+ 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

[bonegentruckung]

He's absolutely unsure if what he just said was even the right thing to say, but he doesn't show any signs of reluctance on the outside. He still looks stoic as ever, as if the weight of the entire world is on his shoulders. He's used to that weight, though, so it's all right.

As soon as his brother holds onto one of his arms, he uses his free arm to rub his brother's back, hoping that will at least provide some comfort if his words didn't work.

"HE WILL BE FINE. WHEN THE MATCH IS OVER, WE CAN FIND MY REAL AFTERWARDS SO I CAN PROVE IT TO YOU. ALL RIGHT?"

[serifsans]

"He." His brother is still talking about the other brother. He'll be back. His brother already said so. And they can make sure when this is all over.

It's...confusing. It's confusing when there's two of everything.

"nn."

That isn't what he was asking, though. He tugs Papyrus's hand a little and looks up at him. He looks so stiff and rigid.

"bro? good?"

There's words he could be saying to make himself clearer, but he just--he just can't get to them. It's frustrating sometimes. Like all the words and understanding are just out of his reach. Like they're still locked up in his skull somewhere.

It's important that his other brother is alright, but it's just as important that this brother is alright. He wonders sometimes if anyone ever even asks this brother if he's alright. He reaches up and lays a hand against Papyrus's chest, just for a moment.

"bro good?"

[bonegentruckung]

His brother doesn't look satisfied with his answer. It's so hard to tell what he can understand and what he can't understand. That's something that he'll never admit out loud, however. It's not his brother's fault he's like this, and the monster who is responsible for this already has gotten her just desserts.

He can't help but smile at the thought that Malphys is gone for good. Good riddance.

In any case, he's trying to figure out what his brother is actually trying to say with what little words he has. After his brother places one of his own hands onto his chest, things seem a little clearer. It's possible that he's more concerned about his wellbeing instead of his Real.

Really, comparing his doofy, happy-go-lucky Real to the serious Mirror, is it any contest for who is more approachable? It's things like that that really shouldn't matter to him, as there are much more important things to worry about, but deep down...

He still can't help but feel a bit moved by his brother's gesture. "I'M...ALL RIGHT, BROTHER. REALLY." He tries to maintain a stoic look on his face, but there's a bit of uncertainty behind it, if you knew where to look. There haven't been a lot of chances where anyone has asked him how he's feeling. Why should there be? A king should always appear noble and level-headed, not uncertain.

"I AM DOING ALL RIGHT, GIVEN THE CIRCUMSTANCES," he says as he still feels the weight of keeping up his appearance on his shoulders.

[serifsans]

He watches Papyrus carefully, though he's also avoiding eye contact. His brother keeps secrets. He remembers that he used to do the same, but he can't remember now why he did that, or how keeping a secret is supposed to work.

His brother seems to be watching him closely as well. It must be hard. It must be so frustrating. Having someone like him, who can't talk, can't take care of himself, can't do anything.

She always used to say so. That he was frustrating, stupid, that no one wanted him. That everyone who could have wanted him was gone.

It still hurts to think about her.

His brother seems to understand. He answers. He says he's alright. Sans lets himself relax a little and he nods once. His brother is alright.

"good."

He goes back to leaning against his brother again.

[bonegentruckung]

At least now, his brother seems satisfied with his answer. That's good. The last thing he wants to do right now is put his burdens on his brother's shoulders, especially when he is still recovering from the...seemingly endless time he was kept prisoner from that...it wouldn't be right to call her a monster, would it? That thing.

He's thankful that his brother has calmed down. Getting into a panic because of this stupid chess match is just a waste of energy. So is even worrying about his Real, but he has a feeling that saying that out loud would just make his brother anxious again, and he really doesn't need that. So, he'll swallow his pride.

Maybe having him sit down in the stands again will help more as well. "HERE, LET US..." He trails off. His brother is probably so used to not being given a choice, whereas he is so used to giving others orders. Hm.

"...DO YOU WANT TO SIT DOWN IN THE STANDS AGAIN?" he corrects himself. Right. Okay. Give his brother some control. If he really needs his brother to do something for him, he'll wait until he is in a better condition. He doesn't want to be Malphys 2.0 over here.

[serifsans]

He's quiet for a bit, no longer really watching the match. With his other brother gone, the whole thing is beyond him now. He's supposed to know why any of this is happening, but it's just...confusing. All that really matters is his brother. And the Queen.

His brother shifts and starts to say something. It sounds like a command. He goes still and looks up expectantly at his brother. Waiting for it. He'll do as he's told. He always does.

His brother stumbles over his words, though, and then says something else. He asks something. Want...does Sans want to go sit down. He blinks up at his brother. This happens sometimes. His brother, or other people, they...ask him things. That nice girl Mikan, she did the same. Asked if he wanted things.

It's--weird. He's weak and stupid and pathetic and good for nothing, all those things she used to say. He can't be trusted to do anything himself. So isn't it better if people just tell him what to do?

His head cants to the side and his eyelights go a bit distant as he tries to process. Sitting...sitting is good. It's nicer than standing. More relaxing. He likes relaxing things. Sleeping is good too. Does he want to sit down?

Well, yes. But does his brother want to? His brother has so much energy. He's so strong. If he wants to do something but his brother doesn't, is that a bad thing?

"mn..."

It's...maybe it's okay. His brother asked him. So it must be okay. Maybe--maybe this means his brother trusts him to decide something. Even something this small.

The thought makes him feel very warm inside.

"y...es...? y-es?"

[bonegentruckung]

He's making progress. It's slow and it's about the equivalent of baby steps, but it's still progress. He smiles and slowly nods.

"ALL RIGHT. LET US GO BACK TO OUR SEATS."

He slowly makes the way back to their spots in the stands, making sure not to totally turn his back on his brother. In normal situations, he would make his movements more precise and defined, like he had a reason to take every step. But, in this case...with virtually everyone engrossed in the chess match, there doesn't seem to be a soul that is noticing what he's doing, except for his brother.

He doesn't need to prove to his brother his own worth as a king, but he does still need to present himself in a way that it looks like he knows what he is doing.

He takes a seat at their spot, leaving enough room for his brother to sit beside him. He never thought about his demeanor before reuniting with his brother all of those months ago, but during these months of his brother's recovery, he has been second guessing his own actions. Is he being too boisterous? Too commanding? Is he providing enough care for his brother? Is it not enough? Too much? Should he step back a little bit so that his brother can have some more space? What if something bad happens? What if he gets worse?

The only certainty in his mind is that he does not want his brother to undergo the same unforgettable, torturous moments he went through for who knows how many months.

He hesitates at first, but, with a shaky hand, wraps an arm around his brother. "WILL YOU BE ALL RIGHT?" he asks again. It's best to focus on just about anything except for his own thoughts right now.

[serifsans]

His brother is so cool. It's a thought that has run through his head continuously, since...maybe forever. He kept thinking it while he was with her and he's thought it all the time after. His brother is so cool.

He's like a hero or something. He thinks he remembers what that word means.

He sits down beside his brother and leans against him. He wants to be close. It takes his brother a moment to wrap an arm around him, but Sans makes a quiet, contented sound when he does, almost snuggling against him.

Whatever's happening on the field now doesn't really matter. More people are fighting, but they don't matter. Even his wandering mind and scattered thoughts and inability to hold onto anything doesn't matter right now. His brother is all that matters. He stares at the field without really seeing it.

His brother asks him a question. He glances up at his face. "Alright" is like "good." Is Sans alright?

"mmm." No, no, he should use words. He should try harder to use words.

"...yes."

How could he not be alright with his brother here?

[bonegentruckung]

"GOOD."

He remains well poised, but allows himself to loosen up a little. Just a little bit. His shoulders relax and he smiles at his brother. He's doing okay. They're doing okay. Despite trying to be anything but his Real, if there's one trait that they both share, it's optimism. They're going to be okay, and things will get better.

There's not much use in worrying about if he is doing everything right. There's nothing he can do at the moment to change this. So...he might...as well relax. Not necessarily let his guard down, but for now...he will watch the rest of the game, with his brother by his side.

Things are going to be okay.