TEAM MEETING: Mess Hall - OTA

[captaine_sykes]

Ethan had made it perfectly clear that he expected everyone on camp to show up for this team briefing in the mess hall, no excuses accepted. For once it wasn't even at some stupid hour in the morning, instead it was set to begin after breakfast had finished at 08:35.

Waiting until everyone was seated and the room had fallen silent Ethan stepped up

Comments

[angelica_jinx]

Angel was one of the last ones to show up. She usually dragged first thing but when she found out that they didn't have to do formation, she took her time getting ready. She felt better now that she was squeaky clean and all lotioned up. She would have preferred to a different hairdo than a sock bun so her ears didn't poke out so much but it was the best she could do

[captaine_sykes]

Of course Ethan spotted Angel as one of the last to enter, his gaze following her across the room before he remembered that there was a crowd of other people here too who might notice what he is doing. He diverts his gaze , risking one final glance up as she sits down and noting the soft smile. It's foolish and unlike him to find himself so easily thrown by someone yet Angel seems to always manage to make Ethan feel just a little flustered

[angelica_jinx]

He was acting weird. She almost expected it after they played in the snow but hoped that maybe they would be okay. Of course, he'd had plenty of time to second guess himself and what they did. Not that they did anything. It was completely innocent. At most they flirted a little but Ethan's default seemed to be the rule abiding Captain especially when he was nervous.

"That's okay. I can give all responsible parties a hug. I'm just going to start with you because you're convenient." She was itching to fill the awkward silence but she didn't know what to say. She was grateful when he spoke again. "Ethan, er Captain Sykes, you really don't have to thank me for that. What are friends for?"

[captaine_sykes]

It wasn't that Ethan wanted to act distantly or quite so formally towards Angel but they were in the Mess Hall and there were still others around, enough to make he feel that he needed to watch what he said or how he acted. Ethan didn't want to put her in a position where others were jealous of his manner towards her or misconstrued it as being anything other than just friendly

[a_soul_awake]

Hope listened with about half an ear to Captain Sykes. She was processing everything he said as he said it she just turned most of her brain power towards other issues. There were more important things than the Captain's latest assessment of the camp, the changes being made and the thanks for saving his life

[captaine_sykes]

Ethan had noted that the Doctor had seemed, not so much distracted as focused on other things. It didn't worry him so much really seeing as the Doctor was always rule abiding and had (apart from that unfortunate incident with the soldier and Richter) been relatively a perfectly well behaved member of the team.

Waiting until the crowd had mostly thinned and he'd answered a couple of questions from the team he moved over to where Hope was sat. Standing beside the chair next to Hope Ethan softly cleared his throat, not wanting to startle her out of her train of thought. "Doctor Chandler, sorry but do you have a moment?"

[a_soul_awake]

Hope focused her attention when Sykes spoke directly to her. She blinked for just a moment as she got her thoughts organized again. "Of course, Captain. What can I do for you?"

[captaine_sykes]

"Thank you." Sitting down in the empty seat next to the Doctor, Ethan had to consider the best way to go about this. "I wanted to ask if you'd be willing to do a study for me, into my genetics and DNA. I know that this isn't exactly a formal environment to be asking such things but I didn't want you to feel pressurised into saying yes. It's not for the military, it's a personal request that has arisen since the incident of my kidnapping."

It was a long shot and Ethan wasn't going to take offence if Hope said no either.

[mad_asahatter]

For most of Ethan's meeting, Ophelia had been drawing in some salt on the table in front of her. She'd already made an almighty mess, playing with the salt, reading the people around her and drawing what leapt to mind at that instance. Certain people seemed excited about the prospect of leaving camp, and Ophelia got a small kick out of picking them out of the crowd.

It was still a little startling to her that she'd started to find ways to use her powers that she didn't really know. Betsy's assistance in cleaning up the mess in her mind had opened up a few more possibilities for Ophelia to see. Not to mention brining a lot of things back to her mind.

Drawing rain clouds and a lightning bolt, the empath searched out the people in the group feeling most wary, duplicating the feeling rather than stealing it and weaving it around herself.

She wasn't sure if she had a query or not, so she sat where she was, doodling some more.

[captaine_sykes]

Knowing full well that he couldn't ignore Mayspring on a permenant basis Ethan resigned himself to the fact that he needed to make an effort to talk to her. To even try and get to know her a little better and build some sort of a relationship of sorts.

He was perhaps a little apprehensive as he approached but Ethan was calm, choosing to sit in the seat on the opposite side of the table and study the mess images Ophelia had drawn.

Pointing at the rain cloud and lightening bolt Ethan finally spoke up. "Is something bothering you Ophelia? Something you want to talk to me about or maybe someone else about? Or are the rain clouds for a different reason?"

[mad_asahatter]

Ophelia stared slightly, her eyes far off for the barest of moments while she figured out just what the rain clouds were all about. "The rain is nice, it's soothing and soft. The lightning sparks and brightens the night, like a flash in the sky to say it's alright." Unlike most, Ophelia didn't link rain and storms to darkness or anything bad

[captaine_sykes]

Who was Ethan to question that Ophelia liked the rain clouds, as long as she was happy and not lashing out with her emotions everything was fine and dandy with him! There's a pile of salt near Ethan and he begins to draw random squiggles and lines in it, not really paying attention to what he's doodling as he talks.

"You need to have a clear record, so for example bad behaviour will count against you. You also have to not be a threat and give a reason, it can be something as simple as wanting to buy new books, send mail or just get off camo for a few hours. If problems arise with peoples behaviour I'll deal with it as and when but the people of Midway are used to the military types coming and going."

Ethan could just about handle the quirkiness, though sometimes he did wonder if Ophelia did it to wind him up. "Are you planning on taking advantage of the opportunity and going off camp then?"

[makesppldead]

Wade didn't really want to go to this meeting. He hadn't planned on it, but he saw the large crowd and well, he was curious. If he tried to leave halfway through then surely he'd get a hard time and he didn't really feel like talking himself out. He was too appauled by all of the bullshit flowing out of Sykes' mouth.

The mercenary gave a light snort at the Captain's 'thank you' before wasting no time in raising his hand for questions. "You're kidding, right? You're thanking us for not turning to flee and leave camp--then being oh so nice and giving us twelve hour leave cards, like it's a prison."

He knew what the deal was with this team a long time ago. But now this was just laughable. "I guess my question is, Sykes, is why the hell are you pretending like it isn't? Are you ever going to tell us what's really going on? Because you have your head so far up Emma's ass I can't tell where she ends, and you begin."

It seemed like a fair question...

[icecoldwit]

Standing near the back of the hall, Emma had known all about what Ethan was intending the meeting to about, he'd actually rehearsed some of it before hand which had been immensely amusing. Her office had thankfully been empty and the door closed so that when she laughed at Ethan's practice, she'd been alone. It didn't stop the smirk on her face as she took in the entire room and it's response to his little announcements

[makesppldead]

Well when did she get there? He was supposed to be the ninja around here. Frowning, he folded his arms and turned around to look at the telepath. "First off, I'm concerned because it's disheartening to know such a fine ass is in horrible turmoil. And second--" He motions behind him back to where Sykes had been standing. "--I was asking G.I. Joe. Unless of course he's still too hurt to fight his own battles."

Getting kidnapped really lowered Sykes on the rankings of Wade's respect-o-meter. Contrary to popular belief--he actually had one. You received less ridicule and prying if Wade thought you deserved the respect. Getting captured like Princess Peach didn't warrant much in the way of a 'leader' to Wade. If anything at all did. And it didn't help that Wade just didn't like him just because.

"And I haven't forgotten anything about the military. But when I joined this little--was little--garage band it was about not having to worry about being 'special'. Don't quote me on this, John probably remembers better, but 'special privileges'

[icecoldwit]

"Fact of the matter, Mr Wilson, is that I have to put up with him later. Being concise is my area of expertise, not his." Emma wasn't about to start fighting Ethan's battles, and later, if Wade wanted to push more of Ethan's buttons he was welcome to, so long as Emma was kept out of it. If Ethan had been 'up her ass' then things would've probably moved quicker and far better around the camp for Emma's liking

[notouchpolicy]

Freedom.

Oh dear lord, she was free. Free of the damn confines of the sling she'd spent nearly a month in and it was distracting her from the meeting. For the most part. Hendley was in the brig - as Sykes had all but promised would happen - and she was healing nicely. She still had a few weeks before she could put her full weight back on the arm; so she stuck to one-handed roundoffs and cartwheels when she got bored with balance beams.

The Captain's words about the chance to get off-campus only seemed to excite her - she was feeling incredibly confined between the crowded dorm, rooming with a telepath, and her sling - and she was ready to leave this place; if only temporarily. Once the meeting was over and most of the team filtered out of the mess hall, Haylie hopped off of the table she'd been sitting on and approached Sykes with a respectful salute - mostly just to show off her non-slinginess.

"I think y'made quite a few people very happy, Sir."

[captaine_sykes]

Immediately Ethan notes that Haylie is free of her sling and he returns the salute with a smile, even though he is aware it's less out of respect and more in response to her, what seems to be, positive mood. "I would hope so. Wilson always seems to have a stick up his ass so he'll never be happy whatever I do but at least the majority of the team are."

Ethan gestures to Haylie's arm. "So you finally got it off then? How is your arm by the way? Healing well I hope." He took the health and welfare of his team (well most of them at least) seriously and the fact that Haylie had seemed irritated by her sling was something Ethan had felt guilty for. Even if he'd never admit such a thing to anyone else; it was his fault anyway really.

At least giving the team the freedom to go to Midway was some sort of thank you, even if Wade insulted the idea like the jackass he was.

[notouchpolicy]

"Wade just enjoys pissin' you off far too much." Really, that's mostly what it came down to with the mercenary from what she'd seen. That and he just seemed to loathe the Captain for reasons Haylie wasn't exactly sure she could understand.

"Yes, it's off - finally. The bone's still healin' but I have some mobility back." As if the salute wasn't proof enough, she rotated her arm and couldn't help the grin on her face. Haylie missed her freedom and her independence dearly and aside from being able to leave the place permanently? This was the most freedom she could have.

"As for personal items? I would just really like one of my shirts." She figured that while she had the Captain's audience, now would be a good time to request the one item she'd been missing since her arrival.

[captaine_sykes]

"Indeed, Wade hasn't learnt the finer art of shutting up. If it were on a permament basis I'd be even happier." Sykes knew the reason Wade didn't like him was simply because he was there. Nothing more complex than that. Like a child who doesn't get his way immedidately Wade had decided that Sykes was the one to blame for him being there, when it wasn't at all the responsibility of the Captain.

Though the issue of Wade not liking him never lost Ethan any sleep.

"I can't see why your shirt would be a problem, did you want a permission slip now to did you want to wait a couple of hours till the email has been sent through. I don't mind either way really as it won't be an issue." Ethan pulled out a note pad and pen, always prepared.