fandomtownies | Fandom Pride Parade, Sunday Noon (6/29)

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Fandom Pride Parade, Sunday Noon (6/29)

The parade route was fairly short this year, since Steph actually had no desire to enable anyone with getting heat stroke: just from the causeway along Apocalypse Avenue, then up Chimera Court onto Loon Drive before looping down Minotaur Avenue and into the park.

Steph had spent a lot of time over the past year acquiring and replicating as many vintage Pride protest signs from around the world -- around the multiverse, even -- as she possibly could, and the parade route was outlined with them along with the sparkliest rainbow streamers she could find.

Which were very sparkly indeed, and you might need sunglasses. Actually sunglasses were a good idea in any case, and along with the requisite water and sunscreen there were even free pairs of rainbow-framed sunglasses to be had at the parade starting point if you didn't have any of your own. (Courtesy of one of Steph's store vendors, though there wasn't any kind of brand logo on the sunglasses themselves.)

Little Bot and the Magpie Emporium gremlins acted as grand marshals this year, only last year's shoebox float had been upgraded to a fancy 3D printed setup complete with safety rails and light strings. Behind them was the queer board games group from the store, then Steph with kitty!Vi riding on her shoulder, and after that everyone else who wanted to join in the parade.

And just like last year, the picnic area in the park was still decorated from yesterday, set up with refreshments and the new and even more meticulously curated queer music playlist cranked up on a giant Bluetooth speaker.

[OOC: Shut up it isn't quite noon here yet. ~~Please hold for OCD.~~ Go forth and be gay! Or pan. Or... you get it.]

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For any last-minute nerves or finishing touches on outfits. Also sunscreen, for the love of gods, lest you risk the wrath of Steph. And the sun. That too.

For people who decide to march. Some of the rickshaws are participating again this year and appropriately decked out, and those are available for anyone who isn't up to walking or who just wants a few minutes' break from being on their feet.

One rickshaw driver's even gone all out and fully painted her entire cab in the ace pride flag colors, implying that she might just keep it that way permanently from now on because you know what? She is ace, damn it, and she's gonna own it.

There are rainbow streamers lining the route, and ice buckets of bottled water available for both spectators and parade participants. Hang out and watch, or jump in along the way if the mood strikes you!

Stark wasn't really one for marching but he was happy to find a spot to watch the parade.

With a water bottle but still sporting no rainbow gear (or other color pattern).

Steven had his own sunglasses but he was absolutely going to take and wear a pair of the rainbow ones instead. He wore them proudly, beaming the whole time as he took pictures of the parade and everything Steph had set up.

While glancing at Llewellyn to make sure he was all right, or as all right as he could be.

There was definitely a little more tension than usual in the way Watts was holding himself, but he did genuinely look as if he were enjoying the whole affair.

"Doing all right?" Steven asked, quietly. The sincerity of his question might have been undercut by the glasses he was wearing, but he meant it all the same.

That's all right, the glasses had the benefit of making Watts smile just that much wider.

"So far," he acknowledged.

"All right," Steven said. "Let me know if that changes. We can leave at any time. Are you comfortable? Do you need water?"

Yes, Steven was fussing.

Which only served to make Watts feel warm inside- not that sort of warm, though- at the idea that he was worth fussing over. He held up the bottle of water he'd been working on. "Still working on this one," he told Steven, bumping his shoulder gently.

"All right," Steven said. He'd brought his satchel this time so he could carry more if they needed to. He currently had a couple of spare water bottles in it just in case. "Perhaps we can even make it to the picnic later then. No pressure, of course."

"I do enjoy a good picnic," Watts noted. "I'd like to. Our portal doesn't leave until this evening, after all."

"I daresay we can eat and still have time to convince Raphael to stop sleeping on our luggage," Steven said.

"Cheeky little fellow," Watts said, shaking his head. "He knows by now we always come back, I'm sure of it."

"He's making sure we take a bit of him with us," Steven said. "By shedding on our clothes."

"Thoughtful of him, really," Watts said, offering Steven a cookie he'd snagged during yesterday's festivities and stashed in his pocket.

"Thoughtful of you," Steven said as he took the biscuit and had a hearty bite of it. "Mm. Nice and warm."

"But I don't shed all over your clothing," Watts pointed out.

"Not for lack of me keeping you close," Steven replied with a grin.

"Which I appreciate," Watts said. "As I enjoy being close to you."

"Raphael should be all right though," Steven said. "We'll get him a toy. Little Greek stuffed mouse or something."

As though they didn't always bring home toys for their cat son.

"And he will appreciate that," Watts agreed.

After he'd forgiven them for going away without him, of course.

"Perhaps we can find little treats for him as well?" Steven suggested.

Their cat son was not spoiled, how dare anyone suggest otherwise.

"Oh, yes," Watts said. "In addition to the treats we ~~super handwavily~~ got him yesterday."

Because of course they'd hit up the vendor selling pet treats.

"Maybe he'll have eaten those by the time we get back," Steven said.

Such as if he gave enough sad eyes to the pet sitter. Or got Midnight to open a cabinet for him even though it wasn't supposed to.

Midnight? Also a bit of a soft touch, in its own way.

"Can't have him going treatless." As if that were ever even a possibility, come on.

"Oh!" Steven said as a thought occurred to him. "We should get him a little rainbow collar. Then he can match us in our sunglasses."

"That's a great idea," Watts agreed. "He'd look dashing."

"Just like his dad," Steven said, holding his chin up proudly to show off his own pair of rainbow frame glasses.

He did not look remotely dashing in them. But he thought he did all the same.

Dashing, perhaps not. But in Watts's opinion he looked awfully cute, so. "A matched pair, the two of you."

Steven bumped their shoulders together. "With you as well. You're always dashing."

"But I haven't your fashionable accessories," Watts pointed out, reaching up to touch the corner of Steven's sunglasses- and possibly use that as an excuse to gently brush his fingers across his cheek in the process."

Steven leaned into the touch. "But you've your smart suit and pin."

"Oh," Watts said, realising. "Well. That's true, isn't it?"

Steven looked at him curiously. "Would you want a rainbow tie? Or something like it? Subtle, perhaps? The colors in pinstripes?"

Watts thought about it. "Perhaps? Nothing- too loud."

Sure, one of his favourite suits was a green plaid that was by no means sedate, but details.

"Not trying to push anything," Steven assured him, just in case that was a concern. "Curious, mainly. Where your comfort level is."

"I would certainly like to- be a bit more. Ah, more," Watts gestured. "It is, after all, what I wanted."

"Whatever steps you'd like to take, I'll be there for you," Steven said. "Big or small. Or none at all."

There are cupcakes and fruit skewers and rainbow conchas, plus cold juice, iced tea, and water.

Yes, the ice buckets full of water bottles have signs that say HYDRATE, DAMMIT! on them.

~~Yes, I did just copy and paste this one wholesale from last year.~~

Where there were cupcakes there would almost inevitably be a Stark to eat them.

And these were such pretty rainbow colored ones!

*faceplants*

I swear, if I could sleep like a normal person again sometime soon, that'd be amazing.

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Fandom Pride Parade, Sunday Noon (6/29)

Assemble/Get Ready!

The Parade

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The Post-Parade Park Picnic

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OOC