JENNA: * Jo makes her task helping the man down from the wagon and walking him over to sit by the future fire, then setting off to tend to the pecos. With that done, she sits down and takes a long drink from her canteen and settling back with a sigh. "I guess it's not so bad to take a job slow once in a while." Garibaldi peers at her with a faint sniff, drinking from a stone cup -- in the meantime, he appears to have made himself some tea.

JUSTIN: * Shane makes his way around the campsite briefly, picking up anything that might be useful in a fire. He returns shortly, plopping himself down in the dirt and arranging the makeshift firewood while he hums to himself. He more or less minds his own business as he works, only looking up at the others a few times until he's gotten the fire going.

JENNA: * Jo and the old man are engaging in a casual conversation -- largely about what constitutes "early" and deciding when to get started in the morning, when the old man gives a sudden twinge, nearly dropping his tea. "My.. my. Haven't had one that bad in some time." Jo tilts her head curiously, and he proceeds to explain. "My back, you see -- gets stiff very easily. One of my regular guards always gave excellent shoulder rubs, worked the kinks right out." Jo nods understandingly, and he hesitates, scratching the back of his head. "Miss, I don't suppose you'd give it a try? -- or sir, either one," he adds, looking at Shane. Before her companion can reply, however, Jo shrugs and gets to her feet. "No problem."

JUSTIN: * Shane is pretty well ignoring the babbling until the last part, when he looks up with a look of clear disapproval. This look turns twice as harsh, and five times as surprised, at the sound of Jo's quick reply. "Now wait just a minute, here." He gets up on his knees, standing straight and setting his hands on his hips in a lecturing manner. "This is an escort, not a spa service. Jo, you don't have to do that, it's not part of the job! Honestly, trying to take advantage of a pretty face--"

JENNA: * Jo gives him a puzzled look, and the old man looks up in surprise, a hint of injury in his tone when he speaks. "Oh.. well, if that's what it is -- I'll give you an extra five hundred for the service -- it really is quite painful." Jo shrugs, already kneeling behind him and beginning her ministrations. "If the magic academy can afford it, I don't mind." She arches an eyebrow at Shane.

JUSTIN: * Shane sits back hard on his butt, crossing his arms over his chest and looking away as if disgusted by what he sees. "Oh, fine -- go ahead. And you can keep the money, too, if it suits you. I can't even believe how easy that was." He sniffs, getting to his feet and making for his pack, which is hanging from his peco's saddle. "I'm plenty sore, and you don't see me putting on a show about it..." He mutters under his breath, probably not intending for anyone to hear it.

JENNA: * Garibaldi seems distressed by the reaction, protesting that he insists on the extra pay, but Jo merely gives Shane a level stare as she works at the kinks in the old man's muscles. "I can give you one too, if you want it," she says drily, glancing back to work at a particularly hard knot. "No skin off my nose."

JUSTIN: * Shane stops halfway to his destination, turning to give Jo and her client an indignant glare. "I want /nothing/ of the sort. That would be plain improper. If I need or want a massage that badly, there are folks who do it for a living." With that, he turns to finish his trip, snatching his pack and sitting down on the grass beside the wagon to fish out his jerky.

JENNA: "Improper?" Jo mouths, unable to give voice to the word, then she murmurs a quiet apology to Garibaldi, mystified as to the origins of Shane's reaction. "Feeling better?" she asks the wizard after several more minutes, and he gives a long, comfortable sigh. "Yes, thank you, miss. You're quite skilled yourself." Jo smiles briefly, getting to her feet and dusting her knees off. "No problem. Taking care of your own dinner?" Garibaldi nods, retreating shortly to his wagon. Jo, in the meantime, goes fishing for jerky.

JUSTIN: * Shane keeps to himself as he eats, pretending (with mixed success) that nobody else is around, and that he's perfectly happy with that fact. However, keeping up his scorned appearance takes more effort than he can manage, and he slowly dulls down to his usual, bored expression, picking at his jerky disinterestedly.

JENNA: "I can go catch some rabbits if you want a break from the jerky," Jo remarks, seated only a few feet away. "I'm getting a little tired of it, myself, and the old man's gone to bed." She glances at him, curious to see what kind of reaction she'll get. He's apparently angry at her again, and she isn't entirely sure what to do about it.

JUSTIN: * Shane peers down at his jerky, then tosses it into his pack, shrugging. "If you're feeling up to it." He manages, looking rather harried. "We've had our fair share of rabbits, too."

JENNA: "Well, it's rabbits, fish, or lizards, at this point. Don't quite feel up to birds." She smiles briefly, getting to her feet. "I could stew them, if you want to get some herbs." She tilts her head, watching him consideringly.

JUSTIN: * Shane sits for a moment longer, apparently testing his resolve, but he soon stands -- either in victory or defeat, but he isn't about to tell. "Sure." He rubs at his arm, taking his hat off and stowing it with his pack. He gives her an indiscernable look, then sets off to accomplish his mission.

JENNA: * Jo watches him go for a moment, then shrugs, deciding whatever mood he's in it really can't be her fault this time. She sets off into the brush, another direction, and before long all her concentration is on the hunt, Shane's mood forgotten.

JUSTIN: * The quiet search for herbs and roots gives Shane's mind a chance to cool down further, and before long he isn't even thinking about the unnerving display he was witness to not so long ago. Before too long, he is wandering back toward the campsite, arms laden with the fruit of his labor.

JENNA: * Jo returns some time later with a brace of rabbits, which she drops by the fire before turning to her saddlebags for cooking gear. A reasonably-sized pot, bought on one of their trips through some city or other, eventually comes to hang above the fire, stocked with water and slowly simmering while Jo cleans the rabbits.

JUSTIN: * Shane busies himself with stripping the roots and crushing the herbs, sprinkling them into the water to get a broth forming for the stew. This doesn't take him long, however, so when he's done, he reaches over to grab one of Jo's knives and helps clean the remaining rabbits. "We'd just now be stopping for the night, in most cases, wouldn't we?"

JENNA: * Jo nods, grinning as she start chunking the meat into the pot. "It must be a real trial, growing old." She glances at the wagon, shaking her head. "Wonder how many trips to Juno he's got left in him, really." She stirs the pot, waiting agreeably for Shane to finish and add the rest of the meat.

JUSTIN: * Shane does so, wordless for the time being. Once all the meat is accounted for, he sifts around for a ladel and gives it a quick stir to mix around the herbs and roots, then lets it to cook for a bit. "Who knows how old he really is, hm? They say that those who use magic a lot, sap the energy from their very bodies, aging before their time." He plucks a stray herb leaf from his coat, and flicks it into the pot. "Just a rumor, of course."

JENNA: * Jo arches a brow. "I doubt that." She settles back, surrendering the cooking to him, as he was going to take it over anyway. "But if it's true, that's just another reason not to learn it, right?" She yawns, then stretches a little, grinning.

JUSTIN: * Shane smirks a bit, giving the stew another lazy stir and looking her over out of the corner of his eye. "You learn it so you can be prepared for it, never said I would use it." He shrugs lightly, sighing quietly. "Besides, I've never much understood it. That's why I want access to more books. But I wouldn't want to bore you talking about all that." He stares into the pot, checking the color of the broth and deciding if he should fetch some more herbs quickly or leave it.

JENNA: * Jo rolls her eyes at him, getting to her feet to fetch some bowls to put the stew in when it's done. "Trip's probably going to take a while, if he stops like this every day. We should be all right, though." There's a minor note of concern in her voice, but they still have emergency rations.

JUSTIN: * Shane stirs the stew again, turning to watch her with a somewhat absent look in his eyes -- like he's trying to think about two things at once. "We could try to push a little harder. We weren't exactly keeping excellent pace, regardless of when we stopped."

JENNA: * Jo nods. "Probably won't hurt him too much, anyway. Pecos are younger than him, and they look like they could stand to work a little harder." She watches the pot hungrily for a moment, then looks off into the brush. "Well, let's give it a shot, anyway. Not that I'm itching to get back to Juno."

JUSTIN: "Oh? And why not?" Shane gives her a suspicious look, letting the pot simmer. "The only person you'd have to worry about is me, and I'm obviously no longer a threat." He smiles a bit, standing to his feet and moving to fetch his canteen.

JENNA: "I don't like throwing up," Jo mutters peevishly, leaning back far enough that she ends up lying in the grass. "And we'll have to use the teleporter to get in this time." She gazes at the sky, now a ceiling of stars, and gives a faint sigh. "I guess I can take it."

JUSTIN: * Shane sighs quietly, ambling back to the fireside and sitting on the grass beside her. "I could talk him into letting me take you by the stairway. It isn't as though a bandit is going to get him in the middle of the market plaza." He leans over to stare down at her face.

JENNA: * Jo shakes her head. "Teleporter's fine. If I take the stairs I have to cross the bridge." She looks up at him for a moment, then her gaze drifts away. She puts her hands behind her head, deciding to change the subject. "I didn't get the impression he needed transport back.. any idea why that'd be?"

JUSTIN: * Shane shrugs his shoulders, turning his eyes back to the pot instead. "No." He leans forward, dipping the ladel into the stew and lifting it again to take a careful sip of the piping hot broth. "Maybe he intends to stay for a while."

JENNA: "Maybe so." After a moment, Jo sits up again, watching the stew simmer once more. "Figures we end up on a caravan job again," she says, laughing. "Ah well.. better to stick with what we know." She leans back on her hands, sighing.

JUSTIN: * Shane smiles almost shyly, snagging the bowls to start ladeling out portions of stew. "A lot less surprises, in any case." He hands Jo her portion, sticking a spoon in it along the way. "A lot less action, most times."

JENNA: * Jo takes the stew and proceeds to partake of it, falling silent for a while as she satisfies her hunger. "Had enough action to last me a while," she says, finally lowering the bowl and smiling wanly before she starts to eat again. The bowl is empty before long, and she leans forward to ladle herself some more.

JUSTIN: * Shane decides on a second helping for himself, as well, mostly so it won't go to waste. He feels quite full by the time he's finished, and the pot is nearly empty. "Best call it a night, I suppose. I'll take first watch, if you'd like." He sets about cleaning up the cooking gear, taking her empty bowl from her.

JENNA: "If you want to." Jo is more than happy to catch a nap, letting him take the cooking gear to do with as he pleases and ambling over to her pack to settle down for a few hours of sleep. As she tugs the cloak over her, she opens one eye to glare at him. "You'd better wake me up this time," she says threateningly, then settles down to drift into a doze.

JUSTIN: * Shane only responds with a guilty smile, bringing all the dirty dinnerware over to the wagon, where he sits down with a cloth and a bit of water from his canteen, and attempts to get them at clean as he can. His watch goes by uneventfully, and it wakes Jo up -- according to her wishes -- before finding a quiet spot by the fire to relax, himself.

JENNA: * The second half of the night is no more eventful than the first, and Jo gives Shane a slight shake as dawn breaks, ambling over to disperse the remains of the fire. She glances once or twice toward the wagon, which shows no sign of movement from within and frowns slightly. "Well.. hope he doesn't like to sleep in, too ..."

JUSTIN: * Shane rouses from his sleep with little prompting, sitting upright with a little effort and heaving a yawn. He moves a hand to cover his mouth when the yawn drags on a little more than he intends, and then he turns his bleary eyes to Jo. "Mm... want me to go wake him up?"

JENNA: * She pauses, considering, then shrugs. "Go and ask him if he's ready to move on.. we're not in any hurry if he's not." She smiles briefly. "Besides, if he keeps hours like this, that means more time to ourselves, right? Maybe we can catch a bath before Juno."

JUSTIN: * Shane flashes a half-awake smile, getting to his feet groggily and stumbling for a bit before he finds his stride. "A soak, at any rate." He ambles to the wagon, knocking lightly on the side before climbing up to peer in over the driver's seat. "You awake in there, mister?"

JENNA: * Jo continues to break camp, and from inside the wagon issues a groggy murmur. Shortly, Garibaldi can be heard shuffling to the entrance. "Ah.. what time is it..?" He pokes his head outside, peering around at the barely lightening sky. "Oh.. it's early.. is it time to go already?" Jo straightens, looking over at him, and shrugs.

JUSTIN: "Well, that's entirely up to you, sir." Shane crosses his arms, leaning lightly against the wagon. "We can be ready to leave whenever you are, be it now or later." He moves a hand to mess with his already bed-ruffled hair. "It's your route, so you can feel free to take it however you see fit."

JENNA: * The old man watches the sky for a few more minutes, then nods slowly. "I'll take another hour.. if it's quite all right. For some reason I'm very tired." He retreats into the wagon, and Jo frowns slightly, waving for Shane to join her as she seats herself nearer the pecos.

JUSTIN: * Shane eyes Jo quickly, then turns the man another nod, shrugging his shoulders. "As you wish." He then wanders back toward Jo, covering another small yawn, and flops into the grass beside her with a sigh. Once settled, he turns her an expectant look, leaning back on his hands.

JENNA: "I wonder how many of these trips he has left in him, if one easy day wears him out." Jo watches the wagon, frowning, then turns to Shane. "I guess as long as he doesn't die on our watch ... but still." She shakes her head, then grins drily. "What do you want to eat? I guess we have an hour to kill."

JUSTIN: * Shane rubs at his jaw, staring out at the horizon, which is barely lighter than night at this point. "I guess that depends on whether or not you want to go looking for more rabbits." He turns her a sideways look, head tilting. "Rather early to be slaughtering the wildlife, don't you think?"

JENNA: "Well, if you're feeling generous toward nature today we can eat jerky. And I got some bread and cheese that we better finish with before it goes bad." She gets to her feet and saunters to her packs, lazily sorting through the food she mentioned. "Should have stoked the fire, I guess. Then at least we could eat something warm."

JUSTIN: "Ah, we'll be fine." Shane gets to his feet to go assist her, out of habit. "I suppose we could still toast the bread in the embers, if you don't mind a little ash in your diet." He rubs at an eye, snagging their canteens while he's in the viscinity.

JENNA: "Not necessary," Jo replies with a faint snort, nevertheless ambling nearer the embers and tugging out her knife to slice the cheese. "Besides, we should eat quick and be ready to go when he is. I'll hitch up the wagon after we're done." She pauses to tear a portion of the bread and offer it to Shane.

JUSTIN: * Shane follows after her, canteens in hand, and grins lazily. "You do a lot of things slow, certainly, but do you really expect to spend more than ten minutes eating?" He takes the offered bread, trading her a canteen in the exchange.

JENNA: * Jo scowls at him, taking the canteen. "I only eat that fast when I'm hungry." She does, however, rip off a chunk of bread for herself and start eating, setting the rest nearby on a cloth and moving to cut herself a slice of cheese. "Catching food and then cooking it and then eating it -- that would take a while."

JUSTIN: * Shane takes a seat near her, munching on his bread contentedly. "Which we aren't doing, mind you." He lowers his bread, leaning back and staring at the still-dark sky. "But, I will endeavour to keep pace with you, so that you won't be left behind." He smiles happily, taking another small bite of his bread.

JENNA: * Jo considers chucking a piece of bread at him, then decides it would be a waste of food and pops it into her mouth instead. After a moment, she slices off a piece of soft cheese, offering it to Shane. "Not bad, though it probably wasn't worth the price." She takes another piece for herself, folding it with some bread and jerky and taking a bite of the lot.

JUSTIN: * Shane snatches the cheese and drapes it over his bread, wishing he had something more suitable than jerky to add to the mix. "Perhaps, someday, we'll learn how to make our own -- and then we won't need to pay for it. I can make a decent loaf of bread, given the right time and tools." He takes a bite of his cheese and bread combo, chewing at it thoughtfully. "Imagine. Completely home-made sandwiches, everything from scratch. Nothing like hard work to make a meal worth savoring."

JENNA: * Jo gives him an extremely doubtful look, chewing slowly on what she's just put in her mouth. "I'll stick to the market," she says after she's swallowed, taking another bite and watching the sky slowly lighten. "I'm happy doin' the work I do now."

JUSTIN: "Well, no free bread and cheese for you, then." Shane sniffs quietly, curling his legs under him and sitting up straight. "Someday you'll be forced to settle down, and then you will remember my cheese. But by then, Jocasta, it will be too late." He then turns his attention to his meal, continuing to eat quietly.

JENNA: * Jo grins at him and shakes her head, finishing her meal quickly -- in spite of her earlier protestations -- then rising to put the rest away in her packs. Following that, she makes her way over to the wagon and starts hitching it up. The pecos offer little protest, apparently still groggy.

JUSTIN: * Shane is finished with his meal at roughly the same moment, and he gets to his feet with a stretch, intending to get himself fully awake. He kicks a little more dirt over the embers of the fire, and then makes his way to their own pecos, getting them a brief snack to help rouse them for the trip.

JENNA: * Garibaldi emerges from the wagon perhaps forty-five minutes later, apparently having taken his breakfast before announcing himself to their small world. Seeing the pecos ready to go, he takes his place without comment, and Jo trots over to her bird to swing aboard, similarly quiet. "Ready to go?" she asks the man, after he's taken hold of the reins. "Indeed, as I ever will be," he says cheerily.

JUSTIN: * Shane mounts up quietly, marching his peco around a bit to get its legs working properly. "I guess we should get going, then. More we move, the more we can rest in between." He scratches his head, thinking that makes sense, and then slaps his hat on.

JENNA: * Jo chuckles, but she doesn't give any more reply than that, nudging her peco back into a trot and making for the road. The rest of the journey proceeds in the same, unhurried fashion, early nights and late mornings slowing their usual pace quite a bit. Garibaldi's apparent frailness makes it difficult to see why he's still chosen for these long journeys, and he begs a backrub from Jo almost every other night, promising extra pay for the service, as usual. Though she finds the pace relaxing, Jo is eager as she urges her peco toward the teleporter into Juno, in spite of the stomach upset that's sure to follow.

JUSTIN: * Shane continues to have his rollercoaster ride throughout, going back and forth between grumpy and cordial from day to day and hour to hour. By the time they reach Juno, he is simply worn out, sore, and eager for a full day of quiet sleep. As they trot closer to the telepad, he drops his peco back to circle the wagon, making sure everything is in place and ready, then rides up alongside Jo. "You sure you'll be okay?"

JENNA: "I'll throw up," Jo replies pleasantly, glancing at him. "But I haven't had much to eat today, so it shouldn't be so bad." The late afternoon sun gleams against the worn stone of the telepad, and she grimaces. "I'll be fine." She does, however, dismount as the wagon pulls to a halt.

JUSTIN: * Shane dismounts, as well, eyeing the wagon for a second, before sneaking around Jo. He leans in to talk to her, as if sharing some sort of secret information. "Lay down, Jo. On the teleporter." He looks side to side, then back at her. "When you're ready to go. It helps ease the feeling of vertigo." He rubs at his arm, taking their pecos and moving them out of the way of the wagon, so it can roll onto the pad.

JENNA: * Jo looks alarmed. "Lie down?!" She manages to crush a very loud yelp into a startled hiss. "But.." She looks at him doubtfully, but saying she'd feel like a complete ass doing so is likely to sound ungrateful. "I.. isn't sitting good enough?" she asks, looking pained.

JUSTIN: * Shane gives her a level stare, almost taking on a lecturing look. "Jo, if you sit up, your insides are still verticle." He rubs at his arm again, looking mildly embarrassed when he thinks about it. "I'm not really sure how it works, I just know it does. I used to do it as a child."

JENNA: * Jo looks incredibly depressed for a moment, walking up by the wagon and sitting down on the warm stone before giving Shane a last, wary glance. "You're sure this is gonna work?" She looks up at her peco, which is staring down at her with a great deal of interest.

JUSTIN: * Shane holds the reigns to the pecos loosely, kneeling down next to Jo so that she'll at least have some sort of cover from any watching eyes -- and perhaps an excuse about falling over if she is seen. "If it doesn't work, then you can punch me anywhere you want. Okay?"

JENNA: * Jo leans back slightly, then sits up again to wag a finger at him, glaring. "I'll hold you to that," she mutters, then leans back again, closing her eyes in an effort to keep from feeling like a complete fool. Above her, the peco gives a squawk, and the stone beneath her begins to hum. She quashes a slightly plaintive whining noise.

JUSTIN: * Shane watches as the world around him fades from grass and mossy rock, to the well-kept stone and buildings of Juno City. He sighs quietly, smiling as the familiar tingle dances around his body before leaving out the top of his head. Then he turns down to Jo, expectantly, moving to help her up. "Are you all right? Did it help?"

JENNA: * Jo sits up slowly, the familiar wave of dizziness washing over her as she lets Shane help her to her feet. "I .. don't think it's as bad ..." she says slowly, then a belated wash of nausea sends her stumbling for somewhere safe to vomit. Once she's there, however, the sensation manages to pass without her insides upheaving violently. Once she's sure she's all right, she glances back over her shoulder wearily. "Well.. didn't throw up, anyway.."

JUSTIN: * Shane bites at his lip, looking slightly guilty at her less than pleasant reaction to the teleporter. "Perhaps I should have let you lie for a little while longer..." He looks quickly about, then, to see if anyone noticed their odd arrival. One worker over by another wagon is certainly staring, but he looks away quickly when he comes under Shane's attention.

JENNA: * Jo shakes her head. "Doesn't matter. Should probably just get used to it." She wanders queasily back over to her peco, mounting up slowly to walk toward Garibaldi, who has craned his head around to see what's delaying them. She smiles at him weakly, and he nods, clucking to his pecos.

JUSTIN: * Shane rubs the back of his head, feeling no less at fault (despite doing everything he could have done). At least he didn't get punched. He returns to his peco's side, tugging it along after her and mounting up mid-trot, and grimacing slightly at a sudden pain in his back.

JENNA: * It doesn't take long to drop Garibaldi off at the sages' college and collect their pay -- he insists on giving them the extra. He seems to have found renewed energy as he trots onto the campus, as if being away from the scholarly arena saps his strength. Jo shrugs, pocketing her share of the money, then turns her peco away. "Well," she says. "Know of a good inn?"

JUSTIN: * Shane sighs quietly, leaning back in his saddle and thinking for a moment. "Well, I suppose with all that extra money, we could afford some decent comfort." He scratches the side of his nose and turns his peco, motioning for her to follow him. "It's in the same district as the academy, so we don't have far to go."

JENNA: * Jo nods, pushing her peco after him and trotting up beside. "You been there before? .. well, I guess not if you had your own place." She shrugs slightly, looking around at the buildings and avoiding letting her vision slip to the borders of the floating city, with nothing but sky beyond.

JUSTIN: * Shane smiles, giving her a slightly amused look. "Exactly. But I know everything in the city. Wouldn't have been a good guard, if I didn't." He carefully dodges around a train of mages headed for the guild, tipping his hat politely. The inn comes up shortly, jutting out prominently at the corner of two connecting streets. "Here we are, then. Stable's around back."

JENNA: * Jo tilts her head. "Guess we should put the birds away, then." She peers at the building with interest as she trots around. "Room with a bath, right? Seems like a place this nice would have plenty." She pauses, wondering idly where they get their water from, then shrugs it off and keeps going.

JUSTIN: * Shane nods shortly, smiling again as he leads the way to the back stables. He slides out of the saddle as he crosses through the open gate, walking over to speak with the stablehand. A couple of quick nods and a small handful of zenny later, he turns to watch Jo. "Plenty of baths, yes. And if my memory serves me, also plenty of rooms with two beds."

JENNA: * Jo doesn't take long stabling the birds and stripping them of their gear. "Well, that's good. Be sad if they were limited, all things considered." She ambles over to hand him his share of the weight, then starts inside. "But I guess I can't really complain, long as I get to wash." She grins over her shoulder. "Better hurry. I'm payin' if I get there first."

JUSTIN: * Shane tuts her, hurrying to catch up with her (only to lose his lead when he stops to hold the door for her), and arrives at the counter more or less side by side. He takes the initiative, speaking up to the woman on duty. "We'd like a single room, if you would. Bath a must, preferably two beds..."

JENNA: * The woman, looking harried, turns to her registry with a fleeting smile. "Oh.. well, I'll see what I can do, sir. A lot of people just came in for the season -- new recruits for the academy, you know, and some seeing their children graduate, so ..." Her expression becomes increasingly worried as she goes down the list. "Oh.. I don't think we have any with two beds -- just a king size on the fourth floor." She looks up, glancing between the two apologetically. "I'm so sorry, we weren't expecting to be this packed."

JUSTIN: * Shane looks mildly irked, wondering how in the world he managed to forget what time of the year it was. "Oh... well, I..." He turns to Jo, as if the sight of her would be some sort of comfort. Really, it probably only makes things worse. "I suppose we'll have to make do." He starts to fish out his money pouch, glancing at Jo yet again -- this time to make sure she isn't doing the same. "How much for the night?"

JENNA: * Jo looks similarly annoyed, folding her arms and watching the woman with silent irritability, but the clerk is unmoved, marking the room off and reaching for a key. "It's two hundred for three nights, if that's how long you're staying." She looks up, key in hand. "Will that be all right?"

JUSTIN: "That's fine." Shane says simply, exchanging the money for the key, which he places in Jo's hand -- perhaps as compensation for not paying. "Thank you." He half-bows, tipping his hat, and turns to lead the way to the stairs, the weariness from their travel beginning to show on his face more clearly.

JENNA: * Jo shakes her head wearily, following him for a moment before trotting up alongside. "Guess we can't complain too much. It's still a bath and a bed, right?" She doesn't seem terribly certain of this, however, smile somewhat strained.

JUSTIN: "We've braved it before, I'm sure we can brave it again..." Shane doesn't seem anymore convinced of this than she does, but he'll be damned if he lets this bed problem ruin his chance at a decent break. They finish the first flight of stairs, and immediately move on to the next, and the next, and so on until they reach their floor. Their room, conveniently enough, is just around the bend. "Though I'm sure you intended to do so anyway, I was going to ask if you would take a bath first. I think I need to lie down for a bit, my back is killing me..."

JENNA: * Jo glances at him with a shrug, unlocking the room and pushing inside. "Happy to. I'll try not to use all the hot water." She grins at him, slinging her pack in a corner, then trotting after it on second thought for a set of cleaner clothes. "Might as well wash 'em when I've got the chance," she says, then angles for the bathroom.

JUSTIN: * Shane gives her a purposely doubtful look at her hot water promise, but he heads straight for the bed without question. It's certainly plenty big enough for two (or more) people, but all the same... He sits down, kicking off his boots and flopping back to find a place that's comfortable for his back. He lets out a disgruntled mumble or two, and closes his eyes, waiting for his turn at the bath.

JENNA: * Jo, as usual, takes her own sweet time, but she does rush things a little bit, washing her clothes and hanging them to dry before draining the tub and taking a soak of her own. It's perhaps an hour and a half before she emerges, clean and comfortable in a different set of trousers and the sleeveless tunic she wore when her arm was injured. "All yours," she remarks, ambling to the bed to lean over and peer at him.

JUSTIN: * Shane wakes from his light doze with a slight start, sitting upright with a brief twinge of pain. "Ah... sorry, I must have dozed off." He's not sure why he's apologizing, though being watched makes him feel like he should. He scoots off the edge of the bed, snagging his pack and hurrying along toward the bathroom.

JENNA: * Jo backs off immediately and shrugs. "No problem. A soak might help your back." She shrugs, flopping on the bed once he's gone and stretching happily. Even if they do have to share it, it's quite comfortable. She squirms toward the middle, then stretches out again, staring vaguely at the ceiling as she left herself drift.

JUSTIN: * Shane disappears through the bathroom door, closing it quietly behind himself and wasting no time in getting the water running in the bath. He turns it up hotter than he normally does, hoping the heat will do his back some good. Getting out of his clothes takes slightly longer, due to achey muscles all over, but soon enough he is up to his neck in the steaming water, letting himself relax.

JENNA: * Jo manages to keep herself from falling too far into a doze, shifting until she's sitting upright and finally abandoning the bed in an effort to stay awake. Eventually she wanders over to her pack and retrieves her oft-neglected weaving, which she hooks around a bedpost and sets to work on.

JUSTIN: * Shane takes longer soaking than he does actually cleaning, that part of the process going as quickly as usual. Much to his dismay, whatever soothing effect the water had on his back seems to disappear when he leaves it behind, and he dries off with a very disgruntled urgency. When it comes time to dress, he finds that his muscles begin to protest even more, and he actually foregoes putting his shirt on. Instead, he holds it against his chest in a half-hearted attempt to protect Jo's eyes (and his accompanying embarrassment), and makes his way cautiously back into the bedroom.

JENNA: * Jo glances up as he reenters, greeting turning to a startled look before she even utters it. "Something wrong?" she asks doubtfully at the sight of him holding his shirt instead of wearing it. She lets the weaving swing free, getting to her feet and planting her hands on her hips. "Did it rip?"

JUSTIN: * Shane shakes his head a couple times quickly, making straight for the bed. "No..." He hesitates, words getting stuck in his throat as he debates whether or not he should tell her the truth. She is likely to make fun of him, either way. "My back still hurts." He says finally, reaching the bed and flopping down on the side furthest from her. He sighs with a slight wince, rolling over onto his stomach and staring into the comforter sullenly.

JENNA: "Old before your time, huh?" Jo folds her arms, giving him a level stare. "I /did/ offer, you know." She hops back on the bed, however, folding her arms and walking toward him. "It'll only get worse if you just let it go, won't it?" she asks pointedly, and before he can answer, she's hopped to stand over him and knelt to start working at his sore muscles, hands kneading firmly at the base of his neck before moving down. "Honestly," she mutters.

JUSTIN: * Shane intends to ignore her pointed accusations and comments, turning his head to look away from her and closing his eyes tight in protest. When she stands over him, his eyes open in curious confusion, but before he can turn to ask what she's doing, she's suddenly /on/ him. He jerks upright in shock, causing a sharp stab of pain to jolt up his back and force him back into the bed again with a groan. With a strained voice, he manages to finally address her assault. "Jo! What on earth are you doing?!"

JENNA: * Jo jerks back when he tries to get upright, nearly falling into a sitting position and catching herself before she makes contact with him or the bed -- much contact, anyway. "Just -- be still, will you!?" she snaps, leaning forward again to continue what she started. "It's just a backrub, okay?!" Her face heats rapidly, however, at the repeated and continued contact her hands make with his shoulders and back. "Idiot," she growls. "It's not a big deal."

JUSTIN: * Shane attempts to sit up again almost immediately -- if anything, only egged on by her complaints, but his back simply won't allow it. He collapses with a gasping sigh, wriggling one last time in protest before succumbing to her hands. His face is red hot, and he is very glad he didn't mention the rest of his aching muscles to her. "It's... it's inappropriate!" He tries his old stand-by argument, in a last ditch effort.

JENNA: "How is it inappropriate?" Jo demands, mostly in an irritable undertone, as she continues to work his stubbornly knotted muscles. After a moment, she pauses, leaning forward with a faint sigh. "It helps if you at least /try/ to relax." Then she goes back to work, trying without success to banish the red from her face.

JUSTIN: "It just /is/." Shane closes his eyes tight, noting with some irritation that she's probably right about the relaxing thing. As it is, he's almost making it worse by tensing his muscles. He tries very hard to relax, but it doesn't come easy. "How would you feel if I was rubbing my hands all over /your/ back?"

JENNA: * Jo almost stutters in her massage, face going a notch hotter at the idea -- even more so when she finds her feelings on the matter surprisingly mixed. She does not, however, permit this to affect her answer. "If I had a sore back, I really couldn't complain, could I?" she snaps, pausing to scrub at her face before attacking him again.

JUSTIN: * Shane tries to turn a glare at her, but it doesn't work particularly well in his current position. "Couldn't isn't the same as wouldn't -- you would be making the same complaints!" He settles down again, however, closing his eyes again and trying to relax, still, so this will be over with that much sooner. Just the thought of doing this to her makes him shudder briefly, and he tries to mask it by repositioning his legs.

JENNA: * Jo attempts to shift away, making as little contact as possible when he moves. "Wouldn't either," she mutters. She'd be making completely different complaints. If she was complaining. She shakes her head sharply, moving down his back when she finally feels his muscles loosening. "Any better?" she asks after a moment, trying to keep a sullen sort of injury from her voice.

JUSTIN: * For a moment, Shane is tempted to lie, just because he didn't want her to start in the first place. But he realizes that would probably just make her start all over again, so he very grudgingly gives a quiet "Yes..."

JENNA: "Good." Finally nearing the end of things, Jo works her hands back up to his shoulders, soothing any remaining tension as best as she can. "Done," she mutters, puzzling for a moment how to get off him with the least contact possible and finally getting to her feet. From there she walks to the edge of the bed and hops down, seating herself and folding her arms. She's feeling distinctly unappreciated.

JUSTIN: * Shane quickly turns himself over, sitting upright and grabbing his shirt to finish dressing. He peeks over at her with a mixed range of emotions, still hot in his cheeks. He can't stand the way she sits there, looking so upset. He's not sure why it bugs him so much -- be it pure annoyance, or because he actually feels bad about it -- but eventually, he decides to open his mouth and speak. "...thank you. It feels a lot better." He unfortunately can't help that he still sounds rather disturbed by it all.

JENNA: * Jo shrugs, scowling at the carpet. "You're welcome," she answers, though there's still a heavy note of injury in her voice. "Sorry if it bothered you." She gets to her feet, looking for a moment as if she wants to leave the room -- or at least go somewhere else. But then she seems to remember there isn't anywhere to go and sits down again with a weary sigh.

JUSTIN: * Shane furrows his brow, turning and curling one leg under him on the bed. "Are you going to be like this the rest of the day, now?" He asks with a hint of aggrivation, staring at her with a rather defensive look in his eyes.

JENNA: * Jo leans back on her hands, tilting her head back to look at the ceiling and stretching her legs out in front of her. Then she lets herself drop back onto the bed, and her legs flop as well. "I guess I don't care," she says finally, shifting her gaze toward him and changing the subject entirely. "Are you hungry? We should eat."

JUSTIN: * Shane looks somewhat insulted by (or at least, unprepared for) this casual dismissal, and he turns around again with a small shrug of his shoulders. "I don't know, I haven't been thinking about it. If you want me to order some food, I will." He gets up from the bed, buttoning his shirt the rest of the way and walking in search of his boots.

JENNA: "If you want to." Jo rolls over, pulling her legs up onto the bed, then changes her mind and flops over on her stomach. "We'll be hungry if we don't eat, anyway." She cranes her head around to look at him, lifting her shoulders in a slight shrug and forces a grin. "You know where all the good food is, anyway, right?"

JUSTIN: "In my kitchen." Shane says, no beat missed. He sits on the edge of the bed, tugging on his boots and lacing them up proper. "But I can find something passable." He snags his hat and his coat, and makes for the door, pausing only to give her a brief look over his shoulder, and her grin. He hums softly and disappears into the hall, making for the stairwell.

JENNA: * Jo watches him go, then gives another sigh, flopping forward entirely and burying her face in the blankets for a moment. Boys, she determines after very little thought on the matter, are terminally stupid. Then she pushes herself upright and returns to her neglected weaving, sighing as she continues the pattern. It only takes a few minutes for her to regain her rhythm, and shortly she begins humming as well.