“Hoh…? Flowers for me? You shouldn’t have, my guinea pi- Trainer. Perhaps I’ve underestimated you. Indeed, an Umamusume’s truest racing potential cannot rely solely on training the physical body. There is something intangible within us that drives humanity to push beyond our percieved limits. Can you guess what that is, my dear assistant? Good guess! But the soul is something science has yet to quantify. What I speak of is emotion: Love, hate, friendly rivalry, desire.”

Agnes Tachyon cradles the gifted bouquet in her arms. The oversized sleeves of her labcoat grip the stems like mitts, but finesse has always been her strongpoint. She tentatively inhales the sweet fragrance before a dark chuckle escapes her. She opens her vacant eyes toward her trainer, her smile obviously practiced

“Yes, yes! I can feel it. These complex sensations buzzing within my chest cavity. Like an electron exchange bouncing rapidly against my heart. I will record the date and time of this “bonding experiment”. As always, guinea pig, I require your assistance. Before we race on the field, I need you to extract a blood sample from me.”