#but. bobbi and i are meeting this weekend. i am trying to take advantage of my brain being so eeep by trying to note

[fatcowboys]

oh no time for my first ah packing overwhelmed moment hhhhh

[writerfangirlbooks]

Bobby’s Daughter Part 1

Dean x Y/N

Prompt: Imagine flirting with Dean Winchester before he finds out you're Bobby's daughter.

A/N: I know Bobby never had children, but let's imagine for now. I've got a cool idea, for the most part, to go with this prompt. As always, feel free to request any ideas you would like me to write! I've had quite a few Dean ones recently and even more coming up soon. Thanks for sticking with me. Also, I just can't write a story without a backstory, I just need it desperately haha, so enjoy this midnight mess. And uhh, this one gets a little steamier than the others, just a heads up. Also this one is getting multiple parts! Word Count: 1800

Credit to gif owner!

It took you long enough to convince your dad to so much as let you hunt by yourself.

You heard the story of your mom once, and only once. Your dad hated discussing what happened to her. It broke his heart, losing the love of his life. Bobby often declared he didn't know what he would do without you, that you being born was a blessing and miracle tied into one burst of joy in this miserable man's life. That was quite a bit to live up to. Fortunately, you weren't stuck with him all of the time. Once he stopped homeschooling you, you were able to have real interactions and get to know the real world.

Every once and a while, a friend of your father would drop his sons off at the doorsteps to watch for endless amounts of time. Sure, the boys were a couple of years younger, but at least they never said you had cooties. They were excited to be with Uncle Bobby, though they weren't related. It occasionally made you doubt your place in his heart, wondering if he wished you had been born a son instead. However, it was nice to not be made fun of not having a mom and having a drunkard for a father. You saw the brothers young and at one point, hadn't seen them since. It wasn't uncommon for traveling hunters to occasionally leave their children for a weekend or two, so you didn't easily remember all of their names.

Growing up a female was tricky in small-town Iowa, even more so as a hunter. Your father spent some time away hunting when things began to go awry in nearby towns. You started public middle school around age eleven, but your father feared you were simply too young to spend nights by yourself, and you didn't exactly have a bunch of friends to spend the nights at. That ended up causing extra frustration and stress on his plate before you suggested an idea you watched on television: private school.

In a way, Bobby was a better father after you went away. You became more outgoing, learned what it meant to be a lady, and more importantly, how to use that to your advantage. You were encouraged to learn other languages, try extracurriculars. So you did, studying Spanish and French for the rest of your education. You joined the photography club, acted in theatre, and played soccer. You went home on holiday breaks, summer being your favorite as it meant spending more time with your dad. He did his best to be home as often as possible. You got excited to fix cars if it meant spending time with him. Despite his protests, you felt encouraged to hunt, so he gave you pointers. It was years before around age sixteen, he finally allowed your first solo hunt. It was thrilling and unsurprisingly, it went great. He preferred playing board games and watching television with you, making him overall pretty chill.

The one thing he was not a cool dad came to your dating life. You tried getting a boyfriend young and Bobby insisted on meeting him before your first dance. Let's just say the two of you didn't leave together by the end of the night. He was more lenient toward regular, mediocre guys. His one rule was the most adamant: don't date hunters. Fortunately enough for you, most hunters were around your dad's age, so, very much not your type.

That could lead to some very lonely tonights as you became an adult, leading to one night stands in apartments. Of course, you skipped past the whole college scene. Far too expensive and not something you seemed interested in, anyway. Despite your father's protests, you decided to spend time traveling rather than staying with him. You had gotten used to your independence and was somehow nearing thirty way too quickly. You considered yourself content in life. You were a darn good hunter, a woman that could hold her alcohol, and a successful freelance photographer. You weren't sure where your dad's income came from and you decided it best not to ask, sticking to making an honest living while hunting as often as possible.

It was late summer and Bobby's birthday was coming up soon. Although he hated celebrating, you made sure to be around during this time. It just so happened to coincide with a case you were tracking. You figured you would surprise him tomorrow evening and make his favorite dinner. For now, though, you rented a small apartment half an hour away. You felt motels were dirty and a bit pathetic. You did have some class, after all.

Tonight you were looking for a good time, clothed in one of your favorite dresses, with matching heels and handbag. You headed to the bar, pulled up a chair, and ordered your favorite margarita. Soon enough, a man's build and shadow blocked your view of the door. He cleared his throat and you turned your head, taking in the view of messy brown hair and mischievous green eyes attached to a face full of sun-kissed freckles. The man wore nothing special, just regular jeans and a plaid shirt layered with a hunter-green jacket. It was a look that fits well in Iowa, but his voice showed quickly he was not raised here.

"Not a beer girl, huh?" He asked, raising an eyebrow towards your bright colored drink. You did a quick assessment and deemed this man as not a threat. He could be just what you were looking for. As you began to speak, you watched his attentive gaze dip from your eyes to your lips then back again.

"Not quite my style. I like something a little sweeter," you said with a small smile. Leaning back in your chair, you aimlessly twirled the straw around in your drink as you looked back up to the handsome stranger.

He draped an arm around your chair, his fingers lightly brushing your shoulders in the process. "Then feel free to call me sugar, sweetheart," he said. His eyes crinkled with the flirty grin. You wanted to laugh at what a bad line it was but figured his looks could make up for a lacking game. You bit back your smile by licking your lips and tacking a long sip of your drink.

"Well, I don't know about that, but you can call me Y/N," you offered.

The conversation quickly led into basic first date questions, leading you and the man who later introduced himself as Dean to realize you had quite a few similarities, such as bands, landmarks, and even pies. Neither of you was able to persuade the other to change interest in alcohol. Once you got to the topic of cars, you had lost track of time. Dean claimed to have an older Impala and was eager to show you. You were used to the ploys of cool cars to get a woman outside, but you weren't objecting to where the night was headed. You were left intrigued and somewhat shocked that someone this good looking was actually telling the truth about having such a well kept and beautiful vehicle. You were hoping to get the chance to impress him with your own knowledge about cars at some point if things actually made it past three am leavings, which was typically not likely.

When Dean proposed the invitation, he noticed your response was less than immediate. You didn't mean to hesitate but was trying to work out to tell him how you did not feel comfortable leaving your own car in the bar parking lot. His shoulders sagged ever so slightly. It typically wouldn't have been that noticeable except behavior change was something you studied in school when taught how to create poses for your photos. His green eyes were bright and eager, reflecting from the yellow lights outside of the bar.

"I, uh, if you're not interested... we don't have to..." Dean began stuttering, changing pace. He must not be used to rejection, you decided. "I don't want you to be uncomfortable."

You took one of Dean's hands, finding the new change endearing. Although it could've been funny to turn down someone that seemed like a player and innate flirter, that was not your plan for tonight. "Dean, I'm fine. I just don't like to leave my car, so if you want to follow, or go with me, back to my place?" You offered. You tilted your head, waiting for an answer.

He nodded. His grin had returned widely and he used his other hand to indicate for me to lead the way. And off Dean and you went. The two of you stumbled into your apartment in half the time it should have taken you to get back. Dean's chatter filled your ears up until you unlocked the door to your room.

Your keys were tossed onto the television stand while shoes were being kicked off against the closet door. Heat filled the room as your bodies filled the bed, disregarding your clothes and newness to one another. You felt much more connected as Dean kissed you, a sense of familiarity in his warmth and scent. It began with an intense and heavy makeout before his lips left yours, and began to trail down your neck, continuing further as time ticked away. The clock on the wall was the only sound you could hear besides your ragged breathing and the squeaks of the bed. The sheets were too weak for your grip, so you moved your nails into his back. You could feel his smiles trace your skin. You couldn't help but shudder when Dean whispered into your ear. It was a beautifully messy sight, watching Dean and you move as one, clinging to one another. Your eyelids fluttered, unsure of where to focus as the sensations grew stronger. Arching your head back to allow more room elsewhere, you thought you had lost your voice before one simple movement reminded you how to speak, urging you to call out Dean's name.

The night carried on for much longer.

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[doof-doofblog]

"My Name's Jordan!"

Thursday 11th March 2021

Hello again everyone! The weekend is slowly approaching us! I hope you've all had a brilliant week so far and are looking forward to the weekend! I'm happy to say that this blog will finally bring up to speed with the rest of you! I've had so many things going on in my personal life, the only way I found it easier to catch up was to blog about 2 episodes in one post, but now everything should be back to normal!

There is quite a lot of drama happening in the Square right now that's fair to say. The first thing I'm going to mention is Bobby. Does anyone else feel for Bobby? Since his return to the Square he's been trying to do everything he can to live a happy and normal life for someone at his young age! But everything has been far from easy for him, being horrifically haunted by his deceased sister where he kept seeing her ghost. The poor lad had very few people to turn to, I guess he hasn't really got a best friend really has he, of course he has friends and family to look out for him, but he doesn't have that one best friend that everyone needs to turn to when they need someone. It comes as a surprise to find out that he has decided to join a dating app, and to be fair, why the hell not?

Whilst Kim is catching up with Iqra about her possible connection with Mila, Bobby is sat opposite them and Kim makes it known that finding someone for Bobby is going to be her next challenge. But before she can act, Bobby is astonished to notice that he's found a match on his dating app. Even though Kim's response is a little bit on the negative side, Iqra however shows Bobby her full support and congratulates him on his match, claiming that he deserves to be happy, which ever way he chooses to meet someone. Later in the day Bobby is home getting ready for his date with his new match, Jade. Kathy happens to get the smell of his aftershave and compliments that he's dressed up nice for the occasion, bless him. He's so cute! He voices his concerns about whether he's ready to start dating, but Kathy reassures him that it would be good for him if he was to meet someone new.

At the club, Bobby meets up with Jade, bless them both, they both look as nervous as the other. I guess you could say it was a little awkward, as they both sipped their drinks in silence before they built up the courage to make conversation. Poor Bobby, it's plain to see that he is completely and utterly nervous, and to be honest, it's understandable. It must be hard for someone like him who has spent the most of his young adult life in prison for accidentally killing his sister, to then be released and plunged into the real world, making new friendships and meeting new people, it must be a hell of scary thing! However, Jade seems really sweet asking the right sort of questions such as where he's from etc. However, when she excuses herself to use the restroom, Vinny does not help things. Whilst Bobby has been on his date, Vinny has been watching from a distance, he decides to give Bobby some advice and to just relax, thinking that he's reassuring the young lad when he mentions that Jade hasn't gone to the restroom to Google his name or anything! But of course, that DOES NOT help with Bobby! He instantly panics and does a runner, leaving poor Jade completely unaware as to why he's left. As Bobby returns home, we see him change his name on his dating profile app to Robert. I mean, is Bobby short for Robert? I really don't know, but either way, it looks as if Bobby is still really wary with people finding out who he is and what he did in his past. I don't know about you, but I kind of hope we see this Jade again, maybe she'll come back wanting an explanation from Bobby as to why he left their date? Who knows?

--

So the other thing we have to mention is Billy, Jay and Honey. It's the day of Janet's audition for the modelling agency and once again Billy and Jay can't seem to agree on who's going with who for the day. To stop the arguments, Honey decides to go to work, forcing Billy and Jay to go together with Janet to her audition. Sorry but I have to say, even though Billy needs to move on from Honey and accept she's with Jay, it's funny seeing the two grown men arguing like children! Unfortunately, Honey's idea doesn't go to plan. Where things are going smoothly for Janet at her audition, whilst at work, Honey has a nasty fall after climbing a ladder and reaching for some stock. After Jay and Billy hear the news about Honey's fall and she's been rushed to hospital, they once again start arguing like an old married couple about who should be with Honey and who should be with Janet.

Billy is furious to learn that Jay never answered his telephone calls, but as Jay rightly reminds him that the judge had asked them to put their phones on silent so not to disrupt the auditions. Eventually they come to the agreement that Billy should stay with Janet at her audition, as being her Father, it's only right that he should be there for his daughter. Jay will then go to check on Honey. Luckily Honey has no lasting damage to her fall, eventually she's brought home to rest up and Jay is thankful to see her safe and unharmed. However, things seem to escalate when there's a misunderstanding when Billy arrives. Billy arrives home, happy to see Honey looking safe, but as soon as Honey asks about her daughter's audition, it becomes clear that because of misread text messages, no one has been to pick up their daughter, poor Janet has simply been left at the venue on her own. In a blind panic, everyone starts to search the Square for the young girl, Jay informs them that the venue has all closed up and no one is around, it looks as if Janet could possibly have been kidnapped? For a very small brief moment, I did worry for the young girl, she's such a sweet girl and someone could easily take advantage of her disability to lure her somewhere - you just don't know really, do you?! But thankfully, she's found safe and well as a police officer walks her home. Maybe this could've been the lesson that both Jay and Billy need to make amends? Who cares who Honey is seeing as long as the children are safe? One thing is for certain, they're going to want to make sure that they can resolve their differences and put them aside for the children's sake. I'm intrigued to see how this mistake will affect them all?

--

The final thing, and main thing I need to talk about of course is Lucas!! After meeting Karen at the laundrette and finding himself a date, it was obvious that Karen was besotted with the unknown stranger, but in concern of giving him his proper name, Lucas introduced himself with the wrong name, using his deceased son's name, Jordan. At first, I kind of thought it was a little suspicious, but the more I watch Lucas in these episodes, the more I'm starting to believe that he truly is trying to be a changed man, that's all he's really wanting, isn't it?! Or am I being fooled and is it all an act?! Karen appears to be really excited about the possibility of having a new man in her life, even though her family believe it's too soon. Bernie even admits that she wants picture proof of her date when she meets him.

Understandably, Mitch is concerned for his ex-wife, claiming that it's another emotional tool to get over the loss of Chantelle, which it might be the case, but who knows? Before Lucas heads to his date, it looks as if he gets a visit from a support worker, someone who's trying to help him get back on his feet. She gives him the good news that they've managed to find him a new job and a place to live, however, the only downside is that it's in Newcastle. Lucas frets that this opportunity would not be right for him, as it would be taking him away from the people he loves most and will ruin his chance of rebuilding his relationship with Chelsea and Denise.

Later Karen arrives at the club, looking all glammed up and ready for her date, she's sat waiting patiently for "Jordan" to arrive. Looking ever so suspicious, Lucas eventually turns up, informing Karen that he wasn't expecting her to turn up, even though she's very smiley and giddy and sneakily taking pictures of her date for her family. I guess it's fair to say that Lucas and Bobby's story in this episode are quite similar, both going on a date with someone new, who have absolutely no knowledge about their past. Just as Bobby's date was awkward, but cute - Lucas's date with Karen is also a little awkward, personally, I found it quite hard to tell whether Lucas was acting suspiciously, or whether it was simply just nerves?

Meanwhile, Mitch is at the club with Denise voicing his concerns about Karen dating someone new, questioning whether it's another way of trying to cope with the loss of Chantelle. Denise informs Mitch that maybe Karen needs something new in her life, who knows? But it's then that Mitch shows a picture of the man Karen is on a date with, to Denise! Her face drops at the recognition of the man in the picture. Without hesitation, she informs Mitch everything, warning that Karen needs to be super careful with who she's dating. But back the at club, Karen and "Jordan" seem to have hit it off as they come to realise that they both have lost children. Lucas questions Karen about her children and the Father's, it seems as if he's either fishing for information or he's genuinely interested about her life.

Suddenly, it looks as if Lucas decides to come clean to Karen, admitting that he's not who he says he is, that he gave her an incorrect name, it looks as if he's about to come clean and be honest with her. But before Lucas is even given the opportunity to finish his sentence or even explain himself, Mitch comes bursting in and breaks in on their date, informing Karen that the man she's on a date with is actually Denise's ex-husband and his name is in fact "Lucas Johnson!". Poor Karen is in absolute shock when she realises her date's true identity, her attitude towards him changes instantly, leaving Lucas feeling devastated and humiliated. Later as Lucas sits alone in the pub, both Chelsea and Denise confront him about his absurd date with Karen, and how vile he is for using his deceased son's name, I don't know about you guys, but it's a this point I actually feel sorry for Lucas, just like Bobby, he wanted a chance of feeling normal, being able to go somewhere without people staring or gossiping. This confrontation however turns into a blazing row in the middle of the pub, Lucas is trying to do everything he can to make amends for what he's done and he's been shown no kind of respect from anyone since his return, especially from his own daughter.

As everyone goes home, Denise tries to softly explain to Lucas that the only way to get back into his daughter's good books, if it's what he's wanting, is to do this job for her. That way, she'll be free to be able to move on from things with Caleb and focus on her own life without any worries. It seems as if this small talk plays on Lucas's mind as the episode ends with him making a call to Caleb, once again using the false name, "Jordan"! What is Lucas up to? Is he going to set up a meeting with Caleb behind everyone's back and try and sort the situation out himself? Or could he be up to something much worse? What do you guys think?! What are your thoughts on the soap's current storylines, are you enjoying some more than others? Please leave me a comment or a message letting me know your thoughts or opinions on anything EastEnders, I'd love to hear what you have to say! Thank you again for reading, I'll be back again tomorrow! Love you all xXx

[artificialqueens]

Fire meet gasoline, chapter 10 (Craquaria) - Redside-of-the-moon

AN: Surprise, added another chapter!

Aquaria hadn’t blinked for what must have been a full minute, glaring at her present company in the diner that was packed with people enjoying a Sunday brunch. Other than a short “hello” as she’d arrived a few minutes earlier, Aquaria literally hadn’t said a word. Bobbi was starting to get slightly concerned.

“Are you… ok?” she asked hesitantly. “You’re not having a stroke, are you?” she then quipped, trying to coax some sort of reaction from the younger woman sitting in the booth across from her. It seemed to work, as Aquaria finally blinked.

“I’m fine”, she bit off, narrowing her eyes at Bobbi who looked back in confusion at the hostile young woman.

Aquaria’s eyes suddenly shot to a spot behind Bobbi’s left shoulder and her face lit up. “In fact, I’m better than fine cause here’s my GIRLFRIEND finally!” she continued as Brianna reached their table.

Aquaria slid out of the booth to properly greet Bri, but Bobbi beat her to it. She frowned at the sight of them hugging. Brianna, engulfed in the embrace of the much taller Bobbi, caught Aquaria’s unhappy stare and quickly freed herself to step up to her girlfriend.

“I’m so sorry I’m late”, she started while leaning in for a quick kiss, “but my Uber driver took a wrong tu-”. She was cut off by Aquaria closing the distance between them, dipping her back in a passionate kiss worthy of competing with the famous sailor and nurse caught on camera celebrating the end of WW2. It lasted less than 10 seconds, but it was enough to have a dizzy Brianna grabbing on to Aquaria’s upper arms for support as she was raised back up again. She stared at the younger woman, her train of thought completely forgotten. “Wow”, was all she managed to say, face flushed from more than coming in from the cold outside, earning her a loving and proud smile in return.

“Yeah, I think ‘wow’ is the word on everyone’s minds right now”, Bobbi noted dryly, turning Aquaria’s bright smile into a smug grin. Brianna looked around them. The other patrons close by were staring, most with understanding smiles. A few looked disapproving, making Bri throw a protective arm around her girlfriend and glare back, as they slid into the booth next to each other. She removed her arm only to start taking off her coat and scarf.

A sudden choked sound from across the table made Bri look up. Bobbi’s eyes were nearly jumping out of their sockets as she stared at Brianna’s now exposed neck and cleavage in her low cut v-neck jumper. Brianna blushed and glanced at Aquaria. The younger woman was positively GLOWING with pride and was quite obviously enjoying watching both of the other’s reactions to the current situation. Her gaze finally settled on Bri and she reached out a hand to move Brianna’s hair off of her shoulder, revealing more of the hickeys that had rendered Bobbi speechless. Some were healing, already yellow-tinted. Others were new, in a dark purple, almost black, shade.

Brianna shivered as images of how each and everyone of them was made flashed through her mind and she couldn’t stop a small whimper from escaping her lips as she squirmed in her seat.

The sound was lost to everyone but her girlfriend in the noisy diner. Aquaria bit her bottom lip and traced one the marks from earlier that morning with her finger. “Oh, yeah… I guess we got a bit… carried away a few times this weekend”, she drawled before leaning in and placing a feather light kiss on the bruise while recalling the delicious moans she had dragged out of Bri just a few hours earlier.

The weekend really had been nothing but perfect. They had spent the entire Saturday catching up on the events of the three months they had spent separated and making love in every room of Brianna’s apartment, Aquaria marking Bri as hers - not only as a message for Bobbi whom they had booked brunch with the next day, but also out of pure desire and desperation to make up for lost time. Not that there had been any complaints. Quite the opposite, actually, Aquaria thought, smiling against Brianna’s skin as she once again thought about how their Sunday had started.

She had woken up in Brianna’s embrace, muscles sore after their busy Saturday. But any aches had been quickly forgotten at the sight and feel of her girlfriend’s body pressed up against her. Aquaria’s eyes had traced Brianna’s curves up to the bruises on her chest and neck, making her mouth water at the thought of adding just a few more. When Bri woke up just moments later, she had done just that…

They lost track of time as they were lost in each other, making it necessary for them to separate for a short while as Brianna jumped in the shower and Aquaria went home to her own apartment to change into something else than her Friday night party dress or the sweatpants she had borrowed from Bri. They were to meet up at the diner, Brianna assuring her girlfriend that Bobbi was always late anyway.

Of course, this was the time when the woman in question would be early for once and she had already found a booth for them as Aquaria arrived. She had been about to turn around and wait for Bri outside, not feeling quite ready yet for the talk that needed to happen, when Bobbi had caught her eye and waved enthusiastically, making Aquaria sigh and join her at the table. 'Thank god Bri hadn’t been more than a few minutes late’, Aquaria thought as she now slid her arms around Brianna’s waist and kissed her cheek.

“Clearly”, Bobbi said, suddenly bursting their little bubble. Aquaria and Brianna both looked back at her, confusion evident in their eyes. Bobbi rolled her own.

“CLEARLY you got carried away this weekend. Jeez, Cracker, you look like a dalmatian!” she clarified, making Bri giggle.

Aquaria scowled. “Cracker?!” she asked, looking between the two other women.

“Oh, yeah, uh, it’s just this nickname that Bobbi came up with for me”, Brianna explained, looking a bit embarresed. “Cause I’m thin, white and salty…? It’s dumb, I know”, she continued, laughing.

“Yeah… Dumb… You’re not a cracker, you’re a… a… a curvaceous sweet treat”, Aquaria replied, tightening her hold while looking a bit unsure.

Brianna looked back at her. Knowing that what Aquaria needed right now was validation and her girlfriend in her ring corner, Brianna leaned into the embrace and said “Thank you, I love you, baby” loud and clear. Aquarias frown turned upside down as Bri cemented her words with a soft kiss.

Brianna turned back to her friend. “Don’t worry, Bobbi, it was all VERY consentual and trust me, Aquaria isn’t exactly spotless herself underneath this blouse”, she said, making Aquaria’s smug grin reappear.

Bobbi looked at her friend for a few seconds and, after a quick internal debate, nodded and flashed a big smile.

“Well, then I’m happy for you, Cracker. And you, too, Aquaria!” she added, winking at them both, making the younger of the two pause as Brianna reached out and grabbed Bobbi’s hand.

“Thank you, Bobbi, that really means a lot. And thanks again for tricking me into going out on Friday”, she laughed and turned back to Aquaria with an elated smile. “I’d like to think that I would have come to my senses by myself eventually but who knows how long that would have taken me? It might have truly been too late by then”, she added, voice cracking a little, while reaching up a hand to cup Aquaria’s cheek.

Aquaria closed her eyes and leaned into the caress. “Babe, you know I would have forgotten the name of whoever I was dating and come running when you called, no matter how long it would have taken you”, she replied and then, leaning in so only Brianna could hear her, mumbled “but for every extra day there’d be an extra hickey as punishment”.

Brianna drew in a shaky breath, getting almost drunk on her girlfriend’s perfume and guided Aquaria’s lips against her neck, when Bobbi interrupted once again.

“Ok, alright, I said I was glad for you but damn, the PDA is getting from R-rated to X, you’re gonna get us thrown out! And a bitch is starving so it will not be cute if that happens, trust me”, she laughed.

Brianna shook herself mentally and looked around her. “Yeah, where is our waiter? Maybe you’re supposed to order at the counter?”

“I’m actually really hungry myself”, Aquaria said and pouted at Bri. “Babe, would you mind going to check?”

Brianna started to get out of the booth. “Of course not, I’ll be right back!” she answered.

“Thanks babe, love you!” Aquaria called after Bri and watched her sway her wide hips on her way towards the staff at the cash register before turning back to Bobbi.

“You kissed her”, she said, voice flat.

Bobbi looked startled by the words and the sudden change in the young woman’s tone.

“What?!” she exclaimed in confusion.

Aquaria narrowed her eyes.

“You. Kissed. Her. A month ago. She told me everything.”

“Oh that! Yes. I mean… A gorgeous, single woman laughing at my jokes? Can you blame me?” Bobbi laughed.

“Maybe not if the situation had been different”, Aquaria answered. “But you knew she was emotionally unavailable and vulnerable and took advantage of that. So yes.”

Bobbi sighed.

“Look. You’re right. I shouldn’t have kissed her and the very second she pushed me away I stopped and apologized. It was a moment of weakness, fueled by liquid courage and I am completely over it. Brianna has quickly become one of my closest friends and I’m not gonna throw that away”.

She paused, watching Aquaria take in the words before continuing.

“I really do mean it, you know. I am happy for the both of you. Hell, need I remind you that I actually set this whole reunion up? Why would I do that if I was still into her?”

Aquaria searched Bobbi’s face for any signs of insincerity, but found none. She felt her shoulders drop as some of the tension was released out of her. She could live with Bobbi being Brianna’s friend, she obviously meant a lot to her. And she just wanted Bri to be happy.

But there was just one more thing that needed to be said. She glanced towards Brianna who was just turning around to make her way back to them. Aquaria leaned across the table.

“I’m choosing to believe you, cause I’m here to stay and if you and my future wife are gonna be friends it’ll be a really awkward time for the next 80 years or so if I can’t get along with you. Just know that if you ever touch her like that again I will find you and I will-”, she hissed, before straightening up as Brianna slid back in the booth again.

“Hi babe, I missed you!”, she said and kissed Bri on the cheek.

Brianna giggled.

“I was literally gone for like a minute! But ok, I missed you, too”, she said and covered Aquaria’s hand with her own while continuing, addressing them both this time. “A waiter will be coming over asap, they’re short staffed and- Bobbi, are you ok?” Brianna frowned in concern at her friend.

Bobbi, who had been staring at Aquaria in stunned silence, closed her mouth and looked at Brianna.

“Yeah, absolutely!” she answered with a nervous laugh.

That had been quite a little rant. Bobbi wasn’t actually scared, she was a big girl and could probably snap Aquaria in half like twig. She’d just been surprised by the intensity of the girl’s feelings and how protective she was of Brianna. She could respect, and even admire, that. She glanced back quickly at the much smaller woman, who was now smiling innocently back at her as if she hadn’t been about to count the ways she would hurt Bobbi if she ever tried anything with Brianna again. Bobbi hesitantly returned the smile. No, she wasn’t worried. Not even a little bit.

The rest of brunch went smoothly. After Aquaria had laughed at one of Bobbi’s jokes, surprising them all, herself included, they all felt less on edge. As they were saying their goodbye’s outside the diner and Brianna hugged Bobbi, Aquaria gave the latter the old 'I’m watching you’ gesture, pointing two fingers between her own eyes and Bobbi. They both smiled, knowing that Aquaria was only half joking.

Aquaria had brought an overnight bag from home, so she could stay at Brianna’s for the night and not have to go back home the next morning before work. Brianna helped her haul the heavy bag full of make up and “other necessities” into the trunk of an Uber, before getting in the backseat themselves. As usual, Aquaria sat in the middle, to be as close to Brianna as possible. After a few minutes, Bri broke the silence.

“So… 'Future wife’, huh?”, she said with a smirk.

Aquaria, who had been leaning her head against Brianna’s shoulder, stiffened. Slowly she raised her head, meeting Brianna’s amused eyes.

“You, ah, you heard that? How much more did you hear?”, she stuttered nervously.

Brianna giggled.

“Just that and the part where you were about to explain to Bobbi what you would do if she tried anything with me again.”

Aquaria blushed.

“Sorry…”, she started but was interrupted by Brianna.

“Don’t be, baby. I liked it. Especially the part about us spending the next 80 years together.”, she mumbled, raising her hand to tuck away a stray curl behind Aquaria’s ear.

“Yeah?”, Aquaria smiled timidly.

Brianna nodded.

“I was thinking…”, she started before pausing, unsure if she was moving too fast, before thinking 'fuck it, this can’t happen fast enough’.

She took a deep breath before continuing.

“I’ve been thinking, and I want to ask you to move in with me. I know we just got back together and should probably take it slow but fuck slow, I want to spend every free second I have with you and when you left this morning I could smell your perfume and it smelled like summer and then when you said what you said to Bobbi back there at the diner I thought I was gonna die from happiness but I totally get if you-”

Her rambling was cut off as Aquaria smashed their mouths together, grabbing on hard to Bri’s body, pulling her even closer. She pulled back after a few seconds, eyes almost shut from her huge smile.

“Yes, oh my goodness, yes! Are you kidding me?! Of course I fucking want to, I love you so much!”, she exclaimed before closing the few inches between them again, this time not letting go until the Uber pulled up in front of Brianna’s apartment.

'OUR apartment’, Aquaria thought happily while following her girlfriend out of the elevator and to the front door. Brianna unlocked it, took a step inside and turned around, holding out her hand.

“Welcome home, baby”.

[winchesterprincessbride]

Not What He Expected-Part 5

This is an A/B/O AU

So here it is, my FIRST A/B/O series featuring Alpha! Dean/ Omega! Reader (not Destiel). I am still a Samgirl to the very core of my being, but I thought it would be fun to try something different for a change.

You meet Dean Winchester in a bar when he attempts to come to your rescue after a drunk Alpha tries to take advantage of you.  He quickly realizes you’re not what he expected.  You’re a very independent Omega who is used to speaking her mind.  He’s all Alpha, but there is just something about you, an attraction that makes him want to know more…….

Part 1 (All parts are linked)

Master List

Text messages are in bold.

*This chapter fills my “sunset watching” square on my @spnabobingo card

I spent the days until the weekend enduring constant comments and teasing from Cas and Jimmy. The bickering got so bad that Babi finally ordered them to leave me alone. Darcy came by to visit and the immediately filled her in on current events in my life.

“Sorry to hear about the divorce, Darce. Your Alpha is a dick. He doesn’t deserve you.” Jimmy and Darcy had dated in high school and we’d all been friends for years.

She smiled sadly. “Thanks, Jim! I just wish it didn’t take me so long to realize.” She turned her attention to me. “Where have you been? I haven’t heard much from you since that night at the bar.”

Jimmy and Cas exchanged a look. “That’s because she’s been too busy panting over that hot Alpha she’s seen seeing,” Cas told her gleefully.

“He’s okay if you like tall green-eyed Ken dolls,“ Jimmy said with a smirk.

“Wait a minute….” Darcy began, shooting me a look. “Is it that Alpha from the bar?”

“Maybe,” I said sheepishly. “His name is Dean.”

“Holy crap!  I knew you were hot for him that night!” Darcy gave me an amused look. “What happened after we left?”

“Remember that drunk Alpha that wouldn’t leave me alone?” I asked.

“Yeah?”

“Well, he came back for more,” I said with a grin.

“And let me guess? Dean came to your rescue?” She said with a snort.

“Am I missing something?” Jimmy asked, confused.

“I love it when guys think your sister needs rescuing because she’s an Omega,”  Darcy told him with a grin. “Alphas either want to fuck her or protect her, sometimes both.”

“Shut UP, Darcy!” I snapped, elbowing her in the ribs. “Cas and Jimmy laughed.

“But then she opens her mouth, and they get the picture,” Cas commented.

“He did ask if I was sure I was an Omega,” I told them sheepishly.

“When are you seeing him again?” She asked eagerly.

“Saturday.  Babi wanted you to come and see her when you came by.” I said in an effort to change the subject.

  When she left she made me promise that I would keep her in the loop where Dean was concerned. Cas and Jimmy assured her that if I didn’t, they would tell her everything.

I couldn’t decide what to wear.  I wanted to look put together, but not look like I was trying too hard.  I was meeting Dean’s brother after all, so I wanted to make a good impression. 

He picked me up in that gorgeous car of his and I again felt that visceral response at the scent of him.  I’ve never experienced anything like this before with any other guy.  

Dean’s smile widened when he saw the pie I was carrying.  “Did you make that?” He asked eagerly.

I shot him a look. “Of course I did! I don’t do store-bought anything. I wasn’t sure what flavor to go with, so I just did apple. Do you like pie?”

“Pie’s my favorite.  You made a good choice.  I apologize in advance if anyone gives you the third degree.  I’ve just never bought an Omega home before.  Sammy especially is dying of curiosity.

“They can’t be worse than Cas and Jimmy, so I think I can handle it,” I said confidently.

When we arrived at Sam and Jess’ place, the cookout was in full swing.  We walked around the back, and Dean opened the gate so I could carry the enormous pie without dropping it.  A tall handsome guy and a pretty blonde walked over to meet us.

“Oh, pie! She knows what you like, Dean! Here, I’ll take that, It looks great! I’m Jessica, by the way.”

The tall guy handed me a beer.  “And I’m Sam, Dean’s brother.  You must be Y/N.  Dean said your family owns Novak’s. Jess and I eat there all the time.”

I accepted the beer and smiled at them both.  They seemed friendly enough.  "It’s nice to meet you both.”

Sam turned to Dean.  “Uncle Bobby wants to meet her so you’d better find him, Dude.”

I met his Uncle Bobby, and some old family friends Ellen and Jo.  A while later his best friend Benny showed up, and he hung out with him, ate burgers, played cornhole, and just hung out.  We were all getting along really well.

Benny happened to look towards the gate and he swore under his breath.  “Don’t look now, but Lisa is here, Dean.”

Dean groaned and turned in the direction of the gate.  “Oh, great.”  He muttered.  “Did you invite her?” He asked Sam.

“No way! I can’t stand her! Maybe Jess did? Let me go see.” He left us and went to talk to Jess.  Jo in the meantime had gone over to talk to Lisa, and then Jess went over, and then made a beeline for Dean.

“I’m so sorry Dean.  Jo invited her.  They have a yoga class together.   She had no idea about you two.  Do you want me to make her leave?” Jess looked very nervous.

“No.  We can play nice, Jess.  I won’t ruin your party.”  He assured her.

“So who is Lisa, anyway?” I asked.

“Lisa and I use to date.  I caught her in bed with another guy.  It didn’t end well.” He said flatly.  

“Do you want to leave?” I asked gently, putting a hand on his arm.

“No.  I’ve moved on.  I want to stay here with you.”

We stayed in the corner talking to Benny and his date, and Sam and Jess.   I needed to use the bathroom and Jess walked me into the house and showed me where it was while she grabbed some more drinks.

When I came out of the house, Lisa had joined the group.  Here we go. I squared my shoulders and walked over.

“So Dean…” Lisa said in a shrill voice. “This must be who you replaced me with.  That didn’t take long.”

“Lisa, you’re drunk.  Don’t start.” Dean said in warning.

“What’s wrong? Don’t want me to tell her your secrets?” She spat. “Oh, and she’s an Omega.  Have you knotted her yet? He’s amazing in the sack.” She told me, slurring her words.  Dean looked so embarrassed.

I’d heard enough.  “Look, Lisa is it? From what I heard, it doesn’t take much to scratch your itch. I think you did Dean a favor, he wouldn’t want to you know, catch anything. So why don’t you crawl back under that rock you came from and leave him the hell alone, sound good?” 

Lisa stared at me open-mouthed, and then spun on her heel and left in a huff.  Benny started clapping.  “This one is a keeper, Dean,” Sam told his brother.

“Walk with me?” Dean asked me, holding out his hand.  We went through the house and sat on the front steps and watched the sun set.  As the sun dipped below the horizon,  I laid my head on his shoulder. Dean had his arms around me, and we didn’t really say much, just enjoyed each others company.

“I’ve never seen anyone stand up to Lisa like that.  She didn’t know how to respond.”  Dean murmured quietly.

He leaned in and brushed my lips with his, and I eagerly responded.  A second later I was sitting in his lap, my hands buried in his hair as his mouth ravaged mine.  As his lips traveled down my neck, he pulled away and looked at me intently.  “My place?” He said in a low voice.

Part 6

@shamelesslydean  @sofreddie  @pdy93 @abbessolute@tatachot @yoursmilemakesmeloveyou @ayeeitsemry @erin654@silenceofmidnite @stationary-queen @tinkerbellafan@curlyblondexoxo  @i-like-it-heavy-so-i-can-panic@lupine-princess @abbymonster17 @authoressskr  @peaceloveancolor @sandlee44 @skybinx-blog @percywinchester27 @a-sea-of-fandoms @dorky-and-i-know-it @fangirl1802 @pinknerdpanda  @atc74@jayankles  @notnaturalanahi@midnightjazzmine @moonlitskinwalker @we-are-band-sexuals@winchestergirl-love @gecko9596 @ronnie248-blog@essie1876@bohowitch@just-another-busy-fangirl@jotink78 @captainradicalpassion@keelzy2 @disneymarina @kittenofdoomage @mrswhozeewhatsis@oriona75 @frankiea1998 @akshi8278@stylinson531@valynsia @dr-dean@theoutlinez  @imweirdandobsessed @growningupgeek    @luciisthebest  @laurenisnot @maddieburcham1  @canadianjelly@muliermalefici @brewsthespirit-blog @ilsawasanacrobat @nanie5@weasleywinchester

[2020laxteentour]

En Route…

I am so excited to be given the opportunity to tour with this wonderful group.  This will be my first visit to LA. I’m prepared to give back and taking in so much information to share. -Pamela G.

I am extremely excited to be able to be a part of this apart of this L.A. WECCAAN. Like my brother it too has been a dream of mine to be able to travel to L.A. and see it in all its glory. I’ve seen depicted in games and movies for many years but never had the chance to experience it in my life. I expect to be introduced by the true culture and experience of California as a whole through this trip, and further understand the world we live in today. Thank you for this experience. -Bobby H.

Although I have never been to Los Angeles, I have been to California (Mainly just in the city of Sacramento) when I was a child. On the trip, I am most excited about the service-learning project that we will be participating in and getting to see Los Angles for the first time....and I get to get out of the house from self-quarantining for months! I hope as a group we all stay safe and healthy while still enjoying the trip. -Marcus R.

I am an uprising junior at UCLA, so I have been to Los Angeles before and I absolutely love it! There are so many people from diverse backgrounds, so many different foods, so much history, so much to explore and such an energetic atmosphere. In spite of this year's circumstances, I know that this tour will be a great one and a wonderful learning opportunity for me as well as others. I look forward to talking about UCLA and volunteering to make a positive impact. I am glad this tour was finally able to happen! -Kristen L.

I have never been to Los Angeles or anywhere on the west coast, but have always wanted to visit California. On this tour I expect to meet new people, make new connections, experience and see new things to go home and encourage others to get out and see. -Bascia P.

This is my first time ever to Los Angeles. I expect to get a different view of another city than where I stay in Tampa. I expect to get to know more about LA county and to see more of the world. I want this to be a learning adventure. -Zion M.

Being this is my first time going to Los Angeles I look forward to being able to explore the city and see the different landmarks within the city. I’m ready to do community service so that I could help benefit another person or community. I also look forward to trying an In-N-Out burger. -Roderick T.

This is my first service tour. This is my son’s 4th, I decided to tag along for the experience thus go around. I mean, it is LA. ☺️   Day one upon arrival, flight was great. Landing to 71 degree weather has made this experience even better. ✈️Mike picked my son and I up from the airport, took us the grab a bite from a local restaurant “Habit”. Then on to Randy’s DONUTS, which are awesome by the way. It’s great to breathe this fresh cloudless air. See the locals in action. Can’t wait for day 2. -Toquetta C.

I'm excited to be back in LA. I haven't been here in a few years so it'll be interesting to be back, especially to see the modifications made due to the ongoing pandemic. I arrived earlier today and it's definitely cooler than I expected, but it's always great to be in sunny California. -Malachi W.

This is my first time in L.A. and I'm really excited to see the architecture because of how the area is affected by earthquakes. -Essence H.

This is my first time on the west coast and to Los Angeles. My expectations for this trip is to explore California and the cultures that come with it. -Jordan B.

I’ve been to Los Angeles a few times before. But this time I expect to get an even more well rounded view of the city. -Noah W.

This was my first time actually flying on airplane. It was a pretty fun experience because I never been to LA ( Los Angeles). I want to tour and achieve the goal the group came here for. -Amareon M.

I have travelled to LA twice before, so this makes my third visit to the City of Angels. Understanding the climate we’re currently in, I expect things to be different than before. However, looking past that, I expect young people to be excited, engaged, and exposed to new possibilities and horizons. -Mark G.

This is my first time to LA, and the west coast. I am very excited, on this trip unlike other trips I have a few expectations. I am looking forward of course to touring places I have only seen on TV or heard in songs like Beverly Hills, seeing the Hollywood sign and seeing the Hollywood walk of fame. However, I expect a different vibe and feelings when we visit Nipsey Hussle's store and neighborhood. I am looking forward for Dr. Mike to give us the history, and link a lot of social injustice, and racial disparities. I'm looking forward to really seeing how this weekend and week will unfold while COVID impact surrounds us. -Rania A.

I have traveled to California before but I was too young to remember. I expect to make some great memories with my family and friends. -TeShania B.

I was born in Los Angeles, so coming to this west coast paradise feels like a long-overdue homecoming. My intention for this trip is to connect with the young people on this tour and the communities that we will be visiting. I believe these are unique times, unchartered territory, but what gives us purpose through the chaos is service to a cause greater than ourselves. My intention in this tour is to serve those around me. -Giovan B.

Just reached the hotel and it's my 2nd visit to California but my 1st to spend time in L.A. My plans is to sow great seeds while gain knowledge of the services I will be rendering. Make more connections and continue blessing communities worldwide. -Tia J.

I have not been to Los Angeles before. I expect to have a little fun. -Jamil B.

Let me start by saying that I'm super excited for this experience, this will be my first year touring and I am going into this bright eyed and with an open mind. Some things that I am looking to glean from this experience is cultural knowledge, fellowship, and to pour my heart of service out to another community outside of the one that I reside in. I have not traveled to the west coast in about 5 years, so I'm anxious to get back and visit the beauty on this side of the world. -Patrice C.

SECOND VISIT--AUGUST 21ST-23RD

I took a semester of classes at Aiken technical college in Aiken South Carolina. I am from Aiken and this is my first time being in California and my first time being on a plane. I have been on many tours in the past with WeCCAAN and I expect to a lot of volunteer work for the surrounding community! -Javon B.  (PART II)

I'm a college freshman from Atlanta, GA. This is my first time in Los Angeles and I'm excited to breathe in the culture and life that the city brings. I hope that I gain a sense of what a city on the other side of the country looks like. -Kasamba A. (PART II)

I am super excited to finally be able to come on a service trip again. I have never been to California and I am very excited to see all the sites but also super excited to partake in the amazing service opportunities we are afforded. I am excited to meet new people and enjoy a new city for a few hours as well. -Sierra W. (PART II)

I’m from a small town (Soperton, Ga). This is my first time in LA and I’m looking forward to seeing the different cultures of the west coast and how they differ from the east coast. I’m excited about volunteering and doing some clean up in communities other than my hometown. -Markesia B. (PART II)

I am 23 Years years of age!  I’m currently living in North Augusta, South Carolina. I’ve also have lived in Fayetteville, North Carolina for about half of my life as well. This will be my very first time visiting the city of Los Angeles and I am extremely excited! I expect to experience many great things while I’m in here in LA. I’m a huge fan of the beaches, colleges, and restaurants here! There are some other landmarks I hope I get to see here as well. I also expect a great cultural experience! As I am a huge geek for new cultural experiences and I connect more with a place after I discover its true nature! I know my time here is gonna be Great! #WeCan! -Demarcus D. (PART II)

I’m 25 years old and currently attend Greenville Technical College for Architectural Technology. I’m from Barnwell, SC and this is my first time in LA.  I’m hoping to learn about the culture and to learn about many of the places listed on our tour.  I would be able to take this learning experience as an advantage to learn about Los Angeles.  I’ve served as an volunteer in 2012 in New Orleans, we met some families that were impacted by the hurricane and was able to get some homes back on track and to revamp their community that they called home.  Looking forward to see what Los Angeles will bring! -Joy F. (PART II)

I am 26 years old, applying for a PhD for next fall in Epidemiology, and I am from Atlanta, Ga. I have been to California before but not LA. I look forward to seeing the colleges and volunteering.  I have volunteered with WeCCAAN previously. -Sha’Bria J. (PART II)

26 currently in the masters program at Georgia State University. I’ve been flown to Los Angeles a few times. I’m excited to see what those trip has in store. -Alicia C. (PART II)

[couplesbeyondborders]

Marie + Robert

Marie Country: France Robert                                                                                         Country: United States of America

Marie and Robert invited me to their place in Greenpoint, Brooklyn, on June 15th, 2015. I took the ferry on 34th street, near where I was living. Two stops later, I arrived in their neighborhood that used to be an industrial hotbed. I could feel its past, but what I saw were some hip places like cafés, juice bars, restaurants, and tattoo shops that were popping up.

Marie and Robert opened the door and when I came in, I saw a beautiful lighted loft with a huge terrace with a view on the Manhattan skyline. They invited me to sit, and brought me beers and cookies. What a great way to start the interview !

Marie started to tell their story, “We met in Brooklyn on February 3rd, fifteen years ago. I was married to a French man at the time and I was very unhappy. The babysitter I had for my two girls invited us for brunch once, in Williamsburg, Brooklyn. We were waiting for somebody, and she said ‘I’m sorry, he is always late’ and it was Robert. I had a great day with him, we just talked and talked, and we saw each other a week later. I really wanted to be just friends with him but it turned into something else. On St Patrick’s Day, it was our first kiss. And the next morning, I was back home with my husband, and thinking ‘What the fuck did I do again?’ Then, Bobby had to go to Europe. His first wife had died a few months before.” “I was married for 15 years and my wife, at 40, her heart stopped working. After the shock, I made some plans.  A friend of mine gave me an apartment in Brazil so I was there for a couple of weeks and then I went to Cannes after I met Marie,” says Robert.

After that, Marie left her husband and went back to France for the summer.  She says, “I had to figure out where I was going to live, what I was going do and told my mother that I’m leaving my husband. It was the second time I was getting divorced. I was 34 back then, so she was like ‘What I’m gonna do with you?’ My mother was never that supportive. But I asked my mother if we could meet Bobby for the 14th of July weekend in Paris and my mother, amazingly, said ‘yes!’”

Robert adds, “It was a great time. Then, we figured out the rest and we love those cultural contrasts. Instead of living in a little world, the world just got bigger, because for me all of a sudden I got to know Brittany - where Marie comes from - I got to know France, and Marie got to know parts of New York she never even knew existed. I gave her bagels, she gave me les galettes*. It’s not so bad, right? It has been the best years of my life with Marie.”

Some time later Marie asked Robert to marry her. “We were on the sofa bed and I thought it was very sweet and of course I said ‘yes’ and I decided to do the same in return. So some weeks later, I bought a nice ring, we went to the same bench where we had our first kiss, in Washington Square Park, and I said ‘Now, let me ask you’ and she said ‘Bien sûr, pourquoi pas Robert !’** and that was it ! We are very happy together,” says Robert.

“Bobby is truly a great listener, I’ve found in my experience that my husbands were not very good at that. They would be very confrontational. And I don’t say they were just like that because they are French but they were both like that actually,” confides Marie.

As for Robert, in his experience, “American women just lack a little elegance. I think with American women it’s a little bit more cerebral, they have a kind of agenda, they’re looking for this, they’re looking for that, I’m not talking about a hook up or something like that, but I am just saying if you are going for the long run… I mean Marie had no right to marry me, right ? I didn’t have a lot of money, I was overweight, my wife just passed away, I was not feeling great about myself. And then I met Marie, and it’s just none of that stuff was at the front, that was not what she was interested in. An American woman might have rolled her eyes but it was not even on Marie’s radar and so it’s very supportive in that way; supportive in that realm of love, sensuality and all that. Am I making sense? Because it’s really the truth.”

“I would say to generalize, I think American women definitely have that agenda, the ring has to be a certain size, and then you know, you have to have the bridal shower, the groom and the thing. Even though they have no money, people spend insane amount of money on their wedding. What I feel about the whole wedding thing is that here, women expect a lot from men; you have to go down on one knee because it’s what you do, it’s not what you want to but it’s what you are supposed to do,” says Marie.

The conversation went on, Marie spoke about her two daughters, Marion and Juliette, and I was wondering what was Marie’s point of view on education here, in the U.S, compared to France.

First, Marie noticed a lot of differences between her way of raising her children and the American way. “I am fairly strict and I remember one of the first times I went to the Park with Marion who was 7, there was a kid talking back to his mother. Marion and I were really shocked to see how kids were nonchalant, obnoxious with their parents.”

Robert adds, “I think with kids, in my experience, you don’t just tell them once, you have to tell them over and over and over again until it becomes a part of their way of thinking”. He explains the importance of having at least one meal a day with the family “I’ve always cooked, so for me having dinner, sit down with your family, is what you suppose to do. I was raised that way.  We always have dinner every day. You talk and it’s how you stay connected with your family. It was always that way and it’s great! I think even here some people complain about that, people don’t have dinner with their family anymore, the kids come in, they take food from the freezer, they call the Chinese takeout or just go on Seamless and voilà it’s delivered! We never do that but if we are all eating together and if we get pizza, we’re sitting the four of us, watching TV.”

The way children are raised, and how schools work, are completely different in each country. They explain how all of this can interfere in the society.

“In France it’s never good enough. Here it’s ‘You know what? It’s ok, but see what we can fix and next time you will do better’ and I think it really translates into the society and probably the most positive people in general are in the U.S. I can speak only about New York. I’m not a Parisian, I have lived in France, in this beautiful little town in Brittany, where people have a beautiful quality of life even if they don’t have a lot of money, they are really happy usually with what they have and what they do.  But people I know who go to Paris, they say everybody is complaining all the time and when you realize all social advantages that there are in France and that we don’t have here and you still see people are unhappy, complaining. Here it’s really so much harder on so many levels and still people are happy or try to be, and they are not waiting for the government to help them. You just have to be proactive and I really like that. I mean if you have children you see it’s incredible! All of the teachers we knew have the culture of being so positive and super helpful and it does translate, people are nice. Even when you reach university, you don’t have to decide what you’re going to do the minute you enter… in France you have to decide,” says Marie.

“It’s possible to do whatever you want to do and there are a lot of places where they just don’t have that and it’s so established. Like in France, for example, if you don’t do well in elementary school, people will say, ‘It’s okay you’re going to take a vocation. I think you would be good working in the kitchen.’ So all of a sudden, we are going to put you in a school to learn how to work in the kitchen, even though maybe that’s not what you would have done if you had the chance to do it on your own. And in my opinion, who has the right at the end of the day, to tell you ‘This is what your future is going to be like’ at an age you are not even able to make a decision on your own,” declares Robert.

Marie continues, “Here, once you try a few things, you formulate what you think you want to do and then you are like ‘Ok, I really love that.’  I love the mobility of education and work here, you can really reinvent yourself if you want to, you are not stuck in a job and also there is not that notion of retirement here, because if you can’t save for your own retirement, it’s not the government that is going to give you a lot of money. So people know they are going to work for a long time and as much as they can, they try to be happy in their job and it’s not like in France where people say, ‘four more years and I will be retired.’” “You can be whatever you want to be here. If you can figure out how to do it, you can do it. It’s simple as that and you can fail and do it again and maybe hopefully you use what you’ve learned along the way. I think it’s completely obvious that great ideas come out of here, there’s so much creativity here, there’s so much support for that. I think that’s what makes America what it is. Some people, like Steve Jobs, who haven’t made it through college can still have a vision and still find a way to make that happen. And that’s the biggest example, but that goes on every single day, on a very small level and that’s priceless, right?” concludes Robert. 

*Galettes: buckwheat crepes.  Galettes come from Brittany, France.

** ‘bien sûr, pourquoi pas Robert’ : ‘sure, why not Robert’

[365footballorg-blog]

Armchair Analyst: Zlatan's taekwongolazo can't save LA & more from Week 29

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September 16, 20187:35PM EDT

Let’s just get it out of the way at the top: This is absurd:

That goal, the fourth of eight total that were scored on Saturday night in Toronto in TFC’s 5-3 win over the Galaxy, is maybe the greatest goal in MLS history. It’s probably the goal of the year, and the only other contender is Zlatan Ibrahimovic’s first goal, that spectacular 45-yard volley against LAFC in the first ever El Trafico.

It was not enough. Zlatan has 17g/8a in a shade under 1700 minutes, and that hasn’t been enough, either. The Galaxy have spent tens of millions on their roster, and it’s both too much and not enough. Dom Kinnear took charge this week after Sigi Schmid found the door, and that wasn’t enough.

LA are a team in crisis, and a team certain to face another overhaul this offseason, and a team likely to have their fifth new head coach in two years once camp opens in January. I hope Zlatan will be there as well, because he’s been worth the price of admission week after week. Nobody else on the Galaxy can say the same.

The above isn’t precisely true for TFC, who are nonetheless having one of the most disappointing seasons in MLS history. They took a 3-0 lead in this one and looked like they were cruising, then took the foot off the gas and let the Galaxy bring it back to 3-3. Then they found the pedal again with two late goals, and their season is nominally still alive.

But only nominally, because no matter what formation they put out there (they were in a 4-4-2 diamond on Saturday), and no matter how much of the ball they get when all their wonderful attackers are healthy, they still can’t defend.

TFC have shipped 55 goals this year, the same number as Minnesota United. Only San Jose, the Galaxy and Orlando City have been worse.

There is a path to the playoffs for the Reds, who are nine points behind the Impact and with a game in hand. But it’s a path that involves winning at the Red Bulls, at D.C., at Montreal and at home against Atlanta, and it’s a path that involves jumping three teams in the standings. Even if they get Chris Mavinga and Drew Moor back – and we’ve been talking about that particular “if” for four months now so let’s not hold our collective breath – it’s too narrow to traverse unless they score five goals a game.

But they have to score five goals a game, and I think they know it. So what we’re headed for right now: A TFC team with a healthy and motivated Sebastian Giovinco, Jozy Altidore, Victor Vazquez and Jonathan Osorio out there every week trying to drop five. It’s not gonna work, but god I am so here for that.

Runnin’ Down a Dream

As I said, TFC’s charge (if they really do conjure one) isn’t going to work and the biggest reason is because of what Montreal did on Saturday night. It’s conceivable that both New England and D.C. United could flatline and leave the door open for the Reds, but all three teams directly ahead of them in the standings? Nah.

And there’s no mystery here, as what Montreal did is what Montreal does: They sat deep, they got out in space on the counterattack, and they used their dynamism to kill the Union in the open field. I sort of casually dismissed Montreal’s 3-0 win over the Red Bulls two weeks ago, as it was against a RBNY team playing their fifth game in 15 days. I will not make the same mistake of dismissing Saturday night’s 4-1 win over Philly. It was:

A come-from-behind win, and

A multi-goal win

On the road

Against a playoff team

That had been playing well

You could see Philly ease off a little bit when they took a 1-0 lead via Auston Trusty’s header. And you could see them get a little bit sloppy on the ball. And at that point, if you’re on the field, the only thing you can see is Ignacio Piatti running away from you and either creating or scoring a goal (he had a foot in all four Impact tallies and is now the King of Chester).

There is an X-factor these days for Montreal, though – one that didn’t exist in Quebec a month back:

I’m not talking about Saphir Taider, who did a nice job of sniffing out the chance to poach a rebound goal. No, I’m talking about journeyman veteran center forward Quincy Amarikwa, whose rugged work in the attacking third – selfless runs, contesting every header, hold-up play, making opposing CBs feel him for basically the full 90 minutes – has given Montreal a focal point and a bit extra ball security in the attacking third. You can play to his feet, and he can create something.

He can also get out and run on the break with the likes of Piatti and Alejandro Silva, and he draws a ton of fouls, and all of that makes a difference.

“Maybe it doesn’t show directly on the stat sheet but I feel like the guys are learning about me, and through that seeing they’re going to get a lot of opportunities off second chances and second balls,” Amarikwa said to our Dave Zeitlin. “I think Saphir does a great job to follow up my shot. That’s him anticipating it’s going to be on frame … and he’s there to put it away. It’s great to see us come together and figure it out, especially with this run into the playoffs here.”

He’s 30 years old and he’s never been a great finisher, and he’s never going to be a great finisher. But he’s a snug fit for the role Remi Garde is asking him to fill, and through two starts it’s absolutely impossible to quibble with the results.

And the defense is mostly holding up, too (another new arrival, d-mid Micheal Azira, has a lot to do with that). They’ve allowed just a single goal in five of their past six games, and while nobody’s going to confuse them for a versatile, dynamic defensive bunch, they certainly seem to have clarity as to what they’re trying to do, and as of late they’re doing it very well. 

Learning to Fly

Real Salt Lake got let off the hook in a big way on Saturday against Minnesota United, 1) whose 2nd goal was correctly ruled offside, but 2) probably deserved the full three points anyway. They pretty thoroughly dominated RSL in the second half, and only their own lack of finishing (boy they could’ve used a Christian Ramirez-type!) kept it level:

#RSLvMIN xG. The Loons were dominant in the 2nd half and were one offside call from winning. pic.twitter.com/AzWxsFVU0e

— Ben Baer (@BenBaer89) September 16, 2018

Via my colleague Bobby Warshaw: “Damn, RSL. All your fans wanted us to show more respect. This is why were remained hesitant. There’s still a level of naivety to their game, that creates a level of unpredictability. Yeah, they are the team that can be the most fun to watch. But they are also the team most likely to have this weekend happen to them.”

RSL head coach Mike Petke was similarly blunt:

“I’m at a little bit of a loss. In reality I didn’t see this coming and we allowed them to walk out of here with a point. All the good that these players have done in these last three games, with really going for the jugular, we just didn’t seem to have that tonight. We controlled the game still; did well against Quintero which was a main focal point considering how good he is. We didn’t finish them off when we had opportunities and even before that I think our transition was sloppy. We’ll take the point and now we have to find two points on the road, two more points than we were planning on getting.”

That naivety expressed itself via defensive recognition and an overall lack of compactness – i.e., Minnesota actually got more dangerous after subbing out an attacker (Abu Danladi) for a central midfielder (Rasmus Schuller) and starting their attacks deeper. RSL’s backline came out to meet them, the fullbacks in particular played high and a little detached from the rest of the team, and that created the types of gaps or opportunities for overloads that Darwin Quintero et al have feasted upon.

This is a hugely damaging result for the hosts, who desperately need homefield advantage in the Knockout Round. Does anybody think they could go to Seattle or Portland or LA and win a playoff game?

A few more things to ponder…

8. I’m not even sure what to say about D.C. United after the week they had. Somehow they went 1-0 down against Minnesota United on Wednesday, then rallied back for a 2-1 win. Somehow they went one-goal up three times against the Red Bulls on Sunday, but each time squandered the lead – Bradley Wright-Phillips is a legend – en route to a 3-3 draw. 

Do they end the week happy? Well, I’d guess the answer is “kind of,” because they just plowed through the toughest, busiest part of their schedule (six games since August 26), one in which they were missing players via injury and international duty almost constantly, with a 2-2-2 record, which probably falls under “good enough.” They are four points back of the Impact with a game in hand, and are staring at five straight at home, then a trip to Chicago to end the season.

All those games are winnable. The biggest one is the next one, which is almost certain to be the tipping-point game in the Eastern Conference playoff race this season: Montreal’s trip to Audi Field on September 29. 

7. If Colorado’s going to play the diamond, they have to get the basics right. They did not get the basics right in their 3-0 loss to Atlanta United on Saturday:

That basically ended the game, and officially ended Colorado’s season.

6. Columbus went to Frisco and played FC Dallas to a very credible scoreless draw, keeping themselves solidly in fourth place in the East.

Both of these teams have, in theory, another gear they can hit. Dallas haven’t shown it in months, though – they’re just 4-4-3 since July 4 – and Crew SC’s really does only exist “in theory.” Justin Meram’s had his moments since arrival but hasn’t entirely clicked, and on the other wing Pedro Santos continues to get into great spots then fail at turning them into end product.

Columbus have scored 35 goals in 28 games, which is the worst of any team in the playoff hunt.

Two notes from FCD:

Matt Hedges was subbed at halftime with an injury. That’s potentially huge.

Maxi Urruti was good as a No. 10 against San Jose and Houston two weeks ago, but he struggled to find the ball against Columbus, and the few times he did get on it he couldn’t do anything with it.

5. We used to talk about Sporting KC’s goalscoring woes at this time of year, but 2018 is a very, very different time. They went to San Jose and just drilled the Quakes, winning 5-1 via combination play and set pieces and 1v1s and yeah of course this throughball from Felipe Gutierrez is our Pass of the Week:

They have 54 goals through 28 games. That’s their most goals since 1997, when they scored 57 over the course of the entire season.

Sporting are now atop the West, the first time anybody’s jumped ahead of Dallas since mid-June. I feel pretty confident in saying that, for the first time since 2013, they won’t have to go on the road in the Knockout Round.

San Jose’s miserable season beats on, and the fans are calling for changes from the front office on down. It’s understandable.

4. Portland, on the other hand, might end up being out on the road during the Knockout Round as their stop-start form continued on Saturday with a 4-1 loss at Houston. The Timbers got an early lead, then kind of lost their shape, their intensity and their minds – why are you bringing your backline up at Houston? – as the Dynamo put together four unanswered by absorbing pressure, then getting out on the break.

It was a really strange game from Portland, who are now 2-5-1 since their 15-game unbeaten streak came to an end in early August.

Houston, meanwhile, ended their 10-game winless skid. It’s too late to save their season, but this rediscovery of their identity is useful in the week before they host the U.S. Open Cup final against the Union on Sept. 26.

3. Let’s stay on the “home field in the West” theme: LAFC had what should’ve been three points beaten out of them by an, um, physical Revs team in a 1-1 draw in downtown LA on Saturday night:

Effectively disrupted #LAFC, but as a neutral I really didn’t like #NERevs approach to #LAFCvNE. 27 fouls committed, nearly twice many as their #MLS leading 14.4 fouls/gm. Every time one of LAFC’s skill players had the ball in midfield, they were cynically fouled. Tough to watch. pic.twitter.com/Al7YTRQHdI

— #ThankYouDeuce (@JogaBonito_USA) September 16, 2018

It’s easier to destroy than to create, and New England have fully embraced that ethos this year even as they’ve had constant personnel turnover in goal, in defense, in midfield and up top. Truth is they had their chances to win this one, and forced LAFC to scramble like hell over the final 15 minutes of the match.

That the Revs have won just once in their last 11 games, and just five times in the past five months and are still in the hunt for the sixth spot in the East should tell you all you need to know about that race.

LAFC have five straight games in which they should be heavy favorites before finishing the season at Sporting. These were two points dropped, but don’t count them out of that top spot in the West just yet.

2. Don’t count out the Sounders, either! They weren’t great at Vancouver on Saturday night, but they picked up their post-shootout single-season record-extending ninth straight win, taking a 2-1 out of BC Place. They were able to mostly keep the ‘Caps counterattack under wraps – Seattle’s biggest strength is that they tend not to commit bad turnovers – and got some help from a very friendly post.

Seattle are seven points off of SKC’s pace atop the West, but have a game in hand (Wednesday vs. Philly) and the league’s best defense. You could make a case for them finishing atop the conference, and you could make a case for them finishing sixth. The West is a glorious mess and I love it.

1. Chicago came back from Munich and ended their nine-game winless skid with Sunday evening’s 4-0 stroll past Orlando City, who’ve now taken 5 of the last 57 points available to them.

The Purple Lions have now conceded 66 goals on the season. The league record for defensive futility is 70, set by last year’s Minnesota United expansion side.

And let’s bring it back to the top for a bonus Face of the Week, courtesy of the one and only Zlatan…

Usually other players quickly back down from confrontations with Zlatan, and he became quite angry when Michael Bradley refused to be intimidated.

Fascinating interchange between two extremely intense characters. I’d love for that to be mic’d up!#TORvLA #TFCLive #LAGalaxy #MLS pic.twitter.com/tJ8LE1ftyx

— #ThankYouDeuce (@JogaBonito_USA) September 16, 2018

They were, in fact, mic’d up after the game. Bradley said “I’m not worried about perfect. I’m not worried about Zlatan. I’m worried about three points tonight.”

Zlatan, however, gave us a hell of a quote: “He thinks he’s a philosopher of football. I have more goals than he has [played] games, so he should follow my rules.”

For the record: Bradley has 566 pro games, and Zlatan has 500 goals.

Series: 

Topics: 

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Armchair Analyst: Zlatan's taekwongolazo can't save LA & more from Week 29 was originally published on 365 Football

[tn10y]

Second plays third as this weekend’s biggest fixture takes place in Fife.

The Terrors are still one of two teams that Athletic have failed to beat since their return to the second tier: Hibernian – last year’s champions – were the others. 

It will not come easy, as United will want to restore some faith into onlookers after their embarrassing defeat to Falkirk last Saturday. For the Pars, even if they put in a lackluster performance, it will not matter a jot as long as it comes with three points and make it four league wins in a row for the first time since April 2, 2016.

Kickoff time, ticket prices and where to watch

Ticket prices:

SRJ Windows South Stand: Adults £20, Concessions £14 All other stands: Adults £18, Concessions £12 Away Stands: Adults £18, Concessions £12, U12s £5

Match information:

Saturday 13th, 15:00 at East End Park.

Team news

Dunfermline Athletic:

Aaron Splaine and Sean Murdoch (injured).

Dundee United:

Fraser Fyvie and Scott Fraser (injured).

Referee

Bobby Madden.

Previous games refereed involving either team this season –

Dunfermline Athletic 5-1 Peterhead (2Y, 1 Pen).

What Dunfermline Athletic are saying

“They always seem to have a hoodoo over us so hopefully we can put that right by getting a result especially when we are at home. There has not been much between the two teams but you need to be at your very best to get a result against United.  You cannot afford any passengers, everybody has to play at the very best they can play because when you look around their whole squad they have a lot of good players. They have brought in Craig Slater who I know really well from my time at Kilmarnock. He is a top young player. It is going to be a tough game but one at home and that should give us a big advantage with the crowd that we bring and the atmosphere at the game as well.”(Allan Johnston, manager)

What Dundee United are saying

On losing to Falkirk: “That was the hardest punch in my career since I was a manager, even as a player I never lost like this. You feel from outside that you are useless. You try and try but you see it does not work. Every new experience is one you have to learn from. You have to show that you will not go down. I am a fighter and I want to show to the players we have to stand up. They made this mistake but that they are in charge and can still challenge this. We are Dundee United. I do not allow anybody to joke with Dundee United.” (Csaba László, manager)

Line ups last time out

Table

Complete fixture list

Former Dunfermline Athletic players

Paul McMullan (2016-17)

Former Dundee United players

Callum Morris (2014-16)

Last seven meetings

Championship:

10/09/16. Dunfermline Athletic 1-3 Dundee United 08/11/16. Dundee United 1-0 Dunfermline Athletic 28/01/17. Dunfermline Athletic 1-1 Dundee United 11/04/17. Dundee United 1-0 Dunfermline Athletic 30/09/17. Dunfermline Athletic 1-3 Dundee United 02/12/17. Dundee United 2-1 Dunfermline Athletic

Challenge Cup:

12/11/16. Dunfermline Athletic 0-1 Dundee United

Keys to the game

Lazlo had opted for a 4-4-1-1 all through his first four league matches as manager, taking 10 points from a possible 12 with two clean sheet and conceded twice. Since the half-time postponement at Palmerston, it has been a 4-2-3-1, it has not worked as well as the two banks of four as they won once – a 3-0 victory with its debut against Livingston – lost twice and leaking eight goals (they did set up in a 4-4-2 when they beat Brechin City 4-1).

Losing Fraser Fyvie and Scott Fraser for the season has hurt them. Although, loan signing Craig Slater should be able to fill in for the former Hibernian midfield, the creativity and goal threat of Fraser will be hard to replicate. Fortunately for them the transfer window is open. Sam Stanton would be the best option for their plight at present, and the one player the Pars would not want to see lined up as a number 10 on Saturday.

The key to their success is playing Dunfermline a their own game and that is how to hit on the counter. Alternatively, this does not detract from plan A, but starving the home side of the ball early on will make the East End faithful restless and they will voice their opinions.

Athletic should be able to exploit the right flank if James Keatings (traditionally a centre forward) and Jamie Robson (a left back by trade) are stationed there once again. That means Joe Cardle – who is hitting form again – and Jason Talbot causing problems with Declan McManus drifting out there to try and really bamboozle the 20-year-old full back.

Prediction

Dunfermline Athletic 0-0 Dundee United

Odds

Dunfermline Athletic: 1.60 Draw: 2.25 Dundee United: 1.80

Best bet

Under 2.5 goals: 1.15

You can follow @MichaelWood_SJ on Twitter.

Match preview: Dunfermline Athletic versus Dundee United Second plays third as this weekend's biggest fixture takes place in Fife. The Terrors are still one of two teams that Athletic have failed to beat since their return to the second tier: Hibernian – last year's champions – were the others.