thyinum

[thyinum]

sometimes it's noticeable how little english material there is on ukrainian society. like does anyone even know what it's like, in the broadest strokes? what do ukraine supporters imagine when they are told that russian-speaking ukrainians are just as ukrainian? some "community" that has to "integrate"? what do idiots imagine when they are told that ukraine "oppresses" russian speakers? ethnic strife? internal borders? parallel institutions? does anyone understand that there is NO meaningful distinction between "ukrainian-speaking" and "russian-speaking". in fact, these are not meaningful categories of people at all because very often they are one and the same person. any ukrainian can testify to that

[thyinum]

Male Scifi and Fantasy writers: Look at this !Strong! female character! She can fight and solve puzzles, and ends up with the sidekick not the hero! Isn’t she a great character?

Everyone:No, she’s one-dimensional and still only exists to please the hero’s ego

Male scifi and fantasy writers:You’re never happy! This is how characters are written! Besides, it’s much harder for us to write women because we are men!

Terry Pratchett: *creates a female character who is literally the embodyment of a dog, sets her up to be the love interest of Protagonist Hero Man.* *writes her as clever, emotionally tortured, lonely and powerful* *uses her to explore difficulties of bisexuality and masculine dominated workforces*

Terry Pratchett: *Creates a pair of old witches, one of whom is a virgin and the other who has slept with lots of men.* *makes them best friends, never dismisses one lifestyle of the other, explains lifestyle choices based on characters history and personality, uses this to develop each character as the books progress*

Terry Pratchett: *Writes Sybil Rankin* *makes the powerful rich lady heavy set but beautiful, never plays her by her looks, develops her as she ages, acknowledges the way society views such people and then spits on their attitudes* *does it again with Agnes*

Terry Pratchett: *Writes a book about an entire army secretly being women, creates complex female relationships, introduces same sex relationships completely naturally*

Terry Pratchett: *takes old joke about female dwarves and uses it to explore gender identity without making it seem forced or unnatural, carefully discusses some of the issues and complextities whilst still making funny and witty observasions and maintaining genuine fantasy tropes*

Terry Pratchett: *DOES THIS ALL OVER AND OVER AGAIN, DEVELOPING CHARACTERS AS HIS VIEW OF THE WORLD DEVELOPS AND CAREFULLY APOLOGIZES FOR EARLY MISTAKES*

[thyinum]

[thyinum]

do i feel better seeing support for ukraine from alaska? yes!

[thyinum]

After writing another piece for HumanAU with my galaxies I realised that it's also a Coffe Shop AU, but there's a teahouse instead of a coffee shop... So it's a Teahouse AU

[thyinum]

[thyinum]

Civilian prisoner Bohdan Kovalchuk, who spent 9 years in captivity, has been returned home

Russians captured him in 2016 when he tried to leave the occupied city of Yasynuvata to visit his grandmother in Toretsk. Bohdan was only 17 at the time.

The occupiers accused him of collaborating with the SBU and of car bombing and sentenced him to 10 years in prison. Three years later, in 2019, the Russians offered him and four other civilian hostages a pardon in exchange for their staying in the occupied Donetsk region. Bohdan refused and spent another 6 years in a Russian prison…

Until today, on August 14, 2025, he was returned home as part of a prisoner exchange.

This was reported to our colleagues from hromadske by Bohdan's grandmother, who waited for the long-awaited call and words: “I'm coming home”.

We rejoice with Bohdan Kovalchuk's family and congratulate him on his long-awaited return home.

At the same time, I remind you that Bohdan's story is another example of the crimes committed by Russians. They kidnap people in the occupied territories and keep them in captivity for years just because they remain loyal to Ukraine and refuse to cooperate with the enemy. Please don't forget about the civilians and soldiers who are still in captivity and help spread their stories.

[thyinum]

Get to know your mutuals

Thanks @tiger-manya for the tag!

1. Favorite color: at this moment it's purple I think

2. Last song: Federkleid by Faun

3. Currently reading: nothing, but I'm probably gonna grab The End of Everything: (Astrophysically Speaking) by Katie Mack to read at least when I'm on a bus or subway

4. Currently watching: too many Reddit stories readings on YouTube...

5. Currently craving: our pf2e game sessions............

Gently tagging @mrsheo @creampuffqueen @aether-link

[thyinum]

The way putin (war criminal) is gonna enter USA tomorrow freely and welcomed to meet with trump (convicted felon), but immigrants are the ones who are the problem and lawbreakers who need to be punished 💀💀💀

[thyinum]

Not immune to little ceramic animals

[thyinum]

Feeling brave enough today to post a piece of my writing about OCs.

Love from the first song

Word count: 1542

Original song:

Ratha threw a large basket full of tea leaves on his back and raised his head to the barrier. The neighboring and distant thays were already visible through it, indicating the start of an evening in Yaolan-in-Zhen itself. This time, he'd gone out to collect the leaves way too late... or perhaps he'd lost track of time?

He lightly tugged on the basket by its straps to check the weight. It was heavier than usual. He must have really gotten carried away.

He had to get home as soon as possible — leaves meant for green tea were not supposed to wilt too long. Ratha made sure he hadn't forgotten anything, and then finally started walking down to town. No one else joined — he must have been the last person to leave the fields. Ratha didn't mind, though — it was probably for the best. Right now, he wasn't in the mood for social interactions anyway. Just the idea of a conversation seemed draining.

The day was already ruined early in the morning — a nightmare roused him from sleep, drenching him in cold sweat. Even after hours of work, the heaviness inside did not go away, as if he was tangled in a strong, sticky black web of dreams and memories he could not break out of. Tonight would probably not be any better…

As he walked down the street past several houses, short of reaching a small square, he heard music. The sonorous flute poured out toward him, luring him to come and listen, to lose himself in it. But this time it had no effect on Ratha. If there were musicians on the square, most of the galaxies were likely gathered there. Everyone enjoyed their break from the workday like this: listening to music, dancing, treating each other to delicious food, sometimes even indulging in a glass of wine. He had nothing against it; on the contrary, he sometimes liked to sit with Fengge and enjoy some nice music. But not today. He wasn't in the mood and if he didn't hurry, the leaves he'd collected would be suitable only for red tea.

Ratha sighed and looked back. The road across the square was quicker to his house, but if he showed up there, there was a good chance he would run into Okhtar - no doubt drunk, clinging to him and refusing to let go. He would have to walk back, go around the houses and enter the yard through the back gate.

He took a step and then suddenly froze. The flute was replaced by a voice. A gentle, floral voice that Ratha could not recognize.

“Above the heather, in the first morning glow

Birds are going, where may they be tomorrow.”

How could he not recognize someone's voice? It made no sense. He knew everyone on this thay and the only ones who can travel. Who could it be, singing like this?

His feet turned him around and pulled toward the square.

“I follow the murmurs, the vibrations of the quiet moor.

Ancient songs come up through the mists.”

Now there were two voices, and he recognized Cuifen, but she was not the lead in this duet. He stepped out from behind the last house in front of the square and froze. There were certain privileges to being one of the tallest galaxies — he could see above the crowd. And when the one he was looking at was the tallest of all...

It was Eloth. It was she who sang with Cuifen.

“Come and fly away with us.

Let the wind carry you far away from this place!

Come and fly as high as you can.

Let's chase the sky in dance!”

When the flute in Naru's hands sang again, replacing the words, Eloth began to spin in a light dance. Even from this distance, Ratha could see that she had a bright smile on her face — her pink eyes sparkling with joy. A long braid followed her, while her skirt and wide sleeves responded to every movement with waves of shimmering folds.

Ratha could not take his eyes off Eloth, and she sang again.

“Mist like silk brushes so cold against my skin.

Further and further, where do I find what my longing's aiming for.”

Her voice, the sight of her — it all turned something inside him upside down, and for the first time in a long, long time, he felt a strange lightness in his soul. All the heavy thoughts and feelings were shattered, giving way to a soft warmth. It poured from the heart all over his body, melting the black webs, and with each passing second, not only his soul but also his body became freer. He wanted to dance with Eloth, too, even though he had hardly ever danced before.

Ratha did not understand what was happening to him and could not do anything about it. Although he didn't really want to.

“I close my eyes and sprout a feather dress.

I already feel the wind and make my wings wide.”

She waved her arms, and the wide sleeves followed, as if for a moment they had become real wings. For that same moment, he thought she really was going to take off.

“Come and fly away with us.

Let the wind carry you far away from this place!

Come and fly as high as you can.

Let's chase the sky in dance!”

Wen, who had been standing close to the musicians with Nethil, tore his gaze away from them and immediately came across Ratha. He raised his eyebrows, smiling in surprise, and patted his friend's hand.

"Ne-Ne, look at this!" he called with excitement.

Nethil turned around and, as soon as she saw Ratha, let out a long "Ohhh" and broke into a smile.

"Wow, would you look at that!" she said slyly, "Look at that pink tanzhou oh his face. And his eyes are practically sparkling and looking only at Eloth.”

“I think he's got pink in them, too," Wen snorted.

"You and I have witnessed a decisive moment. It seems that our Ratha has fallen in love.”

“As he finally should.”

Ratha didn't even notice they were looking at him and smiling with satisfaction. His attention was focused on Eloth, who was spinning with Cuifen and Naru. Finally they stopped and started singing again.

“The sky in you, how can I know it, how can I see it.

We dance in flight, as the stars plot their course.

Come and fly away with us.

Let the wind carry you far away from this place!

Come and fly as high as you can.

Let's chase the sky in dance!”

Eloth was a song, and the song was Eloth. Her voice was a gentle breeze pouring towards Ratha, carrying the sweet scent of flowers, breathing strength into his exhausted body. His heart was already beating to the beat of the music, to the beat of her every movement. As soon as she stopped singing, she would start twirling again in a simple but sincere dance. Being the largest galaxy, Eloth was mesmerizing in her lightness. It seemed that the number of stars in her did not weigh her down at all, and Ratha could not remember ever feeling the same way. Light and free.

The music slowly stopped, and so did Eloth. She breathed deeply and smiled broadly, trying to focus her gaze. When she did, the first person she looked at, ironically, was Ratha. They looked into each other's eyes for a brief moment, but during that time, everything inside Ratha had managed to turn upside down several times in a row. Eloth's smile seemed to grow wider... and why was that?

"You sing so well!" Cuifen gasped, hugging Eloth by the waist. "I’m so glad I talked you into trying.”

“It's a bit of a surprise that everyone liked it so much," Eloth said shyly.

"And how much Ratha liked it, oh my," Nethil said quietly.

"I wonder if he's going to stay or go home," Wen said thoughtfully, watching Ratha trying to come back to reality and figure out what to do with himself.

"Judging by the basket, he has tea leaves in it," Nethil answered, "and he loves tea almost more than anything else. Let's put it this way: if he chooses tea, there’s little hope, and if he stays, it's only a matter of time before he and Eloth get together.”

“Why are you so sure that Eloth will fall in love too?" Wen arched one eyebrow slightly.

"Didn't you see the way she looked at Ratha? I'm telling you, she feels something towards him too.”

Wen huffed in response, but couldn't help but agree.

Meanwhile, Cuifen persuaded Eloth to sing at least one more of the songs they had been practicing together. The musicians began to prepare to play again, and Ratha finally moved, attracting the attention of Nethil and Wen. At first it seemed that he was about to leave, but then he reached a high fence, took the basket off his shoulders, and lowered it to the ground. After stretching his neck, he turned to the musicians and Eloth. He had decided to stay after all.

Wen and Nethil smiled broadly and shared a victorious glance.

[thyinum]

Take of the day: on opinions about disarment, I trust people who had experience with war more than unbombed folks.

What makes me not believe in absolute pacifism. It is easy to sit down drinking cappuccino/IPA/dubai labubu matcha with working electricity and no air raid alarm, and talk about all those high culture concepts of no borders and no weapons, in the center of empire. Secret is, when you are actively invaded every so often, you cannot afford giving up your means of self defense.

Great example of it is Budapest Memorandum. Before, Ukraine had the third biggest nuclear potential in the world. President Kuchma gave them up for a promise that the land will stay untouched, and borders will stay protected.

In 2014, russia invaded in Ukraine. In 2022, russia did it officially. We remember Volnovakha, Bucha, Mariupol, Bahmut, Irpin. Spiderweb helped to take down multiple bomb airplanes, reducing russia’s means of shelling civilians. If Ukraine had not had any military, there would not be Ukraine anymore.

If you live at heart of empire, it is arrogant to expect invaded countries give up their weapons. If you want demilitarization, make empires do it first.

[thyinum]

It's always "Ukraine has to give up territory" and never "russia needs to get out of Ukraine" huh

[thyinum]

If Ukraine has no choice but to accept “de facto” occupation — that’s because WE failed.

Not because Ukrainians failed, not because some mysterious “shit happened”, but because for years we ignored all the warnings, repeated all the mistakes of history, kicked the can down the road and refused to do what it takes to defend the rules and principles that enable sustainable peace and prosperity. This is on us.

We are the architects of this de facto defeat, so now we are trying to pretend it came out of nowhere and we did the best we could to stop it. In a spectacular display of unbombed westsplaining, Mark Rutte is suggesting that everything will be OK in the long run, like it was OK in the Baltic States after decades of de facto occupation by jolly old Uncle Joe Stalin.

Well, I have shrugged off a lot of dumb hot takes about my country over the last few years, but this one is literally sickening. Rutte is revealing that the latest genius 5D chess move to save Ukraine is to casually throw millions of people into a black hole of oppression, torture, rape, kidnapping, murder and destruction of national identity — “de facto, but not de jure”.

And the proponents of this plan will keep a straight face while they cite the misery of the occupation of the Baltic States as a shining example that Ukraine should happily walk into.

In his FT column, Gideon Rachman says little to fill the gap in Rutte’s world view: "The Soviet Union’s annexation of the Baltic states after 1940 was never legally recognised by the US and most European countries. But it was a fact of life, until, eventually, the Baltic states regained their independence."

Yikes, let’s unpack that. The occupation wasn’t “a fact of life”, it was a fact of death. “Eventually” was after decades of deportations, killing, grinding terror and violent attempts to turn everybody into russians. “Regained their independence” was being crushed under Gorbachev’s tanks while western leaders pleaded with us to give up our fight for freedom.

So… this is the path to peace we are supposed to offer to Ukraine with a smile? These are the glorious new security guarantees that will erase the shame of the Budapest Agreement and allow Ukrainians to have faith in the future?

There are even US Ambassadors talking about how countries can “earn” certain territories and therefore presumably “deserve” them. Would it be paranoid of me to wonder if we just opened the door for Russia to “earn” Narva and Vilnius “de facto”?

[thyinum]

its insane how you literally can't talk about the oppression caucasians face (what was the last time you read about the genocide or imperialist aggression caucasian people went through? actually?) without an american/westerner piping up with "umm... lol... you think White people are oppressed? lol"

Isn't it crazy how people use caucasian to make fun of white people while literally Completely erasing the struggles of a racialized group? Isn't it crazy how no one cares and people keep doing it without batting an eye? And isn't it crazy when you try to look up something about caucasians you get stupid ass articles about "are white people opressed or not? are white people entitled? are white people this or that?"

[thyinum]

Was feelingbad about my art until i read the tags

[thyinum]

the horrors persist but my friends write beautiful fanfic