"Remind me again why I can't sell those things?" Eda leaned forward from her space on the couch, uncrossing her legs and picking indiscernible gunk from one of her ears. "Or at least why you think it can dare to rival Hexes Hold'em."
Luz had found what appeared to be a boring and very unmagical variant of her favourite game on their latest trip to the human realm. "What can you even do with it? They're just pieces of paper."
She stared intently at the pile of cards on the ground at her feet, Luz and King sat cross-legged on the floor, each with their own fan of cards, and the disorganised pile of sadness and betrayal in the form of small colourful rectangles on the ground between them. Their battle had raged for the last twenty minutes and had no end in sight. Eda had originally been enlisted to play but gave up without much of a fight.
Unfurrowing her brow and breaking her concentration, Luz turned to the sceptic, "It's called Uno," she informed the older witch, "and in the human realm people can act like this game decides their fate. It can tear worlds apart!" raising and shaking both arms for emphasis, as if reversing the order of play would cause the heavens to open and the stars to fall to the land.
Eda ignored this, she rolled her eyes and leaned back once more, fulfilling her quota of feigning interest in the latest novelty the two had become obsessed with.
Noticing a lack of enthusiasm from her Mentor, Luz frowned and let out a disapproving grunt. If she was so interested in human relics what could be better than a card game? Eda could lie and get away with saying it was just about anything, from a snack to a fortune-telling device.
Feeling ignored now, King jabbed an accusatory finger towards Luz, "Enough talking! You're just delaying your doom!" A taunt from her diminutive opponent brought the human back to the game. "All will fear the hand that feeds, and the hand that... gives you more cards!" The last of these words squashed into a single syllable. He threw down a +4 card with considerable force, almost knocking over his piles of snacks, and changed the colour to red; declaring it was his favourite because it reminded him of blood. Folding his arms in a sense of triumph and victory, King was certain that his win was set in stone.
On most given days, Luz would have accepted her fate and picked up four cards. Yet the little tyrant was getting drunk on power, and any more success would go straight to his head. He had already won the last two games. "Oh, you sweet summer child..." She raised a hand in the air, clutching a single card, the rest of her deck in the other hand, ready to dispense in order. Each blow was designed to be more devastating than the last.
"Weh?! What's going on?" A frantic response by the red-collared rascal shattered the illusion that he had guaranteed victory. Several panicked glances in each direction followed as if searching for a hidden camera on a prank show.
"I see your +4, and I raise you my own!" Slamming down an identical colourless card, before raising her hand once more, another bombshell ready to drop. "I change the colour to blue! +2! Chip in! +2 again!" Striking down card after card, each one dug a deeper hole that the poor demon would have to escape from. King could only watch in horror as his empire crumbled around him, more than tripling the number of cards he held.
"10 cards?! I have to pick up 10 cards?!" King flew to his feet and stomped them in anger, once for each card he had to pick up.
"12 actually," corrected the new Uno warlord with a smug grin, "and also, Uno, I only have one left." She spun her final card in her hand, careful to not let King see what it was. Crossing her arms and leaning towards her foe, she dug at King. "What do you say to that?"
This slight jab at the smaller player was just enough to push him over the tipping point. The only response Luz got was a couple of angered grunts and a few deep inhales.
"Oh, here it comes, you've really done it now." Interjected Eda, the impartial spectator, "It might be cute, but that sounds like the squeal of rage is coming." She groaned at the thought of trying to get any chores done that weekend. "He's going to pout and cry for days." Eda raised both her arms and buried her face in her hands, lamenting ever pointing out this wretched game at the dump.
Right on cue, a high-pitched screech emanated from the little devil, hopping from side to side and flailing his arms, as if this would reduce the number of cards he had to pick up.
"I'm selling that game when they fall asleep," Eda muttered under her breath as a stuffed rabbit flew past her head.