Chapter Text
Mabel's knitting needles clacked together gently, deep blue yarn slowly being formed into a sweater. It was harder to knit being a mermaid; she had to be super careful about keeping the yarn dry, or else it'd get all tangled. A ball of green yarn sat next to her tank as well, her arms extended in front of her.
This one was for Dipper. He'd come across a weirdly cold part of the woods yesterday, and been complaining since about his vest not being warm enough to explore it. Maybe she could make the back really long to cover his deer half.
"Mabel?"
The mermaid looked up, her Grunkle Ford hovering in the doorway to the living room. His fur wasn't as shiny as normal - she wrinkled her nose, making a note to splash him later so he'd get an actual bath. His ears were standing straight up, eyes bright as he watched her. His tail swished behind him, hands tucked behind his back.
"Would you mind if I stayed in here with you for a bit? I'm at a momentary standstill while I wait for the results of an experiment, and some pleasant company sounded nice."
Mabel grinned at him full-fang, braces on display. "Sure!"
He padded into the room on two legs, dropping to four as he neared her, tail flicking happily. His own fanged smile met hers, although his teeth were considerably bigger. She continued to knit as he curled up in Grunkle Stan's chair, flapping his wings a few times as he got comfortable. She giggled at the breeze against her drying hair. Noticing her laughter, her Grunkle smirked, flapping harder towards her. Mabel's hair flew back behind her head, unfinished sweater almost flying out of her hands. Her giggles got louder, and when she used her tail to flick water back at him, he chuckled and folded his wings.
"Who's this particular sweater for? I like the color."
"It's for Dipper! He was complaining about a cold spot in the forest, and nothing he brought is warm enough 'cause he left all his sweaters at home, so I'm knitting him a new one. I haven't really decided what the picture in the center should be, though. Maybe a pine tree? But he already has that on his hat." Mabel mused. "Do you have any ideas?"
"That's a very tough question, dear. Maybe something he cares about?" Ford was messing with paws, extending and sheathing all six claws. He liked to study all of them, every now and then. Mabel had given him some of her shimmery scales once, and he'd been so happy he hugged her. He came back from his lab hours later saying something about density and chameleons. She hoped that meant she had color changing scales.
"Hmm. Maybe a character from your nerd game?" Dipper was really attached to his pine tree hat. It meant a lot to him, especially since it was a gift from Grunkle Stan. Pine, pine, pines...
"That's it!" She shouted. Ford jumped, ears flattening to his head.
"Oh, sorry!" She said quieter, and he smiled at her. "I figured out the design! Instead of just one pine tree, there'll be four. Two smaller ones in pink and light blue, and then two bigger ones in red and dark blue on either side. Like the Pines family! It's perfect!"
His whole furry face softened. "That's a wonderful idea, Mabel. I'm sure he's going to love it."
She grinned, continuing to knit and talk about different things with her Grunkle. They talked about his science, some cool things about their new forms, and fish. Fish tasted really good now to both of them.
"You can help me knit, if you want." Mabel suggested when the conversation lulled, irritated with not being able to reach the yarn ball.
"How would I do that, dear?" Ford stretched his back as he got up from laying down, stepping a little closer on four legs.
"Easy!" Mabel moved both needles to one hand, holding out the string of yarn connected to the ball. "Hold the ball of yarn and unwind it as I need the yarn, that way I don't have to tug on it and the ball won't roll away, like this."
She tugged up on the string and the ball bounced, the momentum sending it rolling away and unraveling a moment later. Her grunkle didn't answer, too busy staring at the yarn. His pupils got bigger as he lowered his front half, back legs tensed. Weird, it almost looked like he was gonna-
The sphinx pounced on the yarn, batting it away and bounding after it a moment later. It bounced off the couch, off his nose, and back onto the floor. When he rolled over, throwing it up with his paws, it hooked on his wing. His tail flicked back and forth happily.
Mabel stared as her ferocious great uncle chased the yarn around the living room, getting increasingly covered as it unraveled. Her brace-filled beam returned full force, one hand covering her mouth as she stifled her giggles.
"Mabel, sweetie, have you seen my-" Grunkle Stan froze in the doorway, staring at his brother, who had frozen similarly at his voice. Ford had tangled himself in the yarn, with it looped over his ears and snout and caught on his claws. The sphinx coughed awkwardly, slowly pulling the threads off and wrapping it back around the tiny ball that was left.
"Seen what, Stanley?" Ford asked, forcing a casual tone. Mabel hadn't been this happy since the cucumber incident. Or maybe since her sleepover, or yesterday when Dipper's legs got tangled and he couldn't unhook them, or earlier that morning when Stan accidentally flipped a pancake onto one of his horns. Yeah! She hadn't been this happy since this morning!
Grunkle Stan had a funny look on his face, like he was struggling not to laugh. "My glasses. Hey, Poindexter, want me to-"
"They're on the skull by your chair." Ford continued to ravel the yarn, pointedly not looking at his twin.
"Want me to-"
"Stan."
"-go get you a toy from the pet-"
"Stanley!"
Mabel started laughing, Dipper's sweater forgotten on the floor.