The classes of Beacon Academy where usually filled with many students, learning the ways of the huntsmen, a new generation growing stronger to fight the evil and dangers that the creatures of Grimm posed.
But at this present moment, the new students only looked at an empty chair as the local caffeine addicted professor of the hour, Professor Oobleck, was nowhere to be seen.
"Normally he storms right in on time, where could he be?" Ruby wondered aloud, looking at the rest of her team. Weiss, Blake and her older half-sister Yang.
"Yeah this is so not like him" Blake told in response.
"Well that means a free hour for us" Jaune said from the row behind them, putting his arms behind his head and slightly resting, causing Phyrra beside him to poke him in the side in response to get him back to a proper position.
The class suddenly dropped quiet as the doors of the classroom opened up.
The students looked up at the doors atop the stairs, expecting to see their usually very hyper professor on top, exclaiming his apologies for being late.
But it wasn't him.
Slowly a man they had never seen before walked down the stairs. A long coat draped over his arm. He was wearing long black suit pants, a white undershirt and a black colored waistcoat sporting a mysterious silver colored pin with an unfamiliar symbol. His hair was jet black and completely slicked back, but the sides of it where already colored grey. They were completely with a set of deep blue eyes.
The man slowly walked down the stairs towards the front of the classroom. People observed him with obvious interest. Some girls even staring.
As he reached the front of the classroom, he put down the coat in his hand around the arms of the chair and turned around. Giving everyone in the class a good look at him. Despite his noticeable grey hair on both sides of his otherwise jet black hair, he couldn't be much older than him, his face was young and soft, a pair of glasses where hanging on the top of his waistcoat, easy for him to grab if needed.
"Good morning students," he started, his voice soft and intelligent "I suppose you have many questions about why, an unfamiliar face to you all is suddenly in this class. I also suppose you have many more questions all of which I will answer but first the most important question, where is your usual professor."
He sat against the deck and placed his arms beside him. He spoke completely calm and collected, very polite and yet also trying to be a bit funny.
"Professor Oobleck has been unfortunate to have come in contact with a very serious virus, it has taken quite a toll and he is on bed rest for the new few weeks. Hence I am here as his replacement for the time being" the man told them.
Ruby looked around the students, she was shocked that professor Oobleck suddenly got sick, as she scanned the room for similar reactions, she only saw a few of shock, the others were of curiosity and interest, specifically from the girls, most guys looked at the new professor with disinterest.
"My name is Firen Carlisle," he continued "I study nature and the species apparent in it. I am well aware that is not the normal lessons you are taught here by Mr. Oobleck, but I try to see things from a different approach. Nature and history are so intertwined that I feel it is off upmost importance that you develop both a clear understanding and respect for it."
A few girls put their head in their hands looking at him as he spoke. Ruby even caught Weiss leaning slowly over to get a better look at him. Even Nora on the row behind her was briefly caught up in the speech of the new professor.
"And before any of you decide to find it funny to call me old man, I am only 22. I can't help that genetics found it fit to grace me with starting to get grey hair at age 20. We can't all be winners can't we" he said somewhat jovially.
A few students started to laugh, even Jaune laughed at the new professor apparent sense of self-deprecation.
Only 22! So young and already a professor, Weiss thought to herself. She was now full on staring at the man.
Yang was also looking at him, though not the way most girls were, more as genuine interest in what he had to teach than how he looked. Blake was her usual somewhat stoic self though she did sneak a peek at the well-dressed man.
"Now that we that have that out of the way. How about we get started" professor Carlisle said as he went on to sit behind his desk.
The following thirty minutes where spend with the new professor talking about his chosen topic. The fundamentals of nature, the hypothesis around humanity's arrival, the legends about the Grimm and how they could have arrived. People listened to him with genuine interest, his passion for the subject evident.
Weiss herself was completely enamored by the way he spoke, the knowledge for someone so young of age was clearly impressive to her. This man was but a few years older yet he spoke in the tone of a wise philosopher.
"Nature truly has its beauties as well as its horrors. There is so much to learn, so much to teach. The origin of humanity, the Faunus, so much we don't know. But so much that is so vital to learn for your development as Huntsmen."
"I don't see how learning about wild animals that attack us is going to help us become stronger Huntsmen" a voice spoke.
Everyone looked up to the arrogant smirk of Cardin Winchester, sitting lazily about in his seat. The new professor looked up at him, with a complete stoic expression.
He adjusted the glasses on his face and spoke "and who might you be, my good man?" he asked.
Cardin gave his signature smirk as he spoke his name to the new professor "Cardin Winchester."
"Ah Mr. Winchester, very well," Professor Carlisle spoke as he took of his glasses, the same stoic expression still on his face as he looked at Cardin "while it is certainly true that there are Faunus who have caused harm upon us, have we not also returned that harm in kind? To assume that every Faunus we see is a bloodthirsty animal is a viewpoint that can only come from ignorance and lack of common sense. Every creature we can find, be it human, Faunus and yes, even the Grimm, have a purpose and a place here in nature. After all it is the brutal nature of the Grimm that allowed us to grow stronger as people in order to fight them. So you see, every creature has a purpose, that is the balance of nature."
He spoke this towards the entire class before turning back to a dumfound Cardin "so for the future, I suggest you keep your uninformed ignorant thoughts to yourself Mr. Winchester."
The majority of the class gasped. Cardin was noticeably seething with anger, but he had no response or rebuttal, all he could do was stare in complete disbelief that the new professor had just put him in his place.
Blake who had been carefully listening was suddenly moving her head forward as she listened to what the professor said to Cardin. "Unbelievable he just shut Cardin up like that" she said in surprise, the rest of her team nodded in agreement, while Weiss was now positively staring at him.
"What a man" she said dreamily. Blake looked at her with curious eyes before returning them towards Professor Carlisle as he continued his lesson.
Yes, what a man, Blake thought as a small blush appeared on her face, luckily unseen by everyone.
"I understand it is hard to believe that something as terrible as the creatures of Grimm can exist and actually serve a purpose other than mindless destruction. This is not meant to cause sympathy for these beings, but an understanding. After all we need the dark and cold of night to appreciate the light and warmth of the morning. Where there is hate, there is love that also blooms. Balance is the very essence of existence, a force ingrained in nature that moves us all" he lectured to the students.
He sat back down against the wooden desk, giving a look at his students, most all looking at him with some mixture of curiosity and affection, while Cardin and his group looked at him with a scowl.
"Class dismissed, I hope to see you all again soon. Should you have any questions feel free to ask me whenever you can find me" he finished.
Most students immediately grabbed their stuff and left the classroom in a hurry, some glancing at professor Carlisle as he put on his glasses and went over the notes behind his desk.
Team RWBY slowly got up, as Team JPNR soon joined them as they looked at the now distracted professor, very busy looking over his current notes.
Weiss took a long hard glance, something the other members of her team couldn't ignore. She was eying the man up and down. "Weiss, if you keep staring he's going to notice" Ruby whispered to her.
Weiss broke out of her trance and grabbed her stuff as the team of women walked away from the seats. They stopped just at the beginning of the staircase as they turned to give one last look at the mysterious new professor.
Blake suddenly stepped forward towards the desk, surprising the rest of her team as well as the members of Team JPNR that was standing behind them "Professor Carlisle?" she said softly as the man looked up to her "Yes? Can I help you with something?" he asked taking off his glasses.
"No…," Blake softly mumbled as she looked down at the ground "I just wanted to say I really liked your lesson. It was very interesting and unique."
"Is that so? Where you genuinely interested in the subject or the fact that I put that ignorant prick Winchester in his place?" he asked with an undertone of sarcasm.
"Oh no, not at all.." Blake tried to say before the professor cut her off with a small laugh "I was just kidding no worries. Thank you very much, I'm glad people are interested in what I have to teach, I'm happy you where infested miss…."
"Blake," she immediately spoke, breaking through the initial shyness a bit "Blake Belladonna."
"Miss Belladonna, a pleasure to meet you" he said as he extended his hand to her, which she nervously shook. His hand was warm. She was glad her friends couldn't see her face because she wasn't sure if she was now a blushing shade of red.
"See you back for the next class, have a good day miss Belladonna, and to the rest of you as well" he said to everyone.
Blake smiled and turned around. Weiss had a shocked and somewhat seething impression on her face, Ruby was glowing with her usual bright positivity and Yang looked at her curiously. She joined her friends and they all left the classroom. Leaving the new professor to his own work.
"An interesting man" Phyrra inquired as the group of friends walked through the hallways. "Not bad on the eyes either" Nora chimed in enthusiastically. "Meh he's not that good looking, right Ren?" Jaune asked the other man on his team, Ren however remained stoically quiet.
Weiss looked almost angrily at Blake, who was in complete deep thought. Her hand had a tingling sensation to it, she still felt the warmth of the professor's handshake around her.
"I think he is cool. He's no Oobleck but he knows what he's talking about and has something interesting to say. Plus him putting Cardin in his place certainly helps him earn coolness factor points" Yang said.
Everyone nodded in agreement to that. Blake however kept her head down, deep in thought. Thoughts meant for her alone.