On a Pale Horse (Umamusume/Youjo Senki)

[Tonyloco]

The Silver Standard​

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I love the title, Tanya has the potential to become the fearsome Middle/Final boss of every new racer calling her the silver standard feels a lot heavier if she becomes like the final test/hurdle that differentiates the great runners from the legends.

I can easily imagine having a reputation of only being beaten by the truly great, she would either be always gold or silver, with many opponents breaking before her.
she could be the test of temperament and discipline of many.

The pale horse who never seems to tire, relentless in her own way if you are trying to catch up to her, but even worse if you are ahead of her, feeling the pressure and the burden of having her just right behind you pushing you little by little to either a victory or a breakdown.

You would probably have racers having their best recorded racing times against her by pressure alone, with only a few of them managing to endure and win.

I wonder if anyone will ever find out the truth about her, she isn't a race horse, she's a warhorse one who used to carry heavy armored riders, used to charge with a heavy burden without the choice to stop or slowdown, since that would most likely mean death.

I feel like that the kind of story that Umamusume fans would love.

 

[TheSmallSauce]

Eh ...a better comparison imo would be Agnes Tachyon and Jungle Pockets one sided rivalry on the latters part.

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Yeah, I suppose that is a more accurate comparison based on what's written. I haven't watched the Beginning of a New Era movie, so while I know that Pokke wins the Tokyo Yushun, I don't know how she eventually ends up overcoming her mental block of Tachyon. But based on what I have seen, she does overcome it and her rivalry could generally be considered a good thing that pushed her to do better. I don't know if the feeling got through or if I stopped too short, but I wanted to convey that Merry wouldn't ever get over the loss and that she was taking all the wrong lessons from it.

Spoiler: Bit with Merry's teammate

Vivid View rubbed the sleep out of her eyes as she sat up in her bed, roused by the sound of her roommate hunched over her desk, scratching away at her notebook.

"Merry—" she yawned while fumbling for her alarm clock. "What time is it even...?"

"Seven."

She rubbed her eyes again, just to make sure she wasn't seeing things. "No, I'm pretty sure this says it's four in the morning."

"She beat me by seven lengths."

Vivid View sighed. This again.

"Listen Merry, nobody wins every race, alright? Come on, let's go back to sleep and you can worry about it when you're thinking straight." She got up to see what her teammate was writing.

The notebook pages were crammed edge to edge with split times, lane positions, stride counts, and hastily drawn track diagrams. Margins were crowded with recalculated scenarios, sections crossed out and rewritten until the paper had begun to fray. Across the newest page, underlined so hard the pencil had nearly torn through it, was written only one thing.

Seven Lengths.

"Oh, Merry…"

She lowered herself onto the chair beside Merry. Up close, the damage was harder to ignore. The skin beneath Merry's eyes had darkened into shadows, and her grip on the pencil trembled each time it touched the page. She reached forward and turned back through the notebook. Two pages earlier was Merry's own win from last week.

The page was nearly blank.

Only the finishing time had been written down, small and neat in one corner, as if it belonged to somebody else.

Vivid View looked back at the fresh page, where Seven Lengths gouged itself into the paper.

"Merry… you won your last race."

"It didn't matter."

The answer came at once, flat and certain.

"You still won."

"She wasn't in it."

Merry finally lifted her head. Her eyes were red from strain, but steady in a way that unsettled her more than tears would have.

"If she's not there, what exactly did I win?"

I think if I added some more bits that showed her self destructive behavior, it would have come across clearer.

 

[ScarredPunLover]

Merry and Vivid

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My, my! Such wonderful work, and definitely not a perspective I'd considered. Honestly, I wonder if we'd see some racers come to loathe Shiro because of the way their teammates start to obsess over her, because of the despair she brings them to. The lingering effects of being so near to the bird of prey, leaving her a permanent fixture in their heads.

… I'm imagining a Racer who once had a fierce rival- but said rival starts to fall apart and/or give all their focus to Shiro, and thus leaving the racer behind. You can play into it as a shipping thing or jokes about relationships in general, though I think there's more fun to be had in the racer watching their rival fall apart, self-destructing slowly but surely, "because" of Orzel.

 

[TheSmallSauce]

… I'm imagining a Racer who once had a fierce rival- but said rival starts to fall apart and/or give all their focus to Shiro, and thus leaving the racer behind. You can play into it as a shipping thing or jokes about relationships in general, though I think there's more fun to be had in the racer watching their rival fall apart, self-destructing slowly but surely, "because" of Orzel.

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Man that's evil. Hyakuemu immediately came to mind when you mentioned the rival falling apart, specifically the scene where Togashi loses his mind. Actually, looking at it again, that's almost exactly how Merry might breakdown too.

I can also imagine how she starts to replace her rival.

Spoiler: Rival bit

"Merry." Legadonia's gaze lifted as her rival came into view.(Is this name too much? But it sounds like a racehorse name, kinda like Regaleira.) "It has been some time since you last came to practice. Have you been unwell?"

Merry looked preoccupied, her attention fixed on something Legadonia could not see. She noted it as something to bring up to her trainer at a later date, as distractions were dangerous on the track, though for now there were more pressing matters at hand. They had a score to settle.

"Shall we race?"

Merry walked straight past her, muttering under her breath the entire time. That was unusual. Merry was not the type to refuse a challenge, especially not from her. Legadonia hesitated only briefly before, against etiquette, she turned and followed her rival. They walked for a while before she finally spoke up, unable to hold her curiosity any longer.

"My rival, if I may be so presumptuous, but who or what are you looking for?"

That was enough to make her stop.

Merry had brought them to the river a short distance south of the campus. From where Legadonia stood, she could see a pale-haired uma on the opposite embankment performing what she could only assume was an extreme variation on the sprint drills her own trainer had introduced recently. Something about endurance for poor weather, she mused.

"Shirogane-san, then?"

"I need to observe her training."

"Truly?" Legadonia did not think there was much to be gained there, her rival's style was too different. Still, it was possible she was overlooking something. "I confess I do not see what could be gained that could not be gained by racing me instead."

"I've beaten you before," Merry replied immediately, almost absentmindedly.

That drew a faint huff from Legadonia. A statement of that sort was imprecise, and therefore improper. Their record was even, hardly a matter of being beaten, but she would let it pass.

Merry continued after a while, still looking away. "But I can't catch her."

Across the water, Shirogane maintained her pace without the slightest hint of fatigue.

"That's all there is to it."

Yeah okay, Legadonia is probably a bit too on the nose. Still I maintain that it sounds like a racehorse name, like Regaleira or Calandagan!

 

[Wild Transient]

I haven't watched the Beginning of a New Era movie, so while I know that Pokke wins the Tokyo Yushun, I don't know how she eventually ends up overcoming her mental block of Tachyon.

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Watch it when you have time.Its awesome.

 

[TheSmallSauce]

… I'm imagining a Racer who once had a fierce rival- but said rival starts to fall apart and/or give all their focus to Shiro, and thus leaving the racer behind. You can play into it as a shipping thing or jokes about relationships in general, though I think there's more fun to be had in the racer watching their rival fall apart, self-destructing slowly but surely, "because" of Orzel.

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Your evil idea gave me an evil plot bunny that I couldn't stop thinking about all day. I have no choice but to write it all and make Merry and Legadonia (I'm keeping this dumb, cool name) suffer even more.

 

[ScarredPunLover]

Your evil idea gave me an evil plot bunny that I couldn't stop thinking about all day. I have no choice but to write it all and make Merry and Legadonia (I'm keeping this dumb, cool name) suffer even more.

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Good, gooood~

Let the dark ideas flow through you~

"I've beaten you before," Merry replied immediately, almost absentmindedly.

That drew a faint huff from Legadonia. A statement of that sort was imprecise, and therefore improper. Their record was even, hardly a matter of being beaten, but she would let it pass.

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Heh. I can imagine it'll very quickly start to grate at Legadonia, for her once fierce rivalry to be dismissed so casually. Again, there's jokes to be made about "shipping," and probably about "intimacy"- just one race, and your rival has forgotten you, chasing another who left them breathless (edit: yet wasn't even winded after, perfectly in control). Leaving you behind as they obsess, to the point all that used to be important to them is secondary. All that matters is her.

It's not quite a perfect match, but Billy Joel's "All For Leyna" comes to mind.

"Iiiiii'm failing in school!
Losing my friends!
Making my family lose their minds!

I don't want to eat!
I don't want to sleep!
I only want Leyna one more tiiiiiiiiiiime!"

Edit: addendum thought: does Merry fully grasp that Shiro races more or less once a week, which means she's doing less "resting" than most Uma, even at Tracen, and is racing the same way everytime, without significant fatigue?

 

[Tonyloco]

I don't think any good trainer would allow their racer to run like Shirogane, heck any smart racer would avoid running like that.

Many would understand that she just seems to be built different, while other could copy the full speed style the whole race, it would be to harmful for most of them.

In short term it can lead to injuries but it can also lead to a shortened life as a racer.

When I wrote she can be a test of them is because racing her isn't only about stamina its also about tactics, if they get caught in get peace they can run themselves ragged and risk an injury, the best way to beat her is to run your own way the best you can and withstand the pressure her style brings to every race.

I mean if we get ahead several years I can easily see her style being analyzed and even used as a warning for new and undisciplined racers on how being caught in someone else peace can bring you down.

The omake was a perfect example she was running as hard as she can she was catching up to her and suddenly she crashes up when her body is unable to keep up the peace.

In a way, think that having Shirogane looking barely bothered by her running, not winded or tired, a measured race its a psychological hit for many, she would just look too normal too composed while they are doing their best to keep running at her peace.

The again if she ever gets into Devil of the Rhine mode while running I bet the other uma's would rather have her composed side than the scary smiling one.

 

[TheSmallSauce]

Edit: addendum thought: does Merry fully grasp that Shiro races more or less once a week, which means she's doing less "resting" than most Uma, even at Tracen, and is racing the same way everytime, without significant fatigue?

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Nope, but when she does, it'll be another nail in the coffin.
She never rests and she's still beating me?
The thought would probably drive Merry insane when she finds out, which is inevitable because races have to publish who's starting in which gate and I'm sure it's not hard to go, "oh look, there's that same name again. For the fifth time this month."

Heh. I can imagine it'll very quickly start to grate at Legadonia, for her once fierce rivalry to be dismissed so casually. Again, there's jokes to be made about "shipping," and probably about "intimacy"- just one race, and your rival has forgotten you, chasing another who left them breathless (edit: yet wasn't even winded after, perfectly in control). Leaving you behind as they obsess, to the point all that used to be important to them is secondary. All that matters is her.

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Edit: To add my own thoughts onto this, maybe it's because I have a soft spot for the Noble Confidant character trope, but can you imagine an uma who sees that her former rival is spiraling into dangerous behavior and her first thought isn't "She deserves it for leaving me behind," but instead is "How can I stop her from hurting herself? I still want to be able to run with her in the future." And of course, as a fellow runner who previously shared the racecourse so much with her, she understands best how her ex-rival thinks, which leaves her in a unique position to try to both advise her on how to beat her new rival but also ensure that she doesn't hurt herself doing it. RAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHH THE PLOT BUNNIES NEVER STOP!

Then again if she ever gets into Devil of the Rhine mode while running I bet the other umas would rather have her composed side than the scary smiling one.

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To be honest, I can't imagine what it would take to bring out that side of her again. Feels like it would take a lot more than racing, unless there's something other than money at stake. Maybe she needs the winner's purse to pay for a family member's surgery? That reason seems contrived to me, but it does raise the stakes from financial to familial, which is where Shirogane seems to get more intense. Maybe a situation outside of Tracen, like chasing down a purse thief or some other kind of lawbreaker? There's certainly some setup what with all the interacting that Shirogane's done with local law enforcement, both in Fujisawa with the traffic cop and in Tokyo with the Tracen Security team.

 

[ScarredPunLover]

Nope, but when she does, it'll be another nail in the coffin.
She never rests and she's still beating me?
The thought would probably drive Merry insane when she finds out, which is inevitable because races have to publish who's starting in which gate and I'm sure it's not hard to go, "oh look, there's that same name again. For the fifth time this month."

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"She races once a week, every week. The minimum amount of rest time."

"... You're right. She does."

"She races and trains and never rests, and just keeps going."

"Correct, again."

"I could do that."

"Merry-"

"If I can train like her-"

"You'll tear yourself apart, running like her, Merry."

"... you don't think I can do it?"

"... You might be able to manage the training, and the more frequent racing. But at her pace? Trying to run like she does? No. You have to run like you, Merry. And even then... I don't think you've got the stamina and legs to run that often. You need rest, especially when you're not sleeping like you should be."

"I sleep fine."

"Do you want me to call in Vivid for witness testimony?"

"... I'm fine."

"Correction. You will be, after you get a good night's sleep, and I'm ordering you to sleep early."

"I need to train, I have a race coming up-"

"Either you sleep, or I pull you out of that race."

"... you wouldn't dare."

"I can call your mother and ask what she thinks, if you want."

"... you're bluffing."

"Maybe. Are you willing to bet on that, Merry?"

"..."

"I'll be checking in with Vivid to see if sleep like you're supposed to. Now, go rest. Take the afternoon off. No more training- and that includes analytics. Give your brain a rest. You'll feel better, and perform better in your next race. Okay?"

"... okay."

To be honest, I can't imagine what it would take to bring out that side of her again. Feels like it would take a lot more than racing, unless there's something other than money at stake. Maybe she needs the winner's purse to pay for a family member's surgery? That reason seems contrived to me, but it does raise the stakes from financial to familial, which is where Shirogane seems to get more intense. Maybe a situation outside of Tracen, like chasing down a purse thief or some other kind of lawbreaker? There's certainly some setup what with all the interacting that Shirogane's done with local law enforcement, both in Fujisawa with the traffic cop and in Tokyo with the Tracen Security team.

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Maybe something Spider-Man-esque? A robber at the family restaurant, or perhaps a simple mugging, and then Shiro's on the hunt, running the thief down? I'd assume that either a member of the family got injured, or a significant portion of the money that would've gone towards retirement was taken. Or both.

Also a bit cliche, maybe contrived (especially with how many of Shiro's associates, be that Uma friends or the traffic cops she chatted with, go to that restaurant), but I think it'd probably get a reaction out of her.

Edit:

Edit: To add my own thoughts onto this, maybe it's because I have a soft spot for the Noble Confidant character trope, but can you imagine an uma who sees that her former rival is spiraling into dangerous behavior and her first thought isn't "She deserves it for leaving me behind," but instead is "How can I stop her from hurting herself? I still want to be able to run with her in the future." And of course, as a fellow runner who previously shared the racecourse so much with her, she understands best how her ex-rival thinks, which leaves her in a unique position to try to both advise her on how to beat her new rival but also ensure that she doesn't hurt herself doing it. RAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHH THE PLOT BUNNIES NEVER STOP!

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I'm getting shounen vibes. New rival shows up, throws MC into slump, the old rival draws the MC out of that slump. For purely selfish reasons, of course. No sentimentality there, no, siree bob.

Of course, Merry's obsession might be a little more drastic than just a regular slump, and I imagine that her focus on Shiro scares her rival, friends, teammates, trainer, and maybe her family. Merry performed the best she ever had, racing Shiro. She still wins other races... but, as she said to Vivid-

"She wasn't in it."

Merry finally lifted her head. Her eyes were red from strain, but steady in a way that unsettled her more than tears would have.

"If she's not there, what exactly did I win?"

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She's dismissing all her own efforts. All the hard work she's ever put in. It doesn't matter how tough or important the race is. If Shiro wasn't there... then it wasn't really a victory.

I think she'd also hurt her friends, team, and rival in that way, if they were in the same race. They poured their heart out, their dreams in that race, that career defining race... and Merry wins. Does she celebrate? Does she regain her smile, her quiet pride?

No. To her, the race was nothing. Because Shirogane wasn't there.

I've said it twice, I'll say it again, it feels like it can very easily play into relationship and "passionate rivalry" tropes. The obsession/pining for someone who doesn't even know you exist, all the while those who care for you no longer matter. I repeat: "All that matters is her."

Admittedly, all this rambling of mine veers from your proposal of the "noble confidant," but my mind appears to be stuck on one track, unfortunately. Mayhaps, though, this noble rival can take a risky step, and ask for some of Shirogane's time?

Just set up a "meeting" between Merry and Shiro. Would this probably be a bad idea? Sure, but I think giving Merry the opportunity to see that Shiro is also still just a person, not some unassailable figure, could work. And, hey, maybe the rival would think the same.

Or challenge Shiro herself, who knows.

 

[TheSmallSauce]

"Do you want me to call in Vivid for witness testimony?"

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Do snitches still get stitches in the Umaverse, or would it be intensive reconstructive surgery instead?

Maybe something Spider-Man-esque? A robber at the family restaurant, or perhaps a simple mugging, and then Shiro's on the hunt, running the thief down? I'd assume that either a member of the family got injured, or a significant portion of the money that would've gone towards retirement was taken. Or both.

Also a bit cliche, maybe contrived (especially with how many of Shiro's associates, be that Uma friends or the traffic cops she chatted with, go to that restaurant), but I think it'd probably get a reaction out of her.

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Yeah, the situation that would need to come about would be very difficult to justify, especially when Tracen just casually has a PMC. I guess the ideal of Shirogane the murder-horse will have to live on in omakes alone. And to that end... imagine Shirogane drilling a rookie Tracen Security squad after she comes across them being derelict in their duties.

Edit:

She's dismissing all her own efforts. All the hard work she's ever put in. It doesn't matter how tough or important the race is. If Shiro wasn't there... then it wasn't really a victory.

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Maybe the real Pale Horse was all the ego death she caused along the way?

The worst thing is that by sheer quality of quantity, even if Shirogane never ends up being a G1 winner, she overshadows all other G2 and G3 winners because she's just got so many more graded wins than them. Mind you, even one graded win could be considered a success. So many racehorses retire without ever tasting victory even once, gate fodder, in Shirogane's own words. So ironically, by racing the way she does, she crushes so many more dreams than Seiun Sky could ever attempt to, and in the process she becomes the impetus for so many more gate fodder stories...

What would you even call this kind of winner? You can't really call her a bronze collector cause she wins so much, but you can't really call her a graded winner either? Is there an epithet in the game for something like this...?

Spoiler: Game Epithets

Graded Giant - Win a graded race (G1/G2/G3)
Consistent - Run in at least 10 races and have a win rate of at least 80%
Well-Traveled - Run a graded race at least once on each of the 10 racecourses

I suppose something like... Consistent, Well-Traveled Graded Colossus is what we come to if we combine the epithets since Shirogane will no doubt fulfill their combined requirements.

Just set up a "meeting" between Merry and Shiro. Would this probably be a bad idea? Sure, but I think giving Merry the opportunity to see that Shiro is also still just a person, not some unassailable figure, could work. And, hey, maybe the rival would think the same.

Or challenge Shiro herself, who knows.

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Yeah, can you fathom the disgusting amount of angst that would come about if your old rival beat your new rival, who, might I mention, you have never even been close to beating?

Admittedly, all this rambling of mine veers from your proposal of the "noble confidant," but my mind appears to be stuck on one track, unfortunately. Mayhaps, though, this noble rival can take a risky step, and ask for some of Shirogane's time?

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Admittedly the noble confidant stuff is just me enjoying having the wonderful trifecta of someone who doesn't care (Shirogane), someone who cares way too much (Merry) and someone who cares but won't show it (Legadonia).

On another note, how do you quote properly in edits?

 

[Lyrista]

Shirogane eventually gains the epithet of Rookie Crusher.

 

[ScarredPunLover]

Yeah, can you fathom the disgusting amount of angst that would come about if your old rival beat your new rival, who, might I mention, you have never even been close to beating?

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Depends on the circumstances. If Legadonia (which might get a twinge out of Shiro, that name) manages to best Shiro in the same circumstances Merry failed (as in, challenging Shiro to the same type of race on whatever tracks Merry might have raced Shiro), then, yes, I could see that dealing a crippling blow to Merry.

If Legadonia manages to beat Shiro in just a short sprint, Merry would probably feel that sting a bit, but dismiss it. "It wasn't the same." Merry could probably best Shiro in a shorter race where she has a better chance to not burn out early.

Though Legadonia better be careful. If she challenges Shiro to a race similar to the one where Merry lost, she might also get swept up in obsessing over Shiro when the Eagle crushes her.

What would you even call this kind of winner? You can't really call her a bronze collector cause she wins so much, but you can't really call her a graded winner either? Is there an epithet in the game for something like this...?

Spoiler: Game Epithets

Graded Giant - Win a graded race (G1/G2/G3)
Consistent - Run in at least 10 races and have a win rate of at least 80%
Well-Traveled - Run a graded race at least once on each of the 10 racecourses

I suppose something like... Consistent, Well-Traveled Graded Colossus is what we come to if we combine the epithets since Shirogane will no doubt fulfill their combined requirements.

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Shirogane eventually gains the epithet of Rookie Crusher.

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Considering that Shiro's "victims" are rookies, those of lesser experience and renown, "Bird of Prey" seems a decent epithet. Or anything related to hunting and birds. Sure, with her always in the lead, she's not really "hunting," but she does run her prey down til they can't run anymore, devouring their hopes of victory.

She takes no particular pride, nor joy, in so doing.

It is simply the circle of life. The RULES OF NATUUUURE-

cough cough I'm sorry, I don't know what came over me there.

On another note, how do you quote properly in edits?

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If you're referring to how I was including linked quotes in edits, I just quote the section or post I want like normal, then copy+paste it from where it appears in the reply box at the bottom of the page to where the post I'm editing is.

 

[TheSmallSauce]

Considering that Shiro's "victims" are rookies, those of lesser experience and renown, "Bird of Prey" seems a decent epithet. Or anything related to hunting and birds. Sure, with her always in the lead, she's not really "hunting," but she does run her prey down til they can't run anymore, devouring their hopes of victory.

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And I suppose if you don't go for the eagle motif, there's always... Gilded Gatekeeper, or perhaps you're in the mood for... Graded Glutton, or maybe even... Devil of the Grind? Yeah, sorry I'll see myself out.

 

[Rexmaster1]

I hadn't considered this angle for a potential rival for Shirogane, but I also find it extremely interesting.

It turns out Merry isn't the only one; there's a VERY long list of racers Shirogane inadvertently traumatized, but she doesn't even bother to remember them. (Like Sunset Groom, the Uma from the second race that Shiro basically hunted down)

From her teammates' point of view, Shirogane has some obligation to help those girls.

But I imagine Shiro saying something like, "I don't have a mental health license; my intervention could cause long-term damage that a professional should be properly trained to handle."

From other Umas' point of view, Shirogane is cruel and indifferent to the feelings of others, but from her point of view, she's being rational and responsible.

I can think of a way to make her awaken her Rhine Devil mode. Probably some more insidious and malicious Uma (there has to be one, because it's statistically improbable that every single Uma is a sporting and fair racer; purely statistically, there must be at least one who doesn't mind getting their hands dirty to win) will think it's an excellent idea to insult and belittle her family to anger her. to distract her. Shirogane responds by activating her Rhine Devil mode, chasing her the entire race at arm's length, making her so nervous that she has an accident and doesn't finish the race. Then she has nightmares about Shirogane for the rest of her days. Happy ending.

 

[ScarredPunLover]

I hadn't considered this angle for a potential rival for Shirogane, but I also find it extremely interesting.

It turns out Merry isn't the only one; there's a VERY long list of racers Shirogane inadvertently traumatized, but she doesn't even bother to remember them. (Like Sunset Groom, the Uma from the second race that Shiro basically hunted down)

From her teammates' point of view, Shirogane has some obligation to help those girls.

But I imagine Shiro saying something like, "I don't have a mental health license; my intervention could cause long-term damage that a professional should be properly trained to handle."

From other Umas' point of view, Shirogane is cruel and indifferent to the feelings of others, but from her point of view, she's being rational and responsible.

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I return to my previous post about the Lego Batman bit

For some reason, I'm imagining the scene between Joker and Batman in the Lego Batman movie, with Joker insisting that "what we have is special," and Batman just not having it.

"I don't currently have a rival, I am racing several different people."

"What?!"

"I like to race around."

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That being in response to this previous comment

There will be uma who see themselves forming a rivalry with her, only for unease to settle in when Shiro doesn't follow the typical rival pattern of competitiveness, and then their whole vision of the rivalry unravels as they start to grasp how little the competition means to Shiro beyond profit - which doesn't necessarily even require winning, as long as she still places for a prize.

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But, yeah, this whole idea is loaded for innuendos and implications of relationships and intimacy, and I love it.

Everyone thinks Shiro is the racing equivalent of an uncaring playboy, whereas Shiro fundamentally just doesn't see things that way, probably because racing isn't as important to her, compared to everyone else. It's just a complete disconnect between her perspective and everyone else's.

Be funny if even Toujou starts talking to Shiro about, because Toujou understands the common Uma perspective better than Shiro does.

I can think of a way to make her awaken her Rhine Devil mode. Probably some more insidious and malicious Uma (there has to be one, because it's statistically improbable that every single Uma is a sporting and fair racer; purely statistically, there must be at least one who doesn't mind getting their hands dirty to win) will think it's an excellent idea to insult and belittle her family to anger her. to distract her. Shirogane responds by activating her Rhine Devil mode, chasing her the entire race at arm's length, making her so nervous that she has an accident and doesn't finish the race. Then she has nightmares about Shirogane for the rest of her days. Happy ending.

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I think someone's commented on this idea before, though don't remember when- but, yes, this is probably the first time there will be clear signs of Shiro's own personal instabilities.

Honestly, though, I'm not sure the offending racer will even get far enough to be chased.

The general menace and hostility Shiro will be exuding might lead to several racers outright refusing to get in the gate. It'll be the worst case of false starts in any race Shiro's been in, with more than a few also crashing into the gate the moment any sound startles them.

Shiro's target will try to flee, sure, but she'll burn herself out fast, and probably permanently injure herself when she keeps running from the adrenaline.