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.
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! ❤️🔥
BIg big hug for you both. I'm really sorry for what you had to go trough, but I want to believe that "furries are familly" as someone I admire told me once. Count with us for the help
BIg big hug for you both. I'm really sorry for what you had to go trough, but I want to believe that
It really really sucks you had to go through that. As you said only way is up now. You have your found family, your husband, and all the people in your social network supporting you with all their hearts. Good luck you wonderful bean, and glad with all my heart you are safe.
It really really sucks you had to go through that. As you said only way is up now. You have your fou
The King returns! A new name, new pronouns, and the determination to take back the fame! Your torture is going to be a long road to heal from, and its the deepest rooted evil here, but youre alive, its scuh a relief to hear this. Good luck with your healing, I'll see what I can do to support you even a little
The King returns! A new name, new pronouns, and the determination to take back the fame! Your tortur
I know not everyone comments, but I've been around for a few years and have worked with Bastion before; all of us are rooting for you. Hundreds of us are. I promise.
I know not everyone comments, but I've been around for a few years and have worked with Bastion befo
We are always here to support you where we can and look forward to growing with you. The team at Sticky Paws is cheering for your success and happiness now that you are here in the US!
We are always here to support you where we can and look forward to growing with you. The team at Sti
It really is good to be back Thank you very much for the kind words. I am really hoping that the worst is behind us and we can finally live our lives...
It really is good to be back Thank you very much for the kind words. I am really hoping that the wor
awawawa I'm so happy you're okay! I helped donate to your gofundme and spread the word about it, and I'm so glad to see that you're doing better now <3 <3 <3
awawawa I'm so happy you're okay! I helped donate to your gofundme and spread the word about it, and
So happy that you and your partner are able to start living your lives more authentically, hopefully this latest chapter in your lives will feel like a distant memory soon 💜
So happy that you and your partner are able to start living your lives more authentically, hopefully
Took me WAAAAY to long to reply to this, thanks to my job and general life shit, but super glad that you're back, safe, and kicking ass! You were one of the first artists I came across when I joined IB all those years ago, and I'm so glad to hear this news!
Hopefully things get a lot smoother for you here on out, and that you keep on kicking ass! <3
Took me WAAAAY to long to reply to this, thanks to my job and general life shit, but super glad that
