The grounds, afternoon; Attn: John
The mansion was nothing but absolute chaos. Ethan could tolerate only so much of it before his head began to feel as though it would explode from all the noise and children running to and fro. He loved kids, really, but the school was far too understaffed. He had been trying to quit smoking before the... well, before, but now he found himself ducking outside more often than not to have a quick cigarette while he tried to maintain a hold on his sanity.
Most people thought Ethan was one of the more patient, sane people around. While this was usually true (Ethan had been told more than once that he had the patience of a saint), he now only seemed to make it through the day by spiking his coffee with alcohol. Or keeping himself distracted. He seemed to be doing that a lot lately, and it made him seem that much more scatterbrained.
He pulled his aviators on over his sensitive eyes as he stepped outside, a cigarette already dangling from his lips. Within seconds, the cigarette was lit and he was starting his walk around the building. He had been doing that a lot lately, circling the mansion, almost as if he expected another attack. Truth be told, he almost did. After Brenna had told him and the other X-Men the info she had stolen from that scientist's mind, he didn't think it would be too far off to expect another attack. He just hoped they would be better prepared when that happened.
He caught a whiff of cigarette smoke, coming from just ahead of him. Frowning, Ethan strode forward. "John?" He found the teenager smoking in the space between the the main building and the alcove that housed the industrial-sized dumpsters. Hey, you live in a boarding school for mutants, see how much trash you accumulate over a week. "Still hiding?" he asked with a hint of a smile.
He was relieved to see John. The teenager had made himself scarce once Bobby had woken, and Ethan had to admit he worried. He worried about a lot of people, and part of him wanted to say John could easily take care of himself. And he could - physically, at least. It was the mental that Ethan worried about.