#started work and drove a car cor the first time ever today

[ourlittlesister2015]

I have one day to write six really hard pages and i'm so tired this week's been a ride. I really want this the thought of not getting it done in time is fucking with my head actually

[fanfictsbehereyall]

#10 : Movieverse

Summary:

Zane and Morro just want to have a fun weekend together at Morro's house but one of the family members that live there turn out to surprise our ninja boi and goth baby.

( What even are summaries? Idk, haha )

**~~~~~~~~~~~~**

Tick-tock-tick-tock

'Ugh, when is this class going to end? I just want to get started on my lazy weekend,' Lloyd thought to himself as he looked around the classroom at his friends. Kai was sitting in front of him passed out on his desk, Jay was to his left furiously writing down notes in his signature chicken scratch, Cole was sitting behind him with music blaring from his headphones, and Zane was zipping up his backpack.

'Huh, why is zane already packed?'

Tick-tock-Ring!

The final bell chimed through the classroom and kids were quick to shove there textbooks and notebooks into their bags. But, not as fast as Zane who was already heading out of the door saying a quick goodbye to the others with a big smile on his face.

"Hey guys, we don't have any special ninja training today, right?" Lloyd whispered to the others, " 'Cause Zane just bolted out the door like there was no tomorrow."

"Naw, Sensei Wu told us himself that we deserve a little brake," Cole said while scrolling through his phone's playlist.

"Yeah, Zane's just been very swift with his getaways from school and training recently," Kai added.

"Maybe it has to do with his real human boy stuff that he always goes on about," Jay said as he adjusted his long orange scarf.

Lloyd thought through it and simply said," Well whatever it is, I hope Zane is having fun."

*~~~*

Zane sprinted towards the train station, not wanting to be late. He darted through crowds of people and slid down the stair railing that lead to the departure platform. He quickly scanned his ticket at the gate and slid into the first car that was readily available. The door instantly closes and the train is off.

The usual skyscrapers and bustling metropolis slowly started to fade into more of an urban setting with small neighborhoods filled with big houses. Little kids could be seen playing in the streets and teens could be seen heading into a mall. Not soon after did the cul-de-sacs started to trickle out of view and a more rural landscape shined through the window.

The train came to a stop and Zane could only see tall grass for miles. The sky was a crisp dark blue as the sun started to set. He stepped out of the train to be greeted by strong hug. Zane could instantly tell it was Morro as a long streak of green hair popped out from the rest of the black locks.

Morro squeezed even harder as he sent them in a little twirl, "I thought you missed the train again."

"I would never want to miss any of our dates," Zane replied holding onto Morro for a few more seconds, basking at how beautiful he looked in his gothic attire, before asking, "What do you have planned tonight?"

"I was thinking that we could go to my house and you could stay over, if you want to that is," Morro said pulling Zane towards his parked car, a dark blush on his cheeks,"and, you know, finally be able to meet Gramps."

"I would love to spend the night with you and meet this famous Grandfather of yours," Zane said with a light blush on his cheeks.

"Perfect! Let's go" Morro said, and they drove off into the countryside.

*~~~*

Morro had a cute little Japanese styled home placed on an acre of land. Cherry blossom trees were scattered about the front of the house, and a calming flow of water could be hear coming from the koi pond on the side of the house.

"Wow, your house is very beautiful," Zane said as Morro pulled into the gravel driveway.

"Not as beautiful as me, right?" Morro quipped while getting out of the car, a big smirk on his face.

"Oh nothing can compare to your beauty my love," Zane exaggerates, an even bigger smirk plastered on his face.

"Hehe, you better mean that," Morro said as he opened the front door, and then shouting, "Hey Gramps I have someone you should meet!"

Morro took Zane's hand and guided him through the house, first taking off their shoes at the front. The dark wood floors were clean and sparkling, the walls filled with different kinds of framed photos from all around Ninjago's landscape and buildings. They both headed to the living room and took a seat on the couch, Morro practically draping himself over Zane. Zane looked around at the plethora of photos on the wall next to the TV.

"Your photos are very alluring," Zane commented as he relaxed further into the couch hold Morro in a more comfortable position.

"Oh you sap, you told me the same thing the first time we met," Morro said with a loving tone in his voice while leaning in closer to Zane.

"I'll never forget that fateful day," Zane said who was also leaning into Morro's advances.

"Ahem."

Zane instantly shot up from the couch, inadvertently knocking Morro off, and sharply pushing his body into a crisp bow as he said, "Sensei Wu!"

"Sensei?" was all Morro could say while still lying on the floor.

"No need for formality Zane, you are not my student but a house guest tonight," Sensei Wu said as he held out his cane to help Morro get off the floor, "so tell me, how did you two meet?"

"Well, remember when I had to go into the city to get camera fix a few weeks ago…"

*~~~*

The sun was shining bright, but Morro's attitude was sour. He thought about how he had to wake up earlier that day to try and take a wonderful photo of the sunrise on the horizon. Taking his car out into the freezing night and hiking about three miles out into the woods, just to set up his tripod on a cliff and for a bird to attack him, which caused him to trip over his camera and break it!

'Aaaaahhhhh, this is so frustrating!' Morro thought as he walked around the city, waiting for his camera to be fixed at some father-and-son tech shop. His phone instantly buzzed and looking down at the text, Morro got excited as he thought, 'Yes, they're finally done!'

Morro ran back to the shop and was very tempted to just bust through the door. But, before he got to the shop's window, he calmed down as much as he could and lightly opened the door, a lite ding could be heard from a bell above. And, as Morro looked over towards the counter, he didn't see the old man from before but had conned eyes with a blue eyed, tall, white haired, tanned skin teen.

"Why hello there. My name is Zane," the stunning sea-blue eyed teen said before continuing with, "Welcome to Dr. Julien's Technologies Shop! How may I help you today?"

"Oh um, I'm Morro and I was here earlier to have my camera fix," Morro said, slightly shying away from Zane's confidence.

"The Canon EOS 80D with the tripod, correct?" Zane asked, a tender smile on his face.

"Ah, yes that's cor-correct," Morro stammered as he could feel his face getting warmer.

"Perfect! I'll be right back with your camera," Zane said as he walked into a backroom.

"Thanks," Morro said while trying not to embarrass himself anymore and thinking, 'Oh my God! Why am I starting to stammer!'

Zane came back to the counter with Morro's Camera and tripod completely unscathed, just like when he first bought them. But, before Morro could do anything, Zane slid a USB flash drive on the counter while saying, "I noticed that you still had your SD card inside of the camera. And...And I wanted to help save your work...And I'm really sorry for looking through your things, but..." a dark blush was starting to keep from Zane's cheats to his ears as he quickly saud, "your photos are very alluring."

"Th-thank you!" Morro said as he thought, 'Think Morro, Think! Say something before he gets freaked out like the others,' and then blurred out, "Would you like to take pictures with me?"

"That would be wonderful."

*~~~*

"And that is pretty much what happened," Morro said while holding onto Zane's hand, "but, how do you guys know each other?"

Sensei Wu took a deep calming breath before saying, "Zane is one of my students and is apart of the group of ninja that protect Ninjago."

"Sensei! Wasn't that supposed to be a secret to all civilians?" Zane said in shock.

"Love should never be built on a foundation of lies," Sensei Wu said while getting off the couch and heading towards the door, "you two can have the house for yourselves. I'll go visit my nephew for the weakened."

"So, what does the savior of Ninjago want to do first?" Morro asked with a sly smirk on his face.

*~~~~~~~~~~~~*

Well here we are, first fanfic that I've ever made! Hope you guys like it ( and sorry if the the character seem oc), but keep touch for the next chapter. Hopefully it will be out by the 4rd or 5th, maybe earlier~

Oh man, so many headcanons for this story. Abd, to try and clear some things up: Morro had been adopted by Wu and So kinda just let's Morro do his own thing (Wu knows Morro is a good kid, despite where he has come from and how dresses), then there's Dr. Julien having a tech store (most likely where Julien gets spare parts for his his projects), and Morro getting into the hobby of photography. So many things, probably going to be like this with the other chapters, Ooof.

( 0v0 )

[battle-goats]

Chocobo Hats and Fish Cake

It’s Noctis’s first birthday without his father.

Written for Noctis’s birthday this year, even though it’s a day late.

In a perfect world, Noctis would have spent his twenty-first birthday standing before an altar and stuttering through his wedding vows as the world watched.  In any world, it’s the first birthday he has to go without his father.

When he woke up, it was trapped in a pile of his friends.  The four of them had long given up the pretense of giving each other space and instead chose to sleep in a pile in the middle of their tent.  Noctis let himself drift off to sleep again, and didn’t stir as the other awoke for the day.

When he finally did wake up, it was to Ignis shaking his shoulder.

“Iggy?” he asked, his voice still groggy with sleep.

“It’s time to get up and eat, your Highness.  We’ve some things to do today,” Ignis said.  Noctis nodded and he sat up.  Ignis stepped out of the tent and left Noctis to get up.  Noctis stretched and quickly changed into his fatigues.

He stepped out into a muggy Duscaen morning.  Ignis shoved a cup of coffee and a plate of eggs and bacon into his hands.

“Eat quickly, please, we’ve a long drive ahead of us, today,” he said.  Noctis nodded and slumped into his chair to eat.  Around him, the others were packing up camp and taking things back to the car.  Noctis finished eating and handed his dishes off to Ignis who rushed off to wash them.  In the meantime, he helped Gladio collapse their tent.

They were packed up and seated in the car.  

“So, back to Hammerhead, right?” Noctis asked.

“Hammerhead first, then we have a second destination after,” Ignis said.  The engine roared to life and he pulled out of the parking spot.

Noctis found himself dozing through much of the drive, feeling tired and lethargic despite having gotten the most sleep out of the four of them.  It wasn’t until he pulled out his phone to play King’s Knight when he realized why he had been feeling off all day.

The lock screen prominently displayed the date and time.

“Oh,” he breathed.

“What is it?” Gladio asked.

“I-I forgot today’s my birthday,” he said.  He saw Ignis’s eyes flick over the rearview mirror to look at him, and Prompto had gone stiff in the front seat.  He already knew what they were all thinking, because they all knew how he had celebrated his birthday nearly every single year.

Once a year, his father would cancel all his meetings and shove all his responsibilities onto his advisers, and would take Noctis out on a day trip outside Insomnia.  They had never gone far.  They would spend the day off of the Lucinian Sound shore, just north of Keycatrich.  Until that ill-fated trip to Tenebrae, it had been the only place he had ever been outside of Insomnia.

Noctis ignored the King’s Knight icon on his home screen and instead pulled up his camera roll.  His phone had a good three year’s worth of birthday pictures.  He scrolled through them, smiling fondly, though the pain in his chest tightened at the sight of his father, looking as carefree as he could possibly be with a war banging on his doorstep, and a semi-sentient rock draining his life force.

Noctis’s twentieth birthday had them camping out for the night at a haven, a cake baked by Ignis oh so carefully packed away so it wouldn’t be ruined by bumpy roads, and freshly caught grilled fish for dinner.

Despite the scowl on Noctis’s face in the photo, he remembered still feeling fond of the silly party hat his father had shoved on his head while Cor snapped pictures.  There were a few photos of Noctis standing on the rocks, fishing rod in hand.  There was a selfie of his father and Cor, both sipping cheap Lucian beer, wearing party hats.  He scrolled down to his nineteenth birthday, and found photos of them all sitting around the fire.  Clarus was with them that year, looking serious and severe with his own party hat.  The hats were a tradition, started when Noctis was four.  He remembered Cor putting one on his head, and then he insisted that everyone else wear them.  They were a requirement at every single birthday, no matter how old he got, or how much he thought he was too cool for them.

For the first time since Insomnia fell, he felt tears prick his eyes.  Noctis set his phone down and resolutely looked out across the landscape so no one could see the upset on his face.  The woods of Duscae gave way to the dusty plains of Leide, and they pulled into Hammerhead an hour later.

Noctis steeled himself for unwanted social interaction with Cindy and Takka.  He got dragged into a conversation with Cindy regarding the Regalia while Prompto awkwardly hovered nearby.  He caught Ignis and Gladio with their heads bent together, deep in some kind of conversation.  Before he could escape Cindy, Ignis wandered off towards Takka’s diner.  Noctis finally escaped Cindy’s enthusiastic clutches and headed for the diner to deliver the bean shipment Takka had asked them to pick up.

As he entered the diner, Ignis stepped out, and he looked oddly pleased.  Noctis greeted Takka and handed off the beans after a short conversation.  Noctis stepped out and felt absolutely drained.  He had barely spoken to anyone all day, and yet he felt like he had had his fill of social interaction.  He just wanted to curl up in the back seat and sleep.

With their one errand for the day done, Noctis sat in the car and quickly fell asleep.  He woke up briefly with the other three joined him and Ignis started the car, but he didn’t ask where they were headed next.  

Noctis awoke with a jolt when the car transitioned from paved to dirt road.  He looked up blearily.

“Where are we?” he asked.

“We’re passing the Hunter HQ towards Keycatrich,” Ignis answered.  Noctis didn’t say anything as they drove on by.  He leaned back and sighed.

He shut his eyes again, not really watching the world go by.  He could hardly consider this to be his worst birthday ever - even if in comparison to the twenty before it, it was.  But at least he wasn’t dead.

The Regalia slowed to a stop and he took a moment to really take in the scenery.  They had parked on a cliff, overlooking the Lucinian Sound.  He knew this place.  He had seen it, once a year, nearly every year since he was four.  He clambered out of the car and stood at the edge of the cliff to taken in the sight of the cold, dark water.

It was windier here than in Cape Caem, and the waters darker.  With how far north it was, it was much chillier, even in the middle of the afternoon.

He turned around to see the others unloading the car, preparing to carry it all down the pathway to the haven located closer to the water.  Gladio had all four chairs clutched in one arm, while the other carried two of their duffel bags.  Ignis had the cooking gear, and Prompto carried the tent, and the other two duffel bags.

“Guys, I - what?”

“I contacted the Marshal for the coordinates to this location.  We thought a continuation of the tradition was in order,” Ignis said.  Prompto nodded along.  Noctis felt like he wanted to cry again.

“Okay.” he said.  He lead the way down the somewhat narrow path to the rocky sand below.  The haven was set against the cliff, away from the high tide line.  There was also a good fishing spot in the shallows, not too far away, either.

They quickly set up camp, and Ignis shooed Noctis towards the fishing spot with orders to relax and catch them dinner.

Noctis got comfortable and set to work with the fishing.  Prompto kept him company with quiet chatter, and the sound of his camera shutter.

“This place is really nice.  It’s a bit cold, though,” he said. Noctis hummed.  The waters north of Lucis had always been that way.

“My dad would bring me here every year for my birthday.  The only time he didn’t, was for my ninth.  I still wasn’t strong enough for the trip, so we settled for a little garden party at the Citadel.  I was disappointed, since we only come out here once a year.  But when I got a little older, I understood.  The walk down here would have been impossible for me, then.

He reeled a small fish and tossed it back into the water.  It wasn’t nearly large enough for them to eat.  He cast his line again, and heard the click of Prompto’s camera shutter.  He was feeling tired again.  Tired of people, of being surrounded.  He wanted a moment to himself.

“Prompto, could you give me a hand please?” Ignis called from the haven.  Noctis felt his shoulders relax.  Ignis had always been good at sensing his moods.  Even at ridiculous distances.

“Sure thing!  I’ll leave you to it, buddy,” Prompto said.  Noctis didn’t turn around, just nodded and stared out over the water.  Now that Prompto wasn’t hovering, and fidgeting, the fish weren’t being scared off.  Noctis reeled in a big one almost immediately.  He managed to get it into the bucket of water with only some flailing.  

He sat and re-spooled his line, listening to the water crash against the rocks.  It was comforting in it’s own way.  This spot brought back far more memories than he cared to deal with, but he didn’t mind.  Noctis still remembered being a tiny four year old, his dad sitting at his back, his large, worn hands guiding him into his first cast.  Helping him hold the little child-sized rod.  He only caught one fish that day.  A tiny thing his dad had tossed back into the water.

“When we come back, that fish will be too big for your little line, but I’m sure one day, you’ll be able to reel in a big one,” he had said.  Noctis had been disappointed, but he had seen his father’s fishing rod.  While he could lift it, he knew that any fish it could hook would just drag him into the water.  His dad had only ruffled his hair and carried him back to the haven where a small candle lit cake waited.  Dad and Cor had sung him a very off-key rendition of the birthday song.  He had fallen asleep on the car ride back to the Citadel.  To his young mind, it had been the best birthday ever.

Noctis blinked when his lure bobbed and the line started to run.  He got to work,  and pretended the stinging in his eyes and the wetness on his face was just ocean water.

It didn’t take long to have five decently sized fish in his bucket.  And it was more than early enough still for Ignis to have time to prep them into something delicious.  He had been so focused on the fish and his memories that he hadn’t even noticed that streamers and fairy lights had been strung up around the camp.  The lights were being powered by a small generator.  It definitely wasn’t theirs.

“Wow, guys, this is incredible!” he said.  The somber mood he’d been feeling much of the day lifted just a bit. “Where did you get the generator.”

“We borrowed it from Cindy,” Prompto said.  He snapped a photo of Noctis as Gladio came up behind him and put a party hat on his.  

“Rented, more like,” Ignis muttered.  He slid a hat onto his own head as Gladio and Prompto did the same thing.  The hats were chocobo themed.  Definitely Prompto’s doing.

“Come on, we gotta get a picture of all of us in our hats,” Prompto said.  He beckoned Gladio and Ignis closer.  The four of them crowded together and Prompto snapped the selfie.  Once that was done, Ignis relieved Noctis of the fish and set to work preparing it.  Gladio steered Noct into his seat around a low table, probably also “borrowed” from Cindy.  There was a deck of cards sitting on it.

“Ready to get your ass kicked, birthday boy?” Gladio asked.

“You sure it isn’t the other way around?” Noctis replied.  He sat down and their hands were dealt. ��They played until Ignis announced dinner, and revealed a beautifully poached fish with roasted potatoes and vegetables.  And there was nary a green on Noctis’s plate.

“Consider this my gift to you, your highness,” Ignis said.  Noctis smiled with a soft laugh.  They ate their dinner, enjoying every bite.  In Noctis’s opinion, this was easily Ignis’s best camp meal yet.

When they finished, Ignis collected the dishes and dumped them in the basin he kept for washing up.

“Are you ready for dessert, Noct?” he asked.  Noctis felt comfortably full already, but the possibility of dessert was tempting.

“As ready as I’ll ever be,” he said.

“Gladio, clear the table, please,” Ignis said.  Gladio gathered up the playing cards and slid the deck into its box.  He tossed it through the open flap of their tent where it landed against his duffel bag.  Ignis brought over a platter and set it on the table.  Sitting in the center was a frosted cake in the shape of a fish.

Noctis couldn’t help himself and started laughing.  It was so ridiculous and silly.  Here they all were, grown men, wearing chocobo themed party hats, and about to cut into a chocolate frosted cake shaped like a fish.  When he calmed, Ignis had placed a trio of candles in the center and lit them.

“If you’ve calmed down, I believe it’s time for the birthday song,” Ignis said.  Though he didn’t look particularly excited to sing.

“You don’t have to.  I know Gladio sounds like a dying coeurl when he sings,” Noctis said.  They ignored Gladio’s indignant protest.

“Nevertheless, as we are observing tradition, a poorly sung birthday song is a must,” Ignis said.  He pushed up his glasses and gave Prompto and Gladio a look.  The three moved so that they were on one side of the cake, and Noctis was on the other.

And then, they sang.

All things considered, it wasn’t the worst Noctis had ever heard.  Prompto and Ignis could actually carry a tune, and Gladio’s deep voice was more of a pleasant rumble.  As soon as the song ended, Noctis leaned forward and blew out the candles.

“Happy birthday, buddy,” Prompto said as he flung an arm around Noctis’s shoulders.

“Yeah, happy birthday,” Gladio chuckled.  He nudged Noctis on the shoulder and watched the pair nearly stumble over.  Ignis cut into the cake and served them each a piece.

They dug into the cake, and Noctis couldn’t stop the noise he let out of his throat at how good it was.

“I gotta say, Iggy, you’ve really outdone yourself today,” Noctis told him.  He could swear Ignis was blushing just a little.

“It is my pleasure, your highness.”

Noctis had only one bite left of his cake when he paused.  While most of the day had left him feeling oddly empty, it was only now that a feeling of contentment washed over him.  His father might be gone, and his country ripped out from under him, but in that point in time, he was content.

“Guys, I - just, thank you, so much.”

He felt the prick of tears in his eyes again.  He hastily wiped them away and forced the last bite of cake into his mouth to avoid saying anything else.

When they bedded down for the night, Noctis sound himself squished between Gladio and Prompto, who both ran warm, while Ignis’s arm was thrown across Prompto and his hand rested on Noctis’s ribs.  Surrounded by the warmth and love of his friends, and the sound of the sea, and with new memories of one of his favorite places on Eos, he fell into the best sleep he had had in a long time.

[thecoroutfitters]

Everyone has heard the oft-repeated mantra of the left that “guns kill people.” Likewise, we’ve all heard the snarky responses that have been made to that, such as the ones about spoons making people fat and people having defective guns, because their guns have never killed anyone.

My personal collection of firearms falls into this category, as the only thing they’ve ever killed is a bulls-eye in a target. However, even though I’ve never fired a shot in anger, my guns have stopped two crimes, just because I showed that I was not an easy victim to take advantage of.

The reality is, killings happen and guns are often the tool that the killers use. There is no question that the modern gun is the most efficient weapon available to the average person, whether being used in the offense or the defense.

While our military forces have even more efficient weapons that pistols and rifles, these are denied to the public by their high price and laws restricting their ownership.

So, modern killers often use guns, simply because guns are efficient tools of war. But that doesn’t make guns killers. People are the killers and some percentage of our population has been killing their fellow man since Cain first realized that he could use a rock to bash in his brother Abel’s head (or however he did it). Cain didn’t have a Glock or an AR-15 to use; he probably didn’t even have a bow and arrow, so he used what he had at hand.

The problem isn’t the gun. As others have said before, guns are merely tools, no more able to commit crime than hammers are. And considering how many times I’ve hit my thumb with a hammer over the years, I’d say that hammers have a higher rate of hurting people than guns do.

But like the hammer, the gun can be used for good, just as it can be used for bad. As a weapon, it is as useful in the defense as it is in the offense. We can’t forget the neighbor who grabbed his personal AR-15 and ran to the aid of the people who were being killed in the Sutherland Springs shooting.

3 Second SEAL Test Will Tell You If You’ll Survive A SHTF Situation

Had it not been for some judicious marksmanship on the part of that hero, many more people might have been killed. The church was apparently only the killer’s first intended target, as proven by the huge quantity of ammunition he was carrying.

Every day, criminals are thwarted by good guys carrying guns. Some of those good guys also have a badge, but many more do not.

It has been proven that most gun-related crimes involve the use of guns that are purchased illegally; either on the black market or through what are known as “straw purchases.” While this doesn’t cover all murders, simply enforcing the existing laws on the books would greatly reduce gun-related crime.

That’s not to say that it would reduce crime though. Criminals are criminals and if they don’t have guns to use, they will use whatever weapon they can find. Criminals didn’t suddenly appear when guns were invented; they practiced their “profession” long before that time.

Guns just became their weapon of choice for the same reason they did for hunters; they’re easier to use.

Mass Murder and Weapons

The very same day that the Sandy Hook shooting happened (in 2014), a knife-wielding thug entered a school in China, killing more children than Adam Lanza did. But this wasn’t the worst knife attack in China that year, on March 1, 2014, 10 men, armed with knives, entered the Kumming train station, killing 29 and wounding 130 others.

Mass murder is mass murder, regardless of the weapon used. It is a horrendous event, regardless of who does it, where they do it, who the victims are or what weapon they hold in their hand. Yet it is guns that receive all the press, not because they are more deadly, but for political reasons.

Anything can be used to kill others, especially in the hands of a skilled individual. Martial arts weapons started out as tools, not weapons. They became weaponized in China, because the Japanese didn’t allow the Chinese to own swords. So they figured out how to use what they had.

This isn’t the only historic reference we can make to the use of tools as weapons. Many of the melee weapons used in the Middle Ages were tools as well, especially the “battle axe” and the “war hammer.”

While there were versions of these tools which were crafted specifically to be used as weapons, the majority of the peasantry merely used what tools they had at hand. Both axes and large hammers make effective weapons, if you don’t have anything better to use.

Hands and Knives

The same is true of murderers. Some of the most infamous serial murderers in history didn’t use guns. Jack the Ripper, for example, used knives on his victims; cutting their throats and then mutilating their bodies.

Since the killer, who is believed to be a man, had a distinct physical advantage over his female victims, so a knife was clearly sufficient for his needs.

The Green River Killer, Gary Ridgway didn’t even need a knife in his own version of Jack the Ripper’s murder spree, he strangled them to death. Early on in his killing career he did this with his hands, but as he became more proficient, he used a ligature (a cord of some sort, used as a garrote).

Still the most prolific serial murderer in American history, Ridgway has been convicted of murdering 48 separate women, and the actual count is suspected as being over 90. His killings resemble those of Jack the Ripper in that most of his victims were sex workers and runaway teenagers, who he committed sexual acts with both before and after murdering them.

Medicines

Perhaps one of the most bizarre serial murder cases is that of Niels Hoegal, a German male nurse. While actively working in a hospital, fighting to save his patients’ lives, Hoegal was also killing them, and apparently doing so for the thrill of it. The thrill wasn’t of killing them, but of rescuing them from death; a death that he himself inflicted.

Hoegal’s weapon of choice was a heart medication called Gilurytmal. He would give patients an overdose of this medication, so that he could impress his colleagues by resuscitating them. But he was not successful in all cases, many died.

Apparently that was of no concern of his, even though he fought to save patients lives daily.

While this killer was only convicted of two murders, two attempted murders and one count of serious bodily harm, it is believed that he killed over 100 people over a six year period of time. The only reason why there are so few convictions is that most of his victims were cremated, making it impossible for forensic investigators to prove whether he killed them or not.

Cars, Trucks and Explosives

To those who think in terms of weapons, anything can be a weapon, even things that are not designed for the purpose of killing. Cars and trucks were designed for transport, yet many die from vehicle accidents. In 2016 (the last year for which complete data is available at this time) there were over 40,000 people who died in vehicular accidents.

When you take into consideration the percentage of these which were caused by drugs or alcohol, it is impossible to state those were merely “accidents.”

But vehicles can be used intentionally as weapons as well. Car bombings are not uncommon, especially in the Middle East, where terrorists have turned the car bomb into a fine art. Cars and trucks make it easy to transport the explosives, as well as providing extra shrapnel when the bomb goes off.

But vehicles can be used as weapons, even without the explosives. On December, 19, 2016 a terrorist drove a truck into a Christmas Market in Berlin. This act claimed 12 lives, including that of the driver the truck was stolen from, as well as an additional 56 others who were injured.

This violent act was clearly intended to be an act of war, motivated by ISIS and perpetrated by a failed Tunasian asylum seeker.

Another such example is Nice, France when in 2016 a cargo truck was driven in a crowd of people resulting in 86 people dead and 458 injured.

While serial killers who operate over years can claim high numbers of victims, perhaps the worst mass murders are committed not by firearms, but by explosives. This only makes sense, as explosives give the killer more bang for the buck.

They can kill more people in a single “shot” than would be even remotely possible with a firearm. This makes the actual number of victims dependent largely on the occupancy of the building at the time the bomb goes off.

The Oklahoma City Bombing in 1995 killed 168 people and injured more than 680 others. While the destructive force of the bomb was aimed at the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building in downtown Oklahoma City, a total of 324 other buildings, within a 16 block radius were damaged, some to the point of destruction.

One would think that such a massive explosion would require special methods and materials, and in fact, some special materials were used. But the vast majority of the explosive force came from common materials which are readily available, using formulas which have been readily available in open-source material since long before the internet made it possible to find them in seconds.

The Bath School Massacre

Then there was the Bath School Massacre of 1927, long before mass murderers became media celebrities. At that time, it was apparently possible to buy dynamite over the counter, without the restrictions that are in place today.

The killer, Andrew Kehoe, bought these in small increments, in various locations, over several months, eliminating any suspicion that he was buying them for nefarious purposes.

Those explosives were used to create four separate explosions, one of which did not detonate. The first was at his farm, using firebombs to destroy the house and outbuildings before attacking the school. But even before that, he started his killing spree, murdering his own wife a couple of days before setting off the explosion.

The planning of the operation, purchasing the explosive and planting them in the school took months. As a member of the school board, he had ready access to the school, allowing him to carry the explosives into the basement and prepare his bomb there.

The explosion of the bomb under the north wing of the school killed 30 people, mostly children, and injuring another 58, some of whom were maimed for life.

A second explosion was triggered by the killer a short time later, exploding his truck, which he had filled with explosives and shrapnel. Kehoe, the school superintendent and a few others were killed in this explosion.

The only reason more people were not, was because there were few people near the truck at the time.

A third bomb, consisting of 500 pounds of explosive, had been prepared in the south wing basement, which for some reason failed to detonate. Had it exploded, the casualty count would have been much higher and the building would have been completely destroyed.

Conclusion

It is clear from these examples that murderers, even the mass murderers of today, don’t need guns to accomplish their purpose. When people set out to kill others, they will find a way, no matter what. Making gun ownership illegal would do nothing more than make it harder for law-abiding citizens to defend themselves from these criminals.

Even within the realm of gun-related deaths, the statistics aren’t as clear as the gun control crowd would like to make it seem. The New York Times, arguably the most liberal newspaper in the country, reported that “more than 60 percent of Americans who die from guns die by suicide; but that fact is often overlooked” in their October 8, 2015 issue. If they are able to recognize this fact, why can’t others?

Again, eliminating gun ownership won’t stop suicide. There are more suicides committed by drug overdose every year, than there are involving firearms. That’s a rather amazing statistic, when you consider that 80% of suicide attempts involving a firearm are successful, while only 3% of suicide attempts involving drugs are.

So the actual number of attempted suicides by drugs is astronomical.

Do guns make it easier for people to commit suicide? Yes, they do. But again, the problem isn’t the guns, it’s the mental health of the people who commit the suicide. If access to guns was blocked, the only ones who that would stop are the impulsive suicides.

Maybe that’s a worthwhile goal, but it’s not worth taking away everyone’s Second Amendment rights to accomplish it.

Once again, if someone really wanted to commit suicide using a firearm, they could find one, even if guns were illegal. Criminals can buy guns in any country in the world, even those with the most restrictive firearm laws. If they can’t, it doesn’t take a whole lot of skill to craft a homemade single-shot gun that shoots shotgun shells. So criminals would have guns, but law-abiding citizens wouldn’t.

What the left really wants is one of two things, neither of which is beneficial to society and severely restricts our freedom. The first is to eliminate the physical laws which allow firearms to operate. That way, there would be no more guns.

Those who wish for this are the ones who don’t want firearms around, because they are afraid of them. It is a fear-driven argument, which has no basis in logic. I know people like this and they can’t articulate their reasons beyond, “I don’t like guns.”

But it is the other group that is ultimately the more dangerous. They want to concentrate all guns in the hands of the government. This has happened in various places and various times through the history of guns.

Each and every time it has led to a totalitarian government, where the common people didn’t have any rights at all.

These people are the politicians, bureaucrats and their lackeys. They want control and they want to take our freedom away from us. That’s what makes them dangerous and that’s what the Founding Fathers gave us our Second Amendment rights to protect ourselves against.

This article has been written by Bill White for Survivopedia.

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