#arm ukrainian queers

[tomorrowusa]

Kyiv Pride couldn't be held in Kyiv because of the unprovoked war started by homophobe Vladimir Putin. Last year it took place in Warsaw and this year Liverpool was the remote host.

Liverpool hosted LGBTQ+ campaigners from Ukraine in a gesture of solidarity and friendship as thousands joined the city’s annual Pride parade on Saturday. The organisers of Liverpool Pride offered to host KyivPride in place of Ukraine’s capital, where the annual march has been unable to go ahead following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Liverpool welcomed Ukrainian activists for the parade on Saturday, which comes after Liverpool stepped in to host the Eurovision Song Contest on behalf of last year’s champions Ukraine in May.

Cheers to Liverpool for being Ukraine-friendly! 🍻👍🏼🇺🇦

Edward Reese, a spokesperson from KyivPride, travelled from Ukraine’s capital to Liverpool to take part in the city’s Pride events, along with other members of the group. “We are marching together for Ukraine, for freedom, to remind the world and the UK that the war is not over,” he said. He described the relationship between Liverpool and Ukraine as “an amazing friendship” and added: “Liverpool is a very welcoming and friendly and warm city so we are happy that we are here.”

Yep, wars don't go away just because people in third countries get bored with them. A spiteful Putin continues his terror attacks on Ukraine despite the fact that he must know by now he can't win the war.

Andi Herring, chief executive and co-founder of Liverpool City Region Pride Foundation, said it was important for people in Liverpool to show solidarity with members of the LGBT+ community in Ukraine and around the world. She said: “LGBT+ people are a global community, and that’s why it is crucial that we ‘Shout It Loud’ in solidarity with all LGBT+ people across the world. “We are honoured to be hosting KyivPride this year and standing alongside the work they do in Ukraine for our community. “Of course, it would be hard to forget our reasons behind hosting Eurovision and the lasting bond with Ukraine that will remain with us.”

A great sign from the event.

Putin's war is not just against Ukraine, it is an assault on the entire concept of 21st century modernity. That includes LGBTQ+ rights. Defeating Putin would therefore be a victory for the queer community.

[panimoonchild]

Love wins all in Ukraine and beyond

Even in the darkest time our people find a way to express their love, care and courage to each other. And our people like that Ukrainian descent man in France keep supporting and reminding of us everywhere. We see you. Respect you. Please keep spreading our voices and donate to our army (savelife.in.ua, prytulafoundation.org, Serhii Sternenko and ptahy.vidchui.org).

[jklovesfandoms]

Someone should've reminded me to not watch rtc at night, bc now my brain is running, and sleep is unnecessary!

Anyways, currently thinking about how sad it'd be for the Blackwood's to rename the cafe. It's Constance's Cafe now.

I think her parents wouldn't let Jane Doe leave. They'd push for the body to be identified.

Ocean and Mischa might not have gotten funerals (just look at their family situations), but they'd be buried side by side with Constance. Praises being sung as high on their gravestones as they are on the Blackwood's daughter's.

The choir is buried together, 4/6 of the graves were funded by the Blackwood's. Their daughter, her BFF forever, the Ukrainian boy their daughter spoke so highly of, and Jane Doe "This dream of life is never ending", Ricky and Noel are buried beside them as well.

The Blackwood's wouldn't let their names be forgotten, or burnt to the ground.

They create a help group for queer teenagers. It's named Noel's Room. The Blackwood's provide resources, such as binders, packers, bras, etc, and even create a shelter for homeless queer youth. They call it Noel's Home, and they never turn a person in need away.

The Blackwood's stand at Ricky's funeral, trying to cry as quietly as they can, as the Pott's family breaks their vow of silence.

The Blackwood's increase the pricing slightly at the cafe. So they can more than afford to donate 30% of profits to a research foundation about Ricky's condition. They donate another 30% to Noel's Room and Home. 20% is donated to finding children good homes. Whether the child was adopted, or is in a neglectful home, the foundation they donate to makes sure that the child gets into a better life.

Constance's Cafe closes, every year, on September 14th. The family holds a memorial for their six saints.

A girl joins them the second year.

The family welcomes her with open arms, as she weeps over the graves of her lost friends.

The third year, she tells stories.

"Constance would want you to know, that she's so sorry if she seemed bitter before she died. She is so proud of you." The girl says, as if being told what to say on the spot. The Blackwood's surround her in a family hug, and even if they can't see it, the teenagers whose memories they uplift surround them, with one specific ghostly Blackwood standing right next to the girl conveying her words.

[ohsalome]

Saw a post accusing one of my mutuals of being a fascist for having "Slava Ukraini" in their title, and wanted to make some things clear

Words change meaning over time. A phrase can have a meaning that is different from the one it had a century ago. (Just look at the evolution of the word "queer" in english language). A continuous usage of a phrase in a certain context changes its associations. And novadays "Slava Ukraini" is a phrase associated with modern democratic Ukraine's struggle for independence, not with UPA. Otherwise I wouldn't think I'd see so many polish people, who were the main victims of UPA, use it to express their support of us fighting against russia.

And let's get another fact straight, "Slava Ukraini" wasn't invented by UPA, only appropriated by them.

In conclusion: to accuse a ukrainian of being a fascist for using a phrase that was used by nationalists at some point is as ridiculous as accusing us of being slave traders for having a trident as a coat of arms

[transmechanicus]

Hey you reblogged some vatnik propaganda that was like:

Durr Hurr the Ukrainians are untrustworthy nazis Herpa Derp they will betray NATO boopy doopy the counter offensive will fail!

So now I have to go on an Adderall fueled essay to counter it:

The Ukrainian combined armed forces, like any modern military, is made of relatively normal people. Thus they need food, weapons, supplies, and reassurances that their families are safe. NATO nations have blatantly provided all those materials and taken in the families of soldiers. NATO members have also arranged supply pipelines to the frontline that will last for years. Furthermore, commanding Officers in the UA have been recieving accurate intelligence from NATO analysts.

I'm not a professional sociologist/psychologist but I do believe that close cooperation which yields positive outcomes does result in closer social bonds between participants. Those kinds of bonds will prevent people from harming each other. It's a fact that Ukraine has yet to invade Poland while the Wagner Group attempted to arrest political opponents on their own side. So I'd say the West's logistics & loyalty between it's proxies is better than the East right now.

All of this isn't enough to make fortified trenches and mine fields disappear overnight. That would take months of organized operations, which are possible because of the factors listed above.

Back to the subject of Betrayal: I will admit it is possible for NATO Nations and "Western" Ukraine to break up:

NATO support could be taken away if the majority of western European leadership suddenly became Pro-Russian American-style Libertarians, like what happened in the UK or the USA. And the Ukrainian armed forces could turn on NATO if the Russians were right and the defenders of the Zelensky regime were actually satanic, queer, far-right, Zionist nationalists thirsting for blood for their bioweapons and any European or American will do.

Only in those realities could such betrayals occur. Notice that the former situation is possible through Russian influence. The latter was (might still be) a major talking point in Russian state media.

Imperialism and war crimes are bad. It's bad when the United States does it, it's bad when Russia does it, it's bad when any country does it. It's bad like the plague.

The Russian Federation's stated objective is the assimilation of Ukraine. So blaming the U.S. Military-Industrial Complex for supplying Ukrainians with weapons seems like... I don't know. Like blaming a venomous snake for your Bubonic Plague infection, which you got from a rat?

The point of the original post I reblogged was "We're giving a lot of fucking guns to a country whose military is positively infested with blatant, actual Nazis, and when NATO/The US military industrial complex no longer sees any benefit in supporting Ukraine against Russia, these cunts specifically are going to be very fucking pissed off about it and will turn those weapons on those they see as their betrayers". This is not a huge leap of logic, and also I am neither a historian nor a political scientist who actually has the time, the fucks, or the platform to justify a Propaganda Check on my one monthly post about the Ukraine conflict. I am simply Some Cunt Online, i hope every Ukrainian trooper with a fuckin SS badge eats their sidearm as soon as possible, and furthermore Carthage Must Be Destroyed.

[sunnydaleherald]

The Sunnydale Herald Newsletter, Wednesday, April 17

BUFFY: So, you've been seeing a guy, and you don't know what he looks like? Okay, this is a puzzle. No, wait, I'm good at these. Does it involve a midget and a block of ice?

~~BtVS 1x08 “I, Robot... You, Jane~~

[Drabbles & Short Fiction]

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You’re my always, Chapter 4/4 (Willow/Tara, T) by ronanceisrxmance

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[l4m3nt]

Mischa 'IN MY COUNTRY IT IS-' Bachinski

Noel had always wanted tragedy. 

He didn’t know why. He had just always found it beautiful. This was punctuated by his fantasies of being Monique Gibeau, a hooker who in every situation Noel came up with, suffered some terrible event. It felt nice to escape into a fantasy that was more exciting than his real life.

But those fantasies didn’t matter much when he was dead. 

Stuck in limbo with his fellow choir members, Noel often tried to fall back into his fantasies. It didn't work though. He was always distracted.

When he imagined Monique taking a lover who would then leave her for dead in the middle of the night, the man always had the deepest brown eyes.

When he imagined Monique being approached by a man at the bar, he was always tall and strong.

When he imagined Monique being on the other end a man trying to convince her to come home with him, the man always had a deep voice and a foreign accent.

Whenever he imagined anything it was always Mischa, Mischa, Mischa.

And the thing is, he had had a crush on the ukrainian boy back when they were alive. So this was nothing new, but it was infinitely more frustrating when Mischa was one of the only people he could talk with. 

“Noel Gruber!”

Noel was snapped out of his musing, turning to see Mischa jogging towards him. ‘Fuck’ he thought. There was no way he was going to survive with how much he and Mischa were talking. 

Mischa sat down next to him on the couch, looking so excited he could be compared to a golden retriever. “Noel! Can you do something for me?”

Noel smiled, “Sure, Misch. What is it?”

"Can you kiss me?”

Noel froze. “What?”

Mischa didn’t seemed to be disencouraged. “I am 99% sure of something, I want to make sure I am 100%. Ricky refuses to help me.” He moved so that he had a knee on the couch and was leaning over Noel.

“You’re being even more vague now. Just explain it to me.” Noel adjusted so that both his legs were on the couch, making it easier to back away. 

Mischa sat down on legs, which Noel doubted was comfortable. “I think I am thing where you like girls and boys. Want to test it with someone, and Ricky said no. You are only other boy.”

Noel immediately felt a wave of something wash over him. Anger, maybe. Probably remorse as well. “Mischa, I know you’re probably heartbroken about Talia, but that doesn’t mean you have to find a distraction.”

Mischa shook his head, a new, determined look on his face. “No, not it. Have accepted I can no longer have Talia. I just want to test this.”

Now Noel was just pissed. “Even so, you can’t just use me to settle your sexuality crisis. What happens if you turn out to not be queer? That 99% could all be theoretical.”

“No it is not. I am almost sure because normal things with certain boys make me, ah, fuzzy. Like how brushing hands with girl makes some boys excited. I just have never actually done anything with a boy.” Mischa seemed to be sweating, because he was wiping his palms on his pants.

“I don’t want to just be your confirmation that you're bisexual or whatever.” Noel looked over to the side. Ocean and Constance were a little farther away, and probably trying to listen. Ricky was with them but he looked more focused on Mischa, an almost worried look on his face.

Mischa huffed out and Noel could see out of the corner of his eye that he looked almost frustrated. “I promise, you will not be. You trust me, yes?”

“Fine, sure.” Noel fully faced him again and crossed his arms over his chest. Was he making this difficult? Yes. Did he care? No.

The Ukrainian’s eyes widened, like he was surprised Noel accepted. “Oh, okay.”

They sat like that for a beat, neither of them moving. Noel rolled his eyes, “Are you gonna do anything? I told you you could kiss me.”

“Yes. Just… nervous. I think.” Mischa sat down on his legs. He wasn’t looking at Noel anymore.

“Oh my fucking…” Noel grabbed Mischa's face and kissed him. The double-edged sword of being the only gay guy in a small town is that while you may get shunned, you may also get a lot of practice from closeted guys who want to fuck around with someone they know isn’t likely to turn them down

The kiss didn’t last too long. Noel just wanted to get it over with. He was ready for Mischa to throw himself back and realize that he was not, in fact, attracted to men. 

When the kiss was over, Mischa sat completely still. Noel’s hands were still on his face, making it so Noel could feel the way the other boy’s face heated up.  He could see it, too, with the way Mischa’s cheeks started to turn slightly pink.

“Well? You alright, Mischa?” Noel asked. Mischa blinked but still didn’t say anything. Noel lightly smacked him which seemed to wake him up a bit.

“A-ah. I am fine. Can you kiss me again?” Mischa licked his lips. Noel was starting to wonder if he had really fallen for this same joke again. You’d think he would have known better by now.

But Noel was nothing if not a bit weak once something started. He kissed Mischa again, and this time the other boy kissed back. Noel felt Mischa move his hands to his hips. Noel moved his own hands to Mischa’s shoulders.

They didn’t realize they were getting a bit heated until they were separated by someone. They both looked over and surely enough, Ocean was there with the most appalled look on her face. “You both need to chill! There are other people here, oh my god!”

Noel started laughing and apparently it was contagious, since Mischa started giggling. Ocean groaned and walked back to where she had been sitting with Constance. Mischa spoke in between his giggles, “I’m surprised she didn’t try to stop it earlier.”

“Me too. Maybe she was stuck in shock.” Noel smiled. He would never admit that hearing Mischa giggle made him feel like he had butterflies in his stomach. “Well, did that answer your question?”

Mischa looked him in the eyes. Noel thought his heart skipped a beat. “Yeah. I liked the kiss during your song, but I thought maybe that was just in my head from Karnak. If it was, I still like boys either way.’”

“Oh, really? Did you like the slap too?” Noel asked, a grin on his face. He expected Mischa to laugh or roll his eyes. Instead, he looked as if he had been caught. His eyes were wide and he didn’t have a smile any more.

Noel started laughing again, “Oh my god, you did!” Mischa put his head in the crook of Noel’s neck and said “Shut up.” though it came out very muffled. 

Over with the others, Ricky had a self satisfied look on his face, Ocean had puffed up cheeks and Constance had an amused smile on her face.

“Told you. Mischa may be the lover boy, but Noel has experience.” Ricky said. Ocean groaned.

“I know! I just thought that if Mischa was going to beeline his way over there he would at least be able to follow through if Noel accepted.” Ocean crossed her arms and scrunched up her nose.

Constance giggled, “Well, he never has thought things through, has he?”

[aroacemisha]

[Updated OCs & world/setting info post]

The universe these characters are in consists of our regular world and a magical realm, with travel between the two being possible, increasingly so in recent times. Some people and descendants of people originally from the regular world live in the magical realm, enough to populate at least one city.

(Here's some info about various characters)

Yevgeny "Zhenya" Tsaritsyn (he/him, she/her, it/its): early 20s, Russian, ambiamorous pan aegosexual, demiboy. ADHD.

He comes from a religious conservative family, and as a teen, he was kicked out of home when his parents found out he was queer and an atheist. Through pure luck, Lev happened to come across him and brought him to the magical realm and helped him get a place to stay, where he still lives to this day. Meanwhile, Lev has become a mentor and a father figure to him.

At one point later in life, Zhenya lost his entire left arm, which is now replaced by an advanced prosthetic. He has been working out and doing combat training for a while now, and after losing his arm he has been training both with and without the prosthetic, so if he ever has to work without it, he doesn't become lost, not knowing what to do without both arms.

He also plays bayan (a type of accordion).

Joseph "Joey" Lebedenko (he/him): early 20s, Ukrainian American, omni demisexual, cis. Autistic.

He's studying culinary arts, and he's also good at drawing. He speaks Ukrainian fairly well and loves to visit his Ukrainian grandparents. He's also Jewish, and he plays ukulele. He's friends with Zhenya.

Lev Sapozhnik (he/him): 40s (technically much older), Russian, achillean arospec asexual, trans. Autistic.

He's a powerful magic user, who was born in the mid 1920s and used to be a Soviet supersoldier known as the Red Hope (ru: Красная Надежда; translit: Krasnaya Nadezhda), mainly serving during WWII. He defected in the mid 1950s and later went missing during a storm at sea. He was presumed dead for decades, until he was found in the late 2000s in a sort of "frozen" state and then unfrozen. The reason he wasn't found sooner is because he was only searched for in the regular world, while he actually ended up in the magical realm.

In present day, he's not affiliated with any nation state in the regular world, and he lives in the magical realm. He explicitly opposes the current Russian government, which they are unhappy about, since they want him back in their military, and they don't want him to potentially inspire currently depoliticized Russians to actively oppose the government.

He's fluent in Russian, German and English, can speak some Georgian, and is learning Spanish. He also plays guitar and is skilled at drawing and sewing. He's a regular at the cafe Cyrus works at and is friends with him.

Desmond Yang (he/him): 40s, Chinese, bi, cis. ADHD.

He's a mage. He's multilingual. He's a historian and a linguist, and he's the owner of a library in the magical realm, which contains books in several languages. He has translated multiple books into other languages, and he has some original writing projects of his own. He's also friends with Lev.

Marco Gromov (he/him): 31 y/o, Russian Argentinian, bi aceflux, cis. Autistic, ADHD.

His name is technically Marcos, but he has largely dropped the 'S' at the end. He wears glasses with purple lenses. Technology and clean/renewable energy are big special interests of his, and he's currently trying to create more efficient solar panels, being quite skilled with tech. He's also dating Luna.

Luna Rosado (they/them, she/her): 30 y/o, Dominican, pan, transfem non-binary. Autistic.

They're a mage, and they're also a pretty good artist. Their special interest is astronomy, and they know how to find out what position stars and planets were in at different points in time. Another interest of theirs is plants, particularly flowers. They have a few fidget necklaces. They're also dating Marco.

Reynaldo Rosado (he/him): early to mid 50s, Dominican, aroace, cis. Autistic.

He's the father of Luna. He realized he was aroace after he and Melania already had Luna, and while they chose to get divorced, they remained friends. Luna largely stayed with him, and he's a kind and supportive father to them. He's also good at cooking.

Melania Espinosa (she/her): early to mid 50s, Dominican, straight, cis.

She's the mother of Luna. She remained in Luna's life after the divorce. She eventually got married again, and her new spouse turned out to be a trans woman. They chose to stay married, since both still found their relationship fulfilling, and she still loved her wife despite not normally being attracted to women. They have two daughters together.

Lilah Swift (she/her): late 40s/early 50s, Australian, sapphic cupiosexual, trans. Autistic, ADHD.

She's the wife of Melania, who she has two daughters with. She chose not to do voice training and has a higher masculine voice. History has always been an interest of hers, and she has a PhD in it, but in recent years she has also become interested in specifically Russian history, in part due to meeting Lev.

Samantha "Sam" Espinosa (she/her, they/them): 14-15 y/o, Dominican Australian, omni, demigirl. ADHD.

Daughter of Melania and Lilah, half-sister of Luna and older twin sister of Viv. She works out, and she likes to play fight and compete with her cousin Howie.

Viviana-Rocio "Viv" Espinosa (she/her): 14-15 y/o, Dominican Australian, sapphic, cis. Autistic.

Daughter of Melania and Lilah, half-sister of Luna and younger twin sister of Sam. Wears braces. She loves frogs and is generally interested in learning about nature.

Cyrus Swift (he/him): mid to late 50s, Australian, gay demiromantic asexual, genderqueer/genderless, intersex. Autistic, ADHD.

He's the older brother of Lilah. He can shapeshift into a cougar. He retains his sharp fangs and ability to purr even in human form. He has scars on the right side of his face and his right arm, which he got during a fight in his cougar form. He's partners with Steven and they have two children together. He works as a bartender at a café, and he sometimes performs as a drag queen.

Steven E. Burns (he/him): mid 50s, Jamaican, pan acespec, trans. Autistic.

He's Cyrus's partner. He has been living in the magical realm with Cyrus and the kids for many years. He enjoys working out and is still in good physical shape. He works as a P.E. teacher at a local school. He also plays guitar.

Kimberly Swift-Burns (she/her): 18-19 y/o, Jamaican Australian, lesbian, genderqueer. Autistic.

She's the daughter of Cyrus and Steven. Her main interests are history and literature, with her picking up the former from her aunt Lilah.

Howard "Howie" Swift-Burns (he/him): 16 y/o, Jamaican Australian, achillean aroacespec, cis. Autistic.

He's the son of Cyrus and Steven. He has an interest in mechanical engineering and tech. He works out and is practicing hand-to-hand combat. He also plays guitar, having learned it from Steven.

Melissa "Missy" Ito (they/them): 28 y/o, Japanese American, bi, genderqueer, intersex.

They're a journalist working for a reputable small to mid size left-leaning outlet, and they are also a good photographer. They have interviewed both Lev and Marco before.

Harley Fisher (they/them, ze/zir): early to mid 20s, Canadian, aromantic bisexual, transmasc genderfluid.

They're a small to mid size streamer, mainly streaming video games. They're also Jewish.

Andreas Marinos (he/him): 31 y/o, Greek, ambiamorous gay, cis.

He can transform into a mermaid, and he has water powers (hydrokinesis), as well as magical singing. He has a passion for theater and is himself an actor/performer. He's also dating Lorenzo and Ozan.

Lorenzo D'Amore (he/him): 30 y/o, Italian American, polyamorous omni, cis.

He's fluent in both English and Italian. He's a singer and theater actor/performer, working alongside his boyfriends Andreas and Ozan. He also plays the saxophone, and he's into 70s fashion.

Ozan Yilmaz (he/him): 31 y/o, Turkish, polyamorous gay, cis.

He's mainly a DJ and generally works with sound equipment, though he is also a singer and theater actor/performer. He works alongside his boyfriends Andreas and Lorenzo. He's a lover of light up shoes and tacky colorful clothes.

Brenda O'Connor (she/her): 50s, British, aromantic, cis.

She has healing powers. She's also a highly skilled surgeon, specializing in several kinds of surgery. She was the one who performed Lev's top surgery.

[This post may be updated later]

[magnificentunknownarbiter]

No Self-Respecting Leftist Supports Putin's Russia

Before I get a bunch of hard-lined Marxist and neo-bolshevik brainrot...here's some facts

The entire queer community is considered a terrorist organization under the Russian federation.

There are anarchist partisan detachments fighting in Ukraine, as well as local cells made up of Russian citizens committing acts of sabotage against the Russian Police and Armed forces (Research BOAK)

Russia has armed even more far right elements in order to bolster their ranks in the conflict. I'm not just talking about Wagner. Explicitly far right factions, such as Rusich Group and the Imperial Legion, are directly armed, trained, and funded by the Kremlin.

Putin has aligned himself with far right local parties in order to quell protests and resistance.

Zelensky may be a NATO puppet, but Russia is full-blown fascist. Ukrainians are not wrong for not wanting their own puppet replaced with another.

[dead-dog-dont-eat]

hi hi hi! :) srry 2 be a bother but I am a HUGE ben 10 fan as well & couldn't help but notice that you had a whole theme going on rn (lol)

anyway, for starters, but do you have hcs on any of the aliens from the show (specifically POC and/or LGBTQ+)? Don't wanna pressure u obviously - but I think that ur cool (in an autism way) and I just wanna hear your hcs.

OMG, anon, this is so sweet of you to say 😭😭😭????? Also, ty for acknowledging my account theme of my wife (lol) tbh, I have been bored lately and I WAS about to post some text wanting to talk to someone about some random-ass questions or headcanons about ben 10, and you've beaten me to it :D

Also, to answer your question...yes, I have headcanons to both POC (and non-POC) and queer headcanons!!

(Also, funny enough, but I have seen @/redisloser show THEIR version of hcs for the aliens--so I might as well show mine)

-XLR8 is of Asian descendant (specifically Korean, Thai, and Vietnamese), and he is gay, non-monogamous, and reciprosexual.

-Bullfrag is of Italian-American heritage (so white) and is from Boston and Philadelphia, and is bisexual; Attea is also from Italian heritage and is from Boston but is mostly New Jerseyian, she is a nonbinary lesbian.

-NRG and Diamondhead are also white, both of them are Russian (NRG canonically is, lol), but Diamondhead is also a mix of Czech, German, and has Alaskan blood in him and is from Arkansas--while NRG is a second-generation Russian immigrant; Diamondhead is gay, demiace, and demiboy while for NRG....eh, I'm still questioning, but is definitely queer in some way.

-All of Ben's Anur Transyl aliens canonically have European heritage in them--as it was proven in OV on Anur Transyl how the theme of the planet is mostly based on Europe. Not to mention Snare-Oh + any other Thep Khufans are also Egyptian. Though, I headcanon that Anur Transyl continents are different based on the European country they were inspired from. Plus I love how diverse and multicultural the planet is. Whampire--from his accent--is (canonically from the wiki) Romanian and gay/queer; Snare-Oh and Frankenstrike are both gay/queer with Snare-Oh being acespec and cupiosexual. Ghostfreak and Blitzwolfer are both queer-coded as well but just not decided on gender/sexuality (yet).

-Four Arms is of Spanish heritage (mostly from Mexico, Venezuela, and Argentina) and is a bisexual demiboy; Looma Red Wind is the same but is more indigenous-mexico + has Mayan background in her blood, she is a pre-op top surgery transmasc lesbian.

-Ripjaws is Afro-Polynesian, part Hawaiian and Filipino, and is mostly Samoan; he is polyam, greyromantic/alloaro, a trans-enby (ftm), and gay.

-Swampfire is mixed POC--he is Melanesian, Indian, Afro-Hawaiian + Afro-Japanese, and is also part white (Irish + Dutch and Baltic); he is gay and demisexual.

-Heatblast, Grey Matter, and Cannonbolt are white: Heatblast is Coloradorian + Northeastern white, Grey Matter is from Baltimore + Northern states and is also a bit British, and Cannonbolt is mostly from the Western side of America; Heatblast is achillean/MLM and queer, both Cannonbolt and Grey Matter are aroace and Bolt is also pan.

-Stinkfly is agender and aroace as well; he is Northeastern white like Heatblast.

-Wildmutt is just, well, an alien dog so he doesn't have any concept of gender/sexuality--BUT, if he were an ACTUAL dog, then he would be a mixed breed of a Sheepdog (mostly), along with a bit of Airdale/Whippet Bull Terrier mix, Great Dane and some Cane Corso too (<- inspired off of my partner's HUGE ass black-colored dog, Buddha, who is also a Cane Corso lmao).

-Feedback is mostly African-American with bits of Japanese and Filipino (Blasian); and he is gay.

-Big Chill is Afro-Jewish, Afro-Asian, and Afro-Hawaiian, Icelandic, and Norse; they are canonically nonbinary, trans/ftm, on the aroace spectrum, and gay.

-Both Rath and Humungousaur are mostly white but with some POC--Rath is of Ukrainian, Irish, and Polish background with some Indian and Brazilian heritage and is from New Jersey + Philadelphia, and Humungousaur is from the Caribbean Islands with some Bulgaria, Slovakia, and Canada and is from Texas + Florida; both are gay.

-Wildvine is also African-American like Feedback, but he is also Afro-Latine, some Nigerian and a bit of Creole--he has a half older brother (my OC, Wallfire) who is Blasian because his late Pyronite mother is Asian (they both have the same dad); Wildvine is a transmasc ftm enby who is also gay--his brother is also gay but cis.

-Viktor is canonically German, and his human appearance in the Original Series is white, plus of his accent. Crüjo is Black like his voice actor in Omniverse--Bumper Robinson--and he is from Boston like Bullfrag. Kuphulu would be Black-adjacent, Egyptian, Afro-Asian, and also Jewish in heritage/background; all three of them are in a polycule with each other: Viktor is cis and gay, Crüjo is a libramasculine and gay, and Kuphulu is polyam, a trans-enby, gay and also on the aroace spectrum.

-Pax is multiracial: he is Black + European from his father and Spanish + Native-American from his mother; he is aroace, cupiosexual, and gay.

-And lastly, from my favorite out of the bunch: Psyphon. He is both French and Swedish (so mainly white as well) and he is multilingual in both languages; he is nonbinary, gay and also on the aroace spectrum.

Ty so much for asking me this! I had a lot of fun typing; please forgive me if I skipped/missed most of the aliens from other shows as well but these are ones that I mostly focus on (lol).

[chicago-geniza]

Going under a cut bc it's just navel-gazing to think things through for myself, not meant to Say anything or make a meaningful Statement about anything beyond the space of my own head

Am still in migraine postdrome so not the most articulate but tl;dr is. Hm. Thinking about imagined communities a lot, affective response to tragedy, solidarity in practice for those with whom you have common cause and share political struggle but would not otherwise break bread or to whom you would not give the time of day under other circumstances. Empathy as barometer of political proximity in Anglophone discursive space since the 2010s. Have one degree of social separation from a trans man killed in Colorado and a volunteer killed in Kyiv this week. Both were, strangely, childhood friends of longtime online friendly acquaintances. I feel very detached, as though floating in frigid water under a thick layer of ice, translucent but not, the way frosted glass is made to look breathed-on for selective opacity, the illusion of privacy, interiors suggested only by silhouette, all light and shadow, muted. In Polish it's called "matte mirror finish," Wierzyński used the phrase to describe the mirror between worlds clouding over when Stefania died, passing through the glass in pursuit of a distant obraz. Friend and I have talked about this, how we don't feel connected to communities in the abstract, both and neither. And almost resentment that you are expected, in draught, to tap a parched well of grief for people you didn't know just because the fascists are coming for you too, just because you had this thing in common, this target sutured onto your forehead. You can be in solidarity without grief, I have to hope. I have been thinking of these two men together a lot, though, the way their deaths are discussed, the way they are memorialized as representative of campaigns to kill the groups for which they became posthumous metonyms. One killed on TDoV, remembered as brave & smart & proud, photo circulating that shows top surgery scars; other remembered as someone who "was going to be the Ukrainian Remarque," eligible for Russian and Ukrainian citizenship but chose Ukrainian, though still wrote in Russian, and above all loved his home city; this is not leading to anything coherent I just. Man I'm sad. And always am getting news updates from multiple places in multiple languages, and all I can do is try to think about language and social relations, try to make sense of it. I am more afraid of those close to me dying than my own death, and was broken up about the murder of that trans woman from Vermont who was friends with my high school friends. But there are so many shootings. The war is still ongoing, I'm getting constant urgent translation requests for refugees, so many people I know are now refugees, my city's Russian-language fb group is getting desperate requests from conscripts for green card marriages, the Ukr & Polish fb groups are heartbreaking, I just. It feels inevitable that something will happen here, also have one degree of separation from people in the Tree of Life congregation & people at the 4th parade in the suburbs, but I can't. Do this public mourning, I don't feel it, I'm numb to it. How do we organize community defense that is NOT cops. Everyone says queers arm yourselves well what about buy queers bulletproof vests, a gun won't stop an AR-15 unless you disarm or disable the shooter before they open fire. I just. I feel like ice and also like I am under ice. I'm not directly affected but it's always a friend of a friend or their partner or family member, and it's circling closer but never quite here. I'm angry I think, and very numb, and cold.

[ordingdrublene]

List of enemies

A list of all nations and people considered enemies or threats by The United Socialist States of Ording Drublene:

The Merchant Kingdom of The Jade Dragons, threat to supremacy of trout market.

The Snarky Solar Observer of Bhang Bhang Duc, Ban on smoking, lack of judiciary system, spite.

The Republic of Nythopia, denial of the supremacy of the potato over other vegetables.

The Commonwealth of Northern British Canada, Being British, denial of the supremacy of the potato over other vegetables.

The Western Post (newspaper), attempted outlawing and slander towards the letter "C".

The Impekkably Arranged Snark of The West Pacific Master Dispatch, slander towards the letter "C".

The Florida Man of Zoran, attempted outlawing and slander towards the letter "C".

The DOWN WITH C of Fujai, attempted outlawing and slander towards the letter "C".

The Lavender Delegate of Giovanniland, Support of the attempted outlawing and for slander towards the letter "C".

The Dominion of New Natland, being good at trout fishing.

The Eternal Misfortune of Aqualagoon, being good at trout fishing.

The Pacifican Inquisitor of Varanius, too many eyes.

The Serene Sanctuary of The Holy Principality of Saint Mark, name too long.

The Rather Queer Radio Manager of Blue Bubble, good at trout fishing.

The F'd'ral R'public of United Adaikes, for having a leader named Lucas.

The Great Western Sasquatch of Bran Astor, Personal ban on "physical contact" sports, and required citizen conscription.

The Socialist Byzantine of Aicrowian Canada, ban on homosexuality, having a pledge of allegiance, prohibition of alcohol, bad on smoking, ban on bodily piercings, Being Canadian, required citizen conscription.

The New Ohio Nation of Mynation , denial of the supremacy of potatoes among vegetables, having an ugly flag.

The Disputed Territories of the Federation of Vanguard,denial,denial of the supremacy of potatoes among vegetables, smoking ban, use of corporal punishment.

The Armed Republic of Tropentarn, pledge of allegiance, prudism, required citizen conscription, national curfew, DNA harvesting, prohibition of alcohol, ban on immigration, ban on emigration.

The 💕Pink Principality💕 of Apexiala, required citizen conscription.

The ʎɯɹ∀ lɐᴉɹoʇᴉɹɹǝ┴ of Corbeil, Required citizen conscription, use of child labour, ban on divorce, ban on adultery, ban on contraception, prohibition of alcohol, national curfew, pledge of allegiance, ban on emigration, use of corporal punishment.

The Technocratic Federation of Laudesia, pledge of allegiance, ban on religious worship, ban on smoking, prohibition of alcohol, use of child labour, required citizen conscription, use of corporal punishment.

The People's Republic of Guitermot, required citizen conscription.

The Visions of a Life of Minskiev, required citizen conscription.

The What's this guy's job of Vuy, ban on marriage.

The Interstellar Commonwealth of Toerana, ban on religious practice, ban on smoking.

The Future of Miracles of Catalyse, use of child labour, too many eyes.

The Draconian tribe of Thepeopl, ban on marriage, ban on physical contact sports, ban on smoking, DNA harvesting.

The Dreamers of the Visionary Union, ban on smoking.

The Ohio-Manufactured Robot of Hoffania, ban on adultery, ban on physical contact sports, ban on smoking, lack of a judiciary system, use of child labour, prohibition of alcohol, use of slavery, UAE of theocracy, use of feudalism, ban on divorce, ban on same-sex relationships, ban on emigration.

The Rapid Approach of Maddies Death Laser, use of autocracy, ban on emigration.

The Ukrainian Shades of COPPAtilism, use of feudalism, use of monarchy, use of geronticide, use of corporal punishment, required citizen conscription, lack of a judiciary system, use of child labour, use of slavery, ban on emigration, ban on immigration, use of autocracy.

The Principality of Bessarabia, required citizen conscription.

The Kingdom of -Northumbria, ban on same sex marriage, prudism, use of slave labour.

The Former UwU's republic of OwOistan, ban on same sex marriage, use of feudalism, use of corporal punishment, use of child labour, use of slavery, prohibition of alcohol.

The Black Economy of Hasier, use of feudalism, ban on public protest, ban on divorce, ban on same sex marriage, use of gentrocide, prudism, required citizen conscription, use of child labour, use of slavery.

The Plutocratic Banana Republic of Zerentopia, use of autocracy, use of theocracy, use of monarchy, use of feudalism, use of a pledge of allegiance, ban on public protest, ban on same sex marriage, ban on divorce, ban on adultery, ban on contraception, ban on smoking, prudism, use of corporal punishment, required citizen conscription, lack of a judiciary system, use of a national curfew, use of child labour, use of slavery, ban on immigration, ban on emigration.

The Kingdom of Savonir, attempting to declare declarations against declarations.

The Empire of Munari, denying the supremacy of potatoes among vegetables, making bad puns, ban on divorce, ban on adultery, required citizen conscription, use of child labour

The Don't Let Me Down of Frenchy, implication of frenchness.

The Moderately Liberal Unitary Republic of Goobergunchia, long name, ban on smoking.

The Transgender Trajectory of Dakota, ban on same sex relationships, ban on abortion, prudism, compulsory vegetarianism, use of corporal punishment, use of a national curfew, lack of a judiciary system.

The GLORIAAAAAA of New Anarchisticstan, ban on smoking, prohibition of alcohol.

The Defender of the Rejected of Kyorgia, use of geronticide, ban on smoking, ban on emigration, ban on recreational drugs, use of slavery, prohibition of alcohol, use of corporal punishment, lack of a judicial system.

[panimoonchild]

Ukraine is diverse and embraces it

[artemisiatridentata]

having the annual "my mom asked me to send her my christmas wishlist but i can't think of anything" crisis despair spiral, so in lieu of gifts, here's what I truly want:

my inspiration and insatiable spark to create art. I want it back. I don't know what i've been battling against these past several years - art block? severe depression? crippling fear and hatred of the way social media algorithms grind artists into dust? whatever it is, I hate this feeling. my hands feel lost. I want my pens to bleed again.

an end to the killing. all of it. take the bigots' power away. I just want them to stop killing trans people and queer people and I want cops to not exist so they can't kill anyone else and I want Israel to stop killing Palestinians and I want the US government to stop killing my disabled brothers and sisters and I want the Russian-Ukrainian war to end without anyone else dying and

the rainwater to be drinkable again

to not have to scrabble for survival in a world that is trying its damndest to be too expensive and dangerous to survive in, let alone thrive

i want to thrive. i want to live. And I want that for everyone else. I want to have my basic needs met for the rest of my life so I can focus on what matters to me - tending my garden, cooking food for my friends from the harvest, learning new skills like throwing better pottery and rowing bigger rapids and how to suture a wound and how to point a telescope at the crab nebula, hugging my friends and family more, teaching children about how wonderful this world is and how to get to know it better, talking to people about the rare books I work with, volunteering at the multicultural center, squandering an entire day wandering in and out of towering canyons, etc.

a few new tattoos

to not be allergic to cats

to be able to hug my grandma again

a radically different world in which we will successfully halt and even reverse the worst effects of climate change; a world in which historically marginalized voices are heard and heeded; a world where we never drove the lord god bird and the bramble cay melomys and the dutch alcon blue butterfly and so many more of our precious relatives to extinction; where no one has the power to take more than they need from others, so that every single person receives the care and the resources they need to live their best possible life.

to re-experience the feeling of drifting off to sleep in the back of my parents' car on the way home from a family dinner and to dimly feel myself being lifted out into a light rain and my dad's arms, and carried inside and carefully lain down on my bed, and to awaken the next morning feeling safe beyond measure

to pet my little childhood goat again and tell him that I love him and I'm sorry I couldn't save him

to forget and read Rebecca Elson's and Mary Oliver's and Joy Harjo's poetry for the first time

covid to have never happened, and for the 6.6 million people it's killed so far to still be alive and laughing with the people who love them

etc.

[dialogue-queered]

Extract: ‘Sashko’ phoning and voice-mailing from Ukraine

Comment:

Powerful social commentary!

Extract 1:

Enlistment?

For both of us, it was a very difficult decision because we used to avoid places where there are lots of manly men, like stereotypically heterosexual men who want to fight. And we have met violence against gay people before and it was so difficult

Extract 2:

Battalion 1

It’s been a month and two days since the beginning of the war....There are things that depress me, but there are good things though. For example, some people from our unit, they added us as friends on Facebook. And one of them came up to me the other day and he said, l read your post on Facebook. And he said, l didn’t put a like below this post, but i really want to say that l thinkit’s a great post and l liked it. In this post Sashkho talked about the similarities between the fight for LGBTQ rights and Ukrainian independence. He said that where Russia was driven by fear and hate, he hoped Ukraine would follow a different path of tolerance and acceptance.

Extract 3:

Battalion 2

I’m worried...that in this new battalion, maybe there will be like real army people with strong hierarchy....[T]oday when we met our commander, and he was like getting acquainted, speaking to us, giving his speech, he said, I’ve had gay guys in my unit before and it was no problem with them. So if I see or hear any cases of homophobia, this unit is not a place for homophobia. Is that clear? And we are not going to talk about that again.

He said, I don’t care who you are or what you do until you break the rules. So if you’re a good fighter, then I’m OK with you.

Extract 4:

Later News

[Y]esterday, LGBTQ person was beaten. And that happened when the guy was going to give an interview about his boyfriend who had died in the Russo-Ukrainian war....a group of young men came up to him and they attacked him. And they started shouting homophobic things and they beat him.

*Updated 14 July 2022 to add extracts, and a rounded picture.

[jenroses]

Art for Pocketful of Soul: Lan Wangji

AHHHHHH I can finally post this!

Chapter 29 of Pocketful of Soul is up, and as a treat to myself, I commissioned @procoffeinating to do two pictures. The first was Mo Xuanyu with the ghosts of the Wen Remnants and was stunning. This one made me cry.

Image description: Lan Wangji (recognizable as the version from The Untamed as played by Wang Yibo) sits in a sunbeam in a clearing in a dark forest in Qinghe, playing guqin to a group of spirits he is putting to rest, while wearing A-Yuan, asleep, on his back in a traditional Chinese baby carrier.

This type of carrier is a red square of cloth with straps on all four corners. In the image we can see the straps coming forward over LWJ's shoulders and under his arms, gathered together in a twist/knot on his chest.

The infant (about six months old) has very fat cheeks and a few strands of hair caught in his hand. The spirits are translucent, colorless, faded, and listening intently. Lan Wangji glows, both with the sunbeam's light and spiritual energy.

The greenery is lush and vivid where the sun strikes it. End Image Description

So, the assignment I gave Procoffeinating was almost exactly that image description. Literally the day before the draft was sent to me (draft, ha, it was almost exactly this finished!) I'd spent some time seeing what I could get out of Dall-E for a similar prompt. Honestly? while the results were hilarious and disturbing, I regret NOTHING about paying Procoffeinating to get the exact image I wanted.

For comparison, here's what Dall-E generated.

I'm so sorry. And no, I don't think Procoffeinating has anything to worry about in terms of competition.

Speaking of which: This fanfic is a prompt fill for Fandom Trump Hate, and raised money for the Transgender Legal Defense and Education Fund. I also decided to help support two artists by commissioning works. I'd like them to get more support, because while I paid with bonuses to both artists for doing such a good, comprehensive job with my requests, both can use more support.

Also, I really want to do more art for this story. It could have art between scene breaks, or for each chapter, or for the various talismans. And I'd really like to raise more money to support things I care about.

SO... If you want to see more art for this story beyond what is already commissioned/done by me, here's what you can do:

Donate to any of the charities supported by Fandom Trumps Hate and let me know how much you donated.

Donate to @procoffeinating's Kofi! Let me know how much you sent!

Buy things from @melomelany_art's redbubble and let me know how much you spent!

Donate to any organization supporting refugees, Ukrainian or otherwise, and let me know! (My own grandfather was a Ukranian Jewish refugee a century ago.)

Donate to any organization FTH has supported in the past, and let me know!

If you tell me you donated and how much, I'll make sure there's more art. Donate $50 or more, and up to the point I can afford it, I'll commission more art from either these artists or another queer artist in need, matching your donation.

Even $3 kofi donations will get art, such as a small, font-based decoration between chapters, or an adaptation of talisman art I've already done. Larger donations might get character portraits. Donate a couple hundred to any of the above, and I'll get another painting done!

This is for new donations.