Chapter Text
With Christmas near, the mood in the streets of the city were bursting with energy and excitement. Not only was the season of giving around, the greatest of events was going on. Eyes were glued on the screens scattered across shops and skyscrapers, allowing any and all to watch with glee reserved for the greatest of competitions.
Yet there was one individual whose energy countered that positive mood. Adults felt something shove and push themselves between them. Yet only a glance downwards was enough for them to snap their gazes away, nervous sweat and coughing escaping from them.
After all, with her hands in the pockets, the girl leaned forward as if ready to headbutt anyone that refused to move away. The hood she wore only gave more weight to the shadowed eyes she wore, filled with irritation.
To be reborn was something many yearned for. Metaphorically of course. There was a reason a phoenix was considered a beautiful and mythical creature. To restart one's life, maybe for the better, to re-experience the world in a different way. Rising from the ashes of your old, terrible life, into a bright new future.
Well, this certain individual didn't exactly feel much beauty or myths at all at the moment. Nor was it particularly bright on this snowy and cloudy winter evening. Exhaling into her palms to warm up, the girl kept her gaze low, her face stuck in a grimace with each step she took as she navigated through the masses of passerbys. Her statue was rather small, but people told her she was already hitting a growth spurt for her age, predicting she'd almost reach the height she used to have, which was still pretty tall for her current species.
Her tail twitched, the phantom limb moving uncontrollably before she grasped it with her right hand and resisted the urge to try and tear it off, instead focusing on keeping in unmoving with the gritting of her teeth.
Yeah. Her new species. A horse girl. Not only has the sex changed, the race too? What a fucking joke, she thought with a scoff, tugging the hood she wore lower, ignoring the discomfort she felt from squishing her ears down, that discomfort nothing compared to the fact that said ears were in the wrong fucking place to begin with. Not to mention the fact the age was all wrong too.
She used to be a grown ass man. Not this midget that didn't even go puberty yet. Reincarnation, a fantasy for many nerds. A stupid fantasy at that. Who wanted to be a child again after all? A child with no parents to boot, wandering the streets because that orphanage was just so damn depressing?
She exhaled sharply, finally letting go of her tail, as she managed to somewhat calm herself down from mutilating herself. Yet it was still there. No matter how many times she took deep breaths, she kept feeling them, the millions upon billions of little atoms that made up the body that just scratched and poked and scraped in wrong ways against each other.
She stumbled into an alley. Sliding down against the wall, she bit into her hand, clenching her eyes shut.
It was agony. Not life threatening, but maybe it was better if it was.
Ears twitching to noise that was too loud. Twitching too high on the body. A limb that was never supposed to be, swooshing around, almost uncontrollably, twitching. The balance of her body being off even after being reborn, shoved into a young child's body without any memories at the orphanage. Things missing, from hair to other things, things added like muscle density that felt like filling her with cement, energy that was rolling around uncontrollably, trying to break out and explode from within. Then there were the instincts. Being around crowds made her more nervous than ever, ready to trigger flight or fight. Yes, she was an introvert in her past life, but this was obscene.
How could any horse girl exist like this? Or was she the only one like this, a human soul recognizing the body they were inhabiting was all wrong? Even if she was physically stronger than even adults at this point…what was the point if living itself was a bother? Clutching the snow in her palms, she squeezed a few times before shaking her head.
Routine downspiraling thoughts. A classic. She was getting hungry now. Another quirk of being a fucking horse on two legs she could do without. A scoff escaped her through her wry smirk. Maybe all of this wouldn't be so bad if she knew what the hell she was supposed to do with her life. A new life, a new beginning…and she'd spend it with a mental illness and doing labor work? Yeah, great isekai fanta-
"-Rudolf takes the lead! Katsuragi Ace is second!"
Her ears twitched uncontrollably and she looked upwards, towards the screens. Ah yes, the main gimmick of this fantasy world. Horse Girl races. She never used to be a sports person in the past, as a spectator nor as a practitioner, so she didn't see the hype. Usually she'd look away, just move on…
And yet, her heart beat louder than ever before. The world got just a bit brighter as she stared at the screen, looking at those roaring young women, running like their life depended on it. The way they ran with all their might, with sweat and spit shooting out of their body as the air itself tried to crush them, yet they crushed it in return instead.
"Symboli Rudolf is in command! Symboli Rudolf to the wire!"
Unconsciously, she grasped the hem of her shirt as she felt the beating become borderline deafening, flooding her body with hotter and hotter blood, almost scalding her from inside out.
"The best in Japan, the Triple Crown Uma, Symboli Rudolf, proved herself once again on this Arima Kinen!!!"
The Uma reached the finish line. The lead shot their fist up, smiling in bliss, after spending her all. Even those that lost had a begrudging smile on their faces, congratulating the winner, fistpumping and hugging each other. True sportsmanship…or sportsumaship in this case.
Witnessing this, listening to the interview before the concert (because that was apparently a thing too), she breathed heavily, her heart almost aching with how fast it beat. And yet…she never felt so alive.
However.
She grit her teeth, slamming her fist against her heart.
It wasn't her heart that beat…but 'hers'. The one whose body she stole. The one who owned this flesh, the one who was suited for this vessel to begin with, before she was shoved into it. No, what she saw didn't excite her but the body itself. Forcefully taking calm breaths, she tried to bury that sensation…yet she was unable to.
She clicked her tongue in annoyance. Yes, she didn't feel a damn thing unlike 'her'...and yet, that ecstasy of 'hers' infected her. It was like a drug that alleviated all the discomfort she was feeling, the 'de-synchronization' with her body disappearing for just a moment. The static of having a tail and the prickling of the ears on her head long returned…but just for a moment, due to 'her', she felt…free. Light even.
A sigh escaped the Uma as she scratched the back of her head before her lips thinned.
Well then.
Rolling her shoulders, she pulled her hood down, finally revealing the messy black hair she bore, covering her eyes.
Her right red eye and her blue left eye. The left eye was positively glowing with determination, while the other was dull, but started to shimmer just a bit. One last look as the concert began, the expressions of the winner and the losers syncing into perfect fulfillment…she turned her back on the screen and began to jog.
Already, she felt how weird it felt. Jogging as a human was not like jogging like an Uma.
She picked up speed, stumbling and twitching with each step…but she picked up speed nonetheless, as she rushed towards the orphanage.
If nothing else…might as well, right? Give it the good ol' college try. Not like…this one had anything better to do, in this world they were thrown in. Besides…
Her lungs inflated and deflated in a rapid pace as she surged forth with more power. Each step being mindful, carefully considered, in each split second she moved. For the first time, she exerted herself like this, allowing her body to flood with the endorphins that came from finally fulfilling its purpose.
Smiling like that…couldn't feel that bad to try and mimic.
She almost stumbled when another thought entered her mind however.
…How did one become a racer anyway on an orphanage's budget?
///
Tracen Academy was considered the best in the world when it came to producing Uma racers. Even the "bottom dregs" that barely claw their way into the school could be considered above and beyond most other academies in terms of skill and potential. Or at least that's what most people said.
Stay Gold was the type to see for herself how the world worked. The petite girl hummed to herself as she wandered the turf in her gym clothes, having already run herself and doing decently. Didn't win, of course not, some things just seemed to be written in stone, but she didn't mind. She got a trainer nonetheless, a rather chill gal, at least when it came to letting Stay Gold wander around and travel when she felt like it. Even when the trainer was a shivering and nervous wreck, she put on a smile and shared Stay Gold's good mood when she got to move around.
Well, they had to see how long that lasted when the Uma's urges would actually trigger and she'd disappear for a few weeks from the academy, but hey, so far so good. Having her spot secured in the academy proper now, she got to relax, if only a little bit. Looking around, she spotted a few familiar faces.
Silence Suzuka was as monofocused on taking the lead as ever. Not as much as she would be in the future of 'that' place, but the seeds were already present. She grimaced a bit. The memories were still hazy, but the fate that awaited her classmate still loomed as ominously as ever in the future. To do something about it…or rather, to be able to do something about it…Eh, problems for future Stay Gold.
The Mejiro duo were as noble as ever…if one only looked from far away. Even with the short time they interacted as classmates, the two cuties were still adorable as ever once you looked past the surface. Dober being the tsundere she was, begrudgingly taking care of the airhead that was Bright. Ah, what a nice sight.
Matikanefukukitaru, Fuku in short, already made some ritual to praise Shiraoki for her success in finding a trainer. Said trainer visibly seemed conflicted in giving that fortune obsessed girl the offer, but it was too late to change her mind anyway. Not to mention, seeing all the trinkets Fuku pulled out of the ether was always fascinating to witness.
The loudest duo was of course Taiki Shuttle and Seeking The Pearl. Two Uma that came from overseas to make their name in Japan…and in the future would become the trailblazers to bring Japan victories in foreign races, setting the stage for the world. If history repeated itself anyway. With the energy they showed, they were already world class, so Stay Gold didn't worry too much.
She rubbed her chin. Aside from them…she didn't recall any other Uma in their class being present in her dreams of the 'other' Stay Gold. Not that she dismissed the girls, nobody in Tracen was weak so to say, but lacking that connection, it was hard for the small Uma to keep them in mind, compared to the future big shots around.
Her ears twitched as she heard the muffled noise of rock music. She glanced towards the side, spotting the Uma she suspected was the source of that.
Yes, aside of those that had a rich history enough to appear in her dreams, none of the Uma got her attention.
With the sole exception of Obsidian Kawaii of course.
Now some might wonder why that Uma sitting on the grass, waiting for her turn, caught Stay Gold's attention. Well, it was rather simple.
She had never seen an Uma with such a gloomy aura before during any of these tryouts. Nervous, sure, but this? Even Rice Shower seemed more positive, and the girl was about as depressing as they came sometimes. Blasting music on those headphones, coupled with her bangs almost covering her eyes completely, her hunched figure…yeah, Stay Gold saw puppies in the rain that had more energy than this one. Then there was this sensation she couldn't quite put a finger on. A tingling in her spine every time she laid eyes on Obsidian.
A mystery to be sure, and Stay Gold was an explorer at heart. Before she could strategize how to make this locked up soul open up, the Uma glanced upwards, showing her red and blue eye respectively, blinking with a half lidded gaze. Waving her hand awkwardly, the smaller Uma waited for her to react. Instead, she merely stared at Stay Gold for a while until tilting her head ever so slightly as she took off her headphones, putting them around her neck.
"Yeah?"
Laughing awkwardly, Stay Gold scratched the back of her head. She couldn't exactly go out and say she was just curious about Obsidian Kawaii. That sort of Uma would just shut down immediately. Fortunately Stay Gold was quick on her feet and pointed her thumb over her shoulder, towards the turf.
"Just here to tell you that your turn is almost here."
Obsidian blinked, leaning to the side, before nodding slowly.
"Hm. Thanks for the heads up."
Rising to her feet, Stay Gold looked up…and up…and up. With the way Obsidian grimaced as she stretched her neck before looking down, the petite Uma couldn't help but chuckle at the one who towered over her at a 'humble' one seventy. It never got old, this sort of interaction. Some others might be jealous but she enjoyed people's reactions after processing the sheer gulf in height at times. Sadly Obsidian shrugged it off, not giving her any more juicy fun. Instead her eyes turned towards the gates getting cleared up.
"Nervous?" Stay Gold asked, crossing her arms. Obsidian glanced at her before reaching for her zipper.
"Were you?"
A hand wiggle followed as her conversation partner pulled off the jersey and let it drop to the ground.
"Relatively."
"Well, guess I should be nervous," Obsidian stated with a scoff before she began craning her neck left and then to the right, slowly, before pulling sudden movements, causing cracks to echo in the air. Some Uma nearby flinched at the sound and Stay Gold couldn't help but raise an eyebrow. Geez, talk about stiff.
"But you aren't?" She pointed at the taller Uma with a small smirk. "I wouldn't be able to tell."
"Twitchy is my base state. I think I'll be running as well as ever." She paused before Obsidian smacked her lips. "Which isn't a lot."
Stay Gold tilted her head. Didn't take this one to be the low self esteem type. Then again, she was always on the quieter side, usually, so maybe that tracked.
Well, that wouldn't do. Lightly hitting the equally flat chest with the back of her knuckle, she chuckled lightly. Fortunately Obsidian was rather calm with the skinship.
"No need for that. You got into Tracen, same as me. Even if we are just gate fillers, we deserve to be here just a little bit."
"Just a little bit, huh?" Rolling her shoulders, she moved past Stay Gold, but not without raising her fist. "Guess I gotta represent us little ones."
A snicker escaped her. A pity that Stay Gold wasn't in position to see how a smile looked like on that usually glum face. Still, she took her victories as the Uma seemed to have lightened up, if only a little bit. Not wanting to distract someone before their big day, Stay Gold decided to stick around a bit longer than she expected. Now where to get a good vantage point on this particular race…
The choice was taken out of her hands as an all too familiar boisterous tone echoed across the field.
"Stego! Hey, Stego! I saved you a got spot!"
Right at the front row, with the sunglasses reflecting the hot sun, the owner of the voice waved at her with great enthusiasm, one shared with her fellow Uma, her own orange ponytail flickering left and right. With a light jog, Stay Gold met up with her classmates, raising her palm in response as she received high fives in return.
"Thanks, Pearl. Good to see you, Taiki."
"Everything for my fabulous classmates!" Seeking The Pearl smirked as she adjusted her glasses, giving Stay Gold a wink as she thrusted her hip to the side, her body language as expressive as ever. "Heard you managed to snag yourself a cutie yourself?"
"Hm, pretty lucky so far."
Stay Gold already braced herself when another orange haired Uma popped out from below, having knelt down with various trinkets in her palms. A giddy expression lit up those star like eyes as she raised her arms in the air.
"Yes, today is filled with fortunate signs by Shiraoki-sama! Praise be her!" Fuku declared in excitement, one shared by Taiki.
"Yeeehaw, praise!"
"Honestly, have a bit more grace." Mejiro Dober stated in exhaustion, brushing her dark hair back. She glanced to the side, looking for support. "Tell them, Bright."
Alas, her family did not pay any attention to her words. Matter of fact, her eyes were positively clouded, the lady with the elegant brown hair staring at the sky.
"Hm, I wonder what's for dinner~."
"Hey, we still have tryouts, don't doze off!"
"Hahaha, lively as ever," Stay Gold muttered. She waved at Silence Suzuka standing a bit farther away from them, who politely raised her hand at them. With the classmates sticking together, they did some idle talk, mostly about how the personalities of their trainers either clashed or mixed way too much. Honestly the traveler was surprised Dober got a male trainer, despite her own misgivings towards the other sex. Meanwhile she was rather amused at the white hair already growing on Bright's trainer before even getting the first session. Still, they noticed the next batch of Uma getting ready for their try outs.
Leaning over the railing with her right arm, Seeking The Pearl hummed to herself before turning around, elbows against the railing and regarding her friends.
"Sooooo, got an eye on anyone here?"
"Our resident loner," Stay Gold answered first, to the surprise of everyone. She couldn't help but feel pity at the fact that all of their expressions lit up in realization, as if that one word was more than enough to narrow it down to a sole suspect.
"Oh, Miss Gloomey!" The American Uma tapped her chin a few times. "Hm, anyone ever seen her runnin' before?"
They all blinked. Even Dober covered her mouth in contemplation, someone who kept an eye out for everyone, usually to her own detriment at times.
"Matter of fact, I…did not."
"Saaaame."
It wasn't like they purposefully ignored her. It was just simple fact that during all the classes they had, including the race related training they never actually saw her race. It could be just a coincidence that their training never lined up but it was certainly a low chance to occur. Class itself wasn't exactly an indicator of prowess either, as while the Uma answered questions rather well when asked, she wasn't very much initiative on her own, aside of a few amusing exceptions. Still, it didn't really matter in the head, Stay Gold decided and crossed her arms on the railing, leaning forward.
"Guess we all learn something new today then."
Something already stood out to her, causing her eyebrow to be raised. Usually most Uma showed some hint of nervousness within the gate. Certain Uma even needed to be corralled and shoved into them, due to their misgivings and even fear towards the closed space. Yet Obsidian Kawaii showed no such concern, waltzing into the gate without a second thought. Not that she looked completely relaxed either but honestly, at this point, that did seem to be her default expression.
Suddenly, the Uma spat into her palms, rubbing them together nonchalantly before running her palms over her forehead across her hair towards the back of her head. Dober shivered at the sight, turning a bit green.
"Ugh, that's gross."
"But it gives her coolness points too, so it balances out! A classic eye reveal!" Seeking The Pearl declared, causing Taiki to nod in agreement, raising her fist.
"Red and blue, only white missing!"
Stay Gold had to admit, Obsidian could clean up rather nicely if she wanted to. Method aside, with her hair slicked back, her eyes were in full view, slightly narrowed by default, narrowed even further with focus. The shape of her face was feminine but the 'masculine' demeanor worked just as well, mixing in together the two opposites into someone that was definitely in the upper echelon of attractive. Bright seemed to agree, actually paying attention as she clapped her hands together with a giggle.
"Hehe, mesmerizing as always."
"So, Fuku, how ya reckon' her odds are?"
At Taiki's question, Fuku rubbed her nose with pride before folding her hands and pressing them against her right cheek in delight.
"I looked into my glass orb to check for everyone's results in the races! That includes her as well!"
"And are they accurate?" Dober asked in a flat tone. Gasping in shock, Fuku put a hand on her chest.
"Do you doubt Shiraoki-sama's might?!" At the stare she received, the fortune teller wilted just a bit, looking away as she touched the tips of her fingers. "...Accurate enough."
"Well, pray tell, Fuku, what did the stars say about her?" Pearl asked, pointing her two index fingers at her like she was a cowboy at a saloon.
"Neutral!"
Silence stretched itself out between them and reared itself back to hit Fuku on the head again and again with how she lowered her gaze more and more, with her smile falling further with each second. With a rare lacking smile, Taiki patted her friend on the back. Stay Gold cleared her throat to lighten the mood a bit before refocusing her attention on the tensed up racers, ready to bolt the second the gun sound went off.
"Guess we can only watch and see what happens."
Anticipation rose, before the sound went off. Surprisingly no late starts or even crashes, though it was a close call as the Uma realized they were closer than expected after dashing out of the gate. With their frantic looks around and their urge to prove themselves, Stay Gold could already tell they would be burning themselves out on this 2000 meter run before even reaching the halfway mark.
Except of Obsidian Kawaii. Unlike the others her gaze was set forward, merely glancing for a split second to confirm everyone's positions before falling into place herself, sticking in the back of the midpack. Stay Gold couldn't help but smirk just a bit.
"Late Surger, huh?" She winked at Dober and Bright as examples. "Pretty popular style in our generation, wouldn't you say?"
"Hmph. It's only natural to save your energy and have sight of the bigger pic-"
Taiki didn't let Dober finish her tirade, throwing her arms around the yelping Mejiro.
"Dunno why, Pace Chasin' for the win!"
Ignoring their amusing antics for a bit, Stay Gold couldn't help but keep her eyes on the girl she talked to just minutes ago. The first thing that caught her attention was the fact her skin wasn't remotely glistening. Not to say that Obsidian's skincare routine was horrible or anything, but it meant that she wasn't remotely sweating as much as her fellow Uma on that track, despite the speed they were running. Sure, her breathing was steady and her running form was practically ideal at this level of racing but if that were enough, everyone would be running with no sweat.
It appeared their little loner was built more different than they all thought. However…
"Good basics, not gonna lie. Though anyone else noticing it?" Pearl asked, none of her boisterous manners seeping out, instead frowning in focus. Dober, after prying off Taiki, narrowed her eyes as well.
"...Something is off, isn't it?"
Indeed. Despite the form, there was just a bit of tension that was unusual, removing the flexibility and straining the muscles more than they needed to be, most likely exhausting Obsidian more than it would be normally. Despite that, her body barely showed any sign of exhaustion now, sweat starting to form only now. The question was where did this tension come from. It couldn't have been from first race twitches though, as she seemed perfectly fine. None of the other Uma had the ability to 'pressure' her either, try outs rarely having such skills available.
It truly was a mystery to them all.
And then the racers rounded the corner towards the final stretch and the gang got a perfect frontal view of Obsidian Kawaii's expression. They all flinched the way her teeth grit together, eyes wide and borderline bloodshot, twitching together with an Uma's appendages as if she was at the verge of a seizure.
"Uwaaah, what a scary face…" Fuku muttered under her breath, having hidden behind the railing and only peeking out the upper half of her face.
"I know it's not all smiles and rainbows when we run, but Kawaii looks…how do I put it…" Pearl smacked her lips, trying to figure out a way to say it with grace.
Stay Gold had no such issue, raising her hand.
"Constipated?" She smirked a bit at the glares she received. Dober rolled her eyes at her.
"Disgusting." She exhaled slowly, pressing her lips together. "But…not inaccurate."
It was almost like the Uma they were witnessing was suffering in a way. As if she wanted to be anywhere but here. The fact that she was here nonetheless spoke of a drive that was rare even among their kind, something deeper than just the desire to race well. Not a want, more a need, a hunger even. And with great hunger came-
Her feet embedded themselves into the ground, just as the front pack started to slag due to their haste and nervousness from the start. The next split second, she exploded off, accelerating to her top speed in an instant. Stay Gold whistled at the sight. While the top speed wasn't anything that Taiki Shuttle or Silence Suzuka could dish out, the gap was much larger in Obsidian's case.
So much for being one of the "little one's". She wasn't alone with that opinion. Even if the others performed better one way or the other, they gave probs where it was deserved.
"Oh, great powah!"
"She's doing great~."
"Not bad, not bad at all!"
"Her basics are certainly refined."
"Still feel like somethin's missing…" Taiki scratched the back of her head before shrugging. "Eh, tryouts are tryouts, I'm sure she gonna find it sooner or later!"
"Sometimes I wish you made more sense, Taiki," Dober stated in a flat tone. Still, Stay Gold shared a glance with Pearl. The latter winked back, confirming her own suspicion. While Taiki Shuttle wasn't the brightest of the bunch, her instincts were second to none. If she noticed something off, it had to be true. And Stay Gold had a feeling she knew exactly what it was, evident from the way this race finished.
Two length gap. Massive by Uma standards, with the announcer declaring Obsidian Kawaii the clear winner.
Yet there was no smile on her face. She didn't even slow down that much, ignoring any other individual, including the Uma she just raced, looking to congratulate her despite their own frustrations. Instead she rushed past the turf, leapt over the railing and rammed her back against a tree. At the same time she picked up her jersey and threw it over her head just after putting on her headphones.
"What is she doing? Did she get injured?" Dober asked with concern in her voice as they saw Obsidian hug her legs with her left arm while actually gnawing on her right arm. Not enough to draw blood, she was no Shinko Windy apparently, but with more force than was comfortable for most.
"I don't think so…" Bright muttered, worried herself. They all exchanged looks, no idea what Obsidian was doing. It was like she was having some sort of breakdown and tried to shut herself out from the world around her. But why? She won after all. With no better answers, they all turned towards their resident fortune teller, who already intently rubbed her crystal bow with her forehead furrowed with focus. Then she let out a giggle before raising her fist up in the air.
"No worries for her, Lady Shiraoki said the signs smile upon her!" She glanced down again. Then her smile faltered as she tilted her head. "...Or is that a scoff? Her Holiness' expression is always so hard to interpret…"
The others shared a look… before shrugging. Better than nothing, and in cases like these Fuku was as reliable as a weather forecast in April. So good enough since none of them could read Obsidian's mind.
"Hm…" Stay Gold stared at the girl in question, starting to gnaw less on her arm and instead pull her jersey down more with deep breaths. "I think she might catch an eye or two, if they saw it."
"It? Whatchu mean, Stay-go?"
She snapped her fingers at Taiki.
"That usual nervousness that comes with the tryout. Starting at the gate. During the race too. Add her acceleration and she's definitely one of the top picks here." She nodded to herself. "Not to mention she barely started to sweat in the second half."
"Hoho, you saw it too? Certainly makes a lady jealous!"
Dober was a bit more skeptical compared to Pearl's exited posing, as she crossed her arms behind her head. Dober rubbed her chin thoughtfully.
"I mean, she seemed a bit distracted, what with that…grimace."
"Hm, I get what Stego means~!"
"What are you talking about, Bright?"
The relaxed girl folded her hands and tilted them to the side at the same time as her head.
"Well, I mean…isn't Kawaii always a bit distracted~?"
"Consistent performance. That might be her selling point, aside from her body," Stay Gold stated, chuckling as Dober blushed.
"Phrasing."
"Whatever do you mean?" The smallest among them asked, batting her eyelashes innocently. The way the other Uma stared at Dober with a look of confusion killed any desire to push Stay Gold on the truth.
"Ugh." Dober pressed her lips together. "I mean, I guess that is a special trait, but overcoming the gates and claustrophobia in general is something any half decent Uma should be able to do. I don't believe that a trainer will be that interested."
"Hm…do you dislike Kawaii?" Bright asked, tapping her lips. Dober stiffened up before exhaling slowly. Stay Gold and the others raised their eyebrows. They did notice that Dober was a bit more dismissive of their classmate, a treatment usually reserved for the male part of the population.
"...She just gives me a bad feeling, I guess…" She muttered before rubbing her forehead. "Hah, I'm being unprofessional, aren't I?"
"No way, if you feel a sign, it's best to listen to it!"
Dober stared at Fuku before looking back on the ground, her shoulders slumping.
"So I am definitely being unprofessional…"
"Hey!"
Suddenly Taiki perked up and leaned over Stay Gold's head, pressing her breasts down on top.
"Oh hey, she got someone walkin' over to her! Looks like a trainer too!"
Everyone's heads snapped towards her excited finger waving. Indeed, a man in a rather clean bespoke suit adjusted his tie as he walked up to Obsidian Kawaii from the front, most likely to ensure he didn't startle her.
"Oh, lucky!"
"Good for her~!"
"So it was a smile!"
"Hey, Stego, where are you going?!"
Stay Gold didn't even bother turning around. Lazily waving her hand she let out an airy laugh.
"Listening in."
"That's rude!" Dober shouted, with Pearl nodding furiously as well.
"Yeah!"
"See? Even Pe-!"
"Going alone, we are classmates!"
"Oh yeah, let's go!"
Watching the foreign born Uma follow Stay Gold like oversized bodyguards, Dober gaped openly before stomping the ground angrily.
"That's not what I mea-!" She saw someone move past her peripheral vision and did a double take. "Bright, you too?!"
"I'm curious~!"
Betrayed by her own family, Dober lowered her shoulders with a deep sigh.
"At least you are with me, Fuku." Hearing no response she looked to her side. "...Fuku?"
The fortune teller was gone. Nowhere to be seen. Feeling a tingle up her spine, Dober looked back at the front…only to see her sneakily follow the rest of the group. Not being able to take it anymore, she palmed her face.
"...I'm surrounded by idiots…"
Nodding to herself, with an expression of pain, she bit her lip and followed suit. Not to listen in, a lady wouldn't do that, but to make sure they wouldn't get into trouble.
Someone had to be the sensible one after all.
///
Akisame Sakaki was a patient trainer. It came with the job, and with his own upbringing, but that wasn't important right now. Some might be a bit overzealous in invading an Uma's privacy. It was the best way to land in the hospital, or at the very least, get launched twenty meters into the air before crashing down. Thus, he kept to the basics of courtesy. Walking up in total view of his target, making sure she would see him before standing perfectly still, his brown ponytail fluttering in the wind as he adjusted his gloves.
Though it took a while for Obsidian Kawaii to actually react to his presence despite standing before her for at least a minute or two. Slowly however, her dull eyes regained their light as she peered between her hair strands that were no longer slicked back, past the shadow of her jersey. Seeing that he got her attention proper now, he pointed above his own head.
"Excuse me, may we talk?" He didn't ask loud, but carefully moved his mouth. He wouldn't be able to overpower the rapid guitar riff of the headphones after all. Thankfully she complied and pulled her headphones down, at the same time putting her jersey down. Her ears twitched, causing her to grimace for a bit, a detail that he didn't miss.
"Yes?" She asked quietly. He cleared his throat before kneeling down with a face of absolute focus.
"May I check your body out?"
Silence stretched between them. A strange question asked to be sure, but it was better to ask for consent instead of just going for it. He half expected to be denied and be forced to more indirect ways to assess his suspicions. However, he was pleasantly surprised when she rose to her feet and spread her arms open with a blank face.
"Knock yourself out, I guess."
Cooperative. Very good. There won't be that much conflict then, if she accepts his offer. He took off his gloves and pocketed them. Carefully, he tapped and squeezed her muscles, lessons from his seniors and his own experience paying off. She only twitched occasionally, her tail moving involuntarily, but other than that, she remained relatively calm. With each touch, he had to contain his expression, the urge of his eyes widening and a smile forming almost too much at times.
And yet, a frown formed instead. Not a sign of fatigue, not the usual one. Still room for more improvement. Sturdy and flexible in all the right places.
"A great body…almost perfect even…and yet…" He muttered under his breath, his suspicions confirmed by now. Certainly a challenge he never had to face, with as short of a career he had so far…but he wouldn't give up.
Not when his golden goose was right before him.
"You done molesting me or do I have to break some nuts here?"
He jumped just a bit. Her expression was as bland as always, yet there was the way her eyes shook with impatience. He coughed, rising to his feet before taking a step back.
"Apologies." After bowing, he pointed at her, professional admiration glowing in his eyes. "I am impressed. I have never seen a body so suited for racing before. You barely needed any time to recover after the race and I doubt you felt any sensation of burning in the lungs or the muscles, correct?"
She raised an eyebrow at him, seemingly impressed as she crossed her arms.
"Damn, are all trainers like that?"
"Some are." He frowned a bit. "And yet, you have not used the full potential of what you have."
"Might have been nervous," she stated with her mouth thinning. But he would not allow her to twist the facts. He snapped his fingers before pointing behind him.
"No, the others were nervous. You have an entirely different problem." He pointed back at her. "You suffer from body dysmorphic disorder, do you not?"
Her eyes widened for just a bit. Which meant she did her own research and knew what the term meant. He nodded slowly, not satisfied, but vindicated that his fears were true.
Body dysmorphic disorder. A mental…illness, that forced the patient to be overly aware of their own perceived 'flaws'. Or in other words, parts, or even the entire body, felt foreign in a way, causing the person to be overly aware of the 'issue' and be unable to focus.
Obsidian Kawaii grabbed her left arm, biting her lip as she looked down at the grass.
"...In a way, I guess." She glanced back at him. "So?"
"As I thought. It was not hard to miss either. Especially around your ears and tail, you tried to hide them as much as possible, not from the world but yourself." A rare smile formed as he nodded slowly. "And yet, you were able to ignore that discomfort, if not completely, during the race. You have potential."
"That's not exactly a glowing compliment, y'know?" She stated with a scoff. He could get where she was coming from.
'She had great potential! She could've done it! What if, if only!'
Words that comforted none that failed to live up to that potential. However, where others would be discouraged, he rose, straightening up his back.
"Nevertheless, it is a compliment. If you can surpass that barrier before you, and make full use of your body…nothing can stop you. And I wish to make it happen."
He reached out with his hand, offering his palm to her. She stared down at it, pressing her lips together.
"Well, I kinda need one and it looks like I can't be picky right now…" She scratched the back of her head. "You sure you wanted a mentally retarded Uma though?"
His eyebrow twitched before he took a calm breath.
"We have to work on your language, but yes, I am completely fine. While it may be a disadvantage at first, if you overcome it, I predict you will have the best aptitude for my dream."
"Dream?" She asked. He chuckled to himself, used to the bafflement he faced when someone like him and his serious face talked about dreams of all things. He held his fist up against his chest, feeling his heart beat as he closed his eyes.
"The Arc. I wish to claim it for Japan, with an Uma I believe can do it."
The Arc. Or better known as the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe.
"The French Title, huh?"
Sakaki scoffed. It was more accurate to call it the European, or even the World Title, the G1 race had this much prestige behind it. Only the best of the best could survive on that turf and claim to achieve good results.
Japan sent out only three Uma in its entire history of racing to that hallowed turf.
Not a single one even reached a placing in the single digits.
"Speed Symboli. Sirius Symboli. Mejiro Musashi. The greatest of their time have lost terribly on that foreign world stage. I theorize it is because they weren't able to adapt to the environment in time. The climate, the stage itself, even the spectators, they are all different factors influencing a racer," he explained calmly, his expression pained as he remembered those harsh losses.
"And you think I can adapt better than they did."
He nodded at her skeptical tone.
"Someone who is struggling already with their own environment…with the time we have, I believe if you can overcome the issues with your body, no matter what turf you run on, you won't be having any problems. I believe you can match up to those that lived on these grounds on even footing."
The tryout just confirmed it to him. If anyone could do it, it was her. She was not the fastest in speed or the mightiest in power. Her strategy had still much to be desired. Only her stamina and 'regenerative' nature stood out but in the world stage it wasn't that rare. But they were all capable of soaring high to the sky from what he could tell, if only she knew how. Something in his gaze must have convinced her, as she relaxed a bit and allowed her shoulders to slump down a bit.
"High goals." She smacked her lips, pondering over it…until she shrugged and reached out with her own hand. "Alright. Obsidian Kawaii, a pleasure."
He smirked at last, giving it a firm squeeze.
"Akisame Sakaki. Let's make you a world class winner."
At last. The first step was taken. Soon, he will show the world that Japan has what it takes to win and be part of the global stage proper. This generation will prove it, to announce a Golden Age of Uma Racing for Japan.
Akisame Sakaki would prove his own worth. To be more than just a nepo baby and bring glory to Japan in his own way, away from the dredges of capitalism and Zaibatsu.
///
The trainer left eventually to file the paperwork for Obsidian Kawaii. That was the cue for everyone else to pop out of the shadows and holler at Obsidian, whose eyes went wide as her ears and tail shot up by the surprise.
"Congrats!"
"Wooheee, Ka-waii!"
"Yaaaaa!."
"Heh, talk about ambitious."
Hugged by all fronts, Obsidian looked around in utter confusion before her eyes landed on the one Uma not hugging her right now. She glared at Stay Gold with narrowed eyes.
"Is it common for Uma to listen in on a damn private conversation?"
Immediately, the petite Uma raised her hand with not a hint of shame on her face as she nodded wisely to herself.
"I mean, you are in the open field, so it's not that private."
"Yup, yup!" Taiki agreed, squeezing Obsidian's face against her assets while Pearl was rubbing her ears. Surprisingly enough to Stay Gold's eyes, she seemed more upset at the ears than the boobs.
She even looked like she was blushing…or maybe it was just the suffocation talking. Prying herself free, she massaged her own face a bit before picking up her jersey and slamming it ontop of herself, making a makeshift veil out of it.
"Fuckin' teenagers…" She muttered under her breath. Yet she was heard easily, with Pearl and Fuku gasping in shock while Taiki giggled, finding it rather amusing. Bright on the other hand had a small pout, lightly smacking Obsidian on the forehead with a weak chop.
"Language~!"
Not that Stay Gold minded herself, but making others uncomfortable wasn't exactly her ballpark these days. Not that Obsidian seemed to care, sending an unimpressed stare at Bright. Before she could retort however Pearl tsked her tongue and ruffled Obsidian's hair through the jersey.
"You're a teenager too, cutie."
Obsidian snapped her head towards her. Her mouth was moving but everyone already knew what was coming next, leaning forward in anticipation as Pearl's smirk widened by the second.
"It's not Kawaii, it's Obsidian to you."
"There it is, the running gag!"
Now, people who were not in that generation's class would be wondering what exactly that running gag was. Well, it was rather simple. During idle talk during lunch breaks for example…
"Oh, so Kawaii!"
"It's not Kawaii, it's Obsidian to you."
"Gyaaaah!"
During transit through the halls of Tracen…
"That's adorable!"
"It's not Kawaii, it's Obsidian to you."
"Where did you come from?!"
Even in the cafeteria with at least three tables of distance…
"I wanna be cute too…"
"It's not Kawaii, it's Obsidian to you."
"Ugh!"
"Help, someone's choking!"
And so on.
Stay Gold was not proud enough to deny that it was rather funny to hear every time. It was also funny to see how Obsidian snuck up on people out of nowhere, as if teleporting to the mere mention of any word that sounded like Kawaii.
As much as Obsidian Kawaii acted above it all, she was rather childish at times too, instead of acting like an old man. The group laughed at her reaction, and Obsidian seemed to be a good enough sport not to be offended, given she merely rolled her eyes.
Sadly, the killjoy had to arrive at some point, as Dober finally reached them and bowed towards Obsidian.
"I am so sorry for the behavior of our classmates." She gave each of them a glare, all of them pretending to get shot as they clutched their hearts, even Bright. Then she raised her head with a frown, directed at Obsidian. "Stll, you shouldn't let a man touch you like that."
She tilted her head, licking her lips in thought before shrugging nonchalantly.
"I guess it's a bit gay."
Wind blew past them, filling the silence that was caused by those words. Dober blinked slowly, her mouth opening and closing before in the end she tilted her head with a raised eyebrow.
"...What?"
Stiffening up, Obsidian looked away, waving her hand dismissively.
"Don't worry about it."
"And not worrying we shall!" Pearl jumped at the opportunity to kill the awkwardness in the crib. She wiggled her hips in excitement before snapping her fingers and pointing both of her hands at Taiki. "Are you ready to party?!"
The self proclaimed cowgirl hollered, raising her hands in the air before reaching to her side and…pulling a grill towards them.
"C'mon, let's have some bar-bee-que!"
Stay Gold blinked. Dober did a double take. Obsidian stared blankly at the grill that came out of nowhere.
"How the fuck…?" Obsidian shook her head before pointing at it. "Is that even allowed?"
"Eeehhh, the cafeteria sells meat!" Taiki stated as if that was a legitimate way to answer that question. Sadly for her, Obsidian didn't accept it as such as she ran her hand through her hair to better glare at Taiki.
"That's not what I meant."
"Mine with extra sauce please~!" Bright declared brightly, already taking a plate in her hands. Before Dober could stop her fellow Mejiro for entertaining this, Fuku already lined up behind Bright, with Pearl as well.
"Hey, you guys, you are going to get in trouble!" Dober hissed, looking around frantically in fear that someone would crash their impromptu party. In response, the Uma handling the grill clapped her prongs at Dober with a shining smile.
"Oh, Dober, want some ribs too? I'm right on it!"
"Taiki, no!"
"Taiki, yes!"
Footsteps approached them. Dober stiffened up before her eyes widened as yet another classmate approached. Silence Suzuka tilted her head with her hands folded before her.
"What are you guys do-"
Before she could even finish her sentence, Seeking The Pearl snapped her wrist outward and pulled the poor Uma to her side.
"The more the merrier! Cmhere!"
"Eh?!"
"Listen to me!"
"Hahaha…" Stay Gold chuckled, covering her mouth with her knuckle. Antics like these always brightened up her day. Even as just an observer.
"You do know I'm not part of your friend circle, right?"
Stay Gold blinked, realizing that Obsidian Kawaii was still there, grumpy as ever.
And yet, she didn't leave.
A mischievous grin formed on Stay Gold's face as she elbowed Obsidian's side.
"You are now. Don't bother resisting."
She stared down on her fellow Uma before making a X with her arms.
"I object to this violation of my rights."
"Objection noted and sadly dismissed." Stay Gold motioned with her head towards the grill. "Or do you think you can deny Pearl and Taiki?"
Obsidian opened her mouth only to close it. Stay Gold could see the thousands of calculations that such an action would result into, only one ending being guaranteed. Shoulders slump as expected and Obsidian shook her head.
"...Screw it, I have the damn munchies anyway." With a loud click of her tongue, she increased her volume. "Oi, Shuttle, none of that well done shit!"
"Duh, I'm not insane!"
"You too, Kawaii?!"
"It's Obsidian to you!" She barked back at Dober. Then she glanced at Stay Gold. Normally she wouldn't think much of it, but for a moment, that rough exterior seemed to soften up just a bit. Stay Gold tilted her head, an easy smile on her face. Seeing it seemed to only bother Obsidian more though, as she looked away, clutching her left arm.
"Hey. You heard it all, didn't you?"
Ah. That would explain this awkwardness she was sensing from her classmate. No sense in lying, so Stay Gold crossed her arms behind her head in a relaxed manner.
"Yup."
A click of the tongue. Letting go of her arm, Obsidian weakly gestured at Stay Gold.
"And…you are just…cool with it? That something is wrong with me?" She asked quietly. Stay Gold hummed to herself before shrugging nonchalantly.
"I wouldn't say wrong. You have issues, yes, but who doesn't?" She pointed at the party unfolding before them. "I mean look at us, we are about to have barbeque on turf ground with two Mejiros, two foreign born Uma, a fortune teller and Silence Suzuka."
"What's wrong with Silence Suzuka?" Obsidian asked, raising an eyebrow.
"We'll find out eventually," Stay Gold replied in an easy going tone. A snort escaped Obsidian.
"Heh…I guess so."
Then it happened. The corners of her mouth moved upwards for the first time since Stay Gold came to know Obsidian Kawaii. It was not a big one, that their other classmates had. But it was…genuine.
Beautiful even, with the way the sun decided to shine down on them in just the right angle.
Before she knew it, Stay Gold was already touching Obsidian's cheek, causing the Uma to lose her smile and jump away. Chuckling awkwardly as she retracted her hand, Stay Gold winked at her.
"You should smile more. It suits you."
"You hitting on me?" She asked sarcastically, causing Stay Gold's grin to widen.
"Is it working?"
A scoff escaped Obsidian before pointing her thumb downwards.
"No homo, dude."
"Pff." Stay Gold shook her head in amusement before mimicking the gesture. "No homo indeed…dude."
It was the first time someone just outright called her that. Sure, she knew she didn't look the most feminine but to be flat out called that? She had to admire the audacity Obsidian Kawaii possessed. Not that it felt too bad.
A blossoming friendship never felt too bad after all.
Unfortunate that they didn't get to seal the deal properly with a good dinner because…
"Stop right there! Where did that grill come from?!"
Their ears stiffened up before their heads moved towards the ever approaching heavy footstomps, revealing a certain authority figure sprinting at them with the grace of a queen.
"It's the council!" Pearl shouted before pulling her sunglasses down and turning away from the grill."SCATTER!"
Taiki and Fuku followed the order immediately, all too used to that command as they split up in different directions. Their pursuer growled before her eyes zeroed in on the Uma still present.
"You can't escape me!"
"A-Air Groove, I have nothing to do with this!" Dober shouted in a panic, waving her hands frantically. But the choice of surrender was taken from her when Bright pulled her and Silence Suzuka's arms with a giggle.
"Hehehe, let's just run, Dober~!"
"What-hey, let go!"
"What's going on?!"
"Fuckin' hell!" Obsidian cursed before sprinting away as well. Stay Gold couldn't contain it anymore and started to laugh, clutching her stomach as tears formed.
Ah, this was great. If every day would be like this, Tracen would be years of a lifetime.
"Hehehehehe~!"
A tingle went down her spine. Stay Gold turned her head, staring at the retreating back of Obsidian Kawaii. No hint of amusement, too far away, yet she could've sworn she heard that Uma giggle in a way only little girls giggled. Not only that it sounded too echoey to be real.
And yet…Stay Gold knew she just heard it.
A giggle that was Obsidian Kawaii, yet not. Stay Gold frowned a bit as she tugged at the hem of her shirt, feeling the warm sensation within her, her sixth sense feeling something from outside the material world.
"What was that…?"
Before she could figure it out however, her thoughts were cut short as a hand slammed down her skull, a vice grip digging fingers into her sides.
"Stay Gold. That's one," Air Groove hissed before raising Stay Gold by the head, her feet left dangling in the air.
"Ah."