#Non-binary characters

[duckprintspress]

Celebrate International Non-Binary People’s Day with Books by Non-Binary Authors!

Today, July 14th, is International Non-Binary People’s Day. Last year, we put together a post featuring our favorite books with non-binary characters. This year, we changed it up by highlighting books we loved written by out non-binary authors! We hope you’ll take a peek at the works we’ve listed here and other stories created by these awesome folks! The contributors to this list are: Shea Sullivan, Nina Waters, Sanne, May Barros, Shadaras, Tris Lawrence, Meera S. and two anonymous contributors.

Iron Widow (Iron Widow series) by Xiran Jay Zhao

Gender Queer: A Memoir by Maia Kobabe

Your Shadow Half Remains by Sunny Moraine

Nimona by N.D. Stevenson

How to Love: A Guide to Feelings and Relationships for Everyone: A Graphic Novel by Alex Norris

Freshwater by Akwaeke Emezi

Chameleon Moon (Chameleon Moon series) by RoAnna Sylver

Gamechanger (The Bounceback series) by L.X. Beckett

The Genesis of Misery by Neon Yang

The Echo Wife by Sarah Gailey

The Four Profound Weaves by R.B. Lemberg

Foxhunt (Foxhunt series) by Rem Wigmore

An Accident of Stars (Manifold Worlds series) by Foz Meadows

A Taste of Gold and Iron (Mahisti Dynasty series) by Alexandra Rowland

An Unkindness of Ghosts by Rivers Solomon

She Who Became the Sun by Shelley Parker-Chan

Melissa by Alex Gino

Once & Future (Once & Future series) by A.R. Capetta

When We Were Magic by Sarah Gailey

Our Dreams at Dusk: Shimanami Tasogare by Yuhki Kamatani

Providence Girls by Morgan Dante

Soulstar (The Kingston Cycle series) by C.L. Polk

Who are YOUR favorite non-binary authors?

[jackgoodfellow]

Content Warning: ~comedic body horror~

Thanks for reading!!

If you liked this comic, please consider reblogging it and/or following my page! But also! It is okay if you don't feel like it! Either way, I hope you have a nice day because you deserve nice things! Happy Halloween, y'all!!!

More from this series:

|<< Comic cover page with concept/character summaries

<< Episode 1

Episode 3 >>

All content from "I Escaped My Genre..."

The head and tongue in this panel are a 3D model that I made in Nomad Sculpt and then imported into Clip Studio. Then, upon deciding that 3D modeling is hard actually, I discovered I could fake a 3D look for the rest of the body by modifying a metallic brush. I was going for "thing you see in an early 2000s video game as a kid that fucks you up forever"! or "thing from Courage the Cowardly Dog that makes you go How Was This A Kids' Show???"

[canonqueercharacters]

The canon queer character of the day is:

Raine Whispers from The Owl House, who is non-binary.

[mleelunsford]

It’s Webcomic Day! My name is Moz and I make Nix of Nothing, an action adventure webcomic.

Nix of Nothing is the story of Nix, a demigod, who was given the opportunity to live however they wish. But with some unknown divine force targeting them, their life has suddenly become a lot less free. Now they need to travel across a strange land full of danger and mystery to try and find peace once again.

You can read it all at https://www.nixofnothing.com/

If you like the comic, please spread the word!

[your-blorbos-are-queer]

the titan (king's dad) from the owl house is bigender/genderqueer (canon)

submitted by anonymous

[underfiends]

Watch Me Breathe

Posting an actual story for the first time in months. The muses and I have been engaging in extreme combat and we have finally begun peace talks. Next we will band together to torment my friends with more angst. For now, have a fluff fic of yet another batch of D&D characters. Ramal is mine, Val is @hannrenn, and the DM for these two lovely dumpster fires is @peppermintpinklemonade. Hope y'all enjoy!

There’s a chill in the air; the softest of nips on an otherwise gentle breeze. A cloud shifts, golden light chasing away those cold touches, dappling ashen grey skin with a rare brush of colour. Oranges and reds bloom in the dark of closed eyelids, so much softer than the brilliant burn of flame.

A breath in, lungs filled to burst. A breath out, and with it goes a lingering tension through corded muscle. Fingers of warmth run over dark skin and chase the breeze through even darker hair. A puff of hot air against a pointed ear; a soft tap on one arm, then the other; an echo of laughter meant only for one person, only for them, just here in this moment of calm.

When their eyes open, there is only red. A red mirrored by the petals of scarlet catchfly scattered about, bundles of leaves and flowers growing on cracked boulders at the base of a rocky cliff. The hot breath and warm fingers turn into the press of hands on their shoulders, a constant companion showing that she is still here.

The wind picks up, whistling through the trees that have grown and thrived in this deep ravine between two mountains. The cold is more apparent now, raising goosebumps on their arms. They could don their leather armour, cover up to trap the heat against their skin, but it is peaceful here. The presence of an armoured warrior is not needed among the vibrant greens and browns of maple trees and buckthorn. There is no danger beneath the strangling vines twisting over wet earth.

Red eyes drift back to red petals. There is one patch of flowers close enough to touch, close enough to see the sticky hairs all up the stem. A memory floats to the surface, of a roughened voice one hot summer day.

“See those hairs, kid? They’ll sting you if you touch them, and your hand will hurt for days.” They remember Magnus had been crouched down next to a shallow riverbed, the heels of his boots dug firmly into the rocky ground as he pointed out the vibrant red flowers. Then, as if summoned through sheer outrage, a hand had smacked him upside the head.

“You idiot! That’s stinging nettle. They’re completely different, how could you have fucked that up?” Rhetta glared down at the man now rubbing his head, hands posted sharply upon her hips. Suddenly, like the flip of a switch, she looked over at them with soft eyes and a kind smile. She folded herself to hover at their height with her eyes trained on the flower. “This is a fire pink, Ramalek. Also known as a scarlet catchfly. Don’t worry, it’s safe to touch, however the stem is a bit sticky. That’s why people call it ‘catchfly’, because it catches flies on its stem and leaves to protect its nectar.” She reached out to brush against a petal, pulling it back just enough for them to see the sheen of liquid hidden in the flower. Then Magnus had said something–the words lost to time–that had left her sputtering indignantly, and the two bickered all the way back to Magnus’s tavern.

That had been years ago, back before they’d taken their new names by the blood of the slain. Before a ghost from their past had resurfaced, had turned out to be alive. Just the thought has them feeling winded and wrong-footed; as though the world is going to slip from underneath them and they’ll wake up to find it was all a dream. Panic begins to swirl just below their skin, prickling their mind. Their fingers twitch, and then a warm hand intertwines with their own, and heat presses all up their side.

A breath in, until lungs are fit to burst. A breath out, and with it the wave of panic settles.

They know where their travel companion is; the one who is a miracle. When they return, red eyes will fight off a swell of tears. The creature of dark grey skin and black hair will don their leather armour and settle back into the role of a savage beast. But for now, Valentine is off in the distance, crouched beside a small pool of algae-choked water, touching the surface every minute or so to watch the tiny tadpoles scurry away. Ramalavikfeng can stay where they are, and their armour can stay on the ground beside them.

There is no place for anything other than peace and calm here, among the green and brown and red. At the base of a cliff, backed by a forest growing in the ravine between two mountains, looking at a brilliant red flower that is close enough to touch with a sticky stem and leaves. Here, where the wind has eased back down to a gentle breeze.

There is a nip in the air. Summer is fading, and autumn is on its way. Perhaps Valentine would be willing to visit Magnus and Rhetta.

[queeruscant]

Name: Nubarron Pronouns: they/them Era: High Republic Appears in: Out of the Shadows

Jedi Master Nubarron was the shipmaster and quartermaster of Starlight Beacon. While no one else knew their species, they resembled a cloud, and changed colours depending on their emotion. Rumours state that they were kept as a circus attraction before a Jedi Wayseeker helped them escape. Nubarron could communicate telepathically with other Force sensitives, produce their own lightning, and use a lightsaber -- a secret that they kept to themselves.

Check out Nubarron's profile video here!

Nubarron doesn’t have a canon appearance. If you’d like to submit fanart for us to use instead, send us a message!

Full profile under the cut:

Jedi Master Nubarron was the quartermaster and shipmaster of Starlight Beacon during the High Republic era, and also taught classes to Padawans. No one knew what species they were: they took the form of an amorphous cloud who changed colours depending on their emotions. Because of this, they were kept as an attraction in a circus troupe – or so the story goes. Nubarron could only communicate telepathically with other Force sensitives, and apparently “demanded to be liberated” when a Jedi Wayseeker came across the circus. Nubarron could also create their own lightning, but they still privately had a green lightsaber. When they weren't floating around as a cloud, they could rest in a large jar in their office.

We don’t know Nubarron’s species, they use they/them pronouns, and likely fall near what we’d consider agender or non-binary.

[signourneybooks]

Moonstorm | ARC Review

Thank you to Solaris and Netgalley for the review copy in exchange for an honest review. This does not change my opinion in anyway. Book: Moonstorm (Lancers 1) by Yoon Ha LeeRelease Date: June 4th 2024Tags: Sci-Fi | Space Ships | Space Colonisation | Empire | Young Adult | Queer | Non-Binary CharactersTrigger/Content Warnings: Colonisers | Mass Death | DeathOther Books By This Author I…

[perfumedpenguin2992]

Okay, lemme introduce Terri and Jake, roommates from San Myshuno.

[todobakudeku122]

Prologue

The sun was setting down. The houses of the village on a cliff that was completely fine and full of life just a few hours ago, now being completely destroyed and covered in blood. The no longer breathing bodies of all sorts of mages lay along the streets. There was a feeling of death and destruction in the air. A blond, almost white-haired woman stood up from the damp ground. The blood didn’t drip, but almost flowed like a river from her side.  There was not just an ordinary wound, but a whole hole the size of a dinner plate. The woman tried to hold back the blood, but she couldn’t. She took two steps, then lost her balance and fell. A few seconds later she stood up again, leaning on her, the battered, but still intact staff. She continued walking with all her strength. Emotions overwhelmed her mind and soul, and because of this berserk state she continued to breathe. The sun completely disappeared under the sea line, and the woman was able to reach the top of the cliff. She was standing there, looking at the night water, probably understanding that it would be the last thing she would see. As the emotions started to overwhelm her even more, the body began to act on its own, without reason or common sense. She swung her staff and hit the ground with all her might. The staff bounce back and kinda fly away from her. The woman immediately fell down on the ground, she couldn't move anymore, and her last chance to somehow survive was used. She closed her eyes and took her last breath. The blood kept going down out of her body. And then suddenly, a ribbon of green glowing magic started to grow out of the ground. It made its full way out and then as fast as it could fell back to the ground. A few steps were heard, the black hair blew up in the wind and the reason of the destruction broke into a sly grin, and walked away loudly and pounding his feet on the ground.

Read the whole thing on www.tumblr.com/obscurity-book

[obscurity-book]

Chapter 1: Time

Tides

The school bell rings. Teens and kids ran outside and started to run home. Sky was burning red color. It was Lexus's favorite time. When everything calmed down outside, he left the school. As he reached the school gates everyone had already left. Except for a group of 3 people that bombed into him. He apologized and just continued to go. It was lonely. He was just looking at the ground, but then decided to check his phone. Nothing much interesting was there. He also checked his blog, they finally started to get more followers, but it wasn't so interesting as well. He turned on the corner and was about to continue walking, but noticed two shadows blocking the way. Perfectly knowing what was about to happen, he hid his phone and looked up.

Two guys were waiting for him. He wanted to start backing up, but it didn't work. They looked at each other and started to laugh.

– Hey, Lexus. What's in your bag? – one of them started to get closer to him. He couldn't really say anything to them. They were just school bullies. He knew that perfectly. So, he just needed to ignore them. The other one just grabbed the bag without saying anything

– Please. Stop… – he quietly asked, still trying to get away. The guys just laughed at him.

– Why? I will just check it. Some kinda freak like him would be carrying something dangerous in there! – Lexus wanted to say something against it. But he felt a hard hit to the cheek reverberate with pain.

It was already evening. The moon and stars had already shown up and were lighting up the night sky. Lexus walked in his room. He threw his now beaten and torn bag in some place on his bed. He didn't look the best - bloody stains and little wounds decorated his face. With a big sigh he sat at his table. He was not in the mood for playing or watching anything. He just opened a site with supernatural stuff and started to scroll through it. He was falling asleep, but tried staying awake. After 5 minutes he actually fell asleep. And suddenly out of the keyboard started leaking some kinda ribbon of bright green light. It wrapped around his wrists and fingers and squeezed.

Lexus opened his eyes. He looked around - everything was pure white. No shadows around, no walls or ceiling, just the whole place one color. But it wasn't the eye burning kind. It was nice and kinda calming. But no sounds or noises were heard. It was weird. Lexus had nothing much to do, so just start walking. There was nothing on his way. But then suddenly, he saw a figure of a person far away. They were pretty tall, but they didn't look so grown up. The person looked at him and ran towards him. Lexus already understood who that person was

.

– LEXUUUUS!!! HEEERE! HII! – person yelled. Lexus smiled a little bit. He was calmly going towards his friend. When they finally were really close to each other he could see his friend very well. Blonde hair. Green eyes. Cheerful smile.

– Hey Alden. – he waved at him. Alden hugged him and started to smile really wide. 

– How are you doing, man?! This dream is awesome! And it's so cool that I'm dreaming about you and not some kinda monsters!! – he laughed. Lexus got a little bit surprised.

– I thought, I was dreaming about you. – he shrugged. Alden opened his mouth from surprise and made a really funny face – What? – Lexus wondered with a smile.

– Dude! What if it's one of those “mutual dreams”?! – he laid out his theory. Lexus didn't answer, but he didn't need to. – let's after we will wake up ask each other that?! Deal?? – they shake hands.

– So, how is everything going? – Alden calmed down and fixedly looked at him, at his wounds to be exact. Lexus felt a bit of pressure and squeezed his other arm. It's his bad habit. Alden of course noticed it. And softly smiled.

– Oh! Right! Remember Kojiku? From the 3rd grade? So she said that I look cool today! I bet she has a crush on me! – he laughed. But, it did help Lexus, he smiled. He knew that Kojiku doesn't have a crush on Alden. He says since that every 3rd grade and everyone knew that Alden never had a girlfriend before, even though he is a really popular kid. Of course, Lexus didn't even want to think about who could fall for him. No one except for Alden even talks to him. At least not in the “good” way. Embarrassing silence appeared. Or they both were just talking mentally. Never know. But after a little bit Alden just grabbed Lexus’s hand.

– Let's just walk? – he smiled and they both started to walk around the place. There was nothing so interesting there. But they were just enjoying each other. It’s unknown how much time they hung out in there, periodically interrupting the silence with small talks and tiny conversations. Full silence was really nice for Lexus’s ears, the soft white color was calming him down, but best friend was making this dream to be one of only best things for today. The only weird thing was that his and Alden’s hands were green. And not just the skin. It seemed like it was wrapped in something. It was glowing, but not really bright, plus it wasn't ruining the mood of this charming place, so he didn't pay much attention to it. Alden stopped for a second and softly touched one of Lexus's wounds on his face. He was touching it so carefully, so just not to hurt him. But then hugged him and carefully kissed his forehead.

– At least, you don't have any temperature – he said. Lexus nodded and smiled a bit.

– Lexus. Look at my hands! – he showed him that green glowing on hands.

– Yea. I get it. I have it too. – Lexus showed him his. Alden was staring at it amazed. 

– Oh. You have more of it, it's even on your neck. – he said and suddenly Lexus’s neck started to burn. It was really painful. The last thing he remembered before knockout was how Alden ran to him to catch, while he was falling.

As his eyes opened, it saw burning daylight. Casting a curious gaze around, a peculiar feeling crept in – things were off. Slowly, the realization that this wasn't his familiar bed. Anxiously, he scanned the surroundings, slowly understanding that he found himself in an entirely different place. It turned out to be an aged, wooden house, with holes in the walls and roof. He started to panic. He looked at the floor. Alden was lying there. He was halfway awake. He slowly rubbed his eyes and looked at Lexus.

– Oh… Aaah.. Good morning, man. – he said, yawning. Then he blinked a few times. And then his eyes went wide open

– Ah! What the f!...

– Sh.. – Lexus put his finger on his lips. Alden shut his mouth. “They were kidnapped" - that was the first idea that Lexus got. He carefully got up, but Alden did it faster than him. They started to look around the house. Found out that they were alone here. This house had only two rooms. 

– so… There is no kidnapper here… – he sighed. He was actually really happy about it, but still was scared.

– You think we were kidnapped? – Alden asked, but he already realized that. Lexus shrugged, because he wasn't sure.

– it's the most logical reason… We both got here somehow… – he answered. They sat on the floor. Even though no one was here, somehow they appeared here. Together.

– I'm gonna check outside. – Alden quickly got up and slowly opened the old front door. Lexus carefully followed him. As they opened the door they saw a big wonderful forest and a few other wooden cracked houses. They were really old as well. The whole strange place was fully abandoned a long time ago for sure. It was really quiet and even the forest birds didn't sing. It was so odd. They both were still sleepy and they couldn't really understand the whole weird situation that was going on right now. They just slowly got back to the house and uncomprehendingly sat down on a something-like old sofa.

– And.. What now?.. – Alden slowly asked, kinda warmly hugging Lexus. Lexus timidly rubbed his arm and squeezed it a little bit. He breathed out calmly and tried to think, it took him some time.

– Well… We need to look for food. There is a kitchen here and maybe in the other houses there might be some food. – the both got up quickly and rushed to look for some food around the wooden house. After some amount of time, exactly about 20-30 minutes, they got back to the old sofa.

– Nothing… – they both sighed out. For Alden that suddenly appeared really funny and he started to laugh so much. Lexus just smiled, but too poorly to call it a smile. He needed to think more, he needed time for it. Then when he realized what the next plan was, he was waiting for Alden to calm down from laughing. When that finally happened he sighed with that little smile:

– Are you done? – Alden only nodded. – So. Now. We have to get to the closest town or city. It's only dawn right now, so we need to get there by evening… We will have to go straight to the direction of sunset. Well, to be more exact, where it will be… – he slowly continued. Alden nodded quickly, like he perfectly understood everything, but of course, he did not.

– We need to find some tools… – this Alden understood and went around to find stuff. After they did get something, not so useful, but not so useless, and, they left the house. They hurry up to the forest. It was really green, really unusual for them. They were going west. At least they thought so. They were still going. The plan was to leave the forest by going only one direction. The leaves and the tops of the trees were kinda hiding the sun, so they couldn't really orientate there. It's been an hour. Two. Four. It was already getting darker, and they still didn't leave the forest. Both of them were tired. Even though Alden visits the gym almost every day, he got tired. And Lexus doesn't leave his house for very long and he doesn't have much of a strong body, so he was the first one to get tired. They were doing a lot of stops. But not for long. After 5 or 10 minutes they would continue going fast.

Sun already hid behind the horizon line. All the stars showed up. It was for sure past 10 pm, when they started a bit after dawn, around 7 am. Lexus was about to tell Alden to stop and use some tools they have to build something like a hut, as he saw a light coming through the trees and heard some sounds playing. They looked at each other and ran towards it. The green trees started to thin out more and more with every step and after 3 minutes of fast running they exited the giant forest and got to a village. Some music was playing and the villagers were dancing and celebrating something. They saw it without even coming close. But something was odd. Again. The same really old wooden houses. Poor looking people. And the music. Everything looked like it was from a movie. A fantasy movie. Everything was looking like a few centuries back. Alden grabbed Lexus's hand and they started to walk towards the village. But they couldn't make more than a few steps, because right after a tall, strongly built man blocked their way. He moved a sword up and threateningly took a step forward. They froze in fear.

– Who are you?! – the man asked loudly. They were really scared. They slowly moved their hands up. Really? A sword? Maybe it's a village, but a sword? Lexus was too scared to even breathe. But Alden opened his mouth.

– I’m sorry! We were kidnapped! We made it here all the way from over there! – he pointed the way. Lexus looked up. The north star. He was so wrong. They were this whole time going to the north, and not the west. 

– How should I believe you? You are probably spies! – he moved his sword down and started to speak more quietly. Alden sighed out and Lexus was trying to calm himself down as well.

– We are sorry. We don't have anything with us. Except this. – he showed him an old stick and sort of a shovel that they called “tools”. The man looked at it assessingly. After that put his sword in the sheath.

– You don't really look like spies… You are saying, kids, that you were kidnapped? – he slowly asked with more worry. They both nodded. They were really exhausted. The man came closer to them and tried to examine them. It was dark, so he couldn't really do it.

– Hey, let's go, just follow me, but quiet! – he quickly waved his hand as if calling them. They looked at each other once again and started to carefully follow him and they actually had no choice, or he could probably kill them. Music was playing pretty loud and people were dancing, so they went without being noticed at all. The man led them to a house. It looked pretty big, but not really. He opened the door and entered it. Because inside the light was better, they finally saw his full appearance - as they saw before he was tall and strong build, he had brown, neck-length hair and surprisingly kind eyes. He looked mid 40s. He took his sword off and some armor he had on. And smiled at Lexus and Alden.

– So. My wife made dinner, are you two hungry? – they both nodded. The man nodded back and gave them 2 blankets to warm up. They came to the dinner room and they all sat at the table.

– So. My name is Otoko! – The man smiled and started to wait for their names.

– My name is Alden and he’s Lexus! Nice to meet you! – Alden cheerfully answered. Otoko got up from the table and yelled at the kitchen – Dear! My love! Can you please bring me and my two guests the precious soup you made! – some disgruntled woman’s voice came from the kitchen and then a pretty, curvy, but angry looking woman in the room. She put 3 bowls of soup on the table. She annoyed looked at Otoko

– If those will be spies again!... I don't know what I'm gonna do with you! – Otoko softly smiled and nodded – Thank you, my love! – she annoyed rolled her eyes and left the room. Otoko turned back to the boys and moved the bowls with the food to them.

– So. Tell me what happened? – he asked, worried. Alden wanted to answer, but Lexus timidly opened his mouth, so Alden immediately shut up.

– Well… I went home and just fell asleep… And then just woke up in a house in that forest… – he looked at Alden as saying that he should say his part of the story. Alden coughed a bit.

– Oh. Same thing. I came home, played some games and just fell asleep on my bed. Nothing unusual – he said. Otoko started to think about it.

– And so you just woke up in that house and that's it? Nothing suspicious? – he asked again. He didn't mean to be rude or anything, he was just trying to get more information. Lexus got quiet for a second

– Well… – he finished and Alden started to talk. He was talking in a surprised tone, more like he just realized something or remembered about something – Wait! Something odd did happen! – he turned to Lexus and looked seriously in his eyes. – Do you remember the dream? – Lexus nodded. Of course he did remember.

– There was everything white and me and you were talking and walking, right? – Alden was making sure they talked about the same thing and Lexus nodded a few more times. – And there was a green glowing thing on our hands. Right?! – Lexus nodded one more time. Otoko was surprised to watch this whole thing.. He didn't really understand what it was, but on the words “green glowing thing”, he thought about something.

– Hey. So you two had the same dream, and there was something green? – he re-asked them. They both fastly nodded. – how did it look exactly? Like your hands were just green?

– Not really… It was something like a ribbon and it was wrapping our hands. – Lexus tried to explain it and kind of show it by hands, but it didn't really work. Otoko was listening really carefully. He nodded to let them know that he understood them and thought about it.

– Hm, let me think… Oh! Eat up! You are probably hungry! – he smiled and Alden started to eat really fast, not chewing food much. Lexus put his spoon in the bowl and started to slowly stir the soup.

– Green… Glowing… Dream… Oh wait… Maybe… Oh god, maybe that's magic… – he said it, Alden laughed at the joke. Otoko looked at him a bit surprised and confused, because he wasn't joking.

– Oh, right, you guys like 16 right? – Alden nodded. – oh, then you might not know about magic. So… You know how war is going on right now? So… – he was about to continue, because it was more of a fact than a question.

– Huh?! What?! – Alden exclaimed. Otoko looked surprised at him. Lexus was shocked by Otoko’s words. – War? What war?! Nothing like that was going on!

– Hey. Kids, what are you so surprised about?! – he asked them. They looked at each other.

– Well… There is no war supposed to go on right… – Lexus finally said. He thought a little bit about this whole situation. – Right now we are in Yuiitsukuni, right? – he asked carefully. He thought if they were actually kidnapped, they might be in a different country. So he had to ask about it.

– What? No, we are in Ichikuni! – Otoko answered. Alden got even more confused, but Lexus - scared. “Ichikuni”? But it didn't exist. The country doesn't exist anymore. He lost his ability to talk. He tried to say something, but it didn't work. He got quiet to put everything together and ask the right and only question.

– What… Year is it?... – he asked while breathing out. Alden looked at him shocked and kind of scared. Otoko looked at him confused.

– It’s 1250?... – he slowly answered, being a bit worried about the question. Alden started to cough. Lexus looked at him with empty eyes.

– Well… And we were in 2015… – he slowly said. Now Otoko looked at him in shock. Dead silence reigned and only in the kitchen could you hear the noise that Otoko’s wife made. 

– Godness… What the hell?.. – Alden said, interrupting the silence. Otoko got up quickly. Lexus looked at him confused and curious, he still didn't really get the problem. Otoko left the room and in a few minutes he came with another man. The man looked pretty young, he wasn't really tall and his hair was light brown. He sat down at the table.

– Um. Hello. So you are two guys, “from future” – Lexus and Alden, both, unconfidently nodded. The man nodded back.

– So… You probably heard about magic? Right? – his voice was pretty soft and warm.

– Well, we have heard about it, but in our time… It's like… fiction!.. – Alden answered, but on the part with “our time”, he wasn't so comfortable. The man nodded and was about to say something, but Otoko started to talk first 

– This is my friend Hiroshi. He knows a lot about magic and I'm sure that's the reason why you are here. – Otoko said, pointing at the man. He laughed a bit.

– Thank you, Otoko, but yea.. So.. You said something about the “green glowing thing”? Please tell me about it exactly. – he asked. Alden rubbed his neck and was about to repeat Lexus’s explanation, but Lexus started to talk first

– Well… It was lime green, but soft… And like… Glowing. – he timidly answered. Hiroshi thought about it for a second.

– Oh, I think… The bright blue is time magic and yellow is movement or traveling…  So soft lime green would make… Time traveling. – he softly said and smiled. Alden and Lexus just looked at each other once again. They kinda already calmed down, but just to think about it was painful. It was hard to believe, but with everything Lexus saw he would say that it's true. The music, the look and the whole vibe of this place seemed oldish.

– So you probably don’t really know what is going on right now. – Alden continued to eat and with Otoko quietly listened to Lexus’s and Hiroshi’s conversation. – So. Right now there is a war between Ichikuni and Nikuni. If you have history classes you might know about it. – Hiroshi said. Lexus nodded because he actually did know about that war. It was exactly from 1237 to 1250. So they got to the end of it. He wasn't going to tell them that, if it actually past he is going to ruin it? Or not? He wasn't sure. He didn't know what to do at all. Then he remembered what he forgot to ask

– So… Um… Magic… – Lexus started timidly. Hiroshi laughed a bit.

– For you it might sound really funny. So yea, we actually do have it and people who use it are mages. Before war everyone knew about them, but this generation doesn't really. Well, we have only one mage village and because they were scared that magic will be used in the war, they hid. They moved the whole village and put a barrier around it, so now no one except the mages know where is it. – Hiroshi shook his head and looked at Lexus worried – well… They said when the war is over they will be back. But… As i see… – he sighed. Lexus felt a bit bad, but there was nothing he could really do. He sympathetically nodded. 

– Anyways. So mages are the reason why you are here. – Hiroshi said.

– Uh! I heard everything i needed to hear! That's it! I'm!.. – Otoko was about to say something, but there was a loud knock on the door. He surprised looked at the direction of the door, then apologised and went to open it. They couldn't see him, because the door was in a hallway, but they could hear him very well. 

– Oh, hey guys. You need something? – they heard Otoko's voice. And right after they heard other two men voices

– Hey. Otoko. People say that you brought someone over again. And everyone’s worried that you brought spies again. – they both said. After that they heard Otoko's awkward laugh. – No joke. Otoko. – they could hear that silence.

– I know, I know. I’ll be careful. – he said with a sad smile. The door shutted and he came back. Alden and Hiroshi were eating, Lexus was just moving a spoon along the bowl and was listening to everything that just happened. Otoko sat back down with a little sigh.

– Um, Otoko, were you saying something, my dear – Hiroshi reminded him.

– Oh right! Um, so! I'm going to lead you to the mage village! – he hit the table with his fist. Alden and Lexus looked at him surprised, but Hiroshi even more.

– You sure?! And what about your wife and kids? – he looked really worried. Otoko just laughed – Don't worry! They are strong people! And these kids need help! I can't sit here without an adventure! – he smiled and then put his hand on Hiroshi’s head.

– Hey… Don't you… – he was saying something, but Otoko started to mess up his hair by rubbing them a lot. He looked like he was having a fun time. Alden laughed because of that and got up to join him.

– Ah! Traitor! I'm eating, you guys! – he started to laugh as well. Lexus was looking at this, kinda enjoying the sight. Everything seemed so nice. And he felt much better here than at home. But it didn't change, that he needed to come back. To his mom. But something was still odd. The place seemed so well known, but also something sad was about it. He shook his head to get those thoughts away. Alden and Otoko stopped bothering Hiroshi with his hair and started to just talk about everything. Alden told them everything that happened in the forest, Hiroshi was asking about the future, but only about everyday stuff. Otoko was keeping up the conversation and asking about people and how they will act in the future. After they finished eating Otoko got up.

– Ok-ok! Haha, it's late already, you two go take a bath! – he showed them where the bathroom is. Lexus and Alden got into it and started to relax in hot water.

– Ah… It was so fun! – Alden said, closing his eyes and laying down in the bath. Lexus nodded and started to get comfortable near him. Alden hugged him.

– Don't worry, we’re gonna be home soon. Heh, we gotta write about this in our blog, ok? – he asked. Lexus nodded once more.

– It still feels like a dream… – he slowly said. This time Alden nodded. After half an hour they were shown to their bedroom, which was a guest room, and Otoko gave them some of his pajamas. They were too big for both of them. They laid down on the bed and fell asleep cuddling.

[duckprintspress]

Gorgeous Merchandise to Accompany an Awesome Anthology!

It wouldn’t be a Duck Prints Press crowdfunding campaign if we didn’t have super cool merchandise to accompany our spectacular anthology of outside-the-binary characters exploring aetherpunk worlds, Aether Beyond the Binary. We worked with some really awesome creators this time, and we’re so excited to share the art they’ve done and the merch we’ll be making with it!

Hologram Plant-Loving Robot Sticker: this adorable plant-watering bot graces the back cover of the wrap-around cover by Mar Spragge, and they and the plants they’re watering will sparkle and shine on this rectangular, shimmery, holographic sticker. 4 in x 4 in/10.25 cm x 10.25 cm. (Printed by Vograce)

Aether Music Magic Bookmark: this lovely glossy bookmark features artwork by Pippin Peacock on the front and the signatures of the contributors to Aether Beyond the Binary on the back. 2 in x 7 in/5 cm x 17.75 cm. (Printed by UPrinting)

Aether Dux Die-Cut Sticker: it wouldn’t be a Duck Prints Press anthology without a custom Dux designed by Alessa Riel. Dux is our non-binary company mascot, and for this campaign they’re decked out with crystals and machinery and ready for aether flight. 3 in x 3 in/7.5 cm x 7.5 cm. (Printed by Vograce)

Non-Binary Sky Whale Enamel Pin: this lovely pin depicts a celestial whale moving through a starscape, with the non-binary gender sign dangling by a chain from they’re mouth. The artwork for this pin is by Atomic Pixies. 2 in x 2 in/5 cm x 5 cm. (Manufactured by Alchemy)

BONUS MERCHANDISE! That adorable plant-loving robot? We’ll be making it into a key chain as our Patron-exclusive extra! All $10/month and $25/month patrons who also back the campaign will get this cutie to hang from their keys!

Our campaign, which launches on December 26th 2023 (four days from when this post goes up – soooooon!) will include backer levels with all this merch, and also pick-and-choose add-on options. We’re also offering a trade paperback AND a premium hardcover edition of this book – our first anthology published as a hardcover! There’s loads of other add-ons too – our past anthologies (as e-books or in print!), a short story bundle of works by Aether Beyond the Binary contributors, 5 (FIVE!!!) of the adorable dux plushies by EmpowerFantasy Plush, one-of-a-kind wands by Alessa Riel, and more.

We’re days away from launch – follow our pre-launch page and get notified when the campaign goes live!

[poorly-drawn-mdzs]

Happy Thistle Debut Day!

[canonqueercharacters]

The canon queer character of the day is:

Sardonyx from the Steven Universe franchise, who is non-binary.

[my-midlife-crisis]

[your-blorbos-are-queer]

double trouble from she-ra and the princesses of power is non-binary and gay (canon)