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Posted 4 months agoHey everyone!
It's been a while since we've posted an update. It has been hard to find the right words after everything that we've been through, and everything that we still have ahead of us...
Rather than trying to cover everything at once, I think we'll just try to hit the main points here and do some smaller updates as we go. If you have any questions that we didn't answer here please feel free to ask.
Also, I know this is a rough ask, but please try not to get overly political in the comments. Obviously we have strong feelings about it, but this isn't the time or place and we don't have the energy to moderate that kind of conversation.
Name Changes
You have probably noticed our name changes already, so... nice to meet you (again)!
Bastion, the artist you have know and love, has begun the difficult process of transitioning. They have chosen *Raine* as their new name, and their preferred pronouns are they/them. Raine is non-binary, and they are very excited to be able to finally express themselves in a way that feels authentic and true.
As a matter of solidarity, I have also changed my name from Krechevskoy to *Alaric*, and my pronouns are he/they. I have been out as non-binary for many years now. I am very proud of Raine for being brave enough to be themselves, and I want to do everything I can to support them.
To be very clear, we have known for a long time that Raine is trans, and we have been using they/them pronouns for years. This is *not* a sudden change, but rather a long time coming. We had always planned to make this announcement once we had made it to the US, but this whole situation forced us to delay that.
You may also notice some of our characters changing as we try to feel things out. Please try to be patient with us as we figure out what feels right. We are still the same people you have always known, and we are still going to be making the same kind of art that you have always loved. We're just trying to do it in a way that feels more authentic to us.
Legal Situation
Quick refresher: Raine was detained by ICE in late 2024 after being denied entry to the US despite having a valid visa. They were held in detention and tortured for five months (151 days) before being granted asylum by a judge on March 28th. They are now living in the US with me, and we are working on rebuilding our lives.
Neither of us broke any laws or were ever charged with any crime. We did not come here to seek asylum. We already had a valid marriage visa when we arrived, which we had been working to obtain for more than 6 years.
Raine was released on March 29th, but despite being granted asylum by the courts ICE has refused to return our property or issue them proper documentation. Our lawyer has been working on this, but it has been a slow and frustrating process. We are hopeful that this will be resolved soon, but we are not holding our breath.
Financial Situation
I have to start by saying a HUGE heart felt THANK YOU to everyone who donated or otherwise supported us. We are still in shock at how much support we received, and we are eternally grateful for everything that you have done for us. We could not have made it through this without you.
In total we were able to raise about $60K in donations, which was enough to make it through the worst of this. Unfortunately our actual costs are closer to $100K so far, so this has completely drained our savings and left us with around $35K in debt.
For those who still want to donate, we will be leaving our GoFundMe and Ko-Fi pages up. However, we hops you'll consider supporting us through SubscribeStar or Patreon instead, so that we can try to give you something in return.
While we can never truly repay the kindness and generosity that you have shown us, we are going to try our absolute best to make it up to you. We are going to be working hard to make more art, comics, animations, and other content that we hope you will enjoy.
Mental Health
This whole ordeal has been incredibly difficult for us. Rest assured that Raine and I are taking care of our mental health. They have been seeing mental healthcare professionals since they were released, and we are doing our best to support each other. Just please bare with us if we are not as outwardly social as we have been in the past. We are still healing, and we are still trying to figure out what our new normal looks like.
Commissions (New & Old)
There will be a separate journal following this one with more details, but YES we are reopening for commissions. We will be opening a LIMITED number of commission slots each month. These will not be first come first serve, so that we can be selective about which ones we take.
If you are interested you can read our updated Commissioner Handbook
We did have a sizable backlog and we are still working through that. In order to keep things balanced we will be pre-filling half of our slots with existing commissions and then alternating between new and old until the queue is cleared. If you had an existing commission with us we should have already reached out to you. If you have not heard from us please get in touch!
Tarot Cards (Canceled)
Unfortunately we have no choice but to cancel the Tarot Card project. It was already overly ambitious, but with ICE refusing to return our property we do not have access to a large portion of our original art or files, or any of the tools we were using. We considered options for salvaging the project, but ultimately we don't have the time or resources we would need to do it right. We are very sorry to disappoint those of you who were looking forward to this, but we hope you understand.
For those of you who have already paid (in full or in part) we will be reaching out to you soon. We aren't in a position to offer many refunds, but we will be trying to find other ways to make it up to you. We are very sorry for the inconvenience.
"Ice Breaker" Art Pack
This has taken longer to put together than I had hoped, but it is coming soon. We are doing our best to provide transcriptions and descriptions for all of the images, so that they are accessible to everyone. In total there are 440 pages of traditional artwork, notes, and writing from Raine's time in detention.
This is a very personal project for us, as many of these things were not made with the intention of being shared publicly. There is a lot of fear and anxiety and shame in these pages, and there was a lot more that we ended up cutting. We are trying to find a healthy balance between sharing this experience with the community and also being respectful of the trauma that it represents.
Once it is ready for release we will be making it available for free, with a "Pay What You Want" option for those who want to support us. While there is a lot of artwork that we are very proud of in this collection, we will -not- be posting any of it to our social media or gallery sites directly. It will only be available through this art pack.
Other Projects
Part of the decision to limit our commission slots is so that we can have more time to work on other projects without burning ourselves out. Our main goal is to make more complex content that wouldn't be possible through traditional commissions, such as comics, animations, 3D models and hopefully games as well. Things that will hopefully appeal to the whole community, rather than just a single customer.
A big part of that transition is going to be getting stable passive income, so your patronage would always be welcome! We will also be exploring options for selling physical merch. We're just getting set up, but you'll be able to find us soon on StickyPaws.
If there are any other cool ideas or projects that you would like to see us do, please let us know! We are open to suggestions and we want to make things that you will enjoy.
We love you all, and we are so grateful for everything that you have done for us. We are still trying to process everything that has happened, but we are hopeful that this is the beginning of a new chapter for us. We are going to do our best to make the most of it! ❤️🔥
It's been a while since we've posted an update. It has been hard to find the right words after everything that we've been through, and everything that we still have ahead of us...
Rather than trying to cover everything at once, I think we'll just try to hit the main points here and do some smaller updates as we go. If you have any questions that we didn't answer here please feel free to ask.
Also, I know this is a rough ask, but please try not to get overly political in the comments. Obviously we have strong feelings about it, but this isn't the time or place and we don't have the energy to moderate that kind of conversation.
Name Changes
You have probably noticed our name changes already, so... nice to meet you (again)!
Bastion, the artist you have know and love, has begun the difficult process of transitioning. They have chosen *Raine* as their new name, and their preferred pronouns are they/them. Raine is non-binary, and they are very excited to be able to finally express themselves in a way that feels authentic and true.
As a matter of solidarity, I have also changed my name from Krechevskoy to *Alaric*, and my pronouns are he/they. I have been out as non-binary for many years now. I am very proud of Raine for being brave enough to be themselves, and I want to do everything I can to support them.
To be very clear, we have known for a long time that Raine is trans, and we have been using they/them pronouns for years. This is *not* a sudden change, but rather a long time coming. We had always planned to make this announcement once we had made it to the US, but this whole situation forced us to delay that.
You may also notice some of our characters changing as we try to feel things out. Please try to be patient with us as we figure out what feels right. We are still the same people you have always known, and we are still going to be making the same kind of art that you have always loved. We're just trying to do it in a way that feels more authentic to us.
Legal Situation
Quick refresher: Raine was detained by ICE in late 2024 after being denied entry to the US despite having a valid visa. They were held in detention and tortured for five months (151 days) before being granted asylum by a judge on March 28th. They are now living in the US with me, and we are working on rebuilding our lives.
Neither of us broke any laws or were ever charged with any crime. We did not come here to seek asylum. We already had a valid marriage visa when we arrived, which we had been working to obtain for more than 6 years.
Raine was released on March 29th, but despite being granted asylum by the courts ICE has refused to return our property or issue them proper documentation. Our lawyer has been working on this, but it has been a slow and frustrating process. We are hopeful that this will be resolved soon, but we are not holding our breath.
Financial Situation
I have to start by saying a HUGE heart felt THANK YOU to everyone who donated or otherwise supported us. We are still in shock at how much support we received, and we are eternally grateful for everything that you have done for us. We could not have made it through this without you.
In total we were able to raise about $60K in donations, which was enough to make it through the worst of this. Unfortunately our actual costs are closer to $100K so far, so this has completely drained our savings and left us with around $35K in debt.
For those who still want to donate, we will be leaving our GoFundMe and Ko-Fi pages up. However, we hops you'll consider supporting us through SubscribeStar or Patreon instead, so that we can try to give you something in return.
While we can never truly repay the kindness and generosity that you have shown us, we are going to try our absolute best to make it up to you. We are going to be working hard to make more art, comics, animations, and other content that we hope you will enjoy.
Mental Health
This whole ordeal has been incredibly difficult for us. Rest assured that Raine and I are taking care of our mental health. They have been seeing mental healthcare professionals since they were released, and we are doing our best to support each other. Just please bare with us if we are not as outwardly social as we have been in the past. We are still healing, and we are still trying to figure out what our new normal looks like.
Commissions (New & Old)
There will be a separate journal following this one with more details, but YES we are reopening for commissions. We will be opening a LIMITED number of commission slots each month. These will not be first come first serve, so that we can be selective about which ones we take.
If you are interested you can read our updated Commissioner Handbook
We did have a sizable backlog and we are still working through that. In order to keep things balanced we will be pre-filling half of our slots with existing commissions and then alternating between new and old until the queue is cleared. If you had an existing commission with us we should have already reached out to you. If you have not heard from us please get in touch!
Tarot Cards (Canceled)
Unfortunately we have no choice but to cancel the Tarot Card project. It was already overly ambitious, but with ICE refusing to return our property we do not have access to a large portion of our original art or files, or any of the tools we were using. We considered options for salvaging the project, but ultimately we don't have the time or resources we would need to do it right. We are very sorry to disappoint those of you who were looking forward to this, but we hope you understand.
For those of you who have already paid (in full or in part) we will be reaching out to you soon. We aren't in a position to offer many refunds, but we will be trying to find other ways to make it up to you. We are very sorry for the inconvenience.
"Ice Breaker" Art Pack
This has taken longer to put together than I had hoped, but it is coming soon. We are doing our best to provide transcriptions and descriptions for all of the images, so that they are accessible to everyone. In total there are 440 pages of traditional artwork, notes, and writing from Raine's time in detention.
This is a very personal project for us, as many of these things were not made with the intention of being shared publicly. There is a lot of fear and anxiety and shame in these pages, and there was a lot more that we ended up cutting. We are trying to find a healthy balance between sharing this experience with the community and also being respectful of the trauma that it represents.
Once it is ready for release we will be making it available for free, with a "Pay What You Want" option for those who want to support us. While there is a lot of artwork that we are very proud of in this collection, we will -not- be posting any of it to our social media or gallery sites directly. It will only be available through this art pack.
Other Projects
Part of the decision to limit our commission slots is so that we can have more time to work on other projects without burning ourselves out. Our main goal is to make more complex content that wouldn't be possible through traditional commissions, such as comics, animations, 3D models and hopefully games as well. Things that will hopefully appeal to the whole community, rather than just a single customer.
A big part of that transition is going to be getting stable passive income, so your patronage would always be welcome! We will also be exploring options for selling physical merch. We're just getting set up, but you'll be able to find us soon on StickyPaws.
If there are any other cool ideas or projects that you would like to see us do, please let us know! We are open to suggestions and we want to make things that you will enjoy.
We love you all, and we are so grateful for everything that you have done for us. We are still trying to process everything that has happened, but we are hopeful that this is the beginning of a new chapter for us. We are going to do our best to make the most of it! ❤️🔥
URGENT: Bastion needs your help!
Posted a year agoHello all, this is Bastion's husband, Krechevskoy.
Bastion has been detained by ICE while entering the US. They are scared and alone, and they need your help.
https://www.gofundme.com/f/urgent-save-bastion
Please, if you can spare even a small amount or share this link, it would mean the world to us.
(Comments are disabled as we cannot moderate them at this time)
Bastion has been detained by ICE while entering the US. They are scared and alone, and they need your help.
https://www.gofundme.com/f/urgent-save-bastion
Please, if you can spare even a small amount or share this link, it would mean the world to us.
(Comments are disabled as we cannot moderate them at this time)
Commissions Open!
Posted a year agoRemember that visa we were working on? Well... We got it! 🎉
We'll be moving to the states within the next month,
so we're trying to build up as much funding as we can!
Commission Request Form
Commissioner's Guidebook
Where to Find Us
Pricing is included in the request form.
Any adjustments will be agreed upon before we begin.
💕 Feel free to submit multiple requests. 💕Some Important Updates
Posted a year agoHi there! Hope everyone is doing well~
I'm sure it is well known by now, but this account is a group effort between myself and my husband krechevskoy. If you've ever commissioned us or attended any streams, you are sure to have seen him around the place.
Those of you who have been around a while will also know that I have been working on immigrating to the United States. It comes as no surprise, but this has been an excruciatingly slow and painful process. Add in a fair few other external emergencies, and this past year has been physically, mentally, and financially exhausting...
Still, the show must go on! So let's get this show on the road!
Dicked over by Dropbox
If you only take one thing from this journal, PLEASE let it be this. Do NOT use the Dropbox desktop client.
At the start of February, the Dropbox moderation team decided that our artwork violated their TOS. Rather than informing us of this, issuing a warning, or even just disabling their account... they instead decided to ban us without any form of notice, and directed their software to fully erase the files from our local machines. Not just the files in Dropbox either, but all of my personal files, my app data, a few softwares... ultimately rendering my machine unusable without a full reinstall.
Thankfully we keep redundant backups of my artwork and other critically important files, so we were able to recover that... but there are countless other files from my photos and documents which are simply gone. I may never know the full extent of what was lost, but the last full machine backup that I had was from 2017, so you can imagine it was a lot.
As it so happens, Dropbox decided to pull that little stunt 3 days before Krech was travelling down to stay with me, so that we could sort things out with the embassy here. The sudden loss of files and the need to reinstall his computer put us on the back foot. Additionally, the NVC sprung a considerable amount of paperwork and processing fees on us, which has consumed most of our bandwidth the last few months.
For those that noticed the sudden drop off in posting, that would be the cause.
New Posting Policy
Since we've had to take some time off of posting, we've decided that we aren't really fond of the whole "early access" thing... It adds a lot of work for us when posting, it doesn't seem to provide much value to our patrons, and it generally feels a bit scummy to do in the first place... so we're just not gunna do it anymore. At least, not the way that we have been.
We do have a Telegram (Art Channel - Art Chat - Off-topic Chat), which we are going to be using as our primary social platform. This will be the best place to talk to us, as well as getting early access, WIPS, and seeing completed artwork first. Basically, that will be my space to talk about stuff as it is happening, and to share stuff as it is finished.
Some time after things are shared there, they will be making the rounds to get posted everywhere else. We'll try to be as quick as we can with that, but it takes time to add all of the little formalities that all the other platforms require, including filtering which things are allowed on which platforms.
What About Your Patrons?
Obviously we still love our patrons, and we want you to feel like supporting us is worthwhile. We just don't feel like the early access thing was providing that much value to the patrons we talked to about it, and we really didn't like the idea of exclusives either...
For now our plan is to get back into streaming more frequently/regularly, allowing some patrons to join us on voice as we do, doing regular art raffles, and opening up cameo slots for patrons. Basically, the goal is to try and let you interact with us more directly, and have a chance to get art or other goodies as well.
If you are a patron (or you are considering it) and you have any ideas, please let us know!
IMPORTANT: Patreon does NOT allow many forms of content, including cub, incest, non-con, dub-con, violence, cbt, bdsm, etc. If you want access to that content please support us on SubscribeStar instead!
Comics and Crossroads
Our current comic, Crossroads: A Matter of Love, is nearing its end. There is going to be lots more on the way, but first I've decided to take a (hopefully) short break.
I've realized I may have set the bar too high on the visual quality of my comics, and not focused enough on the writing, speed, or clarity of the content. I'm still quite proud of what I've produced so far, but I want to take a step back and try to flex some different muscles, so I can bring you guys even better stuff in the future.
In order to facilitate that, I've started putting together a short adult comic, which I am really hoping you will all enjoy. It's probably going to have a bit more too it than just sex, but I promise it won't be too complicated to read with one hand. 💦
Tarot Cards
Tarot Cards are still happening, and new cards have been made (posting shortly). We are reaching out to people as their slots come up. If you have any questions feel free to contact us about it.
There are still a handful of minor arcana available, if you are interested: Signup Form
Merchandise (and the lack thereof)
It seems that Gumroad joined the ever-growing list of puritanical sites that have banned all forms of pornography. This isn't really a major loss for us, but it does mean our Art Bundles, and Dakimakuras no longer have a place to be sold.
If you did want to get your hands on either, reach out to us and we'll see what we can do. We still have a handful of Krech Dakis that didn't get sold. Until further notice these will not be getting reprinted, so grab them now if you are interested.
Commissions
Our main focus will be shifting towards Tarot Cards, Patron Raffles, Comics, and a few other projects (see below). However, we will still be taking a few regular commissions each month, so If you are interested, please do not hesitate to fill out the Request Form. (If you have already submitted a request, we do still have your information.)
Other Projects
Outside of the norm, we have also been working our butts off the past year and a half to learn 3D Modeling and Game Development. It's been a long and bumpy road, but we are finally to a spot we feel comfortable announcing it publicly.
You'll be able to follow updates for both on our Telegram channel, so be sure to join.
We don't yet have anything specific in mind for either, but if you have some ideas please feel free to share them in the comments below. 💕
(If you have any experience with either, and you are interested in helping us out, please give us a shout as well!)
Conclusion
The past few months have been a hell of a time, and it doesn't look like it'll stop anytime soon... but we're choosing to look forward with optimism for the rest of this year. We want to be more active, more creative, and mostly more involved with our community. Let's make some awesome stuff together!
All of this is only possible because of our commissioners, our patrons, and the love and support of our fans. If you are able, please consider signing up on SubscribeStar or Patreon, or making a one-time donation through Ko-Fi. We'd be very grateful!
https://linktr.ee/bastionshadowpaw
I'm sure it is well known by now, but this account is a group effort between myself and my husband krechevskoy. If you've ever commissioned us or attended any streams, you are sure to have seen him around the place.
Those of you who have been around a while will also know that I have been working on immigrating to the United States. It comes as no surprise, but this has been an excruciatingly slow and painful process. Add in a fair few other external emergencies, and this past year has been physically, mentally, and financially exhausting...
Still, the show must go on! So let's get this show on the road!
Dicked over by Dropbox
If you only take one thing from this journal, PLEASE let it be this. Do NOT use the Dropbox desktop client.
At the start of February, the Dropbox moderation team decided that our artwork violated their TOS. Rather than informing us of this, issuing a warning, or even just disabling their account... they instead decided to ban us without any form of notice, and directed their software to fully erase the files from our local machines. Not just the files in Dropbox either, but all of my personal files, my app data, a few softwares... ultimately rendering my machine unusable without a full reinstall.
Thankfully we keep redundant backups of my artwork and other critically important files, so we were able to recover that... but there are countless other files from my photos and documents which are simply gone. I may never know the full extent of what was lost, but the last full machine backup that I had was from 2017, so you can imagine it was a lot.
As it so happens, Dropbox decided to pull that little stunt 3 days before Krech was travelling down to stay with me, so that we could sort things out with the embassy here. The sudden loss of files and the need to reinstall his computer put us on the back foot. Additionally, the NVC sprung a considerable amount of paperwork and processing fees on us, which has consumed most of our bandwidth the last few months.
For those that noticed the sudden drop off in posting, that would be the cause.
New Posting Policy
Since we've had to take some time off of posting, we've decided that we aren't really fond of the whole "early access" thing... It adds a lot of work for us when posting, it doesn't seem to provide much value to our patrons, and it generally feels a bit scummy to do in the first place... so we're just not gunna do it anymore. At least, not the way that we have been.
We do have a Telegram (Art Channel - Art Chat - Off-topic Chat), which we are going to be using as our primary social platform. This will be the best place to talk to us, as well as getting early access, WIPS, and seeing completed artwork first. Basically, that will be my space to talk about stuff as it is happening, and to share stuff as it is finished.
Some time after things are shared there, they will be making the rounds to get posted everywhere else. We'll try to be as quick as we can with that, but it takes time to add all of the little formalities that all the other platforms require, including filtering which things are allowed on which platforms.
What About Your Patrons?
Obviously we still love our patrons, and we want you to feel like supporting us is worthwhile. We just don't feel like the early access thing was providing that much value to the patrons we talked to about it, and we really didn't like the idea of exclusives either...
For now our plan is to get back into streaming more frequently/regularly, allowing some patrons to join us on voice as we do, doing regular art raffles, and opening up cameo slots for patrons. Basically, the goal is to try and let you interact with us more directly, and have a chance to get art or other goodies as well.
If you are a patron (or you are considering it) and you have any ideas, please let us know!
IMPORTANT: Patreon does NOT allow many forms of content, including cub, incest, non-con, dub-con, violence, cbt, bdsm, etc. If you want access to that content please support us on SubscribeStar instead!
Comics and Crossroads
Our current comic, Crossroads: A Matter of Love, is nearing its end. There is going to be lots more on the way, but first I've decided to take a (hopefully) short break.
I've realized I may have set the bar too high on the visual quality of my comics, and not focused enough on the writing, speed, or clarity of the content. I'm still quite proud of what I've produced so far, but I want to take a step back and try to flex some different muscles, so I can bring you guys even better stuff in the future.
In order to facilitate that, I've started putting together a short adult comic, which I am really hoping you will all enjoy. It's probably going to have a bit more too it than just sex, but I promise it won't be too complicated to read with one hand. 💦
Tarot Cards
Tarot Cards are still happening, and new cards have been made (posting shortly). We are reaching out to people as their slots come up. If you have any questions feel free to contact us about it.
There are still a handful of minor arcana available, if you are interested: Signup Form
Merchandise (and the lack thereof)
It seems that Gumroad joined the ever-growing list of puritanical sites that have banned all forms of pornography. This isn't really a major loss for us, but it does mean our Art Bundles, and Dakimakuras no longer have a place to be sold.
If you did want to get your hands on either, reach out to us and we'll see what we can do. We still have a handful of Krech Dakis that didn't get sold. Until further notice these will not be getting reprinted, so grab them now if you are interested.
Commissions
Our main focus will be shifting towards Tarot Cards, Patron Raffles, Comics, and a few other projects (see below). However, we will still be taking a few regular commissions each month, so If you are interested, please do not hesitate to fill out the Request Form. (If you have already submitted a request, we do still have your information.)
Other Projects
Outside of the norm, we have also been working our butts off the past year and a half to learn 3D Modeling and Game Development. It's been a long and bumpy road, but we are finally to a spot we feel comfortable announcing it publicly.
You'll be able to follow updates for both on our Telegram channel, so be sure to join.
We don't yet have anything specific in mind for either, but if you have some ideas please feel free to share them in the comments below. 💕
(If you have any experience with either, and you are interested in helping us out, please give us a shout as well!)
Conclusion
The past few months have been a hell of a time, and it doesn't look like it'll stop anytime soon... but we're choosing to look forward with optimism for the rest of this year. We want to be more active, more creative, and mostly more involved with our community. Let's make some awesome stuff together!
All of this is only possible because of our commissioners, our patrons, and the love and support of our fans. If you are able, please consider signing up on SubscribeStar or Patreon, or making a one-time donation through Ko-Fi. We'd be very grateful!
https://linktr.ee/bastionshadowpaw
🌠TAROT CARDS🌠
Posted 2 years agoThis year we're going to try to do a full 78 card Tarot Deck, and that means we're going to need some help!
We've had a long week off to recover, and we want to hit the ground running.
We'll be starting to assign cards later today, but there are still a TON of slots left.
Make sure to sign up if you are interested!
You can sign up to claim your own card HERE.
The list of claimed and available slots can be found HERE.
You can find a full list of cards and their meanings HERE.
💕 Pricing and details are included in the signup form! 💕