JUSTIN: "Sleep tight." Shane answers, peeking eyes open to give the stars a brief watch. He drifts off without much delay, his contented state of mind overriding any physical discomfort in the form of hard earth beneath him. The events of the day -- mostly the end of the day -- begin to rearrange themselves in interesting, and not entirely innocent ways in his unconscious mind. It isn't long before he begins to fidget in his sleep.

JENNA: * In contrast, Jo's sleep is relaxed and peaceful. She seems unbothered by her companion's movements, mostly shifting in her sleep to accomodate them. Her dreams, similarly, are completely unremarkable.

JUSTIN: * Shane tosses and turns a bit more, face twitching now and then with some hidden, subconscious emotional shifts. After more time passes, beads of sweat begin to form on his face, testamant to whatever exhertion his dream is exposing him to. At least once or twice he bumps into Jo, but his body seems content to keep its arms and legs mostly to itself, in spite of his clearly action-filled dreams.

JENNA: * The nudging disturbs her only a bit, such is her determination to stay unconscious. She scoots away from him slightly, drooping at the edge of her pack, and apparently unwilling (even asleep) to get any closer to the fire.

JUSTIN: * Shane seems ill-pleased with Jo's movement, her heat and presence apparently noticeable even within his dreaming mind -- in which, unknown to her, she is the main attraction at present. He half crawls, half rolls, and slips a hand onto her sleeping form. Once this contact has been made, his dream apparently seems back on track, as he quickly shuffles up against her and murrs.

JENNA: * This contact seems similar enough to their previous nights snuggled up against each other that Jo doesn't react badly to it, stirring only slightly to nestle closer to him. The movement leaves her at the very edge of wakefulness, close to slipping back down into a deeper sleep.

JUSTIN: * Shane reacts quite favorably to his -- too favorably, perhaps. He tugs at her, pressing up against her in a manner far different than either would be used to, and buries his face into her neck. His hands -- innocently mistaking Jo for a much more nude, and much less real version of her -- begin to travel to places they would never go otherwise, all too happy to grope everything along the way.

JENNA: * Jo's slow drift back into dreamland is halted abruptly by this behavior, eyes flying open with something between a gasp and a yelp. "Sh-Shane --" she squeaks out, taking in all these sensations at once and realizing immediately that he's either gone insane or he's asleep. That in mind, she grits her teeth and tries to pull away from him without waking him up -- difficult as that may be.

JUSTIN: * Shane doesn't react to the calling of his name -- more than certainly, he's probably hearing it quite a bit in his dream -- but he does change tactics a bit when she starts trying to get free. One of his legs curls around hers, and his hands become a little more insistant, some unintelligable slur mumbling out of his lips. It is fairly clear, in more ways than one, that he is overexcited.

JENNA: * Jo bites down on a whimper, annoyed that, under other circumstances, she'd most likely be enjoying the treatment. As it is, she's torn between embarrassment and wanting to punch him for being (apparently) a coward. None of this, however, is aiding her escape. With one route cut off, she squirms toward another, attempting to shift his grip on her so that she can crawl past her pack instead of toward the fire.

JUSTIN: * Shane's fingers slip from their grasps, sliding along her shirt as she squirms upward, until they can find purchase again -- this time, on the waistband of her pants. They lock in place, and he'll be damned (at least, unconsciously) if she gets away from him again. He clings with unnatural strength for someone who isn't even consciously in control of their muscles, and butts his head up against her backside. One can only guess what the entire scene looks like in his head.

JENNA: * Being caught again alarms Jo even more than the continuation of the somewhat awkward sleep-groping. It takes only a moment for desperation to kick in, and she promptly squirms out of her trousers, pulling herself along the ground in an attempt to get her legs out with as little kicking as possible -- tempting though that may be.

JUSTIN: * Shane falls slowly forward as the substance disappears from the object he is clinging to. Face first in her pants, the cloaks that make up their bed a tangled mess, he snorts once and shifts -- stirs. And then he settles, curling up and yawning. Jo's clothing becomes his new pillow, for now, though he doesn't seem entirely comfortable.

JENNA: * Jo pants a little as she gets to her feet, brushing off her tunic and glaring at her companion. "Next time, try it when you're /awake/," she snaps, though she's certain he can't hear her, and she skirts around the other side of the fire in search of another set of trousers. She looks up with a sigh, noting the sky is already lightening through the trees. "No point in going back to sleep, is there?" she huffs in annoyance, pulling her trousers on and plopping down near the pecos to rest her back against a nearby tree.

JUSTIN: * Shane shuffles around a bit in his sleep, restless now that his dream has been more or less fractured, and he murmurs quietly over the course of the next half an hour. Eventually, he begins to wake, early as it may be, and lets out an achey groan.

JENNA: * Jo shoots a glare in his direction, but as irritated as she is, she /really/ doesn't want to talk about what happened while he was asleep. He's likely to notice soon enough. Instead, she gets up again quietly and makes her way to the saddlebags, digging out some jerky for breakfast.

JUSTIN: * Shane sits up slowly and awkwardly, feeling oddly worn out for someone who is just waking up from a night's rest. "Gah... I feel like I just ran a marathon..." He rubs at his eyes blearly, only then noticing the material his hands are tangled in. "...what are your pants doing in my hands?"

JENNA: * Jo's back stiffens, and she turns slowly from the saddlebags to face him, arms folding grimly across her chest. She meets his gaze for a moment, then lets her own drop steadily southward. "Had a nice dream, did you?" she asks blandly, arms tightening angrily.

JUSTIN: * Shane blinks, wondering if he's just misreading her in his groggy state. "What do you mean?" He sits back, clutching at her pants defensively -- though he isn't sure why he feels the need to defend himself all of a sudden. "I-I don't know, it was..." Now that he thinks about it, he does get a strange feeling when he tries to remember.

JENNA: * Jo gives him a dark stare, shifting her arms to rest her hands on her hips. "Much as I appreciate the sentiment," she snaps, "it works better if we're both awake." Then she turns her back to him, digging unnecessarily through the saddlebags and hoping that if he doesn't get the message from her words, he'll shortly get it from his body.

JUSTIN: * Shane stares at her blankly, not comprehending what point she's attempting to make. "I really don't know what you're talking about, Jo--" He shifts to stand up, and his eyes widen slightly, pants catching uncomfortably on something that shouldn't normally be in the way. "What..." He can't bring himself to continue his question, embarrassment flooding over him like an unstoppable wave. His face is so red, he can feel his cheeks burn, and he gets the strong urge to hide his face in her pants.

JENNA: "River's over there," Jo remarks, gesturing vaguely toward it and refusing to turn around. "Unless you want me to help with that," she adds very drily, knowing full well that what he certainly wanted while he was asleep won't apply now that he's awake. Which somehow annoys her even more.

JUSTIN: * Shane makes a highly frustrated sound, but at the moment he feels like he's going to faint, and so arguing will simply have to wait. He drops her pants, giving them a belatedly awkward stare and shudder, then grabs his pack and stumbles weakly in the direction of the river. Once he's out of sight, he practically rips his clothes off, feeling extremely dirty, and braves the cold water with little more than a whimper. As he desperately scrubs himself and his pants, he can feel his dignity washing away.

JENNA: * Once she's sure he's made his retreat, Jo relaxes with a sigh, leaning her head against the saddlebags for a moment before pushing away to retrieve her pants. She scoops them off the ground and utters another sigh, folding them and bending to stuff them in her pack. "Honestly," she mutters under her breath, glaring toward the river.

JUSTIN: * If it weren't for the fact that he knows she'd eventually come looking, Shane would be perfectly happy to stay in the water for the rest of his life. He quickly runs out of things to clean, and his skin is beginning to prune up from the overabundance of moisture before he finally stalks back up the riverbank. With a spare shirt, he wipes himself as dry as he can, and then pulls on a dry pair of pants and slowly -- very slowly -- makes his way back to camp, head hung low.

JENNA: * Jo glances up when he returns, momentarily at a loss for anything to say. Then she shrugs and goes for the mundane, ambling over and offering him a piece of jerky. "Hungry? I know you didn't get much last night." She looks at him warily, uncertain how he'll react.

JUSTIN: * Shane takes the jerky without response, wandering over to the nearest tree and slumping down to the ground limply. He settles his pack in his lap, staring down at it with embarrassment and shame. The jerky goes ignored from there, more something for his fingers to pick at than anything, despite being starving.

JENNA: * Jo sends her gaze skyward once again, dropping her pack in the dirt and walking over to crouch next to him. "Hey," she says after a long moment of staring at him. "You need to actually eat it, you know?" She tilts her head, waiting again for a response.

JUSTIN: * Shane is afraid to match her look, so he doesn't even try. He shifts his arms, the bag sliding off to the side, and stares down at the piece of dried meat with disinterest. Slowly, without enthusiasm, he lifts it up and takes a tiny bite.

JENNA: "Well, that's a start." She gives him a hard look, feeling this entire act is a severe overreaction. "I guess I know what's the matter," she says after another moment. "But don't you think ... you're taking it a little bit hard?" She looks at him doubtfully, then glances sideways when the pecos squawk conversationally.

JUSTIN: * Shane sets the jerky down on his pack, looking conflicted about whether or not he should bother to respond, and how. He puts a hand against the tree and pushes himself to his feet, gaining him at least a little distance between himself and her displeased gaze. "If it was bad enough to deserve being scolded, shouldn't I take it hard?"

JENNA: * Jo follows him, setting her hands on her hips with a sigh. "If you think that's what I was mad about, you missed the point completely ..." She pauses, scratching her head, and shrugs. "Not that you were awake when I said that, were you ..." Then she glances up at him again. "You know, you usually just fight back when I yell at you."

JUSTIN: * Shane closes his arms around his chest, for protection and comfort more than out of defiance. "Do you want me to fight with you?" He wanders back toward the fire, which is pitiful now compared to the blaze that it was. "There's nothing to fight about..." He crouches, watching the last of the blackened wood get consumed.

JENNA: "Of course I don't want a fight." Jo wanders after him, determined to kick him out of this before they start moving. She'll be damned if this lasts all the way to Hugel. She crouches next to him again, doubting there's much she can say. "Do you want to know what I was mad about?" she asks.

JUSTIN: "It seems only fair." Shane answers, falling back on his butt and folding his arms on his knees. Whatever reasons she hasn't told him yet, he sure it can only get worse. But at least he'll know everything he needs to feel like crap for. "Go ahead and tell me, then."

JENNA: * Jo watches him again for a moment, then scoots closer, working her arm around his and resting her chin briefly on his shoulder. "The reason I was so angry ..." she begins, nudging her face closer to murmur in his ear, "... is that you never make a move like that when you're /awake/."

JUSTIN: * Shane's shoulders hunch, and he attempts to sink into the ground, wanting desperately to find somewhere to disappear and hide. He blushes profusely, his embarrassment resurging, and buries his face in his arms, shaking. "I... I don't... I-I don't..." The very thought of it. He's just as intrigued by it as he is horrified, and that only makes him feel worse.

JENNA: * Jo sighs, tugging her arm loose to drape it around his shoulders instead, resting against him. "All right.. all right, I'm sorry ..." She sighs again, rubbing her hand absently against his back and shoulders. "It's not like it's a bad thing, though," she mutters, half to herself.

JUSTIN: * Shane sighs, almost a whimper, and leans back to rub at his face with his hands. Some part of him realizes that, part of wanting to settle down with a girl that you love is the... well, making love part. And yet, he can't help feeling that by /wanting/ it, /dreaming/ about it, he's somehow a disgraceful man. Because of this, Jo's words do little to comfort him, at least from himself. "What... what did I do?"

JENNA: * Jo tilts her head warily, leaning forward as if to look at his face. Unfortunately, she hasn't much of a view from where she's sitting, so she gives a faint sigh, continuing to rub his back while her free hand makes its way over to catch one of his hands. "Well.. a little bit of snuggling," she begins carefully, twining her fingers with his. "And some ... groping, I guess. I was.. a little surprised when I woke up."

JUSTIN: "G-groping?" Shane sits a little straighter, alarmed by this particular word. Touching, maybe. Rubbing even. But to think that he would grope the woman in her sleep -- in /his/ sleep. "I didn't touch anything, did I? I didn't--" He chokes on a lump in his throat, feeling faint again.

JENNA: * Jo feels a sudden impulse to knock his head against a tree. "Shane, you didn't do anything I have any strenuous objection to, so why worry about it?" She moves her hand up to rub at the back of his neck. "Don't think about it too hard ... it mostly surprised me, that's all."

JUSTIN: * Shane leans back, feeling half like he should cry, and half like he should laugh out loud. He's always such a fool. "So you're... upset with me because I..." He shakes his head, then rubs at his face again, falling on his back. "Because I didn't do it consciously, is that what you're telling me? You're upset because I didn't... grope you in my right mind?"

JENNA: * Jo releases him to let him fall back, then follows the motion, resting on her elbow and facing him. "Yep, pretty much." She lifts herself up to lean over him, then lets herself drop to lie comfortably against him, reaching up to tug his hands away from his face. "Not really angry now, though," she amends, shrugging. "It's not like guys are the only ones who get something out of it, you know."

JUSTIN: "Wh-what are you saying? What do you mean?" Shane isn't certain he wants to know, the way everything has gone so far. But worse is being in the dark. He tries to sit up, belatedly realizes that she's laying on him, and gives up, feeling every bit as ignorant as he knows he must appear. "What guys? Get what out of what?"

JENNA: * Jo looks at him for a moment, honestly confused by his line of questioning. "I ..." She falls silent for a moment, letting her head drop to rest against him and tapping her fingers against his collarbone. Then she lifts her head again. "Well.. er.. let me use another example ..." She pushes herself up slightly to peer at him. "Backrubs, right? .... Um. You like them, unless I'm very much mistaken."

JUSTIN: * Shane eyes her warily, wondering what sorts of unspeakable things could be compared to backrubs. "I... suppose I've grown to like them, yes. But what does that..." He fidgets, realizing that there isn't any good way to finish that question, as he doesn't know just what he's gotten himself into. "So I like backrubs, and?"

JENNA: "And ... I like to give them." She pauses, once again stalling out on how to convey things to him. "I mean ... first of all ..." She pauses again, finding this surprisingly embarrassing to talk about. "First of all, I like to touch you." She reaches a hand up to run her fingers along his jaw, finally letting them come to rest against his chest. "I like the way your skin, your muscles, all that ... I like how it feels under my hands." She looks at him almost cautiously, wondering if this is getting through. "Second ... I like that you like it when I touch you. I like that you enjoy a good backrub." She stops again, reaching her hand up to run through her hair and tangle in it, as if supporting her head. "It's not something I do just ... for my own gratification, you understand?"

JUSTIN: * Shane stares at her, feeling incredibly awkward at the way she's relating these things to him -- and /what/ she's relating to him. Of course, he thinks he understands what she means well enough, but to hear it said out loud is fairly embarrassing. "I think I get it..." He blushes profusely. "It's... it's like a kiss... right? W-when I kiss you... I like the feeling of... of giving it, but also... of receiving... it..." His voice trails off. He feels like he's overflowing with embarrassment, and imagines it seeping out his ears.

JENNA: * Jo nods awkwardly, relieved that she doesn't have to explain the matter further. "Yes, that's... just about exactly the idea. It's just.. .. an order or two higher. I guess." She lowers her hand and lets herself drop to rest against him again. "Does that help any?" she asks after a moment. With what, she isn't sure. "It's not.. you know.. a bad thing. It's.. .. mutual." Or it's supposed to be.

JUSTIN: "Mutual... right..." Shane cautiously places his arms around her, as she's been lying on his chest this whole time anyway. "Perhaps we should, um, talk more about this... later. We should probably break camp." He isn't certain he's got the full picture, but he has a pretty good idea of what she's been attempting to refer to... without actually referring to it. And if it's what he thinks it is, he will definately need to regain some of his stamina before they try to discuss this again.

JENNA: * Jo gives the very faintest of sighs, but she lifts her head again with a nod, gaze drifting momentarily skyward, where the sun is making a much stronger appearance. "So much for sleeping in," she grins, then hesitates and leans over to kiss him gently, as if she's uncertain how it will be received.

JUSTIN: * Shane returns the kiss, with only slight hesitation -- and not directed at her. He's just a little shaken up by the night's adventure. Giving her a slight squeeze, he starts to sit himself upright, gently moving her from his chest. "Sorry... I'll try to be less... active while I'm asleep, from now on." He tries to smile for effect, but it looks fairly pathetic.

JENNA: * Jo pulls herself upright, returning the weak smile with a slightly more robust grin. "Lot of ground to cover, as they say." She returns to her pack, putting the cloak away and scooping it off the ground. She glances at the pecos, which are preening each other boredly, clearly in need of some physical activity.

JUSTIN: * Shane gets up slowly, dusting off the back of his pants and shirt, and goes about collecting his gear. Once he's got things stuffed into his pack, and his coat is secure on his shoulders, he puts out what's left of the fire. "If we're lucky, there won't be anymore midnight incidents along the way..."

JENNA: * Jo's mouth twitches into a smile, oddly amused by the incident now, in spite of the apparent gravity of the matter. "Shouldn't be a problem," she says, making her way over to the birds and starting to untie hers from its tree. She makes a mental note to pretend nothing happened if such an incident does occur again. It doesn't seem worth the extra stress. "But whether there are or not -- no sense worrying about it now."

JUSTIN: "No, of course not." Shane spreads the ashes of the fire, and tightens his pack on his back with a quiet sigh. He combs his hair back, slides his hat into place, and straightens, attempting to regain some of his composture. "How are our feathered companions doing?"

JENNA: "Cranky as ever," she says agreeably, patting hers absently on the beak as she leads it away from the tree. "But they at least seem ready to travel this morning ... maybe they're looking forward to a stable again." She grins and mounts up, ruffling the bird's feathers.

JUSTIN: * Shane double-checks his bird's saddle, harness, and packs, before leading it away from the tree and climbing into the saddle. "For battle-trained birds, they sure are soft. Maybe we're setting a bad example." He smirks some, letting the bird walk around in a circle for a bit to get the blood pumping.

JENNA: * Jo snorts. "Maybe they just weren't worth the extra money ..." She gives hers a slight kick, trotting out of the shallow clearing and toward the road. "Off to Hugel, then," she says with a grin, picking up speed as she goes. It isn't a stretch to say she's happy to be on the move again, away from the strange happenings of the past few days and toward something more normal -- if more rigorous.

JUSTIN: * Shane smiles a little, more eager to get going again than he normally would be. A long, tiring day in the saddle might help to shake his lingering embarrassment and stress out of his head, making room for more welcome thoughts. "Don't suppose you know any good riding songs. I think I could use a little loosening up."

JENNA: "I don't know many songs at all, I'm afraid," Jo answers, "but you're welcome to sing if you want to." This isn't strictly true, as she does know several songs from her time with the guild, but she doubts they would be at all to Shane's taste. Humming and talking are about all she trusts her voice for, in any case.

JUSTIN: * Shane scratches at his cheek, head tilting in thought. "I mostly know children's songs, but..." He shrugs his shoulders, and fetches his canteen to take a sip of water. "Anything with a catchy beat will do, right?" A small smile sneaks onto his lips, and he pulls his bird up next to hers. "No making fun, now." Thinking through his list of known songs, he chooses what he hopes to be the least silly, and begins to quietly sing. Normally he'd probably be too embarrassed, but after this morning, he doubts he could possibly make things worse.

JENNA: * Jo wrinkles her nose at the idea of making fun of him, as she hasn't much inclination to do so even if he is a horrible singer -- which he's not. She doesn't join in, even after she's heard the song enough to sing along, letting him deal with his nerves however he sees fit. With the mood lightened, however, the trip to Hugel goes quickly, even when a series of thunderstorms follows them most of the way there. They arrive at the small town in the midst of a steady drizzle, drenched to the skin and pecos complaining all around.

JUSTIN: * Despite being drenched and tired, Shane is in much better spirits than he was when they started out on this trip, and looking forward to a nice, hot bath. "I think you're rubbing off on me." He says quietly, without explanation, and smiles as he steers for the stables. The streets are empty, as nobody has any desire to be out in the wind, rain, and mud.

JENNA: * Jo gives a very faint snort, glancing skyward just long enough to determine there doesn't seem tob e any break whatsoever in the clouds, then dashes for the stables as quickly as she feels is safe. "I only like rain if I'm sitting inside with a hot drink watching it out the window," she grumbles, swinging down from her peco once she's inside and giving herself a sharp shake. "I feel like I haven't been dry in a week." And she probably hasn't.

JUSTIN: * Shane slides down from the slick saddle, getting a secondary shower as his bird shakes itself dry with a fluff of its feathers. He swipes at his face -- which doesn't much help at all -- and attempts to wring some of the moisture from his hat. "Comfort is about ten paces and fifteen zeny away, my dear." He snags her arm and points her in the proper direction, grinning as he gives her back a pat. "How about you go secure us a room while I get the birds taken care of."

JENNA: * Jo makes a noncommittal noise, peering out at the rain and nodding. "Better hurry up or you'll get swept away," she remarks, then dashes out into the rain, making for the inn's front door. She's received warmly once she gets there, at least partly because the innkeeper wasn't expecting any customers for some time. It is with much clucking and sympathy that she secures a room for the two of them. She then attempts to find an inconspicious place to drip until Shane arrives.

JUSTIN: * Shane gets the birds properly stabled, though the stablehand is much less cheery about new customers than the keeper inside. His mood changes when Shane gives him a hefty tip, however -- to ensure no slacking because of the weather. Dashing to the front door through the rain, he stumbles into the much warmer inn, and sighs in relief. "Four walls and a roof, how I've missed thee." He says under his breath, looking for Jo.

JENNA: * Jo slips over to him immediately, waving for him to follow her. The room is up the stairs and along the back wall, apparently one of the larger facilities. "It'll be so nice to get these wet things off," Jo sighs, unlocking the door and pushing her way inside. She slings her pack to the floor, letting it drip there instead of continuing to soak her back -- not that it matters, as it's supposed to be waterproof anyway.

JUSTIN: * Shane hurries to get his own wet gear off, dropping his not-so-waterproof pack onto the floor beside hers, and tosses his coat and gear to hang over a chair they aren't likely to bother using. "I suppose you'll want to use the bath first." He picks at his wet shirt, which insists on sticking to his skin uncomfortably.

JENNA: "Only if you don't have any objections," Jo responds, shedding what she can of her wet clothing and arching a brow. "I'll play you for it if need be." She grins, then grimaces, removing her boots, as she forgot about them on the first go round. "Might give you time to get something out of your pack dry ..."

JUSTIN: * Shane turns his water-logged pack a sideways glance, and grimaces. "Remind me to get another of those magic backpacks next time we're near Geffen..." He glances down at his wet shirt again, and hesitates for a moment -- then shrugs, and begins to take it off anyway. Nothing she hasn't seen at least five hundred times, and even recent embarrassments can't compete with that logic. "Your cards should be plenty dry, so why not?"

JENNA: * Jo now wishes she hadn't suggested it, as she hasn't got the option he has of removing her wet shirt. She flips her pack open, frowning, then grumbles and begins to at least remove her trousers. If he has a problem with her legs, he'll just have to suffer. That done, she kicks them aside and digs through the pack again, finding the cards without too much trouble.

JUSTIN: * Shane chokes back on a laugh, lifting a hand to his mouth to hide the smile. "Well, I hadn't thought you'd actually agree to it..." He steps over to her, snagging the deck of cards and giving her side a playful pinch. "Go take your bath. I'll play a game of Solitaire while I wait. But once we're both clean and dry, maybe we can have a little game, hm?" He tosses the deck onto the bed and starts pulling items from his pack to let them dry.

JENNA: * Jo makes a soft 'tch' noise, turning back to her pack once again to retrieve a set of dry clothes before making a dash for the bath. It is with great relief that she strips off her tunic, tossing it to the floor with a wet slap, and starts running the water as hot as she can stand. Once it's full enough, she steps in, determined to let the heat soak through every pore.