17866/A Discussion on Mentorship

A Discussion on Mentorship
Date of Scene:	07 May 2024
Location:	Jonn's Happy Harbor Faculty Office
Synopsis:	Jonn helps Niall with some focus issues at Happy Harbor.
Cast of Characters:	J'onn J'onzz, Niall Smith

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J'onn J'onzz has posed:
J'onn J'onzz has set an appointment with Niall since students are given a faculty mentor to check on their progress from time to time to give a little bit of breathing room to the school's overworked counselor. These days, between personal projects and JLA work, Jonn is stretched thin, but he considers his Happy Harbor duties his highest baseline priority, so he MAKES time when needful.

He is currently sitting at his desk grading papers, waiting for his next appointment.

Niall Smith has posed:
    Niall--or, as his records say, 'Naill Smith'--halts outside the door to the imposing administrator's office. "You got this." He raps on the door frame and then steps into view, backpack dangling from his left hand. "Sir?" he announces, clearing his throat but not in time to hide a crack. "Niall Smith, I've got an uh..." The lad looks down to a hall pass in his hand. "Looks like a ten-thirty with..." There is a furrow to his brows when he looks between the pass and the imposing green man. "With you?" Niall's head cocks a bit as he tries to figure out if what (or whom) he's seeing is, indeed, what he's seeing.

J'onn J'onzz has posed:
J'onn J'onzz stops what he is doing immediately, and gives Niall his full attention. He is very cognizent about how intimidating he can be, but has long since learned how to set others at ease, and carefully hold his hands out in front of him together maintaining reasonable eye contact and smiling gently as he listens. He is in his human police detective guise, but its an open secret among some in the school that he is JLA and the Martian Man Hunter. "No worries, I just wanted to find out what questions or concerns you might have as a student?

Niall Smith has posed:
    With a game shrug Niall strides into the office, readily taking the available seat. "I think I'm like... integrating pretty well." His voice starts slow, but quickly hits the excited pace of a youth. "I mean I just got here last month, and your school's standards are pre-tty-high." The height is indicated by how far up his hairline the boy's eyebrows lift. "So..." In a fit of nervousness, Niall looks over his shoulder. "I can see why someone might be concerned that I might not pass so close to the end of the year." That's where he stops, looking expectantly at J'onn.

J'onn J'onzz has posed:
J'onn J'onzz listens. "These appointments are more of a proactive precaution rather than anything you did or didnt do. Having said that, academiclly, we do have rigid standards. Which subjects are you most worried about? As your counselor, its my role to help you.

Niall Smith has posed:
    "... Oh." For a breath or two Niall contemplates that and then, gesturing between them he asks, "This really is about you helping me?" The lad bounces in his seat, sitting up straighter. Presuming affirming body language, Niall looks down at his bag and then back up. "It's motivation. I blew through Freshman and Sophomore year, and yeah, some of that's because New Mexico's education is uhh..." He smiles in a pained grimace. "Yeah. It's not hard." B-but really, mostly? I did it at home. I'd help granddad work on his cabin or work shop, y'know, sometimes just go range the ranch..." The kid's voice is regaining that speed of youthful excitement. "Then come back and I'd just plow through some history or math, or look right outside and *see* Earth Science in the layers of the mountains." That's when Niall hits a brick wall of his thoughts catching up to his words. "Yeah." He nods. "I think that's where I'm at."

J'onn J'onzz has posed:
J'onn J'onzz listens carefully and then shows his teaching and leadership skills. "Let me say that back to you to make sure I understand; the thing you most desire help with is motivation to focus on your studies and that the main reason for this was that you had a task, like your grandfather's cabin? And if that is right, have you considered asking him for another project?

Niall Smith has posed:
    "Hell-no!" Niall all but squeaks. "I mean, yeah, but no. Like, love granddad." He even makes the little heart shape with his fingers. Then, leaning forward, he whispers conspiratorially, "Have you seen the girls here? It's like... walking through the botanical gardens, every day. I don't care if they never give me the time of day, I'm not giving that up just to sit in my apartment all day--are you kidding me?" Niall asks rhetorically. "And your gym, I mean, the leg press machine alone could send a man to the moon."
    Suddenly the boy's eyes light up. "Yeah--the moon. 'We do things not because they are easy, but because they are hard,'" Niall says in his best JFK immitation. "I had a place, a role, a mission, back in the desert with granddad. I learned the Pythagorean Theorem and the same day I was cutting diagonal supports to the perfect length." The far-away look in his eyes focuses back to the present after that. "Here, what am I going to do with cosine or Albert Camus? Catch this bus or that bus?"

J'onn J'onzz has posed:
J'onn J'onzz considers, "So what you desire are challenges requisite to your current studies that give you a practical application?" He pulls out a sheet to examine Niall's current course list.

Niall Smith has posed:
    Pursing his lips for a moment, Niall considers that. "I think we're onto something. What is it all *for*?" His weight shifts sideways in his seat as Niall's mind sorts through its cargo. "I came with mom, here, because I knew there was a bigger world than Topeka and Alamagordo. And I wanted to be a part of it." The young man makes a fist, flexing his arm and looking at it. "I don't want to run it, I just want to change it. With these hands." His eyes return to the bulky counsellor. "And I don't see how I get there from Biology or Art Composition." He nods to himself. "Yeah... I think that's it."

J'onn J'onzz has posed:
J'onn J'onzz considers, "Have you ever been in Mgann's bioship? Or at least seen it? Martian technology can be living...That or something like a Bansai tree or a combination of the two...." he is thinking to himself right now out load staring into space.

Niall Smith has posed:
    Niall blinks at the question. "Uhhh, to be honest," he says in a low voice, "I heard some kids talking about it but thought it was just a dirty joke. Swear-ta-God." He coughs into his fist and leans the other way in his seat. "So you're telling me that growing space fruit is like... it's a *thing*?" Leaning forward, Niall points to himself and asks, "That *I* could do?

J'onn J'onzz has posed:
J'onn J'onzz says, "Well it can be. I can get seeds for that, for sure. Why dont we do that then? Get you some lab space, get some seeds and have you get a project that is partial credit for either class to raise the plant and also slowly shape it to a design of your choosing for Art class?"

Niall Smith has posed:
    "... get you some lab space..." comes Niall's echo, slowed and mulled over like syllables in a foreign tongue. "Yeah. I mean, yes sir!" Eagerness and intention mingle inside his spine as he sits up straight, leaving the lad with a little shiver. "Is there something that responds to sound? I always wanted to see what music or, or just someone's *voice* looked like."

J'onn J'onzz has posed:
J'onn J'onzz considers and takes out a high tech JLA handset. He types a few things in and nods, "There is a species that does just that actually. And a relatively safe one. I'll make sure we set something aside and I will speak to your teachers.

Niall Smith has posed:
    Now that handset doesn't get much attention. A curious look, but no different than one might give to a new phone. New Mexico and Kansas aren't *that* far behind the times. "That would be just... peak, man." Niall takes a deep breath. "And at the risk of cutting myself out... linking my lab access to grade progress would make me give a damn about what government did what to who for how many oreos way back when." He grins at himself briefly. "I'm feeling better about my prospects here, Sir. Is there anything more you have for me?" he asks, using index finger and thumb to indicate between the two of them.

J'onn J'onzz has posed:
J'onn J'onzz smiles widely, "Then we will do just that. And I am glad I could help. I dont have anything else if you dont."