Getting into trouble with Ben

[piwakawaka]

Now New Zealand has its fair share of cowboys just they work on stations and Tiwa's got a few in her family.

So it wasn't too hard to find some old fashioned boots, very dusty jeans and a shirt borrowed from an uncle, she has her own oilcloth hat since you just have these things.

She's positioned herself at a table and doing her best to not look as excited as she is, the look in her eyes sort of betrays that a bit.

Comments

[piwakawaka]

She's smart enough to stay close to him and almost behind, he's bigger and all,

"So do you have a plan?"

[almosthonorable]

Smoothly, "Always have a plan."

He leads them through the saloon and out to the dusty, bustling street, pausing at the corner.

"You see that bank across the street?"

He tips his head toward it slightly, his eyes never leaving Tiwa's.

"It's lunchtime, so there's just two tellers workin', and right now, they ain't real busy."

[piwakawaka]

Her eyes take in the street quickly, its all so dry and checks the sky as a hawk flies overhead. Then follows to where he's speaking of,

"Yeah, what do I do?"

[almosthonorable]

A half-smile tugs at his lips.

"You're gonna do what you do best, Miss Tiwa. You're gonna walk in and charm everybody in the place, and then I'm gonna come in and let 'em know it's a hold-up."

[piwakawaka]

"Think I can do that. I'm good at distractions. What works best here for charming, bossing or needing help?"

[almosthonorable]

"You could be new in town, lookin' to open an account."

He's working to hide his amusement at Tiwa's enthusiasm, but he's honestly impressed at her attention to detail.

"But I tell you what, you do what feels right when you walk in there -- I'm gonna be comin' in right behind you once you've got everybody's attention."

[piwakawaka]

"Alright."

She sets her hat and thinks for a moment before her posture changes and she seems younger and like she's trying to be tough. Then she walks into the bank.

[almosthonorable]

Ben lets her gain an appropriate distance -- she's almost across the street now -- before he sets after her.

Hat low on his forehead and head slanted slightly downward (but not too far, can't look suspicious), he leans against the wall, just a few feet from the bank's open doorway, listening.

[piwakawaka]

When she walks in, her accent has changed to English with just a hint of the South Pacific in it if you know where to look as she goes to an open teller,

"Pardon me, could you give me some help. I've been making my way from across the sea and the dessert and all trying to meet up with my brother who's supposed to be here."

The teller looks her over, its a hard look, "You shouldn't be on yer own."

Tiwa looks down at the ground, scuffing it with her boot,

"Well you see, was going to meet me but there was a storm and just trying to get where his letters are coming from."

[almosthonorable]

"Letters? Sweetheart, you need to check with the post office. This here's the bank -- "

The other teller shakes his head.

"Now, Leonard, there ain't no cause to sound so sharp to this lil' lady." He turns to Tiwa and smiles. "What you need to do, miss, is go right back out and -- "

Ben's smirking as he strides into the bank.

"Gentlemen," he nods to each of them, his palm itching above the Hand of God at his hip. "I'd like to make a withdrawal."

[piwakawaka]

Tiwa nods and listens as the tellers talk and when Ben enters she makes a squeaking sound.

The tellers aren't sure where to look since the woman even reaches forward whispering,

"Shh, will be over soon."

Tiwa's not exactly facing Ben but the way she's holding herself could be fearful though if you know her its more ready to fly.

[almosthonorable]

Tiwa is a damn fine distraction.

The tellers glance between them, and then Ben has his Colt up and cocked in half a heartbeat.

"Just put the money in here," he tells them, tossing over an empty saddlebag. "Nice and fast."

The other teller goes for his holster from his seat behind the high counter, and Ben shakes his head.

"You don't even think about it."

[piwakawaka]

Tiwa's got herself turned so that she can see behind Ben and so when there's the sound of heavy boots, she makes another squeak.

That isn't quite enough distraction as the surprised Pinkerton starts to draw his gun.

She hits the floor and ends up behind a wooden desk where there's a feathery sound before a small bird flies up and towards the Pinkerton.

[almosthonorable]

Ben turns toward the Pink who's suddenly in the doorway -- and goddamn if this wasn't part of the plan (and is Miss Tiwa a bird?) -- and pulls the trigger, hitting the man in the stomach.

The Pinkerton jerks and fires off a wild shot, and as the reports and shouts from the tellers echo in Ben's ears, he hears a startled squawk from Tiwa.

When the Pink hits the floorboards, Ben whirls toward the tellers, expression flat.

Finish the job.

"Fill the bag."

[piwakawaka]

The stray shot gets her as she was flying and so her side's hurting and a few feathers are falling as she lands on Ben's hat, chirping quietly.

[almosthonorable]

One hand goes to his brim to steady Tiwa, and he takes measured strides toward the fallen Pinkerton's pistol.

Kicking the gun out of the groaning Pink's reach, he flashes an empty smile at the tellers as they both stuff the saddlebag.

"Y'all are awful accommodatin'."

Once it's full, he hefts the bag and makes for the door, one hand still steadying Tiwa.

"You'll understand if I won't be seein' you around, boys."

With that, he steps onto the street and rounds the corner.

[piwakawaka]

Her claws are gripping the brim and she's not going to fall over though she's not feeling really steady and chirps. What's hard is he can't understand her while she's like this.

[almosthonorable]

He gets them inside Miss Carla's saloon, thankful (and not for the first time) that the woman likes him and her clientele doesn't ask questions.

When they reach the room, the saddlebag gets dumped on the bed and he carefully takes off his hat, cradling Tiwa's feathered form with one palm.

"Miss Tiwa?"

She's bleeding.

Dammit, she's bleeding --

[piwakawaka]

When they get to the room, she rests in his palm, the bloods on her side just under her right wing.

After taking a moment to get herself collected, she flies slowly out of his hand and behind the bed where there's the feather sound again.

She emerges trying to look as if its not too bad but blood is seeping through her shirt under her arm,

"I'll be fine, just knocked off some feathers."

[almosthonorable]

"You're an awful liar, Miss Tiwa."

He's already pouring some water from a cracked pitcher into a bowl -- it's cool, but it'll suffice -- and wetting a washrag.

"C'mere, let's see what that looks like."

[piwakawaka]

"No, I'm not. I'm a very good liar, have to be."

She grumbles and takes the shirt off, she's wearing a tank top underneath and the line of the bullet is pretty clear,

"Anyway, its just a graze and he was going to shoot you."

[almosthonorable]

"Takes one to know one," he mutters, stepping closer, the washcloth in one hand.

"Lucky it's just a graze."

He gently lifts her arm to better see the wound, and starts wiping away the blood beneath her armpit.

"But I tell you what, Miss Tiwa, you didn't have to go and do this -- I woulda been just fine."

[piwakawaka]

"Needed a way to distract him so he didn't get you and its not cold iron and will heal just fine."

She stands still while he tends to it, looking good an stoic,

"Anyway I'm a fast enough flier and was able to dodge the worst of it, I just got surprised."

[almosthonorable]

"Much as I appreciate the sentiment, I don't like you puttin' yourself in harm's way like this."

He peers closer at the torn skin, grateful to see the gash isn't as deep as he'd feared.

"You did good -- real good -- but there wasn't any call to get yourself shot on this job. Not on my account."

[piwakawaka]

"Course there was, always pay my debts and watch out for my friends."

She gives a little smile at his compliment though.