[[ mixed muses-verse // ben-tiwa ]]

[almosthonorable]

whitetextiswhite

[ "we could go someplace where you're not wanted" ]


He caved.

(Caved like a dynamited rock tunnel.)

His only stipulation had been that Tiwa had to wait for him to move his door to Mexico.

Which is why he's smirking as he strides into the bar and finds Little Miss Magic curled on one of the couches.

"Found us the perfect place," he says, tipping his head toward the Front Door.

Ascensión awaits.

Comments

[piwakawaka]

"Good. Oh probably should change. One sec."

She goes up to Bar and eyes Bar at the pile of clothing before returning in a skirt that has her frowning,

"Don't see why I couldn't just wear jeans again, they were comfortable."

[almosthonorable]

"But you look awful pretty, little 'un."

Though the colorful pattern is sure to catch the eye of more than one young man.

"And comfortable, to boot."

[piwakawaka]

"Least I can spin in it."

Which she does since well its fun but she's still pouting,

"So where are we going?"

[almosthonorable]

Smug, "Mexico, just like you wanted."

(It's possible he's hoping to coax a smile -- even an exasperated one -- from her expression.)

[piwakawaka]

"There's a lot of Mexico. What's it like and does this place have a name."

Some curiosity is creeping into her voice but the shirt Bar gave her has too long sleeves so they're been rolled up.

[almosthonorable]

"There is a lot of it," he says with a nod of agreement, "but we're walkin' out into Ascensión."

A beat.

"It's peaceful."

Read: Ben's not wanted there.

[piwakawaka]

"For now."

And now there's a grin.

[almosthonorable]

Dryly, "For a good long time."

He offers Tiwa an arm.

[piwakawaka]

He gets a bob as she takes his arm,

"Yeah, but that's only cause you've never been there."

[almosthonorable]

"Now that isn't exactly true."

There's a woman who runs one of the cantinas -- the one they're about to walk into, on the other side of the door -- who's particularly fond of him.

(And he of her -- though, these days, thanks to a certain Russian astronaut, he's a man who's spoken for.)

[piwakawaka]

"Oh, so what happened the last time you were here?"

When they enter, she looks around with a big grin, trying to see if there's music anywhere about.

[almosthonorable]

"Absolutely nothin'."

He winks and crosses the room to get her some water; it's hot, even here inside.

In one corner of the room, a weathered old man -- skin sun-leathered and wrinkled, obviously a local -- strums a battered guitar.

[piwakawaka]

Tiwa doesn't know any Spanish but she knows about music so walks over to the man with the guitar and curtsies,

"Sir, would you play something I could dance to?"

[almosthonorable]

He looks up, slow and almost lazily, and blinks in surprise at the lovely young woman before him.

He tilts his head slightly, then nods to his instrument, a question clear in his features.

Ben's at the bar, tossing back a quick shot of tequila before requesting water.

[piwakawaka]

"Something to move to."

She does a twirl that sends her skirt spinning and sings something light and very clearly from the Pacific.

[almosthonorable]

The man watches her, mouth falling open slightly at the ease and grace of her movements, and his fingers find the strings of the guitar, setting an accompanying rhythm.

When Ben turns around, he pauses for a moment, then shakes his head in helpless bemusement.

Tiwa's gonna draw a crowd, he knows it.

[piwakawaka]

When he starts the music, she laughs and sings to what he's playing, its just in Maori.

Then she starts dancing and searching for Ben and taking his hand,

"No fun dancing alone."

[almosthonorable]

He lets himself be herded to a relatively open spot and lifts an arm so Tiwa can twirl.

"The plan was to blend in."

[piwakawaka]

"We are blending in, we're enjoying ourselves."

She twirls and then keeps dancing with him, she's not leading really just suggesting.

[almosthonorable]

He opens his mouth to argue, then thinks the better of it -- this is Tiwa, after all -- and follows her steps as best he can.

[piwakawaka]

They do start to gather a crowd around them and the musician actually is dropped a few coins to keep playing so that the lovely lady will just keep dancing.

[almosthonorable]

Ben's actually working up a sweat by the time the third tune starts up; with a conceding smile, he gives Tiwa a short bow and takes a step back to let her twirl and flit where she pleases.

[piwakawaka]

She kisses his cheek and with a curtsy, starts dancing with one of the young men who's gathered around them.

He starts to say something in Spanish but she just dances and all he can do is try to keep up.

[almosthonorable]

Tiwa's obviously enjoying herself and Ben's right foot is tapping in time to the music, but as his eyes skim the onlookers, he lets his gaze darken just enough to send a clear message to every man in the room.

[piwakawaka]

The young man she's dancing with quails a bit under that look and as they turn Tiwa spots Ben and sighs, sometimes he's worse than her brothers.

Sadly the look doesn't quiet everyone especially not the man who comes swaggering in with a colorful serape and a look that claims all he sees and he does want her.