capeandcowllogs | "We'll find the place for you."

Entry tags:

"We'll find the place for you."

WHO:

notyourutopian
WHERE: The Xavier Institute, Hank's Calculus class
WHEN: Friday Jan 7th, end of 2nd period
WARNINGS: SCHOOL TALK
SUMMARY: Eleanor might be a little too smart for this class
FORMAT: whatevs

Interrupted by the ring, Hank took his eyes off the blackboard to quickly spout out "And remember to review chapter two, we'll have a test on Monday. Have a good weekend!"

He put down his chalk and swiped a manila folder from off the top of his desk. "And if Ms. Lamb could stay for a moment?"

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Eleanor was already standing and gathering up her bag when the professor called on her to wait, and she looked a bit puzzled for a second, but she nodded. As the other students filed out she swung her bag over her shoulder and made her way up to his desk.

"Yes?"

Flipping through the folder in his hands, "I have the results from your test yesterday. They're very interesting."

Right. Her test. Eleanor hadn't forgotten, though she had thought it would take longer than this to 'grade', as it were. She smiled weakly.

"I hope interesting isn't bad? I've never really had to take a test before."

He adjusts his glasses and looks up from the files to her. "Certainly not bad, not at all! But very curious. You seem to have much of the actual knowledge, but seem to lack practice with the applications of that knowledge."

Closing the folder in one hand, folds his arms and leans back on the desk. "It does make placement a difficult, though not impossible, matter."

"Ah, right." She frowned, her eyes flitting away as she tried to think of how to explain it so that it would make sense. "I...most of my information about calculus...about a lot of things...is...second hand. I didn't actually...uhm." She swallowed. "Learn it."

"I was kind of assuming that. I mean, I recognize many things in the book, and don't recognize others..."

That got his attention, even derailed his train of thought a little. "Second hand?"

"Well," bloody hell. Eleanor was quiet for a few moments. "Rapture, the city I was born in, there was this substance that let you change people. Genetically. I can absorb people's memories because of it. Mother injected me with a number of scientists memories. I know...what they knew." She tilted her head to the side as she sifted through them.

"A biologist, a biochemist, a geneticist, a physicist...a few others. Since they knew calculus...I know calculus. What they remembered of it, anyway..."

"I see." Having dealt with kids from a wide variety of backgrounds in the past, he certainly knew there'd be something, though the specifics of this were new. Biochemistry certainly got his attention!

"I was wondering, given your level of knowledge, if you wouldn't be willing to help in this class as a teacher's assistant? It would give you an opportunity to see the applications first hand, and I'll be available for any questions you may have. I will, of course, be sure to personalize your daily assignments either way."

Eleanor just looked shocked at that, her eyes a bit wide, her arms tightening around the book she was carrying. "I..." After a few moments of hurried thought. "I...you want me to help with the class? I mean, I...can. I've never done anything like that, before, though. If that matters."

"And thank you." She'd only taken the class because there was nothing else to fill that period, but this seemed to be working out.

He spread his palms out, "It's never too late to start, if you're comfortable with it! I have some other classes on my workload, and the Avengers have me on-call, so I could always use a little help."

He stood up straight and wagged a finger. "You don't have to decide right now, of course, just something for you to consider." He handed her his card. "Just give me a call or let me know before or after a future class. All in your own time, of course."

She smiled at the finger wagging as she reached out and took his card, slipping it into her book so that she wouldn't loose it. "I will have to think about it but I...will let you know on Monday, if that is alright?" Having the weekend to think it over would probably be enough. She hoped.

She'd never been in a position like that before, not counting helping the little sisters bring back Father. It was an exciting...and rather frightening...prospect.

"What...would I have to do, though?"

"It shouldn't be too complicated to begin with. Mostly helping with students' questions to begin with, though I may have you help prepare lesson plans as you grow more accustomed to the work. In a worst case scenario, should I be called away on short notice, you may have to take over the class in my absence, but usually that will result in supervising a study period. Should you need to do anything more involved I'll be sure you're prepared for it beforehand."

He made a small shrug. "It will all count toward extra credit, at the very least, but it could also b a good learning experience."

Eleanor listened intently, and honestly was a bit less frightened by the concept once it had structure and responsibilities...which was probably strange, but that was the way her mind worked. Finally she nodded again. "I believe I could manage that. But I will still have to think about it over the weekend."

Suddenly she paused. "So how did I actually do on the test?"

"Monday will be fine! Take as much time as you need."

He brings his attention back to the folder, "This test wasn't really done by a traditional academic standard, it was more to determine what you do and don't know regarding the subject. There's not an actual grade, but suffice to say I was pleasantly surprised."

He snaps the folder closed again and folds his arms. "To be honest, I'm surprised they hadn't given you these kind of tests when you enrolled, give the, well, migrant nature of the majority of our students. I may have to speak with Mr. Lupin about that, though I'll certainly encourage your other teachers to give you due attention." Hank can't, after all, teach every science class.

"Well, I probably could have taken placement tests, but they asked me what classes I wanted and I just picked some." She smiled faintly. "It was either this or a period of nothing and I didn't want to sit around for an hour while everyone else was in class."

Eleanor was good at doing nothing, but she preferred not.

"Plus I was curious to see how much I could really use the information in my head. I've never really had to before."

"I should hope we'll have a much better idea of that by the time the semester's over." He extends his hand. "But I've probably kept you too long from your next period. Have a good weekend!"

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"We'll find the place for you."

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