well as predicted, though she does make decent progress on the regimen the doctor prescribed. Before long, she's out of bed and at least walking around -- generally only to visit the sheep, however. She's polite to the villagers, but she doesn't seem much on socializing. Elise and her father stop by at least once, to check up on her as well as pay them for their trouble and return the two knives Jo abandoned after the night raid. Despite her bluster, Jo is forced to wait the full week, until the doctor finally pronounces her fit, removing the bandages on her chest but warning the ones on her arm should stay a few days longer.

JUSTIN: * Shane is careful to monitor Jo at all times the doctor can't, mostly to protect her from herself and her own over-ambitiousness. He's pleasantly surprised when she proceeds along as predicted, and when it comes time to set out again, he's fairly optimistic about their prospects.

JENNA: * Jo has pretty much returned to her usual self, chafing at the delay, but apparently quite happy now that she's packing her bags. She folds the last of her belongings into her pack, humming quietly as she does so, then gets to her feet, pulling the pack over her back. "Think you can handle the stitches?" she asks Shane, as the doctor informed them that they'd need to be removed eventurally -- and they'd be gone from here by then.

JUSTIN: * Shane stands by the doorway, his meager posessions already packed and on his back. He holds his hat in his hand, watching her patiently as she finishes up. "I can handle them. I know a thing or two about it. Just enough, anyway." He smiles slimly. "What about you? Want me to knock you out before I rip them out?" A grin creeps onto his face, overtaking the small smile.

JENNA: * Jo snorts. "I'll be fine. Just make sure you don't faint or anything." She ambles toward the door, making to push past him, then pauses and grins. "I wonder if the pecos have gotten lazy ... I don't think they've been in one place this long since we bought them."

JUSTIN: * Shane rubs at his chin, arching an eyebrow in thought. "I hope not, for their sakes." He grins deviously, slapping his hat onto his head and heading out the front door, holding it open for Jo. "After waiting around all week for you, I don't intend to wait for a couple of lazy birds to work their kinks out."

JENNA: "I healed as fast as I could," she contends, ambling past him and making for the stables. "You're the one who made me stay in bed all the time." She pauses to stretch her arms skyward, enjoying the sunlight, though the injured one twinges slightly as she does so.

JUSTIN: * Shane comes up beside her, eyeing her wounded arm with a slight bit of annoyance -- not at it, but at the fact it's up in the air. "Just remember, you promised not to overdo it. That arm's still got a couple more days, so go easy, please?" He tugs on her pack lightly, and makes toward the stables.

JENNA: * Jo gives him a long look, rolling her eyes. "All right, all right. I wasn't doing anything ..." She lowers her arms and continues to the stables at a quick pace, eager to be traveling again. "I guess we'll have to take it easy to Al De Baran ..."

JUSTIN: "I think that would be the prudent thing to do, yes." Shane enters the stables, moving immediately to where their birds are penned. His peco, for the most part, seems unconcerned with his return, caring much more for the food it is chomping away at. "Hello to you, too." He mutters, and hefts the saddle from where it's shelved.

JENNA: * Jo's bird glances up at her once before returning to its food, but she doesn't say much to it, instead pulling her riding gear down and putting it on the peco. "You have gotten lazy, you dirty bird," she remarks to it. "But there isn't going to be any more of that." Once she's got it saddled up and has dragged its head from the feed bin, she walks it out into the open, mounting up with considerably more ease than the last time she tried.

JUSTIN: * Shane watches her with masked concern, waiting until he's content that she's mounted without injury or trouble, then returns to getting his own peco saddled. "What, after all the laying about you did, going to call the bird names?" He grins, walking his peco out of the pen and then hopping onto its back. "Me, on the other hand. I get to call you all dirty birds. Now come along, dirty birds." He clucks at his peco, turning it and walking it out to the street.

JENNA: * Jo follows, making a dismissive noise. "I can call 'em what I want ... they don't listen anyway." She trots after him, pausing to wait for him to mount before starting for the town's entrance. "At least the weather's good for riding -- it would stink to start out in the rain."

JUSTIN: * Shane looks up at the sky as they make for the edge of town. "By the looks of it, we won't have to worry about rain. But we've been proven wrong before." He sighs fitfully, surprised at how eager he is to get moving. "Well, that's all the warm up you get, birds. I hope you're ready to hit the road." He leans over to pat his peco's neck, at the same time urging it into a faster trot.

JENNA: * Jo grins, following his lead, and the bird picks up speed with a squawk of protest. "And don't you forget it," Jo retorts, resisting the impulse to urge it faster as they make the road. She glances back over her shoulder once, consideringly, then shrugs. "Not a bad place," she says at last.

JUSTIN: "You think so?" Shane says, turning belatedly to look over at her. "I rather liked it, myself." He smiles, turning his attention back to the road ahead of him. "Bit out of the way, though. Not good for a travelling woman such as yourself."

JENNA: "Mm," she replies agreeably, but she doesn't say anything more on the subject, focusing on getting as far down the road as possible before she's forced by promise to stop for rest. Her mind is already well ahead of them, considering what little she remembers of the town. "They post jobs in the market square in Al De Baran," she says suddenly. "So at least we won't have to go knocking on doors."

JUSTIN: * Shane nods his head absently, his eyes busy admiring the countryside. "That should be helpful. Many mercenaries go through Al De Baran?" He spares a quick look at her, for the sake of politeness -- and to check up on how she's doing, which isn't too bad by the look of her face.

JENNA: "Enough that they post jobs on the board, I guess. I never went there often -- the jobs there ran counter to what the guild had in mind, generally." She grins at him. "Good thing, really, or someone might recognize me." She turns her gaze back to the road, stretching again.

JUSTIN: * Shane clucks his tongue reproachingly, garnering a look from his peco -- which he ignores, in favor of looking over to Jo again. "We certainly wouldn't want that. A villain's reputation is bad for business." He raises his eyebrows at her, smiling tightly. "On the other hand, my resume is much more appealing." He turns forward again, humming fitfully.

JENNA: "Eh, well. You could look at it another way ... I know most of the tricks anybody breaking in will try." She makes a face at him, "How about that?" She nudges the peco to go a little faster, grinning. "Not that we'll have any trouble, I bet."

JUSTIN: "Well I /suppose/ you have /some/ uses." Shane says with mock disdain, peering over his shoulder at her again with a scrutinizing gaze. It quickly turns into a smile, though, and he shakes his head, turning forward and bringing up a hand to brush at his hair. "You're probably right, anyway. It's a wonder we keep in shape at all, when nine out of ten jobs are harmless."

JENNA: "That's what training's for," Jo decides. "Not that I'm complaining about the jobs ... when it comes down to it, it's good pay for not much work, right?" She shrugs and smiles, easing back again. Then she winces, stretching to work a kink out of her back. "A week off.. and I'm as soft as the birds." She sighs heavily. "Good thing we didn't have to stay longer."

JUSTIN: * Shane edges his bird closer to her, trotting along beside. "Oh, you'll be fit as a fiddle again in no time." He tries to sneak a peek at her arm, not that he can see anything through the bandaging anyway. "But if you need me to protect you in the meantime, I'm sure I'm up to the task." He smirks, tipping his hat at her.

JENNA: * Jo snorts, then heaves a deep sigh. "Well, if you really think you're up to it, I can hardly say no." She grins again, laying a finger to the side of her nose. "But I reserve the right to jump in if I think you're getting in over your head."

JUSTIN: * Shane tuts her, straightening his hat and sitting back in his saddle. "I wonder what the doctor would have to say about that?" He smiles lazily, stretching both arms and breathing out a yawning sigh. "Lucky you that he isn't coming with us."

JENNA: "He'd probably slow us down to a crawl.. more time sitting on the ground than riding." She doesn't think much of this idea. "Come on! We've got a lot of ground to cover!" She nudges the peco a little faster, pushing ahead.

JUSTIN: * Shane sighs dramatically, kicking his heels lightly at his peco's sides and rushing it to keep pace. "Better get as much distance as you can -- I'm counting the minutes until we stop and rest!" He means it, too. There won't be any slacking off just because they're out of the doctor's watchful eye, if he can help it.

JENNA: * Jo looks back at him, pulling a face before she continues on her way. She intends to push the deadline as much as she can without causing a fight, and she does so. The trip continues much in the same fashion, light-hearted banter being the primary force behind their conversation. In spite of the extra stops, they make good time to Al De Baran, pulling up to the city gates around noon. Jo pauses, looking around, then starts her peco at a walk, heading in the direction she thinks the market square is.

JUSTIN: * Shane follows after her in relative silence, his attention spent on inspecting the city as it unfolds around him. As usual, he tries to draw a mental map of everything as they pass -- just in case of an emergency, and for convenience's sake. "Well, it's no Juno..." He says after a moment, smiling smugly.

JENNA: "You haven't seen the fountains yet," Jo replies as they trek over one of the city's many bridges. "I used to play there before I moved." She pauses, then sets off in another direction, where she can hear crowds milling and chattering. She casts him a sideways glance, grinning. "Looks like we'll have some competition today."

JUSTIN: * Shane half-frowns, hading hoped to avoid another city crowd. It's short-lived, though, as it's only a minor letdown. "The word 'competition' implies that any one of them could possibly be as good or better than us." He keeps an air of fake superiority as he talks. "Surely you aren't implying that."

JENNA: * Jo laughs. "Wouldn't dream of it." She moves a little faster, though, angling her peco away from the crowds and more toward a large board, next to which a young woman is seated, apparently in charge of overseeing the jobs. Jo swings down from her peco and walks over to the board, looking over the jobs casually.

JUSTIN: * Shane trots his peco up alongside hers, keeping an eye on the crowd as she inspects the large billboard. He soon bores of this, however, and slides down out of his saddle to join her. He watches her peering at the lettering, the look on her face telling him all he needs to know. "Jo... do you want me to look for you?"

JENNA: * She blinks, turning to look at him in surprise. "Oh.. sorry. I was just seeing what there was of what ..." She points at a legend on the side of the board. "Fray taught me how to read it one time when we came through here -- the jobs are color-coded. Brown for caravan jobs ... blue for guard jobs ... red for monster exterminations ... green for servant work." She shrugs. "I can't get the details, but I can see what's got a lot of openings."

JUSTIN: * Shane looks mildly embarrassed at his presumptions, and he lifts up a hand to rub his neck. "Ah... oh. Anything you had in mind? Guard job's what you said before, right?" He steps closer to the board, looking at the giant list of information.

JENNA: * Jo nods. "There seem to be plenty." She looks curiously at the pinned stack of papers under the blue label. "They're rated by pay, too. The more stars, the higher the pay ... and of course, likely, the more difficult the job." She glances at him, expression going stern. "I'm not doing anything piddly just 'cause of my arm. Anything below three and I'll punch you."

JUSTIN: * Shane steps over to the list in question, giving her an sarcastic smirk before giving it his attention. "You say that now..." He starts flipping through until he starts to see three stars, and then slows. "I could take your stiches out before the job, then you'd be sore. Wouldn't have much of a choice then, would you?" He quickly passes over the jobs until he finds some four-star ones, and then begins to read with more interest.

JENNA: "I'd still punch you." She pauses, looking thoughtful. "Twice." She watches him read, expression taking on that same interest it always does when he does so. "Anything interesting?" she asks after a few minutes of this. "I don't really want anything that keeps us here more than a few days, though."

JUSTIN: "What if it paid a million zeny?" Shane stabs a finger at one of the jobs on the list, lifting an eyebrow at her and keeping his face deadpan serious -- despite the natural instinct to snicker at the joke. "Would that change your mind?"

JENNA: * Surprise flickers across her face momentarily, but she frowns. "No way. A job that paid that much would probably last a year." She stamps her foot slightly. "Come on! What's in the listing?" This is becoming one of the rare occasions she wishes she could read for herself.

JUSTIN: * Shane sighs melodramatically, flipping back a page to start from the beginning of the four-star jobs. "A little patience, Jo. A little patience." He smiles absently, finding where he intends to start, and then begins to read off the various jobs and payments for her benefit.

JENNA: * Jo listens for a while, expression thoughtful, then when he reaches one she likes the sound of, she stops him. "That one sounds good.. the one who added on to his house and needs extras for a couple nights." She glances at him sideways. "The pay's good, and he probably doesn't have anything too valuable in a brand new vault."

JUSTIN: * Shane stares at the page for a moment, rereading the entry a couple times. "I guess that's true." He commits the names and address to memory, and drops the pages, turning to look at Jo instead. "A job is a job, anyway. I suppose we should check in on it as soon as possible."

JENNA: * Jo nods, reaching up to take the page marking the job they've chosen. She slips around to the girl at the desk, handing it to her. The girl nods absently, taking it for a moment and stamping it, then handing it back. Jo smiles briefly and tucks it away, looking back at Shane. "Which way?" she asks.

JUSTIN: * Shane backs up to his peco, climbing into the saddle to get a better view over the crowd. Taking a moment to get his bearings by the direction of the sun, he eventually points down the road. "Well, it said in the northeastern quarter. Shouldn't be hard to find the house once we're in sight."

JENNA: "All right." Jo remounts, trotting around the crowd to a relatively unoccupied path, then sets off toward the northeast. "Wonder if there are any caravans out of Al De Baran this week ... there aren't very many, usually, but it is the middle of the season."

JUSTIN: * Shane smiles idly, continuing his habit of mapping the sights they pass along the way. "You never miss a beat, do you?" He slides her an amused look. "How do you concentrate with your mind always leaping ahead like that?"

JENNA: * Jo blinks, glancing at him. An embarrassed expression flits across her face. "Well.. it's something to think about, you know?" She shoots him a quick grin. "It's not like the job is going to take a whole lot of thought ... and you're the one who knows the address we're looking for."

JUSTIN: * Shane shrugs, having no particular defense thought out for that answer. "Can't argue with that logic." He turns his attention to the road ahead once more. He begins to whistle, but after a moment he stops short and glances at her. "You'll show me those fountains you were bragging about before we leave, right?"

JENNA: * Jo grins at him. "Sure. It's my opinion they're best by moonlight, though." She glances skyward, where the sun is streaming down. "So we'll have to wait 'til after the job." She glances back at him, smiling. "If they're still here, anyway."

JUSTIN: * Shane rubs at his jaw, arching a brow at her. "I certainly hope they are. This city doesn't have much else going for it." He grins antagonizingly, and nudges his peco into a slightly faster trot. "Come on, time to find that street."

JENNA: * Jo gives a soft "tch," hurrying after him. "It isn't my city ..." She doesn't say anything more, glancing around at the buildings as they go. She seemst o be searching for some sort of familiarity with the city she was born in, as if making sure what she says is true. After several minutes, she pulls her peco up alongside Shane, satisfied.

JUSTIN: "Here we are. First house on the corner." Shane points to a turn in the road up ahead. "I suppose you'll want to do the talking, being the one with the best credentials." He smiles, only half-teasing. "And you know your way around these sorts of transactions better than me, anyway."

JENNA: * Jo nods, taking the lead as she swings down from the peco, tying it loosely to a nearby post, and walks through the gate to rap on the door. It's several minutes before a servant answers, looking at her with some doubt until she produces the paper and explains they're here to take the job. Shortly afterward, the servant disappears, presumably to fetch his master. "Tch," Jo says after he's gone. "Even the serving class are up on their high horse in this town."

JUSTIN: * Shane ties his bird up beside hers, following slowly after her down the front walk. He's had enough dealings with nobles in Juno to know that it is rarely a happy experience -- yet another reason to let Jo do all the talking. He comes to a halt behind and to the side of her, sighing quietly. "They probably make more money as servants than most folk do in their careers." Like his career, he notes dismally.

JENNA: "No reason to be proud," Jo insists. "'Hey, I'm a slave to this high mucky-muck, and that makes me better than you.' Does that make sense?" She snorts, sticking her hands behind her head and shifting impatiently. "Hope he's out of bed, either way ..." She falls silent, hearing footsteps from inside, and forces her face back into an expression of polite neutrality.

JUSTIN: * Shane is about to make a reply as well, but ceases when the door abruptly opens. There's another servant -- a different one, older and with a no-nonsense look about him. "He will speak with you in the side foyer. Remove your shoes at the door, and do not /touch/ anything." He steps aside, allowing them room to step into the house.

JENNA: "My feet are dirty too," Jo remarks to Shane, after giving the servant a long, bland stare, though she does do as she's told, bending close with a grin. "Should I steal something?" she asks, expression mischievous. "I think it'd be fun." She straightens, not really intending to do so, though she is strongly tempted.

JUSTIN: * Shane gives her a somewhat sour look, crouching to untie his boots and slip them off. He straightens again with a tug at his coat to straighten it. "Now, now. Mind your manners around clients -- that /is/ what you tried to teach me, is it not?" The butler completely ignores them for the most part, maintaining the same dour, barely-neutral expression he had when he opened the door. "Follow me." He says when they look about done with the simple task he gave them, and turns down a side hall, marching along at a brisk clip.

JENNA: * Jo huffs a much put-upon sigh, lowering her arms as she follows. "Posh, isn't it?" She doesn't seem to think much of it, her tastes leaning more toward practicality. She glances at Shane, presuming he might have more information, given he lived in a city full of people like this. "So, what do you do in a house full of things you can't touch? Stare a lot?"

JUSTIN: * Shane turns her a half-amused, half-agitated look. "You don't stay long enough to worry about it, that's what." He smirks, tucking his arms around behind himself and trying to look formal, for their future employer's sake. "If he's anything like most of the nobles I know, he's only in his own house once a week at best. And if all goes well, we won't be here for long, either."

JENNA: * Jo opens her mouth to ask another question, faintly incredulous, but she falls silent as they approach the servant, who has finally stopped. He stops to murmur something to a middle-aged man who looks only half awake -- and much as though he was dressed in a hurry. Jo represses a highly amused grin, stepping forward. "We're here about that guard job -- two slots until your personal hires get here, right?" She produces the paper again.

JUSTIN: * The middle-aged man holds a hand over his eyes, apparently guarding them from the light until he's properly adjusted. He makes a sharp motion with his free hand, and the butler snaps the papers from Jo to hold out to the nobleman. He sighs dreadfully -- this is apparently a bother, even if he is the one who put out a notice for it, and he slips a pair of reading glasses onto the end of his nose. A moment later, he removes them and rubs at his eyes, turning to look at her with a dismissive expression. "I've already had two groups express interest in the job -- tell me why I should hire you, and perhaps I will. Make it quick, if you would."

JENNA: * Jo looks indignant for a moment, hands on her hips. "I'm battle-trained, and I've been working places tougher than this since I was little. We've guarded caravans and the families in them for the past year." She moves her arms to fold them, trying not to sound testy at having her abilities questioned. "If you want a demonstration of my abilities, I'm happy to provide."

JUSTIN: * The noble is completely unfazed by her indignance -- indeed, he hardly even looks at her, reviewing the paper in front of him again as it is easier on his tired eyes than a pair of commonfolk standing in the bright light. "I am sure you think very highly of your skills, girl. And if you would somehow expect me to know of them without asking, then you must think very highly of yourself, indeed." He points to Shane. "You -- what is your business?" Shane snaps to attention, a little disappointed that things aren't going quite as planned. "Sir, I have been a guard in Juno City for the past decade, and Captain of the Gate Guard for the last four years." Without missing a beat, the man turns him a weary look and asks the obvious. "Then what are you doing here, if you're a Juno guard?" Shane is quiet for a moment, drawing a blank about how to answer this without making himself look bad. "...the pay was horrible, sir." Well. It's true.

JENNA: * Jo, pretending uninterest in the noble's words, is instead engaging in a bland staring contest with his servant. At Shane's response, she forces amusement from her face, shifting her gaze back to the noble, who turns, apparently to discuss the matter with his servant. She folds her hands behind her back, remembering strongly why she didn't come here much -- and why Fray did the talking before.

JUSTIN: * Shane tries to control his breathing, feeling out of breath after the scrutiny, but not about to start gasping in the middle of an interview. It's not long before the man turns back to them with a satisfactory nod -- though his face is still clearly unpleasant -- and he clears his throat. "Mister Hofferson, if you will." The butler produces a piece of paper from a nearby end table, and moves to hand it to Jo. The butler picks up where his master leaves off. "Here is the contract, I suggest you read it over. From the moment you sign until the date and time marked, you will be considered on the clock -- leaving the premises for any reason /during/ that time will be considered breach of contract, and you will be fined. If you have any business, I suggest you take care of it before signing. If you do not sign, and do not return to do so within one hour, you forfeit the job. Understood?"

JENNA: * Jo takes the paper and pretends to look it over, handing it to Shane, as she obviously can't read a word. She then sets her hands on her hips. "If you'll give us a moment, we'd like to look the contract over and discuss it," she says crisply.

JUSTIN: * The nobleman waves a hand dismissively. "Read all you want -- I'm going to bed, and I don't want to be disturbed." He rises from his chair slowly, heaving a sigh as he makes for the far hall with tortoise-like speed. Shane turns around, edging up close to Jo and pretending to discuss the contract with her. "Jo, how are you going to sign this? Do you even use a last name? Please tell me someone's at least taught you how to write your own name..."

JENNA: * Jo gives her head a very slight shake. "You'll just have to write it.. it doesn't matter.. we probably won't be coming back here." She glances at him quickly, giving the paper a shake. "Does it say anything we need to be worried about?"

JUSTIN: "No, no." Shane sighs, rubbing his face briefly before shrugging his shoulders. "No, it's all very basic. It says that further details about the vault will only be disclosed once the contract has been signed, for security." He looks at her. "So yes or no?"

JENNA: * She echos his sigh, reaching up to scratch her head, considering their options. It doesn't seem ideal, but ... "Might as well ... the others probably won't be any better than him." She lowers her voice with another brief exhalation. "Sure I can't steal something?"

JUSTIN: "Yes I'm sure!" Shane almost hisses, giving her an exasperrated look. He glances over his shoulder at the very bored Mr. Hofferson -- who doesn't seem the least bit concerned about their strange exchanges -- and then back to Jo again. "Okay, I'll distract him while you pretend to write your signature, and then you distract him while I write both. Okay?" Before she can answer, he turns to the old servant and clears his throat. "We're ready to sign -- might you have a pen for us?" The butler reaches into the same end table and produces a quill and ink well, which Shane takes and hands over to Jo.

JENNA: * Jo takes the offered tools and turns away to another surface, angling so that the servant hopefully can't see her pretend to dip the quill in the ink and then pretend to write. She feels more than a little foolish, but with the job at stake she does her best not to make faces.

JUSTIN: * Shane manages to put himself more or less between his companion and the strange, old man, without looking like it was completely on purpose. "There is one question, about room and board during our stay--" The man clears his throat in a way that makes Shane immediately stop and listen, looking foolish -- even though he isn't sure why. "When the contract has been signed, you will be given all the details." The man nods his head robotically toward Jo. "I believe she is waiting on you, now. Sir."

JENNA: * Jo grins at Shane, waving for him to take his turn, and slips away when she feels her non-signature is safely hidden. Instead of speaking to the servant directly, she instead wanders to a near wall, peering at a vase being held there. She has no idea how valuable it is, but it must be worth something or the noble wouldn't be displaying it so prominently. Affecting curiosity, she leans closer to it, reaching a hand out to stroke the pattern.

JUSTIN: * Shane quickly scoops up the pen and begins work on his own signature, that being the easy part. Mister Hofferson, given the choice between monitoring a signature or monitoring his master's vase -- worth more than Jo and Shane's entire livelihood, no doubt -- turns toward the woman rigidly. Without even raising his voice, it somehow still seems louder and clearer as he speaks. "Do not /touch/ anything, madam, or you will forfeit your contract." Shane freezes for a moment at the voice, feeling a peculiar icy sensation run down his spine, then hurriedly scribbles out Jo's name.

JENNA: * Jo rolls her eyes heavenward, resisting the impulse to poke the damn thing anyway, and she ambles back over to Shane, otherwise ignoring the servant. "If this doesn't include food and a place to sleep, this city's the cheapest place I've ever worked," she remarks drily, though she does keep her voice low enough the servant won't hear her.

JUSTIN: * Shane lets out a long sigh, his eyes closing for a moment as he settles himself, and then he stabs the quill back into the inkwell. "Do I need to specify in the future that when I want a distraction, I don't want you to risk the job?" He gives her a pained look. "I'm trying hard to look professional, here, Jo -- help me out, would you?"

JENNA: * Jo just grins at him. "There are plenty of other fish in the market," she points out, then glances as the paper. "Finished?" She glances back toward the servant, folding her arms. For some reason, the place brings out all her worst impulses.

JUSTIN: * Shane slides the contract toward her, looking far less amused by her antics than she is. Especially since he shares her sentiment about these upperclass leeches -- he's just controlling his urges better. "I am." He says with a very dry throat. "And I certainly hope you never lecture me about /my/ conduct around clients again, if this is how things are going to go." He doesn't sound mad, at least. Just suddenly weary.

JENNA: * She doesn't respond immediately, turning back to the servant and handing him the contract. She then steps back, folding her arms. "I hope you can manage stabling for our pecos," she remarks suddenly, remembering how they left them by the gate. She cocks her head, waiting for the other details that they were told were forthcoming.

JUSTIN: * Hofferson looks down at the signatures briefly, then folds the contract and replaces it in the small drawer of the table. "Your mounts were already removed from our property by now. I will see to it they are retrieved and placed in the stables." He begins walking down the hallway. "If you will follow me, I will show you to the vault." He doesn't appear ready to stop and wait for them, so Shane gives Jo a slight tug and motions for her to go ahead of him. For some reason, he's just more comfortable that way. "Come on, best not to get lost in a place like this."

JENNA: * Jo leads without question, arms folded to restrain a fresh wave of annoyance at the state of their mounts. What the hell else were they supposed to do with them? She remains silent as they're led through the house and to the vault, clearly a recent construction. She isn't terribly impressed by it, looking it over professionally -- though with an eye for the best way to crack it open.

JUSTIN: * Shane can't have a personal opinion on the construction, never having seen a vault of this sort before. He simply stands behind Jo, watching curiously as the butler stops to go over a list of protocol for them to follow -- mostly unnecessary, as it is generally procedure for extended duties. "Cots will be brought for you to sleep on. Food will be provided for you to eat in the vault room at each meal, and if you are in need of a bathroom, one of the servants will escort you -- one at a time."

JENNA: * Jo arches an eyebrow, hoping the regular guards won't have to submit to those kinds of living conditions, but she nods. "I take it you'll be informing us when our shift's up?" she says mildly, leaning against the wall. She glances back up the hallway, noting with mild relief there aren't any nearby entrances -- just the hall they've come from.

JUSTIN: * The butler nods slowly, stepping past them and moving toward the hallway. "If you have any... needs, inquire with one of the servants." With that, he disappears around the corner and is gone. Shane shifts a bit on his feet, looking around. "I guess it's just up to us now. Guard however we see fit." He peers over at Jo. "...how do we see fit?"

JENNA: * Jo glances at him with a wry grin. "Tempted as we are to break the vault ourselves and leave, we take up position on either side of the door and sit. Until someone brings the cots, then we sit on those." She shrugs, then smiles. "It's not bad, as setups go. Only one entrance, unless someone decides to punch through the wall ... so we have a good chance of seeing someone coming before they get here."

JUSTIN: * Shane smiles brightly, much of his worries leaving with the butler. "Sounds a lot like my last job, on most days." He clears his throat, giving her a stern look. "With obvious exceptions." He smiles again, moving toward one side of the vault and flopping onto the floor. "What do you think they'd say if they saw us playing a game of cards?"

JENNA: "They'd probably fire us," Jo replies, sliding to the floor on the other side. "Dunno how paranoid the old fart is, though." She makes a dismissive noise in the direction the butler retreated. "I guess we can take turns keeping an eye out, though. She grins at him.

JUSTIN: * Shane taps at his temple, giving her a wink. "That we can do." He stretches and slips his pack down from his shoulders, then reclines against the wall. "With so much expensive stuff hanging around, you wonder why anyone would bother with the vault anyway."

JENNA: * Jo nods, pulling her pack off and sifting through it. "I wouldn't think he'd put anything in it before he had hired guards anyway ... why trust complete strangers?" She gives a faint chirp, locating her cards, then opens up the deck and shuffles. "Unless he really needed the space." She arches a brow and shakes her head. "Rich people are crazy."

JUSTIN: * Shane chuckles quietly, scratching at his chin and scooting a little closer, keeping watch on the hallway. "I've never been one, and I certainly don't intend to end up as one." He whistles quietly, removing his hat and spinning it idly between his hands.

JENNA: * Jo scoots the deck over to him with a faint snort. "No worries. In this line of work, we'll always be living day to day. Your deal." She toys with the hilt of one of her daggers, smiling idly. "But you can't say we've gone hungry lately."

JUSTIN: * Shane cuts the deck and reshuffles absently, then begins dealing out the cards with a growing grin. "Speaking of hunger. You never did give me a verdict on my cooking." He taps the deck straight again and sets it on the floor between them, scooping up his hand to organize. "Though I'm sure if it was /terrible/, you'd have been quick to inform me."

JENNA: * She scoops up her cards, shielding a sudden redness in her cheeks as she organizes them. "Hmm..." she says, stalling as she sorts them, then she darts him an impish grin. "Passable!" she declares, laying down a card. "It didn't make me sicker, did it?"

JUSTIN: * Shane scoffs, giving her a most indignant look. "/Passable/? Well, you haven't seen anything." He sets a card on top of hers, giving it a twist. "And sicker, honestly -- I dare say it probably /helped/ your recovery." He turns her a smirk.

JENNA: "If you say so ..." She flicks another card down next to the first, laying it crossways. "And here I thought it was the doctor's /charming/ bedside manner." She pauses. "The old grouch." She looks up with an amused smile. "I guess I'll just have to try it again sometime when I'm not sick."

JUSTIN: "Oh, I'll hold you to that promise, make no mistake." Shane surveys his options for a moment, eventually pulling a card from his hand and setting it beside her newest one. "I have very few talents -- I have to exercise them at every opportunity." He grins lazily, turning a quick glance at the hall again, then back to her. "I'm afraid my cooking talent will atrophy if it doesn't get some use."

JENNA: "Sorry we can't carry a kitchen around ..." Jo lays down another card and scoops up the first two, putting them back in her hand. "That would be an invention worth inventing, wouldn't it?" She grins at him, then glances over the lay of the cards. "To you, anyway."

JUSTIN: "I assure you, you would benefit from it, as well." Shane smiles fitfully, drawing a card from the deck and sliding it into his hand with a quiet sigh. "Somehow, I doubt it's on anyone's priority list, though. And I'm certainly no inventor--" He cuts himself almost short, slapping a card down with a vicious grin. "Ha!"

JENNA: "I'm better at taking apart than putting together." Jo scowls down at the cards, finally choosing one to offset the damage she's incurred. "I guess even you have to get lucky sometimes." She glances up again, grin returning. "Let's see if it holds out."

JUSTIN: * Shane tuts her, reorganizing his hand and smiling slyly. "Oh, I think your time is about up, Jo." He sets down another card -- not quite as impressive as the first, but it beats her last play. "Honestly, I think it's well past my turn, don't you?"