#hexarcana

Ford looks like a wreck of a man. He’s sat down at a table which is covered by his journals and various arcane texts from his library, all of them open at pages that dealt with the subtle art of necromancy. He looks like he hasn’t slept in days, his unshaven stubble threatening to turn into a patchy beard. A small area he’s cleared by where he’s sitting has a large cup of black coffee placed on it.

He scowls at Aggie, then drains the cup, before trying not to gag. It’s stone cold, but honestly any sustenance is welcome at this point.

“It’s not that simple Aggie!” Ford exclaims wearily. “Like I said I don’t know if if by using these spells we resurrect not only Stan but all corpses within the area! Call me unreasonable but I don’t want a zombie apocalypse on my hands!”

He slumps down in his chair.

“I found you because some of the townsfolk called you an expert…a witch. I didn’t know it would be…you, of all people.”

Ford looks up at Aggie pleadingly.

“I don’t know how many ways I can say it Aggie, it was an accident…”

“Pssh. Yeah an accident. That’ll hold up in a court of law Sixer.”

Stan glides through the wall as if it weren’t there, coming to rest slightly behind his brothers shoulder. He hovers a few feet above the ground.

“You in the habit of killing anyone who comes to your door? You must go through pizza delivery boys like that.” He clicks his fingers.

He looks over to Aggie.

Say, are you that “witch” everybody talks about?

[With his usual blunt and inconsiderate demeanor, Stanley eagerly turned around in his seat to face his fellow outcast. Not that he ever believed the rumors that she had any sort of supernatural powers or anything -- that was his brother’s field of expertise. Speaking of which, Lee’s aforementioned brother was the precise reason he’d initiated a conversation Aggie in the first place.]

[Ford’s obsession with the supernatural blended into every- day life, and when gossip that an alleged “witch” who lived  in a supposedly haunted house circulated around school, it wasn’t long before he wanted to involve himself with some investigation. Lee’s job was to act as the “socializer” of this operation, since Ford had a tendency to become anxious if he was burdened with the responsibility of speaking to any- one other than his twin; granted, however, that didn’t mean that Stanley would be particularly skilled with conversation, either. The two of them only had each other in life; making an effort to interact with anyone else was unnecessary in their eyes.]

Olive kicked the sand up behind her as she ran, peering behind her every few feet to see if her pursuers were still chasing her.  Luckily, she was much faster than them.  Three dumb boys couldnt stand a chance against the short muscular might of Olive Yearling.

She’d been living in the little shoreside town for years and yet she still was the source material for most of the town bullies.  No matter, it was good exercise.  She paused, looking out at the water.  It was a pretty nice day, maybe she’d chance a swim, since those goons seemed to have left her be.  She quickly removed her clothes and folded them up, stashing them in between some large rocks.  Clad only in her underwear (which would pass for swimwear) she ran into the cold water a few feet before divng under.  She figured she’d swim out to the rocks and climb up, maybe sunbathe a little.

As she approached the rocks, she felt a shiver in her spine.  Her sea-witch grandma always warned her to mind your body around the sea, but Olive ignored it as she clambered up onto one of the rocks.  As she got her barings she looked around.  Nothing out of the ordinary.  Rocks, water, a pair of eyes staring at her- wait-

She whipped around and locked eyes with the figure.  Her eyes swept his anatomy, taking in the very human features but the very aquatic body.  She stepped back in shock, slipping on the algie covered rock.  She fell backwards into the water, but not before her head managed to smack against a rock.  She managed a cry of pain before she hit the water, but then everything went black.

It wasn’t long before he finally caught sight of a human -- one that was actually quite familiar too. He had seen them come by the beach many times these last few months, sometimes followed by another that shared their resemblance. Family, Iri had guessed they might have been.

However as soon as they arrived, the human had disappeared into the water where he could no longer see them. The merman pouted, before trying to find the human again. Unlike his species, humans weren’t adapt to sea life and couldn’t breathe underwater for some reason. So he only had to wait a little while before they had to resurface.

Though, he came to quite a surprise when the human not only reappeared -- but right in front of him! They had swum all the way to his secret hiding place and now he was spotted! The merman panicked, frozen in place as he stared at the other with wide eyes. They seemed just as shocked as he was. 

A gasp soon escaped his lips though, when the human suddenly stumbled and slipped backward. An unnerving crack sounded in his ears as he witnessed them smack their head on one of the rocks, followed by a splash. Iri didn’t even think twice before diving in after them. In a matter of seconds, he had the human safely secured in his arms before breaching the surface so the other could breathe properly. 

“Mines itchy…”

“Quit complaining Sixer, at least yours doesn’t have a cat on it.”

“Both of you stop complaining. Now smile and say ‘Precious Hanukkah Memories!’”

The two boys have barely time to eke out the words ‘Precious Hanukkah Wha?’ when a blinding flash fills the room accompanied by a high pitched whine.

Mabel barks out a satisfied laugh as her bewildered great nephews rub their eyes and stagger about, dazed.

“And to think Dipper told me I should get rid of this baby!” Mabel said contentedly as she patted the bulky camera slung around her neck.

“Mabel, I bought you a cell-phone with a camera on! Why don’t you use that?” came the reply from the Mystery Shack’s living room.

“Doesn’t know what he’s talking about…” Mabel said happily as she wafted a hand in front of her face to dissipate the smell of burning plastic.

“Can we take these off Graunty Mabel?” Stan said grumpily, as he tugged the arm of the sweater. His featured a cat wearing a kippah with the words ‘MEOWZEL TOV’ above it.

“Not yet…” Mabel tutted. “Besides, my favourite little scallywag is dropping by in a moment.”

Stans face blanches.

“No. You don’t mean you invited Aggie? She can’t see us like this!”

Ford steps forward, as if to act as the voice of reason.

“Graunty Mabel. We’re 13 now. Technically teenagers. Nearly adults! We can’t be in these when Aggie’s here! She’s a friend! And y’know…a girl?” Ford says, adding the last part with a knowing nudge in the ribs to Stan. Stan furrows his brow at his twin in response.

“What am I then, chopped liver?” Mabel snorts derisively. “Besides, it’s the holidays, the whole point is to be embarassed! Plus I need to show Aggie the best part of your sweater Ford.”-

She reaches out and presses a button that has been hot glued onto the shoulder.

The menorah on the front lights up with nine LEDs. The words ‘TIME TO GET LIT’ are below it.

“Kill me now.” Ford says.

Before Mabel can answer back there’s a knock at the door.

“Ooh! That’ll be them!” Mabel says delightedly, clapping her hands together with glee.

Stan and Ford look at each other like they’re prisoners awaiting the arrival of the executioner.

“Come in, come in…can I get you anything? Cocoa, hot chocolate, peppermint schnapps? HA! Ah, we have fun here…” Mabel says as she bundles both Aggie and Olive into the Mystery Shack’s kitchen.

“Uh…hi Aggie…hi Ms Yearling…” Ford said rubbing the back of his neck, looking as though he was willing the ground to swallow him up.

Stan was beet red. Ford jabs him in the ribs.

“Hi. Um. Merry Christmas.” Stan squeaks out.

“The boys are just a little shy this morning. From what I’ve been told by Caryn they don’t go all in like their Graunty Mabel does.” Mabel says, nudging Olive affectionately.

“So why aren’t they with her for the holidays?” Olive asks, looking at the boys with a smile that threatened to spill over into a laugh.

“Poor dear. Her sister, you know the one out in Atlantic City? Her husband ran off with their dentist. Terrible business. Anyway, Caryn has to run out to her to pick up the pieces and asks me if I can take care of these two!” she beams down at Stan and Ford.

“Well I’m glad that they’re in the holiday spirit.” Olive says, tongue very much in cheek.

“Ha! You should wait until I show you what I made for Dipper…” Mabel, said ushering Olive out of the room, leaving Aggie in the room with the twins.

“Not one word Aggie…” Stan said.

“I don’t know what you mean Stan…” Aggie smiled faux innocently. “I think this is the best Christmas present I could ask for.”

“Technically these are Hanukkah sweaters Aggie…” Ford said, pushing the glasses up the brim of his nose.

“Then I hope Mabel makes you wear them for all eight nights.” Aggie said, the innocent smile devolving into a smirk.

Stan and Ford exchanged glances, as though they hadn’t thought of this possibility.

“Seriously though guys”- She reaches forward and draws them both into a group hug. “It’s so good to see you both again. After the summer we had, I was counting down until we could see each other again.”

“Stan more than most.” Ford mumbled.

“So what do you usually do for the holidays then Aggie?” Stan asks loudly, hoping that he could distract if she had heard Ford.

“We don’t usually get up to much…Ma said that she thinks Santa Claus is a government conspiracy to discredit UFO sightings during December so we just exchange gifts. Set traps for any intruders. The usual. A quiet Christmas.” She shrugs.

“Your Graunty Mabel though?” Aggie said, looking around the decoration festooned room. “She seems to have enough holiday spirit for the whole town.”

That was certainly true. Garlands of tinsel were pinned from the ceiling, so that they draped like bunting. A large plate of holiday cookies were on the kitchen table. (“I’ve got Dreidls, Christmas Trees and also some jack o’ lanterns that must have snuck in there from Halloween!”) Worst of all was an animatronic Rudolf on top of the fridge that blared out ‘Grandma got run over by a reindeer’ if you got too close.

It was a lot to take in. But Stan and Ford were starting to realise that after over three decades of being frozen out from having a family holiday, Mabel was ecstatic to have everyone back again. Her brother. Stan and Ford. Even Olive. While the sweaters she had made were itchy and goofy looking, it would be churlish not to see the love towards them both in the gift.

“Yeah…” Stan said, as though realising that. “We’re lucky to have her, y’know?…Don’t tell her I said that.”

“Too late!” Mabel laughs as she rounds the corner. She’s joined by both Olive and Grunkle Mason. They’re all fairly rosy cheeked, as though the peppermint schnapps Mabel had mentioned earlier had at last made an appearance. Olive and Mason are both wearing Mabel-made holidays sweaters (Where did she find the time to time to knit all of these? Stan thought). Mason’s has a dino on with nine candles coming up where the armoured spines would be, it reads ‘MENORAHSAURUS.’ Olive’s (which to Mabel’s surprise and delight she had put on immediately) is one of Bigfoot wearing a Santa hat, it reads ‘SQUATCHIN’ THROUGH THE SNOW.’

“Ma…are you okay?” Aggie asks bemusedly.

“Tis the season…” Olive shrugs back, before giggling at something Mason whispers in her ear.

“Before I forget Aggie, I have a little something for you too…” Mabel smiles as she hands over a wrapped present to the girl.

Aggie excitedly tears off the brightly coloured wrapping paper to reveal another sweater.

“Consider yourself lucky Aggie.” Mabel remarked. “I only make these for family, so consider you and Olive honorary members of the Pines clan.” she claps a hand on Olive’s shoulder.

Aggie looks at the sweater. It features a christmas tree with a hat brim at the bottom with the words ‘WE WITCH YOU A MERRY CHRISTMAS’ (Where did she find the time to think up all these puns? she thought) before putting it on.

“Thanks Ms Pines.”

“No worries ya scallywag. Now we’re all here though, it’s time for a photo!”

Numerous people groan.

“Now come on gloomy guses! When you three are all old and grey you’ll look back on these memories!” she nods down to the twins and Aggie.

Mabel takes the camera off from her neck and sets it on the kitchen table.

“Now everyone bunch on in, I think I’ve put the timer on…”

Mabel and Dipper, Olive and Aggie, Stan and Ford all shuffle up close together.

“Everyone say ‘Precious Holiday Memories!’”