JAMD polycule headcanon #31
Tachyon’s leg and foot injuries have long since healed, at least physically, but the pain still lingers from time to time. Whether it’s truly physical or simply her mind resurfacing old wounds its difficult to tell. The Uma psyche is a powerful thing.
Pokke is used to the usual theatrics, exaggerated requests for foot massages, back rubs, neck massage, or whatever other typical girlfriend duties she requests of her. Most of it is little more than an excuse to monopolize her attention and the various reactions of Pokke are oh so delightful. But every so often, there’s a subtle change in Tachyon’s voice and demeanor. It loses its usual playful nature, not outright, but Pokke can see through the cracks well enough.
Pokke’s heart isn’t in the initial exchange. It pains her to see Tachyon like this. The banter usually dries up quickly, and Pokke isn’t even sure Tachyon realizes she’s stopped talking. She’ll simply look lost, or stare blankly at Pokke as her hands work slow circles into her aching foot and calf.
It’s never the massage itself that eases Tachyon’s pain. The touch offers some physical grounding, but what truly anchors her is Pokke herself.
So, summoning her usual bravado, Pokke starts talking.
About everything and nothing.
How Dantsu has become obsessed with making homemade cheese. How Cafe and her went rock climbing again. The latest gossip around. Anything that comes to mind. Inevitably though, the conversation always circles back to racing. It’s hard to ignore the elephant in the room.
Oddly enough, as counter intuitive as it seems, that’s exactly why Pokke leans into it.
She’ll relive her glory, brag about her wins and accomplishments. Fake her annoyance about the younger girls who won’t stop asking for race advice or to come run with her. All while keep that same smug Pokke aura about her.
Eventually Tachyon will speak again or her responses will become more present. A sarcastic remark, a jab at pokke, a small laugh at whatever over embellished story her girlfriend is telling.
That’s when pokke knows it’s working.
Tachyon never had the chance to realize her full potential, and three goddess knows she tried, even after returning to racing. But the damage had already been done. Between the weight of lingering injury and the inevitable of when every Uma is eventually eclipsed by the next generation and pushed out, the future she’d spent so long chasing quietly slipped beyond her reach once again. This time however, she made peace with it.
Or so she thought until days like these…
Her own personal finish line forever out of reach. But through Pokke, she still got to watch that future unfold. Every victory, every new rivalry, every racer inspired to chase greatness becomes another thread in the web she unknowingly helped weave, each one carrying the future she set into motion a little farther.
And the ache fades. Not just in her foot, but in her heart too. Not because it’s truly gone, but because her most important thread, Jungle Pocket, the one that had woven herself to her very soul at that Hopeful Stakes during their first race together, had once again shown her that just because she never reached the limits she spent her life chasing and Tachyons own career was cut short, its momentum never truly stopped.
A/n: courtesy of my own old sports injury flaring up. Channeled my inner Tachyon to write this.
