Daughter of a Witch

Video Game Face-Off

The Harkness-Vidal living room buzzed with the faint hum of an old gaming console, a relic Rio had dug up from the hall closet earlier that evening. It looked dusty and a little worn but still had enough fight left in it to offer a challenge, which was exactly what Rio had in mind.

"Are you sure it still works?" Y/n asked, grinning as she eyed the console. "This thing looks like it belongs in a museum."

Rio shot her a playful look, raising an eyebrow as she fiddled with the ancient power switch. "Hey, show some respect. This little piece of history was top-of-the-line back in the day."

Y/n snickered as the screen flickered to life. Mario Kart's nostalgic theme music filled the room, and a spark of excitement danced in Rio's eyes. "Now, you might think you've got the upper hand here, but don't underestimate your mother," Rio teased, grabbing a controller and winking at Y/n.

"Is that a challenge?" Y/n asked, already familiar with Rio's competitive streak.

"Absolutely," Rio replied, her smirk widening. "Prepare to be thoroughly defeated."

They settled onto the couch, shoulders bumping as they selected their characters. Y/n went for Yoshi, while Rio, ever a fan of the underdog, chose Toad.

"Oh, going with the classic Yoshi, huh?" Rio commented, shaking her head. "A little predictable, but not a bad choice."

"And Toad's going to be your secret weapon?" Y/n replied with a smirk. "Mom, he looks like he'd rather be reading a book than racing."

Rio chuckled, "Hey, Toad's full of surprises, just like me."

As the countdown began, both of them leaned forward, gripping their controllers with determination. And just like that, they were off, speeding around the course with surprising intensity.

Within seconds, Rio swerved left and right, fingers fumbling over buttons. "Why isn't he going faster?" she muttered, pressing everything she could find in a frantic attempt to keep up.

Y/n burst out laughing, not even trying to hide her amusement. "Mom, you're pressing the wrong button! That's the brake!"

"Oh, well, no wonder!" Rio groaned, eyes narrowing with newfound focus as she finally found the correct controls. She sped up quickly, determination in her eyes, but it wasn't long before Y/n's character zoomed past her.

"Ha! Take that, Toad!" Y/n cheered, glancing over to see her mom concentrating intensely.

"Alright, alright," Rio muttered, leaning into the game as if it would help Toad turn faster. But just as she thought she was catching up, Y/n released a red shell, sending Rio's character spinning off the track.

"Oh, come on! Are you kidding me?" Rio gasped, shooting Y/n an exaggerated look of betrayal.

"It's Mario Kart, Mom; you gotta use the items!" Y/n replied with a laugh, her eyes alight with mischief.

"Fine, then. But don't think I'm going easy on you from here on out." Rio's fingers danced over the controls with renewed vigor, her competitive spirit fully ignited. Y/n stole a glance, her smirk fading as she noticed Rio's sudden increase in skill level.

"Wait, were you... pretending to be bad at this?"

Rio let out a victorious laugh. "Maybe. I didn't want to intimidate you right from the start."

Y/n narrowed her eyes. "You're the one who's going down now."

Their laughter echoed through the room as they both got serious, their game faces on. Rio wasn't about to give up, and Y/n was determined to hold her lead. They weaved around corners, dodged banana peels, and sent red shells flying back and forth, both fully immersed in the game.