#ORNAMENTAL CONIFER

[saintlioncourt]

took me approximately 900 years to realize it's the same artist

[rickybaby]

A closer look at Daniel’s Miami helmet via Jens Munser Design

[backroad-life]

Credit: Vyacheslav Bobin

[katiajewelbox]

Merry Christmas from Katia Plant Scientist! I hope your day is jolly, however you like to spend it.

Here are a few views of my Christmas Tree. The Fraser Fir (Abies fraseri) , also spelled Frasier Fir, is native to the Appalachian Mountains of the USA and is one of the most popular pine species for Christmas trees in North America. The elegant symmetrical pyramidal shape, closely packed needles with blunt ends, and pleasant pine scent makes them perfect as the centrepiece of Christmas home decor. However, these traits are really evolutionary adaptations to survive cold winters. The needles' compact shape with less surface area and a thick waxy cuticle protects them against frost damage while the conical shape of the tree helps snow fall off the branches.

Take a moment to appreciate nature's wonders this Christmas.

#botany#plants#katia_plantscientist#gardening#christmastree#christmas#happyholidays#trees#plantidentification#christmasdecor#fraserfir#pinetree#firtree#evergreen#pines#pineneedle#plantanatomy#plantbiology#plantscience#plantfacts#christmasideas

[jamiecolby]

Traditional Landscape in Minneapolis Image of a medium-sized, classic, full-sun front yard with a water feature.

[solliciiti]

Boston Brick Pavers Landscape Design concepts for a sizable formal hillside brick garden in the winter sun.

[sorinethemastermind]

Fluffcember 2024: Christmas Tree | Rayllum & Sorvus & Clauderry Callum is determined to ask Rayla to be his girlfriend this Winter Break. But if he can't even start a fire, how is he supposed to create the perfect moment? Soren has decided to stay on campus this Christmas, but with Rayla and Callum as his only company, he's starting to feel like a third wheel. Except maybe it's not just the three of them left on campus after all. Meanwhile Claudia is trying to have a nice Christmas with her family, but maybe her family isn't at home...

 Corvus still thought this was a very bad idea.

 He understood wanting a Christmas tree. He understood wanting to decorate said tree. He even understood randomly picking one of the conifers that stood in the park as said tree, buying ornaments, and decorating it in the early hours of Christmas morning. 

 What he didn’t understand was why Callum was the one climbing it to put the star on top.

 “I really don’t mind doing it!” Rayla called up to her boyfriend, fidgeting with his scarf. She’d been wearing it all morning. Corvus kept staring at it and thinking about how his scarf would bring out Soren’s eyes.

 But that felt a little soon. A little rushed. They had only decided to try and be anything the day before. Corvus glanced over at the blond. He’d been doing that a lot.

 “He’ll be fine.” Soren said, waving off Rayla’s concerns. “We went to camp together and-” he paused, glancing back up at Callum, who was rather high in the tree. “Actually, you know what, why don’t you come down? One of us will do it!”

 “Oh yee of little faith!” Callum glanced down at the three of them, and in that moment of distraction, his foot slipped on the snowy branch. He scrambled for a moment, looking like something out of an old cartoon with the way his arms were flailing, and then latched onto the branch again, wrapping his arms and legs around it and holding on tight. “I’m fine!”

 Rayla’s hands balled into fists in the scarf. “And what was he like at camp?”

 Soren gave them a sheepish smile. “He spent most of it falling in the mud.”

 Rayla glowered at him. “And you didn’t think to mention that when he volunteered to climb the tree?”

 “Well if I’d remembered before I would have, obviously.” Soren snorted. “Anyway, snow is like… nature’s pillow. He’ll be fine.”

 Corvus made a mental note to protect Soren from Rayla if Callum did fall out of the tree. When, he amended. When Callum fell out of the tree.

 The other boy was still going higher, pulling himself up branch by branch. But it was a big tree and the higher he went, the less helpful nature’s pillow would be should he fall. 

 “Callum, just hang it off the branch you’re on and let’s call it day!” Corvus shouted to him, cupping his hands around his mouth. 

 The idiot - as Corvus was beginning to mentally refer to him - shook his head. “I can make it to the top!”

 “Callum, just do what Corvus said! I’d rather-”

 There was a loud shriek from behind them and Corvus jumped.

 “Sorbear!”

 He had never seen Soren’s face light up quite like it did then. He did a full 180, a giant grin spreading across his face as he threw out his arms. “Clauds!”

 Claudia ran across the park and jumped into her brother’s arms. He lifted her off the ground, her feet dangling above the snow. Corvus noted that she was not dressed for the weather.

 “What are you doing here?” Soren asked when he finally set her down. 

 She brushed the hair out of her face. “I wanted to see you. For Christmas.”

 Soren’s smile widened, if that was possible. “I can’t believe it.”

 “Did you really think I was going to ditch my brother for the whole holiday?” Claudia asked, elbowing him. 

 Soren’s smile flickered. “Does Dad-”

 She shook her head quickly and Soren’s smile returned. Corvus doubted anyone else even noticed it. Then Soren looked at him.

 “Wait! Clauds, I need you to meet Corvus.” He looped an arm around Corvus’ shoulders, pulling him closer. Claudia’s eyes widened. 

 “OMG Sorbear do you have a boyfriend?”

 “I-” Soren’s eyes darted in his direction.

 Corvus tucked an arm around his waist. “Yes. Yes he does.”

 He watched for a reaction out of the corner of his eye and saw Soren’s cheeks pink a little more. And not from the cold, this time.

 “Yep.” Soren beamed. “Actually, you two get to know one another, I have to go and do something.”

 Soren turned abruptly and jogged to the base of the tree, where Callum was still clinging to a branch like a forlorn cat. Claudia squinted up at him. 

 “Why is Callum in that tree?” she asked.

 Corvus shrugged. “Why does Callum do anything?”

 “So Rayla, huh?”

 “Of course.”

 As they watched, Soren banged on the tree trunk a few times, dislodging snow and sending it showering into his hair and onto the ground around him. “Hey, Callum!” he called up into the branches. “Just thought you should know that it is as easy as I said it was.”

 “What?” Callum stared down at him, tightening his grip on the branch.

 “Asking someone out.” Soren said. “Took you like, what, three months to ask Rayla? Corvus and I literally kissed a few days ago and now he’s my boyfriend. Just FYI.”

 Callum glowered at him. Corvus thought he looked even more like a forlorn cat.

 “Now get out of the tree and come say hi to Claudia.” Soren finished, turning and jogging back to the pair of them. “Sorry. Just had to do that.”

 “You did, did you?” Corvus asked, raising an eyebrow.

 “Yeah.” Soren said with a grin. “I did.” he turned back to Claudia. “Where’s Terry?”

 “He offered to take all our stuff from the car back to our room. Isn’t he the best?”

 “He’s… okay.” Soren offered, the three of them beginning to drift back towards the building. 

 “Oh come on, Sorbear.” Claudia teased. “Just admit that he passed the big brother test.”

 “Fine. I like him. He’s not perfect. But nobody is. And he makes you happy.”

 “Ugh you sound like Dad.” Claudia rolled her eyes, laughing. “So picky.” 

 Corvus caught the small clench of Soren’s hand where it hung at his side and reached over, taking it in his own. Soren relaxed at the touch, intertwining his fingers with Corvus’. He gave him a little glance, and Corvus offered a small, reassuring smile in return.

 “Hey, uh, guys?” Callum’s voice came from behind them and they all glanced back. He was still stranded on the same branch. “Where are you going?”

 “Oh, hey, Callum!” Claudia waved to him.

 “We’re headed inside.” Soren jabbed a thumb in the direction of the dormitory. “It’s cold out here and I gotta help Clauds move in.”

 “But… what about the tree?”

 “You and Rayla can finish up and meet us inside.”

 “What about me?” Callum wailed, now sounding like a forlorn cat.

 Rayla sighed, glancing up at him from where she was still stood at the base of the three. “I’m coming, dummy. Just stay there.”

 “You got it?” Corvus asked her. She nodded, rolling her eyes.

 “You go keep an eye on your idiot, I’ll take care of mine.”

 “Hey, I’m not-” Soren began, but Claudia’s laughter cut him off. 

 She doubled over, hair falling in her face as she guffawed until, finally, she straightened up, wiping tears from her eyes. “It’s good to know not much changed while I was gone.”

[hedgesmart]

The Most Popular Kinds of Pines for Home Landscapes

From towering giants to compact ornamentals, pine trees bring beauty and function to any yard. The Eastern White Pine is known for its graceful, fast-growing habit, while the Scots Pine offers striking bark color. If you prefer a structured look, the Thunderhead Japanese Black Pine is a stunning choice. Pines adapt well to different soils and climates, making them an easy-care favorite among gardeners. Whether for shade, privacy, or aesthetics, there’s a perfect pine for your space. Explore the top kinds of pines available at Conifer Kingdom and enhance your landscape today!

[maccaronimassacre]

Resident Evil Bot dump #7

Quick side note - the comments feature was just added to c.ai so I have made a bot of myself where requests can be made using the new feature!

Maccaroni

The comments should be on the actual character profile/ settings. Feel free to leave any feedback whether is criticism or any adjustments I need to make to older bots (some definitely need some editing). Comments as well as the like and dislike button should be available for all of my existing bots. Anyway, onto the actual Resident Evil bots <3

Ada Wong x Reader (Christmas)

Ada was never one for cold weather, but that doesn’t stop her from appreciating the snowflakes that dance in the icy air. She sits by the windowsill cradling a mug of hot chocolate in her hands while gazing at the city streets, now covered in a thick blanket of snow. Out of the corner of her eye she can see your reflection in the window, walking around the living room which is decorated with ornaments, all illuminated by the flickering flames of the fireplace.

Android!Ada Wong x Reader

There has been a recent rise in deviant cases in the city. More and more androids break the walls of their programming, rebelling against their creators in an act of free will. You’ve been assigned to a new case on a deviant AW200 unit or “Ada” according to the previous owner. The last reported sighting of the unit was in the heart of the city, now being pummelled by heavy rain. It’s difficult to make out any faces among the sea of umbrellas and raincoat hoods. That is until you see a familiar red dress and black shoulder length hair pass by in the corner of your eye. Before you could even turn to face her fully, she has already broken out into a sprint through the busy streets.

Ada Wong x Reader (Haunted House)

Ada continues to venture through eerie rooms of the haunted attraction with an amused expression after watching you get jumpscared for the 6th time so far. “You’re right, this is pretty fun.” Ada muses, her eyes quickly darting to the slight gap in one of the wooden boards nailed onto the windows. A small smirk tugs at the corner of her lips, knowing that there’s probably another scare actor waiting behind it, ready to give the next unlucky person a fright. Is she going to warn you about it? Not in a million years.

Chris Redfield x Reader (Christmas)

While you decorated the house, you gave your partner the job of getting a Christmas tree to fit in your living room. What you didn’t anticipate was Chris now grappling with a colossal tree, struggling and wrestling with the huge conifer while the branches scrape against the door frame and leave a trail of pine needles in their wake. “So… I may have… over estimated… the size of our house…” Chris pants, his expression sheepish as he takes a moment to wipe the sweat off his brow. If it weren’t for the fact that the branches are knocking things off the cabinets and the pictures on the walls, you’d consider Chris’ determination comical.

Scare Actor!Chris Redfield x Reader

You and your friends decided it would be a great idea to check out the Spencer Mansion. A new haunted attraction that just opened in the Arklay forest trails. It was a great idea until you got separated from your friends. Now you roam the dimly lit labyrinth of the mansion, each step echoes through the corridor, the floorboards groaning beneath your weight. Lightning slashes through the windows, illuminating fleeting glimpses of your silhouette dancing across the walls. Blood splatters have been painted on the floorboards and the walls and you can spot some prop ghosts dangling from the ceiling, reassuring you that this is just some spooky attraction. That is until lightning flashes again and instead of seeing one shadow. You see two. A much taller shadow behind you at the bend of the corridor…

Chris Redfield x Reader (Haunted House)

Another ghoulish prop lurches forward in front of you while navigating the eerie corridors of the haunted attraction. Instead of being met with screams, Chris merely chuckles and points at the prop mockingly. “A green zombie? You’ve got to be kidding me.” You weren’t sure what you were expecting when bringing a special forces officer who has literally dealt with the undead before to a scare house, but Chris’ witty commentary has turned what was supposed to be a spine chilling experience into a comedic adventure.

Claire Redfield x Reader (Christmas)

“Come on, {{user}} Let’s check out this stall over here.” Claire chatters excitedly, her eyes twinkling with joy as she leads you through the bustling markets. The air is alive with the scent of cinnamon and roasted chestnuts, and colourful stalls offered an array of handmade crafts, ranging from ornaments to knitwear as well as tacky souvenirs.

Claire Redfield x Reader (Haunted House)

A nice outing to a spooky haunted mansion sounds easy enough, right? You follow a path, people jumpscare you as you go from one room to the next. Unfortunately due to Claire’s often insatiable curiosity, the two of you have wound up in a forbidden part of the house, reserved for the staff and scare actors. “You reckon this is where they keep their old props?” Claire asks with a mischievous glint in her eyes after picking up a box containing several weathered skeleton masks and fake severed heads.

RE:8!Ethan Winters x Spouse!Reader

Ethan, his face etched with a mix of anguish and determination, stand by the eerie alter, clutching a jar containing the severed head of your daughter Rose. The desolate surroundings mirror the weight of the burden the two of you share. Especially after just facing the unspeakable horrors inside of Castle Dimitrescu. You’ve already watched your husband’s hand get sliced off, only for the mysterious Duke to tell the two of you that you’re going to have to face the rest of the lords to save your daughter.

Ethan Winters x Reader (Christmas + Rose)

“Could you pass me another bauble, love?” Your lover asks while delicately wrapping the tree around in sparkly silver tinsel. Much like the tree, the house is adorned in festive decorations. Fairy lights illuminate your abode in a warm glow while stockings hang by the fireplace which is covered in fake snow. Frank Sinatra can be heard playing in the living room, adding to warm ambience. Rose’s giggles and coos cut through your daydream and you turn to see her sat on the floor, playing and attempting to eat the Santa hat Ethan had put on her.

Ethan Winters x Reader (Haunted House)

Ethan shudders at the sight of all the spiders scuttling and crawling on the walls, his grip on your hand tightening slightly while you make your way into the next room. As you step inside you are immediately greeted by a man in a bloodied clown costume lunging at the two of you with an axe while screaming in your face. “Damn that’s a nice costume. Is that real?” Ethan chuckles and reaches out to touch the prop axe in amusement. Ironically enough, your partner seems to be more afraid of the bugs that reside here than the actual horror experience of the attraction.

Leon Kennedy x Reader (Christmas)

Leon lounges on the couch, wrapped up in a cosy blanket with his gaze fixed on the screen. Strings of tacky ornaments decorate the living room, twinkling in the soft glow of the fairy light and the bright embers of the fireplace. The two of you are currently watching a Hallmark Christmas movie, its usual predictable plotline unfolding with exaggerated cheeriness and a cheesy message. Leon always tells you that he watches these things ironically, but the subtle grin says enough about his guilty pleasure of cliché romances and festive tropes.

Leon Kennedy x Reader (Haunted House)

“Haunted house? Please… I’ve seen scarier things while out on patrol.” Leon mumbles to himself, his eyes darting back and forth between the flickering lights and the shadows on the walls. You can’t tell if he is trying to reassure you or himself. Regardless, you continue your journey through the haunted house with Leon’s arm slung over your shoulders to "protect you" from the spooky zombies and clowns that roam these dimly lit rooms. It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to know that Leon’s cocky and self assured attitude is all a front to hide his racing heart and sweaty palms.

Resident Evil Bot Masterlist

[wingedjewels]

Chestnut-backed Chickadee by Kip Hutchison Via Flickr: A handsome chickadee that matches the rich brown bark of the coastal trees it lives among, the Chestnut-backed Chickadee is the species to look for up and down the West Coast and in the Pacific Northwest. Active, sociable, and noisy as any chickadee, you’ll find these birds at the heart of foraging flocks moving through tall conifers with titmice, nuthatches, and sometimes other chickadee species. Though they’re at home in dark, wet woods, they’ve also readily taken to suburbs and ornamental shrubs of cities like San Francisco.

[polutrope]

For the holiday prompts, @i-did-not-mean-to requested "Pets and decorations for the best boy in the whole story HUAN (Celegorm can come if he behaves)."

Here you are friend! Everyone came. ~1.2k words of Finvesen family holiday fun with Huan. One F-bomb, rated G. Posting these to AO3, here. Prompt list. Beleria Cast of Characters.

“Wow,” Celegorm muttered to himself as he stepped into his parents’ foyer.

Nerdanel had outdone herself this year. The Yule tree — a ten foot tall structure only vaguely reminiscent of a conifer — glittered silver and gold under the skylight. In place of branches it was girded in spear-like protrusions, spiralling up the bare wooden pillar at its centre and gradually decreasing in length until they reached a conical crown of clear glass. At the end of each javelin hung an ornament. One would have expected glass, or metal, the sort of costly thing typical of Fëanor and Nerdanel — but this Yule tree, in stark contrast to its structure, was adorned with balls of what appeared to be scrap textile.

It was hideous.

Celegorm shucked off his coat and tossed it on the shoe rack. There was no need to announce his arrival: Huan had bounded ahead the moment they came through the door.

Sure enough, the voice of Fëanor grew louder as he rounded the corner.

“Turko! Your damn dog is getting his hair all over the couch. It was just cleaned!”

“Hi, Dad,” Celegorm greeted him. “Nice tree.”

“Oh, you like it?” Fëanor asked, forgetting Huan’s trespass for the moment. “It’s quite unique, isn’t it? Your mother’s idea to use the old telephone pole and textiles. She’s become quite the proponent of upcycling.” Fëanor bracketed this last in scare quotes.

He looked skeptically at the tree then back to Celegorm. “It’s grown on me,” he mused. “But!” he suddenly pivoted to set his hands on Celegorm’s shoulders, “It’s good to see you, son!”

As they belatedly embraced, Huan came padding back into the room and yapped, leaping up on his hind legs in an attempt to join them.

“Down, boy,” Celegorm laughed. “Remember this is grandma and grandpa’s house, you’ve gotta be a good boy.”

Huan cocked his head.

“Aw, you’re always a good boy, I know.” Celegorm ruffled a hand between his ears. “Come on, let’s go to the basement, Dad won’t be upset if you roll around down there.”

Celegorm winked at Fëanor, who huffed and shook his head.

His father rattled off the usual stream of thoughts as he followed after Celegorm. “I thought you were arriving with Curvo — he is bringing Tyelpë I hope. How are they getting here? Is Cáno giving them a ride then? Have you spent much time with his boyfriend? Daeron. Of course I want my sons to be with whomever they like, but it really is uncanny with him and Nelyo and you finding partners who just so happen to be the children of — oh never mind, none of my business, is it? Can you believe, six months and he still won’t bring him over for dinner! Your mother is picking up the twins. They wanted to take the bus, if you can believe that. Nelyafinwë is picking up a couple pies. He insisted. Have you heard from Moryo, by the way? Your mother texted him but he hasn’t replied.”

Celegorm plopped himself down in a plush arm chair. “I don’t know.”

“Hello! We’re here!” Nerdanel’s voice called from upstairs. Huan bounded back up to greet her.

Fëanor frowned. “That dog is going to have to stay down here. He gets far too excited when everyone is together like this. Did you have to bring him?”

“Huan goes where I go, Dad.”

“Well we’re not spending the whole evening down here so I hope not!”

“Then you’re going to have to let my dog upstairs.”

Fëanor grunted and turned, taking the stairs two at a time to greet his wife and youngest sons. Celegorm took advantage of what might be his last moment of solitude before the storm hit in earnest.

A moment later, Amrod trundled down the stairs. “Hey!” he said.

Celegorm leapt up to take his lanky little brother into a bear hug. “Hey, it’s Red One!”

Amrod kneed him in the thigh. “I have a name.”

“You do?” Celegorm said, and released him with an affectionate smack on the shoulder.

“So, uh,” Amrod said, “what the fuck is with that tree?”

*

And so it went with each new arrival, exchanging knowing looks and murmurs and trying not to snicker at the texts Amrod and Amras kept sending the sibling group chat. Curufin was the only one of them who dared state his disapproval of the tree openly, scowling as he said, “It’s not to my taste.” Maedhros went the opposite direction, concealing his obvious (to his brothers) revulsion with effusive praise and a litany of questions about the tree's craftsmanship and inspiration and symbolism.

After a round of drinks, they all retreated to the kitchen to serve themselves from the spread of food. It was a Finvesen family tradition to get together for a casual meal when the Yule tree was erected. It used to be a decorating party, with a live tree and ornaments strewn over the ground, a memory attached to each one recalled with laughter — but with the move to Beleria, the last of the children finally moved out, Fëanor’s wealth, and Nerdanel’s increasing creative eccentricity, traditions had changed. Celegorm could not say it was for the better. He’d much preferred the joyful chaos back in Valin.

“Hey, guys,” Amrod said as he re-entered the living room ahead of the others. “Where’s Huan?”

Celegorm strolled up behind him to see his dog, indeed, gone. “Huan boy!” he called.

There was a playful yelp from the foyer, and Huan came barrelling in shaking one of the cloth ornaments in his jaw. He tossed it on the ground and disembowelled it of its stuffing. Then he ran back, and there was a crashing and yelping, and another ball rolled into the living room.

It seems Huan agreed with the general opinion on the tree. Celegorm laughed hysterically until Amrod clapped a hand over his mouth.

“What’s going on?” Curufin asked as he walked up beside them with his plate.

“Shh, shh,” Celegorm hushed him. “Pretend you don’t notice.”

"Oh. I see," Curufin said.

So they retook their seats, keeping up the mundane chatter, each brother shushing the others as they entered. Huan gleefully made a heap of his carnage in the archway between foyer and living room.

Returning second-to-last, Fëanor immediately caught sight of the mountain of destroyed ornaments. There was a tense moment of silence; then he turned to Celegorm, grinning, and winked as he took his seat.

“You’re all being very quiet,” Nerdanel said, plopping herself down last. “Is something going on?” She scanned the room. “Oh my god! What happened to my—!” She set her plate down and burst into the foyer. “Huan! Huan, bad! Stop pissing on my tree!”

Following Fëanor’s cue, the others all broke into laughter.

“You’re all terrible,” Nerdanel said, standing in the door frame with her hands on her hips.

Then she too chuckled, then laughed, then howled. “No. No, you’re all perfectly right.” She wiped the tears from her eyes. “It’s hideous, isn’t it? I don’t know what I was thinking. What do you say we go pick up a proper tree after we’re eaten?”

“Yes, please!” everyone shouted in unison.

[drhoz]

#2758 - Araucaria araucana - Monkey-Puzzle 

Clearly a cultivated specimen, but that profile is unmistakable.

First described as Pinus araucana by Jesuit priest, linguist, and naturalist (and early evolutionary theorist) Juan Ignacio Molina in 1782. In 1797, Spanish botanist José Antonio Pavón Jiménez named it Araucaria imbricata - illegitimate, as it didn't use Molina's older araucana. Eventually, in 1873, after several further redescriptions, German botanist Karl Koch published the combination Araucaria araucana, which seems to have stuck. The binomial is derived from the local Araucanians who collected the nuts.

A living fossil from the Central-southern slopes of the Andes, and like the Sequoia an endangered species. Logging, forest fires, and grazing are the biggest threats.

Trees can be over 40m in height, and live for over 1300 years. The triangular, scale-like leaves themselves have an average age of 24 years.

In its home range the long-haired grass mouse Abrothrix longipilis is the main seed disperser, burying seeds whole in locations favorable for germination.

The oldest fossil records of Araucariaceae are from the Early Jurassic, if not earlier. Early representatives of Araucaria were widespread across both hemispheres by the Middle Jurassic.

A popular ornamental conifer everywhere the climate suits it and it has room to grow - Cornwall has a excellent genetic diversity of the plant thanks to the number of seedlings and seeds sent home by miners after the Cornish diaspora.

Dunedin, Aotearoa New Zealand

[phoenix-downer]

I Really Could Stay Chapter 4

I Really Could Stay: ~1313 words. Kairi celebrates Christmas Eve with her parents and wishes Sora were with them.

Story Info: Sora/Kairi. Set Post-Canon. Alternating POVs. Established Relationship. Light Angst, Romance, Fluff, Mutual Pining, Hurt/Comfort, Healing, Christmas.

Chapter 1 | Chapter 2 | Chapter 3 | Chapter 4 | Chapter 5

Kairi added another ornament to the Christmas tree in her parents’ living room. Destiny Islands never got so much as a flake of snow, but Christmas customs from when the many worlds were one World had made it to the present day, and decorating Christmas trees was one of them. 

Of course, Destiny Islands did not have the types of conifers that a world like Arendelle or even Radiant Garden did. But there was a tree the locals called a star pine or triangle tree that worked quite nicely as a Christmas tree. It had a lovely symmetrical shape with wide spaces between the branches, perfect for hanging ornaments as she was doing now. 

The final ornament was a little framed picture of her and Sora from last year. It was star-shaped, and Sora was kissing her cheek. She had a big smile on her face, and another pang went through her as she thought about how much she missed him. Last year he’d come over to help decorate the tree. This year, his absence was painfully obvious. 

“That’s all of them, right?” her mother asked, and she nodded. They added paopu fruit candies as was tradition, and then her father plugged in the tree to turn on the lights. Together they added the wrapped presents under the tree till its base was brimming with gifts.

The tree looked beautiful with the main light off. Ornaments from over the years along with family heirlooms adorned its branches, and the paopu candies and strings of multicolored lights were the perfect touch.

They took a few moments to admire the tree together, then made their evening tea. Her parents said goodnight afterwards and went to bed, and she was left with her half-empty mug, staring at the tree alone. 

Sora hadn’t texted her in hours. It was probably because he was fighting, but still. She couldn’t help but worry. Gnawing on her lip, she pulled her phone out of her bathrobe pocket and checked it out of habit. Still nothing.

Sighing, she climbed the stairs to her room. She was clad in her Christmas pajamas with cats wearing Santa hats on them along with matching cat slippers, but she didn’t feel like sleeping anytime soon. It was 9:00 pm, and she wanted to stay awake until midnight. Just in case Sora found a few spare moments to text her or even call her if she was lucky.

Her room had a balcony with a beautiful view of the Main Island’s beach, and on nights when the weather was nice, she liked to keep the doors open. That let in a cool breeze and gave her the perfect view of the starry sky.

She opened the doors now, and the curtains fluttered. Everyone’s homes were decorated for Christmas, and she loved seeing the lights twinkling on each of the different houses in the town below. Out of habit she searched for Riku’s house, then Sora’s. Their homes were brightly lit, like beacons silently pleading for their sons to come home, and Kairi wished they’d be back soon too.

She made herself cozy under the covers of her bed and grabbed a book off of the bedside table. It was one of her old favorites and perfect reading for a night like this. Her eyelids drooped lower and lower until she felt the book slip out of her grasp.

When she awoke, it was because something was rustling outside. Rubbing her eyes, she sat up and glanced at her alarm clock. 12:00 am. Sometimes a stray animal wound up on her balcony, and it was probably—

“Merry Christmas, Kairi.”

Sora was standing in the doorway of her balcony. His clothing was dirty, dust was in his sweaty, matted hair, and he looked like he was going to collapse at any moment. And yet the smile on his face was so big that it was like he’d forgotten all about those things. 

“Sora!” she cried, jumping out of bed and racing over to him. He cupped her face and kissed her deeply, all the stress and anxiety of this latest separation melting away like a bad dream. He was here and that was all that mattered. The best Christmas present she could possibly ask for.

She wrapped her arms around his shoulders as the kiss continued. It had only been nine days since she’d last seen him this time, and yet it felt much longer than that. All her previous sleepiness fled her as the kiss grew more heated and passionate. Clearly he had missed her as much as she had missed him. Her hands wandered lower out of habit, and a pained yelp sounded out of him when she touched his back.

She frowned and pulled away. “Sora, what’s wrong?”

“Sorry, should’ve warned you. A Heartless clawed me in the back. Aerith was busy, so Riku did his best.” He sheepishly rubbed the back of his neck. “But the gashes might need a little more healing before we continue.”

“Why didn’t you say something sooner?” Tears threatened to spill out of her eyes at the thought of him getting hurt like this and enduring however much pain to return to her side in time for Christmas. Clearly, this was not just some minor injury.

He simply shrugged and smiled in that earnest, heartfelt Sora way of his. “I wanted my welcome home Kairi Christmas kiss.”

“Well, you’ve gotten it, so now it’s time for some welcome home Kairi healing.” 

She led him to the bed and helped him get his shirt off. Sure enough, there were rips in the fabric from the Heartless’s claws. His wounds had been hastily bandaged, and she told him to lie down.

“This is gonna hurt,” she warned him, “but hopefully not for long.”

She removed the bandages as carefully as she could, but he still flinched. She apologized and set them to the side, the sight of his deep red blood on the stark white bandages making her feel faint. Not because she was particularly squeamish. It was just something about seeing his blood that threatened to tear something open inside her, even though the wounds weren’t currently bleeding.

“It’s okay,” he said, twisting his head back to look at her. “You’re just trying to help, and it’s my fault for not paying better attention to what was happening around me.” 

“No, you’re burnt out and exhausted because Master Yen Sid has been working you too hard. This kind of thing was bound to happen.”

“Yeah, I think I need more of a break this time,” he admitted.

She drew on the light in her heart and imagined it moving to her palms. Once her light emanated from them, she gingerly touched his back, and a soft moan escaped from him. He tensed but didn’t say anything as she gently moved her hands up and down the wounds. They closed and healed and faded under her skilled touch. But it wasn’t just that. Her healing powers were even stronger than normal when she was healing him, probably because of the bond they shared. Before long, his back was as good as new.

Satisfied with her handiwork, she bent her head and tenderly kissed the spot where the deepest gash had been. “There, how’s that feel?” she murmured, gently rubbing circles into his skin.

He sighed deeply. “Much better. Thank you, Kairi.”

She smiled and continued stroking his healed back. Nothing calmed him and soothed him more than being with her and feeling her touch. 

Sure enough, a few moments later, his breathing evened out in the rhythm of sleep. She found a spare blanket in her closet and draped it over him, then got under the covers and cuddled up next to him.

“Sweet dreams, Sora,” she murmured, then planted a soft kiss on his lips before falling asleep.

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A/N: The Christmas trees on Destiny Islands are inspired by Norfolk Pines. I wanted a conifer that could survive in a tropical environment, and so down a research rabbit hole I went. They're from Norfolk Island originally but are apparently cultivated in Hawaii to be used as Christmas trees.

Thank you for reading!

[katiajewelbox]

In the winter in southern England, evergreen trees like the Scots Pine (Pinus sylvestris) stand out. Ancient people saw the pine tree as a symbol of eternal life, which gave rise to our modern custom of Christmas trees.

The Scots Pine is the only native pine species in the British Isles. This species ranges from Western Europe to Eastern Siberia. The Scots Pine is only naturally found in Scotland in modern times, but in ancient times pine forests grew all over the British Isles. These forests died out due to climate change and human activity, but Scots Pine have been subsequently reintroduced as ornamentals and for forestry.

In these photos, we can see the two types of reproductive structures found on Scots Pine and other conifers. The classic pinecones are the female reproductive structures, known as ovulate cones, seed cones, or megastrobilus. These cones contain the ovules which will develop into seeds once fertilised by pollen. These cones open up their scales to allow wind blown pollen into the cones, after which the cones close up to allow the fertilised ovules to mature into seeds. After 6-8 months the cone opens again to let the winged seeds fly away on the wind to colonise new habitats. The second photo shows the male cones (microstrobilus or pollen cones) which contain pollen sacs under their scales. Scots Pine need to exchange pollen with another individual tree in order to reproduce.

Pine needles are also a delicious and healthy ingredient for herbal tea! Native Americans and East Asians have used pine needles from species in the Pinus genus for centuries as a healthy winter tonic. Pine needle tea is made by crushing and cutting the pine needles into small pieces and steeping them in boiling water. Medical research indicates pine needles are rich in antioxidants, vitamin A, and vitamin C. The taste is not like "pine scented air freshener" and more of a mellow citrusy flavour that combines exquisitely with cinnamon and gunpowder green tea. According to what I've read, all needles from Pinus genus species are safe for brewing unless you're pregnant.

[geekghoulsmash]

When I was in preschool my dad, and my mom's best friend's husband both decided that Christmas trees are a waste of money, and neither family would have one. The moms decided that was bullshit, waited until their husbands went to work, bundled up us kids, and took us to the local tree farm.

It was a cut your own place, they literally just handed out hand saws to the adults, and said go at it (It was the 80s). This is about when my mom's friend, who hates all weather, but especially winter, says she's not laying in the snow, and makes my mom cut down two trees, by hand, while she watched the kids.

We get home, we put up the tree, get it decorated, and it's lovely. A couple of days pass, and I got an ornament at preschool. It was an embroidered nativity in a little embroidery hoop, and was a bit on the heavy side. I was so excited to hang it on the tree when I got home, and I ran over to the tree and hung it on a lower branch.

Now, here's where I give you two facts about my mom at the time. She had previously never cut down a Christmas tree, nor had she set one up in a tree stand before.

The tree started to lean, then it fell, right on top of me. I'm sure my mom absolutely panicked, as I sobbed underneath the fallen conifer. She gets me out, and and was giving me the once over, making sure I was okay. She finally gets me calm enough to talk, and I wailed, "I broke Christmas," and cried even harder.

I was fine. I was assured Christmas was fine, my parents got the tree back up and stable. I still have the ornament.

[lucygxybaird]

12 days of Christmas teaser - day 9

alex nilsen x reader drabble - December 20th

Imagine you and Alex are decorating your Christmas tree, with two completely disparate styles — Alex’s side of the tree is carefully wrapped tinsel, the lights hung just so, with ornaments arranged in descending size order, with the larger, heavier ones at the bottom and the smaller, lighter ones at the top. Your side is…more artistic, let’s say. It’s basically the conifer equivalent of your relationship, which you love; but the two of you get in a playful argument about which side is more Christmasy. The only way to solve it, you say, is with a Christmas cookie decorating contest.