#we are the stories we live

[illuminatedquill]

Sabine Wren

Tale As Old As Time

Story Summary: On a cool evening night on Peridea, Sabine and Ahsoka discuss the stories they wish to leave as their legacy.

Evening was falling; a cool breeze whispered through the Noti encampment to herald the coming dark.

Preparations had already been made to move the next morning. Sabine had come to appreciate the constant movement of the strange crab-like beings that had welcomed them into their company. It gave her a sense of purpose; something to focus on in the meantime while her master figured out their next move.

Huddled around the campfire, her belly full after a good dinner consisting of some spicy stew, Sabine listened to the chatter of the Noti around her and gazed into the luminous night sky above.

“It still amazes me, no matter how much I look at it,” said a familiar voice. Sabine turned to find her master, Ahsoka Tano, walking up to the campfire, Huyang close behind.

Sabine agreed. Many evenings on Lothal had provided her with a wondrous view of the stars but Peridea had it beat by a large margin.

Ahsoka sat down next to her Padawan with a slight huff. After a moment, the older Jedi asked, “Would you like to hear a story, Sabine?”

Sabine blinked. “Aren’t I a little too old for bedtime stories?”

“One is never too old,” Ahsoka chided, “to hear a good story, my Padawan.”

Huyang offered, “I have plenty to offer in that department, Lady Wren.”

Sabine considered that. “What kind of stories?” she asked.

“Tales of the Jedi, and their numerous exploits across the galaxy,” said Huyang.

Sabine’s eyebrows raised in astonishment. “I thought the Empire wiped out all stories of the Jedi. Or replaced it with their own propaganda.”

“Oh, they tried,” replied Ahsoka. “To their credit, they did do a thorough job of it. Most of the modern galactic citizens don’t know much about the Jedi at all, despite the purge happening fairly recently in our lifetime.”

She smiled a little. “But they couldn’t erase all of it. The Jedi existed for a millennium before the Empire. Their stories are written in the very fabric of the galaxy.”

“Are there stories about you, Master?”

Ahsoka laughed. “Oh, I’m sure. I traveled a fair amount back in my youth.”

Sabine looked to Huyang with a grin. “Are there any funny ones about her, Huyang?”

Huyang pondered for a moment before replying. “There is one where she had to pretend to be someone’s fiancée. It was with a boy named Lux, I believe-”

Ahsoka, embarrassment coloring her tone, interrupted him. “Okay, maybe not that one.”

Sabine’s grin turned mischievous. “Oh, did you have a crush on him, my master?”

Ahsoka crossed her arms and sighed. “It was complicated. Happened during the Clone Wars.”

“Oh.” Sabine dropped her teasing. “What happened to him?”

Ahsoka seemed to withdraw into herself. “I’m not sure. I heard rumors of his death during the Rebellion.”

Sabine felt a gentle sadness and regret pulsing out from her master. She decided to drop the subject.

“What kind of story would you like to be remembered for, Lady Tano?” asked Huyang.

Ahsoka blinked at the droid. “That’s quite the question, Huyang.”

“You’re a hero,” suggested Sabine. “You’ve helped so many. So maybe a heroic story.”

“Jedi don’t do this to be remembered, Sabine,” reminded Ahsoka. “We do it because it’s right.”

The older Jedi stared into the fire. “I’m not sure I want to be remembered at all,” she confessed. “I haven’t always done the right thing.”

Sabine said, “But you’ve always done the best you can. I’ve never seen you settle for anything less.”

It felt weird defending Ahsoka against herself. She had rarely seen her master be so unsure before.

Ahsoka smiled appreciatively at Sabine. “That’s true.”

She looked at Huyang. “I suppose that’s the story I’d like to be known for: someone who tried her best to help out.”

“Very appropriate,” observed Huyang. “I’ll keep that in mind for future reference, Lady Tano.”

The droid turned to Sabine. “And you, Lady Wren? When the time comes, what kind of story would you like to leave behind?”

Sabine blew out a breath. “I don’t know,” she admitted. “It’s still being written.”

“A good answer,” said Ahsoka. “You’ll have plenty of time to decide.”

“I would suggest a comedy,” offered Huyang.

Annoyed, Sabine flicked a pebble at the droid. It dinged on his metallic exterior, satisfyingly.

Ahsoka laughed. “Go ahead with a story, Huyang. There’s a funny one with Master Yoda, if I recall? When he spent time with the Wookies.”

“Ah, yes,” said Huyang, approvingly. “That is a good story.”

Ahsoka settled into a more comfortable position. Sabine followed suit, leaning in with interest.

“A long time ago,” started Huyang, “in a galaxy, far, far away . . .”

When the story was over, Ahsoka stood and stretched her back. “You’ll take first watch?” she asked Sabine.

Sabine nodded. “Sleep well, Ahsoka. Same to you, Huyang.”

Huyang replied, “As a reminder: I am droid, and therefore do not require sleep.”

She rolled her eyes. “I will throw a bigger rock at you next time,” Sabine promised.

After they left, Sabine took a stick and poked at the campfire. The Noti had retired to their huts; she was alone with her thoughts.

She leaned back and gazed into the star-lit night sky over her head.

When the time comes, what kind of story would you like to leave behind?

Sabine thought of her life so far; what had been lost and sacrificed.

Her mistakes and failures.

Should it be a tragedy? A cautionary tale for others?

As she brooded, the fire began to die out. Reaching out for another log to feed it, she paused.

“I don’t want to be a tragedy,” she said out loud.

She tossed the log into the campfire and it roared back to life. Sabine watched the glowing embers rise on the night breeze, drifting into the night sky like fiery petals.

She thought of home. Not Mandalore - but Lothal. Her loth-cat, Murley.

Kanan. Hera. Jacen. Zeb. Chopper.

My family. The names repeated in her head, over and over, like some sacred prayer.

And, of course, whenever it was darkest for her, she thought of him.

Sabine looked back into the fire, feeling it’s warmth flow into her.

Ezra filled her mind and, like the campfire, beat back the darkness. It was his constant gift to her; making the dark small.

When the time comes, what kind of story would you like to leave behind?

Sabine smiled. She had her answer.

Whispering, Sabine says it to herself, as though she was uttering a private, secret wish.

“A love story.”

[platoapproved]

What was that you said about memory? "A monster," was it?

[endusviolence]

Rowling isn't denying holocaust. She just pointed out that burning of transgender health books is a lie as that form of cosmetic surgery didn't exist. But of course you knew that already, didn't you?

I was thinking I'd probably see one of you! You're wrong :) Let's review the history a bit, shall we?

In this case, what we're talking about is the Institut für Sexualwissenschaft, or in English, The Institute of Sexology. This Institute was founded and headed by a gay Jewish sexologist named Magnus Hirschfeld. It was founded in July of 1919 as the first sexology research clinic in the world, and was run as a private, non-profit clinic. Hirschfeld and the researchers who worked there would give out consultations, medical advice, and even treatments for free to their poorer clientele, as well as give thousands of lectures and build a unique library full of books on gender, sexuality, and eroticism. Of course, being a gay man, Hirschfeld focused a lot on the gay community and proving that homosexuality was natural and could not be "cured".

Hirschfeld was unique in his time because he believed that nobody's gender was either one or the other. Rather, he contended that everyone is a mixture of both male and female, with every individual having their own unique mix of traits.

This leads into the Institute's work with transgender patients. Hirschfeld was actually the one to coin the term "transsexual" in 1923, though this word didn't become popular phrasing until 30 years later when Harry Benjamin began expanding his research (I'll just be shortening it to trans for this brief overview.) For the Institute, their revolutionary work with gay men eventually began to attract other members of the LGBTA+, including of course trans people.

Contrary to what Anon says, sex reassignment surgery was first tested in 1912. It'd already being used on humans throughout Europe during the 1920's by the time a doctor at the Institute named Ludwig Levy-Lenz began performing it on patients in 1931. Hirschfeld was at first opposed, but he came around quickly because it lowered the rate of suicide among their trans patients. Not only was reassignment performed at the Institute, but both facial feminization and facial masculization surgery were also done.

The Institute employed some of these patients, gave them therapy to help with other issues, even gave some of the mentioned surgeries for free to this who could not afford it! They spoke out on their behalf to the public, even getting Berlin police to help them create "transvestite passes" to allow people to dress however they wanted without the threat of being arrested. They worked together to fight the law, including trying to strike down Paragraph 175, which made it illegal to be homosexual. The picture below is from their holiday party, Magnus Hirschfeld being the gentleman on the right with the fabulous mustache. Many of the other people in this photo are transgender.

[Image ID: A black and white photo of a group of people. Some are smiling at the camera, others have serious expressions. Either way, they all seem to be happy. On the right side, an older gentleman in glasses- Magnus Hirschfeld- is sitting. He has short hair and a bushy mustache. He is resting one hand on the shoulder of the person in front of him. His other hand is being held by a person to his left. Another person to his right is holding his shoulder.]

There was always push back against the Institute, especially from conservatives who saw all of this as a bad thing. But conservatism can't stop progress without destroying it. They weren't willing to go that far for a good while. It all ended in March of 1933, when a new Chancellor was elected. The Nazis did not like homosexuals for several reasons. Chief among them, we break the boundaries of "normal" society. Shortly after the election, on May 6th, the book burnings began. The Jewish, gay, and obviously liberal Magnus Hirschfeld and his library of boundary-breaking literature was one of the very first targets. Thankfully, Hirschfeld was spared by virtue of being in Paris at the time (he would die in 1935, before the Nazis were able to invade France). His library wasn't so lucky.

This famous picture of the book burnings was taken after the Institute of Sexology had been raided. That's their books. Literature on so much about sexuality, eroticism, and gender, yes including their new work on trans people. This is the trans community's Alexandria. We're incredibly lucky that enough of it survived for Harry Benjamin and everyone who came after him was able to build on the Institute's work.

[Image ID: A black and white photo of the May Nazi book burning of the Institute of Sexology's library. A soldier, back facing the camera, is throwing a stack of books into the fire. In the background of the right side, a crowd is watching.]

As the Holocaust went on, the homosexuals of Germany became a targeted group. This did include transgender people, no matter what you say. To deny this reality is Holocaust denial. JK Rowling and everyone else who tries to pretend like this isn't reality is participating in that evil. You're agreeing with the Nazis.

But of course, you knew that already, didn't you?

Edit: Added image IDs. I apologize to those using screen readers for forgetting them. Please reblog this version instead.

[quibbs]

just had SO much fun with the fallout tv show... i love you missus okey dokey

[qiinamii]

we'll do fine.

[wearenotjustnumbers2]

These two kids are Hamza (the oldest) and Qusai (the youngest).

Their mother shares this video and bids them goodbye. They were both killed by Israeli bombardment 5 days ago. She says:

[Two days before Hamza and Qusai were killed, hamza asked me: "mom, when we die, where will I go?" And I told him: "you will be a bird in heaven, my love." He said: "and Qusai?" "Just like you inshallah."

And indeed, two days later, he left and took his brother with him. It's like he was preparing me for saying goodbye to both of them. Heaven is more beautiful than any place on this Earth, habibi. We will meet and be reunited one day, me, your dad and you two].

Our kids don't deserve to die already thinking about what will happen to them, they don't deserve to die already terrified, anticipating their death because the world failed them and decided their lives mean nothing. We are not numbers. Remember their names and their stories.

[biggest-gaudiest-patronuses]

the fact that shakespeare was a playwright is sometimes so funny to me. just the concept of the "greatest writer of the English language" being a random 450-year-old entertainer, a 16th cent pop cultural sensation (thanks in large part to puns & dirty jokes & verbiage & a long-running appeal to commoners). and his work was made to be watched not read, but in the classroom teachers just hand us his scripts and say "that's literature"

just...imagine it's 2450 A.D. and English Lit students are regularly going into 100k debt writing postdoc theses on The Simpsons screenplays. the original animation hasn't even been preserved, it's literally just scripts and the occasional SDH subtitles.txt. they've been republished more times than the Bible

[deep-space-netwerk]

So Venus is my favorite planet in the solar system - everything about it is just so weird.

It has this extraordinarily dense atmosphere that by all accounts shouldn't exist - Venus is close enough to the sun (and therefore hot enough) that the atmosphere should have literally evaporated away, just like Mercury's. We think Earth manages to keep its atmosphere by virtue of our magnetic field, but Venus doesn't even have that going for it. While Venus is probably volcanically active, it definitely doesn't have an internal magnetic dynamo, so whatever form of volcanism it has going on is very different from ours. And, it spins backwards! For some reason!!

But, for as many mysteries as Venus has, the United States really hasn't spent much time investigating it. The Soviet Union, on the other hand, sent no less than 16 probes to Venus between 1961 and 1984 as part of the Venera program - most of them looked like this!

The Soviet Union had a very different approach to space than the United States. NASA missions are typically extremely risk averse, and the spacecraft we launch are generally very expensive one-offs that have only one chance to succeed or fail.

It's lead to some really amazing science, but to put it into perspective, the Mars Opportunity rover only had to survive on Mars for 90 days for the mission to be declared a complete success. That thing lasted 15 years. I love the Opportunity rover as much as any self-respecting NASA engineer, but how much extra time and money did we spend that we didn't technically "need" to for it to last 60x longer than required?

Anyway, all to say, the Soviet Union took a more incremental approach, where failures were far less devastating. The Venera 9 through 14 probes were designed to land on the surface of Venus, and survive long enough to take a picture with two cameras - not an easy task, but a fairly straightforward goal compared to NASA standards. They had…mixed results.

Venera 9 managed to take a picture with one camera, but the other one's lens cap didn't deploy.

Venera 10 also managed to take a picture with one camera, but again the other lens cap didn't deploy.

Venera 11 took no pictures - neither lens cap deployed this time.

Venera 12 also took no pictures - because again, neither lens cap deployed.

Lotta problems with lens caps.

For Venera 13 and 14, in addition to the cameras they sent a device to sample the Venusian "soil". Upon landing, the arm was supposed to swing down and analyze the surface it touched - it was a simple mechanism that couldn't be re-deployed or adjusted after the first go.

This time, both lens caps FINALLY ejected perfectly, and we were treated to these marvelous, eerie pictures of the Venus landscape:

However, when the Venera 14 soil sampler arm deployed, instead of sampling the Venus surface, it managed to swing down and land perfectly on….an ejected lens cap.

[expelliarmus]

[mobius-m-mobius]

#my man was NOT subtle 🤣😉

+ bonus: message received 😅

[egophiliac]

(almost) four years in, and I finally had time to draw something for the anniversary! woo! 🎉🎉🎉

[theribbajack]

"Now, the vow will be honoured, and my Lord brother's soul will return."

Radahn stans keep winning, but I personally am in Miyazaki's walls rn

[s0fter-sin]

people are acting like we’re saying creators shouldn’t be paid for their work; they absolutely should. and watcher already is. they have a patreon, they get sponsors, their videos regularly get millions of views which gives them ad revenue, they sell merch; they are getting paid. feeling indignant and disappointed that they’re asking us to pay for content we were already getting for free isn’t entitlement, it’s expected. ​they wanted to make bigger produced shows and now their budget can’t sustain it, that’s not on the viewer to make up for

[redysetdare]

enough stories about how someone learns to truely be happy through love. i want a story where someone is desperately seeking out love thinking it's the only way to be happy only for them to learn by the end that happiness is what they make of it and they don't need love at all to make it.

[appetite-pen]

Because they made me alive 💛

[iipaint]

oh, i should have gone deeper, but i'm not so brave

when i was done dying - dan deacon // fionna and cake - "cheers"