I'm at Tumblr user Elentori's live stream tonight so hopefully I can get some more of these done (and possibly get a bit into WitD).

From Gam919: "I dunno if you take suggestions on reviews, but you should do one where Mabel eats Smile Dip and finds the portal room, set before Not What He Seems."

It would seem I have more NWHS fics to write... Onward, Aoshima! This one-shot takes place after Summerween.

Fun with Colors

Okay, so maybe she hadn't completely quit the Smile Dip. Upon discovering a few packets in the large sacks of candy Grunkle Stan had gotten (she didn't think to ask where or how the sacks came to be there, probably because she was growing used to her relative's oddness) Mabel had hesitated before pouring the sweet candy into her mouth. After all, it was like she was going to eat as many as she had that time at the haunted store...

What was the harm?

FUNWITHCOLORSFUNWITHCOLORSFUNWITHCOLORSFUNWITHCOLORSFUNWITHCOLORS

Stan groaned in annoyance as he heard a dull sound from above the lab, knowing one of the kids was probably sleepwalking this late at night or getting a drink of water. It wasn't like he had much to do in the lab anyway. He still needed the other journals to create the coordinates and code inputs for the portal, and he was currently not in possession of such objects.

He frowned after a few moments, giggling reaching his ears. It sounded like Mabel.

What was she doing up?

He tried to ignore her giggles but it was difficult after it went on after a couple of minutes. It sounded like she was outside of the vending machine and he knew he couldn't go up without having her question where he had been... but she was starting to make him grow more annoyed.

Stan glanced at one of his nearby surveillance cameras and his eyes narrowed in confusion.

Why was she rolling around on the ground trying to make some weird sort of snow angels?

He sighed and looked away. No, he couldn't. It would destroy everything.

In three minutes he found himself looking back at the screen and a soft sigh left his lips as she started trying to scale one of the gift shop walls. Something was definitely up. This was sort of creepy. The really wide eyes he caught a glimpse of scared him a little too.

Shoving the chair back from the desk, Stan headed up to the main floor. He wanted to bang his head against the wall of the elevator when it moved slowly up. What if Mabel was fine and then asked him about the vending machine entrance? What would he say then?

Stan took a deep breath and opened the vending machine door, eyes growing wide as he took in the sight of his great-niece clawing her way up the wall with loud giggles. He hurried over and scooped her up, snorting at her baffled yelp.

"Kid, this is weird even for you. What's up?"

What was up with her eyes? Why did it look like she was in a trance?

"Hellooooooo, Aoshima!" Mabel crooned before snuggling against her elder's chest. Yep, something was definitely wrong. What did she call him? A wide grin adorned her flushed face. "How've you been, buddyyyy?"

She sounded drunk. Why were her words slurring together?

"Uh, I'm your grunkle, kid. And you probably should go to bed. It's one in the morning."

"But Aoshimaaaaa - "

"Gesundheit."

For some reason, this made the preteen giggle more. She curled up against him more and shook her head.

"Can't sleep! I'm so awake and the universe is so colorful! See?"

"Uh... Are you drunk? I really don't think your parents would like it if you got drunk on my watch or whatever..."

Mabel giggled again. She was doing that a lot.

"No! Smile Dip... Didn't you have some, Aoshima?"

What the heck was she - ? Wait, wasn't that the illegal candy banned a while back? Didn't it cause hallucinations or something?

Oh.

Oh.

Well, this was bad.

Mabel rolled out of his arms before he could stop her and she stumbled toward the vending machine entrance. "Whoa! Kid, no, no!"

He hurried after her as she ended up rolling down the stairs. Oh, that looked painful. "Slow down!"

She giggled for the umpteenth time. "Nooooo... This is to much fun! Where's the rainbow falls?"

Stan was regretting having left the lab now.

"You're killing me here, sweetheart."

Sorry she doesn't actually go into the portal room. Writing Smile Dip Mabel is a bit hard (I'm guessing she only had like two or three packets so she is only a tad sober. Hence why, if you noted in NWHS, Mabel seems to figure out that the code was for the vending machine rather fast. Just a little headcanon of mine).