The Underground Mods (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
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undergrounds2015-05-23 12:00 am
undergroundmods) wrote in undergrounds2015-05-23 12:00 am
Game Opening: May Ball
It had to be done.
Welcome all to the Redbright Institute's May Ball! This evening is a celebration of the Institute's achievements over the past year. Students aged 16 and above can attend on their own, while younger students must be accompanied by a parent or guardian. Meanwhile, friends and guests of the Institute are invited as a gesture of friendship and harmony between the various factions.
Rules and etiquette
• This is a black tie event. Formal attire is required.
• No weapons. This is a school, there are children present. Any weapons or objects that could be used as weapons will be confiscated.
• No drugs or alcohol. Obviously. Don't try to sneak any in.
• No violence.
There is security within the school and present at the event. (In fact, if your character is a member of the Redbright Institute, you could have them acting as security if you want.) They will respond to and put a stop to any trouble.
Places to go
The main action takes place in the large Assembly Hall. This is where the Chancellor Sylvia Redbright will give her address. It's also where you can party later on. The disco is family-friendly – not exactly a rave, but the kids will love it.
Drinks and snacks are available in the dining hall. The drinks are non-alcoholic. Vampires, no need to worry about your cravings: blood cocktails are provided! They're given in good faith on the assumption that you won't be snacking on anyone else tonight.
Just off the dining hall, one of the classrooms has been converted into a chill-out area. The lights are off, the desks and chairs have been replaced by beanbags and there's a table in the corner with a chocolate fountain, marshmallows and strawberries. A video of young witches taking part in various night-time rituals (they mostly seem to involve chanting and bonfires) plays silently on the screen.
One of the lecture theatres has been opened up to showcase students' work from the past year. On the screen you can watch a slideshow of notable events and achievements. Strangely enough there aren't many people in this room.
Outside, there is a giant chessboard on the lawn. The pieces are made of plastic and can easily be moved around. Why, you ask? Why not, is the answer.
Finally, a large marquee has been set up in the quad. This is the adults-only area, with wine and cocktails served at the bar, nibbles available at a few high tables dotted around and a sophisticated atmosphere. No children under 18 allowed. (Note that the legal drinking age is 18.)
Timeline of events
20:00 – Doors open.
20:57 – Sunset.
21:15 – Sylvia Redbright makes her address in the Assembly Hall.
22:00 – Disco in the Assembly Hall. The DJ has atrocious taste.
01:00 – Disco stops. The event officially ends.
Chess
Partially because Heiji was competitive, partially because he didn't really know how; he'd tried throwing games before. But for whatever reason, he could never remember that he was trying to lose, especially during endgame.
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"If I wanted my pride spared, I wouldn't be asking strangers to play."
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"Alright, then let's get this party started! White or black?"
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Between her dress and her name, it seemed best to play the black queen. She was the challenger, so it seemed only fair, in a way, to allow the first-move advantage -- though she was disinclined to believe in such a thing anyway -- to the person she'd challeneged.
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Which as it turned out was not actually the case. As the game unfolded, Heiji's true colors (as a chess player, at least) quickly showed themselves: he was decisive and he played to win. He especially favored his knights, but he wasn't above setting traps or giving up pieces to further his cause. Especially the former, which he did quite gleefully.
As promised, he didn't hold back, either, so unless his opponent was some kind of chess prodigy, it was going to be a fairly one-sided game.
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But she isn't a chess prodigy.
What she does know is when she's beaten. She can, at least, understand the general tone of what moves he will make next, and she sees the loss coming. So, perhaps three rounds from the end, she approaches her king and gently tips it onto its side.
Surrender.
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"Hey, nice game! You wanna play again sometime, I'd be up for it." Which because he was a fae he actually meant. Heiji didn't run into a lot of people who could beat him at chess, but he could still have fun with a less experienced opponent. And Abigail was pretty good.
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"We'll have to play again, definitely."
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If it turned out Abigail was involved with the school, maybe he'd show up every once in a while looking to play.
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"I was tutored at home, so I was curious to get a chance to look at everything for myself."
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Heiji supposed he could have talked to Redbright, but... he didn't reckon they had much in common to talk about. Certainly not enough to wade through the entourage.
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She'd never be able to totally get her alone, but she had a name to trade on. That, at the very least, would get her a few minutes. What she hoped to learn, she wasn't sure.
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