When Syx got the alert that his car eared love had entered his territory he’d perked up and started straightening out the Lair for company. With a wide grin, he’d thrown open the fire exit to call down to her, his face falling when he saw her posture.
With a panic and growing dread Syx scrambled down to the ground level and rushed over to her, “Hey,” he touched her shoulder gently moving to wrap an arm around her.
“Oh evil gods, what happened?” the emotions coming from her made him sick to his stomach.
She didn’t fight the arm that wrapped around her shoulder, though she almost didn’t register what it was that he had said, so far into her own head as she was.
“..I..” she could barely croak out that single word, before she broke. The wave that she had felt build beneath the surface that she had tried desperately to control completely overwhelmed her.
Sorrow.. gut wrenching sorrow had her sobbing against Syx, her knees giving out as she clung to him. He was all she had now..
“Oh no no no,” Syx panicked. Throat tight with worry he braced himself and managed to pick her up. His arms shaking with her weight as made his way back into Evil Lair.
“MINION!” he shouted for his friend, “Code: Emergency!”
Anna couldn’t hardly breath she was sobbing so hard, clinging to Syx as if he were a lifeline.. and to some extent, he was. She barely registered what he said, his arms grounding her to some extent to the reality that she was forced to be within.
Despite it.. the flashes of what had been and what she thought had been true kept warring with what she knew to be real. As if her mind was still trying to convince her that she was Emma, that her life before this all came crashing down on her was real.. she could feel it trying to alter how she was reacting.. though it was a very subtle, soft sensation that was easily ignored.
Syx sagged under the weight of her emotions, losing the fight against gravity to keep them upright. Sinking to the floor he looked up desperately at Minion, chest tight, “I don’t know what to do…”
Syx had never been the one to deal with these situations… Minion however had. Quickly accessing the situation he picked them both up as it was clear that she wasn’t going to release his charge. Carrying to two into the bedroom Minion set about making Anna comfortable on the bed. Syx wrapped around her, beside himself in shared grief. He hadn’t let him get this emotionally to someone in a very long time. He had no walls or defenses to keep his empathy from overcoming him.
With a watery sigh, Minion set about his normal Sir depression recovery tactics, simply applying them to both mammals. Comfort food was brought. Soft clothing. Relaxing music. Sweet drinks. Warm bath drawn.
Plans all canceled.
She didn’t even begin to calm until Minion began to draw the bath.. and at that point, the change in Anna had been startling. Going from a sobbing mess, to feeling as if she were…
Nothing..
Her ears were sunk low on her head, leaning heavily against Syx. She thought she had felt numb before.. but this? This almost scared her.. if she could feel anything, that is. She felt as if a massive hole had opened in her body, threatening to consume her whole.
“…Anna..” She managed to speak as Minion came to get them to the bath. Her voice was monotone, flat, lifeless
“What was that Miss?” Minion paused in settling the pair into the warm water.
Syx was far to gone into the pain that permeated from her. Arms coiled around her as if he could keeper her from slipping away through sheer force of will. Too choked up to even speak, his throat tight. He wasn’t emotionally prepared to deal with such crushing sorrow.
“..Anna.. my.. my name.. its Anna..” she spoke each word slowly, as if it were a chore to get her tongue to work enough to speak. The sound drawled out, her eyes dull. She made no move to get away from Syx.. a part of her felt a bit more settled at the feeling of his arms and body wrapped around her.. but in the long run it barely put a dent in anything
“Anna?” the confusion clear in Syx’s voice. Her words cut through the fog that had settled over him. She was speaking, that had to be a good sign, right? He stroked her cheek, pressing a kiss to her damp skin, “I don’t understand Tiger…”
She was Emma… had told him that, looked like the counterpart he knew. His brow creased, but his only true concern was what would bring back her smile.
The warm water helped sooth her just a touch.. but in reality it was Syx’s presence that helped her from going too far over the edge. Shifting at the confusion in his question, she leaned forward as she brought her knees up, putting her face into her hands..
The action brought her back into full view.. and the massive, intricate tattooing that spanned her entire back.
His hand running over her back, Syx traced the tattoo. He didn’t know what had happened, what had changed or why… but he understood that feeling. Of having been violated deeply. Of lose. He pressed kisses over her back, not understanding but knowing his understanding wasn’t as needed as his acceptance.
He held her close, whispering, “I’m here for you Anna, I’ve got you.”
The following days, Anna had slipped into a sort of state of shock. She had to be urged to eat, encouraged to bathe, and generally just led along just to survive. She seemed so far withdrawn into herself.. and she was honestly even beginning to scare herself. There were times when she came out of it, long enough to speak with Syx or Minion or both, usually a short question with what they were talking about.. only to slip right back into the thick fog of her mind.
It had been over a week, when Anna came to long enough to see herself in the mirror of the bathroom. Seeing the face she had begun to hate.. she felt the first flash of emotion since this all began. Anger.. she was so angry with how she looked..
She looked around, finding a pair of scissors. Taking a large chunk of ebony hair, she brought it up.. and began to chop it all off. The more that fell to the floor, the more the fog cleared..
She felt almost.. elated.. when she stood before the mirror with short, choppy hair. She hadn’t done a good job by any stretch of the imagination. Though spending a bit more time with the scissors made it a bit better..
Walking out, she took a good look around herself, before she made her way to find Syx
With hooded eyes, Syx could only watch as his new love stumbled through life. He’d made a home for her in his lair as best he could. Carving out room for her in their lives. A new chair appearing at the dining table in the kitchen. Salvaged and rebuilt, painted with little tigers in an attempt to bring a smile to her face.
He’d given up on his evil plans, he couldn’t focus on them. Instead, dragging is big rolling chair near his drafting table and sitting her in it. Ranting and theorizing out loud, as he was want to do regardless, drafting out random thoughts he hadn’t worked on previously. Anything to coax a word or to from her, to keep her in his sight.
Everytime Wayne checked in on him, he made an excuse. He didn’t have the energy for the hero… and while he’d been very adamant about the fact their affair wasn’t exclusive, Syx couldn’t help the twinge of guilt at suddenly having his girlfriend living with him.
And through it all, thank the evil god for Minion. He would never have survived the ordeal without his fish by his side. Caring for them both as Syx floundered. Food appearing when it was needed, blankets wrapped around Anna’s shoulders, carrying her to bed. Just getting them through each and every day.
Holding Syx when his walls came down. Curled up in the metal arms of his best friend because what else could he do? What else could he try? Lost and hopeless and exhausted. So he could put back on a brave face and smile at his Tiger again the next day.
Minion had been through this far too many times before. He knew the wheel always turned back around. He’d be strong, that was what he was for. No matter how much it drew from his reserve, he would be what his Sir needed him to be.
The day Anna wandered into the room, hair a mess of short spikes, Syx gapped at her. Bouncing out of his chair with true enthusiasm, his green eyes bright with hope, “Wow, your hair looks exciting!”
When she found Syx, she couldn’t help the slight smile that rose at the mere sight of him. Her eyes were brighter, quite literally containing a slight glow that amplified the pale blue color of her irises.
Her smile only grew a bit more, a shine of life in her eyes that hand’t been there in some time now. Lifting her hand, she glanced up up as if she were wnating to follow the motion, running her fingers through the short cropped hair.
“You like it?” She asked, running her tongue along a portion of her lower lip before capturing it between her teeth for a brief moment.
“Like it?” Syx laughed as he came up to her, his hand reaching up to caress the short locks, “I love it.”
Running long blue fingers through her hair, Syx lowered them to cup her cheeks. Winking at her he whispered conspiratorially with a wink, “I may have a thing for short hair.”
Her eyes lit a bit more with what he said, reaching up with her hands to cover his after a brief moment.
She chuckled softly at his words, swallowing after a moment “You do, huh?” She chuckled again, flushing.
“All the more reason to keep it short..”
Leaning in Syx pressed a kiss to her lips, her blush adorable. Breaking the soft kiss he leaned their foreheads together.
“’Ollo… it’s good to see you again,” it had been far too long for his liking to see the light in her eyes again. With this, he felt like he was meeting her again all over again. The real her now.
Anna made a soft noise as she closed her eyes at the press of their foreheads, and for thr first time since had seen that horrible woman.. she felt happy. Content..
If she knew cutting her hair would have helped her feel like this, she would have done it a long time ago. She owed syx so much.. so much she felt it like a weight on her shoulders, but it wasn’t xrushing.
If anything, it was the weight of the love she held for Syx a weight that she welcomed. “Hello yourself..” she murmured, pulling away to gaze at him, the small smile still in place.
“What’s on the agenda for today?”
RP backup 