Gloves Up Competition by DiamondSolstice

Lawyers of Dark Magic: Qualifying Round

Ten years ago, the Martians attacked. With them, they brought an ancient concept we thought impossible: the ability to break the Rules of Physics, AKA Magic.

That was why Joanna was standing in the clean white foyer, waiting third in line for a job she wasn't sure was a good one. 
Yet it had called to her, and as a true Witch of Judging, she had to go.

--

Joanna stood at a podium, her smoky cape-veil swirled behind her. Black haphazard markings on her face shimmered as she concentrated her truth-telling magic towards the man shaking in his chair. He had been accused of cheating on his wife - but Joanna was sure there was much more to the story.

That was her first judging at the Lawyers of Dark Magic. According to how she performed, she would be either accepted for the job or not.

--

The little hammer bit into the wood block, quieting the rumblings of the court. "Guilty." Nobody dared to contradict her opinion, as the blazing whorls and slashes on her face calmed down into a murky black.

Tenth case. She was bound to be promoted. 
Or... Something more. Rumors of a "bonus" of some kind had been circulating through the company, telling of gifted powers that needed godly concentration to hold in check, of Witches vanished into the deep of the night.

Joanna's heel hit the black floor that marked the Higher Witches' rooms. Nobody ever saw the Grand Witch. She only appeared for the most difficult of cases, judging most fairly and coldly.
Even now, her chair faced away from the door, her voice issuing from somewhere behind the grand back.

"See the box. On the table. Gold."

What was that? Her promotion? The rumors didn't tell of promotions coming in gold boxes.
Joanna's heart skipped a beat. The bonus allegedly came in a small gold box.

"I see it, Grand Witch."

"Open it." 

Joanna lifted the lid. 

"Yours. Bonus." 

Joanna took out the small paper and read it.

You are now allowed to not wear a cape, and you are also allowed to wear gold capes.

"You call that a bonus?"

"You don't?"

Joanna sighed. Why am I doing this?

She walked out of the dark rooms of the High Witches.
Walked into her small office. Opened the closet door, and took out the gold cape she had bought for this occasion.

You never know when you might be allowed to wear gold capes to your day job.