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[hr][sup][color=47815a][b]47815a[/b][/color] [color=2e2c2c]....[/color]|[color=2e2c2c]....[/color] [b] Arena [/b][/sup][/center][hr]

Daniel grinned at River’s name and biological link sharing a quick glance around at others to see if they found it equally as amusing. However many were too mature and serious and brooding for that.

Managing to wipe the amusement from Daniel’s face was when River spoke of the past leaderships and how they failed. Like the dude’s half brother didn’t get ripped open by some monster. Like the Valises were something he experienced. Daniel appreciated the attempted bonding and that he listened to the gossip, likely stemming from Poseidon’s summary notes of camp but newbies couldn’t really talk. Even if it was with conviction. But at least Andy got an honorable mention causing Daniel to clap. [color=47815a] "Woo! Yeah, Andy! "[/color] His deepened voice carried across the arena alone. 

River continued his speech, promising a stricter but essential regime and assessments. Which was fine, but he needed to balance captain hard ass with ‘maybe fun in the future.’ Instead, the new leader led by example.	

The son of Hecate studied the course intently as if an obstacle might shift or warp outside of its norm. No alligators snapping up from the water, no floor as lava, no buildings or debris to scale, no monster chasing anyone from behind to inspire their speed. It appeared a perfectly ordinary course which he found both disappointing and relieving. His sister needed to work on her flare for dramatics.

Daniel had to consider a chat with River. If he wanted motivation done right, he had to threaten people, scare the living daylights out of them and whip them into shape like their own life was on the line because…it would be at some stage. Demigods and camp had a notorious hit on them. 

Numbers of demigods ran. A lot of them new faces. He thought of cheering for his more familiar new gal pal/kidnapped dancer, the daughter of Teresa, but spared her the potential embarrassment. He didn’t want to rain on her parade. Plus, Zeus kids could have a sneaky temper. And people thought he wasn’t considerate. But he had a lot of time to note the range in folks. Some people crushed it and he tried to observe how they moved and approached obstacles in common. Other people were very mid good: not bad but not particularly fast. The average. The graze byers and others… well these assessments showed where people struggled. Daniel aspired for a high-mid range. Hopefully.

His time in the stands also gave him significant findings that the course truly, undeniably, inexplicably, was a plain obstacle course. Never moving or changing in the slightest even between different groups. Except for indents in the ground where demigods fell or dug up with their feet. But there were no stakes. And no one to currently talk to in the mean time. Everyone was too engaged in conversation or intensely focusing on the course or sulking or recovering or basking in their peacocking glory.

Or maybe he was afraid to even try. The timing genuinely reeked. So Daniel sat alone and quiet through about 5 groups running it all before him. When he was called, he drummed on his legs, revving everything into gear. His enthusiasm, energy, muscles. That was the idea anyway.

Standing before the 30 tires, he had to cadmit everything suddenly looked a lot bigger and longer on level terrain than from the stands. Welp, he was here now.

Daniel rapidly counted the tires as he 1,2 quickstepped the heck outta them. The log jumps started as a hurdles but finished as some parkour hop scotch only less quick. The rest of his group appeared to be on speed and clear it all already while Daniel actually paused and thought about his next moves. Daniel dove to the ground with commitment, managed to heave himself up to the tip top of the rope, scooted across a wobbly bridge, swung across an imaginary void, all with commitment and conviction. He knew he wasn’t slow though. Daniel couldn’t figure out if he was out of practice or never actually as fit as he thought.

Now, for his next trick. Daniel’s arms extended to his sides before he took his first step on the balance beams. He had to admit, nimble as he could be hiding from all his beasts he used to conjure, he never walked across a tiny plank or played pirates before. Not in a long time anyway. While he didn’t exactly hold feline grace, he made it across relatively smoothly. 

He kicked off his shoes and socks awkwardly as he half ran and hopped towards the pool. In the nick of time, he had successfully discarded his unwelcome layers and dove into the pool, his form and technique perfectly fine to power through to the other side. Even hopping out of the pool wasn’t as sluggish as he felt. But his steroid infused group wouldn’t budge or slow down. [color=47815a]"What the fuck?"[/color] he spluttered.

He ran up to the ladder, attempting to shake his disbelief and excess water off. Daniel eased into a nice pace about half way up the ladder finding his footing and vertical strides, where he could stop checking his feet landings and just trust it. On the turn down, his focus faltered. Was he too slow and uncoordinated to stop Cherise from leaving? Could he have helped her Rae and that would’ve prevented everything? His foot slipped off a lower rung about half way and he fell to the ground back first. Daniel opened his mouth but no sound came. A silent dignified cry of agony. His hand sunk under himself feeling his lower back as he tried to arch off it, as if he could feel the injury. As expected, he learned nothing new aside from his tailbone fucking hurt.

 Daniel crawled to his feet and pushed the pain aside, pushed for an extra ‘umph’ of energy to rip the course off and be done with it like a band-aid. [color=47815a]"Aagh,"[/color] the guttural sound left him at the finish, cupping his back again. 

He wasn’t wet anymore, at the very least. Whatever that counted for he supposed. He hobbled his way back to the stands, conjuring a water bottle that only appeared a quarter of the way full. Half concentrated thoughts got shitty results he supposed. Somewhere along the way, he decided he didn’t want to sit alone. He wanted company and distraction and..comfort even. Daniel turned down Evelyn’s row and tried a defeated smile to the familiar red head, hoping she wouldn’t mind as he lowered himself down beside her, unusually without word or banter. Sitting on the stone made him hiss in pain, the pressure of a hard surface especially too much on his back. Daniel warped his jacket to him, trying to give himself as much padding as possible. He was moments away from conjuring cushions and a luxury soft lounge around him but he tried to hold out for River to officially disband training. 

Or, there was the girl he sat shoulder to shoulder, leg to leg with. Daniel grabbed her hand gently. Extremely gingerly seeing her hands raw with rope burn, as a need for silent support. His head dipped down slightly and eyes were abashed, embarrassed at his run, afraid to ask Evelyn verbally for help or have his physical contact be rejected. Daniel shifted, wanting to get the direct pressure off his tail bone and lay on his side beside her, bringing her hand to his chest. The whole thing was uncomfortable but he hoped she took pity on him and turned down the pain. 


Daniel sipped on his water to contain his visible discomfort, then held some up to his forced aid.

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[color=808080][b]interactions[/b] [color=2e2c2c]....[/color]|[color=2e2c2c]....[/color] Evelyn [color=2e2c2c]...............[/color] [b]mentions[/b] [color=2e2c2c]....[/color]|[color=2e2c2c]....[/color] Rosalia, River, Group 7 [/color]
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