[center][img]https://i.imgur.com/zthAnvf.jpeg[/img]
[sup][img]https://i.imgur.com/9qIY4OK.jpeg[/img]
[color=#A8516E][b]#A8516E[/b][/color] [color=2e2c2c]....[/color]|[color=2e2c2c].....[/color] [color=9b9b9b][b]Arena[/b][/color]
[img]https://i.imgur.com/9qIY4OK.jpeg[/img][/sup][/center]
[color=gray][h3][sup][sup]Though there was some merit to going first, Rosalia was ultimately happy to have been in the second group. Between River and the first group to go, she had a chance to take in the course and strategize. Although her first impulse was to push herself and go as fast as she could, she soon thought better of it. These exercises were simply meant to establish baselines; it wasn’t a competition. Likewise, many of the exercises were things she’d never really done before. It would be better to demonstrate competence and good judgement than to come off as cavalier, anyway. Yes, that was the best move—just go at a steady pace and do the course right. She just needed to keep her eyes on her own obstacles, pay attention to where her feet were landing, and, ideally, not make as pitiful a showing as that straggler from the first group. As even that one neared the finish line, Rosalia traded her claw clip for a tight bun, set her hoodie, sweatpants, and shoes with the clip, and prepared for her turn.

When her group came forth, Rosalia took a deep breath. When the signal to start came, she leapt forward into a jog. Although most of the group burst into sprints, one seemed to have entirely missed the mark from the beginning. It was reassuring to know someone would likely trail behind her even if the sprinters kept their lead. Rosalia hopped between the tires at a steady pace, then moved on to the log jumps. The first two were easy to clear by more or less stepping over. The third demanded more of a hop. Then, the fourth and fifth necessitated some help from her arms. She vaulted over both at the same consistent pace as the first three. She’d made progress at this point; though she was unlikely to catch the girl who was furthest ahead, she was gaining on the other two. The low crawl, unfortunately, widened the gap again. She wriggled forward on her elbows, moving in powerful, if clumsy bursts. By the time she reached the other end, she’d dragged a fair bit of sediment along with her. Scoffing in frustration, she burst to her feet and hurried to the next obstacle in hopes of making up for lost time.

Though her shimmy up the rope climb was scarcely graceful, and left her with scuffed hands and inner thighs, it was certainly effective. She scaled it quickly, then let herself fall in small increments until around the halfway mark. She dropped, landed on her feet, then proceeded. The rope net bridge, then, was a welcome change from the relatively unfamiliar obstacles preceding it. She was immediately reminded of the Audubon Zoo—where Monkey Hill had a bridge just like it. Rosalia made it along the bridge swiftly, far more at ease than with previous obstacles. Likewise, the rope swing was simply a matter of getting good momentum—something she was similarly familiar with. 

Although the balance beams weren’t as simple as the previous two obstacles, there was still a certain familiarity to them. Really, it wasn’t altogether that different from balancing on the curb while on a walk. Her arms extended, not fully, but just enough to get her balance feeling comfortable. She kept on at a solid clip, putting one foot in front of the other and keeping her gaze focused forward as she did. 

Now the pool, this was another place to gain some ground. Though by no means a professional swimmer, Rosalia was familiar with the sport, having even dabbled in competitive swimming on occasion back in her school days. She leapt into the water with a smooth dive, then burst into a powerful freestyle. At the edge of the pool, she leaned into a flip turn, then instead grabbed the rim of the pool and hoisted herself out in a single smooth motion. Ideally, she would have preferred to keep her momentum and go straight into the long jump. However, the log ladder stood in her way. Flicking her hands to dry them as she approached it, Rosalia cracked her neck and started climbing. Although her climb wasn’t necessarily slow, it was perhaps more careful than it needed to be. She ensured she was hooked in place at every point before moving to the next rung—an excess of care which eliminated any lead she had previously built in the last few obstacles. 

All that was left was the long jump. And at the end of it? At the end of the jump was a three-way tie. 

It could have been worse. It could have been a tie for last place.

[/sup][/sup][/h3][/color]

[center][sup][img]https://i.imgur.com/9qIY4OK.jpeg[/img]
[color=808080][b]Interactions[/b] [color=2e2c2c]....[/color]|[color=2e2c2c]....[/color] None  [color=2e2c2c]...............[/color] [b]Mentions[/b] [color=2e2c2c]....[/color]|[color=2e2c2c]....[/color] River, Sloane, Mikaela, Zelia, Lochlan, & Blair  [color=2e2c2c]...............[/color] [b]Collabs[/b] [color=2e2c2c]....[/color]|[color=2e2c2c]....[/color] None[/color]
[img]https://i.imgur.com/9qIY4OK.jpeg[/img][/sup][/center]