24th May Afternoon - On Deck

"Aye, sail drill." Chase nodded. "Gotta stay quick an' sharp, y'know. 'Sides. Ain't any other way to prove that us foretop lads is the best aboard."

Chicken Dyer grinned. "Aye. Them lads in the maintop been gettin' too full of theirselves. An' whatchyoo gone an' took a mouthful of it for, if it tastes so bad?"

"Do I look ter you like I wanted ter drink it, Chicken?" He made a face and wiped his mouth on the back of his hand. "Will be sure as 'ell never ter attempt to either.. be I'm as thirsty as a man out in t' sun fer days..." He did not go far with that thought and instead continued the one, of who should be proven better or best.

"Won't take us long ter prove ter them who's best, will it?" He hoped to get the chance to get ready for shore leave after all, though he knew any drill or command came first. His wishes and wants, needs and all the rest would come behind all that was in favour of the ship. "We's bein' that, 'fcourse." He grinned. "Make 'em look like ol' folk.. how quick t' foretop lads will be, aye?"

Both topmen grinned. "Course it won't," Chase confirmed. "Ain't a nimbler lot, than us from the foretop."

"Hoi!" Joe Riggan, a mizzentopman, cried. "A lie, that is. We'll show ya what's all what!"

"N' ain't no man that ain't from the foretop lot, that will agree with it, given the chance." He laughed softly hearing Riggan's protest. "Ain't ever that." He murmured and nudged the bucket in Chicken's direction. "You could use some o' this. Ain't yet time ter flog t' deck." He scraped his stone against the floor, curling his fingers higher than it, so that he wouldn't be scrubbing the skin of the tips while he was at work.

"Chase, can I borro' your hat fer today's leave. Hadn't gotten my own yet." He asked that a lot more hesitant, since he knew that this was one Tar who'd known he had had his leave already, even if not quite legal.

"We'll be seein' 'bout that," Riggan promised.

Dyer shook his head. "Oh aye, we will."

"S'pose you can borrer it," Chase said, ignoring the other two. "Long's it don't get half-wrecked."

"If it's so much as taking a different angle, I promise ter get you a new one." De Guarde swore, wiping both hands on his slops. "Though, It ain't going ter get that, couse I'll be taking real good care of it, I promise." Chase didn't have any lice, so sharing a hat was a safe bet.

"Who's going ter be going up first..t'order this time. " He asked, quieter. "up t' foremast ter get t' sails set." He elaborated and after a few moments adjusted his position again. "Near done huh?... wher'es you picked that one." He murmured.

"There , done." Another of the Tars straightened his back, placing a hand to it, to ease the pain that came from the forced position. " Don't think it can be any better." He adjusted his shirt and made a face when he discovered his slops have somehow managed to become soaked. The fact that they were also soiled at the left knee didn't matter. Even the moistness of the fabric he finally shrugged off. "Cob' becareful bout that pipesqueak. If you don't watch out, he might have you out of hat n' home, should rent him yer had in exchange for somethin'. Really!"