+ The Time Has Come, the Time Is Now +

[vitaelamorte]

Who: Everyone in Wonderland!
Where: The chessboard hills
When: Monday, June 11, all day starting at 10:00 AM
Rating: R for (sometimes excessive) violence
Summary: The Queen of Hearts has declared war and the time for battle has come.
The Story:
♥ ICly, the Real Things who will act as pieces volunteered and are led by the Red Queen. The Mirrors were chosen by the Queen of Hearts without being given a choice. 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 pieces and requesting their assistance to protect their fellow Real Things. Characters were not ICly able to respond to this message.

♥ 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 summons 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). Likewise, any spectators who are not in or around the stands by 10:00 AM will find themselves transported there.

♥ Each player sports an armband, white for the Real Things and Black for the Mirrors, with the shape of their assigned chess piece embroidered in the opposite color. Royalty pieces wear crowns indicative of their status. Should a pawn be promoted to queen, a crown will appear on their head.

♥ 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 top-level under which to comment! It might be helpful to label your thread with which move/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 whose square they share. 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 waiting for a comment to officially announce them.

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

♥ For your convenience, here are links to the thread headers:

The Donation Box
Pre-Game
The Game - Moves 1-20
The Game - Moves 21-40
The Game - Moves 41-60
The Game - Moves 61-80
The Game - Moves 81-100
The Game - Moves 101-117
The Holding Area
The Stands

Have fun!

Comments

[alltheways]

[The Red Queen's eyes narrow and she's silent for long enough that it might appear she won't answer at all, as though those comments are beneath her.

She doesn't point out that she was entrusted with the Vorpal Shield but that the Queen of Hearts had possession of it for some time. There are more important things and better things to say. This should devolve into base bickering, as much as the Queen of Hearts seems to want to go that route.]

I believe you should watch what you say, dear sister. Words, once released into the air, cannot be taken back.

[onlyredroses]

[Words, once released into the air, cannot be taken back. They flutter away and leave the damage behind them.

And yet, even the twinge of pain that mentions of their sister brings...even that is not enough to quiet her for long. She's always had a tendency to run her mouth when she shouldn't, and say her feelings when everyone around her knows them already. She has a voice and she will use it until she is heard.

The warning is only enough to pause her, and not enough to stop her.]

When is the last time I was ever dear to you?

[She isn't playing that game now. Not when she stands to lose so much in this moment. Her weapon. The respect and fear of her subjects. Her carefully carved place in this world.

Her next words are soft and angry, but the microphone catches them all.

It catches them and then it lets them go forever.]

I can't believe I actually missed you when you were gone.

[alltheways]

[The Red Queen's eyes widen almost imperceptibly. For a second, she isn't sure how to respond, and though her comportment doesn't change, the silence is telling.]

I missed you as well.

[onlyredroses]

[The Queen of Hearts stares back, dumbfounded. Tears well up in her eyes, but she ignores them.

The two of them hear very different things in that silence though, and for the Queen of Hearts it brings her rage back full force.]

DON'T LIE TO ME!

[Enough is enough though, and a blinding white light shines beneath her.

Those close enough and low enough to her side of the field will see what happens first, before even the Queen of Hearts does. A hole of swirling light opens up on the ground under her platform. Some might have been here long enough to hear stories about Wonderland swallowing residents whole. Others may wince at the light, expecting to be robbed of a memory just for seeing it (though they're safe, for now).

The realization is slow and then sudden. A lightness at her feet as the platform's support collapses. Everything hangs in the air before it comes tumbling down, and the Queen of Hearts is the last to fall.]

N-No! No, don't--! DON'T YOU DARE! YOU NEED ME, WONDERLAND! ALL OF YOU NEED ME!

[And then, as quickly as it opened, the hole closes itself and swallows the Queen of Hearts whole - platform and all. Her microphone lays at the ground where the platform stood, but then as though Wonderland itself realized it forgot something, it sucks the microphone into the earth by the cord like a string of spaghetti.

All is still, and the Queen of Hearts is no more.]

[alltheways]

[Dead silence. That's all there is in the wake of that display. Even the Red Queen has no words for several moments. She very nearly drops the Vorpal Sword as she stares. She does drop her microphone, and it falls with a thud and a tiny whine of feedback at her feet. While she is perfectly aware that this happens, she was not expecting it. Not at all.]

[bewhatyouseem]

[ For a moment, there is nothing, but before the crowd can begin to scatter, all of the donation boxes wherever they exist - and in the case of today's, off in the stands - begin to shake. Popping noises can be heard in the distance like small fireworks exploding. Anyone still sitting near today's donation box or looking in that direction will see it merely suck itself out of existence.

And then, in another dazzling flash, a white dress appears first, and then a face. ]

Well, that was all quite dramatic, riveting and very overblown wouldn't you say my darlings?

[ A new queen has emerged. The White Queen, and she looks very pleased with herself, happy to be here. It's all very downplayed as if she didn't just burst into existence from somewhere beyond right where the Queen of Hearts once stood. When she speaks, there's no need for a microphone, thank you very much. She is well spoken, each word clear and perfectly enunciated. ]

I'm sure the past few hours have been quite stressful, particularly for those on the mirror side, but we're done with that! It's been terribly gloomy and I prefer things to be a bit lighter. Wouldn't that be better? There will be quite a few changes regarding the issue and I will address my new dear subjects at a later time. For now, I would like to address you, dear hearts, whom we have all come to know as the Reals.

On behalf of all my sisters, I am so very sorry for the stress and anxiety all of this has caused you. The fear of my side of the mirror, the needless worry. That shall be no more. Our domain is still our own and yours shall be too unless we come to a sort of accord that we can address as the situations arise. To show how very sorry I am for all of this mess, please enjoy eternally blooming white roses, which you will find now in your garden.

[ Now, she looks at the Red Queen and smiles. ]

Sister, I ask that you keep the two precious gifts Wonderland has given you. I have no use for the sword and it only makes perfectly good sense for it to go with the shield. Is that agreeable?

[alltheways]

[Again, the Red Queen stares as this...this...it simply can't be the White Queen. There is no way!

But there she stands and here she speaks, and there is no denying her existence.

The Red Queen's lapse this time is momentary and she lifts her head to speak. Now, when she speaks, it is the same as the White Queen--no need for a microphone whatsoever, perhaps leaving spectators wondering why she was using one in the first place. Her tone is...aloof is probably the best way to describe it.]

That is agreeable. Then I shall leave the Vorpal Yarn to you, as it once was and should always have been.

[bewhatyouseem]

That's an agreeable term. Oh, I've missed you. So very much. Is there a reason to have this distance between us?

[ Before she receives an answer, she gathers her skirts in her hands and walks forward, right through the crowd toward her sister's platform. When she's on it, she stands side by side with her and smiles brightly. ]

Isn't this better? A sign of our unity from now on and forevermore!

[alltheways]

[If the Red Queen is smiling, it would be difficult to tell. She looks at the Queen standing beside her for a moment before she does smile, the expression perfectly plastic, just the right amount of curve to the lips, just the right amount of crinkle around the eyes.]

It is a pleasure to have you return.

[She reaches and takes the White Queen's hand.]

Let us live in harmony.

[bewhatyouseem]

[ If the White Queen detects any hint of a false smile, she says nothing, reacts as if it's all perfect, and squeezes her hand. ]

Harmony. The way it has always been intended. Do you and your Reals require anything from me before my Mirrors and I take our leave?

[ She's still holding hands with her, swinging their hands lightly because all of this, it's just so carefree. ]

[alltheways]

We shall be content with things as they are for the moment. I do hope you and your [what an odd thing to have to say] Mirrors will be content as well.

[bewhatyouseem]

Thank you, sister.

[ She leans in and kisses her cheek before squeezing her hand and letting go. ]

Mirrors! We're going home, but know that I shall be addressing you after a good night's rest for all of us. On second thought, I should address you all, Mirror and Real alike, once you've recovered. For now, when we leave, this side shall be spic and span. Goodbye, everyone!

[ She smiles and waves, and then claps twice, the sound reverberating. She and the mirrors, all disappear, leaving the Reals in their wake. As promised, the stands are gone, the fencing, and any litter on the ground is gone. ]

[alltheways]

[The Red Queen nods to herself and then disappears as well, the platform on which she was standing vanishing just after her. She has much to think about and, unfortunately, no time for questions.]