In the Wardroom--Signing In

"Good sailor keeps his knife on him," Robbins commented. "Shurrup 'bout your wine, it don't do any of us no good, since it ain't here."

Jimmy Squeak shook his head. "Figgers he ain't got a thing, ain't he a Yank?"

"But I do got this," Perry countered, pulling out the bar of tobacco and luxuriating in the scent. "Best Carolina dark leaf. They cure it in barns fulla smoke, and it's sweet as molasses... Won't find better nowhere else. Ain't anybody on this mess deck who's got a knife to cut a chew?"

Some of the Tars eyed the tobacco covetously, but nobody spoke for a couple of minutes. Then Chase scoffed and turned toward Perry.

"There ain't a lad on this mess deck who ain't got a knife," he said flatly.

He grinned amiably at the seaman. "Then is there a lad on this mess deck who likes tobacco?"

Chase looked around the deck and shrugged. "Course there is. Good luck keepin' hold of yer 'baccy though, now you've waved it 'round."


OOC - And that's it for me tonight. Back tomorrow!

Several of the men chuckled, and a few made half-hearted grabs at the bar in Perry's hand. His smile changed back to a scowl as he shoved the tobacco back into his pocket. "But I guess you won't be gettin' a share of it, sunshine," he said to Chase, standing up and approaching the seaman. "What's your name?"



[ooc - good night!]

Chase grinned and stood up easily. He didn't care if he got any of Perry's tobacco, as he had enough of his own.

"Name's Chase," he said, casually folding his arms over his chest. "Sunshine."

"Well, Mister Sunshine Chase," Perry said, "I reckon you're going to give me your knife, for keeps."

Give him his knife? Chase scoffed. "Oh aye, sure. Jus' soon's y'come an' take it."

Perry grimaced. "No. You're gonna give it to me, cause I'm gonna win it off you."

There was a general undertone of chuckles. Chase rolled his eyes and asked, mockingly, "That so?"

"Aye, it is. If you're not afraid to set it down and fight for it."

"Fight for it?" Chase glanced around at the other seamen and couldn't quite surpress a grin. This Yank couldn't be serious. "Don't need a prize to thump ya, fella."

"But I do," Perry replied with a grin of his own. "I need that knife of yours. Are ya game?"

"Not 'less it's even," Chase said, with a pointed look at Jimmy Squeak. "That block of 'bacca leaf if I wins."

"Fair's fair," Perry replied. He drew the tobacco out of his pocket and set it on the table in front of the closest honest-looking man, who happened to be Dyer. "Look after that for your friend, eh? And he might even share it with you." He gave him a wink, feeling mirthful.

Dyer smirked and quickly secured the precious tobacco before anybody else could grab for it. He knew Chase would share the prize. Chase unsheathed his knife and handed it to Tommy Edwin. He didn't doubt for a second that he could beat this snotty Yank.

"Let's have it," the topman said, rolling up his sleeves.

There was a general laugh and cheer as the men cleared a space for the fight. Perry grinned as he looked around at the other men, some of them placing bets, before he turned and immediately swung at the topman's face.

The speed of the first blow caught Chase by surprise but he went back only half a step. He shook his head once, sharply, then balanced himself and drove forward with both fists.

Perry was prepared, but he was not able to dodge both of the fists, and he took a blow on his shoulder. The topman was certainly quick, Perry realized, as he brought his fist up to the other man's ribs.

One fist at a time, was it? Chase turned just partially aside and let the blow bounce off his side. Then, quickly, he led back in with his right fist first and used his momentum to bring his left fist forward afterward.

There were muted cheers from the watching seamen clustered around them.

It had been a while since Perry had fought like this. Madalena disapproved of fighting. But with a couple of blows to his thick head it was all coming back to him quickly. He blocked the other man's swinging right fist - it was rather painful against his own forearm - and swung at his jaw. This was the same fellow who had nabbed him in the first place, chased after him for no reason, and Perry had ire on his side.

Lights and stars rippled across Chase's vision but he shook his head sharply again and stood back. This fellow knew how to fight but so did Chase. He was not about to let Perry beat him on his own messdeck. This was going to get ugly.

He stepped back forward, swung both fists in close succession, then advanced another step and braced himself to deliver solid head-butt.

Perry tripped backwards over a mess kid, to an accompanying roar of approval and dismay from the watchers.

Chase grinned fiercely and took advantage of the pause to swipe some low-hanging hair from his eyes. Was this all the Yank had?

"C'mon then, fella, that were only a light tap."