Royal Flush.
T for language, potential fluff and stolen kisses.
Ms Robichaux's Academy was alive with chaos, a hundred voices speaking at once and the floor littered with suitcases and backpacks. Some girls cried as they hugged their friends, fellow students of theirs. Others laughed as they said their goodbyes, promising to be back for the next semester.
For once, a rarity in the state of Louisiana, snow fell outside the academy's windows, covering the ground in a light dusting of white powder. It announced Christmas. It announced the holidays. It announced a blissful two weeks of moderate silence within the school's walls. And for that, the weary teachers and mentors (and especially the Supreme) were grateful. They looked forward to this time of the year as much as their wards.
Alexandra watched from the salon window as the girls piled themselves into the sleek black cars the Coven owned, complete with its albinos. She waved heartily to the students who turned one last time to blow kisses at her, the snow falling into their hair and eyelashes, their laughter heard through the double plated glass.
She backed away from the window, the cold getting to her, and she looked around the room. It was quite suddenly empty. Minutes before, every inch had been full with a young witch in black, and now it was only her, the blinding white of the walls, and the portraits glaring down from the perches.
"Are you still here?"
The smoke reached her before she saw who the cigarette belonged to, but there was no mistaking the voice. "Yes, Madison."
The young actress looked her up and down. She'd spared no expenses for the inclement weather. Tall boots, a fur coat (with sleeves, for once), long cheetah printed gloves. She sneered.
"Are you headed out?" Alexandra asked, tucking a loose brown strand of hair behind her ear. She felt underdressed in front of the diva.
"Soon enough. Cordy wants one last meeting before she lets us go." Madison shrugged. She tapped her cigarette, and the ashes fell to the wooden floor, smoldering. "I ask every year, don't I? I ask if you're leaving. I keep forgetting that you never do." Her usual grin returned. "I'm headed to Mexico. I'm expecting to find some boy toy to keep me entertained for Christmas. Ho ho ho." She bit her lip and her eyes darkened.
"Just don't accept any free drinks."
"Shut up, Zoe." The actress snapped, glancing behind her at the younger witch who'd followed her in. "Did your butler bring down my luggage yet?"
"Do it yourself, Madison. Kyle's not your dog." Zoe spat back.
"Woof woof." The other replied.
"It's almost Christmas, do we have to fight?"
The three girls turned to face Cordelia Foxx, headmistress, Supreme, radiant with health and bundled up in a dark sweater. Her cheeks tinged a light pink from the cold outside, her hair wet with snow.
"You'd think you'd have learned by now. I don't like it when you girls fight." The blonde continued, her dark eyes glancing between Zoe and Madison.
"Your students are gone, I think I'm allowed to drop the bullshit." Madison raised an eyebrow. Zoe shared an exasparated look with Alexandra, who grimaced back, almost as if apologizing. Cordelia sat down in the leather armchair by the roaring fire, and the three girls sat themselves down on the couch across from her.
"Where is everyone?"
"Marissa's upstairs, she'll be down in a minute." Alexandra replied quickly.
"Nan and Queenie are finishing breakfast." Zoe offered.
"And Misty's probably in the greenhouse, getting her fern wet." Madison finished off, examining her nails.
"You're full of shit, Madison."
"Bite me."
"Are we already fighting?" Queenie called from the doorway. "You usually wait until we're all in the room to do that." Nan followed the voodoo witch in, a smirk on her face.
"She's just afraid of missing her flight." The young woman put in, her eyes meeting Madison's.
"I want as much distance between me and you weirdoes as soon as possible." The dirty blonde tapped her cigarette. "Especially from you, Nan. Get the fuck out of my head."
The black girl took a seat in one of the victorian chairs by the windows, Nan choosing the one by hers.
"Sorry I'm late." Marissa hurried into the room, her auburn hair pulled back into a ponytail. "Jaime left the biggest mess in the bathroom this morning. Someone needs to tell her to control her powers, she lights the curtains on fire every time she sneezes." Zoe moved farther down the sofa, letting the witch sit down by Alexandra.
"Where's my third council member?" Cordelia asked.
"Here I am!" Misty Day skipped in, bending down to press a quick kiss on the Supreme's cheek. "So sorry, 've just never seen snow before." She sat down on the floor at Cordelia's feet, tucking her knees in and looking up, her blue eyes bright. The Supreme grinned back.
"I'll get right to it. I know this is the holidays for us all," The blonde began. "But there are a few jobs that need to be finished before the end of the year. The annual donation ball, for one." She glanced at Misty, Zoe, and Queenie in turn. "You three will need to be here for this, as usual. We need to get the academy ready for the party and for its guests."
"Can I help?" Nan asked. "I'm not going home this year."
"Of course." Cordelia nodded. "You and I will need to go over the guest list together, we need to memorize each face and name." She paused. "Other jobs include finding real estate, we're running out of rooms again, so set your sights for houses around the neighborhood. And also, a new cook. Carey just left her letter of resignation on my desk this morning."
"Damn." Queenie sighed.
"There's one more thing." The Supreme said. "Marissa. Alexandra."
The witches shared a look.
"I first wanted to congratulate you on a great first semester as mentors. I'm quite glad you've stayed to help around here, even though you both graduated."
"They only stayed because one of them is an orphan and the other's family is a case of the nutjobs." Madison muttered. Zoe glared at her.
"We wouldn't want to be anywhere else, Miss Cordelia." Marissa smiled back.
"Unfortunately, I'll be so swamped with getting this ball ready that I won't be able to look into potential new students. You'll be in charge of keeping the lists updated."
"It'll be our pleasure."
"Your first official jobs!" Misty squealed from the floor. "Soon enough, you'll be teachin' with the rest of us."
"Oh please."
"Madison, don't you have a plane to catch?" Cordelia asked, dark eyes boring into the actress's hazel ones.
"Is the meeting over then?" Madison stood up abruptly, throwing her cigarette down to the floor and marking it into the floor with her heel. "Toodle-oo, girls. Cordy. I'll think of you as I drink margaritas." With one last wave, she marched out into the hallway, her luggage suddenly floating down the stairs to land at her feet. She walked outside, her boots leaving imprints in the rising snow as she made her way to the last black car waiting in the street. The door closed behind her with a flick of her wrist.
"Is anyone going to tell her that all flights have been cancelled?" Queenie grinned, raising an eyebrow. "Dumb bitch." Misty let out a bark of laughter. Cordelia looked down to glare, but failed to, her grimace turning instead into a small smile.
"Meeting adjourned then. I'll give you girls the rest of the afternoon off, we'll start work tomorrow." She stood, Misty standing with her, becoming her shadow. "And if Madison comes back, don't leave her outside like last time." She winked at them and left.
"Do you think Christina left any pumpkin pie?" Nan asked Queenie as they made their way out, her eyes alight with the thought of the pastry.
"She'd better have." Queenie scoffed.
"Congratulations." Zoe told Marissa and Alexandra, getting to her feet herself. "Misty's right, you'll be teaching in no time." She gave each of them a quick hug and beelined for the grand staircase, Kyle waiting on the landing for her, his usual lopsided grin on his boyish face.
Alexandra glanced at Marissa, a smile on her face. "Look at that. Students, mentors, and now witch hunters."
"Funny." The auburn haired girl wriggled her nose. "And slightly out of taste. Can you believe it? Our fifth Christmas here."
The brunette nodded, getting lost in thought. "You'd think we'd have been offered a bigger room by now. Your wardrobe just keeps growing, I'm going to get smothered by one of your shirts one day." Her green eyes snapped back into focus. "Did you see this coming?"
"See what coming?"
"Us taking over Miss Cordelia's hunting job for the holidays."
"I-No. My powers don't work like that, and you know it." Marissa frowned. "I pick the cards, and they talk to me. I can't just ask."
"I'm teasing." Alexandra shoved her playfully. "Five years, and you still don't know that? Come on, I want a piece of that pumpkin pie."
Yes? No? Shall I keep going? I wasn't quite sure of whether or not to post this. Let me know please!