As Blake slams the ground and it's subsequently vaporized, the Chams hanging off of it get blasted too, squealing out various dramatic lines for their deaths.

"I regret nothiiing...!"
"And I only had three days until retirement...!"
"Is this the end of Rico...?"
"You're a raccoon! Not a Rico...!"

The end result of Blake's vaporization and Raichel's subsequent receival of a fist through the chest comes unexpectedly to the remaining Cham. His heads all knock together in excitement, making him into one again. Not that he notices.

"Oooo! You can do that hand through your chest trick now! We should have a contest to see who can pull out more cool stuff. It's great at parties! Look! I can do a rabbit!" He bounces over towards Raichel, having partially forgotten about the competition between him and Emerald. At his words, he reaches into his own chest, his hand disappearing in his fur, and searches around for a short while before pulling out a bright white bunny with yellow eyes.

The creature looks at him in confusion, but Cham holds her aloft with a 'ta-dah!' expression on his face.

Paula smiles at Miranda's offer, "Of course. I'm sure I'd like that. He must really be a spectacular person if you're so fond of him!"

At the high energy electric attack, Paula's fur stands on end, making her shudder at the feeling. She looks at Miranda with a bit of concern at her reactions, trying to give her a comforting pat on the back. When it clears and Blake seems to be gone, Paula surprises herself by feeling relieved that it's over, despite it being in such a violent manner...

... until Raichel gets punched through by the figure of Death.

Seeing Raichel injured so violently causes Paula to scream and hide her eyes as she attempts to curl up into a ball on her seat. She's sure that she just watched someone really die out there.

The camera pans over to look right at the screaming and curled up Paula. "Wow, folks!" says the announcer, "If THAT doesn't say what a wild ride this competition already is, nothing does! And that was only the first fight!"

Timothius notices, looks back to the arena to make sure Raichel appears OK. Between her being fine and the zombie clearly having reappeared, Timothius is convinced Blake isn't really gone. Seeing Mittens hurry off to Raichel, Timothius decides it best to spread his wings and fly over towards Paula. She already has the camera on her, so he may as well.

Once there, Timothius would see Miranda comforting Paula. Timothius senses Paula is a kindred spirit and says, "It's OK, ma'am. Raichel is perfectly fine and what you saw was just a special effect."

Alexis jumps out of her seat at the sight of the fist-through-chest, but calms down when she sees Raichel isn't hurt. She sighs in relief and watches Mittens hurry off. Probably best to let Raichel deal with her alone...

She glances at J'Renn. "... yeah, thanks. I'm pretty sure we all know it amounts to "a lot" or something..."

Raichel looks down at the fist. To the "no heart" comment, she rolls her eyes. She's starting to suspect this guy is either as deranged as he looks, or simply someone who likes playing with people's minds. She quickly retorts with "All that effort just to cop a feel..." to make sure he heard that remark before he disappears. Then makes a mental note to make groan-worthy puns and bad jokes around the guy in the future. If he wants to mess with people's heads, well she can do the same in her own way.

Raichel looks up to see Mittens rush towards her. "....hello to you too, Queen Mittens." she gives a polite bow.

She looks down at Cham. ".....no, I can't do that trick. That is Blake's trick, not mine." Though she chooses not to say she COULD punch a hole through someone's chest... it would just be a bit messier than what Cham is referring to.
This message was last edited by the player at 19:54, Sun 06 Dec 2009.

Emerald watches as Cham is distracted from competing and smiles. She quickly goes aside to an Arena coach and asks how one wins around here with a music challenge such as hers and Cham's. The man replies with, "The arena was meant for fighting, but technically, your challenge is valid... so.. I guess votes?"

Emerald thinks and begins holding up signs for the cameras to begin voting by writing down your full name, writing "Emerald" or "Cham" on the same sheet and putting it in the basket. As she suspected, the vendors hand out baskets without needing to be asked.

Miranda instantly snuggles Paula. "Don't be scared! It was a trick... Raichel's OK... look! Even the King of Life is here..." she keeps a mental note of introducing Paula to Eli, but for now just holds her in her arms.

  As the request for song and dance off votes went by, Darkthorne took a pass as they couldn't decide between the Zombie related dance or the Robot Truck related one.

  Regardless, with the latest fights (so far as a fight, and a singing competition could be referred to as fights plural) between those he'd known longer than two minutes passed, Darkthorne stood from his seat and began to leave the arena.  If he felt the urge to come back, it was free admission after all.

  'While an arena is an obvious attention getter, there are probably more noteworthy buildings in this city than just here  Well, possibly the Fire Queen's castle, but Darkthorne wouldn't be heading there unless it had an oddly open tourism policy.

  Either way, Darkthorne got to taking a further look around the city.

Mittens grabs Rai's wrist and raises the Lightning goddess's arm in the classic "victorious boxer" style and welcomes the long cheering of the crowd.  During this time she notices Timothius tending to a member of the crowd, but doesn't react 'cause she can't smile any bigger.  She snatches a microphone and announces:

"Raichel!"

More cheering ensues.

"So while the officials figure out whether vaporizing a zombie counts for the 'no killing' rule, I've already decided to grant you a favor or two for that spectacular display!  Have you already decided what favor you'd like me to grant?  And by the way, if you don't want the favor you can give yours to someone else."

Mittens holds out the microphone for Raichel to reply.

"Nice singing, you two," she asides to Cham and Emerald.
This message was last edited by the player at 05:09, Mon 07 Dec 2009.

Prism appears to become motionless.  There's just too much going on, and they're overwhelmed.  So they remain silent while they try to sort out the best course of action.

J'Renn lets out a long sigh, wondering how these people had come about aquiring these abilities.  Back home the most mystical stories she's heard were about a scant few who could move objects with thier minds, but most of those were dismissed long ago, and considered less wonderous than the beams they use today that can tow a moon back into, or out of orbit.  She sits back quietly, politely refusing the scrap of paper to vote on, not really having any idea as to what to do with it anyway.

Cham lets out an 'aww' as Raichel comments that she can NOT do the same trick herself. With a shrug, he looks over the bunny carefully and seems to be preparing to toss her behind him and into the crowd... but he stops himself and shoves her back into the apparently hidden hole in his chest.

As he sees Mittens come down and announce Raichel as the winner of her match, he hops to Raichel's side to face out to the crowd, adopting a microphone himself, and slipping on a white shirt and red bowtie, taking on a slow and deliberate voice, "You heard it here, folks! Two walk into the ring and only ONE steps out! That was a fantastic display of sportsmanship, of marksmanship, and of one-upmanship! We stand here with the winner and new champeen! Tell us, champ, what will YOU do next? An amusement park? Going home? Perhaps voting for a random, yet endearing musical accompaniment? The Universe wants to know!"

He holds up the mic up to Raichel in tandem with Mittens'. Although it still projected his voice, it looks somewhat like a lollipop when one is up close to it.

Paula feels a calm sense wash over her as Timothius comes close and speaks to her, causing her shuddering to stop. She holds on to Miranda in comfort and isn't quite sure that she heard the voice she thought she heard, until she turns and looks at the King of Life himself.

Her breath stops short and her eyes widen in surprise and relief.

"King of Life! You're...! Oh, I worried you. I'm sorry!" She looks away at that, but looks down at the ring in the meantime, her features easing as she sees Raichel moving around and talking. Clearly not dead. "It was a special effect? But it really looked like he'd driven his hand right through her... I'm so relieved!" She looks at him suddenly, letting her thoughts come to her lips, "King of Life, that other creature in the ring was clearly a powerful agent of Death. He almost felt like Death itself..." She holds her heart in memory of the feelings, but she tightens her fist there, "Why didn't you do anything to stop something so dangerous when he first came?"

She doesn't look accusingly at Timothius when she turns to face him again, but she does look quite confused.

Timothius answers Paula, "This is the Fire Kingdom. I don't have the authority to do that. It is up to the Fire Queen to decide who comes and goes. But I assure you... from what I saw, he may have been death incarnate, but he was far from evil incarnate. He's not here now, and Raichel is OK. I won't let anything bad happen to you or the people here... you OK?"

He isn't justifying himself, just explaining the exact reason. After all, the URGE to intervene was there.

Raichel says bluntly to Mittens, "I ask for your friendship on a personal level." a calm, serious look to her face. "And as your friend, the first thing I'll be asking is to speak with you privately when you are done watching the fights."

Raichel did not expect such a fight to be the very first one, but she's glad it was. If she had fought others before Blake, she isn't sure she would have had enough in her to stand up to him much.

Raichel looks at her fist. For a moment, her pride was upset over being taken off guard from behind when she thought she had vaporized Blake. But a smile slowly crosses her face as she realizes... she finally has a new thing to aspire to with her martial arts.

Alexis leans forward in her seat, anxious to see what Raichel will say to the Queen of Fire. When she hears Raichel's request, she quietly says, "You go, girl... I'm rootin' for ya. Let's hope this new queen is a girl of her word."

There IS a large audience and media covering the event. But Alexis doesn't realize Mittens is the type who could care less about all that.

Emerald stands by Cham the whole time and grins. "Psst! Cham..." she holds up a selection of lollipops. "Do you have a preferred flavor?" all the popular flavors are there.

Miranda loosens her grip on Paula to allow her freedom of movement, but otherwise stays hugging her. She doesn't want to let go until Paula is ready to stop being held.

  Rock tossing survivors of obliteration who stick hands harmlessly through people scary.  People who can and do easily obliterate people A-Okay and not worth worry.  Some people can't get away with murder, Blake can't get away with not being murdered.

  As for Darkthorne while the trail of the obvious burning royal float has passed, street festivities have not completely died down.  This has involved requiring an explanation that no, cotton candy was not made of cotton.

  It also involved learning that not having to deal with that whole eating thing while a large factor for the continued survival of his race, means they have so missed out on some awesome.  Though they still wouldn't have to deal with food poisoning.

  'I've been here for well over ten minutes, and nothing has tried to kill me personally, or anyone else if you don't count not suicidal requests.'  Ah, the simple joys in life.  Such as cotton candy and a lack of attempted murder/enslavement.

  That last bit may have been a cause for hindsight facepalm had Darkthorne stayed at the arena and certain things go as his player expects.

Raichel:

"I only amped it up to a million volts... it's not like I was trying to kill him!"

-Raichel, after blowing Blake's face off.
This message was last edited by the player at 12:17, Mon 18 Jan 2010.

Mittens giggles at Cham's antics and lollipop looking mic.  She's tempted to give it a taste, but she's not quite bold enough to risk licking a mic.

"Granted!" she chimes, putting her arm around Raichel, "You're my kinda thunder goddess!  Lookin' forward to testing my mettle against that super bolt of yours some day!"

Apparently "let's be friends" and "lets fight each other with deadly attacks" are synonymous in Mittens' mind.  The crowd approves with cheers.

She smiles at Emerald's offer to her rival.  "How sweet!"

Mittens heads back toward her throne with her new electric friend.  She wonders if she made the right choice given that she's had people on her friends list she's had to blacklist...  Oh well.  They wind up un-blacklisted and getting along fine once things cool off.  Meanwhile the entourage scurries to find an appropriately not-royal seat for Raichel.

"So I hear tell you got ousted from the Thunder Throne and executed no less.  Are rumors of your death exaggerated?  Or are you so badass you pulled a Phoenix and came right back for more?  What's your side of the story?"
This message was last edited by the player at 17:31, Mon 18 Jan 2010.

Following J'renn's example, Prism lets out a long sigh as well.  Not a sigh of relief.  While the violence may have taken a temporary break, in their estimation, people who can and do easily obliterate people is not A-Okay, they are worth worry, and they're headed this way!  They give a nervous look to Alexis.

"You approve of these events, Queen Alexis?" they ask vaguely, hoping Alexis will explain how vaporizing a person at a sports event is acceptable, and how an act of war like a new queen befriending the deposed "tyrant" of an ally nation is a good thing.
This message was last edited by the player at 17:42, Mon 18 Jan 2010.

J'Renn mentally listens in on the conversation between Mittens and Raichel, also sensing Alexis' approval.  (This seems to be politically motivated.  Former queen Raichel allying with new queen Mittens.  This may be thier way of showing each other where they stand, as well as show thier ability to enforce thier rule over thier respective lands.  Usually on my world that's done by a showing of millitary equipment on parade.) she explains to Prisim and Alexis.

Cham's eyes light up as Emerald shows him her collection of lollipops, looking them over and licking his lips. He looks at his own microphone and looks back up at Raichel, shrugging as she doesn't seem intent on answering his question. Without another worry, he tosses his microphone away and his costume vanishes for the most part, leaving his red bowtie.

"A preferred flavor? Ooohohohoo! This is just like going to the doctor's, only without having something taken out with a pair of pliers... Ah well, this is still fun anyway, even without that part!"

He looks over the lollipops briefly, "Hmmm... The Dormouse looked out, and he said with a sigh: 'I suppose all these people know better than I. It was silly, perhaps, but I did like the view of geraniums (red) and delphiniums (blue).' "

He looks over the lollipops again before swiping away a purple grape-flavored one, "Meh. I'll mix 'em. Thanks!" Noisily, he sucks on the candy and tilts his head at the fox, "Fo ish dis gonna turn me inta a brooberry or a gwape or a kumquat or shumtin?"
This message was last edited by the player at 05:11, Mon 01 Feb 2010.

Paula looks up at Timothius curiously as he explains the situation to her, "He was death incarnate... but not evil?" She looks down at that, still holding on to Miranda thankfully.

Finally, she nods, trying to smile at the King of Life, "Yes, I'm fine, thank you... I was just scared. I was feeling such a strong presence of Death, and there was just so much violence down there... I didn't know what to do." She blushes beneath her fur with embarrassment as she releases herself from Miranda, giving a soft 'thank you' as she looks up at Timothius again, "I guess I was being a little silly. I shouldn't have been worried at all with the King of Life here! I just couldn't control myself with everything going on. I'm sorry."

She bows her head in a formal apology.

Raichel answers Mittens, "I did get executed. But I came back. I am one and the same Raichel Thunderstone, ex-queen of Thunder."

The fights are over for the day because nobody wants to try to take on Raichel after that display she just did. Raichel offers to go with Mittens back to her palace to discuss things. Of course, Alexis invites herself as well.

Timothius pets Pauala's shoulder and says, "We all have fears... it isn't silly to have feelings, Paula. But striving to improve is always a nice goal!" he then turns and flies back to the fire queen. "Mittens... I came to oversee the games and I have. It seems others have important things to discuss with you and I wouldn't mind being a part of that if you will permit me."

Miranda leaves the arena with Paula and keeps her company wherever it is she heads off to. Emerald, however, seems to have disappeared...