Pyroclast
Add alcohol and stir!
Syd Porter
At Steve's glance to the armed soldiers that surrounded them, Syd understood that the man wasn't under any pressure to tell them who they were or who they worked for. So he stayed silent, instead taking a moment to etch all of their faces into his memory for future reference. He had a feeling they would be meeting again someday.
With Savannah now in Peter's arms, the group took their leave, his uncle spewing threats at the kidnappers as he supported the young woman in walking to the car. Syd soon followed, feeling relieved yet dejected. He tried to hide his concern over the deal he had had to make, but Roxie must have detected something in his expression regardless. Once outside, Syd felt her hand slide into his. In an effort to remain stoic, he kept his head held high. Although he didn't look her in the eye, he was grateful to have her at his side. Her words were kind and reassuring. "Well, he didn't really give me a choice," he sighed. "But...thanks." Holding her hand brought his attention to a slight unevenness in her step and he finally looked down to notice the blood running down her calf. "Hey, what happened to you? You alright?" His voice was still calm, but he couldn't stop a hint of concern from showing through and he tightened his grip on her hand before letting go to instead wrap his arm around her as they walked. "Sorry you got caught up in this, Roxie."
Getting behind the wheel of his damaged Lincoln helped Syd to focus on his responsibilities rather than fret over the safety of his family and the damaging business deal he had made. "Alright Savannah, we're gonna get you home," he announced, not hesitating to start the car and pull away from the site. "You're safe, now." Her cries propelled him into a deep silence, allowing Peter to comfort and soothe her. He was so angry that she had been targeted, that another innocent member of his family had been touched, hurt, threatened and that several civilians had been killed in the process. Despite his inability to shut off his thoughts, however, he did his best to drive as smoothly and safely as he could without functional headlights. They had been through enough tonight without getting into more trouble.
As soon as they arrived at the Callahan home, Syd let out a small sigh and moved around to help Roxie out of the car. He barely had time to look over her wound before Savannah came and hugged him tightly. A strange mix of anxiety and relief surged through him as he realised how close they had come to losing her. He wrapped his arms around her securely and kissed the top of her head. Her gratitude moved him, as though she had feared that he might choose the business over her life, and he tightened his hold on her to show her how grateful he was that she was alive. "Hey, you always come first, Sav, I promise. Always."
By now he was a little choked up himself and so hung back while she embraced Roxie. At the time, he had been almost angry that she had ended up coming with them, but now he was glad that she could be here for his cousin. The two clearly cared a great deal about each other and seeing them interact like this helped to instill his faith in Roxie. How could she possibly be an enemy of the mob when she was willing to put herself in harm's way to rescue Savannah?
Finally inside, Peter called for Finn to come over and tend to Roxie and Savannah's wounds. Syd left the three on the sofa and anxiously flitted through the house, bringing through glasses of water and whiskey and any kind of chocolate he could find in his aunt and uncle's cupboards in hopes of relieving the shock. When he came in for the last time, Savannah was fretting about the unknown whereabouts of the rest of the family. It hadn't slipped his mind, but he had been momentarily concerned with caring for his cousin and wanted to prioritise her for a few minutes before returning to the theatre. He knelt down in front of Savannah and placed a hand on her knee. "I'll see where they're up to, don't worry," he told them. "You all stay here. I'll have one of guards make some calls while I head back to the scene." Before anyone could protest, Syd headed for the front door and made his swift exit. To his surprise and relief, he caught sight of his parents approaching the house. "Is everyone okay?" he called out, breaking into a jog until he reached them. All the unresolved arguments between them caused him to hesitate for a second, but he couldn't deny his relief at seeing them safe and so moved in to briefly embrace each of them. "I'm glad you made it out," he said flatly, trying to push his emotions down. "Um...so, if you didn't see it, you've probably heard by now that Savannah was kidnapped. We've got her home now, she's inside and safe. Peter and Roxie are looking after her and Finn is on his way." Syd bit down on his lip, anxious about telling his father what had happened. "Dad, do you, uh...do you wanna step in the study with me for a minute?"
The arrival of the others removed the need for Syd to explain why he had come back inside, so he only offered the three on the sofa a brief, reassuring smile before leading his father to a study at the back of the house. "Just close the door, there," he quietly commanded, leaning against the desk and bringing a hand up to cover his eyes. "Jesus fucking Christ..." He heaved a sigh and then rested his hands back on the desk behind him, eventually raising his head to look his father in the eye. The events of the kidnapping were flashing through his mind, yet he still didn't know where to begin. "Look, this isn't easy to say, but I'll just say it," he began, taking another deep breath. "These men who took Savannah, they wouldn't tell us who they are. But they wouldn't give her back unless we, uh..." He shifted on the spot, struggling to navigate through his shame and guilt. "Gave them the contact details of all our suppliers." His gaze fell to the floor and he raked a hand through his hair, angry at himself but trying not to show it. "I know it's going to compromise our business - I should have been able to come up with a better deal, but they had Savannah's life in their hands and I didn't want to, you know, test their patience. I'm sorry, dad. I failed." Syd shook his head, but after a short silence managed to look his father in the eye once again. "But look, it was me who created this mess, so don't think I'm going to just walk away from it. We'll...we'll come up with something."
Interactions
Misty Gray James, Savannah, Sinead, Emery
Bellz Lucy, Peter, Roxie
At Steve's glance to the armed soldiers that surrounded them, Syd understood that the man wasn't under any pressure to tell them who they were or who they worked for. So he stayed silent, instead taking a moment to etch all of their faces into his memory for future reference. He had a feeling they would be meeting again someday.
With Savannah now in Peter's arms, the group took their leave, his uncle spewing threats at the kidnappers as he supported the young woman in walking to the car. Syd soon followed, feeling relieved yet dejected. He tried to hide his concern over the deal he had had to make, but Roxie must have detected something in his expression regardless. Once outside, Syd felt her hand slide into his. In an effort to remain stoic, he kept his head held high. Although he didn't look her in the eye, he was grateful to have her at his side. Her words were kind and reassuring. "Well, he didn't really give me a choice," he sighed. "But...thanks." Holding her hand brought his attention to a slight unevenness in her step and he finally looked down to notice the blood running down her calf. "Hey, what happened to you? You alright?" His voice was still calm, but he couldn't stop a hint of concern from showing through and he tightened his grip on her hand before letting go to instead wrap his arm around her as they walked. "Sorry you got caught up in this, Roxie."
Getting behind the wheel of his damaged Lincoln helped Syd to focus on his responsibilities rather than fret over the safety of his family and the damaging business deal he had made. "Alright Savannah, we're gonna get you home," he announced, not hesitating to start the car and pull away from the site. "You're safe, now." Her cries propelled him into a deep silence, allowing Peter to comfort and soothe her. He was so angry that she had been targeted, that another innocent member of his family had been touched, hurt, threatened and that several civilians had been killed in the process. Despite his inability to shut off his thoughts, however, he did his best to drive as smoothly and safely as he could without functional headlights. They had been through enough tonight without getting into more trouble.
As soon as they arrived at the Callahan home, Syd let out a small sigh and moved around to help Roxie out of the car. He barely had time to look over her wound before Savannah came and hugged him tightly. A strange mix of anxiety and relief surged through him as he realised how close they had come to losing her. He wrapped his arms around her securely and kissed the top of her head. Her gratitude moved him, as though she had feared that he might choose the business over her life, and he tightened his hold on her to show her how grateful he was that she was alive. "Hey, you always come first, Sav, I promise. Always."
By now he was a little choked up himself and so hung back while she embraced Roxie. At the time, he had been almost angry that she had ended up coming with them, but now he was glad that she could be here for his cousin. The two clearly cared a great deal about each other and seeing them interact like this helped to instill his faith in Roxie. How could she possibly be an enemy of the mob when she was willing to put herself in harm's way to rescue Savannah?
Finally inside, Peter called for Finn to come over and tend to Roxie and Savannah's wounds. Syd left the three on the sofa and anxiously flitted through the house, bringing through glasses of water and whiskey and any kind of chocolate he could find in his aunt and uncle's cupboards in hopes of relieving the shock. When he came in for the last time, Savannah was fretting about the unknown whereabouts of the rest of the family. It hadn't slipped his mind, but he had been momentarily concerned with caring for his cousin and wanted to prioritise her for a few minutes before returning to the theatre. He knelt down in front of Savannah and placed a hand on her knee. "I'll see where they're up to, don't worry," he told them. "You all stay here. I'll have one of guards make some calls while I head back to the scene." Before anyone could protest, Syd headed for the front door and made his swift exit. To his surprise and relief, he caught sight of his parents approaching the house. "Is everyone okay?" he called out, breaking into a jog until he reached them. All the unresolved arguments between them caused him to hesitate for a second, but he couldn't deny his relief at seeing them safe and so moved in to briefly embrace each of them. "I'm glad you made it out," he said flatly, trying to push his emotions down. "Um...so, if you didn't see it, you've probably heard by now that Savannah was kidnapped. We've got her home now, she's inside and safe. Peter and Roxie are looking after her and Finn is on his way." Syd bit down on his lip, anxious about telling his father what had happened. "Dad, do you, uh...do you wanna step in the study with me for a minute?"
The arrival of the others removed the need for Syd to explain why he had come back inside, so he only offered the three on the sofa a brief, reassuring smile before leading his father to a study at the back of the house. "Just close the door, there," he quietly commanded, leaning against the desk and bringing a hand up to cover his eyes. "Jesus fucking Christ..." He heaved a sigh and then rested his hands back on the desk behind him, eventually raising his head to look his father in the eye. The events of the kidnapping were flashing through his mind, yet he still didn't know where to begin. "Look, this isn't easy to say, but I'll just say it," he began, taking another deep breath. "These men who took Savannah, they wouldn't tell us who they are. But they wouldn't give her back unless we, uh..." He shifted on the spot, struggling to navigate through his shame and guilt. "Gave them the contact details of all our suppliers." His gaze fell to the floor and he raked a hand through his hair, angry at himself but trying not to show it. "I know it's going to compromise our business - I should have been able to come up with a better deal, but they had Savannah's life in their hands and I didn't want to, you know, test their patience. I'm sorry, dad. I failed." Syd shook his head, but after a short silence managed to look his father in the eye once again. "But look, it was me who created this mess, so don't think I'm going to just walk away from it. We'll...we'll come up with something."
Interactions
Misty Gray James, Savannah, Sinead, Emery
Bellz Lucy, Peter, Roxie