Oot and aboot (open)

[Warren "Skip" Muck]

[/i]

Skip didn't wander too far up the... hill that felt more like a damn mountain when you climbed it. He stayed near the base but slightly tucked to the cover of bushes, legs poised apart so his elbows could rest jauntily atop them, fingers sporting the burning stick of nicotine. He lightly blew at it, gaze wandering towards the barracks. As grand as it was out here, it just wasn't as enjoyable as it would be if he had company. Sure, getting time to yourself was a bonus but when you got around to bein' buds with the lot that swarmed the place, well - smoking alone was nothing compared to smoking in packs.

"Sleep." He huffed. "Who needs it?" Skip allowed a slight grin to himself, and flicked the filter, knocking off ash onto his foot. He shook it off, and made the effort to lay back and examine the sky, squinting despite there being no sun. Not half bad out here, indeed.[/ul]

[Joe Toye]

Joe had seen Skip slip out of the barracks, although he suspected Skip hadn't expected anyone to be awake at this hour. Rubbing his eyes, which were starving for sleep, he pulled his legs out from under his army issued blanket, which was much less comfortable than he would have liked, and hung his legs over the edge of his cot.

Where the hell was Skip goin'?

A few minutes later, Joe was walking away from the barracks, his eyes surveying the now empty camp. It was weird to see the camp so void of activity. Usually there were companies of soldiers marching, or doing PT. Now, nothing.

Where can Skip...wait, nevermind.

There was only one place Skip, make that any Easy Company man, would go at this hour.
Currahee.

[Warren "Skip" Muck]

[/i]. Oh, shit. He ducked his head, like that'd help, before sense knocked his block head over, and he took in the full shape, the slope of shoulders, the size of head.

That wasn't Sobel. He rose his head again, leaning forward, and grinned. Ah. It was just some easy company. Ha. He snickered at his own musing, and rubbed the back of his neck, waiting until the figure was at least in range so if he spoke, the choice was up to them to join him or not.

"A little late to be out walking, isn't it?" Hello, pot, would you like to meet kettle? Smoke crawled out his mouth as he spoke, grinning, and he ashed what needed to be of his cig. In the dark, he could't see how close he was to the filter.[/ul]

[Joe Toye]

Joe jumped slightly at the sound of the voice, not having expected to find Skip so quickly. But then again, he was an Easy Company man, and they ran Currahee enough to know not to go to far when they didn't have to. Turning toward the voice, Joe squinted until he saw the light of the cigarette, which seemed to be floating, since he couldn't see Skip.

" I could as you the same thing, Muck." Joe said, a grin flashing across his face as he walked towards the bushes where Skip was crouched.

[Warren "Skip" Muck]

[/color] He licked over his lips, and took his pack out again. A smoke went behind his ear, another between his fingers, and then he offered the pack up to Toye. "But what're you doin' out here? Ya follow me?" His brow liftered, the thin stick bobbing in time with his words.[/ul]

[Joe Toye]

Joe took the pack without hesitation, since smoking was almost automatic with soldiers. He pulled one out and put it to his lips in one fluid motion, before reaching in his pocket and grabbing his lighter.

" Couldn't sleep. And I could hear you sneakin' out anyway." he said as he lit the cigarette, taking a large inhale of the toxic smoke, a small smile appearing on his face. He handed the pack back to Skip, before moving forward and taking a seat next to the male.

[Warren "Skip" Muck]

[/i]' s he shoved it back in there, ignoring the slight crinkle of the packaging. The smokes wouldn't get hurt. He was sure of it. They were tiny but mighty and he put them through tests enough to know.

"Crap. How loud was I?" He lit a blaze from his own lighter, nudging the tip of his smoke into the flame before realizing he had the wrong end in. He cursed, and turned it around, ignoring the slightly burnt edge of the filter as he properly got it going. He was glad to discover that he wasn't the only one who couldn't sleep. The first few weeks of being at Toccoa, he had blamed it on the silence. In Tonawanda, there were the sounds of boats and cars and just general noise. Out here, for the most part - it was quiet. It had been hard to find sleep without the lull of constant movement. "And it's only sneaking if you're guilty," He pointed out, finger jostling in Toye's direction.[/ul]

[Joe Toye]

" Nah, you weren't loud. I was just payin' attention. Couldn't fuckin' sleep." Joe explained, puffing on the cigarette as he spoke, the stick moving in sync with his lips. He leant back, resting his back against a tree as he looked up to the sky, his dark eyes surveying the stars twinkling above them.
I wonder how long it would take to count all those stars, he thought, as he took a deep breath, ashing the cigarette on the ground.

[Warren "Skip" Muck]

[/color] Unlike Toye, there was no tree support for him, but the grass was cool against his back through his shirt and it was welcome. He rolled the smoke between his fingers, following the trajectory of Toye's star to resume examining stars. So little of them in Tonawanda. More work from machinery than constellations.[/ul]

[Joe Toye]

Joe shrugged, holding the cigarette between his fingers as he contiuned to stare at the sky. " I don't know. I'm tired, more fuckin' tired than I've ever been in my fuckin' life, but I can't sleep. Weird, ain't it?" Joe stated, before shifting his gaze to the male beside him, who looked relaxed. It was rare to see a man at Toccoa relaxed.

[Warren "Skip" Muck]

[/i] you're over tired, you can't sleep, because your body doesn't want you to."[/color] He stopped. "At least, that's what Faye told me once." He grinned and laid back again, from where he went up on his elbows.

He flicked at the cig, but didn't move to take another hall. "And it's all because of this here hill." He patted the soil, brows lifting in emphasis. "One little break from it. He just can't give us that, can he?" Skip chuckled, turning his head left and right to crack it.[/ul]

[Joe Toye]

Joe smiled as Skip mentioned Faye, the love of Skips's life, and the constant favorite subject of Skip's. He talked about her so much, Joe could recite her family history. But when Sobel's name left Skip's mouth, the smile instantly faded.
" Sobel? Give us a break? Are you sure you're only smokin' smokes?" Joe asked, and his frown intensified as he realized he had reached the fliter of his stick. Tossing it aside, he groaned. His body ached from the constant running and PT, but his body was in great shape, better shape than it had ever been before. If only there were women around...

[Warren "Skip" Muck]

[/i]."[/color] He put the same emphasis on it as Joe had, though teasing, before sucking down the last nicotine of the cig he could. It met a different fate from his last, in which it soared somewhere onto the trail. Whoops. "But really - is it bad for a man to hope? Just a tiny little break. One day without that hill, and I'll be good."

He cut the air with a flat hand, like he was gesturing he was good to go. He slid his gaze over at the groan, shoulders lifting with his amused breath.[/ul]

[Joe Toye]

Joe looked sideways at Skip, his dark eyes looking into Skip's. Or at least he thought he was. He couldn't quite tell in the dim, almost pitch black lighting. " Just don't get them too high, man. It'll hurt a hell of a lot more when Sobel runs us for the rest of our life. Well, our life at Toccoa."
Joe didn't mean to be so cynical, it was just in his nature. He was the tough guy, a reputation he had gained from being that way.

[Warren "Skip" Muck]

A long sigh fell from him and he shrugged, an in vain motion in the dark. "They're pretty low on the scale. When it comes to Sobel, I don't get anything too high." He wiped at his hands, dusting the dirt off them. If there was any. Hard to tell, but the texture said so.

"But just think. Soon, we'll be outta here. No more hill. We'll just have another big thing to run. Exciting, isn't it?" He made the effort for the sarcasm to drip like wet paint, before pushing his hand through his hair. As a generally titled trickster, cynicism was easy to get along with. You got used to it, especially with Toye, or you didn't. That's simply how it was. And those lucky enough? Got used to it. Toye wasn't a bad man to know or befriend, and Skip took pride in the fact he - well, he hoped he was, he didn't know what the other man thought - managed to do just that.

"I never see Evans running with us. Damn favortisim." It was a random observation, but there was a point to it.