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swanface · 5 years ago

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Who are your top two/three favorite cats in each clan you are in?

i am cheating a tiny bit by using this version of the ask because i have one that asks for just two ocs per clan, but...here you go! under a read more because oh man, i had a lot to say.

NETTLECLAN

Berryclaw: an answer that surprises no one! i’ve been out here loving and cherishing this girl from the moment she was just a little baby, and for good reason! berryclaw’s such a well written and rounded out character who feels genuinely real. she has believable motivations, a character arc that has developed at a steady pace, and overall is just...impossible not to love. maybe i’m biased because i’ve always had such strong ties to her through swanface and crowstorm, but i genuinely think berryclaw is just the perfect sort of character to cheer for. she tries so hard to be perfect, striving to be the very best, and i think her current situation makes that super interesting...she’s really being faced with a future that she didn’t fully plan for right now, and i am beyond excited to see how she continues to grow and change according to her new circumstance!

Wrenclaw: do i have a thing for -claw cats in nettleclan? maybe. but really, wrenclaw is a character i’ve always been baseline fond of that i’ve found myself enjoying even more lately. she has a similar setup to berryclaw where she’s always trying to be the best, except with wrenclaw i feel as if there’s a more overt pressure on her to be great. berryclaw has had a lot of support throughout her life and though she’s certainly suffered, she at least had a stable mother and siblings who always loved her...wrenclaw, though, is a golden child who got the short end of the stick, i feel. i always imagine that she’s so obsessed with being perfect because she knows just how dysfunctional her family has always been and she wants to make something of it, make honeyflame proud, stand out in comparison to her siblings...but she has such a compelling internal struggle over it and i just really, really adore her.

Halfstream: an old classic...halfstream is, i think, my longest standing favorite oc in the group at this point. i’ve loved him since the days of og nettleclan, and i still absolutely adore him. his development from an angsty, violently angry apprentice who forcefully shoved everyone away from him into...well, a still grumpy but more mature and stable warrior who has a family that he loves is just too sweet. i’m typically not a fan of blatant asshole characters, but halfstream has always been more than that for me...he’s sympathetic because he’s always known his own flaws, even when he felt like the world was against him. he didn’t remain stuck in his suffering, either; instead, he clawed his way out of it to become the cat he is. he still retained his sharp attitude, of course, which i think is so important (i can’t imagine him ever truly mellowing out), but he’s able to be at least somewhat happy now as a full grown adult with a definite place in his clan. seeing his love for his kits also always makes my heart so soft, even if that love didn’t go over so well in some cases...sorry for snowclaw, halfstream. i still love you.

CREEKCLAN

Sparrowheart: how can you not love sparrowheart? he’s got an undeniable charm, both in the roleplay and as a character. i love him because of all the ups and downs he’s been through, the struggles with his heritage and the way that affected him in creekclan, the internal conflict he’s had over his time as deputy and how he chose to step down...and now seeing him as a settled in father i feel like he’s really found a good place to be. he seems genuinely happy, and that makes me happy, because i absolutely adore this boy. sparrowheart manages to both be a source of happiness, laughter, and joy without ever becoming a joke of a character himself...he’s understanding, sympathetic, kind, and incredibly well rounded. he might not be in the spotlight now as much as he was in his past, but i’ll always have a spot for him in my heart.

Currentstar: woah, two toms in a row? wild, i know, but...currentstar is another absolute favorite character of mine. i didn’t give him a lot of thought for a good while, because for a long time he was little more than a background character, but with his recent development under snow, he’s become an absolute standout for me. i love the contrast of his more traditional style of thinking and leadership, and i also adore the arc he’s been written to have...from kithood, currentstar’s always been expected to be the mature one, the golden child, again...i think i just have a thing for characters who have high expectations resting on their shoulders that are just, yknow, doing their best to meet those expectations. really, though, currentstar is an absolutely unique character within not only creekclan but the group as a whole, and i’m so glad to see him settling into his role as leader of creekclan.

Carpfang: ah, my ultimate weakness...an angry, snarky girl who covers up her vulnerability with an attitude. carpfang has always been a literal black sheep in her litter and in her family, and though i also adore her sisters, she’s always been the standout one for me. her way of coping with the cards she’s been dealt in life is objectively not the healthiest, but it’s undeniably interesting and also very understandable. the dynamic she has with brightheart and cherrysong is so incredibly sweet, and i adore watching her interact with marigoldpaw...her protectiveness over those few cats she holds close makes her more than just a bitchy outer shell, and that makes her really special to me! i think she has a lot more room to grow and develop into herself, and i’m excited to see how her arc continues with time.

JAGGEDCLAN

Stonefang: okay, so. technically she’s not a jaggedclan cat right now, maybe, but it would be a crime to not include her here. stonefang is so masterfully written that sometimes it feels less like i’m reading roleplay posts and more like she’s a character in a novel...her arc is absolutely brilliantly planned, and yknow, i’m really starting to realize that i have a thing for protagonist / hero-esque characters, BUT. that aside. stonefang’s storyline isn’t the only thing that makes her one of my favorite cats. her personality is amazing as well. she’s got such a big heart and is so deeply selfless that she’s willing to sacrifice herself to save her family, her home, those that she loves...watching her struggle with palestar’s return and the thought that maybe she’d been wrong all along was so genuinely heartbreaking and tragic. that doubt shook her to her very core, and was such a huge turning point for her, and GOD, i just...adore stonefang. i adore every interaction she has with her clanmates, with those around her, how motherly and kindhearted she is...i truly think she’s one of the best characters in the group as a whole. stan stonefang!

Eveningstorm: i am usually not one for sweet and soft characters, and for a while i wasn’t sure where i stood on eveningstorm, but with time she’s grown to be a favorite of mine. i’ve talked about her before, but one reason i think i’ve been drawn to her in particular is that...yes, she’s soft in that she’s kind and compassionate, but she has a certain determination to her, a hardness beneath all that fluff. she doesn’t let anyone step all over her or the cats that she loves, and her sweetness is so nicely balanced with her energy that she’s just...compelling. she doesn’t have any big dramatic backstory to build her up, but instead, her appeal comes from her relationship with her clanmates and the place she has built for herself. i genuinely forget sometimes that she wasn’t a jaggedclan born cat, because she belongs there so perfectly. even if she’s not my usual type, eveningstorm is a character that i really adore, and she’s such a lovely presence to have around in jaggedclan.

Swallowpaw: another cat who i absolutely could never have predicted being on a list like this, except this time to an extreme. though i never hated swallowpaw, i remember thinking of her as, well, an absolute fucking menace of a character. she was always sticking her nose into trouble, bragging and boasting and starting arguments, and sometimes characters like that aren’t ones you’re attracted to, but...i don’t know how, but she got me, somewhere along the way. her struggle with her bloodline and how deeply affected she was to learn that she wasn’t all that she’d built herself up to be was such a tragic thing for a character so young to endure, and the way that she handled it with turning against her father and carving out her own path to purposefully lift herself up to that sense of importance she feels she deserves...it’s really brilliant to me. swallowpaw still isn’t the sort of character that i look at with the lens of her being perfect, an angel, can do no wrong...instead, i love that she does do wrong, and also that she’s been set up for such a difficult life from the very start. she’s not a good person, and that’s so intriguing, because she is sympathetic when you really lean back and look at her. i wouldn’t really call her a villain, per say, but she’s certainly a more antagonistic sort of character, and i absolutely love her for that. she’s so interesting that i always want to see more of her.

FOGCLAN

Lilystorm: of all of the former fogclan cats turned traitors (turned fogclan cats again, in lilystorm’s case), lilystorm has always been one of the most intriguing for me. the fact that her loyalty to palestar wavered for just long enough for her to run away and then returned full force, strongly enough for her to feel such deep regret...it’s such a brilliant setup for a character that stands out from the crowd. nearly every other fogclan cat was happy to leave, but lilystorm remembered the good times, which i think is a super realistic and well done take on the situation as a whole. she’s always been so consistently well written, sticking to her personality and never wavering or seeming out of character...and despite not being as kind or as soft as some others, i think lilystorm’s always been a very sympathetic cat, at least for me. she clearly struggles a lot with internal conflicts that she’s never truly been comfortable with voicing out loud, and i can only imagine how difficult it must be for her to not really have anyone that she can fully confide in. she’s so determined to be strong that she tries to erase her vulnerability, and that’s so compelling to me...overall i just really adore lilystorm and think she’s one of the best and most unique fogclan cats around, former or current.

Bramblefang: when bramblefang first started to exist as more than an npc in fogclan, i was instantly hooked. i think that i really just enjoy perspectives that vary from the typical, immediate response that a lot of characters seem to have to fogclan and to palestar, which is an instant “oh, she’s obviously Bad and Evil” sort of deal. bramblefang was a cat who had been through enough hardship to be vulnerable to the sort of masterful manipulation palestar had weaved, and seeing his anger at hollyfur for abandoning him and their clan was so excellent...and then he started to change, started to see the bad in his situation, and i still found myself super attached. bramblefang’s a loyal character, through and through, dedicated deeply to those he loves, and i think that’s perhaps his biggest appeal. he’s no standout hero who’s going to be bold and act overtly out against the higher powers, but watching him begin to realize that the leader and clan he dedicated himself to in his weakest moments is maybe not as wonderful as he’d thought...it’s super intriguing.

Dippernose: so, a trend throughout all my favorite fogclan cats is that they’re all characters who have, objectively, found themselves on the wrong side of things at one point in time...but that’s why they’re so special and so interesting, in my opinion. it’s easy to make a character who is good, who understands right from wrong, who sees everything clearly, but it’s so much more fun to have someone who doesn’t. dippernose fits that perfectly for me, and her belief in fogclan and in palestar is made all the more interesting because of her relationship with her brother. what do you do when the cat you care for most is the practical opposite of you? dippernose’s development feels like it’s just beginning to take off, so i don’t have as much of an essay to write on her, but right now i really enjoy the unique feeling she brings to the clan...she feels very realistic to me, a young cat who doesn’t quite know what to believe in as she’s being torn in so many different directions. i’m really excited to see more of her as fogclan progresses!

TRIBE

Spark Feather: spark feather is an absolute darling little lad. i’ve been fond of him from the start. his sunny disposition and cheerful nature transforming into something more bitter and reserved has been such an interesting process to watch, and though i doubt he’ll ever go back to the spark he was before raven and flickerclaw left, i like to see the little bits of his old personality shining through now that the tribe is once again settled down. overall i think that spark feather is just a really enjoyable, easy to root for character that you kind of can’t help but adore...he was left behind by his closest friend and had his whole world altered, but despite it all, he made it through alive and okay. i really admire his steadfast determination and the slow healing he’s been able to do, and i’m always excited to read any roleplay he’s involved in.

Aspen Snow: can you have spark feather without aspen snow? probably not. aspen snow is another case of bad girl with a bad attitude, and boy oh boy does she have justification for it. like spark feather, she’s suffered so much in watching her brother basically walk away from her and from their home, but unlike raven and spark feather, aspen snow and flickerclaw...well. it feels like there’s something still there, still lingering. watching her cope with anger is always so intriguing but so upsetting, and i wish that she could just catch a break for once, but the world seems determined to keep tossing difficulties her way...despite all of it, though, i think aspen snow remains strong...as strong as she can, at least. i obviously adore her dynamic with spark feather and i think she has some other really sweet hidden gems of relationships within the tribe despite her more standoffish nature. she’s just fun to watch, in the end, and i really enjoy her!

Butterfly: though butterfly is a fairly new character in the tribe, i’ve really been enjoying her and how she’s already being set up for such a heartbreaking storyline. she was born into a world with no one truly willing to care for and cherish her, which is tragic on its own, but the way that she’s already growing up to realize that the world she’s dreamed up isn’t all it’s made out to be...god. she’s an absolutely precious little angel that you can’t help but adore, and watching her get built up only to be broken down is just so upsetting...i’m super excited to see where she goes now that a semblance of the truth has been revealed to her! i think she could grow up to be one of the tribe’s most interesting characters.

#berryclaw #wrenclaw #halfstream #sparrowheart #currentstar #carpfang #stonefang #eveningstorm #swallowpaw #lilystorm #bramblefang #dippernose #spark feather #aspen snow #butterfly #anonymous #ask

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distinctivelibrarians · 7 years ago

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Mmmmm tell me more about your thoughts on that Big Bang Job scene, yes please

Okay so this scene x x x x x x (all links are to @leverageepisodegifs who does amazing work!) is maybe one of my favorites out of all 77 episodes, because it has just. A lot of revealing character attributes in it, and watching them play out is heartbreaking.

Nate & Eliot:

I’ve already tag-ranted about Nate here but just to reiterate: Nate’s immediate reaction is jumping to Eliot protecting Moreau. And imo there’s really only two options to explain why (with my understanding of Nate anyway, totally cool and open to other opinions here):

one, this being the end of Season 3, Nate still doesn’t know where he stands with the team, individually. Talk all you want about his flip-flopping between drunk honest man, sober thief, drunk thief, mastermind, whatever - with the team as individuals, he doesn’t really start working all the kinks out of that (actively, consciously) until Season 4. But! There’s hints of Parker as the mastermind back into Season 1. It takes awhile for him to find his footing yes, but he does understand Parker, and what he doesn’t understand, he knows. He doesn’t understand, sometimes, her emotional reactions to things, but he can count on them going certain ways. (Not fool-proof, of course, but still). With Hardison? Nate underestimates him, yes, but he still has a good beat on what Hardison is going to do and how Hardison will grow if pushed in the right direction (personally, I don’t think Nate should be pushing at anything until he gets himself in shape. ...so, never, but not the point here). Sophie, he knows. Not to the degree he thinks he does, and if he could come off his high horse, that’d be great. But overall, after Season 2, he’s not really...surprised, by Sophie anymore. Delighted? Yes. Rapidly trying to catch up? Absolutely. But not surprised.

And then we get Eliot. Which, okay, first all, Nate does know Eliot. He knows him just as well as the others. Eliot is not this special, mysterious, brooding badass no one understands. Alright? Alright. But here’s the thing. Parker and Hardison? They’ve never had to change. They’re them. For better or worse, they are them. They grow, they adapt. They don’t become entirely different people. Sophie? New person on a daily basis, but with a core that’s still her. Especially by Season 3, after her trip to find herself in Season 2. Eliot on the other hand? Complete 180. ...okay, maybe 135, but, point is, he made a big turn - in his personality, his goals, his morals, his world views, how he treats himself and others. And, nothing against Nate - but Nate does not know that Eliot. Mister High and Mighty has never met that Eliot, probably didn’t even register that that could be Eliot except in the abstract.

So we get this scene. Where Nate is realizing he doesn’t know Eliot like he thought he did, doesn’t know what Eliot is capable of - was capable of - he is completely blindsided. And we all know how Nate is when he’s blindsided; he gets defensive. So where to go from there? If he doesn’t know that Eliot, he doesn’t know this Eliot. Stupid? Probably. Vaguely understandable? Maybe. But it basically boils down to: he doesn’t know why Eliot did what he did, so he jumps to conclusions, trying to make sense and pull himself out of a tailspin. And he ends up accusing Eliot of the unthinkable, because, at that moment, it makes sense, in his head.

And two! Much shorter, promise:

If he indeed does understand Eliot - both as he is on the team, and as he was, at least to some vague degree - what in the goddamn world would scare Eliot so badly that he essentially regresses, shuts down, puts Hardison at risk (and, by extension, all of them)? Nothing Nate wants to think about. So, again, go with the unthinkable, because at least that’s a shade more comforting (and, more importantly, easy to get angry at, rather than scared).

Now, Eliot & Hardison

I’ve said it plenty of times already - anyone sick of it yet? - but I wish we had a scene between them leaving the pool and this, or even one after this? After they’ve all settled down? After Pretzels, for all I care. Just SOMETIME IN THERE. Hardison should’ve gotten his chance to talk with Eliot. To vent, to rant, to yell, whatever. And maybe to let Eliot explain himself. Maybe. If he’s lucky.

(Y’all know I love Eliot, I do. But what he did was stupid, dangerous, and Hardison would’ve had every right to be angry with him, to distrust him, for a long, long while. Eliot’s just very lucky Hardison isn’t one to hold a grudge (quick, terrifying retribution? Absolutely) against people he considers his. Hell, that could’ve been the entire conversation - Eliot acknowledging he fucked up to Hardison’s face and accepting however Hardison wanted to treat that.)

But!!! I have other thoughts!

And, namely, it has to do with their body language. Hardison and Eliot have no personal space. They just don’t. Take it however you wanna take it - romantically, platonically, whatever - but they really, really, do not have the concept of personal space unless one is trying to annoy the hell outta the other. And what gets me is, like I said above, Hardison would have every right to distrust Eliot at this point. Eliot risked his life (more on that in a sec), and didn’t bother to confirm that he was coming to get him. There was no “of course I would’ve.” or even a sarcastic equivalent of “duh” (again, more on that in a sec).

So. Every right to distrust Eliot, to pull away, try to reestablish a comfortable baseline. That’s not what happens here. Hardison is right in his face. Not pushing, not shoving or yanking him around, but just there. Like always. He’s livid, and in the second half he’s not even talking to Eliot. But he stays in his space, and he has no problem getting in the face of a man just revealed to be about twice as dangerous as previously assumed who had been lying to them for months. Hardison doesn’t hesitate, he stays right where he always is. At Eliot’s side, in his space, whether he wants him there or not, because he knows Eliot will let him. Eliot’ll be miserable the entire time, will let Hardison call him out to the only people he trusts, will let Hardison get in his face, because of course he would. That’s them. And - thank his lucky stars - that hasn’t changed. (He’s closed off, stand off-ish, sure, who wouldn’t be. But he doesn’t push Hardison away, doesn’t put distance between them like he does with the entire group when its him standing and them sitting.)

ALSO.

Eliot wasn’t just risking Hardison’s life. I fully believe Eliot went in there knowing one of two things were going to happen: one, he was getting out of there, with Hardison, and the job done. Or neither of them were walking out of there at all.

Because there is no world where Eliot does not go after Hardison - confirmation later be damned. There’s no point in stating the obvious when you’re in the kind of headspace he was in.

So. Job gets done. Or, he sees it going that one more step sideways, and he dives in after Hardison anyway, and they both end up shot or drowned.

And he can’t go to Moreau alone. He can’t. Take that as you will - because they need, at the moment, the con to be believable, because he knew Moreau wouldn’t trust him coming back so suddenly without proof, because he was in panic mode and wasn’t thinking straight and therefore took one of four people he trusts to have his back and have the highest chance of making it out of there in one piece. Take your pick.

Eliot & Parker

Not as long this time because, honestly, this is one of the most analyzed parts of this scene. How Eliot would trust Parker (and therefore the team) if she just asked. And for good reason! It’s a monumental acknowledgement of the fundamental trust between the team. (Fundamental meaning he would absolutely trust them with every part of himself, even if it’s ugly, even if he’d rather it be buried and never seen again, if they just asked - but the execution is a little screwy sometimes. Exhibit A: MONTHS OF HIDING). And its a beautiful thing. As is Parker’s acknowledgement that he doesn’t want to tell her, or them, but he will. And she respects that! They all do! They don’t ask, and we can probably be sure they never will.

You know what’s also cool about that? He’s just been revealed to be lying to them about something monumental that could’ve gotten them all killed aaaaaand...they don’t ask. They trust he’s not that man anymore, and that them knowing would be dredging up something absolutely none of them need, especially not at that moment.

He fucked up. But he’s still a team member, and they’re going to treat him as such.

Which brings me to Eliot & Sophie

Her immediate reaction, after her big “we all have a past” speech is just straight up: that’s not you. Not anymore.

No hesitation, no doubt, nothing. Just immediate, in his face - That. Is. Not. You.

And honestly? I think Eliot needed to hear that, at least the once. Because what is he but a man haunted by what he has been, what he still could be? He can’t outrun his past (one of my favorite things about his character is that he’s not looking for a redemption arc. There is no point where Eliot gets redeemed for his past actions and that’s...well, not okay, but it’s there, and it’s treated appropriately!), but there’s definitely the fear of slipping back into it.

So to have his team immediately support the fact that, despite everything that’d happened, they didn’t think he was that man, wasn’t in danger of becoming that man, and were properly horrified by what Moreau asked him to do? Probably did a lot in helping him come to terms with everything they were going to have to do (...and the warehouse scene later. Because he knows damn well he can be that man again. But his team gives him the choice, and the support, not to be. And that’s far more important than actually being unable to slide back into his past. He is making the active choice, with his teams support, to not be that man unless absolutely necessary.)

#Leverage #Eliot Spencer #Nate Ford #Alec Hardison #Parker #Sophie Devereaux #that got like stupid long I am so sorry #rambling orion #have I mentioned I have a lot of thoughts about Leverage lately?#long post #Anonymous

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increasethythunders · 6 years ago

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LEVIATHAN | 4. Reunion | MASTERLIST

words: 6k+

warning(s): mark russell being an asshole

A/N: finished this chapter way ahead of schedule so decided to just post it anyway instead of waiting for next monday

you can also support this fic on wattpad & ao3

They had been airborne for a few hours now.

No one in the Osprey had uttered a word since leaving Mark's cabin, there was no need to. Aside from dealing with the craft's awful turbulence, the air was heavy with a melting pot of emotions. Serizawa was up front, looking out the window with a serious expression (not his usual one, Jodie noted, this one looked different - sullen) and flipping the old pocket watch he carried everywhere open and closed. Graham, of course, was right by his side, checking her phone so often it was borderline neurotic. Poor Sam was in the back with Mark, trying to keep his voice down as he answered call after call from what sounded like Monarch and Government officials alike. She didn't envy him.

Last she checked, word hadn't broken outside of close circles. And she doubted it would reach mainstream news anytime soon. Her journalistic mind wanted to be the first to break the story, but she knew the type of panic that came with anything involving Monarch nowadays - let alone titans. And that wasn't even covering how they would give word of the incident to each of their families (if they even had any). It was a mess. So instead she settled back, letting Sam take the reigns for the time being.

As they moved further east, Colorado's rolling mountains gave way to Kansas' checkered, grassy plains. By the time night came, they had already reached the wetter, greener country of the south. Eventually, in the earliest hours of the morning when the moon was still visible despite the warm glow of the sun breaching the horizon, they were already cruising over a seemingly endless body of water. On occasion they would pass over small, mist-shrouded islands scattered throughout like the scutes of a certain lizard.

Until then, Jodie had been dosing on and off throughout the trip, but each time she would be startled awake by images of Gill hiding somewhere in the outpost. She couldn't begin to imagine how scared she must've been to see her coworkers gunned down so mercilessly. She knew that she was one of the lucky ones, reassuring herself that she was now sitting safely in the heart of Monarch's HQ. But that couldn't stop her from replaying the security footage over and over again in her mind.

Why them? She could understand taking Emma, as she was the only one there that knew the ORCA like the back of her hand. It was her brainchild, after all. But the kid?

She wasn't as familiar with her as Gill was, but she knew Madison had guts. She had to, if she wanted to stay with Emma rather than Mark. As she mentally scanned through the footage once more, she recalled an..interesting segment. No one else had commented on it thus far, but something about it bothered her. She couldn't tell for sure, but there was something off about Emma's ORCA, it was as though it hadn't worked. At least, not until Madison appeared out of nowhere and stood between her mother and a certain end at the hand of a giant bug. If anything, it was simply a weird coincidence and the "terrorists", as they had been referred to, took her as a form of motivation. A sharp chill ran down her spine at the thought.

Snapping her out of her thought spiral, Graham walked past her and sat beside Mark.

"How are you holding up?" she asked softly.

Of course, he didn't respond. Typical, Jodie thought, rolling her eyes.

"You could yell at us more if it'll make you feel any better." she said with a lighthearted chuckle.

"I'd rather you not." Jodie muttered under her breath.

Though she couldn't quite see it, Mark smiled at the exchange.

"Don't get me wrong, it's good to see you two." he said. "I know you and Serizawa were good friends of Emma's after..y'know."

Graham paused for a moment. "When was the last time you spoke to her?"

Feigning sleep, Jodie listened. She didn't mean to eavesdrop, but after years of investigative journalism it became a habit hard to break.

"About three years ago. After San Francisco, we went back home to Boston...tried to put the pieces back together. Emma dealt with it by doubling down on saving the world, and I...." there was a long pause. "I started drinking..I can't tell you how much I hated myself letting Maddie see me that way."

Vivienne didn't respond. Yikes.

Lucky for them, Coleman's voice sounded from the back of the Osprey.

"Uh, you mind if we cut in here? It's just..you're going to want to see this." Jodie was roused from her pretend sleep.

Sitting across from him, he handed Mark a tablet. She couldn't make out exactly what it showed from looking over Vivienne's shoulder, but she could tell it contained blueprints. 3D models and what looked like sound frequencies. Emma's research.

"Emma combined the bioacoustics of different titans to create the ORCA's signal. A sort of baseline frequency that all the creatures respond to - attracting them, repelling them, and even at times calming them down. It's pretty remarkable, actually." Coleman couldn't suppress the impressed smile from growing on his face.

"The problem is that we don't know which titans she combined. But if you can identify those frequencies, we'll be able to track the ORCA." Graham said. "And find Emma and Madison."

Mark continued swiping through the data, eyes scanning x-ray upon x-ray of various titans. No two of them looked alike, some had tough exoskeletons like giant insects while others were more mammalian. A few even shared similarities with Godzilla.

"Scylla, Behemoth, Kong..." Jodie commented. "Even the G-man himself. And those are just the few we've been able to confirm."

"Jesus," he said. "How many of these things are there?"

"Seventeen." Serizawa responded. "And counting, after Gojira."

"Seventeen?"

"Now, now, don't throw yourself into a fit." Leaving her seat with an irritated sigh, Jodie inched closer to the group huddled around the tablet. Clearing her throat, she motioned for it. Mark handed it to her.

Pulling up a map of the world, various locations were marked in a seemingly random pattern. After all these years, the map of titans found and contained had become so normal to her. To Mark, not so much.

"Most of them were discovered in deep hibernation," she said as she watched him scan through each outpost, disbelief steadily growing on his face. "While others we've contained in sites around the globe."

"Cambodia, Mexico, Skull Island. We even found one in Wyoming. They're everywhere." Graham chimed in.

"Why don't you kill them?" he asked.

Jodie bristled. Before she could even think of opening her mouth, Serizawa spoke up.

"The government wants to. But we believe that some are benevolent."

"Don't kid yourself." Mark snapped.

Serizawa sighed, looking down at the floor. Jodie limply threw her hands into the air.

"Look, man, I know you had a bad run-in with the big guy but have you seen them They can't help it!" Jodie retorted.

"Yeah? Then maybe something that can level a city if it so much as sneezes shouldn't be kept in a cozy little containment center while everyone else suffers the consequences."

"That still gives us no right to decide whether they live or -"

Suddenly, something in the Osprey began beeping.

"Uh, hey look at that. We're here." Coleman said, nervousness potent in his voice.

Vexed, Mark got up, walking toward the cockpit. Jodie rolled her shoulders. It was going to be a long day.

Looking out the window, Jodie spied the oil platform that jutted out of the sea, shrouded in mist like a lonely spire from a fairy tale. As they got closer, the Osprey began to dip closer to the rig's landing pad.

"Castle Bravo, this is Raptor 1 on direct approach." the pilot spoke into the mic in her helmet.

With that, the landing pad opened, revealing an empty shaft that went down, much deeper than what the rig above suggested. As they descended, they passed by floor after floor, many of which were bustling with people going about their regular workday. Or about as regular a workday could get at Monarch's HQ.

"This is new." Mark whispered.

"Yeah," Coleman said, the pride in his voice unmistakable. "We call it Castle Bravo, our new flagship facility. Built to track and study Godzilla on his own turf."

To Jodie, it had become so much more. It was home.

"I thought it was missing." Mark said, all but gritting his teeth at the thought of the titan still being alive and well.

She bit the inside of her cheek. This guy's deep-running hatred for the giant amphibian was already getting on her nerves.

"Well, only if you don't know where to look." Coleman replied.

That was easier said than done. After San Francisco, Godzilla had taken a pretty bad beating at the hands of yet another MUTO just a few months later - the signature glowing spines that adorned his back had been completely shattered. After crawling back to his home in the ocean, there hadn't been a public sighting of him since.

Slowing to a hover, the Osprey landed. The bay was impressively large for being a little under a mile below sea level.

"This is our stop." Coleman said.

As the group filed out of the Osprey, a line of men and women donning camouflage uniforms waited on the deck. Their leader, a woman with a clean-shaven head and a no-nonsense air, was unmistakable.

"Dr. Russell, this is Colonel Foster. She's the head of G-Team." Coleman said.

"A pleasure." she offered her hand. This time, Mark shook it.

"I take it you're not part of the scientific mission here." he remarked.

"Damn right." a man with a dark, close-cropped beard called from the back.

Colonel Foster grinned. "Chief Officer Barnes," nodding to the rest of the group she continued. "And this is Sergeant Hendricks, Staff Sergeant Martinez, and First Lieutenant Griffin."

Mark gave a quick wave.

"If you'll excuse me, Dr. Graham and I have some catching up to do with Colonel Foster." Serizawa said, coming up from behind Mark. Looking over his shoulder at Coleman, he continued. "Sam, why don't you give Dr. Russell a tour, help him get adjusted."

Coleman cringed. "Sorry, Doc I uh," he placed his hand over his phone's speaker. "Senate's not really taking our sudden leave so well. They're starting to get a little antsy."

"It's alright, I can -"

"Oh, don't worry, Jodie could probably show you around." he said without a hint of sarcasm before quickly returning to his call.

Jodie groaned to herself, putting on her most convincing friendly face as she turned towards Mark. He didn't seem too happy about it either.

_____

The first stop of the tour was the submarine bay.

It was bigger than one would've expected, holding around seven subs, at least a dozen smaller submersibles, and with space for more.

Although Castle Bravo was technically a research facility, it also acted as a fortress, fitted with large reinforced glass windows along with raised metal sleeves that definitely contained weapons of some kind. It had to, when it studied the sort of creatures that would call for that level of protection. Thankfully, Jodie thought, they hadn't needed to use those in years.

"Looks like you could stage a war from here." Marked noted.

"Don't get too excited, most of these are just research vessels." she walked ahead of him, not bothering to pay attention to whether he was following her or not. "Remember, we're still looking for titans. For all we know there could be dozens more out there."

"That's just great." he grumbled.

"If you're so hellbent on seeing them all as mindless monsters, wouldn't you want to be better prepared?"

"Give me a break, Monarch's been chasing these things since the 40s. As far as I can tell, whatever they learned prepared us for jack shit."

Jodie's lips curled inward with irritation. "Y'know, for someone that studies a keystone species for a living I would expect you to know better."

"Those monsters hardly count as a keystone species, they're walking natural disasters." he said, voice as angry and venomous as a snake.

".....That's exactly the kind of mindset Emma was trying to change."

Mark recoiled. "She was messing with something she shouldn't have." he paused, eyes scrunching closed for a moment. "Now look where it got her."

No wonder she divorced your ass, Jodie thought. As much as she wanted to spit it in his face, it was a low blow, even for her. Instead, she kept quiet, continuing to march forward until they reached level two of the facility. Jodie perked up just slightly when they entered the massive room, hearing the softest of gasps from Mark.

"What the hell is that?" he whispered to himself, awe and horror melding together in his tone.

Before them sat a giant reptilian creature. It vaguely resembled Godzilla, in the sense that it too possessed jagged spines jutting out from its back. The similarities stopped there, as this one's face was flatter, almost like a marine iguana. It even had similar, rounded jowels. Not to mention that it was much, much smaller, roughly the size of a blue whale. Jodie was no zoologist but she could've guessed that whatever species this belonged to, it was likely a juvenile.

It was also undeniably dead.

A vast majority of its body was obscured by scaffolding and heavy lifting machinery, but what could be seen was pretty grisly. Whatever this thing ran into had it out for them.

"That's Margygr, poor girl." she said, eyes filled with sympathy. "Found her washed up in the Arctic a few weeks ago."

Mark's eyes wandered to the rest of the room, finding that - much to his dismay - Margygr wasn't the only titan on the floor. As Jodie led him through, they passed by an assortment of titan parts - bones, semi-intact limbs, an organ or two - less than a handful were completely whole. Nearing the other side of the room, he found one that he recognized. The decapitated head of the female MUTO. Out of the corner of her eye, Jodie saw him grimace.

"You're dissecting them?" he said, disgusted.

"Well, yeah. And that's just the start of what they do down here." she said, unfazed by the scene around her. "Don't ask me about the dirty details, though. This isn't my division. The most I know is that the general mission is to understand them - how their ecosystem works, sequencing their DNA, etcetera."

"Their DNA?" he froze. "What could you possibly need with something like -"

"Ugh, could you chill out? This isn't Jurassic Park."

"Chill out? You're just gonna drop a bomb like that and then tell me to chill out?"

".....Are you done?"

After opening and closing his mouth, Mark said nothing.

"What I'm trying to say is that things have changed since you left. We've gathered more information on them in the past five years than in the last decade and since Godzilla showed up again, we've gotten so much closer to understanding them. Connecting with -"

"Do you even hear yourself? This isn't some child's fantasy, we're talking about genocides waiting to happen."

"Mark, they're animals. Just like any other thing that breathes on this goddamn rock!"

"Just - I don't care about this." He waved her off, turning to walk away but realizing he had nowhere to walk away to. "I just want my daughter back. And once that's done I'm done. I'm washing my hands of - of all this. Again. Forever."

Frustrated, Jodie pulled her phone from her pocket. She couldn't deal with him, of all things. She was just about to scroll through her numerous unread messages before seeing the time at the top of the screen.

"Fuck." she muttered under her breath.

"What is it now?"

"The meeting. We've got ten minutes until it starts."

"Meeting?"

"Must've forgotten to tell you." she said nonchalantly. "Guess the tour's over."

_____

The walk to the command center was a quiet one, heavy with tension and just a hint of anxiety.

That whole time Jodie was mentally punching Sam for making her waste precious time with this has-been instead of her own wife. Thankfully, that walk had also been short, and as they entered the room, she made sure to sit as far away from him as possible. Pulling up a chair between Lieutenant Griffin and Dr. Stanton, she waited as more people filed in one after the other. Soon enough, Vivienne walked into the room, standing in front of a large screen. Immediately, all chatter died down.

"As you know," she began. "At approximately 0700 hours, our containment site in China's Yunnan rainforest was raided."

The screen behind her displayed a waterfall, and wriggling just behind its curtain was a massive larva. The same one from the security footage from before. Jodie squinted. The scale of the scene would've fooled her had it not been for the two helicopters shining floodlights down on the creature. What was it doing? It didn't seem to be as distressed as before.

"The specimen - code-named Mothra - escaped, only to cocoon itself under a nearby waterfall, while Dr. Russell and her daughter Madison were taken hostage."

As Jodie peered closer, she saw dozens of iridescent threads spouting out of the larva's mandibles. The silk casing that had already begun to form had to be at least two stories tall.

Then, Emma's file photo and personal data flashed across the screen, quickly followed by a screenshot from the Yunnan footage. It was grainy, and although it was enhanced as much as it could be it hardly showed any detail save for the basic outline of a man's face - an older man, all gray hair and sharp features. A cold, empty stare. Despite the anger Jodie felt looking at the man responsible for all this, she couldn't stop the wave of goosebumps from forming along her arms.

"This is the man responsible," Vivienne wrung her hands. She always seemed to do that when she was nervous. "We haven't been able to find much information on him save for assumed previous encounters, but other than that, it's as if he never existed."

"What we do know is that he's had a penchant for this sort of thing." she went on as the screen displayed multiple screenshots of the man, each from different locations spanning years. This briefing couldn't get any more discouraging. "At the current moment we've assumed he's part of a wave of violent ecoterrorist activity that's steadily been on the rise in recent years. He could possibly be the man behind it all."

"Ecoterrorists?" Mark asked incredulously.

"Someone's spent too much time off the grid." Jodie muttered to herself.

"Wouldn't be surprised. Why else would they go after one of our outposts?" Stanton chimed in.

"What the hell's someone gonna do with a giant worm?" Martinez asked, seemingly genuine.

"You kidding? What can't you do with it?" he went on, leaning forward. "Pharmaceuticals, bioweapons, food - hell, there isn't a country or company on the planet that doesn't wanna get its hands on one of these suckers."

Looking up at the screen that now showed an x-ray of the pupa, Stanton's eyes narrowed. "And remember, this one's just a larva. A baby. After it cocoons? Something else is gonna crawl out. Something bigger. Meaner -"

"We don't know that, Rick." a woman with short, black hair cut in bangs interrupted.

Dr. Chen, the same scientist that Gill followed around like a lovestruck high schooler for the first year after their recruitment. Jodie trusted her.

"Oh, yeah?" Stanton raised a mug full of lukewarm coffee to his mouth. "Just wait for it, Chen."

She turned away, shaking her head with an exasperated grin on her face. Jodie couldn't quite put her finger on it, but Chen always seemed to know something everyone else didn't. Maybe that was why she liked her so much.

"Our intel indicates our perpetrator wants to capture the specimen alive, which means he and his mercs won't be far behind." Colonel Foster said, stepping forward. "At 0500, we'll ship out to launch a joint operation -"

"I wouldn't bother." Mark said, crossing his arms.

That got everyone's attention. Jodie could feel Coleman's anxiety shoot through the roof after the first syllable left the man's mouth. As quickly as he had spoken, the room became silent as all eyes turned on him.

"Excuse me?" Foster finally asked.

"Sounds like a duck hunt to me."

"U-Uh, Mark? Why don't we let Colonel Foster fini -"

"A decoy," he continued, this time standing up from his seat. "A diversion. Look, they already got Emma and the ORCA. Why would they want just this one when they've got the keys to your entire kingdom of horrors back here?" he pointed to the map of Monarch outposts in the back of the room.

Foster remained silent, hands curling and uncurling.

"I think they want you to go after this Mothra so they can go after a real prize. Something bigger."

"Right.." Foster said, trying desperately to hold onto her composure.

"Mark," Serizawa said. "This is not the first specimen they've captured, they know what they're doing -"

"That's not just a specimen, I've got an ex-wife and a daughter out there. In case you forgot."

"No, no one's forgotten that, Mark," Coleman said. "But, uh, to remind you, you were brought on here to help track the ORCA and to advise -"

"I advise you to kill these things," he snapped. "All of them!" Pointing at the screen that now depicted archival footage of Godzilla, he grimaced, brows closely knitting together. "Especially that one."

Serizawa leaned back into his chair. He was looking more troubled by the second. Jodie ran her hands down her face. At least now she didn't have to deal with his bullshit alone.

"You wanna make sure these things don't fall into the wrong hands? You kill them, and the ORCA is useless."

"Emma wouldn't have wanted that," Chen said firmly. "Even to save her life."

"Well it wouldn't be the first time she put all of this before herself." he retorted. "Or her family, would it?"

With that, he stormed off. Jodie practically breathed a sigh of relief.

"Glad that's over." Jodie said, running a hand through her hair.

"Damn..dude really hates titans." Barnes remarked.

"Yeah, well, you would too if you were him." Coleman replied.

_____

There wasn't much to see outside the small, circular window of the "dorm" save for the faint glint of the moon bouncing off of what looked like an infinite expanse of ice. But to Madison, it was better than looking around the equally cold cage around her.

None of those strange people had bothered them in the hours they had spent in the air. Save for once, a few hours ago when that same woman from before had come offering them all a bland substitute for food. It only reminded Madison that she hadn't eaten anything for almost a day. Looking at it, remembering what had happened, she didn't feel hungry at all.

She didn't think she'd ever forget the scene she had been subjected to in China - the smell of blood, the looks of surprise or fear or pain captured forever on the faces of people she knew. That's what made it all worse, she thought. She had practically grown up around these people. Dr. Tanis would always help her with her homeschooling when her mother was too busy. Tim would make it a point to visit their living compound every now and then for a cup of coffee before work started. And of course, there was Gill. The two of them had become a notorious pair after pulling a prank on one of the archaeologists early into their deployment at the outpost. And one prank soon became ten.

At least she didn't see her among the carnage. Maybe, she reassured herself, she had managed to get out in time. Her mother had told her not to think about it, how in order to get through this they had to keep a level head. That was easier said than done. If anything she wanted to scream. She wanted to scream and cry and beat her hands against the walls until they collapsed or her knuckles became bloody. Instead, she sat on the uncomfortably stiff cot, closing her eyes as she tried to file all those images of death away to the farthest reaches of her mind. Instead, she thought of Mothra. The feeling of connection that she couldn't explain. How important it seemed, despite not knowing how or why it was important in the first place. Maybe if these guys hadn't interrupted them, she thought, she might've figured it out.

She wondered if the pupa had remained unharmed, as the mercs that took them didn't seem all that interested in her. She hoped she was okay.

Suddenly, there was a shift in their course, it felt like they were descending.

Looking over at her mom and the other woman, they seemed to notice it too. Although her mother didn't like showing it, Madison could tell she was nervous. The woman - Elena - she seemed on edge. She had only known her for a few hours, and spoken to her much less, but there was something so startlingly familiar about her. It was like that feeling you got when you stared into a mirror so long that you couldn't recognize your reflection as your own. But she wasn't scared of her, despite the defensive and withdrawn air about her.

Seconds after the sudden descent, the door opened.

"Put these on, you'll need them."

The woman that other guy had called "The Regulator" barged into the room, not caring at all for their personal space. In her arms were three thick parka-looking coats.

"Where are we?" Elena asked.

"You'll see. Follow me."

As the craft slowed to a stop, Madison could hear the harsh wind buffet against the walls. Every now and then it would wobble in place from its sheer force. She struggled to keep up with their pace, falling just behind her mother while Elena walked ahead of them both. As she passed by a window, shrugging on the deceptively heavy coat, she could see a glimpse of the world outside. Under the light of a full moon was a desolate, icy landscape that stretched off as far her eyes could see in every direction except ahead. There, ice and stone joined with a metal encampment. A Monarch outpost, she realized. But not just any outpost. It had to be the Antarctic base.

Under different circumstances she would've been excited. She often overheard her mother talking with Dr. Graham about this place - the landscape, the surprising amount of life, the silence. And, of course, the sleeping giant that lay inside.

She shivered, and not because of the cold atmosphere that seeped through the walls of the craft. She had never actually seen the creature up close save for photos that she had sneaked glances at. Her mother had a high security clearance, but Madison didn't.

"Outpost 32," she overheard a man, presumably one of the pilots, say into a radio as they drew closer to the front (center?) of the craft. "This is Raptor 5 on approach with reinforcements and supplies requesting permission to land. Serizawa has all sites on high alert so transmitting emergency codes now."

After a moment of silence, the person on the other end responded. "Codes are good. Nice to have you back."

Madison's brows creased together.

They were definitely not in an Osprey. The base would notice that something was wrong right off the bat if they approached in whatever they were in right now. Still, they continued walking until they were herded into what looked like an elevator. After a quick and silent trip down, they exited, now in an area that looked like a hangar. It was bustling with a good amount of people, and in the center of the room was an Osprey. Of course, Madison thought. Why wouldn't they have managed to steal one.

As the Regulator corralled them into the Osprey, Madison could see the strange man - the Controller - waiting for them inside. Great.

He said nothing as its engines whirred to life, only staring outside the front window in the same position he had when they first met. As they sat down, Madison could feel her mother's hand on her shoulder, squeezing it reassuringly as the mercenaries took up their weapons. She tried her best not to flinch at the sound.

It frightened her how casual it all was. Like it was just another day at the office for these people. The Osprey hovered in the air for a moment, the bottom of the hangar opening up beneath them. Looking out the window, Madison found that they were actually far from the base, somehow standing still in midair in a ship that made no sound. It was only a little unnerving. Shortly afterward they began their descent, approaching the base after five minutes or so. To her, it felt like forever. As the Osprey neared the base, Madison could see Monarch officials coming out to greet them, illuminated by the floodlights.

Go back!, she wanted to scream, hoping her thoughts would somehow reach them.

When they finally touched down, she began feeling just slightly nauseous as the Controller and his men disembarked.

For a moment, there was a suffocating silence, the wind being the only sound filling her ears. Then the gunfire started. Without meaning to she huddled closer to her mother, and even out of the corner of her eye she saw Elena stiffen.

"I'm scared." Madison whispered.

"I know," her mother said, pulling her closer. "Me too."

At that second, Madison looked up, eyes connecting with Elena's for just a brief moment. In her eyes she had seen something akin to pity, but underneath that was something else. It wasn't quite fear, but it was something like it. In the next second, the gunfire stopped, and with it the Controller stepped back into the Osprey.

"Let's go."

The walk to the outpost was a nightmare. Besides the harsh wind and biting snow coming at them near horizontally, there were at least a dozen more bodies lying frozen on the ice. On either side of her was her mother and Elena, and despite their attempts at shielding her from the grisly view, she just felt even sicker than before.

"Keep your eyes straight ahead," she heard a voice whisper into her ear. It was Elena. "Take deep breaths."

Madison nodded.

Inside, the mercenaries crowded them into an elevator and began yet another descent. Standing just beside Elena, facing in her direction, was the Controller, wiping a drop of blood from his face. He must've felt her eyes on him, as his gaze suddenly turned to her, flashing the tiniest of smiles. If you could even call it that. He smiled as though he had just learned how to move his face in such a way. It was strange and terrible, and she did her best to stare straight through him. Finding that she couldn't quite manage that, she scratched her eye with her middle finger and felt a little satisfaction when he seemed to understand her. At that, Elena stepped between them, staring at him so intensely that Madison almost felt a little scared for her.

Thankfully, the elevator doors opened, revealing a cavern of ice. Dozens of catwalks and research equipment surrounded the massive wall of ice that was at least hundreds of feet high. But that wasn't what caused everyone in the elevator to look up with rapt attention.

"Mother of God," Elena whispered to herself in horror.

"She had nothing to do with this." the Controller replied.

Madison could only stare at it in wonder and just a little dread. Within the wall of ice was a titan, all serpentine coils and gigantic claws. It looked like it could've been several titans tangled together, as she could make out at least two dragon-like heads. Whatever it was was also massive, far bigger than Mothra and possibly even bigger than Godzilla himself.

"Monster zero." she mumbled. That's what she had heard Dr. Graham and her mother call it.

The thought suddenly sent a jolt of worry through her. Was Graham still stationed here? Had those mercenaries killed her too? She hoped not, that would've been too much. After the divorce, it had been somewhat of a relief to have her around. She was like an Aunt, though she didn't really know what it was like to have family outside of her parents. Or her brother.

She tried not to think about it.

Instead she thought about the tunnel she was being led through. It had been carved through the ice and insulated with something that looked a bit like a hamster tube. It was warmer, but she still felt goosebumps forming up and down her arms. As they worked their way up, past what was once people's workspaces, they reached the heart of the facility - the biolab.

From the catwalk, Madison could see one of the horned heads, while a vast majority of its body obscured by layers of ice. Her mother walked up to it, placing her hand against its frozen surface. Elena hung back. It almost looked like it was hard for her to breathe.

"Are you okay?" she asked, trying to keep her voice down.

Elena only nodded, trying to give her a reassuring smile but only further convincing her that no, she was not okay.

"Any survivors?" the Controller asked a man with short black hair.

"No," he replied. "They tried to launch an emergency beacon but we cut them off in time."

"Oh, they'll figure it out. Fire up the drills." Turning to her mother, his gaze focused on the ORCA in her hands. "Do you have everything you need?"

Her mother barely seemed to register what he said, but she nodded.

"Good," he said, that same dark smile growing on his face. "Let's get started."

As the men started up several drills mounted on robotic arms that hung from the ceiling, her mother began connecting the ORCA to the biolab's diagnostic equipment. She cocked her head in confusion when she saw one of the Controller's men walk next to her mother, connecting wires attached to what appeared to be two sleek headpieces into the ORCA. She didn't remember ever seeing those before. Standing closer to Elena while everyone was preoccupied, she looked up at her.

"The ORCA...it hadn't worked back in China. How's it gonna be any different now?"

Looking down, brows furrowed and lips pulled into a thin line, she exhaled. "It's not that it didn't work, it was missing something." she said, face hopelessly blank. "A human connection."

A connection.

Stepping closer to the wall of ice, she placed her hand against it just as her mother had.

Why were they bothering with the ORCA when this thing definitely seemed dead? It had been frozen for decades, possibly even longer than that. And how had a creature of this size been frozen like this in the first place? Other animals had been found in a similar state, but they were never like this. From what she could make out, Monster Zero had been standing in a very lifelike pose. It seemed impossible that the ice had accumulated on him over time. And how long ago had it happened? Antarctica wasn't always a frozen wasteland. Was it even possible that he wasn't dead at all? Stranger things had happened.

Madison got her answer an instant later, when she heard a series of beeps from one of the diagnostic machines behind her. On its screen it showed a flat line that slowly but surely spiked. The waves were brief, shallow, inconsistent - but they were there.

Monster Zero was alive.

#godzilla #king of the monsters #godzilla king of the monsters #godzilla fanfic #leviathanfic

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lauramalchowblog · 5 years ago

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8 Ways to Deal with a Difficult Partner (Who Doesn’t Eat Like You Do)

One of the biggest challenges of going Primal (or Keto or anything that goes against the norm of the Standard American Diet) is dealing with people who have no clue why you’d ever do such a thing. Even though there have been tons of studies1 on the risks of eating processed foods, grains, and industrialized oils, there are just as many folks panicking when you pass on the rolls. It’s even harder when those folks are your spouse or significant other.

If you’ve ever heard your partner say…

“I’d die if I couldn’t have bread.”

“One cookie isn’t going to wreck your diet.”

“Your body needs sugar!”

“You’re having bacon again?!”

…then you know what I’m talking about. As a health coach, I see this more often than I don’t. One half of a couple decides they’re done feeling foggy and carrying around extra fat, while the other feels “fine” and finds no reason to change how they’re eating — even though they’re pre-diabetic and their blood pressure numbers are sky high.

Signs You’ve Got a Difficult Partner

As you take steps toward improving your health and growing as a person, you might find that, instead of support, you’re suddenly on the receiving end of someone who’s sabotaging you, acting irritated and jealous, or just not willing to grow with you.

Your partner may come home with armloads of chips and cookies and refuse to eat anything that resembles a vegetable. Or make you feel bad when you ask for your burger lettuce wrapped. Or look at you like you’ve got two heads when you grab the full-fat yogurt off the grocery store shelf. Sound familiar? These are all signs that you’re dealing with a difficult partner. Here are some other indicators:

They’re quick to blame you for their actions

They seem to try to sabotage you

They’re controlling

They avoid or resist conversations with you

They minimize your wins or your progress

They judge you based on their beliefs

They use guilt as a way to control the situation

Here’s the thing though. You can’t change other people. I don’t care how right you are, how much progress you’ve made in your own health journey, or how much time you spend cooking epic protein-forward meals. People only change when they want to change. That said, you don’t have to let someone else’s resistance derail your own goals.

How Difficult Partners Affect Your Health

Aside from it being downright frustrating to live with someone who refuses to take responsibility for their own health, it can increase your risk of certain health conditions.

One study from Montreal’s McGill University Health Centre evaluated the environmental factors, social habits, and eating and exercising patterns of couples and found that participants had a 26% higher chance of developing Type 2 Diabetes when their partner had the disease.2

The good news is, it works the other way too. In a trial funded by the National Institute of Health, researchers looked at the ripple effect of healthy behaviors in a household. Participants and their spouses were placed into two groups: an intensive lifestyle intervention (which included a specific diet and physical activity) and a care plan that included only education and support. Researchers weighed the couples at the beginning and end of the trial and found that approximately 25% of the spouses in the intensive intervention lost 5% more of their baseline weight compared to less than 10% of the spouses in the other group.3

All of which suggests that what you do can influence your partner. And vice versa.

9 Ways to Deal with a Difficult or Unsupportive Partner

These are the same tactics I teach my health coaching clients. They’re powerful ones you can use in your own life to avoid frustration, discouragement, and potential derailment, while helping inspire your partner to pursue their own holy grail of good health.

1. Don’t just set expectations, make agreements

A source of conflict in many relationships is the disconnect between expectations and agreements. You might tell your partner you’ve decided to follow a ketogenic diet or pursue a Primal lifestyle, but unless you get clear on your expectations and lay out an agreement, that line can get fuzzy.

For instance, if your significant other brings home fresh baked bread when you’re abstaining from grains, you may feel like he or she is trying to sabotage your efforts. But if an agreement hasn’t been laid out and agreed to, all you have is the expectation that your partner shouldn’t be doing that. Perhaps they don’t know how important it is to you to not have bread in the house. Or they think they’re being supportive by bringing home a treat. Getting clear on your expectations and agreements allows you to focus on your health goals without the pressure of assuming your partner knows what you want or need.

2. Have empathy toward your partner

It’s easy to be irritated by a partner who’s still dragging their butt out of bed, sucking down sodas to stay awake, or praising the virtues of Meatless Monday — especially when you’re feeling amazing doing the opposite. But it’s important to consider the emotions they’re going through during this time. There’s a good chance they’re jealous, fearful, or uncertain about your future together. After all, if your favorite couples’ activity used to be laying around, binging on junk food in front of the TV and now you’re hitting the hay earlier, jumping out of bed in the morning, and making time to cook up a nutrient-dense breakfast, they may not be sure how they fit into the picture.

And remember, there’s a big difference between empathy and sympathy. Sympathy is feeling bad or sorry for someone, where empathy is feeling those emotions with someone.

3. Communicate

When you’re feeling unsupported, it can be hard not to nag, shout, or give your partner the silent treatment. However, learning how to communicate effectively can help you get over this hurdle and any others that can (and likely will) come up.

Open up about what you’re going through, why you’re shifting your lifestyle, and why you’d really appreciate your support — without putting blame or shame on your significant other. Then, take a step back and hear what they have to say. Listening is as important a skill as talking when it comes to communication. Be aware of your body language too. Things like crossed arms or legs or tightly clasped hands give off a defensive or closed-off vibe.

4. Be a role model

Just by doing what you’re doing (purchasing unprocessed foods, cooking at home, getting out and exercising), you’re planting a seed in your partner’s mind about the importance of good health. Your positive actions have the ability to influence and motivate, without saying a word.

However, the biggest factor in whether or not they’ll be inspired lies in their own beliefs. According to a study, participants who felt like certain results were attainable to them were more apt to see a role model as inspiring. And participants who believed they couldn’t achieve more than they already had started to view themselves more negatively.4 In this case, a more gradual approach might be more beneficial if you want your partner to follow your lead.

5. Get your priorities in order

Another thing to keep in mind is that this is YOUR health journey. You’re the one who’s embarking on this change, not your significant other, your spouse, or even your kids. That’s why it’s crucial that you get clear on what message you’re putting out there. Sure, it would be great if everyone in your household ate the same thing (who likes to make two dinners anyway?) and no one ever brought cookies or Halloween candy or artificially colored and flavored juice drinks into your home, but that’s not necessarily realistic. It’s not necessary to your success either.

So, asking yourself: is your partner being difficult because they’re not supporting you? Or because they’re not eating and moving their body exactly how you’re doing it? Good questions to ponder. Someone can be supportive yet choose to not live a Primal lifestyle. And that’s okay.

6. Find common ground

Assuming that your SAD-loving partner would prefer to eat Twinkies and mac-n-cheese all day isn’t just unfair, it’s unproductive. Take a step back and figure out what foods you both enjoy eating (there’s got to be at least one, right?). Maybe you both like eggs or salmon or grilled asparagus. Or a great rare steak. By finding a favorite food in common, you can come up with meals that satisfy both of your eating preferences. Plus, the effort of wanting to find common ground with your partner can reduce the tension of a ‘my way or the highway scenario’.

7. Join a supportive community

If you’re not getting the support you need at home (or not enough support), there are tons of online groups you can engage with. Right now, the Mark’s Daily Apple Facebook group has more than 200,000 members. Keto Reset has 32,000 members. And Primal Blueprint has more than 20,000 members. If that’s not enough, reach out to a friend, a family member, or one of our expert health coaches.

Participating in a group gives you the opportunity to be with people who have a like-minded purpose. Not only will you be interacting with those who understand what you’re going through, it can help you feel less isolated, less anxious, and less stressed out.

8. Reflect on your own journey

You might be all-in when it comes to your keto or Primal lifestyle now, but think back to the beginning of your health journey. Transitioning away from a morning toast and OJ routine, or sandwich-and-chips-on-the-go isn’t always easy. And it’s not something to take lightly. So, if your significant other isn’t diving into Primal in one fell swoop, relax a little. They may need an approach that feels less scary — where they’re less likely to fail. Just remember that everyone’s journey is different. Even the people who live under the same roof as you.

What’s worked for you? Tell me if you’ve used any of these tactics or other strategies, when dealing with a difficult or unsupportive partner.

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References

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5986467/

https://bmcmedicine.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/1741-7015-12-12

https://www.nature.com/articles/ijo2008150

https://psycnet.apa.org/record/1997-04812-007

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jesseneufeld · 5 years ago

Text

8 Ways to Deal with a Difficult Partner (Who Doesn’t Eat Like You Do)

If you’ve ever heard your partner say…

“I’d die if I couldn’t have bread.”

“One cookie isn’t going to wreck your diet.”

“Your body needs sugar!”

“You’re having bacon again?!”

Signs You’ve Got a Difficult Partner

They’re quick to blame you for their actions

They seem to try to sabotage you

They’re controlling

They avoid or resist conversations with you

They minimize your wins or your progress

They judge you based on their beliefs

They use guilt as a way to control the situation

How Difficult Partners Affect Your Health

Aside from it being downright frustrating to live with someone who refuses to take responsibility for their own health, it can increase your risk of certain health conditions.

All of which suggests that what you do can influence your partner. And vice versa.

9 Ways to Deal with a Difficult or Unsupportive Partner

1. Don’t just set expectations, make agreements

2. Have empathy toward your partner

And remember, there’s a big difference between empathy and sympathy. Sympathy is feeling bad or sorry for someone, where empathy is feeling those emotions with someone.

3. Communicate

4. Be a role model

5. Get your priorities in order

6. Find common ground

7. Join a supportive community

8. Reflect on your own journey

What’s worked for you? Tell me if you’ve used any of these tactics or other strategies, when dealing with a difficult or unsupportive partner.

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References

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5986467/

https://bmcmedicine.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/1741-7015-12-12

https://www.nature.com/articles/ijo2008150

https://psycnet.apa.org/record/1997-04812-007

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