#varner family

[icyg4l]

PAC: Uncovering the Lies

Which area of your life have you been lying to yourself about? In this pick-a-pile, truths that you have been scared to face will be revealed to you. If you’ve been having any doubts about a situation, have been in denial about something or do not know about deceit, then it will all be confirmed/shown here. Without further ado, pick your pile.

Left-to-Right (1-4):

Pile One: If you chose the photo of the word ‘she’, then you’ve been lying to yourself about that situationship, or should i say ‘shituationship.’ You have the tendency to put a lot of energy into relationships in comparison to the other person. You hope for that person to come around and they simply don’t show up for you the way you want to. It’s time to stop trying with this person. This could honestly go for other relationships too like with a friend or a distant family member. You’re looking for some stability, Pile One. You’re not looking for a fair weather friend or a part-time lover. You’re looking for the full package & it’s time to stop denying yourself of that love you are seeking. You’re pure-hearted but need to start acting accordingly. Get a little more strict so that you can attract the relationship(s) that you are looking for. You deserve better. And I’m not going to lie, Pile One, people are saying that you deserve better behind your back. So, put yourself in a better position, love. I pulled some oracle cards for you for some advice that you can follow and here is what was said:

“A new romantic cycle begins”

“Communication is key”

“Nothing is yet set in stone”

Cards Used: 7 of Swords, Ace of Cups, Queen of Swords, 8 of Wands, Ace of Discs, The Chariot, Knight of Discs.

Signs: PISCES, Sag, Libra, Leo.

extras: let it go by elsa. flowers by iyla. red hair. glowing skin. honey. abandonment issues. gapped teeth. upbeat song listener. open heart chakra. peace sign. bridgit mendler. ivy league. political internship. yoga.

Pile Two: If you chose the pile of the headless woman, I would say that you definitely need a break, Pile Two. You deserve to come out and play with everyone else. When was the last time you went out for a drink with some friends, huh? You’re all work and no play. You’ve been saying that you’re fine when you’re not. I sense that you’ve been a little hotheaded lately because you have no outlet for your frustrations. Please, let loose. I’m channeling the movie Daddy’s Little Girls, specifically the scene where Monty and Julia go to the local bar after she has a long day at work and they end up bonding with one another over drinks. I think that’s what you need, babe. You’re such a hard worker but you’re also an overachiever. Those go hand-in-hand just like work and play. I feel like this pile is just so serious like your tolerance for things that you once could handle has probably decreased, so you’re more irritable nowadays. With that being said, you should probably book that flight or call up that friend. You need to just wind down. I pulled some oracle cards for you and here is what was said:

“Be bold and make the first move”

“What do you need to release?”

“Hold your vision”

Cards Used: Temperance, King of Discs, King of Swords, Death, King of Wands, Page of Wands.

Signs: Virgo, Capricorn, Scorpio, Aquarius.

extras: refill by elle varner. work hard, play hard by wiz khalifa. smoke break. 22. paying close attention to the news. puffy eyes. headaches. going to bed early. miami for spring break. mean girls. stress eating. fight night.

Pile Three: If you chose the closeup of Megan Thee Stallion, then you’ve definitely gotten yourself into a sticky situation. There is some sort of pattern that you have not recognized yet and you’re wondering why this thing keeps happening to you. You feel like you cannot escape this toxic situation. One minute things are fine, the next minute, you feel like nothing can go right. Pile Three, you’ve grown accustomed to toxicity. It was taught to you as you grew up and you never really unlearned it. But I’m here to tell you that the relationship you’ve got yourself in is acting as a mirror for you to do better. Some call it a karmic relationship or a twin flame relationship. But either way, this is not meant to last for a long time. Everything will be okay as long as you choose to see things for what they are. This means attending therapy, doing the shadow work, crying, transmuting the pain into something beautiful and purging. Your situation is dysfunctional, Pile Three. But only you can get yourself out of it. I pulled some oracle cards for you and here is what was said:

“A fiery climax approaches”

“A personal issue reaches resolution”

“A time to give rather than take”

Cards Used: Page of Wands, Ace of Cups, The Tower (RX), Queen of Cups, Three of Swords, 5 of Wands, 7 of Cups, 4 of Wands (RX).

Signs: Taurus, Leo, Virgo, Aries, Cancer.

extras: chipped tooth. salt and vinegar chips. chocolate. breath of fresh air. greedy by ariana grande. twins. we belong together by mariah carey. fish and chips. wakanda forever. peppa pig. y8 games. tilapia.

Pile Four: If you chose the leopard’s paws/lady’s hands photo, then you need to stick to your word! You’ve been playing games. I feel like this pile doesn’t really believe in themselves. You’re your own biggest critic. You can be very nitpicky and judgmental or fall victim to the words of others and end up sulking because of it. You haven’t been putting in as much work to accomplish your dreams. The intuitive feeling that you get when you think of that idea — use this energy to create! Maybe you don’t have a lot of supporters around you and this is what’s preventing you from going hard. But that’s the thing, you can use the haters as your motivators. Very cliche what I just said, but it’s true. I feel that you think too much about what could be done instead of actually doing it. Don’t just talk about what you’re going to do. Be about it! You don’t even have to tell people what you plan to do. You can always keep it to yourself. That’s the best option for you anyway. Worry about the results later. You can do it, Pile Three! You got this! I pulled some oracle cards for you and here is what was said:

“Believe in the impossible”

“Nothing is yet set in stone”

“Expect powerful change”

Cards Used: The High Priestess, Seven of Swords, Justice, Prince of Swords, Princess of Cups, Strength, The Sun, Judgment, 4 of Cups.

Signs: Taurus, Virgo, Gemini, Pisces.

extras: close friends. the challengers. lorde fan. skin-to-skin contact. silver rings. LA. dynasty. pick me. time tables. clock in. red lipstick. side bangs. the game (2006). twiggy eye makeup. how high (2001).

#law of assumption #manifesting #neville goddard #hoodoo #tarot #tarotreading #astro notes #pick a card #pick a pile #divination #pick a reading #pac reading #free tarot #tarot pull #tarot pick a card #spirituality #tarotcommunity #daily tarot #tarot deck #tarot pac #tarot cards #Spotify

[bless-my-demons]

Redamancy: Chapter Twenty-Five

Series Summary: What happens when your soulmate is a vampire that struggles to maintain a diet of trying not to kill you? Common sense says run for the hills, nothing is worth your life - but my heart is whispering why not, what’s there to lose?

Warnings: None

Notes: Holy shit I’m back and boyyyyy does it feel good! I missed you guys and I can’t thank you enough for the love and support🥹 Jasper and Reader need to go through this icky before getting back to normal and going through the craziness of Eclipse. This made me fuzzy on the inside to write because it’s healing this shit Bella and Edward never went through but needed to lol

Word Count: 2125

Series Masterlist

• March 24th, 2006 • Forks HS •

Reader

Two days.

Forty-eight hours since I told Jasper Hale I needed time, space. Insane, really. Insane that even though he’s gravity, he’s in every thought scrolling through my brain, I asked him for the very thing my heart abhors. The very thing my brain needs.

It’s exhausting, my rational brain warring with my irrational heart. He’s here, he’s home, I just need to soak up every second. But on the other hand… for how long? We still have the same issue - my humanity and his control.

My hand shuts my locker door not-so-softly and I stare at my fingers on the cold metal. They could be touching cold skin instead- fuck, this stupid beating organ in my chest.

Frustration drives me to dig my phone out of my pocket as the bell for fourth period rings, the hallway behind me emptying out quickly.

He answers on the second ring and relief loosens the knot in my chest fractionally.

“Hey girly, what’s up?” Quil’s chipper tone brings a grin to the corner of my lips.

“Kidnap me? Please?”

He must hear the desperation in my voice, since he agrees immediately. “Absolutely, I’ll be there in twenty.” A shout of protest echoes in the background and he apologizes quickly, he was in class I can’t just ask him to- “Lunch?” He asks, jogging now by the puffs of his breath.

“Quil, that's a thirty minute drive-” I protest, worried.

“And you need rescuing, figure out what you want for lunch.” He ends the call abruptly as the squeaky door to his junky old car opens.

Sighing at my phone, I pocket it and turn towards my next class. I can survive until he gets here, right? I’ve been climbing the walls for the last two days, the object of my thoughts noticeably absent from school.

That’s a good thing, right? He’s doing what I asked, allowing me the space I need to think clearly, without his persuasion.

When in all actuality, I can’t help but feel like the walls are shrinking.

He’s here, he’s home, he said he wasn’t going anywhere, his family is still here.

The affirmations trickle over my buzzing skin.

I saw Alice in second period. Emmett is sitting behind my empty seat in Trig - I just have to walk through the door.

How the fuck am I going to move forward, to figure out a solution with Jasper, if I’m also trying to tackle their abandonment?

I might as well be trying to move forward through mud - thick, dark, and fucking everywhere.

My phone vibrates about fifteen minutes before the end of class, I don’t dare pull it out of my pocket to confirm that it’s Quil.

My hand raises and immediately catches Mr. Varner’s gaze in the quiet classroom, “Yes, miss Y/l/n?”

“May I run to the bathroom, please?” I ask, trying to keep the sudden impatience out of my voice.

His nod is all I need to pack away my items quickly, behind me I hear the groan of the desk supporting the hulking frame of my other best friend.

“Y/n, what are you-” Emmett’s hushed whisper makes my pulse jump.

“I’ll be safe, promise.” I whisper back and practically run for the door.

A chair squeaks and Mr. Varner calls out, “Mister Cullen, she does not require assistance finding the ladies room, sit down.”

I flash him an apologetic smile as he slowly retakes his seat before I push the door open. I feel horrible, but I need the freedom waiting for me in the student parking lot.

Sprinting through the exterior double doors, a full-on smile overtakes my face as Quil leans over the center console to open the passenger door, “Hop in, loser!”

Sitting in the parking lot facing First Beach with the windows rolled down, munching on cheap burgers and fries, I feel like I can finally take a deep breath.

“Okay,” setting down his shake to begin his interrogation, I brace. “Not that playing hookie isn’t the best idea ever to kick off the weekend, but what’s wrong?”

“He’s back.” I stare at the last few bites of my burger as I set it down in my lap, the paper crinkling loudly.

“He as in-”

“Jasper.”

“Oookaaay,” he draws out the vowels, not really following the obvious dilemma. “You wanted him to come back, right? I mean, you were a fucking mess the last six months.”

“Yes I wanted him to come back! I just-” I hesitate, “I just don’t know how to feel about it.”

“If my boyfriend-” I level a look on him that he ignores, “He’s yours, hook, line, and sinker - c’mon. If my boyfriend up and abandoned me, and I hadn’t gotten over it in six fucking months, suddenly is back in my life, what’s there to feel other than relief? A reprieve from what you’ve been feeling without him?”

“Since when do you know-”

“Stop deflecting, I’m here to solve this shit because my best friend needs help.” He’s munching on fries like this is goddamn entertainment. “Answer. Now.” This fucking fucker.

“Fine.” I puff out a breath and stare at the waves. “We’re still in the same situation he left me in-”

“The situation you won’t tell me about?”

“Yes.” The exasperation in my tone brokers no room for argument on the subject, so I move on. “I feel like the rug is going to be yanked out from underneath me because of it. There’s no way, over or through this mountain, it’ll always be there.”

“Mountains wither over time; if creeks can be persistent enough to become rivers, then so can you. I don’t know what this mountain looks like, but have you ever asked him for help to explore it? To find a path in the trees one step at a time?”

I look at him, gobsmacked. He makes it sound so easy.

“Don’t look at me like that, I may not have experience, but I can tell you what I feel like is right. And it feels right to just talk to him. I can tell you what to do all day until I’m blue in the face, but only he can reassure you in ways no one else can.” The empathy in his face makes my eyes sting, fuck he’s right.

“You are a treasure, you know that Quil Ateara?” I give him a sad smile trying to reign in my stupid tears, reaching for his hand.

He gives it to me and squeezes, “Of course,” he says it like it’s as obvious as grass being green. “And someday I’ll be as wrecked about a girl and you can regurgitate this shit back to me.” His shit-eating grin contains a little mustard in the corner and I bust out laughing.

“Ancestors help her, she’ll have to put up with a lot when it comes to you.” I tease and he winks.

“I’m nothing but a hoot, I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

Cranking his museum piece of a car, he turns it in the direction of his house and we leave today’s worries in the sand to be washed away with the tide.

•March 24th, 2006 • Forks Community Hospital•

Jasper

The swish of the automatic front doors of the hospital snap me from the thoughts pinging around in my brain. The cold crystal in my hand gathering condensation brings me back to my mission.

Striding down the familiar hallway that contains Carlisle’s office, I stop at the door displaying his name. Peeking inside to confirm my hearing, my adoptive father is definitely absent from his worn leather chair. No matter, procrastination won’t win me anything.

Continuing down the hallway, my steps are nearly silent as the nurse’s station comes into view with the object of my mission sitting alone behind a massive monitor.

“It’s after visitation hours, you’ll have to come back-” She finally raises her eyes and her sentence peters off quietly, “tomorrow-Jasper?”

Y/n’s mother stands from her chair as she registers my face, eyes falling to the bouquet of flowers set in one of Esme’s many crystal vases.

“Take this one, she’ll know you mean business.” Esme deposited the vase on the kitchen counter in front of me this morning while I was lost in thought on how to talk to Y/n’s mom. Apparently flowers are still the way women prefer their apologies.

“Y/n is still at the Reservation-” She starts, assuming it’s her daughter the flowers are for.

“I know.” Placing the arrangement Rosalie helped me with on the counter, I turn my supernatural gift inward and mellow out my nerves. “These are for you, ma’am.”

“Oh.” Surprise fills the air as her speechlessness pulses for a few seconds, the beeping of heart rate monitors echo around us. “You didn’t have to-” Gasping, her eyes narrow when they meet mine, weariness floods her senses. “You’re not asking-”

I chuckle, knowing what this looks like, “No ma’am, I’m here to apologize.”

Nerves fill my throat in an unfamiliar sensation for a reason not related to this apology, she thought I was asking to marry her daughter.

I store that thought away in the recesses of my mind, I can’t even begin to fall down that rabbit hole of complication.

“I’m not the one who needs an apology.” Her tone is soft as she plucks at a deep red rose petal.

“Your daughter will get an apology from me for the rest of my life, if she chooses to let me continue to be in hers.” That grabs her attention again. “You deserve one too, you were with her when I wasn’t and it put an immense amount of unwarranted stress on you both. I hope you accept my sincerest apology, even if you decide I’m not worth your good graces.” I take a deep breath and speak from the heart with my next words. “In September I was given a challenge that I failed and it rocked my world in a way I’m not even sure I know how to handle even now. I thought that if I simply removed myself, she could continue on like she had before we met. I know now… I know now that was not the answer and it never will be.”

I notice her eyes begin to turn a little misty as she processes my words and it wrenches a little something in my chest, I didn’t want to make her mom cry.

“She makes me want to be better, do better.” I glance at the empty hallway, quiet this late in the afternoon. “I want to be someone she’s proud of, someone worthy of her, no matter how hard it is. I want you to be able to trust me with her, which is why it was important to tell you how sorry I am.”

After a moment of surveying my face, pure joy radiates from her pores as she rounds the end of the desk to face me fully.

“Of course I accept your apology,” she envelops me in what would be a bone crushing hug, “thank you.”

Relief courses through me as we separate, glad I decided to do this.

“I appreciate your apology and these gorgeous flowers,” she rubs my shoulder in such a soothing mom-manner before leveling me with a no-kidding look. “Whatever my daughter decides, goes.”

“Absolutely,” completely serious, “I am at her mercy and if she wants nothing to do with me, I’ll respect that.”

“I knew you were a good one.” She winks at me before returning to her seat with a smile. “Your dad should be finished with afternoon rounds, now that you got the hard part of your visit over.”

“It’s never hard, talking to a pretty lady.” Now it’s my turn to wink, she responds with a genuine laugh that makes me smile.

“Flattery will get you everywhere, Mister Hale.” I take my leave as she resumes her typing.

Navigating back to my father’s office, I drop myself with relief into the chair in front of his immaculate desk.

“I’m pleased that went well, you did good.” He doesn’t even glance up at me, but the smile and his emotions oozing happiness tell me I did something right for once.

“One down, one to go.” I lean my head back in the chair and close my eyes, allowing myself to feel the relief of winning her mother over again.

“One down, one to go.” He repeats back, his smile evident in his voice.

I needed this win. I needed to succeed at something with this balled up mess in my chest.

Now I just need her.

Next

Taglist Part 1:

@aoi-targaryen @Min-jianhyung @pbbsl @Timelordhunterandmysterysolver @sheerangermany @clearwater-hoe @Blackbluerose666 @ivy-plays @random-human02 @delightfulbluebirdstarlight @steh-lar-uh-nuhs @gaymazinglula @l3ejm @angelfuzzy2 @losa12308 @thekinkpopstandsforkrackheads @flyawayprincess @ropickle @catbusloki @deviat3dsn0wf0x @lovesanimals0000 @unrevived @h-naec @cutesnakemum @zudooms @itsmytimetoodream @stinkii-boii @acoolnight @anothercoffeeblogx @irishblend10 @from-now-on-im-switzerland @kyraslife2 @naolvshan @kiiwiigii @rosedpetal @kiaraandrea @foolsgoldxo @heartfilia01 @azuredgalaxies @geekysimmerthings @graciereads @ramen-girl-2424 @0hmydekiru @creeqvealley @cherriebat @whichwitchisthebitch @dragon-rider-with-a-book @secretfairytailpetscookie @psychobitchsthings

#jasper hale x reader #jasper hale fanfiction #redamancy series #jasper hale x female!reader #twilight fanfiction #jasper whitlock hale #twilight #bless-my-demons #jasper hale #female reader insert

[presleybutlervsp]

March 12, 1960

At the gates of Graceland talking to fans.

Elvis Presley fans know no boundaries – recognize no handicaps. Saturday night Elvis made the world of four youngsters a brighter place when he left a houseful of guests to come and greet four youngsters, who are students at the Arkansas School for the Deaf.

Flecher Davis, 16, son of Mr. and Mrs. John K. Davis of West Memphis; Shirley Varner, 13, foster daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Wallace Lopez of Memphis; Philis Roberson, 15, of Stuttgart, Ark., and Betty Penington, also 15, of Benton, Ark., drove out to Graceland to have a look at the home of Elvis.

‘The children had no idea of seeing Elvis’, said Mrs. Davis’, in fact, we warned them that they couldn’t. We drove the children out about 9 p.m.. And then we saw one of Elvis’ cousins, Wayne Presley, whom we met in West Memphis last summer. He recognized us and said he would go inside and explain the situation to Elvis’.

‘When Elvis’ uncle, Travis Smith, called us out of a line of some 30 cars and motioned us inside the gate you could have heard our children squealing and the other disappointed fans moaning a mile away.

‘Elvis is a warm hearted and thoughtful young man. He came bounding out of the front door of his home looking handsome in a dark suit and a white shirt. He kissed the girls on the cheeks and they stood like rag dolls vowing to never wash their faces again. He shook hands and thanked us for bringing the children to see him’.

Mrs. Davis says the children are deaf but not mute, and that some even have partial hearing. Contrary to popular notion, deaf children love music. They feel the vibrations and even dance in their stocking feet to feel the vibration of the music more keenly. Last year the Davis family donated a juke box and several albums.

#elvisaaronpresley #elvispresley #elvis #graceland #elvis history #elvishistory #tcb #elvis fans #elvis presley #elvis the pelvis #elvis music #elvis the king #60s elvis

[targcrazies]

Spring Wine Pt. 2

Pairing: Aemond Targaryen x OC Premise: Rhaenyra Targaryen, referred to as Rhae by her family, is the heir of her mother, the Queen Rhaenyra Targaryen. In this Alternate Universe, Rhaenyra has her children with Daemon instead of Harwin and ascends the throne without an armed contest. However, tensions brew elsewhere, as Rhaenyra intends to marry her heir to her second child and oldest son, Jacaerys Velaryon.

WARNINGS: none, for this part, at least.

Part 1

The Queen Rhaenyra had begun to feel the absence of her father the moment she sat on the Iron Throne. The throne bore no comfort that commoners assumed royalties to have. If you shifted too much on the throne, it dug into whatever fabric, even the sturdiest of leather. If you sat too high, you could cut your buttocks and thighs. The seat was meant to keep you humble, grounded. Rhaenyra had soon realised it, even before her father’s demise. What made little sense to her was how different she felt as a woman. Much of her womanhood had worn her own crown, akin to hers, and they all submitted to it.

A fortnight after the ravens bearing the announcement of the Princess of Dragonstone’s betrothal to the Queen’s oldest son were sent out, the Queen received ravens of her own. Several. Two from High Lords, seven from Petty; the Queen initially paid little heed to the letters being brought in and unsealed. She resorted to reviewing ledgers and approving budgetary changes as her husband, the King Consort and the Hand, carefully reviewed the contents of the said letters. The Queen noticed a shift in her husband’s temperament, looking to her right to find his face hardened. “What is the matter, Daemon?”

Her Hand, her husband, and the father of their children looked at her for a moment before she nodded. “Everyone, vacate, now!” 

The Lord of the Tides looked confused before getting to his feet, soon followed by the Master of Coin and the rest. Daemon looked pointedly at Steffon Darklyn, his wife’s sworn shield, who in turn looked toward his Queen. She nodded at him quietly, watching as the man left without a noise and closed the door gently.

“What is the matter, Daemon?”

“They’re challenging our daughter’s claim to the throne.” He splayed the letters across the table for the Queen to look at. Instead of skimming through the contents of the letters, she began to look for the names signed underneath some lords’ contention. Fossoway, Graves, Willum, Rhysling, Sloane, Varner, Westbrook, Wayne, and Hightower. The Queen felt the blood rise to her neck, heated and charged, as she slammed her fists on the table and rose to her feet. Daemon watched as his wife’s jaw clenched.

“How dare they?” She muttered quietly under her breath, “How dare they challenge my daughter’s claim and I?”

“It is Otto’s doing.” Daemon responds, “Otto must have made that gnat of his nephew reach out to the other lords to make the plea.”

“They’re looking to weaken our claim, my authority.” The Queen spoke, as if in a haze, “They cannot expect to be pardoned of an offense so grave.”

“Fucking Andals…” Daemon spat, “Rhae is being wed to Jace, what else do they want?”

“What they’ve always wanted,” she whispered, “A man on the throne. But they ought to know that such days have come to an end. No merit but the order of birth shall dictate who sits on the Iron Throne from now till eternity.”

Daemon walked to his Queen as she seethed in rage, gripping onto the large table before her, “Might I make a suggestion, your Grace?” 

She looked at her husband, “Drop the formalities, Daemon. For once.”

His shoulders fell as his face lost tact, “We send out ravens to the whole realm, decreeing that any such talk will be considered as high treason. Rhaenyra the Younger shall be the Queen Rhaenyra Targaryen, second of her name, upon the Queen Rhaenyra’s passing.”

She tutted, “Don’t speak so ominously. Ravens will delay another plea, not stop them. We need to do something else.” The Queen walked to the great window behind her. The sun fell on her porcelain skin, ruddying her cheeks as the golden in her silver hair gleamed.

Daemon watched his Queen in awe. He often did. He knew his niece-wife would make a capable ruler, but once had he imagined her to be so dynamic. “What do you suggest, Rhaenyra?” He finally spoke. 

She closed her eyes and inhaled in the soothingly swift breeze that passed, “Rhae must go to them.”

—

Otto Hightower was summoned to his nephew’s council rather early in the morning. Upon being dismissed as the Hand at the Red Keep, Otto soon found employment as his nephew’s Castellan. While the work was less demanding and Otto was left with little to do with himself, he took little slight in it. What he took the slight in was much, much different.

He liked to believe that his grandson, Prince Aemond Targaryen, had ambitions that he failed to ascertain. For why else would the boy choose to yield his obedience to his half-sister and not his own brother of flesh and blood?

He remembered vividly when Syrax’s shriek was heard throughout King’s Landing. Otto and Alicent had already thrown those aware of the King’s demise in the black cells, in hopes of keeping the news shielded. They had begun arrangements for the coronation, Aegon was found deep in the bosom of the woman he had come to adore on the streets of Silk, blithely unaware of his father’s last breath. “Where’s Aemond?” Alicent had asked and Helaena had shrugged quietly. No one had thought the boy would go as far as to fly to Dragonstone and escort his half-sister and her family to the Red Keep. 

Otto would never forget the sight of nine whole dragons flying together. The sun had shied away and night had befallen the capital. Despite Vhagar, Vermithor, Caraxes, and Meleys being bigger than Syrax, Rhaenyra was seen flying first onto the Red Keep. Closely behind her rose Rhaenyra the Younger on Vermithor and Daemon Targaryen on Caraxes. Rhaenyra’s once good mother and cousin Rhaenys flew with her grandsons and all of Rhaenyra’s sons, young Viserys sat with her on Meleys. Behind them all, flew Vhagar. Otto could still picture the blue stone glistening in the sky as his grandson smugly wore his betrayal on his face. The betrayal belonged there, in his small grin, his single eye in obeisance to the daughter and her children Otto had worked so hard to depose. All those years for nothing. Whenever Rhaenyra the Younger quirked up the side of her lips to smile, she looked like the Rogue Prince. It made little sense, for the Prince was only a great uncle and could not have passed his looks so far ahead unless his seed was her progenitor. Otto had thought, “You know who else looks like Daemon? Aemond. Aemond the Betrayer.”

He was further incensed when his oldest grandson looked furtively relieved at his half-sister’s appearance. He could not bother to furrow his brows to honour the frustration that arose from the heart of his mother, who had conspired and plotted to place him upon the throne with all her might. He simply seemed… bored, as if the failed efforts of his mother and his grandsire meant less than the bosoms he had his silver crown nestled upon just earlier. Otto intended to take the goblet he drank from, incessantly, and smash in upon his sharp Targaryen nose. How he’d have relished at the sight of the useless, precarious boy bleeding, frowning for once, agonised at the assault.

Otto chose to stand still and watch as the preparations of the coronation were taken over by his traitorous younger grandson, who pushed Cole to oblige. Daemon took over the preparations of the funeral that were to precede the Coronation, the Dowager Queen was only allowed the privilege to wrap her late husband’s carcass of a corpse in fashion. 

Soon after the events, the Hightowers were sent back packing. Young Daeron was already in service to Alicent’s cousin, and the Queen Rhaenyra remarked, “How he’d love to have his mother and grandfather!” Aegon was given the castle left vacant upon some Lord’s death that had left it uninherited, with lands and livestocks and servants. Helaena had happily taken it upon herself to vacant her and her children’s chambers, crooning at the prospect of finally foregoing the grandeur she deemed fickle and ostentatious. Aegon seemed nonchalant, but Otto knew that deep inside, the boy was glad to be rid of the burden his mother had imposed upon his shoulders that wanted nothing but whores’ heads as they filled his belly with booze and his head with superficial praise. Who knows how much of his coffers were depleted at the expense of his hedonist pursuits.

When Otto opened the door to the council room, he found only his nephew and Maester Gladwynn. “Lord Hightower,” he jerked his head, ever-so-slightly, down, “You called for me?”

“Uncle, please have a seat.” Ormund’s smile was reminiscent of his grandfather’s, his eyes twinkled akin to his mother’s. “We have done as you had requested. The ravens have been sent. Lord Tarly and Lord Beesbury have, most graciously, denied the proposition.”

Otto’s left eye twitched, “Were no bargains made?”

“They were offered men and a lax on taxes that they humbly refused. I made no further insistences.” Ormund sipped on, what Otto assumed, was honeyed wine. “I spared little effort, nuncle, but I did not resort to attrition or aggression for I see little utility in such plea. The Queen ascended the throne on the merit of the order of her birth, it’d make little sense for her to not continue this as tradition for her own children. She’d be deemed unfair and weak.”

“Her case, as the parchments state, could be considered an exception. She was the only child that the first Queen Aemma Arryn bore the King.”

“But not the only trueborn child born of his seed, nuncle.” Ormund chuckled, “I only did as you pleaded because I know the Queen would refrain from waging wars. Her stepmother and her half-brothers are of my blood, and the Lords who did consent only did so of mine own volition, she knows. And the Queen must know, if she has the slightest of wit, why I must have done so.”

Otto watched his nephew savour the wine in his mouth and swallow leisurely before the man spoke again, “The Queen is the first of her name and sex on the Iron Throne, she will not want to make enemies. The highest threat she will decree is that our tongues will get pulled out with hot pincers and fed to her dragon if we even make a peep as such. And, we will all quiet down as per her grace's orders. If the Gods be good, her daughter will one day rule Westeros, and we can only pray that Rhaenyra Targaryen, the second of her name, is as just as the Father and as merciful as the Mother.”

Otto studied his nephew’s face. Recently widowed, he had taken Samantha Tarly for his wife, and yet he had failed to convince the Lady’s father to join hands. Otto knew rather well at that point that his insistence meant nothing at all. It was almost as if Lord Tarly had refused another serving of a pie or another filling of mead. The old man knew then that his nephew had done little to stir any support. He knew that his effort to anger the Queen into hostility had failed terribly. The Queen would not be viewed as cruel, at most rash, perhaps. But who would not be at an endeavour so treasonous?

While Otto could not help but resent his nephew’s appeasement, he also could not overlook the way he had complied to his Castellan’s request while keeping his seat safe. Ormund had taken after his father, and he had taken well. 

—

Rhae had become well-acquainted with her mother’s lack of tact at that point, but it still stung to see her ever-loving and gracious mother turn so stoic, devoid of love and affection. 

“Do you know what you must do, girl?”

“Must I fly to Lord Hightower and the others, your Grace?”

“Never answer a question with another, Rhae, seems feeble.” The Queen looked pointedly at her daughter, “Tell me what you believe you must do.”

Rhae breathed her chest full of air, “I must fly to Lord Hightower and the others, your Grace.” She did not know how to meet her mother’s eyes anymore.

“The Dragon does not concern itself with the opinions of the sheep.” Daemon snorted, “Child, you must visit only Ormund Hightower out of courtesy. The rest can suck on their balls.”

Rhae noticed her mother suppress a grin, her eyes resting upon the King Consort, half in reprimand and half in amusement. The moment she turned to look at her heir, the warmth of her eyes dried into stones, “I agree, you must only fly to Lord Hightower and speak to him directly. The ravens will surely fly to them, but you must get there first. I shall excuse the both of you.” The Queen looked to her left, where her oldest son sat in silence, “Get saddled, both of you!”

Rhae’s head shot from her mother, to her father, then to her brother. “But Mother-”

“Your Grace, may I speak before?” Jace spoke, his eyes upon his sister. The Queen settled back into her chair, nodding. “They ask for me to be made heir. Shall it not be futile for the Princess Rhaenyra to arrive with me? She’d be Queen one day, with or without me. I believe it would serve our case more for the Princess of Dragonstone to fly on her mount, Vermithor, on her own.”

The Queen looked at both her children, in deep ponderance she remained as the clocks may have turned thrice. Finally, she huffed out, “Fine, son, you make sense. What do you think, Rhae?”

“I was about to propose the same as my betrothed, Mother. I should be the one making the journey.”

“We cannot let you go unattended, however. I mean no disregard to your capabilities, but the heir of Seven Kingdoms must have an escort. I’d have you wait out until some of our knights could ride there on horseback, but that would take more time than I can allow. The rest of the boys are too young to assume such a duty.”

Rhae sat up straight, “That only leaves the King Consort and Prince Aemond, Mother.”

The Queen hummed, “The King Consort is busy, and Aemond is Lord Hightower’s own cousin.” She nodded in consideration, her mouth shifting in ease, “The matter is settled then. Jace, could you fetch Aemond?”

Jace regretted every word he had spoken that day, “Yes, your Grace.” He muttered quietly under his breath and left hurriedly. The Queen seemed flummoxed, “Whatever got into the boy…”

—

“Remember the night I claimed Vhagar?” Aemond spoke as he mounted his dragon and Rhae hers. “It was a fortnight after you had claimed Vermithor. I was positively anguished to have my only dragonless friend snatched from me.”

“Now you ride the largest beast, the only one reminiscent of Aegon’s, Rhaenys’s, and Visenya’s conquest.” She settled on her dragon, gently rubbing the scales of her old man. 

“I’d have any dragon now, happily, as long as I get to take upon the sky with you.”

Rhae chuckled, “Might I say, you have made me begin to reconsider my choices. My brother does not speak nearly as much.”

“You don’t even look at the boy!” Aemond laughed as he fastened his saddle chains, “To whom shall he speak? The atmosphere?”

Rhae relished at the sound of his laughter, rarely witnessed by anybody else. Perhaps only by Jacaerys, who had recently developed a spiteful, voyeuristic delight in watching the two converse. He may not know the sound as much, but he knew the look of it. And he imagined that that is how he may have looked had she loved him.

#game of thrones #house of the dragon fanfic #aemond targaryen #hotd fanfic #aemond targaryen smut #aemond targaryen x oc #aemond targaryen imagines #aemond one eye #aemond targaryen x niece

[goodqueenaly]

Bonus House Words Wednesdays: House Varner

I don’t do House Words Wednesdays as a regular thing anymore, but if I get a request to come up with words for a House and I feel like I have enough to say then I’ll come back to it from time to time.  @deafchild2000 requested words for House Varner, so as with House Elesham I say fuck it, here we go. (The list of Houses I’ve done, as always, can be found here.)

House Varner is a noble House of the Reach. We don’t have a ton of information on the family’s foundation or background, but Yandel mentions that the Varners were among those “[m]any noble houses of the Reach [which] trace their ancestry back to Andal adventurers given lands and wives by Garth IX, Merle I, and Gwayne V” (like the Cuys and Roxtons, also prior HWW families). Nor do we know of any historical Varner figures, or moments in which the Varners appeared or impacted certain historical events (apart from a brief mention in Fire and Blood Volume 1, that a Varner maiden was among one of those "thirty-one other nubile maidens" (ugh, F&B) that Lady Samantha Tarly had suggested as suitable potential queens to the young King Aegon III). The Varners do play a somewhat (emphasis on somewhat) larger role in the main novels, although not necessarily in a very positive light: Catelyn notes in ACOK that at the feast for Renly's lords and knights at Bitterbridge, "Lord Varner dandled a serving girl on his lap, nuzzling at her neck while one hand went exploring down her bodice". Still, this same Lord Varner certainly does not seem to have been unwilling to fight: he is one of the captured pro-Stannis lords marched before the Iron Throne after the Blackwater, sporting a shattered knee which he doubtless received during the battle and yet proudly refusing help to walk.

The Varner sigil is a white weasel on ermine. If the sigil feels somewhat familiar (in a specifically Westerosi context, even beyond real-world inspiration), it should: House Florent's sigil is a red-gold fox head encircled by blue flowers on ermine, while prior HWW entry House Rosby uses for its sigil three red chevronels on ermine. As I mentioned before, ermine can be used in heraldry to represent purity, given the ermine's white winter fur. That the Varners would double down on the ermine in their sigil - not only having the base of their shield be ermine-patterned, but sporting a white weasel on top of this base - may suggest that the Varners even more prided themselves on a sense of purity, an unwillingness to be soiled.

So for the Varner words, I went with Honor without Stain. Perhaps the Varners would have seen such words as a play or pun on their initial inheritance from the Sage Kings of House Gardener. They would receive the honor of lands and aristocratic standing without "staining" themselves with the dirt of the Gardener kingdom King Gwayne V joked had been given to these adventurers; they would not abandon their faith in the Seven with their marriage to a native Reach maiden, but presumably would have insisted on the adoption of the Faith, as indeed the Sage Kings did). Similarly, if a Varner maiden was considered suitable for King Aegon III by Samantha Tarly, perhaps this maiden would also have reflected honor without stain, unimpeachable purity suitable for the bride of the Lord of the Seven Kingdoms. Of course, the motto works on an ironic level for our modern Lord Varner: far from embodying a strong sense of personal or political purity, Lord Varner took the opportunity at Bitterbridge to use a servant for his own sexual pleasure and adopted three successive kings as his liege during the the War of the Five Kings.

#asoiaf meta #house words #house words wednesdays #house varner

[northiowatoday]

OBIT: Frederick "Fred" L. Varner

Frederick L. Varner, 48 of Kensett passed away suddenly Sunday, January 21, 2024 at MercyOne North Iowa Medical Center. A Celebration of Life will be held starting at 4:00pm, Saturday January 27, 2024 at the Carpenter Community Center, 105 E Street, Carpenter, IA 50426. Memorials may be directed in care of his family. Frederick “Fred” Lee Varner was born January 14, 1976 in Mason City, the son of…

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[pscottm]

After visiting the Varner-Hogg plantation an hour south of Houston, amateur historian Michelle Haas was incensed by what she had seen. At an exhibit that detailsthe farm’s use as a sugar plantation worked by at least 66 slaves in the early nineteenth century, she’d watched an informational video. To her mind, it focused too much on slavery at the site and not enough on the Hogg family, which had turned its former home into a museum celebrating Texas history. She’d also seen books in the visitor center gift shop written by Carol Anderson and Ibram X. Kendi, two Black academic historians who have been outspoken on the issue of systemic racism. Outraged,she emailed David Gravelle, a board member of the Texas Historical Commission, the agency that oversees historical sites at the direction of leaders appointed by Governor Greg Abbott. “What a s—show is this video,” Haas wrote on September 2, 2022. “Add to that the fact that the activist staff member doing the buying for the gift shop thinks Ibram X. Kendi and White Rage have a place at a historic site.”

[leatherbark]

Lujan's Little Store

reduction linocut - K. Gum

A battered 63’ Ford truck sat parked on gravel, surrounded by a crowd of angry women. A tall, broad shouldered Haole* stood on the flatbed beside a mountain of pallets, each loaded with kerosine cook stoves, two per box.

Supertyphoon Pamela left many households desperate. Unable to afford both, they pleaded with him to sell a single unit, but he refused without explanation. Demanding twice the going price incited yet more outrage. A squad car quelled the mob. Nobody voiced surprise, for they knew too well the habits of Johnny Varner, owner of Lujan’s Little Store.

He wore ironed khaki knee-length shorts. Bleached T-shirt and socks radiated a dazzling, spotless white. Polished Navy issue shoes appeared forever new, without a scratch. This uniform never changed, the same outfit year after year. Enormous, calloused hands spoke of hard labor. A mule faced middle-aged man, his down-turned mouth resisted the faintest smile. Fumbling speech and awkward gestures puzzled patrons. Yellow ochre eyes avoided contact. An ungainly, hurried stride seemed to avoid something underfoot. You might dismiss Varner as nothing more than a hapless outcast of the islands. A visit to his store showed a more complex character, one you may never forget.

Fifty meters from Marine Drive, the storefront of weathered green wood siding made obvious the manager had no interest in appearances. The grimy window case displayed, in complete disorder, an array of random merchandise. Hinges of the ancient, decrepit door squealed, then tripped a loud bell. Inside, the sheer quantity and variety of items assaulted the senses. Piles of goods lined both sides of the floor, more hanging from walls and ceiling, not an inch wasted. Same, or similar things, didn’t appear together. A hammer over there, one here, and another over there.

Opposite the entryway stood Johnny behind a short counter fenced in by products of every description. A talking myna bird perched nearby. Judy, a longtime island resident, remembers the greeting, “wha’dyuwant,” in a belligerent voice, as though addressing an intruder. A squat, silent woman fetched your order. Browsing customers brought him out of the corner, standing too close for comfort with a sour face and a nastier “wha’dyuwant!”

The Ordot landfill enforced better discipline than Lujan’s Little Store. More compulsive hoarder than merchant, he begrudged every sale, serving up the same nastiness for all who entered regardless of gender or age. But most residents knew he’ll have those hard to find articles. Want a meat grinder? This small, cluttered shed sold both manual and electric. Don’t waste time looking elsewhere. I did.

Yet practical need alone can’t explain why islanders frequent the place. It could be a longing for an alternative to Kmart slick merchandizing practices that condition robotic consumers. His crude manners and the chaotic mess had a greater humanizing touch than all that chrome and glitter, even if we walked away annoyed.

*Caucasian. A sometimes pejorative term in Hawaii but not in the Marianas.

Note: When my family visited, Lujan’s was on the list along with the usual tourist attractions.

He called on our office to import batteries, sitting on his knees at my desk, chin resting on folded hands. In this odd position, we struggled to understand each other, one uneasy as the other.

[wamplerins]

Wampler Varner Insurance Group

Wampler Varner Insurance is a family-owned, independent insurance agency that has been serving families and businesses throughout Southwest Florida for 35 years. We work closely with our clients to create custom-designed solutions to meet their individual goals. We are proud of the fact that we have built relationships with our client’s and their families that has spanned multiple generations. We have become one of Southwest Florida’s leading insurance advisors by offering three assets other agencies often neglect…trust, respect and value. Stop by and see us, or call 941-473-7100 to make an appointment or to get a free no-obligation quote. The staff of Wampler Varner Insurance Group is always happy to help.

Address: 31 W Green St Englewood, FL 34223

Phone: [phone]

Health insurance agency near me

[ledenews]

#Benwood #MarshallCounty #MarshallCountyCommission #MarshallCountyMagistrate #UpperOhioValley #WestVirginia

[discoverydare]

The Varner-Hogg Plantation

Over the last several years, I have toured a handful of plantations in Arkansas, Louisiana, and most recently, Texas. Many plantations still standing today have been renovated several times over the years to accomodate visitors for weddings, scenic tours, and other hospitable matters. Few dare to portray the stories of their Antebellum past.

The Varner-Hogg plantation is located about fifty-five miles southwest of Houston, Texas. The plantation you would view today is a lot different to the antebellum plantation that was built for Columbus Patton in the 1830's. The violent 1900 hurricane destroyed many buildings on the site. Since then, the house has been remodeled a few times to be more comfortable and practical. Also, like many plantation properties that still exist today, it's owners have attempted to erase its grueling past. The Hogg family purchased the plantation from the Pattons in 1901 for all of the profitable oil the ground held. 

The Varner-Hogg plantation is a hauntingly beautiful site. It's about an hour drive from Houston or Galveston. Growing up in Texas, I've become accustomed to long drives. I enjoy driving on long stretches of road viewing miles upon miles of trees and livestock. I would encourage a visit to the plantation for all those who enjoy learning lesser-known historical facts about Black history and Texas history. 

#travel #houston #texas #plantation

[smallnetbusiness]

Akron Shooting Was Mistaken Identity, Not Racist

A shooting that left two people dead and three wounded in Akron, Ohio, on June 14 was a case of mistaken identity and not racially motivated, police said on Thursday. On the evening of June 14, 2023, a tragic incident unfolded in Akron, Ohio, leaving two individuals dead and three others wounded. Initially raising concerns of a hate crime due to the victims being African-American and the suspects being Caucasian, authorities have now clarified that the shooting was a case of mistaken identity and not racially motivated. The attack occurred at a residence on Brittain Road, where a group of assailants in a dark-colored SUV targeted the wrong house, mistakenly believing their intended target resided there. Tragically caught in the crossfire, the victims were friends and relatives who had gathered for a cookout. As the investigation progresses, law enforcement agencies actively search for the suspects, who remain at large.

What Happened?

The shooting occurred around 10:30 p.m. Monday at a home on Brittain Road in Akron. According to police, four men and one woman drove to the house in a dark-colored SUV and opened fire at the people inside and outside the home. The victims were all black, and the suspects were white, initially raising concerns that the shooting was a hate crime. However, police said the suspects had targeted the wrong house and were looking for someone else nearby. The suspects fled the scene after the shooting and have not been arrested yet. Police said they have identified some suspects and are working to locate them.

Who Were The Victims?

The shooting claimed the lives of two men: 34-year-old Brandon Varner and 24-year-old Kiana Welch. Varner was pronounced dead at the scene, and Welch died later at a hospital. Three other people were wounded in the shooting: 20-year-old Jason Bivins, 18-year-old Janasia George, and 14-year-old Laionna Varner. Bivins and George were treated and released from a hospital, while Laionna Varner remains hospitalized in stable condition. The victims were all relatives or friends gathered at the house for a cookout. They had no connection to the suspects or their intended target, police said. The shooting in Akron, Ohio, on June 14, 2023, claimed the lives of two individuals and left three others wounded. All African-American victims were gathered at a residence on Brittain Road for a cookout when the tragic incident occurred.

How Did The Police Investigate?

The Akron Police Department launched an investigation into the shooting with the help of the Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation, the FBI, and the U.S. Marshals Service. They interviewed witnesses, collected evidence, reviewed surveillance footage, and followed leads to identify the suspects and their motives. Police said they learned that the suspects had been involved in an ongoing dispute with another person who lived on Brittain Road but not at the house where the shooting occurred. The debate was over money and drugs, police said. Police said they believe the suspects had mistakenly thought their target lived at the house where they opened fire. They said they had no evidence that the shooting was racially motivated or related to other recent shootings in Akron.

What Did The Police Say?

On Thursday, Akron Police Chief Kenneth Ball held a press conference to update the public on the investigation. He expressed his condolences to the victims' families and friends and thanked the law enforcement agencies that assisted in the case. He also urged anyone with information about the shooting or the suspects to come forward and cooperate with the police. So, He said anyone who helps or harbors the suspects will also face criminal charges. He also appealed to the community to refrain from violence and retaliation and to trust the justice system to hold the suspects accountable. He stated, "We are asking for calm." We are requesting harmony. We want to see justice." Chief Ball promised that anyone who helped or harbored the suspects would face criminal charges and urged members of the public to share any information about the shooting or the suspects' whereabouts.

What Did The Community Say?

The shooting shocked and saddened the community of Akron, which has seen a surge in gun violence this year. According to police statistics, there have been 28 homicides and 145 shootings. The Akron community has been deeply affected and saddened by the June 14, 2023, tragic shooting incident. The incident has sent shockwaves throughout the community, which has already been grappling with an alarming surge in gun violence. The community members have expressed their condolences and sympathies to the families and friends of the victims, offering their support during this difficult time. While the initial concerns of a racially motivated hate crime were prevalent, the clarification from the police that it was a case of mistaken identity generated a mix of emotions within the community. Many are relieved that racial animosity did not motivate the attack.

What Are The Next Steps?

The investigation into the shooting is still ongoing, and the police are asking for the public's help in locating the suspects. They have released a photo of the SUV the suspects used and asked anyone who recognizes it or has any information about its whereabouts to contact them. The police have also offered a reward of up to $5,000 for any information that leads to the arrest and indictment of the suspects. The police have also asked anyone who witnessed the shooting or has any video footage to share it. They said that any evidence, no matter how small, could be crucial in solving the case. The police have also assured the community that they are doing everything possible to bring the suspects to justice and prevent further violence.

Conclusion

The shooting that killed two people and three wounded in Akron on June 14 was a tragic case of mistaken identity and not racially motivated, police said. The suspects, still at large, had targeted the wrong house and were looking for someone else who lived nearby. The victims, who were all black, had no connection to the suspects or their intended target. They were relatives or friends gathered at the house for a cookout. The police have identified some suspects and are working to locate them. They have also offered a reward for any information that leads to their arrest and indictment. They have also increased patrols and surveillance in the area and have asked the community to cooperate and help them solve the case. Read the full article

[collagedormparty]

Akron Shooting Suspects Confused House, Not Racist

Two people were killed, and three others were injured in a shooting on June 14 in Akron, Ohio. Police confirmed Thursday that the killing was not a hate crime but rather a case of mistaken identity. A group of white suspects in a dark SUV opened fire on black victims who were having a barbecue at a home on Brittain Road. The suspects, according to the police, mistook the residence for another one in the area where they had a feud with the owners over narcotics and cash. The authorities are appealing to the public for assistance in locating the criminals.

The Shooting

The shooting happened at Akron's Brittain Road residence at about 10:30 p.m. on Monday. Four guys and a woman drove up in a dark SUV and started shooting at the residents and onlookers, according to the police. All the victims were black, but the accused were white, leading some to believe the shooting was motivated by racism. The police stated the suspects were seeking another person in the area but had the wrong address. After the shooting, the suspects ran from the site and were not found. The police claim they know who some of the suspects are and are actively trying to track them down.

The Victims

Kiana Welch, 24, and Brandon Varner, 34, lost their lives in the shooting. Varner and Welch were declared dead, but Welch passed away. Jaion Bivins, 20, Janasia George, 18, and Laionna Varner, 14. Were the additional victims of the incident. While Bivins and George have been released from the hospital after receiving treatment, Laionna Varner is still in stable condition. The victims were family and friends who had gathered at the home for a barbecue. Police claimed they had no prior knowledge of the suspects or their intended victims.

The Investigation

With assistance from the Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the U.S. Marshals Service, the Akron Police Department began looking into the incident. They conducted interviews, gathered evidence, analyzed surveillance footage, and pursued leads to determine the perpetrators and their motivation. According to the police, the suspects knew another Brittain Road resident who wasn't present at the time of the shooting and had been involved in an ongoing conflict with them. Police believe a drug and money dispute sparked the violence. According to the police, the culprits likely assumed their intended victim lived at the residence where shots were fired. They claim no proof that the shooting was racially motivated or connected to recent shootings in Akron.

The Update

Akron Police Chief Kenneth Ball called a press conference on Thursday to provide an update on the ongoing investigation. He thanked the law enforcement agencies involved in the research and sympathized with the victims' loved ones. So, He also pleaded with anyone who saw the shooting or knew the perpetrators to come forward and help authorities. Read more: The Significance of Hearde Family Crests and Coats of Arms He warned that anyone who aided or sheltered the suspects would also be held accountable under the law. The community, he pleaded with, should not resort to violence or retribution but instead have faith that the perpetrators would be brought to justice. Saying, "We are requesting quiet," he expected a serene goal. We want peace. Fair treatment is what we want.

The Reaction

Akron has seen an increase in gun violence this year, so the shooting shocked the community. So far in 2020, there have been 28 homicides and 145 shootings in Akron, Ohio, according to police records. This is a significant increase from the 18 homicides and 88 shootings recorded during the same period in 2019. Many locals have spoken out against the violence, expressing shock and sadness at the number of lives lost. Since the shooters were white and the victims were black, some have argued that the incident should have been classified as a hate crime or a terrorist act. In memory of the deaths and to call for justice, some community leaders and activists held vigils and rallies. They demanded that issues like poverty, racism, trauma, mental health, and substance misuse, all of which contribute to violence, be given more attention and funding. They also called for unity and mutual aid during this time of crisis. "We have to stand together as one," said Pastor Roderick Pounds of Second Baptist Church, who conducted a prayer vigil on Wednesday night. There must be love among us. We must all keep an eye out for one other.

The Next Steps

Police are still looking for the shooters and are appealing to the public for information. They've put out a picture of the suspect's SUV and asked for help from the crowd in locating it or identifying the drivers. The authorities are offering a reward of up to $5,000 for information that helps them catch and charge the perpetrators. The police have also appealed for eyewitnesses or anyone possessing video footage to come forward. They stressed the importance of any clue, no matter how tiny. The police have promised the public that they are making every effort to apprehend the perpetrators and stop any more violence. They have indicated that patrols and surveillance have been stepped up in the area.

Conclusion

Two people were killed, and three others were injured in a shooting in Akron on June 14. Police have indicated it was not a hate crime but rather a case of mistaken identity. The suspects, still at large, mistook the residence for another one in the area where they had an ongoing dispute with the owners over narcotics and cash. All the victims were African-American and unknown to the suspects or their intended target. They were perhaps family or friends having a barbecue. Some suspects have been identified, and police focus on tracking them down. And they're offering money for tips that lead to their capture and prosecution. They have also encouraged the neighborhood to help them solve the crime by increasing patrols and surveillance. Read the full article

[mikeconphoto]

"CAPTURING BRILLIANCE AND BEAUTY: A FITNESS PHOTOSHOOT WITH LAUREN VARNER" -BY MIKECON PHOTOGRAPHY

Welcome to the MikeCon Photography blog, where we share captivating stories of our amazing clients and the unforgettable moments we capture through the lens. Today, we have the pleasure of featuring the remarkable Lauren Varner, a talented lawyer based in Colorado. Join us as we delve into her intelligence, professionalism, and undeniable beauty, showcased during a breathtaking fitness photoshoot at the scenic Cherry Creek Reservoir.

Lauren Varner: A Brilliant and Exceptional Client…

…Working with Lauren Varner has been an absolute privilege. Beyond her striking physical appearance, Lauren's intelligence shines through every interaction. As a lawyer at Varner Faddis, her law firm in Colorado, Lauren's sharp legal mind is evident in her attention to detail and meticulous approach to her work. It is truly inspiring to witness her analytical thinking and how she effortlessly balances her professional and personal pursuits.

Gratitude for an Extraordinary Client:

I cannot express enough how grateful I am to have Lauren as a client. Not only did she trust me to capture her fitness journey, but she also honored me by attending my going away party before I relocated to Germany. It speaks volumes about the genuine connection we formed throughout our collaboration. Lauren's warmth, kindness, and support have touched my heart, and I am immensely thankful for her presence in my life.

A Memorable Photoshoot with Lauren and Megan:

During our fitness photoshoot at Cherry Creek Reservoir, Lauren's radiant energy and passion for life were palpable. It was a privilege to do a separate shoot a few months later to capture her alongside her sister Megan, who shares Lauren's remarkable beauty and charisma. Growing up watching "America's Next Top Model," both sisters have developed an innate understanding of the camera, posing effortlessly and exuding confidence like professional models.

Beauty, Swagger, and Authenticity:

Lauren's beauty is simply breathtaking, and her captivating presence rivals any celebrity. Her natural grace and confidence command attention, making her a true standout. While some may compare her to the Kardashian family, Lauren possesses a unique swagger that is entirely her own. She embraces her individuality, radiating authenticity with every click of the camera. It was an absolute pleasure to capture her essence and showcase her inner and outer beauty.

Conclusion:

Lauren Varner's fitness photoshoot at Cherry Creek Reservoir was a remarkable experience that showcased her brilliance, professionalism, and unparalleled beauty. As a lawyer at Varner Faddis, she exemplifies intelligence and excellence in her career. I am immensely grateful for her unwavering support, and it was an honor to capture her journey alongside her sister Megan. Lauren's charm and camera presence, coupled with her unique swagger, truly set her apart. Stay tuned for more incredible stories and captivating moments here at MikeCon Photography!

P.S. A lot of people think it’s easy however, what a lot of people don’t know is that I went out multiple times to the reservoir and tested out my lighting at different times of the day to ensure that we had perfection. Hard work does pay off…Lauren and I put in a lot of preparation work to make this and every shoot we’ve done perfect!

#Fredricksburg Fitness #fitness photographers in europe #wbff pro #npc photographer #military photographer #varnerfaddis #lauren varner #fitne #fit #fit photo feature #FitPhoto #fitness pro #fitness #fitspo #bikini #client #DMV Photographer #DMV #Virginia Photographer #Virginia #Virginia Fitness Photographer #Virginia Fitness Photography #Virginia Fitness #virginia beach #npc colorado #npc virginia #portraiture #photography #bestfitnessphotographer #wbff Virginia

[manelyec]

Graduates Honored, Dr. Fordham Remembered at 7th Annual Ag Gala

The Emmanuel Agriculture Department graduating class of 2023 was celebrated and local farm families were honored on Tuesday evening in the Shaw Athletic Center as more than 250 members of the local community attended Emmanuel’s 7th Annual Founding Farmer’s Gala.

The event served as a thank you to the members of the Northeast Georgia community who have been instrumental in the early success of the Agriculture program.

Event sponsors included Springer Mountain Farms, Pinnacle Bank, and Bar-H BBQ.

Emmanuel President, Dr. Ron White presented Springer Mountain Farms with the Excellence in Agriculture award. Representing Springer Mountain at the event was Broiler Manager, Ken Martin.

Agriculture Program Chair, Owen Thomason, Wayne Randall, John Shealy and Melissa Webb  then recognized the 2023 graduates of the program. Graduates include –

Hope Smith of Toccoa

John Dean Daniels of Camilla, Ga

Jaylyne Ward, Stoneville, NC

Kimberly McCall, Lavonia, Ga

Kollin Smith, Bowersville, Ga

Kody Varner, Bold Springs, Ga

Max Owen, Newnan, Ga

Mary Keener, Elijay, GA

Zoe Walraven, Hartwell, Ga

Zoe Walraven was selected by the Agriculture instructors and  presented with the Outstanding Agriculture Student award. This award recognizes a student who has shown leadership, personal growth and dedication to the Agriculture Department. Zoe has been the Colligate FFA President for three years, recruited for Emmanuel College at the National and State FFA Convention and participated in community service events.  

Madison Nimmons received the inaugural Dr. Leslie Hart Fordham Scholarship. The endowed scholarship was started in the Fall of 2022 after the passing of Dr. Fordham. She made a huge impact on the students and college during her teaching career. Randy Fordham presented the scholarship and spoke about how Madison Nimmons wrote about her “passion for agriculture”. He talked about how, Dr. Fordham had that same passion and the two had that in common.  

At the event, a silent and live auction took place to raise money for the scholarship fund and provide more opportunities for students to study agriculture at Emmanuel. Many local businesses and craftsmen donated items to the event. The program appreciates the support of the local businesses. Wayne Randall supervised the auction and helped to find items for the sale.

“The huge outpouring of support for the program and graduating seniors was a testament to the strength of pride our community has for the students and college. It has been truly an honor to work with these men and women and I know that they are going to continue to make an impact on the agriculture industry and our world. Our past graduates have already laid the path of success for these students. Over 90% of our past graduates are engaged in the agriculture industry today.”

VP for Advancement, Brian James spoke about the continued growth of the program and how it wouldn’t be possible without the community’s support.

2022 Diversified Agriculture Degree recipient and alumnus, Wyatt Hargrove spoke at the program by sharing what Emmanuel and the Agriculture program meant to him.

“I truly thought COVID-19 would end the Emmanuel experience for me,” he said. “Agriculture and online learning don’t go hand in hand, but this program came out of the darkness with flying colors. If you don’t believe me, look around the room – we’re prime examples of it. 9 graduates, we’re constantly growing.”

Wyatt, who now works as a salesperson for AgriMed Pharmaceuticals is confident that Emmanuel’s Agriculture program helped prepare him for a successful career.

“From Livestock Evaluation to Ag Processing and Marketing, each course provided useful information,” he said. “Not a day goes by that I don’t use something I learned here.”

He closed by giving a piece of advice to the graduating seniors.

“One of the things that makes your job the best is if you love it,” he said. “I encourage you to find a career you love. Expand your knowledge and put it to good use because it will help you over time.”

For more information on the Agriculture program or on how you can partner with us by making a contribution to this worthy program, visit www.ec.edu/ag or contact Owen Thomason at [email protected].

[hayl3ywd]

Seasons of the  Blue Pearl by Nicholas Varner

⭐⭐⭐⭐ ⭐   out of 5 stars

What a great surprise! Blue Pearl is the kind of book one will always remember. Its author brings us to the time of the First People. Mia and her family follow the teachings of the Sacred Winds. But, the teenager doesn't believe in magic as her parents do... up until the moment she is attacked by strange demons. I enjoyed the way Nicholas Varner wrote this tale. Everything was so fluid and precise. Reading Blue Pearl out loud sounded like the stories grandparents would read to their family in the evening near the open fire. I definitely recommend this book :)