+ Chess is a Gentle-Queen's Game +

[vitaelamorte]

Who: Everyone in Wonderland!
Where: The chessboard hills
When: Monday, July 15, all day starting at 10:00 AM
Rating: PG-13 (probably)
Summary: The Red Queen has accepted a challenge from the Queen of Hearts.
The Story:
♥ ICly, characters who will act as pieces were chosen by either queen. The Queen of Hearts announced her choices to her Mirrors very directly, with an order to show up at 10:00 AM on the chessboard, ready to fight. The Red Queen announced her choices more politely, but just as firmly, with a text message sent out over the network listing her chosen pieces and requesting their assistance to protect their fellow Real things. Characters were not ICly able to respond to this message, but the Red Queen will be available after the event for questions/demands/angry rants.

♥ Those pieces who choose to obey the summons will have time to gather any items or weapons they might want to have with them, within reason. Those who don't heed the fliers will find themselves suddenly and instantly transported to their square on the chessboard when 10:00 AM rolls around. They will arrive with anything that was on their person at the time, as well as one weapon (whatever it would be normal for them to use).

♥ Each player sports an armband (since mirrors do tend to look so like their counterparts ♥), black for the Mirrors and white for the Real things, with the shape of their assigned chess piece printed in the opposite color.

♥ Pieces will find that they can't leave their assigned spots until they're told what square to move to by either the Queen of Hearts or the Red QUeen. And if they refuse to move, after a couple of moments, an unseen force will scoot them along to their new space.

♥ When threading moves on the board, please find the appropriate thread under which to comment! It might be helpful to label your thread with which moves/encounter you're playing out.

♥ Players on the board can not communicate with those in the stands and vice versa (other than by jumping around and flailing, I guess). However, players on the board can communicate directly with those in squares adjacent to them or with any challenger who enters their respective squares. Since some pieces have a lot of down time, feel free to have them chat with others on the board while they're waiting around.

♥ Directions from the Queens can be assumed. Go ahead and play out moves without them being officially announced.

♥ The plotting and info post for this log is here.

♥ For your convenience, here are links to the thread headers:
The Game - Moves 1-22
The Game - Moves 23-40
The Game - Moves 41-55
The Game - Moves 56-71
The Game - Moves 72-83
The Game - Moves 84-98
The Game - Moves 99-114
The Holding Area
The Stands

Have fun!

Comments

+ The Game - Moves 56-71 +

[vitaelamorte]

56: Black Queen (mirror!James Potter) to E8

[notsogryffindor]

[As soon as Check is is called, M!James assesses the situation as if he were the one playing chess against the Red Queen. He's satisfied when the Queen of Hearts makes the logical move - to place him in between his team's King, and the invading Queen, River Tam.

Calmly, he walks over and takes his place between them. He should logically be fearing his own death, since he could easily be taken by River in the position he's in. But, he doubts it. Based on where they are, River would only be captured by Elizabeth. It would be a pointless move that would not help either side.

Still, he turns to face her, wand pointed at the ready. The light normally present in the Real James' face is not here - it's as if it's been snuffed out like a candle. Instead he stares, harsh and unwavering.]

You must be River. You should hope your Queen moves you quickly.

[Because if not, Mirror James will not hesitate when inevitably moved.]

[perceptum]

[ River studies the Mirror James with a little curiosity as he approaches. The differences are subtle at first glance, there but not obvious, but she can tell without a look anyway. He's darker, twisted, and she's already seen the proof of that in his approach to taking pieces. Ruthless and without hesitation - not like James at all. Makes sense, he is supposed to be a mirror, after all. ]

She isn't worried. [ She is a little, but that isn't the point. Her weapon, her training isn't a match for that wand, of course she's nervous, but at the end of the day her fate on this board is out of her control. ] Does he really think his side will win this?

[ Big talk for someone who's never even heard of chess until today. ]

[notsogryffindor]

[No, he and James are very, very different. So different that they might as well be different species. The Real James is kind and friendly, and so full of love. He would go to great lengths to keep from killing anyone. However, his Mirror...is lacking. His soul is bruised and bent in ways a soul should never be. It is exactly the kind of damage repeated use of dark magic does to a person.

He does not lower he wand. If she looks closely, she might notice it's different from James' wand. It's crooked, and darker.]

I do. We won the previous chess match. And we will win every subsequent chess match.

[There seems to be an unspoken implication - "Because we're better than you."]

Your efforts are meaningless.

[perceptum]

Well his faith is admirable, at least. [ She frowns even as she says it, a comment meant to distract more than initiate any conversation. It's jarring being around people's mirrors at the best of times. It hasn't happened often, but enough that she's all too familiar with the feeling. The familiar face combined with an all too unfamiliar mind is hard to process, and after a moment she has to stop looking at James all together.

When her gaze drops to the floor, she starts fidgeting with the weapon in her hand, antsy. It's not that he's getting to her that easily or anything, it's just...well, that he's getting to her this easily. ] And what happens 'when' we lose, then? She gets the shield and what?

[ If she has to talk to him while he's here, she can at least try to get some information. ]

[notsogryffindor]

We haven't been told. However...

[He does not lower his weapon, but he spares a glance back at the Queen of Hearts, who is holding the Vorpal Sword as she plays.]

The Vorpal Sword is considered to be the ultimate sword, the only thing that can cut down the Jabberwock. It would be reasonable to assume the Vorpal Shield is its match - the ultimate shield.

[He doesn't particularly care that she isn't looking at him. He will wrongfully attribute it to fear, and she should be afraid of him. Just wait until she sees what he can do.]

So. Someone who has both would be completely unstoppable, I imagine.

69: White Knight (Augustus Sinclair) to E7 (Black Knight (Charity) captured)

[cruelcharity]

[Charity had intended to suppress his disappointment, when he realized he was to be captured. Sacrifices are necessary in a game such as this. But when he gets a look at the man approaching his space... it's ridiculous. Even Charity has his pride, and it would be positively ignominious to permit a Real Thing as pitiful as this one to bring him down easily.

He hardens his hands, stands up a little straighter, and gazes contemptuously at the opposing Knight when he arrives.]

I'm interested to see how you intend to hold this space.

SORRY I'M SO LATE

[worldentire]

[ <sub>this whole bothersome goddamn game was really starting to get on Sinclair's nerves. he'd not stood this long for a good long stretch of time, and his feet were realy starting to ache. he'd had the forethought to grab a weapon or two on his way down, which he'd only brought as his normal precautions; it was only now that he was severely disappointed that he'd forgotten a bot or six.

the teleportation plasmid, which had followed him of it's own accord, floated, glowed and flashed beside him, but he ignored it, choosing instead to give the man before him a bit of a look-over, still moseying over from his previous, rather comfortable (if not entirely stressful) space.</sub> ]

You're not the only one, sport, [ _{he replies, raising an eyebrow and pulling the gun from its holster, clicking back the hammer. the plasmid almost seems to flash faster, bouncing softly off the ground.} ] Let's just get this damn thing over with?

NO PROBLEM AT ALL~

[cruelcharity]

[Charity's not sure he likes the look of that levitating bottle, but the White Knight seems to be disregarding it in favor of an ordinary gun. Which is hilarious to Charity, though all he shows of it is a faint smile.]

Yes, let's. So go ahead. Shoot me.

[worldentire]

[ <sub>well, that's not foreboding. he frowns, ignoring the bottle as it floats up and disappears in a puff of mist and odd chunks. there's not much he can do about this situation; he didn't think to bring anything useful, really, and now his annoying little bottle friend is goin.

fine, damnit. he sighs.</sub> ]

Son, try not t'make me regret this.

[ _{and he aims and pulls the trigger in one quick motion.} ]

[cruelcharity]

[The bullet strikes Charity squarely in the chest, and it does penetrate- a fine spray of blood confirms that- but, apart from a step slightly backward to absorb the impact, he doesn't seem to suffer any ill effects. His smile just grows wider, as the wound vanishes in a crackle of red light.]

Would you like to try again?

[His voice is saccharine, and about as condescending as it is possible for a person to be.]

[worldentire]

Now, what'd I just say.

[ <sub>this ain't good. he knows he's supposed to take this piece but there's no freakin way he can do that with a small box of bullets when this guy doesn't seem to have issue with a straight shot through the chest. it's not the first time in his life he's wondered if he should have spliced; he still comes up with a "no".

if he dies here, he dies here, he decides as he replaces the bullet, cocks the hammer back again and shoots six more bullets at the man.

behind him, the bottle pops back into reality, floating serenely above his head.</sub> ]

[cruelcharity]

[Most of the rounds follow the first, uselessly, into Charity's body. One, striking right between his eyes, has a more impressive effect, and he begins to fall... but that same red light closes up the hole again, and he rights himself before he hits the ground. He laughs, a soft chuckle that would be pleasant in any other circumstances, and coos:] Yes, you're very brave, but I'm afraid I can't let you have the space if you can't do any better than that!

[With that, he begins to advance. His pace is unhurried, but in the limited space of their little battleground, it still won't take him long to start digging his hardened claws into the old man's throat.]

70: Black Rook (mirror!Yousuke Hanamura) to F1 (White Bishop (Toothless) captured)

[masukunduh]

A dragon. Of course, he had to fight a dragon.

It didn't help that on the mirror side, Toothless had a reputation for being murderous on a good day. Everyone gave good ol' Black Death a wide berth whenever possible. And even though he assumed this Toothless was gentler, he didn't seem particularly pleased about his current situation. Was he brought here against his will? Yousuke doesn't know how you'd invite a monster to be part of your battle royale without ropes being involved somewhere along the line.

"Hey, ugly! You wanna go?"

Taunts probably aren't the smartest way to go about this, but what the hell. This is going to end in a fight no matter what. Might as well get straight to the point.

[no_eels]

None of this made sense to Toothless. This odd, violent-looking teenager was just the last straw, as far as the Night Fury was concerned. He knew the Queens were fighting over something, but he wasn't sure why he had been called. Surely there was a Viking more suited, who knew what this... bizarre ritual was like.

The Night Fury let out a menacing growl in Yousuke's direction. He wasn't going to go without a fight.

[masukunduh]

"Hah! That's more like it!"

Let's cut to the chase then! Yousuke's mirror brings forth the Magician in reverse, and breaks the card to summon his Susano-O. His ghoulish form raises his pronged sword and casts Magarudyne, causing a typhoon of bladed wind to rush towards Toothless.

[no_eels]

Wind that hurts — that's new. A dragon's hide is normally all that's needed to withstand it. As such, it takes the dragon by surprise. The Night Fury lets out a shorter snarl, claws curling into the chess board, and then rakes them at his opponent. Or his opponents, perhaps, if he's fast enough.

[masukunduh]

Yousuke enjoys an opponent that attacks with reckless abandon. It means he can be aggressive without thinking, bringing the battle down to a face-to-face brawlfest. He slashes out with both his knives and his Persona follows suit with his sword, going for Toothless' joints where his hide might not be as tough to slice.

[no_eels]

That's certainly how a Night Fury fights, as is evident from the way the dragon arches his back. He's slashed, severely limiting his movements. Overall, he'd be doing a lot better if he could move around properly. Toothless' fighting style blooms under freedom of movement. Here, on the chess board, it's somewhat impossible. He snarls again, standing lower to the ground on account of those injured joints, and bites at the closest of Yousuke's legs.

71: White Bishop (Souji Seta) to A7 (Black Pawn (mirror!Elsword) captured)

[eatsyourscience]

[By the time he has to move up the board into A7, Souji's somewhat come to terms with what he has to do. Not that his demeanor was really ever anything other than calm, but at least inside he's starting to match it somewhat.

He steps into the square with mirror!Elsword and raises his sword. This is another situation where he's really not sure what to expect, since he doesn't know this Mirror or the Real thing he's based on, but after his last fight, he's ready for just about anything.]

Let's go.

[destructivespirit]

[Elsword is pacing when Souji makes his way across the battlefield. It's been at least thirty moves since he's seen another person—is it his turn to move yet? Did the Queen forget about him? He's starting to get more than a little antsy about all this damned waiting. Is he supposed to hold this ground indefinitely, or is he still waiting for some crucial opening...?

However, he snaps to attention when Souji steps into his territory. He's a little surprised, honestly, he hadn't even noticed the Bishop's approach until just then. The "Knight" hastily draws his blade, trying not to show his embarrassment at being caught off guard.

... A fellow swordsman, hm? Though, his stance looks quite amateur, the mirror notes. It does well to ease his nerves from the unexpected breach. If his opponent has the skill he appears to have, this battle should be no challenge for him.

He makes two dramatic cuts in the air with his sword, then holds it out to point at Souji.] May it be a good fight, Bishop.

[Being the gentleman he is, he gives White the first move.]

[eatsyourscience]

[Souji nods in acknowledgment. At least it seems like this Mirror won't do anything underhanded.

He takes a breath and lunges forward, bringing his blade up from its position near the ground in a twisting arc toward Elsword's side. The maneuver itself he learned from Redglare, who actually does know what she's doing with a sword, but it's still obvious that he hasn't managed to perfect it yet.]

[destructivespirit]

[He's quick to react, bringing up the flat side of his longsword to block the incoming swipe with a loud clang. A predictable move, far too aggressive and simple—if he wanted to, he could easily flip the older boy off his feet from that position, but the mirror doesn't. It is the first move, after all, and he intends to savour this.

Instead, he slashes forward to push his opponent back, showing a surprising amount of strength for his age. This is only to set-up his second strike, however. Swinging the blade up from a low rear position, he makes a wide circular cut. Even if Souji manages to block that heavy strike, a split second later it's followed by a short-range shockwave of searing red energy.]

[eatsyourscience]

[It's clear before the follow up strike even hits that he's outmatched here. Rather than block the strike, Souji tries to dodge it altogether, but the accompanying shockwave knocks him off balance. Though the blade doesn't land, he still stumbles to one knee, barely hanging onto his own sword. It all happens way too fast and he has to scramble mentally to come up with how to retaliate.]

[destructivespirit]

[The Mirror frowns, passing on the opportunity to attack him while he's down. Honestly, he expected something a little more challenging than this sad display. Halfway to his knees after only a single attack...

He takes a single step forward, staring down at his opponent coldly.]

This is the chess game of Her Royal Majesty, The Queen of Hearts. It is a great honour to be given the privilege of fighting before her, be it White or Black. I won't allow such a pitiful performance to be my only part in this game.

If you intend to take this square from me, on your feet.