[center][img]https://fontmeme.com/permalink/210321/d4c9096245e86ddcc604696fdd4644be.png[/img]

[hider=A nod, and a tip of the hat.]
[img]https://i.imgur.com/vKJ2yff.jpg[/img]
[/hider]
[color=Silver][sub]December 30th - Observation Post[/sub][/color][/center]
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All things considered, the boy was in a good enough mood. He had long-grown accustomed to the distant echo of explosions from miles away, the conditions of the trenches, the ever-present tension that permeated garrisons like this. As Elliot stepped across the muddy floorboards of the frontline dugouts, he secured his belongings one last time, pulling on the straps of his ushanka tight as a cold breeze blew past overhead.

It wasn't a pleasant day, by any sense of the word...

But it was not Elliot's first day in the trenches.

Sometimes, the days would blur together without any action. Sometimes, Elliot would have to shoot more than a few hapless soldiers who had popped their heads out of the trench... and sometimes, fighting would intensify to the point of a full-scale attack. It seemed things were quiet enough that today was one of the calmer days.

For now, anyway.

Moving past the dugouts, the boy would report to the nearest observation post, where he spotted another boy, even shorter than he was. Elliot had seen this young man before, though he hadn't learned his name. Still, a familiar face was a familiar face, and Elliot's posture stooped slightly to avoid exposing his head, he couldn't help but lower his head a little more and tip his hat-- a nod of acknowledgment. It seemed the other boy was busy tinkering with the periscope, and although the marksman was a little curious, he didn't pry.

[color=#239C89]"Good morning."[/color] It wasn't a 'good' morning, but it could be a lot worse, and it didn't hurt to be polite. [color=#239C89]"I'm here to take over your shift."[/color] His tone was neutral, but not unfriendly.