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vandaliatraveler · 1 year ago

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A few photos above from an early morning hike at the Friendship Hill National Historic Site near Pt. Marion, Pennsylvania. If you want to learn more about the history of this sprawling estate, you can go to this link or search for prior posts from the main search page of my Tumblr blog. In addition to the historic homestead of Albert Gallatin, the park features ten miles of hiking trails through verdant oak-hickory and riparian forests. This time of year, the Central Appalachian forest is rich with fungi, legumes, berries, and the loveliest orb-weavers imaginable.

From top: wingstem (Verbesina alternifolia), also known as yellow ironweed, a late summer aster so named because the petioles of its leaves run down the plant's stem; northern spicebush (Lindera benzoin), a gorgeous native shrub whose bright red berries in late summer are followed by the most extraordinary gold foliage in the fall; orange mycena (Mycena leaiana), a lovely, gregarious fungi of deciduous logs whose pigment has shown antibacterial and anti-cancer properties; the ripened but dangerously toxic berries of pokeweed (Phytolacca americana), whose young leaves are used by mountain folk to make poke sallet (but only after repeated cleansings to remove the toxins); American hog-peanut (Amphicarpaea bracteata), a lovely twining vine whose roots and ground nut are edible; cutleaf coneflower (Rudbeckia laciniata), also known as green-headed coneflower and wild goldenglow, a close relative of black-eyed Susan with gorgeous, pinnately-dissected leaves (the leaf photo also shows the characteristic tri-foliate leaf pattern of hog-peanut); zig-zag goldenrod (Solidago flexicaulis), one of two adorable woodland goldenrods that grow in this area (the other being blue-stemmed goldenrod), both of which produce clusters of brilliant yellow flowers in both their leaf axils and at the ends of their stems; steeplebush (Spiraea tomentosa), also known as hardhack, which produces delicate plumes of pink flowers in late summer; a spined micrathena (Micrathena gracilis), which has ensnared a fly in her web; and an arrowhead orb weaver (Verrucosa arenata), also known as a triangle orb-weaver, a sparkling gem of an arachnid that reels in its prey like a fisherman dragging in a net.

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yuuukanda-blog1 · 7 years ago

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white roses

note: my first death note fic wao... i’m super excited about it though and hope you enjoy it i you read it!!

[also on AO3]

The flowers begin to wilt just hours after L and Watari die.

It’s just Matsuda in the room when Light comes in, his eyes puffy and tear stained. Light isn’t particularly surprised; the man had barely been able to keep himself together as they carried L and Watari’s bodies to a cold room and then double and triple checked the base and fortifying everything, just in case; even if Light knew everything was fine (off plan, but finally, finally progressing). Matsuda has a notepad in one hand, a pen in the other, and a book of flowers to the side of him. L’s body is uncovered, the white sheet more than halfway draped over the floor and his usual white shirt pulled up just above his heart. Somehow his skin is paler in death than it already was in life.

Soon, the flowers will expel from the bodies, petals wilting and vines slipping through the skin, limp and dead. Over the years, it’s become tradition, to list all the various flowers and herbs that grew from the bodies and to plant them in the ground at their grave sites. It was a sign of respect for those dearly departed that deserved respect. Light doubts that L would even want them planted. L didn’t even like his flowers, or so he had claimed.

Perhaps in part because they were surprisingly colorful, whereas the man tried to be as monotone as he possibly could. Had tried. Had. Light has to remind himself, with a pounding heart, that L was dead. He had finally won, after nearly an entire year of the nonstop intellectual battle. No one would even be considered a challenge to him anymore; the battle was won and the wilting flowers were proof of Light’s divine victory.

Light can’t help but know all of L’s flowers by heart, though. The time they had spent together, both at the university and handcuffed to one another, had ensured this.

He was not ignorant as to just how odd it was that they shared multiple flowers. That it was odd that most, if not all, of the flowers, began to bloom after he met L for the first time.

Light remembers when the white roses had begun to grow in; their thorns had pierced his arms before the roses had even finished blooming, tangled with sage and hollyhock. Now, he can see the same roses that wrap around L’s chest and arms begin to wilt; yellowing when they had once been a brilliant bright white. There are amaryllis and purple columbine, coltsfoot, red Japanese camellias, and gaudy yellow chrysanthemums that Light has been trying to ignore in particular for months now.

There are, of course, plants that L has that Light does not; rudbeckia sprout from his throat, thyme from his chest, galega tangled with the roses, out of place passion flower, and almost too many to name, along with the buds that had never gotten to bloom before Rem had made the ultimate sacrifice. Light had spent sleepless nights having to listen to L attempt the dissect just what Light’s flowers meant that he had decided to retaliate and analyze L right back; the fight that had followed after the first time hadn't been pretty. He could almost hear L now, talking about how the hyssop, different colored geraniums, and the - perhaps incriminating -bright red rhododendron, sunny tansy, and small, nearly unnoticeable deadly sprouts of hemlock that grew from his heart painted quite the interesting picture of Light for L.

But he’s won now, he’ll never have to sit through another argument like that again. He’ll never have to deal with L on his tail again, insisting that he was Kira and always, always being half a step behind Light.

He doesn’t realize that he’s somewhat… disappointed by this for another few weeks, after the funeral and after bright zinnias have bloomed over his back, tangled together with the geraniums and hemlock. By the beginning of the year, when Light has begun to make real progress with the Death Note once again, the white roses wilt and asphodel follows.

He doesn’t feel much of anything anymore.

BONUS: flower meanings.

Light and L’s:

White roses: I am worthy of you.

Amaryllis: pride, splendid beauty

Purple columbine: resolve to win

Coltsfoot: justice shall be done

Red Japanese camellias (or camellia japonica): unpretending excellent; “my destiny is in your hands.”

Yellow Chrysanthemums: slighted love

Rudbeckia (or black-eyed susan’s): justice

Thyme: courage

Galega: reason