Quote:
Originally Posted by
XanaSnape 
Kazimeriz locked hands with Upstead. His knuckles were arthritic and gnarled, his skin tissue-paper thin and liver spotted... but his grip was surprisingly firm.
"I leave it to you to start the contest." He held his thumb up, far from Upstead's reach, as he waited for the boy to count off the start of the game.
Jake had absolutely no qualms about the way Kazi's hands looked or felt; he used to thumb war battle whatever the heck it was with 8 year olds. And they tended to often have ICKY hands.
However, the old man's grip was... well... Jake was a little shocked, but he hid it very well for once. And already he could tell, from the way they were starting, that this would probably be a stalemate-filled warrrrr.
"Okay," Jake replied brightly, and bent his thumb a little. It was, of course, the hand he used to use in thumb wars, because of the sheer number of right-handers. But that was years ago.
"One, t-two, three, fuhh-four," Jake began, doing the whole side to side thing.
"I dddeclare a thumb wwwar." Wasn't there another bit?
"Fffive, six, ssseven, eight, b-better keep your thumb ssstraight. Nnnine, ten, let's b-begin."
And with that, Jake began by hurriedly swiping his thumb across the space they called 'no man's land'.
The game is afoot!