#syrus lowe

[105nt]

Strike Alumni TB Tweets

There’s no good reason for doing this except my kids wanted to watch Pixels again and I was bored. 

All the tweets I’ve liked over the past couple of weeks, in case they disappear. I haven’t included the ones where it’s a tweet by the agent 

Continued here ...

[syrus-sillies]

why did you choose not to finish gx so early into the show?

There's still time for me to watch it, I don't plan on dropping it entirely at all! I'm just somewhat intimidated by longer series. GX isn't the typical genre that I watch/like, so that could probably play a factor into it.

[gx-gameon]

Jaden’s first day at duel academy. Also know as the day Seto Kaiba realized how incompetent his staff is.

Jaden’s first day is great for him!

He meets his new roommates Syrus and Chumley.

He’s got a sick dorm.

Met Bastion, Chazz and Alexis

Had a great dinner!

Dueled Chazz for the first time (and he was going to win! If it wasn’t for stupid security)

All in all a great day

Jaden’s first day at duel academy is awful for Seto Kaiba

Jaden has been sending them pictures all day.

At first everything seems normal. Red uniform. Okay Slifer red is the 1st year dorm so that makes sense.

Except then Jaden sends them a picture of the dorms, which is a run down little shack. And he’s all excited “it’s a long walk but the view is gorgeous!” He sends with a picture of the outside of the dorms. Which has Seto wondering if the boy is messing with them.

Then Jaden send the picture of his room. “It’s a great pad for my first year! I’m so excited!” Seto take one look at the run down room and is ready to fly to the academy because he KNOWS has gave them more than enough money to make three premier dorms that the fanciest resorts in the world couldn’t match. So why what the 1st year dorm so run down and cramped?

New text from Jaden “I met both of my roommates! They are awesome!” Yugi (who bless him is asking Jaden questions and responding with enthusiasm because lord knows Seto has not replied to anything yet because of the mental gymnastics he’s doing trying to figure out what is happening at his school!) “that’s great! Tell us about them!” Jaden: “Syrus is a 1st year like me and Chunley is a 3rd year.”

Seto ‘I beg you the biggest pardon’ Kaiba is finally in this conversation: “you’re rooming with a 3rd year?” Something is not right here! He already knew that but obelisk is the 3rd year dorm so why is there a 3rd year in the slicer dorm. “Why isn’t he in the obelisk dorm with the other 3rd years?” Kaiba is staying as calm as possible but the man is close to blowing a gasket.

“3rd year dorms? Obelisk? That’s not what Chumley said.” And then Jaden, bless his airhead heart, makes the truly terrible decision to tell his Oto-san verbatim what Chumley told him about the rank system.

The blues are the top of the school some are there because of their grades others because of connections.

The yellows are mostly younger students with lots of potential

And there are the red wonders, as in I wonder how they ever got here.

And Jaden is laughing and talking about how he’s sure to be an obelisk in no time. But Seto is fuming. His son! Talentless? Um did they not see his entrance exam where he defeated one of the head professors when they were using their PERSONAL deck. This is unacceptable! Screw no one knowing Jaden’s identity, he can come up with some lie. Some connection between them to move Jaden up. But also what the heck are the people running his school doing? Making a rank system like this. Yes it was his idea to rank the students a reward them, but he didn’t mean with livable conditions! Also how was Jaden not an Obelisk already? Or at least Ra if his test score was to low. Kaiba’s blaming Crowler (he’s right)

The only thing that stops Seto from getting in the jet and flying to the school is a phone call from Yugi. Who is also upset but knows how important it is to Jaden that no one at that school knows about their connection to him, and how genuinely excited Jaden is about all of this. “We wait it out Seto. We can’t go now. But a surprise inspection in a few weeks might not hurt.” And truly Yugi is the best Husband Seto could have. He’s calm, thinks things through, is rational while also plotting seven moves ahead. Seto would propose again if he could.

Then Jadne sends them a picture of the dueling arena “look how cool! You really out did yourself with this one Oto-san! But apparently it’s only for the Obelisk kids to use.” Seto’s ready to storm the school again. Yugi (who has made his way to the office and is sitting next to Seto at this point to try and curb his husband’s rage while also minding his own anxiety and nerves over Jaden being away. “Is there a Slifer only dueling arena?” There had to be. If there wasn’t Seto would have one built and Yugi wouldn’t stop him. If the school was actively with holding facilities from certain student then they would have to step in. “Great idea Dad I’ll go look after dinner!”

Dinner is its own affair. Jaden snaps them a picture is his welcome meal: rice and sardines. And I can’t stress enough how excited this kid is. “Diner was delicious. Professor Banner is a great cook! And he’s super nice!” Seto’s head is in his hands at this point. He loves his son’s endless optimism but please Jaden be upset about something! Yugi just responds with “I’m glad you like your professor!” He’s so stressed out. He’s trying to stay positive with Jaden but he can see his husband’s fury and he’s mad too. But he’s not going to ruin Jaden’s day with his own feelings.

The phone goes quiet for a while. They think Jaden’s gone to sleep and they head home. They are discussing everything with Mokuba and Atem at the manor. (Maybe Joey video calls in to check on how his littlest buddies first day was. Jaden was probably texting him all day to. So he already know Seto head is ready to spin 360 degrees and chase his staff around with his Blue Eyes. He’s on video call for the drama!)

Until Jaden calls Yugi. “I just had my first duel!” And Jaden tells them all about his duel with Chazz. How he stole Jaden’s Flame Wingedman and used it against him. How Jaden took Wingman back. How he had just drawn monster reborn and was going to win when campus security arrived and they had to run. Apparently his opponent hadn’t told Jaden about the no after hours dueling rule when he challenged him.

They are all proud of how Jaden handled himself. Though Atem isn’t happy there was an ante on the duel (he hates betting his cards on the outcome) and Seto is still mad about… everything. Jadne ends the call with “today was a really great day! I’m so glad I get to go here! Thanks for trusting me with this. Love you!” And now how can Seto take any action against the school when Jaden is happy? Oh he has so many plans, Mokuba is scheming with him. But not yet. Not while Jaden’s happy.

But the moment Jaden’s not happy Seto’s firing half the staff.

Any way my Yugi raise Jaden Au ahas made rewatching Gx hilarious for me. Cause I’m just picturing Seto being enraged with every update Jaden sends and it’s making me cackle.

[mariacallous]

Recently, I was using Google and stumbled upon an article that felt eerily familiar.

While searching for the latest information on Adobe’s artificial intelligence policies, I typed “adobe train ai content” into Google and switched over to the News tab. I had already seen WIRED’s coverage that appeared on the results page in the second position: “Adobe Says It Won’t Train AI Using Artists’ Work. Creatives Aren’t Convinced.” And although I didn’t recognize the name of the publication whose story sat at the very top of the results, Syrus #Blog, the headline on the article hit me with a wave of déjà vu: “When Adobe promised not to train AI on artists’ content, the creative community reacted with skepticism.”

Clicking on the top hyperlink, I found myself on a spammy website brimming with plagiarized articles that were repackaged, many of them using AI-generated illustrations at the top. In this spam article, the entire WIRED piece was copied with only slight changes to the phrasing. Even the original quotes were lifted. A single, lonely hyperlink at the bottom of the webpage, leading back to our version of the story, served as the only form of attribution.

The bot wasn’t just copying journalism in English—I found versions of this plagiarized content in 10 other languages, including many of the languages that WIRED produces content in, like Japanese and Spanish.

Articles that were originally published in outlets like Reuters and TechCrunch were also plagiarized on this blog in multiple languages and given similar AI images. During late June and early July, while I was researching this story, the website Syrus appeared to have gamed the News results for Google well enough to show up on the first page for multiple tech-related queries.

For example, I searched “competing visions google openai” and saw a TechCrunch piece at the top of Google News. Below it were articles from The Atlantic and Bloomberg comparing the rival companies’ approaches to AI development. But then, the fourth article to appear for that search, nestled right below these more reputable websites, was another Syrus #Blog piece that heavily copied the TechCrunch article in the first position.

As reported by 404 Media in January, AI-powered articles appeared multiple times for basic queries at the beginning of the year in Google News results. Two months later, Google announced significant changes to its algorithm and new spam policies, as an attempt to improve the search results. And by the end of April, Google shared that the major adjustments to remove unhelpful results from its search engine ranking system were finished. “As of April 19, we’ve completed the rollout of these changes. You’ll now see 45 percent less low-quality, unoriginal content in search results versus the 40 percent improvement we expected across this work,” wrote Elizabeth Tucker, a director of product management at Google, in a blog post.

Despite the changes, spammy content created with the help of AI remains an ongoing, prevalent issue for Google News.

“This is a really rampant problem on Google right now, and it's hard to answer specifically why it's happening,” says Lily Ray, senior director of search engine optimization at the marketing agency Amsive. “We've had some clients say, ‘Hey, they took our article and rehashed it with AI. It looks exactly like what we wrote in our original content but just kind of like a mumbo-jumbo, AI-rewritten version of it.’”

At first glance, it was clear to me that some of the images for Syrus’ blogs were AI generated based on the illustrations’ droopy eyes and other deformed physical features—telltale signs of AI trying to represent the human body.

Now, was the text of our article rewritten using AI? I reached out to the person behind the blog to learn more about how they made it and received confirmation via email that an Italian marketing agency created the blog. They claim to have used an AI tool as part of the writing process. “Regarding your concerns about plagiarism, we can assure you that our content creation process involves AI tools that analyze and synthesize information from various sources while always respecting intellectual property,” writes someone using the name Daniele Syrus over email.

They point to the single hyperlink at the bottom of the lifted article as sufficient attribution. While better than nothing, a link which doesn’t even mention the publication by name is not an adequate defense against plagiarism. The person also claims that the website’s goal is not to receive clicks from Google’s search engine but to test out AI algorithms in multiple languages.

When approached over email for a response, Google declined to comment about Syrus. “We don’t comment on specific websites, but our updated spam policies prohibit creating low-value, unoriginal content at scale for the purposes of ranking well on Google,” says Meghann Farnsworth, a spokesperson for Google. “We take action on sites globally that don’t follow our policies.” (Farnsworth is a former WIRED employee.)

Looking through Google’s spam policies, it appears that this blog does directly violate the company’s rules about online scraping. “Examples of abusive scraping include: … sites that copy content from other sites, modify it only slightly (for example, by substituting synonyms or using automated techniques), and republish it.” Farnsworth declined to confirm whether this blog was in violation of Google’s policies or if the company would de-rank it in Google News results based on this reporting.

What can the people who write original articles do to properly protect their work? It’s unclear. Though, after all of the conversations I’ve had with SEO experts, one major through line sticks out to me, and it’s an overarching sense of anxiety.

“Our industry suffers from some form of trauma, and I'm not even really joking about that,” says Andrew Boyd, a consultant at an online link-building service called Forte Analytica. “I think one of the main reasons for that is because there's no recourse if you're one of these publishers that's been affected. All of a sudden you wake up in the morning, and 50 percent of your traffic is gone.” According to Boyd, some websites lost a majority of their visitors during Google’s search algorithm updates over the years.

While many SEO experts are upset with the lack of transparency about Google’s biggest changes, not everyone I spoke with was critical of the prevalence of spam in search results. “Actually, Google doesn't get enough credit for this, but Google's biggest challenge is spam.” says Eli Schwartz, the author of the book Product-Led SEO. “So, despite all the complaints we have about Google’s quality now, you don’t do a search for hardware and then find adult sites. They’re doing a good enough job.” The company continues to release smaller search updates to fight against spam.

Yes, Google sometimes offers users a decent experience by protecting them from seeing sketchy pornography websites when searching unrelated, popular queries. But it remains reasonable to expect one of the most powerful companies in the world—that has considerable influence over how online content is created, distributed, and consumed—to do a better job of filtering out plagiarizing, unhelpful content from the News results.

“It's frustrating, because we see we're trying to do the right thing, and then we see so many examples of this low-quality, AI stuff outperforming us,” says Ray. “So I'm hopeful that it's temporary, but it's leading to a lot of tension and a lot of animosity in our industry, in ways that I've personally never seen before in 15 years.” Unless spammy sites with AI content are stricken from the search results, publishers will now have less incentive to produce high-quality content and, in turn, users will have less reason to trust the websites appearing at the top of Google News.

[fanfic-lover-girl]

The Real Yugioh Best Friend Characters

Like how Seto Kaiba was the rival prototype, Joey or Jonouchi was the best friend prototype character.

I have seen debates in yugioh gx and yugioh zexal spaces about who is the true rival character (Chazz vs Ryo and Kaito vs Shark). But you don't really see the same debates for the best friend characters. So I want to give my opinion.

First, what are my main characteristics of a BF character?

The protag's soulmate. Someone who shares a deep emotional and/or spiritual connection with the protag. Their stories intertwine.

Someone who is always on the front lines with the protag. Whether in the form of tag duelling, giving tough love encouragement or being a hope to the protag in low points. Brothers in arms.

Someone who is very protective of the protag and vice versa. A friendship where both are willing to die for each other.

Simple enough I hope.

Yugioh DM - Joey Wheeler / Jonouchi Katsuya

No explanation here. No one even comes close to Joey in OG Yugioh.

Yugioh GX - Jesse Anderson / Johan Andersen

Syrus / Sho is meant to be the best friend character to Judai. But he fails on many levels. He is more of a cheerleader type than a true best friend. Syrus hardly helps Judai in anything - in fact, Syrus abandoned Judai in his lowest moment in season 3 (don't care if he was influenced by the curse, the curse only exaggerated existing feelings). It becomes even more laughable when he and that dino guy fight over Judai in season 2. Judai can't count on Syrus when his back is against the wall and if Syrus was more like Joey, Judai would not feel so overwhelmed with everyone depending on him 100%. The exchange students were better friends to Judai in season 3 than Syrus.

Unlike Johan. Judai and Johan are soulmates from day 1. They are equals and they both have a lot of similarities and Johan inspires Judai. When Johan goes missing, Judai's world crumbles and Judai is a madman trying to save him. Not to mention the battle royal with Fujiwara was epic. I did not fully watch GX so I don't know all the Johan and Judai moments but I understand why people ship these two together.

Johan is Judai's true BF, not Syrus.

Yugioh 5Ds - Bruno

I have not fully watched 5Ds but I know the general plotlines. I don't have much of an opinion here. Crow Hogan is supposed to be the best friend and Jack the rival. But I am not impressed much by the Crow and Yusei friendship. Maybe it's because of Crow's late introduction in season 1 and how it felt like Crow and Yusei parted ways before the season began. When I think of Crow, I mainly think of his domestic spats with Jack.

Yusei and Bruno had an instant connection and it was so cute how Yusei was able to geek out with someone. Bruno's death scene still makes me cry on the inside man. Seeing Yusei cry at the end is gut-wrenching :'(

I wish Yusei had a BF like Joey. My main issue with 5Ds is that Yusei is always the one giving - like with Aki and Kiryu. And Yusei's season 1 friends were completely forgotten in favour of the Signers. Yusei deserved better.

Yugioh Zexal - Reginald Kastle / Ryoga Kamishiro

Bronk is supposed to be the BF character. However, like Syrus, Bronk fails to live up to the role for similar reasons. His connection with Yuma lacks any deep impact.

But Shark...Shark is the best. Can I just pause and gush about how much I adore Shark? This dude is one of the best characters in Zexal. Shark is both rival and best friend and I love it! He's like Joey in that he starts off as a bully but Yuma saves him through friendship and camaraderie. Like Yuma did not chase after anyone the way he chased after Shark :'). And my boy Shark is so protective of Yuma. He lost his soul against Kaito, trying to protect Yuma's key. He protected Yuma in the Faker and Mizael fight, getting seriously injured. Shark has Yuma's back people. And the way how Yuma and Shark give each other hope in their lowest moments...oh I love these two so much! And then when Shark is revealed to be Nasch, a Barian, the emotional rollercoaster these two go on. Shark was there at Yuma's side to face Don Thousand and being Yuma's last antagonist was so beautiful. Shark and Yuma are soulmates and Bronk can't even compete.

Shark is Yuma's true BF, not Bronk. And I would argue that Shark is Yuma's true rival, not Kaito. But let's not get into that.

Ultimately, Joey and Shark are my favourite best friend characters. Every guy needs a bro like Joey or Shark in their life. And Bruno actually died for Yusei. The friendships in Yugioh are amazing, so good.

[aberooski]

Zane is the literal worst.

Putting Syrus down even more when he's already at such a low place and basically saying he's GLAD Syrus is trying to drop out of the school and making him CRY and then just acting like he's done nothing wrong is horrendous behavior.

If I was Jaden I would've just beat the shit out of him, like fuck dueling, we're gonna throw hands.

I hate him.

[cyberdragoninfinity]

🔥🔥🔥 would love to hear your takes on Zane Truesdale and or just the Truesdale brothers in general

YESS

🔥for just Zane specifically: it is. deeply frustrating when both fans and official supplementary ygo media want him to just be The Mean Big Bad Sadomasocist Goth (i love Zane so much but DL Zane leaves a little bit to be desired imo!!!) Like... first of all this is literally not even a particularly villainous character. Yugioh has evil gnarly big bad guy characters and Zane really is straight up not one of them im sorry. And that I think that along with this very common fan read on Zane that he doesn't care about anything just speaks a lot to how his character gets particularly misinterpreted even to this day. Like oh my god I think even at his lowest lows in the Hell Kaiser days this is not a character who "doesn't care." If anything he cares TOO much. Like most if not all of what Zane Truesdale does is out of how much he cares about something, be it respect and fair play, the desperate rush of victory, his own sense of pride and mangled self-worth, or for his brother. He does things very deliberately on the whole. This is not a character of violence and apathy this is a mentally ill autistic teen staggering into young adulthood with heaps of potential piled upon him until the weight pushes him to an extreme that he can't really come back from, not without literally killing himself. i love him very much.

(i also cant say im a very big fan of the take i see where people wish he stayed dead after s3--among other reasons i just think the optics are not especially fantastic on being really gungho against a canon disabled character getting to Survive and have some semblance of a hopeful resolution. sorry)

🔥 for the Truesdale bros in general: really tangentially related to all of this i absolutely 1000000% disagree with this unfortunately rampant fan take that Zane is either A.) completely uncaring towards Syrus or B.) abusive or C.) both. No He Is Not. Try Again. These are two brothers with very different ways they engage with the world who have a complicated and for a long while pretty terse relationship, but to believe this is no love there is a disservice to both of them. The GX dub was so fucking real and right to have Zane tell syrus on two different occasions how much he cares about him and is proud of him. Miss me with the helpless Syrus takes and the Mean and Evil Zane takes it's about to be 2024 do BETTER.

[kujakumai]

How about Syrus or Crowler?

favorite thing about them: Unironically the fact that he's anxious as hell and has really low self-esteem to the degree that it's genuinely impeding him, a character trait that's really hard to write without coming off grating to the audience--and while others can disagree, to me he never comes off as annoying. He's just a kid who's been through a lot and needs a boost. least favorite thing about them: Probably all the weird dark magician girl jokes. brOTP: His friendship with Jaden is clearly like life-changing for him, that kid is his rock. OTP: I think he has a huge crush on Jaden. They can be my OTP and brOTP for him. nOTP: Does anyone even ship Syrus. I have never seen romantic content of Syrus Truesdale in my life. random headcanon: Likes cars because they fulfill the need to take of creatures while being allergic to everything. Would give a vehicle a human name and assign it pronouns and talk about it like its his bestie. unpopular opinion: If you call him annoying or are mean about him I'll fight you he's a good kid and he loves his friends STOP being mean to him song i associate with them: A Complete List of Fears Ages 5-28 - Yellow Dress is an extremely Syrus song and also a Syrus-about-Jaden song.

[couldtransitionsaveher]

SYRUS TRUESDALE / SHO MARUFUJI from YU-GI-OH GX!

JUSTIFICATION:

"Low Self-confidence, hiding in the shadow of both her older brother and her stand-in older brother(Jaden/Judai) and feels neglected/abandoned whenever Jaden/Judai starts hanging out with new friends. Tends to have self-deprecating spirals and often isn't confident enough in her skills as a duelist to play her cards that would win her games or advance her gamestate. Her deck at the end of the series is a mismatched pile of her own Vehicroid cards and her older brothers Cyberdark cards, which don't work together and with yugioh's focus on using thematic cards, her eventually dropping Zane's cards as she steps out as her own duelist would do a lot to round out her arc. She also has a crush on Dark Magician Girl, that's not entirely relevant but she's so real for that." - @thewizardmus

Reminder: Submissions are always open! Submit here!

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[imagine-that-one-thing]

Chapter 3 "The Escape from Silence."

Word count: 5,493

Harry x Anastasia || Fanfic series

Master Link || Chat with me

The morning of Royal Ascot has been quite chaotic, with everyone scrambling to change dresses and rotate carriages. Harry, in particular, has been struggling as the event always tests his ability to handle change. He dislikes the Royal Ascot for a good reason - every public outing requires him to be familiar with revised plans, every entry, exit, and even underground area. He must know every detail like the back of his hand and remain on high alert throughout the event. Even a slight change to one plan can send security into a frenzy of anxiety.

The event is planned down to every minute detail, including when and where the carriages arrive and how long they spend greeting people. With over 300,000 people visiting Berkshire during Royal Ascot week, it is difficult for Harry to keep track of everything. However, he manages to make things work every year, along with the rest of the security team.

I'm not much of a fan of the horse races in the aspect of having to be a Royal and treat this as an event, There are eyes always on me and I still have to act in a certain manner. I can thank Queen Anne for turning horse races into a royal activity. Ascot Racecourse was founded in 1711 by and ever since has been a major event that royals attend.

The Royal enclosure, however, is quite lovely. The Royal Enclosure was built in 1822 when King George IV commissioned a two-storey stand to be built with the surrounding lawn. This was designated an exclusive area with access strictly by invitation of the King. To this day, membership to the Royal Enclosure continues to be by invitation only. Every individual who has a membership and will be in the Enclosure is monitored and a background check is thoroughly run.

Harry knows of every person who will be in the enclosure and he has to watch their behaviour. He hates it just as much as he hates being out in the public areas, but the good thing is that being invited to the Royal Enclosure is hard. To get in without a direct invitation, one must sign up, which is easy, but the hard part is providing letters of recommendation from two existing Royal Enclosure members who have themselves been members in good standing for a minimum of four years— this is where Harry's job gets a little easier, for the most part, new entries don't happen often. The only thing Harry enjoys about this event has nothing to do with the horses, he isn't formally allowed to bet since he is on duty, but he likes to bet on the colour of Her Majesty's hat. It is a tradition that people bet on what colour they believe my mother will wear, and it is such a big deal that not even I know what colour my mother's hat is until I see her in the morning and sometimes she will change hats before arriving at the venue.

The enclosure is bustling, with royals and guests floating around, drinking champagne and acting high on life without a care in the world. I stand towards the back, a glass of champagne in my hand, a rented prince to my left and my love to the right. I take a sip of the bubbly champagne, pretending to enjoy its company— I now see why my mother chooses martinis. "Anastasia, don't you think you should mingle and entertain these guests?" Syrus asks as he smiles towards my guests.

"Did you want me to do party tricks or take my clothes off? You should elaborate," I respond.

Syrus cocks his head to the side, "Why are you so defiant?"

"Because I don't want to be Queen with you, my father, and parliament condemning me. I'm not a puppy you can put on a leash," I assert, trying to hold my ground.

"That's debatable," Syrus replies, his voice low and menacing as he steps closer, eliminating the small gap between us. His presence feels oppressive, the air around him charged with a palpable threat. "Do not make a mockery of this family," he warns, his eyes dark and intense, hinting at the danger that lurks beneath his composed exterior. "You might be quieter on a leash."

"Or what? What are you going to do?"

Syrus's eyes narrow dangerously, his gaze locking onto mine with an intensity that feels almost physical. "Or I will dismantle everything you hold dear, piece by piece," he murmurs, his voice cold and steady, his eyes flickering between myself and Harry. "You will find yourself isolated, powerless, and forgotten. Remember, I live to play dangerous games." His threat hangs in the air, a dark promise that sends chills down my spine. His tone leaves no room for argument, painting him as a man who is not just dangerous, but also not to be tested.

A warm arm gently encircles my waist, and I feel a protective presence as Harry steps in, creating a barrier between Syrus and me. My heart pounds against my chest. "It's okay, go," Harry murmurs, nudging me to step back. He immediately takes my place, now standing toe-to-toe with Syrus, "I believe the King is motioning for you," Harry flicks his head, defusing the scene, not allowing Syrus to give any sort of reaction before I step away, deciding to escape the moment and find solace elsewhere.

***

I feel a droplet of rain grace my skin, I look up and notice the ominous clouds forming over us, making their way across the sky in a swift manner. I open my umbrella and I step off the gravel path. I walk along the grass, attempting to reach the very edge of the fence where some of the horses are just now starting to make their way to the stables.

I carry the umbrella over my head, the rain coming down heavily, patting the umbrella brutally but creating a moderately calming tone. This is certain to create an early departure for me or a rain delay in the Royal enclosure.

I watch as a figure walks closer to me, holding his Umbrella as a pair of blue eyes meet with mine. Niall's eyes twinkle mischievously as he observes the rain falling around us. "Most women are sipping champagne and here you are, in the rain," he remarks with a playful smile.

I can't help but chuckle at his comment. "I'm not much of a champagne girl," I reply, shaking my head.

Niall's smile widens as he leans closer. "I picked you to be more of a rum girl," he says, his voice filled with intrigue.

I nod, a sly grin forming on my lips. "Correct," I affirm, enjoying the playful banter between us.

I welcome a hand press over mine, "Allow me," Niall instructs, taking the umbrella from my hand. "A princess doesn't hold her own Umbrella." Niall holds the umbrella over me while he stands, holding both umbrellas to shield me from the intense rain.

Niall is the epitome of royalty, with his flowing blond locks and mesmerizing blue eyes. His calm and composed nature added an air of elegance to his presence, making him the perfect embodiment of a prince. Whether he was engaging in conversation or simply observing the world around him, Niall's quiet and poised demeanour never fails to captivate those around him.

Niall's family's historical connection to a once-reigning Irish monarchy is what started his title. Through generations of noble bloodlines and ancestral ties, Niall carries the title of prince as a symbol of his regal lineage. His royal heritage adds an intriguing layer to his character.

Niall's mother is from Ireland and her family was once in the reigning monarchy, and his father is a prince in the Netherlands.

"Charming," I smile.

"Always," he nods, "You know, you're supposed to be inside."

"Mhm," I hum, "I'm supposed to be in many places but I escaped the deadly silence." ... "Pulled in directions that have no end. There is no light at the end of this tunnel, may as well jump off the train before it gets too dark."

"Oh, such a tortured poet," Niall chuckles, "You should dabble into writing."

I roll my eyes at the comment. There is a part of me that wonders if there is a life for me outside of royalty and if there was a hypothetical life, what would I do with it? The possibilities are endless. Perhaps being a writer and weaving intricate tapestries of prose and poetry would be a wave of emotion I would enjoy. To lose myself in the rhythm of my own words to captivate an audience holds contrast and thrill. However, my life doesn't need more thrill, I think there is enough drama in this life— more than one could possibly handle all at once.

"Do you not have something better to do?" I curiously ask, "Drinking? Smoking a Cigar? Doing all things a Prince isn't supposed to do at events?" I continue with a slight chuckle. He may be the perfect embodiment of a prince in the way he talks, treats others, etcetera. However, his after-hours activities are far from after-hours. He flies under the radar and nobody tends to care if the Prince is drunk by noon at an event, of course, he holds himself well when intoxicated. Nobody cares to give him press interviews, nobody cares what he wears and what he does— it must be a wonderful quality to possess in this life— One of which I desire to have the luxury of ever so deeply.

I turn back around and continue walking, the rain coming down heavily on us while we make our way closer to where the horses are stationed and unwinding before they are transported to their stables.

"Your security guard took my cigars," Niall mutters, "Your Father is running around like a chook with his head cut off because he can't find you and your security guard is amused by it. Your Uncle is being your Uncle, a menace. So, here I am, walking in the rain to escape the chaos your disappearance has caused."

"Mmm, I am sure it quite a mystery where I am," I roll my eyes, "Perhaps if a monarchy wasn't shoved down my throat and my father's drastic need to present to me a Prince, I may not be walking down here." ... "It is starting to sound like Syrus wants the crown more and more each day."

"Mhm," Niall hums in a quiet agreement. "A Prince who seems to have left you," Niall points out. We all know this was a PR stunt, organised by my Father who is more interested in complying with the monarchy than stepping back and taking a look at the bigger picture. This monarchy isn't good for anything besides destroying those involved within it. Whether he wants to admit it or not, PR will not stitch his quilt back together, it will be nothing but broken patches and stripped thread.

I glance around and nod my head, disappointed my Prince seems to have disappeared and left me in the downpour to combat the media and the crowds on my own. He was here to serve a purpose, not only to show his presence to everyone who wasn't at the garden party but to also draw attention to a new budding romance that could turn into more. My father needs the media to spark its attention towards us— the monarch is ready to change— my father wants to hand over the reins and pass down the crown but he can't do so unless the public is on his side and approves of not only me as the queen but my partner.

"That Prince doesn't want this any more than you, Anna," Niall points out, "He is going to rebuttal. He knows this isn't what you want. He sent me to find you."

I shrug my shoulders, "He could grow a set and just turn down the offer of being the handbag on my arm." ... "Instead, I am walking alone."

"And somehow she acts like I am not here holding an umbrella for her," Niall chuckles. "I am sorry I am not a handbag but I believe that Prince needed the money."

"If you're smart, you will walk away, and very quickly," I gesture my head towards the group of piranhas that are inching closer with their cameras and questions. Niall doesn't deserve to be thrown into this catastrophe.

Niall glances towards the crowd and turns to face me, a small glimpse of empathy dashing through his bright eyes, "Never been the brightest. Maybe the attention will be fun." Niall half smiles at me. Contrary to his words, he is a very intelligent man.

"Princess, Princess!!! Anastasia!" My name is thrown around and flashes begin to blind me, a sudden burst of reporters grappling for the best photo and media headline swarming me. I tilt my head down and allow my hat to cover my face, the sound of the rain tapping the umbrella getting heavier with each moment. They're relentless today, usually, they swarm and then they leave— not today— today they want every angle, every moment, and every drop of blood they can draw out of me. Part of me believes this is just the start of it, they have tasted blood and they want more, they know there are stories, they know I am up next on the throne, and they know it is coming soon. Fuck me.

"Please, make it stop," I tug Niall's arm. I'm not allowed to raise my voice towards the media or announce my discomfort. I didn't mean to suddenly fall to the demise of the media and have a weakened moment. I never intended the words to leave my lips and put the strain on him to make it stop.

He hands me the umbrella and stands in front of me, "We are trying to get her out of the rain, so please be kind and move," Niall speaks loud enough to be heard but keeps his voice contained and charmed. He lets out a heavy sigh and clears his throat, "Are you not capable of leaving someone the fuck alone?" Niall questions, "Take a step back!" He orders, trying to take control of the situation.

"Don't you have security for this?" I question. It's a logical question, all royals at this event have their own security.

"Don't you?" Niall chuckles, "I fly under the radar, nobody cares about me... Except for when I am around you." Niall points out the obvious, "You're like a moth to a flame. Nobody can stay away from you."

I roll my eyes and look back down, avoiding the cameras. "I didn't realise I was hosting a press conference on the sidewalk today," Niall comments, "Don't worry, folks, I will sign autographs as soon as I finish my afternoon stroll and remember my name." Niall begins to speak to the media, catching me off guard. He's unphased by the repercussions of being a smartass to the media.

I guess if you can't beat them, join them.

"Royals aren't allowed to sign autographs," one woman shouts out.

"No shit," Niall responds, "Please, leave us alone."

"Whoever doesn't take two steps back from the prince and Princess will be legally charged by the time I count to three!" Harry's voice takes me by surprise as I see him taking control of the situation, the media, surprisingly listening. "Three!" Harry uses his hands to split the crowd like the Red Sea. "Scurry along, you all know I have the time to charge you all, I have done it before," Harry smiles, gesturing with his hands for the swarm of people to leave. "Especially you," Harry winks towards one reporter, tapping them on the shoulder, "Go," his voice is deep and resonates like bottles of thunder. It's almost enough to scare me.

"Prince," Harry nods his head towards Niall, returning with a smile.

Niall chuckles and playfully shoves Harry's shoulder, "Ass hole," Niall mutters, the two of them catching me off guard. They're acting like friends.

"You two know each other?" I softly question while the rest of our security team takes control of the media.

Harry nods his head, "We uh, so fun fact," Harry begins, "We play poker and smoke cigars once a month with a few other mates." ... "Niall, you are not meant to be here."

"We've also gotten drunk quite a few times," Niall smiles. "Neither is Anna."

"He's far from your typical Prince," Harry informs me, "Now, I need to get you home." Harry takes his phone out and makes the calls he needs to ensure everything is for me to leave promptly and without issues, slowly walking us past the huddles of paparazzi and eager photographers who stayed at a legal distance.

Harry escorts me to a blacked-out car with his head of security waiting by the car with an umbrella. Whenever the head of security is waiting for me, it means Harry is handing me off. There is a good chance I am in some sort of trouble. A princess should never wander off on her own. Boring.

"Matthew will take you to the Palace," Harry informs me as I step under the head of security's umbrella, allowing Harry to finally hold the umbrella over his head despite the fact he is already soaked, his hair is damp and droplets are falling from his soft curls, his white shirt has become slightly see-through I can see the slight outline of his abs as the shirt clings to his body.

"Why?"

"He needs to escort Niall, Plus, you said you preferred my service better, I am not as stiff as Harry," Matthew lightens the mood with a small joke, finally forcing a small chuckle to escape my lips.

"Finally, she smiles," Harry grins, "I will come past your quarters when I get done."

"Get in the car. Let's get you home," Harry opens the door, returning to bodyguard mode and gesturing for me to get in the car.

I get into the car with ease and I rest back against the leather seats.

I view Harry and Matthew talk outside and I watch them intently for a moment, curious as to what they are discussing. I can only assume most of their conversation right now will revolve around me.

As Matthew gets in the driver's seat of the car, I watch Harry walk off into the distance before the car begins to move. I stare out the window, watching the droplets of rain slide down.

I lean my head against the window and close my eyes for a moment but I am quickly distracted by the sound of Matthew's voice. "He loves you, you know?"

"Harry?" I question, "Did he put you up to this conversation that is about to take place?"

Questioning his love has never been an issue, questioning mine is, but not in the conventional way. He doesn't deserve to be dragged into this life with me, he deserves a simple life without hassle. I love him, but I

Matthew chuckles as he looks in his rearview mirror at me, "Am I talking to the Princess or?"

"This is off the record. I am off royal duty." I respond, assuring Matthew that whatever is said in the car will stay in the car.

For the most part, conversations between Harry and Matthew are generally off the record. Sometimes they are the only times I get to feel a sense of normality. Everyone else treats me like a princess and always wants to discuss politics, royal duties etc.

"He'd do anything for you, all you have to do is say the word."

Burn it down and end it all. Physically the monarchy burning from the outside, turning to soot will not do me any justice, but destroying it from the inside out— now that, that might be worth my sanity.

"I know," I nod, "Oh, how I know," I sigh, closing my eyes as I lean against the window, taking the quietness in.

As I watch the rain cascade down the window, the streets of London blur into a watery canvas. The sound of tires splashing through puddles creates a symphony of melancholy. Lost in my thoughts, I find solace in the rain's gentle rhythm, its ability to wash away the chaos of the world. But amidst the calm, a storm brews within me. How can I navigate the treacherous waters of royalty? The weight of expectations weighs heavily on my shoulders, threatening to drown me in uncertainty. But I refuse to let it consume me. I will find my way, even if it means forging a path no one else has taken. In this moment, as the rain washes away the city's grime, I am reminded that I too can cleanse my soul and discover my way.

As I sit in the car looking out the window at the stone steps of the palace, dark clouds loom overhead, casting a sombre tone to the scene. The heavy rain pours down relentlessly, adding an air of mystery and drama to the surroundings. The palace, with its majestic architecture, stands tall and resilient against the elements. The rainwater cascades down the walls, tracing intricate patterns along the stone facade. The sound of raindrops hitting the ground echoes through the courtyard, creating a symphony of nature's melancholy. Despite the gloomy atmosphere, there is an undeniable beauty in the way the rain intensifies the colours of the palace, making it seem even more enchanting.

I force the car door open and I make my way up the wet steps of the palace, the rain pours down relentlessly, drenching me to the bone. Hurrying, I try to shield myself from the downpour, but it's no use. Each step feels heavier than the last, and the water seeps into every crevice of my clothing. Despite the discomfort, I push forward, my determination driving me to seek refuge within the grand entrance. The echoing sound of my footsteps against the marble floor reminds me of the weight of my worries. I brush off the raindrops clinging to my coat, their shimmering presence a stark contrast to the gloomy weather.

As I make my way into the palace, the anticipation of facing my father's wrath gnaws at me. I despise the thought of disappointing him by not fulfilling my duties. The weight of his expectations feels suffocating, like an unrelenting storm brewing inside me. I'll gather my courage, face him head-on, and explain my choices. I am determined to assert my independence and find a way to navigate my path, even in the face of his disapproval.

The moment I enter the palace foyer, my world is turned upside down and my Father pounces on me like a lion on its weak prey.

My father is a great man, for the most part, but when he is angry, he is furious. He can't always control his temper and that is something the public does not know. The public only sees the lower side of his temper, they see the relatively calm and collected King. I, on the other hand, get to witness the King at his full capacity of anger and it is far from fun. My father can be relentless, he is like a dog with a bone, which is why he is so good at making foreign deals and running a monarchy, he does not take no for an answer, nor does he take shit from people. Of course, he handles himself in a royal matter but with a hint of dominance.

My father wastes no time by laying into me, "How many stunts do you anticipate to pull off?" My father questions, his eyes narrowed to crinkled slits, his crimson with fury as he stares me down.

My lips screw into irritation and I take a moment to come to terms with the fact that the King is yelling at me in front of the staff just as I have managed to walk into the palace. "What?"

"Anastasia, I expected more from you."

"Excuse me?" I challenge with a raised brow.

"I raised you better."

My brows bump together in a scowl, my body stiffening at the words my father speaks. He didn't raise me better, he raised me to be a pawn in the Game of Thrones.

"Have you scooped that low? Is the monarch's rules so important to Syrus that you are willing to act like this— like him?" ... "If this is what you call raising, we have different definitions of raising."

The monarchy will always come first in his eyes— it will always twist and turn, heaping my life into a whirlwind of turmoil and vulnerability. I can't escape the grasp of the government and the power, I can't escape the life he has forced me into— I can't escape from myself.

"You're the one who has forced me to this extent. You won't cooperate"

I shake my head, no longer wanting to continue the nightly conversation. "Excuse me, I am going to bed before this turns into more of an argument." I step around my father and begin to make my way to the staircase.

"Stop right there!" Syrus sneers towards me storming into the foyer.

I turn around, facing my Uncle as Harry steps into the foyer, "Oh, boy," he mutters under his breath. "I was just locking the door," Harry half smiles, walking across the foyer to lock the doors. His presence doesn't stop my father from the conversation he is determined to continue.

"You, a patchwork heir of convenience, dare to tread where only true blood should rule? You're nothing but a living insult to the crown." His voice is loud and full of anger.

His words hit me like a shockwave, leaving me stunned and confused. My father, who has never raised his voice at me before, is now allowing his brother to shout with such intensity. It makes me want to shrink away, feeling powerless against his anger. But there is another part of me that refuses to back down, a fire within me that urges me to stand up for myself, even in the face of adversity. "You will not make things any worse for this monarchy. It isn't hard to fucking comply and be a quiet fucking Queen."

I want to fight, but I can't. I'm statue-like as I blink. Did he just reference me as becoming a quiet Queen? Is he wanting me to become submissive with all duties and allow this monarchy to ruin all of us?

I think it is time it burns to the ground— I don't mean metaphorically— I mean literally. Burn it, piece by piece, pillar by pillar. Let the smoke fill the air and the prying eyes of the people watch on. I would rather my hands be covered in soot than be left silenced like my mother.

"I'd rather burn it than be silenced," I retort, my voice defiant as I watch my uncle's face contort with rage. His eye twitches uncontrollably, his jaw clenched so tightly I can almost hear his teeth grind. A vein throbs dangerously on his forehead, a testament to the storm brewing within him. I've ignited a fire I never knew he harboured.

"Don't you dare even think about destroying it," he seethes, his voice a terrifying crescendo of fury. He steps closer to me, allowing barely any space to creep between us as a breath hitches in my throat. "We have sacrificed too damn much, sweated blood and tears — and you think you can just tear it all apart with your selfish whims? Not while I'm breathing!" His words crack through the air like a whip, his rage is noticeable, filling the room with an electric charge that sends shivers down my spine. This isn't just anger; it's something primal, a deep, seething wrath that I've unwittingly unleashed. Oops. "Mark my words, your reign will be a brief and tragic footnote in the history of our great kingdom. I will see to that."

"That's enough," Harry steps in, placing himself between my Uncle and me, forcing my Father to take a step forward. I watch as he gestures towards the staff, reminding them to focus on their duties. "And you all," Harry nods politely towards the gathered staff, "Please continue with your work." His head turns towards my Uncle who is still seething. "Don't—" He forwarns as my Father steps forward and goes to speak. A small smirk dances across my face as I eye the back of his white shirt, the outline of his flexed muscles showing subtly.

Who would have thought anyone would stand in front of the King and his brother and forewarn him?

"You will not keep yelling at her."

"And who are you?" Syrus snips, his eyes dark with fury.

"The man who will slit your throat without remorse, don't raise your voice and treat her like a rag doll," Harry warns, staring back at Syrus with heavy eyes. Syrus met his match.

Then, Harry's attention turns to me as he turns to face me. "Anna, let's try to calm down," he says, shaking his head disapprovingly. I can't help but feel a sense of admiration for how he takes control of the situation. I'm mildly turned on by this side of him.

I go to speak but Harry interrupts, "Don't be mouthy with me."

I raise a brow with a raised smirk, eager to push his buttons and do the opposite of what he's requesting, but I recompose myself when I notice the look in his eyes. He's not angry, he's not trying to be intimidating, he's genuinely tired and trying to dissolve the distance between myself and my father. He isn't the villain here.

I nod my head towards Harry, and my father takes a deep breath, "Okay," he inhales in an attempt to keep himself composed, "Syrus, I can handle this, you can leave," he dismisses his brother, seeming to be a coward in my eyes for allowing his brother to raise his voice at me. My Father waits for Syus to walk out and the door slams behind him before he speaks, "Anastasia, I need you to pick a man, and stick with it. I don't care if it's just for media propaganda, pick," my father instructs, rubbing the corners of his eyes, "I'm not telling you to sleep with them, for Christ sake." His voice is finally low.

"You sure?" I question, crossing my arms over my chest. "Harry, want to weigh in?" I smile.

"Leave me out of this," Harry shakes his head disapprovingly. "I'm here to make sure you don't kill each other."

My father glares at me, "Anna, for the sake of my fucking sanity, choose." ... "You're making it difficult to remain calm. I need you to do this."

He is determined to have the throne accompanied by a man as though I am a weak girl who can't do anything without a man by her side.

"I don't understand why you are so determined to fulfil the requirements of me having a Prince. But fine," I heavily sigh, "I choose Niall."

"Niall," My father hums, "Niall?" He's confused.

"Yes, blond and blue-eyed."

"The one at the bottom of the chain?" my father huffs, "The one who hosts poker nights with Harry over there?" My father flicks his head towards Harry. "Ireland doesn't have a monarchy. They have a parliamentary democracy with a president as the head of state. He's not exactly a prince, I don't think it will be allowed."

I shake my head. "His father is a prince of the Netherlands so he has a title there as well," I remind my father. "Hey, does it matter as long as it's for publicity?" I question. "An alliance of convenience, just what you requested."

"I don't think that's a good idea," Harry comments, "It'll intrude on my poker nights," Harry continues, causing the king to roll his eyes and somewhat chuckle.

"The two of you aren't slick," my father gestures between Harry and me. "I know what's going on."

Harry lifts his shoulders into a careless shrug, "You know I'm about to go smoke a cigar on the balcony and drink whiskey?" Harry questions.

"I am not giving you a title."

Harry chuckles, "Believe me, I do not want one. Now, I am going to go to the balcony."

The king nods with a defeated sigh, "May I join you?" My father's voice becomes soft, finally.

"Depends, as an asshole King or as a normal person, Alaric?" Harry boldly asks.

My father looks at me, "We can finish this tomorrow. Harry, do you have the cigars?" My father questions Harry, the sudden change in everyone's tone and conversation taking me by surprise.

The two of them smoking cigars together is unsettling.

Harry smirks and nods his head, leading them both away towards the steps to the hidden balcony. 

[105nt]

For some reason I am having difficulty linking this, but I am so excited that the cool youngsters think that Sue Tully is a ledge. 😂 From Syrus Lowe's insta.

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[ztsrlover]

I literally fell in love with @zelda-the-sacred-realm and I want to give everyone the opportunity to experience some romance with their favorite characters from the story! Enjoy the reading!

Reader x Realm

It was a clear night, so clear that you could see every single star in the sky. 

You were sitting in a great open expanse, surrounded by the sounds of nature, the flowers filling the air of their perfumes so sweet and you were sitting there next to him, yes right with him.

In front of you was the most wonderful spectacle that nature could offer you but you watched him.

His eyes, eyes of an incomparable almost unnatural color, a blue so intense that when he looked at you he could almost hypnotize you. In the moonlight they almost seemed to glow with their own light and you'd be watching them every moment.

Then you began almost enraptured to lower your eyes to observe his features. His hair so soft, his face so sweet and kind to make him irresistible and in the end you stopped on his lips, so perfect and quite plump, so much so that you imagined what you could feel kissing them. You were watching them intensely and watching them move, he was talking to you but you didn't make out the words, until he lowered his face to get your attention.

"Are you OK?" your cheeks flushed at the thought that perhaps he had noticed your gaze directed at him.

"Y-Yes! I was just...u-umh thinking but I'm totally fine" you think you've given a good answer and you turn away, but this move of yours gives a different answer to his question.

"It Didn't Look Like That" he says, and you cringe that he might have known you were thinking of him, did you really think fooling a guy like that was possible?

"W-What do you mean it doesn't look like that?" Retort hoping that his answer does not cause you more embarrassment.

"You were thinking of someone, maybe someone you care about, I recognize that look" he replies lowering his eyes to the ground, his face now wearing an embarrassed expression.

"Y-You recognize, what do you mean?" You get closer to him to try to feel a connection between you two.

He throws himself backwards falling into the flowers, sending a few petals flying. The moonlight seemed to illuminate only him, and golden reflections formed on his face, that tunic seemed to highlight him only to make you blush even more.

"My friend Syru often has the same expression when he thinks of his wife, and many others I know have it. Maybe all of a sudden I had it m-me too..."

Your stomach hurts now, you feel a twinge, what is it? Jealousy? You think he might have someone special next to him and your eyes seem to cry already.

"O-Oh do you have a crush on... anyone?" You say trying not to break the voice, but to no avail because it's already happened.

You vaguely hear the rustle of the grass, you know he has gotten up and you prefer not to look at him, you don't have the strength, and your stomach hurts.

“Y-yes I have, and that person is right here next to me” his voice sounded low and you get a shiver up your spine. You turn to his face and you can feel his breath, so hot, his lips are so close and so within kissing reach, but you don't know if you can, would he let you? Could you do it? What feeling would that have given you? You decide to let him make the first move, close your eyes to give him an inkling that you agree, that you want a kiss, right in that moment and in that magical place.

Feel his hand caressing your neck and gently rising to your face, it felt like a dream and yet it's really happening. Feel his fingers caressing your lower lip, and then you feel his breath even closer, closer, so close…and you feel them, his lips and yours are together, his kiss seems to give you a little jolt. You can't help but bring your hands behind his neck, and kiss him back with equal passion. The first passionate kiss becomes more delicate, until your lips separate and you manage to open your eyes and you see him, he is looking at you with those incredible blue eyes.

"L-Link... I-I love you!" You don't know why you yelled at him, but he blushes and approaches you again.

"I love you too" and your heart starts beating even faster when he starts kissing you again, and you wish that moment would never end!

Next romantic date with Twilight!

[iced-coffeebean]

Anyways felt like doodling Sy in his Kaiser of Darkness AU outfit. But I also felt like doodling MTF Syrus because we love girlbosses and it’s pride month so why not add my trans girl Syrus in this outfit too. (She normally has low pigtails that have red bows holding the hair together)

In the dub I still call her Syrus but in the sub I called her Sueko so 💅

I drew these doodles to “Pink Panther” by Scene Queen so idk if that means anything but yeah

I’d thought I’d add that ✨✨

[connar-rose-kaiba]

Spirit Caller

((Chapter 2--Part 3--))

Chapter 1/2 Part 1/Part2/Part 3/Part 4/NEXT

Also Available On:

A03 (XxAkarii_RosexX)

Fanfiction.net (XAkariiRoseX)

NOPE! I'M TIRED! IT WAS A LONG DAY-- These were her thoughts as she quickly shuffled the cards back into the deck where they belonged. "What are you doing, Connie?" a sharp tone approached her from behind, freezing her in place. She turned, only to be greeted by... "...Princeton." she blushed as she said his name softly, under her breath...averting her gaze from him. Chazz Princeton. The youngest heir to Princeton Corporation, a rival company to her father's. They had to play nice, at business gatherings and parties, hence how Connar and Chazz floated in the same circles...but their real objective was to slide into her father's company...a feat he would never allow so easily. Though Chazz seemed to show no interest in that. He only wished to be the best in the dueling world. She knew him back in Duel Prep School, too. He was the best male duelist in her class, she, the best female. Plus both had large well-known family names and were also known for being well off and wealthy... Though her name was a little bit bigger-- very few knew of her actual origins... "You're better than those losers...why would you degrade yourself to their level and waste your time?" Connar remained silent. She didn't know how to answer that. "Hmph...whatever." he scoffed,"Not that it matters anyway...nor that I even care." He shrugged and walked off. Thanks to his connections he was already in Obelisk Blue. As expected from a family as rich as his... Not much different from her own family... She kept her gaze low as she watched him walk away, a tint of red tickling her cheeks. The truth of the matter is that she admired Chazz, for his skill and his draw. How he seemed to have no further interest with her "family" unlike most others. They try to weasle in, take advantage of her to approach her father for a chance to swing at his company... Chazz only wished to be the best. To earn his name in the dueling world. In a way...they were similar...and he respected that. Their families were rivals, the two of them, weren't exactly friends, but not exactly enemies. If anything, they worked to push each other to be better...in an unspoken kind of bond. "If you don't leave soon...You might miss that ship like you missed the entry duels." "Uncle Mokey!" She gasped and turned to find her uncle, who was dressed in casual clothing. He was disguised, of course, so as not to draw attention to who he was and his relationship to the man she called her father. "I suppose...he won't be able to come...will he?" Mokuba sighed and gave her a gentle smile, placing a palm on her head. "Big brother's just a very busy man." he said softly. "He sends his regards...you know he loves you...right?" "...I guess." she returned to him a small and weak smile. He gave her a gentle pat and pulled her into a warm hug. "Uh...Uncle Mokey?" "Think nothing of it." he said softly,"A little gift from your dad...okay?" "In that case..." she smiled, "I will graciously accept. In that gesture she returned back to him a warm squeeze. "Connar! Let's go!" Syrus flailed his arms to try and catch the pink haired girl's attention."The boat's gonna leave soon!" "You better get going now." her uncle whispered softly in her ear,"If you don't you might miss the ship...I don't think Big brother would enjoy that too much." "Yeah...I guess you're right." she reluctantly pulled away from her uncle's embrace and pushed out a smile. "Connie! If you don't hurry up, I'll beat you again~!" Jaden teased. "What do you mean again!?" Connar called back,"You didn't beat me the first time, Jaden!" "I dunno if I agree with that!" he laughed and dashed on a head start once more.

Part 4

[aberooski]

Can you imagine if Syrus' friends are just as confused as the audience regarding the fact that Syrus never snapped or became evil?

Imagine them being like, "Are you sure you don't want to go apeshit now?" quite a lot of times and Syrus always shrugging like, "Nah, not right now."

Even Zane would be a bit on the edge by the time Syrus is in charge of his recovery.

Honestly Syrus had every right to snap at some point over Zane's treatment of him. Zane treated him so bad for so long that he suffers debilitating anxiety and extremely low self-esteem and self worth. But he never held a single thing against Zane. Honestly no one did for more than a single episode for the purpose of the episodic narrative.

Syrus looks up to Zane so much that he believes everything Zane says about him is right and that he has every right to treat him as poorly as he does. He adores his brother, he loves him and idolizes him and tries so hard to make him proud and after meeting Jaden and start to gain a little more confidence and learn to believe in himself, try to prove Zane wrong.

But no matter what people still see him as being in Zane's shadow. They tackle that in episode 4 season 2: "Sad But Truesdale" one of my favorite episodes btw lol which is really the only time we see him even remotely snap or get confrontational and stand up for himself, or at least it's the first time we see that.

But the thing is, at that point he and Zane have.... sort of made amends, namely Zane telling Sy he proved him wrong about saying Sy didn't belong at Duel Academy and saying he loves him before sacrificing himself to protect him from Camula back in episode 32, but being in season 2, Zane is about to go dark himself. which therein lies the reignited of the big issue.

Because after all of that progress they made, when Zane goes dark he reverts back to not caring about Syrus but even worse than before. Even back in season 1 they try to give you hints that he might actually care about Syrus a little bit not that I believe it for a second, but now he truly doesn't care at all. Not just not caring about Syrus but not caring about anyone. But it really comes to a head in episode 95, when Syrus duels Zane to try and remind him of who he used to be, but also to prove to Zane that he's strong enough to face him and strong enough to be a true duelist. Which only serves to land him in the hospital with Zane just writing him off as weak and just as worthless and weak as he had always said he was before. Just pure emotional whiplash for Sy to deal with after the progress they started making in season 1. I literally wrote an entire one shot about it that episode fucks me up so much and makes me so mad and upset But then there's even more whiplash in season 3 because Zane comes back and protects him in Dark World and helps him work through his conflicting feelings about Jaden, and then after basically bestowing Sy unto Jay:

"You can’t leave Syrus! 😢 He needs a big brother! 😭"

"He's got one. 😌"

LITERALLY SCREAMING CRYING THROWING UP EVERYWHERE STOP I CAN'T

and telling Syrus he's proud of him he says literally nothing to Sy in the sub and I hate that just dies right in front of him.

Boom. More trauma.

And then they back pedal on his death and he's alive again in season 4 and Sy dedicates so much time and effort and attention and love hinto being his caretaker. When he has every right not to. Syrus is too good to be Zane's brother. Zane doesn't deserve him.

I know I've been blabbing on here and, but listen Sy's my favorite ever I have a lot to say akaksk 😂 Syrus had every right to snap at some point, that's my whole point, and the whole point of this whole ask I'm sorry for the whole dissertation happening here akksksk

Syrus needed to have his

Moment at some point. He deserved to get frustrated with Zane, to hold him accountable for everything he said and did to him. I hate that no one ever held anything against Zane and just gave him a pass for his abusive behavior. Syrus can if he wants to, that's his right and his choice but the others shouldn't have allowed it to continue happening and not call him out on it more than the one time Jay did in episode 8 and then just dropped it.

I know if I were his friend I would be very surprised he hadn't snapped ever. I think they all should be surprised, but also at the same time it's just not the type of person Sy is. He gets into arguments and is confrontational with people sometimes it's Hassleberry 9 times out of 10 lol but generally speaking he's very timid and is just content with his situation because Zane has beaten him down so much over the years. If anything they would be more surprised if he did snap or go dark, but I think if he did it would open their eyes to how they contributed to the problem by not actually holding Zane accountable for his actions.

But for the sake of this scenario, I think they might even encourage him to just let loose because holding all that stuff in isn't healthy, but he'd say no even though he definitely would want to deep down.

A real:

Kind of moment if you will. That's what they'd be trying to get him to do, but Syrus not allowing himself to let those feelings out and just having them pile up and fester while putting on the facade that he's okay and isn't angry about everything Zane put him through... yeah I think everyone should be worried and surprised that he hasn't snapped at that point and Zane should be very nervous about Sy taking the role as his caretaker. Because when he finally does snap? All I can say is yikes and good luck because when he finally does allow himself to snap in this scenario I think he would reach a really low spot because he's already there. He would just sink even lower.

They're gonna need all hands on deck to bring him back from that eruption of emotion and pain. Because letting the floodgates open to release that much hurt, I can tell you, not for the same reasons but from being hurt by people before, it's extremely difficult to close those gates again.

And one last point to that end, you know who I think would be integral to saving Sy from that? Chazz. Because he also has horrible and intense older sibling trauma and pain that he's trying to heal from himself, and it's not even all that different from his in some ways. He can understand Syrus's feelings better than anyone, and really sympathize with him and having someone who can even remotely understand his hurt would help Sy so much when he finally does snap. It would be double special too because they never really mixed all that well, but as shitty of a thing to relate to is, this they have in common. And I'd love to see them not like... trauma bond, but trauma bond if you know what I mean aksksk like kinda actually be friends. Because Jaden loves his bestie, but he and the others could only help so much because they know what he's been through, but don't really understand.

Chazz does.

Me currently typing this out:

[almanach2023]

Aujourd'hui, vendredi 17 mars, nous fêtons Saint Patrice, Patrick.

SAINT DU JOUR . Patrice . Du latin patricius, "patricien" . Saint-Patrick-d'Irlande (390-461), évêque. D'origine anglo-romaine, il est captif en Irlande à 16 ans. Echappé de prison 6 ans plus tard, il poursuit des études dans des monastères continentaux. Il est sacré évêque en Gaule vers 432 et retourne en Irlande. Avec ses compagnons, il sillonne le pays en prêchant, fondant des églises, des monastères et des écoles. Patron de l'Irlande catholique. . Les Patrice allient le dynamisme et l'énergie à un certain raffinement qui séduit beaucoup. Ils sont fougue et réflexion, passion et constance, romantisme. Ce sont de riches personnages auprès desquels il fait bon vivre, même s'ils sont parfois déroutants et fatigants... . Prénoms dérivés : Patrick, Patty, Pat, Patrizio. Nous fêtons également les : Agricole - Agry - Gertrude - Paddy - Padraeg - Padrig - Padriga - Padriguez - Patrice - Patricia - Patriciane - Patricio - Patrick - Trude - Trudie - Trudy Toutes les infos sur les Saints du jour https://tinyurl.com/wkzm328 FETE DU JOUR Quels sont les fêtes à souhaiter aujourd'hui ? [ Bonne fête ] . Patrice Laffont, animateur radio TV . Patrice Carmouze, animateur TV-radio . Patrice Duhamel, journaliste français . Patrice Drevet, journaliste français . Patrice Hagelauer, ancien joueur tennis et entraineur français . Patrice Dominguez, ancien joueur tennis et consultant . Patrice Martin, skieur nautique français . Patrice Martineau, chanteur chrétien français . Patrice Halgand, coureur cycliste français . Patrice de Mac Mahon, premier président de la IIIe République . Patrice Leconte, réalisateur, scénariste et metteur en scène français qui a débuté comme auteur de bande dessinée et est également romancier. . Patrice Chéreau, metteur en scène de théâtre et d'opéra, réalisateur et scénariste de cinéma, et acteur français. Ses travaux combinent recherches plastiques, réflexions politiques et exploration des obsessions humaines. Ils nous ont quittés un 17 mars : 17 mars 2008 : Ola Brunkert, batteur du groupe suédois ABBA (15 septembre 1946) 17 mars 2007 : John Backus, chercheur américain, inventeur du Fortran (3 décembre 1924) 17 mars 1893 : Jules Ferry, homme politique français (5 avril 1832) Ils sont nés le 17 mars : 17 mars 1967 : Nathalie Marquay-Pernaut, reine de beauté, comédienne, animatrice et chroniqueuse de télévision française - 57e Miss France à porter ce titre (1987) 17 mars 1969 : Alexander McQueen, né Lee Alexander McQueen, créateur de mode britannique (11 février 2010) 17 mars 1969 : Edgar Grospiron, champion de ski acrobatique français, spécialisé dans l'épreuve des bosses 17 mars 1966 : José Garcia, né José Luis Doval, acteur de cinéma et humoriste français 17 mars 1964 : Rob Lowe, né Robert Hepler Lowe, acteur américain 17 mars 1964 : Emmanuel de Brantes, galeriste spécialisé dans l'art urbain, journaliste et chroniqueur culturel français 17 mars 1955 : Gary Sinise, acteur, producteur, réalisateur américain Toutes les naissances du jour https://tinyurl.com/msmk5e22 Fêtes, Célébrations, événements du jour Vendredi 17 mars 2023 : Saint-Patrick 19 mars : journée nationale du sommeil (3e vendredi de mars) CITATION DU JOUR Citation du jour : La frontière est incertaine où finit la vertu et où commence le vice C.C. Colton. Citation du jour : Amitié qui finit n'avait point commencé. Publilius Syrus Toutes les citations du jour https://tinyurl.com/payaj4pz Petite histoire... digne d'un caramel... P'tite #blague du #vendredi Quel est le point commun entre une assurance maladie et une mini-jupe ?

Réponse : Les deux couvrent le minimum vital. P'tite #blague du #vendredi Un monsieur visite un musée. Soudain, il s'arrête et dit au guide : Ah, c'est moche ! C'est du Picasso, répond le guide. Plus loin, il s'écrie de nouveau : Ah, c'est vraiment moche ! Ça, Monsieur, c'est un miroir ! Petit clin d'oeil sur le jardin : C'est peut-être le moment... De rempoter et de diviser le papyrus. De planter une vigne. De nettoyer la terrasse au nettoyeur haute pression. Nous sommes le 76ème jour de l'année il reste 289 jours avant le 31 décembre. Semaine 11. Beau vendredi à tous. Source : https://www.almanach-jour.com/almanach/index.php