+ 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

[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.