Chapter Text
To Run as You Desire
Chapter 31
Outreach
It was a good kind of burn as Marie most of her weight onto me, forcing my leg to stretch just the tiniest bit more. "Hold it," Marie ordered. I did so, counting the seconds off in my head. Marie pushed just a bit more, steadily increasing the stretch. It was part of the same routine Marie me go through every session. We were out here for usually two hours—three on one day—as Marie utilized her knowledge to expedite my healing process. Today, though, was particularly exciting. My tail wagged in anticipation: not because of the stretches, but because of what would come after.
If this went well, this would be my last day of recovery. I was going to get run again.
As she was applying her weight to my leg, Marie reached out and pressed on the same spot Okino first had ten days ago. I felt nothing, just the obvious pressure of her fingers on my foot. No pain at all. I smiled eagerly in anticipation.
"Other foot," Marie called, and I lifted the other one up for her to grab. We repeated the motion. "How do you feel? Physically?"
"No pain," I muttered back, my voice slightly obscured by the grass. "Physically I feel like I could run right this second."
"By your tail, you feel the same emotionally," Marie noted. I flushed, but there was no teasing in her voice. She was still Trainer Marie, fully focused on her job. Marie experimentally pressed on my other foot, making sure I didn't have anything developing in that one. When the count was done, Marie let my leg back down. "You should go back to the hospital to make sure it's dealt with, but I'm confident your injury's healed. I'd keep doing the morning warmup exercises and the second half of the nightly ones, just to keep your muscles and ligaments limber."
She offered me her hand, and I accepted it, rising to my feet. "I've definitely felt the benefit of just those alone. If you don't mind me asking, how did you learn all of that? You know more about injury recovery and physical therapy than any other trainer I've met," I complimented.
It was apparently Marie's turn to blush as she looked down at her feet. "I didn't come up with all of the exercises myself," she mumbled. I huffed in gentle disagreement of her denial of her accomplishments; she still managed to source, recall, and utilize them to their fullest extent. Just because a baker didn't make the flour themselves didn't mean they were any less a baker. "Some of them were made by other people like Cap."
"Cap?" I repeated. I don't think I had comes across a Cap on campus.
"Sorry, Oguri Cap," Marie explained. "You might not know her."
My jaw dropped. I did, in fact, know Oguri Cap. I was very aware of Oguri Cap. I didn't know Marie was on a nickname basis with Oguri Cap.
"Are you kidding?" I replied, my eyebrows somewhere up by my hairline. "I've never met her before, but I sure do know Oguri Cap! She ran against Michelle My Baby years back!"
"Oh? Do you know Michelle My Baby?" Marie asked in turn.
"Yeah! I was an assistant trainer back then," I answered. Marie's eyes widened, and if she had a tail she might have been wagging it.
"You trained Michelle My Baby?!" Marie half shouted.
I shook my head laughing gently. "No, no, I was just an assistant trainer, barely had my license," I corrected. "She probably wouldn't even be able to tell you name; I didn't even get picked to be part of the team that accompanied her to Japan."
In fact, I couldn't recall any meaningful conversations the pair of us had. My job had been crunching numbers and learning from my seniors in real-time. Which… I had mixed feelings on. I had definitely learned a bunch and it had been an invaluable experience, but I was pretty sure that was where my working habits had started.
"Still, I didn't realize how long you've been training," Marie continued. Her gaze flicked off to the side for a moment, like she had realized something. "Say, who are your favorite American racers then? You have to know them better than most people here."
I let a grin spawn on my face, feeling a warm pleasant feeling bloom in my chest. "Secretariat, easy," I answered, not even having to think about it. "Riva Ridge a close second."
Marie's eyes sparkled. "Really? You too?" she questioned.
"Yeah! I watched all their races when I younger! I used to have all of Secretariat's race times memorized," I explained. My tail was a metronome and I bounced giddily off my heels. "I mean, if you watch her run, just once, then there's no way you can't be a fan. She's got such a happy devil may cry smile when she runs, it's the best."
"Right? She makes running look so blissful," Marie added. She was the most energetic I'd ever seen her, but I was feeling the same way.
Secretariat really did bring out the best in people. When she ran, it was impossible not to feel that sense of joy. That sheer delight in running was something I looked for in trainees my entire career here and back there. Actually, it made me think a lot of Haru. When Haru raced or interacted with people, she charmed them and raised their spirits. I wondered if I'd noticed that, subconsciously, when we first met.
Marie's smile stayed out in force, bur it grew a little more curious. "Did you ever get to meet her or a… um, a rival of here, like Riva Ridge?" Marie asked.
"Ha, no," I denied. "I saw Secretariat from a crowd once, but she was over a hundred feet away and I doubt she noticed one person in a crowd of excited people."
She was a very famous racer after all. And it wasn't like she sat on her laurels. I still remembered her rally speech in Connecticut. I remembered how it convinced me.
Apparently, that was the exact thing on Marie's mind, too. "Riva Ridge and Secretariat have done a lot of LGBT advocacy, too," Marie commented. "Is that where you saw Secretariat?"
My smile shifted as my mood became more wistful. If only that was true. Maybe, just maybe, things might have been different. I sighed. Probably not.
"No, I never was in the same city. I wish I had been able to go to those, too. Watched them on TV when I could, though," I answered. "They… they meant a lot, to me."
The last one I'd watched live—I wasn't sure if that was a good or a bad memory. Hearing Secretariat condemn the NURA's ruling had meant everything to me as I sat in my room. I wasn't sure if that had reduced me to sobbing, or the haunting thought that not even she had been able to undo it. That what I had messed up was too much, even for her. At the very least, I'd had her tangential support, even though my case had been a closed one.
My smile faded. Marie didn't say anything else, choosing to observe me instead. A thought occurred. I considered it, and hesitated. Marie had brought up their advocacy record. I… didn't want to share everything, but I wanted to explain how just much Secretariat's support meant.
"Her words about trans rights," I forced out. That tiny bit made it easier to keep going, and I even managed to smile a little. "Even though they weren't as popular, they helped the most. I don't think I would have been brave enough to stop… stop questioning and just do it. Before the ruling, I even hoped that everyone would be as supportive of her, that I'd… be okay.
"But…" Marie said, trailing off and cocking her head. "Aren't you…"
Aren't I… oh. Shooting star. Umamusume. She… she couldn't tell. I'd forgotten it wasn't so… obvious anymore. "Uh, well, just like how I wasn't born an umamusume, I… I wasn't lucky enough to be born a woman, either," I explained.
Marie sucked in air and stared at me with wide eyes, and I almost felt a pit form in my stomach. Then she spoke. "…Me too," Marie whispered.
My own eyes widened. Her, too? I thought—nobody mentioned, but they shouldn't have—Aoi was great, but I didn't quite— "I didn't realize," I mentioned quietly. "I thought…"
"You thought?" Marie repeated. My brain realized how that sounded and I scrambled to complete the thought.
"I thought you were just another pretty woman," I explained quickly. "I didn't realize anyone else on campus was, you know, trans."
Marie's face turned bright red and she sputtered. "I--eh--ah--mean, I am, but like, I just wanted to be seen as a girl, like how you do, but in the grand scheme—" Marie cut herself and clapped her cheeks, trying to fan her face. "But, but what's this about a ruling? You said a ruling, right?"
I froze. Ah. Shit.
That… I thought she knew. Everyone else seemed to know.
(You cost her any chance to work in America)
I swallowed, my ears flat and my tail drooping. "There, there was a ruling two years ago," I started. I had to swallow again and stare at the ground. Too public, too public. I couldn't explain the whole story here. Breathe, Cynthia. Just, just parts. "There was an… incident, and… NURA made a ruling. It… prevents people like… us, from holding training licenses. And that's... I... that's why I'm here. I needed a job, and Akikawa found me—somehow—and gave me the chance to work here, and it's--it's wonderful here. Tracen is everything I'd hoped that Secretariat's advocacy would bring. Just... it didn't happen there."
Marie's jaw worked itself as I waited nervously for her to say something. "That's why…" she mumbled under her breath, barely audible to my ears. Then she raised her voice to regular levels. "I… I'm not good at hugs, because I always… do you want a hug, Cynthia?"
I nodded, feeling far too emotional to trust my voice. Marie stepped forward and hugged me.
Marie was wrong. She was very good at hugs. I breathed easier again.
"Thank you," I said softly after the hug ended.
"I'm sorry you had to go through that," Marie told me. Her eyes narrowed. "That was cruel of them."
A half breath, near sob escaped me as relief swelled inside me. "You're too kind," I insisted. "I mean, I'm not the only one who's been affected by it, and it's—"
I clamped my jaw shut before I could say it physically. Too public. Not here. I was already too emotional.
"Could we, discuss this more some other time?" I asked with a quiet voice. "I… I could really use a chance to run."
Marie smiled. "You're fine according to me. If you want to run, there's a reason I had you wear your running shoes for today," she offered.
Laughter escaped as the conversation turned back to safer waters. "I have been waiting to run all week," I explained, doing a few stretches. "And if I can get my trainees to stop trying to haul me around, then my pride will deeply appreciate it."
There was a look in Marie's eyes at that, that I associated with King when she was planning something. "But not Hayakawa-san?" She teased.
I flushed. That was… true, actually. I didn't mind the closeness whenever I'd been carried by Tazuna, just being seen in public and teased like this about it. Marie had apparently figured me out faster than I had realized it myself. But I didn't mean it like… that. My stomach tensed just ever so slightly, uncomfortable.
"I—It's not what you think," I defended. "I don't, you know, like her, the way you might think I do. I really enjoy her company and she's great but it's more… I trust her. She's my closest friend. I'm not sure the best way to explain it; she's the person I enjoy hanging out with the most? Just, not in a romantic way."
Marie nodded slowly. "I don't quite understand, but you seem to. And as long as Hayakawa-san does too, I guess that's all that matters," she agreed. The discomfort in my stomach faded and I eased back down. Marie was a good friend; that explanation didn't always seem to resonate with others so easily. But, I realized too late, there was still that look in Marie's eyes. "But, you do find her pretty?"
A smile came to bear. "Well, yeah," I answered simply. "I do."
There was a pause as Marie considered my answer. Perhaps too long a pause. "Oh. I, um, you said it so boldly," Marie said quietly. Maybe? Compared to what we had previously been talking about, complimenting Tazuna was easy. Marie glanced back down and I barely managed to catch what she muttered under her breath. "I wish I was attracted to women."
I opened my mouth and shut it again. She hadn't meant for me to hear that, I think, and I don't think I was in the right emotional head space to have that discussion anyway. Instead my ears swiveled to the side and my gaze followed.
The campus grounds called, and I realized, I could be running right now.
My legs itched. I wanted to be running. I could be running. Why wasn't I? There was nothing to stop me. I had no training today. I was cleared to be running. My muscles tensed as I prepared to kick off. I needed to run.
Movement. My attention locked in on it. What—
Marie was waving a hand in front of my vision. "You okay, Cynthia? You spaced out," Marie asked.
I smiled and gestured to the open area in front of me. "Sorry, I was just… I don't want to be rude, but, I just remembered what I could do now, and I really wanted to, you know, run," I explained. Marie nodded again.
"I understand. I won't keep you," Marie offered. I did a few more stretches to loosen my muscles up. "Do report anything that feels wrong, immediately. And… have fun."
The longing in her voice hit me and my ears drooped in sympathy. "You'll get to," I promised. "I'll stop by Tachyon's again before the night is over and give her more samples." And I'd keep asking the stars to do right by her and others each night I saw them.
"Thank you," Marie replied, a small hoping smile on her face. She gestured invitingly to Tracen's open fields, and I took the invitation and kicked off.
Immediately, I felt the euphoria hit me as I instinctively leaned into my run. This. This was what I had been missing. After ten long days without so much as being able to go anywhere on my own, to run again felt good. A grin, a real grin decorated my face as I picked up more speed. Not quite at full tilt, but definitely more than a job.
I didn't stop for half a mile. When I finally did, pausing to catch my breath and make sure my legs felt fine, I wanted to keep going. I'd missed this, so much. Technically, I should save my strength for training to resume tomorrow. But…
"Could you tell me what it's like? To actually, really run? To just… move, whenever you want?"
When was the last time I had just run, just because I could? Not because I had to train, or because someone had asked me to join them? When was the last time I ran somewhere other than a track? My legs ached with anticipation as I kept my grin up. Maybe I could afford to be just a little selfish. As long as I didn't push too hard… Tracen was big. It was far past time I ran through all of it.
I kicked off again.
The grin on my face continued unabated. There wasn't true speed to my pace, but I was moving, I was running, I could turn and go any direction I wanted, goddesses I felt so free, nothing could ruin this, if anything it could only get better, in fact—was that who I thought it was? It was about to get better.
King straightened as I approached, still smiling so widely as I slowed to greet her. She was standing by herself at a bench, enjoying the evening sky I suppose. "Trainer, you're running again," King greeted. She looked me over and smiled. "I take it you're enjoying yourself?"
My laughter was her first response. "I am. I missed this," I answered. "Curfew's in an hour, so it's too late for you to join me today, but all of you can expect me to be back to running cool down laps together."
"Good," King agreed. She adjusted the purse she was holding. Had she gotten a new one? "To be honest, we did miss getting to run with you. So don't overdo it tonight, or I will be very cross with you."
I laughed again. "Of course, of course. I have no intention of getting myself hurt again," I promised. I looked towards areas of Tracen I hadn't run through before. I didn't have a curfew. I could go there. "I'm going to get back to running. Have a good night, King. Like your new purse."
"Oh, ah, yes, thank you, Trainer," King replied, stumbling over her words a little. I glanced back with amusement before kicking off.
There was so much ground to cover. Not because I had to, but because I wanted to. It was a pity that my trainees couldn't join me now, but we could run together tomorrow. Heh. I couldn't wait for that, either, even as I was already tearing across the pathways and weaving past the basketball and tennis courts. I let my direction be picked on a whim, leaving the pathways behind and turning onto the grass. As long as I didn't sprint, I shouldn't tear up the grass the same way turf was destroyed during a race.
Goddesses, I wanted to run on turf. It wasn't as good as the hard packed dirt I got to train on, but I still enjoyed it. And I rarely got to actually sprint on it, either, since the most I ran on it was to join cool down laps.
My legs ached, despite the euphoric joy I was already feeling. I wanted to push it, to go full throttle and feel the wind tear past. I needed to go faster.
"Trainer Franklin!"
Hm? Someone was calling my name. I stopped and turned around to see Tazuna waving at me from the pathway. Seeing her only reinforced my grin as I ran over to join her. She glanced past me for a moment as I arrived. My gaze followed hers, and… oops. My sudden stop had left an obvious tear through the grass. So much for sparing the landscapers. My grin turned rueful, but my tail kept wagging.
"I take it you're cleared to run?" Tazuna asked lightly. "I certainly hope you're not running if you're still under rest orders."
"No, I'm cleared," I assured. "Marie cleared me just today, and I wanted to… well, you can probably see." I felt still so clear minded, even after stopping, from getting to run after a week of none of it.
Tazuna chuckled politely. "I can," she agreed. "I'm happy you're enjoying yourself so much."
That… hm. An idea formed in my head. "We should take a vacation sometime. A day or two, after it's done. When it's done. Maybe to Hokkaido," I offered.
Her expression brightened in response. If Tazuna's tail was visible, I think I might have seen it wag. Where… where did she hide it, actually. "That sounds agreeable, Trainer Franklin," Tazuna agreed. "We'll have to plan something properly later. Actually, I flagged you down to ask for your help. Trainer Toujou called and asked if I had seen Trainer Okino around. Have you seen him?"
I shook my head. "Not towards the southern side of campus. I can go check up north," I offered.
"Thank you, Trainer Franklin," Tazuna told me.
"Of course. He's a friend. And so are you," I insisted. "In fact, while I'm thinking of it, thank you. Really. It was a little embarrassing to be seen like that in public, but it was also very kind of you to go out of your way to help me. If I can ever return the favor, just let me know. Even if it's just something as simple as a hug."
Tazuna held her breath for a second, and I worried I'd said something wrong. Then she released it and smiled. "I'd like that, actually, if you wouldn't mind," Tazuna requested. "I don't get to receive many of those."
Oh, right. She had to keep her disguise up… for some reason. Hm. Why… Well, either way I wasn't going to leave her unanswered. I stepped forward and wrapped her up in a hug. Tazuna eased into me as she returned it. Mm. Tazuna was also pretty good at hugs. I squeezed her just a bit tighter, trying to impart all the gratitude I could while letting her get to enjoy it.
Moments later, the hug ended and I took a step back. My tail was still wagging, delighted, and Tazuna looked pleased; hopefully she'd gotten enough out of it. If not, I was always happy to offer more. "Okay. I'll send a text if I spot Trainer Okino. Have a good night, Hayakawa-san," I offered.
"You too, Trainer Franklin. And, thank you," Tazuna replied. We parted, both of us smiling, as I turned north.
I stepped back onto the grass, trying to keep my pace and slows a little gentler to avoid tearing up the grass again. Getting in trouble with the landscapers was not on my list of desired activities. Rather, finding Okino was. He'd seemed fine the other day, but… maybe something else had happened. Or maybe I just wasn't very good at reading people. Either way, if a friend needed help, I wanted to help them, even if it was something just as simple as finding them. Maybe he'd just forgotten to charge his phone.
Eventually, I did find Okino. He was standing by the garden pond that bordered the agriculture club's fields, skipping stones across the water's surface. I was hardly quiet as I slowed down and joined him. There was something to his expression that stilled the grin I had been wearing before. I thought about asking if he was okay, but he clearly wasn't.
Okino skipped another stone. "Yo, remember when you asked if I got nightmares?" he asked.
"About Teio," I recalled. "Yeah. I remember. Are you?"
"Nah. Just… losing sleep, thinking," Okino replied. He bent down and picked up a few more pebbles, filtering them for ones with ideal pond skipping shape. "I haven't had a trainee have a bad leg injury before this year. Now? Now I got two, and yours wasn't bad, but technically makes three injuries total."
"You caught all three of them," I reminded. "You said yourself you kept Teio's from getting worse. Helped catch mine. Figured out Suzuka was hiding hers."
"You caught yours. I confirmed it," Okino corrected, nudging me with his elbow. He grinned, but it didn't stay around. "Just a little self crisis. I'll pop through it eventually. My old man would have my ass if I didn't get off the ground eventually… so, how upset is Hana?"
I shrugged. "I don't know. She called Tazuna, and Tazuna bumped into me and asked me to keep an eye out," I explained. Okino sighed.
"So she's gonna be real upset," Okino grunted. I cocked my head and folded my arms. Had he been getting calls after all and ignoring them? He noticed my expression and held up his hands. "To be fair now, she hasn't called. I told her I was going out to clear my head, and she was fine with that. I just didn't think I'd be out here so long."
The conversation dropped. Okino skipped a few more stones. I tried, twice, but they were both such disastrous attempts that I gave up as Okino cackled. At least he was in a good enough mood to laugh. That was a good sign.
To the left, the sun finished setting. Curfew was in effect now, for the students at least. "What have you been thinking about?" I asked.
"Well, how to let Hana know I'm gonna be okay, for starters," Okino answered. He looked at the remaining stones in his hands and let them drop back to the ground. "Figure she deserves some sort of apology or assurance. But also, I feel… don't get me wrong, having Marie help Suzuka is great. Kid's in excellent care. I just wish I could do something more, you know? Something to help pick up Spica's mood, at least. they know she's gonna be okay, but a second leg injury has them more shaken than they'd admit. Poor Golshi's working overtime trying to keep everyone in good spirits."
I hummed. The urge to be doing something? I understood that. Even if it was just something small, like reviewing weather reports, or buying new spikes to have them ready, or… just something, to burn off the nervous energy. Yeah, I could definitely relate to that.
Hm. Actually, I could relate with maybe a solution, too.
"Hey, Okino, I have a thought, if you're interested," I offered. He raised a brow and gestured for me to go on. "Okay. You ever bake before?"
*****
Okino and Hana followed after me into my dorm. Thankfully, it was mostly clean, though my bed wasn't completely made, thanks to the room's other resident. Hana stepped forward and let Hattori sniff her hand. "You have a cat?" she asked.
"Officially he's my emotional support animal. Unofficially, Machan's really attached to him and he needed a good home," I explained. "He's a good lap cat, just make sure you wash your hands after you pet him."
"Of course," Hana assured. "I'm surprised you were able to get an emotional support animal cleared at all. Tracen is particularly strict with pets. El… may have encountered issues. She doesn't have a pet."
Considering everyone and their mother knew El Condor Pasa had a pet eagle, I could only assume Hana was used to repeating that as plausible deniability. "He wasn't hard to register, actually. Director Kashimoto was actually pretty helpful in getting him approved," I told her. "She had Hattori approved before the day was over, actually."
Hana looked at me, and I tilted my head, confused as to why she was staring at me like that. "Cynthia, don't change," she told me. "I have money on you."
"What? Money on what?" I asked. Okino laughed, the sound more genuine that the chuckles earlier.
"We can't say that, or else it's moot," Okino explained.
"…What are you all gambling on?" I asked, wary. They remained silent, trading a look between themselves. Nn. Yeah, now that I had them both in my dorm, they were definitely dating. I wasn't sure how I'd missed it in hindsight.
Hana's gaze traveled across my room and I couldn't blame her curiosity; I don't think either of them had been in mine before and vice versa. I had a few personal objects out that had been brought with me when I first moved here, though a lot was still back in the states with my parents. There were… a lot of photos I didn't want to display anymore. Okino strode in a bit less hesitantly, but still with some respect to my living space as I busied myself with washing my hands and pulling out the necessary bake wear. Neither of them had made cookies before, but there was a first time for everything.
"Oh, wow," Okino said with some awe. "How long have you had this?"
I glanced over and felt a brief surge of panic. "Don't touch her!" I begged. "She's old!"
"Don't worry, I wasn't going to," Okino assured, placating me. He gestured to the old worn plushy with a hooked thumb. "I almost didn't recognize that was Secretariat. I thought her race wear was different."
"It is," I replied. I reached out and patted the old childhood friend. I'd lost count of how many times I'd had to fix the seam under her left arm. I needed to wash my hands again. "I've just had this one a long time."
"You know," Okino began. "Marie's also a Secretariat fan. You should talk to her about it."
"I have, actually. It was rather nice," I answered. Okino and Hana shared a look again that I didn't understand, but they were both entertained. Oh, come now. Like it was that hard to be a fan of Secretariat. She was the greatest racer alive! Her and Riva Ridge's race at Woodward lived rent free in my mind. "Okay. Let's wash our hands and I'll give you instructions. It's not that hard. Okino, you're going to be in charge of creaming."
"And… what does that mean?" Okino asked, unsure.
I smiled. "You get to blend the shortening, sugar, and eggs until it's no longer lumpy," I explained. I pointed to a thick wooden spoon that I'd gotten out. "Meet your new best friend."
We got started. And… the mood improved. Okino was already a little bit back to himself by the time we'd met up with Hana and I invited them in. But now, he was grinning and making silly comments about how annoyingly resistant the shortening was. Hana got more bowls and measuring spoons from her dorm and we started on concurrent batches.
At someone's insistence, I turned on some music, one of the CDs that Akikawa had gotten me. I don't think either of them quite knew the words being sung, but the energy was easy enough to understand. Hana took to baking rather well, her already strict sense for order blending easily with baking's exact instructions. Okino… might have snuck in a bit more sugar than he needed, despite my laughing warning that was a bad idea.
I wasn't sure when Kuronuma and Minamizaka joined us, but my dorm door had been left open, and I was happy to share the good mood. Minamizaka looked us measuring flour and laughed. "So you're the cookie fairy?" he asked.
"The cookie fairy?" I repeated, whipping around towards him. "What?"
"Someone is always leaving a bowl of fresh cookies in the cafeteria at night," Kuronuma explained. "No one knows who." Huh. I was usually not early to breakfast, so chances were it was always gone by the time I got there.
Minamizaka looked at me meaningfully. I rolled my eyes. "No, I am not the cookie fairy," I denied. "I always just give them directly to my trainees or the dorm heads. That way I'm not left with an entire batch to eat myself." Kuronuma had picked up Hattori and was petting his head. Hattori looked particularly pleased about the attention and the new high perch he had available to him.
Cookies started going in the oven. Because we were doing three concurrent batches—then four when Minamizaka decided to give it a try, Okino started taking batches to his oven too. Aoi showed up, then a few others. Fumino quietly snuck in, took a few cookies, and took up residence in a corner. Someone brought out drinks. We laughed at Okino's overly sweet and browned cookies, and ate them anyway.
Tazuna arrived, drawn by the sounds of everyone having a good time. Okino was in full swing now, retelling his favorite story of the time McQueen pranked Gold Ship back by replacing her hot mustard with sour concentrate. I oversaw the kitchen as a few more hands made an attempt at whipping up a batch. Riko stopped by, reminded people not to drink too heavily, and left us to it. She did accept a plate of cookies when I insisted on it.
By the time Marie arrived, I had lost track of how exactly a cheer-up baking session for Okino had turned into an impromptu gathering, but it had, and he was looking far better than he was by the pond. I had a big smile on my face, as well as I greeted Marie by the door.
"Hey, how's your night been?" I greeted. Marie smiled back, though a little hesitantly. Maybe not a fan of crowds or the noise?
"It's been good! I was just wondering what the occasion was," Marie replied. I took a few cookies off the plate Tazuna was holding for dear life and offered them to Marie.
"No occasion in particular," I explained. "This… kind of happened? Sorry if we're being loud."
"It's fine, as long I'm out here," Marie assured. Tazuna gasped, drawing our attention. She put her plate down and hurried wobbly deeper into the room. Hm. "Has she had a lot?"
"She had one," I replied. I had been counting. "I… hm, I think I might be carrying her to her room later."
Tazuna reappeared shortly, holding my plushy of Secretariat in her hands. "Marie, look what she has" Tazuna declared.
"Hey now," I laughed, taking the plushy gently from her. "She's old, don't handle her like that." Tazuna apologized as she leaned against both me and the wall, reliant on me to keep from swaying.
"Oh, wow," Marie muttered, her eyes directly on my plushy. "That's one of her debut plushies, from her first year. Wow, that's really well preserved."
I smiled with a touch of pride. "Thanks! I've had her since I was three. She's definitely not as durable as she used to be, but she was my first one. I have three more, but they're still in storage back home," I said, displaying my plushy for Marie to look at.
"Wow. You were three?" Marie repeated. "You… you were around when she raced, huh?"
My face burned as Tazuna laughed. "Marie! You can't just call her old! Look at her face," Tazuna chided lightly, without any actual chastisement. If anything, she was teasing me.
"Oh! Sorry! I didn't mean it like that," Marie insisted. I managed to raise my brow in askance, because it had sure felt like that. Marie continued, to explain herself. "I only got to see her races on replay, never live. I've seen exhibitions before, but not in a while."
"Ahhh, now I'm the jealous one. You got to see an exhibition race? All the races I've watched have only been on TV," I admitted. "We didn't live near any of the big race tracks, and America's much bigger than Japan. I'd love to save up and see an exhibition, though."
I probably could, actually, if I saved up a few more years. Then I could afford the time off, the plane ticket, hotel bookings, the exhibition ticket itself… okay, maybe in a few more years if everything else held.
If… if she was even still doing them then. Secretariat wasn't immortal. My smile slipped a little.
"So, what's your favorite race of hers?" Marie asked. I latched onto the question to pull myself from my thoughts.
"The Woodward Stakes, easily," I answered.
Marie laughed. "She lost that one," she noted.
"Yeah, but it was such a good race! And the way Riva Ridge just turned to look at her before she passed her in the last furlough? It was so good!" I insisted. I wrapped my arms around my plushy. Inside, Minamizaka was… were they singing to Hattori? That was sweet.
"I knew you were a fangirl," Tazuna began, drawing my attention. "But I didn't know you were this much of a fangirl."
I laughed easily. "Tazuna, it's Secretariat. How could anyone not be a fan of hers?" I retorted. "She's… I don't think I can put into words just how much she's inspired me. And, you know, not just on the track. She made me feel brave. I would… I would just love for a chance to get an autograph, even if it was one on sale that wasn't going for thousands of dollars."
Tazuna hummed again, and I saw her waggle her eyebrows. I frowned, baffled.
"What? Are you saying you can do that?" I asked. I didn't think she could, but… if she could…
"Nope," Tazuna refuted, tapping my nose. Ah, right. Tazuna had a lot of connections as Akikawa's secretary, but Secretariat was a foreign racer. I should have expected that she was just trying to cheer me up. Also, I was definitely responsible for making sure she got to her room safely later. "But maybe you will someday."
"Maybe," I agreed. I took a quiet breath. "That'd be nice."
I glanced back at Marie, who seemed to be in thought. She looked over at Tazuna and the pair exchanged a look as well. I sighed and laughed. Was everyone in a loop except me? Was this about whatever Okino and Hana were betting on?
"Okay, well, enough about my fangirling," I said, trying to get the discussion back on track. "What about you, Marie? What's your favorite race of hers?" Marie's eyes sparkled, and she launched into a full discussion as to which one, and also why.