"love Is What Makes Us Human" Actually It's 'select All Images With Boat' But Go Off I Guess

This exactly. I've heard the argument that if someone wants to go on a mass shooting spree they'll find a way. That's bullshit. Yes if someone is determined to hurt someone bad enough they will but we don't have to make it easier for them to do so. We should have already been making it harder for murderers to murder. The fact that an 18 year old who is not even legally allowed to purchase alcohol can legally purchase an AR-15 should speak for itself. It's about creating roadblocks and deterrents for mass shooters. We should have already done this. Hell humanity is so full of apathy that if you make things difficult enough I'm convinced most people won't bother. Even if that's not the case is what we're doing now working? Has anything been working? Obviously not or this would be a non issue so I ask you, what's the harm in trying something new? The most stricter gun laws could do is not work and since we're already there...

Why not?

Beto O'Rourke was right

More people should tell their governors that they're useless to their face.

On Wednesday afternoon, as Texas Gov. Greg Abbott briefed reporters about the school shooting in the town of Uvalde that left 19 children and two adults dead, he was approached by an unexpected speaker—his Democratic opponent in this fall’s election, Beto O’Rourke. The former El Paso congressman and presidential candidate, who had been waiting silently in an aisle seat in the school auditorium, walked up to the stage and began to challenge the governor.

“You’re doing nothing,” O’Rourke said. “You’re offering us nothing. You said this was not predictable. This was totally predictable.”

He was shouted down by some of the people on stage. One called O’Rourke a “sick son of a bitch.”

“This is not the time or the place to do that,” said another.

“Don’t play this stunt,” Sen. Ted Cruz told him.

Eventually, O’Rourke was escorted away from the stage by police.

Crashing your opponent’s press conference is, as Cruz said, a stunt. Of course it is. But so was the event O’Rourke was crashing, in which the most powerful men in the state assembled at a school auditorium to do…what, do they do, exactly?

We’re all familiar with this routine by now—the elected officials who descend on the scene in their best emergency-response earth tones to bask in their proximity to law enforcement and collectively absolve everyone with power of any responsibility. People like Abbott and Cruz and Ken Paxton and Dan Patrick—the state’s Republican attorney general and lieutenant governor—will emphasize the “tragedy” of what happened and the unpredictability of it all. There were no obvious signs, Abbott said on Wednesday, not long before O’Rourke’s interruption; law enforcement acted quickly, he said, and saved lives; the assault rifles he acquired shortly before the shootings were, of course, purchased legally. They’ll give a few days of defensive interviews about hiring veterans to stand guard at schools. Maybe, in a few weeks, we’ll get “Uvalde Strong” t-shirts.

O’Rourke’s rhetoric on gun control viscerally shifted after the 2019 massacre targeting Mexican and Mexican-American shoppers at an El Paso Walmart. He pushed a mandatory assault-rifle buyback program during that campaign and said at a presidential debate, “Hell yes, we’re going to take your AR-15.” He now says he is “not interested in taking anything from anyone,” but he has criticized Abbott for signing a law that allows anyone to carry a handgun without even acquiring a permit.

Ultimately, the question of whether his intervention Wednesday was polite or not is less important than the fact that O’Rourke is right. The effect, if not the outright point, of events like the one he crashed is to ensure that the right time and the place to discuss gun control never comes—to indulge the delusion that the people who are truly doing nothing are actually doing something. The shooting was predictable, if not in the specific sense, then in the broader one: The state’s and the country’s gun laws enable outcomes such as this by design. If it wasn’t predictable, then why can we keep predicting it?

treat yourself to a short fic. in 2k or less, your whole day could turn around.

It's fanfiction it doesn't have to be perfect it doesn't have to be accurate this is a hobby you're doing this for fun it's okay if it isn't perfect and polished you're doing it for fun [talking to myself in the mirror]

Kalijah Sneak Peek!

These are some excerpts from an upcoming chapter in my Kalijah fic Redamacy! I'm posting this for my greatest source of Kalijah inspiration @umaficwriter since without their edits, I never would've been able to write a halfway decent story for these two.

Link to the fic(pls ignore how bad chapter 3 is😭) https://archiveofourown.org/works/53393533

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Katerina crossed her arms with a scowl. “Well I'm so glad that they've finally deemed me worthy of tolerance, but that doesn't mean I'm eager to play house. Honestly, Elijah, did you expect us all to become one big happy family?”

Realistically, no, but as always, he had foolishly, idiotically, hoped that somehow it would all come together in the end and he could have it all. Truly, he was a selfish creature.

Reading the truth in his eyes, Katerina's face softened, and she stepped closer to him again, smoothing the creases in his brow and soothing him with her touch.

Her tone was gentler, but no less honest when she spoke again. “I could deal with Rebekah, but Klaus took everything from me. I won't plot against him, but I'll always hate him. It's not fair of you to ask otherwise.”

Elijah sighed. Of course, she was right, and he knew that. He would never expect so much from her. It was just that he wished so much for better, perfect circumstances, but theirs was a world far from perfect.

He leant his forehead against hers, lightly brushing their noses until she smiled. “I understand, Любов моя. It was never my intention to suggest such a thing. I just don't want to be apart from you.”

“So don't be,” she whispered against his lips, the move so enticing he had to kiss her.

After a moment, he pulled away enough that he could see her. She was still smiling slightly, and it brightened his mood.

“Go with your siblings to New Orleans, take care of your family, and once everything is settled, give me a call. We'll go back to Willoughby, or we can pick somewhere new. Doesn't matter.”

He stared into her eyes, searching them desperately for signs of deceit. “You would wait? While I was gone, you would wait for my return?”

Katerina placed a hand on his face, tenderly stroking his cheekbone. “I love you, Elijah. I'll love you while you're gone, and I'll love you even more if you come back.”

Elijah pulled her into a deep kiss, wrapping an arm around her waist to press her as close as possible and attempting to pour his devotion into her through touch alone. He only separated from a breathless Katerina just enough to speak a promise against her lips.

“I will always come back to you.”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“I made them a promise that I would stand by their side and protect her and the child. Niklaus is playing a dangerous game. One misstep and everything will be lost. I cannot let that happen. They need me.”

Katerina pulled her hand from his grip. “And what about your promise to me? What about us? What about you? What do you want, Elijah?”

His own eyes were tearing up as he looked at her helplessly. “You know I want nothing more than to be with you. I love you.”

She squeezed her eyes closed like she couldn't bear to look at him, her lips, normally so full of color, were pressed so tightly together they were white. He knew she was struggling to maintain her composure, and he could do nothing but watch.

When she opened her eyes, they were resigned. The look on her face was similar to when Kol had said he could no longer help her. It was disappointed acceptance, the heartbreaking stare of someone failed far too often. He was sure nothing alive had ever felt as wretched inside as he did while meeting that stare.

“I know. That's what's so sad, Elijah. You love me, just not enough.”

“I-”

“You are devoted to a fault. You've given yourself entirely to your family, and there's no room for anything else. That's not how I want to be loved. I won't spend forever coming second to Klaus.”

Like always, she unapologetically forced him to stare his greatest flaws in the face, made him study them in great detail until he had a new understanding of some fundamental truth of himself. However, this time, knowing wasn't enough to make a difference. He wanted to say he would change, that he would leave Niklaus to live his life however he chose and put his love for Katerina first the way she deserved, but he couldn't make that promise. He couldn't fully let her go either.

“Forever is a long time, my Katerina. I may not be able to give you what you deserve now, but I still intend to keep my vows. I will come back to you. It may take time, but even though I'm not by your side, I will never leave you.”

Katerina took a deep breath, blinking away gathering tears stubbornly. She linked her hand with his again.

“You do that, and I'll stand by what I said too.”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

His gaze swept over her body, drinking in every detail of her beloved form before settling on her fathomless eyes.

“I don't think I can say goodbye,” he choked out around the swell of despair in his throat.

Her face crumpled, and she breathed a watery sigh before stepping closer to him. She stroked over his brow with soft fingertips, looking at him with so much adoration and heartbreak.

“Close your eyes,” she whispered.

He did what she said without thought and felt the heavenly sensation of her plush lips against his. The kiss was soft, tender, a loving caress, and a promise of more. It lingered like a last kiss but held the hope of a first.

Elijah reached to touch her, wind an arm around her waist, and never let her go, but his hand cut through thin air. He opened his eyes, and she was gone, the press of her against his skin imprinting itself into the familiar places it once called home.

He blinked a tear from his eye, feeling it trail down his cheek as he stared at the empty space she just occupied and reacquainted himself with her ghost.

Most recent finished work: Untitled birthday present for trucker.

Ignore the poor lighting and occasional wonky bits.

Dramione The Great AU

I need someone to write a Dramione fic inspired by The Great!

Hermione would be Catherine, and Draco would be Peter. The plot would have to change a bit to fit the characters. I was thinking the power struggle between Dramione could result in a shared leadership with Hermione and Draco both coming together to reform Russia after the coup. Hermione would still take power herself for a time, struggling like Catherine did, and during that time, she and Draco would start to understand each other more and grow to respect the others' strengths. They would, of course, fall in love in the process but would also come to realize the benefit of ruling together and how they help fill the gaps in each other's worldview.

In my opinion, Narcissa should definitely be aunt Lizzy, but Andromeda would be a good choice if you wanted to stay more in line with the show. Plus, she and Hermione would be more likely to grow close quickly so I could see the merit in going that route. If Narcissa was chosen, I suggest replacing Peter's mother with Bellatrix in the sense that Draco's trauma would come from his aunt instead of his mother.

Grigor and Georgina would obviously be Theo and Pansy. Arkady would be Blaise, and I have the tentative thought that Luna could be Tatyana. Ginny should be Marial, and Orlo should be Harry. Ron would be Leo. I have the idea of Snape as Archie and possibly Remus for Velementov.

The side ships have the potential to be very interesting. You could keep Harry and Ginny together and have the plot shift with that, or you could follow TG canon and have Ginny and Theo be a thing eventually with Harry being demisexual and possibly with someone else.

Point is, I have IDEAS and THOUGHTS, and someone needs to do something with them ASAP because I lack the energy both mentally and physically to take on another project.

Does anybody else feel like Legacies is just Julie's weird fanfiction of the TVD universe?

one tectonic plate approaching another

“so are you a top or a bottom?”

I feel like when I say ‘relatable’ what I really mean is ‘resonant.’ I don’t want characters who I feel are like me, I want characters who have emotions so strong I can feel them through the page.