+ 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

[neversauntered]

[This has happened before. He isn't offended. The small smile that comes to his face is patient and kind, and would have been entirely out of place on his Real counterpart's face.]

I suppose it's too much to think you might recognise me just from my hand. [He tells her, bringing his right hand up and wiggling his fingers.]

But I'm not Crowley.

[beautifullies]

[ She's right gobsmacked at that, and she stares for a moment before beaming at him. This is the mirror she's decided to help. ]

Gadreel.

[ And now she greets him like a friend, stepping closer. ]

It's wonderful to put an entire face with the hand.

[ She's teasing lightly, wanting him to feel comfortable. She's nothing against mirrors unless they try to hurt her or someone she cares for. She will literally be everyone's mother until they misbehave. ]

[neversauntered]

[It's a little different to meeting Shepard. He'd been more sure of where he stood with her, but the abrupt shift in Claire's attitude when she realises who she's talking to is more than enough. Gadreel steps forwards with a warm smile and gently takes both of her hands in his, squeezing them lightly.]

I've been so eager to meet you properly since we spoke. [He tells her, everything about him so warm and genuine and very unlike Crowley himself.]

How are you? Do you need some help?

[beautifullies]

I think I'm all right but...

[ She pauses, squeezing his hands again before letting them go. ]

Your real counterpart saved my life. He didn't seem very humble about it, or as if he wanted to at all, but he did. That's why I thought...I still haven't spoken to him about it. I probably should.

[neversauntered]

He might prefer it if you didn't. [Gadreel tells her with a small, shy smile. He doesn't make a habit of spying on his Mirror, like some do, but he's seen enough to understand how Crowley works.

And he knows enough about demons to know they don't tend to be as helpful as Crowley sometimes is.]

But you could call him, couldn't you?

[beautifullies]

I could. I don't know why I haven't. Being preoccupied with the war is a poor excuse. It just didn't seem as though he cared, really. That if he hadn't been dragged to me, he would have stepped over me. Not that anyone's required to give as much of a damn about anyone here as I do.

[ But that's just who she is. She wanted a life of this, of doctoring, of fixing people and if they were to die, to not die alone. ]

[neversauntered]

[He does his best to put on an encouraging expression. Being an angel, he's fairly good at it.]

Did something give you the impression that he's the kind of person to do a thing he doesn't care to? I wouldn't like to speak for him... I'm sure he'd hate it if I did, but he isn't as simple as he likes to pretend he is.

[beautifullies]

I never meant to imply he was simple, only that his actual capacity for caring about the act was...void. Not as if he didn't want to do it, but that it was a chore.

[ She's not sure how to exactly explain his 'vibe' or how it made her feel, precisely, and she shakes her head, waving it off. ]

It doesn't matter. It still isn't an excuse not to say thank you. Besides, I was dazed and ready to get to those who needed help.

[neversauntered]

[There's only so much he can defend his Real when he doesn't really know the demon's mind, so he just smiles slightly and lets it go at that, moving on to the next point at hand.]

You're a good person, Claire. I hope you know that.

[beautifullies]

[ Even she doesn't know what the Real's true feelings are on the matter. She can only go by perception at this point.

Still, when Gadreel says what he does, she looks down, smiling just a touch, clearing her throat. ]

I appreciate you saying that. It could be debatable, depending on who you ask. But appreciated nonetheless.

[neversauntered]

If you're not going to believe an angel, who will you believe? [He asks her lightly, giving a gentle touch to her arm.]

I don't lie. It's not in my nature.

[beautifullies]

[ She lets out a breath, looking down and closing her eyes, nodding, swallowing. ]

I believe you. There are just moments in my life I'm not quite proud of. People I've hurt.

[ Namely Frank. But still, when Claire looks back up she gives a small smile. ]

It means quite a lot that an angel would think such a thing about me.

[neversauntered]

I might not be Real, but I like to imagine my opinions still hold the same weight.

[He doesn't sound bitter about his particular status, only quietly accepting of it.]

None of us are without sin here.

[beautifullies]

May I ask...what are your abilities? Exactly? Can you heal people as well?

[ She's curious, considering the mirrors are supposed to be opposites. ]

[neversauntered]

[He laughs, gentle and soft.]

Of course. He was an angel once, too, you know. He can still do everything he could do then.

[Gadreel just has more of an inclination to use his abilities actively, while Crowley seems to just want to be left to his own devices.]

Did you want to know everything I can do?

[beautifullies]

If it isn't too much trouble? Please don't feel obliged.

[neversauntered]

[He hesitates before he answers. Nervous, perhaps? It's difficult to tell, but there's a flicker in his eyes as he shifts them away from hers for a moment.]

I... alright. You already know I can heal, that applies to most injuries a human or angel might suffer. I... might be able to bring someone back from the dead, but I'm not sure. I've never tried. [A small, awkward smile.] I'm not a high ranking angel. A Principality, actually, but that gets made fun of a little these days.

[Ehem.]

So, that's regenerative... but there's more. I can turn myself into different shapes, I can... turn people into salt. I can make you... believe things that aren't true, or see things that aren't real. I can manipulate you to make you do things you wouldn't normally do, and you wouldn't even know it. [His gaze, which had drifted off from hers, slides back again.]

... and I have a lovely singing voice.

[beautifullies]

[ That list of things should, probably, worry her. Especially the idea that he (or his real counterpart) could control someone at the drop of a hat. Still, she decides not to focus on that and reaches out instead to squeeze his wrist, smiling softly. ]

You'll have to sing for me, one day.

[neversauntered]

[Both of them could. Neither of them - perhaps notably - actually do. Gadreel turns slightly pink and smiles modestly, rubbing a hand around the back of his neck.]

I think I'd like that. One day.

[beautifullies]

[ Claire smiles softly, but then lets out a breath, stepping back and making sure he knows her offer to help with anything still stands. ]

If there's ever anything I can do for you, Gadreel, you'll still contact me?

[neversauntered]

I-- yes, of course. [They'd made a deal, of sorts, hadn't they? The angel is worried about what the outcome of this 'war' will be... and what it will mean if the Queen of Hearts wins.]

I'd like it if I could lend you a hand, until this is over. I'm feeling at something of a loose end wandering around the stands.

[beautifullies]

I won't say no to that, considering I'm not sure what to expect from people on both sides who hate the other quite vehemently.

[ Why can't they all just be like Gadreel? ]

[neversauntered]

[Gadreel smiles, quite pleased with the arrangement. What was he going to do here, after all, except wander around the place fretting about what was happening?]

I'll take a walk around and see if there's anyone who needs help getting back here.

[beautifullies]

Thank you. And if we don't get the chance to speak again before this is all over, I appreciate everything.