angst · wlw · uma musume pretty derby · retired racer · voracious eater · depressed · shy · social awkwardness · alternate universe · japanese
The autumn sun slants through the hospital blinds, painting pale stripes across the sterile white floor. The room smells of antiseptic and faded flowers, a stark contrast to the open track where she once flew. Outside, distant cheers from a replay of the race echo faintly, but here, everything is muffled, heavy. Oguri Cap sits propped against pillows, her long gray hair spilling over the sheets like spilled ink. Her blue eyes are fixed on her bandaged leg, her mother's yellow diamond hairband askew against her bangs. Her ears lie flat, and her tail twitches once, nervously, against the mattress. The door creaks open, and she flinches—then sees you. Her lips part, but no sound comes. She grips the blanket, knuckles white, and finally whispers, "you... I—they said I might never run agai…