#Best Places to Visit in Czechia

[lionheartlr]

Travel Guide to Czechia: Your Ultimate Travel Companion

Brief History of CzechiaCzechia, or the Czech Republic, has a rich history that dates back over a thousand years. Once a part of the Great Moravian Empire in the 9th century, it became the Kingdom of Bohemia in 1198. Throughout history, the region has seen periods of prosperity and turbulence, particularly under Habsburg rule during the Holy Roman Empire. Czechia was part of Czechoslovakia from…

[dvarkocean]

PRZEWODNIK PO CZECHACH

WARTO ZWRÓCIĆ UWAGĘ:

• Najlepszy czas na wizytę w tym kraju jest pomiędzy kwietniem, a październikiem. Jednakże Czechy w zimowym wydaniu, także mają swój niesamowity klimat.

• Na terenie Czech nie obowiązuje zakaz handlu w niedziele, dlatego w większości, sklepy będą wtedy otwarte.

• Zwiedzać, polecam popołudniami, ponieważ wtedy temperatura jest najprzyjemniejsza, jest dużo mniej ludzi, a także wiele atrakcji oraz parkingów jest darmowych po godzinie 17:00.

• Komunikacja miejska (szczególnie w Pradze) jest bardzo rozwinięta, co daje możliwość poruszania się nią praktycznie wszędzie.

• Język angielski jest tam powszechnie znany, jednak fajnie, jeśli nauczysz się kilku podstawowych wyrażeń w języku czeskim.

• Noś ze sobą gotówkę (najlepiej korony czeskie), ponieważ być może, będziesz chciał kupić sobie pamiątkę lub zjeść coś na mieście, a niestety często, płatność kartą w takich miejscach jest niemożliwa.

• Jeśli chcesz zaoszczędzić pieniądze, to płać w koronach (najlepiej wymień je jeszcze w Polsce, ponieważ w większości kantorów w Czechach pobierane jest nawet do 30% prowizji za wymianę waluty). Dodatkowo, jeśli płacisz euro, to Czesi przeliczają je bardzo nieopłacalnym kursem (przeważnie dużo gorszym niż w Polsce), przez co możesz stracić mnóstwo pieniędzy. Dlatego warto płacić wcześniej wymienionymi koronami czeskimi.

• Mimo tego, że atrakcje, które tutaj Ci przedstawię, są stosunkowo blisko siebie, to wierz mi, trochę się nachodzisz. Dlatego zadbaj o wygodne obuwie.

NAJLEPSZE RZECZY DO ZROBIENIA:

• Przejść się Mostem Karola podczas zachodu słońca i nocą

Most Karola zlokalizowany jest w samym sercu Pragi. Łączy on Stare Miasto z dzielnicą Mala Strana.

Przechadzając się nim można napawać się wspaniałym widokiem na Wełtawę, a także podziwiać artystów i ich sztukę. Obowiązkowym elementem spaceru Mostem Karola, jest dotknięcie figury św. Jana Nepomucena, co według legendy, przynosi szczęście.

Warto przejść się tym mostem podczas zachodu, nocą, a nawet za dnia, ponieważ czuć wtedy zupełnie inny klimat.

• Wybrać się na rejs po Wełtawie

Jeśli nie kupiłeś wcześniej biletów w internecie, to wystarczy, że udasz się pod bramę, prowadzącą na Most Karola, a po chwili zobaczysz, stojących nieopodal, marynarzy, którzy zapraszają na rejsy.

Ja płynęłam 45-minutowym historycznym rejsem. Tradycyjną łodzią, z poczęstunkiem i z audioprzewodnikiem w dziewiętnastu językach (również w języku polskim).

Podczas płynięcia łódką, można zobaczyć Pragę od innej strony, a także poznać jej historię. Zdecydowanie warto.

• Podziwiać Praski zegar astronomiczny o pełnej godzinie

Praski zegar astronomiczny znajduje się na południowej ścianie Ratusza Staromiejskiego. Tak samo jak Most Karola, jest symbolem Pragi.

Co godzinę, o pełnej godzinie, można zobaczyć jak wybija zegar i maszerują mechaniczne figury.

Warto zobaczyć to zjawisko, ponieważ druga taka okazja może nadarzyć się dopiero w Korei Południowej. Jest to jedyny kraj, w którym znajduje się dokładna replika tego zegara.

• Zajrzeć do niekończącej się wieży z książek

Przy wejściu do Praskiej Biblioteki Miejskiej znajduje się imponująca, około 5 metrowa wieża z książek. Do jej budowy wykorzystano 8 tysięcy książek.

Zaglądając do środka konstrukcji, można odnieść wrażenie (przez lustra zamontowane na górze i na dole), jakby wieża nie miała końca. Po przyjrzeniu się jej, można zajrzeć do pięknej biblioteki, tuż za wieżą.

Warto zobaczyć to dzieło sztuki, zwłaszcza, że nie ma żadnej opłaty za wstęp.

• Zwiedzić Klementinum

W centrum Pragi znajduje się dawne kolegium jezuickie, w stylu barokowym.

Zwiedzanie tego miejsca odbywa się z przewodnikiem i trwa około 50 minut. W tym czasie można poznać historię tego budynku, zajrzeć do jednej z najpiękniejszych bibliotek w Europie, a także wejść na punkt widokowy (po schodach o nachyleniu 87 stopni), mieszczący się w wieży astronomicznej, na wysokości 68 metrów.

Z początku byłam sceptycznie nastawiona do tej atrakcji, ale okazała się naprawdę świetna. Polecam kupić bilety na jedną z ostatnich tur, ponieważ uważam, że to właśnie wtedy, widoki z wieży są najbardziej magiczne (które swoją drogą, totalnie mnie urzekły i uważam, że jest to punkt z najpiękniejszym widokiem w całych Czechach).

• Zobaczyć Tańczący Dom

Na prawym brzegu Wełtawy znajduje się pewien budynek, nazywany Tańczącym Domem. Dzięki temu, że jest to rzucający się w oczy budynek i dodatkowo stoi w dość reprezentatywnym miejscu, jest duże prawdopodobieństwo, że zauważysz go bez dłuższych poszukiwań.

Dzięki najnowszym technikom architektonicznym, można zaobserwować, zniekształcający perspektywę kształt budynku. Na samej górze domu, znajduje się bar oraz punkt widokowy z panoramicznym widokiem na Wełtawę i Zamek Praski.

Nawet jeśli ma być to tylko przejazd obok niego, to naprawdę warto.

• Zobaczyć obrót głowy Franza Kafki

Obrotowa głowa Franza Kafki znajduje się w często uczęszczanym miejscu, tuż przy centrum handlowym, na dzielnicy Nowe Miasto.

Dwa razy na godzinę, można zobaczyć obracającą się 45 tonową, lustrzaną rzeźbę. Tuż obok, w centrum handlowym, znajduje się miniatura głowy.

Polecam zobaczyć pokaz wieczorem. Osobiście uważam, że to właśnie wtedy głowa robi największe wrażenie.

• Udać się na Plac Wacława i przejść się deptakiem

Najważniejszy plac w Czechach, czyli Plac Wacława, znajduje się w centrum Pragi (niedaleko obrotowej głowy Franza Kafki).

Będąc w tym miejscu można zobaczyć historyczne miejsce kultu, zjeść coś pysznego (do wyboru jest naprawdę wiele restauracji i kawiarni) oraz podziwiać piękno kamienic, podczas spaceru deptakiem.

Warto udać się w to miejsce, również ze względu na to, że jest ono potocznie nazywane "Praską Piotrkowską" (ulica Piotrkowska znajduje się w Łodzi i posiada najdłuższy deptak w Polsce).

• Zwiedzić Hradczany

Hradczany, to obszar, zwany też królewską dzielnicą, leżący po lewej stronie Wełtawy. Leży tam największy kompleks zamkowy na świecie.

Wybierając się tam, polecam: zobaczyć monumentalną Katedrę Św. Wita, przejść się Złotą Uliczką, spojrzeć na Stary Pałac Królewski, a także podziwiać panoramę Pragi z tarasu widokowego przy ulicy Ke Hradu, obok Pałacu Schwarzenbergów oraz Schodów Zamkowych.

Ja nie zwiedzałam tych zabytków w środku i nie żałuję, ponieważ samo przechadzanie się wokół, zrobiło na mnie przeogromne wrażenie. Jeśli udasz się w to miejsce po godzinie 17, to unikniesz tłumów turystów, a także bezpłatnie wejdziesz na Złotą Uliczkę.

• Wjechać kolejką na Wzgórze Petrin

Również po lewej stronie Wełtawy, leży, pełne atrakcji, Wzgórze Petrin.

Na szczyt polecam wjechać kolejką linową. Na górze, można przespacerować się licznymi trasami spacerowymi, odwiedzić zapierające dech w piersiach ogrody, a także wejść na Wieżę Petrin i podziwiać przepiękne widoki z najwyższego punktu widokowego w Pradze (wieża ma 66 metrów i leży na 130 metrowym wzgórzu). Wieża Petrin została zbudowana na wzór paryskiej wieży Eiffla. Aby znaleźć się na najwyższym punkcie widokowym, należy pokonać 299 schodów. Zejść polecam zdecydowanie na pieszo. Nie pożałujesz.

Nie ukrywam, że jest to jedna z moich ulubionych atrakcji w Pradze. Gorąco polecam to miejsce.

• Namalować graffiti na Ścianie Johna Lennona

W dzielnicy Mala Strana, znajduje się słynna ściana Johna Lennona.

Ściana jest zapełniona przepięknymi graffiti, którymi można nacieszyć oczy. Za pomocą farby w sprayu, można namalować własne dzieło. Po lewej stronie muralu, znajduje się wejście do ogrodu oraz sklep (jego wnętrze wygląda cudnie), w którym można znaleźć akcesoria związane z Johnem Lennonem i jego ścianą.

Nie spodziewałam się, że namalowanie graffiti, sprawi mi tyle frajdy. Gorąco zachęcam, do stworzenia własnego (jeśli nie zaopatrzyłeś się w farbę w sprayu, to w sklepiku, możesz kupić specjalną naklejkę i przykleić ją na mural.

Mam nadzieję, że była to wartościowa publikacja i Twoja wycieczka do Czech będzie niesamowita.

Zapraszam na moje media społecznościowe po więcej takich treści.

Xoxo, dvarkocean

[palacholic]

Storytime

So...it's time to introduce you to the wicked ways of my weirdness, to show you what it's like to be me, starting from the beginning...

Right now I'm in my first semester at Charles university, Prague. I've been living in the Czech republic for a few months now, I chose to move there right after finishing high school in my home country. I spent years preparing for my life abroad, studying the Czech language, taking care of all the formalities that are necessary to move to a new country, most of it by myself, getting to know the country that I consider my home and I wish to live in for the rest of my life.

Why all this? What made me take such an unexpected choice, leaving behind everything I knew, saying goodbye to my friends and family and to the life I could have had in my home country?

As you could probably guess from my username and the content on my blog, the answer is simple:

Jan Palach

Yes. That Jan Palach. The student who on 16th January 1969 set himself on fire in protest of the apathy and resignation of the Czechoslovak people following the soviet occupation of Czechoslovakia. A guy who's been dead for over half a century.

I first heard about him during a time when I was struggling a lot with my mental health. His story gave me strength and hope, what he did reminded me that there are things worth fighting for, things worth living for. I know this sounds kinda paradoxical given that he died because of what he did but that's the point - he was willing to sacrifice his life because he wanted others to live in a better world. He didn't kill himself because he hated life, on the contrary he loved it.

I found something that gave me joy, something I liked doing - reading and watching everything I could find about him. I spent a lot of time researching him and loved every new detail I found out. I started researching him out of admiration for his act and became more and more intrigued by his personality, his interests, the things he believed in...I look up to him a lot. It's incredible how much this helped me getting better mentally and eventually healing from the worst of my mental issues. I started looking forward to the future again, especially after visiting the Czech Republic for the first time.

I came to Prague to pay my respects to Jan Palach, to visit the places where he lived, to say thank you...and fell in love with the city and Czech culture overall more than I expected. I met amazing people and had some of the best experiences of my life, and soon after I realised that moving to Czechia was the right thing to do. That I would regret it for the rest of my life if I didn't go through with it, that if I stayed in my home country I would never be as happy as I am now.

Two years later I finally packed my things and went on my way...as soon as I left the airport on my arrival I felt that I'd made the right choice and everything that happened since then only confirmed that feeling. Even the bad things. It's not always easy but it feels right, in a way that's hard to convey by words. I sometimes think about how crazy this all is but I'm so glad it happened. I'm thankful for everything I have now, my friends, my hobbies, my new home. I love it every day more. And I don't care how weird it is that all this started because of a guy who died more than half a century ago. Was it only a coincidence that I watched the news that day when they talked about him? Is there more to it? Who knows? Is it relevant? I don't think so.

I hope he'd be happy to know that he saved me and how much he means to me. If I could, I'd thank him for everything.

I started this blog to share my feelings and my journey as an expat in Czechia. You'll find memes, stories of a foreigner's life in Prague and of course a lot of history-related things. I'm happy to answer all your questions and tell you more. I hope to make new friends and find people with whom I can talk about my interests. I'm glad to be here and I love you all, I'm proud of y'all for being here too <3

this post took me waaayyyy too long to write and maybe I'll edit it again sometime in the future, if you read all of this I'm genuinely impressed, please tell me your thoughts in the comments or send an ask if you want to :)

[there-is-just-me-myself-and-i]

Hi Lena 😊 For the ask game: 5, 9, 29. Kisses!😘

Hi Gemma 🤗🖤, first of all thank you so much for sending me this ask!

Let's see...

5. favourite song in your native language?

Ufff...That is hard...I will go with this one because it immediately gives me concert feelings. It is one of the songs I have heared live the most often, and it is always on the playlist on the way to the concert.

9. Which of your neighbouring countries would you like to visit most/know best?

I have been to 3 of Germanys neighbouring countries so far, France (for a student exchange for a week or so), Austria (twice for vacation) and Czechia ("regularly" to go shopping for some stuff that is cheaper there/I live like 1 1/2 hours by car from the border). I can't say which one I know best because I only saw very little of each country. The one I would like to visit most out of all of the neighbouring countries would still be Austria (because I love it there) or Switzerland.

29. does your region/city have a beef with another place in your country?

Yes the city I am from seems to have some kind of beef with another city near us, I dont know why though.

Oh and not really beef but be careful when visiting bavaria who you call bavarian. Because wie würde meine Mama sagen: "Wir sind Franken, keine Bayern"

Oh and kisses back from two of our favorite Germans! 😘

(All the gif credits for this beautiful gif edit go to @helahyma of course 🖤🖤🖤)

[lowryinbohemia]

Transfer to Česky Krumlov

One last breakfast this morning in Prague, as we said goodbye to the City of Dark Magic and made our journey towards Cesky Krumlov, a gorgeous fairytale-esque town. As I sit here to type this new entry, I sit at an antique desk in a hotel building from the 15th century, the window open to let in the cool evening air, the faint sounds of the town below. It’s blissful, cool and I still can’t believe I am here.

Our bus journey to Cesky Krumlov had a couple of very interesting stops along the way. The first of these stops was at the Vojna Memorial, a former labor camp for at first prisoners of war and then later enemies of the communist party in Czechia. The memorial wasn’t very crowded, which added to the errieness & general sense of unease that still remains on these grounds. The camp was a Uranium mine, which offered little protection for it’s miners, so even if you were able to complete your sentence, it doesn’t mean your life wasn’t cut short in a truly horrible way. The halls of the “education center”, the hospital and other buildings still hold the portraits and busts of Stalin & Lenin, a constant reminder of the ideology that was being forced upon those who were sent there to “be re-educated”. I did not take many photos of the area because I wanted to treat it with the reverence you would any other graveyard; these are places to learn about history so we hopefully not repeat it, not a place for selfies.

We stopped then in the small city of Pisek (which means “sand” in Czech) for a lunch of boar and dumplings, as well as a little cake to celebrate Mom’s birthday and the birthday of one of the other ladies on the trip, Linda. I can now cross boar off my list of interesting meats I have not eaten; it tasted a bit like ground steak patty, so not too bad. We took a short stroll along the river, crossing the oldest bridge in all of Czech Republic as well as seeing some of the fantastic sand sculptures.

Our next stop was somewhere that if you know me personally, you would think I would never step foot in: the Budweiser Budvar brewery. This massive brewery is the home of the first Budweiser brews, though their brews taste much richer than the Budweisers found in the US. I myself have NEVER liked Budweiser beers (I have often told friends when offered a Bud that I would rather drink cat urine) but I did get a chance to taste fresh brewed larger straight from the tap which was actually not that bad. Not the type of beer I would drink regularly but not disgusting. I unfortunately left my phone on our tour bus so I was not able to get photos of the brewery but I did get a pretty handsome and very comfy hoodie from the gift shop. For those of you saying/thinking, “seriously Lowry, ANOTHER hoodie?”, this one is written in Czech and its comfy and cute and I don’t care what you think. 😝

After one last 45 minute bus ride, we arrived in Cesky Krumlov. The city streets are cobblestones and narrow so our bus couldn’t take us directly to our hotel, but it was just a 10 minute walk to our hotel, Hotel Latrán. The history of the building goes all the way back to the 15th century, with each room slightly different or unique due to the nature of the building. No air conditioning, but the windows let in a lovely breeze and I have a little fan by the bed to keep me cool. Tomorrow we get the visit the castle and then take a river boat trip, and then a homemade meal with a local family. A busy day for sure but just another brilliant day of adventures!

I should probably head to bed or at least settle in with my audiobook, so that is where I will leave you tonight my friends. I hope you all have been enjoying my blog & the photos I have been able to post. Unfortunately I’m limited in the number of photos I can post so I try and pick the best ones to share along with my stories.

Love to you all.

Lowrs💜

[czechiatours]

Why a Multi-City Tour Is the Best Way to See Central Europe

Central Europe, with its blend of rich history, diverse cultures, and stunning landscapes, has become a dream destination for travelers worldwide. From the enchanting cities of Prague and Vienna to the scenic Danube River, Central Europe is best experienced through a multi-city tour, which allows you to sample the region’s unique cultural, historical, and natural highlights. Czechia Tours offers an ideal way to experience a multi-city tour across Central Europe, making it easy to plan a journey that maximizes your time and enjoyment.

Here’s why a multi-city tour through Central Europe, especially with a reliable provider like Czechia Tours, is the ultimate adventure for travelers seeking both comfort and a bit of the unknown.

1. A Diverse Blend of Cultures and Histories

Central Europe boasts some of the oldest and most culturally rich cities in the world. On a multi-city tour, you’ll get a deeper understanding of the distinct, yet interconnected, histories of each location. In Prague, known as the “City of a Hundred Spires,” marvel at Gothic and Baroque architecture as you walk through centuries-old streets. Then, contrast this with the imperial grandeur of Vienna, where music and art history come alive. Each city on a multi-city Central Europe tour has a unique story to tell, and Czechia Tours allows you to piece together these tales into a cohesive narrative, all while offering seamless travel from one city to the next.

2. Maximize Your Sightseeing in a Shorter Time

Planning a trip across multiple cities can be challenging, especially if you're unfamiliar with the region. Czechia Tours simplifies the logistics, ensuring you can enjoy an adventure through Central Europe without the hassles of transportation planning, ticket purchases, or local travel details. With organized transfers between cities and expertly crafted itineraries, you’re free to immerse yourself in the experience rather than worry about the next step. A multi-city tour is the best way to cover more ground without feeling rushed, making it ideal for those wanting to explore as much as possible in a shorter time.

3. A Balance of Iconic Sights and Hidden Gems

Central Europe’s allure lies in its famous sights as well as its lesser-known treasures. A multi-city tour typically includes both, ensuring that you don’t miss iconic landmarks like Prague Castle or Schönbrunn Palace in Vienna, but also allowing you to explore hidden spots that add charm and intrigue. In Budapest, for example, a typical Czechia Tours itinerary may include both a visit to the famous thermal baths and a stroll through the less-touristy neighborhoods like the Jewish Quarter, where you can discover vibrant street art and unique eateries. Each city offers these “off-the-beaten-path” locations, enriching your travel experience by letting you see Central Europe from a local’s perspective.

4. Convenience and Peace of Mind

With a structured multi-city tour, your accommodation, transport, and key sightseeing plans are prearranged, which is ideal for travelers who want a worry-free experience. Czechia Tours manages the details, from securing your stay at reputable hotels to organizing smooth, comfortable transportation between cities. Guided tours add an extra layer of insight, helping you dive deeper into each city’s history and cultural nuances. Instead of piecing together plans, you can fully relax and take in the beauty of Central Europe without the stress of figuring out logistics in a foreign place.

5. Local Insights and Guided Expertise

One of the biggest advantages of a multi-city tour with Czechia Tours is the knowledgeable guides who accompany you. With their local insights, guides can offer a deeper understanding of each city’s culture, traditions, and hidden histories that aren’t easily accessible in guidebooks or on travel blogs. They’re also great sources of tips for local cuisine, nightlife, and customs. This not only enhances your experience but helps you avoid tourist traps and make the most of your time in each city. For example, while a standard tour in Berlin might take you to the Brandenburg Gate, your guide might also lead you to the lesser-known East Side Gallery, where the Berlin Wall’s history is beautifully told through graffiti art.

6. Adventure Through Central Europe’s Scenic Routes

Central Europe isn’t just about its cities; the scenic routes connecting them are a significant part of the adventure. A well-curated multi-city tour includes picturesque train rides or comfortable coach journeys through beautiful landscapes. Between Prague and Vienna, enjoy the Bohemian countryside dotted with vineyards and castles. On the way to Budapest, marvel at the vast plains and river landscapes that tell their own story. With Czechia Tours, you can savor these vistas along the way, turning what might otherwise be a mundane commute into a memorable part of your journey.

7. A Multi-City Tour That Fits Your Style and Budget

One of the best things about taking a multi-city tour with Czechia Tours is the flexibility to choose a trip that suits your style, budget, and travel interests. Whether you’re interested in luxury accommodations, boutique hotels, or budget-friendly hostels, Czechia Tours offers customizable packages that cater to a range of preferences. This allows you to tailor your multi-city Central Europe experience, balancing sightseeing, relaxation, and local exploration as you see fit.

8. Central Europe’s Gastronomic Delights on One Tour

Food is an integral part of any travel experience, and a multi-city tour allows you to sample the best of Central Europe’s culinary traditions. Czechia Tours ensures you can indulge in local delicacies across cities, from Czech dumplings and goulash in Prague to Wiener Schnitzel in Vienna. You’ll also have the chance to try some of Budapest’s famed paprika-infused dishes and sample wines from the Tokaj region. The varied flavors and culinary influences in Central Europe will make each meal an adventure in itself.

9. Creating Unforgettable Memories in Diverse Settings

Every city on a Central Europe tour offers something memorable. From the fairy-tale charm of Cesky Krumlov to the historical allure of Krakow, each destination on a multi-city itinerary provides unforgettable moments. Whether it’s an evening boat cruise along the Danube in Budapest, a scenic view of Prague from the Petrin Tower, or a sunset over Vienna’s rooftops, each city will leave a lasting impression, creating a tapestry of experiences that you’ll cherish long after your journey ends.

Conclusion

For those looking to experience the heart of Europe, a multi-city tour through Central Europe with Czechia Tours is truly the best way to explore. This structured yet flexible approach ensures you see the top sights and hidden gems, all while traveling with ease and comfort. From cultural immersion to breathtaking scenery, Central Europe’s cities have so much to offer���and with Czechia Tours, you can experience it all without the stress.

Embark on an adventure through Central Europe and discover why a multi-city tour is the ultimate way to explore this enchanting region.

[hpoxfordprogram]

A Whole Lot of Travelling

~by Tanju Ozdemir As my time in Oxford and Europe comes to a close, I’ve had time to reflect on the many experiences I’ve had while studying abroad. As part of Group 1, we visited the most cities (Copenhagen, Hamburg, Berlin, Prague, Munich, Salzburg, Vienna, Bruges) and countries (Denmark, Germany, Czechia, Austria, Belgium) of the 3 travel groups during the travel portion. (I haven’t even mentioned day trips and stopovers! ) It was a rewarding, exhausting and exciting experience all rolled into one, juggling travel classes, visiting concerts and museum visits while also experiencing the sights and sounds of Europe. 

The two travel portion classes we took were Musicians & Their Music and History of Art II.

Musicians & Their Music covered a whole lot of compositions starting from the Mediaeval period and ending at the 20th century. We listened to a wide range of music from Gregorian chants to Bebop Jazz. I really appreciate how the class exposed me to different musical genres and musicians beyond ones I already knew, broadening my musical horizons. One example of this that sticks out to me is when we learned about Johannes Brahms and his compositions. Though he’s a titan of orchestral music, I knew very little about him and his work. However, that changed at a concert in Berlin, where Hungarian Dance No. 4 was performed. I was enraptured by the performance and the piece! To me, it had the perfect mix of drama, instrumentation and emotion. The composition was stuck in my head for days afterwards, and led me to listen to the rest of Brahms’ Hungarian Dances, giving me a newfound love for his music. 

Brahms Hungarian Dance No. 4 

I had a similar experience in History of Art II, where we covered art from antiquity all the way to the early 20th century (and a lot about chairs sup. One artist in particular that I grew to appreciate was Caspar David Friedrich. Before taking this class, I only really knew him as that one artist whose painting was used in Minecraft. During the course of the class I got to see his paintings in Hamburg and Berlin while also getting to learn more about his work, style and the hidden meaning behind it. Seeing Wanderer above the Sea of Fog in person in Hamburg was incredible. We learned about the concept of the sublime in nature (how intimidating and monumental nature can be to people) and how the painting captured this idea, but when standing there in front of it, you could really feel it and I felt the same way looking at his other works while in Berlin. It inspired me to look into his life and his influences, which ultimately gave me a better understanding and appreciation of his art. 

It’d take a while to write about all the cities we visited so I’ll try and keep it brief.

Copenhagen: Lovely city, very walkable and good public transit but a bit pricey 

Hamburg: Very historic (lots of maritime history), has some unique attractions (check out the Miniature Wonderland)

Berlin: Unique, historic, vibrant city with a lot of contrast still between East and West (I really liked the computer games museum) 

Prague: Everything is really cheap, Old town is aesthetically pleasing, but can quickly get flooded with tourists

Munich: My favourite city, great mix of historic and modern attractions and just a very vibrant place all around (Do not miss out on visiting HofBrauhaus for a traditional Bavarian Experience!)

Salzburg: Small city with lots of musical history surrounding Mozart and the Sound of Music, great nature right next door in the Austrian and Bavarian Alps. 

Vienna: Very interesting place if you’re into history, art and music. It can get fairly hot due to the lack of green spaces 

Bruges: Old town is quaint, but it does quickly get flooded with tourists and things are pricey. 

Two aspects of my study abroad program I really liked were trying different foods and enjoying the natural scenery.

I got to try a lot (and I mean a lot) of food, but I’ve picked out 2 of the best and 2 of the strangest examples of food I tried while travelling. I had the pleasure of trying Cambodian food for the first time while in Copenhagen of all places, and it was fantastic. The dish consisted of a white fish stewed in coconut milk with bamboo shoots and various other vegetables served alongside white rice, all cooked to perfection. It was very flavorful and aromatic.

Cambodian Fish Stew and Rice

Another great dish I had was Cheese Spaetzle, a southern German dish similar to mac n cheese consisting of egg noodles and emmental cheese topped with fried onion, while in Vienna. Savory, rich and delicious!

Cheese Spaetzle 

Two of the strangest dishes I had were a Bismarck herring sandwich (pickled herring, purple onion and lettuce) in Hamburg and Jellied Eels (boiled eels encased in gelatine) with Pie, mash and liquor (a green parsley sauce) in London. The herring was pretty vinegary and had a bit of chew to it, and the jellied eels taste like white fish encased in jello. The pie and mash was pretty good, and the parsley liquor added a nice freshness to everything. I’ll say that these dishes tasted better than they looked (for the most part.) and it was interesting getting to try traditional, historic food from these places. 

Bismarck Herring sandwich

Jellied Eels with Pie and Mash

My first experience with beautiful natural scenery on this trip came when a day trip from Salzburg was organised to hike up the Kehlstein Mountain to the Eagle’s Nest in Southern Bavaria. Though a moderately challenging hike, the effort was well worth it as the views from the Bavarian Alps were incredible. It was a nice change of pace from the hustle and bustle of the cities we visited. 

Kehlstein Mountain, Germany

This hike inspired me to look for more natural scenery to view while based in Oxford, which led me to travel in search of natural wonders. The views I managed to see are ones I won’t be forgetting anytime soon. I would highly recommend visiting rural Scotland and Ireland. Though often harder to get to (public transport isn’t the greatest compared to continental Europe), it’s well worth the effort.

Wicklow Mountains, Ireland

Giants Causeway, Northern Ireland

Scottish Highlands

Loch Ness, Scotland

My advice to anyone who’s thinking of applying: Do it. I can say with confidence that this has been a highlight of my Georgia Tech experience, and that what I saw, learned and otherwise experienced has helped me grow as a person. Since the travel groups are pretty small, you’ll get to know some people really well and form close friendships. Regarding travel advice, I’ve listed a few points below:

Make plans in advance (especially for flights), but also be flexible

Time will fly by fast so make the most of every moment

Keep up with classes, but also travel around while in Oxford (especially if your schedule can accommodate day trips!) 

Try new things and meet new people

Reach out to previous participants (you’ll get a lot of helpful info)

[umichenginabroad]

WEEK 3: MADRID & VENTURES

Ahoj everyone! This is Jules with week 3 in Prague. My week was full of embracing more of this beautiful city and ending it with a weekend in Madrid. I can’t believe I’ve already been here for three weeks; time flies by in Europe. 

The Euros, which is the European football (“soccer” of course) championship, is going on right now, so my friends and I headed to an Irish pub to watch the Czechia versus Portugal game on Monday night. Unfortunately, we did end up losing to Portugal, but it was still really fun to watch. On Thursday, a couple of us joined in on CEA CAPA’s picnic in Stromovka park. I can’t believe I hadn’t gone to this park yet because it was so big and beautiful. After grubbing on the food that CEA CAPA so graciously provided us, we headed to a cute beer garden by the river with live music and drinks! It’s so hard to be bored in Prague when there’s always so much to do. For my classes, my Golden City class had a midterm this week, which was very doable, and my Linear Algebra class is also going great. I’m sad to say that next week is the final week for the Golden City class, but I think its four-week schedule and structure is perfect. Studying and getting work done at Cafe Du in the mornings have become a regular part of my routine. I’ll be posted up there again tomorrow morning to study for my Linear Algebra midterm. 

Irish pub. && Beautiful greenery at Stromovka park.

This weekend, I visited one of my friends who’s studying abroad in Madrid, and I had the best time ever. On Wednesday night, I did unfortunately stay up until 3 AM packing under the impression that my flight was on Thursday morning when in fact, it was on Friday morning. But the silver lining was that I got to go to the picnic at the park. After avoiding my travel fiasco, I made it to Madrid on Friday!! The first thing that my friend and I did together was grab acai bowls, which was much needed since I had been deprived for weeks. She took me shopping afterwards, showed me around the lively city, and then we grabbed tacos at Takos al Pastor. This place is infamous for their $1-2 tacos that come out almost immediately after you place your order. At night, we headed to this really cool speakeasy called Jack’s Library; it was hidden and intimate with a unique drinks menu. And then I got to experience Madrid’s clubbing at Kapital, one of their biggest clubs.

My Saturday was filled with amazing eats and a relaxing three hours at the hotel’s rooftop pool that my friend was staying at. Even though the food in Prague is really good (especially for the prices), I will admit that the food in Madrid was unmatched. The money that I saved by staying with my friend went towards my unforgettable meals. We went to Bel Mondo for dinner, and the decor inside this authentic Italian restaurant is one of my favorites of any restaurant I’ve been to. The biggest culture shock in Spain for me was the times that locals eat at. Dinner time typically begins around 9 PM and continues past midnight. On Sunday, we went to El Rastro market that had hundreds of vendors selling clothing, antiques, posters, art, literally everything you could imagine. I had to catch my flight around 1 PM, and now, I’m back home in Prague 2 eating dinner at a reasonable time. 

My Saturday spent in Madrid!!!!! Good eats, good views, good company.

All in all, I am in love with how different European cities are from one another. My first taste of the liveliness of Spanish culture has made me even more excited for my future trip to Barcelona (little teaser)!! I’m also excited to see how my weekend in Berlin next week will compare to this weekend. Thanks for reading my blog, and get ready for some more updates next week!

Jules Hwang

Industrial and Operations Engineering

Engineering in Prague

[kyndaris]

Looking back on the Rising Sun

After tasting the intricately interconnected history of empires in the Middle East, visiting South Korea and Japan this year was a treat. Much like the the nations around the Mediterranean, many of the North East Asian countries such as China, Korea and Japan also a shared history. Whether this was their festivals or religious observations - there were many similarities. Especially when it came to engagement with the Western world when European powers came knocking during the Age of Discovery.

While I would still like to do a six week trip to the United Kingdom sometime in the near future, travelling to six different cities over the course of three weeks with my dear friend, bleachpanda, was still an experience in and of itself.

Most of the time I've ventured overseas, it's been with family. In fact, there have only been two instances when it hasn't been with one family member or another. The first was in 2013 when I accompanied a friend and her brother to the United Kingdom (but stayed primarily in and around London before heading to Czechia and Austria for a week). The second was my solo travel around the United States and Canada back in 2016 after being made redundant when I was selling books.

So, this third trip without family was still very special to me.

And while from date of ticket purchase to actual visit took nigh on six months, the decision to go to Japan in late February to early March was, at least in my eyes, a rather impulsive decision.

In fact, it came about when bleachpanda was browsing the internet and stumbled upon cheap ANA deals, messaging me, and then me readily agreeing to go before I plotted out our route through the cities while noting down the major sights we could see. True, there were places we didn't quite get to see - like Onomichi or heading to Kawaguchiko and Arakurayama Sengen Park to see a splendid view of Mount Fuji - but overall, I still think our trip to South Korea and Japan will remain a particular highlight for the two of us.

Perhaps because we were not tethered to family or expectations and could explore South Korea and Japan unfettered. And as the two of us had some similar hobbies, it didn't seem all too terrible to wander through a Mugiwara store or three, even as I dragged bleachpanda to the umpteenth Disney store in the city. Yes, I did get a little cranky when we stopped every fifteen minutes to spend another five to ten minutes at an accessory store in South Korea but it could have been worse.

And bleachpanda was very accommodating when it came to all the tourist sights I had us visiting, despite the occasional tiresome travel day we may have had. Or the fact I had her climbing up Namsan towards N Seoul Tower. Something she likes to remind me of every time I sing the Don Quijote song.

Would I go travelling again with a friend? Yes! Would I travel again with bleachpanda? Probably yes. She's not the worst travel companion I've had and was pretty flexible about places to see and visit.

Travelling with friends can be a delicate balancing act but if you manage to communicate well, it can become much more fun.

Of course, keeping numbers low is still probably more beneficial than being in a large group. Unless, of course, your interests all align. Elsewise, being able to split away and do your own thing once in a while would probably be best.

In any case, visiting Japan has always been a treat. After growing up on a healthy dose of anime and manga, along with video games made by Japanese developers, there's something fascinating about visiting Japan and soaking in the culture whilst physically there. It also helped that many of their aesthetics for plushies were right in my ballpark. Beyond the major cities, though, there's also something magical about the smaller towns and the countryside. Less frenetic, they give people an opportunity to breathe.

South Korea, too, was a country of contrasts with one foot in its long storied history with the Joseon dynasty and the other in a ultramodern city setting. This was particularly prevalent in Seoul where people would hawk the latest Samsung TV or phone, which stood in stark contrast to the palaces of old.

While I know many a person who has come to fall in love with South Korea through their music, television shows and skincare products, I was still quite new to the whole experience. After all, the only Korean production I've watched is Squid Game and it doesn't distill much except that capitalism is bad and people will oft times do anything to lift themselves out of poverty. Of course, the game is rigged up for the wealthy to enjoy the novelty of watching people scrambling to survive.

But while in South Korea, I managed to see beyond the image presented by the media it produced. Instead, I came to understand a little of what drove the people and their wishes for the future.

And that is something you can't always get from a tawdry drama or two.

As someone who loves to read and play video games, exploring and seeing things for myself adds to my understanding of someone's lived experience. It brings into stark reality the horrors people have endured that seeing it through a screen simply cannot capture. Reading personal stories about those in wars, listening to their testimonies, and seeing the repercussions puts these things into perspective and helps place these events firmly in reality.

We live so much of our lives online these days, it's often hard to differentiate what is real and what isn't. Heck, some people even question now if the Holocaust is real.

Like...why? How?

This is why it's important to conserve our history.

Nations rise and fall but in many places, history has been preserved. And this was abundantly clear while I was in South Korea and Japan. While the actions of nations from aeons ago can be forgiven, they should never be forgotten lest human tribalism repeat the mistakes of old.

With that said, I do hope to revisit Japan again in the future, and perhaps a few more places in South Korea. But for now, I have my heart set on a few other countries I want to tick off. Namely Europe and the United Kingdom before I turn my attention to South-East Asia.

So many places to go, so many things to do...and yet so little time to experience this great wide world we call home.

[darkerthanblack-666]

I don't even know where you're from but I thought it be fun asking 😅. 4, 9, 16 and 25 for the ask set please 😸

Sorry it took a bit!

I'm from Poland, haha 😂

4. favourite dish specific for your country?

Last time I answered pierogi, so here's this beast (it's called kotlet schabowy):

9. which of your neighbouring countries would you like to visit most/know best?

Already answered Ukraine, but another one I would like to visit is Czechia, I've never been there 🤔

16. which stereotype about your country you hate the most and which one you somewhat agree with?

I hate the stereotype that most Polish person are catholic. It's not true!!! I was baptized as a toddler against my will, but I've never considered myself catholic, even as a child. I also know many people with a similar attitude towards religion. We actually are diverse people (I wish our government would acknowledge that). It's more of an inner stereotype though?

The one I agree with (and not just somewhat) is that to Americans we might seem grumpy at first, because we don't smile at strangers and don't like answering personal questions when we don't know someone (unless we complain about something together, that's the way to drag some personal info out of us 😂). I've also seen a youtube video of a foreigner (I think Spanish or Latino?) saying we're very emotional people. When we express negative emotions. That's absolutely true 🤣

25. would you like to come from another place, be born in another country?

Of course there are better places where I could be born, but is it really a bad place to live in? I'm in Europe, my country is in European Union, we have no wars going on, most countries in the world have it worse. So it's hard to answer this 🤔. As a typical Pole, I'm ambitious and would like to have it better, but I can't deny it's still a good country to live in...

[zsocca55]

Szia! Ahoj! I would love to ask you about your V4 headcanons, because I enjoy your V4 content too much not to beg for more of it :) Also, could you consider drawing a picture of them drinking? I can imagine Hungary drinking a lot of wine, because you have very good wine regions, Czechia being a beer-head and two bros - Poland and Slovakia enjoying heavy spirits, to be exact, Poland drinking wódka and Slovakia living his best borovička-life :D Greetings from Slovakia <3

Hello there! I wholeheartedly agree with the choice of drinks!

My V4 headcanons:

-how it all started: Poland and Czechia were in kind of a serious argument in 1335 so Hungary (along with small Slovakia) went to pacify them and the three eventually agreed to piss off Austria together

-how it came together in modern times: the four decided to take this alliance seriously in 1991 and Romania considered becoming the fifth candidate (however due to his animosity with Hungary it became impossible)

-how they work: every year they come together at one of their places and throw a celebration - then get to work on economy and political stuff (but they visit each other more than once with other reasons and sometimes to just hang out)

-interpersonal relationships: there are two strong positive connections (Poland + Hungary and the other is Czechia + Slovakia), Hungary is also on good terms with Czechia but less good with Slovakia, Poland is on good terms with Slovakia but less good with Czechia (it all comes along in a circle) - due to this there is a certain balance if two of the four is arguing because the other two will come to pacify them and therefore they work their issues out well most of the time

-unofficial team leader: Poland usually - due to his personality and neverending ideas

-unofficial team mom: Czechia - she is a no-nonsense lady who takes charge when the others are going overboard with their mischiefs

-unofficial team feeder: Hungary - she cooks for the others all the time and stuffs them with food when they are over

-unofficial team recorder: Slovakia - he keeps track of everything happening in the group - either by writing down things that happened in his diary or by recording stuff with his phone (for later blackmail purposes XD)

Thanks for the appreciation! Go V4!

[reylofanfictionanthology]

TO FIND YOUR KISS IS NOW LIVE!  

Authors will be revealed next week!  For now all fics are anonymous.  Treats can be posted through author reveals on 2/21.  We will post an updated masterpost at that time.

To Find Your Kiss collection on AO3 | Treats Masterpost

GIFT FIC MASTERPOST

- Reap the Stars for abbytheatre08

The prompt: After Ben's death, Rey goes mad and turns to the dark side. Only Ben's not dead anymore. ----------------------- She is consuming fire, magnificent in her rage. She will burn the galaxy to its foundations, until the ashes rain down and pile high as mountains. She will gather them into bouquets and scatter them like petals upon his grave.

He will be remembered, and they will not.

Call him The Light Bearer and Joy Giver. Call him He Who Loved and Laid Down His Life. Call him Ben.

- we are question marks that hang above the endless unexplained for AlwaysEverlark

The first time she walked into his club, she was looking for a job. Kylo took one look at her—the stubborn pout of her lip, the determined glint in her eyes, the ruddy glow of her face where the sun had kissed it—and swallowed a lump in his throat that was shaped like the words you’re too good for this place.

They needed a singer. Kira Johnson could hold a tune, knew the old standards, and had a knockout pair of tits to boot. A few slinky ballgowns and a touch of lipstick, and she’d more than do the trick of distracting suckers long enough to part them from their money.

The club solely needed to break even; anything they made on top of the Syndicate’s cut was gravy, and Kylo Ren had been lining his pockets with his own take for long enough that he could see Kira for the lump of clay that she was: rough-hewn, misshapen, but soft and supple and sure to curve under his touch.

- Eighty Bucks Says Sweetheart for Amoreusou

Ben likes puzzles. Rey needs help with a bunch of them. Good thing it's a slow day at the office.

- Seldom Visions for Andrina_Nightshade

After visiting an old Sith temple, Supreme Leader Kylo Ren has fallen into a deep sleep when he pricks his finger on the point of a red crystal. Rey become is the first to find him, but his rescuer isn't just any general or pilot, it's the woman he shares a soul with, who haunts his waking hours, who still sees him even in his sleep.

- The Dyad for aneighthdomain

Based of the Prompt: Groundhog Day scenario. Ben and Rey keep getting sent back to the first time they met and no matter what they do, Ben always dies so they stop trying to change events and just live a life time in the year between and couple of weeks and run away together.

- Saudade: The Love That Remains for AnneAnna

- The Delegation for aNerdObsessed

A humanitarian delegation from Naboo arrives at Niima Outpost. Rey is skeptical, to say the least.

- i don't want you like a best friend for anopendoor

It’s not like she hadn’t seen this coming—Rose told her weeks ago that he was invited. It was an inevitability Rey was always going to have to face, she just didn’t think that Rose would be so merciful as to also give every guest a plus one.

But Rey can’t really be upset—and she is totally, unequivocally not upset—that Ben's bringing someone because, well.

She is, too.

- Love is Weakness for bittersnake

“He’s someone I found on my recent trip to Corellia,” Rey replies placidly, her face practiced in its boredom. “It doesn’t mean anything.”

“Love is weakness,” her grandfather reminds her, the way he has for years. It’s why he doesn’t love her. He will not be weak. It’s why she doesn’t love him, either.

- in sickness and in health (with health being less likely) for BlueButterflyKisses

Deciding to spend the rest of their lives together is the easy part for both Rey and Ben; the trouble is in how to propose.

- Snowed In for Blueyedgurl

Never in her wildest dreams did Rey Johnson think she would ever get to meet her favorite other Kylo Ren. She also would have never entertained the idea of the scenario she found herself in. How did a hike in the woods lead to a snowstorm and taking shelter in a remote cabin in the woods? The idea was so ridiculous but had become reality. Stuck inside with a handsome stranger surrounded by a winter storm, Rey wonders what will happen with no power and only one bed. Will they be polite co-habitants stuck in a strange set of circumstances or is there room for something more?

- Curses, Comforts and Capybaras for Bombastique

Arrogant CEO bites off more than he can chew when he angers a witch... And suddenly finds himself transformed into a capybara. Can kindhearted wildlife rehabber Rey Niima help him break the curse?

- To Heal a Broken Soul for Cat2000

Ben survives the fallout of Exegol, but his connection to the physical world is in danger. Rey tends to him as she searched for a way to heal him.

- holding me like water in your hands for Ceallaigh

After Hux finds out Ben killed Snoke, Hux encases Ben in Carbonite. Rey refuses to let Ben stay frozen forever so she mounts a rescue.

- Like a Thief in the Night for chagrins

Their bond won't let them be alone. At least this time it's the middle of the night and they can't get into a shouting match.

- The Chance for Crysania

When Rey and Ben, long time co-workers who have never been able to admit their feelings to each other, go on a weekend retreat to work on a movie adaptation script together, a Nor’easter leaves them snowed in. On Valentine’s Day.

- Awake for cuddlesome

Something inside him is awake, and something inside her is about to wake up.

An alternate interrogation scene.

- darkness rises, and light to meet it for czechia

After the throne room, Jedi Ben Solo and Kira Ren meet again a year later.

- Not Quite a Fairytale for DarkMage13

Rey lets a stranger use the phone of the café she works at late one night. It changes the whole course of her life.

- You Won't Escape Me ('Cause I Set You Free) for DoorKeeper9

- The Canvas of Your Skin for darlingreadsalot

She was incapable of touching him without drawing blood, it seemed. Lines like vermillion paint streaked where her fingers sketched down the contours of his face, his back, and now his chest.

In which a Force bond is splintered, a resurrection goes wrong, a kiss is forgotten, and two almost-lovers avoid speaking for the better half of a year.

- Fleeing the Storm for driverfever

As the granddaughter of an merciless aristocrat, Rey’s life hangs on a thread at the hands of the French Revolutionaries. When her childhood friend, Ben, offers to platonically marry her in order to take her to his home in England to safety, she has no choice but to accept.

But her suitor and revolutionary Hux won’t give her up so easily. Hounded by revolutionaries and falling in love, Rey and Ben must use all their wits to flee Paris and make it to England.

- Equal Measure for dustoftheancients

When Princess Rey of Coruscant calls upon the cursed Sir Kylo Ren to help her escape her grandfather the emperor’s political machinations, she discovers freedom in the ancient familial magic that binds them together.

- Benimina Solo's Late On-Set Force Ability for Evangel10n

Benimina Solo has never, not even once, had an ounce of Force Sensitivity. She's done a great deal to move on with her life after failing out of her uncle's Jedi training school. So when Rey Palpatine comes into her life and suddenly everything changes, she's not a happy camper.

- Splatter for expendable

“You’re Palpatine’s girl,” he says coldly.

“His chief of staff, yes.” Rey’s eyes narrow. “And you have your hand on my ass, Kylo. Kindly take it off.”

“Or what?”

AKA powerful corporate rivals Kylo and Rey put the hate in love/hate.

- The Haunted Mirror for FangirlintheForest

When Rey travels to UK to attend the reading of his grandfather will, a grandfather she didn't know existed until that very moment, she finds a house, and a old story that will haunt her...

- i'm your secretary for firelord65

Kaydel pressed her lips together in a thin line, passing a pile of datapads over the desk. “I don’t know what that pretentious nerf herder has put into your brain, but these are tales of the key roles women have played in past rebellions.” She stood, tapping the pile. “They’re great reads,” she added, with a pointed raise of her eyebrow.

- and they danced across the sky for flipflop_diva

When he was still a child, he constantly watched the blue butterflies as they danced in the sky.

They seemed to be calling him, aiding him each instance that icy-cold darkness flowed through his very veins. The magnificent creatures saved him from the voices. They drowned out the incessant chatter in his head. Temporarily cleared away all the anger. During those brief respites, watching those blue wings flutter in the sky, Ben felt free.

But that’s another life. Another world. Another time. Another, another, another.

And Kylo's no longer a child.

No. He welcomes the darkness now. Embraces it.

- Finding The Answer for FrenchMartiniPlease

Rey pines for Ben Solo…so why does her soulmate mark always drain of colour whenever she gets close to him?

- Almost Unforgettable for HopeRebel

The woman in the mirror has blood on her clothes, cash in her bag, and a letter from her husband telling her it's better to forget. Well, he got his wish. She forgot everything-- including her name. And she wasn't the only one afflicted.

It'll take the combined efforts of gumshoes, a flatfoot, a washed-up Hollywood starlet, and more to get to the bottom of this bad business. In the end, these things always come back to the beginning.

- The Curl of a Sigh for irridesca

During the last song in Maxine’s set, a song she announces is called “Soul Companion,” Ben heads back out to the lobby to look for Rey. He finds her not with his eyes but with one broad shoulder, when he bumps into her and knocks her gig bag out of her hands and onto the plush carpet.

- and they were roommates for Lady_of_Haven

When Ben loses a bet to his roommate, Rey, he has to eat her out for 30 days.

- torn away from you (my heart is broken) for lakerose

The Force binds more than minds.

- If You Take Me for literallynoonecares

She sighed wistfully as she watched her two friends lean in toward each other as they danced, their lips meeting and melding together as they seemed to become one person instead of two separate beings. She had seen them kiss so many times, but this kiss … it was special.“I just want someone to kiss me like that,” she mused softly to herself, her eyes not leaving her friends.“I could make that happen if you wanted.”

- 3 Days in Vienna for Like_A_Dove

Kylo Ren, trained mercenary Alpha assassin, is on a mission—assassinate Chancellor Palpatine and bring his underground authoritarian regime to an end. It’s what the First Order demands, for the better of society.

It should be an easy task. He’s been getting close to the Chancellor and his cronies for years. So how is it that the unexpected appearance of an Omega, with a seemingly similar mission—and a wholly inconveniencing scent—become a distraction he hadn’t accounted for?

- Confidence and Desire for LittleLostStar

“Stay afraid, but do it anyway. What’s important is the action. You don’t have to wait to be confident. Just do it and eventually, the confidence will follow.” - Carrie Fisher

- Love brightens even the most monstrous parts of ourselves for LRRH17

No one knows since when the giant, black bear has lived in the forest near Theed. Many stories about the origin of Kylo Ren circulate in the small village. After Rey has run away from Jakku, and arrived in Theed she has heard them all of, but has never actually meet the creature. This changes when her and her friends get attacked by bandits on their way back from Otoh Gunga.

- Your Sweetness Comes With Sugar on the Side for Lutrosis

Rey's daughter loses her mother as she wanders around the Supermarket. Ben finds her and the two connect over both being Type 1 diabetics. They find Rey, and Ben and Rey are instantly smitten. As they date and fall in love they discover that Jade and Ben are connected more than they thought and healing is brought to the Solo/Skywalker clan.

- Allegories, or Allusions to Real Life for maq_moon

“Boys, please stop arguing.” Rose rubbed her temples. “Poe, we get it, you’re childhood best buddies, you’ve got a better grasp on his character than some rando of a rando you met at a party. Finn, for fuck’s sake, we’ve been working with Ben for months. I’m pretty sure if he’s a serial killer or whatever, it would have come out by now.” Finn sat back in his seat, grumbling. “Not how serial killers work.” Rey was going to have a headache if this continued any longer, so she lied through her teeth at the reality of a new player joining their D&D party. "He seems nice." She didn’t trust a single inch of skin on that man. "I'm sure it'll be fine."

- A Mad Man, with a Box for MBlair

Rey and Ben meet, move in together, get engaged, and marry.

- Invite the Wild In for midwinterspring

Kylo Ren, the mysterious senator who appeared from out of the deserts of Jakku and somehow brought them back to life, has spent a long and unproductive session on Hosnian Prime. Now, it's time to go home. After all, there's someone waiting for him and so much for them to do together.

(The ancient Sith had some interesting rituals.)

- Purim Party for MissCoppelia

Rey goes back to visit her foster mother for a Purim celebration. She meets Ben Solo who's visiting his parents, who are friends with her foster mother. They have an attraction to each other right away, but try to play it cool.

- The Banished Heart for misszeldasayre

On Rey of Niima’s nineteenth name day, Jakku gains a new wizard.

Jakku is a withering outpost of the kingdom, and its people hope the new wizard - the mysterious Kylo Ren - will bring them the rains the land needs to heal. Rey is a lonely, clanless girl living in Niima, and she has a secret. One she hopes the wizard will be able to help her with too.

- The Smuggler's Bride for MyJediLife

Miss Rey Nemo is the new mistress of Manor Takodana, left to her by the late Lord Skywalker. When a strange man named Kylo Ren appears on her doorstep, she decides to hire him as her new groundskeeper. As Rey faces sinister threats and secrets are revealed, Kylo Ren may be the only person who can save her.

- Annabel Lee for myownlittleinfinity

Rey keeps finding these ... notes in her locker. She doesn't quite get them. They seem like love notes, but she doesn't know who they could be from. Meanwhile she's paired up with Ben Solo (who hates her despite her gigantic crush on him) for this English assignment. Who knows how THIS will go.

- with my body i thee worship for niennathegrey

Miss Rey Nemo is the new mistress of Manor Takodana, left to her by the late Lord Skywalker. When a strange man named Kylo Ren appears on her doorstep, she decides to hire him as her new groundskeeper. As Rey faces sinister threats and secrets are revealed, Kylo Ren may be the only person who can save her.

- the losing game for no_big_deal

Sith Princess Rey Palpatine is given a peculiar gift for her Life Day: a Jedi. Not only that, one who is boorish, spirited, and stubborn. But, he presents an opportunity: one that could liberate her from a life under the thumb of her grandfather. She has seven weeks to change his heart before all her freedom is taken from her - forever.

- standing right in front of you for notkellymarie

When Senator Solo's engagement is pushed forward, he and his Jedi bodyguard, Rey, travel to Naboo alone for the announcement ball. The pair despise each other, constantly bickering and disagreeing with each other, which makes spending extensive amounts of time alone together all that more difficult. Until of course, one of them breaks...

- the good, the bad, and the smuggling for OccasionallyCreative

Ben Solo is a seasoned smuggler. And he’s not bad at it, either. But when bounty hunter Rey offers him a temporary partnership he can’t refuse, Ben will find himself pushed to the limits of his skill, patience, and resourcefulness on a job that’s dangerous enough to be his last.

It’s like his dad used to say: bounty hunters are nothing but trouble, kid.

- Whatever our souls are made of...his and mine are the same for Padawan_Writer

Ben and Rey meet only after Kylo has defected from the First Order and returned to the Resistance and his mother. Will the dyad still find a way to be?

- They say that only the dead have seen the end of war for politicalpadmé

“He traded his life for mine,” Rey choked, stomping back and forth in front of him so fast he could barely keep track of her. “He died. He died so I didn’t have to—and it’s not—it’s—after everything he’s gone through—it’s not fair.” Tears were running down her cheeks now, and Poe wanted to do nothing more than hug her, but there was nothing he could say—nothing she would want to hear. Poe remembered all the people he’d lost, all the times he had raged and screamed and cried about the unfairness of it all. “Leia sacrificed herself to bring him back,” Rey declared suddenly, ceasing her constant pacing around the fire as she looked straight at him. “And he sacrificed himself for me—and now no one’s going to know. All he’ll be remembered as is Kylo Ren, but he was—he was so much more.” She exhaled with a shudder and whispered, “He was a part of me, and I—I don’t feel whole without him.” ~

A Force Ghost Ben/Rey love story, with a side of rebuilding the galaxy.

- Cicatrix for Priestly

Getting cut up by Rey on Starkiller awakens something in Kylo.

- I Will Always Be With You for Prix

But she wouldn’t be able to hide her pregnancy for much longer. She was starting to show, and her friends would start asking questions. She would have to give them answers, some of them would not understand, and none of them would accept.

She carried his child. The tiny spark of light woven with darkness, just like her. Just like his father.

—————

The world has gone dark More times than you Or your mother Or your grandmother Can remember. And every hurricane That was meant to be The end of it all Had instead ended In sunshine again.

So believe me When I say; You will survive this And the next one too.

World’s End—Nikita Gill

- all my daydreams are disasters for QueenOfCarrotFlowers

During her search for the infamous Luke Skywalker — the man who predicted a devastating earthquake in New Madrid, Missouri — Rey finds herself entangled in Luke’s family history and with his brooding nephew, Ben Solo.

- on what ground I was founded (when I first saw you) for redbelles

Kylo dreams of Rey after the Battle of Crait. And the yearning is mutual...

Some Force Bond dream smut inspired by "Shrike" and "NFWMB" by Hozier.

- Last Summer for Reykenobi68

Rey had started to get used to Ben not living next door anymore by the time the holidays came around. Then he's back for the holidays. Rey is really expecting things to go wrong after the way he left at the end of the summer. ut is it really going to be that bad.

- The Long Way Home for reylotrash711

In the aftermath of Exegol, Ben and Rey are divided by misunderstandings.  It will take time and danger for them to work things out.

- Under the moonlight for shariling

I don't know why I followed you here. She wanted to reply. Maybe because you're so tall I couldn't help but notice you. Maybe it's because of your hair or the way you move, or maybe it's because of that kind of melancholic look in your eyes. There is something about you that I find terribly attractive and I don’t know what it is: maybe the moon or the alcohol or the wolf I have met before infected me with some strange parasite and now I am hopelessly attracted to dogs, I do not know. She could have said one of these things, any of them, instead she said: “I've never bitten anyone before, and I want you to be my first.”

- Fallen for shipperofdarkness

Prompt: Devil!Ben and Angel!Rey or Angel!Ben and Devil!Rey. How do these two on completely opposite sides fall in love and defy worlds to be together?

- come away with me for silentfleur

Rey owns a tinker shop, but her life changes when she meets Ben Solo and is cursed by a witch. Not necessarily in that order.

- A Picture of Me Without You for SpaceWaffleHouseTM

"I suppose I'd somehow struggle through / But I'd hate to picture myself without you."

It's impossible not to have a soulmark. It's not a big deal, not in the lax and gin-soaked speakeasies of 1920s Manhattan, but it's still a heavy weight to bear, as Ben Solo and Rey find out side by side.

- Lips Raw With Love for stellardarlings

Their kiss on Exegol wasn't their first kiss...

Nor would it be their last.

- Everyone Makes Divine Mistakes for Takekurabehime

Jedi Knight Ben Solo is sent to Naboo on an errand of mercy (and to visit his grandparents). He arrives in springtime; but will he be able to complete his mission without finding himself distracted and bewildered when love and intrigue waft through the fragrant air?

- Glitter & Gold for TearoomSaloon

Rey is lead singer in an up-and-coming glam metal band. They've finally got steady performances, but that means playing at the same club as the Knights of Ren, whose lead singer definitely isn't interested in any competition.

- To kiss like lovers do for the-reylo-void (Anysia)

Ben and Rey spend their formative years growing up together in Medieval Scotland and it looks like they will end up together. Circumstances intervene and Rey loses her chance to be with him. Devastated, she carries on until the day clan Ren attacks Castle Jakku lead by the notorious killer Kylo Ren.

- Snow Turns To Rain for thehobbem

For a moment, he wanted to ask what she meant, but if he was being completely honest, he already knew.  He asked himself that same question over the years, and none more often than tonight, since seeing her again.  Was leaving worth it?  Was going their separate ways worth leaving each other?

 “I’m not sure,” he said finally, shaking his head.  “I’m happy...” he said, and she tensed a little, so he continued, “with my work.  I’m glad I’m doing what I love, but....”

 “But?”

 “But it wasn’t the only thing I loved.”

- Change the Dance for theresonatinglight

- Meet Me in the Woods for thewayofthetrashcompactor (BriarLily)

“What do you mean no one goes in there?” A chuckle. “It’s haunted. People see all sorts of weird things in there and some don’t ever come out. You’re better off living with your curiosity.” Rey wakes in a shadowy forest with no memory of where she came from, only her name. With the help of the resident guardian she takes a journey to figure out her past, and maybe even discover her future.

- permanent calligraphy (your name on me forever) for Thursdaygirl

As they continue to work together, two things become clear. One: Ben Solo is an enigma. He’s preppy yet humble, privileged yet introspective. He’s the opposite of lazy; she kicks herself every day for assuming otherwise. And two: Ben Solo will never love her.

- show me the stars. for tmwillson3

“I don’t hate Christmas, I just don’t love it the way you do.” Lifting his head, he pulls a face, loosening up a tangled ornament of a poodle with pink, curly fluff. Rey snatches it from him possessively, tossing it back to the cart. “No one loves it the way you do, to be fair.”

“Now that’s the truth,” says Poe, who Finn invited about half an hour ago to keep him company.

“People have bad taste, I don’t know what to say.” Huffing, Rey scrolls through her phone with more intent. “Neither of you are helping me, anyway.”

“What’s the problem?” says Poe.

“Rey thinks her hot neighbor hates her —”

“He does hate me.”

“ — When really he’s been flirting with her for the past, oh I don’t know, how long have you lived there?”

- I realized that I need you, I wondered if I could come home for VR_Trakowski

Rey is doing exploration work for the Resistance, searching for force sensitive planets so any force sensitives that they find have a place to train.

One day, midflight she finds a slip of paper with the elegant scrawling words of the ones that came before. The ones that she found when Ben still roamed the galaxy.

When she lands on a dark and barren planet she is forced to face the feelings she thought she buried.

- Shadows of the Moon for walkingsaladshooter

The hallways got darker, the corridors grew longer. Shadows stretched across the walls. The ghosts of Breha Manor grew each night.

Rey clutched her necklace. Ben met her gaze.

And every night, there was weeping.

- show the way (the world could be) for writergenie

In the aftermath of the Battle of Crait, Rey struggles to find her place among the Resistance. However, her lingering Force bond with Kylo— Ben— whatever name he calls himself— complicates things, blurring the line between friend and foe.

When the tension threatens to boil over and a desperate plan goes awry, Rey begins to wonder whether there really is a line between light and dark after all.

(Stars do burn brightest in the blackness of space.)

- why don't we go (somewhere only we know) for XarisEirene

The bond snaps back into place, even stronger than before. He is here. With Rey, yes, but with Luke - Luke, who is looking at them now with that same dangerous glint in his eye that haunts Ben’s dreams.

- renewed, transfigured, in another pattern for yodalorian

Rey mourns on Tatooine while Ben is stuck in the World Between Worlds. But neither of them are alone, and blue butterflies light a path back to each other.

[ebyznysczfinance]

Top Finance Blog in Czech

Top finance blog in Czechia is written by Bohumil Hrabal. It is a simple to read and informative blog that will make you feel enlightened about finance and money matters. If you are a beginner and you want to learn and get familiar with different financial terms and concepts, then Top finance blog in Czechia is the best place for you. The website provides updated information about all types of finance topics which includes stock and shares, investments, mortgages, remortgaging, loans, the money market and other financial matters.

The main aim of the blog is to inform and educate people about the financial market. In the modern day financial world one needs to be aware of various financial concepts and strategies in order to survive in the competitive environment. Top finance blog in Czechia helps you understand more about the financial market and help you stay competitive in the long run. There are various tutorials available online which can be used to understand the content of the Top finance blog in Czechia. Some examples are videos, articles, FAQs and various other tools that help you understand the content of the site better.

The first thing that one may find on the site is the " Glossary of Financial Terms" section. This section provides a glossary of all popular financial terms used in the financial world. If you are not aware of some of the popular terms like banks loan term, equity, debt, mortgage, credit risk and liquidity etc., then it is advisable to take help from the glossary of financial terms. The " glossary of financial terms " in the Top finance blog in Czechia is divided into various sections that are explained in detail. The introduction of each segment gives complete information about that specific term and its definition in the English language. In addition to this some explanation about the concept of finance is also given in each term section so that the readers can understand the concept better.

The " glossary of financial terms " is not just a list of words or a few words that one can memorize. Each word has a meaning and the meaning of the word depends on the context in which it is used. Also the word is usually accompanied by an example so that the reader will understand what the term actually means. So this kind of research work is good as it can give the people who are studying about the market a better understanding of the subject. The information that is present in the Top finance blog in Czech is also very accurate and up-to-date.

Other important information that one can get while visiting the Top finance blog in Czech is the " Glossary of Interest Rates " that lists out the different interest rates that are charged for different types of loans. By reading this short yet helpful article one can get a better understanding of the loan rates at different times of the year. It also helps one to understand the actual APR (Annual Percentage Rate) that one is likely to face after applying for a particular loan.

This blog also provides valuable information about borrowing money from banks, credit unions, money market brokers and other financial institutions. It explains all about the pros and cons of each of these options so that one can make a wise decision. One can also learn about the various ways that one can use the money that they save by opting for such loans. The Top finance blog in Czech helps people to understand the role of money in today's world. The various tips and hints that are provided in this blog also helps one to manage their money so that they don't end up in debt. With the help of the tips and pointers provided one can easily save money and plan their expenditures.

[irwinkitten]

men of mayhem | a.i |

notes: thank you for the support on part one! it honestly meant the world since i’ve been working on this for idea for a while now. this part isn’t as lengthy as part one, but part three will certainly make up for it. chances are this will be wither four or five parts depending on how the last part gets written and whether i need to split it or not. for those who may or may not be confused by the timeline, i have a small list of what’s happened.

—Michelle and Ashton are both born in 1978

—Become friends at the age of five in 1983

—Her younger brother Matthew (Matty) is born in 1992

—Heads off to university at 18 in 1996 (First four years as an undergrad and then 3 years for law school) 

—They get engaged at the end of her first year. They’re both 19.

—Ashton and Michelle get married at 20 in the June of 1998

—Michelle returns to university in the fall of 1999. 

—Michelle and Jen accept their internships in the January of 2000

warnings: none word count: 2.6

part one

-

          The honeymoon was everything Michelle had dreamed of her life becoming. Travelling each state, spending some days there before moving onto the next one, it was a thrill of the unknown. 

Only twice did Ashton have to use his name to get them through territories. His face was known enough that a few of the locals thought they’d get something. Most of them got a few bullets and a warning to the others. 

When the Irwin’s left the States, both of them relaxed much more. Ashton knew of a group over in Ireland, however he knew better than to try and antagonise them on their own soil. The last thing he wanted was to cause problems overseas and Michelle had been firm that they were staying in Dublin for their duration.

Not one to argue with his best friend and wife, they kept the trip to Northern Ireland short before making the trip across to the UK. When they’d arrived in the UK, Christmas was fast approaching, only three weeks away. That was when they both suffered with bouts of homesickness. Long distance calls didn’t do much and it was going to be their first Christmas together, away from their families.

They travelled up and down the country, exploring the small seaside towns in the south before partying with strangers up in the north. It was a thrill for the both of them with so many new sights that they’d made the decision to see the new year whilst they were in the UK.

Ashton could see his wife thriving in this environment, especially since she’d made good on her plans to have sex in every state and every country they were visiting. And for a brief second, he imagined what it would be like if they immigrated. 

But it was at night, on the quieter ones when they needed the peace away from the busy streets, when he was holding her tightly as she told him how much she missed their parents and Matty. It was too far and he knew that he’d get bored of a relaxed lifestyle. 

Both of them made sure to send him postcards from every place they visited. When they had the chance to call, Matty was always crowing about how he was making a book so he could show his classmates where they’d been. Ashton had laughed and told him to wait till he saw his gifts. 

January brought in the year 1999 and they crossed into mainland Europe on the channel tunnel. Ashton managed to surprise his wife with a hotel that overlooked the Eiffel tower as well as bookings for top restaurants in Paris before they ventured north into Belgium.

As much as they both missed riding the bikes back home, they’d gone with the sensible route of hiring a car, making their trips easier. It certainly helped that once they passed through Belgium into the Netherlands, they’d become adept at getting by.

It was certainly an experience for the Irwin’s, especially in Germany. As they travelled over to Berlin, they decided to make more days out of their trip. They knew that there was a time limit now, they needed to get back in time for Michelle to register for her fall classes. 

With that in mind, they worked their way around Europe. From Germany they travelled through Poland and spent time in Warsaw before travelling down to Czechia so they could visit Prague before going through Slovakia and into Hungary. From there they went west into Austria before finally reaching Italy which had been one of their main destinations. The plan was to spend a month in Italy before travelling to Spain via France and then back to the UK once more.

The last few months seemed like a dream to both of them. Michelle almost regretted the fact that she had to go back for fall classes, but when they returned home greeted by their families when they arrived from the airport-suitcases in tow-it was a relieved Michelle who greeted their parents and her little brother, the four adults asking rapid fire questions to the younger couple.

Matty listened to both of their stories, the adventures that they had, the smaller trips that they made in the countries to the long drives. He was beside himself with glee when, after each story about each country, he was given small gifts from those countries. 

Before either of them knew it, Michelle was back in the city and Ashton was back on his bike, joining the various smuggling runs that were going on. 

The travelling had only heightened his instincts, stopping standard runs from turning into bloody massacres. 

That was when Bert finally made his decision, knowing that after a few more years in the business, he’d be able to leave the club in safe hands.

-

Michelle fell back into her classes with ease. Although some of her classmates were the same, there were new faces as well. 

Jen had come over for wine and dinner after the first week and thanked her for all of the beautiful postcards that had been sent to her.

“Did you really think you weren’t going to be kept up to date on my travels? Especially having so much sex all year?” They shared giggles as Michelle moved from her spot on the sofa, picking up one of the last few bags that she’d brought with her.

“What’s in the bag, Chelle?” Jen nearly dropped her wine as Michelle threw it to her.

“Open it and see.” Came the playful response as she retook her spot and Jen eyed her curiously before opening the bag.

Dipping her hand in, she pulled out the most beautiful scarf she’d ever seen, the colours vibrant and the fabric soft. Happily, the other woman abandoned her wine to really get a feel for the scarf, her eyes moving to Michelle in almost an awe like manner.

“Where did you get this from?” Jen breathed, placing the scarf on her lap before grabbing the bag to see if there was anything else. They were small trinkets; little snow globes and a small toy.

“I got the scarf when we were in Czechia. We met a lady in the UK who had recently travelled there and we’d told her that we were planning to go there as well. She told us to at least stop in Prague, collect some scarves as gifts. She said that she bought some for her daughter and nieces, and it’d been one of the better and more practical gifts.” Michelle explained as Jen stroked her fingers over the scarf once more.

“She’s certainly right. Oh I can’t wait to be able to wear this when it gets colder.” This prompted another giggle before they moved into the kitchen to eat.

The year began to fly by and as they started to venture into the courthouses, Michelle was beginning to win her cases that were presented. She was beginning to get recognised and requested, which had surprised her tutors, but they encouraged her, especially when Jen began to carve her own path.

It was no surprise to either women when they were offered Internships at different law firms, both of them surpassing the expectations of the class. Both offers had been made at the start of 2000, and both women toasted this to the start of a better decade. 

It was the first year that she had all of their families come to visit during her summer off from university. Ashton stayed for the duration, her brother travelling up for the occasional weekend with Calum who did a few runs in between and kept Ashton up to date with things that couldn’t be discussed over the phone. 

It was during this period when Ashton had a second moment of consideration to the thought of moving the club, but he knew that the police in the city weren’t so easy to bribe. Michelle had sensed his hesitation and when he mentioned it, the look on her face spoke volumes to him.

“If you do that Irwin, you’re not the man that I married. And anyway, you most likely won’t become the club President til long after I move back, so get those thoughts outta your head.” 

And it was easy for him to switch them off, to forget that the thoughts even existed in his mind for a few moments. They were moments forgotten, replaced with moments of excitement at the prospect of his wife finally coming home. 

When normality returned for Michelle in the fall, it only highlighted to her how much she missed her home. She may have lived in that house, but it wasn’t home by a long shot.

Her school years began to slip away from her. 2000 slipped into 2001, and as her days became routine, 2002 crept up on her. Life became steady for them both, despite their own disruptive lives with work and school on Michelle’s part and the club on Ashton’s part. But they worked through it. 

Numerous times Calum showed up instead of Ashton, being her protective detail every so often which alerted her that things were happening back home which potentially put her in danger.

Sometimes he showed up without any warning and those were her favourite times, especially when Jen had taken a shining to Calum. Michelle had quietly warned her friend that Cal’s life was not for the faint of heart and Jen had smirked at her friend in reply before asking if she could show him around the city.

Michelle all but shoved him out of the door laughing when that had happened.

A few months on from that, she’d learned from Jen that she wasn’t after anything serious with Calum and they’d come to the mutual agreement for it after the first night. Michelle had only been partially relieved and still rolled her eyes whenever they crossed paths whilst he was there and they’d flirt as if they’d never met.

After a few months of this, some of the guys in her class had seen sides to the ladies that they never realised was there. It’d been a long week for Michelle, constantly on edge whenever her and Jen went out. That edge served her well when she spotted one of the guys from her course trying to convince her staggering friend to let him take her home.

She was certain his chest was sporting a bruise from her elbow.

Calum had shown up that weekend, and seeing her taut like a spring, he didn’t take long to convince her to go out with him.

“It’ll be safe, doll. Would Jen want to join us?” The surprise on his face as she scowled at the floor briefly was missed entirely by Michelle.

“It’s been a rough week for her. Let’s just go out, you and me. Like old times.” He snorted at that but nodded before she vanished upstairs to change. 

Calum was unfamiliar with the bars, he’d not really bar hopped in the city before, but Michelle had a level of comfort and familiarity with some of the bartenders, so he let her lead the way. 

Conversation was light and easy between the two. Calum knew to steer away from her cases and she knew better than to ask about any of the runs in such a public setting. But like always, there was something to talk about and more often than not, Michelle had taken to teasing him about Jen.

“Please tell me she told you that she got a noise complaint from her neighbours?” Calum laughed at that as he paid for their drinks. They were on bar three an the alcohol was leaving a pleasant buzz. Whereas Michelle was more likely to get herself plastered, Calum knew better, especially with the gun that was tucked into the back of his jeans.

“She failed to mention that to me. Maybe I should drop by tomorrow after I’ve had dinner with you, see if we can get another complaint before I head back.” Michelle laughed at the cheeky grin before she felt someone grab her arm.

“Stay with me sweetheart, you don’t need a gang banger like him for a night. I can show you a real good night if you’ll let me.” It took a minute for her to register the voice, her mind finally placing the name to his face as well.

“Fuck off Evan. You know I’m married.” She held up her left hand and he scoffed.

“Hey gang banger, you fucking her on the side or is she your main piece?” Fury ripped through Michelle but before she could verbally flay him, she felt Calum’s towering presence and smirked as Evan’s face dropped.

“You wanna say that about my sister again?” Panic in his eyes made Michelle snort as he tried to step back, but she stuck her foot out, making him stumble.

“Take it outside.” The bartender warned and Calum simply nodded, grabbing Evan by his jacket and pulling him outside. Michelle followed, making sure that he wouldn’t get himself arrested.

“Apologise to her now.” His voice was harsh with his demand and she watched in a stony silence as Evan stuttered out his apology.

“It was-was just a j-joke. I’m sorry if I-if I offended you.” Calum glanced back to Michelle and it finally hit her where she really recognised him from. 

“You weren’t apologising last week when you tried to drag my friend home with you and ended up with my elbow in your chest. So no, that bullshit of an apology doesn’t float with me, sunshine.” She snapped, her eyes meeting Calum’s briefly. 

It took a second for it to dawn on his face who she meant and he turned to face Evan.

“Maybe this will be a reminder of how not to treat women, piece of shit.” The first punch was landed before Evan could fight back, the second managed to make a cut and break his nose, blood dripping down. The third one knocked him out.

Michelle didn’t hesitate to hand him a napkin to clean off some of the blood before he offered his arm to her, making her snort as he gauged where they were for a second before going in the rough direction of where he knew her house was.

“So how are your parents doing? I know they asked after me when I didn’t come home again this summer.” Calum just laughed.

“They know that you’re in your last two years and with the Internship they don’t blame you for staying in the city. Momma Hood wants you back for Christmas this year, no arguments. Keeps saying the town feels too empty without you.” This had her groaning but also agreeing with his mother's demand.

No one could say to his mom and not feel guilty. She learned the trick of making people feel like they’d kicked a puppy if they said no to her.

When school recommenced in the fall, she’d spoken with Charlie, her employer, and managed to request that she have the following summer off to return home, and the agreement was in principal, as long as she remained contactable for any cases that they needed the full team or a fresh set of eyes for. 

It worked in her favour that she rarely took any vacation time off and had been available last minute for some of their bigger cases. With that promise of the summer off, Charlie also told her that there was going to be a position on his team, waiting for her once she graduated. 

That news had been welcomed gleefully and gratefully accepted.

Getting to the last year was going to be a breeze, especially knowing that she had a job waiting for her on the other side of her studies. For now, she was content to get to the summer and finally get some time off with her family and spend time with her little brother. 

-

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[suis0u]

Anemone, Camelia, Candytufts

Anemone: Favorite flower?

Oh, I don't really have that one favorite flower. Ccurrently I enjoy all the flowers on my balcony and love those little pink, white, yellow and red flowers of my houseleeks and mossy saxifrage. I also love wildflowers and I enjoy the smell of summer jasmin and wild roses a lot.

Camelia: If you could visit anywhere, where would you want to go?

Oh, a lot of places. I definetely want to visit sweden again and I want to see Norway and Bergen. I want to go to Japan, want to see those monstrous cities but mostly I'm interested in their culture and nature. Australien and New Zealand are on my List. But also places that aren't that far away. I woud like to see Prague again and Czechia has beautiful forests. I never even was in Italy yet and so many other places, that aren't so far off and still...

Candytufts: When do you feel most loved?

That's actually a hard one to answer. I'm not very good with that kind of stuff. But maybe, when I know I'm safe and understand, free to touch and speak to someone, be able to just be myself and still accepted in all the way. So, mostly... when I'm around my best friend.

[anika-ann]

Hi could you answer number 24, 15 and 9 😊 (btw im from Germany and my answer to number 9 would actually be Czechia 😄)

Hiii sweets🥰

9. which of your neighbouring countries would you like to visit most/know best?

I am even ashamed to say, especially since you’d like to visit us🥺 I’ve only ever been at our neighbours’ to either catch a flight, to shop or to visit like, one or two places with school🙈  I want to visit them aaaaall, because damn, do I need to learn about all the beautiful places  🥺

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15. a saying, joke, or hermetic meme that only people from your country will get?

Aside from numerous new jokes and memes that pop up whenever some crap happens and probably only Czech people understand, we often quote Czech comedies and fairy tales, ‘cause we know them through and through. 

But I think that our specialty is Jára Cimrman - a fictional persona, a genius, who among other things wrote several plays. This is a quote from one of them, originally to desribe a class, but here used to describe Czech parliament. I swear it’s funny to us 😄

(”Nitwit, moron, nitwit, moron, nitwit, moron, nitwit, moron. Oh, but back there, there’s one exception; that’s two morons sitting together.”)

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24. what other nation is joked about most often in your country?

Everyone. I think it’s everyone and sometimes it’s incredibly mean. We make fun of western countried, which are soooo progressive and from eastern countries for I don’t even know? Yeah. Czech people can have mean humour🙄

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Thank you so so much for reaching out, neighbour 💖 Have a nice day/night!

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Ask me too! “hi, I’m not from the US” ask set