#herbicides are dumb

[fahr-rose-mike]

I had a whole class on herbacides, and while glyphosate does affect part of the phosphates that are also part of RNA, its less bad than many many many many other herbicides.  its still bad. but it overlooks the real issue, which is that herbicides are a losing proposition in the long run no matter what, because that “accidental” resistance that was developed is almost a guaranteed event - plants and weed plants in particular (cause a weed is a biologically SUCCESSFUL plant) are incredibly prolific at reproduction... really really prolific... like 3-5 MILLION seeds per plant - and each one of those seeds has a tiny chance individually of having a useful mutation, but if you have even 50 weeds per acre, you’re talking a quarter of a billion chances per generation.  eventually, they’ll find a metabolic pathway around your herbicide, even if its less efficient than the normal metabolic pathway, you are literally Rouging (technical breeding term for killing all the plants without your selection trait) the weeds to select FOR herbicide resistance. anyway, non-monoculture practices like what was practiced before ww1 are much better at long term production. because we didn’t get our huge production increases because of herbicides OR pesticides OR fertilizer. we got those gains through breeding better adapted plants. which genetic tools make a much much faster process than ever before.

i'm sick and feel shitty so y'all are getting a bunch of random opinions from me today but

I don't like how Roundup/glyphosate has a reputation as the worst or most dangerous herbicide when it's relatively safe as herbicides go, and a lot of the alternatives are worse

IIRC it all started with a lawsuit where a man was awarded money because he developed cancer after a lot of exposure to glyphosate. Now, a lawsuit is not a scientific study, and to date there aren't any proven health hazards of glyphosate—this doesn't mean it's not hazardous, but some other herbicides DO have proven damaging effects to human health but people view roundup as The Worst

[childofsardior]

What are each koopalings fears and how do they react to them

I admit in advance that I was not too sure about this one ^v^' but I thought about this for a while and now I'll try to answer!

I will talk about the *main* or most *iconic* fears that came to my mind!

Ludwig: Talking about irrational fears, Ludwig is scared as heck from Pipe Organs. Not only of their sound, but also being close to one or even see one in the distance. This fear was actually developed by Lud after "The Incident", when, at the age of 15, a huge Pipe Organ actually collapsed on him while fighting the Mario Brothers (yes, an HC version of Pipe Down exist in my AU if you're wondering :P). He didn't touch that instrument even since and will refuse to come too close to one of his own will. He is also secretely afraid of failure related to missions or competitions he really cares about. Being so full of himself and all, he'll always picture himself as the obvious winner of a fight or a race or a contests even before the start, but in the end he will usually accept his defeat if his opponets were *actually* better than him - somethimes even compliment them. But...! If Ludwig was actually following some important orders from Bowser and ended up messing things up, if he could not prove himself as a perfect big brother to his siblings in tricky situations, or even if he could not "reach the podium" in some sort of musical competition he worked so hard for with his orchestra and all... well, in these cases failure will actually matter a lot, even affecting his self-esteem for a while.

Lemmy: This one is easy: Lemmy is afraid of growing up, responsabilities and adulthood in general. He's technically the second oldest, but having Ludwig as the "responsable one" as a big bro allowed Lemmy to spend time with his younger siblings playing and chilling without caring much about "responsabilities". But as he's growing up, his childish vibes started to feel more like a confort-zone for him, while the idea of being forced in a cold future made of burocracy, hard decisions and real responsabilty for his action really do bothers him - he's afraid he won't be able to play around and be silly and do wathever he feels like anymore, basically seeing adulthood as a sort of horrible prison made of boredoom and bags under the eyes.

Roy: Roy looks like he's not afraid of anything - well, he actually is afraid of Wendy when she's angry, but everyone in the family is, so this doesn't count. In reality, Roy has some secret fears nowdays, the biggest one being his fear of loosing his tough and cool mask in front of the others. He literally won't take off his sunglasses because he's ashamed of his heterocromia. He won't let his hair grow again after he found this style because he's afraid he won't look cool enough. Most of all, he will play the "rough guy card" claming that books are dumb and everything refined is for loosers, while he secretely enjoys reading and he can actually knows how to do things such as playing the violin (yes, you read it right). He won't admit in front of his family that he loves bunnies and would want one as a pet. He will mock Wendy's exagerate style while secretly wanting to polish his own claws pink or purple, and so on. He only talks about this with some friend out of the castle, but only in rare occasions and in a "but-I-am-joking-bro!" way.

Iggy: His siblings joke about he must be afraid of herbicide and rabbits, since he looks like a carrot. But in reality, Iggy seem to have no actual fears at all. He will laugh in front of his enemies and find deadly monsters cool as heck, and will probably try to study them at best or adopt them at worse. He can be sometimes annoyed or bothered by things in a "please-stop-doing-that-like-right-now" way, and he is a bit germophobic too, but rarely he'll be truly afraid of things or situations... except made for the times he looses his glasses. If this happens, Iggy will totally panic - he can barely see anything without them, and will lose all his composure if they break. When he was a kid, he often cried aloud or even weeped dramatically while trembling in a corner if he lost his eyeglasses, while now he'll just panic a lot while blindly searching for them in a very nervous way, usually asking Lemmy or Morton for help if near.

Wendy: Only a few things can actually scare the only girl of the group. One thing she's afraid of is her make-up or outfit being ruined during important events - especially if she spent hours choosing her clothing, trying different make-ups and so on. But if someone actually *does* ruin her appearance - usually Roy or Larry - then they are gonna be the ones scared for real as soon as Wendy stops being ashamed for the incident and start getting angry, REAL ANGRY instead. She's a a bit claustrophobic too, and she could get nervous if she suddenly finds herself in a dark and small space. The only exception for this is made for her seashell custom bed that she owns at one of her seaside residences - she feels safe enough inside it, even is she prefers to keep the upper part open a bit while sleeping.

Morton: Morton's biggest fear is hurting his siblings without noticing, or being unable to protect them, especially Junior. Morton wasn't too aware of his own strenght when he was younger, but after the incident of the Malatone Formula:X, when he found himself fighting his own siblings under the BFF' brainwash, he now is quite scared by the possibility of hurting them. Talking about more irrational fears, he is scared of bugs, especially if very colorful or noisy - he likes to observe the ones in Iggy's terrariums, but he could panic if he sees a butterfly or a wasp flying towards him during a trip, or a grasshopper jumping around randomly while he's walking on a field.

Larry: Larry's biggest fears revolve around Bowser's anger - especially, he hates being scolded in a "no please not again!" way and one time he even tried to run away from the Dark Lands to avoid his adoptive's father rage - and the deep fear that he will never reach his big siblings'. He's always trying his best to be noticed or complimented by them or Bowser, but nobody seem to ever notice all the effort he put on things. So Larry's starting to think that he will be always the "mediocre" one, that he'll never be as skilled as Ludwig, as cool as Roy, as carefree as Lemmy, so clever as Iggy, and so on.

Bowser Jr.: Junior is a bold and brave kid... apparently. He likes to think he has no fear exactly like his dad, and that nobody and nothing can stop him. But in reality, Junior is quite scared of the idea of being alone. Especially after the attack of Fawful in the Mushroom Kingdom and Dark Lands, Junior started to learn the importance of team work and all. He is also used to constant company - from his half-siblings, from servants and minion, and most of all, from Kamek - and if left on his own for too much time he'll start to feel gloom at first, and desperatly scared after some while.

[woolandcoffee]

Once again, journalists not exactly doing much to beat dumb as fuck allegations.

This guy reached out to me asking if I have a few moments to discuss the current legal status of one particular pesticide. Specifically, he wants to ask me if, should this one particular pesticide no longer be allowed for direct use onto crops, if it would be the end of all herbicide drift. This man. This man who is apparently going to be writing an article about pesticides for people to read. This man thinks that all herbicide drift is caused by one singular pesticide.

I'm sorry, but if you don't have enough background to know that all liquid pesticides have the potential to spray drift during application, then I just don't think you're qualified to write any sort of article about pesticides.

[chloeworships]

God said he is thankful for your service and honours your sacrifice!!! 😊

Scrips:

Rachel(s) 😀

⬆️ If you know then you know…

The Paris photo with the flip phone wasn’t something I intentionally posted but then the LORD confirmed it 🍳

The LORD told me this morning that it was Raphael in the dream 😴

The advisor:

Wasn’t Putin the head of the KGB once upon a time or was he just an operative? 👀

There is also something here about Apple 🍎

It could be their phones or computers 💻

I also didn’t mention that the LORD said to me

“Interference”

When he showed me the following tweet. I don’t know what that means exactly but if this message is for you with regards to counterterrorism then you’ll understand.

I was not able to include the full Jeremiah 31 so when you have a moment please read it in its entirety as it contains promise for some of you but WOE to your enemies and TRAITORS.

I loved the prisoner swap 🇺🇦🇷🇺 I am praying for peace 🕊️ too many innocent lives are being lost 😞💔 Putin may get some not so good news 🗞️ and he should know a tormenting spirit is afflicting him 👻 I felt compassion for him in the dream ☹️

Oops I said Miranda Shaw but Meryl’s characters name is ELEANOR SHAW. I can’t add the photo due to running out space, but here is a clip that I thought was relevant and a powerful moment in the movie 🎥🍿

Denzel WASHINGTON and all the actors in this movie were PHENOMENAL!!!!

THIS MOVIE REMINDED ME OF WHAT HAPPENED TO THE TUSKEGEE BLACK MEN. This makes me think of biochemical warfare

The LORD did reveal to me that our meat, pork and poultry is CONTAMINATED and has been warning ⚠️ us to not eat it. He should me this again and said

“Thou shall not eat meat”

Then proceeded to show me the 10 commandments

👀

Last night I had a vision of men and woman walking around like zombies with their hands on each others shoulders. It was so creepy. It feels as though our food is being used to “dumb us down” and make us more placid and submissive. Something strange is happening and it absolutely needs to be investigated. This could be pesticides and herbicides. If you know these chemicals are causing sickness and mental health problems why are you consistently using them? And guess who’s impacted the most? Disadvantaged people.

May the LORD expose it just as he did the Tuskegee Experiment.

[stephanweaverofworlds]

its just dumb marketing ploys to get people to buy their crap, because its "good for the planet" or "good for them" cause there's no pesticides/herbicides/gmo's. (and the gmo thing is stupid in particular)

the hell's the difference between all natural and organic. curry packaging confuses me

[lazypanartist]

Also, just, April with a Worstie??? Like I'm sorry Boys but April and Worstie will have them Outmatched. Its the Best/Worst of all worlds. The encouragement to do dumb dangerous stuff side by side, the bet making and dares, the ability to get in and out of trouble, the poor self restraint and constant goading into doing/getting stuff...its Bad. Theyre Awful. The Kraang and Shredder and Draxum all WISH they could handle them.

The secret is, Its not April with her Worstie, like it would be with Raph, Mikey, Donnie and Leo.

No thats just two Worsties being Downright Vile. Wretched. Evil, even. Dare I say, wicked. Immoral, if you will.

April with a Worstie would be unstoppable because the sheer hype and compulsiveness would out-stupid whatever situation they got into.

Worsties x Brothers is at least like, a battery powering a flash light. Somewhat contained. Closed circuit. Worstie x April is two high capacity generators hooked up to each other. Dangerous, scientifically questionable, and likely to blow something up.

I personally believe that April is susceptible to blowing things up anyways (she fuccin stole herbicide from a college!! And then just. Threw it at Sister!!) But with a worstie?? Ooh boy.

Sure, you'll help her get more licenses and whatever.. just to help with these specific lil schemes you're working on together. It's like having a Braincell with benefits, lmao

[reallymadscientist]

I’m super judgmental of my neighbors that use herbicides and pesticides. My dumb ass is over here putting down compost in the yard and planting wildflowers while my neighbors are spraying their dandelions with weed killer. I wish people weren’t so cruel to nature.

[fisherfurbearer]

Silly Dream Job Thoughts

I've been thinking a lot off and on, since leaving retail early last year, about what to do next. I have big future plans but...I need stable income for a lot of reasons before I can do all that.

My honest to goodness DREAM job right now would being an after school janitor.

It's kinda weird but I've always loved being in school, and I've had friends who worked part-time as custodians before. They said it's really nice and it honestly sounds perfect to me. If it's after school, it's quiet, very low stress, and every day there's more to do so you're never bored. I LOVE helping people and cleaning stuff up, and if I could be paid for it that would be even better.

The only problem is that I'm...very weak, physically...which has gotten a lot worse over the last couple years due to lack of activity and not eating well. But I hope if I can start feeling better physically, this could be the perfect job for me.

I also have a pretty dumb hope of building up trust and good relations with whatever school and asking about starting an after school garden club or something. I LOVE working with kids, and kids seem to REALLY like me, too. I miss that about retail. Kiddos were definitely the best part, and helping people. If I had the chance to make a little school garden, and help kids learn how to grow food that they can bring back to their families and friends, to give them the experience and resources they need to further develop food security in their lives and communities...that would be a dream come true. And it could give working parents a better option for after school possibilities. It could be a win-win for everyone!!

Bonus points if we could raise quail or chickens for eggs, and even incubate them or let a broody hen raise them...that could be such an amazing experience, and again, letting the kids bring home eggs would be awesome. Or even selling what we grow to raise money for the club, and doing cool events like going to local farms or something?? And oh my gosh, they could even pick what varieties we grow, learn about what goes into selecting the right cultivar, maybe even try selectively breeding easy plants. Breeding super colorful corn and tasty tomatoes, stuff they actually want to eat. Ahhh and of course we'd be low to no pesticides or herbicides, so they could learn about beneficial insects and promoting good soil health and so much more...!!

I just...I don't know. It's really silly but thinking about this makes me tear up a little.

I don't ever want to go back to retail. It was the worst time of my life. It was a waste of the good things about me, and I want to be able to help people and do good things without feeling like my soul is being crushed.

I don't know if it'll work out this way but...it sure is nice to dream a little, at least for now.

[cleverwordsandotherstuffilike]

Worst Inventions according to Time Magazine:

Segway

New Coke

Clippy (paperclip office assistant from Microsoft Office)

Agent Orange (herbicide used during Vietnam War which caused serious health problems and birth defects)

CueCat (barcode scanner)

Subprime Mortgages (risky loans)

Crinoline

Nintendo Virtual Boy

Farmville (Facebook game of virtual farming)

Hydrogenated Oils (increases shelf life but also heart attacks)

Honegar (honey and apple-cider vinegar)

Hydrogen Blimps

Hair in a Can

DDT (banned in 1972)

Auto-Tune (technology that makes bad singers sound good)

Red Dye No. 2

Ford Pinto (explode in a rear end collision)

Parachute Jacket

Betamax

Baby Cage (cage mounted on windows for baby to get fresh air!)

Tanning Beds

Crocs

Hula Chair (designed to create abdominal workout)

Foursquare

Pop-Up Ads

Phone Fingers

CFCs (used in aerosols which damaged the ozone layer)

Plastic Grocery Bags (more than 500 million per year)

Bumpit (hair volumizing insert)

Electric Facial Mask

Sony CD Copy Protection

Venetian-Blind Sunglasses

Pet Spa

Pontiac Aztek

Snuggie for Dogs

Mizar Flying Car

Asbestos

Olestra (food additive)

Comfort Wipe (toilet paper extension arm)

Fake Ponytails

HeadOn (roll-on headache relief)

Pay Toilets

Tamagotchis (toy pet)

Leaded Gasoline

Vibrating Ab Belt

Spam E-mail

Smell-o-Vision (bottled scents released in movie theatres in sync with the movie)

Smile Checks (Japanese software that analyzes facial expressions)

Microsoft Bob

Vio (carbonated flavoured milk)

[definitelyameatbag]

Jasper’s specific language in that scene with Steven in Little Homeschool implies that she manually pulled all of the blades of grass in her area. Not digging up the topsoil with a shovel, not spraying the place with a herbicide or petrol or whatever, she tugged them out one by one.

The biggest twist this season so far is finding out that the character who hates fusion has this whole time been a fusion of a dumb jock and a crazy person.

[yastaghr]

Carried Skeleton 10

Time for an update of Carried Skeleton! This chapter has some serious warnings. Chara has come up with their deadly plan, so if that will trigger you, please skip the bottom half. The only other thing of note in it is that they make Sans promise not to let a human hurt him.

Link: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17443730/chapters/57707773

Empty eye sockets stared at the burning husk of a door. Sans was struck dumb by the sight. He didn’t move. He didn’t breathe. He just stood there and stared and the burning remnants of the monster he admired more than any other.

He could still remember the day he had found out that this house was for sale. It wasn’t even a question for him. He had made the offer with as much cash as he could get his hands on in less time than it would have taken him to walk all the way down there. No one else even bid on the house; Sans suspected that no one else could even remember that the house existed for long. That was the effect of what had happened to Gaster. Everything that was connected to him became unmemorable.

This house, the family home that Gaster had grown up in but rarely went to, still held his biggest secret. In the back of the house, hidden under a giant tarp, was the machine. Sans honestly had no idea what it did. It was big, it was complicated, and it was Gaster’s. That’s all that mattered to him. He spent hours fiddling with the thing just to try and figure out what it was. He failed.

Now Sans was terrified to crawl into the ruins of the basement and find out if that machine had survived. He knew it would all be back in the next RESET but that didn’t matter to him right now. What mattered was that there was someone else, who not only could see the little hidden door, but could get into the locked basement, had broken in and destroyed the only connection Sans had to the Uncle he loved and admired more than any other monster. So when he heard the sound of dirt being bowled aside Sans spun around with herbicide on his mind. Flowey had a scared and worried expression on his face. Sans didn’t believe it for a moment.

“what do you want?” Sans growled. The voice spell gave him an unnatural ability to make any sound he could imagine.

“I came to warn you! I saw a really shady monster messing around with this door back here. I already told Papyrus, and I’ve been searching everywhere to find you!” Flowey said. Sans could practically read the lie on his face.

“yeah right,” Sans snarled, his voice deep, rumbling, and capable of scaring the daylights out of humans and monsters alike.  “you and paps are the only other people i know who can see this place. don’t even try to convince me it was him. there’s no way Papyrus would do something like this.” That was when Sans made the biggest mistake of his young life. He summoned his best attack, the blaster that Gaster had designed for him personally, and said, “now, do your weird little timeline thing. otherwise you’re in for a bad time.”

Flowey’s face switched away from concern in less than a second. His mouth twisted into a cruel smile with four fangs nearly meeting in the middle. His normally small slits that Sans couldn’t help but think of as eye sockets were blown wide, baring the red pin pricks in the center of the sockets that turned his whole face from amiable to evil.

“I knew it,” Flowey said in a chuckle, “You do remember. What is it, smiley trashbag? Are you upset that I destroyed your little toy?”

That nickname was like a slap to the face. Sans scowled. No one should call him that but his siblings! Without even thinking about it Sans let the Gaster Blaster he had summoned loose on the tiny little plant. He didn’t even bother to dodge. The paltry 1 DMG Sans could deal did hardly any damage at all, which meant that Flowey hadn’t hurt or killed anyone this time around. Darn it. Sans relied so much on that Karmic Retribution of his. He was useless in a fight without it.

Even now he could feel the heavy drain on his magic from the blaster forcing him to his knees. When they hit the dirt Sans heard it. Flowey’s laughter would haunt him for a long, long time to come. The blaster fizzled out as he fell over. He’d used up all his magic on that one spell. As he slipped into unconsciousness, cursing his own inability to judge his own stamina, Sans heard those terrifying words.

“Now, let’s see. What do I want to do to you first?”

=====

Chara groaned as they got up from their position kneeling on the floor. 82 years was a long time to be alive for a human, and their arthritis was nearly crippling them now. That wasn’t the only thing that was wrong with them. They hadn’t told Mom, but they couldn’t see out of their left eye anymore and could barely see out of their right. They suspected it was linked to those white floaters in their eyes. It made life difficult to say the least. And there were so many times now that they felt their heart skip a beat. They weren’t sure how much longer they could take it.

That exhaustion with their own body had led them to the plan. It was simple, really, and inevitable, too. Dad was always going on about how they were going to be the saviour of monsterkind. Now they were dying, so they needed to make that death count.

They’d done their research about this. Any monster could absorb their soul after they died and go through the Barrier with it. If they did that, then they could find some humans, kill them, and take their souls back to the Underground and use them to break the Barrier. That would let the monsters they loved finally see the sun they so longed to see. Dying would be worth setting them free.

The only part of the plan they weren’t sure about was that monster. Who could they convince to do it? Mom and Dad would try to stop them, Papyrus was too nice, and Sans was too young. No one else was close enough to them that they would feel good about letting them absorb their soul. Also, they would need to be there when Chara died, and Chara was pretty sure that Mom wouldn’t let a stranger in to do that. That left Azriel. He was easy to convince to do things, but he was so gentle… they’d just have to be the one in control when the killing began. And they’d need a good story to convince him to do it in the first place. What could they say?

Chara looked over at the wall of artwork and saw the pictures they had drawn for Sans. One in particular stood out. It was the one they had drawn of the flowers from their home village. Maybe that would work. They could tell Azzy that they wanted to see the flowers from their village one last time. He was sentimental. That would definitely work on him.

There was one last thing that they needed to be sure about before they started on the plan. They shuffled their painful way to where Sans was drawing. He looked up and smiled at them. They smiled back. “Sans. Can I ask you something?”

Sans nodded. “uh-huh.”

Chara swallowed. “Can you promise me something? I want you to promise me that you won’t ever let a human hurt you. Can you do that for me?”

Sans swallowed. He already had such a serious attitude when it came to promises. Chara knew he would keep it, though. He was obsessive about keeping his promises. He hated giving them out, too. They knew it was a lot to ask him to to do this, but they needed to know.

“...yeah,” Sans said slowly, stretching the word out, “i can do that. why? won’t you be here to do it for me?”

“I’m… going to go away soon,” Chara explained slowly, “and I won’t be coming back.”

Tears welled up in Sans’ eye sockets. “b-but why? don’t you love us anymore?”

Chara instantly got down on their aching knees and pulled Sans into their lap. “Of course I do. I will always, always love you, smiley trashbag. But… I need to do this, okay?”

Sans sniffled, “okay… can i draw a picture of you to keep with me? please?”

Chara nodded. “You can draw as many as you want, Sansy. I’ll even do some silly poses. What do you want me to do first?”

Sans grinned. “well…”

[rjzimmerman]

Does this make you nervous? Four CEO’s making millions of dollars a year and millions more on stock options, living in several homes located all over the world and traveling by private jet with their entourage of executive staff people, all making long-term and short-term decisions about food and nutrition for the billions of people on Earth. And the corporations that own the seeds? Four of them, probably controlled by several hundred mega-jillion dollar hedge and private equity funds, also controlled by rich CEO’s making millions of dollars a year, etc. etc. As long as they make their 17% ROI (or whatever the fuck today’s sexy number is......return on investment), we get seeds. If not, what happens? Who knows.......ask your republican senator or congressperson.

And these seeds are not original or real or the ones that existed when naked Adam and naked Eve played in that biblical garden. These are better, man, real republican seeds.......or Clinton Democrat seeds.........they are engineered! So much better for you to eat and better for us to sell, because we know that these seeds can survive a dousing in our pesticides and herbicides that are also engineered to like these seeds! Health effects of those pesticides and herbicides? Ah, don’t worry.......we’ll consult with the scientists on our payroll. Killing bees? Why the fuck should you care? Our seeds don’t need bees, and besides, bees bite. Oh, and don’t even think about saving the seeds from your crop for planting next year. Most likely, they won’t grow, but if they do, we own them. See you in court, dumb ass farmer. (Oh, you voted for trump and he’ll protect you? Excuse me....runs out of the room laughing.)

Here’s a link to an Op-Ed in the New York Times entitled, “Save Our Food. Free the Seed” that tells us about these four companies and how they came to be as powerful as they are. Think patents and a 1980 decision of the US Supreme Court that allowed patents on living organisms. It was shocking at the time, and it’s still shocking, and we’re living with the consequences. One of the frightening statistics cited in the article:  More than 90 percent of the 178 million acres of corn and soybeans planted last year in the United States were sown with genetically engineered seeds.

But the Op-Ed is fundamentally optimistic, because it focuses on those 40% of the seeds that are not subject to corporate ownership, organic farmers, organic chefs and, most importantly, consumers who prefer organic.

[waterlinkedgirl]

‘Let's hope the complementary AU won't become a drabble even though I thought of this one first,’ is what I said, but at 5613 words this really is halfway to being written. Emphasis on halfway. This was meant as basically just an outline for a fic because I was too busy to actually write it (I really am, actually >.>), but uh. It started leading a life of its own. The first part or so is as its purpose and in tweets so the formatting might be a bit odd but

Basically this is half outline, half drabble, only one round of editing so it’s really rough on the edges, R-17, ShiraYuki mafia x stripper/assassin also roommates AU Both of them (especially Yukimura) are manipulative bastards and there’s elements of forced intimacy at times so if that squicks you, please proceed with caution.

Shiraishi is a normal stripper to the public eye, under the name of Poison Ivy (or Nightshade or something of the likes) but the criminal circuit, Yukimura head of Rikkai’s mafia included, knows better.

He's a traceless, mysterious, independent assassin, with poisons as his expertise (though rumours go they don't even make half of his murders), an incredible asset, but only if you win his favour. Those are the rumours. But fact is, nobody has ever seen him in the body.

The only thing they know of him is that he works through various strip clubs over the region, that you should leave a message with a generous donation to unravel someone's bandage- (there are many, too many with bandages to count) and you might find your job cleared, or declined.

Needless to say, Shiraishi is rather surprised when Yukimura approaches him, as nothing in the way he holds himself tells him he came here to watch him undress. "You have some killer thighs," he says nonchalantly, handing him a folded bill.

He catches it between his lips, and when he unfolds it, a familiar petal falls from the paper. Then, an imperceptible caution finds its way onto his face, Yukimura notices. He smiles. "You'll meet me after work." "I don't meet clients after working hours." Yukimura chuckles.

"You'll take your bandage off for me and hand it over," he whispers. "You won't refuse, will you?" Shiraishi smiles at him. "That'll depend on your offer." Yukimura nudges towards the bill. "Think about it." After all, Yukimura finds, he can't refuse.

Shiraishi waited for him in the alleyway, as he should. "What is your offer?" he asks. Not 'Who are you,' or 'Why did you approach me,' or 'For 9000 I'll fcuk you into Heaven.' No useless questions, no playing dumb, Yukimura notes, pleased. "I want you, Shiraishi."

"Your reward is handsome, moreso than any other would offer," Yukimura says, playing a card between his fingers. Both of them knew it wasn't about the money, at all. "You will live in with me, eat my food, and sleep under my roof." Yukimura leaned in. "You will be safe with me."

With Yukimura's knowledge about his identity, the way he'd tracked him down, he was left with no choice. After all, Shiraishi had no clue how many people his data went by. Even if he killed Yukimura, it would do him no good. Shiraishi was his. "...I accept."

Shiraishi took in a breath. "I accept, if you protect my rule." "Rule?" Yukimura's instincts sharpened. Shiraishi was in no state to negotiate here. "That you won't touch my body for your physical gratification." That, is the rule he would wager his life on? He smiled. "I won't."

It's immediately obvious this isn't where Yukimura lived. The apartment was too white, too... impersonal for that. Still, it'll have to do, Yukimura thinks. Supervision was vital, as was creating familiarity, no, dependency, obedience. Shiraishi's poisonous plants would stay out.

It would grow in time, he thinks to himself as he watches Shiraishi chew his bread-- Shiraishi seems susceptible enough. They sleep in different beds, in the same room. [if I were writing a fic, I'd be telling myself to do some roommates shenanigans here.]

Going out was a different matter all on its own, solved by proximity and communication. Shiraishi was good at blending in, true, but letting him come to meetings... He settled on passive monitoring and keeping him occupied in times of need. Drugging, would harm their bond.

Probably, as his first assignments, Yukimura has him cut off his last ties first, to force his unequivocal loyalty. He's there with him, no, he guides him, not for his capabilities, but to remind him of his involvement. Every time, he cooks him dinner afterwards.

Yukimura wasn't fond of assassinations or any of the kinds, but fact stood that in order to have a healthy garden, weeding was necessary. Weeding, as well as pruning and bugkilling, placing traps, and thorough observation. He'll point Shiraishi where to cut, and where to bother.

Yukimura has communication with the ones below him, of course. Phone calls, mails, messages. The encryption is Yanagi's, at least its base. It had taken him weeks to crack, after which he devoted another month perfecting it. Nobody but him knew and understood the full decryption.

The verbal code was of his own devise. Illogical, personal, effective. He hadn't devised one for Shiraishi, yet. He might want to eventually, but it would come with the trust, in higher-profile and less-contact assignments.

Shiraishi proves himself to be very efficient, a more than intelligent asset he discovers when Shiraishi challenges him to a game of chess. It was said that you could read into someone's personality by the way they played. Into Yukimura's? No. But Shiraishi was interesting.

Methodological, clever, but sly and prepared to take risks. That was his assassin's method as well, and he knew that thoroughly by now. Ever mysterious, funny, fickle, serious. Shiraishi mentioned a detail about the plant of a poison this case, before he knew it, he'd been hooked.

Yukimura had never planned on their relationship being simply subordinate and master. His hold didn't work that way. But friends... The longer the days passed, the more comfortable he seemed to feel. Shiraishi was a natural smooth talker, obviously, but beyond that, amiable.

He decides that having plants in their apartment was perhaps a reasonable addition, after all, when he sees Shiraishi's eyes light up talking about taking care of them and their poisons.Keeping his garden lively and thriving was his priority. However, as time passed, Yukimura noticed a family of weeds, growing vividly in small, persistent patches. It was an eyesore, and a worrisome one, as well.

Removing them would leave the soil vulnerable and at risk, a round of herbicide might damage his own plants. Yes, it'd been occupying his thoughts, even weighing down on him. However, Shiraishi seems to have noticed his worry. "Is there something wrong?"

He supposes that it does concern him, with Shiraishi's involvement as his gardening tool. Yukimura sighs, and decides to tell him of the situation. He'd only give him the necessary context, without metaphors or code. He could be of help, even if it ended up just as a listening ear.

He surprises Yukimura when, after hearing him out, he advises him for a systemic approach. It wasn't just advice, no, on top of it being rationally sound it was solid and good. Shiraishi didn't know it, he didn't have the information, but handling things like would be beneficial to Yukimura in a different way as well.

"Thank you, for your advice," he says, genuinely grateful for a change. It wasn't often that he found himself like that, usually people were thanking him with their lives. Shiraishi smiles. "You're welcome. If you ever want me to think with you again, don't hesitate. I'll be there." He'll be there, huh. However, whether he'd confide in him again was entirely up to whether Yukimura was willing to put that trust in him once more.

It turns out that was more often than he'd initially thought. Shiraishi was intelligent and logical, he knew that, but he was confirmed in it when he posed him with a few minor but troublesome problems. Occasionally, Yukimura would give him a hypothetical problem to test him, or a past decision he made. He was delighted when he came to the correct conclusions, surprised when he approached the problem from another angle Yukimura hadn't thought of. Shiraishi was becoming a greater asset to him than the extremely capable assassin he took in, and Yukimura couldn't help but smile inside himself.

Which is when Yukimura decides he wouldn't make meetings a hassle again. Shiraishi was excellent in keeping low profile, hence, he'd let him come in the guise of a waiter. He wouldn't be allowed to speak, but he would allow him to listen. And Yukimura would watch. He'd always been an expert at reading people, and as long as he's known Shiraishi, his opinions would be clear as day, hidden in imperceptible signals in his breath, his posture, his eyes.

Yukimura finds he has no regrets doing so.

One night, he finds himself awake, the silhouette of a sleeping Shiraishi having caught his eye. He can't remember when he woke up, or why, or even how long he'd been observing him, but... Blankets sparsely strewn over his body, breaths languid, moonlight over his slightly toned skin, Yukimura can't deny it's aesthetically pleasing. His posture is messy, as is his hair, his midriff bared and muscled. Shiraishi is peaceful when he sleeps, he notes. Defenseless, even. He supposes that had been different, back in the beginning. Oh, how the times had changed. Against all odds, Shiraishi had become more than a forcibly assimilated assassin, his friend. He didn't just want him. He wants to keep him. By chance, he remembers the spark in Shiraishi's eyes when he talked about his hobbies. Maybe he could... indulge himself for a bit in them, as well. And for the first time in what felt like centuries, Yukimura takes out his sketchbook from the nightstand.

[If I were writing I'd tell myself to write in the conspiracy plot and some foreshadowing. It's Shitenhouji, coming in because they haven't heard from Shiraishi in much too long (not since Yukimura made him cut off his connections). Shiraishi catches wind of this at one point because he's hacked the Yanagi-Yukimura encryption, and from his knowledge of Yukimura's personality has learned how the verbal code works.]

Yukimura one day wakes up early enough to watch Shiraishi doing his yoga routines. Yukimura asks if he minds him sketching him while he holds his pose, Shiraishi doesn't mind at all. The conversation flows to Shiraishi's ex-part time job as a stripper, and that he was quite good, from what Yukimura had seen of him.

"Thanks," he laughs, "I guess that comes easier when you're having fun." This takes Yukimura a bit aback. "You did it for fun?" "Yeah. I like the exercise, as well. Do you know how many muscles you use when working the pole?" A lot, he guesses. "If it's about exercise, if you want, I can fetch you a pole somewhere." "You'd do that for me?" Yukimura smiles gently. "Of course. You're my friend, after all."

"Shiraishi. You'll have to forgive me if I let my body have its natural reaction," Yukimura tells him when he watches Shiraishi lightly finger the pole after doing his warming up. "It's good. Actually, that might be even better." "Oh?" "I like it when people enjoy what they see. So if you could enjoy it, it'd make me very happy." Yukimura hums. "Don't hesitate to get hard," Shiraishi winks at him. Yukimura laughs. "You'll have to try a little harder than that, Shiraishi." Yukimura's just leisurely watching Shiraishi do his pole exercises, heat rising in his body and Yukimura letting it within boundaries, when, after a remark from Yukimura questioning Shiraishi's fondness for laying himself bare, a certain tension snaps. Shiraishi gets off the pole in one fluid motion and walks over to where Yukimura is sitting, with fire in his tread and desire in his eyes.

Yukimura clutched the chair when Shiraishi unbuttoned the first few buttons on the side of his shirt, teasingly pulling at it to reveal his collarbone. "Shiraishi, what are you..." "You wanted me to try harder, no?" He was only getting started. He had challenged Shiraishi, lit a fire under him. Very well. That didn't mean he'd make it easy for him.

Shiraishi slid in his lap, one leg over his left and the other over his right, letting the gap of his shirt fall to reveal his shoulder. His clothes are loose, hardly revealing, which made the peeking of skin as they were loosened all the more desirable. Until Shiraishi lets his hand run over his chest, lingering along the lines of his groin to tug his pants down, that is. That, was revealing. Hands on the sides of the chair, leveraging the rolls of his hips when they buck forward, movements sure and smooth. Closer, ever so slightly closer, until he closes the distance by overlapping his crotch with his.

Yukimura clutches the edge tighter when Shiraishi smirks at him, and he smiles back calmly despite the searing sense of arousal rising in his chest.

At which Shiraishi leans forward provocatively, throwing his exposed shoulder in the game, midriffs melding together in an extremely sensual grind. Shiraishi's arms come to lean loosely over the back of his chair, breaths mingling with his as a shiver travels up Yukimura's spine. Did Shiraishi ever do lap dances for others? Table dances, he could see, but--Lips connect. What...? In the electricity of the moment, Yukimura almost forgets to breathe, thoughts easily shifting into total disarray. Shiraishi's hips slide along his groin as his lips slide slowly along his. Shit, it feels good.

With the maddening touch of his lips, the sweet taste of Shiraishi's kiss-- Yukimura inadvertently tilts his head a bit to taste more of it-- the heat falls and rises in his body. Shiraishi kisses him again, draws a soft sigh from his lips as he leans in deeper in tandem with the rhythm of his hips. Eyes closed, dazed, when Shiraishi pulls back before he'd kiss him again, he manages to breathe "What happened to your rule...?"

Shiraishi pauses and pulls back, eyes locked with Yukimura's. When he sees the look in his eyes and feels the throb of his body longing to have his lips back on his again instead, he almost regrets asking. "I thought... maybe it'd be okay if I broke it, since it's my own rule, but..." Shiraishi almost looks guilty, shoulders tensing up as his head lowers along with the volume of his voice, "But if you don't want to..." Shiraishi's nose strokes his cheek when Shiraishi's lips trail away from his, down, along his chin and tilting his head down when he lightly caresses Yukimura's cheek with his own.

Oh no you don't.

Yukimura puts his hand to his head and his arm to Shiraishi's back and steps forward, taking advantage of Shiraishi's position in his lap to topple them over and pin him to the ground as he forces Shiraishi's lips open. One hand lowers to his cheek, gently letting his fingers stroke it as his elbow presses his arm to the floor, his other hand pinning his other down. In a single second, his tongue enters Shiraishi's mouth to French-kiss him deeply. His strokes are heated and slow, interspersed with deep breaths and pants as he drives Shiraishi's tongue out from its hiding place. Tilting his head with no choice but to let him in, Shiraishi mewls softly. It's beautiful. He pulls himself further up Shiraishi's body, closer, moans indulgently as everything, everything melts away in the small sea of pleasure roused by the touch of his tongue and the taste of bliss. 

Sensing no resistance, he reaches up to unbutton the rest of Shiraishi's shirt.

It was all he could do not to startle when a gunshot and the shattering of glass rings through his ears. In a split second, his eyes dart from the rain of window glass to the figure on the balcony, to the still smoking nozzle when he collapses without further notice. An assassin. He lets go of Shiraishi's arm, leaves himself to sit upright on top of his legs, breathing slowly to hold down the adrenaline and the fire attempting to sway his reason. Shiraishi puts the gun in a more comfortable place than the sleeve he took it from and moves away from Yukimura's legs. 'Shiraishi is not a prostitute,' ghosts through Yukimura's mind. He doesn't sell his body. All of this had been an-- "You're a good actor, Yukimura," Shiraishi says. Because to him, it had been just that, only an act. To Yukimura...

He could have killed him. Shiraishi could have killed him.

"Thanks," he manages. Of course he's only acting. "It's more convincing if you leave your body to do its thing, after all." Shiraishi stretches out his hand, and forcibly discarding his hesitation, Yukimura takes it and pulls himself upright. His hand is warm and gentle, and Shiraishi lets go only slowly, fingers slowly sliding over and out of the palm of his hand as he looks at Yukimura's roused state.

"It's my win, though." Despite everything, Yukimura laughs. It should have been his... It would have been his. No, he'd already thought it was his the moment the subject of Shiraishi pole-dancing came up. And yet... Shiraishi's eyes run over Yukimura's shape once more, mouth curling in a triumphant smirk. He never wanted to steal Shiraishi's sight more, after all, he's embarrassingly hard. The best he could do is stay calm.

Shiraishi closes his eyes briefly and walks away to inspect the balcony. "That's a mess. The only way in which this would have been more of a pain to clean up is if he'd fallen off the balcony." "It's fine. I'll call Jackal and Yagyuu to take care of the scene. Niou will take care of the window and the coverup." "I see. That'd be a great help." Yukimura steps closer, pauses, watching the wind graze Shiraishi's hair, the dimly lit silhouette of his back glimmer in the light of the night. Finally, he opens his mouth.

"Why did you let your no-touch rule go?" Shiraishi turns to face him, tucks a strand of hair behind his own ear. "You should know, shouldn't you?" He smiles, whispers softly. "I'll protect you with my life." And Yukimura knew, from the smallest hints in his posture and the intricacies of his tone of voice, that no word of it was lied.

His heart stirs, heat rising again from the tingling in his stomach to his cheeks as he has to catch himself before he'd reach out to cup Shiraishi's cheek and hold him. And for the first time, he feels unsafe.

 He knows what it is to feel attraction for someone. Yukimura's loved by many, it's what he instils, and at times this causes his body to react beyond the trust and connection he finds to be beneficent. 

Controlling his emotions, however, had always been his forte. He's never let his attraction cloud his judgement, lead his actions. He knows how it is to be cruel to someone dear to him, and never has he not been able to see when it worked in his favour, socially or otherwise. He knows when it's necessary to be forgiving.

However, right now he once more lies awake at night, Shiraishi's memory filling his mind every time he attempted to drift off to the land of dreams. Ridiculous, he thinks it. It overcame him at random times, when he was cooking, tending to their plants, even when he saw the cold in his eyes when they'd plotted the demise of another hopeless assassin. When it had been anyone else he'd let it happen, in no danger of making less sensible decisions. He'd never lost himself like he did when he kissed Shiraishi. Never. And worst of all...

The feeling of Shiraishi kissing him replays in his mind once more, in all the detail his dazed mind can muster. He shouldn't put his focus on it, no matter how much that voice in the back of his head begs him to. If he does, he fears his foothold will be swept away from under him with no turning back. He feels the touch of Shiraishi's nose and cheek caressing his own, sees the vulnerability in his eyes again. It's maddening, maddening even as he once more attempts to resist the one thing that had made him snap in the first place. He curses under his breath.

Shiraishi has poisoned him with his kiss and his act.

Digging with his nails in his arm in an attempt to get a hold of himself, he rolls over. Calm down, Seiichi... Just... He breathes in, breathes out in a slow rhythm, in through his nose, out along his palate, sinking deeper into the ocean with each passing breath. He'd find a way to vanquish it. He'd find a-- The image of Shiraishi ties his tongue with his and derails his thoughts.

Grabbing his pillow, he vainly tries to fight back his unconscious as the rising and falling of his chest slips away from his control. How he wishes he could sleep a dreamless sleep for once... He's weightless as Shiraishi embraces him, even as his body attempts to brace himself against the bed, with Shiraishi's kisses as his lifeline. He's drowning.

And in a moment, sharper than the others, he can hear self-satisfaction in Shiraishi's breath.

 If I were writing this this is where the conspiracy plot would have come to its culmination, starting off with Yanagi noting there's been unrest and advising Yukimura to be safe. Ofc the number of people coming after Yukimura is foreshadowing for that 😜 Which is when he makes his personal rounds, passing by his members one by one to disarm them for him. Yanagi warns Yukimura about an information leak. Yukimura supposes it's time for a round of rain to chase the worms from hiding. And boy, do the worms come from hiding.

When the time comes the worms wage war against his garden, he leaves matters in Yanagi and Sanada's capable hands, when Shiraishi urges him to find a secluded place should people have come to discover his whereabouts. ...I mean that'd be the logical course of action I think but the whole convo thereafter taking place in their own kitchen is also a really good image, so flip a coin I guess!

 After a bit of struggle they find a place where they know nobody would just find them. "Hey, Shiraishi do you--" He doesn't get to finish his sentence when Yukimura grabs the wrist holding the gun pointed at him. Shiraishi doesn't wait a second pulling Yukimura along with his hand and trying to aim for his neck with his fingers, but Yukimura is quicker as he twists Shiraishi arm and moves aside to evade it. It isn't long before they find themselves pushing against each other, struggling for control.

In raw power, Shiraishi would win, he knew.

He steps sideways, using Shiraishi's power to pull the two around and despite a moment of wobbling resistance, to put him in a lock. "Shiraishi. Will you tell me what this is?" Shiraishi tries to break out of Yukimura's hold, but Yukimura twists his arm a little further, eliciting a small yelp.

One second of desperation, before Shiraishi sweeps his legs against Yukimura's and turns the two around again, but Yukimura wouldn't give him the freedom of giving up his own arms. He pulls Shiraishi's over his head, pulls them down and leans forward, gaining back his balance. Shiraishi is vicious, however, and bites him in the neck. He manages to keep his hold on Shiraishi's wrists, but that split second was enough for Shiraishi to turn them against each other and free himself. This time, it's Yukimura between him and the kitchen counter. But he wouldn't give in, no.

He looks Shiraishi in the eyes, and for a second he can see him falter, shiver. The gun drops to the floor. Thigh squeezing between his legs, lips on his. Shiraishi puts his hand on the small of his back and disturbs his footing. The counter as leveraging point, his feet off the ground, hips against his.

He's trapped.

 "You wanted me to tell you what this is all about?" "You purposefully lured me into here," Yukimura says as flatly as he can manage, after that kiss and with Shiraishi's thigh to his crotch. "That I can understand. But I can't wrap my head around why." Shiraishi smiles, when it flashes into his mind. "You knew when we'd..." "Yeah, I planned it. Have been for a while, to be honest, but only now did I get my first and final chance to."

His mind is in disarray as Shiraishi's words clash with the image of reality he'd painted. A shadow of self-doubt creeps into his mind. It couldn't be that he'd misread a lie as truth? No, that can't be...

"How long was this your plan?" “Do you know who it was that leaked my information to Mouri?” From... the beginning... Shiraishi had thrown himself into the lion's den with the intent to pin him down here from the beginning... But no matter what, he couldn't have planned this. He didn't have the info...-- "How, did you know...?"

"Who do you think the worms came for infesting your garden?" His eyes widen as his mind rushes to piece through the meanings of this new information. "You cracked Yanagi's code," he manages, to begin with. "I have, for a while. Though," he laughs, "you have no idea just how many weeks it cost me to even get a hang of it. It came in handy when you wanted to ask me for advice... I'm glad you took to listening to me." Advice, that he couldn't do without. Shiraishi, that he couldn't do without. Shiraishi starts stroking his cheek, and there's nothing he could to do stop himself from leaning into it. From wanting more.

“I need you,” he whispers, as Shiraishi’s betrayal sinks into his mind. “I know.” He crumbles as the feeling rises in his body. “You could destroy me...” Shiraishi kisses him. “I already have.” He clutches Shiraishi's shoulder when Shiraishi makes their lips meet again. God, it feels good... He can't let this happen now, for fear of his life. Shiraishi is just as dangerous as his plants, he thinks to his grief. He'd poisoned him, and is now coming to seal his fate with his kiss of death. Shiraishi had been acting, not to deceive the assassin, but to plant this seed in him. And yet, there's many things that don't add up. He manages to tilt his head away to speak.

“I don’t understand… With that knowledge you could have murdered me and whoever knew about you long ago…” "The gun's not loaded." "Huh...?" “I was planning to kill you at first. Though when I got to know you better, that easily faded away. I guess in the end, your plan didn’t fail... But neither did mine.” Shiraishi smiles. The heat rises to Yukimura's cheeks. "It was not an act," he whispers in disbelief. Shiraishi had fooled him, not because his ability to read people was faltering, but because he hadn't had the intent to lie for even a single time. "I told you before, didn't I? I don't sell my body. When I kissed you..." he locks twistingly sincere eyes with his, "it was because I wanted to."

He leans in close again, moving a strand of hair from Yukimura's face. "I love you." The hairs rise in Yukimura's neck. Shiraishi lowers his head. "...It's a shame I had to off one of my own to protect you, though." "'One of... my own'?" Damn, it's getting harder to keep his voice straight. "So you staged this?" "Well, it wasn't on purpose. Turns out my men have an agenda of their own, trying to get me back. But knowing your operation really helped."

Yukimura breathes.

“Who are you?” Beside himself, he couldn’t help but ask the stupid. ”Shiraishi Kuranosuke, head of Shitenhouji, the Kansai region's mafia. Qualified assassin, part-time stripper, up until I caught you."

God...

“Why did you approach me?” “Honestly, I was attempting to thin out Rikkai and weaken it. Your position here is really valuable, you know? And in the confusion, the desperation, I’d aim for your head. But Rikkai was much more powerful than I’d thought. You..." he traces Yukimura's chin, "were much, much more powerful than I thought. I wanted to get closer and slowly gain your trust... How could I have known what to do when you just handed it to me? When you saw through every single one of my insincereties... I didn't expect you to find my last ties, either. But it's fine this way. If you'd done exactly as I planned, I wouldn't have wanted you."

God, Shiraishi...!

He breathes in. "Can I--" fcuk you into Heaven? Swallowing the sentence on the tip of his tongue, he fixes it to a different one. Breathing disrupted, he's played for a fool, only asking useless questions. He reaches for Shiraishi's cheek. “Can I make you an offer?” Of which this one the most foolish, most useless of them all.

Shiraishi laughs as Yukimura has no choice but to willingly play to his wants. "Let me guess..." He kisses Yukimura's neck, moves his lips to his ear. "You want me," he whispers, biting softly into the lobe of his ear. "So do you," Yukimura purrs back, as he lowers his hand to trail down Shiraishi's neck. Shiraishi chuckles lowly.

“Your reward will be handsome, moreso than any other would offer…” Yukimura’s hand slides over his chest as Shiraishi holds him off balance with his arm at his waist. He hums, gently listening to Shiraishi's proposal.

“You'll live in with me, eat my food, and sleep under my roof. " Yukimura smiles. "Don't you mean, my roof?" Shiraishi's thumb grazes his lips when he holds his chin. "Are you in any place to negotiate here?" Yukimura nudges his head up. "I wonder." Shiraishi smirks. "How does our roof sound?" Yukimura's smile curls wider. "It's a pleasure working with you."

He wraps his arms around Shiraishi's back and pulls up to kiss him. Shiraishi's only shy in the first second, before their lips melt together, lightly. A short pause, a breath, before their lips meet again in a deep, deep kiss. Shiraishi moans softly when their lips slide against each other, indulgently, liberated. Another kiss, when he tilts his head to give him the space he needs. It's as if he'll never be able to taste enough. That's fine with him, really. Really... 

Yukimura pulls Shiraishi closer, his tongue going over Shiraishi's upper lip. It's a warning, nothing more as his tongue rushes to meets with Shiraishi's in a frenzied tango.

Shiraishi attacks, leans forward and manages to draw out an unexpected noise with a strike of his tongue. It isn't long before Yukimura turns his efforts against him as he tilts his head slightly. Who said that he'd just let him?

Yukimura chuckles, tightens his hold as he slows down Shiraishi's pace. He can feel Shiraishi tremble, but right how he wants it, he hasn't given up. His hand sneaks behind Yukimura's head, burying his fingers in his hair. Shiraishi's tongues are passionate but faster. More aggressive than his sensual strokes, but just as greedy. Yes, this is it.

An uneven rhythm, interspersed with pants and breaths as they vie for dominance.

He'll never be safe again, and he loves every second of it.

 The door busts open. "Let him go!" is the unanimous call. Multiple footsteps enter the room, the sound of guns being readied. Yukimura holds up his hand mid-kiss, knows Shiraishi to do the same. "It's good." he breathes out, concealing his panting, "Don't shoot." Shiraishi pulls himself upright with a hum, and with Yukimura's arms around his back, so he pulls Yukimura. "Thanks."

Yukimura lets his eyes go over the heads in front of him. Some of them were new additions-- Shiraishi's men--, some of them his. Yukimura laughs. Aren't you loved as well? In the flash of a moment, he changes his aura. Still at gunpoint, Yukimura walks over to whomever Shiraishi held his hand up to.

"Oshitari Kenya," he says, voice sweet as he steps close and his hand slides around the hand holding his weapon. "Will you drop your gun?" After a moment of his gaze, connected to his collapsing eyes, Kenya's gun easily clatters out of his hand.

It only takes a glance from him for the rest of both Shiraishi's and his men to do the same. "Thank you."

He flashes a smile at Shiraishi, who has to swallow a bit at the sight. "See? You were my only danger."

He turns around again, projects his voice to those present. "We will be working together with Shitenhouji, as one and on equal grounds. Both parties are to see this as an expansion of their turf." Shiraishi hugs him from behind, Yukimura takes to stroking his cheek, and with amusement Yukimura watches the shoulders of everyone present to tense. "Yukimura and I will lead you together." Yukimura chuckles. "You know what this means for you, right?"

There are none who could question their power. He knows, from Rikkai's side, that they could have nothing but respect for the man freely embracing his shoulders. Of course, Yukimura forcing Kenya's hand, everyone's hand simply with his presence should have made an impact as well.

On top of that...

"This means nationwide dominion, right, Seiichi?" Yukimura smiles at Yanagi. "Exactly."

From Shiraishi's side, they know that Shiraishi's plan both failed and succeeded, and that only Yukimura is to blame for that. "Shiraishi..." Kenya starts. "I'm glad to have you back. We half thought you were done for." "I'm glad to be back too. Though, done for?" "Done for," Yukimura repeats, "couldn't be further from the truth. Right?" Shiraishi lightly rubs his cheek against Yukimura's, and a glimpse of the future makes its way into Yukimura's mind.

"Yeah. We're only getting started."

[96thdayofrage]

Below are the Top 10 executive orders Joe Biden could sign, benefiting all Americans… even without help from the intellectually impoverished crocodiles.

The American Prospect has published numerous articles on these possible executive actions. I’m not going to focus on whether Biden will do these things (he won’t), but let’s give him the benefit of the doubt (he won’t do them) since he hasn’t even settled into the office yet (he totally won’t do any of this) and no one can know for sure what he’ll choose to do (not a chance). Maybe he’ll be awesome! (Nope.)

1. Joe Biden could start by protecting all immigrants.

Immigrants are some of the people struggling the most during this pandemic. There’s a provision in our laws called Temporary Protected Status, which allows an immigrant to stay here without fear of deportation, and considering how they’ve been treated over the past four years, I think they could use a break. Can we please give them a second to catch their breath before the next round of good ol’ American xenophobic bigoted hatred towards people who are even slightly different? (Hell, if you just have a different haircut we might put you in a cage and give your kids away to a group of Guatemalan paramilitary drug runners.)

As Marcia Brown writes “[Temporary Protected Status] is a blanket protection offered to a country’s nationals who have experienced a natural disaster such as hurricane or earthquake, civil war, or other extraordinary circumstances.”

Hmmm, a natural disaster you say? Oh, they mean like a fucking pandemic. Between the pandemic, U.S. bombing overseas, U.S. economic sanctions, climate change, and auto-tune —pretty much every country in the world right now is experiencing some kind of disaster. …Except Finland. (But they weren’t immigrating here anyway. You don’t hear a lot of Finnish people saying, “Is there a place I can move to where I could pay tens of thousands of dollars for healthcare, pay way more for education, and if I have a baby, be forced to strap it to my chest while I continue to load Chicken McNugget goo into the meat squirter because there’s no maternity leave? There IS such a magical land?!”)

Point is – Joe Biden could give Temporary Protected Status to every immigrant in the country immediately without congressional approval.

2. Next up, Biden could end the War on Terror.

That’s right. Congress gave up its war powers long ago. So Biden, all by himself, could end the War on Terror. Afterall, this “war” (against an emotion) made no sense from the beginning, and it has killed millions, made America less secure by making us despised worldwide, and has always been unconstitutional.

So, the most law-abiding, sweet, kindly, heroic thing Mr. Biden could do is end this evil, villainous, dastardly, dark, depraved, morally repulsive, vulgar, nefarious, malignant, malicious, poisonous, and poopy ENDLESS WAR! …Not that I have an opinion either way. Just an idea.

3. Next – the new president could give us tuition-free college without Congress.

As the American Prospect covered, “Michael Dannenberg, a former senior aide to the late Senator Ted Kennedy, asserts that Biden can use existing statutory authority to forgive loans equal to average public-college tuition on a rolling basis for two- and four-year public colleges, effectively making college free.”

And guess what — having more educated citizens without debt means a better society in general. If your neighborhood isn’t educated, the people often can’t make a good living, and then the neighborhood goes into disrepair — which is when the crooks and the head-bangers and the con-men and the witch whisperers show up. And before you know it your little girl has lost her mind virginity to a charlatan ridin’ around in a crank mobile! (We’ve all seen it happen.)

But rather than attacking student debt, it seems Biden and his allies are slowly decreasing the amount of student debt they say they plan to erase. First they said everything under $50,000, then $25,000, and now it’s $10,000 and under. Pretty soon Biden will proudly unveil his plan to erase $13 of student debt for every American and send us each a free coupon for Hamburger Helper.

So with just three executive orders, Biden could end war, save all the immigrants, and end student debt — not bad for before breakfast. On the other hand, my executive orders usually just stipulate that my cat can’t eat my sandwiches anymore, and they hold very little power.

Let’s move on to ending poverty. Poverty is of course raging out of the control right now, with millions facing eviction and Americans waiting hours at food banks. So, what could Joe Biden do without Congress to get more people the assistance they need?

Change the definition of poverty.

I’m not kidding. People who are below the poverty line qualify for a lot of benefits like food stamps, health care, and affordable housing. Trump was trying to alter the poverty measure so fewer people would be considered truly poor and he could then announce, “Look, I got rid of poverty!” It would be like a hospital saying they got rid of broken legs, and then we find out they simply re-designated broken legs as “surprise moments of bone realignment.”

4. So if Joe Biden wanted to, he could do the reverse and give millions of poor people the benefits they need.

“The Official Poverty Measure (OPM), based on an outdated calculation designed 60 years ago, is absurdly low. …Today, the federal poverty threshold for a family of three is $20,578. …on day one, the incoming Biden administration can drop the OPM entirely and alter poverty measurement so that it better reflects need…” This would make loads of benefits (and perhaps even shit loads) available for people who are struggling.

Anyway, in the interest of avoiding making this column as long as the stimulus bill, here are several more actions Biden could take without Congress.

5. He could stop massive corporations from using tax loopholes to avoid paying taxes.

6. He could close Guantanamo Bay. (Remember that?!)

7. He could give a $15 minimum wage to all federal contract employees.

8. He could end federal prosecutions for marijuana.

9. He could make us all much safer from nuclear weapons.

And finally, here’s the icing on the cake. The recent fight to force a vote on Medicare For All has captured the interest and energy of many progressives.

10. Well, it turns out Joe Biden could himself give everyone Medicare For All right now.

According to David Dayen, he could do it using “…Section 1881A of the Social Security Act. The language of the statute refers to any individuals subject to an ‘environmental exposure,’…” and it says that the Department of Health and Human Services can stipulate that such people get a single-payer Medicare For All type system.

Has this ever happened in the U.S.? Has a whole area simply been given Medicare For All by proclamation from the gilded towers of our federal government? I’m glad you asked! Libby, Montana: Population 2,628 has already — wait, sorry, just refreshed the page — Population 2,627. (A kid ate a Matchbox car.)

Libby, Montana, has Medicare For All because the entire community has been exposed to airborne asbestos thanks to mining in the area. Therefore, Health and Human Services secured them Medicare For All. Shall we now take a moment to ponder whether there are other Americans who have been exposed to hazardous chemicals or diseases recently?

Allow me to think for a moment — wait for it — Oh, that’s right, everyone!

We’re in a fucking pandemic — we’ve all been exposed. Biden could give everyone healthcare, allowing us to join the rest of the developed world. And even without the pandemic, Biden could still give most Americans healthcare for other exposures — Los Angeles’ smog, the cancerous Roundup herbicide sprayed all over New York City (which lawmakers recently voted to ban), cities near fracking wells or coal mines or oil spills or how about the 2,000 cities across the U.S. that have excessive lead levels, or everybody exposed to auto-tune. Biden could give all of us healthcare right now — No excuses, no dickin’ around, no tomfoolery, no malarkey, and no funny stuff.

Give – Every – American – Free – Healthcare – Now.

So those are the Top 10 actions Biden could take without getting anywhere near the dumb-dumb crocodile swamp known as Congress. …But he won’t.

Unless he fears that the people will stand up and fight back.

[soulsevicted]

   ❝ HERBICIDE SUCKS AND I WAS DUMB ENOUGH TO EAT IT! ❞

[lastbaff]

How to Start Profitable Cucumber Business in Nigeria 2019

Agriculture has proven to be a vital source of revenue for various countries of the world. Prior to the discovery of oil at Oloibiri in 1956, Nigeria operated an agro-based economy. But things have changed with the advent of oil. Cucumber, a vegetable consumed globally due to its nutrient-rich nature, would, without any doubt, be a huge source of revenue for agriculture in Nigeria if cucumber farming is greatly encouraged. Its global consumption nature makes it an exportable crop if cultivated at a high rate. The demand for cucumber globally is high due to its numerous health benefits which include its relevance for diabetic patients, vital for skin irritating infections, fight against cancer, and bad breath amongst other benefits. However, starting a cucumber farming business in Nigeria would be a great venture for an entrepreneur as it stands a higher chance of generating great profit if the right steps are taken. The perception of many in Nigeria that agricultural ventures can only thrive in Northern Nigeria is false; cucumber farming is practicable in any location with loamy soil whether in the North, East, or West. The focal point of this write up is on steps necessary for successful cucumber farming venture in Nigeria. These steps include conducting thorough research on cucumber farming, business plan, suitable location, land preparation for cultivation, perfect timing, and harvesting. The steps listed are explained below.   Step 1: Research and Consultation Every successful business is not bereft of thorough research and consultation. And cucumber farming is no different. Adequate research on cucumber inclusive of its nutrient, market demand, possible profit, positives and negatives of the venture, and self-evaluation are all necessary for starting cucumber farming. Consulting farmers in the business is equally not a bad idea because their experience is necessary for the advice offered to a beginner; helpful tips from them can also be vital. Many individuals neglect the idea of consulting research before embarking on a business venture. No wonder there are more cases of failed businesses than successful businesses. The fact that research exposes one to hidden knowledge makes it essential for starting any business. And for a venture like a cucumber farming business that requires skilled farming, the role of research cannot be under-estimated.   Step 2: Business Plan This step is one of the most important steps in cucumber business. This is because a good business plan defines a business. These days, modernized farming has taken over agricultural ventures. With a great business plan, a cucumber farmer can attract investors that will push the trade to greater heights. Also, presenting a nice business plan could aid in securing loans for farmers with fewer finances to start the business. Needless to say, a business plan creates room for the near-perfect organization for any business. With this, cucumber business is sure to bring positive returns. Plus, it is dumb in this 21st century for a farmer to do business with a poor organization which is the result of no business plan.   Step 3: Suitable Land/Location Getting a suitable land or location is extremely important for cucumber farming. Almost every agricultural activity is carried out on land. Loamy soil, due to the water-rich nature of cucumber, is best for cultivation. The land must have easy access to sunlight because cucumber needs adequate sunlight for it to grow well. The absence of sunlight greatly affects its growth. Also, the location for cultivation must be easily accessible to customers because high sales will be recorded when the market is easily accessible. Hence, the location should be close to the market. A location that would also ensure easy transportation of produce for the farmer from the farm to readily available markets is needed for a great cucumber business venture. Some farmers tend to neglect this with the belief that once there are multiple harvests, buyers would not mind the cost of transporting the produce due to its high demand in the market, which is vague.   Step 4: Land Preparation for Cultivation Another major step is preparing the land to be used for cultivation. This involves clearing the land effectively and weeding. For cucumber farming, weeding is best done with bare hands to prevent quick and easy growth of weed roots on the farm. The use of herbicides for weeds could be harmful to growth. The spacing for planting should be properly coordinated, at least 50cm apart from each other is not a bad idea and a hole 2.5cm deep is equally good. Rows and columns that would allow easy human passage, easy penetration for tractors and less stress while harvesting, is essential. Not to forget is the fact that fertilizing the soil prior to planting cucumber is vital. The use of NPK 15:15:15 is advisable but it is best to use organic manure so the soil will retain its nature and the health of the plant would not be affected.   Step 5: Timing Though rainy season can be described as perfect timing for cucumber farming, planting of cucumber is not restricted to any time of the year. It can be planted anytime provided there is a steady source of water supply for effective growth. Cucumber has a high demand for water. This means a proper arrangement for water supply should be made; a borehole could be built close to the farm to ensure a steady supply of water, the land could be located near the stream, and the use of sprinklers to spray water on the farm is not out of place. Despite the need for water, erosion control is equally relevant. The land should not be damp and should not suffer drought. Aside from land, water can be said to be the most relevant tool for good cucumber growth, not forgetting the role of sunlight.   Step 6: Harvesting The reward for labor is the wage; farmers get their income through the sale of crops harvested from the farm. As mentioned earlier, the market demand for cucumber is high, which makes the labor and hard work worth it. What you just need to do is create publicity for the availability of produce for sale. The maturity date for cucumber depends on the type of seeds cultivated. Some take about 40-45 days while others take about 50-70 days. It is necessary to make an inquiry about the maturity date while buying the seeds to avoid mistakes. Harvesting cucumber is done manually to prevent damages and bruises. Washing and proper arrangement in sack bags for storage are needful. Read the full article