Chapter 31: Have a Little Hex with my Friends
Art by Crash X Fusion: Who's the girl with Luz? Why's Mabel look so tired? What're Skara and Willow talking about? And did Brucy kill Sonic?
Our main trio of friends each have their own misadventures involving mystery solving, body-swapping, and Grom preparations.
Tropes that appear in this Chapter:
- Adaptational Early Appearance: After her vocal cameo in "'I'm Fine' Memories", Vee physically debuts between the events of "Understanding Willow" and "Enchanting Grom Fright".
- Adaptation Expansion: Skara's birthday party and Gus' journalism interview assignment, both minor subplots in "Understanding Willow", are given more focus here.
- Affectionate Nickname: Cat uses "Ska" for Skara after learning about her crush on Willow.
- Amateur Sleuth: Subverted when Luz forms a monster hunting group with Amity and the multi-trackers but they just track and subdue the culprits, but played straight with the Shadowy Secret Expozers.
- Back for the Dead: Professor Blanc returns to get revenge for being replaced only to get caught and banned from the grounds of Hexside.
- Bait-and-Switch:
- The beginning shows a Porter standing in front of a photo-covered board trying to figure out who can answer his question. It's not Perry questioning the Day of Unity, it's Gus trying to lock down an interviewee.
- Seeing a woman sitting in a chair, facing away so their face isn't seen and drinking tea, you'd think it was Lilith asking Amity if she told Luz about their deal. Nope, it's Emira asking if she asked Viney about her letters.
- The Big Damn Kiss: Downplayed. Willow gives Skara a kiss on the cheek at the end of their shopping day, officially confirming her feelings for the bard.
- Big-Lipped Alligator Moment: In-Universe example. The Shadowy Secret Expozers break into a spontaneous dance number that leaves the Monster Fighters Club dumbfounded (or in Luz's case, itching to beat 'em up).
- Birthday Episode: The first portion of the chapter takes place at Skara's 15th birthday party.
- Blatant Lies: Luz lies to Eda when she asks if she's seen her Hexes Hold'em cards, having just given her deck to Gus to take to Vee in the human realm.
- Breather Episode: After all the chaos and drama over the last three chapters, the kids are happy to get a break. Especially since the next two chapters focus on Grom.
- Brick Joke:
- During Skara's party, Amelia is noted to be good at math. After the MFC gets paid by Principal Bump, Luz asks if someone's got Amelia's number so she can help them divide their profits between the five of them.
- Being unable to find her Hexes Hold'em cards, Eda decides to solve a Rubik's cube in the bathtub while drinking apple blood. She finally solves it by the end of the chapter, questioning how long she was at it when she sees the tub empty and bottles filling up the whole bathroom.
- Briefcase Full of Money: Desperate to get rid of the Abomi-Skull, Principal Bump offers his rainy day savings (a chest full of snails) to the MFC, which they earn.
- Call-Back: The attack at Cat's party in "Doctor's Visit and Party Incidents" is brought up a few times during Skara's party; because of it, the Brookes hired a bouncer to keep uninvited guests out. It's most prominent when the Lagahoo attacks:Luz: Can't I go to one party without something happening?!
- The Cameo:
- Boscha makes a non-speaking one at the bazaar briefly observing her former posse hanging out with Willow and Bo.
- Among the culprits the MFC busts are Tibbles, John De Plume and Shmebulock somehow.
- The Multi-Bear, Mermando and Mr. Poolcheck appear when Vee recounts her misadventures before meeting the Pines family.
- Can't Get Away with Nuthin': None of the MFC's culprits get away with their crimes, including Prof. Blanc.
- Character Development: It's small, but Boscha doesn't try to antagonize her friends or Willow and Bo when she sees they're hanging out together.
- Continuity Nod: Loki the Trickster God is mentioned to be the guy the Shadowy Secret Expozers apparently pray to before facing a monster.
- Crush Blush:
- Once Willow's selected to go in the closet with Skara, both girls turn away so they don't see each other's blushes. Skara keeps blushing throughout the time they spend together while Willow has another after kissing Skara.
- As always, Amity. This time's it's because Luz calls her "sweet as candy".
- Cat gets a small flush on her cheeks thinking about how muscular Simon is.
- Dark and Troubled Past: In addition to mixing magic, Viney got placed in the Detention track because she sicced Puddles on some Beast Keeping students for pulling a secret admirer prank on her. It's also why she's so hesitant to find out who her current secret admirer is.
- A Day in the Limelight: Willow and Gus each get their own subplots in this chapter, Gus going to the Human Realm to interview Dipper for his journalism project, and Willow spending time with the former Banshees and Bo. Through said subplots, Skara and Vee get some focus.
- Distracted by the Sexy: After ending up in Vee's body (which is displaying her real eyes and ears), Wendy mentions it's a cute look for her.
- "Eureka!" Moment: Luz has one to create the Monster Fighters Club after hearing how often alleged monster attacks happen.
- Everyone Can See It: Bo, Amelia and Cat instantly figure out Skara's got a thing for Willow given the way she asked her out to Grom.
- Evil-Detecting Dog: This is Barcus' role in the Monster Fighters Club: using his aura-reading abilities, he's able to tell the difference between a real monster and someone in a costume.
- Fire-Forged Friends: Willow and Simon became these after a sparring session during the break.
- Willow also admits that she and Skara qualify as these.
- After busting Prof. Blanc, the MFC and the Shadowy Secret Expozers become friends.
- Forceful Kiss: Since they didn't kiss during their Ten Minutes in the Closet, Willow gives Skara a peck on the cheek to make up for it.
- Foreshadowing:
- Slasher mentions keeping his inner demons at bay. Then there's what he's got in the basement...
- Barcus predicts that Willow will play an important role in protecting those closest to her and that Amity's choices will change her future and the person she is.
- Forgiveness: Amity tells Luz she doesn't care about the money she conned her out of anymore because she's over it.
- The Friends Who Never Hang: Being a member of the MFC gives Amity a chance to interact with the former troublemakers, and she spends a bit of her time talking with Viney.
- Funny Background Event: As Skara gasps from seeing the bottle had landed on Willow, Raptor lowers his head in disappointment.
- The Ghost: Luz lists Puck as one of the two suspects who could be the Abomi-Skull along with Anu Bist.
- Given Name Reveal: Prof. Blanc's name is Herbert, as Principal Bump says.
- Hair-Trigger Temper/Hot-Blooded: Pat, the left head of the Cerberus Sisters, is very temperamental, with Blondie saying she's kind of a psycho.
- Have We Met?: Mattholomule greets Simon at the party, but Simon doesn't know who he is despite being in the same track.
- Hero of Another Story: Vee managed to help Mermando reach the ocean so he can return home.
- Hidden Depths:
- Slasher plays the bandolin and was in a band some years back, designed several album covers and is currently a music producer for the Bard coven.
- Amelia is described to be good at organization and very good at calculus.
- Internal Reveal:
- Gus meets Vee for the first time.
- Bo, Amelia and Cat catch on to Skara's feelings for Willow.
- The former troublemakers discover Luz told Amity about the Secret Room of Shortcuts, which Prof. Blanc found and Linkin and Eve see for themselves.
- In Spite of a Nail: Several body swaps still occur the same as canon Gravity Falls. Dipper also had to work at the town's pool.
- Irony: Early on, Amity believed Luz forgot how she scammed her when they first met. Now after Luz admits she was trying to pay her back, Amity confesses she completely forgot about it.
- Lampshade Hanging: Luz questions how Shmebulock came to the Boiling Isles. Naturally, he can't give her an answer.
- Laser-Guided Karma:
- The Beast Keepers who pranked Viney suffered from Puddles barfing spiders on them.
- Amity restrains Emira with abomination goo and goes to do the same to Edric in order to teach them a lesson for messing with Luz about the fake increase value.
- Leaning on the Fourth Wall:
- Several characters point out how happy they are that things have eased up following the recent drama, Luz even calling it "a more light-hearted chapter in their lives."
- At one point, Jerbo points out how the few hours the MFC spent catching monster felt like days and hopes someone's keeping track of how much time's passed.
- The Matchmaker: Gus and Cat act as this to each other, arranging for Amelia and Simon respectivelly to take the other to Grom.
- Mix-and-Match Critters: One of the MFC's culprits used a puppet of a mandrillgora, a combo of a mandrill and a mandragora plant.
- Must Make Amends: To pay back her debt to Amity, Luz enlists her and the Troublemakers to form the Monster Fighters Club, charging people for capturing monsters. However, Amity tells her she's not holding her to that.
- Mythology Gag: Vee's human form is said to be based off of Wendy's pilot design.
- Named by the Adaptation: The Beast-Keeping bat male who was Skara's Grom date in canon is revealed to be named Raptor.
- Nightmare Fetishist: Scabrina, Skara's little sister, is just as much of one as her, openly desiring to dissect rare creatures... including humans.
- Noodle Incident: Dipper apparently ended the feud between the Manotaurs and the Multi-Bear.
- Odd Friendship: During her first few weeks in the human world, Vee befriended the Multi-Bear and Mermando before becoming the latest part of Mabel's friend group.
- Oh, Crap!:
- Luz is stunned when the twins tell her she now owes Amity over 600,000 snails.
- Vee and Dipper/Mabel share one when they realize Wendy chased McGucket into the room with the electron carpet.
- Prof. Blanc reacts accordingly when he's banned from Hexside, escorted out by the school guards and when Amity ignores his plea for help.
- Emira has this moment when she realizes Amity is about to get back at her and Edric for messing with Luz.
- Pet the Dog:
- Since Gus is going to Grom with Amelia, Skara offers to go with Willow as friends since Willow and Gus always went together that way.
- Boscha chooses not to engage her former friends at the bazaar and despite not being invited to Skara's party, she still leaves her a present.
- Hearing that Vee doesn't have a family, Blubs and Durland take her to the police station to help her find one.
- Point of Divergence:
- To "Carpet Diem": Dipper and Mabel swapped bodies while clearing out the new room for Vee and decide to make the most of it with Mabel using this opportunity to bond with Stan. On top of that since Candy and Grenda don't appear in this chapter, Gus, Wendy and Vee replace them during the mass body swapping.
- How Vee ended up in the human realm as well. She tried to steal the portal key and got caught but after explaining herself, Luz sympathized with her and suggested Eda send her to Gravity Falls (where she'd have plenty of magic to feed off of). After a few weeks crashing with the Multi-Bear, a Heat Wave led to her sneaking into the pool and meeting Mermando who she helped return to the sea (which kept Mabel from meeting him). However, because she stole and damaged pool supplies, Mr. Poolcheck gave her a job to pay for the damages, allowing her to meet Wendy, then the twins with Dipper getting a job to help Vee pay off her debt while Mabel befriended and offered her to stay at the shack after convincing Stan.
- Gus travels to Earth and meets Vee earlier than he did in canon, and he meets her alone as opposed to doing so with the rest of the Hexsquad.
- Precision F-Strike: Sioux shouts "shit" after losing her glasses. So does Emira when Amity tells her she knows she and Edric tried to mess with Luz's head.
- Reasonable Authority Figure: Mr. Poolcheck, the very intense, emotionally unstable head lifeguard, was lenient with Vee upon hearing she didn't have parents and gave her a job at the pool so she could pay for the supplies she damaged helping Mermando return home. He even lets Dipper get a job to help Vee pay off her debt faster.
- The Reveal:
- Slasher is revealed to be part of the Bard Coven working as a music producer.
- Skara has a younger sister named Scabrina.
- After the "piranha plant" fiasco, Amelia's parents were able to buy a new, bigger home with the insurance money they got for "magic-related accidents". It also comes with a house demon named Duo who's bilingual and perfers Spanish answers, prompting Amelia to learn the language.
- How Vee came to Gravity Falls is explained here along with what she did before meeting the Pines family. She created her human disguise from magazines the Multi-Bear had.
- Part of the reason Viney studies Healing is because her mother wanted her to join the Healing Coven.
- Willow befriended Simon over the break, having become his sparring partner after a chance meeting led to a match.
- The Rival: The Shadowy Secret Expozers see themselves as this to the Monster Fighters Club, though it's not mutual.
- Screw This, I'm Outta Here: As opposed to the Monster Fighters Club, the members of the Shadowy Secret Expozers would rather turn tail than take the Abomi-Skull head-on.
- "Scooby-Doo" Hoax: So many are included in the A-plot, making it feel like a tribute to Scooby-Doo itself. In fact, the climax of the A-plot is pretty much the climax of the Mystery Incorporated series premiere.
- Secret Squatter: Professor Blanc turns out to have been living in the Secret Room of Shortcuts since he doesn't want to return home as his mother's there.
- Self-Made Man: Hearing about Slasher's music career makes Luz calls him this almost word for word (the equivalent being self made witch).
- Sequel Hook: The story of the locket Eve found.
- Ship Sinking: Cat/Gus, since the latter set the former up to attend Grom with Simon, who she shows attraction to.
- Ship Tease: Between Willow and Skara & Barcus and the Cerberus sisters.
- Shockingly Expensive Bill: While talking to the twins about paying back Amity, Luz is told that with the 20% Blight increase value, she owes her 634,567 snails. Subverted when Amity helps her realize the twins were punking her.
- Shout-Out: Where do we start?
- The Monster Fighters Club is a play-on reference to a French-Canadian animated show called “Monster Busters Club”.
- The entire A-plot is one to Scooby-Doo (complete with a Mystery Inc-expy) based off of Mystery Incorporated's first episode, "Beware the Beast from Below". The random dance number is based off the same routine in A Pup Named Scooby-Doo and one of the monsters the MFC catches is based off Old Iron Face from The Scooby-Doo Show.
- The Shadowy Secrets Expozers to Mystery Inc.: Linkin Days (Fred) is based off of Dark Arts Beagle from DuckTales (2017), his name being a combo of Linkin Park and Green Day; Everscence “Eve” Slipknot (Daphne) is based off the Hex Maniac Girl from Pokémon and her name is also a band reference; Sioux Bansheeles (Velma) is based off of Sious and the Banshees; Korn Fleabite (Shaggy) is a reference to the Nu Metal Korn and singer Flea, and the Ceberus sisters' (Scooby, obvi) names are based off of Cyndi Lauper, Blondie, and Pat Banater.
- Duo, the Spanish-speaking house demon of Amelia's new home, is the name of the mascot of the language learner program Duolingo.
- Luz's birthday gifts to Skara are of late '90's stars to play on a Skipman CD player.note
- Upon having her "Eureka!" Moment, Luz says ''light bulb".
- The Demon Hedgehog’s appearance could be a reference to the original live-action design of Sonic the Hedgehog.
- Savage Garden's "I Want You" is used as both the montage song and a love song for the moment between Barcus and the Ceberus sisters.
- Raptor's name comes from the online persona his voice actor, Arin Hanson, is known by: EgoRaptor.
- Stating the Simple Solution: At the formation of the MFC, Jerbo questions if they're going to be mystery solvers. Luz, however, says they're just going to hunt down the monsters and beat them up without going through the hassle of finding clues and setting up traps.
- Take That!: The appearance of the demon hedgehog is meant to be a jab at Sonic's original design for the Sonic the Hedgehog 2020 live-action movie, which wasn't well received.
- Tempting Fate:
- Skara tries to relax during "Spin the Bottle" by saying there's no harm in playing. The bottle lands on her crush almost as if "the universe was listening in."
- While playing ball with Stan, Mabel (in Dipper's body) asks what's the worst that could happen. By the time they return to the shack, they apparently had to hightail it.
- Ten Minutes in the Closet: At Cat's suggestion, a few party guests play Spin the Bottle, which leads to 7 minutes of this. As the birthday girl, Skara goes first and ends up with Willow by luck of the draw. They spend their time talking about how they're mending their friendships with Bo and Amity, respectively and Skara asking Willow to join her for a group shopping spree for Grom attire.
- Two Lines, No Waiting: The plot is juggled between Luz leading the Monster Fighter Club, Gus in Gravity Falls, and Willow spending time shopping and bonding with Skara.
- Unexplained Recovery: Tibbles has managed to escape captivity at Puck's hands.
- Unfazed Everyman:
- Wendy is ridiculously casual to seeing Dipper having switched bodies with Mabel.
- Since Amity figures out the true identity of the Abomi-Skull, she doesn't gasp with everyone when they learn it.
- The Un-Reveal: Seriously, how did Shmebulock end up in the Isles?
- Wham Episode: Gus meets Vee, who's offered the chance to find a home with Blubs and Durland's help, Prof. Blanc is banned from setting foot on Hexside's grounds ever again, Skara asks Willow to Grom and Eve finds a mysterious locket.
- Wham Line: Eve, opening the locket she found, finds the name "Philip" inside.
- Wham Shot: Amity finds something in the Secret Room of Shortcuts that helps her figure out the Abomi-Skull's identity: a Top Student badge.
- Woman Scorned: Before Luz came to Hexside, Viney got letters from a secret admirer and got covered in barbecue sauce poured on her and chased by bulldogs because of some Beast Keeping students pranking her for mixing magic.
- Work Off the Debt:
- Luz came up with the Monster Fighters Club as a way repay the money she swindled from Amity. Since she doesn't hold it against her, the MFC decides to split all their profits.
- Vee was given a job at the Gravity Falls pool so she can pay back Mr. Poolcheck for the pool supplies she damaged, and Dipper got one to help pay off her debt.
- Xtreme Kool Letterz: The Shadowy Secrets Expozers.
- You Meddling Kids: With so many Scooby-Doo references, of course the culprits would say this after getting busted by the Monster Fighters Club.
- You Have GOT to Be Kidding Me!: Principal Bump says this word for word upon seeing Prof. Blanc's the Abomi-Skull.
