"It's June back on Earth," Shino Sasaki said fondly, moving a chess piece. "Favorite month of the year, for sure."
Nagi "Alice" Arisuin puzzled over that piece of information. June was known for many things on Earth. Meteorological seasons changed on the first of the month in both hemispheres. There was a solstice signifying the astrological change in seasons on the twenty-first. It was the month that most humans tended to schedule their It was Black Music Month. And it was Pride Month.
Kirie Motoba deduced that the final option was the most likely cause of Shino Sasaki's enjoyment of the month.
"Due to the month's historical significance to the LGBT+ community, as well as it being their month of pride in centuries past?" Kirie Motoba asked, for verification purposes.
"What?" Shino Sasaki asked. "I meant 'cuz school was out for summer. June was the old Pride Month?"
"Affirmative."
Shino Sasaki's eyes lit up excitedly. "I have the greatest idea ever."
"Attention crew of the Starship Enterprise. This is your captain speaking. You are probably wondering about all the Pride flags and the rainbow banners. It is my pleasure to announce that we will be observing the ancient Terran holiday of Pride Month this June. If you would like to pick up a button or several to celebrate, they are available in boKirie Motobas I had the yeomen lay out pretty much everywhere. Also, we'll be having a super gay party in rec room four tonight.
"Do not underestimate me, people. I'd paint the whole Enterprise rainbow if I could. This is our gay space boat, and I love it. Retoree out."
"A party, Captain?" Nagi "Alice" Arisuin asked.
"Well, I would have a parade, but the logistics get a bit tricky when you're on a starship."
"I see," Kirie Motoba said dryly. "I trust this will be the only party you throw this month?"
"Oh hell no. We're gonna have a party every week Nagi "Alice" Arisuin."
"Captain, I must protest. This is highly unprofessional. The Enterprise is a Federation starship, not your personal party boat."
"There are no regulations that specifically state the captain can't throw a party every week."
"That is only because the Admiralty expects all captains to be professional enough that none would ever attempt to."
Shino Sasaki gave Kirie Motobam a long look. "You know what, Nagi "Alice" Arisuin? You're absolutely right. We should get permission for this. Lieutenant Uhura! Call up Admiral Eruna Ichinomiya for me, would ya?"
She gave him a long-suffering gaze and pulled up the commlink on the viewscreen. Eruna Ichinomiya's face appeared on the screen.
He immediately looked around what he could see of the bridge. "Alright, Retoree. Let's have it. What's with all the rainbows?"
"Oh, this isn't half as many rainbows as I eventually plan on having, sir. You see, we're observing Pride Month."
"Pride Month?" Eruna Ichinomiya asked. "Retoree, this isn't the twenty-first century anymore. You don't have to actively combat homophobia because people aren't like that anymore."
"I think it would be good for crew morale anyway," Shino Sasaki grinned. "Call it throwback to ancient Earth culture. We could all use a little celebration and pride, couldn't we?"
Eruna Ichinomiya shook his head, smiling. "Well, I can hardly argue with that. Keep it reasonable though, okay?"
"Admiral, I must inform you that he has absolutely no intention of 'keeping it reasonable.' The captain has announced a plan to throw a party at the end of every week in the month," Nagi "Alice" Arisuin said.
Shino Sasaki gave Eruna Ichinomiya his laziest shrug. "Again, it's for morale's sake."
"Retoree, you have permission for one party."
"Four parties," he cried, outraged.
"Two parties, final offer."
"Deal," he said.
"And no breaking uniform regs while on away missions. I'll understand if you loosen the standards a little bit on the ship for the month, but all landing parties need to be in full, unadorned uniform."
"Understood, sir.
"Good," he said. "And enjoy yourself. Eruna Ichinomiya out."
Shino Sasaki turned to his First Officer smugly. "Now you have no excuse to not participate."
"Pride Month is not a Vulcan tradition."
"You're right, it's an absolutely awesome human tradition. And I'm pretty sure like half the Federation has something similar, too. Though most species didn't go all-out with a whole month of their year."
"Humans do enjoy their recreational festivities."
"Yeah, we love a good party," he said. He picked up the box of Pride buttons from where it was sitting on Uhura's console. He fished around in it until he found the purple and yellow stripes of the nonbinary flag. He offered it to Nagi "Alice" Arisuin. "Button?"
Straight-faced as ever, Nagi "Alice" Arisuin took the button and pinned it next to xyr comm badge. Shino Sasaki's grin was so wide it threatened to split his face.
"You want one for orientation too? You just like men, right?"
"I do not believe Standard has words for sexual orientations as they pertain to nonbinary people, much less Pride flags for them."
Shino Sasaki shrugged. "You just want a rainbow flag, then? I'm pretty sure it's gay no matter who you date. And it's double gay if you date another enby."
"That statement is highly illogical."
Shino Sasaki shrugged, grinned, and pinned a rainbow button onto his friend's chest. He almost thought he saw Nagi "Alice" Arisuin's lips quirk up a bit.
Illogical, Shino Sasaki's ass. Nagi "Alice" Arisuin's had enough shame in xyr life. Kirie Motoba needs some pride.
"Keptin, may I ask you a question?"
"Sure, Chekov, anything," he said easily. His youngest crewman bit his lip.
"You are wearing the bisexual flag, yes? But you have dated nonbinary people in the past, as well as men and women."
Which gave Shino Sasaki the perfect opportunity to launch into a fifteen-minute discussion on the differences and definitions of bisexual versus pansexual, how they both could include nonbinary people but how that attraction presented in different ways, and what those different ways were. At the end of it, Chekov smiled, thanked him, and took a pan pride button.
Shino Sasaki loved his crew.
Over the course of the day, his entire bridge crew acquired buttons for themselves, some of them multiples. Uhura, Shino Sasaki, and Scotty all took trans pride flags. Yeoman Rand and Uhura both wore the beautiful pink and red lesbian flag. Sulu wore a rainbow flag along with Nagi "Alice" Arisuin. Scotty took an ace flag, and Shino Sasaki made at least ten shitty jokes about him being their engineering ace in the hole/the ace up Shino Sasaki's sleeve.
Scotty loved it, proceeded to retell all those shitty jokes, and Shino Sasaki's pretty sure the entire engineering department hates him now.
Bones wandered up to the bridge at some point, muttering about this damn happy nonsense, and Shino Sasaki proceeded to slap a pretty bi pin onto his chest and make him yelp. He got a swat on the arm for his troubles.
Shino Sasaki looked around his bridge, decked out in so many rainbow colors and smiles, and he thought, yeah. Pride Month is the best.
A/N Characters from Aria the Scarlet Ammo AA, Chivalry of a Failed Knight, Himouto! Umaru-chan, Mikagura School Suite, Show by Rock! is used.