JUSTIN: * Shane's sleep goes by silently, and with deceptive comfort. Although his position does cause him to shift more than once during the night, he is otherwise still -- perhaps still subconsciously aware that he has a companion using him for support. By the time the sun begins to thrust its rays through the thick line of trees, however, the deception is lifted painfully. He wakes slowly, back stiff from the hard tree trunk, and at least one foot has fallen asleep where Jo's weight has slowed circulation. There's a grimace on his face as he tries to sit upright, torn between the need to move and not wanting to wake Jo. In fact, after his brain finally catches up to his waking body, he's quite shocked to find the woman still in his lap. He can't even remember falling asleep.

JENNA: * Jo stirs very gradually, giving her companion a drowsy squeeze as she comes awake, her own back and neck somewhat stiff. Partly in an effort to ease her muscles, she cranes her head up, peering at Shane, and smiles faintly -- and a little ironically. "Guess we slept through, didn't we?" She nuzzles his shoulder a little. "Stiff anywhere?"

JUSTIN: * Shane is about to make some no-doubt inappropriately apologetic, skittish comment -- as old habits are very slow to die -- but Jo's fond attention seems to calm him right down again. He wiggles a bit, glancing down at his side. "Just about everywhere..." Then his eyes flit back to her again, and he blushes with embarrassment. "I hope I wasn't a horrible pillow for you."

JENNA: * Jo grins at him, then stretches up to give him a quick kiss. "Slept all the way through the night -- can't have been too bad." She eases away from him slightly, tilting her head. "Want me to give you a backrub before we get moving? Hate to have ruined all the work I did yesterday."

JUSTIN: * There's a brief wash of panic at her question, and a strange look appears on Shane's face, like he's been caught with his guard down. "I... I don't know, let me get up first. It might not be all that bad." He's disappointed for feeling so anxious again, and curses himself from the privacy of his own skull, wondering why he gets himself into these situations if he still has problems handling them -- and wondering why he still has problems with it in the first place, since there's clearly nothing bad about a backrub. Old habits, indeed. Gently sliding Jo the rest of the way out of his lap, he takes a calming breath and stands quickly to his feet -- the result being a sharp stab, and a very obvious falter. "Ah-ha-ha... ah... okay, I guess it is."

JENNA: * Jo gets to her feet, giving a long stretch and feeling her own back pop uncomfortably as she does. "Someday I'm going to have to ask you to pay me back, you know?" She picks up her cloak and lays it out, patting it pointedly with one hand and resting the other on her hip.

JUSTIN: * Shane looks a little distressed at the idea, but he shrugs his coat off and creeps toward Jo's marked spot before he can get an earful about it. "Well, it's only fair in the end..." Saying it out loud doesn't make the idea any less nerve-wracking, however. He kneels down on the cloak, working at his shirt buttons slowly -- a compromise between eagerness and not wanting to do it at all.

JENNA: "Just giving you fair warning." She watches him with no small amount of impatience, part of her wondering if it's all eagerness to get on the road again. She decides not to pursue the question farther, waiting for him to settle. "It's not like I haven't been sore lately." She grins at him, however, not intending that he do so on this particular morning.

JUSTIN: * Shane's shirt finally comes off, and he is quicker about getting himself laid out on the ground than he was about undressing. "I... I don't know that I'd be any good at it, I mean, I've never done it before..." He tries to look back at her over his shoulder, but his neck will only bend so much. "I wouldn't want to make it even worse."

JENNA: "You'd have to try really hard to do that," she says drily, settling into position and leaning forward to work at his neck. "It's pretty simple ... you just find what's tight -- and make it relax." She works lazily at his neck and shoulders as she explains, pleased to find he's not nearly as bad off as he was yesterday.

JUSTIN: * Shane has his usual initial reaction to her touch, a quick jerk, stopped only by the fact he has no where to go, and then collapses into the cloak in defeat. "Well, sure, it sounds easy when you say it like that." He mutters, sneaking a hand down to tickle her leg for some amusement while he suffers her pleasurable torture. "But you've had practice."

JENNA: * Jo's legs give a jerk in response to his tickling, tightening on him unconsciously. She scowls slightly at him, working her way down his spine -- it's several moments before she can loosen her startled muscles. "And you know how I /got/ that practice? By /doing/ it."

JUSTIN: * Shane squawks at the sudden tightening of her legs, and quickly decides that tickling is not an option during backrub sessions. He lets out a deep breath after the surprise passes, and curls his fingers into the cloak to resist the urge to do it again, all his reasoning aside. "Well, fine, if you don't mind me practicing on your back. Just don't complain when it doesn't work right anymore." He tries to turn his head around to look at her again, fails, and settles for wiggling his butt instead of sticking his tongue out.

JENNA: * Jo sniffs, lingering for a moment on his lower back, where most of his trouble's been in the past. "I guess I'll just have to trust you on that, won't I?" She's forced to resist a strong impulse to smack him, as she isn't sure where that might lead, and instead begins to work her way back up, double-checking.

JUSTIN: * Shane, unaware of the danger he narrowly avoided, decides to keep up his (mostly boredom-induced) protests. "And do you trust me? I can be quite accident prone, on occassion." He bumps her sharply with a quick lift of his backside, grinning slyly to himself during the process, and makes reaches behind himself, making an attempt to snag a hand or arm.

JENNA: * Jo manages to quash a squeak when he does so, face reddening in an almost aggravated way. She catches hold of his seeking hand, rubbing her thumb over his palm as she bends forward until her mouth is next to his ear to mutter, "If you don't watch it, I /will/ smack you." An unfortunate side-effect of this maneuver is that her chest is now pressed gently against his back, though most of the rest of her is maintaining a polite distance.

JUSTIN: * Shane goes suddenly still when Jo leans in to whisper, a deep blush rising into his cheeks where before there were only hints of mischief. He silently obeys her command, sinking further into the cloak (if at all possible), and tucking his hands under himself. His eyes, however, stare wide and blank into the forest while the heat of her chest remains against his bare back.

JENNA: * Jo lingers for a moment, considering doing something more to him as long as he's at her mercy, but instead she eases away, shaking her head -- mostly at herself. She runs her hands quickly down his back again, relieved to find he hasn't completely tensed again -- and working the spots that have knotted up again. She gives his shoulder a squeeze when she finishes, scrubbing her other hand at her cheek. "Feel better?" she asks.

JUSTIN: * Shane closes his eyes tightly, sighing in the same moment. "Yeah..." He hesitates to move at first, remembering what happened the last time he did -- but then, the last time he moved it was to agitate her. He slowly begins to twist, getting up on one elbow so he can see her. "Are you always so serious about your backrubs?" He twitches a slight smile, but ends up looking away guiltily.

JENNA: * Jo stares at him lazily, doubting he wants the real answer to that. Instead, she grins at him, swinging her leg over so that she can recline next to him for a moment. "Just want to make up for the time we lost yesterday, I guess," she says, reaching over to poke him lightly in the chest.

JUSTIN: * Shane's hand moves to rub the spot she poked, and he gives her a sarcastic-looking smirk. "Oh, is that it." He lifts himself up a bit, to turn his lower body to match the angle of his torso, and then settles again. "Well, we're not going to make any time lying around, are we?" He leans over to bump foreheads with her, brow furrowing in a mock glare.

JENNA: * Jo wrinkles her nose at him, using his proximity to steal another kiss before pulling away. "Guess we'd better get moving then, shouldn't we?" She grins at him, pushing herself partway upright, and prods him again. "And that means putting your shirt on."

JUSTIN: "You don't say?" Shane lifts his eyebrows, grinning lightly before hopping to his feet, taking the shirt with him. He slides his arms into the sleeves, working the buttons with practiced speed. "Now where would I be without your helpful reminders?" His grin gets turned to her, while he scoops up his coat and the cloak, tossing the latter to her.

JENNA: * Jo gets easily to her feet, catching the cloak and swinging it around her shoulders. "Lost, doubtless." She scoops her pack off the ground and ambles over to the pecos, which gaze at her suspiciously. "So we're still looking for a big lake, right?" she says, untying her bird and leading it away from the tree.

JUSTIN: * Shane tugs his coat on lazily, tightening up the belt and rearranging the accompanying sword. "Unless the journal rewrote itself while we were asleep." He snags his own pack, throwing it on his shoulder and trotting over to the birds. "Or, in a more likely scenario -- unless the lake has dried up. Either way, we just keep heading east. We shouldn't be able to miss it."

JENNA: * Jo nods, swinging onto her peco's back with a faint snort. "Well, we should make good time if the terrain stays easy," she says, waiting for him to mount up before she starts moving. "Heck, maybe we'll find it before we have to make camp." She laughs, finding this highly doubtful, but it would be nice, anyway.

JUSTIN: * Shane unties his peco from the tree, hopping into the saddle before it has a chance to run or complain -- though it does so anyway, and he has to reign it back in. "You never know." He smiles at her, tugging his hat onto his head. "If these birds can keep the pace up, we might have a fighting chance."

JENNA: "If they aren't too annoyed at having to earn their feed ..." Jo pushes her peco into a trot, setting out east and glancing back at Shane. "You'd almost think we owed them something." Her bird gives a long, derogatory squall, and she grins not bothering to respond to its complaint.

JUSTIN: * Shane laughs quietly, shaking his head as he sets off after her. "If my legs were as powerful as theirs, I'd be eager for chances to use them." He shrugs his shoulders lightly, scratching at the back of his peco's head. "Just no pleasing some, hm?" The forest is thinner than it was the day before, and is thus forgiving of faster riding speeds -- a fact that Shane is quick to take advantage of, galloping right past Jo with a tight grin.

JENNA: * Jo makes a dismissive noise and pushes her peco after him, a grin tugging her own mouth. The bird doesn't find this the least bit amusing, ruffling its feathers at her and, for a moment, refusing to pick up speed. Another nudge, however, has it moving, and she pulls up alongside Shane, razzing him once before attempting to push ahead.

JUSTIN: * Shane tuts loudly at her efforts, leaning forward in his saddle and digging his bird's sides with his heels. There's a pause between the action and the animal's response, as it clearly can't see what the need for more speed could be, but it complies nonetheless. It pulls even with Jo's peco, and getting it to go any faster would likely require more motivation than Shane wants to give it at present. He tilts his head, turning Jo a cocky grin. "Oh, you don't know who you're dealing with here, Jocasta. I excelled at peco riding in the academy."

JENNA: "How often have you raced a chocobo through desert sands?" Jo retorts, a grin of her own rising to challenge his. Even so, her peco doesn't seem to find the idea of going faster appealing, fluffing its feathers indignantly at the very idea. "Tch," she says at her unwilling partner, then shrugs at Shane. "Some other time, I guess."

JUSTIN: * Shane snorts, turning her a mockingly disapproving look. "Well there's racing, and then there's crazy." He smirks. "Besides, it's more fun when you have obstacles to dodge." He eases up on his bird, keeping it side-by-side with Jo's. The slight decrease in speed doesn't make the bird any happier, though, and it lets out a low whine. "I truly hope we won't be forced to find some more agreeable birds." He sighs lightly.

JENNA: "Well, they're complainers, but they do a good enough job." Jo ruffles her bird's feathers with a sigh. "Even if they do stink." She glances at him sideways, then flicks her gaze over the scenery they're passing. "Did he give you any idea how far we'd have to go?" she asks, slowing a little more. "Hate to run right past it."

JUSTIN: * Shane laughs a little, leaning back in his saddle and giving the area a quick check. "Oh, I'd say we're in no danger of that. At least a few more miles, I would wager." He turns her a boyish smile. "You know we're going to camp by the lakeside. I won't have it any other way."

JENNA: "As long as we can go for a swim, I've got no objections." Jo grins at him, then turns back to the road, narrowly avoiding a tree branch as she pushes the peco a little bit faster. "Well, provided the lake's safe," she qualifies her statement. "Hate to get eaten by something."

JUSTIN: * Shane snorts again, falling in line beside her, somewhat to the back. He's generally used to being the follower of the pair. "Lake monsters? We survived the open ocean, didn't we?" He scratches at his cheek, looking thoughtful for a moment. "I'm sure anything big enough to eat us would have run out of food by now and starved to death." He gives a sharp not, finding this an adequate evaluation.

JENNA: "We could always feed them the pecos, even if they are there." She grins at the bird, which doesn't seem to have noticed the threat against its existence, then shrugs. "But either way, it's just a risk we'll have to take, I suppose."

JUSTIN: "It is, at that." Shane smiles comfortably, patting his peco reassuringly -- he'd never do that, honest -- and settles in for the hours he's expecting to pass before they reach their destination.

JENNA: * Jo falls silent as well, watching for Shane to take the lead as they continue on -- even if the directions are due east. It's afternoon before the landscape shows any sign of changing -- a downward slope easing into what appears to be a wide basin with fewer trees and what looks to be water reflecting the sunlight some way ahead. Jo glances at the walls of the basin with interest. "It really must have been huge if it covered all this."

JUSTIN: * Shane rubs at the back of his neck, giving the area a close look and slowing their speed a bit as they approach the nearby lake. "Makes you wonder what it'll look like in another couple hundred years, doesn't it?" He smiles wanly. "I suppose we're lucky we have anything left to swim in." He nudges his peco ahead faster again, eager to get to a campsite and finally get out of the saddle. The sun has nearly set by now, but at least they made the trip in one day.

JENNA: * Jo, just as eager, is quiet for the rest of the trip, letting him choose a campsite and swinging down from her peco to tie it to one of the few trees that's managed to grow since the lake declined. "This isn't it, then? The lake your parents took you to." She unslings her pack, setting it in the almost sandy dirt and sitting down to unlace her boots.

JUSTIN: * Shane takes his time tying up his bird, getting some feed out and setting it down for them to pick at. "I'm not sure, to be honest..." He turns and ambles over toward her, undoing the belt that's holding his coat closed before shrugging it off. "I doubt we took the unbeaten path to get here, if it was." He grins a bit. "For all I know, a few hundred yards away is where I got my first swimming lesson. My memory is good, but..." He shrugs lightly, and lowers himself down beside her.

JENNA: "Ah well." Jo leans back on her hands, nudging her boots with one foot. "Probably ought to get a fire going before we swim, hm? At least there's plenty of deadwood around." She stretches her legs out in front of her and heaves a faint sigh. "It'll probably be cold enough we'll want it by then."

JUSTIN: * Shane nods agreeably, hopping up to his feet and brushing sandy dirt from his butt. "And then we can decide what we'll be having for dinner." He pats her head and ambles off up the hill, to where the trees are at least slightly less absent.

JENNA: * Jo wrinkles her nose at his departure, getting to her feet and working to clear a space for the fire, pushing burnable debris out of the way. The pecos squawk conversationally as she does this, pausing to partake of their meal. When the area is cleared to her satisfaction, she glances around to see where Shane's gotten to.

JUSTIN: * Shane isn't too terribly hard to spot, his bright shirt catching the failing sunlight like a beacon among the sparse vegetation. He wanders for a while yet, apparently taking as much time to enjoy the scenery as he spends collecting wood. It's not long before he comes marching back down the hill with arms laden, and is pleasantly surprised to see the area already cleared for him. "Keeping busy, I see." He smiles and sets the stack down, choosing a few good pieces to get things started.

JENNA: "Well, what else was I supposed to do, start swimming without you?" She arches an eyebrow, retrieving flint and tinder and kneeling next to the wood. "I thought it would be more polite to wait." She pauses to concentrate on the task before her, leaning back when a spark finally catches and waiting until the entire thing's ablaze before getting to her feet.

JUSTIN: "Oh, I don't know. You're not always the most patient or polite woman." Shane stands to his feet, trying not to smile /too/ much with the comment. "Of course, I'm sure that's because you're used to travelling alone." He figures he should stop before he gets himself hurt. "I appreciate the gesture, in any case."

JENNA: * Jo gives him a hard look. "Do you want to swim, or shall I drown you?" she asks mildly, stretching and starting lazily for the lake. She hopes the water is still sun-warmed, not that it will likely stop her from taking a dip. She pauses once she reaches the water, gazing quietly as the sun dyes its waters an orangy sort of red.

JUSTIN: "Well, I hope you've got a clean change of clothes, no matter which scenario you choose." Shane starts to unbutton his shirt -- at least he's gotten relatively used to being topless around her, thankfully. It comes off quickly, dropping to rest with his coat, and he crouches down to work at his boots.

JENNA: "Mm.." Jo scratches her cheek, suddenly concerned with the the venture as she watches Shane go about removing his unnecessary clothing. Then she gives a faint sigh peering at her tunic to make sure it's long enough to be a viable option. "Guess it'll have to do," she murmurs, mostly to herself, and lazily sets to work removing her trousers and leggings.

JUSTIN: * Shane arches an eyebrow, and stops what he's doing for a moment to watch. Despite his usual politeness, he does find it a little hard to stop staring. It's the first time he's seen her undo her trousers, after all, and it's a weirdly captivating sight. "You... I have some extra shorts, if you want..." He slowly tugs a boot off, falling back on his butt.

JENNA: * Jo shakes her head and shrugs, tugging the drawstring on her trousers and letting the loose fabric drop to the ground as she tugs her tunic down a little more firmly. She steps free and glances at him, resting a hand on her hip. "Should be fine. I'm not planning any acrobatics, so it shouldn't be a problem."

JUSTIN: * Shane gives Jo's bare legs a stare, feeling very weak for a moment. "If you say so..." He finally manages, and his other boot pops off in his hands. The motion frees him from his doubtful stare, and he quickly gets back to his feet, undoing the belt for his own pants.

JENNA: * Jo, meanwhile, has headed for the water, peering at it for a moment before stepping in. She relaxes when it isn't frigid and takes a few more steps, pausing when the water laps against her knees and glancing over her shoulder at Shane. "Water's nice," she remarks. "Sun kept it good and warm."

JUSTIN: * Shane halts instinctually when she looks at him, his pants halfway down. There's a slight blush, but he forces himself to let them fall the rest of the way, and steps free of the tangled cloth at his feet. "That's a nice bonus." He glances down at himself, feeling very awkward in just his shorts. Going pantsless isn't something he's done in front of another person since he was a small child. Shaking his head at the silliness, he reminds himself that he likes swimming just fine, and it's nothing to be embarrassed about. With that, he steps down the bank and into the water, right up beside Jo. "Fairly pleasant, indeed."

JENNA: * Jo only grins, starting deeper and keeping one hand clenched around the fabric of her tunic -- to keep it from doing anything untoward when she reaches deeper waters. She glances at her companion with interest once or twice, but focuses most of her attention on the lake. Oddly enough, she doesn't see any sign of life in the water. "Well, I hope it's not poisonous," she mutters, pausing at waist deep with her hands on her hips.

JUSTIN: * Shane tries his level best not to focus on the spot where her tunic ends, also using the lake itself as a distraction for his eyes. At her comment, he laughs quietly. "Poisonous? I'm sure there are a lot of things that can happen to a body of water in a couple hundred years, but I've never heard of a fresh water lake turning poisonous on its own." He runs his hands through the water, stepping past her and turning to give her a grin.

JENNA: * Jo sniffs, bending slightly to scoop the water into her hands and take a sip. She considers for a moment, then shrugs. "Tastes all right, I guess." Then she ambles past him, still deeper, and pauses again, then ducks underneath the water entirely, rising again almost immediately and giving her hair a slight toss. "Well, if I die tomorrow, it was your idea."

JUSTIN: "For lake water, sure--" Shane breaks off his comment when she disappears into the water, then raises an arm to protect against the splash of her hair. "If you die tomorrow, I'll be dead with you, and I won't give it a thought." He grins, leaning back in the water and letting his feet leave the bottom. He's happy to find that swimming comes as naturally as ever, even after so long. "If you're worried, we can make out our wills tonight. I'm sure someone will find our bodies eventually."

JENNA: "I suppose we could be merciful and untie the pecos before our last throes of agony," she remarks, pushing deeper into the water before letting herself leave the lakefloor. "Though it would serve them right to starve next to the tree," she says consideringly. Though she hasn't been swimming in a while, herself, the activity is as pleasant as it ever was, and she devotes a few minutes to that before relaxing.

JUSTIN: * Shane grins in amusement, tossing a look shoreward at the pecos. "Oh, they're far too stubborn to die. But probably too lazy to break out of their binds. Isn't that a paradox." He turns around, swimming in a lazy circle around Jo. "Their problem, I suppose. We'll be blissfully on our way to the afterlife."

JENNA: "True enough," she replies comfortably, stretching and then easing back to float lazily for a while. "But in the end, I don't really want to go there yet ... we need to at least find the treasure first.. right?" She glances at him with a grin, reaching a hand out to flick water in his general direction.

JUSTIN: * Shane ducks under the water to avoid her playful assault, resurfacing again beside her. He swipes his wet hair back and gives a refreshed sigh. "Oh, I suppose it would be awfully inconvenient if we died before we found the treasure." He returns her grin, scooping up some water in his hands and holding them above her to give her a showering.

JENNA: * Jo vanishes below the surface, not quite avoiding the shower of water, and stays below long enough to kick around behind him, surfacing long enough to trickle her fingers up his spine before diving again and heading for deeper water.

JUSTIN: * Shane gives a squawk of surprise, back arching at the unexpected touch. He spins around, eyebrow arching when she's nowhere to be seen -- at least, until he notices the shadow moving away from him under the water. "Tch!" He ducks down and uses the ground to get a pushing start, swimming after her above the water and attempting to close the distance. Stretching a hand out ahead and below, he manages to lightly touch one of her kicking feet, and grins with satisfaction.

JENNA: * Jo startles, turning her head to catch sight of him, then wrinkles her nose and grins, turning to catch his hand. This she uses to pull herself forward, bringing the other up to muss his hair and make a half-hearted attempt at dunking him. Grinning again, she makes for the surface.

JUSTIN: * Shane tugs back on her hand, giving a quiet, mock cry of displeasure as his hair is tossled. This turns into a more honestly surprised yelp as he's suddenly dunked under the water. His body flips once underneath the surface, and he grins, letting out a stream of bubbles, before pushing off the deeper lake bottom and rising lazily toward the surface again. The water is clearer than he would expect from a lake, everything a bright red glow from the slowly sinking sun, and he almost forgets to avert his eyes from Jo's billowing shirt as he comes up almost underneath her.

JENNA: * Jo watches him come to the surface, folding her arms briefly before she returns to the job of treading water. "I didn't duck you that hard," she remarks, even if he can't hear her, and runs a hand over her damp hair.

JUSTIN: * Shane slides up out of the water behind her, giving her hair a tug and smirking. "Didn't duck me that hard?" He heard her all right. "You were pulling me at the same time, you ninny." He tickles at her sides, being careful of the floating bottom of her shirt.

JENNA: * She squirms away from the tickling, turning to face him and sticking her tongue out. "I'll do it again if you aren't careful," she threatens lightly, reaching out to prod him in the chest and glancing toward the setting sun. "We should stop early more often," she says, momentarily fascinated.

JUSTIN: * Shane rubs the spot on his chest absently, smiling impishly at her threat. Her second comment is wholly different, however, and he arches a brow at it. "Hm?" He leans out of her way, as she's clearly looking past him, and drifts back beside her to see for himself. "Oh... It is pretty, isn't it?"

JENNA: "Yeah." She leans back again, floating lazily, and stares at the sky as she drifts. "We're usually riding and all, so we never get to see it, you know?" She puts her hands behind her head for a moment, kicking her feet, and continues to gaze skyward as the stars, very slowly, begin to come out.

JUSTIN: * Shane smiles, keeping pace with her and leaning over to give her eyes a look. "We're a busy pair. Maybe we just need more jobs that allow for a little relaxing along the way." He grins a bit, having a feeling that is unlikely to ever be the case, and runs his fingers through her floating hair.

JENNA: * Jo grins at him, righting herself and catching his hand in hers. "We can take a week off between jobs, would that work?" She laughs, easing back toward water shallow enough that she can stand. "Sometimes time off is nice, right?"

JUSTIN: * Shane lets her lead him back to the shallows, feet eventually hitting the bottom and allowing him to rest. "Sometimes it is..." He turns to look at the sun again, slowly being devoured by the horizon. "A week off between jobs? Are you sure you won't go crazy with all that free time?" He turns back to her, grinning, and steals her free hand with his.

JENNA: * She looks thoughtful for a moment, playing her fingers against his and turning her gaze skyward once again. "I should be able to manage ... I can find ways to keep busy." She casts him a sideways glance and an almost fiendish grin. After a moment, she stands still, letting the water wash up against her comfortably.

JUSTIN: * Shane tilts his head, giving her a suspicious look and an arched eyebrow. "Oh, I'm sure you can. Best not to tell me, though." He smiles then, and moves his hand to her back, fingers curling in the wet tunic almost nervously.

JENNA: * Jo laughs, letting his motion tug her forward. "I promise most of them won't even be illegal." She eases forward another step, looping her arms around his waist and smiling up at him. "I'll play nice." The smile turns into a sudden grin, however, belying her statement.

JUSTIN: * Shane gives a shy, embarrassed smile, committing himself to the embrace now that she's gotten it started. His arms close around her back loosely, and he sways slightly with her, helped by the small waves making their way to the shore. "You sure you want to make that promise?" The beginning of a grin sneaks onto his face. "I might just hold you to it."

JENNA: * She tilts her head thoughtfully, brows lifting. "You don't think I can?" she says mildly, mouth twitching in a faint smile. "Though I guess old habits can be a little hard to shake." She squeezes him slightly and grins. "I can at least /try/."

JUSTIN: * Shane sighs dramatically, tilting his head back as if this will take consideration. He leans forward again shortly, though, and snugs her against him -- causing himself to blush. "That's all I ask for." He says, serious about that at least, and smiles reassuringly.

JENNA: "Then I'll give it my best shot," she replies agreeably, relaxing herself against him and resting her head comfortably against his chest. She almost speaks again, but decides she's more comfortable resting there silently, arms wrapped loosely around him.

JUSTIN: * Shane blushes even deeper, for whatever reason, as she settles against him. He's more comfortable than any person has a right to be, and yet at the same time, peculiarly antsy. He writes it off as his usual, immature embarrassment and nervousness, and tightens his hold on her a little, resting his cheek against her damp hair.

JENNA: * Jo is content to remain that way for several minutes, eyes drifting closed as the water laps against them both in counterpoint to their warm embrace. One of the pecos squawks noisily, however, and she opens them again, though she doesn't move yet, waiting for further prompting from Shane or the birds -- not that she particularly wants it.

JUSTIN: * Shane is just as content to stay where they are, idly wondering how he could have had this under his nose for so long and not have seen it sooner. His distant musings are pushed aside, however, when his hands slip down to her waist. They squeeze once, and he pushes gently apart. Whether it's because of the pecos, or suddenly remembering that Jo is naked from the waist down, he decides it probably best that they get themselves back to dry land. "Not that I'm in a hurry to move, but we should probably get some food in us."

JENNA: * Jo gives a low, disappointed sigh, wrinkling her nose at him before forcing a smile and turning back toward the shore. "I guess you're right, at that. I'm a little hungry." Not so hungry that she would have minded staying out there a while longer, but she doesn't bother telling him this.

JUSTIN: * Shane feels rather guilty at spoiling the mood, but his skittishness was getting the better of him, and he had to get away from it before he did something even worse. There would be other opportunities, anyway, and maybe he'd be able to stand his ground. He leads the way toward the camp, holding her hand as they walk. "And while we eat, we get to find out where we're headed next..." He turns her a smile, trying hard to make the break seem worth it for her.

JENNA: * Jo nods, turning a smile to reassure him her feelings aren't hurt too badly. She squeezes his hand as they reach the shore. "Well, if we keep going east, we're going to run out of land before too much longer, right?" She pauses to scoop up her clothing with her free hand.

JUSTIN: "That's right..." Shane avoids watching her from the moment they leave the water, not wanting yet another reason to feel embarrassed. "I can't imagine he'd lead us straight out to sea. But we don't have many options left to us, without going in a big circle." He goes into his pack, pulling out the cloak she bought him for their trip through the desert. It seems like an age ago, now, and it's distressing to think it was almost the end of their companionship. He tossles his wet hair a bit, laying the cloak out by the fire for her to sit on.

JENNA: * Jo ambles over to it, but she doesn't sit immediately, instead letting herself air dry for a bit. "Maybe it's out at sea, then," she suggests. "That would be a pain." She extends her hands to the fire, curling her toes in the sand. "It'd cost to hire a boat."

JUSTIN: * Shane picks up his coat, and sets it by the cloak in case she wants some additional covering once she gets situated. "It would... Even though we have the money, it's an inconvenience. But I suppose treasure hunting is all about the unexpected, right?" He grins a little, crouching down to throw a couple more logs onto the fire.

JENNA: * Jo snorts, fists coming to rest on her hips for a moment. "I supopse. The unexpected, the unknown, the inconvenient ..." She shakes her head and wrings her shirt out a little -- as best as she can without exposing herself too much more. "Let's hope it isn't too far out, if it does end up out there."

JUSTIN: * Shane chuckles quietly -- still not looking at her -- and settles onto his knees, ignoreing the sand clinging to his wet skin. "I won't remind you it was mostly your idea. Though I guess I didn't have to agree to it." He scratches at his cheek, staring thoughtfully into the fire. "I'm sure it'll be worth all the trouble, in the end."

JENNA: * Jo finally sits down, folding her legs carefully and sighing. "I'll take full credit, don't worry about that." She grins, though, and gives a long stretch. "What do we have in the packs?" she asks lazily, though she's fully aware of their catalogue of supplies.

JUSTIN: * Shane drags one of their packs over, flipping the top open. "Well, there's the popular favorite..." He pulls out a bag of jerky, setting it down next to her. "Or, if you're feeling adventurous--" He tugs out a small, wrapped package. "Bread! I'm not sure how old it is..." He carefully opens it, and gives the inside a cautious inspection. "Hm."

JENNA: "I'll give it a try, as long as there's nothing growing on it." She opens the bag of jerky first, however, selecting a piece and chewing on it. "If there were fish in the pond, I'd fish, but there aren't." She falls silent to eat the jerky, discovering herself hungrier than she previously thought.

JUSTIN: "It's awfully quiet otherwise, now that I think about it." Shane breaks the bread in two pieces, dry and crumbling, and hands one half to her. "I guess it's too sparse for the critters. Would rather keep the forest at the top of the basin." He finally chances a look at her, though he aims straight for her face when he does so. "I guess that means no rabbit stew."

JENNA: "No rabbit stew," she agrees, taking a bite of the bread and staring thoughtfully into the fire. "Once we're out, I guess," she says after swallowing it, then looks at him expectantly. "Well? Where are we headed next?" A grin flits across her face, realizing the demand is abrupt and possibly a little rude.

JUSTIN: * Shane quirks a small grin, shaking his head. "Eager, aren't you?" He reaches over near her, snagging his coat from where he left it, and retrieves the book from one of the pockets. "Let's find out, shall we?" He leans back a bit -- at least glad he has something to distract him from her clinging shirt and bare thighs -- and flips to where he last left off.

JENNA: * Jo watches him quietly, devoting some of her attention to finishing off the bread and having a bit more jerky. She waits patiently for a response from him on what direction they should be heading, in the meantime fanning her shirt in an attempt to get it to dry faster.

JUSTIN: * Shane reads quietly, skimming over the author's comments about camping by the lake. Apparently back then, there were more fish around. He reaches over and takes a piece of jerky, giving it a modest nibble and glancing briefly at Jo. "If you want to change into drier clothes, I won't look." He smiles shortly, looking back at the book and chewing on the meat.

JENNA: * Jo shrugs slightly, deciding that's probably as good an idea as any, and gets to her feet, making her way over to her pack and digging for a new tunic. This she finds in short order and returns for her trousers, ambling around behind Shane to tug pants on, shirt off, and new shirt on. "Is he saying anything interesting?" she asks, scooping up her wet shirt and wringing it out, then tossing it over her pack to dry.

JUSTIN: * Shane snorts, flipping another page. "Not quite yet. But he's certainly making me hungry. Fish, wild boar, blackberries. Wonder where all that is now?" He flicks a small piece of bread at her over his shoulder, humming quietly as he continues to read.

JENNA: "Up where the forest is," Jo supplies, plucking another piece of jerky from the bag and eating it contentedly -- ignoring the intended missile. "Boar's kind of a pain to hunt without four people, though ..." She tosses a scrap in the fire, watching it sizzle boredly.

JUSTIN: * Shane snorts, again, and turns her a grin. "Or one person with a gun." He sets the book down and picks at his shorts, which are still damp, though the rest of him has decently airdried. "My turn." He says lightly, digging a new pair of underpants from his pack and hopping to his feet to collect his clothes.

JENNA: "All right, all right." She averts her eyes politely, snagging another piece of jerky and concentrating on it instead of the temptation to surprise him while he was changing. That would just be mean. "I doubt /he/ had a gun," she points out.

JUSTIN: "Of course he didn't -- but we do." Shane strips off his shorts and replaces them as fast as he can, nearly falling over in the process. It's probably not very trusting of him, but he almost expects Jo to look while he's in the middle of his attempt. The rest of the clothes come on easier, starting with his pants, and he's back at the fire again shortly. "Too bad we don't have the proper equipment to cook one with. Not that I feel like hiking off in search of one, anyway." He scoops the book up again, gives a stretch, and reclines, using Jo's lap as a pillow.

JENNA: * Jo smiles faintly, brushing her fingers through his slightly-damp hair. "It'd be a lot to eat and carry around anyway," she remarks. "Just as well." Her gaze flicks occasionally to the book as he reads, curious, and she eventually leans back slightly to look at the sky instead.

JUSTIN: * Shane can't argue with that, but he's too busy reading to agree, either. The minutes pass without him saying a word, until finally he closes the journal, laying it on his stomach. "Well then." He leans his head back against her leg, staring up at her face. "It looks like... we keep going east."

JENNA: "And when we hit water, we just start wading." She looks down at him, arching an eyebrow and grinning. "Are we looking for anything specifically, or just the coast?" She rests one hand on his chest, the other still toying absently with his hair.

JUSTIN: * Shane moves the book to the ground beside him, scooting a bit closer to her. He rubs at his eyes, making a face that is half amused and half annoyed. "Just the coast. But not the coast you're thinking of." He breathes in deeply, letting it out in a sigh. "When we hit the water... we just start wading. You got it." He places a hand over the one on his chest, rubbing it absently with his thumb.

JENNA: "Think it's changed that much?" She glances at his hand, rubbing hers, and smiles faintly. "Unless we really are talking about another coast entirely." She turns her gaze back to his, looking curious.

JUSTIN: * Shane greets her gaze with a slight smile, giving what might amount to a shrug, though it's hard to tell from this position. "Hope you know a cheap sailor." He lifts his other hand up, playfully combing her bangs down over her eye. "But not too cheap, I don't want the boat to spring a leak."

JENNA: "That.. should make things interesting." Her mind drifts absently over the few times she's had to sail -- lately in particular -- and frowns a little. "I don't think I know any personally ... guess we'll just have to trust luck, right?" Her smile takes on a sheepish edge. "It's worked so far, for the most part ..."

JUSTIN: "Luck? Well, it's giving us a moment's grace, anyway." Shane laughs lightly, letting go her hand so he can rub his forehead. "I'd say we had a pretty potent run of bad luck until you found that book." He picks it up, tapping her arm lightly with it. "So as long as our change in fortune holds out a little longer..."

JENNA: "Hopefully." She grins, not bothering to bring up his initial reaction when she took the diary. "The damn thing's caused me so much trouble, it better pay me back." She takes the book away from him, peering at it for a moment before setting it on his chest. "We probably better get some sleep, though, if we're planning to push for the coast."

JUSTIN: * Shane nods absently, setting his arms to the ground to help push himself up. "Quite right." He stretches, turning to slip an arm around her again and squeeze. "I swear, when we get back, I'm not putting my butt in a saddle again for a month." He gets to his feet, sliding the book into his pack,and gathering their things to pull them away from the fire to a safer distance -- even though Jo's pack is, technically, fireproof, he doesn't want to tempt it.

JENNA: * Jo scoops up the cloak and follows him, laying it out again and digging for another, which she tosses to Shane. "Hard to work if you're not in the saddle," she says almost scoldingly, then grins, easing herself down and resting her head against her not-really-a-pillow with a yawn. "I just.. want to know what he found," she reiterates sleepily.

JUSTIN: * Shane sets his cloak down beside hers, setting his pack at the head and rearranging its contents until it makes a passable pillow. "I know." He sits on the cloak for a moment, watching her, and then tucks some stray locks of hair behind her ear. "I know. So do I." He lies down quietly on his back, staring up at the sky until his vision begins to blur.

JENNA: * Jo smiles, content and sleepy, and nestles down, dozing off before much longer, the sound of the lake's water lapping against the shore lulling her to peaceful dreams. Dawn passes without her stirring, body apparently in no hurry to leave those peaceful shores, despite her eagerness to find the treasure -- or whatever it is.

JUSTIN: * Sleep comes to Shane at least an hour after Jo's drifted off, his thoughts mostly at fault for the delay, but when it arrives, it is blessedly uninterrupted by his usually wild subconscious. The passage of time is more or less lost on him, as well, as he remains deeply asleep well after the sun is rising, helped by the fact that the sun's rays don't reach their resting ground until a few hours after dawn, due to the hill behind them.