TMD; The Mighty Ducks; Preferences and Imagines

ℙ𝕙𝕒𝕤𝕖 10 - 𝔸𝕝𝕝

It all started on a muggy Saturday afternoon at the cabin. Emilio had banned UNO—again.

"You weaponized the Draw Four," he'd said, staring directly at Aaron, who sat cross-legged on the couch with a face that screamed zero remorse. "You turned a simple game into psychological warfare. No more UNO. That's final."

Aaron just shrugged. "Wasn't even my best work."

That was two days ago.

Now, the Ducks were scattered around the cabin den, restless and snack-hungry, with nothing but reruns and cabin rules to keep them from self-destructing. Matt was flipping a tennis ball off the wall. Garette had made it his mission to balance a soda can on his forehead. Ty lay face-down on a beanbag, dramatically mumbling about boredom.

"This is cruel," said Justin. "We're children. We need stimulation."

"We need chaos," said Mike, upside down in a chair for some reason.

"Or at least something more exciting than watching Colombe knit," Justin added.

Colombe didn't look up from her yarn. "It's not knitting, it's crocheting. And you're just mad because you can't do either."

"Guys," Aaron said, suddenly serious. He leaned forward, elbows on knees. "What if we... played Phase 10?"

The room stilled.

Brandon blinked. "What even is Phase 10?"

"It's a card game," Aaron said smoothly, "but more strategic. Way less obvious than UNO. It's got rules, structure. It's got... phases."

Marguerite eyed him. "Is this gonna be another 'Draw Four until your spirit breaks' situation?"

"Marg," Aaron said, placing a hand on his chest, "I have evolved."

"That's a lie," Matt muttered.

Aaron grinned. "That is a lie. But trust me—this is our loophole. Emilio banned UNO. He never said anything about Phase 10."

Ty rolled over. "I mean... technically, that's true."

Mike sat up. "Let's do it. I've got nothing to lose except my sanity, and honestly, I left that behind during the last UNO war."

Within minutes, they were dragging the dusty card box out of the game closet. The dining table was claimed, chips and gummy worms spilled across the surface like edible currency. Everyone crammed into chairs and stools, or sat cross-legged on the bench, the cabin buzzing with anticipation.

Aaron took the dealer role with pride, shuffling like a magician as the others watched, side-eying him for possible sleight of hand.

"I'm watching your fingers," said Ken.

"Watch all you want," Aaron replied. "This is a clean game."

Colombe raised an eyebrow. "Like last time?"

"Last time was an UNO situation," Aaron said. "This is art."

One by one, he dealt the cards. Brandon reached for his too early and got a dramatic gasp from the group. "Dude! Rookie move," said Garette.

Aaron placed the final card, then paused dramatically, hands hovering over the deck like he was summoning a spell.

"Wait," he said.

Everyone froze.

"No one touch your cards yet."

Justin frowned. "What now?"