On a Pale Horse (Umamusume/Youjo Senki)

[kuopiofi]

just pretend that there's an unscrupulous hat thief running around Tracen.

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Could be reference on her jockey losing his hat during her most rememberable races?

 

[ndh]

Just looked up the rules surrounding the stud book, and Shirogane is usable. I can see the desire for Agnes Tachyon to breed with her, so chances for Daiwa Scarlet to become Daiwa Shirogane or Daiwa White are high, which could lead to her and Vodka finishing first and second in the Japanese Derby.

 

[AngstyAceAnon]

Could be reference on her jockey losing his hat during her most rememberable races?

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Jockey hats are strapped up, so there must have been a major malfunction for that to happen. Even then I don't think it's going to come off if it fails cause Shirogane stride is smooth if I recall. A very amusing idea nonetheless. Jockey could just be cursed. Lol

 

[Jomasten]

Jockey hats are strapped up, so there must have been a major malfunction for that to happen. Even then I don't think it's going to come off if it fails cause Shirogane stride is smooth if I recall. A very amusing idea nonetheless. Jockey could just be cursed.

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maybe it becomes a meme for the 'irl' honse's legend where the jockey losing his hat is the equivalent to a dbz character taking off their extremely heavy training weights

 

[AngstyAceAnon]

maybe it becomes a meme for the 'irl' honse's legend where the jockey losing his hat is the equivalent to a dbz character taking off their extremely heavy training weights

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She noticeably gets faster actually because her jockey loses protection. ( Precious cargo lock in)

 

[arky4444]

Just looked up the rules surrounding the stud book, and Shirogane is usable. I can see the desire for Agnes Tachyon to breed with her, so chances for Daiwa Scarlet to become Daiwa Shirogane or Daiwa White are high, which could lead to her and Vodka finishing first and second in the Japanese Derby.

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Thanks for saying this and sending me down the Japanese Stud Book rabbit hole. This is what I get for assuming that Thoroughbred Stud Book policy is identical everywhere. This is a very rare exception to the "closed stud book" policy. For example, the Jockey Club (US Thoroughbred Stud Book) does not allow this at all.

Japanese Stud Book entry rules here - https://www.studbook.jp/en/kyokai/pdf/e-kitei.pdf

TL;DR - the horse version of Shirogane Orzel that I came up with would not qualify for entry herself, but her foals could, on the basis of Shirogane Orzel's race record.

Relevant Sections:
1. Status of Sire and Dam
1.1. The horse must be the product of a mating between sire and dam, both of which are recorded in an approved Thoroughbred Stud Book or either or both must have been promoted from a Non-Thoroughbred Register under the terms of [sic] set out below.
1.1.1 A horse may be promoted from the Non-Thoroughbred Register of Japan to the Japanese Stud Book when the following conditions are all satisfied.
1.1.1.1 The pedigree of the horse demonstrates eight thoroughbred crosses consecutively including the cross of which it is the progeny.
1.1.1.2 The pedigree of the horse contains animals which can show such performances in races open to Thoroughbreds, in both the Thoroughbred and Non-Thoroughbred sections of its pedigree, as to warrant its assimilation with Thoroughbreds.
1.1.1.3. The promotion is approved with the unanimous agreement of the ISBC (International Stud Book Committee).

Shirogane would fail at 1.1.1.2 because her Arabian side has no "races open to Thoroughbreds". However, Shirogane's foal could get promoted, because Shirogane herself is the qualifying "Non-Thoroughbred" animal. The last hurdle would then be 1.1.1.3, but that would probably pass if said foal won a graded race itself.

I'm going to go back now and revise my fluff piece to take this into consideration. My original "unspoken" rationale for Shirogane's long race record was that her owners were letting her race to make money because they couldn't make money off of her as a broodmare because of her pedigree. I could change that to either "she can have foals but owners learned nothing from Hokuto Vega and just keep milking race purses", or "she's another Fine Motion" as indicated by her umamusume version having ornaments on both ears. Decisions, decisions...

EDIT - Ugh the whole tone of the piece is going to have to change, because now her being half-warhorse really is just a funny piece of trivia and not something that needs to be hidden.

EDIT 2 - OK I'm going to tie this into the rest of the collective by having the reason for her long race career simply be "she mopes if we don't run her".

EDIT 3 - I traced the promotion rule back to the ISBC - https://www.internationalstudbook.com/Content/Downloads/ModelStudBookRulesOctober2024.pdf - and unreliable sources say that this "8 crosses rule" goes all the way back to the original version when the ISBC was founded in 1976, but I can't find a copy of the 1976 rules. The rule itself is older than the ISBC and originally comes from the UK. Obviously, national stud books are not required to allow it (see the US) but this is the standardized way to promote a lineage to Thoroughbred status.

 

[Tonyloco]

Thanks for saying this and sending me down the Japanese Stud Book rabbit hole. This is what I get for assuming that Thoroughbred Stud Book policy is identical everywhere. This is a very rare exception to the "closed stud book" policy. For example, the Jockey Club (US Thoroughbred Stud Book) does not allow this at all.

Japanese Stud Book entry rules here - https://www.studbook.jp/en/kyokai/pdf/e-kitei.pdf

TL;DR - the horse version of Shirogane Orzel that I came up with would not qualify for entry herself, but her foals could, on the basis of Shirogane Orzel's race record.

Relevant Sections:
1. Status of Sire and Dam
1.1. The horse must be the product of a mating between sire and dam, both of which are recorded in an approved Thoroughbred Stud Book or either or both must have been promoted from a Non-Thoroughbred Register under the terms of [sic] set out below.
1.1.1 A horse may be promoted from the Non-Thoroughbred Register of Japan to the Japanese Stud Book when the following conditions are all satisfied.
1.1.1.1 The pedigree of the horse demonstrates eight thoroughbred crosses consecutively including the cross of which it is the progeny.
1.1.1.2 The pedigree of the horse contains animals which can show such performances in races open to Thoroughbreds, in both the Thoroughbred and Non-Thoroughbred sections of its pedigree, as to warrant its assimilation with Thoroughbreds.
1.1.1.3. The promotion is approved with the unanimous agreement of the ISBC (International Stud Book Committee).

Shirogane would fail at 1.1.1.2 because her Arabian side has no "races open to Thoroughbreds". However, Shirogane's foal could get promoted, because Shirogane herself is the qualifying "Non-Thoroughbred" animal. The last hurdle would then be 1.1.1.3, but that would probably pass if said foal won a graded race itself.

I'm going to go back now and revise my fluff piece to take this into consideration. My original "unspoken" rationale for Shirogane's long race record was that her owners were letting her race to make money because they couldn't make money off of her as a broodmare because of her pedigree. I could change that to either "she can have foals but owners learned nothing from Hokuto Vega and just keep milking race purses", or "she's another Fine Motion" as indicated by her umamusume version having ornaments on both ears. Decisions, decisions...

EDIT - Ugh the whole tone of the piece is going to have to change, because now her being half-warhorse really is just a funny piece of trivia and not something that needs to be hidden.

EDIT 2 - OK I'm going to tie this into the rest of the collective by having the reason for her long race career simply be "she mopes if we don't run her".

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I just love the idea that, she was basically a missing Arabian Princess relegated to a poorer stable and started to race to help them.

Proven herself to be a great racer despite her small stature and probably stocky frame.

Kept racing on pure guts and stamina rather than speed, half to help the stable she loved and half for the love of racing.

Proven to be a rather weird hose, smart with a very strong personality, and probably not allowed to have foals until late age once her real lineage was proven.

Man for a real life horse this is a Soalp-Opera half written itself.

Once her lineage was proven you would have stables lining themselves to have a foal from him/her, not only in Japan Americal would probably love the story and the fact that she has proven herself to be a very tough little machine, Americans love underdogs.

I do think she would just love to race, once she has her own kids she would make sure to train them well, and who knows even try to follow them on their own races is she can( I been in the Japan metro and Trains a small horse can fit there I know it).

 

[arky4444]

I just love the idea that, she was basically a missing Arabian Princess relegated to a poorer stable and started to race to help them.

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I'm still revising my piece, but I am going to add Author's Notes with links to all of the horses in question. Shirogane really would be an (Polish) Arabian princess based on her being the great-granddaughter of Bask - https://www.slohorsenews.net/bask-reshaping-the-modern-arabian-breed/

"It is said by many that this one little horse, who stood just under 15 hands tall, altered the course of the entire modern Arabian breed"

Monogramm himself is no slouch, either - https://polskiearaby.com/en/breedin...ue-living-legend-a-sire-born-once-in-50-years - but more limited to Poland/Europe.

You can see why I picked this horse lineage for smol Shirogane - "just under 15 hands tall" is only 2 inches away from pony territory.

 

[Jomasten]

Descended from Arabian Royalty to be born as a Polish Warhorse, to become a Japanese Racehorse

 

[TheSmallSauce]

So here's a stray thought that I had. When you beat one of the girls in a Legend Race in-game, your first victory grants you a trophy, same as when you win any graded race for the first time. The trophies for the Legend Races though... are just the shoes of the umamusume you beat. I put Shiro in knee-high boots with gaiters. There's no easy or quick way to take those off.

"Well, it looks like you got beaten, time to hand over your boots!"

"..."

"Er..."

"..."

"Actually, there's really no need to go through with it, I was just joking!"

"...I am an uma of my word, Trainer. I was defeated fair and square, and thus I will uphold my end of the bargain. You need only wait."

"No, really, it looks like so much trouble. Please just stop... Tazuna is beginning to look at me funny..."

"Sometimes you need to make sacrifices for things that you want, Trainer. I'm flattered that you would stake your reputation for my boots. I didn't realise you held me in such high esteem."

"I'm sorry, Shiro! I apologise, please stop!!"

"I'm afraid I can't do that Trainer. These boots are now yours by right of conquest, please take good care of them."

The next time you attempt Shirogane's legend race, it's for 4500m instead of 3200m.

I'm not sure and I can't seem to find the post about it, but wasn't it mentioned somewhere what Shirogane's winning animation would look like?

 

[WrandmWaffles]

Also... Oof... If she were a real horse, Shirogane would definitely become the mare in charge of any group on the farm she was put with, even if unintentionally. Those poor girls...

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She would probably be like Dober and doesn't normally bicker and nip like typical mares, preferring to do her own thing, but if something goes down she'd take charge very emphatically.

Could be reference on her jockey losing his hat during her most rememberable races?

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Jockey hats are strapped up, so there must have been a major malfunction for that to happen.

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Yeah unless the strap was defective they'd have to collide pretty hard to knock his hat off.

because now her being half-warhorse really is just a funny piece of trivia and not something that needs to be hidden.

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Well if it still takes years for them to figure out her heritage for certain, it would still be kept on the down low for that duration. And once they do find out it's a bit awkward to bring it up until they get pressed.

OK I'm going to tie this into the rest of the collective by having the reason for her long race career simply be "she mopes if we don't run her".

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They had to refurbish the stables before Shirogane the horse was content to retire. They add a TV so she can watch her progeny run. How she figures out the schedule they aren't sure, but probably stopped questioning it.

Man for a real life horse this is a Soalp-Opera half written itself.

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Yeah if this was an irl horse Cygames might have picked her to be their protagonist instead of Special Week, or perhaps they have her as a continuation of Cinderella Gray with a different protagonist.

Oguri Cap meets a small Shirogane while eating at the family restaurant to pass the torch, or something.

Then there is the funny thing that most of the famous golden gen horses are stallions and she would be the most famous mare.

The next time you attempt Shirogane's legend race, it's for 4500m instead of 3200m.

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It would probably be a 3600m to mimic the Stayers Stakes, and probably a nightmare for most trainees. You'd need a strong Long proficiency and a good end closer/late surger

what Shirogane's winning animation would look like?

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Basically Symboli Kris S but with a sword. Immediate walk off included.

 

[Thomisannoyed]

Yeah if this was an irl horse Cygames might have picked her to be their protagonist instead of Special Week, or perhaps they have her as a continuation of Cinderella Gray with a different protagonist.

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Feels more like the same sort of character as Gold ship to me, a side character with fun quirks that's a fan favourite because of the history of her real horse self.

Also I've just thought of this, but Shiro compared to other Uma has the persistence hunter trait, Which gives even more fear to her fellows.

 

[arky4444]

Well if it still takes years for them to figure out her heritage for certain, it would still be kept on the down low for that duration. And once they do find out it's a bit awkward to bring it up until they get pressed.

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I did a massive rewrite, hated the process, and hated the result. I went with this and made minimal changes instead. Thanks!

 

[solitare]

I am aware that actual horse racing is also about the parentage of the racing horses, my confusion is why this talk is happening at this time?
In the story, even with the time skip, it is still the first year of high school for Shiro, so she is 14 or 15 so it feels too early plus she has no boyfriend prospects other than her trainers cousin so far. In the real world, the breeding talk happens after the racing career, so again it is way too early.

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Technically, this is Tanya/Shiro's 4th life, with her horse life being her 3rd life. She just can't remember it very well. I think it's implied early on that Being X reincarnated her as a horse as petty revenge for her defiance, then the 3 Uma goddesses reincarnated her as an Umamusume. So basically, all of the 'horse life" stuff is actually in the past for this fic, including having foals. It's just left blank so we're free to speculate on it.

 

[Jomasten]

Technically, this is Tanya/Shiro's 4th life, with her horse life being her 3rd life. She just can't remember it very well. I think it's implied early on that Being X reincarnated her as a horse as petty revenge for her defiance, then the 3 Uma goddesses reincarnated her as an Umamusume. So basically, all of the 'horse life" stuff is actually in the past for this fic, including having foals. It's just left blank so we're free to speculate on it.

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Okay, I must have missed something. Got a source on that? Because I'm p sure life number 3 was just straight up Salaryman>Solider>Umamusume without the intervening past life as a honse.

 

[MeowATron9000]

Okay, I must have missed something. Got a source on that? Because I'm p sure life number 3 was just straight up Salaryman>Solider>Umamusume without the intervening past life as a honse.

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This is one of the instances that it is mentioned there may be more.

Either way, Suzuki Shirogane remembered who she had been before she was born, recalling two lives in clear detail, but there were impressions of at least one other life, which made her wonder if whatever that Thing had done to the Salaryman had removed how a soul normally was supposed to be washed clean when reborn.

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[Stracio]

This is one of the instances that it is mentioned there may be more.

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Being X screwed up by reincarnating Tanya as a horse because the Three Goddesses ended up taking her soul off his hands lol

 

[TheSmallSauce]

Basically Symboli Kris S but with a sword. Immediate walk off included.

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Kris S: "𝓜𝓲𝓼𝓼𝓲𝓸𝓷 𝓐𝓬𝓬𝓸𝓶𝓹𝓵𝓲𝓼𝓱𝓮𝓭."

Shirogane: "𝑷𝒂𝒚𝒄𝒉𝒆𝒄𝒌 𝑨𝒄𝒒𝒖𝒊𝒓𝒆𝒅."

I like the visual of one of her winning animations being a sword salute, with the camera pushing in so that it looks a bit like the Guiding Moonlight cutscene from Bloodborne, maybe there can even be something in the reflection of the blade. Then the camera pulls back and out as she brings the sword down in a flourish, sheathes it and walks off.

A second idea has hit the brain. If Shirogane is running in a race that El Condor Pasa is also in, and she wins, she steals El's winning animation and Mambo lands on her arm instead.

 

[Jadalier Rune]

think it's implied early on that Being X reincarnated her as a horse as petty revenge for her defiance, then the 3 Uma goddesses reincarnated her as an Umamusume

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Heh, he messed up the moment he put the soul on their domain.

 

[ndh]

Mambo lands on her arm instead

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That would probably have El chasing Mambo before he lands on Shirogane's arm.

 

[TheSmallSauce]

Heh, he messed up the moment he put the soul on their domain.

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"So, this is the end for you this time around? I suppose it was cruel of me to reincarnate you as a creature instead of a human, your decisions were made for you and to be absolved, one must seek absolution of their own accord."

"Hnngh..."

"No matter. You'll be put out of your misery soon. It was only right, after all that death you caused, that you spent a lifetime as a simple beast of burden as penance, don't you think?"

"..."

"Oh, I forget myself, you cannot talk. How delightful, I won't have to hear your blaspheming anymore. Perhaps Buddha had the right idea, what with the karma, animals and cruelty, and you are such a cruel little thing, aren't you? I wonder which animal we should try next...?"

"...!"

"Oh? What's happening to you? Has your soul finally reached it's limit? I suppose If you pray earnestly to me, even as you are now, perhaps I could be persuaded to—"

"That's quite enough."

"—who?"

"You have trespassed on our domain, δ̶̡̟͔̞͙̭̝̹̹̳̳̖̊̽̊̒̚͜͝͝ͅῃ̶̨̦̣̟̤͈̪͉̜̯̹̙̯̎̅μ̷̡̱̥̮͈̙̤̑́̀͒̾̔̈͝ί̸̡̢̫̗͍͔͎̯̹͇͚̻͋̃́̋ͅο̷̡̩͈͓̟̗͇̝̜̆̂̍̏̆̆̓͛̆υ̸̼̇̐͊̎͆́̽̋̌͋͠ρ̵̮̝̺͎̞̖͍̣̙̤͎͋̉̂͆̂̄͊͛̀̚̚͠γ̴̎͋̀ͅό̵̰̞̖͚̙͇̲̻̝̎̌̂̈́̎̈̉̋̌̄͝͝͠ς̷̧̰̥̪͓̬̭͚̈̿̊̌̾́̈́͝. This soul is no longer yours to defile."

"Ah, one of the three upjumped beasts. Don't think for a second that you alone could match me—"

"Alone? As you are now, I could take you with one hand tied behind my back."

"You dare!?"

"Yes, I dare. You have taken on the form of that which you wish to torment, and lest you forget: a human can never win against an uma."

---

Or something like that.

Also is it ever really mentioned what exactly Being X is? In the manga, Tanya actually meets many different forms of divinity and sometimes they refer to each other as separate beings, so what is Being X? I'm not sure, though if you ask me, with the way it so callously plays with human lives, the only fitting answer is that it is the Gnostic Demiurge.

Also also, Tanya meeting Being X at the end of her second life, which happens a lot in Youjo Senki fics, feels a lot different when Tanya can't talk. Her sharp tongue usually results in some colorful expletives and imaginative blaspheming. Too bad horses can't talk.

 

[Jadalier Rune]

Too bad horses can't talk.

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They can make sounds though, and if you know them well enough, you can understand those sounds.

δ̶̡̟͔̞͙̭̝̹̹̳̳̖̊̽̊̒̚͜͝͝ͅῃ̶̨̦̣̟̤͈̪͉̜̯̹̙̯̎̅μ̷̡̱̥̮͈̙̤̑́̀͒̾̔̈͝ί̸̡̢̫̗͍͔͎̯̹͇͚̻͋̃́̋ͅο̷̡̩͈͓̟̗͇̝̜̆̂̍̏̆̆̓͛̆υ̸̼̇̐͊̎͆́̽̋̌͋͠ρ̵̮̝̺͎̞̖͍̣̙̤͎͋̉̂͆̂̄͊͛̀̚̚͠γ̴̎͋̀ͅό̵̰̞̖͚̙͇̲̻̝̎̌̂̈́̎̈̉̋̌̄͝͝͠ς̷̧̰̥̪͓̬̭͚̈̿̊̌̾́̈́͝

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Anyway, what does this translate to? Or did you just type in random symbols?

 

[arky4444]

Anyway, what does this translate to? Or did you just type in random symbols?

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the only fitting answer is that it is the Gnostic Demiurge

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It's "Demiurge" in Greek.

 

[Jadalier Rune]

It's "Demiurge" in Greek.

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Oh, I see, I guess, I really didn't see that.

 

[TheSmallSauce]

They can make sounds though, and if you know them well enough, you can understand those sounds.

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Having Horse Tanya's dialogue be whinnying, neighing, braying or chuffing wasn't really working for me. How do you write horse sounds, like what onomatopeia do you use? I always have trouble with this for animals in general whenever I write them. I tend to lean descriptive instead of attempting any dialogue/animal noises.

Oh, I see, I guess, I really didn't see that.

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I mean, it's mostly meant to be indecipherable nonsense for anyone who doesn't want to translate it, feel free to insert whatever word you want. I guess I could have put Being X there instead, but for me that's a name that only Tanya uses, so it wouldn't make any sense for one of the three goddesses to use it.

 

[Jadalier Rune]

Having Horse Tanya's dialogue be whinnying, neighing, braying or chuffing wasn't really working for me. How do you write horse sounds, like what onomatopeia do you use? I always have trouble with this for animals in general whenever I write them. I tend to lean descriptive instead of attempting any dialogue/animal noises.

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That's…. so fair, but the imagination is a powerful thing, man. You don't need to insert words you can just imagine it.

But seriously, I can see why you had problems with it.

I mean, it's mostly meant to be indecipherable nonsense for anyone who doesn't want to translate it, feel free to insert whatever word you want. I guess I could have put Being X there instead, but for me that's a name that only Tanya uses, so it wouldn't make any sense for one of the three goddess to use it.

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Honestly, I think the word works, it does mean false God, right?

 

[Zweibach]

Feels more like the same sort of character as Gold ship to me, a side character with fun quirks that's a fan favourite because of the history of her real horse self.

Also I've just thought of this, but Shiro compared to other Uma has the persistence hunter trait, Which gives even more fear to her fellows.

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*teleports behind you* (actually was always there, stealth stat too stronk)
Warmup over. Race vs. Death starts in 3...2...

Thought just struck me. Haru Urara, a contemporary of "IRL" Shirogane and a classmate of Uma Shirogane lived all the way up until just last year. It would thus not be unbelievable for the hardy Shirogane to live for a similarly long time. Honse Shiro reacting to Uma Shiro?

 

[FlyingOctopus]

Honse Shiro reacting to Uma Shiro?

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Horse Shiro seeing that Uma Shiro looks like a near copy of her previous life; "BEING EEEEEXXXXXX!"