#pollard

Plant of the Day

Friday 24 April 2026

The wonderful sculptural outline of Quercus robur (common oak, English oak, black oak, French oak, pedunculate oak, Polish oak, Slavonian oak) is a major framework plant at the Beth Chatto Garden, Essex. This tree has been pollarded in the past to create this distinctive branching.

It’s been awhile! Did you know I have transformers OCs? Hehehe >:3

Horse Chestnut Tree

“Damn piggy, forgot something.”

Pollard dropped Nick’s bag on the floor with a grin. Nick bent over to pick it up, only to feel a paper plane hit the back of his head. He ignored it, heaving the equipment on his shoulder. He was used to the hazing, it wasn’t anything new.

“Aren’t we a little too old for these kinds of games. “ The female voice cut in. Pollard looked up, and so did Nick.

“You know it’s been my experience that bullies tend to target people out of insecurities. Is there something you’re compensating for officer?” 

Your eyes drifted to his crotch suggestively, and a few of the other officers chuckled as Pollard trudged away. You send a grin his way, picking up the folded paper as you crushed it in your hand.

“Sometimes you gotta fight back Jakoby.” Nick nodded.

“Don’t think that would do much. I just want to do my job.” You gave him another smile, patting his shoulder.

“You’re doing a pretty good job so far, keep it up.” 

You say those words, walking off, and Nick stood, a bit dazed. He hadn’t seen you before, so you must work with another precinct. Yet, you seemed to know him. Then again, who didn’t know him.

“Chatting it up with our transfer huh.” Ward walked over, and Nick shifted his focus. He looked a bit lost, and Ward gave a half chuckle.

“Please tell me you know who that is?” Nick looks relatively confused.

“That’s officer (Y/N), they call her the falcon.” Nick's eyes widened at the woman that was greeting the other supervisors present.

“That’s her! I thought it was a guy.” Nick whispered. Ward shook his head.

“Nope. Her dad was a cop too. Three thugs broke into her old man’s place when she was younger. Knocked him out cold. They said she found the gun and took down all three of them. Straight shots to the leg. By the time the cops came they didn’t even put up a fight.” Nick’s eyes lingered on your form.

“That must have been hard for her.” Ward nods.

“Yeah. I mean he didn’t die or anything. But I heard that’s when she decided she wanted to be in the force. She’s never missed a shot in her life. “ To say Nick was impressed would be an understatement. He heard the rumors. You were a force of nature apparently.

“Alright, enough gawking we got a job to do.” Nick shuffled a bit, following Ward out, not before sending you one last look.

Their shift ended later in the night. After parking the vehicle, they went to the lockers to grab their stuff. Ward bids Nick goodbye, heading home to his family. Nick was still pretty much packing up, and when he heard a knock, he raised his head.

“Hey Ward, Carson said you and Nick forgot this in the squad car.” When you walked through the door, Nick’s eyes lifted. The cellphone in your hands had him shooting out of his seat.

“Oh! T-Thank you, that's mine.” 

You held it out for him, and when your hands brushed, Nick expected you to pull your hand away, or at least show some form of disgust. You placed your hands in your pockets, and from your body language, he couldn’t sense anything negative. It confused him.

“Why are you so nice to me?”

Nick didn’t mean for it to come out so harsh. But all his years on the force had taught him that he needed to be on guard. It was a sad reality that there were very few people on the force that he actually trusted. Instead of the annoyed look he expects, you smile.

“I guess it’s because I kind of relate with you in some weird way.”

Nick just listens.

“Everyone seems to think I’m oblivious, but I know what they say about me.’The Falcon’. “ You make air quotes with your fingers.

“Somehow they turned my traumatizing even into an origin story. That night with My dad, I was terrified. Those men shot him, then they came to take me. It wasn’t robbers. They were a trafficking ring. They’d been targeting families in the neighborhood for months. They came for my dad to make a point. It was to send a message. The only thing they didn’t account for was me being able to use a gun.” 

You rolled your shoulder, touching it subconsciously, as if reliving a memory.

“I became a cop because I wanted to feel in control. After that night, it took me years to feel safe in my house again. I needed that feeling, so I got into this field. My story isn’t as elaborate as some people might think.” The sad look on your face shows the vulnerability that he’s sure you’ve never expressed to a lot of people.

“I know you do this for a sense of pride and justice. You want to show other orcs that it’s okay to be different. That anything can be achieved with hard work and dedication. You want to protect that hope. I do this to protect my vulnerabilities. In a way we’re both trying to protect something, but I guess yours is much more noble.”

Nick isn’t sure what to say or do. You look down, wiping the corner of your eyes.

“Are you crying!”

He looks a bit panicked, so he approaches to reach out and comforts, but then retracts the minute he touches your shoulder.

“S-Sorry, I should have asked you first, I’m sorry!” You can’t help but giggle at how helplessly flustered he is. You reach over, hugging him, and Nick froze.

“Once in a while, it’s nice to lean on someone other than yourself.” You mutter. You continue to hug him, and Nick stands there, giving your back a pat.

It appears he did have an ally.

When you pull back, you’re wearing a suspicious smile.

“Just so you know, Captain says I’ll be joining your duo. “

“Wait you mean..”

“I look forward to working with you, Officer Jakoby.”

You wink at him as you walk away, and he just stares.