A/N: Another slice of life chap, but I'm cooking up the skill so as not to make it too op.
Anyways, daily check-ins... Show me Gentildonna pic and you are good to go.
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Silver Tear arrived at the track in her track suit, dragging her feet just enough to make it obvious she was running on fumes rather than motivation.
Around her, other Uma Musume were already stretching and chatting, their movements light and unburdened.
Compared to that lively morning energy, Silver Tear looked completely out of place. Though she wasn't a morning person in the first place.
In fact, showing up here had already taken everything she had, leaving little effort for anything beyond simply standing there.
"Gud mornin~"
The greeting came out soft and uneven, the words barely holding together.
She stopped beside Dante, shoulders slumped, jacket still crooked from a rushed attempt to look presentable. Her ears drooped, twitching as the morning chill air hit them.
Dante glanced at his watch and found that she was 'only' late for 5 minutes rather than 30 minutes as usual. That alone was pretty impressive.
(A/N: Danteh is so tired of dealing with her bs that he starts having cognitive impairment.)
"You're finally here. Do a light warm up first."
She stared at him for a full second. "No concern or sympathy. Not even a 'you look terrible.' Danteh~, you won't get a girlfriend at this rate."
"Alright then, you look so terrible. Are you happy now?" Dante said flatly, ignoring the jab in her playful words.
He just loved Uma Musume so much that he didn't have time to go on a date!! He could find one if he put his mind to it... Probably…
Silver Tear nodded, satisfied. "Thank you."
She took three steps toward the track, then immediately turned back, clinging to the edge of his sleeve with both hands like it was a life preserver.
"Danteh~ I'm very tired. What if I collapse mid-lap? What if this is the day your poor little Uma gets hurt because she doesn't have the energy for training?" She looked up at him with puppy eyes while pouting.
Dante paused, jaw tightening as he fought the impulse to give in. He clearly knew Silver Tear did this on purpose, but the damage is too great for an Uma lover like him.
"…This is not the day." He said at last, prying her fingers loose with care rather than force.
"Light jog." He added, already pointing toward the track. "Two laps."
She made a small, wounded noise. "You're so heartless."
"Your trick won't work on me, Silver-chan. I have already familiarized myself with your bullshit over the past month."
"Tsk." She clicked her tongue in annoyance but complied in the end.
Silver Tear shuffled onto the track with her posture slumped, her steps lazy. The jog that followed barely qualified as running, closer to a patient going through cautious physiotherapy than an athlete starting her training.
"Lift your knees." Dante called out, already wondering if choosing to become a trainer had been the worst decision of his life. Why can't his trainee be a little normal?
"Alright, alright. Jezz." She complained, dragging her words out.
"Again."
She sighed dramatically but corrected her posture as per instruction, pace smoothing little by little. By the end of the jog, her ears had lifted up, though she still looked like she was running out of spite rather than reserve energy.
When she finally came to a stop, Silver Tear veered off the track and drifted toward Dante. Without warning, she flung her arm over his shoulder, leaning most of her weight onto him.
This Uma seriously had a problem!! She didn't even know about personal space!!
Dante stiffened, then glanced down at his notes, eyes flicking briefly to her posture and breathing as if this, too, were part of the assessment.
"See?" She murmured, leaning in just enough to crowd his space. "I'm clearly at death's door."
He adjusted his stance to keep her from actually sagging onto him. "Your pace stabilized after the first lap. Heart rate's fine too. You're just being dramatic."
She peeked up at him, ears perked, a faint, satisfied curve to her lips as if the real goal had never been the training result, but getting this close without being told to back off.
Silver Tear lifted her head, curiosity edging past the theatrics.
"So?" She asked. "Anything special today, or are we gonna do drills as usual?"
Dante closed his notebook and gently nudged her arm off his shoulder before answering. "There is. You'll be doing a joint training session this afternoon. Super Creek will be joining you."
Her ears twitched at the name, interest flashing through her eyes.
"Just in time…"
Silver Tear's gaze settled on the translucent system panel hovering in her field of vision.
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[Navigator of the Stars]
Grade: ???
Type: Active/Unique
Description:
One who runs beneath a starry sky must learn how to navigate oneself. Constellations form and scatter in fleeting alignments, each a fragment of a greater design. As long as one wills it, an invisible route shall open up before them.
Effects:
Upon activation, roll 2d6. Gain Guidance Stacks equal to the result.
The outcome determines the effect granted:
If the result is odd:
- Velocity increases gradually as the race progresses. The effect persists until all stacks are depleted.
- Each time this unit overtakes another runner, reduce Guidance Stacks by 1.
If the result is even:
- All Guidance Stacks are consumed at once to trigger an immediate burst at full speed. For each stack consumed, gain a 10% increase to all stats during the burst.
- Can choose the moment to activate this effect.
After all Guidance Stacks have been consumed, toss a coin to perform a penalty check:
If the result is head:
- No penalty is applied.
If the result is tail:
- Stamina consumption is increased by 100% for the rest of the race.
Note:
A skill tailored for a single Uma Musume. Born from her yearning to chase the stars, this ability is the manifestation of that desire.
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"Did you just say something?" Dante asked, pulling her attention back from wherever the stars had carried her.
Silver Tear blinked, the last trace of that distant look dissolving as she refocused. "Nah, probably just the wind."
"Break's over. Get back on the track." Dante gave her a brief nudge to the side.
"Already?" Silver Tear muttered, though her feet were moving before the complaint fully left her mouth. She took her place at the line and rolled her shoulders, as if trying to shake off the lingering weight that had settled there earlier.
"Pay attention to your form first!!" Dante shouted as she started her run.
"You'd better buy me some food later, or I won't forgive you for all that nagging." Silver Tear shot back, pushing off anyway. This time her steps were cleaner, the initial hesitation gone, her pace settling into a steadier rhythm as the drill resumed.
She didn't look back at him again.
The track filled her vision, the steady beat of her steps smoothing out the last remnants of distraction. Whatever had lingered in her thoughts was set aside.
Dante remained where he was, watching without comment as her form held and her rhythm stabilized. And the morning drill carried on as intended.
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A/N: Time to showcase how the skill works and aura farm a bit.