Sydney's a PhD student at NYU in behavioral science (particularly Behavioral Neuroscience) working as a behavioral consultant with the NYPD. She also instructs at NYU. She's bubbly, friendly, highly intuitive, empathetic, and can come off as wishy-washy.
Ryan Falkland and Denise Harding had been high school sweethearts in sunny San Francisco. She was always the smart girl and he was all-American, living to achieve a football scholarship to attend school. Unfortunately, their pairing would limit both of their academic achievements when Denise became pregnant during their senior year. The pair were wed in a shotgun ceremony—Mary and Dwight Harding would not have a bastard grandchild under any circumstances. Ryan dropped out of school and became a labourer to support his pregnant wife as best he could.
Sydney Falkland was born on September 30, 1984 in San Francisco. The stress of their poverty and hastened wedding plans had put on Denise proved to be too much. So much that Sydney was born ten weeks premature and Denise didn’t survive the labour. Knowing his inability to care for his own child, Ryan gave Sydney up to Denise’s parents who promised to look after their granddaughter in the years to come.
Despite her early years, Sydney had a relatively normal upbringing. She was disciplined, dedicated, and hardworking, but her reasons for these behaviours weren’t her own doing—it stemmed from her grandparents’ determination that she be better. Better than her mother. She was discouraged from anything that wouldn’t further her grandparents goals of making her better. She would be Denise 2.0. Preferably with a career in medicine or the hard sciences.
She excelled in all of her classes in both junior high and high school, but wasn’t permitted many extracurricular activities. This, of course, led to rebellion her grandparents never knew. Instead of studying in the library she would go to Trisha Kolburn’s house where a number of teen after-school parties transpired. Never knowing either of her parents wore on Sydney so she turned to punk subculture, choosing to listen to death metal, and dress punk—but only at school, and never around her constant pressuring grandparents.
It was under the watchful eyes of her peers that Sydney met her first boyfriend: Scott Johnson. Scott was from the goth crowd, like Sydney. He was smart, funny, and artistic. Sydney was smitten. So smitten that she became sloppy in the stories and lies she told her grandparents to keep her lives separate. She began to dress goth at school, bringing a change of clothes in her backpack in order to avoid their watchful eyes. What Sydney hadn’t counted on was the watchful eyes of her teachers. Recognizing the apparent “change” in Sydney’s appearance and demeanor her grandparents were called in for a student-parent-teacher conference where Sydney confessed it all. Mary and Dwight were shocked. They demanded Sydney break up with Scott and stop living her two lives, and they certainly weren’t letting her keep her goth persona.
Feeling a sort of crisis, Sydney broke up with Scott, laid low with her goth persona for several months, and then went back to her old split life after she felt the entire affair had blown over.
Disappointment struck Mary and Dwight when Sydney, behind her grandparents’ backs, registered for a Bachelor of Arts in Behavioural Science at NYU. Having spent most of her life dutifully living out her grandparents’ dreams Sydney had taken her life into her own hands, and somehow managed to explain this to her grandparents in a way they understood, in fact, they almost seemed to get onboard with the entire idea. Confused, Sydney left for her first real independent experience.
Behavioral science (BHS) was perfect for Sydney. She had a natural aptitude for examining the decision process that transpired between different people, and a strange way of persuading people to her viewpoint. In fact, she enjoyed her studies so much that she pursued a Masters degree in social neuroscience (psychiatry), only to switch into a PhD track.
In her second year of university she met Bryce Wheaton, the “man of her dreams”. The two were engaged after dating for only two months. The engagement lasted an entire year, but six weeks before the would-be wedding, Sydney realized the relationship wasn’t what she wanted and broke it off, choosing to pursue her studies and move beyond her relationship.
At 25, she’s finished all of her coursework and is finishing her dissertation. Consequently she has two part-time jobs on the side. The first is with the NYPD as a Behavioral analyst/police psychologist. Having just started with the police department in July 2009, she’s still a rookie in her job. Her second job is as a lecturer at NYU (which she has been doing for years as a graduate student, only she makes slightly more now).
It was October 2009 when she'd been looking into an unusual police case. Being an analyst meant havin gvideo footage that was impossible, and since she'd done a psych eval for a cop that shot up a restaurant, she felt the need to do a little investigating based on his behaviour. Through this investigating she learned about people with abilities thanks to Gene (and her own skewed ethics to help bring a case to close).
It was a whole month later when she clued in she actually might have one. She found people tended to bend towards the way she wanted them to feel, or her feelings as the case may or may not have been. This made her freak out. What was and wasn't real? Was anything with Bryce real? It was confusing and she hated it.
Unfortunately, people with abilities were being taken and Syd's path seemed full of them. In short order she befriended a pair of ruffians (Lena— a human drug lab, and her boyfriend, Chi) who she took in to help protect them from the Hunters searching for them all. And then she met Eric, the fellow across the hall who could travel through shadows. She learned of people lighting buildings on fire (thanks to Hallis) and people who could replicate (the green eyed man). It was confusing. Very confusing.
And it turned even more confusing when a woman with Lena's hair showed up at Syd's work insisting the pair were serial killers wanting to take her out. They'd already disappeared, been arrested by the government, and the blonde woman hadn't seen them after they'd escaped.
Through a series of unusual circumstances she ended up on the lam, running from the government along with a former patient— Jamie— who could turn into water. And where did she run? To her former friend and confidant, Fred. Shortly thereafter she took in Trent. The four lived as a kind of happy family unit until Tracy came through the pipes to seek vengeance on AP agents. Fred was one of them. Deciding it was no longer safe, and unsure she could trust anything Fred said, she took off with the kids to Hallis' house where they lived for several months before things totally cooled down.
Personality
Sydney is structured, smart, hard-working, and slightly naive. She’s committed to her job(s) and keen to give a helping hand to others when she’s able. She’s highly intuitive and picks up easily on body language. That said, as a Libra, her life is strangely balanced. She lives as not one thing or the other. She’s smart and a student, but enjoys taking time off. Through her training she “too easily” understands other people’s points of view and has a hard time choosing sides in most cases.
Because of her empathy and understanding she is an excellent mediator in most situations. She also negotiates well with others and can persuade others to her point of view. Unfortunately, as a people pleaser, she tends to take on tasks and enters situations that she doesn’t necessarily want to be in. In these cases, she deals particularly poorly with conflict, choosing to deal with situations passive-aggressively rather than head-on.
Amplifies the current emotional state of whoever its directed at. Doesn't change their emotions, it just increases them.
Deanna Troi
This is Sydney's tracking stunt. It allows her to know the presence of another individual because of emotional energy. It also enables her to connect to hidden persons' emotions.
Empathy
This gives off Sydney's current mood to individuals in her vicinity so they feel it and empathize with her.
Liar Liar Pants on Fire!
This stunt operates much like a lie detector. When individuals are good at lying and their heart rate/anxiety level doesn't increase then it's not effective. For everyone else it enables her to perceive lying.
Reception
This stunt allows Sydney to receive others' moods and emotions and mirror them herself.
Stoic
This stunt cuts Sydney's personal emotions completely. With stoic her emotions are completely nulled.
The following tabs contain further information about Sydney's Volume 4 relationships.
Person
Description
Sydney and Alex met when the pair were almost mugged in Central Park. After a few more meetings the pair became fast friends. The pair are good friends.
Gene was the one who told Syd about the Evolved in the first place. She feels some guilt around this relationship as Gene went missing after following up on a case Sydney had been working for the police.
A waitress at the pub Syd frequents.
Gene's friend and a crazy single mom who left her baby with her baby-daddy. Seemed to make Gene upset.
Syd's former crush and another one of Gene's friends. Seemed to know where Gene had disappeared to… and then… a drugged up chance meeting in the park led to an unusual night of passion, but he made her breakfast after. He's been helping her figure out her ability, and it actually seems to be working. She's learned how to channel it better. She still can't control it as much as she'd like, but it's much improved. Maybe one day she'll be able to use it to help others.
Weird meeting with Tracy in the hotel room Ivory put Sydney up in. Seemed very interested in whether Sydney was sleeping with Ivory… following her Ivory purge, Sydney came to realize that Tracy is probably sleeping with Ivory (after all 'every woman in his employ is'. Shortly thereafter she learned Tracy is scary.
A meeting in the park with Lena and Dex caused Syd to start acting crazy! But Dex helped her learn some stuff and practice her ability. Training in her ability is a good thing, but perhaps not the way Dex wants her to exercise it…
Strange, securely attached to his mother, and overall interesting guy. The two met at Club DNA's while Syd was out avoiding her roommate break-up drama. He bought her a drink and showed her the Mystery Machine, even letting her play Daphne. He got her number… no call though! NO CALL!
A meeting in the library while Sydney was a fugitive made the therapist determined to help the homeless kid. She doesn't really know how or consider herself maternal, but… what was there to do? Became a mother figure in the boy's life.
Currently her oldest friend. The pair knew each other when they had a mutual love for wearing black and jumping around to Death Metal. They met again when Sydney had to decide what to do about Agent Barker and her people. There's a lot of history between Sydney and Fred including a somewhat misspent youth and mutual love for psychology. After finding out his connection to the AP, Syd hasn't trusted him….
Amy is Executive Director of Hope Hearth and one of Sydney's best friends. Unfortunately, Syd hasn't been very honest these last few months with her because she doesn't want to bring her friend more trouble than she already has… especially as it all culminated into a note left at the elder therapist's apartment…
Person
Description
Morgana works in records at the police department. Sydney semi-befriended her at club DNA's while completely tipsy on martinis and dancing. Consequently a lot of people on the dance floor seemed equally giddy… besides that Morgana has been expressing an interest in helping Sydney deal with her own emotional trauma ("Who therapies the therapist?!" Little does Syd know that Morgana's using her for information…
Sydney met Bryan at the Old Castle Pub when he'd just moved to NY. Later he took her statement about the attempted mugging in Central Park (that also involved Alexandra), and he believed her despite the craziness of the situation.
Person
Description
After an unfortunate meeting, Sydney didn't like Laurie.
Person
Description
Sydney saw Emily's infamous video footage and therefore has no trust for the blonde.
A famous socialite who sought Sydney's help following the loss of her… shoes. They were Prada! Sydney recommended she get herself a new pair of shoes. Their therapeutic relationship was compromised when Lena showed up in Syd's office, reminding the therapist of a more punk version of herself. She dumped Hallis once, only to be drawn back in and then fired a couple of weeks later. Hallis also caught onto Syd's ability when the therapist lost her temper. Not good. The two eventually patched things up and Syd, Jamie, and Trent moved in with Hallis when things with Fred went sour.
An AP agent who claimed Chi and Lena were murderers, leaving the therapist very confused.
Person
Description
KeLyssa was in one of Sydney's intro psychology classes in 2009. She came and offered Syd some compliments about her sense of humor (no one in the class EVER laughs at her jokes!!) and is doing a paper of evolutionary changes and their impact on a person's psyche. Interesting topic.
Person
Description
A pseudo-client, but only in the past. His parents scheduled an appointment due to their concern about the changes in Joel's life. After dispensing of the guise of therapy, the pair actually had a conversation. He was the first to learn of her ability after he yelled at her because she yelled at him. Very complicated relationship.
Senator Ivory Wynn came to Sydney as he needed some help working through a terrible decision… got to know him very intimately. Sydney was utterly obsessed UNTIL Lena purged Ivory from her system. Now she has a distaste for Ivory in many ways. The man has since committed suicide.
While not actually a patient himself, Congressman Dawson is dating Sydney's patient Hallis. The two met at Hallis' house, and then again outside a restaurant while she was looking for Ivory. George showed up at Sydney's door to ask about Halllis.
A walk-in at Hope Hearth and as their conversation, she came to know Lena to be Hallis' "girl with the bad hair". She's evolved and running from the government. Syd is trying to help her and even had the girl move into her apartment. After Lena and her boyfriend Chi were caught by the government, Sydney got a visit from Government Agent Cory Barker (who was really Cody explaining that the pair were murderers… Syd's left with MANY quesitons…
A walk-in at Hope Hearth, came to check up on Sydney following her appointment with Lena. Like Lena, Tiago moved in with Syd. Although now she really has no idea what to do….
Met Merrick at the bookstore while he was looking up self-help books. Then he decided to book an appointment… he learned about her ability and was no longer wanting to talk about his troubles.
Jamie came to see Sydney is 2009 when her teachers thought she was suicidal. Turn sout she was just an acrobat practicing her act on a rooftop, but she was a witness to her mother's murder and appears to have been through an ordeal that's made her semi-delusional.
Sydney met Aaron when she was doing some work in Manhattan. Aaron had attempted suicide following the death of his fiance in a fire that killed an auditorium full of people at a concert. Syd was the first therapist he actually talked to and she felt it prudent to give him his guitar to play.
Sydney's Current Relationships (including updates)
Person
Description
Sydney is Trent's foster mother with the intent to adopt, yet it's not going the way she'd intended since she got kidnapped…
Following the AP stuff, Sydney had to send Jamie home to her real foster parents, even though it was really hard for Syd.
After returning to work and claiming she had the crazy, Sydney liked to Amy again.
Gene's friend with whom she is supposed to have lunch sometime… if she ever gets out of captivity…
To say things with Fred are strained would be an understatement. Sydney doesn't know whether to believe anything he says to her; and after a small falling out when she moved into Hallis' apartment (with the kiddies), the pair haven't exactly been buddy-buddy.
After being apart for a long time, Sydney reconnected with this patient. The pair discussed abilities and freaky-like things.
A good cop that needed a psych eval following several incidents with her behavioural consultant partner. Syd gave her a clean bill and a back-to-work order, but brought her in for a session with said-consultant. Maggie was none-too-pleased when that was for either a book or a journal article…
A former patient and psychopath, Sydney isn't exactly fond of Roberto, particularly after he captured her and then gave her beats when he thought she removed his ability.
After a very rocky start to their— whatever it is— Laurie isn't what Syd thought and now she doesn't know what to think. But then is life all about thinking?
NYPD: Sydney consults on cases with the NYPD as far as behavioral analysis is concerned. She also serves as a police psychologist when a police staffer needs to speak to a therapist.
Therapy: If your character could use a therapist, Sydney's training to be a fully licensed clinician, and is completing 'in-practice' hours as par of her degree requirements.
Student: Sydney teaches psychology courses at NYU as well as the smaller schools in NY.
Roberto is none-too-pleased when his ability goes missing and he blames his former therapist. Sydney gets beats and Roberto gets shivved… things don't go well
Detective Maggie Powers is loyal, hardworking, and trustworthy in my estimation. She hasn’t (and likely won’t) dealt with the recent events that transpired at her apartment and is choosing to refocus her attention on work. Assuming nothing unexpected occurs within the the next while in her personal or work lives, she will likely bounce back from this incident with some ease. I recommend her coming back for a follow-up and several mandated therapeutic sessions to be set at a later date — just to ensure her stability and mental health continue.
Behavioural consultant Laurence Miles is unusual, unorthodox, and unstable in my estimation. He admitted to several infractions on the job and insisted these ought to be included in ‘the book’ as a mode of operation. Further, he avoided discussing himself at every corner, choosing instead to push me for information on my life. He noted my own personal disappearance, played with my Kinder Surprise toys (as strewn on my desk) and looked over my credentials. All-in-all I shouldn’t have cleared him for duty, yet somehow I feel that he could be a good contributor to the NYPD and he and Detective Powers seem to get results. I’ve recommended (and he has agreed) to weekly therapy and sessions with Det. Powers.
Ona more personal note I just don't like—him.
Mental note (July 6, 2010): I need to get myself off this case if I can…
Mental note (July 6, 2010): I may have been wrong…
Dual Session with Laurie and Maggie
Formal Report:
The pair appear to get results and do a good job working together.
Detective powers is particularly effective at keeping things by-the-book while Miles’ unconventional approach is more extreme and at times harder to take
I recommend they continue working together and continue with monthly sessions, communication between the pair appears to be an issue.
CLASSIFIED — Personal Notes, Syd’s personal file
The pair have a highly unusual working relationship rife with palpable sexual tension.
Powers is meant to be the no-nonsense one and Miles appears to enjoy the challenge to break through the attitude
Powers’ defense mechanism is in the form not the product of her interaction — she avoids personal information at all corners which could prove difficult in further therapy as well as could result in a breaking of the dam so to speak; I suspect one day she could melt down if this is not resolved
Laurence Miles, defense mechanism is in his blatant avoidance of actually answering a question directly; he’d rather watch and see my reactions instead of react himself
His interest in horoscopes and getting off track are odd and further reflect his open defiance to this whole procedure
Powers' issues rest more in keeping all interactions without any personal information — she uses politeness and form as a way to avoid real personal interaction and conversation
Miles uses his training to toy with others; he's highly intelligent, but goes out of his way to use the information he collects to make those around him uncomfortable.
Quotes
"Are all of you people with abilities organized like the X-Men? That would be. Awesome," to Gene in Heroes Among Us.
"I kid you not, Bryan. They were beautiful. If I ever have children, I might not consider them as beautiful as these shoes," to Bryan in Clarifying Statements.
"Well I'm glad at least you're not completely delusional. Believe me, I've counselled some very deluded individuals. It's generally better to just patronize them and run with the delusion," to Laurie in It's Society's Way.
"It appears I take the psychological phrase emotion manipulation to a new level," to Joel in Stalker Turned Prey?.
"I'm a professional, Senator. And while you picked me up from the side of the road, I'm not that kind of professional," to Ivory in Singing Soprano.
"Life is what we make of it. Weak beginnings don't define who I am or what I can achieve," to Fred in Humble Pie.
"I think we oftentimes forget that love isn't just a feeling, it's a choice," to Hallis in Life is a Parkway.
"I'm a therapist. I don't normally go around in the rain observing the obvious, but I do tend to observe the obvious that isn't so obvious to those I make the observations. Does that make any sense?" to Dee in Meerkats are from Africa.
"I'm sorry Mister — uh — mister consultant — as much as I would love to swap barbs with you today about ethics and moral principles, but I really don't have time, I'm expecting an — . You're Laurence Miles, aren't you? What am I saying? Of course you are… the gods hate me," to Laurie in Looking in the Face of Death.
"Optimists hope for the best by definition — I would've thought that important to you as definitions are so important in general. Possibilities are, in fact, ruined by restrictions like definitions. Is that why you ignore the rules? To open up to more possibilities?" to Laurie in Looking in the Face of Death.
"But you are being evasive, Detective. I've done — and really have had — a lot of therapy in my lifetime. Evasive people give one word to two word answers. Open people talk more. Nervous people talk the most. — Or they clam up. Evasion and evasive tactics take different routes. And unfortunately, Miles is exceedingly good at toying with me," to Maggie in Couples Counseling.
"Just a letter from a now former client. The one I told you about. In text called me 'perfectly acceptable' as a therapist. What does that even mean? Seriously, I need to stick to my day job and avoid… standoffs in my office. One of these days I'll learn not to mess with smart alecs," to Amy in Crazy-Crazy.
"I'd like to think I'd done some good in the Psych Centre… and now? Now a man who is, by all rights, clinically insane wants me to find a way to enable him to control others… this doesn't exactly…" her nose wrinkles "…a change in profession might be called for when I get out of here… if I get out of here," to Laurie in You Had Me in Stitches.
"It's what I aim for. Acceptability. Just glad I meet my goals. Gives me something to work towards: acceptability," to Laurie in You Had Me In Stitches.
"I had the single most terrifying nightmare I've had in ages, I'm responsible for Miles' death, and disaster follows me everywhere. Nothing about my life will ever be okay. Never. It's screwed up— it was screwed up from the moment I was born until this second and it'll never fix itself because I'm too damaged and too incapable of pulling everything together. I am my own worst enemy and I will be for years to come because that's what it means to be me. Incapable of actually dealing with anything, I just let it all settle. Wait until the dust calms and then BAM more disaster. And no matter what I do, I will always hurt the people around me. If you're smart, you'll leave while you're still alive…" to Amy in The Fearsome Truth.
"But perhaps we're all a little like that fly in this. Tormented and punished for our nature." Eyes and lips zero in on him. "Smushed thoughtlessly against a wall for merely being who we are." She stares at it a moment longer. "Always at someone else's mercy. Like Laurence was at his. Like I was." There's a distinct pause as she leans forward and grasps the glass again, "And like you are at mine," to Mason in The Princess and the Pig.
You weren't wearing blue lipstick, but you WERE scary! It was scary! The place had SO many windows! Don't you know you're not supposed to sit in front of a window lest someone do a drive-by and shoot you?! That's why the couch isn't in front of the window — " to Lizzie in The Incident.
"And now, thanks to it, I have a partial pappillion on my poofnee! It's… terrible. Completely terrible!" to Lizzie in The Incident.
"I don't think you want to fight me though, I'm very scrappy," to Laurie in Waste of Paint.
"I'm a big girl. I can take a lot…" All of the time. To everyone. Including herself.
"I always find male clients more willing to talk to me when I show a little leg…" to Fred in Kinder Surprise.
"And. I'm wearing an Aunt Jemima hat, I'm sure that should, at least, bring my judgment into question. If I was in a magazine the caption would read, What was she thinking?" to Fred in Kinder Surprise.
