+ THIS is the Bad Place! - MINGLE LOG +

[vitaelamorte]

Who: EVERYONE
Where: The Neighborhood!
When: 4/26 - 4/30
Rating: PG-13, warn if going higher - no swearing by event law!
Summary: Catch-all log for The Good Place event!
The Story:

Welcome to the Good Place! Your character, tragically, has died in their world. They might not remember how (or maybe they do!) but it’s okay either way because conveniently they have earned enough points to go to the Good Place when they die! They’ve earned a house that they have been told is perfectly suited to them (it is probably not, but who are they to question the universe?!) in an absolutely delightful and quaint little Neighborhood with a frozen yogurt shop on every block. It’s almost irritatingly perfect!

Most importantly though, someone will be living with your character. Someone very, very special - their soulmate, hand-picked from the billions on Earth! Sure, it may not be who (or even what) they expected, but this is what they’ve earned from the good life they’ve lived in your world. They deserve this! They really, truly do.

Everyone is welcome to add details to what exactly is in the Neighborhood - everyone has different standards for what constitutes an "objectively good but still mediocre" neighborhood experience, after all!

Need more information, or maybe a soulmate? Head on over to the plot post! Prose or [Action Brackets] are both welcome!

Comments

[thevulnerability]

"Saying that just makes me think I need to keep an eye on you."

She joking. And... maybe flirting. She's not actually sure.

"So, how you settling into our new, eternal home?"

[powerofmabel]

[She sighs and flops against the counter.] I was just trying to throw them off our scent, Grunkle Stan. You gotta be tricky with those gold digging types. That guitar has murder weapon written all over it.

[Wait. She bolts upright.] Crud, we're already dead. Can you double die? Do you just automatically go to the Bad Place if you die in the Good Place??

[powerofmabel]

I caaaaaan. [Mabel sing-songs from the kitchen, because of course she can. She returns with something that looks like Hi-C Ecto Cooler that is probably offensive to Wirt's eyes. The juice box seems to suggest it has trace amounts of smile dip. It does not belong in their fridge. It belongs in Mabel's.] Oh man, you guys! I thought they stopped making this. I'm seriously gonna be crashing here when Gustav needs some alone time. It's like this place just wants me to come over and learn everything about you two lovebirds.

[This is the Bad Place.]

[krmvgivv]

...Mabel, that thing doesn't need alone time. It's a robot. And didn't things go really, really badly the last time you tried something that had been recalled?

[COME ON MABEL LEARN THINGS FOR ONCE.]

[bibliocorn]

"That cat is so the worst. That laugh it has goes right through me every time."

And so, Chloe has gained herself an ally for All Time- united in hating that goddamn annoying cat. His mirth quickly fades, as another memory slots into place and ugh.

"The Mirrors. You know, I can almost forgive it playing with our memories except for them," he frowns. "I'm always worried they'll use that to their advantage one day. That we forgot them."

[charlastan]

[If it makes him feel better, Stan also screamed. Who wouldn't scream at that?!]

Yep! Really drew the short straw on that one!

[Stan looks around, trying to think on his feet. The only thing he can really come up with is grabbing the nearest fancy decorative thing and pitching it at Will E.'s face like a baseball. It clangs pretty hard against the metal, but the only thing it really does is gives the two of them a chance to turn and run for their afterlives.]

[theenforcer]

"Feel free," he says with a grin. "Especially if it comes with frozen yogurt."

How could he say no, even if he finds the names amusing and sometimes uncertain about them. This one though, this is he can live with, even if he should be bothered by how well the name nailed him.

"I'm... it's... no. It's nothing I would have picked for a few years, nonetheless for eternity."

[singloversing]

[Wirt wrinkles his nose at what she's drinking, but he doesn't actually stop her since it means it's one less horrible thing in their fridge.]

Th-There's nothing to learn about us anyway, really! [A pause.] ...Wait, it was recalled?

[breakthecurse]

[Tohru doesn't know any gems, and as far as she knows there aren't any in her world, but she listens carefully to everything Lapis has to say. She can't truly understand, not really, but she can try her hardest to.]

The pieces are still alive...

[It's incredible, though also frightening if she's honest. To be alive, but trapped in a piece of yourself.

But, that doesn't seem like it's the most important part. It's unusual by Lapis' standards, but that doesn't seem to be all of it, from what Tohru can tell.]

I'm sorry. I don't know where you're supposed to be, or who you're supposed to be with, but...I'm sorry that you're not there. It sounds really lonely, to have to be by yourself when you never expected to be. When it didn't seem possible at all that things would happen this way.

[The sentiment resonates, for many reasons. An eternal paradise isn't paradise if it isn't what was supposed to happen to you, is it? If you have to be alone there, or at least without the people you care about?]

I'm not a gem so I can't completely understand everything, but...it's a thought that I can really empathize with.

[ssmisery]

[Once again, that A: unexpectedly hits too close to home, and B: is frustratingly NOT THE POINT SHE WAS TRYING TO MAKE.]

That's your takeaway?!

[Lapis is trying to reject this, not come to terms with it. Too much acceptance is a crock. She's been provisionally willing to talk to Tohru because Tohru should potentially be on her side -- a fellow victim in the same situation. But that's not gonna hold if she can't actually get Tohru to side with her, and the provision is wearing thin.]

This isn't what happens. It doesn't make SENSE.

[powerofmabel]

[She's ignoring you both. She's learning things right now as she chugs juice drink.] Just the Smile Dip version. The other was discontinued for some lame reason, like because the 80's had to be sacrificed for the Dark Times that were the 90's.

[charlastan]

Maybe it's like dares, and if we triple die it cancels out the double dying and we wind up back here.

[That made absolutely no sense and Stan doesn't give a fork.]

Anyway, your Grunkle Stan knows all about gold-diggers. My ex-wife and I were married a whole six hours before she stole my car!

[Because knowing about them and avoiding them are two entirely differently things.]

[powerofmabel]

[That makes total sense to Mabel, because it's just silly enough to be brilliant. A+ logic Stan.

But not that last part. Mabel narrows her eyes and purses her lips in judgment.] And you know all the tricks to prevent it from happening again, riiiight?

[thevulnerability]

"Yeah, I don't like it, either. At least they don't have the Queen breathing over their shoulders anymore."

Chloe sighs, glancing down at her feet and realizing she's completely forgotten about the DVD set sitting next to her. She looks even more annoyed.

"Now that I know this is an event, this soulmate thing is even less funny."

She's going to die alone.

[thevulnerability]

"Kind of the same for me. Nothing about this is what I expect. Including the frozen yogurt flavors."

To be fair, Chloe had expected nothing. Literally nothing. She never believed in any of this.

"My place is okay, but I'm not crazy about the decor."

[krmvgivv]

Great, so best case scenario, it's over twenty years old. Not seeing how that makes it better.

[bibliocorn]

"There is that, at least. Though I'm not convinced that would make mine all that happy."

But he's pretty sure only the heat death of the universe would make his Mirror happy.

"I wouldn't read too much into it if I were you. It's just Wonderland being... Wonderland."

He's trying to make her feel better, is it working?

[thevulnerability]

"Mine is probably thrilled. I got the impression she wasn't a big fan of the Queen of Hearts... But without the rules she had in place, who knows what mine is planning."

Chloe's Mirror was the epitome of chaotic neutral. Chloe would have preferred her to just be evil.

His support isn't really working, but it is enough to earn him an affectionate smile. It's nice of her to try.

"This is kind of strange, though. I've never been in an event that changed our memories but we still remembered. Usually, we're clueless until the end." Her smile fades into concern. "Something tells me that can't be good."

[bibliocorn]

"Mine didn't seem much of a fan of anybody at all. I think the whole system is probably about to plunge into chaos."

It's way less fun when your Mirror is plain old evil, Chloe. It's like, the worst. You never know what they're going to do next.

"Hmmm, that's a very good point. It's never been so... wishy washy before," he rubs the back of his head with a forehoof. "Perhaps things are changing around here. I can't imagine losing a Queen did much to keep everything here stable. Maybe it's finally starting to crumble."

[breakthecurse]

[Tohru's first impulse when talking to anyone is to try and take care of their emotional needs first, so the rejection stings. She wasn't expecting it...but, that doesn't mean that Lapis is wrong for it. She doesn't know Lapis, and can only guess how she feels.

It doesn't make sense though. By all accounts, what Lapis has said doesn't make sense with how this world works.]

Then...then we should find out what happened.

[She's hesitant, not sure if Lapis will reject her again. She wants to help, but to help she can't focus on what would help her, if she were in Lapis' situation.]

There must be someone here who knows, or some way we can find out. If this isn't what is supposed to happen...then we should find out why it happened, and how we can fix it.

[Even if that means Tohru ends up without a soulmate. She wouldn't want to make someone else unhappy because they weren't supposed to be with her. It's more important to try and set things right.]

[ssmisery]

[That's better. :T Lapis frowns deeply in thought.]

It's not like there's anyone in charge. Everyone else here is supposed to be like us... right?

[She sounds skeptical even of that, now that she's decided to be skeptical about everything.]

[breakthecurse]

[Tohru looks really happy that that went over better, and she perks up a little bit with determination.]

Most people probably are, but maybe we just haven't met whoever is in charge yet! I can't imagine a neighborhood this big without some sort of mayor to make sure everything is running smoothly. If we can find them, that might be a good start!

[ssmisery]

Hmm. [Hmm. Lapis is unconvinced, but it probably wouldn't hurt to case the joint. The more she thinks about it, the more she has a vague, nagging suspicion that there's something familiar about all this. Maybe she'll find a clue as to why.

But is Tohru going to be a help or a hindrance? Lapis opens the door again.]

I'm counting on you.

[This is delivered very flatly and is probably not true.]

[charlastan]

[Stan laughs, not at all uncomfortably!]

Sweetie, this is your Grunkle Stan we're talking about here. Like I'd ever fall for someone else's con, no matter how much of a sweet talking robot soulmate they are!

[breakthecurse]

[Tohru takes her at face value, and assumes that nothing about that statement is a lie.]

Okay! I promise, I won't let you down!

[The optimistic determination rolls off of her in waves.]