The Fall of Professor Arc
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Disclaimer and Dedication:
Dedicated to Coeur. Thanks for the stories, and the countless ideas. You've only yourself to blame, you know!
Disclaimer: I don't own RWBY. 'Professor Arc' in particular is the brainchild of Coeur. If you haven't read it already... why are you here?
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At the end of the day- or at least the first day they let him out of the infirmary- Jaune had to go home. Or at least to his room.
It was a strange experience. Walking down halls he knew he must have walked before, but seeing each one as if for the first time. Not knowing where his own bed was…
At least Blake was here to help him find it. His bedroom, that was. Not his bed. Though he couldn't help but notice she was very attractive-
No. Best not now, at least. Not when he still had the beautiful Miss Sunfire on his mind- and besides, Blake was being helpful. She had apparently been his student aid before the incident. Maybe she was helping out of habit?
"And these are your rooms," she was saying as they came to another unfamiliar door frame. "One was your own, and the other was the one you did your work as a teacher and counsellor. By the sounds of it, you'll stay here until your situation… improves," she said tactfully.
"Thanks," Jaune said, stepping through the portal and looking at… what he imagined a professional psychiatrist's office would be. There was the couch, there was the bookshelf, there were the well-used books on counselling and academics and half a dozen subjects Jaune had never heard of but had apparently been able to teach.
Damn. How smart had he been… before? It was weird, being jealous of himself.
Books… paperwork… more paperwork… man, the stuff kept piling up, didn't it? Blake had said she and Yang- his heart burned for her just at the thought of the beautiful blonde- had helped manage the paper flow while he was out, but it didn't seem to have kept it from piling up.
At least Professor Ozpin wouldn't expect him to continue doing such while he was a student… right?
"Would you like something to eat?" he offered politely as he opened his fridge, not sure if he actually had anything worth having. Some soon-to-be-spoiled milk, produce that would have to be thrown out, and… a fridge half-packed with ice-cream? Jaune discretely checked down his shirt, looking for love handles, and didn't see any.
Man, this aura stuff was awesome! No wonder every girl in this school looked like a supermodel!
"I'm going to wash my face and brush my teeth," Jaune decided, making his way towards his bedroom. "Hospital food's not the best."
Blake idly nodded. "I'll start on the paperwork and explain what is what when you returned," she said.
Jaune entered his own bedroom and took a look around- appreciating how big it was, and the bed more than big enough for two- before spotting the door that doubtless led to his… closet. Alright. Door next to it led to the bathroom.
Jaune blinked as he entered, surprised that the lights were already on. Had he left them on Before? He hoped he wouldn't be on the hook for the power bill. Or the water bill, as the running tap in the bathtub was-
"Professor! What's wrong?" Blake shouted, bursting into the bedroom as the scream subsided.
Jaune was stumbling out of the bathroom, clutching his eyes as he fell backwards onto his bed. Little soap bubbles drifted slowly after him.
"There's a- a- a girl in there!" Jaune managed, somewhere between cries of 'my eyes!' and 'it burns!'
Blake carefully peered around the corner, only to be peered back at by a pair of mismatched eyes. They were- well, a bit irate, a bit confused, and possibly a bit concerned?
"A naked girl!" Jaune cried again, as if in horror.
Or maybe just piqued, as Neo had an indecipherable expression.
Behind Blake, the door to the counselling room burst open.
"Blake! I'm here! What's the matter?!" Yang shouted, rushing into the bedroom and ready to fight. "What happened to Prof?" she asked, seeing him clawing at his eyes.
"Jaune walked in on Neo in the bathroom," Blake explained as Neo put on a towel.
Yang stalled, blinking stupidly. "I thought she was mute," she eventually said.
Neo shot her a glare, and Blake resisted the urge to wince just from proximity. "That was Jaune," Blake informed.
All tension dropped out of Yang's frame. "Aw, Blake! You can't do this to me! You're ruining my image of the late Professor Arc!"
Neo looked to Jaune, then to Blake, and raised an inquisitive eyebrow.
"I guess you hadn't heard?" Blake realized. "Jaune got caught in the explosion at Amity Colosseum, and suffered amnesia as a result. He's forgotten everything about Vacuo," she explained. Neo blinked once, not quite getting it. "He thinks he's sixteen, and has forgotten all about you. I'm sorry," Blake clarified with pity.
Neo's eyes flew open, and she raced to the bed. She tried to look Jaune in the eye- but that was hard since he was still clawing at his, and so she took the more direct route and slapped him until he stopped protecting his eyes to protect his cheeks.
Neo forced her face over his, looking directly into his red, itchy eyes. She held up two fingers, pointed between Jaune and her, and attempted a charade Blake didn't understand.
"Who are you?" Jaune asked after a moment had passed.
"She's your lover," Blake answered, deciding direct was best.
Jaune flushed- so red, so fast, it was hard to believe that just a few days ago he'd been the calm, composed teacher she had trusted. "My lover?!" Jaune cried, voice cracking and eyes dropping as he realized what she was, and wasn't, wearing. His blush doubled.
"From Vacuo," Yang supplied. "You've been making sweet, sweet counseling with her since you got here." she asked.
"Me? And her?" Jaune stammered, taken aback. "Are you sure?"
"As sure as sure can be," Yang said. "Don't you remember your own lover's touch?" she asked with a leer.
Jaune seemed to flinch at that, even though his eyes didn't leave the towel-clad Neo's… towel.
Jaune paled, and turned towards them.
"Was I a paedophile or something?" he asked them, perfectly serious and concerned.
Blake later swore she didn't see Neo move- one moment she was standing there, staring at Jaune in confusion, and then the next she was at the bed, leg coming down in an axe kick that would break the bed. But not Jaune- Jaune was already rolling out of the way, avoiding the blow.
Another came, just as ruthless but even quicker than before. Jaune screamed but dodged again, and again, and then the next as well- an awkward, stumbling, and utterly graceless series of evasions.
"Jaune, what are you doing?" Blake called. His form was horrible!
"I don't know!" her former professor called back. "I just know-" another dodge- "I'll die if I don't!"
"Well, fight back!" she called. "You can't do anything if you don't attack!"
"How?!" Jaune pleaded, before letting loose another yell and another contortion. "How do I stop her?" he begged.
"He's moving on instinct," Yang ruled, watching the ugly dance continue on. "He's forgotten his training, but his body hasn't forgotten the triggers. The need to move."
Blake was impressed despite herself. This would-be mauling was ruthless, and he was managing by muscle-memory alone?
"I wish I'd seen him fight at his prime," she admitted, ignoring his continued pleas for assistance.
"Yeah," echoed Yang. Such a loss.
There was a comfortable pause, before Blake spoke. "Ruby intends to help with his training, you know," she said conversationally. "Hands on, late night training."
"Is that so?" Yang said neutrally, not rising to the bait, but watching the spectacle a bit closer than before.
The 'fight' couldn't go on forever, and didn't. Blake didn't even see the strike that ended it- she could have sworn that Jaune avoided the leg that speared through where his head had been, that he'd had the perfect angle and leverage to look down (up?) Neo's towel and prepare a counter-blow- but instead he'd paused, and then blood had come out of his nose as his head rocked back. Neo seemed just as surprised as them as he fell, already passed out- but then a bit of red anger crossed her face, and she kicked him again in the face for good measure.
Neo stormed between the two, stalked into the bathroom, and soon was dressed in her usual finery. Shooting another mixed expression at Jaune, she looked at Blake, held up two fingers, did a charade Blake still didn't understand, and left out the window.
Blake looked at where she left, looked at Jaune, and looked back at the broken bed.
"Well, that was a thing," Yang said to fill the silence.
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