Professor Arc

Chapter 4: Of Forest, Grimm, and Special Brew

Jaune yawned blearily as he watched the students begin to stumble to their feet, the early risers already making their way out of the showering rooms with a vigour that made him want to cry. His eyes were fighting a losing battle for wakefulness, and his legs had given up on him hours ago.

When he'd offered to take this responsibility away from Miss Goodwitch he had been expecting a number of things. Firstly that it would help her, and thus would ingratiate himself with her. She was his best source of information and advice at this academy, and he could honestly say his best supporter. Beyond that he had hoped to take what he knew would be a relatively simple task, lest the Headmaster assign him something else, something that he might not have been able to handle.

Either way, he'd expected to have to watch a few students get ready for bed, maybe sort out some arguments at the worst, and then catch some rest himself.

Oh you poor fool. His treacherous ego tormented in a sing-song voice. Watching the students was the job... how can you watch them if you're sleeping?

He and Port had been forced to remain awake, all night. Every single minute while 99.9% of the student body slumbered away, on the off-chance that one of them might wake up and try something stupid.

What, he didn't know. They were hardly going to try and do something illegal in a room full of trained combatants who could wake up at the slightest noise of struggle. Perhaps it was more in case any new lovebirds decided to get a little cosy during the night.

None had.

Not a single person had woken up for so much as a bathroom break, leaving Peter and he to sit leaning against a wall for a few hours, before both giving up on that and finding some chairs. His only companion the lingering tales of Peter in his youth, which had become less and less boisterous as the night went on.

Even Peter had begun to lose interest it seemed.

"Soon lad..." The older teacher mumbled as he too rubbed at his eyes. At least his tiredness seemed to be hidden behind his thick brows and long moustache. But Jaune was beginning to see the signs in him too. "Soon it'll all be over... and then... sleep."

"I cannot wait." He yawned back. His eyes picked out the figure of Ruby Rose from last night, who was making her way into the women's bathrooms to shower and change. Somehow it didn't surprise him at all to see her so energetic, nor to see her blonde sister look like a zombie as she followed her. He could relate.

"Why don't you get some breakfast Jaune." Peter offered as he nodded in the direction of the cafeteria where a few students were heading. "A quick meal and some coffee might wake you up."

"Are you sure?" He asked uncertainly, while the offer did sound tempting, he was loathe to abandon his new brother-in-arms to the waking horde.

"You've done enough my boy. Besides, the students in the cafeteria might need watching too." The man winked at him as he said that, and Jaune let a small grin to come to his face at the sneakiness.

"Right you are. Wouldn't want them to fall prey to a rogue bagel." He joked back, and was pleased to see the man laugh in response.

"Ask for a teacher's coffee!" Peter whispered to him before he could leave, a serious expression on his face. "But let no one hear you."

"Umm.. okay?" He shrugged as the older man let go of him and ushered him away. Jaune was quick to take the signal. His body craved nourishment almost as much as sleep, it had been over twelve hours since his last meal.

The Beacon cafeteria was a stately hall. With large oaken doors, and tall ornate windows along an entire wall. Long wooden tables made the room look orderly and incredibly long. From the entrance he could make out a number of serving stations with cooks bustling away in sight, but there were also numerous vending machines dotted around the hall as well.