#trying to decide between Mars and Eros for his name

[dullcryptid]

newish sona concept, still nameless 👀 he’s a dragon/fox hybrid

IG @/feralxfur

[rinasunny]

Canon details of Eros and Psyche tale often missed out by the retellings [Part 3]

During her sea vacation Aphrodite/Venus completely abandons her duties, probably due to the fact that she wasn't worshipped for a while. A seagull comes to her and says there is neither friendship nor love amongst humans, though she is not the only culprit. It informs her of rumour of Eros/Cupid having a girlfriend. Psyche isn't Aphrodite's first guess. She thinks of Nymphs, the Hours, or the Muses, or the Graces instead. Even these suggestions make her angry and when she learns the identity she is obviously furious but not only at Psyche.

Upon reuniting with her son Aphrodie is NOT kind or caring towards him. She goes on full rant about him being naughty and disrespectful towards everyone, especially gods. She rants about him making her cheat on Hephaestus/Vulcan, but at the same time the fact that Ares/Mars has lovers besides her. Calls him names, expresses her anxiety about becoming a grandmother (I guess she forgot that Aenaes had descendants). On top of that threatens to take away his equipment (the bow, arrows, his torch and even wings) and give to one of her slave boys (that she would adopt). Eros doesn't respond.

Upon exiting their palace she stumbles upon Demeter/Ceres and Hera/Juno, who heard her rant. She expects their support but they take Cupid&Psyche's side and try to reason with her, but as we all know do not succeed.

After tricking her sisters into falling off a cliff Psyche searches Eros/Cupid and accidentally finds an abandoned temple of Demeter/Ceres, it's quite messy but Psyche doesn't leave it as is.

It was heaped with ears of wheat, some woven into wreaths, and ears of barley. There were sickles, and all the other harvest implements, but scattered about in total disorder, as if left there by the harvesters escaping the summer sun. Psyche sorted them all into separate piles, thinking she should not neglect the temples or rituals of any deity, but rather appeal to the kindness and mercy of them all.

Demeter comes to her saying that Aphrodite is looking for her and she's pissed. Psyche begs her to allow her to hide in the temple for a few days until Aphrodite forgets about her. Despite sympathy towards Psyche Demeter rejects her.

5. Psyche seeks refuge in Hera's temple. She does more or less the same thing she did in Demeter's temple to the same result. In Roman Empire if you hide a slave (Psyche) from his/owner (Venus/Aphrodite) you bring them back with your own slave + monetary compensation.

6. Aphrodite decides to seek Psyche with Hermes/Mercury's help, gives him the then equivalent of wanted poster. The one arrests her should bring her to Mercury by her shrine in the Circus Maximus. The reward is seven kisses from Aphrodite and "one more deeply honeyed touch of her caressing tongue".

7. Everyone searches for Psyche though she pretty much comes herself.

8. Upon meeting with Psyche Aphrodite beats her up and laughs at her, then goes on another (quite sarcastic) rant. Here's an important thing Aphrodite claims Psyche to be her slave and the marriage between Eros and Psyche was illegitimate (back then the Roman law required weddings required witnesses and consent from a groom's father i.e. Zeus/Jupiter). Thus Psyche's child would be a bastard, though Aphrodite suggested she might not let the child to be born.

9. Right after Psyche gets whipped and tortured by Aphrodites servants Anxiety and Sorrow.

10. This context pretty much frames Psyche's labours not as quests to get Eros back but punishment and torture from Aphrodite. Starting with second labour they are designed specifically to kill Psyche off. That's why she tried to kill herself at the start of every new labour except the first (she just froze).

11. Since retellings tend to describe the labours quite accurately I'm not gonna go into detail, except for the fact that after completion of each labour Aphrodite accuses Psyche of cheating, that it was her secret lover who helped her do all of these.

To be continued...

[archiveddvrpg]

Congratulations, KIERSTEN! You’ve been accepted for the role of IMOGEN with a faceclaim change to Brittany O’Grady. Admin Kaitlin: Oh Kiersten... It’s no secret to anyone who asks how much I am in love with Isabella Gagliano. They are such a fascinating character. They bring this vibrancy, this sheer tour de force with them around every bend, carry their thirst for justice with them around every corner--their pen as their sword and paper as their shield. And you, Kiersten, my sunshine angel you brought them to us full throttle. I am particularly in love with the plots you’ve laid out for them, all the ways they seek to raze Verona to ash for the sake of the truth, no matter how bloodied it may be. I absolutely cannot wait for them to bless our dash. Please read over the checklist and send in your blog within 24 hours.

WELCOME TO THE MOB.

OUT OF CHARACTER:

Alias | Kiersten

Age | 20 (dub club, baby!)

Preferred Pronouns | she/her

Activity Level |  6.5/10, give or take a number depending on assignments, muse, mood, and all that jazz! I’m getting ready to go back to school; however, I think I’ve managed to keep activity up pretty well, in spite of that. Anyway, I have burning passion for writing (and pain)–and DiVerona! And along with my burning passion comes guilty pleasures–that is, prioritizing replies over not-so-important (but aren’t they all supposed to be important? c’est la vie!) assignments.

Also… I’m just gonna slide this here… https://catherinedaly.tumblr.com/ :)

Timezone |  EST

IN CHARACTER:

Character | Isabella Elena Gagliano (with a FC change to Brittany O’Grady, pleeeeease!)

ISABELLA

origin: Spain

meaning: pledged to God; God is bountiful

“Qué linda, qué hermosa–nuestro amor. Gracias a Dio.” These are some of the earliest phrases that she can remember coming from Candela and Emilio Gagliano throughout her childhood. Affectionately nicknamed Bella from an early age, the Gagliano child has never been a stranger to beloved adoration. Every morning, her parents would shower the beautiful babe with kisses; every night, they would get on their knees and pray at the side of the crib, thanking God for the gift He deigned to give them.

ELENA

origin: Greece

meaning: shining light; the bright one

Candela Gagliano knew what she was doing when she looked down at her darling baby and decided to gift her with a middle name full of light and brightness. That is what Isabella was to the Gagliano family: a bundle of light that, when cultivated as sweetly as she’d been, would one day righteously burn anyone who dared to try to snuff her out.

GAGLIANO

origin: Italy/Germany

meaning: joyous; brave

There’s bravery in looking the hurricane in the eye and now cowering, but winking. There’s bravery in relying on words and ink rather than guns and bullets–this ideology has been absorbed by the little canary who prefers to sing her truths rather than fight battles that she knows she’s unequipped for. She takes immense joy in dealing justice–a rarity, especially in a place such as Verona.

What drew you to this character? | Would you believe me if I said a bit of my heart has always belonged to Isabella Gagliano? I’m no better than Eros leaving Psyche to tend to her as she so rightfully deserves. When I began toying with the idea of applying for a second character (yes, I know I’m tardy to the party), I told myself that I would look for someone who pushed me out of my comfort zone of innately soft characters. By no means do I consider Isabella rough, but she’s brazen in a sort of “it’s better to ask for forgiveness rather than beg for permission” kind of way. There’s a fire inside of her that I’m dying to get ahold of. And, after going through the list over and over again, I realized that I couldn’t turn a blind eye to Isa anymore.

What is a future plot idea you have in mind for the character? | Where do you see this character developing, and what kind of actions would you have them take to get there? 3 future plot ideas would be preferable.

SEE, I’VE COME TO BURN YOUR KINGDOM DOWN: Isabella is no stranger to injustice or loss; she’s had more than enough of her fair share of both while living in Spain. Her move to Verona was meant to only be an escape, to rid herself of the plaguing thoughts of her mother and father, but the seasoned  man who took her underneath his aged wing implored her to write, she could not refuse. She wrote. The Verona Giornale took note of the little canary and offered her a place, promising her as much anonymity as they can give under the moniker of Imogen, and she greedily took them up on her offer, promising herself that she would EXPOSE THE MOBS FOR ALL THAT THEY’VE DONE.  And may God have mercy on the souls who find themselves immortalized in ink by Isabella Gagliano; for, if they want to live like gods, she will assure that they are crucified like them—painfully, magnificently, and publicly.

YOU HOLD MY HEART, YOU HOLD ME DOWN: Isa was the one to force her beloved to choose between her heart and her family, for she was under the guise that she meant more to Celeste than the family that left her with no choice but to marry and join the likes of the Montagues. But if there was  one thing her parents taught her, it was to never make assumptions; and yet, the Gagliano woman did and got burned in the end. Casting Celeste out of her house that night was the most painful thing she’d ever done, and I’d like to see how she could come to terms with it. Logically, of course, it makes sense–Isabella cannot afford to lose herself in a woman that can never fully be hers, but her bleeding heart cries for its stellina, cries to have the other sweetly nestled against the contours of Isabella’s body, even if only for a night. EXPLORING THE RELATIONSHIP WITH CELESTE is something I’m dying to do, especially since I see Isa as a rather possessive person; will she cave for Celeste, or will she go out of her way to try to make the Duval woman jealous? Will she seclude herself because of her battered heart  and work twice as hard to expose the evil doings of the mobs?

CORRUPT A MAN’S HEART WITH A GIFT–THAT’S HOW YOU FIND OUT WHO YOU DEALIN’ WITH: I’d like for Isa to LOOK FOR WEAK LINKS WITHIN THE MOBS’ ARMOR, for both her own sanity and her publications. Though Fate has been cruel to her in the past, she’s loathe to believe that it could continue to be; surely, Isabella believes, not everyone involved in the work of Damiano or Cosimo is there because of their own volition. Surely, she believes, there are some willing to sing their song for her, so long as she offers something in return. While neither of us are sure what will be offered, I’d love to get the chance to flesh it out and figure out just how far Isabella will go to get what she thinks she  needs.

Are you comfortable with killing of your character? | Only if it’ll cause the maximum amount of pain possible.

IN CHARACTER INTERVIEW:

What is your favorite place in Verona?

Wrapped under plush blankets, arm strewn lovingly across a frame she’s mapped dozens of times–that’s her favorite place in Verona. But, there’s power in a name and in the unfettered truth that she’s too selfish to give up; to remedy, Isa keeps the truth tucked close to her chest out of fear that, if she shares, she’ll lose it and Celeste. So, Isabella settles for something far more bland, but still honest: “My office– at home or at the Giornale.” The answer is far more bland, but it’s still honest. Both places scream Isabella Gagliano, for they’re littered with pads of paper marred by  her loop-filled handwriting and her walls and desk are decorated with pictures she’s taken in her down time (however, her office at home dons more intimate photos–candids, true moments of happiness–than the one at work). “There’s something liberating in sitting down in a space that’s wholeheartedly your own and and just… Being able to write and to be. It’s cathartic, really.”

      2. What does your typical day look like?

“I don’t really have a set pattern of what I do every day.” Isabella prefers to keep a healthy amount of change in her life, just in case someone starts to trail her. Writing under a moniker offers more protection than her given name, but it doesn’t offer invincibility; she wishes to follow in her parents footsteps, but in her own way: stealthily, creatively.  It’s not easy living in Verona without mob protection, but she makes do with what she has; besides, she’d rather die a martyr than a murderer. Languidly and cat-like, she places an elbow on the arm of the leather chair, lips jutting out in thought. “But, first and foremost,” the curly-haired brunette begins, “I wake up. The time varies, depending on what I have planned for the day. If I have a ridiculously light schedule, I’ll lounge in bed ‘til noon or I get hungry—whichever comes first.” Playfully, she chuckles at her own admission before continuing, “But on ‘normal’ days, I head to Giornale, I interview people, I write. Maybe I’ll find time to visit a few friends or just wander around the city. I’ve been here for a few months, sure, but every single day I feel like there’s something else–something new–that I learn. And that’s a journalist’s dream, no?”

      3. What has been your biggest mistake thus far?

“So what—this is it?” Disbelief colors her words and she’s grateful; without it, she knows without a doubt that Celeste would be able to hear the begging undertones, the wretched part of Isabella that wants nothing more than to love and be loved in return.

“Mi amore, what do you want from me?” Celeste’s voice is tired, worn. “You know me better than I do myself; you know—“

“What do I want? What do I want, Celeste?” Exasperated hands slam against her countertop, causing the other to jump in her perch on the couch. “You! All I want is you! How many languages do I have to say it in for you to understand it? How many times?” Isa rakes her hands through her curls to calm herself, but it’s no use; panic and vexation have settled deep within the marrows of her bones, for she knows deep down that this is the end.

“I can’t leave Tomas—“

“You don’t even love him.” Isabella’s voice cracks as it stumbles over the four letter word, the four letter word she’s breathed countless amounts of time  against the soft skin of Celeste’s neck, at the insides of her thighs. Isabella closes the distance between them, brown eyes imploring as she nestled beside her lover on the couch, fingertips reaching and finding purchase on the other’s hands. “You love me. Why—why am I not enough?”

For the first time since the conversation began, she swears she can see guilt in her lover’s alluring eyes. Celeste says nothing, and the silence is as loud as anguished screams. Because you can’t provide for me in the way that my family needs like he can, Isa supplies mentally, because you have no merit in Verona. Because you are neither Capulet nor Montague aligned.

Because you were too late.

“Then go.” She all but snatches her hand away from Celeste’s and she abruptly stands. “Get out. Get out.” Heavy footfalls thump against the hardwood floors as she disappears down the hall to their—no, her—bedroom. A few moments pass before Isabella rounds the corner, Celeste’s belongings carelessly bundled in her arms. “Leave,” Isa hisses, all but throwing the clothes at the redhead, “and stay gone. Stay with him in that big, grand house of yours.”

The Duval woman can only comply. With clothes in her hands and tears in her eyes, she casts her beloved a longing look before leaving. And as soon as the door slams shut, Isabella crumbles to a heap of bitterness, of brokenheartedness. She pulls her knees to her chest and raggedly sobs until her throat is raw.

———

“Signorina Gagliano?” the interviewer prompts, brows furrowing.

She blinks—once, twice, then murmurs, “Perdonami—my mind has been elsewhere as of late.” Then, to remedy her inappropriate silence, she flashes a grin and admits, “Honestly, it’s a bit unnerving being on the other side of this. I’m much more comfortable in your position, caro mio.” His chuckle reveals that he’s not upset, not even bothered. He just wants answers, Isa tells herself.

All anyone ever wants is an answer until it’s not quite that they want to hear. She swallows thickly.

“My biggest mistake would have to be giving people the benefit of the doubt.” Doing so with Celeste had left a gaping hole in her chest that she knows will never fully fill. “When somebody shows you who they are the first time, amico mio, you better believe them.”

What has been the most difficult task asked of you?

“To write,” she murmurs softly, brown eyes more vulnerable than she’d like to admit. It comes as easily as air to her, that writing, but it brings so much pain, so much misery. It dredges up memories that she has spent years trying to bury. “It’s a gift and a curse, you know.” To equally love and hate what you do, to know that it’s the best thing to do–even if not for your own gain. She knows this better than many at the Giornale, for they write from a distance with no ties to the mobs, but she writes from  unwanted connections: her lovesick heart, her bitter soul. “But, you know what they say: Nothing easy is worth having, or something along those lines.” And truly, deep down, Isabella knows this as well as she knows the sky is blue and the grass is green, but it doesn’t make it any easier to stomach.

      4. What are your thoughts on the war between the Capulets and the Montagues?

This is the one question that leaves a metallic tang in her mouth—the mention of the mobs in what she thought was lighthearted practice for one of the newer interns has driven her to lock her jaws until she bleeds. This is all they do: they kill, they steal, and they lie—for trivial, worldly possessions. Money. Fame. Power. Her fingertips twitch involuntarily, the minuscule movement born from irritation and disdain. And this is why I’m here—to strip them of it all, to remind them that the pen is far mightier than the sword.

Isabella clears her throat and her mind by extension; to blatantly admit something that bold, even in the face of a comrade, would be the final nail in a casket she’s not yet prepared to lie in. “I’m not sure if it’s fair for us to have a say on a world that we know nothing of,” she breezily lies, fingertips absentmindedly tugging at her dark brown curls. A brow arches, however, asking the question that she knows better than to voice and he knows better than to answer: Don’t you know better than to ask about the work of the Devil?

Nonetheless, glossed lips tick upward at the corners, just enough to indicate a smile. “My thoughts are based on facts and facts alone when it comes to things not prominent in my own life, so I’m sure that makes them rather bland.”

Extras: If you have anything else you’d like to include (further headcanons, an inspo tag, a mock blog, etc), feel free to share it here!

EXTRAS:

MBTI: ENTP - The Debater

ZODIAC: Libra - October 11, 1994

MOCK BLOG:

https://isabellagagliano.tumblr.com/

PLAYLIST:

https://open.spotify.com/user/r7z4vyhjr8g2jp2t30pkapvwf/playlist/6eVrYzXLiF281uOg3GeqI1?si=PPb1kT6lQp6ZTCDGgA3sqw

HEADCANONS:

Isabella has a tiny, scripted-font “C.” behind her left ear. One drunken escapade quickly led to another, and before either Celeste or Isabella knew it, they were in a hole-in-the-wall tattoo shop. Isa held Celeste’s hand as she got her tattoo—“I love you, stellina, I love you,” the brunette had slurred with a lazy grin throughout the process.

The Gagliano woman is possessive, to say the least; but who can blame her—the child who lost what was most important to her at the time to outside forces, to greedy hands that only sought to take?

Along with journalism, Isa enjoys photography in her free time.

She’s fluent in Spanish, Italian, English, and she knows conversational Russian.

The man that took her in and encouraged her to write recently passed; she visits his grave at least once every two weeks.

[julia-highstorms]

The Third Park (Damien x OC (Ellie)) - Part 13

Summary: Ellie and Damien have a new lead on Robert Zucko's case, and a double date with him and Lucy, but things don't turn out the way they planned...

Note: (most) characters belong to Pixelberry Studios. Damien is 100% human in here and my Male!MC is named Allen. Ni Ni’s and Santiago Cabrera’s gifs don’t belong to me. Link to previous parts.

Pairing: Damien x OC (Ellie)

Rating: Teen (alcohol, language)

Tagging: @christopher-powell @boneandfur @kennaxval @writtenbycandy @thequeenchoices @client327 @damienazariostan @never-ending-choices @walkerismychoice @laniquelove @confessionsofabrokegirl @dangerous-capri15 @parkerattano @clarissafics @pilitella @hellomynameisdeviblaire @odetomars @cocomaxley @her-imperial-hangman-s @endlesswoods @miss-cordonia If you would like to be tagged, please, tell me!

Word count: 4772

Although it was Sunday and Damien felt exhausted from all that late night activity - party + sex, and lots of it -, Eleanor woke up bright and early as usual. And of course she woke him up too.

“C’mon, we have more work to do!” - she pushed him to sit straight in the bed, talking too loud. He asked himself how the Park cousins could all be so energetic so early in the morning. Didn't they have a switch off button? - "And I have to go back to Freddie! He doesn’t deal very well with loneliness—"

But out of nowhere, Damien turned and grabbed her wrists, pinning Ellie back onto the mattress, beneath him. Her surprised squeal turned into a moan when he bit her neck playfully.

"You smell so good, Ellie..." - he murmured and kissed behind her earlobe. Judging by the hard part of his body pulsing on her thigh, he was already wide awake.

"Yes, because I've already showered." - she informed him, trying to resist his teasing. It was being really damn hard. - "Fuck, D, I'm not paying you to keep me in bed all day."

He pulled out, chuckling softly, and picked some clean clothes from his bag.

"Nadia is right. You're a workaholic."

"Shut up. And go take your cold shower, Nazario." - he still was laughing when he entered the bathroom.

  As Ellie had predicted, Freddie didn't appreciate being left alone for the night and destroyed one of her cushions. After changing into something more comfortable, she decided to take the dog for his morning walk and she and Damien had a breakfast in her favorite café, before they were finally back into her apartment again.

"So, what did we find out yesterday?" - she asked, after brushing her teeth.

Damien had already installed himself on her house. There were diagrams and notes scattered all over her dinner table and he was typing something on his laptop. He had even connected his computer to her printer.

"First things first, Robert Zucko is a complete jerk." - Eleanor couldn't agree with him more. - "Second, he's a very protective guy. He has cameras all over his house and his property is heavily secured. But, there's no cameras nor bodyguards near his office."

"And he owns a fucking pistol." - she plopped down on a chair, still terrified by the memory of it.

"Yeah, this too. But what I found the most suspicious was this." - he showed her the table he made based on the picture he took from one of Robert's documents. Ellie saw a bunch of names and schedules.

"What is this?"

"I think these are his employees names." - Damien started searching all the locations listed there on the Google street view.

"Wow, this is an obsessive amount of names."

"Exactly. Why there would be so many people working on a pub?"

"...Unless Robert is not just a pub owner." - she concluded his thought. Damien grinned to himself. Eleanor Zhou could become a good investigator. She had great logical reasoning.

"My thoughts exactly. Do you have a map of Northbridge?"

Ellie came back a few minutes later and they both spreaded it on her dinner table. Damien started circling the places, the pub and Robert's and Lucy's house included. Apparently Robert Zucko had business all over the city.

He read the table again. One of the names ringed a bell, but he didn't quite remember from where he had already heard it. He highlighted it anyway.

"D, look!" - she pointed to a line from the table. Danny Mars, July 28, 11AM, the docklands. - “Whatever the hell this means, this is going to happen this Wednesday.”

“You’re right.” - they analysed the paper further. - “So this is where Robert went yesterday.” - he pointed to the line above.

“When he said he had to go take a ‘package’?”

“You have a good memory, Ellie.”

“I try.” - she grinned back and he couldn’t help but lean in and kiss her softly on the lips. She giggled. - “Okay, so this is about suspicious packages, apparently. What’s the plan?”

“I’m going to follow Robert Zucko and see what’s going on." - his smile faded from his face. - "Listen, Ellie, I think that what we have in our hands is bigger than we imagined. More than Lucy. Maybe we can get him out of her life for good. But it might be dangerous. We still don’t know what and who we’re dealing with, exactly.”

She nodded, with a serious expression too.

“I’ll do whatever it takes to free her from this bastard.” - Ellie’s obstinacy and fierceness were thrilling.

He hadn’t been feeling that impressed since he and her cousins brought Eros down, two years ago. Yeah, it hurt like hell when Allen chose Hayden over him, but he had to admit that the love Allen and Nadia felt for those robots was inspiring.

Maybe it was just another Park trait that he liked: their stubbornness.

"You know, seeing you all angry like this is such a turn on." - he placed his hands on her hips, bringing her closer until they were pressed against each other.

Ellie chuckled as she enlaced her arms around his neck, feeling pressed between the table and Damien.

"Oh yeah?"

"Yeah."

"You say this because I'm not angry at you."

"Maybe." - he smiled mischievously and then planted his lips on hers.

Eleanor immediately kissed him back, pulling him even closer. They deepened the kiss, savouring each other’s taste. When the moment hit both of them, Damien easily lifted her and put a giggling Ellie on the table, pushing Northbridge map and all the other papers aside.

"God dammit, you're so damn addictive." - he said, his breath already heavy, as he bent over her, who was already laying back onto the table. She grinned devilishly at him, with a leg hooked around his waist, pulling his body closer to hers. Oh God, she already felt that heat down there…

“And you’re insatiable, Damien Nazario. Do you know this?” - she told him as she put light kisses all over his face.

“Only for you, Eleanor Zh—”

Suddenly, her phone started ringing, interrupting them. The moment was completely gone. Again.

Damien let out a frustrated sigh as Ellie climbed down the table.

"Lucy? Is everything okay?" - she said with the mobile pressed on her ear. The man watched her while he picked the papers from the floor and put them back onto the table. - "Uh? Dinner? Yeah, we can… Okay, see you there."

"What?" - he asked as she ended the call.

"Lucy invited us to a dinner Friday night… Apparently Robert wants to fix things between us." - Eleanor rolled her eyes, visibly annoyed.

"...Well, this is a great opportunity. Maybe we can get some information from them." - the corners of Ellie's lips turned up in that devilishly smirk.

"That's what I thought too. Come on, we have a plan to make."

They spent the whole day planning on what would they do. Damien decided that he would follow Robert that week, maybe trying to find a pattern. Ellie wouldn't be able to help much, since she had to go work. But they would work together on Friday night, at the dinner with the newly-engaged couple. He went back to New York that same night to pick new and clean clothes and get his trusty old muscle car, so he could follow Robert Zucko and Lucy James everywhere, more easily.

Damien Nazario: “I’m here. Just parked.”

Eleanor Zhou: “Okay! Meet you in 5.”

She put her phone back into her bag, and finished fixing her makeup. It was Friday night and they were about to have that dinner with her friend and that man. Ellie was feeling anxious about what would happen. She would have to spend the next couple hours of her life facing that pig that was Robert Zucko. She took a deep breath. For Lucy.

And she wasn’t alone. Damien was going to be there too. Knowing this made her feel a little calmer. God, since when she was so dependable of him? Stop it, Ellie. He’s just helping you. You hired him, did you forget it? She looked at her own reflex on the mirror, taking a deep breath, before going out.

Ellie left the Mortif Magazine building and easily saw the familiar old muscle car parked just across the street.

Ellie decided to ignore the little leap her heart took when she saw Damien there, casually leaning against his car, with his strong arms crossed over his muscled chest. He saw her too and she saw that stupidly charming smirk of his that made her feel all hot. They had decided to meet there, so they could pass on the plan one more time before the dinner. They haven’t seen each other since Sunday afternoon and she kind of missed him. God, what was happening with her?!

Stop it, Ellie.

You can’t. Not now. Not for him.

“Ellie!” - she heard Poppy Patel walking towards her. - “Glad I got to catch you! I’m going to a happy hour with my friends, do you want to come with us?”

“Thanks, Poppy, but I already have a plan for tonight…” - and then she quickly shot a glance to where Damien was. Poppy followed her gaze.

“Ooooh, he’s hot! Now I can understand why you declined ‘grabbing a coffee’ with Grayson Prescott, the most eligible bachelor of Northbridge.” - Eleanor just rolled her eyes. - “Hello, I’m Poppy!” - she  promptly greeted the man who approached them.

“Hello, I’m Damien. Ellie’s boyfriend.” - Ellie didn’t hide her smile when she felt his arm around her waist, pulling her close to him. - “Sorry to interrupt your conversation, but we have a dinner to attend.” - she noticed that he was using that smirk of his that helped him get whatever he wanted. She couldn’t resist it herself.

“I see.” - Poppy grinned to Eleanor. - “Well, don’t let me take any more of your time, guys! Have a good date!” - and she winked to her friend, making Ellie chuckle.

“Thanks, Poppy. See you on Monday.” - and then Damien led her to his car, his warm and big hand on hers, their fingers intertwined.

“So, the Grayson Prescott asked you out?” - he asked casually.

“Were you eavesdropping us?”

“I’m a detective. Eavesdropping is basically my job.” - she rolled her eyes, but chuckled softly.

“Yeah… we met in that party at Prescott Industries that Poppy took me.” - she shrugged.

“And let me get this right: you rejected him?”

“Rejection sounds too harsh. I just gently declined his invitation.”

“Why? He’s handsome, hot and a millionaire. You can’t possibly be so attracted to me.” - he smirked at her and she felt her heart skipping a beat. Oh, if he only knew…

“Maybe my type is detectives with an inflated ego.” - he laughed loudly. She liked the sound of his laugh.

“Touché. Anyway, you always work this late?”

“Some nights.” - she replied with a shrug. It was past 7 p.m., although her working hours were due to 5 p.m.

...And that was a lie. She worked overtime most of the days. And Damien knew it too. He had noticed that she avoided looking to his eyes when she lied.

“Anyway, you dressed up nice, D.” - she smirked approvingly to him, changing the subject. Damien was wearing a slim button-up shirt and a blazer.

“Yeah, I figured that the restaurant we’re going to is one of the fanciest in Northbridge, so I had to step up a little today.” - they both climbed up on his car. - “You’re looking good too.”

“I work at a fashion magazine. People know how to dress up here.” - she said as she put her seatbelt. He started the engine and the car started moving through the city's streets.

“Yeah, but I bet you’ll look even better when I take you out of your clothes later.” - Ellie giggled to his statement. God, she liked his flattering more than she should.

“You must think that you’re such a smooth talker, don’t you, Nazario? Anyway, how is the investigation going? Have you found something? What all those infos in that table meant?” - Danny Mars, July 28, 11AM, the docklands.

"I didn't have much luck. Robert and a bodyguard went towards Northbridge's docklands and met a guy, which I believe is this Danny Mars guy, and they exchanged a few words, but nothing else. The meeting was less than fifteen minutes long." - he gave her a dossier and she saw a few pictures he took from Robert and two other strangers. - "It was a windy day and I didn't have much space to hide myself, so the photos aren't so good. Although there wasn't any kind of 'package' this time, it certainly is suspicious."

"And what happened afterwards?"

"Robert - and his man - went straight home and he just left his home on Thursday night, around 8 p.m. to go to Zucko's Point and stayed there until little after midnight. Today, he went earlier to the pub, around 2 p.m. Although his pub was closed, he had some guests." - she saw more pictures as Damien followed the GPS directions. - "They left the place after an hour. Robert was still there when I left to come pick you up."

She put the pictures back into the dossier and looked at him.

"...And this is why you look so tired." - she concluded. - "You'd been following him everywhere this week. Did you sleep at all?"

"Well, the backseat of this car can be very comfortable..."

"This is not a proper sleep, D! Why didn't you checked in on a hotel? I know that Robert's schedule is a mess, but I don't want my private investigator passing out due to exhaustion!"

Damien grinned to himself, his eyes still on the road in front of them. It was silly, but he felt slightly happy to know that she was worried about him.

"You too. I know you work overtime, Ellie."

"We're not talking about me." - she snapped back at him, with a frown, making him chuckle. He missed talking to her that week. They barely had time to even text each other, since he was following Robert Zucko around like crazy and she was stuck on work. - "And I don't work that much." - she completed, rolling her eyes.

"Whatever you say." - he chuckled again. - "Anyway, here's the plan for tonight. We'll try to get as much information as possible about Robert's life. Especially about his business. And how he and Lucy are doing. Although I'm pretty sure she probably is in heaven right now with this engagement thing."

"You mean engagement bullshit. He did this just to lock her."

"Ellie..." - he said with a warning tone on his voice at her as he parked the car. They had just arrived to their destination.

"I know, I know, I'll behave, don't worry." - she said with a sigh before they both climbed down the car.  

"I'm not." - Damien answered her, his hand on the small of her back as he guided them towards the restaurant. - "I trust you, Ellie."

And she grinned to herself.

"Ah! Ellie!" - Lucy James waved as they entered the fancy Italian restaurant. They walked towards the petite blonde woman and her fiancé. - "Right on time, we'd just arrived too."

"Good night, Eleanor. Mr. Nazario." - Robert Zucko greeted them with a tilt from his head. They did the same. - "My apologies, but I forgot to book a table for tonight and it's packed here, so we'll have to wait a little. Why don't we go grab something to drink while we wait?"

"I need to go to the restroom first." - Ellie said, her hands already clenched in fists.

"I'll go with you!" - Lucy said and they left the men alone. Robert proposed to them to go grab their drinks while they waited for the ladies to come back. Damien agreed and they walked towards the bar.

Both men asked for a whiskey. Neat.

"Mr. Nazario, I feel like we started with the wrong foot last weekend and I wanted to apologise about my behavior on Lucy's birthday party. I was being rude."

"Please, call me Damien. And I think the one you have to apologise to is Ellie."

He saw a mocking smile on Robert's face, but the man just said:

"Of course. I will as well."

Damien just glanced at the man next to him, holding himself to not punch that bastard's disgusting smirk out of his face and both men sipped on their drinks, saying nothing else.

Both women were back soon and, thankfully, they got a table, so Eleanor didn't have to make small talk with her best friend's fiancé. As she and D presumed, Lucy was over excited about the wedding. While the women were in the restroom, the blonde one couldn't stop talking about her plans to it. Ellie felt uneasy with all that talk but didn't stop Lucy.

They settled down and no one said anything while they chose what to eat. After they have ordered their food - which both Damien and Eleanor noticed that Robert made the decision for Lucy and it made the Asian woman's blood boil -, the newly engaged woman cleared her throat:

"So! While we wait for our orders, I guess this is the perfect time to announce this..." - she shared a smile with her fiancé. - "Robert and I had decided to marry in November ."

Ellie almost spilled her wine. November?!

"...But so soon?" - she couldn't contain herself. Damien watched her cautiously by her side. - "I mean… I thought you would want to plan your marriage with no hurry..."

Four months. They had four months to free Lucy from that man's claws.

"Well, we don't need to plan much when everything's already settled." - Robert answered her. - "We already know the place and the day of the ceremony. Even the decorations are decided. And to where we're going on our honeymoon."

"Oh really? Care to tell us more about it?" - Damien asked.

While Robert listed everything, Ellie's eyes were on her best friend, who just nodded at the man sitting next to her.

Eleanor knew Lucy well enough that it was far from ideal to her. Lucy James always told her that she wanted a big wedding like in those Hollywood movies. She wanted to go to Greece or Fiji on her honeymoon (and not stay in the U.S., like it seemed to be Robert's plan). She even had created a 'wedding moodboard' on Pinterest when they still were in college!

"...Lucy just need to pick her dress." - he finished his monologue.

Ellie's hands rested on her lap, in fists. Her best friend clearly had nothing to do with that. With her own wedding. Robert Zucko decided everything. He controlled her and her life.

Eleanor felt like screaming. Her rage igniting inside her again. She fucking hated him so much.

She felt Damien's large and warm hand on hers, squeezing it lightly. Ellie didn't notice that she was shaking with anger. She took a deep breath and mentally thanked him. He already knew her so well. It was good having him there. He was so much more collected than her.

"And are you okay with this, Lucy?" - Damien asked her friend.

Lucy slightly looked surprised. She quickly glanced to Robert, who watched her, calmly, before looking back to Damien, who was waiting for her answer:

"Of course!" - she forced a laugh, clearly feeling embarrassed.

"Because to me it feels like you didn't get much say about this..." - Eleanor had to control herself to not kiss Damien right there. She sipped on her drink instead.

"No! I mean, you got it wrong. Of course I agree with all this! Why wouldn't I? I'm marrying the love of my life!" - and she and Robert exchanged a grin. Ellie had to hold herself back to not roll her eyes so hard so she could see her own brain.

"And I didn't get to decide everything. Tell them about it, babydoll." - Robert said while the waiters put their plates in front of them.

"Oh yes!" - the blonde woman squealed excitedly on her chair. - "Ellie, would you be my maid of honor?"

Eleanor shouldn't be so surprised with it. She kind of had a feeling that Lucy would ask that to her anyway.

...But she never thought that it would be with her marriage with someone like Robert Zucko.

"I…" - she took a deep breath. - "It would be my greatest honor." - and forced a smile.

"Thank you so much, Ellie!" - Lucy was so happy that she even had to hug her best friend. Ellie just wanted to scream. Again.

"As you can see, this wasn't my decision." - Ellie glared at Robert. She perfectly understood what he meant with that comment.

"Talking about decisions..." - Damien intervened, his hand on Eleanor's thigh, holding her back onto her seat, forcing her to not slap that rat's face. She decided to focus on her food instead. D was working and her getting all annoyed with Robert wouldn't help him. - "Ellie told me you own a pub, Zucko's Point, right?" - the other man nodded to him. - "You see, my favorite pub back in New York, Archer & Hopps, is not doing so well..."

"Oh, I heard about it. We pub owners know each other. Old man Archer had been losing a lot of money on gambling, right? And everything went worse after Hopps' death."

"Yeah, exactly... And, well, I'm a regular there and was thinking about helping them... maybe become a partner, you know? But I don't know if this is a good idea and wanted to talk to a pub owner first before I make my decision. Is it too much work?" - Robert laughed to Damien's frown.

"Well, it depends. Archer & Hopps is not a big pub, so yes, you probably would become their manager besides one of their owners. In Zucko's Point, I have trusty men to manage it to me, although there are some things that only the owners can do, of course. But how responsibility for keys, money, inventory, etc is worked out, it is up to you. There are many different ways to handle it." - and then he started talking about the logistics of having a pub business. Lucy and Ellie ate their food in silence, each of them lost on her own thoughts.

"Do you have many employees?" - Damien kept asking, recording the whole talk on his phone. Robert Zucko seemed too pleased talking about himself, so it was easy leading him to where Damien wanted him to go.

Zucko had far less employees than all the names listed on that table they got on his office. In reality, what he said mismatched with what Damien had collected about him. Working hours, number of employees, etc.

It was definitely suspicious. Robert Zucko was more than a pub owner.

After what it seemed an eternity to Ellie - her ears were tired of hearing Robert's stupid and super boring babble -, they were finally ready to go home.

"Thank you so much again, Ellie!" - Lucy hugged her tightly, once again. She patted the petite blonde woman on the back. D was the one who led the 'interrogation', but she was the one who felt exhausted. She just wanted to take a shower and go to sleep.

"Talk to you soon, right, Lucy?"

"Of course!"

"I hope the food was up to your tastes." - Robert extended his hand to Damien, who shook it firmly.

"It definitely was." - the detective had that charming grin back onto his lips. - "And thanks for the talk. It was very educational."

"It was my pleasure. Make sure to show up in Zucko's Point any time. You'll see that our booze is way better than Archer & Hopps… or should I say 'Archer & Hopps & Nazario'?" - both men shared a laugh.

The two couples parted their ways. Damien and Ellie returned to his car and waited for a couple of minutes until they saw Robert's Porsche passing through them, heading to the northern and richest part of Northbridge.

Eleanor didn't say a word on the way to her home. She just kept staring out of the window, lost in thoughts. Damien could tell that she was frustrated with the dinner. They didn't get much information, but he was used to it. Investigating took time. They had to be more patient.

But Eleanor Zhou wasn't exactly the patient type.

He parked the car outside her apartment building. Ellie climbed down his car. She noticed that Damien wasn't doing the same.

"Aren't you coming?" - those were the first words she said since they had left the restaurant. He nodded and followed her.

Freddie greeted them with a wriggling tail. The woman gave him a night snack and headed inside her bedroom, undressing herself carelessly as Damien still locked the apartment's door. He stroked the big dog's yellow fur while Ellie showered. Damien Nazario didn't know what to do.

Eleanor opened her bathroom door again, wearing her pajamas, a big old T-shirt she had since her college times. Slowly, she saw Damien's reflex beside her on the mirror. She gave him enough room to use her sink to do his own night time hygiene routine. He watched her cautiously while they both brushed their teeth. She looked so far away, as if she was on automatic mode. She didn't say a thing. She didn't look at him.

"Are you okay?" - he asked when they walked back into her bedroom.

Ellie finally looked back at him.

"Just feeling a little frustrated. I thought we could get more information." - she shrugged. - "And Lucy's request shook me more than it should." - the detective nodded and gently pulled her into a hug.

"Yeah, I could tell." - he said on her ear, before looking into her face, his brown eyes meeting hers. - "But don’t worry, we’ll get this bastard, Ellie. Just be a little more patient." - the woman found herself slowly less tense. Somehow, his cocky smirk was reassuring.

A small smile tugged on the corners of her mouth.

"I will. Thanks, D." - she said as she cupped his face and kissed him softly. She chuckled when he groaned against her lips. - "Are you going to sleep all dressed up?"

Damien grinned back at her and they quickly discarded his clothes, until he was wearing just his boxer briefs. They both climbed on the bed.

"Thanks for letting me stay here, Ellie." - she giggled to that smirk of his, his big hands already on her hips, caressing the skin under her oversized t-shirt.

“Of course, I won’t let you sleep in you car for another nig—” - and then Eleanor felt his mouth on hers, shutting her up.

She kissed him back and felt a shiver when his hand brought her closer to him as the other traveled down her body, squeezing her thigh hungrily, his tongue already inside her mouth.

Ellie tried to lose herself on the sensation of his hands caressing her body, his warmth enveloping her, his taste, his smell… But it was useless. She just couldn't stop thinking about the dinner. How happy Lucy seemed.

...And how fake it felt.

She softly pulled out, stopping kissing him.

"D… I'm not in the mood tonight." - she sighed. - "I'm sorry."

"Hey… You don't have to feel sorry about anything, Ellie." - he grinned reassuringly to her, caressing her cheek. - "I'm sorry if I pushed you. Do you want me to go sleep on the couch?"

"No, it's okay. Stay with me, I missed you all week." - he saw her cheeks slightly turning pink and he had to hold himself to not kiss her. - "...Can we just cuddle?"

"I don't see why not." - that smirk of his was back into his face, making her chuckle.

They both laid down onto her bed, grinning at each other. Eleanor scooped closer, his arms still around her. It was a nice sensation, just feeling him there. Knowing that he was there.

With all her past partners, Ellie always felt a bit anxious the morning after their first night together. And during the whole night, actually. She always ended up staring at the ceiling. It was a strange experience sleeping so close to someone, even though if they were her boyfriend or girlfriend.

But with him was different. Since the very first night they spent together, Damien Nazario had this strange but welcoming calming effect over her. She slept like a baby hearing his soft snore and feeling his presence there, right next to her.

He felt like home, even though they hadn't known each other for too long.

"Thank you, D." - she murmured, feeling her eyelids getting heavier and heavier as Damien rubbed her back in a comforting way.

"Good night, Ellie." - Eleanor heard him saying before she fell into a dreamless sleep.

[aion-rsa]

What Happened to the Barkeith in The Expanse Season 5 Finale?

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This The Expanse article includes MAJOR spoilers for the ending of Season 5, Episode 10.

Much like Marco Inaros, The Expanse Season 5 finale writers used a bit of misdirect to distract from the fact that, while (most of) the crew of the Rocinante were finally reunited and Acting Secretary General Chrisjen Avasarala was gathering her team in preparation for war, the culmination of Marco’s deal with a rogue Martian fleet was coming to a head. In the final moments of “Nemesis Games,” the shape of the alliance between Inaros and the rogue Martian fleet (including the Barkeith) comes into focus, and it is not good news for Chrisjen & Co. But, before we get into that, let’s recap what happened with the Barkeith and the rogue Martian faction this season, and how we got to The Battle For the Sol Gate and the alien worlds beyond.

The Barkeith’s Season 5 Journey

The Rogue Martian Faction Storyline has been a slow-burner all season. Early in Season 5, Bobbie began to suspect that Martian Admiral Sauveterre was involved with the black market sale of some major Martian military equipment. When Alex shows up on Mars, she convinces him to try to get information out of Sauveterre under the guise of looking for a job. Sauveterre blows him off, but Alex does get a date with Lieutenant Babbage, who is obviously also planning on pumping Alex for information about what he knows. During the encounter, Babbage lets slip that she will soon be shipping out on the Barkeith for a “supply run.”

Bobbie and Alex decide to follow in the Razorback, trailing the Barkeith to a group of asteroids where the supply ship and its two escort Frigates meet with a group of Belter ships. Team Razorback eventually realizes that the Barkeith isn’t just delivering weapons or other, smaller military materials; it is delivering the Frigates themselves to the Free Navy.

Who Are the Rogue Martian Fleet?

While we do get to meet Admiral Sauveterre and Lieutenant Babbage early in Season 5, as it is often commented upon throughout the season, this isn’t just a few rogue Martian officers; it is a large group of people. In the Season 5 finale, we learn a bit more about what the faction believes in, through Sauveterre and Babbage’s conversation before they enter the Laconia gate. Disillusioned with the current state of Martian politics and culture, which they believe to have become diluted and weak, this rogue faction of Martians wants to create a more “pure” Martian society, on Laconia.

As The Expanse showrunner Naren Shankar described the group to my colleague Michael Ahr: “We describe them sort of as a splinter group, the more-Martian-than-Martian notion, that they’re the ones dedicated truly to the idea of Mars. Their view of Martian society in present day is that it’s fallen, is that it’s become corrupt. Mars was founded with the sense of getting past Earth and the sins of the past and starting anew. It’s this group going, ‘We’re going to start anew.'”��

The Battle for the Sol Gate

In the final act of “Nemesis Games,” we see the three battleships of the Earth-Mars Coalition Army guarding the Ring gate attacked by the Free Navy command fleet and the rogue Martian faction. They are easily destroyed, and the Free Navy takes over control of the Ring gate. Chrisjen & Co. deduce that Marco traded his sample of the Protomolecule, stolen from Fred Johnson, in exchange for the rogue Martian faction’s backup in the battle. Now that Marco has secured control of the Ring gate, the alliance is seemingly over. Admiral Sauveterre informs Marco that there will landmines on the other side of the Laconia gate to keep the Free Navy from entering.

Read more

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The Expanse: The Complicated Legacy of Alex Kamal

By Michael Ahr

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The Expanse Season 5 Episode 10 Review: Nemesis Games

By Michael Ahr

What Happens to the Barkeith in The Expanse Season 5 Finale?

After The Battle for the Sol Gate, we follow Admiral Sauveterre and Lieutenant Babbage as they transit into the Ring Space and then move to pass through the Laconia gate, with the plan to join their comrades on the surface of Laconia. Unfortunately for them, something unexpected happens when the Barkeith passes through the Laconia gate. The ship—and everything in it, including Sauveterre and Babbage—appear to be disintegrated by an unknown force, vanishing altogether. They seem to be very dead.

The scene is reminiscent of the wonder-horror that occurs in The Expanse Season 2 finale, when the scientific team aboard the Arborghast descends to above the Eros crash site on Venus to better observe the Protomolecule structures below. Upon their descent, the Protomolecule dissembling the Arborghast into parts, its crew along with it. In our final shot, we see the members humans crew suspended in space as part of the Protomolecule’s latest display of alien power.

Laconia: What is the Rogue Martians’ Plan?

Before Admiral Sauveterre and Lieutenant Babbage bite it, they have a conversation with Cortázar, the Protogen scientist last properly seen in Season 2. Cortázar is already on the surface of Laconia, where he has been using the Protomolecule sample to activate and study the Protomolecule artifacts in orbit there.

When Den of Geek’s Michael Ahr asked Shankar about the new location, the showrunner replied: “Now they’re on this world with these structures in orbit which they haven’t seen before. They’ve got the last living true expert about the Protomolecule, Cortazar; they’ve got the last active sample of the Protomolecule that they know to exist; and they’ve taken that through the gates, and they’ve taken it to the planet. And the last time that happened, shit started turning on on Ilus. So maybe not good for people on the receiving end of that.”

Who is Admiral Duarte?

Book readers will know that this Laconian effort will be led by Admiral Duarte, who Shankar calls “the prime moving force of this [plan for Laconia].” He’s not featured in the Season 5 finale, but he is mentioned by both Sauveterre and Marco by name, implying he is politically important. Without giving too much away about what’s to come in Season 6, Duarte is a major antagonist in the story moving forward.

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The post What Happened to the Barkeith in The Expanse Season 5 Finale? appeared first on Den of Geek.

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Most people have a very bad habit of classifying large chunks of people in binary terms as either all “bad” or all “good.” But the reality is that there is ALWAYS a mix of good and bad people, as well as good and bad IN people. In The Expanse, many viewers have taken the side of the Belters. Some, because they love certain characters, like Naomi and Miller. Others, because as a class, the Belters are the clear underdogs. Generally, they risk life and limb for rich corporate owners who apparently couldn’t care less about them, either individually or as a group. Fans of Earthers tend to like Holden or, really, Avasarala. They have exposed their imperfections, as well. Amos is a fascinating Earther, beloved and feared all at once.  Martian fans like Alex, or more recently, Bobbie. The Mars faction is a little less developed than the Earther or Belter factions in terms of quantities of deep characters or back stories (so far). This episode really digs into the issue of the risk of thinking of a group as all “good” or “bad,” especially if you unequivocally favor Belters.

The recap begins here:

The scene opens on a field and a person who is tending a crop. A little girl waves goodbye to the tender, who is her father. An alert sounds, and the pieces of the destroyed mirror come crashing through the domes protecting the crops from Ganymede’s nonexistent atmosphere. The scientist wakes up among quite a lot of injured people, and immediately he checks on his precious cargo. The injured man is on a Ganymede refugee ship, which is headed to Tycho. A surly Belter hands out supplies, as the man frantically looks for his child, who is not on this ship. Doris (Grace Lynn Kung), another refugee – indistinguishable from any of the OTHER refugees, greets Dr. Praxidike Meng (Terry Chen). It’s clear that Doris saved Prax’s life. Prax is distraught that his daughter, Mei, is not just missing, but feared dead.

On Tycho, Holden (Steven Strait) and Johnson (Chad Coleman) question Diogo (Andrew Rotilio), who clearly views Johnson as non-Belter. Staz (Alden Adair) tries to interfere, but he is held off by Naomi (Dominique Tipper). Diogo says that Johnson should go back to Earth, that Dawes will be the Fist of the Belters. Alex (Cas Anvar) had suggested that Naomi take out someone and Naomi told him that he doesn’t get to decide who she kills. They take Diogo off to a holding cell.

Drummer (Cara Gee) shows Holden and Johnson system information that shows how Dawes escaped and that someone overrode security. Drummer is in charge of security, so there’s a serious question about what happened. They receive an incoming communication from Dawes (Jared Harris). It’s clear that Dawes was the person who sheltered and sponsored Johnson. Dawes feels that Johnson is acting as an Earther, not a Belter and that they have to take drastic action. He tells Johnson he has stolen his secret and is giving it to the Belt.

Doris and Prax discuss their future and what to do. They note that the Belter crewman doesn’t seem to like to be a good Samaritan. Doris wants Prax to come with her to Mars.

Johnson, Drummer, Naomi and Holden discuss that they have more information than Dawes does, and they disclose that Cortazar was aware that there was more Protomolecule than what was destroyed and it was after Eros was destroyed. Drummer volunteers to help Naomi obtain direct access to the antenna so she can collect and analyze the data Cortazar had obtained. There is a degree of concern over Drummer’s loyalty because she is security (which was breached) and she’s facilitating access to the antenna. Naomi goes to check on the sample that she knows wasn’t destroyed. Holden tells Naomi that he’s sorry he didn’t tell her about the existence of more Protomolecule. She’s frustrated and leaves Holden behind.

Alex catches up with Amos (Wes Chatham), who looks like 5 miles of bad road. Alex asks Amos for help and he says “no,” which shocks Alex.

Dawes’ message is being played to Belters, which incites them.

On the refugee ship, the crappy Samaritan tells the passengers that all the Inners are being transferred to ships to take them back home. Prax decides to go with them, but the Samaritan says he can’t, it is for Inners only. Doris says she can stay, but Prax encourages her to go. They say goodbye through the airlock window, and to Prax’s (and the entire viewership’s) horror, the Inners are spaced. The Belter Samaritan tells Prax that Inners destroyed Ganymede and that he’s lucky he’s a Belter. One technical note. The Expanse is remarkably faithful to what happens in space. Doris suffocates and freezes, rather than exploding.

Drummer explains that Fred has always had the Belters’ best interests at heart and Naomi gets Drummer to explain her background. Drummer worked with Dawes and Dawes rescued Johnson from drinking himself to death after the Anderson Station incident. Drummer says Dawes has a unique view of the Belter situation. They get the data and discover that there is Protomolecule on Ganymede Station. (Viewers who have read the books will note that the sequence involving Prax and Ganymede is not the same as it is handled in the book, but it is faithful to the concept of what was covered.)

Johnson, Holden, Naomi and Drummer discuss what it means that the Protomolecule exists on Ganymede. It was aware when hostilities broke out between Earth and Mars, and it learns.

Prax’s refugee ship arrives, and a crewman advises they will be ID checked and cleared, and he indicates on his handheld that an algorithm is being bypassed.

Prax desperately tries to convince a medic of what happened on the refugee ship, but he doesn’t know the name of the ship. She tells him she knows it was wrong but, without further info, she can’t do anything, to be glad he survived and maybe he’ll know some other refugee.

Holden and Naomi try to figure out who on Ganymede was involved with Protomolecule. They narrow the list of people who were on Ganymede and have the appropriate qualifications and Strickland (Ted Atherton) is identified. They query who was connected to him, and Prax and Mei show up, because Mei (Leah Jung) was a patient of Strickland. Prax is on the station, but Mei’s whereabouts are unknown.

There are a huge amount of people on Tycho, and it’s straining the station. A group of Belters, led by Staz, invade the command room, intent upon deploying the nukes to Earth.

Prax adds Mei’s picture to the wall of the missing. Holden and Naomi see and grab Prax. Prax panics, thinking that they think he knows about the spacing, but they, of course, think that he is involved with Protomolecule. Naomi (FOOLISHLY!!) opens up his container, but it’s just a soy bean.

The Belters who invaded the command deck, kill a crew member and then shoot Drummer, because they won’t give them the launch codes.

Amos is using the system to search for Lydia Maalouf. This is the lady he mentioned when he spoke with Cortazar about his guilt. Alex catches up with Amos and is trying to figure out what his problem is. He says Amos only cares about himself (Amos amusingly notes isn’t that everyone’s problem if we’re being honest?) Alex provokes Amos, and Amos attacks Alex, coming close to killing him, and Alex openly wonders what happened to him! They both notice that the nukes are being accessed.

Prax tells Naomi and Holden about Mei and her health needs. Naomi and Holden figure out the Strickland nexus is really Mei. Naomi notes that Prax should have access to Mei’s monitor feed, and answers “no” when asked if she had any children. Prax accesses the feed on her handheld and sees that Strickland took Mei out of the clinic before the attack. They know that Strickland knew the battle was coming and went to get Mei. Alex calls Holden to tell him about the nuke problem.

Fred tells Staz that Earth will shoot down the missiles and then destroy Tycho. Staz is fine with that because then Tycho will be fuel for the revolution. Amos, suited up, heads outside the station. Holden tells Amos that Naomi has almost overridden the air controls. Amos is there to remotely access the air system. He cuts the oxygen and although Staz tries to kill Fred and Drummer, Fred knocks the gun away and they all pass out.

Alex and Holden burst in to help the folks in the control room. Fred says “Drummer first,” because they are besties. Alex helps Drummer out and as they go by Staz, she yanks Alex’s gun and shoots Staz and the other turncoat crewman right between the eyes, and then stumps off. She’s the very definition of badass.

Amos settles Prax into his quarters and ensures he has mag boots. He explains that Prax is a guide, not a guest. And, he says that looking for Prax’s daughter is a good thing. His encounter with Amos leaves Alex to think about his family and what he has done for them.

Naomi asks Jim why he went to Cortazar’s quarters and Jim says he went to kill him. Naomi says that isn’t who Jim is. Jim says he needs Naomi to help him to get himself back when this is all done, and they kiss. Jim has to go to get Fred Johnson’s permission to leave. Fred wants any Protomolecule sample brought back to him, but Jim refuses. Fred says if they don’t, then don’t come back – no free anything. Jim is not sure Fred will still be in charge when he gets back. Fair point. Jim says Fred’s not a part of it anymore, and Fred releases them.

Grade: A

This was a completely packed episode. Although they were always evident, the fault lines between the Belters and the Earthers have deepened to an unsustainable level. It’s provoking the very worst behavior, and every time people do their worst, it just causes terrible repercussions. This episode made quite a few Belters look extremely bad. The Belter on the refugee ship spacing completely innocent people, and the Belters who are willing to send nuclear missiles to blast Earth (despite the fact that there are BILLIONS of innocent people there, as well) honestly represent the worst of humanity. Personalizing the impact of awful actions makes everyone realize the consequences, but it doesn’t seem to be enough to stop people from behaving dreadfully. This episode had room for personal development, as well, as we see Amos still working through his issues resulting from interacting with kids and just how close he is to being out of control. The episode ratcheted up the tension by continuing to provide so many indicators that Drummer was the traitor, only to have her satisfyingly vindicated.

The effects continue to be stunning, as even the lowly refugee ship looks gorgeous. The handhelds are entirely believable and all the displays look crisp and clean. It’s such a pleasure to see such attention to detail, up to and including the poor dying and dead spaced Inners.

Next episode: “The Weeping Somnambulist” airs on Wednesday, March 22 at 10 pm on Syfy.

The Expanse (S02E08) “Pyre” Most people have a very bad habit of classifying large chunks of people in binary terms as either all "bad" or all "good." But the reality is that there is ALWAYS a mix of good and bad people, as well as good and bad IN people.