LGBTQ+ Pride 2048

[Ainsley Lynch]

((event id #88654))

Even after all the time and work she had put into planning and organising, when Ainsley stopped for a moment and looked around, it felt surreal to her to be standing here, the organiser of the Pride celebration that had once been such a help to her, in understanding who she was and what she was feeling. Throughout all her years at school Pride had been of vital importance to her, first as a place to understand herself, and as she grew older a place to connect with other people like her, and help younger students on the same journey to understand what they were feeling. In her last year at Hogwarts, it felt right to be standing here, ready to welcome the school's LGBTQ+ population to the year's event with open arms.

Ainsley had been working hard with the help of a few members of the Wild Patch who volunteered their time, and the Great Hall was decorated from end to end with rainbows and flowers, as many flags for different identities as Ainsley had been able to procure, and plenty of things to do. The booth Ainsley had taken the most personal care with was the one filled with informational pamphlets. It mattered a lot to her for people to have a place to get answers they needed to questions they had, and the table was stacked high with information galore about sexual orientation and gender identity. There were also the staple booths Ainsley had loved in previous years, one laden with flower crowns for anyone who wanted them, and another table where people could get their faces painted. Ainsley had also made a new addition, an idea inspired by her most creative friend. She had set aside a small wall for LGBTQ+ artists to display their works if they felt comfortable to do so, with a couple of tables nearby set up with some art supplies for anyone who felt like doing some drawing. The final table was laden with snacks and juice, including some berries and vegetables grown in the Wild Patch. Once she was happy that the Great Hall looked perfect, and knew that people were going to be arriving any moment, Ainsley set herself up at the information table, a flower crown perched on her head and a pansexual flag bracelet around her wrist, ready for people to arrive.

Out of Character:

A note from the Admin:
The Wild Patch Club was never meant to be the sole organization that hosted the school's Pride event. But with Orwell Brocken hosting the event in its first years in addition to his duties as Wild Patch Club leader, the two became inextricably linked and have remained so.

However, any individual character or group of characters (including Wild Patch) interested in hosting next year's Pride or tying the event to something else should feel free to submit an app in the new IC school year explaining how they would like to run the event and why their character or group should be considered as hosts.

 

[Hayley Elridge]

Hayley had never had such mixed feelings about Pride before. On the one hand, she loved the event and everything it stood for. It had been a great disappointment when it hadn't happened last year, although her recent breakup with Lizzie would have made it awkward then too, especially since they'd essentially started dating at the previous Pride. This year, though, she was finally dating Harley, something she'd desperately wanted for years now. She should be ecstatic. She was ecstatic . . . and yet. Her and Harley's fight with Rose was fresh on her mind, and it had upset her immensely. She hadn't expected resistance from their friends, and she didn't know how to fix it. And unfortunately, even though she was straight, Rose would probably be here with the Wild Patch club.

Nevertheless, Hayley was determined that her first Pride event with Harley would be a happy one, and as they walked in together and she looked around the room, a wide grin spread across her face. It was beautifully decorated as always, and it made it extra special to know that her friend Ainsley was organising it this year. Hayley's aesthetic wasn't really in flower crowns, but she'd arrayed her ever-growing collection of punk and pride badges over her denim jacket, with the "how dare you assume I'm heterosexual" one Harley had given her in pride of place. Hayley led Harley over to the information table where Ainsley was waiting; Ainsley and Harley knew about each other, of course, and Ainsley knew more about the development of Hayley's feelings than she'd told Harley yet, but the two had never actually met. It was definitely time to rectify that. "Ainsley! Hi! This is fantastic." She grinned. "I'd like you to meet Harley, my girlfriend." She didn't really need to explain that, not to Ainsley, but saying it sent a thrill down her spine she couldn't resist.

 

[Norton Gillespie]

Norton had begun dating April, she was the first person he had ever liked in that fashion, but it had been evident for a while to him that he found people attractive and it didn’t particularly matter what they were. It just so happened that they were dating, and he was with her. But, as he came to terms with himself, his relationship with April and how he was in the world, he knew it was only right to go to and help out at the pride celebrations. Especially since he was volunteering as part of the wild patch, it was just the good thing to do. He had decided to help out at the flower crown stall, to hand them out to people as they came in and wanted on. He had his crown on, he’d gone through all of them to find one he liked best and placed that on his head. He was really enjoying how the great hall looked good. It was a different set up but he liked it a lot. The boy was holding the crowns out to people hoping they would take them. This would be a fun event he was more than certain of it. ​

 

[Aonghas Fergusson]

Aonghas had been a little uncertain about attending the pride celebrations, he had learned bits and pieces about what things meant over the last year, terms he had heard being thrown around that he had not particularly understood were things he was learning. He wasn’t sure he should go to the pride celebrations, not believe himself to be any of the things that he had learned about over the last year but also because he didn’t think himself to be particularly knowledgeable about it. However, Aonghas was curious enough to want to learn and to want to take part in it, after all, it did also seem to be part of the wild patch, or at least run by someone in the wild patch. He walked into the hall, a little surprised by how different it looked compared with other occasions, though perhaps that would get old the older he was. He liked how it looked, and helped himself to a flower crown and some snacks, before taking a seat where there was some art work set up, for people who felt like drawing. He didn’t particular feel like drawing, but with a snack in hand and perhaps a little unwillingness to spend it where all the leaflets were. He took a some of the drawing supplies and just started messing around with that.​

 

[Shane Ackley]

Shane was pretty pleased that the school had a pride celebration. His last school had had a group for it, but no big celebrations, it seemed that Hogwarts was a much bigger fan of big celebrations than of little ones. He had a bit of a forced smile as he entered the room, though it softened a little into something more natural, this was more his speed. He liked this. The boy had identified as bisexual for years, since he’d first started at school. He’d always felt that he was different, always known that he’d liked boys and girls. Had always been attracted to both. He spotted the flower crowns and grabbed one off the boy that was handing them out and continued into the room, he found himself a little flag, and then went straight to the area where there were face paints. He was not a good artist, but he could manage a couple of flags. At the very least he picked the right colours for him, and on his cheek very carefully painted a bisexual flag. This was the first time in his school career at Hogwarts that he felt relatively comfortable, that he didn’t feel like he was forcing it too much. He was plastering on a smile that was still forced but it was a little less forced than usual. There was just something about this kind of celebration that he liked, that made him feel a little more comfortable. He was perfectly satisfied with his flower crown and painting a flag on to his cheek. ​

 

[Vader Hume]

Vader walked into the hall, feeling a little overwhelmed by the way the hall looked. He had never thought about his own sexuality, he was a little unsure if he was honest with himself. He had female friends and he had male friends, he didn’t like either yet particularly, though where he and Ava had gotten close, he had always found Abian cuter, though not really by much and he still really liked Ava. The boy just wasn’t certain about himself, or who he was. He didn’t think there was anything wrong with being whatever they wanted to, he just wasn’t sure what he was. The boy wasn’t sure he wanted to be, he had faced bullying and taunts for everything else, and he knew no matter how far things came that it would probably still be a bit of a struggle, that it might not always be good. But he was a part of the pride celebrations and Vader had decided to attend, he was part of the wild patch and wanted to be involved in events. He had his camera around his neck and he was vaguely taking pictures of this event. He was wearing the same flower crown that he had worn for the flower giving and valentines day. He took a few pictures, of the boy with the crowns and the one of the various flags, eventually ending up at the table, where the leader of the wild patch and two other girls were stood. He thought maybe he should take a picture of them, but he always didn’t want to interrupt their conversation. Instead he reached on the table for one of the informational pamphlets, and began lightly flicking through it. ​

 

[Professor Kahurangi Josephs]

Kahurangi had gone to the school Pride celebrations in the past, but she had done so with a sense of trepidation. There was part of her, an old fashioned part she supposed, that had worried that being open about herself at work would lead to trouble down the line. That was an outlook, however, that had completely changed over the last couple of years. Kahurangi had never had any role models like herself as she was growing up, and getting to fill that position for Amber, when the girl had come to her for help and advice, had made Kahurangi see her role in a new light. She saw importance now, in being open about who she was, to show students that there were adults at Hogwarts who understood them, who were in their corner and would be there for them if they needed guidance. So Kahurangi had foregone subtlety, trying not to be nervous as she entered the Great Hall wearing a denim vest with the lesbian flag emblazoned on the back. It was still early in the event, and the room wasn't especially full, so she made her way over to the face painting booth to start with. Kahurangi recognised one of her students at the information booth, but she was clearly busy, so she gave the girl her space, instead smiling at the boy by the face painting booth. "Mind helping me out? I'm terrible with paint." She said with a friendly laugh.

 

[Harley Tsuji]

Harley had some mixed feelings about Pride. She was excited to go, to be around other people like her and spend time with her girlfriend, a thought that still sent a thrill of happiness through her. But the Wild Patch was organising the event, and that meant it was relatively likely that Rose would be around. She didn't want another confrontation, already regretted some of the things she had said in their last argument, but if they did run into Rose, there was nothing to be done for it. Harley wasn't gonna miss an important event just for the sake of some stupid fight.

Upon entering the Great Hall, Harley let Hayley take the lead, though her eyes immediately flicked to the art area. That would be a good place to hang out, once they were done talking to Hayley's friend. She had heard about the older Hufflepuff from Hayley, but never actually met her before. As Hayley introduced her, Harley raised a hand in greeting. "Sup." She said casually. "This event is pretty cool."

 

[Kauri Morales-Tipene]

OWL revision seemed to go on and on forever, and Kauri was desperately excited for a break. It was a relief to have a reason to put his books down for a bit, and it was even more of a relief to have something genuinely fun and exciting to do instead. He had been excited for the Pride celebration all year, and now it had come. The spring in his step had begun to feel somewhat forced recently, under the stress of all his studies, but Kauri's chipperness couldn't have been more authentic today as he entered the Great Hall, looking around with a bright smile.

That smile slipped slightly when he saw Rose's friends busy chatting with someone at the information table, and he had to look away again quickly. There were things Kauri wished he could say to them, but he didn't want to make a fight that had nothing to do with him any worse. So he turned around, heading over to the flower crown table with a bright smile. "Hey, Norton!" He said happily, glad to see the other boy here. "Having fun?" He asked, looking through the flower crowns to see if he could find one in pink, yellow, and blue, the colours of the pansexual flag.

 

[Acacia Dunn]

The spin the bottle game earlier in the year had opened Acacia's eyes to some things about herself, and it was a side of her she was eager to explore more. So when she heard about a pride celebration, Acacia had dropped everything to attend. She wanted to know if any of her classmates felt like her, if there were older students who could give advice, she wanted to know everything. Stepping into the Great Hall, Acacia paused for a moment to just absorb the decor. It felt bright and joyful, and for one of the first times since arriving in New Zealand, Acacia felt completely at home. She didn't see anyone from her own year yet, but that wasn't stopping her. Acacia wanted to visit every booth, talk to every person, absorb every moment she could. The girl at the information booth looked busy, so Acacia grabbed a pamphlet with the lesbian flag on the front quickly and tucked it into her pocket, heading over to the food table. She would grab something to eat and read this pamphlet before deciding what to do next, and hope to see some of her classmates here. If not, Acacia would just have to make new friends in other years, because she was determined to make the most of this event.

 

[Ainsley Lynch]

Ainsley was delighted to see Hayley, waving cheerfully at her friend as she approached. "Hi! Thank you!" She said brightly, giving Hayley and the girl she presumed was Hayley's girlfriend a smile. Ainsley had heard a lot over the years about Hayley's feelings for this girl, and it was a little strange to finally actually meet her in person. She smiled at Harley's greeting though, wanting to make a good impression on Hayley's girlfriend. "Thanks! It's nice to meet you!" Ainsley said cheerfully. She was going to say something else, but her thought was interrupted by a couple of younger students approaching the booth, and Ainsley quickly remembered she had a job to do. "Sorry guys, we'll chat properly later, but I've got a job to do right now. It's good to see you though, have fun!" She said happily, then turned her attention to the younger boy. The girl had already vanished, but the boy was looking through a pamphlet. "Can I help you with anything?" Ainsley asked brightly, wondering if he was just reading, or if he might like some guidance.

 

[Chante Harvelle-Ateara]

The annual Pride Event hosted by the Wild Patch club in the great hall was still a mystery to giant, mixed blooded girl. Pride to Chante had always meant pride in her Native American roots back home and all that came with being a part of a tribe. To learn of her ancestor's history and learn of their ways before the settlers went to America. Chante held that pride in heart and would showcase it if their ways were practice more in the modern era. Regardless, Chante carried their history in her heart and in her spirit, so what did this Pride meant to students at Hogwarts? Curious, Chante attended the event to find out. If Len was still in school and if she was still Chante's girlfriend, Chante may already know the basis of pride without ever attending this event. Curiosity had won the decision for her to come to this event either way, Chante came with an open mind and open heart to understand Pride. To understand what Pride meant for others students, professors and staff here at Hogwarts. Walking amongst her schoolmates, Chante floated around basically to gather the connotation of Pride. It was hard to pinpoint exactly what she was looking for, everything was so colorful and there were booths for little activities to partake in. Chante stopped by a table and picked up a small pansexual flag, the color were pink, yellow and blue. It was a flag she may identify with the most or the bisexual flag, either one was her and she didn't know it. Chante gave the little flag a little wave, then went for the pansexual bracelet. Chante slipped it on her wrist, finding it to be pretty and simple hanging from her wrist.

 

[Lizzie Parker-Taylor]

Pride was an event that held deep importance to Lizzie, and the thought that this was going to be her final pride ever at Hogwarts was unthinkable to her. She remembered so vividly following Archie into this hall all those years back, terrified but excited, desperate to find more people like her and a place she could feel like herself. And Lizzie had found it. Without her former captain's help, she didn't know how long it may have taken her to come to terms with herself, but Archie's advice had... saved her, in a way, and Lizzie knew she would be forever grateful.

Pride this year came with unfortunate baggage, but Lizzie was determined to ignore it. She was long over the fight with Hayley now, never one to hold a grudge for long, but Lizzie was sure the Slytherin didn't feel the same. And she didn't really know anything about Amber's weird girlfriend, but anyone associated with Amber was someone Lizzie preferred to avoid. She was relieved when she entered the room to see all the people she wasn't keen on spending time with clustered around one table together, easy to avoid. Lizzie instead made a bee line for the flags, excited to see what was there. She had already painted rainbows on her own face before even coming down, her days of hiding her orientation from her sister long behind her, and Lizzie definitely wanted to pick up a flag to complete the look. She smiled at the girl already by the booth as she looked over the table, eventually settling on two pins, one with the rainbow flag and one with the lesbian flag, pinning them both to the dress she had worn today.

 

[Cyndi Kingsley]

Professor Kingsley had missed participating in school events and her recent attendance at the Valentine's dance had reminded her how much she enjoyed school events. Pride had always held a special place in her heart, and she was happy to step into the Great Hall and see such a great turn out so early in the day. The Great Hall looked great, the event had grown from the last time she'd attended. Seeking out the host, Cyndi looked around the room, smiling as she spotted her colleague, Kahurangi. Making a note to seek her out later, Cyndi beelined for the girl she'd spotted. She paused in front of her, waiting for her to finish speaking to the young boy. "Is there anything you need help with, Ms. Lynch?" she asked the Wild Patch Club leader politely.

 

[Monty Pendleton]

Monty had been to more of the school's Pride events than he'd missed, but that had been... well, before. Before he'd started thinking about those feelings he'd had for Ermolai as a teenager. Before he'd met up with Colin and found himself admiring the man's face just a little more than he might have a woman's. He wasn't frightened by the thought of being gay. He was frightened by the thought of having not known himself for the last forty years. He had identified as asexual since the moment he'd learned search a sexuality existed, and he was still quite sure this label suited him. But every now and then - once every ten years or so - something or someone came along to make him doubt everything he thought he understood about himself.

Being in this uncertain state of mind made it difficult for the professor to attend Pride free of anxiety, though he determined at least to show his face for a little while. He wasn't really here for himself, after all - he was here to show his support for the children, who had as always done an incredible job with the decorations. Spotting Kahurangi at the face painting stall, Monty headed over to join her. "I've been hesitant to have my face painted since the year I forgot to wash it off," he said, suppressing a grin. "I walked around with a rainbow on my face for the better part of that day. Of course, I looked fabulous, so it wasn't really a problem, but I did have trouble getting anyone to take me seriously."

 

[Amber Chou Wilson]

The Pride event at Hogwarts had always been very important to Amber, it had definitely played a role in helping her discover who she was. But this year was even more special and important, as her girlfriend Ainsley was now hosting it as the leader of the Wild Patch Club. So as Amber entered the great hall, she took a moment to take everything in. It looked amazing! Amber was very proud of Ainsley, and was delighted when she spotted her at the information booth. Amber made a beeline for her and hopped up to peck her on the cheek. It really was inconvenient that Ainsley was so much taller than her sometimes. "It looks amazing, you did such a good job!" Amber said, clearly proud. Only then did she notice Professor Kingsley was talking to Ainsley, and a young boy was standing nearby as well. Amber blushed, taking a step back. "Oh, sorry to interrupt." She said, giving the Professor a sheepish smile. "Sorry, Professor."

 

[Mazikeen Roe]

Mazikeen had decided to attend the Pride celebration, even if to just do so for her mothers. Both of whom would’ve maybe been a little disappointed to find out she hadn’t gone to it. So, Maze was at the celebration, she’d gotten herself a flower crown and was just wandering around the hall. She was pretty certain that she was gay, she had begun liking girls a whole more than she had ever liked any boy, but there was still a little uncertainty, and unwillingness to confirm it. She didn’t want to talk about it really, there so much else going on in her home life that she didn’t want to focus on this one very small detail. The girl spotted a friend of her by the food table eating a snack and decided to head over to her. ”Acacia!” she greeted warmly as she walked over to the girl, waving as she walked over. She liked Acacia, she was a good friend, she knew she should spend a little more time with her. ”How are you?” she spoke warmly to her friend.​

 

[Shane Ackley]

Shane had just finished up the bisexual flag on both of his cheeks when a professor sat down next to him. He knew who this woman was, he took her class, though he was in the younger years of it. He plastered on a friendly smile, a little less fake than normal, since he was in a place that made him feel a little more comfortable. He of course wouldn’t flirt with the professor, not only did she not play for his team, but she was quite a bit older than he was. ”Of course, professor!” he pulled the right colours towards him, figuring that much like the woman’s jacket she would likely want the lesbian flag, but he thought it might not also hurt to ask, ”What are we looking for? Just a same flag as your jacket?” his tone was lightly and friendly, put on of course, but it was less obvious, there was a genuine good mood somewhere there. He pulled back a little on the flirty front that he might’ve put on for someone else who might sat down. But once he got his answer he took the paint brush and started applying the paint to the woman’s face. He kept his hand as steady as possible and kept a look of concentration on his features too as he put it together. He didn’t want to get it wrong on a professor and he had never actually done face painting before. He heard someone else stand next to the professor he was putting face paint on, the voice was one of another professor, but the boy focused. When he was finally finished he put down the brush and grabbed a mirror so the professor could look at it. ”My finest work!” Shane said proudly, he finally looked at the other professor, "Do you need a flag too, professor?"​

 

[Norton Gillespie]

Norton looked up at Kauri when he greeted him. He’d been handing out flower crowns, and making sure that the people who wanted one could get one. He was happy to let his friend find his own crown, ”Of course!” the boy replied with an excited nod. He wasn’t sure what kind of crown Kauri was looking for, but he was sure in the myriad of crowns that he would eventually get one. ”Are you having fun yet?” Norton knew that he’d just turned up but such an event was always good fun. ”Are you here with Rose?” the boy asked, he knew that the two were dating, and though he wasn’t sure if April was coming, he could see the occasion couple coming along to this and spending the time together. He also knew that Rose would likely turn up as part of the wild patch, he assumed a few of those members would turn up for this, since they had helped organise it. ​

 

[Vader Hume]

Vader had been reading the pamphlet which as it had turned out was on asexuality, which was something he maybe could be, he’d been largely engrossed in it as the girl who was at the stall spoke to him. ”I’m unsure,” he couldn’t help but blurt out in response, inadvertently answering her question and answering a question about what sexuality he was that she hadn’t actually asked. He looked up at her and placed the leaflet down. He cheeks blushed a deep red colour, and he grew increasingly nervous just in that moment. He shook his head a little, careful of the crown sitting upon his head, ”Can I take a picture of you and your stall?” the boy asked, opting to do that instead. He took the camera and held it up a little, ”I’m with Accio,” the boy had always found that when he added that people were a little more receptive to him taking random pictures of them for no reason, ”You could wave some flags,” the boy suggested, since the magical camera would be able to capture the flags moving, and that was a little movement that it would capture and that would be nice. He could leave afterwards, maybe grab a few other leaflets after, when no one was watching. He saw his head of house approach and also then also another older girl, the head girl who'd helped him one, he could hopefully take his picture and leave, they were probably all busy and wanted to talk and he was interrupting it.​

 

[Odette Madison]

Odette wasn't sure why she was here. Sure, she was dating a girl, and had before. But she wasn't sure if this happy cheerful celebration was really her sort of scene. She wondered if Margo was going, and decided to just check it out for a little while. Just in case she ran into someone interesting. She wandered around the great hall, opting not to get flower crowns or face paint as it all seemed a bit silly to her. She froze when she spotted Harley and Hayley together, then ducked behind a stall to avoid them. Perhaps she shouldn't have come.

 

[Rose Holland]

Rose had considered not going to Pride, even though she wanted to help Ainsley. She knew that Harley and Hayley would be there, and while she was fighting with them she didn't really want to see them. But she also knew that maybe they didn't want to see her, and Pride was more for them than it was for her, after all. But in the end she had decided to go, and that it would be fine as long as she stayed away from them both. It would be hard, seeing them together as a couple, but there was a small part of Rose that was happy for them too. It was just overshadowed by worry and resentment, and the feeling of being left out. She entered the great hall and headed straight over to the booth with the flower crowns. Neither of her friends would probably want to get one, so she assumed it would be fine. It helped that Kauri was there, as she had to admit to herself that she liked him. She hadn't admitted it to him yet, but was sure he could tell. Talking to him about the fight with her friends had really helped, and Rose was grateful. She heard Norton ask Kauri about her when she approached, and felt her cheeks heat up. People had clearly noticed the two of them hanging out more, if they were asking questions. "Rose is here with Rose." She said, turning it into a joke. "But also happy to run into the current company." She said, glancing at Kauri with a small, shy, smile. Then she turned to Norton. "Can I help out here?"

 

[Tristan Collins]

Tristan thought the Wild Patch Club was a bit of a waste of space and resources on most days, but he did really appreciate the Pride event they hosted. It was nice, walking around and knowing other people there were like him and understood him. It was also nice to see which boys turned up, as it could be surprising. Tristan slipped into the Great Hall and observed for a moment from the sidelines. He wasn't a big fan of the activities, finding most a bit childish, but he did enjoy the general atmosphere. He walked around for a little while, smiling at everyone he knew. He made sure to stay away from Kauri, who was at the flower crown stand, and Hayley, who was talking to the host. He ended up near the face paint booth where two Professors were standing, and smiled politely at Professor Pendleton's joke. He wondered if that man stayed up at night to think of funny anecdotes to say the next day, as he always seemed to have something. "I'm sure you looked quite fetching with a rainbow on your face, Professor." He said, playing along with the joke with a small smile. "Hello, Professor Josephs." He added, nodding at his Ancient Runes professor with the same polite smile. But then his eye was caught by the boy doing the painting, and he realized it was someone Tristan didn't know. That was growing increasingly rare, and Tristan was immediately intrigued. He couldn't help himself. "If Professor Pendleton doesn't want one, I would go." He said, smiling at the boy. "I usually don't, but I might as well give it a go, right?" He now hoped the professor wouldn't suddenly insist on getting his face painted after all.

 

[Phoebe Holland]

Phoebe loved the Pride event, even if she had little interest in the Wild Patch Club. She grinned as she entered the great hall, and quickly scanned for any sign of Charlie. She hoped her girlfriend would show up. Then she wandered past some of the booths, looking around curiously. As she passed the flower crown stall, she waved at Rose and then took one with pink flowers on it, putting it on her head. Not her usual style, but it would look nice for the event. She then headed over and grabbed two flags, one rainbow and one with the lesbian flag. She then moved on, continuing to wander for a while. She ended up at the booth with the art, and looked at it all for a moment. Then she smiled at the young boy there. "What are you drawing?" She asked him as she pulled some paper towards herself. She used the art supplies to simply write "Phoebe was here!" In rainbow letters on the paper. She wasn't very artistic, but it was something to do.

 

[Hayley Elridge]

Hayley grinned and nodded at Ainsley. "Of course, you're busy. I'm sure you'll do a great job." She stepped away so the people who actually had questions could talk to Ainsley, a little disappointed to not get the chance to talk to her friend, but very aware of how important it was for people to have access to information like this. Ainsley was a good person to talk to about it, sweet and kind and encouraging, and Hayley was proud of her. Hayley caught a glimpse of Lizzie at the flag table, and noted that as something to avoid; fortunately she didn't feel any particular need for more pride badges at this point. She was over their breakup by now, but what she had learned about Lizzie during it made her prefer to never talk to her again. She turned to Harley. "So . . . art table?" This was a new addition to the celebrations, and one she knew both of them were eager to check out. There were already a couple of people there, but none of the ones Hayley wanted to avoid. Speaking of which . . . there was Rose, and a stain of regret on an otherwise pleasant time. Hayley really didn't want to fight with her, but she really couldn't see a way past her objections, a way to convince her that things would turn out all right. So for the moment she ignored her, and headed towards the art table with Harley.