Professor Arc

Chapter 23

"A pleasure to see you Mr Arc." the Headmaster of Beacon Academy greeted. Jaune smiled back, slipping into the seat offered across the desk from the man. As always, Ozpin had a mug of steaming coffee before him, along with a set of paperwork that Jaune would wager his liver, the man was not actually working on. "You wanted to ask me something about a favour?"

"Yeah," Jaune said, accepting an offered mug and taking a quick sip. There was a moment's disappointment as he realised it was just regular coffee, which was made all the worse when his sensitive nose detected the familiar scent in the headmaster's mug. He was keeping the good stuff to himself...

Coffee hoarding bastard...

"I've got a bit of a problem with some students relating to my counselling position, since it was you who gave that to me I thought you might be willing to help me out." Shift the onus of the decision onto him, add in some guilt, remind the man of how this was his responsibility.

And then promptly remember that this was Ozpin, whose definition of responsibility was probably a little tilted.

True to form, the man gave an enigmatic smile, pushing the paper on his desk aside as he brought forth a rather intricate chess set. "Why don't we play a few rounds while we talk? As your employer, we really ought to have had a meeting before now anyway to see how you're settling in."

"I'm not very good at chess," Jaune warned. Nonetheless he reached out to help set up his side of the board – the black pieces.

"Good," the headmaster said, "I'm not very good at losing."

This... Jaune sighed to himself. This is why we can't have nice things...

Jaune leaned back in the seat once the pieces were assembled. The suited man pondered for barely two seconds before making his first move, moving his queen side pawn forward.

"So how have you found Beacon so far, Mr Arc?"

"It's nice, actually," Jaune chose to mirror the move, so that his black pawn blocked the advance of the headmasters. A brief glance towards the man's face showed no reaction, not letting him know whether it had been a good or bad decision. "I was worried at first, since I didn't know anything about teaching – but Glynda's been great at helping out."

"She is stern," Ozpin agreed as he moved his king's pawn a step forward, "but Glynda knows what she is doing. Even if she does have a rather unenviable dislike of my favoured beverage... really, the woman should try coffee sometime. All she drinks is that horrid herbal tea." Ozpin sounded horrified at the thought, actually shivering a little. "The students seem to get on well with you. A little too well sometimes, I hear."

"Ah, yeah..." was he referring to what had happened only a few hours ago? That seemed fast, even for someone like Ozpin! Did he seriously have so little to do that he could entertain himself watching through the cameras of Beacon?

Silly question... of course the man had nothing better to do. Jaune brought his own pawn forward, only a single space, so that he didn't lose it.

"That's not a bad thing," Ozpin brought his bishop forward to sit between the two raised pawns. "It's one of the reasons I chose you for the position of counsellor after all. And as much as Glynda is a wondrously efficient person, she does lack that... empathic touch... with the students. Let's just say I can't imagine anyone going to my dear deputy to explain that they are struggling with something."

Which is why you threw me to the wolves... thanks for that. Jaune's knight came forward. It had always been his favourite piece, both for its connotations – but also the fact that it was unpredictable. He'd like to think he was similar to it... but that might have been a little pretentious.