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Gold Ship, ever the trickster, has no qualms about bringing chaos to Tracen Academy in the form of whatever situation is available for her. Whoever it is, no one — uma nor human — is safe from the unpredictable pranks that she deals out. She has her favourites, whether it be clotheslining Tosen Jordan or scaring the living daylights out of Fenomeno.
However, Gold Ship wasn't a ruthless uma. She had exceptions when it came to pulling tricks, the main reasons being either messing with someone she really shouldn't be messing with, or (and this was a very, very rare case), because it was simply not worth it to pull the prank in the first place.
Here, in the middle of the Ritto Dorm hallways, did Gold Ship finally experience those two reasons.
・
On it's own, it is extremely difficult to prank Orfevre and Dream Journey. Now, according to Gold Ship's extensive repertoire; if you have an uma that was eerily calculative with a deep sense of protectiveness over an uma that prided herself as the best and was able to show for it — you get a pair of umas that's virtually impossible to trick, and by the grace of the Three Goddesses, Gold Ship had considered herself lucky by only getting a lecture from Orfevre when she tried to ragebait her by way of misplacing her cape before races. No, she had not tried anything with Dream Journey, for she suspected that all the more elaborate pranks that she meticulously prepared for Orfevre had been intercepted by that dark grey-haired uma in some form, and with that cold gaze of hers, Gold Ship might get a punishment worse than getting suspended for a month for trying to prank the Student Council that one time.
Trying to do anything regarding those two was already a clear case one in Golshi's book, but she's anything but a quitter. The answer was right in front of her — if she couldn't prank them awake, might as well do it while they're asleep! So here she was, outside the sibling's dorm room at 4 A.M, with a pair of headphones ready for the loud airhorn she brought with her. Both of them were the kind of umas that chose to wake up early, whether for training or other personal reasons, might as well help them out with that!
・
Using the master keys that she swiped from Fuji Kiseki (don't ask her how, it's Gold Ship, just roll with it), she unlocked and slowly turned the door open, ensuring not a single sound was made the whole process. Although through observation that the siblings were very deep sleepers and probably wouldn't hear the door opening anyway, it's better to be safe than sorry. Creeping inside the room, Gold Ship turned on her phone flashlight on the lowest setting, just to ensure she didn't flashbang and prematurely wake up the siblings. She saw Orfevre sleeping soundly on her side of the bed, nodding in approval, thinking that everything was as normal. When she turned to the other side, she stopped for a few seconds in confusion.
The other bed was vacant, meaning that Dream Journey was either somehow gone from her dorm, or...
Gold Ship turned her phone flashlight to the middle of the dorm room, and the sight frightened her so much that she almost dropped everything in her hands.
Illuminated by the soft glow of Gold Ship's lock screen, stood not Dream Journey, but someone else.
Gentildonna.
The brown-haired uma looked straight at Gold Ship, her dark red eyes piercing through the other's soul. Gold Ship then heard a footstep, then another, and another. She had no choice, but to run, and run she did.
With the speed of a front runner, Gold Ship dashed out of the dorm room. She knew better than to scream, for it would only bring more motivation for the other uma to chase her down. Stopping at the first dorm she saw, she hurriedly unlocked the door, opened it, went inside, and immediately closed it. She let out a shaky breath and sild down the door, relieved that for now, her life was spared.
Until she looked up.
Over on one of the beds was a very... romantic sight. Buena Vista — which Gold Ship remembered as being friends with Nakayama Festa — was apparently crying while being kissed on the lips by an uma which Golshi currently couldn't see. Tilting her head by a bit, her eyes widened in surprise upon seeing a familiar dark grey-haired uma in front of Buena.
"There there," Dream Journey spoke with a gentleness that Gold Ship could not wrap her head around, using her hand to wipe away the tears forming on Buena's eyes. "You'll do great at the Japanese Oaks. I'm sure that someone as dazzling as you will be able to make her dreams come true, and of course, I'm sure Special Week will be very proud of you."
To say that Gold Ship was stunned would be an understatement. Who was this uma, and what has she done with Dream Journey? A million questions ran through her mind, but immediately halted when the door behind her pounded, making her jump out in fear and revealing herself to the pair.
"Gold Ship? How long have you been here..." Journey asked, her voice shifted into her usual cold but soft tone as she got up from the bed and walked over to the white-haired uma. Buena watched the scene before her with confusion in her innocent pink eyes. Before Gold Ship could utter an excuse, the door burst open to Gentildonna, who pulled Golshi by her pyjama shirt collar to face her.
"What were you going to do with my dear Orfevre...?" She spoke, her voice composed as always but with a layer of anger underneath it as she looked down to see the perpetrator holding the airhorn. "Hm. How childish, wanting to be not only a nuisance to us sleeping, but also to the other umas. Because you have not done this... silly trick, you will be spared. However..." Gentildonna leaned her face closer towards Gold Ship's, making the latter's ears and tail straighten up.
"Pull any kind of silly buisness, especially during our resting time... And I will make sure your body is crushed like my iron balls."
Gentildonna finally let Gold Ship go, but her toment was not over, as she came face to face with Dream Journey. Although they were quite the height difference, it seemed as though Journey was towering over her with a stare that would have ended her if it could.
"It appears that Gentildonna has done most of the scolding for me. I however, must express my deepest disappointments at you for interrupting my comforting of Buena Vista. Has no one taught you to knock on the door before coming in?"
Gold Ship sighed. As if this night couldn't get any worse...
"I— I apologise. For barging in."
Buena had stood from the bed and went over to Journey, who instinctively wrapped an arm around the other's waist. She looked down at Gold Ship, who was now kneeling to show her repentance.
"Dorija... She's sorry now, see. Let's just move past this misunderstanding, okay? Besides, I'm fine now!" Buena pleaded to Journey, and who could resist those beautiful eyes?
Sighing in frustration, Journey motioned for Gold Ship to stand up. "I'll deal with you later. Just go to sleep." Said uma closed her eyes in relief as she skeddadled away, thankful to the Three Goddesses that she was able to get away with her prank — albeit, incomplete — scot-free.
・
Back in her own dorm room, Gold Ship reflected upon the last few... one hour. Her current theories still stand true — that Orfevre and Dream Journey were basically impossible to prank, but now, with an uma that could basically crush her to death if so desired, and an uma that was just far too innocent to become collateral damage in a prank, it was truly a rare case two in Golshi's books. With those two around, pulling pranks on the siblings just... wasn't worth it.
Before Golshi succumed to the sleep demons, there was one last thought that appeared in her mind.
Orfevre and Gentildonna was a given, but how the fuck did Dream Journey and Buena Vista get together!?
Ah whatever... She'll just ask Journey when she "deals" with her in a couple hours.