JENNA: * In the meantime, activities in Juno have continued in their new pattern, with the young priestess visiting her increasingly cranky pet project on a regular basis. No major emergencies have occurred since the young wolf's injury, and it has since returned to the wild. It's only been a day or two since Kalaani's last visit, when a huge storm rolls in across Juno, rattling the floating city and its environs with lightning and torrential rain.

JUSTIN: * Mackenzie closes the window in his office with a sharp smack of wood against wood, dulling the sound of the pouring rain, though doing little to mask the constant sound of thunder overhead. It's the worst storm he can remember in years, but he's little concerned about his own property. The fools in the floating city are likely all locked in tight and praying their unnatural wonder doesn't fall out from under their feet. Not that he's one to talk about the unnatural. Sighing quietly, he heads out across the building in the direction of the kitchen, intent on making himself some hot tea to help focus his mind.

JENNA: * Insane as it may seem to be out in the weather, a lone figure is making its way up the walk to Mackenzie's house, moving as quickly as it can -- which isn't quickly at all, given the wind and rain. It flinches once or twice at nearby thunder but plows on determinedly, reaching the doorstep and pausing for a moment, still lashed by water, to catch its breath. It is, naturally, none other than Kalaani, and once she's steadied herself, she reaches out to pull the doorbell.

JUSTIN: * Mackenzie has just gotten a kettle of water on the stove when the chiming sound of the doorbell echoes into the kitchen from the main hall. He looks up with blank disbelief from his task, looking straight out the window at the trees bowing under the force of the wind, almost completely obscured by the torrents of rain. The crashing thunder and sparks of lightning only punctuate the scene, and he wonders what crazy, idiotic, luckless individual is out in this mess -- nevermind ringing his doorbell. For the first time in a long time, Kalaani doesn't even enter his mind as the likely suspect. Surely a delicate girl like that would have the wisdom to stay indoors.

JENNA: * Kalaani's concern only grows when no one answers the door, and she waits only a few moments before tugging the bell again. Then she tugs her cloak tighter around herself, attempting to wrap her hands in something warmer. The measure is largely a failure, as she is pretty much soaked to the bone.

JUSTIN: * Mackenzie turns the heat down and steps out of the kitchen, looking something between annoyed and suspicious as he approaches the front foyer. He tugs his coat a little closer around him as he prepares to open the door, which he does so with less force than Kalaani is used to. When he peers around the edge of the door, he immediately takes a step back and curses under his breath, holding a hand to his forehead. It takes a moment for him to collect himself enough to further open the door and confront the girl outside. "What in Helheim are you doing here?"

JENNA: "O-oh!" Kalaani says, surprised when the door opens. "You're all right." A relieved smile makes its way onto her face, and she straightens, in spite of her shivering. "I was worried," she explains belatedly. "I h-haven't seen a storm this bad before. I wasn't sure.." She trails off, then smiles again, apparently honestly pleased.

JUSTIN: * Mackenzie can only stare at the girl, wondering if he's somehow managed to mishear everything she's just said -- and he rarely has trouble comprehending things. "You..." He stumbles over his words, completely flabbergasted. "Are you out of your /mind/, girl? What in Midgard would possess you to..." He scowls, unable to keep two thoughts strung together long enough to finish a sentance. His words don't much matter, however, as the disapproval is clearly evident on his face.

JENNA: * As she faces his disapproval every time she comes to visit him, the expression on his face doesn't faze her in the least. "I probably should have known you'd be okay," she admits, wrapping her hands in the cloak again. "But ... I had to make sure. I'm glad you're all right." She bobs in a slightly stiff curtsey and smiles. "Sorry to have bothered you," she adds, her usual farewell, then starts to turn away.

JUSTIN: "You walked all the way here in this weather to see if I, who live in a large, stone building was all right. And now you're going to walk back again, through the same storm." Mackenzie cusses under his breath and reaches out to grab her by her upper arm. "Stupid. Incompetent. If you cause even half as much trouble to your church, it is a wonder they haven't labelled you as possessed." He none-too-gently steers her back around and gives her a slight shove to get her moving through the front door. "Sit down here and don't move."

JENNA: * Kalaani stumbles as he pulls her, nearly slipping in the water that drips from her clothes as he pushes her into the building. "I -- I didn't mean to .." Her voice trails off as she takes the seat indicated for her. She stands again, about to remove her cloak, then reconsiders, unsure whether she should or not. "I just thought.." She subsides, looking at her lap with some embarrassment.

JUSTIN: "You didn't think, that's the problem." Mackenzie shuts the front door roughly, turning the lock and drawing the bolt. "Stay where you are. I won't have you tracking mud and water all over my house." He briskly takes off out of the foyer, and disappears around the corner without another word.

JENNA: * Kalaani gives a very soft sigh, then decides to risk incurring further displeasure and stands again, removing her cloak and laying it aside. She then sits again obediently, folding her hands in her lap with a weary shake of her head. As prepared as she was to go back to Juno through the rain, she's glad she doesn't have to -- at least not immediately.

JUSTIN: * It isn't terribly long before Mackenzie finally returns, arms laden with folded cloth. "Until your clothes are dry, you will wear these." He sets them down on the cushioned bench beside her, and deposits a modestly sized towel on top of the pile. "There is a robe. I advise you wear it, as the pants are unlikely to fit. Don't come out until you're dried and dressed." Before she can answer -- especially before she can answer -- he turns and marches out of the foyer again, face almost red from agitation, anger, and embarrassment. He is certain -- no, more than certain that he will regret this.

JENNA: * Kalaani blinks after him, having attempted once or twice to stammer out thanks, or an apology, or something. She falls silent as he leaves, however, and slowly strips out of her soaked clothes, feeling moderately embarrassed at having to do so outside the privacy of her own room. She dries and dresses quickly, finding that the trousers are, in fact, too large, but she folds the towel over her arm and quietly follows him -- or at least the direction she saw him go.

JUSTIN: * Mackenzie is back in the kitchen again, tending to his interrupted tea preparation. By the time Kalaani walks through the open archway -- it's not hard to locate, connecting directly to the central hall -- he's already got the tea brewed and is carrying the tray with kettle and cups into the ajoining dining room. He turns her a sideways glance, shaking his head at the ridiculous sight of her small frame engulfed by his robe. "I was making tea before you decided to walk through freezing wind and rain to darken my doorstep. As I am unlikely to finish it all myself, you might as well share in it. It will help to warm you."

JENNA: * She nods and follows him slowly, waiting for an indication before she takes a seat. "Thank you," she says, voice very subdued, as though she is finally realizing the amount of danger she put herself in -- and the amount of inconvenience she's causing.

JUSTIN: * Mackenzie sets the tray down at the far end of a large, ornate dining table, and pulls out the closest chair, indicating with a hand that she's to sit herself there. "Do not be so quick to thank me. It is just better than the alternative: letting you get sick, spreading germs and bacteria all over my house." He removes cups from the tray and takes the kettle, filling them each an exactly equal amount. "There's no sugar, so I hope you have more refined taste than a common child."

JENNA: "Thank you all the same," Kalaani says simply, taking the tea and sipping it without comment. In fact, she does like sugar with her tea, on the rare occasions she drinks it, but she is hardly in a position to complain. She sips it again, closing her eyes as she lets the liquid warm her from the inside out. As she does so, she smiles a small, contented smile.

JUSTIN: * Mackenzie rolls his eyes slightly, yanking out the next chair over and seating himself. "If it wasn't completely inconvenient and ridiculous, perhaps I'd consider saying you're welcome." He half-mutters, giving his tea a brief stir before taking a rather large sip at it. In his haste and distraction, he underestimates the heat of the liquid -- somehow managing to forget that it just came off the stove -- and he hisses a string of curses in some unusual language, getting to his feet again immediately and stomping toward the kitchen.

JENNA: * Kalaani blinks at his departure, almost getting to her feet to follow him. "Are you all right?" she calls after, bending over the table in an attempt to peer into the kitchen. It's only when she nearly spills the tea that she sits back, sipping again, as making a mess would probably only make him angrier.

JUSTIN: * Mackenzie quickly fetches himself a glass of cold water, and attempts to ease the burn of his tongue with the liquid. It isn't particularly successful, the damage already done, and he stalks back toward the dining room looking exceptionally frustrated. "I'm going to my office. Finish your tea, and don't... touch anything else." He throws a small cloth down on the tabletob to wipe up the small spill of his tea, and then just as quickly tromps off again.

JENNA: "O-okay," Kalaani says blankly, once again watching him leave with a mixture of confusion and embarrassment. She finishes her tea in due time, resisting the urge to pour herself another cup, then gets to her feet, forgetting for a moment his orders. She looks around the room curiously, mostly in an effort to stretch her legs, then slips out into the hall again to look around there.

JUSTIN: * Mackenzie is true to his word, heading immediately to his upstairs office -- despite the fact that his unfinished work is in the downstairs one. Up here, however, the louder sound of rainfall and thunder, and the added distance between himself and the girl in the dining room, will hopefully afford him some amount of separation from the events of the evening. He takes a seat at his desk and buries his face in his hands, rubbing away lines of tension -- or, at least doing his best to pretend it helps.

JENNA: * Kalaani, in the meantime, continues her quiet exploration, finally striking gold when she finds a room full of books. A pleased look flashes across her face, and she trots to one of the shelves, reaching out to the first title she sees -- then she stops, remembering all at once his orders not to touch anything. Her expression becomes sincerely disappointed, but she lets her hand drop, contenting herself with browsing the titles -- what few of them she can read.

JUSTIN: * It isn't long before Mackenzie's tea cup has been drained, though his burned tongue doesn't allow him to enjoy the taste as much as he'd have liked. His headache and stress are slowly fading, driven away by the steady rhythm of the rain. The noise has exactly the effect he'd hoped for, giving the sense of lonely isolation he's used to, having spent many a rainy night in his study. He doesn't quite forget about Kalaani, but he manages an adequate compromise of pretending to forget.

JENNA: * Kalaani finally finishes her exploration of the library without touching anything, in spite of several severe temptations. She finally settles down on one of the seats in the room, rubbing her eyes wearily, and pulls her feet up, resting comfortably against the cushions. In spite of her best efforts, she's quite tired, and, with the help of the steady noise of the storm, it doesn't take her long to fall asleep, curled up in the chair.

JUSTIN: * It's late into the evening by the time Mackenzie comes down from his study again, the thunder more distant, but the rain still hard. He isn't surprised when he finds the dining room empty, but he takes the time to wash out the kettle and cups before he begins a search for his mostly uninvited guest. The foyer is empty, save for the girl's dress and cloak, both still damp. The bathroom likewise turns up nothing. By now, he's beginning to feel somewhat agitated, knowing that this means she's wandered deeper into his house than he'd have liked, and he was likely in error for not telling her to stay put again.

JENNA: * Kalaani has spent the entire time sound asleep, and she remains so, dreams undisturbed by the storm (or lack of it) or by her unusual surroundings. She does shift slightly, one leg slipping to dangle off the edge of the chair, but she doesn't wake, still wandering in dreams.

JUSTIN: * Mackenzie finally finds the room holding his stowaway, and he spots the top of her head over the arm of a large armchair, turning her another disappointed glare. He steps over to her with crisp, marching steps, and is surprised -- though he isn't sure why -- to find her sound asleep. As if that weren't bad enough, the sheer innocence that her quiet, gently breathing body exudes is enough to make him feel mildly ill. "This is ridiculous..." He turns a glance out the window, not sure if he should wake her or leave her be. The storm has yet to pass completely, so she couldn't leave. Maybe letting her sleep is the best way to keep her out of trouble.

JENNA: * Whatever decision Mackenzie was about to make quickly becomes moot as Kalaani stirs sleepily, rubbing her eyes with one hand and staring around the room in apparent puzzlment. When she spies Mackenzie, she straightens immediately, face going an embarrassed shade of pink. "Oh. I.. I'm sorry. I didn't mean to ..." She tucks his robe around herself, attempting to pull her leg back from the floor. "I just.. I like books, and.." She trails off, realizing that this statement does not connect well with the other.

JUSTIN: * Mackenzie snaps his attention back to her, turning to face her and cross his arms over his chest. "You like books, and you decided to fall asleep in my library?" He lowers his arms, straightening slightly as his face hardens into his usual, overly-stern visage. "Did I give you permission to snoop about my estate?"

JENNA: * Kalaani looks embarrassed, gaze dropping to her lap. "Y..you told me not to touch anything.. so I couldn't read any of them..." Then she lifts her head, expression apologetic. "I only wanted to walk around a little ... I didn't mean to go far." She falls silent, getting to her feet, as she assumes she's finally worn out what little welcome she had.

JUSTIN: "Next time you get the urge to walk, you know where the front door is." Mack snaps, thrusting a hand out in the direction of the library's entrance, and waits for her to start moving. "You are not to do /anything/ in my house without my express permission. But I can gladly say that you won't have another chance in the future to make the same mistake."

JENNA: * Kalaani nods and starts walking, hands folded in front of her. She can't help a wistful look over her shoulder at all the books as she leaves the room, then her gaze turns immediately back to the floor. She isn't entirely certain where Mack wants her to go, so she stops in the hallway and waits for him, taking another look around the hall.

JUSTIN: * Mackenzie isn't far behind her, and once they're out of the library, he takes the lead. He takes her through the house quickly, not wanting to give her enough time to be distracted by anything they happen to pass, and it's not long before they end up a small, apparently little-used guest room. It's a simple room at best, with a twin-sized bed, a dresser, and a modest, adjoining bathroom. "You will spend the rest of the night here, and you won't leave until I come to get you in the morning. Do I make myself perfectly clear?"

JENNA: * Kalaani gives a very small nod. "Thank you," she says again, tucking a lock of hair behind her ear and stepping farther into the room. She hesitates, then turns to face him, looking slightly embarrassed. "Um.. can I.. can I go get my clothes?" she asks, twining her fingers together uneasily. "It won't take long ... I won't touch anything."

JUSTIN: "Why?" Mackenzie favors her with a wholly unsympathetic stare. "You can get them before you leave. Do you need your clothes to sleep?" He takes a step forward and leans to take the doorknob, moving to close the door without waiting for a response. He's fairly certain the answer is clear.

JENNA: * Kalaani nods again, shoulders slumping slightly, and doesn't argue. "Thank you," she says again, waiting until he's closed the door before sinking down on the edge of the bed. She isn't tired now, after that nap, but it seems clear that if she irritates him any more she will get tossed out in the weather -- and possibly without her clothes. Besides, she is inconveniencing him, she reasons, so as uncomfortable as she is, she eventually lies down and attempts to go back to sleep.

JUSTIN: * Too weary to continue studying for once, Mackenzie decides to retire to his own bed chambers for the night. He goes about his preparations in the usual manner, stripping down and neatly folding his clothes before slipping into bed. Despite the stress of the evening, he doesn't find it hard to fall asleep, troubled thoughts fleeing at the promise of unconsciousness. By the time early morning arrives, he's feeling a little less disheveled, but he wastes no time in dressing and heading immediately for the guest bedroom to knock on the wooden door.

JENNA: * Kalaani is already awake, and she has been since before daybreak, tending to her morning prayers and washing up a little. She straightens her borrowed clothes and trots immediately to answer the door, pulling it open with a smile. "Good morning," she says, bobbing slightly in place. "Did you sleep well?"

JUSTIN: "The rain stopped, so you can be on your way." Mackenzie says flatly, completely ignoring her ridiculous greeting and trying not to wretch at the cheer. He steps aside to give her room to exit, and motions down the hallway. "Your clothes are where you left them."

JENNA: "Thank you," she says, bobbing again, and steps out of the room, hurrying past him to gather her clothes, which are really fairly filthy. She hesitates, then starts back toward the room, hoping he'll let her change in the guest room as opposed to the front hall. It was fairly embarrassing the first time, and her regular clothes take considerably more work to get on than the robe did.

JUSTIN: * Mackenzie clears his throat rather pointedly, and holds a hand up in a halting gesture. "Where are you going? Don't waste my time, I have a lot of business to take care of today. You can change in the foyer, like you did before." He lowers his hand and starts walking again, apparently angling for the kitchen, as if implying there is no room for argument on the matter.

JENNA: * Kalaani looks very upset at this pronouncement, but she nods and makes her way back to the foyer, attempting to find as secluded an area as possible before she changes back into her clothes as quickly as she can. Which really isn't very quickly at all, particularly with the buttons up the back. It's actually with some relief that she finishes, then pauses to fold the robe and lay it on the bench.

JUSTIN: * Mackenzie gets himself a tall glass of water at the kitchen sink, and he stares out the window at the barren excuse for a front lawn, wet from the night's unceasing downpour. It's quiet, now, the only drops coming from overladen leaves on tall trees, dripping collected rainwater in uneven rhythm. After several long minutes, he turns a sideways glance in the direction of the central hall, Kalaani easily out of view in the foyer from this perspective. Still, despite his impatience, he is determined to wait until she proves she's clothed again. Or he hears the front door close.

JENNA: * Kalaani pauses, then slips back toward the kitchen. It doesn't seem right to her to leave without a proper good-bye. She doesn't go in far, however, standing in the doorway and bobbing a polite curtsey. "Thank you for letting me stay," she says, straightening, then turns to leave, cloak folded over her arm.

JUSTIN: * Mackenzie turns her a disinterested look. At the least, this means she's finally ready to leave his house. "One time," he says simply, setting his glass down and turning to step toward her again. "Never again. Do you understand me? I don't care if you see the heavens part and bolts of /divine wrath/ fall upon my home. You are not to come here out of some dillusional need to assure my safety." He strides past her and heads to the foyer, scooping up the borrowed clothing and opening the door -- just to make it clear he's not waiting around to make lengthy goodbyes. "It's bad enough you insist on coming here every few days when I've already made it clear you're unwelcome."

JENNA: * Kalaani smiles, having greatly recovered her spirits now that she has proper clothing again. She doesn't respond to anything he says, bobbing again once she's stepped out the door and starting up the walk. She doesn't manage to get around the bend before she starts singing again, a cheerful hymn likely involving rain and the sunshine that follows it.

JUSTIN: * Mackenzie's eyes roll heavenward, and he mutters something in a long-unused language -- probably accusing the gods of something -- and shuts the door with little care for the volume of the slam. The long day ahead of him is going to be both a relief and a headache, as he knows he will undoubtedly spend a good deal of it wishing he'd never let the stupid girl past the front steps.

JENNA: * A few weeks later, following a few days of 'quality time' in the cave and a slightly extended shopping stop in Alberta, Shane and Jo have trekked, back through Hugel and past Juno to arrive at Mack's isolated estate, bearing several reams of paper for the scholar's perusal. Jo, at least, is in high spirits as they approach the door, ready for the affair to be over with and largely hoping the old goat will pay them and let them be on their way. Strange as it seems (at least to her), she's actually missing the house near Hugel and the relaxing privacy of its confines. She ties her peco at the gate, as usual, and swings down lazily, pausing to grab the borrowed gear.

JUSTIN: * Shane quickly hops down from his peco beside Jo, slinging the reigns around the gate post and tying them. "Same big, brooding mansion we left behind. I guess Mr. Malachi isn't too big on yard work." He rubs at his sore butt for a moment, then hefts the briefcase full of their hard (or at least time-consuming) work. "Let's hope he remembers we're here on his invitation."

JENNA: "Well, if he doesn't, we can always take his gear and leave," Jo snorts. "There might be some idiot out there willing to pay for it." She starts up the walk, some of her good spirits dying as she nears the house. The thought that they will have to visit Juno to depost their pay lowers them even further, and she sighs. She waits for Shane to join her at the door before giving the bell an emphatic tug.

JUSTIN: * Shane leans against one of the stone pillars holding up the porch roof overhead, crossing his arms boredly across his chest. It doesn't take longer than a minute before the door opens, and a rather distracted-looking Mackenzie appears in the entrance. He looks between the two of them briefly, then stands taller, straightening his coat with a sharp tug. "Finally back, are we?" His voice sounds distinctly unimpressed, but that's nothing new.

JENNA: * Jo gives him a cool stare. "You did send us to Morroc." She lifts the briefcase, dangling it boredly in front of her. "And we brought back plenty of paper for you to look at." She glances at Shane. "I think he marked what was on what wall, and what came off the grave, anyway." A look of distaste flickers across her face as she recalls the two corpses in attendance.

JUSTIN: * Mackenzie takes the briefcase without hesitation, motioning for the two to follow him as he turns to head back into the depths of the house. "I know where I sent you. I've made the trip in far less time." He heads toward the usual doorway, leading up to his larger study. "I'll need to appraise your work before I settle on payment."

JENNA: "/I've/ made the trip in far less time," Jo retorts with a growl, largely to herself. It's not as if one can account for traveling conditions, after all. She does follow him, however, expression resigned. It seems all too likely (to her) that he'll look for any excuse to dock their pay. On the upside, there's always the chance he'll never hire them again, if he thinks they've done a bad enough job.

JUSTIN: "Then I'm sure you can understand." Mack calls back over his shoulder, knowing full well she wasn't agreeing with him on any count. He marches up the stairs to the office and moves immediately to his desk to set the briefcase down. Shane snags Jo's arm before they can get too far after their employer, leaning in to address her in a hushed tone. "Jo, he's crabby enough without you egging him on. Just let him say whatever he wants, it doesn't matter to us, right?"

JENNA: "Remind me again why I care," Jo growls in the same low voice. "If all he wants to do is complain, I don't see why he hires us at all." She jerks her arm free and stalks after Mack, leaning against the wall near the doorway once she's inside the office. In all fairness, she wishes she did have the serenity to ignore his jibes, but he stinks entirely too strongly of the self-absorbed and self-important rich, who have no respect for her kind and she has no respect for whatsoever.

JUSTIN: * Shane makes a disgruntled noise, knowing it was pointless to hope she'd just up and agree with him. He makes his way into the room after her, folding his hands behind his back and waiting near the corner of the room. Mackenzie is busy sifting through the papers, the vast majority of which are in good condition. Aside from a few smudges and some sand-induced wear, they're all legible. "These all... seem to be in order..." He says, rather distractedly. He'd like nothing more than to sit down and start pouring over them right away. Somehow, he manages to control the urge, at least long enough to get rid of the two guests. "I'll offer you fifty-thousand for the lot."

JENNA: * Jo shrugs, glancing at Shane, then nods, straightening away from the wall. "That's fine," she says, lack of interest clear in her tone. They made the trip south and back on less than a thousand, much as they had in the past, so almost anything would be a profit. It nags her somewhat not to know whether she's being cheated, but they have far too much money now to give it too much thought.

JUSTIN: * Shane nods his consent, and Mackenzie arches an eyebrow, waiting to see if anyone decides to argue the matter at the last second. When nobody does, he reaches into his desk to retrieve a pad of receipts and a pen. "Very well." He scribbles out some information on the paper in his usual, impecable script, and tears the piece from the pad. "The process will be the same as before. Show this to the bank, and they'll give you the money." He holds it out, waiting impatiently for someone to take it and leave.

JENNA: * Jo lingers by the door for a moment, largely to be irritating, then ambles forward to take the paper from him and nod. She doesn't say much, however, turning back toward the door and starting to leave. She isn't remotely inclined to thank him or even utter the mildest farewell. She glances at Shane when she reaches the door and offers him the paper, as he's the one likely to have to deal with it.

JUSTIN: * Shane hesitates long enough to tip his hat to Mack -- who isn't even looking -- before he stuffs the receipt in his pocket and follows Jo out of the room. Once the door is shut behind them, he lets out a ragged sigh and quickly trots down the stairs, eager to be on his way. "You don't suppose that's the last we'll see of him, do you?" He turns to look back at Jo over his shoulder, smiling slightly at her expression.

JENNA: "I can only hope so," Jo remarks, glancing back up the steps and shaking her head as she starts for the door. "There are plenty of other people in the world he could bother." She pulls the front door open and steps outside, sucking in a deep breath. To her, the house has always seemed incredibly stuffy. "Either way, we should probably go see if the sheep's forgotten us." She grins at him over her shoulder. "And tend to the money, I guess."

JUSTIN: "Yes, yes. The money." Shane glances up to the sky, where Juno can plainly be seen hovering a few miles away. "That should be fun. We should think about hiring someone to manage our accounts for us." He grins slimly, making his way to the end of the front walk and quickly untying his peco.

JENNA: "What, someone to ferry this piece of paper to the bank for us? What's the point?" She unties her own bird and swings into the saddle, frowning slightly. "Aside from not having to visit there ever again ..." Which is, in itself, a tempting prospect. She grins and starts for the road. "It's not like we're ever going to use all the money we already have."

JUSTIN: * Shane settles into his bird's saddle and gives a quiet sigh, smiling thinly. "People like us were never meant to be rich." He shrugs his shoulders lightly and starts down the path at a leisurely pace. "Not that I'm really complaining, or anything... I was never meant to fall in love with a thief from Morroc, either, but that didn't turn out so bad."

JENNA: * Jo shakes her head, glancing back at him. "Maybe you were meant to," she retorts, mouth curving in a grin. "Maybe the gods had it all planned." She shrugs and turns her face back to the road, nudging her peco into a faster pace. "But it was probably all dumb luck." It doesn't seem to bother her one way or the other.

JUSTIN: * Shane snorts quietly, lips twitching a small grin of their own. "Maybe. Maybe someone in Asgard had a little too much mead." He matches Jo's pace, the peco giving a slight ruffle of annoyance, as is its custom of silent protest. "If you want to stay behind, I'll go deposit the money myself."

JENNA: * Jo shakes her head and shrugs. "I'll go ... hate for you to get lonesome." She grins gamely, shrugging, not entirely sure why she's turning down an offer that would keep her out of her least favorite city pretty much ever.

JUSTIN: * Shane arches his brows, truly surprised that she turned down the offer so easily. "Well, if you say so. I do get awful lonely when you aren't around." He smirks, leaning off his saddle to tug at her lengthening hair before righting himself again. "Heights or nausea today? Might as well decide now."

JENNA: "Eh, you can choose this time. Though nausea would probably be faster." And, she supposes, the faster they get in and out, the less time she has to spend in said city. "At least the bank transaction should go quicker this time around ... we might be home in time for dinner."

JUSTIN: * Shane snorts, turning her a sideways glance. "We might be halfway home in time for dinner, anyway. I doubt the pecos will consent to a full day of running." He pats his bird on the head, much to its annoyance, and stretches. "I hate to do such a thing to your stomach, but faster would be preferable... Who knows, maybe this'll be the time you finally get used to it."

JENNA: * Jo's expression clearly expresses her doubts on that matter, but she shrugs mildly, letting him have his optimism for the moment. The journey back to Juno, at least, is brief, and it isn't long before the stone city is looming almost directly above them on the approach to the teleporter. As is her custom, Jo swings down from her bird as they reach it, pulling her hair back and tying it with a cord she has in her pocket.

JUSTIN: * Shane drops down from the back of his mount, as well, if only to make Jo feel more comfortable -- as doubtful as that likely is. He steps up onto the platform and turns to wait for her, smiling in a (hopefully) encouraging fashion. "Need a moment to prepare, or do you just want to get it over with?"

JENNA: * She arches an eyebrow at him, frowning. "Prepare for what? I don't get sick until after we've landed." Then she shrugs, tossing her newly tied ponytail. "That's why I tied it back." Shrugging once more, she starts for the platform, dragging her irritable peco with her.

JUSTIN: * Shane smirks, making sure to give her ponytail a good tug once she's in range. "You know what I--" His sentance is briefly cut off, as his mouth disappears into a million pieces of energy and soars several miles into the sky, only to rematerialize on the other end of the teleport loop. "--meant." He looks around at the buildings, all as familiar as they used to be, though lacking the distinct air of home that they used to. "Well... need a moment now?"

JENNA: * Jo doesn't answer, instead handing him the peco's reins and ambling casually off around a piece of stonework -- where she proceeds to be violently sick. Finished, she wipes her mouth and ambles back to take the reins, clearly resigned to that particular part of the ritual. "Let's go then, shall we?" she suggests.

JUSTIN: * Shane gives her belly a gentle pat, and tugs at the reigns of his bird, chirping for it to follow. "We shall." He smiles slimly, not particularly thrilled about the task, but willing enough to get it over and done with. "You know, I remember when fifty thousand zeny would have excited me. What's the world come to, when you aren't excited over a small fortune."

JENNA: "I guess that's how rich people feel," Jo says with a lazy smile. Then she scratches her cheek, looking puzzled. "I'm not sure I would have known what to do with fifty thousand zenny anyway." She lets Shane take the lead, not particularly remembering the way to the bank and wanting to let her still-stewing insides to settle a bit.

JUSTIN: * Shane chuckles quietly, peering over his shoulder at her. "Likely the same thing we did with the other fortune." He stretches again, letting out a ragged yawn, and laces his fingers behind his head, the end of the reigns dangling against his back. It doesn't take long to reach the bank, as it's rather close to the merchant quarter where they arrived, and it looks a bit busier than the last time they were here. "Must be payday or something... Not that most common folk use the bank."

JENNA: "Hope it won't delay us too much.." Jo frowns, tying her peco and pausing to wait for Shane. "If the common folk don't use it, and the nobles don't have jobs, why would it being payday matter?" She grins at him, smacking her peco sharply when it attempts to tug at the reins.

JUSTIN: "It matters," Shane tugs the reigns tight around the railing, then turns to look at Jo again, straightening his hat, "because it gives me something to say." He bares a coy grin and gives her arm a squeeze, then starts for the front doors. They open quietly at his insistance, clearing the way into the large, bustling interior. Despite the usual silence associated with a place of this sort, it does seem to be rather lively by comparison to their previous visit, confirming Shane's earlier assessment.

JENNA: * Jo's natural discomfort with the place is heightened by the crowd, and she frowns, sticking close to Shane as they make their way through the bank. "Maybe not so quick, then," she mutters, shifting her pack with a faint sigh. "It would be nice to be out of here before evening, though ..."

JUSTIN: * Shane slings his arm around her shoulders comfortably, giving her a gentle squeeze. "Oh, don't say that. I'm sure we'll get through quickly enough. We're through with bad luck, remember?" He leads her through the light crowd, most people off to the sides attending to their business, until they approach the front receptionist. Letting go of Jo, he slides his hand into his pocket and produces the small receipt, unfolding it before he hands it off. "We're just here to do a payment transfer."

JENNA: * The receptionist looks at the receipt blankly, then looks at Shane. "Oh," she says, putting a hand to her forehead as though she's trying to remember the procedure for dealing with large sums of money. "Oh," she says again. "Of course. Let me --" She gets to her feet and looks around, then sinks down again. "I'm sorry ... it's been unusually busy today. Please take a seat over near the office, and I'll notify her that you've come to make a deposit ..." She hesitates, forcing a smile. "She'll be with you as soon as possible."

JUSTIN: * Shane rubs at the back of his neck, already not liking the sound of this. He tries to keep optimistic, however. "All right. Thank you, miss." Taking Jo by the hand, he starts for the far end of the bank, and the small circle of chairs set off to the side. Upon closer inspection, however, it's fairly clear that all but a few of the chairs are occupied. "Oh... for gods' sakes. Why is everyone in the Republic at the bank today?"

JENNA: "Maybe all of the old goat's treasure hunters came home today." She smiles faintly, letting him pull her over to one of the chairs. "Not much we can do about it, I guess." She sits down, tugging him slightly, as she doesn't particularly feel like releasing his hand. "Guess the pecos get more of a rest than we bargained on."

JUSTIN: * Shane sighs dramatically, snagging his hat and repositioning it on Jo's head. "Let's hope they behave themselves out there." He smiles slimly, parking himself on the floor in front of her and leaning back between her legs. There was once a time when the odd stares would have embarrassed him, and he finds himself mildly amused at the fact that they don't.

JENNA: * Jo reaches out to ruffle his hair, leaning forward boredly to rub at his neck and shoulders. "Yours is the one that's always going after people, as I recall," she says, grinning. She doesn't appear to have noticed the stares at all, which is just as well, because they spend the next four hours sitting in that spot as people come and go around them. It's close to closing time when their turn finally comes up, and the woman who dealt with their money before stands before them, looking somewhat weary and more than a little harried.

JUSTIN: * Shane can't help feeling some amount of empathy toward the woman, having dealt with large, unruly crowds before. And just sitting in the middle of one for four hours is enough to make him swear them off for the rest of his life. "Well, we shouldn't take much of your time. Just a simple transfer of funds, and a small withdrawl." He turns a glance back at Jo, then places the receipt on the desk in from of Mrs. Green. "Another job for Mr. Malachi. Turns out being rich isn't enough to keep us retired."

JENNA: "If being rich means being retired, then being rich is boring," Jo puts in, folding her arms and making a face. "Though I hope we don't get hired by him again," she mutters, largely to herself. Then she seems to remember where she is and falls silent again, leaning against the wall.

JUSTIN: * Shane snorts, looking back at Jo again and smirking for her benefit. "You're the one who leaped at the chance to take this job, remember? I'm not so sure you'd turn down another if it came up." Mrs. Green smiles wearily and starts on the paperwork for the transfer, giving her head a light shake. "Mr. Malachi isn't known for his bedside manner, that much is true. There aren't many folk who choose to have dealings with him if money isn't involved."

JENNA: * Jo heaves a sigh, keenly aware that if the job promised travel, she would probably take him up on it. "Can't blame them," she growls, then shrugs. For now, at least, she's ready for a break. For all her care, Morroc is an idiotically dangerous place to go, even if it is rich with scholarly garbage.

JUSTIN: * Shane shakes his head, tapping his hat (recently retrieved) idly against his leg while he waits. It isn't long before Mrs. Green looks up from her work and slides a paper across the desk for Shane to sign, officially completing the transaction. "Ten thousand should do for a withdrawl... Is that all right with you, Jo?"

JENNA: * Jo shrugs, not having much idea what they'll be spending it on, aside from food. "I didn't have anything in mind," she says, straightening away from the wall as the transaction nears completion. She glances out the window and is somewhat aggravated to see the sun rapidly completing its journey west.

JUSTIN: "I had a feeling you'd say that." He scribbles out another signature, another couple of papers are worked on, and they're soon ushered out of the office again. "If you'll wait at the front desk, I'll get the money to you in just a minute." Mrs. Green smiles and motions toward the front of the building, then disappears around a corner in the direction of the vault. Shane snags Jo around the waist and starts walking, stretching liberally where possible. "Mm. So much for making it home in time for dinner. Or even breakfast."

JENNA: "I guess it won't hurt to stay here the night," Jo says with a sigh. "We wouldn't get anywhere significant before dark anyway." She stops when they reach the desk, leaning boredly against him. "Maybe we can stretch our legs a bit before we find an inn, though ..." She glances up when the woman returns from the back, heading in their direction.